Ch. 4 - Hot-Headed Mistakes
#5 of The Flash
"Ok, Lisa, your turn to tell your story," Jen said.
"Um, I don't know if I want to," the brown haired girl replied shyly, her orange fox tail twitching behind her. "It's embarrassing."
"Oh please," Alex commented, "There's no way it's any worse than mine."
"Kate, you tell them. I know you love talking about this kind of thing," Lisa insisted, poking her girlfriend.
The four girls were gathered at a small table in the corner of the dining hall. While most people were happy to share their Flash stories, this group was a bit more reticent. Even though they'd been friends for a few months now, they were just getting around to opening up on that topic. Of course, most people didn't have to admit to private kinks to explain their changes.
"Gladly!" Kate said with a wide grin. The blonde girl had received only a minor change from the Flash, fixing her previously imperfect vision, but she had played a part in Lisa's story. "Ok, so Lisa and I had been going out since about the second week of the school year. The night of the Flash, we were preparing to have some fun. As usual, we flipped a coin to see who got to be the top that night. I won, so-"
"It was rigged," Lisa interjected. "I don't know how she does it, but she always wins. Not that I really mind, since it's all part of the game, but you should understand how tricky she can be." She gave Kate a playful glare.
"A vicious slander," Kate countered. "I simply have excellent luck. Anyway, we were doing pet play that night, which I believe you guys know about," she said with a wink toward Alex.
The skunk girl unconsciously raised a hand to the black collar she wore around her neck. "Yeah, you could say that," she replied.
"Anyway," the blonde continued, "Lisa lost, so she got to wear the tail."
"I think I see where this is going," Jen said. "I'm guessing it was a fox tail?"
Lisa blushed in the seat across from the dragon, her tail trying to dive between her legs but being blocked by the seat.
"You bet," Kate said. "Now, we don't go right to that, of course. I'll usually start by licking her cute little breasts, and then I'll move slowly down her stomach, reaching ahead to rub her-"
She was cut off by Lisa clearing her throat. "I don't think they need that level of detail," the shy girl said, nervously glancing around to see if anyone was listening in.
"Oh, you're no fun," Kate said. She stuck her tongue out at her girlfriend, who pretended to nip at it. Alex and Jen laughed at the scene. They knew how open Kate could be, and how it sometimes embarrassed her mousy girlfriend.
"I guess I'll cut out all the interesting parts then," she said with an exaggerated sigh. "Clearly at some point in the night I got the tail in her, and we had a lot of fun."
"Wait," Alex spoke up, "You got the tail in her?"
"Yeah, it's got a butt plug on the end. Lisa loves anal." The brown haired girl's face glowed red at this comment, but she didn't refute it. "She ended up falling asleep out of exhaustion with it still in, and she must have been picturing herself with it, because when we woke up she had two of the damn things." Kate laughed at her memory of the scene. "It was great, she had the toy one below and the real one above it in the normal spot for a tail. She looked like that fox thing from those video games."
Alex joined her in laughter, being the only video gamer at the table. She turned to Lisa to reassure her, "OK, I'll admit that's kind of embarrassing, but I still think I have you beat."
"Yeah I suppose you do," Lisa admitted. "I don't know if we can really consider that a win though."
"Well, I love it," Kate said. "It's so cute, and I can do this."
"No, wait, not here," the skinny girl rushed to object, but she was too late. Kate reached over stroked her tail from base to tip. Lisa squeaked and stiffened up for several seconds before sinking down into her chair with a contented sigh and a goofy grin. "I wish you wouldn't do that in public," she said unsteadily.
"Wow, what was up with that?" Alex asked. "I mean, it feels good to have my tail stroked, but it's nothing like that."
"You didn't spend the night before the Flash associating a tail with your favorite type of sex," Kate explained.
"I suppose that...makes...," Alex trailed off as a blush became visible in her ears.
"You ok?" Jen asked.
"Yeah, just, um, I'll be right back," the skunk said, grabbing her bag and departing in the direction of the restrooms.
"That's gotta suck," Lisa commented, slowly recovering from Kate's caress. Everyone at the table knew about Alex's problem, including the fact that her bladder control was now almost completely gone. She was adept at hiding it form most people, but friends notice things like bringing a bag on every trip to the bathroom. Telling them also allowed her to enlist their help if she needed someone to cover for her.
