Mag-log inCHAPTER FORTY-TWOChild Number Seven 2The room remained silent long after Arthur's final words.Lucas stood completely still, staring at the photograph in his hands. The tiny baby wrapped in the pale blue blanket looked impossibly small, almost fragile enough to disappear beneath the weight of the world that had been built around him. Yet according to the records on the table, that child had been important enough for an entire organization to erase his identity.He slowly placed the photograph back on the table."So my name wasn't always Lucas Bennett."Arthur shook his head."No.""What was it?"Arthur hesitated."We don't know."Lucas frowned."You don't know my name?""The original birth record was altered before I ever saw it."Hayes immediately reached for another folder."Then there should still be a copy somewhere."Arthur looked at him."There was.""Was?"Arthur nodded."The original record was kept at St. Gabriel Maternity Hospital. But several years after your birth, the h
PHEROMONE BLIND CHAPTER FORTY ONEThe seal broke with a faint crack.For a moment, nobody moved.Arthur's fingers remained resting on the edge of the thick folder, his eyes fixed on the faded red letters stamped across its cover. PROJECT GENESIS. The name had been hidden for eighteen years, protected by layers of secrecy, fear, and silence, yet somehow those two words had found their way back into Lucas's life. Lucas stood beside Eric, staring at the file with a strange mixture of dread and anticipation. He had spent weeks searching for answers about the bracelet, his hidden identity, and the people who seemed determined to keep his past buried. Now, for the first time, the truth was sitting directly in front of him."Open it," Hayes said quietly.Arthur didn't immediately respond.Instead, he looked at Lucas."I need you to understand something before we continue."Lucas swallowed."What?""Some of what you're about to see may be difficult."Lucas gave a faint, humorless smile."Aft
PHEROMONE BLIND CHAPTER FORTY STARWRITES For several long seconds, no one reached for the file.The words PROJECT GENESIS seemed to carry a weight that made even breathing feel difficult.Arthur continued staring at the faded red letters, his weathered hands trembling ever so slightly. He had guarded the truth for sixteen years, and now that it was finally before him, he looked less relieved than exhausted.Lucas found himself unable to look away."This file..."His voice came out quieter than he intended."...does it have something to do with me?"Arthur slowly lifted his eyes."It has everything to do with you."The answer settled over the chamber like a heavy fog.Before Lucas could ask another question, the silence was broken by a dull vibration beneath their feet.Dust drifted from the stone ceiling.Everyone looked up.Another vibration followed.Then another.Hayes frowned."They're still searching the house."Arthur nodded grimly."They won't stop until they're certain no o
PHEROMONE BLINDCHAPTER THIRTY NINESTARWRITES Without waiting for anyone to respond, Arthur disappeared into the narrow hallway at the back of the cottage.Another gunshot thundered through the house.The windows rattled violently."Move!" Eric's father ordered.One security officer remained near the living room entrance, weapon raised, watching every doorway while the other quickly ushered the group after Arthur.Eric never let go of Lucas's hand.His grip was firm, almost possessive, as though releasing him for even a second might allow the attackers to snatch him away.Lucas could feel the warmth of Eric's palm despite the fear tightening his chest.Neither of them spoke.There wasn't time.Arthur hurried down the dim hallway, passing a small guest bedroom and an old study whose shelves were overflowing with faded account books. At the very end stood what appeared to be nothing more than a cramped storage room.Boxes were stacked against the walls.Rusting gardening tools leaned
PHEROMONE BLIND CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHTThe gunshot exploded through the cottage.Glass burst inward in a shower of glittering shards."Down!"Eric reacted before anyone else.He wrapped one arm around Lucas's waist and pulled him to the floor just as a second bullet tore through the window, burying itself deep inside the wooden wall behind them.The room erupted into chaos."Everyone take cover!" Eric's father shouted.The two security officers moved instantly.One overturned the heavy dining table to create a barricade while the other drew his weapon and positioned himself beside the broken window.Another shot rang out.Bang!A flowerpot on the windowsill exploded into pieces.Arthur stumbled backward, his face completely drained of color."They found me..."His voice trembled."They finally found me."Hayes crouched beside the window without exposing himself."Can you see them?"The security officer risked a quick glance."Negative.""They're using the trees for cover."Eric kept L
CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN The two black SUVs left the city behind as the afternoon sun drifted lower across the sky.Towering buildings gradually gave way to open fields, quiet farms, and winding country roads lined with ancient oak trees. The farther they drove, the fewer cars they passed.Lucas watched the scenery through the passenger window.It was peaceful.Almost too peaceful.After everything that had happened over the past few weeks, the silence felt unnatural.Eric noticed the distant look in his eyes."Nervous?"Lucas smiled faintly."A little.""A little?"Lucas let out a quiet laugh."Fine... a lot."Eric reached across the center console and laced their fingers together."I won't let anything happen to you."Lucas looked down at their joined hands."I know."He meant it.For the first time since learning he was an Omega, he no longer felt as though he was facing the world alone.An hour later, the lead SUV slowed.Hayes' voice crackled through the radio."We're here."Both ve







