Survive the Monsters and Breed 2 Chapter 3

Immediately, I leapt to my feet, only to sit back down. As much as I wanted to rush over to Shanice and Emily, I knew it wasn’t my place. They needed their space to grieve.

The howls of the women filled the still desert air. After a few minutes, the cries lowered until they were heaving sobs of pain and loss.

Shanice and Emily were holding each other with Zoriyana’s body between their chests, and the sight of it made my stomach sink. They clearly cared about this woman. My heart ached for them, but I knew there was nothing I could do.

“Poor things,” Sarah whispered, and she shook her head and looked down at the ground. “I can’t even imagine what they’re going through.”

“It’s such a shame,” Devonna sighed. “She was so pretty.”

“Are you serious?” Sarah scoffed. “You’re focusing on her looks?”

“What?” Devonna asked with a shrug. “I said it was a shame.”

“Yeah, but it sounds like you think it was a shame because she was pretty,” the redhead said.

“I do,” Devonna said honestly.

“That’s so horrible.” Sarah’s mouth fell open.

“Why?” the Southern woman asked. “I’m just sayin’ that it’s a shame to see someone that pretty die. That’s a lot of beauty gone to waste.”

“So, would it be less of a shame if she were ugly?” Sarah asked pointedly.

“I don’t know,” Devonna said defensively, but then she thought for a second and shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Devonna!” Sarah squealed. “That’s terrible.”

“Oh, I’m just kiddin’,” the black-haired woman said, but then she caught my eye and mouthed ‘No, I’m not.’

“I saw that.” Sarah glared at her friend.

“Oh, come on, now.” Devonna waved her hand dismissively, but then her voice softened. “I don’t mean nothin’ by it. It really is a shame. But I didn’t know her, so her bein’ pretty is the one thing I got to know her by here, can’t I at least have that?”

“Hm,” Sarah mused, and she pursed her lips. “I guess I didn’t think about it like that.”

“No, you didn’t,” Devonna sniffed. “You never think about my feelings.”

“Alright, calm it down.” Sarah rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not me you should be sorry for,” Devonna said, and she turned back to where Em and Shanice were gathered around Zoriyana’s body. “It’s them. Poor things.”

“She sounds like mother who lost her child,” Natasha spoke for the first time since this conversation had begun. “Makes my heart feel tight.”

“Mine, too.” I nodded.

“She probably does feel that way,” Sarah agreed with the Russian woman. “Shanice has obviously been protecting Em and Zoriyana this whole time. I’m sure she feels responsible for this.”

“What do you think happened?” Devonna asked. “You think she ate somethin’ bad?”

“I don’t think you die from just eating something bad,” Sarah said with a shake of her head. “I mean you could, but it would have to be really bad to actually kill you. Especially with our advanced healing.”

“Well, I didn’t see any wounds,” Devonna countered. “And she was coughin’ up blood. It was like that thing people used to get back in the day. T somethin’ or rather.”

“Tuberculosis,” Natasha said.

“That’s it.” Devonna snapped and pointed at the blonde. “Isn’t that what they used to do when they got that tuberculowhatnot?”

“Da.” She nodded. “But I doubt that it is what happened here.”

“What do you think it was?” I asked.

“My guess would be something venomous,” Natasha explained.

“I thought that earlier, too.” I pursed my lips as I watched the women continue to hold their friend and quietly weep.

“What could do that?” Sarah asked.

“Desert is scary place,” Natasha warned in a low voice. “Many venomous creatures. Probably made more venomous by whoever put us here.”

“Which means we need to be extremely careful,” I said. “Whatever happened to Zoriyana could probably happen to anyone.”

“Ugh, y’all are givin’ me the willies.” Devonna shuddered.

“Good.” Natasha eyed the Southern woman seriously.

“You’re freaky sometimes, you know that?” Devonna’s eyebrows pulled together before she averted her gaze and leaned back.

“Yes,” Natasha said, and she turned back toward the cave to watch the women.

We all grew quiet as we stared in silent respite of our own suffering and submerged ourselves in theirs. The women held their friend for a long time before Shanice finally stood up, wiped the tears from her face, and walked along the rocky wall in the opposite direction that we were in.

After a few minutes, she came to a halt, got down on her knees, and started digging. My heart sank when I realized she was digging Zori’s grave.

I wanted to offer to help, but the sheer determination and rage with which she pulled the sand from the ground with her bare hands told me not to interrupt her.

A while later, Em joined her, and they dug for nearly an hour before they’d finished.

The girls and I watched in silent awe and horror the whole time as Shanice and Em carried Zoriyana’s body to the grave. They lowered her in carefully and covered her up with sand. Then they sat down and cried more before Shanice pulled Em to her feet and led her to the cave.

Once they’d left, we decided we should head to bed. As bad as I felt for the other women, I wasn’t in great condition myself, and I hoped my body just needed rest in order to heal at the accelerated pace it had been. I figured it required energy just like anything else my body did.

If not, I didn’t even want to know what my odds for survival in this place were.

The next morning, I woke up hotter than all hell and drenched in sweat. The desert wasn’t playing around when it came to heat, and I definitely wasn’t used to this kind of weather.

Even when I lived in Cali, it wasn’t this hot or dry. This was a whole new level of hell I’d yet to experience.

The jungle was hot, but it was humid, and there were scattered thunderstorms here and there. This place looked like it hadn’t seen rain in years, and the air was bone dry.