"Yeah, she's mostly used to it, but it will probably always piss her off a little," Jen said.
The three remaining girls made small talk until Alex returned and sat down with a sigh. "Damn, that's annoying," she said with a frown.
"Yeah, but don't dwell on it. Think of the good that came of the Flash," Jen reminded her, reaching over to rub the skunk girl's back.
"Yeah, I try. Thanks," she replied, leaning into the dragon's embrace.
Jen looked down at a brush of fur against her shin and noticed Alex's leg bouncing up and down. "Feeling nervous about something?" she asked the twitchy girl.
"Nah, I've just been feeling antsy lately. Like I want to be out doing something but I don't know what," Alex explained.
"Maybe you've been drinking too much coffee," Lisa offered.
"I actually cut out caffeine completely, and it didn't help."
"Maybe you're just horny," Kate suggested with her usual bluntness.
"Well, a bit," the skunk said with reddening ears.
Jen scoffed. "A bit," she repeated sarcastically. "Girl has been on me every night this week."
"I was going to say I sometimes get horny a few days before my period," Kate said, "But that doesn't really apply to you. You don't have to deal with that."
"Oh fuck," Alex said, smacking her palm against her forehead. "It's February."
She received looks of confusion all around. "I know your fur keeps you warm so you don't care about the time of year as much as we do, but I'd at least expect you to know what month it is," Lisa said.
Alex sighed. "It's not that. I just didn't expect this to actually happen. Mating season for skunks starts in mid-February," she explained.
"You're in heat?" Kate yelled, drawing a cringe from the embarrassed skunk and interested looks from a few nearby tables.
"Yes, Kate, and now everyone nearby knows too. Thanks."
"Sorry, but that's really interesting. Can you keep a journal about it for me?" Kate requested. She had switched her major to Biology after the Flash, inspired by a newfound interest in hybrids.
"I don't know," Alex equivocated, "It's kind of personal."
"Please, there's been almost nothing published on furry reproduction yet. I've been dying to know more," Kate begged.
"I'll see what I can do," Alex said, relenting.
"So what are you going to do about it?" Lisa asked.
"We made some plans back when we first learned this might happen," Jen said. "Since as Kate said there's not a lot of information on this kind of thing for furries, we don't know how bad it might get. Alex will stay in the dorm room until we know it's safe for her to be around guys. No visitors, except females and myself, of course."
"Sounds rough," Lisa said. "You think you'll be able to stay in control?"
"There have been varying theories about how bad heat will be for hybrids," the skunk girl said. "Some say it will be just like a constant itch, which is about what I'm feeling right now. Some are expecting it to be more like the typical furry fantasy of irresistible nymphomania. It might not even be the same for every individual."
"You're a character from one of your own stories, right? How would you have written it? That might be a clue for what you'll have to deal with." Kate suggested. Alex groaned and dropped her head to the table. "Oh, that bad, huh?"
"If she gets too uncontrollable, I'll leash her to the bed," Jen said with a wicked grin.
Alex opened her mouth to protest but stopped herself. "That's not a bad idea," she concluded. She leaned back against the dragon and took a deep breath. "I did not need this right now." She nuzzled her girlfriend and sniffed her a few times.
"Um, Alex?" Jen asked, trying to get the skunk's attention.
"Mmm?" she replied distractedly.
Jen grabbed Alex by the shoulders, pushing her back upright. "What was that about?"
"Oh, you smell kind of like a guy. It's distracting," the skunkette said with a blush.
"I do?" Jen said quizzically, lifting her forearm up to her nose. Even though she was packing both male and female equipment between her legs, she tended to think of herself as primarily female. She looked to Kate and Lisa for confirmation.
"Don't look at us," Kate insisted, "There's only human noses on this side of the table."
"We should get going, anyway," the dragon said, scooting back from the table. "Clearly, I cant take her anywhere." Alex rolled her eyes at the comment. "You guys should feel free to stop by."
"Sure, we'd be happy to," Kate said. "Oh, and if you need something to take the edge off, I've got some toys I can loan you."? "We've got that covered, but thanks," Jen said. "See you later."
"Bye," Kate and Lisa answered.
