Adam: The last man

Chapter 30: Surrender to love

Olga said that it would not be long until it was dark at dusk. Walking was not the problem; it was the cold that they were starting to feel.

"Learn from my children. They know what it is to be efficient," Olga scolded when she heard Clara snort.

The males wore little coats that protected them.

"You didn't tell us that it was far away. If we had known, I would have brought something else," Teresa complained.

"Are you feeling too cold?" Adrian asked with concern.

"Not so much," she downplayed it.

It blew a strong wind, and she closed her eyes, hugging herself. The young man took the suitcase from his back and searched, pulling out a coat. He looked at Teresa and her mother both and scratched the back of his neck.

"I wish I had brought two."

"It is okay," said Clara. "Give it to my daughter."

"But mom..."

"Here," Olga intervened, taking out one from her suitcase and giving it to the woman. "You can't stand a little wind," complained, returning to the front.

"What about you?" Teresa asked Adrian while the others resumed their path.

"Don't worry. It's not that cold. I can handle it..."

"Me too. We can take turns."

"No, it's fine. Come here." He put an arm around her. "So you warm me up, remember?" He winked.

The girl laughed lightly, remembering that day on the beach when they kissed for the first time. She blushed at the thought of that. She glanced at him, wanting much more than kissing him for hours, but she found it difficult not to feel ashamed for having those desires. It was falling under the animal instinct they censored and labeled primitive during all her school life so that they didn't even study it.

A noise chilled her: a large animal's low, deep growl. Adrian would stand in front of her, wanting to take care of what was there. Olga slowly moved her hand to the handle of her stun gun, as from some bushes, she was watching a mountain lion, crouched and ready to leap.

Helios began to sparkle. Although it was small, its owner helped it by making the barrel of her weapon sparkle as well, which intimidated the huge feline.

"Move to my side," the woman warned the others.

Her males were the first to move and stayed next to her. The animal did not retreat. Instead, it advanced growling.

"Why don't you shoot it?" Clara questioned.

"My gun is not well loaded."

Rita whimpered, and the animal launched, making them scream. It roared in rage at being touched by the electrified tip of Olga's weapon, who dodged after hitting it since the cougar wanted to scratch her, and she couldn't take a blow from those enormous claws lightly.

At last, it seemed intimidated by the sparkling electricity, but it refused to retreat. Adrian took little balls from his pocket, and Teresa recognized them. Those were the ones that shone. He launched them, making them pass through the sparks of the weapon and ignite with their bright lights, falling to the cougar, which made it run away in fear that it would be electrocuted as that other device had done.

"I didn't know that would turn out well," he commented.

Olga snorted in relief. However, they heard more growls in the distance: wild dogs.

"Let's hurry. Run! We're close!"

They started the race. After a stretch, they were already feeling exhausted, although the cold helped in that aspect. Soon, they saw a kind of entrance in a mountain that rose next to others. They stood in front of it, Olga typed a key in the door material to clear it, and it slid to one side. They entered, and the door closed quickly and changed color, camouflaging itself.