Page 48 of Stripe Theory

“Just a few tests.”

“The lab is technically a crime scene now,” Hunter pointed out.

“Minor detail.” She waved this off. “Besides, Maya will help me. Right?”

“Always.” Maya grinned. “Though maybe we should relocate to a lab with less knockout gas?”

Rehan gave up fighting his smile. “You’re all impossible.”

“You love it,” Alora declared, then froze as she realized what she’d said.

He pulled her close, not caring who saw. “Yes,” he murmured against her hair. “I do.”

He sensed her joy bubble up to match his own. His tiger purred contentment, finally at peace with both sides of their nature.

Dawn painted the sky in soft colors as cleanup crews cleared the lab. Alerts about other facilities under attack would need attention soon. The virus still threatened shifter communities. Leeta remained out there, plotting.

But for now, watching Alora enthusiastically explain her bonding theories to an amused Jewel while Maya and Hunterpretended not to flirt over security protocols, Rehan allowed himself to simply be happy.

THIRTY-EIGHT

Alora’s fingers danced across three different keyboards, coordinating data streams while monitoring Sierra’s vitals on the medical display. The lab’s emergency lighting cast everything in a harsh blue glow, transforming her usually cheerful workspace into something out of a sci-fi thriller. Not that she had time to appreciate the aesthetics.

“Blood pressure dropping again,” she announced, reaching for another vial of stabilizer. “Maya, what are you seeing in those neural scans?”

Maya hunched over the main computer terminal, her usual playful demeanor replaced by intense focus. Multiple screens reflected off her glasses as data scrolled past. “There’s definitely a pattern here, but it’s... wait.” She straightened suddenly. “Oh hell.”

“What?” Alora abandoned the keyboards and rushed to Maya’s station. “Talk to me.”

“Look at these synaptic responses.” Maya highlighted a series of readings.

Alerts flashed across the monitors.

A growl from the doorway announced Rehan’s arrival. His presence filled the room instantly, and despite the crisis, Alora’spulse jumped. He moved to Sierra’s bedside, his face tightening at his sister’s condition.

“More facilities are reporting breaches,” he said, voice rough. “Whatever’s happening, it’s coordinated.”

Before Alora could respond, Hunter burst through the security door, tablet in hand. His usual calm demeanor had cracked, showing genuine alarm.

“We’ve got trouble,” he announced, bringing up a tactical display. “My military contacts just confirmed Genesis Corp is mobilizing. Multiple strike teams, all coordinating around the conference timeline.”

Rehan’s eyes flashed amber. “They’re using our gathering as a weapon.”

“Worse.” Hunter’s expression darkened. “They’ve been collecting shifter DNA samples on the black market. Our intel suggests they’re weaponizing the virus into an airborne strain.”

“How long?” Alora demanded, already calculating modification rates.

“Days. Maybe less.”

The lab door hissed open again, admitting two people Alora never expected to see in her secure facility. “Mom? Dad?”

Dr. Thaddeus Sky strode in, his normally professorial demeanor sharp with urgency. Behind him, her mother clutched a portfolio of research papers, her face drawn with worry.

“We came as soon as we confirmed the pattern,” her father said, moving directly to her workstation. “Leeta isn’t just after strong bloodlines– she’s targeting the scientists themselves.”

Her mother set down her papers with trembling hands. “Three of our colleagues have disappeared in the last month. All genetics researchers, all working on projects similar to yours.”

The implications hit Alora like a physical blow. She felt Rehan tense beside her, his protective instincts radiating off him in waves.

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