Chapter 4 #5
They started to take off their coats, but Luna stopped them. “I’m stir-crazy,” she said emphatically. “Let’s go for a walk and I’ll explain what we need from you guys.”
The volunteers looked at each other curiously, but no one objected.
The group of women made it across the front yard before one of the guards fell in step behind them.
Luna turned around and glared at him, hands on her hips. “Seriously? We’re going for a walk around the village. We’ll stay on the main path, but you are not going to tag along like a freaking watchdog.”
“Watch wolf,” he corrected with a smirk. “I’ll back off if you want to tell secrets, but you can’t leave my sight.”
“Unbelievable,” she grumbled. “Then back way the hell off, because I’m in the mood to gossip.”
His smile widened and his steps slowed until he was well back from the group of females.
“I don’t know how long he’ll indulge me, so listen carefully,” Luna said in a soft, urgent tone. The rest of the women huddled around her as she began her explanation. “We will do everything we can to make the transformation safe, but I am determined to give us control over the mating bond.”
Shannon’s eyes widened and she moved closer. “Is that possible?”
“Do you mean that we would choose who we bond with rather than waiting around for the males to focus on us?” Tianna sounded skeptical, but Luna had her complete attention.
“Will it be a conscious choice or will we go into heat like a female wolf?” Jill was clearly the least enthusiastic about the situation.
“We’re still working on the details,” Luna admitted, “but it’s my hope that it will be a conscious choice.”
“Alex doesn’t know about this, does he?” Shannon guessed.
“No, and it’s imperative that he not find out until it’s much too late. You three cannot tell anyone else. No one,” she stressed. “This has to be our secret.”
“It shouldn’t be a problem,” Tianna told her. “The other women had settled into cliques long before we arrived. They all ignore us anyway.”
“Good,” Luna said. “Let’s keep it that way.”
“We need a blood sample from each of you,” Evelyn told them. “Then we’ll use your DNA to customize the injections.”
“How many will there be?” Tianna wanted to know.
“Three,” Luna said. “The first phase is activation, the second acquisition, and the final phase is stabilization. It’s best if each injection is given a week apart, but I’ve pushed it to three days in the past.”
“In the past?” Tianna echoed. “You used this formula at Nuevo?”
“The formula we used at Nuevo utilized the three-stage progression. Obviously, this formula has been modified for use in females,” Luna explained.
“The simulations have been encouraging,” Evelyn told them. “I’m confident that we’re headed in the right direction.”
“How long will it take to prepare the first set of injections?” Shannon asked, her eyes wide with uncertainty.
“As Evelyn said, the formula has to be customized for each of you and then we’ll run a long series of simulations,” Luna explained. “We’ll only inject the first volunteer when all of the simulations run flawlessly.”
“And how long will all of that take?” Shannon tried again.
“Babcock did the heavy lifting,” Evelyn admitted. “We’re just tweaking his formula.”
“At least a week, maybe two,” Luna finally provided a timeline. “This isn’t something you want us to rush.”
The other women nodded and the group made their way back toward the lab.
Shannon moved closer to Luna and lowered her voice so the others couldn’t hear. “Are you okay? These wolves can be ruthless, and Alex seemed determined to make this happen.”
“I’m fine,” she assured, forcing herself to smile. “Alex and Nate are courting me.”
“That’s what I was afraid of.” Shannon shuddered. “Alex is better than Elias, but he’s still used to taking whatever he wants.”
Shannon’s concern was sweet and understandable. The wolves were the least civilized of the shifter hybrids. “They push boundaries, but they haven’t crossed the line. At least not with me.”
After accepting the statement with a nod, Shannon changed the subject.
They reached the lab a few minutes later and Luna collected blood samples from the volunteers. There was nothing more the volunteers could do until the injections were ready, so the three women returned to their cabins.
Luna rubbed the back of her neck and released an audible sigh. “We must cross every T and dot every I. I couldn’t live with myself if we lost even one of the volunteers.”
“We’ll do everything in our power to make this as safe as possible, but nothing like this has ever been attempted before.”
Luna understood what Evelyn meant, but the truth was more complicated.
The basic formula was proven. They were following a well-established system with minor alterations.
Babcock had been an amoral bastard, but he had also been the most brilliant scientist Luna had ever met.
She resented him, disapproved of his ruthlessness, but she admired his ingenuity and the accuracy of his vision.
It was her goal to build upon his foundation without succumbing to the moral decay that ultimately destroyed him.