Page 45 of Pawsitive Data

Her knees buckled as the power drain hit. Lucas shifted instantly back to human form, catching her against his chest. “Emma!”

“I’m fine,” she assured him breathlessly.

“Never risk yourself like that again.”

“Says the overprotective alpha who’s been fighting while critically wounded,” she pointed out, crystal still sparking with residual energy.

“That crystal,” Malcolm murmured. “I’ve seen it before.” His eyes narrowed on her. “It’shers, isn’t it?” he growled. “It didn’t save your grandmother and it won’t save you.”

Shout in the distance told Lucas his enforcers were finally returning from wherever in the hell they had been.

Malcolm’s expression shifted from calculating to concerned at his force’s retreat. “This isn’t over. The human’s research?—”

“Thehuman,” Emma interrupted with steel beneath her scientific enthusiasm, “has extensively documented exactly what happens to threats against her mate. Would you like to review the data? The failure rates are particularly fascinating.”

Lucas’s proud rumble shook the remains of the safe house. His extraordinary mate, once again, using technical analysis as a weapon.

Malcolm’s forces scattered, battered and beaten, leaving Emma to fuss over Lucas’s injuries.

“The accelerated healing is proof of remarkable shifter capabilities,” she noted while examining his wounds. “Though I strongly suggest avoiding more combat until these recuperative processes are complete.”

His transformation back to human was smooth despite his exhaustion. “I will always fight to protect what’s mine.”

Emma’s crystal pulsed with deepening emotion as she pressed closer. “I know. Just... let me protect you too. The data says we’re significantly more effective as a unified team.”

Lucas gathered her close, breathing in their combined scent. “I love you,” he murmured.

THIRTY-SEVEN

The emergency medical facility next to the annex lab in the city buzzed with quiet efficiency as healers moved around Lucas’s bedside. Emma stood nearby, her crystal pendant resting heavily against her chest, its once-blinding glow reduced to a faint shimmer.

Lucas’s wounds had been stitched and bandaged, his feline resilience aiding his recovery, but his eyes were sharp and restless. He hated being confined, and it showed in the tension rolling off him.

Emma ignored his grumbles as she sifted through the tablet in her hands, her mind focused on the data Victor had sent to her before the fight at the safe house.

The encrypted files contained fragments of genetic research, snippets of suppressed records, and ominous references to projects that shouldn’t have existed. Even some notes of her grandmother’s findings. It was like peering into a Pandora’s box of horrors tied to the pride’s survival—and to her grandmother’s legacy.

“Emma.” Lucas’s voice drew her out of her thoughts. His tone was softer now, threaded with concern. “You haven’t stopped since we got here. You need to rest.”

She looked up, meeting his golden gaze. “I can’t rest. Not yet. There’s too much to figure out.” Her voice wavered with frustration. “Malcolm didn’t just attack us, Lucas. He’s been orchestrating this for years. Maybe decades.”

Lucas leaned forward, wincing slightly as his stitches pulled. “We’ll stop him. Together.”

Emma shook her head, a rueful smile touching her lips. “You’re so sure of us. Ofme.”

“I’ve never doubted us,” Lucas said firmly. “Not for a second.”

His words wrapped around her like a protective shield, but the weight of responsibility pressed harder on her shoulders. She turned back to the data. “Victor should’ve sent over the last batch of files by now. We’re close, Lucas. I can feel it.”

Lucas sighed but didn’t press further. Instead, he reached for her free hand, his thumb brushing against her knuckles. The warmth of his touch grounded her, calming the storm raging in her mind. “Emma,” he said gently, “you’re not in this alone. Stop carrying everything on your own shoulders.”

For a moment, she let herself relax into his touch, the mate bond between them humming faintly. “I know,” she murmured. “It’s just... everything is connected. The pride, my grandmother, the crystal—it feels like I was meant to fix this, Lucas. Like I’m the only one who can.”

“You’re not.” His voice was steady, unyielding. “We’re in this together. Always.”

The door opened, and Victor strode in, followed by Zayne. Both men carried the gravity of battle on their faces. Victor handed Emma a data drive without preamble. “This is everything we pulled from the archives.”

Zayne added, “It wasn’t easy. The encryption on these files is unlike anything we’ve seen before. Someone didn’t want anyone getting their hands on this.”

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