The Georgia heat pressed down like a wet blanket as the ragged procession trudged along the cracked highway. Fen kept his distance from Lily's pack, the scent of pine and damp earth still clinging to him from the burned-out cabin. His own pack was ash now, scattered to the wind."Keep movin'," Rick Grimes growled from the front, his alpha authority radiating through the group. His eyes flicked toward Shane, who lingered near Lori. Shane's knuckles whitened around his gun. Everyone knew—the tension between them crackled louder than dry leaves underfoot. Three days Rick was gone. Three days Shane claimed Lori. Now Rick breathed, and Shane's jaw stayed clenched tight enough to shatter teeth.Lori adjusted Carl's backpack, avoiding Shane's gaze. Carol murmured softly to Sophia, their footsteps kicking up little puffs of Georgia clay dust. Glenn navigated the center, eyes darting to every shadow in the overgrown ditches. Merle spat tobacco juice near Daryl's boots. "Quit it," Daryl muttered, not breaking stride, his crossbow sweeping the tree line.Behind them all, the pregnant she-wolf stumbled. Fen watched her press a hand to her swollen belly, her breaths shallow. Her parents' cabin—gone with the rest. No sanctuary left. Just Rick's command: *We head for the CDC.*A low moan echoed from the woods. Before anyone could react, Daryl's bolt *thwipped* through the air. A walker crumpled behind a rusted sedan, rotting skull pierced clean. "Damn strays," Merle chuckled, but Daryl just reloaded, eyes narrowed.Fen caught Lily glancing back at him. Her nostrils flared—a silent question. He shook his head once. Not his pack. Not his place.Rick paused atop a hill, scanning the horizon. Atlanta's skyline smudged the distance, broken and silent. Shane sidled up to Lori, voice a low rumble. "You good?"Lori stiffened. "Fine." She pulled Carl closer.Shane's stare burned into Rick's back. Fen smelled the bitterness rolling off him—sour and sharp. Betrayal. Claim ignored.The she-wolf whimpered, sinking to her knees. Glenn rushed to her side. "Whoa, easy now—""Keep moving!" Rick barked, not turning.Glenn hesitated, helping her up. Her eyes were hollow. No cabin. No parents. Just the road, the dead, and Rick's relentless march.Daryl's crossbow twitched toward another rustle in the brush. Always watching. Always ready. The pack moved on, fractures deepening with every step toward Atlanta's grave.lily whistle hoping ash and the other two wolves would come out of the woods.just then something catch her nose Silas she was near she stop and called for her.Silas came out of the woods with ash his grey fur was matted with red blood and silas round belly came to view the two grey wolves where alive she ran towards them and silas ran towards her she was happy they were alive she hugged silas neck and ash nuzzled her cheek she was happy they were alive she turned to fen and yelled fen they are alive she yelled again fen they are alive fen turned and ran towards them he hugged silas and ash he was happy they were alive silas was pregnant too she was happy her pack was alive silas was her best friend and ash was like her bother from an animal mother she was happy.lily and the two wolves started to follow the group of humans and werewolves. Silas moved slowly, her pregnant belly swaying with each step. Ash limped slightly, favoring his left foreleg where dried blood crusted his grey fur. Fen stayed close to them, his eyes scanning the treeline for threats while Lily kept glancing back at her reunited packmates, relief softening the tension in her shoulders.Rick halted abruptly as they approached a collapsed overpass, rubble blocking the road ahead. "We camp here," he declared, his alpha tone leaving no room for debate. Shane's knuckles whitened around his rifle stock. "Camp? In the open? With those things crawling everywhere?" Lori pulled Carl closer, her gaze darting toward the gathering shadows. Rick didn't look at Shane. "We move at dawn." The command hung heavy in the humid air.Daryl melted into the ruins without a word, crossbow ready. Merle spat near Shane's boots. "Listen to the man, little brother. Ain't like you got better ideas." Shane's glare could've melted steel. Fen watched the exchange silently, positioning himself between the newcomers and the humans. Ash growled low in his throat at Merle's scent—gunpowder and aggression.Lily helped Silas settle onto a relatively flat slab of concrete. "How far along?" she whispered, pressing a hand to her friend's swollen belly. Silas whimper and look to her owner, ' in two months they will be here' the animal whimper softly. Ash collapsed beside them, licking at the deep gash on his leg. Fen tore a strip from his shirt, binding the wound with practiced efficiency. "Walkers?" he asked quietly. Ash shook his massive grey head" no he said bear trap" lily was the only one who can talk to animals. and that what ash and silas where to the other to animal that would take up food and water.The scent of damp earth and decay thickened