System Glitch: Escaping the Alpha's Obsession

Gideon never married me for love. A mandatory 100% match from the Bureau shackled him to me. He showed zero interest since our wedding day. His eyes radiated pure ice.

Still, I threw myself at him. I fed my own obsession. I figured enough hookups might eventually make him catch feelings. My knees pinned his waist.

Heat rolled off his rigid muscles and scorched my thighs. I leaned in. My lips hovered right above his collarbone. I waited for that involuntary shudder.

Then, my comms bracelet vibrated. A harsh buzz scraped my wrist. URGENT NOTICE: Compatibility metrics compromised. Matching algorithm error. Gideon: NOT your 100% match. I froze.

This explained his distance. He furrowed his brows. Annoyance laced his gravelly voice. "Are we finishing this or not, Fallon?

I have a briefing in twenty minutes." I scrambled off him.

I snatched my sweater from the floor, yanked it over my head, and retreated until my back hit the wall. "I'm done." I swallowed hard. "Go to your meeting." "You sure about this?" His heavy gaze pinned me in place.

Chapter 1 "Ssure," I stammered. He gave me a sweeping onceover. In the end, he didn't say a single word, just silently strapped himself back into his military uniform and left.

The second he was out the door, I scrambled to call the Bureau back. "What is going on?!" "We are so sorry, Fallon.

During a routine server upgrade, we discovered a fatal flaw in your compatibility matrix with the Commander," Daphne explained. "He is not your 100% match." "We've been married for two years, and you're just finding this out now?" "We sincerely apologize.

According to the corrected data, he still maintains an 80% compatibility rate with you. Theoretically, your marriage shouldn't be impacted." "You said theoretically.

What about realistically?" Daphne went silent for a heavy beat. "Realistically, your flawless 100% match… is someone else." "Who?" "We don't know yet.

The file was heavily corrupted during the upgrade, but we are working around the clock to restore it." I paced frantically across the massive bedroom. "Does Gideon know about this?" "Not yet.

He blocked our comms." Right. I remembered. Gideon was so furious the Bureau paired him with a human that he essentially blacklisted them. "Don't tell him yet.

Let me figure this out." "We leave it in your capable hands!" Daphne let out a breath of relief. This was a world ruled by Shifters.

They dominated every seat of power through sheer physical supremacy. Gideon was the Supreme Commander of their Armed Forces. Pissing him off was basically a death sentence.

I transmigrated into this brutal universe about five years ago. In this brutal hierarchy, fragile humans like me were relegated to the absolute bottom of the food chain.

I had spent the last five years grinding through deadend jobs, desperately trying to survive while searching for a loophole back to my reality.

Then, the Bureau suddenly knocked on my door, declaring me the flawless match to the terrifying Supreme Commander. I agreed to the marriage in a split second.

Gideon had access to the highest classified archives in the government. Being near him was my best shot at finding a loophole home. But Gideon didn't want me.

In this society, a human marrying a Shifter was a massive social climb. An apex Alpha of his status taking a human bride was completely unheard of.

He only broke the mold because of that damned 100%. After the wedding, Gideon practically lived at base.

To bridge the gap, whenever he was home, I threw myself at him, hoping proximity would spark something real. He hated it.

I had to threaten to leak to the tabloids that the terrifying Supreme Commander had performance issues just to get him into bed.

He endured my desperate attempts with barely concealed disgust. Until today, when the truth finally dropped. Gideon would never love me.

For a cold, calculating Shifter like him, an 80% match might as well be zero. Only a flawless 100 could crack his armor.

Remembering how I’d acted over the last two years, a cold shiver ran down my spine. When the truth detonated, would he turn his wrath on me? I stopped begging him to come home.

Our text thread went completely dead. A week later, Gideon initiated contact for the first time. "I sent Rollins to the penthouse to run a full medical exam." Fallon: ?

I'm not sick. "Clive mentioned you’ve been zoning out and ignoring the new designer drops.

Are you experiencing physical symptoms?" "No, I'm perfectly fine." "Understood." Before today, I would have instantly replied with a pathetic paragraph about how much I missed him and wanted him in bed.

This time, I didn't type a single word back. Chapter 2 On my screen, Gideon’s typing indicator bubbled. It vanished. Bubbled again.

A full three minutes of tension just to spit out four words: I'm coming home tomorrow. My thumbs flew across the glass. Tomorrow?

