Page 15 of Unhinged Alphas

But I know I don't want them rightnow. That's the last thing I need. I know what a child means to an omega on the run.

What I meant to my mother.

She was pregnant with me when she fled the breeding center. The one child she was allowed to keep in her arms. Her "miracle," she said.

In reality, a burden.

"I can do a test," Plague says softly. "To find out for certain. If you want. If you're ready."

Do I want to know? Part of me wants to run, to bury my head in the sand and pretend this conversation never happened. But I force myself to face it head-on. I've never been one to shy away from harsh realities.

"And what if I am?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. I hate how small I sound, how scared. "What then?"

Plague takes a step closer, his posture open, non-threatening. "That would be up to you, Ivy. There are... options. Ways to deal with unwanted pregnancies, especially this early. And of course, if you wanted to keep it, we can figure that out, too."

I stare at him, stunned. "You'd... you'd give me a choice?"

The words come out small and doubtful. In my experience, omegas don't get choices. We getorders. Commands. Our bodies aren't our own. They belong to the alphas, to the Council. To the system that sees us as nothing more than breeding stock.

"Of course," Plague says, and there's a note of surprise in his voice, as if he can't fathom why I'd even question it. "Ivy, this is your body. Your life. No one has the right to make that decision for you."

I blink rapidly, fighting back the sudden sting of tears. His words shouldn't affect me this much. I shouldn'tcarewhat he thinks, what any of them think. But hearing him say it, hearing him say I'm a person, not just some… thing. A breeder. An incubator.

It breaks something loose inside me, a dam I've been holding back for so long.

"Okay," I whisper, steeling myself. "I'll take the test."

Plague nods, moving to gather the necessary supplies. I watch him, my throat thick and tight. As he works, preparing the test, I find myself studying him. The precise movements of his hands, the quiet confidence in his posture.

He's a killer, I know that. They all are.

But he's also a healer. A protector.

And in this moment, as he handles my fate withsuch care and consideration, I can almost forget he's a monster, too.

"All right," he says, turning back to me with a small syringe with a bright orange cap in his hand. "It's a simple blood test. It'll only take a moment, and then we'll know for sure."

I nod, holding out my arm. My hand trembles slightly, and I clench my fist to steady it. Plague's touch is gentle as he swabs the crook of my elbow, his fingers warm even through the latex gloves.

The needle slides in with barely a pinch, and I watch out of the corner of my eye as dark red blood fills the vial. My fight-or-flight instincts are through the roof to the point where my teeth itch to bite him for sticking me, but I manage to hold still.

Plague withdraws the needle, pressing a cotton ball to the small puncture. "There. All done. I'll just leave you for a bit and come back with the results."

I sit on the edge of the examination table, my legs dangling over the side. The paper crinkles beneath me with every nervous shift of my weight. Time seems to stretch, each second an eternity as I wait for Plague to return.

The door finally opens, and I snap to attention, my heart leaping into my throat. Plague enters, his mask as inscrutable as ever. But there's somethingin the set of his shoulders, the tilt of his head, that makes my breath catch.

"Well?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

He approaches slowly, his hands clasped behind his back. "The test came back negative, Ivy. You're not pregnant."

The relief hits me like a physical force, leaving me dizzy and light-headed. I slump forward, my elbows on my knees, my face in my hands.

I'm not pregnant.

I'm not trapped.

I'm still free.