Page 48 of Pawsitive Data

Massive trucks rolled up along both sides of the street, cutting off any escape route. Emma’s heart pounded as she looked around, searching for an opening, but there was none. They were surrounded, and the odds were stacked against them.

The crystal pulsed again, its energy coursing through her veins. She gripped it tightly, drawing strength from the mate bond she shared with Lucas. They might be outnumbered, but they weren’t outmatched.

As Malcolm stepped closer, Emma met his gaze, her resolve unshakable. “You’re going to regret underestimating us.”

Malcolm chuckled darkly, his confidence unshaken. “We’ll see about that.”

The tension crackled like a live wire as the standoff reached its breaking point. Emma tightened her grip on the crystal, ready to unleash its power. Then a sting hit her arm and she saw a dart sticking out of it. She looked up to see ten stuck to Lucas. Then everything went dark.

THIRTY-NINE

Emma’s head was a heavy blur, the sharp sting of cold metal pressing into her skin. The room she found herself in was dark except for the harsh, sterile light overhead that only seemed to intensify the ache in her skull.

She groaned, straightening her back, and blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of her surroundings. Her wrists were shackled to the arms of a metal chair bolted firmly to the floor. She had no idea how long she’d been unconscious.

Across from her, Lucas groaned as well, the low sound laced with a growl of frustration. Thick metal chains were wrapped around his body. His broad chest rose and fell with each breath, his golden eyes snapping open, scanning the room with a sharpness that only his panther instincts could provide.

His gaze locked onto her, and for a moment, there was only silence as they took each other in, the palpable tension between them thickening the air.

“Emma,” he rasped, his voice hoarse as if it hadn’t been used in days. “Are you okay?”

Emma blinked, swallowing the lump in her throat. The sight of him shackled, his body tense with a barely contained fury,made her stomach twist in a knot. But she couldn’t afford to fall apart. Not now. Not when they were this close.

“I’m fine,” she said, her voice steadier than she felt. “Are you?”

Lucas didn’t immediately answer. His jaw tightened as his eyes swept over their surroundings again. The faint hum of machinery was the only sound besides their breathing, and the unmistakable smell of metal and damp concrete filled the air.

The walls were made of reinforced steel, and the low vibrations under her feet suggested they were deep underground. Whoever had taken them had clearly spared no expense in ensuring they wouldn’t escape.

His gaze flicked to the restraints holding them both, and Emma saw a glint of anger in his eyes before he turned his head to meet hers once more. “We’ll get out of this,” he said, voice soft but certain.

Before she could reply, the door slid open with a hiss, a sound sharp in the silence that had settled over them. A figure appeared in the doorway—tall, composed, and with a gleam of triumph in his dark eyes. Malcolm. The man who had orchestrated everything. The man who believed himself to be the savior of their kind.

He entered the room without hesitation, his presence commanding. Two of his enforcers flanked him, standing silent and watchful like stone statues. Malcolm’s gaze slid over Emma and Lucas, lingering on them for a long moment as if savoring their discomfort.

“Ah,” he said, his voice smooth, almost affectionate. “The mighty Alpha Lucas. The brilliant Dr. Greene. I must say, I admire your tenacity. You’re both stronger than I gave you credit for.”

Emma’s lip curled in disdain, but she kept her tone level. “Cut the pleasantries, Malcolm. You’ve been pulling the strings in this pride for years. What do you want with us?”

He smiled faintly, though there was little warmth in the expression. “I want you to understand,” he said, his gaze shifting to Lucas before returning to Emma. “I want you to see what I’m doing is necessary. The pride was dying, Dr. Greene. You came here to fix a problem you didn’t understand.”

“You don’t get to decide what’s ‘necessary,’” Lucas shot back, his voice growing colder. “You’ve turned us into your lab rats. You’ve taken families, bloodlines, and erased them like they never mattered.”

Malcolm tilted his head, unfazed. “You misunderstand. I ensured the pride’s survival.”

Emma’s heart pounded. “By manipulating people’s genetics? By controlling who mates with whom?”

He raised a finger, quieting her before she could speak further. “I’m saving the pride from extinction,” Malcolm continued, his tone deliberate. “You don’t know what it was like when we first moved down from the mountains, when our people were weakened by the human gene pool. We were fighting for our very existence. And that fight continues.”

Lucas’s breathing deepened, and his fingers clenched into fists at his sides. “You’ve poisoned everything, Malcolm. You’ve made us forget who we really are—our humanity. You took our choice, our power.”

Malcolm growled, and he shook his head slowly. “No, Lucas. I did what was necessary to save us. Our strength had to come from somewhere, and I made sure we didn’t fall to the weakness of human influence. Those who thought differently…” His voice trailed off, and he didn’t need to say more. The implication hung in the air.

Emma felt the rage surge inside her, but she kept her focus. “You’ve played god with us. You’ve stripped away everything that made your pride unique.”

Malcolm sighed as though disappointed in her lack of understanding. “I did what was needed. But maybe you’ll understand soon enough.”

He paused, his gaze flicking to the two enforcers behind him. “Leave us,” he said, his voice low but commanding.

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