You don’t have to rush! ? Everything is perfect here. The military needs you. Don't worry about little old me. Read at 9:14 PM. Dead silence followed.

He probably appreciated the space. God, I hoped he’d remember this grace period when the truth finally detonated. Thirty minutes later, the front door slammed open.

He hadn’t even stripped off his combat gear. He placed his palm over my forehead. "Temperature is normal. Heart rate is steady.

Scent hasn't soured," Gideon grated out. "You aren't sick." I batted his hand away, taking a sharp step back. "I told you, I'm fine." "Then why haven't you left the penthouse?" His heavy brow furrowed, casting dark shadows over his eyes. "Monday was the new seasonal drop at your favorite boutique.

You always clear out the racks." "I… wanted to save some money." "Unnecessary." Gideon’s jaw locked. He stared me down, his gaze heavy and unyielding. "Spend whatever you want.

I didn't marry you to cut corners on a budget." A lump formed in my throat. I couldn't exactly tell him there was no point in draining the bank account of a man I’d be divorcing.

In the silence, Gideon suddenly swept me up into his arms and headed for the bedroom. "You’ve been begging me to keep the uniform on," he rasped, the deep vibration of his chest rumbling directly against my collarbone. "Just for tonight.

Once." Panic spiked my heart rate. I thrashed, kicking my legs until he loosened his iron grip, and my bare feet hit the floor with a heavy thud. "No!

I mean—no need!" I stammered, scrambling out of his arms and backing away. "You're exhausted. I'm not going to force you into bed after a twelvehour shift. Are you hungry?

I'll make dinner." Without waiting for his answer, I spun on my heel and bolted for the kitchen like the devil was on my tail.

As the door swung shut behind me, I caught a glimpse of him. He froze in the hallway, his arms still suspended in midair, looking like a stranded stray.

Ten minutes later, he pushed through the kitchen doors. "There's an escalating situation at base. I need to handle it." "Got it.

Be safe," I replied, not even looking up from the cutting board. "I'll be back as soon as it's neutralized." "Take your time, seriously." He stepped closer, his heavy combat boots echoing on the tile. "You're cooking.

I am eating this meal." I glanced at his rigid posture and hatched a plan. "I'll pack it up and bring it to you.

My big, bad Commander works way too hard to be bouncing back and forth just for a meal." "Alright." I nearly dropped my knife. He agreed?

He always despised me showing up at Command. Being a fragile human in a fortress of apex predators was a massive liability. I only offered the delivery to call his bluff.

What the hell was wrong with him today? The second the elevator doors dinged shut behind him, I waved Mateo into the kitchen.

I let the head chef do the heavy lifting, packing the gourmet meal into a sleek thermal tote before ordering a ride.

Military Command was a brutalist fortress of black steel and reinforced glass. It radiated the same crushing, predatory aura as the man running it.

I huddled against the icy wind at our usual dropoff corner and dialed his number. "I'm at the perimeter," I said into the receiver. "Send Clark out to grab the bag." "Come inside." His gravelly voice vibrated through the speaker, low and commanding. "I'm authorizing your clearance at the gates." "That’s a terrible idea.

This is a TierOne classified zone. No civilians." "Let someone try to stop you," he growled. "But I always wait at the corner…" I trailed off, gripping the handle of the tote bag.

The line went silent for a heavy beat. "Come in, Fallon," he said. The sharp edge of his tone melted into something almost… gentle. My stomach plummeted.

I really didn't want to walk into that fortress. What was the point of playing the devoted wife in front of his battalion when I was one paperwork glitch away from a divorce?

But a direct order from the Supreme Commander wasn't a suggestion. Shoulders tight, I dragged my feet toward the towering security gates.

Chapter 3 As I walked through the corridors, the stares burned holes in my back. Command was a Shifter stronghold, built for apex predators with raw, terrifying physical power.

A human walking these halls was a glaring anomaly. One of the hulking guards—Trent—actually stepped into my path, his broad frame blocking the corridor. "Hey!

How did you get in here? Are the guys at the gate begging to get fired?!" Another soldier leaned in, muttering something in his ear.

Trent’s eyes snapped to me, raking up and down my fragile frame. "Her? That's Gideon's wife?" The sheer disgust in his gravelly voice felt like a physical slap.

That was the reality. Being shackled to a human was the ultimate red flag for the Supreme Commander’s reputation.

I finally reached the heavy oak doors of the Supreme Commander's office. Voices leaked through the crack. "Gideon, you promised to take me out for my birthday dinner.

