Page 55 of Rescued By Four Alphas
My heart skips a beat when I see the surgical table positioned across the room. It's complete with stirrups and drainage channels, and the sight makes bile rise in my throat.
A large mirror dominates the wall to my right. I don't need to be a scientist to know it's a one-way viewing window and that someone is watching me right now.
"I know you're there!" I shout toward the mirror. "Let me go! You can't keep me here!"
The door opens with a soft hiss, and three people enter. Two of them are wearing white lab coats with blank expressions, likehuman-shaped mannequins. They flank a taller man in a gray suit who walks like he has all the time in the world.
He's older than I expected, probably in his fifties, with perfectly coiffed silver hair and cold gray eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses. Everything about him is precise, from his perfectly knotted tie to the way he arranges his clipboard and pen before approaching my bed.
"Dr. Baldwin," he says, his voice pleasant. "I'm Dr. Leonard Reid. I've been looking forward to meeting you for quite some time."
I stare at him, and slowly, his name registers immediately. "Reid. Hammond's partner."
A small smile touches his lips. "Former partner. Hammond lacked...vision. And discretion. I suffer from neither limitation."
He gestures to one of the lab techs, who steps forward to check my IV and vital signs.
"How are you feeling?" Reid asks, as if this is a routine check-up. "Any nausea? Headaches? Disorientation? The effects of the sedative should be wearing off by now."
"Where am I? Where's Dr. Marianna?" I demand, pulling against my restraints.
"Dr. Vasquez served her purpose," Reid says dismissively. "As for your location, that information isn't necessary for you to know."
"My mates will find me," I tell him, trying to keep my voice strong. "They won't stop until they do."
Reid chuckles, the sound utterly without warmth. "Your confidence is admirable but misplaced. This facility doesn't officially exist. By now, your disappearance has been classified as a matter of national security. Even if your Alphas manage to determine your location, which is doubtful, they will need to penetrate a military-grade security system and face armed guards authorized to use lethal force."
He pulls up a rolling stool and sits beside my bed, crossing one leg over the other as if settling in for a pleasant chat.
"Now, I should explain why you're here," he continues. "Your pregnancy represents an unprecedented opportunity to study shifter genetics in real time. Four fetuses, each one sharing genetic material from four different Alphas, is remarkable. Truly groundbreaking."
"I'm not your lab rat," I spit.
"Oh, but you are," he corrects me gently. "You're the most valuable test subject I've ever encountered. Your Omega physiology, combined with your multiple Alpha bonds, has created a genetic cocktail that could unlock the future of human evolution, military advancement, and biological warfare."
He makes notes on his clipboard as he speaks, not looking at me. "We'll be monitoring every aspect of your body's changes, taking regular samples of blood, tissue, and amniotic fluid. After delivery, we'll harvest placental tissue, cord blood, and of course, study the infants themselves."
My blood freezes in my veins. "My babies? You're not touching my babies!"
Reid continues as if I hadn't spoken. "The developmental acceleration you're experiencing is fascinating. Your hormone levels indicate you're progressing faster than a normal pregnancy, though not quite as rapidly as we'd like. We'll be making some adjustments to speed things along."
"You can't do this," I say, my voice shaking now. "This is illegal. This is kidnapping, false imprisonment…"
"Illegal?" Reid interrupts, looking genuinely amused. "My dear doctor, this facility operates under classified government contracts that explicitly authorize these procedures. Matters of national security supersede your rights as an individual."
"People know I'm missing. There will be searches, investigations…"
"All of which will be controlled by the very agencies funding my work," Reid says, his patience seemingly endless. "You've disappeared. Perhaps you fled the country due to the media pressure. Perhaps you had a mental breakdown. The public will believe whatever narrative we provide."
I try to access my Omega abilities, reaching for that core of power I've felt growing stronger during my pregnancy. Nothing happens. No surge of strength, no heightened senses.
"Are you wondering why your special talents aren't working?" Reid asks, noticing my concentration. "The IV contains a carefully calibrated mixture of suppressants that keeps your shifter biology dormant. You're essentially human at the moment… weak and compliant."
One of the technicians approaches with a syringe filled with pale blue liquid.
"What is that? Don't give me that!" I struggle uselessly against my restraints.
"This accelerates fetal development," Reid explains calmly. "What should take another two months will happen in approximately two weeks or three weeks, give or take. We've refined the formula through extensive testing."
