Felicity's Beast World Apocalypse-Chapter 148: If You Want

Damien and Marx left the apartment building just before the hour when the city settled into its most uneasy quiet.

"You know she’s going to yell," Marx said.

Damien didn’t look back "yes."

"She’s definitely going to yell."

"Yes."

"Just checking you’re prepared emotionally."

Damien glanced at him."No."

Marx grinned "That’s the spirit."

They reached Rose’s compound ten minutes later.

Calling it a compound was generous. Before the collapse it had been a garden center attached to a small rural hardware store, the kind of place people visited on weekends to buy soil and ornamental shrubs. After the collapse it had become something much more practical reinforced fencing, watch towers made of stacked pallets and welded sheet metal, a scattering of low buildings lit by generator power.

Someone on the wall saw them first a flashlight beam cut across the yard "Identify."

"Marx," he called back.

A pause then the gate clanged open.

Rose met them halfway across the gravel yard. She had always been sharp faced, sharp tongued, sharp minded. The apocalypse hadn’t dulled any of those traits. If anything it had honed them until they cut deeper. She crossed her arms over the swell of her belly, the moment she saw them "Oh good," she said flatly. "It’s the idiots."

Marx spread his hands "You wound me."

"Not yet," she replied. "But the night’s young."

Damien stopped in front of her "We’re leaving."

Rose blinked once then she laughed, not pleasantly "oh are you now."

"Yes."

"Let me guess," she said, gesturing vaguely toward the city. "You’ve finally noticed that the lizards and the Leaf want her too."

Marx leaned slightly toward Damien "She’s perceptive."

Rose ignored him "You bring Felicity into the area and suddenly every team within fifty kilometers starts sniffing around like horny wolves, what did you think was going to happen."

Marx raised a finger "To be fair.."

"Don’t," Rose snapped.

Marx lowered the finger.

Damien spoke calmly "The ground is compromised."

Rose snorted "No shit." Rose rubbed a hand over her face "you idiots always did like hard mode."

Marx shrugged "it builds character."

She glared at him "you don’t have any character."

"That hurts."

Rose looked back at Damien "you’re sure."

"Yes."

She was quiet for several seconds, then she sighed, "I hate that you’re right."

Marx grinned "people say that about us all the time."

"People say that about Damien," she corrected. "You’re usually just wrong loudly."

Marx looked offended.

Rose continued "It’s not safe here anymore."

"No," Damien said "too many eyes."

"Yes." She looked out toward the dark fields beyond the compound walls, "news spreads faster now than it ever did before."

"Yes."

She shook her head slowly "Felicity’s strong enough to change ecosystems."

She pointed a finger at Marx "and if you get that girl killed I’m personally coming out there to haunt you."

Marx held up both hands "I’m not even the one she likes."

"That’s not reassuring."

Back in the apartment, Felicity slept in the center of the bed without understanding that nothing about her position was accidental, the bed itself was large enough to hold all of them comfortably, but comfort had never been the point. The arrangement had formed slowly, instinctively, each man settling into a position that placed her within reach, within sight, within something that felt far too close to possession to be called simple protection.

Lucan lay at her side, turned slightly toward her even in stillness, his body angled in a way that made it impossible for distance to exist between them for long. His arm rested across the blanket near her waist, not quite holding her, but close enough that the intent of it was obvious. The low purring vibration in his chest had continued through most of the night, a steady sound that seemed to anchor her even as she slept.

On her other side, Voss had stretched out with deliberate carelessness, one arm tucked behind his head, his posture loose but deceptive. Even in sleep, his presence curved toward her, as if the line of his body refused to orient anywhere else.

Ivan had taken position near her legs, broad shoulders partially blocking the lower edge of the bed. One of his arms rested across the blanket, heavy and unmoving, the kind of presence that turned space into territory simply by existing within it.

Victor lay closest to the headboard, his posture composed even in rest, one arm behind his head, the other resting across his torso. His breathing was slow and controlled, but there was nothing fully relaxed about him. Even asleep, he remained aware in a way that felt deliberate.

Felicity remained in the center of all of it, unaware of the quiet structure built around her.

Lucan had not slept. He had closed his eyes, but the act had been meaningless. Every time he drifted even slightly, the same awareness returned immediately, pulling him back into wakefulness with quiet insistence. The warmth of her against him, the softness of her hair brushing against his skin, the slow, steady rhythm of her breathing none of it faded into the background, it only became more defined, his instincts refused to let it go.

Touch meant something now. Proximity meant something now. The world had stripped away too many illusions for those signals to be ignored. What remained was simpler, more direct, and far harder to deny.

Mine.

Across the bed, Victor’s eyes opened briefly, he did not move, he observed the position of every man. The way Felicity lay between them. The subtle tightening of Lucan’s arm when she shifted even slightly. Victor’s gaze lingered for a moment longer than necessary before he closed his eyes again, obviously Lucan was different than the rest, he was like himself, the claim was louder, more fated than it should of been.

She stirred slowly, awareness returning in pieces rather than all at once. The warmth around her felt unusually complete, surrounding her from every side. The surface beneath her was firm, but there was movement too, something steady and alive beneath her cheek.

