Coye 5.1 (Patreon)

It begins.

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Chapter 1 - You Cannot Pet the Dog

There were no two ways about it. Coye was blessed. The strangest yet most skilled healer in all of Cransmere had given him a clean bill of health despite all the bizarre things happening to his body and mind. The fact that he was now technically addicted to the magical dust that fell from his Pixie girlfriend's wings was startling, but not startling enough that it couldn't be easily overlooked when weighing the pros and cons.

And to think Coye was so wary about visiting Eschal. If only he knew beforehand that the healer would only tell him to have more sex, find more girlfriends, and be on the lookout for any signs he might be developing magical Fairy powers. As far as Coye cared, he was given the greatest diagnosis in the history of healing.

The only drawback was that he quite literally couldn't be separated from Shayla's Pixie Dust for more than a few days without entering into a painful state of withdrawal, one so intense it allegedly would last several decades. Again, no big deal. He wouldn't leave Shayla's side for anything in the Realm, so it might as well have been a non-issue.

After his appointment, Byng and Suzette left his company to do their own thing, leaving Coye to start a new week which he believed would be one of his best. For today, he promised to go out and perform a quest alone with Shayla, making up for their lack of private time over the last few whirlwind-like days. First, there was his quest with Byng, where she didn't get to contribute much and felt like a third wheel, and then came moving day, where she was suddenly put on the spot and forced to reveal herself.

He had three lovers who he loved equally, and it was in Coye's best interest to learn how to manage his time if he wanted to keep them each satisfied. It helped that Byng liked being off on her own and that Suzette had a career that kept her busy, but Shayla was needier than them both. She made no apologies for the level of her clinginess, but Coye loved to indulge her despite that. He thought she was at her cutest when she was desperate for attention.

Thus, Coye was staring at the quest board in front of Dorothy's office. He immediately noticed how its offerings were lacking compared to the typical amount of work available. Even Gold-ranked quests were in short supply, which was rare since Cransmere didn't have enough adventurers at that level to keep up with the demand. Either things were getting slow, or Dorothy was having trouble landing contracts.

There was still plenty of work to be had, though most of it was generic 'kill x amount of y' quests issued by the Association. All he needed was something to keep him busy for today. For once, it was Shayla who made their decision. She spotted something on the board that called to her. A little bit off the eastern side of the woods, there was an infestation of Gremlins.

According to her, Gremlins were of the Fae in the same way that monkeys were related to men. Nasty little things, obsessed with violent trickery and sating their lustful desires. When he pointed out how the description made them sound like Pixies, Shayla assured him that they were significantly worse, and the fewer Gremlins out stalking the world, the better. Coye didn't even have to ask whether or not she had a bad experience with Gremlins before, given how she had a story of a personal encounter with nearly every monster in the Gnarled Woods. Who was he to refuse to help his beloved Pixie live out her many revenge fantasies?

Coye took the quest and had a quick chat about it with Tammy, who wished him good luck and farewell in light of Dorothy still being evasive. He didn't like how she didn't come to see him off or give him any advice on how to take down his upcoming foe, but Coye couldn't really complain about that. Now when everything else was going so well for him.

The quest offered 150G per head with a minimum of ten heads and there promised to be a decent horde of them if the quest description was anything to go off of. After an hour or so of tracking the little hellions through the woods, Coye and Shayla found their mark, but Coye soon wished they hadn't. He was disgusted by what he saw, immediately taking back the connection he made between Pixies and Gremlins. Through some trickery or perhaps because of their sheer numbers, a group of sixteen Gremlins subdued a bear and its two cubs. They were now surrounding the beast's corpses. A handful of them danced around and pumped their fists, singing in an unintelligible language that sounded like gibberish. The others were astride their fallen victims, performing acts that need not bear repeating.

Gremlins were small, dumpy little creatures standing between one and two feet tall. Their coarse skin was gray-green, splotched with pockmarks, wrinkly around their faces, and their long, grubby little fingers tipped with claws. Bright yellow eyes the size of saucers reflected the pale light of the forest like wicked mirrors wherever they looked and ears bigger than their arms swayed from side to side whenever they moved in their trademark herky-jerky fashion.

The fact that they were vaguely humanoid or distant cousins to Pixies meant nothing to an adventurer like himself. He was here to do a job, and while Coye wasn't the type to pretend he was doing anything more than that, it couldn't be denied he was about to enjoy it this time.

He drew his sword and dashed into the monster's festivities, lopping off the head of the nearest dancer and its closest friend before they knew what was upon them. The Gremlins ceased their improper behavior, and a whirling torrent of siren screams came from their tremendous, fang-riddled mouths. Before they could attack, Shayla dislodged a weakened branch from a tree hanging overhead and threw its sharp and at one of the little bastards, impaling it through the heart as a fountain of sparkling blue blood gushed out.

And then, the enemy was upon them.

They fought similarly to Shayla, most of the Gremlins levitating nearby stones, pieces of wood, and other such things to lob at Coye. They lacked her skill and coordination. Dodging them was simple, Coye not even breaking a sweat as he weaved between projectiles on his way to the next target. He thrust out his sword, popping one of those gleaming eyeballs like a balloon before doing the same to that Gremlin's skull.

With four of their companions slaughtered, the group of hellions decided it was time to switch tactics. They adopted the time-honored strategy of running the fuck away at breakneck speed. To make matters worse, they did so by splintering off in different directions. Coye caught another three with his sword and Shayla another two by manipulating nearby vines to strangle the cretins like a noose.

"Hah! Look at me now, shitheads!" Shayla cried with glee. Someone seemed far too pleased by the sound of snapped Gremlin necks. They had nine out of the ten heads necessary to complete the quest, so they only needed one more, but Shayla's thirst for Gremlin blood wouldn't be sated until they tracked down the remaining seven.

"Okay, seriously. Did one of them try to eat you, or what?"

"A group of them chased me down once while drooling with lust," Shayla grunted with annoyance. "I was too fast for them, but a girl doesn't forget a swarm of rapey-"

Coye twitched with wrath. Gripping his sword so tight his knuckles turned white, he started running at full speed. "You should've just said so," he mumbled right after catching up with another Gremlin and bifurcating it, a death which served a touch more dramatic than the quick ones he was giving them before knowing they chased after his Pixie.

"My hero," Shayla teased. If he didn't already have an all-access pass to her panties, racking up Gremlin kills would've got him pretty far.

It wasn't like him to care so much about something like this, but even knowing that these little things could have... Coye forced himself to stop thinking about that. The dust brought out his impulsive, childish, and petty side, amplifying what was already under the surface. With the knowledge of how truly disgusting these monsters were, Coye enjoyed their slaughter almost as much as Shayla.

Over the next couple of hours, Coye and Shayla shared a long afternoon, hunting and bringing an end to every last Gremlin they could find. As far as the brutal slaying of magical creatures went, this session was cathartic, if not wholesome. They didn't stop at just the sixteen they witnessed. By the end of their hunt, a total of twenty-two Gremlin heads were packed tight into two large sacks Coye prepared. He didn't have time to strip the little buggers for parts because of chasing them through the forest, and Coye wasn't that interested in doing so anyway.

Coye wasn't all that tired when they were finished, but Shayla was. She'd helped with her magic in numerous ways, which was taxing as she continued to expend a small amount of mana to hold back her Pixie Dust throughout the day. On their way back to the Guild, Coye enjoyed some snacks to fend off the hunger while Shayla sprawled out on his scalp like a cat bathing in the sun.

Dorothy wasn't around when he dropped off the Gremlin heads, leaving Tammy to awkwardly take his grisly trophy bags off his hands before returning to a brand-new book of unsolved puzzles. To save himself some trouble, Coye had a quick dinner at the Guild consisting of steak, onion soup, and a crisp salad. Once his stomach was full, he left town and headed home to spend his first night in the cabin with only Shayla to keep him company.

On their way, they started a leisurely conversation as they often did. Shayla was now under no pressure to keep herself hidden. She switched from lazily lazing across his head to lazily lazing across his leather shoulder armor for all the difference that made.

