FSE

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formerly SoFurry search engine

It’s a predator’s world out there, prey just live in it.

Social caste systems, wealth inequality, the value of life is… non-existent.

We live in a dystopian world, unless you’re one of the very lucky few at the top of the food chain.

But what can you do? Not a damn thing… except survive. Life can be cut short at any moment in this world. So we just try to make the most of it while we’re still here.

Children are excluded from the harshest parts of life here. No predation of any person under the age of 13 is allowed. Period. That means that you’re guaranteed at least 13 full years of life under the law. Predation of anyone under the age of 18 is only allowed by someone else under the age of 18. One day over and they might look the other way, as long as you’re in the same school grade, but the law doesn’t allow for it.

Of course the law… is not always followed. Or enforced. A seventeen-year-old deer gets devoured by a twenty-two-year-old lion, I can all but promise you that no one’s serving jail time. A fine, maybe. Or community service. But the powers that be tend to be pretty forgiving when it comes to predators in our society.

It works like this. You’re born a certain way. Alpha predators, at the top of the food chain, sit comfortable. The law prohibits lower species from hunting higher ones for any reason other than food. So if an alpha mauls and eats your best friend, you’ll be the one in jail if you later decide to go and take revenge, unless you’re also an alpha. Lions, tigers, bears, oh my. When it comes to who’s actually at the top of society, there is some room for debate, but not a lot. A wolf might be able to argue their innocence is they sack a tiger for eating their sheep friend, but there’s no way in hell you’ll be able to make that argument if you’re a fox or a bobcat.

Don’t get me wrong, you’re allowed to run, and to fight back. That’s the rule of nature. If you manage to kill a lion while they’re attacking you or your friend, no one will care. The law says it’s allowed. Most people would probably make fun of the lion for being so weak or careless.

Below the alphas are middling predators. Most of us fall into this category. Roughly 80% of society, by birth, would be considered middling. You eat meat, but might not have to, and you’re certainly no lion. As long as you’re punching down, the law says you’re good.

And then of course are the prey. Those are the ones who don’t eat meat. They subsist on plant-life alone. Rabbits, mice, deer, and so on.

Other than for food, the law doesn’t really allow for much hunting and killing. Other forms of violence are illegal, as well as theft and so on. But here’s the thing, if a shark comes up to me, a fox, and says “Have sex with me, or I’m just gonna eat you,” what can I say to that?

I either have a death wish, or I don’t. The law doesn’t require me to let every species higher up on the ladder fuck me, but it also lets them kill me if they’re hungry, so… it’s not exactly safe to decline. Outright rape will get prosecuted, but coercion, blackmail and extortion are kind of in a legal gray zone.

So yeah…

Here I am. Not one but two shark dicks in my mouth. They have two, look it up. Sharks always taste so salty. It’s… not bad, I guess. But the skin’s a bit rough. And two of them take up a lot of space. Luckily, that tough skin means it doesn’t usually bother them so much if my teeth touch down here and there.

“You bored or something?” he tells me. Ehh… I guess it’s time to get out of my own head again. I’ll catch you later.

…

…

The fox shook her head a little, snapping back to the present, eyes darting up to look at the shark’s. Acting enthused was part of the bit, so she made a soft moan of faux satisfaction, letting her tongue rub underneath one of the two shafts stuffed into her mouth.

“That’s more like it,” he said. The shark was lithe, tall, and had a blue mohawk. “I always love it when prey volunteer their mouth.”

Her head nodded a little. She didn’t like anal sex, and she was transgender, and so pussy was not exactly on the table. Therefore, the compromise was oral sex, which the shark seemed to be enjoying.

Suddenly, he grabbed her head, and held her down, shoving his two long cocks into her throat. “Fuck, I’m gonna cum,” he told her as he began to shudder.

The fox moaned again, though partially choking, as she felt his thick meaty bits pumping a hot load of spunk down her gullet. She was happy to swallow. Better to be swallowing this than if he were swallowing her. He held her down a little longer, until he was fully satiated, and then pulled her head off of him. She gasped and breathed again.

“Thanks,” the shark told her as she wiped her mouth. “Yeah… you’re definitely worth keeping alive for now. You always walk this way home?”

“No.” She shook her head. It was usually a good idea to vary your route from day to day as a prey species. Hungry predators had a harder time stalking prey that were harder to spot, and horny ones were less inclined to go for someone that wasn’t reliably available.

“Shit,” he said. “Gimme your number, then.”

“Okay,” she told him. There never really was much of an option. She could’ve given him a fake number but that only goes one of two ways: one being they never see each other again, rare; and the other being he gets angry about getting a fake number, and doesn’t let her walk away next time.

Once he had the number, he texted her, and made sure she got the text. Giving him the real thing was the smart choice this time.

“You uh… up for adoption?” he asked.

Adoption.

That was a cruel and wicked word in this world. Adoption was slang for a form of slavery. Some prey, in order to keep themselves safe, often let a predator take a sort of informal ownership of them in exchange for relative safety. Usually the deal involves a sexual element. He agrees to protect her on walks home from work, warding away other predators, and in exchange, he gets to fuck her whenever and however he wants.

“No,” she said.

No meant one of two things: either she already had a friendly predator in her corner, which meant he might be in trouble later if that predator was the jealous type, or she was willing to risk being eaten alive or taken advantage of again by someone else instead of tying herself down.

It was one of the few ways prey could establish boundaries with predators. It might be hard to say no to sex. But saying no to a relationship was something they could still pull off easily.

“Aww, already taken?” he asked her.

She gave him a look. Follow-ups to this type of rejection weren’t unheard of, but were ill-advised. The more a persistent suitor, if you could even call them that, the more likely it’d be for a prey to beg a partnered predator to intercede. Not even predators knew when their number might finally be called. Who knows? Maybe the fox had an alpha in her corner: someone bigger and stronger or more well-connected than the shark. It wasn’t just impolite, it was dangerous, to push this kind of issue.

“Pfft, forget I asked,” he told her. After saying that, he wiped his dicks off on her cheek—one last token of humiliation—and put them back in his pants. “Thanks, anyways.”

The fox just gave a nod to him, trying to be polite, and stood up. They had taken a spot in an alleyway, and she let him leave first, giving herself a little buffer time before slinking out. Normally, someone of her status as a middling predator would ask to be walked home afterwards. Clinging to the arm of an alpha predator would usually keep further unwanted attention away, but Vixy was a bit too independent for that.

Another couple blocks of walking and she was back to her building. No one else bothered her on the way, and once she was inside, she exhaled, a sigh of relief. Most of the residential buildings in the city were locked down pretty tightly, and while it wasn’t unusual for guests of varying social castes to be brought in and out, residents were often restricted to keep tenants from eating each other.

Landlords needed to collect rent after all, and money was the only thing that really kept predators at bay when it came to a prey’s home.

…

…

And I’m back. Back home, safe, sweet, and sound. As safe as it can be in the animal kingdom, anyways. You might be asking yourself, “Hey, Vixy, if it’s so safe at home and so dangerous outside, why even go out at all?”

It’s a fair question. But it boils down to two things: money and food.

I’m a fox. I can eat a wide variety vegetables and fruits and such. But if I’m being perfectly honest, even I don’t think I’d be able to stay sane that way. I’m a middling predator, but a predator nonetheless. Maybe I’m a hypocrite, to be so cynical about the world I live in, even though I partake in all the same fruits, but what can I say? I love rabbits, among other things. And yes, I have absolutely pushed my fair share of would-be prey into similarly uncomfortable situations.

Don’t judge me for it. If anyone has a right to take advantage of this system, it’s the ones who are just as often a victim of it as they are perpetrator.

Welcome to my world.

Predator… and prey.

Foxes have a certain reputation in this world, as all of us do. It comes with its perks and its drawbacks. We’re seen as sly, cunning and sometimes wise. Sometimes people are afraid to cross us, because they suspect we’re hiding something we can use against them. Those who are too ferocious for us to intimidate, however, see us as slutty, sultry, exotic, and… desirable. Pro: I’m more likely to get fucked than eaten. Con: prey don’t trust us. Sometimes, it’s really hard to eat.

Tonight, I have… iceberg lettuce, carrots, cherry tomatoes… looks like salad night again. Oh wait!

Look at what we have here. As I pull the glass container out of the fridge, I salivate a little, thinking back, trying to remember where I collected this meal from. No blood on the container, so probably from a vendor rather than live prey. But as I open it, I can smell it and it—no, she brings back such wonderful memories. And she’s still good to eat, too. Lucky me.

A good predator never lets meat go to waste. Which is why today I’ll be serving this up sauteed and cooked with olive oil to mix into my salad. Thankfully, I cleaned my dishes last night.

“Veronica,” I whispered softly. “That was your name, wasn’t it? I bet you’d be pissed if you knew your meat was about to go to waste in my fridge.”

Always cherish your meals. Especially the meat.

I met Veronica at a rave a little more than a week ago. I think she nearly passed out when I said “Hi” to her. Must’ve known she caught my attention in a bad way. You can tell sometimes, when your prey knows someone is looking for food instead of sex. The fight or flight instinct kicks into gear. Little known fact: there’s another response to fear, and that’s to freeze. Veronica froze. I knew I had her after that.

She offered me sex, and I accepted. It was wonderful. I think her strategy was to make herself valuable to me, valuable enough to want to keep her alive. It’s a strategy I’ve employed successfully at least twice. But I was not dissuaded.

When I kill, it goes one of two ways: slow and gentle… or sudden and violent. It all depends on who they are, and how much they fight it.

Veronica wasn’t a fighter. I had her at my place. I offered her something most predators do not: something sensual to die for. Drugs. Sex. Affection. Kink. When someone gives me the treat of their slow death, I fulfill their fantasies if I can.

So of course I leave. I need to eat, after all.

And then, there’s the stick. I pay rent here. Ownership of property is a hard and valuable thing to come by. The system makes it harder the lower you are on the food chain. So I have to work.

“Why not be a cam girl?” you might ask. You’re joking, right? The market is beyond saturated. We live in a world where they don’t have to watch through a screen, they can just walk out their front door and take whatever they want.

I work at a coffee shop. My boss is a real princess, a wolf girl who does not take no for an answer and does not have a problem with compensating upset customers with what she calls… “free samples.” It’s where a customer gets to fuck one of us after we serve them their venti. Not my favorite part of the job, but I’m gonna be honest, if it’s a slow or particularly stressful day, I have been known to “accidentally” spill a drink on one of the more attractive looking clients in our store.

I’m trying to find a better job. They are hard to come by, though. I’ll chat in a little bit. My food’s ready, and a girl has got to eat. Especially when her meal has a name.

…

…

As Vixy sat down and ate at her desk, she began browsing the internet on her laptop. A little ping went off and she clicked the notification in the bottom corner to open her email. It said…

“Miss Vixy,

My name is Belladonna with Exotic Meals Inc. and I’m getting back to you in response to your application for our open position in Special Deliveries. I’m sure you have lots of questions, and I will have some for you. Here at EMI, we believe that in-person interviews are essential to finding the right partners for our line of work.

If you are still interested in this position, please respond to this email with a list of times and dates you can meet in person. I look forward to hearing back from you.”

“EMI… EMI…” Vixy muttered as she ate. She went to the web browser and pulled up a search engine to punch in the name of the company. Once she found their website, she skimmed the front page. “Exotic Meals Inc. Where your most exotic desires are delivered for your satisfaction—Is this sex work or what?”

As she kept reading on, she clicked on a shopping button. The page refreshed and Vixy was presented with a page full of various meats for sale. “Hmm?” she pondered aloud. “Alligator tail?” she questioned. “Shark fin? Who can afford this stuff?” The price tags were listed in the tens of thousands. “Oh, here, ‘Special Delivery options.”

The special delivery page had no product, but rather, was a contact form with a brief statement at the top of the page. “Don’t see what you like?” Vixy read aloud again, mouth full of rabbit meat. “We offer a special delivery service where absolutely nothing is off the menu. Just tell us what you’re craving, and if you know where to find it, and we’ll get back to you with an estimate.”

“Hmm,” Vixy pondered again. She then clicked to a page with user reviews and testimonials. Clicking on one randomly, she began reading. “I didn’t even know if my middle school principal was alive, but they found him and I can’t even describe the shock on that old bastard’s face when he realized I put him on a platter. Five stars. Best service ever.”

“My husband got me the best engagement meal ever,” Vixy read another review at random. “It was my ex.” Vixy chuckled at that and kept reading. Most of the reviews were similar: people using the service to order up people from their past as food. “Holy shit,” she said as she realized what this job was for. She leaned back in her seat. “I am not sure I’m qualified.” Her father’s advice from years ago rang through her mind in that moment. “Right,” she said. “Who cares what I think? I’ll let them decide if I’m qualified or not.”

Vixy turned back to the email and responded quickly: “Anytime, any day. Just tell me when.”

Her boss might actually kill her if she missed work over this, but of course, if she got the job, what was she gonna do about it?

After finishing up with Veronica, Vixy dropped the dirty dishes in her kitchen sink, and went to curl up on her sleeper sofa bed for the night.

Seven hours later… Vixy was awoken by an alarm. Time for work.

Groggy, and annoyed, Vixy got out of bed and turned off the alarm. Then, she went to head for the shower. Warm water was something of a luxury. Lukewarm was all she could really hope for, but she made the best of it, washing herself and all her luxurious fur nice and clean before getting dressed.

The morning walks to work were often less eventful than the evening walks home. As she stepped outside, she embraced herself, a little chilly in the morning air, and warmed herself. The familiar ping of a phone notification went off and she instinctively opened her phone to take a look.

“Oh joy,” she muttered. “Rent’s due.” Looking at the message, she saw the cost of her monthly rent on the screen: $2,284, and attached to that was another $170 in utilities, and $390 in special assessment fees. Then she flipped over to her bank account. $3,239.87 in her checking. No savings. And a credit card racked up to $12,800 in bright red with a notification that it was maxed out. Scrolling down, checking her transaction history, she saw her most recent paycheck: $832.96.

“Fuck,” she said to herself. Then she opened a messaging app, and found a friend named Jayce. From the profile picture, he looked like a shark, but not the same shark as last night. “Hey Jayce,” she said. “Can only pay you like $200 this week. Is that cool?”

The reply came a few seconds later. “Hey you know what, Vixy? Don’t sweat it this week,” Jayce responded.

“Thanks so much,” Vixy responded. “Love you. Let me know how I can make it up to you. You’ve been a real life saver. Literally.”

“Hit me up after work,” Jayce texted back. “And seriously, don’t sweat it. We’ve been friends since high school. I aint gonna eat you that quickly. Unless you ask nicely!”

“God I miss high school,” Vixy sent him back. “Fuck adult life and work, and fuck bills. My boss sucks.”

“Yeah, you’ve said so,” Jayce said. “Just let me know if you need a friend to come by and play angry customer again to keep you occupied.”

“Thanks!”

Ping! Another message, this one from a wolf named Melissa. “You better be on time today, Vixy!” it said.

“Chill, chill,” Vixy responded. “I’m already on the way. Even skipped breakfast.

“You keep asking for a raise,” Melissa said. “If you want a raise, then show up to work early like I asked you to.”

“Sorry, I know,” Vixy hastily responded. “I should be there in like 10.”

“You better be,” Melissa responded. “And I don’t want to hear any complaining or excuses about pulling another double.”

Getting annoyed, Vixy simply typed back “$$?”

“How much are you getting paid now?” Melissa asked.

“$5.80,” Vixy typed.

“$6.00 if you finish before we open,” Melissa told her. “I’ll be waiting.”

Vixy smirked at that. The prospect of a meager raise was a huge deal to her. It paled in comparison to what she actually needed to get her finances straightened out, but minimum wage for a middling predator was $4.50 an hour, so it already felt like a blessing somehow. Then, she texted back to her boss a question phrased with two emojis: an eggplant and a tongue sticking out.

“Dealer’s choice,” Melissa responded back.

When Vixy arrived at the coffee shop, a coworker opened the door for her. “Hey, Vixy,” he said to her, but she offered only a quick wave before rushing into the manager’s office. “Okay, good luck,” he then said, before going back to his opening duties.

Vixy closed the door behind her once she got into Melissa’s office. The wolf girl smiled, and was already bottomless sitting in her chair. “Well well,” she said. “You might actually get a raise today if you’re good enough.” The woman spread her legs wide, and leaned back in her seat.

After letting out a soft sigh, Vixy dropped to her knees in front of the woman’s chair and pushed her muzzle forward to press her lips to her boss’s groin. There, she started to sloppily lick and rub at it with her warm, wet tongue.

“Right into the action, huh?” Melissa asked. “No teasing? Are you too worried about the time crunch?”

The fox simply nodded. Opening time was in less than thirty minutes. It was a hard window to make with the boss, but fortunately, she was already a little worked up thinking about it. Vixy moaned into the snatch and let the juices drip down between them onto the chair, and then the floor below.

“You know, Vixy,” Melissa said. “You’re actually better at this than my husband. He doesn’t even like to eat pussy. I think he’s gay. But then again, if you’re a woman, and I’m a woman… regardless of what tools you were born with, I guess that makes me a little gay, too, doesn’t it?”

Vixy nodded, chuckling in agreement, and pushed her tongue between her boss’s folds. Her nose pushed into the wolf’s clit and wiggled back and forth.

“I guess being gay is okay,” she said, relaxing a little in her seat. “If you can be a woman, then why not? I’ll be your homo. Especially with the way you seem to enjoy this!” The wolf let out a little moan, starting to get into the sensations a little more. “Hurry up, I need to pee.”

To that, Vixy cringed a moment, but then kept going. A bright blush formed on her face and she slowly pulled back, and opened her mouth wide against Melissa’s slit.

“Oh?” Melissa asked. “Going for employee of the month, too? Exciting…” Without asking permission, the wolf let out a sigh of relief, and began to urinate into the fox girl’s mouth. Her dutiful employee made a tight seal with her lips, and drank down the rancid piss in gulps. There wasn’t much, and when it was done, Melissa moaned again, and reached down to stroke Vixy’s head. “Good girl…”

Vixy, embarrassed but determined, went right back to eating her boss out, this time focusing more on the clitoris, using her tongue to push and prod and roll around it, eliciting more excited little moans from the wolf.

As the clock was ticking down to the last few minutes, Melissa suddenly gripped Vixy’s head tightly, and pushed her into her. It made it hard for the fox to keep focus where it needed to be, but with a little resistance, she was able to move her head and her tongue back into place just in time. The wolf’s body shuddered and she let out a louder moan as she came against the fox’s mouth. “Oh fuck,” she said. “Fuck. Now I have to… ahhh… yes, get your fucking raise you stupid hngg… stupid slut.”

Vixy stayed put as long as she was held down, happy to have succeeded in her goal for the day. Once released, she pulled back and breathed heavily along with Melissa. “$6.20?” Vixy asked her as she panted, begging for more.

“$6,” Melissa said, straightening up a little. “But $100 bonus next paycheck for being a urinal.”

Blushing again, Vixy wiped off her face, and stood up. “Thank you,” she said, giving a shy nod before heading back out of the office.

The other employee looked at her and chuckled a little. “So… you drinking everyone’s piss or just the boss’s?”

“Fuck you,” Vixy said. The interaction was immediately cut short with another ping from Vixy’s phone. She checked it and saw a response from Belladonna. It said tonight, 11PM sharp. “Oh shit, I scored an interview,” she said, just under her breath.

Unfortunately, it was just loud enough for her coworker to hear. “An interview?” he asked. “Didn’t you just down Melissa’s piss for a raise?”

Vixy looked up at him, eyes narrowing. “Shut it, Todd,” she told him.

Todd waved her off, and went back to work. Vixy looked at the door, fearful that Melissa may have heard what was just said, and after a short while, determined that she most likely had not. Otherwise, she would have come storming out of the office about it.

As the day went by, the store opened, and customers came and left. A few hours into her shift, Vixy was approached by Melissa. “Hey Vix,” she said to her. She always drew her words out extra long when she was about to ask for something.

“What’s up?” Vixy asked her as she was pouring a drink.

“Sales good?” she asked.

Small talk meant Melissa was about to ask Vixy to do something she probably wouldn’t want to do. “Uh… yeah,” Vixy said. “It’s coffee, it kind of sells itself.”

Melissa reached a hand to Vixy’s chest, and lightly groped at one of her breasts through her work uniform. “Let’s be honest about our sales tactics, at least,” she told her. The store was starting to slow down. “Still trying to get that raise, right?”

Vixy raised an eyebrow at her. “You… already gave it to me,” she told her.

“Oh right, right,” Melissa said. “I mean, I haven’t put in the paperwork yet.”

“Hold on,” Vixy started, furrowing her brow. “That’s what you agreed to. Are you saying you’re not going to give me a raise now?”

“Oh no, not at all. I am one-hundred percent getting your raise put in,” Melissa said. “I was just hoping, in light of giving you a little extra money, if you could do me a teensy little favor.”

Vixy sighed softly. “What is it?” she asked.

“I need you to close today,” she finally relented. “Not… work the whole day, just come back around ten or so and close up shop. I’ve got a hair appointment I forgot about and I really need to get it done.”

Vixy shuddered. She had an interview to walk to and wouldn’t make it in time if she acquiesced. “I’m sorry, boss, but I can’t. I’ve made plans for tonight.”

“I’m not even asking you to work a double,” Melissa said, snapping back at her. “Don’t be ungrateful, Vixy.”

Vixy shook her head, and stood her ground. “I’m sorry, Melissa. I have a prior obligation. Maybe Todd can help out tonight?”

“You and I both know Todd should’ve been fired weeks ago,” Melissa said. “I can’t trust him to clean a spill much less lock the place up.”

“Then call someone else,” Vixy told her. “I can’t make it.”

Melissa groaned, and stood up straight. “I just gave you a raise,” she told her. “Don’t be an asshole. Or else I’ll make you clean the toilets with your tongue.”

Vixy, degraded but oddly emboldened at the prospect of a new job on the horizon, stubbornly defied Melissa’s threat. “Fine,” she said. “And I’ll be happy to… tomorrow, if that’s how you want to punish me for having something important to do.”

“You little bitch,” Melissa said. “Fine. I’ll reschedule my hair appointment. Don’t be surprised if the bathrooms are a little extra messy tomorrow evening.”

Vixy continued working, and Melissa continued staring at her, gnashing her teeth a little in anger. After a few moments of the menacing stare, Vixy sighed again. “I know you’re not going to eat me. I’m your best employee.”

Melissa huffed at that, and stopped snarling. “What’s a fox like you got going on this evening that’s so important, anyways?”

“Uh…” Vixy struggled to come up with an excuse on the spot. “I’m going to the movies with my friends.”

“Oh, I thought you had an interview,” Todd suddenly blurted out as he walked by.

Melissa locked eyes with Vixy, and her snarl returned, far more menacing and serious than before. “A… what?”

Vixy backed away a little. “It’s just an interview,” she said. “I don’t even think I’m gonna get the job, it’s way above my pay grade!”

“Obviously,” Melissa said. “A stupid little cunt like you will never amount to being much more than a whore who sells coffee. You wouldn’t even be alive right now if it weren’t for that silver tongue of yours!” She stepped toward Vixy, and Todd immediately left the kitchen.

Backing into a corner, Vixy felt her heart begin to pound out of her chest. This was going to be very bad. “Melissa, I need more money, you know that,” she said, trying to appeal to reason. “It… it’d be a second job if anything. And I wouldn’t dream of leaving without putting a two weeks in. You know I wouldn’t!”

“Liar!” Melissa shouted. It got the attention of some of the customers. A few of them caught the drift and left immediately. “You’re… gonna leave me? To run this place by myself?”

“Hey, uhh, could I get a—“ a customer had randomly walked up to the counter to ask for something.

“You can go fuck yourself!” Melissa shouted at them, before turning attention back to Vixy. “You really are leaving me. You’re dead fucking meat, bitch!”

Vixy immediately took the cue to try and escape. Melissa lunged at her but missed every initial attempt to grab her, the fox slipping away easily. But then, just as Vixy was about to hop the counter, Melissa grabbed her by the tail and yanked her back down and to the floor. The fox yelped loudly at the pain, and didn’t have time to recover before Melissa grabbed her by her arms and pulled her into the office.

“Please,” Vixy pleaded, backing into the far corner of the room. “I’ll stay and work. I’ll skip the interview.”

“Too late,” Melissa said. “I know you’re ditching me now. Which means you’re no more useful than a well-cooked dinner.” Ding ding! The ringing of a bell outside of the office caught Melissa’s attention. “Todd!” she yelled out, and got no response. “Damn it, Todd!”

Vixy was spared for the moment, as Melissa left the office, and pinned a chair against the door to lock the fox in. She then looked around and shouted once more. “Todd, where the fuck did you go?”

Todd, in the meanwhile, took the sudden aggression as a chance to slip away to the bathroom. By the time he came out, Melissa was helping a line of customers at the counter. “Todd, get your ass over here!”

“What happened to Vixy?” he asked.

Melissa gave him the most confounded look and just shook her head at him. “Vixy’s in my office until this rush clears out. Get back to work!”

Back in the Office, Vixy was pushing the desk in front of the door to barricade herself in. Once she was satisfied, she went back to her corner, crouched down, and got on her phone.

SOS.

SOS.

Cafe. Now. I’m so dead.

She clacked away messages, sending them to Jayce as fast as she could. She got a single response back after a minute: 15 minutes.

…

…

I need a minute. Let me talk a bit, just you and me. These moments don’t happen often. Despite the way things are, all prey species learn very quickly how to navigate in this treacherous world… how to survive. When we get into situations like this, it’s usually because someone else put us there. In this case, my stupid dumb fuck coworker, Todd, who cannot keep his mouth shut.

Todd is a beaver. A bit slow. Some people just get by through shear luck. Some predators just don’t like punching down that far. The under-the-radar approach to life suits some of us well. Drama gets you killed here. Part of me thinks he pulled that shit on purpose, and it’s all part of his own defense strategy.

As long as Melissa has me to be angry about, Todd gets a pass.

I like my strategy better. It’s less lonely. And it’s suited to someone like me who has always been more of an extrovert. Dead simple: make friends.

I’ve known Jayce since high school. He was one year ahead of me, and the first time I met him he could’ve eaten me if he wanted. It was at a party. One where stupid kids play dumb games together. The kind your parents might’ve warned you about.

Ever play spin the bottle? Imagine that, except instead of kissing, predator eats prey.

He spins. It landsd on me, and the game begins. I run. He chases. I make it past a marked finish line first, and I’m free. If not, he eats… if he chooses.

It must’ve been my luck that night. He had me pinned down, mouth hanging open over me. It was terrifying… and erotic. I thought it was over, but then, instead of taking a bite, he flipped me over. He was… mildly surprised at my having the wrong equipment, but worked with it nonetheless. We bonded over that moment. I never liked anal sex all that much, but with him… it was special, somehow.

Jayce and I have been good friends ever since. And he’s protected me… as much as he can. And he never once forced himself on me after that night, no coercion or otherwise. Love between predator and prey isn’t illegal or anything, but it’s definitely considered fringe or taboo by many. I don’t know if what we have is love, but… if it isn’t, it’s the closest thing I’ve ever felt to it.

Fifteen minutes was going to be more than enough time. Melissa can be scary, but she’d have to be outright stupid to challenge an apex predator like Jayce. This wasn’t the only time he saved my ass. But thankfully, it wasn’t often. If I was going to let anyone adopt me, it’d be him. But he… never asked. Never even brought it up. I guess it’s as informal as an adoption could be considered, but I feel like without it being said explicitly, it’s not official.

Another thing I’ve never quite shaken since my first encounter with Jayce is… a bit embarrassing, but it was going to come up sooner or later. The feeling of being trapped and cornered by a hungry and vicious predator, the thrill of the chase before it, those… teeth, jaws… over my head. I’ve never shaken the image.

Other prey have whispered of this condition before. Not everyone gets it, but I think it’s more common than we like to admit. The threat… the reality of it… affects us sometimes in ways that you might find most peculiar.

As I sit here in this corner, watching the door, counting down the minutes before Jayce should be here, it gets me. I clench my thighs together, and feel my erection forming. The thought of Melissa angrily pinning me down, and giving me one last good fuck while she snaps her jaws into my arm, my shoulder, my neck… I can’t escape it.

I can’t help it. I really can’t. My pants come unzipped, and my hands reach into them to play with it, squeezing and stroking, slowly at first, but building up quickly. I could cum in 15 minutes if I wanted to, but… you know what’d be better?

I’m going to edge myself… either I get to have the orgasm of a lifetime while Melissa devours me, or get pretty close to it with Jayce after he saves me. Either way, I’m going to cum in a little bit, and I’m going to enjoy it no matter how this moment ends.

My cock always feels so soft and warm. And my hands always feel so cold on it. I like that, though. The cold against the warmth of my genitals. The moment takes me, and I’m able to stop being afraid for now, losing focus on the imminent threat just beyond the barricaded door.

I love the feeling of being so close like this. Close to the edge of pleasure… close to the edge of death itself.

Then, after I’ve lost track of time, I hear a knock on the door.

…

…

“Vixy!” Jayce calls from the other side. “I’m here for you.”

Outside the door, Melissa was pouting and snarling at the shark that had suddenly invaded her cafe. “You think you’re hot shit, shark boy?”

“Shut up and go make me some coffee or something you stupid middling predator,” Jayce said, throwing insults onto her.

“Middling—you son of a!”

Melissa’s sentence was interrupted as Vixy opened the door, having un-barricaded it from inside. She immediately lunged towards Jayce and clung to him, arms wrapped around shoulder and face buried into his chest, tears streaming down her cheek.

“You’re okay, girl,” Jayce said, holding her against him and rubbing her back. “I got you.” He lifted her up with her other hand and balanced her against his body, carrying her out of the kitchen area.

Vixy lifted her head for a moment to look back at Melissa and flipped her off. “I fucking quit!”

All Melissa could do was glare, and snarl.

Once Jayce carried Vixy outside, he set her down, and climbed onto a motorcycle he had parked. Once he was on, Vixy climbed on behind him, and held on tight while he revved the engine and drove out of the parking lot.

They stopped a few blocks away, in an alley with no one there, and Vixy hopped off the bike. She wiped some tears from her face and took a deep breath. “Thanks,” she told him. “I owe you… again.”

Jayce shook his head. “Nah, you owe me enough as it is.”

“Yeah, about that…” Vixy started. “I got this interview tonight.”

“Is that what made boss lady so angry?” Jayce asked her.

“Yep,” Vixy said. “The pay’s a lot better. If I land it, I’ll be able to pay you back properly. If not…”

“Then you’re out of a job,” Jayce said. “Don’t sweat it. I know you’ve got enough bullshit on your plate as it is.”

“The rent’s due tomorrow,” Vixy said. “I can go maybe… one month?”

Jayce shook his head. “I got you,” he said. “For the hundredth time, I’m gonna help. My place has room for you to crash as long as you need to.”

“Thanks,” Vixy said, nodding to him at the gesture. “I’ll pay you back for real, I just… it’s gonna take a while, probably.”

“No it aint,” Jayce told her. He stopped his motorcycle and got off of it, walking towards her. “Cause you got that interview. And you’re gonna nail it, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know,” Vixy said. “The pay’s probably real nice, but the job… it’s hard. Real hard.”

“What is it?” Jayce asked her.

“Bounty hunting… no limits meal delivery service,” Vixy told him. “Ever heard of Exotic Meals Inc?”

Jayce nodded slowly. “In passing. It’s the only catering service that offers apex predator meat. Kinda scares me if I’m being honest.”

“Never thought you might end up on the menu before?” Vixy asked, smirking at him and winking.

Jayce shrugged. “Can’t say it crosses my mind often. But hey, I believe in you. You were the fastest person in our school. I’m sure your agility will come in real handy at a place like that.”

“You always said it was prey skills,” Vixy said.

Jayce snickered and nodded. “Sometimes prey skills can come in handy. After all, they’re serving up shark these days, I hear.”

“Why do you always have such confidence in me?” Vixy asked.

Jayce smirked at her. “I knew exactly what kind of person you were gonna be the first time I saw you.”

“I never lost a foot race before then,” Vixy said.

“I see that same look in your eyes as I did back then,” Jayce told her, slinking closer, flirting a little.

“Fear?” She asked him.

“Excitement,” Jayce told her. He grabbed her by the wrist, and linked one hand to the other before holding her arms up over her head. “I’ve seen a lot of emotions run through a prey’s eyes before I snap. Fear. Hysteria. Acceptance… all so common. But you… you anticipate. You’re not afraid, you’re anxious. You almost looked like you wanted to be eaten. Did you?”

Vixy stared blankly, refusing to answer or even give a nod or shake for him. “I don’t know,” she said. “You tell me.”

Jayce pulled at her, and turned her around, facing her head to a wall. She could see her reflection in a window, and her blush grew before her eyes as she felt him slipping down her pants. She was already hard for him, and he grabbed hold of her with his other hand while slowly guiding one of his two cocks to her butt.

“The exact same as right now,” Jayce whispered. He opened his mouth wide, and let his teeth make gentle contact with the skin of her neck and shoulder. Vixy smiled at it, and began panting. “You’d ask me to eat you,” he said after pulling back, and simultaneously thrusting his cock into her. “You’re practically begging for it. But too afraid to say the words.”

“Maybe,” Vixy said.

“And when you finally do,” Jayce said. “I’ll be ready for it.” He pulled back and thrusted into her again. The hand around her wrists let go, and dropped down to her hips to guide their motions.

“Fuck me,” Vixy said, squeezing her hips and tightening her tailhole around Jayce’s one cock as it slid in and out. She could feel the other grinding against her balls while his hand stroked her slowly. “You know… when you do this is practically the only time I wish I had a pussy.”

“It’d be hot,” Jayce told her. “But I’d miss this thing, if I’m being honest.” He squeezed harder around her cock, and began to massage its tip, forcing her to moan. She couldn’t hold back, and without much more effort, her dick squeezed out a couple small, clear shots of cum for him to play with. Her moans turned to whines and whimpers as he continued toying with her post-orgasm.

Once he had fun torturing her, he moved both hands to her hips, and pounded her ass harder and harder, and a few thrusts later, he was shooting his own, much thicker load into her. Vixy moaned again, feeling all that warm, sticky fluid coat her insides, and slowly, they pulled off of each other. When she looked down, she saw the rest of his shot on the wall from his other cock.

With a little chuckle, he pulled out of her, and pushed her down slowly to her knees. “We can’t go leaving messes like this everywhere. Clean it up for me.”

Without hesitation, Vixy pushed her head forward, and began locking the shark’s cum off of the smooth stone of the building.

…

…

You know what? I love you, Jayce. I just can’t say it.

Vixy hopped off the bike and Jayce gave her a kiss. “Good luck,” he said to her after their lips parted. “Not that you’ll need it.”

Vixy smiled and kissed him again. “Thanks,” she said. “Pick me up after?”

“Sure,” Jayce said. He put his helmet back on, and revved up the bike engine before speeding off without another word.

Vixy turned and headed for the double doors of the building. Almost immediately, she was greeted by a security guard. “Hold out your arms,” he said as he brought a wand over to wave her down. Vixy complied and took the quick scan. The guard fished into her pockets, pulling out her keys, cell phone, and other items to set them in a tray at the side.

“Do you have any weapons?” he asked her.

“No,” she said. He motioned for her to put her arms down and she did. The tray of her personal items went through an x-ray machine and Vixy was instructed to walk through a body scanner.

“What brings you in today?” he asked.

“I have an interview?” she asked him, starting to wonder if she was in the right place. “With Belladonna.”

The guard, a hog, pointed her towards a set of elevators in the back of the lobby. “Third floor,” he said. “Room 319, end of the hall.”

“Thanks,” she said before collecting her items and pocketing them once again. Then, she headed to the elevator and rode it up.

After she arrived at room 319, she knocked at the open door and looked inside. “Hello,” she said aloud, “I’m here for an interview.”

“Vixy?” she heard from another room inside. “Come in. I’m back here.”

When Vixy entered the other room, she was greeted by a red-haired shark woman wearing a leather jacket over a white collar shirt. “Hello, are you…”

“Belladonna,” she introduced herself, reaching a hand out to shake Vixy’s. “Nice to meet you. Take a seat.”

After shaking hands, Vixy took a seat on a sofa. Belladonna sat down on a desk chair behind her large oak desk. The room was dim-lit, with teal and blue lighting coming from crevices in the ceiling and floor. Behind her was a large water tank, although it looked expansive on the other side, like it may have been a window looking into a pool.

“Vixy,” she told her as she sat. “Umm… nice office.”

“I like to make my workplace relaxing,” Belladonna said. “Some homely comforts and lighting suits my line of work. So, welcome to my humble abode. What makes you interested in our company?”

“Uhh… well,” Vixy stammered struggling to find an answer that wasn’t about money. “I need a change of pace. New… opportunity. To grow.”

Belladonna grimaced at the answer, and leaned forward a little. “No, no no,” she said to Vixy. “I’m going to start over, and give you another chance to answer that. Why… do you want to work here? This interview will go much better if you just answer honestly.”

Vixy sighed, and nodded. “I’m in a lot of debt. I hate my job, it doesn’t pay enough. I need to get into a career that will actually sustain me so I don’t have to be so dependent on my friends.”

Belladonna smiled and nodded. “Much better,” she said. “Wasn’t that a lot easier?” Vixy nodded, unsure if it was the right answer. “What do you hate about your job most?”

“My boss,” Vixy said, glancing away. Deep down, she was ashamed at the performance she put on for Melissa that morning, and before. “I barely get paid anything, and I have to do things… I don’t like doing to her in order to get a twenty cent raise. And if I don’t do what she wants, she threatens to eat me. Almost did, today when she found out about the interview. I actually had to quit.”

“Gave her your two weeks?” Belladonna asked.

“Hell no,” Vixy said. “My friend Jayce had to rescue me. I would have been toast without him showing up.”

“So one could say you’re familiar with a hostile work environment,” Belladonna clarified.

“Yep,” Vixy said. “I’d say so.”

“And that you’re committed to doing whatever it takes to keep yourself alive,” she then said. “Financially stable… and maintain good social connections.”

Vixy perked up. Belladonna had no trouble at all spinning her words into positives for her interview. “Uhh… yeah,” she said. “Yeah, that’s true.”

“I’m not going to lie,” she told the fox. “You’re going to get a lot of the same, here. Not just from me, but from your new team. The newbie always plays the part of the office bitch. That’s just how it goes.”

“Uh… okay,” Vixy said. “I think I can do that.”

“Good,” Belladonna said. “That being said, unlike your previous boss, it won’t be so one-sided, as I imagine it was at your old job. Everyone’s performance in this department is essential. If one of us fails, we don’t get paid. And when we all succeed, we all win and big. Sometimes we’ll take from you, but we’ll also give. We’re practically a polycule in this office.”

“That sounds… interesting,” Vixy said. “How big is the team?”

“If we take you on,” Belladonna said. “We’ll be six strong, including me. There’s a total of nineteen teams in special deliveries. We get our own room, with our own quarters, and we compete directly with other teams. Bonuses go out to the highest performers each month, and a mega bonus for the top performers of the year. But the work we do is extremely difficult. It’s intense, and it’s dangerous.”

“Could you elaborate?” Vixy asked.

“We hunt people,” she said. “A client submits a request. Sales does the research and determines a cost estimate. Our teams bid on the job, and the client chooses which team gets the position. Then, we fetch the target, and deliver to the client in accordance to their wishes. Most of our clients are in it for revenge. Sometimes for other petty desires. Sometimes we deliver prey alive and they don’t even want them dead, just humiliated. In any case, our targets are often brought to us for a reason: they’re extremely difficult to capture for one reason or another. Either that or the client simply doesn’t have the social status to allow them to take the task themselves.”

“Are we serving… prey animals?” Vixy asked.

“I like that you’re already using ‘we,” Belladonna said. “But yes, sometimes we do. It’s illegal for a prey to kill a predator for revenge. But technically, there’s no law against paying another predator to hunt them down for ‘food.’ Our business operates in a legal gray area. The one important things our clients have in common is money. Some of them are wealthy, and might even be repeat customers. Others shell out their entire life savings for one moment of perfect satisfaction. Our targets are often apex predators, and that’s where the danger comes in.”

“I saw you guys selling shark fin and alligator tails, among other things,” Vixy said. “Not easy to get.”

“Not illegal, either. Just very difficult. Which is why we fetch a premium.” Belladonna pulled a sheet of paper, some type of guide for her to read off of. “Let’s move on, though. Are you willing to relocate?”

“I don’t live far from here,” Vixy said.

Belladonna shook her head. “It’s a requirement,” she said. “All members of staff are required to take up residence on property. Both for safety and efficiency. We take a reduced rent and utility payment out of your paychecks when they come in.”

“Oh,” Vixy said. “Well, uh… yeah. I can barely afford, actually can’t afford now, the place I’m already in. I was probably going to be kicked out soon anyways. Sure, I’ll move in if I get the spot.”

“Excellent,” Belladonna said. “Next question. How many prey have you hunted down by yourself?”

“A few,” Vixy said. “Most recently was a bunny I met at a club. Her name was Veronica and I just finished her last night.”

“How did it go?” she asked. “Tell me your process.”

“Well,” Vixy said…

…

…

It was a little over a week ago. I was hanging out with Jayce and Samantha, another friend of mine, a snow leopard, at a club called the Raven Raver. It’s popular among alternative communities and you find a lot of kinky and queer folks there. It’s a known hunting ground for some like myself, who like to court and seduce their prey. Prey animals feel a little more comfortable around predators as a result, because they just need their wits to avoid becoming a meal.

Veronica was wearing a leather corset and a tight, A-line skirt. I first saw her at the bar, laughing with her friends and drinking a shot with them. I lusted… and hungered for her almost immediately. The way she kept her ears pinned back made her look so cute, and so harmless. I licked my teeth that first time I saw her but then quickly looked away to avoid attracting attention.

“Oh, someone’s hungry,” Samantha said as she danced on me, grinding against me hip. “Who you chasing?”

“Bunny,” I told her, turning to dance back against her. “At the bar, ears pinned, friend group.”

Samantha took a quick glance. “Oh Vixy,” she said. “Come on, that’s too much effort. You’ll spend all night just trying to get her alone, and she’ll be onto you long before that.”

“Can you help?” I asked my friend. “A distraction for her friends, and maybe take one for yourself?”

Samantha looked over at the group, and thought for a moment. “The deer looks cute,” she said. “But definitely gay.”

I laughed a little, remembering a saying we had in high school. “All prey are bisexual,” I told her.

“True,” she said. “But Jayce might be more into him. What about pool?”

“Pool is so obvious,” I said. “Hey, let’s play a game. Hey, wanna make some cash? Let’s up the stakes. No one falls for that anymore.”

“But it’s so much fun, and the tension is just… mmm,” Samantha went on. “But you’re right. Gotta up the game every once in a while. I got an idea. Let’s go chill with them. I’ll offer a weed pen, and the security will tell us to put it away and then we’ll get a few of them outside.”

“What if they all come outside?” I asked.

“She’s not going out with that outfit,” Samantha said. “It’s like 30 degrees out right now and she just got here.”

“I got you,” I told her. “If she goes outside, I’ll see about getting her friends distracted in here, and she’ll be easier to separate once she comes back in.”

“Yep,” Samantha said. “It’s showtime.”

Samantha did her thing, sauntering over to the group while I stayed on the dance floor, just glancing over here and there to see where the action went. After security told them to put away the drugs, Samantha dragged a handful of them outside, but my bunny, my Veronica, stayed inside with just one other friend of hers.

I walked up to them, and once I was close enough to have her attention, I gave Veronica a wink and swiped her next shot glass. I made my way back into the dance floor and soon after, she followed.

When we locked eyes, I took the drink in my mouth, and waved her over. A little hesitant at first, Veronica leaned in and I gave her her drink back with a kiss. I held her there, tasting her tongue, her lips, and feeling her backside.

“Hey,” she said, looking up at me. I must’ve done something to tip her off, because she shook a little, afraid. “I… should go back to my friends.”

I chuckled a little at her, and let go of her. “Alright, if you want to,” I said.

The sudden surrender of the hunt threw her off her guard. Maybe she misinterpreted my signals after all. Maybe I was just looking for some fun and not food. Whatever was going on in her head, she decided to take a risk, and stayed on the dance floor with me.

And we danced. It was fun. It was sensual. I touched her, used my claws to leave gentle scratches. Made her feel like she was something I wouldn’t let go of while respecting her wishes when made explicit. More drinks, for both of us, and we wound up sloppy, laughing, collapsed on a couch at the edge of the club.

“So next is the part where you ask if I wanna go back to your place,” Veronica told me. “Right?”

“If you want,” I said. “I was just going to offer to walk you home, though.”

Veronica nodded. “That’s fine, then,” she said. “Just a walk.”

“Just a walk,” I told her. I lied. Once I had her alone in the dark and cold, late at night, she was mine.

