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Chapter 3 – The Mallard's Unruly Pet

For several, interminably long seconds, Jake's eyes remained fixated on the animal, completely still, trying his best to process what was happening.

His daydreaming was interrupted by the voice of his father.

“Jake? What is this dog doing here?" He asked, looking at his son.

“I-I-I found it," he lied, quickly trying to come up with a convincing story.

“Emma, move away from it." stated Jake's mother, a bit of apprehension in her voice, “What do you mean you found it? Whose dog is this?" she asked.

“No-nobody's…." he explained, “I was walking around with some friends when I saw it… her. She…was lying in a puddle in the city center, hungry and sad, and I-I decided to bring her home," he continued, the words spouting from his mouth as they appeared in his mind. “She had no collar or anything. I tried looking around, asking if anyone had lost her, and I went to the police, but there was no one looking for her, so I thought…"

His mother ignored him, seeing that her daughter was starting to move toward the dog, who looked at her intensely, although it wasn't backing away from her. A little smile appeared on Emma's lips as the dog's posture relaxed slightly, letting herself be touched by the kid.

“Emma!" the woman shouted, “I said to stay away from that dog, you could catch lice!" she explained, taking a tentative half-step towards the large animal.

As the dog saw her moving, she immediately turned at her, growling aggressively.

The woman took a step back, her eyes widening.

“E-easy girl," she stuttered, shooting a concerned look towards her daughter.

“I think she's a bit distrustful of adults," explained Jake, moving closer to the animal. “Don't worry, I'll keep her in check. she seems to listen to me." he added, gently pushing Emma away from the creature, much to the kid's protest.

“You still shouldn't have done it!" said the woman, turning towards him, unconvinced, “What has gotten to you? Grabbing a mangy dog from the side of the road and bringing it home?" she asked him, grabbing the little girl and holding her tight, checking that she was fine.

Jake did his best to ignore the enraged look that Daheera had given his mother, the disguised hellhound appearing willing to eat her.

“She's not mangy," Jake observed. “I cleaned her, gave her a bath, brushed her fur and everything."

“I mean, it doesn't look like a stray," his father commented, examining the dog. “Maybe it was just a recent one? Are you sure that nobody came to look for it...For her?" he asked, looking at his son.

He nodded.

“Can we keep her?" asked Emma, “She's cute," she said, managing to snake away from her mother, reprising her stroking of the animal's pelt.

“Emma! Come back!" Claire said, “I... I don't think we should…it's a stray dog…she could have all sorts of diseases," she said.

“Please mommy," said Emma. “She's friendly, see?" she added, the dog giving her a big lick, causing a shrill and a giggle from the little girl. “What's her name?" asked Jake's sister.

“S-she's D…Dora." he said, trying to sound nonchalant, “and yes, she's very friendly, she's only gonna need a little time to get acquainted with you guys." he stated, trying to tentatively put his hand against the dog's thigh, stroking it lightly with a trembling arm.

The two parents exchanged a look.

“If you say so…Still, a dog this size…is a lot of responsibility," Jake's mother observed, still on the edge, “She needs food, someone that walks her, regular baths."

“Don't worry, I'll take care of everything!" said Jake, “I have already bought a leash, the bowls, and her food. I will deal with every problem."

“Yes!" said Emma, “and I will help him."

Jake's mother looked at her two children, as his husband pulled her aside.

“Please Claire, the kids like her, and she doesn't seem a stray to me," said Mike. “There is probably someone who is looking for her, but in the meantime, maybe we could just keep her. The backyard is big enough."

He glanced at his son, who had turned toward Emma and the dog.

“Plus," he whispered, inching closer to his wife, “Jake seems to really care about it, and you know how much he needs friends. Even non-human ones."

The woman sighed.

“I'm gonna regret this, but… Okay." she began, “But you will promise to bring her to the veterinary tomorrow, deal?" she asked, pointing at Jake.

“Of course, tomorrow morning!" he answered, giving her mother a thumbs up.

Claire Mallard nodded.

“Well, the trip left me kinda tired." The woman stated. “So, If you need me, I'm gonna be inside, taking a nap before making dinner."

“Okay dear," said his father, turning toward Jake. “Did you bring the suitcase upstairs, as I've asked?"

Jake gave him a nod.

“Great," he observed, starting to follow his wife. “And Emma, remember that you have Ms. Evans' reading to do for tomorrow. Let's go do it!"

“I'll do it later," said the kid, still hugging the dog.

“Come oooon…" the man began, “If you do it, I'll give you a cooookie…"

“Yay, cookies!" said the little girl, leaving the animal and proceeding to run inside, as Mike turned towards Jake.

“Hey Jake, wanna grab a cookie as well?" he asked.

He smiled.

“No, thanks Dad. I think I'll walk Dora; I'm meeting a friend outside."

“Well, have fun." he said.

He nodded, and began to move away from the house, 'Dora' diligently following him.

As the two turned towards the corner, Jake's nostrils filled with the now familiar smell of smoke, as Daheera looked at him with her usual appearance.

“Why didn't you tell me you had one of those in your household?" said Daheera, an annoyed expression on her nuzzle as she glanced down at the boy.

He looked at her, a mix of fear and confusion on his face. “I d-dunno...why should I have told you?"

“Human kids can see us," She explained, sighing in defeat “They can see all spirits and supernatural beings…I thought you would be aware of this."

“And how could I have been?" he said, puzzled. “You really should stop being so stingy with hidden information."

Calmly, the hellhound snapped her finger, conjuring his copy of Anthology of the American Esotericism and Occult practices in her left hand, flipping through its pages.

“Page 71, first half," she stated, lowering the book to let him read the section she was mentioning.

As he started reading, his expression gradually turned into one of embarrassment.

“H-how did you know that?" He asked.

“Mh, I read your book yesterday. I was bored, and I wanted to see how much humans had learned about us."

“S-still," he said, trying to recover his previous tone. “What was that in the garden? Why did you turn into a dog?"

“I thought it was a good disguise. After all, it makes sense for big dogs to bark at another big dog." Daheera said.

“But…don't you feel that it's a bit too big? You're like, not that much shorter than m-me."

“Well, you aren't a giant." She stated, before Jake saw her demeanor gradually changing, her muzzle bending down, her ears low, her shoulders slightly hunched forward.

“B-but yeah, it wasn't the smartest move in hindsight…" she explained, “she got me by surprise, I guess…when she yelled, that was the first thing that came into my mind. I…didn't stop to consider why a giant dog would be there."

Jake looked at her, hiding his surprise at the unexpected behavior.

“I mean, it's fine," he said, smiling up at her. “It was a good idea. I just hope they believed me, I kinda panicked. And you seemed very aggressive to them."

“Well, that woman said I had lice!" exclaimed Daheera, baring her teeth. “Who does she think she is to belittle me like that?" She continued, cursing her servitude silently. If only there was a way out of it, she thought.

