Page 41 of Strays
We wait for what feels like an eternity, but when I check the time, it’s been just over half an hour. If anyone saw us right now, they’d probably think we were having some kind of collective breakdown. All three of us are twitching insome way: Shane tapping his foot, Jay drumming his fingers against his leg, and I can’t stop chewing the inside of my cheek. Every time our eyes meet, we end up grinning like idiots again.
Finally, the desk officer calls us and leads us down a corridor to an office. When I walk in, I’m surprised to see Deputy Commander Julius Eneas.
He doesn’t waste time on pleasantries. The second we step in, he gestures for us to sit and gets straight to business.
“Effective immediately, you are Special Operations personnel.” He slides a set of folders across the desk. “These are your official transfer orders. They document your reassignment from Greenster PD to Special Ops, with a provisional placement at Great Sky PD until you complete Tier-Two certification.”
He leans back in his chair, fingers laced. “Your rank remains the same, but your pay scale and benefits are now under Special Ops standards. That means your salary is adjusted to Special Agent status.”
Shane exhales. “Shit.”
Julius smirks. “Yes, it’s a step up.”
He taps a pen against the desk. “Your interim assignment is with Great Sky PD’s High-Risk Operations Unit. They handle violent offenders, tactical entries, and high-threat calls. Once you qualify for Tier-Two, you’ll report to the Special Ops garrison. Any questions?”
“No, sir,” I say.
He stands. “Then sign your orders. You’re dismissed.”
After signing the paperwork, we return to the reception in silence.
We wait a little longer, and then a human doctor comes to take us down another corridor. He leads us into a small office and gestures for us to sit.
He adjusts his glasses and looks at us flatly. “As part of the bonding process, we offer a counseling session. It’s optional, so you can refuse. Your mate already declined hers, but she insisted that you go through with yours.”
From his tone, it’s obvious he was hoping we’d say no too.
“We’ll do it,” I say.
He sighs, annoyed, and looks at me like I’ve ruined his day. “In a few minutes, I’ll take you to the bite room. After you bite the nyra, the physical changes to her body, and yours, can’t be stopped or reversed. There’s no turning back.”
He sounds like he’s given this same speech a thousand times, and maybe he has. But every word sends a thrill through me.
“How fast the changes occur varies from pack to pack,” he says. “But with scent-mates, they usually happen faster. The nyra’s body changes are more predictable than the aegis’. After the bite, her reproductive system will exit the dormant phase and be active. She’ll likely experience her first heat within three months, and then heats every ninety days or so. Heats last, in general, two tothree days. During that time, she’ll be fertile, and odds of pregnancy are high.”
Jo in heat. I can’t even think about that. If I do, my pants will explode and I’ll embarrass myself right here in this chair.
“She’ll require the presence of at least one aegis the whole time, ideally all three,” he continues. “If you neglect her during heat, it’ll not only be very painful, but dangerous to her health, and the heat period will extend, lasting up to a week.”
Now I’m a little annoyed at the warnings in the doctor’s voice. Of course we would never let her go through a heat alone.
“We usually give mild sedation and painkillers to ease the bite, but among scent-mates, aegis sometimes develop the ability to purr, and that sound can ease the nyra’s pain. Your mate informed us that you are already capable of that and declined both the sedation and the painkillers.”
Fuck.
Panic creeps in. I still don’t know how to make the humming happen on command. What if we can’t?
“After the bite, you may feel dizzy or confused. The nyra will likely feel fatigue and may need to sleep for several hours. That’s normal. You can leave MAB when you feel ready, but we advise waiting at least twelve hours before traveling.”
He stands abruptly. “Follow me.”
We file out behind him, stunned by how fast everything’s moving. The guy didn’t even give us a chance to ask questions.
He leads us to a new room, and I know Jo’s inside before the door even opens, her lily scent already seeping through. When we step in, the space is different. Empty, except for one large nest in the center. And in that nest, waiting for us, is her.
My pulse races again, pounding even harder than before.
Two human doctors, one man and one woman, stand nearby, but I barely register them, can’t take my eyes off Jo. In the background, I hear the woman saying, “Whenever you’re ready.”
