Page 30 of Queen Takes Triune
Smiling, she took the seat between me and Gina. “Coffee would be great.”
I hadn’t seen her since Christmas Eve, when we’d gone to Venezuela to free Leviathan. That was the last time I’d asked for the doctor to accompany me on one of my dangerous adventures, because I’d realized something on that trip. She was an incredible doctor, but if I was injured, there wasn’t anything she could do to help me, other than tell me exactly what was wrong.
I had the power to heal myself, in minutes versus days or weeks with conventional medicine. When the mighty dragon had broken my arm, I hadn’t needed a cast. I’d needed his blood.
But I still did need her medical expertise, especially when it came to my Aima parentage. There was so much about being a queen that I’d learned, but no one had explained one very important thing that I needed to understand.
Daire set a cup of black coffee in front of her and added a little more to my cup to warm it. Gina offered a plate of blueberry muffins still warm from the oven. I took another one, even though I’d already had two this morning.
Rik didn’t say anything, though I felt his intensity. His bond glowed hotter, like he’d started using bellows to heat up a forge. He passed through me, using his bond to search through my body like a spotlight.
I knew exactly what he was searching for, and there was no need. I had a lot of questions, but I was pretty fucking sure I’d know if I was pregnant.
:Just checking,:he whispered in my head soothingly.:I’d know too.:
“I have some biology questions,” I said aloud. “Should we wait until you’ve finished eating?”
Dr. Borcht laughed softly. “Not at all. I could eat my lunch while watching a dissection. What questions do you have, Your Majesty?”
“Shara,” I said firmly. She was friends with Gina, and I trusted her implicitly, but some of the humans close to me were very determined to stick to formalities. Winston would probably never call me Shara, but I hoped that she would. It just made it easier for me to talk to her about such personal things. “Since Rik and Daire found me before Christmas, my periods have gotten worse each time.”
“Worse in duration? Or volume and symptoms?”
“Both. I’m almost afraid that eventually I’ll just bleed all the time.”
“You have been under a great deal of stress lately. That can affect your hormone levels.”
I sipped my coffee and picked at the muffin, taking a small bite off with my fingers. “I did need the extra power boost to go after Keisha Skye, and then I went straight after Ra too. I was hoping to have a few quiet months or even years here at my nest, but I don’t know how long I’ll have before I have to deal with the Triune. I don’t want my periods to get so bad that I’m constantly miserable before we discuss my options. Plus…”
I blew out a sigh. If I were a human woman banging ten guys, I couldn’t imaginenotbeing pregnant at this point. “I need to know how Aima queens get pregnant. I need to understand my cycle better before something happens accidentally.”
Dr. Borcht shook her head. “I can say with a high degree of confidence that an accidental pregnancy will be nearly impossible. Aima queens don’t conceive the same way that humans do. But let’s go back to your concern with heavy periods first. There are some medications we can try that might help with the severity. Some medications work better than others on your kind, and I don’t think anyone has tried hormonal therapy before. There just hasn’t been a need. Aima queens don’t generally come into heat any longer.”
“See, that’s one thing I don’t understand. Am I ‘in heat,’ like breeding? Or is it part of a normal menstrual cycle?”
“I’ll need to do some regular bloodwork to be sure, so I can analyze your hormonal levels every week. The one set of bloodwork we took several months ago isn’t enough to establish what a normal cycle is for you. But I can certainly hypothesize…”
I nodded. “Please.”
“Very well. What I think is happening with your longer and more severe periods is that your body is trying harder to conceive each month. It’s nature’s way of telling you that you’re fertile and in your prime. You have powerful, virile Blood at your disposal. Biologically, this is the prime time for you to conceive, and so your Aima biology is trying to make your body as inviting as possible, both for your alpha’s sexual interest and for carrying your offspring.”
I frowned, picking at the muffin to find only the blueberries. “I won’t be forced into anything. Not even by my own body.”
“Don’t think of it that way necessarily. It’s not a negative thing. You will still choose whether or not to take advantage of the situation. It’s just your body’s way of signaling its readiness, even eagerness, to carry the next Isador queen.”
“You’re not the one constantly bleeding and dealing with higher tensions among my Blood because of it. Or feeling exhausted and wrung out from bleeding so much. Not to mention the cramps and generally feeling lousy.” Grimacing at my grumpy tone, I tried to lighten my mood. “Sorry, I’m not trying to be bitchy. I know it’s supposedly a miraculous thing for an Aima queen to be able to breed nowadays. I’ll have a child someday, but I won’t be forced into having a child before I’m ready. I’m sick of bleeding heavily day after day.”
“I understand completely. Let’s try some medications to see if we can calm your hormones down a bit. I’ll do weekly blood tests so we have a good baseline of where you are, and then we can start after your next period. It may take some experimentation, but I’m sure we can at least lessen the severity of your symptoms.”
Smiling with relief, I nodded. “Sure, that makes sense. Thank you. I was afraid you’d be appalled or refuse to even consider anything that might slow down my periods, since I’m assuming that’s basically Aima contraception.”
I was surprised when her face hardened, her eyes glinting with sudden determination. “A woman’s body is hers to do with as she pleases, whether she be Aima or human. No one’s going to force you to procreate, Your Majesty, least of all your personal doctor. I’m here to serve you and you alone. If you wish to use contraception of any kind, I will do everything in my power to make sure we find an appropriate solution that works with your body to achieve your goal.”
She smiled and lightened her tone. “Besides, no one’s done any research in this area, so I’m intrigued by the possibilities.”
Gina leaned closer, keeping her voice low. “We should talk abouthowto conceive, just so you know how it’s done. When you’re ready, of course.”
I whispered back, “Is it a secret?”
