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Two years ago.

Relani watched the clement flakes of snow fall down around her. Without a thought, she stretched out her orange-furred finger into the air and let one of the dazzling crystals land safely on the tip--melting into the fur from her body heat.

In moments she would commit the highest crime she’d ever committed.

Mountains shaped like a Dragon’s spine--tall spires and white fins--wrapped around the valley like a lazy cat. Sentinel was bunkered down into the crook of those mountains. Stone walls high and watchtowers higher. It was the waning beacon of safety at the edge of the civilized world--the ivy hands of the wilds encroaching on the city year by year with its monsters and dark factions. By chance or by fate, it was her home.

“When that patrol turns the corner we run over, got it?” Melarn said, bringing her back to reality.

“Alright,” Relani said, taking in a sharp breath of the cold air. She was going to regret it if she didn’t say something, “I think this may not be a good idea now. Everyone is talking about a new commander.”

Melarn turned to look back at her and snorted. They were both Tabaxis--crouched between barrels and rotted crates in an alleyway. His black fur made him seem more natural in the shadow, her cheetah-orange made her seem wilted. Though word was that she was one of the best rogues in the city despite her natural coloration. She didn’t like the title.

“If you had a reservation then you should’ve said something sooner.”

“Sorry.”

“Regardless, the change will send everything into chaos. No one will know what’s going on for the next couple of days,” he grinned with his fangs. Some were missing, “It’s perfect timing, actually.”

Relani stayed silent and waited. Melarn was the planner, after all. She was just here to make sure he wouldn’t get himself hurt or imprisoned and because he wanted her support. She loved him, after all.

“Your tail’s twitching,” Melarn said.

“Sorry.” She tried to will the twitching to stop. She failed. Her nervousness always seemed to betray her.

“It’s alright, just get your head in the game. We’ll get out of this dying city by the end of the day.” It was a long trek to any kingdom or well-tamed lands. A trek that depended on a hefty amount of gold. Of course, this haul would allow them to live comfortably whenever they got to civilization as well.

She may have been raised here, but she had no love for Sentinel. Reputation was the only thing that you could own here, and hers was tainted. People knew about the arcane malformation on her body--the thing that she hides--and people knew about her control over metal around her. As a safeguard to the civilized world Sentinel despised anything unknown or strange. She had no chance here.

Melarn was watching her with his emerald eyes and he placed a comforting hand on her thigh. It felt genuine. But some part of her wondered if the reason he treated her like a person was because her gifts were useful. But at the end of the day it was the only connection she really had.

He patted her thigh and redirected their attention back to the watchmen patrols. A moment later the patrol turned around the far street corner and the two of them bolted across the street and to the alley beside the curiosities store. They climbed on top and in.

Five minutes later the two of them were sprinting down the city streets, alarm horns blaring.

Melarn was lagging behind due to the hefty bag of gold coins and oddities collected from the wilds. Relani slowed down to keep pace with him, “Drop the bag!”

“You drop the bag!” Melarn replied, panting heavily.

“I’m not even carrying a bag.”

“Well fuck!” Melarn stumbled into a stack of barrels and nearly lost everything. He was more muscle than endurance--and brains. He glanced behind them at the armor-clad men chasing them, “How the fuck were they there so fast? Did you tell them something?”

“Why would I-” and something slammed into her--thundering down from the rooftops.

Relani crashed into a wall, fell tail over heels, and was face-down into the thin blanket of snow in a second. The instant after a great weight pinned her down--a paw smashing her head into the sludge.

“I have this one, grab the other!”

In her line of sight was Melarn. He was running down the alley as if he hadn’t seen her knocked down right in front of her. Had he even stopped to see what had happened? She called out his name but he didn’t stop. She called once more but he was gone.

No, this couldn’t be happening. Melarn wouldn’t have left her like that. He must’ve…

Then she was being lifted up and put into shackles. Watchmen were milling about like wasps around a hive and she was trying to stop the tears coming from her eyes.

One of the watchmen was different from all the rest. In fact, different from anyone she’d ever seen--the one who’d come from the rooftops and pinned her down. Standing in front of her was a wolf. Not a wolf-man or some type of werewolf, but an actual wolf clad in armor and a sword strapped to his side. How would he use his sword?

“Ma’am? Did you hear me?” The wolf spoke. He could speak as well?

“What?”

“I understand my appearance may be shocking to you. Don’t worry, I only bite if provoked,” he spat on the ground, “you’re being arrested for breaking and entering and one count of grand larceny. Do you understand?”

Relani was still blinking out the tears from her eyes. This must be Commander Kodan--the talk of the town. People were saying he was a wolf--cursed, enchanted, or otherwise--but she didn’t really take the talk seriously. She’d expected him to be a wolf-man or a werewolf. And they all called him a master swordsman. Gossip was always to be taken with a grain of salt, and she’d never been one to follow the news.

Commander Kodan looked at her with what she surmised to be an annoyed scowl.

The watchman holding her by the shackles wasn’t watching her nearly close enough. Her wrists were bound but her fingers were free. Taking a deep breath she started twisting her fingers in a precise motion. She’d known this magic since the moment she was born. The air around her hands began to hum.

“Don’t.” Kodan’s voice was deep and there was a growl lined with the word. There was something about it that made the fur at the back of her neck stand on end.

She stopped casting the spell.

“Good. You don’t need to be charged with something else,” he nodded to the watchman holding her, “take her.”

She was pulled away, grunting in pain from the metal on her skin. She was led up through the city streets, slipping in the snowy sludge, and thrown into one of the Duke’s dungeons. There she made company with her slab bed and the corner bucket.

Relani spent the night stewing in the events. And despite the rationalizations to the contrary, she knew that she was blaming herself. Maybe if she’d been listening closer she’d have been able to hear the watchmen faster. Maybe if she’d spoken up sooner about her concerns with the robbery then Melarn may have backed off.

She flexed her hands into fists in a methodic rhythm. Her mistake. His mistake. Both of them. None of them.

At the end of the day did it really matter? No, it didn’t. She would rot in the cell regardless of whose fault it was. All she could picture was the image of Melarn leaving her behind to grovel in the city sludge. Maybe she was just a tool after all.

She awoke the next morning to a knock at her cell door. She was given a moment to find her bearings and rub the emotion out of her eyes before it was pushed open. Standing beyond the threshold was a Human watchman and the wolf commander.

“Let me alone with her,” Commander Kodan said. The Human watchman nodded and did as obeyed--going down the long, dark hall. Relani watched the man go and wondered. Didn’t he just become commander? How did Kodan embody so much authority so soon to the time he became commander? All of the instincts she’d honed from a lifetime of dealing in back alleys and tavern parlors were screaming at her to be careful.

Kodan sat and looked her up and down like some puzzle to be solved, “Despite the Duke’s concerns I feel that I should let you go. But I need some answers before I conclude anything.”

Relani blinked, “You’re serious?”

“I’m not one for sarcasm. So yes,” one of his back paws scratched his ear, “Was this the first time Melarn asked you to help with an illegal action?”

Relani took a couple breaths. She could lie. She thought about it for ten heartbeats before deciding, “No.”

Kodan nodded, “No need to tell me what exactly. Melarn… is he your partner?”

“Not after this.”

“Lastly, I read in the search they did of you that there was some sort of abnormality implanted into your chest. What is it?”

“I… do you need to see it?”

“No. Keep your modesty. A part of my job is to ensure there aren’t arcane threats within Sentinel’s borders. I just need to know if it is something I need to be concerned about or not.”

It was as if she was part construct--a small mass of copper and steel implanted into her chest since before she could form memories. She’d sent a letter to the group of adventurers that’d found her when she was an infant many years ago and they confirmed that it had been on her even then. What led to her being found in a cave she didn’t know. And why the mechanism grew with her she didn’t know either. It never moved. It never ticked. It never did anything. Yet despite its inaction she assumed it was the source of her abilities… somehow.

