Free Love in the Time of Zombies by Cassandra Gannon Page B

you.  You’re a team .”  Caleb gave him a tight smile.  “That’s
great.  You always were a dreamer, Ezekiel.”  He brooded for a moment.  “And
Darcy’s just like you.  She’s in love with that megalomaniacal vampire.  I
don’t get it.  You both think with your hearts and not your brains.  It’s a
miracle you’ve survived this long.”
    “Right,
because you showing up here was so logical.”
    “More
than anything you’ve done lately.”
    “Bullshit.”
    “Really? 
Remind me why you’re running a golf course, Arnold Palmer?  Cause that was such thinking-with-your-brain decision-making, right?”
    “Hey,
owning TGW makes a lot of sense.  We’re in the black.”
    That
was all Scotlyn’s doing.  He liked to tease her, but the woman was brilliant. 
She could’ve run ten golf courses and Microsoft without breaking a sweat.  He
had no idea what she was doing most of the time and that was for the best.  Zeke’s
utter lack of business savvy was an open secret to everyone who knew him.  It
was part of being an illogical, irresponsible dreamer.  He made his living
writing about legends, not doing math.
    “If
you’ve made a dime, it’s thanks to your girl Friday.”  Caleb scoffed.  “That
place could be selling used tampons and you would’ve bankrolled it to get your
hands on her.”  He rolled his eyes.  “I seriously don’t get it.   You
can’t stand anyone in the pack, but you ally yourself with fake showgirl who
abandoned you.”
    “She’s
not a fake anything.”
    “I know showgirls, Z.  Your secretary wasn’t a showgirl.  She was a glorified
daycare teacher for all the tykes whose mommies and daddies were gambling away
their college funds.  She put on little shows about fairytales.  And they fired
her from even that .”
    Zeke’s
mouth curved.  “ To hear her tell it, she was downsized.”  Although,
given her singing “talents” and the countless outrageous lies on her resume, he
certainly didn’t rule out firing.  He’d found one of Scotlyn’s performances on
some tourist’s YouTube video and had watched her sing Little Mermaid songs.  Many, many times.  The woman was a constant delight.
    “My
point is, what do you think the odds are of Mary Poppins wanting forever-after
with the shape shifter?”  Caleb arched a brow.  “I doubt they’ll have a Powerball
drawing this week, but I betcha your chances of winning it are still higher
than you bedding your pretty little princess.”
    “Is
there a reason you’re still talking?”
    “I’m
trying to look out for you, Z.  As usual.”
    Zeke
snorted and headed across the eerily silent parking lot.  It looked like the
entire place had been leveled with a bomb, with burned out cars and charred
corpses everywhere.
    “Thanks
for saving me, Cale.”  Caleb mocked.  “I would’ve been in deep shit if you
hadn’t shown up.  You always were the best shape shifter in the world.”  He
shifted the Mac-10 into his hand, casually scanning around.  “Don’t mention it,
bro.  I was happy to risk my neck for you.  And I just loooove being at
Wal-Mart.”
    “I’m
not your bro.”  Zeke said automatically.  The Macreadys didn’t recognize or
keep track of familial ties.  Zeke had no idea who his parents were or if he
had any siblings.  He wasn’t special to anyone.  Certainly not to Cale, the
pack’s next Alpha and all around White Hat.
    …Except
Caleb had come looking for him.
    The
thought kept repeating itself in Zeke’s head.
    Caleb’s
mouth twisted.  “Well, whatever we are to each other, we’re stuck together,
now, so we might as well make the best of it.”  His eyes narrowed.  “This place
seem a little quiet to you?”
    “The
humans here are all dead here.  Maybe the zombies moved on to better hunting
grounds.”  Zeke glanced over at him.  “This has gotta be happening in more than
just Vegas.  Otherwise, someone in charge would have nuked this whole place by
now, rather