Winter's Thorns

"Oh Spirits! Oh, fuck!" Rose gasped for every ragged breath she took as her husbands double-teamed her pussy from front and back. "I c-can't take it! Hurry! Faster!"

"I'm close, Rosey. Razor edge..." Phoebe pumped harder into his wife's petals from the rear, but never expected her to clamp down any harder with two cocks sharing the overstuffed cunt. "Paths, baby! I'm cumming!"

"Yes! Give it to me!" Sloshing gushes of glowing ice-blue jizz pumped into the Yangurra's slit, oozing out with her other mate's continued assault. "I'm cumming t-too!"

Themis let his twin brother finish, then shoved him to the side and climbed atop their wife for some relentless missionary pounding. "Keep it up, babe! I'm close too!"

"P-Paths div-vine! S-Shit!" Rose shook uncontrollably as Em kept her orgasm alive, the two knowing full well her unique physiology needed constant stimulus to truly sate her desires. "Oh! T-Too much!"

"Fuck!" Em slammed his hips forward and hunched over his smaller wife, barely mustering the strength to keep from crushing her as his own climax refilled her folds. "Rosey... that was perfect..."

"No, you two were perfect." Rose kissed Em's chest with a playful suckle of a nipple. "It's been a while since I've had one go that long. I needed that."

"We could tell." Pho turned his wife's head sideways for a tender kiss, then followed that up with a more reaching kiss for his brother. "Anything for my loves."

"Damn straight." Em threw himself to the other side of Rose in exhaustion, limply reaching for his camera to take a group selfie of their afterglow. "I love you guys."

"I love you too, honey." Rose took the moment to snatch a more proper kiss from Em, relaxing her head on his chest afterward. "Especially so when we don't have my silly mask in the way."

"It wasn't too long ago you were still scared to kiss us." Pho snuggled against Rose's rear and nestled his still-hard cock between her thighs. "I'm really glad you're just down to blushing now."

"Well when you have two jaws, three lips, and razors for teeth you tend to avoid the topic." Rose slipped a queo between her legs and used the flowered bud on the end of the vine to suckle Pho's erection. "I'm still not confident enough to put a dick in that death trap though. My quoraa will have to do for now."

"I'm fine with that. Just mind the stingers..."

Themis stroked his own manhood, hoping to receive similar treatment. "They do come in handy when you jam your tail in a door."

"Which was a damned shame. Here." Rose took one more queo and jabbed its stinger into the base of Em's injured tail then distracted him from the brief pang of pain with another quora suckling his cock. "Was that enough? Feel better, Emmi?"

"Ouh... Much." The otter rolled around and winced as his tail tip still hurt a bit. "It's not as numb as the last time. Way better than nothing though, so no worries."

"Really? I gave you the same amount. Chryssy?"

Chrysanthemum hovered overhead, flickering in and out of Rose's vision. "We've got a bunch of systems being stressed right now. The primary concern is that you require rest so I may repair us."

"Sorry, Chryssy. I wanted to have some fun before hibernating."

Pho smiled and kissed his wife. "And we appreciate it."

Chryssy quirked her head sideways as she tried to keep herself from fading entirely. "When we awake we have another pressing matter. We should talks ab--"

"We'll deal with it later, Chryssy." Rose yawned into a floofy chest. "Just focus on sleep for now, please."

"You need to sleep, huh? I guess it has been a few weeks." Em rolled to his side to rest his tail, the bonus being that he could hold his wife's head against his warm chest. "You want us to move you to your nutrient gel stuff?"

"I want to fall asleep just like this." Rose kissed her husband's chest as she intensified her suckling vines. "You're the only warmth I have on this cold ship. I married you just for your fluff, you know."

"I thought you married us for our huge cocks and plentiful swagger."

Pho chuckled at his brother. "Obviously she just wanted a favorable review."

"Oh, that's a good point though. How the hell are you two going to work if you're stuck up here in orbit?" Rose nuzzled Em's chest as she closed her eyes. "It's been two weeks, guys. I want to show you my home. Hell, your parents probably want to as well. You may not be from Earth, but the rest of us are."

"We... had our reservations." Pho took a deep breath and slowly exhaled it into his wife's flowery head. "I didn't want to go down without some work to do."

"Yeah, and I didn't want to go without a bit more information on how things work." Em kissed his wife's head and tucked it between his arms. "Our dads helped some there. Uncle Elliot even found a good lead for us."

"We'll have it all set up by the time you wake, honey." Phoebe smiled with his twin at the thought of their first excursion to Earth. "It'll be an especially great day."

"That it will."

Rose only mumbled nonsense as she dozed off into her alien coma surrounded by love and warmth. "Let's let her drift off some more before moving her."

Themis grinned as he grazed his cock against his twin brother's matching appendage, Rose's tendrils still sucking and slurping away on their own. "I'm fine with staying exactly like this for as long as she needs."

"Agreed, bro."

---

---

One Week Later

Rotterdam, Eurasian Union

---

---

"Beautiful." Themis clicked the shutter of his camera with his mates in frame, the Meuse river glistening in the background. "I think that one's a keeper."

"For the river or for us?" Rose snatched the camera and reviewed the photo with a smile. "Oh, I want a copy of that. Send me one, honey."

"You can grab a copy yourself when we get back to the Starbreeze." Phoebe checked the shot as well and nodded in approval. "You look cute, even if it looks like you're about to freeze to death."

"I ~am~ about to freeze to death." Rose flushed her skirt downward as a gust of chilled wind thew it up. "I forgot how cold it gets this time of year thanks to our little space journey. Stockings were a poor choice."

"For you, maybe." Em rejoined his mates and curled a long, warm tail around Rose's leg. "I think you look particularly sexy."

