Melissa watched Irvin work on the carcass, his muscles flexing with each movement. The blood on his hands and the focused expression on his face reminded her of how he'd torn through those rats before. Her body shivered, not entirely from disgust.

  Dave shifted beside her, his constant fidgeting making her increasingly uncomfortable. His eyes kept wandering over her body, just like most of the other men in their group. His touch made her skin crawl now, so different from the comfort it had provided hours ago.

  "You okay?" Dave's whisper carried an edge that made her pull away slightly.

  "Just cold," she lied, wrapping her arms around herself. "I'm going to check on the others," she muttered to Dave.

  She found Sarah and Lisa huddled with Vera and some other women from the office behind thick group of trees. Their body language mirrored her own discomfort - arms crossed, shoulders hunched, trying to make themselves smaller.

  Melissa touched Vera's arm. "Can we talk?"

  "Anyone else notice how the guys are acting?" Melissa kept her voice low, glancing over her shoulder.

  Vera's jaw tightened. "Hard not to. Even the decent ones are starting to act strange."

  "Dave won't leave me alone." Melissa glanced at the others.

  Sarah nodded, her face tight with worry. "It's like they've forgotten we're their coworkers. Even Mike's been... different."

  Vera shifted closer to their circle. "We should stick together." Her manager's instincts apparently hadn't disappeared with their clothes.

  Melissa's gaze drifted back to Irvin. Sure, she'd caught him looking too, but there was something more to that man, like he was about other things oblivious to what was happening. The memory of his violence stirred something in her gut. In this new world, maybe strength was the only real safety.

  "We need protection," she whispered, more to herself than the others. The women around her murmured in agreement, but Melissa's thoughts had already turned inward.

  Maybe getting closer to him wouldn't be such a bad idea. The thought made her cheeks flush, but she forced herself to calm down. She'd seen how he moved, how he fought. If anyone could keep her safe in this nightmare, it would be him.

  The dying sunlight cast long shadows across their makeshift camp as Melissa watched Irvin work. Her mind working through her options on how to approach Irvin. She'd need to be careful, subtle.

  "We should take shifts sleeping," Sarah suggested, pulling Melissa from her thoughts. "Keep watch over each other."

  Melissa hugged herself tighter, weighing her options. The other women's worried whispers faded into background noise as she focused on the harsh reality of their situation. In a world gone mad, traditional social rules meant nothing.

  Irvin's hands moved methodically over the carcass, separating meat from bone with surprising ease. The sharp edges of the rock bit into his palm, but he barely noticed the discomfort. His mind drifted into an almost peaceful state as he worked, focusing on the simple, repetitive motions.

  The creature's flesh parted easily enough under the makeshift tools. He'd never butchered anything before, but his augmented strength made up for his lack of technique. Derek had been helping holding the wings, legs and putting them on a side.

  A glint caught his eye as he exposed one of the beast's talons. He paused, examining the curved claw. Nearly as long as his forearm, wickedly sharp, and surprisingly lightweight. His fingers traced the edge carefully.

  This could be useful, he thought, working to separate it from the joint. Better than nothing against whatever else is out there.

  The sound of hushed voices drifted over from the group of women gathered near the trees. His eyes flickered briefly in their direction, noting their guarded postures and worried expressions. Sarah caught his glance and quickly looked away, whispering something to Vera.

  Irvin returned his attention to the claw in his hand. The joint was proving stubborn, requiring more force than he'd expected. He braced himself, pulling steadily until it finally broke free with a wet snap.

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  One down, he thought, examining his prize. The base was jagged but solid enough to serve as a grip. He set it aside and started working on the second one.

  His mind wandered as he worked, cataloging what they'd need for the night ahead. Fire would be essential - both for cooking this meat and keeping whatever lurked in the darkness at bay. There was plenty of wood around, but there was no way to actually start one.

  The women's whispers grew more annoying as time passed. Irvin glanced up again, catching Vera and Sarah looking his way with concerned expressions.

  He wondered briefly what had them so worried, but the thought slipped away as he freed the second claw. Two daggers are better than one, he mused, laying them side by side. The dying sunlight caught their edges, making them gleam dully. They weren't perfect weapons, but they'd do for now.

