Why the hell were those animals—those walking dinners—just following humans around like pets? Did they use the cursebug on them too? She swallowed hard, her tongue sliding over her lips. Sure, she lived better than most survivors, but that wasn't saying much. Compared to life before the apocalypse, this was nothing. That fat pig alone could feed her for weeks. She remembered how, back in the old days, she'd cut the fat off pork belly just to stay slim. Thinking about it now made her want to punch her younger self. God, fatty meat used to smell so damn good. It had been three years since she'd tasted anything rich. She didn't dare eat human meat because of the infection risk, so her meals were nothing but stale rations. The sight of that big white pig made her stomach twist with hunger. She narrowed her eyes, trying to make out the faces of the man and woman behind Anthony. They had to be the couple Selina and Guinevere mentioned. But what was happening here? Did Anthony win? Did they? Or did they make peace somehow? And where were the others? Why were the three of them walking together like old friends? Her mind buzzed with questions as she stayed hidden in the yard, watching them move closer. Her vision blurred from the cold, and she couldn't see their faces clearly. Instead, her imagination went wild. She could almost smell roasted pork, golden chicken skin, and spicy grilled rabbit in the air.Those two were living the dream. All that fresh meat right beside them—it was torture just looking at it. She sank deeper into her daydream, like a starving girl pressed against a bakery window, when the pig suddenly charged straight toward her hiding spot. Selene froze, every muscle locking up. Wait. That wasn't a pig's face at all. A violent, guttural bark split the air, loud enough to rattle her bones. Her heart stopped cold. A dog. It was a dog! And not just any dog—a massive white one, with a nose sharp enough to hunt her down. She stumbled backward, panic rising fast, while the big white dog barked furiously through the courtyard wall. Within seconds, the three figures outside turned toward the sound and hurried in her direction. A woman's voice rang out. "Lucky, is anyone there?" A series of sharp barks followed, breaking the silence. Then the woman shouted again, her voice firm and commanding. "Come out!" Selene bit her lip. That nosy mutt Lucky. If not for her, no one would've known someone was hiding here at all. Reluctantly, she stepped out from her spot. The courtyard she'd chosen was abandoned. The gate wasn't locked, and neither was the house. Even if she ran inside, they'd still find her.And she wasn't a real member of the Greendale Gang anyway—just a lowly helper who fetched and carried things. She didn't know a damn thing about the tunnels below. Even if she stumbled across one, she'd probably lose her way and die down there. So she did the only sensible thing. She opened the gate, took a steadying breath, and walked out, pretending to be calm. Anthony was the first to speak. "Selene?" He was new to the gang, but there were so few women in it that everyone remembered her. Plus, Selene was well-liked, so her face stuck in his memory. Selene forced a nervous smile and said in a whisper so faint it could barely be heard, "Good evening, deputy leader." It wasn't that she didn't want to talk louder. It was that she couldn't make sense of what she was seeing. They were supposed to be enemies, yet they were walking together like friends. No one was tied up. No one was bleeding. There wasn't a single sign of who had actually won. Now that they were close, she could finally see the man and woman clearly—and the large rifles strapped to their backs. She didn't know much about guns, but those two looked deadly. Her knees felt weak as she remembered the storm of gunfire from earlier. Still, she pretended not to notice and asked, "Deputy leader, what were you doing out here?" Anthony's tone stayed polite. He turned slightly, gesturing at Natalie and Cassian. "Catching them. Just caught them. We're heading back to report." Selene's mouth twitched. Caught them? Seriously? How, exactly? If anything, it looked like they were the ones bringing him in.She cast a quick glance at Natalie and Cassian, forcing herself to stay composed. "You're here by yourself?" Anthony replied, "I had the Group Three guys with me." Finally, something useful. Selene scanned the area. "And where are they?" Anthony's face darkened. "They're dead." Selene's eyes widened. "All of them?" Her heart dropped. Good grief. How could he stand there claiming he caught them when his whole team was gone? She took a small step back, her mind racing. Those two had wiped out every last one of the guys. They could've easily killed Anthony and disappeared, so why were they still following him back to the Greendale Gang's base? Were they after the leader next? Or something else entirely? Selene's mind flickered to the two old women locked in the basement. Wait, is Lady Luck looking out for them after all?