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  "description": "[b][center]Love was hard enough... then her hormones declared war.\n\nShe’s never said “I love you” out loud.\nNow her body’s screaming it every time he walks into the room.\n\nAfter finally letting her walls crack for Blaze Morvane — a pink-haired, sarcastic, dangerously patient wolf — Loona thought the hardest part of a relationship was over.\n\nShe was wrong.\n\nNow, with her first-ever heat kicking in like a hormonal freight train, instincts are overriding attitude, and every glance, scent, and smirk from Blaze threatens to unravel her piece by piece. Claws. Teeth. Need. She doesn’t know what’s happening — only that she wants him, and wants him now.\n\nBut things get even messier when Blaze drops one little bombshell: he wants her to meet his mother.\n\nCue Mistral Morvane — a white-furred professional with PhDs in Medical Science and Psychology, a visor sharper than her tongue, and a casual obsession with cataloging Loona’s heat symptoms in real time. Between clinical questions, destroyed bedsheets, and one extremely drunk demon of Gluttony catching them in the act… Loona’s about to find out that falling in love was the easy part.\n\nThe hard part?\nSurviving it without marking her mate in front of his mom.\n\n*~*~*~*~*~*[/center][/b]\n\n\n\nSequel to my Loona x Blaze story, Hell of A Heart!\n\nWhich you can find here: https://inkbunny.net/s/3662314\n\nBlaze has finally managed his way past the walls Loona built. Now? Loona is facing something she's never had to face before... a real connection! One that her body notices >:3\n\n\n\n\n\n~Loona and Helluva Boss (C) Vivziepop\n~Blaze, art and story are mine",
  "description_bbcode_parsed": "<span style='word-wrap: break-word;'><strong><div class='align_center'>Love was hard enough... then her hormones declared war.<br /><br />She&rsquo;s never said &ldquo;I love you&rdquo; out loud.<br />Now her body&rsquo;s screaming it every time he walks into the room.<br /><br />After finally letting her walls crack for Blaze Morvane &mdash; a pink-haired, sarcastic, dangerously patient wolf &mdash; Loona thought the hardest part of a relationship was over.<br /><br />She was wrong.<br /><br />Now, with her first-ever heat kicking in like a hormonal freight train, instincts are overriding attitude, and every glance, scent, and smirk from Blaze threatens to unravel her piece by piece. Claws. Teeth. Need. She doesn&rsquo;t know what&rsquo;s happening &mdash; only that she wants him, and wants him now.<br /><br />But things get even messier when Blaze drops one little bombshell: he wants her to meet his mother.<br /><br />Cue Mistral Morvane &mdash; a white-furred professional with PhDs in Medical Science and Psychology, a visor sharper than her tongue, and a casual obsession with cataloging Loona&rsquo;s heat symptoms in real time. Between clinical questions, destroyed bedsheets, and one extremely drunk demon of Gluttony catching them in the act&hellip; Loona&rsquo;s about to find out that falling in love was the easy part.<br /><br />The hard part?<br />Surviving it without marking her mate in front of his mom.<br /><br />*~*~*~*~*~*</div></strong><br /><br /><br /><br />Sequel to my Loona x Blaze story, Hell of A Heart!<br /><br />Which you can find here: <a href=\"https://inkbunny.net/s/3662314\" rel=\"nofollow\">https://inkbunny.net/s/3662314</a><br /><br />Blaze has finally managed his way past the walls Loona built. Now? Loona is facing something she&#039;s never had to face before... a real connection! One that her body notices &gt;:3<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />~Loona and Helluva Boss (C) Vivziepop<br />~Blaze, art and story are mine</span>",
  "writing": "Hell Of A Heat\n\nBy: Blaze-Lupine\n\n*Content Warning:*\n\nThis story contains a lot of sex as a hellhound gets lustful!\n\nThis work is for mature audiences only.\n\nCHAPTER ONE\n\nFire Beneath The Fur\n\nThe infernal hum of the fluorescent lights overhead buzzed in time with the clack of Loona's claws against her keyboard. Another boring day at I.M.P. Same sticky chairs. Same demon scum in the waiting lobby. Same smell of burnt sulfur and cheap takeout lingering in the air like regret.\n\nLoona sat at the front desk, feet up, scrolling through bounty records and flagged addresses from above. Her ears flicked lazily with every distant gunshot or explosion echoing from one of the back rooms. Typical.\n\nShe could hear Moxxie whining through the wall again  -  something about protocol and ``workplace boundaries.'' Blitzo, as usual, ignored him. A moment later came the crash of glass and a triumphant ``HA! Sued your own dick off, you self-righteous pinata!''\n\nLoona didn't even blink.\n\nHer tail tapped lazily against the side of the desk. She looked cool. Unbothered. Perfectly still.\n\nBut under the desk?\n\nHer legs were bouncing.\n\nShe didn't know why. Just a jitter in her muscles. A weird little pulse that hadn't stopped all morning. It started in her lower spine and worked its way up like static, like... something else.\n\nShe grumbled and shifted, adjusting her hoodie like that might help. It didn't.\n\n``...The hell is wrong with me today?'' she muttered under her breath.\n\n``Uh-oh. You feeling feelings again?'' came a voice.\n\nShe looked up to see Blaze leaning over the side of the desk, his dumb cute grin already in place. He was in his casual gear  -  t-shirt with some ironic slogan, slightly wrinkled, as always  -  and a lunch bag in hand. He'd brought her the one thing she'd admitted she liked: greasy Hellside carnivore wraps with extra spiced meat and zero vegetables.\n\n``Here,'' he offered with a lopsided smile, dropping it in front of her like a peace offering. ``Didn't want you clawing through the vending machine again. Pretty sure that last imp's head is still stuck in the gum coil.''\n\nLoona blinked. Looked at the food. Looked at him. Her ears twitched. She hated how her tail wagged just a little. ``Thanks,'' she muttered.\n\nHe nodded, but lingered. Leaned in close, close enough that his breath brushed her cheek  -  warm, with that faint scent of ozone and smoke he always carried. ``You okay though? You seem kinda...''\n\n``Snappy?'' she offered with a raised brow.\n\n``I was gonna say twitchy. Like you're waiting for something to explode. And you're not usually the waiting type.''\n\nLoona growled under her breath, snatched the food, and turned away in her chair. ``I'm fine, Blaze. Just tired. Or maybe annoyed.''\n\n``Annoyed? At me?'' he said, mock-offended.\n\nShe gave him a death glare that would've sent most males running. Blaze, of course, just gave her a wink and strutted off toward the break room with a stupid little spring in his step.\n\nLoona's eyes lingered.\n\n...Why did her eyes linger?\n\nShe shook herself.\n\nNope. Nope nope nope.\n\nIt was just heat from the infernal vents. That was all. Just Hell doing its usual humid sweatbox thing. No other reason for her top to feel too tight. Or for Blaze's voice to sound... lower than usual. Or for her instincts to suddenly act like - \n\nShe froze.\n\nHer nose twitched once. Twice.\n\nShe growled, shaking the thoughts.\n\nLoona had barely unwrapped the carnivore wrap when Blitzo's voice screeched through the intercom like a chainsaw being choked to death.\n\n``ALL HANDS ON DECK, YOU ASS-DRAGGING DEMONS, WE GOT A NEW CONTRACT!''\n\nShe flinched. Her ears twitched. Not the normal kind. It felt sharp. Like the sound scraped her brain the wrong way.\n\n``Ugh,'' she groaned, dragging her claws down her face. ``He could just... walk out of his office. He's five feet away.''\n\nShe stood up, grabbed her notepad out of reflex, and trudged toward the meeting room  -  if you could call a cracked round table, a half-dead ficus, and a chalkboard with permanent bloodstains a room.\n\nBlaze was already there, sitting backwards in a chair like a delinquent with too much charm. Moxxie stood stiff-backed with a clipboard in hand, while Millie beamed beside him, chewing bubblegum and looking like she'd been up since sunrise gutting something.\n\nLoona walked in and dropped herself into her usual chair like gravity personally had it out for her.\n\nBlitzo kicked open the meeting room door.\n\nHe was wearing a pinstripe coat that definitely wasn't his size, sunglasses indoors, and had a rolled-up scroll tucked under one arm like it was a nuclear briefcase.\n\n``Ladies, GentleImps, Certified Jackasses,'' Blitzo announced, striking a dramatic pose. ``Today's target is a double-feature bounty with a splash of vengeance, a hint of family trauma, and more blood than Moxxie's wedding night - ''\n\n``Please stop referencing that!'' Moxxie barked.\n\nLoona rubbed her temple. A strange warmth pressed behind her eyes. Not rage. Not tiredness. Just... pressure.\n\nBlitzo continued, unrolling the scroll and slapping it onto the table. It flopped open dramatically  -  and immediately burst into flames.\n\n``OH FUCK - '' Blaze jumped, grabbing a cup and slamming it down over the fire. ``Why do these things always self-ignite?!''\n\n``It's Hell parchment,'' Blitzo said with a shrug. ``Has a flair for drama. Like me!''\n\n``More like flares up like your untreated rash,'' Loona muttered.\n\nBlitzo ignored her and pulled out a backup scroll. This one flickered to life, showing a grainy image of a middle-aged rat man with a gold-plated grill and a permanent tan. He looked like a real piece of work.\n\n``Name: Trent Zander,'' Blitzo declared. ``Corporate conman turned cult leader. Scammed a bunch of folks topside into worshipping his pyramid-shaped hover-scam temple. Died last week in a freak tanning bed accident - ''\n\n``A what?'' Blaze asked, blinking.\n\n``Seared like a pork chop!'' Millie added helpfully.\n\n``Anyway,'' Blitzo went on, ``his ghost is still causing problems up there. The client? His ex-wife, who wants us to make sure he gets dragged to the lowest pit and stays there.''\n\nLoona tapped her notepad. ``What's the job exactly? Hit, retrieval, haunting suppression?''\n\n``Little of everything!'' Blitzo grinned, spinning a knife between his fingers. ``It's a family haunting. Whole mansion?s infested with his ghost-essence and probably some pissed-off spirit investors. So suit up  -  and no, Blaze, you can't bring the karaoke gun again.''\n\n``That was one time and it worked!'' Blaze protested.\n\n``Yeah, but you nearly started a conga line of the damned,'' Moxxie grumbled.\n\nLoona tried to focus. Really, she did. But her top felt tight again. Her fur itched under her collar. And Blaze's scent was...\n\n...Wait. Why could she smell him?\n\nShe stared ahead blankly as Blitzo drew on the chalkboard with something that was definitely not chalk.\n\nThis day was already dragging.\n\nBut for some reason, she felt like something was dragging her.\n\nThe van landed with a crunch of dead leaves and bones.\n\nIn the middle of a cracked suburban cul-de-sac sat the Zander Estate  -  once a sleek modern mansion, now a haunted, twitching patch of hell-adjacent real estate. Crystalline windows were half-shattered. The pyramid-shaped roof hummed with cursed geometry. Purple spirit fog coiled from the cracked lawn like dry ice escaping a microwave.\n\n``Okay team,'' Blitzo barked, hopping out of the van like a gremlin in charge. ``Standard exorcism layout! Moxxie and Millie take the basement and root out the source of the wailing. Blaze, you're on upstairs suppression and spirit dismemberment.''\n\n``And me?'' Loona asked dryly, arms crossed.\n\n``You're with me on breach and clearing. Front entrance. Let's sniff out the head honcho.''\n\nLoona let out a soft tch and followed behind Blitzo, her paws thudding lightly on the warped front steps. As she stepped forward, a cold shiver danced up her spine  -  like static cling across every nerve. She paused.\n\nThe house was loud. Not audibly. Energetically.\n\nShe could feel it.\n\nThe moment the door creaked open, a chorus of ghostly murmurs spilled out like a draft from a crypt. Some laughed. Some cried. One just whispered, ``It's never enough...'' on a loop.\n\n``Eugh. Ghosts,'' Loona muttered. ``Always dramatic.''\n\nThey pushed inside. The walls pulsed slightly. The wallpaper moved like skin. The chandelier was made entirely out of repurposed jawbones, and it clattered together as the house groaned.\n\nAnd still, despite everything?\n\nLoona's mind was somewhere else.\n\nOr rather... on someone else.\n\nFrom the second they'd stepped inside, Blaze had started moving ahead of her, axe in hand, scanning corners. He looked... alert. Calm. His tail swayed in a focused rhythm behind him, and something about the way he stepped  -  low, prepared, lean muscles flexing beneath his shirt  -  pulled Loona's gaze like a magnet she did not ask for.\n\nShe tore her eyes away. What the hell was wrong with her?\n\n``Loona! Breach that hallway,'' Blitzo shouted.\n\n``Yeah, yeah,'' she growled, storming past Blaze. Their shoulders bumped.\n\nJust a bump. Nothing. But she felt it. Not just the contact  -  the spark.\n\nShe stiffened, breath caught in her throat. Her pulse jumped like someone lit a match in her veins. Her heart was racing, and for what? He just touched her. Barely.\n\nWhat was that?\n\nWhat the fuck was that?\n\nNo time to dwell. A floating kitchen knife screamed past her head and embedded itself in the wall, the wind making her hair sway.\n\n``Oh shit - '' Blaze ducked, turning as a transparent figure clawed its way out of the fridge. It howled  -  face twisted, meat slabs hanging from its mouth. ``Ghost fridge gremlin! Go!'' he shouted.\n\nChaos erupted.\n\nMoxxie's screams echoed from the floor below. Millie shouted something gleeful about ``splitting him open like a peach.'' Blitzo fired blindly at a floating blender.\n\nAnd Loona?\n\nLoona wasn't in the zone. Not like usual.\n\nShe tried to lunge for the ghost-thing, but her timing was off. It phased right past her, knocking her on her ass.\n\nBlaze stepped in immediately, swinging his axe with a shout. It cleaved through the spirit's neck, disrupting it into a puff of blue-green ectoplasm.\n\nHe turned, offering her a hand. ``You alright?''\n\n``I'm fine,'' she snapped, yanking herself up before he could help.\n\nBut her fur was bristling. Her heart was hammering. Her palms... sweating?\n\nShe hated it. Hated how he smelled  -  no, liked how he smelled. Hated that she noticed. Hated that everything felt louder, sharper, brighter.\n\nShe was a hellhound. She didn?t get overwhelmed.\n\n``Yo!'' Blaze called out, squinting toward the next room. ``We got more movement. Four or five spirits converging. We should regroup with the others.''\n\nLoona tried to nod. But her legs were wobbly. Heat curled low in her gut. Not sickness  -  not nerves  -  just something. Like tension building in all the wrong places.\n\nIt was like the fight-or-flight response forgot which it was supposed to be.\n\nShe shook her head sharply. ``No. No. I'm not losing it in a haunted McMansion. This is stupid.''\n\n``Did you say something?'' Blaze called from the hall.\n\n``No,'' she lied.\n\nThey regrouped. Fought more spirits. Millie dropkicked a flying urn. Moxxie sang a warding chant out of tune. Blaze covered Loona more times than she was comfortable admitting.\n\nAnd through it all?\n\nShe felt off.\n\nDistracted. On edge. Sensitive in ways she didn't understand. And worst of all...\n\nShe kept watching him.\n\nCHAPTER TWO\n\nPaws Off, Brain On Fire\n\nThe I.M.P. van rattled into the garage with a wheeze and a puff of ghost residue.\n\n``Great work, team!'' Blitzo declared, leaping out before the van even stopped moving. ``Another evil bastard banished, a grieving widow satisfied, and a bonus check on the way  -  cha-ching, bitches!''\n\n``Except we still have a haunted toaster in the backseat,'' Moxxie muttered, eyeing the poltergeist-plagued appliance vibrating in the corner.\n\n``It hums the Bee Gees when it's angry!'' Millie giggled. ``Kinda catchy.''\n\nLoona followed them out, slower than usual. The hoodie she put on now clung to her back, damp with sweat she hadn't earned. She still felt tight, off, like her body was wound up for a fight that hadn't come.\n\n``Loons,'' Blaze called, stepping beside her. ``You alright? You've been weird since we got there. Usually you're the one eating spirits for breakfast.''\n\n``I'm fine,'' she barked, too quick.\n\nHe paused.\n\nLoona saw the flicker in his eyes  -  concern, maybe. Something else. She looked away fast.\n\n``Okay...'' he said slowly. ``Just... let me know if you need anything. Even if it's just, like, stabbing a couch for stress relief. I get that.''\n\nShe grunted in response. Didn't look at him. Couldn't.\n\nEveryone else went inside, peeling off into their usual post-mission mess  -  Blitzo cracking a beer and lighting fireworks in the break room, Moxxie complaining about ghost taxes, Millie wrestling the haunted toaster into a cage made of demon rebar.\n\nLoona beelined to her office corner. The second she was alone, she slammed the door.\n\nAnd locked it.\n\nHer claws trembled as she dragged them through her hair, pacing.\n\nWhat. The. Hell.\n\nShe sat down. Immediately stood back up. Every part of her felt like it didn't fit. She was hot. Cold. Jumpy. Starving and nauseous at the same time. Her heart wouldn't calm down. Her skin felt too tight.\n\nAnd Blaze.\n\nEvery time she closed her eyes she saw him.\n\nNot just the usual ``oh wow he's hot'' stuff. No. This was different. His voice. His scent. That stupid smile. The way he said her name like it wasn't sharp around the edges.\n\nAnd the way her body reacted to him now?\n\nShe didn't have a word for it.\n\nShe didn't want a word for it.\n\nHer claws clenched into fists. ``Nngh. This is... dumb,'' she hissed. ``I don't do clingy. I don't crave. I don't get... whatever this is!''\n\nHer voice bounced off the walls.\n\nNo one answered.\n\nShe'd never had family explain this stuff. No mom. No den. No elder hellhound whispering ``one day it'll hit you, pup.''\n\nShe was on her own.\n\nShe stared at her reflection in the darkened screen of her console. Her eyes were glowing faintly  -  more than usual. Pupils slightly dilated. Breath short. Her tail... twitching.\n\nShe slapped it down with a curse. ``Nope. Stop that. You're embarrassing yourself.''\n\nBut deep inside  -  beneath the sarcasm, beneath the snarl  -  something was happening.\n\nAnd she didn't know how to stop it.\n\n***\n\nThe next morning.\n\nBlitzo paced around the cracked, barely-legible chalkboard, waving a laser pointer like a sword.\n\n``Okay, so listen up, freaks! This next contract's got layers. Multi-target suppression, one of the victims is a senator's dog - so try not to blow up a kindergarten this time.''\n\nMoxxie sighed. ``That was one time.''\n\n``I don't trust you around mascots anymore, that's all I'm saying!''\n\nLoona sat at the meeting table, arms folded, hoodie pulled tight around her. Her legs were crossed too tightly, her claws tapping sharp little rhythms into her notepad.\n\nShe didn't say a word.\n\nDidn't need to.\n\nHer tail was twitching. Her fur itched. And every time Blaze shifted in the chair next to her  -  leaned forward, stretched, scratched the back of his neck  -  she caught his scent like it was bait on a hook.\n\nVanilla. Smoke. Him.\n\nShe swallowed thickly. Her thighs squeezed tighter.\n\nBlitzo was still talking. Something about ghosts and nuns.\n\nBlaze leaned in slightly, whispered toward her with that lazy smile: ``You okay?''\n\nAnd just like that - \n\nIt happened so fast...\n\nBlaze stood up from his chair, stepping behind her slowly.\n\nLoona didn't flinch.\n\nDidn't move.\n\nCouldn't.\n\nHis hands slid across her shoulders, then down. Warm. Possessive. Confident.\n\n``You've been twitching all morning,'' he murmured into her ear. ``Is that for me?''\n\nHer breath hitched.\n\n``Don't answer,'' he said, voice low. ``I already know.''\n\nHis claws hooked into the edge of her top and removed her collar. Pulled. Exposed her neck. Fur on end. Heat radiating from her.\n\n``Blitz is still talking,'' he whispered. ``Let him. He won't notice a thing.''\n\nAnd then?\n\nHe spun her out of the chair.\n\nBent her over the table in one smooth motion.\n\nPaper scattered. Moxxie's coffee tipped. Her palms slammed down on the splintered surface, her breasts bouncing, and Blaze's body pressed flush against hers.\n\n``Gods,'' she gasped. ``Blaze - ''\n\nHe growled, deep in his throat, fangs near her neck. ``You're mine. You need this.''\n\n``Y-yeah... please - ''\n\nHer hoodie hit the floor, her nipples hard. Her legs parted to expose her wet and needy slit. Her tail wrapped around his wrist, whimpering his name when two fingers found her moist entrance and slipped in with a wet squelch. He tugged down his pants, his eight inch canine member rigid, ready to - \n\n``And that's when we ghost-blast the cursed organ and push the mayor's soul into the sewer!''\n\nLoona blinked.\n\nHard.\n\nBlitzo was still mid-sentence. Millie was nodding enthusiastically. Moxxie was groaning into his clipboard.\n\nBlaze was next to her.\n\nStill sitting.\n\nStill calm.\n\nStill clothed.\n\nEverything was normal.\n\nExcept - \n\nHer hoodie was sticking to her back. Her thighs were wet. Her claws had dug grooves into the edge of the table. She could hear her own breathing. Loud. Uneven.\n\nAnd Blaze?\n\nWas looking at her.\n\nA brow raised. Concerned.\n\n``Loona? You good?''\n\nShe snapped her legs shut. Hard.\n\nNodded stiffly.\n\n``F-Fine. Just... spacing out.''\n\n``Uh-huh,'' he said, clearly not buying it.\n\nHer face burned. Her fur burned. Everything burned.\n\nAnd she absolutely refused to look down at the dark spot on the chair she was currently sitting in. This meeting was going to be a long one...\n\nBlitzo clapped his hands with a manic grin. ``Alright ya freaks! We got zero time to waste! This one's extra spicy. Like butt-pepper spicy. Like Millie's chili but with more stab wounds!''\n\nThe team continued  -  Moxxie grumbling, Millie cheerful, Blaze with a coffee mug that said ``I Lived, Bitch'' in cursive. Loona slouched into her seat behind the front desk, arms crossed, tail very tightly wound around her legs.\n\nShe was still off.\n\nStill warm.\n\nStill staring too long at Blaze when he wasn't looking.\n\nAnd it was getting harder to hide.\n\nThe scent of his shampoo hit her nose again. Vanilla smoke and ozone. Why the fuck did that smell good? Shampoo wasn't supposed to be distracting.\n\nShe grit her teeth, trying to focus.\n\nBlitzo slammed a folder on the table. ``Behold: Mr. Gregory Bludshedge. A high-ranking soul trafficker in Lower Wrath who's been flipping contracts and ghosting clients. Our job? Scare the soul right outta his corpse. Simple, clean, and possibly illegal.''\n\n``Isn't all of this illegal?'' Moxxie muttered.\n\n``Shhhhhh,'' Blitzo hissed. ``Now  -  team assignments! Millie and Moxxie take the flank, I'll distract his guards with my charm, and Loona, you're - ''\n\n``I'll cover Blaze's rear.''\n\nSilence.\n\nInstant.\n\nDead.\n\nSilence.\n\nEvery head turned.\n\nLoona blinked.\n\nShe hadn't even realized she said it out loud.\n\nIt just... slipped.\n\nBut that wasn't the worst part.\n\nThe way she said it.\n\nSoft.\n\nDevoted.\n\nAlmost dreamy.