Her feelings for him took on a wary edge. There was something about his actions that sparked a warning inside of her. Romy liked to think she was in tune with her instincts. When you were facing a horde of Critamal warcrafts, you didn’t really think as you shot the gun. At some point, it just came down to feel.

She watched him all day yesterday.

. . . Thrym was right. Atlas disappeared three times into the locked room, always making sure no one was near.

He didn’t open the door wide like he did with his office door. No, he slipped inside, not opening it more than necessary to squeeze his six-foot-six frame through.

Romy’s instincts told her that the locked room held something she didn’t want to know about.

The room bothered her.

Romy simultaneously wanted to know what was in there, and didn’t. She’d never experienced anything like what she felt for Atlas. She wanted to explore whatever was between them, and find out where it might lead.

For the first time in her lifespan, Romy cared for someone outside of her knot. It was fresh, and exciting, and . . .

. . . a mess.

There was Tina.

And Lucas.

Thrym.

And she wouldn’t put it past Phobos and Deimos to deal with Atlas should she spend any more time alone in his bungalow.

Not to mention there was the constant threat of the Mandate discovering them. Though, with each passing day Romy worried less and less about this and more about the pressing issues, like Lucas, and Tina, and Thrym. It seemed an endless cycle of worry.

Romy sighed.

Maybe Thrym was right, and they needed to regroup away from the Earth humans for a time. Perhaps the knot shouldn’t stay. Three weeks ago, Romy felt ill-equipped to deal with Earth’s mysteries. Now she was confident their team could pull the plan off.

The real issue was, Romy didn’t want to leave anymore. Even knowing Atlas had his secrets.

Knot 27 still came first.

But if she allowed herself to grow any closer to Atlas, would that still hold true?

When they were alone together everything was simple—she trusted him. As soon as they were apart, she began to wonder about all the other things that should matter: who he was, who he worked for, what his plans were for their knot. Maybe she didn’t have any right to this knowledge. They’d only known each other for a few weeks, after all.

But this distance didn’t mesh with the comfort she felt alone in his presence.

At least with Deimos in the storage room, there was no way Lucas would attempt anything.

One way or another, the matter would settle itself. Preferably before Romy lost her mind.

* * *