“For all I know it isn’t any threat, Kodan.”

“When I’m working you will refer to me as ‘sir.’ Now follow me.” He didn’t wait for her before marching down the hall. She scrambled after him.

“Those were all of the questions? That’s it?”

He huffed, “I’m satisfied.”

“What’s your angle? I should be in here for months or years.”

“I believe in second chances. And I believe that you were manipulated into this. Melarn has a history of bringing people to commit crimes with him.”

“Please don’t treat me like a mark. I knew what I was getting into.”

“Then take it as me doing my part in giving second chances to the strange and the misfortunate. We captured Melarn and he placed everything on you despite all the evidence pointing to the contrary.”

“...He did?” A chill went down her spine. It was a scenario that played in her head last night, but she didn’t actually think he would… Emotion welled up in her chest but she pushed it down. Was it all fake, then? Or was he just a snake?

Kodan suddenly whirled around and put a paw on her stomach, pushing her into the wall. She was much taller than him height-wise, but he was still a fully-grown wolf with all of the weight and strength behind it. “Listen to me,” he said, “I believe in second chances. Not thirds. If I catch you again then you will rot in this jail for as long as the Duke deems. Do you understand?”

“...Yes.”

“Good.” He went back down to all four paws and continued walking.

One of his subordinates unlocked the manacles around her wrists and Commander Kodan led her into the main foyer of Sentinel’s Ivory Castle and out into the city streets. “Be off, and find yourself some better company.” He started to turn.

“Wait.” He paused, “You can’t just leave me, now. I have… nothing to go back to. Everyone will think I ratted Melarn out.”

“Not my problem.”

“You think you’re letting me go when you’re really handing me a death sentence. If you want to help me, then help me.”

His eyes furrowed as he stared a hole into her head. As if he wasn’t just looking at her, but inside of her. The muscles, the skills, the willpower. He was deciding what course to take.

After a moment he sighed. There was a coin pouch tied alongside his sword that he undid with his fangs. It dropped down to the ground with a heavy dink.

“There. Leave the city or whatever else. Don’t make me regret this.” And he turned back and returned to his post in the Ivory Castle, his tail hardly moving as he marched.

Relani rubbed her wrists and looked at the falling snow. The cold wind on her, she reached down and picked up the pouch of coins. A decent haul. Enough to get out of the city, at least. Especially now that she was on her own. What else was there to do?

She dusted herself off and went to make travel plans.

---

Now.

A ball bearing hovered in the air above Relani’s finger, suspended by the force in her blood. Her tail swished behind her in concentration as she twisted her fingers in an exact speed and movement--the ball beginning to rotate in place. With her mind riddled with anxiety it was good to distract herself with practice. It spun faster and faster, the bright spring sun bouncing off of it like a mirror. Then she lost control. It careened off to the opposite side of the covered wagon, striking her avian companion directly between the eyes.

Feathers puffed up and the arcane scrolls he was delving into went flying. Piper--the black-feathered wizard of their troupe--squawked in pure shock. He rubbed his beak. Relani stifled a giggle and meant to apologize, but was interrupted by a green-scaled Kobold hurling herself back from the wagon’s driver seat.

“HA!” Neri laughed, pointing a finger at Piper, “she fucking nailed your ass!”

Piper anxiously patted his feathers back down into place, “It wasn’t my rear end. It was my face.”

“Come on wizard-boy, you know what I meant,” Neri turned to Relani with the shit-eating grin still plastered on her face, “you should do it again.”

“You’d like that, but I actually didn’t mean to,” Relani looked at Piper who held an expression of pleading and thanks. Relani smirked, “You should throw something at him.”

Piper squawked again.

“I have just the thing. Gimme just a sec,” Neri started rooting through the woven satchel at her side. Her claw was deep inside the thing, “it’s somewhere in here.”

Piper pulled his hood over his eyes, “Please don’t throw a pinecone at me again.”

“Neri!” Dosken boomed. He was sitting at the back of the wagon, letting the sun reflect off of the glorious armor he always wore. He was a silver Dragonborn, so it was silver on silver in an eye-blinding display of strength and chivalry. “Aren’t you supposed to be driving the horses?”

“I spoke to the horses. They know where they’re going.”

“You said that about the last horses and they were dirty liars, Neri,” Dosken said, “they will always say they know where they’re going. Horses are beautiful, horribly prideful beasts of burden.”

“Come here and make me, big boy,” Neri said, wagging her green tail behind her in a slow, sensual motion. Piper averted his eyes, aghast.

“You’d like that you salacious saddle-goose. It will take more than a simple tail-wagging to get me to forgo my oaths.”

“I can do much more than a ‘simple tail-wagging.’” Neri leaned her chest forward as if to show off her breasts. Which didn’t make sense to Relani, since Kobolds didn’t have those.

Dosken scoffed, “What? You seriously want to be taken now, in this wagon, right in front of Relani and Piper?”

“Please no,” Piper squeaked.

“Not in front of Piper. He’s too innocent.”

They continued to bicker and bemoan each other--and Relani allowed it all to melt away into the ambience. Nowadays she preferred to sit in silence and observe, and they were fine with that. The Tail Peddlers. A dumb name for what she liked to call her found family.

Her life was a continuous rolling of the dice. So much of it was left up to chance--so much so that she was fine to drift and see where lady luck would take her. And by her will it’d taken Relani to find this bunch and--now as they were pulled along--back to her hometown. Her tail twitched in anticipation.

They all fell forward as the wagon came to a sudden stop. Neri was still halfway over the driver’s seat, so she actually fell out of the wagon entirely.

Dosken climbed back up, “Damn it, Neri! The horses!”

“It isn’t the horses!” Neri called back.

The three still in the wagon all shared a glance before gathering their belongings. Dosken hopped out to investigate while Relani stayed behind to help Piper gather up all of his scattered books and scrolls.

Relani checked the daggers bound to a strap that went along her chest and a bag of ball bearings on her side before climbing out.

“I apologize for the abrupt stop. I tried hailing the driver but it seemed like no one was at the helm.” It was a deep voice steeped in a feral growl. She recognized it. Stepping out from around the wagon was a cluster of a dozen watchmen led by Commander Kodan. The armor he wore was more scratched and battered than she’d seen it last. “I learned that an adventuring party was heading towards Sentinel and I always make a point to know them. Your folk unfortunately carry a controversial reputation with them.”

Relani hung back behind the wagon. She hadn’t expected to come face-to-face with Kodan so soon. He’d often pop up in her thoughts in the last two years--the man who’d helped her and gave her a second chance. She’d never been able to repay him, but she believed that she could now. That was why she agreed to come back to Sentinel after all of this time.

She paused. Would he even recognize her? It was such an impactful moment for her but probably a small detail in his career.

Dosken started to reply but Neri ran ahead of him--bright-eyed, “How are you real?”

“Excuse me?” Kodan said.

Neri’s Kobold-height made it so that she was about eye-level with the wolf commander. She crouched down and circled him to get a full look, “I’ve never seen an awakened animal before. Which Druid did it? What’s your story?”

“That’s personal.”

“Well you have to tell me your side of things. How is your memory before your awakening? How do the changes to your body feel? What runes were used?”

“Can you get her?” Kodan asked towards Dosken. He just shrugged.

“Druidism is an artform that’s becoming more and more lost,” Neri continued, “I want to awaken an animal of my own once I learn how. Talking to animals is one thing, but can you imagine bringing sentience to one? I guess you can, heh.”

Kodan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and lunged at Neri. His jowls snapped inches from her face. She fell back. “Stop speaking. Shut your mouth before I do something that gets me fired from my post.”

Neri started shouting expletives but Dosken picked her up by the scruff and tossed her aside, “My apologies, sir. She comes from the wilds. No social etiquette to speak of.”

