FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 1

>you got your letter today >the state wants you to go some office to get your wife assigned >usually the start of a new life as a pampered chewtoy >but you'd done your research >when you rented your apartment you'd tactically selected a catchment area that is almost entirely populated by herbivores >sloths, capybaras, sheep >stuff like that >no hyenas, wolves or other crazies >If you play your cards right you'll get some dopey girl that you'll be able to give the slip and skip town >Maybe even steal a car >then go and live off the grid in some sleepy middle of nowhere village >You are a genius >You get the bus down to the local office, a former DMV centre >It's during the day so it's quiet, not many other passengers >you were slightly worried when some huge pitbull girl got on, but she had a dude half her size clinging to her >the two of them were acting all lovey-dovey up the front while you tried to remain inconspicuous >the pit was licking the guys face with a tongue the size and shape of a shovel, and kept prodding him to get objects out of his pocket for her to chew on >and snap with her massive jaws >you watch in horror as the femur bone of some large animal breaks like a twig in her mouth >at this her boy toy politely applauds and pats her head, and gets a face full of tongue again >these people are fucking nuts >after another 10 minutes of this you are finally in the centre of town, at the old DMV >you could still see the outlines of the old letters on the side of the building where they had been taken down >Someone had graffitied it to say >Department >of >Male >Violation >in green paint, along with a bunch of stylised letter Ys and grinning teeth symbols >fucking yeens >You hurried inside under the actual new sign, reading 'State Office for Marriage' in standard government print

>inside the lobby there are the usual insipid pictures of happy couples and other propaganda

>pamphlets full of tips for looking after a human husband

>info on tax breaks

>safe restraint techniques and how to deal with escape attempts

>the usual stuff

>you filter through into the main hall

>there's a queue of guys all holding the same letters as you filtering through to a row of kiosks

>most of them look as dejected as you feel

>there's a window running along one of the walls into another room, filled with anthro women of various species

>several of them are staring intently through the glass at the guys plodding through the maze of queue barriers

>a hyena is licking the window and panting, a berserk grin on her face

>no surprises there

>you join the end of the line, behind a young guy who looks far too upbeat for a man about to be forced into marital servitude

>he starts trying to talk to you, asks if you are excited to get picked

>oh god

>you try to fob him off but he doesn't take the hint and starts pointing out girls in the waiting room, saying all kinds of stupid shit

>this attracts the attention of the yeen, who starts banging on the glass and waving at him, to the annoyance of the other women

>he cheerfully waves back and nudges you, saying he think's he's got a good chance

>you are utterly baffled, where do they find these people

>thankfully you are soon separated from this crazy person as the queue filters out to the kiosks

>a tired looking rat girl is sat behind the computer

>she asks for your papers so you hand over the letter

>she scans it in and asks you to confirm your personal details

>you give over your name, address and date of birth

>as soon as she puts in your name the white light of her computer screen flashes red across her face

>shit

>"Really, dude? do you know how much paperwork we have to do every time we process a runner?" she groans

>she flicks the microphone on her desk

>"can I get security to kiosk 4? Got a Code 3 here"

>you think about running, maybe you could get out of here before they can grab you

>not a chance

>a chunky pig girl in full mall cop regalia has already blocked off your escape route as she swaggers over

>"You always get the best ones, June." She chuckles to the rat "What's this one's malfunction?"

>"2 counts of avoiding state advised dating without reasonable excuse, 1 count of faking illness to avoid marriage selection and 1 count of attempted escape of state care"

>the pig whistles and looks you up and down

>"well you're a right piece of work, aint'cha?"

>you try and bullshit them, saying that's all in the past and you just want to settle down now

>if your plan is going to work you need to get assigned to some ditz you can escape from

>as you talk crap, behind the pig you can see the young guy from before being led into the anthro waiting room

>he runs over to the hyena, who immediately hoists him into a fireman carry and sprints out of the room like she's just robbed a bank

>which given that she's a yeen she probably has experience

>the rat is on the phone to her supervisors, wanting clarification on what's to be done with you, while the pig just stands there arms crossed and listens to you babble

>the rat finishes her call and starts typing again, cursing under her breath

>"Nice try with the catchment area crap, buddy. The bosses just told me they've had your internet bugged for the last month. You're getting assigned from the special assignments pool."

>shit shit shit

>that doesn't sound good

>the pig laughs

>"Man, you are fucked now. Should have just gone quietly, pal."

>you ask what the hell the special assignments pool is

>the rat sighs

>"some girls actually volunteer to marry troublemakers like you"

>"they sign a bunch of waivers and get vetted as capable of taking on special cases"

>oh great

>not only have you been spied on for the last month and all your plans rumbled

>but you've been earmarked for the "rebellious humies need snapped in two, please sign here" scheme

>this day couldn't get any better

>at least this would delay the process a little

>it would surely take them a while to find one of these psychos, maybe you find a way to dodge this

>the rat gets another call

>balancing the phone between her neck and ear, she starts typing like crazy again while giving someone directions on the other end

>"keep him here? no problem just ring us when you're outside, we'll drop him off at the car"

>she hangs up and looks over the counter at the pig

>"she'll be here in an hour"

>you ask who's coming, a higher ranking officer to process your case?

>"no, dumbass"

>"that was your wife"

>”she'll get you out front in an hour”

>your blood runs cold

>so soon?

>the pig grabs your arm and waves bye to the rat as another “happy customer” approaches the kiosk

>the excitement over, the rat sighs and waves a sad little wave back as you are led away and her day returns to tedium

>the pig leads you into her little office with a window looking out over the street

>you wait there with her while she smugly berates you about how you wouldn't be in this mess if you'd just done as you were told the first time

>honestly you aren't really paying attention

>you're scanning every car that passes, trying to figure out which one is carrying your doom

>an anthro that volunteered to take on difficult guys

>what the hell does that look like?

>images flash through your head of german shepherds with latex, whips and questionable politics

>trailer trash rats looking for another baby daddy

>survivalist badgers in prepper bunkers filled with machine guns and cans of beans

>whole platoons of yeens

>old money wolves that'll hunt you for sport

>all these and more whiz through your head

>the pig is trying to show you pictures of her husband

>”look how happy he is!”

>the hour crawls by as you desperately track each vehicle

>then the pig's radio squawks

>as she goes to answer it, you see an expensive looking green estate car roll up

>here we go

>the pig confirms with the rat back at the desk that that is indeed your ride

>she hustles you out of the office and out of the front door

>you blink as the low evening sun gets your eyes

>”good luck, buddy, I think you'll need it!” the pig chuckles as you approach the ominous car, it's windows tinted

>the driver's door opens, and a pair of long striped legs come out

>a tiger woman in office attire and a skirt gracefully pulls herself out of the car

>she looks down at you with a pair of warm golden eyes through a pair of glasses, backlit by the sun

>she's a foot taller than you

>god above, you are fucked

>”Hello darling, my name's Alice.” she says. Her voice is calm and soothing, and she offers you her large clawed hand.

>”Want to get in the car so I can dodge a parking ticket?” She jokes, and opens one of the rear doors.

>The pig looks over her paperwork, trying to find the right forms.

>”Ms Blau?”

>”Doctor Blau, but yes. I've already sent on all the necessary paperwork to your colleagues, and I've got a copy of his file, officer. Thank you for your assistance.”

>The pig shrugs, gives you a half assed wave and heads back inside

>”Okay doc, enjoy yourself. Check up is in a week.”

>you are left alone with your bride-to-be

>”Clock's ticking, hun. Parking warden is probably right around the corner.” Alice whispers conspiratorially to you

>she's still patiently offering you her hand, and holding the door of the car open

>you think about running, but looking at her you wouldn't get far

>at least she seems nice enough

>haha

>you take her hand

>she grips it tightly and ushers you into the back seat

>the interior of the car is all plush cream leather, polished silver and black detailing

>she must be a doctor if she can afford something like this

>she swiftly closes the door once you are sat down, and climbs into the driver's seat

>she's barely sat down before she turns on the child lock, disengaging the rear doors

>no getting out now

>You meet her eyes in the rear view mirror

>”So, how's your day been so far?” she asks languidly as she maneuvers her way through the busy city centre traffic

>you don't really know how to answer, so you just shrug

>”I imagine you're nervous but don't worry. We'll have plenty of time to talk when we get back to my place.”

>you drive for another fifteen minutes, the big car effortlessly eating up miles of road.

>Alice asks you what you do for a living

>you give a non-committal answer about this and that

>”Huh, with your degree I thought you might have a job working with computers.”

>your blood runs cold

>you ask her how she knows about your degree

>seeing your shock, she grins in the rear-view mirror and lists off your date and place of birth, your full list of qualifications and your last three employers

>”Don't look so scared, darling. I've read your file. The state sent it to me a week ago when your letter was sent out.”

>the bottom falls out of your world

>this whole thing was orchestrated from the start

>her eyes are boring into yours as you glide along the freeway

>”I need to know as much as I can about you if I'm to take care of you, anon. It's part of my duty of care as your wife, and as a doctor.”

>”Especially since you have these problems with authority.”

>”But we can talk about that once we've had dinner.”

>the car pulls up to a row of townhouses on a leafy boulevard

>Alice parks up on the street and gets out, before coming round to let you out

>she takes you by the hand and leads you up the steps to the door

>”We can head over to your place tomorrow and pick up anything you need. I'll call your landlord and let them know you are moving out.”

>she unlocks the front door and you both head inside

>sunlight streams in the windows of the lounge, where a large leather couch and a pair of armchairs crowd around a stone fireplace

>Alice heads towards the kitchen and motions to the couch

>”Sit yourself down, I'll get us something to drink.”

>whatever

>this is all a bit much

>you sink into the soft leather as you hear a cork popping

>Alice comes back over with a pair of crystal glasses of red wine

>as she hands it to you, you sigh in dejection

>this doesn't seem too bad

>”Cheers, honey.” Alice says, a warm smile on her face. She takes a sip of her wine.

>you offer a wan smile and drink a mouthful.

>immediately something's wrong

>you fucking idiot

>your mouth goes numb

>rule number 1

>don't drink anything you haven't poured yourself

>dumbass

>you try and stand, but your legs are already going weak

>Alice calmly takes the glass from your hands before you can drop it and places it on the table

>what the hell did she dose you with

>with herculean effort, you manage to take a step away, towards the door

>as soon as you try and take another you fall

>straight into her arms

>”My, did that go straight to your head? We need to work on your relationship with alcohol, darling.”

>she holds you up as your whole body turns to jelly

>but you are still fully conscious

>you start panicking, weakly twitching in her embrace

>”After all, I've seen your file. How much cheap vodka you've been buying over the last year.”

>”You need help.”

>she drags you over to one of the armchairs and sits down, pulling you onto her lap.

>you try and wriggle away

>”Now now, don't struggle. Focus on breathing. We've got about 15 minutes until the dose takes full effect so just try and relax for me, my little man.”

>She pulls up her phone

>”We can use this time to have a look over the rest of your file.”

>she starts reading over your criminal history, how you have been trying every trick in the book to get away from marriage

>”What's odd to me is how much effort you've put in, yet you are still living in the city, where the state can keep trying to get you assigned.”

>”You could have just ran off into the wilderness if you hate anthros so much. It's not unheard of.”

>She leans in close to your ear

>”I think you want to get caught. You want to put up a big fight to satisfy that male ego of yours, but deep down you know where you belong.”

>she pulls up another page

>your internet history

>not good

>”Now this is interesting. Apart from all the cruel posting you've been doing on buncel.net you've also shown some worrying patterns.”

>she pulls up an order receipt for booze from a friday night.

>”You self medicate with alcohol.”

>She swipes onto a porn site, where a still image of BROKEN BOYS XII shows a young man with his face deep in some canine's pussy, a clawed hand yanking his hair

>”Then you indulge in degrading pornography.”

>then the final tab

>oh no

>not this one

>Youtube : YEEN'D: SFW AFTERCARE COMPILATION

>”Then this. You poor thing. How many times have you watched this?”

>she presses play on the video

>a man and a big hyena are lying in bed all wrapped up in blankets, cuddling each other

>a tinny voice plays out of the phone speakers

>”I love you babe, you're such a good boy.”

>you fall apart, weakly blubbering in Alice's arms

>she pats your head

>”Shhh it's okay. This is what you want, isn't it?”

>”I can be there for you. But you need to understand something.”

>”You are unwell. You've been doing harm to yourself for so long that you can't undo it by yourself.”

>”You need me to help you.”

>”You belong here. You belong to me.”

>She tilts your head up with a hand

>and kisses you

>you're face isn't numb anymore

>but you still can't move

>you can feel her claws cradling her throat, her lips pressed against yours

>you can't get away

>she goes deeper

>she pushes her tongue into your mouth, eliciting a weak little moan from you as her free hand begins effortlessly tearing your shirt to ribbons

>you can taste the wine on her lips

>you can feel her claws running down your chest

>it's terrifying

>but she's right

>somewhere deep inside you you've always wanted this

>you hid it, hated yourself for it

>but it was always there

>she breaks away, panting, her eyes aflame with desire

>”You can feel it all, can't you?”

>“For the next hour, you'll be able to feel everything I do to you.”

>“But you can't stop me. You'll never be able to stop me.”

>She tears off what's left of your shirt and stands up, lifting you in her arms

>she walks over to the huge fireplace, and places you on the rug in front of it

>with a snap of her fingers the fire springs to life

>she stands over you, panting, backlit by the flames

>with a grunt Alice rips off her own shirt, her bra and her skirt

>then kicks her shoes across the room and clambers on top of you

>you still can't move

>but like she said

>you can feel everything

>the heat of the fire

>her fur rubbing over your skin

>her breath on your neck

>her hands undoing your belt

>you are hard as a rock by the time she yanks your trousers down to your ankles

>she rubs her big, fluffy hands over your cock, licking her lips

>she laughs

>”At least the important part of you still works, honey. That dose was perfect.”

>”Sometimes I even impress myself.”

>you barely manage to force out a few words from your uncooperative mouth

>”you're crazy,” you croak

>She giggles, then crawls up your body, running her claws up your arms to rest on your shoulders.

>“Well if your precious little mouth is back online, I guess I'll have to make use of that too, won't I?”

>She destroys her panties with a single claw, baring her drooling, fuzzy cunt.

>“You know what you need to do, right? My little broken boy?”

>crazy isn't the right word

>She pulls your head up by the hair and shoves her pussy into your face.

>she isn't gentle

>she grinds against your face, panting and growling

>you do your best to give her what she wants

>for a good couple of minutes you make out with her sex, getting utterly drenched in her scent

>then she stops, and pulls you in for another kiss.

>”You're such a good boy, darling. You deserve to get off too.”

>the words are like electric fire running through your body.

>she holds you close for a moment, a placid smile on your face, her eyes lidded

>Alice shifts positions and lies on top of you, embracing you

>she starts nibbling at your neck

>”When I worked A&E I never got the appeal of marking boys. It seemed so risky. Barbaric. I've had more than one idiot have to get her mate airlifted to hospital with a jugular bleed.”

>”But..” She stops her teasing for a moment, her instincts clearly warring with her better judgement.

>then she strikes

>Her teeth sink into the nape of your neck

>you let out a strangled cry of pain

>it's agonising

>but some sick little part of you is satisfied

>your hers now

>you'll always have her mark on your flesh

>she growls like a rabid beast

>then releases you

>”God I'm so sorry, darling. I just couldn't help myself.” She looms over you, her eyes unfocused, her teeth stained with your blood. She licks it off.

>“It doesn't look bad, okay? I'll get it properly dressed once we're done.”

>”Let me make it up to you, okay?”

>she moves to straddle your waist

>positioning herself above your unattended, painfully hard cock

>”I nearly forgot the most important part.”

>agonisingly slowly, she lowers herself onto you

>you let out a throaty groan as she sinks lower and lower

>”Make as much noise as you can, baby. I want to know how much you like this, okay?”

>then she starts riding you

>her hands digging into your sides, she rides you like a jackhammer

>she starts panting and chuffing, her animalistic noises mixing with your weak, breathy moans

>you feel like you're disintegrating in her hands

>it doesn't take long before you are at your limit

>”Alice...” you moan

>”Yes darling, I know,“ she pants, her whole body shaking as she inches closer and closer to the edge

>she speeds up

>as she leans over you, one of her hands moves from your side,

>and wraps around your throat

>bang

>Alice shudders, screaming through gritted teeth as orgasm burns through her body

>her sex twitches and gushes all over you, sending you over the edge as well

>the feeling is almost religious

>you feel like you are vibrating out of your own body as rope after rope of seed shoots into Alice's womb

>the two of you collapse into a wet, shuddering mess

>Alice eventually comes to her senses, and lifts herself off of you

>she goes into the kitchen and brings back some gauze and some rubbing alcohol

>she rubs down the big bite on your neck, as well as some secondary scratches across your body

>she bandages your neck and ties it off

>”There. Wasn't much bleeding anyway but I'm not risking it.”

>Alice stoops down and lifts you up, holding you like a child

>”You're such a good boy, darling. I'll never let you go.”

>”Let's get to bed.”

>you wake up the next morning with an array of aches and pains but able to move again

>Alice is making breakfast in the kitchen

>she asks you to go out to the car and bring in some stuff she'd left in the trunk last night while she fries you up some eggs and bacon

>might as well get some fresh air

>you go outside, pulling your loaned sweater up over your bandages, and take in a deep breath

>you have no idea how to process last night but maybe it'll all work out

>you smell a whiff of tobacco from behind you and turn round

>no fucking way

>the young guy from the DMV yesterday is standing on the porch of the next house along, sporting a black eye, a cigarette in his mouth and a sweater with “It's not easy being Yeen” on it

>that pun is terrible fuck you

>He looks at you with a shit eating grin, and points out your bandage

>”Women, eh? Cant live with 'em, can't live without 'em, ey neighbour?”

>oh god no

###

Chapter 2

###

>you're sat in the kitchen of Alice's townhouse on a Monday night

>it's close to midnight, and you're up making coffee

>Alice should have been home two hours ago but she'd been held on again at the hospital

>in the last few of months you've spent with her you've come to know how hard she works

>and how much she appreciates you waiting up for her

>you get your preferred mugs out of the cupboard while the kettle boils

>hers is red, with a university crest and 'Alice Blau MD' stencilled on it in white

>she told you she'd got it at some boring alumni event years ago

>your mug was a lot less professional

>when out shopping a few weeks ago Alice had dragged you into a thrift store

>not somewhere you'd shop yourself but when your 7ft tiger wife wanted you to go somewhere you did as asked

>inside she found the most hideous piece of animal themed merchandise made on this earth

>it was almost spherical, with a grinning tiger's face making up the front and it's tail forming the handle

>the tiger looked like it had some kind of brain problem

>Alice had held it up

>”Anon look, it looks like me!”

>she then tried to match the smile, which made her look more like a serial killer than the serene lobotomy patient on the mug

>you hated the thing, but she liked it so you drank from it anyway

>plus, it looked slightly familiar

>'did you know, in russia, we have tigers?' you snigger to yourself as you pour the coffee

>As you go to get the milk from the fridge you hear keys turning in the front door

>you turn to see Alice stagger in, her coat pulled over her crumpled and bloody hospital uniform

>her eyes are sunken and she lets out an impressive yawn

>”Hey hubby,” she says, looking and sounding like a zombie as she stumbles into the kitchen

>you finish adding milk and sugar to the coffee just in time to be lifted off your feet from behind

>Alice wraps you in her arms and lets out an exhausted groan as she rubs her face against yours

>”mmmmgrrrrrr.... Anon... you smell nice...”

>and she smells like disinfectant and old people, you joke back to her, which gets you a squeeze that knocks the wind out of you

>she puts you down and grabs her coffee in one hand, while keeping a hold of your shirt with the other

>you pick up your own before she drags you over to the living room

>narrowly avoiding disaster you manage to put both your and Alice's drinks onto the coffee table before she pulls you down onto the couch with her

>she growls contentedly as she licks you all over your face and runs her big paws all over your body

>she pauses to lean in close to your ear and whisper

>”Remember when I first brought you in here?”

>you shudder as you recall that day

>in this very room, sipping a glass of wine

>the feeling of powerlessness as you'd realised you'd been drugged

>Alice lit by firelight, her maw dripping with your blood

>yes, you remember, you tell her

>”You've been such a good boy for me, Anon,” Alice whispers sweetly, before pulling the two of you back into seating positions and reaching for her mug

>”And you make such good coffee too.”

>the two of you sit there for a while in silence, snuggled together, sipping your coffee

>despite the rather scary start to your relationship (and the fact you are legally her property), you would genuinely not trade this for the world

>you spent so long trying to dodge the boogeyman, the dreaded marriage assignment

>when you left the countryside your family had warned you, told you that you'd get kidnapped and held as some she-beast's house husband, abused and maltreated

>all your youth you'd been scared of falling victim to that fate, it had made you a recluse, university had been miserable, same for your work life

>you'd dodged assignment every way you knew how until you ran out of road to run on

>in reality though, there was always a part of you that wanted to give in, to lose, to relish in the taboo of being taken against your will

>and here you were, the happiest you'd been for ten years

>”Remember we've got check-up tomorrow, Anon.” Alice said, running a clawed, fluffy hand through your hair.

>that was right

>you would have to show up at the DMV again tomorrow, for your progress check-up

>as a special case, Alice had to report in on your “rehabilitation”, and you'd be checked to make sure you were being treated right

>for the first month it had been weekly, then once a month after that

>once you make it to a year you'll be officially reformed

>woohoo

>”I wrote up that stupid report for them during my lunch today, we can take it in tomorrow morning. As if I don't do enough paperwork already.” She grumbles, and you can feel the vibrations reverberating through her and into you.

>You ask her how her shift was

>”Tough. Had all kinds of crap to deal with. The usual drunks and accidents plus the fallout from the sportsball game. Look at me, I'm filthy. At least I'm off for a few days.”

>That was right. Alice had done her shifts for this fortnight and now had five days leave.

>”Once we're done with this state stuff tomorrow we should go somewhere nice for lunch, maybe even go for a few drinks downtown. I think I can trust you to behave around alcohol, right?”

>She grins, exposing her predatory teeth

>you remind her that the only problem you had with alcohol was that she slipped something in your drink the day you met

>She giggles. “Yeah, that was pretty funny. You know what's even funnier?”

>she leans in close again, her teeth inches away from your ear

>”I still have a couple doses of that stuff hidden away. Maybe I'll dose your coffee one morning when you're not looking.”

>You start sweating bullets.

>”Or maybe I'll do it in public,when we're out for dinner. I'll just claim you've had an episode, fainted or something, and carry you off into the bathroom to make you better.”

>her breathing is getting heavier, and she's staring her big golden eyes into yours, unblinking. Your skin is crawling, but you can also feel yourself stiffening, your own breath hitching as a sick arousal builds.

>oh god

>”Or maybe I'll just do it in front of you. Pour it straight into your drink. Dare you to throw it away.”

>”But you wouldn't, would you? You'd drink it anyway. You can't refuse me.”

>you are beet red at this point. Alice had a way of going from zero to one hundred without warning.

>she leans even closer, the warmth of her breath washing over you

>”Or maybe I won't,” she gives you a kiss on the cheek, before going to stand up. “But that's the fun part, isn't it? Come on, let's get a shower and get to bed.”

>after washing the days grime off of Alice in the shower and letting her grope you for a bit whilst doing so, the two of you curl up in bed

>you're pretty sure you're contractually obliged to be the little spoon, even if Alice wasn't at least a full foot taller than you

>even still, you love it

>the beat of her heart, the softness of her fur

>you can't believe you denied yourself this for so long

>Alice is snoring already

>before your blissful embrace sends you off to sleep, you check your phone

>tomorrow is the 15th, checkup day

>you have the niggling feeling that something else is meant to happen tomorrow as well, but for the life of you you can't figure out what

>oh well

>you snuggle into Alice's fluffy body and slip into oblivion

>”Okay Anon, are we good to go?”

>Alice is scanning about for parking wardens outside the DMV, in the driver seat of her fancy German car

>you are in the back trying to hold together the large bundle of documents you were legally required to get signed by the checkup team

>”I'll see if I can get parked somewhere and come join you, if not I'll get you back here at 1015 hours, okay?”

>”aye aye, captain,” you respond wearily, and get out of the car, holding the awkward package in two hands as you ascend the stairs

>these meeting tend to suck the soul out of your day

>the checkup team is four thirsty canines and a wombat, and are always asking the same questions

>are you happy?

>is she beating you?

>do you want to be reassigned?

>do you want to be reassigned to me?

>all because you are a special case, known for absconding and faking illness

>you bet Jimmy next door doesn't get all this hassle

>and he's married to a yeen with the physique and temperament of an east german shot putter

>those two had nearly gotten Alice a criminal record after they disturbed her sleep for the fifth time

>you had to go and “man to man” ask Jimmy to maybe close the window when he was getting savaged and not wake up the whole neighborhood

>or, you pointed out, your darling wife was going to try and surgically disassemble his darling wife

>he'd just laughed and said “Oh jeez, no problem, neighborino! Sorry for the fuss!”

