Chapter 42
FORTY-TWO
A s the enforcers enclosed the lab, Emma dashed toward the nearest terminal, quickly assessing the situation. The equipment and software were the same as at the lab at headquarters.
She tried to hack into the system but her fingers trembled, keeping her from making quick progress.
Then she felt Lucas’s panther rub against her leg. He was there with her. But they had no crystal. She looked into his eyes and his words in the cell came to mind.
What we share doesn’t depend on a rock shard, my mate. It comes from within us. It comes from our love. You have to let go of your scientific mind and trust your heart. Can you do that, Emma?
Yes. Yes, she could do that.
Emma nodded, though her heart beat faster. It wasn’t fear that drove her now—it was something stronger. The bond between her and Lucas had never felt so undeniable. They were connected, not just by their shared cause but by something deeper, something that was growing with every heartbeat.
Her fingers flew across the terminal, bypassing security with a series of rapid keystrokes. Her heart pounded as the screen flickered to life, the information she needed just within reach.
“I’m almost there,” she said, her voice steady, though her mind was a blur of orderly chaos. The records they needed to end this— everything —were just a few keystrokes away.
Gunfire erupted outside the room, startling her and making Lucas growl. The enemy was advancing, and the room was getting tighter with every passing second. Zayne and Victor were holding their ground, but the numbers were against them. Emma felt the urgency grow, the pressure building around her.
“Zayne,” she called over her shoulder. “Cover me for just a little longer!”
“Do what you need to do!” Zayne called back, his voice a growl as he knocked another enforcer to the ground.
Emma’s hands were moving as quickly as they could, the weight of their mission pressing on her chest. The data was all here—records of genetic manipulation, breeding schedules, and hidden experiments on the pride’s most vulnerable members. The depth of the conspiracy was horrifying, and she knew that once this data was out in the open, there would be no going back for Malcolm or his followers.
Just as she hit the button to transmit all the data to the pride’s main server, a soft beep from the control panel echoed through the room. Emma’s eyes widened in realization.
“Malcolm,” she whispered, her heart sinking. “He’s triggering the lab’s self-destruct sequence.”
A sudden rush of panic surged through her chest as the countdown began. Malcolm had set this place up to take down everyone with him.
“Shit,” Lucas snarled. “We need to get out, now.”
Emma hadn’t even noticed that he’d shifted back into human form. But she didn’t miss the fact he was as naked as the day he was born.
Lucas grabbed her hand and led her toward the door.
Zayne and Victor had cleared most of the enforcers, but the lab was still on the verge of total collapse. Emma glanced back at the monitors, her eyes darting to the rapidly escalating countdown on the display.
“Move,” she shouted, her voice steady despite the chaos. “We need to get out?—”
Then Malcolm’s voice rang out over the intercom system, this time cold and triumphant. “If I can’t save the pride my way, then no one will.”
A final surge of energy exploded from the lab’s control center. The countdown hit zero.
And then—everything went black.