Page 37 of Faith Among Monsters

Chapter Fourteen

Faith

Fine?I don’t question him out loud, but the word echoes in my head. None of this is fine, and we both know it.

“Should we be separating from the others?” I ask once we’re alone, keeping my voice low as we move through the halls.

Dax’s hand stays firmly on me, his touch grounding, protective. His eyes dart to every open door, every shadowed corner, scanning with the sharp efficiency of someone who’s survived too much. “We don’t have time to move everyone as a group,” he says, his tone clipped but calm.

He’s not telling me everything.

Before I can press him, movement flashes ahead. Someone, or something, steps into the hall.

Dax reacts instantly, pulling his knife with a swift, practiced motion. He races forward, stabbing it in the head with brutal precision. The sound of the blade cracking through bone sends a shiver down my spine.

He wipes the blade on his jeans as he strides back to me, barely missing a beat. I can’t tell if he doesn’t want to waste bullets or if he’s just trying to keep the noise down. Probably both.

“Stay close,” he says, his voice low as he takes my hand and urges me forward.

It feels like an eternity before we reach the block. Dax pulls out the key, the faint jingle of metal echoing through the empty halls. He unlocks the door and guides me inside, one hand still on me as his eyes sweep the space.

It’s empty, just like Wilkes said. Dark too. The fluorescent lights overhead flicker once, then hold steady, casting the room in a harsh, sterile glow.

Even empty, the place feels suffocating.

The cells loom like shadows, their thick metal bars gleaming dully in the dim light. They’re cages, cages for humans.

I hate them.

“You can’t just leave me here,” I start, the words rushing out before I can stop them.

Dax doesn’t answer, not with words. Instead, he leans in and kisses me, hard and fast. There’s something raw in the way his lips crush against mine, something desperate in the way his hands cup my face like he’s afraid I’ll vanish if he lets go.

When he pulls back, his gaze is so exposed it takes my breath away.

“I’d lock you in one of these cells if it’s what it took to keep you safe,” he says, his voice hoarse.

“Dax,” My voice wavers, and I hate the way it sounds, but I can’t stop. “What do you expect me to do? Just sit here on my hands and imagine you out there getting chewed on?”

He exhales sharply, his forehead pressing against mine. His hands stay on my face, firm but gentle, as if holding me in place. “Sweetheart, I know this isn’t what you want. But that madman injected half the inmates with this shit. Half. We’re about to be in for a long fight to take this island back, and I can’t do what I need to do if I’m always looking over my shoulder for you.”

His words hit me hard, but I push back anyway. “I fought with Wilkes. Held my own. I’m not useless with a gun.”

He shakes his head, his thumb brushing against my cheek. “I know you’re not useless. You two held off a spattering, same as I did. But this isn’t a fair fight. Those things outnumber us, and it’s getting worse with every bite, every kill.”

The weight of his words settles over me, heavy and suffocating.

“I’m not running out there like a fuckwit with a death wish,” he continues, his voice steady but firm. “We’re going to get weapons, find more hands, and do this sensibly. From the catwalks. The towers.”

I nod reluctantly, swallowing the knot in my throat. “What can we do now, while we wait for Wilkes?”

His answer isn’t what I expect.

He backs me into the wall, his hands bracketing my face, his body pressing against mine in one fluid motion. The breath leaves my lungs as his lips brush against my ear.

“You make me reckless,” he murmurs, his voice rough and thick with restraint.

The heat of his breath on my skin sends a shiver racing down my spine. His teeth graze my earlobe, a teasing nip that sets my nerves alight.

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