Her Secret by Tara Fox Hall Page A

healed up inside. I’d guess by then you
could try getting pregnant.” He turned to Danial. “I checked into
several options. As you know there are a few drugs on the market
that combat turning—”
    “Most just give the blood a foul taste while
increasing the body’s ability to manufacture new blood,” Danial
said with a grimace. “Those are similar to the blood replenishing
packets Sar used before. Mostly hunters use them as a last
desperate effort.”
    “I didn’t mean those,” Stephen quickly
assured him. “I meant something to combat the desire to be bitten.
This would work psychotropically, not just physically.”
    I didn’t like the sound of that. “What will
it do? And why didn’t you mention this before, back when The Lust
first presented itself?”
    “We couldn’t use it before because you were
pregnant. The drug will take away your desire to be with a vampire
and let you control yourself until the virus leaves your system. But ,” he added, “It’s a trade off. You’ll feel differently
while on it, and it may affect your personality.”
    “What do you mean?” Theo and Danial said
together.
    “Sar will lose her desire,” Stephen said
simply. “Medically, you can’t suppress one biological urge, and not
suppress another of the same kind. She’ll act a lot less driven and
passionate about all of her needs and desires.”
    His explanation scared and repelled me. I’d
never wanted to be anyone other than who I was. “Isn’t there
anything else less severe?”
    “Not really,” Stephen replied. “Humans who
are turning can be very unpredictable, going to enormous lengths to
complete the process. They can become violent, or sometimes even
harm themselves in an effort to attract a vampire to finish the
job.”
    “What other options are there?” Danial
asked.
    “There isn’t much else. You can either turn
her, or Sar goes into solitary confinement for the next two months.
Any vampire will be attracted to her in this state, and she will be
attracted to them. It won’t take long for one to take
advantage.”
    One already had . “Do it,” I said
softly. “I can’t live like I’ve been living.”
    Stephen nodded, and left the room.
    “Sarelle, are you sure?” Danial said,
concerned. “This is what you want?”
    I didn’t want to be on drugs. What I wanted
was to have Theo and Danial both, and maybe Devlin, too. Alas, life
regrettably wasn’t fantasy. “It’s the only line of attack
left.”
    “Say this does work for her,” Danial said
slowly to Stephen. “What do you have that will work on me? I can’t
risk taking anything that might compromise my reasoning or reaction
time—”
    “You should be fine without drugs,” Stephen
replied. “The one Sar is being prescribed will alter her behavior
enough so she won’t provoke any encounters. From what you’ve told
me, your actions with her weren’t outside a normal vampire’s desire
for sex and blood. You never sought her out for either from sheer
physical need or desire, something I’m surprised at. But you also
showed remarkable restraint under The Lust, so it may be either a
testament to your strength of will, or that you’re so new at making
vampires.”
    “You’re sure?” Theo stated. “I don’t want to
risk him being around her if you aren’t.”
    “We’re going to find out. Dose me,” I said
bitterly. “I have to do something, and this is the only option I
can live with.”
    “I understand why you feel that way, Sar,”
Danial said. “But I’m hesitant to—”
    “It’s her body,” Theo growled. “So it’s her
decision, not yours.”
    “Yes, I know,” Danial said. He let go of my
hand. “Take the next few days off, both of you. Theo, please call
me in twenty-four hours to let me know how she is.”
    “Will do,” Theo said. “Or she will, if she
feels well enough.”
    “Goodbye, Sar,” Danial said softly, then
left.
    Dismayed, I got dressed quickly. When we
emerged, Danial was gone. Theo and