>fucking Jimmy

>you head into the DMV office, clutching the pile of bureaucratic files and reportage that you'd been lumped with

>Damn it Alice

>she had been asked write up your progress, not a thesis

>despite her grumping she took this seriously

>you weren't really supposed to read her report but she'd shown you it anyway

>She'd went full bore on it, though you suspect she could have filled the word count out with "he's my special little man and he's doing very well" written out a hundred times and still come to the same conclusion

>of course it also took a sharp turn into horror as she described your bedroom performance

>"Anon is very receptive to being physically dominated, enjoys use of claws and teeth"

>"very vocal when stimulated"

>"clingy post-coitus, likes to be held and complimented"

>”performance is very satisfactory by author's criteria”

>Alice seemed intent on laying bare every detail of your married life, like it was some kind of diagnosis

>thankfully the report just got filed by the officers, it didn't get read out during your checkup

>you get past the second set of doors and into the office itself

>the place seems quieter than usual, there's only a few guys at the left hand kiosk, with the rest of them shut

>you head over and wait in line, from what little you can overhear from the front of the queue it seems like everyone is just here for checkups, getting forms stamped, booking appointments, stuff like that

>before long you are at the front of the queue and met with a familiar face

>"Oh, hey Anon" says June the eternally tired looking rat girl, the one who processed you on the day you met Alice

>you get on with her pretty well

>"Can't believe it's been another month already. Doesn't seem that long ago you were in here." She smiles. "How's Doctor Death treating you?"

>you say everything's going alright, Alice is doing well but overworked, which gets a groan of sympathy from June

>"I know how that feels"

>You put down the pile of forms with a thud and ask if the checkup officers are around, you need to get all this crap signed

>June sniggers

>"The thirst squad aren't here today. They're all in hiding after that shitshow at another office. Some inspector raised hell after she found out the staff had hit her man. The whole department is on red alert. It's either going to get internal affairs brought down on us or get leaked to the press."

>"Everyone thinks there's going to be hell to pay and all their dirty laundry's going to be exposed"

>She leans back in her chair, smugly

>"But I keep my hands clean, so I can just laugh from the sidelines. If I'm not getting any dick neither should those dipshits."

>June laughs again "You should have seen it in here. It was like we got a nuclear bomb alert. Shit was getting shredded, people were running about mad, booking last minute holidays, burning evidence."

>You ask her what you're supposed to do about your checkup if all the other officers were "indisposed.” She shrugs.

>"Eh fuck it, I did the training program, I can stamp your forms."

>With that, June whips through the pile of waivers, questionnaires, psych forms and other garbage, stamping each of them with a big red APPROVED mark

>"I won't bother asking you all the dumb questions they usually put in these things, you and the Doc seem to be getting on pretty well."

>"Just one thing."

>"Did she really drug you that day she picked you up?"

>You frown. You're pretty sure you had kept that secret at all your check up meetings.

>"Don't look so shocked, man. I'm the one that has to scan in those tomes she writes every month to tell us how you're doing."

>"Tell her she should ditch the medical stuff and start writing smut for a living. She's missing her true calling."

>With that, thankfully, the last form is done. June gets to writing up a receipt for you

>You look about, normally by now you'd have been bothered by the other half of the minimum wage duo

>You ask where the security pig is

>"Nancy's off down to Florida with her hubby, doing hillbilly stuff, here, they were fishing yesterday."

>June pulls up her phone to show you a photo

>Nancy's standing on a pier with her man, the two of them holding a massive carp

>Nancy is wearing full realtree camo and throwing devil horns at the camera, while her man is in a wife beater and a baseball cap with HOG FUCKER on it

>well at least they look happy

>with your burden lightened you head back out of the office

>As you descend the stairs you check your watch

>0920hrs, you're nearly an hour before Alice is due to come pick you up

>that went a lot quicker than usual

>Better see if she's parked up near by

>You nearly do a full circuit of the building before catching sight of the big green estate

>Alice is trying to fix a parking sticker onto the dash

>Suddenly you hear your phone go off

>Except it's not in your pocket

>You'd left it in the car

>You rush over as Alice picks up the phone

>"Hello, Anon's phone, Dr Blau speaking."

>"No, no he's not in the hospital, I'm his wife. Can I ask who-"

>"Oh. Well here he is now, I'll pass you over to him."

>Alice hands the phone to you, a rather odd smile on her face

>"It's your mom."

>Oh shit

>you gulp, and take the phone from Alice's hand

>you say hello to your mom, already cringing away as if the phone might explode

>"Anon are you okay? Who was that? Is this some kind of prank?"

>"I'm fine Mom," you say, "And no, it's not a prank. I met Alice a couple of months ago."

>"But she said she was your wife? Wh-"

>your mother gasps

>"Oh god Anon, is she..."

>"Yes mom, she's an anthro."

>There's a muttered conversation in the background

>"Where are they keeping you? Your dad can come pick you up if you want."

>you groan

>"Calm down mom, I'm in the city. Everything's fine."

>"I told you this would happen, Anon. Are you sure you're okay? Are they hurting you? If they are listening in say a code word or something.”

>”Mom, No one's hurting me. Alice is lovely, you'll like her. She's a doctor at the city hospital.”

>there's more muttering

>Probably Dad trying to get Mom to calm down

>”Did you get given to her? By the government?”

>”Yeah, more or less.”

>No point in lying

>”So you're a slave. Oh god above.”

>”You're making this sound a lot worse than it is.”

>”Anon, we can help, pleas-”

>you cut her off

>”Mom, I love her.”

>There's a silence on the line

>you can feel Alice's eyes boring into your back

>”...At least send us a picture so we know you're okay.”

>”I will.”

>”I called to say we're having your sister over, she's just out of hospital with her baby. Are you... allowed to come home?”

>”I'm sure I can work something out. I'll talk to Alice and see if she wants to come.”

>”You want to bring her?”

>”I'm not leaving her here, Mom.”

>Another silence.

>”Okay, Anon. Keep in touch, okay? We love you.”

>”Love you too, Mom. I'll see you soon.”

>you hang up, and get into the car, sitting down with a frustrated sigh

>There's a bit of an awkward silence

>Alice clears her throat

>”So... you didn't tell your family about me?”

>”Because I knew this would happen. I didn't want them to worry.”

>”Why should they be worried?”

>”They don't really understand what the state is, or what it's like to live in the cities. They think it's all secret police breaking down your door or kidnappers hiding in every alley. Even when I was dodging assignment I realised that things weren't as bad as I was told.”

>”So your family doesn't like anthros?”

>”Not at all, they, they're just small town people, y'know? The place I grew up was a couple thousand people at most and we have two state officers, Sheriff Macarthur and her husband. Everyone likes her, but unless things have changed massively in the last five years she's the only anthro who actually lives there.”

>you smile as you remember the sheriff

>”she used to do visits to the school. I once asked her if she liked dog treats.”

>Alice sniggered

>”How did she take that?”

>”The same way she took most things, by laughing like a nutcase and slapping me on the back, really hard.”

>”She never gave me a straight answer though.”

>Alice smiles at that, before getting serious again

>”So what are we going to do about this party? Do you want to go?”

>you shrug

>”Eh, I haven't been home in years. Would be nice to check in.”

>You look over at Alice

>”What do you think? Do you want to go? I'm not going to lie it's probably going to be a bit awkward but my dad will definitely put a barbecue on. It's his party piece.”

>Alice rolls her eyes and smirks

>”Well you know how easy it is to bribe me with good food. Besides I'll have to meet your folks at some point, might as well do it now.”

>you let out a sigh of relief

>”Thanks, Alice. That makes things a lot easier. Like I said, they're nice people but they basically live on another planet compared to here.”

>”Don't worry I heard you loud and clear.” She starts the car engine. “I also heard the other thing you said.”

>”Oh?”

>Alice lunges across the centre console, grabbing you by the throat and pushing her big feline tongue into your mouth.

>You are thus held for several seconds, shuddering in her grip as she imposes herself on you.

>the tips of her claws press hard against your neck

>Then she lets you go, leaving you coughing and spluttering for air

>Alice wipes her mouth clean with the back of her hand and grins her best serial killer smile

>”I love you too, little man.”

>rather than hang about in town, you decide to pick up groceries and head home to plan your trip away.

>as you and Alice are in the kitchen, putting stuff away in cupboards, your phone pings

>you pull it out to see a message from your dad

>hey son

>sorry about your mom you know she's just worried about you

>I'll keep her calm

>Good for you bagging yourself a doctor!

>remember and send us that picture, will put your mom at ease

>Also what does the missus like on the barbecue, let me know!

>this is followed by a cowboy emoji giving a thumbs up

>you call Alice over and show her the phone

>”My dad wants me to send a picture so my mom knows I'm not getting held hostage. Also wants to judge your character based on what meat you like.”

>”Tell him I want a big tomahawk steak. And chicken wings.”

>”Yes, ma'am. Let's sit down in the living room so I can get a good photo.”

>The two of you sit on the couch and try and look as photogenic as possible

>The first attempt has less of a “here's me and my cute wife” vibe, more like “help I'm about to be made into a coat”

>you ask Alice to smile with her mouth closed

>she crosses her arms and scowls at you

>”You said you liked my smile. What was it you said? “I want to be your chewtoy?”

>”Please don't bring that up in front of my parents. And yes, your smile is lovely but tends to scare the shit out of people.”

>with a sigh, she complies. “Fine.”

>with her looking considerably more angelic, you take the photo, both of you smiling, leaning into Alice with her arm wrapped around your shoulder

>with that done, you message your dad

>tomahawk steak, chicken wings

>then the photo

>after a few seconds you get a reply

>wow!

>she looks nuts! You sure know how to pick them!

>At least she has a good taste in barbecue!

>cowboythumbsup.jpeg

>you sigh

>”Well that's that.”

>Alice is still in a huff, her ego bruised by your insistence on keeping her mouth closed.

>”Oh come on Alice, you know I like your smile. C'mere.”

>you shuffle over onto her lap, straddling her. You reach into her mouth as she tries to keep a frown on her face, but she immediately melts as you start rubbing her gums, running your thumbs across them.

>For the next half hour you massage the inside of her mouth while she makes undignified groaning noises, her golden eyes lidded.

>you know the second you stop she's going to drag you upstairs like a cavewoman and fuck you into the floor

>but such is married life

Chapter 3

###

>you're in the kitchen early the next day

>Alice is watching the morning news and you are on coffee duty again

>the tiger mug is staring at you, mocking you with its gormless stare

>one of these days its going to meet with an unfortunate fate

>your phone buzzes

>message from mom

>oh great

>that can wait a moment

>you take the blessed caffeine through to the living room where Alice is currently slobbing out, wearing an old ratty hoodie and sweatpants, splayed out on the couch

>you hand Alice her drink and set yours on the table, and try and squeeze yourself in next to your living carpet of a wife

>instead, you are dragged by a big lazy paw into Alice's lap

>a donkey girl on the news is talking about finance

>she's trying but failing to make it sound interesting

>you pull your phone out, fully aware that Alice is peering over your shoulder

>you then begin rattling off answers to your mom's inane questions

>No, Alice doesn't cough up hairballs

>No, she doesn't get into barking contests with dogs like the Sheriff does

>Yes, she eats cooked food

>Alice is silently laughing as she watches you type away

>She puts her mug down and gestures to you

>”Gimme that here, I'll talk to her.”

>you try in vain to keep it away but your phone is soon snatched from your grasp

>”Don't worry I won't embarrass you, babe. Just drink your coffee.”

>you pick up your mug

>the thing is staring at you

>it's probably the devil

>

>”Your mom wants to know when we are heading over.”

>”Tomorrow morning sounds good, gives us today to pack.”

>”I'll let her know.”

>”Do you want your old room set up?”

>”Yeah that's fine.”

>Well they seem to be getting on alright to start with.

>”She's asking if I'm a catholic, is that some kind of allergy?”

>”No it's human religious stuff, tell her no.”

>”Heh, Maybe I should message back saying you're the Cat-Holic now, heheh.”

>you need to get that phone off of her

>later, having retrieved your phone through judicious application of forbidden neck scratching techniques, you're upstairs in the bedroom, packing your case for tomorrow

>Alice is in the wardrobe, pulling out various outfits and trying them on

>the only thing you can currently see is her tail lazily swishing back and forth as she roots around in there, humming away a little tune

>she comes out wearing a light blue, billowy dress that contrasts nicely with her fur and a pair of big rose tinted circular sunglasses

>”What do you think of this? I thought it'd be nice for our drive tomorrow, since the weather's meant to be good. We could stop somewhere and get ice cream.”

>She looks a bit Yoko Onno with those glasses, but it kind of suits her

>being crazy and all

>”Go for it, you look great.” You say, before pulling out a couple of pairs of boxers to stick in your case as she dips back into the wardrobe to change back into her loungewear

>you get another ping on your phone

>unread message

>maybe from Mae, your sister

>or your parents, who knows

>you go to check it only to bump into Alice, who has crept right up behind you

>she can move silently when she wants to

>she grabs you by the arms and kneels down to your level, staring into your eyes

>there's mischief in her stare

>”You'd tell me I look good in anything.”

>well she's asking for it

>”cos you do, babe.” You say, before kissing her snout.

>that gets a laugh out of her

>”Suckup. Such flattery won't save you.”

>she turns to examine the clothes in your case, sitting half full on the bed

>”Isn't it going to be warmer out in the country?”

>She pulls out a turtleneck sweater from the case

>then another

>then a couple of button up shirts

>well now's about as good a time as any

>”I think I should cover up the scars, Alice. At least for now.”

>She straightens up, neatly folds the clothes and puts them back into the case.

>and turns round to face you, her face unreadable

>”Why?”

>You know why, Alice. It's going to be awkward enough without my parents seeing a big obvious bitemark on my neck. My mom will have a heart attack.”

>that gives her pause

>She covers it up with a nod and a shrug, but you can tell that stung

>shit

>”Alice, I -”

>”Do you think I'm an embarrassment?”

>”No, never, I just-”

>”Then why do you keep trying to hide who I am? What our relationship is? Would you ask your wife to take off her wedding ring?”

>she seemed actually angry, pacing about the room,

>”I'm not going to pretend to be your 'girlfriend', Anon. I'm not going to sit there and act like we're having a human courtship, that I'm 'not that bad when you get to know me'. I AM that bad. I RAPED you, Anon.”

>”No you didn't, babe, we-”

>she grabs you by the shoulders and snarls, her teeth inches from your face

>you balk, terror running down your spine

>”Yes I fucking did. And I'll never apologise for it. I did it because I wanted you and because it satisfied me. Because you had to be broken.”

>she softens slightly, buts still growls as she pushes you onto the bed

>she looms over you, brushing some hair out of your face

>you're still a bit shaken

>”But I also did it because I knew you needed it, sweet. You needed me to take away all the excuses and lies you'd built around yourself so I could help you, make you better.”

>”Alice, we talked about all this. You're right. I do need help. And everything you've done for me...”

>”I can't explain how much I need you. I spent years hiding from the world, hating myself. When I'm with you, I feel like the sun has come up. You make me feel warm, alive. Even when you use your teeth and claws on me. I trust you.”

>you run your hand over the scar, the perfect indent of her teeth on your flesh.

>”I know how much this means to you.”

>She grabs handfuls of bedsheets on either side of your head, squeezing them in frustration

>”Then why do you want to hide it?”

>”Because I'm not normal, Alice. To you and me, this is a mark of our love, of what we've done together. To my parents, to most humans, it's like the mark of a whip, or a cattle brand. I don't want my parents to think I'm some mistreated, beaten slave. I don't want them to hate you.”

>you reach up and stroke her big, fluffy cheek

>”I don't want you to pretend to be something you're not, Alice. I just want to ease them into this. They're worried about me, and I don't want to push them out of my life.”

>Alice sits there for a moment, still looming over you, before collapsing on top of you with a groan

>after you get your breath back from over twice your weight in tiger falling on you, you find Alice rubbing herself all over your body

>”Oh anon,” she sighs, “You're so thoughtful. So sweet. I really did luck out with you, didn't I.”

>”Might want to lose the dress, babe. Don't want it to get all crumpled for tomorrow.”

>with a snort, Alice quickly takes the dress off before continuing to full body dryhump you, now fully naked

>”So thoughtful,” she purrs, and the vibrations run through your body

>”You get where I'm coming from though, right?”

>”I guess. I just don't have any time for twofacedness, is all. It's not who I am.”

>Yeah

>apart from when she's spiking drinks

>”Don't worry about it. I'm probably building this up too much in my head, anyway. It'll all go fine.”

>”You're the expert, anon. I'm in your hands, hehehe.”

>she says this while you rub one hand through her ample chest fluff, occasionally tweaking a nipple to a little half moan

>with the other hand you check your mobile

>1 new message

>it's from your mother

>hey hun can you call? Just want to make sure everything's sorted for tomorrow xo

>”Just need to call home, babe.”

>you try to sit up Alice groans and holds your hand to her chest, pulling you back down

>”You can do that with your other hand”

>you sigh and punch in the home number while cupping one Alice's small but firm breasts in your hand

>you give it a squeeze, and get a throaty growl in return

>”do that again, anon.” Alice whispers in your ear

>”once I'm done I'll do more than that, I promise.”

>you put the phone to your ear as it starts to dial

>your mom picks up after a couple of rings

>”Hey anon, how are you getting on?”

>One of Alice's ears twitches as she tunes in

>”I'm doing fine mom, me and Alice are just getting packed up”

>you decide against mentioning that Alice is currently nude

>and now you aren't paying her any attention, Alice is also taking the hand you had on her chest and pushing it lower

>bumping over each of her vestigial extra nipples as you travel down her midriff

>”You're dad is out buying all kinds of food for the party, and your sister and the kids are already here. You should see your nephew he's already running about mad!”

>”How's Mae and the baby doing?”

>”They're doing well, the little one keeps crying at night but that's what all babies are like.”

>”Not me.” growls Alice as she manages to drag your hand onto her stomach

>and starts grunting as you rub her there

>”What was that? Did you say something, Anon?”

>”No it's just the radio. Do you need us to pick anything up in the city before we head over tomorrow?”

>”No I think we've got everything we need. Although you might want to pick up a case of beer for you and your dad, and whatever your girlfriend drinks.”

“She's my wife, mom. Anyway sure, we can do that on the way. Is there anyone else coming?”

>”Sheriff said she might stop by, probably thinks your, uh, wife is coming to steal her spot.”

>you snort with laughter

>”I don't think there's any danger of that. Sometimes I think the state sent her out there because she'd cause havoc anywhere else.”

>”She's certainly a character. Does Alice.. treat you the way she treats Deputy Blaine?”

>Blaine was the sheriff's husband, about ten years older than you, another native of your home town swept away by the anthro menace

>”No, if anything it's the opposite. Alice is a lot more, let's say focussed than the sheriff. She doesn't need me to remind her how cars work every day.”

>your mom giggles, then stops

>”I'm glad you're still making jokes, anon. Just as a warning, your sister invited Jen over for tomorrow.”

>oh great

>now you'll to only have Alice to deal with, but also Jen

>your ex

>who you split with on very not-amicable terms

>you groan and lift the hand that was pacifying Alice to your face, which gets her attention

>”Mom I really didn't need to know that. You better make sure she isn't up to something.”

>”I know you don't like her, but she's your sister's best friend. She really wants to see the baby and catch up.”

>”Hey, fine, I won't bother her. Just keep her away from me and Alice, okay?”

>”I'll do my best.”

>”Thanks, mom. Look me and Alice need to go get the car packed. I'll send you a text when we're leaving tomorrow, okay?”

>”Okay hun. See you soon!”

>after a few more pleasantries you hang up

>”What was all that about? Also keep rubbing.” asks Alice, propping herself up on an elbow

>you dutifully run your hands through her chest fluff once more

>”My sister has invited my ex-girlfriend to the party tomorrow.”

>Alice frowns

>”If she knows what's good for her she'll stay away from you. I'll kill her.”

>you don't doubt it

>later in the day, the sun is setting

>You and Alice have packed the car and got everything sorted for heading out tomorrow

>you are currently sitting in the living room checking the route on your phone since you'll be navigating for Alice

>the lady herself is currently upstairs in the spare room

>you frown

>you don't know what she's up to

>which is worrying

>leaving her unsupervised is never a good idea

>you call out to her

>"One minute anon I'll be right down!"

>You hear what sounds like furniture moving

>you go back to your phone and save the route, then go to check the latest on the news feeds for roadworks

>You barely hear Alice come down the stairs before she's taken you by the hand

>"I've got a surprise for you."

>you look up to find her wearing a deep navy dress that clings to her body

>Her fur is also much more groomed than usual, and she seems to be wearing some kind of cologne

>she's gorgeous

>"I'm feeling a little underdressed here," you joke, pulling on your baggy hoodie and sweatpants

>With a wordless smile she pulls you to your feet and leads you towards the stairs

>her tail swishes up against your face

>"Since I've been working all those late shifts we haven't had a chance for a romantic dinner in a while"

>She gets to the top of the stairs and holds the door to the spare room for you

>You enter into an unsettling scene

>the unused furniture and other miscellany that normally occupies the space has been moved against the back wall and covered with a red silk curtain, as has the big window that normally overlooks the road outside

>The only source of light is coming from a candle sitting on a dainty cafe table, with two metal dining chairs pulled up to it

>Sitting on the table are two glasses, a bottle of red wine and a couple of small plates, along with a black jewellery box

>Fucking hell

>You turn to Alice

>"Is this the part where you put me in a snuff film? I appreciate the effort Alice but this looks like something out of Twin Peaks."

>Alice rolls her eyes and grabs you by the hand again, dragging you to the table

>"Honestly anon you wound me. The only snuff film I'll be making is when I put your ex on Liveleak tomorrow"

>"Sit yourself down and I'll go get the food, okay?"

>As you pull a chair out and sit down, you try and have a closer look at the black box, only for Alice to snatch it away

>"No peeking, that's for later. I'll be right back, okay?"

>You grumble out an "okay" as she quickly leaves the room, closing the door behind you

>you can already tell nothing good is going to come of this

>you look around the room for any clue as to what Alice has got planned

>all the while some part of you is waiting in gleeful anticipation

>you remember sitting paralysed on her lap the day you met

>Utterly defenceless

>you shudder at the memory

>Alice is lucky she figured you out, if you had been an actual special help case you'd have had a heart attack by now

>your ruminations are interrupted as the devil herself strides into the room, carrying two bowls over to the table

>She's made you both a chicken pasta salad, with a nice spicy dressing and before long you're both digging in, eating away in the half-light of the horror room

>"I'd originally planned to get steaks and do this the day before I went back to work, but since we're going to see your folks I thought I'd just bring it forward."

>You finish your mouthful and with a frown, ask her what "this" is

>for once Alice seems slightly hesitant

>"Well, it's, I think it's about time we consummated our marriage, darling." She says, softly

>"Alice, I'm pretty sure l am well and truly consummated at this point," you laugh. "You've made sure of that."

>"I know, I know, but its not just about sex, or marking you. I know humans have ceremonies and rituals for marriage, well, this is a bit like that. Don't worry about anything, just enjoy your food, okay?"

>"You haven't dosed the wine again, have you?" You say, half joking.

>"No, no, I'll need you wide awake for this, darling." She gives you a worryingly sincere smile and pours you a glass of wine

>Once the food's finished the two of you sit and finish off the bottle, taking in each others company

>Alice, lit demonically by the flickering candle, is watching you with a smile while sipping away at her drink

>Once she's finished it she sets her glass down and reveals the black box from earlier

>she puts it on the table

>"I know I'm not a "normal" woman, even by anthro standards, anon. I know I don't show my affections the way “normal” women do. I know I scare you sometimes."

>She places a hand on the box

>"But I want you to know I really appreciate how kind you've been to me. How patient. You've indulged me more than I deserve."

>"And that's why I want you to have this."

>Alice opens the box

>inside there's a black leather collar, with a small golden clasp at the front

>and a hook for a lead, you notice

>you pick it up and feel it in your hands

>it's really soft

>and the metal looks to be actual gold

>"Alice...", You really don't know what to say.

>"There's an inscription on the inside."

>you turn it over

>For my dearest anon

>you are my lifeline, my guiding star

>Inescapably yours

>Alice

>"Do you like it?"

>it's a collar

>like you would put on a dog

>despite everything Alice and you had done, this...

>"It's... It's really nice, Alice."

>Alice squeezes your hand, and smiles earnestly at you

>”Can you try it on for me?”

>you look at the thing

>its just like a wedding ring, you tell yourself

>you've let her do worse than put a bit of leather around your neck

>but it still felt like this would be a point of no return

>even though your rational mind knew that point had passed long ago

>you look back at Alice

>she's still smiling, her eyes glinting in the light of the candle flame

>god she's so pretty

>think of how happy it'll make her

>you unhook the clasp

>lift it to your neck

>and put it on

>it's not uncomfortable

>the soft leather doesn't dig into your neck, and it's not too tight or loose

>you fasten the clasp and look back to Alice

>”It fits pretty well,” you say, which gets her beaming

>”I measured your neck while you were sleeping. Do you like it?”

