“Gen two triggered sexual frenzy in almost every test subject.” Carly’s voice was flat and mechanical, but she’d provided the answer without hesitation. “We realized the frenzy itself could be used to control the subjects, so the mind control aspect became less important. I refined the serum and carefully monitored the test subjects who were most responsive to the new formula. An unexpected pattern emerged.”
“Stop being coy. I bore easily.”
“You’re asking me to explain the past four years in a few sentences.” Her tone remained calm, but her lips thinned, accenting the lines bracketing her mouth. “It really is complicated.”
“Then skip to the good parts or I’ll find another way of entertaining myself.” She slid the tip of her claw along Carly’s jaw and watched blood bead in the shallow cut.
Tears escaped the corners of Carly’s eyes and her chin began to quiver. “There are two distinctly different biological cycles with exactly the same symptoms. The gen two serum triggered one cycle in defined females and another in undefined females. I don’t think Therians are aware that there’s a difference.”
Zophiel raised her hand to her mouth and licked the blood off her claw. “Are you speaking of Therian heat and bonding fever?”
“I’m not familiar with those terms, but what we trigger is not dissimilar to the seasonal heat experienced by domestic felines and canines.”
It was Zophiel’s turn to sigh. Obviously there were no simple answers. Each statement the human made only left her with more questions. “You said there were two biological cycles. Explain what you mean.”
“This is extremely uncomfortable. Will you please untie me?”
“No.” When Zophiel said nothing more, the human began to sulk. Zophiel grabbed her hair and twisted hard. Carly cried out and instinctively jerked against her bonds. “Start talking or I start cutting.” She hooked her claw inside the human’s nostril and pulled just hard enough to draw blood.
Carly froze, staring straight ahead, barely breathing. “On the surface it all looked the same. Females and males all became aggressive and desperate for sex. But hormone levels, blood chemistry, even brain function were all vastly different.”
“Start with the defined females. How did their bodies react?” She moved her claw away from the human’s face and released her hair. Controlling her captive was just as thrilling as actually inflicting pain. But they were no idle threats. If Carly continued to resist, Zophiel would carve up the human’s body and let her bleed to death.
“Not only did males become sexually aroused, their sperm count also doubled.”
“And with the undefined females?”
“The sperm count was unaffected and the males were almost combative. It was all very violent. It was almost as if the female was provoking the male, seeing if he could overwhelm her.”
If a latent female was about to be defined, she would test the strength and aggression of the male. Only the strongest and most powerful male would be considered for her definition. Once she made her choice, the male’s blood would be used as a pattern for her animal nature. Definition was a permanent change, one that shaped the rest of the female’s life. If Carly didn’t understand these distinctions, Zophiel wasn’t about to enlighten her.
“What conclusion did you draw from the contrast?”
“With a defined female the cycle was meant for reproduction. Her body was trying to attract a strong, healthy male and increase the chances that their sexual acts would result in pregnancy. With the undefined female the purpose was less clear.”
Zophiel caught Carly’s chin and raised her face. Did she honestly not understand how a Therian female locked in her animal nature? “Did the undefined female ever draw blood?”
“We didn’t realize the significance at first, but…”
“But Osric explained how female definition works?”
The human’s eyes widened and she nodded. “You know Osric is helping us?”
“Was, my dear. Osric was helping you until I compelled him to end his own life.” Zophiel released Carly’s face and resumed her lazy orbit. “I can’t abide traitors.” Besides he’d outlived his usefulness and Zophiel preferred her life uncluttered by complications. “We are discussing the gen two serum. Is there a gen three?”
“I’d just begun testing on gen three. We’d only found one test subject who tolerated the refined formula.”
“Devon Lashton, I presume.”
Carly didn’t confirm or deny the conclusion, but tension rolled across her features. “You seem to know a lot about the operation. Why do you need me?”