The Virus Within: The Road Ahead (Book 1 - SERIES COMPLETED!)

Chapter 18

Even though my actions should have pushed him over the edge and past rational thought, he was regaining control far more quickly than I could have. That ticked me off even more. A growl escaped my lips against my will.

He tilted his head as he examined me, likely wondering why I was trying to start a fight. Not much space separated us, although he didn't step back like I half expected from his previous actions.

At this point, my own control was tenuous – almost like his had been after killing the Terror. After working myself up to attack the feral, my mood still hadn't had time to settle.

He spoke again. "I followed you to apologize-"

My rude snort of disbelief interrupted him. He gritted his teeth as his eyes glowed brightly for a few seconds before fading. The temporary red flare only stirred up my instincts more, and I growled at him once again.

This time, he answered with a growl of annoyance, only the pitch was halfway dismissive, as if I was just an insignificant nuisance. Like an overstretched elastic, my temper snapped.

With a snarl, I launched myself at him. Halfway through my leap, his lack of worry gave me pause, although I didn't have time to think before his hands caught my arms. The sudden stop sent my legs flying above me, and he let go of me just before my back slammed into the leaf litter, courtesy of my own momentum.

The force partially knocked the wind out of me, although it didn't stop me from immediately pulling my legs under me and launching myself at him again. Daniel growled faintly as he dodged my hands and grabbed my wrists with unexpected speed, twisting my arms with a move that spun my body around.

My back hit his chest, and he wrapped one arm around me while the other managed to hang onto both of my wrists at once. With a breathless growl, I struggled to get out of his hold, but his arm was like a restraining steel band and his grasp on my wrists was unshakable.

He may have pinned my arms, but my legs weren't hampered. I kicked back with my heel, although his reflexes were clearly a notch or two above mine since my foot met air each time. After the fourth attempt, he tightened his arm slightly in warning.

My instincts understood the message and subsided like they were supposed to when one zombie had clearly won the match. My temper, on the other hand, wasn't quite ready to give up just yet. It was just as stubborn as I was.

I writhed in his grasp, but he had a good hold on me and tightened his arm a bit more to keep me still. Despite all my efforts, it only tired me out, which wasn't a difficult task after my hard run.

In a last-ditch attempt, I tried kicking back with both heels at once, letting him completely hold my weight. He released me and skipped back out of range.

I tumbled onto the dirt and immediately rose into a crouch. Still not ready to give in gracefully and talk to him like a civilized person, I turned and darted back the way I had originally come.

Daniel's footsteps followed at a more leisurely pace. It irked me that he wasn't even breathing hard while I fought to catch my breath. Spotting a large tree to the side, I quickly detoured around it and climbed up the back to stand on one of the larger branches.

Daniel slowed as he approached, eyeing up the ground, the tree, and me. With a sigh, he said, "I'm sorry for my actions after we killed that Terror. Will you please come back?"

The apology was unexpected; it went completely against our competitive instincts, and such a thing was very hard for any zombie. Nor did he bring up my recent behavior – he simply addressed his own previous lapse in control. Why couldn't he act more like a zombie so I knew what to expect from him?