FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The bartender approached me once again, a little smile on his feline face and a cool drink cradled in his hands. To my left was nothing but empty booths lined up along the bar, and to my right a sea of tables sparsely occupied by the most refined, the most elegant, and the most beautiful.

“Oh, no no no," I began with a friendly shake of my head and a half smile as I brought my own glass closer to myself, a little martini I'd been sipping on for the better part of the last half hour. “I didn't order another drink."

“You didn't," the bartender said as he placed the second glass down on the bar beside me. His nametag read 'Francisco', a fitting name for his sharp features and practised mannerisms. “But she did." The flick of his eyes and a small nudge of his head shifted my attention over to the tables once more. There, amidst the quiet conversation of couples and business partners sat a lone figure – a smilodon, beautifully dressed in a red and black deep-plunge evening gown that really made the colour of her red fur, fiery curling hair, and ocean blue eyes explode into the night. “Said, 'Another one for the cute coyote.' Can only assume she meant you. Wouldn't say no to her, would you?"

“I, uh…" She caught my stare, raised her hand, waved with the brief flick of her fingers, and turned her head to glance out a nearby window at the streets below. A pair of long fangs protruded from beneath her upper lips, arching slightly before coming to a fine and dangerous point just past her chin. “Dios, who is she?"

“I don't know," Francisco replied, “but she's been coming by for a while now. Turns heads wherever she goes."

No doubt about it. The whole room seemed to revolve around her. Everyone wanted a piece of the action, but she had eyes for one – me. Every few seconds she'd glance back, catch my gaze, and smile.

My heart ached when I looked at her, like I'd seen her before. Like I'd missed her.

It was… unsettling.

I hooked a claw into the collar of my shirt and turned my attention back on Francisco, who'd pushed off the table and now watched with a cautious though amused look. “I respectfully decline."

“Dios mio. ¿Enserio? The lady already paid for the drink, and I promised her I'd get you," he pointed as if levying an accusation, “to her table."

“Sorry to disappoint."

“You don't want to drink it? Fine, but at least be courteous and take it to her, hm? She clearly wants to talk to you."

And so did I, now that I looked at her again. At the very least I wanted to greet her. Maybe then I'd also get rid of a nagging thought that'd clawed its way into my head. “Fine, fine. Gracias, amigo."

“Just doing my job. Have fun."

She sat alone, that stunningly elegant predatory cat, though half the eyes at this lounge would have killed to share the table with her. My slow approach did not go unnoticed; the few looks I caught were curious, envious, and annoyed. None mattered as much as hers.

I froze when she turned to look at me and I could feel the cold grip of her ocean eyes wrap around my throat. It was only a moment, one so full of conflicting uncertainty and familiarity that the confidence I'd carried was momentarily lifted off my shoulders while the few words of greeting I had escaped me. What power she held, to put a man on the backfoot with but a glance and smile.

“Well now," she spoke with a refined and dusky voice: a setting sunset, or the familiar strokes of twilight painted across the night sky; “to what do I owe the pleasure?"

And with the snap of a finger I was myself again as I scrambled together a few words of greeting while she watched, and waited, and studied me.

“Mel Cuervos" I said while setting the drink she bought me down on the table. “I think I have you to thank for this?"

“Mister Cuervos." The name rolled off her tongue with a natural precision. She looked at the glass, then at myself. Her smile persisted. “Is it not to your liking?"

“On the contrary!" She raised her head, turned her ear to me, and smiled a little more all the while the full length of her back straightened to a frighteningly flawless posture. “I'm a one-and-done type of guy." It felt to me like she was hanging on to every one of my words. “I didn't want it to go to waste so… here. And thank you. That was very kind of you, señora."

“Come now!" She gestured at a chair, not the one directly across but right beside her. “Call me Selena. You're in no rush to leave, are you?"

Something struck me — one of those primal instincts one usually felt when the right neurons activated for all the wrong reasons. This one was a raising of my fur on the back of my neck and a sickening crawl of the skin as I met her eyes and took in her confident smile.

Run.

“I'm sorry miss — Selena, I mean. I think I should…"

She gestured again, her face darkening with a sort of brooding tension despite the cheerful playfulness of her voice that said, “Mister Cuervos, please. I insist."

Her presence, this aura of power that set every one of my senses alight, lingered around us as I did as she asked. Selena in turn seemed satisfied with herself now that the results were to her liking.

I admit, my own curiosity got the better of me. Everything that told me to run also conflictingly begged to learn more about her. I'd probably never see her again after tonight.

“I must thank you again," I began carefully as I studied every inch of her in the same way she had done for me. I could easily see how well her curves rounded out her dress to a dangerously erotic degree – purpose built to draw the eyes down and keep them locked in place; “for the kindness and the opportunity to share the table with you tonight." Oh god, her scent… pure sweet berries and the tangiest of citrus. I could have sat here and drank it all night. “I hope you'll forgive me and indulge my curiosity for a moment?"

“By all means!" she exclaimed, vibrant and colourful and knowing. “Ask away."

“Have we met before?"

“No," Selena replied quickly as she turned in her chair to give me her full attention. One long and slender leg crossed over the other in a smooth, slow motion that invertedly drew my eyes down. I couldn't help the look I got of her thighs from between the parting folds of her dress. “I would remember a man like you, and I'd be very disappointed if you forgot about me."

“Right, of course." But her answer was hollow. Too quick; too well-versed, even if it was just a hunch. I couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't giving me the honest truth. “You seemed familiar, that's all."

“Then I must have one of those faces!" She grinned, flashing me a set of long sharp teeth and a coarse pinkish tongue before sipping on something blue and red she'd been holding in her hands when I first approached. “To really answer your question, Mister Cuervos, the one I know you're dying to ask? You caught my eye. Maybe it's that gentle look on your face. The warm, welcoming smile-"

“Señora Selena, please…"

“- How the light catches your brown eyes," Selena continued as she disregarded my every word. One large hand suddenly wrapped around my knee. “Or maybe it's your accent that finally did me in. So… exotic. I take it you're not from around here?"

Her fingers danced across my thigh, claws scratching through my pants to tease the fur and skin beneath. When I placed my hand atop her own she merely turned it around, linked her fingers between mine, and gave it the slightest squeeze to be accompanied with a disarming smile that said, 'Allow me this.'

And I felt compelled to do as she asked, acquiescing to her advances as her legs uncrossed, opened, then crossed again while her chest strained against the struggling straps of her plunging dress. A thought crossed my mind again: I know her.

Maybe I was just playing tricks on myself. Maybe she really did have one of those faces. Regardless of that, the more the thought flashed by the more I found myself believing it.

