Page 38 of Stripe for the Picking
Damn, she's incredible.Rylan's tiger preened with pride as his mate dissected the simulation's complexities with surgical precision. Her mind operated on levels that still amazed him, finding patterns and solutions that his methodical approach might miss entirely.
"How can you tell which ones are decoys?" Kael asked, genuine curiosity coloring his tone.
Wren's smile was almost wicked, her green eyes gleaming with intellectual hunger. "The placement algorithms follow predictable patterns once you understand the underlying logic matrix. These three—" she highlighted specific locations with swift gestures, "—are positioned to draw competitors into tactical dead ends."
Rylan felt his chest swell with possessive satisfaction. In forty-eight hours, the Council and esteemed spectators including Arvox, would witness her genius in action, and would see exactly why fate had brought them together right now.
"Rylan, are you ready to show me what you've got?" Wren's voice carried a playful challenge that made his blood sing.
"Always ready for you, beautiful," he replied, the endearment slipping out before his professional filter could catch it.
Kael's knowing chuckle echoed through the command center. "This is going to be interesting."
Rylan activated his comm unit and headed for the arena entrance, every muscle in his body coiling with anticipation. The Protocol Trials would determine everything—his promotion, his public claim on Wren, and his future as a leader worthy of Nova Aurora's trust.
Time to show them what a tiger can accomplish with his perfect mate by his side.
SEVENTEEN
WREN
The past forty-eight hours had flown by in a blur of preparation, work, and intimate moments that left Wren's body humming with satisfaction and pride every time she thought about them. Two days since their second trial run in the arena, where they'd conquered the most complex simulation with breathtaking synchronization, and now the moment had finally arrived.
Day 1 of the Protocol Trials. Our big debut as a powerful and unstoppable unit.
Wren stretched languidly in Rylan's king-sized bed, her hand reaching across silk sheets that had become deliciously familiar. But empty space greeted her searching fingers instead of warm, muscled flesh.
Panic spiked through her chest as she bolted upright, her hair cascading over her bare shoulders. Had he left for Defense Nexus without her? Had she overslept on the most important day of their partnership?
The sound of restless pacing from the next room made her exhale with relief. She slipped out of bed and grabbed one of his black t-shirts, pulling it over her curves before padding toward his office. Through the doorway, she spotted him moving likea caged predator, his perfectly styled hair slightly mussed from running his hands through it.
"Am I interrupting something?" she teased, leaning against the doorframe.
Rylan's head snapped up, his eyes finding hers with laser focus. The raw intensity radiating from his six-foot-two frame made her pulse spike with familiar desire, even as worry creased his handsome features.
"I was just reviewing scenarios and strategies from our successful trial run two days ago," he said, his tone carrying that alpha edge that never failed to make her knees weak.
Wren crossed the room with deliberate steps, wrapping her arms around his muscled torso and pressing her cheek against his chest. His heart thundered beneath her ear, betraying the controlled exterior he projected.
"You're more than ready for today," she murmured, breathing in his intoxicating scent. "Plus, I'll be with you through the whole thing."
His arms encircled her, pulling her closer with possessive strength. "I know that, beautiful. But today is going to be more intense, more unexpected, and maybe more dangerous than we planned and strategized for."
"We can handle anything the course throws at us," she said, tilting her head to meet his gaze.
His perfect smile broke through the tension, transforming his face from stern commander to the man who'd claimed her body and soul. "We better get ready and head over to the arena. I need to warm up and you need to get situated in your command station before the opening ceremony speech."
Anticipation buzzed through Wren's veins like an electric current as they dressed—her in a fitted burgundy top and black pants that Rylan had insisted would be more appropriate for thearena environment, him in his uniform that displayed every inch of his powerful physique.
They rushed out his apartment door and through the military base to Defense Nexus. When they finally arrived at the basement level, the command center was unrecognizable from their private practice sessions. Partners of other competitors clustered around their respective command stations, fingers flying over holographic interfaces as they calibrated systems. Down in the activated arena, shifters of various species moved through warm-up routines—dragons stretching wings, wolves testing agility courses, and tigers practicing coordinated attacks.
The observation deck surrounding the upper perimeter platform buzzed with energy from Council members and esteemed guests settling into their seats. Wren's gaze swept across the crowd until it landed on a familiar figure that made her stomach twist with unease.
Arvox.
The Prime Minister's calculating eyes found hers across the distance, his artificial smile spreading across his face like oil on water. Every instinct in her body screamed danger as memories of their conspiracy theories flooded back—his potential involvement with the hacker syndicate, his desire to weaken Defense Nexus and Nova Aurora's defense systems for unknown but certainly sinister reasons.
She forced herself to look away, refusing to let his malevolent presence distract her from the task ahead.
