Zombie Queen

by Mary Martel

  He swoops back in for a kiss that lasts longer than any of the others, almost like he's nervously procrastinating the big step. Whatever, he can take all the time he wants as long as he doesn't stop kissing me. I run my hands up and down his naked back, loving the feel of hard muscle beneath them. When he pulls away again and jumps to his feet, I'm prepared to hear the words to shut us down where we are. What I'm not expecting is him to reach over in Dex's nightstand and pull out a condom.

  My chin drops to my chest in surprise, and he doesn't see it until he's halfway done rolling it on. He blushes, and guilt sits heavy on my chest. I didn’t mean to make him feel weird about it, especially since my mind is taking me places it probably shouldn’t. Why would Dex have condoms in his bedside table when they haven’t had any women around? And, why would Russ know where they are?

  “You don’t have to tell me,” I blurt out.

  At the same time, he asks, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “Wait,” he jumps in before I can answer him, “don’t have to tell you what?”

  “Umm,” I stall then rush through with it, “you know. How you knew those were in there.”

  Watching the wheels turn inside his mind would be hilarious were we not in the position we’re currently in. Now I’m just starting to feel weird about even saying anything.

  I can tell the moment he catches on to what I’ve said because his eyes go wide as his face goes red.

  “We aren’t doing anything,” he denies, looking on the verge of either laughing or getting angry. I can’t tell which. “We’re not gay. I’m not gay,” he adds vehemently, continuing with, “After what you said, Doc had a talk with us and said we should keep them around just in case.”

  When he starts to scoot away from the bed, I grab his arm and apologize. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I shouldn’t have even thought it. Please stay.”

  For a second, I think he really is going to just call it quits, no matter how long it’s been for him. Can’t say I’d blame him considering I practically just said he likes dick. That’s got to hurt a dude’s ego.

  Trying to make up for my blunder, I rise to my knees close enough to the edge of the bed that I can use his arm to pull him flush against me.

  “I’m sorry,” I tell him again, looking up from under my lashes. I’ve never done it before, but that shit seems to work in all the romance novels, so it’s worth a shot. Turns out the old biddies who write those things know what they’re talking about.

  Palming my cheeks, Russ drops his lips to mine. This time I don’t get a chance to part my lips for him. He forces his tongue inside as though it’s got something to prove, and I guess he kind of feels like he does now. We kiss until I’m breathless and have that squirmy feeling back in my gut in anticipation. Once I’m sure he’s not going to make a mad dash for the door, I ease myself back to the mattress, leaving him to follow me down. The press of his weight mixed with our skin to skin contact makes me want him inside of me right this second.

  Russ, however, has different plans as those delicious lips of his drop to one of my nipples. Propping up on his left forearm, his free hand travels down the front of my body. It leaves a path of destruction in its wake. By the time it finds my clit, I’m more than willing to spread my legs even further for him.

  After having the wild man’s attention there, it’s hard not to compare the two. Where Kemp was confident and experienced, it almost makes Russ seem like a rookie, though he’s obviously anything but. Replacing one finger with another, his thumb flicks a couple times before doing a circle motion that has my hips arching up off the bed toward him. He takes advantage by sliding a digit inside me slowly. All the while still showering one breast and then the other with short kisses and licks.

  I give him another minute or so of teasing me to no end before I clasp his cheeks and yank his face up to mine. The reward doesn’t disappoint. Not only do his lips and tongue find mine again, but he raises up to position himself directly on top of me. I’m ready when he reaches down to guide himself inside. My breath hitches softly when he meets a tiny bit of resistance and all things come to a stop, including Russ’ own breathing.

  “You’re a virgin?” Russ asks, surprise lacing his tone.

  Call it an uncomfortable situation, but I chuckle slightly as I say, “What, didn’t Kemp tell you?”

  He tenses at this and wonders, “Why would Kemp tell me? How would he know?”

  “Umm,” I start, trying to dig my foot out of my mouth, “can we just keep going?”

