Dan
Dan leaned closer to the mirror, studying his reflection as he ran his fingers over the razor-sharp points of his canines. Nothing seemed different…yeah, they were sharp but Grosh canines usually were. But there was no elongation, no pupil dilation, or swollen glands at the back of his ears. A wave of relief washed over him, but it wasn't enough to quell his unease. The fact, his body was showing one of the signs of *Priming* when there were no other Grosh nearby, was unnerving.
The avath slipping out unnoticed was a red flag. That shouldn't have happened unless he was entering Priming, usually accompanied by canine elongation, brain fog, and heightened senses of smell and taste, along with other symptoms. Yes, his head was throbbing, but that could mean anything. It couldn't possibly be his body preparing for the energy-consuming process of courtship.
Dan mentally tallied the symptoms again: fatigue, relentless headaches, a dull ache in his avath, and a spike in blood pressure. All of them were classic signs…yet also common discomforts of living on a foreign planet. All, except the ache in the avath. One of the most obvious indicators, the elongation of his canines, was thankfully absent, but everything else pointed toward a disturbing conclusion.
If he were back on Grosh, there would be no doubt in his mind that Priming was underway. But here on Earth, surrounded by humans, it made no sense. Logic refused to accept it. His body, however, told a different story…one that left him uneasy and frustrated.
The avath was an autonomic organ. Its tip carried a potent venom capable of killing an enemy, incapacitating them within seconds. The stronger the Grosh male, the more lethal the venom. But the avath had another function. It played a crucial role in Grosh reproduction. Under normal circumstances, the venom was deadly. During Priming, however, its chemical composition shifted, transforming from a weapon into an aphrodisiac of sorts. This altered venom didn't merely enhance desire; it triggered critical biological changes in a mate.
For Grosh females, the venom worked as a powerful ovulatory stimulant. When injected it sent signals to their reproductive system, ensuring eggs were released for fertilization.
For same-sex mates, the avath venom could initiate a profound transformation in the other. The venom could reshape their biology to assume the role of an Omega or beta.
Males became omegas, where they became capable of conceiving, while females became betas capable of producing sperm. This transformation wasn't arbitrary, it occurred only when the pairing was perfectly balanced as if nature itself sanctioned the union.
Priming went beyond mere physical compatibility; it represented a deeper, almost instinctive resonance between partners. In a same-sex partnership, the partners' biology would naturally adapt to complement the other's, ensuring that one assumed the role of the giver and the other of the taker without changing their gender.
But Dan could not phantom how he could start priming without the presence of another Grosh. The long time he had been away from home might be messing up his biology. Ira could be right, perhaps it was happening because of high blood pressure. It couldn't possibly be Priming.
Dan showered, making sure to turn the water to the coldest setting. He got ready for a meeting he had with the council members of three countries about introducing a new technology.
Dan stepped out of his room and immediately collided with something small and unsteady. A startled yelp followed as the person stumbled backward, landing on the floor with wide, saucer-like eyes fixed on him, frozen like a deer in headlights.
Dan's gaze flicked down, recognizing the new intern instantly. His body tensed as he watched the young man hurriedly drop to his knees, scrambling to gather the papers now scattered across the floor.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" He asked, sounding ruder than he intended. You couldn't blame him for being in a bad mood when his head was hammering. The boy looked up in shock as if he didn't expect Dan to be so crass. He should have known better.
Dan sighed, his annoyance briefly flickering into something resembling guilt. Seeing the young man still on his knees, fumbling with the papers, was unsettling. With an exaggerated huff, he extended his hand. "Get up," he said curtly, averting his gaze as though the sight bothered him more than he'd care to admit.
The intern hesitated, glancing between Dan's outstretched hand and his unreadable face, clearly unsure whether to trust the gesture. Finally, with obvious reluctance, he reached out, his smaller hand gripping Dan's. Dan pulled him up with little effort. He was lighter even for a human male.
"I am sorry I didn't see you," the boy said. There was something about the shy little human male that nagged at Dan. Dan wasn't sure what, and he didn't want to mull over it. Humans were too insignificant to occupy space in his mind.
It couldn't possibly be sexual. The guy wasn't his type. He would have considered the guy sexy if he had been a little less fragile. He could never bring a guy like that to his bed. He would probably break him in two if Dan wasn't careful. Being in control with human females was easier. Not being as attracted to your bed partner made you clear-headed during sex. Their presence barely nudged his instincts, allowing him to remain in control. But with this man? There was something disquieting about him, something that scratched at the edges of Dan's self-control.
Dan shook his head, forcing the unbidden images from his mind. Whatever this was, it didn't matter. He wasn't about to indulge his instincts over someone so... unsuitable.
"Don't apologize," Dan said, his tone firm but not unkind. His eyes narrowed slightly as he asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I..I came here t..to give you these pills for the headache. Dr.Desai said it would make you feel better."
Dan looked at the familiar pills that he took for a headache but surprisingly he was feeling better all of a sudden.
"Okay," the intern said, bowing slightly, the gesture simple yet reverent. It was a standard human display of respect, something Dan had seen countless times from men and women alike. But this time, it made him flinch.
