Aurora's POV
The restaurant Caleb chose was quiet, tucked away from the silver-slicked streets where the city's elite gathered. It was the kind of place with low lighting and deep booths that smelled of old wood and expensive bourbon.
"So, if we adjust the molecular weight of the base polymer," Caleb said, gesturing with his fork, "we can stabilize the half-life by at least forty-eight hours."
"It's a solid theory," I replied, leaning in. "But the cost-to-benefit ratio—"
I froze. The words died in my throat as a sudden, heavy stillness settled over the room. The fine hairs on my arms stood up, and a low, electric hum began to vibrate at the base of my spine. My wolf, usually calm, started pacing restlessly in the back of my mind.
I didn't need to look up to know who had ju