  Shaking his head once, he opens his mouth to say something but shuts it again.

  “I’m not good at this,” he finally admits. “Maybe we shouldn’t.”

  “Are you kidding?” I ask, pointing at my face. “Virgin here, so I can’t even compare. Please, Russ.”

  I wouldn’t be begging him if I thought he truly didn’t want this. We both know it’s more of a confidence issue and popping cherries. I’d heard some of my friends back in school talking about how much guys hated dating virgins, which doesn’t make any kind of sense to me. What, is there just one guy going around fucking them all first? I really don’t want to play the obvious card of if not you, then someone else will. But he’s gotten me so worked up and is already halfway in. I can’t say I wouldn’t smack him below the belt again for leaving me hanging. Thankfully, it doesn’t come to that as he makes his decision.

  One arch of his hips and a pinch of pain, then he’s all the way in. Giving me a few moments to adjust to him, his lips fall to mine again before trailing down my neck. It sets off little sparks deep down, and I dig my heels into his ass.

  I’m not sure which one of us it spurs on more. Within a few moments, that small bite of pain is long-forgotten, and all I know is the feel of Russ touching places no man has ever been. It is fucking amazing. Russ is amazing.

  He makes a sound on top of me as though I said that last part out loud. Knowing me, I probably did but don’t give a good fuck. It’s doubtful that I’d even notice a horde breaking down the door right now.

  The feeling Russ is igniting within my body has me digging my nails into his back while my heels keep up the pressure on his ass cheeks. All of the pressure builds up until he adjusts his angle, touching a new spot. The dam breaks, and his name falls from my lips as I clench his body tight to mine. A few more thrusts on his part end with a short groan as his forehead falls to my collarbone.

  Euphoria in the moment makes my bones feel like spaghetti noodles. For the first time since the world came crashing down around me and being stranded alone, I finally feel relaxed enough to simply enjoy it. Even as we start to move around, him disposing of the condom and a quick trip to the bathroom for me, when I crawl back into bed with him, I have hope that life doesn’t have to be so horrible.

  Should’ve known that shit would be short lived.

  Emerald

  I’m snuggled deep underneath the covers against Russ’ warm chest when a commotion downstairs has my eyes popping open as fast as a Z in my face. He murmurs something at my back, but I’m already up out of bed and haphazardly dragging clothes on. I don’t even bother to check to see where he is in the process before palming my swords and throwing the door open.

  I’ve already made my way to the stairs and am starting down them as he pops out of the room shirtless, complaining, “You took my shirt.”

  Well, that explains why my harness didn’t want to fix right. Too late now to go back and fix shit since I’m sure half the room already saw our feet coming down. Now or later we’re all going to have to get used to something like this happening anyway. Better it be now.

  As I descend, I start to notice small things about the room. Such as some somber faces and some angry, one looking beat to bloody pulp, and more than one missing. Graham and Gideon hover over a bleeding Colten. Dex is propped on the arm of the couch beside Joseph with his hood on and head in his hands. Kemp’s gaze is unfocused off toward the kitchen.

  My hear
t starts to thump in my chest as I get my first view of the Hummer parked in front of the house. It doesn’t look banged up or anything, but it also doesn’t house the last two bodies from our group either.

  “Where are Noble and Sam?” I ask before I’ve even made it to the bottom step.

  Graham’s back goes ramrod straight as he looks to Kemp. The wildman refuses to meet my eyes, making me ask again, “Where. Are. The. Others?”

  “We ran into trouble, crazy,” he replies with a scratchy voice.

  I’ve not even given any kind of thought to my actions before I take a running leap toward Gideon and Colten. If Russ wasn’t standing so close, he’d have never been able to wrap his arms around my waist in time to stop me. Nevertheless, it gives Kemp the chance to cut me off from the front.

  Locked down and unable to throat punch either of them as I'd like, I settle for yelling instead, “This is your fucking fault, traitors! I bet you set this shit up! I’m going to kill all of you if anything happens to them!”

