Continued!

Lila’s hand hovers over the syringe, her pulse roaring in her ears. She can taste the freedom, sharp and bitter on her tongue. No more being a toy, a pet, a thing—

But then she wouldn’t be hers.

The realization hits her like a gut punch. She wants to be hers. Even as she hates it. Even as she craves it.

Dr. Voss’s voice cuts through her spiraling thoughts. “The choice is yours.”

Lila’s fingers close around the syringe.

Elena makes a sound—small, choked, like she’s been struck. Her mask of control shatters, her face twisting in something raw, something broken, before she turns away, her shoulders shaking.

Lila’s breath comes in ragged gasps as she presses the needle to her skin. The serum burns as it enters her vein, a searing, cleansing heat spreading through her body. Her cock twitches, her stomach clenching as the first waves of reversal hit her—

And then Elena is gone, the door hissing shut behind her, leaving Lila standing there, trembling, the syringe slipping from her fingers to clatter against the floor.

The silence is deafening.

She presses a hand to her chest, her heart pounding, her body already changing, the serum unraveling inside her. The weight between her legs feels lighter, her skin tingling as the transformation reverses.

She should feel relieved.

She should feel free.

But all she tastes is ash.

Dr. Voss clears his throat, breaking the suffocating quiet. “You made the right choice,” he says, his voice carefully neutral.

Lila doesn’t answer. She can’t. Her throat is too tight, her eyes burning.

Because for the first time, she’s not sure she did.