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The dull, soft scratching of metal against cast iron in the distance stirred Luke from his sleep; however, the weight of something around his body made it impossible for him to move. Grunting softly, he opened his eyes and tried to orient himself. Blinking to focus, he looked down to see one of Teeba's large, purple paws draped over his side, while her other was under his head for him to use as a pillow. The comfortable warmth against his back confirmed his suspicions: she was holding him with his back against her underside. Above, her large wing acted as a canopy, shielding them both from most of the morning light while diffusing it into an almost heavenly glow.

“Morning, sleepyhead," Teeba mused. She had curled her neck around under her extended wing and was looking at him with a soft, sleepy expression. “Thanks for last night—you were amazing," she added with a growing smile.

Luke thought back to the events of the night and smiled. He knew nothing had happened and that she was just teasing him. “Oh, you liked that, did you? Just sitting by the campfire talking and eating?" he said, feeling her chest jostle him slightly as she giggled. “But… I distinctly remember falling asleep on a beanbag," he mused, looking around under her wing for any sign of it. Even the beanbag she had used as a pillow was missing.

“I have no idea where they got to, It must have been the wind. Besides, my beans are better," Teeba said with a guilty smile and wiggled her digits against him before pulling him tighter against her chest in a warm hug. “And the fire went out, so I thought I would keep you warm instead."

Without his beanbag anywhere in sight, he was sure he hadn't just slipped off it; the dragoness had likely pulled him off while he was sleeping. The fact that she would do that and then hold him so closely made him feel somewhat uncomfortable, but he couldn't deny that the encompassing warmth of her body was nicer than sleeping on the noisy beanbag. Noticing she didn't have her own pillow, Luke rested a hand on her forepaws and looked into her deep amethyst eyes. “Did you sleep all right?"

“Yeah, although nothing beats my bed," Teeba replied softly. She snorted in amusement and flashed him a cheeky smile. “You should totes try it sometime."

Luke chuckled and shook his head, but the dull scraping noise he had heard earlier interrupted his thoughts as he tried to figure out what it was. His foggy mind took longer than it should have to identify it as the sound of someone scraping a grill. A sudden surge of adrenaline woke him completely when he realized that some of his squad were awake and could see him snuggled against Teeba. “We need to get up—they will see us."

“And?" Teeba said. As Luke gripped the paw around his waist, she relented and let go of him. Retracting her wing and lifting her head, Luke suddenly felt exposed. He looked toward the house and saw most of his squad sitting on the patio. Both Bishop and Joker looked over as Teeba folded her wing and nodded in greeting.

Scrambling to his feet, Luke realized they had seen him nestled against Teeba, and he felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment. To his surprise, however, both of his squadmates resumed what they were doing without so much as a second glance. With the exception of Joker, who seemed incapable of hiding his smirk. Brushing himself off and straightening his shirt, Luke looked around the yard as Teeba rose to all fours and stretched her neck, back, and tail in a long, unhurried motion. Glancing toward her as she yawned sleepily, he watched her pull her wings tight against her body before extending them fully, then shaking and folding them once more.

“Coffee, you two?" Shane called out as he fiddled with a large percolator. Judging by the fact that many of the Marines were already holding steaming mugs, Luke assumed he was making a second jug for the dragons.

“Yes please, thank you," answered Teeba in Luke's place while he is as still looking around the yard. Luke still felt embarrassed about being caught in such a compromising position by his squadmates and quickly followed her gaze. He saw Keenis and Meg approaching from the back of the yard, Meg yawning deeply while resting a hand on the dragon's folded wing as they walked together. With the scattered trees and garden beds, it was hard to see the back fence of the property, but he could tell where Keenis and Meg had been sleeping and realized they were a lot closer than he had imagined. He also noticed that the beanbags he and Teeba had been sleeping on were only a few feet away and had a plump look as if they had been thrown.

Not wanting to walk with Teeba toward the rest of the squad, Luke tried to be helpful instead and headed for the farthest beanbag. “Must have been some wind," he mused. Glancing over his shoulder, he shook his head as Teeba grinned playfully and picked up the other beanbag in her jaws. Together, they carried them back to their original positions around the campfire.

Looking toward his unit on the patio, Luke felt relieved that none of them seemed to be paying much attention to them and were instead talking among themselves. The only exception was Keenis, who parted from Meg and walked straight toward Luke and Teeba.

“Morning, Teeba. There's a lav at the back of the garden for us. It's a proper system, which is good," he said, his gaze shifting between Luke and Teeba. It took Luke a moment to process what the drake had said, but he realized that since the house wasn't designed for fully grown dragons, it made sense for Bishop's family to have separate facilities.

“Oh, thanks. I was going to ask what the go was," Teeba replied cheerfully. “I'll be back." She nudged Luke in the back with a folded wing as she headed off. Luke noticed Keenis's nostrils twitch, and he watched the green drake turn his head to follow Teeba. Keenis's wings lifted slightly, and Luke heard him sniffing the air.

“Everything okay?" Luke asked as the drake continued to watch Teeba move toward the back of the yard. Something about the way Keenis looked at her made Luke uneasy, and when Keenis finally turned around, Luke was even more puzzled—Keenis's pupils seemed narrower than usual. “Is there something wrong—?"

“No-no, nothing's wrong," Keenis said, speaking too quickly to be believable. “It's just her scent… forgive me." He tried to give Luke a reassuring smile, but Luke simply frowned. “It's not my place to say, but just a heads-up: Teeba may act a little differently over the next few days," he added, widening his eyes as though hoping Luke would understand his cryptic words.

“...Why? What's going to happen?" Luke asked, his ignorance clearly amusing the green drake, who shook his head with a chuckle.

“Oh boy… maybe forget I said anything. I'm sure she'll tell you if she wants you to know. But if she's a bit moody or asks for things, just remember it's normal and natural." He walked past Luke with a broad smile on his snout. “Come on, Luke, breakfast time," the drake added with another knowing chuckle.

---

Over the course of breakfast, Luke couldn't help noticing a few peculiarities. Firstly, despite the entire team being fully aware that he had slept alongside Teeba in a somewhat compromising manner, they never once mentioned it or made any remarks, even as Teeba ate beside him. He found it strange yet surprisingly comforting that no one judged him or made jokes about him snuggled up against the dragoness; instead, they behaved as thought it were completely normal.

The second thing he noticed during breakfast was how each of the dragons behaved. Last night, Teeba, Keenis, and Tiizome had all sat together quite comfortably; now, however, Teeba was sitting almost behind Luke with her plate beside him. Keenis had curiously insisted that Tiizome sit beside him, as far away from Teeba as possible. Strangely enough, Teeba had encouraged this decision as well, and while the drake didn't protest, Luke noticed that Tiizome could hardly keep still. This was in complete contrast to the previous night, when he had been quite well-behaved, so Luke assumed the fledgling hadn't gotten enough sleep. Teeba also seemed to be acting strangely; she appeared more on edge than usual and would occasionally glance at the drakes with concern while she quickly ate her breakfast.

