His eyes snapped to mine.
"Just me. Focus on me."
I sat beside him on the bed. Close enough that our thighs touched. The contact seemed to ground him—I felt some of the tension drain from his body, the gold retreating slightly.
"That's it," I murmured. "I'm right here."
His hand found mine. Gripped hard enough to hurt.
Behind us, Twilson's pen never stopped moving.
The inspection continued for three more hours.
Twilson observed everything.
He asked questions constantly. Asshole.
I answered as carefully as I could. Gave him nothing concrete, nothing he could use. But I felt myself being stripped bare anyway—every word analyzed, every gesture catalogued, every moment filed away in that leather journal.
Cole stayed close throughout. Never interfering, but always present.
The ferals felt the tension.
By midday, all of them were restless. Gray paced the common area. Ben couldn't stop whining. Their eyes tracking Twilson's movements with barely concealed hostility.
"I need a break," I said finally.
Twilson looked up from his notes. "We're not finished."
"The ferals need rest. So do I." I kept my voice steady. "We can continue this afternoon."
For a moment, I thought he'd argue. Those pale eyes studied me, weighing something I couldn't see.
Then he smiled.
"Of course. We'll resume at two o'clock." He closed his journal. "I'll review my notes with Cole in the meantime."
He turned and walked away. Cole followed, but not before catching my eye.
I found Cole in the east corridor an hour later.
The hallway was empty—everyone at lunch or busy with afternoon preparations. He was standing by one of the reinforced windows, staring out at nothing, his whole body tight with tension.
"Cole."
He turned. Something flared in his eyes when he saw me—relief, concern, and underneath it all, that ever-present heat I couldn't ignore.
"What does he want this time?" I moved closer. "What is he really looking for?"
Cole's jaw worked. "I don't know."
"You're lying."
"I'm protecting you."
"From what?" I was close now. Close enough to see the pulse jumping in his throat. "From him? From the council? From myself?"
"All of it." His voice was strained. "Lumi, please. You need to trust me."
