"Sweetie, I think you should stop talking and let’s hear what he has to say.." Princess said as she put her hands on Faye’s shoulders. She stepped up gently from behind, her warm fingers resting firm against Faye’s tight collarbones while her own lungs expanded with a quiet, careful draft of air. Her chest rose in a smooth, steady wave, trying to soothe the burning tension in the room as her heart beat a nervous rhythm against her ribs.
Hearing the Chief mention the words Moon Wolf over and over again felt like a threat. He could inform her grandfather whenever he wanted, and to avoid that, she had to stay on his good side. Her stomach tightened into a knot, her throat feeling slightly dry while her eyes locked onto Chief Frost’s calm face.
"Taking care of walkers is their job. The GPF are protectors. It’s your duty to protect this land, and the walker you are talking about, like you said, her wife recently died. I don’t think one walker is harmful.." Princess said, standing beside her girlfriend while talking to the Chief. She straightened her posture, her voice ringing clear while her lungs pulled in short, controlled gasps of office air.
"Did you not hear about the rumors of them secretly forming a group?" Chief Frost questioned, his thick voice cutting through the heavy silence.
"It’s just rumors. Walkers know the consequences of trying to return to our land.." Princess said. She kept her chin tilted up, taking a solid step forward while her lungs pushed out a firm, confident breath to mask the anxiety fluttering inside her chest.
Faye and Malo looked at each other. Faye shifted her weight on her feet, her breathing catching sharply in her chest while her eyes met Malo’s panicked gaze. Malo’s jaw went slack, his pulse hammering like a wild drum in his ears while his chest rose in fast, shallow puffs.
Should they tell them about the 100-plus walkers in the underground tunnel...
But it should not be their concern. They snapped their eyes away from each other, forcing their shoulders to relax while their heartbeats gradually smoothed back into a shared, heavy cadence.
"That is the thing about rumors... for four months now I have unsolved cases about farmland turning into pools of blood and dead animals in the woods... and they don’t happen during the full moon... only one connection, two bite holes on them. Princess, since you are friends with someone who can handle walkers... why don’t you investigate and confirm it for yourself? Put down these rumors..." Chief Frost said, his eyes scanning their faces with a sharp, calculated glare.
"Princess is not doing anything... we are not going to do anything... you should solve your own case and leave us alone.." Faye said. She didn’t know why he said she had someone who could handle walkers. Her hands clenched tight into angry fists at her sides, her breath blasting hot through her nose. She doesn’t want her girlfriend’s heart ripping out...
"Do you want to go to jail?" the Chief simply said. His voice dropped into a cold, plain flatline, his gaze unmoving while his lungs filled with a simple, relaxed draft.
"No." Faye replied. Her posture deflated slightly, her head turning down as she exhaled a sharp, defeated puff of air, her heart skipping a bitter beat.
"Good, find the walkers and drive them out of this town. Your Alpha girlfriend can help you. You can leave now... and don’t forget, the Chief is always watching, stay safe....." Chief Frost stated, waving his hand dismissively toward the exit door while his broad shoulders relaxed into his chair.
The teenagers left the office except for Eriko, who stayed behind to talk to the Chief.
"I can’t believe he told us to do his job. How on earth are we going to investigate something we have never done before?... And what is Stay safe, he literally just forced us into danger." Malo said. They were now outside the station. He threw his hands up in the air, his chest heaving with fast, frustrated breaths while his shoes kicked at the gravel, his heart hammering against his chest.
"Don’t worry, you two can continue on your Beast adventures. Beam and I are going to take care of it.." Princess said, taking a deep, calming breath of the fresh night air while her eyes glinted with sharp determination under the night lights.
"You are just going to do what he says?" Faye said. She rounded on Princess, her eyes feeling with concern while her lungs pulled in short, anxious gasps.
"Of course I have to. I don’t want my girlfriend to be imprisoned and have to bring the pups every day to visit their mommy in jail. My family is never going to see jail.." Princess said. She didn’t want to look angry, but she low-key was. Her jaw twitched slightly, her breath rushing sharp through her nostrils while her pulse beat hot in her neck.
"Your heart got ripped out by a walker. What if you find yourself against many? I don’t want your heart getting ripped out again.." Faye said to Princess. She grabbed Princess’s wrist, her own chest tight with fear while her heart thumped hard, her voice trembling just enough to show the raw terror sitting in her throat.
"Don’t worry, babe. Don’t think too much. If I find myself against many walkers, they will be the ones afraid. Their hearts won’t be ripped out... they are going to be consumed by flames and turned into ashes.." Princess said, assuring her girlfriend. She gave a faint, dangerous smirk, her body relaxing into a confident stance as her lungs expanded with a deep, fierce draft of night air.
"Come on, I’m tired. Let’s go pick up our pups and go home.." She squeezed Faye’s hand gently, her breathing slowing down into an easy, comforting rhythm while she led the way down the sidewalk heading to the car.
Walkers fear one thing, the sun. They don’t come out during the day, but at night there is one sun that could burn them all.