Total pages in book: 165
Estimated words: 159487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 797(@200wpm)___ 638(@250wpm)___ 532(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 159487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 797(@200wpm)___ 638(@250wpm)___ 532(@300wpm)
“Ah, excellent, excellent,” Dr. Verityx said, looking at the dishes on the table. “You are eating. This is good. Very good. Nutritional support is essential during high-output nectar production and repeated seminal contribution.”
Cassandra closed her eyes.
“Doctor, I am begging you not to say ‘seminal contribution’ while I’m eating,
she said dryly.
“My apologies.” Dr. Verityx blinked at her. “Would reproductive donation be preferable?”
“No.”
“Cream production?”
“Also no.”
“Then I shall simply say contribution,” the owl-doctor said.
“Thank you.” Cassie sighed. “I guess I’ll take it.”
Ravik’s mouth twitched despite himself.
Then Dr. Verityx’s feathers shifted, and his expression became more serious.
“I have preliminary results from the nectar collected this morning. They are extremely promising, but alas, the nectar is not yet sufficient for full vaccine development.”
The humor in the room vanished abruptly.
Cassandra set down her fruit.
“Not sufficient? If you knew what the three of us did together—” She broke off abruptly, her cheeks going pink.
“Not yet,” the doctor said quickly. “But please do not be discouraged. The sample is extraordinary. It neutralized multiple Hunger Virus cultures, including the Ravik-adapted strain and two Visskous variants. It also showed early immune-training behavior, which is precisely what we need for a vaccine.”
Sev leaned forward, suddenly all scientist.
“But it degraded,” he guessed.
Dr. Verityx’s head swiveled toward him.
“Yes—exactly. After a brief period of broad-spectrum activity, the sample began to lose cohesion. The attack markers remained strong, but the carrier structure destabilized.”
Sev’s face went still.
“I…see,” he said slowly.
Ravik didn’t like that look on the Blood Kindred’s face one fucking bit. Something was happening, he could tell—something he wouldn’t like when he finally understood it.
“What does that mean?” Cassandra asked.
“It means the nectar knows what to kill,” Dr. Verityx said. “But not how to remain stable long enough to teach another body how to resist infection before exposure. A true vaccine must not simply destroy the Hunger Virus. It must create lasting immune recognition.”
“And we’re missing that?” she asked.
“Not entirely. You have the foundation,” Dr. Verityx said, sounding excited again. “Commander Ravik’s cream provides powerful recognition-and-attack markers. Commander Severin’s cream provides healing precursors and Blood Kindred carrier fragments. Your body is combining them beautifully in your mammary glands. But the final binding element is not present in sufficient strength.”
Sev’s hands closed slowly around his cup.
“My essence,” he said.
Ravik’s entire body went cold. Fuck—not the essence again!
Dr. Verityx bobbed his feathered head.
“Yes. Your essence is the living carrier medium. Your seed contributes useful precursor markers, but the binding agent itself is produced in the essence glands and delivered most effectively through the fangs.”
Cassandra looked at Sev, then at Ravik.
“Delivered,” she repeated slowly. “You mean biting. The way Severin bit Ravik to cure him of the virus in the first place.”
“Yes,” Dr. Verityx said. “A bite from Commander Severin appears necessary to bind the vaccine response.”
Ravik pushed away his plate.
“I don’t like where this is fucking going.”
“It’s going where it needs to in order to make the vaccine.”
Sev didn’t look at him as he spoke, which only made Ravik angrier.
“Fuck that,” he growled.
“Commander Ravik,” Dr. Verityx said calmly, “I understand this is culturally and emotionally difficult, but the data is clear.”
“You don’t understand shit,” Ravik growled.
“Ravik,” Cassie said softly.
He heard the worry in her voice and forced himself to stop. Not to calm down, because that was impossible, but at least stop growling at the owl doctor like he was an Infected crawling over the tower rail.
Dr. Verityx did not look offended. He only tapped his tablet and a small hologram appeared above it, showing streams of gold and red markers twisting together and then fraying apart.
“The next treatment must be more complete,” he said. “Cassandra will need one more full dose of cream from both males, delivered through the lower mucosal pathways simultaneously. Vaginal and rectal absorption together will activate the reproductive-mammary pathway and the pelvic lymphatic network at the same time, which should push her nectar production to peak broad-spectrum output.”
Cassandra’s cheeks went bright red.
“Wait…both at the same time?” she squeaked.
“I’m afraid so.” Doctor Verityx nodded.
Sev closed his eyes for half a second, a look of despair flitting over his face before it went carefully blank.
Ravik just stared at the owl-like doctor.
“Both our shafts in her at once,” he said, his voice flat.
“Yes.” The doctor nodded as though it was no big deal.
“Sharing her,” he emphasized. “Giving her our seed at the same time.”
“Yes,” Dr. Verityx chirped, as though they were discussing the weather. “The positioning will be delicate, of course, but quite manageable with proper preparation and support. However, the simultaneous cream delivery is only one part of the process.”
Ravik felt his stomach drop.
“What the fuck? You mean there’s more?” he demanded.
The doctor nodded, his head swiveling in the weird bird-like way.
“At peak response, while both male markers are present and Cassandra’s glandular system is actively producing vaccine nectar, Commander Severin must bite Cassandra and deliver essence directly into her bloodstream. That should bind the carrier structure to her nectar production.”