Page 130 of Wicked Little Nightmare

"The fetus is developing exactly as expected," he said. "Brain structure is showing early signs of enhanced amygdala and lowered pain responses. It is also showing remarkable intelligence markers. She might outpace her mother."

My stomach churned. This was my baby they were talking about. My daughter.

"Heart rate and growth are optimal," another voice chimed in. "The Vessel is progressing perfectly."

A scream caught in my throat as I fought to release the violence, to tear the whole fucking place apart with my bare hands. But all I could do was lie there, paralyzed, as theydiscussed my child like she was a nobody, yet a somebody, all at the same time.

"With Patient X's genetic enhancements and the carefully selected paternal Y DNA, this child could be the key to the entire Chimera program," the suit said, his voice dripping with anticipation.

My mind reeled.Paternal DNA? Who the fuck was the father? And what sick game were they playing with my girl’s life?

Wait… Y… Patient Y. Cam? They made Cam the father. The truth was there, in my memory. The swirling white liquid from months prior, the constant talk about our ‘perfection.’ It all clicked. Cam and I… we had a daughter. My heart clenched painfully. The child we’d always wanted. And so much of her life already missed by us.

As the scene began to fade, I clung to the image of that tiny heartbeat on the screen. Whatever they had planned, whatever sick destiny they'd mapped out for her, I'd find her and make each one of these fucker’s fade into oblivion.

Everything shifted, and suddenly I was staring into Cam's dark, piercing eyes. We were in a sterile room, the walls a sickening shade of white that made my skin crawl. My belly was swollen, stretching the thin hospital gown they'd forced me into.

"Well, well, love," Cam drawled, his voice a mix of amusement and something primal. "Looks like we've gone and made ourselves a little monster."

"Guess they figured our fucked-up genes would make one hell of a runt," I said, with a grin. “But she’s ours… all ours, baby. We’re gonna be a family.”

Cam's eyes flickered to my belly, a possessive gleam I'd never seen before sparking in their depths. "Our little hell spawn," he murmured, reaching out to touch me.

A guard's voice barked out, "No physical contact!"

I saw Cam's jaw clench, his rage almost flaring out of control. But he pulled back, his trademark smirk sliding into place.

"Wouldn't want to taint the precious experiment, now, would we?" he said, voice dripping with mock concern.

I wanted to reach for him, to feel his skin against mine, to lose myself in the familiar chaos of us. But the guards watched our every move, their hands hovering near their weapons.

"How long?" I asked, hating the vulnerability in my voice.

Cam's eyes softened for a fraction of a second. "Not long enough, sweetheart. Never long enough. But at least we have this. I promise, when I’m done my time, I’ll find you. We will be a family. I promise, baby, I promise."

As they led him away, I felt something inside me crack. Our child, growing inside me. Ours. A piece of me and Cam, tangled together in all our beautiful, broken glory.

I'd protect her. No matter what it took. No matter how many bodies I had to leave in my wake.

There was nothing left to reach for, the void finally had an answer for the question that I needed to know, and I felt myself being pulled back to the present, Sarah's concerned voice cutting through the fog. But my mind was still there, in that sterile room, with the weight of confirmation sitting in my gut like a victory.

My chest felt like it was caving in, a pressure I'd never experienced before. It was like someone had reached inside and started squeezing my heart, twisting it until I could barely breathe. What the fuck was this? I'd killed people without blinking, watched the light fade from their eyes with a smile, but this... this was different.

"Lakey?" Sarah's voice sounded far away. "Are you alright?"

I wanted to laugh. Alright? I was so far from alright; I couldn't even see it in the rearview mirror.

"Yeppp," I managed, my voice cracking. "Just peachy fucking keen."

I was about to stand when everything went black, shifting to the lab under the nunnery. Sarah’s voice was frantic as she tried to snap me out of it. But this wasn’t her. This was all me. Pandora’s Box had been unlocked and now the monsters were coming out to play. I saw myself on that cold metal table, strapped down like a goddamn animal. The doctors loomed over me, their faces hidden behind masks, eyes full of wonder and curiosity.

"Subject is prepped for caesarean," one of them said, voice muffled. "Administer the paralytic."

I felt the needle pierce my skin, and then... nothing. I couldn't move, my screams were drowned out by a nun putting her hand over my mouth, but I could feel everything. Every cut, every tug, every moment as they tore my baby from me.

"Fuck," I whispered, tears burning my eyes. I never cried. Never. But now they wouldn't stop.

"Lakey, come back—"

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