Nikki nodded. “I have tracked it that far myself, with Hope and Faith’s help. The blood, saliva and vaginal samples I took while you were unconscioussupports this. The changes are much more advanced in your body, though. ”
Charity nodded then glanced at her friend. “They had samples of Aiden’s semen, Nikki. They had the records from that last night in the Labs. I don’t know what’s going on, but when they matched the anomalies in my blood to his semen, the injections began. After that, there’s very little that I can tell you. I just don’t remember. ”
“The how isn’t as important as figuring out what they accomplished,” Nikki sighed. “Bastards. They never were very smart. ”
“Nikki, we have to find a way to reverse it,” she whispered. “Soon, before I actually conceive. ”
Nikki rubbed her brow worriedly as Charity watched her.
“Does Aiden know you love him, Charity?” she finally asked her curiously. Shock shot through her. “It’s the drugs…”
“Charity, even I knew, six years ago, that you loved this man. Does he know?”
Charity shook her head. “It wasn’t love, Nikki. It really wasn’t. I didn’t want him to die. ”
“Hmm. ”Nikki watched her for long silent moments. “Okay, let’s get started then. ” The other woman picked up the thick black bag she carried with her as she rose to her feet. “You know what I need, Charity. ”
Charity glanced at the doorway.
“He knows better. ” Nikki didn’t follow her gaze. “He won’t come in here unless we call him, or you cry out. ” She looked at her. “Can you stand for me to touch you?”
Charity drew in a deep breath as she rubbed her arms. Already her body seemed to be rejecting the very idea of it. She could feel her skin crawling, prickling at the thought of what was to come. Bad memories, she tried to tell herself. That was all. But somehow she knew that wasn’t entirely true.
“Is it normal?” she asked cautiously.
“Very normal, it would appear,” Nikki sighed. “Makes it damned hard to get any kind of samples at all during the first phases of the mating. Hope couldn’t bear to be touched in any way for weeks after Wolfe first took her. Faith had only been marked when I first tested her, so it wasn’t so bad. By the time she returned with Jacob, she had already passed the first phase. I’m hoping I can get the samples I need with you, Charity. ”
“It eased for them?” Charity frowned, wondering what miracle it would take for that to occur. “How?”
Nikki grimaced. “As I understand it, it has something to do witha certain strength of climax. Once that’s reached, it eases. ”
She was hedging. Charity’s eyes narrowed on her.
“Keep going,” she said softly.
“Nowhere to go. ”Nikki shrugged as she pulled a pair of surgical gloves over her slender hands. The band snapped against her wrist as she pulled the last one in place. “Though it seems it occurred in those two during anal sex. I’m hoping to find a mate soon who can achieve it the normal way. ” Her voice was carefully bland, though her eyes were sharp as she watched her. Charity blinked up at her, shock rolling through her system. “Let’s hope we can find a cure then,” she said calmly. “Because I don’t think the anal thing is going to work. ”
Nikki chuckled as she prepared the syringe for a blood sample. “Yes, well, we can hope. Though I was thinking more along other lines. Now, let’s see if I can get a sample. ”
The examination was horrendous. If Charity had thought it had been bad in the Labs, strapped to the gurney, her body protesting every touch, this was worse.
Each touch was agony. Like knives scraping the flesh from her bones as Nikki touched her, no matter how gently.
“Easy, Charity. ”The other woman’s whisper, though pitched low, was still concerned nearly an hour later. “We’re almost finished. ”
Charity breathed in roughly as the other woman probed at her stomach, checking the inflammation of the ovaries that Charity knew had occurred. She knew her body, knew the changes in it had to be examined, tested, but she didn’t know how much more she could bear.
Sweat covered her body, saturated her clothing. Her fists were clenched in the blankets as she fought the gut wrenching protest each time Nikki touched her. She had started at the mark Aiden had left. A sample of the skin had been taken, the area checked thoroughly as Charity flinched, and the reaction had only grown worse as the doctor moved farther down.
“Charity, I must have vaginal samples,” she said gently, glancing back at the door. “Can you hold on just a bit longer?”
“Hurry. ”She was naked, shaking from a chill she knew didn’t truly exist, and terrified she couldn’t hold onto her control long enough.
“Stop. ”Aiden’s voice was coldly furious as he stalked into the room, startling the two women. “God damn, Armani,look at what the hell you’ve done to her. Get the fuck out of here. ”
“No,” Charity gasped as he moved to her, his expression nearly murderous as he went to jerk the doctor away from her. “Aiden, help me. ” She couldn’t stop the shaking in her body, the chill racking her.
“Please, she has to finish. ”