Chapter 45

FORTY-FIVE

A sher’s mind raced through options as footsteps thundered down the corridor. Think, think... Her gaze landed on the environmental controls. Perfect.

She slammed her palm against the emergency purge button, triggering the chemical decontamination system. Dense vapor filled the air as sprinklers activated, providing cover as she slipped into the corridor. Her dragon powers might be unreliable, but she hadn’t survived this long on supernatural abilities alone.

A guard rounded the corner, weapon raised. Asher dropped and swept his legs, using his momentum to throw him off balance. The self-defense training with Talon’s security team paid off as she disarmed him smoothly, locking him in a supply closet before he could radio for backup.

She knew he was worried. His dragon paced restlessly, demanding action, but he maintained position – trusting her to execute her escape plan. The depth of his faith in her abilities warmed her even as she ran.

More guards would be coming. She needed an exit, fast. The facility schematics she’d memorized showed a maintenance shaft that led to the roof, but getting there meant crossing exposed territory. Unless...

Asher sprinted to a control panel, fingers dancing across the keys. If she could just... There. The lockdown protocols reversed, emergency hatches popping open throughout the building. In the resulting chaos, she slipped through the maintenance shaft and emerged on the roof.

The air hit her lungs like a blessing as she pulled out her encrypted phone. “Extraction needed,” she gasped.

“On our way.” Talon’s voice held barely contained relief. He was already moving, his dragon singing with the need to reach her.

Minutes later, the sleek shape of a helicopter appeared. Levi Matthews piloted with characteristic precision as Asher scrambled aboard, facility guards bursting onto the roof below just seconds too late.

Strong arms pulled her close as soon as she was safely inside. Talon buried his face in her hair, inhaling deeply as their bond thrummed with relief and lingering fear. “Don’t ever do that to me again,” he growled softly.

“No promises,” she murmured, pressing closer. “But I got what we needed.”

Back at the Draker estate, Asher stood before the assembled team in their high-tech conference room. The stolen data projected onto screens around them, each image more damning than the last.

Talon hadn’t let go of her since their return, one arm wrapped securely around her waist as if afraid she might disappear again. His dragon was still unsettled, needing the constant physical contact to stay calm.

“Dimitri plans to unleash a virus that will force mass transformations,” she explained, her voice steady despite her exhaustion. “The resulting chaos would destabilize governments, economies – everything. The world would tear itself apart.”

“While he positions himself as the only one who can control it,” Talon finished grimly. His arm tightened around her waist. “We need to mobilize everything we have. Every ally, every resource.”

“I’ll coordinate with our contacts,” Levi added, though his attention kept straying to where Lori worked frantically at her computer station. “We need to move fast.”

“The design is brilliant, actually,” Asher couldn’t help noting, her scientific mind analyzing even as her heart recoiled. “The way he’s modified the transformation sequences...” She caught Talon’s raised eyebrow and smiled sheepishly. “Brilliantly evil, of course.”

“Only you would admire the technical aspects of a doomsday virus,” Lori called from her station, though her tone held affection.

“Professional appreciation,” Asher defended. “Besides, understanding his methodology gives us advantages in developing countermeasures.”

As the others dispersed to begin preparations, Talon pulled her into a quiet corner. His kiss held all the fear and worry he’d controlled during her mission, his dragon’s need to claim and protect pouring into her. Asher melted into him, her own relief at being back in his arms overwhelming her usual professional restraint.

“I felt every moment of danger,” he murmured against her lips. “The dragon nearly broke free when your powers fluctuated.”

“But you trusted me to handle it,” she reminded him, running her fingers through his hair. “Even when your instincts screamed otherwise.”

“Trust doesn’t make it easier.” His forehead pressed against hers. “Knowing you were in there alone, surrounded by his vile...”

“Hey.” She pulled back enough to meet his golden eyes. “I’m here. We got what we needed. And now we can stop him.”

Their bond hummed with shared purpose and something deeper – an emotion that still amazed her with its intensity. She’d spent so long believing she was somehow broken, too analytical to feel things the way others did. Now she understood that she’d simply needed someone who spoke her language, who saw her scientific mind as part of her beauty rather than a barrier to it.

“You’re thinking too hard,” Talon murmured, nipping playfully at her neck.

“Scientific analysis of emotional variables,” she replied primly, though her breath caught as his teeth grazed a sensitive spot. “Very important research.”

His laugh rumbled against her skin. “And what are your preliminary findings, Dr. Andrews?”

“Insufficient data.” She wound her arms around his neck, electricity crackling where they touched. “Further testing required. For scientific accuracy, of course.”

“Of course.” His eyes darkened with promise. “Far be it from me to impede important research.”

The world might be facing a genetic apocalypse, but in that moment, Asher felt nothing but certainty. They would find a way to stop Dimitri. They had to. She had her brilliant mind, her loyal friends, her loving family, and a mate who believed in her completely.

Most importantly, she finally understood that love wasn’t about changing who you were – it was about finding someone who loved you exactly as you are, scientific mind and all.

Their next kiss held that understanding, that perfect blend of passion and precision that defined them. His emotions flowed into her. Everything they couldn’t put into words: pride, trust, fear, joy, and a love as deep as dragon magic and as precise as scientific law.

Tomorrow would bring new battles, but tonight was for them – two worlds finding perfect balance in an imperfect union of scales and equations, power and knowledge, passion and precision.

After all, Asher thought as Talon pulled her closer, the best research required thorough dedication.

The fate of two worlds rested on what they did next. It should have been overwhelming, but Asher felt only clarity. Together, they would face whatever came – with science, with magic, and with love.

It was just simple chemistry, really. And if there was one thing Asher Andrews understood, it was chemistry.