\n\nLike a line pulled straight from a corny romance novel  -  the kind where the heroine grips the hero's hand before battle and whispers, ``I'll watch your back, my love. Always.''\n\nThe room was frozen.\n\nMoxxie's jaw dropped. Millie's gum popped mid-chew. Blaze's eyes went wide.\n\nEven the toaster let out a low, sultry \"ohhhhhh.\"\n\nLoona's pupils shrank to pinpricks.\n\n``I MEANT - I'LL COVER - HIS BACK. TACTICALLY. LIKE A COMBAT MOVE. SHUT UP!'' She stood so fast her chair fell over with a screech. Her fur bristled, eyes flaring like wildfire. ``Don't you say a single fucking word - ''\n\n``Ohhhhh my god,'' Blitzo breathed, clutching his chest like he was witnessing the second coming of Satan. ``Did Loona just say something NICE?! Did she volunteer to be Blaze's battle buddy in the love trenches?!''\n\n``Captain Heartthrob's got a sniper,'' Millie whispered, trying not to snort.\n\nBlaze, still frozen, finally blinked. ``I mean... thanks?''\n\nLoona bolted.\n\nStraight out of the meeting room.\n\nDown the hall.\n\nThrough the damn breakroom wall.\n\nCRASH.\n\nEveryone stared at the new Loona-shaped hole.\n\nSilence again.\n\n``...Should we still go after the contract?'' Moxxie asked.\n\n``Forget the contract,'' Blitzo cackled. ``We need popcorn and a damn wedding planner!''\n\nLoona didn't stop running until she reached the second-floor supply room  -  the one with the broken light and the old bounty files that Blitzo kept ``accidentally'' setting on fire.\n\nShe slammed the door shut, locked it, and pressed her back against the wall, panting.\n\n``I'll cover Blaze's rear.''\n\n``I'll cover Blaze's rear.''\n\n''I'LL COVER BLAZE'S REAR - ``\n\nShe grabbed her head with both hands, claws digging into her scalp. ``WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME?!''\n\nHer voice bounced off the metal shelves. No answer. Just silence. And dust. And the quiet whimper of her pride bleeding out on the floor.\n\nShe wasn't soft. She wasn't needy. She was Loona. She bit things. She rolled her eyes. She definitely didn't slip up and sound like she was ready to write fanfiction about Blaze Morvane fucking her raw in the middle of a briefing. Her tail was lashing. Her chest was tight. Her claws scratched the wall as she paced back and forth like a caged animal.\n\nAnd worse?\n\nWorse?\n\nThe memory of his face  -  stunned, kinda flustered, interested  -  wouldn't leave her head.\n\nAnd that made everything worse. Because for a moment?\n\nShe couldn't stop thinking about their first night together. She'd wanted to grab his face. Pull him close. Hear him say her name like it meant something.\n\nAnd now?\n\nShe wanted to scream.\n\nOr throw something.\n\nOr throw him.\n\n...Why was that one appealing?\n\nThunk.\n\nA soft knock on the door.\n\nHer ears twitched. She spun like a loaded spring.\n\n``...Loona?'' Blaze's voice came through, soft. ``You in there?''\n\nNo. No no no no.\n\nShe stayed silent.\n\nAnother knock.\n\n``I know you're in there. You left a you-shaped hole in the breakroom wall. Pretty hard to miss.''\n\nShe growled. ``Go away.''\n\n``I just wanna make sure you're okay. Can I come in?''\n\n``No. I'm not decent. Or nice. Or safe.''\n\n``...Those are literally the three reasons I should come in.''\n\nShe hesitated.\n\nAnd then, with a frustrated snarl, she unlocked the door.\n\nBlaze opened it slowly, cautiously  -  like he was walking into a boss fight without a health bar.\n\nLoona stood stiff, arms crossed, fur bristling.\n\nBlaze stepped inside. Closed the door behind him.\n\nSilence.\n\nHe didn't speak at first. Just looked at her. Not mockingly. Not even smug. Just... calm. Concerned. Slightly amused. And, okay, maybe a little flushed in the ears.\n\nLoona hated how her heartbeat spiked again.\n\n``Look,'' Blaze said carefully, ``what you said back there... it's fine. It was funny. Everyone's gonna forget in, like, an hour.''\n\n``I'm not embarrassed,'' she snapped, instantly defensive.\n\n``Cool. Then you're just smashing through walls for fun now?''\n\nShe growled low in her throat. Her tail twitched.\n\nBlaze paused. ``Okay, look. You've been off since yesterday. I'm not pushing. But if something's wrong, you can talk to me. Y'know that, right?''\n\nLoona turned away, arms tightening. Her voice came out raw. ``I don't know what's wrong.''\n\nBlaze tilted his head.\n\n``Like... I keep feeling this - this pull. I look at you and it's like my skin's trying to peel itself off. I can't focus. I can't think. You walk in and I want to bite something. Or yell. Or - ''\n\nShe stopped.\n\nToo late.\n\nHer mouth betrayed her again.\n\nBlaze stepped closer.\n\nShe didn't stop him.\n\n``Loona...'' he said, voice quiet now. Warm. ``Do you... want me to leave?''\n\nShe should say yes.\n\nShe really should.\n\nBut all that came out was: ``No. But maybe. But also no. I don't know!''\n\nHe was close now. Really close. She could smell him. Feel the warmth rolling off him in waves. Her whole body felt tight. Like it was coiling up for something.\n\nHe reached out. Just gently.\n\n``Hey,'' he said, brushing a finger against her fur just under her chin. ``If this is a `you're figuring stuff out' moment, I'll back off. No jokes. No pressure.''\n\nShe looked at him.\n\nEyes wild.\n\nBreath shallow.\n\nAnd for one second, she leaned in  -  just a twitch, an instinct, like her body moving before her brain.\n\nThen she shoved him.\n\nNot hard. Just enough to say ``don't tempt me.''\n\nBlaze stumbled back with a half-laugh, catching himself.\n\n``Right. Got it. You?re still sorting out the murder-vs-makeout equation.''\n\n``Shut up,'' she snarled, though her voice cracked at the end.\n\nHe didn't push it further.\n\nHe just nodded. ``Okay. I'll give you space. But I'm not going far.''\n\nHe stepped back. Hand on the door.\n\n``And for what it's worth...'' he added with a sly smile, ``if you ever cover my rear in a fight  -  I trust you with it. Just not emotionally, maybe.''\n\n``GET OUT!''\n\nHe ducked out, laughing as the door slammed behind him.\n\nLoona stood alone again.\n\nBreathing hard. Fur hot. Stomach twisting.\n\nShe didn't know what this was.\n\nBut it wasn't going away.\n\nCHAPTER THREE\n\nThe Hound, The Heat, And The Hell-Library\n\nLoona crept through the rows of the Wrath District Public Archive like a wanted criminal. Her hoodie was up. Sunglasses on. Tail tucked tight.\n\nShe was a six-foot-tall hellhound in a gothcore hoodie skulking through a public building like a middle schooler buying their first condom. No one had noticed her yet, but the moment someone did, she was absolutely curb-stomping the Dewey Decimal System.\n\nShe scanned the aisles. History. Mythology. Self-help. Where the hell's the ``My Body is Doing Weird Shit'' section?\n\nShe peeked over the shelves. A bored-looking demoness sat at the help desk, chewing gum and flipping through a romance novel called Sinfully Yours: A Reaper?s Embrace.\n\nLoona weighed her options. She could wing it. Or... ask.\n\nShe groaned internally and slunk forward like a war criminal asking for directions.\n\nThe demoness barely glanced up. ``Need somethin', pooch?''\n\nLoona cleared her throat, voice tight. ``Yeah. Uh. Where's the section for... biology?''\n\n``Mortal or demon?''\n\n``...Hellhound.''\n\nThat got a reaction. The demoness looked up. Slowly. Eyes trailing Loona's hoodie, posture, twitching tail. Her smirk widened. ``Oooooh.''\n\n``No,'' Loona said instantly, already regretting this.\n\n``Back left, red shelf, third row,'' she said, suppressing a giggle. ``Big book titled `Understanding Infernal Anatomy: For Dummies and Den-Mothers'. Can't miss it.''\n\nLoona was gone before the words finished echoing.\n\nShe found the section. Sure enough  -  red shelves, dusty, mostly untouched. She scanned the titles.\n\n``When Tails Twitch: Adolescence in Underworld Species.''\n\n``Heat Cycles and You: An Honest Guide for Young Succubi.''\n\n``So You're Turning Into Your Mother: A Demonic Hormonal Journey.''\n\nLoona grimaced. ``This is hell. This is actual hell.''\n\nThen she spotted it.\n\n``The Growing Howl: A Hellhound's Guide to Biological Maturity.''\n\nIt was thick. Cartoonishly thick. And covered in art that looked like a children's coloring book.\n\n``...You've gotta be kidding me.''\n\nStill, she grabbed it and slipped into the back corner reading booth  -  small, dark, and private.\n\nShe cracked it open.\n\nAnd immediately wanted to die.\n\nPage One: ``WELCOME, YOUNG HELLHOUND!''\n\nA cartoon hellhound  -  bright red, big dumb eyes, tail wagging  -  waved from the page. Speech bubble:``Let's talk about the amazing changes happening in your body!''\n\nLoona scowled. ``Kill me.''\n\nShe flipped pages. She knew what puberty was. She clawed her way through that shit years ago.\n\nPage Five: ``Your Body's Natural Rhythms!''\n\n``Like other infernal creatures, hellhounds experience seasonal heat cycles. These may activate when a mate is found, often unexpectedly!'' Cue cartoon hearts and a blushing doodle of two canines holding paws under a firestorm.\n\nLoona growled. ``It's not a mate, he's just... Blaze.''\n\nShe flipped faster.\n\nPage Eleven: ``Male and Female Anatomy!''\n\n``Oh great,'' she muttered. ``Here come the balls.''\n\nSure enough  -  diagrams. Very happy looking diagrams. And arrows.\n\nOne of the male hellhound doodles winked at her. She flipped the page so fast she ripped it.\n\nPage Fifteen: ``The Big Moment: When You Know You're in Heat!''\n\n\"Feeling agitated? Warm all over? Heart racing when you see someone special? Tail twitching? Sensitive nose? Sudden mood swings? Craving companionship?\"\n\nLoona stared.\n\nThen flipped back.\n\nThen reread it.\n\n``Wait.''\n\nAgitated... check. Warm... very. Heart - shit. Nose? Don't even get me started. Mood swings - god yes. And the Blaze thing - \n\nShe slowly slid the book down. Realization hit like a truck full of bricks and shame. ``...I'm in heat.''\n\nShe said it out loud.\n\nThen slammed the book shut so hard the cartoon hellhound probably exploded in the spirit realm.\n\n``NOPE.'' She stood, tucked the book under her arm, and walked out of the booth like a war veteran.\n\nThe librarian raised an eyebrow. ``Find what you needed?''\n\n``Shut up.''\n\nAnd she left.\n\nFast.\n\n***\n\nLoona stood behind the I.M.P. front desk the next morning, posture rigid, ears flat, tail knotted around her leg like a boa constrictor trying to strangle her will to live.\n\nShe was determined. \n\nShe was focused.\n\nShe was absolutely, totally going to act normal.\n\nShe'd even reviewed the stupid cartoon book twice last night.\n\nShe was in heat.\n\nFine.\n\nShe could deal with that. She was strong. She was cool. She could power through it like a champ. She even rubbed out enough orgasms to put a succubus to shame before she came to work. She'd just avoid anything that might trigger - \n\n``Morning, Loons!''\n\nThe door slammed open.\n\nTrigger engaged.\n\nBlaze walked in, coffee in one hand, his usual just-woke-up-but-still-hot look fully engaged: messy shirt, collar popped just enough to expose the top of his chest fur, faint scent of body spray and ozone already curling into the air like a damn invitation.\n\nLoona blinked.\n\nAnd blinked again.\n\nThe room tilted.\n\nHer heart lurched like it was trying to escape her ribs. A hot wave crawled up her spine, down her arms, between her legs. Her hoodie suddenly felt like a prison. Too tight. Too hot. Too everything.\n\nNope. No no no. Absolutely not.\n\nShe did not just imagine Blaze pressed against her, breath hot on her neck, saying her name in that low gravel-voice that he only used when things got hot between them. When that stupid-ass smile of his curled into something seductive that made her shiver.\n\n``Hey,'' Blaze said, smiling as he leaned on the desk. ``You alright? You're kinda wide-eyed.''\n\nLoona snapped out of it. Snarled. ``Don't lean on the desk.''\n\nHe blinked. ``Okay... geez.'' He backed off slightly, confused  -  and, if she squinted, mildly flustered. \n\nNot helping.\n\n``Do I smell weird?'' he asked, sniffing his shirt.\n\nLoona immediately turned away, one hand over her nose. ``NOPE. You smell normal. Like dirt and fire and - shut up.''\n\nHe tilted his head. ``You sure? I used that new shampoo. Mom sent it. Smells like vanilla and - ''\n\n``I KNOW what it smells like!''\n\nNow he was really staring.\n\n``You okay?'' Blaze asked. ``You look... flushed.''\n\n``I'm FINE,'' she growled, sweat now dampening the back of her hoodie. ``Just warm in here. I - furnace broke or something. Fire imps. Global warming. Demonic El Nino. I don't know.''\n\nHe just gave her that casual, stupid, infuriatingly soft smile. ``Alright. But if you start melting, I'll grab you a bucket of ice.''\n\nShe made a strangled noise that might've been a ``thanks'' or a ``shut the hell up before I tackle you.''\n\nBlaze moved toward the mission board, back muscles flexing slightly as he reached up to pin a request.\n\nLoona stared. Her claws dug into the desk.\n\nThat back. That goddamn back. That is not a normal back. That back is a crime. That's a fuck-me-back. The back she clawed at whenever he - \n\nShe slammed her head into the desk. ``MOTHER - ''\n\nBlitzo popped out from the breakroom door, a pancake in each hand. ``You good, Looney Tunes?''\n\n``YES,'' she barked, not lifting her head, voice muffled.\n\n``She's been saying that a lot lately,'' Moxxie whispered from where he was filling in the hellhound hole she'd made the other day.\n\nMillie was squinting at her. ``Aw, sugar, you sure you're not comin' down with somethin'?''\n\n``I'M. FINE.'' Loona growled, now actively vibrating.\n\nBlaze glanced back, half-turning, eyes meeting hers for a second longer than they should have.\n\nHer heart slammed. Her nose twitched. Another pulse. Lower. Stronger.\n\nShe stood so fast her chair launched backwards into the printer. ``I'M GOING ON LUNCH.''\n\n``It's 9:30,'' Moxxie mumbled.\n\n``IT'S LUNCH SOMEWHERE.''\n\nAnd she bolted.\n\nAgain.\n\nLoona stormed out of I.M.P. HQ like a war hound possessed.\n\nHer feet clomped against the concrete alley behind the building as she yanked off her hoodie, letting the oven-like air of Hell slap her in the face. It didn't help. If anything, the heat outside matched the one simmering under her skin.\n\nShe leaned against the wall, panting, claws twitching. Her tail whipped behind her in sharp, angry flicks.\n\nGet it together, she thought. You're not some mindless mutt. You don't pounce people just because your hormones are in a meltdown. You're better than that.\n\nYou're not gonna lose it.\n\nShe looked around, then with a snarl she pushed down her shorts and leaned back. She pulled a hot-pink vibrator from her hoodie pocket, packed just for this infuriating situation. With the flick of a claw, it was on, and Loona bit her lip as she pressed it against the soaked material of her panties. Her eyes rolled back, drool already dampening the fur under her chin.\n\n``A-ah... yeah. Fuck...''\n\nThe door creaked behind her.\n\nFootsteps.\n\nShe didn't have to look to know who it was, and she was already scrambling to compose and adjust herself.\n\nBlaze.\n\nOf course.\n\nHe stepped into view, cautious but calm, holding a bottle of water like a peace offering. ``Hey...''\n\nShe didn't answer, having smoothed her clothing back into place just in time.\n\n``You, uh...'' He scratched the back of his neck. ``You kinda launched outta there like a rocket.''\n\nStill no answer.\n\n``You okay?''\n\nShe turned slowly. Her eyes were glowing. Face flushed. Muscles tight. Every inch of her screamed don?t come closer - and yet her body wouldn't back up.\n\nHe hesitated, then set the bottle on the nearby crate. ``I get it,'' he said, voice quieter. ``You don't have to explain. If you need space, I'll give it. I just... wanted to check on you.''\n\nSilence.\n\nA long beat.\n\nLoona's claws curled into fists.\n\nShe was trying. She was trying so hard.\n\nBut he smelled too damn good. He was too close. And her body had stopped caring about restraint about five minutes ago. The fur around her thighs and even her damn shorts were soaked.\n\nHer voice came out low. Rough. A growl dressed up as a sentence. ``I'm gonna regret this.''\n\nBlaze blinked. ``What - ''\n\nShe grabbed his collar.\n\nAnd pulled.\n\nHard.\n\nTheir muzzles met in a hot mash of teeth and tongue.\n\nBlaze was wide-eyed when they pulled apart. ``...here?''\n\nLoona's only answer was to shove two fingers unto her waistband, swirl them inside her dripping slit, and shove those soaked digits into Blaze's mouth.\n\nThe moan he made was the only confirmation she needed.\n\nShadows. Shelves. Mops. Breathless moans muffled by kisses. The smell of sweat and static clinging to the air.\n\nClothes halfway undone. Her claws gripping his back. His hands under her thighs. A hiss. A growl. A low, guttural \"Loona...\" whispered like a secret she was too far gone to hate.\n\nAnd then - \n\nThe snap of latex. A sharp inhale. A second of motionless quiet.\n\nAnd then...\n\nThe air was filled with the wet claps of Blaze's hips hitting her ass. Her claws dug into the dumpster, leaving marks as her body was jostled back and forth on the dirty texture. Fuck, she didn't care. Her mind was drooling. So was her mouth. Her fucking sex.\n\nSweet Lucifer, she could feel it wetting his balls each time they slapped against her.\n\nYeah. Yeah. That's it. Breed me like a bitch.\n\nShe didn't saw those words out loud, but her body was screaming them. Thankfully, Blaze, the dumbass he was, the smart dumbass, had a condom with him. Why? Fuck, she didn't care.\n\n``N-no... knot!'' she growled.\n\n``W-wouldn't have - ''\n\nShe didn't even let him finish. She was starved.\n\nShe threw herself back into him, snarling as she slid down his body, tore the condom off, and engulfed his length in one smooth motion.\n\nBlaze didn't even have time to register. She was feasting on his throbbing cock like it was her last meal. It may as well have been his.\n\nWet slurps and schlicks replaced the eager claps of their fucking as Loona sucked and finger fucked herself to the depths of hell's pits. It wasn't long until she clenched through multiple orgasms and choked herself on Blaze's load as it filled her mouth.\n\nSweet. Bitter. Hot. Hers. \n\nShe didn't care if she fucking drowned in it.\n\nBy the end...\n\nLoona, panting against a stack of toilet paper rolls, glared at Blaze while hastily tugging her pants back up.\n\n``Not. A. Word,'' she hissed, cheeks blazing, tail frizzed out like a livewire. Her panties were so wet they were cold within seconds, and it did nothing to cool her down.\n\nBlaze, sitting on an overturned mop bucket, was pulling his shirt back on with that grin. That stupid, smug, boyish, post-coital smirk that made her want to both kiss him again and shove his head into a wall.\n\nHe glanced down at the now-knotted condom in his hand, then back up at her.\n\n``I mean... impressive teamwork?''\n\nShe nearly punched him.\n\nInstead, she snatched the condom out of his hand and chucked it in the trash with enough force to dent the bin.\n\n``We are never talking about this,'' she growled, fixing her hair. ``This didn't happen.''\n\n``Didn't it?'' he teased, raising a brow.\n\nHer eyes flashed. ``You wanna go again, wiseass?''\n\nHis grin widened. ``...Kinda?''\n\nShe shoved him against the mop bucket, stormed out of the storage room, and slammed the door behind her.\n\nShe was still hot. Still twitchy. Still not okay.\n\nAnd if anyone asked?\n\nShe'd been reorganizing the supply shelf.\n\nFor twenty minutes.\n\nAlone.\n\nDefinitely.\n\nCHAPTER FOUR\n\nHeat of The Moment\n\nNight had finally fallen.\n\nAnd despite the constant magma rivers and random screaming in the distance, the Hellside Promenade looked... oddly pretty. Neon signs glowed over polished obsidian walkways, upscale demon couples strolled between open-air cafes and infernal jazz lounges, and lavafall fountains burbled sweetly in the background.\n\nLoona sat at a patio table across from Blaze, arms folded tightly, jaw locked.\n\nTrying to be normal.\n\nAgain.\n\nShe looked amazing. Cleaned up  -  but not too much. Just enough to say this is a date, without saying please take me now before I explode. She wore a sleeveless black crop top and leather belt skirt, fur brushed out, but no makeup. Her tail sat on her lap. Her thighs pressed together tightly.\n\nBecause if she didn't keep herself physically compressed, she was 100% certain she'd start dry-humping the chair.\n\nBlaze, of course, looked relaxed as ever.\n\nButton-down shirt. Rolled sleeves. Tight jeans. Tail lazily flicking behind him. Eyes warm and playful as he sipped his drink  -  some kind of smoky cinnamon cocktail.\n\nHe didn't smell as strong as earlier, which helped. Slightly. But he still looked good. Too good. Feral fantasy good. And Loona's instincts were clawing at her ribs.\n\nBlaze set his drink down and smiled. ``So hey. I know things've been a bit intense lately - ''\n\n``I'm fine.''\n\n``You sure? Because I've had to dodge like four tail-whips under the table so far.''\n\nLoona growled under her breath.\n\n``I just wanna make sure you're cool for tomorrow,'' he added casually.\n\nHer ears twitched. ``Tomorrow?''\n\nHe smiled. That smile.\n\n``You didn't forget, did you?''\n\n``...Forget what?''\n\n``We're having dinner with my mom.''\n\nLoona stopped breathing.\n\n``Mistral. Tomorrow. At her place. You, me, a meal, and a conversation I'm only mildly terrified about.''\n\nLoona stared at him, fur slowly rising. ``You're telling me... I'm gonna meet your mom... tomorrow... while my entire body is one hair away from setting fire to the tablecloth?''\n\n``I mean... technically yes.''\n\nLoona made a strangled choking noise and looked skyward like she was begging the gods of Hell for a meteor to hit her.\n\nAnd then?\n\nThe worst thing happened.\n\nBee showed up.\n\n``AWWW, look at my favorite little infernal pairing!''\n\nThe Queen of Gluttony strolled up in all her pastel, curvy, bombshell glory  -  hips swaying, sparkles floating around her like fairy dust and shame. Her eyes locked instantly on Loona.\n\nAnd oh, she could smell it.\n\nBee grinned, slow and devious. ``Loonaaa, you look flushed, sweetie. And not just your face. Everything's burning tonight, huh?''\n\n``I will literally throw myself into a volcano,'' Loona muttered.\n\nBee giggled. Sat down uninvited. Snagged one of Blaze's breadsticks and very deliberately slid it between her lips with an obscene moan, her tongue playing games that should be illegal.\n\nBlaze blinked. ``Hi, Bee.''\n\nLoona's claws cracked the stem of her glass.\n\nBee leaned across the table, grinning devilishly. ``Blaze, I hope you're staying hydrated tonight. I have a feeling someone's running a little hotter than usual.''\n\nLoona kicked Bee under the table.\n\nBee didn't flinch. She winked.\n\n``You know, Loony,'' Bee said with a velvet purr, ``there's no shame in asking for what you want. I always say - ''\n\n``WE'RE LEAVING.'' Loona stood so fast her chair fell over. She grabbed Blaze's wrist and yanked.\n\nBlaze choked on his drink. ``But - tip - wallet - wait - !''\n\nBee waved sweetly as they disappeared into the crowd. ``Have fun! And tell Mistral I said hi! Love to meet her someday!''\n\nLater that night...