“She deserves to be eaten for such blatant disrespect." She stated, calmly.

Jake paled.

“L-l-let's not do that, okay?" he said, trying to collect himself. “I o-order you, as your master, to leave them alone."

She shot a glance at him. An idea had come to her mind, but she would need to play along for now to put it to fruition. But if it worked, she could at least evade the surveillance that being a rank-and-file summoned entailed.

“Fine" she huffed, crossing her arms, “But I don't like them."

“That's f-fine. After all, they kind of expect you to growl at them now."

She nodded. “If they keep their distance, all the better."

“I'm curious, why didn't you do the same for Emma?" he asked.

“The little human, you mean?" Daheera asked, “Well, judging from how her scent is all over my fur, she seems to be very fond of me. I just thought that your little story would have benefitted from some more persuasion." she explained, dryly.

He looked up at Daheera. He wasn't completely on board with her explanation, but he knew better than to argue with her at this point. Plus, he convened that without Emma's pleas, he wouldn't have been able to convince his parents.

“But in all fairness, that was a decent story," the hellhound commented, “Although I would rather not have been covered in whatever in Hell's name that midget had been touching with her little hands. But I guess you can take care of that?" she asked, smiling down at jake.

He stared up at her, “s-sure, no problem."

“Oh, just to be clear, I ain't your lap dog," she stated, annoyed. “Do not try to make me eat that garbage you give to your dogs, or else…" she added, glaring at him.

He gave her a quick nod, trying to remain still.

“And another thing," she said, pacing slightly closer, stooping down to his level, grinning, “If you ever try to pet me again, I will tear your arm straight off…and I will make sure the process is as painful as possible to you. Have I made myself clear?" she asked, still grinning, caressing the laces of his hoodie with a claw.

He stared at her.

“C-crystalline." he muttered, in a trembling tone.

She nodded, “Good boy." She commented, ruffling his hair as she rose to her full height.

The day after, Jake left his phone ringing for a lot of time before he decided to wake up.

He groggily looked at the time. Half past seven am.

Another Monday ahead of him. He had stayed up hours after dinner, cleaning and brushing Daheera's fur. By the time the hellhound was content enough to let him go to sleep, It was almost one in the morning.

Begrudgingly climbing down the bed, he stumbled over something huge, that made him fall on the floor face first.

On the ground, he saw the large dog form of Daheera at his side, who effortlessly shrugged him off her hindquarters.

“Ouch," he said, as his knees hit the ground.

“You should look where you're going," said Daheera, rising from his sleeping bag.

He stared at the large dog for a moment, startled by hearing words coming out of what looked like a normal animal mouth. It took him a moment to remember what had happened yesterday.

“Yeah, makes sense." he said, “You could have slept outside though, what if anyone sees you?" He considered.

Annoyance overtook her dog features. “I don't care what you want your parents to believe, I'm not sleeping on the ground." she stated. “It's already bad enough laying on this thing," she added, eyeing the torn, compressed bedroll.

Shortly thereafter, Jake felt the front door closing.

“Fucking finally," exclaimed Daheera, a puff of black smoke enveloping her as she reacquired her hellhound form. “I hope they will be out as much as possible. That kid was always looking to see if I was asleep."

“They will be, at least all morning." Explained Jake.

An idea crept into Daheera's mind. Maybe she could start paving the way toward her goals.

“Oh, this is great news," she said, her voice much softer than before, “we will have some time for ourselves then," she observed, pacing closer to Jake and caressing his chin with a nail.

She could barely stifle a giggle as she saw the effect of her touch on the guy's face.

“S-s-sure," he stammered. “What do you have in mind."

“Nothing much…I just need your help, if you're up to it." She said, smiling smugly.

He looked up at her, trying to understand where this was going.

“The other day I realized something." she continued, “Although I can't really grow to my usual size here, there is something else that I can do…I'm a bit rusty with it though, so I would love to practice."

“What is it? W-what do I have to do?" he asked, unsure.

“Well, you see…I can shrink people...so I was wondering if…" she said, letting it be clear what she was implying.

Jake's eyes widened, his cheeks becoming beet red. A few days before, he would have dismissed her statement as pure fantasy, but by now it was clear what she was capable of, and this wasn't that hard to believe.

He really wasn't the biggest fan of being reduced to the size of a mouse or a bug, at the mercy of someone several times bigger than him, but on the other hand, the image of her growing after the midterm party, looming over him even more than usual had been incredibly arousing.

He avoided her gaze, wondering how towering Daheera would have looked to him when he was just a few inches tall.

The demoness must have sensed his doubts, because she spoke again.

“Don't worry, this will be fun." She said, “And it's something that has been on my mind since yesterday, so being able to do this will make me…very happy." she added, in an enticing tone.

He gulped, almost melting under her alluring gaze.

“Of… of course, I-I will be g-glad," said Jake, trembling slightly.

“That's what I hoped to hear…" stated the demoness, “I promise it will be great."

With that, she snapped her fingers, a cloud of smoke briefly enveloping the guy.

When he was able to see again, he found himself standing on a large, flat surface, a floor made of tiles almost twice as wide as he was tall, while a huge metal pole stood in the distance. It took him a while to realized that it was just one of the legs of his bed.

As he took in the sight before him, with not a little amount of marvel, a huge voice thundered from the heavens.

“What a cute lil' boy you are. Even more adorable than usual." Daheera said, before a huge object fell just in his field of view, causing the ground to shake as it touched the floor.

It took him a moment to understand that the object the size of a house that was standing ten feet in front of him was a paw, each of its roundish but slender toes longer than his father's car.

“So," boomed the voice from above, “What do you think?" she asked, scrunching her toes absentmindedly.

“Wow, that's so cool." he said, looking around and then up, seeing her canine muzzle curved in a smile, looming over him “H-how big am I?" he asked.

“Glad you like it," she said. “You are a 12th of your original size, so…around 5 and a half inches, give or take. Is that good? I can always make you smaller," she stated, a sensual smile accompanying the last sentence.

He froze, still staring at her. “N-no, this works for the moment," he said. Looking at her, he could have sworn that he was a lot smaller than that, but again, she was huge even at his normal size.

She nodded.

“Well, given that you're down there…" she began, sizing him up, “Would you mind giving my paw some love?"

Before he could realize what she was doing, her left paw came right at him, stopping just shy of knocking him down.

The four fridge-sized pads wiggled expectantly, and getting the hint, he started to massage them, his hands rubbing and kneading the hard, thick skin.

“Good start," said Daheera, raising her paw just a little, “You did your homework." She could barely feel his little hands on her hide, but as usual, the psychological stimulation was compensating for any lack of physical one. She had even lowered the temperature of her soles to allow him to work on them properly and comfortably. It was working. The little man appeared overeager to massage them, and she watched him stepping on the space between the two toes and reaching down, putting some elbow oil on kneading and rubbing the reddish black beans, the pads, and the two countertop-height toes that surrounded him.

