Be Careful What You Wish For: A Zombie Apocalypse
Chapter 375: Her Favorite

Chapter 375: Her Favorite

Salvatore didn’t say a word when the house vanished behind him; in fact, as far as he was concerned, it was for the best. After all, his woman, his soul was inside it... and what better way to protect her than to no longer exist in this realm?

He knew the others didn’t like the fact that Hattie and the house disappeared like that; they were scared that they wouldn’t see her again, and they were worried that they might not become strong enough.

That the house might judge them as not worthy of its precious treasure.

He wasn’t worried about it at all. Hattie was already his. The house would never, could never, keep him away from the little star who held his heart and soul in the palm of her hands.

The others were almost desperate, even those who already merged with her and their demons. They didn’t seem to understand what was so clear to him. Hattie didn’t do things in half measures.

Period.

She was either all in, or you died. She either loved you, or she hated you. She was either loyal...

The jungle bowed to him like it did her. With the others, it tested them, pushed them to see what they would and would not accept. But not with him. They already knew the consequences of crossing him.

And it wasn’t an upset Hattie.

He was Envy, and nothing around him could escape that fact. Even the flowers wilted in front of him, hiding their blossoms in case they were found wanting. Trees bowed before him, and vines slithered away, unfit to be seen under the light of the full moon.

He was the standard by which all others would be judged. Silent, calculating, and sharp as a blade beneath silk. He didn’t need to roar or stomp his feet. That was for men who needed to be noticed.

And he didn’t need to be.

After all, he had already captured the Devil’s attention; who else was worthy of his notice?

"I assume we are going out to get stronger?" asked Envy from inside of him. While the two were almost completely merged, Salvatore could still hear the demon’s voice when everything around him was silent.

"Need?" sneered Salvatore, his voice a quiet rasp that still managed to send the jungle around him shuddering in fear. The being who currently walked the jungle floor didn’t need to be stronger. He already had everything and would defend it to his death.

Envy chuckled softly in his head, in complete agreement with the human. "Very true," nodded the Sin. "We had her first shiver of pleasure, her first moan. It was our name that she screamed when her body melted under our hand, and our name she breathed before falling asleep after we gave her peak after peak of pleasure."

Salvatore grunted but didn’t bother to respond because what could he say? The demon was right.

It had been he who did what none of the others could or would do.

The quiet one. The one none of them saw coming. She had chosen him that night—not because he demanded it, but because he understood her.

She was chaos incarnate. And he was silence.

They balanced like two halves of the same coin.

Don’t get him wrong. He could easily take her from the others; he didn’t have to share what he had worked so hard to get. But he didn’t mind sharing her with them. Not because there was no other option—but because it was his choice to share. The others could only envy what he had with her.

They chased her because they didn’t know what she wanted and needed.

Only he did.

Suddenly, a man stood on the path in front of him. Not willing to give way, Salvatore stopped, cocking his head to the side.

The man looked like he was built for war. Strong and sturdy, he didn’t lack anything when it came to his physique.

However, the second Salvatore saw his bright glowing eyes, he couldn’t help but scoff.

"I am Envy," announced the man, his voice echoing around them like he was worried that someone couldn’t hear him.

"Nobody," shrugged Salvatore, letting out a soft sigh. This man wasn’t his equal in any way, shape, or form. In fact, even standing here with him was giving him more acknowledgment and respect than the stranger deserved.

"Funny," continued the man, his face twisting in a smirk. "You know I am right; that is why you don’t bother to reply. You are weak, I could crush you to dust with my pinky and still be home for dinner. You are nothing. I’ve trained for thousands of years to become the perfect host for Envy; what makes you so special? How about this; we’ll fight. Whoever wins gets to be the new Sin of Envy, and whoever dies gets to feed the jungle."

"Noisy," muttered Salvatore, wiggling his finger in his ear as if to get the voice to stop.

"Excuse you?" hissed the stranger. "I’ve killed gods, angels, and demons, destroyed empires, sacrificed everything to be chosen. Who the hell are you to tell me that I am noisy?"

"Stupid," smirked Salvatore with a shrug of his shoulders.

Enraged, the godlike man attacked, his power surging like a tidal wave. Blades of wind, bone, and lightning whistled around the men, taking out plants and trees before directing their deadly power toward Salvatore.

At the last second, before he was sliced in two, Salvatore moved. Not with flair or rage but with precision. Pulling a blade from his pants pocket, he smiled at the stranger.

Every step, every breath, every flick of his blade was a calculated death sentence. Where the god was fire and chaos, Salvatore was cold execution.

The battle that raged couldn’t even be considered a fight; it was nothing short of an execution.

Every slash of Salvatore’s knife hit a vital point; every stab took out a tendon or organ. It wasn’t until the stranger had collapsed onto the jungle path, broken, bleeding, and humiliated, that Salvatore finally put an end to the fight.

Crouching down beside the man, Salvatore wasn’t even breathing hard.

"The Sin of Envy isn’t about desiring what others have," he murmured, his voice so soft that even the plants around them strained to hear his words of wisdom. "It’s about being the one they all desire to become. You lost the second you envied what others had."

Coming to his feet, Salvatore flicked the black blood off his blade before folding it back into a non-descript bundle no longer than his hand. Turning around, Salvatore strolled back the way he came. In the morning, the house should be back where it was supposed to be.

Licking his lips, he could practically taste Hattie on his tongue. It seemed like it had been forever since he managed to indulge in that particular taste. When he got back, he needed to remind Hattie why he was her favorite.

As if waiting for the predator to leave the path, the jungle itself held its breath until Salvatore was out of sight. Turning back to the dying man, the jungle made quick work, consuming every part of him whole.

The law of the jungle was simple. You either ate or you were eaten. And this night, the jungle ate well.