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“What do you mean, the results?”
The doctor clears his throat. “I’ve been inspecting human physiology since the alpha took his human mate. I believe it might be possible for humans and saurians to reproduce, or at least, for some kind of reproductive incident to occur. It’s not for me to say what would emerge from such a mixing of genes. It could be something quite unnatural. Something twisted and foul. Something unable to exist for longer than a few breaths. You should be careful when you, er. When you… There are means of protection.”
At this point, both Avel and I are staring at the doctor with a mixture of confusion and horror. We had not considered the potential of reproduction because saurians lay eggs and humans, well, I suppose we lay eggs of a kind too, internally. But not of the sort saurian sperm could ever fertilize.
“I am going to leave some prophylactics for you, Enforcer Avel. I would suggest you make use of them. The last thing we need is the creation of any humanoid anomalies on the planet.”
“Why not? What’s wrong with humanoid anomalies?”
“If human genetic material was to be introduced to the population, it could lead to the loss of the original saurian species entirely,” the doctor says. “Humans are prime breeders. One of the most easily mated species ever discovered. There are some planets now inhabited entirely by human hybrids.”
“Survival of the fittest? What’s wrong with that?” I ask.
“Destruction of genomes that have evolved over millions of years,” he says. “Remember. Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.”
“Have you given Thorn this talk, then?
“Many times.”
“Imagine the kind of baby we’d make. A pirate with scales and wings,” I say, testing the waters by broaching the subject. I’m also fucking with the doctor, if I’m to be honest. I don’t like how offended he is by the idea of human genes getting into the pure saurian DNA. I get the point of preserving species, but if hybrids are better at surviving, then maybe that’s what the universe really wants.
“Pirate is not a personality trait, Raine,” Avel snorts.
“Wrong. It’s in the DNA. I’m sure of it. A tendency to lawlessness is inherited. My parents were crooks. They were pretty, refined, socially acceptable kinds of crooks, but they were, nonetheless. And they died for it. Like I will, one day, probably.”
“Not on my watch,” Avel says. “You’re done with your criminal past. I will never make the mistake of letting you anywhere near the criminal elements of the city again. You are going to stay safe and sound, well out of the way of any nefarious activity.”
“Am I?” I smirk, unable to help myself. Rebellion just comes so naturally to me when we are in one another’s presence. There’s something about how big, strong, and serious he is that makes me want to test him, feel his strength and his dominance.
“Oh, absolutely,” he says, momentarily ignoring the doctor and instead crossing the room to pick me up in that oh-so-careful embrace of his. He holds me close and sits on the bed, seating me in his lap, cradling me both in his arms and his wings. When Avel holds me, he blocks out the rest of the world completely. I find myself in a scaly, leathery cocoon of pure security.
While the doctor huffs and gets back to work, I lean my head against his shoulder and close my eyes, drinking this moment in. I dreamed of this when I was abducted. I wanted nothing more than to feel this again. Now that I have it, I want it to last forever.
“Why did you leave the prison?”
I groan inwardly as he asks the question I knew would inevitably arise. If not for that one error in judgement, none of this suffering would have happened. I want to tell him how sorry I am, how I know I need to make better decisions because my actions have terrible consequences. I want to express how much I missed him, and how much I need him, and how much I love him.
Instead, I give him attitude.
“Well, one, I felt like it. Two, the big gray saurian told me how. He gave me a note to put in a box across the street. It was some kinda trigger, I think. I got jumped not a minute later. I’m pretty sure I signaled my own kidnapping. Which doesn’t feel good.”
“So he did know what he was doing,” Avel says, as if something had just been confirmed for him. “Regardless, you should have stayed where I left you. You should have had better self-preservation, and much better obedience.
“When have I ever stayed where you left me? And why would I start while in a horrible saurian cell? I didn’t like it in there.”
“Did you like what happened as a result?”
“Obviously not.”
“Then next time, if I put you somewhere, you damn well stay there. Do you understand me?” His voice is deepening, and I know he is not playing. Still, I can’t bring myself to just simply agree. There’s something in me that won’t let him be in charge, even when he is undeniably completely in charge.
“I suppose.”
“Raine!” He snaps my name forcefully enough to make the doctor flinch mid-treatment, smearing saurian glue across unharmed scales.
“If you could stay still, Enforcer Avel,” he says. “I might avoid sticking your arm to your wing.”
I jump a little at the doctor’s voice. I’d almost entirely forgotten he was there.