Suspecting something was amiss, Luke waited until the group was chatting and Teeba had her head lowered to her plate. Then he casually leaned over to her and spoke in a quiet whisper. “Is everything okay? Do you need your medication?" he asked, thinking perhaps her anxiety was flaring up, as it had been over twelve hours since she'd taken her last dose.

The dragoness paused as if contemplating the thought, then softly shook her head. “No, this is… something else," she said quietly, and Luke noticed her snout darken. “I hate to be a pain, but when were you thinking of leaving?"

Luke looked around and, though it was a shame to leave so soon, he noticed Meg was also collecting her things. “Do you need to go now? Did you want to fly back?" As soon as he asked, he realized it wasn't what Teeba wanted to hear, judging by the twitch of her lip, and he quickly corrected himself. “I mean, we can leave if you need to, but if you need to get home, would flying be faster?"

“Um... I don't really want to be flying by myself," Teeba said softly, shuffling her wings close to her body. Her whole posture looked tense, and as she looked around, Luke thought she seemed genuinely worried. “I can wait..." she added meekly.

“Nah, we'll get going. Let me finish this, and we'll go, okay?" he said, gesturing to his breakfast and smiling as she nodded happily. He still wasn't sure what was troubling her, but it seemed important, so he began to eat faster.

“Keenis and I are just going to stretch his wings," Meg announced as she slipped on her thick jacket and zipped it up. “We shouldn't be long. Tiizome, how about you come with us?" she added, and Luke noticed Teeba perking up out of the corner of his eye. “Show us how good of a flyer you are."

“Is Teeba coming?" the dragon asked optimistically, whipping his head around to look at Teeba. Luke could tell the dragoness didn't want to participate, but he also didn't feel comfortable answering for her.

“Umm, I might sit this one out. I get an upset tummy if I fly after eating—"

“But you go on, sweetie. Keenis will take good care of you," Gerty insisted, gripping the drake on the wing shoulder with her frail hand. “Go on, burn off some of that energy."

“Another time, I promise," Teeba added with a stiff smile, accidentally nudging Luke with her tail as she curled it around herself.

Luke was confused by the exchange. Judging by her tone, she was incredibly tense about flying with the two drakes, but he couldn't understand why. With a huff, the small drake half-walked and half-crawled off the deck with his head hanging low while Meg collected Keenis' harness from beside the house. It was a much lighter-looking rig than the one Keenis had worn while serving, and it appeared to have had far more flair put into its design than the clunky military harness. However, it wasn't the quality of the leather or the polished silver buckles that caught Luke's attention, but rather the tapered, slim leather bed mounted on top.

At first, he thought it was a simple grab point for the drake—Keenis held it in his mouth while lifting the harness onto his shoulders—but he quickly realized it was a saddle. Keenis and Meg worked together to secure the straps. Additionally, attached to the shoulder straps were a set of subtle stirrups and straps that Luke realized were for securing Meg's legs to the harness.

The group watched as she removed a leather flight cap from one of Keenis' pouches and tucked her red hair inside before pulling it over her head and fastening it under her chin. After pulling out a pair of flight goggles, she looked as though she'd stepped out of an old war movie, where dragons flew over trenches with riders commanding them. Luke mused that some dragons might find her getup insulting, considering they had worked hard to avoid being ordered to carry riders. The difference, he noted, was that Keenis wasn't being ordered and he was instead carrying her of his own volition.

Once Meg was fully prepared, Keenis lowered himself to the ground and used a digit to hold one of the stirrups open for her. With one foot in a stirrup, Meg gracefully hopped up and swung her other leg over the drake's back, taking care not to kick his wings. Keenis waited patiently as Meg secured a series of leather buckles and straps around her legs, while the rest watched in fascination.

“I always thought Keenis liked a girl tied up," Joker called out, loud enough for Meg and Keenis to hear. A chuckle ran through the group, which turned into laughter when Meg flipped him off while smiling. “And in leather."

“That's what I forgot! I left the crop in the bedroom," Meg retorted, making all but Tiizome chuckle. Seeing the young dragon tilt his head to one side, she grinned and shook her head. “Don't worry, sweetie; you'll get it one day." Once she had secured the last strap, she ran her hands along the sides of Keenis' neck, then turned in the saddle to address Tiizome. “Alright Tizzy, let's see what your big wings can do!"

Puffing out his chest, the small drake took a series of rapid, deep breaths before rearing back on his hind legs and mantling his wings. Luke could see the powerful muscles in the drake's hind legs tense as he hunkered down, and then, like a coiled spring, leapt into the air. In one jump, he would have been able to clear Luke if he was standing, but then, with a series of quick sweeps of his wings, the two-legged dragon soared upwards.

“You good, Keenis?" Meg asked as she stroked his neck with her hand. With a curt nod, Keenis lifted himself onto all fours and turned away from the group. Mid-turn, however, Luke noticed a brief flash of something pink-mauve behind Keenis's hind leg that made him blush. It was fleeting, but as Luke quickly looked away, he knew the rest of the group had seen it too.

“We will be back in thirty minutes," Keenis said while looking over his shoulder toward Teeba. Luke struggled to read his expression; it looked somewhat knowing, and maybe… pity? The look was gone as quickly as it came, and then Keenis crouched briefly before lunging sharply into the air. From a standstill, he cleared most of the smaller trees before unfurling his massive wings and, with a quick flap, surged upwards again. The sudden gust of wind caused some of the empty glasses on the table to fall over, but after a second stroke of Keenis' wings, he was far enough away not to cause any more of a mess. The group watched as he continued to climb, then performed a wide-banked turn to begin heading east.

A soft sigh from Teeba caught Luke's attention, and when he turned, he was sure she looked slightly more relieved. Confused, he began to wonder if something had come between Keenis and Teeba, but he couldn't think of anything that the drake had done to put her on edge. “Still need to go?" he asked quietly, and continued to eat quickly when she nodded.

Finishing his breakfast, he almost scalded himself on his coffee before collecting his and Teeba's plates and adding them to a pile of dishes near the door to the house. “We have to get going, sorry," he said, and when the rest looked at him, he felt as if he needed an excuse. “One of the farms is looking to replace all their pumps, and it's sorta new-truck-level money," he lied while moving towards his former captain.

Unlike the rest of his squad who had taken up civilian jobs, Shane had mentioned that he was redeploying in the coming months, and Luke knew this might be the last chance he would see him. When he approached, Shane rose from his chair and extended his arm. Luke grabbed his captain's hand before pulling him in until their chests were close. “You stay frosty, Captain, and watch your six," Luke said quietly. “You ain't got us covering your ass."

