"You couldn't have known. I wasn't angry at you. I was just...trying to protect him. It kicked in harder than I expected, that instinct." He's fiercely defensive of his people, especially those he's bonded to.

"I tried to shield everyone brought to me in what ways I could. Some were easier than others." He considers Chris more than halfway one of his own, just as he does anyone who works at The Crucible, her included. "And you and I both knew it had to look real, or it would have been worse."

He shakes his head. "If you aren't angry at the strength of my response, we're good. I regret it but not the motive or the result for Carver." Only for the hurt he put on her.