"There's another thing too," explained Anubis. "A divine being of the gods can mate with any living creature they want. Your friend Rex is a mammal and my daughter is part reptilian (Kebechet is a snake goddess), but if they wanted to mate, it would be possible."

"That's great!" said Zoe, happily. "I'll go back and ask Max right away!"

She hurried out.

"Hey Max!" she called, when she saw him lying on the ground, tucking into some meat that the god Tcheft had conjured out of thin air. He swallowed his mouthful and looked at her. "Yes Zoe?"

"Can you come with me a minute?"

"Of course I can."

The couple went back to the castle, where Duamutef, another jackal-headed god and one of Horus's sons, showed them to a spare bedroom.

"What do you want, love?" he asked.

"Well, I asked Anubis if it was possible for us to mate," she started. "He said yes, so I want to ask, will you mate with me?" asked his girlfriend

For a second or two, Max was speechless. Then he looked down and closed his eyes, and when he opened them again and his head was raised, a single tear escaped his right eye.

"Zoe my love, I am both sad and happy at your request. I want us to be mates as much as you do, but if you do become a jackal, you can never be human again."

"I don't care Max. I'm tired of my human life. I want to be a free animal living with you up here instead of going back down to Earth," she said

Max sighed. "Okay, I will do it, but if I do, the process will hurt more than anything you ever have or ever will feel in your life." He placed his front paws on he shoulders, looking extremely grave. "Are you sure, you want, to do this?"

"Yes Max."

"Alright."

And with that, he extended all the claws on his right forepaw and speared them into Zoe's arm!

Zoe gasped and gritted her teeth in pain, as blood started to leak from her arm. "I . . . love . . . you . . . Max!" she managed before she passed out.

After about thirty seconds, Max removed his claws from her flesh and licked her blood off his claws. (No, readers, Max is not bloodthirsty. It's just the way he mates) He then licked the blood off her wound, tears falling down his furry face. He held her close and said, in scarcely more than a whisper:

"Zoe my love, I'm sorry I had to hurt you."

This is the mating of Max and Zoe. Next chapter, deja-vu for Rex and Kebby!

And Duamutef is pronounced Du-a-moo-tef.

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