“Oh oh." Said Daheera. “You know how to treat your familiar well. Or maybe you just are really fond of them?"

Indeed, Jake was thoroughly enjoying the sensations of her skin on his own, passing his hands between the strands of otherworldly soft fur again and again, feeling the powerful muscles beneath each of the toes.

Felling a bit playful, and wanting to get more comfortable, the hellhound suddenly tightened the two toes around his form, grasping Jake in a firm, yet gentle grip, giggling as she raised the paw and moved it through the air, using the other one to sit down on the bed, carrying her little masseuse along as if her leg was a crane.

As she was settled down, she presented her foot to the shrunken human again, laying her back on the bed as he reprised his massages, until she noticed the occasional soft peck on her skin.

“My my, it seems I was correct. " she commented, with a chuckle.“That's great, because they like you a lot."

An idea jumped on her mind.

“Take your clothes off," she ordered, “And I will show you how much."

He did as he instructed, and she smiled at his little erection, barely visible from her point of view; then, with another swift movement, her paw was around his lower body, the tip of the claws of her second and third toe reaching his hips.

Putting just enough weight on the paw to pin him down, her toes shifted forward slightly, covering his abs and lower chest, and then backward, tilting the foot up a smidge to pass the pad of her third toe over his nether region.

She continued this process, kneading his erect dick under her skin, as a hand reached toward her love tunnel, until she felt something thick and slimy wetting her toes.

“Aww, done already?" she said.

For all answers, he reached up with his arms, pulling himself up and kissing one of the black nails.

She smiled, and moved her feet back, away from his body, gesturing for him to stand up.

“Let's try something else," she said, feeling a different slimy liquid on the finger that was massaging her labia.

She lowered it towards him, slathering him in her juices completely, before her left paw again reached him, her toes spreading and then grabbing him.

“There, nice and easy," she said, feeling his tiny member at the joint between two toes. She then started kneading them, easily rising and lowering her toes along his body thanks to the lubricant, giving his form the occasional gentle squeeze, pressing his nether and midsection against her furred hide. Her fingering increased in intensity: She loved this, and she knew that her lover shared her feelings. They always did.

After all, getting a full body footjob was not a common everyday occurrence.

Indeed, less than three minutes later he had already exploded again, spreading his cum all over the fur of her middle toes.

Satisfied with the result, she released the panting, tired human from her grasp, letting him rest for a second before grabbing him again, this time between the thumb and forefinger of her right hand.

“Great job little one," she said, as he was brought to her face. “You got me all worked up," she added.

Jake smiled, breathing heavily.

“So, as a reward, I will let you decide what you want to do afterwards," she said.

Instinctually, his eyes glanced at the two globes sitting under her collarbone.

“Oh, I see that you already made up your mind," she stated, smiling. “Well, I guess it can't be helped, they were pretty big even at your normal size," she observed, cupping her left breast with the elbow of her other arm, slowly pushing them against each other.

So mesmerized was Jake by the sight, that he didn't even notice that she was lowering him towards the two orbs, until he felt the pressure on his midsection release, and he started plummeting toward her cleavage.

Luckily, the fall was pretty short, his body making contact with the soft flesh, rapidly starting to sink in between the two warehouse-sized spheres.

“Hope they are comfy enough for you," the hellhound said, keeping the same sultry tone in her voice, adjusting them to avoid making him slip between her gorge-like cleavage.

Seeing that he was secure, her free hand moved again towards her clit, exciting a soft moan.

Grabbing ahold of her fur, Jake did his best to pull himself up, struggling to emerge from the tons of flesh until her clawed hand fished him out.

“There you go," she said, lovingly, putting him over her sternum, his crotch just against the fur on top of her cleavage.

“Whenever you're ready," she sang , eyeing him expectantly.

It took him a moment to understand what she meant, but afterward, he started to push himself up, grinding his cock up and down the slit of her cleavage aggressively, moaning at the sensation of her soft flesh and fur under and around it.

“My my, can't believe you have still so much energy left after my massage," she said, genuine surprise in her tone.

“It's just that your body is fucking gorgeous," he said.

She smiled.

“You are awesome, you're by far the best thing that's ever happened to me." he blurted out, lost in the sensations.

She stopped for a moment, feeling an unfamiliar warmness in her chest.

“What's wrong?" Jake asked.

She shook her head. “N-nothing," she said. “I just think you're adorable. You deserve the special treatment."

As her sentence ended, Jake didn't feel the ground under his feet anymore, and he started to fall again, until two soft mounds closed around him, easily enveloping his form.

He smiled, understanding what had happened, as his body was trapped inside Daheera's chest, gently squeezed and smushed, dragged up and down the fur-covered skin.

Occasionally, Daheera gave her tits a firmer squeeze, knocking the air out of his lungs, before releasing the pressure.

This massage made the sensation quickly become unbearable, waves of pleasure erupting from his crotch, spreading all over his body as he started moaning, reveling in the softness of her fur and flesh.

“Cum for me, little Jakey." she cooed, closing her eyes and pressing her F-cups together.

This was enough to bring him over the edge, and with a deep, animalistic moan, he came for the third time in less than an hour, spraying his semen all over the cleavage.

As he sighed in exhaustion, he felt two fingers grabbing him, hoisting him up from his arm until he was face to face with Daheera's muzzle again, her head appearing bigger than the house they were both in.

“You really made a mess of yourself." Daheera stated, “I should punish you for being such a dirty little rodent, spreading your fluids all over my fur," she added, her suddenly stern tone making him worry that she was serious.

Seeing his reaction, the hellhound expression softened.

“Aww, I can't do that," she cooed. “You're too cute for this, little master." she added, poking his nose with the tip of her other pointer, making him dangle slightly.

“Let me clean you up," she said, smiling, opening her maw and bringing him closer.

The touch of her long tongue made Jake shiver, its wet surface, wider than his chest, feeling like a rough carpet while it covered his body in hot saliva.

With a grin, Daheera immediately realized that her licking was having another effect, the tip of her pink muscle feeling something stiff on his crotch.

“You're still ready to go?" she asked, with a little marvel. “The training is definitely working."

She smiled as he became beet red, before raising him over her muzzle.

“Well, you taste great," she said “And I would be keen for more…"

As his tacit consent, she opened her maw and let him go, making him land on the middle of her tongue.

He looked around, gasping at the sight before him, the pinkish vault that was the roof of her mouth standing a good ten feet above, each of the pointy molars protruding from it bigger than his head, while the tongue he was standing on was the size of his body; It took him a lot of courage to look ahead, seeing the boxing-bag like uvula dangling at the end of Daheera's maw, suspended just above an impossibly deep dark pit…

A mixture of awe and fear overtook him as the palate started to move toward him, the two razor-sharp canines the size of mailboxes on top of him coming closer and closer. He turned, trying to jump away from them, slipping on the saliva that covered the “floor", barely managing to grab one of the lower canines to avoid falling.