"Yes! Fuck me harder!" Alex shouted as she bounced in the dragon's lap. Her pussy spasmed on the thick draconic cock as she begged for release. "Cum inside me! Fill me up! I need it!"
Jen grunted and thrust her hips upward harder. The skunk's twitching passage clamped down on her maleness, triggering her release. "Fuck yes!" the smaller girl yelled as she felt the hot seed coat her insides. Jets of white filled her fertile womb to capacity, flowing out around the dragon's length. That sensation was exactly what she needed, and the desperate urge to mate that controlled her slowly faded as she fell back against the dragon.
"Ah, that was great," the skunkette said, catching her breath.
"Yeah, that should hold you for a few hours. Hopefully you can make it through the night this time," Jen responded tiredly. The past couple days had been exhausting. Alex's heat was making her insatiable, causing her to demand sex every few hours.
"Aww, did I wear you out?" Alex teased.
"Yes. You have worn out a dragon. Congratulations. How can you possibly have so much energy?" Jen asked.
"I don't know, but it's kind of fun being so bouncy. You can go to sleep if you want. I'll be all right for now." The skunk quickly diapered herself for the night and sat down at her desk.
"Yes, I think I'll do that," Jen said, collapsing onto the bed. Alex chuckled and turned to her laptop. She wanted to get some of her thoughts down for Kate. She opened her text editor and began to type.
Third day of intense heat. I feel full of energy. The feelings are only superficially similar to the arousal that Jen can produce. Her effects make me feel loopy, detached, and passive. I'm willing to do whatever anyone asks me to. However, the natural heat is different. I can still think clearly, but my attention is focused on getting laid. Nothing else seems important. I'm twitchy like I just downed a quintuple espresso.
Other than that it's about what you'd expect. I'm aroused all the time. Jen insists she can smell me from down the hall, even though I'm showering several times a day. I'm also on a bit of a hair-trigger. I orgasm with the slightest bit of stimulation. I suppose that makes sense from an evolutionary point of view. It makes me want sex more, which is more likely to get me pregnant. Letting Jen ejaculate inside me calms the urges for a few hours, but they just come back after I fail to get knocked up. I wish it would just end, even though the constant sex is fun.
In all, it's much like I imagined it to be in my fantasies back when I was a guy. This is what I get for being a pervert, I suppose.
She closed her laptop and turned off the light before hopping into bed with her lightly snoring girlfriend. She snuggled up to the large dragon, rubbing her bare breasts against the smooth scales. After a few minutes of light hugging, she drifted off to sleep, her dreams full of males mounting her and filling her with seed, making her belly swell with kits.
Alex woke up to an empty bed and a needy ache in her loins. Jen had been present each morning of her heat so far to take care of her needs, so it was startling to find her gone. What could have drawn her away? Alex got out of bed and looked around. There was no sign of where the dragon had gone. The door was locked, implying she wasn't planning an immediate return.
The skunkette cursed. She needed to be mated, as soon as possible. Maybe she could go down the hall and find a willing male. She realized the direction her thoughts were taking and backed away from the door. Alex had been a few seconds away from walking through the dorm in search of sex clad only in a damp diaper and the leather collar she always wore. "Shit, what am I going to do?" she asked the empty room.
It looked like she'd have to go with Plan B. Ideally, they had planned on Jen being around to keep Alex sated, but they had prepared for the possibility that she'd be called away. The skunk padded over to her dresser, tearing the sides of her soaked undergarment on the way. Opening the top drawer, she pulled out a thick plastic cylinder. This was Plan B. Jen had purchased the sex toy a while back, but it didn't see too much use. Alex much preferred the real thing, partly because she loved feeling the dragon release inside her, a feature the toy lacked.
She stalked over to the bed, her arousal already beginning to leak down her thighs. A pillow propped against the wall supported her back as she spread her legs wide. The smell of her heat filled the room, different from her usual scent, advertising that she was receptive. She turned the dial on the bottom of the toy, setting it vibrating strongly. Even on the lowest setting it nearly threatened to jump out of her hand. Alex suspected someone had repurposed the motor from an orbital sander to make the thing. She brought the vibrator down to her glistening sex, rubbing the length of it along her slightly parted lips. Her hips rose unconsciously against the plastic phallus in obedience to hardwired reflex.
