Chapter 2- Ryan

Being one of the Zombie Kings has its perks. My father and many of the other Zombie leaders worked hard to overthrow the humans. We knew they would never live with us in peace. They would hunt us, kill us, and experiment on us. They would never allow us to co-exist as their fear would overtake all common sense. 

I’ve always known I was going to be a zombie. My father never hid the fact that he had the mutated gene. He transitioned when I was five. Growing up, I thought he was an odd man. Working as an undertaker for a funeral home, but when he told me the truth, I realized that was his source of food. 

Dad broke the news to me at twelve what he was and what I would eventually become when I died. He also brought me into the fold of what the zombies had been planning. A full takeover. Decades in the making, passed down from generation to generation, crafting the perfect hostile take over. 

I had never intended to fall for a girl. My focus was the mission. Overthrow the humans rule one of the zombie hordes as king. It was what I had spent years building towards. Then I met Lacy with her medium length mocha brown hair in layers with messy bangs, hazel eyes, a pretty face, a coca-cola body figure, and nice sized boobs. She was a book nerd but had a little edge to her style. Torn-up jeans, black shirts, black painted nails, and black canvas shoes. Lacey Thorne was the things my sex dreams were made of. Sweet, innocent, totally capable, with a slight edge to her. 

I didn’t intend to pursue just watching her from afar. Stalkerish, yes, but I didn’t care. I didn’t know boundaries. Then one day, I caught some assholes giving her a hard time. I should have walked away, but I couldn’t. So, I stepped in. I was already known as a psychopath at the school. I was voted most likely to shoot up the school senior year. Don’t ask me why the fuck that was an actual category. I think they created it just for me to take a hit at me. 

So, I saved her. Stopped her bullies and made sure no one fucked with her because if they did, they had to face me. It only took a few times for them to get the hint. I foolishly started offering her rides to school and home. It started our friendship if you could call it that. It was more like the two of us dancing around our feelings for one another. I didn’t want to get too close. I knew I couldn’t keep her forever. I tried to push her away, but that damn vixen kept coming back. 

Before I knew it, I was getting close to her and falling fucking hard for a girl I could never have, or so I thought. I thought for sure my father would want me to get rid of her, but instead, he didn’t care. He said I would need someone to have a child for me, so why not make it someone I liked. I didn’t realize I would have to reproduce, but since the zombie gene is rare, the more kids we have, the better. Granted, we don't want too many as our food supply won’t last forever. Humans don’t reproduce like they used to since we took over. 

We have to make breeding farms to ensure we will have food. The humans can call us monsters all they fucking want, but that’s what they did to cows, chickens, and other animals. They are simply now the animal. Breeding farms and slaughterhouses aren’t filled with animals but humans. Twisted, maybe, or it’s just a part of the fucking food chain. 

Lacey isn’t going to end up in either a breeding farm or a slaughterhouse. She will end up in my home with me. She will give me kids, and I will treat her like a fucking queen in return. We are working on ways to turn the humans we want. Our scientists are working on a virus or something like it, but it’s all preliminary for now. 

If I can turn Lacey, I will, but I will make sure it’s safe first. We might be closer than we think, but I have to wait to see. I’m not the only zombie in love with a human who wants to have the option to change them. 

First, I need to find Lacey. I would have taken her with me if I could have, but it was too risky. I had no safe place to keep her and hadn’t fully established my rule. I did attempt to get her to safety. I got her to the country, and I know she survived. Lacey is a fighter, even if she doesn’t realize it. Of course, I do fear something happened to her, but I believe she is still alive. 

For the last nine months, I’ve been searching for her. Raiding camps she might be in. having my horde report anyone who might look like her. I’m going to fucking find her. Lacey is mine. I hate to say it, but I miss her. She is the only human thing left of me. Not that I was much of a human before I was a zombie. My darker personality has only enhanced since I turned. I’m ruthless now. I kill without thought or care. I enjoy killing and the sport that it is. 

