Page 26 of Strays
The idea of going back to a police station should piss me off. But it doesn’t. I don’t care where they put us, if we go home to her after our shift, I’ll take it.
Eneas watches us for a moment, probably waiting for complaints. When none come, he continues. “It’s policy to assign newly mated packs as close as possible to the nyra’s original residence. Helps minimize relocation stress. It’s not always doable, but you’re in luck: our most undermanned garrison is in Great Sky, Connecticut, which I think suits your mate.”
I realize I don’t even know where Johane lives. I glance at my brothers, and the same thought is flickering in their eyes.
Then the commander adds, casually, “Especially considering her unusual circumstances.”
I tense. Shane leans forward slightly, but the commander doesn’t explain. Just keeps going.
“You’ll be informed which Great Sky PD you’re assigned to while awaiting Tier-Two. Do you need a few days’ leave to tie up things in Greenster before relocating?”
“No,” I say without hesitation. “There’s nothing left for us in Greenster.”
He raises a brow, catching the subtext: we weren’t planning to go back, no matter how today turned out.
“Very well. After confirming your bond with your nyra tomorrow, you’re cleared to relocate to Connecticut. You’ll receive one week of paid leave and a relocation grant to help you settle in.”
Then his tone softens. “Normally, when nyras come from outside D.C. for a match meeting at the MAB, they stay in the housing unit we provide, along with their pack of fathers. But your nyra came to D.C. alone.
“For that reason, she was placed in a civilian hotel. We decided this was safer than housing an unbonded nyra alone in the MAB facility. But the hotel isn’t equipped for a full pack, so she’s welcome to stay with you at the housing unit until departure.”
He pauses. “Any questions?”
Yeah. I have a million. Starting with how the hell did her family let her come here alone? Nyras don’t travel unaccompanied. Especially not to meet a pack of potential mates. But more than anything, I want this over so we can get back to her.
So I lie. “No, sir.”
“Then you’re dismissed. Go back to your nyra.”
Phenotypic Dominanceand Lineage Preservation in Homo Gregalis
Excerpt from Emergent Divergence: The Evolutionary Path of Homo Gregalis by Dr. Steve Bureau, Ph.D. (4th ed., West Kempton Institute Press)
Gregalis genetic expression is overwhelmingly dominant over human genes in interspecies embryogenesis; thus, cross-species breeding invariably results in offspring that are phenotypically gregalis.
Developmental pathways responsible for skeletal structure, musculature, endocrine function, and sensory systems are governed by gregalis-specific gene complexes that override human alleles. Consequently, the offspring exhibit all physical, cognitive, and physiological traits characteristic of Homo gregalis, with no detectable human phenotypic expression.
Regarding the sex of the offspring, interspecies fertilization outcomes are exclusively male. The most widely accepted hypothesis attributes this to chromosomal incompatibility during X–X pairing: when a human ovum contributes an X chromosome and the gregalis spermatozoa also carry an X, the resulting zygote undergoes apoptotic failure during early embryogenesis. Only Y-bearing spermatozoa from the gregalis male can produce viable embryos with a human ovum.
A nyra, therefore, can only be conceived through the mating of a gregalis breeding pair, underscoring a strict biological barrier to the propagation of the gregalis female lineage.
CHAPTER SIX
Pheromone Party
When we enter Johane’s room again, she and the blond human are arguing in low voices. They stop the moment they see us.
The blond looks tense, arms crossed and jaw tight, but Johane seems calm.
When her scent hits me at full force, I bask in the almost euphoric relief of being able to breathe easily. I feel my chest starting to vibrate again, the same sound coming from my brothers.
We need to figure out how this thing works, and how to gain control over it.
"I don’t think you’ve been properly introduced," Johane says, glancing from the blond to us. "This is my friend, Alice Maniok."
Johane glances at her. "Al, these are Shane, Jay and Kory Larsen."
Alice nods stiffly, arms still crossed. "Hi."