“Wait! Don't tell me…" Her other hand slipped up to her lips and a claw tapped against one of those long and ever-present fangs in thought. Then – a sly smile, as eyes narrowed and the fingers on my thigh ran a fluttering course back down to my knee. “San Juan."

“That's, well… wow." Selena wasn't proud of herself, yet she beamed with satisfaction. “Very impressive, señora. You've been to the island?"

“Never, but I have wanted to visit. Who knows, maybe you could be my tour guide."

“Hah! A very tempting offer," I replied as again she scratched her way back up my thigh. I almost tried to stop her hand – almost. One look, a single dangerous look, was all it took to leave her be. “Alas, I've no interest in going back there."

“Oh. A bad memory?"

“Yes… no. I don't feel comfortable talking about that."

“Of course – forgive me for prying, Mister Cuervos. I can't help my curiosity."

Curiosity. A word capped off with the strong grasp of my thigh that nearly made me jump, then a slow slide inward toward my core.

“Will you indulge me for a moment, as I did you?"

“Certainly." I wasn't in a position to say no. There was an odd tightness in my chest when her hand suddenly stopped its advance, just inches away from… Well, I could feel myself straining against my own pants by no small fault of her own. She knew. She must have known. That smirk said it all. “Within reason."

That tight feeling in my chest solidified into a desperate hollow when she removed her hand entirely. A playful little wink prevented me from fully gathering myself.

“What do you do for a living?"

“No interest in taking a guess yourself?"

Her small, airy laughter felt genuine, and that light in her eyes momentarily distracted me from the sensuality of her body, that charming personality, and the incessant gnawing of intrusive thoughts.

“My little tricks can only take me so far, Mister Cuervos. Please, don't force me to make a fool of myself in front of you. It would be mortifying."

“Well, if you insist." Selena leaned in a little, her posture still poised as perfect as a greek statue. I had her undivided attention – nothing in the world would have broken the captivating hold her eyes had on mine. “Believe me it's nothing as exciting as what you'll hear around these parts. I'm just a freelance writer, and something of an aspiring author."

“Colour me excited," she said as her stare deepened. “I do a bit of light reading. I'm sure I've come across your work."

“Hah! Your enthusiasm is very much appreciated but, respectfully, I doubt you have." Present location excluded, I had every reason to believe that Selena and I didn't hang around the same social circles. A woman of her class? Status radiated off her like the warmth of the sun. “But who knows, maybe one day you will once I'm world renowned."

“Of that I have little doubt, sweet boy."

Sweet boy. The tangy aftertaste of her words stirred a memory. I recognised it, not the words themselves but the context with which they were used and the lips that spoke them. Selena and I…

“Señora Selena?"

“Hm?"

“Are you sure we haven't met before?"

Her lips twisted up into a smile, almost as if she wanted to say 'Yes', but she shook her head and again put a hand on my knee.

“Like I said, I'd remember a face like yours and I would hope you wouldn't forget one like mine. Now – look at the time. I kept you for longer than I meant, didn't I? Oh, but I do hope you enjoyed our conversation."

“I did," I answered, although I couldn't help the feeling that I'd just told a white lie. Some part of me was relieved that our little conversation was coming to an end.

Relief? Shouldn't I feel disappointed?

“Good. So did I. Now aren't you glad I bought you that drink?"

“Very much so, señora."

“Glad enough to join me outside, then? I'd like to have a quick word in private." For the first time I caught a hint of uncertainty despite the layers upon layers of confidence that exude from every one of her spoken words. “Unless you have places to be, things to do. There's always tomorrow."

Run, my body said to me. Foolishly enough I once again resisted.

“After you." Standing quickly, I offered Selena my hand and flashed her my best smile as she gracefully took it and stood her full and impressive height.

“Such a gentleman. Be a dear and wait for me outside. I'll settle our tabs."

“No, please! Allow me."

“Mister Cuervos. You'd argue with my hospitality now?"

“You have done more than enough for me already. Please. I'll meet you outside shortly."

“Very well." She looked me up and down – I couldn't help but stand a little taller, a little prouder. “Don't keep me waiting, handsome."

What had I done to earn her attention, those sweet words, and the unspoken promises she'd made? Nothing at all; nothing special for someone like her.

I met with her out on the street a few minutes later. The flash of her deep blue eyes screamed for attention – my attention. She wasn't ready to let go of me just yet.

“Thank you for that, Mister Cuervos. Very kind of you."

“Please, Mel is fine."

“Only if you drop the 'señora' act. The thought's appreciated but I think I have a few more years of youth left in me. Wouldn't you agree?" She spun on her heels, her tail swatting at my midriff while the mass of curling red hair briefly masked her face like a wedding veil.

God above, she was stunning. Every time I looked at her I couldn't help but think: how haven't I noticed her before? How did I not feel her eyes on me? How could I be so blind to someone so breathtaking, so alluring, so exceptionally bright.

“Now what's that look on your face, hm? See something you like?"

“A beautiful woman," I replied sincerely as I took her hand in mine and brought it up to my lips.

“My! Mel, really?"

Her scent stuck to me and there I tasted her, finally, and it was everything my sinuses had promised me she'd be. Something sweetly perfumed, like pomegranate and strawberries, somewhat masking the natural scent and taste of cinnamon, basil, coriander…

I smiled – I grinned! I felt like a fool, one of those hopeless romantics I sometimes wrote about. The suave ones who'd swoop in and knew the right answer to every question. Selena brought that out of me so easily, as if she were the author to my own hopeless story.

“You do this with every woman you meet, don't you?" She didn't draw her hand away. In fact, she presented it further, her fingers stretching to caress the short fur of my chin as I placed a second, then a third kiss on her open palm and over her wrist.

“Would you believe me if I said you were the first?" One look, that's all it took. One simple look to steal my breath again and give me pause for what felt like the dozenth time tonight. Her eyes hungered with quivering excitement and a deep–set fascination.

“No, I wouldn't. But for your sake let's say that I am. It makes me feel special." She was unbothered by those around us, strangers who walked by and gawked for a moment or two. She didn't care, and neither did I. “Oh, Mel… Had I known you'd act like this I would have had my way with you days ago."

“S-Señora! Selena –"

“Oh come! No sense in being coy about it now. A woman's got her urges after all and mine are… Well I don't want to spoil the surprise. You'll find out soon enough." I swallowed hard, allowing her hand to slip from mine while she giggled at my lack of response. “But do say something, will you? Or I'll start to believe that my desires are one-sided."

“Forgive me. I… a lapse in thought, that's all." I laughed, and for that she seemed pleased. “You caught me off-guard."

“Then I'm still sharp as ever. Good to know I haven't lost my edge. Oh but, please, don't stop with the shy act. It does wonders for me."

