The heat hit our backs, then silence followed.
Koa exhaled shakily as he looked back. “Good.”
Zuko wiped blood from his cheek. “If only this wasn’t simulated.”
Dimitri’s voice was low. “We’ll take the facility down in real life, too.”
I leaned into him for half a second, my breath fogging the air.
“Venom baby, you looked incredible in there,” Slater murmured through the comms. “I love watching you move when you kill.”
“This was a rescue mission,” Eleanor reminded us.
“Yes,” Slater hummed. “And she still looked incredible.”
Zuko chuckled. “My pretty little poison always does.”
I rolled my eyes, but warmth threaded through the bond. Even in simulations, my mates had a way of making sure I remembered I wasn’t alone.
It was a dangerous feeling that I was sure I’d get addicted to, if I wasn’t already.
The timer on my wrist beeped, signaling that the one-hour time limit was over. The cold, smoke, survivors, and the destroyed facility vanished as Apex Simulator 2.0 snapped back into place.
Jarvins stood at the holographic console, twig still in his mouth, his gaze assessing our expressions.
We stood in a loose line, me between Dimitri and Zuko.
“Rune Bloodwyne and Dimitri Nocturnus, every deception was clean. You maintained cover despite the proximity to trauma triggers for Rune. You located the captives quickly and initiated the release protocol without alerting upper-level security until extraction was already in motion.” His gaze cut to me. “You took a hit for Dimitri.”
Dimitri’s posture stiffened beside me.
Jarvins's eyes were calculating. “It worked because you’re immune, but don’t make a habit of treating yourself like armor.”
“I understand,” I told him, knowing full well I’d be armor for any of my mates.
Jarvins's gaze slid to Dimitri. “The compulsion to open the cells was efficient as well as making the human stay put after to avoid them getting in the way.”
Dimitri nodded once.
Jarvins continued, “Ivy Benson and Solon Ryk, your external containment and security control was effective. You held an extraction line without collapsing under pressure when escorting the captives out of the facility.”
Ivy’s grin spread over her face.
Solon shrugged, but I saw the corners of his lips curve upward.
“Koa Ashbourne,” Jarvins said. “Your triage work prevented multiple simulated and real fatalities. You stabilized captives and kept the agents operational.”
Koa’s shoulders loosened slightly.
Jarvins's gaze shifted to Zuko. “Zuko Vyre, your interrogation on the lead scientist yielded actionable intel. You also took a hit for Rune.”
Zuko’s mouth curved in a wicked smile. “Worth it.”
Jarvins's eyes narrowed. “Do not romanticize dying for your mate.”
Zuko’s grin didn’t fade. “I didn’t die, and even if I had, it would be romantic.”
I glared at him from the side. “You aren’t allowed to die for me.”
