Soleil eyed the meat hanging over the campfire, mouth already watering as the scent of grilled meat wafted through the air. "So, can we eat already?" she asked, waiting impatiently for Vynx to finish carving up the meat to split between the two of them. 

Sophia had already drunk her share of the boar's blood before they got to cooking and was content to watch the other two banter over dinner. The vampiress yawned softly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "I think I'll take a look around the area and fetch some more water." With nightfall setting in, she decided it would be more productive to stretch her legs and hunt down any stragglers. 

"Sure thing. Thanks, Soph," Vynx grinned up at the silver-haired vampiress. "Watch out for werewolves. Just give a holler and I'll come running—hot, hot, hot!" Vynx yelped as he grabbed the ribs by a bone and quickly dropped it on the wooden cutting board.

"I'll avoid engaging if I can help it." Sophia flounced her long skirt as she stepped over the log that acted as a makeshift chair. Then with another flick of her wrist, her elegant form dissipated into a swirl of shadows before reshaping into a small, white bat. With a squeak, the bat took flight into the air and disappeared above the treetops. 

Vynx waved her off before whipping out his handy hunting knife. The hunter began cutting between the bones and divided up the ribs with Soleil. While he didn't necessarily need food to survive, Vynx enjoyed eating and drinking. He found that having a full belly and decent sleep kept his senses sharp, which could always be the difference between life and death on a mission.

On the other hand, his paladin partner made no attempt to hide her hunger. As always, Soleil devoured the meat before her, tearing through the tender flesh and cleaning each chunk right down to the bone. Observing her at dinner was always an amusement for Vynx. Even in her human form, Soleil could probably rival a gnoll in appetite, though she at least waited for the meat to be cooked. Usually.

"The full moon's gonna be soon, isn't it?" Vynx asked aloud. He could already see the pale luminescent orb far above, shimmering brighter than the many stars dotting the clear sky. 

Soleil swallowed the mouthful of food and exhaled in annoyance. "Tomorrow night. I can already feel it getting close," she admitted and stared into the fire. She had lost track of how many times she had transformed since she was first bitten, but the experience never got easier. Soleil had to envy vampires and their ability to shapeshift painlessly at will. For her, each transformation was excruciating, and the struggle to remain in control was one she was forced to fight for the entire night.

"Ah. Guess we'll have to chain you up to a tree again. Too bad it wasn't tonight; having you go to town on those gnolls would've been a sight," he joked. Vynx only leered back as Soleil shot him a dry look. "Look, I don't mean to make light of your situation, but you have to admit. It would've been funny to see those hyenas shit themselves."

"You're not wrong. It would've helped release some of the pent-up energy for sure." Soleil rolled her eyes. As much as she wanted to believe that she had her powers under control, it was still difficult for her to completely quell the bloodlust in her other form. She could distinguish between friend and foe enough to avoid attacking Vynx or Sophia, but the need to not only kill but also consume could never be fully repressed. 

Vynx turned his eyes back to the brunette woman curiously. "How did you get bitten anyways? You never did share the full story." He leaned forward on the log and propped one arm on his knee. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to but… we've been traveling together for a few months now. It'd be easier for us to track down the werewolf you want to kill if I knew more about them."

"... It was an ambush on my unit during my days as a soldier. I didn't realize it at the time, but the man was my senior officer." Soleil tossed the bone in her hand back into the fire. "He sent our squadron out to scout the woods ahead of the rest of the army. After we set up camp for the night, he offered to take the first watch and slipped away while we were asleep." Her fist tightened at the memory of that night all those years ago. "We were like chickens to the slaughter."

"Damn." Vynx could only shake his head in sympathy. "What happened to the rest of your squad? Also turned?"

"They died," Soleil replied, her eyes steely. "I don't know why I survived, but that was his biggest mistake." She placed a hand on her right pauldron, where the scars of her bite mark remained under her armor. "It won't bring any of them back, but it'll give me peace of mind knowing that I've avenged their deaths once I rip that traitorous bastard's throat out," Soleil scowled as she glared into the flames. The fire reflected in her amber pupils and highlighted the scar that ran down her right eye.