Fast forward a little and I’m walking home with her, as promised. We’re both giggling and laughing, making crude jokes and flirting back and forth when we arrived at her building. She stopped there, her hands in mine, and looked at me.

“So… I guess,” she began. “This is goodbye for tonight.”

“I guess it is,” I said to her, but looked disappointed, and didn’t let go of her hands just yet. “I have your number. I can call you.”

Veronica pulled me closer, and embraced me.

“If you want, I mean,” I added. Now was the time to start playing my cards. I liked a hard sell. If she wasn’t going to take me inside with her then and there, then maybe I wasn’t so interested. That’s the message I wanted to send.

“I do,” Veronica said, with hesitation. “I can call you?”

I let go of her hands and offered a simple shrug. “If you want, sure.” Without lingering, I turned to leave and said, “Goodnight, Veronica.”

“You can call me Vera,” she said. I stopped in my tracks and smiled. I felt I had her. “Or Ver, or V. My friends mix and match.”

I turned around. “What if I just called you Bunny?”

Veronica blushed a little. “Sure,” she said.

“Goodnight, Bunny,” I said, turning away again.

“Hey Vix… Foxy,” she said to me as I began to walk. I turned back around. “Wanna come in?”

“Are you sure?” I asked her. “You just… don’t seem like you’re ready for that.”

Veronica opened the building door, and held it. “Come on,” she said. “It’ll be fun.”

Perfect. Now she was trying to sell herself, and all I had to do was play the part of the buyer. I followed her in and up to her room. Once the door was shut, we sat and cuddled on the couch. Now I had her.

I let my claws wander her flesh, and started peeling off her clothes. She was eager to shed them by that point, and I got a little more aggressive. I could feel her heart racing as I pressed my muzzle into her chest and sniffed her.

“Umm, Vixy,” she said.

“No more Foxy?” I asked.

“Foxy,” she then said. “Do you… want to fuck me?”

I smirked and kissed at her neck. “Yes,” I told her. “But never mind that. What do you want? How do you want this night to go?”

“I want you to enjoy yourself,” she told me. By this point, the vibes were clear. She knew I wasn’t after sex. “You can do whatever you want to me.”

“I just might,” I told her. “But I refuse to take something for nothing. Don’t be shy, bunny. Tell me your fantasies. Tell me what you want me to do, right now.”

“I have rope,” she told me, whispering now. “Do you know how to use it?” I nodded. “I want to be tied up, so I can’t move. And I want your hands to touch me, feel me all over. I want to be taken like that.”

“Go fetch,” I told her, and let her up to go bring me her rope. She did, bringing me a bag of the stuff, and I began tying her. I took my time, for her sake. I made sure every knot and every binding was comfortable for her. I let my hands explore, like she asked me to. I stroked her ears, squeezed her breasts, fingered her all throughout.

Once she was properly immobilized by my well-designed rope, I carried her off into her own bed and laid her down. “Is this how you wanted it?”

She gasped, and nodded. “Yes,” she said. “Fuck me like this. Breed me like a little rabbit slut.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I told her. Then, I laid behind her, spooning her, and pushed my cock deep into her pussy. She moaned loudly, breaking her previously quiet streak, and then pulled back.

“Slowly,” she said. “Gently…”

I nodded. “Okay,” I said, whispering into her ear. Her velvety nether flesh was covered in a thin layer of soft fur, which I was able to feel every time I thrusted in and out. I took it slow, as requested, pushing my hips methodically back and forth.

Her insides squeezed my shaft comfortably, warm and wet all around. She requested a breeding, so no condom was worn. I was going in bareback. It wasn’t like either of us would have to deal with a litter or anything. If she didn’t know it yet, I already did, anyways.

She seemed to savor every movement, every feeling, and pushed back against me as I thrusted in. “You know what I want, right?” I asked her.

She nodded slowly. “You can keep me,” she said. “Adopt me… I’m all yours.”

I smiled, and kissed her cheek, but whispered into her ear, “No.” That word made her pussy clench tightly around me, and her body shuddered. “But keep begging. It’s sexy.”

“What do you like?” she asked, her breathing growing more tense. “You can keep me in a cage, or tied to your bed. I’ll never wear clothes again if you don’t want me to.”

“I do like a good humiliating punishment,” I told her. “I’d walk you around, nude, on a leash wherever such a thing were allowed. I’d tie you to a park bench and leave you there for anyone to fuck.”

She shuddered again. “That’s so hot,” she lied. “You’d make me fuck strangers? Who else? Your friends?”

“I fuck my own friends,” I told her. “But your friends… there’s something particularly exciting about making someone a toy for their own friends… family.”

“My dad’s dead,” she said.

“What a shame,” I said. “Brothers and sisters?”

“You’d make me an incest breeding slave?” she asked.

“It’d be fun,” I said. “And make you drink out of a water bowl. I’d pee in it.”

“Ew,” she said, flinching a little. After the cringe, she nodded. “I’ll drink whatever you tell me to.”

“I love it when prey get so desperate negotiating for their lives,” I said to her. “Your turn. Tell me what depraved, indecent acts you’d commit for me to live. If I like what you’re saying, I’ll fuck you faster. If not… I’m taking a bite.”

…

…

Vixy’s recounting of the events had her lost in thought. Belladonna interrupted the telling though, getting the interview back on track. “You like to play with your food,” she said. “You get a thrill from it. So do I.”

The fox nodded. “Yeah,” she said. “It’s… fun.”

The shark nodded back. “It is,” she said. “But moving on. You put in your application that you were the fastest runner in your high school. You still that fast?”

“Yep, pretty much,” Vixy said.

“And you never bothered competing at a higher level?”

“No,” Vixy told her. “I never really… cared for that. Back in school we played a game. Predators would chase prey and if they crossed the finish line, they were free. I didn’t lose that one very often.”

“If you were the fastest person in your school, you shouldn’t have ever lost it.”

“If the races were all a straight line, it wouldn’t even be a contest,” Vixy elaborated. “I only lost twice, anyways. First time I was a freshman and I wasn’t the fastest yet. It was a shark. He pinned me down and instead of eating me he just teased me, and fucked me. We’ve been best friends ever since.”

“What do you think about sharks?” she asked her. “Honesty, please.”

“I think… sharks are incredibly sexy,” Vixy said. “Most of the time. There’s just… well, ever since Jayce was holding his mouth opened over me that time, I’ve always… had a thing. The sharp teeth, the hungry smell…”

“Oh?” Belladonna asked. She stood up, and walked over to the fox. “Mind if I… see it for myself?”

Vixy was already nervous at her approach, but nodded to her. The shark leaned over her, opened her mouth slowly, and inched closer and closer to her face. Her hot breath spilled out and drool dripping down onto Vixy’s cheek. The image stunned her. She sat there, panting hotly, and clenching her thighs.

Belladonna pulled back. “Oh, you are too precious. I’ve always wondered if vorephilia was more common among prey, just well hidden. You don’t hide it well at all.”

Vixy shook her head, snapping back to attention. “I uhh… I mean, why should I? It turns me on, I admit. And if it’s something I enjoy, why do I have to hide it?”

“You don’t,” Belladonna said. “Not with me, not with this team, not ever. In fact, it’s my policy as team leader: no secrets allowed. No secret motives. No secret desires. No secret pasts. Everything on the table. Always. It’s how we can trust each other without fail. Are you comfortable sharing everything about yourself with us?”

Vixy nodded. “Yes,” she said. “I am.”

“Good,” Belladonna said. “Then tell me one of your other kinks. An embarrassing one.”

Vixy blushed and glanced away. It took her a moment to work up the courage, but she slowly opened up. “I… like it when I am forced to drink someone’s pee.”

Belladonna bit back a chuckle at that, and then took a deep breath to regain her composure. “Good,” she said. “I think the team could use a urinal like you.”

Vixy’s blush brightened dramatically, and she buried herself in her hands and knees, curling up into a ball. “Oh god, what did I just say…”

“My turn,” Belladonna said. “I got a thing for being raped.”

“Huh?” Vixy looked at her.

“To be taken, by force, without being asked, coerced or anything,” she told her. “A strong predator or even a weak one with a proper drug to use on me. No negotiation, this isn’t a CNC deal. I fantasize regularly about being raped. I even put sensitive information about my location and all into a seedy website where like-minded individuals can browse for victims. It happened once, and I fucking loved it. It takes a lot to overpower me, and when I can experience it, it’s the best.”

“I would not have guessed it looking at you,” Vixy responded. Her embarrassment was winding down, and she sat up again. “What’s the website?”

“What are you interested?” she asked.

“Uh… I don’t know, maybe,” Vixy said. “Interested enough to at least poke around.”

“I’ll tell you later,” Belladonna said. “Next question. Have you ever worked on a commission basis?”

“Nope,” Vixy said plainly.

“How much money do you have saved in your bank account?” she asked.

“Uhh…” Vixy stumbled on that question. She pulled her phone out and opened it up. “Oh shit, sorry, no service in here.”

“Nope,” Belladonna said. “The whole building is a Faraday cage. Until I give you credentials, you won’t be online at all while inside.”

“Why’s this place locked down so tightly?” Vixy asked.

“Killing apex predators for a living doesn’t exactly win many friends,” she told her. “We have to keep the friends and family members of our targets off premises, by force if necessary. This is one of the most secure buildings in the city, right after the banks and the mayor’s office.”

“I have cell service in the banks,” Vixy said. “Anyways, it’s like… about Four thousand? Little less?”

“You’re going to need to get really savvy about tracking your finances at this job,” she explained. “Our jobs pay a lot, but we only win one contract every couple weeks on average. If we have a dead season, or we’re missing team members, you could be going months without a paycheck. If you work here, I’m going to demand that you sign up for a financial literacy course. It’ll be paid for by the company. One of the perks of working here.”

“What are the perks?” Vixy asked.

“Medical, dental, vision, housing, physical therapy, life insurance, disability and AD&D, on site housing, monthly and annual bonuses, training programs and college enrollment assistance, and a chance to hunt and possibly kill predators far above your class.”

“Is there anyone off limits?” Vixy asked her next.

“Political figures,” Belladonna told her. “Bankers. Insurers. Federal Law Enforcement. Foreign dignitaries.”

Vixy pondered for a moment. “I notice your own employees are not on the list of forbidden targets…”

Belladonna nodded. “They are not. But such a contract has never been drawn.”

“How long have you been up and running?”

“We’re going into year six.”

“Nice,” Vixy said. “Stable, then?”

“Mostly,” Belladonna told her. “Employees are not threatened if they submit a two-weeks notice. And failure on the job tends to pay for itself.”

“How do you mean?”

“Well,” Belladonna said. “If you’re failing to perform and causing the team to miss targets, no one gets paid. And that’s going to make the team very angry. Me included. Laziness, failure, incompetence… we punish these severely. Physically. Have you taken a beating before?”

“Uh… a bit,” Vixy said.

“You don’t look it,” Belladonna said. “You don’t have any facial scars. Your body doesn’t show the signs of serious damage. I mean really beaten. So badly you could’ve died.”

“No,” Vixy said. “I’ve had close calls but gotten away.”

“We employ serious corporal punishment on this team,” Belladonna said. “If that’s not something you can handle, you should leave now.”

Vixy shook her head. “Whatever it is, I can handle it.”

Belladonna smiled at her, and stood up from her chair. “Strip.”

“Huh?” Vixy asked. She was almost caught off-guard by the seriousness and the demeanor of the interview thus far. Past hiring managers have had her submit herself to sexual acts before but this didn’t seem like that.

“I want to see your naked body,” Belladonna told her. “Not only because I want to inspect you for any tattoos, gang symbols, disabilities and scars, but because you’re kinda hot and I just wanna.”

Vixy nodded slowly, and began stripping out of her clothes. She took her shirt off first, and then her bra, before moving onto her pants, shoes, socks, and her panties. It wasn’t a dance or a performance, just a simple strip down. Once she was naked, she folded her clothes and set them down on her seat, and stood before the shark nervously.

Belladonna watched the whole time, circling her as a shark would. Her eyes scanned up and down the fur and flesh of the girl in front of her. Vixy’s body was free of any marks, artificial or otherwise. Then came physical touch. The shark reached out, squeezing the fox’s breasts, her sides, hips, thighs, calves, feeling her out for muscle mass as well as for her own enjoyment.

“Before I hire you,” Belladonna said. “You’ll need to undergo a couple physical tests.”

Vixy sighed and nodded. “Okay.”

“Not sex,” Belladonna informed her. “Endurance. And tolerance. I’m going to hit you. Repeatedly, with a weapon. You can cry. You can collapse. You can squirm. But no running, no fighting back, no resistance, no tapping out, and if you lose consciousness, you fail. Understood?”

Vixy grew far more nervous at that prospect. Sucking someone off for a job was not unusual, but this… she was not prepared for this. “Is there any kind of… guarantee here?”

“I’ve already decided to hire you,” Belladonna. “But that will change if you fail these tests. If you’re unsure or too afraid to even try, then it’s time to go. We won’t be proceeding.”

“Everyone who works here did this?” she then asked.

“Everyone who works for my team,” she answered. “Are you ready, or do you want out?”

Vixy thought for a moment. An actual beat-in was insane and not something she anticipated in the slightest. But… the job sounded great, and she needed it now more than ever. She wanted to follow through, but she was scared. Slowly, she nodded her head, and muttered, “Yes.”

“Not like that,” Belladonna told her. “Louder. Prouder. Stand up straight. Say it with purpose.”

Vixy took a breath, stood up straight and looked Belladonna dead in the eye. She nodded again and said, “Yes, I’m ready.”

Belladonna went back behind her desk, and pulled out a metal rod. It was at least three-quarters of an inch thick and had numerous marks and scratches on it. It was used for this before. The shark caught Vixy’s chin in her hand, and looked at her. “Good.”

Then, she took the rod, wound up, and swung it full force at Vixy’s abdomen. Vixy jumped, and yelped, anticipating the oncoming pain. Her eyes were clenched and she stood there, frightful, but when the pain didn’t come, she opened her eyes slowly and looked back at the shark, confused.

Belladonna was already putting the rod away. “Good,” she said. “You passed.”

Vixy let out a huge sigh of relief, and nearly collapsed on the couch. “Fuck,” she said. “I thought you were gonna do it.”

“And that’s the point,” the shark said. “I needed to see how determined you were, and how you would respond to the threat. That’ll be important to me. You can follow orders. You can stand there through the fear. Now, we need to test your endurance.”

“How do we test that?” Vixy asked, starting to reach for her clothes.

“Oh, no,” Belladonna told her. “You won’t be needing those. Follow me.”

The shark led her out of the office and up a set of stairs to the next floor. There, the full size of the water tanks was revealed. And it was much larger than Vixy thought. It was, in fact, a full-sized pool, and it was cold up here.

“That water is thirty-six-degrees Fahrenheit, and believe it or not, it’s heated.” Belladonna paced slowly around the pool. “The air in here is kept a nice and brisk twenty-six degrees, below freezing. When you get out of the water, it will begin freezing to your fur and flesh in an instant. It will hurt. But I won’t let you freeze to death. Five laps in the water. Two laps around. Repeat once. I’m timing you. If you fail to complete this course in fifteen minutes, I’m bailing you out, and you fail.”

Vixy was dreading the water, staring at it like a deer in the headlights. “This is for real?”

Belladonna already had a stopwatch out and ready. She smiled at her, and nodded. “Three… two… one… go!”

Vixy leapt into action, diving into the nearly freezing water and swimming and kicking as hard as she could. Every stroke, every kick off the opposite edge was agony as her body screamed in freezing torment. She panted at every moment she got above the surface, and swore she’d pass out before even getting out of the water.

When she finally completed her laps, she climbed out of the water onto the stone surface of the floor, making everything extra painful and cold to the touch.

“Twelve minutes, Vixy,” Belladonna shouted. “The first laps are the easiest… the second ones take twice as long. You won’t make it at this rate!”

“But the floor is slippery!” Vikxy protested, afraid to take off running.

“You’re willing to chase down a t-rex but afraid of slipping on the floor?”

Vixy groaned, and started to run. She instantly slipped and fell, catching herself on her arms and screaming.

“You thought you were getting out of the beating, didn’t you!” Belladonna shouted. “Get up, clock’s ticking!”

Vixy cried in pain and got herself up. She started running, this time being more careful about how she planted her feet. It slowed her down. Everything in here was designed to slow her down.

“I can finish this course with an eighty pound backpack, keep moving!”

Vixy rounded her second lap, and jumped right back into the water. Her body was stiff and freezing, and she couldn’t feel her own skin at this point, which made it easier in some ways. Her muscles though were incredibly sore. She could practically feel them tearing.

“Seven minutes left, Vixy! Move!”

Two laps in and Vixy felt the slowdown get worse. She stopped at one end of the pool to try and breathe, but her breathing was so shallow it didn’t even help.

“Don’t stop now!”

After the moment’s hesitation and another pained moan, Vixy kicked off the end, and kept swimming. Each lap got worse and worse, and when it got time to get back out of the pool, she struggled like never before. The fox was literally crying through the pain as she hoisted herself out of the water.

“Two laps, two minutes! You can do this!”

After straightening herself up, she started to take a step, but felt herself getting sick as she panted for air.

“Don’t stop! Go! Go! Go!”

With a defiant cry of pain, Vixy pushed herself, moving her feet, barely able to feel the ground beneath her, barely able to keep her eyes opened. She very nearly walked her first lap.

“Forty-five seconds! Come on!”

Vixy picked up the pace for the last lap, and when she finally crossed the finish line, she collapsed and cried out.

“Two seconds to spare, Vixy,” Belladonna told her. Then, she put the pocket watch away and hoisted Vixy up by an arm. “Let’s get you warmed up.”

The shark pulled Vixy fully up, and carried her out of the freezing room and into an adjacent space where they could both warm themselves. Once inside, she laid Vixy down on a plastic covered bed mattress, and sat down beside her.

“Holy shit, I’ve never seen a newbie time the course. You are fast,” Belladonna told her.

Vixy looked at her, and groaned. “I thought you said I was gonna fail.”

“All my new hires fail this test on the first time,” she told her. “Failing this test doesn’t mean you’re not hired.”

“Fuck, you mean I could’ve failed and still got the job?”

“Absolutely,” Belladonna said. “To tell you the truth, I made my hiring decision before I even started testing you. Usually, a new hire gets two months of physical training, but… you might just be ready to go right into the field.”

“It’s still so cold.”

“I know,” Belladonna said. “You’re body is in hypothermic shock. Can’t just heat you back up instantly, it’s gotta be gradual. You’ll just need to bear the pain for now, there’s no easy way through it.”

“How often do I have to run this course?” Vixy asked, catching on that this was going to be a regular thing.

“Once a week,” Belladonna said. “Friday from Noon to Eleven is physical fitness.

“Eleven hours of physical fitness in one day?” Vixy asked.

“It’s supposed to be exhausting,” Belladonna said. “And sudden. You’re allowed to exercise on off days, but you’re only allowed to do physical tests on Friday. If you fail, you’re benched for a week. This is one of the most physically intense, dangerous jobs in the world outside of active duty military. We train harder than emergency responders. In fact, sometimes we volunteer with fire fighters.”

“Do we always train naked?” Vixy asked.

“Yes,” Belladonna said. “And in the summer, we do our tests in an outdoor arena. Nice and hot.”

“I prefer the cold, normally,” Vixy told her.

“You’ll be so used to both after a year, neither will phase you. But anyways, you rest up. I’m going to go get you a keycard. Welcome to the team. You have two days to move in. Then we’ll put you through a team initiation. Don’t be freaked out if no one talks to you that much before then. They tend not to really see you as one of them until that happens.”

“What happens at initiation?” Vixy asked.

“Ever join a sorority or fraternity?” Belladonna asked her with a coy smile.

“No?”

“Oh, well… you’re in for some fun.”

“Holy shit,” Jayce said after listening to Vixy’s story of the interview. “That is some seriously hardcore training. And you’re supposed to do that every week?”

Vixy nodded. “Yep,” she said. Then, she yawned. It was already afternoon but she was still totally exhausted. “That was the most exhausting shit I’ve ever done in my life.”

“Yeah, but you’re gonna be tougher than me in a couple months,” Jayce told her. He took a hit off of the bong they were sharing and passed it over to her to take a hit. “So that’s why you’re packing so suddenly. You gotta move in? Will I be able to visit? Will you be able to visit?”

“I don’t know,” Vixy said, shaking her head. “To be honest, I didn’t really think about those kinds of questions. I knew I had to land a job so that’s what I focused on. Security is tight and they are strict about me moving there. I hope I can have guests over… I guess we’ll find out in a little bit.”

Ping! “Oh, looks like Samantha’s here,” Jayce said.

Jayce was helping Vixy pack up her apartment. The furnishings were all part of the unit, so she didn’t have too much to move, but they did need to enlist the help of their mutual friend, Samantha, in order to haul it all over to the new place.

The two grabbed a couple boxes and walked outside where Samantha was still getting out of her pickup truck. “Hey hey, Vix,” she said as she waved towards them. “And Jayce. Nice to see you.”

“Hi Samantha,” Vixy said. Then, she loaded the box into the bed before turning to give the girl a hug. Jayce followed suite shortly after. “We got a few more boxes to bring down. Thanks for the help.”

“No problem,” Samantha said. “I’m just glad you’re not getting evicted. I know I promised to let you crash if you needed to, but I am relieved.”

“Me too, honestly,” Vixy said. “Pretty sure your brother might just want to eat me if I moved in, anyways.”

“I wouldn’t let him do that,” she assured her. “Need an extra hand?”

“Sure.”

The three finished loading up the truck and Vixy turned the keys into the front desk before coming back out. “So, where’s this new job of yours?” Samantha asked her.

“It’s a little ways away, about an hour walk?” Vixy asked.

“It’s a ten minute drive,” Jayce said. “With no traffic, anyways. Might take us twenty right now.”

“We should get some lunch on the way,” Samantha said. “You down for cheeseburgers?”

“Sure,” Vixy said. Jayce nodded in agreement.

The three of them loaded up, and then drove off. About thirty minutes later, they were all at the parking lot in front of the EMI building. “Wait here,” Vixy told them. “Gonna run in ahead of you and make sure you’re cool to help me unpack.”

Vixy took her half-eaten cheeseburger in with her and nothing else, chowing down as she walked through the front door. When she got in, she was greeted by a different security guard, this one was a large, muscular bull. “Hey,” she said, finishing a bite. “Uhh… I’m Vixy, I’m moving in. New member of Belladonna’s team, uhh…”

The bull looked down at her, arms crossed, and eyed her lunch, giving a less-than-subtle huff through his over-sized nostrils.

“Umm,” Vixy went on. “My friends are helping with the move, and I was wondering what uh…” The bull was staring at her, and she was starting to grow intimidated. She took another bite of her sandwich but stopped before she fully bit into it. “It’s… ethically sourced? I think…”

The elevator landed on the floor with a ding, and as it opened, a large, yellow and white snake slithered out from inside. “You must be Vixy,” she said as she approached, an unusually calm demeanor about her. “Namaste. I am Cherigon, but you may call me Cherry.” She gave a court bow… of sorts, clasping her hands together and lowering herself a little.

“That’s me,” she said. “Nice to meet you?”

“Belladonna said our new arrival would be here today or tomorrow,” she spoke. “And I saw you come to the door from my bedroom window. I assumed correctly, then. I welcome you, humbly, to Exotic Meals Incorporated. Do you require assistance with your things?”

“Uh yeah, actually,” Vixy said. “I got a couple friends helping but an extra hand won’t hurt.”

“Bendoh,” Cherry said, turning to the guard. “I will vouch for Vixy and her guests until she has completed initiation, and been given a badge.” The bull, apparently named Bendoh, huffed and moved away to let everyone through. “Vixy,” Cherry then said, gesturing to the front. “Shall I be introduced to your friends?”

“Sure,” Vixy said. She led the way back outside and Jayce and Samantha were waiting by the truck. “Jayce, Samantha, this is Cherry. My… new…”

“Roommate,” Cherry said. “Team member, and hopefully, friend. I am delighted to meet you.” She gave the same curt bow as before.

“Uh, hi Cherry,” Jayce said. “You seem kind of calm for an assassin.”

“Serenity is a state of mind that I have mastered,” Cherry said.

“Want a cheeseburger,” Samantha asked handing her the bag. “We got one left.”

“No thank you,” Cherry said, nodding politely. “I am vegetarian.”

“You hunt down apex predators for a living but you don’t eat meat?” Jayce asked.

“Indeed,” she said. “You would not be the first to find my line of work and my diet to be at odds. I once subsisted on meat, but no longer.”

“Why?” Jayce asked her.

“Meat corrupts the mind, the body, and the soul,” she explained. “In order to remain in alignment, I have mastered restraint.”

“This some kind of new-age-y hipster philosophy?” Samantha asked.

“Samantha!” Vixy said. “Don’t be rude to my new coworker.”

Cherry shook her head to them. “I don’t mind the questions. Many ask them. There is nothing new about understanding the innermost self, and aligning the chakras to experience a more full and harmonious life… in balance with all things.”

The four of them had all grabbed boxes of things, and were heading inside. Once Cherry led them to their team’s quarters, she gave them all the tour. “Our team consists of six individuals, including our captain, Belladonna, whom you’ve already met with,” she told Vixy.

The place was large, consisting of an open floor plan in the central area with a recessed sitting area in the living room, a kitchen and floating island, and a large floor-to-ceiling tinted glass window looking down onto a central courtyard below. Two hallways on either side of the unit led to six individual bedrooms. There were no doors. One could see right through each room easily. It looked like no one else was home yet.

“No doors?” Vixy asked. “Not much for privacy here, is there?”

“This is Belladonna’s preference,” Cherry explained as she slithered into the space. “She prefers her team to be fully open with one another in many ways. Shared quarters without the ability to enforce privacy encourages cooperation and mutual problem-solving skills among the team. She believes it makes our bonds stronger, and I am inclined to agree.”

“This place is nice,” Samantha said. “Vixy, when can I sleep over?”

“I don’t know if you even can,” Vixy said. “Hey Cherry, I didn’t get the chance to ask. What’s guest accommodations look like here?”

“Once initiated,” Cherry said. “You are permitted to invite guests into the home temporarily. But they will not be allowed to stay the night without security clearance, and Belladonna’s approval.”

“So it could be a little bit,” Jayce said. “Can she stay the night with us?”

Cherry shook her head. “Not at the moment,” she said. “At least, I would not recommend it. Belladonna will want Vixy to integrate into our team as early as she can. Initiation is part of that, but so is time. While you do not require permission to leave the premises, except in the case of a lock-down, extended or nightly absences early on, especially coupled with a failure to arrive on time for briefings and training, would surely make Belladonna doubt her hiring decision. I would wait a little bit.”

“Doesn’t sound too bad,” Vixy said. “I’ll hit you up once I get permission to get you guys to stay the night.”

“Right on,” Jayce said. “Hey, where’s that freezing swimming pool I heard about?”

“The winter training room is on the eight floor, in the south wing of the campus,” Cherry said.

“Any pools that aren’t a cool breeze from freezing over?” Jayce asked.

“The community pools are on the ground floor, to the rear of the building,” Cherry told him. “Guests are only permitted once clearance has been granted. Shall I show you to your room?”

“Go for it,” Vixy said.

Cherry led her to the first room on the hall to the right. “This is your sleeping space,” she explained. “You will hopefully find adequate storage for your belongings here. It is the same hall as Belladonna, who’s space is at the end of the hall.”

Vixy looked down the hallway to see into the shark’s room. It was a deep, dark blue inside. “Can we paint our rooms?”

“Yes,” Cherry said. “And no. You may not paint them yourself, but EMI has staffers who can perform this task for you. You may choose from a selection of pre-approved colors and designs. And you may change this once every six months if you so desire.”

“Wow,” Vixy said. “Any other services EMI takes care of?”

Cherry nodded. “EMI will take responsibility of stocking the kitchen with cookware and basic food supplies. Anything additional will be your responsibility to purchase and stock. We have a laundromat on the third floor where EMI staff will wash, dry, and dryclean your laundry as needed.”

“I don’t even have to do my own laundry?” Vixy asked.

Samantha whistled. “Someone’s got it fuckin’ made.”

“EMI has taken on the role of fulfilling most daily tasks from our agents,” Cherry said. “This is to support our continued training, exercise, and team-building efforts. A fair share of these costs are taken automatically from your commissions automatically.”

“With all this stuff being taken right out of my paychecks, how much money will I actually have left?” Vixy asked.

“I often find that nearly sixty-percent of my commission payments go towards these amenities, assuming regular job acquisition and fulfillment. What remains for me is usually… about $4,500 every two months.”

“That doesn’t actually sound like a lot,” Vixy said. “That’s an average of $2,250 a month… $1,125 every two weeks. I was making… almost… $1,400 on a good two-week pay period with lots of overtime.”

“Yeah maybe,” Jayce said. “But that’s before rent, food, laundry, and everything else. With your debts… you barely had $100 left every two weeks. You’re gonna feel more than ten times richer here.”

“I can assure you,” Cherry said. “They pay is more than sufficient. However, you will not receive anything until your first assignment with us is completed.”

“Right,” Vixy said. “This is like a dream come true. Who are the other coworkers, by the way?”

“You should know,” Cherry began. “Belladonna despises the use of the word ‘coworker’ when it comes to the members of your team. Team members would be more appropriate.”

“Understood,” Vixy said. “So… who all is the rest of the team?”

“Between yours and Belladonna’s space,” Cherry said. “Is the space belonging to Nox. He is a komodo dragon, and an expert in poisons and chemical substances. My space is the last in the opposite hall. Before me are the spaces belonging to Leanna and Click. Leanna is a snow leopard, like your friend, Samantha. She is our more tech savvy member, familiar with gadgets and gizmos. Click is a rabbit, and he specializes in stealth, weapons, and hand-to-hand combat.”

“You got a rabbit helping you hunt apex predators to deliver to people as food?” Samantha asked.

“Click is also the fastest agent employed by EMI, and a world-record holder in the 500 meter sprint, has three blackbelts in Taekwondo, Capoeira, and Karate.”

“Sounds like you got your competition cut out for you, Vix,” Jayce said. “It’d be fun to see someone you can’t even keep up with.”

“I doubt I could keep up with any of the team right now,” she said. “But I’m sure I’ll get there.”

“What’s your specialty?” Samantha asked Cherry.

“I am a tracker,” Cherry said. “I am the best shot our team has at sniffing out our targets.”

“Cool, cool,” Samantha said. “And what about this initiation? Is it like a hazing thing, because if it is… I’d love to watch.”

“I suppose from some perspectives, it could be considered hazing, as you put it,” Cherry said. “As to participating as an audience member? I am unsure. This would be Belladonna’s purview, as the initiation is entirely her doing, not the company’s.”

“You guys really want to watch me get… initiated?” Vixy asked her friends.

“One-hundred percent.”

“Totally.”

“Absolutely.”

“No question.”

“Yes.”

Vixy looked back to Cherry to ask her next question. “What is this initiation going to involve, exactly?”

“To you, it would be a secret,” Cherry said. “I am not at liberty to disclose.”

“When is it?” Vixy asked.

“We wait for you to settle in, first,” Cherry told her. “This is usually two or three days at the most. Then, at an hour of our choosing, we will find you, and the initiation will begin.”

“Belladonna also said the team wouldn’t really consider me a part of them,” Vixy said. “Until after that. That I might not even expect to talk to anyone. But you’re pretty talkative.”

Cherry nodded. “I am the longest standing member of this group, and Belladonna’s second. I have become accustomed to many faces coming and going for a variety of reasons through the years, and unlike the rest of the team, I find it personally gratifying to befriend anyone I will be spending time with, ritual aside.”

Cherry pulled a phone from a hip-side purse and began sending a message to Belladonna about Vixy’s friends’ request. The response came back almost instantly. “Belladonna has permitted the two of you to watch Vixy’s initiation. Allow me to have your cell phone numbers and I will inform you of when you should arrive here, and make sure clearance is granted in advance.”

“Would you describe the initiation as… fun?” Vixy asked Cherry.

“I was never properly initiated like the rest of the team since I was one of its original members,” Cherry said. “Initiation rituals were devised after Belladonna had to hire our first replacement. It has changed from time to time, as new members have joined, and added their input.”

“You really can’t tell me anything about what to expect,” Vixy said. “Nothing at all?”

“The purpose of the initiation ceremony is to generate a degree of trust,” Cherry explained. “Think of it like a trust fall, in principle. You submit yourself to the initiation, without knowing anything, and in going through it, you become one with us.”

“It’s totally a hazing thing,” Jayce said, snickering. “I’m curious what’s gonna happen now, too.”

“Since you will be watching,” Cherry said. “I’m afraid I cannot disclose much information to you either. It is important that Vixy goes into this event completely ignorant of what will happen.”

“She’s probably just trying to scare me,” Vixy said. “Belladonna did this whole test in the interview where she acted like she was going to beat me to a hospital doorstep, but it was all a ruse. She just wanted to see how I acted when I was afraid.”

Jayce and Samantha looked to Cherry for a reaction, but got none. Cherry’s expression never budged once. No shock, surprise, fear, or otherwise.

“I must be leaving, actually,” Cherry said. “My desire to await for your arrival has made me tardy for my daily exercise routine. Miss Vixy, I will see you again later when I return. I wish you well in settling in.”

“Thanks,” Vixy said as Cherry left through the front door as casually as ever.

“I remember the initiations we used to have for newcomers to our parties,” Jayce said. “We humiliated so many underclassmen and prey. Vixy what was your initiation for that one, again?”

“You chasing me, pinning me to the ground, and fucking me instead of eating me,” Vixy said.

“I remember,” Jayce said. “I remember thinking to myself… Jayce, I’m going to be saving this one’s hide for the rest of her life, and she’ll fuck me every time I do it.”

“Sounds about right,” Samantha said, snickering a little. “I remember getting a swirly on the my first night out. After someone pissed in the toilet… with a ring gag in.”

“Oh fuck, I remember that,” Jayce said. “That was fucking hilarious.”

“What about you, Jayce?” Vixy asked. “What was your initiation to the party like?”

“Oh me?” Jayce asked. “That was when I found out I was not straight. I had to hold my maw open for a money shot from one of the seniors. I was terrified until it hit my tongue. Then I realized I kinda liked it. I blew another guy later than night, too. Had no idea what I was missing out on.”

“What do you think Vixy’s going to do this time?” Samantha asked.

“I’m betting a gangbang,” Jayce said. “I don’t think we’ll be allowed to participate, but I’ll bet we can play with each other, Samantha.”

“That could fun,” Samantha said.

“I don’t wanna think about,” Vixy said, turning to move a box into her room. “I’d rather just settle in, and get this over with, whatever it is.”

Over the next couple days, Vixy at least met the other team members, and got to meet Belladonna again once she returned to settle in for the night. Just like Belladonna promised, the other team members barely paid a mind to her for those first couple days.

On the second day, she made sure to hit the gym right away, wanting to start getting herself in shape and into a new routine for her new job. It was going to be physically challenging, and now was the worst time to slack off.

On the third day, initiation time came. It was late in the evening, about 9PM at night. Vixy was sitting on her bed, scrolling a social media feed on her phone. That was when Belladonna stood in her doorway with a wide smile. Once Vixy noticed, she motioned for her to come into the living room, and said. “With me, little fox.”

Vixy walked out into the seating are of the living room. Jayce and Samantha were already inside, having been snuck in somehow while Vixy wasn’t looking. “Oh boy,” she said. “It’s time, isn’t it?” A nervous laughter squeaked through her fake smile.

“Yep,” Belladonna said. “Come here, please.”

Vixy put her phone away and sauntered to the living room where she was directed to take a seat in the middle of the seating area on the floor. Belladonna stood up, and began circling her. It was in this moment that Vixy realized everyone in the room, her friends included, were stripped down to their underwear.

“First,” the shark said as she moved around. “Strip. Tonight, we are allowed to wear sleepwear and underwear. You are not permitted to wear a single garment.”

Vixy nodded to her. She didn’t hesitate on that instruction, pulling her shirt off, and then her bra, and kicking off her shorts and panties, and shuffling all of her clothes to the side, making herself naked to the crowd.

“Second,” Belladonna continued. “For tonight. You are our puppy. You may bark, yelp, squeal, whine, or otherwise mimic the sounds of an adorable little household pet. Bark if you understand.”

Vixy blushed a little, but nodded, and gave her best barking sound.

“Good girl,” Belladonna said. “Additionally, you may not use the restroom without my explicit permission. And you must obey all verbal commands given to you until everyone falls asleep.”

Arf! Vixy sounded off again in compliance.

“Excellent,” Belladonna said. She stopped circling, and retrieved a cup with a mysterious fluid in it. “You now know the rules for your initiation. To begin tonight, I command you to drink this.”

Vixy took the cup in her hands as Belladonna gave it to her, and looked into it to see its contents. It was probably a mix drink? There was the clear smell of ethanol coming from it, but a strange, pearlescent fluid was floating on its surface. It was a little foamy, and looked like maybe soap.

“Puppy,” Belladonna said, watching her. “My order… was to drink. Not to stare.”

…

…

I am scared as I look into the glass. It’s not soap. It’s not cum. It’s not… anything that I’d be able to identify by looking at it. I can’t freeze, not now. I lift the rim of the cup to my lips, pinch my nose shut, and upend it. The taste of alcohol fills me, and burns my throat as it goes down. But the… substance…

It’s slimy and triggers my gag reflex. I choke as I force it down my throat, and the taste is just… wrong. It’s clear to me now, though I had a feeling since I first saw it… I’m letting them drug me for this initiation. I have no idea what this substance is or how it well affect me, but you know… in for a penny… in for a pound.

The effects of my medicine are felt almost immediately. Even as I’m still choking it down with the rest of the alcohol, sound starts to dull. Vision begins to blur. Time is warping strangely in front of my eyes. As I move my hands, I can see colors and shapes waving around them.

The people around me, my new team, my friends, they’re… chanting something… but I do not understand the words. Telling me to drink, maybe? Maybe just cheering? After I gasp for air, and the whole thing has been swallowed, I lean forward, drooling a little, and looking, dumbfound, at the first of them to get my attention. Everyone’s faces become distorted and strange. But I can smell… shark? Not Jayce… less familiar.

I crawl towards the scent. It has consumed my thoughts. Then, a familiar word rings in my ears. “Stay.”

Who said that?

I look around, and then up towards the face I’m sure is Belladonna’s, and she repeats herself. “Vixy,” she says. That’s me… my name! “Stay…” She wants me… to stop moving?

I was crawling towards her. I’m supposed to stay still, so I do. There’s laughter around me. Enjoyment. It should make me nervous. But instead, it makes me excited. I feel the weight of my tail shifting back and forth involuntarily. I’m wagging it, like a dog.

What… did they give me?

“Roll over,” Belladonna bids me.

I smile. Of course. I drop down, and roll onto my back, tongue hanging from my mouth like an idiot. But I don’t care. The next thing I know, there are hands on me. They’re rubbing my belly and… more. Oh. I feel it. It’s so good. Someone’s squeezing my cock as it grows erect, but most of those touches are just scratching, petting. It’s soooo good.

Then, I smell something else. Everyone’s hands suddenly leave me in a jarring moment as their attention falls to the source of the smell. I know this smell. It’s… it’s… maple syrup. Real maple syrup.

“Come get your treat,” I hear from them, and I can’t help it. I get up, and crawl towards them. Immediately, I start licking and sucking on it. I have someone’s cock in my mouth and I’m enjoying the hell out of it from the sweet taste of that maple syrup.

I’d be so embarrassed if I wasn’t so fucked up right now.

Suddenly I feel a stream of something else in my mouth. It tastes acrid and makes my stomach want to retch. Whoever I put my mouth on is now pissing directly onto my tongue. I flinch at first, but then a voice says, “Drink, Vixy.” And I do it. I start gulping down the pee as it flows while sucking on the end of that cock like a straw. It’s gross, and I don’t want to do it, but it also turns me on and… this drug… I’m not stopping. Not even gagging.

I remember Belladonna said I’d be the team’s urinal at some point, and being incredibly afraid of that, but… there’s no fear now, just lust.

Once one person finishes using my mouth, I get called over by another. I don’t even register who I’m moving to. I get vague smells, all unfamiliar to me. When the next dick hits my lips, I taste and smell it, curiously. “Open up,” someone says. I obey, my mouth hanging open as whoever it was begins to urinate. It echoes in my mouth and around the room. Giggles and other sounds are all around me. They love the show I’m putting on, that much is certain.

“Swallow,” the next command comes. I close my mouth, and gulp it all down. My stomach wants so badly to expel its contents, but I am given an uncanny ability to stifle my reflexes.

As I get passed around the room, from one person to the next, I eventually come across a familiar smell. It’s Samantha. I can smell her pussy right in front of my nose and I take in the scent happily. I guess my friends get to participate after all. By this point, the routine is ingrained in me. I open my mouth while she hovers over it, and begins to piss right into it. This time, however, I’m told. “No swallowing.”

Curious, I flick an ear in the direction of the command. I don’t let my throat open, don’t swallow, and the pee fills and fills into my mouth. When Samantha finishes, she walks away, out of my incredibly narrowed field of perception. Then, another familiar scent, Jayce’s. He starts peeing in my next, and the liquid rises over my lips and begins to drip down my cheeks, my chin, and into my upturned nose. It wets my fur and makes me moan with lust.

“Now, swallow,” I hear. “Mouth open.” Again, I obey, haplessly. I cautiously let my throat open up, and start to carefully drain the contents of my mouth into my stomach. It’s a bit more difficult, but I do it. And I love it. I get petted, and scratched around my ears and the base of my tail. The pleasure is intense, despite the fact that I feel like I’m about to puke.

“Good girl,” I’m told as I finish my drink. Someone’s hand is on my cock, stroking it up and down. I whimper a little, and fall to my side as the group attending me all begin to touch and feel and toy with me again.

A thought enters my mind: would this drug wear off? Was this meant to be… permanent? Was I being reduced to the mere house-pet of these new friends? Part of me wishes it were so. I want to believe it. Living my life in endless, blissful pleasure would be the best job ever.

I feel a pressure building, and realize after drinking everyone else’s, I need to pee now. I whimper, and pinch my legs together. Before long, someone notices. “Poor Vixy,” the voice says. “Need to pee? Need to go out?”

Out where? I can only wonder. I nod though, and bark in affirmation. Before I realize what’s happening, I have a collar slipped around my neck, with a leash attached to it. I am being led outside of the room and even the building. I have no idea where exactly I am, but I am outside. I can’t even tell if there are other people here.

I’m… too scared to go? But, I really need to. “Come on, Vixy. Go pee!”

I listen and obey. I walk away from the voice and into the grass, and just like a feral animal, I squat down and start peeing in the grass. The drug’s effects begin increasing, and time seems to start flashing. Next thing I know, I’m back inside, on the leash again, and I’m being led to a bed. I crawl up onto it and I’m surrounded by familiar smells. The most familiar. My friends!

Then, I feel something penetrate me. I’m familiar with the size and shape of it: Jayce. He’s fucking me while Samantha faces me in bed. She plays with my cock before pushing it inside of herself. The two of them have fun with me, fucking my empty-headed body and giggling and moaning throughout. I can barely squeeze out my own moan, too out of it from the drug’s effects.

In glimpses of time as I drift towards sleep, I can feel Jayce’s cum inside of me, and I almost simultaneously cum inside of Samantha. At that point, I realize there’s no protection. Oops. Sorry Samantha. Please don’t be mad at me… I have… lost…

All…

Control…

…

…

Vixy’s eyes opened slowly the next morning, though it’d be more appropriate to say the next afternoon. Jayce and Samantha were still lying there with her, snuggled up in bed, but Vixy was not the first one to wake.

“Morning, pup,” Samantha said to her, eyes half open. “Did you have fun last night?”

Vixy nodded, and yawned a bit. Jayce was stirring behind her. “I did,” she said. “I can barely remember though.”

“What do you remember?” Samantha asked.

“Oh shit, no,” Vixy said. “Nooo. I’m sorry.”

Samantha blinked at her, confused. “For what?”

Vixy sobbed a little and pushed her head into Samantha’s shoulder. “I wasn’t wearing protection. I didn’t mean to…”

Samantha laughed at her and petted her head. “I think you might still be working through some of that drug, sweetheart,” she said. “I already took something to help with that.”

“But it’s my fault,” Vixy said.

“Shh,” Samantha said. “You were beyond fucked up. I knew the risks. If anything, I took advantage of you.”

Vixy whimpered a little. “I’m just a puppy.” Her words were drawn out.

“Good puppy, though,” Jayce said as he woke up. “Your new friends let us stay the night with you to make sure you didn’t OD.”

“OD?” Vixy asked. “Was it that dangerous?”

“Not with us watching you,” Samantha said. “We slept in shifts.”

“What… was that stuff?” Vixy asked.

