"We should move somewhere else," I said, standing up abruptly and brushing ice crystals from my protective suit. The words came out more sharply than I'd intended, betraying the anxiety that was building in my chest like a physical pressure.

The arena floor was no place for what we had to do—too cold, too exposed, too reminiscent of the battle we'd just fought and what happened as well. The concrete was still damp with melted ice, and the temperature was dropping as the sun began to set beyond the broken windows.

"R-right," Cindy nodded, her voice was tinged with a slight tremor that might have been from cold or nerves or both. She tried to push herself up from the wall, and I automatically reached out to help her.

Her hand was smaller than I'd expected when she took mine, and colder than it should have been. The infection was spreading through her system with relentless efficiency, sapping her body's warmth and energy with each passing minute. When I pulled her to her feet, she swayed slightly, and I had to steady her with a hand on her arm.

"Careful," I said as she nearly slipped on a patch of remaining ice. Despite all the destruction we'd caused, some areas of the arena floor were still treacherous. "The footing's unstable here."

We walked in silence through the debris-strewn arena, our footsteps echoing off the concrete walls with hollow sounds. I spotted my equipment bag where I'd dropped before the battle and picked it up.

The corridors of the ice arena stretched before us like the passages of some abandoned cathedral, lined with doors leading to locker rooms, equipment storage, administrative offices. Most showed signs of hasty evacuation—papers scattered on floors, doors left ajar, personal belongings abandoned in the rush to flee when the outbreak began.

I knew where we needed to go. The women's locker room would provide privacy, relative warmth, and enough space for what we had to do. More importantly, it would feel less exposed than the open arena floor, less like we were performing this act under the eyes of the frozen victims who still stood like statues among the ice formations.

"This way," I said quietly, leading Cindy down a side corridor marked with faded directional signs.

I could feel her tension radiating from her like heat, could sense her growing anxiety in the way her breathing had become shallow and quick. She knew what was coming, understood the necessity of it, but knowing and accepting were two very different things.

The women's locker room was in better condition than much of the building—the door was intact, the interior relatively clean, and while cold, it was warmer than the main arena. Banks of metal lockers lined the walls, and wooden benches provided seating in the center of the space. A few forgotten items remained—a water bottle, someone's forgotten towel, a pair of ice skates that would never be used again.

I held the door open for Cindy, meeting her eyes briefly as she passed. The look we shared was loaded with understanding and regret, acknowledgment of what we were about to do and what it would cost us both.

I closed the door behind us and turned the lock. It was a purely psychological gesture—there were no other survivors in the building, no infected that could threaten us—but the sound of the mechanism engaging provided a small measure of security in an utterly insecure situation.

Setting our bags down against the wall, I turned to see Cindy removing her jacket with careful movements. Each motion seemed to cause her discomfort, and I could see her wince as the fabric brushed against the bite wound on her shoulder.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked. "It's cold in here. You don't have to—"

"I'm feeling too hot because of the infection," Cindy interrupted, not looking at me as she folded her jacket with unnecessary precision. "The fever makes everything feel tight and constricting. I need some air."

She was wearing a white tank top underneath, and as she set her jacket aside, I could see how far the infection had progressed. Dark veins traced paths along her shoulder and down her left arm, visible through her pale skin like poison rivers. The bite wound itself was hidden beneath Sydney's careful bandaging, but I could see the inflammation spreading outward from the site.

I began removing my own protective gear, stripping down to just my shirt and pants.

Cindy sat down on one of the wooden benches and began unlacing her boots, her movements shaky. The silence between us was suffocating, filled with everything we weren't saying, everything we couldn't say.

This was Christopher's girlfriend. The woman he loved with an intensity that had transformed him from a casual teenager into someone willing to risk everything for her safety. And I was about to violate that relationship in the most intimate way possible, all because of this cursed power that had made me responsible for decisions no one should ever have to make.

If you asked me whether I regretted having the Dullahan virus, the answer would be complicated. I'd saved Emily, Rachel, Elena, and now hopefully Cindy. I'd gained abilities that had kept all of us alive through countless dangers. But the situations it forced me into, the impossible choices it demanded—those were becoming harder to bear with each passing day.

