Behind those glasses, pale blue eyes flared lightly in shock before Isaac schooled his expression into neutrality. “I see. Well, there’s no need to be embarrassed, Mistress, these things happen. Before I give you it, I have to ask, have you taken it previously?”
She shook her head.
“Are you aware of the side effects?”
Oh, wonderful. Physical torture to add to the constant lecture scrolling through her mind. Shaking her head again, she reminded herself it took two to remember a condom, and murdering Boudreaux for being a horny bastard with a breeding kink was slightly unfair.
“Headaches and nausea are most common. You might experience fatigue, some dizziness, abdominal cramping, possibly tenderness in your breasts. It might knock your period off its regular cycle, and there’s the potential for light bleeding or spotting.” Isaac reeled off the symptoms of her punishment in a calm, soothing tone as he watched her face intently. “Should you vomit within two hours of taking the pill, I would advise you to return for an additional dose. I can give you anti-nausea medication if required. I’m here if you have any concerns about the effects once you’ve taken it, and if you find the symptoms persist for more than forty-eight hours, come back and see me. That goes for any severe abdominal pain as well.”
She huffed out a dry, unamused laugh. “Well, sounds like I’m in for a fun ride over the next couple days, doesn’t it?”
He gave her a sympathetic smile. “My advice is stay hydrated, keep warm, and rest until the symptoms subside. Are you clear on all that?”
“Yes, Doc. I understand.”
“Okay then, let me find what you’re looking for.” Adjusting his glasses, he meandered over to a cabinet on the wall and punched in a four-digit code on the lock. His fingertips ran along the edge of each shelf as he peered at the contents, a hum of discontent growing in his chest. “How odd. I don’t seem to have any in stock, but there was a box here just the other day.”
Dread bloomed in her stomach. “Perhaps they’ve been misplaced?”
“Not by me,” he muttered, then turned and headed for the computer on his desk. Keys clacked as he almost hammered the keyboard to access whatever files he needed. “This is most perturbing. According to my stock list, there should be an ample amount…” More clacking, more muttering. “This won’t do. This won’t do at all. I’m sorry, Mistress, I’m afraid I’ll have to order in some more. I realize there is a time constraint involved—”
“Three days,” she murmured, “give or take a few hours.”
“Indeed. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you have it as soon as possible.” Frowning, his eyes distant as he lifted his head to study the cabinet, he muttered something about checking the rest of the medicines and speaking to Elias. “I really must apologize—”
“No, it’s fine.” It was probably fate sentencing her to a lifetime of servitude to Boudreaux, she thought miserably. “I have time. I would appreciate it if you’d put a rush on the order.”
“Of course, of course.” His attention was back on his computer.
“Thanks, Doc.”
She left him to sort out the mystery of the missing pills, pressing a hand to her belly. The fanciful part of her brain conjured an imaginary fluttering beneath her palm as though life was already planted in her womb, cells dividing rapidly by the second and becoming an entity. A real human being,insideher.
She could drive into the city, find a pharmacy, get the pills herself, but part of her found the idea of playing roulette over the next three days fascinating. Would fate pull strings and deliver her the pills within the time limit? Would nature bless her with a child or was she fretting for nothing?
Goddamn it, she was so conflicted about what she wanted, it was going to drive her mad. It dawned on her that she was at a crossroads, the next big milestone of her life, and she really needed to buckle up and make some hard decisions.
Stay here at Serenity or leave and start somewhere new.
Take the pill or wait to see if she was pregnant.
Have a baby or… not.
God, when did she end up in such a mess? When did shebecomesuch a mess?
She couldn’t even blame it on Boudreaux, not really. His presence exacerbated the clusterfuck, sure, but he wasn’t the root of it, which meant she was going to have to dig deep inside herself and discover where things had gone wrong.
Oh, the joys.
Her mood didn’t improve when she descended the stairs and saw not only Tamsyn, but her Dom as well, waiting for her at the bottom. Dropping her hand from her belly, Violet straightened her shoulders, knowing damn well how astute Merrick could be.
The man was a bloodhound in human form.
“Violet,” he greeted in a rumbling voice. “Everything okay?”
“Shouldn’t it be?” she responded, taking care not to do something foolish like tumbling down the last few steps.
“You tell me. Pale, tired, unhappy.” He watched her closely until she stopped on the last step, trying to keep a height advantage over him. “Funny, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you walk like that.”
