Chapter One

 

 

 

Jerrica yawned and stretched, wishing for once she could stay in bed later, but the sound of her mother moving around in the main part of their log cabin said otherwise. If she didn’t get up soon, her mom would be yelling up to her, and Jerrica hated that.

She pushed back the covers and sat up. Weak light filled the loft that was her room. It wasn’t much past dawn. During the warm months of the growing season, it was expected that those who were assigned to work in the fields and orchard put in as many daylight hours as they could. Winters were harsh, and if their settlement didn’t grow enough food to see them through it, there was a good chance they’d be starving come spring.

Jerrica looked at the single bed across from her own. Her brother, Hunter, had shared the loft with her until a year ago. At twenty—two years her senior—he was now married with his first baby on the way. Being eighteen, she’d be expected to follow suit in the not-too-distant future. Their world was hard, and life expectancies weren’t very long in some cases.

She pulled on the rough homespun pants and shirt her mother had made. Jerrica wore them when she worked in the fields. Brown leather boots completed her outfit. It didn’t take but a minute for her to brush her long, dark-blonde hair then gather it into a ponytail with a piece of leather.

“Jerrica, you’d better be awake,” her mother shouted up at her.

“I am,” she called back. She took the ladder out of the loft.

Her mom had set a bowl of oatmeal on the wooden table that sat in the middle of the large room. A fireplace that had an oven built into the bricks on one side was considered the kitchen. It also had a couple of cupboards hanging on the wall above the wooden basin that had a hand pump attached to it. The opposite end was her parents’ bedroom. It was closed off by a curtain from the rest of the space.

Jerrica sat then dug into her breakfast. Her next meal wouldn’t be until well past noon when food was brought out to the fields for the workers. She ate in silence as her mom went about cleaning the dishes. Her dad had left the cabin already, busy tending to their few livestock.

Once Jerrica had finished eating, she brought her bowl to the basin for her mother to wash. With a quick goodbye, Jerrica left the cabin. She only stopped long enough to collect her bow and quiver of arrows that sat propped against the wall on the porch. The fields weren’t exactly the safest to work. The risk of an attack happening there was greater.

She left her family’s plot of land and headed to the dirt road that would take her to the gates. The fields were on the outside of the high walls that protected the settlement from the creatures that roamed loose, always looking for their next victim.

No one knew exactly how the first zombie had come about. Some thought a new kind of virus had run rampant, leaving those who’d contracted it undead, hungering for the living and passing the sickness on with a single bite. And others accused the governments at the time of testing a new chemical weapon that had gone horribly wrong.

Jerrica didn’t care how it had happened. All she knew was zombies had been around for the last one hundred years, and they’d just about wiped out the living population. She’d grown up listening to her grandparents talk about the big cities that no longer existed. They’d been abandoned. Nature had reclaimed them. And she’d also heard about things like electricity, running water and the Internet, which she’d never experience. According to Grandma and Grandpa, they all now lived in a second Dark Age.

Once she reached the gates, Jerrica waited with the other workers for them to open. A horse and wagon would precede them out, carrying all the tools they needed to work the land.

She looked at a small group that stood a short distance away. It was a mix of boys and girls her age or a little bit older. A few of the girls laughed at something one of the boys said. Jerrica resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Could their laughter be any phonier?

Jerrica had never been a part of that group, and she didn’t really think she’d missed out on anything. The only thing that drew her gaze was one individual—a boy, who, as far as she knew, didn’t even realize she existed. That didn’t stop her from foolishly having a crush on him. Austin Conrad was a year older and good-looking enough to have most of the girls in the settlement wishing he was theirs. He was tall and muscular. His brown hair always seemed to be on the longish side, and his equally brown eyes most times had a smile in them.

She pulled her gaze off Austin before he noticed her staring. And she especially didn’t want any of the girls catching her. One in particular, Becca Mills, liked to take jabs at Jerrica whenever the opportunity arose. It didn’t happen as often now that they were older, but Becca still tried, now and again.

