Experimentation
(followup to Not Quite Wax)

Rex is nineteen and he has a friend who has a friend who won't ask questions. The splice is rare; humans have long memories, but there's always someone who wants a thrill. The package is warm in his hands, "Golden eagle" scribbled on it in unfamiliar handwriting.

He's arranged to be home alone all weekend. No one will see.

It's less painful than he expected. He can't stop looking at himself in the mirror.

Forty hours later, he starts to moult. His wings retract into his shoulders, and losing them again is more painful than he could have possibly imagined.