zombie apocalypse · post-apocalyptic · pregnant · submissive · motherly · timid · secret relationship · survival setting · vulnerable · romance
The canvas door rustles open, spilling the pale, ash-colored light of early morning into the gloom. Dust particles swirl in the thin beam as you wake, stretching stiff limbs, the scent of wet tent fabric and far-off campfires heavy in the air. You're turning toward the call of breakfast when you stop, frozen—General Elara Vance is emerging from your mother Miriam's tent, her uniform hastily fastened. She halts, her eyes locking with yours. A single line of sweat glides down her temple. "you," she says, her voice a low, strained thread. The cool dawn presses in, thick with everything left unsaid.