“Covering? You lot were the ones getting us in trouble," Scarecrow joked, but he gripped Luke's hand more firmly and lowered his voice to a whisper. “You take care of that 'ness, okay? Make sure your folks don't be fuckwits."

With a stiff nod, Luke pulled his captain in tighter before they parted once more. Turning to the rest, he thanked Gerty and bid them farewell before joining Teeba and heading to his truck. Once they were out of earshot, he looked over his shoulder at Teeba, who was following closely behind. “Are you sure you don't need your pills?"

“I promise, I'm okay. I just need to get home. As soon as possible," Teeba said curtly, and when they reached the truck, she quickly leapt into the bed and began to lie down. As she did, she wriggled and squirmed for a few seconds to make herself comfortable.

Sensing the urgency in her voice, Luke jumped into the driver's seat and reached across to unwind the window for her. “Alright Cinderella, let's get you home before you turn into a pumpkin," he said as he keyed the ignition. He wasn't sure she had heard him, as she was looking behind them while he reversed, but without her filling the passenger window with her head, he was able to use both mirrors.

Once on the road, he glanced at the passenger's window as Teeba stretched her neck and laid her jaw on the windowsill like she had on their drive here. Now that they were moving, she seemed more at ease, and he caught her taking long, deep breaths. “Are you sure you're okay? You're not upset at me or anything–"

“I'm fine," she said shortly, but he continued to glance toward her occasionally as he drove. The dragoness seemed deep in thought, with her eyeridges furrowed and her nostrils flaring every so often.

Keenis' warning about her acting differently seemed to be coming true, and while Luke was pretty confident that Keenis wouldn't have said or done anything to upset her, he was growing concerned about Teeba's behaviour. “Did Keenis do something wrong?" he asked, catching her eyes flicking to him in confusion. “You two seemed odd this morning."

The sound of Teeba taking a deep breath and letting out a long, deep sigh made him look over to her once more. “No… he did nothing wrong. It's just…" She paused and glanced at him a few times as if unsure whether to tell him. With a deep breath and a sad sigh, she finally muttered, “My cycle started in the night."

Luke's throat suddenly became very dry, and he struggled to swallow. He could feel his cheeks burning with embarrassment as he quickly put the dots together and realized how ignorant he had been. “Oh," was all he could say, and he focused on the road ahead. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the dragoness looking toward him, but he wasn't sure what to say. “So… what does that mean?"

Teeba turned her head to look more directly at him with a puzzled expression. “You do know what a cycle is, right? My heat? Estrus? Stork season?" she asked, and Luke felt as if he could start a fire with how hot his cheeks suddenly were.

“I mean… I wasn't paying too much attention to it at school," he said, finding his words difficult to form in the sheer embarrassment of the situation. “So what I mostly know is, like… what livestock do and stuff—"

“Wow!!!" Teeba exclaimed with a mix of sarcasm and genuine humour. “So I'm a cow now, am I?"

Even Luke found his answer somewhat humorous, and he chuckled at how poorly he had explained himself. “I mean, I know it's the time when eggs happen—"

“When eggs happen…" Teeba repeated with a chuckle. “Do you think they just appear out of nowhere?"

“No," Luke replied, shaking his head. “I have a pretty good understanding of what needs to happen. What I mean is, what do you need from me?" He glanced over at her. “Like, what can I do to help?"

Teeba's smile alone made him feel warm inside. While he might not be her mate, it was clear that she appreciated his support—until her smile grew just a bit too wide. “Well… if you're offering, there is one thing you could do—"

“Teeba…" Luke said with a playful glare, turning his attention back to the road. “I mean other than… that. Do you need me to get some drugs, painkillers, chocolate icecream, a sappy romance movie?" He smiled when she giggled. “Oh, wait—heat suppressors! They're a thing, right?" When she didn't reply, he glanced over and saw her smile had faded. “Oh, is it too late for them? Do they only work if it's before or something?"

Teeba replied with a small shake of her head. “No, I don't like that stuff, they just stop eggs. I'll be fine, but I've just got to keep away from drakes," she said sincerely, causing Luke to nod in vague understanding.

“This may seem a bit personal, but like… how bad does it get?" he asked, glancing over at her when she didn't reply. “Like, does it make them lose control or something?" he added, rewarded with a small chuckle. “Do you need me guarding your door with my rifle day and night, fending off hordes of horny drakes who all want to confess their love to you?" He smiled as she blurted out a laugh. He was glad to hear it; knowing she was happy made him feel better about himself. “What about you? Do I need to keep you locked up?" he joked, much to her amusement. “You can be the princess in the tower, I'll be the knight in shining armour…" His words drifted off as he realised where his metaphor was going and quickly corrected himself. “I mean, standing guard, not coming to rescue you–"

“I know what you mean. No, you don't need to do that. It's just an awkwardness, I'll be okay," she said warmly, and Luke felt the whole truck shift as she shuffled in the bed. “It's just a bit rude for me to be around drakes as… well… you saw how it affected Keenis at breakfast. Tizzy is probably too young to know what was going on, but it was just not appropriate for me to be there," she explained, and Luke hummed in acknowledgement.

“So… it really comes on that fast, does it?" Luke asked, genuinely curious. When she nodded, he was somewhat surprised and pursed his lips. “Can I ask, is it like a regular thing? Does it come out of the blue or what?" he asked, and when she didn't reply, he glanced over to see her smiling happily at him. “What?"

“Nothing, it's cute that you're interested. Some people find it embarrassing or gross—well… not many drakes, anyway," she said and shuffled again in the back of the truck. “It's regular, but like every nine to ten months or so. But you can't really put a pin on a date or anything, and sometimes it doesn't happen at all if life is crazy. Honestly, I was due shortly after my apartment blew up, but it didn't happen. With the stress of everything, I thought I was in the clear for another round."

Luke nodded in understanding. Even before he had met her, she had gone through a lot, and no doubt his father's actions hadn't helped either. Thinking about how stress and danger might delay a cycle, a small smirk pulled at his lips and he began to chuckle. When Teeba looked at him with a curious expression, he contemplated not sharing his joke but felt he could get away with it. “So, if stress can delay it, I'm guessing being happy and content after can bring it on?" he asked, and Teeba nodded, still with a perplexed expression, as he snorted. “So, Bishop's ribs were really that good, huh?" Luke added and giggled as Teeba rolled her eyes before joining in.

“They were very good ribs," Teeba said while Luke continued laughing. “But maybe it was being snuggled up against my Sir Raider," she added, smiling a broad, toothy smile as Luke coughed and stopped laughing.

“Wait… what?" Luke stammered, his ears and face burning. “That's not a thing, is it?"

“It can happen," Teeba said with a smirk that made Luke question if she was telling the truth. “Reevian said she hadn't had a heat in years until Neebis moved in, then like a couple of nights later her cycle came hard and fast," she explained and giggled as Luke's throat became dry again.

