Control Has Teeth

Aphelion's eyes lock onto my physical state. "You shouldn't take more than eight of those in twenty-four hours,"

I choose to crunch on the pills. Something about the nauseating, gagging sensation helps me focus. "You are paid to lead soldiers, not monitor my medication."

"I'm trying to make sure you don't collapse before we find her." Defiance. Good.

I push the glass door open into the Conference room. "Then stop counting my pills and start finding Alpharo."

----

Maximus "Striker" Kovalev knew exactly where Claire Alpharo belonged.

Under Dominion protection and control. Far away from his personal life and his personal conscience. She was an asset, a project, an inconvenient responsibility impeding his duties.

Nothing more.

Striker had built himself around discipline. He followed orders, buried his emotions, and never allowed himself to become attached to the things he was meant to protect.

Alpharo was supposed to be no different. Until she wasn't.

Somewhere between the experiments, the secrets, and the impossible choices, the line between responsibility and something far more dangerous began to disappear. Because the man who was supposed to oversee her became the same man willing to burn everything down for her.

Turns out, control has teeth.

And Claire knows exactly where to bite.