as twilight settled over the rubble. Fen kept watch beside Ash, the wolf's pained breaths shallow against the rising chorus of cicadas. Lily tended to Silas, her fingers gently probing the she-wolf's swollen belly. "Rest now," she murmured, but Silas's ears twitched toward the low argument brewing nearby. Shane's voice cut through the gloom, sharp as shattered glass. "We're sitting ducks here, Rick! That overpass ain't cover—it's a damn tomb!" Rick didn't turn from scanning the ruined highway. "Dark's more dangerous than walkers. We hold position." Lori's hand tightened on Carl's shoulder, her knuckles pale.Glenn scrambled over broken concrete toward Fen, clutching a dented canteen. "For the wolves," he offered, eyes darting to Ash's blood-crusted leg. Fen nodded curtly, pouring water into a hollowed stone. Ash lapped eagerly, but Silas only whimpered, her flanks trembling. "Bear trap did this?" Fen asked Lily quietly. She nodded, her jaw tight. "Ash dragged himself free. Tore muscle." The words hung between them—another vulnerability in a world with no mercy.Shane's shadow fell over them suddenly. "Those things attract walkers with their whining," he snapped, rifle angled toward Silas. Fen rose slowly, placing himself between Shane and the she-wolf. "She's in pain." Shane's smile was cold. "So's everyone. Either shut her up or put her down." Before Fen could react, Rick materialized from the gloom, his hand resting lightly on Shane's rifle barrel. "Stand down." The command vibrated with alpha authority. Shane's knuckles whitened, but he lowered the gun. Rick's eyes locked with Fen's. "Keep them quiet." It wasn't a request.Lily pressed a damp cloth to Ash's wound as Fen crouched beside Silas, murmuring low commands in the old tongue. The she-wolf's trembling eased, her breaths deepening into exhausted sleep. Ash licked Fen's hand once—gratitude or apology—before resting his head on cracked asphalt. Glenn hovered nearby, offering torn strips of his own shirt for bandages. "Bear traps mean hunters," he whispered. "Or survivors who don't want company." Daryl's crossbow twitched toward the treeline. "Either way, trouble."lily called daryl over and kissed his lips and told him they would be okay, Daryl look at his little mate and nodded beside him fen, " me, you, and fen is family, we protect each other" daryl said " your mated to both of us alpha's lily"daryl nodded, "yeah," he rasped, his calloused thumb brushing Lily's cheekbone. The kiss lingered—a brief anchor in the chaos. Fen watched them, something unreadable flickering in his eyes before he turned back to Silas. The she-wolf's breathing had steadied, but her flanks still quivered with exhaustion. Ash lifted his head, nostrils flaring toward the deepening shadows beyond the rubble. Trouble was coming. They could all smell it.Glenn edged closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "Hunters set those traps. Or survivors who shoot first." He glanced nervously at the tree line where the cicadas' drone had abruptly ceased. Daryl's crossbow rose smoothly, his body coiling like a spring. "Quiet," he growled. Not a suggestion—a warning. Rick and Shane froze mid-argument, heads snapping toward the unnatural silence. Even Carl stopped fidgeting, pressing against Lori's side.Ash's ears flattened. A low, guttural snarl vibrated in his chest as he struggled upright, blood seeping through Fen's makeshift bandage. Silas whimpered, her belly contracting visibly. Lily's hand flew to her mouth. "She's laboring too early—the stress—" Fen dropped to his knees beside the she-wolf, pressing a palm to her heaving flank. "Breathe, Silas. *Slow*." His command held the weight of an alpha, steady and calm. Silas whined, panting in short bursts.Daryl melted backward into the skeletal remains of a concrete pillar, crossbow trained on the treeline. The silence wasn't empty anymore. Branches snapped. Not wind. Not walkers. Too deliberate. Too *close*. Rick moved like shadow, positioning himself between the sound and Carl, his hand tightening on his Colt Python. Shane's rifle clicked off safety, the sound unnaturally loud. "Told you," he hissed, eyes blazing at Rick. "Your call got us cornered."Lily ignored them. Her world narrowed to Silas's labored breaths, the frantic flutter beneath her palm. "Fen—" Her voice cracked. The she-wolf's whines pitched higher, sharp with panic. Fen pressed his forehead to Silas's muzzle, murmuring guttural words that seemed to vibrate the air. "Hold," he commanded, his own knuckles white where he braced against her flank. "They need time." Ash struggled to stand, hackles raised, a low, continuous growl rumbling from his chest despite the agony in his leg. Blood soaked through the bandage, dripping onto broken asphalt.Daryl didn't move from his perch. The rustling intensified—deliberate, circling. Too many sources. Not walkers. Walkers stumbled. These moved with purpose, low and predatory. He caught the faint glint of metal reflecting moonlight off to the left. *Trap-setters.