“Well I'm sure you do this to every man you meet."

Now she laughed, a song to rival the daily choir of a bird in love.

“Just the handsome and the brave," she replied as her hand slipped around the back of my ear to hold and caress and draw me closer to her. An intimate touch in a place that hit just right for me; “and the easily flustered ones. So few fit the bill – lucky you, right?"

Lucky me.

“Ah, but here comes my ride now. A shame; I was really enjoying myself."

She rode in style: expensive, luxurious, elegant. God, she was so far out of my league.

“So then," I began while reaching for the car door. The amused look on her face said it all: she found me entertaining; “here's where we part ways?"

“So it seems," Selena replied as she ducked, turned, and sat on a plush leather seat with one leg still draped out the car door. “I enjoyed myself tonight, Mel. Teasing included. You're more than I thought you'd be."

“Am I now?" The statement stuck. Simple praise felt good coming from her. “And what did you expect?"

“To be frank? I thought you'd become a bit of a pompous asshole." Her white teeth glimmered; those blue eyes were asphyxiating. “I'm glad to be proven wrong."

“Then how about another evening together?" I suggested boldly. I… where did that come from? Her ears twitched and those eyes widened ever so slightly at my response. “I can think of a few things I'd like to do with you."

“Careful now!" she teased with a lick of her lip. “I bite."

She winked, reached for my hand, and returned my earlier gesture in kind by placing a quick and hard kiss right against my knuckles. For a moment she refused to let go – for a moment I felt like she was about to fall for her own temptation, to drag me into her car and refuse to let go. For a moment I nearly suggested that our night shouldn't end.

But it was only a moment, and once it had passed she nodded with satisfaction, smiled, and waved with a flick of her fingers while the car drove off into unseen horizons.

Then, only then, did my senses truly return to me. The last hour felt like a blur.

***

Three days later came a phone call in the early hours of the morning. I'd barely woken up. It was an unknown caller, yet something compelled me to answer. Instinct, perhaps, nature's ever-indulgent unseen hand.

Her voice, however, was unmistakable.

“Good morning, sweet boy."

“Selena." I could almost see her smile and a soft lick of her lips when I said her name. I could picture the satisfaction on her face. “How'd you get…?"

“I had to get creative after someone forgot to take the other person's number."

“Shit, right. I – Sorry."

“Relax! That comment goes both ways, you know? I got so caught up on our goodbyes, those sweet little kisses you kept throwing my way. Hah, I all but forgot about the next time! Not until I got back and, ah, took care of myself."

“Señora Selena-"

She laughed into the receiver, her voice cracking for a second or two before coming back clear and loud. “You're so easy." Her laughter eased into the smallest giggle. “It would've been so much more fun with you here though."

“You don't have to… I mean…"

“Take the compliment, silly 'yote. It is a shame, isn't it? Our night could have had a much more intimate conclusion."

“Yes well, I have a feeling you're planning on correcting that."

“Mister Cuervos!" She was good at playing the part of an innocent lady when she wanted to, but the facade never lasted for more than a minute. “Now who do you take me for?"

“A talented woman," I replied softly, “with an intimate knowledge of her desires. You don't seem like the type to take 'no' for an answer either."

“Oh, you got all that from the small hour we spent together? Clever boy. Well, you've read me like an open book! I shouldn't be surprised though when it comes from as clever a writer as you."

“You flatter me, Selena." If she were here now, her fingers would be trailing up along my leg while the intense look in her eyes locked me in place. In a sense she was doing the same thing right now, only this time her low voice kept me glued to the phone. “I will be honest, I didn't think you would be reaching out to me again. That night was fun, but it did feel like a one time thing."

“A chance encounter, if you will?"

“Something like that," I said with a hint of doubt. Something about it felt much more premeditated than that. But that's all my suspicions were – suspicions. “If you'd told me that Señora Selena was going to be dialling me up asking for another night out? Hah, I would have called you a fool."

“It's a good thing you're no fool then. But another date?" Did she sigh? It was such a light gesture… “Is that what you think this is about, sweet boy?"

“Is it not?"

“As fun as that would be? No – we'll leave that for another time. For all the love I have of bars, restaurants, parks, and museums, I prefer to steal away my victims somewhere far quieter and intimate."

“So that's what I am now, a victim?"

“My victim," she corrected after a pause. A little too quickly. A little too honest; “for me to do with as I please whenever I want and however I want it."

Although I could also just be reading into it too much, thinking up stories and coming to conclusions just because I found her to be far beyond the scope of a woman who would show any kind of interest in me.

Maybe I was just being a fool once again.

“Mel? You're being very quiet."

“Just, ah…" I couldn't tell her any of that. My unfounded suspicions as to why I felt like I knew her remained my own. Just the ramblings of an idiot. “... I'm just wondering if you're free tonight. The last few days have been torturous without you."

“Will you always flatter me so sincerely, Mel?"

“Always."

“Good. That's exactly the kind of attitude I want you to bring tonight. Now, no formal attire! Dress comfortably, and I promise to do the same."

“That sounds good, Selena. Ah, wait! Where should we meet, and when?"

“Oh don't you worry about that, sweet boy. Someone will be by to pick you up this evening."

“Uh… right, of course. And where are we going?"

“My home, of course! Where else?" She paused – I had no words for her. “I told you, didn't I? I want you somewhere quiet and intimate where you and I can truly be alone."

“Of course."

“Your voice quivers when you're nervous. You know that, right? Don't worry, Mel. I'll only bite if you ask me to."

She laughed and ended our call with a vocalised kiss and the promise of a good time.

***

I was ready hours ahead of our meeting time but some nervous anxiety kept me from staying still.

It was the anticipation of tonight gnawing away at every thought as the day slowly eased further into the evening. Selena didn't mince words, and for that I was both thankful and terrified. Thankful for the fact that I somewhat knew what to expect; terrified of not living up to her expectations.

But she bought me a drink, got me over to her table, and hell she even seemed to enjoy my company. Enough to get my phone number and plan… this. Staring at myself in the mirror I could see the doubt in me – no amount of time grooming my fur or manicuring my claws would fix that – but all I had to do was think about that small amount of time we spent together.

Everything will be okay.

At six o'clock a car pulled up by my apartment, itself entirely nondescript in appearance save for an older looking bloodhound sitting in the driver's seat. Selena was nowhere to be seen but I had a hunch that this was her ride, one proven to be true as the driver rolled down his window and asked in a burly and thundering voice:

“Mel Cuervos?"

“Yes sir." The anxiety was back. This was it. “Are you with Señora Selena?"

