Chapter 73: Focus on me

"Ace! What are you doing?!"

"Hold still," Ace’s voice dropped low, carrying a firm, undeniable authority. "Rest easy, my medical knowledge is far superior to Ray’s. I won’t cause you any pain—just let me treat you a bit."

May shot a guilty, anxious glance toward Theo, who was resting quietly nearby with his eyes closed, and then toward Alex snoring softly in the distant corner. Her voice trembled like a leaf in the wind: "There... there are still people right here! Ace, don’t do anything reckless!"

"Shh." Ace placed a single slender finger against his lips, his other hand moving with practiced ease... "Since you are in so much discomfort, letting me take care of you will fix everything."

Before May could voice another protest, Ace leaned down completely.

***

Meanwhile, on the rooftop...

The howling blizzard hammered relentlessly against the concrete terrace. Atop the roof of Mistfall Town No. 3 Middle School, a slippery sheet of black ice coated the ground.

Ray crouched behind a low windward wall, jamming the bipod of his heavy sniper rifle into the mortar gaps. The barrel pointed out through the breach, scanning the snow-shrouded streets down below.

Mitch stood barely two meters away, clutching a heavy machete in his grip. He was supposed to clear away the broken rubble around the sniper position, but the guy had stood there stiff as a lamppost for nearly five minutes without moving a single brick.

"What kind of episode are you having?" Ray asked without lifting his head, casually pulling a small box from his pocket and twirling it between his fingers. "If you’re freezing, go crouch over there. Don’t block my sight line."

Mitch snapped out of his daze instantly. "Bullshit! Who the hell is freezing?! I’m burning up so bad I could fry an egg on my chest!"

Ray shot him a sideways glance.

In the bitter wind and snow, Mitch’s face was flushed dark crimson. His eyes darted around erratically—one moment staring down at his own trousers, and the next looking toward the auditorium below, his expression overflowing with raw frustration and lingering, unspent heat.

"Still obsessing over that minor incident in the vehicle earlier?" Ray scoffed softly, flicking open the small pink box in his hand. The textured latex foil dangled casually in the arctic breeze.

"If you really can’t hold it in, I’ll strap this thing on you right now so you can go find a corner and handle it yourself. Stop huffing and puffing around me like an unneutered hound."

"Ray, fuck you!" Mitch’s pride was hit dead-center, his neck stiffening as he glared back. "Who the hell is thinking about that! I was just thinking... thinking about how damn cold this weather is!"

Ray stood up, brushing the ice dust off his knees before stepping right in front of Mitch. Standing at similar heights, the sheer pressure radiating from Ray—a man who had clawed his way out of mountains of corpses—instantly enveloped Mitch.

"Mitch," Ray warned in a low, dangerously calm tone. "I don’t care what foolish thoughts are spinning around in that head of yours. As long as she belongs to me, you stay back and watch. What happened in the vehicle was an accident. If there’s ever a next time, I’ll chop your paws off and feed them to the infected. Am I clear?"

Mitch clenched his jaw tight, his facial muscles twitching. His chest heaved several times violently before he forced himself to swallow his rage, turning his head away from Ray’s stare: "Clear as day, Ray."

Ray held his gaze for two more seconds to ensure the stubborn ox wouldn’t snap before turning back to the sniper setup.

"Come look at this." Ray tapped the heavy rifle’s optic eyepiece.

Hanging his head, Mitch trudged over and pressed his eye against the scope.

Through the lens, the main avenue of Mistfall Town lay buried under a blanket of white snow. Scattered across the dead, quiet street were roughly a dozen dark figures swaying aimlessly.

Infected.

The howling blizzard made their movements slow and sluggish as they drifted aimlessly through the snowdrifts. Yet it was painfully obvious that the cluster was gradually drifting toward the tallest structure in the center of town—the school building beneath their feet.

"Spot anything?" Ray asked.

Mitch grunted testily. "I spot that zombies hate the cold and move slow. What’s so special about that?"

***

Back down in the hall...

A sharp shiver ran through May’s body, her fingers clutching the damp-proof mat beneath her in a vice grip.

"Mmh..." A muffled gasp escaped her throat, the corners of her eyes instantly rimmed with red.

"Does it hurt?" Ace raised his head, the dark fire in his eyes softening into a tender, caring glow.

"No... it doesn’t hurt anymore," May murmured softly, her voice carrying a delicate, nasal note. "Ace... let’s stop here... I’m afraid Theo will hear..."

"He won’t hear a thing; he’s fast asleep," Ace smiled gently, his movements growing even more deliberate. "You only need to focus on me right now. Don’t think about anyone else."

Ace’s fingers glided softly along her skin, following the natural contours of her body.

May bit her lower lip tight, a flush of deep crimson rising to the corners of her eyes.

"Ngh..."

She drew in a sharp breath, her fingers clutching at the damp-proof mat inside her sleeping bag.

Pausing his "treatment" mid-motion, Ace stared down at her reddened eyes, a hint of hesitant self-doubt leaking into his soft voice. "Does it hurt? Is my technique that bad?"

"No..." May’s voice sounded soft and delicate, almost like a cozy whimpering complaint. "It’s just... too intense... I’m terrified Theo will hear..."

Taking a soft breath, the more Ace thought about her situation, the more aggrieved he felt on her behalf. He cursed under his breath with tearful eyes: "It’s all Ray’s fault, that brute! He doesn’t treat people like human beings, leaving you in a state like this. Sooner or later, I’m going to castrate the bastard!"

As Ace vented his anger toward Ray, the dark gloom in his eyes dissolved by half, replaced by a subtle, twisted sense of satisfaction mixed with deep affection.

Lowering his head, he pressed his cool lips lightly against her burning lower belly.

"You’ve suffered so much, my sweet girl."