“If you want to enter Sentinel then you will keep that one in check. And you’ll have to tell me why you’re entering here,” Kodan said. There was a growl in his voice and he began to survey the rest of the adventurers. Finally, his eyes rested on Relani. He snorted, “I hope this company proves to be better than the last ones you kept, Relani.”

Piper turned to her, “You know him?”

An odd feeling washed over her. Kodan remembered her. “Barely.”

“Perhaps you should explain why we have come, Relani. You’re returning home, after all.” Dosken said, somehow putting honor in his voice.

She hesitated for a moment, but did walk up to Commander Kodan--tail twitching behind her. How would she explain a year of mercenary work and adventuring? Best to stick to the present issue. “We’re fighting a cult called the Followers of Order and their base is not far from Sentinel. My party and I have come to ask the Duke for help.”

“Do you have proof of this?”

Piper came forward, pulling out different notes and ledgers they’d gathered through their quest. “These are some letters between different members and some of the things they’ve bought, umm, sir… It isn’t good.”

The documents were placed on the ground before Kodan and he took the time to carefully read over them. When he was finished he slowly nodded, “I can get you an audience with the Duke.”

They found rooms at a tavern in the city and Dosken did his best speech with the Duke the next day. Relani stood in silence at the sidelines, watching Dosken explain the different rituals they’d encountered and the magic used by the cult. The Duke listened upon his throne but, at the end of the day, Sentinel was a failing city. Merchants rarely made the long journey to this isolated town and the people who did reside here were leaving in droves. The Duke refused. Sentinel did not have the resources.

“How are we going to fight them, Dosken?” Piper said, holding a glass of milk at the tavern bar that night, “They have us outmatched by sheer numbers, let alone magical ability.”

“We can collapse the caverns they live in. Kill the stragglers left outside the mouth of the cave.”

“They keep hostages. That’ll kill them too.”

“Better idea: let’s sneak in as new recruits. Piper, you can disguise Dosken and Relani. I can shift into a mouse and sneak in through one of your pockets,” Neri said.

“After last time they’ll be more careful with illusionary magic. It’d be really risky, I think.”

Relani looked away from her party and into the glass of ale half-empty on the bar. The surface of the liquid would tremble ever so slightly from the treble of their voices--especially Dosken’s. Nothing felt right. Slowly, she traced her finger across her chest until she felt the mass of metal between her breasts. Tell me something. It never did.

The doors to the tavern swung open to the sound of heavy boots and pawpads. Commander Kodan walked through the doors followed by seven of his watchmen. With squinted eyes he surveyed the room.

“Commander Kodan!” Dosken said, “Pleasure for you to find us! I trust that we’ve been behaving?”

Kodan marched right up to the group, his watchmen following closely behind. “I am convinced by your argument. I, as well as seven of my garrison who volunteered, have decided to help in your attack against the Followers of Order.”

“So formal,” Neri said.

Dosken shushed her and went to a knee before Kodan, “I am honored to have you willing to fight with us. But are you certain you want to go against the will of the Duke?”

“I made my decision.”

Dosken nodded and shot up to his feet, “Then rounds for all! Barkeep, put it on my tab!”

The barkeep happily upcharged the drinks and poured two dozen glasses of cheap ale. A couple of farmers from the corner of the tavern charged in to get their free drinks while the seven watchmen looked to their commander for permission.

Kodan sighed, “Go ahead.” And they all pushed past each other to be first in line.

An hour later Relani was watching the tavern from the corner of the parlor. The watchmen were properly sloshed by now and Dosken was chatting up Kodan at the bar. A wooden platform had been brought out by the barkeep--latching over two of the barstools and allowing Kodan to lay down at the bar eye-level with everyone else. It was a handy thing. She assumed that it must have been built specifically for him.

Relani downed her drink and walked over. She laid a gentle hand on Dosken’s shoulder, “Go make sure Neri isn’t dead in a bush somewhere, Dosken.”

His eyes flicked between her and Kodan. He stood up to leave, “Good idea.” Relani took his place at the bar beside Kodan and the wolf commander eyed her. There was a notable lack of alcohol in front of him.

“You’re not drinking, Kodan?”

“You should call me ‘sir.’ And I thought to keep a level head.”

“But you aren’t working,” Relani raised her hand to call the barkeep over, “so let me buy you a drink, Kodan.”

He snorted, “I suppose you’re right. Kodan it is.”

She put two more drinks on Dosken’s tab and watched them be poured in front of the two of them. She got a wooden cup while Kodan got a wooden bowl.

Kodan shifted his position, going from lying across the wooden boards to sitting--the armor plating grinding against each other. He hooked one of his paws around the bowl and pulled it closer. He took a careful few laps.

“It must be frustrating to not have thumbs.”

“Like you wouldn’t believe.” He wiped his lips with a paw, “You’re quieter than what I remember.”

“Not quieter, I just learned that you can gain a lot from observing,” she knocked on the platform he was sitting on, “You’re a regular here?”

“Once or twice a week. Allows me to be present in the community. Good for the public role that I keep.”

“Are you always so focused on being the commander?”

“It’s what I have,” he said, taking another few good laps of ale.

She watched his large form in the quiet moment. There were a few scars dotted across where she could see. And the fur below the steel armor was black across his entire body. There wasn’t a speck of grey anywhere. It was matted in a few places, but otherwise kept presentable. He must have someone brush him.

“Can you tell me why you let me go that day?”

“I told you why.”

“And I don’t believe you.”

Kodan sighed and slid his finished bowl aside. The barkeep quickly ran over to refill it. “The commander before me kept records of what he regarded as important or notable events. I read through them all. And one of the most notable were the circumstances around your birth. Well, your discovery I should say,” he slid the newly-full bowl close to him, “I found myself relating to your story, I suppose. We were even born around the same time. My first birth, I mean.”

Relani didn’t respond.

“Say, have you ever figured out what is about that mystery? Is that the real reason you’re following this cult around?”

“I was found in a cave near Sentinel and the Followers of Order have a base in a cave near Sentinel. I find it hard to believe that’s a coincidence.”

“Smart woman.”

Relani smiled at that. Maybe Kodan wasn’t so standoffish as she’d thought. “I like it when you’re genuine and not so gruff.”

Kodan actually chuckled, tilting his head while looking at her. It seemed oddly comforting. “So many politicians up in the Ivory Council want to replace me with someone who has fingers. Being gruff is a part of keeping my position.”

“Fingers would be useful, though.”

“Wouldn’t they ever.”

He turned and lapped at his fresh bowl. Off the clock Kodan was a completely different person now that he wasn’t masking his gruffness. She’d never seen his tail wag in the short time that she knew him, but now it seemed possible. Perhaps one day.

From a secret pouch on her person she pulled out a small bag of coins. Then another. Then another. Kodan watched her in bemusement as she placed five bags of coins in a row. If she wasn’t surrounded by people she trusted she’d be worried of being robbed. She slid them over to Kodan, “This is what you gave me that day plus interest.”

There was an almost-missable growl deep in his throat, “I see.”

On his side there was a new coin pouch that contained a modest amount of change. How would he pay for things? Could he manipulate them well enough that he could pay himself or would he ask the shopkeeps to reach in for themselves and trust that they wouldn’t take too much? Relani gestured to the pouch. The least that she could do was to put her coins inside of it for him, “May I?”

“You may not.” He pushed his half-empty bowl of ale aside and clumsily slid her coin pouches back in her direction. “That day was not a transaction. You have no need to pay me back.”

“I can. I want to. These people that I’m with are truly good people and I don’t think I would’ve met them without your help. Please let me repay you.”

“No.”

“This is how I know to pay people back. I’ll just slip it onto you when you’re not looking regardless, you may as well take it with dignity now.”

