Renee’s eyes opened, and she saw the morning sky. The sounds of animals disturbed her sleep. She couldn’t remember where her group was, but it sounded and smelled like an animal enclosure. She pushed herself up and almost gagged.

All around her were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of zombies feasting on carcasses and tearing pieces of people or large animals. Her eyes darted around. She had to get out of wherever she was before they realized she wasn’t dead. Her throat tightened, because her entire group was dead… again. The hazy memory of Mark and Tom… and that meant Iris was gone too. The last thing she remembered clearly was running and hitting her head, then she entered a hotel and hid. Maybe that hadn’t happened. Maybe she’d been out on the street the entire time.

There were feral growls and grunts all around her as the horde fought and shoved one another for meat. How long had she been there? As she peered around, she realized they were eating any human remains they could sink their decaying teeth into. They’d run out of prey. Shit. She had to get out of there. No way could she outrun them all.

In the distance, a thunderous growl echoed off the buildings. The sheer volume of it sent vibrations through her chest. All the undead stopped and became silent as attention turned to the city square. With sure, almost graceful strides the tall, dark- haired zombie she’d seen chasing her walked toward the center of the horde. The rest of the undead appeared to be bowing as he neared.

What the hell?

There was a zombie king?

Renee was certain humans weren’t aware because if they had been, then they might have changed their tactics.

A willowy blonde woman trailed behind him. She was definitely a zombie. A part of her shoulder was missing, yet she seemed to be taking in her surroundings, observing the comings and goings of the horde around her. Renee swallowed when the female zombie’s bloodshot, pale blue irises locked on her. The woman might be a zombie, but she knew Renee wasn’t dead from the intelligence shining in those terrifying eyes.

Crap. No choice but to run. With a quick scan around her, she found one alley clear. Some dead littered the ground, but it was a straight shot. If she made it up the fence before they got to her, she might live for another day. Renee jumped to her feet and used the element of surprise to bolt. Pure luck made her steps confident and sure, enabling her to jump over several of the dead. The speed and agility with which she ran shocked Renee, she never realized she possessed such skill. She’d cleared the horde and was down the alley, lacing her fingers into the chain-link fence as she scrambled up. She was going to make it!

Rough hands seized her from behind and slammed her onto the pavement. Her eyes widened when she peered into the face of the zombie king, his bloodshot, amber irises lit with fury. Now seeing him close up the veins and arteries stood out even more against the deathly pallor of his skin. So dead. She was so dead. He bared his teeth at her before he growled and turned away. The hell?

“Why would you do that?” The blonde zombie appeared in Renee’s view.

“What?”

“He doesn’t like when we run. Get up. Don’t do that again.” Fear filled the zombie’s pale eyes as she put her hand out to Renee.

Hesitantly, Renee accepted her hand. Was a zombie helping her? Wait. A zombie talked to her? Her lips were ruby red. At first, Renee thought it was blood but then she realized the blonde, willowy zombie was wearing lipstick.

“You don’t want to be punished,” she whispered to Renee, as she wrapped her fingers around Renee’s arm, and led her back to the horde.

Renee shook her head and tried to pull away.

“ Stop. Stay with me and do what I tell you if you want to survive.” She hissed at Renee.

She stopped fighting and let the zombie with the red lipstick lead them toward the horde. Renee was surprised she had no trouble hearing the quieter words the female had spoken. The horde was on the move now. The more zombies that passed, the sicker Renee felt. She’d underestimated their numbers. Was all of humanity zombies now? Zombies walked by in all stages of decay. Those who led the horde, she found it difficult to tell if they were dead at all. Some, like the female zombie who had a hold of Renee, had only one visible injury, the rest of their body in seemingly pristine condition. As those who walked by her grew in number, the damage to their bodies worsened. They stood waiting for what seemed like hours. Finally, when the zombies seemed like nothing more than dried-up bags of decay that slowly shuffled by, only then did the blonde let up on the pressure on her arm but didn’t let go.

“Follow me.”

They joined the ranks and padded along keeping pace. Renee was thirsty and wanted to ask for water but knew she was lucky to be alive, so she opted to say nothing. They walked for hours in the sun, away from Baltimore. She thought maybe they were headed north because the air seemed slightly cooler but it was hard to tell with the sun beating down. Occasionally, one of the rotting zombies would fall, but the horde kept moving.

