They were both dominating in their own way, loners as well, but they realized their skills were a lot more useful put together than separately. But Asher hadn’t lost what Mace had, and he sure as hell hadn’t led the same dangerous life either, despite fighting for a living. So although Asher believed in moving forward and trying to make the most out of the hand they were dealt, he gave Mason a wide berth when it came to his emotions.
There was still a lot of mystery to the man Asher had grown to care about. He was demanding and alpha all the way, controlling and growly, and because Asher was the same way, they clashed quite a bit. But it was just the two of them, and they were passionate about everything they did.
“Are you really going to sit there and tell me you don’t find her attractive? Or that you don’t like having her around, even if she is quiet?” Asher didn’t need to look over at her to picture the way she had her dark hair piled atop her head, or the fact that he watched her on more than one occasion let those tresses down until they tumbled along her back in thick waves. He also could picture her light-green eyes so clearly, as if she was standing right in front of him. Before Mason responded, he continued, “I know you still hurt, and I know that won’t go away, but you have to remember she is just like us, trying to survive.” He reached out and took hold of Mason’s hand. He wouldn’t push him to tell Sparrow about himself or why he kept that massive roadblock in front of him, but if they planned on keeping her around, they needed to work together. “She may be quiet, but I can see the fire in her eyes, and if I can, I know you can.”
Mason was silent for a long minute.
“I’m not admitting to anything.” Mace was a stubborn fucker, but Asher smiled. He knew the other man well enough to know he wanted Sparrow, even if he was trying to be this cold, hard-ass man. They would never act upon those desires, not unless by some miracle she wanted them both, because that was the only way they would have her. But the fact that Mason refused to answer him told Asher the looks he had seen the other man giving her when he thought no one was watching were indeed looks of need.
They might find relief, pleasure, and care about each other, but they had always been with females. She was pretty, really fucking pretty too. Even under the smudges of dirt that were smeared across her face, he had seen the alabaster quality, and the very faint sprinkling of freckles across the bridge of her nose. She was a little too thin for what he had normally gone for, but it wasn’t like they had an abundance of food anymore.
“We need to stock up on supplies.” Leave it to Mace to totally fucking change the subject to avoid having to deal with what was presently in front of him. “I know there is a larger grocery store in Rockport. Hopefully we can see if anything was left behind.” They sat in silence for a few more minutes.
“You said another twenty-five miles or so until the cabin?”
“Yeah.” They were headed to Mason’s cabin, still a far fucking ways off, and one he said was isolated high in the Rockies, and one he had stocked before all this went down. It had to be fate that brought the two of them, and even Sparrow, together. Leave it to a military man to be prepared. But they wouldn’t know if the cabin was still standing, or if it had been discovered and taken over, until they got there. Asher closed his eyes, and right when sleep was about to claim him, he heard the deep, low moan of an infected making their way through the trees beside the dilapidated building. He sensed the moment Sparrow woke, because she held her breath. Fortunately, she didn’t make a sound or move. She was smart, but then again, she wouldn’t have lasted this long if she wasn’t.
The sound of twigs breaking became closer, and before Mason could stand, Asher was up and moving closer to the window. He placed a hand on the knife strapped to his waist and rose up on his toes in order to see out the window. He spotted the infected male right away and, after a quick sweep of the surrounding area, didn’t see any others roaming around. The moonlight cut through the trees and bathed the guy in a bluish tint.
“How many?” Mason whispered roughly, and Asher sensed him move behind him.
“One, as far as I can see.” The infected lifted his head and opened his mouth in a silent cry. Blood oozed out of his mouth, nose, and eyes. The blood looked black in the moonlight, but he knew even if it were daylight, it wouldn’t have been red. It was old blood, congealed and dead, just like them, because they were rotting from the inside out. His flesh was black in some areas, necrotic and starting to spread across his gaunt cheeks and sunken eyes.