She smiled, feeling every emotion on his mind as struggled inside her mouth, and moved her tongue slightly, pushing him out of harm's way.

With a second flick of her tongue, the shrunken Jake was turned and slipped underneath the muscle, allowing him to rest the floor of her mouth for a second, before the enormous tongue reprised his assault, pushing him towards her incisors.

The strength of Jake's struggles was a pleasant surprise for Daheera.

Normally, the people she put inside her mouth were comparatively much smaller than he was, and while she loved the feeling of the ant sized damned pointless fighting against her giant sea monster-like tongue, there was something almost as enticing in having it face someone that could maybe hold his own against it.

Then again, the battle was still anything but fair, and it didn't take long for the exhausted boy to surrender, letting the pink mass do as it pleased.

Holding him up against the wall formed by the hellhound's incisors, the tip of the tongue slowly and deliberately caressed his balls, a resounding giggle reverberating through the cavern as it fondled his testes gently.

Outside the confines of her mouth, Daheera's hand almost ached as she pushed her pointer and middle finger inside and then out, pinching her clit in a tight grasp between her thumb and the lower phalanx of the pointer as she fingered herself.

Feeling him getting close, she slithered the tongue under his butt, scooping him with the tip of her tongue and raising him up slightly, her tastebuds still caressed his testes, until he came again, the feeling on her sensitive tissue making her moan.

Savoring the taste of his semen, she masturbated even more aggressively, until, with a howling moan that made his whole body vibrate, she ejaculated, rearing her head back, barely managing to stop herself from swallowing her little lover whole.

Panting heavily, she lowered her head on the bed and opened her mouth, letting the little exhausted boy slide out of it, his form lying unconscious in a puddle of her spit.

She looked at him, worried that she had maybe gone too far, until she saw his body stirring.

“Good morning," Daheera joked, smiling down at his form. “I gather that you enjoyed it,"

He nodded, still too weak to talk, a big smile plastered on his face.

“I know I'm repeating myself, but you look extremely cute right now," she stated, “maybe I should keep you a few inches tall for the time being… or even smaller than that," she chuckled. “I could even make the shrinking permanent if you want."

His eyes widened at hearing her, and he started to panic.

“Relax, little boy." she cooed, “I was just joking. Besides, I'm not powerful enough as a familiar to keep you like that in perpetuity. But if you like it, we can do it again. I had a lot of fun." she said, smiling at the last sentence.

He gulped. “Y-yes p-please," he stuttered, “That was i-incredible!"

“Same for me. You're a good, well-behaved servant. I feel that anyone in Hell would kill to have you at their service." she replied, snapping her fingers.

As he pondered about these last words, not really sure how to feel about it, he started coughing as a grey smoke cloud again surrounded him, filling his lungs for a moment.

It dissipated quickly, and as it did, he saw the familiar sight of his room before his eyes, all the objects reaquiring the size he was used to, including the upper body of his hellhound familiar, which was smiling down at him, comparatively much less imposing than before.

He remained still as his eyes saw the demoness's hand moving toward him, touching the top of his head.

“You know," stated Daheera, gently caressing the boy's hair, “I think I'm starting to like you, Jakey… too bad we only have a little more than four days left together…I would gladly spend more time with you," she said, melancholically.

His cheeks became beet red, and he looked away from her.

“What's wrong, boy? Wouldn't you like it if we could stay together just a little longer?"

He nodded.

“Y-yes, that would be w-wonderful."

A warm smile appeared on her face.

“I'm glad…I thought that I was just a little helper…that you would immediately discard me when you got the chance…I'm happy that it's not like that."

“Well, honestly… there's nothing…little about you." he blurted out. He bit his tongue, cursing himself silently. What a dumb thing to say to a girl that it's expressing something for you!

Why was he unable to not be weird for a second?

To his surprise, a chuckle escaped Daheera's lips.

“I guess that's true…but it doesn't seem to be a problem to you, is it?"

He looked at her, shaking his head.

“Good." She said, still smiling at him, before sighing, “Well…I guess we can still enjoy our time together while I'm here… However brief."

As Jake started to think about it, he heard the door downstairs opening.

“Shit, hide!" he said to Daheera.

“Jake?" he heard the voice of his mother ask, “Are you home already? I heard someone talking."

He darted downstairs, almost slamming the door of his room in the process.

“Yeah…the teacher wasn't feeling well," he lied, “so he sent us an email to say that class won't be in session today."

“I see," said his mother. “Where is the dog?" she asked, “She wasn't in the garden...did she run away?" she asked, unable to decide if she was worried or relieved.

He froze as they both heard heavy steps directly above the kitchen ceiling.

“What. The. hell. Is she doing. Upstairs?" his mother yelled. “Didn't I tell you to keep her in the backyard?" she asked, starting to move toward the stairs, stomping angrily on the steps.

As she reached the top of the staircase, Claire was met with the huge form of the black dog standing just before her, who was looking at the woman with her teeth bared, an angry glint in her large yellowish eyes.

This display was enough to make the suburban mother hesitate for a moment, taking a step away before she collected herself again.

“Shoo. Get down!" she yelled, making a stern face to the animal.

For all answers, 'Dora' started growling, appearing on the verge of pouncing on Claire.

“Stupid dog… what the-“ she said, before his son emerged from under her, putting himself in front of the woman.

“Dora... It's me, Jake. Calm down." he said, trying his best to keep his composure, “It's okay. She doesn't want to hurt you, calm down." he explained, putting his hands in front of him.

The dog relaxed a little, his expression slightly less aggressive, her eyes still fixated on the woman.

“It's fine, everything is alright." Jake said, approaching the dog. “Let's go outside."

Claire moved out of the way as the animal started to climb down the stairs, exiting through the backdoor that Jake was keeping open.

“You will bring that dog to the veterinary after lunch." His mother stated, glacially. “And this is an order."

“Yes, ma'am." He said, looking at her and nodding apologetically.

“Good. And keep her away from me and from Emma, or else she's back in the gutter. Have I made myself clear?"

He looked down, without speaking.

“Have I made myself clear, Jake?" Claire repeated.

“Yes, you have." he answered, weakly.

“Good, now help me with the groceries." the woman said, walking out the front door in annoyance.

As he walked towards the veterinary, Jake's mind was swirling with thoughts, mostly involving what he had barely managed to stop from happening. On one hand, he knew that her mother had kinda instigated it, and that Daheera had been pretty clear that she didn't like to be treated like a dog.

However, the rage and malignity he had seen beyond the demoness' eyes were worrisome…he should try to do something about it.

He needed to talk to Daheera, and define some ground rules, if they were to continue this charade for the rest of the week. He inhaled, and spoke.

“I'm sorry she behaved like that," he said, looking at the large dog beside her. Maybe apologizing and trying to take the first step would help smooth out things, he thought.

“You should be!" she stated, dryly. “Who the hell does she think she is?"