“Why did you help me?” Renee whispered.

“I didn’t help you. I’m doing what I was told,” she snapped with annoyance.

“Are you like them?”

The blonde’s head turned in her direction, her brow furrowed.

“I just meant… because,” Renee pointed to her shoulder, where a chunk had been torn off and left an uneven indentation. The blue floral printed off-the-shoulder dress contrasted with her stark skin.

The blonde scowled and stared ahead. “I guess. My boyfriend did that to me. Now, this is my life.”

“But you aren’t the same as the others. You seem… I don’t know - alive?” Renee didn’t want to make her angry, yet everything since she’d woken up didn’t seem to make any sense.

“Do I look like I’m alive? Would I be here if I was alive?” The bitterness in her tone wasn’t lost on Renee.

“Okay, but how can you talk when they can’t?”

The blonde rolled her eyes. “You’re just full of questions, aren’t you?” She flipped her pretty, clean-looking hair behind her.

Renee shrugged and noticed a twinge of pain in her neck. She picked up a dirty lock of her own brown hair and wondered how a zombie could be cleaner than her. The fact she couldn’t remember the last time she bathed wasn’t a good sign.

“Just do what you’re told, and you might survive this existence.”

“Can I ask one more thing? I swear it will be my last question for a while.” Renee was thrilled to not only have someone to speak with but also, she recognized she didn’t have to stare at their lips the entire time to understand what they were saying.

Her face tightened with annoyance. “What?”

“What’s your name?”

They stopped. The blonde seemed surprised by her question.

“You want to know my name?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I?”

“You’d think you would want to know...” She let out a long breath. “It’s Brie.”

“Thanks for saving me, Brie.”

Brie’s lips pinched together like she wanted to say something, but then her head snapped toward the horde, and she stared for a long time. “We need to catch up to the chosen.”

“The who?”

“You said no more questions,” Brie reminded her. “Hold my hand, so I don’t lose you in the horde.”

Renee’s mouth dropped open. “You actually call them ‘the horde’?”

Brie didn’t answer. Instead, she tugged Renee’s arm until they were speeding through the mass of the undead. Renee didn’t know how Brie navigated them so easily or why it was so easy to keep up with her. Almost proud of herself until the sight in front of her made her double over and puke.

It was the fast zombies. They’d attacked a small encampment of people ahead of the slower horde members. The screams rippled through her. She considered tearing out her cochlear implants to make them stop. Brie’s hand clutched hers. Renee flicked her eyes at Brie and stopped breathing. The hunger she must have felt in that moment made her face sharp. Renee plucked her hand from Brie’s as a low, menacing sound came from her. Brie flashed her teeth and glanced to the right.

The zombie king stood alone, perched on a roof, surveying the madness. His stance was powerful and proud. It disgusted her. He declined his head, and Brie took off into the massacre. Renee didn’t know what to do. She wanted to run again, but where would she go? The horde approached from behind. Renee was surrounded by undead, but for unknown reasons, they hadn’t attacked her or tried to eat her.

She sensed the king’s gaze. It made her entire body tingle and her stomach uneasy. When Brie tore off a man’s arms, Renee turned and glared at the bastard who watched his mindless monsters devouring another group of victims. To hell with it. Maybe she’d die a horrible death, but at least she’d try to take him down with her.

Renee stalked toward the building he was on and climbed the fire escape. When she reached the top, his hand waited for hers, she let go of the fire escape and almost fell. Why would he help a human who he must have known wanted to kill him? Instead, he hauled her up to the roof. Panting, she glared at him again. A thousand things ran through her mind. The most paramount was how stupid she’d been racing there without a weapon.

“Does this mean you’re done running?” His deep voice made her flush.

She hadn’t expected him to have such a sensual and appealing voice. It made sense he’d be able to talk like Brie and she’d be able to understand him. After all, he seemed to be the horde’s king, but a rich, sexy voice? No.

“You’re a monster.” Her own voice sounded different to her now. It was more… natural? It was hard to tell, she didn’t have much of a reference of what was “normal.” Renee couldn’t quite put her finger on it but reflecting on her conversation with Brie, it was almost like she could perceive tonal shifts easier. Was something wrong with her last implant?

