Ash counted and recounted the stock they had in the storage room and frowned. He was sure that he heard Bella mention to Kyle few days ago that they had enough food for 2 more months. But with the current intake and the amount left, he could only add up to 1 month and a half, and that is if they reduced the food distribution to one meal a day. There would be no extras left to give as rewards or bonuses. Peter didn't give him any directions on how to handle the problem. Ash was sure that he was aware of the issue and placed him under the task on purpose. If he started reducing the portions, people would start giving him a hard time. His head started hurting as he tried to think up a solution.

'First I have to consult with Peter.' Having made up his mind. He informed someone to ask Peter over as he couldn't really leave his post. When the man arrived, he looked a bit irritated. "What's wrong Ash?" he asked without much enthusiasm.

Seeing that Peter looked like he didn't have a lot of patience to spare, Ash went directly to the point. "Our food supply won't last until the end of next month. Especially with the rate of consumption. We have no choice but to cut down to only one meal per day and it is essential that another food source is found as soon as possible. Or you might have a riot on your hand."

Hearing his words, Peter's face darkened considerably. He went inside and took a look at the amount left. "One meal per day per person it is then." Even when he said that, Ash could see the wheels turning in his eyes. Having the party was a mistake. It wiped out a considerable amount of food. That and the amount he has divided out for personal purposes was straining the already small quantity.

Hearing him not respond Ash added again, "What I mean is that you need to go out on a raid with a team soon."

Peter snapped his eyes towards him and gave him a look as if he was insane. Until now all the raids were all conducted with Rhys as the spearhead. He and his team always ventured out for the rest of them that everyone had become accustomed to their service. But now the reality seemed to have hit him, and the realisation did not please him. Kyle and his group did not interfere in his management, but they didn't cooperate either. They took up small tasks that the regular members did while they were not around. They used to go out and explore the nearby areas every 3-4 days and kill off any Zombies that ventured too close to their camp. But they haven't budged since the management changed. They refused to take on anything that endangered their lives.

Peter fell into deep thought and then his eyes focused back onto Ash as if finding a great solution. "You are close with them, are you not? You should go over and convince them to go out." He smiled widely as he became convinced by his own words. Not giving Ash a chance to protest, he then order "Make sure that the bring back something by the end of this month. I trust you can do that. Now I have some work to do. I will send Tom over to collect the boxes that I asked for." With those words he left.

Ash was furious both at Peter and at himself for being powerless to oppose him. EH just wanted to smash something or punch a wall but instead took a few calming breaths and sat down at his post. 'Rhys would most probably kick him than agree to his request.' He sighed, 'I should still find a time to go over and ask.'

For the next several days he was so busy that he didn't even have time to wink. People were dissatisfied since their meals were reduced and they could only come pick at Ash since Peter washed his hands clean by simply stating that 'There is indeed a food shortage, but Ash is the one deciding and distributing the mount.' Fighting against hungry survivors was a losing battle for him. So, Ash had no choice but to make it back to two meals a day. Even with the arrangement, there were several people who tried to shove their way in and grab whatever they could. And a few of them succeeded. Ash was very worn out dealing with all of this. People only started backing away when he started pointing his gun at them.

When he finally had a moment to breath and closed his eyes to take a little rest and wash away the fatigue. Ash shifted a little on the chair and leaning back to get a more comfortable position. Suddenly he heard a familiar chuckle at the doorway. Instantly his guard was up. He didn't want to engage in a conversation with a pervert. So, he decided to pretend that he didn't hear anything and was sleeping. "Ash" He shuddered slightly as he heard the overly sweetened way his name was pronounced. Even if he could pretend not to see him with his eyes closed, he could still hear feet shuffling closer towards him. Soon a shadow fell over him and Ash reluctantly reopened his eyes.

He noticed that a certain figure was hovering over him way too close for comfort. Ash raised an eyebrow at him to let him know that he was not really comfortable with the visit. "Luke, what brings you here?" he asked warily shifting in his chair to put some distance with the man.

He chuckled under his breath as he noticed the movements and placed his hands on both arms of the chair trapping him in "Of course it's because I missed you." Ash grimaced at the words and pushed him back with a hand to create some space between them. Although Luke resisted a little in the end he moved back since his main goal was not to harass the boy.

"I am serious, why are you here?" Ash asked ones more jumping out of the chair so that such a dangerous situation won't happen again.

"Well I saw you struggling with all those halfwits. I thought I should come and see how you are holding up." He said with a smirk on his face.

"I am fine."

