Chapter 28

TWENTY-EIGHT

T he rooftop of the older annex lab was alive with quiet energy. Under the blanket of night, Lucas crouched in his panther form, a sleek shadow against the city skyline. Emma sat cross-legged a few feet away, her portable equipment arrayed in a semi-circle around her. Her crystal glowed faintly against her throat, reflecting the subtle resonance of supernatural energy that seemed to saturate the air around them.

“Okay, I want to try some different experiments than last time,” she murmured, adjusting the device resting on Lucas’s muscular shoulder. “Hold still, big guy. I need a clean reading.”

Lucas’s ears flicked in mild annoyance, but he obeyed, his powerful body still as stone. Emma tapped a few keys on her tablet, her face illuminated by its pale light.

“The way your body harmonizes with ambient electromagnetic fields is unheard of,” she said, her voice brimming with enthusiasm. “It’s like your panther form naturally adapts to every shift in the environment.”

Lucas rumbled a low growl that vibrated through her chest.

Emma grinned, reaching out to scratch behind his ears. “I know, I know. You’re not a science project. But come on, don’t you want to know how all this works?”

He leaned into her touch, his massive head nudging her hand. She laughed softly, her delight genuine.

Her fingers skimmed over her tablet again. “If we could quantify how your energy field shifts when you transform, it might explain why shifters’ traits vary so much between forms.” She adjusted the sensor strapped to his foreleg. “Now, if you could just?—”

Lucas’s ears swiveled sharply, his body going rigid. Emma stopped mid-sentence, her fingers hovering over the tablet.

“What is it?” she whispered, her eyes darting around the rooftop.

Lucas rose slowly, his movements fluid as liquid shadow. His golden eyes gleamed faintly in the darkness, scanning the perimeter. The wind shifted, carrying with it a mix of scents—oil, sweat, adrenaline. Strangers. Hostile.

“Malcolm’s people,” Emma realized, her voice low. She grabbed her equipment, shoving it into her bag with practiced efficiency while keeping her tablet out for observation collection.

Lucas growled, deep and menacing, the sound rumbling like thunder in his chest. His panther form melted into the shadows as he stalked toward the rooftop’s edge, his tail twitching with restrained fury.

The first of Malcolm’s men appeared a moment later, emerging from the fire escape. Lucas was on them instantly. His leap was a blur of motion, his powerful form colliding with the intruder before they could react. A muffled cry and the dull thud of a body hitting the ground were the only sounds before Lucas was gone again, disappearing into the darkness.

Emma slung her bag over her shoulder, her crystal flaring with energy. More footsteps echoed from the building’s side, their rhythm too rapid and coordinated to be anything but an organized assault.

“Lucas!” she called softly, her heart pounding.

His panther form reappeared beside her, his fur brushing her arm as he nudged her toward the exit.

“We can’t fight them all by ourselves,” she said, her voice steady despite the tension.

Lucas shifted back into his human form, his transition seamless and unnerving in its speed. His golden eyes locked onto hers, glowing faintly in the dim light. “Stay close to me.”

She nodded, her crystal pulsing as his power wrapped around her protectively.

The next wave of attackers hit the rooftop with a roar. Lucas shifted mid-motion, his panther form surging forward like a force of nature. Emma stayed behind him, her back pressed to the wall as her eyes documented every movement for data analysis later.

Lucas was a blur of lethal precision, his movements too fast for the human eye to follow. He took down three shifters in the span of seconds, his claws flashing in the moonlight. The scent of blood and ozone thickened the air as he defended their position with terrifying efficiency.

Emma’s tablet buzzed, her sensors picking up the supernatural energy radiating from the battle. She glanced at the screen, her scientific mind cataloging the data even as her heart raced.

His panther form growled, his tail flicking as he disabled another attacker. He circled back to Emma, his massive body blocking her from view.

“Go,” he growled, his voice distorted by his feline throat.

Emma didn’t argue. She let Lucas guide her toward the rooftop access stairwell, his panther form pressing against her side as they slipped through the door.

The stairwell was eerily quiet, the sound of their footsteps muted against the concrete. Lucas paused at each landing, his ears twitching as he listened for movement.

“They’re not giving up,” Emma said, her voice a whisper.

Lucas growled low in his throat.

They reached the bottom of the stairwell, and Lucas made a quick pitstop to shift and get his clothes. Then they stepped out into a narrow alley. The air was thick with tension, the city strangely silent.

“We’re going to the safe house on pride land,” he said, his voice leaving no room for argument.

Emma tightened her grip on her bag of equipment. “Lead the way.”

Lucas took her hand, his fingers curling around hers as he led her into the darkness. The bond between them pulsed steadily, a silent reassurance that, for now, they were together.

“Do you think Victor could bring in some equipment while we’re there?”

Lucas shook his head and laughed.