Subject Zero

Alex’s POV

The drugs pulled me under and brought me back up again in cycles of cold light and pain. When I finally woke properly, the sterile room felt even more oppressive. Thicker restraints held my wrists and ankles to the metal table after I almost broke out of the previous ones. Bright overhead lights burned my eyes. The air carried the sharp smell of disinfectants and something metallic underneath. My body ached from the earlier samples they had taken. I tested the restraints, but they did not budge this time.

Two technicians in white coats moved around a nearby station, reviewing data on screens. The lead doctor, the same thin man who had greeted me before, approached with a tablet in his hands.

“Subject Zero is awake,” he noted calmly. “Vital signs are stable. We can proceed with the next series of tests.”

I glared at him with every ounce of strength I had left. “My name is Alex Sterling. Release me right now or you will regret the day you touched me.”

The doctor smiled thinly, as if my words amused him. “You are no longer the heir to anything, Subject Zero. You are the first successful second differentiation. Most subjects died during the transition. Your survival makes you invaluable.”

He gestured to the technicians. They wheeled over a tray of instruments. Needles, scanners, and devices I did not recognize. One of them inserted a fresh IV line into my arm. The cold fluid burned as it entered my veins.

I pulled against the straps again. “You have no idea who you are dealing with. Marcus Blackthorn will tear this place apart when he finds me. And he will find me.”

The lead doctor leaned closer. “Marcus Blackthorn. Yes, we know about your high compatibility match. That is part of what makes this so interesting. The child you carry will provide excellent data as well.”

My stomach twisted. They had confirmed the pregnancy from the samples. Panic surged through me, but I forced it down and replaced it with anger. “If you harm my child, I will make sure you suffer before you die. I swear it.”

He ignored my threat and continued his work. They drew more blood. They ran scans over my abdomen, the machine humming loudly. Each touch felt like a violation. I kept my jaw clenched tight, refusing to show weakness. In my old life I had commanded boardrooms, I had crushed rivals with nothing but words and strategy. I would not break here.

Memories flashed through my mind as the tests continued. Standing at the head of the mahogany table, delivering decisions that moved millions. Nathan watching with his calm smile. Uncle Leonard trying to support me after the collapse. The heat in Marcus’s arms. The night that had created this child. Everything had changed so fast. I had gone from powerful Alpha heir to this, strapped down like an animal.

“You think this makes you strong?” I said through gritted teeth as another needle pierced my skin. “Kidnapping a man and poking him with needles? Pathetic. When I get out of here, I will hunt every one of you down.”

One of the younger technicians glanced at me nervously, but the lead doctor remained unfazed. “Your spirit is admirable, Subject Zero. Most previous subjects begged by this stage but you are different. That is why we have been searching for someone like you for years.”

He adjusted a monitor and continued speaking. “We have attempted second differentiation on dozens of Alphas. All failed. Their bodies rejected the change. Organs failed. They died in agony. You survived. Your unique markers make you the key. And now with the pregnancy, we can study generational effects.”

I laughed bitterly despite the pain. “You are insane. This is not science. This is torture. My family will destroy you. Marcus will burn this place to the ground.”

They ignored my words and moved to the next phase. They increased the dosage of something through the IV. A deep ache spread through my muscles. It felt like fire crawling under my skin. I bit back a groan as sweat beaded on my forehead. The protective instinct for the child grew stronger with every wave of discomfort. I would endure this. I had to.

Hours blurred. They took tissue samples. They forced me to answer questions about my differentiation, about the heat, about Marcus. I gave them nothing useful. Instead I threatened them with every detail I could think of.

“When Marcus finds this location, he will start with you,” I told the lead doctor. “He will make you watch while he destroys everything you built. Then he will end you slowly.”

The doctor paused and looked at me. “Your attachment to Blackthorn is fascinating. The compatibility was engineered, you know. Not entirely natural. But that is a discussion for later.”

Engineered. The word sent a chill through me. There was more to this than random experiments. Someone had planned parts of it; but before I could press for more, they prepared for a deeper scan. The machine hovered over my body, emitting a low hum that made my teeth vibrate. Pressure built in my head. The pain intensified.

I fought the restraints harder. “Stop this. You are risking the child. If anything happens to it, there will be nowhere on this planet you can hide.”

The lead doctor adjusted the settings. “We need better data on the fetal development. This procedure is necessary.”

The pressure increased. My vision started to blur at the edges. I thought of the baby. Small. New. Already fighting to survive inside my changed body. The same fierce protectiveness I had felt in the mansion returned stronger than ever. I would not let them take this from me too.

Alarms suddenly blared through the facility. Red lights flashed. The technicians froze. The lead doctor looked toward the door.

“What is happening?” he demanded.

Gunfire echoed in the distance. Shouts followed. The sounds of chaos grew closer. My heart pounded with a mix of fear and hope. Marcus.

The door to the room burst open. Marcus stormed in like a force of nature. His clothes were stained with blood. His eyes burned with primal rage. He moved with deadly efficiency, taking down the two guards who tried to stop him. The technicians scrambled for cover.

“Alex,” he growled, voice rough.

He reached the table in seconds and began ripping at the restraints. His hands were steady despite the violence around us. I felt the straps loosen and relief flooded through me, but the earlier procedure had taken its toll. My body felt weak. Darkness edged my vision.

Marcus lifted me carefully from the table. His arms were strong and familiar. “I have you now. Stay with me.”

I tried to speak, to tell him about the pregnancy, about the threats, about what they had said. But the words would not come. The drugs and pain pulled me under again.

As consciousness faded, one clear thought remained. Marcus had come for me. The devil I had bargained with had turned into my savior. But even in that moment, I wondered how much of this nightmare had been set in motion long before our night together.

The fight was far from over.