Page 52 of My Undead Love Life

Luck glanced at the book lying facedown across the aisle, and understanding softened his expression. “You and Keith clearly shared something special.”

“We did.” The words came out sharper than I intended. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I didn’t mean to snap.”

“You don’t have to apologize.” He held out his hand to help me up off the floor. His palm was broad and rough, marked with old calluses.

I slipped my hand into his, and he lifted me easily to my feet. “Thanks, Luck.”

“Of course.” He gave my hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it.

His small, comforting gesture made another ache settle beneath my ribs. It wasn’t the same as Keith’s touch. Nobody would ever replace him, but there was comfort in knowing I wasn’t entirely alone.

Luck glanced toward the dark windows at the sides of the bookstore. Snow had gathered against the glass in thick white drifts, covering the lower half of the storefront. “With the snow reaching their waists, the horde can’t move out of here.”

“I figured as much.” I winced as I imagined the thousands of bodies trapped outside.

After the first week of snowfall, the horde had become stuck in place. Some of the zombies were frozen solid, their rotting limbs locked in unnatural positions beneath layers of ice. Others still moved, but the snow slowed them to a pathetic crawl. They clawed at the frozen ground and at one another, groaning endlessly.

I was thankful to be inside the mall, but I missed the wood stove in my treehouse. I remembered its steady crackle and the smoky scent that clung to everything I owned. Most of all, I missed the way Keith would sit beside it with his hands stretched toward the heat, grumbling about how I always stole the warmest spot but refused to switch with me when I offered.

“It’s so cold.” My breath fogged in front of me, and I rubbed my gloved hands over my arms.

“I know.” Luck shivered dramatically before bumping his shoulder against mine as we headed back toward the jewelry store. “We’re lucky we found all these clothes.”

“I don’t want to think about what we’d be like without them.”

“Probably frozen to death,” he joked before his face fell. “Wait, not funny.”

“Too true to be funny.” I shivered.

We had taken everything we could that would be useful from the clothing stores. Sweaters, leggings, jeans, thick socks, hats, hoodies, wool coats, and gloves had been carried back to our jewelry store base in armfuls. We stayed bundled up all day, every day.

Night was different. At night, we stripped down to our underwear before climbing beneath several layers of blankets. Sharing our body heat was the only way to stay warm enough to sleep. The first nights were a little awkward, but embarrassment faded away the more the chilly air caused our teeth to chatter.

“At least no other survivors are locked in the mall with us,” Luck murmured.

“Yeah. We got lucky. Thanks to you, I’m sure.” I winked at him.

His head fell back with a low groan. “Not you, too.”

“Admit it, you bring luck wherever you go.” I let out a soft laugh as I glanced toward the abandoned stores lining the corridor. “Why was the mall empty, though? You’d think it would be a good place to make a base if you had enough people.”

Luck shrugged, but his expression turned serious. “Cities always have hordes of some kind. This one had a zoo, and what do you think those animals did when everything went to shit? Infected animals rarely migrate with the human hordes.”

A jolt of discomfort raced down my spine. “There are infected zoo animals in this city?”

He nodded. “Probably. I’d argue they’re more dangerous than any horde.”

My mind immediately filled with images of infected lions, tigers, and bears stalking through snow-covered streets. I imagined enormous shapes slipping between abandoned cars, intelligent enough to hide until their prey wandered too close.

“With how intelligent the infected animals seem to be, it wouldn’t surprise me,” I grumbled. “I really could’ve lived without knowing that.”

“You asked.”

“I asked why the mall was empty. You’re the one who put zombie polar bears in my head.”

“Fair point.”

We walked in silence for several seconds. Our boots squeaked against the polished tile, and somewhere deeper in the mall, metal creaked as the cold contracted it. The sound echoed through the empty building before fading. I didn’t jump, and neither did Luck. We’d gotten used to it.