She stretched out and expressed a significant yawn. "Mana exhaustion is no joke, I tell you. I'm sore all over..."

Coye smiled. He wondered if he would get to learn what mana exhaustion felt like firsthand. It was weird to be excited about, but Coye knew he was just like that by now. "I could try giving you a massage later," he offered. "I'll even try really hard not to squish you."

"I might take you up on that, but don't be a smartass about it! Joking about squishing me isn't funny." Shayla pouted but dismissed it when she saw how he smiled at her reaction. "Whatever, enough about me. How are you feeling, baby?"

"Same as ever, I guess?" He shrugged. "I don't really feel that different. I got a little mad over the Gremlins earlier, but..."

"That doesn't count," Shayla waved her hand of the matter. "They had it coming."

"Sure," Coye nodded. "I'm just wondering if I'm going to become as petty and vindictive as you are sometimes..."

"Excuse me? Who are you calling petty and vindictive?! Just wait. The second you're not expecting it, I'm gonna-" Shayla paused during a rare moment of self-reflection. "...Okay, I can possibly see a problem cropping up at both of us act like me. I doubt it'll be the case, though. That creep made it sound like my dust is just bringing out what's already inside you. You're a total perv, and you can be stupid as all hell sometimes, but you're a good kid, Coye. No matter what happens, I don't think that's gonna change."

The boy blushed at that comment and then gave her another wholesome smile. "Thanks, Shayla."

"Yeah, yeah..." she looked away to hide the reddening of her own cheeks.

"I just hope you're not too sore that we can't have some fun later," Coye thought aloud, ruining the moment.

"Geez. That really is all you care about, isn't it?" Shayla had half a mind to discipline him with her Pixie Spark but was dissuaded when she figured that her body probably couldn't take the stress of additional magic. "You had a foursome yesterday, baby. A foursome! Can you imagine how many men would off themselves if it meant getting a taste of that for even one night? I bet you anything that the answer would be; a lot. And then there's you, the ungrateful little pretty boy already worrying about his next nut!"

Coye felt the pressure and frowned as his face became even more flustered. He probably shouldn't have said that last bit out loud, but it was yet to be determined whether the boy could learn tactfulness. "H-Hey, I'm not ungrateful! Last night was the best night of my life so far, and you were a big part of that. You know that's not what I meant... Eschal said my libido will keep getting worse, and I'm just excited to do more things with you. That's all."

"Uh-huh," Shayla squinted her eyes and looked up at him with teasing scorn. "I'm sure you are, baby. Gods, I still can't believe that quack gave you a medical excuse for you to go around chasing more skirts. Now every time you're horny, you're just gonna say you can't stop yourself, and you'll go around hitting on new girls, saying 'but Eschal said I should!' every time it lands you in hot water."

"I'm not gonna go around hitting on girls," Coye insisted. He still only intended to do things with girls that caught his interest, pure at times as he was. "And you're forgetting whose fault it is I'm like this, Shayla."

"That's irrelevant," Shayla grumbled. She wasn't a fan of how a good portion of his alleged bad behavior could now technically be written off as her fault, even if the substance was only making him act on desires he already possessed. Still, Coye was getting cheeky with her. It was time to change the topic. "Speaking of hitting on girls, I got a hypothetical for you, big guy. Let's say you threw caution to the wind, ignored all of my warnings, and didn't care about any potential consequences. If you were to choose one and only one of the Baddest Bitches to try and woo, who would it be?"

The sudden shift in conversation caught Coye off guard, just like Shayla wanted it to. She smiled as he grew flustered, pleased to be back in her element. He stopped in his tracks and looked his partner in the face, asking, "Where is this coming from? First, you told me not to go after any of them, then you made it seem like you actually want me to, but you just don't want accountability, and now this? Even if it's just a hypothetical, it feels like you're trying to plant ideas in my head..."

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not..." she answered in a low coo, playing up her level of sultriness to further confuse him. "I have heard it told lately that I'm something of a bad influence." Coye could only roll his eyes at that. Shayla softened and giggled. "For real, though. I'm just making conversation, baby! Humor me. I wanna know if my guess is right."

He squinted his eyes. "Are you gonna tease me depending on my answer?"

"Yes? I'll always tease you if you set up the opportunity." Shayla blinked innocently as if this were a natural fact of the universe. "You can answer or ignore the question, but ignoring it would look even more suspicious. Might as well spit it out, don't you think?"

Coye was suddenly hoping the Pixie Dust would make him able to match wits with Shayla. She really knew her way around talking him into corners sometimes, and he conceded that he was better off just telling her the truth. He closed his eyes and thought about Britni, Tiph, Coco, and Marlie. Shayla pointed out that each had significant red flags, yet he was attracted to all four girls. They were a very diverse group with different interests, fighting styles, and personalities that clashed more often than not. Yet, he didn't need to think for long before admitting the truth.

"Coco," Coye said with absolute certainty.

The Pixie blinked a couple times while staring at him. "Wait, really? The mutt?"

"Yes, Coco." Coye reiterated, now feeling somewhat embarrassed over his honesty. "What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, nothing. I just... I dunno. I had you pegged as the kind of guy who went straight for dessert, y'know? I thought for sure you would say Britni."

Coye's attraction to Britni was undeniable, but even though he had a submissive awakening, he couldn't imagine pursuing things with her at the drop of a hat. She was still immensely intimidating, as was Marlie, and every girl in his life was telling him Tiph was no good. If he had to choose one, Coco was the safest bet. That, and he'd always liked Coco on a surface level.

"She's really cute," he mumbled. "I like the funny faces she makes, the weird things she says, the ways her ears and tails give off what she really thinks even when she can't admit to it... it's all just really adorable, alright?"

"You sound like you've put a lot of thought into this," Shayla noticed.

"Yes. I mean, no." The boy blushed even deeper, which didn't help his case. "I've always liked Coco! Damn it, not in that sense, but... in the sense that I want to pet her and touch her tail and watch her do cute funny dog things."

Shayla was raising her eyebrows at him, barely suppressing a smirk. "I get you, baby. I'm sure you wouldn't mind petting that pup nice and hard, would you?"

"There's no getting out of this, is there..."

"You dug the hole, might as well bury yourself in it."

"Yes, I wouldn't mind if the petting turned... n-naughty, or anything. There. Are you happy now?"

"Yes and no," Shayla's smirk finally manifested. "I'd be happier if I could tell you to go for it, but out of the four of them, I still feel like whatever the fuck she has going on with Britni makes Coco not worth the trouble. Not until we know more about their relationship. Until then, you don't need to go poking your nose where it doesn't belong."

Coye frowned upon hearing all of this, but that frown faded as he noticed something off in the distance.

"And what if Coco's the one who's poking her nose around where it doesn't belong?" He asked, pointing toward his cabin.

"Huh?" Shayla looked where he pointed and was surprised at what she saw. They were still a bit far off, but there was no mistaking that huge, fluffy tail, even from a distance. Coco was on their property, walking around the cabin's perimeter on all fours, sniffing every little thing she could shove her nose against.

"Shit-" Shayla managed to work up the effort needed to get back inside Coye's hat before the girl saw them coming. "What in the fuck would she be doing here alone? Especially now, of all times..."

"Let's find out," Coye smiled with innocence. It wasn't that surprising to see her out and about. Coco was very independent and often broke from her party members to go on little excursions of her own. He'd seen her all around town doing all sorts of strange things, but it was a little odd that she must have intentionally sought out where he lived.

Coco's nose suddenly detected Coye's scent approaching, and she stopped all her inspecting to skitter to the top of the dirt road leading up his hill. She looked like she intended to guard the property against its owner. The fur on her tail was bristling, and already she started showing her fangs.

"Hey, Coco," Coye managed to greet her casually despite all that.

'What... the... fuck...?' Shayla blinked rapidly once they were close enough to see how Coco presented herself today. There was no way she could be expected to take this seriously- it was a miracle she didn't piss herself laughing. Coye was used to seeing Coco in rather ridiculous get-ups, so he wasn't paying her appearance much mind. That meant this was normal for her, which Shayla found even funnier.