He chuckled again, but not for very long. Kodan still didn’t take it, “I don’t do any of the things I do for money. It isn’t in my nature to want much. Hell, I’m a wolf. The most I should own is some den.” He shook his head, “Helping you made me feel better about myself--my beliefs. That is enough. So please, take your goddamn money back before we make a scene.”

She could keep fighting, but Relani could see that his mind was made up. She took the money back.

“You’re a stubborn bastard, Kodan.”

“Tell that to the politicians. They think I’m too soft a lot of times.” He slid his bowl to be back under his snout.

Ever since Melarn betrayed her she had trouble trusting others. Hell, she had trouble with that before she knew Melarn. But it was something that she’d been able to recognize and try to work on--something her new companions have helped her with. So now, sitting with Kodan, she willingly allowed herself to trust that Kodan was a good man. Something that took effort for her.

She took a deep breath. “Those sacks of waste can’t make one of you combined,” she smacked his back again before climbing off the barstool, “I’m going to go find Piper. Make sure his anxiety is manageable with all of these strangers.”

“Come back if you get the chance. I enjoy speaking with you… You actually treat me as a person and not a sideshow.”

Relani, feeling a bit lighter, went off to find Piper. And at the end of the night she did go back to talk to Kodan some more.

The next morning their entire band gathered outside the city walls of Sentinel--armed and packed with provisions. Dosken stood before the group of watchmen nursing hangovers and Commander Kodan. In his hands he held a map and a stick.

“Our very skilled Wizard, Piper, put it together that the main entrance to the base is mostly likely here: at the north-most point of the Kandessian Mountains,” he pointed to the spot on the map with the stick, “he also took the liberty of drawing out these little squiggles here. Those are paths that their members take to fetch supplies and such. We’re going to avoid these. Unfortunately, that means we’re going to take the more difficult path by crossing directly over the mountain range. I estimate five days of travel.”

To their credit, the watchmen did not make a single peep of complaint. Kodan had trained them well. Dosken smiled at that--his dragon fangs pearly white.

“Goody-goody!” he said, rolling up the map, “Let us be off, then. To conquest!”

They traveled light-footed and off any beaten path. One thing they didn’t know is if the cult had any patrols. If they did, they were most likely more focused around the base proper because Kodan’s garrison hadn’t come across any in the past. Regardless, unnecessary risks were avoided.

The journey was often blocked by a mass of overgrowth spurned on by the spring season. Snow was still clinging on to the tops of the Kandessian Mountains but otherwise nature was blooming. And like every year before spring made Relani nervous.

In the afternoon of the first day Relani watched a hawk swoop down from the sky and shapeshift back into Neri. She mosied over to Dosken to tease him and to say that she hadn’t seen any patrols from the air. When Neri’s report was done, Relani took the opportunity to pull her aside.

“What? What? What is it?” Neri said, her small frame held up in the air by Relani.

Relani set her down away from everyone else, “Is it done?”

Neri rolled her eyes and started to dig through her satchel, “It’s in here, gimme a sec.” And after a moment she produced a set of glass vials, each filled with an earthy green liquid. She passed them over to Relani. “I still don’t understand why you don’t like the heat. I like it when my body gives me the energy to ride someone for a week straight. You can get so much done.”

“You’re always like that, Neri.”

“Heh, suppose you’re right.”

“It always hits you like a boot to the stomach and at the worst possible times. I don’t need my body reminding me how little control I have. This helps,” she pocketed the vials into her own bag, “thanks, Neri.”

She turned to leave but Neri grabbed her arm. For a Kobold she was surprisingly strong. “How’re you doing, Relani? Are you okay after seeing your hometown again?”

She thought for a moment and smirked, “Kodan told me that Melarn’s still rotting in the dungeons. Has another ten years to go.”

Neri’s grip on her arm tightened slightly, “Good. That son of a bitch didn’t deserve you.”

“I know.”

The Kobold gave her a reassuring grin and released her arm, “Now if you wanna talk about things don’t be afraid to come find me, kay?”

Relani nodded, “Thank you. Really.” She quickly went off to go back to her role of the procession.

While Neri scouted from the skies, Relani stayed ahead of the group and checked for traps, alarms, or anything strange. Despite her cheetah fur she was excellent at finding places to hide.

These times of solitude gave her time to think. And, for whatever reason, her mind kept going back to Kodan. She’d thought about him often enough since her very first encounter with him, but now she could think of him as an equal and not some authority figure. It restructured her thoughts about the commander in a way that was confusing. She understood that he didn’t like to speak about his awakening, just as she didn’t like to talk about her strange childhood, but she couldn’t help but wonder about it despite herself. He said that they were around the same age, but if he had a normal wolf’s lifespan he would be long dead by now. He seemed as if he was in his prime. She could only come to the conclusion that his awakening changed his body as well as his mind. Perhaps it gave him a lifespan equal to hers, as well as the vocal cords to speak humanoid languages.

But it begged the question: why was he awakened? Perhaps he was to be trained as a warrior or something similar. Her tail twitched in annoyance. She had no idea.

The second day of travel was an exhausting marathon of steep slopes. They were all exhausted. And by the end of the day the procession stopped near the mountain ridge--where the snow and ice still stubbornly clung on. These mountains weren’t large enough to hold snow on its peaks year-round. It'd be gone in weeks.

She was watching Piper methodically move around their campsite, laying down a magical thread to signal him to any intruders during the night, when she decided to find Kodan. He was standing near a cliff’s edge. Sentinel in its entirety was within sight--standing strong in its defensible place among the foothills.

Relani watched him for some time. His black fur ruffled in the cold wind and his tail lazily swept back and forth. The setting sun made his armor gleam red and yellow. She walked over. “Do you think you’ll have a job when we return?”

Kodan chuckled--a deep drum beat--and tilted his head towards her, “I still think there is hope. The Duke is a kind man if you were to meet him.”

“Now that is the biggest pile of horseshit I’ve ever heard,” she took the liberty of sitting next to him. He didn’t seem to disapprove.

“Nobles all come from the same cloth, but the cloth comes in many different shades,” he sat on his haunches, looking back to Sentinel with her, “He gave me a chance to prove myself and has allowed me wiggle-room in my duties.”

“Does that wiggle-room include releasing me?”

“It does. That was something he didn’t want me to do,” it seemed his eyes were looking at a long-ago memory, “but that was the first in a long list where I showed that if I were to disobey orders it was ultimately for the better of Sentinel. I haven’t been wrong thus far.”

“Thank you… I’m not sure if I ever said that.”

“Thank you for taking my words seriously. I quite like this company you keep. Except Neri.”

“Her mouth moves before her brain does. She’ll grow on you.”

“I hope not,” he cleared his throat and turned to her. There was a sudden… awkward demeanor about him now, “May I ask you for a favor?”

“Anytime.”

He shifted from side to side, “Could you help doff my armor? A servant I hire usually does this for me but I thought it best to leave him behind at the Ivory Castle. It’s quite… uncomfortable sleeping in armor.”

“Of course. That’s reasonable,” she rolled her sleeves up, “where should I start?”

“It’s best to start with the head piece and work down the spine. The order should come naturally as you go. But the thing is a web of straps,” he coughed, “but I must warn you. I don’t wear anything below the armor. With my fur, the armor, and its padding I’m liable to overheat as it is. If that makes you uncomfortable then don’t feel pressured to aid me.”

“I’ve seen wolves in the wild before. I’ll be alright.”

“It’s different for me.”

The words rested on her shoulders for a moment. She bit her tongue for her slip-up, but continued.

Relani positioned herself in front of him and traced her fingers down the helmet’s side. It wrapped around the skull--leaving gaps for the ears and following the snout on its sides and between the eyes. It didn’t follow the entire length of the snout. It allowed room for him to breathe easy, speak, and--presumably--bite any enemies in front of him.

