Dirk had tried to be patient as he waited for Mr. Cross to consider his proposal. As president of the Darkblood Society and owner of the Club, he often took his time with major decisions. It was a reasonable thing, but his answer couldn’t come soon enough. Now, he had called them to his office for a meeting. They waited in the lounge impatiently, Dirk playing with the ice in his glass and Alyssa staring around the room with wide eyes.

“You look like you expect to be eaten,” he commented, smiling at her. He was nervous, but he didn’t want her to know that. Dirk felt that his idea was a valid one, but it was ultimately up to Mr. Cross.

She tucked her hair behind her ear. She wore it long and loose, a look he wasn’t used to, but that he enjoyed. Soft, blonde waves framed her face, making her look young and innocent. He knew better, but he still liked it. She only added to the effect when she chewed on her soft, pink lip. “It’s not that, really. I’m just having a hard time processing the fact that everyone in here is a shifter. I didn’t even know of their existence until last week, and now you’re telling me they’re everywhere. I keep waiting to find out that my high school chemistry teacher is a dragon.”

Dirk laughed. “It’s possible. Shifters come from all over the country to join the Darkblood Society. It’s the only place of its kind, where we can come and truly be ourselves.”

“It must be nice to know that there are people here you can trust,” Alyssa said softly. “There are lots of people out there like Dr. Brinkmann, people who would want to harm you or make money off you. At least you know that it doesn’t happen here.”

“Well, all I really know is that they’re dragons,” he corrected. Dirk amended his statement quickly when he saw the horrified look on her face. “But I don’t mean that in a bad way. “I’m proud to call many of the other shifters my friends. It’s just that there’s always a certain amount of mistrust when someone new joins the group. We’ve all grown up being rather suspicious of the world.”

“I can see why.” Alyssa tipped her head to the side as she thought about something. “Your father made a lot of money in the oil business, and Ethan owns a massive software company. That other gentleman you introduced me to said he heads a global investment banking firm.”

“Lance Rockland.”

“Yes, him. Is everyone here rich?”

It was an observation he had made himself at one point, and he understood why she would ask. It didn’t seem to make sense that an entire group of people who shared a common trait would be so wildly successful. It was something he had even asked his father about at one point, and he now shared that answer with her. “Most of us have bold personalities. We’re not afraid to take risks or make major decisions. That seems to translate well into a successful business ethic, and it’s one that we take advantage of. Besides, we’re not really satisfied with what you might call normal life. Maybe it’s because we’re always trying to keep the dragon inside us happy, but we need a little more than just a nine-to-five job and a steak dinner.”

She nodded as she processed this. “That makes sense.”

“And it also means you’ll fit in very well with this crowd. You can’t be shy or easily intimidated here and still be happy. Everyone is determined to be themselves, whether anyone else likes it or not.”

Alyssa pressed her lips together. “Sounds like a tough crowd. I hope I can live up to your expectations.”

“You can. You already have.”

She smiled, but her face fell after a minute. The hope that had taken up residence in her eyes ever since they’d heard back from Mr. Cross had dimmed.

“What’s the matter? You’re not having second thoughts about this whole thing, are you? Because we’ve gone over every aspect of it, and I don’t see how it can possibly fail.” They needed Cross to be on board, but more than anything, he needed Alyssa.

“It’s not that,” she assured him. “I just can’t stop thinking about all those poor soldiers from Bios. They had already gone through so much while fighting for our country. Then they were put under Dr. Brinkmann while they were still recovering, and I’m sure they were suffering from PTSD as well. They weren’t doing anything but following orders, and I don’t think they’re in any sort of legal trouble, but it’s going to be a long time before they’re rehabbed enough to be back out in society again.”

Dirk reached across the table and covered her hand with his own. “Hey, you can’t think about it like that. Those men needed help, and you did everything in your power to give it to them. I saw with my own eyes men who had not only been saved from suffering major disabilities but given the chance at being more than human. You said yourself that the government would set them up with a revolutionary therapy for soldiers and have them fixed up and home in no time.” She had told him numerous stories about her time with the proposed super soldiers. They had been kind and respectful to her, and it had only been Dr. Brinkmann that they had truly reacted negatively to. Alyssa hadn’t seen it at first, but Dirk had been happy to point it out. She deserved to know that she was the good guy in a bad situation.

She squeezed his fingers. “Yeah, you’re right.”

A large man with a scar on his chin and a crooked nose stepped up to their table. “Mr. Cross is ready to see you now.”