He tilted his head to the side with a smirk. Even with his gaunt cheeks he was still attractive.

“You’re horrible. I came here to kill you!” Sweet Jesus, what was wrong with her? Everything she’d said made her sound like the biggest idiot.

“You have no weapons. Do you mean to strangle me?” Zombies weren’t supposed to have voices that made your heart speed up. She wasn’t sure if it was because it sounded so smooth, like silk brushing against skin, or because it was baritone. Which was easier for her to feel his voice. Typically to pick up on subtle vocal shifts, Renee relied on body language to give her hints. But she hadn’t missed the almost teasing tone in his words.

He also seemed to have some level of logical cognition. How did this zombie make sense of her plan of attack, or rather, lack thereof?

Renee planted her feet and attempted to appear fierce. “If I have to.”

He stepped back and opened his arms in invitation. Covered from head to toe in black, which made sense since he was basically death incarnate if he and his horde showed up in your town. The black t-shirt he wore clung to his muscular torso and distracted her.

Shit. Would she really do this? Could she? It didn’t matter, she had to try. She leapt at him and wrapped her hands around his throat. He grinned at her antics. It wasn’t until seconds later that she realized her legs were around his waist. That wasn’t right. He should’ve fallen over and been gasping. She squeezed. He smiled. Shit. The undead weren’t supposed to have inviting smiles.

She squeezed harder. He laughed. He actually fucking laughed in her face. Crestfallen, she relaxed her hands. The vibrations from his laughter reverberated against her and tickled. It was at that moment she realized one of his arms was around her waist, and the other was under her ass, supporting her weight. Blood made her neck and face hot. She wanted to crawl inside of herself. This sonofabitch was literally the reason all the people below were dying, and she was wrapped around him like a lover. She yanked herself off him.

Stumbling to stay upright, she scanned the rooftop for something to use as a weapon. Nothing. Why hadn’t he tried to kill her? Why hadn’t any of them? Why had she really gone up to the roof, with no weapon, no plan?

“Why am I here?” she asked, trying to avoid glancing at him.

“I thought you meant to kill me.”

“No!” She took a breath. “With you. Why am I with you? With zombies? Why haven’t they attacked me?”

He stared at her a long time before he turned to the massacre down below. “They won’t harm you.”

That explained nothing. Renee wondered if she had a death wish because when common sense told her to shut it and not pester monsters, she only pushed until they answered her.

“Why?”

His face was impassive. “Because I told them not to.”

“And they listen to you because you’re their king?”

“King?” He glanced at her.

The breeze carried the sickening scent of death to her nostrils. Her mouth was so dry, she really needed a drink. Renee watched as the dark tendrils of his long hair lifted with the breeze. Why did he have such pretty hair? Another scream and the awful sound of the remaining portion of the horde reaching the settlement rushed her senses. She clasped her hands over her ears. Her entire life, all Renee wanted was to hear like ordinary people. Now in the midst of the apocalypse, she just wanted blissful silence.

She shut her eyes. She was such a coward. If she was a decent person, she’d fight him or jump down and try to save some lives. Probably pointless, but better than doing nothing. Cold hands suddenly clasped hers. The touch seemed familiar, comforting.

This was all a bad dream. She was still asleep outside the city, in her group’s encampment, she would have the chance to convince the others not to go into Baltimore. She’d make them listen to her. Explain the sense of dread she had felt since they’d come within a few miles of the large metropolitan city.

Her eyes fluttered open. Bright, bloodshot, amber irises were inches from her. He was so close he could kiss her. Instead, his hands lifted hers off her ears. She couldn’t hear anything anymore except her own heartbeat. His fingers slid into her hair near her ears before she felt a tug on her left side.

An odd sensation, akin to pain, of something being pulled out of her head made her stiffen, but she didn’t move. After a few seconds, it hurt, almost burned, but it wasn’t like any other pain she’d experienced before, and she was too terrified to react. The sharp pain faded as she stared, transfixed by his sharp attractive features.

“You don’t need this anymore,” he said in a low voice.

Her eyes flicked to his hands. It was her cochlear implant. Not only the transmitter but also the receiver, antenna, and electrode array that had been implanted. The external parts were severely damaged, probably from when she hit her head.

