Page 38 of Trapped By the Cartel

Despite the fear gnawing at me, I needed answers. "Stellan?" I asked, my voice trembling. "Is he—"

"He's alive," Damon cut in, his face breaking into a weak smile. "He's perfect, love. Beautiful." His gaze drifted towards the small bundle cradled in his arm, a warmth filling his eyes as he looked upon our son. Then, his expression turned serious once more, his brows furrowing. "But there were complications. With the birth…"

I felt a chill run through me. Complications? What kind of complications? I needed to know everything.

"The doctor said…" Damon hesitated, searching for the right words. "The placenta didn't detach properly. They had to perform an emergency cesarean section." Not to mention all the pain I'd felt before passing out.

My hand flew to my belly, feeling the long scar hidden beneath the sheet. So that was why Hunter had mentioned someone cutting open my belly. It all made sense now.

"And Stellan?" I pressed, my heart pounding in my chest. "Was he injured?"

"No," Damon replied quickly, shaking his head. "No, he's fine. Healthy. Strong." He glanced down at our son again, a proud smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "They managed to extract him safely. It was touch-and-go for a while, but… he pulled through."

Relief washed over me like a tidal wave, leaving me lightheaded. Our son was safe. That was all that mattered.

In a way, I was kind of glad that I passed out before giving birth. I wouldn't have been able to handle the situation well.

"Then why do you look so worried?" I asked, studying Damon's tense features. Something was still bothering him, I could tell.

Damon sighed, running a hand through his thick hair. "Because of what happened next. Marcus radioed in—the Serpents attacked before we could reach the hospital. An electromagnetic pulse took out all our electronics—including the monitoring equipment in the ambulance."

I gasped, horror filling me. "So, they couldn't monitor us? Or… or treat us?"

"Not until they got us here," Damon confirmed, nodding towards the makeshift infirmary. "We had to find somewhereelse to bring you both. Somewhere safe from the fighting—and equipped enough to deal with your condition."

"And where exactly is 'here'?" I inquired, looking around the dimly lit room. "It doesn't seem like a standard hospital."

"It's not," Damon admitted, shifting uncomfortably. "It's one of our pack's secure facilities—a place used for… sensitive operations."

"Sensitive operations?" I echoed, raising an eyebrow. "Like what?"

Before Damon could answer, a low moan echoed through the hallway outside. Both of us turned to see Hunter limping towards us, his face contorted in agony. I was surprised he could still walk.

"What's wrong with him?" I whispered, concern etched onto my face.

Damon's jaw tightened, anger flashing across his features. "That's part of the reason I'm worried, Elliot. Those 'sensitive operations' involve experiments on shifters—like Hunter. We've been trying to reverse some of the effects caused by past research gone wrong."

I stared at him, shock coursing through me. Experiments? On their own people? The thought was horrifying.

"But… why would you do something like that?" I stammered, struggling to comprehend such cruel actions.

But maybe there was nothing to understand. People could be evil sometimes, especially when they had something to gain.

Damon's expression darkened further. "For power, Elliot. Control. And unfortunately, progress sometimes comes at a cost."

I shook my head, disgust rising within me. This wasn't the Damon I knew—that much was clear. But then again, neither of us truly knew each other anymore, did we?

"And what about Hunter?" I prompted, steering the conversation back to the immediate problem. "What's happening to him?"

Damon sighed, rubbing his temples. "A side effect of one of the experiments caused some sort of toxic reaction when he shifted. We're trying to stabilize it, but… things aren't looking good."

Another groan escaped Hunter's lips as he collapsed against the doorframe, his body wracked with pain.

"We need to help him!" I exclaimed, attempting to run to him despite the protest of my abdomen.

Damon gently pushed me back down, his expression firm. "Stay put, Elliot. You're in no state to be moving around. Besides, I can handle this."

As if on cue, Hunter let out another cry of agony, followed by a sickening wet sound. Damon rushed forward, catching him just as his legs gave out completely.

---