Page 34 of Wrapped in Their Arms

“A natural what?”she croaked.

“Never mind—just get up.We’redone for now.”

Oh, thank theBlessedVirgin…

Her legs felt boneless as she slid off the chair, covering her breasts instinctively.Herbody no longer felt like her own.

What are they turning me into?AmIeven still… me?

“This is only the beginning, of course,”Lupinsaid as he pulled off the metal collar and put it away.“Tomorrowwe’ll do your ovulation-trigger injection and your second fertility treatment.Thenyou’ll be ready for implantation.”

Noelle froze.

“Implantation?”she whispered.

“Don’t look so shocked.Buyerslike their slaves fertile.Itincreases their value.Soit’s important to get you all ready for breeding in case they want to impregnate you.”Hewaved a hand dismissively.“Nowcome—let’s have a look at you in the viewer so we can see the “after” part of your makeover.”

Noelle followed him numbly, her thighs trembling, her nipples burning, and her womb still pulsing from the alien throb.

Burn…Bright… please… somebody help me…

But there was no one there butLupinand the weird octopus monster in the pool of black goo.

Noelle was on her own.

18

NOELLE

Noelle’s legs were still trembling whenLupinguided her toward the raised platform surrounded by softly glowing panels.Shewalked gingerly, the inside of her right thigh chafed from the friction of the silver collar and the lingering ache from the suction cups still pulsing through her nipples.

My body doesn’t feel like mine anymore,she thought for the second time.Idon’t feel like myself at all!

Her skin was flushed and hypersensitive—even the slightest breeze raised goosebumps.Herhair clung damply to her back, still tangled from the whirlwind dryer.

“Here we are,”Lupinsaid briskly, gesturing for her to sit on a round stool in front of a tall, humming machine with dozens of spindly mechanical arms.“Let’sfix that mess on your head, shall we?Evenif the rest of you is gorgeous now, we can’t have you looking like a drowned chuba rat.”

Before she could protest, a warm puff of air lifted her hair, and several of the mechanical arms descended like spider legs.Tinyclaws combed, separated, and twisted her strands while another nozzle emitted a soft floral mist.

Noelle sat stiffly, her thighs pressed together, hugging her arms over her breasts.Herentire body felt like it had been turned inside out—invaded, probed, and modified.Hernipples ached from the suction cups and her thigh still throbbed from the pulsing collar.Worstof all, her womb feltstrange.Likesomething inside that had been almost asleep due to her age had been stirred awake.

I feel likeI’vebeen rewritten,she thought.LikeI’msomeone else wearing my skin…

“All right, my dear!”Lupinsaid at last, clapping his tiny hands as the metal arms withdrew from her hair.“Nowstand up, and come see for yourself.”

He tugged her impatiently toward the tall, three-sided holo-viewer again.Theglass shimmered with violet static before clearing to show her full reflection from three angles—front, profile, and rear.

Noelle blinked…then blinked again.

The woman in the glass was her…but not her.Notat all.

The thin silver streaks that had run through her dark hair—her badges of age and stress—were completely gone.Intheir place was a waterfall of thick, glossy black hair that shimmered under the spa lights.Herskin had a new glow—smooth and dewy, like she’d just come in from a sun-dappled spring morning.Thefaint sagging under her chin had vanished and the fine lines at the corners of her eyes and mouth had been erased, like they’d never existed.Evenher lips looked plumper, as though she’d had lip filler put in.Onlythere was nothing artificial about her new appearance—it was all her, just younger.

She touched her face, unable to look away from the reflection.

“Dios…” she whispered.“Ilook soyoung.”

But it was more than just looking younger—she looked like herself in her twenties.Beforethe heartbreak of meeting and marrying the abusiveBranson…before the gray hairs…before the bone-deep exhaustion of disappointment had settled into her bones.Herbreasts—round and lifted—no longer drooped.Herstretch marks were gone.Herhips were full but smooth, her waist softly sculpted.