Mated in Treason

by Christa Paige

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “This might hurt a bit.” Pavel, the scientist, stated with a nonchalant tone as he set a tray of metal instruments onto a decrepit sideboard pushed against the wall in this tiny square room.

  “I can take it,” Gunnar declared with a lopsided grin as he flopped on the couch and laced his hands behind his head. He looked as if he was about to binge watch Star Wars or something, instead of being subjected to an unknown medical procedure.

  “What are you going to do to him?” Nadia leaned to the side attempting to glance around the male to make out the various utensils lined on the tray, her nursing instincts on high-alert.

  “This is a rush job so we have to use some unconventional methods to get a potent sample.” Pavel retrieved a syringe and attached a needle. He drew the plunger back to the 20-ml line. Next, he took a large tube filled with a cloudy fluid and stabbed the cannula through the rubber stopper, and got to work drawing the liquid into the syringe. He popped the plastic top onto the needle and set the injection aside.

  Real fear twisted her belly when Pavel reached over and picked up the next item. It looked like a little red drill with a long, thin, serrated bit.

  “What’s that?” Gunnar looked at her with a quizzical expression.

  Nadia swallowed, but the lump in her throat made it hard to breathe. “An IO drill.”

  Gunnar bit his lip, brow furrowed. “Yeah, they need to do some work in this room. It’s worse than the other one. Maybe, they start with the door hinges, its hanging on by a thread.”

  Grabbing his hand, she slid her fingers between his. “It’s for intraosseous infusing.”

  He shifted forward, caught her hand and squeezed. A little tug brought her closer. She sat beside him on the lumpy, suede couch. Adjusting his position, his tall frame took up most of the space as he reclined with his booted feet crossed. Head supported by the armrest, his chin tilted forward, he watched her closely. He rubbed circles on her arm soothing her.

  It should be her doing the soothing, but she was paralyzed by the fear of what Pavel might do to him.

  “You know I don’t have one clue what intraosseous means.” He did that sexy nibble at the side of his mouth that always distracted her. As much as she longed to fall into the spell of his charming seduction, this wasn’t the time or place.

  Taking a deep breath through her nose, she fought her natural revulsion to the musty, damp aroma permeating the room. She exhaled slowly, licked her lips and placed her fingers on his lower leg. “If I’m guessing right, he’s going to drill that into your bone marrow. Right here.”

  “That sounds fun.” His face scrunched in disgust. “Not.”

  “She’s right,” Pavel chimed in as he grabbed a glass bottle filled with a pinkish fluid. He filled another syringe with it and set it beside the first.

  “What are you infusing?” Nadia blurted. She wanted him to explain the procedure, to reassure herself that Gunnar wasn’t going to endure anything horrible.

  “It’s a cocktail we’ve adapted from the original elixir used by the Council scientists since the very first mating rituals. Of course, it’s a guarded secret. Fortunately for me, my father served in the labs for nearly a hundred years. He was training me to succeed him, before he….” His voice cracked and his shoulders curved in as he dropped his head for a moment as if to compose himself. He cleared his throat and inspected another bottle before setting it aside. “I’ve improved the alchemy they used in the compatibility process. I think I’ve created a more efficient method, one that increases accuracy while not being archaic. So far, we’ve had zero fatalities at the ceremonial level.”

  Nadia sighed. “That’s good statistical evidence depending on how many you’ve done. But I want to know what you’re infusing.”

  Pavel’s cheeks hollowed and his lips pressed into a thin line.

  “I’m not going to sell it or give it to anyone. I’m a nurse, and I want to know what you’re going to be putting into my mate’s bone marrow.” Her demanding tone grew firm and emotional. There were things in medicine that hurt when being injected into the body. A couple antibiotics given in the muscle have been reported to be intensely painful. Potassium burned like holy hell, at least that’s what one of her pregnant females had screamed when Dominic infused her during a bout of dehydration due to morning sickness.

  “Magnesium,” Pavel answered and he picked up the first syringe waving it around.

  “Oh no,” Nadia uttered as her pulse kicked up with dread. She’d seen her patients break down into uncontrollable sobs when magnesium trailed through an IV into a vein. She’d never seen it done through bone marrow before. Maybe it wouldn’t burn so bad there. “What else?”