How could you forget again?" Seraphina. A gorgeous Nightingale Shifter with a voice that could melt glass. She was also the daughter of Orion, Gideon’s old mentor.

After the wedding, the tabloids made sure I knew that if my 100% match hadn't ruined everything, Seraphina would have been the one wearing his ring.

They were the ultimate power couple. Inside, Gideon stood still, letting Seraphina vent. Suddenly, his nostrils flared.

His head snapped toward the door, his piercing gaze locking onto mine. "Fallon." He took a few long strides and stood in front of me. "I need to clear this up right now.

Whatever you're thinking, it's not what it looks like—" "Oh my god, I am so sorry for interrupting!" I cut him off quickly. Clear it up?

If there was any fault, it was all mine! "Did I hear something about dinner plans? Perfect timing! The che—I mean, I made way too much food anyway. You two can share it.

Have the best time! I'm gonna head out." I took a sharp step backward, flashing a plastic smile. "Oh, and Gideon? Take your time tonight!

I won't wait up or leave a single light on, so you two have absolutely nothing to worry about!" A dark, dangerous scowl etched into Gideon's features.

I didn't stick around to decipher it. I spun around and sprinted down the hall. Once I hit the cold night air, I yanked out my phone and texted Daphne.

Fallon: Who is Gideon’s real 100% match? Daphne: We still don’t have a name. The file is heavily corrupted, but we can confirm a match exists. I shoved the phone in my pocket.

Yeah, I had a pretty good guess. I pulled it back out. Fallon: Hurry up! The Bureau’s IT department is moving like dialup. Tell them to pull an allnighter and grind.

Daphne: Grind? Like… coffee beans? Fallon: Never mind. My screen lit up again. Daphne: Good news, though. Your personal file is almost fully recovered.

I'll send you the name of your true 100% match the second it clears. Fallon: Bet. Daphne: Bet what? Are we gambling? Fallon: Just send the file.

That night, I curled up on the massive sofa, soaking in the absolute silence of the penthouse. Then, the heavy click of the smart lock shattered the peace. Gideon was back.

I hadn't left a single light on for him. The living room was pitched in black. He didn't bother hitting a switch.

His imposing silhouette materialized out of the shadows, coming to a dead stop right in front of me.

I rubbed my eyes, fighting a yawn. "Why are you here?" "This is my home," he rumbled, the deep bass of his voice vibrating in the dark. "Am I not allowed to return to it?" "That's not what I meant." "Fallon." "What?" "There is absolutely nothing going on between Seraphina and me.

There never has been." His chest heaved, a heavy exhale filling the space between us. "The media loves to run their mouths about us getting married, but it's garbage.

She is my subordinate. Nothing more. She asked me to a group dinner for her birthday weeks ago. I assumed the entire squadron would be there, so I agreed.

I forgot about it completely until she showed up at my door today." The silence that followed was deafening.

Gideon, the man who treated conversation like an interrogation, had just dumped a frantic, breathless explanation into my lap.

Chapter 4 I waved a hand, forcing a breezy laugh. "It's fine. You forgot her dinner. Did you make it up to her? I don't know much about female Shifters, but girls are all the same.

Just grovel a little and buy her something shiny, and she'll be fine." "Are you?" he asked, his voice dropping an octave. In the pitchblack room, Gideon's eyes flared.

A lethal, iridescent emerald glow pierced the darkness—the universal sign of a wolf locking onto its prey. "Me? I don't need coaxing. I'm perfectly fine." I meant every word.

But before the last syllable left my lips, Gideon lunged. His powerful arms swept under my thighs, hoisting me off the floor. He was unhinged and feral.

He hadn't stripped off his dark combat uniform.

The coarse Kevlar and freezing metal of his tactical buckles scraped violently against my bare thighs, a shocking contrast to the blistering heat radiating from his skin.

The harsh, metallic snick of his heavy belt unbuckling echoed in the dark. Panic clawed its way up my throat.

I desperately shoved my hands against his rockhard chest, trying to buy a single second of sanity. "Wait.

Put this on first." His gravelly breath hitched against my neck. "Put what on?" "A condom." Gideon completely froze.

The heavy rumble in his chest died instantly. "When did you buy those?" "Today…" I couldn't tell him the truth.

I couldn't tell him I bought them right after his sudden, aggressive display at the penthouse this afternoon, terrified he might actually touch me. "Why would you buy these?" His jaw clenched, the muscle ticking furiously under his skin. "You've been begging me for a baby since the day we signed the papers." "I—I changed my mind." I swallowed hard, avoiding his piercing green gaze. "I'm still young.