“I… think she is just scared and worried about you being there maybe."

“Still, this is not a justification to treat me like a piece of crap."

“Well, you did growl at her."

“I did because she was yelling at me," Daheera said, “Who does this woman think she is dealing with? I could just shrink her to the size of a bug and eat her. I've killed people for less." she stated, turning away from him.

He paled at the mental image.

“L-let's not do t-that, okay? He asked, beginning to tremble, “I think that t-there is a better way to deal with the situation."

“Sure" she convened. “I could just enslave her, let her clean my paws and teeth every morning. That would be the bare minimum for such disrespect to a high-ranking demoness"

He closed his fist. “Y-you won't do anything." he stated, forcing himself to sound firm. “You are at my service, and this means that, for the rest of the week, you will leave them alone, okay? You will not do anything to harm or force them to do something they don't want to do."

She looked at him, marveling at the balls that he had finally managed to grow.

“Are we clear with that?" he asked, a hard look in his eyes.

She sighed. “…Fine, screw them. I will leave them alone."

“Promise it."

“What the Hell? I don't make promises." she snarled.

“Promise it." he repeated.

“Ughh…I promise that I will not harm your family, okay?"

He looked at her. Daheera's expression was hard to decipher in this form.

“Look," she began, “I might not like them, but I like you…so I guess that if that's important for you…I will leave them alone."

He smiled.

“Thank you."

A sudden thought came into his mind.

“You know, I thought a little bit about what you said in the morning," he stated, “What if there is, in fact, a way?"

She looked at him. The seeds were already growing.

“A way for what?" she asked.

“A way for you to remain here…even for just a bit longer," he said, looking away from her in embarrassment.

“Oh, that would be wonderful." She observed, hiding her excitement.

“I looked inside the book, but I couldn't find anything about permanent summoning." He explained. “You are quite knowledgeable about this though, maybe you have some ideas… I dunno, some spells or something we could do."

“Well," she began, feigning thinking for a second, before reprising, “I remember my father telling me about a ritual that could help us with that, something that would release me from my servitude, but I can't recall the details… It seemed to be complex though. And will probably require a high price."

His eyes lit up. “I… I don't care if it's complex" he admitted, “C-could you maybe ask him?"

“I mean, I could try," she lied. “But I don't assure anything."

“That would be great." He said.

“Alright…remind me where are we going?" she said, changing topic, looking around.

“To the veterinary."

She glared at him.

“W-wait, it's not for real!" he explained, in a fearful tone. “You'll just use some of your charms and stuff, convince him that everything is alright, and he will send us home with a certificate, so we can ease my mom's worries."

She looked at him for a minute, closing her eyes slightly.

“I guess it could work." she finally said.

As they entered the veterinary clinic, they saw half a dozen people inside, waiting like them to be received by the doctor.

The two immediately noticed how, amongst the various animals packed in the small waiting room, one seemed to turn towards Daheera's immediately: a huge Great Dane, held on a leash by a balding middle-aged man. However, contrary to what had happened with the other dogs, it didn't seem scared or threatened by her. Instead, it was looking at her with interest, even going so far as sniffing her butt, panting and barking excitedly.

The man holding him laughed, “Oh, it seems that Cash has made a new friend. I must say, I rarely see a dog bigger than him," he said. “What race is your one, boy?" he asked.

“She-she's a crossbreed," stated Jake, trying to move Daheera away.

“Well, whatever she is, he seems to like her."

For her part, Daheera made immediately clear to the dog that she didn't share its interest in the slightest, baring her teeth and growling at him. She knew that in this situation, her charms would only make things worse, but maybe , if she appeared threatening enough, the dog would desist.

Cash didn't flinch at the intimidation, instead inching even closer to her, wagging his tail in happiness and excitement.

Oh, you are slow on the uptake, are you? Thought Daheera. Let's see if this makes you understand.

Suddenly, a loud growl was heard by both Jake and the Great Dane's owner, and as they turned, they saw that Daheera was practically over the other dog, trying to bite him, struggling to find purchase on its neck.

“DORA!" Jake yelled, pulling her leash, “Stop it. Right now!"

“Dora" didn't appear to notice him, still trying to close her jaws onto the flesh of the other dog, which was starting to do the same.

“I said stop it!" he commanded, pulling her with all of his might. “Fucking stupid dog," he said, giving her a glacial stare.

Hearing his tone, she relented, releasing Cash from her grasp just enough for the man to take control of the dog back, the animal now barking and growling at her aggressively.

“WHOA," the man exclaimed, “I think you should get her checked, there is something very wrong with her." He added, looking at his dog, seeing if it was alright, starting to drag Cash to the other side of the room, pulling the big dog's leash with all his might.

Luckily, this was the only accident, and after a brief check-up, the two exited the clinic, avoiding the worried gazes of the other patients on their way out.

“That was unwarranted." Stated Jake.

“I had told him to leave me alone," said Daheera, scoffing “But he didn't get the hint. I was just making sure that he understood I was serious."

“I think you could have done it differently."

“I think," stated Daheera, glaring at him again,“that his owner should have given him something to keep his heat in check."

He froze under her stare. “D-don't you think you could have lost your cover there?" he tentatively said.

“Don't doubt my methods," said Daheera “Most dogs bark at me. I am just giving them a reason to do so."

The two reprised their walk silently, with Jake wondering if the situation was really as simple as she depicted it.

The rest of Monday and all of Tuesday passed in a breeze, with both Jake and Daheera not wanting to speak about her outbursts anymore, nor about their feelings.

Almost surprisingly, Daheera kept her promise, and her behavior towards Jake's parent improved substantially, much to the boy's relief.

During those days, Jake often found himself wondering the reason behind her aggressiveness. Sure, she had seemed very annoyed about her needing to cover up in front of her sister, but at the same time, she was playing her role very well, and although she was still wary of her parents, keeping them at a distance and mostly ignoring their orders, her relationship with Emma was cordial if not friendly, the little kid starting to grow very fond of their new dog.

During one of his reflections, he recalled how she seemed most annoyed at her status, her indentured servitude bothering her ever since she first met her.

Perhaps the ritual could help with that?

He thought back at what she had said about it. She had described it as complex, and costly. He knew enough about this stuff to imagine what was the price, but if that could free her from that servitude, that would maybe make her happy again? It could be worth a try.

The hellhound cocked her head, “What are you thinking about?" Daheera said, with a hint of annoyance.

“Nothing," he said, blinking… I was just wondering… Did you manage to talk to your father?"

A knowing light crept up in her eyes for an instant, fading before he could notice it.

“Yes, I did…I had to push him a little, but I got the details." she said, smiling more evidently now. “I feel we could do that, it's a bit less complex than I thought it would be"

“Really?" he said, hope visible in his face.

She nodded “For starters, it doesn't require you to find volcanic ash and a living goat," she said. “Although…it still requires a sacrifice." She added, her features darkening as she spoke.

