He looked at her in surprise. “What?”
She gestured toward the monitor that was showing the readouts. “You clearly love this. I know you’re dedicated to genetics—you’re the most committed scientist I know. But I’ve never seen you this enthusiastic about DNA.” She put her hand on his shoulder, happy when he didn’t pull away. “So, why didn’t you go into this field?”
He let his arms drop to his sides. “Several reasons. So much of the study is theoretical. There’s so much potential, but at the end of the day, it just doesn’t make as big a difference in people’s lives. Genetics has some very real, very tangible results. I see them every day.”
That was true. They did see results. And they were the frequent recipients of heartfelt letters and photos from families who’d been impacted—in a good way—by their research. What Eli did with his time made a difference, a big one. “That’s very generous of you.”
He tipped his head back and looked at her. “And I like genetics. It’s just not as exciting as space.”
“I suppose you’re right. Gene sequencing can’t really compare to aliens.”
“Well, I haven’t found an alien yet,” he said.
“Maybe that’s next.”
He stood up and recalibrated the sensors again. “Maybe.” He sighed. “Sadly, we have to get going. I’ve got some work to do before tomorrow.”
She put her hand on his arm. “Hey.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you. For dedicating your life to genetics. I’m glad you did it.”
He muttered a thank you and turned away, but not before she saw the faint blush on his cheeks.
11
Eli
The first day of the conference went off without a hitch. As the keynote speaker, Eli was busy, and when he wasn’t on stage, he was being pulled in a hundred different directions.
His introductory speech had highlighted his latest work on cellular therapies, and everyone had questions. He did his best to answer them all, and although it wasn’t her official role, Ava stepped up and acted like a personal assistant, helping him get everyone’s contact information and making sure they had a viable way to get in touch with him later.
She was nearly as good at answering questions as he was, and once someone had dominated his time for too long, she’d shuffle them away and make sure she got their questions answered.
Having Ava there with him made all the difference. Unlike his past assistants, she was just as into the conference as he was and almost as knowledgeable as he was. Her delight at being part of the scientific community in this way was palpable.
Finally, well over an hour after most people had moved on to the catered lunch, Ava was still chatting with a scientist from Denmark.
Eli was just about to interrupt them and make sure she had time to eat, but then a group of four men approached him.
Each one was impeccably dressed in a suit and tie, and they claimed they were investors from Norway who were interested in drug research and development. Having investors at a conference wasn’t unheard of, especially if pharmaceuticals were involved. But this group of men was different.
Immediately, Eli’s dragon reacted.
Danger. Go, his dragon insisted, but Eli couldn’t just walk away from them. He also wasn’t willing to leave Ava.
But something about them was off.
He couldn’t put his finger on it.
The investors were not human.
He went through the possibilities. They were not shifters of any kind. He’d never met a wizard, but they did not feel like Nora did. They were not demons—demons could not pose as humans with such flawless precision. They reminded him of vampires, with their tall, lanky bodies and their smooth, clear skin.
But he’d never met a vampire who was into subterfuge, and they did not care for mingling with humans. Most of the ones he’d met used blood banks for their food source, but they still avoided human company completely.
These creatures were something else. And while the rational part of his brain was telling him that they weren’t a threat, at least not yet, his dragon, who was operating on pure instinct, was going crazy.
A loud growl nearly escaped his chest. He wasn’t sure how long he’d be able to control it. If he wasn’t careful, his eyes would be glowing yellow as well. The last thing he needed was to start transforming in the middle of a conference.
He made a show of looking down at his smartwatch. “I’m sorry. You’ll have to excuse me. I have to take this call.” He rushed away from them, pulling his phone to ear his for the pretense while taking long, deep breaths.
He ducked into the bathroom and checked his eyes in the mirror. They had just a hint of a golden shine.
Fuck.
He raised his fist and brought it down onto one of the porcelain sinks, cracking it.
Goddammit.
Eli wasn’t one for violence or for cursing. He left those traits to the other members of his clan. Now he’d need to tell the conference center he’d broken the sink. At least they wouldn’t assume he did it while narrowly avoiding turning into a large dragon in a fit of rage.
He loosened his tie and splashed water on his face. He blinked a few times and checked again. Okay. Good. His eyes were back to their normal dark color, no yellow shining through.
He left the bathroom. He scanned the room, looking for Ava.
Oh, hell no.
He immediately realized his mistake. He’d ducked into the bathroom and he’d left her alone in the conference room, right next to whatever these men were. He’d left her alone and defenseless. And now they’d seized on her, sensing an opportunity. And of course, Ava was listening. She was always poised and professional.
Eli’s dragon roared, ready to shred the men—or whatever they were—to pieces.
This was his fault. He’d left her unprotected. He moved toward her quickly, listening in on their conversation. They
