It's not a puppy!

I internally facepalmed at Lianne's slip on our relationship in front of Dru.

"No wonder you've gotten soft, Steele. You have such a beautiful niece. Just look at her. So young and innocent... But so pretty."

I could tell that Dru's words were upsetting Lianne.

She kept looking between me and the ground, afraid of saying anything else.

I took Lianne's hand in mine and held it tightly.

"Could you mind toning down on the pedo vibes I'm getting from you?" I growled.

Dru chuckled.

"That's just how things work out sometimes, isn't it, Steele? This little girl reminds me of someone I once knew. Someone very, very close to you. A real sweetheart, too. She was always telling everyone how special you were, even though she left you in the—"

Bam!

An audible crunch from Dru's nose could be heard the moment my fist made contact with his face.

'No one speaks about my late sister that way!' I thought to myself.

"What the hell?!" He looked back at me, confused and stunned. Then he saw blood dripping from his mouth and frowned.

"You hit me, Steele!"

I didn't answer him.

Instead, I walked past him and grabbed Lianne's hand.

"Let's go."

Dru turned around and watched us leave.

Then I stopped and looked over my shoulder.

"You knew nothing about her, Dru," I spat. "Nothing at all!"

"Yet I took you in when she left you. I gave you shelter when you needed it most. I fed you when you were hungry. I trained you to be strong."

I could feel the stare from Fredrick. Dru's words contrasted with the lies I had told him about Mia's absence.

And they reminded me of something.

A memory I had tried to forget.

"I know who you remind me of. If we ever cross paths, I won't be so docile. Got it?"

I didn't wait for a reply before turning away from him completely.

–––––––––––

Frederick drove us through the town towards the east side.

There were several buildings there that had collapsed long ago. They were covered in moss and weeds, making them look abandoned and forgotten.

It's only been a few days since the invasion, yet many people have already fled these parts. The streets were deserted, except for some stray animals scavenging for food.

We passed by a large building that appeared to have been converted into a makeshift hospital. Several bodies lay in various positions outside the entrance, probably victims of the aliens.

"Looks like the doctors are gone as well," I said.

"..."

Fredrick simply grunted in response.

He seemed troubled by something, but wouldn't say what it was.

"Rick! Wasn't Uncle Ally super cool today?! He punched that bad guy, bam! I saw a tooth drop to the floor!"

Lianne chattered excitedly beside me. She must have been thinking about the fight earlier.

I guess she couldn't get enough of it.

"Yeah, he really came out swinging..."

I tried not to laugh as I answered and watched her gesticulate.

"Whoosh! Bam! Bam! Whack!!"

She swung both hands together while mimicking my punch.

I think she wanted me to join in as Dru.

I shook my head and laughed.

"Stop trying to make me sound more violent than I am, kid."

"Oh, come on! You're the coolest uncle in the whole world. Don't lie! I want to stay with you and momma forever, Uncle Ally! Please don't go anywhere without me!"

Ding!

[Serotonin level: 2.5/12.5%]

Her innocent and ignorant mention of Mia being alive ruined my previously happy mood.

The sadness crept up slowly behind my eyes and clouded my vision.

I forced the tears back.

But the pain lingered inside. It was hard to ignore.

I tried to hide it by looking forward, but the image of Mia lying on a hospital bed, dying, haunted me.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"Don't worry, Lianne," I whispered. "Momma will always watch over you."

"Yay! Thank you, Uncle Ally!"

She wrapped her arms tightly around my neck.

I patted her head gently and smiled down at her.

I hoped this would ease her worries.

Fredrick suddenly pulled the car to the side of the road and parked in front of a large mansion situated near the center of the town.

It wasn't in perfect condition anymore, having suffered considerable damage from the recent battle.

I raised a brow and looked at him questioningly.

He shrugged and nodded toward the building.

"That's our destination. We'll be staying here for the night. The owner is a friend of mine. I don't believe she would abandon her home during such a time. Besides, we need somewhere to rest our heads tonight."

He climbed out of the driver's seat and opened the passenger door.

"Come on, let's go see if she can lend us a room or two. We're going to be needing one soon anyway."

I got out of the car reluctantly.

I had one look at the building; the walls were cracked and broken, while the windows were shattered and missing.

"And you're sure anyone would still live in such a place?" I asked.

Creak!

The door to the mansion creaked open as Lianne stepped onto the porch.

How? No, when did she slip right past me and walk over to the door?

"Uncle Ally! Look! There's something there!"

She pointed ahead of her.

An animal peeked through the cracks of the door, its blue eyes gleaming in the dark.

"It's a puppy! Let's take it with us, Uncle Ally!" Lianne squealed happily.

Her eyes sparkled as they locked on the creature.

A puppy?

I walked over, curious to see the supposed puppy that had Lianne so excited.

Her tiny fingers pointed eagerly at the creature.

But as I got closer, something didn't quite add up. The gray fur was a little too thick, and the paws were a tad too big. And those blue eyes—they held a depth of wildness that no puppy should possess.

I hesitated, my voice low in a whisper. "Lianne, I don't think that's a puppy..."

Lianne turned to me with a mixture of excitement and confusion on her face. "Then what is it, Uncle Ally?"