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I ignore him, breaking into a run. The corridor blurs around me as I follow my nose, taking turns without hesitation. Her scent grows stronger with each step, pulling me forward like a physical force.

I burst through a set of double doors into a medical wing. The scent of antiseptic burns my nostrils, but underneath it, Dahlia's unique fragrance calls to me. And there's something else, though, the sweetness of her hormones. Fuck! They've triggered her heat.

My wolf rages against my control, desperate to find her, to protect her. I let him guide me now, racing down the hallway until I reach a heavy security door. It's locked, but that doesn't stop me. I slam my shoulder against it once, twice, and on the third try, the frame splinters and the door crashes open.

The room beyond is dimly lit, with medical equipment lining the walls. And there, in the center, is Dahlia.

Hammond is standing behind her, one arm wrapped around her waist, the other holding a syringe to her neck. The needle presses against her skin, a bead of blood already forming where it's punctured the surface.

"One more step," Hammond says calmly, "and I push this plunger."

Chapter 26 - Dahlia

Iwake up to a world on fire.

My skin burns like I've been doused in gasoline and lit with a match. Every nerve ending screams for relief that won't come. I try to focus, to remember where I am, but my thoughts scatter like frightened birds.

My eyes flutter open to harsh fluorescent lights that make my head pound. I'm standing, but not by choice. Hammond's arm is wrapped around my waist, holding me upright against him. The pressure of his body against mine makes me want to vomit. Something sharp pricks my neck, and the realization sends a jolt of terror through me.

"One more step," Hammond says, his voice vibrating against my back, "and I push this plunger."

I blink through the haze of drugs and hormones to see Onyx standing in the doorway, his massive frame filling the space. His eyes burn gold with rage; his hands curled into claws. Behind him, I can make out more shapes of Leo, Axl, Evan, and some more men.

They came for me. They all came.

"Let her go, Hammond." Evan steps forward. "It's over. The facility is surrounded. Your research is being confiscated as we speak."

Hammond's grip tightens, making me gasp. "Nothing is over until I say it's over, Blackthorn."

The needle digs deeper into my skin. I feel a warm trickle of blood running down my neck.

"You see," Hammond continues, "I'm holding something far more valuable than research. I'm holding the only known Omega compatible with multiple Alphas. Do you have any idea what that's worth?"

“She’s not something you can buy or trade,” Leo snaps, his jaw tight. “She’s a person, you bastard."

"She's the future," Hammond corrects. "And if any of you take another step, I'll pump her full of enough pheromone booster to send her into a heat so intense she'll beg the nearest Alpha to mount her." He laughs, the sound cold and clinical. "And thereare plenty of shifters in this facility who would be more than happy to oblige."

My stomach turns at his words. The heat already coursing through my system is bad enough. It's like a fever that's consuming me from the inside out. I can barely think straight. If he injects me with more...

"What do you want?" Evan asks.

“I want safe passage,” Hammond says smoothly. “A helicopter on the roof, no trackers, no tails. Once I’m out, I’ll give you her location.”

"You're taking her with you?" Axl steps forward, his hands clenched into fists. "That's not happening."

"Well, you can prepare for the consequences," Hammond smiles, and I can feel the curve of his lips against my hair.

"And if we refuse?" Onyx asks.

Hammond presses the syringe harder against my neck. "Then I push this needle, and Dr. Baldwin becomes a willing participant in my breeding program right here, right now. Her scent will call every Alpha within a mile radius. Do you think you can protect her from all of them? Even from yourselves?"

I see the struggle on their faces. They want to tear Hammond apart, but they can't risk my safety.

I need to do something. I can't be the damsel in distress waiting for rescue. Not when I have four men ready to risk everything for me.

"Please," I whisper, letting my body sag against Hammond. "It hurts so much. Just make it stop."

Hammond's grip loosens slightly. "What was that, my dear?"