Page 12 of Unwanted

"Yeah, purple alphas and rose omegas are only born from True Mate pairings, and they have the highest concentration of alien DNA. There’s this theory suggesting that the DNA is actually trying to concentrate itself by selecting individuals with the most of it. Like, if person A has 5% and person B has 6%, their kid might have 11% in total. It’s kind of like a cumulative effect. The number of people who’ve been able to find their True Mates now compared to even 500 years ago is significantly higher. Even factoring in social and cultural changes, some researchers think there’s something else at play…"

Liam was staring at me, his mouth slightly open, which was honestly kind of cute. I had to resist the urge to run my finger over his bottom lip.

"Do you think there’s some sort of purpose behind it? Like, the aliens are trying to regenerate or… recreate through us and take over the planet?"

I laughed quietly. It was hard not to poke fun at conspiracy theories like that. Sure, you’d find a few floating around online, but they seemed a bit far-fetched to me.

"I wouldn’t go that far. It’s just DNA, after all. But yeah, it’s alien DNA, so we don’t fully understand it. We know the aliens were hermaphrodites, with both male and female reproductiveorgans. They tried to make humans like them, but didn’t quite succeed. They managed to ensure that all males born here had vestigial uteri, but only some people developed traits of the females that lived here, while others developed the traits of super males—the alphas. The rest, the betas, were considered by early scientists to be either failed alphas or failed omegas. Something just didn’t click right. I’m not sure if you knew, but in the first few generations, betas made up 50% of the population! It wasn’t until about 100 years later that it dropped to 30%, and it’s likely to keep decreasing. It’s like alien genes have this self-correcting evolutionary process. It’s actually been pretty well documented."

Liam was quiet for a moment, then said with a hint of sadness, "So, we’re just some kind of mistake, a failed step along the way, waiting to be fixed?"

"I try not to look at it that way. Betas play an important role in society. We’re free from the burden of reproduction and can focus on pushing civilization forward. Did you know 70% of all scientific discoveries come from betas?"

He didn’t seem convinced, looking off to the side, twisting a lock of his hair around his finger.

"Yeah, but I want kids. I don’t see it as a burden, more like a privilege…"

I watched him for a bit, trying to get a sense of what he really meant.

"The thing is, with only 30% of people able to have children, it’s kind of become a burden. There’s such a small group that’s responsible for the future of our civilization. Back when women still existed on Earth, even if a large percentage of them chose not to have kids, there was still enough to make up for it. Now, if 20% of omegas decide not to have kids, it could cause a collapse. Just think of the pressure they’re under. We betas don’t have that, and I see that as a plus."

"Sometimes I wonder if Earth wanted us gone, you know? That epidemic a thousand years ago wiped out all the women and blocked us from continuing as a species. Maybe Earth was trying to cleanse itself of parasites like humans?"

I smirked. "That’s pretty nihilistic and dark! I don’t want humanity to die out; we’re also the children of Earth. I think every being has a right to exist, as long as they can balance their lives with their environment. As for Earth, well, you could argue we’re an alien invasion at this point—so maybe Earth just traded one problem for another." I winked.

Liam laughed. "True, we kinda are! But back then, there were 8 billion people. I’d call that a better situation. Do you know how fast humans were reproducing a thousand years ago, right before the epidemic? The population grew by a billion every ten years! Now there are only 2 billion of us, even after a thousand years and 40 generations. That’s a huge difference. Growth is so slow now, and the environment is pretty clean."

"Yeah, and it doesn’t look like the population will boom any time soon. The growth rate is low. Maybe that’s why Earth is letting us stick around," I teased. "Maybe we betas are helping regulate things, keeping it slower?"

Liam trailed his fingers through the water, creating small ripples. "Maybe, but that government program to boost beta fertility wants to change all that."

"We’ll see. Even if it does, it’ll probably make only a small difference. Hopefully, it’ll take some pressure off the omegas," I said, splashing him lightly. "I wouldn’t mind helping with that whole reproduction thing… but more as a beta-turned-alpha than the other way around. Giving birth doesn’t tempt me—sounds like a lot of work." I winked, splashing him again with more vigor.

Liam chuckled and lifted himself, trying to avoid the water droplets. For a moment, his small, pink nipples peeked abovethe surface, and he made a snorting sound. "You’re surprisingly chill for a college professor!"

"Well, there’s more. I’m thinking about quitting and going full-time at Malden Pharmaceuticals."

Liam tilted his head, eyeing me curiously. "That haircut doesn’t fit a professor, or a researcher, for that matter. It’s a fading mohawk—a serious fade, shaved down on the sides. I can’t picture you in a white lab coat, hidden away in some lab, with that hair!"

"In my opinion, unconventional looks can be a sign of unconventional thinking, which is a good thing for a scientist!"

"That’s a good point." Liam’s eyes swept over my face and up to my hair, but then his face darkened slightly. It was strange, but I immediately understood what he was thinking.

"Soren has the same haircut, doesn’t he?"

He blushed and looked away. "Yeah, only longer at the back. But let’s not talk about him. And I think it looks good on you. Interesting, for sure."

"Well, thanks. I like to think I’m not your typical buttoned-up professor. I work with alien DNA—fringe stuff—so why not look like a mad scientist instead of a stiff academic?"

"Fair enough." He smiled. "And you don’t look your age. I wouldn’t have guessed you were over thirty."

"Thanks, I try to stay healthy."

Liam rubbed his chin. "I haven’t exactly lived a healthy life… total nerd here. But I want to change that. I like biking. The gym’s not for me, but I could ride a bike all day."

"Perfect! I have a bike at Jim’s place, this place is a little cramped. And Jim has one too, but he hasn’t used it in years. It’s set up for omega size, so it should fit you perfectly… You’re so small." The words slipped out before I could stop myself.

Liam blinked, a little taken aback. "Is that a bad thing? Do you prefer the more imposing type, like Winter?"

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