  “There are a few enzymes required for the leech to increase digestion. We bolster the size of the platelets and increase the cell count,” Pavel continued on, listing each component of the concoction he’d infuse through Gunnar’s bone marrow. It made Nadia’s head swim.

  “What about lidocaine?” He hadn’t listed that one and it was vitally important when drilling into the bone marrow with an auto-injector like the one Pavel had ready.

  “I ran out.” His eyelids slid down, and the sides of his mouth quirked. Sure, he did. Nadia wanted to punch him for purposely hurting Gunnar.

  “You can’t do this without numbing the tissues around the tibia.” Incensed Nadia jumped to her feet and pressed her hands to her hips. “It’s unethical. And, cruel.”

  Pavel rolled his eyes. “I’m a scientist, not a doctor. Besides, when did ethics ever play a part in our traditions? I’m sure all sorts of ethics were broken when they set those leeches on your arms.”

  A shudder worked its way down Nadia’s spine. Kept secret for centuries, this mating process contained a little bit of mad science and a whole lot of yuck. “So what happens after you infuse Gunnar?” Did she really want to know?

  “Because of his altered DNA, we can expect for the infusion to start working immediately. After an hour, we should have the volume we need and the red cells will be saturated with the concoction.” He brought the tray over and settled it on a nightstand beside the couch. No sterile paper covered the accoutrements, no betadine swabs sat near the drill. Her inner nurse cringed at the lack of protocol for an invasive medical procedure. She bit her cheek trying not to make waves, thus interrupting the process and possibly stopping the compatibility testing.

  “Get to the good part,” Gunnar prompted. “How’s compatibility determined?”

  Pavel’s lips curved, eyes flashing with excitement. Pivoting, he strode to the sideboard and retrieved the vial with the engorged leeches. The faction must’ve taken the vial from Gunnar’s knapsack after grabbing them at the Maxim. “We force these bad boys to digest.” He swirled the tube, the wriggling creatures knocked against the glass leaving a crimson tinge to the water.

  Nadia scrunched her nose in abhorrence. “That’s it? They just eat more blood?”

  The male sighed and deposited the container back on the sideboard. “It might sound simple but the digestion process is the most vital part of testing compatibility. We don’t just mix blood when we’re mated. We consume it. There are properties in the male’s red cells that aren’t absorbed in the stomach. Once it hits the liver, that’s where it’s metabolized and the elements are separated. After that, they are flushed into the bloodstream. That’s where the binding happens. It is why we ask our females to come to a ceremony on an empty stomach. There’s nothing in there to hamper the process. It hits the bloodstream next and binds with the red cells containing the female’s DNA. The last step ends with compatibility or catastrophe. One forges a life-long bonding. The other turns into a globular mess, congealing and clotting until it kills the poor female.”

  “So the leeches act as a litmus test?” Nadia wondered aloud.

  “They are essentially the digestion process.” Pavel unbuttoned the cuffs of his sleeves and rolled them up. “Normally the male candidates come in for the sampling a
week or so ahead of the ceremony. They’re given an herbal tincture to drink that’s been fermented from the original extract. Twenty-four hours later, the Council then takes a blood sample and they introduce it to the leech. If it survives, they deem the candidate worthy. The process is repeated until three possible mates are found. Of course, it isn’t an exact science, and over the years we have lost females during the rites. I’m hoping my method is more solid. More accurate. Once we do away with this miserable Goblet Ceremony and mating selection done by the Kartal, I’d like to offer my services to those who want to be mated. You might think I’m a tyrant for working with şefi, but I believe in his stance on allowing matings to happen when a couple chooses who they’re going to be bound to.”

  “Sounds good to me.” Nadia figured the amount of heartache and despair in their community would diminish if couples could fall in love with a mate and decide if they wanted to seek a blood-bond. Their society lauded the genetic matches as the better way. They liked the macabre show of terror on a poor female’s face as she chose a goblet hoping she survived. Adherence to the ghastly ritual had been engrained in their culture for hundreds of years. Some wanted a change. Many, though, would fight to keep it the way it had always been.

