moment. “That’s a fair point. And on that note, I don’t think we should involve Nick and Gray at this point.”
She sat up, her braid tumbling over her shoulder. “Why the hell not? We have to! They only reason I haven’t yet is because I’ve been too worried about you. I called the docs, and that’s it.”
“The docs?” he asked. Once she had explained, he smiled at her. “It’s a very appropriate name for them. I’m happy you felt like you could trust them. You couldn’t have chosen three better men. Not only will they help, but they are also very good at keeping secrets. They all work in labs that demand a high level of discretion.”
“Right. So what, we’re not going to call my boss and the owner of the house? And help do what exactly?”
“We are going to deal with this ourselves. I don’t want to get more people involved. Could you imagine how bad this would get if Nick, Gray, and their family descended on this house? A load of shifters ready for a fight? It would only make matters worse, and it would put a lot of people in danger. The guys—the docs—are already involved, and that’s all that we need to figure out who attacked us and neutralize them.”
Dakota shook her head. “Did it not occur to you that Gray and Nick might already know who is behind this? They might’ve already suspected that something like this was going to happen.”
“Then why not warn you?”
Her mouth clamped shut. Her blue eyes were burning with unspoken fury. “I guess I don’t know. It still seems like a bad idea not to call them.”
“Gray is getting married in a few days. Let him have his wedding and his happily ever after without our interference. He called me here because he trusts my judgment, and you were hired because you’re competent.”
She shook her head. “I was hired because Nick’s wife and cousin insisted on it. And I’m a shifter. That’s it, that is all my credentials.”
“It’s still quite a lot. We have a small army of brains in this house right now. We can protect the rest of the serum and figure out who attacked us using the bullets from the guns that were fired. I’m sure the docs have already combed the bodies for any clues as to who the attackers were.”
Dakota blushed all the way into her hairline. “Honestly, I wouldn’t know what they’ve been doing. There’s always been at least two of them in here with me, to monitor your vitals.”
“They all have their strengths. I’m telling you, we can handle this.”
Bennett didn’t add that this was not a matter of pride for him. These men hadn’t just tried to kill him, but they had also made him feel like a fool for not being able to protect what he saw as his. He didn’t understand the emotions, but he could only guess that they were coming from the shifter inside of him.
He was a man of science. He knew that with the change of the serum, there would be more changes to him. He only had to look down at his body to know that he had been through significant changes. Physical changes. That could only mean that a similar amount of changes had been done to his psyche. He would have to wade this new kind of personality with ease and flow.
Don’t buck against changes.
That was quite possibly the biggest mistake a scientist could make in the lab.
You were an observer. You followed the data. You tracked the changes and went where it led you.
At that particular moment, the new shifter part of him was telling him that they had everything they needed to deal with the issue themselves. He had Dakota, he had his best friends, and that was all he needed.
“Dakota, we will figure this out. It’ll be fine. And,” this was the kicker for him, and he knew it was just the same for her, “just imagine what it will be like when you bring this mystery to Nick all solved and wrapped in a nice little bow. He won’t have a choice but to hire you. You’re competent, and he’ll see that.”
The smile was slow to creep across her face, but when it settled, it lit up her beautiful face.
“Fine then, Mr. Big Brain. Now, rest. You’ve been through a lot.”
“Only if you agree to stay in my arms.”
The comment surprised even him, but he found that he meant