Page 6 of The Jaguar's Flower

He acted like she was going to trick him, which perplexed her for a moment until she realized how deeply his training had to be ingrained. “Would you like to try a piece?” Carefully, she unwrapped one to show it wasn’t dangerous.

“I don’t like eating candy alone,” she whispered, hoping to sway him. If she gained an ally, maybe she could show the rest that she wasn’t like the other staff. The last thing she wanted was to be lumped in with so many cruel individuals.

“Is this a trick?” Although not accusatory, his low tone conveyed that they hurt him too many times to give his trust blindly to anyone.

When she shook her head, he finally reached for the wrapped candy. Carefully, he mimicked her actions and placed the butterscotch in his mouth. The surprise on his face almost made her laugh, except it made her wonder when he last received a kind gesture. The thought only made her want to cry. “I’m ready if you’re ready to escort me.”

For the first time, he met her eyes. “Are you going to hurt them?”

His question should have shocked her, but she understood after the brief incidents she witnessed during the tour. She admitted to herself the way he jumped to that conclusion hurt. However, she needed to expect those reactions.

“Honestly?” When he nodded, she sighed and pulled out a needle. It was similar to the ones used to draw the blood samples she needed for her work. “I think it’s best if I show you so you know I’m not lying.” She showed him the small needle and the vial she would fill with blood. They went into her pocket as she retrieved a long cotton swab and cylinder.

“It shouldn’t be more than a prick, but if you are more comfortable, you can swab the inside of your cheek yourself.” When she passed him the swab, she was careful to keep contact to a minimum. Though he was a guard, he seemed uneasy around the staff.

“You’ll want to tear it open, then rub the fluffy part along the inside of your cheek.” She used her thumb to pop open the small canister while he swabbed his cheek. “That’s great. Now, put the end in here.” Once he inserted the cotton into the cylinder, she showed him how to break it. “The next part won’t be as painless, but I’ll give you another candy after.”

She smiled as she traced the vial that attached to the needle. “I don’t agree that you should be called by numbers,” she murmured as she cleaned his skin with an alcohol wipe. “You can tell me no if you don’t want me to take a sample of your blood.” The samples weren’t nearly as important to her as proving that she was worthy of their trust.

Immediately, his body tensed. “I don’t want to get in trouble.” His voice was so low she wasn’t sure she heard him correctly.

“No trouble. I won’t force anyone to provide samples. However, I will try to bribe you with candy.” She grinned and used the opportunity to press the needle under his skin, though she didn’t attach the vial.

“See, only a slight pinch.” She slipped the vial into the palm of his hand. “Your choice to share your blood or not. I’ll also show you how to remove the needle without it hurting you.”

Confusion was written all over his face. She chewed on her candy and waited, not sure what to expect from the guard. His next words broke her heart. “This is some kind of trick, ma’am. You are waiting for me to drop my guard, then you will act.”

She pulled another candy from her pocket and placed it in his hand next to the vial. “No. I know what it feels like to have no one, to feel like everyone wants to hurt you.” Normally, she wouldn’t talk about her life experience or lack thereof to anyone, but she wanted 002 to trust her.

“But you’re human.” He found it impossible to believe that anyone treated a human in such a way.

Quickly, she ushered him into her chair and shut the door behind them. The rest of the staff may not believe the shifters deserved privacy. However, she did. “I’m not sure how you haven’t noticed, but humans are cruel even to one another. Any difference, they lock onto and exploit it.”

“You can take my blood.” He held his arm out for her along with the vial. “I want to keep the candy. I’d like you to tell me more.”

She beamed at him. “Of course, you can keep the candy. We agreed.” A slight groan rolled from her as she took the vial from his hand, but she would tell him. “In school, I was always different. All I wanted was to fit in, but I wasn’t pretty like the other girls. I was a lot smarter than the rest of my class, too. When I finally thought I found a way to fit in with kids my age, I broke my leg in three places.”

She grimaced as she remembered the year she played soccer. While she spoke, she attached the vial and drew enough blood to fill it. “It wasn’t my finest or most graceful moment, but it also showed me that a little kindness goes a long way. Because that was all that I wanted, a little kindness from my peers.”

Her statements held the barest amount of information, but she doubted the details were completely necessary. She removed the needle from his arm and marked both samples.

“Draven.” The whispered name barely reached her ears.

“Hmmm?” She looked back at 002 once she locked the samples in her cabinet.

“My name. Before this place. Someone called me Draven.” He shifted on his feet.

“Nice to meet you, Draven.” A wave of excitement flowed through her, but she kept a tight hold on it. “If you want, you can call me Violet.” A small smile played over her lips. “I’m not friends with the staff. I disagree with many things they think are okay, so they will have to call me doctor.”

She winked at him while she fought not to laugh. As the youngest team member, she already knew they would not respect her. It was one reason she was happy to work in the genetics lab alone.

Draven nodded his head and kept his voice low. “I will call you Violet as long as others are not present, ma’am. They would punish me for showing such disrespect, even with your permission.”

Those few words deflated her. “I don’t want you punished, so I’ll make sure not to use your name around anyone, either.” As soon as she made some headway, she felt like she somehow stepped backward.

“Violet?” When she looked up, he gave her a small smile. “If you are ready to go, I will escort you for your samples.”

“Oh, thank you, Draven. I don’t know how I forgot.” Once again, she gathered everything and smiled. “Alright, I’m ready to head to the soldier training area.”