Perhaps Zoe Pierce was lost in thought for too long, because Chase Shaw spoke up. "There’s no need to rush."

"We still have time."

Zoe Pierce knew that worrying was useless right now. No matter how hard she tried to think, her memory-less mind was a complete blank.

"Thank you, Chase Shaw." Regardless, thanks to him, she at least had a lead now.

’That Wesley White... he might be the breakthrough.’

Chase Shaw put his Intelligent Brain away. "If you really want to thank me, then get better at using your spiritual power."

Zoe: "..."

She never thought Chase Shaw would be so interested in seeing his ability put to use. Every time Zoe simulated his spiritual power to exert heavy pressure, he would always take the initiative to "attack" her.

He claimed it was to train her, but Zoe could clearly see the intense interest in his eyes.

He was very interested in pushing past his own limits.

And since she was the only one who could wield his spiritual power, Chase Shaw was the one who sought her out most often in the Psionic Training Room these days.

So, hearing him make such a request, Zoe was, surprisingly, not surprised at all.

She could only manage to stretch her lips into a thin smile. "Alright."

Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. She really wasn’t very good at faking it.

Chase Shaw let out a soft chuckle in response.

"Let’s go. Time to head back and rest." He’d said what he needed to say, so there was no reason for them to remain in the Psionic Training Room.

Zoe started to walk out of the Psionic Training Room, but she suddenly heard Chase Shaw’s voice from behind.

"Zoe, what do your pheromones smell like?"

Zoe turned back, confused. She saw Chase Shaw frowning, as if in a daze. She thought for a moment. "I think I saw it in my medical report... It’s supposed to be Freesia."

It’s a floral scent.

She’d smelled freesias before, so she could imagine the scent. But since she hadn’t noticed it on herself since she woke up, she had no real sense of it.

’What would it be like to be surrounded by a scent like that?’

"What’s wrong?" she asked, tilting her head.

Chase Shaw’s gaze fell on the back of her neck, hidden from her view. "Turn your back to me. Let me see your gland."

It was a strange request, but Zoe turned around anyway and lifted up her hair.

She bowed her head slightly, revealing the barrier patch on the nape of her neck. The gland beneath it was faintly raised, covered by a pale blue patch.

Zoe felt Chase Shaw’s fingers touch the patch.

Goosebumps instantly erupted on her skin. Zoe’s breath caught, and her voice trembled slightly. "What are you doing?"

Her voice was as soft as honey, causing Chase’s fingers to still for a moment.

’It sounded almost like a pout.’

Just as she was about to let her hair down, Chase’s gaze hardened, and he commanded in a low voice, "Don’t move."

Zoe froze.

She belatedly realized how obedient she was being, and a flash of annoyance crossed her features. But just as she was about to step away from Chase’s touch, she saw Miles Sherman approaching, his face grim.

Upon seeing her current position with Chase, Miles stopped in his tracks, his brow deeply furrowed.

His rebuke and Chase’s voice sounded at nearly the same time.

"Chase!"

"Your barrier patch is torn."

Though his voice wasn’t loud, all three of them in the hallway heard it clearly.

Chase looked up at Miles, his expression perfectly candid. "You’re back."

Miles hummed in acknowledgment and walked over to them. He came to a stop beside Chase, and Zoe felt Miles’s gaze join Chase’s, fixed on her gland.

Chase’s hand seemed to point to a spot on her neck. Zoe distinctly felt the oppressive aura radiating from the still-tense Miles ease up.

"It’s torn," Miles said in a low voice. "You need to apply a new one."

’She didn’t know how it had torn.’

Zoe reached up to touch it. The surface of the barrier patch was smooth; she couldn’t feel any tear at all.

But since both Miles and Chase said so, Zoe believed them.

"Chase, how did you notice?" She suddenly spun around. "Did you smell my pheromones?"

She looked first at Chase, then at Miles, her voice a little tense. "Miles, did you smell anything?"

’Surely not.’

Miles’s nostrils flared slightly. "No."

But Chase said, "I think I caught a faint scent just now."

It was a fleeting fragrance, gone so quickly he almost couldn’t catch it, making him think he’d imagined it.

Yet, driven by an inexplicable impulse, Chase had spoken up.

Chase didn’t look like he was lying, which made Zoe a little uneasy.

"Let’s go to the infirmary to get that checked," Miles said. "Chase, you can head back."

’That scene just now... Chase’s gaze had been intensely focused on Zoe’s neck.’

Chase and Miles locked eyes. The gaze in Chase’s deep gray eyes hardened for a moment before he relented, taking a step back. "Alright."

The three of them walked toward the infirmary until they reached the Alpha dorms. Chase left with a slightly tense expression, leaving Zoe and Miles to continue on their own.

Miles didn’t look particularly pleased either. His chiseled jaw was set, and he remained silent.

"About last time... I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to overhear you." Zoe was referring to the time she’d overheard the call with Miles’s father. The two of them hadn’t been alone together since.

She hadn’t had a chance to bring it up until now.

Miles clearly remembered the awkward incident, but he didn’t hold it against Zoe.

"That was my fault. Don’t worry about it." He had miscalculated, not expecting a call from that person at that particular time.

That’s what had led to the awkward situation.

Of everyone in the squad, Zoe felt that Miles was the most emotionally stable.

He was proving it now, walking calmly beside her, his pace perfectly matched to hers from the start so she wouldn’t have to strain to keep up.

’He really is the most considerate Alpha of the four,’ she thought.

Glancing over at Miles, Zoe said as they walked, "I think you’re already doing a great job."

When she’d first seen him moments ago, a vein had been throbbing at his temple, and he’d been shrouded in a heavy silence. He seemed a little better now, but he was still far too serious.

"I don’t know what your father said this time, but... I hope you can cheer up a little." Zoe pulled a snack stick—a treat from one of her instructors—from her pocket and offered it to Miles.

’Even if she thought there was something wrong with Miles’s father, Zoe knew she shouldn’t say so to his face.’

It was just a small snack stick. Miles hadn’t eaten anything like it in years.

He took the snack, and the harsh lines of his face softened slightly.

"Thank you."

Zoe waved a hand dismissively. "Don’t mention it." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

By the time their brief conversation ended, they had arrived at the infirmary. Miles tucked the snack into his pocket.

Inside the infirmary, the instructor who had examined Zoe before was reading a document on his Intelligent Brain. He looked up in surprise when they entered. "What happened?"

"Instructor, my barrier patch tore accidentally." Zoe pointed to the nape of her neck. But that alone wouldn’t have been enough reason to come to the infirmary.

She added, "And while I’m here, I was hoping to check my pheromone concentration. I’m wondering if it’s gone up again?"