Everyone else has scattered. Garlen and Ellie have gone to work. Dane and Laurie are back home. And Aldar has gone out to get the equipment I specified. Even Zoe is gone at school. I’m alone with my female for the first time since I carried her out of that jungle.
My female. I keep thinking of her that way. Can’t seem to stop.
Sloane is now on the couch, with Loki snuggled next to her. Her bandaged feet are propped on pillows and she looks frustrated. I recognize that expression. She’s a hunter without her weapons. A journalist without her laptop. It must be driving her crazy.
I promised to clean the kitchen, so I get to work. “Aldar will return as soon as he can with your new phone and laptop,” I tellher as I clear the last of the breakfast dishes from the table. “Are you in pain?”
“No, my feet are just sore.”
“Good. Keep them propped up like that. The best thing you can do is rest and heal. You just recently got out of a tough situation. You’ll still need a lot of sleep so your body can heal not only the feet but the bruises.”
She sighs heavily. “I hate just sitting here without my phone or a laptop. I’d like to think that my coworkers from the Washington Bureau at the Times are wondering what happened to me. I’m itching to break that story and because I can’t…I feel useless.”
I start the dishwasher and wipe down the counters. “You’re not useless. You’re recovering.”
“I should be working on the story. I should be?—”
“Aldar will be back in a couple hours. Until then, rest.” I glance over at her. “Or talk to me. I’m not going anywhere.”
She studies me for a moment, then pats the cushion beside her. “Come sit with me at least.”
I hesitate. The kitchen is clean now so it’s true that I can go into the living area, but being that close to her, with her scent surrounding me, is dangerous. But I can’t say no, so I settle onto the couch beside her, careful to leave a few inches of space between us.
Loki immediately lays his head in her lap. Traitor. Although I can’t blame him. I want to lay my head in her lap too.
“This is better,” she says, smiling at me. “Now I don’t feel like a patient being monitored.”
I grunt. “Youarea patient being monitored.”
She laughs. “Yes, but you don’t have to make it so obvious.”
I find myself smiling back. This is what I want—her here, relaxed and safe. The decision to stay in Truckee was the right one. We thought sending Anna to the commune was the rightcall, but if we’d had safe rooms back then, we would’ve kept her at the house too. At the time, Maine was the best option. Now things are different and strategically, it’s smart to keep Sloane and Anna on opposite sides of the country. This makes it harder for Aldridge to target them both.
“Your family is nice and very welcoming. Thank you for bringing me here.”
I nod in agreement.
“How long have Garlen and Ellie been married?”
“They got married only two months ago. And now they have an offspring on the way.”
She blinks. “What? Are you saying that Ellie is pregnant?”
“Yes, I can scent the change in her.”
“Oh really, it’s not that she’s told you, it’s that you can literally smell a change?”
I nod in agreement.
We continue talking about a variety of subjects. Not about the danger or the story or what comes next. Just... talking. It reminds me of those late-night video calls. Hours disappearing while we discussed everything and nothing. Except now she’s here, close enough to touch. At some point, my hand finds hers. I don’t even realize I’ve done it until I feel her fingers intertwine with mine.
“Tell me more about growing up,” I say. “You mentioned your parents were distant.”
She shrugs, but I see the old hurt underneath. “I was an only child. I was an ‘accident,’ according to my mother, a bad accident she wished she could take back. She admitted that to me once, when she was frustrated during an argument. I don’t think she meant for it to hurt as much as it did.”
A growl rumbles in my throat before I can stop it. What kind of parent calls their child an accident?
“It’s fine,” she says quickly. “I’m over it.”