>You reach up and touch the thing

>”I've never worn a collar before, Alice. I don't know.”

>She leans over and takes your hands in hers

>”I get it. I'm not unaware of what it looks like. I just want you to know that I'm...”

>She looks away, her voice cracking.

>when she turns back, her eyes have tears in them

>you've never seen Alice cry before

>”I want you to know that I'm all in, Anon. I want nothing more than for us to be happy together. I want you to have something on you at all times to remind you of that.”

>God now you're tearing up

>”Alice...”

>”I know I'm a sadist. I know I hurt you. It's who I am. But I want you to always know that I love you.”

>she's speaking quickly and earnestly, almost stumbling over her words

>”I've always known that, Alice.”

>She looks up at you

>”And I appreciate this,” you pull a hand free to point to the collar. "It must mean a lot to you."

>"Just don't take it off, okay?”

>she sounds so earnest

>”I won't. I promise.”

>Alice sighs, rubbing her face as the tension leaves her body

>”That's... that's good. You can't imagine how much that means to me, Anon.”

>she comes closer, and presses her mouth against yours

>you respond in kind as she moves to sit herself on your lap, straddling you

>you can't help but feel the heat from between her legs through her dress as she leans into you

>to keep kissing you at this awkward angle Alice tilts your head back and draws you in deeper, pushing her big, rough tongue into your mouth

>you submit to this with a shudder as the sensations begin to overwhelm you

>the heat, taste and feel of her pushing you down into your chair with her weight

>Alice's hand moves down to your new collar

>there's just the slightest amount of give in it, enough for her to pull on it to drag you away from her

>the two of you separate, a line of drool momentarily connecting you before severing as you cough and pant

>Alice lets out a little “heheheh” laugh as she watches you sucking in air, your face flushed with stimulation

>”Anon, can I just say something?”

>you make a “go ahead” gesture, still not quite ready to speak

>”You are everything I hoped for and more, you know that? You precious little thing.”

>”I could do anything to you and you'd just take it in stride. Like this.”

>she reaches behind her and you see a flash of metal heading for your throat

>you go to flinch but she's still holding your collar so you can't move

>there's a clicking noise

>Alice pulls away to reveal the lead now attached to your collar

>”There. Look at you now, my sweet. What do you think of this?”

>you look up at your wife, backlit by candle light, smug satisfaction radiating off of her

>you return a wry smile

>”I think you enjoy this a bit too much.”

>that gets a trademark toothy grin

>”Guilty as charged.”

>with that Alice hops to her feet and heads towards the door

>she yanks on the lead, nearly tipping you onto the floor

>”Come on, it's bed time. You've got a job to do.”

>you follow her out of the murder room and back across the landing

>Alice keeps the lead almost taut to keep you close behind her

>as you go into the bedroom, you are hit by the smell of scented candles

>Alice has set the scene in here too, though thankfully has avoided the twilight zone aesthetic

>just a few small candles placed tactically around the room and a nice red throw over the bed

>Alice effortlessly disrobes, keeping a hand on your lead at all times, before sitting down on the bed and tugging you over

>”Clothes off.”

>you obey, unzipping your hoodie and pulling off your pants and kicking them away, followed by your underwear

>you shiver slightly as your body is exposed to the air

>now naked, you let Alice pull you closer

>and closer

>until you're right up against her

>between her legs

>you can smell her now, stronger than usual

>the scent of Alice

>you can feel the heat of her thighs on your legs

>she looks down at your cock, which is getting harder by the second as your body reacts to her

>she reaches down with her free hand and runs it over your genitals, letting out a contented hum

>her paw rubs over your cock, teasing the sensitive tip before moving down to cup your balls

>the overstimulation makes you involuntarily thrust into her hand with a groan

>she yanks you back on the lead, wagging a clawed finger, her smile growing wider

>”Now now, anon. Do as you are told. There's some things I need to go over with you first. Stay still. ”

>she brings her groping hand back up and starts gently pumping your cock

>”I made you dinner and bought you that nice new collar, didn't I? I just want what's owed to me in return.”

>she keeps pumping away without even looking at her hand, her eyes boring into yours

>she keeps up that stare as she leans in

>”I want you to put a baby in me. Now.” She whispers forcefully.

>the pumping gets faster

>”No pills, no condoms, no bullshit. You are going to fuck me as hard as you can, anon. Until I tell you to stop.”

>”Alice, h-hang on...”

>”And if you don't...” Alice grins, “I'm going to start putting marks on you. Marks that'll scare your parents, and more importantly, hurt like hell.”

>”But I suppose you wouldn't mind the pain, would you. I've heard the way you moan, the way you twitch when my claws sink in, when I press my teeth against your throat. You love it, don't you?”

>you blush and squirm under her gaze

>”I asked you a question, husband.” She asks with a mock serious tone, still pumping away with her other hand

>”Y-yes Alice, I love it, please I want to, to oh fuck nnhh-”

>Alice runs her other hand down your side, pressing her thumb hard against your ribs, the claw nearly breaking the skin

>you bow your head, gritting your teeth in agony

>”Aha...” Alice licks her lips, “see that's exactly what I like. You must like it too, since you're leaking all over my hand. I think it's time we get started, yes?”

>Alice pulls her hand away from your cock, leaving it sore and needy

>she starts pulling you in with the lead

>the feeling of her sex pressing against the very tip of you nearly kills you, leaving you in another kind of pain

>”Fuck me, anon.”

>you oblige

>you slam into her as hard as you can, desperately chasing the pleasure she'd held back from you

>it feels so good, her burning hot cunt almost sucking on you with need

>you keep pounding away as Alice yanks you in with the lead before ditching it and just grabbing you by the throat

>she pulls herself up off the bed and into your arms

>”Ah, ah, god yes anon, that's it, harder, HARDER YOU FUCKING SLAVE!”

>shit she's choking you

>and not haha horny choking, she's really going for it

>you're going to just have to push through

>you hold her tight and start truly jackhammering her, the wet slapping sound of flesh on flesh echoing around the room

>you still can't breathe

>Alice is just pressing her face against yours, too lost to even bother properly kissing you

>”You, ah, you get it, right anon? No one else can love you like me. Certainly not some skinny cunt. Bet she never did anything like this for you, huh?”

>no, she never asphyxiated you while slobbering all over your face

>but she never made you this hard either

>you keep pounding Alice's poor pussy

>you feel the grip on your throat begin to loosen ever so slightly

>”Anon, I'm, fuck I'm getting close. Don't stop. T-that's an order, okay?”

>Alice's mouth is hanging open, her brow furrowed, her eyes almost closed

>you hope she doesn't reflexively crush your windpipe when she cums

>only one way to find out

>Alice starts to make guttural, animal noises

>keep at it

>her grip falters

>she slumps and falls onto you

>her head laying on your shoulder, her arms wrapped round your back

>and her legs locking tightly around your waist

>really tightly

>that's when she loses herself

>Alice's sex starts clenching and shaking as a rush of hot liquid runs over your cock and pelvis and down your legs

>while she lets out a roar that turns into a sobbing scream, her claws digging deep into your shoulders

>you feel droplets of blood running down your back

>her legs nearly crack your ribs as she mutters into your ear an unintelligible mess of

>”I love you”

>”I want your babies”

>”Don't ever let go”

>”you're mine”

>all this sends you to the edge as well, as you suck air back through your recently cleared airway

>”Alice, Alice, oh fuck Alice I-”

>you have one of those mental images that is unique to the mind during orgasm

>you watch as a german heavy tank is shot through the lower glacis with a big fat shaped charge shell

>the shell bursts on impact and spurts a hot, sticky jet of liquid heat into the tank's interior

>that's how it feels, your cock nearly exploding as you blast Alice's insides with rope after rope of cum

>you shoot so hard it almost hurts, grunting like an ape as you breed your darling wife, your master

>there's nothing else in the world but the two of you

>you keep thrusting for a little longer before the combined exhaustion of both of you drags you over on your side

>at least you manage to land on the bed

>you lie there, utterly spent, as Alice begins to regain her composure

>”h-holy shit, anon”

>you let out a whimper in response

>Alice pulls her paws from your tenderised shoulders and rubs them on her face, staining her fur with your blood

>she licks more off of her fingers with a worrying amount of enthusiasm

>She looks back to you with a wicked little smile, looking for all the world like some nightmare demon in the dim candle glow

>”Y-you know I think it's a good idea you packed those turtlenecks now, hubby. Think I got carried away a bit, hehehe. Let's get a picture, c'mere.”

>she picks up the lead again and pulls you over, kissing your cheek while holding up your phone

>the resulting picture looks more like "exhibit number 41 for the prosecution" than a wedding snap, with Alice's face and hands covered in blood, some of which is now back on your face (and in your mouth)

>she's smiling like a woman who just got well and truly fucked

>while you look like you've just run a marathon then got into a fight at the finish line

>worth it

>the next morning, both of you are a bit worse for wear, nursing lumps and bumps even after a good long gropey kissy shower

>Alice has kept the Yoko Onno sunglasses but ditched the dress, instead wearing a comfy pair of mom jeans and a wooly sweater

>you're wearing one of your high necked long sleeved shirts and a pair of chinos

>you wordlessly hand Alice a travel mug full of coffee, getting a sore throated “thanks honey” in return

>as she hobbles down to the car with legs like John Wayne, you take a spare key over to next door

>Jimmy might be insufferably chirpy but you'd trust him enough to keep an eye on the house while you and Alice were gone

>you knock on the door and within 30 seconds he's there

>wearing a pair of hyena themed slippers

>blasts of some death grips remix his yeen wife is making on soundcloud rattle through your battered body

>”Eyy anon, you guys heading off on a trip?”

>”Yeah Jimmy, heading out to see my folks. We'll be gone a couple of days, you okay to keep an eye on the place?”

>”Sure thing, bud. Off seeing the family eh? That'll be fun.”

>”You seen yours much recently?”

>he laughs

>”Nah, mine disowned me when I tried to introduce Yoona to them over the phone. Their loss, I say.”

>he doesn't seem all that bothered

>”Say, you and Alice were having a fun time last night.”

>you cringe internally

>of course he heard

>Jimmy gives you an elbow dig that's meant to be some kind of “haha good on you boyo” thing but just hits one of the sore spots on your side from where Alice squeezed you with her legs

>”Didn't know you were into the slave stuff, though, had you pegged for more of the “Doctor and patient” type thing.”

>if you weren't a vaguely human bag of bruises you'd have headbutted him

>instead you make the barest attempt at pleasantries, hand him the key and stagger off to the car to join Alice

>”Have a good trip neighborino! Best of luck!”

>fuck you Jimmy

Chapter 4

###

>still groggy, you and Alice make your way to the highway and start heading out of the city

>the sun has only just risen, and casts the world in a bronze light

>"Anon, I've been meaning to ask you something"

>"Yeah?"

>"Why did you come to the city? Why did you leave home and come to a place full of anthros when you were afraid of being assigned?"

>"Well I-"

>"Apart from the obvious answer that you were just playing hard to get and wanted someone to bite you"

>you roll your eyes

>"It's complicated, Alice. Being out in the boonies, there isn't much in the way of work that doesn't involve working in a shop or a farm. My choice was either to head out into the Reservations and work on the pipelines, or go to university in the city"

>"And you chose the city?"

>You shake your head

>"I didn't choose. I didn't give a shit about anything, really. I was quite happy to just dick about and work a shitty job, get drunk at the weekends and hang out with Jen."

>”That wasn't what she wanted, though. Nor my parents. After a couple of years Jen started bitching about me being a deadbeat, not having a “real job” like what her brother or some of the guys in our year at school were off doing. She wanted me to go work on the rez and make enough money for us to move out there and raise a family. I didn't really see a point. The rez is a shithole. Telling Jen that pissed her off to no end.”

>Alice nods, taking it in as she navigates through traffic

>”What about your parents?”

>”My dad wanted me to go to university since I got decent grades, but my mom was terrified I'd get assigned or worse. Between all that push and pull I just found it easier to do fuck all and keep working retail.”

>”Kind of like what you ended up doing before you met me, then.”

>you laugh bitterly

>”Yeah, I guess. At least that's resolved itself, huh? Now instead of a deadbeat I'm a house-husband. Can't wait to see how that goes down with my parents.”

>Alice frowns a little

>”You don't have to be a house-husband, Anon. If...”

>she looks a little uncomfortable

>”You can get a job if you want to, Anon. You've got that degree, after all. And if I end up pregnant I won't be working these ungodly shifts ever again.”

>you shift in your seat

>”So uh, you were serious about the whole baby thing.”

>a smile comes back across her face, and a big yellow eye looks askance at you.

>”I'm always serious, babe. You should know that by now.”

>”Besides, if you start working and I'm at home, maybe I can be the one waiting up for you for a change.”

>you scoff in mock indignation

>”Bah, and have you making the coffee? Preposterous.”

>By this point you're reaching the outskirts of the city, where the highway straightens up and shoots off towards the horizon

>The urban sprawl slowly turns to satellite towns and rolling acres of farmland.

>”So what made you decide, then? Why did you end up in the city?”

>you grimace, dredging up unhappy memories

>”Me and Jen had a big fight one night over at her place. She started going off on one about the rez and how good it'd be out there and how we wouldn't need to deal with the State anymore. I had already had an earful from my parents earlier in the day about work or money, I can't remember, and I just wasn't in the mood to hear her talk garbage.”

>“I just started taking the piss out of her.”

>“I asked her what the State did to us, out in some podunk middle of nowhere town. That got her started on about the Sheriff and Deputy Blaine, how she's a fascist and he's a race traitor, how its scary we have to live under “enemy occupation” yada yada yada. I just started laughing at her.”

>”I think my exact wording was 'Didn't realise you were fucking scared of Shaggy and Scooby Doo.' That didn't go down well, so she started saying I was a loser and not good enough for her, I responded and things only got worse from there.”

>”By the end of the night we'd well and truly burnt all our bridges. I took all my shit over to my parents' house, and was pissed off enough at everything that I decided to just get out of dodge."

>The next morning I told my family I was going to the city for university ASAP, which just caused chaos. My mom nearly had a breakdown. I hopped on the next 12 hour bus and didn't speak to my parents for almost a year.”

>”That sounds like a rough time, Anon.”

>”Tell me about it. Anyway after that you probably know the rest from my file. I spent my years at uni juggling studying and dodging assignment, which was miserable. Then I went straight into shitty nightshift jobs until...”

>“Until you met me.”

>”Pretty much.”

>You lean back, rubbing your face with your hand

>”Sorry to drop the heavy stuff on you, Alice. There shouldn't be any problems, like I said, I'm on better terms with my parents now than back then.”

>Alice just smiles back lopsidedly, exposing some of her teeth

>”Don't worry about me, anon. Even if this trip doesn't go according to plan there's at least two upsides.”

>”One, I'm not working, thank god.”

>”And two, I'm with you. My adorable little hubbyman. Show me your collar, hun.”

>”O-okay,” you stutter out before pulling down the neck of your shirt to reveal the black collar around your throat

>As well as some bruising from last night's antics

>Alice purrs

>”Good boy. ”

>you blush, feeling the thrill of that simple phrase run through you

>Alice's smile widens as she soaks in your embarassment

>showing more of her teeth, her eyes glimmering with devilry

>before yawning, and leaning over to flip the radio on

>click

>”I'm telling you the Daxy are real and the (((reptiles))) are their agents! Buy my water filt-”

>click

>”This whole state business was a bad idea. Do you know how much money we spend on kee-”

>Alice groans

>”Fucking talk radio. It's like having my mother in stereo surround.”

>she clicks through another few

>smooth dance music starts pumping out of the speakers

>”That's better.”

>Alice yawns again and settles herself back into the seat for the long drive ahead

>”You might want to get a couple of hours sleep, anon. I'll wake you up if I need to take a break, okay?”

>You nod, having caught a contagious yawn yourself. Having left so early in the morning meant you would get to your parents just before sundown, but it also meant you had had a pretty shoddy sleep after the midnight acrobatics you'd been performing.

>”Just wake me up whenever, babe.”

>You are awoken by a nudge

>”Hey, we're just about to cross the sector line.”

>you sit up and peer out of the window

>it's early afternoon, the sun still poking through a blanket of clouds

>there's an odd sign coming up at the side of the road

>an old and semi rusted

>YOU ARE NOW ENTERING THE STATE OF -

>covered with a much newer and shinier

>Welcome to Sector NH-8

>”We're making good time,” you groan, stretching your arms and yawning

>”I've never driven this far inland before,” Alice says, looking around with curiosity briefly overcoming her obvious tiredness

>you're not really sure what there is to be curious about

>it's still the same endless flat plains of farm and ranch land

>”You wanna take a break?”

>She nods

>”Yeah I'm starting to feel it, where's the next stop?”

>you look at the route on your phone

>”About another hour on this road”

>Alice makes a despairing “uhhhhhhhh” sound, scrunching her face up in pain

>”I've been driving in a straight line for six hours already. I didn't know you were born in the boredom dimension.”

>”Hey, this is what it's like out here. It's not like back on the coast where there's a shop every mile. The next place is a truckstop just over the line into the NH-8-N Subdivision.”

>Alice narrows her eyes into a squint, the overburdened machinery in her head turning over

>”That's where your hometown is, right?”

>”Yeah, that's our code.”

>”So we're almost there.”

>”Yeah, like two hours.”

>” Awwwwww, Just shoot me already. I need some industrial strength caffeine to survive this for any longer.”

>”You know I have a license, right? I can take over for the last stretch.”

>”Not a chance. I'm not letting a strip of tarmac defeat me. You can drive the way home, this one's mine.”

>Now she's at the point she's having a feud with inanimate pieces of the landscape

>great

>eventually you reach the truckstop

>Alice drops you off at the entrance to the store/diner while she goes to get fuel and park the car

>your marching orders: coffee and donuts

>you head into the store, holding the door for a couple of truly exhausted looking truckers clutching 6packs of energy drinks and fast food

>you're quite glad you're not in their shoes

>must have driven all the way from the rez

>the inside of the store gives you flashbacks

>you'd worked here for a year or so

>though you'd always done night shift

>at the time this place had been the furthest you'd ever been from home

>being back here now feels weird

>the same shelves, the same terrifying hotdog machine

>the same canned music

>it's pretty surreal

>you enter the refrigerated aisle, where you grab a big case of lager for you and your dad

>you have a look for some wine for Alice

>but she'd probably be sick if you made her drink the crap they sell here

>so you decide to get her a bottle of rum instead

>Black Bitch was actually pretty good, despite being the designated el cheapo brand

>you pick up the bottle, printed with artwork of a coal-black dog anthro in piratical attire winking at the beholder, with a cutlass in one hand and a red-coated sailor slung over her shoulder

>with the drink situation sorted, you get a pack of frosted donuts and head up to the counter, where a young human woman probably not a year out of school is counting out the cash from the register

>she looks dead inside, and you can sympathise

>you order a couple of coffees and grab a table for you and Alice

>the place is empty, which isn't that weird for during the day time

>due to the way the truck timetables line up, this place gets a lot busier in the evening and during the night

>before long Alice comes to join you, and the two of you tuck into the confectionery

>”You get booze alright?” Alice asks, eyeing the cashier with something like suspicion

>”Yeah, no wine though, unless you want to drink it out of a box.”

>”Not a chance, anon darling,” She scoffs, putting on a fake posh accent, “I'd never be caught dead drinking such plebeian rotgut.”

>”So I got you some Black Bitch instead.”

>”Oh you shouldn't have! You know how to treat a lady.” She purrs theatrically, before the two of you descend into sniggering

>For a while after that you just sit in contented silence munching donuts and slurping down the (pretty mediocre) coffee

>then you hear the rattling of a motorcycle engine

>the noise vibrates through the building before petering out violently somewhere round front

>the way it dies suddenly triggers a twang deep in your memory

>no way, it cou-

>the door flies open, and in strides 5ft6 of danger

>her aviators are perched on top of her prodigious snout, her short blonde coat broken up by a wrinkled scar that crosses her furrowed brow

>she's wearing a blue motorcycle coat with a gleaming golden star pinned to her (large) breast, and linked up to her shoulder epaulettes with a piece of white military braid

>a belt festooned with holsters, radios and other kit holds up a pair of black tactical trousers

>and on her feet a pair of incredibly well-worn doggy combat boots

>Sheriff Sally Macarthur takes two steps into the diner, sniffs a couple of times, before turning to look straight at you like a whip

>the sunglasses are pushed up onto her forehead, revealing her ice-blue eyes, as a grin splits her face

>”Ho-lee shit.”

>before you or Alice can say a word she's crossed the room and is slapping you on the back and squeezing you into a bonebreaking hug, rubbing your hair and mushing your face into her (very generous) bust

>”HAHAHAHA, eyy it's my boy! How you doin man!?”

>”What, you get sick of the big city and come crawling back out to this dump?!”

>”H-hey sheriff, pretty good, this is Ali-”

>in an instant she's around the other side of the table and staring down Alice, who is returning a withering glare

>even sitting down, Alice looks down on her

>the sheriff doesn't seem to care

>”God, you look like a right piece of work, lady. You got some kind of problem?”

>”You're getting pretty handsy with my husband, ma'am.”

>”Anon's like one of my boys, miss. I'm just being friendly, is all. Don't want any trouble. Name's Sally.”

>a paw is thrust out to shake

>the staring contest doesn't stop as Alice leaves the sheriff hanging for a long drawn out moment

>then stands up

>Sally coolly tracks the tiger as she rises up to her full height

>looming about 2 feet above her

>Sally still proffers her hand, completely unbothered by this posturing, her eyes gleaming with “try it, bitch”

>Alice's face is unreadable, besides a slight tightening around the eyes

>you probably need to say something before you end up as collateral damage in a shitty truckstop brawl

>before you can open your mouth though, Alice reaches out and takes the offered hand

>”Alice. Pleased t-”

>she's then yanked violently up and down as the sheriff enthusiastically shakes her hand back with the force she normally uses to burst open cars

>”Great to meet you Alice, you better be looking after my boy in that shitheap of a city of yours! ”

>the sheriff is grinning, while Alice is barely able to keep herself standing as she's yanked about

>the smell of cannabis vape oil then enters the room, shortly followed by a tall, rake thin guy in similar cop gear to the sheriff, wearing a motorcycle helmet

>”Hey Blaine! Look who I found! It's fucking anon!”

>Blaine pops his helmet off and comes over, his gaunt face and stubble framing his stoner's hooded eyes and sardonic smirk

>”Hey man, how you been? Finally got yourself caught, eh?” He says, leaning in for a fistbump before sucking down another dose from his e-pen

>”Not bad Blaine, and yeah. I'm officially a ward of the state now, thanks to Alice here.”

>said warden is currently settling after being shaken like a martini and has scooched over to let the sheriff sit down at the table

>”Yeah,” says Sally, nodding her head, “We got an alert on the station computer a few months ago, saw you'd been snagged for special assignment. Did you try and bomb the local DMV or something?”

>”Anon just got stuck in a rut and needed some help, is all,” Alice interjects, “a nudge in the right direction.”

>”What my beloved is saying is that I was a bum.”

>”Well that's a given, man. You were always a bum.” says Blaine with a grin as he sits down opposite his wife

>”Thanks, asshole,” you smile back, flipping him the bird

>being here reminds you a bit of being a teenager again, doing dumb shit with your friends, hanging out in front of the emptied out retail park on the weekends getting drunk, going to “self defense” classes that were really just an excuse to watch the sheriff's tits bounce around while she beat the shit out of sandbags

>”And what made you so qualified to take on this dangerous indvidual, miss Alice?” asks Sally, “I got my Blaine the old fashioned way, did you have to go and stake out his apartment or something, grab him in an alley?”

>”First of all it's Doctor, not miss, and god no, I got assigned to anon by the DMV after he got flagged, like a normal person.”

>Some part of your psyche tuts in indignation. Alice and “normal person” don't belong in the same sentence.

>”God, romance is dead,” sighs the sheriff, shaking her head, “Back in my day-”

>Blaine coughs and makes a “gimme” gesture with his hand

>the sheriff stops, catches herself and starts muttering curses under her breath, grumpily pulling out a crumpled banknote and shoving it into Blaine's hand.

>he takes great pleasure in rolling it up and sticking it in his shirt pocket

>he's still wearing his gloves, you notice

>”Thanks babe. Remember, every time you start with the old timer bullshit I'm taking another 5 bucks. You're 37, not 73.”

>”Asshole,” she growls, “Anyway if I'm paying out I'm getting my moneys worth. Back in my day you had to actually grab a skinny for yourself, not wait on some lottery. Takes the fun out of it, eh Blaine?”

>”Yeah,” he says between puffs from his e-cig, deadpan, “I had a great time freezing my nuts off in the snow, shellshocked, with your gun in the small of my back.”

>”Oh don't be a big baby, we had a great time. You've still got my coat.”