“A designer drug,” Belladonna said. She had heard them waking up and was leaning against the wall at the room’s entrance. “I call it a Pet Pop. It has… more practical uses as well. And it’s not all that dangerous in the amount I gave you. It fucks with the pleasure and reward centers of the brain like many other drugs, but also nearly eliminates functions of judgment, and the parts that distinguish reality from whatever imaginations pop into mind. Up that dose by 50% and it can cause permanent brain damage. Lower it by 50%, and you can get secrets out of just about anyone.”

“Did you get any secrets from me?” Vixy asked.

Belladonna laughed. “No,” she said. “The commands I gave you before stuck. You literally were unable to speak a single word of the English language last night. But you did give some good nods and barks like we asked.”

“So… you’re in love with someone from the room last night?” Samantha asked.

Vixy blushed fiercely, her body freezing in place.

“I know it’s not any of the people you literally just met,” Samantha said. “So it’s gotta be either me or Jayce.”

“Tell ussssss,” Jayce said, squeezing her from behind.

Vixy shook her head and squirmed around. “If you were able to get the truth out of me, shouldn’t you already know?”

“You know I like to hear you say it,” Jayce said.

Vixy blushed again, and shook her head. “If you already know, then I don’t need to say anything.”

“Tsk, tsk, Vixy,” Belladonna said with a coy smile. “I thought we agreed: no more secrets.”

Vixy groaned and shook her head. “Not from the team,” Vixy said.

“Fine,” Belladonna said. “You don’t want to tell your friends, tell me.”

Everyone was staring at her, and she gave in. “I don’t know if it’s really love, but… yes, it’s true. I am… incredibly infatuated and smitten with Jayce. There, I said it.”

Belladonna snickered at her. “Oh, if you’re embarrassed about that,” she said. “I can’t wait to show you what you did last night.”

“Huh?” Vixy asked.

Belladonna motioned for her to come out into the living room again, and she nervously got up and followed. Jayce and Samantha joined her and they all sat down while the shark sent a video from her phone to the big screen. It started shortly before Vixy took that drink.

“Oh no,” Vixy said, shrinking a little. “Are you gonna blackmail me?”

Belladonna laughed at her, and nodded. “Only because I know you’re into that.”

“What?” Vixy asked.

“We kinda… helped a little more than we thought we would last night,” Jayce said. “In fact… here.” Jayce handed Vixy his phone, opened to a text message exchange between him, Samantha, Cherry, and Belladonna. They had discussed, at some length, all the things they knew Vixy liked, and didn’t like.

“Oh… my god…” Vixy stammered as she scrolled through it.

“Viola,” Belladonna said. “No more secrets. Consider yourself blackmailed, newbie. Unless you want me sharing this video with the whole internet, you better keep being my good little puppy, got it?”

“Can I talk, at least?” Vixy asked.

“Sure,” Belladonna said. “If I want to hear you bark, I’ll tell you. But anyways. Welcome to the team, Vixy. I’ve got Cherry keeping an eye out for our next contract. Soon, the real work begins.”

“Good luck, Vixy,” Jayce said. He leaned in close and nuzzled her neck. “I knew you could do it.”

Vixy was at the gym, doing some bench presses when she got a text message. It was a group message with her new team all included, and the most recent one sent from Belladonna.

“Briefing in my office in 15 minutes.”

Vixy got out of the machine to clean and reset it when another text hit her. “New contract,” it said. Vixy smiled a little reading it.

It had been a week since Vixy joined the team and underwent her initiation. Since then, her new job consisted of protein shakes and gym equipment. She spent nearly four hours a day so far training, exercising, and her body was sore from it, but she was already growing stronger.

When she made her way to Belladonna’s office, she walked in and took a seat on the couch. Leanna was the only one who beat Vixy there, and was sitting on Belladonna’s desk, trying to peek at her computer screen. Shortly after, Cherry came in, and coiled herself up opposite the couch. Nox and Click were last to come in, Nox happy to stand in the middle of the room, but Click hopped onto the couch with Vixy.

“Everyone’s here,” Leanna said, staring curiously at her captain. “We doing this or what?”

“One sec,” Belladonna said, typing something into her computer. “And… good.” She hit a button, and a projector shot an image onto the glass wall behind the desk. The glass tinted itself, darkening so everyone could see the projection better. “Everyone, meet Rasco,” she began the meeting. “Our next target.”

On the screen, the image of a tiger was displayed. He had a prominent scar over his left cheek. Below his portrait was a dollar figure: $22,850.

“Our client is none other than Rasco’s son, James,” Belladonna said. “As to why the son wants the father dead, it’s a bit simple, isn’t it. They got in a fight, and Rasco threatened to disinherit James. James came to us, and promised a sizable check in exchange for delivering raw tiger meat to his new home.”

“Since when do we give a shit about why a client wants someone dead?” Click asked.

“Because this one might get tricky,” Belladonna said. “The reward money is contingent upon James’ inheritance. That’s how he plans on paying us. So, before we execute on the contract, we’re going to need to do a little digging. First and foremost, we need to make sure Rasco hasn’t already taken James out of the will.”

“That figure seems a little low,” Nox said, looking at the price. “For some… on the side detective work.”

“The competition was fierce,” Belladonna said. “Ginger’s team bid at $24,500. I had to undercut her to win this.”

“We’re gonna need bribe money just to get the latest copy of the will,” Click said. “Are you sure this is worth it?”

“Absolutely,” Belladonna said. “We’re not gonna play by the rules. If the will is already changed, we change it back.”

“And the bribe just went from $500 to $1,500,” Click said.

“That’s where the good news comes in,” Belladonna said. “Our buddy, Pierre, just got a promotion to notary.”

“Okay, so $100 plus…” Click pondered.

“Newbie’s turn, obviously,” Leanna said. “Please tell me it’s newbie’s turn.”

“Newbie has a name, Leanna,” Belladonna said.

“Uh… what am I doing?” Vixy asked.

Belladonna smirked, and then sighed as she started explaining. “Pierre is a low life,” she said. “He’s made a whole career on fraud and forgery. In the past he’s whipped up fake ID’s for us and the likes. Some idiot put him in a spot where he can do even more damage.”

“And I’m assuming there’s something sexual happening if the bribe is fifteen times cheaper for his services?” Vixy asked.

“Oh you don’t know the half of it,” Leanna said.

“You wanna break it to her, Leanna?” Belladonna said.

“He’s a freak,” Leanna told her, standing up. “Only likes girls… with fur. And what he likes is disgusting.”

“Uhh… usually people like that don’t really respect the identities of people like me,” Vixy said. “You sure he’s going to be into me enough?”

“He better,” Leanna said. “Because I… am really… really not into it.”

“Spit it out, what’s he like to do?” Vixy asked.

Leanna sighed, clearly grossed out just from thinking about it. “He’s… uh, well,” Leanna stammered. “There’s no easy way to put this, but you’re gonna eat his poop.”

Vixy reeled a little. “I… what?” she asked. “Hell no. What the fuck.”

“Yep,” Leanna said. “You’re going to lay on your back while he crouches over you, and drops one right into your open mouth. Then, he’s gonna masturbate while he watches you chew… and swallow.”

Vixy gagged, and shook her head. “I’ve done some pretty gross things, but that is… I do not want to.”

“One of you’s gonna do it,” Belladonna said, looking between the two of them.

“Belladonna,” Leanna said, looking at her. “I’ve been here. I’ve done my time. Please let’s pass this torch on to someone else.”

“Coin flip,” Belladonna said.

“Seriously?” Leanna complained.

“Are things always settled this way?” Vixy asked.

“Usually,” Nox said. “Sometimes Belladonna just says so.”

“Usually, fresh blood is the team bitch,” Leanna said with a scowl.

“It’s a big ask for her very first assignment,” Belladonna said. “I’m doing my best to respect both of your positions. But Vixy, this is the job. Sometimes we get down in the muck to get it done. Pierre may be a dirtbag, but he’s one of our best allies. We need him.”

Vixy nodded slowly, and Belladonna took out a coin from her desk. “Call it,” Leanna said, looking to Vixy.

“Heads, I win” Vixy said. “And you do… the thing.”

Belladonna flipped the coin through the air, and let it bounce on the desk until it stopped. “Heads,” she told the two.

Leanna sighed in defeat, and leaned back against the wall of the office. “You’re doing it next time, though,” she said.

“How often do we solicit Pierre’s help?” Vixy asked, nervous.

“Probably a lot more often now,” Click said. “Given his new status. But there’s a possibility we won’t even need him. If the will looks good from the get, then we’re solid.”

“Do not invoke Murphy’s law on me now, Click,” Leanna said.

“As for dad, himself,” Belladonna said. “He lives in a penthouse downtown. Security is high there, but also usually has their hands tied. We need a distraction.”

“Easy,” Leanna said. “I’ll hack in and make all their monitors and speakers play hardcore porn for a while. Stop the cameras and cause a massive fuss all at once.”

“Then there’s just the matter of Rasco’s personal security detail,” Belladonna said.

“Personal detail? Who is this guy?” Vixy asked.

“Rasco Rahim,” Belladonna said. “Under-boss of the Bebrehaye Sheni. Persian Sand Tigers.”

“I’ve never heard of them,” Vixy said.

“They don’t really operate here,” Belladonna said. “But overseas… these guys are brutal. Beheadings. Kidnapping. Extortion. Opium trafficking. Arms dealing. You name it, these guys are involved. Over here, they just come to vacation or retire off of their wealth.”

“Is it really such a great idea to knock off someone that well connected?” Vixy asked.

“You worried they’re going to come take revenge?” Click asked.

“More than likely they’ll come after the son than us,” Belladonna said. “These guys take family very seriously, and if they catch a whiff of this betrayal and manage to nab James, he’ll be in for it. But it might be difficult for them to pull off any operation on this side of the ocean.”

“But, more to the point,” Click said, turning towards Vixy. “Welcome to the biz. I think Nox, Cherry and I can handle the security. Vixy doesn’t have any combat experience, so maybe she should sit this one out.”

“No,” Belladonna said. “Trial by fire. She passed the course in the interview. She’s in.”

“I haven’t even started combat training,” Vixy said.

“Well, if you’re feeling left out, I know something you could do to help out the team,” Leanna said, squinting.

“Which is why I should probably start!” Vixy squeaked out in a hurry. “Do we have like a martial arts dojo or something? Some… paid instructors or anything like?”

“I am right here, foxy,” Click said, leaning towards her. “Hello. Three black belts.” He held up three fingers to emphasize his point. “Say hello to Sensei Click.”

“Good idea,” Belladonna said. “And here’s some incentive for you, Vixy. If Click says you’re not combat ready by the time we make contact with Pierre, you’re taking Leanna’s place.”

Leana pumped her fists and got off of the walk to do a short victory lap. In her mind, she was out of her sickening duties already. There was no way Vixy would be ready by that point.

“Alright, we have a the fundamentals,” Belladonna said. “I’ll reach out to Pierre, and see when we can setup a proper meeting. Leanna, do your homework and start whipping up a virus for hotel security. Click and Vixy, training room. Nox, see if you can procure anything to help us with security. Cherry… just keep being you.”

“I always do!’ Cherry said as she slithered for the door. Everyone else followed her out, except for Belladonna. Click and Vixy were the last ones out.

After they got into the training room, Click brought Vixy to the back where they had something like a dojo behind a closed door. The place was about 60 feet to a side, and the middle of the floor was covered in foam practice mats.

“Alright, bunny,” Vixy said as she walked in. “You gonna show me what you got?”

Without warning, Click got low to the ground, and swept Vixy’s feet from under her. The fox crashed to the ground, falling onto the mats as Click hopped up and over across the room. “Don’t call me bunny, foxy.”

Vixy got up slowly, stunned from the quick knock down. “Okay,” she said. “Don’t call me foxy, then.”

“Whatever you say, newbie,” Click said back.

“That doesn’t feel great either,” Vixy said.

Click rolled his eyes, and made a clicking sound with his tongue and cheek. “Alright, fine, Vixy. No nicknames for you, then.”

“Do you have a nickname?”

Click stared at her, and planted his face firmly into a palm before shaking his head. He made three successive clicking sounds, “Tsk tsk tsk.”

“Oh, oooooh,” Vixy said. “I did not realize. Wait, is Cherry Cherry because she’s Cheery? Is Nox also a nickname?! Oh, my god, Belladonna is a nickname too, isn’t it?”

“You lost me,” Click said. “Come on, put ‘em up. Show me what you know.”

“Uhh,” Vixy put up her hands, and balled her fingers into fists. “Like this?”

Click was bouncing back and forth in place, holding his own hands up like a boxer, but slowly stopped as she said that. “You’re serious?” he asked. “Have you never taken a single lesson in martial arts or… even boxes?”

“No,” Vixy said. “I mean… I’ve killed a few rabbits… sorry. But uh, no.”

“Let me guess,” Click said as he started walking towards her. “Teeth, claws, wrestle them down, rip them to shreds like a savage beast?”

“Kinda,” Vixy said. “Except for the ones who let me. It goes… a little slower then.”

“Okay, okay,” Click said, shaking his head. “This is gonna be harder than I thought. First thing, don’t ever apologize to me for eating. Not ever. Okay?”

“Uh, sorry, I mean, not sorry?” she asked. “I… why?”

“Because I’m a prey animal working as an assassin, hunting down apex predators,” Click said to her bluntly. “You probably wouldn’t get it. I get looks from everyone. They think I’m weak. They always hold me to a higher standard. Every word I say and every action I take falls under scrutiny. Even when they don’t say it outright, whenever I do something in front of a them, they all think it. What’s that bunny doing here? I could do it better. Of course I could do it better. I’m a… lion or a shark or… whatever. He probably doesn’t deserve this spot.”

…

…

Wow. Now I felt like a dick. And that’s why he didn’t want me to call him bunny. Good going, Vixy. Way to be respectful. This dude’s probably trained harder than anyone ever has to get here. And here I was, acting like I was hot shit just because I’ve eaten a few of his kind before. He’s a martial arts master, and he’s been doing this job way longer than me.

“Uh,” I stammer out. “Well, I’m really sorry then. For my… presumptions. I kinda get it, though. This city’s pretty good about trans folks like me. But, I do get that. A lot. So, I’m sorry.”

Click shakes his head, brushing it off. “Don’t mention it. It’s fine.” Even now, he feels the need to show his strength… how unaffected he is by everything.

“Okay, so what should I learn first?” I ask.

…

…

“Your stance,” Click said. He walked next to her, and showed her, standing up straight, head ducked down just a little, and fists up guarding his head. “Keep your hands up, not right in front of your face, but ready to block. You don’t want to blind yourself trying to protect yourself. Put your feet a little more apart, and lead in with your non-dominant foot.” Vixy followed his instruction, and occasionally he would move one of her hands or feet for her.

“Just like that,” Click said. “Now, when you throw a punch, step forward and push your whole body into it. Extend your hand straight out, keep your wrist straight.”

Vixy continued her training, replacing almost all of her recreational time to spend it with Click in sparring sessions. A couple days into this, Belladonna asked Leanna and Vixy into the office again. Pierre had responded.

“You two,” she said as they entered. “Time to make a move.”

“What do we got?” Leanna asked.

“Pierre’s game,” Belladonna said. “Leanna I want you to take Vixy with you, get her familiar with the territory. Give her the basics on staying under the radar and such when you meet him.”

Leanna’s face was souring a little as Belladonna spoke. “Leanna?” Belladonna asked.

“Sorry,” Leanna said, shaking her head.

“Don’t be,” Belladonna said. “Just come talk to me like you usually do afterwards, okay?”

Leanna nodded, and Belladonna put a thumb drive in her hand for her to take. “This everything?”

“Yep,” Belladonna said. “11285 Marzipan Drive.”

“I assume you don’t have wheels, newbie?” Leanna asked. Vixy shook her head, and Leanna led the way, pulling some keys out of a bag and twirling them around her fingers. “Okay. Just a warning, I make almost everyone I drive for carsick. And sorry to say, I’m just not in the mood to slow down for you.”

After getting into Leanna’s car, a two-door coupe with neon under-lighting, Leanna cranked the radio up to near full blast, playing bass heavy R&B, and sped off as promised, tires squealing and all.

“Boss hates my car,” Leanna shouted over the music.

Vixy was holding her ears with her hands. “Yeah?” she shouted back.

Leanna nodded. “It’s what I spend my money on,” she shouted. “I love my car. Belladonna says it’s too conspicuous to take to work.”

Vixy could barely understand, so she just nodded.

“It’s not like I wanna fuck my car,” Leanna said. “That’s weird. But I put all of my heart and soul into this.”

“I’m sorry but I can’t understand you!” Vixy shouted back.

Before Vixy even finished her sentence, Leanna continued. “I’m just saying, if I have to eat some guy’s shit, I should get to drive how I want. She doesn’t eat anyone’s shit. If she wants me to drive a different car for work, she can just fucking tell me instead of trying to let me down easy.”

Vixy had a brow raised listening to her. What was this even about? “You sound like a bottom!”

“I know, it sucks!”

“You have no idea what I’m saying do you?”

“Exactly.”

When they arrived at Pierre’s office, they got out of the car and after shutting the doors, Leanna hit a button on her fob to lock the car with a high-pitched double click. The two of them went inside and Vixy hung back while Leanna talked to the front desk.

Shortly after, they were being escorted to an office on a higher level floor. When the door opened, they were greeted by…

…

…

Greeted by… Oh. Oh no. He’s so handsome. Pierre’s a skunk… a very sharply dressed skunk. And he holds his head and chest high with confidence, even though he doesn’t have that much muscle. Skinny, smiling with pearly white teeth, soft, doe-like eyes, and his head hair coiled and dangling over his forehead. And on top of that… I take in his scent. He smells so good. A cologne? Or maybe even a perfume…

“Hello, my sexy kitten,” he says. He has a Northern European accent, and a voice that makes me just… melt. “Leanna, how have you been?”

“It’s been good, Pierre,” Leanna began.

“Oh, and,” he starts in on me. “Oh my, are we together? Leanna, who is your… foxy friend?”

“I’m Vixy,” I say, letting myself get lost in him.

Not for too long though. In the background, Leanna watches me with such curiosity. Such… joy. Her lips curl into a smile, and then I realize… I am… doomed.

“That’s Vixy,” Leanna says. I can practically hear time slowing down around me. We have both now realized what this means. “My new team member… I’m showing her the ropes…”

“I sure would like to show her… my ropes,” Pierre says.

Ahhhhhhhh…. AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH

…

…

Leanna was silent after Vixy re-emerged from Pierre’s office and got back to the waiting room. Vixy was silent too, but… her silence was somehow louder. Thirty minutes had passed and they, without speaking a word to each other, walked back to Leanna’s car.

Once the doors were closed, Leanna did not turn on the radio, but instead turned to Vixy. There was a mixture of relief, guilt, and empathy. “Umm,” she started. “I… I’m sorry… and thank you. When we get back, I am treating you to the best aftercare you can ask for. Umm…” Leanna reached into the back compartment, and opened a cooler where she pulled hard seltzer from. After cracking it open, she also grabbed a pill bottle from the glove compartment. Fetching two pills, she handed them to Vixy. “Take these.”

Vixy didn’t question it, and just took the medicine.

“And drink this,” she added, handing Vixy the drink.

Vixy washed the pills down with the alcohol, and then kept drinking it. She let it wash over her teeth and gums, even though it burned a bit, and used it as mouthwash before swallowing down and down. The whole bottle was chugged and before Vixy could even ask, Leanna had a second one open and handed it to her.

“Sip this one,” Leanna told her. “Trust me, if you drink it too fast, you’ll just vomit and it will… not feel as good as you think it might. Not until we get to the toilet, at least.”

Before pulling away, Leanna texted Belladonna: Clear the room please. Vixy took the dive and will need some aftercare.

Belladonna texted back: You got it, babe. And holy shit, what a fuckin’ champ!

Leanna smirked and nodded: Probably don’t remind her anytime soon.

Then, she put her phone away, and drove off, much more slowly than the trip here. When they got back, Leanna led Vixy into the room, and took her towards her bedroom in the hallway. Vixy was able to walk just fine, but still clung to Leanna for comfort. The snow leopard got her to sit on the bed, and then knelt down before her, leaning in close and resting her head on the fox’s lap while stroking her thigh from the side with one hand.

“You did good, Vixy,” Leanna said. “Now… you can go let it all out if you want to, but my honest recommendation is to just avoid it. It… pretty much makes it worse every time.”

Vixy shook her head, and immediately stood up. Leanna gave her some space, and then followed her into the bathroom. The fox keeled over the bowl and began retching into it while Leanna knelt beside her and held her hair back. “Okay,” she said. “Just let it out then. No point in stopping half way.”

Vixy immediately puked some more and heaved again afterward. Leanna patted her back, and then rubbed it slowly. “You good?” she asked. “Got any more?”

The fox shuddered for a moment, and then shook her head. “Okay,” Leanna said. She stood up, and started to walk towards the kitchen. “I’ll be right back. You’re gonna want some water.”

Vixy stayed at the toilet while Leanna went to get water, and managed to keep herself from heaving anymore after that. She flushed the toilet and stood up, moving to lean over the sink. “Here, here,” Leanna said, putting the glass of water in her hand. “Drink.”

Without hesitation, Vixy started drinking from the glass, going through the water quickly. Leanna kept refilling her, and after five glasses, the fox was starting to sate her thirst. “Alright, now that you’ve done that,” Leanna said as she went through the medicine cabinet, pulling out some tooth brushes and paste. “First brush, lots of paste. Toss the brush. Second brush, minimal paste, keep sucking on water to rinse with. Toss it. Last brush, lots of tooth paste, and rinse with a glass. Toss it.”

Nodding, Vixy began rigorously brushing her teeth, carefully going over every nanometer of her mouth with the brush hairs. She took a full three minutes with each set of brushing, and once she was done, she gasped for air as if she had held it this whole time.

Leanna had her open her mouth wide, and physically looked around it for any filth, and leaned back to give her a thumbs up. Then, almost out of the blue, the snow leopard took Vixy’s head and pulled her into a deep kiss with plenty of tongue.

“All clean,” Leanna said to her with a smile. “Now…” She gestured to Vixy’s bed. “Cuddles?”

“Yeah,” Vixy said.

The two of them climbed into it, and Leanna wrapped her arms around the fox and pulled her in close. “Tummy better?” she asked. Vixy nodded, and Leanna rubbed her back slowly. “Good. You’re a beautiful fox, Vixy.” The girl started blushing at her words. “And no amount of dirty sex stuff will ever change that. Okay?”

Vixy closed her eyes, and leaned in to rest her head against Leanna’s collar. “Thank you,” she said softly.

…

…

Are we back? Yeah, sorry, I kinda lost myself for a bit there. Look, I know some of you absolute degenerates might be wanting me to go back and to recount my horrors, but sorry. No. I’m not going to. Maybe I’ll tell you about it next time. If there is a next time.

To skip forward a bit, Leanna and I got pretty fucking close after that. Which is astounding because, well… if our roles had reverse, I would not have done the same for her. I might’ve even made of her for it. I really did not enjoy what went down between me and Pierre. But, as strange as it sounds, I’m kind of glad I did it and not Leanna. I would not have had as much empathy as she is giving me.

As I lay in Leanna’s arms, feeling more comfortable than I ever thought I would ever be able to feel ever again, I realized that my life had not conditioned me as well as I thought it had. Between this, and training with Click, and the whole process of working here, I am really starting to see what it means for someone to have your back, and… for the feeling to be mutual.

It makes me feel like I’ve been latched onto Jayce and Samantha way too much. They’ve always protected me, and helped me. It’s because we’re friends, but maybe that was just always luck on my part? I can’t recall any time where I helped either of them as much as they helped me. Hell, even if I wanted to, I doubt I’d be able to stick up for them that way.

Even now.

It makes me nervous. When the going gets tough and we’re actually hunting to kill in a few days, will I really be an asset to the team?

Doubt is creeping in from every corner. I pushed myself so hard to get here, and it’s still not going to be enough.

I have to admit it to myself. I have to confess to Belladonna.

…

…

“Belladonna,” Vixy said after finding her in her office.

“What is it, Vix?” she asked her as she read through some things on her computer.

“I need to talk to you,” she told her.

Belladonna blinked, and set aside her work for the moment to engage with Vixy, sensing something was on her mind. “The door, if you don’t mind?” Belladonna asked.

Vixy nodded, and shut the door. She was too nervous to sit, and stood awkwardly in front of Belladonna’s desk. “Belladonna, I…” she started. “I’m sorry, but I have to say it. I… I’m not ready. I don’t think I can do this.”

Belladonna leaned back in her seat, and scanned the fox up and down. She was perplexed. From record-breaking interview to defeated in less than two weeks. Perhaps, she thought, hiring Vixy was not the right decision. It took her a while to mull her thoughts, and think about how to respond.

“I’ll… just… pack my stuff and…”

“Woah, woah,” Belladonna started. “Hold on a second.”

“Okay.”

“I’m not firing you. Are you quitting? What’s happening here?” Belladonna questioned.

“I just… I didn’t want to let anyone down. I’m not strong enough, or well-trained enough. I’m just going to be a liability,” Vixy said. “This job is way more intense than I imagined.”

“And yet, you have out-performed, quite literally, every person I have ever had working under me,” Belladonna said. “So why all the negativity? Where is this coming from? Here, sit down, please.” Belladonna got up from the chair and led Vixy to the couch to take a seat. “Just slow down, and tell me what’s up.” The shark took a seat next to her, and listened intently.

“When I started training with Click,” Vixy said first. “I realized how totally untrained and outmatched I am by your whole team. And after… the thing with Pierre and spending time alone with Leanna, I was thinking back. You know, I’ve always been the damsel in distress. I have good friends who bail me out, but… if I had to do the same for them, or for you, or anyone here. I’d fail. I’m more likely to get in trouble, and keep someone else from performing.”

“And so for that,” Belladonna said. “You think you’re not worthy of being on my team?”

“I can’t keep up. I’m a liability.”

Belladonna shook her head. “No, you’re definitely not,” Belladonna said. “I need six people, first off. We are in the middle of a job and I really can’t have anyone going MIA right now. We have plans drawn. We need to execute them.”

“Yeah, I get that,” Vixy began.

“Don’t interrupt just yet,” Belladonna said. “I was not going to send you into the fray. You are not going to fight tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Vixy asked.

“Yeah, it’s fucking go time,” Belladonna said. “And sending a rookie into close quarters combat with guns and knives less than two weeks after hiring would be effectively sending you to die.”

“I thought I was going to backup Click and Nox,” Vixy said.

“No,” Belladonna said. “You’re going to be Cherry. She’ll be driving. You’ll be in the passenger seat. And your job will be to monitor the ground outside, and keep everyone updated. That’s all.”

“Oh,” Vixy said. She let out a sigh of relief.

“But,” Belladonna said, interrupting her relief. “That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t expect you to fight if we needed you to. I know you’re going to be a liability in a fight, but you need to give me more credit as your team leader. I know your strengths and weaknesses and I’m planning around them. That’s my job. And what I need from you is to behave the way you did in that interview. Determined, and steadfast. And obedient in the line of duty. If we’re in the shit, and I say I need you to grab a gun and start shooting… I need you to trust me that I already know you have no experience, and that I’ve accounted for a lack of accuracy. But more than anything, I need you to do it. We’re all friends, lovers even if you want to think of us that way. But in the field… I’m you’re commanding officer, and you are a soldier. You’ve been a good soldier. So stop doubting yourself so much, and let experience be your teacher.”

Vixy took a deep breath, and nodded. Then, she leaned in to give Belladonnaa huger, which the shark reciprocated. “Thanks,” Vixy said. “I’m sorry to be so pathetic.”

After the hug broke, Belladonna continued. “You actually already saved my ass,” she told the fox.

“How?”

“Leanna was starting to break,” Belladonna said. “I could see it… feel it. I’m fairly certain that if she took your place, and I was responsible for her aftercare, she would’ve walked.”

“Like… quit?” Vixy asked.

Belladonna nodded. “And then I’d be really screwed,” she said. “Leanna threatened to quit over this before. Hasn’t actually done it, but the last time… things didn’t go so well, and it was because her head was not in the game. And that’s my fault for not recognizing that, for not acting on it.”

“What happened?” Vixy asked.

Belladonna looked at Vixy with a serious stare. “Why do you think we had an opening?”

“Oh shit,” Vixy said.

“This isn’t a game, Vixy,” Belladonna told her. “This is real. And if we lose our heads… we lose our team.”

“Got it,” Vixy said.

“In light of this,” Belladonna said. “I’m ordering you to leave the campus tonight. I want you to contact your friends Jayce and Samantha, and see if they want to go with you to a movie, or a club, or even just dinner. Get your mind off of the job and what you’ve been through for it. Tomorrow, I need everyone on their A game. Got it?”

Vixy nodded, giving one quick hug and then standing. “Yeah,” she said. “I’ll try and make plans right now.”

“Good,” Belladonna said. “Good luck tomorrow.”

Vixy left the office with a farewell, and started calling her friends up. Getting the two of them to join her for a night on the town was easy enough. The fox had spent most of her time training and it was like she was absent for a week, so they were happy to see her out and about again.

Jayce picked Vixy up on his bike a little bit later, and took her to meet with Samantha at the Raven Raver. The feline was already there waiting for them, and gave them both a hug before they went into the club.

They danced and partied for hours, until it was late into the night, and the trio was lounging in a corner of the club while the music kept thumping in the background. “Whooo!” Jayce said as he flopped down into his seat. “I haven’t partied like this in so long.”

“Thanks for coming out to see us again,” Samantha said. “I was starting to worry I got replaced by Leanna or something.”

“And me by Belladonna,” Jayce said. “She’s kinda sexy, yeah?”

Vixy nodded and giggled. She took another drink. “No one’s going to replace you guys,” she said. “Tomorrow I’m going on my first group hunt. I was nervous about it, but now I’m really looking forward to it.”

“Good,” Jayce said. “I’m glad.”

“Miss Vixy,” a mysterious stranger said after approaching the table. The trio looked up, and the stranger continued. “That is you, correct?”

“Yeah?” Vixy asked. “How do you know my name?”

“Ahh, yes,” the stranger said. He was a goat, and as Jayce looked him over, he noticed that he was strapped, with a pistol just under his shirt on the side. “I’ve been asked to escort you to the VIP section. A friend of mine wishes to have a word.”

“Huh?” Vixy went on. She were drunk, they all were. “Look, I’m just chilling with my friends so like—”

Jayce nudged her side, and looked straight at the concealed weapon, tipping her off. “I apologize,” the goat said. “But I’m afraid I deliver this message with a degree of… import. Could you please spare a moment?”

“I’m gonna come too,” Jayce said, getting up slowly.

“That won’t be necessary,” the goat said. He then turned to the side, and gestured towards another section of the club with tinted windows. “Please, if you come with me, alone.”

Vixy stood up slowly. She was scared, but… remembering earlier in the day how she never got the opportunity to stand up for her friends, and how often they had done so for her, she nodded. “It’s okay Jayce. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes… or less.”

Jayce and Samantha were both afraid for their friend, but seemed powerless to do anything. That powerlessness was amplified when they watched two other strangers fall in behind the first, leading both him and Vixy onto the private room.

When Vixy entered the area, she was greeted with the thick scent of tobacco smoke. The room was sound proof, and barely a muffled bass note from the main floor made its way inside once the door was closed. There were more people inside, with tattoos and fur dyes in unfamiliar shapes on their arms, backs, chests.

“Right this way,” the goat said, guiding Vixy towards a raised platform with a large hot tub. “Presenting miss Vixy,” he introduced her next, to the sole occupant of the tub.

From the tub a figure arose. Huge, and musclebound, with a fat belly hanging outside of a clearly muscular frame. He was naked, and dripping with steaming hot water, a tiger by the looks of his stripes. Another figure handed a towel to him and he started drying off his face.

“Ahh,” he said. “So this is Vixy Knight.” His accent was unmistakably foreign. “EMI’s newest employee. So pleased I could make your acquaintance a day early. I hear it would not have been a happy meeting if it waited until tomorrow.”

“No…” Vixy said. “You’re fucking kidding me.” She pulled her phone out and tried to send a message to Belladonna but one of the other strangers snatched her phone from her before she got far.

The tiger stepped out of the tub, and walked around, grabbing another towel to cover his groin and thighs before sitting on a large, plastic lined sofa. The goat clipped and handed him a cigar, and lit it for him. He took a large puff from it, and blew the smoke into the air. “Come,” he said. “Take a seat with Rasco. I promise not to bite.”

Vixy could already see she had no choice in the matter, but to make things abundantly clear, one of the strangers stepped behind her and nudged her along. Scared, the fox sat down next to the tiger, and took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.

“Tell me, fox,” Rasco said after taking another puff. “How much is my life worth to my useless offspring?”

(to be continued)

“Twenty-two some odd thousand,” Vixy said.

Rasco laughed at that number, and shook his head. “What a cheapskate.”

“So, uh,” Vixy stammered., “What happens now?”

“Now,” the tiger said. “I call your boss.” He snapped fingers at one of his grunts, and spoke in a foreign language, most likely Farsi. “Here…” One of the strangers gave him a phone that was already dialing. He tapped it to put it on speaker and let it ring.

“Hello?” Belladonna’s voice could be heard from the other line. “Who is this?”

“Belladonna Wexler,” Rasco said over the phone. “I have friend with me who would like to speak with you.”

He put the phone up to Vixy, who quickly took advantage of the situation. “Bella, it’s Vixy!” she shouted. “I’m at the Nhggg—”

“Ah ah, no more talking,” Rasco said as he grabbed and held Vixy’s mouth shut. He pushed into her face so hard that it hurt. “You heard her, no?”

“Yeah,” Belladonna said. “Who is this?”

“Are you stupid?” Rasco asked. “Who do you think?”

“It is you,” Belladonna said. “Where are you?”

“Don’t worry,” Rasco said. “We are somewhere safe. Twenty-three thousand dollars, yes?”

“That’s the price on your head,” Belladonna said. “Put there by your own son.”

“I know,” Rasco said. “My son has very loose lips. Thinks he’s hot shit. So tell me, I’m worth twenty-three thousand. How much is this fox worth to you?”

“Let her go,” Belladonna said. “We’ll cancel the contract.”

“Why, so someone else can come pick it up?” Rasco asked. He took a hit from his cigar, and blew the smoke into Vixy’s face, letting someone else hold the phone for him. “I have counter-offer. I hire you to kill my son.”

“How much?” Belladonna asked.

“How much fox worth?”

“God damn it, Rasco, you can’t ask me to put that in numbers.”

“How much she worth to you? You decide.”

“I don’t know, ten thousand,” Belladonna said. “What’s it matter?”

“Couldn’t possibly be so low,” Rasco said. “Must be worth at least twenty-three.”

“Okay, twenty-five thousand. That better?”

“Good, yes,” Rasco said. He took another puff and growled a little. “Here’s what we’re going to do. I pay you twenty-five thousand for the fox, up front. I keep her. You want her back, bring me to my son like he was waiting for. One difference, I’ll be alive and unharmed upon arrival. Fail to do this within 48 hours, and she’s dinner.”

There was silence in there air for a bit as Belladonna tried to think of a plan. When she didn’t seem to be able to come up with one, she agreed. “Deal,” she said.

“Excellent,” Rasco said. “Send me the wire information, and I’ll have my boys send the money to you. Spend it wisely.” Without saying goodbye, he hung up the phone, and let Vixy’s mouth go. “Now, you may speak.”

The fox panted a little, running through all of what just happened in her head. “So I’m like collateral now? Or a hostage?”

“Correct,” Rasco said.

“Are… you gonna do anything to me until you get what you want?” Vixy asked.

Rasco wrapped his fingers around her throat, and pulled her in close, smiling sharply. “Why?” he asked her. “Would you prefer it that way?”

Vixy began sweating, and shivered at the prospect. “Any chance doing so might make you… not want to eat me?”

“No deals better made than ones out of desperation,” Rasco said. “I’ll give you a fair shot to prove your value. A twenty-five thousand dollar fox steak sounds delicious, but who’d just throw away that kind of money?”

“Okay,” Vixy said. “I’m at your service.”

“Good,” Rasco said. He motioned to the stranger who had Vixy’s phone, and he gave it to her. “Text your friends, send a selfie. Tell them you’re okay, but that you’re not able to see them for a bit, and not to follow you. You can tell them those are my instructions.”

Vixy followed through, and texted exactly that to her friends. For a second, she thought about quickly sending her location to Belladonna, but ultimately decided against it, too afraid of being caught. She handed her phone back to Rasco, and bowed her head in submission.

Rasco took the phone, and handed it back to his grunt. “Doing good so far,” he told her. “Open up.” He tapped her chin as he spoke.

Continuing to be obedient, she tilted her head back and opened her mouth. The tiger then held his cigar over her head, and flicked off the ashes into her mouth. She clenched her eyes shut and whined at the taste, but to no avail.

“Keep open,” Rasco commanded her, casually flicking more ashes into her mouth before taking another puff. “Never say ‘no’ to me,” he then stated. “You do that, and I’ll want you to keep around.

“Okay,” she said, and then went back to holding her mouth open while he flicked more ashes onto her tongue.

“Boss should we pack up?” One of the others asked, or rather, suggested. “They’ve had plenty of time to ping our location.”

Rasco shook his head. “No need,” he said. “We have all the security we need here. Management knows the drill with us. Watch the entrances and exits. And put a tail on Vixy’s friends if they leave without her.” Looking back at Vixy, he put his cigar out right on her tongue, making her wince. Once the cigar was out, he put it on a tray in front of him, the one he would’ve been using if he didn’t make Vixy take its place. “Strip for me.”

Vixy was crying from the pain, and nodded to him as she closed her mouth. Without much thought, she started to take off her shirt, but Rasco stopped her, grabbing her arms. “No, no,” he said. “Stand, dance a little. Make yourself sexy for me.”

Vixy started to stand up and he let her go. Then, she placed a foot on the coffee table in front of her, pressing down on it and testing how strong it was before she decided to get up. It didn’t move, didn’t budge, didn’t warp. The thing was sturdy. She climbed up on it, it was fairly large, three feet to a side, and started to swing her hips back and forth with the music. She was clearly uncomfortable at first, but then she closed her eyes, and let her mind drift away for a bit.

…

…

My tongue stings. My eyes burn from the smoke. I have the taste of ashes in my mouth, and if I don’t dance well and do everything this tiger says, I’m a dead girl. Not to mention I started my day eating someone else’s shit. And neither my friends nor my team would be able to bail me out.

How am I supposed to find my happy place? How could I possibly put on a sexy act right now?

I have to let my mind leave this place, and go back to the dance floor. I can try and focus on the music, but all that gets through the soundproof walls and doors is the subtle beat of the bass. I can feel it move up through the table from the floor and to my legs, just barely.

Turning my back to the tiger, I open my eyes again to peer through the one-way mirror. I always wondered what was behind that wall. It remained a mystery to me for a long time. I only ever saw the richest looking predators go through that door—and the people with them. I spot my friends, Jayce and Samantha, out in the club, moseying around. They haven’t left. I wish they would. They have no idea how dangerous this situation has become.

“Music,” I say as I stop moving, staring out to the dance floor.

“What’s that?” Rasco asks. His tone is surprising. No demands, no threats, just a simple question.

“You want me to dance,” I say back. “Let me hear some music…”

I can’t see what’s happening behind me, not exactly, but a few moments later I see someone by the door turn a dial. Speakers come alive in the private space, and the music from the dance floor starts to fill the quiet privacy of the room. I close my eyes once again, and let it flow into me.

My hips move, and I start to move with them, with the music. I take a breath and loosen up a little bit. I recall earlier in the day, cuddled up with Leanna on the bed, her sweet, sincere voice whispering into my ears. The strokes of her hands on my flesh.

…

…

Vixy’s hands move up under her shirt, not removing it, but lifting it. She grabs the hem and plays with it as she moves slowly and sensually, her back still facing the tiger, and her tail swishing back and forth.

“Good…” Rasco said. “Keep going.” He took his cigar back from the table and lit it once again, taking a drag before focusing on the dancer in front of him.

The fox left her shirt back down, and moved her hands down her side, her waist, and pushed her thumbs into her denim shorts. They pulled outward, showing off the elasticity of the waistband and dipping the belt down to tease Rasco with her ass cheeks.

Then, she was fully into it, able to put all of the other things to the back of her mind and just enjoy herself, if only for a moment—if only to satisfy the very dangerous man sitting behind her. Turning around, she bends over, and leans towards the tiger to blow him a kiss, and then stands up straight. Her hands reach back under her shirt, crossing over her chest before pulling it up and off over her head, leaving her breasts covered only by a bra.

A moment later, she noticed it wasn’t just Rasco watching, but most of his crew in the room. Knowing he was the focus of this show, she tried not to mind them too much, even as they got in closer. With her hands moving behind her back, she unclasped her bra, and let it fall forward off of her arms, revealing her tits to him.

Rasco took another drag, and Vixy took notice that the ashes were building. In a different context, she might’ve enjoyed this a lot more, but for now, she’d have to dance her mind around the idea of this being something she wanted. It was a matter of survival. So she got down low, to her knees, and then rolled onto her back, placing her head just off of the edge of the coffee table and opening her mouth for him.

Smiling, the tiger knocked the built up ashes off of his cigar and into her mouth. He growled a little at her, teasing her back a little. He was convinced by the show she put on now, even if only for a moment.

After swallowing the ash, Vixy stood up slowly again, turning her back to the tiger once against and bending over slowly as she pulled her shorts down over her hips, and brought them down to the ground. One foot stepped out of them, and the other kicked them back to the couch, next to the tiger. All she had left was shoes and panties.

Using her tail like a blanket, she wrapped it around her hips to cover her groin before she turned back to face him, offering a submissive, sultry glance before hooking her thumbs into the underwear and pulling them down slowly. Finally, once they were off, her tail was removed, and she bared her full nakedness towards him. He did not seem to care what parts she was packing, either, taking another drag as he smiled, watching her.

Keeping the show going a little, she kept on dancing, even with nothing left to take off, except for her shoes and socks. Figuring she better follow his command to the letter, she did go for those next, casually slipping them off as she danced, and then pulling her socks, one by one, until she was properly nude.

“Good,” Rasco said after a moment. More ash was accumulating on his cigar, and he waved her over. Obediently, the fox got down of the table, and sat on her knees in front of him, opening her mouth once more so he could flick the ashes into it. Instead of her tongue though, he put it out on her cheek, pressing the smoldering cherry into her fur and flesh without warning until it went out. Vixy whined, yelping at first, and then whimpered until her pulled it back, and held the thing towards Vixy. “Hold this.”

Vixy took the cigar in her hand, and winced as she looked up at him, trying to force a continuous smile as tears flowed down her cheeks, soothing the fresh burn.

“As long as you’re with me,” Rasco said. “No clothes. Not a single article. Understood?”

Vixy nodded. “Yes, sir,” she said.

“And you’re to be on your knees at my side,” he said.

“Your personal ashtray,” she said, nodding. “I know.”

“Good,” Rasco said. “You leave more than twelve feet from my side, and you’re dead. If I tell you to stay somewhere, you’ll be on camera, and guarded, and you’ll be sitting at the door, waiting for me when I return. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Vixy said.

“You don’t eat, drink or piss without my permission. I put something in your mouth, you swallow it,” he said. “Unless it’s part of someone’s body. In that case, you suck.”

“Okay,” Vixy said, nodding.

The night went on for a while before Vixy was able to get some sleep. When she finally did, it was in Rasco’s grasp, back at his penthouse, on a king sized bed. She wasn’t used to these hours, so even in her position, it was easy to fall asleep. The fox slept through the sunrise, and was awoken by someone coming into the room.

“Boss,” the person said. “Phone call for you.”

Vixy’s ears perked, and she looked up over Rasco’s hulking form. He was still out cold. “Who is it?” she asked, smirking at him, almost joking.

“Your boss,” the stranger said with a snicker. “When he wakes up, make sure he knows she called.”

“Can I talk to her?” Vixy asked, desperate for the contact.

“Hell no,” the stranger said. “Get him awake.”

“You want me… to wake him up?” Vixy asked, jaw dropped. How was she supposed to do that? Why would she do that? “How?” The stranger made a lewd gesture with his lips and hand, implying that she should give him a blowjob. “Oh for fuck’s sake.”

“No, seriously,” the stranger said. “Only way to wake him up happy. I refuse to wake him, myself.”

Vixy huffed as the stranger closed the door again. She looked at the large tiger laying on his back and scanned him up and down. “Well,” she said. “Fine…”

Then, she slipped underneath the comforter and sheets, and found her way to his groin. The tiger slept naked, which made him a lot easier to access. Once she was in position, she started to gently rub and squeeze his balls. Rasco got hard quick while he was asleep, morning wood working in Vixy’s favor.

As big as Rasco was, his cock wasn’t unmanageable. It was thick, and at least seven inches long, but if she could handle a shark’s double-cock, she could handle this. Opening her lips, she wrapped her mouth around the tip, and closed her eyes, starting to suck on him slowly. Her lips slid down his length, and her tongue ground underneath it, massaging his glans, then his shaft around the vein.

