Page 7 of Rescued by Four Alphas (Claimed by the Four Alphas #2)

" C urbed? What the actual fuck does that mean?" I slam my hand down on the coffee table, and it makes the water glasses jump. The government official on screen continues to drone on about "public safety" and "responsible management," but all I hear is a threat.

Leo mutes the TV. "It means they want to control shifter reproduction."

"I understand that, but they can't do that." I stand up, unable to stay seated with this rage burning through me. "That's... that's eugenics! It's illegal and immoral and completely against everything we stand for as a society."

Evan ends his call and joins us, his face grim. "They're framing it as a public health issue. Hammond might be locked up, but his ideas have spread."

"Hammond is in maximum security detention," I pace the length of the living room. "He shouldn't be able to hurt us anymore."

"Hammond isn't the only threat," Leo points out. "His research and his followers are still out there."

Onyx's massive frame looms behind the couch, his arms crossed over his chest. "The first thing we should do is to increase security. Let's have more guards and a better surveillance system. I want cameras covering every inch of the perimeter."

"We already have twenty-four-hour security," I argue. "More, and we'll look like we're hiding something."

"We are hiding something," Evan says flatly. "The fact that you're carrying quadruplets fathered by four different Alphas would cause a global sensation. The media would never leave us alone."

Axl stands and wraps his arm around my waist. "It's not just about the media. Did you hear what that government asshole said? 'Curbed.' It's like we're animals that need to be controlled."

"We need to move," Evan declares. "I have a property in Switzerland. It's remote and secure, with a medical facility nearby. We can be there by tomorrow night."

"Move?" I pull away from Axl. "We just got settled here! This is our home."

"This place is compromised," Leo stands up, "The press knows where we live. They're watching us. It's not safe anymore."

"I'm not running away," I cross my arms over my chest. "I refuse to be chased out of my own home by paranoia and fearmongering."

Onyx steps forward. "It's not paranoia if they're really after you."

"Who's after me?" I throw my hands up. "Hammond is locked away! The press is annoying but hardly dangerous."

"We don't know who has access to Hammond’s research," Leo says. "His network was extensive. Anyone could pick up where he left off."

"So, what's your solution?" I face all four of them. "We pack up and flee the country? Then what? Hide forever? That's not life!"

Evan approaches me, his expression softening. "It would just be temporary. Until the babies are born and things calm down."

"And when will that be?" I demand. "When will things 'calm down'? We're public figures now. I discovered the cure for the Crimson Plague. You're a billionaire. Axl is a rock star. We'll never have normal lives!"

"We can protect you better in Switzerland," Evan insists.

"I don't want to be protected!" My voice rises. "I want to live! I haven't had a normal moment since I found out I was an Omega. All I want is to have my life back, to work on my research, to prepare for our babies, to be happy!"

Axl steps between us. "What if we compromise? We stay, but we make sure you're never alone. Two of us should always be with you at all times."

"So, I don't even get privacy anymore?" I shake my head. "No. That's not acceptable."

"Then you don't leave the house," Onyx declares. "You stay here where we can protect you."

"Excuse me?" I turn to face him. "You're going to keep me prisoner in my own home?"

"You're not a prisoner," Onyx corrects. "You need to be protected."

"It sounds like a prison to me!" I feel tears well up in my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. "You can't control my life like this!"

"We're not trying to control you," Leo says, his voice gentle. "We're trying to keep you safe."

"By dictating where I can go and who I can see?" I step back from all of them. "That's the definition of control!"

Evan's phone buzzes again. He checks it, his expression darkening further.

"The Department of Shifter Affairs has issued a statement. They're implementing mandatory registration for all pregnant Omegas."

"Registration?" Axl's voice drips with disgust. "The fuck?"

"They're calling it a 'public health initiative,'" Evan reads from his phone.

"All Omegas must register their pregnancies, including paternity information, expected delivery date, and number of fetuses."

"They can't do that," I whisper, my hand moving protectively to my belly. "That's private medical information."

"They're claiming authority under the Shifter Public Safety Act that passed after the Crimson Plague outbreak," Leo explains. "The one that gave them broad powers to 'monitor and control potential threats.'"

