Page 110

He smiles slightly.

"You do that too."

I glance at him.

"Do what?"

"Say yes when you mean no."

The observation catches me off guard. Because it sounds exactly like something Rhett would say.

Wonderful. Apparently I am surrounded by people who can read me.

"I'm fine."

Sayer raises an eyebrow. I laugh despite myself.

"Okay. I deserved that."

He returns to his notebook. The training notes Rhett gave him are surprisingly practical.

Breathing. Awareness. Recognizing instinct before reacting.

Nothing like the dramatic nonsense movies would have you believe. No full moons. No magical transformations. No instant monster. Just learning to understand a part of yourself.

Which, honestly, is something most humans could benefit from.

The thought is interrupted by a sharp beep from Rhett's equipment. The alert monitor on the counter flashes red. Rhett is outside before the second alarm sounds.

Of course he is.

I follow. Of course I do.

He looks over his shoulder.

"Carys."

"No."

"You don't even know what I was going to say."

"You were going to tell me to stay inside."

"Yes."

"Then no."

His expression says he expected exactly this. Annoyingly. Sayer appears behind us.

"Should I stay?"

Rhett immediately answers.

"Yes."

Sayer looks disappointed. Good. He needs to learn caution.

I step off the porch. The air is different. Not colder.