“Why would you do that? I can’t hear without...” Her brows pinched because she’d heard every word, she herself had just said. “How?”

He put the cochlear implant in her hand and turned to the side of the building she’d climbed up and stood at the edge of the roof. A heartbeat later, he was gone.

She ran to the edge. He’d jumped down like it was nothing and barked orders at the horde. They all cowered in front of him. She slid the implant into her pocket and climbed down via the fire escape, more confused than she’d already been. Still paranoid, she eyed the horde as she maneuvered through them, but followed the king to see what was happening.

Renee covered her mouth and nose as she approached the slaughtered encampment. Unlike when she’d woken up, the beasts weren’t fighting over the scraps. They seemed scared and huddled together. Once she reached the clearing, she understood why.

Brie stood next to the king as two of the zombies were dragged forward. Renee could tell by the captives’ fluid movements they were recently made, they moved like the swift zombies she’d seen around. Other fast zombies held them. The king stalked toward the prisoners and their guards, making gestures that made no sense to her along with weird guttural noises. The mass twitched around her.

The king roared before pulling the first captive zombie up and out of the others’ hands, ripping it in half above his head. The monster’s entrails poured over him and onto the ground like rain. Renee covered her mouth and chewed back her vomit. More animalistic sounds were heard before he threw one half to the horde where they snatched it without delay.

Renee’s eyes widened when she understood it wasn’t actually dead yet. He’d kept the top half, and the head hissed at him in defiance. Wasting no time, he ripped the head off and tossed the torso to the horde. She stumbled back from all the gore and violence she witnessed.

He motioned for the other zombie to be brought forward and showed it the head. Weirdly, it seemed to bother the captured creature. Was it like Brie and had the ability to talk as well? Renee speculated if the creatures knew each other. The king handed the head to Brie. She held it up proudly, and the horde cheered. Well, it sounded like a distorted cheer. The quick zombies dragged the remaining prisoner elsewhere.

Any remaining humans were screwed. Totally screwed. Renee didn’t know what the hell that display was, but somehow, since the original zombies showed up, they had evolved and become intelligent or smart enough, anyway. There was some crazy, barbaric shit going on, and she was smack dab in the middle of it.

As disgusting as it was, they’d set up camp in the small makeshift town that’d been there before the horde decimated it. The shamblers were somewhere on the outskirts, along with the creepy yet nimble zombies that seemed to be on patrol. The swift dexterous zombies that appeared more like monsters than animated corpses were highly feared. Unlike the shamblers, the slower zombies of the group, the quick ones seemed to understand humans - at least their movements - and hunted people down like rabid animals chasing their prey.

In the center of the horde was a mix of creatures. Some seemed more alert and thoughtful, while others were not. Some zombies moved with purpose, gathering items of use or starting fires. Renee’s situation was awful but she couldn’t help but be fascinated. All kinds of subtle forms of communication surrounded her. She swore they talked to each other, just not using words. Before she got her implants, she’d used American sign language, so she would have recognized it. But they weren’t using signs to communicate. It was actually a series of facial expressions, hand gestures, and guttural sounds.

She used the time she was left alone to search for water. When she found a case of it, she sat and drank at least four bottles before propping herself against a wall. She was so tired. Maybe she could sleep. He’d said they wouldn’t hurt her because he told them not to, but why? It didn’t matter. Nothing made sense anymore. Until she figured out a way to escape, she’d have to play along.

On the rooftop, she was convinced she was useless and a coward, but now she had a purpose. Renee was positive that none of the human survivors had a clue about how the undead actually operated. If she gathered enough information, then the surviving humans could finally turn the tables on the monsters that had devoured most of the world.

His high cheekbones, amber eyes with long lashes, and dark hair filled her mind. She hated him. He led the army of the undead, and they were terrified of him. So, he called the shots, which meant he was responsible for the mayhem and death that’d ruined her life and everyone else’s. Lucky for her, he didn’t seem interested in eating her or letting anyone else do it, either. Not sure why, but she would definitely use his “no Renee buffet” mentality to get close to him. She would get more info, or possibly kill him herself, as long as she wasn’t so dumb in her next attempt. Her eyes slid closed, still thinking about the king.