While she kept at it, she could feel him stirring, but not awake yet. Her head moved up and down that cock slowly for a short while, but then a little faster. Despite everything, the fox did enjoy sucking dick, no matter how close she was to being eaten alive.

Suddenly, she felt Rasco’s hand push her head down, all the way down, onto his cock, the thing being shoved deep into her throat unexpectedly and making her gag. He let her up a little bit, but not enough to breathe, just enough to recover, and then pushed her back down. “Good little slut,” he said before yawning loudly, his body stretching out on the bed. “I hope your friends have abandoned you. I think I would like to keep you around.”

As Vixy choked on his cock, she tried to push against him, but her strength was so outmatched by his that it might’ve just seemed like a playful wrestling. Her reached a hand under the sheets and grabbed her head by her hair, and started pushing her up and down on his length. His other hand grabbed her arms and pinned them by the wrists behind her back. “Quit struggling,” he said. “Just… let me finish.”

…

…

I hate to fucking admit it, but the way he treats me… it turns me on. I can feel my own erection forming, my tip brushing against the fuzzy blankets, or… his body, I can’t even tell at this point. I wish Jayce would do this to me.

I manage to sneak a couple quick breaths in as he pulls me up and down his shaft. I barely have to work, he’s just using my throat like a fleshlight at this point, and I just have to keep my lips squeezing and tongue lapping underneath him. He tastes… clean, actually. Surprisingly so. That’s a plus.

On the bright side, if Belladonna did give up on me, I’d at least have a permanent home leashed to Rasco’s bed. Would I prefer this ending with someone I liked more? Sure. But my position as dead meat doesn’t give me a lot of options… beggars… choosers, you know how it is…

His hand forces me down again, and holds me there. His cock twitches inside of my mouth and throat and I can feel it pulsating, shooting cum down into my gullet. His moan is more like a growl, and he moves my head up and down slowly, and not but an inch or two to squeeze himself dry inside of me.

Before I start running out of air, he yanks me off and tosses me aside on the bed. Sputtering and coughing, I catch my breath. My mind is all fuzzy, full of mixed emotions and lack of oxygen. A huge part of me likes this treatment, just as much as I am afraid.

…

…

“Belladonna,” Vixy said after catching her breath. “Your guy said he called. Wouldn’t let me talk.”

Rasco shouted something in Farci, and soon after, the same man came back into the room with a cell phone. “Dial her back,” he asked him. He then took the phone and placed it next to the bed. His fingers snapped towards Vixy, and then pointed to the cigar box on the other side of the table.

Vixy scrambled to get up, groaning ever so slightly under her breath as she opened the box to fetch one for him. After picking up the cutter and trimming it, she put it in his mouth and lit it for him while the phone rang.

“Rasco,” Belladonna said. “It’s me. You awake?”

He took a long drag on the cigar and then grabbed Vixy’s head to blow it right into her face. She coughed at that, and winced, but ultimately, played her role. Her mouth was open before him, and he rested the end of the lit cigar on her teeth, letting ashes fall down into her mouth. “Had a wonderful morning,” Rasco said. “I may buy this fox from you when we’re all done.”

“She’s not for sale,” Belladonna said. “We’ve made our plans. We’ll need to pick you up. We rented a moving truck and you and some of your grunts can hide in the back. James will have us unload in a garage. Once he opens the back, he’ll be in for quite a shock. My team will be watching and barricading the exits.”

“A slaughterhouse,” Rasco said, grinning. He took another drag, and set it back in Vixy’s mouth. “That sounds entertaining. Vixy will be with me in the back of the truck. If this is an ambush or a trap of any kind, she dies first.”

“How is she?” Belladonna asked.

Rasco looked to Vixy. “You may speak freely, fox,” he said before taking the cigar back.

“Belladonna,” she said. “You’re gonna get me out of here, right?”

“You can count on it,” Belladonna told her. “Is our client happy?”

Vixy nodded, and glared at Rasco for a split second before looking back to the phone. “He fucking better be,” she told her.

“Vixy is a good girl,” Rasco said. “Does as she’s asked.” Rasco tapped his cigar, dumping more ashes into Vixy’s eagerly awaiting maw. “Even throws in some nice surprises.”

“She’s full of ‘em, trust me,” Belladonna said. “If you don’t hold up your end, Rasco.”

“Oh yes, I’m sure you will all be very upset,” Rasco told her before taking another drag. The cigar was burning fast. “Listen, after learning a little bit more about your company, I must say I’ve taken an interest. This job goes well, may want to hire you again. Vixy especially. Could I contact you directly as I have been?”

“I don’t see a problem with it,” Belladonna said. “But if you want to play with Vixy, you’ll need to negotiate that with her personally after this. I’m not her keeper. Would I be able to speak to her privately?”

“No,” Rasco said. “But you may speak with her freely with me by her side.”

“Fine,” Belladonna said. “Vixy, you still there?”

“Yeah,” the fox said.

“I know it’s been a hell of an on-boarding,” Belladonna said. “Between Rasco and Pierre. You’ve taken some serious hits for the team. I mean, hell, literally at someone’s shit for Leanna.”

Vixy went pale. Rasco looked down at her, and then at his cigar. He put it out on Vixy’s tongue and she whined in pain before he left it there. “You can keep that one,” he said, quietly.

Vixy blinked at him, and groaned a little as she closed her mouth, and forced the whole remaining cigar down her throat, nearly gagging on it. “Why would you say that out loud?” Vixy asked her boss.

“I’ve looked him up, he’s not into that,” Belladonna said. “As far as I know, anyways. Hey, Rasco.”

“I am not interested,” he said, shaking his head.

“Cool,” Belladonna said. “I guess that’s one less thing for you to worry about.”

“Did Jayce and Samantha reach out?” Vixy asked. “Are they okay?”

“Yeah,” Belladonna said. “We’ve got them here for safe keeping for now. But anyways, to the point, I want you to know that your sacrifices have been extremely worthwhile, and I will see to it that you are fully and properly rewarded, and not just financially, either. Hang in there… you’re almost through.”

“Thanks,” Vixy said. “Just… don’t leave me here.”

“See you tonight,” Belladonna told her. “Both of you. Good luck.”

“See you,” Vixy said.

Rasco hung up the phone, and looked down at Vixy. “That’s disgusting,” he said.

“You don’t have to tell me that,” Vixy told him. “In fact, I would prefer we didn’t talk about it.”

“And Pierre is the one who made those forgeries,” Rasco said. “I should pay him a visit tomorrow. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not one bit,” Vixy said, turning back and clutching the bed covers to tuck herself back in. “Can I get more sleep?”

Rasco scratched her head and nodded. “Of course,” he said. “Would not want you to sour on our potential future business prospects. Please make sure you brush your teeth, floss, and use mouthwash before we re-engage.” The tiger got up out of bed, and stood up and stretched.

“I promise you, I made sure it was as clean as the labs they build microprocessors in before I left home last night,” Vixy said.

“Humor me, if you will,” Rasco said as he left the bed to go get dressed.

Later that day, as it was getting closer to sunset, Rasco took Vixy, still nude, along with his team, down from the penthouse home to a loading dock in the back of the building. There, Nox pulled back in with the rental truck and opened the rear hatch. The rest of the team walked in through the dock and the door shut behind them.

“Vixy,” Leanna said as she saw her. “You’re… naked.” The feline clearly wasn’t expecting that. “Aren’t you cold?”

Vixy nodded back to her. “It’s fine, let’s just do this.”

“Rasco,” Belladonna said, stepping up onto the upper platform to meet him face to face. “You mind giving my girl some clothes… and body armor?”

“Not going to happen,” Rasco said. “I still anticipate both outcomes to this evening’s promised venture.” He grabbed Vixy by the neck and pulled her close to him, making her stumble from the grip. “I smell something fishy… and I will enjoy one last meal.”

“You’re getting what you want,” Belladonna told him. “If you hurt her…”

“What?” Rasco asked. “You and your team going to hunt me down, put bullets in me, feed me to the dogs? I’m sure of it. If we can stay off each other’s throats, this evening will go much smoother.”

Belladonna sneered at him, but nodded. “Agreed,” she said. Her glance turned to Vixy, and then away. It was hurting her a little, inside, to be so close to saving her newfound friend, and not being able to lift a finger to help her yet. As she stepped away, though, she smirked, and continued speaking with Rasco. “James wants proof of death,” she said. “Think you can pull off about 30 seconds of decent acting?”

“For my idiot son who wants me dead,” Rasco said. “Of course I can.”

“Cherry,” Belladonna called over to the snake. “Need a makeup job. Make this tiger look like tiger meat.”

After Rasco was done up in make-up, and a scene was set in the back of the truck, Belladonna used her phone to take a video of it to send to James. “Hello, James,” she said to the camera. “It is currently 6:14 PM, and I am recording this video to tell you… we’re on the way soon.” She turned the camera to Rasco, who was laying still in the truck, covered in fake blood. “As you can see, one father, dead. Packed. Ready for dinner. Hope you’re hungry.”

She cut the video and sent it out. “Good to go,” Belladonna whispered as she put her phone away. “Okay,” she said to everyone. “We all know the plan. Nox, you’re driving. Click, passenger seat. Cherry, Leanna and I will drive separately. Rasco, any backup you have needs to be in the back of the truck with you.”

Rasco got up, and wiped most of the fake blood and makeup off of himself, smearing it on the inside of the truck.

“Hey, hey,” Belladonna said to him. “It’s a rental. Oh never mind, like you’ll listen to anyone.”

“Not to you,” Rasco said. He motioned for his team to get in the back with him, and sat down near the front. Vixy climbed up next to him, and he pulled her close to him, smiling with all those teeth on full display. “Almost a shame I won’t get to eat you,” he told her. “You do look tasty, and I haven’t eaten all day.”

Vixy laughed nervously as the door closed. The van drove off, and the journey to James’ hold out began. The drive was a little over twenty minutes, and they could hear most of it from inside the back of the truck. They, however, were totally silent back there.

The beeping sound of the truck backing up began, and Rasco slowly stood himself up, bracing the side and nodding to his grunts behind him. They all started to get ready, staying as quiet as possible.

“The money, James,” Belladonna said. “How will we get our money?”

“Oh relax, would you?” James said. Their voices were muffled from outside the truck. “Once I get access to my father’s trust, it’ll be in your bank account. Now, the moment I’ve been waiting for…”

“He’s a heavy motherfucker, you know,” Belladonna said. “Took a forklift just to get him in the back. You might need one to get him out.”

“One step at a time, sharky,” James said. The lock on the truck was undone, and then the latch. Rasco and his team were ready to go. “Oh, just one more thing.”

“What?” Belladonna asked, annoyed.

“Where’s your sixth?” James asked. “That new girl you were talking about? Foxy?”

“Vixy,” Belladonna corrected him. “You’ll get to meet her soon enough. Let’s get this over with.”

“Right,” James said. “Cause my guy could’ve sworn that she never made it back to your office last night. Is she okay?”

Rasco narrowed his gaze. His son was onto him, and he knew it. He turned to the goat from last night, who was right next to him, and motioned with his head towards the truck’s door. He slowly got down, and started to carefully slide his fingers underneath the bottom of the rolling door.

“Vixy’s fine,” Belladonna said. “Why are you spying on my team? Woah, woah! Put that down!”

Suddenly, Rasco and the goat reached for the door and yanked it up. They both leapt out of the back, Rasco tackling James to the ground before he could fire his gun, causing him to shoot the errant shot into the ceiling. All four of Rasco’s guards jumped out behind him, and started to swarm out.

“You little shit!” Rasco said. He threw a punch into his face, knocking his head into the concrete behind it. “You think you’re gonna kill me?”

James squirmed and pushed back at his father, and managed to squeeze out of his grasp. Once he was up, left his gun and ran into the house from the garage door.

Belladonna got on radio and said, “He’s running in the house.” Then, she immediately went for the van to find Vixy. “Vixy!”

“I’m here,” Vixy said, calling out. She was leaning against the wall on the inside of the truck, panting a little. “We did it?”

“Almost,” Belladonna said.

“Vixy,” Rasco said. “We’re not done yet, you and me. You and your shark friend, come with me inside. We’re going to have some fun, together. Everyone else… help their team block the exits.”

The grunts Rasco brought all left the garage, fanning out around the house. “This was not part of the deal,” Belladonna told him.

“Consider it a bonus,” he said. He cracked his knuckles and punched through the door handle, knocking it open before stepping in. Screams could be heard from inside.

Belladonna looked to Vixy, who offered a shrug, and got out of the truck. “I guess, we go inside?” the fox asked.

Belladonna sighed. “If you want to, I guess.”

Vixy nodded, and followed Belladonna into the home. Once inside, they followed a trail of carnage upstairs. Rasco was quite literally mauling his way through the home. No quarter was given, not to anyone. There were the bodies of prey animals and predators alike along the way. When they caught up, they found Rasco cornering James in a large bedroom.

James was surrounded by a large number of scantily clad women. They were not protecting him, but cowering away from him. Rasco was blocking the door and took a step in to let Belladonna and Vixy in to see. “Ahh, good, you made it,” Rasco said. “Now, let me show you how the Sand Tigers reward loyalty… and punish traitors. Felicia, Val, Harmony… you each tipped me off. Get out. Go down to the garage, wait in the truck.” Rasco scanned the others as those three left. “You.” He pointed to another girl. “I don’t know you. Get in the truck.”

The remaining four girls in the room all collectively gasped, looking at one-another. “The rest of you,” Rasco said. “Stay put.” The large tiger walked up to the… large, but not nearly as large tiger across the room. He was fidgeting with a revolver, trying to load it, but was too overwhelmed with fright. Rasco swiped at his hand, leaving a huge slash and knocking the gun away.

“Dad,” he said, starting to beg. “Look, I just wanted…”

His words were cut short as Rasco grabbed him by the throat with both hands, and started squeezing. The whole time he choked his son, he growled angrily, verging on a roar. When he decided the choking wasn’t enough, he moved one hand up to James’ face, and pushed claws into it, one of them right into his eye. He kept going, driving deeper and deeper as James’ body flailed and struggled. Suddenly, it all stopped as his face caves in from the strength of Rasco’s claws, and he pulled out fragments of skull and chunks of brain. He dropped it to the side of the bed, and then got up again, turning towards the girls, who were all huddled together.

“Like I said,” Rasco said, licking his son’s blood off of his lips and paw. “I’ve been looking forward to dinner all day. And I reward loyalty. Vixy. You’ve been a good pet. Take your pick.”

Vixy looked at him, and then at the girls. “Uh…” she stammered. “I don’t… do it like that.”

Rasco shrugged, and turned to Belladonna. “Your turn, then.”

Belladonna smiled, and took a step forward. “If you insist,” she said. “The redhead.” The shark pointed at a red-headed fox-girl, a striking resemblance to Vixy.

Rasco laughed at her pick. “I was hoping you’d leave her for me, but I appreciate your sense of taste.” He glanced back at Vixy with a bloodthirsty smile, still licking his chops.

Next, her pulled the fox-girl out of the bunch. She began to scream, and he pushed her towards Belladonna who caught her and pushed her into the bed. “Nothing personal Vixy,” Belladonna told her, giggling a little. “But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to try you. I’ll settle, though.”

“Vixy,” Rasco said. “I’m still letting you take one. Let her go if you wish. Or do her how you like her.”

Vixy blushed a little. Even after denying a new treat, the tiger was insisting on it. Vixy looked at the three, identifying a rabbit out of the group. She walked up slowly, and pulled her out of the group. The bun didn’t know what to think. Was she being spared? Was she dead? She didn’t scream, just panted heavily, staring at Vixy, and at the other fox as Belladonna took no time tearing into her.

“Go find me some clothes,” Vixy told her, letting her go.

Rasco looked at the two remaining women, a deer and an antelope. He stepped a little closer, and grabbed the antelope first, one hand on her face, and the other snatching a horn. Without warning, he bent and snapped the horn off of her, and then the other. Both left the girl screaming in pain. Once the natural weapons were tossed aside, Rasco bit into her neck. Blood spewed everywhere. It coated him, the walls, the bed. It got on everything. Even the bunny couldn’t avoid a little bit of a drenching.

The deer girl tried to run in that moment, but Rasco was quick to grab her, and throw her back into the wall. She went crashing through it, landing on a bathroom floor on the other side. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked with a roar. “Someone’s gotta feed my crew.”

The deer girl was dazed and could barely stand after the head trauma. Both other girls were dead by now, each respectively being chowed down on by Rasco and Belladonna. Vixy had never seen such carnage before. Even in her youth, playing deadly games of cat and mouse, things were kept a lot cleaner. The mess didn’t matter, she supposed, since the homeowner was dead, his brain still leaking from his face.

The bunny returned to Vixy with some clothes, shaking. “I… I couldn’t find any clean ones,” she said, stammering.

Vixy smiled, and took the clothes from her. She started getting dressed, and then Vixy led the bunny out of the room. “What’s your name?” she asked as she left.

“Jasmine,” the bunny said. She was breathing heavily, but her spirits were lifted. Vixy getting her name meant she might live through this yet.

“Nice to meet you, Jasmine,” Vixy said to her. They got downstairs, and Vixy led her to a breakfast nook, and had her sit across from her. “Tell, Jasmine,” Vixy began. Her eyes gleaned over the blood-soaked bunny fur, and she licked her lips. “What are your fantasies?”

…

…

Am I a bastard?

Am I evil?

I know, I know. What kind of psychopath could go from spending nearly 24 hours on the edge of death, under the threat of being eaten alive, only to turn around and deliver the exact same death to another victim?

To that, I say… tonight, I’m a predator. And it’s predator eats prey. Don’t like it? Look in the mirror. You could’ve stopped reading at any time. But I know why you’re here. Let me give it to you…

“A threesome?” I ask the bunny in front of me.

She nods and smiles sheepishly. “Yeah,” she tells me. “I want to be spit-roasted by two predators. I guess you get to be one of them? I’d rather someone skinnier than Rasco for the other.”

I nod to her. “I know just the shark for the job,” I tell her. “His name is Jayce. He’s been a good friend to me. Dragged me out of a lot of near-death experiences. I think I ought to pay him back sometime.”

“Got a preference on who fucks and who you suck?” I ask.

Jasmine shakes her head. “Not really. Both? You can switch around,” she tells me. “Is that all you’re gonna do with me?”

I shake my head. No point in lying. “You’re dead meat,” I let her know. “But I prefer a slower… more sensual approach. So when I ask what your fantasies are, you better not hold back. To put things bluntly, you’re not ever getting another chance of fulfilling them.”

Jasmine gulps at the thought. Her body quivers with fear. I can smell it, and it smells so good. “I uh…” Jasmine stammers. “I want to cum when you do it.”

“Do what?” I ask her.

“When you know,” Jasmine makes a motion of a throat slitting. “Right at the end. Let me die in pleasure.”

“You got it,” I say. “Of course that means you’re gonna be edging until you’re ready to go. Can you handle that?”

Jasmine nods to me. “Yes, I think so.”

I pull out my phone, and start texting Jayce. “Mind if anyone else watches?” I ask her.

Jasmine shakes her head. “I suppose not. It might even be more fun that way.”

With that in mind, I also shoot a text to Samantha, Leanna, and Click, to see if they’d be interested. I doubt Cherry, the vegetarian, would be into it, and Nox… I dunno, I haven’t spent as much time with him and he gives me the creeps sometimes with his deadpan stare.

As texts come back, I smile at Jasmine. “Samantha’s coming by to pick us up,” I tell her.

Belladonna, her bloodlust sated, comes down the stairs and sees me. She decides to sit down next to me. “Vixy you really are a softy, you know,” she tells me. “She letting you live?” Her eyes pierce the bunny directly, almost as if she were hoping for seconds.

“No,” Jasmine says, shaking her head.

“I’m setting up a fuck and watch party,” I say to Belladonna. “Interested?”

Belladonna nods. “Absolutely. Take her back to our place.”

“You’ll love it,” I tell Jasmine, who just nods in agreement.

…

…

With the new meal in tow, Vixy and the others all headed back to the EMI headquarters, and made their way up to the room. Jasmine’s nerves never really calmed down, but she didn’t try making a run for it. She was surrounded the whole time, after all, and the only rescue she could’ve counted on was likely dead back at James’ house.

“Welcome… to our humble abode,” Belladonna told her as they entered the room.

Vixy led Jasmine to the couch in the living room, and had her take a seat. “Last meal?” she asked her. “Anything you want is on the menu.”

“Uh…” Jasmine was shocked and confused. This was not the treatment she was expecting, for sure. “A soup. Steamed carrots and peas in an oatmilk broth. And dumplings.”

“Sounds delicious,” Click said as he entered. “Count me in for that.”

Jasmine looked at him, and narrowed her gaze, wanting to ask, but getting an answer before she had to.

“How could you do this to a fellow bunny?” he asked, sarcastically. “Call it morbid curiosity. Vixy gave me this look the first time she was alone with me. You know, the one predators give prey when they want to eat you. Good chance to see what the other side of that looks like.”

“Back in school,” Vixy said as she started preparing the meal. “Lots of prey watched. We made a party game out of it. I almost got eaten… by him.” She pointed to Jayce, who gave a smile towards Jasmine.

“Is it just going to be you and him on me,” she asked. “Or is everyone going to take a piece?”

“That’s up to you,” Vixy said. “You said you wanted a spitroast. I am delivering. You want more, you gotta just ask.”

“I… wouldn’t mind if others wanted… to,” Jasmine said. “I think, it could be fun.”

“Shy subs too afraid to ask for what they want wind up not getting it,” Jayce told her directly. “Vixy is one of the few predators that insists on giving prey a fireworks show on the way out. Clock’s ticking, bun, you gotta tell us what you want.”

“I… want to be touched,” Jasmine said. “I want everyone who wants to to just… do it. No asking, no hesitation.”

Samantha smirked and reached a paw under her to grab her breast and give it a squeeze. “Like so?” she asked.

Jasmine gasped, and nodded. “Yes,” she said.

It wasn’t long after that that everyone in the room, excepting Click and Vixy, just because she was cooking, was all over the bunny. She was being groped and squeezed from every angle in every place, left shivering and moaning with delight as they did so.

With Vixy still cooking, Jayce decided to get started with the next step, pulling his dicks out, and pushing them towards Jasmine’s mouth. Without even a moment’s hesitation, she smiled, nodding, and wrapped her lips around both of them, starting to suck hungrily.

“Oooh,” Jayce said. “Vixy, she likes.”

“Of course she does,” Vixy said. “You gonna join in, Click?”

Click shook his head. “Like I said, just… morbid curiosity.”

Jayce pulled the cute rabbit’s head off of his dicks, grabbing her by her ears and making her whimper. “Is this okay?” he asked. The rabbit just nodded, and he kept tugging, pulling her up and onto his lap. There, he slide both of his cocks into her, one in each hole, making her moan out, while the others held her in place against him.

“Any seasonings?” Vixy asked her as he brewed the soup.

“G-garlic,” Jasmine said. “Ginger… root, and… sage.”

Vixy went through the cabinet, pulling out the said ingredients, and mixing them in. Then, she left the soup on a low heat, and turned to join the group. Once she found a spot on the couch, the others pushed and pulled Jasmine’s head down to Vixy’s lap, where she already was unzipping her new pants and pulling her dick out for the bunny.

Jasmine began to suck on her eagerly, using one hand to grip the base and bobbing her head up and down slowly. The fox leaned back and relaxed. “Click, you mind doing the soup if you’re just gonna watch?” she asked.

Click hummed softly, and then nodded. “Fine,” he said. He hopped up, and went over to the kitchen to watch the soup.

With Jasmine slurping around Vixy’s cock, the fox petted her head, and stroked her ears slowly. The others kept putting their hands on her here and there, but it was a bit crowded. Still, it was easy to see the bunny was very much enjoying herself.

Soon enough, the soup was ready, and Click brought two bowls over, one for himself and the other for Jasmine.

Vixy nudged Jasmine off of her cock, and gestured to the bowl. “Here you go,” she said. “Hope you enjoy it.”

Jasmine took the bowl, sitting back up in Jayce’s lap as she drank from it. “Mmm,” she muttered. “It’s good.” Her voice had become soft, mixed with whimpers. Her mind must’ve completely gone off of her inevitable fate.

Vixy let her finish her bowl before taking it back to the kitchen and setting it in the sink. Then, she returned to her previous position, but this time sat up on her knees. Her dick out, she guided Jasmine’s head back to it, and the bunny began to suck on it.

Jayce moved next, getting up and onto his knees on the opposite end of the couch, pulling out and then putting his dicks back inside of her, thrusting slowly. “You ready for some pounding, bun?” he asked, leaning down to whisper to her. Jasmine merely nodded on Vixy’s cock, and Jayce went to work. He thrust his hips forward and back, and then starting to piston in and out her.

Meanwhile, the fox held onto the bunny’s ears, pulling her up and down on her dick while she too, started thrusting in and out of her mouth. Her eyes though, drifted up to Jayce, and smiled at him. “Thanks,” she told her. “For… everything.”

Jayce just smiled back at her. “We dig in when she finished, right?”

Vixy nodded, and let out a soft moan. “If she finishes first, would you mind taking care of me?”

“Pfft,” Samantha said, sliding next to Vixy on the couch. “I can do that.”

“Give me a warning,” Vixy told Jayce. “I don’t want her to bite it off when you start eating.”

Jayce laughed and nodded. “Sure thing,” he said.

The rest of the crew, which excluded Nox and Cherry, who didn’t take an interest in joining, all took a step back, taking other seats to watch on as the show went. It gave the three of them more room, and Jayce found himself pumping harder and harder.

“You getting close?” Vixy asked, looking down to the rabbit. Jasmine whimpered and gave a little nod. Then, she started to shake again, afraid and excited for what was coming. “Jayce, give her like… a good ten seconds of peak orgasm before you go,” Vixy told him. “Let’s make sure she experiences that much.”

Jayce nodded, and shifted a little bit, planting one foot on the floor next to the couch to push himself harder and deeper into the bunny. “Will do,” he said.

“Since you’re mouth is full, bun,” Vixy said, looking down at Jasmine. “Feel free to give me a little nibble to let me know you’re finishing.”

Jasmine nodded. She was very close, and already on the edge of what she could only hope was the best orgasm of her life, pushing it as long as she could last, knowing what lie in wait afterwards.

…

…

I feel Jasmine’s teeth suddenly. Her body is convulsing in our grasp and she pinches my shaft. It’s perfect for me. I make a moan, and am barely able to keep myself from finishing before I pull myself out of her. Jasmine moans and writhes as her body reacts in shock.

Samantha is so quick to act. She immediately pushes me back to wrap her own mouth around my dick and starts sucking. I can’t really give her much time before I start to finish inside of her, giving her a mouthful of my load.

Before I know it, Jayce’s maw opens, and he keeps his eyes locked on me as he moves towards Jasmine’s side, and sinks into her flesh. Blood sprays at first, and then leaks, dripping down onto the couch and floor, pooling up below.

I barely register Jasmine’s screams of pain before I start on her, myself. Samantha pulls out of the way after I cum, and I pull the bunny up by the ears and grab hold of her arm, contorting her body, probably uncomfortably, so I can sink my own teeth into her shoulder and neck. The taste of her blood is so sweet to me.

It’s bitter and metallic, but something about it, and about the fresh meat… nothing beats it. I rend flesh from bone, pulling back while pushing her away, and rip off a chunk of meat from her before chewing briefly, and then swallowing.

Prey never lasts long from here. The blood loss alone knocks most out cold in seconds. And there is blood everywhere. Jasmine’s still alive though. She reaches for her neck, trying to stop the bleeding from her carotid artery in vain. I pull that hand right back, and bite into her forearm next. Her piercing screams would wake neighbors if there’s anyone asleep.

In reality, this only lasts a few seconds, but I enjoy it so much, it feels like hours. Another bite goes down, and I reach in for another, peeling off more flesh before my stomach begins to feel its fill. Jayce is still going. He gets her last raspy scream as he takes an ear off, and chews it in his mouth, leaning back slowly.

Blood is still pushing from the neck wound. She’s still alive, sort of. I lift her head in my hands, and smile at her. One eyes is bloodshot, but the other looks right at me. She’s not just alive, but conscious. Incredible.

“Goodnight, Jasmine,” I say to her in a soft, sultry voice. “You’re delicious…”

She last a couple more seconds as I stare into her eyes, and then, her focus vanishes. Blood is no longer pumping, and the little light, that spark of life, it’s gone. I lick my lips of the blood, and get up, setting her head carefully back onto the couch, as if she can still feel it.

Jayce watches me, and mimics my care, lifting her body and setting her down on the couch as he gets up. I can see it in his eyes. He’s taking mental notes. He really does want to eat me, but he wants to make sure it’s exactly how I want it to be when it happens.

In the days following the ordeal with Rasco and James, Vixy was able to find time to relax, truly settling into her new home and her new life. The excitement of the weeks past had subsided, and now, things were starting to feel normal. Getting to know the team a little more intimately helped her a lot with that.

…

…

As the “team bitch” I thought I’d be getting a lot more harassment. When I was originally made aware of my position on the totem pole, I pictured a lifestyle as a sex toy for the team, but it hasn’t been like that at all. Belladonna also mentioned being the team’s urinal, which I thought was serious at the time, but it turned out to just be her teasing me.

Of course, I have been… just not as often as I expected and only for Leanna and Belladonna. The others aren’t so into it, it turns out.

In fact, I learned a lot about the different team members.

Click you’ve already learned a little bit about. He puts on a tough facade. But in reality, he’s a real sweetie, very empathetic and even emotionally available in the comfort of home. Despite the toughness, he’s very much a bottom in bed, and also very shy when it comes to sex and sexuality. I feel like he wants to mess around with me sometimes but is too afraid to ask.

Leanna is very sexual, and very into long cuddles and closeness. I’ve noticed she has trouble sleeping alone. One night I woke up thirsty to see her lounging on the couch, tired and grumpy. When she saw me, she almost jumped to ask me if we could snuggle in my bed. She rarely wakes up alone, either, almost always winding up in my room, or Belladonna’s or Cherry’s.

Nox stands apart from the team. He’s asexual. In fact, he didn’t even participate when I was all puppied up for initiation. I learned after the fact that he just checked out after the fun started and went to bed early. And the dude can sleep. Like fifteen hours a day. He’s a heavy sleeper when it comes to light and sound, but lay a feather on him and he jolts awake like he was having a nightmare. I wonder how he manages to stay up so long when we’re on a job.

Cherry is very comforting, and the type of person who is always there to talk to if you need it. She does enjoy sex, but almost never asks for it. Her tongue is… umm… quite fun. Most of the time, she’s meditating, reading, or journaling. She likes spending lots of time in quiet contemplation.

Then there’s the boss. Belladonna is quite adventurous, and out of our group, the only clear dominant top among us. She says she switches sometimes, but I’ve literally never seen it happen. Maybe I’ll get the chance sometime. Leanna and her are the only two that really like to touch a lot. They’re constantly grabbing each other and grabbing me. Belladonna is way more aggressive and persistent about it though.

If Leanna wants sex from me, she’ll tease, touch, push, play, and will eventually ask. Belladonna will just push me into a wall and grind against me until I’m hard for her. I kinda enjoy both.

…

…

At about four in the morning one day, Vixy was awoken to the movements of Leanna climbing into her bed. She turned her head to see who it was, or rather to confirm who it was. The leopard girl was half asleep, and nuzzled into Vixy’s back as she wrapped her arms around her.

“Hi Leanna,” Vixy said softly.

“Sorry,” Leanna whispered to her. “Did I wake you?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Vixy told her. “Can’t sleep?”

Leanna shook her head.

“Why do you always have trouble sleeping?” Vixy asked her. As she asked, she turned around to face her.

Leanna shook her head again. “I don’t wanna…”

Vixy nodded to her, and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “Okay,” she said.

Leanna opened her eyes again, and smirked at the fox. She pushed her onto her back and rolled on top of her, a low growl in her throat as her tail swished back and forth under the sheets.

“Oh?” Vixy asked her, looking up.

Leanna nodded, and leaned down to kiss the fox on the lips this time. “Yes,” she said. “If that’s okay.” Vixy nodded. The two were already naked. Nudity was commonplace in the home, especially while sleeping. As Leanna pushed her hips down, she began to grind her pussy against Vixy’s bare cock, which was already getting hard. “Do you like having sex with me, or do you just do it because you think you have to?” she suddenly asked.

Vixy looked up at her, confused. “Huh?” she asked. “Do I… like having sex with you? Yes, Leanna, I do like it.”

Leanna smiled and leaned down to kiss the girl’s neck. “Are you sure? Because it’s okay if you don’t, but I wanna know. I’ll stop if you don’t want me to.”

“Why so nervous?” Vixy asked her as she reached down to feel her slit, sliding a couple fingers through the lips.

“Lots of prey will just fuck you out of fear,” Leanna told her. “You probably know. I just… feel like sometimes I can’t have a consensual encounter with them.”

Vixy nodded to that. “I know what you mean,” Vixy said. “I’ve been on both ends of that stick before.”

Leanna pulled back, and reached down to grab at Vixy’s cock, directing the tip to her entrance and slowly sliding herself down on top of it, letting out a soft moan as she did. “How do you know you’re not taking advantage of someone who is made to be afraid to say no?”

Vixy shook her head, and bent down to kiss Leanna’s head again. “Tough question,” she said. “I definitely don’t feel pressured with you. You always ask. And I love the way you tease.”

Leanna smiled, and began to grind her hips up and down Vixy’s shaft. “I know some trans girls can still… y’know,” she said slyly. “Do the deed.”

“Do the… oh,” Vixy said. Then she laughed a little bit. “I assumed you were taking pills or something. Wait, should we have been using protection?”

“So you can?” Leanna asked, smiling down at her.

Vixy blinked, and shook her head. “Oh,” she said, starting to squirm. “Oh, no. I mean, yes, I can, but I don’t want to. I don’t want kids, Leanna.”

Leanna didn’t let her go, and gripped her by her shoulders as she started to hump her more rapidly. “Don’t worry about it,” Leanna said softly. “It’ll be fine.”

Vixy stopped squirming, but looked a bit nervous. “It’s uh, why is it fine?”

Leanna growled a little, getting aggressive. She might’ve been worried about Vixy’s consent before but now seemed like it was a non-issue. Leanna even bit down lightly at Vixy’s ear, which made her start squirming again. “I like the struggle,” she said. “I’ll tell you after you cum.”

Vixy tried to push Leanna off of her, but Leanna grabbed her hands and pinned them down at her side. “Bad girl,” she said, the aggression levels ramping up dramatically. As she thrust up and down, Vixy started to shudder, trying to hold it back, but it was useless. Before long, Vixy was blowing her load into Leanna’s pussy. Once she felt it, Leanna gave herself permission to cum, too, and let out as quiet a moan as she could before falling down against Vixy.

Vixy breathed heavily and petted Leanna’s head slowly. “Have you been trying to get pregnant this whole time?” she asked.

Leanna groaned a little. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I can’t… I’m sterilized.”

“Huh?” Vixy asked her.

Then, Leanna picked her head up to look down at the fox. Slowly, she lifted her hands up to her head, and started to part her hair, pulling it back down to the scalp where Vixy could see a small pair of… horns?

“You’re a hybrid,” Vixy whispered.

…

…

Let me introduce you… to the Hybrid Sterilization Act of 2043. Before 2043, predator-prey relationships were banned completely. The existence of species that couldn’t be told apart as predator and prey threatened the caste system altogether. But in 2043, it was challenged and overruled in the courts, and a new law was shortly established. The relationships were unbanned, however, any offspring produced by such a relationship must be sterilized at birth, and double-checked at 13. Most hybrid animals are sterile anyways, but… this makes sure of it. Hybrids are also automatically classified as middling predators under the law.

Leanna’s a hybrid. She’s undergone forced sterilization. She can never have kids.

…

…

“Antelope,” she said. “My dad.”

“I think it’s kinda cool,” Vixy told her.

Leanna pulled off of Vixy’s dick and laid on her back beside her. “I don’t,” Leanna said. “When I was a kid I always pictured myself raising a family with a husband. I fantasized about it. When I was twelve, my mom sat me down and told me the truth. After I turned thirteen, I got my checkup and when it was all confirmed… giving up on my dreams was a hard thing to do.”

Vixy turned to her again, and wrapped her arms around her. “I see,” she said. “I remember my thirteenth birthday, too. My parents had a talk with me, leading up to it, explaining how dangerous my world was about to become. I think that messed with me in a bad way. I think the timing of it is what made me a vorephile.”

“I can’t have kids,” Leanna said. “I can’t get what I want in life. And to top it all off, I still go into heat every month, just to add insult to injury.”

“I thought of you as a pure apex predator,” Vixy told her.

Leanna growled at her. “I am.”

Vixy leaned back a little. “Sorry, I didn’t…”

“Never mind,” she said, turning her gaze down. “I shouldn’t take such offense to that.”

The fox leaned back in and nuzzled her neck. “Hey,” she said. “It’s okay. Your identity is your own.”

“Unlike your gender, though,” Leanna said. “The law doesn’t let me change it. I try to keep it hidden. You were gonna find out eventually, no secrets. But now that you know, you know not to tell anyone, right?”

Vixy shook her head. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

When they woke up in the morning, it was to a group message pinging both of their phones. “Wakey wakey you two,” Belladonna sent to just us. “I’ve got a job for you.”

“Just us?” Vixy asked back.

“Come to the office,” Belladonna told them.

Vixy looked at Leanna, still asleep, and kissed her cheek. “Give us a minute,” she said. After putting her phone down, she pushed at Leanna’s shoulder, trying to wake her. “Hey,” she said to her. “Bella’s got something for us in the office. We gotta get up.”

“What?” Leanna asked, starting to wake but very groggy. “Five more minutes…”

“No,” Vixy told her. “We’re working.”

Leanna shook her head and started to get up. “Okay, okay,” she said as she started getting up, and went to check her phone. Then, she got out of bed and headed out of Vixy’s room to go find some clothes. Vixy followed suit, putting some clothes on herself and waited for Leanna by the door.

It was still early in the morning when the two of them arrived to meet Belladonna. When they entered the office, there was a stranger there, sitting on the couch. She was a bunny, except… her hair was a bit scruffy, and she had claws, and a weird looking muzzle. A hybrid, like Leanna. What a coincidence, Vixy thought.

“Girls,” Belladonna said. “This is Nat. Nat, meet Leanna and Vixy.”

“Hello,” Nat said, giving them a wave. “Nice to meet you.”

“Okay,” Leanna said, taking a seat next to her on the couch and leaning back, still sleepy. “What’s going on now?”

Belladonna put the image of a new target on the video wall behind her desk. It was an elderly looking coyote. One eye was clearly blind, completely grayed out, and there was a cut on his upper lip. “What’s with the geezer?” Vixy asked, leaning against the wall.

“That’s my grandfather,” Nat said. “He’s a bastard, and a sick son of a bitch.”

“Fun story incoming,” Leanna said. Belladonna glared at Leanna, and tossed a paper trash ball at her, hitting her in the face. “Hey,” Leanna said, stirring up. She looked at Nat, then at Belladonna and nodded. “Sorry, sorry. I just woke up.”

“My dad, his son, was recently killed and eaten at a family gathering,” Nat said. “He’s kind of like… the family patriarch. Everyone’s afraid to go against him.”

“Your grandfather had your dad eaten for dinner… at a family gathering?” Vixy asked. “What the fuck…”

“Like I said, a real bastard,” Nat told her. “He said I’m next… once I turn 18. Obviously I’m not going back. But that’s both of my parents he’s killed now. And the rest of them, my family… they just go along with it.”

“Why?” Leanna asked. “What’s he got against you and your parents?”

“My mom was a jackelope,” Nat told her. “Grandfather did not approve. Approved even less after I was born. He had my mother kidnapped, cooked and served… to me… without telling me for my eleventh birthday. After years, my dad finally worked up the courage to stand up to him, and that’s how that turned out. I’m not going to sit around and wait for my turn. I figured out who he hired for my parents to be disposed of.”

“Huh?” Leanna asked.

“A company called Exotic Meals Inc,” Nat said, casting a darkened gaze over the three of them.

“Oh,” Leanna said. “If it’s any consolation…”

“I know it wasn’t your team,” Nat said. “That’s why I chose you. My first thought was to torch this building to the ground, but security’s too tight and concrete doesn’t burn well. Then I thought, hey, what better way to get back at the son of a bitch who killed my parents than by hiring the same company he used to kill them. There’s just one problem.”

“You already have a hit on you, don’t you?” Vixy asked.

Belladonna nodded to Vixy. “There’s only one way to stop EMI from taking a hit.”

“Kidnap one of their employees and threaten them?” Vixy asked.

Belladonna blinked, and snorted a little. “Okay, there two ways to stop an EMI hit. The other way is to outbid your would-be contractor. This is done in secret. Those who want to outbid must pay in full, in advance. This is done. I’ve sent a formal notification of the outbid, and the other team who took the job for Nat will stand down. They get 10% of our cut for playing along.”

“How much did it cost to save your skin?” Leanna asked her.

“I overpaid,” Nat told her. “The entirety of my dad’s life insurance, and everything I inherited from him, including house, car… I have nothing left but the clothes on my back.”

“That’s quite a… thing,” Vixy said. “Why not just outbid by 10% and be done with it?”

Nat shook her head. “For the special privilege of joining you,” she said. “I’m no trained killer, but I want in. I want to be there. I want to make sure my grandfather suffers for what he did. So I paid extra. This isn’t going to be a clean and simple execution. Plus, there’s the contingency…”

“What contingency?” Leanna asked.

Belladonna looked to Leanna, and then to Nat, who explained. “Several family members are loyal to my grandfather, and agree with his principles. They also want me dead. They think I’m a stain on the family bloodline. If we can get them all in one place, I want them done together. What I’m paying for is a designer drug…”

“Pup pop?” Vixy asked.

Belladonna put a glass tube on the desk. “We call it Mad Max,” she said. “It uses the same principles as the one you’re familiar with, Vixy. It messes with the parts of the brain that distinguish reality from imagination, except instead of loosening lips and making minds compliant, it triggers a panic episode by over-firing the brain’s flight-or-fight senses. Combine that with a little starvation among predators and… you can turn just about anyone into a feral beast looking to devour anything.”

“You want your family to slaughter each other,” Vixy said.

“Yes,” Nat said. “That’s what I’m hoping for, anyways. There’s a family gathering in two days. They think I’m on the menu, and as per usual, grandfather has demanded a fast until then.”

“It’s gonna be a slaughter,” Leanna said, a tinge of glee in her voice. “I’m so in.”

“One other thing,” Belladonna said. “Nat is also looking to join the company.”

“Our team’s kinda full now with Vixy,” Leanna said, looking at her.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to join you guys permanently,” Nat said. “But I understand you don’t have room right now. It’s a hope for a future opening.”

“Until then, she’s applied to the marketing team,” Belladonna said. “There’s a note on application that she’s mine as soon as I have an opening. This job will suffice for her interview test.”

“Why not include the others?” Leanna asked.

Belladonna looked at her, and then to Vixy, and then to Nat. “I figured, Leanna,” she said. “You would feel a personal connection to this one. I’ve noticed how close you are to Vixy, and just wanted make sure you’re in the right company while you’re out there. And Vixy… in addition to learning experience, I just want you to be there for Leanna if she needs you.”

“Okay,” Vixy said. “I always am.” Leanna gave a smile at that. Vixy saw it, and could tell that she made the girl comfortable.

“I assume you turn 18 in two days?” Leanna asked Nat.

“I turn 18 tomorrow,” Nat said. “Granddad likely wanted to give me a false sense of security.”

“Belladonna,” Leanna said.

“Yes?”

“Permission to give Nat a birthday party she deserves tomorrow afternoon?” Leanna asked. “If things go south, might be the only chance she gets.”

“That’s up to her,” Belladonna said. “But if you do, I’d be down to join, for sure. It’ll be on your tab, though.”

“Of course,” Leanna said. She then looked to the hybrid. “How’bout it? Wanna party with a bunch of trained assassins for your 18th?”

Nat thought about it for a little bit, and nodded. “Sure,” she said. “Uh… I know you’re rooms are full, but Belladonna said I could ask you two, specifically… maybe I could move in for a bit? Considering I sold my parents’ home for this job…”

Leanna looked to Vixy, who gave a slight nod. “I think that’s fine. In fact, you can take my room for now. I’ll sleep on the couch or find someone else to cuddle up to for the next few nights.”

“Awesome, thanks!” Nat said.

“Uh, just one thing, uh… we uh…”

“Walk around the house naked a lot?” Nat asked. “Belladonna already gave me the low down. It’s whatever.”

“Respect boundaries, ladies,” Belladonna said. “For the time being, Nat is a guest here, not a roommate.”

“Clothes stay on,” Leanna said. “Got it. What are the rest of the team going to be doing?”

“Another contract,” Belladonna said. “I figured since we’re about to hit the dry season, might as well double up if we can. Nox, Cherry, Click and myself… we’ll be working something a little more mundane.”