"Knowing you're freezing is sort of a turn on, too." Pho followed suit, also pulling himself against his wife to act as a living coat. "We could always stop for coffee or something. There's a place nearby..."

"Well look at you. Already an expert, huh?" Rose checked their location and nodded to herself. "That place has sketchy snacks though."

"Well what kind of review journalist would I be if I avoided all the bad spots?" Pho sniffed the air and found a delectable chocolate scent mixed with toasted nuts. "Looks like both of our information was out of date. There's a pastry shop next door."

"No, they're sharing stalls. That's... probably far better now." Rose smiled and picked up the pace to the warm treats ahead. "Baert's Cafe it is. My treat, guys."

Em tugged his wife back teasingly with his tail. "Oh no you don't. Today we've got the bill."

"You don't have any money--"

"We got advances for travel expenses." Pho eased his wife back into a slower pace so they wouldn't make quite a scene. "Please, let us pay. We wouldn't be much good as husbands if we didn't bring something to the table."

"Literally," Em quipped.

"Alright, alright..." Rose eyed the outdoor tables and cringed, favoring one inside the cafe instead. She found a waitress and flagged her down when she was free. "Excuseer ons, maar kunnen we dan een tafel?"

Em clicked a picture of the young heifer and whispered to his brother. "Figures she'd know Dutch."

"<Ah, you'd like an indoor table then?>" The girl held back a giggle at the sight of Rose's outfit. "<Of course you do, you poor thing. Give me a moment and I'll clear one for you.>"

"<Thank you.>"

Pho watched the curvy lass cheerfully hum as she wiped a table clean. "Dutch, huh? I read that English was made the official language after some war."

"Technically that's true, but more for political use. The locals still appreciate the native language. If you want to be welcomed like a local, you'd speak it instead." Rose gleefully took a seat at the cleared table and cooed as she basked below a space heater. "<This just made my day. Thank you, miss.>"

"<You're very welcome! Do you need some time or should I take your order?>"

"<Oh, I think we might need a moment. This place has changed since I've last been here.>"

Let's see if we can try this, Jeeves... Phoebe rested a paw on his brother's and used a Link to bring their own veile to life. "<What do you recommend? I'm a reviewer looking for good places around town.>"

"<Is that so? I could have sworn you were locals. You look so familiar.>"

Rose admitted, "<I grew up here, actually. On that note, do you still have the dark chocolate swirl? Make it 'wrong' if you do, please'>"

"<It isn't on the menu now, but I remember how to make them. Very good choice, especially with the extra cream.>" The heifer took a moment to mark the specialty drink on her ticket and then returned to the boys. "<As for my recommendation, we have a salted caramel mocha that is very good. Another seasonal favorite is the spearmint latte.>"

"<We'll have one of each. Thank you.>" Pho eyed the confectionery attached to the cafe and sighed at the vast assortment. "<How about snacks? Any favorites?>"

Both women simultaneously cooed "<Stroopwafels.>"

Rose giggled and explained, "They're amazing with coffee. You warm them with the cup until they get gooey and delicious." Rose squinted with her limited vision and smiled widely. "<Also since it's the season, how about some small chocoladeletters as well? My husbands are new to our culture.>"

"<Certainly. We have many types, however...>"

"<Let's get the more exotic chocolates you have in an 'R', 'P', and 'T' please.>" Rose smiled as she explained again. "You usually get the first letter of your name. As starved as my hibernation makes me I'm almost tempted to get my whole name."

"Whole is a lot, yes?" The heifer wrote down the rest of the order, then confirmed that was all with a shared smile. "<Sorry for my bad English. I'll be right back with your treats. The coffee may take a minute longer. Thank you!>"

Both of the boys grinned as the girl bowed forward, her hefty cleavage and jiggling tits coming to the forefront just before her shapely ass swayed to the cafe bar. "You two are helpless."

Pho snapped his eyes back to Rose first. "Ah, sorry. She just has a certain energy to her."

"And a huge rack. Just saying." Em grinned as he evaded a playful slap from his wife. "Hey, after seeing that you should be even more proud we're still sitting. Nobody could ever beat your sexiness, Rosey."

"As nice as that sounds, she does have something I can't give you." Rose rubbed her flat chest through her sweater, her non-mammalian heritage making itself known. "I know I've said it's fine to look if you don't dare touch... but maybe that's not fair to you."

Pho snuggled his wife sideways. "Don't worry about us, Rose. We're quite happy with you."

"You deserve to have what I can't give you, though." Rose took a moment and watched the heifer's chest sway as she moved to another table. "How about this? You need to experience all of a location to write about it, right? Experience the whole culture?"

Pho started, "I see where you're going with this, but I'm not sure--"

"Hear me out, honey. As long as you don't force it or pay for it... As long as it's natural and organic, I think you two should be allowed to sleep with the locals." Rose shut up and smiled for a moment as their chocolate letters were served. "I want you to use discretion, though. Use condoms for sure. Oh, and..."

Em groaned at the idea, knowing something felt a tad off with his wife's tone. "So we get to screw around on you? How is that fair, Rosey? I can't justify that, not just to make us happier if you get nothing out of it. We love you."

"I was getting to that. If you could... I want you to record it whenever you have sex with another person. If they won't agree, consider that no good." Rose paused again as the coffee was delivered with a plate of stroopwafels. "I want them to know that if I'm not present, I'm still watching. I also... want to pretend you're playing with me, but with all the fluff and tits and tails I lack."

"You really want this? Truly?" Pho followed Rose's example and placed a stroopwafel over the top of his coffee to steam. "I won't say the idea doesn't turn me on, but I need to know for certain that this is what you want."

"It is. I want you to experience all that your locations have to offer, the people included. Through your videos I get to as well. Plus it gives me something to tide me over when you're away on your trips if I can't come." Rose lifted her mask and chomped on her gooey waffle cookie. "Consider it my gift for nabbing your new jobs. I'm proud of you."

