The mall was quieter now, with only the occasional creak of shifting rubble or the distant hum of overhead lights. Our camp was slowly coming together, and I could feel the tension gradually bleeding off everyone's shoulders. It had been a long day, but we'd finally found a semi-safe place to lay our heads.
I watched everyone, making sure they were doing what they were supposed to. Most were busy setting up makeshift sleeping arrangements, doing their best to make this temporary shelter feel like something close to secure. But my mind was elsewhere.
I'd just finished talking to Nicole.
I told her the truth—about my polyamory, about my wives. The conversation had left me drained. I meant what I said, but the weight of it still sat heavily on my chest. Nicole's eyes had held confusion... maybe judgment, maybe not. I couldn't read her, and part of me wondered if I'd screwed things up before they even had a chance to start.
"Jas, you alright?" Viktor's voice cut through my thoughts.
I turned to see him standing beside me. I hadn't even noticed him approaching—sloppy. I needed to stay sharp. The old me would've hated how easily he could read me, but now? I needed someone to talk to.
"I'm fine," I said, forcing a smile. "Just told Nicole about my wives."
Viktor's brow furrowed slightly but he didn't press. He knew when to give me space.
"Not an easy conversation, huh?"
"No, not really," I muttered, glancing back at the group. "But it's done. I needed to tell her."
He was quiet a moment, scanning the camp. "You care about her."
It wasn't a question.
"But it's a lot to ask someone to accept," I admitted. "She hasn't even met the others yet. They're all kind of… interesting, and Nicole… she seems pretty normal. That's why I thought it was just a fling. But now I'm wondering if something's wrong with her."
Viktor gave me that trademark shit-eating grin. "What you mean is crazy, they are all crazy so Nicole definitely is. She likes you."
I tried to suppress a laugh but failed. "You're the worst. And my girls aren't crazy—they're just… unique."
He shrugged. "Same thing."
I let out a short laugh. "Maybe. I just need to give Nicole time. If she wants to be with me, fine. If not… that's okay too."
The words felt honest. I'd been through enough in my life to know I couldn't pretend to be someone I wasn't. The truth had a way of coming out eventually.
Viktor's tone shifted, serious now. "I'm sorry about Sol. If I'd been faster, I should've—"
I cut him off with a raised hand. "No. Don't. It's not your fault. Sol's trained. If he couldn't fight back, he should've run. He's safe now—and so are you. That's all that matters. How's your head?"
He touched the spot lightly. "Already healed. No problem." He grinned again. "Let's protect Sol together. No more fuck-ups from me."
I stepped closer, placing a hand on his shoulder. "No more fuck-ups from either of us. You've got my back—I've got yours."
Viktor nodded, but before he could respond, I noticed two figures approaching our camp. They weren't part of the earlier group. No attempt to be quiet. They walked with too much confidence.
"I'll check it out," I said, eyes narrowing.
"I'm coming with," Viktor said, already moving with me.
We approached the strangers—a man and a woman. The man was older, and greying, but upright and alert. The woman had sharp features, short dark hair, and the kind of eyes that scanned everything. They didn't look friendly.
"Can I help you?" I asked voice even but firm.
The man raised his hands. "We don't mean any trouble. Our leader would like to speak with yours."
"Who is your leader?" I asked. "And why should I care?"
The woman stepped in. "Mr. Wei Shen. Businessman. He built a factory here in Falkirk a few months ago—before all this bullshit started. He wants to speak. That's all."
I didn't trust them, but there was no sense in starting trouble. "I'm the leader," I said.
Viktor added, "Might not hurt to talk. Could be an information trade."
I nodded. "Fine. But I'm taking Viktor."
"Always," he said.
We followed them through the north side of the store. I spotted a small camp near a door, guarded by ten men standing with military posture. Professionals.
I placed my hand on my gun. Viktor was already tensed.
The woman said to one of the guards, "I brought the new group's leader. Inform Mr. Wei."
The guard looked at my weapon. "Don't try anything funny."
"I won't if you don't," I replied, holding his gaze.
After a moment, he nodded and disappeared through the door.
A minute later, three figures emerged. A family. Asian. The man—tall, sharp-featured, and composed—stepped forward with calm authority.
"I am Wei Shen," he said. "This is my wife, Mei, and our daughter, Lian."
I gave a small nod. "Jasmine West. Pleasure."
The guards didn't relax. Neither did I. They were too polished, too trained.
"So what do you want?" I asked.
Wei Shen smiled politely. "Just to meet my neighbors. Hear what you've been through."
I watched him carefully as he spoke, noting how his family stayed close and the guards flanked them in a half-circle.
"We were in the furniture store when the announcement hit," Wei said. "I'd brought my family early for a delivery issue. The message came—floating text, a pulse in my skull. Five minutes later, the first goblin appeared."
He glanced toward his men. "Two people were killed before we reacted. Cheng—one of my guards—took the first one down with a chair. The second wave came soon after. Bigger. Coordinated. Some wore armor. One had a horn."
I didn't speak. His delivery was clipped. Precise.
"We flipped dining sets into barricades. Used curtain rods as spears. Found a crate of battery packs and emergency camping gear—leftover from a seasonal display. Lucky break. Hauled everything into the back offices."
Viktor let out a low whistle. "Set up a forward outpost in under twelve hours?"
Wei nodded once. "My team's trained—ex-military, contractors, or loyal. I don't keep dead weight."
"And the goblins?" I asked.
His voice cooled. "Not just them. There's a group from the electronics wing. Maybe eight of them. Survivors, but they've gone feral. Call themselves 'players.' One gutted a scavenger for a pack of M&Ms. Another dragged a goblin into storage alive."
"For what?"
"We didn't ask. He ran."
His eyes met mine. "They're evolving. Not just the monsters."
I stayed quiet. Wei wasn't just surviving—he was calculating. He'd built a fortress. Stocked it. Staffed it. And now he was assessing us. Seeing if we were useful.
"So what do you want from me?" I asked finally.
"Nothing yet," he said. "But if tomorrow's worse than today, I'd rather know my neighbors. Maybe watch each other's backs."
I gave a neutral nod. "It's been a rough day. We just came from Edge Sports. Got ambushed by people. So yeah—we're cautious. Did you loot the pharmacy?"
Before he could answer, a loud, familiar voice cut through the air.
"Jasmine!"
I turned, muscles tensing.
Fucking Jasper.