defending her, and now the others were running off to fight by his side to keep her safe. All along she’d been defensive, angry, and belligerent. She suddenly felt intense remorse. What if they were all killed? They might die never knowing how much she appreciated it. She wasn’t thinking about the fact that if they never came back she would starve to death alone in that underground bunker. She was only worried that she would never be able to express her gratitude.
In that moment… that lonely, agonizing moment… Allison suddenly realized that she should truly feel grateful to the pack. Now she might never get the opportunity.
The time crawled by like sap dripping slowly down the trunk of a tree. Allison gnawed her fingernails down to nubs while nausea washed over her in waves. Finally, she rushed to the toilet and vomited.
As she kneeled before the toilet with the cold tile against her knees, she heard the screech of metal. She wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve and scrambled to her feet and out the bathroom door. Michael appeared in the doorway as the heavy metal door swung open, and Luke and Logan entered immediately after him. Allison sank to her knees and burst into tears, hiding her face in her hands.
Michael joked, “Sorry to disappoint you, but we’re back!”
Allison growled and shouted, “Don’t you dare joke right now!”
The smile quickly faded from Michael’s face, and his expression softened. “Hey… I’m sorry,” he said gently. “Wow, you’re really upset, huh?”
Michael kneeled beside her and put his arm around her shoulders. She pushed him away, but when his arms closed around her, she buried her face in his chest and sobbed.
“What’s wrong?” Michael asked. “It’s alright. We’re alright.”
“I thought I would never see any of you again!” she sobbed, her voice muffled. “I thought I’d never get to tell you…”
“Tell us what?” Luke asked, standing above her.
Allison took a long, deep breath and sniffled, wiping her nose on her sleeve. Then she looked up at Luke, then over at Logan, and finally to Michael.
“I wanted to tell you that I appreciate what you’re doing for me, and I understand,” she blurted out. “I’ve been so angry, but I realized it’s not you all I’m angry with, it’s just the situation. And when I thought I might never see you again… I… I…”
“Shh,” Michael said gently, his arms squeezing her tighter. “You don’t have to worry about that. We’re not going anywhere.”
“I’m sorry,” Allison said, her voice breaking as she was on the verge of bursting into tears again. “Michael, I’m so sorry I’ve been so mean.”
Michael’s eyes were softer than she’d ever seen. His face lost its rough edges, and he looked upon her with genuine concern.
“Allison, stop,” he said, his voice almost a whisper. “You don’t have to apologize. I should apologize. All of this is my fault.”
Allison shook her head slightly. “What do you mean?”
“All of this,” he said, his head hanging in shame. “It’s all my fault. The other pack, the way I’ve treated you, it was all me.”
“I don’t understand,” Allison said.
“Please don’t make me explain,” Michael groaned. “Just know that none of this is your fault, and you don’t have anything to apologize for.”
She sighed, but relented. “I’m just glad you’re all okay.”
“Let’s go upstairs,” Luke suggested.
“All of us?” Allison asked cautiously, her eyes shifting to Michael.
“All of us,” Michael said, smiling faintly.
Allison beamed with joy. She didn’t want to spend one more moment in that stuffy safe room. Michael heaved himself to his feet and pulled her along with him.
“Oh, wait,” Allison said. “Is there any way I can… freshen up?”
“Oh, damn,” Michael said. “I totally forgot about that. Of
In that moment… that lonely, agonizing moment… Allison suddenly realized that she should truly feel grateful to the pack. Now she might never get the opportunity.
The time crawled by like sap dripping slowly down the trunk of a tree. Allison gnawed her fingernails down to nubs while nausea washed over her in waves. Finally, she rushed to the toilet and vomited.
As she kneeled before the toilet with the cold tile against her knees, she heard the screech of metal. She wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve and scrambled to her feet and out the bathroom door. Michael appeared in the doorway as the heavy metal door swung open, and Luke and Logan entered immediately after him. Allison sank to her knees and burst into tears, hiding her face in her hands.
Michael joked, “Sorry to disappoint you, but we’re back!”
Allison growled and shouted, “Don’t you dare joke right now!”
The smile quickly faded from Michael’s face, and his expression softened. “Hey… I’m sorry,” he said gently. “Wow, you’re really upset, huh?”
Michael kneeled beside her and put his arm around her shoulders. She pushed him away, but when his arms closed around her, she buried her face in his chest and sobbed.
“What’s wrong?” Michael asked. “It’s alright. We’re alright.”
“I thought I would never see any of you again!” she sobbed, her voice muffled. “I thought I’d never get to tell you…”
“Tell us what?” Luke asked, standing above her.
Allison took a long, deep breath and sniffled, wiping her nose on her sleeve. Then she looked up at Luke, then over at Logan, and finally to Michael.
“I wanted to tell you that I appreciate what you’re doing for me, and I understand,” she blurted out. “I’ve been so angry, but I realized it’s not you all I’m angry with, it’s just the situation. And when I thought I might never see you again… I… I…”
“Shh,” Michael said gently, his arms squeezing her tighter. “You don’t have to worry about that. We’re not going anywhere.”
“I’m sorry,” Allison said, her voice breaking as she was on the verge of bursting into tears again. “Michael, I’m so sorry I’ve been so mean.”
Michael’s eyes were softer than she’d ever seen. His face lost its rough edges, and he looked upon her with genuine concern.
“Allison, stop,” he said, his voice almost a whisper. “You don’t have to apologize. I should apologize. All of this is my fault.”
Allison shook her head slightly. “What do you mean?”
“All of this,” he said, his head hanging in shame. “It’s all my fault. The other pack, the way I’ve treated you, it was all me.”
“I don’t understand,” Allison said.
“Please don’t make me explain,” Michael groaned. “Just know that none of this is your fault, and you don’t have anything to apologize for.”
She sighed, but relented. “I’m just glad you’re all okay.”
“Let’s go upstairs,” Luke suggested.
“All of us?” Allison asked cautiously, her eyes shifting to Michael.
“All of us,” Michael said, smiling faintly.
Allison beamed with joy. She didn’t want to spend one more moment in that stuffy safe room. Michael heaved himself to his feet and pulled her along with him.
“Oh, wait,” Allison said. “Is there any way I can… freshen up?”
“Oh, damn,” Michael said. “I totally forgot about that. Of
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