💜🖤Betrothed to the villains💜🖤

I was in my head now, so much so that I didn't realize there was a dip in the ground, and immediately staggered and went down. Unfortunately, I'd also landed on a walker that was half-buried in the leaves.

And it was still alive.

I rolled off it instantly as it hissed and took a swipe at me with a gnarled, decayed hand, missing me by an inch. I jerked back and yanked my knife from the holster on my thigh, immediately plunging the blade into its skull with a sickening crunching noise.

When the walker dropped to the ground, I yanked the knife free and stabbed it in the head again. And again. And again.

I probably did it about a half-dozen more times in total before I heard Rick's voice in my head, telling me to stop. I pulled the knife free for a final time with a wet squelching noise, wiping off the gore onto the nearby grass.

Taking out the walker didn't help my mood. I was still lost, still pissed, and now dirty from falling and killing the walker. Picking up from the ground, I continued in the direction I'd been going before I fell.

Eventually, I came to a clearing in the woods that led to a lake. That was a welcome surprise in itself. Plus, the water was clean, so that was even better.

Finally, something positive.

I dropped my bag on the ground and sunk to my knees at the water's edge, immediately scooping up some water in my hands and drinking it.

It was cold and refreshing, exactly what I'd needed after wandering around like an idiot for the last few hours.

Pulling my canteen from my pack, I poured the water inside it over my knife (it was half-filled and the water was warm anyway ), and then set the weapon aside to dry.

I refilled the canteen with cool water from the lake, recapped it, and then set it aside as well.

Then, I just sat. It was quiet, oddly peaceful. The breeze coming off of the water was amazing.

"Well now, who do we have here?"

My heart dropped to my stomach as soon as I heard that voice. Negan.

I was up instantly, immediately grabbing my knife. He just laughed, standing there in all his smug glory and looking totally unfazed. The bat rested on his shoulder, sunlight glinting off of the barbed wire.

"Easy there, tiger," he continued, a shit-eating grin on his face. "No need to get all stabby on me now."

"What do you want?" I demanded, not lowering my knife.

Negan didn't answer right away, hazel eyes sweeping over me. His tongue darted out, sweeping over his lower lip before he spoke again.

"You're one of Rick's people," he said finally. "The little lady who runs the library you're so damn proud of. Tina, right?"

"Tana."

"Tana," he repeated. Negan smirked then, and it took everything in me not to punch him square in the mouth. "I knew that was you. You're givin' me the same stink-eye you gave me the day we came to pick up our supplies."

He stepped closer, looming over me as he used his height to try to intimidate me. "You really wanna watch how you look at me, Tana."

I didn't flinch. "And if I don't?" I asked coolly.

He smiled. It wasn't friendly. "Well, I'd certainly hate for that pretty face to have to meet the business end of Lucille, now. That'd be a real shame. How about you put that knife away?"

Negan shifted his weight, the leather of his jacket creaking as the sunlight glinted off the barbed-wire bat again. My gaze flickered from his face to the bat, lingering for a few moments before I looked at him once more. Finally, I lowered the knife and slid it back into its holster on my thigh.

"Atta girl," he said, his tone dripping with condescension. "See, you be nice to me, I'll be nice to you. That's how it works."

I made a face at him then, a slight curling of my upper lip that didn't go unmissed.

"Damn, you really are somethin' else," he commented. "Rick know this is how you act when he's not around?"

"I don't act like this around Rick," I replied. "That's because I respect him. I don't respect you."

Negan let out a low whistle. "See, now that is a damn shame, darlin'. Because the way I see it…."

His voice dropped an octave, becoming lower and more raspy. "I think you and I could come to a real nice understandin' if we had to. Could make that scowl disappear real quick."

The implication wasn't lost on me. I didn't miss the way his eyes traveled over me either.

Ugh.

"Real charming," I replied sarcastically. I stepped back, snatching my pack up from the ground and slinging it on my shoulders.

I turned to leave then, and Negan's hand shot out, grabbing my wrist.

"Hey!" I went to tug it free, but his grip held firm.

"Remember this, lil firecracker," he said. "I'm always watchin'."

I finally jerked my wrist free, scowling at him as I started stomping away.

"Be seein' ya soon, Tana!" he called after me. "Pick out a nice book for me next time we come knockin' at your gates!"

Asshole.

----

I reached the gates of Alexandria just before sundown, signaling a hand toward the guards to have them open the gate.

Sasha was one of the ones on duty (not surprising), and she climbed down to let me back into the community, rifle still in hand.

"Have you been gone all day?" she asked as I stepped through the gate, brows furrowed as she looked at me.

"I went for a walk to clear my head," I replied. "Got turned around and lost track of time."

Sasha studied me silently, taking in the dirt and walker residue still covering my clothes.

"I fell in the woods," I said. "Got tangled up with a walker."

That was all she needed to know.

"Bit?" she asked.

"Fuck no. You'd know."

She smiled then, just slightly. Sasha didn't do much smiling these days. None of us did, really.

"I'm okay, Sasha," I continued. "I promise."

"Okay." She moved past me then, the gate squeaking loudly as she closed it again. I watched her for a second before turning to head toward my house. I needed a shower.

"Tana." Sasha's voice made me pause and look back. "Rick's looking for you."

"Okay. I'll go find him after I clean up."

She nodded, then added softly, "Glad you made it back safely."

"Thanks, Sasha," I replied. "I'll see you later."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."