The makeshift sun was already high in the sky, and I stared up at it from where I laid on my back in the sand. It didn’t hurt my eyes like the regular sun, but I didn’t stare for long just in case it could actually cause damage. I couldn’t be sure if it would burn my skin, either, but I didn’t have any sunscreen, so there was only one way to figure it out. While I laid down, I thought about why there was a sun in this room but not in the jungle.Was it just because this place was a desert? Did whoever created this godforsaken hellhole think it was necessary for the desert to have a sun but not the jungle since the forest canopy was so thick?

I guess they weren’t wrong in that regard. I’d had to climb to the top of a tree just to find out that there wasn’t a sun in the jungle room.

“Jake?” Sarah whispered.

“Yeah?” I asked.

“Oh, I was just seeing if you were awake,” she said. “I thought you were, but I wasn’t sure.”

“Yeah.” I stretched and sat up. “Thanks for keeping watch last night.”

“Natasha helped,” she said. “We thought you could use the rest.”

“You’re right about that,” I agreed.

“Do you feel better?” she asked.

“Yeah, I do.” I smiled with relief. “Thanks.”

“Can I check your wounds?” Her eyes raked over my bare chest with a critical stare as she searched for marks.

“I’d appreciate that,” I told her. “I have to admit, I was a little worried when the pain wouldn’t let up last night.”

“Hm.” She walked over and crouched down next to my arm. Then she extended it outward as her eyebrows pulled together. “It doesn’t look so bad. They’re nearly healed.”

“Already?” I asked.

“Yeah.” She nodded.

“I guess that drug isn’t wearing off after all,” I chuckled. “That’s a huge fucking relief.”

“I told you all you needed was some food and water.” She smiled.

“And a good night’s sleep,” I said.

“Well, so much for that,” Devonna grumbled.

“It’s well past morning,” I laughed.

“Yeah, but we had a long day yesterday,” she pouted and tossed around angrily.

“And you’re the only one who didn’t take a shift watching camp last night,” Sarah scoffed. “You should be plenty well rested.”

“Jakey didn’t take a shift, either,” Devonna said, and she flashed me a playful smile.

“You’re ridiculous.” Sarah shook her head.

“Maybe a little bit,” Devonna agreed, and she sat up and nudged Natasha, who was still asleep next to her. “Hey, wake up.”

“You could be a little nicer about it,” I chuckled.

“Have you tried to wake her up before?” Devonna raised an eyebrow at me. “She literally sleeps like the dead.”

“I had to smack her around a little last time,” Sarah said with a guilty look.

“See?” Devonna asked.

“Alright, alright, I get it.” I smiled and shook my head. “Here, let me try.”

“Be my guest,” Devonna snorted.

I crawled over to Natasha and looked down at her sleeping form. Her face was peaceful, and her breathing was even and sweet. She looked absolutely gorgeous, and it was almost a shame to think about waking her up when she was sleeping so soundly.

“We’re waitin’,” Devonna teased.

“Hang on,” I said. “I’m trying to have some finesse here, unlike yourself.”

“Hey, I got plenty of finesse,” the Southern woman chuckled. “Just not when it comes to wakin’ up the dead. I’ll leave that to them medium peoples.”

“Medium peoples?” Sarah asked.

“Yeah, you know the ones,” Devonna said. “They do the readings with them cards and whatnot. Oh, I don’t know what it’s called, I’ve never actually got one done.”

“Oh, my god,” Sarah laughed and shook her head. “You’re talking about mediums, like people who talk to the dead?”

“Yeah, what else would I be talkin’ about?” the Southern woman asked, as if she’d been completely clear in her description.

“I don’t know,” Sarah chuckled. “But I don’t think mediums ‘wake the dead.’”

“They do somethin’ with em.” Devonna shuddered. “And I don’t wanna know what.”

I shook my head at the two women, and then I leaned down and kissed Natasha’s forehead. When that didn’t work, I ran my hand through her short blonde hair until she started to stir.

“Mmm…” the Russian woman groaned as she stretched out and flipped around next to me. “That feels good.”

“Damn it, he did it,” Devonna scoffed.

“What can I say?” I smiled. “I’ve got the magic touch.”

“I’m sure.” The Southern woman rolled her eyes.

“Not to interrupt this competition here,” Sarah said, and she pursed her lips. “But I checked earlier, and we’re low on drinking water.”

“How low?” I asked.

“We have about half of the basket we brought with us,” she informed me.

“That sounds like a good bit, right?” Devonna asked.

“It’s not horrible,” I said. “But if we’re going to explore the desert today, then everyone is going to need to drink a lot of water. The last thing we need is for someone to get heatstroke out here.”

“Right.” Sarah nodded. “Water is going to be crucial here.”

“Let’s just go get some from that oasis thing we found,” Devonna said.

“Yeah, we’ll do that,” I agreed. “I want everyone to drink at least a quarter of the basket before we leave. We should go get some now before it gets much later in the day. It’s already well past sunrise.”

“Alright,” Sarah agreed. “Let’s get going, then.”

I stood up and smiled at the fact that my muscles didn’t hurt nearly as bad as they had the day before. There was only the dullest hint of an ache, like I’d just overstretched a few muscles yesterday, and I figured that was fair enough. I’d had a hell of a lot of deep puncture wounds and gashes after that last fight in the jungle, so if I walked away as well off as this, I’d take it.

Then I led my team over to the cove that harbored the oasis. I expected the water level to be even lower than it had been the night before, but to my surprise, it was completely full.

“Am I goin’ crazy, or is the water higher than before?” Devonna asked.

