Wren stared at Benjamin without breaking eye contact. His piercing gaze felt like a silent threat, a demand for an answer. Benjamin remained silent.
"I see," Wren sighed. "That's how it is. Well, it can't be helped for now."
Wren stood up. Before turning to leave, he told Benjamin that another meal had been prepared and would be brought up soon. "Please try to eat. I really don't want you to get sick." Wren spoke to him with a warmth that felt wrong. It was as if they were still close, as if nothing had changed.
After Wren left the room, Benjamin lay back on his bed. The nausea returned. He couldn't tell if it was from exhaustion, the lack of food, the drugs Wren had used, or his pregnancy.
He placed a hand on his abdomen and thought of Charles. He wondered if Charles missed him or if Charles even knew that he was missing. Probably not, Benjamin thought. Charles was likely busy with the Imperial engagement. Knowing he had left with Wren would have only made Charles angry. He's probably forgotten me, Benjamin realized, tears rolling down his cheeks.
When he closed his eyes, only his past resurfaced.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
At the lab, the children loved him, but the other doctors warned him to keep his distance. They told him not to get emotionally involved. It was a rule he found harder to follow every day.
As time went on, Benjamin noticed that nurses and doctors he had worked with had suddenly left without notice. When he asked about them, his superiors and colleagues simply told him they had been fired. It felt strange, but he figured it was possible.
A month passed. During his monthly trip to town, Benjamin met with his contact and reported what he saw, though so far, it was mostly just the children. When he returned to the lab, he was thoroughly inspected.
He managed to smuggle in scent-blockers by hiding them in bottles that looked like ordinary body cream. He also bought herbs to make his own herbal tinctures. When Benjamin mentioned his interest in herbal medicine, his colleagues laughed and made fun of him, calling it a hobby. He didn't mind because it was a good cover.
Even as the days passed, there wasn't much to report. Everything was secretive, and the lab was divided by strict security clearance levels that he couldn't bypass. Until one quiet day, when most of his superiors had gone out of town, leaving Benjamin and a few other new recruits behind.
Suddenly, a guard came to find him, telling him that there was an issue in the basement. Benjamin was told that he was the one in charge. The guard then escorted him down to the basement. The hallway was brightly lit and lined with thick, heavy metal doors. As they approached the end of the corridor, there were sounds of screaming, loud enough to come through the heavy walls.
When they arrived at the door where the screaming was coming from, the guard told him to get a sedative ready. The guard, armed and alert, unlocked the door. The moment the door swung open, a woman charged at him. The guard shoved her back and shouted at Benjamin to sedate her. Benjamin didn't hesitate. He sedated her, then helped the guard fasten medical restraints to keep her from moving.
Benjamin looked at her. She was young, but her face was worn and exhausted. She was thin and looked malnourished. The room smelled awful, filled with the stench of rotting food she had refused to eat.
He felt a wave of anger and sickness, but he forced his face to remain expressionless. The guard noticed his composure. "You're skilled. Most people are too scared their first time, but your hands didn't shake. You didn't even hesitate."
It had been a test.
After that day, Benjamin was given a higher security clearance and additional responsibilities. His duty was to track the health of pregnant women and male omegas, specifically monitoring fetal health and development.
The women and men were almost always sedated and strapped down with medical restraint, especially during their first and third trimester. When the drugs wore off, the men and women still would not speak. They would only glare with eyes full of hate and disgust.
Many of the staff who worked there had become indifferent. They were not sympathetic to the plight of the men and women held against their will. Benjamin reported everything, but he still had no idea what was being researched. On his trips to the city, he started buying herbal mixtures for his own insomnia, which was fueled by anxiety and guilt.
There had been one woman who actually spoke to him. "Help me," she begged. "They took my babies! They took my children. They keep injecting me. I can't do this anymore! I know you're different! I can see it in your eyes! Please! Help me! I want to see my babies. They took my babies!"
She was bawling now, pulling on his arms, and then falling to her knees, she clung to his legs. Her sobbing and screaming filled the small room. Benjamin had just stood frozen, trying his best to not to blow his cover. The guards quickly intervened and he was forced to sedate her.
After that, she never spoke to him again. She only stared at him with deep-seated disgust that made her silence feel louder than any scream.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
Benjamin could still hear her screams and then he could see her face, her eyes full of hatred. Benjamin felt nauseous and placed his hand over his abdomen. He was now pregnant. He had also been kidnapped and was now trapped and forcefully drugged.
Am I a test subject for Wren? The thought made him nervous.
Benjamin looked around the room. There was no way to escape except through the door. He could only think of one way out, and he wasn't sure it would work. There were too many variables and moving parts, but it was the only way to do it without compromising anything. Compromising was out of the question.
While Benjamin plotted his escape, Wren thought of the moment when everything went wrong in his life. He wondered if he had made different choices, would things have turned out differently? He questioned if he had been too young and naive to see the truth, or if he had just been too selfish to care about the outcome. Or had this always been his fate? A destiny he couldn't outrun, a duty—and a burden—he was always meant to bear.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
After his parents' first warning, Wren returned to school as if nothing had happened. Atlas noticed that since Wren had returned, he had been more distant. He saw Wren staring blankly, lost in his own thoughts.
"Wren, you haven't been yourself since you returned from meeting your parents. Are you sure you're alright? If there's anything you want to talk about, I'm here, you know."
Wren lied—something he had never done to Atlas. "I'm fine. Exams are coming up and I'm just worried." In truth, he was worried about Atlas. He couldn't stand the thought of Atlas bearing the brunt of his position as the heir to the Baek family's empire.