“The madam, you mean? Yes. She sends a message." He clears phlegm from his throat and continues a little more clearly: “'Apologies for not being there in person. See you soon.' Are you ready, Mister Cuervos?"

I nodded yes, the old bloodhound's response being a jerk of his head backward, signalling me to get in the back. The car's interior was simple though comfortable, a far cry from the luxury that I'd seen Selena ride off in at the end of our night. My driver's old drooping eyes stared back at me through the rear-view mirror – out of courtesy I extended my hand.

“A pleasure to meet you sir, and thank you for the ride."

With a chuff he took my hand in his, leathery pads beneath each finger calloused yet soft to the touch, and spoke more to himself than I, “She said you'd be interesting. Get comfortable now, it'll be about an hour before we get back to the madam's home."

An hour of quiet and peace broken by the few questions I drummed up the courage to ask. This bloodhound had only been working for Selena for a little over a year but he spoke of her with a sort of reverence, one far beyond the simple respect someone would have for their boss, that made me question the validity of his answer. Despite that he was tight-lipped about her past, and my ride ended with less answers than I had questions.

We made it out of the city and into a wooded upper-class neighbourhood sparsely populated by homes, although the few I did see were grand in design as tall windows, eccentric arching doorways, and spanning gardens brought life to an otherwise quiet and uneventful piece of land.

There she stood at the end of it all – the smilodon was held within sunset's grasp, bathed in the glow of orange and gold. Like when I'd last seen her she was poised to a trained perfection, and she continued to exude that air of elegance despite her casual attire.

Her hair was carefully tied back behind her head. The shirt she wore hung loose around her torso and somewhat covered a pair of shorts that did little to hide her thighs. She stood barefoot on the driveway, so still now that she could've been a lifeless statue, but those eyes flawlessly tracked me as we pulled up beside her.

I was greeted with a familiar smile. The fur along my arms stood on alert.

“Mister Cuervos," Selena said with a hint of playfulness while offering her hand, an offer that I grasped and brought to my lips as the car drove off to leave us by our lonesome. “Mel. I'm glad you were able to join me."

“Thank you for the invitation," I whispered into her hand and followed up with another kiss. A glance up at her and I saw those blue burning eyes practically undressing me from above a mountain of a woman. “You're as lovely as ever this evening."

“You just get right to it, don't you?" She turned her hand around and curled it beneath my jaw, same as she'd done before, then tilted my head up a little so I could really stare deep into those longing eyes. “And here I thought I was coming on too strong – if I'm not careful you'll have me running in circles."

Selena tugged on my jaw. Her claws danced across my skin before digging in like fishhooks, not quite breaking the surface but pinching hard enough that a slight jerk or flick of the wrist would've drawn blood.

Here within her grasp I felt that odd pull of familiarity, like I'd lived this scene a thousand times before. But it was just a pull, a passing thought, one whisked away as Selena stepped up and buried me in a warm and possessive embrace.

“This feels good," she clawed her way up my spine until again I felt her fingers digging in, this time into the back of my head; “wouldn't you agree?"

She asked, but Selena did not give me a chance to respond. Her grip on me was tightening to a frightening degree as the strength of her arms buckled any attempt to put even an inch of distance between my face and her chest. I could scarcely breathe within her grasp but fighting it would be a fool's errand. My lungs ached from the scraps of air I was able to drink, so clogged with her scent they were that I swam in a sea of sweet and bitter pheromones.

“Señora," I began, but Selena quieted me with a motherly hush and the stroke of her hand between my ears. A beating heart barreled a frantic rhythm right against my ear; her chest rose and fell in rapid succession to match each quick and trembling breath. Beneath my hands I could feel the strength of her hips, lean muscle stretching tight against tender skin and soft fur. “S-Selena? Everything okay?"

“Mel," Selena began to whisper, “do you know what it's like to finally hold the object of your desires in your hands?" She breathed deep – her tail thrashed wildly in response. “It feels good, Mel. I've never been better."

“Selena I'm flattered," I began as her fingers threaded in through my fur, “but maybe we should take this inside? It's a little cold."

“Inside?" She let go of me but stared hard as I took two steps away from her. Something about her posture, the tension of her legs and tightening of the arms, made it feel like she was ready to jump. All coiled up like a cobra on the defence. “I'm sorry, I don't know what…"

“Miss?" She seemed momentarily lost. Yes she was looking at me but at the same time Selena was elsewhere. “Are you feeling well?"

“Of course," Selena replied with a sudden smile and a refocused leer that made my heart jump. “Nothing a good drink won't fix. And I've yet to give you the grand tour! I know it can seem like a lot but you'll get used to this place, in time."

Her breathlessness betrayed this lurking shadow of composure and concentration. Her thoughts were elsewhere, somewhere so far beyond the here and now that I couldn't help but hesitate as she turned and waved toward her home, what could only be described as a mansion standing on the overlook of a steep hill.

“Come on," she said, yet instinct told me to run while my conscious thoughts begged for me to stop being a fool because, in truth, Selena had done me no wrong. Why be scared? “That look in your eyes – never been inside a mansion before?"

At least she hasn't caught on to what I was thinking. With a little laugh and an obvious scratch of my arm I played off that look she'd referred to and answered with a quick, “I can't say I ever have, no."

“Cute. No need to be afraid! You have me at your side, remember?"

Right. Of course.

Hand-in-hand the two of us walked up the driveway to the steps of her front door, all the while she went on about the home's history. I could tell long before she'd said anything that this place had been built a long time ago. The lights illuminating exterior walls showcased a surprisingly well-maintained foundation of brick and mortar layered amongst marble pillars and well-polished narrow steps.

It was a little much, to be honest, for someone who up until now I assumed lived alone. Selena never spoke of housemates or a partner to share her roof with. Things here seemed relatively quiet and lonely.

Despite that, the interior of her home remained surprisingly clean and lived-in. “The foyer," Selena explained with a bit of pride as she gestured at the vast room that greeted us. Its dark ceiling spiralled upward, decorated with a twin set of crystal chandeliers that ended in a tooth-like tip. “Bedrooms are on the second and third floor," she continued after pointing at a curling stairway of beautiful stone and black marble. “Living room and an office space are to your left, kitchen and a connecting dining room are to your right. Well? What do you think?"

“It's… I mean, it's beautiful."

Her tail wagged a little – she was all smiles for a few moments. “Come now, it's a little much, isn't it?"

“I mean, it is big. You live here alone?"

“For the most part. I usually have a few people on standby to help me take care of the place, but I've sent them away for now." She stepped toward me, one leg in front of the other, and leaned down a little to whisper: “Just you and I here."