* His finger tightened on the crossbow trigger. Beside him, Merle spat, drawing his hunting knife silently. "Company," he breathed, a feral grin spreading.Silas's whimpers escalated into sharp, ragged cries. Lily pressed her hands against the she-wolf's heaving belly, feeling the violent contractions beneath sweat-slicked fur. "Too soon," she choked out. Fen's voice cut through the panic, low and commanding in the old tongue. "Silence, sister. *Breathe.*" Ash snarled, half-rising despite his mangled leg, teeth bared toward the encroaching shadows. Blood pooled beneath him, dark and thick.Daryl's crossbow snapped left—a shadow detached itself from the trees. Not walker. Human. Camouflage gear, rifle raised. Another emerged ten yards right, flanking the ruins. Five total. Their movements were silent, predatory. Merle's knife gleamed as he melted behind a collapsed pillar. "Hunters," he spat. Rick shoved Carl behind Lori, his Python steady. "Hold fire!" But Shane's rifle was already up, finger tightening—Silas screamed. A guttural, tearing sound. Lily's hands came away wet. Blood and fluid soaked the concrete beneath the she-wolf's hindquarters. "The pups—they're coming!" Fen ripped his shirt, pressing fabric against Silas's quivering flank. "Push, *now*!" Ash lunged, teeth snapping at the nearest hunter, a shield of fur and fury despite his ruined leg. The lead hunter froze, rifle wavering. "What the hell—?"Daryl's bolt *thwipped*. Not at the hunter, her phone, her last photo of her parents—inside that pack. It struck the dirt inches from the leader's the air. "Next one's between yer eyes." Rick stepped forward, Python unwavering. "Lower your weapons. Now." His voice carved through the tension. The hunters exchanged glances. Five rifles versus Rick's Colt, Shane's M16, Merle's knife, and Daryl's reloading crossbow. Silence stretched, broken only by Silas's ragged pants and Lily's frantic murmurs.Behind them, Silas convulsed. A wet, mewling cry pierced the gloom—a tiny, blind pup slid onto the bloodied concrete. Lily caught it, rubbing life into its damp fur with trembling hands. "One's here," she choked out. Fen didn't turn from the hunters. "Keep her pushing." Ash snarled again, a warning rumble that vibrated in Fen's bones. The lead hunter spat, lowering his rifle a fraction. "We ain't here for trouble. We're tracking a pack. Wolves. Big ones." His eyes flicked to Ash's bloodied leg. "Bear traps are ours." hearing that lily stood" you did this to my pets, ash fell into your trap as we ran from walkers" lily growls lowly, stepping forward. Blood stained her hands from the pup, but her eyes burned. "Ash nearly died. Silas is birthing early because of your traps." The hunters shifted uneasily. Fen moved closer to Lily, a silent wall at her back. Ash snarled, teeth bared despite his leg trembling. as he came to stand next to his masters side.The lead hunter spat tobacco juice near Fen's boot. "Didn't know they were pets. Looked wild." His eyes lingered on Silas, who whimpered, another contraction rippling through her. "We hunt what threatens our camp." Rick stepped forward, Python steady. "Your camp's problem ain't ours. Lower the rifles." Shane kept his own raised, finger tense on the trigger. "Or what, Rick? They shot first—setting those damn deathtraps!"Lily snatched the blade-tipped cane from the concrete, hands trembling but grip firm. "Ash is family," she hissed, pointing the weapon at the hunter. The man snorted. "That thing? It's bleeding out." Ash growled, baring crimson-stained teeth despite the dark patch spreading through Fen's makeshift bandage. Fen didn't move, but his low warning rumble joined Ash's—a primal harmony that made the hunters exchange uneasy glances.Silas screamed—a raw, guttural sound that ripped through the standoff. Lily whirled. The she-wolf was convulsing violently. "Fen!" Lily dropped the cane and fell beside Silas, pressing palms against the frantic movements beneath her fur. "Push!" Fen's command cut through the chaos. One pup slid onto the concrete—tiny, slick, and unmoving. Lily rubbed it frantically. No breath. No heartbeat. "No," she whispered, tears mixing with sweat.The lead hunter lowered his rifle fully, disgust twisting his face. "Christ. Birthing mutts?" He spat. "We're done here." He signaled retreat. Shane kept his rifle raised. "Like hell! They maimed Ash—" Rick's Python didn't waver. "Let them go." His eyes flicked to Silas. "We've bigger problems." The hunters melted back into the woods, shadows swallowed by shadows.Lily cradled the lifeless pup—grey fur matted with birth fluid. Silas whined, licking frantically at the tiny body. Ash limped closer, nudging it with his nose before collapsing beside his mate, a mournful rumble in his chest. Fen pressed his forehead to Silas's muzzle again, murmuring low, guttural words. "Next one. Push." His knuckles were white where he braced against her flank. Lily wiped blood and tears on her jeans, repositioning trembling hands on Silas's heaving