Ch. 13

We trailed closely behind the boys, our feet crunching on the fallen leaves as we made our way through the thick forest. The trees towered above us, their branches reaching out like protective arms. After about thirty minutes of navigating through the maze of nature, we stumbled upon an odd barrier made with sharp wooden spears to help keep the zombies away.

 Beyond the spear barricade was a tall chain-linked fence topped with sharp barbed wire. In front of it stood an even taller fence constructed from sturdy metal sheeting. It seemed impenetrable, a formidable barrier separating us from whatever lay beyond its confines.

Trey's hand shot up, signaling for us to halt. His eyes narrowed as he pointed towards what looked like a small guard post nestled in between the trees. Two figures were stationed there, their movements slow and calculated as they scanned the surroundings. I squinted, trying to make out if they were Ghouls or humans, but from this distance, it was impossible to tell.

"How many guards are there?" I asked the boys.

"Four guard posts in total," Matt answered, his gaze fixed on the looming structure.

"And two guards at each post," Drew chimed in, his voice barely above a whisper.

I looked around at the fence, searching for a way to get in. There seemed to be no safe way to enter without getting impaled or caught on barbed wire while and/or getting shot in the head, "How do we even get inside?" 

Rusty ran forward, motioning for us to follow, then pointed up at a tree, "We jumped from that tree to this tree." 

"Very smart," JR said with a smile, "With some proper guidance, you boys would make fine soldiers." 

All three of the boys beamed as they climbed the tree, then jumped from one thick branch to the other that hung over the metal wall. I froze when I saw the sight below. 

The entire village had been built into the trees; I gaped in awe from here, seeing no possible way for zombies to be an issue if they managed to break through somehow. We heard a door open as a ghoul stepped out wearing what looked like a bloody butcher apron, then tossed what looked like a human body over the edge of the wooden railing to the waiting zombies below. 

Acid churned when I realized that the Ghouls were here to eat the humans; the stench of blood and decay hung heavy in the air, coupled with the haunting sounds of bones crunching and flesh tearing. The scene before us was a nightmare come to life, and I couldn't wait to put an end to it…What disgusting freak orchestrated this monstrosity? 

"The ingenuity of this village is fascinating," JR whispers as he appears next to me. 

I nodded, not really seeing the village in the trees anymore; I just wanted to slaughter all the sick fucks who are feeding on humans like livestock. 

Turning to the young boys, "You three hide somewhere where you will be safe; we will come to find you once we sick fucker who did this," I said through clenched teeth. 

The second twin, Drew, nodded, "Okay, I will make sure we don't get caught." 

JR smiled and ruffled the boy's hair, "Good."

"Do you think my mommy is okay?" asked Rusty.

"I don't know, kiddo, but I will do my best to find out," I said with a shrug, hoping and praying that their mother was safe…

Trey was the first to climb down the tree, followed by JR, Izzy, and then finally myself, "Stay as close to me as you can, Wild Cat; my sent will blend in with the other Ghouls and zombies." 

I nodded in reply and followed closely behind him as we slowly made our way across the yard. My eyes scanned the surroundings, taking in the devastation that surrounded us. Crops lay trampled, and farm animals were nothing but carcasses for the undead. These people had managed to survive in this harsh world, only to have it all destroyed by these damn Ghouls...my anger simmered the more I witnessed.

Lost in my thoughts, I ran into Trey's back with an "oof," making him tense before turning around quickly with a finger to his lips for silence. I mouthed "sorry" as he pointed towards a ghoul who was on the prowl for any escapees.

Trey motioned for me to stay put and then very slowly stalked toward the ghoul. I held my breath as he crept up behind the ghoul, his movements fluid and silent as he unsheathed the knife with a black curved blade strapped to his upper arm. In one swift motion, Trey had his hand over the ghoul's mouth and slit its throat with his blade, blood spraying everywhere. As the life drained from the ghoul's eyes, Trey plunged the knife straight into its heart, ending its existence.

I watched in awe of Trey's skillful execution, my heart pounding in my chest. Was it awful that I was very turned by this? 

