Page 34 of Rescued By Four Alphas
"Good. Call me the moment you have more information."
I end the call and turn back to Onyx, who has Matthews by the collar.
"We need to talk," I tell him, gesturing toward the door. "Now."
Onyx gives Matthews one last threatening look before following me out. I close the door behind us, making sure Matthews can't overhear.
"What is it?" Onyx asks.
"Dr. Reid is involved."
Onyx frowns. "Who the hell is Reid?"
"Hammond's former research partner," I explain.
"So, he's another mad scientist?"
"He's worse. Reid is a calculating son of a bitch. While Hammond was impulsive, Reid is brilliant, methodical, and completely amoral. He conducted unauthorized human experimentation and unethical gene-editing trials. Instead of being prosecuted, Reid was quietly removed from field research and reassigned to a monitoring role under strict oversight. He was classified as a 'Tier 3 Risk to National Security.’”
Onyx's expression darkens. "If he has no care for humans, he'll be exceedingly worse for shifters."
"Exactly." I pace the narrow hallway. "We've been underestimating the threat level significantly. If Reid is involved, there are three things he wants: experimentation, and possibly extinction."
"What do we do now?"
"Keep an eye on Matthews and see if you can get anything else out of him. I need to make some calls."
Onyx nods grimly. "I'll handle him."
I make my way to my office. If Reid is orchestrating this, we're facing a coordinated, government-backed threat. There's no winning when the government is involved.
Once inside my office, I lock the door and dial Senator Morrison's private number. He answers on the second ring.
"Blackthorn," his voice is guarded. "This isn't a good time."
"I don't give a damn what time it is," I reply. "Why didn't you tell me Reid was free?"
A pause. "How did you find out about that?"
"I have my sources. Why wasn't I informed about the meeting at DSA two days ago?"
Morrison sighs heavily. "I was shocked to see him there myself. He's been operating behind the scenes for months and building support for his theories."
"What theories?"
"He's convinced the Joint Chiefs that shifter reproduction rates pose an existential threat to humanity. That within three generations, shifters could outnumber humans."
"That's ridiculous," I scoff. "Shifter fertility rates are notoriously low."
"Not for Omegas," Morrison counters. "And that's where Dr. Baldwin comes in. Reid has been tracking her research since before the Crimson Plague. He believes her pregnancy proves his theory about accelerated reproduction."
My blood runs cold. "What are they planning?"
"Nothing's been approved yet," Morrison says carefully, "but there's talk of a 'wellness check' for Dr. Baldwin."
"A wellness check?" I repeat incredulously. "You mean a raid to capture her."
"I didn't say that."
