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She stares at me for another heartbeat, then launches herself across the room. Before I can react, she crashes into me, her arms wrapping around my neck so tightly I almost can't breathe.

"Whoa." I laugh, catching her against me. "I'll take that as a yes."

"You disappeared," she says against my neck. "You didn't even say goodbye."

I wrap my arms around her waist, breathing in her scent. "I know. I'm sorry. Something came up that I had to handle."

She pulls back to look at me, her hands still on my shoulders. "For three days? Without a single text?"

"Would you believe my phone died and I forgot my charger?"

"No."

"It was worth a shot." I tuck a curl behind her ear. "The truth is, I had some business to take care of. Band stuff. Manager stuff. Life-outside-this-crazy-shifter-drama stuff."

She studies my face, and I can see the exact moment she decides to let it go. Her expression softens, and she steps back, though her hands linger on my arms like she's making sure I'm here.

"Well, you picked a hell of a time to come back," she says.

"Why? What happened?" I look past her down the hallway. "Where is everyone?"

A smile breaks across her face, so bright it's almost blinding. "I found it, Axl. I found the cure."

For a second, I don't process what she's saying. Then it hits me.

"The cure? For the Crimson Plague? Are you fucking serious?"

She nods, practically vibrating with excitement. "I tested it on Mara this morning. And on the infected shifter we captured. Both of them are showing signs of improvement."

"Holy shit." I stare at her in amazement. "You actually did it."

"I think so. We're still monitoring them, but…."

I don't let her finish. I grab her by the waist and lift her off her feet, spinning her in a circle. Her surprised laugh is the best thing I've heard in days.

"You are fucking genius!" I shout, spinning her again. "I knew you could do it!"

She's laughing so hard she can barely speak when I finally set her down. "It's still preliminary," she says, trying to catch her breath. "We need more tests, more data…"

"Screw the data." I cup her face in my hands. "You're brilliant. You're amazing. You're the smartest person I've ever met."

Her cheeks flush pink under my praise.

"This calls for a celebration." I drop my hands to her shoulders, suddenly struck with inspiration. "I know exactly where we should go."

"Go?" She raises an eyebrow. "Go where?"

"I'm playing a private show tonight. It's an exclusive venue, invitation only." I grin at her. "And I happen to have a plus-one."

Her eyes light up for a moment, then dim. "I can't leave. I need to monitor the patients, run more tests…"

"One night," I interrupt. "Just a few hours to celebrate this massive breakthrough. You deserve it."

She bites her lip, clearly tempted. "I don't know..."

"What don't you know?" A deep voice asks from behind her.

I look up to see Leo standing in the hallway, his arms crossed over his chest. Great. The fun police have arrived.