“What happens if the family doesn’t show?” Vixy asked. “I don’t understand the contingency bit.”

“Basically,” Belladonna said. “The client paid in advance. If we fail to fulfill the contingency plan, but complete the main job, we give her half the money back.”

“So… more bad guys, more money for us, got it.”

“Precisely,” Belladonna said. “Since Nat’s staying with us for a little bit, you can go ahead and take her to our room. I’m going to be meeting with the others in a few minutes for our job.”

“Thank you,” Nat said, standing up and nodding her head in respect towards Belladonna.

“Follow me,” Leanna said, heading out of the office. Nat followed directly behind her and Vixy was last out the door.

When we got back to the room, Leanna led Nat over to her room since she volunteered it for her stay. “So,” she said as she led the way in. Nat looked around at everything, seemingly happy with the new home she’d found, even if only temporarily. “What’s on the bucket list?” Leanna asked her as she led her into her room. “If tomorrow was gonna be the last night of your life, how would you want to spend it?”

“Blowin’ shit up,” Nat said. “Fireworks, shooting range, drive out into the desert. All of the above?”

“I like your style,” Leanna said. “But we should probably stay here to avoid any unwanted attention.”

“Last night of my life and I’m on house arrest?” Nat asked.

Leanna nodded. “Sorry.” The feline was gathering some of her things: her clothes, her toiletries, and more to bring to Vixy’s room. “If we want to make sure it’s not actually the last night, it’d be for the best.”

“I understand,” Nat said. She sat down on Leanna’s bed, and then laid down. “This is it… I’ll finally be free in a couple days. No more worrying about that old bastard and the rest of them. All it cost was… everything.”

Leanna sat down on the bed next to her, and sighed. “Yeah… I bet it’s a bittersweet thing, considering we’re the people you’re giving all your money to.”

“I’m not worried about that,” Nat said. “If I’m able to get that job Belladonna’s trying to hook me up with, and I can stay here until I can get a couple paychecks… I’ll be set.”

“So let’s focus on tomorrow,” Leanna said. “You’ll be 18. Legal drinking age, legal smoking age, legal age of consent. What should we do?”

“I don’t know,” Nat said. “I can never sleep in on my birthdays. Too anxious… or excited. But I do tend to lounge in bed despite it.”

“Favorite breakfast?” Leanna asked.

“Waffles,” Nat told her. “The big, fluffy kind. Banana batter. With real maple syrup and fluffy butter. I love those waffles.”

Leanna took out her phone and started making a list. “Waffles,” she said. “Any fruits with that?”

“Strawberries,” Nat told her. “And no chocolate. Everyone always tries to add chocolate, it’s too much.”

“No… chocolate…” Leanna parroted while typing. “Big breakfast… skip lunch and do dinner?”

“Hell yeah,” Nat said. “Keep it simple. Pizza. New York Style.”

“I know the place for that,” Leanna told her. “Cake?”

“Not big on cake,” Nat said. “But uh… ice cream? Mint chocolate chip.”

Leanna wrote it all down, and nodded along. “Okay, so,” she said. “That’s the food menu down. Any shows, movies or games you enjoy?”

“Huge cinephile,” Nat told her. “I’ll watch just about anything. If we’re playing games, I like tabletop. Not like D&D, there’s not enough time for that. But we could do something like Catan or Munchkin.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve played Settlers of Catan,” Leanna said. “Deck-building games, though, that’s your jam?”

“Yeah, absolutely,” Nat told her. “I like gambling. But… don’t have any money to gamble.”

“I’m sure we can make some fun of it,” Leanna said before getting up. “Let me go put these in Vixy’s room. Come hang out with us in the living room when you’re ready. Oh, and one more thing?”

“What?” Nat said.

“Do you have any social media?” Leanna asked. Nat nodded. “Turn it off.” Nat nodded to that, and then got up to follow Leanna back out as she left.

When the next morning came, Vixy and Leanna had already woken up early. They were hanging out, chatting in the kitchen while they cooked when Nat woke up and got out of bed. “Oh hey, you’re up early,” Leanna told her.

“I smell waffles,” Nat said. She was wearing the same clothes she slept in, the same ones she had been wearing since she first met them.

“We’re still cooking,” Vixy said as she dropped batter onto the griddle. “You wanna get showered and change into something clean?”

“I don’t have anything clean,” Nat said. “Sold it all, remember.”

“We’re about the same size,” Leanna said. “Go digging into my stuff, find something you want to wear. There’s plenty of wash and shampoo in the shower, and we keep spare towels in the linen closet in the hallway.”

“Thanks,” Nat said, a smile on her face. She went to turn to go back to Leanna’s room, but not before both of the other women gave her an exuberant “Happy Birthday!”

When she finished showering, she returned to the living room where a stack of Belgian waffles was sitting on the coffee table, complete with syrup, butter, and strawberries, exactly like Nat had asked for. She found a team jersey to wear, with black and teal as the colors and it was over-sized so it hung down over her hips like a dress.

“Welcome back,” Vixy said. “Come sit and eat!”

Leanna was staring at Nat, stunned to silence. Her hand shook and she nearly dropped her fork before she put it down, and quickly got up to go into Vixy’s room. Vixy noticed her leave, and then looked back at Nat. “What happened?” Nat asked.

“I… don’t know,” Vixy said. “Let me go find out.”

…

…

I walk into my room. I am not prepared for the sight I am about to see. Leanna is sitting on the bed, on the side opposite the door, facing the wall, motionless. I can hear the faintest of whimpers coming from her. “Leanna?” I ask, nervous.

“Just… just go be with Nat, please,” Leanna says, choking back tears.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

Leanna slowly turns to me. I can see tears streaking down her face, and she bares her teeth at me. “Get out. OUT!” Suddenly taking to shouting, I decide to leave my room and return to the living room to a very confused Nat.

“What happened?” Nat asks me again.

“I don’t know,” I say. “I really… don’t know.”

As we both stay there in uncomfortable silence, Leanna comes out of the room wearing a hoodie, hood up. I can hear her crying behind it, but she doesn’t want us to see. Without a word, she opens the door to the unit, and slams it behind her. Just afterwards, I can hear her running down the hall.

“Fuck,” I say. “I really don’t know what’s wrong… Give me a minute, Nat. Enjoy your waffles, dig in. I’m gonna contact Belladonna and see if I can figure this out.”

Nat nods, and turns her attention back to her breakfast to begin eating while I retreat to my room to call my boss. The phone rings, and rings… and she doesn’t pick up. I call again. This time, I get an answer. “What’s up, Vixy?” Belladonna asks me.

“Something really weird just happened with Leanna,” I tell her. “She just… started crying and went to my room. I tried to ask what was wrong and she yelled at me. Then she stormed out without another word.”

“Oh fuck,” Belladonna says. “What happened right before that?”

“We made waffles for Nat, for her birthday, and she went to take a shower when we finished cleaning up and went and grabbed some fresh clothes from Leanna’s room. Oh wait, no, all her clothes were in my room, I guess she forgot.”

“Wait, so did Nat find something clean to wear?”

“Yeah,” I tell her.

Belladonna sighs into the speaker. “What’d she find?”

“Some jersey, looks too big for either of them.”

Belladonna sighs again, and then says nothing. I can hear her breathing, deep in thought. “Nat cannot wear that,” she finally tells me. “Find her some other clothes. Any clothes. Tell her to put that back where she found it.”

“Bell,” I say. “What… what is it?”

She sighs once more. It is a story I can tell, and I can tell it’s a story she does not want to tell. But I feel now I need to know. “No secrets,” Belladonna tells me after a while. “Okay. Our last job… our last real job when we had a full team, before you. You know already Pierre was a contact for that one. We had just had… an extensive and volatile discussion in private about cutting Pierre off of our list of contacts. I gave her an ultimatum. It was a mistake. She gave me her two weeks notice on the spot. She was so angry, and I was so unsympathetic. She was still with us for that job of course. Two weeks means two weeks. When it came time for the action, her head was not in it. She was there, but mentally, she was already totally checked out.”

“It belonged to the previous team member, didn’t it?” I ask. “The jersey.”

“Her high school team,” Belladonna tells me. “Sandy was her name, a river otter. She was fast. Like you. She was feisty. And she was willing to take just about any dive for the team. Including handling Pierre for that job. It made Leanna feel really guilty. Those two were close. Inseparable. More than the way the job was going, I think she felt guilty about leaving Sandy. She didn’t tell Sandy about putting in her two weeks, not at first. Boy, did she pick a hell of a time, though. Sandy was a sharpshooter. Never seen her miss a shot. Until then.”

“Oh…” I say back, locked into the story. “That’s what went wrong?”

“It was far from the only thing,” Belladonna says. “But in that moment, it was the most important thing. Our target was an alligator named Jorge. We were in the middle of conversation, distracting him. That missed shot tipped him off to everything. He grabbed a pair of sawed-off shotguns from under his desk and let loose. We all took cover but we all took hits. He bounded out of there, knew his number was up. I was hit. Click was hit. Nox was hit. Cherry was left to tend to our wounds while Leanna and Sandy were the only ones left to get Jorge. They chased him down, but he was ready for them. He dropped one gun to reload the other, and when Sandy busted open the door he hid behind, it was over. Two shots, point-blank, one to the head, the other to the chest. There was hardly anything of her left to bury, and it happened right in front of Leanna. Jorge fled, and became another team’s contract.”

“But she’s still here?” I ask. “Surely after that…”

“Being here,” Belladonna tells me. “Isn’t the same as being here. She sat in her room, Sandy’s room… your room… for hours. We brought her food, water. She would get up to use the bathroom, fall asleep on Sandy’s bed and wake up again. When the two weeks were up, I went in to ask about it, but she just shook her head. I asked again the next day, the next day… finally, I told her I had to fill that room, that bed. ‘I’ll stay,’ she said. Then, I sent you an email.”

“That’s unbelievable,” I say, shocked at the story. “When I first met Leanna, and every fucking day since, she’s always been the same. Except maybe once… in the car on the way to Pierre’s. Her mind was out of it. And after things… changed…”

“I need you to try and talk to her,” Belladonna tells me. “I think… you might be the only one who can.”

…

…

“Hey Nat,” Vixy said after ending the conversation with Belladonna, and returning to the living room. “So… there’s plenty of clothes in my room you can wear. I need you to change into some of them, and then put that one right back where you found it.”

Nat looked at her, but was starting to catch on. “Okay,” she said. “No problem.”

“I’m going to go find Leanna,” she then explained. “Can you please save us a waffle or two?”

Nat gave a thumbs up as she stuffed another bite into her mouth. “Got it,” she said, slightly muffled by the waffle.

Vixy left the room, but didn’t put on a real hurry until after she was away, not wanting to alarm Nat any further. In a hurry, she ran to the elevator, and went down to the lobby where one of the security guards was. “Hey!” Vixy shouted. “Did Leanna leave?”

The board looked back to her, and shook his head. “I haven’t seen her, or anyone for the last hour or so.”

“I need to find her,” Vixy said. “Who’s on cameras?”

“Doug,” he told me.

Racing up the stairs this time, Vixy rounded a corner and knocked loudly and repeatedly on a door in the hallway. “Can I help you?” Doug said from inside.

“It’s Vixy,” she shouted through the door. “I need to find Leanna. Do you see here anywhere?”

The door opened, and a porcupine let Vixy in. “Hi Vixy. Looking for Leanna? Sounds like an emergency…” He sat back on a swivel chair and pulled himself up to some monitors. As he flipped through different viewpoints, he nearly skipped over her.

“There, go back,” Vixy said.

Doug turned the camera back to see a door closing. “Was that her?” he asked. “Why’s she on the roof?”

Vixy ran out of the security office and bolted up the stairs. The elevator was not fast enough for her. “Oh,” Doug said to himself. “Oh that’s not good.” He then got onto a security channel and called for help. “I need security up on the roof on tower A. Got a potential jumper I think.”

Vixy bust through the rooftop access door and nearly collapsed as she caught her breath. It only took a second, all that training paying off, and then she moved towards a hooded figure sitting on the edge of the rooftop. “Leanna!” she cried out. “Don’t move!”

Leanna didn’t respond. She just sat there, looking down at the ground more than fifteen stories up.

Vixy ran over to her, only slowing down to keep herself from sliding off the edge. “Leanna…”

“Don’t come any closer,” Leanna said. She pulled a handgun out, and pointed it at Vixy.

The fox immediately put her hands up and backed off. “Leanna, why do you have a gun up here? What are you doing?”

Two security guards came bursting through the door next, and started rushing them. Vixy held a hand up to them, trying to get them to stop as Leanna got up, and pointed the gun towards them. “I knew someone would try and stop me,” she said. “That’s why I brought the gun. So unless you want to jump with me, shut the fuck up, and leave me alone.”

“Okay,” Vixy said. She put her hands down and casually walked back to the edge of the building, standing on the ledge about six feet from Leanna.

“What?” Leanna said. She pointed the gun at her, and then at the guards to keep them from closing. “Seriously, Vixy? What are you doing?”

“You said unless I want to jump with you,” Vixy told her. “Let’s do this.”

“I’m not falling for your bluff, Vixy,” Leanna shouted at her angrily. “I know you’re just pretending like you will to get me to back off.”

“I’m not bluffing,” Vixy said. “We all live life on the edge. Might as well be on this one too. If you or some other predator can jump me at any moment just because they’re hungry, then why shouldn’t I be willing to end it on my own terms?”

Leanna groaned and pointed the gun at Vixy. “I swear to god, fox, if you jump off this roof, I will shoot you before you hit the ground.”

“Good luck,” Vixy said. She looked over the edge, and breathed heavily. Her heart was pounding out of her chest. “You know I’m actually afraid of heights. This is fucking terrifying.”

“Then get back.” Leanna said.

“You first!” Vixy shouted. Suddenly, she slipped, and fell down. Her knee landed on the ledge, and one foot dangled off. She panted in terror, hands gripping the ledge on either side.

“Oh come on,” Leanna shouted with a groan. The guards started to move closer as Leanna grabbed her head in frustration. When she saw them, she pointed the gun again. “No, no!”

“She needs help!” one of them shouted.

Leanna groaned, and nodded. “I’ll fucking help her,” she said. Slowly, keeping her sights trained on the guards, she inched her way over to Vixy. Once there, she got down on the roof, and held a hand to Vixy for her to grab. “Come on, you’re gonna do this.”

Vixy took the hand, and slowly, carefully, got off the ledge. But she didn’t let go. She quickly tugged Leanna back from the ledge herself, making her lose her grip on the pistol. “And neither are you!” Vixy shouted at her in retort. The guards ran over and tackled Leanna to the floor.

Leanna struggled for a little bit while Vixy secured the gun. Once she checked it, she found that it wasn’t loaded, and there wasn’t even a bullet in the chamber. When Leanna saw this, she started laughing. “You really thought I’d do it, huh?” she asked.

“Yes,” Vixy said.

Leanna shook her head as the guards picked her up, hands cuffed behind her back, and started walking her back inside. “Well I wouldn’t. I’d never shoot a team member… or a friend… or a lover.”

Vixy perked at her words, and offered a smirk. “You fucking dork,” she muttered. Then, she called Belladonna back to tell her what happened.

Once Vixy got back into the building, she followed the guards as they escorted Leanna back to their shared room. “You sure we should be letting her go?” one of them asked as they arrived at the door.

“I’m not gonna try again now,” Leanna said. “Or at least… not for like… a few weeks? I dunno.”

Vixy shook her head. “I won’t give you the chance, actually,” she said. “I’m going to be keeping an eye on you at all times.”

“Vixy,” Leanna said as the guards removed her handcuffs. “I can take you. You’re not going to stop me.”

“Stopped you once,” she said.

Leanna just laughed and nodded. “Yeah, I guess you did,” she said, and then sighed. “Look, I promise I’m not going to repeat what happened to day. I can’t promise that it’ll never be this bad again, but… I can promise that I am not going to put it on you. Or anyone on the team.”

“Forgive me, Leanna,” Vixy said, rolling her eyes. “But I don’t believe you. I don’t… I don’t trust you.”

“That’s fair,” she said, taking a deep breath.

Vixy wrapped an arm around her. “But,” she said. “I just want to keep you safe. I just don’t want you to do anything like that. I still like you… lover, maybe, even… that’s what you said, anyways.”

Leanna shook her head. “I don’t know if I’ll ever fall in love again,” she said. “But if I could… you’d be a good start. Now come on, I don’t want to keep thinking about this right now, much less talking about it.”

Vixy nodded, and opened the room door, walking her in.

…

…

I could tell you the details about Nat’s birthday party after that. But honestly, it was just a good time. Nothing really noteworthy happened and that was probably the best part about it. We all had a blast, and went to bed late, knowing that tomorrow we had work to do.

Nat was quiet that day. Barely said a word outside of acknowledgments and greetings. Her mind was steadfast and focused. Everything was coming down to this.

It was just the three of them driving out into the desert, to the Josephine ranch, where Nat’s grandfather, and his loyal family members, were already gathered. Nat was bound by chains in the back seat. It was all part of the ploy.

“When we get there,” Leanna said. “Let me do the talking.”

“Okay,” Vixy told her. Nat just nodded.

The car pulled up to the house, and Vixy and Leanna got out first. Leanna came around, and moved Vixy’s seat down to pull Nat out of the cramped back seat. Three family members, each armed with guns, greeted them at the door.

“Well how’bout it,” one of them said. “One hybrid bunny-fucked monstrosity, right in time for dinner. You’re early, even.”

“Only by ten minutes,” Leanna said. “Should we take her around back?”

“No, no,” one of them said. “We’ll take her right through the front. Like a prized chicken.”

Leanna nodded to Vixy, who walked Nat up to them. “Our payment?” Leanna asked as they took possession of her. Vixy and Nat both looked to Leanna. Vixy was slightly confused by the request, and Nat started to get worried.

“Right, right,” the first one said. “Come on in, grandpappy’ll take care of ya’ll.”

“What?” Nat asked. “Wait, what?” She started to struggle.

Vixy went to Leanna and whispered. “Was this part of the plan?”

“Shut up,” Leanna whispered back. “I talk. You… zip it.”

When they got inside, Nat was taken, frightful and starting to cry, into the kitchen in the back while everyone inside hooted and hollered, a pack of coyotes indeed. Vixy followed Leanna into a large, dim-lit den area where the old man was sitting on a recliner.

“Papi,” one of them said. “These ladies said they need payment.”

“I already paid ya!” the man shouted. He looked up at Vixy and Leanna and snarled.

Now Vixy was very confused. She shrunk, but Leanna stared, deadpan. “You paid the estimate,” Leanna said. “Our assurance at EMI is that if you are being outbid, we will return with a counteroffer.”

“Outbid?” he asked. He stood up, and looked her in the eye.

“That’s right,” she said. “Nat offered a hefty sum for your head instead. 10% on top of her offer is our new fee.”

The old man chuckled a little, and walked over to a desk, pulling out a checkbook. “Well,” he said. “That’s some quality service. What’s the balance?”

Leanna pulled out her phone, and checked something before nodding. “Eleven-thousand, five-hundred and eighty-two, and sixty-nine cents.”

As Leanna spoke, the old man wrote down the numbers, cut the check, and walked over to Leanna to hand it over. “We’re all settled?” he asked.

“All settled,” Leanna said.

“Good,” he told her. “Now… if you feel so inclined, I’d invite you to join us for dinner.”

“No can do,” Leanna said, turning toward the door.

Vixy stood there, stunned at what just happened. “Leanna,” she said. The feline turned back, and backhanded Vixy across the face without a thought, and then turned to go.

Afraid, and confused, Vixy just rubbed her cheek, and walked after her. When they got outside, Leanna got into the car, and looked out of the car at Vixy. “What are you waiting for, Vixy?” she asked. “Get in.”

The fox looked around. Surrounded by desert, it wasn’t much of a choice. She got into the car and sat there in stunned silence. Leanna turned the key, started the engine, and started to drive away.

“Okay,” Vixy said, breathing heavily. “Leanna… Leanna… what the fuck?!” She went from stunned and quiet to an absolute meltdown on a dime. “Are you fucking serious? Are we fucking serious right now?!”

Leanna smirked, and looked over at her. “What?” she asked. “We got some extra cash. Something the matter?”

Vixy nodded. “Uh, yeah!” she said. “We just spent a whole day celebrating with that girl. We were on her side! And we just… sold her out, just like that?!”

“Oh Vixy,” Leanna said. “So naive of the ways of the world. Are we in the revenge business or the money business?”

Vixy turned her gaze away, and just stared out the window. She stopped talking, and just ignored Leanna. After driving for about twenty minutes, they stopped at a fuel stop, and Leanna pulled into the gas station before getting out to pump some gas.

While they sat there, another vehicle pulled up, and out came Belladonna and Nox. Vixy saw them, but didn’t really react, she just pouted and crossed her arms.

“Did it work?” Belladonna asked.

Leanna nodded. “Like a fuckin’ charm.”

The shark nodded, and looked to Vixy. “Not taking it well?” she asked.

Leanna shrugged. “Not really, no.”

“No secrets,” Belladonna said. “I think it’s time we let her in on the actual plan.” Vixy’s ears turned to Belladonna’s words, and she raised a brow at her. The shark came over to the side of the car, and leaned into the window. “Hey Vixy,” she said, a smile on her face. “I am really really sorry, but I have to confess now, that I deceived you. Please don’t be mad.”

Vixy looked at her. “Can you fucking explain, now, please?”

“You know how I told you the rest of us were working another job?” she asked. Vixy nodded. “Well, we were working the other half of this job. Cherry and Click are on the way to the house right now.”

“Huh?” Vixy asked.

“We’re going back,” Belladonna told her. She took a deep breath. “It’s very much against EMI policy to take a competing bid from a target. Even more-so to warn a target about their impending doom. If you want to turn us in, you’d be able to when we got back.”

Vixy shook her head. “I… why didn’t you just tell me? I thought we just betrayed Nat.”

Belladonna shook her head. “Hell no,” she said. “I like Nat. I took the job to off her mother seven years ago. Met her for the first time then. I missed the job for her dad… But Nat… After I realized what was happening…” She shook her head again. “I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t let her die that way. I took her grandpa’s job, and warned Nat.”

“Why tell me this now?” Vixy asked.

“We had to play this very carefully,” Belladonna told her. “This move isn’t just going to get us in trouble with EMI if we get caught, but it’s totally illegal. We could wind up in jail.”

Vixy nodded. “Okay,” she said. “So…”

“So,” Belladonna said. “On your initiation night, you took a trust fall for us. Now, I’m giving you the same shot with us. If you turn us in, you’ll probably get to keep your job, maybe even take my job, and won’t go to jail. If you don’t… you’ll never be able to again.”

Vixy nodded again. “I’m not going to turn you in,” Vixy said. “Can we go save Nat, now?”

Belladonna nodded. “Sorry, again,” she said. “No secrets is a very important rule to me… but I really needed to know you’re on our side.” Leanna got back into the car after filling up, and Belladonna left to hop back in the van with Nox. Then, they drove off back towards the ranch.

When they arrived at the ranch, Leanna parked a little farther away to hide the car over a ridge. They made it up to the house where Cherry and Click were already in the kitchen. When Vixy got inside, she saw Nat standing off to the side, unbound, and ran to her to give her a hug. Nat wasn’t expecting it. She wasn’t aware of the plan, but didn’t imagine Vixy wouldn’t be looped in.

“I’m so sorry,” Vixy said to her.

Nat hugged her back and smiled, whispering back to her. “You’re fine.”

When Vixy left Nat’s side, she looked back at the room. Everything was being prepare. Belladonna was dosing meaty looking appetizers with the Mad Max. Click poked Nat in the side, and she let out a sudden, and blood-curdling scream before whimpering and crying. “Please… make it st-top.”

Vixy turned back around to look at Nat and then covered her mouth as she bowed forward laughing at her as quietly as possible. Nat started giggling a little back. As they laughed, Leanna brushed her knuckles against Vixy’s cheek, the exact spot she smacked her before. Vixy got the memo quickly and quieted down.

Click walked out with the tray of unknown meat, and handed it out. Before long, he came back. Then, everyone sat there, and waited. It wouldn’t take long before Mad Max took its ilk. But it wasn’t instantaneous.

Out in the room, the fun was about to begin.

Chatter and laughter turned to growling and snarling, and shortly after, a rumble began.

“There’s your cue,” Belladonna said to Nat.

Nat nodded, took a deep breath, and walked out of the kitchen. As she walked through the room, and the coyotes were all brawling with each other, she stood over it all, and looked across the room to her grandfather. He snarled at her, and struggled to get up, his bad leg getting harder to deal with in his state.

Nat gave a smirk, and walked towards him. She grabbed a gun off of an end table, and pulled back the slide, letting it snap, mostly for dramatic effect. The other family members all started to look up at her, turning their anger and attention to her.

BANG!

The first shot rang out, Nat firing the gun right into her uncle’s head. Then, she turned the gun to cousin, aimed it at her head, and pulled the trigger.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

The shots kept ringing out. Leanna entered to watch the show from closer on. Vixy followed in after.

BANG!

BANG!

Finally, Nat pointed the gun right at her grandfather’s head. She didn’t waste a single moment, firing the gun.

BANG!

Then, she let her arm rest, and turned to walk towards the front door.

Leanna sighed. “And here I thought we were gonna watch them all eat each other,” she said. Then, everyone started walking out with Nat.

Outside, Nat sat on the front porch step, and set the gun down beside her to rest her hands on her knees, and stared into the distance. Leanna sat down next to her and Vixy came out to watch what would happen. In the meantime, Belladonna and the rest of the team grabbed the weapons and ammo they could find.

“That was fast,” Leanna told Nat.

“Yeah…” Nat said. “In the end, I guess… I didn’t really care how much they suffered. I just wanted them to know that they lost. I got what I wanted.”

“Good,” Leanna said.

“You had me going,” Nat said. “I thought you really were trading me in.”

“It’s what we were supposed to do,” Leanna said. “Don’t tell anyone.”

“That stuff though,” Nat said. “The drug. Mad Max.”

“What about it?” Leanna asked.

“It works well,” Nat told her. “Really well. Can you imagine what we could do with that?”

“We?” Leanna asked.

“I know,” Nat said. “I can smell it, plus when Belladonna originally said we had a common interest, I kinda figured it out quick.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Leanna told her.

“Okay, fine, but… just imagine, what if?”

“What if what?”

Nat looked at her, and then to Vixy. “Imagine what would happen if we could mass produce it, get it into meat supplies. Predators would eat each other alive.”

Leanna looked at her and raised a brow. “You’re crazy,” she said. “Are you really suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”

Nat looked back up to Vixy again. “You know what I’m talking about,” she said. “Predators rule the world. We could end that.”

“I am a predator,” Leanna said.

“Not an apex,” Nat said. “Middling by law. And Vixy is lower if anything. You can’t tell me you’re okay with living under a boot your whole life, can you?”

“I mean,” Vixy said. “I won’t lie, I’ve thought about it. But that’s crazy. Leanna’s right. I’ve eaten prey, too. And my friends are apex predators. I don’t want them to die.”

“Maybe you’ll come around,” Nat said.

“Or you will,” Vixy said, getting up to go back into the house to help.

The team spent the next half hour cleaning house. After the guns and ammo, they cut and packed as much coyote meat as they could. As time was running out, they all finished packing, and drove out.

“What was that about?” Leanna asked Vixy as they rode back together. It was just the two of them and Nat was riding in another vehicle.

“What?” Vixy asked.

“Back there,” Leanna said. “What Nat said. You think she was being serious about that?”

“Oh that stuff,” Vixy said. She shook her head. “I don’t know. What do you think?”

“I think it was unhinged,” Leanna said. “I’m a fucking predator. She can play prey all she wants but we both know her lineage. I don’t know what she expects exactly. She wants to kill us? All of us?”

“Wants us to kill each other,” Vixy said. “Wouldn’t that just make all predators more dangerous everywhere though? What’s going to stop them… us from mauling her or any other prey animals, right?”

“Right,” Leanna said. “It’s fucking crazy. Why would she suggest it though? What’s she trying to get out of us?”

Vixy shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said. “Maybe she’s just angry, and worked up after the action. Probably feels invincible.”

“Yeah well she’s not,” Leanna said. “I know better than anyone, I think… she’s fucking not. And saying that shit around a predator is going to get her killed.”

“Did you want to kill her?” Vixy asked.

Leanna shook her head. “No,” she said. “But what if Belladonna heard her? What if it was Jayce on the other end of that conversation?”

“Jayce wouldn’t take the threat seriously,” Vixy said. “He’d dismiss her entirely, and probably just not want to be friends anymore.”

“Well Belladonna would take it seriously,” Leanna said. “I’m considering eating her myself. She basically just threatened me.”

“I think she made it pretty clear she doesn’t consider you or me a target,” Vixy said.

“Well… I’m gonna tell Belladonna,” Leanna said. Immediately, she called Belladonna’s cell phone. “She needs to know what was said.”

…

…

Does she? Does she have to know? The whole job was kept secret from me, despite Belladonna’s proclamation that there wouldn’t be any secrets between us. Maybe some secrets are worth keeping. And what would Belladonna do now, anyways? Stop the car and bury Nat in the desert?

“Hey Bell, it’s Leanna,” Leanna says, speaking through the speaker phone in the car.

“What is it?” Belladonna asks.

“Are you on speaker?” Leanna asks.

“No, why?”

“Gotta tell you something,” Leanna says. “About Nat.”

“What’s up?”

I look at Leanna. She’s determined. Maybe I can stop her somehow? “Hi Belladonna,” I say.

“Hi, Vixy,” Belladonna says. “What’s this you were saying though?”

“Vixy and I were outside with her while you were packing up. She brought up the Mad Max. She mentioned… implied… using it against us.”

“What?” Belladonna asks, suddenly shocked.

“Not us,” I say.

“Not specifically no,” Leanna says.

“Oh,” Belladonna says. “I don’t understand. What do you mean?”

“She mentioned… using it against predators. Like some… genocidal shit,” Leanna tells her. “I don’t think Vixy’s overly concerned, but it put me off. I just thought you should know.”

“Vixy,” Belladonna says. “Is that true? You seem to have… a different recounting.”

“It’s…” I say. How do I even justify it? I can’t… “It’s in the ballpark. I believe, specifically, she said something about mass producing the drug, poisoning meat supplies, and getting predators to go mad and feed on each other. I guess it was pretty off key. We asked about us, and she said we didn’t count because we weren’t apex predators.”

“Then Vixy told her that we both have friends who are,” Leanna says. “It shut her up real quick.”

“Okay,” Belladonna says back. “And, it doesn’t sound like she was being too serious.”

“No,” I tell her. “I don’t think it was. I think she was just riding the high of her first kill. She doesn’t want to hurt us. She’s just not thinking about the consequences.”

“Nat,” Belladonna says. Oh no. Is she in trouble? The speaker phone was turned on.

“What’s up?” Nat asks in the background.

“Did you say anything about killing predators back there?” Belladonna asks.

Nat goes silent. We all stay silent, for a whole minute and then some. I was not expecting a direct confrontation like this.

“You did, Nat,” Leanna tells her.

“Yes,” Nat says. “I did.”

“What did you say?” Belladonna asks.

I can hear Nat starting to sniffle up in the background, a mixture of fear and betrayal. “I said… that… I said it could be used against predators.”

“No,” Leanna says, insisting on Nat’s honesty. “You said we. You said we could use it against predators.”

“Yeah,” Nat says. “That’s what I said.”

“Nat,” Belladonna begins to ask her. “Do you want me dead?”

“No!” Nat insists, objecting to the sentiment. “Of course not. You’re the ones who helped me save myself. You helped me get revenge for my parents… I just thought…”

“What?” Leanna asks.

“I thought you were the good guys,” Nat tells us. “You seemed… interested in helping me not just for money, but because it was the right thing. And I just…” She sniffles. I feel so bad for her, and I know there’s a very good chance that Belladonna is going to put an end to her right here and now. “You know how it is. How unfair it is. Just because my mom was a jackelope, I’m considered a lesser species. And I thought you cared about that.”

“I’m not lesser,” Leanna mutters, pressing her foot to the gas.

“Fuck you,” Nat says. “I didn’t call you lesser. I said I knew you were a hybrid. I thought you’d empathize with me because of it. If you think hybrids are lesser species, then that’s you! You’re the one who thinks we’re second class.”

Leanna goes from speeding to suddenly slamming on the brakes. She throws the gear into park and gets out of the car, slamming the door behind her, leaving me to talk to Belladonna and Nat.

“Leanna?” Belladonna asks.

“She got out,” I tell her. “I don’t think she’s taking this well.”

“No shit,” Belladonna says.

“It’s the truth,” Nat says, coldly. “And if she can’t handle that, then, well, that’s her problem, not mine.”

“Nat, shut up,” Vixy says. “Just… stop talking. You’re digging your own grave!”

“Fuck off, Vixy,” Nat says to me. “You think I don’t already know that? You think I don’t know what’s going to happen next?”

“Out of curiosity,” Belladonna says. “What do you think is going to happen next?”

“Belladonna,” I start to beg. “I know it’s a hard sell right now, but please don’t hurt her! She’s just a kid! She doesn’t know…”

“Hold up,” Belladonna says. “Hold the phone. Just stop right there, everyone. Nat… I’m not going to kill you. First of all, you’re my client. Second of all, I don’t disagree with what you’re saying. Talking to Leanna can be… a touchy thing. She’s been through some serious shit recently.”

I breathed easy, at first, but then I remember that Belladonna just got through exposing the biggest lie she ever told me. Can I trust her?

“So have I,” Nat says.

“And you’re also a bit touchy right now, aren’t you?” Belladonna tells her directly. “Vixy, tell Leanna to get back here and talk to me, please.”

“Okay,” I say. “Leanna!” I call out.

“What?” Leanna says, arms crossed, looking away.

“Bell wants to talk to you,” I tell her.

Leanna sighs, rolling her eyes at me, and coming back. “What is it?” she asked, poking her head through the window.

“You both need to hear this,” Belladonna says. “Because yes, you’re both touchy to talk to. And you’ve both been through some shit. Some more recent than others. But neither of you can use that as an excuse to act this way… to assume the worst in what each other’s intentions are! I want you to work together. I want you on the team eventually, Nat, when a spot opens up. So cool your shit. No one’s killing anyone else today. Leanna, you need to keep a cool head. Nat, you need to be careful what you say, and who you say it to. Life’s not fair. Society’s not fair. Nat’s not wrong about that. But we can be. To each other, at least. Otherwise… I might as well have just eaten all of you when we each first met.”

We’re all quiet again. Leanna eventually gets back into the car, taking a deep breath, and puts the gear back into automatic. She starts to drive again and I feel I can finally breathe easy.

“I’m sorry,” Nat says. “I didn’t mean to be a dick. Or to make it sound like I wanted to kill you… or your friends.”

“I’m gonna need some time,” Leanna says. “I’ve got a lot to process right now. But I’m sorry I assumed the worst in you. And you’re right. I do put a lot on myself. I don’t know how to deal with it. Maybe it’s different for you, being prey presenting, but as a predator, it doesn’t feel like a reason to sympathetic. It feels like a stain… like something people stare at when they find out.”

“Believe me,” Nat tells her. “It’s not that different. And your species… it’s not something wrong. It’s who you are. I think the way I was born just made it easier for me to accept that.”

“Vixy,” Belladonna tells me. “After you get back, can you meet me in my office? I’d like to speak in private about… all the events of the last couple days. I feel the need to clear the air with you about everything.”

“Okay,” I say.

We continue driving, hanging up the phone shortly after that, and head back home, into the city.

…

…

Vixy met with Belladonna after they returned, just as requested. “Vixy,” Belladonna said as she stood behind her desk. “Close the door, will you?”

Vixy nodded, and closed the door shut. She was a little nervous, and didn’t walk too far forward. “Am I in trouble?” she asked.

“What?” Belladonna asked her. “No, you’re… you’re fine. You’ve actually done really well these last couple days. I wanted to put you in the fire as soon as you started and it worked out better than I expected.”

Vixy breathed easily, and took a seat on the couch. “Okay,” she said. “It’s just… with everything going wrong, I can’t help but shake the idea that I’m messing things up. I mean… my first job I went and got kidnapped by the mark. My second job and my team mate nearly throws herself off a rooftop. This can’t be good…”

“What, of any of that, was your fault?” Belladonna asked. Vixy didn’t have an answer. “You’ve performed admirably. You kept a cool head with Rasco and that job worked out for the better, didn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Vixy said.

“I actually feel guilty because I’m the one who told you to go out and live it up,” Belladonna said. “If I had known we were being tracked… Plus, I’m gonna be honest. After seeing Rasco in a brawl like that. I’m not sure we could’ve taken him. That was insane.”

“It was,” Vixy said. “And he turned out to be a really nice guy.”

“He force-fed you a cigar,” Belladonna said. “If you can say that, then… yeah. I agree. Did you… did you like that?”

Vixy blushed and shook her head. “No, no I don’t…”

“You’re blushing,” Belladonna told her.

Vixy hid her face and nodded. “I did. A little.”

Belladonna laughed at her a little bit. “And when it came to Leanna. As far as I understand it, you saved her life. It wasn’t you that triggered her episode. It was… pretty much herself. So no, I definitely don’t blame you for that.”

“Okay, so what did you want to talk about?” Vixy asked.

“I lied to you,” Belladonna told her. “And I’ve been paying attention. I know you didn’t like that. I know you feel betrayed, and I know you feel poorly because you feel like I can’t trust you.”

Vixy thought about it all, and nodded to her. “Yeah… that’s… that’s accurate.”

“And I’m sorry,” Belladonna said. “It’s a dangerous game, in this company… in this world… finding out who you can really trust. And I hate that I chose a way that may have broken your trust in me in order for me to feel like I could truly trust you.”

“Yeah, you did,” Vixy said. It wasn’t hard to admit when Belladonna was putting it so plainly. “I… I don’t know if I trust you right now, that’s the truth.”

“I made a mistake,” Belladonna said. “A big one. I’ll make it up to you, Vixy, I promise. I don’t know how yet, but I will.”

“Okay,” Vixy said.

“Can you trust me long enough for me to earn your trust back?” she then asked.

Vixy thought about it, and then nodded to her. “Yes,” she said. “I can.”

Belladonna took a deep sigh of relief. She seriously thought she may have lost Vixy from this job. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes,” Belladonna said. “Sometimes I doubt whether or not I deserve this position. I do my best, my absolute best, but I don’t have anyone to check me. And if I’m wrong, it’s you and the others who suffer for it, usually.”

“You blame yourself for Sandy, too, don’t you?” Vixy asked.

“I blame myself for all of them,” Belladonna said. “Every person who quit, every person who got hurt. It all falls on me. I’m the captain of this ship and the buck has to stop with me. Because if I start blaming others… we’re fucking lost. That’s… all I wanted to say. Thank you for your patience with me, Vixy.”

“It comes free of charge,” Vixy said, joking around a little to lighten the mood. “Do you want anything else from me?”

“Not right now,” Belladonna said. “You’re free to go.”

“What a shame,” Vixy said. “I was under the impression that you were a lot more into me when this job started. And I gotta admit, having a boss, or sorry, a leader that I actually like for once that doesn’t want to take advantage of me… I didn’t expect to feel so put off by it.”

The shark’s serious face turned lighter, a smirk, and a sneer at the fox. “Well,” she said. “Maybe I’m being too easy on you, then. Strip.”

Vixy blushed, and nodded to her. She pushed the coffee table out of the way so she could stand in the middle of the floor, and Belladonna walked over to take a seat on the couch. “Got any music?” Vixy asked.

“No,” Belladonna said. “And I don’t need a dance. Just take your damn clothes off, fox.”

Vixy giggled at her and nodded. “Fine,” she said. She casually removed all of her garments, setting them aside, and presented her naked body to the shark.

Belladonna took a permanent marker from the table next to the couch, and stood up to walk towards Vixy. Then, she got down low, to her knees, and started to draw on her, marking dashed lines around her thighs. Then, she got up, and drew lines around her collar and around to her back.

“What are you doing?” Vixy asked, laughing.

“Done,” Belladonna said, putting the cap back on the marker. “Since you’re such a slut for humiliation, I have a new rule for you to follow. Until the marker washes off naturally, you’re not allowed to cover up anything between the dotted lines. Unless we’re on a job.”

Vixy blushed fervently at the shark. “Wait, what if I have to go out?” she asked. “What if I’m in public?”

“Don’t care,” Belladonna said. “You wanted to be taken advantage of, now… wish granted.”

…

…

I have to admit, she got me pretty good. This was a… decent little humiliating rule to follow, and even if it makes me nervous, I plan on following through.

Gosh… I think I’m really starting to like this job.

Feeling Jayce’s dick inside of me was always a pleasurable and fun experience. Tonight is no exception. He’s honestly perfectly sized for me, and the only one I’ll let have anal sex with me. It’s… something special to me, and him, I hope.

“You good?” Jayce asks me, slowing down and leaning over my head to ask in a soft tone.

“Yeah?” I ask, confused. Why’d he stop? “What’s wrong?”

“You’re just…” Jayce wasn’t sure if he could or should say what he wanted to. I hate it when he’s too afraid he’ll hurt me.

“It’s okay,” I tell him. “You can tell me.”

“You’re usually a lot tighter,” Jayce tells me.

Okay. Okay. Be cool. It’s not an insult. It’s an observation. But my drop in motivation is noticeable.

“And way wimpier,” he adds.

“Excuse you…” I mutter.

“Sorry, it’s just… I…” Good job, Vixy. Now you’ve turned him on you for sure. “Ever since you got this job.”

“Hold on,” I say. “What are you saying?”

“Are you fucking the others?” Jayce asks me bluntly.

Wait, is he accusing me of cheating? Would that even be cheating? “No!” I object immediately. “I mean, yes, but not like this, not like you’re thinking.”

“No, no,” he says, trying to assure me. “I don’t mean it like that. I mean, it’s fine if you are, I just…” He squeezes my bicep and nods slowly. “God, you’ve gotten strong.”

“Do you not like that?” I ask him.

“I love it, actually,” he then says without missing a beat. “I just think that maybe, with all of what you’re doing there, you’re just… more resilient? I used to have to take it slow, and be so gentle with you. But I’m going full blast and you’re just…”

“Oh shit,” I say. “Do I seem like I’m not enjoying it? I’m sorry, I am.”

“But you agree?” he asks. “It’s different. Or am I wrong?”

I sigh and nod to him. “It is.” He’s right. I can feel it. It doesn’t hurt as much. And since it doesn’t, I’m not even trying to squeeze him. This job has made me tougher, and honestly, I like it too. But I didn’t realize it would knock down my sex life like this.

After noticing my sinking mood, he smiles, and leans into my ear. “I think,” he says. “Maybe that means I don’t have to be so gentle anymore.”

I blink, and my eyes widen. Slowly though, I realize he’s right, and I let my eyes drift, and my smile form. I can feel Jayce pulling out, and then slamming into me so hard I yelp out. “Ow! Ow… ow…” I whimper out.

“Oh shit,” he says, pulling out of me and kissing my neck. “I guess not that hard. Are you okay?”

I pant a little, and rest my head into my pillow. “I’m okay.”

“Do you want to continue?” he then asks me.

I can tell he wants to. He wants to cum in my ass like always. And… of course I do to. “How close are you?” I ask him.

I can feel him reaching down, grabbing both of his dicks and stroking them slowly. “How close should I be?” he asks.

“Put them both inside,” I tell him.

“Oh?” he asks. “As you wish…” He puts both of his tips at my entrance, and then slowly pushes himself inside. As the two thick cocks stretch out my poor little pucker, I moan out, but in excitement. It feels… good.

“Yes…” I say out loud.

“You like it?” he asks me as he pushes in a little deeper, and more forcefully.

“Mhmm,” I moan out.

“Good,” he says, and starts to rock his hips back and forth. “Who’s my good girl?”

“I am,” say in a high-pitched moan.

“Who’s my good girl?” he repeats.

“I ammmmmm.” As I squeal it out, I feel myself tightening, and then cumming, squeezing out my usual small dose of crystal clear fluid.

“You’re my good girl,” he tells me, teasing me as he feels my body squeeze around him. Then, he moves a little faster, and then pushes in nice and deep, and holds me there. I feel both of his dicks cumming inside of me, filling my asshole with a nice, extra thick load. Then, he pulls out.

We lay next to one-another, enraptured, steeped in bliss and wet with our mutual victory. I pant heavily and longer than he does, and when he stops, he turns to me. “That was amazing…”

“I love you,” I think… oh shit.

“Huh?” he asks. His eyes go wide and he is locked in. “Did you just…”

I react by putting my hands to my mouth, turning bright red, and gasping. I start shaking my head and backing up a little. I am so embarrassed by my admission that I am trying to deny the whole thing.

“You did,” he says. He smiles, and sighs slowly.

“No, nonononono,” I start to spit out. “I didn’t, I didn’t.”