The reaction caught him off guard, the sharp twist of unease tightening in his chest. His jaw clenched as he felt a tingling ache in his canines. He took a deep breath to will the unsettling emotion to pass. It wasn't the bow itself, he was used to humans doing it…but this man struck a chord Dan didn't want to acknowledge.
Among the Grosh, bowing had an entirely different connotation. It wasn't merely an act of respect; it was intimate, charged. In his culture, such a gesture was a clear invitation, a partner signaling their submission, a desire for their mate to mount them. It was a deeply primal and ritualistic behavior, steeped in tradition and biology. Seeing the intern do it, even unintentionally, sent a jolt through Dan, one that he couldn't quite suppress.
The intern was human. A fragile, clumsy, wide-eyed human who had no idea about Dan's culture. Yet the visceral tug at the edges of his instincts felt dangerously real, and Dan hated it.
He forced the feelings down, smothering them under the weight of his own resolve. Whatever this was, it was fleeting, meaningless. It had to be. Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving the intern standing there.
Dan sat in the meeting absentmindedly, he could not think about anything but about that timid intern bowing down to him. He tapped his pen on the table in impatience. The tap tap was intensified in the quiet of the room, the council members glared at him to stop the distracting sound. Dan wasn't the kind of guy to apologize, so he just shrugged. They were talking about sustainable power sources for space transport machinery, but he could hardly keep his focus. His eyes fell on his wrist, and he flinched.
His avath was out again, this time by three inches. He willed it inside, and it went in reluctantly. He stood up, he had to leave, he needed to get his head straight. The council members looked at his confusion. He couldn't let them see the confusion in his face.
"I would have to leave this meeting." He said. "There is no point in your discussion. The technology you are talking about is just a waste of time and money. I think it needs a lot more work," he said, earning a scowl from the engineers. He had heard enough of the discussion to know that the technology wasn't complete. It was just an idea, and this meeting was meaningless. They needed to work on it for a decade more to demand funding.
"Thank you for your insight, Dan. We will definitely consider it," the head council said.
Even though they said they would think about it, Dan's disapproval meant an end to the funding supporting this idea. It was better that way. Humans should invest more in New Earth's development than in building technology for space travel. Humans weren't ready to unveil the secrets of the universe yet. Their small minds weren't strong enough to grasp what was beyond the stars.
Dan left the meeting to rush to the lab. He slammed the heavy door open to enter NEAE's Grosh lab.
"Woh Woh Woh. Why are you barging in my lab," Ira screeched.
"Do you have my blood reports?"
Ira frowned. This wasn't normal for Dan to act so panicked. No surprise the competent doctor looked troubled.
"No. It takes time. Is everything alright?"
"You need to check my venom," he said abruptly, his words carrying an unusual urgency.
"What?" Ira's eyes widened in disbelief. She had been trying to convince him to let her study Grosh venom for years, intrigued by its complexity and potential applications, but Dan had always refused. His venom was as closely guarded as the Grosh secrets themselves. Extracting it wasn't as simple as extracting venom from a snake; the avath didn't just release venom on command. It required specific triggers, an emotional or physical reaction, like rage or arousal. Neither of those were something he wanted to unleash in a medical lab.
And now, here he was, volunteering for something he had always flatly rejected.
"How would I even extract the venom?" she asked, uneasily shifting her gaze to his arm, where the venom gland was hidden under a thick layer of muscle.
"With a syringe. You'll need to insert it into the venom gland here," he said, rolling up his sleeve and pointing to the base of his arm where the avath was nestled beneath his skin. "I need you to check the HCl, Somnote, Valium, and ethyl alcohol levels in the venom."
Ira frowned, her mind racing. Those specific compounds were indicative of more than just basic biological changes. "Why all of a sudden?" she asked, her voice tinged with both curiosity and concern.
Dan's jaw tightened. "I want the reports as soon as possible," he snapped, his tone brooking no argument.
Her brow furrowed further as she studied him. "You're not telling me something," Ira pressed.
Dan avoided her gaze, his stance stiff. He couldn't tell her…not yet. If his suspicion was right and his body was Priming, then he had to figure out who—or what—was triggering it. If it was the result of prolonged separation from Grosh territory, it would mean his body was struggling to adapt to Earth's environment. In either case, he couldn't stay here much longer. If he didn't get answers soon, he'd have no choice but to return home and put an end to this confusion.
Ira sighed, exasperated but willing to help. "Fine. I'll prep the lab. But extracting venom is delicate. I'll need some assistance." She hesitated, then added, "I'll ask Nick to help."
Dan's head snapped up, a flicker of something—discomfort? irritation?—crossing his face. The thought of Nick being involved in something this personal stirred an unsettling mix of emotions in him.
"Keep that intern away from me, Ira, if you want to save your job."
Her eyes narrowed with anger. Dan knew she hated it when Dan spoke to her like that. "Do not threaten me, Dan," she said with an equally menacing glare.
"Do not test me then," Dan said, clenching his jaw.
"Fine!" Ira snapped before picking up the needle.
****
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