CHAPTER 26: MARKING HER TERRITORY

The gym lights flickered to life at 6:03 a.m.

Seraphina keyed in the door code with gloved fingers, brushed the light snowfall from the handle, and stepped inside. The air still held last night’s sweat and old rubber, but she didn’t mind. It smelled like routine. Predictable... and oh so very human.

She flicked on the front desk monitor, logged into the check-in system, and tied her hair back in one clean motion. The first arrivals wouldn’t be in for another half hour, which meant she had time to breathe and get everything organized.

Or at least, pretend to.

Footsteps echoed down the hallway behind the weight room. Heavy and familiar, and she couldn’t hold back the smile that appeared on her lips.

Right now, she hated humans... the way they made her feel, the things that they did to her in her past life, the idea of getting attached and knowing that they were going to die in less than a year.

But Lachlan, Lachlan was different. No matter how hard she tried to keep him at arm’s reach, he still ended up sneaking under her defenses.

And she wasn’t upset about that at all.

Lachlan appeared with a protein bar in one hand and a half-zipped up hoodie clinging to his broad shoulders. His hair was still damp from a rushed shower, and the grin he wore looked like it had been earned too early in the morning.

"Mornin’, sunshine," he called as he walked past the desk. "Let me guess—didn’t sleep last night?"

"Didn’t even bother to try," she replied without looking up."What about you? You’re here early."

"That’s because I knew you were going to be here," he grinned. Unwrapping the protein bar, he leaned his elbows on the counter and stared at Sera. "So, are you going to tell me why you didn’t get much sleep last night? Is there a guy that I need to kill?"

Sera looked up, laughter dancing in her eyes as she looked at him. "I have a whole long list of people who need to be killed. Want it in order of importance or by last name?"

Lachlan’s grin turned dark as his eyes took on a whole new look. "Oh, sunshine," he purred. "Give me that list and you’ll never have to worry about those people again."

Sera tilted her head back and laughed brightly. The unfamiliar sound echoed around the empty gym as she didn’t hold back. "Don’t tempt me, Lachlan," she replied. "I can’t have my boss going to jail for murder. Especially since the majority of those names are in Country M at the moment."

"You worried about me, sweetness?" asked Lachlan, tilting his head to the side. "I’m touched."

"I’m worried about my paycheck," she laughed, sticking out her tongue. "I like my money."

"I can promise you. If I kill someone, no one will catch me, let alone send me to jail," he smirked, taking a bite out of his bar. "Unless you rat me out, of course."

"I wouldn’t dream of it," Sera replied, taking a deep breath. "Besides, what they did to me seemed to have happened in another life. I’m sure that I’ll get over it eventually."

"This life, a past life... seriously...you need someone killed, I am your man."

"I’ll hold you to that," purred Sera. "But how was last night?" she continued, changing the subject.

"The place was dead," grunted Lachlan, taking the hint. "You’d think that with exams wrapping up, the university folk would want to burn off some tension."

"Maybe they’re too tired to move," shrugged Sera. "Maybe they found it hard to keep that momentum going."

"Maybe they’re not the type that survives long," Lachlan said cheerfully, chomping into the bar. "After all, if you can’t exercise both your brain and your body on the same day, then you don’t stand much chance if everything goes to pot."

She glanced up at him. "Do you always expect things to go to pot?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. "Are you one of those end-of-the-world type people?"

"What?" he asked, mouth full. "Darwin was right. Some people were born to nap through apocalypse drills. And if by this point in time you don’t believe in at least one or two conspiracies, then are you really living?"

Sera offered a half-smile, one she knew he’d accept as enough. "I guess you have a point. Maybe I should start stockpiling now... what do you think?"

"It never hurts to be prepared," Lachlan agreed. He lingered a few more minutes, talking nonsense about a broken treadmill and how one of the new boxing recruits smelled like cheese puffs. She listened, nodding her head with a small smile on her face. And, once again, laughed when he mimed his own tragic death by an elastic band.

By the time the gym had officially opened at 6:30a.m, Sera never felt more relaxed since she had been reborn.

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It was the early afternoon when her shift was over. She nodded to the other university student who had come in to take her place and left somewhat reluctantly.

She changed in silence, tucked her gloves into her coat pocket, and walked out through the back of the gym, hoping to get one last glimpse of Lachlan before she left. Unfortunately for her, his office door was closed, and she could see him on the phone through the window in the door.

As if feeling her eyes on him, he looked up and gave her a small wave that she returned before leaving.

She walked two blocks before she managed to catch the 93 bus to the edge of town. It dropped her near a hardware and sporting goods store that still hadn’t switched over to holiday hours. There were no lights on, no music blared through the doors, nothing. Just heat lamps flickering overhead and the faint crackle of a radio in the back room.

It was absolutely perfect.

She moved aisle by aisle with mechanical focus.

Plastic-wrapped wool blankets. Thermal socks. Shelf-stable meals with fake beef stew printed on the packaging. She added a roll of duct tape, a pair of small propane canisters, and a set of water purification tablets.

In the hunting section, she paused in front of the rifles. She didn’t really need one, and despite everything, knowing that she had a loaded gun made her feel a bit uncomfortable. It was much better to rip someone apart with her bare hands than to shoot herself in the head.

But people like her—people alone in the woods—were expected to have one.

She chose a model known more for intimidation than function and let the clerk walk her through the paperwork with a bored expression. He didn’t ask questions. Just glanced once at her ID and nodded.

"You heading up north?" he asked.

"Just restocking."

"Smart," he said. "Storms haven’t hit yet, but they always sneak up. If you are hunting for deer, make sure to get your tags. You don’t want to be caught with a deer and no tags. You don’t want a Conservation Officer after you."

Seraphina nodded her head and flashed him a smile. "You’re right. I wouldn’t want that."

By dusk, the sun had dipped behind a wall of bare trees as she carried the final load into her cabin.

Each item had been selected with intention. Each shelf now looked lived-in. Practical. Hell, she even bought a few scented candles and fluffy pink and purple pillows for the couch she had purchased a few weeks ago.

There were throw blankets that didn’t do much but look pretty, and even bought a big, pink cup with a straw. It was almost like once she started, she felt the need to mark her territory, even if it didn’t make sense to her at the time.

She lined the rifle up beside the door. It wasn’t loaded, even though she bought the bullets for it. But a loaded gun could be used against her as much as she could use it against someone else.

Then she stood in the center of the room, the last orange light of day slipping through the window, and breathed in the stillness.

She was getting closer.

Not to safety, but to control. Even the zombie inside of her seemed to have relaxed just that much more as she went to the stove and lit the candle she had placed on it.

The scent of cinnamon soon flowed through the cabin. While at first the artificial smell caused her nose to wrinkle, by the time she found a book she wanted to read and curled up on the couch in front of the fire, the sense of peace that washed over her was not to be underestimated.