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Hammond looks at me, and smiles.

"Be rest assured, Dr. Baldwin, we'll take excellent care of you and any offspring that results from these pairings." He reaches for another syringe on the table. "But first, I think it's best if you sleep through the worst of this transition. The initial phase can be... distressing."

"Don't," I sob, feeling my control slipping as the drug in my system works its way deeper. "Please don't do this."

"Shh," Hammond says, approaching with the second syringe. "Sleep now. When you wake, your body will know exactly what it needs."

The needle slides into my arm again, and a different sensation spreads. It's cool and numbing, pulling me down into darkness.

"Sleep," Hammond's voice seems to come from far away. "I'll return when you're ready. We wouldn't want you to injure yourself fighting what you can't control."

The darkness rises to claim me, and my last thought before consciousness slips away is of the four men who've become so important to me. Evan. Leo. Onyx. Axl. I hope they're coming for me. I hope they hurry.

I hope I'm still myself when they find me.

Chapter 23 - Leo

"Dahlia?" A scream pierces through the speaker, followed by the sound of shattering glass.

"Leo! We're being attacked!" Her voice is high with terror. "We're on..."

The call cuts off abruptly.

"Dahlia? DAHLIA!" I shout into the phone..."Fuck! Fuck!!"

Onyx is already on his feet beside me; his eyes locked on mine.

"What happened?" he demands.

"Dahlia's in trouble... it seems someone's attacking them. The call cut off before she could tell me where they are."

Onyx grabs the edge of the desk. ""Pull up Blackthorn's tracker. Now."

I spin back to the computer, my hands flying over the keyboard as Onyx leans over my shoulder, his breath rough and heavy.

"Come on, come on," I mutter, as the tracking program loads, and searches for Dahlia's signal, but the loading circle spin endlessly on screen.

"What's taking so long?" Onyx growls behind me.

"The signal's gone," I say, slamming my fist against the desk. "Her phone’s either smashed or jammed."

"Try Valentine," Onyx snaps. "They were together."

I nod and input Axl's information. The system processes for a moment before a small dot appears on the map.

"Got him," I say, already memorizing the location. "He's downtown, about fifteen minutes from here."

"Let's go." Onyx is already moving toward the door.

I grab my jacket and keys, following him to the garage. We take my SUV, tires squealing as I peel out of the driveway. The clock on the dashboard reads 1:17 AM. Dahlia called less than ten minutes ago. They can't have gotten far.

"Faster," Onyx demands,

I push the speedometer higher, weaving through the empty streets. If they hurt, her...

"There," Onyx points as we approach the location on the tracker.

I slam on the brakes. The street is deserted, storefronts dark and shuttered. No sign of Dahlia or Axl.