by Lilly Wilder
“Open your mouth. Wider.” I stretched my mouth as wide as it would go. “Go ahead. You’re fine.”
“Thanks.” I bounded up the steps and entered the doors. The ceilings spanned at least twelve feet. The inside of this cabin resembled a train station. Several booths were spread in front of me with various markings. Check-in was the furthest from the left. I headed into the booth.
“Welcome. Name please?”
“Catalina.”
“Surname?”
“Do you think there’s another Catalina?”
“Point taken.”
The receptionist typed for a minute.
“Witch?”
I nodded.
“Room 36E. Go down the hallway and take a left. Fourth door on your right.”
I followed her directions exactly and ended up in front of an open door labeled 36E. A small wrinkled man was sitting behind a desk when I entered. He was writing some notes on a pad.
“Come in dear. Have a seat. I’ll be right with you.” He motioned to some chairs against the wall without looking up. His name tag said Dr. Haven.
I sat down and began fiddling with my sleeves. I hadn’t been to a doctor since I was a young girl. Witches usually went to each other for ailments. If our tinctures, potions, and magic couldn’t fix it, there was most likely nothing a doctor could do for us anyway. I studied Dr. Haven. His wrinkles gave him a distinguished appearance. He was short and round with square-rimmed glasses perched halfway off his nose. A large mole sat smack dab centered on his forehead. Could he be…a warlock? His clothes were human-like, a white lab coat over some dress pants and a button up shirt. What would a warlock be doing in a shapeshifter camp? How had he become a part of this? He continued to scribble. His pen scratched the paper rhythmically. Would he write the same number of notes for me? After a few minutes, he lifted his pen from the paper and tossed it onto the desktop. It landed with a heavy clink. How much could that pen possibly weigh? Dr. Haven looked me up and down and tented his hands. “Now my dear, we’ve got limited time to get to it. I’m going to ask you some questions and then give you a physical exam. Is that alright?” Is that alright? It wasn’t as if I had a choice. I mean, I wanted to become a breeder, so this was the path. What a strange question. Interesting man, perhaps some thought the appearance of choice was disarming?
“Do what you gotta do. I want to make healthy babies.”
Dr. Haven smiled and stood.
“Are you sexually active?”
I nodded. Quite active.
“With men?” His face didn’t betray what he was thinking. I guess most witches are quite flexible with their sexual partners. And he did know I was a witch. I nodded again.
“Have you ever been pregnant before?”
I shook my head. “No. Never.”
“Do you take birth control?”
“No. My cycles are very regular. They are synced with the lunar phases. I know what days to avoid. I also use a cleansing tincture for back up.”
“That’s good to hear. Man-made birth control can wreak havoc on the reproductive system.”
I nodded again.
“When did you start your cycle?”
“Thirteen.” I remember the day that blood first appeared in my underwear. My mother hated doing laundry, so I panicked and hid the dirty underwear and dress in the field behind our cabin. I didn’t think that she would have questions when I came in naked, still bleeding.
“Ever have any human illnesses?”
Witches had long since learned how to avoid sexually transmitted infections. “Nope. I’m careful.”
“Okay, I’m going to examine you now. It’s just going to be a quick pelvic exam and then you’re going to get an ultrasound to take a look at your ovaries and uterus. Have you discontinued the tinctures?”
“Of course. I didn’t bring any with me, so it’s been a couple days since I took one.” My cheeks flushed. He would know that meant that I had sex with a man right before I came. He didn’t so much as raise an eyebrow.
“I’m going to leave the room to give you some privacy. I will also bring back a female nurse with me. Could you please get undressed from the waist down and cover yourself with this?” He pointed to a thin paper blanket. I smiled.
“Thanks doctor.” Dr. Haven nodded and left the room.
I quickly undressed and popped up on the exam table. The paper liner crinkled and stuck to my ass. Humans were so barbaric. I was hoping that my magic capabilities would count for something here, but apparently not. After a few minutes, there was a knock on the door.
