Page 13 of The Hornet’s Hucow Pet

I see an echo of my pain on his face, and I look away, focusing on the strange colors of the contract.

Sylvus hands it to Zyren, who offers it to me, draped over his hand. I press my palm against his, then gasp as a strange sensation enters my mind.

My eyes slide shut. Fragmented colors dance along my gaze, and something soft glides over my skin, like a rain of flower petals. A fresh, floral scent meets my nose, soothing and enticing.

I hear echoes of words that sound familiar, though I’m sure I’ve never heard them before. I try to remember them, but they slip out of my grasp, as if hovering on the tip of my tongue.

Time seems to shift and bend, giving the peculiar sensation of being totally frozen and yet rushing by in a torrent so intense that everything happens at once. It’s like the contract rifles through my mind, flipping through stacks of memories from both the past and the future.

Then suddenly it’s over. I blink my eyes open to find a shimmering band around my wrist, sparkling with the same colors as the contract.

A matching one adorns Zyren’s wrist, and the two bands glow in time with each other, then gradually fade.

Sylvus nods. “It’s done.”

He gently sets Andromeda on the couch, whispering something in her ear. She nods, then waves at me as we leave, but she seems sad to see Sylvus go.

The Arachnoid leads us to a larger chamber deeper in the house. Its purpose is immediately clear—one side of the room is dominated by tidily organized milking equipment. There are steel motors, polymer attachments, glass tanks and jars…

Zyren gently grabs my chin and pulls my gaze to his. “Don’t worry about all that. Just focus on me. Sylvus is going to secure you, then he’ll inject you with the venom that will begin your transformation. I’ll be at your side the whole time.”

My rational mind fights to stay in control, but I can’t help but trust Zyren. I nod.

“Time to remove your clothes. It’ll be more comfortable that way.”

“Jeez, buy a girl dinner first.” I joke to hide my nerves. It’s easier to strip my shirt and bra off and wiggle out of my shorts and thong when I remind myself that this is like a doctor’s visit.

If the doctors were super hot. And half bug.

When Sylvus holds out his arms for my naked body, Zyren’s first reaction is to pull me tighter to his chest. I curl instinctively into him.

Zyren takes a deep breath, then hands me over.

Sylvus’s movements are crisp, professional, and efficient as he holds me in the air and weaves silk around my body. It’s smooth and elastic, and not at all sticky.

Compressive bands spread the force from the cables that attach to the ceiling and walls, holding me in a reclined sitting position.

Soon, enough silk covers my body that I might as well be clothed again.

Zyren steps over, carefully maneuvering around the silk to stand at my side.

His hand rests on my chest, and the gesture is far more comforting than it should be, given that he’s practically a stranger.

Sylvus’s voice comes from over my shoulder. “You look like you want to deck me.”

There’s a quiet, restrained violence in Zyren’s eyes. “I do. But I won’t.”

“Thank you for that.”

Zyren takes one of my hands from where it’s pinned near my side and squeezes it. “The envenomation will begin momentarily. This part… will hurt.”

“Eh, how bad could it really b⁠—”

Searing pain slices into my shoulder. It’s so swift and so severe, a whimper escapes me. Zyren squeezes my hand harder, then takes a deep breath. My body somehow synchronizes with his movements, matching his inhale and slow exhale.

The pain is manageable when I finish the breath, though it throbs in time with deep pulses—new injections of venom—as Sylvus chews on the base of my neck.

Zyren’s face fills my vision. “You’re doing so well, Nova. This is the fastest way that will hurt the least, I promise. Sylvus is very good at what he does.” Zyren’s voice grabs hold of me, providing the distraction I need to keep breathing.