“Lucky me," I stammered while catching a whiff of her intoxicating breath. She leaned a little closer, her loose white shirt now open at the collar enough for me to tell that she wasn't wearing a bra beneath it and… fuck, I was falling for her all over again.

“Lucky you." Her exclamation was capped off with a small flick of her tongue against the surface of my lips, its sandpaper-like consistency odd and raw, leaving behind a lingering trail of her saliva that I collected on the tip of my finger and tasted without a moment's thought as my eyes were held in place by hers. “I have a confession to make, Mel."

“Señora?"

She grabbed my wrist tight and lifted it up to her lips. Her tongue once again made itself known as it lapped at each one of my fingers, carefully treading over the delicate webbing between before ending with a flourish on the tip of each claw.

Every time one of my fingers disappeared within her maw, some small part of my willpower was stolen away. I couldn't help the little gasps as she curled her tongue and sucked on each digit with a sense of desperate urgency. Hell, she would have taken my whole hand within her mouth and I wouldn't have tried to fight it off.

My hand glistened beneath the dim light of her home's interior. Selena studied her handiwork and smiled to herself – a job well done.

“My confession," she finally continued after minutes of this treatment, “is that I've been longing to do this since long before I laid eyes on you, but I needed everything to be perfect. The house wasn't ready. My tools weren't ready. Everything I needed and everything I wanted… it's finally perfect."

The moment I tried to speak she shushed me with a finger pressed to my lips as her smile turned into something of an obsessive grin.

“You've been so good to me, such a sweet gentleman, so shy and kind. You've really grown up to be more than I thought you'd become. You deserve a little reward. No words – don't say a word. Just enjoy this."

Her reward was the brush of my wet and cold fingers against her hard nipple as my hand was forcefully snaked through the collar of her shirt. With how Selena was leaning over, I could feel the weight of her breast smothering my open palm while her nipple reacted to the casual touch with a tight hardening that simply begged for more.

“Don't be shy," Selena added as she leaned forward more and touched her lips against my own. I placed a kiss against her snout and trembled when her teeth brushed across the fur of my jaw. Then, with her further permission now out in the open, I held my hand against her breast till it all but disappeared into the pillowy mound of thick, soft fur and sensitive skin. “There – There you go, Mel. Doesn't that feel good?"

“It feels incredible," I said as I massaged her boob with a soft and tender touch, too afraid to hurt her and still uncertain on how far she was willing to take things. “You're incredible, Selena."

“Mhm… yeah." Her other hand cupped the lower back of my head and there she held me steady as her tongue lathered saliva on the roof of my snout. Her odour – I breathed it in deep and whimpered with the satisfaction of a craving finally fulfilled. “My nipple. Touch it gently… soft, with the tip of your finger."

She moved my hand again, drawing it away from the depths of her breasts so I could barely tease the tip of her bud. Oh how it reacted to my touch, aching for a soft lick or a light pinch, for more than just the torturous end of my claw circling around the edge of her areola with a feather-light precision and the guiding stroke of someone so intimately aware of her own body's pains and pleasures.

“Good boy. Sweet boy. Just like that." Another hard press of her tongue, now between my eyes. Selena wasted no time in coating me with the scent and taste of her own body.

I felt marked, claimed like some piece of land. Her knee brushed against my hardon and I felt what she did, the sheer thrill of my body against hers.

“I can do more for you," I said to Selena as I rolled her nipple between my fingers. She shivered, then moaned, and practically melted in my hands when I said those words. Her tongue came back down to slather itself against my lips in a sloppy and one-sided exchange of fluids.

Selena openly panted against my face before stammering out an unsure, “You… You weren't supposed to… It shouldn't be like this." Yet, despite the complaint, she forcefully held my fingers against her breast and angled herself so the tip of her tongue could safely press into my lips without the danger of long fangs slicing through my skin. “Y-You should be begging for my touch. I'll make you beg yet…"

“Soon enough," I promised her as I cupped her chin and delicately allowed more of her tongue entrance to my mouth. I was in control here – all it took was a slight twist of her swollen nipple to calm her forceful advances – and thus met her curious muscle with my own tongue to lick it, massage it, and tenderly guide it across my teeth.

She moaned loudly into my mouth and purred with a ferocity that shook every bone and muscle to the atomic level. Her legs clenched tight, the very idea of how wet she probably was and how desperate she felt for more of my touch enough to make me feel like I could shred through my own clothes with the force of my erection.

So desperate for some semblance of control… even though our tongues danced a slow tune with one another it still took every ounce of me to keep her from falling to her basest desires. That would come soon enough. I knew it to be true just from how her muscles tensed and relaxed beneath my fingers, how the hand on the back of my head clawed and scratched and clawed again for more, more, more.

But, “Not yet," I said to her as I parted my mouth from hers with some effort and caught the connecting strand of our combined fluids on the cup of my tongue to savour and swallow. God, she was delicious. “Let's go somewhere comfortable, Selena. I'll treat you like a queen."

“A queen," Selena echoed in a dream-like fugue, those deep blue oceans in her eyes glazed over with the bright sheen of ardour. “Your queen… Mel's queen, right?"

“That's right, mi bella reina."

The brief flicker of a smile flashed across her face, and for the first time in what felt like a lifetime Selena put a foot's distance between her and I. She stood tall – she stood proud, her hands poised on wide hips while puffing out her chest to make her seem more than just larger-than-life. Focused and steady breathing momentarily calmed her down.

And I couldn't help but stare, exactly as she wanted me to do.

“Do you love your queen?" She moved before I could answer, the tip of her claw tugging down on her shirt's collar before slicing downward with a clean and satisfying tear that left the garment hanging loose on her shoulders. “Do you love her body?"

My answer was action, veneration for this deity of a woman. Her stomach was tight; beneath my thumbs spanned an endless wave of abdominal muscles, trained and refined and sensitive to the smallest kiss I could place on the cream-coloured skin of her belly.

I wanted to explore every inch of her, to learn her body and memorise the tells of pleasure and excitement. The odd erogenous zones, the places where I could slide my tongue against her skin and have her shudder in return.

Her abdomen was one such place, as I quickly learned when she slipped her hand down my back and scratched with enough force that her claws burned.

“Y-Yes… you do love me." She shrugged, and the tattered remains of her shirt were finally discarded. “Look at me," Selena ordered. “Worship me."

And God, she was beautiful. Her tits sat heavy against her torso with a kind of pendulous weight to them, shifting ever so slightly with every little breath she took. Between them lay a mass of burning red fur that ran all the way up to her collarbone before disappearing into a mane along the base of her neck. Each was adorned with a nipple, thick and aching for my touch, both surrounded by wide areola covered in bumps and ridges that I knew would drive her mad the moment they were met with my warm breath.