"I don't really know how this works," Cindy said quietly, not looking up from her boots. "So you'll have to... guide me through it."

"Okay," I managed.

I walked to the center of the room and began spreading our jackets on the floor, creating an improvised cushion against the cold concrete. It wasn't much—certainly not comfortable—but it was better than nothing.

"Here," I said, patting the makeshift bedding. "Let me know if this is comfortable enough. If not, I can look around for something softer."

Cindy approached slowly, as if walking to her own execution rather than her salvation. She knelt down carefully, testing the thickness of the fabric cushion, then settled herself on it with movements that betrayed her nervousness.

"It's fine," she said, though her voice was tight with anxiety.

I knelt down beside her, maintaining careful distance even though I knew that distance would have to disappear very soon. This close, I could see the details of how the infection was affecting her—the slight flush of fever across her cheeks, the way her breathing had become more labored, the tremor in her hands that spoke of her body fighting a battle it couldn't win.

"Cindy," I said, needing to say something before we went any further. "You need to understand that this isn't... I mean, I'm not doing this because I want to. And it's not going to mean anything beyond saving your life…"

She looked at me then, her blue eyes clearer than they had any right to be given her condition. "I know… This isn't about desire or attraction or anything like that. This is about survival…. About the virus you carry and the virus that's killing me, and the fact that yours can overpower mine…that is all. I understand…"

"I…it's going to hurt Christopher," I said, lowering my gaze. "Even though he said it, even though he understands why it's necessary, this is going to damage something between us. Maybe permanently."

"I know that too," Cindy replied gripping her trembling hand as she lowered gaze.

I looked at her with a complicated gaze before clenching my fists.

"Tell me when you are ready," I said.

"I am…" She said.

"Then I will remove your pants first," I said.

Cindy went ahead grasping the hem of her blue jeggins and lifted her butt slight to remove it but the movement was straining slightly her shoulder so I stopped her hand.

"I got this, just relax…if you can," I said explain to her.

Cindy nodded looking at me with a trembling expression before she lowered her back down letting me remove her jeggins down her her legs and feet removing her socks along sticking to the jeggins.

When her bare feet landed on the ground, she closed her thighs instinctively.

She looked up at the ceiling; the only light here were coming from the shattered ceiling

I have to do it.

I knelt in front of her, my knees protesting against the hard surface, but I ignored it. My focus was entirely on her—on saving her, on navigating this impossible necessity without breaking her further. "Cindy," I said softly, my voice echoing slightly off the tiled walls, "we don't have to rush this. I know you're scared. Hell, I'm scared too. But we need to make sure you're... ready. The virus, it responds better if there's no force, no pain beyond what's necessary." It was a half-truth; I'd learned from the others that arousal helped the process, made the transfer of my Dullahan strain more effective, but saying it out loud felt like crossing another line.

She nodded, her blue eyes flicking up to meet mine for a brief second before darting away to the ceiling again. Her chest rose and fell in shallow breaths, the white tank top clinging to her skin where sweat from the fever had begun to bead. The dark veins snaking down her arm seemed to pulse faintly, a reminder of the ticking clock inside her.

"I... I feel weird already," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Hot, but cold at the same time. And my shoulder... it burns."

There was hesitation in every word, a fear that went beyond the physical, delving into the emotional chasm this would create with Christopher. But she didn't pull away when I reached out, my hand hovering just above her knee.

I started slow, my palm settling gently on her lower leg, just above her ankle. Her skin was cool to the touch at first, but as I let my fingers trace upward in light, feathery strokes, I felt the subtle warmth building beneath.

"Just breathe," I murmured, watching her face for any sign of distress. Cindy's thighs tensed, her muscles tightening under my hand, but she didn't stop me. Instead, a small shiver ran through her, and she bit her lower lip, her eyes squeezing shut. It was a mix of fear and something else— that 'weird' feeling she mentioned, perhaps the infection warring with her body's natural responses, or maybe just the unfamiliarity of my touch in this sterile, abandoned space.