With the entire toy coated with her juices, she raised it to her nose, inhaling deeply to sample her scent. She gave the vibe a few careful licks, delighting in her own flavor before returning it between her legs. Alex had always enjoyed the taste of females, and having access to herself was one of the upsides of having swapped genders. There was no time for indulging that preference now, however. There were greater needs to fulfill.
With a sudden movement, she thrust the toy deep into her hungry slit. "Ahhhhhh!" she cried as the vibe instantly triggered an orgasm. The heat made it so easy to come, it was almost worth the annoyance. Her juices sprayed across her hand as she squeezed down on the buzzing toy. A single orgasm wouldn't satisfy her, though. She needed more, much more. The high faded quickly, replaced once more by the constant warm itch.
The skunk wished again for her dragon lover. The toy was nice, but it couldn't compete with Jen's equipment. It couldn't fill her to her very limits, caressing every centimeter of her inner walls. It didn't seem to burn with an inner heat, even inside her own hot tunnel. And it wasn't attached to someone who loved her. None the less, it would have to do for now.
Gripping the toy tightly in her paw, she began pumping it in and out of her dripping pussy. She angled it carefully, attempting to hit her most sensitive inner places. She mewled in tortured hunger as she worked the toy faster. The skunk girl used her off hand to pinch at her nipples, which had been standing at attention constantly for the past few days. Sharp claws squeezed the stiff nubs, creating electric arcs of pleasure between her breasts and her sex. The buzz of the vibrator, the schlick of the toy parting her moist lips, and her passionate moans competed to fill the small room.
As she built toward her next climax, she sank lower onto the bed, leaving a slippery path across the sheets. She idly wished she had thought to grab another toy for her ass, but she was too involved now to stop the action and get one. She moved a hand from her breast down between her thighs, lubricating it with the moisture leaking around the vibrator.
She arched her back up off the bed, exposing her rear to her questing hand. Alex plunged a finger into her tight rear entrance, working it in sequence with the toy in her other hand. Her body twitched under the dual assault, and her tail lashed angrily across the bed. The extra stimulation lifted her over the final peak, another scream tearing from her lips. She clamped tightly on finger and toy, almost strongly enough to stop the mechanical shaking. Her nectar trickled down across both her hands as she gasped for breath.
The skunkette was only allowed a brief respite to recover. The heat built again quickly, making her growl in frustration. Alex was getting desperate for satisfaction, and it called for extreme measures. She cranked up the speed on the toy and added a second finger under her tail. With sudden insight, she inserted the vibrator as deep as she could, causing the tremors to echo through her entire midsection. Her right hand was now free, and she used it to work vigorously at her clit. Waves of pleasure wracked her body. She lost track of the climaxes she experienced, never really coming down off one before the next was upon her.
Several minutes of energetic frigging later, she managed to stop. The ache was gone for now. She knew it wouldn't last as long as the relief from actually having sex. Masturbation was like drinking a lot of water when she was hungry. It would help in the short term, but it wouldn't solve the underlying problem. That's why it was important that she try to get help as soon as possible.
Alex removed herself from the puddle of sexual juices and dried her hands on a towel from her hamper. She collected her cell phone from her desk and pulled up Jen's number. The call went to voicemail without ringing once. "Fuck!" she yelled, nearly throwing her phone against the wall. Glancing at the clock, she noted that Kate and Lisa were in class at the moment, but she sent a text message to both of them anyway, hoping they'd left their phones on. Having the girls there wouldn't be as good as Jen, but they would probably be able to help her avoid doing something she would regret.
Even as she sent the message she felt the itch building in her lap, faster than it had before. She had bought herself even less time than she had expected. The poor skunk was running out of options. She paced around the room, striped tail whipping back and forth across her attractive rear. The strenuous activity had left her thirsty. Surely it wouldn't hurt to go out for a drink. Yes, a stroll in the fresh air would be nice. Being in the dorm room full of the scent of her heat couldn't be helping.
She paused at her door, sure she was forgetting something. Why was this a bad idea? Alex chuckled as she realized the answer. "I almost forgot clothes!" she mused to herself. While going out nude would make it easier to get fucked, someone might stop her before she found an interested male. Best to at least wear something. She quickly donned some gym shorts and a t-shirt, dismissing a brief thought of underwear as being unimportant. She halted again at the door in confusion. Why was she going out? Obviously she was going to find someone to have sex with, but something told her that wasn't her original plan. No matter, it was a good enough reason. The emptiness between her thighs was almost painful. She needed attention now.