“What's the matter?" Selena added with a sly bite to her lip as I took her in, all of her, while my hands continued to explore every inch of her stomach. “Someone's a little lovestruck. Weren't you going to make me feel good? Weren't you planning on treating me like a queen?"

“Of course!" I finally managed to say, much to her satisfaction, before forcing my eyes away from the tantalising sway of her breasts to glance between her legs. “But I haven't seen all of you yet."

“Mister Cuervos!" she chided, yet in there I caught the smallest of whimpers while I devoured her legs and thighs and… that damp patch of moisture on her shorts. I slid my hands down, carefully clawing along her stomach to make her shiver and tremble and clench tight in response, before finally hooking my thumbs along the tight hem of her shorts. “If you want to see that so badly, then take a little initiative and undress me yourself."

She pushed my head down. She wanted me to get a good look.

“And don't you dare disappoint your queen."

I was on my knees now and… if Selena had once been a mountain of a woman then she was now a titan, the living embodiment of beauty, power, and lust. With a glance up I saw that her eyes were closed, one of her tits cupped tight within her hand, its prominent nipple teased and tugged between two frantic fingers. I desperately longed to have a taste.

The button clasping her shorts together popped without a hassle, the garments opening to me like a blooming flower as I slowly undid the brief track of its golden zipper. There, with my nose so close to her crotch, I felt a moist heat and caught the very intense scent of her burning core.

A tidal wave of pheromones. Each breath was a resounding signal of approval. I breathed deep of it, of her, and salivated as I pulled her shorts down.

No panties, of course, and just how long had she been stewing in her own excitement? The gap between her thighs was a veritable web of criss-crossing strings of feminine cum, a substance visually thick in its concentration and wet in consistency. The trail of it led downward to the bold dark wet patch on the inside of her shorts, the fabric of it ruined in a pool of cum and hormonal musk. The real star here, however, was her pussy:

Thick pubic fur was matted to her skin with the same juices that now dripped free from between her thighs, her excitement having been smeared evenly when it had nowhere else to go. Below it, the puffy exterior of her labia, her lips naturally fat and wet now swollen with some needy anticipation hours in the making and something about that… the way they looked, perhaps, so plush and soiled in her feminine cum made me want to fucking devour her. Despite its best attempts, however, that fat muff couldn't contain the engorged round end of her clit which pushed from between her lips with a painful throbbing desire for attention.

Selena said something to me from high overhead but her words were lost to my ears as I breathed deep of her overwhelming sex-addled musk and then gasped, hard, with an urge to touch myself.

Not yet. Not until I'd proven to her that I was worth her time.

She began to say something in a dream-like whisper but her words fumbled within her own throat as I leaned in and lightly grazed her clit with the tip of my tongue. Selena curled her fingers between my ears and hissed with a satisfying, “Yesss," to the smallest flick.

Selena was pleasantly obedient now that I tended to the source of all her desires. One lick across the whole of her tender bud loosed the grip she had on me. Setting my tongue flat across its surface to slowly tease and massage forced her legs to tighten around my head and her knees to grow weak in response. I felt her hips twitch with some innate desire to hump my face and so I relented, leaving Selena with a parting lick around the hood and a kiss on her clit just to hear that wonderful little whimper one more time.

“D-Don't stop," she quietly begged while I kissed my way back up her stomach — a little nibble here, a loving lick there. My fingers kept her stimulated by dancing across her thighs, caressing her soft red fur, and scratched between her abs. “You god damned tease."

“Potty mouth," I remarked with the smallest hint of a knowing smile. “I wanted to tell you how beautiful you are."

“Could have said it," she struggled to breathe, “from down there."

“I wanted to look you in the eyes."

“Hah. Hah! You stupid idiot. Hah! You're still the same. You haven't changed." Selena leaned in a little until her forehead lightly touched my own and the tip of her nose pressed against mine. The world… it stopped, as I was engulfed in a mass of red hair and blue eyes while loving fingers traced idle runes along the side of my neck. “Tell me that you love me, Mel. Say it like you used to."

An odd choice of words, considering we'd just met but… “I love you." That felt genuine to me.

And it did wonders for her. I could feel her smile across my lips, then the soft tremble of a deep purr when she closed her eyes and tasted those spoken words. For a second I thought to myself: what did she see in me?

But some things are better left unanswered.

“Selena, take us somewhere comfortable. I'll have you seeing stars."

“That better be a promise."

She grabbed me hard by the hand and led me a little too quickly past the foyer and into a living room. It was a large space with what looked to be antiques at a passing glance, something to be observed and studied when I had a little more time and a somewhat less horny smilodon on hand.

Her hand slipped from mine, then Selena turned with a graceful twirl on her heels and allowed herself to drop onto a couch, her legs spread and arms pinned behind her head. She proudly put all of her on display, knowing well the effect it would have on me.

A stunned silence as I took every detail of her naked body, from the small bead of sweat between her eyes to the weight of her tits and the softness of her thighs. She was a dream made reality. She was perfect.

“Ah-ah." Her foot drew upward along my leg as one of her hands slid between her thighs. She made a show of it, knowing that I couldn't keep my eyes from her pussy. A wet slick of her fingers probing between wet lips made swallow with expectation. “You're overdressed, Mister Cuervos." Her voice now had an icy cool drawl to it. “Be sweet, and show me everything you have."

How she masturbated herself while watching me undress nearly gave me some pause since the unabashedly lecherous look to her eyes made it clear just how much she enjoyed it. The palm of her hand massaged her clit as fingers slipped between wet folds and praise was thrown in my direction: how handsome I was, how cute I looked whenever I blushed and laid my ears flat, the fact that she loved the sandy colour of my fur and the excited swish of my tail.

I started on my pants, her hand dug deep into her pussy, and I could hear every loud squelch of fingers grinding against clenching walls. Hard, ragged gasps of air trembled with innate satisfaction but did not stop her from staring hard and commenting further: how round and sweet and gropable my ass was, that she was ready to mark me permanently with her scent, and how she was going to fuck my tongue numb.

Again I turned, this time so she could well see every inch of my bare self. Exposed the way I was to her prying eyes felt relieving, if not a little intimidating as well now that our unrestrained desires were laid bare to the world. Her hips rocked back and forth against her hand, all sense of control lost to her as Selena devolved into an incoherent ramble of whimpers and moans, and the dark promise of how she'd pin me to the floor and fuck me till all desire to leave her again was gone.

“Señora Selena!" I mocked while kicking away the boxers and fully presenting myself to her, every inch of me throbbing hard within my grasp, my sheath barely able to contain my knot at this point. “You are a potty mouth."

