Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

"The drug they injected into her? It's a banned substance. Used to be all the rage in underground fight clubs in Europe and the US, but the side effects were brutal. It got scrapped ages ago-no one's seen it in years."

Charles raised an eyebrow. His features were sharp-strong nose, deep-set eyes, and a gaze so intense it almost felt like he was daring you to look away. But despite all that, his eyes were unexpectedly clear, almost gentle.

So Clara just happened to stumble into this mess? He found it kind of funny. He'd only just arrived in the Capital, and already something this wild had landed right in

his lap.

Boss, his German shepherd, wandered over and nudged his leg, tail wagging so hard it looked ready to take flight.

Charles glanced down with a smirk. "So, why'd Boss and Junior pull her out in the first place?"

"Did you forget, young master? Boss and Junior were raised in the research lab. They're nothing like regular dogs-stronger, smarter, way more aggressive, and their noses are insanely sharp when it comes to drugs. They must've smelled the stuff on her."

Boss's tail thumped on the floor again, as if to say, See? Told you.

Charles walked over to Clara's bed. The staff had already cleaned her up, so her face was clear now. She really was pretty. There was something about her, too- she looked familiar, like someone he'd seen before, but he just couldn't place it.

Oh well. He let it go for now.

He turned back to the doctor. "So, what are the side effects?"

The doctor hesitated, clearly trying to pick his words.

Charles grabbed a chair and sat down. "Just tell me straight."

"That drug was used in underground fight clubs. In the short term, it can make someone insanely powerful, but..." The doctor trailed off, looking uncomfortable. "Every few days, it triggers intense physical urges. You know... In those places, women were always just playthings. Lots of them got hurt or worse. If someone keeps taking the drug, their body starts craving it more and more, until eventually, it destroys them. They end up a shell of themselves, totally gone."noveldrama

So basically, every few days, whoever's on it gets hit with a crazy need for the opposite sex.

Charles had been absentmindedly petting Boss, but his hand froze. He made a face-like he couldn't decide if he was shocked, annoyed, or just plain speechless.

The doctor coughed and kept going. "But the way it boosts strength? It was insane. There was this one boxer-top of his game. Some on the drug took him out in ten seconds. Pretty soon, people were rigging matches, using the drug to mess with the odds. It gét ugly-lots of people got hurt. Worst of all, the drug messes with your mind. If you're not strong-willed, even a regular dose can break you. The woman here? She got hit with a high dose..."

She survived. She didn't lose her mind. Managed to save herself, even. Clearly not your average person.

Charles rubbed his forehead. Whatever. None of this was really his problem. He was only here in the Capital to finish a job.

"Alright. We'll wait till she wakes up. If she ends up desperate for a man, we can always just tie you up for her."

The doctor's face went bright red. "Please don't even joke about that."

Charles let out a laugh, shoulders shaking. "What, you think you'd get that lucky? Look at her-she's got to have connections. I'll check around, see which family in the Capitalis missing a woman. Who knows, maybe it'll pay off."

The doctor let out a relieved breath and nodded.

Clara had been missing for three days, and all of Palm Bay was dead silent. Everyone wanted to reach out to Aiden, but he was already losing his mind.

He grabbed the nearest doctor, his voice tight. "How is it? Any ideas at all?"

The doctor looked exhausted, sweat beading on his forehead as he shook his head.

Aiden went pale, his arms dropping limply to his sides. "Should we try more of the drug? The president's been keeping the dose low these past few days. Maybe if we up it-just this once?"

The doctor instantly shot that down. "If we increase the dose, the next episode will be even worse. He's got a mental block, and if he can't get past it, he'll break faster. He's already fighting that other side of himself with everything he's got."

Calling it resistance was putting it mildly. It was disgust. Fear. Complete and utter loathing.

Who would've thought there was something in this world that could scare him that much?