I couldn't help the smile that grew across my face as he returned. The sight of my smile had him raising a brow at me… yeah, I know I'm bat-shit crazy, I thought to myself with a shrug.

"What are you smiling about?" Trey asked as he wrapped an arm around my waist. 

"I was thinking about how sexy I found you slicing a man's throat," I said with a shrug. 

A crooked smile adorned his face as he shook his head. Then he sighed while pulling me closer to press a kiss to my temple.

No other words were said as we quickly scanned the grounds, killing any Ghouls we saw. Once the ground was clear of Ghouls, the four of us found a rope ladder that led to the houses built into the trees. I saw an elevator created by some intricate pulley system, but that would be too loud and take too long to pull everyone up one by one. 

Once we were all safely up on the wooden platform, we slowly walked along the boardwalk, scanning for any possible threats while trying to stay unseen by the guards on the guard posts. As we turned a corner, we all froze when we spotted a ghoul holding a rifle while scanning the ground below. 

Trey moved to take a step forward, but I placed a hand on his arm. When he turned to face me, I mouthed, "I will take this one," With a wink. 

Trey's eyebrow rose as his lips curved into that sexy smirk of his as he motioned for me to go ahead. 

With a wink, I walked with a sway of my hips to tease Trey as I pulled my trust Kuani knife from my vest before bringing the rainbow-colored knife to my lips for a light kiss of the metal. 

Sucking in a deep breath, I positioned myself, then whistled to get the ghoul's attention. The ghoul didn't even have a chance to lift his gun as I threw the dagger so hard that it whistled through the air before stabbing the ghoul in the heart. 

The ghoul looked down at the dagger in shock as he dropped to his knees, then fell forwards with a light thud. I smiled triumphantly as I stepped forward to retrieve my dagger, wiping the blade on the ghoul's shirt before returning it to its rightful place on my vest.

As I turned around, I gasped in shock when I ran right into Trey's firm chest; one of his arms snaked around my waist while the other cupped the back of my head to pull me in for a hungry kiss. 

Everything around me faded away as I wrapped my arms around his neck. I could feel the stiffness of his erection against my stomach as he pulled me in close. 

"Seriously, guys? This isn't really the time to be making out!" JR whisper-shouted as he threw his hands in the air with a sigh.

I pulled away from Trey with a sigh, "We will have to finish this later," I mumbled as I crossed my arms with a pout. 

Trey hissed between his teeth as he adjusted the tent in his pants, causing Izzy to raise a brow in surprise at the sight of the massive bulge between his legs. I gave Izzy a wink as I moved to follow my brother, who had decided to walk further ahead while grumbling under his breath…party pooper…. I thought as I stuck my tongue out at him. 

I went to turn the next corner when Trey suddenly wrapped an arm around my waist and then pulled me against his chest so fast that it knocked the wind out of me. 

I opened my mouth to speak, but he quickly cupped my mouth with his hand and then leaned in close to whisper in my ear. 

"Shhhh, I can hear a group of people talking around this corner," he murmurs, causing goosebumps to spread over my body as his lips brush against my ear, "We need to stay quiet." 

I sucked in a deep breath from the sudden rush of lust, then nodded in understanding. 

When he released me, I slowly looked around the corner and saw an open window illuminated by the flickering light of a candle. I could hear the voices of men talking, but unlike Trey, I couldn't distinguish what they were saying. Sometimes, I felt a little envious of Trey's Ghoul abilities. 

With my back still against Trey's chest, I felt him stiffen. I turned around so I could look up at his face. It was so dark that it was hard to get a good look at his face, but I could still tell that he was anxious about something.

I placed my hand on his arm to get his attention; when he looked down at me, I was mesmerized by the sight of his yellow eyes that seemed to glow, making him appear more exotic…and sexy as fuck… I shook my head to clear my head, then whispered, "What's wrong?" 

Trey ran a hand over his face, sighing, and then leaned down to explain, "I recognize one of the voices." 