“I can't help it. You're beautiful. You're perfect. You're exactly like I remember, to the smallest detail." Selena drew her fingers from within herself and wistfully stared at her own wet excretions for a moment before ordering, “Come here."

With that same hand she guided me to her, and like a lost pup I followed without question, aching after all to have a proper taste of her beside that initial lick I'd teased her with. It guided me down to a kneeling position between her legs and there she ordered once more:

“Worship me."

Selena grasped the back of my head and smothered me against her sex, the tip of my nose bashing against her clit while I worked my tongue between the tender flesh of her labia to lap, tease, and swallow every sensitive nerve I could find.

The little things mattered to me, like how her thighs tensed around my head when I dragged the tip of my tongue along the side of her lips, eeking out just a little more of her nectar for me to savour. When I breathed out she'd tremble before me, a low whining moan exploding from her lungs while she raked her claws in a back-and-forth motion across my scalp. If I paused for a moment she'd whimper, confused, tugging on my ears to get my snout shoved back against her scalding depths, but she'd freeze and sigh when I said words like, “You're absolutely stunning, reina," or, “God, your voice is so fucking beautiful."

“I love the way you taste."

“Moan for me, reina."

“You're perfect. You're absolutely perfect."

All punctuated with a kiss here, a slight lick there, the small nip of my teeth against the round cushion of her pussy, the gentle massage of my wet nose across her matted pubic fur, and a dance of fingers all over the inside of her thighs whenever I felt they'd been neglected for too long.

Selena was speechless now. High above me her mouth was stuffed with one of her breasts. She greedily sucked on her own nipple, loudly proclaiming her overwhelmed thoughts with a slurp, a gasp, and the liberal spill of her saliva from between the tightly-pursed lips of her snout.

“Mi reina," I spoke again, knowing now that Selena was close to hitting her climax. Her entire body spoke to me, a choir of voices that drowned our thoughts save for an all-consuming desire to make each other feel incredible.

Never have I felt so in-tune with another person.

Never have I felt so connected.

“Cum for me, reina."

My bold request was met with the loudest she'd purred yet. I angled my snout upward and swallowed her clit whole, sucking and licking with a delicate firmness not meant to shove her over the edge but rather guide her with long and dutiful strokes.

Her legs locked around my body as her orgasm ravaged what little self control she had left. Spurred on by my words and touch, Selena rubbed herself against my face with a ferocious fervour, untamed and unashamed of the roaring fire I'd stoked in her heart. I could feel the fresh surge of her feminine cum soak onto me like rainwater, the trickle thinning out as I released the hold I had on her bud with one last parting lick, then a kiss on her cum-stained thigh, a little nip on her stomach, a breath of hot air right against a diamond-hard nipple, and finally one long stroke of my tongue against hers as they met in the cold space between our mouths.

I cupped her breasts, swallowed her tongue, nibbled on her lip, and gently eased her back against the sofa, still feeling the aftershocks of her orgasm ravage skin and muscles. That poor, confused look to her wide eyes gradually refocused with every other tender lick I placed on her jaw, neck, and nose. Then – a hard inhale, slow exhale, and the world's most content sigh I'd ever heard.

And though I remained untouched, painfully aware of how hard I still throbbed, how my precum soaked my nethers and how tense my core had become with expectation and desire… despite that I felt satisfied and whole.

“L-Lay with me," Selena asked, her voice a quivering whimper of what it'd been before. It made my heart ache as I longed for a time and place I knew I've never experienced. This felt familiar, like a well-earned homecoming. Her arms, wide and warm, held me close and held me still. The long strokes of her hands were comforting and kind. “Wow…"

“Señora?" I breathed deep of her fur and skin, that scent of berries and coriander now stronger than ever before. So rich, so sweet, so full of life. Our bodies entwined perfectly with one another, matching pieces to a greater whole. “Did you enjoy yourself?"

“Do you even need to ask?" She nipped my ear, like a playful little punishment for such a foolish question, causing a little laugh from me and a sweet giggle from her. “You're so…"

Her voice was spirited away with a chuff, and we remained locked in each other's arms for what felt like hours to the minutes of reality. I did not want to move, though finally she caused me to stir with another nip on my ear and a whisper that said:

“But we're not done yet, are we?"

A cold winter chill drew breath along my spine when I felt the tender touch of her hand wrap around my swollen member, which for the time being had been twitching against her thigh, kept erect with needy lust by the soft strokes of fur and the slight twitch of my hips whenever the head hit her body just right.

“My sweet boy," Selena continued to whisper straight into the depths of my soul as the light touch of her fingers drew shapes across the surface of my length. A feather-light touch, just enough to make me be fully aware of her presence and desires. “Why didn't you say anything? I'm not a selfish woman, you know."

Into her chest I mumbled incoherent words vaguely resembling, “I forgot," with a bit of embarrassed shame, which caused her to laugh and stroke between my ears much like she would a pup.

“You're adorable, you know that? But I can't leave you like this." She stroked me, her hand easily gliding with the thin layer of precum her fingers had smeared across my shaft. “And as wonderful as that tongue of yours is, there's something else I've been craving for a long, long time."

She smothered me between her breasts, burying me within a miasma of hot fur and thick musk while that wonderful, torturous hand slid down to a bulging, veiny knot far too sensitive for the solid grasp she suddenly gave it. The hard, breathless whimper Selena drew from my lungs caused her to huff, mildly amused with my response.

“So that's what gets you going, hm?" I whined and licked the soft fur and skin between her tits as her fingers all curled around that angry ball of flesh and squeezed. I felt it, the gush of precum that suddenly exploded from within me as my abs clenched tight and something deep in me recoiled in violated glee. “Is this how you want me to get you off? By tugging on your knot?"

Her rough tongue licked along the inside of my ear in time to the steady tug and pull of my knot. The pressure steadily built – a steam engine ready to explode. I could feel my stomach drop when she gave my knot another squeeze and angled my cock downward so that its tapered tip would part the pillows of her fat nethers.

“P-Please, señora…"

“Ah-Ah. What am I really?"

“Reina," I gasped as I humped against her hand in a desperate attempt to force myself into her velvety sex. It was futile, frustrating. Her hold on my knot deepened, her control over me absolute. “Selena!"

“That's it… sweet boy." I could feel her teeth now, the two long ones always so visible and sharp. They teased my throat, slicing through my fur as easily as a sharpened razor. When I swallowed I could feel their pointed ends dig into my skin – not once did I think she'd hurt me, but the fear was there all the same. Fear and pleasure, hand-in-hand. “Tell me how you want to cum."

