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"And the host?" A male voice—Dr. Chen, Zack thought dimly.

"Deteriorating, as expected. The mating sickness is progressing faster than anticipated. His system is prioritizing the pregnancy over his own survival."

Zack tried to focus on their words, but the fog in his mind made it difficult. He understood enough to know what was happening—his body was keeping their child alive at the cost of his own.

The pain had changed, spreading from his core throughout his entire body. Every heartbeat felt like it might be his last, each breath a struggle. The silver restraints no longer burned his skin—he was too weak to even attempt a shift.

"How much longer can he last?" Chen asked.

"Hard to say. Bear physiology is remarkably resilient, but the combination of mating sickness and the accelerated gestation is putting an incredible strain on his systems. At this rate, I'd estimate 48-72 hours at most."

"And the embryo?"

"Developing perfectly. Another week, and it should be viable for extraction. We just have to keep him alive for a week."

Zack wanted to scream, to fight, but his body wouldn't respond. A week. He wouldn't last a week. And when he died, they would cut their child from his body and continue their sick experiments.

No. He couldn't let that happen.

With monumental effort, Zack focused on the bond, that fragile thread connecting him to Victor and Mo. It felt impossibly thin now, like a single strand of spider silk stretching across an endless void. But it was still there.

Find me, he pleaded silently, pouring what remained of his strength into the bond. I'm here. Our baby is here.

A new pain lanced through him, sharper than before, and Zack gasped. Something was wrong—beyond the mating sickness, beyond the experimental drugs.

Dr. Mayer must have noticed the change in his vitals, because suddenly she was beside him, checking the monitors.

"Pulse is erratic. Blood pressure dropping," she reported, her voice tense. "We're losing him."

"The embryo?" Chen demanded.

"Still stable, but if he dies now, we lose everything. Pearson was clear—he wants both the subject and the offspring."

Hands moved over Zack's body, attaching new monitors, injecting new drugs. The pain receded slightly, but the darkness at the edges of his consciousness grew deeper.

"Come on," Dr. Mayer muttered, more to herself than to Zack. "Not yet. Just a—” But the alarm that sounded drowned out whatever she was going to say.

Alarms blared throughout the facility, red emergency lights flashing as a mechanized voice announced, "Security breach, level two. Containment protocol activated."

"Move!" Victor ordered, shoving Mo behind him as armed guards poured into the corridor from a side entrance. Victor shifted partially, his claws extending as he met the first guard head-on, tearing the weapon from his hands before throwing him against the wall. Daniel took out the two nearest him, and Raschid's wolves engaged the remaining guards. The narrow hallway filling with snarls and shouts. Mo pressed himself against the wall, Riley using his body as a shield as chaos erupted around him.

"Victor!" Riley yelled over the din, pointing toward a door at the end of the hall. "That one!"

Victor fought his way through the melee, his focus narrowing to that single door. The bond with Zack pulsed weakly but distinctly now, calling to him like a beacon.

"Cover me!" Victor shouted to Daniel, who nodded grimly as he took down another guard.

Victor reached the door—a heavy metal barrier with a keypad and retinal scanner. "Asher, we need access to lab 7!"

"Working on it," Asher's voice crackled through the comm. "Their security just went into lockdown. Give me thirty seconds."

Those thirty seconds felt like an eternity as the fighting continued behind them. Mo slid along the wall to join Victor, his face pale but determined. Riley right behind them.

"I can feel him," Mo whispered, pressing his palm against the door. "He's right there."

The lock disengaged with a heavy click just as another wave of guards appeared at the far end of the corridor.

"Go!" Daniel shouted, positioning himself and his wolves to hold them off. "We'll keep them back!"