Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,386

action? Now's your chance.” Tallis gave me a challenging stare. "Or was that all talk?"

I knew he was preying on my insecurities, goading me into falling for his idiotic plan, but I didn't care. The rush of knowing I was heading into danger was too much, but I wanted more. Tallis didn't treat me like a china doll, sending me away to keep me safe. He threw me in the middle of the action, all while trusting me to make the best of it.

There was also the lingering disappointment about my face-off with the infected Walker earlier. I needed control. Needed to redeem myself.

"I can handle it," I said sternly before picking my nails. If I had known I was going to a Walker auction, I would have worn the ruby dress. “But why? Why do this?”

Tallis settled into his seat while looking out the window of the transport. He pressed his lips together in an angry line before speaking. “I wasn’t born in the deadlands. My mother smuggled me out of the Walker Zones in Galla and she stayed behind. I was just a boy. A nobody. This camp was the only one willing to let me join their camp. Mia and her parents took care of me. She became my sister, my best friend.”

I leaned closer and tried to imagine what Tallis looked like without the white hair. Without the geometric scarring. Without the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Tallis laughed a bit. It felt half-hearted and empty. "I've always wondered if I was a Scavenger or a Walker. I've never really felt like either. We're all just victims of the system, really.” He paused in thought for a moment before continuing.

“The year before, I became leader. I heard whispers that Saberus hosted Walker auctions. I was feeling reckless and unsure of who I was. It was a desperate attempt at finding my mother.”

Tallis paused again, looking down at his fists. “What I saw, Jules? It was bad. Really bad. Since then, I’ve been rescuing every girl I can.”

“Did you ever find her? Your mother, I mean.”

“No. I made my peace that I probably never will. This is the best way to remember her. Maybe it's foolish, but....” Tallis drifted off. He choked down his emotions then continued, "It helps." Tallis looked out the window again, a sad faraway look on his face.

“I don’t think it’s foolish, Tallis,” I said in admiration. Tallis smiled at me while sitting taller.

“I wouldn’t say that just yet. I’m feeling pretty foolish for bringing you along,” he said while raking his eyes up and down my body.

I crossed my legs and squinted my eyes. “Seriously? Why go through the trouble of dragging me out of bed at night if you’re going to insult me!”

“You misunderstood, beautiful girl. I’m worried I won’t be able to focus while you’re wearing that.” He nodded at me, and I looked down at my low-cut violet dress with a see-through midsection and thigh-high slit.

"You're an incorrigible flirt, Scavenger."

"I'm a glutton for punishment, Mistress."

"You know," I began with a small smile. "Normally my suitors take me on a picnic or to a dance. You're the first to invite me on a rescue mission." I clamped down on the side of my cheek once the words were out. The implications of their meaning evident in a wide, pleased grin.

"I didn't realize I was courting you," Tallis replied in a deep whisper before scooting closer towards me. He slowly placed an arm around my neck, and I breathed in his smoky scent.

"I-I was joking.” I mentally kicked myself. Tallis leaned in closer, pressing his lips to my neck. The feel of him sent shivers up and down my back.

"I kind of like the idea of being the first, though," Tallis whispered before lightly biting my collarbone. My eyes closed as my head rolled back and hit the leather seat of the Transport. He lightly sucked on my sensitive skin before moving back slightly. Cool air hit me where his wet tongue had been, and my eyes fluttered open at the sensation. As I turned to face him, my eyes zeroed in on his lips.

“Have you ever kissed a Scavenger, Jules?"

I shook my head no, biting my lip.

"We’re wild in all things,” Tallis whispered before grabbing my chin and pulling me towards him. "We claim. We bite. We consume.”

The adrenaline of the mission, and the darkness of the Transport, made my senses hum. I wanted him. I wanted to feel