"We're not a threat!" I shout. "We're a family!"

"An unconventional family," Evan points out. "One that scares people who don't understand."

"So, we educate them," I argue. "We don't hide!"

"Education takes time," Leo says. "Time, we don't have, with four babies on the way."

Onyx moves to the window, peering through the blinds. "There are three news vans at the gate now, and more reporters are arriving."

"This is insane," I mutter. "All because of some stupid tabloid gossip?"

"It's more than gossip now," Evan says, showing me his phone screen. "Look."

The headline reads: "EXCLUSIVE: Shifter Breeding Program Exposed - Government Investigates Omega Multiple Births."

"That's it." Evan pockets his phone. "We're leaving tonight. I'll make the arrangements."

"No!" I plant my feet. "I am not leaving. This is our home, and I won't be chased away by fear and lies."

"Dahlia, be reasonable," Leo pleads.

"I am being reasonable!" I snap. "You're the ones talking about fleeing the country over some news headlines!"

Axl runs his hand through his hair. "Look, we're all stressed. Let's take a breath and think this through."

"There's nothing to think through," Evan says. "We need to protect Dahlia and the babies. That's all that matters."

"Don't I get a say in this?" I demand. "They're my babies too!"

"Of course, you get a say," Axl assures me. "We're just trying to figure out the safest option for everyone."

"The safest option is not to panic," I insist. "We have security. We have resources. We can handle this without running away."

Onyx turns from the window. "What if we compromise? Let's increase security here for now, but if things escalate, we will reconsider the move."

"Define 'escalate,'" I challenge.

"If anyone breaches the perimeter," Leo suggests. "Or if the government tries to force that registration."

I consider this. "And I still get to live my life? Work in my lab? Go to doctor's appointments?"

"With protection," Evan stipulates. "Two of us will be with you at all times when you leave the house."

I bristle. "That's still controlling my movements."

"We're trying to keep you safe, Dahlia." Onyx counters.

"I'm not made of glass!" I throw my hands up. "I've faced Hammond, been kidnapped, and survived artificial heat. I think I can handle a few nosy reporters!"

"This isn't just about reporters," Evan's voice hardens. "This is about a government that's getting increasingly hostile to shifters and omegas."

"So, we fight it!" I insist. "Legally, and publicly. We don't hide like we've done something wrong! It's possible to gain public sympathy. The government won't want to make a wrong move."

Axl nods. "She's right. Running looks suspicious. Like we have something to hide."

"We do have something to hide," Evan points out. "Four babies with four fathers."

"That's our business," I say firmly. "Not the government's, and definitely not the media's."

Leo sighs. "In an ideal world, yes. But we don't live in that world."

"So, we just give up?" I shake my head. "No. I refuse to live in fear."

Evan's jaw tightens. "It's not about fear. It's about being smart."

"Smart would be consulting with me before making decisions about my life!" I feel my temper rising again. "You don't get to dictate what I do just because I'm pregnant!"

"No one's dictating anything," Leo tries to placate me.

"Really?" I gesture around the room. "Because it sounds like you've all decided I need to be watched, guarded, and possibly shipped off to Switzerland without asking what I want!"

Axl steps closer to me. "What do you want, Dahlia?"

"I want to be treated like an adult!" I snap. "I want to be included in decisions about my life and not protected from them!"

"We're trying to include you," Evan says, his patience wearing thin. "But you're not being reasonable."

"Oh, I'm sorry," I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Is it unreasonable to want basic autonomy over my own life?"

"When your life is in danger? Yes!" Evan's control finally slips. "Yes, it is unreasonable to ignore clear threats!"

"What threats?" I demand. "Some reporter with a camera? A government official making vague statements? Why can't we fight this?"

"We can't fight everyone," Leo says quietly. "Sometimes a strategic retreat is the best option."

"This isn't a war," I argue. "This is our life!"

"It became a war the moment they targeted you," Onyx growls. "The moment they called our family an 'anomaly' that needs to be 'curbed.'"