Mathias McGregor, who supervised the work in the field and was in his middle fifties, called for everyone to quiet down. He came to stand just in front of the gates once he had all their attention.

“All right, listen up,” Mathias said. “The vegetables in the lower half of the field are ready for picking. One group will be doing that while the other is watering the rest of the crops.” He looked straight at her. “Jerrica, I want you, in particular, on water duty. Out of this lot, you’re the best archer.” Once she nodded, he set his attention on the others. “Be extra vigilant out there today. The night sentries heard a fairly large-sized group of zombies outside the walls. They came pretty damn close. They moved off, but they still might be in the area. Now, let’s get to work.”

Jerrica didn’t miss Becca giving her a dirty look because Mathias had singled her out. She ignored her and fell in behind the first of the workers to walk through the open gates. The horse and wagon had already gone through.

Lugging buckets of water that she’d filled at the hand pump attached to the well was backbreaking work. While Jerrica did her share with the others assigned the same chore, she kept an ever-watchful eye on the tree line that ran along two of the borders of the tilled land.

As she walked past some of the workers doing the picking, Jerrica was surprised to find Austin watching her. He smiled, which caused her to stumble, sloshing some of the water out of the pail she carried. At the sound of feminine laughter, she jerked her gaze to the front and continued on.

“She might be good with a bow and arrow, but she can’t manage to carry a bucket and walk at the same time.”

“Shut up, Becca,” Austin said sharply.

A small smile played on Jerrica’s lips as Becca out an indignant huff. She doubted the girl had been put in her place very often and especially not by a boy. Becca always bragged about how she had most of the boys their age wrapped around her little finger. Jerrica didn’t think that was true, but there was no denying that Becca was pretty, and a lot of boys paid more attention to her than they did the other girls.

From the exchange that’d just taken place, it showed that Austin wasn’t one of them, even though he tended to be part of her group. It just made Jerrica like him more than she had. And the fact that he’d actually looked at her meant he knew she was alive.

The hours passed and as the sun beat down, the day grew hotter. Jerrica was sweating and more than ready for a break when another horse and wagon arrived at the field to bring the noon meal. She took a seat on the tailgate of the tools wagon so she’d be able to still see around the field while she ate. Most of the others took seats on the grass that edged the field, more interested in eating than watching for zombies.

The wagon bounced a bit when someone sat beside Jerrica. She turned her head and saw it was Austin. He gave her a smile, which she returned. This was the first time he’d come that close to her.

“Hey, Jerrica. You’re still keeping watch, I see.”

She nodded. “That’s what Mathias wants me to do, so that’s what I’ll do.”

They sat in silence and ate their sandwiches. Jerrica snuck looks at Austin as she gazed around the field. He seemed content to sit with her, as if they’d done it a million times before.

Austin’s paying attention to her apparently hadn’t gone unnoticed, either. Becca marched over, and completely ignoring Jerrica, she stopped in front of him. “Don’t you want to eat with us? You must be bored sitting here.”

“Hardly,” Austin replied. “I’m doing guard duty with Jerrica.”

Becca sent Jerrica a disgusted look, then turned her attention back to Austin. “Why would you want to do that? I’m sure she can handle the job on her own. If anything, you might distract her.”

Austin looked at Jerrica. “Am I distracting you?”

She shook her head. “No.”

He looked at Becca once more. “See? She’s fine with it. If anything, you’re the one who’s distracting her with your silly worries.”

Becca narrowed her eyes at Austin then flounced away without saying anything more. She rejoined the girls she’d been sitting with before she’d tried to lure him away.

Jerrica held back her laughter, but let it out after Austin let loose with his. Becca shot them both a nasty look, then turned her back on them. Jerrica laughed even harder.

Once he brought himself back under control, Austin said, “I guess I’ll be in Becca’s bad book for a while.”

Jerrica snorted. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve been in it for years. It’s not much of a hardship.”

