Page 20 of Rescued By Four Alphas
"I will." Marcus gives me a quick hug. "Give Dahlia our love."
The ride home feels twice as long as usual. My phone keeps buzzing with notifications, but I ignore them all. I keep the radio off, not wanting to hear what else they might be saying about us. About her. My knuckles ache where they connected with Derek's face, but I don't regret it. No one talks about my mate like that. No one.
"Sir," my driver says, "Mr. Blackthorn requested that you enter through the east gate. There are reporters at the main entrance."
"Of course there are," I mutter.
When I pull up to the gate of our estate, I notice extra security personnel patrolling the perimeter. Evan must have increased protection. Good. The guard recognizes me and waves the car through without stopping.
The car circles to a less visible entrance. Even here, at what's supposed to be home, I feel like I'm sneaking in.
I find everyone in the living room, eyes glued to the massive TV screen. Onyx stands behind the couch, his arms crossed and his expression murderous. Leo sits on one end of the sofa, his posture rigid. Evan paces near the windows, his phone pressed to his ear. And Dahlia sits in the middle, her hand resting protectively on her small baby bump.
"Axl," her face lights up when she sees me.
I cross to her immediately, bending down to kiss her. "Hey, beautiful."
"Your hand," She notices my bruised knuckles. "What happened?"
"Nothing important." I sit beside her, pulling her close. "What are you watching?"
"The news," Leo says grimly. "It's not good."
On screen, a serious-looking anchor is speaking; "…allegations of a secretive shifter breeding program involving Dr. Dahlia Baldwin, the scientist credited with curing the Crimson Plague. Sources claim Dr. Baldwin is currently pregnant with multiple fetuses in what some are calling an 'unnatural experiment.'"
The scene cuts to a government official in a gray suit, standing at a podium with the Department of Shifter Affairs seal behind him.
"The Department takes these reports very seriously," He says. "We are actively investigating anomalous breeding patterns amongst shifters, particularly those involving Omegas. If left unchecked, these reproductive anomalies could pose significant risks to public health and safety."
The camera zooms in on his stern face as he continues, "Steps must be taken to ensure that shifter reproduction is properly monitored and, if necessary, curbed."
Chapter 6 - Dahlia
"Curbed? What the actual fuck does that mean?" I slam my hand down on the coffee table, and it makes the water glasses jump. The government official on screen continues to drone on about "public safety" and "responsible management," but all I hear is a threat.
Leo mutes the TV. "It means they want to control shifter reproduction."
"I understand that, but they can't do that." I stand up, unable to stay seated with this rage burning through me. "That's... that's eugenics! It's illegal and immoral and completely against everything we stand for as a society."
Evan ends his call and joins us, his face grim. "They're framing it as a public health issue. Hammond might be locked up, but his ideas have spread."
"Hammond is in maximum security detention," I pace the length of the living room. "He shouldn't be able to hurt us anymore."
"Hammond isn't the only threat," Leo points out. "His research and his followers are still out there."
Onyx's massive frame looms behind the couch, his arms crossed over his chest. "The first thing we should do is to increase security. Let's have more guards and a better surveillance system. I want cameras covering every inch of the perimeter."
"We already have twenty-four-hour security," I argue. "More, and we'll look like we're hiding something."
"We are hiding something," Evan says flatly. "The fact that you're carrying quadruplets fathered by four different Alphas would cause a global sensation. The media would never leave us alone."
Axl stands and wraps his arm around my waist. "It's not just about the media. Did you hear what that government asshole said? 'Curbed.' It's like we're animals that need to be controlled."
"We need to move," Evan declares. "I have a property in Switzerland. It's remote and secure, with a medical facility nearby. We can be there by tomorrow night."
"Move?" I pull away from Axl. "We just got settled here! This is our home."
"This place is compromised," Leo stands up, "The press knows where we live. They're watching us. It's not safe anymore."