>“It's a very nice coat.”

>the sheriff turns to Alice

>”So is that really how you got him? Sign here, pick him up at some depressing office and away you go?”

>she shakes her head

>”You kids have it so easy,” she says before another exaggerated cough from Blaine gets her growling and hunting for cash again.

>”Hey I'll have you know I worked hard to get anon, madam,” Alice says, affronted. “I had to study his file, make a personality profile, work out contingencies for if he had special care requirements, get an estimate of his bodyweight for the sedatives, sell his ho-”

>”Woah woah woah, roll it back there. Sedatives? You sedated him?” The sheriff asks, incredulous.

>you look at Alice, trying to will her by telepathy into not going any further

>the idea of her telling _this _story to your highschool sex symbol and her dopehead husband is already killing you

>but when you look into her eyes all you can see is the flame of pride

>Alice please

>”Well, I knew that anon would be anxious, maybe even scared,” she says like she's describing a treatment for some addict in her ward, “I had to make sure he didn't do anything reckless. So when he came home with me I slipped something in his drink to calm him down.”

>you nearly spit out your coffee

>”Calm me down? I turned into a rubber mannequin for a whole hour!”

>”Oh come on it wasn't that bad. Anyway I then held anon in my lap while the sedatives took effect and made the time to go over his case file with him.”

>”And my internet history.”

>Blaine is buckling with silent laughter at this point

>”Fucking hell anon, I'd rather die.”

>thanks asshole

>”Once anon had relaxed and the dose had taken full effect we had a great time. Didn't we, darling?”

>she locks eyes with you again, grinning

>the unspoken message being 'do you want me to start going into details?'

>”Uh, Yeah, yeah we had a wonderful time.”

>”So you like, actually date raped him? What the fuck, woman, you're nuts.” The sheriff is now also sniggering, shaking her head.

>”Yeah, then she gave me this.” You yank the collar on your shirt aside to show the bite scar on the nape of your neck

>and your collar

>Sally leans over and examines the mark

>”Jeez that's gnarly. Nice collar, though, must have cost a pretty penny.”

>”I only buy the best for my man.”

>”Better than the one you got me. Wasn't that an actual dog collar?” Asks Blaine, mock jealousy in his voice

>”That collar was perfectly serviceable, mister. And I bought you a new one anyway.”

>”Pretty sure the new one's a dog collar, too. It has 'K9' on it.”

>”Honestly you are the least grateful man alive, Blaine.”

>”Oh I'm grateful every day, lovey. Grateful that I get to look after your special needs, like being unable to drive a car without-”

>”You little rebel shit, if you keep bringing that up...”

>as the two of them descend into what is either bickering or flirting you feel a hand clasp yours

>You look up to see Alice leaning in again

>”Anon...”

>”I'm sorry if I embarrassed you there. I just didn't like the way she was belittling what we've been through.”

>”Yeah that was pretty painful,” you say with a rueful smile. “I get it Alice, and I don't really care if it's the sheriff and Blaine, God knows I embarassed myself worse out here when I was younger.

>”But please for the love of god don't do that when we're with my parents, okay? I think I'd actually just die.”

>she winks at you

>”Can't be having that, can we?”

>You're suddenly startled when the sheriff slams the table with both hands.

>”Fuck! Blaine I almost forgot, you need to show anon that video.”

>”Oh yeah. Anon you need to see this. Me and Sal are movie stars now, on Jen's youtube channel.”

>”Fuck, what's she up to now?” you groan

>”Just wait, I'm pulling it up.”

>Blaine turns his phone to show you and Alice

>on the screen a logo pops up

>a short segment of the star-spangled banner plays while the acronym CASE rolls down the screen

>Citizens Against State Encroachment

>the video cuts to mobile footage from within a car, pulled over at the side of the road

>a female voice begins narrating

>”This is Jen Waters, CASE reporter. I've been illegally stopped by occupation forces and I'm recording this for my safety.”

>the video pans to track a short figure swaggering over to the car

>clearly the sheriff

>”The approaching officer is Subcommander Macarthur, State Security, formerly of the 16th Assault Division of the State Marines.”

>”Oorah.” says Sally on reflex, pumping the air

>”As you can see the occupying forces are continuing to use military personnel from extermination units as law enforcement in the territory they have stolen. This is in contravention of treaties 17, 4B, the accords signed in-”

>while she rambles on about legislation, Blaine cuts in

>”Didn't know you were in an extermination unit, Sally.”

>”Yeah neither did I. Glad someone figured it out,” the sheriff turns to you, “she's gone totally nuts this time, anon. Full blown Rezzie. If she turns up to-“

>”Here's the good part.”

>you return your attention to see Sally motioning to Jen to roll down the car window.

>”As you can see I'm being coerced under threat of lethal force to allow access to my vehicle.”

>as the window rolls down suddenly Sally's long face is in the camera

>sniff

>snorf

>most of the camera is taken up by the dog's nose and snout

>”Hey Jen! Is this for your youtube thingy? That's cool! Hello crazies! Sheriff Macarthur here! Hang on just let me, fucking thing...”

>she's having trouble fitting her boobs through the window

>Blaine's killing himself laughing

>”That's a false rank, you are NOT the elected sheriff. You are in violation of-”

>”Yeah yeah, gimme a sec, jeez-”

>there's an audible 'thwump' as Sally's bust finally squeezes through, letting her lean over and pull the keys out of the ignition

>”There we go. We need to talk, Jen.”

>”Hey! You're stealing my keys! I don't consent to this!”

>”Sweetie, you're driving on Rez plates again. We told you about this before. I don't really care, it's just every time Blaine scans them our systems go nuts and we have to stop an alert getting sent to central command. Like I said last time you need to get them changed or they'll tell me to thermite your car.”

>Sally's nose bumps off the camera again as she wriggles back out

>”This is rightful land of the Western Reservation, and you have no jurisdiction over these territories, Subcommander. I protest at your theft of my keys and demand to speak to your commanding officer.”

>”Jen, my CO would just tell me to burn the car with you in it. And she'd only be half joking.”

>by this point Blaine has joined the sheriff

>"Hey Jen, wha-"

>”As you can see the state and it's race-traitor thralls continue to threaten citizens with lethal force for trying to exercise their god-given rights. A formal complaint will be made regarding violations of-”

>Blaine shuts the video off

>”So as you can see she's batshit, guys. If she shows up at the party then keep your wits about you. She'll probably have some half-baked scheme up her ass.”

>”Seems like a charmer,” says Alice, her face writ with contempt.

>you shake your head

>”I didn't think she would get this bad. Why doesn't she just move out to the Rez if she hates it here so much?”

>She thinks she's on the Rez already, anon. These screwballs have convinced themselves that the state took this subsector illegally. You can find them ranting about it online.” Blaine pulls up a playlist of about a hundred videos of various grifters and nuts talking about 'stolen land'.

>Sally nods, rubbing her brow

>”It's making our job harder, too. You know I don't like busting balls out here, anon. I live and let live for the most part, let people do what they want.”

>”The problem comes if people like Jen start taking liberties. There's only so much I can do to keep the state happy. Remember when I used to do visits to the school?”

>”Yeah of course I do, was the best slot on the timetable.”

>and probably where you got your (then repressed) attraction to dangerous fuzzy women

>”You were a teacher?” Alice asks incredulously.

>”Well I did PhysEd whenever the actual guy was on holiday, but nah, I used to get orders from on high to run 'counter-resistance' in the local community, whatever that means.”

>”So instead of taking peoples' guns, handing out those pathetic flyers the DMV kept sending me or scaring the shit out of the whole town by putting up the Overwatch mast, I would visit the school every week and just shoot the shit with the kids, tell stories, get them out of class for an hour or two.”

>”I remember you got into trouble for showing us combat footage.”

>”Pff yeah that was just your pussy teachers. The only person getting shot in that video was me.”

>the four of you chat away for a while, chatting about the past and how things have been

>even Alice, despite her initial frosty reception, warms up as Sally's easy-going nature rubs off on her

>before long the two are swapping A&E/LEO stories

>as it crosses into the inevitable “look at all these pics of my hubby isn't he wonderful” phase, complete with giggles, oohs and aahs, Blaine nudges you in the ribs and heads outside

>”C'mon anon, gimme a hand with the Chariot, I need to pump the tyres up again and drown the engine in oil. State can afford to send us caseless sabot rifles and that scary-ass mast but won't pay for a new motorbike.”

>you go to follow him, and just in time too

>Sally's showing Alice a video on her phone

>”Who's your mommy, huh? You fucking rebel slu-”

>you exit in a hurry before you hear anything else

_>_you find Blaine round the front tending to the motorcycle of Theseus

>the Chariot had been fixed, broken and fixed again more times than you could remember

>Blaine has the tyres hooked up to the gas station's air compressor, while he examines the engine with a torch

>he looks up to see you coming over

>”hey man, just keep an eye on the pressure gauge, I should be able to get the rest of this fixed.”

>”You needed me out here to watch a gauge?”

>”Nah, but it gives us a chance to talk without them hearing. How you holding up?”

>”What, with the total upheaval of my life? Going about as well as can be expected.”

>he nods, popping off a cover plate and looking into the guts of the engine

>”Is she treating you alright? Be honest”

>”Alice and I are doing fine. I...”

>”I don't think I could go back to living without her.”

>he looks up at you

>”I know what you mean, but you need to be careful. When you're in that deep, you can justify anything they do to you.”

>you bristle at that

>”I've not got Stockholm syndrome, Blaine.”

>”Sure you do. We all do. It's the reason we can laugh and joke about getting forced into this life.”

>he stands up

>”Sally's my everything. She's the only reason I'm still alive, anon. But she's also the reason I've got nerve damage in both my hands and have to suck on this thing every day to deal with chronic pain.” he holds up the e-cig before taking a puff

>”They are crazy. They love us, but they are dangerous, man. Never forget that, and keep your wits about you.”

>He smirks

>”And make sure she doesn't bankrupt you buying animal merch.”

>you laugh, thankful for the segue away from the sobering reality of life

>”God, I thought I was the only one who noticed. They buy anything, don't they? You should see this mug she makes me drink out of. It's hideous.”

>”Sally ordered a 'Dangerous Dog Unit' police jacket from Britain and I don't think she really understands what it means. And don't get me started on the pun t-shirts, those are awful.”

>he pulls open his jacket to reveal a black shirt inscribed with

>I FOUGHT THE DOG AND

>THE DOG WON

>”Fuck, I've managed to keep Alice away from those.”

>”It's only a matter of time, man, your wardrobe is gonna get filled with garbage. It's one of those laws of the universe.”

>with the Chariot (more or less) fixed, said threats to life and wallet come over to join you

>”Anon, we'd better get a move on, it's gonna be sundown soon,” says Alice. Sally nods, yawning,

>”Yeah, me and Blaine are off shift soon. We'll be over tomorrow for the party at some point, come make sure you guys aren't all getting slowly killed by one of Jen's woogy-boogy bullshit lectures.”

>”Please do, would be a coinflip between me topping myself or Alice causing an international incident.”

>with a triumphant, rattling rip, the bike springs to life, with Blaine driving while the sheriff rides bitch

>”Have a good one guys! Alice send me the details on those drugs okay, you've got my number!”

>they speed off back up the highway, leaving you and Alice alone

>she hoists up the case of lager and hands you the bag with the rest of the shopping in it

>”C'mon, anon, we're almost there.”

>You and Alice get back on the highway just as the sky begins to turn orange, the sun not far from the horizon

>after about thirty minutes you begin seeing signs of habitation

>a few farmhouses and and cowsheds

>then the sign

>WELCOME TO JEDBURGH

>POPULATION 4000

>”Well Alice, here we are. Home sweet home.”

>the town proper is clustered around a crossroads, with the grocery store, the sporting goods shop and the local church dominating

>then a few rows of terraced housing leading down each spur of the junction

>the conspicuous blued-steel brick that houses the sheriff and mayor's office is the only building that looks younger than fifty years old

>most here are probably older

>Alice looks about with genuine interest at the rustic surrounds

>”It's so weird being out here when I've lived in the cities for most of my life. It's like stepping into another world.”

>she's also looking at the residents

>the streets are pretty quiet given the time of day but there's still quite a few people about

>all humans of course

>a few of whom are looking back at her with bewilderment

>”It's like one of those old movies...”

>”next left, hun,” you say, shaking her out of her culture shock

>”Oh, sure.”

>the road takes you away from the town centre

>then a left down a dirt track

>until you're sat out in front of a familiar wooden gate

>sat on the other side of the gate at the end of a packed dirt drive is a big old house clad in wooden panelling, painted in a pastel, seaweed green

>Home

>you exhale and open the passenger door

>no time like the present

>”I'll get the gate open, okay? Just bring the car up to the house and stick it in the left.”

>”Sure.”

>you close the door and start pulling out the deadbolt on the gate, before pushing the whole thing inwards as the lock disengages

>Alice drives the car past you and down the drive

>you follow, taking in the weird feeling of deja vu

>the place has barely changed

>as the car goes round the side of the house the lights come on in the front hall

>here we go

>the door swings open and an older man in flannels and faded blue jeans comes out

>he gives you a wave and a grin

>your dad is a bit greyer and a bit slower than you remember, but he's still got a gleam in his eye and wax in his moustache

>He comes down the steps from the porch and grabs you in a hug

>"It's good to have you home, anon. Hope the journey didn't treat you too badly."

>"It wasn't too bad. Helps that I wasn't the one driving."

>You gesture behind you, as Alice climbs out of the car

>"Dad, this is Alice."

>He looks her up and down as she saunters up from the car

>"Hello sir," she says with a small smile, "it's great to meet you."

>you would swear that for the first time since you'd met her she's at least than 110% confidence

>there's a bit of a pause

>your dad frowns a little

>"Good lord miss, what are they feeding you kids these days?"

>"At this rate the grandkids aren't going to fit through doors!"

>as you nearly swallow your tongue he reaches out and hugs a similarly surprised Alice

>"It's great to meet you too, Alice. Don't worry about any of that “sir” shit you can just call me Bob. Hope anon hasn't been giving you any trouble."

>"No, anon's a good b- uh he's great, I mean. He's the only thing keeping me sane with work the way it is."

>Your dad nods

>"My cousin was a doctor, he ended up looking twice his age by the time he retired."

>He elbows you

>"You better make sure she doesn't end up going grey and losing her stripes, son. Hehe."

>he claps his hands together and thumbs toward the house

>"Well you kids better get your stuff unpacked, get yourselves settled. Mae and the little ones are over at Jen's tonight, so you'll be spared the craziness of the last few days."

>"What, from the kids or from Jen?"

>he gives you a knowing wink and wry smile

>”No comment.”

>"Is mom here?"

>"Yeah she's through in the kitchen, got the radio on so I don't think she heard me yell on her."

>"Say anon why don't you go get her while me and the young lady unpack the car. It'll be a great surprise for her."

>"Sure."

>Good man. Then we can get a fire going and crack open some beers, eh?”

>you head up onto the porch and open the front door

>as soon as it's open an inch a brown streak escapes at startling speed

>Champ the 2nd, the most mongrel ass mystery meat dog this side of the Rockies, runs two circles around you

>then body checks you in the leg

>"Hey buddy, long time no see! How you doing?"

>You reach down to pet him and he immediately rolls over like an overcooked sausage

>you rub his belly as he pants and growls, gone loopy with excitement

>"You better have been keeping that mean old sheriff out of the house, boy. You're way tougher than she is, ain't you?"

>Champ growls at the mention of his nemesis

>then nearly has a heart attack as Alice shows up

>"Aww, who's a good little puppy, huh?"

>the looming tiger starts rubbing his belly with her huge clawed hand

>The poor dog looks at you pleadingly

>anon what the fuck is this thing

>it's going to eat me

>a hooked finger goes under his collar to read his nametag

>”Champ, huh? You must be a good boy to get a collar like this, right anon?”

>Alice grins at you

>you and Champ share a look of quiet understanding

>yeah man I sympathise

>”You'd better go help my dad, Alice. Otherwise he'll try and empty the whole car by himself.”

>the two of you look to see your dad circling the car, examining it

>he looks back over to you and, smiling, jerks a thumb back at the big green beast

>”Well at least they're paying you enough to buy yourself a fancy German car, miss. This thing must be a nightmare to park in the city!”

>Alice jogs over to join him, Champ sheepishly following

>”Yeah it's a bit big but you try finding a compact car someone my height can fit in! The amount of times I've nearly gotten into fistfights with parking wardens...”

>”Glad to see it's not got any better since I was last down at the coast, they'll overcharge you for anything! I swear...”

>as Alice opens the trunk the two of them start unloading the cases while happily complaining about the mundane annoyances of city life

>seeing that they're getting on alright helps draw a bit of the tension out of your shoulders

>one down

>you're standing in the hallway of your parents house for the first time in years

>the decorations and furniture are more or less the same

>it's an odd feeling

>this place had always felt like home in a way that your apartment in the city had never done

>until you moved in with Alice you had thought the ache in your heart was just part of leaving home

>you smile as you see the same old family portraits, taken before you left for the city

>your parents, your sister and you, taken at barbecues, parties or on holiday

>there's also a framed picture of Champ the 1st, mother of the current family dog

>god rest her soul

>you are broken from your reverie by the sound of music coming from an open door

>you head through the memory-haunted halls to the back of the house, into the kitchen

>your mother is cleaning a set of glasses while singing along to a country song on the radio

>she's clearly stopped dying her hair, as it's now shot through with grey

>”Hi mom.”

>she jumps out of her skin in surprise, before spinning round

>her face goes from shock to joy as she sees you standing in the doorway

>”Oh my god, Anon!,” She yells as she runs to grab you in a hug

>”We weren't expecting you for a couple of hours!”

>”Dad said he shouted on you, but doubt you heard him with that racket playing.”

>you gesture to the radio, which is still warbling out some heartrending ballad about a truck, a wife, or a truckwife

>”Gosh, yeah I must have gotten carried away. Where is your dad?”

>”He's out front helping Alice unload the car.”

>your mom shrinks a little

>”Oh. Will they be, uh, alright?”

>you roll your eyes

>”Come on mom, she's eaten in the last six hours. The worst she's gonna do is carry Champ up into a tree so she can munch on him in peace.”

>your mom smacks your arm as you snigger

>”That's not funny anon.”

>”Like I told you mom, she's lovely. I promise you'll like her, okay? Just, y'know, don't make eye contact or she might think you're challenging her.”

>you get another smack, but a rueful smile appears in your mom's eyes

>”You're such an ass, anon. You inherited that from your dad.”

>”Shame I didn't get his facial hair. You coming out?”

>Sure, sure. I made sandwiches earlier, can you give me a hand taking them out?”

>by the time you and your mother get out to the front of the house, you and Alice's cases have been taken up to the porch

>the beer case has been opened

>and Alice is swinging an axe around

>your dad is standing with a bottle in his hand correcting her form as she tries her hand at splitting logs

>Champ is hiding behind his legs

>with a hefty THWUNK and a shower of splinters, she succeeds in pulverising a chunk of wood into several smaller ones

>as she sees you coming over she shoulders the axe and gives you a wave

>your dad turns and wanders over

>”Hope you don't mind anon but I helped myself to your fancy import lager, and thought I'd see if Alice here has a future as a tree surgeon, heheh.”

>”I have never done this before in my life.” Alice says happily, before detonating another log with a heaving overhead swing and chuffing with pride

>”Well at some point technique gives way to power, I'll give you that.” he examines the remains of the logs

>”though I might need to take over if we want something that'll burn a bit longer than kindling.”

>he begins humming, stroking his chin

>your mom groans

>”Or maybe you can put the beer down and give me a hand with these sandwiches.”

>”Oh, sure thing darlin', where do you want them?” your dad takes the platter from your mom's hands and immediately begins eating one of the sandwiches

>”Just put them over by the fire, you pest, then give me a hand getting out the chairs.”

>”Yes ma'am,” he says while calmly munching away

>which leaves you and Alice with your mom

>”Umm, hello dear.” Your mother says awkwardly, “Help yourself to the food, okay?”

>”Sure, thank you ma'am, listen-”

>there's a crash from one of the garages

>”Oh hell, I'd better make sure he doesn't bring the house down digging those chairs out.”

>with that, your mom heads off at speed, leaving you and Alice alone

>the tiger wraps an arm around you and squeezes

>”Everything okay, hun? Your dad seems pretty cool.”

>”Yeah, he's got a way of getting on peoples' good sides. My mom should calm down once everything's settled. Hopefully.”

>you sigh

>Alice just smiles

>”Hey, like I said, hun, don't worry about me. Any time I'm with you and not at work is by definition a good time.”

>not too long after you're all sat down eating sandwiches around a cozy fire just in time for the sun to start falling below the horizon

>you've got yourself a beer and are listening to your dad tell one of his banal work stories

>Alice meanwhile is trying her best to talk to your mom, which seems to still be tough going

>it's not that she's actively trying to be rude or anything, she just seems a bit intimidated

>which isn't entirely unexpected given what Alice is like

>your dad's story veers onto griping about some new State tax he's having to pay for machinery parts

>he gestures to Alice

>”Say, Alice, you work for the state, right?”

>she responds with a shrug

>”Kind of? The hospital is part of local government but I'm not a state officer or anything. Why?”

>”Well I'm getting charged some kind of surplus on ball bearings on my invoices, something like a TDD tax or something?”

>”Oh god, if we're talking taxes I'll need a drink.”

>she reaches into her bag and pulls out the bottle of Black Bitch, pouring a glass

>you catch her eye and nod your head over at your mom

>”Oh, hey ma'am would you like a drink?” Alice shakes the bottle

>”Umm, yeah sure, okay.” Your mom sheepishly takes the glass of rum while Alice pours another for herself

>”So anyway, you're probably getting hit with the Texas Disaster Relief levy. State has been charging the hospital the same thing for some of our machinery. Basically they want people to buy stuff from Texas to help them get their economy back up and running, with anything out of state getting hit with a levy that goes into the relief fund.

>”Well that explains it at least but what a pain in the ass! I'd have to look for alternate suppliers for all kinds of stuff!”

>”Oh I know, please don't get me started on the State, you should ask anon about all the crap we've had to deal with at the DMV over the last six months.”

>you cringe slightly

>you were hoping to introduce that topic a bit more gently

>”The DMV?” your mom asks, looking at you “Why, are they trying to take your driving license or something?”

>”No, mom, the DMV you're thinking of got absorbed ages ago. They gave all the offices to the Department for Marriage. They barely even bothered taking the old signs off so people still call it the DMV. Plus the queues are even worse.”

>your little attempt at humour doesn't seem to have reassured your mother any

>she's drank her whole Alice-sized measure of rum and is still looking a bit shaken

>”Oh. So you've been having problems with the ones that, um...”

>”The department that assigned us together, yeah.” Alice finishes for her.

>She pours another drink for herself and offers another

>”How does that work, if you don't mind me asking? How come you ended up with my anon?” Your mom asks as she proffers her glass to Alice, getting another decent double measure of rum

>”What, assignment?” Alice shrugs “It's pretty widespread at this point, don't you have it out here?”

>you butt in

>”remember Alice you've met the Sheriff, she's the only anthro out here. There's no one to get assigned to.”

>Champ snarls from under your dad's chair until he is placated with his third sandwich of the evening

>”Yeah, fair enough I guess. Assignment is basically a lottery. Anthro female goes to the DMV, gets a ticket, and gets put in a queue for god knows long until a man is found for her.”

>”What about the man, anon you didn't put yourself in this lottery thing did you?”

>Alice interrupts before you can say anything

>”Ha, no. In subsectors that have a substantial population of single females any unmarried man is automatically signed up to the system. And that's basically all subsectors.”

>”What? Y-you got my anon in a lottery? Without him having a choice?”

>your mom is looking less anxious and more furious at this point

>oh fuck

>”Hey come on dear we're all friends, alright,” your dad interjects “You knew all this already.”

>”Yeah, mom, remember what I said on the phone? Everything's good.”

>”Good!? Listen to what she said! They just take you like you're an object! Can-”

>before your mom can continue, Alice cuts in

>”Listen, I'm sorry if I came off a bit callous there. It's just such a normal part of life for us that I didn't really think before I spoke.”

>she gives you a look before continuing

>”If it makes you feel any better I didn't get anon from the normal system. Because of my job I got to pick, and I chose your son. It's my job to look after him.”

>she reaches a hand over to squeeze yours

>”and he's not an object, he's my husband, and I care about him a lot.”

>after that uncharacteristic burst of people skills Alice pours herself another rum and drags her chair closer to yours

>your mom just sighs before finishing the rest of her drink

>”Yeah, guess I'm just getting myself worked up. I just worry about you anon, that's all. I hate having you so far away. And I've had Jen whispering in my ear for the last few days.”

>you groan

>”You can't listen to her mom, she's gone nuts. Why is she even coming tomorrow?”

>your mom shakes her head

>”Your sister wants her to be godmother for the baby.”

>”Oh great. Does Jack know about this?”