  “Pavel, less talk and more action works best for me.” Gunnar’s tone deepened, impatience coloring his inflection. He yanked the button loose on his slacks and tugged the zipper down. In one quick motion, he removed his pants. This time, he’d worn boxer-briefs. Nadia chuckled. She’d been expecting his nakedness.

  Gunnar tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. “That’s just for you, now.”

  She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. “Mmm, I like that idea.”

  Pavel moved behind Nadia. She turned, watching as he stuffed a pillow under Gunnar’s leg to bend his knee. He pressed his fingers below the joint and felt around the area locating the precise segment of bone where the drill would tap into the marrow. Using his pen, he scribbled an x where he’d place the tip of the device.

  When Pavel brought the red injector close to Gunnar’s leg, Nadia’s pulse escalated, pounding in her ears. Breathing became difficult and worry sizzled low in her belly. She didn’t want her mate to hurt. And, this would hurt.

  Strong fingers latched onto her wrist and tugged her forward until she leaned fully across Gunnar’s chest. She dared a glance at his face and saw him watching her with an intent gaze.

  “Smile for me, Nadia. It’s all I need to get through this.” Pavel set the spring, priming the drill and Gunnar gritted his jaw, held his breath.

  She pasted on the biggest smile she could manage. And she hummed, just like when she’d first tended him in the hospital. She concentrated on the tune, elevating her voice as she sensed Pavel settle the tool against Gunnar’s tibia. The concerto written by Mozart had been one of her favorites during nursing school. She’d played it for hours while studying. It calmed her, helping her to focus.

  “Breathe,” she coached, because his lips turned a bit too purple and his skin had gone ashen. He shivered too, his teeth rattling with his exertion to remain still. Flight or fight had kicked in and she could see the caged beast within him rising to the surface.

  She went back to humming, soothing her fingers across his sternum.

  A little click. A grind.

  “Motherfucking, son of a goddamned bitch. Hell!” Gunnar slammed his head back and squeezed his eyes shut. Sweat beaded on his brow and his hand clawed the cushion as he fought for control.

  She hummed. Reaching the crescendo of the tune, she grabbed his hand and unfurled his fingers, placing them on her chest above her heart.

  “Oh God!” He sucked air over his teeth, rocked his head to the side facing the back of the couch.

  “There.” Pavel stepped back, a saline bag in his hand. “Hold this for me while I get the rest of the meds on board.”

  Reluctant to move from Gunnar’s side, Nadia forced herself to stand and lift the infusion bag. She watched her male closely, cringing as he shuddered and groaned under his breath.

  “Easy, Gunnar. It’s a small bag, just a hundred milliliters. It’ll be over soon.”

  He nodded sharply. “It’s fine. I’m fine.”

  Now that the infusion site had been established, the pain would diminish. Nadia assessed his color, watched the pulse thrumming at his throat. She’d be happier if she could count his rate, maybe check his blood-pressure, take his vitals, but she could only stand there and hold that bag, waiting for it to end. As his breathing slowed and the tension faded, Nadia inspected the needle placement. The long shaft held the tubing for the infusion and the thick plastic burrowing through his skin had been secured by rolled up cloths taped into place. Pavel might be a scientist but he’d placed the intraosseous injector the same way an emergency technician would do it.

  “Are you an EMT?” she asked, curious now for the male’s background.

  He nodded. “LA County Fire Department.”

  “You don’t work at our hospital.” The Kan Asma medical center employed its own paramedic unit for emergencies.

  “Nope.” He twisted the syringe into the port and depressed the plunger, merging the pink fluid with the saline drip.

  One eyebrow arched in an unspoken question, she waited for him to continue.

  He tossed the empty syringe to the ground and grabbed the second from his shirt pocket. Biting off the cap, he shook it and squirted a bit of fluid to eliminate air bubbles. Not the protocol she’d been taught to ensure there’d be no cross-contamination. He linked the two together and pushed the thick fluid into the line.

  “It’s boring,” he replied with the plastic cap between his lips.

