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“Fine,” she grumbles, but her relief and appreciation is clear as day.

I shift back and collapse down onto my belly so that Ferris can help Raine onto my wolf’s back, then he goes about fashioning a harness that goes around Raine’s legs and waist before wrapping around my belly and chest. We do a quick test to make sure she’s secure, Raine laughing with nervous excitement, and then we’re on the trail again.

It doesn’t take long for Raine to lie down, her fingers twisting deeply into the long fur on my wolf’s neck. It takes even less time after that for her to snuggle her face deeply in my fur and fall fast asleep.

Ferris doesn’t complain about our pace, doesn’t gripe about carrying all of our gear, and I find his quiet, strong determination incredibly bolstering and, secretly, attractive.

He’s a fine male, my wolf thinks, just very stupid.

Night falls faster than I want, and yet we’re still trekking over barren fields left fallow and unusable. Once, this part of the country was renowned for its fertile land and endless crop production, but that all began to change when the latitudinal climate bands shifted north, pushing unpredictable patterns of rain and drought into the Midlands. Once data centers were planted, creating heat islands and polluted air and water, there was no turning back. Now, these fields will be lucky to be prairie again one day.

We’ve passed over a few paved roads, but there is no cover, and despite being in what feels like the middle of nowhere, my wolf isn’t satisfied with setting up camp until we find somewhere suitably protected for Raine.

Just as the sun begins to kiss the horizon on its descent, my wolf sees a house in the far distance. He huffs, getting Ferris’s attention, and then nudges his nose in the direction of the house. Ferris’s eyes narrow as he says, “It’s a risk.”

My wolf puffs air from his nose while dipping his head in agreement. “Alright,” Ferris says, “but let me get my gun.” We pause long enough for him to retrieve his handgun from inside his backpack, and then we approach the house.

From fifty yards away, we crouch down in some taller weedy grass and observe the dwelling. There’s a large home surrounded by outbuildings and dilapidated, severely outdated farm equipment. There are no lights, no sign of solar panels, no scents in the air, and no noise to cut through the chilly evening air. My wolf’s nostrils twitch, but even he can’t smell anyone. It seems to be well and truly abandoned.

“I’ll run a quick check,” Ferris says, and my wolf growls, feeling like he should be the one to do it since he’s obviously bigger and more ferocious. “Raine is strapped to your back, and I’m not waking her until we have somewhere for her to sleep,” he counters. “Besides, I’m far more expendable.”

My wolf growls, displeased by his statement, but then he’s stealthily moving toward the house before we can stop him.

Many moments pass, and my wolf’s ears swivel, constantly listening for signs of trouble, but none come. Ferris appears on the wooden porch of the home and waves me over. We trot up to him, and he confirms that the house is clear and no one has been here for a long time.

“There are bedrooms on both floors, but there isn’t any solar or wind electricity, and the water doesn’t run.”

My wolf jerks his head over his shoulder and sinks down, ready for Raine to be taken off. Ferris comes around my wolf’s shoulder and begins unbinding her from his back, but we don’t move until her weight has been lifted. She grumbles about being woken up as I shift back to skin and throw on pants and a shirt from my backpack. I lost an entire outfit and my boots when I shifted in the store, a problem that will probably come to haunt me in the coming days.

“Where are we?” Raine asks, looking into the darkness surrounding the porch.

“Looks to be an abandoned farm,” Ferris says.

“What happened to Vale and Tore? Did they follow?” Raine swings her gaze to mine.

I take her hand in mine to offer her comfort. “No, they didn’t immediately follow. We’ll rest here for a day, give Tore and Vale a chance to catch up,” I tell her.

In a small voice, Raine asks, “Will they be okay?”

“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” I reply, and I mean it. “Together, they’re a force to be reckoned with. Now let’s get inside and set up for the night while there’s still a lick of daylight.”

Aside from dust, the inside of the house is heartbreakingly well preserved, showing us a perfect picture of what life was like here before the collapse. The kitchen is tidy aside from a single clay cup in the sink, the living spaces are decorated with images of people from the past, and the bedrooms are cozy and so full of handmade things you can feel the love.

The three of us take a long moment of silence when we find a message painted on the floral wallpaper above the fireplace: “WE WERE HERE” with four handprints, two large ones and two small. On the mantle is a note that says this was a home passed down from generation to generation, even after the crops started failing. It says that their family never once sold their land to tech companies despite the land bleeding them dry. There’s a simple sketch of a three-person graveyard underneath the property’s only tree, then the final line: “If you find me, bury me next to my family.”

“I’m going to look for water,” Ferris abruptly says, voice watery.

“These people died out here, all alone,” Raine whispers.

My arm wraps around her waist, pulling her close. “No, baby. They weren’t alone; they had each other.” She turns so that her front presses against mine, and I squeeze her into my body.

Her face tilts up to look at me. “I’m so lucky to have you,” she tells me, voice soft but face serious. “I spent so long wanting to be chosen that I forgot to choose myself. I was stagnant, waiting for my future to happen to me and feeling so alone, unseen. Since we met, I’ve been following my heart and listening to my instincts, and I’ve never felt more balanced.”

My chest rattles with a soft purr, and I tilt her chin higher with one of my fingers. “You will never be alone again, okay? Every map would have led me to you,” I tell her, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to her plush lips.

Her mouth parts for mine, and I take my time tracing her lips with my tongue before tangling it with hers. Her nails dig into my chest and she whines, desperate. She hasn’t orgasmed since Ferris bonded her, so I know her instincts are probably begging for relief to continue settling her hormones, especially after the stress of escaping the Biter den. I plan on giving her everything she needs.

A deep growl breaks our kiss, and I look over Raine’s head to see Ferris standing in the doorframe, eyes lit, scent dangerous and dark. His muscles are bunched, stance rigid. “I found a well,” he rasps. “It still has a decent amount of water, so if you give me a little time, I can get some boiled for drinking.”