Page 116 of Ghosts of the Dead

I let myself lean into it, let the warmth of the hug settle into my chest. It’s nice, and it’s different from being hugged by one of my guys. This one is almost like being hugged by my sister. The thought brings a pang, but I push it aside. This is a moment for a new beginning, not old grief. I’ll sit with my grief later.

Once Emily sets me down, introductions are easy. Voices meld into a comfortable hum of connection. I’ve met Emily twice before when she was going through her own shit, so it’s nice to see she made it through alright. Her smile comes easier now.

Jace, Mars, and Caspian all shake hands with the others in the colony, nod heads, and give the occasional threat to anyone who even looked at me with extra interest. Their voices mix with the background sounds of life, things I haven’t heard in a long time like pots clanging, a guitar being tuned, and even joyous laughter.

I catch the way Zoey’s eyes linger on us. They’re not judging, but they’re curious. Watching how close we stand, how our edges seem to blur together, how Mars’s hand finds the small of my back without thinking, how Caspian’s shoulder brushes mine with each shift of his body, and how Jace’s eyes always find me even across the space.

Luckily, this place isn’t built on normal. I see the way Zoey tends to Cole, the way she crouches by his side, adjusting the brace on one of his legs, her touch lingering with a tenderness that speaks volumes. Her fingers work deftly, and when she finishes, her palm rests on his knee a moment longer than necessary. The way they look at each other shows there’s silent communication between them.

Then she rises and shares an intimate kiss with a possessive Damon, whose arm wraps around her waist as if to say she belongs right there. The kiss is neither hurried nor performative. It’s the comfortable, deep kiss of people who know each other’s rhythms, who fit together through practice and patience. His thumb traces small circles at the base of her spine, and when they part, his eyes follow her with a heat that hasn’t dimmed with familiarity.

Moments later, she exchanges a flirty smile with Benji that could melt ice. Her hand traces down his arm in a way that leaves goosebumps in its wake. I can almost feel the electricity between them from where I stand. Then she falls into a heated embrace with Avery, whose hands frame her face like she’s the most precious thing in the world. Then their lips meet, speaking volumes in silence.

The way they move around each other is like a dance they’re perfected, each step complimenting the others. There’s no jealousy, just love multiplied. The air around them seems charged with something rare and valuable.

I must admit, I was concerned with how my relationship with three men would be welcomed here, but Jace was right. There’s no need to worry at all. At least, I don’t think there is. I already feel like this could be the place to be myself and be free. In a place without rules, only survival and joy.

Nearby, William wraps his arms around Emily from behind and rests his chin on her shoulder as they watch the sunset paint the sky in impossible shades of pink and orange. Griffin presses a kiss to her other shoulder like they’ve known each other forever, his hand resting lightly at her hip. The way she leans back into William’s chest while her fingers intertwine with Griffin’s speaks of a connection that transcends conventional boundaries.

Emily catches me watching and gives me a knowing smile that says she knows I understand. Her eyes flick to my three men who are arranged precariously around me.

Two dogs, Buddy and Lola, chase each other through the dust, paws kicking up dirt and tails wagging like it’s another happy day for them. Lola, a chocolate Labrador puppy, barks with joy while she chases Buddy, a tall Belgian Malinois. When the dogs approach, Luna’s posture relaxes, and she joins in on their fun. A few minutes later, I realize they’re playing tug-o-war with a rotter leg. “What the…”

Emily turns to me and laughs. “I don’t know why, but Buddy has always had an affinity for rotter legs ever since I found him.”

“Same with Luna,” I sigh. “We’re going to have to start stockpiling femurs with these two together.”

The colony buzzes with evening activity. People finish chores, tend to budding crops planted in whatever containers they could salvaged, and hang laundry that flaps like flags in the gentle breeze. It soothes something inside of me. Seeing and understanding that peace is possible among the ruins. We just may sometimes have to fight with all we have in order to get there.

The sun dips lower while we settle around a small fire pit, the flames casting dancing shadows across our faces. The wood crackles and pops, sending sparks spiraling upward. Someone passes around a jar of clear liquid that burns my throat but warms my belly. Mars drinks deeply, his throat working, then passes it to me with a wink.

We swap stories as the night fully descends. The temperature drops enough to make the fire’s warmth welcome, and I hug Caspian’s hoodie tighter around my body. We tell them about the molotov cocktails, the tunnel, and the cages. Each word peels back another layer of the horror we endured, but sharing it somehow makes it less heavy.

Zoey listens with her brow furrowed, but there’s something like respect in her eyes by the end of it. She kisses the back of Damon’s hand when he squeezes hers, and her lips linger on his knuckles. “As someone who was locked up in acage, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for setting them free.”

“Of course. I couldn’t leave them in there,” I say, the memory of those women’s faces still clear and sharp in my mind. “Though I can’t help but wonder why they put them in there in the first place. What was the point?”

Zoey’s eyes turn sad, and shadows from the fire make them appear a deeper blue. “The guy who held me captive in my own cage, he admitted he had dealing with people who traded other people for things like weapons, supplies, and whatever else. He even admitted he would trade me off when he was done with me. My gut tells me those brothers were involved, and now I can’t help but wonder if that was supposed to be my next stop.”

I shake my head when disgust churns in my stomach. “That’s awful. My sister was traded to that Genesis place before she died, but I’m not sure which place was worse. I only hope someone can destroy that place like we destroyed that house.”

Caspian wraps an arm around me, and I lean into him. His body is warm against mine, and his heart beats a constant rhythm I can feel against his chest. The scent of him, smoke and sweat and something uniquely him, wraps around me like a blanket. “We can always go back out and search for it,” he says, his voice a low rumble.

I give him a small, sweet smile. “Maybe someday, but right now, I really want to rest.”

Mars slides closer to my other side. Heat radiates through his torn black shirt, though a different kind of warmth than Caspian’s, but no less comforting. Jace sits across the fire, but his eyes rarely leave my face. He watches me with a softness that wasn’t there when we first met. The firelight catches in his dark eyes, turning them to liquid amber for brief moments.

The night deepens around us. The stars appearing in thesky are clearer than any pre-apocalypse city dweller would have ever known about.

After a while, Caspian catches my hand and gives it a squeeze before tugging me to my feet. His fingers are cool against mine, but his palm is warm. He guides me toward the outer wall of the building, where the shadows stretch longer and the voices around the fire become a distant murmur. He lifts me before I can ask what he’s up to. His fingers squeeze my hips and he pulls me up until my legs wrap around his waist and he’s holding me close. The rough texture of the wall scrapes lightly against my back as he presses me against it. His lips brush along the edge of my jaw, the slight stubble on this chin creating a delicious friction against my skin. “You know, I never got the chance to tell you.”

I smile faintly and tilt my head back to give him better access. “Tell me what?”

His hands trail up my back and beneath my shirt, where his callused fingertips trace my spine. His voice softens to a whisper, and that seems to touch places deeper than skin. “Back there in the basement. You pulled me out of the dark. Again.”

My throat tightens at the memory of everything that’s happened so recently. The memories are still fresh in my mind. The smoke, the fear, the moment when I saw him fighting his demons on his own and winning. “I don’t know what I did, because that was all you, Caspian, but I’m glad I could help.”

His lips rest over my pulse point before he pulls back to look at me. His pale blue eyes almost glow in the shadows. “You’re my light, Autumn. The dark is becoming my favorite place, and that’s all because of you.” His words wrap around me like an embrace. My hand rises to cup his jaw, and I feel the words in the movement of his mouth when he says what’s next. “I love you.”

---