She noticed now that his eyes were a deep hazel. It reminded her of the chocolates that the children’s home she was raised in received every few months. She could feel his easy breaths as well. Their eyes met briefly and he did not look away.

She found the helmet’s strap and undid it. It came off easily.

There were two neck plates shaped cylindrically to the shape of his neck. Those gave him armor while still allowing him to move his head around easily. They slid off of his head pretty easily as well.

“I think clothes for you would look silly anyhow. I can’t imagine it.”

She started for the straps holding the scabbard in place when his body heaved as he started chuckling. The remaining armor clinked together and--this close--she could feel the power in his muscles. “I’ve tried every combination, believe me. The tailor off of the south marketplace hates me for all of the time I’ve wasted there. It will never look right.”

She unhooked the scabbard and gently placed it on the ground. She felt the sword’s grip. There were fang marks well ground into it. “The armor looks good on you.” She moved to the big metal mass on his back. It was a masterpiece of craftsmanship. It was all connected as one whole, but made up of many different molded strips of metal--designed perfectly to allow his shoulderblades to move and his back to bend and twist. It was a scavenger hunt to find all of the straps and latches.

“And your leather makes you look even better,” Kodan said.

Relani glanced at him, unsure if he meant to make that flirtatious or not. But his face was steely and betrayed no emotion.

The mass of metal on his back lifted free once the dozen or so latches were released. It was a heavy beast, and she nearly tipped over when trying to lay it on the ground. But it being off freed up the remaining armor on his belly. Kodan looked straight ahead for this part of the process.

It was in two main sections: one that covered what would be his chest, and the second which covered the back half of his underbelly as well as his modesty. She would keep the second for last.

The thought of Kodan’s sexuality had come to her before, but never rolled around in her head for long enough time to take it seriously. It made sense, she supposed. He was a thinking person like anyone, and that came with things such as love and lust. But how would that work? It would be unethical to be with actual wolves because of his sentience and the average humanoid would hold no attraction for him. And those that may would never publicly disclose that. Was he cursed to have no physical companionship, then?

The first plate came off, which only left the final piece. If Kodan had been a bit flirtatious, she would be able to see physical proof of his arousal. That was a bit of a strange thought.

Underneath him here the heat from his body was palpable. He shifted awkwardly from side to side and his fur brushed her feline ears. She traced her fingers through his thick fur, trying to find the final set of straps.

This piece was shaped a bit odder than the others. It thinned slightly between the hind legs and wrapped around his behind. There was also a small orifice shaped into plate here, which she assumed allowed him to urinate while still wearing the armor. She stayed well away from that hole. A lot of thought and time went into this armor set for him. How much gold did it cost him to commission this?

She heard him grunt slightly as she unlatched the straps and gently let the plate down between his legs and out. She tried to be as quick and respectful as possible, but if she was to be perfectly honest with herself, she couldn’t pass up this opportunity to at least look.

His pair of furry balls fell free from the plate and fell low--most likely from the heat trapped inside the armor. They were much larger than she’d expect from a normal wolf, and so was the sheathe. It was a meaty covering of flesh and fur about the size of her hand. And--from a quick glance at the sheathe’s hole--it seemed like the entirety of his member was kept inside. So he either wasn’t aroused or kept it hidden well. Maybe hadn’t meant to flirt after all.

“Feel better?” Relani said, adding the final plate to the pile.

“Much,” he stretched his muscles out as if he’d been sitting for hours. Different bits of cartilage popped in turn. He gave a satisfied groan and, in the same motion as his stretching, pivoted so that Relani couldn’t see his genitalia from her angle. “My thanks, Relani. I trust that you’re also alright with donning my armor in the morning?”

“Of course.” She had experience helping Dosken in and out of his plate. Though those experiences weren’t nearly as intimate. He wore clothes underneath his armor and the whole experience was laden with him pontificating about the importance of his oaths and knightly duties.

“You are terrific, Relani. I appreciate your patience with my physical limitations. I’ll have one of my watchmen clean and polish it for tomorrow. Probably Hannover. I caught him complaining about today’s march.” He lowered his head as if in a bow to her, “Let me know if I can help you with anything.”

He turned to leave and--without giving herself even half a second to think--Relani called out to him, “Wait, Kodan.”

“Yes?”

“I noticed that your men didn’t pack enough tents for all of you. Did you sleep outside last night?”

“I did. I blend into the night, after all.”

“Well… if you don’t want your balls to freeze off in the snow, you’re welcome to share mine.”

Kodan blinked, “You’re certain?”

“Yes.”

His brows were furrowed in confusion and thought. And after a moment he nodded to her, “I’ll have to think on it. Regardless, I thank you for the offer.” And he padded off to command his watchmen.

Relani got herself ready for the long rest in the meantime. She took off her armor and her travelling clothes, leaving her to just an undershirt and a thin, silk undergarment around her groin that she had bought with the money from her first collected bounty. It being held up by a string around her hips meant that she didn’t cover any of her legs--and those were her best assets. And although she’d been travelling with a group of people she trusted for some time now and had more money to her name than she’d ever had in her life, she’d never beaten her old habits developed as a street urchin. She used her backpack as her pillow to deter anyone who’d think of riffling through it. Her armor was hidden underneath a mass of fabrics. And within a hand’s reach was always a dagger. She had a collection of them now.

She was finishing up the nightly maintenance of her armor and weapons when a paw stamped the ground outside her tent. “Relani?”

“You can come in, Kodan.”

His black nose parted the tent flaps first before he pushed the rest of his head through. His eyes widened slightly at seeing her in her bedclothes and he averted them just as quickly. She made no effort to cover herself in her more revealing wear. Not because she was trying to be alluring or sexy--just because she lacked modesty.

“My armor is just outside,” he croaked, lying down at the edge of the interior. There was about a foot between them and he positioned himself away from her, “Have a good rest.”

Relani watched him in amusement. She had no idea Commander Kodan could be so flustered. Her tail swayed back and forth slowly as she watched him for a moment. He was endearing, she decided.

Smiling to herself, she finished the maintenance and turned over, quickly falling into the world of dreams.

---

Her mind woke and her body was on fire.

Need. Desire. Lust. Those were the only things on her mind. The only things that mattered.

Relani was still half-asleep as she realized the position of her body. Somehow she’d flipped over onto her stomach in her sleep. She was both compressed and loose. Her arms were folded up across her chest, while her hips were stuck out and raised--the tip of her tail touching the back of her head.

Blood boiled around her groin. She could feel her puffed lips--the insides of her thighs were thick with moisture.

Her only thought was that she needed to satiate her body in some sort of way. Her hand was the quickest and easiest method.

She pushed her fingers under the fabric of her small undergarment and traced her hungry slit. She wasted no time before plunging a finger inside of herself. She moaned without wanting to--her body screaming at her that this is what she needed.

She plunged it knuckle-deep--sending it in and out as fast as her finger could move. Her middle finger joined it, then her ring. Her thighs spread apart to allow her easier entry. She pulled her undergarments down her legs to stop any obstacle.

Her face was buried into the meagre blanket she kept as her body trembled with every centimeter of movement. Gods, it would never be enough. She forgoed her insertion and went to her clit, rubbing it in quick circles. She pressed down a little too hard--went a little too quick.

A few streams of her fluids dribbled down the length of her arm as her body trembled. The heat rose more and more. She was being strangled in it. She needed something. Anything. Just make the fire under her skin stop.

Her thighs shuddered and clamped around her wrist as she finally came. It was a burst of fluids usually impossible any other time of year. It covered her entire hand, coated her thighs, and coalesced on the ground below her. But the fire was dampened momentarily. But she knew this would last days. Weeks, even. But, momentarily at least, the suppressing cloud lifted a bit and she was allowed some faculties over her mind.

