Ovulation and You, Xenoichthyology: Understanding Mer Anatomy, Interspecies Relations…
Beau paused, pulling a small booklet toward him. Its title read, “Island Sickness: Common Health Conditions for Human Omegas.”
He skimmed the table of contents and flipped to the page on something called “Pheromone Overwhelm.”
Pheromone Overwhelm is a condition which most often affects human Omegas who have been largely separated from Alphas prior to arriving on the Paeil Islands. If the Omega is not prescribed a heat suppressant, or if the dosage is insufficient, the sudden increase in Alpha pheromones can trigger a rapid-onset heat. This form of heat is reported to be much more powerful than a standard heat and can cause great discomfort. Typical symptoms include fever, chills, sweating, and persistent arousal. If you or your Omega is experiencing two or more of these symptoms shortly after arrival or afterheat suppressant reduction, please contact your healthcare provider.
Beau groaned and jammed his face into the pillow.
“What’s wrong,luae?” Loriun asked. His words were a little muffled.
“Look.” Beau pushed the booklet into the Alpha’s hand.
It was quiet while Loriun read through the passage. It was only then that Beau wondered how Mer education worked here. Did they learn English first? Or Loaish, the universal language of the Mer? The way Loriun spoke, with a faint, lilting accent, made him think Loaish was the primary language on the Mermades, but then again, everyone seemed to speak English.
I should really learn some Loaish.
“Well. This explains a lot,” Loriun finally said. “You are still taking your suppressant, correct?”
“Yeah, but my doctor in Gainesville lowered the dose right before I left.”
“Your doctor didwhat?”
Beau rolled over, startled by the sudden venom in the Alpha’s tone. “Lowered my dosage. It was in my medical file, wasn’t it?”
“Dr. Enas did not mention anything about it. But you still have your right to privacy here, Beau. He did not show me your file.”
Beau blinked at Loriun. “Then how did you know about all the medical tests?”
Loriun hesitated. “He… asked me if I was aware that you had experienced an alarming number of experimental procedures and tests. That your treatment in Gainesville may have been less than humane.”
“Oh.”
“But you have a copy of your file.” Loriun nodded his head toward the large envelope on the bedside table.
Beau sat up with a grunt and pulled out a stapled packet of paper. It looked as though the poor receptionist had to use an industrial stable to bind the sheafs together.
On the very first page, Beau’s medications were listed—an iron supplement to compensate for his frequent blood draws, and his heat suppressant-birth control combination pill.
“That’s weird,” Beau said. “It still says thirty-five micrograms of each. That’s the dose I’ve always been on.”
Loriun’s brows furrowed. “Where is your suppressant bottle?”
Beau pointed a lifeless finger toward his open suitcase in the center of the bedroom. “Over there. But I can’t get up. Someone liquefied my legs.”
Loriun chuckled and climbed from the bed. He was even more magnificent in the daylight. Long, red hair waving and coiling to the middle of his back, sculpted muscles across every inch of his body, and a vibrant array of teal and scarlet scales throwing rainbows in the sun.
Mate…Beau shoved the thought back down.
Loriun stepped over the end of his own tail and retrieved the orange bottle. His eyes darted across the label, and his mouth thinned.
“What?” Beau asked nervously.
“It says five micrograms.”
Beau gaped at him. “Five? Just five? Not like… twenty-five?”
Loriun moved to Beau’s side of the bed and held out the bottle. Sure enough, the little numbers under his name listed a paltry five milligrams of heat suppressant and not a single mention of birth control.
