Page 8 of The Jaguar's Flower
She scribbled down the numbers as she noticed his stance. He wasn’t as reluctant in her presence as the rest. “007, I need you to understand you have a choice here.” She pulled another candy from her pocket and unwrapped it as she explained. “It’s candy, nothing harmful, and not a trick.”
She slipped into the chair when she realized she wanted to comfort him more than the others. She used the wrapper to point at the chair opposite her. “Please sit down for a moment.”
Avel waited for the tricks, but none came. When he glanced at 002, the shifter gave a subtle nod. The jaguar sat down. He eyed the candy with a suspicious glare. He caught the sweet aroma but couldn’t place the scent. His hesitation grew as his focus moved between her hand and blue eyes.
“Unlike the rest of the staff here, I have no desire to hurt you.” She spared a glance at Draven before she continued.“Until you are completely willing to give a sample, I will not take one from you, 007. I won’t let you return to your tasks too quickly because I don’t want anyone to question if you gave a sample. I’ve learned enough today to know that there’s no difference between the ones that gave samples and those that didn’t. It’s all about timing.”
“Why were the others truly sent away?” The jaguar asked. When she repeated her preference to offer them a choice, it confused him.Why didn’t she take from them? The other staff members do.He observed the others as they left the room. He assumed they provided samples but understood that wasn’t the case.
Avel retrieved the candy from her and popped it into his mouth. The sharp, bitter flavor assaulted his tongue. He squinted before he spat the candy into his hand. “What flavor is this? And why is it–” No words described what he tasted. Sweets, like raisins and cranberries, were a luxury. The candy wasn’t sweet, not even remotely close. “It’s very overpowering.”
She pressed her lips together to prevent her laughter from spilling out. He wasn’t the first to react in such a manner. “That one is spearmint. 002 likes the butterscotch ones.” It took a moment for her to find another in her pocket, but she happily produced it.
“I won’t deny that I’m a doctor or a scientist. However, there’s one big difference between me and the rest of the staff here.” As she recalled the tour, she visibly cringed and forced herself to continue. “I believe in positive reinforcement and giving you a choice.”
The jaguar listened to every detail as she spoke. He smelled no lie from her. She presented her truth, and Avel believed her. None of the other staff members were honest with the shifters or gave them a choice. When he grabbed the butterscotch candy, he found the fragrance pleasant. It tasted better than the spearmint. “I see why it’s your favorite, 002.” His dark gray eyes scanned Draven.
Avel finished the candy but didn’t have the heart to tell her he craved something else. The idea of rejecting her felt wrong. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings or make her angry. If her actions were truly genuine, the jaguar preferred to treasure the rarity of the moment. However, he felt his mask slip, which he corrected.One soldier. She can never know the truth.
The doctor wanted to send the soldiers away at the first sign of tension or reluctance. If she took that action, they faced repercussions. “You don’t get a lot of choices here, and I don’t have any desire to inflict pain on anyone except my so-called colleagues. This is my first day here, and I’m not exactly thrilled with most of the things I’ve learned so far. I have never dealt with a test subject who did not volunteer or given positive reinforcement. Contrary to Renfield's belief in using force.”
Violet knew she shouldn’t explain half of the things she stated. The longer she sat with 007, the more she wanted him comfortable. “My morals go against everything that goes on here. Unfortunately, I realized too late. Rather than sink to their level, I’ve chosen my path until I can do something that helps all of you.”
Avel eyed Draven. Without manipulation, she shared her thoughts and motives. The jaguar followed his instincts and placed his trust in her. If Draven stood with her, then so would Avel. “I’ll provide both samples.”
She reached across the table but stopped before she touched him. “You don’t have to. I might not be a soldier, but I can sense your tension.” Her fingers wrapped around a sealed cotton swab.
“I’m going to ask you to open this. Then you’re going to rub it along the inside of your cheek. This won’t be the only time I ask for samples, so I’m going to wait to retrieve your blood sample. We’ve already been here for more than a few minutes.”
“I say this because I trust your word. I do not trust anyone, Dr. Morris. This is new territory for me.” The jaguar remained rigid as he sat across from her. “Careful who you tell your motives. Most are not accepting like we are.” After a glance at Draven, his dark gray eyes locked onto her gaze.
She met his gaze before she nodded. “I know, but I feel you’re as trustworthy as 002.” She smiled gently as she gathered the wrappers and slipped them into her other pocket.
Because we are trustworthy.Avel kept his thoughts to himself when it came to Draven. Experience told him a trap awaited the jaguar. Every part of him wanted to walk out of the office to avoid potential betrayals.
“The others only know that I have no desire to hurt them, and they are free to tell me no. My research differs vastly from most of the researchers here.” If Renfield discovered her actions, she already formulated a story he couldn’t argue with.
When she offered the kit, he grabbed it. “I’m not sure who is more dangerous, Dr. Morris.” He opened the kit and used the cotton swab to swipe his cheek. When he finished, he placed it into a clear tube and clicked the lid shut.
The jaguar stared at the tabletop for a moment before he brought them up to her. “This facility, or the idea of hope. Yet, I find myself wanting to believe you because you gave me a choice.”
“Hope isn’t dangerous. What’s dangerous are those that believe they can take hope from you.” After a pause, she continued in a softer tone. “Evil can only succeed if we allow it to, 007. This place is evil, and I will give you hope, even in these vile conditions.”
When Draven touched her shoulder, she wasn’t sure if it was in warning or agreement. “You better go before more questions arise about how long you have been here.”
The jaguar’s eyes darted around the room as she took the vial. The longer he stayed in the room, the more his facade cracked. He rose from the chair. “I’ll provide a blood sample next time.” The soldier gave a single nod before a last glance at Draven.
Exhaustion swept through the doctor. “There won’t be any more samples today. I have enough to begin what I was brought here to do.” It broke her heart to watch 007 leave, but she couldn’t stop him.
When she returned for her next round of samples, she planned to request him. There had to be a reason she reacted to his company. She needed to analyze it. Without 007, she couldn’t figure it out.
Chapter five
Withthetourcompleted,Renfield returned to his office after he spoke to the geneticist. He occupied the first office anyone passed whenever they entered the main building of the facility and the last one as they exited. It sat next to the primary exam room used for his personal experiments.
He selected the location to observe the movement of his employees. It never stopped him from watching the security feed to keep track of his employees. Each room of the facility held at least one camera, although all the feeds were not visible to the guards who monitored them around the clock. He held complete access to each camera feed.
The upper portion of his door held tinted glass that enabled him to watch without being seen. There were never whispers outside of his door as the staff rightly feared him. They believed they would become part of the next experiment.