"So that's why you don't want to join the others, huh?" Michael said with a knowing smirk.
He had already opened up the side panel of the old generator, pulling parts aside to check the damage.
Julian was crouched next to him, keeping the ventilator steady so Michael could work without risking his fingers getting chopped off.
"I noticed something strange as soon as I left the clinic," Michael continued.
"You need to say your piece to the lass before things get weird around here."
Julian didn't answer immediately.
He could hear the sharp clicks and groans as Michael tightened a stubborn bolt with a large monkey wrench.
Each twist came with a muttered explanation — Michael was walking him through the steps, making sure Julian could handle basic repairs next time.
"Yes, sir," Julian finally said, feeling a bit like one of those meme dogs holding a flashlight for their owner.
"I'll get it under control next time I see her."
Michael gave a grunt of approval.
"Good. Now, just two more turns and we're done."
He tightened the last bolt with a grunt of effort.
"Then we can go eat with that nice old lady. I've been looking forward to today's food — just hope it's better than yesterday. Left half my plate for that kid Charlie to finish."
Michael stood up, stretching his arms, and Julian quickly handed him a towel to wipe his hands.
"Good," Michael said again.
"Let's wash up. Wouldn't mind a full bath, but with the water rationed... can't be too picky."
It wasn't long before they found themselves seated at one of the rough-hewn wooden tables, bowls of steaming hot pot in front of them.
"Smells good, right?" Mrs. Suzi said cheerfully, passing each of them a hunk of fresh bread before taking her seat across from them.
She gave them a wide, warm smile — the kind only someone who had seen too much hardship could still offer so easily.
"So, you two are part of the new group," she said, ladling extra broth into her own bowl.
"I guess I should thank you for getting the old generator running."
She laughed softly, shaking her head.
"You have no idea how hard it is to knit by candlelight. My eyesight's already bad enough."
"Sounds rough," Michael said between mouthfuls, already making good progress on his meal.
"Hopefully it holds until we can find new parts."
Across from him, Julian was eating more slowly.
He picked carefully through the soup, focusing on the meat and vegetables, lost in thought.
There was a lot on his mind — food, survival, repairing machines — but somewhere underneath it all, Emma's teasing smile lingered in the back of his thoughts.
Soon, the three of them heard a commotion near the gate of the enclave.
Judging by the excited shouts and laughter, it clearly wasn't anything dangerous — just something worth celebrating.
"What's happening?" Julian asked, quickly finishing the last spoonfuls of his food.
"Oh, don't worry about it," Mrs. Suzi said, covering her mouth as she yawned.
"It's probably just the hunting group.
Looks like they brought back something big, judging by the noise."
Curiosity gnawed at Julian.
He craned his neck, trying to see over the heads of the others gathering nearby, but it was no use.
Finally, he gulped down the rest of his soup, wiped his mouth, and stood up.
"Thank you, Mrs. Suzi! It was delicious!"
He hurried toward the growing crowd, weaving and pushing gently past the dozen or so people clustered around the entrance.
Even Charlie was there, bouncing on his toes, trying to get a better view.
"Alright, move back, everyone, move back!" came a commanding voice from near the center.
"We've come back with a Dire Wolf female and two cubs!"
The speaker — a tall, muscular woman — shoved aside anyone who didn't move fast enough.
"The female has been tamed," she announced proudly.
"As for the cubs, we'll be selling them once they're weaned."
A cheer rose from the crowd.
"Who's the tamer?" someone shouted eagerly.
"Me, of course!" the woman said, laughing heartily.
"Do you know how long I've been waiting for the pack to leave these three alone?"
Julian pushed a little closer, catching a better look at the scene.
The woman — Serah, as some whispered — stood tall and confident, practically glowing with pride.
Emma appeared then, walking briskly toward the commotion.
"Serah," Emma called, narrowing her eyes slightly,
"Don't tell me you wasted valuable hunting time just to tame a wolf?"
Serah shrugged, unbothered.
"Of course not," she said cheerfully.
"The guys got a big buck while I kept an eye on the Dires. Extra trophies, you know?"
She grinned, moving forward to hug Emma tightly.
"Now come celebrate with me Emma, you should know how happy I am, right? Come drinking with me tonight! After I make a proper home for Feris here — she's gonna want a good meal soon."
She gestured to the Dire Wolf, who stood warily beside her.
Feris — the newly tamed wolf — still didn't look entirely comfortable.
Her sharp golden eyes flickered around the crowd, her body tense as her two tiny cubs whimpered quietly beneath her.
Julian watched with wide eyes.
This was a whole new side of enclave life he hadn't even considered before.
Taming beasts.
Trading them.
Living beside creatures that once would have torn humans apart without a second thought.
It was dangerous — but it was also incredible.
Julian, meanwhile, couldn't take his eyes off the Dire Wolf.
He had grown up with dogs — even owned a husky back at his parents' house — but this creature was something else entirely.
The wolf easily stood almost twice the size of any dog he had ever seen.
Its thick grey coat shimmered in the sunlight, broken only by a white belly and a pale snout.
The fur was long and heavy — not ideal for the sweltering heat here — but the beast didn't seem to mind.
A low growl rumbled from its throat as a few eager onlookers tried to get too close.
The crowd quickly backed away, clearing a path as the massive wolf moved through them with slow, deliberate steps.
Serah, meanwhile, was carrying one pup in each arm, heading toward a quiet spot to start building a simple home for them.
"Xavier!" she yelled, her voice carrying easily over the crowd.
"Get your butt over here! We need a quick checkup on these pups!"
The camp's vet, a quiet, timid man, immediately scrambled to obey, much to the amusement of those nearby.
Julian couldn't help but smile at the chaotic energy of it all.
But his smile vanished when someone bumped into him — hard enough to knock the breath out of him.
He turned, half-expecting some random clumsy worker — and found himself face-to-face with the one person he knew he had to talk to before the day ended.
Emma stood beside him, arms crossed, her green eyes steady.
"Guess we need to talk about what happened," she said simply.
"Before curfew."
She held his gaze for a moment longer — then gave a small, almost mischievous smile.
"Don't just stand there," she added.
"I don't want everyone else listening in."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned lightly elbowed him and began walking toward a quieter section of the enclave.
Julian rubbed his ribs where she had hit him — not hard enough to injure, but precisely enough to make him wince.
"She's definitely made differently..." he thought to himself, grimacing as he sucked up the lingering ache.
Straightening his back, Julian followed after her, nerves twisting in his stomach.
One way or another, it was time to clear the air.