\n\nLoona slammed Blaze against the side of the alley wall three blocks away.\n\nEyes wild. Breath hot. Hands on his shirt, gripping like he was both an anchor and a bomb.\n\n``Okay,'' she said, voice ragged. ``Here's what's gonna happen. Tomorrow, I'm meeting your mom. I am going to be a presentable, composed, tolerable girlfriend.''\n\nBlaze nodded, holding back a grin.\n\n``But tonight?'' she growled, fangs flashing. ``You are not leaving this alley until I've burned this out of my system. All of it.''\n\nHis eyes widened slightly. ``...Should I stretch first?''\n\n``Start praying.''\n\nShe ripped open his shirt, her mouth sinking into his neck with a needy growl as she shoved herself against him.\n\nIt wasn't long until she was on top of him. Panties stuffed in his mouth, skirt lifted as she rode him with enough forced to break his hips.\n\nBlaze, for the most part, did his best to keep up.\n\nOne round became two, then four...\n\nHe stopped counting after that.\n\n***\n\nLoona woke up with a groan that sounded like something dying slowly under a heat lamp.\n\nHer eyes blinked open to the dim lighting of Blaze's bedroom  -  a mess of scattered pillows, twisted blankets, torn clothing, and a number of very used, very discarded condoms decorating the floor like sad party balloons.\n\nHer fur was ruffled in every direction. Her mouth tasted like sweat and smoke. Her torn panties were hanging off the ceiling fan. And Blaze's nightstand? Looked like a graveyard for protection packaging.\n\nShe rolled onto her back.\n\nHer tail flopped lifelessly against her leg.\n\n``...Fuuuuuuuck me.''\n\nShe stared at the ceiling.\n\nAgain.\n\nAnd again.\n\nAnd then he did three more times against the closet door.\n\nHer legs ached. Her shoulders were sore. Her claws were still twitching. But worst of all?\n\nHer heat?\n\nStill. Going.\n\nIn fact...\n\nWorse. Way worse.\n\nIt was like her body tasted last night's frenzy and decided, ``Yes. That. But stronger. Forever.''\n\nShe gritted her teeth and sat up slowly, only to feel the sheets peel away from her skin like they were steamed on. ``Oh come on.''\n\nA soft snore interrupted her pity party.\n\nBlaze lay sprawled next to her, one arm over his chest, the other hanging off the bed. His hair was a mess. His fur was mussed. And he was smiling in his sleep like someone who'd spent the night in a warzone and won.\n\nLoona stared. Then narrowed her eyes.\n\nThen grabbed the nearest pillow and smacked him in the face with it.\n\nTHWOMP.\n\n``Gnnuh?'' Blaze sat up mid-snore. ``Whuzz - battle - ?!''\n\n``You!'' she barked, hair wild, eyes bloodshot. ``You - me - last night - what the hell, Blaze?! I'm still burning up and now I've gotta meet your mom tonight while my entire body is in heat mode level: apocalypse?!''\n\nBlaze blinked. Looked around.\n\nTook in the sight of seven condoms scattered like deflated dreams. His shredded shirt in the fan blades. A single bite mark on his wrist. Then turned to her with a sleepy, lopsided grin. ``...So... round six?''\n\nLoona threw the pillow again.\n\nOne hour and two more orgasms later...\n\nLoona stumbled into the bathroom, naked, sweaty, towel dragging from one shoulder.\n\nShe stared into the mirror.\n\nHer reflection stared back.\n\nMessy fur. Glowing eyes. A single hickey on her neck the size of a baseball.\n\n``...I'm gonna die,'' she whispered.\n\nShe turned on the shower. Ice cold. Stepped in.\n\nIt did not help.\n\nEvery drop that hit her fur felt like it turned steam-hot instantly. Her whole body throbbed. Her chest. Her legs. Her everything. She was chewing her own tongue just to keep from growling out loud.\n\nShe gripped the tile wall and muttered, ``I swear to Satan, if your mom makes a single joke tonight - ''\n\n``Did you say something?'' Blaze called from the bedroom.\n\n``JUST PRAY I DON'T MARK YOU AGAIN IN FRONT OF YOUR MOTHER.''\n\n``...so that's a no on the hickey turtleneck?''\n\n``BLAZE!''\n\nCHAPTER FIVE\n\nBefore The Storm\n\nBlaze's cruiser, a sleek number gifted by a certain four-armed party goer, hummed smoothly along the lava-glazed road, the low roar of the engine mixing with faint synthwave coming from the speakers.\n\nLoona sat in the passenger seat.\n\nStiff. Silent. Sweating.\n\nNot because of the temperature  -  the A/C was blasting  -  but because Blaze was wearing that fishnet top again. Sleeveless. One arm on the wheel. Other hand resting casually on his thigh.\n\nAnd that thigh was the entire problem.\n\nNo, wait  -  that wasn't fair.\n\nIt was also the neck. The collarbone. The jawline. The smell. The voice. The stupid relaxed energy that made her body scream like a siren on a fertility festival float.\n\nShe shifted.\n\nUncrossed and recrossed her legs.\n\nAgain.\n\nHer tail thudded against the door. She quickly clamped it down.\n\n``Y'know,'' Blaze said lightly, ``I think you're more nervous about meeting my mom than I was when you first threatened to decapitate that fire imp that flirted with me.''\n\n``I'm not nervous,'' she muttered. ``I'm - \" Her voice cracked. She cleared it. ``Hot.''\n\nBlaze glanced at her with a smirk. ``In the `damn, babe' way or the `help my hormones are melting me from the inside' way?''\n\n``YES.''\n\nHe chuckled, eyes back on the road. ``Look, I promise  -  Mistral's gonna love you. She already knows you're rough around the edges. She's not expecting some polite little teacup demon.''\n\n``She's expecting someone who doesn't look like they spent all night clawing through their son's bed like a feral animal,'' Loona growled, hands gripping her seatbelt like it owed her money.\n\n``Okay,'' Blaze said, smirking. ``To be fair, I clawed a little too.''\n\n``Do not make me jump out of this car.''\n\nBlaze held up one hand. ``Alright, alright. No jokes.''\n\nA beat.\n\nThen: ``...But if you do jump out, I'll have to chase you down. And I think we both know how that ends.''\n\nLoona squeaked and slapped the side of her head against the window. ``WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS?!''\n\nBlaze grinned.\n\nSilence.\n\nOnly the engine and synthwave.\n\nLoona sat, twitching. Her hoodie clung to her back. Her thighs were soaked with a sweat that was definitely not just sweat. She could smell him again. That damn scent. Smoke, ozone, vanilla, heat, temptation.\n\nHer nose twitched once.\n\nTwice.\n\nThen she snarled under her breath and slammed her head back against the seat.\n\nBlaze glanced again, more serious this time.\n\n``You alright?''\n\n``No,'' she growled, eyes glowing faintly. ``My body is screaming `BREED.' Like, loud. Like, louder than Bee at a rave. And your shirt? Is a threat. Everything you say? Feels like foreplay. And I swear to Satan, Blaze, if you smirk at me one more time - ''\n\n``I'll pull the car over?''\n\nLoona froze.\n\nLooked at him.\n\nHe smirked again.\n\nShe lunged.\n\nTHUMP!\n\nThe car shuddered slightly as she tackled him sideways across the console.\n\nBlaze yelped, gripping the wheel. ``Babe! We're still driving!''\n\n``PULL OVER.''\n\n``I - WE'RE LITERALLY - THERE'S A - FINE, OKAY!''\n\nTen minutes later, the car idled in a very questionable alleyway behind a bar called ``Sin and Tonic.''\n\nInside the car?\n\nClothing disheveled. Windows fogged. Breathless silence.\n\nLoona was nestled in his lap, whining, whimpering, claws digging into his shoulders as she ground her pelvis against his. Her tongue was out, eyes rolled back as she felt every throb of his swollen knot.\n\nIf only she could tear away that damn condom. Thankfully one rational side of her brain remained.\n\nHis knot came free minutes later with a wet, sucking slurp, and she gasped as she slid off him.\n\nBlaze reached for the condom, but she smacked his hand away, grabbed it herself, and pulled it to her muzzle. She inhaled deeply, sighing, sucking the musky nectar from within and threw it onto the ground.\n\nLoona then slumped back in the passenger seat again, now upright, arms folded, face beet red, hoodie zipped all the way up like she was trying to imprison her own shame.\n\nBlaze sat next to her, smiling.\n\nStill flushed. Still panting a little. Still very pleased with himself.\n\nHe glanced at her. ``...Feel better?''\n\nShe didn't answer.\n\nHer tail curled slowly.\n\n``...So that's a maybe?''\n\nShe snarled. ``I'm still in heat, dumbass.''\n\nBlaze tilted his head, eyes softening. ``I know. But you're not alone in it. Okay?''\n\nShe didn't say anything.\n\nJust... glanced sideways.\n\nAnd her clawed hand slid into his.\n\nGently.\n\nWithout words.\n\n***\n\nThe portal from Hell to the living world shimmered behind them, closing with a soft fwump.\n\nLoona adjusted her hoodie, tugged the hem of her skirt, then cracked her neck like she was preparing for a cage match.\n\nBlaze stood next to her in a collared shirt and blazer, just barely presentable. His hand brushed hers as they stood outside a neat little two-story suburban home  -  grey siding, flower boxes, porch light glowing warmly like it wasn't about to witness a disaster.\n\nLoona swallowed. Her body still burned under the surface, but she'd downed three cold showers and a can of hellmint breath spray on the walk over. She was going to survive this.\n\nBlaze smiled at her. ``Just be yourself.''\n\n``I am literally going to burst into flames.''\n\n``She won't mind. She's fireproof. And a psychologist. So. Double immune.''\n\nBefore Loona could throw herself into the hedges, the front door opened with a gentle click.\n\nAnd there she stood.\n\nMistral Morvane.\n\nA tall, graceful white wolf with a professional calm that radiated ``I know exactly what you're thinking, and I will catalog it.'' Her long white hair was tied back in a tidy braid, streaked with sharp blue highlights. A sleek visor rested above her brows, glowing faintly. She wore a soft grey sweater, jeans, and house slippers that somehow made her more intimidating.\n\nHer eyes landed on Blaze first. ``So. My formerly dead son walks through the door like nothing happened.''\n\nBlaze raised a hand. ``Hey, Mom.''\n\n``You broke temporal law. Again.''\n\n``Minorly.''\n\nShe raised an eyebrow. Then looked at Loona. The smile she gave was small. Not cold. But measured. ``And you must be the... `official' one.''\n\nLoona straightened up. ``Yeah. That's me. Loona.''\n\nMistral's eyes scanned her. Thoroughly. Height. Posture. Clothes. Pupils. Microexpressions. Biometric scan complete. Diagnosis: chaos gremlin in heat.\n\n``...You're warm,'' Mistral noted casually.\n\nLoona froze. ``Wh - what?''\n\n``Your circulation's elevated. Pulse, too. Subtle nose twitch. Dilated pupils. I'd say hormone surge. Unrelated to fear.''\n\nLoona's entire face ignited.\n\n``MOM,'' Blaze interrupted, stepping in. ``We said no scanning guests without consent.''\n\nMistral held up a hand, calm as ever. ``I didn't scan. I observed. It's what I do.'' Then, to Loona: ``You're not contagious, are you?''\n\nLoona opened her mouth, then closed it.\n\nMistral smiled faintly. ``Good. Come in. Dinner's hot. And if either of you broke my walls last night, I will find out.''\n\nLoona muttered under her breath, ``I'm gonna die. Again.''\n\nThe dining room was small, tidy, and terrifying. Mistral had set the table perfectly  -  utensils aligned, napkins folded into roses, the wine labeled ``Non-Hell-Sourced.''\n\nBlaze plopped down like it was nothing.\n\nLoona sat stiffly, legs crossed, hoodie sleeves pulled down like she could trap the heat inside her skin and fur.\n\nMistral served food with surgical precision. ``So. How did you two meet?''\n\nBlaze started. ``Oh, well - ''\n\n``He stalked me at work,'' Loona muttered.\n\nMistral arched an eyebrow.\n\nBlaze laughed. ``Not literally. I joined I.M.P. after dying. We bonded over mutual trauma and killing things.''\n\n``How romantic.''\n\nLoona stabbed her food. ``It was.''\n\nMistral's eyes sparkled. ``Fascinating. You know, I never expected Blaze to end up with a hellhound. I figured he'd bring home a digital consciousness, or perhaps a ghost in a jar.''\n\n``Thanks, Mom.''\n\n``Though this is more biologically interesting. Do you know how rare cross-realm intimacy is, Loona?''\n\nLoona choked on her water.\n\n``I'd love to run a blood panel sometime.''\n\nBlaze buried his face in his hands. ``Please don't offer her a lab cup.''\n\nMistral smirked. ``No pressure, dear. Just... curiosity. Speaking of which - '' She tapped her chin. ``Is it possible the recent hormonal shifts are affecting your mood? Your instincts?''\n\nLoona blinked rapidly. ``I - I mean - there's some shifts, maybe - ''\n\n``Of course. That would explain the clenching.''\n\n``...The what?''\n\n``Your posture. You're currently pressing your thighs together with enough force to power a turbine. Either you're fighting heat, or you're trying not to tackle my son onto the table. Though I'd be curious on hellhound mating rituals.''\n\nThe air went dead silent.\n\nLoona stared straight ahead, not blinking.\n\nBlaze stared at his plate.\n\nThe steak was perfectly seasoned.\n\nThe wine was smooth.\n\nAnd Loona could not taste any of it.\n\nShe was too busy mentally screaming over the buzzing in her skin, the fire under her fur, and the constant, blaring, repeating inner command:\n\n\"Breed. Breed. BREED.\"\n\nMistral sat at the end of the table, sipping wine with clinical serenity. Blaze, halfway through his second plate, was completely oblivious to the war raging right beside him.\n\n``Tell me, Loona,'' Mistral began, slicing her asparagus with graceful precision. ``Do you experience heightened aggression during your heat cycle, or would you describe it as more of a submissive tilt?''\n\nLoona choked.\n\nLiterally.\n\nCoughed three times before wheezing, ``I - what - who just asks that?!''\n\nMistral blinked innocently. ``I've studied over sixty unique hellhound variants. Your kind is woefully undocumented, especially in mixed-realm mating patterns. As a mother and a scientist, I find it fascinating.''\n\nBlaze muttered, ``This is normal. Just ride it out.''\n\n``I'm going to ride something if she keeps talking like that,'' Loona hissed under her breath.\n\nMistral continued, tone gentle but deadly direct. ``It's biologically important to understand how your instincts manifest. Do you tend toward possessive behavior? Marking? Mounting? Or are you more reactive to verbal praise?''\n\nLoona's fork bent in her hand. Her thighs pressed tighter. Her pupils were blown wide  -  part fear, part feral.\n\nAnd her brain?\n\n``Mounting. Yes. All of it. Yes. Right now. Table. Do it. Who cares. Yes.''\n\nShe took a very large gulp of wine.\n\nMistral sipped again. ``How vocal are you, typically?''\n\n``MOM.''\n\n``I mean during peak arousal. It's relevant. Many hellhounds have an instinctual howl reflex, and I?d rather not install soundproofing if it's avoidable.''\n\nLoona dropped her new fork. ``Are you asking if I howl while - ?!''\n\nBlaze groaned, rubbing his temples. ``Welcome to the Morvane Family Experience.''\n\nMistral offered a gentle smile. ``I'm simply trying to understand my son's romantic partner's needs. Intellectually.''\n\nLoona growled softly.\n\nIn her head, Blaze had already taken her against the mashed potatoes.\n\nAnd the table.\n\nAnd the wall behind his mother. Yes, she was picturing him fucking her right there - that fat dick driving deep into her - \n\nNO. BAD.\n\n``I?m gonna...'' Loona stood. ``Use the bathroom. That exists, right? Normal house? Toilet?''\n\nMistral nodded calmly. ``Down the hall. Past my home lab. Don't open the cryogenic freezer.''\n\nLoona blinked, then shuffled away  -  legs tight, fists clenched, jaw trembling.\n\nBlaze sighed into his wine glass.\n\n``...You're doing this on purpose,'' he muttered.\n\nMistral tilted her head. ``I'm being polite.''\n\n``You're probing her psychology while her instincts are already dialed to eleven.''\n\n``She's strong enough to survive dinner. Barely.'' A pause. Then, gentler, ``But I do like her.''\n\nBlaze looked up. ``Really?''\n\n``She hasn't tried to impress me. Or lie. Or ask to borrow money. That puts her above 80% of your past flings.''\n\nHe smirked. ``She's a hellhound. Not a politician.''\n\n``I know,'' Mistral said, standing to collect the plates. ``That's why I'm not worried. Though I will be placing a tracking device in her coat.''\n\n``Mom.''\n\n``She's a walking hormonal nuke. I just want to know where the explosion happens.''\n\nMeanwhile in the bathroom...\n\nLoona gripped the sink.\n\nHer reflection stared back.\n\nEyes glowing. Hair messy. Chest heaving.\n\nOne hand braced against the mirror. The other? Fist-clenched to stop herself from doing something stupid.\n\n``Get it together,'' she whispered. ``You are not gonna jump your boyfriend's cock in his mom's dining room. You are not that bitch.''\n\nShe paused.\n\nThen sighed.\n\n``...You are so that bitch.''\n\nLoona returned to the table like a convict returning to trial. She'd managed to finish herself to an orgasm in under two minutes.\n\nHair slightly fluffed. Fur still damp from splashing water on her face. Tail low, wrapped around one thigh like it could hold her sanity together.\n\nBlaze gave her a sympathetic look.\n\nMistral?\n\nAlready placing down a perfectly plated chocolate lava cake in front of her, like it wasn't the most violently suggestive food on Earth.\n\n``Dessert,'' she said with a warm smile.\n\nLoona stared at the cake.\n\nThen at the slow, oozing center dripping down the side.\n\nThen at Blaze.\n\nThen back at the cake. The way the thick gooey center rolled over the curves. Hot. Filled.\n\nShe inhaled sharply and reached for the wine bottle.\n\nBlaze blinked. ``Uh, Loons, I think you've had - ''\n\nShe ignored him and poured half the bottle into her mug of coffee. The coffee hissed as it tried to survive. It failed.\n\nMistral quirked a brow. ``Is that a coping mechanism or a ritual?''\n\nLoona took a long, slow sip. ``Both.''\n\nMistral nodded approvingly. ``Efficient.''\n\nShe then set a small cup in front of Blaze. ``Medium, spiced, with a dash of creamer. You still take it the same?''\n\nBlaze blinked. ``You remembered that?''\n\n``I remember everything. Including the time we had sex to fill our own needs.''\n\nLoona barked a laugh, nearly choking on her coffee.\n\n``You WHAT?''\n\n``It was a phase!'' Blaze groaned, covering his face. ``I told you that.''\n\nMistral folded her hands. ``Speaking of phases, Loona - do you notice any particular auditory triggers during heat?''\n\nLoona slammed her mug down. ``Are you gonna ask me if I moan louder when my ears get scratched, or should I just volunteer that info now?!''\n\nMistral raised a thoughtful brow. ``Interesting. You do have highly reactive ears. I was going to wait until my neural scanner was finished charging - ''\n\n``MOM!''\n\n``Joking,'' she said calmly. ``Mostly.''\n\nLoona took another big gulp of her drink. At this point, it was mostly wine with a hint of coffee bean.\n\nHer brain had stopped forming words. It was just images. Flashbacks of last night. Imagining doing it again. The kitchen counter. The table. The very chair she was sitting in - \n\nShe visibly shook her head and muttered, ``Oh my god, I'm gonna hump a table leg.''\n\nMistral took a casual bite of cake. ``You wouldn't be the first guest to try.''\n\nThe table was finally cleared. Dessert devoured. Alcohol, consumed. And Loona? Still twitching.\n\nMistral stood and smiled with serene confidence. ``Thank you both for coming. Blaze, you've made... questionable decisions in the past. But this one?'' She looked directly at Loona. ``This one I like.''\n\nLoona blinked. ``Wait. Really?''\n\n``She's passionate. Honest. Doesn't flinch under pressure. And,'' Mistral added with a faint smirk, ``she hasn?t clawed your face off yet, which means she's exerting excellent restraint.''\n\nBlaze beamed. ``Told you she's awesome.''\n\nMistral nodded. ``You have my blessing.''\n\nLoona exhaled for the first time in hours.\n\n ``Oh. And if you two plan to continue mating at this frequency - ''\n\n``OH MY GOD - ''\n\n`` - I'd recommend regular electrolyte replenishment and at least one fertility scan in three weeks. You're using condoms, right? If you need more, I have some leftover in your size still.''\n\nBlaze turned red.\n\nLoona turned purple.\n\n``Make sure you prep for your next cycle,'' Mistral added.\n\nLoona stood up like her seat was on fire. ``WE'RE LEAVING NOW.''\n\n``Please do,'' Mistral said pleasantly. ``But bring her back next time. I want to show her the nerve stimulator prototype.''\n\n``I AM NEVER COMING BACK.''\n\n``See you next week.''\n\nThe portal swirled open again.\n\nLoona stomped through it like her feet were personally offended.\n\nBlaze followed, grinning like a man who barely survived and kind of enjoyed it.\n\n``Hey,'' he said gently, catching up beside her. ``Thanks for doing that. I know it was... a lot.''\n\nLoona's tail was still puffed. Her face still hot. But her voice was... softer.\n\n``I still want to punch her.''\n\n``She likes that in a daughter-in-law.''\n\nLoona stopped walking.\n\n``...What did you just say?''\n\nBlaze froze. Slowly turned. ``...Did I say in-law? I meant outlaw. She likes that in a bounty target. You're... you're wanted in six districts.''\n\nLoona smirked slowly. ``...I am gonna tackle you again tonight.''\n\nBlaze grinned. ``I'm counting on it.''\n\nCHAPTER SIX\n\nWhy We Can't Have Nice Sidewalks\n\nThe portal snapped shut behind them, sealing off the Morvane residence and the psychological warfare that was dinner.\n\nThey made it two blocks.\n\nLoona barely made it to the nearest alley.\n\nShe'd grabbed Blaze by the collar mid-stride, spun him into the shadow of a building, and slammed him into the brick with the kind of desperation that made angels weep and parking meters tremble.\n\n``I'm not waiting.''\n\nBlaze barely had time to react before she was on him  -  lips, claws, hips grinding into his with the force of a heat-starved freight train.\n\n``Still in heat then?'' he muttered between kisses.\n\n``I will literally drag you behind this dumpster and wreck you.''\n\n``Romantic.''\n\nHe didn't complain when she did.\n\nSomewhere between sin and a trash bin...\n\nClothes? Scattered.\n\nShirt? Ripped.\n\nCondom? On.\n\nLoona? Feral.\n\nBlaze? Bruised, bitten, blessed.\n\nThe sound of her panting against his neck, tail coiled tight around his thigh, fingers clawing through his fur  -  it was primal, chaotic, intoxicating. His cock thrust into her needy sex like a well-oiled piston. Her fluids were soaking both their thighs and her own tail.\n\nLoona growled, biting his shoulder again. ``You're mine.''\n\nHe gasped, gripping her hips, feeling her breasts against his chest. ``Always.''\n\nAnd then - \n\n``WHOOOOO! WOOOOO!! YESSSSSSSS!! GET IT, HONEY!!''\n\nBoth froze.\n\nLoona's eyes went wide.\n\nSlowly... she turned her head.\n\nAnd there, across the street, perched on a bench with a sparkly cocktail in hand, was Bee  -  Queen of Gluttony  -  wearing a mini dress made of literal confetti and grinning like she was front row at the Infernal Thirst Games.\n\n``LOOK AT YOU TWO! HELL YES! GRAB THAT BACK LIKE YOU MEAN IT!''\n\nLoona snarled. ``YOU'RE DRUNK!''\n\nBee hiccupped. ``I'm supportive!'' She raised her glass as she staggered over. ``To hellhounds in heat and the poor boys who survive them!''