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Chapter 34 - Burn the world to force fate’s hand

"Hang in there, Eren. We're almost there," Adriel whispered, his voice trembling despite the steel he tried to project.

Eren nodded weakly, his grip tightening around Adriel's hand as if it were the only thing keeping him tethered. His breaths came shallow, his body shaking with pain.

The ambulance screeched to a halt at the hospital. A medical team was already waiting, their voices sharp and urgent as they transferred Eren onto a stretcher. The Crimson Fate brooch—once gleaming proudly on his suit—now lay forgotten in its box on Adriel's lap, an unwanted reminder of the night's chaos.

"He's in his first trimester and experiencing severe abdominal pain," Adriel explained quickly, his Alpha voice clipped but urgent.

The doctor nodded without pause. "Prepare the ultrasound. Move, quickly."

Adriel stayed close as the team rushed Eren into a sterile room. Beeping monitors and the metallic clatter of instruments filled the air. Nurses moved with practiced precision, but to Adriel it all felt agonizingly slow. He reached out, brushing damp hair from Eren's forehead, releasing a steady wash of his pheromones. The heavy Alpha scent curled protectively around Eren, coaxing him to stay calm, to breathe, to endure.

Eren's lashes fluttered. He turned his head slightly, catching Adriel's scent, clinging to it as if it were the only thing anchoring him against the tide of fear.

Minutes stretched into an eternity. The ultrasound screen flickered to life, the doctor's brow furrowed in concentration. Adriel's throat tightened. He wanted answers—he wanted reassurance—but the silence from the doctor's lips was deafening.

Finally, the doctor exhaled and turned to him, his expression grave.

"He's at risk of a miscarriage. We'll need to monitor him closely and begin immediate intervention."

Adriel's chest caved with the words. He looked down at Eren, who was lying pale and trembling, his amber eyes glassy with unshed tears.

"I…" Eren's voice cracked. "Adriel, I'm scared."

"I know." Adriel pressed their joined hands to his chest, as if he could force Eren to feel the strength of his heartbeat. "But you're strong. You're not alone. We'll do everything—everything—to protect you and the baby."

The medical team moved swiftly, administering medication and preparing IV fluids. Adriel never left Eren's side, his pheromones still seeping into the air, protective and steady, a living shield.

After a while, a stern-faced doctor approached him. "Mr. Ulrick, may I speak with you privately?"

The doctor's eyes were sharp as he closed the office door behind them. "Mr. Ulrick, we need to be clear about your partner's condition. His pregnancy is extremely delicate." Adriel's jaw tightened. "Delicate? What do you mean?"

"Male omegas, particularly those with a narrow reproductive cavity, face higher risks of complications in early gestation. The uterine lining can be thin, meaning implantation isn't always secure. Stress—both emotional and physical—weakens that lining further. A sharp blow, a surge in cortisol, even a prolonged adrenaline spike can trigger detachment. That's what we're seeing now."

Adriel's hands clenched into fists at his sides. His mind flickered back to the office—Eren shoved against the table, doubling over in pain. He forced down a snarl, his pheromones prickling at the edges of the room.

The doctor continued, unflinching. "On top of this, he's unbonded. Do you understand what that means for his body?"

Adriel's chest tightened. He nodded, though his throat was dry. "It means his system doesn't have stabilizing regulation."

"Correct," the doctor said firmly. "Without the anchoring effect of a bonded Alpha's pheromones, his body is more volatile. His hormone cycles are irregular, his stress responses more severe. An unbonded omega can miscarry at the slightest environmental pressure because there's no Alpha bond to counterbalance those fluctuations."

Adriel exhaled sharply, guilt searing through him. He thought of how often he'd left Eren exposed—at the mercy of his family's scorn, his coworkers' cruelty, his own blind negligence.

The doctor's tone softened slightly, though it carried no less weight. "If he were bonded, your pheromones could stabilize his endocrine system, easing the strain on his reproductive tract. But as it stands, he is carrying without that safety net. This child's survival—and his—depends on minimizing every possible source of stress and keeping him under careful observation."

Adriel's eyes darkened, his voice low. "…So you're telling me I've failed him already."

"I'm telling you," the doctor replied, steady and stern, "that you don't have the luxury of half-measures anymore. He needs rest, protection, and constant reassurance. If he's forced to endure more strain, you could lose them both."

Adriel swallowed hard, his resolve hardening like steel.

"Then nothing—no one—will be allowed to touch him again. Not even the air he breathes will be left unchecked. I'll see to it myself."

When Adriel stepped back into the room, the sterile scent of antiseptic and the faint hum of machines wrapped around him like a cage. Eren lay pale against the sheets, his breaths shallow, his hand clutching the edge of the blanket as though he might slip away at any moment.

Adriel's chest tightened painfully. The doctor's words still rang in his ears: "Without the anchoring effect of a bonded Alpha's pheromones, his body is more volatile."

Adriel lowered himself into the chair beside the bed, taking Eren's trembling hand in his own. His voice was soft but fierce. "Eren… I won't let anything happen to you. Or to our child."

Eren's lashes fluttered, his red hair spilling like fire against the white pillow. "Adriel…" His voice was fragile, laced with fear. "It hurts. I feel… like my body's fighting itself."

Something primal surged in Adriel then—a desperate instinct older than reason. Without thinking, he leaned closer, his scent glands flaring as he released a thick wave of Alpha pheromones. The air grew heavy, charged, almost suffocating with his dominance. Nurses outside paused, startled, their bodies tensing under the sheer force rolling from him.

Eren gasped, his pupils dilating as the pheromones wrapped around him like a blanket. His trembling eased slightly, his breathing evening out. The wild, uncontrolled spikes in his scent softened under Adriel's presence, as if his body instinctively recognized and clung to the Alpha's stabilizing influence.

Adriel pressed his forehead gently to Eren's temple, his voice breaking. "I know we're not bonded… but take what you can from me. Let my pheromones hold you together until you're strong enough."

For a moment, the tension in Eren's body eased, the sharp lines of pain softening. He let out a shaky sigh, whispering, "Warm… safe…"

Adriel's jaw clenched, his heart aching at the fragile trust in those words. He tightened his hold on Eren's hand, his pheromones still pouring out, steady and protective. If bonding was the only way to save him, then Adriel would burn the world to force fate's hand.

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