He suddenly pulled closer without warning and whispered into Ash's ears, "You know, I can be your guard dog while you are on duty if you want." Although he was feeling uncomfortable with their closeness Ash was seriously considering his words. He really did need help and he was getting none from Peter. So, it would take a load off him if Luke volunteered to help him. "In exchange...." Before Ash could think that he might have misjudged him Luke suddenly continued. "how about you send the nights with me?" he wriggled his eyes suggestively as Ash pulled away from him with lightning speed.

"Thanks for the offer but I don't need your help." Ash said without hesitation.

Luke laughed at his serious expression "meh, I didn't expect it to work anyway. How about instead you secretly give me an extra package of food everyday as payment?" He crossed his arms across his chest as he watched Ash deep in thoughts.

He was already struggling with a shortage of food. He couldn't just freely give away anymore. With two meals a day the amount wouldn't even last until the end of this month. He couldn't afford to give away any especially since Peter had taken a huge potion as reward food in order to tempt the other side over and gain more followers. He certainly was a politician at heart, he was planning to take the one meal per day rule to tempt over Kyle's group. When hungry people are offered to choose between either friendship or food, you could guess what they would choose. But then again with Luke standing guard, he could actually enforce the one meal a day rule. Then he could give him one more packet. But it would be unfair to the others then. Food was worth like gold nowadays and his service was greatly overpriced.

Seeing him still hesitate Luke decided to add "I will be generous and even give you free hand to hand combat training." This was his original goal anyway, but he still said it like he was doing Ash a great favour. Indeed, as soon as Ash heard the additional benefit to the offer, he became intrigued and was ready to accept it. but he still couldn't really afford to give away the packages since he had no idea if Rhys would agree to go out on a raid.

"How about half a package?" Ash asked in a business tone.

Luke frowned but he was secretly trying hard not to laugh. He pretended to consider it and finally accepted it with an aggrieved face.

They waited until after the food rush to start training. With Luke standing there like a menacing pillar, Ash informed everyone that food was short and that from tomorrow onward there will be only one meal per day until the shortage was resolved. This was met with angry shouts and protests, but no one really dared to try something now that two people with guns were watching the entrance. When the last person left, Luke threw him a knife and took snapped his fingers ready to take on an armed opponent. Ash hesitantly picked up the knife and looked at Luke worriedly. "Are you sure about the knife?"

"Of course. Don't worry a pipsqueak like you won't be able to hurt me. once you get used to swinging it, we can switch." This was more worrying. That meant that the chances of getting hurt was high. But this was for the good of developing his muscles and giving him a chance to survive in extreme circumstances. So, he had no reason to refuse. "Okay."

"Okay, lesson one, if your opponent is stronger than you. You will get hurt. If it's the other way around he will sustain injuries instead of you. If both of you are on equal terms, then there is highly no chance that either of you can walk away without injuries." After saying that he pointed to the two of them. In this case, Luke obviously had the advantage. Ash understood that. "So just because you get a scratch don't stop learning." He continued, "Lesson two, if you dare to raise a weapon then you should have the guts to act out what you think. Don't just take it as a tool to threaten someone. Take the knife against your enemy, then use it to kill." Ash held the knife in front of him and listened attentively. "Alright show me what you can do."

With the signal, Ash rushed forward with the knife raised just as he did when handling Zombies. But there was a fundamental difference between a zombie and a human. Thought. Humans would not be stupid enough to just rush into your knife just because you held it out. It was over before it even started. The knife was thrown out of his hand and he was pinned to the ground within minutes. "Although I like the few from up here, I think you should try not to plant your face in the ground next time." With his teasing igniting his competitive spirit, Ash jumped back up and started over again. He had always been a fast learner. After 2-3 failures he started to improvise the attacks based on his physique and skill level. And just like when he was learning to shoot the gun, Ash felt like his body knew how to move when he had a knife in his hand. 'Fight as if you want to kill him.' Ash kept whispering in his head. Once he felt like his emotions had adjusted to a murderous one, he ran at Luke. At the last moment sidestepped and swiped the knife upward aiming for his throat. The killing intent was very obvious in his eyes.

