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I still remembered standing beside Sera’n’s worktable while the male talked around me instead of to me.

“Her reassignment review remains open,” the administrator had said. “If another suitable compatibility is identified⁠—”

“She is assigned to my laboratory,” Sera’n interrupted.

The administrator frowned. “That was intended as a temporary use of her skills.”

Sera’n hadn’t even looked up from the tablet in his hands.

“Then I require her skills temporarily for the foreseeable future.”

I had nearly laughed.

The administrator had not.

“She is a fertile human female.”

That finally made Sera’n look up.

“She is also the technician who identified the contamination in your department’s last shipment.”

Silence.

Sera’n returned to his tablet.

“When I no longer require her work, I will notify you.”

At the time, I had been offended by the wording. Require her work. As if I were another piece of laboratory equipment he had checked out.

It took me longer to understand what he had actually done.

He had given the administrator a reason to leave me alone that the man respected.

Not compassion.

Not fairness.

Usefulness.

Sera’n had figured out how this place worked and used it to buy me space inside it.

I had never thanked him for that.

Maybe that was why hearing assigned from him now stung more than it should have.

His expression softened.

“Talia.”

“Don’t.”

“I am trying to protect you.”

A bitter laugh escaped me. “Of course you are.”

His expression hardened.

“Do not confuse me with them.”