Page 36 of Stripe Theory (The Matchmaker’s Book Club #8)
THIRTY-FIVE
R ehan reluctantly loosened his hold, though he kept one hand at Alora’s waist. His tiger flat-out refused to completely break contact.
“This pattern suggests someone with intimate knowledge of our systems,” Maya noted, pulling up security logs. “See these access timestamps? They’re cycling through our backup protocols in sequence.”
“Running a trace?” Hunter moved to study her screen, standing perhaps closer than strictly necessary.
“Obviously. Though they’re bouncing the signal through about twelve different...”
Maya’s voice trailed off as she typed, her expression turning triumphant. “Got you, you sneaky little... Huh. That’s weird.”
“Weird how?” Rehan demanded.
“The signal... it’s coming from inside the building. But not from any of our registered terminals.”
Fresh tension rippled through the room.
“Hey.” Alora’s hand found Rehan’s, grounding him. “We’ll figure this out. Together.”
The simple touch anchored him, calming both man and tiger. When had she become so essential to his stability? How had this dazzling, chaotic scientist wound herself so completely into his carefully ordered world?
“Together,” he agreed softly.
Jewel cleared her throat. “Perhaps we should move this discussion somewhere more conducive to Sierra’s rest?”
“Right.” Alora straightened, though she didn’t release Rehan’s hand. “Maya, grab those samples. Hunter, we’ll need access to the secure server room. Jewel, if you could monitor Sierra’s response to the new treatment...”
She rattled off assignments with natural authority, and Rehan’s tiger preened at their mate’s competence. Even his mother wore an expression of approval.
“I’ll coordinate with the other prides,” Jewel offered. “Several facilities have reported similar attacks. If we pool our data...”
“Perfect.” Alora beamed. “See? Shifter wisdom and human science, working together. Just like the protein bonds in the treatment compounds.”
“Did you just compare our families to molecular structures?” Maya asked, amused.
“Obviously. Though in this metaphor, Hunter is a particularly grumpy electron.”
Hunter pointed to Rehan. “He broods. I do not brood.”
Everyone, including Jewel, gave him skeptical looks.
“You’re brooding, right now,” Maya pointed out.
“I’m being vigilant.”
“Vigilantly brooding.”
Their bickering followed them into the hallway as the group dispersed to their assignments. Rehan hung back, needing a moment with his sister.
“Rest,” he told her firmly. “Let us handle this.”
Sierra’s tired smile held knowing amusement. “She’s good for you, you know. Makes you less...”
“Brooding?” he supplied dryly.
“I was going to say ‘stuck-up,’ but that works too.” Her expression softened. “I like her, Rehan. We all do. Even Mother, though she’s trying to be subtle about it.”
“Jewel Kedi? Subtle?” Alora’s voice carried a laugh as she returned to collect her tablet. “The woman just spent twenty minutes explaining exactly why my research methodologies complement traditional shifter medicine. Complete with citations.”
Warmth bloomed in Rehan’s chest. His family’s acceptance meant more than he’d realized.
“Though I have to say,” Alora continued, “your mom’s organizational systems are incredible. The way she categorizes healing compounds by molecular structure and traditional usage? Brilliant. The applications for modern pharmaceutical development alone...”
She launched into an enthusiastic explanation of chemical properties. Rehan caught Sierra’s knowing smirk and didn’t even care. Let them see. Let them all see how this remarkable woman had claimed every part of him – human and tiger alike.
Their quiet moment shattered as Hunter poked his head in through the doorway. “Boss.”
Alora and Rehan left Sierra to rest, following Hunter and Maya. “Someone accessed Sierra’s updated medical records ten minutes ago.” Hunter’s expression darkened. “From a terminal that shouldn’t exist.”
Rehan felt Alora tense beside him. “The treatment protocol?”
“Everything. Including Dr. Sky’s modifications to the healing compounds.”
A low growl built in Rehan’s chest. The traitor had struck again, potentially giving Leeta’s team crucial information about their breakthrough. His tiger pushed forward, protective instincts surging.
Alora’s hand squeezed his arm. “We can use this.”
He turned to her, recognizing the gleam in her eyes. The same look she’d had before turning party supplies into weapons.
“The virus responds to stress, right?” She was already typing rapidly on her tablet. “So what if we feed them false data? Make them think the treatment had unexpected side effects?”
“A trap,” Maya mused, approval creeping into her voice.
“Exactly,” Alora called out. “Maya, remember that failed trial from last month? The one with the weird protein mutation.”
“The exploding petri dish incident? How could I forget? I still have nightmares about the smell.”
“Perfect. Help me modify those results to look like they came from Sierra’s latest treatment.”