the truck.
“Your lips are blue,” he said when he climbed into his seat and shut the door.
“And my ass is thoroughly chapped.”
He chuckled and started the engine.
“If it helps, we cleared at least four blocks of houses and found a few roasts that still look good.”
“It helps a little,” I said with exaggerated sullenness.
“Any trouble other than Thallirin while we were gone?”
“No.” I stuck my hands in front of the heater vent, hoping for hot air, and looked in the mirror to see everyone loading up the supplies. “Why is our truck the only one running? Aren’t they worried the noise will draw attention?”
“It shouldn’t be a problem with all of the fey out there and us safely in here.”
“You didn’t answer my first question.”
“Thallirin asked me to. He’s worried you got too cold.”
I groaned and thumped my head against the headrest.
“Not a Thallirin fan?” Garrett asked.
“Not an anyone-with-a-penis fan, honestly.”
“Ah.”
“No offense.”
“None taken. I’m guessing you’ve tried telling Thallirin that?”
“I have. The fey hear what they want.”
“You might want to try talking to Angel. She seems to have no problem speaking their language.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said, thinking back to how Angel had gotten through to Thallirin the first time he’d tried stopping me from leaving Tolerance.
After everything was loaded, we started home.
“What was it like in town?” I asked. “As quiet as everywhere else?”
“No. There were a fair number of infected, but none of the recently-turned, slow ones.”
“Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.”
“My thoughts exactly. I hope that doesn’t mean we’re all that’s left of humanity.”
“Me too.” I kicked off my boots and put my toes directly over the vents. “Tomorrow, I’m putting hand warmers in my boots.”
“You’re coming back?”
“Yep. I’m grateful for the supplies that are delivered to our door every few days, but I want something more than dog food and chicken noodle soup. I want cereal again. Pancakes. Real meat. I’d kill for a piece of bacon.”
“You sound like Angel. All she has to do is say she’s hungry for something, and Shax manages to find it for her. You should leave a note for your admirer. He’ll probably get you what you want.”
I frowned at Garrett.
“What are you talking about?”
He glanced at me before watching the road ahead once more.
“Uh, I don’t get supply deliveries. If I need something, I go for a supply run or check the food shed. That’s where the fey put any extras. I usually trade whatever I have for whatever I want.”
I stared at the road ahead and tried to ignore the sinking feeling in my middle. When we’d arrived at Tolerance weeks ago, Molev had taken us to our new home and promised we would be protected and fed. There’d been food in the house already, and before we’d gotten too low, a supply box had appeared on the step. No one had told us about a damn food shed or that there weren’t deliveries going out to all the houses. I’d never thought to ask. That there was a love-smitten fey responsible for all the food we’d been getting made me want to swear.
Glancing out the window, I looked at the back of Thallirin’s head. His black hair was longer than most of the other fey but was decorated with the same thin braids at the sides. The first time I’d seen him hadn’t been long after we’d arrived in Tolerance. A few days, maybe. How had I not realized before this? All the watching me. The food choices in the box. The timing of the deliveries.
“This has got to stop.”
“What?” Garrett asked.
“Nothing. Never mind.”
Thallirin glanced back then and met my gaze. I turned away and closed my eyes, already knowing what Thallirin wanted in exchange for the food he’d been giving us. He wouldn’t get it. Ever.
For the rest of the ride, I seethed and plotted. When the truck finally stopped in front of Tenacity’s wall, I was warm once more and ready to face off with Thallirin. He wasn’t at my door waiting for me, though.
Jumping to the ground in relief, I walked around to the back of the supply truck where Ryan directed the division of the supplies. It was the first time I really got a look at anyone who’d gone into town. Most of the fey were covered in blood and gore, and I knew Garrett’s assessment of the infected presence had been downplayed.
Spotting Zach, I jogged over to him. Unlike many of the others, he was spotless.
“You