Page 93 of Decadence

Her heart skipped a beat.

What was the significance of the horns? Why did some Kordolians have them, while others didn’t?

And how the hell had they grown back so damn fast?

Zharek laughed; a gleeful, slightly unhinged sound. “Surprised, human? That is the way we are supposed to look. And he has turned out much better than I expected.”

Sienna should have been paying more attention, but she was too transfixed by the sight of naked, perfect Ikriss.

That’s… it? He’s healed?

Her fear and worry fled. Her arousal roared back to life.

Wake up, Ikriss. I need you.

“Revive him, Zharek,” the General ordered.

“Oh, he’s going to take care of that himself,” Zharek said nonchalantly as the restraints of his chair started to detach. Once his right hand was free, the medic reached up and removed his dark lenses, revealing his intense amber gaze.

But there was a hint of mischief in his expression.

Or was that insanity?

Ikriss’s body twitched. A great shudder coursed through him. His curled-up limbs unfurled. He kicked violently and reached up, tearing the breathing mask from his face.

His movements weren’t those of someone who was confused or delirious. They were swift and precise and purposeful. He knew exactly what he was doing.

He’s back!

Sienna shifted nervously on her feet as excitement bubbled up inside her. She felt like she was about to explode… but she was also nervous.

For the first time, Zharek acknowledged her, his golden eyes crinkling mischievously. “Just so you know, I’ve flooded his system with the pheromones I harvested from your serum.”

“Wh-what does that even mean?”

“A supercharged biological reaction.” Zharek nonchalantly waved his hand. “Your biological signature… your scent… the little pheromone proteins that attach to his receptors and turn him into a mindless savage because he is attuned only to you… I’ll admit, I pushed the Fever far beyond its normal limits. The healing response was impressive, to say the least. See the horns and the long hair? That’s the equivalent of one full revolution… ah, approximately one Earth year’s worth of healing. Astounding to see that amount of cellular turnover in such a short amount of time. Impressive, is it not? And now we will have to deal with him… well, to be precise, you will have to deal with him. He will be a little crazy right now. But don’t be alarmed. He won’t hurt you.”

Ikriss made a swift, powerful stroke with his arms, pulling himself up toward the top of the tank.

She turned and narrowed her eyes at the medic, just because she could. “Are you mated, Zharek?”

The medic snorted. “Do I look I have the time to be mated? I have important work to do.”

“I’m sure you’ll see it differently when the Fever hits you,” she muttered, a little snark entering her voice. Then you won’t be so blasé about playing god with all of us.

Swoosh. Blue liquid lapped the walls of the tank as Ikriss pulled himself up and over the edge.

Nobody made an effort to intercept him.

Thud. He dropped to the floor, liquid pooling around him. His glorious pale hair hung down around his shoulders, wet and slick and shimmering. The sight of his horns made her a little giddy.

Sienna couldn’t keep her eyes off him. He was perfectly naked; his silver skin flawless, his chiseled muscles flexing as he rose to his full height.

His body gleamed.

With all the onlookers, the fact that he was naked should have felt weird, but it didn’t.

Here, everything was different.

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