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She imagined most women found Lincoln hard to ignore. She found Jude’s quiet confidence much more appealing. Octavia looked at Jude and saw he was watching her, his steady gaze seeming to appraise her.

“Pop the hood for me,” said Lincoln. “I’ll take a quick look. If it’s an easy fix, I’ll repair it. But we can’t risk being out here for long.”

Octavia returned to the van and opened the hood. By the time she’d returned, Jude had been joined by a tall, tanned guy who was well over six feet tall. His gaze met hers briefly. He was a dragon hybrid. She could see by the red gleam in his eyes.

“This is Malachi,” said Jude.

“Nice to meet you.” Octavia tried hard not to stare, but his eyes were incredible as red shimmered across them.

He looked away and ducked his head.

Octavia blinked. “Sorry. I’ve heard about dragon hybrids, but you’re the first one I’ve met.”

Malachi nodded. “Not a problem.”

“You don’t meet any on the road?” asked Jude.

“I stay in the van as much as possible,” said Octavia. “It’s safest that way.”

“We keep out of the way, as well,” said Malachi. “Like you say, it’s safest.”

Lincoln slammed the hood of the van down. “This thing has had it. You’re lucky it’s lasted this long.”

Octavia felt a pang of regret. “You can’t repair her?”

“I can’t. If we could get it back to base, I’m sure Arlo could figure it out. It’s basically scrap.”

Her gaze lingered on the van. It had been her home for a long time. She didn’t want to leave it behind.

“How about we rig it with temporary Invis Tech?” said Jude. “Then, if we get a chance, we can come back and see if we can get it repaired.”

Lincoln nodded. “I can do that. I’ve got a kit in the Cobra. Give me ten minutes.”

“You don’t need to,” said Octavia. “It’s just a vehicle.”

Jude stepped closer. “It was your home.”

“I can always find another.” She liked the fact he’d noticed her concern and wanted to help.

“We’ll fix it if we can,” said Jude. “You must have equipment in there you don’t want to leave.”

“I’ve got the essentials in this.” She gestured at the backpack. “Computers and radios can be replaced. Plus, I have a stash of important stuff elsewhere.”

“Malachi, bring the Cobra over to the van.” Lincoln walked past with a metal box in his hand. He gave Jude an obvious wink. “We need to move it to the side of the road so no one slams into it once the Invis Tech is activated.”

Malachi climbed into the Cobra and followed Lincoln, leaving Jude and Octavia alone.

She adjusted the backpack. Jeez, she felt like this was the first time she’d ever spoken to a guy and had no clue what to say.

“It’s good we’ve finally met,” said Jude.

“Of course,” said Octavia swiftly. “I’ve got lots of ideas about these weird signals I’ve been picking up from the State. It will be good to work together on that.”

Jude’s brow lowered. “That’s right. The signals. We need to get on top of them.”

“I’ve got a couple of basic decryption programs in the van.” Octavia couldn’t figure out the look on Jude’s face. It seemed like he was disappointed they were talking about this. “I’ve recorded the communications going backwards and forwards, but it hasn’t helped me figure anything out.”

“We’ve been doing the same,” said Jude. “One of my brothers, Kade, is a hotshot when it comes to decryption. Even he’s not been able to figure out what the messages are saying.”