Chapter 16 - BARREN:

  Juno was having his vitals checked when the door was slammed open, and Leo squeezed in.

  The room immediately felt smaller.

  The nurse doing his check-up yelped and jerked away as the lion crouched near the hyena.

  “Finally!” Leo said, already grabbing Juno and pulling him into a crushing hug.

  “Hey, big guy,” Juno laughed, arms wrapping around the massive neck, his face disappearing briefly into mane and fur.

  Ava and the doctor followed moments later. Ava watched the reunion with open amusement, waiting until Leo set Juno back down before speaking..

  The hyena looked better and worse at the same time.

  Bandages wrapped his torso and thigh. Bruises still showed through his fur, the deep purple-yellow kind that meant bones had been forced back into position and then predator biology helped to knit back together.

  “How long does he need to stay?” Leo demanded, glancing back to the doctor.

  “Well, we are running a last check-up. So I’d say about half an hour. I would strongly advise against any more heroics today.”

  Ava snorted. “Good luck enforcing that.”

  The doctor gave them a knowing smile.

  “Yeah, your line of work is dangerous. Anyway, Mr. Juno’s vitals are steady. We reduced the fractures and it seems to be holding. The regeneration did most of the heavy lifting. He’s still low on energy, so we need to keep feeding him. But that is something you can do at home if you desire. Even with your predator biology and knowing you are past the first growth thresholds, you shouldn’t push yourself too much.”

  Juno flashed him a lazy smile. “Doc, trust me. I’m not sprinting anywhere.”

  The doctor chuckled, made a note on his tablet, and stepped aside.

  The nurse finished up his work, took some blood, and finally left them alone. Leo thanked both profusely.

  The moment the men left the room, Juno sighed and sat at the edge of the bed.

  “Okay,” he said, waving Leo closer. “Come on. Get it out of your system.”

  Leo blinked. “What?”

  “You are going to check me anyway,” Juno said, already lying back on the mattress and adjusting the pillows behind him. “If I don’t let you take the little ‘Juno-is-still-alive’ exam, you’ll hover me all the rest of the day.”

  “I’d never…,” Leo started.

  “You would,” Ava cut in flatly.

  Leo frowned, caught but not admitting it.

  “I wasn’t going to hover.”

  Juno poked his chest. “Hun. I think I know you by now. Deep down that wall of muscle, there is a soft heart.”

  Then he glanced at Ava. “Did he pace the halls while I was here, being broody and threatening people?”

  “Yes.”

  “Traitor,” Leo muttered.

  Juno spread his arms and legs carefully.

  “Come on, do your thing,” he said.

  “Should I leave?” Ava asked. “I saw porn that started just like this.”

  They didn’t give her an answer.

  Leo approached the bed slowly, almost reverently. He crouched next to it, and then leaned in, casting a shadow over the hyena, massive paws - capable of wrapping around Juno’s torso - hovered inches above the hyena’s legs. Almost afraid of touching them.

  Juno exhaled and raised one of the legs.

  “They won’t break just from you touching them.”

  Leo didn’t argue.

  He pressed his fingers along the place where the leg had been broken. His finger pads brushed along Juno’s left shin, tracing the line where the bone had been reset.

  Bone injuries could be problematic for predators.

  If bones shattered or broke out of position, the fast healing would try to mend it, even if the angle was wrong. That would require breaking it back. Sometimes, doctors would need to fight off the accelerated regeneration with potent medication to delay it and give them time to work.

  Being spent had actually worked in Juno’s favor. No excess life force trying to knit bones wrong.

  After a little intervention and some rabbits, Juno slept, letting his own life tank fill and drain, healing him.

  His forearm had been more problematic, according to the doctors, but he was under when they fixed it, and now he had only a few patches of shaved off fur, where they had to make incisions.

  Leo pressed with his fingers - barely - feeling for heat, swelling, misalignment.

  Juno had a small soft smile while he watched the lion’s worried expression.

  The lion moved to the other leg, repeating the examination. Slow, eyebrows furrowed with every shudder Juno had, even the tiny ones.

  “Does it hurt?”