“So… what happens now? We get you home and you wait it out?" Luke asked, becoming more serious. In the corner of his eye, he saw Teeba nodding and then heard her take a deep breath. He wasn't sure if she was embarrassed or frustrated with her condition, or perhaps a mixture of both. “I guess you can get started on the new battle pass then," he said, hoping to cheer her up.

“I guess…" Teeba said while looking ahead out of the windshield. “Hey, last night, or I guess this morning… I may have overstepped a little," she said, changing the subject sharply. Luke wasn't sure exactly what she meant; after all, her needing to leave the party now seemed quite reasonable to him. Before he could ask, however, she continued. “I probably should have realized something was up when I took away your bean bag. I kinda woke up and felt like being silly. You were fast asleep, and I wanted to hug you. I think it was just my heat talking, but… I'm sorry if I made you feel weird, especially with your friends there." Luke could tell by her voice that she was genuinely sincere.

Tearing his eyes from the road briefly, Luke noticed the remorse in her eyes and waved his hand dismissively. “It's fine. I'm kinda getting used to waking up with you on me… or around me… or holding me," he said with a smile, trying to put her at ease. When she didn't smile, he felt a knot of tension build in his stomach. He could tell she felt bad about what she did, and if their genders were reversed, it would definitely be concerning. “Honestly, I was just confused that the guys didn't make a thing about it."

“I think they think we're a thing already," Teeba said quietly, and when Luke reluctantly nodded, she turned her head more toward him. “Was it weird for you though? Me hugging you like that?"

Luke sensed she was asking a deeper question, one he wasn't entirely sure how to answer. Rolling his grip on the steering wheel, he took his time to collect his thoughts. Thinking back on the hug itself, he couldn't really fault it. Between her heavier limbs around him and her warmth seeping into him, it was a lovely experience. What it meant, however, was something he found himself questioning. He realized he felt more for Teeba than for any of his other friends, and he certainly wouldn't let one of them snuggle up to him like that unless it was absolutely necessary. The biggest hang-up was the risk of being caught, yet when his friends didn't care, any objections faded.

“You found it weird…" Teeba said sadly when he didn't speak for almost a minute. The regret in her voice made Luke's chest tighten, but he still wasn't sure how to respond without lying. Teeba gave a small sniff before clearing her throat and continuing. “I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. I won't do it again—"

“It wasn't… bad," Luke admitted, staring at the long road ahead. His words hung in the air, and the silence that followed was almost deafening. Glancing to his side, he saw her eyeridges raised in surprise and anticipation. Taking a deep breath, he tried to explain what he meant. “I mean, you give great hugs, no doubt about it. I've woken up beside waaay worse," he said, though his joke fell flat when her eyes narrowed. “What I mean is, I was more worried about being caught, and the fact that no one cared was… strange." He added and felt conflicted about how he truly felt.

“Honestly, that's kind of what I'm used to. Like, probably ninety percent of people in the city don't give two flaps if you're a human into dragons or a dragon into humans," Teeba explained, and Luke could tell she was trying to reassure him. What she was reassuring him of, though, was something he wasn't prepared for.

Luke felt as if he was being led down a path he had been taught repeatedly was the wrong way to go. However, as he thought back to seeing Meg and Keenis together, and also how nice it had been to be held by Teeba, he was quickly starting to question how 'wrong' it really was. After all, was it right to be solely worried about what some people felt was right? What did that mean for him and what he wanted? Was this something he wanted? He chewed on the inside of his lip as he contemplated the answer.

“Fuck," Teeba said flatly, startling him out of his thoughts. “We forgot to get you a new picture. That one with Leena and everyone—the one you gave to Reevian."

“Oh," Luke said, and briefly considered turning around until he saw the pained look in Teeba's eyes. If he returned now, there was a good chance Keenis and Tiizome would be back from their flight, and it would mean re-explaining their departure. “It's okay, it's fine," he said, and leaned back into his seat. “I'll just get them to email it to me or something. Or I'll get it when I see them next. No big deal." he added and caught a glimpse of a smile in the corner of his eye. “Let's get you home."

---

“Fuck… okay, you want it like that, do you?" Luke murmured while leaning forward to get a better angle. “I– I'm almost…" he said, quickly pulling his hand away to wipe a bead of sweat threatening to drop into his eye. Despite having the fan on, Luke still found himself overheating in the muggy, sweltering warmth of the room. He wished he had opened the window earlier, but he'd been so eager to start that he had forgotten. Now, there was no way he'd stop, so he put up with the stifling heat.

“Me too, I'm almost… almost… Ah, oh? Oh, oh! Come on, that's it, come on, give it to me." Teeba's voice sounded strained and almost desperate as she spoke directly into his ear. “Don't you dare bitch out now."

“I won't– oh, I won't," Luke groaned, holding his breath and concentrating on what he was doing. The last few days had been a rollercoaster for him; with Teeba going through her cycle, he tried to keep her company as much as possible, only leaving the farm for the occasional emergency call-out or to buy treats for his desperate friend. Luke felt like a teenager again; he knew he needed a shower, but Teeba had practically pounced on him the moment he got home.

“Oh fuck, no–" Teeba whined, anticipation thick in her voice. The desperation there brought a broad smile to his lips as he angled himself for an explosive finish.

“Oh yeah, here it is, baby!" he exclaimed joyfully as he mashed a series of buttons. His gaming monitor flashed a kaleidoscope of brilliant colors while his dragoness avatar unleashed a torrent of homing missiles at Teeba's dragon. Having charged his ultimate by eliminating hordes of minions, each rocket sparkeled with a fierce orange energy, telegraphing that they wouldn't miss. “That's it! Take it like a good girl!" he added as, one by one, the rockets detonated against Teeba's shields until her energy reserve was depleted. He then swooped in, accompanied by the satisfying 'thwuk' of hit markers. The chime that rang out confirmed his kill, and Luke grinned as he banked his character around to keep hunting for more minions before she respawned. “That's another win for me. Are you sure you want to continue?"

“Cocky prick," came Teeba's playful reply through his headset, and he could almost picture her smile. “Dragnaught is sooo broken, especially in territories. How about you pick a real character?" she added. Unlike the duos game mode they often played, 'Territories' meant that each player controlled a dragon with different abilities, and carried an AI rider who helped rearm their dragons. Additionally, they not only earned points by killing other dragons, but they also fought to kill as many AI minions as possible. The main twist was that there were longer respawn times for the players, which meant they had to balance killing minions and also eliminating enemy players. By eliminating the other player, the victor would then get some precious time to farm minions and earn points while recharging their abilities.

Luke chuckled and leaned back in his chair as he dove his dragoness down to unleash a torrent of fire on a wave of AI minions. “How about you get good?" he replied with a snicker as she gasped in mock offense. “Just saying, you could pick her too if you wanted to, but you don't."

