Page 48 of Strays
After another long silence, Jo’s voice floats up again. “This is going to sound really weird,” she says, “but I want each of you to tell me a secret. Something you’ve never told anyone else.”
It takes me by surprise, and I don’t know what to say. Jay and Shane don’t say anything either.
“I’m sorry. Too intense, I know,” Jo says in a small voice. “I just got this idea that it’d be easier for me to, you know, feel comfortable with you if I felt like I really knew you guys. But that’s stupid. It only happens over time. You don’t have to—”
“I had a huge crush on a dispatcher once,” Jay says, cutting her off. “Every time I heard her voice, I used to fantasize that she was secretly a nyra, and our scent-mate.”
“Jay,” Shane warns. “That’s not a secret.”
Jay’s voice comes back, defensive. “How? I never told you.”
I snort. “You got that dumb puppy face every time she called us on the radio.”
Jo makes a noise, half a scoff, half a breath.
“So let me get this straight,” Jo says. “While I was out there, miserable because I couldn’t fall in love with any man I tried to love, you were out there falling for a voice on the radio?”
Jay shifts in his sleeping bag; I can hear the nylon rustling faintly. “I didn’t say love.”
“You better think my voice is better than hers.”
“Of course it is.”
“Good. Now the rest of you, spill.”
Rut Physiology and Pack-DependentSexual Function in Aegis
Excerpt from Emergent Divergence: The Evolutionary Path of Homo Gregalis by Dr. Steve Bureau, Ph.D. (4th ed., West Kempton Institute Press)
The aegis rut is a brief neuroendocrine event characterized by a pronounced surge in dopaminergic activity, resulting in heightened euphoria, amplified sensory perception, and compulsive bonding behaviors. Oxytocin, vasopressin, and endogenous opioids also increase concurrently, reinforcing emotional trust and physical proximity.
Pupil dilation and involuntary low-frequency vocalizations (“humming”) are commonly observed. Cortisol concentrations decrease significantly, attenuating defensive reflexes, whereas cardiac output rises, enhancing both physical and sexual performance.
Functionally, rut acts as a neurochemical recalibration mechanism, lowering aggression thresholds and stabilizing hormonal profiles. Regular occurrence has been correlated with improved sleep quality, enhanced sensory integration, and greater behavioral stability in bonded aegis.
Importantly, rut is not an isolated phenomenon. It is initially triggered by nyra pheromones but requires confirmation of territorial safety to fully occur: at least one aegis must remain outside the rut state and visibly alert, so the others can perceive that the pack is safeguarded before entering this vulnerable state. The sole exception occurs during the nyra’s heat, when reproduction is prioritized even over pack security, allowing all bonded aegis to enter rut simultaneously.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
What Home Looks Like
Idon’t think she’s really mad, but there’s definitely a bite in her voice. Safe to say we just found out she’s a tiny bit possessive. I think it’s cute.
Shane is next to speak up. “I broke a suspect’s door trying to kick it open. Turns out it wasn’t even locked. The latch was still tucked in after I blew the whole thing off its hinges. I didn’t check before I kicked.”
“Matthew Connety’s house,” I say, fighting a laugh.
Jay doesn’t have the same restraint. “I remember that one,” he says, laughing.
“You didn’t say anything! I thought nobody else noticed.” Shane’s voice is full of outrage.
“Of course we noticed. But I covered for you, marked it as forced entry in the log and made it look intentional,” I say, shrugging even though he can’t see me.
Jo chuckles, her voice drifting through the dark. “So far, nothing you’ve said was actually a secret. You guys already knew everything.”
“It’s hard not to when it’s your own pack,” I say.
“Exactly,” she replies. “That’s the goal here. You are my pack now.”