  “No. You are tickling me with the tips of your claws.”

  “Is this really not a porn?”

  “Shut up, Ava.” Leo barked.

  She laughed and dropped onto the visitor's couch, letting the lion resume his examinations. She and Juno knew this was just to give him some peace.

  It took a few minutes.

  Juno sucked in a breath as Leo squeezed his forearm a little. “That’s tender.”

  “You still hurt,” Leo murmured.

  “Pain is good,” Juno said. “Means the nerves are doing their thing again. And that speeder did a number on my arm.”

  The lion hesitated, then leaned closer, examining the arm like it was made of spun glass, his breath warm against Juno’s fur. His focus was absolute — the fierce, protective kind that made Juno’s chest ache in a different way.

  “Doc said the reset took. I’ll be punching people again in no time.”

  Leo didn’t smile.

  “Hey,” Juno said, tugging gently at Leo’s mane. “Look at me.”

  Leo lifted his eyes.

  “I’m here,” Juno said simply. “Alive. Mostly intact. Still prettier than you.”

  Leo huffed — but the sound cracked at the edges.

  “You scared me,” he admitted.

  Juno’s features softened. “I know. But I’m not the one that lost a whole ear”

  Leo snorted as he finished one last sweep, fingertips traveling from wrist to elbow, then down Juno’s ribs, checking for hidden fractures beneath fur.

  When he was finally satisfied, he rested his forehead against Juno’s shoulder, exhaling like he’d been holding his breath for hours.

  Juno leaned his head against Leo’s mane. “Feel better?”

  “No,” Leo muttered. “Less worried. Maybe.”

  Juno let out a tired laugh. “I’ll take it.”

  Leo stayed there, huge and quiet and wrapped around him without quite touching too hard — a predator trying to fold himself into a shape that wouldn’t break the thing he loved.

  Ava decided to give them a few moments of privacy.

  She quietly went back to get her terminals from the corridor, returning five minutes later. Then she cleared her throat loud enough to remind them that they shouldn’t be making out at a hospital bed.

  “Alright, lovebirds, debrief time,” she said.

  Juno groaned. “Here she comes.”

  Ignoring their expressions, she started. “While you were napping like a corpse, the city kept falling apart.” She tapped one of her terminals. “Units were shuffled all morning. Some got sent home, others pushed to the Public Market. And Kai is behind every dispatch order. Every single one.”

  Juno frowned, ears tilting. “Commander Kai? Isn’t Chief Elena back yet?”

  Leo and Ava shook their heads.

  “That guy hates leaving his chair unless he needs applause.” Juno snorted.

  “Exactly,” Ava said. “Which is why I don’t like this. If he plays his cards right, yes, it can be career changing. But the political game is not safe for us.”

  “Weren’t you dating him? Can’t you talk to the guy?”

  Ava clenched her hands into fists. “I’m not dating him.”

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  “Sure,” Juno said with a smirk and then withered under her stare.

  “Anyway,” she continued, “the orders don’t match the emergencies on the ground. He benched our entire unit for no reason.”

  Leo huffed. “I mean, if you blue-balled him, he could be punishing us because of you.”

  “I’m going to shave your mane when you go to bed.”

  “Don’t you dare.”

  Ava cleared her throat, smiling at his reaction. “Jokes aside, there’s something going on. I just told Leo that. There was a team being sent to the Public Market. Then a badge beacon lit up there, and suddenly that same team got a rush order to move in.”

  Juno scratched his temples. “Sounds like we’re waiting for the board to be set, while someone’s already moving the pieces.”

  Leo grumbled, tail flicking. “Ava thinks he’s hiding something.”

  “I don’t think,” Ava said. “I know. The question is what kind of shitstorm he’s trying to control, and why does he want you two out of the way while he does it?”

  Juno shrugged. “If Kai’s hiding something, it’s bad. That’s why we usually stick with our unit and don’t mingle too much with the precinct crew. Could be him kissing ass for a politician. Could be him kissing ass for a politician. Could be corporate interests. Either way, it’s never clean.””

  “I say we ignore him and go after Varro on our own,” Leo growled.