We can think about kids later." Before today, letting the Supreme Commander get me pregnant was my ultimate survival strategy.

I was fully prepared to use his heir as leverage, just to secure permanent access to the classified archives and find a portal home. But that bridge was burned.

My only priority now was severing this fake bond before the Bureau dropped the bomb, shielding myself from the inevitable blast radius of his rage.

My hands shook as I reached for his waist, trying to press the foil packet into his massive palm.

Gideon didn't move a single muscle. "You're acting strange," he rumbled, his voice dark and heavy with suspicion. "I'm not—" "You are." The absolute certainty in his tone crushed my weak protest. "You used to beg for this.

You used to be the one tearing at my clothes.

But tonight, I can feel your pulse racing like a cornered animal, and you won't even lean into my touch." He crowded me against the wall, his heat suffocating me. "You used to spam my comms, calling me 'husband' nonstop, begging for pictures of my chest while I was running a war room.

Now, you just call me by my name. What the hell is wrong with you, Fallon?" He backed me into a corner. There was no point in dragging this out.

Ripping the BandAid off now was the only way to survive.

I sucked in a sharp breath, my nails digging into my palms until the skin broke. "Gideon, I want a divorce." The air vanished from the room. "Why?" "Because we don't fit." My voice trembled, but I forced the words out. "Our status, our backgrounds, our worlds—none of it aligns." "The compatibility matrix proves we are a flawless match." "It's just an algorithm, Gideon!

It's cold, dead data. We are living, breathing people. We can't just settle for each other because a computer told us to." "Settle?" I gave a cautious nod.

What else would you call the last two years of him forcing himself to endure my touch out of sheer biological obligation? "Is that what you think?" he whispered.

The lethal emerald glow in his eyes shattered, instantly dimming into a hollow, dead obsidian.

The soft, furry wolf ears that had just materialized in the heat of his lust instantly flattened against his dark hair.

Gideon stepped back, the sudden loss of his body heat leaving me shivering.

He reached down, wordlessly rebuckling his heavy belt. "I need to be alone." He didn't wait for a response. He turned his back on me and strode out to the massive glass balcony.

The moon was bright and the stars were sparse. Gideon forgot to hide his tail, leaving it hanging behind him. When I was a little girl, I had a rescue pup.

Whenever she was happy, her tail was a blur of chaotic joy. When she was heartbroken, it drooped exactly like that. Gideon was upset. It made sense. I’d blindsided him.

The Supreme Commander of the Shifter Armed Forces couldn't just have a messy, sudden divorce with a 100% matched human. It was a PR nightmare.

The political fallout alone would bring a massive amount of pressure from all sides. Chapter 5 Gideon finally stepped back inside.

The freezing night air clung to his uniform, chilling the room.

He locked eyes with me. "You remain completely certain about this divorce?" "Yes," I nodded, keeping my tone light. "But we have time.

I follow your lead on the schedule." "We wait." He had already returned to his usual rational and serious demeanor. "Archibald hosts his birthday banquet in a few days.

You attend with me. We play the part, keeping the old man in the dark. We finalize the terms afterward." "Done. I've got you covered." Relief washed over me.

He didn't plan to rip me apart. I almost smiled when his voice dropped, turning terrifyingly quiet. "So… every word you fed me before.

Pure lies?" "What?" The syllables blurred together. "Nothing. Go to sleep. Goodnight." He turned on his heel and abandoned the bedroom. The file hit my comms the next morning.

My 100% match. He shared my exact genetic origin. Human. His name? Holden. A geniuslevel young scientist.

The attached holofile displayed a man boasting a heavy, imposing build that easily rivaled Gideon's.

In a world dominated by apex predators, Holden weaponized his massive intellect to secure untouchable wealth and status. A private comms number flashed at the bottom of the dossier.

He knew my identity. The Bureau only attached direct lines if the other party explicitly consented to contact. I locked my screen, refusing to save the digits.

I still wore Gideon's ring. I didn't want to invite any unnecessary complications right now. Besides, I would leave this world sooner or later.

There was no need to add another illfated relationship. The weekend arrived.

Gideon collected me for the banquet exactly on schedule. "I have to ask you to bear with it today," he grated out, whiteknuckling the steering wheel. "We act absolutely obsessed with each other." "Relax.

