Page 49 of Pawsitive Data

The enforcers exchanged a glance, but after a brief moment of hesitation, they nodded and exited the room, closing the door behind them with an ominous clang. The room was still again, the only sound their breathing and the faint hum of machinery.

Malcolm took a step closer to Emma, and she could feel the heat of his gaze on her. “You’re smart, Dr. Greene. Too smart for your own good. But perhaps you’ll see things differently once you’ve heard everything. Your grandmother, Magdalena, was a valuable asset to this cause. She understood the need for control. She saw the future, and she knew we couldn’t afford weakness.”

Emma’s chest tightened at the mention of her grandmother. She knew Mags had been involved with the pride’s genetic work, but this was something else. Something darker. “I’m sure she had nothing to do with your plans.”

Malcolm met her gaze evenly. “No. She wasn’t willing. When she began questioning the methods we were using, I took matters into my own hands. I had her injected with shifter DNA to silence her doubts. It didn’t take long for her to lose her mind.”

Emma’s stomach lurched, her head spinning with disbelief. “Youdidthis to her? You made her?—”

“She died because her body couldn’t handle it,” Malcolm interrupted, his voice flat. “But it was the only way to ensure she stayed quiet. She was a necessary casualty in the name of our future.”

Emma’s world tilted. The woman who had loved her unconditionally, who had been a mentor, a guiding force in her life, had been silenced in the cruelest possible way. And now Malcolm was standing here, justifying it as if it was an acceptable price to pay.

Her voice was tight with fury. “You killed her to protect your secrets.”

Malcolm replied as though he were stating a simple fact: “And I would do it again. There are no heroes in survival, Dr. Greene. Only those willing to make the hard choices.”

Emma could barely breathe, the weight of his words pressing down on her chest. “Your ‘hard choices’ have destroyed families. You’ve destroyed everything that makes us human. And for what? Power?”

“I’ve done what was needed to ensure the survival of our kind,” he said, his tone colder now. “And when all is said and done, history will remember me as the one who saved us.”

Emma’s voice shook with rage. “You’re nothing but a monster.”

Her heart raced, and as the crystal around her neck pulsed faintly, she could feel it stirring with an energy of its own. It was as though the crystal itself had heard the words, reacting in response. Emma didn’t know how, but she could feel the connection to it more strongly now, as if something deep within her was urging her to act.

She glanced quickly at Lucas, and their eyes locked. Without a word, she knew he could feel it too—the pull between them, the power of their bond. She could feel the connection to the crystal intensifying, and her mind sharpened with purpose.

She focused, directing the power of the crystal outward, calling on it to help her. The crystal glowed brighter, casting a soft light against the walls of the dim room.

Malcolm’s eyes narrowed. “What are you doing?” he asked, his voice sharp with suspicion.

But Emma didn’t answer. She continued to focus, pushing the energy outward, channeling it in a way she never had before. The surge was almost overwhelming, and she could feel her body trembling with the effort.

But before she could send the power, Malcolm’s hand grasped the crystal around her neck, yanking it forward.

“No!” Emma cried out, but it was too late. The crystal’s glow flickered and dimmed.

Malcolm’s voice was low and dangerous. “I wondered what had happened the last time when that incredible power flashed. Quite interesting. This could prove more interesting than genetically enhanced shifters.”

His eyes narrowed on her. “I may keep you around, after all, Dr. Greene. I’m sure you’ll be an excellent lab experiment.”

FORTY

Even some time after Malcolm had left, the air in the underground room was thick with tension. Emma’s heart hammered in her chest as she felt the weight of Lucas’s gaze on her. He was still shackled with heavy chains to the chair, though his hands were now flexing with a barely contained rage.

“I’m sorry about your grandmother,” he said, sadness in his voice. “I had no idea what he was doing.”

“I doubt anyone with morals knew. It’s not your fault, Lucas. You would’ve stopped it had you known.”

“Yes, but that does nothing to ease your pain, right now.”

She gave him a sad smile. “I’m so lucky to have you.”

He chuckled. “I believe I’m the lucky one here.”

The sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway, signaling someone’s approach. Malcolm was not alone.

When he finally appeared in the doorway, the light from the corridor seemed to bend around him, casting his figure in shadow. His cold smile was unmistakable. He stepped inside, his eyes flicking over to Lucas first, the malevolence almost palpable. Then they settled on Emma.

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