[Bonus Chapter for Powerstones. Thank you to all that sent Powerstones]
[Bonus Chapter for Powerstones]
We all nodded in agreement to Derrick's plan. I then placed Ava, Isabella, and Liora in the back of the truck.
"You mind telling me who these two girls are and how Liora ended up like this?" Derrick asked.
"She got shot in the spine."
"And you couldn't have prevented that from happening?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Well, as long as she's fine, I guess."
"I'm not fine!"
"What about those two girls?"
"The girl with the pink hair is Ava, the student council president. Liora didn't want to leave her bleeding out, so I was forced to carry her," I explained. "The other is a girl I turned."
Their eyes widened.
"What!" they both shouted in unison.
Derrick quickly opened his status screen.
"He's not lying. Our pack has eight members now."
"Why would you do something so stupid?" Liora shouted. "Mom already talked to you about that. She said you're not allowed to turn anyone."
"Is she your girlfriend or something?" Derrick asked, trying to find a reason why I did it.
"No, she's the crazy bitch that tried to kill us. You can't do things like this on your own. This affects all of us since she's going to be part of our pack. You can't just let a stranger into our family. You have to cut her loose." Liora said to which I quickly refuted.
"I'm not going to do that. It's werewolf code: once you turn someone, you're responsible for them."
"Don't give me that! That rule only applies if you're the alpha, and the last time I checked, you're not! Since you're the one who turned her, she's going to be loyal to you. That's not how a pack works. That's not how it's supposed to work!"
"Regardless, the two of us are tied together now. If she goes, then I'll have to go with her."
"Y-You," Liora glared at me, her eyes glowing yellow. "You wouldn't!"
"Let's discuss this later," Derrick interrupted. "You're both stubborn, so this argument will drag on for hours. It's about time we get going. Leave the three of them in the back and come sit with me in the front, Liam."
I did as Derrick said, placing Liora and the others in the back of the pickup truck, then went to sit in the front with Lily seated in my lap.
"Big bro Liam, no more fighting with big sis Liora, okay?" Lily said with puffed out cheeks.
"If my favorite girl demands it, then I can't object."
Lily giggled at my teasing and bobbed her head. Derrick, on the other hand, said nothing; instead, he started the engine and began driving. After a while, he finally spoke.
"Lily is right. You two shouldn't argue so much. You're twins, for God's sake!" he sighed. "What's the point of turning that girl anyway?"
"She can be useful," I said flatly. "Wouldn't it increase our chances of survival if we had more pack members? A pack of eight won't cut it now that you have zombies and more abominations running around. I was simply thinking ahead, toward our future."
"I see your point, but in cases like these, it's better to consult with the other pack members than to do things on your own. God only knows how Dad will react. A beta who can turn humans into werewolves just goes against the norms."
"I know it does."
"Right now, it's our responsibility to take care of everyone. No one else in our pack is strong enough, so we've got to lead. Also, there's another thing I wanted to talk to you about. It's about Allison. Why do you think she hasn't made any effort to come find us? I know she's a scaredy-cat, but even for her… she would've come find us." Derrick asked, looking a bit worried.
"I was wondering that too. Maybe something is preventing her from finding us. We know she's alive and all."
"I tried contacting her before the cell signal went out, but I didn't get any answer. I contacted Mom and Dad too and somehow convinced them not to come here after us. I told them that I would get everyone out of the city safely and meet them at the lodge."
"How freaked out were they?" I asked.
Derrick chuckled.
"Very."
"Mama, Papa, soon?" Lily asked, looking up at us with sparkling eyes.
I patted her head and spoke to her.
"Yeah, I'm sure they missed you, Lily."
She smiled and licked her feet happily.
"Guess what I also heard," Derrick interjected. "I don't know how true it is or not, but there's a rumor spreading that all seven continents have merged."
"For real?"
"Yeah! Apparently, it happened when that massive earthquake hit. The whole world has turned into a shit show. We have fighter jets fighting giant moths up in the sky, soldiers blowing up city blocks because monsters have come to town, and what's more, we've got real-life superheroes."
"You mean people who have awakened systems like us?"
"Yes, and don't get me started on the monsters crawling out of the woodwork. The ghouls are acting no differently from the zombies right now. I also heard that the vampires are assembling."
"That is to be expected, honestly. What about the werewolves? Are there any packs we should be worried about?"
"Not that I've heard of. There aren't many of us in the city areas, but there's bound to be a few. What, are you worried about not finding your fated mate in the apocalypse?" he teased, poking me in the side with his elbow.
"No, it's just that wolves are very territorial. We can get attacked by another pack just by being in the same radius."
"Ha! Let them try."
From the huge grin on his face, I bet Derrick welcomed the idea of being attacked. I knew him well enough to know that even in an apocalypse, he would never get his fill of pissing people off.
We drove for miles, and I stared out the window, feeling the cold night air against my face as I looked at the ruined city before me. I watched people looting stores and shops. You could hear the sound of gunshots and explosions going off.
Ambulances and police cars basically controlled the roads. They raced all over the city, desperately trying to find people in need. Their sirens flashed, turning the city into a tapestry of blue and red colors. The sound of a helicopter buzzed overhead.
One look, and I knew that the city had fallen. The scary part was that it only took one day. Things would only get more dangerous from here. The best thing to do was leave the city.
"It's only going to take until morning till we get to Allison's college," Derrick mumbled.
I was about to answer when we heard a loud rumbling coming from the back, followed by a loud scream. Without wasting a second, Derrick stopped the truck, and we both exited to see what was happening.
My eyes widened when I saw what was taking place on the back of the pickup truck.