I'll gaze at you like you hung the stars." "…One more thing. My older brother flies in today." "You have a brother? You never mentioned him." "Halfbrother. Same mother.

Florence had him with Mitchell before she married Archibald." He tapped the leather wheel. "A human." My jaw dropped. "Human?" "Yes. Florence is human.

Genetically speaking, I bleed halfshifter." Bloodline purity dictated a brutal caste system in this world. High society viewed halfbloods as worse than the dirt humans walked on.

I’d seen the nasty tabloid rumors about his genetics, but hearing the Supreme Commander rip his own secret open so casually knocked the breath out of me.

The agonizing pressure he clawed through to reach the absolute top of the food chain defied logic. But he stared straight ahead, completely unbothered.

Archibald’s estate loomed in the distance. The former titan of the Shifter world threw parties that dragged in every heavy hitter in the city.

I linked my arm through Gideon's, ignoring the strange looks directed at me. "Gideon! Look at this.

The famous 100% match." Weston swaggered over, a scotch in hand, flanked by the rest of their inner circle. "Come on, man. What does a perfect 100 actually feel like?

Spill it." "Seriously," another guy chimed in. "A perfect score screams myth. My girl and I hit 70%, and everyone considers that toptier." "No kidding!

I matched at 68% and my mom practically burned down a shrine thanking the heavens." Gideon smiled. "I'd better keep it to myself, so you guys don't get jealous." "Come on, what kind of friends do you think we are?" Weston laughed, slapping his shoulder. "But seriously, the envy hits hard," Weston continued, leaning in. "They say the first time perfect matches lock eyes, a violent physical reaction hijacks your nervous system." "Right!

Your heart completely drops out of your chest. Your vision tunnels. You instantly recognize them without a single line of code." Chapter 6 Was that true?

I’d never heard that before. My mind spun back to the first time Gideon and I met. None of that happened.

If Gideon hadn't felt it either… had he already figured out the algorithm was busted?! My neck snapped up. I stared at him, bracing for the worst.

But his chiseled face was entirely blank.

Not a single flicker of surprise. "It's actually more than that," Gideon rumbled, his voice deadpan. "There’s an overwhelming, violent urge to possess them.

Or be possessed." He tilted his head, his dark eyes locking onto mine.

Weston and the guys groaned, tossing out jokes about the ruthless Supreme Commander turning into a completely obsessed husband. They couldn't see the cold sweat slicking my spine.

Why was he looking at me? Did he know? Was he thinking about blowing up that unreliable Bureau right now? Look, if he blew up the Bureau, he couldn't blow me up too.

That had to be a rule. The sharp clink of a fork against crystal cut through my panic. The banquet was starting.

Archibald took the grand stage. "I gathered you all here tonight for a crucial announcement," the old Alpha’s voice boomed, heavy with authority. "My late wife, Florence, passed too soon.

Before she married me, she had a son with Mitchell. When she died, that boy was left completely alone. I brought him into this estate. He grew up right alongside Gideon.

After all these years, he is my son in every way that matters.

Tonight, I am officially declaring him a legitimate, legally recognized heir of this family!" The ballroom plunged into a suffocating, dead silence.

Archibald's youthful rebellion was still a legend in the shifter world.

Born into a wealthy wolf king family and holding a position of high power, he insisted on marrying a human widow. He’d defied the entire shifter hierarchy to marry Florence.

Now, he was legally adopting her fully human son. Had the old man completely lost his mind?

The collective shock and disgust were practically tattooed on the faces of every elite shifter in the room. Beside me, Gideon didn't flinch. He already knew.

I leaned in, keeping my voice at a whisper. "You aren't triggered by this?" "Triggered by what?" he deadpanned. "He's a human.

And he’s about to become your legal older brother." Gideon’s jaw flexed. "My mother was human.

You are human." The absolute lack of hesitation in his voice sent a weird jolt through my chest.

Ignoring the suffocating tension in the room, Archibald waved a massive hand toward the velvet curtains. "Come on out, Holden. Introduce yourself." Holden.

The name hit me like a physical blow. The air in the ballroom instantly thinned out, choking my lungs. The background noise warped into a low, buzzing static. I forced my chin up.

He walked out of the shadows. Holden. My true, 100% match. Our eyes locked. My heart slammed against my ribs. A physical jolt ripped down my spine.

Every single cell in my body demanded I close the distance and devour the man standing on that stage. My throat went desertdry. A phantom heat flushed my skin. Then, I blinked.

