Page 29 of Falling for the Felid
I tweak the search, narrowing the results specifically to athletes, and I’m only a little surprised when some peer-reviewed journal articles appear in the results.
I’m deep into the second article when my phone rings, Felix’s name on the display.
“Hi. Did… how are you?” I try not to sound concerned. If Locke proved to be as smart as I think he is, Felix still has a job. And if he doesn’t, what I’m reading right now may well prove to be the basis of his unfair dismissal case.
“I’m good,” he says, and there’s a note of amazement in his voice. He almost sounds giddy. “Listen, I have some stuff to do right now, but I’m having dinner with Jared and Dáithí tonight, and if you want, you could come? I feel like you deserve some answers after I unloaded on you.”
“Yes.” I don’t even need to think about it. “I’ll be here until four, but text me the details and I’ll meet you wherever.”
“Great! I’ve gotta go, but, uh, thanks, Ari. Telling Coach was the right thing to do, and I’m glad you encouraged me to do it.”
Warmth spreads through my chest. “You’re welcome.”
We end the call, and I return my attention to the screen. The information here about intensive exercise and the adrenaline spikes associated with competitive sports as opposed to regular exercise is interesting, but the author goes on to show some fascinating data about endorphin release that reminds me of some research our team was read in on a few years back.
I pick up my phone again, then hesitate. This isn’t technically any of my business. Felix might be grateful that I suggested he tell his coach about his puberty, and he might want us to be friends, but he hasn’t asked for my help. Reading up on what he’s going through so I can understand better is one thing, but actively reaching out to a scientist and asking for feedback based on Felix’s specific situation might be a little intrusive. Or a lot. It probably crosses the boundaries of friendship, and given how delicate things are between us right now, I don’t know if I want to do that.
On the other hand, I might be able to get some information that will genuinely help Felix. Because while all the articles and medical sites I’ve seen so far agree that proper diet and management of adrenaline spikes help to mitigate the more aggressive and emotional hormonal surges, none of them have addressed sexual hormones, except to describe how big of a problem they can be.
But sexual arousal is a very personal thing, and maybe Felix would rather I stayed away from the subject of his.
What a dilemma.
I know what I should do. What the right thing to do is. At the very least, I shouldaskFelix if he wants me to look into this or give him contact details for the relevant people so he can call them himself.
That would be the unselfish way to do it.
So why did I already dial?
Before I can convince myself to hang up, the call connects.
“Rhys Griffiths.”
“Dr. Griffiths, hello. This is Ari Oensjord from the DEA. I hope you’re well.” I’ve only met Rhys Griffiths a few times. He’s a researcher who developed a sex study that ultimately may prevent the Earth species from evolving to lose their nonhuman abilities. Eoin and Caoimhe are the elves assigned to liaise with that study, but I’ve subbed in for Eoin when he had to deal with something else. And, of course, I signed up for the study myself. How could I not, when the data being gathered is being used for such a worthy cause?
“Uh, yes, of course. And you?”
“I’m fine, thank you. I’m sorry to interrupt your day, but I have some questions that I’m hoping you’ll be able to answer.”
“About the study? Is there a problem with?—”
“There’s no problem, Dr. Griffiths. This isn’t about the study, though I’m hoping to take advantage of your expertise. I have a friend?—”
“Ohhh. A friend.”
Belatedly, I realize how that sounded and chuckle awkwardly. “Actually, he really is a friend. A felid shifter. I promise, if I had sex questions about myself, I’m mature enough to own up to that.”
It’s his turn to chuckle. “I’m sorry, that was rude of me. I suppose I’m just surprised. But please, go ahead and ask your questions, and I’ll answer if I can.”
“Thank you. Like I said, my friend is a felid shifter, and he’s currently undergoing reproductive puberty.” I pause, suddenly unsure if I’ll need to explain that. Griffiths is a sorcerer, and maybe he doesn’t?—
“Poor fellow. I’d always heard stories about how hard that could be for shifters, but it wasn’t until I saw the data in the study show what they were going through that I really understood.”
I let my eyes fall momentarily closed in relief. Okay, good. He knows what it is, and he’s seen it impact his research. “Yes, exactly. I don’t know a lot about it, but I’ve been doing some reading, and I think it’s been exacerbated for him because he’s a professional athlete.”
“Hmm. The adrenaline spikes. This isn’t my field of expertise, but I did do some research so I could better assess the data I was getting, and yes, the effect is magnified for anyone dealing with more adrenaline than the baseline norm. Histamine has a similar effect, which is interesting.”
Histamine? I don’t even know what that is. I scribble a note to look into it, but I don’t want to ask now and potentially get sidetracked. “I’ve only just started reading up on this, but so far I’ve found several resources for diet and exercise planning to manage the adrenaline and reduce hormonal volatility, but nothing about how to handle sexual hormones. I was hoping you might be able to share some insights or at least point me toward resources.”