"Well this won't do at all." Themis snapped another picture candidly, his wife munching on her treat almost voraciously in the camera's eye. "We can't have you giving us a present on your birthday."

"My..." Rose looked around for Chrysanthemum, her veile taking longer than normal to appear. "Is it really my birthday?"

"Yes. This marks the sixty-sixth Earth year since you were born." The imaginary friend played out a forceful smile, emotion not being part of her regular regimen. "Strictly speaking, there's two more hours until the actual anniversary."

"Way to make a girl sound old, Chrys." The resident alien adjusted her mask after taking a sip of her sweet beverage. "So how do you two remember my birthday when I don't?"

"Because we planned out first outing around it. We didn't pick Rotterdam randomly, Rosey." Pho kissed the side of his wife's mask before taking a cheerful sip of his own drink. "We had to add in a gala event to sweeten the pot for our editor, but we managed it all the same."

"A gala? Now that sounds interesting. How many invitations did you get?"

"The invitations came in pairs." Em held back a smirk as long as he could before continuing. "That's why we had to beg for four of them. What do you say? Up for dinner and a bit of dancing?"

"Am I ever! This sounds like real fun, guys." Rose took another sip of her drink and gnawed on her peppermint and white chocolate letter. "Wait... I don't have anything to wear. I'm certain my place here is empty too, considering I haven't paid rent in four years."

"That's all part of your birthday present, Rosey." Phoebe tried a bit of his wife's letter, then shared his own fudge one. "Wow, nice. Oh, but yeah... We wanted to buy you something sexy to wear. Maybe we'll even throw in a fancy coat too."

"Yeah, we don't need you freezing tonight, Rosey."

"Well that's a hell of a gift, boys. Just don't go crazy with your first chunk of change. Trust me, it can get away from you faster than you think." Rose noticed a glimmer on the other side of the water and stood from her chair. "Now if you don't mind, I've got to powder my nose."

"You don't have a nose, silly." Themis chuckled as he stood to make room for his wife to maneuver. "We'll watch our wallets. You just lead the way, because I'm pretty sure our dads researched with outdated information."

"Not quite a deal. I need one more thing." Rose stuck out her tongue as she headed to the front of the shop for the restroom. "Join me in the changing rooms so I can thank you boys properly."

Themis laughed as he sat and flagged down the waitress eagerly for a check. "How did we ever get so lucky, Phebes?"

"Luck and love, Emmi. Luck and love."

Rose chuckled silently beneath her mask as she entered the restroom and locked it behind her. She took a moment to consider that she truly did need to use the facilities, but before that she used her vines to pull herself high enough for a peek out a slotted window. "Looks like your secure route is no good, pal. I'll be seeing you tonight." The Yangurra slowly worked down her panties and cringed at the cold of the room. "Shame I've got to work on my birthday."

Chrysanthemum appeared sitting on the door handle as her host sat on the toilet. "Strange that these people celebrate an annual count of getting closer to their deaths, but they don't celebrate death itself."

"They have shorter lives, so they prefer to remember what they've achieved rather than the person enacting the achievements." Rose winced as her bare skin touched icy porcelain. "The man in that limo deserves no such praise. He brought this on himself."

---

---

"This place is swanky." Rose twirled around in her chartreuse evening gown, proud to show it off while Phoebe handed her fur coat to a valet. "What's the special cause for all this?"

"I'd say it's your birthday, but honestly that's not true." Themis scoped out a nice overview shot and took a picture with his camera. "I'm just taking the photos, so Pho knows more. It's some charity event I think."

"It's an auction. There are three works of art going to charity but the rest are just normal game." Phoebe rejoined his mates, throwing an arm over his brother's shoulder to relax as they basked in their wife's happiness. "We're only here for the charity auctions though, so we get to enjoy ourselves until then. Hungry?"

"Thirsty. Ouh, I see something bubbly." Rose brought her embarrassingly eye-catching pirouettes to a standstill and approached a roaming server. "<Hello! Might I-->"

"<Certainly, madam. Would you prefer the rosé?>"

"<If it shares my name it goes to reason it'll fit my tastes. Right?>" Rose smiled as she accepted a tall glass of the pink bubbly. "<Thank you.>"

"<Quite welcome.>"

The boys followed their wife's lead and snatched their own glasses, Pho raising his between them. "A toast: To our beautiful wife and wonderful marriage."

The three clinked their crystal glasses together and took sips, with Em sneaking in a selfie with an outstretched camera arm. "Let's see... Oh, perfect. I'm framing that one."

"Really? Let me see."

Em held his camera back with a grin. "Nope. Sorry, Rosie. You need to wait for that present."

"Silly rudderbutt. Well I'm looking forward to it." Rose adjusted her mask after another sip. "I should install a one-way straw or something into this thing."

"Induction port."

"Hm?" Rose turned around and found herself staring into the slitted crotch of a very tall human woman. "Oh! Excuse me!"

"Oh, it's fine! I should have announced myself better." The pale woman brushed her long hair behind her shoulder and adjusted her legs so her completely bare pussy wasn't visible beneath her dress. "Sorry for overhearing, but I was curious to find an alien at our party."

"Ah, I guess I do stand out. Yangurraa are new to the general public still, after all." Rose groaned at her choice to wear flat soles instead of heels, her short stature putting her in an awkward situation. "So... you were mentioning something?"

"I was just commenting to myself, really. What you need is an 'induction port' for food and drinks." The woman offered a gloved hand to the twins with a slight curtsy. "Ilse. Pleased to make you acquaintance."

"Phoebe." The otter kissed the offered hand with a nod. "Nice to meet you too. I should note that I'm here on business."

"Ah. A reporter, I'd say?"