\n\nLoona screamed into Blaze's shoulder.\n\nBlaze... couldn't stop laughing.\n\nBee winked. ``Don't mind me! I'm just here for the vibes and the view.'' She slapped Blaze on the ass.\n\nLoona hissed, face flushed, voice breathless. ``If she gets any closer, I will bite her.''\n\nBee purred, sipping her drink. ``Kinky~''\n\n``I'm going to kill her.''\n\nBlaze whispered against her ear, ``You're still moving, by the way.''\n\nLoona paused.\n\nRealized.\n\n``Oh my god. I hate everything.''\n\n``Not me though, right?''\n\n``Shut up and finish!''\n\nThe event was a blur. At one point, Loona knew she felt fingers in places they shouldn't have been, testing the connection between her eager slit and Blaze's swollen knot.\n\n``Damn, feel that thing... hic... throb!'' Bee laughed.  ``Sweetie, this man looooooves you!''\n\nLoona could only clench and shrink against Blaze's body as he held her. ``This is the... a-ah... worst...'' Her voice rose when those damn curious hands hit her clit.\n\nTen minutes and one applause later...\n\nLoona and Blaze emerged from the alley, rumpled, dazed, and way too smug.\n\nBee waved them off with both hands. ``Proud of youuu! If you need a real threesome, call meee!''\n\nLoona flipped her off with both claws.\n\nBlaze offered a peace sign and said, ``We'll pencil you in.''\n\n``BLAZE!!''\n\n***\n\nThe apartment was quiet.\n\nThe kind of quiet that only happens when two things have occurred:\n\nThe end of a natural disaster.\n\nThe death of a small god.\n\nIn this case... it was Loona's heat.\n\nShe lay sprawled across Blaze's bed like a crime scene. Blankets tangled around one leg. Hoodie bunched under her neck. Her fur a puffed-out mess. Her tail draped limply over the side of the bed like a white flag.\n\nShe didn?t move. She didn?t want to move.\n\nHer throat was dry. Her hips ached. Her everything ached. Her brain felt like soup. And every time she closed her eyes, she could still hear Bee shouting, ``GRAB THAT BACK, BABE!''\n\nLoona groaned.\n\n``I'm never moving again. This is my grave now.''\n\nSomething clinked in the kitchen.\n\nShe cracked one eye open.\n\nAnd there he was.\n\nBlaze Morvane.\n\nWearing only a towel.\n\nCooking eggs.\n\nLean back muscles flexing every time he flipped something in the pan. Tail swaying lazily. Humming to himself like they hadn't just spent three consecutive nights doing things that violated at least five infernal laws.\n\nLoona stared.\n\nThen groaned again.\n\n``Stop existing,'' she muttered into the pillow.\n\nBlaze turned his head, grin in place. ``Morning, sunshine. Or... early afternoon, technically.''\n\nShe growled softly. ``If you're perky, I swear I'm gonna throw this pillow at your dick.''\n\n``Worth it.''\n\nHe set a plate on the nightstand, then leaned over her. ``Eggs. Toast. One of Bee's hangover drinks  -  don't worry, I triple-checked it for aphrodisiacs.''\n\nLoona blinked blearily. ``That was a thing?''\n\n``Oh yeah. She tried to spike your water bottle during round four.''\n\n``Of course she did.''\n\nBlaze sat on the edge of the bed, casually biting into his toast.\n\nLoona watched him.\n\nThen flopped her arm across his lap with a grumble. ``I'm sore.''\n\n``Should've stretched first.''\n\nShe glared up at him.\n\nHe booped her nose.\n\n``Ass.''\n\n``You love it.''\n\n``...Maybe.''\n\nSilence.\n\nThen, Loona sighed. ``I can't believe your mom talked about my arousal response over chocolate cake.''\n\n``Yeah, she does that.''\n\n``She gave me a pamphlet. A laminated pamphlet.''\n\n``I saw. Very helpful graphics.''\n\n``She said if I didn't hydrate more, I'd cook myself from the inside out.''\n\n``I mean, she's not wrong.''\n\nLoona groaned, pressing her face into his leg. ``You are the worst.''\n\nBlaze ran his fingers gently through her hair. ``And yet, you're still here. Wrecked. Mated. And finally, finally, not trying to jump me in public.''\n\nLoona lifted her head just enough to smirk, eyes half-lidded. ``Give me six hours.''\n\n``Noted.''\n\nCHAPTER SEVEN\n\nWarmth Without Fire\n\nLater that evening...\n\nLoona lay across Blaze's lap on the couch, her body curled comfortably sideways. One leg dangled off the cushion, her tail draped lazily over his knee. Her head rested on a throw pillow he?d tucked between her cheek and his thigh. Eyes half-lidded. Ears twitching slightly at the sounds of his game controller.\n\nBlaze sat back, one arm draped over her waist, the other lazily tapping buttons on the controller. Some kind of pixel art indie horror game scrolled on the screen. Nothing violent. No pressure. Just cozy music and low, gentle vibes.\n\nLoona hadn't said much for a while.\n\nWhich was rare.\n\nHe glanced down at her between respawns. ``Still alive?''\n\nShe gave a low, sleepy huff. ``Barely.''\n\n``You're breathing, eating, not threatening to break my kneecaps... I call that progress.''\n\nShe smirked faintly. ``Gimme time.''\n\nA beat.\n\nThen Loona shifted slightly. Her hand slid up his chest, not in a heated way  -  just soft, grounding. She stared at his shirt, then finally said, ``Hey... Blaze?''\n\n``Yeah?''\n\n``This is... serious now, isn't it?''\n\nHe paused the game. Looked down at her.\n\nHer expression wasn't flirty. Or sarcastic. Or smug. It was just... real. Tired, a little raw, but open.\n\n``I mean...'' she went on, voice quieter, ``my body basically looked at you and decided `Yeah, we're doing this forever.' I've never gone into heat before. Never even been close to that with anyone.''\n\nBlaze reached up and brushed a bit of hair away from her eyes. ``I know.''\n\n``I didn't even get a say,'' she muttered. ``It just... happened. Like some primal part of me woke up and said `Him. That one. Blaze. Mate.''' Her voice cracked slightly. ``And now I'm lying here in your lap. After everything. After your mom, Blaze. Your mom.''\n\nHe chuckled. ``To be fair, she didn't bite.''\n\n``She scanned my hormones with her eyes.''\n\n``Yeah, okay, that was messed up.''\n\nLoona exhaled, shakily. ``I'm just saying... if I wasn't already bonded to you physically, emotionally, biologically, I'd probably be halfway to the underworld by now.'' She looked up at him, expression serious. ``But I'm still here.''\n\nBlaze met her gaze. And didn't look away. ``You think I don't know how big this is for you?'' he said gently. ``You don't do soft. Or stable. Or domestic. And I don't expect you to suddenly go full apron-and-muffins on me.''\n\nShe rolled her eyes. ``Gods, no. I'd poison someone on accident.''\n\nHe smiled. ``But you're trying. You're choosing this. Me.'' He leaned down, forehead gently bumping hers. ``And I'm choosing you.''\n\nLoona closed her eyes, letting that sink in.\n\nFor the first time in her life, she wasn't running from affection. She wasn't biting it away. She was... here. In his arms. Warm, safe, known. Her voice came out smaller. ``I want this to work.''\n\n``It already is.''\n\nShe smiled faintly. ``When I go into heat again, I'm chaining myself to the radiator.''\n\nBlaze snorted. ``Then I'm sleeping on the floor with earplugs.''\n\n``...Liar.''\n\nHe grinned. ``I love you,'' he said softly.\n\nLoona paused. Then muttered, ``Yeah, yeah... you too, dumbass.'' She nuzzled into his side, claws gently trailing across his stomach in lazy little spirals. ``Blaze?''\n\n``Mm?''\n\n``I swear to hell... if you tell anyone about any of this - ''\n\n``Your secret's safe,'' he whispered, kissing the top of her head. ``Scout's honor.''\n\n``...You were never a scout.''\n\n``Nope. But you'll still believe me.''\n\nShe smirked, then let herself drift  -  to quiet, to safety, to sleep.\n\nFor the first time in what felt like forever...\n\nLoona was at peace.\n\n***\n\nMorning sunlight poured in through the blinds, soft and golden, cutting across the rumpled sheets in Blaze's apartment.\n\nLoona stirred slowly, fur warm from the covers, her cheek squished into a pillow that smelled like him  -  ozone, smoke, and that subtle hint of whatever stupid body spray he kept buying from the demon mall. She groaned into the pillow, ears twitching.\n\nEverything hurt slightly less.\n\nHer body no longer felt like it was trying to jumpstart a second puberty. The heat was gone. Her instincts, for once, were quiet.\n\nWhat replaced them was...\n\nPeace.\n\nAnd hunger.\n\n``...Shit, I'm hungry.''\n\nLoona rolled out of bed, bare except for a pair of dry panties and one of his oversized black t-shirts  -  which hung off her like a blanket with sleeves. The collar drooped down one shoulder. The hem reached mid-thigh.\n\nShe looked in the mirror.\n\nHair a mess. Eyes soft. Tail swaying low and relaxed.\n\n``...I look like a girlfriend.''\n\nThe thought made her pause.\n\nThen smirk.\n\n``Guess I am.''\n\nBlaze shuffled out of the bedroom a few minutes later, rubbing his eyes.\n\nAnd froze.\n\nLoona was in his kitchen.\n\nCooking.\n\nKind of.\n\nThere were eggs. There was bacon. There was smoke.\n\nShe had one claw on a frying pan, the other flipping meat with the spatula like it owed her money.\n\nHis shirt hung loose on her frame, fur slightly fluffed, tail swaying idly as she mumbled to herself.\n\nIt was possibly the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.\n\nHe leaned against the doorframe. ``Should I be worried?''\n\nShe glanced over her shoulder. ``Only if you value your smoke alarm.''\n\nBlaze walked up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and buried his face in the crook of her neck. ``You smell like me.''\n\n``I'm wearing you.''\n\n``Yeah, but like... emotionally.''\n\nShe rolled her eyes, but her tail betrayed her  -  flicking happily once.\n\nHe looked over her shoulder. ``Hey, that actually doesn't look too bad.''\n\n``I YouTubed it.''\n\n``InfernalTube?''\n\n``No, the real one. You think I trust demon cooking channels? The last one put teeth in their omelet.''\n\nBlaze chuckled.\n\nThen his phone buzzed.\n\nHe grabbed it from the counter and blinked.\n\nMOM:\n\n``Status report: Did she kill you?''\n\n``(If yes, please return your soul to the freezer bin.)''\n\n``P.S. I like her.''\n\nHe smirked. ``Mistral sends her regards.''\n\n``Tell her I'll send a boot up her ass next time she asks about my mounting frequency.''\n\n``She'll probably log that as a compliment.''\n\nLoona snorted.\n\nThen her phone buzzed.\n\nShe grabbed it. Groaned.\n\nBLITZO:\n\n``WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU TWO??''\n\n``THE TOASTER IS HAUNTED AGAIN.''\n\n``MILLIE IS TALKING TO IT.''\n\n``IT'S SINGING COUNTRY MUSIC.''\n\n``GET BACK HERE OR I'M GIVING YOUR DESK TO MOXXIE.''\n\nShe sighed, flipping her phone closed.\n\n``Work?''\n\n``Work.''\n\nShe finished plating the food, shoved some bacon into Blaze's mouth, and stole a bite of egg for herself.\n\nThen leaned on the counter, arms crossed, smirking at him with half-lidded eyes. ``...This is real now, huh?''\n\nBlaze nodded. ``Yeah. It is.''\n\nLoona stepped closer, tugged him down by the shirt collar, and kissed him softly.\n\n``Then let's go show those assholes what a power couple looks like.''\n\n~THE END~\n\n",
  "writing_bbcode_parsed": "<span style='word-wrap: break-word;'>Hell Of A Heat<br /><br />By: Blaze-Lupine<br /><br />*Content Warning:*<br /><br />This story contains a lot of sex as a hellhound gets lustful!<br /><br />This work is for mature audiences only.<br /><br />CHAPTER ONE<br /><br />Fire Beneath The Fur<br /><br />The infernal hum of the fluorescent lights overhead buzzed in time with the clack of Loona&#039;s claws against her keyboard. Another boring day at I.M.P. Same sticky chairs. Same demon scum in the waiting lobby. Same smell of burnt sulfur and cheap takeout lingering in the air like regret.<br /><br />Loona sat at the front desk, feet up, scrolling through bounty records and flagged addresses from above. Her ears flicked lazily with every distant gunshot or explosion echoing from one of the back rooms. Typical.<br /><br />She could hear Moxxie whining through the wall again&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;something about protocol and ``workplace boundaries.&#039;&#039; Blitzo, as usual, ignored him. A moment later came the crash of glass and a triumphant ``HA! Sued your own dick off, you self-righteous pinata!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona didn&#039;t even blink.<br /><br />Her tail tapped lazily against the side of the desk. She looked cool. Unbothered. Perfectly still.<br /><br />But under the desk?<br /><br />Her legs were bouncing.<br /><br />She didn&#039;t know why. Just a jitter in her muscles. A weird little pulse that hadn&#039;t stopped all morning. It started in her lower spine and worked its way up like static, like... something else.<br /><br />She grumbled and shifted, adjusting her hoodie like that might help. It didn&#039;t.<br /><br />``...The hell is wrong with me today?&#039;&#039; she muttered under her breath.<br /><br />``Uh-oh. You feeling feelings again?&#039;&#039; came a voice.<br /><br />She looked up to see Blaze leaning over the side of the desk, his dumb cute grin already in place. He was in his casual gear&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;t-shirt with some ironic slogan, slightly wrinkled, as always&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;and a lunch bag in hand. He&#039;d brought her the one thing she&#039;d admitted she liked: greasy Hellside carnivore wraps with extra spiced meat and zero vegetables.<br /><br />``Here,&#039;&#039; he offered with a lopsided smile, dropping it in front of her like a peace offering. ``Didn&#039;t want you clawing through the vending machine again. Pretty sure that last imp&#039;s head is still stuck in the gum coil.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona blinked. Looked at the food. Looked at him. Her ears twitched. She hated how her tail wagged just a little. ``Thanks,&#039;&#039; she muttered.<br /><br />He nodded, but lingered. Leaned in close, close enough that his breath brushed her cheek&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;warm, with that faint scent of ozone and smoke he always carried. ``You okay though? You seem kinda...&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Snappy?&#039;&#039; she offered with a raised brow.<br /><br />``I was gonna say twitchy. Like you&#039;re waiting for something to explode. And you&#039;re not usually the waiting type.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona growled under her breath, snatched the food, and turned away in her chair. ``I&#039;m fine, Blaze. Just tired. Or maybe annoyed.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Annoyed? At me?&#039;&#039; he said, mock-offended.<br /><br />She gave him a death glare that would&#039;ve sent most males running. Blaze, of course, just gave her a wink and strutted off toward the break room with a stupid little spring in his step.<br /><br />Loona&#039;s eyes lingered.<br /><br />...Why did her eyes linger?<br /><br />She shook herself.<br /><br />Nope. Nope nope nope.<br /><br />It was just heat from the infernal vents. That was all. Just Hell doing its usual humid sweatbox thing. No other reason for her top to feel too tight. Or for Blaze&#039;s voice to sound... lower than usual. Or for her instincts to suddenly act like - <br /><br />She froze.<br /><br />Her nose twitched once. Twice.<br /><br />She growled, shaking the thoughts.<br /><br />Loona had barely unwrapped the carnivore wrap when Blitzo&#039;s voice screeched through the intercom like a chainsaw being choked to death.<br /><br />``ALL HANDS ON DECK, YOU ASS-DRAGGING DEMONS, WE GOT A NEW CONTRACT!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She flinched. Her ears twitched. Not the normal kind. It felt sharp. Like the sound scraped her brain the wrong way.<br /><br />``Ugh,&#039;&#039; she groaned, dragging her claws down her face. ``He could just... walk out of his office. He&#039;s five feet away.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She stood up, grabbed her notepad out of reflex, and trudged toward the meeting room&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;if you could call a cracked round table, a half-dead ficus, and a chalkboard with permanent bloodstains a room.<br /><br />Blaze was already there, sitting backwards in a chair like a delinquent with too much charm. Moxxie stood stiff-backed with a clipboard in hand, while Millie beamed beside him, chewing bubblegum and looking like she&#039;d been up since sunrise gutting something.<br /><br />Loona walked in and dropped herself into her usual chair like gravity personally had it out for her.<br /><br />Blitzo kicked open the meeting room door.<br /><br />He was wearing a pinstripe coat that definitely wasn&#039;t his size, sunglasses indoors, and had a rolled-up scroll tucked under one arm like it was a nuclear briefcase.<br /><br />``Ladies, GentleImps, Certified Jackasses,&#039;&#039; Blitzo announced, striking a dramatic pose. ``Today&#039;s target is a double-feature bounty with a splash of vengeance, a hint of family trauma, and more blood than Moxxie&#039;s wedding night - &#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Please stop referencing that!&#039;&#039; Moxxie barked.<br /><br />Loona rubbed her temple. A strange warmth pressed behind her eyes. Not rage. Not tiredness. Just... pressure.<br /><br />Blitzo continued, unrolling the scroll and slapping it onto the table. It flopped open dramatically&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;and immediately burst into flames.<br /><br />``OH FUCK - &#039;&#039; Blaze jumped, grabbing a cup and slamming it down over the fire. ``Why do these things always self-ignite?!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``It&#039;s Hell parchment,&#039;&#039; Blitzo said with a shrug. ``Has a flair for drama. Like me!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``More like flares up like your untreated rash,&#039;&#039; Loona muttered.<br /><br />Blitzo ignored her and pulled out a backup scroll. This one flickered to life, showing a grainy image of a middle-aged rat man with a gold-plated grill and a permanent tan. He looked like a real piece of work.<br /><br />``Name: Trent Zander,&#039;&#039; Blitzo declared. ``Corporate conman turned cult leader. Scammed a bunch of folks topside into worshipping his pyramid-shaped hover-scam temple. Died last week in a freak tanning bed accident - &#039;&#039;<br /><br />``A what?&#039;&#039; Blaze asked, blinking.<br /><br />``Seared like a pork chop!&#039;&#039; Millie added helpfully.<br /><br />``Anyway,&#039;&#039; Blitzo went on, ``his ghost is still causing problems up there. The client? His ex-wife, who wants us to make sure he gets dragged to the lowest pit and stays there.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona tapped her notepad. ``What&#039;s the job exactly? Hit, retrieval, haunting suppression?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Little of everything!&#039;&#039; Blitzo grinned, spinning a knife between his fingers. ``It&#039;s a family haunting. Whole mansion?s infested with his ghost-essence and probably some pissed-off spirit investors. So suit up&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;and no, Blaze, you can&#039;t bring the karaoke gun again.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``That was one time and it worked!&#039;&#039; Blaze protested.<br /><br />``Yeah, but you nearly started a conga line of the damned,&#039;&#039; Moxxie grumbled.<br /><br />Loona tried to focus. Really, she did. But her top felt tight again. Her fur itched under her collar. And Blaze&#039;s scent was...<br /><br />...Wait. Why could she smell him?<br /><br />She stared ahead blankly as Blitzo drew on the chalkboard with something that was definitely not chalk.<br /><br />This day was already dragging.<br /><br />But for some reason, she felt like something was dragging her.<br /><br />The van landed with a crunch of dead leaves and bones.<br /><br />In the middle of a cracked suburban cul-de-sac sat the Zander Estate&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;once a sleek modern mansion, now a haunted, twitching patch of hell-adjacent real estate. Crystalline windows were half-shattered. The pyramid-shaped roof hummed with cursed geometry. Purple spirit fog coiled from the cracked lawn like dry ice escaping a microwave.<br /><br />``Okay team,&#039;&#039; Blitzo barked, hopping out of the van like a gremlin in charge. ``Standard exorcism layout! Moxxie and Millie take the basement and root out the source of the wailing. Blaze, you&#039;re on upstairs suppression and spirit dismemberment.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``And me?&#039;&#039; Loona asked dryly, arms crossed.<br /><br />``You&#039;re with me on breach and clearing. Front entrance. Let&#039;s sniff out the head honcho.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona let out a soft tch and followed behind Blitzo, her paws thudding lightly on the warped front steps. As she stepped forward, a cold shiver danced up her spine&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;like static cling across every nerve. She paused.<br /><br />The house was loud. Not audibly. Energetically.<br /><br />She could feel it.<br /><br />The moment the door creaked open, a chorus of ghostly murmurs spilled out like a draft from a crypt. Some laughed. Some cried. One just whispered, ``It&#039;s never enough...&#039;&#039; on a loop.<br /><br />``Eugh. Ghosts,&#039;&#039; Loona muttered. ``Always dramatic.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />They pushed inside. The walls pulsed slightly. The wallpaper moved like skin. The chandelier was made entirely out of repurposed jawbones, and it clattered together as the house groaned.<br /><br />And still, despite everything?<br /><br />Loona&#039;s mind was somewhere else.<br /><br />Or rather... on someone else.<br /><br />From the second they&#039;d stepped inside, Blaze had started moving ahead of her, axe in hand, scanning corners. He looked... alert. Calm. His tail swayed in a focused rhythm behind him, and something about the way he stepped&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;low, prepared, lean muscles flexing beneath his shirt&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;pulled Loona&#039;s gaze like a magnet she did not ask for.<br /><br />She tore her eyes away. What the hell was wrong with her?<br /><br />``Loona! Breach that hallway,&#039;&#039; Blitzo shouted.<br /><br />``Yeah, yeah,&#039;&#039; she growled, storming past Blaze. Their shoulders bumped.<br /><br />Just a bump. Nothing. But she felt it. Not just the contact&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;the spark.<br /><br />She stiffened, breath caught in her throat. Her pulse jumped like someone lit a match in her veins. Her heart was racing, and for what? He just touched her. Barely.<br /><br />What was that?<br /><br />What the fuck was that?<br /><br />No time to dwell. A floating kitchen knife screamed past her head and embedded itself in the wall, the wind making her hair sway.<br /><br />``Oh shit - &#039;&#039; Blaze ducked, turning as a transparent figure clawed its way out of the fridge. It howled&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;face twisted, meat slabs hanging from its mouth. ``Ghost fridge gremlin! Go!