“Do you do that?” Shanya asked.
Shanya wondered if she could use this in the book. It would be original research and she wasn’t comfortable just presenting it like that. But a comparison between the old practices and the current ones could be interesting and might be able to shed light on the matter.
“Do you think we’d still be living in this place?” Clara asked with a laugh. “But I have a friend, Nichelle, who’s doing that for a leopard shifter. She’s basically his mistress. He’s young, doesn’t have a wife, but he keeps her in a nice apartment and everything. It’s all in a contract too, so it’s hers. She comes over on a set amount of days and looks after him, if you know what I mean.”
“How is this legal?” Shanya asked. “It sounds like it’s basically prostitution.”
“Lobbyists, probably,” Clara said. “Oh, with Nichelle it’s different. She’s in a unique situation. The boy is young and she’s our age. Besides, it’s with the heat thing. It’s torture spending one of those alone.”
Shanya frowned. “I thought that you didn’t get heats and things.”
Clara shook her head. “I don’t. But I’ve heard about it and I’ve seen how some of the Shifters get when they haven’t had a heat in a while. There’s only so much pills and things can do for them.”
Shanya nodded. It still didn’t make sense to her. She was going to have to look into that later. She’d never taken a class on things that related to Shifters. Though she did her bachelor’s degree on Human Studies and Economics, she’d taken classes on the human perspective of things and not the other way around.
“Alright,” Clara said fiddling with her phone. “I’m calling an Uber and we’ll get going.”
“You don’t need to do that,” Shanya said.
“Oh yes I do,” Clara said and grabbed her purse. “We need to look relatively important.”
Shanya didn’t argue since Clara was the one paying, but it felt odd to be driven around the city. It would be nice not to have to worry about public transportation or money for once. Shanya resolved to sit back and enjoy the ride. She was in control of her life. Her parents didn’t know where she was. She was safe. She could do this.
Maybe you repeat that enough, you’re going to believe it, a voice in her head said.
With the ease of many years of practice, Shanya ignored that voice and focused on the now.
When they started to move more uptown, she turned to Clara.
“You didn’t say it was up here.” Shanya was shocked. She’d figured that it would be a small clinic that was hidden away, out of sight.
“I thought I did,” Clara said. “Anyway, they pay really good money, so it’s not like they’d be just anywhere.”
That didn’t prepare Shanya for her first glimpse of the building. It was large and glistening brightly in the sun. The Were Human Approved Heat Relief Center didn’t look anything like the sleazy place that Shanya was imagining. When they walked into the lobby, she was further shocked by how white and clean the place was. It didn’t look the type of place that you would go to have crazy animalistic sex and get paid handsomely for it.
“You didn’t warn me!” Shanya hissed at Clara.
“Thought you might chicken out,” Clara said. She approached the woman behind the desk. “I’m Clara Brighton and I’m signing up my roommate.”
The woman nodded. “I’ll have someone bring her to the room in a moment.”
Shanya just stared. This place looked like it could be a lovely hotel or a tech start up, with the sleek lines and startling white titles. The walls were a cool grey and green plants lent a pop of color to the otherwise monochrome décor.
“Is this where it happens?” Shanya asked Clara.
“Yep, you should see the mating rooms,” Clara said and then fell silent.
Shanya followed her eyes to the handsome man who had just walked in. He was tall—taller than Shanya—and clad in a perfectly tailored suit. He didn’t seem concerned that their attention was on him entirely.
Instead he moved through the office and stood by them.
“Is Linda in?” the man asked with an honest expression.
His golden skin took in Shanya. It was like nothing she had ever seen. She couldn’t believe it. It was tawny and seemed to gleam in the soft lights of the lobby.
“The—the receptionist?” Clara said, openly staring at him. “She just went to go get something.”
The man nodded. His black hair was perfectly styled. But it was his eyes that captured Shanya. They were bright amber like her own. She had never seen eyes like that except in the mirror. Normally she would be staring at her shoes, but she couldn’t stop gazing at him.
“Are you both Shifters then?” the man asked.
Again, Clara was left to do the talking.
“I am, cat,” Clara said. It was so rare to see her roommate off balance like this. “Cat Shifter.”
“What about you,” the man asked turning to Shanya. Her eyes went wide.
“Oh, n-no,” Shanya said. “Just human.”
“Shanya Black?”
The receptionist had returned with a sweet looking woman
.
“Ms. Olsen will take you back,” Linda said. “Oh, Master Panthera, what an honor.”
Ms. Olsen motioned to her and Clara. Shanya was only too happy to get away from what could only be a very important Shifter. She was deeply uncomfortable with him looking at her like that. He didn’t even care that he’d struck Shanya dumb and reduced Clara to stuttering. With looks like that, he probably got that a lot.
