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My stomach drops. All our careful planning. Every trap and escape route. They know everything.

The Gargoyles spread to block my exits, their massive forms cutting off any hope of retreat. Stone wings scrape against ceiling rock as they position themselves with military precision. One produces a neural restraint collar from his equipment pack—specialized technology that will suppress my omega biology completely.

"The Council has override authority for specimens of your research value," Kain continues, each word delivered with clinical precision. "Medical expertise plus confirmed Chimeric breeding compatibility represents the highest possible specimen classification."

Specimen. The word strips away every scrap of personhood, reducing me to biological components worthy of study.

"I'm claimed," I say, hand moving to the bite marks on my neck. "Conquest Law recognizes mating bonds. Especially with pregnancy."

"Conquest Law also provides exemptions for subjects of critical scientific interest." Kain takes another step closer. "Your unique situation qualifies for immediate Council appropriation, regardless of prior territorial claims."

The nearest Gargoyle activates his restraint collar, the device humming with electrical energy designed to suppress omega biology at the neurological level. Once applied, I'll lose all ability to resist. My pregnancy won't protect me from experimental procedures designed to study human-Prime genetic compatibility.

My eyes dart around the chamber, seeking any advantage. The storage system along the eastern wall catches my attention—heavy stone shelves supported by rope and pulley mechanisms that adjust their height. The uppermost shelves hold our heaviest supplies. Water containers. Preserved food. Medical equipment in stone jars.

All positioned directly above where the nearest Gargoyle now stands.

"Where's Vex?" I ask, stalling while calculating angles. "What have you done to him?"

"Your Chimeric is experiencing the capabilities of our specialized binding teams," Kain responds with evident satisfaction. "His wings prove remarkably resilient, but our technicians are quite experienced with difficult cases."

The image his words conjure—Vex's magnificent wings bound and broken, his flight capability permanently destroyed—sends rage coursing through me that overrides fear completely. My hand slips to the small backup blade hidden in my tunic. Not for fighting. For cutting.

"Breeding facilities have prepared specialized containment for gestational subjects of your value classification," Kain continues, gesturing for the Gargoyles to close the final distance."Your comfort during transport is ensured, provided you cooperate fully."

I wait until the nearest Gargoyle moves directly beneath the loaded shelves, timing my response with medical precision. Instead of attempting combat against impossible odds, I pull the blade free and throw it—not at my captors, but at the rope supporting the massive storage system.

The blade slices through the taut cord with surgical accuracy.

The entire shelving unit crashes down in a thunderous cascade of stone and supplies. Water containers shatter on impact, flooding the chamber floor. Medical jars explode in clouds of herbal powder. Preserved food scatters across wet stone as the nearest Gargoyle roars in pain and surprise, his left wing caught beneath falling debris.

Perfect chaos.

I slam my palm against the hidden lever, the concealed wall panel grinding open with a rumble nearly lost amid the crashes. Without hesitation, I slip into the narrow escape passage, darkness swallowing me as stone slides shut behind my fleeing form.

"Find her!" Kain's enraged snarl echoes through the chamber, followed by the scrape of stone as they discover the hidden entrance. "She can't have gone far!"

I run through pitch blackness, one hand trailing along the rough tunnel wall for guidance. The passage climbs steeply, designed for emergency evacuation rather than comfort. My lungs burn with each labored breath. The emergency pack bounces against my back with every jarring step.

Behind me, pursuit begins immediately. Kain's lighter footsteps come first—the Gargoyles will struggle to fit their bulk through the narrow escape route. Small advantage, but I'll take anything available.

The tunnel makes a sharp turn, then another. Vex designed this path to confuse pursuers unfamiliar with its layout. I silently thank him for drilling me on every bend and junction, the mental map guiding my steps even in absolute darkness.

"I can smell you, omega," Kain's voice echoes closer than I'd hoped. "Pregnancy makes your scent impossible to disguise. There's nowhere in these mountains you can hide from Feline tracking abilities."

He's right. My claiming marks and pregnant state make me uniquely identifiable to any Prime within scenting range. Even if I escape immediate capture, long-term evasion seems impossible without help.

The tunnel narrows further, ceiling dropping until I'm forced to crouch while running. This section serves as a choke point—too small for Vex's wingspan, but perfect for slowing larger pursuers while allowing human-sized passage.

I hear Kain cursing behind me as he's forced to drop to all fours, his larger frame struggling through the constricted space. The Gargoyles will have even worse difficulty, their rigid stone bodies too bulky for easy maneuvering.

Light appears ahead. Not bright daylight, but the soft glow of morning filtering through the concealed exit. Fifty meters. Forty. My legs shake with exhaustion, but freedom waits just beyond the final barrier.

"Cease this futile resistance," Kain calls, voice strained as he navigates the narrow passage. "Breeding facility accommodation can be comfortable with proper cooperation. Continue fleeing, and I cannot guarantee the same consideration."

The threat barely registers through my desperate focus. Thirty meters. Twenty. The light grows stronger, carrying the scent of pine and mountain air.

Ten meters.