Vynx slowly slid the rest of his uneaten ribs onto Soleil's plate. "Sorry to hear about the other guys. Just know you've got my support whenever we find the prick." He reached over to place his hand on Soleil's head. With a smile, he began patting the paladin's head reassuringly. 

"Wha—stop that," Soleil growled and ducked her head away from his hand. "I'm not a dog, you know!"

"Have I ever mentioned that you're also hot when you're pissed off?" Vynx snickered. "You've also got a little something on your face," he pointed out and brushed his thumb over the speck of sauce stuck on the edge of her lips. 

Soleil reddened. Normally, people were afraid of her when they found out about her true nature. Vynx treated her like anyone else, completely and utterly unfazed by the fact she could transform into a seven-foot-tall mass of murderous muscle. "I got it; you don't need to—"

He leaned in closer, cutting her off with a kiss. As he expected, the pointed wolf ears atop Soleil's head suddenly sprang free as her cheeks turned bright pink. 

The paladin scrambled backwards in a mix of fury and surprise, forgetting that she was sitting on a rounded log. Soleil flailed comedically and fell onto her back on the grass behind her. "Vynx—! I'm gonna kill you!" she growled, her face now as red as a cherry from embarrassment.

Vynx burst out laughing, "That was way too cute." He got up to offer his hand, but Soleil only swatted it away moodily. With another smirk, Vynx instead stepped over her, planting his legs on each side of Soleil's waist before squatting down on top of her. "You're also in heat, aren't you?" he inquired, the shit-eating grin on his face now hovering above the bewildered paladin. 

"What does THAT have to do with anything?" Soleil snapped. 

If looks could kill, Vynx knew he'd be a dead man by now. But he knew the truth under all the aggression and threats: Soleil was very much going through that time of the month in conjunction with the full moon. "You didn't deny it." Vynx smugly patted her between the ears. His thumb ran over the soft fur that matched her chestnut hair. He felt her ears twitch between his fingers and heard Soleil let out a quiet whimper. "You know, you can always ask if you need my help," he said with a sing-songy cadence. 

Soleil narrowed her eyes. Vynx was taking too much satisfaction from toying with her, and while she had a mind to knee him in the crotch, she was also considering his offer. The impending full moon always drew out her primal needs, and her body was aching to be touched. "Fine. Help me out of this armor," Soleil huffed. She watched as the hunter eagerly got to work, unclasping the leather straps that held her breastplate and pauldrons together. Piece by piece, the steel armor came undone and was tossed to the side until the woman was stripped down to the bandages that covered her chest and her underwear. Before he could continue, Soleil sat up and pushed him off of her. "Can we at least take this to the tent?" She didn't exactly need their vampiress companion returning to see the two of them buck naked in the middle of camp. 

"Fine, fine." Vynx got off of the wolf girl and let her head to their tent first. He gave Soleil a few minutes to "prepare," taking the time to remove his own jacket, shirt, and boots. Once he saw her silhouette in the tent take off the last of her undergarments, Vynx moved aside the entrance flaps and ducked down to join Soleil inside. "Looking good, Sol," he whistled, eyeing up her toned body and the long wolf-like tail covering up the space between her legs.

"Anytime! You're also welcome to join me and Sophia too—"

"Don't count on it." Soleil shut her eyes and let out a tired yawn. Within seconds, her body had relaxed enough, and the paladin let the exhaustion take her.

"Aww," Vynx pouted as the werewolf promptly fell asleep. It was almost impressive how fast Soleil could pass out after a hot meal and hotter fuck. Well, there's always next time… he thought, still hopeful that both women would allow him to have them at once someday. But that was a dream to be fulfilled on another night. He scratched Soleil's wolflike ears affectionately before closing his eyes to join her for a nap.