Page 95 of Immune

Ewan’s humor vanishes.

And Kaito closes his eyes for half a second.

Idiot.

Me, not him. Well, him too. But mostly me this time.

Lifting my knife higher, I instruct, “Forget I said that.”

“No,” Fletcher answers, and my shoulders lock instantly.

He catches himself quickly, to be fair. I see it. The tiny shift, the correction before the old command can fully land.

“No,” he repeats, softer this time but still very much Fletcher, which means it’s as soft as taking a brick to the face. “I won’t forget it, but I’m not going to use it.”

That… is somehow worse.

Xeon nods once. “If the compound has any, you should have access.”

I laugh. “Should is a word straight out of a fantasy book.”

“Then we make it real,” he says.

Oh.

I don’t like that. Not even a little bit.

Ewan scratches his jaw, eyes on the floor like he knows direct eye contact might actually make me bolt. “For what it’s worth, I’m actually pretty good at finding things people try to claim don’t exist. Blockers, records, ramen packets hidden by selfish bastards. That kind of thing.”

“Heroic skill set,” I blandly retort, even though my stomach pinches at the thought of eating ramen.

No. Don’t think about it. It’ll only make things worse.

“I thought so, too,” Ewan quips, sounding pleased with himself.

Kaito speaks last. “You don’t have to join them.”

My chest tightens hard enough that I almost struggle to breathe, because I catch what he’s saying instantly. Not us. Them. He said them like he’s giving me room to separate himfrom the compound. Like he’s giving me a choice whether or not I separate him from Fletcher, Xeon, and Ewan. From walls and rules and people who might look at me and see an Omega-shaped resource.

“You don’t have to join anyone,” he continues. “You can travel near us. Use the same roads. Leave when it’s safe. Just… just don’t walk into Vector territory alone when NOVAC is involved.”

That’s manipulative. Only, it actually isn’t, which makes it the very worst kind of persuasion. It’s the reasonable kind. Bastard.

I stare at the door for a long moment, my mind diving deep into the recess it should stay away from. Maine left to find blockers, food, and meds. Dad died because of NOVAC. Mom died because grief and NOVAC turned her bond into a monster. I’ve spent six years hiding from everything that word created. And now a dying pilot has the audacity to drag it into this room on a dry and bloody tongue.

I can’t leave it alone, and I know it before I’ve even made a decision. Which means the decision has already happened, and I’m just standing here watching my pride throw a tiny, pathetic funeral for itself.

“Fine,” I say.

Ewan exhales loudly.

“Don’t,” I snap, pointing at him with a menacing stab. “Don’t make a sound like that was a relief. I will literally become unbearable.”

“Become?” he blurts before he can stop himself, his eyes widening straight after the word is out of his mouth.

Fletcher slowly turns his head toward him.

Xeon closes his eyes.