Two men. Both completely oblivious to how close I was to combusting from sheer flustered tension. This mate bond pull was no joke.
Jake with his quiet, careful hands. Leo with his watchful eyes and easy smile.
If this was what working at the clinic was going to be like, I might need to start carrying smelling salts-and maybe a Bible-in my pocket.
By the time I pulled myself together, the hum of the lab machines had shifted in tone, stirring my curiosity. I pushed open the door and stepped inside, hoping I looked more composed than I felt.
Jake was deep in geek mode, eyes glued to the monitors, and somehow, even that looked incredibly attractive on him. I perched on the edge of the counter, swinging my legs like a kid trying to appear casual while internally screaming. Leo leaned against the opposite wall, arms crossed.
The silence between us wasn’t awkward at all, which I was sure was why Ronnie chose that exact moment to leave for a shower, leaving me alone with both of them. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. If this were a movie, dramatic music would be swelling right now.
Jake typed away at one of the computers, muttering, “Sample three-A processing…”
“You always talk to yourself like that?” I teased, mostly to distract myself from replaying the moment he swabbed my cheek.
He glanced up, that half-smile making my blood race. “Only when the equipment listens better than people do.”
Leo chuckled from the corner. “So, all the time then?”
Jake laughed, a little embarrassed, and I couldn’t help but grin. He looked good laughing-too good. I quickly looked away before my thoughts wandered again.
Focus, Poppy. Science. You’re here for science.
“So…” I cleared my throat and swung my legs a little harder. “When you say you’re testing for similarities between me and Paige, what exactly are you looking for? Genes? Ancient alien DNA?”
Jake’s lips twitched. “Mostly the patterns in your mitochondrial energy markers. Paige’s results were… unique.”
“Unique how?” Leo asked, stepping closer. His voice held that low, protective tone that always made me feel strangely safe and a little wild at the same time.
Jake hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “Her cells emit dual resonance when exposed to both solar and lunar frequencies. That shouldn’t be possible. I want to see if you share the same pattern, since you share parentage.”
“Right,” I nodded, pretending to understand. “So basically, you’re checking if I glow in the dark?”
Jake smiled. “Something like that.”
Leo grinned. “I’d pay to see that.”
“Of course you would,” I shot back.
Jake adjusted something on the machine and then looked at me again. “There’s… another factor I’m curious about.”
“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow.
He cleared his throat, suddenly awkward in the most endearing way. “Purely from a scientific perspective, it would be interesting to see if your power signature changes after…” He stopped, as if realizing what he’d just said. “…after, um… you complete the mate bond.”
I blinked. “Wow. Straight to pillow talk in the name of science. Didn’t see that coming.”
His ears actually flushed pink. “I didn’t mean-“
Leo’s grin was pure mischief. “Careful, Doc. You’re going to give her ideas.”
“Oh, please,” I snorted, mostly to hide my own embarrassment. “He’s lucky I didn’t spontaneously combust when he swabbed my cheek earlier. I’m not sure my power signature’s the problem here.”
Jake let out a nervous laugh and shook his head, still smiling as he returned his attention to the monitor. The machine beeped, cutting through the playfulness. His brow furrowed deeper.
“What is it?” I asked, sliding off the counter to stand beside him.
“Results are in,” Jake murmured, leaning closer to the screen. I glanced at the lines of data and graphs that looked like gibberish to me, but his expression told the real story. The longer he stared, the more serious he became.
Leo straightened. “Something wrong?”
Jake didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he pulled up a side-by-side comparison of the charts.
Finally, he exhaled slowly. “It’s not what I expected.”
My stomach flipped. “That sounds… ominous.”
He shook his head, still studying the screen. “No, it’s actually clearer than I thought it would be. You and Paige share about 27 percent of your DNA. You’re definitely sisters-half-sisters, genetically speaking.”
“Half?” I repeated, stunned. “As in, one parent in common?”
“Exactly.” He scrolled further, highlighting two distinct energy patterns. “Paige’s sequence shows both lunar and solar frequencies. Yours only shows the lunar signature.”
I blinked again. “So… what does that mean? In normal people terms?”
Jake looked at me cautiously. “It means Paige inherited something extra-a dual frequency. You didn’t. Your energy pattern is consistent with lunar ancestry-a Moon Child.”
I opened my mouth to respond, then closed it again. “So I’m… what, a regular Moon Child? And she’s…”
“Something else,” Jake finished softly. “I’ll let Ronnie explain that to you both.”
Leo’s hand found my shoulder, steadying me. “That doesn’t make you any less extraordinary, Pop.”
I nodded slowly, forcing a smile. “Guess that means I’m just not the shiny kind.”
Leo squeezed my shoulder gently. “You’re shiny enough.”
“Smooth,” I muttered, even as my heart did another ridiculous flip.
Jake’s lips twitched. “He’s not wrong.”
And just like that, I was caught between two smiles again, trying desperately not to melt into a puddle of moon-blessed goo.
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