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"Yes," I admit, seeing no point in lying. "But that's not important right now."

"It feels pretty fucking important," Evan mutters.

"Well, it's not," I snap. "What's important is finding a cure for the Crimson Plague. Everything else is a distraction."

"She's right," Leo speaks up from where he's been watching the drama unfold. "We have bigger problems than who's sleeping with whom."

"Easy for you to say," Axl remarks. "You've already had your turn with her."

Leo's eyes flash dangerously. "Watch it, rock star."

"Or what, Detective?" Axl steps closer to him. "You'll arrest me?"

"No… I'll break your pretty face," Leo growls.

"Enough!" I shout. "All of you, just stop!"

To my surprise, they do. Four pairs of eyes turn to me, all filled with varying degrees of desire, possessiveness, and frustration.

"This is ridiculous," I continue. "There's a woman dying in the lab downstairs. The virus is spreading. People are in danger. And you're all acting like territorial teenagers fighting over who gets to dance with the prom queen."

None of them speaks.

"I'm not a prize to be won," I say more quietly. "I'm a scientist trying to save lives. That has to come first."

"What are you saying?" Onyx asks.

I take a deep breath. "I'm saying I need all of you to work together. No more fighting. We have one goal, and that is to find a cure."

"And what about..." Evan gestures vaguely between all of us.

"I'm not choosing between you," I state. "I can't. And I won't."

"So, what, we're supposed to share?" Axl asks, sounding more curious than offended.

"I don't know," I admit. "This is all new to me, too. But I do know that I need to focus on my work, and I can't do that with all of you at each other's throats."

The four men exchange glances.

"What if we don't agree to your terms?" Evan finally asks.

I lift my chin. "Anyone who's not comfortable with this arrangement should leave now."

The silence that follows is deafening. I hold my breath, half-expecting all of them to walk out.

Chapter 14 - Dahlia

Istare at the microscope, adjusting the focus slightly as I examine Mara's blood sample. The virus particles move erratically, attaching to her shifter cells in a way that's both fascinating and horrifying. Behind me, Onyx paces like a caged animal. After I gave the ultimatum, the four of them have been acting like good puppies.

"Anything?" he asks for the fifth time in twenty minutes.

I straighten up, rubbing my neck. "The virus is attacking the cellular structure that controls her transformations. It's breaking down the barriers between human and animal DNA."

Onyx leans against the lab table, his massive frame making the sturdy furniture seem fragile. "Can you fix it?"

"I'm trying." I pull up the digital scans on my tablet. "Look at this. The virus isn't just random. The sequencing is too perfect."

He peers at the screen, his brow furrowed. "What does that mean?"