&#039;&#039; he shouted.<br /><br />Chaos erupted.<br /><br />Moxxie&#039;s screams echoed from the floor below. Millie shouted something gleeful about ``splitting him open like a peach.&#039;&#039; Blitzo fired blindly at a floating blender.<br /><br />And Loona?<br /><br />Loona wasn&#039;t in the zone. Not like usual.<br /><br />She tried to lunge for the ghost-thing, but her timing was off. It phased right past her, knocking her on her ass.<br /><br />Blaze stepped in immediately, swinging his axe with a shout. It cleaved through the spirit&#039;s neck, disrupting it into a puff of blue-green ectoplasm.<br /><br />He turned, offering her a hand. ``You alright?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I&#039;m fine,&#039;&#039; she snapped, yanking herself up before he could help.<br /><br />But her fur was bristling. Her heart was hammering. Her palms... sweating?<br /><br />She hated it. Hated how he smelled&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;no, liked how he smelled. Hated that she noticed. Hated that everything felt louder, sharper, brighter.<br /><br />She was a hellhound. She didn?t get overwhelmed.<br /><br />``Yo!&#039;&#039; Blaze called out, squinting toward the next room. ``We got more movement. Four or five spirits converging. We should regroup with the others.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona tried to nod. But her legs were wobbly. Heat curled low in her gut. Not sickness&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;not nerves&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;just something. Like tension building in all the wrong places.<br /><br />It was like the fight-or-flight response forgot which it was supposed to be.<br /><br />She shook her head sharply. ``No. No. I&#039;m not losing it in a haunted McMansion. This is stupid.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Did you say something?&#039;&#039; Blaze called from the hall.<br /><br />``No,&#039;&#039; she lied.<br /><br />They regrouped. Fought more spirits. Millie dropkicked a flying urn. Moxxie sang a warding chant out of tune. Blaze covered Loona more times than she was comfortable admitting.<br /><br />And through it all?<br /><br />She felt off.<br /><br />Distracted. On edge. Sensitive in ways she didn&#039;t understand. And worst of all...<br /><br />She kept watching him.<br /><br />CHAPTER TWO<br /><br />Paws Off, Brain On Fire<br /><br />The I.M.P. van rattled into the garage with a wheeze and a puff of ghost residue.<br /><br />``Great work, team!&#039;&#039; Blitzo declared, leaping out before the van even stopped moving. ``Another evil bastard banished, a grieving widow satisfied, and a bonus check on the way&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;cha-ching, bitches!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Except we still have a haunted toaster in the backseat,&#039;&#039; Moxxie muttered, eyeing the poltergeist-plagued appliance vibrating in the corner.<br /><br />``It hums the Bee Gees when it&#039;s angry!&#039;&#039; Millie giggled. ``Kinda catchy.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona followed them out, slower than usual. The hoodie she put on now clung to her back, damp with sweat she hadn&#039;t earned. She still felt tight, off, like her body was wound up for a fight that hadn&#039;t come.<br /><br />``Loons,&#039;&#039; Blaze called, stepping beside her. ``You alright? You&#039;ve been weird since we got there. Usually you&#039;re the one eating spirits for breakfast.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I&#039;m fine,&#039;&#039; she barked, too quick.<br /><br />He paused.<br /><br />Loona saw the flicker in his eyes&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;concern, maybe. Something else. She looked away fast.<br /><br />``Okay...&#039;&#039; he said slowly. ``Just... let me know if you need anything. Even if it&#039;s just, like, stabbing a couch for stress relief. I get that.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She grunted in response. Didn&#039;t look at him. Couldn&#039;t.<br /><br />Everyone else went inside, peeling off into their usual post-mission mess&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;Blitzo cracking a beer and lighting fireworks in the break room, Moxxie complaining about ghost taxes, Millie wrestling the haunted toaster into a cage made of demon rebar.<br /><br />Loona beelined to her office corner. The second she was alone, she slammed the door.<br /><br />And locked it.<br /><br />Her claws trembled as she dragged them through her hair, pacing.<br /><br />What. The. Hell.<br /><br />She sat down. Immediately stood back up. Every part of her felt like it didn&#039;t fit. She was hot. Cold. Jumpy. Starving and nauseous at the same time. Her heart wouldn&#039;t calm down. Her skin felt too tight.<br /><br />And Blaze.<br /><br />Every time she closed her eyes she saw him.<br /><br />Not just the usual ``oh wow he&#039;s hot&#039;&#039; stuff. No. This was different. His voice. His scent. That stupid smile. The way he said her name like it wasn&#039;t sharp around the edges.<br /><br />And the way her body reacted to him now?<br /><br />She didn&#039;t have a word for it.<br /><br />She didn&#039;t want a word for it.<br /><br />Her claws clenched into fists. ``Nngh. This is... dumb,&#039;&#039; she hissed. ``I don&#039;t do clingy. I don&#039;t crave. I don&#039;t get... whatever this is!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Her voice bounced off the walls.<br /><br />No one answered.<br /><br />She&#039;d never had family explain this stuff. No mom. No den. No elder hellhound whispering ``one day it&#039;ll hit you, pup.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She was on her own.<br /><br />She stared at her reflection in the darkened screen of her console. Her eyes were glowing faintly&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;more than usual. Pupils slightly dilated. Breath short. Her tail... twitching.<br /><br />She slapped it down with a curse. ``Nope. Stop that. You&#039;re embarrassing yourself.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />But deep inside&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;beneath the sarcasm, beneath the snarl&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;something was happening.<br /><br />And she didn&#039;t know how to stop it.<br /><br />***<br /><br />The next morning.<br /><br />Blitzo paced around the cracked, barely-legible chalkboard, waving a laser pointer like a sword.<br /><br />``Okay, so listen up, freaks! This next contract&#039;s got layers. Multi-target suppression, one of the victims is a senator&#039;s dog - so try not to blow up a kindergarten this time.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Moxxie sighed. ``That was one time.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I don&#039;t trust you around mascots anymore, that&#039;s all I&#039;m saying!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona sat at the meeting table, arms folded, hoodie pulled tight around her. Her legs were crossed too tightly, her claws tapping sharp little rhythms into her notepad.<br /><br />She didn&#039;t say a word.<br /><br />Didn&#039;t need to.<br /><br />Her tail was twitching. Her fur itched. And every time Blaze shifted in the chair next to her&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;leaned forward, stretched, scratched the back of his neck&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;she caught his scent like it was bait on a hook.<br /><br />Vanilla. Smoke. Him.<br /><br />She swallowed thickly. Her thighs squeezed tighter.<br /><br />Blitzo was still talking. Something about ghosts and nuns.<br /><br />Blaze leaned in slightly, whispered toward her with that lazy smile: ``You okay?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />And just like that - <br /><br />It happened so fast...<br /><br />Blaze stood up from his chair, stepping behind her slowly.<br /><br />Loona didn&#039;t flinch.<br /><br />Didn&#039;t move.<br /><br />Couldn&#039;t.<br /><br />His hands slid across her shoulders, then down. Warm. Possessive. Confident.<br /><br />``You&#039;ve been twitching all morning,&#039;&#039; he murmured into her ear. ``Is that for me?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Her breath hitched.<br /><br />``Don&#039;t answer,&#039;&#039; he said, voice low. ``I already know.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />His claws hooked into the edge of her top and removed her collar. Pulled. Exposed her neck. Fur on end. Heat radiating from her.<br /><br />``Blitz is still talking,&#039;&#039; he whispered. ``Let him. He won&#039;t notice a thing.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />And then?<br /><br />He spun her out of the chair.<br /><br />Bent her over the table in one smooth motion.<br /><br />Paper scattered. Moxxie&#039;s coffee tipped. Her palms slammed down on the splintered surface, her breasts bouncing, and Blaze&#039;s body pressed flush against hers.<br /><br />``Gods,&#039;&#039; she gasped. ``Blaze - &#039;&#039;<br /><br />He growled, deep in his throat, fangs near her neck. ``You&#039;re mine. You need this.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Y-yeah... please - &#039;&#039;<br /><br />Her hoodie hit the floor, her nipples hard. Her legs parted to expose her wet and needy slit. Her tail wrapped around his wrist, whimpering his name when two fingers found her moist entrance and slipped in with a wet squelch. He tugged down his pants, his eight inch canine member rigid, ready to - <br /><br />``And that&#039;s when we ghost-blast the cursed organ and push the mayor&#039;s soul into the sewer!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona blinked.<br /><br />Hard.<br /><br />Blitzo was still mid-sentence. Millie was nodding enthusiastically. Moxxie was groaning into his clipboard.<br /><br />Blaze was next to her.<br /><br />Still sitting.<br /><br />Still calm.<br /><br />Still clothed.<br /><br />Everything was normal.<br /><br />Except - <br /><br />Her hoodie was sticking to her back. Her thighs were wet. Her claws had dug grooves into the edge of the table. She could hear her own breathing. Loud. Uneven.<br /><br />And Blaze?<br /><br />Was looking at her.<br /><br />A brow raised. Concerned.<br /><br />``Loona? You good?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She snapped her legs shut. Hard.<br /><br />Nodded stiffly.<br /><br />``F-Fine. Just... spacing out.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Uh-huh,&#039;&#039; he said, clearly not buying it.<br /><br />Her face burned. Her fur burned. Everything burned.<br /><br />And she absolutely refused to look down at the dark spot on the chair she was currently sitting in. This meeting was going to be a long one...<br /><br />Blitzo clapped his hands with a manic grin. ``Alright ya freaks! We got zero time to waste! This one&#039;s extra spicy. Like butt-pepper spicy. Like Millie&#039;s chili but with more stab wounds!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />The team continued&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;Moxxie grumbling, Millie cheerful, Blaze with a coffee mug that said ``I Lived, Bitch&#039;&#039; in cursive. Loona slouched into her seat behind the front desk, arms crossed, tail very tightly wound around her legs.<br /><br />She was still off.<br /><br />Still warm.<br /><br />Still staring too long at Blaze when he wasn&#039;t looking.<br /><br />And it was getting harder to hide.<br /><br />The scent of his shampoo hit her nose again. Vanilla smoke and ozone. Why the fuck did that smell good? Shampoo wasn&#039;t supposed to be distracting.<br /><br />She grit her teeth, trying to focus.<br /><br />Blitzo slammed a folder on the table. ``Behold: Mr. Gregory Bludshedge. A high-ranking soul trafficker in Lower Wrath who&#039;s been flipping contracts and ghosting clients. Our job? Scare the soul right outta his corpse. Simple, clean, and possibly illegal.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Isn&#039;t all of this illegal?&#039;&#039; Moxxie muttered.<br /><br />``Shhhhhh,&#039;&#039; Blitzo hissed. ``Now&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;team assignments! Millie and Moxxie take the flank, I&#039;ll distract his guards with my charm, and Loona, you&#039;re - &#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I&#039;ll cover Blaze&#039;s rear.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Silence.<br /><br />Instant.<br /><br />Dead.<br /><br />Silence.<br /><br />Every head turned.<br /><br />Loona blinked.<br /><br />She hadn&#039;t even realized she said it out loud.<br /><br />It just... slipped.<br /><br />But that wasn&#039;t the worst part.<br /><br />The way she said it.<br /><br />Soft.<br /><br />Devoted.<br /><br />Almost dreamy.<br /><br />Like a line pulled straight from a corny romance novel&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;the kind where the heroine grips the hero&#039;s hand before battle and whispers, ``I&#039;ll watch your back, my love. Always.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />The room was frozen.<br /><br />Moxxie&#039;s jaw dropped. Millie&#039;s gum popped mid-chew. Blaze&#039;s eyes went wide.<br /><br />Even the toaster let out a low, sultry &quot;ohhhhhh.&quot;<br /><br />Loona&#039;s pupils shrank to pinpricks.<br /><br />``I MEANT - I&#039;LL COVER - HIS BACK. TACTICALLY. LIKE A COMBAT MOVE. SHUT UP!&#039;&#039; She stood so fast her chair fell over with a screech. Her fur bristled, eyes flaring like wildfire. ``Don&#039;t you say a single fucking word - &#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Ohhhhh my god,&#039;&#039; Blitzo breathed, clutching his chest like he was witnessing the second coming of Satan. ``Did Loona just say something NICE?! Did she volunteer to be Blaze&#039;s battle buddy in the love trenches?!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Captain Heartthrob&#039;s got a sniper,&#039;&#039; Millie whispered, trying not to snort.<br /><br />Blaze, still frozen, finally blinked. ``I mean... thanks?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona bolted.<br /><br />Straight out of the meeting room.<br /><br />Down the hall.<br /><br />Through the damn breakroom wall.<br /><br />CRASH.<br /><br />Everyone stared at the new Loona-shaped hole.<br /><br />Silence again.<br /><br />``...Should we still go after the contract?&#039;&#039; Moxxie asked.<br /><br />``Forget the contract,&#039;&#039; Blitzo cackled. ``We need popcorn and a damn wedding planner!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona didn&#039;t stop running until she reached the second-floor supply room&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;the one with the broken light and the old bounty files that Blitzo kept ``accidentally&#039;&#039; setting on fire.<br /><br />She slammed the door shut, locked it, and pressed her back against the wall, panting.<br /><br />``I&#039;ll cover Blaze&#039;s rear.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I&#039;ll cover Blaze&#039;s rear.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />&#039;&#039;I&#039;LL COVER BLAZE&#039;S REAR - ``<br /><br />She grabbed her head with both hands, claws digging into her scalp. ``WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME?!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Her voice bounced off the metal shelves. No answer. Just silence. And dust. And the quiet whimper of her pride bleeding out on the floor.<br /><br />She wasn&#039;t soft. She wasn&#039;t needy. She was Loona. She bit things. She rolled her eyes. She definitely didn&#039;t slip up and sound like she was ready to write fanfiction about Blaze Morvane fucking her raw in the middle of a briefing. Her tail was lashing. Her chest was tight. Her claws scratched the wall as she paced back and forth like a caged animal.<br /><br />And worse?<br /><br />Worse?<br /><br />The memory of his face&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;stunned, kinda flustered, interested&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;wouldn&#039;t leave her head.<br /><br />And that made everything worse. Because for a moment?<br /><br />She couldn&#039;t stop thinking about their first night together. She&#039;d wanted to grab his face. Pull him close. Hear him say her name like it meant something.<br /><br />And now?<br /><br />She wanted to scream.<br /><br />Or throw something.<br /><br />Or throw him.<br /><br />...Why was that one appealing?<br /><br />Thunk.<br /><br />A soft knock on the door.<br /><br />Her ears twitched. She spun like a loaded spring.<br /><br />``...Loona?&#039;&#039; Blaze&#039;s voice came through, soft. ``You in there?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />No. No no no no.<br /><br />She stayed silent.<br /><br />Another knock.<br /><br />``I know you&#039;re in there. You left a you-shaped hole in the breakroom wall. Pretty hard to miss.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She growled. ``Go away.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I just wanna make sure you&#039;re okay. Can I come in?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``No. I&#039;m not decent. Or nice. Or safe.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``...Those are literally the three reasons I should come in.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She hesitated.<br /><br />And then, with a frustrated snarl, she unlocked the door.<br /><br />Blaze opened it slowly, cautiously&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;like he was walking into a boss fight without a health bar.<br /><br />Loona stood stiff, arms crossed, fur bristling.<br /><br />Blaze stepped inside. Closed the door behind him.<br /><br />Silence.<br /><br />He didn&#039;t speak at first. Just looked at her. Not mockingly. Not even smug. Just... calm. Concerned. Slightly amused. And, okay, maybe a little flushed in the ears.<br /><br />Loona hated how her heartbeat spiked again.<br /><br />``Look,&#039;&#039; Blaze said carefully, ``what you said back there... it&#039;s fine. It was funny. Everyone&#039;s gonna forget in, like, an hour.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I&#039;m not embarrassed,&#039;&#039; she snapped, instantly defensive.<br /><br />``Cool. Then you&#039;re just smashing through walls for fun now?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She growled low in her throat. Her tail twitched.<br /><br />Blaze paused. ``Okay, look. You&#039;ve been off since yesterday. I&#039;m not pushing. But if something&#039;s wrong, you can talk to me. Y&#039;know that, right?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona turned away, arms tightening. Her voice came out raw. ``I don&#039;t know what&#039;s wrong.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze tilted his head.<br /><br />``Like... I keep feeling this - this pull. I look at you and it&#039;s like my skin&#039;s trying to peel itself off. I can&#039;t focus. I can&#039;t think. You walk in and I want to bite something. Or yell. Or - &#039;&#039;<br /><br />She stopped.<br /><br />Too late.<br /><br />Her mouth betrayed her again.<br /><br />Blaze stepped closer.<br /><br />She didn&#039;t stop him.<br /><br />``Loona...&#039;&#039; he said, voice quiet now. Warm. ``Do you... want me to leave?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She should say yes.<br /><br />She really should.<br /><br />But all that came out was: ``No. But maybe. But also no. I don&#039;t know!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />He was close now. Really close. She could smell him. Feel the warmth rolling off him in waves. Her whole body felt tight. Like it was coiling up for something.<br /><br />He reached out. Just gently.<br /><br />``Hey,&#039;&#039; he said, brushing a finger against her fur just under her chin. ``If this is a `you&#039;re figuring stuff out&#039; moment, I&#039;ll back off. No jokes. No pressure.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She looked at him.<br /><br />Eyes wild.<br /><br />Breath shallow.<br /><br />And for one second, she leaned in&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;just a twitch, an instinct, like her body moving before her brain.<br /><br />Then she shoved him.<br /><br />Not hard. Just enough to say ``don&#039;t tempt me.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze stumbled back with a half-laugh, catching himself.<br /><br />``Right. Got it. You?re still sorting out the murder-vs-makeout equation.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Shut up,&#039;&#039; she snarled, though her voice cracked at the end.<br /><br />He didn&#039;t push it further.<br /><br />He just nodded. ``Okay. I&#039;ll give you space. But I&#039;m not going far.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />He stepped back. Hand on the door.<br /><br />``And for what it&#039;s worth...&#039;&#039; he added with a sly smile, ``if you ever cover my rear in a fight&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;I trust you with it. Just not emotionally, maybe.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``GET OUT!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />He ducked out, laughing as the door slammed behind him.<br /><br />Loona stood alone again.<br /><br />Breathing hard. Fur hot. Stomach twisting.<br /><br />She didn&#039;t know what this was.<br /><br />But it wasn&#039;t going away.<br /><br />CHAPTER THREE<br /><br />The Hound, The Heat, And The Hell-Library<br /><br />Loona crept through the rows of the Wrath District Public Archive like a wanted criminal. Her hoodie was up. Sunglasses on. Tail tucked tight.<br /><br />She was a six-foot-tall hellhound in a gothcore hoodie skulking through a public building like a middle schooler buying their first condom. No one had noticed her yet, but the moment someone did, she was absolutely curb-stomping the Dewey Decimal System.<br /><br />She scanned the aisles. History. Mythology. Self-help. Where the hell&#039;s the ``My Body is Doing Weird Shit&#039;&#039; section?<br /><br />She peeked over the shelves. A bored-looking demoness sat at the help desk, chewing gum and flipping through a romance novel called Sinfully Yours: A Reaper?s Embrace.<br /><br />Loona weighed her options. She could wing it. Or... ask.<br /><br />She groaned internally and slunk forward like a war criminal asking for directions.<br /><br />The demoness barely glanced up. ``Need somethin&#039;, pooch?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona cleared her throat, voice tight. ``Yeah. Uh. Where&#039;s the section for... biology?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Mortal or demon?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``...Hellhound.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />That got a reaction. The demoness looked up. Slowly. Eyes trailing Loona&#039;s hoodie, posture, twitching tail. Her smirk widened. ``Oooooh.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``No,&#039;&#039; Loona said instantly, already regretting this.