The sound reached her next, low, quiet vibration, comforting. At first she forgot the world had ended and she was at home with her pet cat. She shifted slightly, still half asleep, pressing closer without thinking, the surface beneath her moved, the vibration deepened.

Her eyes opened for a brief moment, nothing made sense. The shape in front of her, the warmth beneath her cheek, the sound vibrating softly through her ear it all existed without context, then her mind caught up.

Lucan.

The realization hit all at once. Heat rushed to her face instantly, her cheeks flushing so quickly it almost startled her. The awareness of how close she was, how completely she had ended up against him, sent a wave of embarrassment through her that was sharp enough to make her react without thinking. She buried her face into his chest.

Lucan’s eyes opened, he had already been awake. The movement drew a low, husky laugh from him, the sound vibrating through her again in a way that made her flush deepen further. His hand moved almost automatically, sliding over the back of her head, fingers brushing gently through her hair in a motion that carried both familiarity and quiet possession. "Good morning, little bunny." He leaned down slightly, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, his voice low and warm.

"I love you."

Felicity froze, her thoughts scattered completely, leaving nothing coherent behind them. The words settled somewhere deep before she could even begin to process them, and the only thing she managed in response was a soft, embarrassed sound as she pressed her face further into him "you make it hard to focus when you look at me like that."

Lucan’s purr deepened again, quieter this time but no less present. He shifted slightly, his arm tightening just enough to keep her from retreating too far, not forcing her to stay, but making it clear that leaving entirely was not an option he was considering, "you’re hiding."

"I’m not hiding," she mumbled, her voice muffled against his chest.

"You are." he purred.

"I’m thinking."

"You’re hiding."

She made a small frustrated sound and stayed exactly where she was, around them, the others had begun to wake. Voss opened one eye first, watching the interaction with quiet amusement that he didn’t bother hiding. Ivan shifted slightly where he lay, his gaze moving over the two of them with a calm, assessing look before settling again. Victor opened his eyes last, his attention moving over the room with measured precision, Damien rolled his eyes but did agree she was quite cute.

Felicity finally lifted her head slightly, her face still flushed, her eyes flicking briefly toward the others before immediately returning to Lucan as if drawn back despite herself. The way he looked at her made it difficult to think clearly, his attention steady and unwavering in a way that felt too direct, too focused, she hesitated, then shifted away from him just enough to reach for the nearest familiar presence.

"Voss... hes bullying me" Her voice was soft, almost uncertain.

Voss’s expression shifted instantly, the amusement fading into something warmer as he moved without hesitation, sitting up and reaching for her. Felicity leaned into him the moment he was close enough, letting him pull her easily against his side as if the movement had been rehearsed, it was instinctive.

Comfort and safety.

Lucan watched the entire thing without moving, the purr in his chest didn’t stop. If anything, it deepened.

Ivan leaned forward slightly, one hand resting briefly against Felicity’s shoulder as if to steady her even though she didn’t need it, and he started to brush her hair.

Victor remained where he was, his gaze moving between them with quiet calculation and a slight smirk. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Damien wrapped his tail around her ankle.

"She’s overwhelmed," Voss said lightly, though there was something beneath the tone that didn’t quite match the words.

Lucan’s eyes remained on Felicity "i can see that."

Felicity hid her face briefly against Voss’s shoulder, then peeked back toward Lucan, her expression still soft with embarrassment but something else beginning to show beneath it, Something warmer.

She hesitated, then spoke carefully, "It’s Victor’s night tonight."

Victor’s gaze flicked to her, sharp and immediate, raising an eye brow.

Voss’s hand tightened slightly at her waist.

Ivan’s posture changed by a fraction.

Damien’s tail flexed around her ankle a bit tighter.

Lucan didn’t react outwardly at all, he simply watched her.

Felicity’s cheeks flushed again, but she didn’t look away this time, "and um tomorrow..." She hesitated for a fraction of a second "...if you want."

The words landed differently, not a rejection, an invitation.

Lucan’s expression didn’t change, but something in his gaze deepened in a way that made the room feel smaller "I want," he said quietly.

There was no hesitation in it.

Voss smiled faintly, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes, "I’m sure you do."

Ivan huffed a quiet breath that might have been amusement.

Damien lightly hissed.

Victor sat up slowly, his attention settling fully on Felicity now "you’re making decisions quickly," he said.

Felicity shifted slightly, still tucked against Voss but looking toward him "It feels right.. it feels like you."

Victor’s gaze lingered on her for a moment then shifted to Lucan. Then back again, there was no anger in it. But something sharper moved beneath the surface, "you’ve known him for less than a day."

Felicity’s fingers tightened slightly in the fabric of Voss’s shirt "I know"

"And you’re already offering him time."

Her voice softened "i want to."

The room quietened after that. Lucan didn’t speak, he didn’t need to. The look in his eyes said enough.

Voss exhaled slowly, his hand still resting at Felicity’s waist "Well," he said lightly, though the edge beneath it was harder to miss now, "he makes an impression."

Ivan nodded once.

Damien also reluctantly nodding "clearly."

Victor’s gaze remained steady "You know how much I crave you."