I shoved the instinct down, locking it in a dark box. I was human. I wasn't a shifter ruled by feral, primal breeding urges.

Humans possessed something apex predators didn't—the ability to cage our own desires. Holden’s gaze drifted from my face down to my hand, tightly gripping Gideon's bicep.

Not a single muscle in his jaw twitched. His expression remained terrifyingly blank. He had the exact same lethal control.

Archibald clapped Holden on the shoulder, steering him through the sea of shocked guests. They were heading straight for us.

Chapter 7 "Haven't seen you in three years," Holden said, his deep voice smooth and practiced. "Did you hit a growth spurt?

Pushing sixthree?" "Sixtwo," Gideon corrected, a faint, rare smirk touching his lips. "You locked yourself in a lab for three years.

You couldn't even visit the estate." "I'm here now, aren't I?" Holden's dark eyes slid past the Supreme Commander, landing squarely on me. "And who is this?" "Fallon.

My wife," Gideon said, his massive hand settling heavy and warm on my lower back. "I sent you an invite to the wedding.

You claimed you were buried in a thesis." "My mistake." Holden held his hands up in mock surrender. "I'll take three shots of whatever burns most to make up for it." "Deal," Gideon rumbled. "I'll pour them myself." Holden’s lips tipped into a halfsmile as his gaze locked onto mine again. "Hope my new sisterinlaw doesn't mind me stealing him?" I practically shoved Gideon toward him, flashing a frantic, plastic smile. "Go.

Drink. Ignore me." Round after round of bourbon flowed, spiking the suffocating heat in the massive ballroom.

Holden's dark, heady scent, magnified by the alcohol, bypassed my lungs and drilled straight into my bones. My breath hitched. The muscles in my thighs involuntarily clenched.

I muttered a desperate excuse about the restroom and bolted for the glass doors. The freezing night air hit my flushed skin, shocking the twisted, feral haze out of my system.

A shadow fell over the terrace behind me. "Fallon. Mind if we drop the formalities?" It was Holden. He stood a deliberate ten feet away.

A calculated, incredibly safe distance. "I spent weeks trying to figure out why my perfect match completely ghosted me," he murmured, shoving his hands deep into his tailored slacks. "Seeing you on his arm tonight… it finally clicked." I rubbed the back of my neck, letting out a strained laugh. "The Bureau's algorithm glitched.

I genuinely thought Gideon and I were the 100% anomaly." "I get it.

It's not the first time their servers crashed." "Gideon doesn't know yet," I blurted out, panic spiking my pulse. "Please don't tell him." Holden’s perfectly arched brows shot up. "He seriously has no idea?" Looking at him under the moonlight, the reality hit me.

If we were back in the real world, Holden was my absolute endgame. Tall, brutally sharp jawline, dressed in dark academia, and carrying a geniuslevel IQ.

He was a walking green flag. "The Bureau is having a massive meltdown trying to figure out how to break the news to the Supreme Commander without getting executed," I muttered. "Typical government incompetence," Holden scoffed, a totally uncharacteristic smirk breaking his composed facade. "Clearly, they’ve never been traumatized by the corporate grind." "Seriously," I snorted. "If I ran that department, I'd lock the doors and mandate eightyhour work weeks until they fixed the bug." "With their garbage servers, pulling a 24/7 sweatshop shift wouldn't even save them." "Wait—" I suddenly jumped up.

At the same time, Holden also reacted, looking at me in surprise. "Did you transmigrate too?!" "Shut up! Are you serious right now?

I'm not hallucinating?!" "When did you get sucked into this nightmare?" he demanded, taking a rapid step forward. "Five years ago!" I practically vibrated with adrenaline. "You?" "Way before that.

I spawned in at birth." "Bro!

That's not 'before that,' you've been serving a whole twentyyear sentence!" "Fair." Holden completely dropped the untouchable genius act, letting out a loud, chaotic laugh. "Man, you should have just told me you were one of us!

How are you surviving this place?" "I am losing my mind!" I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "I hate this feral, alphamale shifter bullshit.

I just want to go home!" "You're going to." My hands dropped. "What?" "Why do you think I aggressively pursued quantum physics?" he grinned, an absolute madscientist glint in his dark eyes. "I've been building a backdoor.

The data is solid. Barring a catastrophic failure, we are jumping back to our reality very soon." "Holy shit!" I jumped, grabbing his forearms. "Are you a literal god? You are a god