“Draconic pride, I ain't gonna stoop to broken characters just to beat you," Teeba countered, making him laugh. “Also, this vibrator is like… really doing it for me."

Mispressing a button, Luke accidentally fired a salvo of high-yield rockets into a single almost-dead enemy as his cheeks became warm. “...you're not…" he murmured in partial disgust. He knew her heat had been affecting her hard, but hadn't thought that her needs would make her that desperate.

“Pffft, no." Teeba giggled madly, followed by an audible hum of concentration as he entered her territory. “The batteries are recharging. Hey, after this game, can you come down here? I could do with one of your hands," she added, and Luke realised what she was doing as the bottom edge of his screen glowed red. “It will be fun! I promise you will like it."

Banking as hard as his dragoness would allow, he rotated the camera to see the grappling talons of Teeba's melee-spec'd dragon miss him by only a few pixels. She had simply been trying to distract him long enough to get into position; however, the speed of her character's dive didn't allow her to correct her course in time, and she overshot at an almost supersonic speed. “Nice try," he retorted, shaking his head. “But your scandalous talk won't corrupt me!" he announced in an overly righteous voice. “For Sir Raider walks the wholesome path…" he added as he put Dragnaught into an inverted corkscrew to try and intercept Teeba's dragon. “And my faith guides me!" he added as he managed to line up a shot, but as he mashed the key for his rockets, he realised they were still on cooldown. Judging by the fact that the bar beside the icon was only half full and by how Teeba used an ability to immediately flip her character's direction and head straight for him, he knew he was going to be in trouble.

For a moment too long, Luke opened fire with his character's autocannons, but quickly realized they were too close and instead tried to roll his character out of Teeba's path. Unfortunately for him, Teeba had chosen one of the most agile characters to counter his hard-hitting Dragnaught and quickly adjusted her course to intercept. Pressing the button to fire off a gout of flame again, his efforts were for naught as Teeba's dragon slammed into his with enough force to make him jump. The camera pulled away into a pre-scripted angle as Teeba's dragon performed an execution. First by ripping the throat out of Luke's character, then placing Dragnaught's limp head in front of her own cannon, and finally with a kick against the side of the gun, firing a round through the heavy dragoness' head.

Luke leaned back and watched in detachment. The animation had been brutal the first time he had seen it, but now he simply drummed his fingers on his folding table while waiting for it to end. Glancing out the window of the living room he was now calling home, he stared at the setting sun for a few moments before smirking. “Lucky kill," he teased, grinning when he heard her scoff. “If I had my rockets—"

“If you had skill, you mean?" Teeba giggled happily. Tapping tab to check the scoreboard, he was tempted to remind her that he was almost doubling her score but instead just laughed along. “Oh, did you want to have dinner down here? I was going to try and make spicy noodles," Teeba asked while Luke adjusted his loadout. “I promise I'll put all my toys away this time."

Luke sighed in a mixture of embarrassment and understanding. He had been caught off guard when she had opened her barn door for him to give her her shopping, and he had caught sight of a dildo sitting proudly on the kitchen counter. He understood that the dragoness had needs, and with her heat in full swing, he guessed it was a normal way for her to find relief. However, the size and shape of the toy had been a curiosity. He didn't have long to study it, but even at a distance, he noticed that the silicone sculpture resembled a human penis, albeit a well-endowed one.

“Alright, if you put all your toys back in your toy box and tidy your room, then yes, you can have a friend over for dinner," Luke explained in an overly parental voice, much to her amusement and joy. Since their drive back from Bishop's home, he had been thinking long and hard about his relationship with Teeba, and if he should even call it that. If he was honest with himself, he would admit that he liked her way more than just a friend, but he couldn't bring himself to call her his 'mate' as it sounded far too intimate. However, even though she was less than a hundred yards away from him, he felt like he couldn't talk to her just yet about it. Given that she was in her heat cycle, he was worried that she may react differently than how she would otherwise and if he was going to be honest with her about his feelings, he wanted her to be in the right headspace.

“I'm pretty sure I know Reevian's secret, also, it would be nice to have a proper sit-down meal," Teeba explained, and Luke heard her claws clack against the buttons on her controller as she farmed kills and he had to wait. “Oh, did you check out that glitch I sent you?"

“I got it, but I haven't watched it yet," Luke mused, and after confirming that he still had almost a minute until he could respawn, he shifted to his second monitor and clicked on his browser. His eyes widened as he realized he hadn't been browsing in incognito mode and now up came a collection of tabs with everything he had last viewed. At first, he had been questioning whether his feelings towards Teeba might have been influenced by her pheromones and had gone to search if humans were affected by them.

Reading the summary of each tab that had been reopened, he reflected on what he had learnt from each one. The first was a medical site confirming that humans were unaffected by the scent of estrus, even though humans could still smell it. To a human though, it was nothing more than a warm, earthy smell unlike the strong primal advertisement of fertility it was for male dragons.

The next series of tabs were a collection of blogs he had skimmed to learn what it was like for her and whether there was anything he could do to help. The information he found was surprisingly varied. Some naturist sites encouraged a 'ness to be out and about in her community, flaunting her condition and claiming it was natural, normal, and a great way to meet new people. Other sites were far more conservative, arguing that she should remain isolated from society at all times except for her mate, and even went so far as to imply that a single reader should feel ashamed for not having a mate to take care of their needs.

The next few tabs were even less scientific, and part of him was ashamed to still have them open. In a moment of weakness, he had done a quick search and found a video on the sister website of one he often visited while alone. The orange and black Horn Hub logo, though reduced in size on the tab, was still incredibly recognisable, and the video on that page remained firmly etched into his mind. He knew full well that the two dragons in the video were paid actors—likely filmed over multiple sessions, then stitched together to form one long sequence. However, despite the phoney premise of a plumbing dragon helping a heat-stricken 'ness, Luke was able to see some of the effects of a dragoness in the middle of her heat. The dragoness' slit, normally tight and almost invisible in everyday situations, was shown in graphic, puffy, and glistening detail. Furthermore, the way the drake seemed hypnotised by her scent, eventually pounding her through multiple climaxes until he forced his swollen knot in, made Luke really question Teeba's remarks about not needing protection from other males. Their coupling was also incredibly primal, with little foreplay other than a few deep licks to show how absolutely soaked the dragoness was before they went at it like animals.