Luke was startled. Ash had started off a bit clumsy but within a few tries he understood the gist of surprise and swiftness. The boy was light on his feet which was his biggest advantage and he managed to bring out quite a big portion of it for his first-time knife fights. And right at that moment Luke also realised that Ash could be both unpredictable and as slippery as an eel. Not to mention his ability to get into the right state of mind without hesitation. If Luke didn't have the combat experience he had, then he would be a goner right there. Ash looked like he was in a daze. His eyes were unfocused as if he was experiencing a fight far away. Moreover, the eyes that flashed at him screamed that he really wanted to stab him to death. A shudder ran down his spine. Luke dodged the knife by stepping backwards and away from the swing of the knife then he grabbed a hold of the hand that held the knife in order to make him immobile. But to his astonishment, Ash let go of the knife and as it fell, skilfully caught it with the other hand. The movement was so smooth and flawless that Luke stood rooted for a minute. This was a mistake as the knife rose and changed direction, but this time instead of a slash Ash went for a stab and he aimed it at his upper thigh.

With quick movements, Luke tugged at the hand imprisoned in his grasp and turned him around. With the sudden movement, the knife missed its trajectory and was only able to slice through the fabric of the Jean. He grabbed Ash in a chocking hold around his neck and with the other hand stopped the aggressive knife hand. In the middle of the struggling the knife grazed Ash across his abdomen and blood started seeping out through the wound and the fabric. Feeling the pain on his tummy and the discomfort on his throat, Ash came back to his senses. He struggled a bit and then patted at the arm across his throat to let him go since he was starting to feel suffocated. Seeing that Ash had calmed down, Luke let the boy go and wiped at some cold sweat that spotted over his forehead. That had been a dangerous situation. He had let his guard down thinking that it was Ash's first time. But he suddenly grinned wide in excitement. Ash was a natural at knife fights. If the proper training was given, he could be invaluable during their raids.

"let's stop here for today. You are really good for a first timer." Rhys complimented lavishly. "Go and get that wound treated" he said nodding at the cut. It was nothing too dangerous, yet it was deep enough to take some time to heal "I will stand guard until you come back."

Ash nodded and tossed him a package of chips before he left. "It's for today and tomorrow." The food was his own share for the day. But he didn't really mind giving it away as he was gaining valuable skills in return. He could afford to go hungry every other day for a good cause like this. Biyu Chen was very upset seeing him again sporting a wound. She nagged and grumbled the whole time as she was disinfecting and wrapping the cut. "It should heal in 10-13 days" she said, "keep it out of water."

For the next several days, Luke helped Ash polish his skills. Although he didn't reach anywhere near Luke's level, he was getting quicker and more unpredictable as the days went by. Luke of course also took this chance to harass him in any way possible. Sometimes he would tease him verbally other times the hands used in the dead holds he took to stop Ash's attacks would start wandering all over his body. This only fuelled Ash's anger and made him more motivated to beat the guy up. Even if Luke was helping him train, at the back of his mind, Ash had a nagging feeling that he had to be wary of him. he still didn’t like him much. Meanwhile, the people were getting more and more unhappy about the shortage of food. Several of them coming over, demanding him to distribute the entire supply kept increasing. Peter took this change wisely and distributed the stock he divided off for his personal use before. More people were now fawning over him and changing sides to get an extra bite to eat. It was getting more and more pressing that Ash talked with Rhys about the raid as soon as possible. However, to his surprise before he could muster up the courage to go, the guy decided to drop by during one of their training sessions. They both only noticed him standing there when Luke subdued Ash using an 'arm triangle choke'. Ash has been learning new things every day for the past 4 days and he was learning fast. If they kept this up, he could get as good as his teacher someday.

"You guys seem to be having fun." Rhys's cold voice drifted through the room making the excitement of the fight from before, cool down at once. His eyes wandered between the two figures sprawled across the floor and then travelled down and stopped on the hand that had sneaked inside Ash's shirt during the struggle. With the shock of seeing Rhys, Ash had forgotten to scold and kick at Luke like usual. He quickly shook off the hand and then climbed to his feet.

"What brings you here boss?" Luke asked following suit and rising to his full height.

Rhys was silent for a moment as if he himself didn't know why he was here. Then he suddenly said "Kyle seems to want you for something. You should head over."

"Oh! It's almost lunch time. People will start gathering." Luke scratched his head and looked at Rhys. "Could you take over for me today then?"

"...." Another silence filled the room and after a moment Rhys just nodded. As soon as he got the affirmation, Luke rushed away after shooting Ash a wink. No one said anything afterwards. The lunch rush went by without much hassle. Everyone behaved as they saw Rhys standing in the corner like a statue. He was after all more frightening than Luke.

Every time Ash looked the other’s way to bring up the topic the ice-cold glare that he received made his hands and feet start to shake. Ash decided that he should take some time to prepare before confronting Rhys about the raid. Seeing Rhys’s stoic face and crossed arms, Ash sighed and decided to go and reorganise the remaining stock so that he could organise his thoughts and sort out the stock for tomorrow at same time.

