QuillMistress

You’d think seeing the future would give me a head start on surviving the apocalypse. I had it all planned—until everything I knew shattered when my husband sacrificed himself to save me and our son. Now it’s just me, my three-year-old son Leo, and my cursed gift of foresight that only seems to kick in when it’s nearly too late.

I’m doing my best to keep us safe, to find food, to make some kind of plan—

“Mommy?”

I glance down, trying to ignore the tug on my pant leg as I focus on our supplies. “Not now, Leo. Mommy’s thinking.”

“Mommy!”

I sigh and finally look down. My three-year-old is standing there, clutching… I blink. “Leo, where did you get a knife?”

He shrugs, grinning like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

My heart stutters. “No, really. Where did you find that?”

I try not to laugh. I mean, he’s three. Maybe he just—found it somewhere? But the next day, it’s a water bottle. Then, a tiny flashlight, somehow with batteries still inside. 

I don’t even know what else; he’s pulling things out one by one with the pleased grin of a kid who’s just figured out his favorite game.

Well, we may just survive this mess after all.

Now, if only the universe could have spared me from him. I don’t even know his name, but I know his type: tall, broad, and annoyingly handsome, with an air of calm control that’s out of place in this chaos. Ex-military, if I had to guess, with a voice that’s just as infuriating as his smirk. The man has a habit of showing up at the worst—or best—possible times, with a gun at the ready and secrets buried as deep as those bright green eyes.

I mean, he’s probably useful, but I’m trying to keep my eyes on the prize here: survival. 

For Leo and me. 

Because, foresight or no foresight, nothing is guaranteed in this new world—except the fact that people like him are trouble.

Apocalypse Days: I Rule with Foresight and a Powerful Son

"I want us all to sleep together."

Zara's heart skipped a beat. She glanced at Winter, whose expression mirrored her surprise. His brow furrowed slightly, a small frown appearing on his face as he processed Leo's request.

"Sweetheart, don't you want to sleep with Mommy tonight?" Zara asked gently, trying to coax Leo out of his sudden stubbornness.

Leo shook his head, his grip on her sleeve tightening. "No, I want Uncle Winter too."

As the fire crackled softly, casting warm flickers of light around the small camp, Leo clung tightly to Winter's sleeve, his small hand gripping with surprising strength for a three-year-old. Zara sighed, gently trying to coax him.

"Leo, sweetheart, you can't be stubborn about this," she murmured, smoothing back his curls. "Winter needs his space too."

82: The World With Family (?)