"Stay away, runt! I'm... uh- Coco is investigating!" She spoke in her gruff, high-pitched voice that still came off as threatening in contrast to its inherent cuteness.

"You can keep on doing that, but this is my house," Coye reminded her as he walked up the hill, unafraid of her fangs' threats. "I'm not going anywhere. Also, Britni isn't here right now. You don't need to talk about yourself in the third person if you don't want to."

Coco stared at him with suspicion, a slight blush coloring her face the closer he got. "Don't tell Coco- um... me what to do! She can refer to herself however I want!"

If Shayla wasn't so distracted by Coco's looks, she would've expressed how tired Coco's verbal tic threatened to grow. Britni must've really done a number on her to make her that confused, the Pixie thought.

"Okay, then..." Coye walked past Coco, who swiveled around to keep on watching him. "Did... I don't know. Did you want to come inside?" Even with his new confidence, asking a cute girl inside his house was still a daunting task, and he couldn't help a momentary stutter.

The suggestion sent Coco into an unexpected outrage, causing her to bark at him multiple times. "N-No way! Never coming inside! I can smell it from here. It's how Coco found the place!" To make her point, she pointed at her little black dog nose and then the cabin. "I know what you would do to me if I went inside your breeding den! This entire area reeks of mating! Reeks!"

"S-Sorry," he had no choice but to awkwardly laugh. "I had a pretty busy night." Coye admitted. He didn't mean much by it, but he was amused by Coco's shocked expression upon hearing of his activities.

Her face was angry, stunned, and very, very red. Coco's mouth was drooping, too. Yet still, her tail wagged. "H-How much mating did it even take to make it smell like that...?!" She asked in astonishment. The scent was even thicker than it was whenever mating season rolled around back home, where the nights were filled with the frenzied howls of rutting Direwolves.

Coye's embarrassment fully caught up with him as he told her the truth. "A lot."

This wasn't going how Coco was hoping it would. She lowered her tail between her legs and backed away from the boy. "That... that doesn't make sense! Doesn't! Why would females mate with a runt?" Coco growled, the question seeming more like it was aimed at herself than Coye. "Not how it works!"

'Okay, baby. Seriously. Watching this puppy lose her fundamental grip on reality is totally my idea of peak entertainment, but could you please do me a fucking favor and ask what the hell is going on with her outfit?!' Shayla begged him, and since Coye figured he should try and distract Coco by saying something kind, he gave the Pixie what she wanted.

"I like your outfit, by the way..." he awkwardly blurted out, unsure how else he was supposed to interrupt Coco's mental turmoil.

Given what she was wearing, Coye supposed he couldn't blame Shayla for her astonished reaction. Coco was wearing a short, black miniskirt with gratuitous slits on her thighs, a black leather vest studded with spikes to match her collar, and was covered in a shroud of makeup and tacky jewelry that didn't fit her style whatsoever. What Shayla was really wondering about was the centerpiece of Coco's ensemble. Beneath the jacket, she wore a tiny red tank top that barely covered her flat chest and laughed at the idea of hiding her midriff. The words 'Puppy Slut' were proudly emblazoned across her nonexistent breasts in a black, cursive font that sparkled with glitter.

The compliment was enough to get Coco to raise her tail again and start wagging, but it wasn't about to make her thank him. "Britni came home drunk and sad. After Tiph gave Britni medicine this morning, I let Britni dress me up and do my makeup. Wanted to make Britni feel better. Also, to be given many treats!"

'I wonder if all dogs would be so honest about their motivations if they could talk?' Shayla was amused by Coco's answer, but there seemed to be tremendous loyalty and concern coming from the girl. It wasn't all about the treats.

"That's really nice of you," Coye praised her, only for Coco to turn her head away from him and ignore the gesture. "What's going on with Britni, though? Is she alright?" As he asked this, he struggled with a sense of guilt.

"Britni isn't something that runt needs to worry about! I'm not here to talk about her!" Coco hung on her words. She had more to say, but getting there was a struggle. She sucked in a deep breath of air and stared him straight on. "This is about us!"

"Us?" Coye blinked. "I, um... didn't know there was an us."

'You wish,' Shayla rolled her eyes. 'I don't think that's what the pup means, dummy.'

Coco started grumbling. Why were other people so stupid? They never understood what she was getting at, not even after two and a half years of living among men. She felt like social interaction was equivalent to breaking a brick wall using one's skull. You might break through eventually, but was it really worth the effort to get there? In this case, Coco had to. This was something she absolutely needed to clear up, no matter how bloody the wall rendered her forehead.

Getting closer to the runt would make her uncomfortable, but she rose from all fours and walked straight up to him. Her clawed index finger jabbed into his chest, Coco's face ceasing its angered snarl to adopt a look of genuine disappointment and jumbled emotions. It really put Coye's best sad puppy dog impression to shame, and that was saying something. Guess you could never hope to live up to a natural.

"Runt has been acting different," Coco mumbled, averting her eyes. "Don't like when things are different. Hard enough when things are how they're supposed to be! Came here to make things make sense again."

Coye's guilt was getting close to consuming him. He'd potentially caused Dorothy and Britni's bad moods, and now he upset Coco, too? Damn it, he didn't mean for any of this to happen. "I'm sorry, Coco. I don't know if there's anything I can do to help make things better, but-"

"There is!" Her expression lost all softness, taking on a wildness he rarely saw. "Coco needs to beat the shit out of the runt! Then her... then my head will stop hurting whenever I look at you!" She declared with a level of certainty that was almost convincing.

Shayla barely held back a snort.

As for Coye, he paused and stared at Coco. She had trouble communicating with others, and whenever she spoke at length, he often couldn't wrap his head around what she was getting at. This, though? This was damn pretty abstract, even for Coco.

"Um, alright... let's back up for a second here," Coye raised his hands defensively. "How exactly is beating me up going to make you feel better?" He asked. Part of him was open to giving the girl what she wanted, assuming it would actually make improve her mood.

"Two ways! One! It will remind me of how weak runt is! Two! It will remind runt of how weak he is!" She got up in Coye's face and resumed growling. The noises rumbling out of her throat were the strangest mix of threatening and adorable. "We're gonna fight, and I'm gonna win. When I do, I'll finally stop thinking about the weird way runt was acting, and Coco's- ugh- MY head will stop hurting!"

Okay, Coco didn't want to beat him senselessly without any conditions. That was a relief, but Coye didn't precisely want to face her in a straight fight, either. Beastfolk were many times physically stronger than humans on average and even more so compared to Elves. He'd never seen Coco fight before, but he had to assume she was at least somewhere around Britni's level. To properly defend himself, Coye would need to respond with everything he had. It was possible he'd end up hurting her, but it might already have been too late.

Still, he wanted to at least try and talk her down. "Alright, that's... one option we could try, sure. But if you let me explain, I can tell you why I was acting weird. I've been through a lot these last couple of weeks, and-"

"I don't care about what you've been through!" She snarled. "You made my head hurt and my chest all weird! Runt has to take responsibility!"

Coye started to blush at her phrasing while Shayla quipped, 'Something tells me this is gonna be far from the last time you hear those words,' she then encouraged him, which he didn't expect. 'Anyway, why not throw her a bone? If you win, it'll probably confuse her in the short term, but it also might impress her. Try and be aggressive. I bet she likes aggressive men!'

Shayla caught herself going off on a tangent that contradicted her previous stance, then bopped herself on the head in annoyance. 'Not that I endorse you flirting with this cute piece of tail, of course.' She added for plausible deniability.

The boy sighed. Impressing Coco was not his primary concern- taking accountability was. At that moment, he would've done just about anything to make Coco feel better. If a quick sparring match would help her sort her feelings out the only way she knew how, then he wouldn't deny her that... even so, maybe it wouldn't hurt if he tried his luck and acted aggressively like Shayla suggested?

