Page 53 of Pawsitive Data

The explosion had consumed the lab, leaving nothing but scorched earth and smoldering ruins in its wake. Emma’s last memory before the blast was of Malcolm’s triumphant sneer, twisted with the madness of a man willing to destroy everything rather than face defeat. Now, as she and the others emerged from the rubble, his absence was an undeniable weight.

The air was thick with the acrid stench of burnt machinery and singed earth. Emma coughed, her lungs struggling to expelthe oppressive smoke. Lucas’s steady arm supported her, his strength an anchor in the chaos.

“Is everyone accounted for?” Lucas asked, his voice hoarse but firm.

Victor nodded, his face smudged with soot but otherwise composed. “Zayne and I checked. No survivors from Malcolm’s forces. If any of his enforcers made it out, they’ll scatter without him. He’s gone.”

Emma’s chest tightened at those words. Malcolm’s death should have brought relief, but instead, it left a hollow ache. She thought of the lives he had manipulated and destroyed, the pride members who had suffered under his experiments. Justice had been served, but the cost was immeasurable.

As they moved farther from the wreckage, the harsh sunlight cut through the smoke, revealing the devastated landscape. Trees on the perimeter of the lab were charred, their leaves reduced to ash. A strange quiet blanketed the area, broken only by the occasional groan of settling debris.

Emma glanced back at the ruins, her heart heavy. “He really believed he was saving the pride,” she said softly.

Lucas stepped beside her, his expression unreadable. “He was wrong,” he said after a long pause. “Whatever his intentions, the damage he caused... It’s unforgivable.”

Emma nodded. The faint hum of the crystal’s energy buzzed in her chest, a comforting presence even in its diminished state. She still didn’t fully understand its power, but she knew it had played a role in saving them. It wasn’t just a relic; it was a symbol of something greater.

Love.

FORTY-FOUR

The sun cast shadows across abandoned tablets that Emma attempted to document everything about the upcoming clan acceptance ceremony. The formal gathering would officially recognize her and Lucas’s enhanced mate bond now that the council had changed its mind about human/shifter relations.

Time to begin their future together. Time to celebrate their triumph. Time to show everyone exactly why their unique connection made them unstoppable.

“The ceremonial dress is unlike anything I’ve seen,” Emma noted while Amelie helped her into layers of traditional clan silk. “Though technically, we should analyze these textile frequencies when I’m not actively trying to avoid tripping over them.”

“Only you would try to document the scientific properties of your acceptance gown,” Amelie laughed, adjusting delicate folds.

Iris’s elegant laugh carried centuries of knowledge as she entered with more ceremonial pieces. “Indeed. Though I suspect you’re the first mate in clan history to attempt documenting their quantum frequency distribution rather than simply wearing them.”

“But the harmonic variations are remarkable!” Emma brightened, fingers already reaching for her tablet on the table. “If we adjust the sensor arrays to match traditional energy signatures and?—”

A new voice entered the room. “My brilliant mate is trying to revolutionize supernatural fashion science ten minutes before her own acceptance ceremony,” Lucas’s voice carried through the doorway, rich with fond amusement.

“No peeking!” Amelie called out. “It’s bad luck to see your mate in ceremonial dress before the ritual.”

“Children,” Iris interrupted with elegant precision, though her eyes held warm approval. “Perhaps we could focus on the acceptance ritual before conducting further research into mate-bond dynamics?”

Emma’s attempt at a professional response dissolved into a soft gasp as Lucas’s power wrapped around her like a heated caress. “The intimate contact harmonics show interesting adaptation.”

The ancient runes in her ceremonial dress had begun responding to their enhanced connection, creating patterns of light that made Iris and Amelie freeze in wonder.

“Well,” Amelie managed after a moment of stunned silence. “I guess the old legends about true mate bonds affecting traditional magic are actually true.”

FORTY-FIVE

Standing before the great hall’s ancient doors, Emma’s heart hummed not with scientific curiosity, but with pure love for the extraordinary alpha waiting to claim her before his entire clan.

“You know,” she whispered, fingers tracing the runes in her dress, “I used to think I had to choose between my research and real connection. That no one could possibly understand both sides of me.”

Through their bond, Lucas’s love wrapped around her like a warm embrace. “And now?”

“Now I have someone who lights up when I babble about quantum frequencies,” she managed past the thickness in her throat. “Who looks at me like I’m precious even while I’m trying to document everything, who makes me feel like my enthusiasm is beautiful instead of strange.”

His power surged through their connection with such tender ferocity it made her crystal spark. “Emma...”

“I love how you watch me with those golden eyes,” she continued softly, letting herself be completely vulnerable. “How you find ways to touch me even while I’m deep in research, howyou’re proud of my mind instead of trying to change it. You make me feel like everything I am is exactly enough.”

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