Ash was looking through the boxes in the shelf while thinking up ways to bring up the request with Rhys when he suddenly felt a tall shadow fall over him. Surprised Ash turned around and saw Rhys standing a few feet away from him. 'What does he want?' Ash wondered nervously. "D-Do you need something?" Ash stuttered as he saw Rhys take a step towards him. Instinctively he backed away to keep as much distance between them as possible. But he felt his retreat being blocked short by the shelves behind him.

"I heard you got hurt" Rhys broke the silence as he kept coming closer. As the last part of the sentence left his mouth, he was already standing close enough for Ash to feel his breath on his face. Furthermore, his voice was so low that it sent shivers down his spine. Ash felt himself wanting to lean into the baritone unconsciously.

"Oh! It's nothing big." Ash whispered in a small voice and looked away from the intensity in Rhys's eyes as well as from his own outrageous thoughts. He felt like the air was getting thinner in the room and felt more suffocated than when Luke was holding him in a deadlock during their training. His eyes kept shifting from one spot to another not knowing where to focus his gaze on. "Wh-what are you doing?" he asked as he saw Rhys take one last step towards him. So close that he could feel the heat of his body radiating off him.

"Checking." Rhys replied and suddenly Ash felt cold fingers touch the skin over his jeans and a gasp left his mouth. Goosebumps rose on his arms and neck. His eyes snapped back towards Rhys and his breath hitched in his throat as their eyes collided. The intensity in Rhys’s eyes made him feel like he was being scorched alive. Although he was shocked, he didn't make any movements to shake him away. It was like his mind was waiting to see what was going to happen.

Ash felt like he was enchanted and started losing himself in those deep dark pools which seemed to be sucking him in. He felt the fingers slowly sliding up making him shutter. They continued their path until they reached the bandage wrapped around his abdomen. Only when those swift fingers started undoing the wrapping, did Ash come out of his daze. His eyes were wide as he remembered that his wound was already healed without much of a trace left. If Rhys saw that he would be more suspicious of him than he is now. Not to mention that there is a chance that his ability could be exposed.

Ash started struggling at once. Seeing the sudden change Rhys frowned and took a good hold of the boy's shirt determined not to let him go before he could confirm his doubts. With the rising panic, Ash suddenly pushed him away and turned. As soon as he did that, he heard a ripping noise along with the sound of buttons hitting the floor. Cold air brushed against his exposed skin and made him tremble. For the first time he felt like he wanted to hide his bare skin from prying eyes.

Rhys stopped short for a moment just like Ash, both of them surprised and in shock. Pale white skin littered with almost faded bruises was exposed to a pair of searching eyes. A bandage with its edge slightly peeled was stuck to the upper side of his bellybutton. His body was slim and lacked any sort of muscles. But with the recent exercise they were starting to show signs of becoming firmer and healthier. Rhys still had the edge of the Ash's torn shirt in his hand. Making use of Ash's surprised state, he tugged at it sharply pulling the boy towards him. Rhys felt soft skin colliding with his chest and looked down at a pair of beautiful wide eyes looking up at him scared and confused.

"Stand still" Rhys leaned into the boy and whispered in his ears. One of his arms circled around the boy's waist to make sure that he wouldn't try to escape again. Rhys thought he heard loud heart beats, but he didn't know if it was Ash's or his own. He placed his other hand flat against Ash's stomach. The skin was very smooth and soft under his touch. He felt himself gulp in anticipation as his hands ones more traced their way up the flat surface, taking their sweet time and lingering on the soft skin. The body in his hands trembled which made him strangely happy for some reason. Ash was still struggling. He placed his hands against Rhys chest and tried to push himself away from him but the grip around his waist only tightened. With his current strength it was impossible to overcome Rhys.

"Please Stop this." Ash shouted while glaring at Rhys finally giving up on struggling and deciding on persuasion. Seeing the recently timid blue eyes set ablaze, something snapped inside Rhys. The hand that had stopped over the bandage a moment ago changed its goal and slid further up. Ash’s eyes widened in shock. The atmosphere around Rhys had changed completely. His eyes darkened another shade as his hand grabbed Ash by the rib cage and his thump flicked across the beads on his chest. Rhys heard Ash gasp and he saw with fascination the nipple harden and darken two shades under his finger. The boy was very sensitive. Rhys unconsciously licked his lips with anticipation.

