The Wolf You Feed

Chapter 48

The night air was cool but not overly frigid. Perfect fall weather. The light from the full moon made it so the two women didn't need flashlights to see in the dark. Rowan was perched on the back bumper of the camper. She released her hold on Tank's collar and stood, untying her flannel from around her waist before she pulled it on. It would have been a good night for sitting around the campfire and telling stories. That's what Rowan wished she was doing. Instead she was serving as a lookout while her husband, father, and friends attacked and killed another group of survivors. She had agreed with what they were about to do. These people were a threat to the new world everyone in Alexandria had been working so hard to build. But she wasn't sure yet how she felt about it.

Carol was standing near Rowan, staring into a pair of binoculars. Her legs shoulder width apart and her posture stiff and straight. The other woman was taking her job as a lookout very seriously. Rowan had grown frustrated from trying to see nothing in the dark after the first 5 minutes.

"Nothing is going to happen until after Andy pulls up in the car with that walker head," Rowan announced for the third time. The tense set of Carol's body was putting her more on edge than she already was. If the Saviors had scouts or lookouts outside the large concrete building they were living in, Carol would have spotted them by now. There was nothing the two women could do except wait and hope for the best.

Carol lowered her binoculars and sighed. Staring into the dark looking for movement that wasn't there was giving her a headache. She lowered herself down on the other side of the bumper, reaching to give Rowan's large black dog a scratch on the head. If anyone was around, Carol knew Tank would hear them before she saw them. Carol tried to keep her eyes straight ahead and ignore the oddly timed smirk Rowan was giving her. But Rowan was not going to be ignored so easily. She leaned in closer to Carol

"You like my dad, dontcha?" Rowan whispered.

Carol huffed and whipped her head towards the younger woman next to her, giving her a dirty look that she hoped would stop further questions before they started. Not only was this conversation badly timed given what they were doing, it would have been inappropriate at any time. Carol certainly wasn't going to dignify Rowan's question with an answer.

"You do!," Rowan announced, her voice slightly louder, "You like him!"

"He's married," Carol hissed. She crossed her arms and tried to ignore the blush rising in her cheeks. Carol had been doing her absolute best to hide her growing attraction to the man in question. Not only was Grey Wolf married, he was married to a woman young enough to be Carol's daughter. And even if he wasn't married, he was tall and dark and dangerously gorgeous. He was far too muscular and attractive a man for her to be chasing after. Carol had no interest in making a fool of herself.

"Married doesn't stop you from liking him," Rowan whispered. Even in the dark she could tell that Carol's face was getting redder by the minute. Rowan smiled. In the community she grew up in, polyamorous relationships were fairly common. She felt it was silly for two people that had such an obvious attraction to each other to deny it just based on what other people would think of them.

"Be quiet," Carol ordered before quickly adding, "You shouldn't even be here." Rowan was pregnant. And not much of a fighter when she wasn't in a motherly way. She should have stayed back in Alexandria. She shouldn't be a part of this mission. And now to add to all that, she was driving Carol crazy with her nonsense.

"You shouldn't be here either," Rowan countered. Before Carol could object, Rowan quickly added that she believed that Carol should have been part of the group that was leading the attack. "Daryl said you saved everyone from cannibals before you came to Alexandria."

Before Carol could argue that she had only helped get rid of the cannibals, the headlights of Andy's car became visible from down the road that led to the Savior's encampment. This stopped their conversation immediately. Rowan grabbed Tank's collar and Carol stood up, lifting her binoculars.

Carol was watching closely. Everything seemed to be going according to plan until Spencer came rushing back out of the building and dropped to his knees on the pavement outside. Rowan jumped up, straining her eyes in an attempt to see what was wrong with the man.

"Is he hurt?," she asked Carol as she started in the tall man's direction clutching the bag with her medical supplies inside. Carol grabbed Rowan's arm and held her in place.

"He's fine," Carol assured her, "He's not hurt, he's just vomiting." Carol guessed the young man must have seen something that he couldn't handle. If Rowan and her giant dog went barreling in to help Spencer they might alert the rest of the saviors that they were being attacked. Carol shoved the binoculars at Rowan. "I'll go get him, you stay here," she instructed. Rowan nodded.

Carol pulled the large gun off her back and gripped it in her hands as she rushed as quickly as she could towards the front door of the building. When she got to him, Spencer was attempting to get back onto his feet. His face paint was smeared and there was vomit down the front of his shirt. He mumbled something about polaroid pictures on the wall and Tony stabbing someone through the eye while they were asleep. Carol grabbed the much taller man, making sure he was steady on his feet before she let go. Before she could say anything, loud sirens started going off inside the building. Spencer wiped his mouth and readjusted his grip on his gun. Carol shook her head at him and pushed him in the other direction.