He clenched his fist “Like what? One of my arms? I mean…I guess I could live without that."

“N-not really," she said, looking at him with a very serious face “For the demon to be able to maintain itself permanently in this world, they need to find a soul that they can inhabit…a soul that the owner must forsake."

“W-what?" he said, trying to get his head around her words.

“Someone has to die Jake." She explained, “The only way that a demon can manifest their true self in this world is for them to occupy the soul that someone had sacrificed to them."

Jake froze at the implications. For a moment, he considered sacrificing his own body, but this would mean…that he would be transported to Hell, while Daheera would remain here, for who knows how long.

They will still be separated, so it would be all for nothing. If they wanted to go along with the plan and stay together…they needed to find someone else.

“I-is there no other way?" he asked, his visage pale.

She shook her head, “I'm… afraid not. The other methods are far more complicated, and it's not something that we can accomplish…" she said, looking at the clock in his room, “in less than 48 hours."

“But…I can't kill someone," he stated. “Nor I can let someone die."

“Yeah, I understand, I didn't imagine you would," she said, her ears flopping low, “I guess that this will mean that our hours together are almost over." She added.

Tears started to well up in his face.

“Hey, don't cry," she stated, caressing his cheek with one of her clawed hands. “It was fun while it lasted" she added “I guess we could just make the most of what you have, and hope we find our way to each other when you die."

He sniffled.

“I guess." He mumbled.

“Come on…cheer up!" She said, “We can still enjoy the time we have left!"

“If you say so…" he said, unconvinced.

“And I can still use this time together to help you. After all, that was my obligation."

He thought about it for a moment, before he nodded, giving her a weak smile.

“That's more like it," she said, reciprocating the smile. “Now let's see if we can find a date for you."

With that, she turned into her dog form, hinting at the door with her eyes.

During the walk at the park, Jake's eyes were caught by a cute, petite blonde girl walking her Yorkshire terrier.

Daheera quickly took notice of the looks he was giving to the girl and immediately started pulling Jake towards her, wiggling her tail happily, playfully licking the girl.

“Awww, your dog is so cute," said the girl, giggling as she tried in vain to resist the animal's assault. “What is its name?"

“Oh," said the boy, his face turning red, “D-dora".

Around thirty minutes later, after the blonde had left, Jake sat on a bench, smiling as she looked at the piece of paper on which the girl, whose name was Alice, had written her number.

“Well, that went well, didn't it?" observed Daheera.

“I guess it did." He said. “Thanks a lot, I can't imagine myself doing it without your help".

Daheera's canine lips curved in a smile. “Of course. Always happy to help you." She said.

The morning after, Jake was struggling to focus during his Modern History lecture.

Too many thoughts swarm through his head, excitement flowing through his veins. In the end, it worked! Not only he had managed to meet a cute, nice girl without pissing himself, but she even liked him! Alice had given him her number, and the day before, he had texted him almost immediately after he had left the park!

This was a dream.

A faint buzzing sound was heard by him as a notification popped up on his phone.

“Let's make it at 7:30 at the Odeon Theater?" the message from Alice read.

His eyes lit up. He was going on a date…on a real date!

He felt in heaven as he answered her; he didn't know why, but after 5 long years spent alone in his high school, watching everyone else getting together, flirting and hooking up, fate had decided to grace him.

Except… he knew perfectly who the merit was. Daheera had turned him from the meek, sleazy nerd that nobody would like, to someone able to score a date with a pretty girl in half an hour.

Daheera. The girl he had lost his virginity with. A towering bombshell of a demoness that he had rapidly found himself caring for, and who appeared to reciprocate him. A girl who could give him everything he wanted.

And the girl that in a little more than twenty-four hours would disappear from his life, and that Jake won't be able to see for the rest of his mortal existence, maybe from eternity.

Someone he would have to leave without even thanking her properly for how she had turned his life around.

He recalled their conversation. Maybe he should just go forward with the ritual, giving her freedom back, letting her live her immortal life how she desired, even if she ended up away from him, just as a thank you.

True, she was proud, moody, and a little bit too aggressive at times, but he felt that deep within, Daheera wasn't a bad person. She didn't deserve her fate.

On the other hand, the price was too steep. Killing a couple of pigeons, a dog maybe, was one thing. But another person? It was a point of no return. His soul might be forsaken at this point, but his conscience still abhorred such a gesture.

Yet… The image of the dejected hellhound, with her muzzle low, her ears flopping down at the realization that she would be forced to leave, was planted in her mind since the day before. It would take so little to make her smile…

He took his head between his hands, grinding his teeth, a frustrated scream erupting from his lips. What should he do?

An annoyed cough interrupted his train of thought, and he lifted his head, seeing the face of his teacher looking straight at him from his desk.

Returning home after a quick lunch at the university cafeteria, Jake angrily kicked a trash bin, overwhelmed by the frustration of both looking like a fool in front of the class and of his own internal dilemma.

As he did so, he heard a panicked screech.

He looked around, seeing an older lady dressed in a simple yellow-green cardigan and a long skirt hunched over a bench.

“Oh dear," mumbled the elderly woman, huffing as she held a hand over her chest. “Young man, you really shouldn't be around scaring the heck out of an old woman like that," she stated. “I've already got two cardiac bypasses, I dunno if I could survive the third."

“I'm sorry Miss Ross." He said, in an apologetic tone. “It's just a bad day I guess, I'm sorry."

“It's fine," said the woman, holding herself against the bench. “Say Jake, do you happen to have seen my babies, Jay and Devin, around these parts?"

He bit his lips imperceptibly. “N-no, I'm afraid not, Miss Ross."

The wrinkled eyes of the eighty-seven years old woman betrayed a deep sadness. “I'm worried, I haven't seen them in days, and the police can't seem to be able to find them...I dunno what could have happened to them…they wouldn't leave me like that." she explained, sitting down on the bench, looking at the ground, distraught.

Knowing very well the fate of her pets, Jake immediately tried to find a way out of the conversation.

“Don't worry, I'm sure they will be fine." He lied, “Hopefully they will be found soon. Now if you excuse me, I have lots to study for my midterms. Enjoy the rest of your day, Miss Ross!" he exclaimed, turning around and walking away in a somewhat brisk pace.

“You too, young man, thank you!" exclaimed Miss Ross, waving at him.

As he turned the corner, he sighed. Sure, there was no way that she could have guessed the truth, but still, he didn't feel good being near her, especially considering that with the loss of her two pigeons, she was alone.

Suddenly, he had an epiphany.

There were a lot of elderly people here in his neighborhood, and a fair number of them were exactly like Miss Ross, old, frail and alone, with nobody who cared about them.

Jake was ashamed of this next thought, but maybe…he and Daheera could…use one of them for the ritual?

Many of them would be dead in a couple of years anyway, so what difference did it make?

She could maybe ask her father for a way to bring them back, when she was done.

