Page 265 of Claim Me
"Here’s where the story takes a turn. After six months at our facility, Drax got an offer from another corporation, Welrun. They have funding. They’re the second biggest player after Malden, and they’re running their own research. They offered him a better deal and worked it out with a judge. They pushed for him to spend the last six months of his sentence at their facility, where the research methods are far more extreme. In exchange, once he finishes, he walks out a free man instead of spending seven more years under supervision with an ankle monitor, which was part of the original deal he had with us. On top of that, they’re paying him a fortune, so he agreed."
Well, I still clearly remember Blue’s conversation with Drax, he seemed very against being subjected to experiments,but apparently the money and the chance to shorten his sentence were tempting enough.
"Drax has been there for two months already. Unfortunately, since that facility isn’t connected to Beta Activation, my influence there is limited. I don’t have full insight into what they’re doing, but… I could help Marlow get in."
I have to interject. "Wait, what? Why?! I don’t get it."
"To stimulate his endocrine system—"
"How?! What exactly are they doing there with Drax? This isn’t the same arrangement that happened at that horrible Beta Activation facility where Drax used to work, right?"
"Of course not, Gabriel. He’s just one person, and there are millions of candidates worldwide who want to awaken their fertility. You can’t send him to sleep with everyone individually, that would be absurd. The scientists are trying to isolate the source of his effect so they can replicate it and, well, make a fortune from it."
"But you studied him for six months too, and it didn’t work."
"That’s true, but our research was, let’s say, ethical. We’ve made some interesting developments, but the project was halted. Now… The issue is that I can’t vouch for what they’re doing at the Welrun facility. I’ve heard gossip that they’re applying risky therapies using Drax’s DNA. And they also have volunteer groups paired up, similar to Beta Activation, except these are alpha-with-alpha pairs, and they’re being stimulated in aggressive ways." He taps his glasses, like he’s pulling the information up live online. "From what I’ve gathered, they’ve managed to trigger a pre-heat phase in a few alpha participants using a kind of pheromone therapy, along with slight uterine growth. It hasn’t progressed to full heat yet, but the program has only been running for two months. In theory, it looks promising."
"Blue… are you sure? Two months is nothing! It can be very dangerous—"
Then Marlow speaks up.
"Gabe, let Mr. Lowen finish."
"I’ll shut up," I mutter. "But not before I say one thing. This all sounds unstable and experimental to me, and you’re my brother. I failed you throughout this year, and I don’t want to see you suffer even more if you get involved in some kind of experiment that could hurt you in the long run."
"I appreciate it, Gabe. But I’m the one who has to make the final decision, please understand that."
"Gabriel is right, it is risky," Blue continues. "That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you about it yesterday. I didn’t have it in me to send you to a place like that, where I don’t know how the research is conducted, at least in part, and likely not ethically. I can’t guarantee what happens there or what kind of arrangement you’d end up in. But if things feel this desperate for you, it might be the only option that offers any real hope."
"Yes, I understand. I appreciate the caution, but… still…" Marlow says, and there’s a strange, regained strength in his voice. "I want to go!"
I let out a loud huff.
"Marlow, please… do you understand you’ll be paired with some stranger? You’ll have to have sex with him whether you find him attractive or not. That’s how these fertility activation facilities work, and if you refuse, you’re kicked out."
Marlow squeezes his eyes shut. "Gabriel, I repeat, leave that decision to me. I’m an adult, and I’m at a point in my life where there’s no going back. I’m ready to do whatever it takes. If they’ve already triggered pre-heat in just two months, that sounds promising to me."
Blue nods. "I agree with that assessment. Getting that kind of result in two months is… quite surprising." He suddenly looksat me, like he has some unexpected conclusion or maybe a suspicion, but then he bites his lip and turns his gaze to Marlow again, adding, "That’s the one and only reason I decided to tell you about it at all. Despite the risks, it might be worth it."
I rub my temples, feeling a slight pulsing in them, this is all very crazy for me.
"Marlow, I know I’ve been a terrible brother this past year, I—"
"Gabriel, stop." Marlow lets out a breath. "You’re about to be a father. Of course you were building your life. I have to fight for my own life now. And I’m accepting Blue’s offer."
Silence settles over the room. I look at him. Even under the hospital blanket, I can see how thin he is, almost gaunt. His face is hollow, his eyes look bigger somehow, and there’s something desperate in them.
I let out a breath and nod.
"You’re right. We all have to fight for our own path. If you feel ready to take that risk, I’m not going to stand in your way. But this… what you did," I make a meaningful gesture toward the machines around him, "it was too much, Marlow. Our parents are elderly, they suffered greatly… You could’ve come to us and told us what you were going through instead of doing something like this, breaking their hearts…"
Marlow squeezes his eyes shut, and tears slip out from beneath his lashes.
"No one knows what it feels like unless they’re inside my head. No one seemed to understand… like, what do you mean? You’re an alpha, why don’t you just stay one? That’s your nature. Dad always got really tense whenever I even brought it up. He dreams about grandkids, he wants me to find an omega and start a family…"
"Dad’s kind of obsessed with that, don’t worry about it. He’s always like, ‘so when do I get to spoil my grandkids?’ but life doesn’t always go the way we want."
"Maybe now, when your baby is born, some of that pressure will come off me… and I do get it, I really do. I want a child too. Just not as an alpha. As an omega."