"Go stay with Rowan," Carol ordered. She did not have time to babysit. Luckily, Spencer didn't argue. He turned and started heading in the direction of the RV. Carol breathed a sigh of relief before she pulled the door open a crack and peeked inside the building. The hallway in front of her was clear so she opened the door wider to step inside. Because of the alarm she hadn't heard anyone approaching her from behind. Tank barrelled through the open door, almost knocking her to the floor in the process. Carol cursed under her breath at the large dog. He ignored her and took off like a rocket down the hallway, most likely looking for Daryl. She felt a moment of concern for the animal but knew the large dog had made it through worse and always seemed to be able to fend for himself.

Carol headed down the hallway, staying close to the wall. Gunfire was ringing out and the way it was echoing off the concrete walls made it impossible for her to tell which direction it was coming from. Carol took two turns before a man with a gun came rushing out an open doorway in front of her. She shot him in the back and knocked him to the ground before approaching and putting another bullet in his head.

The door he had come from was hanging open and Carol peeked inside. The area looked like it was being used as an indoor greenhouse. The smell of marijuanna hung heavy in the air, both from the plants and what she guessed was lingering smoke. Carol stepped inside the room. She wanted to check and make sure no one else was around before she continued on. The bright light coming off the fluorescent grow bulbs was momentarily blinding after her eyes had adjusted to the moonlight outside. When she leaned in to check behind the door when someone grabbed her from behind.

The back of her head slammed into the wall before she felt herself lifted off her feet. A large man had his hands around her throat, choking her. The room began to spin. Carol kicked her legs and tried to reach for her knife. But the man just tightened his grip on her throat. Black spots were swimming in front of her eyes. She knew she didn't have long before she would lose consciousness. Is this really how it will all end? Carol tried to do her best not to think about the daughter she lost. But she could see Sophia's face as her vision went black.

The man let go of Carol's throat and tossed her to the ground like a rag doll. She coughed and began grasping for breath, trying not to feel the intense jolting pain in her knee. For a moment she thought she might be safe from the man. He had let go of her. Maybe one of her people had shot him. But that small hope only lasted a moment. Before she could get her bearings the man was on top of her. He grabbed her by the throat again and dragged a knife down the side of her face. From the burning sensation that followed, Carol knew he had cut her.

"I'll slice you to fucking pieces before I kill you bitch," the man screamed. The full weight of his body was bearing down on her and his other hand was still around her throat. He switched the knife to the other side, dragging it down her other cheek. But it only burned for a moment before the weight of his body on top of her suddenly disappeared. Carol pushed back with her palms, forcing herself into a sitting position as she tried to catch her breath. She blinked to clear her vision.

The man was on the floor next to her and Rowan's father was on top of him. The man screamed in horror as Grey Wolf shoved his thumbs into the man's eye sockets. Carol coughed, her hand to her throat as she watched the scene in front of her. Blood ran down the man's face from his eyes. Grey Wolf pulled his fingers out of the man's eyes before he grabbed his head and began smashing it over and over again into the concrete floor. He was screaming words Carol didn't understand mixed in with some extremely foul curses. He didn't stop until the man's bloody brain was spilling out onto the floor under him. Then he stood. He was a terrifying sight. There was a large gun strapped to his back and his shirt was ripped and splattered in blood. His hands were covered in fresh blood. As he approached Carol felt as if she ought to be scared of the man. His appearance and the deadly look in his eye would be enough to scare most sane people. But Carol only felt relief. He leaned down and lifted her gently, gripping her under her armpits and pulling her up into a nearby chair. She was still coughing. Grey Wolf grabbed a half empty water bottle from the floor and twisted to top off. He smelled the contents first, then took a small sip himself to be sure there was only water inside. Then he handed the bottle to Carol, cautioning her to sip slowly.

"Rowan didn't come in here with you did she?," he asked. Carol shook her head to the man's obvious relief.

There was nothing Carol wanted to do more than pour the entire contents of the water bottle down her scorching throat but she forced herself to follow directions and took one small sip at a time. When she was able to take a breath without coughing, Grey Wolf lifted her chin and gently felt her neck and collarbone, checking for injuries. He ripped his shirt and folded it, making a compress that he held to Carol's face to stop the bleeding.

"See if you can stand," he suggested as he gripped Carol gently by the elbow. Carol had been so worried about her throat, she forgot the pain in her knee when she had hit the floor. When she applied weight to it, her leg immediately buckled under the weight of her body. Grey Wolf caught her before she even got close to falling again. Instead of putting her back in the chair he lifted her small body into his arms.

After the hard blow to her head and being deprived of oxygen for too long, Carol was teetering on the brink of unconsciousness. She could feel strong arms under and around her, holding her close. Despite the sound of gunfire, Carol felt safe. She relaxed and let her head rest against the crook of Grey Wolf's neck. If she was already dead and this was a dream she decided she was at least going to enjoy it. The odor of blood was there, but she could also smell the delicious masculine smell of his skin. His long hair had pulled loose from the small leather band he had tied it back with and it smelled like the woods after a rain and incense from the campfire. Carol felt him press his lips against her, kissing her hair and forehead. She would later convince herself that she was delirious and this never could have happened.

The sound of gunfire was still present in the building but it sounded further away and there was not as much of it. Carol heard a bark and then she was jostled slightly as the man holding her brought his knee up to keep Tank from jumping up on them both.

