Page 21 of Rescued By Four Alphas
"I'm not running away," I cross my arms over my chest. "I refuse to be chased out of my own home by paranoia and fearmongering."
Onyx steps forward. "It's not paranoia if they're really after you."
"Who's after me?" I throw my hands up. "Hammond is locked away! The press is annoying but hardly dangerous."
"We don't know who has access to Hammond’s research," Leo says. "His network was extensive. Anyone could pick up where he left off."
"So, what's your solution?" I face all four of them. "We pack up and flee the country? Then what? Hide forever? That's not life!"
Evan approaches me, his expression softening. "It would just be temporary. Until the babies are born and things calm down."
"And when will that be?" I demand. "When will things 'calm down'? We're public figures now. I discovered the cure for the Crimson Plague. You're a billionaire. Axl is a rock star. We'll never have normal lives!"
"We can protect you better in Switzerland," Evan insists.
"I don't want to be protected!" My voice rises. "I want to live! I haven't had a normal moment since I found out I was an Omega.All I want is to have my life back, to work on my research, to prepare for our babies, to be happy!"
Axl steps between us. "What if we compromise? We stay, but we make sure you're never alone. Two of us should always be with you at all times."
"So, I don't even get privacy anymore?" I shake my head. "No. That's not acceptable."
"Then you don't leave the house," Onyx declares. "You stay here where we can protect you."
"Excuse me?" I turn to face him. "You're going to keep me prisoner in my own home?"
"You're not a prisoner," Onyx corrects. "You need to be protected."
"It sounds like a prison to me!" I feel tears well up in my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. "You can't control my life like this!"
"We're not trying to control you," Leo says, his voice gentle. "We're trying to keep you safe."
"By dictating where I can go and who I can see?" I step back from all of them. "That's the definition of control!"
Evan's phone buzzes again. He checks it, his expression darkening further.
"The Department of Shifter Affairs has issued a statement. They're implementing mandatory registration for all pregnant Omegas."
"Registration?" Axl's voice drips with disgust. "The fuck?"
"They're calling it a 'public health initiative,'" Evan reads from his phone.
"All Omegas must register their pregnancies, including paternity information, expected delivery date, and number of fetuses."
"They can't do that," I whisper, my hand moving protectively to my belly. "That's private medical information."
"They're claiming authority under the Shifter Public Safety Act that passed after the Crimson Plague outbreak," Leo explains. "The one that gave them broad powers to 'monitor and control potential threats.'"
"We're not a threat!" I shout. "We're a family!"
"An unconventional family," Evan points out. "One that scares people who don't understand."
"So, we educate them," I argue. "We don't hide!"
"Education takes time," Leo says. "Time, we don't have, with four babies on the way."
Onyx moves to the window, peering through the blinds. "There are three news vans at the gate now, and more reporters are arriving."
"This is insane," I mutter. "All because of some stupid tabloid gossip?"