“It definitely is,” I said.

“And you thought we was gonna drink it all,” the Southern woman teased.

“I didn’t think we were going to drink it all,” I chuckled. “I was just saying that we needed to share.”

“Well, looky there.” She gestured to the water. “It’s made more for us.”

“It didn’t ‘make more.’” Sarah rolled her eyes. “Water doesn’t just get made.”

“Yeah-huh,” Devonna countered.

“Uh, nuh-uh,” Sarah laughed. “You can’t just make water. It’s got to come from somewhere.”

“Well, Miss Smartypants, what do you think the clouds do?” The Southern woman put her hand on her hip and raised one perfectly arched eyebrow at her friend.

Sarah opened her mouth to retaliate, realized Devonna was right, and closed it.

“Mhm.” Devonna smirked. “That’s what I thought.”

“This isn’t over,” Sarah threatened with a glare.

“Fine by me,” the Southern woman laughed. “I’m here all week.”

“You’re here until we get the hell out of here,” Sarah chuckled.

“That, too,” Devonna agreed.

“Technically, clouds make rain by pulling water vapor from other sources, then condensing it,” Natasha said.

“I can’t tell if you’re sayin’ I’m right or she is,” Devonna said.

“Both?” Natasha shrugged. “Maybe neither.”

“Whatever,” Devonna laughed and rolled her eyes.

“Hm.” Sarah pursed her lips as she looked at the water. “It’s pretty cramped in here with the water so high.”

“You’re right,” I agreed. “I’ll fill up the baskets if you three want to just hang out here.”

“You’re still healing,” Sarah said. “I can do it.”

“I will help,” Natasha offered.

“Guess that means me and you get to stand here and keep guard,” Devonna said, and she elbowed me in the ribs.

“Oof,” I breathed as I winced in pain.

“Oh, shit, I’m sorry,” Devonna apologized, and she bit her lip and rubbed my arm. “I didn’t mean to get you in your wounds, Jakey.”

“I know,” I assured her. “It’s alright.”

“You do look kinda cute when you’re in pain, though.” She smiled and wrapped her arms around my neck.

“Is that right?” I laughed and put my hands on her waist. “What are you, some sort of sadist?”

“Oh, honey, no.” Devonna’s eyes widened with horror. “I ain’t no devil worshiper. You know I’m a God-fearin’ woman.”

“Sadist, not satanist,” Sarah laughed.

“What’s the difference?” Devonna asked.

“Sadists derive pleasure from causing people pain,” I explained.

“Oh.” She smiled seductively. “Well, maybe a bit. ‘Cause you did look awful cute when I jabbed ya.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I chuckled.

“Yeah, yeah,” she repeated, and she leaned up and pressed her lips against mine.

“Well, no wonder you three are vouching for him,” Shanice said, and I broke my kiss with Devonna to see her standing just a few feet away with Em at her side.

The dark-skinned woman’s eyes were narrowed as she glared at me, and her stance was sturdy and confident. The faux-sun lit up her dark skin and haloed around her curls in the most beautiful way, though, and I had to admit that she looked stunning even while shooting daggers at me with her eyes.

“What’s that, darlin’?” Devonna asked as she spun around to stare at the woman.

“This man’s clearly brainwashed you somehow,” she said.

“Brainwashed?” Devonna scoffed, and she pulled away from me slightly to point at the brunette. “What in the hell are you talkin’ about now?”

“Your friend here is following the orders from the note,” Shanice said and crossed her arms. “All he wants is to get in your pants.”

At that, Devonna burst out laughing.

“How the hell is that funny?” Shanice asked, and her nostrils flared with anger.

“I’m sorry,” the black-haired woman snorted. “It’s just that… Well, you ain’t got no idea what you’re talkin’ about.”

“Da, is quite funny,” Natasha mused with a small smile. “Jake has been perfect gentleman.”

“He’s getting all handsy with the Southern one right now,” Shanice accused, and she eyed me with utter disgust.

“The Southern one?” Devonna cocked her head to the side. “My name is Devonna, I’ll have you know.”

“Well, Devonna,” Shanice said. “You should be careful. The second you don’t feel like satisfying his urges, he’s going to take what he wants just like the rest of the men in here.”

“Seriously?” I scoffed. “I’m only kissing--”

“You got it all wrong.” Devonna shook her head. “We came onto him.”

“We?” Shanice looked twice as disgusted now. “See, now I know he’s taking that note too seriously. He’s trying to breed with all of you. You can’t seriously be too stupid to notice.”

I bristled at her bitchy tone, but the women around me didn’t even scowl at the insult.

“You have such a hard time believin’ that we came onto him?” Devonna laughed and gestured to me. “I mean, look at him. You’re honestly gonna tell me you don’t want a piece of that? He’s a tall glass of water, for sure.”

Shanice glared at me while Devonna laughed out loud.

“You’ll see soon enough,” Shanice warned. “Men like him always show their true colors eventually.”

“Men like me?” I cocked an eyebrow. “Look, I know you ladies had it rough with the men in here, but I would never do anything to hurt you. It’s pretty fucked up you’d just jump to that conclusion after talking to me for all of, what… five minutes?”

“We’ve been with Jake the entire time we’ve been here,” Sarah said defensively. “He’s protective and kind. And hell, I haven’t slept with him, and he still looks after me.”

“Lucky you,” Shanice said with a sarcastic smile. “It’s so nice of Jake to allow you to stick around anyway, unless you’re just the only one with some sense around here.”