I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "Look, I understand you're all worried. I am, too. But I can't live like a prisoner or a fugitive. I won't."

"No one's asking you to be a prisoner," Axl says.

"Aren't you?" I look at each of them. "Don't leave the house. Don't go anywhere alone. Move to another country. How is that not imprisonment?"

I feel tears threatening again, and the room falls silent for a moment. I can see the struggle on each of their faces, needing to keep me safe, while warring with the desire to respect my wishes.

"What if," Leo begins carefully, "we take this one day at a time? Increase security here, monitor the situation, and make decisions together as things develop?"

I nod slowly. "That sounds reasonable."

"With the condition that you don't leave the house alone," Onyx adds. "Not even to the garden."

"And we revisit the Switzerland option if things get worse," Evan stipulates.

"No, not Switzerland."

"What do you want, exactly?" Evan asks. "To pretend there's no danger? To ignore reality?"

"I want to live my life!" I explode. "I want to work in my lab, go to my doctor's appointments, prepare for our babies, and not feel like I'm under house arrest!"

Evan's expression hardens.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but your safety is more important than your comfort right now."

"My safety?" I laugh bitterly. "Or your peace of mind?"

"Both," he snaps. "Because, unlike you, I understand the real dangers we're facing."

"Don't patronize me," I warn. "I understand perfectly. I refuse to let fear rule my life."

Onyx steps forward. "You're carrying our children. That gives us the right to ensure their safety."

"Their safety, yes. My freedom, no." I stand my ground. "I get a say in this. My body, my life."

"You're our responsibility, Dahlia," Evan points out.

"I'm not your responsibility! I'm your partner!" I feel like I'm going in circles. "Equal partners, remember? That was the deal when we decided to do this!"

"That was before all this," Evan gestures to the TV, where the news continues to run stories about us.

"So, our agreement only stands when things are easy?" I challenge. "The moment there's trouble, you get to take over?"

"That's not what I meant," Evan backpedals.

"It's exactly what you meant," I accuse. "You think because you're Alphas and I'm an Omega, you get to make decisions for me."

"That's not fair," Leo protests.

"Isn't it?" I look at each of them. "You're all standing here telling me what I can and can't do, where I can and can't go, who I can and can't see. How is that not exactly what I'm saying?"

The room falls silent again.

Axl is the first to speak. "You're right."

"What?" Evan turns to him.

"She's right," Axl repeats. "We're trying to control her because we're scared. That doesn't make it okay."

"Thank you," I say softly.

"But," Axl continues, "that doesn't mean the danger isn't real. We need to find a solution that respects your autonomy while keeping you safe."

"Exactly," I nod. "That's all I'm asking for."

"So, what does that look like?" Leo asks. "Practically speaking?"

I think for a moment. "Fine… I won't leave the estate alone. I accept security when I go to appointments. I work from home for now. But I don't want guards to follow me around my own house, and I don't want to be treated like I can't make decisions for myself."

"That's reasonable," Leo nods.

"And we stay here," I add firmly. "I am not running away to Switzerland or anywhere else unless there's a direct, specific threat."

Onyx and Leo nod their agreement. Evan remains silent, his jaw clenched.

"Evan?" I prompt.

"I don't like it," he admits. "I think we're underestimating the danger."

"Maybe," I acknowledge. "But I can't live in a cage."

"And if something happens?" he challenges. "If someone breaks in, or the government tries to take you for 'examination,' or…"

"Then we deal with it," I cut him off.

Evan runs a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. "You're being stubborn."

"I'm standing up for myself," I correct him. "There's a difference."

"Standing up for yourself won't matter if you're dead!" Evan snaps.

The room goes still. Even Evan looks shocked at his own words.

"Dahlia, I didn't mean…"

"I think you did," I say quietly. "And that's the problem. You're so focused on the worst-case scenario that you can't see what you're doing to me now."

"I'm trying to protect you," Evan insists.

"You're trying to control me," I counter. "And I won't allow it. Not from you, not from anyone."

Evan's face hardens.

"I don't care if you think I'm controlling. I don't care if you hate me for it. As long as you're safe, I'll do whatever the fuck it takes."