Atlas hugged him, rubbed his cheek against Wren's, and kissed it. "Aww, don't worry, my baby. I'll help you study. So far you've been doing so well. Don't worry too much. If you're too nervous during the exam, you're likely to make more mistakes. I'll go over the practice exams with you as many times as you want."
Wren couldn't help but give in to Atlas. He was pulled in by his warmth and authenticity.
"I love you, Atlas, so goddamn much."
"I know. I can see the way you look at me. And you know what? I love you so goddamn much too, Wren. And, I love you more than you love me!"
"No way. I love you more. I always kiss you before I leave for anywhere," Wren said.
Atlas laughed. "Yep, even when you go across the room. But I think I love you more. I always bring you your favorite bread from the dining hall." Food served at the dining hall was prohibited from being taken out.
Soon they started their usual banter on who loved the other more.
After they finished their first-year exams, the two spent their summer together shadowing nurses and doctors at local clinics in Galen. Wren's parents were concerned that he hadn't returned to Obsidia.
One summer day, after he and Atlas had spent the afternoon lazing on the grass of the school grounds, they returned to the dorm. A worker from the Office of Student Affairs was waiting outside for them. She looked troubled.
"Wren, you should come with me," she said.
Wren could see Atlas' worried face. "Don't worry. I'm sure it's nothing. Probably about classes next year." Both knew that was a lie. Class registration didn't begin until a week or two before school started. Wren gave him a reassuring smile.
When Wren reached the student office, there was a familiar uniform. One of his parents' staff was waiting to escort him back to his residence.
When Wren was taken back to his private residence on school grounds, his heart was racing. What were his parents doing in Xenos? Were they both here? He had done well on his exams. Besides his exams, there was nothing they had to be worried about.
When he entered his residence, he could see the back of his mother's head from across the living room. He trudged slowly toward her and finally, after what felt like forever, he sat down on the couch across from her.
She didn't acknowledge him until she had finished reading her documents. She took off her glasses, placed them on the table, and looked up at him.
"So, you've come back. I've been here since dawn. Do you… care to explain yourself?" she asked.
"Mother, it's… it's summer. I've just been with my friends."
"Is that so? Well, having friends isn't a crime, after all," she said, clearly playing along with his lie. "I'd like to meet them. All your friends. I want to know who my son associates with."
"I honestly don't see what the issue is. I did well on my exams," Wren protested.
"The problem is… you lying to your parents. Didn't we tell you not to lie to us?" His mother let out a soft chuckle. "We're your parents. We're concerned about you. And trust me, we know everything there is to know about you… even the things you don't tell us."
His mother's face became stern. "So, is there anything you'd like to share?"
"How long are you staying here in Galen?" Wren asked, not giving in.
"I see. Is that your answer?"
Wren remained silent, looking into his mother's eyes. It was as if she could see right through him. She laughed, sensing Wren's uneasiness and his fear.
"There's no need to be scared, darling. I just want to know about your social life."
"It seems you already know," Wren replied coldly.
His mother shrugged. "Then, care to elaborate?"
"I don't understand what's so important that you have to—"
"You are an Alpha, Wren. Don't tell me you've forgotten the blood that runs through your veins. He is an Alpha. Such a thing… it isn't permissible in this family. Do you understand?"
Wren averted his gaze, his face burning with a sudden rush of heat. He held back the tears welling in his eyes.
His mother stood up, made her way to him, and sat down next to him. She embraced him. "It's hard, my dear. I know. You're still young and you didn't know any better… We all make mistakes. It's okay, darling, don't cry."
Wren's tears came spilling out. His mother gently patted his back.
"I trust you, Wren. You've always been so level-headed and so intelligent. I love you so much. You are the pride of our family. You deserve so much more. I'm sure the boy tricked you. They have all kinds of perfumes and scent-blockers these days."
Wren's crying soon subsided. After he washed up, he sat for dinner with his mother, who tried to convince him to return to Obsidia for the summer. She suggested he work with either her or his father to gain hands-on experience. He rejected the offer, claiming he wanted to stay close to his professors to build lasting connections.
His mother smiled, proud of his ambition. She mentioned she had to return to Obsidia promptly that night, but before she left, she looked straight into his eyes and said sternly, "Wren, your father and I love you dearly, which is why we keep such a close eye on you. But please, do not lie to us. We always tell you what's best for you. Just do as we say and you'll be fine. When you're older, more mature, and more experienced, you'll have free rein."
That's a lie if I ever heard one, Wren thought.
"Oh, we've brought in someone new. This is Jae," his mother added, gesturing towards Jae, who was a young man back then. "Get to know him. He'll be keeping an eye on you from now on."
Wren just glared at him, while Jae simply returned a respectful nod. Wren waited an hour to make sure his mother had truly left the premises. Once he was sure she was gone, he confronted every staff member in his residence. He threatened them all, stating that if anyone dared to snitch on him, he would hurt himself and accuse them of doing it.
"Who do you think my parents would believe?" he asked, fueled with rage. "Their precious son, or his staff?"
Wren returned to the dorms. Atlas was up, waiting anxiously. It was past midnight
.
"Wren, talk to me. Did something happen? I was so worried."
Seeing Wren looking completely broken, Atlas held him in a warm embrace as Wren confided in him about his mother's visit.
"If we meet, I'm sure they'll come to like me. They won't even notice my secondary gender when we meet," Atlas said optimistically.
"No, you don't know them."
"I'm sure once they meet me, they'll see past all this. And, won't I have to meet them eventually?" Atlas gave him a look with large puppy eyes, and Wren just smiled, giving in.
"Yeah, one day."
Little had they known then, that was just the beginning of the end.