He was Cerberus after all, wasn't he the custodian of the gates of Hell and all of the souls?

Such were the thoughts that invaded his mind as he opened his front door, seeing Daheera standing right over the doorframe, her midsection right before his eyes.

“Heya," she said, looking down at him “How did classes go? “

“Pretty good, pretty good." he lied, starting to blush under her gaze. “W-what are you doing inside like that?"

“I overheard your parents, they left a few minutes ago. I suspect they won't be home for a while." Daheera stated, winking, “We could use this time to catch up before…tomorrow," she said, a bit of sadness in her last sentence.

“S-sure," he said. “Any idea?"

“Well, we could watch TV…or we could go upstairs and do…something else." she said.

His cheek became crimson.

“I dunno, I could shrink you down, tie you up to a dildo, and ride it with you on," she continued, smiling seductively as her hand gently grasped his hoodie.

A fainting and a couple of orgasms later, the two lay on Jake's bed, smiling.

“Yep, you're getting good," Daheera said, panting lightly. “That girl won't be disappointed. By the way, did you manage to…?" she asked.

“Yes, we have a date at the movie theater tonight," he stated, getting up from his bed. “I didn't think it would interest you this much... I thought-“

“What?" she asked, interrupting him.

“I thought that you saw her as …a rival or something, I dunno."

“A rival?" she asked, following carefully where this was going.

He gulped.

“You know…you said those things yesterday… it seemed that you cared about me...in that sense."

A broad smile formed on her face.

“Yes, that is right... I do care about you…you are amongst my better masters…for now at least." she said, chuckling at her own joke. “But at the same time, I have been brought here by you and you asked for something, and I genuinely want you to get it before I'm gone from your life."

His eyes darted around nervously.

“Is there something wrong, Jake?"

At hearing his name, he inhaled deeply.

“C-can I ask you something?" he said.

“Sure."

“You remember what we had talked about yesterday?" he said.

She nodded, a hopeful light in her eyes.

“Those that are, you know, killed by the ritual you mentioned, can they be brought back in some way, even at a later date?"

Bingo, thought Daheera, who could barely hide her excitement. He was going to do it! She had managed to push all his buttons, and now he was hers.

“I think they can, yes." she said, after thinking for a moment. She knew that they could be resurrected, but it would cost other souls.

“So, if I were to, I don't know, find someone feasible for the ritual…we could just..." he stopped, gulping. “P-proceed, and then revive them? And you could charm everyone into believing that they were just hiding or something?"

“I suppose," she said. “It wouldn't be easy for me to trick so many people in my current form, but if I have all of my powers back, that could be doable."

She then froze.

“Wait, “she said, her eyes widening “Are you really…"

He nodded.

“I dunno… I think I just reasoned that there are so many old people here, people that their children abandoned, people whose friends have died, people that no one cares about… so I thought that you could maybe absorb the soul of one of them?"

Suddenly, he was overwhelmed by the sensation of wet fur covering his whole torso and face, as two strong hands pressed his body against the damp furred skin.

“Oh, thank you thank you thank you Jakey, I can't believe you're actually agreeing. You are the best." said Daheera, smothering him against her chest.

He struggled, trying to free himself from her vice-like grip, before she let him go, going in for a long, drawn-out kiss, the sweetest she had ever given him.

After a handful of blissful seconds, their lips parted, and he smiled up at her.

“Of course. I thought that giving you your freedom and powers back was the best way to express how thankful I am."

“Mhhh, what a cute little gentleman you are," cooed Daheera, gently passing a clawed hand all along his shirt.

He started to melt under her touch, his eyes half-closed, until her nail left his skin, the hellhound rising to her full height.

“So, are you really sure you want to do this?" asked Daheera.

He thought for a moment.

“Yes," he said. “After all, we will fix any issues, right?"

“Right," she convened, although she wasn't sure he would like the fixes she had in mind. “we're set then, we can start to prepare the ritual right away."

Shortly after they had started to find the ingredients, Jake's parents and sister came home, forcing them to wait until Jake's father, persuaded by the charms of Daheera, decided to bring the rest of the family out, leaving Jake alone as he feigned having the flu.

When the last glyph was traced on the surface of the garden, Jake looked at the time.

7:02.

“I have to go, the bus will be here in 15 minutes," he said, quickly dropping what he was doing and running upstairs.

He descended a few minutes later, wearing a simple shirt and sweater.

“We're still missing the sacrifice," Daheera said, standing up from the circle.

“Can't you deal with it?" Jake asked.

“I need another person to recite the chant." the hellhound explained. “Plus, I don't think you want me to look for the person that gets to be killed."

Before he could decide on what to do, he heard a loud, insistent knocking on the front door.

“Stay here, I will see who it is" the boy said, darting inside.

Opening the door, the 19 years old student found himself with the wrinkly, annoyed glare of Mr. Talbot, perhaps his most insufferable neighbor.

“Took your time!" The old man exclaimed “Where is your father?" he asked, trying to make his way in.

“He and my mother went out for dinner" explained Jake. “And I'm sorry Mr. Talbot, but you can't barge in like that."

“Sure, they go out for dinner," the old man said “and they don't even care if their stupid dog pisses all over my flowers. I just came home from visiting my brother, and I found my angel wings all dead, completely desiccated.

“How do you know it was our dog ? Anything could have happened to them."

“The camera footage shows a huge black dog pissing on them. And people say to have seen you and your father with such a dog on a leash."

“Whatever, my father is out, you can come tomorrow to discuss it" said Jake, the old man's demeanor starting to get on his nerves.

As he tried to close the door, the old man jammed his foot in the doorframe.

“If you don't mind," said Mr. Talbot, barely looking at him. “I will wait for him here, I feel it's a pretty urgent question."

An idea crept into Jake's mind.

“Now that I think about it," he began. “My father had something to take care of before their dinner, so maybe he'll be able to come. Rest here, I'll call him and explain the situation."

“Very well," the old man said, crossing his arms and sitting on the couch.

Jake grabbed the phone, faking the call as he walked around the room. “Hmm-hmm," he murmured after a couple of minutes, moving toward the man waiting in his living room

“Okay, Mr. Talbot, they're coming. They will be here in a quarter of an hour."

“Splendid" he exclaimed.

“They will be coming in the backyard, so why don't you follow me?" Jake asked. “We can wait for him in the garden, there is a nice bench there."

The elderly looked around.

“Oh well, if you say so." He said, “To be honest, I don't mind sitting in a well-kept garden, it's a nice afternoon, not worth spending it inside the four walls." he observed, following Jake.

As Mr. Talbot walked through the door that overlooked the backyard, he froze, anger building inside him again as he saw the huge dog.

“You! You're the stupid dog who pissed all over my flowers." he yelled, looking at the animal in fury, not considering that it could have easily overpowered him.

Daheera's lips curved in a smile, as she turned to face him. “And I will do it again." she stated, plainly.

Mr. Talbot's jaw fell to the floor.