“Excuse me?” Sarah growled, and I noticed her cheeks burning red in fury. “You seriously think Jake ‘lets’ me stay here? Like he’s some creep who only--”

“Your words, not mine,” Shanice cut in.

“What, do you want to kill him, too?” Devonna pursed her lips and cocked her hip out to the side. “Haven’t you killed enough men already?”

“The men who were in here deserved to die,” Shanice said through gritted teeth.

“And you felt very justified in making that call, didn’t you?” Devonna asked, and she looked the woman up and down.

“As a matter of fact, I did,” she said, and her chest rose and fell quickly. “They were bastards who would do anything to fulfill the sick fucking note they got, including raping anyone who denied them.”

We were all quiet for a moment as we stared at Shanice with shock.

I realized then that this wasn’t about me personally. It wasn’t even really about me at all. She was grieving, and she needed someone to blame, something to be angry at. And because of what happened before, she felt justified in her anger toward me, even though I hadn’t done anything to deserve it.

It was clear from the way her body trembled that she was upset, and part of me wanted to reach out and pull her to me. I wanted to go back in time and make sure nothing bad happened to this woman who tried so hard to protect others.

Even though she seemed determined to hate my guts right now.

I could see right through her angry facade deep down to the part of her that was terrified. She’d been through a lot in such a short time, and given the circumstances, she was handling it well. I almost didn’t mind being a punching bag for a bit if it allowed her to get some of her anger out.

Just as long as she eventually stopped accusing me of being a complete piece of shit.

“I’m really sorry that happened to you,” I said calmly. “Nobody deserves that.”

“They don’t,” Shanice said as she started to blink rapidly. “And I refuse to allow it to continue to happen on my watch.”

“I get that,” I assured her. “But I would never do anything like that. I don’t care about what that note says, that’s got nothing to do with my relationships.”

“I don’t care about your relationships,” she snapped. “I care about me and Em. We’ve been through enough.”

“We saw what happened last night,” I said, and Shanice’s jaw quivered at my words. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“I don’t need your apologies,” she told me, and she spun around and walked away, but I knew that was just so I wouldn’t see her crying.

Em gave me a small smile, and then she caught up with Shanice and put her hand on the dark-skinned woman’s back.

The girls and I were quiet for a moment as we watched them walk away. I slid a hand through my hair as I thought about what Shanice said.

“I gotta say, I don’t like her one bit,” Devonna said. “But I do feel bad about the men who they were in here with.”

“Yeah,” Sarah sighed. “I’m sure that was awful.”

“Da.” Natasha nodded. “I can understand her being wary of Jake because of this.”

“And I’m sure Zoriyana’s death last night didn’t help,” Sarah said.

“Yes,” Natasha said. “She probably has some form of PTSD from this whole situation.”

“PTSD?” Devonna asked.

“Post-traumatic stress disorder,” Natasha explained. “Is mental illness where person has been greatly affected by trauma.”

“Is that why she’s such a bitch, though?” Devonna asked.

“Oh, my god.” Sarah shook her head.

“What?” Devonna asked. “It’s a serious question.”

“In my professional opinion, it could be,” Natasha said.

“You think so?” Sarah asked, and her dark red eyebrows pulled together. “Really?”

“She is lashing out because she is upset.” Natasha shrugged. “Displaced anger is common in those who are grieving.”

“I’m sure she’ll come around soon,” I said. “It could just be everything that’s happened before. I can’t blame her for being skeptical of any man who comes in here.”

“I can,” Devonna mumbled. “If she opened her damn eyes for two seconds, she’d see Jakey is an absolute dish of a man. He’s got it all, the looks, the brains, the body that don’t quit…”

“Right,” Sarah said, and she ignored Devonna’s comment. “Maybe once she gets to know Jake… his personality, I mean… then she’ll ease up a bit.”

“All I know is that I’m never going to give her a reason to distrust me,” I said. “And the chips are going to fall where they may from there.”

“You’re a better man than me,” Devonna snorted. “I’d have told that bitch off.”

“It’s tempting,” I said with a smirk. “But I’ve never been one to have a temper.”

“See that?” Devonna threw her hands up. “Absolute dish! He don’t even have rage problems!”

“She just lost her friend,” Sarah reminded her.

“Yeah, but that don’t mean she’s gotta be such a bitch,” Devonna said. “You heard the way she was talkin’ about Jakey.”

“She’s upset,” I said. “We’ll give her some time to cope. But right now, we should all drink some water. Then we’ll head out.”

“Okay,” Sarah agreed, and she grabbed the water basket and took a long pull before passing it to Natasha.

The basket made its way around twice before it was totally gone. Once it was empty, we made our way back over to our small camp. I gathered up my knife, handed Sarah her spear, and gave Natasha and Devonna the makeshift knives we had with us.

A lot of our weapons had been broken or dropped when we were fighting those otter monsters on our way in here. These were all we had left, and we’d have to make do until I could make us a few more spears or blades.

“Alright,” I said. “Is everyone ready to go?”

“Which way are we headin’?” Devonna asked.

“It looks like there’s some tall rocks over there.” I pointed to the right. “We should head that way and see if we can climb up and get a bird’s-eye view of this place.”

“Sounds like a good idea.” Sarah nodded.

“We don’t know this area,” I said. “So, everyone stay close.”

“Like we’d try and venture off on our own anyway,” Devonna snorted. “No, thank you.”

“Good,” I chuckled.

“What about your wounds?” Natasha asked. “You’re sure you feel up to this?”

