Page 37 of Feral

I was led into the larger room of the test chamber while Zach was shoved into the smaller area closer to the observational room.

Kenneth guided me to the back wall farthest from where Zack was snarling and pacing behind the bars, and I paled at the sight of a pair of cuffs chained to a thick metal hook drilled into the concrete. They were made of steel-reinforced leather, and the chain was reasonably long, so they weren’t too uncomfortable as he strapped me in. However, standing with my back turned to the large room made a sense of foreboding set in as the lab assistant left without ever speaking a word to me.

I looked over my shoulder, catching a glimpse of Zach’s pacing form, but then Dr. Urwin’s face slipped into my field of vision. He closed the door and walked the length of the room, a deceitfully pleasant expression on his features.

“What areyoudoing here?” I spat.

His smile didn’t wither. “Why, I’m here to assist, of course. As we both know, there are certainproceduresDr. Axell cannot perform, and I am only too happy to help.”

Sick dread nestled in my gut at the memory of what he’d said when he tied me down and gave me the heat-inducing drugs that first, horrible night. How Dr. Axell wasn’t capable of preparing me for the mating because he would risk entering a rut himself.

They were going to induce another heat.

“You are a disgusting pervert,” I growled as he held up a syringe, inspecting the liquid in it. “He already claimed me—this is just for your own sick amusement, isn’t it?”

The beta doctor chuckled and, without pause, jabbed the needle into my thigh. I cussed and jerked, but he’d emptied the syringe into my flesh before I could move away.

“Now, now, sweet Lillian. As much as your pretty pussy is a delightful sight when it’s gaping around a fat knot, we’re here forscience.Today’s dose is not like the last one we gave you. It will give you some symptoms of heat, true, but nothing as severe as last time.Justenough to get your hormones flowing. And, you’ll be happy to know, it will be much swifter-acting. No suffering for hours as you wait for your heat to break.”

I frowned at him. “Why? What are you going to test me for?”

He chuckled again. “Oh, this isn’t to testyou,Lillian. I thought we’d made it perfectly clear: you are not our main interest. Your mate is. And, as you may have been able to guess from the last two days, we’re currently determining how far we can push him to keep you safe. We already know the drugs keeping him feral have greatly increased his strength and endurance—but how muchmorewill he be able to give us when failure means pain for you?”

“And the torture yesterday wasn’t enough?” I ground out through gritted teeth.

“Oh, yesterday wasexcellent,”Dr. Urwin said. He gave me a long, lecherous once-over that had Zach snarling furiously from behind the bars. “But we need to determine what sort of methods will yield the best results. Exactly what threats to your safety will give us the most dedicated super-soldier? After today, we’ll be one step closer to finding out.”

He left, shooting me a smirk that turned my stomach. The heavy clang of the door closing behind him left me with an ominous sense that whatever came next, the electrocution I’d endured was likely going to seem mild in comparison.

But for the longest time, nothing happened.

I remained alone in my section of the room, chained to the wall while the feral alpha paced, agitated growls rumbling from his throat at uneven intervals. But no one tased us. No one even spoke.

I knew Dr. Axell was behind the glass, watching us, along with probably Kenneth and Dr. Urwin, but they didn’tdoanything. They just observed.

The heat rising in my body was so slow, it took me a while to realize I wasn’t cold any longer. I’d gotten so used to always freezing whenever I wasn’t wrapped up in Zach’s embrace that at first, it was a relief.

Then the delicate ache between my thighs set in.

I gritted my teeth and prepared for the onslaught ofneed,but when it came, it was nowhere near what it’d been the last time. It was a sweet, sultry pulsing in my clit and lower lips that drummed gently through my body, and I sighed and shifted my footing.

Behind me, Zach growled again, but questioning this time.Richer,somehow. He could undoubtedly smell me.

I flushed at the thought, remembering how eagerly he’d licked me last night. No doubt my natural scent was quite a bit of a turn-on for him.

It seemed likeDr. Pervertand his staff were looking to get another show, and as my clit throbbed between my thighs, I quietly resigned myself to my fate. I might fear Zach’s size and roughness, but at least the drugs would ease our mating.

And, I told myself as the door clanged open again and I shakily prepared for what was to come, last night, he’d stopped himself. If he were even remotely in control of his own mind, he wouldn’t touch me today, either.

Somehow, the knowledge that the man who’d claimed me as his mate wouldn’t ravage me if he had any other choice made what I knew lay ahead bearable.

The pulse of desire between my legs also helped.

A loud howl, followed by several snarls from the hallway on the other side of the now open door, made me jerk up, anxiety slamming my heart into overdrive as I looked over my shoulder.

What?

Behind the bars, Zachroared.He rammed against them, trying to break through the solid metal with a desperation that did nothing to ease my terror.

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