Page 19 of Rescued by Four Alphas (Claimed by the Four Alphas #2)

I wake with a gasp, my eyes flying open to dazzling brightness that makes my head pound even harder. The light sears, and I squeeze my eyes shut again, a small whimper escaping my lips.

My mouth tastes like I've been sucking on pennies, metallic and vile. I try to move my hand to shield my eyes, but leather straps dig into my wrists when I pull. The same happens when I try to move my legs.

I force my eyes open again, squinting against the harsh fluorescent lights that hang overhead. Slowly, the room comes into focus. White walls. White floor. White ceiling. The sterility of it makes me shiver.

I'm lying on a hospital bed, but this is no regular hospital. The leather restraints holding my limbs aren't standard medical equipment. An IV line snakes into my left arm, and a clear liquid drips from a bag suspended above me.

I try to take deep breaths, fighting the panic rising in my chest. I need to think. I need to remember how I got here.

Dr. Marianna. The appointment. The ultrasound. My babies. Oh, God. My babies.

"Hello?" I call out, my voice cracking. "Is anyone there?"

Only silence answers me.

I turn my head as much as the restraints allow, to look around the room. Monitors are beeping softly, and some other machines I can't identify, and...

My heart skips a beat when I see the surgical table positioned across the room. It's complete with stirrups and drainage channels, and the sight makes bile rise in my throat.

A large mirror dominates the wall to my right. I don't need to be a scientist to know it's a one-way viewing window and that someone is watching me right now.

"I know you're there!" I shout toward the mirror. "Let me go! You can't keep me here!"

The door opens with a soft hiss, and three people enter. Two of them are wearing white lab coats with blank expressions, like human-shaped mannequins. They flank a taller man in a gray suit who walks like he has all the time in the world.

He's older than I expected, probably in his fifties, with perfectly coiffed silver hair and cold gray eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses. Everything about him is precise, from his perfectly knotted tie to the way he arranges his clipboard and pen before approaching my bed.

"Dr. Baldwin," he says, his voice pleasant. "I'm Dr. Leonard Reid. I've been looking forward to meeting you for quite some time."

I stare at him, and slowly, his name registers immediately. "Reid. Hammond's partner."

A small smile touches his lips. "Former partner. Hammond lacked...vision. And discretion. I suffer from neither limitation."

He gestures to one of the lab techs, who steps forward to check my IV and vital signs.

"How are you feeling?" Reid asks, as if this is a routine check-up. "Any nausea? Headaches? Disorientation? The effects of the sedative should be wearing off by now."

"Where am I? Where's Dr. Marianna?" I demand, pulling against my restraints.

"Dr. Vasquez served her purpose," Reid says dismissively. "As for your location, that information isn't necessary for you to know."

"My mates will find me," I tell him, trying to keep my voice strong. "They won't stop until they do."

Reid chuckles, the sound utterly without warmth.

"Your confidence is admirable but misplaced.

This facility doesn't officially exist. By now, your disappearance has been classified as a matter of national security.

Even if your Alphas manage to determine your location, which is doubtful, they will need to penetrate a military-grade security system and face armed guards authorized to use lethal force. "

He pulls up a rolling stool and sits beside my bed, crossing one leg over the other as if settling in for a pleasant chat.

"Now, I should explain why you're here," he continues. "Your pregnancy represents an unprecedented opportunity to study shifter genetics in real time. Four fetuses, each one sharing genetic material from four different Alphas, is remarkable. Truly groundbreaking."

"I'm not your lab rat," I spit.

"Oh, but you are," he corrects me gently. "You're the most valuable test subject I've ever encountered. Your Omega physiology, combined with your multiple Alpha bonds, has created a genetic cocktail that could unlock the future of human evolution, military advancement, and biological warfare."

He makes notes on his clipboard as he speaks, not looking at me. "We'll be monitoring every aspect of your body's changes, taking regular samples of blood, tissue, and amniotic fluid. After delivery, we'll harvest placental tissue, cord blood, and of course, study the infants themselves."

My blood freezes in my veins. "My babies? You're not touching my babies!"

Reid continues as if I hadn't spoken. "The developmental acceleration you're experiencing is fascinating. Your hormone levels indicate you're progressing faster than a normal pregnancy, though not quite as rapidly as we'd like. We'll be making some adjustments to speed things along."

"You can't do this," I say, my voice shaking now. "This is illegal. This is kidnapping, false imprisonment…"

"Illegal?" Reid interrupts, looking genuinely amused. "My dear doctor, this facility operates under classified government contracts that explicitly authorize these procedures. Matters of national security supersede your rights as an individual."

"People know I'm missing. There will be searches, investigations…"

"All of which will be controlled by the very agencies funding my work," Reid says, his patience seemingly endless. "You've disappeared. Perhaps you fled the country due to the media pressure. Perhaps you had a mental breakdown. The public will believe whatever narrative we provide."

I try to access my Omega abilities, reaching for that core of power I've felt growing stronger during my pregnancy. Nothing happens. No surge of strength, no heightened senses.

"Are you wondering why your special talents aren't working?" Reid asks, noticing my concentration. "The IV contains a carefully calibrated mixture of suppressants that keeps your shifter biology dormant. You're essentially human at the moment… weak and compliant."

