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morphed. One of them stepped forward.
    Rathbone got out of the Jeep, automatic in hand, and approached the beast.
    â€œYou have one of our own held captive,” he said.
    â€œYou mean Salvatore,” Rathbone replied. “He’s not a captive, he’s one of us now.”
    â€œThe boy has no name,” the creature said. “The men, women, and children of our pack are known by scent alone. We smell his scent strongly and have been following him since he disappeared.”
    â€œKind of odd you’d follow a boy who claims to come from across this land.”
    â€œThe pack sticks together. That is how we have survived since the Fallout.”
    â€œYou should’ve stayed back east. Out here your chances of survival are less likely.”
    The creature began chittering, a sinister laugh that spread among his pack. The hyenas reverted to human form.
    â€œWe are not here to oppose or threaten you,” the leader said. “We only came to collect one of our own.”
    Salvatore jumped down from the flatbed and went to stand beside Rathbone. He nodded to the alpha leader of his pack. The man sniffed Salvatore and then hugged him. “We are happy that you’re alive. Where is your mentor?”
    â€œHe was killed by ferals back east,” Salvatore said. “I had no choice but to continue on. The ferals were too thick. I could not return home.”
    â€œThe ferals have grown in numbers,” the alpha leader said. “We cannot return, either, so we will take you and find a new home for our pack.”
    â€œHe’s not going anywhere with you,” Aiden said, appearing from the growing crowd behind Rathbone. With a quick gesture, he exposed his clawed hand for the alpha leader to see. “We need him here with us.”
    Rebecka and Piper appeared. Soldiers had begun exiting the vehicles, and some of them had guns pointed at the hyenas.
    â€œThough his place is with us, if he chooses to stay with you, we won’t interfere. Still, we must find a home, and, should he so choose, he can live among his family.”
    â€œWhy don’t they come to the safehold in the mountains with us?” Piper asked.
    Rathbone turned and shot her a look of surprise. He was shocked that she’dtrust a hyena.
    â€œYou couldn’t be speaking of the mysterious safehold of the werecats, could you?” the leader asked. “We’ve heard the tales of a great land in the west, safe from ferals and home to our own kind—and apparently humans as well?”
    â€œYou’re welcome to come,” Rathbone said, “but you’ll have to follow behind. We haven’t enough room in our vehicles for your pack.”
    The alpha leader smiled, and took Rathbone’s hand. “We accept, dear brother. We’ll travel on foot. There’s strength in numbers, and we’ll be of great use in case of a feral attack.”
    Rathbone nodded and then looked at Rebecka. “Spread the word that we’re taking a break to eat,” he told her. “We all need our strength.” He turned back to the alpha leader. “Your hyenas are welcome to join us. We’ll be back on course in two hours.”
    As Rathbone walked away, he wondered how he was going to ditch a pack of hyenas.

The stench of L.A. disappeared as the convoy sped down Highway 101, finally turning onto a road called Highway 280. Piper rapped her finger on the dashboard of the passenger seat, every fiber of her being alive with anticipation. After decades of hope and longing, she was finally with her children, but she wondered for how long. One was barely clinging to life, the other was out of her mind.
    The ragged crew of survivors shared a common thought that seemed to hang in the air—home. They all dreamed of reaching it, resting, regrouping, and rethinking their plan of attack against the growing feral abomination that was spreading toward them like a rash. The ocean came into view,