This is a work of FICTION, made by and for adults 18+. The following chapter includes depictions of hypersexuality, mentions of abuse (disownment, rape) and shaming (childfree, sterility, promiscuity). Reader discretion is advised.

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“OH!” Selena set a glass down, “here’s your wine, sis.”

“Thanks, sis. I’d nearly forgotten.” Their glare didn’t break from the cards as Solaris took a sip. “So, shall I begin?”

“I— sure?” Vixen took a bite; the succulent juices made her melt as she tore a hunk off.

“Wonderful. So, I wanted to know ‘what brought you here?’ The deck is telling me only the first three cards can be used to tell that story.”

“Just— three?” Vixen mumbled. 

“You’d be surprised. I learned your name without even looking at one, didn’t I? So, the first question is: ‘who are you?’” Solaris drew the top card of the deck, “‘The Reversed Hermit.’ Lonely, though not by choice.” Vixen stopped chewing and peered up. They placed the card on the bar which showed an orange fox in an empty forest. “Shunned by family, shamed by peers, and turned away by lovers. Your joyless path towards fulfillment didn’t just drive you mad but away from everyone whom you thought mattered.”

Struggling to finish the bite she tore off, Vixen finally noticed that tears had welled. ‘Turned away— and shunned by—’

“It isn’t too hard to guess what sort of hardship you’re facing from what I know now, but,” they turned the second card up. “‘The Reversed Lovers.’ Two Majors; now that is interesting.” Vixen couldn’t wonder anything before they explained, “The seventy eight cards in my deck are split into two categories: Majors and Minors. There are exceptions, but I’ve theorized that the more Majors that appear in a reading, the more important that person’s role plays in destiny. Both The Lovers and The Hermit are Majors, though it’s ill fortune that they were drawn in reverse.

“The Reversed Lovers,” the card showed the fox cuddling with a brown wolf, “implies you were seeking fulfillment with another, but your relationship was, or became, cold and detached. Something about it felt incomplete.”

Vixen tried to choke down her mouthful. ‘Incomplete.’ She couldn’t dry her eyes, ‘That’s what Den— That’s what they all—’

“You’re a hybrid.” She jerked up. “You were raised by your mother, never knowing who your father was—”

“Ha—” Vixen shivered, ‘How did they know—’

“Stop Projecting!” Selena shoved Solaris. “It’s bad enough the poor girl is starved and alone, but now you’re just using your own life to fill in—”

“And you’re sterile.” Vixen gripped her mouth and began to sob. “That’s why he— why everyone shunned—”

“Solaris?! That is—”

Their voice softened, “No, it’s not just that—”

 Selena reached for the cards, “Stop it, sis! No—”

“You’re in heat.” Vixen finally broke. “You’ve been in heat ever since you reached maturity. That— burning desire to breed never faded, did it? Not after anything your lovers did.”

“Solaris, maybe this isn’t—”

“Wait,” Vixen spoke up. “I,” she sniffled, failing to hold back the tears, “I never even wanted pups. Ever since my mother explained,  I just didn’t— For years I tried to tell her, but every time she’d say: ‘Wait until you’ve reached your first heat.’ When I finally told her: ‘I never want to go into heat,’” she hunched over and whimpered, “she threw me out!” 

“I,” she tried to compose herself with a deep breath, “The rest of my family turned me away, so Den let me stay with him, but… But he didn’t believe me either. He was just— waiting…”

When Vixen’s cries renewed, Selena carefully put a mug filled with purplish liquid down before her. Noticing the pleasing smell, she hardly glanced at it before snatching it up to take large gulps. Solaris interjected, “That might not be—” but Selena halted them.

“It’s just blueberry juice. I thought it might help.”

Not even hearing them, she set the half-empty cup down and wiped her eyes. “For months I was just waiting— dreading when it would start. It didn’t, though. I finally thought—after two years—that I wouldn’t go into heat. But then it— I felt it. I— I didn’t even have time to understand what I was feeling until I was— we were…”

“Vixen.” She met Solaris’ careful gaze. “It’s okay. You don’t have to—”

“No, I,” Vixen used her sleeve to clean her fur. “I haven’t— been able to talk to— anyone— about…”

“Hey,” Selena reached over and held her shoulder, “you can talk to us if you need to, dear. You’re not alone anymore.”

‘I,’ she looked at Selena and then Solaris, ‘I’m not— alone?’ Her tears renewed but Vixen nodded with a whimper. “I… I don’t remember how much we, uh— But, even after a few weeks, my heat never faded; and then, after a few months, I never showed signs of bearing pups. D-despite my— discomfort, I was so— so thankful that I wasn’t— but then,” she held her trembling mouth, “Den threw me out too… He said— he said I’m… broken.”

“Sweetie, there is nothing broken about you,” Selena reassured.

Vixen could only stare at her. “But— I can’t—”

“Having kids isn’t all there is to living; neither of us have plans to create a new life.”

“That’s in part why we left our clan,” Solaris interjected. “We were under a great deal of pressure to be like— well, like everyone else, but neither of us were like everyone else.”

