My name is Willow. His name is Jason. He hated me. I hated him—while silently hiding how much all that hate hurt deep down inside me. But all that was before. Before everything changed. Before I woke up to gunshots and screaming and death. Now he still hates me, along with his Uncle Paulie and their club brothers. But I don’t hate him. I can’t, not after he came for me. Not after he saved me. Not now that the ravaged are here. They come at you like you’re nothing. With their feral snarls, and bloodshot eyes. Their decaying mouths salivating for a bite of you. They are hungry for life and we are their meal. I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t want to accept it. But I can’t ignore them now that they’re everywhere. Now that the threat of them haunts us every waking moment. But with Jason standing between them and me—I can’t hate him anymore. I don’t want to. \This story ends in a cliffhanger\ \\\Warning. For readers 18 years and older. Contains explicit sexual situations, possible triggers, dark themes, language, and violence.\\\

The days are blurring together. I can’t seem to keep my eyes open at night. Terror follows us everywhere we go. Nowhere is safe. It’s spreading. Thriving. We can’t outrun it. All we can do is bunker down and pray it passes us by. But that’s wishful thinking. The ravaged will find us and there’s not a thing we can do to stop them. They are everywhere. I haven’t seen him. I haven’t spoken to him. But I know he’s there. I know he’ll be there if I need him. It’s not long before I do. My name is Willow. His name is Jason. I hate him—or I used to. Now I just need him. Want him. Miss him. The ravaged are coming. They always are, and he’s always there to stand between them and me. But the Ravaged aren’t the only dangers lurking behind every corner. There’s something more sinister stalking me. And when it finds me, I’m on my own. \This story ends in a cliffhanger\ \\\Warning. For readers 18 years and older. Contains explicit sexual situations, possible triggers, dark themes, language, and violence.\\\

We’ve stumbled into a situation I’m not sure we’ll find our way out of. We’ve done something that may result in the end of our race across the country. Our race to safety. But safety is an elusive dream. I can’t see it or touch it. I’m not sure it exists. But what else are we to do? What else is there to reach for? The ravaged have taken over our home and threatened our survival. All we can do is run, and search, and pray we find a place to rest our heads. But we’re nowhere near finding it. If it’s not the ravaged, it’s other threats that keep us from finding anything to hold onto. Psychos, biters, misguided intentions. Our own demons mocking us. We’re being hunted. Chased from all directions. All we can do is continue this never-ending race for survival and hope nothing catches our tiring strides. But we’re tripping over every obstacle and barreling into every wrong decision. Because this isn’t the end, but it feels like we’ve already lost. \This story ends in a cliffhanger\ \\\Warning. For readers 18 years and older. Contains explicit sexual situations, possible triggers, dark themes, language, and violence.\\\

Willow and Jason's story of survival and love comes to its conclusion in Defend. My name is Willow and I am in love with Jason. I don’t know where he is, or how to find him. Every step forward feels like I’m leaving him a hundred behind. They left me but the farther I travel the more I start to feel like I’m the one leaving. We had been searching for safety. A place to rest and protect. A home to defend. Now I’m just trying to get by minute by minute. Day by day. Who am I without them? Why go on when they’re not by my side? Survival. That’s all that’s left now. To survive. Be a survivor. My name is Jason and she is all that matters. I am coming for her and nothing and no one will stop me.