Page 105 of I Replaced His Husband
"He was defending his mate. You’ve got no jurisdiction over bonded True Mate couples. Let them go. Now."
"I still need their statements!"
"You can take them here. No need to split them up."
Miller clearly knew what he was doing. He wasn’t rattled, since the law was on his side.
Then he looked at me. "I’m curious why you’re not in fighting mode. After something like this, you should be in it for at least forty-five minutes. Your eyes aren’t even red."
I looked between him and Kay. "I think we got really unlucky. I’m guessing the antidote to Seprudin 1000 has blocked my glands. I took it three hours ago. I need to check the leaflet again to be sure about the side effects."
Miller raised an eyebrow. "Seprudin 1000?"
Kay reacted quickly. "I’ll grab it!" He ran out to the car and came back with the box Dr. Darren had given us.
I snatched the leaflet, feeling my pulse rise while reading it.
"Yeah, well… Dr. Darren kind of downplayed it. Said the med might cause a few side effects, nothing major. But this thing emphasizes that the tests were done in a controlled lab setting. So how could they know what it does during a real fight? It’s not like one of the test subjects went feral just because the lab’s air conditioning was two degrees too warm."
Mr. Miller leaned in and glanced at the leaflet over my shoulder, then snorted. "The antidote to this notorious blocker? I know Seprudin 1000 all too well! Our organization filed a petition to have it banned. It’s potent and significantly reduces the chances of recognizing one’s True Mate by weakening the First Touch and First Orgasm effects, among other things."
"Well, Seprudin doesn’t really concern me right now, but I’d say it did exactly as you said, it diminished the effect greatly. But the antidote… it messed me up for real. And I ask him directly: ‘Is it safe?’. Giving me this while I’m traveling with an omega in the middle of pregnancy waves, basically making me useless, was reckless as hell. I had to fight those guys without being in proper fighting mode. If those aisles hadn’t helped, it could’ve gone south fast."
Miller nodded. "I’m sorry to hear that you were given insufficient information, but I’m not surprised since—"
Kay growled, cutting in. "I kinda get it, though. They tested it in a lab, but you’re the real-world trial, Rain. Great. Now they can add a side effect to the list for free."
"If we report it," I muttered.
Miller raised his hands. "You should! For the sake of other people. Like I said, the Agency is already fighting Malden Pharmaceuticals over Seprudin 1000. Our job is to help people find their mates, not keep them apart. These guys just don’t care. They mess with people’s chances through half-truths and bad data."
"Well, I know some people use suppressants for personal reasons," I muttered, remembering my own reasons all too well.
"Well, everyone has the right to choose. But what they do… it’s basically a lack of informed consent. The Seprudin leaflet doesn’t even mention that the First Orgasm feels like a normal one for both partners, even if only one’s taking it. No electrical discharge. People don’t even realize they’re True Mates. If it were just a hookup, they might split, lose contact, and then die from separation. It’s happening more and more."
"Why is it still on the market?"
"It’s the strongest suppressant with no serious side effects that affect daily life. Others cause drowsiness or apathy, so it sells better."
Mr. Miller was clearly passionate and incredibly well-informed about Seprudin. Kay and I just stood there, mouths slightly open.
"Interesting," I blurted out. "And… it’s true, there was no electrical discharge for us!"
This thought kinda bothered me. Had Seprudin stolen that from us? The most hallmark moment in a True Mates’ first intimate encounter, when their souls merge in an effectiveelectric discharge and a colorful, firework-like sparkle. Without it, the merging still happens, but it’s gradual, stretched over a much longer time, which kinda fit our situation with Kay.
"And it’s nowhere in the leaflet." Mr. Miller sighed. "That’s what we’re fighting. Ever since they brought in the new CEO, things have gotten more aggressive, more cutthroat. The guy’s like a monk, and is laser-focused on his mission and making profit."
"That’s seriously disturbing," Kay said, brows furrowed. "They should be upfront about these side effects. I hope you can raise awareness."
Mr. Miller smiled and nodded. "We're trying every day. The fact that they’re pushing this new antidote without even realizing it blocks the fighting instinct is just another example of how careless they are."
The three of us stood there for a moment. I rolled the leaflet in my hands without really thinking.
I felt Kay’s gaze on me, lingering a little. A bit unsure, I lifted my head, meeting his eyes. His cheeks flushed slightly.
Suddenly, he mumbled, "Even though you didn’t have the benefit of fighting mode… you fought with everything you had. Thank you. I will always respect you for that."
I blinked. That could be interpreted as a nice thing to say, but it also sounded incredibly… official. Like something you could say to a firefighter who just pulled you out of a burning building.