  “We could do that, but remember last time. If we cause any damage or there’s any problem, we lose DAIR's financial backup. That car you used to smash the gryphon at Leland Avenue was taken out of your pay.”

  Leo grimaced. “Alright. I won’t risk the unit’s future. But we keep watching. If things get worse…”

  “... I’ll handle it,” Ava finished. She patted her cart. “That’s what the second channel is for.”

  “Second channel?” Juno echoed, frowning.

  Leo nodded and made a gesture towards the woman. “There’s a Corporal from Central Borough digging behind Kai’s back. Ava’s setting up a backchannel between units across the Borough.”

  “That could lead to disciplinary action,” Juno said, making a face. “If she’s doing that, things are worse than we think.”

  Ava shrugged. “I’ll take disciplinary action over avoidable body bags. Every injury that didn’t need to happen will speak louder than Kai’s excuses.”

  Juno tilted his head. “What’s someone from Central doing here anyway?”

  Ava turned one of her screens toward him. “Hard-devouring case popped up just after midnight. Everyone else was busy chasing Varro. She came in with a few enforcers.” She paused. “And Mortimer.”

  Juno glanced at Leo, surprise flashing across his face. “Morty came here?”

  Then realization hit. He slapped his forehead, ears folding back. “He messaged me during the confrontation at the docks. I told him I was busy. I didn’t think he was actually around.”

  “Well, he did,” Ava said. “And Vallerie roped him into her case before sunrise.”

  Something tugged in Juno’s chest.

  “Hold on.”

  He got up and marched to the small dresser where the nurse had stashed his belongings. His clothes, badge, and wrist terminal sat inside in a crumpled pile. He grabbed the terminal, powered it on, and winced at the brightness.

  Several notifications blinked on the screen.

  Messages from the command chain, from their unit. And, among all of those, he found the ones Morty had sent:

  04:41 AM [Check in. You two still alive?]

  10:21 AM [Update me when you can]

  “…shit,” Juno whispered. “He messaged a second time. I slept right through it.”

  Leo leaned in slightly without crowding him. “What did he say?”

  “Well, first he wanted to know how we were. And I did send him a reply then. Later he asked for an update and this is while I was down.”

  The lion nodded “Okay… they’re nothing dramatic. Just Morty being Morty. Call him. Let's meet up. At least that will give us something to do.”

  Juno nodded, pressing some keys, then frowned.

  “Wait… he sent the exact same messages to you.” Juno turned the terminal so Leo could see. “You didn’t see that?”

  Leo looked away instantly, mane fluffing with embarrassment. “I… may have forgotten my terminal at the unit.”

  Ava chortled.

  “Of course you did,” Juno said, staring at Leo, disbelief flattening his ears. “Hun, darling, love of my life. When we’re on missions, it’s important that you have your terminal with you. How else can you be in the loop?”

  Leo’s shoulders hunched, an impressive feat for someone shaped like a cathedral.

  “I had my radio,” Leo protested. “Besides, you let me know the important stuff.”

  “Leo,” Juno said, rubbing his face. “I was unconscious.”

  “Yes,” Leo muttered, “which is why this system is clearly flawed.”

  Juno dropped back against the pillows with a groan. Ava had her hands aimed at Leo, as if about to choke him.

  Juno tried calling. The line chirped once, then dropped

  “No deal. Either no signal, or dead battery.”

  =================================

  They talked for a while after that. Ava being the middleman with the other units, looping Juno in the second line of communication, feeding him fragments of what the other units were seeing.

  Half an hour later, the door cracked open, and a woman in hospital uniform poked her head inside, trying and failing not to look intimidated by the giant lion dominating half the room.

  “Captain Leo?” she asked meekly. “I’m Kim from the front desk. Sorry to interrupt, but… you’re needed out front.”

  Leo’s mane fluffed instinctively, bunching against the ill-fitting shirt and giving him an almost humpbacked silhouette..

  “What happened?” he asked, missing the chuckles from Juno and Ava.

  “We got some ambulances that came from the Public Market with the DAIR’s medical team. They say there will be a bus with people arriving shortly and we are setting up a triage at one of the ambulance bays.”

