Page 41 of When the Living Fall

Maybe next time.

Instead, I kiss her hard. Not to silence her, but because I need to keep tasting her. I have a feeling I’m never going to be able to get enough of her. I thought I’d fallen for her that night she dislocated her own wrist to escape Griffin, but that was nothing like this.

“Max,” she breathes out heavily, her mouth going slack.

“That’s right, pet. Scream my name,” I coax.

My arms tighten around her, and my thrusts turn frantic.

Her back arches off the hood, and I pulse, spilling inside of her.

We never had that kind of talk, but whatever happens, happens. Because I’m going to do it again and again and again.

My name tears from her pretty pink lips and I slow my pulse, milking her orgasm, getting every last drop out of her that I can. “You’re so fucking beautiful,” I whisper in her ear before licking along the outer shell.

“Does this mean you forgive me?” She asks.

I lean down and kiss her softly. Gently. Slowly. “You never did anything wrong, pet. I’d cut out my own heart if it kept you safe.”

23

EMILY

William’s stride is so smooth and steady, it almost lulls me to sleep while I hang onto his back.

After our makeshift cleanup with our limited supplies, we realized I’d left the car running while Max had his way with me, and now it’s out of gas. So, instead of a quick drive back to the colony, we’re traveling on foot.

Still worth it.

I offered to test out some of the other cars in the graveyard of abandoned cars, but the guys were more adamant to walk. They said it was a nice day for a walk, but I suspect they wanted some extra time to ourselves before dealing with the colony. Luckily, Josh thought we were all going to die, so he ducked his head between his knees and didn’t look over the edge of the roof until William started calling his name.

Buddy trots alongside us with a rotter’s leg hanging out of his mouth. Not a full leg, only from the knee down. The pinky toe fell off after we turned onto the road, much to William’s disgust, but my pup loves playing with his rotter limbs. I should start playing fetch with him, but with a stick instead. Or literally anything that isn’t a human limb.

I rest my head on William’s shoulder, feeling the warmth of his back. My arms drape loose around his neck, and his hands squeeze my thighs where they wrap around his waist. He turns his head to the side to whisper to me. “You can sleep if you want, Em. I’ve got you.”

A smile crosses my face. My sweet man. I give his shoulder a playful nip.

Max walks alongside us, swinging his morning star around, and laughing at the joyfulness in Buddy, whose tail is wagging like crazy. Max, grinning with pure satisfaction, has been beaming ever since William scooped me up. He’s undoubtedly proud of himself for being the reason I’m too exhausted to walk. I’m grateful we worked through our problems. We’ve both forgiven each other, and we understand that we’ll never truly leave one another. I’m still appalled, however, that he would sacrifice himself for me like that. The action also made me realize how badly I don’t want to lose him; any of them. The thought of losing a single one of them makes my chest hurt too much to breathe.

As for Griffin…there are still wounds left to heal. Part of me wants him to have the community he’s always longed for, but I know my colony will ever fully embrace him. I don’t even know if he fully understands why I kept it a secret. He deserves the world, but I fear I don’t have the capability to give him that, even if he trusted me.

William, though, remains my anchor. He’s still my rock. Even when words fail me, he still listens. And when my strength runs low and I can’t walk, he carries me; in more ways than one.

Almost as though he can hear my thoughts, William stops in the middle of the road. I lift my head up and see the colony still isn’t in sight. My body stiffens. “More rotters?”

“No, it’s not that. I’ve just remembered something.” William walks to the side of the road and sets me down on the ground in the shade beneath a tree.

“Is something wrong?” Worry creeps in. Did I hurt him while he was carrying me all this way? Don’t tell me a rotter bit him back there.

“Whatever is going through your mind, stop it,” Griffin orders.

“Are you overthinking again? Do I need to fuck it out of you?” Max waggles his eyebrows.

Josh scratches the back of his neck and digs the toe of his shoe into the dirt.

Buddy lays down in the middle of the road, with the rotter leg draped across his paws while he watches us.

William kneels in front of me and reaches into his pocket. “I have something for you.”

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