Dr. Caris cleared her throat. “Okay, Gabriel, we really just need to discuss what you want to do in terms of the suppressants. As I explained last week, this initial six-week high-dose course is an emergency measure, intended to shut down the production of pheromones in your scent glands completely in order to stop the spread of the foreign DNA to your glands. So, for this initial period, you won’t be producing scent and you will also be much less receptive to it, as you’ve already begun experiencing. By the time you have your surgery next week, you’ll temporarily be biochemically similar to a Beta, scent-wise.”
Susan Caris pulled over the wheeled stool Alex Anderson had occupied, reached under it to find the lever, raised it about 18 inches, and sat. “As long as the surgery goes as planned and the biopsies come back clean, which I expect they will, you should theoretically be good to discontinue the suppressant therapy in about five weeks. Some Omegas, especially those that had multiple scent glands compromised or those who did not receive treatment within the first six weeks after the claim, choose to take a higher-dose course of suppressants for up to twelve months after the bite just to give the immune system a chance to recognize any lingering Alphan DNA in the system as foreign and to destroy it, but I don’t think that’s necessary for–”
“I want that. I definitely want to do the twelve month course. I don’t want any chance of this treatment failing,” Gabriel interrupted, sure of this one thing in this weird alternate universe he was now inhabiting. The smell of him on his body for the first few days had been psychological torture, leaving him feeling dirty, invaded, and trapped.
Dr. Caris nodded. “That’s fine, that’s your choice entirely, but there are some side-effects to pheromone suppression that you need to be aware of. As you’ve already experienced, these drugs are nothing like like the normal heat suppressants that you’re used to. First, the obvious, you will be emitting far fewer pheromones than normal and even on a low dose, you will be much less sensitive to the pheromones of those around you. That can present some social difficulties, especially in terms of romantic relationships– you won’t feel as attracted to Alphas or other Omegas, your libido will be reduced, and so will your fertility, which is good because these drugs are not safe to take during pregnancy, so if you do engage in any sexual activity that could result in pregnancy, you’ll need to use contraception.”
Susan handed Gabriel a glossy pamphlet about low-dose suppressant therapy. “Most Omegas do not experience heats at all while taking the suppressants, and in many cases, heats do not resume regularly for as long as 3-5 years afterwards– it’s kind of like we’re knocking you backwards into pre-puberty. We’re working on developing drugs that are less disruptive to the Omegan system, but this is a relatively new field and the research is pretty underfunded, so we’re not there yet. At any rate, you’re young and in school, so you’re probably not thinking of starting a family right now, but it could be a serious concern if you met someone down the road.”
Gabriel turned the brochure over and looked at the picture of a smiling Omega waving from a hang-glider to show how free he felt and made a slightly derisive sound. “No worries about pregnancies. Or heats. I’m taking myself off the market for the foreseeable future. Probably permanently.”
“I understand why you feel that way, and I’m not trying to talk you out of long-term suppressants, I just want you to be fully informed. If you meet someone who might be your mate, you might want to be able to enjoy his or her scent. Your feelings could change about this, so I just want you to think it over and weigh the pros and cons.” Dr. Caris took the brochure back, opened it, and pointed to an area of fine print. “A new Alpha mate would not be able to claim you until after your heats resume, if that was something you wanted. You will not experience much sexual arousal and will have a hard time getting pregnant. So think about it all, read some information, maybe talk it over in your therapy sessions or with someone you trust. You can let me know what you want to do after your second surgery, and if you want to do the long-term suppressants, we will.”
Gabriel reached out and accepted the brochure back. “That’s fine, and I promise I’ll read this, and half the internet, and I’ll think about it, but I won’t be changing my mind about this. Especially not about letting myself be claimed. Never again.”
Dr. Caris looked down at her tablet and opened up the surgery calendar. “Understood. Okay, let’s get you on the surgery schedule...”
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