Page 27 of The Jaguar's Flower
The neat script shouldn’t have surprised her since everything about Renfield seemed to be deliberate. She let out a slow breath before she retrieved the small metal tray from the corner of the room.
Since she didn’t know how long until Renfield arrived, she prepared the items for the DNA extractions. She set up the swabs and the items to draw blood and covered the tray with a towel. She picked the clipboard up and flipped through the pages.
Before she could read any more of the instructions on the papers, her head jerked as the door opened. She clutched the clipboard tightly to her while her heart threatened to beat out of her chest. Relief spread through her when she recognized the guard that entered until he fired questions at her.
“What are you doing here? Where’s Dr. Renfield?” William looked around as if he expected someone to jump out of one corner.
Her chin rose to meet his eyes. “There are specimens to collect. As for Dr. Renfield, he nor I answer to you.” As soon as the words exited her mouth, she regretted them. “I’m sorry, William, I’m not myself right now.”
She sighed as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Dr. Renfield puts me on edge. There are things that go on here that shouldn’t. It goes against all of my ethics.” As she searched his eyes, she sighed softly. “I can’t tell you anything more than that.”
His body visibly tensed when she spoke. “Why can’t you? If you don’t agree with something, you should speak up. If something is unethical, you need to report it to whoever you report these kinds of things to.” His hands motioned in the air as he grasped for something just beyond his reach.
Renfield watched from his office for the moment William entered the corridor. It was obvious from their interaction that Dr. Morris and William built an accord of sorts. Renfield was curious to know if the two worked to establish the building blocks of a relationship or a friendship, not that it mattered to him. He was simply curious about the interactions because it made the next series of tests simpler if they felt anything about the other.
“She can’t because she is under contract with the Department of Defense, along with the nondisclosure agreements she signed,” Renfield answered William.
Renfield’s attention turned to Dr. Morris. “If you are finished gossiping, we are already behind schedule.” He exuded authority and condescension as he entered the examination room, expecting them to fall into line like the obedient lab rats they were.
“Dr. Morris, I trust you can take the samples from William necessary to further your work.” He crossed the room to the clipboard that awaited him on the counter. “Strip down. I assure you that Dr. Morris is a professional. It will make it easier for her to gather your necessary samples.”
A hidden camera in the corner recorded everything that happened in the room, but the feed was sent to two monitors. Neither monitor resided within the security office. One was within the soldier training area, while the other went to Renfield’s office.
The authorities allowed William to roam around the grounds but prohibited him from leaving the site. The next phase in this experiment would begin tonight. It forced two soldiers to watch the events that would take place shortly. Tonight wasn’t what any of them thought it to be because Renfield wanted it to be a blind test. No preconceived ideas or unnecessary emotions.
When William was told to strip, Violet turned so quickly that she almost tripped over her feet. There was a difference between naked cadavers and living specimens. She felt heat creep up her face in embarrassment as she thought of Mac. She fought against the images in her mind as an image of the naked soldier formed in her mind. Those thoughts were beyond unprofessional in the exam room with William and Renfield.
“Alright, I’m ready for you.” William’s deep voice brought Violet’s focus back to the task at hand.
“Um.” Her blush only deepened when she turned to face him. It reminded her of the night before with Mac. The emotions he invoked when they joined.
The clipboard became Violet’s saving grace. It reminded her of why she was in the examination room with Renfield and a naked William. A blind person would know that he was attractive, but he didn’t compare to Mac.
A professional mask slid into place over her features as her eyes rose to meet his. “We’re going to start with basic vitals and some blood samples. I am going to need hair and saliva as well.” DNA was the same regardless of where it was taken, but certain samples reacted differently to outside influences.
Violet walked over to the wall and set the clipboard aside to pull on a pair of latex gloves. She used the movements to distract herself from the images and thoughts of Mac. No matter how inappropriate it felt, she couldn’t seem to shake them for long.
When she turned back to William, she tried to smile while her heart ached. She wanted to speak to Mac and find out why she felt so drawn to him. As she opened her mouth to explain what she was about to do, she felt a pinch in the side of her neck. She raised her hand to touch her neck even as her knees threatened to buckle under her. She dropped her hand from her neck when the pain increased and whimpered.
Her hands curled into small fists at her side. She fought the desire to claw at her skin and rid herself of the pain that swelled beneath the surface. The fire felt like it burned through her veins and ignited every nerve ending in her body. Her eyes slammed shut, and she didn’t realize that she moved until she felt someone catch her. Violet’s eyelids felt like lead as she attempted to force them open.
There was no doubt in her mind that Renfield was the culprit that injected her with a foreign substance. That meant he wasn’t the one that kept her from hitting the floor, which only left William.
It felt like ages before she could open her eyes. The sight that greeted her was not William. It was something much larger and terrifying. Even with the pain, she tried to pull away from the creature. An ear-splitting scream flew from her throat, and the creature released her to cover its ears.
Hitting the ground hard didn’t even phase her as she scrambled out of arm's reach. The more she moved, the more it felt like fire threatened to consume her body. Her insides twisted and turned until she dry heaved. She welcomed anything that forced whatever Renfield injected into her from her system.
The edges of her vision seemed to tinge with blue and grew blurry. When she felt the creature touch her, she tried to scream again. No sound came from her lips, but she heard loud pops in the distance.
It reminded her of when she was young and the boys in the neighborhood that ran around with cap guns. As much as she begged her parents for one so she could play. They feared she would end up hurt. She wanted to shake her head at the absurdity of the memory at such a dire moment, but she didn’t have the strength.
Time held no meaning as her breathing grew labored, and she fought to keep her eyes open. As she felt her heart rate slow, her mind filled with an image of Mac. She remembered the way his arm muscles bunched and twitched under her palm, along with the warmth of his skin. She lost the battle with her eyes, so she clung to the image in her mind even as she felt her body hoisted into the air.
Who would be there for the shifters? Would anyone help her now that her life was over?Hope evaded her as she felt a tear slip down her cheek. She had so many plans and good intentions for the shifters, but she failed to see them to fruition. Fear curled deep in her belly as she felt the fight leave her. They would continue to be abused without her, but she could do nothing about it.
Chapter nineteen
Violet’sfragranceclungtoMac like a second skin. With every breath he took, the jaguar felt calm and at peace. She never left his mind, especially after last night. Their nightly escapades became his only solace in the facility as they explored more of each other. The jaguar couldn’t explain the pull he felt to the blonde doctor, but he didn’t question it. The emotions she created in him should have offended the jaguar, but he desired more with her instead.