“Thankfully.”

   “Why?” I inquired.

   He shrugged, rolling his shoulders as he stretched his back. “Target practice.” He flashed a smile, but it did not reach his eyes and his gaze drifted away from all of us to search the woods. “We should get moving.”

   I wasn’t going to argue with that. I wrapped my arms around Abby’s shoulders and forcefully turned her away from the sight of the creature she was still gaping at. “It’s awful.”

   “It is,” I agreed.

CHAPTER 13

   “This is as good a spot as any,” Cade declared.

   I sighed as I dropped the small bag on the ground and slid down. I was acutely aware of the fact that our main food source had gone with Aiden, and I wasn’t even sure he still had it. However, my stomach rumbled eagerly as I recalled the meager food supplies that had been placed into Cade’s duffel bag of guns before we had left the tree house. It had seemed smarter to have the food and water spread out between us, and I was extremely relieved that it had been. I was starving, but I was fairly certain that I was going to pass out before I got the chance to eat. I wanted to take my sneakers off, but decided against it. I didn’t want to see the mess that I knew my feet had to be, and I didn’t want to be caught unawares in bare feet.

   Cade was digging through the bag when I lay down on the ground, propped my head on my hands and passed out cold.

***

   It was mid afternoon when I woke again. Cade was the only other one awake, I was beginning to suspect that he didn’t sleep at all, and it was more than a little daunting. Did he have any weaknesses? I yawned, stretching as I lifted myself slowly up. Cade’s eyes were dark and hooded as he watched me, he may not sleep, but it was more than apparent that he neededsome rest. There were dark circles under his eyes, bags were beginning to form, and they had become slightly bloodshot. His light olive complexion was paler than normal, and there was a pinched look around his mouth that made it seem as if he were in pain. Worry filled me as I watched him, the lack of sleep or hunger was starting to get to him. Or perhaps his wound was started to become infected with some strange alien parasite.

   “You should rest.” I tried to keep my tone light, but the worried tension in it was obvious.

   “Not tired.”

   “Liar.”

   His full mouth curved into a small smile, he shifted slightly, draping his arm over his knee as he watched me. “You need to eat.”

   I nodded. “I do, and you need to sleep.”

   He shrugged absently, his fingers played idly with a stick. “I got an hour or so.”

   I would have to be happy with that fact, it was more than I’d thought he’d received, and I knew it was all he’d give into for now. I reached for the bag, pulling out a thing of peanut butter crackers. I should probably eat more, but I didn’t know how long it would take us to rejoin the others, and I had to make sure that Abby had enough food. I could go hungry; I didn’t want her to though. My belly rumbled as I nibbled on the crackers, eating them slowly as I tried to trick my stomach into thinking it was receiving more than it was.

   I watched Abby as she slept; she looked so peaceful and content. It was hard to believe that every waking moment of her life had become such a constant battle. And from here on out it would continue to be. I was so entrenched in my thoughts that I didn’t realize I was on my last cracker, until it was gone. I wiped my hands on my legs, trying hard to ignore the gnawing hunger in my stomach. I sat back, pulling my knees up against my chest as I wrapped my arms tightly around them.

   “We have to get moving soon.”

   I nodded my agreement, my fingers clenched as I fought the urge to retrieve more food from the bag. I was eager to move again, eager to get to the gas station, eager to be doing something once more. Now that I was awake again, I felt vulnerable out in the open, and exposed here. A soft rustling drew my attention back to Cade. He was digging amongst the bag. I closed my eyes, turning my attention away from him.

   “Bethany.” Cade was kneeling before me when I opened my eyes. He was holding a granola bar, an apple, and a bottle of water out to me. I shook my head, my gaze darting to Abby’s slumbering form. “We all ate earlier, you need to eat more.”

   “I’m fine.”

   “There’s enough to last a couple of days if we’re careful. Hopefully, by then, we’ll have found some more food, or rejoined the others.”

   “And if we don’t?”

   “Then we will cross that bridge when we get to it.” I shot him an angry look, nowhere near as amused by his words as he was. He grinned at me, his eyes slightly brighter with the merriment that filled them. “You can’t keep her safe if you don’t have the energy to do so.”

   I could have continued to protest, but his sound reasoning and the loud rumbling of my stomach were my undoing. I offered a grateful smile as I took the food from him. He rose to his feet, studying the forest as he stretched. “I want to scope out the area, see if I can decide the best way to go.” My eyes shot to him, I paused with the apple halfway to my mouth. “I won’t be long, but now that you’re awake…”

   His voice trailed off. All I could do was stare at him. Finally, I swallowed heavily and managed a small nod. We would be fine, he would be fine, but I couldn’t stop the overwhelming vulnerability that suffused me. “Of course. Yeah, I’ll keep watch.”

   He watched me for a long moment. “I won’t be gone for long, no more than an hour.”

   It was going to be a very long hour. “Stay safe.”

   He flashed that charming, damn near heart stopping grin. “Always.”

   I watched him go; worry filling me as he slipped from sight. He would be fine, I repeatedly told myself as I munched down the food and took a long drink of water. It was warm, but it was still delicious. I stood slowly and walked away from the others. The sun was starting to set, it would be dark soon, and we would be moving out again. I was stunned to realize that in the past few days we had become nocturnal. The only good thing was that I was once more aware of the wildlife as animals moved about the forest.

   I walked a little further away, peering into the trees as two squirrels leapt eagerly through the branches. I smiled softly as I watched them jump and play, it was such a normal, everyday sight, and yet it meant so very much to me right now. I inhaled deeply, trying hard to just savor in this moment; I probably wouldn’t get many more like it any time soon.

   When I turned back around I was startled to discover that Cade had returned. He moved with such stealth that I had not heard or sensed his approach. In the hour or so that he had been gone, he seemed to have regained some of his vigor. The color was back in his face; his mouth was not as tight. It must be the light, or perhaps I had merely imagined the exhaustion and tension enveloping him earlier. I had just woken up, after all I had still been groggy. I didn’t think that was the case, but whatever he had discovered while he been gone had definitely put some life back into him.

   He was staring at me. His expression which was usually hard, and composed, was neither of those things. Now it was soft, lax, with a longing to it that left me breathless and trembling. I didn’t understand how just one look from him could have such a profound effect on me, but it did, and I found that in that brief moment it was enough to make me feel almost normal again. His smile was soft, warming, and so beautiful that I could not help but return it.

   My attention was torn away from him as Abby began to stir, groaning softly as she stretched her arms and back. I sighed in resignation, not at all looking forward to the next leg of our journey, but knowing that we had to go. And soon. Abby sat up as Cade strode over and began to gently shake Jenna awake.