"It's more than most people would do in here." Or at least that's what she's been told, considering the only time someone really turned aggressive on her in the previous arena had been when she was ambushed and eventually killed. But it's better to keep him on his toes than to lure him into any sort of false sense of security in the arena.

"You wouldn't be intruding." It's not a complete lie. While she'd rather he not be with them, having him around could possibly be the difference between how long Alex can make it in the arena, so she's willing to suck up and deal. "And even if you don't want to, I know a few scientists who would probably be interested in meeting you."