"I'm Themis, his brother." Em shared a pinky shake with his paw holding his camera. "We're covering the charity auction."

"We also might write a bit about Count Van Rechteren Limpurg if luck favors us."

Rose dipped slightly with a nod. "And I'm Rose. Charmed."

"So you wish to see the Count? As luck would have it, I am his personal assistant. Perhaps we might find some time for an interview later." Ilse looked down to Rose to ping, "That is, I hope I'm not disturbing your fun. If you'd rather schedule something and enjoy the party with your husband..."

"Husbands, actually." Pho took a swig of his drink as his eyes roamed over the slender, shapely human. "I was just getting ahead of myself though. We're in town for a about a week, with a few more encounters with the Count planned by my editor."

"Ah, so tonight is more pleasure than work. That must be nice." Ilse tapped a radio earpiece poking up through the neck of her dress. "Unfortunately I'm always on call. I never get a moment alone."

"Well you manage to find time for fun, at least." Em too scanned the stunning woman's attractive body, locking eyes with Rose partway. "Maybe... uh... it's not so bad to relax on the job."

Rose rolled her eyes as she downed the rest of her drink. "Well I'm not much of a dancer, but my husbands here love it." Rose took a pair of condoms from her purse and deftly slipped them into Pho's coat pocket as she mimicked a loose hug. "Maybe you three should live it up a little? I'm sure they'd love to tango with such a pretty woman."

Pho reached in his pocket and realized the little gift. "Uh... Yeah. Yeah, we'd love to dance."

"Why of course! It's been ages since someone's asked me to dance." Ilse set her glass down on a passing server's tray as she nudged toward the dancing floor. "It seems my size turns off most able-bodied men. You tall studs are a perfect match for me, though."

Em quirked his head as Pho slipped one of the condoms his way, the two sharing a brief Link to discuss the matter. "Rose, won't you join us? It's your birthday after all."

"Oh, I shouldn't impose if that's the case--"

Rose shooed the three away regardless. "Don't worry about little old me. I'll mingle and grab a bite to eat. You don't want to see me being picky..."

Phoebe confirmed, "You're sure about this?"

"Absolutely. Have fun for a while, boys. We have all night, after all." Rose nodded to Ilse and smiled as they set off. "Treat her like you'd treat me, guys. Total gentlemen."

"You got it, Rose."

The Yangurra forced her smile a bit longer, then blew it away with a heavy sigh to mumble, "I guess that takes the head of security out of the way for a while. Gotta move fast, though. Chryssy, where was that door we scouted last night?"

The double doors in question briefly flashed brightly in Rose's vision. "It's... here..."

"And just our luck, it's open for catering." Rose sauntered over to the door and waited for a gap in the busy traffic passing through it to stealthily cross the threshold. "And we're in. Time to look for some dirt. You know the routine, Chryssy."

"Yes." The veile scanned a small reception room and highlighted a notepad that had recently been used. "Outline?"

"Please." The Yangurra slipped deeper into the room as a server passed with a tray. Upon returning eyes to the notepad the indentations for the last few notes were outlined. "Normal stuff. Apparently taxes are bad for the guy." Rose slid up to another door and used her ability to see high energy particles to gain a cloudy view of the next room. "No movement. Looks good."

Rose slipped into the next room, an office of some kind, and immediately headed for the domineering desk. A few ruffled edges of paper stacks lit up for her, but a quick check of the drawers proved more interesting. "Hiding something, Count?"

"His assistant..."

"Ah, right. I can't read the nameplate." Rose ducked down near a locked drawer and again used her mild X-ray sight to help unlock it. She took two quills from her vine flowers and deftly picked the tumblers open, freeing the secrets inside. "Let's see... I can't read this small print well. Chryssy?" There was a hint of highlighting for a moment, but the effect quickly faded without response. "Chrysanthemum? You alright?"

There was more silence for a seemingly long pause, but the veile did eventually return to life and resume her highlighting. "Sorry. I'll focus on more critical tasks."

"Keep your head in the game, hon. One drink won't kill me." Shrugging off the symbiote's apparent focus on alcohol reduction, Rose resumed her snooping. "These look like money transfers. Bits of Sweden... New Jersey... Wildebrooke. Damn, this is all from some orbital colony account too. It's laundered payoffs, I guess."

"Is this sufficient proof?"

"Not quite. I'm not getting back into this game for low stakes. Risking my marriage isn't something I take lightly." Rose closed the drawer and locked it, then headed toward another attached door while the documents rolled into the sash of her dress. "Hm... Out to another hallway, I think?"

"That appears correct. The western spine hallway, to be precise."

"Oh, right. I saw this office in those schematics. The main office is..." Rose cracked the door so it didn't interfere with her vision so much and spotted a large hollow spot down the hall. "Ah, there it is. I need to confirm the Count's connections, even if we're spending more time than I'd like."

A bipedal figure lit up through a far wall. "Sentry, rounding the corner. Careful."

"Shit. Where...?" Rose checked upward and gained a smile, the older mansion containing large retrofitted air conditioning pipes hanging from the tall ceilings. She lashed her queoo around a pipe and pulled herself up with the vines, hanging on the shadowed underside of the pipes. "Easy."

"Ah... Rose, be very..."

The guard walked calmly down the hallway as expected. What wasn't expected was the extreme queasiness that suddenly wracked Rose's gut. She managed to suppress a harsh urge to vomit, but not without first belching into her breathing mask. "Shit."

"The hell was that?" The hyena sentry stopped in his tracks, taking out a flashlight to quickly check both ends of the hallway. "The party is limited to the main halls. Roped off areas are restricted. If you don't come out now, we'll be forced to search for you and press charges."

Rose remained quiet. Her rumbling stomach refused to comply. "Well fuck me." The guard reached for his radio, but before the trigger could depress Rose's heel sent the hyena flying with a pendulum's worth of force. "Sorry, buddy. Nothing personal."

