Chapter 15

FIFTEEN

T he rhythmic tapping of Natalie’s fingers on her keyboard faltered as an anomaly in her security logs caught her eye. She leaned closer to her monitor, squinting through her blue light glasses as she processed what she saw.

“No, no, no,” she muttered, pulling up additional logs. Multiple unauthorized access attempts from a familiar IP address lit up her screen in angry red notifications. “I swear, if this is like the time Chelsea tried to hack my Netflix account because I wouldn’t share my password—“ She paused, wishing this was something that simple. “At least Chelsea only wanted to watch Bridgerton. This is...” She trailed off, her throat tightening.

Her research assistant, Vanessa, had tried to breach her encrypted files remotely—seventeen times in the past week alone. Each attempt more sophisticated than the last, like a digital fingerprint of betrayal.

Natalie grabbed her phone, her thumb hovering over Marcus’s name before she caught herself. When had he become her first instinct for help? She’d gone from independent scientist to speed-dialing an alpha wolf faster than she could sequence a DNA strand.

“Get it together, Dr. Grant,” she muttered to herself. “You have a Nobel Prize. You can handle a little corporate espionage.” She paused. “And now I’m talking to myself. Perfect.”

Twenty minutes of diving deeper into the logs confirmed her fears. Not only had Vanessa attempted to access the files, but she’d also tried to clone Natalie’s security credentials. The attempts were clever—they would have gone unnoticed if Natalie hadn’t personally coded the security protocols while hopped up on three espressos and spite after the last time someone tried to steal her research.

Her phone buzzed with a text from Marcus: Everything okay? Your heart rate spiked.

We need to talk, she typed back. It’s about the formula.

His response came instantly: On my way.

You know, she added, normal boyfriends just text ‘how are you’ instead of monitoring vital signs.

Normal boyfriends don’t have enhanced werewolf hearing.

Or enhanced werewolf stalking abilities?

...I prefer to call it strategic proximity maintenance.

Despite her anxiety, Natalie found herself smiling. That’s literally just stalking with more syllables.

Marcus appeared in her doorway minutes later, his presence filling the space with an energy that made her skin tingle. He wore a charcoal suit that emphasized his broad shoulders, and his stormy eyes fixed on her with immediate concern.

“What did you find?” he asked, closing the door behind him.

“Besides the fact that my research assistant is apparently auditioning for a role in corporate espionage?” Natalie ran her fingers through her hair. “Oh, and my formula could potentially create super-soldiers. You know, just another Tuesday in the life of a genius scientist with questionable luck.”

Marcus’s expression darkened. “Show me.”

She pulled up her latest analysis on the screen. “See these protein chains? They don’t just facilitate emotional connections. They optimize cellular regeneration, enhance neural pathways, increase muscle density. The possibilities could be limitless.”

“Government agencies would kill for this.”

“Yeah, I’m getting that impression from all the attempted break-ins and mysterious men in tactical gear. Unless that’s just your typical Tuesday fashion choice for security teams?”

Marcus’s lips twitched despite the gravity of the situation. “My security team prefers casual tactical Fridays.”

“Of course, they do.” Natalie rubbed her temples. “I never wanted to create a weapon. I wanted to help people find love, not...” She gestured at the screen in frustration. “Not whatever this is turning into.”

“Hey.” Marcus caught her restless hand in his, his touch sending warmth up her arm. “This isn’t your fault.”

“Isn’t it? I should have been more careful. I should have?—“

“You couldn’t have known.” His thumb traced circles on her palm, the gentle motion at odds with his warrior’s presence. “But now we can protect it.”

Natalie found herself leaning into him unconsciously, drawn to his steady strength. The connection between them hummed like a living thing, making her wonder if this was what her formula had been trying to replicate—this bone-deep recognition of compatibility.

“We need to secure everything,” she said, forcing herself to focus. “Backups, encryption, the works.”

“Already on it.” Marcus pulled out his phone, firing off rapid texts. “I’m putting my best security team on it. Though given recent events, we’ll need to be selective about who has access.”

“Thank you.” Natalie looked up at him, struck by how natural it felt to have him in her corner. “For everything.”

His eyes softened as they met hers. “Speaking of which... have dinner with my family tonight.”

The sudden shift in topic threw her. “What?”

“My mother’s been asking to meet you. My sister Sheri’s in town—she’s a researcher too. I think you’d like her.”

“You want me to meet your family?” Natalie’s heart skipped. “Now?”

“Is that so surprising?”

“I don’t know. Is it normal for alpha shifters to introduce potential threats to their family?”

His lips curved. “You’re not a threat, Natalie. You’re...” He paused, something intense flickering in his eyes. “Important.”

“Should I be nervous?”

“Terrified,” he deadpanned. “My mother’s been planning this since she heard about you. She’s already picked out names for our hypothetical children.”

“That’s not helping.”

“If it makes you feel better, she’s terrible at names. Her first suggestion was ‘Moon Shadow Vale.’”

“Please tell me you’re joking.”

“Wait until you hear what she wanted to name my sisters. There’s a reason we don’t let her name the pack’s puppies anymore.”

At precisely six-thirty, Natalie stood in front of her mirror, smoothing down her navy silk dress for the hundredth time. The elegant cut suited her figure without being too formal, but doubt crept in again as she checked her reflection.

Was meeting his family too serious when they hadn’t even defined what they were to each other? Sure, he’d kissed her forehead (which still made her heart flutter), and yes, he seemed to be constantly finding reasons to touch her, but...

Her phone buzzed: Stop fidgeting with your dress. You look perfect.

She spun toward her window. Are you watching me through the walls now?

Enhanced hearing. Your silk rustles every time you move.

That’s it. I’m investing in soundproof walls.

Wouldn’t help. I’d still hear your heartbeat.

“Creepy wolf,” she muttered, even as her pulse quickened at the thought of him being so attuned to her.

Her phone buzzed again: I heard that too. And your heart just sped up.

I’m making a PowerPoint presentation titled ‘Boundaries for Overprotective Alphas: A Scientific Analysis.’

With charts?

And graphs. Very professional. Slide one: Why stalking isn’t an acceptable form of courtship.

Despite her nerves, Natalie laughed. Something about Marcus’s playful side made everything else feel manageable. Even dinner with his family. Even the fact that she was falling for him harder by the minute, without any clear indication of what exactly they were to each other.