The idea was intimidating. He'd known Coco for a year and couldn't see himself going on the offensive with her. A lot of that came down to her prickly personality, but maybe this little exercise would with his confidence? It was worth a shot.

The last bit of convincing he needed came when he realized he'd never really sparred with anyone aside from his father- and that could hardly be called sparring. Coye had never had a mock battle with another adventurer. His only experience fighting people came from the few times he was put on bandit-slaying duty. No doubt Coco would prove a more formidable challenge.

There were three things Coye stood to gain here. He could practice being aggressive, test his skills against a suitable opponent, and help make Coco feel better all at the same time. There was no reason to refuse.

"Well?" Coco stopped her paw toward him, her limited patience running thin. "Is runt ready to get put in his place, or what?"

"I'll fight you, sure, but I'm not planning on letting you wail on me." He told her plain as day, watching as a good measure of confidence left her face. "I fight to win."

"Good," Coco mumbled like she was trying to save face. "Runt has to try, or else it wouldn't mean anything when I rough you up!"

Coye did his best to look her in the face and give Coco a playful smile, but she looked away and made a frazzled expression. Oh well. "Do you mind if I get to change into something more comfortable real quick?" He gestured with his thumb towards his cabin. "Oh, and were you wanting me to use my fists, or-"

"Runt knows the blunt Art thing, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, that's what I was going to ask. If you don't mind me using my sword, then I can use Blunt Edge." It was a standard, entry-level Art that practically everyone who used a bladed weapon learned early in their training. It was pretty self-descriptive, coating the user's weapon in energy which dulled any sharp edges and rendered all attacks nonlethal.

Coco laughed. Hard. "HAH!" Her voice boomed. "Offended runt thinks he'll even hit me, sword or no sword! Runt needs all the help he can get! Go change!"

Coye did as she said, ducking into his cabin and quickly changing his clothes. The feeling of shedding his stuffy adventuring gear after a long day of work was rewarding. He replaced them with a pair of beige shorts and a simple blue tunic with angular, symmetrical white patterns running along its sleeves and collar. He kept his hat on, and Shayla used their few moments alone to strategize.

'Not to break out every cliché in the book, but Coco sure barks a lot. Think she has the bite to back it up?'

Coye responded with a low whisper, just on the off chance Coco could hear him talking to himself. "For sure. There's no way she doesn't have the upper hand when it comes to sheer power."

'Well, that suits you just fine. You're always up against enemies that are stronger than you.'

"Yeah. It won't be as simple as slaying Gremlins, but I feel good about this. Do you mind staying out of our fight, though?"

'Baby, I can hardly move my body right now, and you're still planning to use me as a sex sleeve tonight. I was planning on conserving my strength in the first place.'

Coye started to blush, and he hung his head. "I'll be gentle later," he promised.

'I'll believe that when I see it,' she rolled her eyes. 'Now go and give that fluffy-tailed butt a good kicking!'

Coye left his home, now fully prepared for his sparring match. In the short time he was gone, Coco repositioned herself and was now waiting for him on the expansive grassy plain stretching out in front of his cabin. She became excited when she saw him, her tail wagging critical levels and threatening to spiral out of control. Guess she really did want to beat him up, Coye thought.

It was more than that. Coco saw his casual clothes and felt relieved- this was much better. Coye looked weaker when he was dressed like that, and Coco knew how to handle weak Coye. It was the non-weak Coye from the other day who she was having problems with.

"About time!" She barked at him as he descended the hill. "Tiph says I only have so many dog years left! Not getting younger!"

Coye had a small laugh at that. "She's teasing you. Beastfolk live a little longer than humans on average, and..." he stopped himself, a familiar dread churning in his stomach.

Shayla sensed it immediately, but Coco was too quick to respond. "Why do I smell sadness all of a sudden?" She tilted her head and lost some of the severity in her expression. It was almost like Coco was feeling sympathetic for him.

"Sorry," he took a deep breath. "I don't like thinking about the lifespans of other races."

"Because everyone runt knows will die before him?" Coco asked in total innocence.

'Oh, baby...' Shayla rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes.

"...Something like that," Coye coughed.

It pained her to do this, but Coco was compelled. She casually walked up to him on all fours, looking expectantly at him when she got there. "I'm better than runt," she told him. "I take responsibility! Made runt sad, so... give me your paw! Runt gets one lick as apology- only one! Understood?"

The proposition came on so suddenly that Coye didn't know how to react. "Um," he blushed bright red and extended his hand, watching as Coco's wide, flat tongue poked out from behind her puffy, pink, sparkly lipstick-covered lips to give him an honest-to-goodness apology lick on his knuckle. It probably wasn't a big deal for her species, but it felt like one for him. "T-Thanks?"

"Big world, lots of magic bullshit out there!" Coco said as she put distance between them again. "Gotta be something to give your mates to solve death problem! Enough sad now. It's time to fight!"

Coye was standing there blank-headed. He was so used to Coco being rude and aggressive that her sudden nice side made his overly emotional heart start beating like crazy before the battle began. It was a small gesture, but the aloof way she came across just now struck a chord. He didn't even realize how wet, warm, and covered in drool his knuckle was until several seconds had passed.

'Are you gonna let her beat you before the fight starts?' Shayla bopped her fists on his skull to pull him out of his stupor. She was sitting right on top of his head and could sense everything he felt. Now was not the best time for Coye's tiny crush on Coco to kindle something greater. Goddesses know the damn boy falls in love at the drop of his hat if his little 'l-word' fiasco earlier that day was anything to go off.

"S-Sorry," Coye mumbled softly to himself, which Coco didn't mind. He joined her out on the field and held his sword tight, trying to focus on it instead of the fluffy-eared girl waiting for a chance to beat his ass. Luckily, he could wrangle his emotions and soon felt just as ready to go as he was before his minor bout of anxiety.

They stood a decent distance apart, putting them at even footing. Her moment of tender kindness forgotten, Coco readopted her boisterous persona as she barked, "Runt better be ready to face the might of a Direwolf from the Fangrush Ferns!"

Shayla looked around for the Direwolf in question before realizing the girl was talking about herself. Coco was not, in fact, a Direwolf. Nor was she a Beastfolk equivalent. Specifically, she was a breed of dogfolk which shared remarkable similarities to the Karnallian Corgi. Coco's huge, pointy ears, the tan and cream coloring of her fur, her feisty personality, and her short stature all attested to that. The only difference that set her apart from the popular pet breed was the sheer size of her big, fluffy tail. For as big as they were, her ears never worked whenever anyone pointed out to Coco that she wasn't a wolf.

Putting that aside, Shayla was eager to advise Coye just in case he needed a bit of pep talk. 'Remember, baby! Be aggressive! Coco doesn't seem like she's the smartest bitch in the pack, so you can probably take advantage of her and rile her up if you taunt her enough.'

Coye considered the advice, but he wasn't the type who often taunted others. He'd only recently gotten used to teasing Shayla and his other lovers. Moreover, he always remained silent when facing monsters that liked monologuing. Coye understood Shayla might have a point, though. Then again, he wondered if taunting Coco was even fair right now. He was supposed to be trying to make her feel better, not adding to her confusion.

Unsure of what to do, Coye trusted his guts. His guts told him to go for it.

"I'm more than ready," he said, staring her down. "Are you? There's still a chance to back out of this."

Coco's face reddened as her mouth fell slack. Was that runt really talking back to her? He almost sounded confident. Like an alpha, damn him. A pack leader! The truth was that Coye wasn't convinced he would win, but Coco was even more naive than him, and she took his words at face value.

She lowered her stance and showed off her fangs, ready to pounce at the slightest provocation. "Shut up! Don't try and mess with my head!"

Deciding to push his luck, Coye managed a smirk as he gave the girl a playful comeback. "It's not your head I'm trying to mess with, Coco." It was good that he was improving at this because saying such things with a straight face was beyond embarrassing.

Shayla approved, but Coco didn't.

"Pervert!" His opponent barked, then kicked off before even announcing their match had started. Coye almost couldn't even follow her movements- she might've been faster than Byng. Not good.