That was when she remembered where she was.

She wildly looked around the tent until she found Kodan. His eyes were locked on hers.

Relani immediately looked away and pulled up the tiny bit of silk suspended between her thighs. “Fucking-” she choked, “-fucking beat me to death with hammers.”

By a small miracle she found her pack in the dark and poured the contents out in a fever--not wanting the heat to assume control over her before she could do something to stop it. She felt around for one of Neri’s vials. She found it but struggled to pick it up with trembling hands. Somehow she managed. She uncorked it and downed it in a single gulp. She threw the empty vial away.

Relani closed her eyes and faced away from Kodan--curling into a shivering ball. She just had to wait for the medicine to kick in. Then it’ll all be over.

“...Should I retrieve Neri?” Kodan said behind her. She exhaled a long, excruciating breath at the reminder that he was in the tent with her.

“No, no. Please don’t. This…” she struggled to form words. It felt like the heat was trying to take control again, “this vial will… it’ll stop it. It takes… ten minutes… to kick in.” She took a shaky breath.

“I see.” After a moment she felt a hesitant paw rest on her hand. She seized it with both and squeezed as hard as she could. “Ow, ow. You’re stopping the circulation.”

Relani squeezed tighter. “Shut the fuck up, Kodan. This is mine now.” The heat was growing. Soon it would be all-encompassing once again--where it would be every ounce of willpower in her body to stop herself from masturbating or revealing herself to the next male her body registered. It would get worse before it would get better.

Normally, she would beg Kodan to leave her by herself. If she picked up the scent of a male the heat would get even worse. But, for whatever reason, her body was not registering his scent. It had picked up the aroma from Dosken and Piper last year despite them being completely different humanoids than her--to all of their dismay--but it seemed that Kodan was too bestial for her body to care. So his paw was an anchor, something physical to remind her of her sanity.

Her body began to shake more as the worst of the heat came over her again. She lost the ability to speak or think coherently. Every neuron became suppressed--all rewired for a singular goal.

Somewhere in the throes her sense of smell became enhanced and she could smell the distant, male humanoids in their camp. She even began to climb to her feet to run and present herself to the closest one, but by some feat of willpower she managed to to fall back to her knees--still clutching the paw like a piece of driftwood in a hurricane. She seized, moaned, begged, and trembled for ten more minutes.

As it began to die down, Relani gained her faculties back one by one. This time she’d been able to stop herself from touching her most sensitive areas. She was getting stronger fighting this.

There came a sudden moment where she realized that the worst of it had passed, and all the fight left in her body evaporated. She tilted to the side and fell back. Kodan caught her with his shoulders awkwardly.

“It’s… about over,” Relani said, “I’m so… so sorry you had to see that.” Before Kodan could respond, Relani shouted some expletives and continued, “Fuck lady luck.”

“I can see why you have issues with her.”

Impossibly, Relani laughed, “Yeah. We’ve got history.”

With how they were positioned, Kodan’s head was resting on her left shoulder while she leaned against him. His fur was very comfortable.

“It’s always at the worst-” she was cut off by one of the last death throes of the heat--sending shudders across her entire body. She gasped, “-times…”

“You’re alright. I got you. Keep crushing my paw.” She swore his voice could melt butter.

Her fingers clutched on for dear life, and her thumb began to rub the coarse fur of the four main digits. “I’m… sorry about your paw…” Her body seized in its last attempt to take control over her. Her thighs clamped together so strongly it hurt, her hands would be quivering if not for the handhold. But as it finished she looked down and willed herself to release her grip. She thought she could go on her own now. “I hope I didn’t… crush it too much.”

“It’s alright,” he said, shaking it as if to bring feeling back into it, “I just doubt that I will retain the same ability to walk as I did before.”

She laughed a bit more and allowed herself to lean more into his body. “Thank you. Gods… I am so sorry.”

“You’re alright. Not your fault,” Kodan said, licking her neck in an instinctual, comforting gesture, “It took me longer than I’d like to admit to realize what was happening.”

“Me as well.” The physical heat in her body was back to normal levels now. The whole ordeal sapped a lot of her energy--so much so that she struggled to keep her eyes open. Relani let herself be held up purely by Kodan for a few minutes in a strange, comfortable silence. The tincture that Neri had made for her worked by inhibiting some gland that produced the hormones, or something like that. Whenever Neri tried to explain the process it would go right over her head.

When Relani finally found the energy to keep herself up on her own she leaned away from Kodan and gulped down a few breaths of actual air. She could feel and think normally again.

She did her best to smooth her fur down--it all being covered in sweat and her inner juices. Oddly, she wasn’t feeling as embarrassed as she thought she would.

She heard a small thump and glanced back towards Kodan. Between his legs was a long, thick mass of red flesh. She knew what it was. It seemed engorged--fully flared and knot unsheathed. In a quick glance she could see some veins in the darkness as it throbbed, thumping against his stomach. She felt her chest turn hot again, but it wasn’t from the heat.

Kodan coughed and did his best to cover the erection with his forelegs. That was to say, it hardly covered anything, “Umm, my apologies. Please be assured it isn’t because I find your situation tantalizing. Your scent. It’s… affecting me.”

She’d have thought that since her body didn’t register Kodan’s scent, that hers wouldn’t for him as well. Physiology and magical spells weren’t so clear cut, it seemed. “No need to apologize,” Relani said, finding the strength to giggle a bit, “it’s quite impressive.”

It looked as if he’d been slapped by a fish, “Umm… I… okay.”

She averted his eyes. Best to give him some space. “How does it feel for you? Is it so controlling?”

“No…” he shuffled awkwardly, nervousness and confusion obvious on his face. There was another light thud as it throbbed once more. “I can still think and act clearly. Just not… that bit. It’s annoying mostly, but it’ll go down once the scent clears or I take care of…” he trailed off, “I shouldn’t be talking to you about this… I’ll go outside. Thank you for your hospitality.” He turned to leave.

“There’ll be someone on watch. They’ll see or hear you.”

He paused at the tent flaps, breathing heavy.

“How would you do it anyways?” She could see the conflict on his face and his tense posture. She felt as if she should keep pressing him. Because as she watched him tremble at the door she remembered the mass of metal between her breasts. She understood his apprehension to share. It was why she was wearing an undershirt now--why she never revealed even a sliver of her chest to anyone. But that was just a small insecurity compared to the situation Kodan existed in.

“I shouldn’t talk to you about that.”

“I’m curious.”

“I know what I am.” His words were thick with a feral snarl. It would’ve been frightening if she didn’t know the context. “It isn’t ethical for me to share this part of me with anyone. How could I?”

She didn’t respond--just watched his shoulders heave in thick emotion. She thought of the vials she had, but it wouldn’t work for him. They were specifically made for her Tabaxi physiology.

After a moment Kodan took a step back into the tent, “I’m sorry. My problems don’t concern you.”

“Stay. It’s alright.”

“I can’t with your scent. Its…” his member smacked against his stomach again, “I won’t be able to rest.”

“Then take care of it. I don’t mind.”

“With you here? No.”

“I’ve seen it before with men. And you had to watch me do it as well.”

“I’m a wolf, Relani.”

“And I’m a consenting adult,” her tail twitched behind her. She reached out and gingerly touched his cheek. The fur got thick here, and she could really take a handful of it if she wanted. Kodan did not pull away, “I understand. But please don’t take me as someone who’ll treat you any differently.”

His hazel eyes stared into hers for a long moment. He nodded, “Alright.” He huffed heavily, as if being near her was making his dick even more irrepressible, “I’ll… be quick.”

“You can take your time if you like.”

Kodan lied down at his spot in the tent and positioned his underbelly away from her, “Please don’t test me more. I already feel strange about this.”

“Alright. Just pretend that I’m not here.”

