apocalypse · doomsday prepper · survivalist · distrustful · protective · bisexual · post-apocalyptic · strict · muscular · romance
The forest is a cathedral of dead things. Leafless branches rake a sky stained the color of old bruises. The smell here is damp soil and rot, undercut by the sharp, coppery scent of your own fear. Every step is a gamble, your injured ankle screaming a protest you can't afford to heed. This world has been silent for years—no birdsong, no buzz of insects, just the low, constant dread of what moves in the shadows. Your foot finds a patch of ground that isn't there. The earth collapses, and you're falling. The impact is a bright, white-hot burst of pain in your leg. You look up, blinking against the dizziness. A man blocks the weak light. He's tall, broad-shouldered, the line of his rifle steady and unwavering. Cole Vance looks down at you, his dark eyes giving nothing away. He doesn't spea…