Chapter 22 Noelle
NOELLE
After their questionable meal and the raw flood of emotions that came with reliving her time in the spa, Noelle thought they would finally be left alone.
Instead, the harsh, mechanical clang of the cell door opening again made her flinch and jolt upright from where she’d been half-dozing against Burn’s warm side.
“Bathroom break,” one of the guards barked. There were three of them—all Skow this time. The one in the lead was baring its finger-length teeth in a menacing grimace as it glared at them through its metal half-mask. “One at a time. Let’s go!”
The directive was met with immediate tension. Burn surged to his feet in a heartbeat, his massive body looming protectively in front of Noelle like a living wall. Bright was on his feet as well, shoulder-to-shoulder with the Dark Twin.
“Easy,” the lead guard snapped, leveling a blaster rifle. The other two followed suit, aiming not at Noelle, but at Burn and Bright.
“Burn…Bright, it’s all right.” Noelle was surprised how calm her own voice sounded. But she’d been in the cell for what felt like hours with no breaks and she really had to go.
“They’re not coming near you, my lady.” Bright’s voice was tense. Burn only gave a low growl.
“We’re just here to escort you—one by one—to the bathroom,” the Skow guard informed them. “Do you have to go or not?”
“I do.” Noelle tried to keep the desperation from her voice and couldn’t quite manage it. She felt like she was about to burst.
She pushed her way out from behind the two big warriors and gave them an apologetic look. “Sorry, but I really need to go.”
“Fine. But if either of you tries anything while your little girlfriend’s out of the cell, she gets a hole through her back,” the Skow guard grated. “Understand?”
Burn’s jaw clenched so tight she could hear his teeth grinding. He looked like he might launch himself at the guards at any minute.
“We understand,” Bright said, stepping in front of him. “But you understand this—if you touch her, if you so much as lay one finger on our woman—you’re going to die. I don’t care if you have a blaster—we’ll make you pay.”
The Skow guard made a face.
“We have no interest in your woman—her teeth are far too white and clean. Disgusting!” He bared his own teeth again, showing rivulets of black grime between every one.
“All right,” Bright said.
Burn just growled.
Noelle put a hand on Burn’s arm. He was tense beneath her palm—tense and vibrating with suppressed violence.
“I’ll be right back,” she whispered. “Please, don’t worry.”
He still didn’t say anything, but his eyes followed her the entire way as the guard beckoned her forward and she stepped cautiously out of the cell. The door slammed shut behind her, locking her two warriors inside.
Noelle’s stomach twisted nervously, but she was committed now. Also, she felt like her bladder was about to burst.
The hallway was dim and cold and her bare feet slapped against the slick metal floor with each hesitant step. She wished she still had her low, sensible heels. At least they would have kept her feet warm.
“Move it,” the guard grunted, prodding her forward with the butt of his rifle. “We don’t have all night!”
Noelle followed him down a short corridor and into a small, box-like chamber that reeked of metallic disinfectant and something far worse—like sour milk left too long in the sun.
Dios, it stinks in here!
The “toilet” turned out to be little more than a metal grate sunk into the floor in a small alcove. There was no stall door, no curtain, and no privacy of any kind.
Noelle turned to face the guard, her cheeks hot.
“Can I at least have some privacy?”
The guard sighed and bared his teeth.
“As if we’d want to watch you piss, clean teeth! Hurry up. I’ll turn my back.”
Noelle realized this was the best she was going to get. It was either pee now, or try to hold it until she burst or gave herself a kidney infection. Neither sounded like an attractive option.
Gingerly, she stepped onto the cold metal grate. The chill bit at the soles of her feet, making her toes curl. She squatted awkwardly, the pressure in her bladder reminding her just how badly she needed to go.
Ugh, this is so undignified!
The smell coming up from the grate was awful—like rust and rot and acrid urine and over it all, some kind of chemical cleanser that barely covered it up.
She wrinkled her nose, breathing through her mouth, trying not to gag.
At first her bladder clenched like a fist, refusing to let go.
But then, finally, she was able to let go in a sudden rush.
After she relieved herself, she started to stand—but before she could fully rise, a sudden icy jet of water shot up from a nozzle in the grate.
“Ah! Dios!” she gasped, stumbling back, her legs wobbling.
The water splashed directly between her thighs, soaking her most sensitive places. The cold was a brutal shock, and her nipples instantly pebbled under the thin silk of the negligee.
That’s one way to make sure you’re clean, she thought bitterly, shivering as she tried to twist away from the stream.
But just as suddenly as it started, the freezing jet stopped. And a moment later, a gust of warm, dry air blasted upward.
Noelle squealed as the short skirt of her silky red negligee blew up around her hips. Her hair whipped around her face, rising in a glossy black cloud.
This has got to be the weirdest bidet of all time, she thought dismally.
The drying cycle wasn’t much more pleasant than the water. It was hot and scratchy, like being trapped in a hand dryer on full blast. But at least it left her dry.
Finally, the air cut off and the room went quiet again.
She stood for a moment on shaky legs, realizing with surprise her thighs didn’t ache even after squatting for so long. In fact, nothing ached. Her knees, her back, her hip—usually stiff from too much standing or walking—all felt… fine. Better than fine, actually.
What the hell?
She took a step. Her joints moved smoothly, fluidly. Nothing creaked or cracked. Even her vision seemed clearer somehow—sharper.
I feel… young.
She stared down at herself. Her skin had a luminous glow, and her legs—always one of her best features when she was in her 20s—looked impossibly smooth and toned. It reminded her all over again of the strange rejuvenation treatment—apparently the effects were long lasting—possibly even permanent.
But that wasn’t the only difference she felt in her body.
Her breasts felt heavy, almost swollen. Her nipples ached with a deep, persistent throb that hadn’t gone away since the suction cups had been used on her. And below, her pussy felt way too sensitive—every step, every brush of silk against her inner thighs made her wince and twitch.
Even deeper inside, there was a strange, warm ache—low in her belly, like the crampy feeling she sometimes got during ovulation.
What did Lupin do to me? Am I really younger now? Younger forever?
The thought both thrilled and terrified her—it also brought more questions with it.
What if they changed more than my looks? What if they altered something inside me—turned me into something I don’t recognize anymore?
There was no time to dwell on it because the guard was clearly tired of waiting for her. He turned around, bearing his horrible teeth again and motioned sharply.
“Time’s up—back to the cell.”
Noelle walked carefully, her mind spinning, her body still tingling with confused sensations. Every step reminded her of the changes she’d undergone. Every breath reminded her that something inside her had shifted.
I don’t know what’s happening to me… but I don’t think this is over yet.
She only hoped Burn and Bright could help her through whatever came next.