He, all giddy and smiling, says, “Yes you did!”

“I… I didn’t mean it.”

“Yes you did,” Jayce tells me. Before I can deny him further, he kisses me on the lips, pushing his tongue into my mouth and we share an intense, passionate kiss.

“I did,” I finally admit it. “I… I do. I love you.”

Jayce melts into me as I say those words. I had no idea how much he wanted this, and how much it would mean to him. And after all this time, denying both of our feelings, I say it instead of thinking it.

“I love you, too,” Jayce sa… okay… okay… now I’m melting. Get back to you later...

…

…

Vixy later arrived at EMI, and went to Belladonna’s office after being asked to meet with her. When she got there, knocked on the door to announce herself, and stepped in.

“Door,” Belladonna said, quietly. “Door.”

Vixy turned around and shut the door, and then went over to her desk as she was waved over. “What?” she asks.

“Before I show you this,” Belladonna told her. “I need you to be quiet. Don’t scream or yell or flip your shit. You’re gonna want to. You can’t. Understand?”

Vixy nodded, and Belladonna pulled her behind her desk, and opened a window. On it was a contract draw-up which she recognized instantly. But the next thing is what got her attention. A picture of Jayce was attached to the file. Vixy froze, and shook. Inside of her, fear and rage were both boiling to steam, but she didn’t let it out. She stayed quiet. The third thing she noticed was the real gut-punch though: $480,000 [hired team Grecken].

Upon reading that, Vixy quite literally fainted, falling to the floor. Belladonna caught her just as she was about to hit the ground, and she came back. “Stay with me, Vix,” Belladonna said.

“Jayce…” Vixy said. “They… no. No.”

“Breathe Vixy, breathe,” she told her. “We need to walk through this.”

“W-who put it in?” Vixy asked.

“I didn’t recognize her at first,” Belladonna told her. But when I realized… I remembered her name from your resume… from your job history.”

“What?” Vixy asked her.

“It was Melissa,” Belladonna said. “Your former boss.”

“But… how?” Vixy asked, stammering and still feeling weak in the chest to the point she was constantly on the verge of collapse.

Belladonna shook her head. “I haven’t gotten that far,” she said. “But look, look… there’s time. Okay.”

“Time for what?” Vixy asked.

Belladonna took her head and stared at her. “Listen to me,” she told her. “I am not going to let this company kill your friend. We are going to do something about this. You hear me?”

“B-but… they’ll kill us.”

“First thing’s first,” Belladonna said. “I need you to text Jayce and tell him you’re safe. Nothing else. Just those words. You hear me?”

Vixy took her phone out and immediately did as she was instructed. “Okay, what next?”

“They’re taking him somewhere safe, away from here,” Belladonna said. “By now, Grecken and his team are digging up information on Jayce. They’re going tom recognize him, they’re going to know you’re connected, and they’re going to come looking for us.”

“Oh my god,” Vixy said. “What do we do?”

“We are going to remain calm, okay?” Belladonna said. “They’re going to hurt us. They’re going to ask us where Jayce is. But you don’t know where he is.”

“No…” Vixy said.

“Good,” Belladonna told her. “And neither do I.”

“Why is this happening?” Vixy asked.

“According to the file, Melissa felt emasculated when Jayce saved you from her, and she wants him dead now,” Belladonna told her.

“But… how did she get the money?” Vixy asked. “Did she sell her coffee shop?”

“I don’t know,” Jayce said. “Once I get a chance to do more research…”

Knock!

Knock!

Knock!

“Belladonna,” a voice said. “Are you in here?”

“They’re here,” Belladonna told Vixy. “Stay calm. We got this. I know we got this.” Vixy nodded. “Come in,” she then called out.

Three large men came into the room: a yak, a lion, and a turtle. They all entered in force, and spread out in front of Belladonna’s desk. “Vixy’s here, too,” the lion said. “Good.”

“Is this important?” Belladonna asked. “I’m in a meeting.”

“I’d say so,” the lion told her. They moved forwards. The turtle shut Belladonna’s laptop while the yak came around the side to grab Vixy. “Let’s make this simple,” the lion continued. “Where is he?”

“Who?” Belladonna asked.

The turtle, a snapping turtle, came around the room while the Yak held out Vixy’s tail. The turtle took it in her mouth and bit down, hard, but not fully clamping yet. The fox screamed in pain, and thrashed about trying to escape, but could not.

“Do I look like I’m playing games?” the lion asked.

“No,” Belladonna said, starting to break. She looked at Vixy, who was shaking her head fervently towards her. “Who?”

“Are you fucking serious?” the lion asked. “We’re going to take your paramour’s tail off. Just to be clear. Are you going to cooperate or not?”

Vixy was crying, and groaning in misery and pain, but still, she shook her head. Belladonna started to cry too, but she shook her head. “I… haven’t the faintest idea…”

Without a command, the turtle snapped its jaws shut, cleaving through flesh and bone like a hot knife through butter, spraying blood everywhere. Vixy screamed louder and louder, her tail flailing around mercilessly after finally being let go.

“She’s going to bleed out you know,” the lion said. “It won’t take long.”

“Go fuck yourself,” Belladonna said, trying to keep her composure.

The lion, frustrated, looked around the room, and grabbed that rod that Belladonna threatened Vixy with during her interview. He looked at it, nodded, and went over to Vixy, where he started removing her pants.

“No!” Vixy shouted, already knowing what was coming next. “Noooo!” Her struggles grew more and more fierce.

The lion turned to Belladonna, who collapsed her head, and put her arms over it against the desk. The lion looked to the turtle, who moved back around and pulled Belladonna’s head up to watch. “Eyes open,” he said. “Or I’ll take hers out when I’m done.”

Belladonna, forced to look, opened her eyes, and watched. The lion put the rod’s end to Vixy’s ass, and pushed it in just a little to get it lined up. Then, he looked back at Belladonna one last time, and finally, she broke.

“Leanna,” the shark said, tearful and crying.

Vixy shook her head again. “No… Belladonna, no…”

“The others are a distraction,” Belladonna told them. “Only Leanna will know where he is.”

The lion fished Belladonna’s phone from her pocket, and held it up to her. “Call her,” he said.

“She won’t answer me,” Belladonna said.

“Call her.”

Belladonna took the phone, and unlocked it. Vixy screamed out again, and shook her head. Belladonna then shook her head, and dropped the phone. The lion, growing more and more angry, went back to Vixy and put the rod right back into her asshole. “Call her now,” he said. “Or I’m raping her to death.”

Belladonna hit the speed dial for Leanna, and it began ringing.

“Good,” he said. “Now shut up. Act natural, and keep her going.”

The turtle was already calling a partner. “Yep,” he said. “Gonna need to trace a call from Belladonna to Leanna. Yep.”

The phone kept ringing. When it went to voicemail, the lion redialed. “Come on,” he said. “Come on…”

Vixy was starting to feel faint again, this time from the growing blood loss. “Please!” Belladonna shouted. “She’s dying.”

“Then you better pray… she picks up.”

Just then, Leanna picked up the phone. “You said not to pick up, but you called twice, are you sure?” she asked.

“Leanna,” Belladonna said. “Vixy’s dying.”

Leanna paused for a moment. Then, she said, “I’m turning around. We’ll meet you at EMI.”

“Good,” the lion said. “Stay on the line.”

“Okay,” Leanna said.

Vixy’s head started to slump, but she could hear what was happening. “Save her,” Belladonna said. At first they didn’t respond. “Save her!” she shouted.

The lion snapped his fingers at the yak, who let her go. “Do it yourself,” the lion told her. Belladonna lunged towards Vixy, grabbing her tail and pinching it tightly to stem the bleeding. Then, she looked around for something to tie it off in, and wound up tearing a piece of fabric from Vixy’s shirt.

“Vixy, please don’t die, not now,” Belladonna told her.

Vixy could barely move, but she grabbed Belladonna’s shirt to pull her close to listen. “Bitch,” she said. “You owe me…”

Belladonna shuddered, but nodded. She took a moment to prepare, and then shouted as quickly as possible. “Leanna hang up the phone and get the hell out of her now!”

The lion smacked Belladonna’s face but by the time he looked back at the phone, Leanna had hung up. Groans went around the room. “T-thank you…” Vixy said to her before falling back, passing out from the blood loss.

“Please tell me you got a trace on that,” the lion said.

“Last location was southbound on Park street just north of Peak street,” the turtle said.

“That’s twenty minutes from here,” the lion said. “Let’s hurry.” Without a word to their coworkers, the trio left as quickly as they came in.

Belladonna reached for her phone, and called for a medical team to her office.

…

…

Where do I even begin?

The last thing I remember before that was the medics arriving and putting me on a stretcher. The next thing after that, I was waking up in the medic’s office. I had an IV with donor blood hooked up to my arm, and Belladonna was there.

I always loved the sounds of the beeping machines in the hospitals. I always found it soothing. That wasn’t changing today. I wake up… calm, somehow.

“Belladonna,” I say slowly and quietly. She shakes awake, and comes over to me. “What happened?”

“They haven’t found him,” Belladonna tells. “That’s the last I’ve heard.”

“You saved him,” I say. “Thank you…”

“You were almost killed for this,” Belladonna tells me. “You’d sacrifice yourself for him?”

I nod, crying a little, and just lay there. “What next?” I ask. I know it’s not over.

“Next?” Belladonna asks. “Next either he dies, or you both die. They’ll kill you to get to him.”

“No,” I say. “I’m not giving up that easily. You either help me, or you don’t. Now tell me how I fix this.”

Belladonna shakes her head. “The contract can’t be fulfilled if the client becomes deceased or calls it off before they can finish the job. That’s it. There’s no other way.”

“Bring me a gun,” I tell her.

“What are you going to do?” Belladonna asks.

“Whatever it takes,” I say. “When I can walk out of here, I’ll find her. You get me her address.”

Belladonna nods. “You’ll want these, too,” she says, and hands me her car keys.”

…

…

Then, she pulled her gun from her own holster, and helped Vixy sneak it underneath her pillow. “You can do this,” Belladonna told her. Vixy nodded, and closed her eyes, trying to rest as much as she could.

Vixy’s phone buzzed about fifteen minutes later. She pulled it off of the side table to look at it. Belladonna got her the address. Then, she took a deep breath, and started to get up. “Ow,” she muttered, her bandaged tail hitting the bed.

She clung to the IV, and used to hold herself up a little. With some shaking of her legs, she managed to let go, and stand up. Then, she grabbed the pistol and shoved it into her waistband. After pulling the IV out of her arm, she started walking. Each step had her feeling a little better, and by the time she got to Belladonna’s car, she was practically walking normally.

Racing off with her GPS in place, she drove towards her former supervisor’s home, Melissa’s home. When she got there, she took a few moments to relax, and shut off the engine before heading towards the door. It was a nice house, but small. When she got to the front door, she bent down, and caught her breath again.

Then, without a convenient way inside, rang the doorbell, and waited off to the side. With a little luck, Melissa answered the door, but didn’t open it, but she could see her through the window. The fox raised her weapon and took her shot.

BANG!

Inside, there was screaming, and then hustled running. Vixy was quick to react, shooting a few times into the latch, and swinging the door open. She raced inside the house to find Melissa hiding in her kitchen, equipping herself with a knife.

“Vixy?!” she shouted. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

Vixy didn’t talk. She just shot.

BANG!

Missed. Vixy moved forward while Melissa cowered and waited. When Vixy got too close, she swung with the knife, hitting her in the arm.

BANG!

BANG!

Another two shots fired into the ceiling as they clashed and Vixy attempted to push the wolf off of her. Then, she dropped the gun, and fell to the ground. Melissa suddenly had the upper hand, and stabbed Vixy in the abdomen and left the knife in favor of using her claws to scratch and swipe at Vixy.

The fox cried out from the pain, but managed to push Melissa off of her. She reached for her gun while Melissa went to tackle her again.

BANG!

Whimpering and snarling was suddenly filling the room as Melissa reeled. She was hit, and bad. She stumbled and collapsed on the ground, clutching a wound on her side, seeping blood. “Fuck,” she said.

Vixy still had the gun, and aimed it, this time right at Melissa’s head.

BANG!

One clean shot, right through the side of her head, and she was dead. Vixy gasped, and groaned in pain. Then, she slowly sat up. Grabbing first paper towels to try and dampen her wound, she then went for Melissa’s shirt instead once it became clear there was way too much blood.

Vixy couldn’t tell how deep the knife wound went, but she could see plain as day that the knife wasn’t plugging anything. She pulled it free from herself, gasping and rasping in reaction, and then shoved the bunched up shirt as deep into the wound as possible. Next, Vixy took Melissa’s belt, and wrapped it around her mid-section, over the wound, as tightly as possible.

Slowly, and finally, she started to stand up. One hand clutched the wound and she grunted. The other grabbed the counter, using it to steady herself up. She hobbled away from the body, and into the living room, where she flopped onto a sofa.

Picking up her phone, she dialed Belladonna. “Bell,” she said when she picked up. “It’s done. Melissa’s dead. Contract… terminate it.”

“Proof,” Belladonna said. “EMI will need proof.”

“Aww fuck,” Vixy groaned. She turned her head, and saw Melissa’s arm hanging out from the kitchen. She stood up again, hugging a wall, and slowly slid down it to sit on the floor. From there, she took, and then sent a picture of Melissa’s body in a pool of blood.

“You’re hurt,” Belladonna said. “I’m sending you an ambulance.”

“I’ll go to jail,” Vixy said.

“Jayce is alive,” Belladonna said. “It’s self-defense.”

“Good,” Vixy said. “Tell him… I love him.”

Belladonna laughed out at that, and nodded from behind the other line. “I will,” she said. “I will. Vixy…”

“What is it?” she asked.

“I figured it out,” Belladonna said. “I figured out where she got the money. It’s bad.”

There was a sudden gasp as another figure entered the home. Vixy stood up, and prepared to fire as another wolf came into the room.

“My baby,” the wolf said. He then turned to Vixy, and saw her with the gun. “You…” he said, his voice going low. “You’re Vixy, aint ya?”

Vixy nodded slowly. “Who are you?”

“You don’t know me,” the wolf said to her. “But I know you. My daughter… she told me a lot about you.”

“She tried to kill my friend,” Vixy said.

“So you killed her, first,” the wolf said. “Admirable, I’ll admit it. But that’s not making my heart ache any less, girly. Which… puts us at a bit of an impasse, don’t it?”

Vixy tried to aim the weapon at him. In response, the wolf pulled a gun of his own out. “Let’s be careful, sweetheart,” he said. “You’re not looking so hot, right now, are ya? Not just gonna miss your shot, but you’re gonna smack yourself in the face with that and fall back down.”

Vixy nodded in defeat. She was clearly not in a position to fight. “Now look, darling,” the wolf said, keeping his weapon lowered as Vixy lowered hers. “Here’s the thing. I ain’t killing ya. Not today, foxy. No, no, that’d be too easy. You have no idea what you’ve just done, have ya?”

“Who the fuck are you?” Vixy asked.

“Lady,” the wolf said. “I am one serious motherfucker you did not want to mess with. Let’s put it at that. I ain’t gonna kill ya today, because I want you to run. I want you to go. Because I… I need to hunt something. And it won’t be good enough killing you, no, no… I’m on the hunt for everyone you care about. And you’re last on my list. You’re gonna see everyone of your loved ones die. And then you’re gonna go.”

“Or I could take my shot right now,” Vixy said.

“I’m giving you a chance here,” he said. “I suggest you take it.”

Vixy took the hint, and hobbled out the door. By the time she got out, there was an ambulance incoming, and behind them, police. They all stopped as they saw her, and led her into the back. The police were moving in as well, one of them going up to Vixy first. “What happened?” he asked.

“She was gonna kill my friend, had a hit,” Vixy told him. “I stopped her.”

“Can I ride with you?” he asked the EMS.

“Get in,” he said back.

Back in the house, the wolf picked up Vixy’s phone before police came in. He held it up to his head and listened. “Vixy, are you listening?” Belladonna said. “Melissa’s grandfather is Nick Bellatano. He’s the fucking head of the…”

“Bellatano crime family,” Nick told her. “Now there’s someone who knows their stuff. Nice to meet you…” He pulled the phone back to look at her name. “Belladonna. I’m looking forward to meeting you in person… very very soon.”

Without another word, he hung up the phone.

“You murdered the client!” Grecken was a shorter character, by stature, standing at only 3’11” tall. She was a gecko. An unlikely person to be working in this line, and much more-so an unlikely team leader.

“It was self-defense,” Vixy retorted. “Jayce is my friend. And no amount of dollar signs is going to change that.”

“Vixy was well within her rights,” Belladonna told Grecken. They were in Belladonna’s office. The lion from before was there, and so was Leanna.

“Beside the point, you conspired against another special team,” Grecken told them.

“Your team nearly killed her!” Belladonna shouted back, standing up. “It was torture! At his hands!” She pointed at the lion. “He was going to rape my team member with a steel rod. To death, he even said… while she was already bleeding out.”

“Don’t you go getting righteous to me, Bella,” Grecken told her. “I’m onto you. This… right after the botched coyote job. You’re breaking the rules.”

“If I’m breaking the rules, it’s because I’m doing what’s right by my team members,” Belladonna said. “Unlike you, doing it for money. You’re a fucking sell out.”

“There’s no rules against going after coworkers,” Grecken retorted. “No one in this building is off limits.”

“I’m sorry,” Leanna said, laughing at the notion. “I wasn’t aware there was a hit out against Vixy.”

“What you did wasn’t predation,” Belladonna added. “It was torture. It was criminal. Forgot EMI, I could have you and your team brought up on charges. We have video footage.”

“Yeah?” Grecken asked. She chuckled, and pulled out her phone, playing an audio recording.

“I said… I said that it could be used against predators,” Nat said in the recording.

“You tapped our phones?” Belladonna asked, seriously perturbed.

“Good thing, too,” Grecken said. “I always had a bad feeling about you. You’re not doing the right thing, you know. You’re being a self-righteous prick. You don’t decide what’s right and wrong. At EMI, the only right is money. You don’t seem to get that, turning your team members into lovers.”

Belladonna growled back at her, baring her teeth. “Don’t act like I don’t know what you do. All your hires are gargantuan beasts with cocks. I know what you like.”

“Still jealous I never gave you a spot,” Grecken chuckled. “What a joke. Go take it to HR, why don’t you. In fact, go ahead and go to the police. Who do you think will be in more shit?”

“Enough,” Belladonna told her. “It’s time for you to leave.”

Grecken chuckled again, and turned to head for the door. “Vamos,” she said, snapping her fingers. The lion followed her out, slamming the door shut behind him.

“Fuck that bitch,” Leanna said. “She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”

Vixy took a sigh of relief and leaned back in the couch. Belladonna sat down again, and also took a deep breath. “Still,” she told them both. “If they’re tracking us that closely. We need to be careful. I had no idea they had us in our sights that badly.”

“What’s your history with her?” Vixy asked.

Belladonna shook her head. “When I first started, we were on the same team, under a different leader, a wolf named Kuro. He left this job for the military seven years ago, and Grecken and I both went for his spot. She got it though, over me. I thought my future was still secure, we were friends, at the time. But she passed me up when she formed her new team. I got fired. It was bullshit. Luckily, another team hired me on. Then I started to notice… all the people she hired had a couple things in common.”

“Gargantuan beasts with cocks,” Leanna said, chuckling.

“It’s true,” Belladonna said. “She holds her position over them, takes advantage of them, but also lets them act like loose canons on the job, let’s them do almost anything they want, so they don’t report her. As a result, her team is known for being particularly… violent.”

“Which I got to experience firsthand,” Vixy said.

“I’m so sorry, Vixy,” Belladonna said. “I didn’t think it would be like that. The last time I tangled with them, I was on the receiving end, and it was just a beating.”

“We need to talk to HR,” Leanna said.

“And say what?” Belladonna asked. “If they’re stalking us, recording us in secret… unfortunately, Grecken is right… we’ll be in way more trouble than them if they turn over their evidence.”

Leanna growled and stood up. “So what? We do nothing?” Belladonna didn’t answer. “They were going to kill her, Bell! It could’ve been anyone of us, too. They can just… do that without facing any consequences? That’s bullshit!”

“I’m sorry, but…”

“Leanna’s right,” Vixy said, starting to sniffle a little. “I can accept that I had to go through something brutal to save my friend’s life, but… we’re gonna do anything about it?”

“We can’t,” Belladonna said. “They might get fired, might go to jail, but we will definitely be locked up. We’re guilty as shit. Fraud being the biggest thing, but that conversation with Nat. I’m really worried about how that could be construed.”

“Told you so,” Leanna said. “Sorry, Bell, but I fucking told you so.”

“What would you have me do?” Belladonna asked her, raising her voice again.

“If it’s between her or us,” Leanna began. “I choose us. Kill her.”

“No,” Belladonna said.

“Kill her,” Leanna repeated.

“Leanna,” Vixy said, shaking her head. “I don’t want that.”

“She’s a fucking liability and she always will be,” Leanna said. “And if you’re not going to defend us…” Leanna sniffled a little, biting her emotions back before speaking again. “I’m sorry, but you can consider this my notice. It’s not acceptable.”

Belladonna looked at her, and sat back. Vixy was also shocked. “Leanna,” Belladonna said. “I…”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Leanna said, turning to leave the room without another word.

Belladonna sighed, and shook her head. “Vixy,” she said. “Can you please leave?”

Vixy got up, and wanted to say something, but didn’t know what. So, instead, she just sighed and turned to the door to leave. Once outside of Belladonna’s office, she leaned against the wall, and slowly slinked down to sit on the floor. Inside the office, she could hear silence at first, and then the soft sounds of the shark crying to herself.

Pulling out her phone, she texted Jayce. “I NEED YOU,” it said.

Two minutes later, he responded. “I’m on my way,” he said. “What’s wrong?”

“Just pick me up… take me somewhere. Anywhere. I need to get away from this place for a little bit.”

Back in the team’s shared room, Leanna barged in, still angry. Cherry and Nat were sitting and chatting in the living room and they noticed something was wrong. “Leanna?” Cherry asked, but didn’t get a response.

Leanna instead just went straight to her room, and started to collect her things, getting ready to pack. The other two went to her door and peered in, watching for a little. “What’s wrong?” Nat asked.

Leanna growled, and stared at Nat. “You fucked us,” she said. “But don’t worry, you’ll be able to stay her permanently soon enough.”

Cherry slithered into the room and coiled herself around the feline. “Leanna,” Cherry said. “It feels like you need to calm down. Let me give you a hug.”

“No,” Leanna said as Cherry contracted, starting to squeeze her.

“It will feel better,” Cherry insisted.

Leanna, growing angrier, bit Cherry’s tail, prompting her to recoil and let go immediately. “I said no!”

Cherry was taken aback. She had seen Leanna emotional before, but she hadn’t lashed out like this. “Please tell me what’s wrong.”

“I quit,” Leanna told her. “Belladonna’s lost her nerve. She’s not going to do anything about Grecken’s team. And it’s all because they have a recording of you, Nat, threatening to commit genocide against predators.”

Nat shrunk, and backed away a little upon hearing that.

“Oh my,” Cherry said. “Well, as bad as things might seem, just remember—”

“Remember what?” Leanna asked, turning to her, tears in her eyes, red in the face with anger. “How I got my best friend killed? How I can’t even protect my new friends? Don’t you fucking tell me things can better. I’m tired of waiting for things to get better. I shouldn’t have stayed the first time. I’m done now. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t watch my friends suffer and die and not do a damned thing to stop it.”

Click entered the room, overhearing the drama. “What’s this all about?” he asked.

Nat left the area and went back to the living room to hide away. “Belladonna said we can’t do anything to get back at Grecken’s team, or that we’re not going to.”

“That’s shit,” Click said.

“It… is what it is,” Cherry stated, trying still to calm things down.

“Click is right,” Leanna told her. “So please, please, I’m begging you Cherry… stop it with your hippy new-age bullshit for once.”

“So what are you doing?” Click asked.

Leanna stared at him. “I’m leaving. I quit. I’m done.”

“What?” Click asked, getting closer to her. “You can’t quit!”

“The hell I can’t,” Leanna told him.

“We need you,” Click said.

“Nat’s already lined up to join,” Leanna said. “It’s almost like Bell knew this would happen.”

Click stormed through the room, starting to put Leanna’s stuff back. “No,” he said. “I’m not going to let you leave, not now.” Leanna went to say something, but instead just screamed at him without saying anything at all. “I was there for you after Sandy died!” he shouted. “So was Bell. So was Cherry and Nox.”

“It doesn’t change anything.”

“And now you’re abandoning us? It’s your turn and you’re leaving?”

“My turn? I’ve had my turn. I’ve had plenty.”

“Vixy needs us there for her now,” Click said. “Us includes you. There’s no one on this team she’s closer to. You cannot leave her now.”

“I can, and I will,” Leanna said.

“Where are you even gonna go?” Click asked.

“I don’t know,” Leanna told him. “I’ve got two weeks to figure it out. Maybe I’ll move back in with my parents for now.”

“Please,” Cherry said, looking at her. Her calmness was turning to sadness. “I… don’t want you to go.”

“Go fuckin’ meditate about it, then.”

Cherry left the room first, about to break down, and returned to her own room. Click stood there in silent disapproval before clicking at her, and leaving.

…

…

“Jayce,” I say as he holds me in his arms, legs still straddling his bike as it runs. “What if we just left? We could take your father’s boat and leave this country. Go to Hawaii, or Australia… maybe even Japan.”

“I don’t think my dad would like that,” Jayce tells, laughing a little. “I did tell him though that you saved my life. I think he’s a lot more approving of our relationship, now.”

“He always hated me,” I tell him.

“No, no,” Jayce says. “He just didn’t like how much I had feelings for you. Like everyone, he’s afraid of our future together. As a stigma… a target.”

“We’re both targets anyways, now,” I tell him. “That debacle with Melissa brought something even worse down on us I fear.”

“What?” Jayce asks me.

“I’m so sorry,” I tell him. “I might not have saved anyone. Might’ve just made things worse. Her grandfather is in charge of a huge crime family. The baddest of the bad.”

“The mafia?” Jayce asks. I nod. “Wait, like really? The Mafia?”

“Yeah.”

“Vixy, I’m grateful to be alive,” he tells me. “I was… ready to die for you. I still am. Whatever comes our way, we’ll figure it out, and if… if worse comes to worse.”

“No,” I tell him. “I am not going to let you sacrifice yourself for me.”

“Then I guess we have to promise to die together,” he tells me then, squeezing me tightly. “Where do you wanna go for now?”

“Away. We can still take your father’s boat,” I tell him. “I guess we can just be out on the water for a while.”

“How long? You need to pack?” he asks.

“I don’t want to go back inside,” I tell him. “Can I use your things?”

“Of course,” he says. Then, I hop on, and he drives me away.

…

…

Once they got out on the water, Jayce piloted the small yacht far away from shore until the shoreline disappeared, and rested the boat out in the open water. Vixy looked out over the railing at the endless bounds of the pacific ocean in all directions, and took a deep breath, starting to relax.

Jayce came to her, leaning back her side, and looked out with her. “How are you feeling?” he asked her.

“Better,” Vixy told him. “Still… bad, but better.”

“Do you want to talk about any of it?” he asked.

Vixy shook her head. “No,” she said. “I want… I want to fuck you, and forget about the world for a little bit.”

Jayce smiled, and nodded to her. “That’s why we’re out here,” he said. “Your wish is my command, my love.”

Vixy blushed as he said that. It still got her feeling all giddy and excited. She began removing her bottoms, and Jayce picked her up and brought her to a cushioned bench, leaning her against it. With her ass pointed to him, he pulled her panties aside, and grabbed hold of her tail.

Instantly, she flinched. “Ow,” she said. Her tail tail was still very sensitive, and sore. The missing half was grafted back on but it was still healing. “Sorry, I just… my tail. Be careful.”

Jayce nodded, letting go of her tail and then leaning over her. “Absolutely,” he said. Then, he lined his two cocks up to her asshole.

Just as he was about to push in, Vixy began to breathe heavily, and shook her head. “Wait,” she said. “No, no… stop.”

He pulled back, and looked at her. “Vixy, are you okay?”

Vixy gritted her teeth, leaning over her arms, and shook her head. “No, I’m not,” she said. “I just…”

Jayce sighed, and sat down next to her, pulling her next to her in a seated position as well. “I know you don’t want to talk about it,” he said. “But… maybe you should.”

Vixy pulled her knees up and into her chest, clutching them. “It just… I can’t stop thinking about it,” she said. “As soon as you touched me, it just… why can’t I stop it?”

“You were violated,” Jayce said. “I don’t really know how it went down, and you don’t have to tell me, but I understand. And I’m not going to do anything that makes you afraid.”

Vixy sat for a moment without saying anything. They both sat in disturbed silence for more than a minute. “When it happened,” Vixy said. “I struggled. But that yak’s grip was so tight. They were so forceful. I didn’t think they’d actually do it, you know? The snapping turtle bit me first, as a warning… for Bell. And I didn’t want to lose you, so of course I said not to help. I shook my head. And… almost instantly… God it was so painful. I could feel the blood spitting out.”

“That must’ve been horrible,” Jayce said. “I never would’ve gone with Leanna if I knew what was going to happen to you.”

“It’s good that you did,” Vixy said. “We’re alive. All of us.”

“Small miracles,” Jayce told her after that.

“Then, while I was literally bleeding out,” Vixy said. “He… he took that rod, and I felt the end of it against me. He pushed it inside a little. It’s long. I knew it would pierce me. I knew it’d kill me. He felt the need to reinforce that point. I couldn’t do a thing. I thought it was over for me. Then it wasn’t. And then I thought… it’d be over for you, and that hurt a whole other way. I prepared myself, mentally, for death. For the way it was going to happen.”

“But it didn’t,” Jayce said. “And you’re still here, with me.”

“I’m sorry,” Vixy said. “I want to make you happy. I don’t want this to hurt our sex life.”

“But it is,” Jayce said. He hugged her close from the side. “And there’s nothing you can do about it. And that’s okay, it’s not your fault. I’m not going anywhere. I’m with you. If that means we have to cool it on the sex for a little bit, then so be it. At least you’re alive, that’s how I’m thinking of it.”

“And I wanna be strong for you,” Vixy said.

“Why?” Jayce asked.

“A couple weeks back, when I first started,” Vixy began. “It dawned on me how many times you saved my life. And I… I never got a chance to do that for you, didn’t think I ever would. But I never thought I’d have to do so much to do it.”

“It was a lot harder than you expected,” Jayce told her. “I always had an easy time pulling you out of a bad situation. That one time for me… more than makes up for every time I saved you, you know that?”

“But it’s my fault in the first place,” Vixy told him. “And now we’re still in danger. That mob guy is going to kill you, probably right in front of me.”

“We’ll stop him,” Jayce said.

“And what if we can’t?” Vixy asked.

“Then it’s like we said. We will die together.”

Vixy shook her head. “He won’t do it that way. He’ll make me watch. I pretty much said so.”

“Vixy,” Jayce said to her. “If he makes you watch me die… don’t look away.”

“Huh?” Vixy asked him.

“If it comes to that,” Jayce said. “I want you to watch. I… I will need you in those moments, to know that you’re there with me.”

“And then I won’t have you,” Vixy said.

Jayce nodded. “If,” he said. “Only if, and if it comes to it, you know I would do the same for you… if I couldn’t save you, I’d be there for you.”

Vixy nodded in agreement. “That would make me feel better,” she said. There was another minute of silence before Vixy continued. “I think… I think yeah…”

“What is it?” Jayce asked.

Vixy took a deep breath, and looked him in the eyes. “Eat me,” she said.

“Huh?” he suddenly asked.

“If I’m dead,” she said. “Then Nick doesn’t have a reason to go after the people I care about. And… if I could choose any way to go, this would be it. Jayce… you’ve always said you were waiting for me to say it. Now I am. I want you to eat me.”

Jayce squeezed her tightly, and then let go. “No,” he told her, shaking his head. “I… I can’t. I won’t.”

“Why not?” Vixy asked.

“We just admitted we loved each other like three days ago,” he said. “How can you ask me to do this now? I can’t do that!”

“I want it,” Vixy said, looking at him.

“I don’t,” Jayce told her.

Vixy cried a little, and pushed a hand up into his mouth, trying to force herself into his teeth, but her held back. He pulled her hand away from him and stood up. “No,” he said. “I’d do just about anything for you, Vixy. Anything. But not this. Not now.”

Vixy sat and buried her head in her hands. “Fine,” she said. “If you don’t want it…”

“Don’t you dare say it,” Jayce said, starting to shake. “I swear if you’re going to give up now…”

“I won’t,” Vixy said, shaking her head. “No, I won’t. I don’t want that.”

The two of them spent two whole days out on the water before coming back to shore. They neither shared sex nor a meal of foxmeat together, but they were able to relax. Vixy most of all was able to start to let go. When she finally told him she was ready to come back, they took the boat back to the shore, back to Cascadia, and docked.

Vixy received a backlog of text messages from Belladonna and the others when she returned to cell range, and started reading through them. The most recent one was that there was a job to do. “Looks like I need to get back to work,” Vixy said to Jayce.

“That’s fine,” he said, hopping onto his bike and starting it up.

“Jayce,” she said, putting her phone away. “I need you to promise me something.”

“What is it?” he asked her.

“I… need you to promise it no matter what,” she told him.

“You want me to promise something without knowing what it is?” Jayce asked.

“Yes,” Vixy said.

Jayce sighed, and looked at her. “Two days ago, I would’ve promised you anything, but… you’re scaring me.”

“Jayce,” Vixy said. “I… need this promise.”

After another moment to think, he took a deep breath. He already had a feeling about what this promise would be, but was trying to avoid it. “Okay,” he said. “I promise. Anything for you.”

“Okay,” Vixy said with some relief. “The next time I ask you to eat me. Do it.”

Jayce turned his gaze down, and then nodded slowly. “Okay,” he said. “But you promise me that the next time you ask me, you consider… you try everything else before you come to me with that.”

“I will,” Vixy told him.

“Let’s go,” Jayce said. She got on his bike and they rode off, back to EMI.

Once Vixy got into the office, she was greeted by half of a team: Click, Nox, and Belladonna. She sat down at her usual spot, and looked at the empty seat next to her where Leanna would be sitting.

“Okay, that’s… that’s everyone I guess,” Belladonna said. “Except for our client.”

“We’re not waiting for Leanna or… Cherry?” Vixy asked.

“No,” Belladonna said. “Anyways, I wanted you to hear from the client firsthand so you could hear how he wants this done.” Then, there was a knock on the door. “Come in,” she said.

A fennec fox walked into the room, gently closing the door behind themselves. They took the empty seat next to Vixy and introduced themselves. “Hello,” they said. “My name’s Robin. My pronouns are they/their, and I would like to hire you to hunt my fiance.”

“Huh?” Click asked, cocking a brow at them.

“It should be worth noting that they are not asking us to kill her, just… hunt her,” Belladonna said.

“I don’t get it,” Click said. “Why?”

“Uhuh,” Robin said. They were clearly uncomfortable talking about the whole thing. “You see, she… my girlfriend—err, fiance and I uh… Well, uh… How do I put this. I love her very much. I would do anything for her. But there’s some things about her that are… well, just out of my area of expertise. Things I can’t satisfy.”

“You can’t get your fiance off,” Click said. “So you want us to… scare her?”

“No,” Robin said. “I mean, yes. I mean… not like that. It’s uhm… uhum. Well, she always tells me about an experience from her youth, in her early high school years. She was… nearly killed and eaten by a predator, and it excited her so much. She’s never forgotten. And uh… well, I thought, maybe… as a wedding gift, I could… re-create that, for her. I’m… not a predator though. I uh… I can’t.”

Click started laughing out loud at him, nearly falling to the floor. “You… want us to play predator and prey with your fiance?” he asked.

“Y-yes,” Robin said.

“I think it’s adorable,” Vixy said.

“Fucking vorephiles,” Click said, rolling his eyes. “I never understand prey who get off on being eaten.”

“You didn’t seem that put off watching us eat Jasmine,” Vixy snapped back at him.

“I mean, like I said, morbid curiosity and all,” Click told her. “That doesn’t mean I understand it. Why would you want to die? Especially that way?!”

Vixy frowned at them, and looked back at Robin. “Forget about him. I’m here for you, and your fiance. What’s her name?”

“Melody,” Robin said. They handed Vixy their phone after pulling up a picture. “Melody Musura.”

Vixy was stunned looking at the photo. “No fucking way…” she said.

“What?” Robin asked.

There was continued silence. Eventually, Belladonna broke it. “Vixy, what is it?”

“I… I know this mouse,” Vixy said, pointing to the photo.

“You do?” Belladonna asked.

Robin looked blankly at her. “Oh this might be a little awkward,” Vixy said, handing them the phone back. She laughed a little bit, and nodded. “Yeah… I was… the one who very nearly killed her.”

“Huh?” Robin asked, their eyes going wide.

“Yep,” Vixy said, chuckling. “It was a game. She had to run, I chased. She got one foot outside the door, the finish line, and then the entire party had a little mock courtroom drama deciding if that counted for her win or not. I had… literally already eaten a piece of her arm by that point. Afterwards, we kinda became friends, at least as long as I was still in high school. I always wondered what she got up to afterwards.”

“Well, it’s a small world, after all,” Belladonna said, snickering.

“I… well, hi,” Robin said to her. They reached out to shake hands. “Nice to meet you in person. Umm… knowing this, I don’t think there’s anyone better suited for this job?”

“I’m out,” Click said, heading for the door. “If Vixy’s already got a connection, and we’re not executing anyone, I really don’t have a place here.”

“Honestly,” Belladonna said. “Neither do I. Vixy… I think this is a solo job for you.”

“What’s that mean?” she asked.

“It means you get to plan, negotiate, and execute this mission by yourself,” Belladonna told her. “Let me know if you need any help, I guess, but I doubt it.”

“Oh,” Vixy said. “What’s the pay?”

“Fifteen hundred,” Belladonna said. “Your cut, anyways. The rest goes to the team’s housing and amenities payments and EMI.”

“That’s a lot just for me,” Vixy said.

“It’ll be worth every penny if you can make my little mousy the happiest girl in the world before her wedding,” Robin said. “Just, again… please don’t kill her.”

“Any other limits?” Vixy asked.

“I would… prefer she remain relatively intact,” Robin said. “That scar on her arm is pretty gruesome. I… I know she’d want another one, or maybe something more extreme, but if you could… avoid making the long-term damage too noticeable.”

“What if I can’t?” Vixy asked them bluntly.

“Then don’t touch her face or her ears,” Robin said. “And… don’t do something so drastic she won’t be able to have kids.”

“You want kids with her?” Vixy asked. “You know… what that entails, right?”

“I am aware. And I… will deal with it.”

“And what if I decided that I wanted to put a baby in her?” Vixy asked, smirked at them.

“Oh,” Robin said. “That uh… that would be quite… uh… humiliating.”

“She always wanted protection in high school,” Vixy said. “I… denied her request more than once, but nothing ever took hold. I’d like another shot.”

Robin blushed, and nodded. “I think… we would both enjoy that, actually.”

Vixy laughed at him, and nodded. “Deal. But as far as they or anyone outside of this room is ever concerned, they’re yours, got it? I… do not intend on parenting any offspring I manage to give her.”

“Deal,” Robin said. “It’ll be our secret.”

“Belladonna,” Vixy said. “Cut $500 off of my paycheck and let Robin keep it. I think a discount is in order for reuniting me with an old flame.”

“Sure thing,” Belladonna told her.

“When’s the wedding?” Vixy asked.

“In four days.”

“That’s a tight time-span,” Vixy said. “I need her schedule. This… needs to be sudden and surprising.”

“Oh,” Robin said. “I already made time for it. She’ll know it was me who set it up, but I think… seeing you again will definitely trigger something for her.”

“Oh?”

“Tomorrow, between two and four, I told her to be in Stonepeak Park just outside of town and that it was… a surprise.”

“Surprise, surprise…” Vixy said, snickering. “You’ve made this really easy for us, haven’t you?”

“And finding you by accident… I think is going to be the best part.”

Preparations were easy, almost nil. Vixy got some good sleep, and got Belladonna to drive her out to the park where she was supposed to find Melody. Once there, Belladonna drove off to go get a late lunch. Vixy wouldn’t need lunch. She fully planned on having her own very soon.

She waited in the park, looking around and watching for her target to come along. When she did, she was dropped off by an uber. Now, for the fun. Melody, wearing a floral dress, sat down at one of the benches and looked around. Vixy mulled over some different approaches in her head before ultimately deciding on something dramatic.

Sneaking up behind Melody while she was on her phone, Vixy leapt at her, tackling her off of the bench and pinning her to the dirt. Melody screamed out in surprise, dropping her phone in the fall and struggled for a few seconds before she looked up, and saw Vixy staring down at her. “V-Vixy?” she asked. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Vixy snickered and leaned down to kiss her, quite passionately, and the kiss was reciprocated. It seemed that whatever feelings they had between them had not dissipated over the years. “Was feeling hungry, decided a little outdoor hunt was in order,” she said.

Melody blushed, and gulped. “Oh,” she said. “Uh… and I’m the only one here.”

“I’m sure someone else will swing by eventually,” Vixy said. “Out of… respect for our friendship, I think I can wait around for a main course that’s a little more… less known.”

Melody wasn’t struggling, wasn’t squirming anymore. “I, uh…” she stammered. “Vixy, you should know. I’m getting married.”

“To a fox, no less,” Vixy told her. “Should I be jealous?”

“What? No!” Melody said. “Of course not. We haven’t even seen each other… wait a minute, did Robin put you up to this?”

“Maybe,” Vixy said to her.

“Oh… oh my,” Melody said, blushing more heavily. Robin knew her darker fantasies, and she knew that he would never fulfill them themselves. “Uh… so, what happens next?”

Vixy hummed at her, and shrugged. “Not sure exactly,” she said. “Most prey I don’t have a rapport with. I have to sweet talk and lower their guard… or attack quick and efficiently. You’re not most prey, though, as we both know. How do you want to do this? Want me to chase you?”

“You already got me,” Melody told her. “I… why let me go just to chase me down again?”

Vixy nodded. “Fair point,” she said. “I think I’ll start with sex.”

“Oh…” Melody spat out, stammering more and more. “I uh… well.”

Vixy shook her head, and covered her mouth. “Shhh,” she whispered. “You don’t have a choice. And it’ll be a lot more fun if I don’t have permission.”

Then, Melody started to squirm again. Somehow, Vixy’s words made her want to back away, even though she very much would’ve agreed not three seconds before. Muffled moans grew louder and louder as Vixy used her one hand to pull her skirt up, and pull her dick out. Then, she started working on Melody’s dress, pulling it up, and smirking to see she wasn’t wearing panties.

“Still not wearing underwear after all these years?” Vixy asked. “I knew you like it… except that wasn’t my demand, now, was it?” Melody shook her head. “Right, I said… no clothes. In fact, I made you burn them.” The fox used a claw to cut through the dress, ripping it right off of the mouse’s body.

Next, Vixy pushed her cock to Melody’s pussy, and started to push it in. The mouse moaned out more, as did Vixy, clearly enjoying every inch of that insertion. Once she bottomed out, she pulled back, and pushed in again. Her hips thrust in and out of her over and over, picking up pace while Vixy let go of Melody’s mouth and moaned again.

“Vixy,” Melody squeaked out as she was getting raped. “I uh… I know you want this, but uh… my fiance. And uh… can you… at least wear protection?”

Vixy laughed at her, and lunged down to bite at her neck. It wasn’t a hard bite, just hard enough to leave a hickey after a little bit of sucking. “Shut it,” she told Melody. “I’ll be damned if some squeaky little genderfucked fox gets to put a baby in you before I do.”

“Oh… fuck,” Melody stammered out. Her arms wrapped around Vixy’s back to hold on, and Vixy giggled at her quick surrender. As she moved faster and faster, she worked herself into an orgasm, and shot her load into the mouse’s trap.

“That fucking rocked,” Vixy said as she laid on top of her, convulsing a little with pleasure. “I just hope my sperm count is still high enough to do the job.”

“I thought you were going to eat me, for sure,” Melody muttered. “This..”

“Oh I am,” Vixy said. “You look so tasty after all, how could I not take a bite off of you, mousy?”

“Vixy…” Melody began, stuttering and shivering in fear.

“In fact,” Vixy said. “I think it’s time I finish the meal I started all those years ago.” With a smile, she pulled Melody’s right arm up to her mouth and opened up slowly, letting her see all of her sharp teeth, dripping with drool.

The moment didn’t last too long. Vixy’s jaws snapped shut and Melody screamed out as the fox ripping more flesh from her arm. Then, she bit again, and again! Vixy’s lips and cheeks were covered in blood, dripping down all over the mouse. “So fucking delicious,” Vixy told her before taking another bite. This time, she bit clean through bone, and started gnawing and devouring her now nearly-severed arm.