“Thank you, Bruno.” Dirk escorted Alyssa out of the lounge and down a short hall to a set of stone stairs. They wound their way up through the building until the steps opened up into another hall, this one lined with mirrors and flaming torches.

“This is all very cloak-and-dagger,” she commented with a smile.

He hadn’t really thought about it like that before, but she was right. “I think Cross wants us to take a good look at ourselves before we go in to see him. He wants to remind us of who we really are and where we come from, but also that we’re not any better than he is.”

“Does he need to use those sorts of tactics?” she asked. “Is he in danger of getting voted out as president?”

“Oh, hell no. He owns the building, and nobody would ever challenge him.” Dirk stepped up to the double door at the end of the hall and paused a moment while it swung in on silent hinges. As soon as the two of them stepped through, the door closed behind them. He nodded to the heavyset man behind the large wooden desk and gestured for Alyssa to have a seat in one of the chairs in front of it. He sat next to her. “Thank you for seeing us, Mr. Cross.”

The president of the Darkblood Society tipped back in his chair and scratched his chin. “I’m not sure if you should really be thanking me.”

Dirk felt his heart slip a little in his chest. Cross hadn’t liked his idea. “I see.”

“No, I don’t think you do.” Mr. Cross ran a hand over what was left of his dark hair. It was slicked back against his head, the dark strands having been separated by a comb and showing the pale scalp underneath. “You see, I’m going to go for this.”

“That’s wonderful!” Alyssa breathed.

Cross glared at her and then once again at Dirk. “I’m going to say yes, but I don’t think you realize just how hard you’re going to be working.”

Alyssa nodded enthusiastically, her hair catching on the material of her shirt. “That’s no problem. I’m used to working hard, and I really don’t mind.”

“Good,” Cross said, his jowls jiggling a little. “Because it isn’t going to be easy to play doctor to a crowd of rowdy dragons. Some of them aren’t going to want to come to you—even when they need to—just because they’re stubborn. We might have injuries or illnesses that occur at any time of the day or night.”

“I can handle it, I assure you.” Her eyes were bright with enthusiasm even in the dim room.

“I plan to talk to the members and ask for volunteers to give you any tissue and blood samples you may need. That way you can get started on some research and have a little knowledge under your belt before we have the need for it.” Mr. Cross glanced at Dirk and then back to Alyssa. He checked some notes he had jotted on a piece of paper. “Dirk tells me you’ll need a clinic right here on the premises, to make matters a little easier and to keep things discreet.

Dirk grinned, barely listening to the two of them go through the process of setting it all up. He and Alyssa had come up with the idea in the middle of the night between lovemaking sessions, when they had stopped once again to think about reality and what they were going to do with their lives. Dirk had to return to Bennett Energy, but Alyssa couldn’t go back to what was left of Bios Labs. Though Dr. Brinkmann’s intent behind studying dragons had been an evil one, the idea itself wasn’t bad. There hadn’t ever been a physician capable of treating shifters, and it could turn out to be useful. Alyssa was the perfect candidate. Alyssa would have a lot of work to do to figure out how their anatomy and physiology worked, but she was thrilled at the idea of doing it.

And she was so beautiful when she was excited. The flare of intrigue in her eyes and the softness of her face let Dirk know that they were doing exactly the right thing for her. Dirk, however, wasn’t satisfied just with getting her a job. It would be yet another situation where she made great advances nobody could know about. He proposed they start their own lab, one that she could head officially and where she could take credit for the work she did, and he would back it fully with funds from Bennett Energy. She would get her chance at publishing her findings when it came to public information about her work, but Alyssa would always have a secret side project.

Cross cleared his throat, bringing Dirk back to the moment. “I think that about covers it. Get me a list of all the supplies you’ll need, and I’ll make sure they’re all here for you. If you need any assistance with getting it set up, just come see me. As I’m sure you can imagine, we don’t just hire regular contractors around here. I have certain people I’m willing to work with.”

Alyssa put her hand over the desk and shook his. “Not a problem at all, Mr. Cross. I look forward to working with you.”

“So do I. It’s not every day that we find a regular human who’s so useful. I’ll see the two of you later.”

Dirk glanced at Alyssa’s face as they walked out of the office. He had never seen her look happier, and he couldn’t wait to tell her. There was a lot of work to be done, but maybe there was just enough time to slip back to his apartment and have a little celebration.

“Oh,” came Mr. Cross’s voice from behind them. “What are you going to name your new lab? Nothing too obvious, I hope. I don’t want it to have anything to do with dragons. Ethan has already pushed the limit on that one.”

Alyssa’s blue eyes darted to Dirk, startled. “To be honest, I’m not sure. I hadn’t thought that far out.”