Her heart eased but Vixen still worried, “But— my heat—”

“Vampires are supposed to draw their energy from other people’s blood.” Finally distracted, Vixen’s hair stood on end at the insinuation. “But, I didn’t have a thirst for it when I was supposed to need blood, nor did I suffer from any energy deficiency. But, my mother made me drink it anyway; and it didn’t taste anything like she or anyone else insisted

“They threw up on the spot.”

“HEY!” Solaris snapped to her. “You didn’t have to say That!”

“What? It’s true! All Over mother, too. You should have seen her face!” Solaris covered their face as Selena looked back at Vixen, “I don’t mind the taste, usually, but everyone’s blood tastes different, and I can taste what they’ve been eating! It’s not always pleasant and I can’t tell from how they smell, so it’s often a nasty surprise.”

Unsure how to react, Vixen just gaped until Solaris spoke up, “What we’re trying to say is that there’s nothing wrong with being different than what people say you should be.”

“Nothing— wrong?” Vixen cleaned herself again. “Th-thank you. No one has ever told me that… I…” She took a deep breath. “After— Den… I didn’t have— anyone to turn to, so I— I just wandered, hoping someone would give me shelter, but,” she glanced between them. “I— I don’t know how well vam-pires can smell, but… everyone in my tribe could smell when— someone was… And normally— I guess normally you’d just stay inside but the looks people gave me, and… the— things… people did to me… I… I-it was—”

She halted as a hand touched her thigh. “It wasn’t your fault,” Solaris soothed. “None of it was your fault.”

‘Not my…’ The words echoed and calmed her heart. Vixen dried her eyes, as poorly as the streaming tears would allow; nothing compared to the solace Vixen received from these strangers. “Th-thank you.” She turned to solaris. “I want to hear the rest.”

Her hand retreated to the deck. “Thank you for sharing and— being so vulnerable with us. The last thing the cards want to tell me is what trial you’re facing now.” Solaris drew a card. “The ten of cups; a minor, but a stronger one. It’s also a simple one to read: you want fulfillment, ‘your cup to be filled,’ as it were. Happiness, security, homecoming, something you’ve never had before, if I’m not mistaken.”

Vixen nodded. “I— I suppose that’s true. After… Well— After the whole village… shunned me… I set out in search of my father.” She clutched the tallon. “You were right. I am a half-breed. My mother is from a wolf tribe but my father was foxkin. I didn’t know where I could go, but— trying to find him couldn’t be any worse than…” After another deep breath, she met their gazes. “After wandering through the woods for a few weeks, a faerie pointed me to Refuge, and that’s how I ended up here.”

They both held their breath for a moment. “That’s quite a tale,” Selena finally spoke up.

“Is it? I don’t think there’s much to it besides— pain.”

“Oh, dear,” Selena lamented as a customer came to the bar. “Just a moment.”

“There’s much more than that,” Solaris held Vixen’s hands; she blushed and turned towards the stunning figure. “There’s hope. And a future. My cards wouldn’t have shown what they did if there weren’t.”

‘A future… for me?’ Vixen stared agape, unsure what to say. “I… Thank you… I’ll— try to believe that.”

Their hands retreated. “I’m glad. Well, I’m sure I’ve upset enough of your evening. Selena might be a bit busy, but she’ll keep you fed and set you up in a comfortable room for as long as you need. Perhaps we’ll see each other before I leave tomorrow.

“Wait!” Vixen reached for Solaris’ sleeve as they stepped down from the stool but quickly retreated with a heavy blush. ‘Oh, no… that was…’

Solaris sat again and leaned in to whisper, “You know, vampires don’t have as acute a sense of smell as beastkin, but we do have other useful senses. For example, I could hear your heart beat faster when I touch you, and I can smell the blood filling your cheeks.” Vixen shyly squirmed. “If you want to find a man to share your bed with tonight, I understand; my cards already told me you wanted to.” She looked down in embarrassment. “However, if you want to know what a womans’ touch feels like, like my cards also told me, I can tell my sister we’ll share a room tonight. She won’t even mind; in fact, she’ll be happy to have the extra room.” They leaned back with a disarming smile. “It’s your choice. You already know I don’t bite.” Solaris tittered, “Well, I shouldn’t tell a lie. Some habits are hard to break; I don’t bite hard.”

Vixen quietly sat, too abashed to say anything. After a few moments of quiet contemplation, though, she shyly nodded.

They smirked and turned to the bar. “Selena!” Solaris sang.

Finally breaking from the bustle, she answered, “Yes, sis?”

“Vixen would like some safe company for the night, so we’ll be sharing my room.”

“OH, wonderful! That gives me an extra room for tonight!”

With a cunning grin, Solaris shot Vixen a cordial wink. 

—Spoiler—

Vixen’s tale has earned her a room for the night, and someone to share it with. It would seem this near stranger has different intentions than those who’ve taken her to bed before, however. Vixen learns what a compassionate touch feels like and what it’s like to make love with more controlled passion in Chapter 3: Comfort.

—End Spoiler—