  The last rays of sunlight painted long shadows across the park as Irvin finished arranging the meat. His muscles ached from the day's work, but the systematic organization of their resources helped clear his mind. The usual evening chatter was absent, replaced by an unusual quiet that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

  He glanced toward the women's group. Sarah and Vera sat close together, their shoulders touching as they spoke in hushed tones.

  "Hey." Derek's voice broke through his observations. "Got any plans for keeping watch tonight?"

  Irvin turned to respond, but movement from the other side of the camp caught his attention. A cluster of men from the office had gathered near a fallen tree, their heads bent together in discussion. Their gazes kept drifting toward the women's group, lingering longer than necessary.

  You can't be fucking serious, Irvin thought, noticing how one of them adjusted himself. We just watched people die today.

  He told himself it was just stress and exhaustion making everyone act weird. The day had been brutal - running from monsters, watching colleagues die, ending up naked in a park. Anyone would be on edge. Still, something about the way the men kept looking over made his stomach ball up.

  Tom approached, settling down next to him with a grunt. "Weird vibe tonight," he muttered, keeping his voice low. "Not unexpected though, the women are hot and they have been going around naked for half a day."

  Irvin glanced at Tom, his jaw tightening. "You can't be serious. These women were your coworkers."

  "Still are, technically." Tom shifted his weight, scratching at his arm. "Look, I'm not saying it's right. Just saying it's not surprising, given everything."

  "Think they'll actually try something?"

  Tom's face stiffened. "Read enough stories to know what happens when society breaks down. It's not if, but when." He paused, eyes darting to the group. "When exactly though? That's anyone's guess."

  Derek snorted. "Come on, don't act all high and mighty. Saw you checking them out earlier."

  Irvin's ears turned red. "Fair point." He cleared his throat, focusing on the practical matters at hand. "We'll need watch rotations tonight. Three of us should be enough to split the shifts until sunrise."

  Irvin sat with his back against a tree, his muscles still burning from the day's exertions. The darkness pressed in around their makeshift camp, broken only by slivers of moonlight filtering through the transformed foliage above.

  Movement caught his eye. Sarah, Vera, and Lisa slowly approached in their direction, their arms wrapped around themselves despite the warm nights air. They settled down nearby, close enough that Irvin could make out their features in the dim light. He shifted uncomfortably, averting his gaze.

  "Can't sleep?" he asked, keeping his voice low to avoid waking the others.

  Sarah shook her head. "Too much happened today." Her voice cracked slightly.

  Before Irvin could respond, another figure emerged from the shadows. Melissa stumbled toward them, her movements jerky and uncoordinated. Her hair hung in tangles around her face, and her whole body trembled as she practically collapsed next to Sarah. Something was wrong.

  "Hey, what happened?" Sarah wrapped an arm around Melissa's shoulders.

  Melissa leaned in close, her voice barely above a whisper, but in the quiet night air, Irvin heard most if it.

  "Dave... he followed me... said we should have some fun..." Her voice hitched. "Kept saying things... tried to touch me... I ran..."

  Irvin's blood turned cold. He glanced toward the other groups of sleeping men, his mind fully awake going through the implications.

  Irvin scanned the clusters of men scattered around the camp. Their eyes darted away when he caught them looking, but the weight of their collective gaze lingered. A few huddled together, exchanging whispers and glances that made his skin crawl. The rest lounged against trees or sprawled on the ground, their postures deceptively casual.

  "Stay close tonight," he muttered to the four women. "Don't wander off by yourself."

  Sarah scooted nearer, her shoulder brushing against his arm. The others followed suit, leaning on the same tree as him. He hadn't asked for their trust - hadn't wanted it - but here they were, looking to him for protection. I don't even know any of them, this makes no sense.

  "If anyone tries anything, scream," he said, keeping his voice low but firm.

  The words felt hollow in his mouth. Just hours ago, they'd been coworkers, doing whatever its the office people do. Now the social contract that had kept them civil was unraveling faster than he'd expected. The transformation had stripped away more than just their clothes.

  But was Dave really that threatening? The guy had backed off when Melissa ran. Maybe they were all overreacting. Stress and fear did strange things to people's minds.

  Irvin glanced up at the star-filled sky, considering. For him, the monsters were the real threat - tangible dangers he could fight or flee from. But watching the women huddle together, shoulders tense and eyes darting at every sound, he realized they faced a different kind of fear. One that had existed long before the world changed, now amplified by their vulnerability. The monsters might kill them, but their own colleagues could do worse.