“I’d like to get a bit of bloodwork done,” Clara said. “Can I do that now instead of next week?”
“Sure, you know the way, Ms. Brighton,” Ms. Olsen said. She smiled at Shanya. “You just follow me. I’m going to let you read through the information on your own. Less embarrassing that way.” She took Shanya into a cozy looking room filled with plush couches.
She handed Shanya a large packet of paper.
“Be careful to read this all the way through,” Ms. Olsen said. “We don’t want you to get into anything you don’t want to. We pride ourselves on the pleasure of those who do business with us.”
Shanya was glad of her dark skin. It meant that the blush she was feeling wasn’t visible to everyone else.
“I understand,” Shanya said.
It was a lovely little room. It seemed like it could be a small café at a hotel or something from a movie. She chose an out-of-the-way nook and started to fill in the application.
The questionnaire part was long. She’d thought it would just be a few basic questions, but instead, she found herself filling in many answers about a range of things. There was a section on sexual experience that was extremely detailed. Shanya filled out what she had done before (missionary, a blindfold, doggy style) but when it came to describe what position she most easily came in, Shanya gasped. Why was this necessary?
Then Ms. Olsen paused from helping Master Panthera in the other corner. Shanya couldn’t believe that someone as regal looking as he was would have a hard time finding a mating partner. It didn’t make sense. Surely, he wasn’t lacking in bed partners. She knew that there would be women throwing themselves at him. Why hire someone?
“Yes?” Ms. Olsen said, looking over at Shanya’s answers.
“I’m sorry, but is this relevant?” Shanya asked pointing to the question. “Isn’t it about the Shifter?”
“Some of our clients do like to make their partners enjoy themselves,” Ms. Olsen said with an unreadable look on her face. “So, yes, all the questions are necessary.”
Blushing, Shanya went back to the questionnaire. It was actually easier when it got to the part about BDSM like practices. Shanya was able to check that she’d never done any of that and never wanted to for an entire page. That was a relief.
Then it was on to a whole page about the type of diet she was used to and what would happen during the mating. Shanya just skimmed through that part. She w
as content to initial where marked. She just wanted to be done with this and get out of there. They still had to do the headshots as well. Shanya planned to do her face before going out into public with Clara. She didn’t care that Clara thought she looked fine. She’d gotten enough glares and lingering looks that she knew she had to do something. Clara would never understand what it was like.
Finally, she reached the last few pages of the packet. This section was devoted to pregnancy. There was a brief explanation of what a pregnancy would entail. Shifter births were mostly multiple births, except in the cases of horses, elephants, and whales. Twins were unusual. She was told that she should expect at least five and as many as eight children.
Looking down at herself, Shanya shook her head. She didn’t think that eight children could fit inside of her. Regardless, there was the promise of money.
Besides, Shanya thought as she read the paragraph, if he really needed the children, he’d have to make a contract. The center stated that they would help Shanya with the negotiations and that meant that Shanya would be taken care of for the duration of the pregnancy.
She didn’t think it was likely that she would be all that fertile, but she ticked off the box anyway. She took the packet to the attendant.
“Done already?” Ms. Olsen asked.
Shanya nodded. She wondered if she had taken long enough. She thought that all her answers were more than long enough, but now she wasn’t so sure.
“We’ll give you a call when we get you matched,” Ms. Olsen said. She glanced over at the handsome man, Master Panthera. Then she looked back at Shanya. “Oh, I see that you’re willing to bear young.”
That was a disturbing way of putting it.
“Wait right here and I’ll get your signing bonus,” Ms. Olsen said.
Suddenly Shanya was left in the room with the handsome man. She stood at the counter and tried not to look at him, but her eyes kept sliding towards him. He was one of those men who could really fill out a suit. She was impressed and some part of Shanya hoped that she would be paired up with him.
She knew that was unlikely, however. Even though the definition of attractive differed within each shifter community, Shanya was sure that she was not what anyone considered attractive. Still, it couldn’t hurt to look;
except that as she was gazing at him, he looked up. Instead of glancing away and blushing, she just continued to stare at him. She was caught in his amber gaze. There was something that froze her where she was. She was under a spell. She was trapped. All she could do was gaze at this attractive man. He smiled and went back to filling out the questionnaire.
Suddenly she could breathe again. Shanya shook herself. She couldn’t believe that she had embarrassed herself like that and in front of such an attractive man. Clara was going to laugh at her, though he’d had that same effect on her. She’d actually stuttered in his presence.
Ms. Olsen returned and handed Shanya a check.
“Here you go,” she said with a smile. Shanya smiled back and then fled the room.