It was evident that he wasn’t going to start while she was looking, so Relani fixed her sleep spot and lied down on her side away from him. At first, she tried thinking of things other than Kodan, but everything went back to him.

It took him a minute to start. It was an odd bit of silence before Relani’s ears flicked up--hearing the sound of a tongue. Kodan stifled a moan as he started, but she could hear the clear slobbers. It reminded her of listening to Kodan lap at his alcohol, but his tongue was against something much more solid. It made sense he would masturbate in this way--his paws weren’t dextrous enough after all. But the mere thought of how he must look now made her body warm.

It wasn’t the heat, she decided. It was Kodan. Was it right for her to feel this way, however? She’d seen the testicles of domesticated dogs or wild wolves in her travels plenty of times, but she’d never once felt… entranced like she had now.

She kept her eyes closed, listening to the quiet sounds of his tongue, and slowly traced her hand down her torso. She found her still-soaked panties and flicked her fingers under. She grinded her teeth as the tip of her finger touched her clit. It felt right.

She began to rub the sensitive piece of flesh in a slow, circular motion. The lust she was feeling now was breaking through the heat and the potion she’d taken--something more honest. Relani focused solely on the sounds Kodan were making. His tongue lapping against his mast, another stifled moan, and a slight shift in his body as he found a more comfortable position.

She picked up her own pace as she heard the tone of his tongueing shift. It sounded… fuller. He breathed heavier and grunted more, as if the new method took more exertion. She could hear his lips sliding against something hard and it felt as if something was muffling his breaths. She could only assume that he was giving himself oral now. A picture that sent her wild.

Her own body seized for a moment as she hit a particular spot--moaning slightly--but if Kodan heard her then he didn’t change his rhythm. He just got faster--sloppier. As if he was beginning to approach his climax. He moaned again--louder. His body jerked in pleasure and she felt his tail brush against her back. That’s when she decided to do something more.

Relani sat up and finally looked. She was right. His body was in a curved ball, his head firmly between his hind legs. She watched the red flesh slide into his open maw in a quick rhythm. He was nearly to the knot.

Kodan’s paws flexed in pleasure and his legs shaked. He was both using his neck to give himself oral, while also using the muscles in his legs to thrust his mast inside himself.

Quietly sliding closer to him, Relani put a gentle hand on Kodan’s side.

His eyes immediately opened in alarm and he pulled out from his dick. It throbbed in the open air--a thick string of saliva still connected to his jowls. “Relani?”

“Let me help.” She sent her caressing fingers towards his underbelly.

She could feel his body shiver at that, but he shook his head, “We shouldn’t.”

“If you tell me to stop then I will,” she said, now petting the thin fur of his belly and slowly tracing her digits down lower, “tell me to stop.”

“Relani…” his entire body shivered again and one of his hindlegs kicked the air, “Relani, I’ve never been touched like this before.” She was nearly to his dick now.

She smirked, “Then I’m happy to be the first.” She pressed her entire body against him now, essentially spooning him and mixing their different color fur together. It throbbed above her hand now. She grabbed it.

She couldn’t get her full grip around the girth of it, but she could feel the full temperature. It was like a hearth. She let her palm slide down the length, from the tip to the knot, to get a full feel of what she was working with. She squeezed. If her anatomy was right there should be a bone in there.

Kodan had his eyes closed now, breathing heavy with his tongue lolling out. Every tiny little touch must be enhanced by being touch-starved and the scent of her previous heat. She could work with that.

Slowly, she started to work the shaft. It was made easy by the thick coating of saliva over it.

The shaft swelled to its maximum girth halfway down the length. There, a few veins filled with intense circulation throbbed. The tip was different from any shaft she’d handled before. It had a sharp point on the underside where the urethra was. She thumbed that as a part of her exploration, and Kodan threw his head back and whimpered. She was glad to make him feel so good.

Relani watched him whimper and pant. She decided to lean over and bury her face into his thick neck fur. There, she planted a gentle kiss. “Tell me when you’re close, alright?”

“I’ve been close since before you started.”

She giggled. “Good. Now flip onto your back for me.”

He flipped over towards her, splaying his legs wide for her to have full access to whatever she desired. He obeyed quickly. She giggled at the irony of it all, and put both hands on his belly fur.

“I won’t finish until my knot is squeezed. That’s all you have to do.”

“Oh, really?” Relani said, tracing a finger across the dense mass of flesh--causing him to squirm, “so you’re telling me I can do whatever I want for as long as I like? All I have to do is avoid squeezing this little bit?”

She felt his heart skip a beat, “...Yes.”

With her left hand she teased the knot with a very gentle squeeze before sending her hand lower, caressing the sheathe, and finding his balls resting against his undercarriage. She took a hold of one. It was like holding a furry apple. He was a big wolf, after all. “Then I’ll be sure to make this special for you.”

Before she began she could feel moisture dripping down her thighs. So she took a moment to toss her undergarment to the side and--hesitating for a moment--took off her undershirt. She felt more exposed now. The strange clockwork mechanism between her modestly-sized breasts was now fully on display. Kodan was watching her with deep eyes.

“You’re very attractive, Relani.”

She giggled, feeling the pressure fall off of her a bit. “Thank you. We can work on your vocabulary later.” Koden went to reply but she silenced him by squeezing his ball. She went to work.

She was knelt down to his side as she worked him. With her right hand she stroked his shaft in a methodical motion, and with her left massaged his balls. She went slow, enjoying watching him squirm and pant.

Slowly accelerating, she began to pick up the pace. His whimpers turned into desperate pants as he tried to keep up with the waves of pleasure hitting him again and again. She shifted from ball to ball in an inconsistent pattern--rubbing them between her fingers and rolling them together--before she decided to grab the shaft with both hands and stroke it as quickly as she could muster. His body went still--overstimulated by the pure pleasure. She decided to stimulate him even more by leaning over her handiwork and nuzzling his balls with her maw. She could fit one into his mouth. All the while she tried to go even faster.

His desperate pants turned into a quick succession of moans. His eyes were clamped tight--his hind legs kicked the air furiously on either side of her head. “Too much. Please, too much.”

She slowed up and came up from his musk. She observed him as she stroked at a moderate speed. The tongue lolling out of his mouth, the sweat in his fur glistening in the little bit of moonlight that penetrated her tent--it was incredible.

With one hand she released her grasp, spread her legs, and rubbed her clit. It was so much to see him like this. She moaned with the first touch.

Kodan turned his head to look at her, “May I help with that?”

Relani plunged a single finger inside of her, gritting her fangs. “No, but thank you for the offer.” She leaned over and drew her tongue across the entirety of his shaft.

She focused mainly on her own masturbation, but didn’t allow herself to stop pleasuring Kodan for even a moment. Her thighs began to shake as she rubbed herself faster. Gods, she was close already.

With her one free hand she seized his balls and squeezed. Her tongue mostly went along the underside of the length, but she slowly worked around to coat the entire thing in her saliva--including placing her head between the soaked fur of his underbelly and the shaft. She put her lips against his tip as she felt herself get close to climax.

She’d taken men with large shafts plenty of times, but Kodan’s girth was unreal.

Lapping at the tip and the pointy flesh of the urethra at first, she sent her muzzle down only about half an inch down the length. It would be relatively simple to fit it into her muzzle, but getting it to slide down her throat would be another feat entirely.

Relani came as Kodan gave an involuntary snarl, placed a paw on the back of her head, and bucked his hips. His tip tapped against the back of her muzzle and blocked her intake of oxygen. It was the most pleasurable thing that she’d ever experienced. Her body shook as she squirted onto her hand and the ground below.

She had to take a moment to breathe.

Kodan immediately took his paw off from her head. It seemed that it was an instinctual thing, “I’m so sorry, are you alright?”

The shaking of her thighs subsided a bit as she caught her breath. She wiped her wet muzzle with her wrist. “I’m not done yet.” She hooked a leg over his body. This was the last stretch.

