“Have you ever been through anything like this?” I asked.
He knocked the toes of his black boots together. “I didn’t have to dress like G.I. Joe, but I’ve been to battle twice.”
“But nothing this big.”
He leaned forward. “Say, got anything good to eat? I know how pregnant women hoard food.”
“Keep that up and I’ll put you on car wash duty when this is all over.”
Will drew up his legs and wrapped his arms around his knees.
Something occurred to me. “Where’s Spartacus?”
What to do with Spartacus had been an ongoing debate for the past few months. Austin didn’t want the cat meowing and drawing attention to our hiding places, and Naya didn’t want to leave him behind.
“She put him out,” he said. “Not without a flood of tears, but he’s got plenty of food from several of those continual feeders, and I don’t think we have anything to worry about where water is concerned.”
I smirked. “He’s probably swimming in the creek right now. What about Ben’s wolf?”
William quietly cleared his throat. “Austin spoke to his wolf the way only an alpha can. He’s staying on the property.”
My heart sank. “But if the rogues come up from the road, it’ll just be Ben… all by himself.”
“He’s a smart wolf. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“I guess. I just hope he doesn’t do something stupid like fight a pack of wolves to the death.”
“At least it’s not winter,” William remarked. “We’d be down here having to get naked and hold each other for warmth.”
I kicked at his foot and smiled. “Stop trying to make me laugh.”
“Know any campfire songs?”
I thought about taking my shoes off to get comfortable and opted against it when a thought flitted through my mind of having to run through the forest without my boots on.
I untied the black garbage sack and unrolled the sleeping bag. “I hope I can fit in this thing.”
William crawled over and helped lay it down flat. “How many weeks do you have to go?”
“Three.”
William unzipped the sleeping bag and folded the top back. “Go on and get some shut-eye. I’ll take the first watch.”
I crawled forward across the floor and onto the soft bedding, resting my head on the cool pillow and missing the smell of my sheets. I circled my finger around my stomach, thinking about how much I loved our home.
“Goodness’ sake, girl. Take your shoes off.”
“If I need to run, I’m doing it with my shoes on.”
He snorted and pulled one of them off before I could stop him. “Something tells me you won’t be running, with or without shoes.”
I wasn’t sure if William meant because of my condition or courage, but I decided to put one of those assumptions to rest. “Use the silencer while keeping guard so we don’t draw attention to our hiding spot. If you have to fire your gun, close the hatch immediately afterward.”
“Will do.” He took off my other shoe and zipped up the bag. “Let’s just hope they don’t have their wolves sniff us out.”
“Not likely. It’s harder to sneak up on us if their wolves are running around barking and howling. They’ll shift to fight, but not if they’re just scouting.”
My back started hurting, so I turned on my right side.
He tested the hatch door with his fingertips. “Do the doors have a lock?”
“No.”
William sat on the bench near my feet. “Why’s that?”
“Do you really want to be trapped in here because of a malfunctioning lock? I’d rather fight for my life than hide like a coward. Austin’s right about leaving the house; it’s no different sitting in this bunker. They could pour gasoline on the top and burn us alive.”
William shivered. “Now there’s a pleasant campfire story. Did you pack any s’mores?”
“Sorry, you asked. What time is it?”
He glanced at his watch. “One.”
“Wake me at dawn. I’ll take over so you can get some rest. I know everyone outside has sleeping shifts, but this works better since we can wake each other up.”
“Sounds like a plan.” William crawled across the floor and grabbed the flashlight. “I’ll just be turning this off now. Do me a favor and don’t scream.”
I tensed. “Why would I scream?”
“It tends to attract attention.” He scooted closer, and my heart ticked an extra beat.
“Yeah, but you didn’t answer my question. Why would I scream?”
Will’s eyes weren’t on mine. They were on the wall just behind my head.
Nightmares came in all forms that night, but nothing quite as terrifying as the creepy crawlies that came alive when the lights went out.
Chapter 24