Melody could only scream in pain, and thrash about. Her free hand was useless trying to push Vixy off of her. “Thank fuck,” Vixy said. “I thought I’d never get this meal again.” Then, she took another bite, moving up the arm, taking more meat off. Then, she gnawed on the remaining bone until she punctured it and started sucking on the marrow.

Shortly after, Vixy found herself sated, and pulled off. She stood up, and picked Melody up to sit on the bench again. “You’re so sweet,” Vixy told her, sitting down next to her, and starting to tie a tourniquet around Melody’s arm. “Just like I remember.”

Melody sniffled and cried, but also flexed herself, moaning a little. “Vixy… that was… incredible.”

“Yeah?” Vixy asked.

“I… I kinda wish you’d finish the job,” Melody admitted. She then nodded and turned to her. “Vixy… do you want to eat me?”

Vixy thought about it for a moment, and licked her lips as she stared into the mouse’s eyes. But ultimately, she shook her head. “No,” she said. “Not only because I want you to have little foxy babies for me, but also because after meeting your fiance… I think you two will be great together. So for their sake… sorry, Melody, you get to live.”

Melody nodded in understanding. Once Vixy was done tying her arm off, they both got up, and Vixy took a couple steps away first. “You can uber yourself to a hospital now. I’ll let Robin now my work here is done.”

Melody went to find her phone, but found herself having serious difficulties operating it left-handed. Vixy laughed at her a little bit, and went over to help her out, ordering an uber through her phone and smiling at her the whole time.

Before leaving, Melody gave Vixy another deep, passionate kiss. “I’m gonna tell Robin all about this,” she said. “I hope they’re not too mad I’m missing an arm now, though.”

“Trust me, the limits were discussed beforehand,” Vixy said. “It’s been nice catching up. Maybe we’ll see each other again soon?”

“I hope so,” Melody said. “Next time I want Robin to watch.”

Vixy winked at her and nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”

Melody was in a hospital bed with a series of bandages around her forearm, most of which was now missing. Next to her sat Robin, the very nervous looking wreck of a fennec, gawking at her intense injurious encounter as she recounted it in detail.

“And then she just started gnawing on it,” Melody said. “It was so fucking hot.”

“Uhuh…” Robin said, nervous about the whole ordeal.

“All that to say,” Melody said. “Thank you, Robin. That was quite the surprise. I couldn’t ask for a better wedding gift.” Then, she leaned towards him and kisses his cheek.

The wolf stalked the halls. In fact, a small pack. One of them, dressed sharply in a white suit with a purple sash, the others in black. Everyone took note of them as they walked. Security was getting called. They had guns.

“I’m so happy you had fun, Melody,” Robin said. “Um… did… do you think Vixy… could uh…”

“Well,” Nick said as he stepped into the room, uninvited. “There’s a name I’ve been looking for.”

“Uh…” Robin immediately cowed from the appearance of the wolves.

“Just not the one I’m looking for right now,” he continued. Nick looked directly at Melody. “Tell me, little lady. Are you Melody Musura?”

“Who are you? What do you want?” she asked.

“My name’s Nick,” he said. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He looked at the chart at the end of the bed, and nodded. Then, without another word, he drew his pistol and shot her twice in the chest, then once in the head, execution style. Everyone screamed and scattered. Security staff just started to arrive, but the other two wolves were already on them, disarming them and knocking them away.

“And you, sir?” Nick asked Robin.

“It’s… uh… I… uhh…”

“Well,” Nick told them. “Have a nice day.” The wolf turned around, and left, his cohorts following him out of the building. On the way out, he dialed someone on his phone.

“Nick?” Vixy asked. “I didn’t notice you put your number in here. What do you want?”

“I just thought you should know,” he said. “You can skip visiting your friend in the hospital. Find her at the nearest cemetery instead.” Click. He hung up.

“What?” Vixy asked on the other line. “Nick, what the fuck did you do?” She looked at her phone to see he already hung up.

“Is that the Nick I think it is?” Click asked. The two were sitting on the couch.

Vixy breathed heavily, and nodded. Her next call was to Melody, but Robin picked up instead. “Melody!”

Sniffles could be heard from the other side. “No,” Robin whimpered. “Vixy… who… who was that? Why did he kill her?”

Vixy dropped the phone, starting to shake as her heart began to race.

“Bella,” Click said on his phone. He was placing the call before he even had all the information. “Nick was just spotted… Highland View Hospital. I think.” Vixy nodded to him. “Yeah… Melody’s dead. Yeah… Vixy, Bella says stay here. She’s headed to pick up Jayce right now. She’ll send Nox to pick up Samantha.” Click looked at Vixy, who was still in shock, and hung up her phone for her. “Vixy… you okay?”

Vixy shook her head. “No… no I’m not okay.”

“We’re on lock down,” Click said nervously. “Can I make you anything?”

Meanwhile, Belladonna was racing through the streets when she saw a ping on her phone and suddenly pulled over and stopped. The message said EMERGENCY: ALL LEAD MEETING IN 15 MINUTES. ATTENDANCE MANDATORY.

“What the hell is going on now?” she asked aloud. Then, she placed a call to Leanna, but she didn’t pick up. “Come on, Leanna… come on… damn it!” Then, she called Nox, who picked up instantly. “Nox!”

“What is it, boss lady?” Nox asked.

“I need you to pick up Jayce, too. I got called to an emergency meeting,” Belladonna said. “It could not be worse timing…”

“I’ll get it done,” Nox told her before hanging up.

Belladonna then turned around and began racing back to the EMI building. When she arrived, she rushed into the emergency meeting, which was called in a small auditorium. All the other team leaders, including Grecken, were there. No one seemed to know what was going on.

Belladonna, unsure of the whole situation, took a seat without drawing attention to herself. Before long, the stage doors opened up, and a pack of wolves entered. Nick was among them. Four of them fanned the stage, and drew guns, holding them down, but ready. Two of them stepped off of the stage and into the crowd, surveying.

“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,” Nick said as he began speaking. “Some of you might know my face, but those who don’t… my name is Nick Bellatano. You might’ve heard more about my exploits than me, myself. That’s okay. You’re about to become very familiar. I’ll allow your… vice president to introduce me, properly.”

A panther came out, wearing a suit and an EMI pin on the collar. He stood near Nick and spoke. “Mr. Bellatano has come to do business with us,” he said. Already, Belladonna was texting her team. “He has a list of high profile targets that he is looking for our assistance in capturing. Now, I can assure you, personally, that this list of targets has been cleared, by me. Whatever he is going to tell you is for real. Even if some of the names he mentions shock you.”

Belladonna pulled a hood over her head, and started to slowly get up to try and sneak out.

“Indeed,” Nick said. “You see, I’ve come to learn a lot about your company in the last few weeks. It was first mentioned to me by my granddaughter, a former client of yours. Her name was Melissa, but she went by a different family name to avoid attention. She put in a hit for someone only for one of your own to hunt her down and execute her. That… I will not abide. So after some thinking, I thought to myself… what better way to exact my vengeance, than to use your company to do the dirty work. As of right now, I am putting out a hit. Your next target, all of you, is a fox named Vixy Knight. But I’m not gonna be satisfied with her. No. I have done some research and found… a list of associates. I took care of one myself just before arrivin’ here. She has friends, loved ones. I promised her, to her face, that I would kill every last one of ‘em. And so here’s my price. A million dollars to bring Vixy right here, to my feet. And another half a million, for every single one of the people she cares about. Of which, there are many… minus one.”

“All of us?” Grecken asked loudly. “We usually bid for a client’s business. How will this work, exactly?”

“You work in teams, don’t you?” Nick asked. “Whichever team hands each prize over… wins that prize. So get to it.”

Suddenly, the door shut. Belladonna had managed to escape. “Who was that?”

“Shit!” Grecken said. “That was Belladonna.”

“Who the fuck is that?” Nick asked.

“Vixy’s supervisor,” the panther told him. “I thought she’d have the best lead on her.”

“Yeah except she’s fuck buddies with her entire team, she’s gonna warn ‘em if she hasn’t already,” Grecken said.

“So,” Nick said. “What are you waitin’ for. She’s worth half a million dollars.”

The whole room suddenly started scrambling, getting up and preparing to move. Most of them made phone calls, but one of them, a hawk, started to run for the door. Grecken pulled out her gun and shot the hawk in the head before running after Belladonna herself. “She’s mine!” she called out.

“Hey,” the panther said. “Let’s be—”

“Oh,” Nick said, clapping. “I love it when the competition gets… fiery.”

“Sir, please, I do have a business—”

“And you’ll be well compensated,” Nick told him. “Not only in money, but in blood. I have more than enough hitmen to fill the ranks here. And more than enough cash… I think this business would make for a mighty fine investment, don’t you, sir?”

The panther stopped, and thought a moment before nodding. “Very well,” he said. “You heard him.” His voice was raised. “Gloves off… there’ll be no internal reviews for this job.”

“I like your mojo, Mr. Panther,” Nick said. “You’ll be sitting high and mighty when I take this place over.”

Up in the room, Vixy got a text from the group chat. “Armageddon?” she asked. Then, she looked at Click. Click was reading it, too. “What’s Armageddon mean?”

Click got up, looked at Vixy and shook his head. “It means pack your shit. It’s time to go.”

“Go? Where?” Vixy asked. “I thought they were bringing Jayce and Samantha here?”

“Not anymore,” Click said. He went into his room without wasting any time. “Vixy!” he shouted. “Get your shit together, one bag, now!”

Vixy sprung into action, rushing into her room to grab a bunch of things and toss them into a backpack. Once she had her bugout bag, she grabbed one of Leanna’s bags at random, already packed, hoping it would have what she needed.

Click tossed his bag to the front door, and then went and grabbed an existing bag from Cherry’s room. “Bella’s is under her bed, the black duffle. Nox’s is a red and orange bag in his closet. Get them, and let’s go.”

Vixy ran back to her side of the unit, and went into her team member’s prospective rooms to grab the bags and ran to the front door. “How are we gonna carry all of this?”

“That’s for you to figure out,” Click shouted from the other room. He came out with a belt with an attached knife, pistol, and extra ammo. In one hand, he was carrying an AK-47, and with the other, he slung his own bag over his shoulder. “My hands are full.”

Vixy nodded, and wrapped the bags together, and put them over her shoulders before tying them to her belt wherever she could. “God this is heavy,” she said.

There was a knock on the door. Click put a finger to his lips, indicating to Vixy to stay silent. He raised the rifle to the door, and waited.

“It’s me,” Nat said. “What’s going on? They asked me to check for Vixy in the room…”

Click shook his head, and trained the sights on the door, waiting. Vixy looked at him, afraid for Nat. “Belladonna said I should say… ‘pineapple fruitcake’ if I was alone.”

Click took a deep breath, and opened the door. “Come on,” he said. “Lose your phones, both of you. We gotta go.”

“Go where?” Nat asked. “I’m not tossing my phone.”

Vixy pulled her phone out, and set it on the kitchen counter. Nat took one look at her, and followed through, putting her phone down. Then, the three of them started heading out. Nat helped Vixy, taking a couple of the bags, and Click led the way.

Ahead of them, the elevator door dinged, and the lion and the turtle from Grecken’s team walked out. Click crouched, aimed, and fired. The rip of the AK was loud and violent. The lion screamed, going down and rolling away, but was shedding blood fast. The turtle was a little luckier, ducking behind the wall.

“Go go go!” Click shouted, pointing Vixy and Nat in the opposite direction. “Stairs!”

As they ran, Click stayed. The turtle poked his head out and Click fired again. He missed but started running after that.

“Adam’s down,” the turtle could be heard shouting. “I don’t think he’s gonna make it. That bunny’s got a machine gun. They’re headed for the south stairwell.”

When Click got into the stairwell, he was suddenly greeted by Belladonna, and nearly shot her. “Bell!” he shouted. “What the fuck?”

“That mafioso asshole walked in and put the biggest hit the company’s ever seen on Vixy and the rest of us,” Belladonna said. “We have to get out of here, now.”

“No shit,” Vixy said. “Where we going?”

“Follow me,” Belladonna said. She pulled out her own gun, and led the four of them down the stairs. “Cherry already made it out I think,” Belladonna told them. “Nox is picking up Jayce and Samantha, and their families if they can fit in the van. I have no idea where Leanna is, but she’s out of the building. I just hope she read my message.”

“Which rendezvous point are we taking?” Click asked.

“I can’t say here,” Belladonna said. “Cameras everywhere. Let’s go.”

They ran out of the stairwell and into the parking lot. Shots rang out as multiple assassins fired at them. “That’s Vixy,” one of them shouted. “Stop shooting, we need her alive!”

Click turned around and started firing on them. His weapon went dry and he swapped magazines and kept up covering fire while everyone loaded up into Belladonna’s car. There was a veritable stampede of animals chasing after them after Click ran dry on ammo again, and jumped into the car.

Belladonna sped off before the door was even shut. “Anyone hit?” Belladonna asked loudly.

“No,” Vixy said.

“I’m okay,” Nat said.

“You know they can’t hit me,” Click said.

Belladonna tossed her phone from the car as she drove. “No phones?”

“They left them, I made sure,” Click said. Then, he pulled out a flip phone from his bag. “I have one untraceable.”

“One more in the glove box,” Belladonna said. “Nox keeps one in his van.”

“Number?” Click asked. Belladonna rattled off a phone number for Click to call. It rang and then was picked up.

“What’s the situation?” Nox asked when he answered. Click put it on speaker.

“You’re on speaker,” Click said. “We got Bella, Vixy and Nat.”

“I have Samantha and her mother,” Nox said. “We’re on the way to Jayce.”

“Oh thank god,” Vixy said. “Samantha are you okay?”

“Vixy?” Samantha’s mom asked. “What the hell is going on?”

“Mom, I already told you, you have to be chill,” Samantha said. “Vixy, what is happening.”

“Hey!” Belladonna shouted. “Clear comms. I’m talking. Nox, meet at point Charlie. Do not get followed… Abandon Jayce.”

“What?!” Vixy shouted. Click hung up the phone once Belladonna gave orders. “Call him back!” she shouted. “Click, call him back right now!”

Click sniffled a little and shook his head. “I’m sorry, Vix.”

“No!” Vixy reached for the glove box. She was in the front seat.

“Vixy, no stop it!” Belladonna shouted at her, and reached over to hold her hands. “We can’t do that. Or it’s all of our asses. I need your head on straight. You hear me?”

“I can’t,” Vixy said, rocking back and forth. “I can’t.”

“Nox will tell Samantha to call Jayce,” Belladonna said. “Before they lose their phones.”

“But he won’t know where to find us,” Vixy said.

“He’ll know he has to run,” Click said. “And that’s a better chance than he could’ve prayed for five minutes ago.”

“What about Cherry?” Nat asked. “And Leanna?”

“They keep their go phones in their bags,” Belladonna said. “We can’t reach them.”

“So what are we doing?” Vixy asked.

“For now, we just get somewhere safe,” Belladonna said. “Then, we come up with a plan.”

“To find the others?” Vixy asked. “Right?”

“Yes,” Belladonna said. “To find the others. To stock up. We’re gonna need some real hardware this.”

“Isn’t what they’re doing illegal?” Nat asked. “I’m pretty sure this isn’t covered under predation.”

“The Bellatano’s run the whole fucking country,” Belladonna said. “They have paid politicians, police officers, detectives, doctors… they own the fucking police. God, we are so screwed.”

“I’m sorry,” Vixy said, turning from panic to depression. “This… it’s all my fault, isn’t it?”

“No,” Belladonna said. “We didn’t know who Melissa was. None of us. That’s… that’s on me. I didn’t do enough digging before I hired you. Or else I would’ve known.”

“But I’m the one who killed her,” Vixy said. “I’m the one who cause this.”

“We stand up for each other, and fight for each other,” Belladonna said. “That’s why we’re better than the other teams at EMI, and that’s why we’re gonna figure this out.”

“Yep,” Nat said. “I’m with you, all the way. I don’t give a shit what stupid wolf you knocked off. I’m all for it. Fuck ‘em.”

“I’ve never been afraid of the big bad wolf,” Click said. “You can count on me, I promise.”

“The contract is terminated if the client dies,” Belladonna said. “So we do it right. We treat this like any other job, except the client, our target, isn’t one person. It’s the whole family. We can’t let any of them escape. Nat.”

“Yeah?” Nat asked.

“Congratulations, you’re hired,” Belladonna said. “Welcome to the team.”

Nat pumped her fist. “Fuck yes,” she said.

While they drove, events unfolded elsewhere throughout the city. Jayce was on the phone with Samantha. “What?” he asked. “Hold on… slow down… Samantha, you’re in hysterics. I can’t underst—no nobody has shown up at my house… … I doubt that, the chief of police is my next door neighbor. … … Okay, fine, to make you happy, I’ll talk to my dad, and I’ll see about leaving… … What do you mean throwing your phone away? Throw mine away? What? … … Okay.” Jayce wrote down an address. “Got it. … Yes I wrote it down. An hour? Come on… Okay, I’ll be there.”

Jayce put the phone down, and took a deep breath. “Dad!” he called out. “Hey pops!”

Another shark poked his head out of a room. “What is it?” he called.

“You know how I was telling you my friend got into that weird company?” he asked.

“The one selling shark fins?”

“Yeah, that one,” Jayce told him.

“That girl you like?” he asked.

“For fuck’s sake, yes, that one.”

“I like her. What’s her name, again?”

“Vixy.”

“Vixy,” the shark said. “A fox named Vixy. What a wild thing.”

“Anyways,” Jayce said, coming closer to him. “Our mutual, Samantha, just told me that we need to make a run for it. That guy she killed was some kind of mob boss, and now he’s after her and all her friends.”

“You know, son,” his dad said. “You’ve got a hell of a taste in women.”

“You should see my taste in men,” Jayce snickered.

“What was that?”

“Nothing,” Jayce said. “We need to go.”

“I promise you, Jayce, we are safe here.”

“My friend isn’t so sure,” Jayce told him. “I told her I’d meet her.”

“Well you better get going,” he said.

“You’re not afraid. At all?”

“I’ve known Demarco since we were kids,” he said. “If there was any real threat, he’d tell me.”

“Dad, I love you, but you need to take this seriously,” Jayce said. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you…”

“You’d inherit a house, a boat, and damn near a couple hundred thousand dollars. You want to make sure you’re friends are safe, want to protect them. That’s noble. Go… I’ll be here. I’ll be safe.”

Jayce sighed, and gave him a hug before heading away. “Thanks, dad,” he said. “I hope so.”

“Take my mag,” he said as Jayce left his side.

“Are you sure?” Jayce asked.

“Absolutely,” he told him. “Go save your friends. Keep that wild fox alive. I’d like to have her over for dinner.”

“Dad…” Jayce said.

“At… at dinner,” he then stated.

Jayce grabbed his things, and then hopped on his bike to drive out to the address after he looked up the route on his phone, which was left behind.

When he drove up to an abandoned warehouse near the docks, Nox’s van was there. Samantha jumped out and ran to him to hug him. “Where’s your dad?” she asked.

“Not coming,” Jayce said. “Too fuckin’ stubborn. But I’m here. And… I brought this.” Jayce showed her the 357 Magnum his dad told him to grab. “This sounds serious.”

“Deadly serious!” Nox said. “Samantha, get back in here… Jayce, follow me.”

“I’ll meet you at the next stop,” Samantha said.

“Where is it?” Jayce asked.

“Secret… for now,” Samantha told him.

Nox led the way, and drove off. Jayce followed close behind, and before long, they were on their way out of the city. It was an hour and a half drive to the next location.

The sun was getting ready to set by the time they got there. When they arrived, they saw Belladonna’s car already in the driveway of the house in the middle of nowhere. Nox and Jayce parked their vehicles right next to them, side-by-side.

“What is this place?” Samantha asked Nox.

“Beats me,” Nox said. “Never been.”

When he knocked on the door, he didn’t know what to expect. The door opened slowly at first, but then flung open. Inside was Belladonna and the others. The second group went inside the house, and started looking around. The second Vixy saw Jayce, she sprung up and ran to hug him tightly. “Oh my god, you’re here,” she said.

Jayce smiled. “Of course,” he said. “You know I always come when you call.”

“Well, how’bout it,” a new voice said. They looked over and saw a black-furred wolf sitting on a recliner in the living room. “Looks like they made it. Who else are we waiting on?”

“Who’s this?” Jayce asked first.

“Everyone,” Belladonna said, beginning the introductions, “This is Kuro. My team leader, from when I first joined EMI.”

“Howdy,” he said. “Nice to see you’ve made so many friends, Bella. A shame about that bit with Grecken. Didn’t think she was so vain.”

“Ahh,” Nox said. “The legendary Kuro before mine own eyes. Nice to finally meet you in person.”

“Pleasure’s all mine,” he said.

“We’re still missing Cherry and Leanna,” Vixy said.

“If they even come,” Belladonna said. “Cherry doesn’t have a clue where to meet us, and Leanna… well… she might not want to meet us.”

“Cherry’ll find her way,” Kuro said. “Always does.”

“Now that the majority of us are here,” Nat said. “What’s the plan?”

Belladonna shook her head. “I just don’t know,” she said. “To get to Nick… that’s a hell of a hunt. He’s going to be well guarded, not mention all of EMI is on the hunt for us right now.”

“Things seem a little desperate,” Kuro said. “I get it. We’ve all been in a bind before. But we’re all still here, which means we’ve all got a shot. Someone as well guarded as this Nick fella… gonna be too cocky to hide. He’s probably at EMI right now, waiting for results.”

“EMI is a fortress,” Click said. “We were lucky to make it out of there. How are we supposed to storm our way back in?”

“You’re gonna need firepower, and manpower,” Kuro said. “Where do you get it?”

“Surely you’ve got some weapons,” Belladonna said.

“Oh absolutely,” he said. “But who’s gonna hold ‘em?”

“We’re gonna need more than guns,” Click said. “We’re gonna need some explosives. Got any C4, maybe an RPG?”

“I might have something to suffice,” Kuro said. “Not quite a grenade launcher, but should do.”

“Do you have a laboratory?” Nox asked. “I could fashion some gas implements.”

“Help yourself to the basement. Got all kinds of cleaners and bottles.”

“I can make do with that,” Nox said.

“It’s be nice if we had some kinda armored vehicle,” Vixy said.

“Now that, I cannot supply,” Kuro told her.

Nat shook her head. “I saw some welding gear in your garage,” she said. “And some metal scrap out back. We can try and reinforce the van.”

“Handy with a blowtorch?” Belladonna asked.

“Scrap metal art was my dad’s favorite hobby,” Nat told her. “I think I can manage it with what he taught me.”

“Look at that, Bell,” Kuro said. “Just like that, a plan forms. You picked some good players.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Samantha asked.

“Me too,” her mom said. “Hi, I’m Charlotte. I just met everyone here. Almost everyone.”

“You ever fired a gun before?” Kuro asked. They both shook their heads. “Well… can you cook?”

“Oh I can cook,” Charlotte said.

“Nothing stokes the hearts of warriors like a hot meal and a strong drink,” Kuro said. “I’ll help you in the kitchen. Just keep in mind, we’re cooking for predators and prey here.”

“I can shoot,” Jayce said. “I’m coming with you.”

“Jayce…” Vixy said.

“No, Vixy,” he told her, looking down into her eyes. “You need me out there with you. And it’s everyone’s hide on the line. I’m gonna fight for it.”

“Good,” Belladonna said. “Like Kuro said, we need all the hands we can get.”

“What should I do?” Samantha asked, looking to help.

“Take this,” Kuro tossed a set of keys at her. “In the shed out back, you’ll find my arsenal. Start bringing it in so we can get ready.”

“I…” Vixy said, thinking of something. “I’m gonna make a phone call.”

“Oh?” Jayce asked.

Vixy nodded. “Yeah,” she said. “Gotta remember the number…”

Click tossed Vixy his flip phone, and stood up to go join Nat. “I’ll help Nat, any way I can,” he said.

“Alright team,” Belladonna said. “We all have something to start on. Let’s go.”

Everyone split up to start working on their chores around the house. Kuro and Charlotte got into the kitchen and started pouring over the supplied Kuro had stocked, figuring out what to make. Samantha opened the shed in the back to a small arsenal of guns and ammo, and clasped her hands together, giddy at all she saw.

Nox pulled the van out to the back of the property for Click and Nat, and took some supplies from the back to head into the house’s basement, where he started sorting through available chemicals and bottles, setting them on a folding table. Nat grabbed the blowtorch from the garage and met Click in the back, where they started sorting through the scraps, looking for the larger sheets.

Upstairs, Vixy sat down, and dialed the phone in Kuro’s bedroom. Jayce stood by the door, watching her. When someone picked up, Vixy’s thoughts were revealed. “Rasco?” she asked.

“Vixy,” Rasco said from the other line. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Well… I’m in a bit of a jam. We all are. And to be honest, we could use your help. And your people.”

“For you,” Rasco said. “Anything. Muah. Just tell me when and where.”

“EMI headquarters,” Vixy told him. “We’re stormin’ the place. Keep you updated on when.”

“I heard there was something abuzz over there. Multiple reports of shots fired, police diverted away… what went down?” he asked.

“You familiar with Nick Bellatano?”

“Oh yes, the Bellatano.” Vixy could hear Rasco spit on the ground. “Fuck the Bellatano’s. You got beef, I take it?”

“Oh yeah,” Vixy said. “I killed his granddaughter.”

“I expect Bellatano vengeance will be bloody and swift. You giving me excuse to kill them. It is a gift, Vixy. Send the signal. We will be ready.”

“Thank you, Rasco,” Vixy said.

“The pleasure, as they say… it is all mine.”

After hanging up, Vixy shouted downstairs. “We got Rasco.”

“We what?” Belladonna shouted back.

“Rasco’s gang has beef with the Bellatano’s, they’re going to meet us there.”

“Nice work, Vixy,” Belladonna said.

As sky grew dark, another vehicle approached the house. Nat and Click, already outside, were the first to notice. Click went in while Nat stayed out and hid. “We got company,” Click said.

Everyone rushed to the living room, grabbing weapons if they knew how to use them, and then headed to the windows to see. “It’s Leanna,” Vixy said, recognizing the car.

Everyone relaxed, and put the guns back down, resuming their previous tasks. Vixy and Belladonna went outside to greet her.

“You assholes!” she shouted. “I checked every single god-damned safe house in the city before I realized where you went.”

Vixy and Belladonna both ran up to hug her, which shut her up quickly. She hugged back and smiled. “I missed you,” Belladonna said to her.

“Me too,” Vixy told her.

“Yeah well,” Leanna began, soon breaking the hug. “You didn’t give me much of a choice, did you? So what’s the plan?”

“Come inside,” Belladonna said.

When Leanna went in with them, she saw all the guns, and got wind of all the projects going on, getting caught up. “And dinner is almost served,” Charlotte called out to her from the kitchen.

“Who’s that?” Leanna said.

“My mom,” Samantha said, dropping another pair of ammo crates on the ground. “This is the last of it.”

“Have you heard from Cherry?” Belladonna asked. Leanna shook her head. “Damn. Well, anyways, as for introductions. I’d like you to meet Kuro, my first team lead at EMI.”

Kuro was just stepping out of the kitchen, and gave a nod to Leanna. “They were real worried about you, you know. Thought you might’ve bailed on them.”

Leanna shook her head. “Bail on this friendly bunch?” she asked. “You know what. I don’t think so. If the bad guys are gonna try and kill me every time they go after them, I should stick with them probably.”

“Hurray!” Vixy said, hugging her. “I’m so happy to hear that.”

“As long as… there’s still room for me on the team?”

“Of course,” Belladonna said. “And who says we have to stop at six. We’re all the same team, now. Team Fuck EMI. Team fuck the Bellatano’s.”

“Now that’s a team name I can get behind,” Leanna said. “Okay, anyone got a couple laptops?”

“We brought one of your bags, but didn’t know which one was the bugout,” Click said.

“I’ve got one you can use,” Kuro said. “Password is 5764. Upstairs in my office.”

Leanna opened her bag and smiled. “And there’s one in here,” she said. “I’ll get to work for my part of things.”

“What part is that?” Kuro asked.

“I’ve always wanted to hack into EMI,” Leanna told him. “It’s a right of passage for every proper hacker to infiltrate their own workplace.”

“You’re gonna miss dinner,” Charlotte said, coming out, carrying a tray of a delicious smelling cobbler. She set it down on the dining room table.

“I’ll eat upstairs,” Leanna said. “I’ve got work to do if we’re gonna pull this off.”

“Okay,” Click said. “I’ll bring some food out for Nat and myself.”

“I’ll bring some down for Nox,” Belladonna said.

As the food was brought out of the kitchen, and served buffet style out of the dining room, everyone began grabbing plates. For the predators, a lamb’s leg roast sat on one end of the table, draped in cranberry sauce and sided with gravy. In the middle sat the cobbler, apple and cinnamon, with a side of vanilla ice cream Kuro had in the freezer. For Click, a grand salad was prepared, complete with an array of cooked vegetables, and sided with steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes.

As everyone finished what they were doing, they slowly converged back into the living room, sitting around, laughing, eating, drinking. There was enough for seconds and even thirds for some.

“Alright,” Belladonna said, using some scratch paper and a pencil to draw out a crude map. “Here’s what I’m thinking…”

Leanna flipped through several different cameras within EMI from her laptop, taking note of how many people were inside and outside of the building. The team had gone back into the city under cover of night, and set up a base of operations near EMI in a rental storage facility.

Up on the roof of the building, Click observed through a pair of binoculars. “I see… eight guarding the front door, and another four by the auditorium emergency exit. I spot two snipers one each on the 4th and 5th floors, and one on the rooftop. They all look to be Bellatano men.” He was talking to the rest of the team through a short-wave radio.

“I can confirm the guards posted outside,” Leanna said. “But the only sniper I can see from the cameras is on the rooftop. Inside, there’s more Bellatano and security guards watching the entrances and exits, and some on patrol. No sign of any of the other teams here.”

“They must be out looking for us,” Belladonna said. “Which gives us the advantage.”

“Wait,” Leanna said. “Vandel is inside. He’ll send word to the rest of them as soon as they’re under fire.” Vandel was the boss, the panther who spoke to the leaders earlier.

“I’d like to kill that son of a bitch,” Belladonna said. “What about Nick?”

“Still in the auditorium,” Leanna said. “There’s at least twenty armed guards in there.”

“If we go at them head on, we’ll never make it past the front door,” Kuro said. “There’s just too many of them. We’ll need to do this a little more tactically. Let’s drive that armored van into the side entrance near the auditorium. Pop smoke and start shooting. Force the enemy out of position while a B and C team move in through the lobby. There’s a lot more cover on the inside, it’ll be easier than a bum rush through the parking lot.”

“Nox,” Belladonna said. “You’re solo in the van, get in there, draw them out, and then spill your choking gas and get the hell out of there. The rest of you will be team B, and Rasco and his men will be team C. Click, you make use of that sniper rifle and see if you can eliminate the enemy snipers waiting for us. C team, you move in through the rear and run a flank on the auditorium’s rear hallway entrance. B team with me will push the lobby.”

“Let’s move out,” Kuro said. “Night’s only getting shorter.”

Everyone packed up their gear and moved into their respective positions around the EMI campus. Once everyone was in place, Nox began the drive up to the building. He started slow, to avoid drawing attention for as long as possible, taking the vehicle around the front lobby and then stopping. It was a straight shot from there to where the auditorium was.

In the rear-view, Nox saw two of the guards at the front approaching his vehicle. The patchwork scrap armor job must’ve thrown them off. They didn’t even recognize it as a threat. Then, suddenly, Nox floored it, driving the van as fast as he could towards the end of the building.

Gunshots starting ringing all around, bullets flying all over the van in a hailstorm. When Nox reached the end, he swerved into a stop, and tossed out smoke grenades from the window, enshrouding the whole area in a thick blanket of white smoke.

Click, on the roof, took out the first sniper. Then the next. Then he got shot at by the rooftop sniper. He rolled behind the ledge of the rooftop, and took cover as the shooting continued. The sniper fire was completely obscured by the firefight on the ground.

Finally, one of the guards held up a hand, signaling for the shooting to stop. A few more guards came outside, and patrols started to approach the smoke-covered vehicle. “Whoever’s in there,” one person shouted. “Exit the vehicle now.”

There was no reaction, and so three of the men moved in through the smoke. As they got close to the vehicle, the backdoor suddenly opened, and out poured a thick smog of hazy gas. The three of them started coughing and choking severely, and fell to the ground. Then, Nox hit the gas again, except this time, the car wouldn’t move. The gunfire had taken its toll on the vehicle and it wasn’t moving. The remaining guards opened fire on the vehicle from their position just before the gas started to reach them, and they all retreated from the area.

“We’re under attack,” one of the guards said as he came into the auditorium. “It’s them.”

Then, more gunshots were heard from outside. All of the guards in the auditorium scrambled, raising their weapons and heading out the front of the room. Rasco and his gang had breached the hallway and were lighting the place up.

The firefight took almost all of the attention while Belladonna and her team made their way right through the front door. Very few guards came back in time to see them, and they were shot on sight, unable to even react as every one of them moved into the lobby.

“Boss is on the third floor, in his office,” Leanna said. “I say Nat and I go up there and pay him a visit while you make your way into the auditorium.”

“Our window’s gonna be tight,” Belladonna said. “Let’s do it. Get him dead and then get the fuck out. The whole EMI squad will be back here within 30 minutes.”

“Negative on the rooftop sniper,” Click called out over the radio. “I had me pin down, I had to abandon my position and my gun.”

“Shit,” Belladonna said. “So we don’t know if Nox made it out of there?” she asked over the radio.

“That’s a negative,” Click said. “I did not see Nox leave.”

“See if you can find his location,” Kuro said over the radio. “Without getting spotted. We’ll keep an eye out for the sniper. But we need to move now… Rasco’s team will be counting on us.”

“Let’s go,” Belladonna said, waving everyone on.

Belladonna, Vixy, Jayce, and Kuro moved through the halls while Leanna and Nat took the stairs going up. Once they arrived on the third floor, Leanna led Nat to Vandel’s office. On the way, they stopped when they saw four guards posted outside the door.

“Shit,” Leanna said quietly. “He must’ve ordered some extra protection after the gunshots started.”

The next thing they knew, the office door opened, and Vandel walked out carrying a briefcase, tailed by two more guards. “Is the helicopter ready?” he asked.

“They’re starting it up now,” one of the guards said. “Sire, I suggest we take the north stairwell instead of the elevator. IT just found signs of an infiltration into our security systems. They may try to cut off power to the building.”

“Good thinking,” the panther said. “Let’s go.”

The group was moving right towards Leanna and Nat. Without much of a way to make a stealthy exit, Leanna leaned out with a rifle and started shooting. She shot one of the guards in the shoulder, and another dragged him away while the rest huddled around Vandel and started moving back in the opposite direction.

Leanna and Nat were suddenly pinned down by methodical and repeated gunfire. One would shoot at them every time they tried to look out, another would keep firing at random, trading off with another to reload.

“Shit, shit shit,” Leanna spat out. They could retreat back down the stairs, but they’d be visible targets between their cover and the door.

“What do we do?” Nat asked, looking to Leanna for answers. Ones she did not have.

That’s when Cherry suddenly slithered out from behind the guards through the ceiling tiles. Pulling out a buoy knife, she quickly stabbed one of the guards in the side, and with lightning reflexes rushed to the other side of the hallway, coiling her large body around one and striking with her teeth at the other. She made additional stabs at the guards with the knife and eventually let them go. When she turned to look the other way, Vandel was gone.

Leanna looked out, and chuckled. “Cherry?” she asked.

“Oh, Leanna!” Cherry said. “I wasn’t sure where everyone went and our safe houses were being searched, so I decided to hide right under their noses until it felt right to make my move. Looks like I was right!”

Leanna and Nat left hiding and ran towards her. “You did good, Cherry,” Leanna told her. “Now let’s go. We got to get to the roof before they do.”

“The stairs are behind you,” Cherry said.

“They were worried we might cut the power,” Leanna said. “We’re taking the elevator.”

Inside the van, Nox was crouching, trying to hide inside of the front cabin as the gas filled out everywhere. He had donned a respirator, but the bullets flying through were not helping. One of them eventually snapped through his respirator and then another struck his leg. “Ahhgg!” he cried out, and then started to cough. He crawled through the back of the van until he pulled himself through the back door, but ultimately, was left on his back, coughing. The air around him was all a haze.

Rasco’s forces, heavily outnumbered, were getting cut to ribbons in slow motion. As bullets rained through the hallway, turning the whole scene into a chaotic mess of drywall dust and gun smoke, the sprinkler system suddenly tripped, adding to the confusion.

“Where the hell is Bell?” one of Rasco’s men asked as they were pinned down.

Just in time, Belladonna, Vixy, Jayce, and Kuro flanked the guards position, and started shooting at their side. Half of the group retreated into the auditorium, while the other half was stuck between the two flanking teams. The tides flipped quickly after that, but not without significant losses for Rasco.

Inside the auditorium, the guards were all getting ready to move through the emergency exit. “A chemical attack has cutoff the emergency exit,” one of them said, handing a gas mask to Nick before donning one himself. “Put these on.”

Click, outside, was moving slowly through the parking lot towards the smoke. He had already equipped a gas mask himself and was ready to go find Nox, but suddenly, he was taking shots. The sniper found him while looking for Nox, and suddenly had him pinned down. A second shot ripped through Click’s ear, making him yell out in pain before ducking for cover behind a vehicle, and crawling underneath.

On the rooftop, Leanna, Nat and Cherry busted through the door. They had beaten Vandel out, but more armed guards immediately spotted them and opened fire.

“Rooftop compromised,” one of them shouted. “I repeat! Rooftop compromised!”

The three of them ducked for cover. The rooftop access was lined with concrete and steel, and served as a much better barrier for cover, but then they heard a door open below them as the guards with Vandel intersected them. Nat blindly positioned her gun over the railing and fired, forcing them to take cover.

“This is still bad,” Leanna said. “Shit, what do we do?”

There was a break in firing, and the men on the rooftop approached the rooftop access door, weapons aimed towards it. Leanna and Cherry fired back at them, but both ran out of ammo. Nat only had half a magazine left, and was holding her gun towards the downstairs.

“Now what?” Nat asked. Leanna shook her head, she didn’t know.

Outside, Click watched from under the car, and saw two vehicles pull into the parking lot. Listening carefully, he was able to make out the voices of Grecken and her team. “Oh shit…” he muttered. He pulled his radio, and spoke into it. “Grecken’s here.”

“What?” Belladonna said back. “No, it’s too soon.”

“We are pinned down in the roof access point,” Leanna called over the radio next. “Cherry is with us, but we are dry on ammo and running out of time.”

Vixy looked to Belladonna, and then to the auditorium door. Then, she looked back the hallway towards the lobby. Belladonna looked at her, saw her thinking, and said. “It’s your job… we can get Nick, or we can save Leanna, Nat and Cherry. Call it.”

Vixy nodded, and motioned toward the lobby. “Let’s save our friends.”

Kuro nodded, and led the charge back to the lobby. “Let’s move!”

“You, go,” Rasco said. “Belladonna, you and me… we can finish this ourselves.”

Belladonna smirked at him, and nodded. Belladonna and Rasco, along with Rasco’s gang, busted through the auditorium doors, and charged on through. Nick and the rest had already left through the emergency exit. By now, the choking gas had mostly cleared, and so they ran through it without thinking about it, only coughing a little bit.

Kuro, Vixy, and Jayce made their way up to the rooftop. When they made their way to the top, the battle was nearly lost. The guards were dragging Leanna, Nat and Cherry out into the parking lot, and forcing them to kneel. Vandel was already aboard the helicopter.

Immediately, Kuro, Vixy and Jayce opened fire, taking out two guards as they took cover around the roof. The helicopter started to take off, and the other three who were until recently prisoners leapt into action. Leanna tackled one of them to the ground and began to maul them with her claws while Nat wrestled a gun from one of them and shot him. More gunfire was ringing out from the helicopter as it was starting to lift off the ground.

In a split-second decision, Cherry leapt onto the helicopter and started fighting. One guard was thrown off the roof, and then there was a spray of bullets. It clearly hit something important because as the helicopter hovered just off the side of the building, it began listing, and took a dive into the parking lot. Metal shrapnel flung out everywhere as the vehicle piled through parked cars, and ignited in a fiery explosion.

“Cherry!” Leanna shouted as she looked over the edge at the crash. Tears formed in her eyes as she scanned for signs of life, but between the darkness and smoke, she didn’t see any. Then another shot rang out, and Leanna collapse as a bullet ripped through her chest.

“Leanna! No!” Vixy called out. Another shot went through Nat’s leg as she was ducking for cover.

Kuro ran towards the gunfire, and fired a spray of bullets in the direction of the last sniper, who had moved to the opposite side of the roof. Vixy and Jayce ran after Kuro and when Kuro ducked for cover, they followed suit. Before long, however, a clang could be heard as the sniper tossed his weapon over his own cover, and towards them on the roof. “I surrender,” he shouted.

Vixy immediately ran towards Leanna to check on her. She was bleeding bad, but was still breathing, still conscious. “You’re okay,” she said.

“Nat?” Leanna asked.

“I’m good,” Nat whimpered out. “Shot, but… not mortally wounded.”

Kuro and Jayce went to the sniper. Once they got to him, Jayce pulled a pair of handcuffs off of his belt and cuffed him to a metal girder, and tossed the keys over the ledge of the building.

“We have to get going,” Kuro said. “Our exit window is already closing.”

Downstairs, when Belladonna and Rasco left the building and began looking around, they spotted Nick and his crew getting into vehicles. They started running, but were quickly noticed and had to take cover. More gunshots rang out, and suddenly, they were flanked. Grecken and two of her team members, the yak and the turtle, had caught up to them.

Rasco’s crew was firing from nearer the auditorium when a rhinoceros charged at them from inside, goring one of them and knocking the other away. Rasco, seeing this, made a run for him, charging right back at the rhino and tackling him into the auditorium.

Belladonna loaded her last magazine, and looked up over her cover to see Nick standing and watching on one side, and his guards watching for signs of movement, ready to open fire. On the other side, Grecken was slowly approaching. Belladonna put her hands up slowly.

“I haven’t even fired a damn shot,” Grecken said, taunting her. “But your surrender is accepted.” She snapped her fingers and the yak and the turtle moved over to her to take Belladonna. She tossed her weapon down, and let them put cuffs on her.

Inside, Rasco was going toe-to-toe with the rhinoceros. The rhino was larger, and threw heavy punches, but Rasco was far more experienced a fighter. He slashed at the rhino with every slow movement until he was down on his knees, and then he bit into his neck, cutting his jugular and spraying blood everywhere.

Rasco whistled for his team to follow him after the rhino went down, and they followed him back inside, through the halls toward the lobby. When they arrived, they were met by Vixy, Leanna, Jayce, Kuro, and Nat.

“I’m sorry to say… mission’s failed,” Rasco told them. “Come with me. I have better hiding place.”

“Belladonna?” Vixy asked.

Rasco shook his head. “Dead or captured.”

“Nox? Click?” Leanna asked, still crying. She had to be held up by Kuro. “Cherry?”

Rasco shook his head again. “If they are alive, we cannot save them.”

“But…” Vixy stammered, trying to think of something.

“He’s right, Vixy,” Kuro said. “If we stay, we’re dead.”

Rasco nodded, and he started walking towards the back of the building, leading the group out of there.

Outside, Click, sensing the fighting was almost up, rolled out from underneath the car and made a run for it. “Aborting mission,” he said on the radio. “Hoping for pickup. Running towards the storage building.”

“We will get you,” Rasco said through Leanna’s radio.

Once they got outside, Rasco and the crew piled into vans and drove off. One of them diverted to the storage building where they pulled Click inside before quickly driving off again.

“You got a doctor we can get these two to?” Kuro asked Rasco.

“Had them ready, at my hideout,” Rasco told him. “Don’t know if they’re prepared for this. But if we go to hospital, we will all be arrested, and Nick will find us out in the system.” Kuro was putting pressure on Leanna’s wound, and doing as much first aid as he could. “Little rabbit, your wound is also severe. Keep on pressure, like this.”

Rasco grabbed Nat’s leg, and squeezed around the bullet wound. She screamed and shook her head, but let him continue before he slowly let go, and had her use her own hands to keep pressure afterwards.

Nick walked slowly towards Belladonna, who was on the ground, on her knees. “You’ve got a lot of balls, I’ll give you that,” Nick said. “And it was a good plan, but… let’s be honest, you were never going to get me.”

Belladonna lunged forward to snap at Nick, trying desperately for a lethal bite, but the yak was quick to intervene, pulling her back. “Easy there, jaws,” Nick said to her. “I only wanna talk… for now. Grecken, you’ve proven a fair bit more competent than more of your competition. Why don’t you come with me back to my place, and we can converse with our shark friend there.”

