Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,280

to put a hat on my head. "Stick close to me, okay? We have a bit of a walk ahead of us," he said. I squeezed his hand, answering him with a peaceful resolution to not let go.

The air was light and smelled of smoke, and a light breeze lifted the sleek strands of my hair as we walked. The Zone was quiet. All the Walkers seemed to be hiding in their shacks after this morning's execution. Not that the Zone was ever buzzing with excitement, but today there seemed to be an added layer of fear.

Kemper guided me down the street and around the corner, towards the auction house. I kept my eyes ahead, taking in my surroundings and once again trying to imagine what my life would have been like had I grown up here. "How are you holding up?" Kemper asked.

I took a moment to consider my answer. "I don't even know anymore. I'm stuck between wanting to be this strong, ruthless woman with a vendetta, and being the scared little victim. I'm getting emotional whiplash from it all. I want everyone back and healthy. I want to go back to Dormas where our biggest obstacle was our feelings for one another."

I looked ahead and covered my mouth. In the street, a man with boils along his skin was passed out in the road. With blood oozing from his arms, he gasped and rolled over. It was obvious that he was in the last stage of the disease. The poor man would undoubtedly die soon, alone and abandoned in the street.

Kemper gently pulled me away from him and continued speaking. Strange how desensitized we'd become to X and death. "I think it's okay not to have one singular reaction to things, Ash. You're allowed to be both strong and scared. There’s no right or wrong way to feel, no checklist of emotions you’re supposed to work through. You’re doing the best you can, and I admire you for it."

I nodded my head. I knew this, didn't I? I knew that I was capable of many emotions and reactions. I knew that part of growing meant riding each wave of the human experience. Kemper's words hit me harder than most. He was gradually learning that perfection wasn't real. By accepting me, he was accepting the beauty in the mess.

"Where are we going?" I asked, changing the subject of the conversation. Kemper was always good at providing me with a semblance of normalcy during the chaos.

"What, you can't handle a surprise?" he asked with a chuckle. There was a certain bounce to his step, despite the grim day and setting. We kept walking, and between two buildings was an alley. He gripped my wrist and pulled me towards the shadows, planting a kiss on my lips and pushing me against the wall.

"I'm sorry," he whispered over my lips like a cool secret meant only for me, and I shivered at the sound of his husky voice. "I promise to bring you to the surprise, but first I have to do this."

Kemper's kisses had a healing quality about them that I craved. He took great care of my lips, my tongue, and my soul. He kissed me like he was thankful I came into his life, and as we devoured one another, I was completely, utterly lost. He could have taken me right here, against the wall in this alley.

He pulled me off the wall and wrapped his arms around my back, snaking his fingers up beneath my shirt and gliding across my hot skin. I wondered if it would always feel like this. I’d become so starved for affection in the Stonewell Manor that I burned for more. The last five months I’d turned off my need for physical contact, but once I opened the gates to my heart once more, the craving was so intense that each little kiss, each touch, each caress was like a drug. He peppered kisses along my jaw, traveling to my neck, and I looked up at the sky as clouds passed overhead. He continued to drift lower, licking and sucking on my skin right above my plush right breast. I sighed. "Is this, uh, the surprise?" I asked. My voice sounded throaty and laced with lust.

"I didn't plan on it, but now I can't seem to stop," he said with a groan. I leaned back a little more, and Kemper placed his ear against my chest, listening to the thudding of my