Page 40 of Queen Takes Knights
“Are you injured?” Her volume increased. “Where are you?”
“I’m fine, at the moment, but we have some… concerns. I need to talk to someone who knows both human and Aima reproductive biologies. I’d like some tests ran.”
“Ah. I see. Yes, I’ve got someone we can trust. I’ll call her and meet you at the house as soon as possible.”
Impressed, I let out a soft whistle. “You can get a doctor that fast?”
“Your Majesty.” Gina sounded put out. “Your doubt wounds me.”
We’d barely pulled into the garage when Gina’s familiar sedan parked at the curb. I started to get out of the car to greet them, but Alrik hauled me up and ran for the house. Daire sprinted ahead and got the door open for us. He didn’t stop, but took me directly up the two flights of stairs to the tower room.
He tossed me on the bed like I was a flaming hot potato and retreated to pant against the wall. Sweat trickled down his face, his T-shirt was glued to him, and his jeans strained at the crotch.
“Fuck, don’t you dare look at my dick.” His head fell back and he grimaced like I’d started pulling his fingernails off with a pair of pliers.
Of course then I couldn’t stop looking at him.
I heard Daire and the two women tromping up the stairs so I finally dragged my gaze away from the impressive log in Alrik’s pants. Daire hit the door and didn’t pause once his eyes locked on me. Alrik snagged him by the back of the neck and dragged him back against the wall with him. They scuffled a moment, Daire fighting to escape, but then Alrik roared through the bond, a deep, bone-rattling growl that stilled Daire’s beast.
“Your Majesty, this is my good friend, Dr. Mala Borcht,” Gina said. “I can personally vouch for her discretion and expertise in all things Aima. Would you like for me to remain or wait downstairs?”
“You can stay. You all can stay. You should all know what’s going on because we will be attacked, and it will be bad.”
Alrik growled a warning and nodded. “I feel them drawing near already, and if our queen’s instincts were correct, something threatened her in broad daylight at a public bar downtown.”
“In daylight?” Dr. Borcht tapped her perfectly manicured nails against her chin. “A threat you, the alpha Blood, could not sense? Then it wasn’t a thrall.”
Alrik’s cheeks flushed a dull red but he nodded. “I sensed nothing but she didn’t feel safe. Then I found why and we left immediately. I didn’t investigate to find the cause. I felt it better to remove her from the situation and retreat to the closest thing we have as a nest.”
“Very smart,” Dr. Borcht replied. “So, Your Majesty, what concerns you?”
“My period started today.”
Gina gasped beneath her breath, but I heard her whispered prayer.“Blessed be, Goddess, may your line live forever.”
“I see. So you’re wondering if that’s a good thing, with your human parentage, or a risky thing, with your Aima mother,” Dr. Borcht replied. “Yes, a very interesting case to be sure. Is menstruation a new development for you?”
“Not at all. I’ve had a period every month since I was fifteen.”
Her eyes widened and tiny fine white lines formed around her mouth. “Every month?”
“Without fail.”
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but I’m wondering how it’s possible that you’re even still alive.”
“Exactly,” Alrik muttered, running a hand over his head. “Fuck, the more I think about it, the more pissed off I get.”
“That’s not good for you right now,” Dr. Borcht said. “The more emotions you feel, the harder it’ll be for you to control your urges. I’d ask you to take a walk but I know you’d refuse.”
“I won’t let her out of my sight,” Alrik retorted.
Dr. Borcht held her hands up soothingly. “No one’s asking you to leave. But try to keep your emotions leveled and calm.”
Turning back to me, she set a cute typewriter purse on the bed and opened it, revealing a well-stocked medical bag despite its size. “I’m assuming since this isn’t a new occurrence, that your period means you’re not pregnant or in heat, but the opposite, the same as any human female. But there are some blood tests I can run to be sure.”
“How long will it take?”
She pulled out a syringe and several vials. “Oh, this evening. We failed to mention that I run a state-of-the-art lab in Overland Park.”