I moved my hand higher, circling her calf with slowness, massaging the muscle there to ease some of the tension. The locker room's silence amplified everything: the soft rustle of fabric as she shifted slightly, the distant drip of water from a leaky faucet in the adjoining showers, the faint creak of the building settling around us. "Tell me if you want me to stop," I said, though we both knew stopping wasn't an option. Not really. Her life depended on this, on me overriding the zombie virus coursing through her veins with my own mutated virus. But forcing it would only make things worse, heighten the pain, reduce the chances of success.

Cindy swallowed hard, her throat working visibly. "No... keep going. It's just... I've never... not like this." Her voice cracked, and I could see the conflict in her—loyalty to Christopher clashing with the primal need to survive.

I nodded, my other hand joining the first, now on her other leg, mirroring the movements. Up and down, light pressure building to something firmer, thumbs pressing into the soft flesh behind her knees.

"Haa…" She gasped softly, her thighs parting just a fraction involuntarily, then clamping back together as if embarrassed by the betrayal of her body.

The fever was making her more sensitive, I realized. Every touch seemed to elicit a reaction—a subtle twitch, a quickened breath. I slid my hands higher, to the midpoint of her thighs, feeling the smoothness of her skin, the faint goosebumps rising despite the warmth radiating from her core.

"You're doing great," I encouraged trying to infuse it with calm. But inside, my own heart was pounding. This wasn't about desire for me either; it was clinical, necessary, yet the intimacy of it all made it impossible to detach completely. Cindy's hesitation was still there—she kept glancing down, then away, her hands fidgeting at her sides as if unsure where to put them.

I paused when my fingers brushed the hem of her panties, simple white cotton that clung to her from the growing dampness of sweat... or perhaps something more already.

"Cindy, look at me," I said gently. She did, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and that weird sensation she couldn't name. "I'm going to touch you more now. Slowly. If it feels too much, say something." She nodded again, her lower lip trembling. With utmost care, I let one hand venture inward, tracing the inner thigh, inches from her most private area. The heat there was more pronounced.

Her legs quivered under my touch, and she let out a small, hesitant whimper—not of pain, but of uncertainty.

"Hm…It feels... strange," she said. "Like my body's not listening to me." I knew what she meant; the infection heightened sensations, made everything more intense as it tried to take over. My fingers danced lightly along the crease where thigh met hip, teasing without invading, building that anticipation to help her relax. Slowly, her thighs parted a bit more, not fully, but enough to signal she was trying to let go.

I continued like that for what felt like an eternity, though it was probably only minutes. My hands explored her legs thoroughly—kneading the muscles, stroking the sensitive undersides, even trailing down to her feet and back up again. Each pass brought me closer to her center, brushing against the fabric of her panties incidentally at first, then more intentionally.

"Haa…hn…" Cindy's breathing grew ragged, her chest heaving under the tank top, nipples hardening visibly against the thin material from the combination of cold and arousal. She was scared, yes—her eyes darted around the room, avoiding mine—but there was a flush creeping up her neck, a sign that her body was responding despite her mind's protests.

Finally, I hooked my fingers under the waistband of her panties. "Lift your hips a little," I instructed softly. She hesitated, her body stiffening, but then complied with a shaky breath, arching just enough for me to slide the fabric down her legs. The cool air hit her exposed pussy, and she gasped, thighs snapping together again instinctively. "Easy," I soothed, setting the panties aside and placing my hands back on her knees. "We're taking this slow. No rush."

Her pussy was bare before me now, neatly trimmed, lips slightly swollen from the building tension. I could see the faint glisten of moisture there, something behind her control.

Cindy looked mortified, her face turning red as she stared at the ceiling, hands clenching the jackets beneath her. "I... I'm sorry if I'm not... ready," she mumbled, voice thick with embarrassment maybe to hide the reality of what was happening.

"You're good," I assured her, though the words felt awkward in this context. "Just relax. Let me help." With that, I began again, hands on her outer thighs, spreading them gently but firmly. She resisted at first, muscles tensing, but as I massaged in circles, working inward, she relented bit by bit. My right hand finally reached her mound, cupping it lightly without pressure.

Cindy jolted, a soft "Oh!" escaping her lips, her eyes widening in surprise.

