And then Alex broke the silence.

“Really?” she said dryly, eyeing me with a smirk. “You’re going to fight with the awesomeness of your six-pack as a weapon?”

I arched a brow. “Yeah, you know, I was going to test out the whole abs of steel theory thing. The gun attached to my thigh and the daggers in my hands are just props. Mainly for show. Don’t want to take away from the gloriousness that is my body, though.”

Her smirk flipped into a grin. “Whatever.” She started forward. Up ahead, a tall figure stepped out in the hall, and light glinted off the titanium daggers in his hands. Aiden. Of course their room had to be close to mine.

Of. Course.

My gaze shot to Josie. “What do you think you’re doing?”

She was in the process of closing the door when she frowned. “I’m going to help—”

“You are going to help by staying safe in your dorm and not answering the door to anyone but me or one of the guys.”

“I can fight,” she insisted, her cheeks flushing pink. “You saw me yesterday. I know what—”

“Do you hear those sirens?” I lifted my chin to the ceiling. “This isn’t a fight between halfs and pures. That means something has gotten inside that shouldn’t be inside.”

Her blue eyes deepened to storm clouds. “I know that. I can—”

“Do you remember what happened last time?” I stepped to her, my chest and stomach clenching at the memory. “I’m not going to end the night searching you down and finding you like I did last time.”

Blood drained from her face. “And last time, I was taken from your room. You know, the safe place!”

Well. Shit. She had a point. I shook my head. Time was of the essence here. “Then you don’t answer the door unless it’s me.”

“Seth—”

“Just stay in your room, Josie. You’ll be safe there.”

“I don’t see you telling Alex to stay in her room,” she fired back. “Nor did Aiden seem to stop her.”

“That’s because I know Alex can hold her own.” And truth? I also wouldn’t lose my shit if Alex got hurt. Josie? I would go nuclear on this gods-damned Covenant and level the place.

Josie stepped back, bumping into the door, and I could tell I’d said something very, very wrong to her. I wasn’t quite sure what it was. I’d said a lot of bad shit to her recently, but I didn’t have time to really question it. She turned around stiffly and went back into her room.

At least she was staying put.