Excited her. Agitated, full and ready, she twisted restlessly.
Sophia pocketed her cell and pushed a stainless steel cart over to the table. “I just talked to my mother about what they’ll need.” She smiled down at Drake. “We’ll start with the simple things, and we can stop anytime you want.”
“Just take anything you need.”
“Tell me what you’re going to do,” Sylvan demanded.
“A battery of blood tests first, looking for viral components, chemical toxins, immunoglobulins, altered neurotransmitters…” Sophia shrugged. “Anything that might account for the elevated temperature.” She glanced at Sylvan, as if asking for permission. “Because Drake was human, we can’t assume whatever triggered the symptoms of fever was the same for her as it would be for one of us.” Drake lifted her head and focused on Sylvan, who still leaned over her. “What triggers Were fever in you?”
“Us,” Sylvan said softly, her wolf-gold eyes boring into Drake’s.
“You’re a wolf Were now. You’re mine now.” Drake’s chest tightened at the possessive tone in Sylvan’s voice.
She’d schooled herself not to care about being an outsider, not to care if she didn’t belong anywhere or with anyone, and over the years, she’d come to believe those things didn’t matter. She’d been wrong.
She wanted to belong to Sylvan. “Us, then. What causes the fever in us?” Sophia glanced at Sylvan, and when Sylvan nodded, she said, “Argyria—silver poisoning. The metal ionizes and produces hyperthermia and cellular breakdown. Most victims die from systemic collapse due to massive rhabdomyolysis and hemorrhage. Those who don’t die shift without the ability to control their wolves.”
“And become rabid,” Drake finished. When that happened, Sylvan would have the rabid Were executed. She thought back to the silver fragment Sylvan had pulled from Misha’s shoulder, and how close the adolescent had come to death. A fierce protective urge welled up in her at the thought of anything happening to Misha or the boys or any other Were, and she growled.
“We guard that knowledge for obvious reasons,” Sylvan said quietly, rubbing Drake’s leg. “Don’t worry, our Pack is protected.” Drake nodded, taking comfort from Sylvan’s touch. The certainty in her voice. “Since humans aren’t susceptible to silver poisoning, it has to be something else.”
“Yes,” Sylvan said grimly. “Humans should not be susceptible to Were fever except in the very unlikely instance of being bitten by rabid Weres. Then the levels of the toxin are very high and capable of transmitting the disease—much like humans are infected by Ebola or hemorrhagic fever. That’s why we execute Weres as soon as they display signs of being rabid.”
“But I was bitten by a human,” Drake said, “and as far as you…we…know, she didn’t contract it from a rabid Were.”
“Exactly,” Sylvan said.
“So both she and I have contracted something anomalous. Something that might be even more dangerous.” Drake glanced at Sophia. “We need specimens from one of the other human victims too.”
“I know. My father is trying, but we don’t want to reveal why we need the information.”
“Then it’s all the more important you get everything you can from me.” Drake sat up and unbuttoned her jeans. Sylvan stepped back from the table and Drake pushed off her pants, unconcerned by her nudity.
“Let’s get the blood first, then a muscle biopsy. Use my leg for the tissue, and take several core specimens. You’ll need fresh tissue preps, so only anesthetize the skin.”
“That’s going to be painful,” Sophia said.
“I’ll be fine.” Drake lay back down and forced herself to relax, very aware of Sylvan pacing back and forth at the end of the table.
“Sylvan, why don’t you—”
“No.”
Sophia wrapped a tourniquet around Drake’s bicep and filled half a dozen multicolored vials with blood. After she’d labeled and stored them, she prepared a number of biopsy trocars and lined them up on a tray. “Are you ready?” Sophia asked.
“Yes, go ahead,” Drake replied.
“Careful.” Sylvan grasped Sophia’s arm. “Her wolf will react to the pain and Drake might not be able to control her.”
“Alpha,” Sophia said softly, “if you could perhaps sit next to Drake while I do this. Her wolf will know you…”
“Yes.” Sylvan clenched her jaw and pulled a stool over next to the table. She draped an arm over Drake’s chest and pinned Sophia in place with a hard stare. “You will stop if I tell you to.”
“Yes, of course,” Sophia said with a quick duck of her head.
Drake covered Sylvan’s hand and looked into her worried eyes.
“I’m fine. You don’t need—”
“Quiet,” Sylvan said gently, stroking Drake’s hair. “I’m going to take care of you.”
Drake didn’t move at the cramping pain in her thigh when Sophia slid the quarter-inch-wide trocar into the muscle and sliced free a cylinder of tissue. Although she noted a burgeoning sense of hypervigilance, a bristling swell of aggression, she wasn’t worried. She wasn’t afraid of pain. When Sophia took the second biopsy, the pain escalated and she tensed reflexively. Sylvan grumbled.
“I’m okay,” Drake said, stroking Sylvan’s arm.
“Are you almost done?” Sylvan demanded, her eyes completely gold, the bones in her face hard-edged and dangerous.
“Just one more,” Sophia said quietly. “Drake?”
“Yes. Go ahead.” Drake gripped Sylvan’s arm when another surge of pain shot deep into her thigh. Her claws shot out and she scratched shallow lines down Sylvan’s forearm. “I’m sorry.” Sylvan leaned down and ran her tongue along the edge of Drake’s jaw. Her voice was throaty and low.
“I like it.”
“Sylvan,” Drake murmured, her clitoris pulsing hard. “Something’s happening to me.”
“Your wolf feels challenged. Aggression always produces a sexual response. It’s normal.” Sylvan wrapped her hand possessively around the back of Drake’s neck.
Drake watched Sylvan’s eyes flare and knew she had readied too.
Sylvan’s call flooded her senses. She wanted to rub against her, lick her, bite her. Voice cracking, she said, “Sophia, what else did they want?” Carefully not looking at Drake, Sophia busied herself storing the specimens in transport containers. “They requested…bodily fluids.”
“No,” Sylvan snapped.
“What fluids?” Drake panted—she didn’t have long before she couldn’t think anymore. She hurt, she wanted Sylvan. But she couldn’t—she couldn’t have her. Take her. Claim her. She couldn’t and she was running out of time. “What Sophia, what?”
“Buccal swabs.” Sophia hesitated. “Vaginal secretions. And victus, if we can get you to produce a specimen.”
Sylvan shot to her feet, her canines bared. “You’re not making her release.”
Clearly shocked, Sophia blurted, “No, Alpha, I only meant…”
“I’m sorry,” Sylvan said instantly, sliding the backs of her fingers over Sophia’s cheek. “I know you’re just doing what needs to be done.”
“I understand, Alpha,” Sophia whispered.
Drake shuddered, her skin slick and hot. Sylvan smoothed her hand over Drake’s chest, down her belly. She rubbed the hard muscles and brushed her fingers up and down the fine dark line in the center of Drake’s abdomen. Groaning, Drake arched at the caress. “She’s had enough. She’s on the verge of frenzy.”
“I’ll go,” Sophia said.
“Wait,” Drake gasped. “Take the swabs. From my skin too. I’m secreting pheromones right now.” Reaching down, she carefully palpated the deep swellings around her extended clitoris. She was tense, throbbing, and the slightest pressure was both painful and exquisitely pleasurable. She wanted to grab Sylvan’s hand and press it between her legs. She had to get Sylvan to leave the room before she lost control completely. “I think I can get you the other, too.”