Page 28 of Monster. Me.

"Well…" Gabriel says, "Not everyone gets an easy path. Especially when you're different. It limits opportunities. Unfortunately, we don't really have any control over what happens to him. He turned down Blue’s proposal." My brother gives a small shrug.

I want to respond, but before I can, an older omega walks into the room carrying snacks and drinks.

"Would you like something to eat?" he asks. "James makes an amazing quail pâté."

I glance at the tray.

I've never been able to say no to pâté.

About ninety-nine percent of my diet is meat anyway, so the smell immediately catches my attention, making me reach for the plate at lightning speed.

The conversation quickly drifts away from Fenn and toward James's cooking skills. James looks pleased with himself, practically glowing from the compliments, and I don't have the nerve to push Blue for more details about Fenn.

Before long, I explain that I only have a short break in my schedule and need to head back for the inhalation therapy.

That said, there's no way I'm turning down a second helping of pâté.

◆◆◆

By the time I get back to the facility, I'm cutting it close. According to the program rules, being late for the start of inhalation therapy comes with a financial penalty, and that's probably what keeps most participants in line.

The substances are released very subtly throughout the residential section of the facility. You can't actually smell them in the air, and they're supposed to slightly boost libido, but I can’t say I feel the effect.

As far as I understand, though, the increase in sexual drive is not what the program's creators are really interested in. The part of Drax's biology that stimulates fertility in betas and alphas is not his famous potent pheromones. They use a hormone present in his blood and semen that helps trigger the preheat phase.

I enter the room at the last minute; a dozen seconds later, a beep on the panel signals that the hormone mixture airflow is starting. I look around the room, and my mood worsens even further because I remember what awaits me.

Tonight is karaoke night.

Rupert is weirdly excited about it, though I'm not entirely sure why.

All the while I’m changing, he’s fixing his hair in the mirror and checking whether anything is stuck between his teeth.

We head over about ten minutes before it starts because he's determined to get the best seats in the room.

The lights are dim, small colored lasers are flashing, and the smell of snacks hangs in the air.

Once the event begins, I spend most of the time fighting back yawns while participants take turns singing. To be honest, it sounds more like howling than actual music. Everyone's really just waiting for Juan and Timmy, since they're the only ones who can genuinely carry a tune.

Eventually their turn comes.

Juan goes first, performing several songs. I have to admit, he sings some of them better than the original artists. He earns every bit of the applause he gets.

Rupert claps especially enthusiastically, like he's trying to establish himself as Juan's number one fan.

Mixed in with the couples are a few staff members who move between the tables carrying drinks while listening to the performances; Caspian is among them, often stopping to applaud enthusiastically.

Then it's Timmy's turn.

He doesn't have Juan's deep baritone, but he's surprisingly good. His voice has a slight rasp to it that gives the songs a different feel. Somehow he manages to make even boring tracks sound interesting, and for a few minutes he actually holds my attention.

At one point, Rupert leans closer.

"I wonder where Juan disappeared to."

I glance around too. It would make sense for Juan to be here cheering for his partner, but he's nowhere in sight.

"Caspian's gone too," Rupert says with an odd little smile.