  Russ and the wild man drag me through the hall and out the back door, knowing I’m not going to be screaming at them from this far away. Even under duress I know where to draw the limit. It doesn’t stop me from pacing as I run a hand through my hair. It doesn’t matter where we go from here because we’re all royally fucked. Either we leave Noble and Sam to their fate while hoping they find a way to escape without dying, or we stage some kind of rescue that will get all involved killed. Lose fucking lose. Those are the odds against us these days.

  Whatever. Noble showed up with the others, trying to be all protective and shit, when they thought I was a poor baby chickie on my own. Then selfless Sam tried to rescue me from them. There’s no way in Satan’s Hell I am not going after them. If I have to die trying, then so fucking be it.

  “I really don’t like that look you got going on, crazy,” Kemp tells me with the raise of one of those red eyebrows.

  Ignoring him completely, I look to Russ and ask politely, “Would you mind getting my shirt from upstairs?”

  His lips turn up at the edges as he pulls it out from behind his back. “Figured you’d want to trade soon.”

  I could kiss him again right now in front of Kemp and everything if I didn’t have so much anger shooting through my veins. Carefully stripping my harness off and then the shirt, I hand them both to Russ to hold. I’d have given them to the wild man, but there’s no doubt he would’ve held them hostage so I couldn’t leave.

  I’m just grateful I took the spare second to toss my bra back on upstairs. Otherwise, this would’ve likely gotten uncomfortable. Replacing Russ’s shirt with my own, I throw my harness back on over it.

  With my swords secure at my back, I tell them, “I’m going to run some recon on their hideout and see if I can find the best way in.”

  “No way!” Russ exclaims.

  A moment later, Kemp cuts in with, “You’re not going alone.”

  “Well you’re not going with me,” I tell him, bending down to lace up my boots. “You’re as graceful as a bull in a china shop, and anything within fifty yards will hear you coming.”

  He shrugs and doesn’t deny it.

  Russ, however, is pissed and lays into him. “We can’t let her go out there. They took Noble, and that dude is a fucking ox. What do you think they’ll do to her if they catch her?”

  “Would we be having this conversation before you fucked her?” Kemp challenges back.

  I don’t get as offended as Russ does because I see what the wild man is trying to do. Pushing buttons is this man’s forte.

  In an act of pure insanity, he switches his gaze back to me, leaving him open for any shot a pissed off Russ wants to take at him, as he says, “Loverboy here or Dex. Though I recommend the second.”

  That much is obvious. Graham is needed here, Joseph would be a liability, and I’ll be damned before I take Gideon with me. Which leaves Dex and Russ, like he said. My decision is made before I speak it, and Russ obviously sees it. He stomps off around the side of the house without a glance back.

  The screendoor opens with a small squeak, and Dex steps out, plainly having heard the entire exchange.

  “We’re on foot because the engine will be too loud. Are you feeling up to it, or are you too tired?” I ask him. “Not being rude, but if you’re tired, you’re just going to slow me down. Plus, I need someone with a level head. I can take Russ if you don’t feel up to it.”

  He’s already zipping his hoodie. “I helped leave them behind, so I’m good to scout with you.”

  “That’s where it ends,” Kemp warns us both with a finger pointed at each of us. “Do not go in for rescue alone. Get intel and report back then we all go. Agreed?”

  Dex replies as I nod, but that isn’t satisfactory for the wild man. I have to vocally agree before he swallows hard and lifts his chin towards the woods. I feel as though I just got permission from a parent to go to a party. As much as I wish that were true, Kemp is so not my daddy, and parties don’t typically end with everyone being an undead fuckface.

  Dex and I make fast work through the woods leading into town. In my solitary confinement I’d made sure to plot every escape route. One of which included these woods and having to double back to my little hideaway for some of my supplies. The moon is bright and high enough in the sky to not need flashlights, even through the treetops. Neither of us stumble over stumps, or worse, carcasses. We don’t speak, so the only sound is the crunch of leaves and the occasional twig under our boots. The silence is both a good thing and bad. We’d be able to hear anyone or anything trying to sneak up on us, but they’ll be able to hear us too. I’ll just be glad when we make it to the road.