“Y-you can t-talk?"

Daheera exchanged a brief look with Jake; She had heard and recognized the voice from inside, and she had already gathered how annoying the man was, so, as she started to pace towards him, she was pretty sure that Mr. Talbot was the chosen one.

“Oh yes, I can talk, and that's only the start of what this dog can do." She stated.

With that, a cloud of black smoke enveloped her, and the retired man watched in disbelief as the dog turned into an enormous, fur-covered bipedal creature, standing almost double his height.

“S-STAY AWAY!" he screamed, wielding his walking cane as if it were a baseball bat, trying his best to appear threatening.

Daheera smiled, seeing the old man's leg trembling, and made another step towards him, her form looming over the retired bus driver.

“I SAID STAY AWAY!" He yelled, reeling his cane up to strike her leg, until her larger hand grasped the other hand of the stick, easily blocking him.

With a flick of her wrist, the hellhound wrestled control of the improvised weapon from him, tossing it on the ground behind her.

“Naughty, naughty!" She said, in a mocking tone. “I don't think you should have done it. This will only make your departure from this world a bit sadder."

He stared at her, pale as a ghost, walking backward to put some distance between him and the demoness.

“L-LEAVE ME ALONE!" he said, more a plead than a command.

“I'm afraid I can't do that" she stated, “I need you."

Then, with a quick movement of her hand, she smacked his head, making him fall unconscious.

After all, the ritual didn't specify that the sacrifice needed to be conscious, and he would certainly scream a lot less in this state, avoiding bringing unwanted attention to the house.

Moreover, she would avoid any second thoughts from Jake if she made it painless.

“Wow," said Jake, a bit startled by Daheera's methods. “Is he... Alright?"

“He is," she stated, grabbing him. “We can begin." she added, plopping his body on her shoulder.

She walked towards the large ritual circle she had traced earlier in a corner of the garden, positioning herself right over it.

“Now repeat after me, loud and clear." she said, turning to Jake.

“I, Jake Mallard, Master of the demon that here stands."

“I, Jake Mallard, Master of the demon that here stands."

“In the name of everything I hold dear, grant my summoned familiar."

“In the name of everything I hold dear, grant my summoned familiar."

“Freedom from their indentured servitude to me,"

“Freedom from their indentured servitude to me,"

“And to make a new life on their own terms."

“And to make a new life on their own terms."

“For this purpose, I offer my familiar this soul,"

“For this purpose, I offer my familiar this soul,"

At that point, Jake gasped as he saw Mr. Talbot eyes open, a faint reddish smoke starting to come out from them.

Unfazed by the show, Daheera simply continued the enchantment.

“To be their material home, and their permanent sustainment."

“To be their material home, and their permanent sustainment."

“I also promise to never get back on my decision,"

“I also promise to never get back on my decision,"

“For as long as the stars come and go in the night sky."

“For as long as the stars come and go in the night sky."

As he finished saying the last sentence, Jake watched the smoke from the old man's eye, increasing, his body twitching uncontrollably as a similar one started to form on Daheera's mouth.

Suddenly, Daheera's eyes rolled backward, their sclera completely white as a crimson-red flux started to erupt from her mouth, reflecting on her pearly white fangs, immediately pushing to enter the old man's eyes, appearing like a torrent running inside a cave.

Focused on Mr. Talbot's body, which was caught in a series of uncontrollable spasms, Jake didn't even realize that Daheera's grip had released considerably, so much so that the form of the old man slipped, falling on the ground like a sack of potatoes.

Daheera's body followed immediately after, the huge hellhound slumping on the grass, a last puff of smoke escaping her lips, before her body began to blacken and deteriorate, until all that remained of her was a huge pile of ash.

In shock, Jake ran towards the remains of the hellhound's body, his lips trembling as he thought he had lost her.

He remained there, completely still, for a handful of seconds, until he saw in a corner of his eyes the corpse of Mr. Talbot starting to move again.

A wail escaped the elderly lips as he came back to life, the old man kneeling into a four-legged position as fur rapidly started to grow from his body. A forest of black hair emerged from his normally bare scalp as his jowl started to elongate, his nails turning into sharp claws and his body growing considerably, doubling in size in a few seconds, until any semblance of the old man's body disappeared, replaced by the kneeling, panting form of Daheera.

Gasping for air, the hellhound rose, putting a hand on her right knee for support.

“It worked," she said, looking at her body, as she struggled to stand up.

Air was knocked out of her lungs as Jake jumped on her, hugging her midsection tightly.

She pressed him on her chest. “Thank you," she said, a genuine smile on her face.

“How are you feeling? It's everything okay?" he asked.

Before she could answer, a faint dark red light surrounded Daheera's body, her irises flaring up with a similar color. She felt a sudden tightness around her neck, as a silvery grey collar appeared over it, a bracelet of the same color on her left arm, just below the wrist.

“Oh, that's nice," said Daheera, looking at the intricate engravings on the pieces of jewelry, her eyes still illuminated by the red light. “My rank has been restored." she stated.

“Wow, that's great to hear," said Jake, looking at the bracelet, “Does this mean-"

“Yes, It seems that my powers have come back to me," she said, inhaling deeply. “This also means that I'm not a summoned familiar anymore. I have no more responsibilities towards you." Daheera added.

Jake's lips curved downward, his head looking at the ground, until he felt a clawed finger lifting his chin up.

“Aww, don't be like that Jakey," said the hellhound, a broad smile on her muzzle. “I won't leave you. It's all thanks to you, this is only the start of our fun together." She added, winking.

He smiled up at her.

“Now go ahead and go to the date, you shouldn't keep your lady waiting," she said.

He looked at the time “Fuck, the bus has already left, I will be late." He realized.

Daheera looked at him, lost in thought for a second. “Mmmh, let me try something. If my considerations are correct, this should be doable now."

She snapped her fingers, and a circular marking appeared under his body.

“Okay, that's good to know" she stated, smiling satisfied “Buckle up boy, you're gonna reach it in just a second."

He looked down, the faint orange glowing of the circle reflecting in his eyes. “Whoa." he muttered.

“Have fun, Jake" she stated, and with another snap, the boy was immediately enveloped by a cloud of smoke. When it thinned out, there was no trace of him.

Now alone, Daheera took a few deep breaths, feeling the fresh evening air invading her nostrils.

“It's good to be complete again," she said. She hadn't felt like this in centuries, feeling the pure power flowing in her veins was almost intoxicating, and the little electrical discharges running over her body were something she was sorely missing.

Her cute little pet had given her what she needed to make amends with her father, and she couldn't wait to do so. She had observed the city closely these last few days, and she was sure that this country would make for a great gift.

Before that though, she needed to see how her powers would measure up against the mortal defenses. That would certainly help her in the conquest, and if she could avoid being her full size while doing it, she could maybe move under the radar of celestial forces.

A wicked smile appeared on her lips. It was time for a little test run.