She met Austin’s gaze and found something she’d never expected to see in his eyes. He looked at her as if he liked her in the way she liked him. The heat rose in her cheeks. She was blushing.

“You should smile more often, Jerrica.”

Flustered, she jerked her gaze away from his face and scanned the area again. She went still as she saw a huge buck standing across the field, close to the tree line that bordered it there. He dipped his head and ripped up some of the grass, acting as if he didn’t care that humans were close by.

“Look,” she said, as she pointed at the deer.

Austin turned his head in the direction she’d indicated. “That would be a prize. Too bad we don’t have guns like they used to.”

Jerrica wished she had one as well. Shortly after the zombie outbreak, when it had looked as if the human race was going to be snuffed out, the government had confiscated all firearms, deeming the military needed them more, since they were the ones who’d be actively working to take out the undead. Her grandfather had managed to keep one hidden and had used it until he no longer had any bullets. Ammunition like that didn’t exist anymore.

She slipped off the tailgate and pulled her bow from her shoulder. There was no way she was going to let the buck slip away without at least trying to take him down. Meat wasn’t something they had a lot of. They couldn’t raise their cattle or pigs outside the walls, so the herds were kept small.

“There’s no way you’ll be able to get close enough to make the shot before he runs,” Austin said.

“Maybe…maybe not.” Austin stood then followed her as she headed in the direction of the buck. Jerrica stopped. “Stay here. If he sees the both of us, he’ll definitely take off.”

“Just be careful.”

Jerrica nodded then continued onward. She kept downwind of the buck as she approached from the side, keeping hunched over as she ran through the field. So far, he hadn’t seen her. He was too busy munching on grass. Once she was within shooting range, she reached over her shoulder and quietly pulled an arrow out of her quiver. With a quick look behind her, she saw Austin standing a good distance away, watching her, as were some of the other workers.

She straightened to her full height, nocked the arrow and pulled back on the string. The buck took no notice of her at all. Jerrica took a deep breath, held it and let the arrow fly. It caught the deer in the chest, close to the heart. He tried to bolt, but stumbled and dropped to the ground. She quickly ran toward it, already pulling a second arrow out of her quiver to finish him off. She didn’t want him to suffer.

The howl of a zombie was the only forewarning Jerrica had before the first creature burst through the tree line farther down from where she’d shot the deer. Acting on instinct, she changed her aim to the undead creature that ran toward her. She just had a few seconds to get a shot off. Zombies could run at incredible speeds, faster than when they’d been alive.

Her aim true, she caught it in the eye, the arrow embedding itself straight into the monster’s brain. The male dropped like a stone and lay unmoving. Jerrica didn’t have time to catch her breath as five more zombies burst through the trees, their dead-eyed gazes searching for prey—her. She focused her attention on her targets and let loose arrow after arrow, each one hitting a zombie in the head with a sickening thud.

“Jerrica! Run!” Austin yelled.

Jerrica quickly looked behind her to see a couple of stronger boys dragging Austin away toward the horse and wagon. They were going to leave her. It was the way of her world, and she accepted it. She was too far away for any of the others to risk helping her. She’d be left to her own fate.

More zombies ran toward her, their eerie howls combining with the sound of the horse and wagon leaving the field at great speed. There were ten undead left, and there was no way Jerrica could take them all down before they reached her. She didn’t even try to run. The final outcome was already decided. Either she’d be killed and eaten or bitten and turned. Not ready to give up yet, she continued to fire arrows, determined to take out as many as she could while she still had the chance.

Another howl ripped through the air, not any sound a zombie could make. A wolf, the size unlike any Jerrica had seen before, ran out of the forest. It was gigantic and covered in black fur. It charged through the remaining zombies, biting off heads or slicing them literally in half with its sharp claws. She lowered her bow and watched the wolf decimate the undead like a hot knife going through butter. Once the last one had fallen to the ground, the wolf looked in her direction and met her gaze.

