Page 29 of Into the Fire: After

“And it lasted how long?”

I shook my head a little, trying to remember. “Three days…I think?”

A nurse entered the room with the rolling medical cart. I tried to ignore the nervous flutter in my stomach as she pulled on a pair of blue gloves. Hilt just pestered me with more questions.

“You take heat control?”

“Yes.”

“How long?”

“Since I presented, basically.”

He made a disgruntled face at that, crossing something out aggressively on his clipboard. "Prior to your Registration earlier this year, how did you obtain that medication?"

"My grandmother knew where to get it. Then my alpha."

Hilt hummed. "Which I take to mean black market?"

"Well, it certainly wasn't Main Street Market."

Doc gave me a scathing look before jotting down a note.

The nurse circled the bed. “Arm,” she said.

My heart picked up speed. “What’s this for?”

Hilt arched a brow at me. “Will the reason affect your compliance?” he asked, voice deep and menacing.

I stuck my arm out, gritting my teeth as the nurse wrapped a bit of latex around my bicep, searching for a vein in my elbow. And Hilt returned to his questions.

Have you ever been pregnant? No.

The nurse retrieved a syringe from the rolling cart.

Have you ever taken a day-after contraceptive? Yes.

She approached, thumb tapping the veins in the crook of my arm.

Have you ever sought the care of a fertility specialist? No.

She inserted the needle, dispensing the entire syringe of amber-colored something into my arm. It burned slightly.

Have you ever donated eggs? No.

The nurse removed the needle and held a cotton ball over the site, taping it up to hold it in place.

Finally, Doc stuck his pen in the pocket of his white lab coat and stood, clasping his hands behind his back. “Very good. We have a clear baseline for your health at this stage, which means we can proceed to the next phase of research.”

Nausea clawed at my stomach.

The easy days were over.

“And what is that?” I was proud of myself for how steady my voice sounded.

“We monitor you through your heat, collecting samples along the way with an egg retrieval at the height of your fertile days.”

I blinked rapidly. “But I just had my heat. It’ll be months…before…” I stared down at the cotton ball in my elbow, realization moving in like a cloud covering the sun. “How long?”