Territory of the Dead (Book 2): Phase Two: Evaluate by Rose Wynters
Authors: Rose Wynters
Tags: Zombie Apocalypse
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me against his body. I might have been dying, but even then, I couldn't ignore the heat of his bare chest against my back. I smiled dreamily. Only a dead woman could have brushed off the pleasure I felt in his arms, and I wasn't dead, yet.
“Dammit, Tabitha,” he growled in my ear. “Are you just determined to die?”
The puppy whimpered in my arms. Through it all, I'd managed to protect him. I was glad. If I survived this, I'd have a pet. Somehow, that made it all worthwhile.
“You risked your life for a puppy?” Kellan asked, but his words were without any heat. Obviously, he knew I had. Kellan was just smart like that.
“Don't hurt him,” I managed to stutter out, but each word hurt worse than I could have ever imagined. My throat was on fire, the pain radiating up the side of my neck and down into my collarbone. Even breathing hurt. “I love him.”
Kellan sighed in my ear. I was going to pass out, after all, but I fought not to. I wanted his promise that the puppy would be okay. Only then, could I fall into the abyss.
“Of course, I wouldn't hurt him,” he reprimanded me, his voice low in my ear. “I might be harsh, but I'm not a monster.”
Right before I slipped away, I could have sworn I heard Kellan add, “Lucky dog.”
* * * * *
The next time I awoke, I was in Kellan's den. To my complete and total shock, I was also in his lap. It wasn't an embrace, though. He was holding me up as my mom tried to get me to drink from a straw.
“She's fully awake now,” she chirped to Kellan, her eyes briefly moving up to his. “Tabitha, I need you to drink this. It's orange juice, and it will help you to feel better.”
I hated orange juice, it never failed to give me indigestion. It was perfect for those that had lost a great deal of blood, though. I knew that from donating blood.
My neck felt like someone had taken a weed eater to it. I was weak, dizzy, and nauseated. My mind was fuzzy, my thoughts jumbled. How did she expect me to swallow it? It seemed impossible.
I remembered the puppy. I could see my dad, James, Amanda, and Sara, but I didn't see the dog I wanted so badly. Turning my face away from the glass, I rasped out, “Puppy?”
“He's fine,” Kellan said from behind me, his voice impatient. “He's in a lot better shape than you are. Jayden took him to the bathroom to clean him up. He thought you'd be asking for the puppy as soon as you woke up.” He stopped for a moment before adding in a rueful tone, “By the way, the he is really a she.”
Some of the tension within me went away. I nodded to my mom, drinking as much as I could. It wasn't a lot. The pain was terrible.
Kellan shifted beneath me. We were in a deep chair, which made it all the more intimate. I blushed. I needed out of that chair, just as soon as possible. “I think I can stand up now.”
“Stay still,” he growled back, making no effort to help me up. “You were all but sucked dry. If I'd been a minute later, you'd be dead. Drink the juice and relax. If you can't, I'm going to break out the IV again.”
My mom shuddered in front of me, her face paling. Her eyes met mine. They were red-rimmed and filled with horror. She offered the straw to me again, which I took.
After a moment, I pulled away. “Am I going to die?”
“At the rate you're going, I'm sure of it,” he informed us, his tone harsh. It was so completely at odds with the gentleness of his touch, though. His large hands were wrapped around my upper arms, but they were loosely clasped, not rough. “Wherever there's trouble, you always seem to be right in the middle of it.
I became aware of someone staring at me. Turning my head, I met Sara's furious gaze. Her narrowed eyes were hot enough to singe me. She looked irate and jealous, which completely confused me. It wasn't as if she'd caught Kellan and I in bed together, and even if she had, what was it to her? As far
“Dammit, Tabitha,” he growled in my ear. “Are you just determined to die?”
The puppy whimpered in my arms. Through it all, I'd managed to protect him. I was glad. If I survived this, I'd have a pet. Somehow, that made it all worthwhile.
“You risked your life for a puppy?” Kellan asked, but his words were without any heat. Obviously, he knew I had. Kellan was just smart like that.
“Don't hurt him,” I managed to stutter out, but each word hurt worse than I could have ever imagined. My throat was on fire, the pain radiating up the side of my neck and down into my collarbone. Even breathing hurt. “I love him.”
Kellan sighed in my ear. I was going to pass out, after all, but I fought not to. I wanted his promise that the puppy would be okay. Only then, could I fall into the abyss.
“Of course, I wouldn't hurt him,” he reprimanded me, his voice low in my ear. “I might be harsh, but I'm not a monster.”
Right before I slipped away, I could have sworn I heard Kellan add, “Lucky dog.”
* * * * *
The next time I awoke, I was in Kellan's den. To my complete and total shock, I was also in his lap. It wasn't an embrace, though. He was holding me up as my mom tried to get me to drink from a straw.
“She's fully awake now,” she chirped to Kellan, her eyes briefly moving up to his. “Tabitha, I need you to drink this. It's orange juice, and it will help you to feel better.”
I hated orange juice, it never failed to give me indigestion. It was perfect for those that had lost a great deal of blood, though. I knew that from donating blood.
My neck felt like someone had taken a weed eater to it. I was weak, dizzy, and nauseated. My mind was fuzzy, my thoughts jumbled. How did she expect me to swallow it? It seemed impossible.
I remembered the puppy. I could see my dad, James, Amanda, and Sara, but I didn't see the dog I wanted so badly. Turning my face away from the glass, I rasped out, “Puppy?”
“He's fine,” Kellan said from behind me, his voice impatient. “He's in a lot better shape than you are. Jayden took him to the bathroom to clean him up. He thought you'd be asking for the puppy as soon as you woke up.” He stopped for a moment before adding in a rueful tone, “By the way, the he is really a she.”
Some of the tension within me went away. I nodded to my mom, drinking as much as I could. It wasn't a lot. The pain was terrible.
Kellan shifted beneath me. We were in a deep chair, which made it all the more intimate. I blushed. I needed out of that chair, just as soon as possible. “I think I can stand up now.”
“Stay still,” he growled back, making no effort to help me up. “You were all but sucked dry. If I'd been a minute later, you'd be dead. Drink the juice and relax. If you can't, I'm going to break out the IV again.”
My mom shuddered in front of me, her face paling. Her eyes met mine. They were red-rimmed and filled with horror. She offered the straw to me again, which I took.
After a moment, I pulled away. “Am I going to die?”
“At the rate you're going, I'm sure of it,” he informed us, his tone harsh. It was so completely at odds with the gentleness of his touch, though. His large hands were wrapped around my upper arms, but they were loosely clasped, not rough. “Wherever there's trouble, you always seem to be right in the middle of it.
I became aware of someone staring at me. Turning my head, I met Sara's furious gaze. Her narrowed eyes were hot enough to singe me. She looked irate and jealous, which completely confused me. It wasn't as if she'd caught Kellan and I in bed together, and even if she had, what was it to her? As far
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