“Come in!” I clutched the paper blanket. Dr. Haven returned with a plain faced nurse in blue scrubs. He stepped to the side and the nurse came over and spoke.
“Please slide down and put your feet in the stirrups.”
I winced when I touched the cold metal. Usually, I lived in flip flops, but I wished I had worn socks. Scooting my butt down, I dragged the paper with me. Please don’t rip, please don’t rip.
“A little bit further down doll.
The nurse was now close to my unmentionables. She stood at the foot of the table. “Just a bit further.” My naked butt squeaked across the table. A gurgle emerged from my stomach. Oh, dear God, now was not the time to fart. “Okay, now you can let your knees fall apart.”
“Knees fall apart?” That sounded like something from a scary movie.
“Open your legs, dear.” I flopped my knees open. Why didn’t she just say so? Dr. Haven picked up a metal object from a tray and brought it towards me. “I’m going to do the digital exam. First, I’m going to check your vagina and uterus with two fingers. Then I’m going to open you with a speculum and take a swab. It won’t hurt, but it will be a bit uncomfortable. There might be some spotting later. It’s very important that you refrain from sex for twenty-four hours afterwards.”
“No, sex?” I looked at the doctor.
“None.” I’m guessing he knew I was wondering about women as well. “This will be over quickly.” He put a glove on his right hand and squeezed some lube on his fingers. He placed his left hand on my thigh. “Take a breath.” I breathed in and he slid his fingers into me. With his non-gloved hand, he pressed on my abdomen. He quickly withdrew his fingers. “That’s all for that.” He grabbed the metal object and inserted it into me. I felt stretched, but no discomfort. He took what looked like a large q-tip. I felt a sharp pinch deep inside.
“Ouch.”
“You’re done!” He pushed himself back and dropped the long q-tip into a clear tube.
I peered over at Dr. Haven, who was writing on a notepad.
“You’re all finished. Go back outside to the front desk and they will let you know where to go next.”
The nurse cleared her throat. Dr. Haven looked up. She leaned her head towards the door.
“Oh, right. You need to get dressed first.” He chuckled and stood. They both left and I slid into my underwear and pants. My insides felt gooey. I wished I had a tissue to wipe with. I straightened my shirt and headed out. I wandered down the hallway towards the receptionist desk. Had it been a right or a left? Every six feet there was another exam room door. How many doctors were within these walls? There were ninety recruits. Could they have invited nearly one hundred doctors to join our recruiting class? How many times had they done this before? It was newly opened for non-shapeshifters, but had the shapeshifting women been put through such scrutiny? When I made it back to the receptionist, I found a few familiar faces milling around in the lobby. Man they worked fast.
“The doctor told me to come to you. It’s Catalina.”
She smiled and typed a few words into the computer. “Ah, yes. Catalina. You and Vivica are due for orientation. It starts in fifteen minutes in the bathhouse.”
“How do I go back to the bathhouse?” All of these cabins looked the same on the outside but were completely different on the inside.
“Just go out the doors and ma
ke a left, keep walking down this row until you get to the end. It is the last one on the left.” The last one on the left. It seemed like all I did was to enter the end buildings and ignore the ones in the center. What were the center buildings for?
“Thanks.” I waved to some of the other girls and swung open the doors into the bright sunshine. Birds chirped from every direction. Puffy, white clouds were visible from the clearing. The forest surrounding us seemed to be full of life.
A few men played soccer at the far end of the clearing. Their shouts floated through the clearing along with rays of warm sunshine. Wind blew strands of my hair in different directions, tickling my cheeks. It felt so good to be outside. Even though I had only been here two days, it felt as if we’d been inside forever. Strolling down the sidewalk that lined the cabins, I kept a leisurely pace. A whole fifteen minutes stood between training and I. It would be a shame not to use it. Every once in a while, a man would leave one of the center cabins. Were these the warrior’s residences? Perhaps that’s why we hadn’t been anywhere near them. I kept my eyes on the men playing soccer. Most of them were shirtless. All of them were muscled, tanned, and fast. They looked like they did nothing else with their lives but exercise. If they looked this good from far away, what did they look like up close? They continued to run back and forth chasing a ball with such passion. They acted as if that game was a life or death situation. Some people didn’t live with that much passion, let alone play with it.
