27. Taryn
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
TARYN
Sunlight woke me.
For several seconds, I didn’t understand where I was.
Then I remembered the storm.
The barn.
Harper.
I smiled, Lucas… then I opened my eyes.
The cracked windshield had turned the morning into fractured pieces of blue sky and gold light. Rainwater clung to the glass in tiny beads, each one catching the sun.
The world outside looked clean. I wished with everything in me that it wasn’t complete bullshit; nothing was clean anymore.
As I shifted, I realized Lucas still held me close. His arm remained wrapped around my waist, gripping firmly even as he slept.
For a single, still moment, I stayed motionless, longing for the kind of life where I could stay in bed all day, surrounded by soft morning light.
I sighed, savoring Lucas’s warmth. That, in itself, felt stranger than anything else.
I’d spent months fighting him, arguing with him, both of us trying to hurt each other, and here I was, snuggled up to him in a derelict truck behind a gutted farmhouse.
Sometime overnight, Lucas Rowen became mine… or perhaps I became his?
Either way, we belonged to each other now, and I wasn’t upset about it. In fact, weirdly enough, I finally felt complete.
I heard his breathing change and lifted my head to see his intense blue eyes staring into mine. “Good morning, Menace.”
“Good morning.” I suddenly felt shy and looked down.
Lucas’s mouth curved. “Don’t get shy on my now. Mr. Rowen might have to keep you after class.”
I swatted his chest, “Shut your mouth, or Mr. Rowen might never get lucky again.”
He laughed, the joy on his face not something I was used to seeing. “That would be a shame.”
“Yes, it would.” I agreed.
“How do you feel?” He leaned toward me and I met him in a kiss.
“I feel like my old self… well the self I became after the meteor shower.” I amended.
“You sure?” He asked, both of us sitting up.
I reached down and grabbed GG from the floorboard, opened the truck door, stepped out into the wet grass, and gave the bat a hard experimental swing. My muscles answered exactly the way they were supposed to. “Yep, I’m sure.”
Lucas climbed out behind me. “Looks like the rotters moved on.”
“Seems like it.”
Sunlight filtered through the wet trees. Steam curled from the grass where the warmth touched it. Somewhere inside the farmhouse's blackened chimney, a bird chirped as if the apocalypse had never happened.
Lucas pulled me into his arms for another kiss. “We need to find our people.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, but a small part of me was scared for my time with Lucas to end. I didn’t want things to go back to the way they’d been.
“What’s wrong, Taryn?” Lucas frowned down at me.
I shrugged. Not wanting to admit what I’d been thinking about.
“None of that.” He tapped the end of my nose. “Tell me.”
“I guess I’m just worried that you’ll go back to being your usual pissed-off self.”
He chuckled. “You underestimate the magic of your vagina.”
I raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment on that absurd statement… I never underestimated my vagina.
Lucas raised his hands in surrender. “I’m joking.”
I raised both eyebrows.
“Not about how magical your vagina is.” He smirked, but then his face grew serious. “I meant what I said. I love you, Taryn. We’ve got a lot to figure out, but I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me.”
“I can live with that.” I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him once more. “Okay, let’s find our family.”
We started walking.
The storm had left everything slick and muddy, but the sun made it easier to see. Broken branches littered the ground, and water dripped steadily from the leaves.
We found evidence of the night before almost immediately: a dead rotter face down in the mud. Another with its skull crushed against a tree.
Most likely Colson’s work.
Then something crashed through the undergrowth, and I raised my bat. Luca’s hatchet came up beside me. A dark shape exploded between two trees.
“Max!” He hit me hard enough to nearly knock me down.
I dropped the bat and caught his neck as he jumped against me, tail whipping so violently his entire body moved with it. “Oh, thank God.”
He licked my chin.
“Gross. Stop, you old, mangy mutt.” I kissed him on the head. “I’m glad to see you too.”
Max whined excitedly.
“Where’s everyone?”
He barked in answer like he’d understood every word out of my mouth, then he tore back the way he’d come.
Lucas and I looked at each other, then followed him.
“Robin!” I heard Wren’s voice before I saw her sprinting through the trees. “Max found you.”
“He did.” As she embraced me, I returned the hug with a firm squeeze.
I looked over her shoulder and saw Colson standing there holding Rory’s hand. The little girl’s face was red and puffy from crying.
Then Adrian stepped between the trees, and relief hit me so hard I almost dropped to my knees.
He crossed the space between us quickly and pulled me against him. “Baby.”
“I’m okay.” I reassured him, my voice muffled against his chest.
His arms tightened. “I can see that.”
Beck appeared behind him and his gaze moved over every inch of me.
“I’m fine.” I assured him.
