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It felt as though he were making it clear that he really didn’t want to see me, that this wasn’t even enough for him to just speak to me.

Fuck, this wasn’t exactly a safe trip, and I didn’t expect him to forgive me over it, to rush over and protect me—I wasn’t some damsel.

Was it really that much to ask for him to just tell me that he hoped I was okay? To just show me that I mattered still, even a little?

I sighed as I realized maybe it really was too much. Maybe things had gone too far.

“I’m going to get some sleep,” I said when I knew this conversation wasn’t going anywhere good.

Kelvin stared at me, a tightness in his expression that implied he caught some of my distress. “Okay,” he said instead of pressing it.

Like I really wanted to bare any of this in some weird group share like we were at a support meeting.

I headed into the small cave. When Porter and Ruben had checked it, they hadn’t found any exits, anything that went off in another direction. It meant the entrance should be the only way in or out, making it easily defendable.

I was one of the few who actually needed sleep regularly, and I was long past the time of worrying about that, of feeling bad about it. It was a basic human need—that was all that really mattered.

So I dragged myself inside the cave. I’d tried to open my personal bay earlier, but the color had sparked then died, like a car that couldn’t quite turn over to actually start. It meant I didn’t have access to all the extras I would have preferred, but the sleeping bag I’d brought was enough to make me pretty happy.

The cave was warmer than the air outside of it, sheltered as it was from those breezes. It wasn’t that dark, which wasn’t all that conducive to good sleep, but at least I wouldn’t have to listen for every last sound.

I stayed dressed because a person never knew what exactly they might face in this sort of situation, removing only my shoes and socks, then crawled into the sleeping bag. I used a sweater I had packed for a pillow, letting the sleeve fall across my eyes to shield them from the light the crystals gave off.

No sound came from outside, but I didn’t know if that was because the men didn’t speak or if they just kept their voices low enough that I wouldn’t hear them. Either way, I appreciated the attempt.

“He didn’t abandon you.”

I frowned at the voice, moving the sweater to be sure that, yep, it was the Mind. “Pretty sure that isn’t your business. Besides—stay out of my head. I don’t like people poking around in there.”

He stood near the entry to the cave, staring at me as though he were trying to decide something. Finally, he sighed. “You think that Harrison threw you away, huh?”

“I think that is between he and I, not you. Besides, you know shit about any of that.”

“I know that Harrison has been holed up in his place for weeks, and that he sent me out with clear instructions.”

“Rubenordered the clans to send someone. Don’t get it twisted.”

“Ruben suggested it, but Harrison could have just paid me and sent me on my way. He didn’t. He sat me down to explain the job.”

“So he gave you an overview? Well, that proves fuck all.”

The mind shook his head. “You don’t get it. He explained what the job would be, that it was coming here, what we might face, all of that. I said, ‘so my task is to make sure the mission succeeds? That we fix whatever is wrong with the Weres.’ That’s the right answer, right? That’s what the fuck we’re here for. He couldn’t tell me that, though. Instead, he answered quietly thatyouwere my top priority. That if it came down to completing the mission or getting you back safely, I was to pick you without hesitation.”

The words sank into me, feeling almost too nice, too much like what I really wanted to hear. How often was that the case, though? When people took away what they liked because it made life easier.

Here he was, offering me exactly what I needed.

“Why are you telling me this? I doubt Harrison would want you to.”

“He paid for my work, not my silence. Besides, call it a bleeding heart. I didn’t like seeing you moping all because you misunderstand a situation.” He shrugged, then tucked his hands into his pockets. “I’ve seen people be stupid for too long for me to just ignore it, not when I can do something about it. Take that as you want, but that’s the truth.” He turned to walk out.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

He paused. “Blake.” As soon as he gave me that, he left.

His words made it harder to sleep, as I weighed them, as I tried to decide their truth. Was he right? He had no reason to lie that I could tell, no reason to tell me something like that unless it were true. I didn’t see an upside to it.

But if hewasright, what the fuck was Harrison doing? Why ignore me if he still fucking cared?