CHAPTER FOUR
Barely a week went by before her phone rang with a call from the clinic. Shanya was home like she always was then. She’d spent her advance with Clara and had actually created a decent little room for herself. It wasn’t as nice as what she’d grown up in but it was much, much nicer than what she had experienced recently. There was a rug on the floor and she’d bought nicer sheets.
“Hello?” Shanya said as she picked up the phone.
“Ms. Shanya Black?” a pleasant voice on the other end of the phone line said. “This is Bethany Thomas, I’m calling from the Were Human Approved Heat Relief Center. You’ve been matched with a compatible Shifter.”
“Already?” Shanya gasped out. She didn’t think it would happen that quickly. Clara made it seem like these things took a while. But here she was, ready to go in and do her duty.
“Yes,” the voice said. “Do you have time to go over the scheduling? He is, of course, requesting your company immediately. Would you be able to arrive at the center later today?”
“Yes!” Shanya blurted out the answer.
She was looking forward to having the money from the fee in hand. She was planning on saving it. Though this first month, she’d already spent it on rent and clothes and food and other things for the apartment. There had been precious little to set aside for savings. She’d hoped that would change with the fee. Ideally, she’d have another Shifter after this.
“He also would like you to carry his young,” the voice continued. Shanya froze. “You do, of course, have the opportunity to decline, though that would mean declining the mating itself. We’re not sure when we’d be able to match you up this well with another Shifter who came along.”
“I haven’t changed my mind,” Shanya said. She was excited about going in. “Is there anything I should do to prepare?”
“No,” the voice on the other end of the line said. “Just come in as natural as possible. We do ask that you shower in the facilities when you arrive.”
“Alright,” Shanya said. “I’ll be over when I can.”
She hung up the phone. She was dressed in yoga pants and a t-shirt. Clara would have a fit if she showed up to the Center wearing that. Instead she picked out a tasteful mint green dress. It was the color she had always worn growing up. She hadn’t seen the color in a long time and when she saw the pretty dress, she knew that she had to have it.
She slipped into her nylons and high heels and stepped out of the room.
“You look like a completely different person,” Clara said without preamble.
“Oh?” Shanya said defensively. Just because she wasn’t wearing makeup didn’t mean that Clara got to make fun of her.
“It’s good,” Clara said. “I like it. Much better than when you try to blend into the shadows.”
Shanya smiled. That had been a silly thought. Clara had never made fun of her for her natural looks. She’d complained plenty about the makeup, though. Maybe Clara was more Shifter than she wanted to admit.
“Thank you,” Shanya said. “I’m going to the Center today.”
Clara grinned. “Get it, girl.”
“I intend to,” Shanya said with a smile.
She liked staying at home. She felt much less drained and it was starting to show. Without all the tension that she carried around her, Shanya looked much younger. It hardly seemed like she could be 25. Instead she looked like she was 19 years old and had just moved to the city.
“Do you want me to call you an Uber?” Clara asked.
“Oh no, you don’t have to,” Shanya said. She still didn’t want to owe Clara for things. She had done so much for Shanya already.
“But I’m going to,” Clara said. “Anyway, I’m going to go out and do some shopping and cooking.”
“You cook?” Shanya asked.
Clara shrugged. “Sorta. Anyways, there’s a bunch of food that you’re supposed to eat after a mating to ensure a lot of babies. It’s mostly superstition but they’re delicious foods.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Shanya said. It sounded a lot like a baby shower and that didn’t seem right.
“Hey,” Clara said rubbing Shanya’s back. “You deserve it. You’re a good friend and a great roommate. Usually I manage to drive people away in a few months. You’ve stayed. I don’t hate you. We’re golden. Anyway, once you see what sorts of foods they are you’ll know why Nichelle and I want to do this for you.”
“If you insist,” Shanya said.
“Fried butter, which is delightful, don’t you laugh, there’s sushi—traditionally raw fish, but we’re going with sushi and we’re not making it, candied orange peel, sugared violets, a lot of pastry candied things,” Clara continued to list off delicacies. “Basically, it’s just a feast of whatever everyone likes best with some emphasis on fruits and things. Do you know who you’re going to be mating?”
“No,” Shanya said. “Does that factor into it?”
“Well,” Cla
ra said. “If you were going to mate a buffalo man, let’s just say that would take beef off the menu. It’s mainly superstition.”
They chatted until the Uber came and Shanya was driven uptown. She’d been going there more and more often these days. Everything was moving so fast. But she needed the money and besides, if she did want to publish, she was going to need to rent books or buy them. What she found at the library or online was scandalous.
She walked through the doors of the Were Human Heat Relief Center. Linda smiled and asked her to wait.
A small woman came to her.
“I’m Suzette,” she said. She barely came up to Shanya’s elbow. “I’ll be escorting you to the showers and through the processes.”
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