Chapter 8

EIGHT

T he elevator ride to Lucas’s office was torture. Emma’s scent filled the small space, mixed with leftover adrenaline and that razor-sharp curiosity that made his beast want to crawl from his skin. She kept sneaking glances at him, her brilliant mind visibly cataloging every inhuman detail he’d revealed.

“Your pupils are dilating non-uniformly,” she observed. “And there’s a golden corona effect that doesn’t follow normal iris patterns. Is that consistent across your family line or specific to certain genetic expressions?”

“Emma.” He didn’t mean to step closer, to crowd her against the elevator wall like he had yesterday, but his panther was still too close to the surface. Still reacting to the threat to their... to his employee.

“Yes?” She tilted her head back to meet his gaze, utterly fearless. “Are you going to try to explain away the physically impossible things I just witnessed?”

His brain had melted into mush. His cat pushing him to claim their mate didn’t help.

“Look,” she said. “I’m trying to tell you that I know you’re not human. Well, not entirely. The genetic evidence suggests some kind of hybridization. It’s actually relevant to the fertility research we discussed last night, because the same genetic locks that?—”

Lucas couldn’t help it. He laughed. Here he was, barely containing his shift, pressing her against an elevator wall while his beast demanded he claim her immediately, and she was trying to solve their fertility crisis.

“You’re extraordinary,” he said before he could stop himself.

Emma blinked, a pretty blush coloring her cheeks. “Why? Did I figure out you’re something impossible?”

“Because you’re more interested in helping us than fearing us.”

“Fear is pointless when there’s science to be done.” She straightened, which somehow brought them even closer together. “Besides, you’re not scary. Well, you are, but in a fascinating way that probably involves recessive genetic traits and enhanced adrenal response and... why are you looking at me like that?”

Like she was his mate. Like she was perfect. Like she was everything his panther had been waiting for.

“Your eyes are doing the gold thing again,” she whispered, reaching up to touch his face.

The elevator doors opened to reveal Malcolm, his cold smile a sharp contrast to Emma’s warm curiosity.

“Nephew,” Malcolm said smoothly. “I see you’re getting... acquainted with our new researcher that the council has yet to discuss.”

Lucas barely contained his territorial growl as Emma’s scent mixed with Malcolm’s presence. His uncle’s timing was never coincidental.

“Dr. Greene was just demonstrating her exceptional observational skills,” Lucas managed, guiding Emma out of the elevator with a hand at the small of her back. His fingers splayed possessively against her silk blouse before he could stop himself.

“Indeed.” Malcolm’s gaze lingered too long on Emma. “The council is waiting to discuss her... unique position here.”

Emma straightened beside Lucas, her brilliant mind visibly making connections. “Council?”

Lucas interrupted. “Perhaps we should discuss the security incident first.”

“Oh! Right. The intruder with the enhanced muscle density but slightly different. Is he from a different family line? The variations in his movement patterns suggested a distinct but related species subset...”

Malcolm’s eyes narrowed. “She’s rather observant for a human.”

“She’s rather observant for anyone,” Lucas corrected, not bothering to hide his pride. Or the warning growl when Malcolm stepped closer to Emma.

Emma’s eyes darted between them, that beautiful mind cataloging every detail.

“So,” Emma said casually, “panther shifters, right? The patterns suggest apex predator traits, probably Panthera pardus. Your scent-marking behavior alone indicates?—”