Chapter Eleven
The Passing: Kiss a Rose on a Grave
Dakota's POV
My pack was growing. A new Hunter, now named Gamma, was part of my morose family. He was also blind, not having ripped his eyes out, and I had sunglasses for both of them so they wouldn't have to. Killing zombies was one thing, watching a pack member mutilate himself was another thing entirely. Gamma was around 6' even when he stood up and solid muscle. Not like a body builder, but more like Ellis' build. He had a large burn mark on one of his arms, which looked like it was from Spitter goo, and had no sleeves to speak of under his biceps. He got the same tape that I had put on myself and Beta, and they seemed to try and even keep the tape clean. I was surprised to find my Hunters free of any huge boils that most of them had.
After the large amount of Tank scent I could smell from the bridge area, I didn't need to know why Gamma needed a pack. Even with his large stature, he couldn't take down a Tank by himself. I'm unsure if all of us could, but, if I have to, I will attack one for Cas and the others.
Beta had been trying to "teach" me the Hunter language as we followed the Survivors, and I think I was starting to understand it. So far, I had learned the various howls, growls, and screams and what they meant. In turn, I taught him and Gamma some simple words and that we don't eat my group of humans, which only sunk in after I had grabbed Gamma by the scruff of his hoodie and screamed, "Hey, asshole! WE DON'T EAT SQUIRRELS!" when he had tried to stalk Ellis when he found the M-60. It was a joke between Jon and I, but I forgot to substitute "squirrels" with "people." Either way, they learned to scare off the Special Infected. If that didn't work, kill them. Though, Beta had been throwing some vibes that he was a little bi-curious, if his fascinations with my boobs and Gamma's butt was anything to go by.
I growled as they walked into a Jazz Club after we had all killed a Smoker. It would be hard to follow them; this club was were the Underground Tour started. No place for us to hide from them, no place for me to keep Beta and Gamma safe.
"Alpha... S-safe plaze?" I turned my face to Gamma, who's deep voice was mixed with a growl as we walked (yes, walked. Hunter's do no crouch until they are ready to pounce) slowly into the building, keeping the Survivors within ear-shot, or rather human ear-shot. We could hear them from about 250 yards away, and that was too far for me to do anything.
I shook my head and corrected his "plaze" quietly. "Not safe. Wet, cold, small," I said slowly, trying to see if they remembered what those words meant.
Beta growled quietly and zipped up his hoodie with a huff. He hated being cold. Gamma made the Hunter equivalent of a scoff before zipping his up half way. I did the same after taking off my hoodie to put my bag on under it and adjusting its strap so it was on my lower back instead of under my ass. I was not letting this get ruined! At least, not if I could help it.
It only got colder as we got deeper into the "historic" underground tour, and Beta's teeth chattered every now and then. I'd have to remember to find some under shirts for him once we got above ground. Poor thing needed more food than any of us. I made a low purr like sound, meaning for s all to get closer, and they did so. They're clawed feet made quiet clicking sounds as we walked across the boarded and brick paths of the tunnels, which made me wonder if any of them could hear us.
That made me wonder if anyone besides Cas and Nick missed me. Did Ellis? He was so nice to me before Peter and Jon shunned me out, made me wonder how he really felt. So much had happened in the two or three weeks since Cas and the others had come to visit me. It was hard to stay focused.
I felt an arm bar me from taking a step and I looked a head to see metal stairs going further underground and the smell of sewage made me gag violently. I could hear Beta doing the same, while Gamma was just breathing through his mouth and, for all intents and purposes, looking like a cat's stinky face. I took out my old tank top, ripping it into equalish thirds, before wrapping it around Beta and Gamma's noses and mouths before I did my own. They both looked grateful, either nuzzling me or making happy purring noises.
The metal staircase was grated, so I carefully looked over a railing and could see Cas and Ellis about to jump off of it and into the sewage. I stuck out my tongue and narrowed my eyes. This would be hell, especially with out mouths covered.
"Stinky place bad!" Beta whined and I had to throw myself back and away from the edge of the bars. Ellis hadn't jumped down yet and had looked up at Beta's scratchy voice.
"Dee? Is tha' you? Its okay! Ah ain't gonna shoot ya!" He sounded so excited to see me... Maybe one little conversation was okay.
I started walking down the stairs slowly, Beta and Gamma close behind me. I stopped at the landing above where Ellis was standing, pulling my face mask off and leaving it around my neck. Beta and Gamma were crouched and growling softly a few steps behind me.
"Hey... Ellis..." Oh, please don't hear the shake in my voice! Gamma had and pawed at my calf for reassurance.
