Chapter 1

Landon and I were the ultimate toxic couple of the survival base.

He hated me because I personally sent my sickly sister to the research lab. He thought I only did it to harvest the antiviral serum from her veins.

I hated him because his eyes only ever saw her. Even in this brutal apocalypse, he protected a woman who couldn't even lift a lead pipe.

For ten years in the wasteland, we spat the same curse at each other every single day. "I hope you die a miserable death."

But when the zombie horde finally breached our last line of defense, things changed. He used heavy chains to lock me inside an armored rig and stood alone against the tide of monsters.

"Live..."

I watched him get swallowed by the sea of undead. The sound of snapping bones and tearing flesh echoed through the air.

As he lay dying, he pulled out a faded photo of my sister. He tucked it against the only clean spot on his chest.

"I'm giving you this life," he whispered.

"If there's a next life, don't touch her again."

That night, I went back and blew up the entire base.

When I opened my eyes again, I found the Zombie King.

His razor-sharp bone claws gripped my throat, but I just smiled and held his cold hand.

"Let's make a deal," I said.

"If you give the human bases five years of peace, I will willingly become your Queen."

In my last life, he died to save me.

In this life, I'll become the monster to give them exactly what they wanted.

1

"Anyone who touches Nora has to go through me first!"

Landon's voice cut through the air like a sharp blade.

I snapped my head up and saw him standing shield-like in front of my sister. His eyes were murderous as he glared at me.

My heart gave a violent squeeze.

He was supposed to be dead.

He had died in the zombie horde just to keep me breathing.

"Landon, it's okay..."

"If sacrificing me can save everyone, I'm willing to do it."

Nora sobbed quietly, her frail body trembling like a leaf in the wind.

Landon's eyes softened with agonizing pity. He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. "No. I won't stand by and watch you get hurt."

The situation was at a total standstill. The head of the Research Lab walked over to me.

"Commander Zoe, Miss Nora was bitten, but for some reason, she didn't turn."

"If we can develop a vaccine from her, it would be the greatest contribution to humanity."

The man's eyes gleamed with a fanatical, crazed light.

In my past life, Nora died in that lab, and the vaccine was never found.

I bit my lip and looked at the couple standing a few feet away.

Landon gave Nora a look of pure devotion. "Don't worry, Nora. I'll keep you safe. If they want you, they'll have to step over my corpse."

Since we were kids, it was always the three of us: Landon, Nora, and me.

But from the very beginning, he only ever had eyes for her.

In my last life, I believed the lab's lies and handed her over myself. She died a horrific death, and Landon ended up dying for me anyway.

Landon looked at me now, his face twisted with pure disgust.

"Nora is your own flesh and blood. Do you even realize what you're doing?"

"How can a woman be as wicked as you?"

"Are you really this cold-blooded?"

He was usually such a calm man, yet he spat such venomous words at me.

"Fine. Let her go," I heard myself say.

"I'm telling you, if you dare lay a finger on Nora..."

Landon stopped mid-sentence as my words finally registered.

"What did you say?"

"I said I'm letting her go. I agree to your terms."

Landon froze, looking like he couldn't believe his ears.

"Zoe Quinn, what kind of sick game are you playing now?" He stared at me, his suspicion deep-rooted.

I looked at him and suddenly felt an overwhelming wave of exhaustion.

"Get lost."

"Before I change my mind."

I turned my back on them, my voice sounding raw and hollow.

When he led Nora away, he didn't look back even once.

I stood there alone, my nails digging deep into the palms of my hands.

The lab director walked up to me, looking absolutely devastated.

"Commander, do you have any idea what you've done? Without that serum, the human race is doomed!"

I took a deep breath and swept a freezing gaze over him.

"Were you even sure it would work?"

"Or did you just suggest this because your daughter likes Landon and he rejected her?"

I hit the nail right on the head. The director pointed a finger at me, speechless for a long time.

Finally, he let out a cold sneer. "You have a sharp tongue. I can't wait to see how you explain this to the rest of the survivors."

"Don't you worry about that. I have my own way."

With that, I turned and walked away.