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"No," Pearson cut her off. "That's too risky. It took too much work to get the bear here." He stopped pacing, his expression calculating. "How stable is the embryo right now?"

A chill ran through Zack that had nothing to do with his fever. He knew what Pearson was considering.

"I don’t recommend extraction, if that’s what you’re thinking," the doctor said quietly. "Perhaps in another week. The research value of observing the full gestation—"

"I'm aware of the trade-offs, Doctor," Pearson snapped. "But if the host dies, we lose everything. Prepare for extraction tomorrow morning if you are unable to stabilize him. We'll continue our research with the embryo in vitro."

Zack fought against the restraints with renewed desperation, ignoring the burning of the silver against his skin. "No!" he gasped, his voice raw. "You can't!"

Pearson turned to him, seeming almost surprised that Zack was coherent enough to follow their conversation. "Mr. Hunter," he said, his tone maddeningly reasonable. "Surely you understand your situation. Without your mates, you'll die anyway. This way, at least your contribution to science will be preserved."

"It's not a contribution," Zack snarled, summoning his remaining strength. "It's my child.Ourchild."

Something cold and calculating settled in Pearson's eyes. "It's fascinating how quickly shifters form attachments to their offspring, even before birth. Another trait worth studying." He nodded to the doctor. "Increase his sedation. I don't want him conscious for this. His anxiety may bring on further complications."

The doctor moved toward the IV, but hesitated, her hand hovering over the controls. "Mr. Pearson, I’m worried the increase in sedation could put the embryo at risk. If this is mating sickness, the embryo will not be at risk until the bear dies. He will suffer, certainly, but we have time before the embryo is in danger."

Pearson chuckled. “What happened to ‘do no harm?’”

She flinched at his words. "I'm trying to preserve the integrity of your research, Mr. Pearson. That's all."

"Yes, well, I appreciate your dedication to the scientific method." Pearson straightened his already immaculate suit jacket. "Monitor him closely tonight. If his condition deteriorates further, we'll initiate the extraction.” He paused. “Do we have any idea of a timeline for mating sickness?"

She nodded. “From the data I’ve seen, mating sickness is in most cases strongest after an initial bonding, then peters out when the bond is strong and established. Successful absences have been noted, even survival after the death of a mate. It does, as I said, depend on the length of the bond. However, the bear is already displaying protective instincts. He knows his own death would cause the death of his child, so it would be interesting to see how long he can fight his own instincts to remain alive for the embryo.”

“For the full pregnancy?” Pearson asked, betraying his sick excitement.

“I doubt it,” the doctor replied, “but it definitely isn’t an emergency requiring immediate extraction.” She glanced at the readout from her machines. “As I’ve said, he will suffer, but so far the embryo doesn’t seem to be in any immediate danger.” She hesitated and lowered her voice. “There is my other research, of course.”

Pearson frowned. “I thought that was still experimental?”

“But isn’t everything?” she murmured. “I think it's safe to at least accelerate the development of the embryo another month.”

As they exited the room, Zack let out a shuddering breath. The pain was getting worse, radiating outward from his core. He'd never felt anything like it—as if his body was trying to tear itself apart from the inside out.

Mating sickness. The words echoed in his mind. He'd heard stories, of course, but wasn't sure he'd believed them. But with his bond to both Victor and Mo was so new, so intense...

A fresh wave of pain crashed over him, and Zack bit back a scream. His bear roared inside him, desperate to break free, to find his mates, to protect their cub. But the silver restraints held firm, burning against his skin whenever his desperation triggered even a partial shift attempt.

Their cub. The reality of it still hadn't fully registered. He was pregnant. Somehow, impossibly, he was carrying their child. A child that Pearson planned to cut out of him if Zack couldn’t keep him or her alive.

"No," Zack whispered fiercely to the empty room. "I won't let that happen." No matter what pain he had to endure.

He had to escape. Had to find Victor and Mo. But how? The restraints were unbreakable, the door locked, and his body was growing weaker by the hour. For the first time since his capture, true despair threatened to overwhelm him.

Then, through the haze of pain and fever, a memory surfaced. Something the doctor had said about his condition. The pregnancy complicated matters. His body was trying to maintain the bond connection for both himself and the developing fetus.

The bond. Could he use it somehow? Shifter bonds were more than just emotional connections—they were psychic links, especially between alphas and their mates. Zack had always been able to sense Mo's and Victor’s emotions, but the drugs were complicating everything.

Closing his eyes, Zack tried to focus through the pain. He reached for that thread of connection he'd felt with Victor since Victor had shown his wolf, now strengthened by their mating bond. And then for the newer, but equally powerful connection to Mo.

Victor. Mo. Find me. Please.

He poured every ounce of his remaining strength into that silent plea, visualizing his mates, picturing the sterile room, the medical equipment, anything that might help them locate him. The effort left him gasping, pain clouding his brain, darkness beckoning.

And for the first time, he didn’t fight it.

Chapter Twenty-Three