Page 25 of Lost and Pound

“Aaand, here we go.” Dr. Finnegan grinned, his teeth a tiny bit too sharp to be human, eyes a cheeky gold as they glittered playfully. “You did it.”

I stared at the screen as Shilo leaned down to eye it closer. I could barely tell what we were looking at until he zoomed in and focused on a little bubble with a lima-bean shape hovering within. A flicker of life pulsed at the center of it, and he highlighted it on the monitor. “And the heartbeat is acceptable.”

“Can you tell the gender?” Shilo gripped my shoulder, shuddering.

I pursed my lips as the doctor gave him a scolding look. “Alpha, where the hell am I supposed to look to see a penis or a vagina on this, or count the segments of his sacrum to see if he’s omega or not. Omegas tend to have an extra segment. This is the size of a literal lentil. It doesn’t have a gender. It has a heartbeat and be thankful for that.”

Shilo held his hands up and I snorted in laughter. “Sorry! I—”

“And for that matter, does the gender really matter?” The doctor hit a few buttons, printing grainy pictures off for us while he chewed Shilo out. “It’s either an alpha or omega, most likely.”

Shilo tensed his shoulders and pursed his lips. “No, gender doesn’t matter. I apologize.”

“Good.” Dr. Finnegan wiped me down and then the probe before docking it a little firmer than necessary. “Now, are we good?”

I nodded. “Thank you, Dr. Finnegan. I don’t think the gender really matters to either of us.”

“Good.” He offered me a soft smile and shooed us out of the clinic, stuffing a stack of papers in my hand separate from the envelope we needed for the shelter.

We got back to the truck, and Shilo breathed a sigh of something other than relief.

“He was a bit cranky.” I stared out the window at him, pacing past the front desk with a clipboard in hand.

“He’s an omega.” Shilo watched with an almost-sad look before starting the truck. “He had an experimental operation to stop his heats, and it wasn’t reversible. His old alpha turned him away. He wanted pups.”

“Oh goddesses… I’m so sorry. Why did we go to him? That’s so cruel.” I bit my lip and Shilo rested a hand on my leg.

“He’s okay with it. He is just touchy about omegas being equal. If he sees me treating you well, he’ll come around.” Shilo gestured at the papers and sighed. “Once we get onto the side road, duck down and shift so we can go visit.”

I huffed and did as he told.Donnerhad to make an appearance, and Ruth would mark us in compliance.Joy.

Though, my wolf had a sudden hard craving for hamburgers.

Preferably cold.

***

A short while later, we hopped out of the truck, strolling across the parking lot to the pound. I trotted in step behind him, foregoing the leash as we made our way into the front office. Shilo carried the paperwork in hand and sat it on the counter in front of a bored-looking volunteer who glanced from me to Shilo a few times. “Okay?”

“I’m here to see Ruth. She in?”

The volunteer, a teenage girl in the world’s baggiest clothes, stood with a sigh and shuffled toward a door leading into the kennels. When she opened the metal plate, a barrage of scents—ammonia, urine, feces, and the sound of eighty-seven dogs barking for attention blasted out. “Ruth!”

I pinned my ears back and Shilo visibly flinched.

“They’re always like that.” She sighed, staring out the door as a quiet retort issued back. “She says five more minutes.”

We shrugged and meandered around the front waiting area, catching sight of a front room with a dozen cats kept in cages—one of which was hanging from the bars wide-eyed and howling in an earsplitting screech.

It stuck a paw out, swiping at the air as the girl turned, staring at it. “That cat gives me the creeps. Always makes eye contact.”

Shilo gave me the side eye and shuffled off to the room with me at his heel.

I waited outside the room, as a wolf may have startled the cats, and for Shilo, that seemed to be the case, too, as cats retreated to the backs of their cages and hissed, all save for the wild-eyed tabby swiping out from between the bars.

“Holy shit…” I heard Shilo mutter under his breath as the cat howled again. “Yeah, yeah. I know. Getting you out. Be nice for them and we’ll get you a bath and out of here so you can contact your clowder.”

The cat silenced, eyes going wide in pure relief. Shilo patted the bars of the cage and slipped out just in time for Ruth to come jogging out, eyes wide and mouth stretched into a pleasant grin. “Shilo!”

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