Caleb rolled his eyes but stuck out his fist. The three of them bobbed their hands in unison, then revealed their choices. Kendrick and Marcus both chose rock. Caleb had picked scissors.
"Looks like you're on guard duty," Kendrick said, clapping Caleb on the shoulder. Caleb scowled but didn't argue.
I suppressed a sigh. Once again, Krystal and I were being left behind while the men went off to play hero. It came from a place of love and protection but didn't make it any easier to swallow.
Nathan caught my arm as the others filed out of the room. "Rissa, wait."
I turned to face him, noting the concern etched into his rugged features. "What's up?"
He took a deep breath. "I need you to know that leaving you behind isn't about a lack of faith in your abilities."
"Could've fooled me," I muttered, unable to keep the bitterness from my tone.
"Riss, listen." His grip on my arm tightened. "The people in this room, you, Elle, Krystal, Bryce- are some of the most precious in the world to me. I need you here to protect them, to protect yourself."
His words gave me pause. I searched his face, seeing the sincerity shining in his brown eyes. "I get it. I do. It's just hard, feeling like I'm not doing enough."
"You are." He pulled me into a tight hug. "More than you know."
We held each other for a long moment, drawing strength from the embrace. When we finally parted, Nathan's gaze was fierce. "Be careful, okay? Stay alert."
"You too," I whispered, watching as he turned to join the others. The door closed behind him with a soft click, leaving Krystal, Elle, Bryce, Caleb, and me alone in the pack house.
"Well, then." Krystal clapped her hands together. "Who's up for a rousing game of Monopoly?"
Elle and Bryce cheered, scrambling to set up the board. I glanced at Caleb, who stood stiffly by the window. "Are you joining us, Calloway?"
He shook his head. "I'll keep watch. You all play."
I shrugged, settling onto the floor beside Krystal. As we began to divvy up the colorful money, I couldn't help but notice Caleb's restless energy. He paced the perimeter of the room, constantly scanning the windows and doors.
"He's taking this guard thing pretty seriously," I murmured to Krystal as I rolled the dice.
She nodded, moving her token across the board. "That's Caleb for you. Always on high alert."
I tried to focus on the game, but my mind kept wandering to the others out there in the darkness. Were they safe? Had they found any sign of the threat?
Half an hour passed, and the only sounds were the clatter of dice and the occasional triumphant cry as someone acquired a new property. Caleb's pacing had grown more agitated, his movements jerky and tense.
Suddenly, Elle pulled out her phone, her fingers flying over the screen. I frowned, wondering who she could be texting at a time like this. A sense of unease prickled the back of my neck as I watched Caleb's gaze zero in on Elle's phone.
Something wasn't right. I could feel it in my bones. But what? What was I missing?
My phone vibrated in my pocket, startling me from my thoughts. I pulled it out, glancing down at the screen. A text from Elle lit up the display.
I didn't want to say anything where he could hear me, but Caleb is normally someone I can't get a read on. Tonight he's projecting his emotions really loud.
My stomach clenched with dread.
Okay, how is he feeling?
The reply came swiftly. She’d already been typing it.
I don't really know the right word. It's like he's got a bomb in his chest that's about to explode. Sometimes I feel that way when I have a lot of anxiety. Also, he's really, really, REALLY angry.
I stared at the words, a cold knot forming in my stomach. What could have gotten Caleb so riled up? I glanced at him, considering asking if he was okay, but something held me back.
And then it hit me like a freight train. Caleb had no scent. Nobody had ever been able to scenthim. As far as I knew, he didn't have anybody he was really close to. He was acting beyond weird now, and every time he'd sat in on a meeting where we tried to make a plan to go after our hidden enemy, it hadn't worked out. It was as though we were being sabotaged from within.