One of the technicians approaches with a syringe filled with pale blue liquid.

"What is that? Don't give me that!" I struggle uselessly against my restraints.

"This accelerates fetal development," Reid explains calmly. "What should take another two months will happen in approximately two weeks or three weeks, give or take. We've refined the formula through extensive testing."

"Testing? On whom?" I demand, though I already suspect the answer.

Reid remains impassive as the technician injects the blue substance into my IV line. "Other Omegas, of course. Pregnant ones. Though none as valuable as you."

I feel the drug enter my system as a cold sensation spreading up my arm. "The missing Omegas Dr. Marianna mentioned. You took them, too."

"Excellent, Dr. Baldwin. Your mind remains sharp even in your circumstances." Reid stands, straightening his jacket. "Unfortunately, our previous subjects failed to survive the accelerated labor procedures. Their bodies couldn't handle the stress of premature delivery."

"You killed them?"

"They died advancing science," Reid corrects. "But you're different… you're stronger, more genetically stable. Your multiple bonds contribute to greater resilience. We believe you can survive the process and continue producing offspring for future experiments."

"Future...?" My voice fails me as the implications sink in.

"Indeed." Reid's eyes gleam with enthusiasm now. "Once we've harvested this initial set of specimens, we'll put you on a carefully controlled cycle of breeding and delivery. You could produce up to three sets of experimental subjects per year with the right hormone treatments."

Tears burn my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. I won't give him the satisfaction. "My mates will tear you apart. They'll burn this place to the ground."

"Your devotion to those Alphas is quaint but ultimately irrelevant.

" Reid checks his watch. "The bond you share with them is precisely what makes you valuable, and your children will inherit those bonding capabilities, heightened strength, and enhanced sensory perception.

Imagine an army of hybrid shifters that can be psychologically controlled through manufactured bonds, deployed anywhere in the world, and recalled with. .."

"You're a monster," I whisper.

"I'm a visionary," Reid corrects. "Monsters act on impulse. I, on the other hand, have principles. Every procedure you undergo has been meticulously planned to maximize data collection while preserving your reproductive capabilities."

One of the technicians hands Reid a tablet, which he studies briefly before nodding.

"The accelerant is already taking effect," he observes. "Your hormone levels are rising appropriately. We'll conduct the first amniotic fluid extraction tomorrow morning."

"You can't do this," I say again, hating how weak my voice sounds. "Please. These are my children."

"No, Dr. Baldwin," Reid says, his voice softening to something almost gentle. "These are the next generation of America's military superiority. Your contribution, while involuntary, will change the course of human history."

He gestures for the technicians to follow him toward the door.

"Wait!" I call after him. "What about Dr. Marianna? Was she working for you the whole time?"

Reid pauses at the door. "Dr. Vasquez provided valuable information, yes. However, she became...squeamish when she learned the full extent of our work. People often struggle with the necessary sacrifices scientific advancement requires."

"And what did you do to her?" I ask.

"The same thing I do to all liabilities," Reid says with a shrug. "I neutralized her."

My stomach lurches. "You killed her?"

"As I said, that information isn't necessary for you to know." Reid adjusts his glasses. "Rest now, Dr. Baldwin. The accelerant can cause discomfort as it takes effect, and you'll need your strength for tomorrow's procedures."

He turns to leave again, but I can't let him go without asking the question burning in my mind.

"Why are you doing this? Don't you see how wrong this is?"

Reid considers me for a moment, his head tilted slightly.

"Wrong? I'm ensuring America's dominance in a world where shifters exist. Do you think other countries aren't conducting similar research?

China, Russia, North Korea…they'd gladly harvest your children for their military programs. At least here, they'll serve a noble purpose. "

"There's nothing noble about torture," I say through gritted teeth.

"Science often appears cruel to those who can't see its ultimate benefits." Reid's voice remains maddeningly calm. "Your discomfort is temporary. Your legacy will be eternal."

I feel a strange fluttering that's more intense than the babies' usual movements. The accelerant is already affecting them. Tears well in my eyes at the thought of what it might be doing to their development, their health.

"Please," I try one last time. "Whatever you want to know about Omega biology, I'll tell you. I'm a geneticist. I can help with your research voluntarily. Just don't hurt my babies."

For a moment, something almost like sympathy crosses Reid's face.

"Your cooperation is noted and appreciated, Dr. Baldwin. But theoretical knowledge isn't enough. We need empirical data from actual specimens."

He turns to the technicians.

“Increase monitoring to every fifteen minutes. Alert me to any major changes in her condition.”

They nod silently as Reid looks back at me one final time.

"Your real usefulness will begin once the babies are born, and we can study how your body produces offspring with multiple fathers.

The genetic combinations alone could unlock dozens of new research paths.

" His eyes gleam like a child with candy.

"Be assured, Dr. Baldwin, you're making history here. Whether you want to or not."

The door hisses shut behind them, leaving me alone with the beeping monitors, the dripping IV, and the terrifying knowledge that my children might be born into the hands of a monster who sees them only as specimens to be dissected and weaponized.

I pull against the restraints until my wrists are raw, but they don't budge. The drug in my system makes my head spin and my stomach roll.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper to them. "I'll find a way out. I promise I'll protect you."