utilitarian, centered around a large square. As Karlie and Gavin l

Whispers erupted lik

ard the words. "Cripple." "Caprice."

t was Gavin. She felt his arm tense around her shoulder, his bo

eir path. He had a thick beard and a sneer that twis

o carry. "Look what the cat dragged in. Gavin Knap

Dragging that useless leg back here... and with

epped forward, putting Karl

ropped you like a hot rock. Can't blame her. Who wants a broken male?" He looked at Karlie, his e

males behind

rge to fight was radiating off him, but he knew it would be

lf, Jed reached out, his h

Gavin growled, mo

n, placing herself directly between him and Jed. She st

t cut through the noise of the crowd like a blade. "Our

e. Then he laughed. "Mate? Him? A cri

, her eyes narrowed, her mind racing as Unit 9's rapid scan da

nies could hear. "I noticed you're favoring your left side. The faint yellow stain on your collar, the dilated pupils... you've bee

ion that to the elders, or to your mate, how lo

ced by a pale, sickly dread. The laughter died instantly. The crowd went dead silent, sensing the sudde

in the quiet. "It will heal. His honor will be cleared. As for the rest o

slipping her arm around hi

ing deeper-something like awe-filling

for them this time, a lane of sil

nger and humiliation. "Special effects," he mutter

until they reached the edge of the settlement,

his voice thick with shame

re cracked, and the interior was thick with dus

ed her bag on the floor and clapped her hands together. "W

her. "How can

pulled a rag from her bag and started wiping down a table.

Karlie scrubbed. The physical labor was exhausting, but with ea

f synthetic roast meat and a bottle of purified wate

out of nowhere. His brow furrowed in deep confusion, his eyes darting from the strange objects to her face. "Are you.

eutral. "It's a secret from my homeland," she said vaguely, not wan

erence in his eyes remained, his grati

w home. As the last light faded, Karlie activated a small,

lled out a datapad, her fingers flying over t

th. She was a stranger, an outsider, and yet she had defended him, cleaned his house,

ut for the first time since Caprice's