Page 24 of Stripe Theory (The Matchmaker’s Book Club #8)

TWENTY-THREE

“ O kay, that’s just excessive.” Alora glared at the nearest monitor. “We get it. You’re evil corporate racists. No need to be dramatic about it. What’s next? Villain monologues? Evil laughter?”

As if on cue, Leeta’s voice came through their compromised systems. “Did you really think a few childish tricks could stop us, Dr. Sky? We’ve spent years preparing for this. The future of shifter evolution is too important to leave to chance... or to bleeding hearts who can’t see the bigger picture.”

“Does the bigger picture include your new purple aesthetic?” Alora called back. “Because I have to say, it’s really working for you. Very supervillain chic.”

Maya facepalmed. Rehan made a sound that might have been either a growl or suppressed laughter.

“Mock all you want,” Leeta’s voice dripped disdain. “But ask yourself – what happens when the world discovers shifters exist? Do you think they’ll welcome tigers and wolves walking among them? Species exist separately for a reason. We’re ensuring shifter survival the only way possible – by controlling our own evolution.”

“Yeah, because forced evolutionary programs have worked so well historically,” Alora muttered, fingers zipping over the keys as she traced the transmission. “Also, your evil monologue needs work. Very cliché.”

“You have no idea what you’re interfering with,” Leeta continued. “This is bigger than your little research project. Bigger than your... unfortunate attraction to things you can’t possibly understand.”

Alora felt Rehan tense beside her. She reached for his hand without thinking, twining their fingers together. “Actually, I understand perfectly. You’re scared. Change terrifies you, so you’re trying to control it. But evolution doesn’t work like that. Life finds a way.”

“Did you just quote Jurassic Park in the middle of a crisis?” Maya asked.

“It’s a classic for a reason.”

The lights flickered as Genesis Corp launched another system attack. Alora squeezed Rehan’s hand before releasing it and turning back to her work. “They’re trying to wipe our servers. Maya?—”

“On it.” Maya was already moving, coordinating with their security team.

“This isn’t over,” Leeta’s voice promised. “You’ve chosen your side, Dr. Sky. Remember that when everything falls apart.”

The transmission cut off. In the silence that followed, Alora became very aware of how close Rehan still sat, his warmth seeping into her side.

“So,” she said brightly, “that went well. Anyone else feel like this whole day needs more coffee? Or possibly alcohol?”

“There’s a plan forming behind those pretty eyes,” Rehan said, breaking the tension. “I can practically hear your brain working.”

Alora definitely didn’t blush hearing pretty eyes . She was a professional. A scientist. A... oh, who was she kidding?

“Several plans, actually.” She pulled up their accumulated data. “They want to control shifter evolution? Fine. Let’s show them what real evolution looks like. Maya, can you?—”

“Already texting every shifter clan in my contacts.” Maya’s fingers tapped away on her phone. “Hunter is coordinating with the security teams. And your parents just sent over their complete research archives.”

“My brilliant, paranoid parents who back up everything.” Alora grinned. “Genesis Corp thought they could isolate us, but they just proved exactly why diversity matters. Every clan they targeted, every researcher they threatened – they’re all sharing data now. Working together.”

“Some species shouldn’t mix?” She gestured at their war room where human scientists worked seamlessly alongside shifter tacticians. “Look how well that turned out for them.”

Rehan’s hand found hers again, tiger-warm and steady. “We still need a way to protect the research. They’ll keep coming.”

“Good thing I have an idea about that too.” Alora squeezed his hand before spinning back to her workstation. “Remember how I said the purple smoke was an accident last time?”

“Should I be concerned that you sound excited about this?”

“Probably.” She pulled up building schematics. “But I promise this won’t stain everyone’s clothes. Probably. Maya, how do you feel about turning the entire building’s ventilation system into a delivery system for my newest containment formula?”

Maya’s grin turned predatory. “I feel like I should start recording this for posterity.”

The next hour passed in a blur of preparation and coordination. Alora directed teams in setting up her “improved” security measures, trying not to get distracted by how Rehan kept finding excuses to stay close. His protective hovering should have been annoying. Instead, it felt... right.

“You know,” she commented while measuring chemicals, “when I imagined working with shifters, I really didn’t expect this many explosions. Or corporate raids. Or...” She gestured vaguely at him. “You.”

“Disappointed?” His voice carried that rumbling undertone that did things to her concentration.

“Hardly.” She kept her eyes on her work, afraid her expression would give too much away. “Though I could do with fewer death threats and evil monologues.”

“But then how would you show off your talent for irritating corporate villains?”

“I do have a gift for it, don’t I?” She grinned up at him, then immediately wished she hadn’t. His answering smile, complete with a flash of fang, made her heart do completely unprofessional things.

Maya’s voice cut through their moment. “If you two are done making eyes at each other, we’ve got incoming. Multiple vehicles, heavily armed. Looks like Genesis Corp called for backup.”

“Good.” Alora checked her calculations one final time. “Let them come. I’ve got a few more scientific principles to demonstrate.”

“You’re enjoying this far too much,” Rehan noted.

“Says the man who growled at three different security guards for looking at me wrong.”

“They were suspicious.”

“They work for us.”

Their bickering was interrupted by the building’s security alarms. Genesis Corp forces had breached the outer perimeter, exactly as planned.

“Ready?” Rehan asked, his voice carrying notes of both question and promise that made her stomach flip in a decidedly unscientific way.

Alora looked at their gathered allies – Maya’s fierce determination, Hunter’s strategic focus, her own team’s unwavering loyalty. Humans and shifters united, proving exactly what their enemies feared most.

Maya caught her eye across the room and mouthed “Kiss him.” Alora pretended to be suddenly fascinated by her monitor settings, ignoring both her friend’s grin and the way her cheeks heated. There would be time for testing interspecies attraction hypotheses later. Right now, they had a world to save.

Through the windows, she watched Genesis Corp’s forces approach, their black vehicles gleaming in the afternoon sun.

“Some species shouldn’t mix?” Alora smiled as she typed in the final command sequence, hyperaware of Rehan’s protective presence beside her. His hand found her shoulder, steady and warm, as she hit enter. “Watch us.”

At this moment, watching their combined teams move into position, Alora knew they’d already won the most important fight. Not against Genesis Corp’s weapons or their outdated ideology, but against the fear of difference itself.

Though maybe, just maybe, victory would require more close-quarters tactical planning with a certain tiger shifter. For science, naturally.

After all, she had a hypothesis about interspecies attraction that needed thorough testing. Multiple trials. Extensive documentation.

Purely for research purposes, of course.