After the door clicked shut behind Dr. Anderson, Dr. Caris stepped forward. 

In a business-like tone, she said, “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 other glands. You’re no longer producing any scent that I can detect, and as you’ve noticed, you’re much less receptive to the scent of others than normal. By the time you have your surgery next week, you’ll temporarily be biochemically similar to a Beta, pheromone-wise.”  

She grabbed the wheeled stool Alex Anderson had occupied, reached under it to find the lever, raised it about eighteen inches, and sat. 

“As long as the surgery goes as planned and the biopsies come back clean, and I expect they will, you should be good to discontinue the high-dose suppressant therapy in about five weeks. Some Omegas, especially those that had multiple scent glands compromised or who did not receive treatment within the first six weeks after the claim, choose to take the high-dose course for up to twelve months after the bite. That gives their immune system a chance to recognize any lingering Alphan DNA in their systems 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 his attacker on his body for the first few days had been torture, leaving him feeling dirty, invaded, and trapped.

Dr. Caris nodded. “That’s fine. It’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 the normal heat suppressants that most Omegas use. First, the obvious—you will be emitting far fewer pheromones than normal. 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. That’s not such a bad thing, because these drugs are not safe to take during pregnancy. If you do engage in any sexual activity that could result in pregnancy, you’ll need to be very strict about using reliable contraception, just in case.”  

Susan handed Gabriel a glossy pamphlet about high-dose suppressant therapy. “Most Omegas do not experience heats at all while taking the high dose suppressants, and heats may not resume for up to five 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. We’re just not there yet. At any rate, you’re young and I know you’re still in school, so you’re probably not thinking about 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. He made a 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 the high-dose suppressants, I just want you to be fully informed. If you meet someone who might be your mate, you might want to enjoy his or her scent. Your feelings could change, so I want you to think it over for a few days and weigh the pros and cons.” 

Dr. Caris took the brochure back, opened it, and pointed to an area of fine print. “A new Alphan mate would not be able to claim you until after your heats resume, if that was something that was important to you. You will not experience much sexual arousal and you’ll have a hard time getting pregnant until your cycle regulates. So think about it all, read up, maybe talk it over in your therapy sessions or with someone you trust. You can let me know what you decide to do after your second surgery, and if you want to stay on the high dose suppressants, that’s what we’ll do.”

Gabriel reached out and accepted the brochure back. “I appreciate you making sure that I understand what I’m signing on for, and I promise to read this brochure and half of the internet, too. I’ll think about it, but I don’t foresee changing my mind. Especially not about letting myself get claimed in the future. I’m never going through this again.”

Dr. Caris looked down at her tablet and opened up her calendar. 

“Understood. Okay, let’s get you on the surgery schedule...”