Chapter 13

THIRTEEN

L ucas pulled back just enough to meet her eyes, knowing his own had shifted to pure gold. Emma’s pupils were blown wide with desire, her lips swollen from his kiss, her entire body trembling against his.

“Really?” he rumbled, nipping lightly at her bottom lip.

She arched into him as his hands tightened on her hips. “Though I might need multiple trials. To ensure accurate results.”

Zayne’s pointed cough barely registered through the haze of mate need and desire. “As fascinating as Dr. Greene’s dedication to research is, we still have an intruder to deal with.”

Lucas growled, not taking his eyes off Emma’s flushed face. “Later,” he promised roughly. “We’re going to discuss your scientific methodology in detail.”

Emma’s answering smile was both brilliant and wicked. “I’ll prepare my research proposals. With very thorough physical trials planned.”

His beast purred at the promise in her voice. “Go name your lab equipment,” he murmured against her lips. “Before I forget we have actual work to do.”

“So responsible,” she teased, but her scent betrayed how affected she was by his proximity. “Though I should warn you – I have a lot of equipment to name. And many, many experiments to design.”

Lucas stole one more kiss, letting his fangs scrape gently across her bottom lip. The tiny moan she tried to suppress nearly undid him.

“Go,” he growled.

Emma’s laugh was breathless as she slipped from his arms. “Science never waits. But...” She looked back at him, her eyes bright with promise. “Neither do I.”

Lucas watched Emma disappear down the hallway, every instinct screaming to follow her. Even now, he could track her location by scent – jasmine and lightning moving toward the labs.

“You know,” Zayne said, far too amused, “when you said you were hiring a brilliant scientist, you failed to mention she’d have the entire council wrapped around her finger within five minutes. Was she really trying to collect DNA samples from her attacker before we showed up?”

“With a paper clip and pure determination.” Lucas couldn’t keep the pride from his voice.

“While explaining genetic markers to him?”

“She called his muscle density ‘fascinating’ while he was trying to be threatening.”

Zayne’s laugh echoed through the corridor. “No wonder your mother loves her. Though I have to say, watching you try to maintain your scary alpha facade while she babbled about your ‘sexy cat eyes’ in front of the elders was the highlight of my security career.”

Lucas growled, but without heat. “The intruder?”

“Ah yes, the poor bastard who had to deal with both an angry alpha and a tiny scientist trying to measure his supernatural abilities. He’s not talking, but he is what Emma noticed – wolf shifter.”

The growl this time held real menace. “They’re testing our defenses. Seeing how we protect our... assets.”

“You mean seeing how you protect your mate.” Zayne’s expression turned serious. “The timing’s suspicious. Emma takes a job that could save our bloodlines, and suddenly we have rival shifters breaching security?”

Lucas’s claws emerged. “Increase her security detail. I want?—”

“Already done. Though you might want to be subtle about it. Something tells me Dr. Greene would try to collect genetic samples from her protection team if she spotted them.”

“She’d probably succeed too.” Lucas couldn’t help his smile, remembering how she’d faced down the council with nothing but enthusiasm and scientific curiosity. “She’s perfect, Zayne. Magnificent and unafraid and...”

“And she makes you purr like a kitten.”

“I do not?—”

“Please. You nearly went full shift when she started explaining mate-claiming behaviors to the elders. Speaking of which...” Zayne’s grin turned wicked. “Want to explain those claw marks all over the elevator? And the wall outside your office? And pretty much everywhere you’ve been near her?”

Lucas ran a hand through his hair, trying to regain his composure. “She makes my control... unstable.”

“No kidding. I can’t believe she told Malcolm his DNA wasn’t as interesting as yours.”

They both turned toward the secured holding area where the intruder waited. Lucas’s amusement faded as he scented wolf shifter and remembered how close the threat had come to Emma.

“She changes everything,” he said quietly.

“Yeah.” Zayne squeezed his shoulder. “But maybe that’s exactly what we need. Now come on, you can terrify our guest while I tell you about how the security team is taking bets on how long before Dr. Greene tries to scientifically document your shifted form. My money’s on less than a week.”

Lucas growled, but his beast was already calming, knowing Emma was safe in her lab, probably naming equipment and designing experiments that would drive him crazy in the best possible way.

Now he just had to keep her safe long enough to let her save his species.

And maybe collect a few DNA samples along the way.