It was early when Mark woke me up the next morning. When he said we had to leave early to drive to the place the meeting was, I hadn’t realized he meant the middle of the night. Everything was ready for the trip already, thankfully, so all we had to do was get in the car and go. Scythe and Rie climbed into the back seat automatically, giving me the front seat. I didn’t object, partly because I was too tired to and also because I wanted to sit closer to Mark.
“Is Doctor Zayla coming?” I asked after a yawn had escaped my lips.
“No,” Mark said. “I thought it was best for her to stay with the pack in case anyone gets injured. I’m already leaving them on their own, so I don’t want to leave them without all of their resources.”
Mark’s face was tight, and it suddenly hit me how torn Mark had b