“Inside you!" I begged, voice hoarse with need as the hand that'd guided me to the edge of the abyss now teased the tip of my cock against the hard throbbing bud of her clit. Selena moaned alongside myself as she used me like her own toy to tease herself and draw out another long wave of pleasure.

God almighty it felt so good as well.

“You're lucky that you're so cute," she whispered again, then nibbled on my ear hard enough to finally draw blood. I could feel it, a small trickle that Selena greedily lapped up with a throaty moan before angling my dick down, further pressing me between the warm embrace of her sodden labia until the tip, just the tip, was enveloped by the clenching tightness of her entrance. “You're lucky that I never forgot you."

Selena bit me again, but the pain I felt was washed away by the scalding massage of her inner muscles clenching tight and strong around my length. She guided me in by my knot, my entrance into her easy and quick thanks to the copious amount of her natural lubrication that now readily spilled from the gaps of my seal as proof of her adoration.

And it was adoration, because no other words could accurately describe the feeling of her walls milking the full length of my dick with relentless passion.

“Y-You feel incredible," I managed to stammer as I pressed my hips against hers, listening closely to the slippery grasp of her sex as it struggled to hold me tight, to never, ever let go. The skin of her lips teased my knot, then parted slightly to accommodate it in a sloppy kiss that ended with that ball of pleasure pressed tight to her entrance.

She didn't stop licking my ear, nor did her hands cease their relentless assault over the rest of my body. “Savour me," Selena said in that dusky voice she'd first greeted me with, “every inch of me. You're burning me up… it's so hard inside me. Don't you love how it feels?"

“I do!" I replied a little too loudly as I drew back a little, only about halfway so I could still feel the caressing lick of her insides surrounding the tip of my head, then slid back home in a slow, drawn out stroke that very nearly was the end of me.

“You're twitching so hard," she continued, her voice light. “It's hitting my — fuck, it feels so good. You're close, aren't you? I want you to cum. Give it to me, Mel."

Another stroke, slow and deep. She hissed, wrapped her legs tight around my waist, and refused to let me go without a fight. I knew then exactly where she wanted me to finish. That blossoming desire was infectious.

“But not before you knot me." I slid back inside her, the pressure around my length heavy enough to make my head spin. “I want to feel it swell inside me." Her words made me ache, all sense of self now void to the infinite pleasures of her body. The bulb squeezed against her entrance, straining, already throbbing with anticipation and helped along by the tug of her legs around my waist. “N-Now, Mel!"

With that final command, and one more possessive lick along the inside of my ear for good measure, I felt the whole length of my knot slip past her barriers. Selena's breath hitched as I humped her, now hitting depths previously untouched, every short and quick thrust shoving me further past the point of no return.

In an instant I felt it, the long-anticipated eruption of my orgasm flooding her canal and soaking into her womb. Her body lurched then latched on tight to me, a near-perfect seal preventing even a single drop from escaping the quivering mess I'd made of her insides.

“It's hot," she said with a long sigh as I slobbered over her chest. The long stroke of her hand down my spine nearly made me scream from an overwhelming sense of pleasure and satisfaction. “I can… I can feel you twitching inside me. Did it really feel so good?"

“The best," I replied after a minute of catching my breath, of feeling a drawn-out orgasm finally come to a close, of my knot swelling so that it would keep us so perfectly together for however long it took to calm down. “Oh god… your pussy… It's still…"

It quivered and contracted around me. The milking didn't stop – it never stopped. I couldn't tell if Selena was doing it on purpose, not with how her little giggles were interspersed with sharp pangs of pleasure and pain while another orgasm wracked her body. It kept going… she kept going long past when my balls had finally spent themselves, numbing my mind to all sense of reason beyond the animal-like desire to breed.

“Shh… there now. There…" A loving little lick tended to the small wounds on my ear, the spots she'd nipped and scratched with her teeth. That soothing voice was heaven on earth. “My sweet boy. Now, didn't I tell you? I'm not a selfish woman. That was wonderful. You are perfect."

She quieted me while I tried to talk, her arms smothering me against her breasts.

“My sweet, perfect boy. Finally together again. And here I thought I'd never – well, you've grown into such a perfect gentleman. You're everything I ever wanted, Mel. You're all I'll ever need."

Selena spoke with the familiarity of a mother who'd been reunited with her son, or a long-lost friend finally reconnected with. She scratched between my ears exactly how I knew I'd like it and held me in a way that made me want to melt into her body. Everything about her was perfect, so god damned perfect.

Except…

“I should've come to you sooner but I was nervous. I didn't think you'd remember me." Quietly I listened, her heart's hammering intensifying beneath my ear. “To think that you'd forget me. Me! H-Hah!" Then her hands held tighter around my spine, those large claws digging slightly into my skin. “Y-Your own creation. Me! Like forgetting your own daughter. Isn't that… isn't that crazy?"

“Selena?" I cautiously began. She shoved me back against herself when I tried to lift my head a little. “What are you saying?"

She clenched hard around my knot and a whimper was forced out of me. Her arms squeezed and I was forcefully smothered against her chest. Her voice quivered, then burned with uncertainty, followed closely by a hollow laugh that asked:

“Y-You do remember me now, don't you?"

I was finally allowed to look into her eyes and I saw… San Juan, and a hospital bed on a hot summer day. A faceless nurse dabbed away the sweat from my brow as I mumbled something incomprehensible into the air.

Beyond that came the painful feeling of loss, grief striking my heart like a burning open wound. I knew that I'd lost something important to me beyond the shattered remains of childhood memories. I lost someone. Whenever I tried to think of them the wound deepened and scorched my aching chest.

I looked into Selena's eyes, our bodies locked together by the binding hold of my knot, and in that sea of sparkling ocean blue I felt that same familiarity I had time after time here, with her, and back at the bar when we first met. That I knew her from somewhere; that we'd met before, a lifetime ago.

She reminded me of San Juan and the nameless, faceless person that I'd lost.

“Don't you?" Selena asked me again, her voice faltering for a moment.

I should have answered yes, told her what she wanted to hear, but I'd never lie to her. It felt wrong to do so. Like she didn't deserve it.

With a slow shake of my head I answered: “No."

A breath she'd held to for a long time was finally dropped and her arms went limp around my body. I could feel her grow cold under me, the look in her eyes once warm and inviting now glassy and distant.

“That's… And here I thought…" She swallowed, seemed to compose herself for a second, then shifted. “No… No! Y-You'll remember me. You made me — you loved me. I'll make you remember. You'll remember me. We'll never be apart again. Never. Never."

She cupped my head in her hands and forced her tongue past my lips as the walls around my cock clenched again, and again, and again. The meagre little whimper I gasped into her mouth was drowned out by the sound of her obsessive purrs.