"Hey, stand down or I'll--"

The guard reached for a pistol at his side, but his paw soon became tacked to his belt as a queo stabbed a stinger through it. "Are you gonna play nice and shut up, or am I going to hurt you more?"

"He--!"

Rose scissor kicked the hyena in the face, then caught his falling body to prevent a thudding alarm of sorts. "I warned him, didn't I?" She carefully stuck a thorn into the man's neck and injected a small amount of neurotoxin to keep him knocked out. "You're coming with us, you heavy asshole. Chryssy, what the hell was that all about?"

"I tried to warn you. Your body is under a lot of stress. The alcohol has upset an already precarious balance."

"Crap. I'm getting sick? Not the best timing, is it?" Rose hauled the hyena into the larger office with relative ease, but she did notice that along with the nausea came a hint of vertigo. "Chryssy, focus on fixing me up. We'll talk about this later."

"Yes, Rose."

Her senses clearing up quite readily at her veile's disappearance, Rose resumed her search by checking the Count's large desk. "No locked sections... No loose papers... No--" The guard began to stir, surprising Rose and prompting a fresh, heavy dose of neurotoxin administered to his neck. "What the hell is going on? That could normally knock out an ox."

Rose sighed as she set the hyena down in the chair, finding a small wire poking out from below the tray drawer. She crouched and spotted a small switch connected to a fingerprint reader. "Well crap. I bet yours won't work here, huh buddy? Prints... Prints..." She found a thick fountain pen resting in a vertical holster and an idea came to mind. "Time to cook up a key print."

A roll of clear tape started the process easily enough. Rose stuck the adhesive side to various parts of the pen, then set the long strip of tape smooth side down on the desktop. Raiding a drawer, she found a pencil and a letter opener. Graphite shavings soon gently landed on the adhesive surface of te tape, and after a slight waft of air with her palm the various prints were revealed where the dark powder refused to stick to finger oils. With a quick yipe Rose plucked a waxy leaf from atop her head and pressed it firmly against a clean print, making an organic wax clone from the negative relief.

"Fingers crossed, pal. You're my hostage if there's an alarm." Rose pressed the leaf to the sensor and received a warning blip. "A swipe reader, maybe?" She lightly slid the leaf over the sensor and this time it chimed, lighting up the connected switch for long enough to press it. "Bingo. Now where's my jackpot?" Four wooden floor boards clicked and popped open from a hidden hinge, revealing a fingerprint locked safe below. "Ever heard of two-factor safety, Count?"

The safe opened even easier than the latch hiding it, only being a static reader. Stashed inside were a few jeweled trinkets, plenty of emergency cash, a loaded pistol... and a pocket sized ledger. "Crap, it's even harder to read... Cash amounts... Phone numbers. Now we're talking." Rose browsed through the numbers until she found one she had forced herself to outright memorize even without Chryssy's mental assistance. "Wildebrooke Temporary Employment Agency. AKA, Sect of Xor headquarters. Yahtzee."

"Bohl?" The guard's radio fired up on its own. "How many times have I told you to report in before taking a crap? I'm your shadow tonight."

"The one time I benefit from not having breasts..." Rose pulled the padding from her facsimile breasts, refilling her empty bra's cups with the ledger and a stack of cash for balance. Then she clicked the radio and prayed to her ancestors for a miracle. "Oh! That's so clever, Mister Bohl. I do fancy a man with a sophisticated sense of humor."

After a hint of flirty giggling, the voice on the other end whispered back a response. "I read that, man. I'll take your post for a bit if you snag a friend..."

"Ha! Men." Rose gave Mister Bohl another quick injection just to be safe, unzipped his fly for effect, then kicked the floor boards shut on her way out the door. "Well, guess that means I'm hunting my quarry after all. Say goodbye to your employer, hon." She poked her head out the door and noticed the other guard passing to take Bohl's place. With practiced grace the Yangurra crossed the hallway and ducked into a nearby bedroom. "He's locked up pretty tight... The direct approach isn't good here. Chryssy? Got a moment?"

"Yes, a brief one."

"Can you guarantee the potency of my poison, just once? I can't have guesswork involved."

"That's dangerous right now. I can... concentrate what you've made so far." A particular queo tingled briefly. "Use that one. Afterward you'll be out of toxin, however."

"Thanks, hon. You just saved us a confrontation." Rose inspected the room, her eyes first settling upon a crystal decanter of some presumed alcoholic beverage. Upon finding two more around the room however, that plan fizzled. "The guy drinks like a fish. Figures. Only one shot though..." A flashbulb fired in the plant's head. She simply walked over to the large bed and noticed only one side was indented at all. "Lucky us, he always sleeps on the left. Decisions, decisions..."

Rose welled her poison into the tip of her stinger, then bit her lip and snapped it clean off its quora flower. "Fuck... Ah..." She lifted the pillow, slid the stinger below, and poked it through the back so the tip rested pointing upward near the neck. "You deserve something worse than sleeping and never waking, but I'm out of choices. May your Path end swiftly where none may discover it, Otto Van Rechteren Limpurg."

"Rose, mind the time. The boys--"

"Focus on your work, Chryssy. I'm heading back as we speak." Rose carefully backtracked her way to the caterer's door, making a fuss with a thrown wad of cash to draw the second guard away. Within a minute she managed to return to the party with nobody the wiser, at least until the safe was checked. "Shame Bohl gets to look like he's incompetent. At least he'll think he got laid when he comes to..."

"Who got laid, now?" Themis greeted his wife with a silly grin. "You take any pics?"

"Didn't have time. I saw a security guard getting blown by a rather skilled guest on my way to the ladies' room." Rose checked around for Phoebe but he was nowhere to be found. "Did you lose your brother?"

