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Truth be told, Jeremy wasn't all that sure just why he had ended up in some kind of matchmaking reality TV show, other than the fact one of his good friends, a part of the production of said show, had come to him with a proposal and his best "pity face" in trying to convince him.

If it were up to Jeremy himself, he would've been perfectly content to stay a part of the audience, watching from a screen a countless number of miles away in the comfort of his own home, but, curse his weak heart, Martin's "pity face" did him in. That, and his earnest pleading. Martin was a scarily good manipulator when it came down to it, especially with those adorable, nigh irresistible dilated eyes that tabbies like him were quite notorious for.

So now, here he was, in a villa on a private island in the Caribbean with a set of people split evenly across genders, a dozen or so each of male and female furs of different backgrounds and species.

The show worked as follows: Each contestant had to find a partner, and if they stayed with that partner for 6 months, they were considered to be winners. The show would only end if all original contestants had partnered up with someone for those 6 months... or had been eliminated.

Each month, all the contestants were made to group up according to their relationship status. Those who were not partnered with anyone had their names put on a wheel. Whoever's name the wheel landed on, it meant an automatic booting from the show. In addition, if someone had been "single" for up to 4 months without getting eliminated somehow, that was also grounds for elimination.

There was also the matter of break ups. A contestant could only break up or be broken up with up to 4 times before they, too, were booted from the show. Of course, those who were eliminated would be promptly replaced by new arrivals.

All in all, the show was very much geared up to be quite a dramatic and juicy one, filled with a healthy dose of heartbreaks, arguments, and whatever other insane affairs and aspects "romantic" reality TV show viewers were looking for these days.

Honestly, Jeremy couldn't really care less about his circumstances at the moment. However, he did find it within himself to, at the very least, try to get himself some "bitches", in the words of Martin.

However, looking at the competition, and his prospective partners, Jeremy knew full well he was going to be in for a rough ride, one that might see him thrown off quite early on... not that he'd be too broken up about it, but still.

For starters, there were quite a few bodybuilders and fitness instructors among the guys that had physiques bordering on, if not outright godlike. Unsurprisingly, they had their very fair share of admirers, both from within the villa, and outside of it.

Then, there were the playboys, wannabe or otherwise, the charmers, the young, charismatic and gorgeous businessmen or CEOs who could probably talk even the most guarded and suspicious of women into spending some good time with him in their home, with maybe a bit of money thrown in for good measure if the situation warranted or allowed it. They had their own sizeable support base alongside that of the muscled clique.

As for guys like Jeremy... they were definitely the outliers in this situation. Not exactly the most striking of individuals, either in terms of looks or personality. There were some redeeming qualities to them, namely, they were less narcissistic or loud, and they had a softer aura that was apparently appealing to some in the audience and contestant pool. However, it was clear that Jeremy and the few other guys like him were definitely in the underdog category, with most viewers virtually writing them off from the get-go, instead focusing their attention to the objectively more attractive people among them.

Still, Jeremy wasn't about to disappoint Martin by giving up immediately, and to be honest, the snow fox sort of relished the challenge, of finding a viable partner among women who were mostly so out of his league it was ridiculous, and forming an at least decent relationship in the face of some extremely stiff competition. Hey, couldn't hurt to try. So, he tried.

---

"Jeremy," Martin started with a rather stern tone, "that is your third break up now. One more of those, and you're done."

"I know, I know," grumbled Jeremy, "but what was I supposed to do? None of them just... clicked."

Honestly, Jeremy was surprised at how his relationships so far had been kinda... dry. He'd initially thought he'd been making a good choice when picking those ladies, but over time, Jeremy found himself just... not being into it. Into them. Not even the sex could make up for it.

He'd tried to keep them going for as long as possible, tried to find a way to get some kind of a spark ignited. No dice. The longest relationship he'd had lasted barely a couple of months before falling apart.

The only silver lining Jeremy could find was that at least with all of the women he'd tried partnering with, they'd all parted rather peacefully and amicably. At least, there were no shouting matches or fights between him and them, unlike some former lovers, who for some reason or other, couldn't separate from the other without throwing one hell of a tantrum.

There was also the fact he'd managed to avoid getting dragged into potentially messy love triangles (or dodecahedrons), and avoided gaining the jealous ire of some of the more popular and intimidating guys, so there was that.

Unfortunately, Martin was right; Jeremy was nearly out of chances, just a single rejection away from being sent home, though it was debatable as to how detrimental that would be to Jeremy personally, other than having to endure Martin's disappointed looks for a good while.

Jeremy really didn't know what he wanted him to do, though. It wasn't as if he were some kind of casanova who could speak just a single word and have women all over him in mere moments; he was just... normal. Average. Easy on the eyes, yes, but practically nothing compared to the physical or verbal gods that had dominated the favourites lists ever since they showed up. There was simply no real way any woman worth her salt would actively seek him out. It just made no sense.

