Chapter 44

FORTY-FOUR

T he next morning, Asher adjusted her pristine lab coat as she approached the security checkpoint of Dimitri’s research facility. The stark fluorescent lighting cast harsh shadows across the sterile corridors, highlighting the clinical precision of the space. Her borrowed identification badge felt heavy against her chest, a constant reminder of the precarious nature of her mission.

The security guard barely glanced at her credentials before waving her through. His disinterest should have been reassuring – her cover as a visiting researcher remained intact – but the ease of infiltration only heightened her unease. Either Dimitri’s arrogance made him careless, or this was a trap.

Her dragon stirred restlessly within her, protesting the distance from Talon. The mate bond stretched between them like an elastic band pulled taut, creating a persistent ache in her chest. The cold iron infused into the facility’s architecture didn’t help, its presence grating against her supernatural senses like sandpaper on raw skin. Her injured shoulder throbbed.

She sensed Talon’s protective instincts surge, his dragon fighting the urge to storm the facility. She sent back waves of reassurance, though her own heart ached at the separation. They’d known this would be difficult, but experiencing it was another matter entirely.

“Doctor Trahan?” A young lab assistant materialized at her elbow, using her fake name. “I’m here to show you to the primary research wing.”

Asher forced her face into pleasant neutrality, ignoring the way her dragon bristled at the assistant’s proximity. “Perfect timing. I’m particularly interested in your latest cellular regeneration studies.”

The assistant – her badge read “Sarah” – beamed with pride as she led the way through a maze of corridors. “Dr. Draker’s contributions to the field have been revolutionary. The way he’s managed to stabilize the transformation sequence...”

Asher’s stomach churned at Dimitri’s honorific, but she maintained her interested expression. “The published results are fascinating. Though I admit, I’m curious about the methodology.”

“Oh, you’ll love our setup,” Sarah gushed, scanning them through another security door. “We’ve combined traditional sequencing equipment with some proprietary technology that Dr. Draker developed himself.”

The research wing sprawled before them, a disturbing blend of cutting-edge science and corrupted magic. Asher’s enhanced vision detected the shimmer of dark enchantments woven through otherwise ordinary laboratory equipment. Her fingers twitched toward the hidden camera in her glasses, already documenting everything.

She slipped her hand into her lab coat and palmed the auto-injector filled with a neuro-lock compound she developed that temporarily halts synaptic transmission in the brain causing immediate unconsciousness for about 30 minutes.

They debated long and hard who they would test it on. Levi won.

“This is fascinating,” Asher faked. She waited for Sarah to turn away and then made her move to inject the serum into the back of her neck. Asher caught Sarah and laid her gently on the ground. “Sorry about that, but you’ll feel great when waking up.”

Talon’s presence strengthen as she approached more dangerous territory filled her mind. His protective instincts warred with his respect for her abilities – a complex mix of emotions that made her smile despite the tension. He’d learned to trust her strength even when his dragon demanded he shield her from all harm.

The stolen access card from around Sarah’s neck opened a heavy door marked “Project Genesis,” revealing a dimly lit laboratory that made her blood run cold. Tubes of iridescent liquid bubbled ominously, connected to containment units that hummed with corrupt energy. Through observation windows, she glimpsed figures in various stages of transformation – some wholly dragon, others caught in grotesque intermediate states.

“Oh god,” she whispered, her camera documenting everything. These weren’t voluntary test subjects. The restraints on the examination tables told their own horrifying story. Talon’s fury spiked as he processed the images she was gathering.

A computer terminal beckoned, its screen displaying complex molecular diagrams. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, breaking through layers of encryption. Each new file revealed more of Dimitri’s twisted vision – detailed plans for weaponizing transformation, forcing mate bonds, creating an army of hybrid soldiers under his control.

The final document made her blood freeze. Project Genesis wasn’t just about creating hybrids – it was about triggering mass transformations on a global scale. The virus he’d engineered would force dragon characteristics to manifest in anyone with even trace amounts of shifter DNA in their ancestry.

“A genetic apocalypse,” she breathed, copying the files as quickly as she dared. “He’s going to reshape the world.”

The lights flickered, and Asher’s heart stopped. The facility’s systems were rebooting – including security. Her bond with Talon flared with sudden alarm. Get out, his thoughts pressed urgently against her mind. Now.

“No, no, no...” She yanked the drive free, shoving it into her pocket as alarms blared to life. Red emergency lights cast everything in a bloody glow.

“Security breach in Sector Seven,” an automated voice announced. “All personnel clear the area.”