"Tank! Down!," Daryl hollered. He rushed over, asking if Carol was alright.

"She's just playing possum," Rowan's father informed him.

"Fuck you," Carol managed to grunt out, even though talking made her throat burn worse. Both men laughed. Grey Wolf adjusted her in his arms, making absolutely no move to put her down or hand her over to Daryl. The two men walked towards the sound of the remaining gunfire. By the time they got there the noise had already stopped. The group had checked the remaining rooms and up and down the hallways. Everyone they had come to kill was dead.

Carol felt both embarrassed and flattered as every member of her group had approached with concern about her condition. Back before the turn, Ed had beaten her just as badly if not worse than she was beaten up now and no one she knew had ever given a single shit. Even Carol's own sister hadn't had any sympathy for her. You're the one that stays with him, if you don't like it you would leave. If leaving him would have been that simple and easy, Carol would have done it years before. She stayed because he threatened to kill their daughter if she left. Things were different now. These people were her real family. They loved and valued her. Sometimes their love was hard for Carol to accept. She had been conditioned for years by her mother and later her husband that she was worthless and didn't deserve love. But they loved her anyway.

When they pushed open the back door to the building, the sun was already starting to rise. It had been a long night for all of them. Once outside, Carol had been turned over to Carl and Enid. They walked with her between them, her arms around their shoulders to support her weight. Multiple vehicles were lined up near a wall. Rick and Abraham began to discuss the best way to get all the food, guns, and supplies they had found back to Alexandria. Carl and Enid walked Carol over and helped her to sit down on the open tailgate of a pickup truck. They sat down on either side of her and Carl produced a bottle of water the three of them began passing around. Carol shook her head at the animated conversation the two little mercenaries were having about finding the armory and gunning down an entire shitload of Saviors. Carl was convinced that he had proved himself to his father enough that he was going to be allowed to go on more runs and missions. Carol smiled a little at that. She tried not to think about the daughter she lost but after her brush with death Sophia was heavy on her mind. Carol couldn't help but wonder if Sophia had lived, would she now be as brave and ruthless as the two young people that were sharing their water with her. Carol liked to think she would be.

"Imma go git Roe so she can take a look at yer knee," Daryl announced. Carol nodded. She suspected Daryl wasn't overly concerned about her knee and just wanted an excuse to go check on Rowan. Carol was sure that the woman was fine. Spencer might not have been able to deal with stabbing a sleeping man through the eye but he was plenty able to protect himself and Rowan from a few stray walkers. Carol assumed they were just waiting for everyone in the camper. But Tank was circling Daryl like a shark and starting to whine. The large dog would keep bothering all of them until he was reunited with Rowan. It was better just to take him to her now.

Just as Daryl started heading off towards the gate, a loud noise broke the early morning quiet. A man on a motorcycle came flying out of an open door. He gassed the bike, heading for the open gate. The man was heading straight for Daryl Before he could react, Tank charged and jumped at the man, knocking him and the bike to the ground. It was then that Daryl noticed the man wasn't riding just any bike. It was his bike. The motorcycle he built from the ground up. Daryl pushed the large dog off and jumped on top of the man, punching him in the face.

"Where'd ya get that bike?," he screamed.

By now, everyone had gathered around the man and started arguing about what was to be done with him.

"The people that stole that bike know where we live!," Rick hollered. Carl was upset and yelling that this was his fault for bringing those people back to town to help them. People were trying to figure out if the couple that stole the bike were among the dead inside the building. Rick was pointing his gun at the man and Rowan's father was leaning in with a giant hunting knife. Both men were yelling at him to tell them where he got the bike. A crackle of static from a radio on the ground quieted them down.

"Lower your gun you prick! You, with the colt python! All of you lower your weapons right now!"

Rick snatched up the radio, telling whoever was on the other end to come out. It sounded like a woman's voice and she said they were not coming out which wasn't a surprise to anyone. Everyone was scanning the area around them, trying to figure out where the person on the radio was. There was a pause and then the woman spoke again.

"We have a Spencer and a Rowan here, I think that's something you might want to chat about."

At the mention of Rowan's name her father went completely berserk. He grabbed the radio from Rick and began screaming into it.

"I'LL SKIN YOU ALIVE! YOU WASICHU MOTHERFUCKER! IF YOU TOUCH ONE HAIR ON HER HAIR I'LL GUT YOU LIKE A FISH! WENDIGO! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"

By the time Rick grabbed the radio back, Rowan's father wasn't even yelling in English anymore. His face was beet red and he was waving a giant hunting knife around. Daryl started yelling at him to shut up so they could figure out where Rowan was but the man wasn't listening. Carol hobbled over from the truck, using a long stick to help her walk. She grabbed Rowan's father by his shirt with her free and yanked him towards her.

"We are going to get her back," she hollered, "calm down!"

Carol's words had the intended effect. Grey Wolf sat down on the grass in front of her and began taking long deep breaths, trying to center himself. When Rick was sure the man was done throwing a fit he lifted the radio and started talking.