Page 26 of Pawsitive Data

“We’ll continue this discussion tomorrow,” he told Malcolm firmly. “After the council presentation.”

“Of course.” Malcolm’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Though Dr. Greene might want to be careful. Some kinds of pattern recognition can be... dangerous.”

“Dangerous is my middle name!” Emma called cheerfully. “‘Emma Dangerous Greene does have a nice ring to it.”

Lucas fought both a smile and a growl. His mate was obviously deflecting, using her scientific babbling as cover. The question was what had she found that triggered her survival instincts?

“Good-bye, Malcolm,” he said pointedly. “I’m sure you have preparation to do for something.”

As soon as Malcolm left, Emma’s cheerful facade dropped. “Lucas, these patterns... they’re not congruent.”

“Meaning what?”

“Someone’s been systematically removing evidence of specific genetic combinations. Combinations that perfectly match the fertility crisis symptoms and... I need to run more analysis before the presentation.”

Her scent held no trace of scientific excitement now. Only determination and a hint of fear that made his beast snarl.

“Show me,” he growled.

Emma pulled up the data, and Lucas felt his blood run cold. Because there in the pattern was a clear timeline with holes. A timeline that started decades ago.

NINETEEN

The sun wasn’t up yet, but Emma had been in her lab for hours, running pattern recognition algorithms on the suspicious findings. Her grandmother’s crystal pulsed softly against her throat, almost like it was encouraging her to keep digging.

“Look at this, Bernard,” she muttered to the genetic sequencer, which hummed in response. “There are gaps in the data from the medical records too. Things have been deleted. The timing of these deletions... they’re removing data about failed pregnancies. Like someone’s trying to hide specific genetic combinations.”

The holographic display showed timeline after timeline, each one revealing more suspicious breaches. But it was the pattern underneath that made her hands shake.

“The fertility crisis isn’t random,” she whispered. “It’s targeted. Affecting bloodlines with specific genetic markers. Markers that match...” She pulled up her original research notes. “Oh god. The past few shifter generations. They’re all connected to these deleted records.”

Her phone buzzed. A text from Lucas:You haven’t slept.

Can’t sleep. Science happening. Very important science with potentially terrifying implications.

Emma.

Right! Sorry! Focusing on the potentially…wait. How did you know I was awake?

Because I can feel you.

Emma’s heart did that flutter thing that definitely deserved proper documentation.The mate bond? What you never let me properly test last night because you were too busy being all responsible and alpha-y about council presentations?

Emma. Focus.

I am focused! On multiple things. Like how these genetic anomalies, and how grandmother’s crystal pulses in time with both our heartbeats which is probably relevant to the current crisis but also really distracting when I’m trying to solve genetic conspiracies and...

The lab door opened. Emma jumped, nearly dropping her tablet.

“Dr. Greene.” Sofia, the lead in-house geneticist, looked as impeccable as always despite the early hour. “The team’s waiting for the morning briefing. Though perhaps we should discuss these interesting patterns Malcom said you’ve discovered first?”

Emma glanced at her screens, at the damning evidence of deliberate deletion of data.

Her crystal warmed against her skin. Warning or encouragement, she wasn’t sure.

Time to find out who she could trust.

“Of course! Council presentation. Very important meeting about totally normal genetic research.”

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