belly. "Please," she whispered. the grey wolf already had two pup and one was stillborn.Daryl kept his crossbow trained on the treeline where the hunters vanished. "They'll be back," he muttered to Rick. Rick holstered his Python, gaze fixed on Silas's struggle. "Then we move at first light. Glenn—water." Glenn scrambled, handing Lily a canteen. She trickled water over Silas's tongue. The she-wolf's voice was tight professionalism, but his eyes flickered to the stillborn pup. Shane spat near Merle's boots. "Waste of resources," he muttered. Lori shot him a venomous look, pulling Carl tighter.Silas whimpered, her flanks shuddering violently. Fen's hands pressed harder. "Now!" The command cracked like a whip. Lily braced, her fingers slick with blood. A third pup slid onto the concrete—smaller than the others, but breathing. Weak cries pierced the air. Silas twisted, licking frantically. Fen scooped the tiny bundle, rubbing its chest until a stronger wail echoed off the rubble. Lily choked back a sob. "Alive," she whispered. Ash nudged the living pups toward Silas's warmth, ignoring the dead one lying cold beside them.Daryl lowered his crossbow, eyes still scanning the treeline. "Hunters ain't gone," he rasped. "They're circling." Rick nodded curtly, holstering his Python. "Glenn, perimeter. Shane, first watch." Shane's jaw tightened, but he slung his rifle and vanished into the shadows near the road. Merle spat, wiping his knife. "Waste of bullets on mutts," he muttered. Rick's gaze snapped to him. "Say that again." Merle shrugged, but fell silent.Silas nuzzled her two surviving pups—one charcoal grey, the other mottled brown—licking them clean with trembling exhaustion. Ash pressed against her side, his breathing shallow. Blood soaked through Fen's shirt-bandage, pooling beneath his leg. Lily tore another strip from her own sleeve. "Infection's setting in," she whispered, pressing fresh cloth to the wound. Ash flinched but didn't growl. Fen's hand settled on the wolf's head. "Steady."Daryl melted back from the treeline, crossbow lowered but eyes sharp. "Hunters are camped half-click west. Got a fire." Rick's jaw tightened. "They'll wait for dawn." He glanced at Silas, then the dead pup lying stiff beside her. "Bury it. Now." Glenn hesitated, scooping the tiny body into his hands. Silas whined, trying to rise. Fen's command rumbled low—"Stay"—and she collapsed back, eyes fixed on Glenn as he vanished into the rubble.Ash's breathing grew ragged. Lily pressed harder on the bleeding gash. "Fen, I need clean cloth—" Fen ripped his last sleeve off, handing it to her without looking away from Silas. The she-wolf trembled, licking her living pups with desperate focus. One suckled weakly; the other lay still. Lily trickled water into its mouth. "Come on, little fighter," she whispered.Daryl's shadow fell across them. "Hunters moved closer. Smelled the blood." He jerked his chin toward Ash's leg. Rick cursed under his breath, scanning the crumbling overpass walls. "Shane?" Daryl spat. "Off sulking near the highway. Merle's watching east." Rick's knuckles whitened on his pistol grip. "Glenn!" Glenn scrambled back from the burial site, eyes wide. "Take Carl and Lori behind that pillar. Stay low." Lori clutched Carl's hand, her gaze darting between Silas and the treeline. "The wolves—" "Can't move them now," Rick cut in. "Go!"Silas whimpered as Fen lifted her surviving pups—one squirming weakly, the other frighteningly limp—and placed them against her belly. Ash tried to rise again, a growl tearing from his throat, but collapsed, panting. Lily pressed Fen's sleeve hard against the wound; fresh blood bloomed through the fabric. "He's losing too much," she whispered, panic fraying her voice. Fen didn't answer. His hand slid from Ash's head to the wolf's throat, fingers pressing gently against the pulse point. Too fast. Too thready.Daryl reappeared, silent as smoke. "Hunters are fifty yards out. Circling like vultures." He jerked his chin toward the trees where shadows shifted—too low for walkers, too deliberate. Rick's jaw tightened. "Merle?" "Covering the east flank. Shane's still playing ghost." Rick cursed, low and vicious. "Glenn, get the med kit from my pack. Now." Glenn scrambled toward the scattered gear, eyes darting to the treeline.lily look to fen " think ash will make it through the night?" she asked him softly. Fen didn't answer immediately, his fingers still pressed to Ash's throat. The wolf's pulse fluttered like a trapped bird beneath his fur—too rapid, too weak. "He's fighting," Fen finally murmured, his voice rough. Ash's amber eyes met his, dull with pain but still holding that stubborn fire. Silas whined low in her throat, nudging her limp pup with her nose.Daryl crouched beside them, crossbow balanced on his knee. "Hunters got a bead on this position," he said, voice barely above a whisper. "Merle spotted 'em shifting west." Rick moved silently, Colt Python gleaming dully in the moonlight as he took cover behind a slab of rebar-tangled concrete. "Shane!" he hissed into the darkness. No answer came back—only the oppressive silence of the Georgia night, broken by Silas's ragged breathing and the distant hoot of an owl. the two surviving pup lay next to their mother asleep after getting their fill of their mother milk.Lily stared at Ash's leg. The makeshift bandage was soaked through, dark and heavy with blood that smelled of iron and decay. Fen's sleeve pressed uselessly against the wound, his knuckles white with the effort to stem the flow. Ash's breaths came in shallow, wet hitches—each one weaker than the last. His amber eyes met hers, clouded with pain but still holding a flicker of the wild spirit she'd raised from a pup. *Bear traps,* she thought. *Their traps.