“I’m alright,” I assured her. “They’re healing very quickly. It’s mostly muscle pain right now, but the surface wounds are fine.”

“It’s crazy that the women here didn’t notice that.” Sarah shook her head.

“They did not realize they were in room,” Natasha said. “I am not surprised they didn’t know about healing powers, either.”

“Fair point.” The redhead nodded.

“And we don’t know if they’ve even been injured since waking up in here,” I pointed out. “We couldn’t see actual injuries anywhere on Zoriyana.”

“I hadn’t thought about that.” Sarah frowned. “Shouldn’t she have healed faster? Shouldn’t that have prevented her from dying.”

“If she was attacked by something venomous,” Natasha said. “Then healing abilities are probably what kept her alive so long.”

“That poor woman,” Sarah sighed.

“Maybe once Shanice comes around, we can ask what happened,” I suggest. “But right now, let’s get going before we lose any more daylight.”

“You don’t think they’ve had any monsters come after them so far?” Sarah asked as we started to walk.

“I’m not sure.” I shrugged.

“You think--” Devonna started, but she was cut off by Shanice’s screaming.

“Hey!” the beautiful, dark-skinned woman yelled, and I turned to see her running toward us from her cave. “Hey! Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

“We’re… just exploring the area,” I told her as I furrowed my brow.

“Oh, I don’t think so,” she said, and she came to a halt right in front of me and wagged her finger in my direction. “You’re not going anywhere.”

“You can’t stop us from exploring the area,” Sarah said.

“This is my jurisdiction,” Shanice growled. “And I don’t trust you as far as I can throw you. You’re not going to run off where I can’t see you. There’s no telling what you could be getting up to.”

“Getting up to?” I asked, and I fought the urge to say anything more than that.

“Your jurisdiction?” Devonna scoffed. “What are you, a cop? And just what the hell do you think we’re gonna do?”

“Actually, I am a cop.” Shanice crossed her arms.

“Oh.” Devonna blinked.

“That’s a noble profession,” I said.

“It’s a profession where I was taught to question everything,” she said. “Now, you mind telling me just what you’re looking for out in the middle of the desert, anyway?”

“We just want to see the area,” I explained. “I know you two had a rough night, but we’re just working to try and get us all out of here.”

Shanice stared at me for a moment, and then she lifted her chin high into the air. “Fine. But I’m still not going to let you just wander off into my desert unattended.”

“We’re just exploring the area,” I assured her and ignored her snippy tone. “We would have asked you all to join us, but I didn’t think you’d want to do much after last night.”

“If you insist on exploring, then I’m going with you.” Shanice narrowed her eyes on me. “I’m not allowing you out of my sight.”

“Fine by me,” I sighed and shook my head. “I’ve got nothing to hide.”

“We’ll see about that.” The brunette continued to glare at me.

I considered her defensive stance for a moment, and as much as her glaring was starting to grate on my nerves, I noted the tired bags under her eyes. I also noted the way she seemed to try and make herself appear taller when she stared me down, and I let out a barely audible sigh.

It was obvious she was exhausted and upset about Zori. She was probably even looking for something to keep herself occupied with, and apparently, challenging my very presence here was where that energy had ended up. Plus, if she really was a cop, then I was sure she was even more upset that she hadn’t been able to save her friend and wound up in the middle of a damn desert with a foggy memory.

“Em,” Shanice said without looking over to where she stood a few feet behind her. “I’ll be back later.”

“Can I go, too?” Em asked.

“It’s not safe,” Shanice told her, and I noticed how soft her voice was when she was speaking to Em.

“Why is it safe for you and not her?” Sarah asked.

“It’s not safe for anyone,” Shanice answered. “But I’m an experienced hunter. I’m just trying to protect my team.”

“Hm.” Devonna raised an eyebrow at the brunette. “Seems to me like you’re the one who’s hiding something.”

“Yeah,” Sarah chimed in. “You won’t even let Jake out of your sight because you think he’s up to no good, but your team can’t come with us?”

“Seems fishy to me,” Devonna said. “Reaaaaaal fishy.”

“Nobody asked you,” Shanice snapped.

“So, you’re just going to leave Em alone?” Sarah asked. “That’s not safe, either.”

“I agree.” I nodded. “If you think she needs protecting, then we shouldn’t leave her behi--”

“Fine,” Shanice said, and she turned to Em. “Stay close. Do exactly what I tell you to do. Okay?”

“I will.” Em nodded quickly.

“Wait,” I said as Shanice started to walk straight into the desert.

“What is it now?” Shanice asked as she spun around to glare at me.

“We’re probably going to be gone for a few hours,” I said. “How much water have you two drank today?”

“We’re fine on water,” the brunette snapped, and she spun back around and started walking. “Let’s go.”

“Rawrrr,” Devonna imitated a cat and clawed the air in front of her.

“I heard that,” Shanice called as she walked ahead of us.

“Good,” Devonna said. “I wasn’t tryin’ to be sneaky ‘bout it.”

Shanice said nothing, she simply continued to walk ahead, so I shrugged and followed behind her. The dark-skinned woman had a no-nonsense strut that made it hard not to stare at her, but I was so sure she’d bite my head off if she caught me looking that I stubbornly focused on the sand ahead of her instead.

The rest of the women trailed behind me, and even Em hung back from her “leader” so she was only a couple of feet in front of me.

I was surprised when Shanice tried to make her stay behind. I knew it was hard to protect everyone, but keeping her at camp all the time wasn’t the way to do that. She’d never learn to defend herself, then. Besides, with our rapid healing, she could stand to get a few cuts and scrapes during battle if necessary.