<br /><br />``Back left, red shelf, third row,&#039;&#039; she said, suppressing a giggle. ``Big book titled `Understanding Infernal Anatomy: For Dummies and Den-Mothers&#039;. Can&#039;t miss it.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona was gone before the words finished echoing.<br /><br />She found the section. Sure enough&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;red shelves, dusty, mostly untouched. She scanned the titles.<br /><br />``When Tails Twitch: Adolescence in Underworld Species.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Heat Cycles and You: An Honest Guide for Young Succubi.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``So You&#039;re Turning Into Your Mother: A Demonic Hormonal Journey.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona grimaced. ``This is hell. This is actual hell.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Then she spotted it.<br /><br />``The Growing Howl: A Hellhound&#039;s Guide to Biological Maturity.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />It was thick. Cartoonishly thick. And covered in art that looked like a children&#039;s coloring book.<br /><br />``...You&#039;ve gotta be kidding me.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Still, she grabbed it and slipped into the back corner reading booth&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;small, dark, and private.<br /><br />She cracked it open.<br /><br />And immediately wanted to die.<br /><br />Page One: ``WELCOME, YOUNG HELLHOUND!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />A cartoon hellhound&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;bright red, big dumb eyes, tail wagging&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;waved from the page. Speech bubble:``Let&#039;s talk about the amazing changes happening in your body!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona scowled. ``Kill me.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She flipped pages. She knew what puberty was. She clawed her way through that shit years ago.<br /><br />Page Five: ``Your Body&#039;s Natural Rhythms!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Like other infernal creatures, hellhounds experience seasonal heat cycles. These may activate when a mate is found, often unexpectedly!&#039;&#039; Cue cartoon hearts and a blushing doodle of two canines holding paws under a firestorm.<br /><br />Loona growled. ``It&#039;s not a mate, he&#039;s just... Blaze.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She flipped faster.<br /><br />Page Eleven: ``Male and Female Anatomy!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Oh great,&#039;&#039; she muttered. ``Here come the balls.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Sure enough&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;diagrams. Very happy looking diagrams. And arrows.<br /><br />One of the male hellhound doodles winked at her. She flipped the page so fast she ripped it.<br /><br />Page Fifteen: ``The Big Moment: When You Know You&#039;re in Heat!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />&quot;Feeling agitated? Warm all over? Heart racing when you see someone special? Tail twitching? Sensitive nose? Sudden mood swings? Craving companionship?&quot;<br /><br />Loona stared.<br /><br />Then flipped back.<br /><br />Then reread it.<br /><br />``Wait.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Agitated... check. Warm... very. Heart - shit. Nose? Don&#039;t even get me started. Mood swings - god yes. And the Blaze thing - <br /><br />She slowly slid the book down. Realization hit like a truck full of bricks and shame. ``...I&#039;m in heat.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She said it out loud.<br /><br />Then slammed the book shut so hard the cartoon hellhound probably exploded in the spirit realm.<br /><br />``NOPE.&#039;&#039; She stood, tucked the book under her arm, and walked out of the booth like a war veteran.<br /><br />The librarian raised an eyebrow. ``Find what you needed?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Shut up.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />And she left.<br /><br />Fast.<br /><br />***<br /><br />Loona stood behind the I.M.P. front desk the next morning, posture rigid, ears flat, tail knotted around her leg like a boa constrictor trying to strangle her will to live.<br /><br />She was determined. <br /><br />She was focused.<br /><br />She was absolutely, totally going to act normal.<br /><br />She&#039;d even reviewed the stupid cartoon book twice last night.<br /><br />She was in heat.<br /><br />Fine.<br /><br />She could deal with that. She was strong. She was cool. She could power through it like a champ. She even rubbed out enough orgasms to put a succubus to shame before she came to work. She&#039;d just avoid anything that might trigger - <br /><br />``Morning, Loons!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />The door slammed open.<br /><br />Trigger engaged.<br /><br />Blaze walked in, coffee in one hand, his usual just-woke-up-but-still-hot look fully engaged: messy shirt, collar popped just enough to expose the top of his chest fur, faint scent of body spray and ozone already curling into the air like a damn invitation.<br /><br />Loona blinked.<br /><br />And blinked again.<br /><br />The room tilted.<br /><br />Her heart lurched like it was trying to escape her ribs. A hot wave crawled up her spine, down her arms, between her legs. Her hoodie suddenly felt like a prison. Too tight. Too hot. Too everything.<br /><br />Nope. No no no. Absolutely not.<br /><br />She did not just imagine Blaze pressed against her, breath hot on her neck, saying her name in that low gravel-voice that he only used when things got hot between them. When that stupid-ass smile of his curled into something seductive that made her shiver.<br /><br />``Hey,&#039;&#039; Blaze said, smiling as he leaned on the desk. ``You alright? You&#039;re kinda wide-eyed.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona snapped out of it. Snarled. ``Don&#039;t lean on the desk.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />He blinked. ``Okay... geez.&#039;&#039; He backed off slightly, confused&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;and, if she squinted, mildly flustered. <br /><br />Not helping.<br /><br />``Do I smell weird?&#039;&#039; he asked, sniffing his shirt.<br /><br />Loona immediately turned away, one hand over her nose. ``NOPE. You smell normal. Like dirt and fire and - shut up.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />He tilted his head. ``You sure? I used that new shampoo. Mom sent it. Smells like vanilla and - &#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I KNOW what it smells like!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Now he was really staring.<br /><br />``You okay?&#039;&#039; Blaze asked. ``You look... flushed.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I&#039;m FINE,&#039;&#039; she growled, sweat now dampening the back of her hoodie. ``Just warm in here. I - furnace broke or something. Fire imps. Global warming. Demonic El Nino. I don&#039;t know.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />He just gave her that casual, stupid, infuriatingly soft smile. ``Alright. But if you start melting, I&#039;ll grab you a bucket of ice.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She made a strangled noise that might&#039;ve been a ``thanks&#039;&#039; or a ``shut the hell up before I tackle you.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze moved toward the mission board, back muscles flexing slightly as he reached up to pin a request.<br /><br />Loona stared. Her claws dug into the desk.<br /><br />That back. That goddamn back. That is not a normal back. That back is a crime. That&#039;s a fuck-me-back. The back she clawed at whenever he - <br /><br />She slammed her head into the desk. ``MOTHER - &#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blitzo popped out from the breakroom door, a pancake in each hand. ``You good, Looney Tunes?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``YES,&#039;&#039; she barked, not lifting her head, voice muffled.<br /><br />``She&#039;s been saying that a lot lately,&#039;&#039; Moxxie whispered from where he was filling in the hellhound hole she&#039;d made the other day.<br /><br />Millie was squinting at her. ``Aw, sugar, you sure you&#039;re not comin&#039; down with somethin&#039;?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I&#039;M. FINE.&#039;&#039; Loona growled, now actively vibrating.<br /><br />Blaze glanced back, half-turning, eyes meeting hers for a second longer than they should have.<br /><br />Her heart slammed. Her nose twitched. Another pulse. Lower. Stronger.<br /><br />She stood so fast her chair launched backwards into the printer. ``I&#039;M GOING ON LUNCH.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``It&#039;s 9:30,&#039;&#039; Moxxie mumbled.<br /><br />``IT&#039;S LUNCH SOMEWHERE.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />And she bolted.<br /><br />Again.<br /><br />Loona stormed out of I.M.P. HQ like a war hound possessed.<br /><br />Her feet clomped against the concrete alley behind the building as she yanked off her hoodie, letting the oven-like air of Hell slap her in the face. It didn&#039;t help. If anything, the heat outside matched the one simmering under her skin.<br /><br />She leaned against the wall, panting, claws twitching. Her tail whipped behind her in sharp, angry flicks.<br /><br />Get it together, she thought. You&#039;re not some mindless mutt. You don&#039;t pounce people just because your hormones are in a meltdown. You&#039;re better than that.<br /><br />You&#039;re not gonna lose it.<br /><br />She looked around, then with a snarl she pushed down her shorts and leaned back. She pulled a hot-pink vibrator from her hoodie pocket, packed just for this infuriating situation. With the flick of a claw, it was on, and Loona bit her lip as she pressed it against the soaked material of her panties. Her eyes rolled back, drool already dampening the fur under her chin.<br /><br />``A-ah... yeah. Fuck...&#039;&#039;<br /><br />The door creaked behind her.<br /><br />Footsteps.<br /><br />She didn&#039;t have to look to know who it was, and she was already scrambling to compose and adjust herself.<br /><br />Blaze.<br /><br />Of course.<br /><br />He stepped into view, cautious but calm, holding a bottle of water like a peace offering. ``Hey...&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She didn&#039;t answer, having smoothed her clothing back into place just in time.<br /><br />``You, uh...&#039;&#039; He scratched the back of his neck. ``You kinda launched outta there like a rocket.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Still no answer.<br /><br />``You okay?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She turned slowly. Her eyes were glowing. Face flushed. Muscles tight. Every inch of her screamed don?t come closer - and yet her body wouldn&#039;t back up.<br /><br />He hesitated, then set the bottle on the nearby crate. ``I get it,&#039;&#039; he said, voice quieter. ``You don&#039;t have to explain. If you need space, I&#039;ll give it. I just... wanted to check on you.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Silence.<br /><br />A long beat.<br /><br />Loona&#039;s claws curled into fists.<br /><br />She was trying. She was trying so hard.<br /><br />But he smelled too damn good. He was too close. And her body had stopped caring about restraint about five minutes ago. The fur around her thighs and even her damn shorts were soaked.<br /><br />Her voice came out low. Rough. A growl dressed up as a sentence. ``I&#039;m gonna regret this.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze blinked. ``What - &#039;&#039;<br /><br />She grabbed his collar.<br /><br />And pulled.<br /><br />Hard.<br /><br />Their muzzles met in a hot mash of teeth and tongue.<br /><br />Blaze was wide-eyed when they pulled apart. ``...here?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona&#039;s only answer was to shove two fingers unto her waistband, swirl them inside her dripping slit, and shove those soaked digits into Blaze&#039;s mouth.<br /><br />The moan he made was the only confirmation she needed.<br /><br />Shadows. Shelves. Mops. Breathless moans muffled by kisses. The smell of sweat and static clinging to the air.<br /><br />Clothes halfway undone. Her claws gripping his back. His hands under her thighs. A hiss. A growl. A low, guttural &quot;Loona...&quot; whispered like a secret she was too far gone to hate.<br /><br />And then - <br /><br />The snap of latex. A sharp inhale. A second of motionless quiet.<br /><br />And then...<br /><br />The air was filled with the wet claps of Blaze&#039;s hips hitting her ass. Her claws dug into the dumpster, leaving marks as her body was jostled back and forth on the dirty texture. Fuck, she didn&#039;t care. Her mind was drooling. So was her mouth. Her fucking sex.<br /><br />Sweet Lucifer, she could feel it wetting his balls each time they slapped against her.<br /><br />Yeah. Yeah. That&#039;s it. Breed me like a bitch.<br /><br />She didn&#039;t saw those words out loud, but her body was screaming them. Thankfully, Blaze, the dumbass he was, the smart dumbass, had a condom with him. Why? Fuck, she didn&#039;t care.<br /><br />``N-no... knot!&#039;&#039; she growled.<br /><br />``W-wouldn&#039;t have - &#039;&#039;<br /><br />She didn&#039;t even let him finish. She was starved.<br /><br />She threw herself back into him, snarling as she slid down his body, tore the condom off, and engulfed his length in one smooth motion.<br /><br />Blaze didn&#039;t even have time to register. She was feasting on his throbbing cock like it was her last meal. It may as well have been his.<br /><br />Wet slurps and schlicks replaced the eager claps of their fucking as Loona sucked and finger fucked herself to the depths of hell&#039;s pits. It wasn&#039;t long until she clenched through multiple orgasms and choked herself on Blaze&#039;s load as it filled her mouth.<br /><br />Sweet. Bitter. Hot. Hers. <br /><br />She didn&#039;t care if she fucking drowned in it.<br /><br />By the end...<br /><br />Loona, panting against a stack of toilet paper rolls, glared at Blaze while hastily tugging her pants back up.<br /><br />``Not. A. Word,&#039;&#039; she hissed, cheeks blazing, tail frizzed out like a livewire. Her panties were so wet they were cold within seconds, and it did nothing to cool her down.<br /><br />Blaze, sitting on an overturned mop bucket, was pulling his shirt back on with that grin. That stupid, smug, boyish, post-coital smirk that made her want to both kiss him again and shove his head into a wall.<br /><br />He glanced down at the now-knotted condom in his hand, then back up at her.<br /><br />``I mean... impressive teamwork?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She nearly punched him.<br /><br />Instead, she snatched the condom out of his hand and chucked it in the trash with enough force to dent the bin.<br /><br />``We are never talking about this,&#039;&#039; she growled, fixing her hair. ``This didn&#039;t happen.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Didn&#039;t it?&#039;&#039; he teased, raising a brow.<br /><br />Her eyes flashed. ``You wanna go again, wiseass?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />His grin widened. ``...Kinda?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She shoved him against the mop bucket, stormed out of the storage room, and slammed the door behind her.<br /><br />She was still hot. Still twitchy. Still not okay.<br /><br />And if anyone asked?<br /><br />She&#039;d been reorganizing the supply shelf.<br /><br />For twenty minutes.<br /><br />Alone.<br /><br />Definitely.<br /><br />CHAPTER FOUR<br /><br />Heat of The Moment<br /><br />Night had finally fallen.<br /><br />And despite the constant magma rivers and random screaming in the distance, the Hellside Promenade looked... oddly pretty. Neon signs glowed over polished obsidian walkways, upscale demon couples strolled between open-air cafes and infernal jazz lounges, and lavafall fountains burbled sweetly in the background.<br /><br />Loona sat at a patio table across from Blaze, arms folded tightly, jaw locked.<br /><br />Trying to be normal.<br /><br />Again.<br /><br />She looked amazing. Cleaned up&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;but not too much. Just enough to say this is a date, without saying please take me now before I explode. She wore a sleeveless black crop top and leather belt skirt, fur brushed out, but no makeup. Her tail sat on her lap. Her thighs pressed together tightly.<br /><br />Because if she didn&#039;t keep herself physically compressed, she was 100% certain she&#039;d start dry-humping the chair.<br /><br />Blaze, of course, looked relaxed as ever.<br /><br />Button-down shirt. Rolled sleeves. Tight jeans. Tail lazily flicking behind him. Eyes warm and playful as he sipped his drink&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;some kind of smoky cinnamon cocktail.<br /><br />He didn&#039;t smell as strong as earlier, which helped. Slightly. But he still looked good. Too good. Feral fantasy good. And Loona&#039;s instincts were clawing at her ribs.<br /><br />Blaze set his drink down and smiled. ``So hey. I know things&#039;ve been a bit intense lately - &#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I&#039;m fine.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``You sure? Because I&#039;ve had to dodge like four tail-whips under the table so far.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona growled under her breath.<br /><br />``I just wanna make sure you&#039;re cool for tomorrow,&#039;&#039; he added casually.<br /><br />Her ears twitched. ``Tomorrow?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />He smiled. That smile.<br /><br />``You didn&#039;t forget, did you?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``...Forget what?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``We&#039;re having dinner with my mom.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona stopped breathing.<br /><br />``Mistral. Tomorrow. At her place. You, me, a meal, and a conversation I&#039;m only mildly terrified about.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona stared at him, fur slowly rising. ``You&#039;re telling me... I&#039;m gonna meet your mom... tomorrow... while my entire body is one hair away from setting fire to the tablecloth?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I mean... technically yes.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona made a strangled choking noise and looked skyward like she was begging the gods of Hell for a meteor to hit her.<br /><br />And then?<br /><br />The worst thing happened.<br /><br />Bee showed up.<br /><br />``AWWW, look at my favorite little infernal pairing!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />The Queen of Gluttony strolled up in all her pastel, curvy, bombshell glory&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;hips swaying, sparkles floating around her like fairy dust and shame. Her eyes locked instantly on Loona.<br /><br />And oh, she could smell it.<br /><br />Bee grinned, slow and devious. ``Loonaaa, you look flushed, sweetie. And not just your face. Everything&#039;s burning tonight, huh?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I will literally throw myself into a volcano,&#039;&#039; Loona muttered.<br /><br />Bee giggled. Sat down uninvited. Snagged one of Blaze&#039;s breadsticks and very deliberately slid it between her lips with an obscene moan, her tongue playing games that should be illegal.<br /><br />Blaze blinked. ``Hi, Bee.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona&#039;s claws cracked the stem of her glass.<br /><br />Bee leaned across the table, grinning devilishly. ``Blaze, I hope you&#039;re staying hydrated tonight. I have a feeling someone&#039;s running a little hotter than usual.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona kicked Bee under the table.<br /><br />Bee didn&#039;t flinch. She winked.<br /><br />``You know, Loony,&#039;&#039; Bee said with a velvet purr, ``there&#039;s no shame in asking for what you want. I always say - &#039;&#039;<br /><br />``WE&#039;RE LEAVING.&#039;&#039; Loona stood so fast her chair fell over. She grabbed Blaze&#039;s wrist and yanked.<br /><br />Blaze choked on his drink. ``But - tip - wallet - wait - !&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Bee waved sweetly as they disappeared into the crowd. ``Have fun! And tell Mistral I said hi! Love to meet her someday!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Later that night...<br /><br />Loona slammed Blaze against the side of the alley wall three blocks away.<br /><br />Eyes wild. Breath hot. Hands on his shirt, gripping like he was both an anchor and a bomb.<br /><br />``Okay,&#039;&#039; she said, voice ragged. ``Here&#039;s what&#039;s gonna happen. Tomorrow, I&#039;m meeting your mom. I am going to be a presentable, composed, tolerable girlfriend.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze nodded, holding back a grin.<br /><br />``But tonight?&#039;&#039; she growled, fangs flashing. ``You are not leaving this alley until I&#039;ve burned this out of my system. All of it.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />His eyes widened slightly. ``...Should I stretch first?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Start praying.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She ripped open his shirt, her mouth sinking into his neck with a needy growl as she shoved herself against him.<br /><br />It wasn&#039;t long until she was on top of him. Panties stuffed in his mouth, skirt lifted as she rode him with enough forced to break his hips.<br /><br />Blaze, for the most part, did his best to keep up.<br /><br />One round became two, then four...<br /><br />He stopped counting after that.<br /><br />***<br /><br />Loona woke up with a groan that sounded like something dying slowly under a heat lamp.<br /><br />Her eyes blinked open to the dim lighting of Blaze&#039;s bedroom&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;a mess of scattered pillows, twisted blankets, torn clothing, and a number of very used, very discarded condoms decorating the floor like sad party balloons.<br /><br />Her fur was ruffled in every direction. Her mouth tasted like sweat and smoke. Her torn panties were hanging off the ceiling fan. And Blaze&#039;s nightstand? Looked like a graveyard for protection packaging.<br /><br />She rolled onto her back.<br /><br />Her tail flopped lifelessly against her leg.<br /><br />``...Fuuuuuuuck me.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She stared at the ceiling.<br /><br />Again.<br /><br />And again.<br /><br />And then he did three more times against the closet door.<br /><br />Her legs ached. Her shoulders were sore. Her claws were still twitching. But worst of all?<br /><br />Her heat?<br /><br />Still. Going.<br /><br />In fact...<br /><br />Worse. Way worse.