Page 12 of The Jaguar's Flower

Seven soldiers later, the jaguar stood next in line. With a deep breath, he calmed his nerves. Only three shifters in the facility could tell Mac and Avel apart. For the new doctor to tell them apart would be impossible.

Renfield’s mission required perfection. When the other shifter exited the office, Mac entered. As soon as the door shut, all sounds of the training area faded into the distance once he caught the floral aroma. He hesitated. A mistake occurred, but the soldier corrected himself quickly.

“Good afternoon, 007.” Violet smiled at the familiar face she anxiously awaited.

Violet's anxiety grew with each soldier that crossed the threshold until the soldier she wanted to see stepped inside. She rose from her seat and offered her hand to him until she remembered he liked the butterscotch candies. Her hand slipped into the pocket of her lab coat to retrieve one. She extended her hand to him with the candy in her palm. “It’s good to see you again, 007.”

Her soft tone reached the jaguar’s ears, which made it difficult not to react.How can someone with a pure voice be working in this place? It’s a trap, Mac. Don’t fall for it.Mac raised his guard the further he stepped into the office. With a glance, he spotted Draven at her side. The jaguar sat down at the table. He needed his focus on anything except her.Her scent will kill me if I’m not careful.When he focused on her, he sat upright.

Purposefully, she kept each of the soldiers longer during their second visit, so she gained more time with 007. Yesterday, she wanted to reach out to him. However, that feeling grew stronger with him, such a short distance from her. She held her breath as she waited for him to take the candy from her hand. She knew he felt compelled to take it, but she also wanted to convey trust to him.

“Did anyone give you a hard time about yesterday?” Part of the reason sleep escaped her was her concern for the soldiers. As she watched 007 with bated breath, she realized she worried the most about him and Draven. “It’s the butterscotch you said you liked more than the spearmint yesterday.” She nodded toward her outstretched hand with a smile.

Avel mentioned the candy offering. Mac eyed her hand before he took it. He felt a strange tingle against his fingertips but ignored the sensation. Renfield expected both soldiers to be as one:perfectus miles.Unfortunately, their polar opposite taste buds might trigger the failure of the operation. Instead, the jaguar held the candy in his hand. “No.”

The touch made him curious. Why did he feel a tingle? As if her floral essence didn’t already complicate the mission, a strange sensation also presented itself between them. Draven stepped closer to the doctor.

The jaguar bit back a growl as the need to protect someone other than his own shifted his emotions.Protect her.His eyes went to the candy in his hand. “No, ma’am. I went about my duties with no errors.”

A sigh slipped from her lips when his eyes caught her blue irises.It’s a trap. You are going to compromise this mission.He felt conflicted while his jaguar ached to come out. Something about the woman sent him on a spiral with a calmness he never felt.

If she figured him out, they would all be in danger. When his anger spiked at the idea of Renfield touching her, the soldier reined his emotions back. “May we get started?”

At his words, she dared to glance at Draven. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but it felt like she met this man for the first time. “007, are you sure that there isn’t something wrong?” She swallowed hard as she feared the worst. Could someone have threatened him after they met yesterday? When his answer remained the same, she nodded and returned to her seat.

Just as she had yesterday, she laid out the items necessary for a blood sample. “If you are uncomfortable with my touch, I can walk you through it or 002. However, if you are not completely willing, I will not take the sample.” It was important to her that he willingly gave the sample. Until that moment, she didn’t realize how important it was to gain his acceptance over the rest of the soldiers.

When she presented the equipment, dread entered his thoughts. Mac’s dark gray eyes focused on hers. He remembered the debriefing with Avel. The jaguar needed to act the part of 007. Then why did it bother him to his core to lie to her?

“I only need a small amount of your blood if you agree.” She held up the vial with a timid smile. “It attaches to the needle, so the procedure is quick.” Her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she met his dark gaze, and her voice dropped to a mere whisper. “It’s little more than a slight pinch, so I won’t lie to you and say it’s painless.”

“Pain is not unknown here,” Mac spoke the words coldly, but the look in her eyes made the jaguar wish he never said anything. Regret? Remorse? Whatever the emotion, Mac only felt it once before.Careful. She’ll find us out.“You can administer the needle.”

Mac rolled the sleeve of his uniform up and presented his arm to her. When she touched his arm, the tingling sensations caused his muscles to flex.Violet.The shifter held his breath. She didn’t burn him or show disgust.

The jaguar slowly drew out his breath, but he still couldn’t ignore the tingles. He trusted her, which created a weakness Mac couldn’t allow. When their eyes met, he found it difficult to pull away.

Her lips moved, but the jaguar didn’t hear her. At that moment, it was only them and no one else. Distractions filled his mind, and he tensed again. Mac watched the needle enter his flesh. True to her word, he felt little pain. It was over as quickly as it started.

The next step should have been to attach the vial and draw his blood. He gave consent, but it didn’t sit well with her. Her hand remained on his arm as she removed the needle.

As her eyes met his again, she forgot Draven stood a slight distance from them. “I can’t do this.” She knew they referred to him as 007 but refused to call him that. It felt too cold and sterile when that was the last thing she felt around him.

Her thumb stroked gently along his forearm as she continued to focus on his eyes. “I–” Words escaped her as she wondered what was so different today than the day before. Her reaction to him was far stronger, but she also touched him. “Do you have a name instead of numbers?” She chewed on her bottom lip and prayed he trusted her enough to give her the truth.

Dark gray eyes never left the deep blue ones. Mac internally froze when she asked for his name.Don’t tell her. It’s an elaborate trap. She’ll hurt you. She’ll hurt Avel.Renfield would send him to rehabilitation if she shared his name. This wasn’t a game. When she continued to stare, his eyes tore away from hers before he met Draven’s. The other shifter didn’t make a single noise or movement.Don’t do it, Mac.

The jaguar overstepped. The mission would be compromised. He couldn’t continue this without consequences banging on their doors. It had only been Avel to protect, but now Violet. Mac felt conflicted as he pulled his arm from her. He needed to back away. The moment he stood up, Draven was by his side. He almost attacked the shifter.

“You know mine.” The soldier’s tone was low enough for only Mac to hear.

The jaguar furrowed his brows at the soldier. Names were forbidden and forgotten by the shifters. Of course, there were many who remembered their names before their arrival at the facility. Some even created their own names, but Machiavelli was Mac’s family’s name. The triplets took bits of the name as theirs and never spoke of it to another soul except Draven.

When the shifter nodded, Mac found it difficult to leave. A pull existed between him and the doctor, and it increased while her essence consumed him. The mission became compromised.

When Mac felt her hand again, he hesitated to accept her. It pained him to hesitate, but they resided in the facility. Any emotional attachment became grounds for nightmarish experiments. If Renfield knew of his discrepancy, death would be their only future.Leave Mac.

The jaguar struggled to voice his name for her.Don’t do it.It would only create a target on their backs.Leave now!It seemed like an eternity passed as Mac stared into her eyes. He needed to protect her.

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