“How about something simple and direct, like Thompson Laboratories,” Dirk suggested. Alyssa deserved to have the place named after her. None of this would have happened without her, after all.

Cross waved a dismissive hand in the air. “Sounds fine to me. Now go on. I have work to do, and so do you.”

The two of them scurried out of the office and back into the mirrored hall. “Can you believe it?” Alyssa asked breathlessly. “I feel like I’ve just won the lottery.”

“I’d say you have, considering that you got Cross to not only let you in the Club, but poke and prod at the members.” Dirk wrapped his arm around her. “He’s always been very picky about who he lets come through the doors.”

“It really is going to be a lot of work,” she admitted as they came to the top of the stairs, “especially since I’ll be working on starting the lab at the same time. I’ve got to find a building, gather all the equipment, hire some employees—Oh! I never asked him how much money I’m allowed to spend on the clinic. I’d better go back.” She turned to go back toward Cross’s office door.

Dirk stopped her with an arm around her waist. “Don’t bother. His meeting with us is over, and he’s probably moved on to something else. Besides, if he didn’t give you a budget, that means you don’t have one.”

Alyssa furrowed her eyebrows in concern. “Are you sure? Because even for a small clinic there are a lot of things I’m going to need. There are certain places where I could cut corners, but I need to make sure I have enough funding for all the right equipment.”

He directed her back toward the stairs. “Trust me, I’m sure. I’ve spent enough time around here to know that money isn’t an object. Cross is a smart man, and he knows what he’s getting into.” Dirk paused a moment, considering whether or not the time was right to share the other bit of news he had for her. “And you should also know that my father fully endorses Bennett Energy’s support of Thompson Laboratories.”

Pulling away so she could see his face fully, Alyssa’s eyes widened. “I didn’t think he was interested in anything that had to do with science.”

Dirk shrugged. “He didn’t at first. He thought it was just a wild dream that would never pan out. But he’s starting to come around and see that there’s a lot more to his company that just selling oil byproducts—or at least, that there should be. I know you spent some time talking to him, and I think that helped a lot. He likes you.” Dirk had been shocked himself when Mr. Bennett had sat down with him in his apartment and told him everything he was willing to do. It made sense for his father to have a vested interest in Thompson Labs, considering they could create a new fuel source that would keep Bennett Energy from dying out once fossil fuels became too expensive. He didn’t mind the idea of Alyssa researching the shifters, either, and he wanted to keep her happy. The elder Bennett had made it all sound like a very shrewd business deal, but Dirk knew it was a lot more than that. The old man had shown up at Bios Labs because he’d been concerned about his son, and he hadn’t hesitated to go to one of Dirk’s best friends for help. That told Dirk his father had not only forgiven him for wanting to take his own direction with the company, but he had accepted him.

“We’re really doing it,” Alyssa sighed as they reached the lower floor of the Club and headed for the door. “I want to call a real estate agent right away. There’s an amazing building downtown that just came on the market last week. I haven’t been inside, but I think it could be a great fit. I want a chance to bid on it before anyone else snaps it up.”

Dirk smiled and opened the door, leading the way into the brilliant sunshine. It was a stark contrast from the dark, cozy interior of the Club, but the fresh air was just what he needed. He would have to make sure he and Alyssa took plenty of long walks and got out of the lab as often as they could. As the thoughts came, he realized how nice they were. He didn’t need to worry about Alyssa using him for his money or leaving him for someone who could give her a more exciting life. She was bold and she was smart, but she was also practical. He smiled to himself, realizing that he had never considered practicality to be one of his strong suits. But it didn’t matter now. They had a future to build together.

He pressed his tongue against the back of his teeth as he allowed himself a brief fantasy about the woman on his arm. As soon as he had her in the door of his apartment, he would tear off every thread of clothing that covered her beautiful body. They would try something different this time. Maybe he would bend her over the back of the couch and take her from behind, reaching around those sexy hips of hers to make sure she got everything she needed. Or he might push her up against the wall and make things a little rougher this time, watching those gorgeous breasts jiggle in front of his face as he plunged into her over and over again. All he knew was that he wanted to entangle his body thoroughly with hers. Then again, he might tenderly make love to her in his bed, worshipping her as she deserved. Either way, he knew they would wrap their arms around each other when they were done and talk about all the exciting things they would achieve in their new lab for years to come.

“Call the agent,” he agreed, “but I hope she can’t see us for at least a couple of hours.”

“Why? Are you ready for lunch?”

“No,” he said with a wicked grin. “I’m just ready for you.”