<br /><br />It was like her body tasted last night&#039;s frenzy and decided, ``Yes. That. But stronger. Forever.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She gritted her teeth and sat up slowly, only to feel the sheets peel away from her skin like they were steamed on. ``Oh come on.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />A soft snore interrupted her pity party.<br /><br />Blaze lay sprawled next to her, one arm over his chest, the other hanging off the bed. His hair was a mess. His fur was mussed. And he was smiling in his sleep like someone who&#039;d spent the night in a warzone and won.<br /><br />Loona stared. Then narrowed her eyes.<br /><br />Then grabbed the nearest pillow and smacked him in the face with it.<br /><br />THWOMP.<br /><br />``Gnnuh?&#039;&#039; Blaze sat up mid-snore. ``Whuzz - battle - ?!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``You!&#039;&#039; she barked, hair wild, eyes bloodshot. ``You - me - last night - what the hell, Blaze?! I&#039;m still burning up and now I&#039;ve gotta meet your mom tonight while my entire body is in heat mode level: apocalypse?!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze blinked. Looked around.<br /><br />Took in the sight of seven condoms scattered like deflated dreams. His shredded shirt in the fan blades. A single bite mark on his wrist. Then turned to her with a sleepy, lopsided grin. ``...So... round six?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona threw the pillow again.<br /><br />One hour and two more orgasms later...<br /><br />Loona stumbled into the bathroom, naked, sweaty, towel dragging from one shoulder.<br /><br />She stared into the mirror.<br /><br />Her reflection stared back.<br /><br />Messy fur. Glowing eyes. A single hickey on her neck the size of a baseball.<br /><br />``...I&#039;m gonna die,&#039;&#039; she whispered.<br /><br />She turned on the shower. Ice cold. Stepped in.<br /><br />It did not help.<br /><br />Every drop that hit her fur felt like it turned steam-hot instantly. Her whole body throbbed. Her chest. Her legs. Her everything. She was chewing her own tongue just to keep from growling out loud.<br /><br />She gripped the tile wall and muttered, ``I swear to Satan, if your mom makes a single joke tonight - &#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Did you say something?&#039;&#039; Blaze called from the bedroom.<br /><br />``JUST PRAY I DON&#039;T MARK YOU AGAIN IN FRONT OF YOUR MOTHER.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``...so that&#039;s a no on the hickey turtleneck?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``BLAZE!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />CHAPTER FIVE<br /><br />Before The Storm<br /><br />Blaze&#039;s cruiser, a sleek number gifted by a certain four-armed party goer, hummed smoothly along the lava-glazed road, the low roar of the engine mixing with faint synthwave coming from the speakers.<br /><br />Loona sat in the passenger seat.<br /><br />Stiff. Silent. Sweating.<br /><br />Not because of the temperature&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;the A/C was blasting&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;but because Blaze was wearing that fishnet top again. Sleeveless. One arm on the wheel. Other hand resting casually on his thigh.<br /><br />And that thigh was the entire problem.<br /><br />No, wait&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;that wasn&#039;t fair.<br /><br />It was also the neck. The collarbone. The jawline. The smell. The voice. The stupid relaxed energy that made her body scream like a siren on a fertility festival float.<br /><br />She shifted.<br /><br />Uncrossed and recrossed her legs.<br /><br />Again.<br /><br />Her tail thudded against the door. She quickly clamped it down.<br /><br />``Y&#039;know,&#039;&#039; Blaze said lightly, ``I think you&#039;re more nervous about meeting my mom than I was when you first threatened to decapitate that fire imp that flirted with me.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I&#039;m not nervous,&#039;&#039; she muttered. ``I&#039;m - &quot; Her voice cracked. She cleared it. ``Hot.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze glanced at her with a smirk. ``In the `damn, babe&#039; way or the `help my hormones are melting me from the inside&#039; way?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``YES.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />He chuckled, eyes back on the road. ``Look, I promise&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;Mistral&#039;s gonna love you. She already knows you&#039;re rough around the edges. She&#039;s not expecting some polite little teacup demon.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``She&#039;s expecting someone who doesn&#039;t look like they spent all night clawing through their son&#039;s bed like a feral animal,&#039;&#039; Loona growled, hands gripping her seatbelt like it owed her money.<br /><br />``Okay,&#039;&#039; Blaze said, smirking. ``To be fair, I clawed a little too.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Do not make me jump out of this car.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze held up one hand. ``Alright, alright. No jokes.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />A beat.<br /><br />Then: ``...But if you do jump out, I&#039;ll have to chase you down. And I think we both know how that ends.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona squeaked and slapped the side of her head against the window. ``WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS?!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze grinned.<br /><br />Silence.<br /><br />Only the engine and synthwave.<br /><br />Loona sat, twitching. Her hoodie clung to her back. Her thighs were soaked with a sweat that was definitely not just sweat. She could smell him again. That damn scent. Smoke, ozone, vanilla, heat, temptation.<br /><br />Her nose twitched once.<br /><br />Twice.<br /><br />Then she snarled under her breath and slammed her head back against the seat.<br /><br />Blaze glanced again, more serious this time.<br /><br />``You alright?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``No,&#039;&#039; she growled, eyes glowing faintly. ``My body is screaming `BREED.&#039; Like, loud. Like, louder than Bee at a rave. And your shirt? Is a threat. Everything you say? Feels like foreplay. And I swear to Satan, Blaze, if you smirk at me one more time - &#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I&#039;ll pull the car over?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona froze.<br /><br />Looked at him.<br /><br />He smirked again.<br /><br />She lunged.<br /><br />THUMP!<br /><br />The car shuddered slightly as she tackled him sideways across the console.<br /><br />Blaze yelped, gripping the wheel. ``Babe! We&#039;re still driving!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``PULL OVER.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I - WE&#039;RE LITERALLY - THERE&#039;S A - FINE, OKAY!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Ten minutes later, the car idled in a very questionable alleyway behind a bar called ``Sin and Tonic.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Inside the car?<br /><br />Clothing disheveled. Windows fogged. Breathless silence.<br /><br />Loona was nestled in his lap, whining, whimpering, claws digging into his shoulders as she ground her pelvis against his. Her tongue was out, eyes rolled back as she felt every throb of his swollen knot.<br /><br />If only she could tear away that damn condom. Thankfully one rational side of her brain remained.<br /><br />His knot came free minutes later with a wet, sucking slurp, and she gasped as she slid off him.<br /><br />Blaze reached for the condom, but she smacked his hand away, grabbed it herself, and pulled it to her muzzle. She inhaled deeply, sighing, sucking the musky nectar from within and threw it onto the ground.<br /><br />Loona then slumped back in the passenger seat again, now upright, arms folded, face beet red, hoodie zipped all the way up like she was trying to imprison her own shame.<br /><br />Blaze sat next to her, smiling.<br /><br />Still flushed. Still panting a little. Still very pleased with himself.<br /><br />He glanced at her. ``...Feel better?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She didn&#039;t answer.<br /><br />Her tail curled slowly.<br /><br />``...So that&#039;s a maybe?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She snarled. ``I&#039;m still in heat, dumbass.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze tilted his head, eyes softening. ``I know. But you&#039;re not alone in it. Okay?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She didn&#039;t say anything.<br /><br />Just... glanced sideways.<br /><br />And her clawed hand slid into his.<br /><br />Gently.<br /><br />Without words.<br /><br />***<br /><br />The portal from Hell to the living world shimmered behind them, closing with a soft fwump.<br /><br />Loona adjusted her hoodie, tugged the hem of her skirt, then cracked her neck like she was preparing for a cage match.<br /><br />Blaze stood next to her in a collared shirt and blazer, just barely presentable. His hand brushed hers as they stood outside a neat little two-story suburban home&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;grey siding, flower boxes, porch light glowing warmly like it wasn&#039;t about to witness a disaster.<br /><br />Loona swallowed. Her body still burned under the surface, but she&#039;d downed three cold showers and a can of hellmint breath spray on the walk over. She was going to survive this.<br /><br />Blaze smiled at her. ``Just be yourself.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I am literally going to burst into flames.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``She won&#039;t mind. She&#039;s fireproof. And a psychologist. So. Double immune.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Before Loona could throw herself into the hedges, the front door opened with a gentle click.<br /><br />And there she stood.<br /><br />Mistral Morvane.<br /><br />A tall, graceful white wolf with a professional calm that radiated ``I know exactly what you&#039;re thinking, and I will catalog it.&#039;&#039; Her long white hair was tied back in a tidy braid, streaked with sharp blue highlights. A sleek visor rested above her brows, glowing faintly. She wore a soft grey sweater, jeans, and house slippers that somehow made her more intimidating.<br /><br />Her eyes landed on Blaze first. ``So. My formerly dead son walks through the door like nothing happened.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze raised a hand. ``Hey, Mom.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``You broke temporal law. Again.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Minorly.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She raised an eyebrow. Then looked at Loona. The smile she gave was small. Not cold. But measured. ``And you must be the... `official&#039; one.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona straightened up. ``Yeah. That&#039;s me. Loona.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Mistral&#039;s eyes scanned her. Thoroughly. Height. Posture. Clothes. Pupils. Microexpressions. Biometric scan complete. Diagnosis: chaos gremlin in heat.<br /><br />``...You&#039;re warm,&#039;&#039; Mistral noted casually.<br /><br />Loona froze. ``Wh - what?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Your circulation&#039;s elevated. Pulse, too. Subtle nose twitch. Dilated pupils. I&#039;d say hormone surge. Unrelated to fear.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona&#039;s entire face ignited.<br /><br />``MOM,&#039;&#039; Blaze interrupted, stepping in. ``We said no scanning guests without consent.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Mistral held up a hand, calm as ever. ``I didn&#039;t scan. I observed. It&#039;s what I do.&#039;&#039; Then, to Loona: ``You&#039;re not contagious, are you?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona opened her mouth, then closed it.<br /><br />Mistral smiled faintly. ``Good. Come in. Dinner&#039;s hot. And if either of you broke my walls last night, I will find out.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona muttered under her breath, ``I&#039;m gonna die. Again.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />The dining room was small, tidy, and terrifying. Mistral had set the table perfectly&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;utensils aligned, napkins folded into roses, the wine labeled ``Non-Hell-Sourced.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze plopped down like it was nothing.<br /><br />Loona sat stiffly, legs crossed, hoodie sleeves pulled down like she could trap the heat inside her skin and fur.<br /><br />Mistral served food with surgical precision. ``So. How did you two meet?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze started. ``Oh, well - &#039;&#039;<br /><br />``He stalked me at work,&#039;&#039; Loona muttered.<br /><br />Mistral arched an eyebrow.<br /><br />Blaze laughed. ``Not literally. I joined I.M.P. after dying. We bonded over mutual trauma and killing things.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``How romantic.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona stabbed her food. ``It was.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Mistral&#039;s eyes sparkled. ``Fascinating. You know, I never expected Blaze to end up with a hellhound. I figured he&#039;d bring home a digital consciousness, or perhaps a ghost in a jar.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Thanks, Mom.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Though this is more biologically interesting. Do you know how rare cross-realm intimacy is, Loona?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona choked on her water.<br /><br />``I&#039;d love to run a blood panel sometime.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze buried his face in his hands. ``Please don&#039;t offer her a lab cup.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Mistral smirked. ``No pressure, dear. Just... curiosity. Speaking of which - &#039;&#039; She tapped her chin. ``Is it possible the recent hormonal shifts are affecting your mood? Your instincts?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona blinked rapidly. ``I - I mean - there&#039;s some shifts, maybe - &#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Of course. That would explain the clenching.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``...The what?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Your posture. You&#039;re currently pressing your thighs together with enough force to power a turbine. Either you&#039;re fighting heat, or you&#039;re trying not to tackle my son onto the table. Though I&#039;d be curious on hellhound mating rituals.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />The air went dead silent.<br /><br />Loona stared straight ahead, not blinking.<br /><br />Blaze stared at his plate.<br /><br />The steak was perfectly seasoned.<br /><br />The wine was smooth.<br /><br />And Loona could not taste any of it.<br /><br />She was too busy mentally screaming over the buzzing in her skin, the fire under her fur, and the constant, blaring, repeating inner command:<br /><br />&quot;Breed. Breed. BREED.&quot;<br /><br />Mistral sat at the end of the table, sipping wine with clinical serenity. Blaze, halfway through his second plate, was completely oblivious to the war raging right beside him.<br /><br />``Tell me, Loona,&#039;&#039; Mistral began, slicing her asparagus with graceful precision. ``Do you experience heightened aggression during your heat cycle, or would you describe it as more of a submissive tilt?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona choked.<br /><br />Literally.<br /><br />Coughed three times before wheezing, ``I - what - who just asks that?!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Mistral blinked innocently. ``I&#039;ve studied over sixty unique hellhound variants. Your kind is woefully undocumented, especially in mixed-realm mating patterns. As a mother and a scientist, I find it fascinating.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze muttered, ``This is normal. Just ride it out.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I&#039;m going to ride something if she keeps talking like that,&#039;&#039; Loona hissed under her breath.<br /><br />Mistral continued, tone gentle but deadly direct. ``It&#039;s biologically important to understand how your instincts manifest. Do you tend toward possessive behavior? Marking? Mounting? Or are you more reactive to verbal praise?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona&#039;s fork bent in her hand. Her thighs pressed tighter. Her pupils were blown wide&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;part fear, part feral.<br /><br />And her brain?<br /><br />``Mounting. Yes. All of it. Yes. Right now. Table. Do it. Who cares. Yes.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She took a very large gulp of wine.<br /><br />Mistral sipped again. ``How vocal are you, typically?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``MOM.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I mean during peak arousal. It&#039;s relevant. Many hellhounds have an instinctual howl reflex, and I?d rather not install soundproofing if it&#039;s avoidable.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona dropped her new fork. ``Are you asking if I howl while - ?!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze groaned, rubbing his temples. ``Welcome to the Morvane Family Experience.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Mistral offered a gentle smile. ``I&#039;m simply trying to understand my son&#039;s romantic partner&#039;s needs. Intellectually.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona growled softly.<br /><br />In her head, Blaze had already taken her against the mashed potatoes.<br /><br />And the table.<br /><br />And the wall behind his mother. Yes, she was picturing him fucking her right there - that fat dick driving deep into her - <br /><br />NO. BAD.<br /><br />``I?m gonna...&#039;&#039; Loona stood. ``Use the bathroom. That exists, right? Normal house? Toilet?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Mistral nodded calmly. ``Down the hall. Past my home lab. Don&#039;t open the cryogenic freezer.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona blinked, then shuffled away&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;legs tight, fists clenched, jaw trembling.<br /><br />Blaze sighed into his wine glass.<br /><br />``...You&#039;re doing this on purpose,&#039;&#039; he muttered.<br /><br />Mistral tilted her head. ``I&#039;m being polite.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``You&#039;re probing her psychology while her instincts are already dialed to eleven.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``She&#039;s strong enough to survive dinner. Barely.&#039;&#039; A pause. Then, gentler, ``But I do like her.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze looked up. ``Really?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``She hasn&#039;t tried to impress me. Or lie. Or ask to borrow money. That puts her above 80% of your past flings.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />He smirked. ``She&#039;s a hellhound. Not a politician.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I know,&#039;&#039; Mistral said, standing to collect the plates. ``That&#039;s why I&#039;m not worried. Though I will be placing a tracking device in her coat.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Mom.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``She&#039;s a walking hormonal nuke. I just want to know where the explosion happens.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Meanwhile in the bathroom...<br /><br />Loona gripped the sink.<br /><br />Her reflection stared back.<br /><br />Eyes glowing. Hair messy. Chest heaving.<br /><br />One hand braced against the mirror. The other? Fist-clenched to stop herself from doing something stupid.<br /><br />``Get it together,&#039;&#039; she whispered. ``You are not gonna jump your boyfriend&#039;s cock in his mom&#039;s dining room. You are not that bitch.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She paused.<br /><br />Then sighed.<br /><br />``...You are so that bitch.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona returned to the table like a convict returning to trial. She&#039;d managed to finish herself to an orgasm in under two minutes.<br /><br />Hair slightly fluffed. Fur still damp from splashing water on her face. Tail low, wrapped around one thigh like it could hold her sanity together.<br /><br />Blaze gave her a sympathetic look.<br /><br />Mistral?<br /><br />Already placing down a perfectly plated chocolate lava cake in front of her, like it wasn&#039;t the most violently suggestive food on Earth.<br /><br />``Dessert,&#039;&#039; she said with a warm smile.<br /><br />Loona stared at the cake.<br /><br />Then at the slow, oozing center dripping down the side.<br /><br />Then at Blaze.<br /><br />Then back at the cake. The way the thick gooey center rolled over the curves. Hot. Filled.<br /><br />She inhaled sharply and reached for the wine bottle.<br /><br />Blaze blinked. ``Uh, Loons, I think you&#039;ve had - &#039;&#039;<br /><br />She ignored him and poured half the bottle into her mug of coffee. The coffee hissed as it tried to survive. It failed.<br /><br />Mistral quirked a brow. ``Is that a coping mechanism or a ritual?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona took a long, slow sip. ``Both.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Mistral nodded approvingly. ``Efficient.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She then set a small cup in front of Blaze. ``Medium, spiced, with a dash of creamer. You still take it the same?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze blinked. ``You remembered that?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I remember everything. Including the time we had sex to fill our own needs.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona barked a laugh, nearly choking on her coffee.<br /><br />``You WHAT?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``It was a phase!&#039;&#039; Blaze groaned, covering his face. ``I told you that.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Mistral folded her hands. ``Speaking of phases, Loona - do you notice any particular auditory triggers during heat?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona slammed her mug down. ``Are you gonna ask me if I moan louder when my ears get scratched, or should I just volunteer that info now?!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Mistral raised a thoughtful brow. ``Interesting. You do have highly reactive ears. I was going to wait until my neural scanner was finished charging - &#039;&#039;<br /><br />``MOM!