Sex was the only thing in my life that I felt enthusiastic about. When I was a child, I used to feel excited about magic and potions. In fact, I wanted to become a healer. Where had that all gone? For some reason, I’ve been stuck for the last few years. Never putting down roots, simply going from bed to bed. It wasn’t easy being a nomad. It was exciting at first, sure. But now it was simply par for the course. Having nothing, building nothing, not getting attached, this was the code that I now lived by. Did I still want it? It was supposed to make me feel free. However, now all it made me feel was tired. I looked up and saw that I’d made it to the end of the street. Orientation here I come.
-8-
When I made it into the cabin, I looked around for Vivica. Had she finished and made it here before me? I should have waited for her. The desk at which Kara had previously greeted us was empty. The lobby was darker than I remembered. Was I in the right place? Maybe they were in the shower room? I walked behind the desk to the entrance to the shower room. Low voices emanated from within. I guess Vivica was here after all. I pushed through the doors and found myself face to face with Kara and a young man. He stood almost a foot over Kara. His tank top exposed his well-defined shoulders and arms. Arms that looked as if they’d been cut from marble, beautiful and ethereal at the same time. His face was covered in a manicured beard, just messy enough to still be rugged. On his bottom half were unassuming sweatpants, almost as if he was on his way to the gym or from a nap. His face split into a wide smile and he extended his hand out.
“I’m Arkan. It’s nice to meet you.” His hands were rough and strong. Our hands clasped for a few seconds longer than the usual human greeting. Arkan’s eyes never left mine.
Kara spoke up. “You’re on time. Finally. Although I can’t say the same for your friend. I wonder what distractions she’s gotten herself into.” I glanced at the clock on the wall. I’d failed to notice that last night, but I was quite busy with Vivica. It was nearly one.
“Did you ever actually tell us a time? I don’t remember that. I think you just said after our medical appointments. Maybe hers is running over the normal time.”
“Nice try. Humans went in first. She should have been here before you. Maybe she’s talking to someone.”
I really hope not. There could be a lot worse out there than Ava. A door creaked in the distance. Please let it be Vivica. Please let it be Vivica. The door opened to a flushed and sweaty Vivica.
“I’m sorry. I’m here.” She brushed her hair back and smoothed it with her hands. Her face was flushed, and she was breathing hard. Had she been running? Or something else…
“Okay. Well, now that you’re both here we can get started. Vivica, this is Arkan. He’s going to be giving your orientation today. I’ll be assisting.”
Vivica held out her hand to Arkan. He closed over her hand with both of his hands. “I love humans. I really do. I spent some time amongst them. They are very kindhearted.”
“I like to think so.” Vivica smiled warmly.
“Okay, well let’s get started. I want you both to take showers and to get clean. Shapeshifters are very particular about hygiene and I will tell you why – our sense of smell. Because we are highly integrated with our animal selves, our senses are heightened. That is one of our greatest strengths,” Arkan paused for a second, “and weaknesses.” He winked at me. “Do either of you have any idea why heightened senses would be a weakness?”
Before I’d learned to control my empathy, it was quite distracting. “Could your senses get in the way of your cognitive processes? Like for example in the way of distraction or sensory overload?”
“Yes. That does happen. For example, we might be sitting close to a smell that drives us crazy. Something that we can’t resist or even begin to understand.” I could feel the warmth of his amber eyes on me. He inhaled deeply. Purposefully. “What are some other reasons why enhanced senses would be a problem?” Arkan turned towards Vivica.
“Um…well it might be difficult to sort through all of that information at once and prioritize it.”
“That is also true. Our senses can tell us to stop and act, when we really should be doing other things.”
