Despite the improvements in her surroundings and all the distractions she’d been allowed, Heather was restless. She needed to be challenged, needed a purpose. And she needed to understand why Patrick was avoiding her.
Gabriel arrived a few minutes later. Despite his ability to regulate his body temperature, he wore a hooded coat and gloves. His face was wind-burned and the hood left his hair slightly tangled and wild.
“Hell of a night for flying,” she greeted as he hung up his coat by the door.
“I’m used to the cold,” he said distractedly as he pulled a small bundle out of the pocket of his coat. “I brought you another surprise.”
“I love your surprises.”
They walked to the living room and sat down side by side. He placed the bundle in her lap and said, “Unwrap it.”
She spread the ragged sides of the cloth and revealed… “Is this a swarmy?” she asked, excited and fascinated by the unexpected gift. “I’ve never seen one that wasn’t zipping around my head.” The workmanship was exceptional with colorful metal feathers and incredibly intricate gears. The chest panel had been removed so she could see the inner circuitry. “When and how did you catch this thing?”
“I didn’t. A couple of the guards set a trap for it. Then Raphael and I spent most of the day trying to figure out how it works.”
She looked up from the fascinating spy bot. “What did you find out? Do you understand how they work? Who’s controlling them?”
He shook his head. “We determined that they’re autonomous. They have predefined parameters, but no one is in orbit operating these things.”
“That’s disappointing.”
“I agree.” He took the swarmy from her and set it aside. “There was one interesting development, however. I was able to use a couple of components from the swarmy to boost the off-world signal. It’s still just a repeating message, but it has some serious range now.”
“That’s wonderful. Go, team Gabriel.”
He chuckled and pushed to his feet. “I hope whatever I’m smelling is ready. I didn’t have time for lunch.”
“It’s ready,” she assured as she went to the kitchen. “Have a seat at the table.”
She’d set the table earlier, so all she had to do was retrieve the casserole from the oven. “How’d your meeting with Zion go? I’ve never met the feline pride leader, but I’ve heard he can be difficult.”
Gabriel’s gaze narrowed and his lip curled upward in a silent snarl. “It’s not safe for me to be in the same room with that creature. My meeting was with Diego.”
His open hostility surprised her. She knew Gabriel preferred to focus on Eagle Village and let the other shifters take care of themselves, but this seemed personal. “Are you still angry about the alliance or is there more to your conflict with Zion?”
Gabriel studied her silently with his arms crossed over his chest. Rather than answer her question, he slid his plate across the table.
She dished up a generous portion, but kept the plate on her side of the table. “If you want to try my culinary creations, you need to indulge my curiosity.” She added a playful smile just to make sure he didn’t take offense.
“Zion commanded a team of enforcers. If any of the other teams failed in their mission or attempted to escape, Zion would hunt them down and return them to Nuevo Biotech.”
Stunned by what he’d just revealed, Heather slid the plate toward him. “He did this willingly?”
“None of us was willing, but Zion…” He picked up his fork and lowered his troubled gaze to the plate in front of him. “Suffice itto say that I don’t trust Zion. Never have and never will. Change the subject.”
“All right. Did you get anywhere with Diego?” Diego led a mysterious group of feline shifters known as the Shadows. Heather had been introduced to the intimidating cat, but she didn’t really know him.
“There wasn’t much to discuss,” he admitted as he started eating. “We’re in a holding pattern. I agreed to help defend the feline village if the wolves attack. However, I will not sanction any sort of attack on the wolves.”
“That seems fair to me.” She scooped up some of the casserole and placed it on her own plate. “Was Diego okay with the compromise?”
“He has no choice. It’s the only assistance I’m willing to offer. If the cats instigate hostilities, they’re on their own.”
She took a quick bite before asking, “What about your brother? Are you two on the same page again?”
“We’ve come to a reluctant agreement. My offer to Diego was the result of my compromise with Raphael.”
“I’m glad. It always makes me sad when families don’t get along. My sisters mean the world to me.”