She rushed out into the hall, not even bothering to close the door behind her, trailing the scent of sex behind her as she went.
The dorms tended to empty out around midday, and Alex passed through several floors of empty hallways. She saw the occasional female but they held no importance to the aroused skunk, even when they made crude comments and laughed as she went by. She was growing frustrated at the lack of male presence. She could smell plenty of humans, but couldn't tell where they had gone. Why couldn't she have been some sort of dog, instead of a stupid skunk? Then she'd be able to find someone to fill her up.
The girl was about to give up on the dorm and have a stroll to the Quad when she passed by the laundry facilities. Underneath the smells of detergent and fabric softener was one she recognized instinctually. Wolf.
Malachi sighed as he folded his freshly dried laundry. College had not been the nonstop party he had been expecting. He'd left his small hometown hoping for excitement, intellectual stimulation, and loose women. All of these things had been promised by the movies he'd snuck viewings of, anything rated higher than G being banned in his parents' house. He was still angry at having been so viciously lied to. Intellectual stimulation was in short supply in his intro classes. The excitement and loose women mostly came together at drunken parties he had no interest in. Shit, he hadn't even managed to get laid yet. Worst of all, now he couldn't even go back home. The Flash had granted his long-held wish of being part wolf, but he hadn't expected to be disowned for being a "dog fucker." He was lucky he had scholarships that let him stay.
Today he was enjoying the thrills of doing laundry. Frankly, he wished something interesting would happen. Anything would do really, to justify being here. He suddenly became aware of a new smell in the room. He'd gotten used to encountering new scents after the Flash, but this one was strangely alluring. His tail slowly started to wag against his will, and his cock started to stiffen, sliding out of his sheath. What the hell kind of smell could make that happen?
The wolf turned to search the room for the source of the aroma, only to catch a glimpse of a black and white blur before being tackled to the ground. The impact knocked the air from his lungs and he hit the floor with a sharp grunt. He stared slightly dazed at the fluffy black tail waving across his field of view. Someone seemed to be pulling at his shorts, but he couldn't move to stop it. A weight on his chest made it hard to catch his breath, though he could tell the scent was much stronger now. It filled his nose with each gasping breath, making him want more.
Malachi raised his head and eyed the tight rear hovering above him. Even encased in a pair of shorts, he appreciated the sight. A warm moistness engulfed his rapidly hardening length, a tongue wrapping lightly around his shaft from sheath to tip, and he ducked his head forward in surprise. His nose encountered a damp patch on the shorts and he knew he had found the origin of the delicious smell. He inhaled deeply and dug his nose in deeper, drawing a surprised moan from the creature pinning him to the ground.
With surprising suddenness the weight lifted and the tail disappeared from his sight. He had only a second of confusion before he was pinned again, this time on his hips. Hot wet tightness engulfed his wolfhood and clenched tight. He heard a scream above him, but it didn't sound like pain. Shouldn't he be the one screaming? He was the one being attacked, after all. Was that even the right word for what was happening?
The female who was assaulting him stepped up her movement. She bounced violently against his lower half, seemingly trying to get him as deep as possible into her. She was growling like a wild animal, and it was admittedly somewhat scary. It was also undeniably hot. She'd been going for under a minute but he was getting ready to cum. He almost regretted it, but he decided he didn't owe this mystery girl anything.
Malachi howled as his pleasure peaked. The female came with him, dropping all her weight onto him and sinking around his growing knot. His neglected balls emptied their load in wave after wave, filling every corner of the tight passage. He dropped down onto his back and stared at the ceiling. The combination of the earlier hit and sexual release drained him. He'd probably need a few minutes before he could stand again.
Alex came back to herself straddling a grey wolf she'd never seen before. She remembered everything she had done, but didn't want to believe it. The evidence of liquid warmth deep within her and the knot stretching her nether lips was impossible to deny, however. Fear began to cloud her thoughts as much as the heat had previously. She had to get out. She couldn't be seen half naked in a laundry room. She couldn't let anyone know she had just raped someone. Maybe if she ran fast enough it would be like it never happened.
The skunk tried to stand, and a sharp pain from her pussy pulled her back down. The knot still tied her to her victim. She whimpered and pulled against him.