  “Guess you weren’t there when I got blown up.” Gunnar’s hoarse declaration held a bit of levity.

  “Sure, that was real exciting. You were unconscious. Bloody and totally out of it.” Nadia sidestepped closer to the couch and bent at the waist so she could whisper, “But, I did get to wash your gorgeous body before we took you to surgery, and I was impressed.”

  “I bet you were.” Gunnar trailed his tongue around a fang tip. “I’m a prime specimen.”

  Nadia giggled. “With a cool Viking tattoo.”

  “You know it.” Gunnar smirked. His eyelids fluttered as his brow creased.

  “Sexy abs, too. A total six pack.” She continued with her assessment, liking the way he’d relaxed.

  “What else did you see, Nurse Nadia?” His pitch grew thick, gruff.

  “Plenty. Had to cut those pants off you.” She hid her eyes with her free hand but peeked through her fingers. “I shouldn’t have been ogling.”

  He arched his back, muscles stiff. A deep breath expanded his lungs and the muscles of his chest firmed, biceps straining.

  “It was sexy, though,” she continued.

  His eyelashes fluttered again. Then, his eyes rolled back. His hips arched off the couch.

  “Gunnar?” On instant alert, she hauled her mind back to the present and assessed him more fully.

  He didn’t reply.

  She pressed her hand to his shoulder and felt the minute vibrations rolling through his body. Just as she gripped his arm, to shake him, to see if she could get his attention, his entire body lurched, slamming into the couch and launching off. His teeth clamped together, fangs stabbing into his lower lip. Blood trailed down his chin and a convulsion twisted his body in an odd angle.

  “He’s seizing!” She dropped the bag to the ground and rushed to his side, instantly protecting his head with her hands.

  “This happens sometimes, because of the blood-altering drug, Procrit,” Pavel calmly declared as he strolled over to the decrepit sideboard and rummaged around in a drawer. “I’ve got some AEDs for these situations.”

  “You keep anti-epileptic drugs in a drawer? Are they even good?” Nadia couldn’t contain her fury. Pavel had jabbed a needle into Gunnar’s bone marrow, pumped him full of some witch’s brew of God-only-knows-what type of chemicals
and now he was going to administer a drug that he kept tucked away in a drawer.

  Pavel shrugged. “Not like I have a pharmacy down here.” He rocked the vial back and forth and rolled it between his palms.

  “Give me that!” Nadia stormed over and snatched the drug out of Pavel’s hand. She read the vial. It was standard phenobarbital with a valid expiration date. She held out her hand, “I’ll do the shot.”

  She wasn’t going to let anyone hurt Gunnar anymore. When Pavel deposited the syringe into her palm, she quickly put things together and withdrew the dose. Gunnar’s body continued to tremble, quaking and rising, the whites of his eyes a ghastly reminder of his present state. She didn’t have an alcohol swab but his preternatural ability to heal should fight off any infection. Running her fingers over the tight muscle of his quad, she pressed the needle to his skin. A little push followed as the tip sank into flesh. When it was in deep enough, she gave him the medicine. Passing the empty shot to Pavel, she caught Gunnar’s hand in hers and held on tight, waiting for it to kick in.

  Behind her, Pavel lifted the saline bag and thankfully stood there in silence.

  Minutes passed, but the seizing continued. After what seemed like an eternity, Gunnar finally relaxed, his breathing normalized. Nadia closed her eyes, relief flooding through her veins. “Gunnar, are you back?”

  One of his eyelids cracked open as he peered at her through veiled lashes. “Did I go somewhere?” His gravelly question sounded tired, slurred from the medicine.

  “Someplace scary.” She wiped the blood on his chin with the end of her sleeve and laid her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

  His fingers threaded through her hair, sifting the strands and massaging her scalp. “That wasn’t the plan.” He chuckled. “Aren’t we ’spose to be getting mated?”

  She nodded and wrapped her arm around him holding tight. “We’re so close.”

  “Good,” he muttered softly, and then a light snore followed.

  Nadia let her eyes close, reveling in the warmth of his body and the lack of tension. Then, reluctantly, she pushed away from him and stood up, facing Pavel. “Now what happens?”