I save a man’s life.

I reluctantly pull out my knife as I silently close the distance between myself, animal and idiot. From a distance I thought the wolf was pretty but up close it’s beautiful. It makes me even angrier that I have to do this. There’s not much beauty left in the world, I’d rather leave it when I can find it. Like walking around a flower somehow blooming in the broken pavement of a desolate road.

I roll up on the wolf in his blind spot, his eye covered by the guy’s one good hand that’s trying desperately to keep dripping, gnashing teeth out of his jugular. It strikes me that it doesn’t look that much different from fighting a Risen. His other arm is a bloody mess pressed against the animal’s chest, coating his fur in red.

When I’m within striking range, I slash at the wolf’s side. My knife goes in easy because if I do anything in this world right, it’s keep my weapons deadly. But I make sure not to sink the blade too deeply. I’ve decided I won’t kill it, a decision that is incredibly stupid but one I can sleep with tonight. I don’t want to kill it. I want it to keep running its patrols with its pack, keeping infected and Lost Boys at bay. I’ve only grazed it, only grabbed its attention, and even though it’s probably a really bad choice, I don’t regret it. Not yet, anyway.

The animal leaps off the guy and turns to face me, seeing me as the new threat.

“Get up.” I tell the body on the ground, never looking away from the wolf. “Slowly.”

He does as I say and I’m surprised when he does it silently. I expected groaning and moaning, maybe even ungrateful proclamations of his ability to handle it himself. Had he done that I wouldn’t have hesitated to let the animal have him. But he gets up and comes to stand beside me, his knife at the ready in his uninjured hand.

“Get out of here.” I tell him, my voice low and soothing for the wolf’s sake.

“No way.” he replies quietly.

“I wasn’t asking. Go.”

“No.”

I’m shaking mad now. His blood is dripping onto the pavement at an alarming rate and I’m doing the math in my head figuring how fast that crimson pool will bring the infected. Not long now.

“Get the hell out of here. NOW.” I grind out through gritted teeth.

The wolf takes an angry step forward, the low vibration of his growl sending the hair on my arms on end.

“Not until he’s dead.”

“Seriously?” I whisper incredulously. I shift my knife in my sweating palm. “You want wolf for dinner that bad?”

“I want revenge that bad.”

“This is for revenge?” I ask, feeling shocked. “On a wolf?”

“He killed my brother.”

“Unbelievable.”

I should have let him die.

I begin to back away from him and the animal, making my way slowly toward the sidewalk. They can sort this out together. I’m heading to one of my buildings with a water source. I’ll camp out there tonight and find a new home tomorrow. I hate it but with all this blood out front and him knowing where I live, no matter who wins this fight I’m the loser out of a home.

I hate people more than ever and I like animals a lot less too.

“Where are you going?” he whispers.

The wolf is advancing, empowered by my retreat.

“If you won’t leave, I will. Good luck with this. You’re gonna die.’

Before I can make it two steps low growls emanate from up and down the street. I spot dark, lean wolves advancing on us from out of the growing shadows. So far I count six. Three each, he’s down a hand and he couldn’t even handle one at full strength. Now we’re both gonna die.

“Shit.” the guy mutters, stepping back in line with me.

I chuckle bitterly. “Yeah.”

“We need to run. We can’t fight them all off.”

“We can’t outrun them all either.”

“No.”

“Back up. Keep backing up and head to the left. There’s a doorway. That’s where we’re going.”

He glances over his shoulder quickly, verifying that the way is clear.

“You’ve been in this building before?”

I nod sharply. “A time or two.”

“There’s a door close by that we can close on them?”

“Why else would I be taking us there?”

“Sorry if I don’t trust the judgment of a total stranger.”

I fight the urge to stab him. “You’re really saying that to the girl who just saved your life? If I’d known you were getting revenge” I say, my voice dripping in sarcasm. “I would have happily watched you die.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You have no idea what you’re doing.” I whisper viciously.

“I didn’t ask you to help me.” he nearly shouts, pissing me off further. “You didn’t have to be part of this.”

“No, but you needed help. And you made me part of this when you staged your Shakespearean drama at my front door.”

He glances at the building behind us again, frowning. “This is where you—“

“Run!”

I shove him in the shoulder, launching us both in the direction of the door. When we take off running, the wolves fall in step behind us and they are fast. I’m not even sure we’ll make it to the door unhurt. I quickly dart in front of the guy, making sure if they get ahold of anything it’s his dumb ass.

We sprint over the cracked marble floors, the skitter of claws following close behind. I grab onto the door and begin to swing it closed behind me. And, no, I don’t check to make sure he’s going to make it. That’s his issue, not mine.

He jumps to the side just as a wolf is lunging to take a bite out of his back. Good on him for keeping himself safe, but that move leaves me wide open. Luckily I’m already shoving the door closed on the animals face. He rams into it, bouncing off harmlessly. But the door isn’t so much a door as it is a gate and when he lunges again he gets ahold of my coat. He jerks back on the fabric and I’m wrenched hard against the steel. I cry out in surprise and pain as my arm is twisted, then pinned at a strange angle. The guy yanks me back, pulling me from the animals clutches. I stumble against the wall as he releases me quickly to latch the door, barely snatching his fingers clear before they’re bitten off.

“That was close.” he says, breathing heavily. Then he looks at me with a lopsided grin.

I punch him in the face. The sound of skin on skin and bone connecting through meat vibrates through the small space. It takes him by surprise, sending him stumbling back a step.

“What the—what is your problem?!” he cries, rubbing his cheek. His grin is gone.

“With you? I don’t know where to begin! I’ve known you five minutes and you’ve almost gotten me killed twice!”

“How was this my fault?” he demands, gesturing to the snarling wolves and metal. “You said there was a door! This is not a door.”

“It’s not solid, but it’s still a door. It’s keeping them out, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know, is it? Let’s ask your coat.”

He points to my sleeve and I look down to find the fleece ripped wide open.

“No, that’s okay.” I say sarcastically, glaring at him. “I have tons of clothes. I can afford to be missing a coat in the dead of winter.”

“Sorry, princess, didn’t mean to destroy your wardrobe.” he mutters, glancing around.

We’re deep in shadow but a small shaft of light is coming through one of the broken windows giving me my first decent look at him. He’s tall and lean with brown eyes and dark hair. He’s about my age, seventeen, and clean shaven so he must have a home somewhere with some amenities. Some comforts. His clothes also look decently clean which means he has access to water and a safe place to wash. I peg him solidly then and there as part of a gang.

It doesn’t mean what it used to. He’s not a thug, at least I doubt he is. He’s just a guy who signed up to be part of a group that helps each other survive. Kind of like the Colonies but less like a prison. It’s another situation I can understand people entering into, it’s just not for me. Especially since these gangs are almost all men.