“Jesus Lord in Heaven,” Devonna gasped after we’d been walking for a few minutes. “It’s hotter than Georgia asphalt ‘round here.”

“We’re in a fucking desert,” Sarah laughed.

“Yeah, and I can’t even blame this heat on the humidity,” Devonna grumbled. “It’s dry as a bone out here, too. All this damn dust is startin’ to make my nose hurt.”

“Make your nose hurt?” Em asked.

“I’m from Georgia, darlin’,” Devonna said. “I ain’t used to all this dry nonsense.”

“Oh.” Em nodded. “I bet it’s nice there. I always did like warm weather.”

“I like warm weather, too,” Devonna said. “But it’s downright swelterin’ out here. Even Satan himself would be sweatin’ in this place.”

“Must you use all your little sayings all the time?” Sarah chuckled.

“Darlin’, in case you hadn’t realized, I’m from the south.” Devonna grinned. “I absolutely must.”

“You’re gonna run out of them eventually,” Sarah laughed.

“You’re dreamin’,” Devonna told her.

“I like them.” Em smiled. “They’re fun.”

“Well, thank you, Em,” Devonna said. “See, I knew I liked you.”

“It really is hot out here,” Sarah said, and she wiped sweat from her forehead.

“Oh, I got an idea,” Devonna said as she came to a halt. “Wait up a second, y’all.”

“Hang on,” I called to Shanice when she just kept walking.

“What’s the hold up?” the brunette asked as she walked back toward us. “We don’t have all day, you know.”

“Just hold your damn horses a second,” Devonna said, and she unzipped her jumpsuit and started to pull it off her shoulders.

“What in the hell are you doing?” Shanice asked, and her eyes widened with horror.

“I’m just makin’ it a little cooler for myself.” Devonna shrugged, and she pulled the top half of her jumpsuit down to her waist. Then she tied the sleeves around her hips to hold it in place. “Oh, yeah, that’s much better.”

“Good idea,” Sarah said, and she began to undress as well.

“Da.” Natasha nodded. “Good idea, Devonna.”

“Um, no, it’s not,” Shanice said, and she averted her eyes. “You’re really going to run around like that?”

“Who else is around?” Sarah asked. “We’re the only ones in here.”

“You don’t know that,” she scoffed. “There’s no way to know anything for sure in this hellhole.”

“I mean, I guess you’re right.” Sarah shrugged. “We can’t know that for sure, but honestly, it’s just like a bathing suit.”

“So, that means you can be half-naked?” Shanice asked.

“What?” Devonna laughed. “You’re seriously gonna stand there and say I’m too disgusting for you to have to look at without a shirt on?”

“Your utter lack of morality is disgusting.” Shanice looked the Southern woman up and down. “No wonder you’re so willing to ‘breed.’ I bet you’re the first one this guy pounced on.”

“I don’t pounce,” I said through a snort.

“Yeah, excuse me?” Devonna asked, and her eyebrows shot up so far they nearly got lost in her hairline.

“You heard me,” Shanice said.

“Ooooh,” Devonna seethed as she glared at the woman. “You really don’t want me to like you, do you?”

“Based on your taste in who you like around here, your so-called good opinion means nothing to me,” Shanice said, and she shot me another hostile glance.

“Shanice,” I stepped in. “You can be mean to me all you want, but talking to Devonna like that is unacceptable. We compromised and allowed you to come with us today, but I can’t allow you to speak to her in that manner.”

“Allow me, huh?” she scoffed. “And just what are you gonna do about it?”

“Figure out how to get out of here,” I said. “And not tell you.”

The woman eyed me like a venomous snake, and I was curious what sort of remark she’d have to make this time. But for once, she didn’t snap back. Instead, she looked around at the blistering desert, and then she crossed her arms and kept her mouth shut.

“And I’d like an apology, as well,” Devonna demanded.

“Let’s not get carried away,” Shanice growled. “Now, are you ready to start walking again?”

Sarah, Devonna, and Natasha all had the top halves of their jumpsuits pulled down to reveal white cotton bras underneath. Devonna’s lightly tanned skin looked beautiful in the light that came from above, while the freckles on Sarah’s chest made me smile. I had to forcibly peel my eyes away from Natasha’s full chest, but I was just happy to see it again.

When Devonna first pulled her shirt down, Em had turned away as her face changed to a bright red color. The gorgeous Asian woman clearly wasn’t a fan of public nudity. Or, rather, in this case, partial nudity.

“Well, I suppose so,” Devonna said with an eye roll, and Shanice promptly turned on her heels to strut onward. “I don’t see how wearin’ a bra is so sinful, though. It’s basically the same as a bathin’ suit top.”

“Right?” Sarah asked as we started to walk again. “I shouldn’t have to be modest in order to be respected.”

Shanice grumbled something too low for anyone else to hear.

“What about you, Em?” Devonna asked with a wry smile. “You seem real uncomfortable with the whole thing.”

“Oh, I…” Em turned red again and shook her head. “I just get uncomfortable with nudity and things like that.”

“Why?” Sarah asked. “It’s just a body. Are we making you uncomfortable right now?”

“No.” She shook her head. “You’re free to do whatever you want, of course. But I’ve been saving myself for marriage.”

“For marriage?” Devonna asked. “You mean to tell me you’re a virgin?”

“Um, yeah,” Em said, and she turned bright red again.