>Jack was your sister's long term boyfriend, who was always off in the depths of the rez working on pipelines

>”No idea. I'll ask her when she comes back with the kids tomorrow.”

>after a sigh your mom shifts her chair around the fire, closer to you and your wife and offers out her glass

>”So what kind of doctor are you, Alice?” she asks, “What's it like working at the hospital?”

>back on familiar ground, Alice pours another two rums and winds up for a good old bitching session

>”Well, I did medical with a side of psych for my PhD, and I work in A&E at the moment, so mostly I stitch idiots and yeens back together every day for hour after hour...”

>after another couple of hours mostly devoid of awkwardness, chatting away about the travails of work and life, things are going about as well as can be expected

>everyone's had quite a few at this point and your mom seems to have calmed down

>”Hey, Bob, show Alice the picture of anon and Champ getting pulled out of the swamp,” she giggles

>”Oh yeah, I nearly forgot about that!”

>oh no

>Alice, who is starting to feel the effects of a several hundred mile drive and half a bottle of rum, roars like an idiot when shown one of the most embarrassing moments of your childhood

>the picture has 13 year old you and Champ I both getting hauled out of a pit by a much younger looking Sally MacArthur with her usual grin on her face, looking like the winner of a wet t-shirt contest

>the dog had jumped in and got stuck, then you'd went in after her, followed by fucking GI Jane

>All three of you are absolutely covered in horrid black muck

>apart from where your shorts have been pulled off by a branch on the way out of the hole

>so your pale, naked ass is in center frame

>”No fucking way! Oh, poor anon,” Alice grumbles before nuzzling into your neck, still sniggering under her breath

>your dad just grins while you want to sink through the earth

>”I was gonna go in and get him but Sally just dove straight in! I thought we'd lost her as well! She's a nutball, but god bless her heart.”

>”I met her and her man earlier on, yeah she seems like a handful. Maybe two handfuls, eh anon?” Alice makes a squeezing gesture on her chest before collapsing into another laughing fit

>”Alice you're terrible. You can't say that,” you try and keep a straight face but end up joining in

>the two of you sit there buckling with laughter

>it's not even that funny

>Champ, incensed with not only the mention of his archenemy but the lack of attention being paid to him, starts barking until your dad pours the rest of his beer into one of the now empty sandwich dishes and lets the dog lick it up

>after recovering from her fit, Alice looks over at you with a worryingly familiar mischief in her eyes

>”hey anon, maybe we should show off some of our pictures, huh?”

>she licks her lips and smiles her toothy smile

>absolutely fucking not

>”WOW I'm beat, come on Alice I think it's bed time.”

>you drunkenly leap to your feet and drag your semi-ragdolled tiger wife to hers as well

>she promptly collapses onto your shoulders, purring and rubbing your face with hers

>”Mom, Dad, that was great, thanks again, We'll see you in the morning, okay!”

>”Have a good night's sleep guys! Anon you're in your old room, I'll get you up for breakfast!” your mom yells over as you make a break for it

>”Please don't do that again, I nearly had a heart attack.” you say, holding Alice up as you ascend the porch steps

>”Y'know I-I wasss just kidding, right hubbywubby?” Alice drunkenly whispers into your ear while you navigate her through your house “Thooosse picturess are mine, babe. Forever. Cos I lub you. Don't you ebber forgedd it.”

>being very drunk is starting to turn her Finnish

>by pure muscle memory you make your way through the dark house and into your old room, not even bothering to turn the lights on before crashing out on your bed

>if tomorrow went as well as tonight, maybe this trip wouldn't be too stressful after all

Chapter 5

###

>you are awoken by the sound of crows outside your window

>You open your eyes to the pastel blue colours of your childhood bedroom

>still laid out as you left it

>it's a weird experience, being here

>for a brief moment it feels like you've been transported back in time

>until you realise there's something huge and fluffy taking up 90% of your single bed

>and you're in danger of losing the last 10%

>Alice groans and stretches again, clearly still asleep

>you nearly fall as her limbs splay out in different directions, pushing you over the edge

>before she grabs you, and drags you into an instinctual embrace

>"hmmm.... anon..." she grumbles in her sleep

>you try and wriggle free of her grip but this tiger isn't for budging

>she growls, her big stripey face crunching up as the vibrations run through you

>"Fuck off mom, you can't have my teddy. He's mine, mine...."

>still muttering, she nuzzles into your neck before sighing and falling still again, resting her chin on the top of your head

>you're trapped in her grip, your face squished against her fluffy chest

>Not the worst place to be

>But you do need to get a move on

>”Alice?” you say while struggling to wriggle out of her tightening grip

>”Hmmm?” she purrs, still half asleep

>”Lemme go so I can get up, babe.”

>her eyes blearily open and lock onto you

>she goes to speak, then screws her eyes back shut and groans

>”Uhhh, fuckin' hell, anon. I feel like shit. I don't wanna get up.”

>she draws the covers over her head while you shake your head

>”3 quarters of a bottle of Black Bitch will do that to you, dumbass. Let me up so I can get you something to drink.”

>with a petulant growl, she ejects you from her embrace (and on to the floor) and curls up in the fetal position, a coccoon of blankets around her

>she looks comical, like a huge orange faced caterpillar with a pair of fluffy paws sticking out the bottom of the duvet and over the end of your bed

>you head downstairs, drawn to the smell of frying bacon

>you aren't feeling the best yourself

>but hopefully a good breakfast will make it better

>you enter the kitchen to find your father looking out the wide kitchen windows into the back yard

>he's whistling away while he flips thick cuts of streaky bacon that are sizzling away in a pan

>he turns to you with a wry smile

>”Knew this would get you up. How you feeling, bud?”

>”Not too awful, dad. Alice on the other hand might need a bit. Where's mom?”

>”She's just went out to bring the laundry in off the line. Gimme a minute and I'll make some coffee.”

>”I'll do that, don't worry,” you say, heading over to grab the kettle. “I've become a natural over the last few months. You wouldn't believe how much of this stuff Alice drinks.”

>”Heh, got you domesticated already, eh?”

>you feel a slight pang of guilt

>you're still hiding the collar and your various Alice related scars under your shirt

>you'll have to let the cat out of the bag at some point

>but instead of doing that right now, you just shake your head and chuckle

>”You don't know the half of it.”

>while your dad finishes frying the bacon, some mushrooms and hash browns, you make your way back up the stairs with Alice's coffee.

>you open the door to find she has ditched the coccoon aesthetic and is now just lying spread-eagled on the bed, contemplating the ceiling of your bedroom

>your blankets have been launched across the room

>”You good?” you ask her

>her big eyes refocus and settle on you

>”Bring me the beverage, my love,” she croaks out, reaching out with one arm as if from her death bed

>you hand her the mug and she takes it in both hands, cradling it as if it were the holy grail

>she blows over the top and starts sipping away at it

>seems to be making her feel a little better

>”you want anything else? Water or something?”

>she gives you a toothy smile and spreads her legs

>”Think the only thing better than this coffee would be a good morning smooch down below.”

>you roll your eyes

>”You are vile, madam. Breakfast is almost ready, come down when you're feeling up to it.”

>sitting in the kitchen, you and your dad sip away at your own coffees

>after your dad has added about half a ladle of sugar to his

>you can almost taste it from across the table

>No sign of your mom yet

>After looking around in a conspiratorial fashion, he asks you the question

>”While the lady friends are away, how are you doing, son?”

>the same question Blaine asked you at the gas station

>you shrug

>”To be honest dad, I'm doing pretty good all things considering. Part of me is still a bit uncomfortable with how it all started, the whole assignment thing.”

>you take another swig of your coffee

>”But on the other hand, I, well I love her. There's not much more to it than that. She'd do anything for me.”

>your dad looks out the window, before turning back to you

>”When you went to get your mom last night, she told me you were the best thing that had ever happened to her.”

>he cracks a smile as you blush

>”Thing is, the way she grabbed me by the shoulder and said that I thought she was going to tell me I had three weeks to live. Is she always so intense?”

>you groan

>”Yeah you'll have to get used to that, I don't think she has an off switch. Alice is either 0 or 100%, I kind of feel sorry for the poor sods she gets for patients.”

>your dad snickers a little, before going serious again

>”Anon, can I ask you a question between just the two of us?”

>” And look, whatever you tell me, I won't tell your mom anything, alright? It's just we hear all these horror stories from Jen, or the Rez media stations, you know?”

>he looks you in the eyes

>”Are you safe with her?”

>you take a second, having to prevent yourself from rubbing the shoulder Alice had bitten you on

>the scars she had given you

>”She, she treats me nice, dad. I feel safe with her.”

>not really an answer to what he was asking, but he takes it well enough

>he nods, and waits until you start drinking your coffee

>”So... are you, uh...”

>you look up from your mug as he tries to find the words

>”Y'know. do you know her, in the biblical sense?”

>you nearly spit your coffee out, and he bursts into laughter as you start coughing

>”You are a dick, old man. You did that on purpose,” you sputter out, unable to keep yourself from smiling

>”What? It's a simple question, ain't it? If you can't answer it maybe I'll just ask her?”

>”Jesus Christ don't even joke about that. Yes, okay? We 'know' each other.”

>He throws his hands out

>”See was it that difficult?”

>you shake your head

>a vision of Alice producing one of her horror-show DMV reports for your mom to read appears in your head

>”I'm deadly serious. Don't ask her, don't let Mom ask her. If she starts talking about it at the party I'll shove a burger down her throat.”

>your dad is killing himself laughing at this point

>after that near miss you go back to drinking your coffee

>before long your mom comes in from the garden and sits down, while your dad portions out the food up at the counter

>”Heya son. Just had a call from your sister, her, Jen and the kids are ready to get picked up.”

>you frown

>”Why can't Jen drive them over?”

>”Cos Blaine seized her car a couple of days ago, after she made that video going after him and the Sheriff.”

>”Oh well, such a shame. Couldn't have happened to a nicer person.”

>your mom tuts

>”Oh don't be so petty anon. Now I need to go ferry them all back over here.”

>”Whatever. As long as I don't need to talk to her.”

>You hear creaking from the top of the stairs

>you turn to see Alice come down, looking considerably fresher and more alive than when you'd given her the coffee

>she gives a lazy wave

>”Morning guys. That food smells divine.”

>before long your dad has dished out the various fried brown items from the pan and everyone is tucking in

>Champ is under the table and the little dog is bothering everyone for scraps

>”What are you guys planning on getting up to today, then?” your mom asks, “The party isn't starting til the evening, y'know.”

>you're about to reply when Alice cuts in on your behalf

>”I'd really like to see the town centre, what about you, honey?” She leans over and runs a paw through your hair

>”Yeah that sound good to me. We definitely need to go to the diner on Juniper Cross if that's still open. They do all kinds of really good ice cream.”

>Alice turns back to your parents

>”Well there you go, sorted!”

>as you finish the rest of your food, Alice, having inhaled her portion in record time, fills the time by talking

>mostly normal stuff, asking questions about the local area, the party tonight, things like that.

>a couple of times you have to steer her away from going too deep on state stuff or complaining about “the noisy neighbours”

>you don't want to have to explain Jimmy and his yeen-related noise complaints to your parents

>you also notice, slightly worryingly, that your mom is getting more and more annoyed

>it's almost imperceptible but every time Alice makes a casual comment about how it's okay that you don't have a job because you're a man

>or does some normal Alice display of affection like patting your head or rubbing her cheek against your face

>or smiling that toothy grin

>every time she does one of these things you can tell it's winding your mother up more and more

>seems like despite the patching work done last night their relationship might still be a bit fraught

>need to keep that in mind for later

>and don't let her see the collar

>Alice seems oblivious to the tension, but your dad thankfully isn't

>”Say, if you guys are heading into town, could you do me a favour and take some doodads I've been working on with you?”

>”Sure thing,” you interject, “Who's got you working now?”

>”Ach, just Fergus over at the antiques store, I fixed his sander for him a couple of days ago. That and Sally gave me some burnt out fan for a computer thing in the police station. I managed to get a replacement, but I'm just working off what she gave me so I don't know if it'll do whatever she wants it to do.”

>”Yeah sure, we can stop in there. Fergus loves fleecing tourists so Alice will no doubt buy whatever crap he's selling.”

>”I just have an eye for aesthetics, unlike someone I know.”

>yeah

>and a pathological need to buy anything with a tiger on it

>you decide to walk back in to town, rather than drive

>mostly to take advantage of the weather but Alice is still feeling a little groggy from last night

>she's got her red Yoko Onno sunglasses on again, and with a fleece lined bomber jacket and tight jeans looks all the femme fatale you could ever want

>helps that the sunglasses mask the bags under her eyes

>at least she seems to be enjoying the fresh air, stopping now and then to watch the endless miles of crops and grazing land twist and wave in the wind

>it's something you'd gotten used to in your childhood but Alice seemed enraptured by the wide open spaces

>it's definitely night and day compared to the city

>As you are walking down the path, a question comes to you

>"Alice?"

>"Yeah?"

>"What are your parents like?"

>she stops

>"My parents? Hell..."

>"They're back in the old country. I don't really talk to them much. Haven't for a while."

>"Did you have a falling out or something?"

>"Not really, it's just," she thinks hard for a second, "Look I was the third of four sisters. As soon as I told my mother I wasn't going to hang around waiting to be some male's third wife she lost interest in me.”

>she sets her face rather grimly as she recalls old arguments

>”She was hoping to marry me and my sisters off to sons of her "friends" in high society, and I wanted to be a doctor."

>”With the imbalance between male and female births being as big as it is, it causes all kinds of strains on our family relationships. I wrote a paper on it at med school.”

>"And what about your dad?"

>Alice snorts derisively

>"Have you met an anthro male? He barely even knew my name. I was the third daughter of his second wife. We weren't close."

>there's real venom in her voice

>"Anyway, the State offers free tuition for emigres from the homeland. As soon as I could I got the hell out of there."

>She stops and leans on a fencepost at the side of the road, gazing out across the farmland, before turning back to you

>"I call my mother roughly once a year. We get on decently enough but honestly it's like talking to an alien species. The way they live over there is just incompatible with me."

>"Have you told her about us?"

>she tenses up again, before shrugging

>"I did. She said that it was good I had a pet to keep me company but that she still wanted me to come home and marry one of my cousins. I hung up on her."

>she smiles, shaking her head

>"Like I said. Alien.”

>The two of you come to the end of the dirt road and back on to one of the main streets headed back into town

>There's a proper sidewalk now at least

>you pass a few outlying houses before getting into Jedburgh proper

>first destination would be the antique shop

>a few pedestrians gawk at Alice as she saunters along the street, her arm locked in yours

>part of you feels a little self-conscious

>you're pretty sure you recognised one or two of those people

>but whatever, you tell yourself

>it's your own damn business

>"O'Neill's home supplies and antiques" had been in town for a very long time

>Longer than even your dad could remember

>The shop takes up the ground floor of one of the tenements that line the main street of town

>Alice stops to peer through the big shop windows

>Inside, a variety of vintage furniture, knick-knacks and clothing are on display

>"Wow, some of this stuff looks really old. Like, pre-State old" Alice says

>"You go have a look around, I just need to hand over this sander for my dad then I'll join you."

>you head inside

>"Well well if it ain't the man of the hour," says Fergus, proprietor of the store, as he leans over the counter, a grin on his face

>the older man still has his red hair, despite not being much younger than your father

>"What have I done this time?" you ask, reaching out to shake his hand

>"Hell, boy, you're the talk of the town! People saw you come driving in in a big nazi car with some huge furball!”

>”Yeah, said huge furball is going through all the crap in your clothing racks just now so I'd treat her nice if I were you.”

>”Oh don't worry about me, I cater to any kind of customer. Does she, uh, like the usual?”

>”what do you mean?”

>”Tacky garbage. We had a whole tourist bus full of pandas come through town last year, they bought so much black and white crap I paid off the last of my mortgage. If I was a younger man I'd start a business in the cities, you'd make a fortune selling that stuff.”

>dread runs down your spine

>”Please Fergus, don't tell me you've got racks of that shit lying about.”

>he laughs

>”God the look on your face. That bad, huh? Nah don't worry the stock's all gone, only other customer for that kind of thing is our Sally. I usually get Deputy Beanpole come slinking round here a couple of days before her birthday every year.”

>you nearly have time to relax before you hear an odd sound

>”hehe, heheheheeheh”

>it then degenerates into deranged snickering

>it's coming from the forest of clothing racks that makes up much of the store

>you place the bag with the sander on the counter

>”Uh, yeah my dad gave me this for you, man. I'd better, uh, go check on Alice.”

>you find her amidst the jungle racks of vintage clothes and bins full of hand-me-downs

>she's crouched over something, facing away from you

>you think that if you wished to torture the jungle metaphor further, it's almost like she's leaning over some slain prey animal

>there's what looks to be a framed picture or painting wrapped in a polythene bag behind her

>she's still snickering, but her ears twitch as she hears you approach

>”Oh, hey sweetie.”

>”Did I ever tell you about my teddy, the one I had when I was growing up?”

>this is going places

>”Uh, no, no you didn't babe.”

>”Well, when I was a little girl I had a stuffed white tiger that my auntie got me to help me sleep better. He went everywhere with me. Unfortunately my bitch whore mother threw him out one day, and I've never slept right since.”

>no parental problems there, no sir

>”I thought your sleep problems came from overcaffeination and working horrible hours.”

>”No I'm afraid you're wrong,” she says like she's patiently talking to a child, “It's all because I don't have my teddy.”

>you roll your eyes

>might as well play along

>”Okay, so, you found one in this place?”

>she snickers again

>”Oh no, I found something better.”

>she stands and turns to reveal the item she'd been examining, a big grin on her face

>it's a fluffy white onesie with black stripes, and a pair of floppy cat ears on the hood

>”Now you can be my teddy! Isn't this the cutest thing ever?”

>”Oh, yeah, haha. Great.”

>your feigned enthusiasm doesn't fool her

>she looks up at you with a frown

>”You're not getting a choice in this, mister.”

>after that exchange, you follow her about as she does her rounds

>happily humming away as she browses the shop's collection of knick-knacks and curios

>as her tail swishes back and forth

>at least from behind you're getting a nice view of her in her tight-fitting jeans

>you have to hold in the urge to squeeze her chunky, toned thighs

>eventually she's satisfied that she's got everything she needs and you head back up to the counter

“So I'll take the onesie for my hubby and this little painting here.”

>”No problem miss, did you see anything for yourself?”

>Alice motions to her figure with an embarassed smile

>”Not really, your stock is lovely but I don't think you've got anything in my size.”

>thank god for that

>Fergus turns to you

>”Hey anon, did your dad say anything about the ventilation unit he was fixing up for Bobby from the supermarket? The guy was in here today and asked me if I knew anything about it.”

>”Not a clue, Fergus. Hang on I'll phone my dad...”

>you reach into your jeans

>your phone isn't there

>you pat yourself down checking for it then shake your head

>”Shit I must have left my phone at the house this morning, man. I'll remind the old man when I get home tonight.”

>”No worries, was just in case you'd heard. You two enjoy your day!”

>”Thanks again!” Alice says as she sweeps you out of the store

>back on the street, you are once again conspicuously locked arm in arm with Alice

>”What's next on the list, anon?”

>”Over to Sally's to hand over this component thing, then on to Juniper Cross for some ice cream. I'm serious Alice this stuff is amazing.”

>the sheriff's office couldn't look any more out of place if it tried

>The squat, blued-steel prefab had been dropped off by truck when Sally had taken over as sheriff and was now nestled between two century-old houses

>and perched on top of the building was the ominous form of the Overwatch mast, sitting all curled up like a metal spider

>"You'd think they'd at least paint it," you say to Alice

>"I kind of like it," she says, "It's very austere."

>"So much for that sense of aesthetics of yours. Remind me to take charge of any re-decorating we do."

You press a button on the front door, and it hisses and slides open to let you in like something out of Star Trek

>the front room of the station isn't that different

>sterile white floor and grey walls

>on the right there's a holding cell, currently empty

>you have some unpleasant drunken memories of that cell

>and on the left there's an anachronistic wooden door

>with a colourful paper sign

>SHERIFF SALLY <3

>with a drawing of a yellow dog under it

>plus a bunch of dog treats taped to the paper

>probably made by a kid at the school

>you notice that there's a few bits of tape hanging loose

>someone clearly wanted a snack

>You go to knock

>when you hear an odd, rhythmic sound

>a thumping

>then someone grunting or maybe moaning

>the sound of furniture creaking

>you feel a blush starting to rise up your chheks

>Alice starts to snigger

>"Uh, maybe we should come back later" you whisper to her

>as you try and tiptoe away though, someone shouts through the door

>"Hey is someone there? Come on in we're just in the middle of something"

>You look back at Alice, who shrugs

>Gingerly you open the door

>and find a rather absurd scene

>Blaine is struggling to stand up straight while Sally sits on his shoulders, holding a hammer and a small picture frame

>"God's sake Sally hurry up, I'm going to compress a disc here!"

>Sally sticks her tongue out and squints as she tries to line up the frame and nail it into the wall, up near the join to the ceiling

>Sally goes to swing the hammer, Blaine groaning under the weight

>and misses, hitting her thumb

>"Shit! Oh hey guys, want to give us a hand here?"

>You and Alice enter the room proper

>as you look about the reason for this precarious arrangement becomes obvious

>there is literally no other space

>All the walls of the office are covered in framed pictures, medals and propaganda posters, with the centre of the room dominated by a large wooden desk

>which houses a much-abused State issue government computer, a radio and a plush toy of a golden retriever wearing a cowboy hat

>Alice, being as tall as she is, helps hold the picture frame in place while Sally hammers it into place

>Blaine groans again

>"You okay man?" You ask him

>"Yeah, being a human stepladder is totally how I wanted to spend my day. All cause Great Leader popped out another damn kid."

>Sally frowns and lightly bumps him on the head

>"Don't you talk bad about the chief, mister. And besides, look at this cute lil button!"

>she unhooks the portrait and shows it to you

>you shiver

>the little wolf puppy looks cute, alright

>but the thing holding it...

>barely crammed into a medal-encrusted uniform and standing at least 8 ft tall, the feral looking creature known as Great Leader glares straight into your soul

>Given that this picture was taken after the birth of her seventh child, you'd think she'd be a bit happier

>"She was in the marines you know, even came down to see us in Texas! I got a medal and everything!"

>"Sally, babe, you tell everyone that story. Please put the painting up before I collapse here."

>Sally tuts and puts the painting back where it should be, before Blaine finally gets her off his shoulders, rubbing his neck and sitting down on the edge of the table

>Sally looks at Alice and jabs a thumb at her man

>"Drama queen, eh? Normally loves being between my legs, HAHA!”

>You and Blaine share a weary look before you clear your throat

>"So aside from the many kids of our supreme overlord, what's up with all the pictures and stuff? You guys didn't have this many before I left."

>Sally beams and pulls one of the pictures off the wall

>It's a wide shot of a whole class of kids

>a graduation photo

>Sally is off to one side in full uniform, beaming with pride

>"It's just to remember the kids by, is all. I end up doing more work with the school than actual policing out here. Plus you've got my collection of Purple Hearts, my CBRN medal, the State Star, the combat marriage ribbon... "

>you zone out a little as Sally lists her crayon-eater merit badges, counting them out on her fingers

>apart from the dubious medals a lot of the other stuff is from the local area

>either formal school photographs or pictures of field trips

>all with Sally and groups of kids from the local school

>the remainder are ones of her and Blaine

>On the job or out on holiday in some sunny clime

>Alice straightens the last of the new additions and digs about in her bag

>"Anon's dad gave us this, said you needed spare parts for something."

>she pulls out the strange fan mechanism, covered in oil in its little zippo bag

>"Need is a strong word," says Blaine with a rueful smile, "but yeah, thanks guys. Now Sally will just have to squeeze into the crawlspace upstairs to replace it, if she still fits."

>that earns him another whap on the back of the head

>"Asshole. You couldn't fit in there either, don't see me complaining."

>"Yeah but that's cos I'm too tall, where you're, well, you know, wide."

>before any further domestic violence can occur, you interject

>"What's it even for?"

>"The doomsday weapon on the roof," says Blaine, jerking a thumb towards the ceiling. "The Overwatch mast. One of the clasps is loose and the thing keeps rattling when we send messages to the network. Don't ask me how but that fan thing is what's causing the problem."

>"Yeah it's a pain in the ass. Say, Alice, could you give me a hand with it?”

>Sally leans in with a conspiratorial whisper

>“Can't let the boys see it of course, it's secret State business.”

>”Wouldn't Anon be better? I'm not really a techy person.”

>”Nah, anon can't lift me and all this one does is bitch when I use him as a height enhancer,” she says, giving Blaine a scowl. “I just need a lift up into the crawl space, won't take long.”

>Alice shrugs

>”Sure, I guess.”

>”Attagirl. Means we can gossip without embarassing these two either.”

