Page 23 of Their Shared Mate
Their gazes locked, Heather’s expression a compelling combination of regret and defiance. “I had nowhere else to go. I can’t depend on my mom. I have no significant other. And everything has gotten so expensive. Even with a college education, I could barely keep myself fed. Nuevo Biotech paid way above the industry standard, and that was on top of room and board. I was paying off the debt I’d accrued before I was hired. I couldn’t afford to quit.”
Claire nodded. Many would argue that they were monetizing human suffering, but similar concerns had motivated Claire to turn a blind eye to unusual requests and numerous red flags. “I had suspicions for years and kept working. If you’re guilty, so am I.”
“Zion told me that my participation was considered peripheral. So if one of the coalitions wanted to claim me, he would allow it. However, he could not bend the rules any farther than that.”
“Which was why you were sleeping in the shelter.”
Heather nodded then bent and set her empty mug beside her chair. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Why is this more of an issue now than it was before we were captured?”
After looking around to ensure that they were alone, Heather whispered, “I saw one of them yesterday.” Fear sparked within her navy blue eyes, and she nervously licked her lips. “Thank God, he didn’t see me.”
Claire gasped, praying Heather didn’t mean what it sounded like. “You saw one of the… captives you treated?” She didn’t know what else to call them. The hybrids hated being called victims. They refused to think of themselves that way.
“Yes. One of the patients assigned to my team is here in Eagle Village.”
“Oh, shit,” Claire muttered. “No wonder you’re upset.”
“If he sees me, he’ll kill me. I know he will.” She covered her mouth with her hand and muffled a sob. “I have to get back to the feline village. I’m not safe here.”
Claire went to Heather and tried to hug her, but Heather twisted out of her embrace and shot to her feet.
“Maybe I deserve to die,” Heather cried. “They have every right to hate me.” She ran back inside the bunkhouse, sobbing miserably as she went.
Refusing to ignore her friend’s pain, Claire ran after her. Heather was fast and agile, sprinting up the stairs two at a time. Claire reached the upstairs hallway as Heather reached their bedroom. Heather flew inside and slammed the door. By the time Claire reached the doorway, Heather had locked herself inside.
“Heather,” Claire called through the wooden barrier. “Let me in, hon. Let’s brainstorm solutions.”
“Go. Away,” she responded in between harsh sobs. “This is the only solution.” Another series of sobs followed and then she continued, “I have to stay out of sight until they let us go home.”
Home. Claire sighed. She sure as hell didn’t consider the feline village home, but Heather’s point was valid. Avoidingthe raptors was the wisest course of action. Still, they had just been released from captivity. Was Heather strong enough to withstand being cooped up again?
“Please, let me in. We’ll talk about something else. I don’t want you in there all alone.”
“I’m fine,” Heather insisted, but her voice still quavered. “I just need to wallow for a little while.”
Claire understood the concept. She had a tendency to wallow too. “I’ll check on you in a little while.”
“Go find Victor.” Her voice was stronger now. “I don’t want to see you until breakfast.”
Claire smiled. She wouldn’t mind seeing Victor, but it wasn’t up to her. She’d never gone chasing after men and she wasn’t going to start now. As for Heather, they had four other roommates, so the chances of her remaining alone all evening were slim to none. “I’ll see you later,” she called and then headed downstairs.
If she brought food to Heather and their roommates helped keep her entertained, it would be possible to protect her from the raptor hybrids. But three and a half weeks was a long time. Could Heather really tolerate confinement for the better part of a month?
When she returned to the main floor, Victor had just stepped inside. He raised his hand in greeting and smiled at her. Claire’s heart fluttered in her chest and heat spread across her cheeks. She couldn’t explain why she reacted so strongly to him, but the attraction was unmistakable.
“Did you just get in or are you headed out?” he asked when she reached him.
“Heather and I watched the sunset. I just hadn’t taken my coat off yet.”
“Then leave it on.” He flashed another engaging smile. “Raphael is making something amazing for dinner, and we’d like to share it with you.”
“I’d like that, but can you hold on for just a second?” He said he could, so she rushed over to Susan, one of the roommates, and asked her to take a dinner tray up to Heather. Susan said it was no problem. Claire paused for a deep breath before pulling up her hood. “Lead on,” she said as she reached Victor again. The dreamy purple of twilight had faded to darkness by the time she followed Victor from the bunkhouse. “How is Kyle? I heard that he’s conscious again, but that’s all.”
“Raphael has done what he can for Kyle, so he’ll be heading down the mountain in the morning,” Victor explained as they started their short trek to the cabin.
“I’m glad he came through this so well, but I’ll miss having Tara around. It was nice to see her again.”