"Hey hey, stop! Who are you?" the wolf asked.
She ignored him. He was just trying to stop her from escaping. She thrust backward as hard as she could, yowling in pain as the slightly diminished knot exited her.
"Over here!" someone yelled from the doorway to the laundry room. Alex looked around in terror. There was only one way out. She was caught. She collapsed to her knees in the corner and began to sob. What was going to happen to her? She looked to at the door to identify the newcomers, and was shocked to see Kate and Lisa.
"Lisa, find out who the wolf is. I'll take care of Alex," Kate ordered.
"Got it," the fox-tailed girl answered, walking over to the confused male.
"Come on Alex, let's get you home," Kate said to the skunk, handing her the shorts she had discarded earlier. With Alex as decent as she could get while smelling strongly of sex, she was ushered quickly back to the dorm room, slowed somewhat by the pain in her abused sex.
Alex was quietly relating the events of that morning through her tears when Jen rushed into the room. The dragon quickly took in the scene and realized something horrible had happened. She ran over to her girlfriend and wrapped her in a hug, receiving an even tighter embrace in return.
"Oh, Alex, I'm sorry. I knew I shouldn't have left you. What happened?"
"She went out and had sex with some wolf guy," Kate explained. "Lisa and I found them fucking in the laundry room."
"I'm sorry," the crying girl said, "I couldn't stop. I just-"
"No, it's my fault," Jen insisted. "You shouldn't have been alone."
"Where were you?" Kate asked accusingly.
"I was at the bursar's. There was an issue with my financial aid. I thought I could get it fixed before Alex woke up, but I should have known better. That building is like a Faraday cage, so I didn't even get the missed calls until I left." Jen was starting to tear up out of guilt.
A knock on the door signaled Lisa's return. "Ok, I talked to the wolf. His name is Malachi. He didn't seem angry, just confused. I explained why Alex attacked him and he didn't seem too surprised. I think he figured it out on his own. He's not planning to press charges or anything, but he wants to know who you are. I didn't tell him, but you're the only skunk on campus, so it won't exactly be difficult for him to figure out."
Alex nodded silently, pleased that things weren't quite as bad as she feared, but still horrified by what she'd done.
Jen looked to the other girls. "Do you think we could be alone for a bit?"
"Yeah, sure," Lisa said, leading Kate out by the hand. "We'll talk to you later."
Jen embraced the skunk once more, wrapping her wings around the smaller girl. "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. How can you ever forgive me?" she lamented.
Alex started to respond, but then sobbed harder as a wet spot spread around her on the bed. She had neglected to put on protection after returning to the dorm. "Fucking Flash. Why did it have to happen like this?" she asked through tears.
"Shit happens to everyone," Jen assured her. "At least you have me to help you through it. Let's get you cleaned up, eh?"
Alex nodded, "And I had a good streak going of keeping the sheets clean."
"I think they needed washing anyway," Jen said reassuringly, sniffing the air.
A shower helped the skunk feel slightly better, but did little for the soreness between her legs. The two spent the rest of the day inside, waiting for Alex's heat to return. It never did.
Jen stopped Alex as she was about to leave for class. "Hey wait, we need to talk."
The skunk sighed deeply, "I can guess why."
"You need to go see the doctor," Jen insisted.
"No, fuck that. I know you think I might be pregnant but that's bullshit."
"So you think it's just a coincidence that your heat ended right after you had sex with the wolf?" the dragon asked.
"It must be. Do you know how rare furry kids have been? I looked into it. I only found a couple cases, and those were between same-species couples."
"Still, do you want to take the risk?"
Alex groaned in frustration. "No, I'm done with doctors. I had enough back at the beginning when I didn't get periods. I don't want to be in another medical journal."
Jen cringed. "I didn't want to put it this way, but if you are pregnant, you need to find out now. This early, it's easier to...do something about it," she finished carefully. "And seriously, it's not like this is a difficult test."
Alex suddenly broke down crying as the dragon broke through her denial. "I know, I know. I just can't stand to deal with it. If I make myself believe there are no consequences, it's like I never did it."
Jen hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry to push you like that, but it's important. If you want, I'll go with you to get checked out."
The skunkette sniffed, "But you hate doctors. You'd do that for me?"