>They head into the backroom snickering, leaving you and Blaine sitting in the office

>he nods to the eclectic collection covering the walls

>”She's terrible, ain't she. Every year she adds another one. Your year's up there somewhere,” he says, pointing to a section on the top left of the wall behind you. “She puts more effort into the school than she does in doing actual police work, though I guess there isn't much of that out here.”

>”I hear you've been keeping busy though. My mom says you seized Jen's car.”

>Blaine smiles

>”Everyone needs a hobby.” His smile fades. “She's starting to get me worried, anon. I've been keeping an eye on her, and she's been having some, let's say, unusual visitors to her home. People from the Rez. Dangerous people.”

>”Fucking hell.” You shake your head.

>What was she getting herself into?

>you didn't like her, but still...

>”I haven't told Sally anything yet. If she knew then she'd have to report it in, and that would be a full scale shitshow. I don't want that. Texas was bad enough. You see that picture over there?”

>he nods to a smaller portrait sitting amidst holiday snaps and beaming schoolkids

>in it, Sally stood in full battledress, covered in slick black body armour and wielding a futuristic looking submachine gun, her grinning face lit by a green glow spilling from a pair of goggles slung around her neck

>her unit patch, a wolf with a dead rabbit in it's jaws, was prominently on display

>and standing next to her, wrapped in an oversized State army coat, his eyes sunken and his hands bandaged, was a younger and clearly shellshocked Blaine

>”The day we met. She chucked a smoke grenade into the hole I was hiding in, after the HLF got wiped out in Houston.”

>he holds up his scarred hands with a smile

>”I tried to throw it back. Turns out those things get hot.”

> “She came to see me in the POW camp every day after that. I wasn't stupid, I knew what she wanted. At first I wouldn't talk to her. Told her to fuck off a couple of times. But...”

>he rubs his face and sighs

>”There's a point where everything you care about stops mattering, and all you want is to shed your skin and get the hell out of there. I was at that point, and I soon realised she was as well. She promised me she'd take me wherever I wanted.”

>he smirks

>”And I told her I just wanted to go home.”

>”And in return you married her.”

>”Ha, no, I was marrying her whether I liked it or not. In return for getting to come back here I helped her cheat on all her exams to get into the military police.”

>you smirk, before Blaine shook his head and leaned back against the wall.

>you'd heard bits and pieces of this story before, but Blaine seemed a bit more serious than his usual horizontal self

>”Anyway away from that tangent, Texas was the last time the State flexed its muscles, and it wasn't pretty.”

>”And you think Jen's in danger of bringing that here?”

>he nods

>”It always starts like this. If we let the little things go they'll think we're lazy, and that's when they get stupid ideas in their heads.”

>”Great.”

>there's a bang, a clunking noise and then an infrasonic whine that thrums through the whole building

>Blaine shudders at the sound

>”Well at least if we ever need to turn the town into the surface of the moon we have the means to do it.” he says sourly

>Sally and Alice re-emerge from the backroom, still sniggering at some private joke

>Sally stretches and checks the time

>”Well you guys have done your civic duty for the day, that's for sure. Unfortunately we're not at the school or I'd give you both a gold star, just like anon used to like, didn't you buddy?”

>you blush a little and the two anthros descend into giggles again

>after leaving the station, you and Alice head across town towards Juniper Cross, one of the main junctions of the two major roads that cut Jedburgh into four

>the green awning of the old hokey diner is just like you remember from your childhood

> as you head down the road towards it, a young girl pulls on her mother's sleeve and points at you and Alice from across the street

>”Wow mom, look! It's a police lady! Do we have two now?”

>Alice scoffs as the woman shushes the little girl and hurries off

>”Guess this really is another world, huh.” She squeezes your arm. “Hope we don't cause a traffic accident crossing the road.”

>sitting down in one of the green fake leather booths, you hand Alice the menu

> “I'd recommend the pecan toffee, but honestly everything here is good.”

>”Well you're the expert, how about you pick for us?” she smiles tiredly, kneading her brow.

>“Something simple though, babe, I feel like I need to lie down in a dark room after being exposed to Sally for 15 minutes.”

>you laugh

>”Yeah she's really something, isn't she. Sometimes I feel sorry for Blaine, having to deal with her 24/7. She's like a living flashbang grenade.”

>Alice lets out a curt laugh, but seems a little troubled.

>”You okay, Alice?”

>she looks up from her menu, then sighs

>”She's really happy for us, anon. She hugged me so hard I couldn't breathe! She was nearly in tears, and I didn't really know what to say to her.”

>that's a little odd

>”What's up with her?”

>Alice looks out the window

>”Honestly I don't know, but maybe you should have a chat with her before we go home. I think she'd really like that.”

>”Yeah, I guess. Fine, you okay with the pecan? I'm going to have whatever the special is.”

>”Go for it.”

>you come back to the table carrying the rather ambitious “black chocolate cherry” special and Alice's pecan toffee sundae

>your wife has the shopping bag up on the table and is stroking the ears on the hood of the onesie, a wistful look on her face

>you feel a twinge of foreboding, the sort of feeling you imagine most men feel when their anthro partners start increasing their “collections”

>apart from Jimmy next door, of course

>that fucker is probably the one who buys all the hyena crap he wears, the lunatic

>you set the ice creams down on the table, and shake yourself away from your petty hatred of your all-too-saintly next door neighbour

>"Hey, let me see that painting you got at the antique shop."

>"Hmm? Oh yeah this thing. I think it'll go well in the hall back home. Maybe in the bedroom."

>Alice pulls the framed picture out of the bag and flips it round to show you

>It's a painting of a rather smug, chubby looking cat smoking a pipe

>it's a fucking Garfield drawing

>"I think it's your spirit animal, anon. It's all lazy and squishy and-"

>"Alice that's Garfield. You can't put that up in the house."

>"What? Is that the artist's name? Honestly I think it looks just like you."

>you groan

>The fucking mug was bad enough

>You are sure as hell not going to take the chance of making eye contact with Garfield during sex

>"Aww look you're frowning! See?" She looks from you to the picture and back, before holding it up next to you

>"Anon he's literally you."

>she's grinning now

>as always, it's hard to tell how much of her oddness is genuine or just put on to get you to squirm

>"Whatever. I'm not dying on Garfield hill. But it's not going in the bedroom."

>after that brief domestic interlude, you both return to enjoying your ice cream

>Alice is definitely enjoying her sundae, making you slightly jealous

>your chocolate special is a bit rich for your tastes

>so instead you sit and watch in envy as Alice licks every spoonful of delicious toffee goodness

>her big feline tongue lapping at the spoon, every lick getting an “mmm~” as she eats it up

>she catches you looking at her, smirks, and maintains eye contact while she sensuously licks her spoon clean, before digging it into another scoop

>”Something distracting you, babe?” she drawls, before putting the whole spoonful in her mouth, lewdly closing her lips around it and eating the whole thing in one go

>Great, now you're jealous of a bowl of icecream

>the way Alice gets you really is something else

>it's like the flick of a switch

>she'll be a big, fluffy dope, dragging you around like a teddy bear while she marvels at tiger themed dish towels or cereal boxes

>and then she'll do something like this

>sitting there, forcing you to make contact with her big, hooded golden eyes

>her fur glowing in the sunlight, a wicked little smile on her lips

>the barest hint of bared teeth

>it drives you crazy

>”N-no, babe, I'm just ...”

>you can't even find the words

>her smile widens a little more

>”you should let me try some of your ice cream, hun.” She says languidly, her eyes not leaving yours for a second

>”Oh yeah, s-sure!”

>you stick your spoon into the gooey, near-black mass of rich chocolate and cream and scoop up a generous lump to deposit in her bowl

>but that's not what she's after

>she grabs your wrist and pulls the spoon up so you can feed it straight into her mouth

>you're blushing at this point

>but she's not done yet

>you feel something warm press against the crotch of your jeans

>it's her footpaw

>she's somehow managed to discreetly remove one of her shoes and is now rubbing you under the table with her big fluffy paw

>you nearly yelp, as up topside Alice is refusing to break eye contact, slowly licking up chocolate from your spoon, her expression unreadable except for her imperious little smile

>you squirm in your seat, thankful that the diner is old fashioned enough to have tablecloths to cover up what Alice is doing to you

>”Hmm, that's quite nice, isn't it, dear?” she says softly, before taking the whole spoon in her mouth and taking the rest of the dessert in one go

>rub, rub, rub

>you shiver, your face flushed

>”A bit of an acquired taste, though,” she drawls.

>and with that, she's gone, silently slipping her foot back into her shoe and feigning disinterest as she goes back to eating her own food

>”Maybe you should ask nicely and they'll let you finish it later at home.”

>”Y-yeah, haha...”

>by the time the two of you saunter on back home, preparations for the party are already well underway

>as always your dad is up on a ladder doing more manual labour than he should be, hanging up bunting onto the front of the house

>Champ the dog is being eternally helpful by occasionally knocking over things until someone pays him attention

>a whole division of plastic lawn chairs have been marshalled from god knows where and sit around folding tables scattered around the front garden

>you and Alice crunch down the gravel drive in time to see your ten year old nephew come out of the house, carrying one of your dad's bags of tools

>looks like your mom's already done her taxi run

>”Hey guys, you need a hand?” you call out

>"Good to see you guys are back! Thought me and Jack Junior here were going to have to do all this by ourselves!"

>your dad motions to your nephew, his arms full of bunting, then heads back up onto the ladder, wincing and making old man noises

>"Don't you think you should take a break?" You yell up after him

>he waves you off, wiping the sweat from your brow

>”Me and the kid are doing fine, will be done quicker if you stop jawing and give us a hand!”

>the young boy tries to hide behind the toolbag in his hands as you and Alice look at him

>"Hey buddy, the old man got you working?", you say, flashing a smile

>he nods sheepishly

>"Mom said I had to come out and help if I wanted an ice-cream."

>Alice giggles

>"Well we'd better all pitch in then, huh? Wouldn't want you missing out."

>young Jack blushes and squirms a little as Alice looms over him

>"my auntie Jen said I shouldn't talk to you, miss."

>you feel your anger rising

>Not at him of course

>But you really don't want to deal with Jen's bullshit right now

>Alice just smiles, and kneels down next to him

>”Well I'm your auntie Alice,” she says before leaning in and ruffling his hair, “and I promise I'm a lot more fun than auntie Jen.”

>”Hey, if you gimme a hand you can have my ice-cream as well, me and your uncle had some already. How does that sound?”

>with all of you pitching in, it won't take long before you're finished

>Your dad is on the stepladder with the staplegun, and Jack is riding on Alice's shoulders, holding the banners up to get fixed

>he seems to have come around pretty well

>but it's left you standing around like a jackass

>”Glad to see you're still good at getting everyone else to do work for you, anon.”

>you turn to see your sister, grinning

>she's still pretty much as you remember her, a big mop of curly hair framing her usually smiling face

>she looks a lot like your mother

>she's currently holding the swaddled form of her youngest child

>"Long time no see, Mae."

>"Same to you, lil bro.”

>You motion to the child

>"And this is..."

>"Maria. I'd let you hold her but I just got her back to sleep after all the excitement of coming back from Jen's place."

>"Well congratulations to you and Jack, anyway. How's he doing?"

>"He's still working on the pipelines, got another couple months on his current contract."

>She shakes her head

>"I might need to take the kids and go live with him on the Rez, soon. Can't be assed dealing with this every six months, him being away."

>"Well he must be making enough money to pay for it, busting his ass out there. I couldn't do that work."

>That gets a wry smile out of her

>"You always were a layabout, bro. Glad to see they haven't brainwashed that out of you."

>She looks over your shoulder, and arches an eyebrow

>"Speaking of..."

>Alice is now kneeling next to Jack, showing him one of her hands and chatting away

>Jack looks fascinated

>"Don't ask me what that's all about," you say, "but yeah, that's Alice."

>"Mom doesn't like her very much."

>you wince

>"Yeah I figured. Now I'm going to have her and Jen both sniping at me at dinner."

>Mae pats your shoulder

>"I'll try and keep Jen off you. Sorry about that, by the way. I wouldn't have invited her if I knew you were coming."

>you wave her off with a "it's fine" gesture

>"I know you and her are close. Where is she now?"

>"Inside, think she's helping mom with the food. I'd do it but y'know," she motions at the still sleeping baby, "I've got my hands full."

>Alice looks over at you, and motions to Jack

>The two of them make their way over, Jack jogging ahead excitedly

>"Hey trouble, you bothering the nice lady?"

>"Oh he's no bother at all," says Alice, trying her best to smile like a normal person

>Jack points back at her

>"Auntie Alice has claws, mom. Like a dinosaur!"

>"Or, a tiger," you interject.

>Jack frowns, puzzled

>"Well if you're done with that,” your sister says, “can you go ask grandma to get one of Maria's bottles out of the fridge? She'll need fed soon."

>Glad to be given a task, the young boy zooms off towards the house, followed by the rotund little dog

>Mae sighs, smiling

>"He's a terror, that one. Like his dad. "

>She looks back at Alice and jerks a thumb at you with a smirk

>"So did you win him in a raffle or something? I don't know how these things work if I'm honest."

>"More like winning the lottery," Alice says and yanks you over to her side, wrapping an arm around your waist, "for me, anyway."

>"I stop Alice from going on a rampage at work and she makes me get up before 1pm, it's a pretty good deal."

>Mae laughs at that

>the bundle in her arms stirs, the baby rousing herself from sleep

>"Oh now look what I've done, hello sleepyhead!"

>Maria turns and grumpily looks at her mother and then at the two of you

>she seems entirely unimpressed, lying her head back down and frowning

>”She looks about as happy to wake up as I do.” You say

>”Yeah she's sleepy for now but once she's up later she won't sleep for hours.”

>your sister sighs

>”The joys of motherhood, I suppose. You'd think I would have learnt my lesson the first time.”

>The little baby lets out a huff of indignation, annoyed at the adults still talking while she's trying to sleep

>Alice squeezes your waist a little tighter

>you look up at her

>she looks absolutely enthralled by the little girl

>”Actually,” she begins, “we're trying for a baby as well. So no doubt we'll have all this to look forward to.”

>your sister looks a little surprised, then ges to speak, trying to find the right words

>”So.. how does that work, exactly? Apart from normal, well human sex ed we got a class on this stuff in school but it was just the Sheriff putting a video on and laughing every time they said the word 'penis', so I didn't take much in.”

>Alice stands up a little straighter, getting ready to deploy her arsenal of knowledge on this particular subject

>any opportunity to remind the world that she didn't spend close to a decade in med school just to get 'MD' at the end of her name

>”Well in terms of genetic compatibility and xeno-germination, the-”

>”Just the basics, babe,” you gently remind her

>”Oh, well at the basic level it means all our kids will be tigers. Apart from in really weird outliers all children of interspecies couplings are of the mother's species, with some minor inherited traits from the father.”

>”Like what?” your sister asks, seeming actually interested

>”Eye colour, possibly fur colouration, usually the loss of vestigial non-shared features like extra nipples or dewclaws, depends on the mother's species.”

>”So do you have anything like that?”

>Alice shakes her head

>”No, I'm first-gen, purestrain, whatever stupid name they have for it nowadays. Both my parents were tigers, back in the old country. Sally's a good example of a second-gen. She told me she's got her dad's eyes and, well, she's a lot shorter than her mother.”

>”And it's probably why she's got her 'tactical airbags' as well,” you interject.

>your sister laughs

>”I thought the State gave her those for when she crashes cop cars.”

>the three of you happily chat away for a while

>young Jack comes rushing out, his chest puffing with pride as he hands over the bottle of milk to his mother

>then he turns to you and Alice

>”Umm, Auntie Alice, grandad says we're to go help with the grill.” He points around the corner of the house. “He's over there.”

>”Great, you show me the way, little guy.”

>”I'll be with you guys in a second,” you say, “I just need to go get my phone, I want to get a picture of you trying to work Dad's contraption.”

>you head over to the house as Jack, your sister and Alice go around the corner, Champ following eagerly behind in the hopes of getting some of the delicious food.

>Back inside, you move as quickly as you can across the landing and up the stairs, hoping to avoid the one person you'd rather not run into today

>you make it up to your bedroom, and start looking around

>you must have left the phone around here somewhere

>it's not on the bed or the nightstand

>as you squat down to look under the frame you hear the floorboards creak at the door

>you look up to see exactly the wrong person

>Jen

>your ex

>like your sister, she hasn't changed much in five years

>she's still pretty, in an angular, pointy way

>her pale skin covered in freckles

>and her black hair done up tight in a ponytail

>she smiles down at you

>"Long time no see, stranger."

>you stand up, glaring back at her

>"Can I help you, Jen? I'm busy."

>she rolls her eyes at your hostility

>"Come on anon, there's no reason we can't be civil. It's been what, five years?"

>doesn't feel like five years

>not right now

>you're fuming

>you force yourself to remain composed

>"I'm busy."

>she nods

>"I get it. It must be hard to come back here with that thing. You need some time to yourself to decompress before putting on the happy slave act."

>don't rise to it

>"I'm looking for my phone."

>she ignores you, shaking her head in mock sadness

>"I want you to know I don't blame you, anon. I know what they do. It's sick though, making you come back here and lie to your family, making you pretend you're happy."

>you tighten your jaw

>she must be enjoying this

>"Fuck off Jen.You don't know anything about my life. Go and bother someone else."

>"You're right. I don't know what you've suffered. I just want you to know that if you want my help, all you have to do is ask."

>"Your help is the last thing I need."

>you try your best to ignore her and keep looking for your phone

>"Oh yeah? Will you be saying that the next time it bites you? What about that collar it's making you wear?"

>ice runs down your back and you have to consciously stop yourself from adjusting the neck of your shirt

>you turn back to Jen

>she's holding your phone, smirking

>it's unlocked

>"The date we finished school. You never changed your password, anon. I'm touched."

>you snatch it out of her hands, barely causing her to flinch

>you feel yourself tensing up in anger

>"How dare you."

>she snorts incredulously

>"Don't get angry at me, anon. Bit of an overreaction. From the pictures you've got saved it seems like that thing does a lot worse to you than check your phone."

>"You know it's not normal, right? I hope you at least tried to run away."

>she smiles nastily

>"Or are you such a dickless faggot you think that it actually loves you? That wouldn't surprise me."

>you want to hit her

>but you know that's what she's trying to get a rise out of you

>just like she did five years ago

>you shake your head in disgust

>"You know Jen, half the shit you just said might even be true. But you know what?"

>you jab a finger at her

>"I'm happy. And I don't give a fuck what you think anymore. She does love me, and she's far better at showing it than you ever were."

>she looks back with barely contained hatred

>"You're a fucking race traitor, anon."

>you shove past her and head back downstairs.

>"Yeah, boo hoo. I don't care anymore. Stay the fuck away from me and Alice, Jen."

>Back outside, you open up your phone

>it's on the gallery

>sure enough, she was looking through the images of you and Alice together

>the ones you had to stop Alice showing to your mother last night

>and doing god knows what else she was doing

>you shake your head

>whatever

>like hell are you going to let her ruin your day

>after getting some pictures of Alice posing with your dad's infernal meat grilling contraption and tenderising a steak with a mallet you leave the old man to his magic and settle down in the deck chairs together to enjoy the afternoon sun while you can

>she can tell you're pissed off about something

>”You okay anon?”

>you sigh but give her a smile

>”I ran into Jen in there, she's still as bad as she ever was.”

>Alice frowns, sitting up a little straighter

>”Are you okay? I'm serious.”

>”I'll be alright. It's a few more hours at most.”

>Alice's expression shifts to something altogether uglier

>”I don't want you 'alright'. I want you happy and safe. If she comes back you'll tell me.”

>there's a horrid glimmer in Alice's eyes, now open wide, glaring, not hooded like they usually are.

>you reach over and squeeze her hand, noting how tense she is

>”Alice. It's all good, love. I'll get us a drink, okay?”

>you head into the kitchen, where Mae and Jack are now helping your mother with food prep

>the dog is mooching for food as usual

>thankfully Jen is nowhere to be seen

>you grab a couple of beers from the fridge

>”Can you get one for your father, son? He always gets thirsty when he's grilling.”

>”Sure.”

>you take another bottle out for him

>your father is standing at the grill, rotating racks of sausages, burgers and steaks, while three whole chickens spin on a rotisserie

>”You getting ready to feed the five thousand?” You ask ,handing him his beer

>he gratefully takes it, his face slushed and ruddy from the heat

>of course his massive grill has a bottle opener on the side

>”Well, I do consider myself a miracle worker,” he says with a grin.

>"God this weather is gorgeous. I've spent too long cooped up indoors."

>Alice stretches out to full extension, groaning and chuffing as she soaks in the sun

>The sunchair groans a little under her weight

>though you'd never mention it

>"We should go somewhere sunny and hot the next time you get some leave," you say. "I've heard the Carribbean is nice."

>Alice nods

>"Then I could walk around wearing a grass skirt and some coconuts for a bra, with flowers in my hair."

>"Pretty sure that's Hawaii, not the Carribbean, love."

>"Whatever."

>She leans over to your lounger, causing some more slightly worrying creaking noises, and rubs her face against yours, purring contentedly

>You lean into it, kissing her cheek and-

>"You're embarrassing, anon. That's vile."

>you open your eyes to see Jen blocking your sunlight

>"Oh fuck off Jen," you groan, "go bother someone else."

>Alice looks over at her as well, none too pleased

>"Have you got a death wish or something? Go away."

Jen breaks her glare away from you to regard Alice

>"How does it feel that the only way you can get a man is at gunpoint?"

>Alice bursts out laughing, and reaches over to wrap an arm around your shoulder

>"It feels great. Fantastic. I have a man, and from the way you are acting you clearly don't."

>Jen's face tightens

>"You're all the same. That arrogance is going to come back to bite you one day."

>Alice lowers her sunglasses, her expression incredulous

>"Arrogance? It's not arrogance bitch. I'm just effortlessly superior to you. When I get home tomorrow I'm going to have sex with my husband and never think of you again."

>"If you make it home."

>Is that a fucking threat?

>You go to get up but Alice just laughs again

>"Pff. Do your worst. I deal with 400 pound ghetto yeens every day at work. They don't scare me and you sure as hell don't either."

>Before Jen can reply to that Alice grabs you by the collar and shoves her tongue into your mouth, pointedly ignoring the woman as she enthusiastically makes out with you

>Your face burns with a blush for a moment before you surrender to the forceful kiss

>By the time Alice lets you go Jen has walked off in disgust

>the tiger watches her go with a cruel smile

>"Yeah fuck off bitch. He's mine," she growls under her breath.

>you are suddenly ripped out of that moment of tension by a rather odd sound

>dogs are barking

>one of them is clearly Champ, but the other...

>”Wait, that's not...” Alice says, incredulous

>”Yep. Come on, we'd better let them in.”

>At the front gate, Champ is indeed standing guard, his hackles raised, his sausage-like form postured as aggressively as he can, growling and snarling

>and leaning over the front gate, crumpling her sun-dress, is Sheriff Macarthur, doing much the same

>Blaine is nearby, locking their beetle-black State police cruiser

>he's wearing in a pair of khaki shorts and a Hawaiian shirt and looks like he wants the earth to swallow him whole

>”Grr, begone ya little shit! Arf! Arf!”

>Champ starts scrabbling at the gate, trying to leap up at the assailant

>before Sally can fully debase herself and leap over the fence to get into a wrestling match with your dog, you let out a whistle and call Champ back

>with a smack on the ass and a little shooing, the mongrel scrabbles back inside the house at full tilt

>As Alice opens the gate for her, Sally straightens her dress, looking far too pleased with herself

>”Showed him, eh Blaine?”

>”Yes darling you showed the small animal, well done.” He says in monotone.

>Once you've got Sally and Blaine settled down near where you and Alice are sitting, fetching yet more bottles of beer from the fridge, you notice that more guests are arriving

>close to three dozen people from the town and the surrounding area

>before long everyone is gathering around tables and chattering away, most bringing their own booze

>your sister, as the guest of honour, is touring the tables with little Maria, collecting gifts and congratulations as she goes

>for the most part you and Alice are left alone, which suits you fine

>she seems happy and relaxed, which in turn helps to relax you

>it helps that Jen has been (tactically on your sister's part, you believe) positioned as far away from you as possible with the rest of your sister's friends

>your dad brings out heaps of sizzling, seasoned meat on huge platters, assisted by your nephew and trailed by Champ the dog, who is desperately watching for scraps

>everyone cheers and he bows theatrically before people start tucking in

>as everyone settles down, your sister, carrying the now alert and grumpy baby in one arm and a plate of food in the other, has made her way across the multitudes to your table

>after a hug of congratulations from Sally, she motions to a nearby chair

>”You guys mind if I take a breather here? Haven't had a chance to sit down and eat this whole time.”

>”It's your party, sis. You sit wherever you like,” you say, and go to grab the chair for her

>”Thanks, bro. Here, Alice, can you hold her for a bit? My arms are aching.”