"Similar situation. He's with that Ilse woman in the bushes. Don't worry; he's got my camera." Em kissed his mate on her temple and nuzzled affectionately. "I thought you might like some attention, though. I can't let the birthday girl sit basking in loneliness."

"I appreciate that, honey." Rose raised her mask and kissed her husband properly. "I wouldn't have minded if you wanted to get your dick wet too. I trust the both of you."

"And who said I'm not planning to stir a honeypot myself?" Em led his wife to the auction grounds and sat her in a seat near the back corner. "Why don't you just let that idea bake a moment while I go grab us some fresh drinks?"

"Oh, that's nice of you. But I don't want ano--"

"Nonsense! It's your birthday! Live a little!"

"Well I guess I could sip a little..." Rose sighed as her husband walked off, turning to watch the current auction item sell. "An old rifle? Nifty. Hey Chryssy, you doing alright?"

"Well enough. I'd advise you refuse that beverage, however."

"It's that bad, huh? Did I contract smallpox or something?" Rose looked back to find Em and nearly jumped out her seat when she noticed a barely visible distortion in her vision walking her way. "Fuck, Emmi. You scared me half to death. I almost stabbed you."

"Shush. Sneaky, sneaky..." The otter reached out with a paw and established a Link via one of his wife's queo. You don't want to talk out loud and look crazy, do you?

Not exactly. Rose shifted her head forward but kept her eyes on her mate. I'd like to know why you're going invisible without Phebes to help keep you stable, though.

We've had a lot of practice on the journey back to Earth. I'd never do this if I felt at risk, Rosie. I couldn't stand causing you to lose me. Themis slid his free paw down the side of his wife's dress, halting at the split near her thigh. I'd rather make you feel ~amazing~.

Funny. Rose brought a vine up to straighten her husband's invisible bow tie. I do have to say though, I'm impressed you managed to make your clothes clear too.

I did mention we've had practice. That paw glided inward, slipping below the slit of Rose's dress to press two claws against her thong. And I wasn't joking when I said I wanted you to feel good.

Themis! We can't do anything here!

Why not? Nobody can see me except you. Em slid his wife's panties to the side and dipped a finger into her dewey petals. I know you've wanted to try something more public. And if you're too afraid of being caught, we can always just keep this to paws.

You weren't seriously thinking we'd fuck, right? That paw sneaked another finger into Rose's folds and hooked them upward, eliciting a quiet gasp from the Yangurra. Fuck... Either you've gotten a lot better at this or people aren't noticing.

Of course they aren't. The people in these seats are focused on the auction. It's perfect. Em unzipped his pants and fumbled with freeing his lengthy manhood. So what's the decision? Want to go further, Rosie?

You're incorrigible. To think I married ~two~ of you. Rose rolled her eyes for a moment, then after confirming the people closest to her were oblivious she slowly spread her legs. That's all I can give you without offering the goods to people looking from ~space~. I... think I'd like to try... you know...

I can literally ready your mind right now, honey. But yeah, I'm curious too. Em retracted his paw from his wife's crotch and gently eased the skirt of her dress over her far leg. Just hope the guy two seats in front of you doesn't turn around. One hell of a view.

Don't just stare, Emmi! Do it before someone sees!

Needy tonight? I've got you, babe. Themis crouched down a bit awkwardly, but after a bit of repositioning he managed to line up his cock with Rose's orchid. He wasted no time, using his wife's sticky nectar to aid his entry until he bottomed out against her innermost barrier. Oh Paths, Rose. You're squeezing me so tight... You're really into this, huh?

Yeah... Wow. Rose adjusted her legs now that her man was inside her, crossing them around the back of his legs so she still appeared to be sitting rather than spread eagle. That feels amazing, Emmi. You don't need to go slow for me.

Chrysanthemum appeared in a fuzzy shimmer to offer a warning. I know you like to use your full length normally, but please don't puncture our cervix tonight. I've got a lot to repair already, not to--

I hear you, Chrys. Don't worry about it. I'm not even sure I can move much more anyway. Em pulled his hips backward, bumping into his mate's legs rather quickly. Fast and shallow it is, then--unless you'd prefer it slow?

No, fast. Fast and ~hard~. Rose's legs pulled inward. Make me feel it.

Absolutely! Themis immediately started pummeling his wife into her flimsy chair, causing it to shake a little with each thrust. Rose, can you...?

Got it. Rose melted into her seat, only her two free vines going stiff to act as supports behind her. Spirits, that's good. I'm glad I have a mask now.

It might hide those whimpers, but I can't kiss you. With the new reinforcements in place Em really let himself go, slamming into his wife and groaning every time his tip battered her womb. Now I kinda want to bury into you when I cum. You sure I can't?

I think I'm getting sick. Sorry, hon. Rose's thighs began quivering beyond her control, a yipe barely being caught shy of becoming a moan. I'm almost there, Emmi! Cum with me! I want it inside me!

Just a bit more!

Themis! Yes! Rose's pussy clamped down tight, squeezing her mate's cock nearly to death to the rhythm of her heart. I'm cumming! Emmi, I'm cumming...!

Shi~t! Em could barely maneuver with his wife's body going stiff. He fought through the unbelievable pressure around him and jack-hammered until he felt himself go over the edge. Me too! Cumming, Rose!

Yes! I want all of it! Rose started struggling to control her breath, feigning a series of light coughs as her cunt secretly filled to the brim with her husband's thick batter. That's it... Drain those balls into your sexy wife...

Crap. I don't think I can control the volume well like this. Sure enough, Themis noticed his cyan-tinted cum slowly sputtering out from around the couple's erotic juncture. I'll owe you a new dress. This feels too good to stop.