I checked to see if I could catch Arkan’s eyes again, but he was keeping his head down.
“So, you want us to shower so we don’t distract you?” I giggled. I wondered why they had showers available in different areas. I didn’t even think about that.
Arkan cracked a smile. “Something like that. It’s also a part of your orientation. All species have different hygiene standards and bathing frequencies. It might seem like a small detail to you, but it is a huge benefit to us if we can get this square off the bat. If someone doesn’t like the way we do things around here, they will know in the beginning.”
“I think that sounds fair. I don’t mind another shower. How about you Vivica? Are you up for another scrub?” I stuck out my tongue at her. She smacked my shoulder.
“Are you trying to say I stink?” Actually, I was trying to send her mind back to where I was licking her in the shower, but okay sure. I’ll be a thirteen-year-old boy.
“Yes. That’s exactly what I was trying to say. You’re extremely dirty and we need to get you clean.” Arkan’s eyes moved back and forth between us. I winked at him, hoping he was clever enough to catch the innuendo. I could never tell with men. Some of them were so damn dense when it came to flirting. He raised his eyebrow and motioned to the shower room.
“We’ve got fresh towels and robes. And more shower gel. Hopefully you’ll like the scents I’ve chosen. I’m quite particular.” On the wooden chair was a basket full of shower gels and four fluffy white towels. “Okay, just grab your stuff and let’s get started.”
“In the shower?” Vivica exclaimed.
“Welcome to the world of shapeshifters, baby.” Arkan replied and held open the door to the showers.
“I’m beginning to feel like I’m secretly a shapeshifter.” I grabbed the basket and towels off the chair and shuffled quickly into the shower room.
“I have a feeling I’m in over my head.” Vivica moaned.
“I don’t doubt that dear. But, get your ass in here.” Arkan sang.
Kara linked arms with Vivica. “You’ll be fine dear. Don’t be nervous. We don’t have the same cultural expectations here. This is not the time to be shy.”
Vivica smiled sweetly. “Well, I did want adventure.”
“Well that’s exactly what you’re going to get.” Arkan let them both
walk ahead and then closed the door behind us.
-9-
The room was already hot and steamy. I could barely see through the thickness of the steam clouds. How long had the jets been on? Arkan walked over to the bench and put down the basket and towels. He then removed his shirt and pants, revealing more of his carved muscles. Only his underwear remained, tight bright blue briefs.
“Uh…..” Vivica stuttered and stared at his chiseled stomach. A six pack was an understatement. My interest in this orientation just skyrocketed.
“I don’t want to get wet, now do I?” Arkan chuckled.
“I do.” I waited until Arkan was looking at me and licked my lips. I wanted him to know that I was down for whatever he’d like to do.
“Okay then. Good sport. You can go first then.”
“Just tell me what to do next. I’ll do it.” I really hoped I was going to be able to touch those abs, or pecs, or arms. That man was a statue.
“I want you to show me how you would shower.”
I raised my eyebrow and lowered my voice a pitch. “Oh. Is that all?” I immediately pulled my dress over my head and wriggled out of my panties. Thank the Goddess I wore the cheekies. “Shower gel me.” Heat spread through my body as Arkan’s eyes traced my figure. He picked up a blue shower gel bottle and handed it to me.
“This is my choice scent.”
I turned the bottle over and peeked at the label. Ocean air. Seems like Arkan was a simple guy. There’s nothing better than that. I walked over to the rainfall stream and stood underneath. All three of them had their eyes fixed on me. Nothing but the spray of water and the hiss of the pipes filled my ears. I met Vivica’s eyes. This was something I wanted to share with her. The thrill of performance. A sensual moment between a group magnified anything that a pair could experience. I stood underneath the stream, feeling the warm water envelop my body. When I was wet from head to toe, I began to lather with the shower gel. Arkan removed his underwear. The fact that he was half hard let me know that my performance was working. I rubbed each part of me slowly, alternating between myself and one of their gazes. Making sure to meet their eyes, I drew attention to each soapy curve.