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"For research purposes, of course." Hammond claps a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry. You won't have to share her. You can have her all to yourself. But I must be present to observe and document the mating process."

I want to rip his hand off my shoulder and shove it down his throat, but I manage a stiff nod. "Whatever you think is best."

"I knew you'd understand." Hammond squeezes my shoulder before letting go. "We're going to become the most powerful men in the world, Evan. Just imagine having an army of enhanced Alphas at our command, all born from Omegas we control. The government will be at our feet."

"And the others?" I ask, nodding toward the adjacent room visible through another observation window.

Three men sit slumped in metal chairs, their wrists and ankles secured with heavy restraints. Onyx, Leo, and Axl are all unconscious from the tranquilizer darts.

"They'll serve their purpose," Hammond says dismissively. "We'll run tests using them first. Alphas have better endurance than normal humans. Their DNA will help us perfect the process before we move to full-scale production."

As if on cue, Leo stirs in his chair. His head lolls forward, then snaps up, eyes blinking rapidly as his consciousness returns. He looks around the room trying to understand where he is, and once he does, his face hardens. He jerks against his restraints.

"Looks like Detective Byers is awake," Hammond observes. "He seems upset."

Even through the soundproof glass, I can see Leo's mouth form the words: "I'll kill you, Evan."

"He doesn't seem to appreciate what we're doing here," I remark dryly.

"They never do. Not at first." Hammond walks to a control panel and presses a button. Leo's voice suddenly fills the room.

"…fucking traitor! When I get out of here, I'm going to rip your spine out through your throat!"

Hammond chuckles. "Such colorful words."

"Turn it off," I say.

Hammond raises an eyebrow but complies, cutting the audio feed. "Are you getting soft on me, Blackthorn?"

"Let's focus on what matters." I turn away from the window. "So, what's next? You mentioned tests."

"Ah, yes." Hammond's eyes light up with disturbing enthusiasm. "First, we'll extract genetic material from all three Alphas. Sperm samples, tissue, bone marrow, everything we need to isolate what makes them special."

"And Dahlia?"

"Once her heat fully manifests, we'll introduce you. The mating will be recorded from every angle. After conception is confirmed, we'll monitor fetal development closely."

"And if she resists?" I ask, watching Dahlia's face for any sign of waking.

"The beauty of heat is that resistance becomes... irrelevant… Her body will want what it wants. And what it wants is an Alpha's seed."

"I see." I clasp my hands behind my back to hide their trembling. "And after she gives birth?"

"We repeat the process, of course. With different Alphas. We need to determine optimal genetic combinations."

"How many children do you expect her to bear?"

Hammond shrugs. "As many as possible before her fertility declines. But by then, we'll have created more Omegas from her offspring."

"You want to breed your own Omegas?"

"Precisely." Hammond beams like I've just complimented him. "I knew you'd understand the vision eventually."

Through the other window, I see Onyx beginning to stir. His massive frame tenses and his eyes open to narrow slits.

"Looks like we'll have a full house soon," I observe.

"Yes, well, the tranquilizer dosage was calculated for average-sized men. Our wolf friend there is far from average." Hammond steps closer to the glass. "These men are magnificent specimens. Pure Alpha. His offspring with the Omega would be particularly powerful."