  Ava gave Juno a side glance. The hyena nodded.

  “Do you know anything about the operation going on?” Juno asked.

  Kim shook her head. “Just that there was a fight there.”

  “Do we have permission to go there now?” Leo asked, turning his head to Ava.

  She scrolled silently through multiple feeds, fingers moving fast. Kim cleared her throat, then stopped when Ava raised a finger.

  Finally, Ava groaned and shook her head.

  “No. This is bonkers. Even during last night multiple teams had someone acting as liaison and updating the precinct and units about progress. I only know about the operation because of the second line of communication. There is still no official chatter about this.”

  The weight of that settled over them. Their mood darkened with the implications.

  “What do you need me for?” Leo asked Kim.

  He swallowed. “We were told the bus is carrying people from the Stockyard. You know… the meat market.” She didn’t say predators. She didn’t have to. “DAIR’s medical team asked for help, and the chief of surgery requested you specifically.”

  Her eyes flicked to Leo’s size. Reassured. A little desperate.

  “Go,” Ava said. “Talk to them. Find out what’s happening.

  Leo stood, joints popping as he stretched. Kim mouthed a silent wow as the lion brushed his head against the ceiling.

  “Alright. Lead the way.”

  Juno pushed himself upright. “I can help...”

  Leo spun so fast the floor rattled.

  “No. You stay.” His voice wasn’t harsh, but it gave zero grounds for negotiation. “Your tank’s barely half full. You push yourself now, you’ll crash.”

  Juno opened his mouth to argue, but the moment he shifted, he got woozy. Leo saw it. Ava saw it. Even Juno felt it in his pride.

  “…fine,” he muttered.

  Leo softened only a fraction. “Eat more rabbits, drink water, rest. I’ll be back.”

  Ava waved him off. “Go. We’ll keep him alive. And in bed.”

  Leo nodded once, then ducked out, already shifting into command mode as his voice echoed down the hall..

  The door closed.

  Ava turned to Juno, eyes sharp behind her glasses.

  “So,” she said. “While your overgrown man saves the hospital, you and I get to sit here and talk. Lucky you.”

  Juno groaned, flopping back onto the bed. “Why does that sound like a threat?”

  Ava smirked. “Because it is.”

  Ava watched him for a moment, chin propped on her hand. Then she asked, blunt as a hammer: “Do you hate Morty?”

  Juno blinked. “What? No. Gods, Ava. I love the kid.”

  “You say that, but every time his name comes up, Leo smiles like a proud dad and you look like someone punched you in the chest.”

  Juno’s gaze dropped to his hands.

  She wasn’t wrong.

  He sighed, the weight of it all pulling at his chest. “It’s not Morty I’m sad about. It’s… everything around him.”

  Ava raised an eyebrow. “Yet, you just said you love him. Can you make up your mind?”

  Juno rubbed his arms, buying time to gather his thoughts. “You know he was an orphan, right?”

  Ava nodded at that.

  “Leo really wanted to adopt him,” Juno continued. “This was a little over eighteen years ago. Morty was still eleven.”

  “I didn’t know that,” she said. “Why didn’t it happen?”

  Juno’s breath caught. “Papers didn’t go through. Leo was single and an active field enforcer. Too dangerous. Too unstable a profession, they said. Even after Leo and I got married, same verdict. Two enforcers? Not a ‘suitable household environment.’”

  Ava’s expression softened, losing its sharp edge.

  Juno continued quietly.

  “We couldn’t give him what he needed legally. And he grew up anyway. Strong. Smart. A good man. I’m proud of him. Really proud.” His voice faltered. “But every time I look at him, there’s this reminder in the back of my mind...”

  Ava tilted her head. “Reminder of what?”

  “That I’m sterile,” Juno said, flat and unadorned. “I’m barren.”

  He didn’t look up. Ava, who had been sitting across the room, got up and sat beside him on the mattress, her hand gently resting on his shoulder.