Ellis' face lit up like a kid's at Christmas as he bounded up the stairs and wrapped his arms around my waist in a tight hug, picking me up and jumping a little in place as my arms automatically wrapped around his shoulders. Had he always been this tall? Damn, he had to be around 6 foot!
"Ah can't believe it!" He said with a laugh. "Cas keeps sayin' she sees ya and these two killin' smokers and shit for us- an I believe 'er- but Ah though' think we had guardian angels, not a guardian Hunter!" He finally put me down and took a good look at me. I felt my face heat up a bit. If the Hunter sniff-greeting wasn't awkward enough, I knew I couldn't hide my body's reactions to just being around Ellis from Beta and Gamma. Their noses were too strong.
"Uh.. Hun-TERS. I kinda picked up a few following ya'll around the city..." I trailed off as he looked around me to Beta and Gamma, of which Gamma had stood up and was about an inch taller than Ellis. Oh boy, he was challenging Ellis. I turned my head and growled at him, making eye contact with sightless eyes. This was a big issue I had with Gamma; he wanted to keep the distance between our pack and this group and challenged me about it all the time. He backed down after a few moments of growling and crouched back by Beta, who turned his head toward him and made a noise as if to say, "Oooh! You're in trouble!"
As I turned back to Ellis, I noticed him staring at me. I cocked my head to the side and snapped my fingers in front of his face. He caught my hand and pulled me to him in another hug, but this one was like the one he gave me before I was ran off. I felt safe, like I was back at home and in my bed before all of this happened. I hesitantly wrapped my arms around his waist and tucked my head under his chin, listening to his heartbeat.
"Ya'll should come back ta us. Cas is missin' you somethin' terrible and Nick's pissier than a 'coon in the same room as a dog," he whispered in my ear, which I'm sure he didn't mean to do, but I couldn't stop the huge shiver it caused or the sigh that escaped my lips when it did.
FML, calm your titties, woman! I licked my lips before hugging him a little tighter and stepping a little closer. "No one else does... They think I'll hurt them... And I probably will-"
"Don'tchu talk like that!" I was surprised when Ellis had risen his voice to say that and even pulled me away so he could look me in the eye. "You ain't a monster, Dee. If you were, ya'll woulda ripped Cas all ta hell when ya first pounced her, butcha didn't," he said, pushing some stray hair out of my face and leaving his had on my cheek. Why are you touchin' me? Not that I mind, but- "Ya'll have been killin' all those damn Smokers an' spittin' bitches an' even pushin' them Boomers off the rooves! Yer keepin' us all safer than we could on our own."
I was stunned to say the least. Actually, I was absolutely floored. Not even my friends I've had since 4th grade would've said all that to me. I found myself leaning into his hand though, laying my own clawed one over it. How did he manage to make me feel like I was on cloud nine in the middle of an apocalypse? Thank the Gods for small miracles, I guess.
"Ellis! You okay up there?" My eyes snapped open at the voice. It was Jon.
"Yea, Overalls. You coming down anytime soon?" Nick yelled. Damn he did sound pissy.
"Yea, Ah'll be right down!" Ellis returned his look to me as I was stepping back from him, still holding his hand.
I just shook my head and squeezed his larger hand with my smaller one. "They aren't ready for me yet, Ellis. And I can't leave these two alone," I said in a small voice as I waved my free hand towards Beta and Gamma.
He looked down before pulling me into another hug and putting his forehead against mine. I thought nothing of it, just closing my eyes and enjoying probably the last time I'd have normal human contact. Needless to say, I was surprised when he brushed his lips with mine. I responded after a few moments, kissing him back with a shyness I didn't know I was capable off. Nick throwing (more like rocketing) a rock up the stairs broke us apart and Ellis headed down the stairs.
When he got to the last step, he turned to me with a large amount of blush on his cheeks. "Was that enough to make ya'll wanna stay?" He asked while rubbing the back of his neck with a crooked smile.
I shook my head with a smile of my own while pulling up my hood. "I'll follow ya'll a little closer. How's that sound?" The huge smile on his face was enough of an answer as he jumped down to the others. I turned back to see Beta and Gamma giving me weird looks. Gamma looked like a disappointed dad and Beta just had a look on his face like Spongebob when he found out Squidward liked Krabby Patties. "What?" Gamma just shook his head as he crawled to the last stair, getting ready to jump down. Beta just hip bumped me when he walked by.
Yup, I was right. Beta is either gay or really femmy. I didn't let them or the smell of sewage bother me as we jumped down and followed the glow of the flashlights. I was happier than I had been in a long time, and I'd watch Justin Beiber's movies before I let anything ruin this good mood.
SabakuNoGaara426
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