* Rage, sudden and absolute, ignited in her chest—a wildfire consuming grief and fear.Silas whined softly, nuzzling her limp pup. The hunters' shadows shifted beyond the trees. Fifty yards. Circling. Waiting for dawn to finish what their traps had started. Lily's vision narrowed to Ash's blood on her hands. She didn't speak. Didn't warn Fen or Daryl. One moment she knelt beside her dying wolf; the next, her bones cracked and reshaped. Fur—white and thick—erupted across her skin. Her clothes tore as her 6ft wolf shift as she dropped to all fours, muscles coiling. A low, guttural snarl ripped from her throat, primal and raw. Fen lunged for her. "Lily, *no*!" His fingers grazed her flank as she launched herself into the darkness.She moved like liquid shadow, a streak of white against the ruined landscape. The hunters' campfire glow painted the trees ahead—a beacon of arrogance. They hadn't expected retaliation. Not here. Not now. Lily smelled them before she saw them: tobacco, sweat, gun oil. Five men huddled near the flames, rifles resting against logs. The scent of Ash's blood—*her* Ash's blood—drove her forward. Silent. Deadly.The first hunter died before he could scream. Lily's jaws closed on his throat with brutal efficiency, the crunch of bone swallowed by the night. Warm blood flooded her mouth—copper and salt. She didn't taste it. She tasted vengeance. The second hunter fumbled for his rifle. Lily lunged, claws raking deep furrows across his face. His shriek cut short as her teeth found his jugular. Chaos erupted. Shouts. The metallic clatter of weapons. A rifle shot cracked the air, wild and high, splintering bark overhead.Fen crashed into the clearing seconds later, a dark blur of fur and fury. He tore into a hunter aiming at Lily's flank, dragging the man down with a snarl that vibrated the earth. Daryl's crossbow bolt *thwipped* from the trees, burying itself in another hunter's chest. The man gasped, collapsing. The last hunter scrambled backward, eyes wide with primal terror. "Monsters!" he shrieked, raising his rifle. Lily was already airborne. Her weight slammed him down, paws pinning his shoulders. His finger tightened on the trigger—a shot blasted harmlessly into dirt. She stared into his eyes, seeing the moment he understood. Then she ripped out his throat.Silence descended, thick and heavy. Only the crackle of the fire remained. Lily stood panting amidst the carnage, white fur matted crimson. Fen shifted beside her, human again, his chest heaving. He didn't speak. Didn't need to. The hunters' supplies lay scattered—ammo, traps, a half-empty bottle of whiskey. Daryl emerged from the trees, crossbow lowered, his gaze sweeping the bloody scene before settling on Lily. "Done?" he rasped. Lily dipped her massive head once, a slow, deliberate nod. Ash's blood was still wet on her muzzle. Justice, not mercy. She turned and loped back toward the overpass, leaving the firelight behind. Dawn was coming. Ash didn't have much time. she turn on her paw and dash away snapping her teeth round a deer that cross her path in panic she decide to not waste it and drags it back to the wolves the new mother need meat if she was going to feed the pups.Back at the ruins, the air hung thick with exhaustion and fear. Silas lay curled protectively around her two pups, her flanks still trembling. Ash barely lifted his head as Lily returned, dragging the deer carcass. The scent of fresh blood momentarily overrode the stench of decay and gunpowder. Fen was already beside Ash, tearing strips from a scavenged hunter's shirt, pressing them hard against the mangled leg. The makeshift bandages Lily had applied earlier were saturated, dark and heavy.Lily shifted back, naked and shivering in the pre-dawn chill, ignoring the stares. She knelt beside Fen, her hands instantly finding Ash's head, stroking behind his ears. His amber eyes were glazed, his breathing shallow and wet. "Hold on, boy," she whispered, her voice raw. She grabbed a hunter's knife from Fen's pile, hacking chunks of venison from the deer. She pressed a dripping piece against Silas's muzzle. "Eat," she commanded softly. The she-wolf whined but took the meat, tearing into it with desperate hunger. Lily fed her another piece, then another, ensuring Silas had