Coye worked hard to keep his eyes trained on Coco, but her goal was to confuse him rather than strike. She darted to his left, only to disappear to his right as soon as he adjusted. Again and again, she dashed around Coye in circles, the looming threat of an actual attack never far from the forefront of Coye's mind.

When she finally did, Coye's patience was rewarded, and he sensed the direction it was coming from. Coco was directly behind him, jumping off the ground and raising her paw at him with claws extended. He turned to meet her, his blade singing the song of impacted steel when it clashed against the intensity of Coco's well-honed natural weapon. These weren't the claws of an ordinary beast. They were more than a match for any sword, reinforced by her energy the same way Coye did for his own blade.

The force of her lunge made Coco's strike even deadlier. He blocked it but struggled to keep standing in its wake. There was so much power behind such a small girl- more than he expected. As Coco's feet hit the ground, she pushed forward with her attack and tried to break Coye's guard or perhaps his sword. Coco wasn't picky, but she was impatient.

When Coye's defense proved irritating, Coco pulled her paw back and then thrust her opposite one toward his exposed face. A tilt of his neck got him out of the way, but her right paw was coming in hot at his chest. Another parry, another clashing sound of striking steel. Coco gritted her teeth, her temper rising along with the speed of her rapid strikes. She was clawing at him with the velocity of a trained martial artist but the brutal strength of a wild animal. Coye was locked in a defensive rhythm, dodging, parrying, strafing- never gaining an inch while also refusing to cede one to his opponent.

'C'mon, baby!' Shayla called out to him. She wouldn't help him with her magic, but no one said anything about tactical advice. 'Remember how we handled Byng the other day? You gotta stoop to a lower level if you want to go on the counterattack!'

Coye found there was truth in her words. Playing dirty didn't come naturally to him quite yet, but if he was going to be aggressive and prove he'd do anything to win, then this was the point he had to shed his hesitation. Coye did just that. He took a backward step to avoid the latest swipe of Coco's claws, then he reared his foot. Amplified by a small amount of energy, Coye kicked his toes into the earth. A thick clump of dirt and grass hurtled up at the girl, dirtying her expensive outfit.

Coco sensed danger and covered her face from the dirt- unaware that her instincts worked against her. Coye smiled as a horizontal slash nailed her right in the rib cage. The first hit belonged to him, and Coco was none too happy about it.

"Rgh!" She whined, drawing on her speed to retreat away from him.

Coye followed, hoping to get a follow-up attack, but she was too fast and repositioned herself accordingly.

Rather than trying to beat her at her own game, Coye fell back on his father's time-honored teachings. When facing a melee-oriented opponent with speed greater than your own, the most important thing is to keep your cool and not overextend yourself. Coco wanted to defeat him, yet she couldn't do that without getting closer. If he was patient, she would come to him and waste more of her stamina doing so.

He stared at her, noticing Coco had changed tactics as well. Confusing Coye with her speed didn't seem a valid approach. She opted to strafe around him, her body hunched low to the ground in a stance that would let her kick off again at any second. Her bright sky-blue eyes studied him, forcing Coye to feel their intensity. Gone was the odd cuteness of her constantly annoyed expression, replaced by the ferocity of a beast. While said 'Puppy Slut' and her physiology said Corgi Beastgirl, Coco now appeared to Coye as much a Direwolf as she claimed.

"Can't believe runt," she grumbled and dusted some of the dirt off of her jacket. "Stronger than I thought! Plays dirty, too! Does anything to win... like... like an alpha." There was venom in the word. Venom and something more primal.

"Why are you so focused on sorting me into a specific category?" Coye posed a question for her, pleasing Shayla by recognizing this was a prime opportunity to play mind games. "I'm not an alpha or a beta. I'm just me. Why is that so confusing?"

Coco laughed at him like the answer was oh-so-obvious. "Because all males are either one or the other! Old pack leader taught me that. You saying Mooncaller lied? Huh?!"

Coye wasn't familiar with Coco's personal history, but he did know she came from a forest near Perlshaw and was apparently raised by Direwolves before Britni came along and tamed her. That would explain why she might have such a binary view of masculinity. Unlike normal wolf packs, Direwolf packs did operate on an alpha and beta social hierarchy- at least according to what Dorothy imparted on him during a lecture.

Strong males were supposed to do strong things, while weak males did weak things and weren't worth her time. Exceptions to this rule of the wild caused cognitive dissonance in the poor girl's mind, explaining her actions.

"Maybe your pack leader was right when it came to other Direwolves, but I think people are a lot more complicated than that," Coye offered after deliberation.

"Well, they shouldn't be! Too confusing!" Coco didn't even consider his words. Doing so would only worsen her headache, and the thought of that enraged her. Her feet momentarily surged with a primal red glare. The light lasted only a second, but she leaped at Coye in that brief window, leaving a small crater where she kicked off.

She was closing the distance rapidly, her jaw opened wide and ready to bite him. He didn't have to be told those fangs were a much more significant threat than anything her claws could do to him, but Coye was prepared for this. His taunting and Coco's already compromised mental state made her rush straight at him. Although he felt bad about what he planned to do, he coated his left fist in energy and punched where her face would be in a matter of seconds.

He'd underestimated Coco.

Her right-hand claws lit up in the red color from before, and she scratched the air in front of her, rending it. It didn't create a gigantic blast of air pressure, no. The effects were much more subtle. She manipulated the air around her immediate body and created a centrifugal force that spun her in place. Coye's fist was on a collision course with Coco's tail, which was also glowing red.

Coye watched as the texture of her fur changed right before his eyes. It clumped together and became matted, hardening far past the level of what he could accomplish using Steel Soul. His fist cried out regretfully, feeling like he'd just tried using it as a siege ram against a castle gate. If he didn't reinforce his hand, he would've broken it. Even with his increased defense, the pain was tremendous. Enough that he had to double back and shake his hand, trying to relieve the pain.

'What the hell is going on?!' Shayla was astonished at the way the flow of battle flipped on his head. 'That red light, it's not mana... but it doesn't have the same feel to it that your Arts do, either!'

Coye didn't have time to explain it to his partner, but he recognized how Coco was fighting even though he'd never seen it before. Who hasn't heard stories of the Beastfolk and their devastating Primal Arts? Aside from secluded, forest-dwelling Pixies, that is.

Hailing from the perilous Realm of Besthal, the native Beastfolk are unique among many other races in that they don't possess an ounce of mana in their body. Instead of the energy that allowed Karnallian Mages and other Realm's equivalents magic-users to bend and influence reality, Beastfolk carried within them an alternative source of power to draw from. Though the term is now debated by some in the modern age to be an outdated and potentially racist remnant from the Age of Discovery, Karnallian scholars dubbed this red energy 'the Feral'.

The Feral was said to be an internal manifestation of a beast's will to survive, adapt, and evolve their way out of any danger they found themselves in. It was the circle of life given form- its essence boiled into an exploitable resource that leveled the playing field between predator and prey. Upon mastery, any beast was capable of standing unrivaled atop the food chain.

Coye had heard that Karnallian-born Beastfolk were rarely capable of tapping into this energy. Hundreds of years spent in the comparatively peaceful Realm led the race to 'lose their fangs,' so to speak, especially when so many of them chose lifestyles resembling domesticated pets. This made Coco's strength even more impressive, but there wasn't time to stand around and marvel at her abilities.

Coco landed, her back facing her enemy. Another swipe of her claws twisted her body so that she was primed for optimal follow-up attacks. "Weakling!" Coco shouted as she unleashed a flurry of red-glowing claw strikes at him from below. "Weakling, weakling, weakling!"

This wasn't a light-hearted spar. Coco wasn't trying to kill him, but she was trying to deal some damage. Coye had to push his speed to the absolute limit just to dodge and parry, but even then, her claws were nicking him and tearing up his clothes. She was coming at him again and again, so swift that her claws whistled through the air each time.

He couldn't keep up like this, and Coco knew she had the advantage. She aimed to press it further.

