Apocalypse Days: I Rule with Foresight and a Powerful Son
Chapter 142

Chapter 142: 142

Winter’s body went stiff.

Zara took an instinctive step back, adjusting Leo in her arms as she sized up the newcomer. The way they had thrown themselves at Winter with such familiarity—it set off every alarm in her head.

Winter barely had time to register the impact before strong arms wrapped around him, holding tight.

His breath caught. His body tensed out of habit, years of survival instincts screaming at him to shove the person off—

Her fingers twitched, ready to react, but before she could move, Winter did something that made her freeze.

He laughed.

A small, disbelieving sound escaped him, and then, to Zara’s complete shock, he pulled the woman into a tight hug.

Zara blinked.

Winter. Hugging someone.

Zara had seen Winter in many states—calm, tense, ruthless, cold. But this? This was new.

His hands gripped the back of Ima’s jacket as if making sure she was real, as if letting go meant she might disappear again.

Ima let out a breathless chuckle, hugging him back just as fiercely. "Shit, Winter. I didn’t know if you made it to City H."

Winter pulled back slightly, his hands still on her arms. His eyes, usually guarded, were alight with something Zara had never seen focused on anyone else before.

Relief.

Her stomach twisted.

He looked this newcomer over like he couldn’t believe she was standing in front of him.

"I didn’t know if you did either," he admitted, voice quieter. "I—" He shook his head, a surprising, genuine smile breaking across his face. "I can’t believe this."

"Damn, I was hoping—" She exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "I thought you might’ve been caught up in all the madness."

Winter let out a breath, his shoulders sagging slightly. "The madness." He huffed a dry, humourless chuckle. "Yeah. That’s one way to put it."

Ima smirked, her fingers tapping once against his jacket. "The others are here too."

Winter’s head jerked up. "What?"

"We made it," Ima said, her voice quieter now. "It was rough, but we got here. We survived. Barely, but we did."

Zara’s eyebrows furrowed. Winter had mentioned in passing that he had been travelling with people before they met. Was this lady one of them?

They kept talking like that, completely forgetting Zara existed.

She shifted uncomfortably, standing awkwardly to the side as they exchanged words, catching up on things Zara wasn’t a part of.

Ima was close. Too close.

Winter was still touching her arm, and Ima hadn’t let go either. It was like the world had narrowed down to just the two of them, leaving Zara on the outside.

Her lips pressed into a thin line.

She was irritated, which was stupid. Ima was clearly someone important from Winter’s past. Someone who had survived the same horrors he had. Someone who knew him before everything fell apart.

Zara had no right to feel off about that.

Except she did.

She cleared her throat.

Neither of them reacted.

Zara shifted Leo in her arms, suddenly feeling like an outsider. Now that she looked at the woman properly, she was the same person who had called out to winter back at the main base.

"Unc’?" Leo scrunched up his face.

That finally did it.

Winter’s head snapped toward them, his expression shifting as if he’d only just remembered Zara and Leo were there.

Ima followed his gaze, her brows lifting slightly when she saw the kid curled against Zara’s chest.

Winter exhaled, stepping closer. "I’m here, kid."

Leo blinked sleepily at him, then reached out one arm, his voice drowsy. "Wan’ you."

Winter took him without hesitation, adjusting Leo against his chest.

Ima watched.

Her gaze flicked between Winter, the way he held the kid so easily, and Zara, who stood beside him, arms now empty, posture rigid.

Then, slowly, Ima’s lips curved into a knowing smirk. "So..." She lifted a brow. "And this is?"

Zara glanced at Winter, waiting.

Waiting to see what he’d say.

Which was silly because she knew where she stood with winter.

Winter ran a hand through his hair, exhaling.

"She’s with me."

Zara wasn’t sure why that answer bothered her more than it reassured her.

Ima, however, just grinned.

"Figures," she murmured, her eyes flicking back to Winter, amusement clear in them.

Zara swallowed down the weird twist of emotions inside her and forced herself to speak. "Should we keep standing in the middle of the street, or are we moving?"

Ima chuckled. "Right. Still on survival mode. Good to see some things never change."

Winter adjusted Leo in his arms, glancing at Ima again before finally nodding. "Come on. Let’s get somewhere safer."

And with that, the group started moving again.

Zara didn’t say much as they walked. Where exactly was Winter planning on taking her? surely not their room, right?

