Chapter 25

TWENTY-FIVE

T he pride gathering the next morning was predictably tense. Elder shifters filled Lucas’s private conference room, the weight of their presence was nearly suffocating, their energy bristling and electric as if a storm were brewing within the room.

Lucas stood at the head of the room, his broad shoulders taut with tension. His golden eyes scanned the faces before him—trusted allies, uncertain colleagues, and one or two whose loyalty he couldn’t yet gauge.

Sofia sat to his right, her posture rigid, every bit the steadfast supporter. Elder Noelle occupied a seat near the center, her calm presence a welcome balm to the heated emotions brewing in the room. Elder Conley was off to the side, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. Victor leaned against the wall, ever watchful, while Lucas’s mother, Iris, sat quietly, her face pinched with worry.

Emma lingered near the back, uncharacteristically silent. Though she was his mate and had every right to speak, her presence here as a human scientist made her an outsider as far as the council was concerned. Still, her mind was sharp, and Lucas knew she’d intervene if she had something critical to say.

Lucas cleared his throat, the deep rumble commanding attention. “Malcolm’s attack was a calculated move. He wasn’t just trying to destroy the lab. This was about destabilizing us—our pride, our future, and the work Dr. Greene has been doing to ensure it continues.”

Elder Conley stood. “Concerning Dr. Greene, before we discuss what happened yesterday, I’d like to know further what she’s doing and what she’s found to incite one of our own to rebel in such a violent way.”

Lucas gestured for Emma to come forward. She walked through the elders and counselors with her head held high. He cat yowled with pride. Their mate was amazing.

“Good morning, everyone. Let’s try to get through this without any bombs this time.”

Lucas smiled at his mate’s levity, but no one else but his mother did.

“Tough crowd,” she mumbled. “Let me begin by explaining what I have been working on.” She pulled up a set of analyses on the overhead screen. “Before real analysis could be done, a comparative data set needed to be established for a baseline. So after uploading the records the medical technician sent over, I went into the archives and pulled recent historical data.”

A hushed rumble filled the room, making her look up at the elders. Some wore expressions of horror while others looked at her with suspicion.

“Who gave you permission to access the restricted vaults?” Elder Conley asked.

Lucas’s growl vibrated the projector on the table. “You dare challenge my mate?—”

“Yes, that’s another point of contention,” Councilman Warren rose to his feet. “For a century, the pride has not allowed humans to mate with pride members.”

His mother rose from her chair, slowly. “Councilman Warren, are you saying that you are going against the alpha’s wishes concerning his fated mate?”

Warren swallowed hard, but didn’t stand down. “No one is above the law. Including the alpha. I believe it is imperative that the council vote to see if it will allow such a disregard for our culture and values.”

Lucas slammed his hand on the table. “That is a discussion for another day. Today we are focusing on pride safety and Dr. Greene’s work.”

“Agreed,” his mom said. “It’s no wonder we are facing the situation we are. These old ideas are about as out of date as some of you.”

“Nonetheless,” Warren continued. “The council will make their decision.” He turned to Emma. “You may continue, Dr. Greene.”

Lucas’s shoulders relaxed a touch. He needed to have a discussion with his mother soon.

“Right.” Emma turned her attention to the conference room screen. “As I was saying, I’ve detected gaps in the sequencing of data. Both in the current data and older data.

“You’ll notice this remaining data has consistent DNA traits throughout. These traits are in small quantity at the beginning of the timeline, but increase dramatically into the current time.”

Victor, one of the few Lucas trusted, raised a hand. “What are the physical manifestations of these traits?”

She circled a set off to the side. “Here, the genes encoded in the DNA suggest suppressed neural formation of the amygdala and varying functionality of the prefrontal cortex of the brain.”

Victor raised his hand again. “For those who don’t know what you’re talking about, can you use regular English?”

“Okay,” Emma thought for a moment. “How about this: variations can cause ADHD, Schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression as well as heightened aggression and less thinking.”

Sofia cleared her throat, her voice hesitant. “Dr. Greene, are you suggesting these changes were intentional? That someone deliberately bred shifters to be... unintelligent and less emotional?”

Emma nodded, her fingers tapping nervously on the table’s edge. “Not less emotional exactly. More like... hyper-focused on instincts—fight, hunt, survive—while suppressing higher-level emotional processing. But here’s the problem: this tampering could explain the fertility crisis. These engineered traits might be destabilizing the genetic foundations.”

The room went uncomfortably silent, save for the faint hum of the electronics. Lucas glanced around. The elders’ faces were a mix of shock, suspicion, and something colder—fear, perhaps?

Councilman Warren folded his arms, his expression unreadable. “Dr. Greene, you’re implying that someone has been manipulating shifter genetics for decades, if not centuries. That’s a bold accusation. What proof do you have?”

“Yes,” and elder replied. “I heard Malcom accuse you of fabricating data. How do we know you…” Lucas couldn’t stop his cat from growling at the allegation, the elder gulped. “I mean, how do we know who to believe? Where is the solid evidence?”

Lucas stepped forward. “I think Malcolm’s actions speak for themselves.”

Sofia nodded firmly. “Malcolm knows what’s at stake. If Emma’s research succeeds, everything he’s done will be exposed. He’ll be back, and we need to be ready.”

Councilman Warren’s frown deepened. “And what exactly are we preparing for, Lucas? Another attack? A siege? Malcolm and his followers are shifters just like us. Are we really going to risk a civil war within the pride?”