I didn't move for a moment, letting her adjust to the sensation. Then, slowly, I began to trace the outer lips with my fingertip, feather-light touches that avoided her clit or entrance. Up and down, circling the sensitive folds, feeling her grow wetter under my ministrations. Her hesitation was still there—she whimpered softly, a mix of fear and budding pleasure, her hips shifting uneasily. "Ryan... it feels weird... good weird, but scary," she confessed, her voice breaking.

"That's okay," I replied, keeping my movements slow. "Your body's just responding. It's natural. Focus on that feeling." I continued playing with her pussy, fingers gliding over the slickness now evident, teasing the edges without penetrating. Her clit began to peek out, swollen and sensitive, and I brushed near it occasionally, eliciting sharp intakes of breath from her. Cindy's legs trembled, parting wider despite her initial reluctance, her fear giving way to the overwhelming sensations.

Time stretched in that locker room, the world outside forgotten as I focused on calming her nerves. I varied the pressure—light strokes alternating with firmer rubs along her labia, always careful not to enter her. She was getting wetter, her juices coating my fingers, the scent of her arousal filling the air. Her hesitance morphed into hesitant participation; small moans escaped her, though she bit them back, scared of what they meant.

"Haan…hn…I shouldn't... feel like this," she whispered crying, but her body arched slightly toward my hand, seeking more.

"It's fine…just let it happen…" I said, my fingertip circled closer to her clit, brushing just shy of it, teasing the sensitive nerves without overwhelming her. Her hips twitched upward, a small, involuntary movement that spoke of her body's craving for more, even as her mind wrestled with guilt and hesitation. The dark veins on her arm seemed to pulse less aggressively now, as if my touch was already starting to counter the infection, though I knew the real work was still ahead.

I slid my finger lower, tracing the seam of her pussy, feeling the slick warmth that coated my skin. Slowly, I pressed the tip of my finger against her entrance—not pushing in, just resting there, letting her feel the pressure without crossing that threshold.

"Haa…" Cindy's breath came out, and her eyes, still fixed on the shattered ceiling, widened. "Ryan..." She whispered, her voice cracking, "is it... supposed to feel like this?"

"It is," I assured her shortly before I let my finger slip just inside her, barely breaching her entrance, the warmth and tightness enveloping the tip.

"Haaah!" Cindy let out a loud moan, the sound bursting from her lips before she could stop it. Her hand flew to her mouth, clamping down to muffle the noise, her eyes squeezing shut in embarrassment. The moan echoed faintly off the tiled walls.

"I'm sorry," she gasped, her voice muffled against her palm, her face flushing deeper. "I didn't mean—"

"It's fine, Cindy…" I soothed, pausing to let her catch her breath. My finger remained just inside her, unmoving, giving her time to adjust to the sensation. Her pussy clenched around me, a reflex that made my own body react despite my efforts to stay clinical. "You're allowed to feel this. It's helping." I began to move my finger, slow and shallow, curling it slightly to brush against the sensitive inner walls without going too deep.

"Hmnn!" Cindy's hips jerked, another stifled moan escaping as her hand pressed harder against her mouth.

I added a second finger, stretching her gently, my thumb grazing the edge of her clit to heighten the sensation. Her body was responding fully now, wetness coating my fingers as I worked them in and out, keeping the rhythm steady but unhurried. The infection had heightened her sensitivity, making every touch electric, and I could see the conflict in her—her body arching toward me, seeking more, while her mind screamed against it. "Ryan... oh n…no…" she whimpered, her voice breaking through her hand, her thighs trembling as they spread wider, giving me better access.

"Haa…hmnn…haah…oh…" Her moans grew louder as I fingered her with careful precision, curling my fingers to hit that spot inside her that made her gasp. The slick sounds of her arousal filled the air, crude, and I could feel her pussy tightening, pulsing around my fingers as she teetered on the edge. "Let go, Cindy," I urged softly, my thumb circling her clit more directly now, applying just enough pressure to push her further. "It's okay. Let it happen."

She needed to be wet, more than that.

Cindy shook her head, tears glistening in her eyes, but her body betrayed her.

"HaaaAHHN!" With a sudden, sharp cry, she came, her pussy clenching hard around my fingers as waves of pleasure overwhelmed her. Her hand fell away from her mouth, unable to contain the sound, and her cry echoed in the locker room.

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