“First responders are already arriving at the scene at EMI, Exotic Meals Incorporated, where an apparent terrorist-related incident took place.” The news reporter was a hamster girl. They had it on at Rasco’s hideout. “Early reports indicate the involvement of several high-profile, gang and terrorist groups who converged on the location just minutes ago.”

“I need to get back home,” Kuro said. “With Belladonna captured, it’s no longer secure. Charlotte and Samantha need to be taken out of there.”

“Yes,” Vixy said. “Please make sure they’re safe.”

“Will do,” Kuro said as he left.

“I don’t think I’m getting my bike back,” Jayce said, shaking his head as he watched the news.

“One of the staging grounds of this violent massacre was right next door, were a sniper’s nest was found on the rooftop. Several vehicles left in the parking lot are suspected to have been left behind by the surviving members of the assailants, and police are working to identify the owners. Early reports are indicating a number of deaths in the dozens, including, what is believed to be the senior manager of the special deliveries division.” Vandel’s picture was shown on screen. “Who was believed to be attempting to flee via helicopter when it became damaged, and crashed into the parking lot. Strange smells coming from the scene also suggest the potential use of chemical weapons, but police have declined to comment thus far.”

“They’re gonna trace my bike,” Jayce said. “Police are going to be knocking on my dad’s door any minute.”

“And my penthouse is getting RICO’d as we speak, I’m sure,” Rasco said. “But such is life.”

One of the doctors came out to speak to them, and they all turned their head. “Leanna,” she said. “Was the case we were most concerned with. But it appears the bullet managed to miss any major organs or arteries. We expect she’ll make a full recovery.”

“How’bout Nat?” Vixy said, a strong degree of relief in her voice.

“The bullet is lodged in her thigh bone and extracting it here will be… difficult,” the doctor said. “Ideally we’d be using an operating room, anesthesia… but… we have no such supplies.”

“Meaning?” Jayce asked.

“We must perform the surgery necessary to remove the bullet,” the doctor said. “I was hoping Rasco could hold her down for us.”

Rasco nodded, and went in with them. “I’ll… hold her hand,” Vixy said to Jayce, leaving him alone to watch the news while Vixy went into the makeshift medical tents.

“Hey Nat,” Vixy said.

“Hey Vixy,” Nat said. She was afraid of what was coming. She knew it would be incredibly painful but that it had to be done. “Come to watch me cry?”

Vixy nodded, and took her hand. “Yeah,” she said. “You can cry as much as you need to.”

“We are ready to begin,” the doctor said. Rasco put his hand on Nat’s belly, and put pressure on her. His other hand held her leg at the calf. “Once again, Nat… I know it is difficult, but try not to move too much. Are you ready?”

“No,” Nat said, looking up at Vixy, fearful and anxious. “But let’s do this.”

The doctor cut into her leg and she let out a loud scream. Rasco suddenly clamped down with his hands, keeping Nat as still as possible. Vixy even joined in to help, embracing her chest and trying to keep her still. “I’m right here,” Vixy said to her. “I’m right here.”

The screaming continued, and sudden bursts of pain shocked the hybrid’s body as surgical instruments carved into muscle down to the bone. Once there, the doctor extracted the bullet, and then went on removing several fragments. As they held Nat down, she panted, and then, passed out.

“Is she okay?” Vixy asked.

One of the nurses checked her pulse at her neck, and then her breathing, and nodded to the doctor. “She’s fine,” she told Vixy. “Passed out from the pain, probably. Done. Close her.”

The doctor put the last bullet fragment in a tin, and one of the nurses worked on stitching her leg back up.

Nick Bellatano and his crew drove with Belladonna in their van, and Grecken and the two remaining members of her team went with him to his home, a gated mansion just outside the city, looking down over it all.

The yak dragged Belladonna inside and tossed her into a dim-lit room, letting her tumble across the floor while restrained. Nick came in, and one of his underlings unfolded a chair for him to sit on. “Now,” he said. “Let’s talk business, shall we?”

“Aint telling you shit,” Belladonna said.

“I’ve heard it all before,” Nick told her.

“Nick… Mr. Bellatano,” Grecken said, stepping in.

“Nick, for you, is fine,” he said back.

Grecken nodded. “I’ve extracted information from her before. I used to be on her team. I think I know how to make her talk.”

“What have you got, sweetheart?” Grecken pulled out a vial of a strange, pearlescent fluid and handed it to Nick. “What’s this, huh?”

“It’s her own formula,” Grecken said. “I’ve managed to recreate it. She calls it pup pop, and uses it for interrogation sometimes.”

“Have at it,” Nick said.

“Get me a drip line,” Grecken said.

“Get it,” Nick said to one of his underlings, who went and found one.

“It’s just a drug,” Belladonna said. “Not some… truth serum.”

When a drip line was retrieved, Grecken instructed them to put the drip into Belladonna’s mouth, towards the back of her throat. They filled it with water first to get it started, and then Grecken dumped the entire vial into the bag. Another person held it up over Belladonna’s head so it fed down into her.

“How’s this stuff work again, Bell?” Grecken asked. “You want to tell it or should I?”

“It’s a form of synthetic deliriant,” Belladonna explained. “It blurs the edges between reality and imagination, but it’s modified to bring a subject’s desires to the forefront. In the right doses, it’s the best party drug you can imagine. It’ll turn you aroused, and suggestive… it makes everything sound good… right. We use it to haze newbies, not to extract information.”

“Oh yeah?” Grecken said. “What’s a proper dose?”

Belladonna shook her head, tasting some of the bitter formula on the back of her tongue. “Way less than that,” she told her. “That’ll kill me.”

“How long will it take?” Grecken asked.

“At this rate,” Belladonna said. “For me… maybe… forty, fifty minutes.”

“So you better answer our questions?” Grecken asked.

Belladonna shook her head again. The drug was working. She was complying, answering. And the lie she tried to spin was shot dead in an instant. “Yes,” she said. “Or it’ll kill me.”

“Do you want to die?” Grecken asked her.

“No… no I don’t,” Belladonna said back. “Fuck… no.”

“Who was the tiger?” Grecken asked her.

“Rasco…” Belladonna said. “Met him from a job, Vixy’s first.” She shook her head again, and tried to close her mouth, but the yak put his fingers into it, and stopped her from biting down.

“Who’s Rasco?” Nick asked.

“Sand Tigers… Persian… mark,” Belladonna squealed out.

“This drug works wonders,” Nick said.

“What do you mean mark?” Grecken asked her.

“Son… James, client… dead, killed,” Belladonna spat out next. “Rasco… captured Vixy. Had to stop it… Please. Please stop it.”

“Why would we do that?” Nick asked.

“Takes… 40 to 50 to kill me,” Belladonna told him, starting to pant, feeling her vision blur. “But the lethal dose… will be in me before that. Maybe… 5… 10 minutes? Then… no return.”

“What a shame,” Nick said. “She and her friends… left with Rasco. Where to?”

“I don’t know,” Belladonna said. Then, she smiled a little and laughed. “That’s right. I don’t even fucking know where they went.”

“Brought Kuro out of retirement,” Grecken said. “Where’d you find him?”

Belladonna shook her head. Her ears started ringing, and that question repeated in her mind. “N… no…. No… nowhere.”

Grecken laughed, and held Belladonna’s head up. “Let’s try that again, Bell. This time, with an address. Where did you meet Kuro? What’s the address?”

Belladonna whined, and shook, but her mind was fading fast. “23… Hazel… drive… outside… town. Please… don’t.”

“Will we find Vixy there?” Nick asked.

Belladonna shook her head. “I don’t know…” she whined out.

“It’s a start,” Nick said. “You…” He pointed to one of his underlings. “Bring a couple cars that way. Tell me what you find when you get there.”

“Why… why are you…” Belladonna tried to ask Nick a question. “Just… quit. We can… we don’t… have… no more… death.”

Nick pulled the drip line out, and pinned it up to the bag, and clipped the end of it to save the rest. “I can see she’s tapped,” Nick said. “Need to keep her around. She might have some useful information yet.”

Grecken nodded, and pulled up another chair to stand up on so she could look at Belladonna face to face. “Open your mouth…” she said. Belladonna heeded the command, opening her maw wide. Grecken then proceeded to spit into it. “Don’t swallow that…”

Nick smirked at that display, and chuckled. “That is one hell of a drug,” he said. “How does one respond to pain while under the influence?”

Grecken pulled a knife out of her pocket, and unfolded it. Then, she traced the edge of it along Belladonna’s forearm before piercing the flesh, drawing blood. Belladonna barely even flinched. “They can feel it,” Grecken told him. “But the parts of their brain that spring into action to defend themselves are all… turned off.”

Belladonna whimpered, and whined as Grecken stabbed just the tip of the knife into her arm again, and then again.

“Amazing,” Nick said. “May I acquire the formula from you?”

“For a price…” Grecken told him. She got a ping on her phone, and then smiled as she read it. “Nick, you mind turning on the news. I think there’s something Belladonna would enjoy.”

Nick turned on the small TV they had in the room, and flipped channels until the news popped up. “Once again, we are just learning a little bit about the culprits behind the violence at EMI earlier tonight. A team who worked under the special deliveries division within the company turned on them when a price was put on the head of their own team member. The bodies of two members of this team have been identified, Cherigon Arventis and Nox Brighton were both found. Cherigon’s body was among those uncovered in the wreckage of the helicopter, along with the body of the head of the special deliveries division, Vandel Crane.”

“Ch… Cherry…” Belladonna said.

Grecken nodded. “And Nox… both dead. Isn’t it great?”

“Cherry… was… your… friend,” Belladonna told her.

Grecken frowned at her, and turned away. “Was,” she said. “You got her into this mess, Bell. Her blood… it’s on your hands.”

“Other individuals believed to be involved in the activities that took place,” the news reporter continued, “Have been identified as suspects at large. Including Belladonna Silvers, Leanna Maltosse, Vixy Knight, Natalie Josephine, and Jayce Sandbourne. They are also believed to be in league with a dangerous foreign terrorist organization known as the Sand Tigers, working with a known associate of the organization living in the bay area, Rasco Rahim. Members of another criminal organization, and LCN group known as the Bellatano family, were also believed to be involved, but no official statement on the nature of anyone’s involvement has been formally released. Authorities have launched a massive manhunt spanning a five county area in search of those alleged to have been at the scene. If you see any of these suspects, you are asked to contact the local authorities and leave the area immediately, as all suspects are currently considered to be armed, and extremely dangerous.”

“The police will be here, soon,” Nick said. “No doubt they’ve already identified me on EMI’s security cameras. We need to make ourselves scarce, and quickly. I’ve paid off the right people to slow them down as much as possible, but no amount of bribery is going to cool down this kind of heat.”

Back at Rasco’s hideout, the group gathered around a seating area and discussed their next steps. “When Kuro gets here with Samantha and Charlotte,” Leanna said. “We need to move. And quickly. Nick won’t give up the hunt, especially with the whole of the rest of EMI after us. But with police moving in on his house, he’s probably already fucked off to some safe house. We need to find it.”

“How?” Nat asked.

“I… do not know,” Leanna said.

“Do you think Cherry and Nox are really…” Vixy stammered, distracted by the most recent reporting.

Click nodded to her. “Yeah,” he said. “They’re gone. But if we stop to mourn now, we’re gonna lose ourselves.”

“We’re going to need someone who knows where Nick and the last of his crew are hiding,” Vixy said after thinking through it a little bit. “And we’ll probably find Belladonna there, too.”

“Most likely,” Click said. “We need some bait, then…”

“Like what?” Leanna asked.

Click looked at Vixy, and then looked at Jayce. “Any of us could do it,” he said. “But I don’t know, something about using a shark as bait just excites me a little.”

“We are not using Jayce as bait,” Vixy said back.

Jayce shook his head. “No,” he said. “It’s a good plan. Leanna and Nat are injured. I should do it.”

“No!” Vixy said to him. “Just… no.”

“Vixy,” Click said. “We are all in this, like it or not. And this may be the only play I have.”

“Then I should do it,” Vixy said. She walked around a little, getting the blood flowing, thinking critically about it. “I’m the primary target, but Nick wants me to suffer. He won’t kill me until he can get to all of you. So if things go south, I get captured… you have another chance.”

“You have another chance,” Leanna said, furrowing her brow. “But Bell… she’ll be killed right in front of you. Nick might not want to kill Jayce until you can watch.”

“True,” Click said.

“I… I can’t let someone else die for me,” Vixy said. “I just can’t.”

“I’ll be fine, Vix,” Jayce said. “I can do this… plus, I just thought of an idea.”

“What’s that?” Vixy asked.

“I can eat you, first,” he said, smirking at her.

“And what would be the point of that?” Click asked, stumped by the question.

“Not… all of you,” Jayce told her. “Honestly, I just need a little blood.”

“What are you getting at?” Vixy asked him. “You just made me promise not to ask for that until there was no other option.”

“You don’t follow my thinking,” Jayce said. “I can take some sort of tracker with me. I’ll swallow it whole. Then, I take a little nibble, a love bite, really, just to get my teeth bloodied. When Nick takes me, I’ll give myself up. I’ll tell him I ate you… to take the satisfaction away. That you asked for it and got to go out on your own terms that way.”

“That would put you in even more danger,” Nat told him. “If Nick thinks Vixy is dead, there’s not going to be any reason to keep you and Belladonna alive.”

“I know it’s risky,” Jayce said. “But instead of just hoping we can lure them out, hoping we can get someone to give us the information, I can give you the location, myself. If Nick buys it, he’ll think we’ve given up. It will give you the element of surprise, and your best shot.”

“It’s a sound strategy,” Rasco said, nodding. “I would say that is our best plan so far. And we may not have enough time for another one to present itself.”

Leanna and Click nodded in agreement. Vixy still seemed unsure. “Vixy,” Leanna said. “If we don’t act quickly, we’re just sitting ducks, waiting for them to eventually track us down.”

Just then, a call came through. Click answered his flip phone and Kuro was on the other line. “Click,” he said.

“What’s up? You get Samantha and her mom?” Click asked as he put the phone on speaker.

“Yes,” Kuro said. “But I’ve picked up a tail. They’re following me, so I can’t meet you there.”

“Wait,” Leanna said, thinking for a second. “No, come straight here.”

“What?” Kuro asked. “Oh, I see. You’ve got a plan. What is it?”

“Jayce is going to give himself up, and tell Nick that he ate Vixy,” Leanna said. “Give us an opening for a surprise attack. We’ll plant a tracker on Jayce and use him as bait to gain access to their location.”

“Because he’s not at the mansion anymore,” Kuro said, nodding. “Makes sense. It’s a good plan.”

Vixy sat down on a couch, arms crossed. Jayce sat next to her, and pulled her into a hug. “This is it, Vixy,” he told her. “This is how we kill that bastard, save Belladonna, and win this thing.”

Vixy refused to hug him back. She wasn’t a fan of this plan at all, but as she ran through it in her head a few more times, she realized that it might be the best they could hope for. “If you die…” Vixy said. “Jayce, if you die… I’m going with you. Just know that. I won’t live a day longer than you do.”

Jayce sighed, and nodded to her. “I can only hope that if it comes to that, you’ll change your mind,” he said. “But I won’t be there to stop you, if it does.”

“I won’t let her do that,” Leanna told him. “I owe you one, anyways, Vixy.”

“If we’re going to convince anyone that you devoured your mate,” Rasco said. “We’re going to need more than just a little blood on your teeth. We’ve got some spare blood, but I’m picturing a much more brutal scene, right here.”

“I know what you mean,” Vixy said, looking at Rasco, and then to Jayce. “Something to really sell it.”

“And what would that be?” Jayce asked.

Vixy curled her tail around her, and held it in her hands. “It’s still not fully healed,” she told him. “And… I’ve done it before.”

“Woah, woah,” Jayce said. “I am not cutting off your tail for this.”

“Jayce,” Vixy said. “This is your plan. You’re risking your life for it. If I can’t sacrifice something so small… I’m not in.”

Jayce looked at her. She was serious.

“Use your teeth, Jayce,” Rasco said. “In case they decide to investigate the cut. It needs to look real.”

Jayce shuddered. He looked at Vixy again, who turned her head away, and rested her tail in his lap. “Do it,” Vixy said. “If anyone’s going to hurt me… it’s going to be you.”

Jayce shook a little bit. The trauma she went through, not long ago, which had extremely detrimental mental effects on her that he experienced firsthand. “When… when we were out on the boat,” he said. “It hurt you so badly… you used to love it when I played with it… tugged it. Those fucking bastards turned something you enjoyed into something you couldn’t deal with. How could I possibly do that to you? Knowing… knowing what pain it caused.”

Vixy nodded, and turned her head back to him. She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek before whispering. “This will be different,” she said.”

“How?”

“Because it’ll be you, doing it,” Vixy told him. “And you… you can hurt me all you want. I’ll still love you. You can’t do anything to me that would change that.”

Jayce listened, and nodded slowly. Then, he, frightened by the prospect, grabbed hold of her tail and lifted it towards his mouth. He looked around at everyone. They were watching. He shook his head. “Guys,” he said. “If… some privacy? Please?”

“No problem,” Leanna said, turning away and heading off to another room. The rest of them followed her out.

“The doctor will be right outside,” Rasco said. “Waiting to patch her up.”

Jayce nodded as Rasco left the room. “Vixy,” he said, looking at her tail, and then at her. “I… uhh… If you can, can you watch?”

“Why?” Vixy asked, shaking as much as he did while waiting.

“I… I need to know that this… that you… are okay,” he told her.

Vixy took a deep breath, and turned back to face him. She got closer, and rested her head against his shoulder. “Thank you,” he muttered. He still wasn’t sure about this, and to be fair, neither was she. But the plan was pretty much set. He slowly lifted Vixy’s tail up to his mouth, finding a spot nice and close to the base. Then, in one smooth motion, he clamped his teeth and snapped through it, severing the appendage in two places.

Blood sprayed into his mouth and against his face. Vixy recoiled by gripping him tightly, and she screamed out in pain the whole time. When it was over, she panted and shook. Jayce chewed the segment in his mouth before swallowing, and left the other end of the bushy tail to fall on the floor.

Jayce’s instincts took over his fear for Vixy, and he was able to stop shaking. “Vixy,” he said softly, looking at her as the doctor came in.

“Yeah?” Vixy said, squeaking through the tears.

“You’re delicious,” he said to her. Vixy, still in pain, but overtly flattered and feeling the love, pressed her lips to his, and kissed him deeply. She tasted her own blood on his tongue, and he could barely resist taking another nibble at her own.

“I love you,” Vixy said to him after the kiss broke.

Jayce sat on the couch, sitting in a pool of blood. He sat there, alone, his eyes cast down to Vixy’s tail on the floor, and then looked up to the doorway. In the distance, he could hear the exterior doors to the building open, and a small tactical team entered.

Grecken, and three of her cohorts, the yak and the turtle, and a bear which hadn’t made an appearance yet, came in with guns drawn, expecting a firefight. They fanned out and searched the building, but the yak was the first to find Jayce, sitting there.

“Boss,” the yak said. “Boss!”

Grecken and the others came over to him. When Grecken entered the room and saw the tail on the floor, and looked at Jayce, looking both proud and defeated, her eyes widened in horror. “No,” she said. “Don’t tell me you did what I think you did.”

Jayce nodded, and chuckled at her. “That’s right,” he said. “I took away your prize.” Then, he let out a satisfied sounding belch.

Grecken shook her head. She went in and picked up the tail, inspecting it, and then inspected Jayce. He had blood all over his mouth, and fox hair still trapped in his teeth as he smiled menacingly at her. “No…” she said. “It can’t be.”

“So your stupid hunt is over now,” Jayce said. “We’re all worthless now that Vixy is gone, aren’t we?”

Grecken put her pistol to his head, frustrated and angry, but she didn’t shoot. “This… this could’ve been any fox,” she said as she handed the tail off to the bear. “All EMI employee blood samples are back in EMI labs. We’ll run a DNA comparison, and make sure.”

Jayce laughed at her hysterically. “You really can’t stand to lose, can you?” he asked. “You really think I would let you or Nick or anyone else be the one who kills Vixy? No! Not a chance in hell. She’s mine, and when she said she wanted to go out on her own terms… Not only was I happy to oblige, but I enjoyed every second of it.”

“I trust you,” Grecken said. “But I will always want verification.”

“Fine then,” Jayce said. “Take me to EMI labs. Test the blood in my mouth. Test the tail. I’m sure you’ll be more than satisfied when you’re done that Vixy is dead.”

“You know you’re still going to die when this is over,” Grecken said.

“I don’t care,” Jayce told her. “The one thing Vixy wanted in life, that I wanted in life, more than anything, to be together to the end… it’s fulfilled. So take me to Nick, do whatever you want with me.”

“Oh we’ll be taking you there,” Grecken told him. “Just so you can be the one to explain to him how he missed out on his prize.”

The yak pulled out some handcuffs, and cuffed the shark behind his back before leading him out of the room. The four of them packed into a car, and drove off into the night.

“Where are they going?” Leanna asked, watching the tracking device’s location on the screen in front of her. “Do you really think Nick would’ve gone back to EMI?”

“With all the police activity?” Nat asked. “No way. They’ve gotta be doing something else.”

“They’re going to test the DNA,” Click said. “They’ll sneak in with… uh…”

“With my tail,” Vixy said, coldly.

“Yeah and test it against her blood from the employee database,” Click said.

“Why risk it though?” Nat asked. “What if they get caught?”

“Millions of dollars are disappearing right before her eyes,” Rasco said. “Perhaps she is having trouble accepting it.”

“How long will the test results take?” Vixy asked.

“Not long,” Leanna said. “They’ll just run a basic differential rather than risk something more extensive. An hour, maybe?”

“So we’re just hoping she doesn’t kill Jayce as soon as she finds out,” Vixy said. “I don’t know about this guys.”

“She wouldn’t,” Leanna said. “She’ll take him to Nick. She won’t want to return empty-handed. Just trust me on this.”

Vixy nodded, and looked at her little stub of a tail. “Do you think they’ll be able to reattach it after we’re done?” she asked.

Nat shook her head. “I sincerely doubt it.”

“Might be able to graft it back on,” Rasco told her. “But you’d probably never get control of feeling back in it again.”

“Medical science has made strides in recent years,” Leanna said. “They might be able to bring it back to life. I’m hoping so anyways.”

“I’ll… try to manage expectations,” Vixy said.

“They’re moving,” Leanna said.

“But that wasn’t long enough for the test,” Nat said.

Leanna nodded. “Hang on, let me…” She opened another window on her laptop, and smiled as she got right back into EMI’s cameras. They could see that the turtle had been left behind in the lab. “Looks like they didn’t want to waste any time. Left behind one of their team to tell them the results when they come in.”

“And meanwhile, they’re still off to Nick’s hideout,” Click said. “Let’s get moving. It could be a bit of a distance.”

Grecken’s team drove up to the hideout, a movie studio back lot, looking to have been shuttered for some time, and knocked on the door. First, an eye slit opened, and then, the whole thing opened. The yak pushed Jayce into the building while the bear stayed with Grecken.

“Ahh, they return,” Nick said as he turned away from Belladonna and looked towards Grecken. “A little… empty-handed, as far as foxes go.”

“A consolation prize,” Grecken said. “Jayce, Vixy’s paramour and sweetheart.”

“I take it Vixy wasn’t with them?” Nick asked.

Grecken, frustrated, shook her head. “You tell him, shark.”

Jayce nodded, looking up to Nick. “I brought Vixy with me, in a manner of speaking. Saved you the effort of killing her yourself.”

Nick looked at him, his bloodied lips, and the bear pulled Vixy’s tail from a bag and dropped it before him. Nick’s smirk turned sour, and he stared at the tail for a good long few moments. Belladonna was tied to a chair right next to them, and Nick motioned for Jayce to be tied down as well.

“You claim you ate your girlfriend,” Nick said. “Why?”

“To keep you from getting to her. And I’m turning myself in… to call off the hunt. You get me, but no one else dies.”

“Why would I do that?” Nick asked. “We have ways of confirming this fox’s identity.

“We’re already on that,” Grecken said. “Waiting on Turtle to get back to me, but he’s testing it right now.”

“Let me know as soon as they come back,” Nick told her. Then, he looked to Belladonna. “You know this shark,” he said. “Do you think he has it in him? To eat someone he loves to save them from a worse fate?”

Belladonna nodded and smiled. “One hundred percent,” she told him. Her pupils were extremely dilated, and she was drooling uncontrollably.

“What did you do to her?” Jayce asked. No one answered.

Grecken got a call and answered it. She nodded, and then looked to Nick. “It’s hers,” she said. “Confirmed. Vixy’s dead.”

Nick took a deep breath, and looked at Jayce, staring intently, as if trying to discern some deep, buried secret. “Look at me, shark,” he said, a frown on his face. Jayce looked up. “Look at me, and tell me you ate your lover fox.”

Jayce smirked a little, and nodded. “I did it,” he said. “I did it slow, and sensually, just like she wanted. Bathed her in pleasure while I took bite after bite until there was nothing left… except the tail. It was… too furry to get down.”

Nick took the tail in his hands and felt it. There was a rage building inside of him, but he did his best to look absolutely calm on the outside. “This,” he said. “Just feels wrong.” Her played with it, and coiled it around his arms. “You fell in love with a girl, and you ate her, instead of trying to save her.”

“How many times do I gotta say it, asshole?” Jayce asked.

“Give him the drug,” Nick said.

Jayce blinked and shook his head. “What drug?” he asked. He looked at Belladonna, who was staring at him, lust and hunger in her eyes. “Belladonna… what did they give you?”

“Vixy’s… initiation. The same,” she said. “You… can fight it. But it’s very difficult.”

“You told them about Kuro’s place, didn’t you?” Jayce asked. “That’s how they found him…”

One of the underlings was bringing another dose of the pup pop over when Nick held his hand up, signaling them to stop. “Wait,” he said. He turned back to Jayce. “What do you mean… found him?”

Jayce looked at Nick curiously. “You sent some people there, didn’t you? To track us down?” Jayce asked. “That’s how Grecken knew where to find us, I thought…”

“But,” Nick said. “How… do you know that?” He thought for a moment, scratching his chin, putting the few pieces he had together. Jayce tried to interrupt, but he slapped him. “Shut him up,” Nick said. One of the guards gagged him. “You knew you were caught. And yet, you stayed… Grecken, you searched him, right?”

“Nothing on him,” Grecken said. “No weapons, no devices…”

Nick snapped his fingers towards someone else at the edge of the room. “That uh… the thing, that tracking locator thing, where is it?”

The man picked up a device off of a nearby table and turned it on. He waved it over Jayce, and it went off near him, getting stronger around his torso.

Nick smiled, and gave a chuckle. “Honestly, Jayce,” he said. “I’m impressed. That was a very good plan. She’s alive, isn’t she?” He looked him in the eyes, and he shook in anger. “She is… Everyone. Prepare our defenses. Our prey will be coming to us. Create a clear path down here, and tell the guards outside to come in. I want to set a trap, capture all of our marks in one fell swoop.”

“What should we do with them?” one of them asked.

“Feed him the drugs,” Nick said. He leaned in close to Jayce again, putting a hand around his chin. “Are you hungry, Jayce? I bet you are… having gotten a taste of your lover’s blood… and not yet had the chance to eat your fill. Don’t worry, boy… you’ll get a proper meal very, very soon. I think a certain favored fox may even be on the menu.”

“Bastard,” Belladonna muttered towards him.

“Make sure she’s gagged too,” Nick said, “And chained up tightly. As for Jayce… make sure we loosen him up, just a little bit, before you leave.”

Outside, two vans pulled up near the hideout, and parked just outside of the perimeter. Leanna was in one of the vans with Vixy, Nat, Kuro and Click. Click left the vehicle first, heading off to do a sweep of the perimeter. Leanna watched the pin on her computer. “The tracking device definitely stopped here,” she said. “Either he’s here, or they got it out of him somehow.”

Click returned a moment later. “No guards,” he said. “They’re not expecting any company.”

“Unlikely,” Kuro said. “If I was in Nick’s position, I’d be positively paranoid. Let’s assume there’s guards and we just can’t see them.”

“Probably a good idea,” Leanna said.

“Anything you can hack into and get their cameras like with EMI?” Kuro asked.

Leanna shook her head. “Unless I can find out which network they’re on, or what software and hardware they’re using, I won’t be able to. Get me a way into the network and I can probably get it done.”

“Time is also running short,” Click said. “Every moment we wait, we risk losing our element of surprise.”

“He’s right about that,” Kuro said. “If we can get the cameras from inside, they might be useful, but for now, let’s not count on it.”

“Nowhere else to go, trap or not,” Click said. “I saw we lock and load, and move in.”

“Agreed,” Vixy said, grabbing her gun, and hopping out of the van.

“Fast and efficient,” Kuro said. As they started unloading, Rasco and his remaining gang members joined them from their own van. “Stay low, and stay quiet.”

“Leanna,” Vixy said. “No matter what happens, stay with me. I don’t want to leave Jayce in captivity any longer than we have to.”

“Of course,” Leanna said.

Once everyone was armed and ready, they moved out, rushing towards the studio building and making their way inside. The building’s interior was dark, with all power turned off it seemed. As they moved through, they found a door that opened up into a lit hallway, and slowly moved in.

Once they started moving inside, the lights went out. “Ambush!” Kuro shouted. “Get to cover!” Before he even finished speaking, gunshots started ringing out. Everyone dove behind corners, through doors, anywhere they could to hide.

“I’m hit!” Kuro called out. “Spread out, find a way around!”

Vixy and Leanna moved into another hallway, and ran for another room before stopping. “Oh fuck,” Leanna said, stretching her shoulder. “I don’t know if I was ready for this activity.”

Vixy hugged her, and nodded. “Thanks for staying with me,” she said. “Let’s go find Jayce and Bell.” Leanna nodded, and they kept moving finding their way to a basement staircase. When they reached the bottom, Leanna opened her computer and checked it. The signal was right in front of them, through the next door.

“This is it,” Leanna said, putting the thing back away.

Vixy rushed in, forcing the door open easily as it was unlocked and looked around. Leanna came in behind her. In the back corner of the room, Belladonna was chained up, and gagged. She started trying to shout through it, squirming as much as she could, to almost no avail, but the chains were tugging on something in the wall, starting to pull it loose.

“Jayce!” Vixy said, blinders on, and ran towards where the shark sat on the chair.

“V-vixy… don’t…” he muttered. But it was already too late. He sniffed the air as she got closer, smelling the dried blood, her sweat, her fear and joy. The suggestive state he was in earlier made him feel more than hungry, like he was starving. “Y-you… smell… so…”

Vixy went to untie him, but he pulled out of the bindings himself. What she thought was a hug was a tackle, and he pinned her to the ground. Belladonna started freaking out. Leanna was already on the way to helping her, but got distracted as Vixy screamed for help.

“Jayce what the fuck?!” Leanna shouted. She pointed her weapon at him. The shark snapped down onto Vixy’s left arm, and hard, piercing skin, muscle and even bone. Another chomp bit clean through, and Vixy’s cries of pain rang through the room. “Jayce!” Leanna shot towards him, intentionally missing and hitting the wall with a warning shot.

Suddenly, Belladonna was free from the chains, pulling the mounts right off of the wall. Without even removing her gag, she lunged at Jayce, tackling him to the side and off of Vixy. Leanna rushed in to check on her, and worked on tying off her arm to stop the bleeding.

“Get off me!” Jayce cried out. “She wants this!” He slashed at Belladonna with sharp claws, scratching her face and sending her reeling back.

After pulling the gag from her mouth, she shouted back as she went to charge again, pushing him into a wall and smashing clean through the drywall. “You don’t know what you’re saying!” Belladonna shouted. “You have to fight the drug!”

“What did they give him?” Leanna shouted at Belladonna.

“Pup pop!” she cried out. “Both of us!” Jayce smacked Belladonna with his tail, knocking her into a bar. The force of the impact smashed the edge of the counter. “Ah, fuck.”

Leanna finished stopping Vixy’s bleeding, and then went through her bag, pulling it inside out and spreading all of the contents on the floor. Quickly, she fished through them and pulled out a syringe. Jayce was lunging for her next, but she had it up just in time. She jabbed him with the needle and pushed the plunger all the way down.

Jayce screamed out, and fell to the ground. There, he writhed in agony as he felt all of his muscles start to burn and convulse. Vixy started to panic, but Leanna held her back. “Just wait,” Leanna told her.

Belladonna got up, and took a breath before sitting on her knees, and watching Jayce struggle. He cried out, and clutched his chest before his breathing slowed down, and he collapsed, rolling onto his side.

“What the fuck did you do to him?” Vixy asked.

Leanna let Vixy go, and she immediately went to check on him. “It’s a fast-acting paralytic,” Leanna told her. “Sucks like hell. But very effective. There’s not much else that can take someone out of a pup pop trip.”

“Let me guess,” Vixy said, pulling Jayce up and holding him tightly. “You had some ready for me during initiation.”

“Someone did,” Leanna said.

Then, Grecken, the bear, and the yak came through the door. “Well,” Grecken said as she pointed a gun towards them. “That was rather anticlimactic.”

Leanna aimed her weapon towards her, and Belladonna crouched low, eyeing Vixy’s gun left on the ground but not close enough to reach it. “At least he got to eat something of substance,” Grecken added on. “Alright, guys… game’s over. You’re outnumbered, and outgunned. Why don’t you just make this easy on all of us, and surrender?”

“You’re going to kill us anyways,” Vixy said.

“Fair point,” Grecken told her. “Don’t forget, boys, we want them alive.”

Leanna started firing, and Grecken fired back. Everyone moved behind cover except for the bear, who charged for Belladonna as she went for the gun. Vixy then picked up her weapon with one hand, and tried to aim it at the yak who was coming for her. She fired two rounds before she lost her grip, both missing, and the yak punched her in the face, knocking her to the ground.

Grecken slinked around the room, climbing onto the bar and started firing at Belladonna, aiming low for her legs to try and stop her while the bear fought her. The two creatures slashed and bit at each other. Leanna had an opening, and fired at Grecken, who barely dodged behind cover behind the bar.

Belladonna slashed at the bear’s eyes, blinding him with a roar, and then ran for the yak that was fully on top of Vixy beating her into the ground. She tackled him off, and pushed him into a wall, but with much less force than Jayce before him, the shark clearly winded from the combat.

Seeing the opening, Leanna aimed for the bear, and fire multiple shots into him. While the bear charged in her direction, she was able to fire more and more until he went down, blood pooling all around him. Grecken had slinked back around though, and got a clear shot at Leanna, hitting her in the thigh with one shot, and in the opposite foot with the other. Leanna went down, dropping her weapon.

Grecken ran for Leanna and kicked her gun away before turning her focus to Belladonna. “Fine,” she said. “I’ll save the rest for Nick. But you… you are all mine!” She went to shoot, but Leanna pulled her down by a foot, and bit into her leg. Grecken cried, and whipped at Leanna with her gun, but she refused to let go. When she tried to strike at Leanna’s head with her free hand, she stabbed herself on Leanna’s antler, and screamed. “You’re a fucking hybrid?!” she shouted in pain.

Belladonna took Vixy’s gun, and aimed right for the yak as he was charging back at her. He got shot multiple times, but didn’t go down, ramming Belladonna and driving her into a pillar. The shark dropped the weapon, and scratched and clawed at the yak’s head. Grecken saw her come by, and tried to take a shot, but Leanna let go at the last moment, causing her aim to miss and instead she hit the yak right in the eye.

Belladonna pushed the yak off of her, and before Grecken could fix her aim, the shark snapped down onto her head with a full-forced bite, taking it clean off of her shoulders and swallowing it whole. Then, she fell to the ground, exhausted, and panted heavily.

“Did… did we just win?” Leanna asked. Vixy was up on her feet. She walked over to take Grecken’s pistol, a much lighter option since she lost an arm. “We won?”

Vixy shook her head. “Nick isn’t here,” she said. “I have to find him.”

“I’ll go with you,” Leanna said. She started to get up, but collapsed. “Ow!”

“No,” Vixy said. “I’ve got one arm, I can’t help you. Tie those wounds off, and wait for a rescue.”

Leanna nodded, and relaxed a little. “Fine… but you should stay too. The others will get Nick.”

“After all this,” Vixy said. “I think he’s mine.”

“Then get out of here,” Leanna told her. “Shoot the bastard.”

Vixy walked back up the stairs, and headed back towards the halls she came from. “Vixy!” Kuro shouted as he ran for her. “We couldn’t find you or Leanna. Where’d you go? Fuck, your arm!”

“We found Jayce and Belladonna,” she said. “I’m alright. Go get them help.”

“Sure thing,” Kuro said. “Link up with Nat, just down the hall that way. She spotted Nick but couldn’t chase him alone.”

Vixy nodded and ran towards that direction, and went into an empty room where Nat was catching her breath. “You okay Nat?” Vixy asked.

Nat looked at Vixy, and shook her head. “I should be asking you,” she mentioned. “Nick ran up the stairs around the corner. I had to stop. My leg—”

“Don’t worry,” Vixy told her. “Stay here, backup Kuro and Rasco. I’ll get Nick.”

“Alone?” Nat asked her.

“Alone…” Vixy said.

The fox left the room, heading for the stairs, and walked up them to find another hallway. It led straight to an old board room of some kind, and when she got closer to it, she got her weapon ready. She whipper around a corner when she entered, but Nick was ready for her. He whipped her with his own gun, knocking her to the ground.

“You!” Nick said, moaning out in anger. “I guess you had to kill your boyfriend? What a shame!” He rolled back the slide on his weapon, and pointed it at her before she could react.

“No,” Vixy said. “Jayce is alive.”

“Impossible,” Nick said. “No matter… I’ll get to watch him eat you myself later.” Without warning, Vixy lunged at him, tackling him to the ground. He held onto his gun, and tried to aim it at her, but she bit his hand and he dropped it.

Nick pushed at Vixy as she swung furiously at him with the gun in her hand. He tried to reach for his weapon, but she bit him again. Finally, he was able to push her off and away from him, into the board room table. While he was reaching for his gun, though, Vixy shot him in the arm, and stood up over him. She shot him again, this time in the foot.

Nick stopped trying, and leaned back, propping himself up against a wall. He chuckled at her, and looked into her eyes. “What a… surprising turn of events,” he said.

“Not that surprising,” Vixy told him.

“You’ve beaten me,” he said. “Utterly and completely. So what happens now?”

Vixy put the barrel of the gun right to his forehead. “What do you think happens, now, Nick? I’ll tell you. I kill you. I end this.”

“End it?” Nick asked, chuckling again. “Now that’s where you’re wrong…”

“How do you figure?”

…

…

The wolf lays it all out for me, and I listen. I’ve got him dead to rights and he’s not even fighting anymore. “You think killing me means you and your friends get to walk away? No… You have no idea the hornet’s nest you’ve just kicked. I am Nick fucking Bellatano. If I go die… everything falls apart.”

“That’s mighty self-important of you,” I say to him.

“It’s true,” he says. “There’s a reason my organization ran so well, for so long. It’s because we made deals. We struck bargains. My father and later I, myself, kept the entire country’s criminal underworld in check. You kill me, and you’re leaving a power vacuum that will initiate a gang war this country hasn’t seen in a generation.”

“Why should I care?” I ask him. “I’m not involved in your gangland bullshit.”

“But you are,” he tells me. “Oh, Vixy. Oh sweet girl, you really don’t know… You think you can just walk away, but the truth is that after this, every crime lord in the continent is going to know your name. They’ll whisper it in private meetings and between close friends. Some might fear you, some might respect you… after all, you did take out the most notorious criminal they’ve ever worked with. But not everyone. Those not afraid of you, they’ll resent it. They’ll see you as an obstacle, or better yet, a threat. There’s nowhere you can go now that you’ll be safe. And on top of that, the police are already looking for you. Once they find you, you’ll be put through a kangaroo trial, and sent to the gallows, along with all your friends. Like it or not, your like, as well as Jayce’s and the rest of them… they’re over.”

I nod slowly. I understand all of that. “I know there’ll be consequences,” I tell him. “I don’t think those will be avoided by sparing your life.”

“Of course not,” he says to me.

I look at him, and nod. Then, I pull back a little bit. “Since we’re alone here,” I tell him. “Tell me… how do you want this done?”

“How do I want it done?” he asks me back. “What a wild question. Hoping to take power over me, to humiliate me. What? Do you give all your prey one last good blow before they die? I’ll bet you do…”

“I fulfill many fantasies of my prey before I finish them off,” I tell him. “I’ve been hunting you way too long not to afford you the same opportunity.”

“Fine, then,” Nick tells me. “You wanna know how I want this to end? Properly. Without mercy. Let it not be said that I begged for mercy, or offered myself to any final humiliations at your hands. Skip the ceremony, and shoot me dead, pretty fox.” He pushed his head into the gun, sitting up straight on his knees.

“I feel like I should say a prayer,” I tell him. Nick looks up at me, that same expression of defiance in his eyes, but the cockiness is all gone. I don’t know what else there is to say. This is the end of the mission. I wish… I just wish I could’ve done more. But this is how he wants to go, and I oblige.

BANG!

I pull the trigger. A bullet rips through his head and exits out the back of his skull. Blood spatters everywhere and then leaks out of his head as he slumps down, eyes open but empty as a coffin.

…

…

Vixy holstered the weapon, and left the room. Once she got downstairs, she saw Nat, Rasco, and Kuro helping Belladonna, Jayce and Leanna upstairs. The fox immediately rushed to help Jayce up, who practically had to be carried.

“Is it over?” Nat asked her as they walked towards the exit.

Vixy nodded. “Nick is dead,” she said. “Contract terminated.”

“Now what do we do?” Nat asked.

“Well,” Vixy said. “Now we figure out where to go next. Hey, where’s Click?”

“Click went to get the vans ready,” Rasco said.

“Any other bad guys here?” Vixy asked.

Kuro shook his head. “Not at all,” he said. “If there was anyone left, they’ve either run off or hidden themselves. They know the game’s up.”

As the group of them made their way outside, Click was already ready for them. Both vans were individually pulled up to the studio doors so they could load everyone in. While they were loading up the vans however, sirens were heard in the distance.

“Shit, c’mon, c’mon,” Leanna said.

The sirens were surrounded by the sound of a helicopter approaching their position. They barely got into the vans, and Click was putting the first one in gear when a swarm of police came driving around the corner. They surrounded the two vehicles and started leaving their vehicles, pointing guns at the group.

“We have you completely surrounded!” one of the officers shouted. “Turn off the vehicle and exit with your hands raised above your head.”

Click looked back at Vixy and Leanna in the vehicle, and then back to the police. No one had a plan. And so, without any fallback, Click shut the vehicle off, and complied with the officer’s commands, stepping out and holding his hands up.

“Any remaining occupants need to step out of the vehicle,” the officer shouted. “Keep your hands up!”

“They’re injured!” Click shouted. “We surrender! Some of us can’t walk!”

After a few nonverbal commands issued, the police started moving in with swat gear and riot shields. They moved in groups until they had eyes everywhere, and then moved in. The entire posse had their hands raised, and waited for the officers to move in and start restraining them.

“What’s your name?” one of the arresting officers asked Vixy as he led her away from the group first.

“Vixy Knight,” she stated.

“Vixy Knight,” he told her. “You are under arrest for domestic terrorism. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read you?” As he spoke, he disarmed her, and searched her pockets, removing everything he found on her.

“Yes,” Vixy told him. He was getting ready to load her into the back of a prison van.

“With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me?” he asked.

“Nope,” Vixy told him. “But I need medical attention.”

“No shit,” he told her. “You’re being transported to Cascadia state medical, a prison hospital, to receive medical treatment, as I’ve determined that at this point your injuries are non-life-threatening.”

“I’m missing an arm,” she said. “And a tail.

“And you did a damn good job with the tourniquets,” the officer told her. “Watch your head, please, and step into the vehicle. You will be cuffed to the bench while first aid is provided to you.”

“Okay,” she said.

“Can you explain to me what happened tonight?” he then asked.

“At this point,” she said. “I will invoke my right to remain silent until I can speak to an attorney.”

Ambulances were driven in next, and EMS crews exited. Vixy could see them tending to Leanna and Jayce, who had the most serious injuries, while more police began to enter and search the building. Then, the doors to the van were shut from the outside, and the vehicle drove away.

…

…

Despite the circumstances all around me, I couldn’t help but to drift off as the van drove away, my head resting against the cold metal of the side of it. It had been a long and exhausting night, and by now it was so late that the sun would rise soon. As the van drives me out of the city and towards the prison hospital I was told about, I see a glimmer of the sunrise in the distance as light reflected off of cars driving behind the van.

It’s uncomfortable. I’m in pain. But still, I’m finally free to breathe. In this state, I pass out easily, like a child in a carseat, as the sun rises ahead of us.

I don’t know what comes next. Right now, I don’t really care. But what I do know is that, for the moment, I’m safe. Jayce is alive. Leanna is alive. Belladonna is alive. Click is alive. Nat is alive. All my friends are alive and safe for now. Our legal troubles will have to wait. Now, I need sleep… and it is well deserved.