*****

As they walked, Zara still felt Ima’s presence pressing against her, even though the woman wasn’t physically touching her. Winter, on the other hand, was still visibly adjusting to the shock of reunion—his grip on Leo was secure, but his mind was elsewhere. She could see it in the way his eyes kept flicking toward Ima like he was still processing the fact that she was really here while the lady continued to talk his ear off.

Zara hated that she noticed.

She also hated that she had no logical reason to be as irritated as she was.

She forced herself to breathe, shifting her focus to Leo, who had dozed off in Winter’s arms.

They had been on their way to the room when this happened, and Zara was not about to bring some stranger into their space just because she knew Winter before she did.

Ima slowed her pace slightly, falling into step beside Winter. "You should come with us," she said casually. "The others will want to see you."

Winter’s steps faltered for half a second. Barely noticeable—but Zara caught it.

She kept her expression neutral, waiting for his response.

Ima smiled, nudging his arm lightly. "Come on, it’ll just be for a bit. They won’t believe it until they see you with their own eyes."

Zara exhaled sharply through her nose.

Winter noticed.

His gaze flicked toward her—really looking at her now.

Zara didn’t have to say it outright: she did not want Ima coming back with them. It wasn’t even about jealousy (or at least, not just about that). It was about the fact that they didn’t know these people. This base was already suspicious enough, and now these people—who just happened to be here—wanted Winter to go off with them?

Zara wasn’t about to argue about it in front of everyone, but she also wasn’t going to pretend she was okay with it.

Winter saw it.

And for the first time since Ima jumped on him, his expression shifted—focus sharpening, warmth cooling just slightly. He wasn’t emotionally clueless. He knew this wasn’t nothing.

Ima, noticing the tension, tilted her head slightly. "Zara and the kid should head back," she suggested. "You can come with me, catch up, then meet them later."

It was a compromise.

A logical one.

One that let Zara go back to safety while giving Winter space to reconnect.

All eyes turned to Winter.

He didn’t hesitate long.

His gaze dropped to Leo first. The kid was completely out, trusting Winter to keep him safe. His grip tightened slightly. Then he looked at Zara, who was watching him carefully, her expression unreadable.

Then, finally, he looked at Ima.

Winter took a slow breath. Family. That was what they had been before everything fell apart. His first family—the people he survived with when the world went to hell. Seeing Ima again meant the others were alive too. That was huge. It wasn’t something he could brush off.

But Zara and Leo—they were his family now.

His gaze flicked to Zara one last time before he exhaled, shifting Leo carefully into her arms. She adjusted automatically, not breaking eye contact.

"I’ll go," Winter said finally.

Zara didn’t react outwardly, but she held onto Leo a little tighter.

Winter noticed.

"I won’t be long," he added, voice steady.

Zara gave a short nod. "Okay."

Was it, though?

He lingered for a second, watching her. She wasn’t angry. At least he hoped she wasn’t.

Still, she didn’t argue.

"Be careful," she murmured, then turned toward the base, carrying Leo with her.

Winter watched until she disappeared inside.

Then he turned back to Ima.

"Alright," he exhaled. "Let’s go."

*****

Zara walked back to the room with steady, measured steps, Leo’s weight secure in her arms.

She wasn’t angry.

At least, that’s what she kept telling herself.

She wasn’t stupid—she knew Winter had a life before her. She knew he’d lost people before they met. And she knew, logically, that it was a good thing his old crew had survived. That kind of luck was rare.

But logic didn’t change the way her stomach twisted when she saw the way he looked at Ima.

Winter had chosen to go with her. He had put Leo in Zara’s arms, told her he wouldn’t be long, and left.

And she let him.

Because what was she supposed to say? No? Demand he stay? That would’ve been ridiculous. Selfish.

So why did it feel like she’d just let something slip through her fingers?

She reached their door and exhaled sharply, shifting Leo enough to free one hand and push it open. The room was the same as they’d left it, quiet and safe. But now, it felt different.

Like something was missing.

And yet, Zara couldn’t shake the irritation simmering beneath her skin.

She shut the door behind her with more force than necessary and sat down on the edge of the bed, adjusting Leo carefully. He barely stirred, too exhausted to notice the tension in her body.

Her fingers tapped against her thigh as she stared at the wall.

Winter had left. Just like that. No hesitation. No second thought.

She glanced down at Leo, adjusting his blanket. Winter would be back soon. She knew that.

But that didn’t mean she wasn’t pissed.