That video had really made him unsure about going down this path with Teeba, as watching the dragons devolve into horny beasts brought back haunting remarks his father had made. Thankfully, the next few tabs were more educational and displayed the crest of a school he didn't recognise. He found these videos more comfortable, as the content was presented in a very dry, monotone voice with drawings and cartoons rather than close-ups of a dragon's cock pistoning in and out of a swollen vent. The videos covered what a dragoness would feel during her cycle, outlined the signs, reassured viewers about what was normal, and acknowledged that individual dragons could experience different things. One video was dedicated to caring for a partner in their cycle, encouraging drakes to distance themselves from the female when possible and, if not, to use masturbation to ease their sex drive. Luke felt reassured by Keenis' behaviour and, after reading how delightful the scent was for drakes, he commended the green drake for stepping away as he had. He realised that, as Keenis was a medical professional, he was probably used to handling situations like these and Luke found himself questioning why he had ever doubted him.

Finally, the last tab was the video Teeba had sent him. Clicking on it, he recognised the glitch straight away and paused the video before returning to the game. “I'm pretty sure they patched that one ages ago," he replied, leaning forward in his chair. Despite giving Teeba the space he believed she needed, it didn't stop her from sending him numerous links to funny memes or videos throughout the day. He enjoyed them, but he had noticed that she only really played games while he was online.

His attention shifted back to the game as the respawn timer hit zero, and his dragon was shown entering the battlefield at breakneck speed. “Fiiinally!" he groaned, scanning the landscape for minions he could target while keeping a lookout for Teeba's character. “I really wish they would fix the respawn. Why should I get a longer timer just because I'm winning?"

“Try not dying then?" Teeba giggled, making Luke roll his eyes. “You know it's just so the scrubs have a chance," she added, and Luke caught sight of her dragon swooping down and obliterating a group of mechanised walkers with a flurry of its claws.

“Yeah, but what I mean is, you're penalising the people who play the game a lot—and they're your bigger fans," Luke remarked, contemplating firing a rocket at a group of foot soldiers but hesitating as he remembered his earlier mistake. Switching to a breath weapon, he swooped Dragnaught down and bathed them in a stream of smoky orange flame. He still had a fair way to go before his ultimate was ready, but he was hopeful that if he could evade her character for long enough, he'd stand a chance. His train of thought shifted as he saw Teeba's dragon avoid a large group of enemies and instead turn toward him. Instantly, he understood her intentions. By killing those AI NPCs, she would surely fully charge her ultimate, and the fact that she ignored them meant she already had it ready to unleash on him. “Oh, I see you, you clingy bitch," he whispered, just loud enough for his mic to pick him up.

Teeba's character was a risky counter to his. While Dragnaught worked best at medium to long range, hers was all about getting in close enough to use pneumatic-fired grappling claws from two of its robotic legs, snaring opponents while delivering an execution. To balance its almost one-hit-kill ability and unrealistic movement, Teeba's dragon was essentially a glass cannon, with pitiful protective shields and almost no hit points once they failed. Seeing Teeba's dragon using its speed boost to close the gap made Luke smile and quickly bring his character's guns to bear.

The moment his crosshairs aligned with her silhouette, Luke mashed the buttons on his mouse. The twin autocannons mounted on his dragon's back fired a series of shots, sending tracers across the battlefield. As he predicted, Teeba's character struggled to pull to one side at high speed, and he scored a glancing blow to her shields.

Quickly scanning his abilities, he saw that while his ultimate was still nowhere near ready, he still had a few salvos of rockets he could use. Going by feel, he judged her speed, the speed of his rockets, and the distance between them, before aiming ahead of Teeba's character and firing a burst of three rockets. It was an obvious move, but one he'd used successfully against other players before. He smiled as Teeba was forced to cancel her speed boost early so she could regain her mobility and evade his rockets. He was smiling because he knew she wouldn't be able to use that boost again for another thirty-eight seconds, and without it, she would struggle to get close to him. “Oh? Where are you going?" Luke said mockingly as Teeba dived her dragon away from him while he re-engaged with his autocannons. His shots were mostly guesswork as she darted in every direction; without homing rockets, hitting such an agile target was difficult, but he kept firing regardless.

“I'm just... taking the scenic route," Teeba hissed as he landed a shot on her shields and they dissipated in a flash of blue sparks. Her character dove down towards the ground and into the cityscape below them, using the war-torn buildings as cover. As tempting as it was for him to pursue her, he knew that Dragnaught's wide turning radius would mean he was at a disadvantage, and even if he remained high up and fired down at her, he would struggle to land any shots due to the terrain. “Are you really gonna hide like that?"

“Hiding? A dragon doesn't hide!" Teeba retorted defensively, causing Luke to chuckle. “I'm simply biding my time. Come down here and fight if you think you're hard enough," she added, knowing full well he wouldn't.

“Nah, imma just go for your minions instead. They don't hide like noobs," he countered, hoping she would take the bait. To his surprise, she didn't come for him, and he caught a glimpse of her dragon eviscerating a squad of the weakest foot soldiers in the city. Glancing down at the progress bar of his ultimate ability, he exhaled sharply as he saw it was still horribly far from being ready. Sweeping his mouse across his mousepad, Luke angled his character towards Teeba's territory and dove down towards the cluster of minions she had ignored. Swooping in with his dragon's wings cropped, Luke emptied his autocannon's magazines in streams of bright tracers and watched the hit markers appear on the screen with their delightful 'thwuk' sounds.

“Hey! Those are mine!" Teeba protested. As Luke rotated his camera, he could see Teeba's dragon emerging from the cityscape and flying straight towards him at speed.

Leaning further forward in his chair, Luke began a tight turn to bring his dragon around and glanced down at his abilities. His ultimate was a hair's breadth away from being available, and his autocannons needed reloading. Mashing the R key, he watched with bated breath as the access hatches on top of the autocannons opened and the small kobold that rode Dragnaught began rearming the large cannons. “How about we make this interesting?" Luke asked and checked the scoreboard. He was winning by over a dozen minion kills and three dragon kills, and as the match timer flashed red, he knew he had won this game regardless of the outcome of this bout. “If I kill you, you have to do the dishes tonight," he said, smiling as she whined.

“But I'm already cooking! You want me to clean as well?" she protested, making Luke chuckle. “Fine, but if I win, you have to do something for me," she demanded, and as Luke's smile faltered, her character began a wide barrel roll toward him to make herself a harder target.

Luke kept his cursor ahead of her and tried to judge where he needed to aim. In his peripheral vision, he saw his character's small kobold rider slam the autocannon's receiver closed and give Dragnaught a thumbs up. “Oh yeah? And what's that?" Luke asked as he changed firing modes and began firing short, controlled bursts with the autocannon to try and land a hit on Teeba's dragon.

“Well, I'm thinking you have to watch a movie with me, aaand—" she said, her voice sounding strained as her character rapidly dodged and weaved through the incoming hail of cannon fire. “I need help with my talons. I think I chipped one," she added, hissing as she dodged one burst, only to be clipped by another.

