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The door slides aside, and Six’s impassive expression doubles my curiosity.

“Well? What was so important it couldn’t wait until morning?”

He slides into our bed of blankets behind me, drawing himself close enough that my back presses into his hard chest. “Nothing urgent. I asked him to look at a piece of equipment for me. Seems he requires some additional parts.”

“You’re going out on a run for them?”

“Tomorrow, yes. We may need to backtrack a bit, so it’s possible I could be gone a couple days.”

If not for Kenny, I’d wonder if he’s lying to me right now, as short and mysterious as his words are.

“What part does he need?”

There’s a moment of silence that follows, and Six clears his throat. “Cathode ray tube, or something.”

I blow out a breath and sigh. “What is it that’s so important about this equipment?”

“It can be another set of eyes when needed.”

With a snort, I turn to lie on my back, only a small ache lingering in my belly. “Why would we need that, when we have an Alpha such as yourself with a keen eye?”

He leans around and kisses me, a smile on his lips.

“I want to go with you. I need to get out of here. Out of this camp for a while.”

“Wren, it isn’t a good idea. Not when you’re having these pains. To be so far away from Hesaya.”

“How far?”

“Far enough to make me nervous about it.” He strokes his hand down my face before offering another kiss. “Get some sleep. You need to rest and be strong for our child.”

“Isn’t that the truth. This baby is not even the size of a fig and already kicking my ass. Surely, it must be a boy.”

“Not if she’s a girl who takes after her mother.” Massive arms wrap around me, drawing me even tighter to his chest. “I’ll be in trouble.”

I chuckle at that and kiss his bicep. “You’re going to be an amazing father. A sexy, handsome, wise and protective father.”

“Wise? Now, that’s a trait I wouldn’t have bestowed upon myself.”

“One I’ll happily retract, if you consider going back to that hospital.” I twist to look into his eyes, catching that twitch I noted earlier. “Promise me you won’t.”

“You’ve nothing to worry about. As Kenny said, it’s impenetrable. Even if I wanted to, the chances of getting inside are slim.”

“And I know you well enough to know you’ll try, anyway.”

He huffs in exasperation and takes hold of my jaw. “Sleep woman. And stop worrying.”

I wake to the sound of whispers outside of the cave, and twist to see Six isn’t lying beside me. Surrounding darkness tells me it’s not yet morning, or sunrise, anyway, but I throw back the blanket and climb out of bed to see what’s going on. The sun has only begun to crest over the mountains, still mostly hidden behind the horizon, and I’m greeted by a small crowd, made up of Six, Kenny, and the four newcomers to the group, along with Tinker, Ratchet, Tripp and Rigs.

Alarms blare inside my head, as all but Rigs and Tripp carry a pack of supplies and weapons.

“What’s going on?”

Six gives a nod, and the group disperses, setting my nerves flaring with tension. “I was going to tell you, but I wanted you to rest. I didn’t want to upset you.”

“You’re going to Calico, aren’t you?”

“Kenny believes there may be a way inside, after all. Rigs and Tripp are going to stay back. Watch the camp and keep an eye on you.”