strength for her pups.Fen worked silently, meticulously cleaning Ash's wound with precious water from Glenn's canteen. Pus mingled with fresh blood. The muscle beneath was torn, ragged, and angry red. Infection had taken root deep. He packed the gash with clean cloth, binding it tight with strips of leather cut from a hunter's belt. Ash whimpered, a low, broken sound that tore at Lily's heart. Daryl watched the perimeter, crossbow ready, his face grim. Rick paced nearby, Colt Python gripped tight, eyes scanning the greying horizon. Shane reappeared, his expression unreadable as he took in the scene—the dead hunters, the wolves, the bloody deer. He said nothing, just shouldered his rifle and took up a watch position.Silas finished eating and nudged her pups closer. They suckled weakly. Lily pressed a chunk of venison against Ash's muzzle. "Eat," she urged. The wolf managed a few bites before collapsing back, his breathing wetter now. Fen's hands were steady as he tightened the leather bindings, but Lily saw the grim truth in his eyes—the infection was winning.Glenn crept forward with Rick's med kit. "Antibiotics?" he whispered, holding out a half-empty bottle of pills. Fen shook his head. "Not for wolves. Wrong dosage." He crushed the pills anyway, mixing them with water in a dented canteen cap. Lily pried Ash's jaws open while Fen poured the bitter slurry down his throat. Ash gagged but swallowed, his tail thumping weakly against concrete.Daryl's voice cut through the tense quiet, low and soft meant for lily " get some rest we will watch ash and silas throughout the night " your pregnant too" daryl remind her softly. Lily didn't move from Ash's side. Her fingers traced the ridge of his skull beneath thinning fur. "I'm fine," she lied, her voice thick. The wolf's breathing hitched—a wet, bubbling sound deep in his chest. Fen pressed a fresh cloth against the wound, his expression carved from stone. Blood seeped through instantly.Rick crouched nearby, his Colt Python resting on his knee. "Dawn's an hour off," he murmured, eyes never leaving the treeline. "We move then. Hunters won't risk daylight." Shane snorted from his perch on a fallen beam. "Assuming there *are* more." Merle spat near the dead deer carcass. "Oh, there's more. Ain't no five-man crew sets that many traps." He jerked his chin toward Ash. "That leg's necrotic. Smell it."Lily flinched. The stench *had* worsened—sweet decay beneath the iron tang. Silas whined softly, licking her stronger pup while the weaker one lay listless against her belly. Ash's amber eyes found Lily's. They held hers for a long moment—steady, trusting—before drifting shut. His chest barely rose.Fen's hand shot to Ash's throat. The pulse fluttered, faint and erratic. "Lily," he warned, voice tight. Lily scrambled closer, pressing her ear to Ash's ribcage. The wet rattle inside was louder now. *Drowning,* she realized with cold horror. *His lungs are filling.* She met Fen's gaze. No words needed. The infection had won.Ash's breath hitched again—a shallow gasp. Then stillness. Utter stillness. Silas lifted her head, sniffing the air. A low, mournful howl began deep in her throat, rising into a piercing keen that shattered the dawn's fragile silence. Lily wrapped her arms around Ash's neck, burying her face in his fur. Warmth still lingered there, fading fast. Her shoulders shook silently.Daryl lowered his crossbow. Rick bowed his head. Even Shane looked away. Silas's howl echoed off the broken concrete, raw grief given sound. Fen placed a hand on Lily's trembling back. His other hand closed Ash's unseeing eyes.The first grey light of dawn bled across the sky. Silas nuzzled her dead mate's muzzle once, then curled tighter around her pups. The stronger one suckled; the weaker pup didn't move. Lily finally lifted her head, Ash's blood smeared across her cheek. Her eyes, when they met Daryl's, held nothing but hollowed-out rage. "We bury him," she said, her voice scraped raw. "Deep." She looked toward the woods where the hunters had come. "Then we hunt the rest."" no" rick said " look down there"down the road the gun shot drew walkers, daryl scoup up the pups and fen grab lily up and silas stood to follow strong enough to walk and run.Rick pointed down the crumbling highway slope. A sea of walkers shambled toward them, drawn by Lily's hunt and the gunshots—hundreds, maybe thousands, their collective moan rising like a dreadful tide. "Move!" Rick roared. "Now!"Shane fired a burst into the approaching horde, buying seconds. "East woods—go!" Merle was already vanishing into the treeline, knife flashing. Glenn grabbed Sophia's hand, dragging her after Carol. Lori pushed Carl ahead, her eyes wide with terror.Daryl shoved the squirming pups into Lily's arms. "Carry 'em!" He hauled Silas up by her scruff, half-dragging the exhausted she-wolf. Fen swept Lily onto his back, her grip tight on the pups as he sprinted after Daryl. Ash's body lay forgotten behind them.They crashed through thickets, thorns tearing skin. Silas