"Of course! I wouldn't make you deal with something like that on your own. I'm always here for you," Jen said. "Now, you know you should tell the wolf either way."
"Yeah, I know," Alex said with a sigh. "Someone gave him my email and he's been trying to contact me. I just don't know what to say to him."
"You might start with an apology," the dragon suggested.
"Like what? 'Sorry I raped you. Hope I'm not carrying your kid'? I don't think Hallmark makes a card for that one," Alex scoffed.
"Well you should think of something. Anyway, we can see your doctor tomorrow. I'm sure she'll be glad to help. From what you tell me, she gets excited to hear from you."
"Yeah, she and Kate would get along great on that front. Fine, I'll make the call. I'm still not happy about it."
"Good girl," Jen said, kissing the skunk on the top of her head. "I just want you to be happy again. You were doing so well for a while before this happened. I don't think I've seen you smile once in the past week. I miss your laugh and, well, other things."
"I'm sorry. I can just hope tomorrow will be a better day," Alex said softly.
Dr. Chen greeted them as they entered the lobby. "Hi guys, you can come right back," she said warmly.
"You don't mid if Jen comes along, right?" Alex asked.
"That's fine."
The doctor closed the door behind them as they entered an exam room and sat down facing the nervous skunk.
"Thanks for seeing me again," Alex opened.
"No problem for my favorite patient," Chen said with a smile. "Now, you said you had a concern about your estrus cycle?"
Alex took a deep breath. "I was in heat about a week ago. I ended up having sex with a random guy-- a wolf, actually --and it stopped. Now, I'm worried I might be...," she started before tearing up.
"I understand. Well, I have what might be considered good news in this situation. I'll still do a test for you, but you're almost certainly not pregnant," Chen assured her.
The skunk quickly perked up. "Really? How do you know?"
"I have access to some articles before they're published. There have been some studies on reproduction in hybrids. It turns out the differences between 'species' are significant enough to hamper interbreeding. You probably can't get pregnant except from another skunk," the doctor explained.
"Oh wow. That is such a huge relief. But wait, if that's the case then why did my heat end at that exact time? Was it just coincidence?" Alex asked, concerned.
"No, it probably wasn't," Chen admitted. "While different types of hybrid can't produce offspring, they can come close. The similarities are typically enough for an egg to be fertilized. The hormones released from that would convince your body to stop your heat, but mixed-species zygotes don't grow properly, so they don't implant in the uterine wall. In a way, it would be more accurate to say you were pregnant for a few days."
Alex gasped in surprise. It was sobering to realize how close she had come. "Damn, I dodged a bullet there."
"You sure did. You really need to be more careful in the future."
Alex and Jen exchanged a meaningful look.
"I see you two already know that," Chen continued, "I take it from your explanation that you're one of the lucky ones to experience an enhanced libido?"
"Yeah, I am," the skunk said, blushing.
"I'd love to hear about your experiences. If you're comfortable sharing, that is," the doctor said hopefully.
Alex chuckled, "I really need to introduce you to my friend Kate. You both love hearing about hybrids. I'm already giving her some notes. I'll email them to you too."
"Thanks," Chen said with a smile. "I'd still like to give you a pregnancy test to make sure. Is that ok?"
"Absolutely," the skunk answered. "What do you need?"
"At this time period after possible conception blood is most accurate."
"Ah, dammit. You're going to have to shave my fur again, aren't you?" Alex asked.
"Unless you can hit a vein with it in the way. I sure can't."
"All right," the skunk sighed. "I just hate looking silly for weeks until it re-grows."
"You could just wear a long sleeve shirt," the doctor suggested.
"Bah," Alex said, "Then I'd be all warm. And clothes aren't very comfortable overtop fur."
While Alex explained, the doctor buzzed off a patch of fur on her forearm and started to take a blood sample. Jen looked on, as pale as a silver dragon could get. "You've been awfully quiet over there," Chen observed.
"Yeah, I came to support Alex, but I don't think I'm doing a very good job. I really don't like doctors," Jen explained. "Nothing personal," she hastened to add.
"No worries, I understand," the doctor said. "But I suppose that means I can't get you back here sometime to talk about your anatomy, and maybe get a few x-rays? I'm especially interested in your wings."
Jen shuddered. "Um, no thanks. That would be...uncomfortable."
