Chapter 39

I sat on the couch of the old house, finding the softness of the fabric against my body strange. After days of being accustomed to nature and the lack of basic comforts, being in a house like the ones I was used to seeing on the other side of the border seemed unreal. But my father and his group had taken us there, ensuring we’d be safe in a closed place, difficult to access for the deadly creatures that dominated the ruined city.

Randall didn’t seem willing to accept that interference in his plans, but a look thrown in my direction seemed enough for him to at least keep quiet. His entire pack seemed to agree with his silence, and they followed me with hesitant steps as we crossed those deserted streets, letting the human soldiers escort us. My father asked me to ride with him in his car, letting the group follow us. But I refused.

Although I was clearly the most fragile link in that chain, I was still a human inclined toward pacifism. I wouldn’t turn my back on the grou