stumbled, whimpering, but Daryl's grip never faltered. "Almost there, girl," he rasped. Behind, the moans crescendoed—the herd was cresting the overpass. Rick's Python barked twice. "Faster!"Lily clung to Fen, the pups warm and frantic against her chest. One whined; the other lay too still. She didn't look back. Couldn't. Ahead, Shane waved from a rusted drainage pipe. "In here!"They tumbled inside—damp, reeking darkness. Rick slid in last, shoving a corroded grate shut just as rotting hands slammed against it. The walkers' snarls echoed, muffled but relentless.Silas collapsed, panting. Lily set the pups down. The smaller one didn't stir. Dead. Again. She stared at its tiny body, then at the grate shaking under walker fists. Daryl's hand settled on her shoulder. "Bury 'em later," he said quietly. "All of 'em."Outside, dawn lit the forest. Somewhere beyond the pipe, hunters waited. And Silas's mournful howl began anew, low and endless in the dark.---The drainage pipe reeked of stagnant water and rust. Silas's howl echoed off the curved metal walls, a raw, guttural sound that made Carl bury his face in Lori's side. Lily knelt beside the she-wolf, fingers buried in her thick grey fur, whispering hoarse commands. "Enough. Silas, *enough*." But the wolf's amber eyes were fixed on the shaking grate where walkers clawed, her cries punctuated by the wet thuds of decaying fists against metal. The surviving pup—mottled brown and barely the size of Lily's palm—nuzzled blindly against its mother's belly, ignored.Fen crouched near the pipe's entrance, his ear pressed to the cold steel. "Herd's thinning eastward," he murmured. Rick nodded, reloading his Python with slow, deliberate clicks. Shane paced behind them, M16 gripped white-knuckle tight. "They'll bottleneck at the grate. We're sitting ducks." His gaze flicked to Silas. "That noise is drawing every walker for miles."Daryl didn't look up from the limp pup cradled in his calloused hands. He rubbed its tiny chest with a thumb, rhythmic and firm. No response. The pup's ribs were still. He set it gently beside Ash's memory—another grave unmade. "Hunters ain't stupid," he said flatly. "They heard the shots. They'll be waiting for us to bolt." Merle spat near Glenn's boots. "Or they'll flush us out like rats."Lily finally stilled Silas with a palm flat against her muzzle. The howl died to a whimper. The silence that followed was worse—thick with the moans outside and Sophia's muffled sobs. Lily's hands were smeared with Ash's dried blood, Silas's birthing fluids, and now the cold stillness of the second pup. She didn't wipe them clean. "We move when the herd shifts," she said, her voice stripped raw. "West. Through the creek bed."Rick holstered his Python. "Agreed. Daryl, scout the rear exit." Daryl melted into the pipe's deeper shadows, crossbow silent. Fen rose, his gaze lingering on Silas's exhausted tremors. "She can't run far." Lily stood, pulling the mottled pup against her chest. It mewled weakly. "She'll run," Lily said, no room for doubt in her tone. "Or she'll die here." Outside, a walker's jaw snapped against the grate, teeth scraping metal. The sound hung in the air like a promise.Shane shoved past Glenn toward the rear. "Enough waiting. We go *now*." Rick's hand clamped down on Shane's arm. "You rush, you die. That herd's still thick." Shane wrenched free, eyes blazing. "Better than starving in this tomb!" Lori pulled Carl closer, her whisper sharp. "Stop it!" Silas lifted her head, ears swiveling toward the argument. A low growl rumbled in her throat—not at the walkers, but at Shane.Daryl reappeared, mud streaking his face. "Creek's clear. Fifty yards west." He jerked his chin toward Silas. "She'll need carrying after that." Fen nodded, already stripping off his tattered shirt. "Lily, bind the pup." Lily tore a strip from her sleeve, securing the squirming bundle against her sternum. Fen knelt beside Silas, murmuring low commands. The she-wolf whined but allowed him to loop the shirt beneath her belly, creating a makeshift sling. Her flanks trembled violently.Rick took position at the grate. "On three. Shane, cover our six." Shane's rifle snapped up, barrel aimed at the rattling metal. "One." Glenn helped Carol lift Sophia. Merle spat, knife ready. "Two." Lily pressed against Fen's back, the pup warm between them. Silas panted, eyes fixed on the darkness ahead. "Three!" Rick kicked the grate. Rust screamed as it swung open. Walkers tumbled inward—rotting hands grasping. Shane's rifle roared, bullets punching through decaying skulls. "Go!" Rick bellowed.They burst into dawn's grey light. The creek bed lay ahead—a ribbon of slick stones and shallow water. Fen hauled Silas, her paws barely touching ground. Lily sprinted beside him, one hand cradling the pup, the other gripping Fen's belt. Behind them, Shane's gunfire stuttered. "Move, damn it!" Daryl's crossbow *thwipped*, dropping a walker lunging from the treeline. Merle cursed, slashing at grasping fingers.They hit the creek, icy water