"Fair enough," the doctor said with resignation.
"That's a shame," Alex added, "You might have been able to get her to fly. She keeps saying she can, but refuses to show anyone."
"Oh, I seriously doubt she can fly," Chen commented. "Even with large wings, it's tough to pack enough muscle to get lift into a humanoid shape. Birds are specialized in all kinds of ways that wouldn't work for a person."
"Aww, you ruined my fun," Jen pouted.
"Ooh, how about breathing fire?" Alex asked excitedly.
"That...might be possible," Chen allowed cautiously. "I'd very much like to see it."
"Sorry," Jen said, "Far too dangerous to do indoors. I'm sure you understand. Some other time perhaps." She smiled widely.
The doctor finished up taking Alex's blood. "Ok, the results will come back on this one in the next couple days. You shouldn't worry too much though."
"You know, in a way I feel kinda disappointed," Alex admitted. "I mean, I'm glad it's not happening now, but to know it would be really hard to ever have a kid..." She shrugged.
"That's not a very guyish thing to say," Jen said with a smile.
"I haven't been a guy for months now. Things change," Alex said. "I do lots of non-guyish stuff."
"You certainly do," Jen replied with a roguish wink.
"Very funny," Alex said, giving the dragon a playful lick.
"That was cute," the doctor observed.
"Heh, yeah," Alex said with another blush. "Kissing can be a bit awkward since we both have longish muzzles and sharp teeth. Casual licks are much easier to manage."
"Interesting. Well, it's been nice talking to you two, but I've got other people to see. I'll give you a call as soon as I have results for you, Alex." Chen stood to leave with her usual suddenness. Alex suspected the quick jumps between patients were the only way she could manage to stay on schedule.
"Thanks for the reassurance," Alex said.
"Any time."
Alex looked up as a knock sounded in the quiet room. She quickly answered it, opening the door to reveal a tall grey wolf.
"Hi, thanks for coming over," she said, standing out of the way. "Come on in, have a seat."
The wolf entered and sat at an empty desk chair. Alex took the other one. "Ok, I guess this is a bit late, but...Hi, I'm Alex."
The wolf laughed, "Malachi. Mal for short, never Chai. Is Alex short for anything?"
The skunk paused briefly. "Er, no. It's just Alex. Anyway, I invited you over mostly to apologize. I'm sorry I ignored you for so long. I was pretty down on myself, and I didn't know what to say to you. So, I guess, I'm sorry for...assaulting you. I wasn't completely in control of myself, but it still tears me up inside that I could do something like that. You should also know I'm not pregnant. I don't know if you were worried about that, but I sure was." She stopped and looked at Malachi nervously, afraid he wouldn't forgive her.
"Hey, I understand. You weren't yourself. If it makes you feel better, if you hadn't stunned me with that tackle, I probably would have been a willing participant. You, uh, may or may not remember me sticking my nose somewhere pretty intimate. I probably would have tried to get you somewhere other than the laundry room, though," he said reassuringly.
Alex let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks for that. I was so worried I had done something horrible."
"No, it's fine. Really. Just so you know, that was my first time."
"You're kidding," Alex said in surprise. Mal shook his head. "Damn, I hope I didn't give you a rape fetish or something."
He laughed again. "Nope, though I will admit to a growing fondness for skunks..."
Alex held up a hand. "I'm going to stop you right there. I don't know if I gave you the wrong impression by inviting you over, but I'm already with someone. That's part of why I was so broken up about having had sex with you. I was being unfaithful to her as well."
"'Her'?"
"Yeah, that too. I'm not really interested in guys," the skunk explained.
"Damn, shot down again," Malachi lamented. "Can we be friends at least? I don't get to talk to many hybrids."
"Sure, we can just pretend it was someone else that caused the event in the laundry room," Alex said. She looked at her watch. "You want to get some lunch? I'll introduce you to my girlfriend Jen and the others."
"Sounds fun. I look forward to meeting them."
They stood and moved toward the door.
"Are any of the others hybrids?" the wolf asked curiously.
"Yeah, Jen is, and Lisa has a fox tail."
"Neat, what type of animal is Jen? To be your girlfriend she must be something cute. I'm guessing...rabbit?" Malachi ventured.
Alex closed and locked the door. "Um, not quite."