"Oh, I see…With your reaction, I'm assuming that it's not someone good…" 

With a shake of his head, he says, "Your assumption is correct, wild cat… The voice I recognize is a Ghoul who used to live in my community. His name is Diego Prado. He was expelled from the community four years ago because he was caught eating humans…" 

"Oh, wow…" my words were cut off by the sudden sound of a knock on a door. I heard the creaking of the door opening, but once again, the voices sounded muffled… so I had no clue what was going on… it must have been something terrible because before I could ask Trey… he suddenly disappeared in a flash and was through the open window…

I followed right behind him without hesitation, rushing toward the window with a swift leap. Then, grasping the window frame, I swung myself through, landing inside with a graceful crouch.

I froze when I noticed two Ghouls in the doorway with three familiar young boys… damn it!! 

By the time Izzy and my brother joined us, Trey's scythe was already in motion, taking care of the two Ghouls holding the boys. 

Once the boys were freed, they rushed toward us with tears streaming down their faces in relief at being saved. 

"We did as you told us," cried Drew as he clung to Izzy, "But they appeared out of nowhere!" 

Izzy wrapped her arms around the boys, trying to calm them down. With them now safe, I turned to see Trey finishing off the rest of the Ghouls, leaving only one more person left, whom I assumed to be Diego. 

Diego was a shorter man, possibly somewhere around five foot eight, with long brown hair tied in a man-bun with brown eyes and dark-olive-toned skin. 

"Well, look who it is!" Mocked Diego, "It's been a while, Treyson!" 

Trey's handsome face twisted into a snarl, "I should have killed when I had the chance…" Trey snapped, "Who knows what you have been up to in the last four years." 

"You probably should have," Diego says with a mocking smile, then shrugs, "But ya didn't. You should try human meat one of these days, Treyson; it's really delicious… Once you have a taste, you will realize what you have been missin' out on…"

 I took a few steps closer to Trey, which caught Diego's attention. His eyebrows raised in surprise. "Well, who is this delish-looking dove?" he commented, as his eyes scanned me from head to toe, "I bet she tastes as good as she looks…"

Trey surprised the shit out of me when he released an animalistic snarl, causing me to jump in fright; faster than humanly thought possible, he materialized before Diego and swung his scythe through the Ghoul's neck. 

A sudden rush of lust ran through me; damn… was it odd that I found this sexy as hell? Phew man…I'm definitely gonna need some new panties… 

Trey was still growling as Diego's body fell to the ground, then spit on his body before turning around to walk over to me. "I should have killed that disgusting creature a long time ago." He mumbled as he leaned down to press a kiss to my forehead. 

I patted him on the arm as I hooked mine through his. "As long as I get to watch…" I commented with a smile. "I'm sure the sun will start rising soon. Let's go find where they are keeping the villagers. I want to get back to Hope." 

"As you wish, my lady," Trey teased with a smirk. 

With the leader of the group killed, most of the other Ghouls fled, making it easier for us to search through the village until we finally found where they were keeping the people. The Ghouls had been keeping the villagers in the building that looked like a canteen. They all looked filthy, with no food or water. I shook my head in agitation, wishing I could bring that fucker back to life just so I could beat his ass before killing him again…

"I don't see my mom…" says Matt as he frantically looks through the crowd. 

Out of all the people here, the first one to approach us was a short middle-aged woman with short, graying copper-colored curls hair, light brown skin covered in freckles, and amber-colored eyes. 

"Thank you so much for saving us," she says to me, not even bothering to look at Trey, "If you hadn't shown up, we would have been Ghoul food." 

"Well, you really shouldn't be thanking us," I stated, "If these brave boys hadn't found us, we never would've known you needed help," I said, motioning to the boys.

The woman turned towards the boys in surprise, "Oh my goodness! Mathew, Andrew, Russell! What brave boys indeed." 

Matt took a few steps forward, "Miss. Joanna, I don't see my mom…" 

"Where's my mommy?" Asked Rusty as tears coursed down his cheeks.

Miss Joanna swallowed hard, then crouched down to their level as tears filled her eyes, "I'm sorry to tell you this, but your mother has gone to heaven to be with God." 

The twin boys were old enough to understand and began bawling as poor little Rusty looked confused. 

"Where is heaven? Can I go there to see her?" He asked. 

