Page 38 of Stripe Theory

“Bastards,” Maya muttered, helping hook up monitoring equipment.

Alora swayed slightly, adrenaline crash hitting hard. A warm hand steadied her – Rehan, his touch impossibly gentle despite his still-visible claws.

“Your shoulder needs treatment.”

“I’m fine. Sierra?—”

“—is in good hands.” He guided her firmly to a nearby bed. “Let them work.”

Dr. Roberts glanced over. “He’s right. And I need to know exactly what chemicals you were exposed to during that little smoke bomb show of yours.”

“Just basic compounds. Nitrogen-based fog, some mild acids...” Alora tried to wave it off but winced as the movement pulled at her injury.

“Mild acids?” Maya’s eyebrows shot up.

“It was a perfectly reasonable chemical reaction.”

“You turned party supplies into weapons,” Hunter pointed out, looking almost impressed.

“Improvised defensive measures,” Alora corrected primly. “Besides, you’re the one who actually killed him.”

“After you melted his shoes off.”

A nurse approached with supplies to clean Alora’s wound. Rehan moved to step back, but her good hand shot out to grab his.

“Stay? Please?”

Something softened in his amber eyes. He stayed.

Hunter cleared his throat. “I need to coordinate cleanup, assess the damage.”

“Go,” Rehan ordered. “Maya?—”

“Already on it.” She headed for the door. “I’ll check the secured wing, make sure we didn’t miss anything. Also...” A grin flashed across her face. “Pretty sure I saved the cake.”

Alora’s startled laugh held a slightly hysterical edge. “Of course, you did.”

“Hey, I didn’t risk my scientific reputation smuggling that thing past shifter senses just to let some mercenaries ruin it.”

After they left, silence settled over the medical bay. Sierra’s monitors beeped steadily as the doctors worked. Rehan stood like a sentinel beside Alora’s bed while the nurse cleaned and bandaged her shoulder.

“I can feel you brooding,” she said softly.

“I’m not?—”

“You are. Very dramatically, I might add.” She squeezed his hand. “This isn’t your fault.”

His jaw clenched. “They targeted my pride. My sister. You.”

“And we fought back. Together.” She tugged him closer. “That’s what they’re really afraid of, you know. Not just shifter-human pairs, but what we represent. Change. Adaptation. Evolution they can’t control.”

He studied their joined hands – his massive one engulfing her smaller fingers. “The council won’t like this.”

“The council can kiss my PhD.”

That startled a low laugh from him. “All three of them?”

“Absolutely.” She grinned up at him, then sobered. “We’ll find them, Rehan. Stop whatever they’re planning. But right now...”

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