Pretty sure someone would notice the glowing otter jizz appearing from nowhere if you pulled out. Rose finally calmed down, relaxing her tense muscles as she felt her husband's cock twitching while he sewed his seed in her barren garden. Shame we can't go any further with this. I think I'd make a good mother.

You will. I don't care if we're not genetically compatible; I'm not giving up on kids. Finally exhausted, Em slowly slid himself free of his wife's searing hot pussy and fixed her panties so they partially prevented her from leaking his gift. I'll go clean up. You still want that drink?

Nope. I'll take a sip of something else, though. Rose bloomed one of her quoraa and latched it around Em's cock, the flower suckling powerfully to extract a few extra dregs of cum from the otter. Delicious.

Themis pressed his freshly cleaned dick back into his pants, then started correcting his wife's manner of dress as thanks. You're too good to me, Rosie.

We're far too good to each other. That's why we make such good mates. Rose slowly stood on her shaky legs, ignoring a slight trickle of cum that ran down her inner leg. Speaking of which, let's go find husband number two. I'd like to see how Phebes is making out.

He's fine. I could go another round though...

Rose purposefully swayed her hips as she walked, a stream of cum leaking readily behind her as a direct result. "As fun as this auction is, I think there's more excitement in the gardens."

Themis smiled to himself as he followed closely, letting himself become visible again once they were clear of the larger crowd. "The flower garden is beautiful and quiet. It won't be when we're done, heeee."

"Paths divine, I love you."

---

---

6 Days Later

Hotel California

---

---

"Have fun!"

"I will, miss plant lady!"

Rose couldn't suppress her smile as she exited the elevator, leaving behind an adorable skunk boy and his mother. "He is so insanely cute."

Chrysanthemum sat shrank down atop Rose's suitcase as she pulled it down the hallway. "Agreed, though with recent developments perhaps there's a bit of bias present."

"Well maybe, but I mean... You saw how he lit up when I gave him that chocolate, right?" The Yangurra neared the end of the hallway and slowed her pace, giving Chryssy the hint that she needed some help reading the room numbers as they were printed instead of raised. "Three... twelve? No, this one here."

"You should reconsider those filter lenses your sister uses. Now that we're back on Earth seeing contrasting colors is important again."

"Well I don't want to look like a dork like Carbon all the time. Maybe... just for reading though." Rose froze as she approached the hotel room door, her free hand sliding up her chest and hanging near the collar of her sweater. "You think they'll approve? I really want to make them happy."

"The three of you are already happy."

"You're right. I'm overthinking this." Rose pulled out a room key card but paused to listen before she could use it. "Is that... a woman's voice? Boys, I'm proud. Go get 'em." The voice grew slightly louder, and for whatever reason Rose decided to hide in a vending machine nook when the owner became visible through the door. "She's tall. I guess they have a thing for big ladies... and big tits... and I'm a midget with--"

"You're lovely. They adore you. Shush."

"Well I can't help feeling like that. I'm basically from a different planet. I stand out in a bad way." Rose watched as a familiar face quietly slipped out the door. "Ilse, huh? So they kept that up after the auction?"

"Perhaps she has nothing else to do after we killed her employer."

"I'm not so sure about that. Look." Ilse shut the door, then reached up to a pipe on the ceiling and twisted a valve. "Just what is she up to? Chryssy, any clue what that pipe is for?"

"One moment." The various conduits and pipes painted to normally go unnoticed lit up in Rose's view. "That conduit has been modified. The flow will back up into our room."

"Well it looks like she's trying to kill my mates. Guess she just made the top of the naughty list." Rose hopped out of her hiding spot, picked up her suitcase, and swept it through Ilse's feet with her hefty strength. "Hello again." Before the human could recover three stingers slammed into her chest and side to paralyze her with venom. "Shush now. Just need to fix this."

"You..." Ilse slowly fell limp, her heart pumping the neurotoxin all throughout her body. "It... was you... wasn't it...?"

"You mean your evil boss? Yeah. I did you a favor." Rose went to open the pipeline again, but noticed the distinct smell of methane oderants added to natural gas lines. "Really? That's funny. You must not have spent too much time with my mates, because if you did you would know they can breathe this."

"...What?"

"I get it. You thought they killed the Count in his sleep, so you wanted to kill them back the same way. You're not very good at the whole assassin thing though, and that's coming from a good one." Rose left the pipe closed and instead chose to drag Ilse into the vending machine nook by her collar. "Now, what to do with you? I'm inclined to rip you apart from deep inside that nasty pussy of yours, but I think I'll just up the dosage of this poison until you can't breathe. Decisions, decisions..."

"P-Please..." Ilse coughed as she was roughly tossed atop an ice machine with surprising ease for a woman Rose's size. "Just wanted... avenge... master..."

"Well that's interesting. Why call him 'master'? That's a specific choice of wording." The human stayed silent, unsure how to proceed until Rose pressed the point--quite literally against Ilse's throat in fact. "Answer the question, hon."

"He... saved me... so..."

"Ah, I see. My mother in law was the same way. She became bound to my husbands' father." Rose sighed as she slowly started changing her mind. "She ended up marrying the otter. My boys are her sons. It's not too late for you to settle down with a family yourself, either."

"Must... avenge..."

"No, you don't. He may have saved you one day, but your master was evil. I saved you from him. I think your contract is null and void." Rose eased Ilse off the ice machine and set her on a bench seat. "So as your new mistress, I have only one order for you. Go live a free life. Get married. Have children. Most importantly, forget about killing anybody. Trust me when I say that... if you cross that line, you can't go back."

"I'm... free?"

Rose pet the woman's hair a few times. "Yes, you're free. Once you can move again, go home and plan out your new life." The Yangurra almost left her there, but paused to place a business card in her blouse. "If you run into problems or need some money for a fresh start, call that number. My sister will help you if you mention my name, Rose." The plant returned to her room, picked up her damaged luggage, and opened the door. "Good luck, Ilse."