Coco ducked, then jumped from down low. She aimed to hit him with a headbutt at the center of Coye's forehead. She was just so damn fast- he had to get creative if he wanted to minimize this damage. No, more than creative... he had to get dirty.

Encasing his skull in Steel Soul, Coye countered with a headbutt of his own. Both attacks hit, and they hit hard. Shayla winced from the sound their collision made. Coye's last-ditch effort lessened the damage, but the sheer momentum built up by Coco's initial kickoff at him threatened to send him flying. That was where the dirty move came into play.

Right before he was launched, Coye's left hand latched onto the collar of Coco's leather jacket. She was pulled along for the ride, anchoring him to an extent and minimizing the distance he flew. A testament to Coco's strength, the jacket couldn't hold forever. It ripped as Coye tumbled back a few feet, leaving her upper body bare aside from the truly tiny, undeniably slutty tube top.

"Agh- Coco's fucking head...!" She grumbled, pressing her paws against her forehead. Once the buzzing pain died down a little bit, she noticed how exposed she was. Though modesty was never one of Coco's chief concerns, her instincts warned there would be nothing but trouble if Coye saw any more of her petite chest than he already could. She started to blush, heat rising within from a place that shamed her. "Y-You... runt is trying to strip me! I knew this would-"

Ripping off her jacket wasn't his intention, just a side effect of his best probable outcome. There were four options he could've taken, but between grabbing her tube top, her spiked leather collar, or her hair, this proved the least problematic. Between her embarrassment and the pain his counter inflicted, he had a couple of seconds to capitalize on his clever thinking.

Shayla grabbed onto his hair tightly as she could while Coye mimicked Coco, kicking off the ground and showing her she wasn't the only one who could spin around. His sword burned bright with energy as he built up the force for a single rotation's worth of Spinning Slash. Coye let out a cry, unleashing his assault.

His spinning sword battered Coco's exposed upper arm where there wasn't any fur she could harden. Her eyes went wide like someone just ate the treat they promised to give her. The force of the attack, coupled with Blunt Edge, sent Coco crashing into the dirt. The satisfaction Coye felt at this turnaround was enormous. He'd been doubting his ability to win for a while after she started breaking out the Primal Arts, but this was proof he still had what it took.

'Nice going, baby!' Shayla was similarly proud but also realistic. 'Don't let your guard down!' She reminded him.

He didn't plan on it. Coye knew Coco was unlikely to give up after being knocked down once or twice, so even as he celebrated his little victory, he didn't drop his defensive stance. Any second now, she was going to jump up and keep attacking. At least, that's what he thought would happen.

Coco pulled herself off the ground, but she appeared to be in much rougher shape than expected. She was panting harder and harder, her face red with exhaustion. Copious amounts of sweat trickled down from every surface of her body that wasn't covered in fur. This looked bad, and Coye was terrified he somehow pushed the girl too far.

That was before he looked closer at her face and realized she had the widest smile Coye had ever seen. She wasn't hurt. She was loving this. Shayla sensed all kinds of positive emotions coming from the Beastfolk girl, so much so that it made her wonder if they were now suddenly dealing with Coco's split personality.

Coye knew better than that silly assumption. He recognized the satisfied face of a dog after an extensive play session with its master. The expression contrasted so much with how she usually looked that it dialed up her cuteness tenfold, almost rendering the boy unsure of what to do with himself.

"Can't believe it," Coco laughed adorably as she smiled. "Thought you were Silver-rank just because desk lady likes you! Why?"

"W-Why what, exactly...?" Coye struggled to answer.

"Why take bullying from Britni and Tiph and me if you were this strong the whole time? Doesn't make sense! Never would've called you 'runt' if I knew."

Still surprised that he gained so much headway with her, Coye answered honestly. "I, um... had some problems growing up. I was used to being bullied, so..."

"So you were born a runt," Coco tilted her head. "Then got strong, but still had runt-brain?"

'That's... a shockingly accurate way to put it if we're giving her credit.' Shayla snickered to herself as Coye blushed.

"I guess so," he admitted. "And it's not like Britni's bullying was ever as bad as the stuff I grew up with. I might've run away and tried to avoid you a couple of times, but for the most part, it just wasn't worth trying to get you guys to stop."

"Okay... think I understand... but what about last time? You liked it! Saw proof- big proof!" Her face reddened, trying to suppress the memory of the bone in Coye's pants. "Don't understand why strong male would let females treat him like weak male on purpose?"

"People don't stay the same, Coco," Coye frowned as he thought of how to explain this. "They change. We learn more about ourselves, and sometimes you discover something you thought you didn't like actually wasn't that bad, and now you like it. You know?"

"Don't!" The struggle to understand was back on Coco's face. "Still don't get why you like being bullied and bossed around!"

Shayla felt that Coye's chance to reach a mutual understanding with Coco was slipping from his fingers. She had an idea of how to flip things and regain momentum but was surprised when he thought of it all his own. He flipped Coco's accusations and put her on the hot seat.

"What about you and Britni?" Coye laid the foundation for his rebuttal nice and subtle.

"What about us?"

"You're really strong-"

"Strongest!"

"Strongest, yes," Coye mindlessly agreed for the sake of conversation. "But you still listen to everything Britni tells you to do, despite how strong you are. You even let her treat you like a pet. How is that any different from the way I kind of like being teased by girls?"

Coye and Shayla witnessed the precise moment when Coco started questioning the fundamentals of her reality. She tilted her head, but she didn't stop. Her neck kept going and going as her brain worked overtime to come up with an answer until, eventually, she fell over with a minor thud and continued pondering the taxing philosophical quandaries from the ground.

"Coco?" Coye called out to her with concern.

She got it. Coco picked herself up off the ground and fired back with a response. "That's different! Britni is Coco's pack leader! My alpha! What Britni says goes!" The answer sounded worryingly practiced. "Besides. Not the same! Coco doesn't even like when Britni-" she stopped herself.

Coco was on the verge of making her Mistress look bad, which no dog could forgive themselves for. It wasn't like being Britni's pet was a raw deal or anything, either. Hell, Coco even found it fun sometimes. So what if those times were becoming rarer and rarer? At least it sort of made Britni happy while keeping Coco's tummy full.

"...Um, are you and Britni okay, Coco?" Coye snapped the poor girl out of her downward spiral, voicing the significant concern he and Shayla shared after hearing her on the verge of slipping up.

"Yes," she growled at him. Coco's growing warmth for the boy cooled considerably the second he implied Britni was anything other than perfect. "Enough talk! Still not done fighting!" Coco dashed in, hoping to forget her doubts through physical violence.

Her worsening mood made Coco sloppy. Coye brushed aside her latest strike and performed a low kick, giving her little time to harden her fur. The kick slammed into her shin, knocking her off balance. Coco was falling onto her back, but as soon as Coye saw the red light coming from her tail, he knew he had to prepare for anything.

She forced herself to evolve and adapt, her tail momentarily gaining elasticity enough to serve as a springboard. Coco reversed her fortune. Instead of falling over and setting up an opportunity for Coye to counterattack, she sprang at him and finally landed a direct hit with her claws. Gods, they were sharp. Coye could feel them sting as they pierced his left pectoral, dealing more damage than any Gremlin could hope to match.

"Give up!" Coco yelled, ripping her paw back from his ruined tunic. "Might be strong, but still not enough!"

'Come on, big guy! You can't give up now, not after all the progress you've made!' Shayla didn't want to see Coye fall. Losing to Coco here and now would only reset how she viewed him. The nature of his future interactions with Coco was at stake- to the point where Shayla was now considering interfering if he didn't pull through.

She should've known by now that pulling through was what Coye did best.

He didn't let the claws in his chest bother him all that much. He'd had worse. "I'm plenty strong as I am," the boy launched a feint attack so convincing that Coco dodged it purely on instinct. "Strong enough to lead my own pack!" Coye spelled out his strength in a way she could understand- brute force.

Coye concentrated an absurd amount of energy into his sword, then let it rip. He swung a massive Double Strike at her right-hand side, but Coco was rather impressed. She raised her glowing tail, putting it between his sword and his target- not realizing that Coye had planned ahead. He was charging his sword with another single rotation this entire time.