  Ten minutes or so later, we do just that. Sticking as close to the treeline as we can without falling in a ditch or marching straight back into the woods, the running is easier. Dex is a quiet person and takes orders smoothly without having to be told. I don't have to say that running on the road is a bad idea because we know they’ve got vehicles and would stand out like sore dick if one came up on us. Where we are now, we can easily stow away within the trees until they pass. I don’t tell him this, and he doesn’t ask. He simply keeps pace behind me for eight more miles until we come up on the water tower.

  I climb up first, knowing he’ll be right behind me. From the layout of the town and where the others described the gang’s position, I’m pretty sure we’ll be able to see them good from here. One hand over the other, we go up until we’re all the way up at the top. Then and only then do I stop to whisper back, “I hope you’re not afraid of heights.”

  “Nope,” comes his short, quiet reply.

  After we’re both secure on the platform, I tell him, “Stay here and don’t move. It wouldn’t be a good idea to be tripping over another up here.”

  As he nods, I take a few steps around the cylinder shape of the tower until I come up on the small box tucked into a hidey hole almost too small to hold it. The only thing inside is my binoculars. I didn’t ever worry about them getting stolen up here because come on. It’s the end of the world, who’s going to steal a pair of binoculars?

  Taking them out, I tell Dex to make his way over in a hush. As we continue around the edge, the enemy camp is clear as day. They may be crashing at the school, but they’ve got a bonfire taller than the building going, making them light up like a fucking Christmas tree in the dark.

  Sitting with my back pressed against the tank, I tug Dex’s shirt softly until he does the same. Once I’m sure we’re safe from one of us going over, I put the binoculars to my eyes. While Dex’s warmth seeps into my side, I start counting as best as I can.

  There are at least ten or twelve men around the fire. Some of them are lifting drinks or food to their mouths. They’re all boisterous like they don’t have a care in the world. As though all the noise they’re making won’t bring in the dead from at least a mile around.

  I don’t see Noble or Sam, but that’s not surprising in the least. They’ve probably got them
on lockdown inside the school, torturing information from them. In order to figure out just where they’re housing them, we’d have to get closer, and I don’t feel comfortable doing that just yet. These men seem drunk off their asses, and that’s not a good combination for throwing a girl in their midst. It’d be like throwing a lamb to a wolf. Who’s the wolf and who’s the lamb, though, because I’ll rip their heads off without remorse.

  Handing off the binoculars to Dex, I let him get a good look while I rub the sides of my arms. It’s not exactly a cold night, but there’s a chill in the air when you’re up this high. If I hadn’t been in such a hurry, I might have thought about grabbing my jacket before heading out. Either way, what’s done is done, so I’ll just have to suck it up. It can’t be lower than the fifties anyway.

  “Where do you think they’re keeping them?” Dex asks in a hush.

  “If I had to guess, I’d say somewhere inside the school,” I reply without telling him my inner thoughts of what they could be doing to them. “You should try to get some rest. We’ll have to book it home tomorrow, and being exhausted will make a person clumsy.”

  Out of the corner of my eye I see him nod before handing the binoculars back. He leans his hoodie-covered head back against the cool metal of the tank. After a few minutes of silence, I think he’s fallen asleep already, but his voice comes to me as a whisper in the wind.

  “I’m glad it was Russ,” he says, shocking the hell out of me.

  I can’t help but wonder aloud. “Why?”

  “Because he deserves something good in his life,” he replies.

  Bumping my shoulder into his, I try to remind him of the deal we all made. “We all do.”

  The smile that takes over his face makes me want to kiss the hell out of him, but this is not the time nor place to get distracted. Turning my attention to the gang, I pull the binoculars back up to keep up with who’s going in and out of the building. After a few minutes, Dex’s breathing deepens, letting me know he finally listened and let sleep claim him.