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“Some might call constant surveillance invasive,” he drawls, though he hasn’t actually tried to take it off in days.

“Temperature elevated again,” I mutter, making another note in my research log. Dante’s skin ripples between crimson and obsidian. “That’s the third spike in an hour.”

“Maybe if someone wasn’t documenting my every breath…” But his usual snark lacks bite as his tail twitches in response to Volt’s thunderous approach down the corridor.

“Movement at the perimeter.” Volt’s alarmed voice carries through our communication system. “Three vehicles, heavily armed.”

Dante’s hands clench. “They’re getting bolder.”

“Apex?” I ask, anxiety spiking through me. “I thought they’d still be licking their wounds from the havoc you wreaked when you rescued me.”

“Nature abhors a vacuum, Blair. Apex has hunkered down, all their resources focused on building their new facility. No. We believe this new bunch of miscreants are cryptid hunters.”

“Hunters?” I keep my voice deliberately steady, though my hands clench around my tablet. Strange how a word that once meant safety, family, and purpose now fills me with such conflict.

“Hunters are freelancers mostly,” Dante explains, his tail curling with tension. “Some work for private collectors, others…” He shrugs, the movement making his injured wing twitch. “Some just enjoy the hunt.”

My fingers tighten on my tablet, muscle memory from years of weapons training making them ache for a different kind of grip.

I know,I want to say. I know exactly what drives them. Instead, I focus on my data, on the comforting precision of numbers and measurements, documentation and spreadsheets. “Your temperature just spiked again.”

“Really? With armed hunters approaching?” His sarcasm doesn’t quite mask his concern. “I hadn’t noticed.”

“They’ve got new tech.” Volt’s electricity audibly crackles through the communication system. “Energy detection equipment. More sophisticated than anything we’ve seen outside of Apex. And they’re not just scanning—they’ve breached the outer perimeter. They triggered the markers Marina placed.”

Dante’s skin shifts to pure obsidian. The monitoring device I convinced him to wear on his wrist beeps frantically as his temperature and pulse climb. “These readings are fascinating. The correlation between external threats and physiological response—”

“Doc.” His voice carries that mix of exasperation and affection I’m learning to recognize. “Maybe we table the research until we’re not about to be detected by hunters with fancy new toys?”

“Of course.” The relief of having a reason to change subjects makes me almost light-headed. “What’s the standard protocol for hunter incursions?”

His wings twitch at my choice of words, and for a terrifying moment, I wonder if I’ve revealed too much. But he merely gestures toward the deeper passages. “First priority is securing our more vulnerable residents.”

Thank God for his injured wing—it gives me a legitimate reason to stay close as we turn toward the library door. Better he thinks I’m hovering out of medical concern than start wondering how much I know about hunter tactics.

“This way.” Taking my hand, he strides to the exit. “There’s a secure chamber—”

“Wait.” Pulling back, I grab a book that had fallen near his desk. The ancient text I’d been studying earlier, the one with passages about cryptid bonding patterns.

“Seriously?” But his tail curls with what might be fondness. “Only you would risk detection to gather research materials.”

“Some data is irreplaceable.” Clutching the book, I let him guide me deeper into the mountain’s maze-like corridors.

Through the crystal-lined passages, we can hear the others moving quietly to their designated safe zones. The organized response speaks of well-practiced protocols—the kind I used to help devise, but from the other side of the equation.

“Here.” Dante ushers me into what appears to be a natural cavern reinforced with crystal formations. “The mineral content in these walls blocks most scanning frequencies. And Volt’s ability to manipulate energy can probably make their fancy tech go haywire.”

“Your temperature’s still climbing.” I can’t help but note as the monitor continues its frantic beeping. “These readings are unprecedented.”

“Doc.” His drawl carries forced lightness. “Most people would be more concerned about the heavily armed hunters than mysterious andprobably unimportanttemperature fluctuations.”

“Most people haven’t spent weeks documenting inexplicable physiological responses that only manifest in specific circumstances.” Looking up from the ancient text, I meethis gaze. “Like how your temperature only rises when you’re near me.”

His skin flickers between onyx and crimson. “Maybe we should focus on—”

“How these spikes correlate perfectly with moments of physical contact.” Pressing my advantage despite the surrounding tension. “Almost like some kind of biological resonance…”

“Blair.” Dante’s voice drops lower, rougher. “What exactly have you been researching?”