Oh boy…This was making me want to cry. I sniffled to hold back the tears as I stepped towards Trey, who wrapped an arm around my waist before pressing a kiss to the top of my head. 

Izzy crouched down in front of Rusty and took his hands in his, "You will be able to visit your mother in heaven, but not for a very, very long time," she explained as tears trickled down her cheeks, "When you are old and gray and have lived your life to the fullest, then you can see her."

Rusty's lips trembled as he nodded his head, "Okay, I'm really gonna miss her… very much…" 

"It's okay to miss her, sweetheart," Izzy said as she pulled him in for a hug. 

Miss Joanna rose to her feet as she wiped away the tears from her cheeks. "I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Joanna Birchwood, and I am the leader of this village." 

After we all introduced ourselves, Trey chose this moment to speak up, "The sun will be rising soon, and we will need a place to stay until sunset," 

Joanna nodded, then said, "Of course, we have a few houses we keep empty just in case we have visitors. I will show you where you can stay." 

The four of us, plus the three boys who have grown attached to Izzy, followed Joanna outside and down the boardwalk until she stopped in front of a house that looked like it was split into two different accommodations. 

 "This building is one of our many duplexes," Joanna explains, "With a separate apartment on each side, you four can choose who will go to which place. When the sun sets, you can join us for a meal in the dining hall before you head out."

"Thank you for your generosity," Says JR, "We will see you when after sunset." 

After saying goodbye to Joanna, Trey and I chose the place on the left while the others chose the right. I was so damn tired that I was going to pass out soon from exhaustion. 

As we stepped into the duplex, it was very dark, but thankfully, lanterns were hanging on the walls. After Trey lit a few, a golden-red glow illuminated the room, revealing a queen-size bed with a quilt, a small round wooden table with twin matching chairs, and a small cast iron stove. 

I was worried about what to do about the windows until I noticed wooden boards screwed into the walls on hinges. I walked over to the window, maneuvered the board over the window, and then grabbed the small piece of rope glued to the wooden board before wrapping it around a peg to secure it. Trey and I worked together to cover all the windows. 

"This place doesn't look too shabby…" I murmured as I removed my weapon vest and set it on the wooden table, then one by one, bargain removing all the daggers I had hidden away. 

When I was free of all weapons, I turned around to see Trey had done the same, with his trust scythe propped up near the door. 

I scanned the room again, spotting a doorway. Feeling curious, I stepped through the door to find a small bathroom adorned with a wooden toilet and a wooden bathtub; both looked to have been fire-treated. 

"Hey Trey, would you like to take a bath?" I asked as I started pulling off my clothes, then turned to face him. 

His eyes looked like golden lava as they looked me up and down. When Diego looked at me like this, it made me feel dirty and gross, but when Trey looked at me, it made me shiver as goose flesh peppered my bare skin. 

He closed the distance between us, then leaned in for a light kiss before pulling away, "I would be delighted to take a bath with you, Wild Cat," he murmured before leaning in for another kiss. 

I stepped back and made my way over to the tub, marveling at the exquisite craftsmanship of the smooth wood. As I looked for a way to turn on the water, I noticed a lever positioned above the spigot. "Could you show me how to use this?" I askedTrey. 

Trey, now without a shirt, came over to examine the lever. He quickly realized that he needed to operate the lever by pumping it up and down. With a few pumps, water gushed out. Then, with another pump, the water began flowing out of the spout and into the tub. 

A smile of delight spread across my face as Trey sealed the opening with a cork, and the tub started to fill with water. Though the water was cold, it was certainly better than nothing.

After Trey removed the rest of his clothes, he stepped into the tub and then held his hand out for me. With a smile, I took his hand and stepped into the tub, then sat down with my back to his chest. 

Trey wrapped his arms around me and then pulled me in for a hug as he snuggled into the crook of my neck. With a content sigh, I hooked my arm around his neck, then pressed my cheek to his.

With a tired sigh, I reluctantly pulled away from Trey, who stopped the water but pushing down the lever, and then grabbed for the bar of soap. I was planning to bathe myself until Trey took the soap from me. 

"Why did you take the soap?"

"Because, my beautiful Wild Cat, I want to wash you," he explained as he began to lather the soup up in his hands. 

