Be Careful What You Wish For: A Zombie Apocalypse-Chapter 480: My Soul To Keep

I woke up with the worst taste in my mouth—like bug legs and bad decisions. I could have sworn that I still felt the humidity from that dark place like a physical layer on my skin. Shuddering, wondering if I should take a shower, I realized that I was back home.

Groaning, I blinked open one eye, then shut it just as fast when I realized the room was too bright, my blanket was missing, and I was currently being used as a teddy bear.

"Why is it always me?" I mumbled, rolling my face into the nearest warm surface. "I just granted a wish. That should’ve cleared my damn quota for the month. Maybe even the year. Can’t a girl catch a break?"

"You were muttering about bugs," came a soft voice near my ear. Luca. Of course, it was Luca. His heartbeat was too steady, too calming to be anyone else. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"More like an interdimensional house call," I grumbled, voice muffled against his chest. "Some bug girl wished for a jungle kingdom, offered up her humanity, and now I’m pretty sure Country X is about to get a new queen with antennae."

Luca didn’t say anything for a moment. Just ran his fingers slowly through my hair. Comforting. Predictable. Dangerous.

"What’s wrong?" I asked, squinting up at him. "Where’s Ronan?"

"He was called away. Papa Khaos wanted help with the old maps—something about ley lines shifting since you split the world. He was going to wake you up to figure out where the line between East and West was drawn, but Ronan threatened to burn down all the maps and the house if you were disturbed. I guess he wanted you to get a much sleep as you needed."

That explained why I’d actually gotten a full nap. Ronan’s threat must’ve made the house realize that it had been going too far lately. It was fantastic that it wasn’t listening to me, but as long as it would listen to the guys, I guess I wouldn’t have to rebuild the whole thing.

Luca’s eyes were darker than normal. Not stormy—just... deep. Like the calm before a tidal wave.

Letting out a long sigh, he opened his mouth. "It seems like I’ve been waiting forever for the right moment," he murmured, voice thick. "Some perfect time when the world paused just long enough to say what I needed to say. However, so much time has passed, and that perfect moment has never shown up. But maybe waiting for perfect is stupid."

I pushed myself up on one elbow, hair a mess and eyes half-lidded. "That’s the most romantic preamble to a breakdown I’ve ever heard."

"I’m serious," Luca chuckled, sitting up and taking my hand in both of his. "You—you are my version of perfect. Even if the world ends again tomorrow, I’d choose you every time. I want you to have my soul." ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

My breath caught.

"Are you sure?" I breathed. I had begun to wonder if he was ever going to offer it up or if I would be forced to take it back against his will. I was tired of being broken, so his confession, his offer, was everything to me at the moment.

"I’ve never been more sure of anything. I will give you all of me, if you’ll take it." He smiled, not nervous for once, but steady. Certain. "I don’t want to wait anymore. I want to belong to you physically, the way I already do in my head."

I stared at him. No dramatic music. No lightning crashing outside. Just the two of us, in a messy bed, with my hair sticking up in six directions and my mouth probably smelling like drool and death.

And it was perfect.

"You know it doesn’t mean sunshine and kisses, right?" I whispered, covering his hands with mine. "When you merge your soul with mine, there are no take-backs. You can never change your mind; you can never leave me."

"I know." He leaned forward until our foreheads touched. "You already carry so much. But this—this-this is the one thing I can give you, freely. No contracts. No games. Just... me."

I didn’t cry.

Not really.

But my throat burned as I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"Okay," I said softly. "Then I accept."

Luca sat straight, his eyes staring into mine as he opened his mouth. "I, Greed, the Second Deadly Sin, tie myself to you, Hattie, for the rest of eternity. I freely offer my soul, the same way you did when you created me. You will want for nothing. You will never have to feel greed, for there will be nothing you lack. I will be your safe haven and the one to help you with chaos. I will be your sword when you need it and your shield when you want to hide. I will be whatever you need, in any way you need it."

Leaning forward, so his forehead was pressed against mine, Luca breathed out softly, and the bright orb that was my soul floated out of him and into me.

The warm was all encompassing. I could feel the cracks in my heart and mind starting to heal as soon as his life force joined the others. Now, six of the Seven Deadly Sins had offered me their souls, and my own was now only missing one final piece.

I didn’t worry about Gluttony, I was already feeling more whole than I ever had before. I would give him the time he needed, but for right now, I was going to show Greed just how much he meant to me.

As if in agreement with my resolution, outside the window, the wind shifted.

The vines of Country X began to move, creating a whole new world for the Empress in accordance with her wish.

And here, in my own realm, I was going to create a whole new world for myself. Starting with the demon in front of me.

"You gave me your soul," I purred, reaching forward. "Now, I want something else from you."