>surprised, Alice takes the proffered baby like she'd been handed a live explosive

>Little Maria looks only vaguely perturbed that she's been handed to the huge tiger, and quickly occupies herself running her stubby little hands through Alice's fur

>it's like a switch is flipped in your wife

>she has an odd, placid smile on her face as the child leans in against her shoulder

>and her eyes are laser focused on you, like some kind of Terminator

>the message you're getting is “husband-thing, I would like several of these child-things, I will acquire them from you whether you like it or not.”

>you fear for the integrity of your pelvis once you get home

>your sister laughs as the baby stuffs her face into Alice's neck fluff and starts grumbling

>”Well someone definitely likes you. Say there was a question I wanted to ask you earlier. What was your guys wedding like?”

>you laugh

>”They don't do weddings. I met her at the DMV. They just handed me over at the door.”

>your sister looks aghast at Alice

>”Seriously? That's it?”

>Alice just shrugs

>”That's just the way it's done. Is it that different? I thought you guys just swore an oath to God or something.”

>your sister looks even more appalled

>”No way! No wedding at all? I thought it would be some sinister ceremony at an evil church or something.”

>that gets a snigger out of Blaine behind you

>Mae leans over to look over at the other couple

>”Come on, Sally, surely you guys had a wedding down in Texas. Don't tell me-”

>”I yanked his skinny ass out of a bunker and he tried to stab me.”

>she wipes a tear from her eye

>”Just like how my mom and dad met, god bless them.”

>your sister pulls her phone out

>”No I refuse to accept this. Look, this is me and Jack's wedding. You're telling me you didn't do anything like this?”

>Alice takes the phone from her and starts looking at the photos

>”No, that's not really a thing. Even my mom back home just got picked out for my dad one day and started firing out kids.” She smiles that weird smile again as she studies the images. “Those dresses look lovely...”

>Mae turns to you, frowning

>”Didn't you think to tell her?”

>you throw your hands up

>”Hey don't look at me, what did you think I went looking for an 'evil church'? Whatever the hell that is.”

>”You don't even have rings!” Your sister says as if noticing for the first time

>”Oh we don't need those,” Alice says absent-mindedly, her attention returned to baby Maria, who is now pulling on her big ears. “Anon's got a collar on.”

>Mae does a double take

>you freeze for a tense moment

>”I'm not even gonna ask,” your sister says, laughing.

>”Yeah probably for the best,” you reply, relaxing a little.

>after everyone's had time to eat their (delicious) food, Mae and her daughter head back to her table

>the only awkward moment was getting Maria to let go of Alice's fur

>you finish up your beer and ask around if anyone wants another one

>everyone seems to be at a pleasant level of buzz at this point, as the sun sinks below the horizon

>Blaine, Alice and Sally all raise their hands as soon as you get up

>great

>”I'll give you a hand, bud.” Sally says, “Alice, I brought a couple of cocktail cans, you want one?”

>”Sure.”

>You and Sally head into the house to get to the kitchen, passing the near-comatose form of Champ

>the little dog can barely muster a growl at his nemesis, his belly no doubt swollen with scraps from every table he begged at

>”Yeah, Grr to you as well, fatty.” Sally says as she steps over him.

>in the kitchen, you pop open the fridge and pull out cans of lager for you and Blaine

>you are about to ask Sally where the stuff for her and Alice is when she grabs you in a rib-creaking hug

>”Oh anon, hun, I'm so proud of you,” she says. “You've done so well.”

>”Huh?” you say, flushing a little as the Sheriff pulls you down to her level and presses your face between her breasts

>I-I'm just so happy for you.”

>she sniffs and you realise she's crying

>”You okay Sally?”

>it's just like Alice told you earlier

>she nods, wiping tears out of her eyes, rubbing her hand over the big scar running up her scalp

>”It's just, you know I love you like a son, right? I love all my boys.”

>it's touching, but a bit of a mystery

>you got on well with Sally, really well in fact, but...

>”Thanks, Sal, I mean you always pulled me out of the shit when I was doing stupid teenager stuff.”

>it's a bit of an awkward response, and she clearly realises it

>”I know I sound a bit crazy, it's just...”

>the labrador stares off, looking rather morose for a second

>”I can't have kids, anon.”

>it's rather obvious now she's pointed it out

>her and Blaine have been married for what, more than ten years?

>and no tiny Sheriffs running about

>”I'm sorry Sally, I never noticed. How-”

>”I got nuked. In Houston, a couple of weeks before I met Blaine. Well and truly dosed. Officially it never happened. They should have told my tumors that.”

>Jesus

>she squeezes you again

>”So I just put my everything into looking after all the kids out here. You, your sister, little Jack, hell even Jen. I don't want any of you to end up in the shit.”

>she pauses again, as if hesitating

>”It's why I got you put on special assignment.”

>you freeze

>”No, I got put on that-”

>”What, for skipping out on a few dates? Shitposting on imageboards? Please, sweetie. That doesn't get you put on special assignment.”

>”I saw you had graduated, but you weren't doing anything with yourself. And the State, brainless as it is, had basically forgotten about you.”

>”So I pulled favours, got your name highlighted like you were some kind of devious little shit who was going to cause problems.”

>you don't really know how to think about this

>”Did you pick Alice out for me?”

>”No. There's limits even to my power, you know. All I could do was fire up the SOS on your behalf. I don't know how they picked you out for her.”

>”So-”

>”I didn't know anything about what happened apart from that you got assigned. Maybe God did it. Or luck. Love is blind, hun. Even I believe that.”

>before you can say another word, she yanks you down and kisses you on the cheek

>”You're a good boy, anon. Come on, let's get this stuff out there before Alice tries to steal your niece.”

>you go to join her, emotions roiling in your head, when you hear something from the far end of the kitchen

>voices

>in the living room, you think

>there's a light on

>surely everyone is outside?

>”One sec Sally I'll be right out. Can you carry these drinks?”

>you stand in the doorway, your sneaking suspicion confirmed

>your mom and Jen are sitting in the living room

>your mother looks like she's been crying

>for fuck's sake what now

>”Mom, is everything alright?”

>”Take a seat, anon.” Jen says, her voice conciliatory

>you ignore her

>”Mom are you okay?”

>”Anon, please sit down.” She says, croaking

>she has been crying

>you enter and stick yourself in an armchair

>”What are you up to now, Jen? You have some gall,” you say, feeling the anger you've been holding down around her come rushing back. “can't you just lea-”

>”Jen showed me the pictures, anon. The ones of her hurting you.”

>the ones she saw on your phone

>”Anon I'm sorry but you need help.” Jen sounds earnest now, as if all the venom of earlier was someone else

>you aren't buying it

>”I told you already I don't need your help. I am fine. I am well.”

>Jen turns to your mother

>”It's like I told you, they've conditioned him to think it's normal,” she says gently

>”Shut up, Jen. Mom, come on let's go outsi-”

>”Jen says she can get you away from them. She can bring you home, anon.”

>”I can, anon. I have friends in the Reservation. They specialise in these kind of things.”

>”What!?” you explode, “Don't be ridiculous. I am happy. I love her. She loves me. I'm not even going to talk about this.”

>you point a finger at Jen accusingly

>”You're sick, you know that? I get you hate me but to do this to my family, Jen?”

>”Anon, you're right,” she says. “I'm pissed at you, fucking furious. And I'll admit I'm not being purely altruistic. I want to show people that the State can be beaten. I want to make a name for myself with the freedom fighters in the Rez.”

>”What I don't want is to see your family in grief when they find out that THING has killed you!”

>”Stop calling her that,” you spit out, “She's not a thing!”

>”She can call me that if she likes.”

>the three of you turn with a jolt

>Alice is looming in the dark doorway leading to the kitchen

>silhouetted like a predator at the edge of the light of a campfire

>she's leaning against the doorframe, her face drawn with anger

>her happy buzz of drunkenness has turned sullen

>her eyes, normally lazily hooded, are wide open, glaring

>”I don't care what she calls me. It doesn't change a thing.”

>your mother is the first to react

>she leaps to her feet and brandishes her phone at Alice, anger spilling out of her

>”You horrid bitch! You think you can do this to my son!?”

>Alice meets her gaze

>”Yes, I can. I did. I hurt him. And I did it on purpose.”

>her voice is a controlled growl of malice

>”See, anon,” Jen says, her eyes alive with the thought that she's on the cusp of victory

>”You aren't safe with her! She doesn't care!”

>You're about to rebuke her when Alice does it for you

>”I do care. I love him. And he is safe. Unlike you, you skinny cunt.”

>Alice grips the doorframe harder

>you hear the wood creak in protest

>”Oh he looks very safe with a fucking bite mark on his neck! And a collar! Just admit he's your pet, you monster. How long do your 'husbands' normally last, eh? Do you have another one lined up for you by the State once you've killed him?!”

>there's a sharp crack as the doorframe warps and splinters

>Alice digs her hands out of the ruins of the wood and takes a step into the room

>”You don't know a damn thing about me. But that's fine. I don't care what you think of me. Either of you. He is all that matters to me.”

>”So you can call me a monster, a bitch, whatever. It doesn't change the fact that he's mine. I'll do anything to keep him safe.”

>”What if he wanted to leave you?” Your mother asks, her face scornful and teary

>”I don't want to leave her, mom. I trust her. Can't you just accept that I'm happy?”

>Alice stalks across the room and puts a hand on your shoulder

>”See? But just to avoid any doubt, no, I wouldn't let him leave. He's mine. He's not your son anymore.”

>”He belongs to me. And I belong to him.”

>you are rather shocked to notice that Alice's hand, digging into your shoulder, is trembling

>”I would die for him. Kill for him. You can call me whatever you like but don't dare question my loyalty.”

>she spits the final words out form gritted teeth

>Jen scoffs

>”Sure. Justify yourself however you like but spare us the vomit-inducing melodrama. I thi-”

>”I can justify a lot of things. I can justify vivisecting you with my bare hands.”

>you would never admit it but the expression of primal fear that crosses Jen's face is rather gratifying

>you grab Alice's arm as she tries to cross the room

>she just drags you with her

>you don't think you can stop her

>but mercifully, she stops by herself

>Sally has placed her considerable bulk between your wife and your ex

>”Alice. I'll deal with this.”

>Alice, blinded with rage, tries to go around her

>Sally grabs her arm

>”Go and get your shit, Alice, ” Sally growls, more forceful than you've ever seen her. “Tell Blaine. He'll help you get packed. You and anon can come sleep over at the station and go home in the morning.”

>Alice glares at Sally's grip on her forearm

>for a horrible moment you think she's going to hit her

>”I'll deal with this,” Sally repeats.

>Alice yanks her arm free, tensing up

>then stalks out of the room

>you go to follow her, worried for her, but Sally grabs you by your shirt

>”Sit.”

>You lower yourself back into your seat, as Sally leans against the wall and sighs

>”For the love of god, anon. I let you out of my sight for one minute and you get yourself into this mess.”

>”She hurts him, Sally,” your mother says, still teary. “You promised us you'd keep our kids safe.”

>”He is safe, Marlene. You can take my word for it.”

>it's odd hearing someone use your mother's actual name

>Jen snorts derisively

>Sally turns to her, her face like a corpse

>”Something funny, Jen?”

>”Just you thinking your word means anything. You're full of yourself.”

>Sally smiles without humour

>she's just baring her teeth

>”Guilty as charged. But do you know what's actually funny Jen?”

>Sally stops smiling

>”The fact that Alice was right. I could have let her turn you inside out and eat your heart. Because you broke the one FUCKING rule!”

>her hackles raise for a moment, her lips pulled back to show teeth and gums

>before she settles again, sighing and running a hand over her face, tracing her scar

>”Blaine, my beloved, he thinks he can keep things from me. God bless him, he does it for the right reasons. He thinks that I might have to make a choice between my loyalty to the State and the promises I made when I came here all those years ago.”

>she looks Jen in the eyes

>”I know who you've been meeting with, Jen. I know your Rezzie shithead 'friends' are storing AK-47s in your basement. But that doesn't bother me. Not really. Those jumped up methheads don't have the balls to try anything.”

>”What bothers me is whatever the fuck you were planning to do with him.”

>she jabs a finger at you

>”You were going to what, make him vanish? Run him off to the Rez and look like some selfless hero? Do you realise what would happen if either him or Alice doesn't come home?”

>”Before you could say “fascists” we'd have platoons of StateSec shitbags turning the whole town upside down, pointing guns at people.” she rants. “You think I'm a pain in your ass? Wait til you see the jackbooted cretins they'll pull in for this!”

>Sally shakes her head

>”Interfering with the assignment process to this degree is a level 1 crime, let alone all the other offences you'd rack up.”

>her voice tightens with emotion

>”They'd shoot you in the street, Jen.”

>Jen stiffens

>”Then I'd die a martyr.”

>”Oh that's fine then. Guess I'd better shoot you now and call the cavalry in if it's all the same to you. You can die happy in the knowledge that your little brother, your cousins and half the boys in this town will be intimately familiar with hyena tube-pussy within the next 24 hours. Don't be so fucking stupid.”

>Jen looks mortified

>”What do we do, then?” she asks, shakily

>Sally gestures at you again

>”Apologise to anon. That's the first step.”

>she does

>”Do you accept that apology, anon?”

>you do

>Sally deflates a little

>”Okay then. Jen, you have a week to get yourself and your Rezzie friends out of my town and back over the border. You'll be happier with them anyway.”

>Jen starts to protest

>”It's that or I come in with a warrant at 3am next Sunday and huckle your ass off to jail.”

>after a second, Jen nods, her face pale

>”Alright then. We're done. This never happened.”

>You're sitting in the back of Sally's cruiser with Alice

>she looks exhausted

>she hasn't said much since you joined her here

>you reach over and grasp her hand

>”You okay, love?” you ask her

>she's shaking a little

>you don't like seeing her like this

>”I'm sorry for ruining the night, anon.”

>you squeeze her big paw, and she returns the favour

>”It's not your fault, babe.”

>”And hey, you had me choking up a little with that speech of yours.”

>she smiles a little at that

>that's better

>”I meant every word I said. I love you.”

>”I love you too.”

>you lean over and embrace her, holding her as tight as you can, her arms around her waist, your lips going to meet-

>the driver door up front slides open

>”Hey, don't fuck in the back of my car, you two. Only I get to do that.”

Chapter 6

>You end up sleeping in the holding cell at the police station

>it's all very ironic

>Sally doesn't lock you in or anything, and the beds aren't awful

>but it's still grim

>no showers or even a proper basin, so you and Alice end up just sleeping in your clothes

>early the next morning Blaine brings Alice's car over from the house and you prepare to start your journey back to the city, through the paradisical landscapes of the open country

>you think you'll give it a few days before you try and contact your family

>before you go, Sally drags the both of you over for a talking to

>”Right, you two, here's the long and short of it. Cos of that crap last night I'm going to have to actually do some creative police work to sort out Jen's retard friends without bringing the StateSec special needs brigade down on top of me. So don't go causing me any more trouble.”

>”Aren't you StateSec? What's the issue?” Alice asks, rubbing her eyes groggily from the less than stellar sleep she got on the human-sized cell bunk

>Sally barks with laughter

>”Me? StateSec? Don't ever insult me like that again. I'm military police, not some dildo-hoarding dyke.”

>”Whatever,” Alice says, her hackles raised “I still don't see why you can't just arrest that bitch. She was going to try and kidnap him.”

>”I don't know if she was going to go that far, hun.”

>Alice shoots you a look that says “I don't care.”

>Jeez

>”Because, madam, I'm a peacekeeper, not a shit-stirrer. I do actually have to live here after you two go back to the big city, and that means I need to keep everyone happy. What Overwatch doesn't know won't hurt them. Jen will fuck off and go live with her people in the Rez and we can all chill out.”

>”She threatened us, before you came to the party last night.” You interject, “I don't think she actually meant anything by it but I don't know the people she hangs out with.”

>the dog nods, rolling her eyes

>”Yeah she told me as much after I put you in the car. It was like being in a confessional, she just spilled her guts to me. But that's for me to deal with. I don't think they have the balls to try anything either, but just in case we'll escort you out to the filling station.”

>”Thanks Sally,” you say, and grab her in a hug, “Sorry for all this hassle.”

>”Ach, Don't worry about it, you can make it up to me by buying me a drink the next time me and Blaine come into the city.”

>she squeezes you into her neck fluff and pats your head

>you can feel her tail wagging like crazy, swishing through the air

>”You be good alright?”

>you nod, and she lets you go, before turning to Alice and shaking her hand with trademark bone-crushing force

>”And as for you, Puss in Boots, you look after my boy, you hear me?”

>Alice goes to say something but Sally cuts her off and drags her in close, pulling her down to look her in the eye

>“Cos if something happens to him it won't be StateSec or the DMV you'll need to be worried about.”

>before Alice can give an indignant reply to this clear threat Sally pulls her into a hug as well

>awkwardly stooping and with a face of total feline bewilderment, your wife endures this physical contact for a few seconds before being released.

>”Alright,” says Sally, giving Blaine a thumbs up to get the cruiser running again, “Let's get this show on the road.”

>a few quiet hours of driving later, you're home in the city

>still frazzled from the journey, you sit down in one of the tall chairs at the kitchen bar

>Alice stomps past you, yawning and stretching her arms out, her tail flicking to one side

>that gets you yawning as well, and you rub a hand over your face and close your eyes

>"Well, that's that," you say, "Guess we won't be going to any more parties any time soon."

> Alice grunts out a non-committal reply, sitting down across from you and lowering her head down onto the countertop with a 'clunk'

>”You okay, love?”

>”I dunno anon. I'm in a bad mood. Didn't sleep well, hung over.”

>”And you're pissed off about last night.”

>she grunts again

>”Yeah.”

>”It'll all get sorted, love. I don't think we'll need to deal with Jen ever again, and I'm sure my mother will come around eventually.”

>Alice sighs

>”I know, I know. It's not just that, though. It's me. I sometimes think I cross the line between being honest and just being a cunt.”

>you laugh a little at that, but that withers as you see just how withdrawn she looks

>her normal exuberant nature replaced with sullen introspection

>”Love?”

>she looks up at you

>her eyes are red and puffy

>you've only seen her cry a couple of times in the whole time you've been together

>once after a truly vomit-inducing saccharine rom-com

>and once after a horrible shift at the hospital

>this feels more like the second than the first

>you leap to your feet and go round to her

>”Alice, everything's going to-”

>she grabs your wrists, holding you in front of her

>you wince at the tightness of her grip

>”You know I meant it, right? When I said I won't let you leave me. I can't.”

>her voice is shaking

>tears are matting into her fur

>”And you know that I meant it when I said I don't want to leave.”

>”Not now you don't. But that might not last forever. And it scares me.”

>”I'm scared you'll hate me.”

>she's gripping your wrists even tighter

>her eyes are darting around the room, her breathing rapid and shallow

>”Alice.”

>”I-I'm a crazy bitch, all I do is hurt you, I was going to kill that stupid girl and-”

>” Alice. ”

>You put as much authority into your voice as you can muster.

>she freezes, meeting your gaze

>”Let go of my wrists, Alice,” you say gently.

>she looks down at where she's holding you, and lets go

>she looks in horror at the marks that she's made on your forearms

>”I've done it again, I've do-”

>”Shh. C'mere.”

>you lean in and cradle her big head in your hands

>running your fingers through her fur

>”It's alright, Alice. I just wanted my hands free for this.”

>you reach up and wipe away the tears under her eyes with one hand

>while digging the fingers of the other deep into the fur of her cheek and neck

>she shivers, her breathing slowing a little, her eyes closing

>”Honestly, Alice, sometimes you are a fucking nightmare to deal with. You exhaust me with how much energy you put into everything, you have a sexual appetite that's going to give me a heart attack at some point and you have the social graces of a bull in a china shop.”

>with that you lean in and kiss her on the snout

>”But that doesn't change the fact that I love you. I can put up with all your baggage if it means waking up next to you every morning. If it means I can see you smile and feel safe wrapped up in your arms.”

>”Stop, you're going to make me cry again,” she blubbers, her eyes shining with tears

>but she's smiling

>”I'm sorry, I just couldn't let you be miserable. You'd do the same for me.”

>she shakes her head and sniffles

>”It's fine, you sappy man. I don't know what's come over me, I just-”

>”it's been a hectic couple of days, that's all. You're all shook up from last night and like you said, bad sleep and a hangover.”

>you know how to make her feel better

>you remove a hand from her face and entwine your fingers in hers

>”C'mon.”

>you pull on her hand

>bemused, she rises from her seat and lets you lead her by the hand towards the stairs up to the bedroom

>”You just need a good shower and a nap.”

>standing in the en-suite bathroom, Alice lets you undress her

>undoing her blouse, her jeans, her underwear

>running your hands across her body as you take off each item in turn

>feeling her twitch as you undo every button

>then you kneel in front of her and pull her jeans down to her ankles, making sure to squeeze her ass on the way down

>that gets a grunt and a tense exhalation out of her as she kicks the trousers across the room

>then, agonisingly slowly, you pull her panties down

>she's now full on panting as you teasingly drag the soaked undergarments down, kissing her inner thigh as you do so

>the smell of Alice is overpowering

>it's tempting just to quit all pretense and start eating her pussy

>but you think this whole charade will serve just as well

>once the panties are finally gone, you stand back up and embrace the big tiger, wrapping your arms around her hips

>”Can you do me?” you ask, almost whispering

>Alice nods

>then in a single movement that sends loose buttons zinging across the room at lethal speeds, she tears your shirt off

>followed swiftly by the rest of your clothes in similar acts of destruction

>you sigh

>”I guess I should have expected that.”

>in the shower cubicle, you are feeling decidedly penned in

>Alice is still following your lead but you are so close to her at this point you can hear her thundering heartbeat

>you turn and switch on the showerhead, feeling her gaze burning into your back

>when you turn around again with a bottle of XXL FUR SHAMPOO in your hand, she growls

>”Really? Don't we have something better to do?”

>you frown at her

>”Yes. You need a proper shower or you'll not get the benefit.”

>you get a proper handful of moussed shampoo in each hand and pull her into an embrace

>”Plus I just wanted to show you how much I appreciate you.”

>that gets a you little squeeze and a return of a little of downstairs' weepiness to Alice's eyes

>you run the shampoo all across your tiger wife's body, sparing nowhere, stealing kisses from her all the while

>”You're so fucking beautiful, Alice. I don't think you realise how crazy I am for you.”

>you rub water and soap through the fur on her chest, tweaking each of her six nipples in turn as you do so

>Alice moans with each rub, each teasing pinch

>”you know, i-if I get pregnant they'll get bigger, right? All of them.”

>”When you get pregnant, babe.”

>that gets a rather dangerous growl out of her and her forcing you into another deep kiss

>you're quite pleased with yourself for that one

>while she's trying to block your airway with her tongue, you run your hands down her spine, to the base of her tail

>and you dig in, rubbing the thick fur with the last of your shampoo

>Alice groans into your mouth, going weak at the knees

>”You ffffucker. Keep going,” she pants

>while still playing with the sensitive nerves round there with one hand, you bring the other round to begin the assault on the real prize

>you place your hand between Alice's legs and start rubbing her pussy, gently but insistently

>”You make me want to live, Alice. I'll do anything to make you happy.”

>in between breathy moans, Alice growls out her reply

>”You should know that's dangerous, love. I'm gonna hold you to that.”

>she hefts you up and presses you against the tiled wall, her claws digging into your skin

>she kisses your neck, with just the barest prick of her fangs, then drags her rough tongue across your sensitive skin

>it's like a piece of hot, wet sandpaper, leaving a raw, red mark on your skin.

>you try and wriggle free of her but she's not having it

>she makes you kiss her again

>”Where do you think you're going?”

>”Please just let me finish washing your fur before you maul me.”

>she sighs

>”Fine, hurry up then.”

>you kneel before her, laying your head against her inner thigh, your arms wrapped around her leg

>After your ministrations with the soap and a good rinse out with your fingers, dealing with any knots and tugs in her luxurious fur, Alice is back to looking like an immaculate goddess

>she's glowing, smiling smugly

>definitely in a better mood now

>she pats you on the head, running her claws across your scalp before cupping your chin

>"what a lovely man. You know when they sent me your file, all they gave me was a little mugshot image of you. I used to go to bed every night thinking about how your hands would feel in my fur."

>she giggles

>"I used to kiss the screen of my phone, looking at that picture of you. Isn't that embarassing?"

>"No, I'm just that irresistible."

>that gets a groan, and before you can continue Alice decides to shut you up by grabbing you by the hair and forcing your face between her legs

>"Just do what you were made for, Mr Irresistible."

>she hooks a leg over your shoulder and leans back against the shower cubicle

>you do as you're told

>licking at her nethers, feeling her roll her hips across your face, smearing you with her scent

>you run your tongue from back to front across her pitch black lips, before kissing the hood of her clit

>Alice purrs at that, squeezing you in closer with the leg resting on your shoulder

>"good boy, keep going..."