Jeremy knew telling this to his tabby friend was futile, however; Martin would simply tell him he was being a downer, as always, even when he had good reason to think that way, and encourage him to keep trying.

The snow fox couldn't see any real way forward, however; the few women still left single were the notoriously hard to get types; the ones who seemed to have plenty of spirit within them to break up with even the most drop dead gorgeous guys without batting an eye. If even they found it a rather trivial matter to break things off with even the most popular men on the show, what chance in sweet hell could Jeremy, average, unassuming Jeremy, ever have?

He kept those thoughts to himself, however, promising Martin only that he would, "think of something." It was a lame excuse, a weak one that the tabby could've very much torn down with relish if he wanted to... but he didn't. Granted, it was probably thanks to Martin getting called to deal with something on the set, but nevertheless, Jeremy was grateful the tabby hadn't had the chance to grill him any further, nor make him endure the looks of sheer disappointment that evoked tremendous feelings of guilt.

'Still...', the snow fox thought as he cradled his head in his hands with a low groan, if only he could find a way to really make good on his promise to do something about his relationship status right now...

---

At first, Jeremy had assumed it would be just another regular night at the villa; sitting down on a sofa on the patio next to the pool, making small talk with the few guys he'd befriended over the course of the show, although mostly content with just listening in, occasionally giving some input of his own when prompted, sipping obligatorily at his cocktail (because why not, it distracted him from his singleness at least), and generally, just taking in the atmosphere before he was inevitably eliminated for being single for too long.

That all changed when one of the most desirable women amongst all the contestants confidently strode towards their corner of the patio; Natalia, a cheetah who had come to be the one woman almost all the villa men agreed was very much worth aiming for a relationship with, and one who had aroused significant levels of jealousy among her female cohorts... provided they hadn't become charmed by her first.

Her luscious curves, finely sculpted face, glittering yet sharp amber eyes, wonderfully silky and glossy fur, a general attractiveness that defied words, an unexplainable yet undeniable allure; it was no wonder all the male contestants wanted her; Jeremy himself was no exception.

Unfortunately for them, Natalia was also notoriously particular about who she paired up with. In just over 4 months, she had broken up with 3 of the handsomest, most beloved men, the longest lasting only about a month and a half, all with a rather impassive expression on her face. Now she was at risk of being eliminated, should she reject someone a fourth time; it was something plenty of fans of the show were lamenting about.

The fact she was now walking towards Jeremy and his friend group of other rather mediocre contestants (save for Edward, a pretty good-looking, as well as taken, panther and one of the few real popular guys Jeremy had befriended), with a rather determined look on her face, was therefore a massive shock to them all.

The possibility of her striding past them to another place they happened to be in the way of was completely nullified when she stopped at their table and asked politely, in the most melodic voice Jeremy had heard in the villa, the undertones of what was almost a purr within it, "Do you mind if I take a seat here?"

The snow fox's friends all blurted out affirmatives, scrambling to make room for the lioness, unquestionably the woman desired the most by everyone, the one who had been dubbed the "Goddess of Goddesses" by the show's fans and marketing team. However, she ignored them all without even a glance to spare, and deliberately made her way over to the far sofa, and gracefully sat down... right next to Jeremy.

Shock couldn't even begin to describe what Jeremy was feeling at the moment; it was as if the part of his brain containing his higher functions had short-circuited. All he was aware of was the very tangible warmth of the cheetah's body radiating beside him.

By the time the snow fox had fully regained his senses, he found Natalia having a bit of a chat with his understandably awestruck friends, and he scrambled to re-integrate himself into the conversation. The longer they talked, however, the less... welcoming Natalia seemed to become, her replies becoming more curt, more clipped, her expression starting to turn colder, more intimidating, as if she was becoming tired of talking to them already.

The guys all noticed this, of course, and got the hint pretty quickly. One by one, the boys Jeremy had been sitting down with all got up, rather flimsy excuses on their lips before beating a hasty retreat back to their rooms, their faces absolutely coloured crimson with humiliation.

The last of them to go was Edward, but, unlike the others, he was completely at ease (of course, given he had been taken for a few months now and was due to win and leave, that wasn't surprising). Stretching as he stood up, he gave a wave and a "Good night" to Jeremy, then, strangely, gave a wink at Natalia, before leaving as well.

Jeremy at first wondered what that wink was about, but he decided to put that aside for later, in favour of getting out before it was too late and he embarrassed himself in front of the Natalia, the cheetah virtually everyone adored and admired.

"Well, if you excuse me," the snow fox started as he made to stand, "I think-"

"You stay."

Jeremy froze, the commanding tone with which those words were said sending shivers up his spine, his hackles raising slightly, before he slowly, hesitantly, sat back down. Distantly, he wondered if something horrible was about to happen.

For a few moments, the cheetah seemed to assess him with those piercing eyes of hers, her gaze making Jeremy feel as if his soul was being scanned, before she spoke.