Combining his two Arts, Coye stopped his sword before it met her tail and spun, redirecting his attack to Coco's unprotected flank, where it smashed into her side after losing none of its momentum or power.

Yet again, Coco was sent to the ground and forced to confront the reality of Coye's strength. All it did was make her angrier. Coco draped her body in the Feral, astonishing Coye as her entirety surged scarlet. He knew that he needed to back away and get some distance between them, but before he could even blink, she was already in his face.

Coye had to stand and fight.

"You're strong, but not pack leader strong!" The Beastfolk growled, punching him in his pretty face. He rolled his neck with the punch and returned by kicking her in the gut. Another punch from her opposite hand caught him in the midsection while the latest swipe of his sword was reflected by her forearm's hardened fur.

If this petite little puppy slut was scary beforehand, she was now downright terrifying. Coco didn't have a single exploitable opening or weakness in her fighting style. She hit like a bear, ran like a Woodtreader, and her defenses were impossible to penetrate. It was all he could do to trade blows back and forth with her, an act slanted heavily in Coco's favor.

For every hit Coye dealt, Coco responded with three of her own. His shirt was utterly ruined, torn to so many shreds that even Shayla doubted she could fix it, and his breathing was ragged. Despite the heavy punishment he was taking, Coye couldn't help himself from smiling. Maybe her enthusiasm was infectious? He couldn't remember the last time fighting had been this fun. It certainly helped that he had something to prove.

"I'm already a pack leader!" Coye exclaimed, landing a charged uppercut on Coco's chin. "I've got three mates, and I'm not gonna be satisfied until I have way more!"

Coco was stunned, and not just because of the hit to her chin. Coye was acting contradictory again. Weak men didn't go around shouting they didn't have enough pussy in the heat of battle- that was the domain of alphas. What if he was right? What if he really did have it in him to be a pack leader? Did... did he treat his mates better than- stupid.

Stupid Coco.

If she wasn't in the heat of battle, she would've slapped herself for even starting to think something like that. She was angry at herself, at Coye for making him doubt so many things she believed were facts, and just plain angry in general. Anger was good. It fueled the Feral, and Coye was already on the verge of defeat as it was.

She put all of her force into tackling him to the ground. Coco gripped both of his wrists, her sheer strength making it impossible for him to move either arm. Then, as the finisher, she dove down and took the flesh of his neck between her teeth. She didn't chomp, as Coco had already won.

Or had she?

This wasn't like wrestling with her pack mates back at the Fangrush Ferns. Mounting and pinning someone had a different meaning in the real world- especially when doing it to a virile male who enjoyed having women atop his body. Before his pants could even reflect it, Coco could smell his arousal. She took her fangs from him and looked down in... disgust, perhaps? It would've been disgust if she didn't know firsthand how strong he was. Now it was a mix of confusion, interest, and anger at herself for feeling these things.

With all the adrenaline surging through his body, it would've been stranger if Coye didn't get turned on in such a situation. Yet, for all his perverse desires, he wanted to win more than anything else. Winning would change how Coco looked at him- and that was better than any short-term victory. Even if it wasn't purely intentional, Coye was trying to prove he was more than a viable mate.

Coco's hesitation gave him all the chance he needed to seal the deal. Her grip on him lessened. Her eyes trained solely on Coye's as if in a trance. She didn't see his attack coming at all. He raised the hilt of his sword and then brought it down, bonking the center of Coco's forehead reasonably hard.

"RUFF-" the girl cried out in pain, her paws moving to cradle the afflicted area. All she did was open herself up for the true reversal. Placing the flat of his hand between Coco's small breasts, Coye pushed the incredibly light-weight girl off his body and mounted her, resting his sword against her neck.

He couldn't even pretend that he had the physical strength to keep her in place beneath him, but he didn't have to. The sword spelled everything out as plain as day. If this was a real battle, Coco would've just lost. She stared up at him, wide-eyed and in total disbelief.

'Seal the deal!' Shayla chanted, getting into this more than she probably should. 'Seal! The! Deal!'

Coye wasn't sure what she meant by that, but if his goal was to be aggressive, now was the time to rub his victory in. He leaned down close to her face. Astonishingly, Coco let that happen. His lips trailed closer to their target- Coco's big, fluffy ear.

"Guess I really am pack leader strong, huh?" He teased with a whisper, hoping that was enough to seal the deal.

It was.

Coco stared, but she didn't really see anything. Her heart was racing. Beneath them both, her tail was trying to wag. A male was atop her. He wasn't hard, but he could be if he wanted to be. She was stronger than Coye, but that didn't matter. A win was a win. If this were the wild, and she didn't already have an alpha to follow, then...

"Off," Coco mumbled, her voice shaky and trembling. "Get off! Off, off, off!!" She wiggled underneath him, pummeling his chest with little punches that barely had any strength behind them.

Finding this display to be cute, Coye complied and rolled beside her on the grass. He was laughing. Should she be laughing? She usually laughed when Britni laughed, but before she could think about it, she saw his chest and what she'd done to it. Even though it was soft like a girl's, it was freshly covered in scratches and wounds from her claws.

It was manly.

No! No, it wasn't manly. That wasn't what she was trying to think. Coco just thought somebody had to tend to it, and the sooner, the better. But... she couldn't just lick him like that, could she?

"That was fun," Coye smiled at her innocently, snapping the poor pup out of her delirious state enough for her to have a basic conversation again. "Are you feeling alright?"

Shayla was smirking ear to ear- she knew exactly how Coco was feeling. Coye had effectively just impressed her without even needing Pixie assistance. That confused mutt wouldn't forget this day for the rest of her life. There was still the matter of Britni and what she would think of all this, but there was nothing wrong with playing the long game. After what Coco almost revealed, they needed to have a talk about that, anyway.

"No!" Coco forced herself up off the ground. "Came here to stop head hurting! Now head and other places hurt!"

"What were you expecting to happen? That's typically how fights work." Coye couldn't help chuckling.

"No!" She growled. "Meta... uh... metamorphical places!"

"You mean metaphorical?" Coye leaned in a little further, still smiling and still suddenly irresistible.

"W-Whatever!" Coco scooted away from him after noticing how close he was. " Stay away! Just because you won doesn't mean Coco- uh- I'm suddenly one of your mates from now on!"

He knew it would probably get him in trouble, but he couldn't help teasing. "You are?"

"N-Not what I said! Mistake! Everything that just happened was a mistake! Runt is still a runt!" Coco was adamant about that, but she didn't sound very convinced.

"Was pinning me to the ground a mistake?" He innocently tilted his head.

"Y ou did that, even though you already know I-"

"I-I mounted you to win! Only reason!" Her face burned redder than her puppy slut tube top. "Not like you, who mounted me to... t-to..."

Coye decided to cut her some slack and drop the topic. The reason was simple, he was playing a dangerous game, and if he didn't stop himself short, he would indeed be burned. "You know, I wish I knew way sooner how fun you are to hang out with, Coco."

He stared at him, only her expression started to so often the longer she did. "Wait. What? Y-You had fun with... with me? All I did was beat you up."

'Poor thing's going to lose her damn mind when she discovers what masochism is...'

"So? You look like you were having a lot of fun even though I got you pretty good, too."

"That's normal. Coco is a wolf. Likes violence!" She started staring at the grass below her. "But... this wasn't not fun, I guess. Like wrestling with my pack, only..." Coco stopped herself from saying 'dirtier' and shook her head. "Haven't gotten to play like this in a really long time. Britni used to play with me, but lately, she... hasn't felt like it, I guess..."

Coye just about felt his heart explode at the sight of this sad little puppy who was apparently so much lonelier than he ever realized. He wanted to do everything he could for her, even if it would only help a little bit. "You could come back whenever you want, Coco. I'd love the chance to train against you some more. If you told me in advance when you were coming next time, I could even spend the whole day playing with you."

