Page 25 of Stripe for the Picking
She studied his profile, noting the tension in his jaw, and the way his fingers drummed against his thigh. Something had shifted overnight, but she couldn't read what.
"Don't you still want to be my partner in the Protocol Trials?"
The question caught her off guard. "Yes, of course I do. But do you still want me to be your partner?"
His head snapped toward her, his blue eyes blazing. "I wouldn't want anyone else."
The conviction in his deep voice sent heat flooding through her chest. This was definitely the warm version of Rylan, but there was something more—an urgency she hadn't seen before.
"We only have three days until the opening ceremony," he continued, standing and moving around his workstation. "I want to show you the arena. The control command center. You need to familiarize yourself with everything."
Excitement bubbled up despite her lingering confusion. "The actual arena? Where the Trials happen?"
"The very same." A ghost of a smile played at the corners of his mouth. "Think you can handle controlling a simulation that determines Nova Aurora's leadership roles?"
"Please. I've been gaming since I could hold a controller." She grabbed her coffee and fell into step beside him. "Try to keep up, Commander."
His low chuckle sent shivers through her body as they entered the elevator. When he pressed the button for the basement level, her anticipation spiked.
"How far down does this thing go?" she asked as the floors ticked by.
"Far enough to house something you've never imagined."
The elevator finally stopped, and when the doors opened, Wren's jaw dropped. The command center stretched before them like something NASA would design if they had unlimited funding and access to technology from a century in the future. Holographic displays floated at varying heights, casting blue and gold light across banks of controls that looked more like art installations than functional equipment.
"Holy shit," she breathed, then caught herself. "Sorry, I meant?—"
"No, that's the appropriate response."
In the center of the vast space, a transparent barrier surrounded what had to be the arena—a circular expanse currently configured as a neutral gray surface, but she could see the potential humming beneath its calm exterior.
"This is where it all happens," Rylan said, his voice carrying a note of pride. "Three rounds over three days. Physical challenges, tactical scenarios, and environmental hazards all controlled from up here."
Wren’s fingers itched to explore the controls and test out the simulation. "And I get to manipulate all of it? The arena, the obstacles, and provide tactical support?"
"Everything." He stepped closer, close enough that she could smell his cedar scent. "Think you're up for it?"
The challenge in his voice made something fierce and competitive spark to life in her. "Rylan, you have no idea what you've just unleashed."
Rylan guided Wren to an elevated platform that housed the most sophisticated control station she'd ever laid eyes on. The interface curved in a graceful arc around a central chair, holographic displays floating at perfect eye level while tactile controls gleamed under the ambient lighting.
"This is your command center," he said, gesturing for her to sit down. "Every environmental variable, every challenge, every safety protocol runs through here."
Wren settled into the ergonomic chair, her fingers hovering over the luminescent controls. The setup was intuitive yet complex—exactly the kind of system that made her pulse race with anticipation.
"The primary interface controls terrain modification," Rylan explained, standing close enough that she could feel the heatradiating from his muscular frame. "Weather patterns, wildlife deployment, obstacle generation—all at your fingertips."
He reached around her to activate the main display, his arm brushing against hers. The contact sent sparks shooting through her body, but she forced herself to focus as the arena came to life before them.
Oh my God.
The simulated landscape took her breath away. Jagged yellow mountains pierced a lavender sky while lush purple forests carpeted rolling hills. Crystal-clear lakes reflected twin suns, their surfaces rippling with programmed wind patterns. Rivers snaked through valleys with such realistic detail that Wren had to remind herself this was all holographic projection.
"It's beautiful," she breathed, leaning forward to study the intricate ecosystem. "How is this even possible?"
"Nova Aurora's most advanced simulation technology," Rylan said, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "The arena can replicate any environment, any weather condition, any threat scenario."
Wren's hands moved to the variable controls without conscious thought, her mind already mapping the system's potential. When she adjusted the weather parameters, storm clouds gathered over the eastern mountains. A twist of another dial released a pack of holographic wolves into the forest canopy.