“You’d better be. I’d gut Lucas like a fish if he let anything happen to you.” He stared at Lucas, who’d walked up behind me.
“Sure, you would.” Lucas smiled, not letting Beck’s words bother him.
Beck’s gaze moved from Lucas’s face to mine. Then back again, his expression shifting to confusion.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Lucas laughed. “What’s up with that Homer Simpson face you’re making?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile in Taryn’s presence like that unless you’re insulting her.” Beck snatched me from Adrian and pulled me into his big body. “And since she doesn’t look like she wants to string you up by the balls, that can’t be it.”
“Well, let me see if I can clear it up for you.” Lucas strolled up, snatched me from Beck, and kissed me with such heat my legs almost gave out when he finally stopped.
Beck stood there with his arms hanging by his side, stunned into silence.
“Looks like you two finally worked out your issues,” Adrian said, a slight smile on his face.
“We did.” Lucas hugged me tight to his side.
Beck muttered something under his breath.
“What did you say?” Lucas asked, tongue-in-cheek.
We’d all heard him.
“I said, just one freaking night and everything gets fixed?” Beck stared at him.
Lucas glanced down at me and kissed my forehead. “Yep.”
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling.
“Yesterday, you couldn’t stand her.” Beck couldn’t let it go.
Adrian smirked. “He never really hated her.”
Beck glanced at him. “On Monday, he threatened to strangle her twice, and then three times on Tuesday.”
“But it was said with love.” Lucas kissed my neck.
“Was it really?” I grinned.
Lucas smirked. “Not in the least.”
Beck’s mouth fell open. “Is Lucas Rowen cracking jokes and smiling? I must be dreaming.”
“It’s Mr. Rowen to you.” Lucas winked down at me.
“No.” I deadpanned. “Absolutely not.”
“Too soon?” He threw back his head and laughed.
Beck made a disgusted sound. “Mr. Rowen, my ass.”
“Are you jealous?” Adrian asked him, head tilted slightly.
“Of him?” Beck’s eyes narrowed. “Not likely.”
“That’s good, because for this to work, we need to communicate our feelings to each other.” Adrian slapped Beck on the back. “Not bottle everything up.”
“I’d rather let a rotter bite me in the ass.” He shrugged. I’m not even jealous, honestly. It’s just a little freaky to see Lucas smiling like that.” Beck grumbled.
I pulled away from Lucas and walked over to Beck, throwing my arms around him. “I still love you, big guy.”
He kissed the top of my head. “I know, and I love you.” Then he leaned down and whispered. “Did he treat you right?”
“Absolutely,” I whispered back.
“Alright then.” He pulled me in for a quick kiss.
“Are we good?” Lucas asked, staring intently at Beck.
“We’re good.” Beck nodded, then flashed me a grin. “But in no world am I calling him Mr. Rowen.”
“I’m okay with that.” Lucas made a face as if he'd smelled something foul. “It was just a joke, and anyway, that’s mine and Menace’s thing.”
“Menace?” Beck and Adrian asked at the same time.
“Yep.” Lucas went in for a kiss and didn't give a damn that Beck was holding me.
Beck tilted his head and looked at me for a moment. “I can see it.”
“Watch it, Maddox.” I reached around and pinched him on the ass.
He jumped. “You watch it, Fox, or I’ll nip your—”
“Shut the hell up!” Lucas growled at Beck. “I have no desire to hear any of that shit.”
That came out of nowhere. Maybe it wasn’t Beck who was dealing with jealousy.
“So, no double-teaming our girl anytime soon?” Beck smirked.
He was full of shit. Beck could hardly stand seeing Adrian hug me, let alone be present when I was having sex with someone else
“Fuck no.” Lucas shivered in disgust. “I like to work alone.”
“That’s probably so no one can see how subpar your skills are.” Beck gave him a cocky grin. "As for me, my talents lie in two areas: fighting and fucking.”
Wren covered Rory’s ears. “That’s enough, fool. Don’t you think this poor child has been traumatized enough?”
That sobered all of us.
Before everything happened, we’d never have laughed or joked the day after someone died. Now, we tried to find joy whenever and wherever we could, because you never knew if it might be your last day.
“Sorry, where is Finley?” I asked, growing more serious as I considered the day ahead.
Colson pointed to a tree about twenty feet away, where Finley sat with his binder resting beside him. His elbows were on his knees, and his hands covered his face.
I pulled myself out of Beck’s muscular arms. “Where’s Harper?”
“We’re not sure.” Adrian stared in Finley’s direction with a sympathetic look.
“We need to find her.” Colson shocked me by pulling Wren back against his massive chest and nuzzling her neck.
I was even more shocked when she snuggled back against him.
“We really do.” Wren agreed with him.
Colson's lips curved into a faint smile as he gazed down at Wren.