"I am perfectly capable of washing myself."

Trey chuckled, then said, "I am aware that you can bathe yourself, but I really want to wash you."

I rolled my eyes with a sigh, rose to my knees, and then twisted around to face him. "Then have at it." 

With a curve of his lips, he grabbed a washcloth. After covering it with soap, he leaned forward to take my hand and then very gently ran the cloth over my arm, making sure to cover every inch of my arm in soap. 

There was nothing sexual about his movements, he seemed fully engrossed with the task of washing every inch of my body, but damn it was turning me on. The gentle look in his eyes made me feel something that I had never felt before. I never wanted this man more then I did now, but I wasn't going to break whatever it was we were feeling in this moment. 

Once I was squeaky clean and my hair was washed, I grabbed the soap and washcloth with a naughty smirk. "Now it's my turn to slowly torture you." 

Trey just chuckled; his chuckle quickly changed as I began as I started moving the soap-covered cloth over his chest. I looked up at him with a raised brow as I moved over his shoulder blade and down his arm. 

Once he was fully clean, I wasn't sure what to do about his dreads, "How do you wash your hair?" 

"I have the stuff I use at home, but honestly, I was thinking it was about time to cut them off," he said with a shrug. 

"Hmmm, I can help if you want?" 

"Really? Okay, let's go do it now, then," he stated as he rose out of the now-black water.

After removing the cork, we put on some clothes and made our way into the living area. Trey pulled out a chair and took a seat while I grabbed one of my daggers. 

"Are you sure you want them gone?" I asked as I stepped up behind him.

"Yes, I want them gone."

With a shrug, I grabbed the closest dread, then one by one, began to cut them away, being extra careful not to cut him in the process. 

We stayed quiet throughout the whole affair. Given our exhaustion, I wouldn't be surprised if he dozed off. 

After a long while, and all the dreads were cut off, I walked over to my bag I had set on the floor to grab my comb and very carefully used it to brush away the mats and clean up as much of his hair as possible so that it didn't look bad. I could really use a pair of scissors right now…

Once I was finished, I walked around Trey. "How does it fe….?" my words were cut off as I froze at the sight of him. His new haircut accentuated his masculine face, which was illuminated by the glow of the lamps. His dark skin seemed to glow in the light, but the look in his eyes as he looked up at me made me gasp. His eyes looked like golden lava, which had my libido switched into overdrive. 

Without a single word, he rose from the chair and grabbed the back of my head to pull me in for a hungry kiss, then lifted me into his arms as he carried me to the bed and tossed me onto it with a playful growl. 

Our clothes became piles on the floor as he climbed up onto the bed, looking like a sexy predator ready to pounce on his prey. 

I wrapped my arms around his neck as he lowered himself; the feel of his bare soon on mine felt amazing as our mother connected in a hungry kiss.

"I need you now, Wild Cat," he growled against my lips. 

"Then take me, Ghoul boy," I gasped, desperate to be filled by his massive hardness that I could feel dripping onto my stomach. 

"With pleasure, darling," he said with a sexy smirk as he positioned himself at my aching core. 

He filled me with one thrust of his hips, making me gasp as his girth stretched me. With a low rumbling grow, he began moving, thrusting in and out with sweet abandon. I gasped in moaned as my body ignited, burning with the need for this powerful and sexy ass man. 

"Trey!" I gasped as he rose up onto his knees. Who knew that the one man who would turn my world upside down would be a sexy-ass Ghoul…

It didn't take long before I felt the delicious burn of an orgasm to build. 

"Trey! I'm about to burst!" I gasped as I felt it build and build. 

"Me neither, Wild Cat!" He growled through clenched teeth, "Cum for me, darlin'; let's cum together!" 

With a few more hard thrusts, we exploded together in sweet harmony. 

After Trey pulled out, he clasped onto the bed, then pulled me onto his heaving chest. With one more hungry kiss, I laid my head on his chest, snuggling into his warmth as the sound of his pounding heart lulled me into a sleepy daze. 

The last thing I felt was Trey pressing a kiss to the top of my head as the exhaustion of my day pulled me into a deep sleep.