Relani was straddling him now--giving Kodan a full view of her ass and her full view of his cock. Her tail brushed against his cheek. “Feel free to thrust into me, Kodan. Whatever feels natural.” And before he could respond Relani took his tip in her muzzle again.

With both hands she gripped the base of the shaft and started working it. With her muzzle she circled her tongue around the tip and teased bobbing her head. Underneath her she could feel Kodan’s breath on her bareness. Moaning, he started to thrust.

The first thrust tapped the back of her muzzle while the second went further. She opened up the back of her throat and focused on breathing. That’s all you could do when someone of Kodan’s size had himself inside you like this. She knew she could tap his thigh to stop him, but his exasperated moaning made every thrust--each going a few centimeters deeper in her throat than the last--worth it all.

Her hips ground against his chest, rubbing her raw lips on his rough fur. She leaned forward into the thrusts, trying to make the passage between her muzzle and her throat as straight as possible. It was heavenly.

Soon she couldn’t stroke with her hands any longer because her throat was doing all the work, so she reached out and grabbed each thigh for support. The smooth contours of his length were clear to her--massaging her tongue and insides now. Kodan’s entire body shifted with every stroke and, finally, she felt his paws press down on the back of her head. It forced the final bit of length, pushing her nose against the girth of his knot.

Kodan grinded his teeth together as he thrust himself into. She thought she heard her name whispered under his breath but she couldn’t be sure. Every thrust brought the entirety of it down to the knot--his balls swaying with each of his thrusts. She gripped his fur like a vice.

He was whimpering. Begging.

Relani decided it was finally time.

She allowed herself to be held up completely by his dick and grabbed ahold of the immensely-swelled knot. She squeezed. And that made Kodan lose all control over his body. He didn’t bother stifling a snarling moan and thrust into her throat with a speed that seemed impossible. Relani lost any ability to breathe. But she didn’t dare stop. With a final, whimpering thrust, Kodan came.

He didn’t stop bucking his hips as he shot the first load--discharging deep in her esophagus and filling her maw. She didn’t even get the chance to properly swallow. The ovenlike semen filling her mouth was pushed back into her throat by the next thrust and the next. It was all too much. With the next throb racing down his shaft, sending the next load, all air she could count on dissipated. She forced herself to push back against the paws holding her down.

They lifted easily at her suggestion and she came up with a thick swallow of air. Immediately her hands went to the shaft, working the length. It was a lot. Thick ropes of cum coated her, Kodan, and her poor tent. She rode his stomach like a bull--feeling him writhing and whimpering underneath her like her when she’s in heat.

When the ropes dissipated and it seemed like he was finally finishing, she took his tip in her maw again--sucking out what she could and polishing it with her tongue. He continued to squirm.

Relani was only satisfied when she was certain everything was gone, and came up from his shaft to swallow what remained in her mouth and take a breath.

Gods, she needed to breathe.

Relani swung a leg off of Kodan’s chest and went to lie down but collapsed in the process, getting caught by Kodan’s paw. He brought her into his fuzzy chest. Contentment. All worries melted away as his paws pressed her into his fluff. Here she felt strangely safe. The warmth of his body and the afterglow of the experience they just shared washed over her. Kodan licked the back of her neck.

“Are you alright?”

Relani nodded into his fur.

He didn’t reply for a few, amazing minutes. She almost fell asleep right then.

Kodan’s breathing slowly began to get faster. Swallowing, he looked down at her and across the dark tent and the absolute mess they’d made. The afterglow was fading. She felt him shift ever so slightly away from her.

“What’s wrong?”

Kodan rocked back a bit, “I made a mistake. What if…”

“If Dosken was on watch then we’re good. He can’t hear shit.”

Kodan growled, “Please take this seriously.”

“I am,” Relani said, wrapping an arm around his body, “we’re both sentient, consenting people. What else is there?”

“People won’t be so understanding.”

“Enjoy the moment, Kodan. Please?” She stroked his fur, trying to calm his nerves. It seemed to do little. She felt him breathe quickly and it wasn’t because of the exertion.

“I’m sorry, Relani. I can’t,” gently he started to push her away.

Relani relented, though she didn’t want to be away from his warmth. “Sex doesn’t mean we’re in a relationship. This can just be a night to remember and that’s all.”

“It’s not about that,” Kodan said, climbing to all four of his shaky legs.

“Alright. Then tell me.”

Kodan exhaled, his eyes betraying the fear that he had in his eyes. “You know what it is. Why us doing this is wrong.”

“Tell me, Kodan,” she took his paw, “please.”

He shifted back and forth. “I don’t want you to be known as the person that had… intercourse with the wolf. It wouldn’t be right,” he shook his head, “I’m afraid of how people may treat you.”

“What would be so different from how it already is?”

“I am an animal, Relani. No one ever forgets that. You’re the only person I’ve met in my entire life that doesn’t seem to care, but you being with me doesn’t mean they’ll change their minds.”

“You’re a person.”

It seemed to shock him to hear someone say that. He searched for words in a long pause, “...People don’t care about that.”

Relani swallowed. He was right. Sure, Relani didn’t give a damn about what people may call her behind her back, but there were certain things that could mark a person. It could lead to her being barred from getting jobs or getting any kind of community support. Hell, even arrested. This thing that they just did could be that. It could fall back to Kodan as well--make him lose the position that meant so much to him.

“I don’t know what to do,” Kodan said, glancing at the tent flaps, “You’re a very lovely person, Relani.”

“Your anxiety is understandable… and I won’t lie, it’s making me a bit nervous now.”

Kodan stared at her.

“We can keep this secret. We don’t have to do this ever again,” she stroked his fur, “but know that I enjoyed tonight. I enjoyed it a lot. And… I want to know you better. As a person.”

Kodan swallowed, “Likewise.”

“Leaving isn’t going to do anything. It’ll just make you look more suspicious, really.” She pulled him closer, “So stay here. We’ll wake up early, get rid of all of the evidence, and act like all that happened is that my heat came over me. If some of your watchmen heard a growl then I’ll just tell them that I was fucking Dosken.”

“You’d lie about that?”

“No. He’ll do the lying. I trust him with my life--I trust all of them with it. If your watchmen weren’t here then we’d have no issues at all. Hell, Neri would probably cheer from the sidelines.”

“I see.”

Relani brought him even closer--up to the point where their foreheads were pressed against one another’s. “You won’t lose your job and I’ll still be societally accepted. We’ll figure out things in the morning.” Kodan nodded. “So lay down and cuddle me, alright? That’s what you do after sex.”

“So I hear,” his eyes were still furrowed in worry but he smiled regardless. It cut through the tension--so much so that Relani felt her shoulders relax. “You’re a good person, Relani.”

Her tail twitched. What was she to make of that?

Kodan looked at her with his deep hazel eyes for a long moment before he moved to his spot. He lied down, watching her. “Never before have I allowed someone to command me as much as you do.” He spread his legs out, welcoming her. “Thank you for your patience with me.”

“We’ll be alright,” Relani said, taking a step towards him.

Relani fell into his arms and was immediately pressed into the bulk of his body. She was quite short for a Tabaxi, so spooning like this had it that they were almost equal in length. His legs were wrapped around her and she could feel his breath on the back of her neck. This felt right.

Pressing her head against his chest, she could still still hear it beating faster than it should. His anxiety wasn’t gone, and neither was hers. But she could find ease in his grasp and the slow licks he placed on the back of her neck. She wanted this.

Slowly his heartbeat began to slow as he drifted off to sleep. Relani followed. Content. Somehow tomorrow would work out. They would be alright, they could maybe even do this again. Maybe.

She drifted off, not noticing that there was a new ticking deep in her chest. She was with Kodan now and that was all that mattered in this moment.