Page 32 of Wrapped in Their Arms

Noelle barely had the presence of mind to grab it.Sheclutched the fabric to her chest, still blinking in shock.

“Other treatments?”she echoed hoarsely.

Lupin gave her a toothy smile.

“Of course, my dear.Nowthat you’re rejuvenated, we can move on.”

“Move on towhat?”she asked, dread settling in her stomach like a lead weight.

He beamed, as though announcing a special prize on a game show.

“Why, to your first fertility treatment, of course!”

Noelle’s breath caught.

Fertility… what?

She stared at him, wondering what in the world could be coming next.Shewas afraid to find out.

17

NOELLE

“Come now,”Lupinsaid briskly, already bustling around the spa and pulling open a tall cabinet filled with strange gleaming tools and glowing vials.“Youdidn’t think theSkowbrought you all the way here for a vacation, did you?You’rebeing prepped for auction at theFleshBazaar, and they like their merchandise fresh, hydrated, and most important—fertile.”

Noelle’s stomach twisted.

This can’t be happening.Ihave to be dreaming…hallucinating.MaybeI’mdelirious from lack of oxygen.

But no matter how hard she pinched her arm—or how many times she whispered “wake up, wake up, wake up”—she remained firmly rooted in the waking nightmare.

Lupin returned, holding what looked like a thick silver collar, only it was too big to fit around her neck.Itpulsed faintly with light—a thick band of gleaming metal about four inches across.Intricateengravings spiraled along its surface—delicate ridges and grooves like flowing vines, inlaid with hair-thin lines of glowing violet luminescence.Threesmall glassy nodes dotted the inside curve, each one shaped like a pearl with a tiny pulse of life inside.Theyseemed to swell and contract, almost like they were breathing.

Noelle stared at it in fear.

“What… what does that thing do?”she whispered.

“It stimulates the pituitary-hypothalamic axis to flood your bloodstream with reproductive hormones,”Lupinexplained as casually as if he were talking about a manicure.“Don’tworry—this model is state-of-the-art, straight fromYonnieSix.Iteven adjusts for age-related reproductive decline!AlltheMistressesthere use it.”

He snapped it open with a soft metallic hiss.

“Now,I’mjust going to fit this around your upper thigh…”

“No—wait—”Noellebacked up instinctively, not liking the look of the thing at all.

“Oh, do hush,”Lupinsnapped.Leaningdown, he darted forward and clamped the thick silver collar around her upper thigh.

The moment it clicked shut, the violet veins along the metal brightened—then the heat hit her.

Itwasn’ta mild warmth.

It was a molten, liquid flood of raw hunger, burning outward from the point where the silver collar hugged her flesh.Itshot through her bloodstream, curled around her stomach, raced up her spine, and hardened her nipples, making them stand instantly erect.

“Oh—Oh!”Noellegasped, her knees buckling.BlessedVirgin, what was it doing to her?She’dnever felt anything like this barrage of overwhelming sensations that filled her body and overflowed, making her nerves feel like electrical wires that were channeling too much current.

“There it is!”Lupinexclaimed proudly.“Primaryhormone activation achieved!”

“I—Ifeel—”Herbreath hitched.“Dios,Ifeel likeI’mbeing microwaved from the inside!”