Page 73 of Furry Equations
“Timing check.” He pulled up the schedule he’d planned with military precision.
“Natalie’s AI assistant is programmed to alert her to urgent lab results in...” Jax checked his watch. “Twenty minutes. Your future mate’s nothing if not predictable when it comes to science emergencies.”
Marcus touched the nearest molecular puzzle - a holographic representation of their first meeting, complete with miniature explosion effects. Each station would guide her through their story, leading to the final revelation in the new research wing he’d built just for her.
“You really went full romantic alpha on this one.” Jax clapped his shoulder. “Never thought I’d see the day.”
“She’s worth it.” Marcus adjusted the final display, ensuring perfect alignment. “Everything has to be?—“
“Perfect, yes, we know.” Emily appeared, tablet in hand. “The molecular light show is calibrated, the aurora effect is ready, and I’ve got every security camera recording. Plus backup recordings because Mom will literally kill us if we miss a single moment.”
Marcus surveyed their work. The research wing sparkled with scientific precision and romantic intention. Even the security measures had been carefully crafted - protection without restriction, just like their relationship had evolved.
“Five minutes until phase one.” Jax checked the monitors. “Want to run through your speech one more time? I still think you should open with ‘You’ve catalyzed a reaction in my heart?—‘”
“Finish that sentence and you’re running perimeter checks for a month.”
“Spoilsport.” But Jax’s grin widened. “She’s going to love it, boss. It’s the perfect formula.”
Marcus touched the ring box again, anticipation humming through his veins. Science and strength. Logic and love. Everything that made Natalie uniquely herself, crafted into a moment worthy of his brilliant mate.
“Places, everyone.” Emily’s command sent pack members scurrying to their positions. “Operation Science of Love is a go.”
Marcus shot her a look.
“What? Jax isn’t the only one who can make terrible puns.”
Dawn painted the sky in shades of promise as Marcus took his position. Soon, his scientist would follow the trail of molecular breadcrumbs he’d created, each puzzle leading her closer to their future.
Time to prove that alpha wolves could master the chemistry of forever.
FORTY-FIVE
Natalie’s AI assistant chose the worst possible moment to start flashing urgent alerts. She’d barely touched her morning coffee when her tablet lit up with warnings about anomalous molecular readings in the new research wing.
“That’s impossible.” She squinted at the data stream, her coffee forgotten. “The wing isn’t even operational yet.”
But the numbers scrolling across her screen painted a fascinating picture - complex molecular structures she’d never seen before, arranging themselves in patterns that tickled her scientific curiosity.
Her phone buzzed with a text from Emily:Better check those readings in person. Could be important.
Something in Emily’s words pinged Natalie’s suspicion meter, but the scientist in her couldn’t resist a good mystery. She grabbed her tablet and lab coat, mind already racing with possibilities as she headed for the main facility.
The first puzzle stopped her in her tracks.
A holographic molecular model hovered in the lobby, its structure hauntingly familiar. As she got closer, she recognized it - the exact formula she’d been working on the night Marcus scared her, causing the explosion that started everything.
“Interesting choice of decoration.” She muttered, studying the projection. But something about the molecule’s arrangement seemed off... purposeful.
Her tablet chimed as it detected a pattern. The seemingly random molecular variations actually formed an equation - one that pointed to another location in the building.
“Curiouser and curiouser.”
She followed the mathematical trail, each new puzzle more intricate than the last. One showed the molecular structure of adrenaline - marking the night she’d fought off Tomlinson’s men with a fire extinguisher. Another displayed the exact chemical composition of Marcus’s favorite coffee, which she’d memorized after their first morning together.
The trail led her through the facility where she encountered suspiciously helpful pack members. Jax lounged in a recliner.
“Fascinating molecular activity this morning.” His grin screamed mischief. “Very... romantic, you might say.”