soaking boots instantly. Silas yelped as Fen waded deeper, her injured leg submerged. Lily scanned the banks—thick oaks, tangled brush. Too quiet. "Daryl—" she started. An arrow hissed from the trees, embedding itself in the mud inches from Fen's foot. Lily froze. Above them, silhouetted against the rising sun, stood three hunters. Bows drawn. Smiling.Rick's Python snapped up. "Drop them!" The lead hunter spat tobacco. "Shoulda finished you at the overpass." Shane swung his rifle toward them. "Do it!" But Rick hesitated—a split second. The hunters loosed. Arrows sliced air. Fen shoved Lily sideways. She hit the water, gasping, shielding the pup with her body. An arrow thudded into Fen's shoulder. He staggered, blood blooming dark on his shirt. Silas snarled, thrashing in the sling.Daryl's crossbow sang. A hunter crumpled, bolt through his throat. Rick fired—another hunter fell, clutching his chest. The third scrambled backward. Shane emptied his clip into the trees, bullets shredding leaves. "Got him!" he yelled. No scream followed. Only retreating footsteps.Silas whined, her muzzle dipping into the creek. Fen slumped against a boulder, clutching his shoulder, the arrow shaft protruding grotesquely. Lily scrambled to him, water streaming from her hair. "Don't pull it!" she ordered, tearing fabric for a compress. The pup squirmed against her soaked shirt, mewling weakly. Rick waded over, eyes scanning the treeline. "They'll regroup. We need cover—now." Daryl hauled Fen up, grunting under his weight. "Abandoned cabin. Half-mile north."Shane reloaded, scowling. "Dragging a gut-shot wolf and an arrow magnet. Brilliant." Silas bared her teeth at him, a guttural warning growl. Lily didn't look up from Fen's wound. "Then stay here," she hissed. "Rot with the hunters." Shane's knuckles whitened on his rifle. Rick stepped between them. "Glenn, Carol—help Fen. Move!"They stumbled north, Silas limping beside Lily, her breath ragged. The pup's cries grew fainter. Lily pressed it tighter to her skin, whispering desperate pleas into its damp fur. *Live. Just live.* Behind them, the creek's murmur drowned the moans of the approaching dead.The cabin emerged like a rotten tooth—sagging porch, shattered windows. Daryl kicked the door open, crossbow leveled. Dust motes danced in the weak light filtering through bullet holes in the roof. Inside: a rusted stove, a collapsed cot, and the stench of decay. Not walkers. Old death. Forgotten.Fen collapsed against the wall, teeth gritted as Lily examined the arrow. "Barbed," she muttered. Blood seeped thick and dark around the shaft. "Can't pull it out here." Glenn scavenged a bottle of moonshine from a cupboard, handing it to her. Lily poured it over the wound. Fen hissed, sweat beading on his brow. Silas nudged the pup in Lily's arms, whining softly. It didn't stir at first, the it yelp out at the touch.the group didnt move for a while waiting and seeing when everything seem alright merle and shane left to find a car that had gas and work.Silas nudged the pup again, her whine sharpening to panic. Lily peeled back the soaked cloth binding—the tiny body lay limp, breaths shallow as moth wings. "No," Lily breathed, rubbing its chest with frantic thumbs. "Stay with me." Fen watched, his own pain forgotten, arrow shaft trembling with each ragged inhale. The pup's ribs fluttered and a yelp and a growl came from the little pup, this one was a fighter Silas had already lost two pups, lily was not going to let the third die.Outside, distant gunfire cracked—Shane and Merle drawing walkers away. Rick barred the door with a splintered table, eyes scanning the tree line through shattered windows. "Daryl, check the perimeter," he ordered. Daryl vanished into the overgrown brush, crossbow silent.Lily pressed the pup against Silas's belly, guiding its mouth to a teat. It latched weakly, suckling in fits and starts. Silas licked its fur, a low rumble of encouragement in her throat. Fen sagged against the wall, face grey. "Arrow's... deep," he gritted out. Lily tore a cleaner strip from her shirt, binding the wound above the barb to slow the bleed. "Hold still," she murmured. "When they're back..." Her voice trailed off. *If they're back.*Carol tended to Sophia in a corner, humming a fractured lullaby. glenn came back with wire cutters and a bottle of moonshine. "For the barbs," he said, voice tight. Lily nodded, pouring moonshine over the wire cutters' jaws. Fen braced himself against the rotting wall, sweat carving trails through grime. "Do it." Lily gripped the arrow shaft below the barbed head. One swift twist—the wood splintered. Fen's roar shook dust from the rafters as she pulled the shaft free, leaving the barbed point buried in muscle. Blood pulsed darkly. Glenn pressed a wad of cloth hard against the wound while Lily bound it with wire, fingers slick and trembling.Silas's pup suckled stronger now, tiny tail flicking. Lily watched its ribs expand—shallow but steady. Hope, fragile as spider silk. they would be okay...