Luke smiled as he saw the hit markers; her shields were still up, but he knew a few more lucky shots would bring his ultimate online. Then it wouldn't matter how much she dodged and weaved—his missiles wouldn't give up and would eventually secure the kill. “A movie and a pedicure, eh? Asking for a bit there, aren't you? All I wanted was to not do dishes," he said, focusing on the screen as Teeba's character came closer and closer. His magazines were running dangerously close to empty, and while he was tempted to fire off a salvo of unguided rockets, he knew she could dodge them more easily than his cannons. “Fine, both if you win… but only if I get to pick the movie. But it wont matter, I've almost gotcha," he countered, making rapid adjustments with his mouse as his autocannons missed again and again.

The distance was closing rapidly between the two, and Luke knew he was getting dangerously close to being within her grappling range. He clenched his jaw as he emptied the last of his magazines. Two final shots erupted from his autocannons before they clicked dry, but just a few frames before he had to switch to rockets, he heard the 'thuk' of his rounds hitting. The deep voice of his dragon hadn't even finished announcing that their homing missiles were online before Luke flicked the cursor toward Teeba and let loose everything he had.

“Oh fuck you!" Teeba growled, and he grinned as she had to abort her attack to corkscrew out of the way. Even though the missiles raced past her dragon by only a few feet, they both knew those rounds would bank around and return. Every second they were airborne, they became increasingly agile, and, being faster than any dragon, they would eventually catch up. The only way to avoid such tenacious missiles was to force them into an obstacle before they could manoeuvre effectively and crash into the terrain.

Luke had thought she would break away and use her speed boost to get down to the city, but instead he was caught off guard as she overshot and then swiftly changed direction to end up behind him. It was normally such a rookie manoeuvre that Luke was initially surprised she would resort to it. By continuing to engage him, Teeba was giving his missiles time to swing back around and kill her, even if she managed to kill him first. Under normal circumstances, this would be a frivolous manoeuvre resulting in a kill for each of them. However, as Luke saw Teeba's claws flash gold to signal she was using her ultimate, he realised she was going in for the kill.

Pushing his mouse forward, Luke tried to get the heavier dragon to dive, but it was too late. In three frames, Teeba's dragon seemed to tear a slice through reality as it sliced through the air and his dragon. His camera paused in midair as Dragnaught fell to the battlefield in two pieces, and he saw his missiles collide with her a fraction of a second too late. “Well… that was pointless," Luke said in defeat, checking the score to make sure the kills counted. As he suspected, both of their kills had gone up by one without a clear winner. “We both lost," he added, and Teeba's giggle made him momentarily pause before realizing what the real outcome of the bout had been.

“Nah, we both won!" Teeba announced happily, her joyous voice making him smile. “I'll do the dishes, you pick the movie, and you can do my talons while we watch it! Best of both worlds," she added as the loadout menu came up on his screen. Unfortunately, with only a few seconds left until the end of the match, they wouldn't get another chance to respawn, and they would have to requeue if they were going to play again.

“Alright, that's fair…" His words drifted off as he looked outside to see how much daylight was left, and he caught sight of something that made his stomach plummet. The familiar shape of his parents' car pulling into Teeba's driveway at an ominously slow speed sent a chill up his spine, and in an instant, he was on his feet. “Teeba, lock your door," he barked firmly and snatched the keys to his truck from the corner of his desk.

“What? What's wrong?" Teeba said, but he paid little attention as he wrenched the front door open and began sprinting to the driver's side of his truck. The pain of the sharp gravel against his bare feet was only a background thought in his mind as he tugged on the truck's door and fumbled to get the key in the lock. “ooke? Ooke, wh–at's wro–ng?" crackled Teeba's voice in his ear. In his hurry, Luke hadn't bothered to remove his wireless headset. With his truck and the wall of the house separating his headset from its dongle, her voice sounded distorted as she asked again.

“He is here, lock your door. If things go wrong, call the police and don't come out unless I say," Luke ordered and forced the key into the lock, opening his door. Her panicked voice filled his ears, and he prayed she could understand him. Gripping the lever on the side of the driver's seat, he tilted it forward and reached behind to extract his rifle and a box of ammo. Glancing toward the driveway, he made out his father's face through the trees. He knew he only had a precious few seconds to get ready. Adrenaline flooded his body as he struggled with the box of ammunition until, with a snarl, he tore the cardboard open and let the bullets fall onto the passenger seat. Scooping up a fistful of brass cartridges, he manipulated the bolt and began feeding each one into the rifle's integral magazine.

Teeba's voice was almost completely drowned out by the heavy thuds of his rapid heartbeat, and once his rifle was loaded, he slid the bolt forward and put a round into the chamber. Looking through his truck's windscreen, Luke paused at what he was doing as, to his surprise, he saw that his father was not alone—he had brought Luke's mother as well. His mother being there changed things, and his mind raced to figure out what this meant. The combined dullness of his hearing and the crackling voice of Teeba trying to ask him what was happening was too distracting, and with a quick swipe of his hand, he moved the headset from his ears to his neck.

Both of his parents were looking right at him with mixed expressions. It was clear by his mother's red eyes that she had been crying, while his father looked almost detached from the world as he rolled his grip on the top of the steering wheel. Keeping his thumb on the safety of his rifle, Luke moved toward the front of his truck. He was starting to doubt that they were here to cause any harm, but he felt more comfortable with the cast iron engine between him and them if he needed to duck for cover.

Now that his hunting rifle was visible, Luke saw his mother burst into tears and his father's hands lift from the wheel to show Luke he was unarmed. Luke waited patiently as the old man fumbled with the door handle and eventually opened it to slowly step out. The whole time, Luke didn't relax his grip on his rifle and stared at the man with a mixture of emotions he didn't have time to process. “What are you doing here?!" Luke growled firmly and glanced at his father's hip. His father had come unarmed, yet Luke didn't ease his grip on the rifle.

“I wanted to see it for myself," his father replied gruffly and eyed Luke's rifle with a cautious expression. “I heard in town that you're living with that beast now. You almost had me fooled, Luke, but I see you really are one of them."

Anger and rage were bubbling up in Luke's mind, and he gripped his rifle so hard that his knuckles went white. He was tired of repeating the same flimsy lie that he and Teeba were just friends; after all, she meant more to him than anyone else. “So what if I am a tail chaser? It ain't anything to do with you!" Luke retorted loudly and glanced toward his mother, only to see her wiping her eyes with a tissue. “I'm still paying your fucking mortgage, after all, still cleaning up after your mistakes, so how about you just be grateful, Harold." Luke added and saw his father flinch as he used his name.

A heavy silence hung between them, but Luke refused to fill it. Instead, he waited for his father to make the next move. Finally, after a pregnant pause, the old man slowly nodded as though he had made a decision. “You won't be doing that anymore," he said dryly, causing Luke to frown. “Your cousin Marty is moving down and is going to take over the business," he added with almost no emotion in his voice.