"THE WHOLE DAY?" She stared at him as if he were her God incarnate. Such was the reverence of a dog.

"Y-Yeah," he laughed a little uncomfortably. "Anytime you want."

Coco was now wagging so fast and so hard that her tail cut the grass behind where she sat. She opened her mouth to say something, only for a rare occurrence to happen. She thought twice about what she was going to say and decided against it, causing her ears to droop down and make her look pathetic. "Bad idea to do this again. Didn't tell Britni I was here."

Coye tightened his fist reflexively. He was starting to get tired of hearing about Britni, and against his better judgment, he inquired about Coco's situation. "What does Britni have to do with you hanging out with me? You're your own wolf, aren't you? You can go wherever you want and do whatever you want."

"Am my own wolf!" Coco declared, getting hyped up just like he thought she would if he phrased things in that specific way. It was soon replaced by sadness again, however. "But... not good with living around humans. Need help. Listening to Britni makes things easier, but sometimes Britni gets mad if Coco doesn't listen. Britni is already mad enough these days- don't want to make things worse..."

Inside his hat, Shayla was cradling her forehead in the palm of her hand. This was such a shitty situation. Coye and Coco had tons of chemistry- they proved that well enough. The only problem was a giant wall between them in the form of what increasingly sounded like a neglectful Mistress. Whenever Coco mentioned their relationship, it came off as one-sided and strained, like it wouldn't take Coye much effort to wedge her free. Then again, they weren't getting the whole story from Coco, who sometimes struggled to voice even the most basic of thoughts.

Everything was shit, shit, shit. Shayla prided herself in always having guidance for Coye, but Coco had the Pixie thoroughly stumped.

Coye knew he'd already pushed as far as he could for today, so he relented. "I'm sorry," he frowned, truly meaning it. He hoped that he wasn't the sole reason Britni was 'mad enough these days' since he'd feel like he was the indirect reason Coco was having a rough time. "If things end up calming down, or if you ever need to place a to chill, you're free to show up whenever you want."

Coco considered this as her expression grew distant. She struggled, turning the possibilities around in her mind over and over. "Well... I do like to play, even if it's with a runt," she said the word with what sounded like a playful inflection, almost. "And since Britni won't play with me, I guess it would be her fault if I have to show up again."

Shayla thought this sounded like a precursor conversation leading up to a scandalous affair. In fact, it reminded her of the plot from one of Suzette's trashy adult novels that she flipped through. An abusive lover driving the protagonist into the arms of another man... you couldn't ask for a better setup.

"I would love that," Coye smiled at the pup. Then, he tried something extra daring. He reached out his hand, aiming it at Coco's head, hoping she would let him pet her.

Coco's instincts almost let it happen, but her stubborn side forced her to act. She freaked, nipping at his hand almost hard enough to break the skin before it could get close to its goal. More amusing than painful, Coye yanked his hand away and laughed. At least he gave it a shot.

"D-Don't act cocky! You're strong, but I was still holding back! Barely used real power!" Coco growled and scampered a couple of feet away, the fierce expression she wore so often now returning to her blushing face.

"I was holding back too, you know," he pointed out.

"No excuses!" She barked at him sharply. "Only I get to make excuses!" Unaware that she'd unintentionally just dissed herself, Coco started to run away from the cabin before she could figure it out. Before vanishing off into the horizon, she looked back over her shoulder one more time, adding, "I'll be back sometime... if I feel like it! Maybe! But... if Britni asks-"

"You were never here," Coye gave the girl a thumbs up, which seemed to do it for Coco. She left him after giving a nod of mutual understanding, taking off to return to Cransmere and her Mistress.

Now that they were alone, Shayla left the hat and started floating her way to the cabin, opening the door with a snap of her fingers. She addressed him as he picked himself up off the ground and followed. "Seems like we got a lot to talk about, baby. You were pretty daring back there. Almost makes me think you're trying to hit on her."

"I, um..." Color filled his face as he looked away from her accusations. "Sure, I might've said a couple of intentionally flirty things... b-but I was mostly just doing and saying what felt natural."

"Yeah?" She had an eyebrow raised skeptically. "Awesome. Good to know that you're just turning into a natural-born playboy. Really glad we cleared that one up." Shayla sighed at him, but then a gentle smile appeared on her face. "I can see what you like about her, though."

"Really?" Coye smiled back, eager for approval.

"Yeah, she's pretty fun... when she isn't spouting off red flags regarding a certain high-voltage bitch queen. Gods, to be a fly on that wall. Kinda wondering what those two are like when no one's watching."

Coye set himself at the table and slumped his body over it after removing his ruined tunic and drinking a healing potion he'd put on the table prior. His smile was gone, obviously, replaced by concern. "Maybe it's not that bad. If Coco really wasn't happy, then she could-"

"What, have a sit-down and chat with Britni about her feelings? I don't know the chick very well, but-"

"You have a point," his mood sank even further. "Britni isn't really the type who cares about stuff like that, I think. She doesn't listen to others, and she can't really be reasoned with. If Coco tried expressing herself, I bet it would just get brushed off..."

Shayla was glad he understood. She didn't want to have to paint the ugly picture for him, better he figured it out for himself. That begged the question, though. "You're not planning to do anything about it, are you?"

"No," Coye said flatly. "I don't want to give Britni an excuse to actually hate me or anything. I can't even imagine how hard she would make my life if she put more effort into it. That, and I do still agree with you. It's not my place to try and 'save' Coco."

"Boy, am I glad to hear you say that..." Shayla was visibly relieved as she sat beside him on the table. "Even I'm kind of tempted to tell you to go for it, but if things are as bad as they sound, then I'm pretty sure this will sort itself out in time. You never know what the future holds, baby. It was smart to try and hint she could come here if she needs a break from Britni, though."

"It's not just that- I really did have fun fighting Coco. I'd probably get stronger if I had someone like her around to practice with more often."

"Kind of a weird way to flirt, but it works, it works," Shayla shrugged. "What was going on with the red glowing crap, by the way?"

"Oh," Coye explained what little he knew about the Feral, how Coco imbued her body with the power of adaptation and the drive to survive.

"That's pretty crazy..." Shayla scratched her chin. "Before she left, she said she was holding back. How much truth do you think there was to that, baby? If you were both going all out, do you think you'd have been able to take her down without my help?"

Coye paused and closed his eyes, reflecting on the battle. It was a brutal conflict where his only hope was relying on his patience and wits. In the moment, it felt like she was going all out, but in retrospect, Coye had the distinct feeling that she wasn't using the full extent of her powers.

"I'm leaning towards no," he admitted. "I've heard of way crazier things that Beastfolk can do with that power, but it's hard to gauge when I don't know what she's capable of. I'm still unsure why she hesitated at the end, but I would've lost if it weren't for that."

She looked at him, finding amusement in his constant level of obliviousness. If he didn't know why he won, Shayla wouldn't tell him. He'd find out sooner or later, anyway. It was funnier like this.

"Oh well, a win is a win," she teased. "It doesn't matter how you pulled it off, only that you did."

"I sure feel like a winner," he smiled and laughed rather cutely. "Hanging out with Coco itself feels like a victory in my book."

"You really don't care about a thing in the world as long as you get to spend time with cute girls, do you?" Shayla shook her head out of disbelief.

"Speaking of," Coye stared at his Pixie with a look of mischief. "You and I are going to spend a lot of time together tonight, aren't we? We need to start working on developing our magical bond."

"Developing our magical bond?" Shayla could already feel her exhaustion creeping in before he'd even touched her. "Is that gonna be our new codeword? Because as far as euphemisms go, it sure isn't a sexy one."

Coye laughed again, his innocent face warming Shayla's heart. As long as she got to rest for a few hours first, she was resigned to her fate. Shayla wanted to figure out whether or not Coye really would start developing magic powers, too, especially since it might lead to an increase in her own strength. They both had much to gain, even beyond the promise of physical pleasure. Enough that she could look past the overexertion she'd surely earn.

"Oh well," Shayla sighed a teasing sigh. "I guess some late-night bonding wouldn't be so bad..."