In The End Box Set | Books 1-3 Stevens, GJ (story books to read TXT) 📖

my returning senses, smothering the sweet honeyed scent I could almost see drawing out from her like an aura. Remembering my determination as we’d driven here, reminding myself I needed to do this on my terms.

Staring at the top of her bowed head and as the door sealed closed, I spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.

“What’s going on?”

Toni looked up, my plan a success. The anger fell from her features, her eyes fixing wide in my direction but her left not as much as her right. Her chest heaved as she struggled with pain from the sharp intake of breath.

She couldn’t have looked more surprised to see me if I’d been dead for ten years. I could feel my determination crumble.

I turned away after lingering just enough. The soldier stood at the door with a wide smile shining back, his voice booming when he spoke.

“It’s under control, but we’ll be moving as soon as they clear the compound.”

“Moving where?” said one of the women who’d broken from the pack, a chorus of repeats at her shoulders, but I didn’t dare move to look.

“I don’t know. All they've said is we’re going mobile. You have work to do,” he said, and letting his rifle relax on the straps, he held his hands in the air. “That’s all I know.” He turned toward me, raising his brow to test my satisfaction.

I gave a shallow nod and waited until he turned away before I let my view radiate in Toni’s direction.

Staring right at me, I saw the pain clear in her hanging features as her view moved from the stick between my fingers with tears rolling down her cheeks. But they were tears of joy. Tears of elation, plain to see from her wide grin and the affection pouring my way.

I’d already done all I needed to do. I knew my only choice. Sit and wait this out. I had to keep smoking to stop myself from going crazy.

Pushing away the air thick with mouth-watering smells, I stared at Toni while fighting my growing anger at the damage to her face, whilst trying not to imagine what they’d put her through.

Her phone call made more sense now, although the words were fading. She must have found out the terrible truth. She must have discovered they were testing on humans; were testing medicine for a new disease I hadn’t even heard of.

They’d silenced her. Shackled and chained. But why hadn’t they killed her? A shudder ran down my spine at the thought.

Shaking off the growing tension, I let myself fantasise as another option came to mind. Stub out the cigarette and burn no other. Let the smorgasbord of flavour engulf me.

I didn’t kid myself about what would happen next.

Despite the abhorrence of the thoughts, I knew I would rend flesh, would pull heads to the side and bite my teeth deep into their necks. I knew I wouldn’t stop, couldn’t hold back once I’d tasted the sweet warm meat straight from the bone.

These thoughts didn’t scare me one bit and I felt my heart beating and my vision haze. I barely heard a cackle of coughs from the side of the room, the sound more like braying lambs in a field. I thought of the blood spurting from their veins, heat raining down my face to cover my naked body.

“Are you okay lady?” the soldier’s voice boomed somewhere near, but I saw him only as a shadow.

Breath pulled fast as I snapped forward, sinking my teeth, but only in my head. Sweet, tangy scent filtered down my nostrils while electricity coursed along my veins and blood pumped to my extremities.

Fingers, toes, head, breasts and everywhere else felt engorged, bulging heavy. More words came at me as my head lolled back and forward. I fought the feeling as it took control, knowing if I leapt forward and sunk my teeth, the race of oxytocin would be better than the greatest climax I’d ever felt.

A sting of pain cut through the mist and I looked to my fingers to see the orange ember kissing my skin. Through the fog I pulled it to my lips and sucked the deepest breath I’d ever taken, blowing out with as much control as I could manage.

My heart slowed and the moment passed with the disappointment we all knew when we’d pulled back from the cliff edge, our partner out of energy, or the batteries dead. Hand too weary.

A fear rose to take place of the energy, but I wasn’t afraid of the moment; instead afraid of why I thought all of this was okay. Why didn’t I feel utter revulsion at the need I’d only just held back from?

My gaze fell past the soldier who’d stood back as I took the drag. I looked past his bulk to Toni.

Plan A was my only option. I couldn’t trust myself to be in control, knowing I wouldn’t be able to stop. Her flesh would taste the sweetest and would be the most familiar.

The soldier spoke and I looked up, taking another drag. In his hands were the carton of cigarettes he’d taken from my side as the women coughed a chorus.

“We’ll just hold off with the smoking until we get outside,” he said, his mouth and cheeks bunched in a smile.

11

They made the choice. Not my decision.

What could I do?

At a guess I had a full five minutes before I couldn’t hold back, maybe ten if I distracted myself. Then again, what did I know?

Perhaps I could sleep and think happy thoughts, but not those already crowding my head.

I glanced at Dan, his head still bowed with his arm clutched around his stomach. As each of his tears dripped to the floor he looked less and less like the man who’d shown his usual initiative as