Ash's legs buckled at the sensations even the smallest touch was giving him. As the movement of the thumb continued its assault, it almost made him moan out. An electric spark spread from his chest and gathered in his stomach. The shock of it drew all the strength from him. Both fear and something else like expectation filled him and gave his legs away from underneath him. As he was about to plop to the ground, two strong hands heaved him up without much effort. Ash stood flushed against a firm chest while his feet bend with weakness. He turned to look at Rhys with a searching look but was shocked to see the usual dark eyes darker with an intensity that made his stomach flip. Ash bit his lips and let his hands unintentionally slid down well defined pecs and abdominal muscles. He gulped at the fineness of the body under his hands.

Rhys thought that someone must be controlling him. He found himself thinking about leaning towards the slightly apart, wet pink lips and his eyes flicked towards it multiple times, barely holding back. He was about to give in to his instinct, but he saw the head turn away from him with flushed cheeks robbing him from the chance. Frustrated, he buried his head into Ash's neck. His hand slid up Ash's shoulder and ran up his neck and stopped right under his chin. Rhys really didn't know what he was doing. Only the thought of tasting him filled his head. Acting out his thoughts he sank his teeth into the sensitive skin on Ash's neck. He heard a soft whimper and felt nails digging into his skin. As he tasted the sweet and salty skin a low growl threatened to break through his lips. He was really losing his mind. He wanted more.

Suddenly the absurdity of the moment hit Rhys like cold water. He jumped up and pushed the boy away at arm length. Ash looked like he was about to cry. Seeing the swimming eyes, Rhys coughed awkwardly and with quick moments tore the bandage away before his mind could think up something else crazy. The sight that met him made his eyes darken dangerously. The atmosphere from moments ago vanished immediately and instantly became frosty. The skin was mainly smooth, only a faded scar remained as an indicator that there had been a wound. Rhys was sure that if given 2 more days, that too would disappear without a trace. Seeing this reminded him of his initial purpose and the reason for coming here in the first place. The distrust he had for the boy was only got hammered stronger into his mind with this visit. This was what he wanted to confirm. He had even asked Luke for help to injure him in a not so obvious way in order to confirm his suspicions. Rhys had really hoped that he was wrong. The result was the opposite of what he had hopped. The visions were true, and they are things that are going to happen in the near future.

"It seems like you can heal quite fast. Faster than normal humans." Rhys shot sarcastically. Ash remained silent and looked away from the wrathful eyes. Rhys scoffed and walked away knowing now for sure that the boy was dangerous.

Seeing the retreating figure, Ash mustered up his courage and grabbed his hand. "Wait."

Rhys stopped and looked at the dishevelled figure and frowned. His eyes fell on the red mark on his neck and felt complicated. Even through his anger he felt the boy looked delectable. But his distrust of the boy and the recent visions he had, kept his rationality in place. "What do you want?" Rhys asked with a bit of impatience laced in his voice.

"I need to ask you something important." He said. Seeing Rhys slightly turn back towards him, Ash continued. "We are running really low on food. When are you going on another raid? I will go along with you"

"I am not." Rhys responded removing his hand from Ash's grip.

"W-Why not?" Ash asked shocked.

"I was only doing it because my brother was in charge. Now he is not, so I have no reason to help a conniving weasel." He responded with cold eyes "and his fucking minions" his voice came out a bit harsher than he intended.

"Please. You and me both know that its only your group capable of going out and coming back alive at this moment." Ash tried again. This time even going as far as to beg the man.

"That is not my fault. I have asked those fools to join our raids time and time again. If they had, then they would have had some experience by now." He turned back and started walking away.

"You are being selfish!!!" Ash shouted after him finally losing his patience as well. "You are also living here so you should at least help out a little rather than just eat and do nothing the whole day." Rhys turned back so fast and grabbed him by the collar before Ash could blink.

"look here, halfwit. You have no right to call me selfish when you yourself turned your back on your friends for your selfish reasons." He glowered at Ash and then continued, "You annoy me so much, I am glad that you will be out of my hair soon enough. Do not ever provoke me" He released him. "Since you have such a low opinion of me, I will do you idiots one last unnecessary favour because of my kindness of heart" Rhys said again, this time his face was blank as if he found it tedious to even get angry at the boy. "I will draw you a map of the places we have already searched and found nothing. So, make use of that knowledge and get your ass hole of a boss to do the raid himself." With that he stormed out of the room leaving Ash gaping.

Ash couldn't say anything more. He already knew what he was asking for was unjust and selfish. Rhys even promised to draw a map which would be a great help already. He couldn't expect anything more. Ash looked after the departing figure and was confused, 'What did he mean by 'not having to see me for long'? Was he planning to leave the Tesco?'