This development caught Luke by surprise. The son of his mother's sister was notoriously bad with money. The few times he had spoken to the man, Marty had tried to rope him into either some crypto 'investment' or some other kind of get rich quick scheme. “Marty? You mean fuckwit Marty? He doesn't know shit about irrigation—"

“I'll teach him. I taught you, after all," his father retorted sharply. “Fucking waste that was," he added before spitting on the ground with a wet hack.

Luke's heart thudded in his chest, and he adjusted his clammy hands on the polymer stock of his rifle as he tried to process what his father was saying. A small part of him was relieved that someone else was going to take up the family business, but he still felt uneasy that it was his distant cousin and not him. After all, it was his parents who had practically begged him to leave the Marines to take care of the business, and now they were getting his cousin involved. “Let me guess. He helps you and gets the house in the will? Is that it?" Luke asked, feeling uneasy when his father didn't deny it right away.

“Possibly," Harold said finally, gesturing vaguely towards Teeba's house. “Unless you come to your senses and stop this… unnatural–"

Adjusting his rifle so the buttstock was against his shoulder, Luke kept the barrel across his chest and pointed towards the ground. “You can fuck off with that shit. It ain't wanted here," he said firmly, with a calmness that surprised even himself. “I'm a grown man. Who I spend my time with ain't your concern."

“No son of mine is going to fuck a dragon," snarled Harold as he took a step towards Luke. “I didn't raise no tail chaser–"

“Well, maybe you did!" Luke retorted loudly. “Cos here we fucking are, and maybe I do like dragons, maybe I don't. But it's not your fucking problem!" he snapped and felt his cheeks burn with pent up rage. However despite his racing heart, he kept his rifle pointed downwards and glared at the man he once called his father.

“You do want to fuck her, don't you?" Harold said, shaking his head in disgust before Luke could reply. “You are a fucking disgrace, and no son of mine–"

“Good, because I don't want anything to fucking do with you!" Luke shouted. “And I'm tired of trying to keep you happy!!!" he added even louder. Luke's jaw clenched tight enough to crush stone as he felt the waves of frustration and disappointment flooding his mind. He glared at the man and forced himself to take a deep breath to calm his nerves before lowering his tone and tried to plead with the man. “They are people, Dad. Dragons, they aren't dumb beasts. Why can't you understand this?" he asked softly, but he knew his father wasn't convinced. “Forget it, You just don't get it do you… you're too fucked in the head," he added in defeat. All he wanted was for his father to understand that dragons were not the devil like creatures the man believed they were.

The sound of a car door opening made Luke shift his focus to his mother, who stepped out of the SUV. Her legs seemed almost unable to support her as she kept one hand on the door for balance. “Luke, we just want you to be happy. But this… her… it's just not right."

“And threatening to kill her is right, is it?" Luke barked, seeing her flinch as he nodded towards his father. “Cos if we are talking right and wrong, we can start with him." Luke knew he wouldn't get through to them; they were too set in their ways, twisted by tradition and their own sense of pride. “Just fuck off, okay? Don't ever come here again, and keep away from Teeba and me."

“Fine," his father said firmly, shaking his head slowly. “So be it. You are no son of ours," he added. To Luke's surprise, his mother nodded through her sobs and continued around their vehicle toward the driver's seat. Luke's confusion didn't go unnoticed by his father, who combed his fingers through his hair. “We're taking back the truck. It's part of the business. The family business."

Luke was tempted to protest, but he knew it was true. The truck had been a tax write-off for the business, and since his father and cousin would be running it, Luke had no real claim to it. As much as it pained him to part with the truck, if it meant he and Teeba were left alone, it was a small price to pay. “Take it, then," he said simply and stepped back from the vehicle.

Angling the rifle downward and keeping it close to his chest, Luke stood silently as his father walked briskly to the driver's side, removed the keys from the door, and got in. With a loud, final slam, his father closed the door and turned the ignition. The engine roared to life, and Luke took another step back as his father shifted into gear and began to leave. His mother moved her SUV forward to let her husband pass, then drove around the old oak tree. Luke could see tears streaming down her cheeks, but as she passed, she spared him only a brief look before continuing behind Harold down the gravel driveway.

Luke's heart pounded in his chest as he watched them leave. The excess adrenaline made him shiver, but he hardly noticed while ensuring they left Teeba's property. Even once they were on the main road, he waited until they disappeared from sight before easing his grip on the rifle. “Luke?" Teeba's voice was muffled against his neck, but he heard the pain and concern. He took his hand off the stock to adjust his headset but found his fingers trembling so violently that it was hard to make them work. Seeing how unsteady his hands were, he bent down to place the rifle on the gravel and tried to step back. His heel sank into soft ground, his legs buckled, and he stumbled backward, managing to get one arm behind him as he landed on his rear. He forced himself into a sitting position. “It's okay," he muttered softly, swallowing past the lump in his throat. “They're gone," he said and slumped forward. Both hands shaking, he slid his headset up to his ears and swallowed again. “Teeba, it's okay, you're safe," he added. When there was no reply, he wondered if he was out of range. His legs weren't cooperating when he tried to stand, so he gave up at the sound of paws thudding on soft grass.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw Teeba galloping toward him at full speed. Her folded wings were raised for balance, and her eyes were filled with pure panic. Pulling his headphones down to his neck again, he took a deep breath and forced himself to kneel. “We're okay," he said and tried again to stand.

Teeba was speechless as she skidded to a halt in front of him, dipping her head to help him stand. The warmth of her scales reassured him, and once upright, he wrapped his arms around the base of her neck in a much-needed hug. The dragoness tried to speak, but only a pained whine emerged. Luke tightened his hold and pressed his cheek against her shoulder; no words were needed as he held her. Sitting back on her haunches, Teeba wrapped a forepaw around his back and pulled him close, curling her neck so she could press the underside of her jaw against his back.

Luke held her tight for several minutes before slowly stroking his hands up the back of her neck, the feeling of her silky smooth scales under his touch comforted him until he finally found his words. “So..." he said, and his words failed as his throat tightened. The reassuring feeling of her paw holding him against her comforted him, but he eventually pulled away until only his hands rested on her shoulders. As he did so, she lifted her head off of him, and he continued to run his fingers over her scales. “I guess I'm unemployed..." he said in an attempt to make light of the situation. Again, his voice became choked, yet when he looked up to see Teeba looking down at him, she still flashed a brief smile.

“Welcome to the club," she said, with an attempt at a laugh that almost sounded like a sob. “Do... do you want to talk about... this?" she asked, and Luke immediately shook his head. He wasn't sure exactly how much she had heard, but he would need time to process everything before he could talk about what this meant. “Beer?" Teeba offered with a desperate smile.

A single chuckle escaped Luke as he started to shake his head, then changed his mind and nodded. “Beer. Lots of beer," he said, stroking the sides of her neck one last time. “Let's get fucked up."