The Infection: Survivors

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Three days later, we had passed Panguitch and were, at the time, heading to Beaver.

We had our backpack full to the brim with food and water, new clothes and I got myself a shotgun, that was strapped to my back. Big, heavy and capable of blowing off a head with only one shot. We had three encounters with infected, nothing we couldn't have handled. Kane's wound was completely healed and, surprinsingly with no scar. All seemed good, right?

Wrong.

Nothing was 'good'.

Kane almost didn't talked to me. He stopped caring, he didn't cared if I ate or not, he never slept near me again, he never touched me. My heart was torn, shattered and broken. He was cold and even mean, sometimes. I cried myself to sleep everynight, without anyone to comfort me. He was the reason why I cried so much, I missed him.

I had tried to apologize many times, he didn't listened. And I was completly heartbroken.

It was mid June and, despite being nightfall, it was hot. We had to sleep in the middle of nowhere that night, because there weren't any buildings near.

"I'll take the first watch" Kane said. We where sitting in some fallen tree near the highway, eating some canned soup we had heated in the small fire in front of us.

"You don't have to" I whispered, playing with the rest of my soup. "I can stay awake first."

He didn't answer. Kane leaned against another tree, alert, watching our surroundings. As usual, he didn't pay attention to me. Mad, I threw the can way and tried to make myself comfortable to sleep. But before I managed to close my eyes, a snarl caught our attention. I turned back and saw a pair of dead eyes. Kane shouted my name but he was already on top of me.

I screamed as tried to stop him from biting me. I heard Kane snarl viciously before lunging at the infected. When the infected was taken away, his claws sank on my arm, making me scream in agony. Kane quickly tore him to pieces, while he was in his human form. When he came to my side, his crazed look chilled me to the bone.

He gently cradled me in his lap while stroking my face lovingly. Despite the pain, my heart swelled with the thought that, maybe, he still cared. The wolf touched my arm and another scream came.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." he mumbled, over and over again, and I knew he wasn't apologizing for touching my arm.

"It's not your fault..." I croaked, my voice hoarse from screaming "I was distracted."

His mad eyes didn't left mine as he fussed around the campsite, trying to find something to stop the heavy bleeding. He brought gauze and hydrogen peroxide to tend me. Fifteen minutes, several agony screams and more growls and profanities later, I was nestled in Kane's lap, embraced by his protective arms.

His face was still contorted in a mask of cold rage and I was worried that I was the cause of it. Hesitantly, I raised my hand to touch his cheek. He instantly looked at me.

“What is it? Are you in pain? Do you want something? Are you cold? Do you want a blanket?” He asked, shooting questions so fast that I had a hard time keeping up with him. “No, I'm fine. I just wanted to know...” My voice failed me at the end.

“To know what, my angel?”He asked, his voice soothing. My heart swelled again, it was the first time in days he had called me 'my angel'.

 “You're frowning...Are you still mad at me?”

””Yes.” He answered. I knew it... I tried to get out of his lap but he tightened me against his chest, nuzzling my neck with his nose. “ I’m mad, but not at you. I'm furious that you almost got taken away from me. I'll make damn sure that no one ever touches you again. You're mine, angel.” He whispered, angrily, in my ear,nipping it as if he was punishing me. Chills erupted in my skin.