I watched them, my gaze lingering on Miraâher strength, her defiance, the way her lips pressed together in determination. Something dark and possessive coiled in my chest. She should be mine.
I didnât care about the consequences. I didnât care about the fallout. I stepped forward, my smile smug, mocking, my voice low and dangerous, cutting through the tension like a knife.
"Hey, Jack..." I drew out, my tone light, taunting, "Iâve got a proposition for you." I tilted my head, my eyes locked onto him, gleaming with amusement.
"How about you sell your wife to me?" I shrugged, my smile twisting. "Iâll take care of her. Food. Safety. Survival." My voice dropped to a whisper, smooth, dangerous. "What do you say? Fair trade, donât you think?"
The clearing froze.
Miraâs face paled, her hands clenching into fists, her eyes snapping to me, burning with rage. "You bastardâ"
Jack was on his feet in an instant, his face twisted in furious disgust. "You motherfucker!" His fist flew toward me, fast, furious, but I caught it mid-air, my grip iron, unyielding. Our faces were inches apart, his breath hot, raging, his eyes burning with hatred.
"Tsk. Tsk." I murmured, my voice cold, amused. "Such anger over a simple question."
"Simple?!" Jack snarled, yanking his fist back, but I held tight, my fingers digging into his wrist. "You disgusting piece of shitâ"
"Oh, come on," I chuckled, my gaze flickering to Mira, who stood frozen, her face a mask of horror. "Itâs a good deal. You get to live without the burden of keeping her safe." My smile twisted. "And I get her."
"NEVER!" Mira screamed, her voice raw, shattering the silence. She stepped forward, her hands clenched, her body trembling with rage. "Iâm not a thing to be traded! You sick bastardâ"
I laughed, low and dark, amused by her defiance. "Oh, Mira..." I murmured, my eyes raking over her, possessive, hungry.
"You say that now..." My tone was smooth, taunting. "But desperation changes people. Hunger changes them." I leaned in, my voice dropping to a whisper. "And soon, youâll beg for this deal."
Jack roared, wrenching his arm free, his leg lashing out in a violent kick aimed at my ribcage. I twisted, avoiding the blow before countering with a sharp, precise kick to his chest. He stumbled back, crashing to the ground with a grunt, his face twisted in pain.
"Why so angry, Jack?" I murmured, my voice mocking, amused. "Iâm just offering a solution." I glanced at Mira, my smile cold. "A way for you to survive."
Jack pushed himself up, his breath ragged, his voice raw, venomous. "Mira..." he growled, his eyes flickering to her, "Did this monster touch you? Did he hurt you?"
Mira shook her head, her voice cold, final. "Heâs a bastard." Her eyes flickered to me, disgust written across her face. "But he hasnât laid a finger on me. Donât pay attention to him."
I chuckled, shaking my head, my gaze lingering on her. "Yet," I murmured, my smile twisting.
The others didnât provoke me. They knew I had a gun. They knew I wasnât afraid to use it. But Paul? Paul wasnât backing down.
He stepped forward, his voice sharp, defiant, cutting through the tension. "You crossed a line, Dexter." His eyes burned into me, unyielding. "Youâre not the only one with a gun."
I turned to him, my smile never fading, my voice smooth, dangerous. "Oh, Paul..." I murmured, my tone mocking.
"But mine is already pointed at you." I reached into my jacket, slowly, deliberately, pulling out the gun and letting it gleam in the sunlight. "And I donât miss."
The clearing fell silent, the tension coiling like a snake, ready to strike. The survivors watched, their faces pale, their breaths held. They knew the truthâI held the power here. And I wasnât afraid to remind them.
Mira stood, her face flushed with anger, her voice low, venomous. "Youâre sick."
Jack snarled, pushing himself up, but I didnât care. I turned away, my smile cold, amused, my gun still loose in my hand.
"You think this is a joke?" Jack growled, his voice raw, trembling with rage. "You think you can just take what you want?"
I paused, glancing back at him, my eyes cold, unyielding. "I donât think, Jack." My voice was final, dangerous. "I know."
Mira stepped between us, her voice sharp, cutting. "Enough." Her eyes burned into me, defiant, unafraid. "You donât own me. You donât own anyone."
I smirked, my gaze never leaving hers. "Weâll see."
The survivors stood in stunned silence, the weight of my words hanging in the air. They knew the truth. They knew the game had changed.
The forest was thick with tension, the air heavy with the scent of damp earth and the lingering smoke from the fire. The survivors stood scattered, their faces pale, their eyes darting between me, Jack, and Mira. I watched as Mira pulled Jack and her family away, her hips swaying with a defiance that made my lips curl into a lewd smile.
This kind of woman is interesting.
The way she carried herself, the fire in her eyesâshe was a challenge, and I loved challenges. She thought she was safe, thought she could walk away from me. But soon, sheâd learn. Soon, sheâd understand that no one was beyond my reach.
I opened the World Map function, marking everyoneâs locationsâAngela, Lisa, Mira, Jack, Paul, Megan, Kaiâeach a piece in my game.
Time to design my plot. Iâll isolate them, exploit their weaknesses, and break them down.
Starting with Mira. Sheâll be mine.
I watched from the edge of the group, my arms crossed, my expression unreadable. The supplies were
so few now
, barely enough to last another day. But panic was a luxury we couldnât afford. Not yet.
Megan clapped her hands together, her voice firm and steady, cutting through the murmurs of the group. "Alright, everyone, listen up!" she called out, her tone leaving no room for argument. The survivors turned to her, their faces a mix of fear and desperation.
"So, with Mr. Jackâs information, we know weâre in 10,000 B.C.," she began, her voice calm but authoritative.
"But according to my guess, it should be the end of that era. Otherwise, we wouldâve encountered dinosaurs by now." She paused, letting the words sink in. "So, no need to panic."