“How in the world is that possible?” Devonna chuckled. “You’re gorgeous. You never wanted to do nothin’ with your boyfriends?”

“I’ve never had one,” Em answered quietly. “Not any I can remember, at least, but… no, I am certain. I haven’t ever had a boyfriend.”

“Awww, honey,” Devonna cooed. “Nobody ever asked you out? A pretty little thing like you?”

“I can remember getting asked out,” Em said. “But I never said yes. I had a lot of other things to worry about. Dating just wasn’t on my mind.”

“Oh.” Devonna nodded and then grinned wide. “Well, good for you, darlin’. I’m sure you were a very accomplished young woman. Lord knows I coulda done a lot more with my life if it weren’t for all the men and their damn heartbreak.”

“Don’t blame your failures on them,” Sarah chuckled.

“Why not?” Devonna shrugged. “It was definitely their fault. Maybe not all of ‘em, but Timmy was certainly the reason I got caught smokin’ cigarettes behind the bleachers senior year. All the teachers thought I was a bad egg after that.”

“Damn Timmy.” I smiled playfully.

“I hope he’s rottin’ in hell, that damn chimney.” Devonna glared and flashed me a grin.

“Sooooo,” Sarah said, and she turned to Em. “You said you didn’t date. What did you do?”

“Da.” Natasha nodded. “I would like to know as well.”

“You don’t have to answer that,” Shanice said stiffly over her shoulder. “Remember, you barely know these people.”

“It’s alright,” Em said in a low voice. “I don’t mind answering.”

“We’re just tryin’ to get to know each other,” Devonna said. “Maybe if you participated, you’d actually learn to like us a bit. Well, I don’t know about the other two, but you’d probably like me if you got to know me. I’m pretty damn lovable.”

“Hey!” Sarah scoffed and smacked her friend on the arm.

“In all honesty, you’re my least favorite,” Shanice said dryly, and she shot Devonna an unamused look.

“Well, ditto, darlin’.” Devonna smiled sarcastically.

“Easy…” I muttered under my breath, and the two of us shared a quiet chuckle.

“Anyway.” Sarah rolled her eyes. “Continue, Em.”

“Oh, right.” The beautiful Asian woman nodded. “Well, I’m still working on piecing everything together, but I’m certain I was a graduate student at Brown University.”

“Wow.” Sarah’s eyes grew wide. “That’s a pretty prestigious school.”

“No wonder you didn’t have any time for boys,” Devonna sighed and shook her head. “The smart ones always know better.”

“Um, yeah.” Em stifled a laugh.

“What were you studying?” Natasha asked.

“I was working on my degree in marketing,” she answered. “My parents both owned businesses, and I always wanted to do something in that area. I figured if I got into marketing, then I could make a good living and get a good career, and I could help them with their businesses, too.”

“What a good daughter.” Natasha smiled. “Is kind of you.”

“Thanks,” Em said, and she flushed bright red again and looked down. “I was really close with my parents.”

“I’m sure,” Sarah said. “It sounds like it.”

“What happened on night you were taken?” Natasha asked. “Did you live in… oh, what is it Americans call it? Uh… live at school?”

“In the dorms?” Em asked. “No. My parents didn’t live far away from campus so I stayed with them to save money on housing while I went to college. Let’s see… Everything is still fuzzy, but what I recall last was studying with Chi Chi.”

“Who’s Chi Chi?” Devonna asked.

“My poodle,” Em chuckled softly, and the bell-like sound was music to my ears.

“That’s such a cute name,” Sarah laughed.

“Adorable,” Devonna agreed. “But not quite as adorable as Mr. Tibbs.”

“Is that all you remember?” Natasha asked. “Studying and then waking up here?”

“You don’t have to answer that,” Shanice said, and she spun around and glared at me in particular. “What’s your angle here, anyway? Why all the questions?”

I didn’t know why she was glaring right at me instead of looking at the women beside me. I’d barely contributed to the conversation taking place, but I figured I’d rather her come after me than my women, anyway. Besides, the more snippy she got with me, the more determined I was to be the bigger man and remain unfazed.

“We’re just chatting,” I said nonchalantly. “You’re welcome to join in.”

“Da.” Natasha nodded. “What were you doing when you were taken, Shanice?”

“None of your damn business,” the woman growled.

“Mmm,” Natasha mused, and she raised an eyebrow. “Hiding something, are we?”

“I got home from a long shift and had some wine on the couch,” Shanice said. “That’s all I remember. Next thing I know, I’m waking up here. End of story.”

“I was out drinking,” Sarah offered.

“Working,” Natasha added.

“I was watchin’ Charmed with my cat, Mr. Tibbs,” Devonna sighed. “God, I miss that fat little son of a bitch.”

“Jesus,” Sarah laughed.

“What?” Devonna shrugged. “I loved him ‘n all, but he was an asshole, that was for sure. Always eatin’ my damn cheesy puffs.”

“What?” Sarah put her hand over her mouth as she tried to keep her laughter at bay. “You fed your cat cheesy puffs?”

“Did I say I fed ‘em to him?” Devonna cocked an eyebrow at the redhead. “No. The damn cat ate ‘em all by himself. Hell, he ate so many he practically turned into one. He was real round in his old age.”

Sarah and the other girls burst out laughing, but I just smiled and shook my head. As much as Devonna denied it, I’d seen her with Max and Charlie, the two toucans we’d taken as pets back in the jungle. She’d given them whatever they wanted and then some. If Mr. Tibbs was chunky, I was sure she had something to do with it.

