Chase Shaw and Erin Xavier scanned the surroundings for new discoveries, while Zoe Pierce paused at the cave entrance. Only when there was some distance between them did she dare to carefully extend her spiritual power inside.

The entire passageway was very long. No one would have guessed that such a long tunnel could be carved out of this unremarkable stone wall.

And her spiritual power wasn’t being interfered with by the Spiritual Power Shielding Device.

She could clearly sense the hollow space within the cave, a stark contrast to the surrounding rock walls.

Zoe wondered, ’Is it because my spiritual power is fundamentally different from an Alpha’s? Otherwise, why are Chase and the others still affected while I feel nothing?’

Her spiritual power slowly probed deeper. The passageway, dozens of meters long, led somewhere unknown, pitch-black without a single trace of light.

Just a few more meters ahead, there was a fork in the path.

Zoe focused her concentration. Her spiritual power could only explore one of the paths.

"Find anything?" Erin Xavier asked as he walked over, having found nothing else after sweeping the entire camp.

Zoe was standing there in a daze, seemingly lost in thought.

Zoe snapped her spiritual power back, turned around, and said calmly, "Nothing."

Her expression was natural, so Erin Xavier didn’t notice anything amiss. He glanced at his Intelligent Brain. "I’ve already messaged Miles and the others. Why aren’t they back yet?"

Zoe also checked their group chat on her Intelligent Brain and saw a message from Nathan Lockwood: "We’ve run into something. We can’t come back for now. Protect Zoe."

No one had expected Nathan Lockwood to suddenly leave a message like that.

"What’s going on?" Erin Xavier raised an eyebrow and typed into the group chat, "Do you need us to come over?"

Neither Nathan Lockwood nor Miles Sherman answered.

’Tsk. What on earth happened? It’s impossible to figure it out from that one sentence.’

"He said to protect Zoe, which means we don’t need to go over," Chase Shaw said, standing lazily to one side and effectively answering Erin’s question.

Only Zoe’s attention wasn’t on Miles and Nathan. She was looking at the shielding device.

She had a new idea.

’Since the shielding device interferes with an Alpha’s ability to sense spiritual power, would Chase and Erin even notice if I used mine?’

She felt she was being a little daring, always dancing on the edge of danger.

But the opportunity was too rare. The only person who knew her secret, Nathan Lockwood, wasn’t here, and she had no idea when he’d be back. She didn’t know how long she would have to wait.

"Let’s sit and wait for a while. We’ll see how long they take to get back." With Miles and Nathan gone, Chase Shaw was now the one calling the shots.

He had even taken the shielding device, and was holding it in his hand.

If he put it in his Space Button, the signal might be cut off, so it had to be kept out in the open.

"What is it?"

Chase Shaw sat straddling a rock by the fire. Catching Zoe’s gaze, he tilted his head back slightly. His sharp eyes glanced up at her, revealing straight, thick brows as he spoke.

Zoe was standing to the side, her gaze fixed on the pocket where he’d stashed the shielding device. Hearing his question, she sat down beside him. "Nothing."

To her surprise, just a few seconds later, Chase Shaw pulled the shielding device from his pocket and called out, "Zoe Pierce."

Zoe turned, and Chase Shaw tossed the device to her.

Zoe almost fumbled the catch.

Clutching the badge-sized device, she stared blankly at Chase Shaw.

"Didn’t you say it’s fragile?"

Chase Shaw held his hands out to the fire, his voice low and languid. "I was worried Erin would be careless with it."

’She was just a petite Omega. How much strength could she possibly have?’

’And from the way she was looking at it, she clearly wanted a closer look.’

Zoe was a little taken aback, but the device in her hand was far more captivating. She held it up to examine it. It was about the weight of an egg, with a circular design and complex circuitry. At its center was a deep blue mineral.

It looked like a sapphire, only not as translucent. Its blue was as deep and dark as the ocean.

Holding the shielding device, she finally dared to release her spiritual power.

Neither of the two men sitting around the fire reacted to her spiritual power at all.

Zoe wasn’t sure what expression to make. With this shielding device, it was like she had an extra layer of camouflage.

’I want it.’

’I want it so badly.’

’But this one in my hand might have a tracker, and who knows where it came from. There’s no way they’d let me keep it.’

With a touch of regret, Zoe retracted her spiritual power and handed the device back to Chase Shaw.

Seeing her reluctance to part with it, Chase said bluntly, "You can hold on to it."

’We’re just staying here, anyway. Nothing’s going to happen.’

He saw a flicker of surprise light up her small face. She carefully tucked it away, even patting her pocket gently. Her expression was like a child who had just received a prize. A little... cute.

Chase Shaw’s eyes flickered.

In return for Chase’s kindness, Zoe thought for a moment before taking out her own canned food and offering it to the two men. "Let’s eat something."

The two who had gone to find food hadn’t returned, and it wasn’t good for them to just sit here and starve.

Although Chase and Erin had explicitly told her to save her food for herself, she felt that given the special circumstances, they didn’t need to be so insistent.

Sure enough, neither of them was obstinate.

Nathan’s message had put them both on high alert. They weren’t arrogant enough to leave only one person with Zoe while the other went to look for food.

Now that Zoe was sharing her food, they each took just one can.

It was just enough to replenish some basic calories. They could worry about the rest tomorrow.

But none of the three expected that Nathan Lockwood and Miles Sherman wouldn’t return all night.

When Zoe woke up, she saw that Chase had already sent a few more messages to the two in the group chat. But it was as if they had lost signal over there; there was no reply.

This wasn’t what any of them had expected.

"Should we go check it out?" Having waited long enough, Erin glanced at the cave they had left untouched all night, a hint of interest in his eyes.

Chase’s gaze fell on Zoe’s petite form, wrapped in a blanket. He rejected the idea without a second thought. "Stay put."

Zoe was a little disappointed. She actually wanted to go inside and take a look.

Seeing Erin’s bored and disappointed expression, she quietly raised her hand. "Actually, I’d like to go check it out, too."

It was now two against one.

Chase’s brows knitted together, and Zoe’s hand flinched back under his gaze.

He let out a low snort. "Real brave."

’I feel like I’m being mocked.’

Zoe felt she was starting to understand how Erin felt when Chase shut him down. Chase didn’t say much, but he could be inexplicably infuriating at times.

Looking abashed, she saw Chase stand up. His tall, sturdy frame shifted as he said to her, "Zoe, give me your hand."

He rolled his neck. His voice was exceptionally deep, and his face offered neither a smile nor an explanation.