  “Pred biology is messed up sometimes,” Juno muttered with a bitter sneer. “We can have kids with regular people. And, depending on the predator, you can get pregnant, even if you are a male. Some of the lizards can even switch sex. But I’m fucking sterile. I can’t get pregnant. Can’t make anyone pregnant. I couldn’t help him to adopt Morty. I couldn’t give him a kid… I can’t.”

  He swallowed, but it didn’t help ease the sting in his chest.

  Then he dragged in a shaky breath through his nose, the kind you take when you’re trying to keep the tears in check.

  “So yeah. I love Morty. But part of me will always wish I could’ve been more than… the guy who couldn’t be his dad.”

  Ava blinked, processing. “You know, I never picked you guys for the parental type. I was just mocking because it was some ‘training my disciple' vibe. I’m sorry for poking where I shouldn’t.”

  Juno gave a short, bitter laugh, but it quickly faded. Ava saw the slump in his shoulders, the subtle tremble in his breath.

  Juno shook his head. “You didn’t. We are adults, and work really close together. You can ask. It’s just… one of those things I try not to think about.”

  Ava shifted closer, lowering her voice.

  “Juno, listen to me. Not being able to have kids doesn’t make you less. Not as a man. Not as a predator. Not as a partner to Leo. And certainly not as someone in Morty’s life.”

  Juno rubbed his eyes, the weariness catching up with him. “I know. Logic knows. But my heart’s stupid.”

  Ava snorted. “Yeah, well, you married Leo. So that was a given.”

  Juno managed a real smile at that, thin but honest. “Fuck off.”

  “Anytime,” she said. Then nudged him with her elbow. “And for the record? Morty turned out great. That didn’t happen in a vacuum. You two shaped him whether the law liked it or not.”

  Juno’s ears dipped in gratitude. “Maybe.”

  “No ‘maybe’,” Ava insisted. “He’s yours. Maybe not on paper. But he is.”

  Juno leaned back against the pillows, staring at the ceiling for a long moment. The words crawled up his throat before he could stop them.

  “You know… I’ve known that lion for twenty years. Married seventeen." His voice was soft. “Sometimes I wonder… If I hadn’t dropped out of college. If I’d stayed on the normal track. If we hadn’t both ended up being enforcers... Maybe we could’ve been there for that kid.”

  Ava didn’t interrupt.

  “Leo never had the heart to tell him about the adoption. It was meant to be a surprise,” Juno continued. “Morty was so small. So hopeful. Leo just kept visiting as the ‘friendly officer’ who showed up at the orphanage after that. And now… we’re just his friends, older brothers. I don’t know.” He swallowed, jaw tightening.

  Ava’s voice was gentle, knowing. “But Leo wanted to be his dad,” Ava said.

  “Still does,” Juno said, the words thick in his throat.

  “Well, you said Leo would visit to keep an eye on him? So at least you two helped where you could. Morty didn’t grow up alone.”

  Juno huffed a breath that wasn’t quite a laugh. “Yeah. Maybe.”

  Ava nudged his knee lightly. “Not maybe. That cat loves you two. You can see it from orbit.”

  Ava sat with him in silence for a beat, then glanced toward the door as if making sure Leo wasn’t about to barge back in. “Can I ask you something without you getting all broody again?”

  Juno rolled his eyes. “I make no promises.”

  “Why does Morty have Leo’s last name?” she asked. “If the adoption never happened.”

  Juno blinked, then huffed a laugh. “Oh. That.”

  He shifted, wincing slightly as his ribs complained. “Morty turned eighteen and marched straight to the registry office. I don’t remember his original last name, but his first name was Diego. He chose Mortimer to honour a childhood friend. And changed his surname to Roitman because he said he felt like we were family, and asked our permission.

  Ava’s eyebrows shot up. “Seriously?”

  “Yep.” Juno grinned, small but genuine. “And Leo…” his grin widened. “Gods. He kept it together in front of the kid, all stoic like usual. But when Morty left?”

  Ava leaned in. “He cried, didn’t he?”

  “Bawled,” Juno said, snickering. “Ugly crying. Snot coming out his nose. I had to close the blinds.”

  Ava laughed, a sharp bright sound. “That giant sap.”

  “Yeah,” Juno said softly. “The biggest.”