inside the chamber is highly flammable.” He glanced at her hair. “Is there product in your hair?”
She shook her head. “I washed it yesterday.”
“Wipe down your hair as well. Secure it under this cap. When you’re done, come out, and we’ll get started.” With an anxious look at a door across the room, he stepped closer. “Listen, Reckless can be very harsh. He’s just a miserable son-of-a-bitch. Whatever he says to you—don’t take it personally. He’s like that with everyone.”
“Okay.” She hesitated before walking over to the changing room he had indicated. Once inside, she peeled out of her clothing and unbuckled the collar. It felt strange to remove it, especially when it held so much meaning to the sky warriors. There was a small mirror mounted on the wall, and she flushed when she noticed the splotches on her neck where the collar had been. Cipher had taken hold of it earlier that morning while pounding her into the bed, marking her skin with his need and desire. She ran her fingers over the marks and felt a flutter of heat between her legs. Cipher was the sweetest, gentlest man, but inside the bedroom, when they were together, he could be wild and rough.
And she absolutely loved it.
Thinking of him, she cleaned her body as instructed and slipped on the gown and cap. When she stepped out of the changing room, there was another man waiting with Chance. Instantly, she recognized that Reckless was not a nice person. There was something in the air, a familiar vibe that set off her internal alarms.
“They let this little scrap of a girl pass the health inspection?” He looked at her as if she were the ugliest thing he had ever seen. “What the hell is Raze doing over there? Doesn’t he know we have standards? She’ll never be able to carry a baby to term with a shrunken, malnourished womb.”
She went cold as his mean words washed over her. She was thin, yes, but she wasn’t sickly. She had lean muscles and plenty of strength to climb and crawl and work in the mines.
He stepped toward her, and she took an instinctive step back. He glowered at her. “Get over here. Now.”
She bristled at being ordered around by such a mean old man but didn’t dare tell him no. She stepped in front of him and flinched when he reached out to touch her. He roughly gripped her chin, turning her face left and right. “So, you’re the dirty little rat they found to crawl through the tunnels and free Terror, huh?”
“Sir,” Chance cut in, offended on her behalf. “I don’t think that sort of language is appropriate for a mate.”
“Did I ask you for your opinion?” Reckless kept his irritated gaze on her as he said, “Chance, your parents have the right idea, arranging your marriage to a nice, clean girl from home.” He sneered down at her. “Look at this one. Uneducated. Underfed. Her parents were probably cousins or siblings. Spent her entire miserable life crawling through mine shafts like an animal.” He shook his head with disgust. “Cipher is one of the smartest men in our entire force. His genes are wasted on trash like this.”
“Sir!” Chance grimaced.
“Get her hooked up to the sensors,” Reckless ordered before moving to the control panel on the chamber. “I want a fertility panel run on her before the next scheduled treatment. If she’s as low quality as she looks, we aren’t wasting more treatment resources on her.”
Chance shot her an apologetic look, and she shook her head slightly, letting him know that she didn’t blame him for the horrible things coming out of his superior’s mouth. He applied the sensor stickers to her chest and back, keeping his eyes away from her naked skin as he shifted her gown out of place to reach the areas he needed.
“Get into the chamber, girl,” the doctor said when Chance was finished. She hesitated a moment too long, and he snapped, “Are you deaf? Get in now!”
She scrambled to comply. Too afraid to ask for a stool or help, she clambered into the chamber using her climbing skills. Once she was inside, she slid down onto the blue padding and placed her arms at her side.
“Don’t talk. Don’t move. Breathe in and out until the treatment is done.”
“Yes, sir.”
He seemed marginally pleased with her reply. He shut the chamber lid and locked it in place before disappearing from view. Alone and unable to see