Chapter 48 The Feast and the Offer


    The moment Theresa picked up her utensils, the rest of them swarmed in like a pack of starving wolves.


    They went straight for the meat.


    It was as if every single one of them had been reborn from famine, their eyes glinting with a wild, ravenous light as they locked onto the generous cuts of pork belly.


    The braised meat, marbled withyers of fat and lean, had been stewed until the savory aroma clung thick in the air. One bite in, and the tender flesh practically melted on their tongues, bursting with vor.


    They paired each mouthful with chunks of potato, soaked through with the rich, meaty broth. These potatoes had just been harvested from their own fields, and though no one could quite exin it-maybe it had just been too long since they’d had a proper meal-everyone agreed they were unusually sweet and fragrant.


    What they didn’t know was that the potatoes had grown in soil Theresa had secretly enhanced.


    To them, everything that came out of her kitchen tasted like a gift from the gods.


    A bite of meat, a spoonful of potato, a heap of rice drenched in gravy-the vorsyered together so beautifully that it made them feel like they could die happy.


    Pure satisfaction. Absolute bliss.


    ‘Theresa, if you didn’t get enough, you can have mine,” someone offered.


    She had already eaten half her portion and had lost all interest.


    Watching them scramble so wildly, she didn’t even want to reach for her utensils again-too many mouths. Too much spit.


    From now on, she figured she’d just cook separately.


    ust then, a full te of braised pork belly and potatoes was pushed in front of her.


    This half hasn’t been touched,” Kyle said. He had always been particr about meals. Even when hungry, he ate with care, portioning things out, eating slowly, never in a rush.


    It was the first dish he’d grabbed, and he’d been savoring it the entire time.


    Theresa nced down at the te and waved it off. “Don’t worry about it. You should dig in. I’m full.”


    As soon as she said that, everyone looked over.


    “You’re seriously full?”


    “Don’t be polite!”


    “This is just how we eat-whoever gets there first, gets fed! But if you’re not eating, we’ll give everything to


    you!”


    Sebastian even held out what little he had left-some meat, a few potatoes, and a bit of broth scraped from the bottom of the pan. He offered it like it were treasure.


    Theresa just looked at it and felt her appetite disappearpletely.


    “Then… if you’re not eating.” Graham asked cautiously, eyes flicking to the half pot of rice she’d set aside. “can we have your rice?”


    He looked like a puppy begging for scraps.


    Theresa muttered, “…Take it.”


    She handed over the pot.


    They dumped the rice into the bowl of vegetables, mixed it with the leftover broth and meat, and devoured everyst bite.


    Watching the scene unfold, Theresa cracked open a bottle of soda and said dryly, “Are you guys really this desperate?”


    “Of course we are!” Graham replied at once. “We haven’t had a meal this good in almost a month!”


    “Aren’t you all from the military? Doesn’t the army feed you?”


    Dave gave a tired shake of his head. “Not anymore. Our unit set up a new camp, and now all the supplies go there first. The rest of us are left with scraps. By the time we left, we were down to one dish, one soup, and a scoop of rice a day.”


    Theresa murmured, “K1 Camp?”


    “Yeah! You know about it?” Sebastian’s eyes lit up.


    “Heard it on the radio,” she replied casually. No need to exin who really ran those broadcasts or how they worked.


    “Our camp is huge,” Malcolm chimed in. “We’ve been rescuing survivors from both Ansford and Branford. No one’s done more for the Eastern region than us.”


    Even Victor, who rarely spoke, added, “It’s solid. Most of the Eastern forces are stationed there. It’s about as secure as it gets.


    Then Graham looked at her, hopeful. “Theresa, how abouting back with us? You should join our camp.”


    “Pfft.”


    “I’m serious,” he said. “You might be a little aggressive. A little sharp. Maybe a bit intense. Possibly even borderline savage… but your skills are unreal.” His eyes swept over her. “Kl could really use someone like


    you.”


    Dave nodded quickly. “Seriously, you’re probably better than our captain. If you join, we all get to stick together-including Kyle.”


    They all turned to her, eyes filled with hope.


    Theresa stared back.


    She’d been nning to poach them… and now they were trying to recruit her?


    She waved them closer, and they all leaned in.


    “If I join you,” she asked, “will there be meat on the table every day?”


    They paused, gave it some real thought, and shook their heads.


    “If I join, can I go wherever I want, whenever I want? Total freedom?”


    Another round of head-shaking.


    B


    “If I join, and I run into someone-or something-that pisses me off, can I just take it out?”


    This time, they shook their heads so hard they looked like bobbleheads.


    Theresa smiled sweetly. “Then, why, exactly, would I want to join you?”


    Not a single one of them had an answer.