"It's good that I could finally get you alone, Jeremy."

Said fox's brain sputtered to a halt for the second time in almost as many minutes, and he could only make vague choking sounds in response.

"Edward has spoken quite highly of you, you know," she continued.

'Edward? What-?' Jeremy thought, utterly perplexed, before the cheetah next to him spoke again.

"Your exes too. Thee said that you were a very earnest kind of person... and a rather kind one too, someone who likes to do his best to please everyone around him. You're also not overbearing, which I very much find rather appealing. However, I couldn't exactly take someone else's word about another person at face value, so I decided to see for myself.

And what do you know, you are as Edward said... for the most part. Very cute, too."

"I-I'm sorry, wait," Jeremy blurted out, his mind still reeling, still not comprehending the things he was being told, "w-what are you- what does-"

"I understand." Natalia said, her voice warmer now, a slightly amused expression on her face, "You are a very modest person. You do not think you are very attractive to everyone here. But," she reached out and held his chin with her hand, freezing Jeremy to the spot, "you are very attractive to me."

Before Jeremy could speak out again, she explained, "You see, I am not very attracted to the more... athletic, jock-like types. Almost always so self-centred with their bodies. As for the smooth talkers, I'm not very appreciative of being manipulated or talked down to the way other women would be by those boys who grew up thinking they were entitled to anything that caught their fancy.

Instead, I prefer more... reliable types. More honest and demure guys. Ones who do whatever they can to make both sides happy. Not loud or self-aggrandising jerks like the other guys I made the mistake of dating." She rolled her eyes in annoyance at that. "In short... you tick all my boxes Jeremy." She looked at him with half-lidded eyes, her mouth set in a rather soft yet somehow seductive smile.

The poor snow fox couldn't help his heart from pounding like a war drum, blood shooting into his cheeks to make them a bright red. His white fur didn't help, helping to make a very strong contrast to his flushed face.

Natalia chuckled, seeing him be flustered in such a way. "Very cute too. I like that a lot."

Jeremy had no response to that, instead taking an emergency sip of his martini to hide his face, even though he knew full well she'd seen all of it.

As he drank, Natalia spoke up once more, "However, before we start getting into anything, I just want to make something clear." Jeremy couldn't resist looking at her, her tone almost demanding his full attention. "I'm not the type of woman most men might be used to, or even into. I'm the type who likes to be in charge most of the time. And I'll admit, I'm not the most gentle either, though if you're a good boy, that shouldn't be much of a problem... unless, of course," she leaned in at that, close to his ear, before whispering, "you want to be punished."

She leaned back and continued, "Of course, if you're not into that kind of thing, just say the word. It's understandable if it's not to your taste. I know it wasn't to the other guys'."

For a moment, Jeremy sat perfectly still and silent, his head slowly digesting all the information he had received. For one thing, it was now abundantly clear that Natalia, the cheetah heavily desired by almost all, including himself, liked him, and wanted to try dating him. But the bigger thing was....

'She's a dominatrix...'

He'd heard the rumours, of course, that she was most definitely a dominant woman, who tolerated no pushback against her, who made it clear she would be the one on the top, so to speak. But to have it all heavily implied from the woman herself, to have her say "punishment" in such a sensual way... that surely meant it had to be true to some extent.

Dominatrix...

His heart pounded at the thought of that word... but not with fear; with anticipation.

That was a major surprise, even to himself. But, as he looked back at Natalia's expectant face, he found himself feeling no uncertainty as he said his next words:

"I'd love to try something with you, Natalia."

The cheetah grinned, a predatory look in her eyes that sent a thrill up his spine, as she asked, "Let's go to my room, then?"

The snow fox could only nod, before the dominant cheetah grabbed him from his seat and dragged him into the villa. The only thing Jeremy could think on the way there?

'This is gonna be interesting.'

--

When he and Natalia were named an official couple in front of the cameras, crew and all the contestants, Jeremy couldn't help but relish the shocked, disbelieving, even angry looks on all of their faces, not the least Martin's, his jaw almost halfway to the floor, his eyes almost as big as dinner plates. Honestly, it was refreshing.

But that was nothing compared to the touch of the woman next to him, as she looked back at him with deep affection underlined with a promise of more as soon as they got back from the island. Jeremy couldn't help feeling excited at the prospect of being in more ropes and handcuffs, being all spread out for his cheetah to play with for hours on end. Sure, he'd be drained, one way or another, but he didn't mind it. Far from it, in fact. The aftercare was just the cherry on top for him.

As they walked out of the house, toward the island's private dock, Martin called him, demanding answers for what had just transpired, how someone like Jeremy had managed to snag the undisputed queen of the contestants, and the snow fox could only laugh and reply, as he looked at Natalia's own amused expression:

"You know what they say... all's fair in love and war...and reality TV, too."