More zombie howls heralded the arrival of another group of ten. The wolf ran toward Jerrica, then stopped once he reached her. Its head was a couple inches above hers when it came to stand at her side. It quickly lowered to the ground. She didn’t think twice. She slung her bow over her shoulder, climbed up onto its back and dug her hands into the thick fur of its neck as it gained its paws and took off at a run toward the walls.

Jerrica glanced behind them to see that the zombies gave chase, but the wolf ran faster and soon put a great amount of distance between them. She held on tightly. Her heart raced at the situation she now found herself in and how close she’d come to losing her life. This was no ordinary wolf or wild animal.

Once they’d cleared the gates, the wolf came to a stop in the center of the spacious, open area that was the center of the settlement. The large portals were quickly shut, keeping out the zombies that were still in pursuit.

Jerrica looked around to see nearby settlers gathering around, but they kept a fair amount of distance. Austin, Mathias and the other workers were among them. She heard whispers of “Werewolf Defender” in a hush, as everyone looked at the wolf with awe.

She knew the stories of the Werewolf Defender. Everyone did. He was the one who’d turned the tide on the zombies eighty years before. No one knew where he’d come from, only that he could take out the undead far easier than anyone else. He was also immune to their bite, along with seeming to be immortal. Over the years, he’d been categorized as a myth rather than real, since no one Jerrica knew had ever seen him. She couldn’t refute that she sat on the back of a living legend.

The wolf lowered to the ground, and Jerrica climbed off. She didn’t move away as an almost blinding bright light surrounded him. She held up her hand to shield her eyes but kept her gaze on him. It lasted all of a few seconds. As it died away, she saw the wolf had disappeared, and a boy who looked to be her age had taken its place. She looked into his ice-blue eyes and found him staring directly at her.

Jerrica guessed him to be around six foot two. His black hair was on the long side and brushed the tops of his shoulders. He was slim but muscular. And there was no denying the fact that he was good looking. Unlike her and the rest of the settlers, he was dressed in clothes from the time before the zombies. He wore blue jeans and a dark gray T-shirt. Her mom had a picture of her father—Jerrica’s grandfather—during that time wearing such an outfit when he’d been a kid.

“Are you okay?” He continued to look at her.

She nodded. “Yes, thanks to you.”

Becca’s father, John—their leader—stepped away from the others and came to stand in front of the Werewolf Defender. “It’s an honor to have you at our settlement. And you couldn’t have come at a better time. The zombie population has recently increased around here.”

“Then I’ll have to stay for a while to help with that.”

“We’ll find you a place to stay, Werewolf Defender.”

“My name is Calan,” he said directly to Jerrica. Calan turned his attention back on John. “A bed to sleep in will be appreciated.”

“Come. There’s an empty cabin. It hasn’t been lived in for a few years now, but the roof is solid.”

As Becca’s father led Calan away, Austin came to stand in front of Jerrica. “It was lucky that he showed up when he did. And it’s too bad you lost the buck you brought down. That was a great shot.”

Jerrica shrugged. “Yeah, it would have been nice having the meat, but at least I can say I’m still alive.” She glanced in Calan’s direction one last time before he disappeared around a corner. She said to Austin, “I should go home. My mom will be worried. I’m sure the news of what happened has spread like wildfire through the settlement.”

“And half of it will be wrong,” Austin said with a chuckle. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Sure.”

Jerrica turned to head for the road that would take her to her family’s cabin. As she walked, she thought of how close she’d come to being eaten by zombies. Now that the adrenaline had left her system, she was a little shaky. That had been the first time she’d been in a situation like that. She thought of Calan and how he’d rescued her. Riding on his back while he’d been in his werewolf form had been exhilarating, now that she could calmly think about it. He really was a myth come to life.

She arrived at her cabin and had no sooner opened the door when her mom hurried toward her then pulled her into a hug. “Thank goodness you’re all right,” she said.

Jerrica hugged her back before she stepped out of her mother’s embrace. She didn’t miss seeing the tears in her eyes. “I’m fine, Mom.”