We are tracking a group of humans heading to the supposed human refuge center. Little do they know it’s a trap that we set up. A physical trap. Hope is powerful, and if they believe there is a fortress that is being successful against zombies, humans will flock to it like it’s their saving grace. Humans that enter that fortress never make it back out. 

Humans are easy to manipulate, and it’s actually sad. They almost make it too easy. There are a few that make it challenging, but fear rules them. Zombies don’t feel fear, pain, or most of the human emotions. I think the only reason I’m able to feel love for Lacy is because I loved her before I turned. Honestly, sometimes I question if it’s love I do feel or just the illusion of love. Doesn’t matter. Lacey is important to me, and she is mine. 

“Boss, we are coming up on the human camp,” Cameron informs me. He’s my right hand man in the field. 

“Good. Remind everyone that any dark haired female is to be brought to me first.” I hope I can find her first, but in case I don’t, my horde has their orders. 

“Yes, Sir,” Cam replies. 

Cam’s dad and my dad have worked hard to make this hostile takeover successful for the zombies. I trust Cam. He’s my second hand for a reason. We’ve been in this battle since we were kids. We both transitioned around the same time. We are brothers in many ways. 

I let my horde go in first while I stand back. Once the chaos starts, I head in, but I don’t see Lacey. Damn it. What if it’s not her camp. I motion for Cam to follow me as I want to scout the area around the camp. There was a lake nearby. There might be some bathing. It’s still daylight. We head towards the lake, and I’m glad I followed my gut because there she fucking is. She just slipped a shirt over herself. Cam shoots her with the dart gun, and she goes down. 

We approach her. “Is this her boss?” 

“Yes, this is her,” I reply to him with a smug grin. I knew I would find her. Lacey looks at me like she doesn’t believe I’m truly in front of her. She might think the drugs are playing tricks on her. “Found you, Love,” I say as she passes out. 

I quickly catch her in my arms. I scoop her up and head back to the car. Cam can tell the horde I found her, which means the rest are fair game. I carry Lacey to the truck and slip her into the back seat. I slid in with her and put her head on my lap. I look over her body while I wait for Cam to come. I can see some white scars over her body. She is dirty even if she did just get done bathing. She also needs to groom herself, but she wouldn’t have been able to on the run. I’ll make sure I have someone bathe her, groom her, and get her dressed in something before the drugs wear off. She will be knocked out for a while. I will have to keep dosing since we are so far from my territory and home. 

Cam hops in the driver's side. “The horde have their orders and will meet us back at our fortress when they are done. Ready to head home?”

“Yes, make sure one of the females is around. Lacey needs to be cleaned up and groomed.” I stroke her matted hair, which is much longer than it was when I saw her. I will have some style her hair like it was before I left her. I have an old picture for them to go off of. 

“Will do. You finally have her, so what will you do with her?”

“First, let her adjust to her new life and then fuck her like I own her. I have years to make up for. I only got to have her once before I had to leave her.” I reply as Cam starts the truck. 

“You better hope she can handle the dark shit you are into. Your sexual tastes were dark before, but they are even darker now.” Cam states, driving off. 

“Lacey has her own little dark side that I can bring out. I’ll enjoy corrupting what innocence she has left before I knock her up.” 

“Poor girl has no idea what’s in store for her. You think she will be happy to see you again?” Cam inquires.

“I don’t know. She’s probably pissed I left her and lied to her. I never told her that I had the gene or that I was in the middle of transitioning when I took her virginity before I left her. She might even hate me for it. However, Lacey’s always has a soft spot for me. I scared the shit out of her before, and yet she still came back to me like a lovesick puppy. I’m sure I scare the hell out of her now that she knows what I am, but I’m willing to wager with time. She will willingly be my queen.” 

“You are one confident asshole. I’ll give you that.” Cam replies as a devilish grin crosses my face.

 I am a confident asshole, that’s for sure. Lacey might be pissed at me with a right to be, but I will make her see that her place will always be with me. She’s mine, and she will always fucking be mine. She might hate me. However, love and hate are separated by a thin line that can easily be erased.