"Th-Thank you."

Chryssy appeared on the edge of the bed where Themis and Phoebe slept in pure ignorance. "That was uncharacteristically forgiving of you."

"I'm trying to change. The boys are rubbing off on me, I guess." Rose put down her suitcase, removed her mask, and eased herself into the bed between her slumbering husbands. "Let's just forget about it and enjoy life."

"Hm? Ilse? I thought you had to leave." Themis blindly reached forward and pulled Rose into a close embrace. "Wait... Rose? But you went home..."

"Shush... You don't need to wake up for me, silly."

"But..." Em slid his paws up and down Rose's chest, noticing two distinctly new additions that warranted his paws to creep beneath her blouse. "You're wearing implants in a bra? I thought you hated that."

"Actually... they're more than that." Rose unsnapped her bra and tossed it off the bed, allowing her husband to feel two small, artificial, but quite authentic breasts. "Olivia came up with them. Elliot and your dad helped too. They... send signals back to me..."

"So you can feel this?" Em rolled a finger in circles around a nipple. "How's that?"

"It tickles!" Rose stopped her husband before she was forced to raise her voice. "I'm still getting used to them. Just.. I thought you'd rather I had something there than nothing."

"You didn't need to do this for us, Rose. We love you no matter what you look like."

"But that's... not just it." Rose noticed Phoebe stir ahead of her and wrapped her arms around his waist to fully wake him. "Phebes? Phoebe, honey? Wake up so I can tell you guys something."

"Rose? But I'm tired..."

Rose sighed as she looked around the bed, noticing at least half a dozen used condoms strewn about. "You two had a hell of a night, didn't you? I go out of town for just a few days..." She took one of the overstuffed condoms and playfully set it on Pho's head. "Wake up or I pop it."

"I'm up! I'm up." Pho removed the balloon of his brother's seed and flipped over to gaze into his wife's face. "We missed you."

"I missed you, too."

Em squeezed down on his wife's new tits and obtained his twin's attention. "Hey Phebes, check these out. Neat, huh?"

"That's... Rose, you didn't have to change yourself for us..."

Rose felt an edge of her chest a certain way and peeled up a layer of false skin. "It's not permanent. It's just a really good prosthesis, one I'd like to... just try out a while." She set her faux skin back into place and pulled Pho close so her breasts pressed against his chest. "I think we might want to keep them for another reason, actually."

"Oh yeah?"

Em snuggled just as close from behind, his renewed erection pressing into Rose's rear. "I don't know. I think I like them for this reason. You don't need to justify anything."

"I do, though. How do I say this...?" Rose chuckled as she remembered she didn't need to explain anything. She offered two queoo and formed a large Link to her husbands. I've got some big news. Remember how I was acting a bit odd a week ago?

Em kissed his wife's neck as he settled into the intimacy of the Link. Yeah, I remember. You were wobbly for a while there.

You spilled a drink on me and Ilse. Pho joined his brother in smothering their wife with kisses and licks. As you can see, that didn't screw things up with us.

Well I have bigger bombs to drop than of the champagne variety. Rose nearly broke her Link as she concentrated on something, four balls of light appearing in everyone's vision as a result. Phoebe, Themis... We're having kids!

Kids!? Pho inspected the orbs closer and realized there was a consciousness tied to each. You mean we...!?

Yep!

We're pregnant! Em focused on the lights and smiled as he basked in the primitive lives surrounding him. How? I mean, I know ~how~ what with all the sex, but...

Rose smiled comfortingly as she read the intent directly from her husband's mind. What about the logistics? No clue. We'll have to play it by ear and let Elliot guide us. We should have Yangurraar air ready in case, though. That and... if they want to breast feed, now there's a way...

I can't believe it! Whelps! Or... buds?

I think I remember my mother calling me both a 'seedling' and a 'sapling' at different stages. Rose cuddled her husbands closer and closed her eyes. In any case, they're still formless so we won't know who they take after. I'm pretty sure a hybrid is normally impossible, but then I look at Carbon...

Well we'll love them no matter what they end up being. Pho quirked his head at the similarities between pairs of lights. So I'm guessing these are our twins and their veilee?

No, they're too young for their veilee to have visible forms. These are-- Rose chuckled as she sensed confusion from both of her mates. Spirits, you're just as startled and surprised as I was. Guys... we're having quadruplets. Well, maybe two sets of twins. I'm not sure because... in the history of Yangurraa none have ever had more than one child at once.

Em teased, You hear that, kids? Mommy's special.

No, mommy is scared to death how she'll pull it off.

If you need surgery to deliver them we won't feel any different. Pho kissed his wife, soon followed by his brother from behind her neck. We love you and we'll be here for you the whole time.

We can form teams. Em chuckled as he passed along a very vivid image in his mind's eye. Team Mammal and Team Plant, each with their own protocols.

Silly. Rose turned around to kiss Themis, but upon spotting the purposefully broken heater across the room she stalled with a sigh. Crap. As nice as it is to breathe freely, we should probably fix that before the whole building explodes. I just realized this isn't a sealed room.

Yeah... we wouldn't want to scorch our new family. Phoebe slipped out of bed and out of the Link as he inspected the heater unit. "So supposing we don't die in the worst way possible, are you staying until we head home?"

"Which is in only two days now that our main subject croaked on us. I assume you've heard the news?" Themis slipped out of bed and correctly headed to the hallway to find the gas valve, though incorrectly did so completely nude. "It's a trick question anyway; we're paying for you to stay so we can check out the kids the whole flight home."

"Deal." Rose stretched across the whole bed, her eyes drifting between both of her husbands' muscled asses and hard cocks. "But on one condition: I need you both inside me until noon."

In perfect stereo Rose got her wordless replies. "Heeee!"