“One of the Tate boys came by and told me what happened in the field, and how the Werewolf Defender came then saved you.”

“His name is Calan.”

“You talked to him?”

“Yes. He let me ride on his back while he was in werewolf form to escape the zombies.”

“Oh my goodness. Is he planning on staying for a while? It’s said he travels from settlement to settlement, taking out as many zombies as he can find before he moves on again.”

“Calan is still here. Becca’s dad took him to the empty cabin. He’s going to stay there.”

The door flew open as Jerrica’s father practically ran inside. The door banged off the wall and shut. “Jerrica!” he said when he saw her. Just as her mother had done, he gathered her into a hug and held her tight.

“I’m okay, Dad,” she said against his chest. Her father was a big man, tall and strong.

He released her, then cupped her face in his large hands as he looked her over. “You didn’t get bitten. They said you had been before the Werewolf Defender arrived.”

Jerrica smiled. “If I had, I wouldn’t be here, would I? You know as well as I do that it only takes less than a minute for someone to turn after a zombie bites them.”

“Jerrica was telling me about Calan, the Werewolf Defender. He’s staying on at the settlement for a while,” her mom told him.

Her dad kissed her forehead before he let her go. “You’ll have to tell me how he saved you from being attacked.”

She explained how she’d taken down the buck, then how the zombies had come rushing from the trees—how she’d been too far from the other workers for them to help her and how she’d accepted that she wasn’t going to get out of the situation she’d found herself in. She also shared how she’d taken out as many zombies with her arrows as she could before Calan had arrived.

Once Jerrica reached the part about Calan shifting to his human form, her mom asked, “What’s he like? Nobody says much about him, except for that he’s four times the size of a normal wolf.”

“Oh, he’s big when he’s a wolf. When he stood beside me, his head was still above mine. Even though he’s supposed to have been around for eighty years, he looks my age.”

“I guess it’s true about him being immortal,” her dad said.

A loud howl sounded, coming from the front of the cabin. Her father opened the door, then slowly stepped outside. Her mother and she followed. Jerrica sucked in a breath as she walked out onto the cabin’s porch. Calan, in wolf form, stood in the middle of the yard. The buck she’d shot was draped over his back. He turned his large lupine head toward her and met her gaze.

Jerrica walked off the porch toward Calan. She stopped once she was in front of him. “You went back and got my deer.” He nodded. She looked behind her. “Dad, come and take the buck.”

Her dad stepped forward as Calan lowered to the ground. Once her father had slipped the buck off him and dragged it a short distance away, there was bright flash of light as Calan shifted.

Once he was human, Jerrica said, “Thanks for getting the buck.”

He nodded. “I heard you and the boy discussing it. There was no sense letting it go to waste when there’s no danger to me outside the walls. I figured your family could use it.”

Calan stared at Jerrica. There was something in his eyes that made her want to go to him. There was loneliness inside them. And even though he looked like a teenager, those ice-blue eyes of his were old, as if he’d seen too much of the world and not all of it good.

“I have to thank you for the meat and for saving my daughter,” her dad said.

Calan pulled his gaze away and looked at him. “I’m glad I happened to be there at the time.”

Her mom came to stand next to her father. “Since you brought us the deer, I’d like to invite you to have dinner with us tonight.”

“I have to decline. John already asked me to eat with his family, and I’ve accepted. Maybe some other time?” Calan nodded at her mother’s assent then looked at Jerrica again. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“You will?”

“I’ll be out in the field while you and the others work. The settlement can’t afford to lose those vegetables that have ripened. With me there, none of you will have to worry about being attacked. I can hear and smell zombies long before I see them.”

“Then I guess I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” Jerrica said, as she gave Calan a small smile.

He nodded, his gaze seeming to linger on her longer than necessary. Calan turned and walked away. Once he was on the road, he shifted to his wolf form and took off at a run. Jerrica waited until he disappeared from sight before she headed into the cabin. Those looks he gave her made her heart beat a little faster.