>you push your tongue deeper, lapping at her insides

>hot, musky dribbles running into your mouth

>the growls and panting of your beloved rumbling through her and into you

>she's using your whole face to get off, grinding onto you

>you reach up and squeeze her behind, before moving upwards and grabbing her tail, gently pulling on it

>everything is Alice, she's all that matters

>"Uhhn, god, you slutty boy, look at you. You were born to be mine, weren't you?"

>she yanks you out of her, leaving you flushed, dripping and gasping for air

>"I want an answer."

>"Y-yes, I'm yours..." you pant out

>"who's your master, boy?"

>"Alice..."

>"who's better than any stupid human cunt?"

>"Alice..."

>"Who hurts you just the way you like?"

>"Alice... yes..."

>she revels in that for a moment, grinning like the devil

>then she squats down to your level, pulling you in close by the chin

>"Who's going to be the mother of your children? Who'll look after you forever?"

>"Alice... Alice... I love you..."

>you just sit there flustered and panting with a stupid smile on your face

>Alice nuzzles the side of your face, playfully nipping at your ear with her teeth

>"I love you too, hubby. I'm going to take you now."

>she reaches down and grabs your ass, hoisting you up single handedly

>the position she manhandles you into is slightly awkward, squatting entwined with you, pressing your back against the shower wall

>but right now it's the most intimate you've ever felt

>you can feel Alice's heart pounding in time with your own

>Alice presses her forehead against yours, locking eyes with you as she lines up your hard, needy cock with her hole

>"Take me, Alice. I want you. I want to die in your arms."

>"Don't say things like that."

>before you can reply she's on you

>pressing you hard into the wall, she takes you inside of her

>you moan like a bitch as you feel just how hot and tight she is

>she snarls in response, her teeth bared

>she draws back, almost to the point of your cock falling out

>then slams back in

>you gasp as she starts pistoning you in and out of her, slamming you against the wall while she kisses your neck

>then you feel teeth

>as she kisses you, she nips at your neck

>then she goes further

>she opens her maw wide

>and takes your throat in her mouth

>cradling you in her jaws

>inches from death

>you barely dare to breath as she keeps fucking you, holding you in terror like the prey you are

>you are at the mercy of this predator

>it's terrifying

>but the terror excites you like nothing else

>you feel yourself getting closer and closer to the edge as your monkey brain keeps screaming that you are in mortal peril

>"Alice I'm gonna cum, oh fuck I'm gonna-"

>and cum you do

>Alice holding you in as deep as she can as you spurt and moan, filling her womb with your love

>you're so totally overstimulated that all you can do is weakly moan your wife's name as she releases your neck from her jaws

>and collapses, dragging you down onto the floor of the shower cubicle with her

>she's wrecked too, only capable of gently licking your face as she shudders, trying her best to keep you in close

>"d-do you feel better now?" you ask once you've recovered a little, soaking wet, greedily holding yourself in her warmth

>"MMmmmm... I think it's nap time."

>after the lengthy process of blow drying all of Alice's fur, she's lying wrapped up on your bed

>she looks utterly content and luxuriously fluffy

>"Are you coming?" she asks, patting a spot next to her

>"One second, love, I'll be right back."

>you stagger downstairs in your underwear, rubbing at the teeth marks on your neck

>you better win "husband of the year" after all this shit

>fucking DMV should give you a medal

>you dig around in the bags you brought back from Jedburgh

>and pull out the item you need

>you sigh as you put on the white tiger onesie and go back up the stairs

>the price of a happy life seems to be your dignity

>but the look on Alice's face when you reappear in the doorway is priceless

>once she has calmed down (after some truly embarrassing cuddling and babytalk) you and Alice are comfortably snuggled up on the bed

>she's resting her big head on your chest, purring like a kitten

>"Well, the trip wasn't all bad, was it?" you ask, gently stroking her head

>"No I suppose not. It was all going pretty well, I liked your dad, your sister, the kids too. It's a nice place, the countryside. The little town was charming."

>"Yeah, I guess it is. Definitely a lot less crowded than here. I just got bored of it a long time ago."

>"Hmm. Think you would ever move back?"

>"What, with you?"

>she scoffs at your silly question

>"Of course. Not any time soon, but somewhere that far away might be nice in the future. Guess I'm the opposite, living in these cities drives me loopy."

>"I dunno. I'd have to think about it."

>you sigh

>"It was nice seeing Sally and Blaine again."

>that gets a grumpy grunt from Alice

>"Oh come on, you like her. You're just pissed she stopped you from doing something really stupid last night. I was just scared you were going to try and fight her."

>"The thought crossed my mind."

>you chuckle

>"That would have been a sight."

>Alice doesn't say anything, and it takes you a couple of seconds to realise she's fallen asleep

>you exhale, lean back and go to join her

>A couple of days later, you are sitting in the sitcom joke that represents your life now

>The artisanal Garfield is hung on the wall

>The abominable tiger mug is sitting on the table

>both of them are laughing at you

>You are sure of it

>The white tiger onesie is comfy at least

>though you hope to god Alice never calls you "teddy" in public

>You're downstairs waiting on your wife, who's just taking her time brushing her teeth

>Takes a little longer with a mouth full of kitchen knives

>you are just about to take a sip of coffee when you hear heavy footsteps thudding down the stairs

>You barely have time to turn before Alice, moving at a dead run, sweeps you up into her arms

>She's barely able to speak, chummering and stammering, squeezing you tight before putting you down

>"B-babe you need to see, I can't believe it!"

>She's vibrating, every bit of her shaking in different directions

>She is holding a small white object

>Given her mannerisms it could only be one thing

>You'd like to see it for yourself but Alice has turned into a huge orange and black blur with all the twitching she's doing

>you grab her by the waist, trying to drag her back to coherency before she slips into a crack in time

>eventually she stops resonating and shoves the thing in your face again

>she's grinning

>the widest you've ever seen

>you finally get a good look at the small white device as she hands it to you

>unlike pregnancy tests you've seen before, it doesn't have some collection of lines

>instead it's got a digital display with a cheesy little pictogram saying

> Congrats! x3

>with an emoji and everything

>You reach up and pull Alice down from cloud 9 so you can kiss her

>she makes a happy purring sound as you rub her cheeks, squeezing her eyes shut

>shit now you're shaking too

>She's pregnant

>you're going to be a dad

>you dread to think what having a miniature Alice running around the house is going to do to your health

>one's bad enough

>You look up at your wife, still with her dopey grin, her eyes shut contentedly

>"Heh, look at that, Alice, you're doing the face on the machine"

>you point at the x3 emoji

>"Looks just like you"

>Alice looks at you like you've grown an extra head

>"Anon that's not a face, it's saying I've got triplets, you dummy!"

>"Ah. Fuck."

###

Chapter 7

It’s been close to 2 months since you got the good news. Alice had made sure you’d told everyone, of course. Sheriff Macarthur had started blubbering down the line and promised you she’d come into town and see you once the babies were born. Jimmy next door had given you a slap on the back and a hug that was far too far inside your comfort zone, but he meant well so you let it slide.

Your relationship with your family was still icy, but you sent your dad a text the day after you found out.

“Proud of you, son. Hope you are well. Give the lucky lady my best.”

That had been his reply and, honestly, better than you were expecting. Even now, months after the fiasco at the party, you still hadn’t spoken to your mother, with all your communications back home either going through your dad or Mae. As for your sister, she’d been happy to hear the news, and said she’d probably tag along with Sally to come visit with the kids, if she hadn’t moved out to the Rez to be with her husband by then.

As for Alice, she’d dialled into a work meeting via video call to give her ward at the hospital the news, which had led to the nurses' cries and whoops nearly blowing out the speakers on the shitty laptop she’d been using. After basking in the admiration and envy of her co-workers for long enough, she’d dragged you into her lap so everyone could ogle you and make frankly inappropriate suggestions about how she should reward you for knocking her up.

Now, today, you were dealing with the final two things on the list before Alice could officially start her maternity leave. The DMV, and Alice’s own “back home” situation. Both were pissing her off. A lot of things were pissing her off these days.

Anthro hormones sure are something, you think as the two of you ascended the same steps you’d first met at the base of, out in front of the ‘State Department for Marriage’. After two months, you've definitely started to notice the changes in Alice, both physically and emotionally. She was getting a little chubbier than her usual apex-predator lean physique, a change that surprisingly she was more than happy to point out, making you run your hands over her every night. You’ve gotten quite good at massaging her as part of her nightly grooming, kneading out all of the stresses and aches that come and go as her body adapts to the strain of caring for her unborn children.

Triplets, you repeat to yourself silently as you hold the door for your wife at the top of the stairs. Sometimes you had to pinch yourself and realise that it was actually real and not some fever dream. You were going to be a dad, and three in one go. It made you sweat bullets sometimes, but Alice reassured you that twins and triplets were far more common for anthros than humans. It would be fine. She certainly had the capacity to feed them, you thought, eying the newly swollen pairs of secondary breasts that were pressing tightly against the lower half of Alice’s business shirt.

“See something you like?”, she says, smirking, with her hands on her hips. She was wearing full office wear for this, much like the day you’d first met. “Are you just going to stand there drooling or are we going to get this over with so I can take this shit off?”

“Oh, of course, sorry babe.” You lead the way, through the room full of propaganda leaflets and into the dreaded main chamber of the DMV, complete with its banks of kiosks and the huge glass window that separated this side from the waiting room, where a couple of anthros are waiting while their prospective husbands go through the least erotic form of being sold into sexual servitude you could think of. Nothing says “holy matrimony” like brown carpets and the piss-yellow light of energy saving bulbs.

“They need to rebrand this place, Alice,” you whisper. “This is grim.”

“Yeah, I’ve seen happier hospice wards. I guess I can see why it puts men off getting married.”

You hang a left and head into the waiting room, for the first time sitting on the other side of that big window. The anthros inside track you like hunting dogs for a few seconds until the sight of Alice makes most of them look elsewhere. One keeps at it though, the scrawny rat undressing you with her eyes from across the room.

“Can I help you, madam?” Alice asks, her voice laden with menace.

“Hey, I’m just looking, miss. It’s a free country.” The rat rolls her eyes and keeps up her lecherous gaze.

Alice just keeps glaring at her, silent, unblinking. Under the intensity of that gaze, the rat wilts, shrinks and goes back to looking at her phone.

“Sheesh I’m sorry alright, fucking hell.”

After that, Alice just sits there extruding her ominous presence across the waiting room while a nervous sheep girl buries her head in a book while occasionally checking to see if her number had been called, while a hyena not too dissimilar in shape or size to Jimmy’s wife sits with her headphones on and her eyes closed, bobbing her head to some kind of heavy metal, or reggae, or both. Until she cracks her eyes open and takes a good look at your wife.

“Yooo… yo Doc is that you!?” The yeen leaps to her feet and comes over, grinning. “It’s me, Janis! You stitched me up a couple of months ago!”

“Oh, um, hello Janis.” Alice calms down a little, a smile eating away at the edges of her hormonal scowl. “I’ve been away from work awhile, you haven’t been shot again, have you?”

“HAHA, nah Doc I just got hit on the head with a hammer a couple times. Those coyote bitches down on 7th are crazy, y’know? Say, is this your man? An-”

Janis stops for a moment before pointing at Alice’s belly.

“YO! Holy shit! Congrats doc, and uh, hubbyman! Good shit! Well I guess I better stay away from trouble for good if you’re gonna be too busy having kids to patch me up! HAHAA!”

The hyena makes small talk with Alice for another couple of minutes before the door makes a PING sound and opens to reveal a greasy looking skater dude with a badge encrusted denim vest on, as well as Nancy, the big fat sow who does security for this place.

“Uh, have we got a Janis Mercado?” Says the pig, looking around.

“Yo that’s me! Hey man, love the jacket!” The yeen grabs the guy by the shoulder and goes for the door.

“Th-thanks, uh my name is-”

Janis shushes him. “Don’t worry about names, man. What's a name between friends? C'mon my family is waiting outside, you'll love em."

With that, the newly wedded couple are out the back door. Very romantic.

“Hey, Doctor, loverboy.” says Nancy with a grin, “Guess congratulations are in order. You want to come up to the front and get a move on?”

“Yes, let's.” Alice grunts, dragging you out with her.

Up at the kiosk sits June, the overworked rat girl, her big ears framing her eternally tired gaze, big bags under her eyes.

“Heya guys, can’t believe how long it’s been.” She yawns. “Sorry to keep you waiting but we’ve had a hell of a day. Internal Affairs came in a couple of days ago and tore the back office to pieces. Dumped water all over one of our server stacks. We’ve been having to reconstruct the data from scratch. What are you guys in for?”

“I want to register a pregnancy and get my husband removed from special measures.”

June smiled wanly.

“Well that’s great, guys. I mean it. Not just cos it means I have one less man to keep track of, of course.” She cleared her throat. “I’ll need to run you through some standard questions. STANDARD.” She glares at Alice. “Don’t rip my frigging head off, okay?”

“Aren’t you overreacting, June?” You ask, nervously glancing at your wife.

"Hey you'd be surprised at how many girls get offended at these questions, although to be fair I'd probably feel the same way."

“I’m sure the questions are fine.” Alice growls. “Hurry up.”

"Alright, alright, let's get this show on the road." June sighs dejectedly

“You revoke all rights to pull out of this assignment?” June says, monotone. Nancy sniggers. ‘Pull out’ indeed.

“Yes.” Says Alice.

“You are aware that all responsibility for your husband and any ongoing issues that got him flagged for Special Assignment passes to you?”

“Yes.”

“You are aware of the many tax breaks available to expectant mothers?”

“Yes. I love taxes.” The sarcasm dripping from every word is so acidic it could melt steel.

“Do you wish to pre-emptively sign any of the children up for service in the military?”

“What? No.”

June pulls up an olive drab leaflet.

“I’m obligated to give you this.”

“Who the hell says yes to that? I highly doubt the State is desperate for soldiers.” You ask, leafing through the bizarre pamphlet. June shrugs.

“It’s a traditional thing in some places. Lot of canines, yee- I mean hyenas, alligators, it’s one of those generational things.”

You share a knowing look with Alice. Canines. That explains it. You think you know exactly who would have been enrolled in the military before they were born.

“And you vouch for your husband’s continued good behaviour?”

“Yes, he’s a very good boy.” Nancy sniggers again, but cuts out when Alice glances at her.

“And, uh, with your own citizenship status-”

“I’m a full citizen, yes. Naturalised.” Alice stands up a little straighter. “Is there a problem?”

“No, no, just wondering if you want dual citizenship noted on-”

“I renounced my prior citizenship. I don’t want my kids having any of that shit on file. Understood?”

“Y-yeah, no problem.” June then gulps. She doesn't want to ask the next question.

“You are certain of the paternity of your pregnancy?”

You could hear a pin drop.

“What did you just say?” Alice says, disbelief crossing her face before shifting into murderous rage.

“I just had this shit from his family, and now the State? Do I look like some kind of-”

Alice stops herself, then hisses a sigh out from between her teeth.

“Standard question. Yes. I am quite sure he’s the father of my child.”

June gulps, sweat pouring down her snout.

“Have you considered infidelity in the last seven days?”

“OH FOR FU-”

Sitting at home after the alternately terrifying and tedious process of Alice extricating you from the State’s grasp, you are in the living room, helping your wife out of her suit jacket and taking her shoes before she has the chance to kick them across the room. Once you pull out some baggy casual clothes for her to change into and hang her suit up on a hanger in the hall, you hear a chuckle. Alice is sitting with her legs crossed on the couch, looking much more comfy, with a beatific smile spread across her face.

“Anon, can you come here, babe?” She curls a finger towards you, beckoning. “I think I need a hand undressing and another rub after that waste of time."

You know fine well that if you touch her she won’t let you go any time soon.

“Aren’t we meant to be calling your parents?”

Alice snarls. “My mother, you mean. My father won’t give a shit. Fine. Fine, you’re right. I guess if we’re doing this we’d better do it now.”

“I’ll give you a rub once we’re done, love, okay?”

“You better.”

Alice pulls her laptop from under the coffee table and powers it up.

“I apologise in advance, by the way.”

After some fiddling with an archaic looking VOIP system, she takes a deep breath to steady herself, and presses call on a contact marked as ‘Home’.

After close to a minute of connecting, the line begins to ring. It only takes a few seconds for it to be answered.

The voice that answers speaks in a harsh, clipped tone in a language you can’t understand.

“English, mother. My husband is here.”

“Daughter is that you?”

“Yes mother, it's Alice. Turn your video on.”

After a second of static a picture resolves of a thin, perfectly groomed tiger woman. The fur around her muzzle is going grey, and the skin around her mouth is sagging and wrinkled. Perched atop her snout are a pair of small round spectacles which she stares through at the camera. She sits in an oddly bare room, backlit by a large window looking out across a polluted, unfamiliar skyline.

“You are looking fat, daughter.”

Well that’s a great start.

“Charming as always, mother.” Alice smiles a mirthless smile. “And you are looking old.”

“I thought you were to call me a few weeks ago. What was the problem?”

“Mother. I am pregnant with triplets.” She says each word with emphasis, and gestures to you. “This is my husband, anon. I told you about him. He’s going to be the father of my children.”

The elderly tiger doesn’t even look at you. She simply sighs.

“You are pregnant? You know that will not help your prospects. It is a shame, I have had many offers from the head-wives of other households for your hand.”

The change in Alice's body language is immediate. Although she keeps it from her face, you notice the tell-tale signs of pissed off tiger. A twitch of the whiskers. A stiffening of posture. Her hands are digging into the leather of the couch, the claws nearly piercing the surface while she tries to retain her composure.

“Mother, have you lost some of your hearing in your old age? I just introduced you to my husband. The man I love. I would like it if you would pay him some respect.”

The old woman rolls her eyes. She still pointedly ignores you. You try to force the issue.

“Hello, ma’am, I-”

You’re interrupted.

"You are causing me problems, daughter. You would have been better off as your cousin's eighth wife, instead of being impregnated by this monkey."

Alice sits for a moment in silence, her face a mask, before she replies in a voice filled with hurt and scorn.

“Goodbye mother. Don't call me again unless you're dying."

She leans over and kills the call before her mother can respond. Then she slams the laptop shut so hard that it shakes the whole room. You flinch.

“FUCK!” Alice roars, before slumping over, her head in her hands. She’s crying.

You rush over to her and wrap her in your arms, stroking her head.

“You see what I mean, anon?" She sobs. "They’re all like that. Psychopaths. Fucking cunt. She never loved me, anon. She used to dress me up and show me off to other old hags, try and sell me off for money or a favour."

You can feel how tense she is, balled up in anger, shaking.

"That’s their life, that's how they live, treating their kids like fucking currency.” Alice bares her teeth. “I hated it, I hate her, I hated never seeing the sun, the poisons in the air, all of it. ” She’s still crying, shaking with anger and hurt.

“Well, good thing you’re not there anymore, huh?” You don't really know what else to say.

“Mmhm.” Alice lets out an explosive sigh. You sit and stroke her head for a while longer.

“Anon?” she asks, her voice small and croaky.

“Yeah, love?”

“When I met your parents, I was jealous of you. Your dad… he seemed interested. Always thinking, always doing something.”

“That’s my dad. I miss him, sometimes.” You smile. “Even if he was a pain in my ass growing up.”

“I met my father for the first time when I was five years old. I was presented to him. The only words he said were ‘Another daughter?’ Then he went back to lazing on an altar of pillows. Even then I was angry.”

“Jeez.” You laugh a little. “Your family seem totally fucked, Alice.”

She bursts out of your hug and grabs your shoulders, pressing you into the couch.

“I need you to promise me,” she rasps out, tears in her eyes. “Promise me you’ll be there for our kids.”

“Of course I will, Alice, don-”

“Promise me, damn it. I don’t want them growing up like I did.” She’s giving you the trademark laser eyes now.

“I promise. I promise I’m not going to run away or neglect you, or our kids. Kind of part of the whole husband thing.” You smile ruefully. “Not exactly got anywhere else to be.”

That gets a little smile out of her as well.

"Well, I guess that's true." She shivers and runs a hand across her face, groaning.

"Could you get me out of these clothes, love? I'm getting all achey again, it's too hot in here."

You haven't noticed any temperature change, but then again you're not the one with a triple pregnancy's worth of hormones coursing through your body.

"Of course babe. You need a drink or anything?"

"No, no.” She smiles wanly. “Just get this off me before I tear it off."

She looks worn out. Hopefully a change of clothes and a massage will help her feel better.

You lean over and begin unfastening the buttons on her shirt, each popping free with a release of tension and a grunt of relief.

"Maybe we should have gotten you some maternity clothes."

"For formalwear? Not a chance. I have the next year blocked out in my head and I'm not going to be wearing a dress shirt for a second of it."

"Suit yourself," You shrug, popping button after button, "That's a pun, by the way. I'm going to need to get better at them to annoy the kids."

Alice grins, and lets you pull the now loosened shirt off of her shoulders. "Is that a dad thing?"

"It's a dad thing. My mom and sister used to hate it, but I would just laugh my ass off when my dad did it. It's one of his talents."

Alice snorts, but her smile turns a little sad. "I hope I haven't done any permanent damage in that regard. I think the kids would like him."

You wave her concerns off with a dismissive grunt and having put her shirt on the same hook as her suit jacket, you turn to behold Alice. She's sitting topless on the armrest of the couch, her swollen belly hanging over the waistband of her trousers. The three rows of budding breasts on her abdomen add to a bit of a front-heavy figure, and you'd swear that her fur has gotten thicker recently.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" You say, a wry smile on your face. You get a look that says "Really?" in return.

"Just hurry up and get these trousers off, loverboy. Before I get ornery."

"Oh well we wouldn't want that, would we?"

You kneel before her, leaning in to undo her belt and waistband. The former is easy enough, but the latter requires a bit of effort before it comes undone. Alice grunts in relief as the pressure releases, and pats your head before letting you yank her trousers off and place them, folded, on the couch behind her.

"Good boy. Here." Wearing nothing but her underpants, She pulls you in to her belly, running her claws through your hair. It's too early for any kicks or other movement, but that doesn't stop you from pressing your ear against her swollen abdomen.

"You did this to me, hubby." Alice says softly.

You sit there for a moment, on your knees, letting her cradle your head against her stomach, before lurching to your feet and wrapping your arms around her, burying your face in her chest fluff. As she returns the embrace you feel the press of her body and the soft thump of her heart. She smells wonderful. You don’t know if it's a hormonal thing, pheromone bullshit or just your imagination, but Alice smells like a goddess now.

“Alright you can stop huffing me,” she giggles, “and give me that rub down you promised.”

Honestly, you want to fuck her. You want to push her backwards onto the couch and knock her up all over again. But that’s not what she needs right now.

Instead, you circle round behind her and onto the couch, embracing her again from behind. You start by running your fingers deep through the fur on her neck and shoulders. Apparently it's one of the things anthros find most attractive about humans, the deftness of their fingers.

Of course you’d learned this a decade ago from a certain police officer, who had made the whole class laugh by motioning exactly which human finger motions were her favourite and thus the information could be slightly suspect.

Alice, for what it’s worth, just likes to feel you digging deep into the tense muscles and thick fur of her back, neck and shoulders. She lets out appreciative feline noises as you firmly rub, prod and massage her back, soothing the pains of carrying all that unfamiliar weight up front. You move down her sides, squeezing her newly thickened thighs and hips with a relish that probably goes a bit past any therapeutic necessity. After a good few minutes of giggling, chuffing and purring, Alice leans back into you, letting you take the weight of her body and resting her head next to yours.

“Can you do my front, as well? They’re getting a little sensitive.”

You plant a kiss on her cheek, permit a retaliatory nuzzling, and then wrap your arms around her from behind. You start from the bottom, running your hands over her belly and up to the lowest pair of breasts.

You cup them, feeling Alice tense up and begin breathing heavily. You give them a gentle squeeze, rubbing your hands across them, letting Alice lean further back onto you until you are fully supporting her, every tweak of a nipple causing her to jolt and yelp as you knead her developing teats.

“God, anon. You’re too good at this. You know before long I’m going to start leaking, right?”

“Can’t wait.” You move up to the next pair of breasts, planting a kiss into Alice’s neck as you do so. She shifts and lets you pull her back onto the couch so the two of you can lay down across it. After a few seconds where you’re just stuck under her considerable heft, she rolls over to lay side by side with you.

“Can, can you suckle for me, just this once?” She asks, almost bashful. You hesitate. Neither you nor Alice have ever really been interested in ‘mommy’ stuff, it just doesn’t push the buttons. But right now…

You lean over and kiss the nipple of one of her primary breasts, before opening your mouth to purse your lips around it. You experimentally begin to suck and lick at the hard, puffy nub, while Alice cradles your head.

“Nhhn… good boy…” Alice shudders and holds you in close. You feel like you’re in a daze, committing some kind of taboo act. Alice, for her part, is whimpering. She sniffles a little, before leaning down to whisper in your ear.

“I love you, husband…” You feel her relax totally, drawing a leg over yours and snuggling you close. You wriggle free and are about to return the declaration when you realise she’s konked out, holding you like her precious lost teddy. You decide you’re going to say it anyway.

“I love you too, Alice.”