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Joking,&#039;&#039; she said calmly. ``Mostly.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona took another big gulp of her drink. At this point, it was mostly wine with a hint of coffee bean.<br /><br />Her brain had stopped forming words. It was just images. Flashbacks of last night. Imagining doing it again. The kitchen counter. The table. The very chair she was sitting in - <br /><br />She visibly shook her head and muttered, ``Oh my god, I&#039;m gonna hump a table leg.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Mistral took a casual bite of cake. ``You wouldn&#039;t be the first guest to try.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />The table was finally cleared. Dessert devoured. Alcohol, consumed. And Loona? Still twitching.<br /><br />Mistral stood and smiled with serene confidence. ``Thank you both for coming. Blaze, you&#039;ve made... questionable decisions in the past. But this one?&#039;&#039; She looked directly at Loona. ``This one I like.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona blinked. ``Wait. Really?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``She&#039;s passionate. Honest. Doesn&#039;t flinch under pressure. And,&#039;&#039; Mistral added with a faint smirk, ``she hasn?t clawed your face off yet, which means she&#039;s exerting excellent restraint.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze beamed. ``Told you she&#039;s awesome.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Mistral nodded. ``You have my blessing.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona exhaled for the first time in hours.<br /><br />&nbsp;``Oh. And if you two plan to continue mating at this frequency - &#039;&#039;<br /><br />``OH MY GOD - &#039;&#039;<br /><br />`` - I&#039;d recommend regular electrolyte replenishment and at least one fertility scan in three weeks. You&#039;re using condoms, right? If you need more, I have some leftover in your size still.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze turned red.<br /><br />Loona turned purple.<br /><br />``Make sure you prep for your next cycle,&#039;&#039; Mistral added.<br /><br />Loona stood up like her seat was on fire. ``WE&#039;RE LEAVING NOW.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Please do,&#039;&#039; Mistral said pleasantly. ``But bring her back next time. I want to show her the nerve stimulator prototype.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I AM NEVER COMING BACK.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``See you next week.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />The portal swirled open again.<br /><br />Loona stomped through it like her feet were personally offended.<br /><br />Blaze followed, grinning like a man who barely survived and kind of enjoyed it.<br /><br />``Hey,&#039;&#039; he said gently, catching up beside her. ``Thanks for doing that. I know it was... a lot.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona&#039;s tail was still puffed. Her face still hot. But her voice was... softer.<br /><br />``I still want to punch her.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``She likes that in a daughter-in-law.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona stopped walking.<br /><br />``...What did you just say?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze froze. Slowly turned. ``...Did I say in-law? I meant outlaw. She likes that in a bounty target. You&#039;re... you&#039;re wanted in six districts.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona smirked slowly. ``...I am gonna tackle you again tonight.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze grinned. ``I&#039;m counting on it.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />CHAPTER SIX<br /><br />Why We Can&#039;t Have Nice Sidewalks<br /><br />The portal snapped shut behind them, sealing off the Morvane residence and the psychological warfare that was dinner.<br /><br />They made it two blocks.<br /><br />Loona barely made it to the nearest alley.<br /><br />She&#039;d grabbed Blaze by the collar mid-stride, spun him into the shadow of a building, and slammed him into the brick with the kind of desperation that made angels weep and parking meters tremble.<br /><br />``I&#039;m not waiting.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze barely had time to react before she was on him&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;lips, claws, hips grinding into his with the force of a heat-starved freight train.<br /><br />``Still in heat then?&#039;&#039; he muttered between kisses.<br /><br />``I will literally drag you behind this dumpster and wreck you.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Romantic.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />He didn&#039;t complain when she did.<br /><br />Somewhere between sin and a trash bin...<br /><br />Clothes? Scattered.<br /><br />Shirt? Ripped.<br /><br />Condom? On.<br /><br />Loona? Feral.<br /><br />Blaze? Bruised, bitten, blessed.<br /><br />The sound of her panting against his neck, tail coiled tight around his thigh, fingers clawing through his fur&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;it was primal, chaotic, intoxicating. His cock thrust into her needy sex like a well-oiled piston. Her fluids were soaking both their thighs and her own tail.<br /><br />Loona growled, biting his shoulder again. ``You&#039;re mine.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />He gasped, gripping her hips, feeling her breasts against his chest. ``Always.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />And then - <br /><br />``WHOOOOO! WOOOOO!! YESSSSSSSS!! GET IT, HONEY!!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Both froze.<br /><br />Loona&#039;s eyes went wide.<br /><br />Slowly... she turned her head.<br /><br />And there, across the street, perched on a bench with a sparkly cocktail in hand, was Bee&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;Queen of Gluttony&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;wearing a mini dress made of literal confetti and grinning like she was front row at the Infernal Thirst Games.<br /><br />``LOOK AT YOU TWO! HELL YES! GRAB THAT BACK LIKE YOU MEAN IT!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona snarled. ``YOU&#039;RE DRUNK!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Bee hiccupped. ``I&#039;m supportive!&#039;&#039; She raised her glass as she staggered over. ``To hellhounds in heat and the poor boys who survive them!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona screamed into Blaze&#039;s shoulder.<br /><br />Blaze... couldn&#039;t stop laughing.<br /><br />Bee winked. ``Don&#039;t mind me! I&#039;m just here for the vibes and the view.&#039;&#039; She slapped Blaze on the ass.<br /><br />Loona hissed, face flushed, voice breathless. ``If she gets any closer, I will bite her.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Bee purred, sipping her drink. ``Kinky~&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I&#039;m going to kill her.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze whispered against her ear, ``You&#039;re still moving, by the way.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona paused.<br /><br />Realized.<br /><br />``Oh my god. I hate everything.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Not me though, right?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Shut up and finish!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />The event was a blur. At one point, Loona knew she felt fingers in places they shouldn&#039;t have been, testing the connection between her eager slit and Blaze&#039;s swollen knot.<br /><br />``Damn, feel that thing... hic... throb!&#039;&#039; Bee laughed.&nbsp;&nbsp;``Sweetie, this man looooooves you!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona could only clench and shrink against Blaze&#039;s body as he held her. ``This is the... a-ah... worst...&#039;&#039; Her voice rose when those damn curious hands hit her clit.<br /><br />Ten minutes and one applause later...<br /><br />Loona and Blaze emerged from the alley, rumpled, dazed, and way too smug.<br /><br />Bee waved them off with both hands. ``Proud of youuu! If you need a real threesome, call meee!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona flipped her off with both claws.<br /><br />Blaze offered a peace sign and said, ``We&#039;ll pencil you in.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``BLAZE!!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />***<br /><br />The apartment was quiet.<br /><br />The kind of quiet that only happens when two things have occurred:<br /><br />The end of a natural disaster.<br /><br />The death of a small god.<br /><br />In this case... it was Loona&#039;s heat.<br /><br />She lay sprawled across Blaze&#039;s bed like a crime scene. Blankets tangled around one leg. Hoodie bunched under her neck. Her fur a puffed-out mess. Her tail draped limply over the side of the bed like a white flag.<br /><br />She didn?t move. She didn?t want to move.<br /><br />Her throat was dry. Her hips ached. Her everything ached. Her brain felt like soup. And every time she closed her eyes, she could still hear Bee shouting, ``GRAB THAT BACK, BABE!&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona groaned.<br /><br />``I&#039;m never moving again. This is my grave now.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Something clinked in the kitchen.<br /><br />She cracked one eye open.<br /><br />And there he was.<br /><br />Blaze Morvane.<br /><br />Wearing only a towel.<br /><br />Cooking eggs.<br /><br />Lean back muscles flexing every time he flipped something in the pan. Tail swaying lazily. Humming to himself like they hadn&#039;t just spent three consecutive nights doing things that violated at least five infernal laws.<br /><br />Loona stared.<br /><br />Then groaned again.<br /><br />``Stop existing,&#039;&#039; she muttered into the pillow.<br /><br />Blaze turned his head, grin in place. ``Morning, sunshine. Or... early afternoon, technically.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She growled softly. ``If you&#039;re perky, I swear I&#039;m gonna throw this pillow at your dick.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Worth it.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />He set a plate on the nightstand, then leaned over her. ``Eggs. Toast. One of Bee&#039;s hangover drinks&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;don&#039;t worry, I triple-checked it for aphrodisiacs.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona blinked blearily. ``That was a thing?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Oh yeah. She tried to spike your water bottle during round four.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Of course she did.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze sat on the edge of the bed, casually biting into his toast.<br /><br />Loona watched him.<br /><br />Then flopped her arm across his lap with a grumble. ``I&#039;m sore.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Should&#039;ve stretched first.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She glared up at him.<br /><br />He booped her nose.<br /><br />``Ass.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``You love it.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``...Maybe.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Silence.<br /><br />Then, Loona sighed. ``I can&#039;t believe your mom talked about my arousal response over chocolate cake.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Yeah, she does that.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``She gave me a pamphlet. A laminated pamphlet.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I saw. Very helpful graphics.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``She said if I didn&#039;t hydrate more, I&#039;d cook myself from the inside out.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I mean, she&#039;s not wrong.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona groaned, pressing her face into his leg. ``You are the worst.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze ran his fingers gently through her hair. ``And yet, you&#039;re still here. Wrecked. Mated. And finally, finally, not trying to jump me in public.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona lifted her head just enough to smirk, eyes half-lidded. ``Give me six hours.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Noted.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />CHAPTER SEVEN<br /><br />Warmth Without Fire<br /><br />Later that evening...<br /><br />Loona lay across Blaze&#039;s lap on the couch, her body curled comfortably sideways. One leg dangled off the cushion, her tail draped lazily over his knee. Her head rested on a throw pillow he?d tucked between her cheek and his thigh. Eyes half-lidded. Ears twitching slightly at the sounds of his game controller.<br /><br />Blaze sat back, one arm draped over her waist, the other lazily tapping buttons on the controller. Some kind of pixel art indie horror game scrolled on the screen. Nothing violent. No pressure. Just cozy music and low, gentle vibes.<br /><br />Loona hadn&#039;t said much for a while.<br /><br />Which was rare.<br /><br />He glanced down at her between respawns. ``Still alive?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She gave a low, sleepy huff. ``Barely.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``You&#039;re breathing, eating, not threatening to break my kneecaps... I call that progress.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She smirked faintly. ``Gimme time.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />A beat.<br /><br />Then Loona shifted slightly. Her hand slid up his chest, not in a heated way&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;just soft, grounding. She stared at his shirt, then finally said, ``Hey... Blaze?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Yeah?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``This is... serious now, isn&#039;t it?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />He paused the game. Looked down at her.<br /><br />Her expression wasn&#039;t flirty. Or sarcastic. Or smug. It was just... real. Tired, a little raw, but open.<br /><br />``I mean...&#039;&#039; she went on, voice quieter, ``my body basically looked at you and decided `Yeah, we&#039;re doing this forever.&#039; I&#039;ve never gone into heat before. Never even been close to that with anyone.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze reached up and brushed a bit of hair away from her eyes. ``I know.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I didn&#039;t even get a say,&#039;&#039; she muttered. ``It just... happened. Like some primal part of me woke up and said `Him. That one. Blaze. Mate.&#039;&#039;&#039; Her voice cracked slightly. ``And now I&#039;m lying here in your lap. After everything. After your mom, Blaze. Your mom.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />He chuckled. ``To be fair, she didn&#039;t bite.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``She scanned my hormones with her eyes.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Yeah, okay, that was messed up.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona exhaled, shakily. ``I&#039;m just saying... if I wasn&#039;t already bonded to you physically, emotionally, biologically, I&#039;d probably be halfway to the underworld by now.&#039;&#039; She looked up at him, expression serious. ``But I&#039;m still here.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze met her gaze. And didn&#039;t look away. ``You think I don&#039;t know how big this is for you?&#039;&#039; he said gently. ``You don&#039;t do soft. Or stable. Or domestic. And I don&#039;t expect you to suddenly go full apron-and-muffins on me.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She rolled her eyes. ``Gods, no. I&#039;d poison someone on accident.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />He smiled. ``But you&#039;re trying. You&#039;re choosing this. Me.&#039;&#039; He leaned down, forehead gently bumping hers. ``And I&#039;m choosing you.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona closed her eyes, letting that sink in.<br /><br />For the first time in her life, she wasn&#039;t running from affection. She wasn&#039;t biting it away. She was... here. In his arms. Warm, safe, known. Her voice came out smaller. ``I want this to work.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``It already is.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She smiled faintly. ``When I go into heat again, I&#039;m chaining myself to the radiator.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze snorted. ``Then I&#039;m sleeping on the floor with earplugs.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``...Liar.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />He grinned. ``I love you,&#039;&#039; he said softly.<br /><br />Loona paused. Then muttered, ``Yeah, yeah... you too, dumbass.&#039;&#039; She nuzzled into his side, claws gently trailing across his stomach in lazy little spirals. ``Blaze?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Mm?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I swear to hell... if you tell anyone about any of this - &#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Your secret&#039;s safe,&#039;&#039; he whispered, kissing the top of her head. ``Scout&#039;s honor.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``...You were never a scout.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Nope. But you&#039;ll still believe me.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She smirked, then let herself drift&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;to quiet, to safety, to sleep.<br /><br />For the first time in what felt like forever...<br /><br />Loona was at peace.<br /><br />***<br /><br />Morning sunlight poured in through the blinds, soft and golden, cutting across the rumpled sheets in Blaze&#039;s apartment.<br /><br />Loona stirred slowly, fur warm from the covers, her cheek squished into a pillow that smelled like him&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;ozone, smoke, and that subtle hint of whatever stupid body spray he kept buying from the demon mall. She groaned into the pillow, ears twitching.<br /><br />Everything hurt slightly less.<br /><br />Her body no longer felt like it was trying to jumpstart a second puberty. The heat was gone. Her instincts, for once, were quiet.<br /><br />What replaced them was...<br /><br />Peace.<br /><br />And hunger.<br /><br />``...Shit, I&#039;m hungry.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona rolled out of bed, bare except for a pair of dry panties and one of his oversized black t-shirts&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;which hung off her like a blanket with sleeves. The collar drooped down one shoulder. The hem reached mid-thigh.<br /><br />She looked in the mirror.<br /><br />Hair a mess. Eyes soft. Tail swaying low and relaxed.<br /><br />``...I look like a girlfriend.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />The thought made her pause.<br /><br />Then smirk.<br /><br />``Guess I am.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze shuffled out of the bedroom a few minutes later, rubbing his eyes.<br /><br />And froze.<br /><br />Loona was in his kitchen.<br /><br />Cooking.<br /><br />Kind of.<br /><br />There were eggs. There was bacon. There was smoke.<br /><br />She had one claw on a frying pan, the other flipping meat with the spatula like it owed her money.<br /><br />His shirt hung loose on her frame, fur slightly fluffed, tail swaying idly as she mumbled to herself.<br /><br />It was possibly the most beautiful thing he&#039;d ever seen.<br /><br />He leaned against the doorframe. ``Should I be worried?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She glanced over her shoulder. ``Only if you value your smoke alarm.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze walked up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and buried his face in the crook of her neck. ``You smell like me.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I&#039;m wearing you.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Yeah, but like... emotionally.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She rolled her eyes, but her tail betrayed her&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;flicking happily once.<br /><br />He looked over her shoulder. ``Hey, that actually doesn&#039;t look too bad.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``I YouTubed it.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``InfernalTube?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``No, the real one. You think I trust demon cooking channels? The last one put teeth in their omelet.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze chuckled.<br /><br />Then his phone buzzed.<br /><br />He grabbed it from the counter and blinked.<br /><br />MOM:<br /><br />``Status report: Did she kill you?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``(If yes, please return your soul to the freezer bin.)&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``P.S. I like her.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />He smirked. ``Mistral sends her regards.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Tell her I&#039;ll send a boot up her ass next time she asks about my mounting frequency.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``She&#039;ll probably log that as a compliment.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona snorted.<br /><br />Then her phone buzzed.<br /><br />She grabbed it. Groaned.<br /><br />BLITZO:<br /><br />``WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU TWO??&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``THE TOASTER IS HAUNTED AGAIN.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``MILLIE IS TALKING TO IT.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``IT&#039;S SINGING COUNTRY MUSIC.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``GET BACK HERE OR I&#039;M GIVING YOUR DESK TO MOXXIE.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She sighed, flipping her phone closed.<br /><br />``Work?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />``Work.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />She finished plating the food, shoved some bacon into Blaze&#039;s mouth, and stole a bite of egg for herself.<br /><br />Then leaned on the counter, arms crossed, smirking at him with half-lidded eyes. ``...This is real now, huh?&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Blaze nodded. ``Yeah. It is.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />Loona stepped closer, tugged him down by the shirt collar, and kissed him softly.<br /><br />``Then let&#039;s go show those assholes what a power couple looks like.&#039;&#039;<br /><br />~THE END~<br /><br /></span>",
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