Shanice was the only one who didn’t join in the laughter, though. Instead, she kept her sharp gaze on me, and I had a feeling she was waiting for me to give my own story about what I remembered doing last before waking up here.

But she seemed too stubborn to ask, and two could definitely play that game.

I just enjoyed the laughter of the other women and kept my damn mouth shut, and I decided if Shanice wanted to know anything about me, she could get off her high horse and ask like a normal human being.

Just as I suspected, she didn’t do so at that moment. The dark-skinned woman turned and continued leading our little mission, and the rest of us fell in step behind her.

As we walked along, I looked carefully at the large rocky area to our right. I couldn’t believe the women didn’t realize the rocks lined the wall that encased them in this area. It seemed so obvious, but then again, I knew this was a room from the get-go. They probably just thought that it was a rock formation they couldn’t see past.

“Jake?” Sarah asked. “What are you looking at?”

“I’m just seeing if there’s a way we can climb from here,” I said with a point at the rocks ahead of us. “It almost looks like we can get up onto that ledge there and make our way up further.”

“Hm.” Sarah pursed her lips. “Probably a bit dangerous, but any way we get up there is going to have risks.”

“Right,” I agreed. “And this is the best spot I’ve seen so far.”

“Alright,” the redhead said. “We can give it a go, but we should check it out first and make sure that the ledge is large enough for us to fit comfortably.”

“Good call,” I said, and we walked over toward the large, rocky structure.

As a geology student, I found it absolutely astounding that someone had been able to put something like this together. The jungle was impressive, but those were all plants, they could be grown. These rocks had to have been moved here. There’s no way they could have magically created them. Sure, some rocks could be created in a lab, mostly smaller geodes and crystals and things like that, but that didn’t seem to be the case here.

The hoodoos in the area appeared incredibly real, and I had to wonder just how they’d managed to create them. True hoodoos were large rock structures that protruded from the ground and were created over millions of years of erosion. A thin layer of harder rock covered a thick layer of softer rock underneath, which is what gave them the stability to stand. It was incredible to think that someone had gone through the effort of creating hoodoos in order to make this desert appear more realistic.

Because they looked pretty fucking legitimate to me.

Once we got to the large rock formation, I put my hand on it and felt the firm rock beneath my palm. It was definitely real, and I was amazed all over again.

The formation we’d chosen wasn’t a hoodoo. Instead, it was a large structure similar to the area with the caves we’d just come from. It appeared to be sturdy enough, and it was definitely tall enough that we’d be able to get a good view of the area.

The sloped area in front that I was looking at was wide enough for at least a single person to stand comfortably. It started about five or six feet off the ground, and it looked like it was a path created by animals in the area. Probably mountain goats or something of the like. Either way, it would work for us, and that’s all that mattered.

“Alright.” I turned to the group with a big, goofy grin on my face. “Who wants to go first?”

“What makes you think any of us want to go up there?” Shanice scoffed. “This is absolutely craz--”

“I’ll go,” Devonna volunteered, and she stepped forward and shot Shanice a glare before walking over to me. “Give me a boost?”

“That’s what I’m here for,” I chuckled and knelt down.

Then I clasped my hands together and held them out so Devonna could put her boot on top of my interlaced fingers. Once it was in place, I lifted her up so she could climb onto the ledge. The black-haired woman scrambled to the top, stood up, and stuck her tongue out at Shanice.

Shanice rolled her eyes at Devonna before turning to me. “You really expect us all to get up there?”

“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to,” I said as I gave Sarah a boost. “I’m not going to stop you either way.”

“I want to see,” Em said, and she walked over, put her hands on my shoulders, and lifted her foot up so I could grab onto it.

“Ready?” I asked with a smile, but I couldn’t help the tightness in my stomach at the feeling of her hands on my body.

“Yes.” She nodded, and I boosted her up.

Devonna and Sarah helped pull her onto the ledge, and after that, I lifted Natasha up. Then I turned back to Shanice.

“Last chance,” I said with a small shrug.

The brunette said nothing, she simply readjusted the spear she had on her back, and then she ran full speed straight toward me.

“Shit,” I breathed as I stepped out of the way.

Shanice leapt up at the last second and grabbed onto the ledge to pull herself up. The other girls reached down to help her, but she gestured for them to get back. After a quick second of struggling, she pulled herself completely up. Then she gave me an ‘I told you so’ smile, pushed past the rest of the girls, and started up the small, rocky hill.

“Point made.” I shook my head, walked over to the ledge, and quickly pulled myself up.

My head was just above it, so it was easy for me to get a good grip and pull myself to the top. Shanice was a few inches shorter than I was, so she’d struggled a little more, but I still had to give it to her, she’d gotten up there without any help.

Once I was up on the ledge, we made our way further up the rocky area, but as we did, I realized this formation didn’t sit directly against the wall like I’d suspected. There was a small chasm between us and the wall, and one wrong move could easily send one of us tumbling down.

I’d gotten pretty good at recognizing walls by this point, and even though it was well painted, the detailed depiction of an expansive desert didn’t fool me. I could see that it was flat in some places, and there was a slight sheen from the metal in others. You just had to be looking very carefully to pick up on it.

“Hey,” I said. “Everyone watch your feet. There’s a ravine to our right, and the wall’s right behind it. If anyone falls, they could be trapped.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Devonna teased. “We’ve all seen the ravine, Jakeeeeeeeeeyyyy!”

The Southern woman stepped wrong and went falling over the edge. I leaned out to try and catch her, but it was too late.