Author's Note:

Here's the next installment.

Things are moving along.Enjoy!

12:54 PM

Skye sat on the toilet, one of the few sized for mammals larger than bunnies in the Hopps burrow. They had decided to send Judy's sister, Elena, to contact Reggie. Elena was a flirt and, in Skye's opinion, buxom enough to pry Reggie's attention away from his computer while delivering a blueberry gift basket. She would give him a code phrase identifying herself as Skye's contact, then lead the fox back to the farm. Elena had been very enthusiastic about helping to avoid kit-sitting duties for the afternoon and had left a few minutes ago.

Finished with the toilet, Skye cleaned herself up, her paw coming back covered in blood. She stood up in alarm, dizzy and barely catching hold of the wall to keep herself from falling over.

Waiting outside the bathroom, Judy heard Skye's cry for help and rushed to the stall, finding the vixen reeling with paws against the walls, her legs covered in blood. The doe went to hit the panic button near the bathroom entrance, a feature in every public area of the burrow, then helped Skye out of the stall.

The vixen was calm, but in shock from sudden blood loss, her lips and ears very pale. Judy couldn't find any blood flowing from anywhere, which confused her as it seemed unlikely the source of that much bleeding would just stop; it went against her first-aid training that said to stem the flow of blood as a priority. She took the vixen to the nearest shower booth and turned on the spray, cleaning her off with warm water. Thankfully, no more blood appeared, but that didn't make Judy feel any more comfortable.

Bonnie soon waddled in with Dalia and Jemina behind her, two of Judy's older sisters. Noticing blood all over the bathroom, they quickly went over to Skye, sitting naked in the fur dryer.

"Are you OK, sweetie?" Bonnie asked the vixen.

"I-I don't know," Skye said, trembling, tears running from her eyes. "It just... I don't understand..."

Bonnie gave her a big hug. "Well," she said, "I don't either, dear, but if it were a miscarriage, you'd still be bleeding." Skye gave a sob of relief at that reassurance.

"We can't take her to any of the main hospitals, Mom," Judy reminded Bonnie.

"How about Hometown Female Health?" Jemina asked. "It's where I go; they don't have an emergency room, but they're an independent chain, very good, and handle more than just bunnies."

Skye nodded. "I know them: They're my doctors, too," she said. "I go to the Savannah clinic in Downtown Zootopia. They should be able to access to my medical records."

"I'll take her, Mom," Judy said.

"You're supposed to be dead," Skye cautioned.

"Exactly," Judy told her, winking. "This is Bunnyburrow, Skye. There are so many bunnies here, it's easy to spot look-alikes, and no one expects to see Judy WildeHopps walking around alive. It's not like we'll be walking into ZIA headquarters with multiple security checkpoints like Elena will." She cocked her paws on her hips. "Just call me, Lavern," she said in a heavy Bunnyburrow accent. "It's my middle name, but it's also a common first name for a bunny. I'll even wear a hat, but I'm not leaving you unprotected."

"Take Jemina with you," Bonnie said. "She knows the way." Jemina and Judy nodded. The matriarch gave Skye another hug. "Don't go fretting any, sweetheart. Everything's going to be fine. Just relax and let my girls take care of you."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hopps," Skye said.

"You just call me, Mom," Bonnie said. "Aunt Skye is part of the family, now." The vixen sniffled, returning the doe's hug.

1:01 PM

In the Executive parking lot, Arthur put the device into the trunk of his rental car. He took a moment to admire Tonya's handywork inside the travel case. The device had passed right through the ZIA scanners with no one the wiser. A visual inspection might have drawn some comments, though nothing Arthur hadn't been prepared to answer. One thing was certain: He was not letting the device out of his sight.

Getting into the driver's seat, something started to bother him—or, more like, was dawning on him. He started the car, heading east down the highway towards the Labtierre border. It was a long drive, at least six hours if he didn't want to take the chance at getting pulled over, which really wouldn't be a problem other than leaving a trail: His ZIA Director's ID was valid until after the exit interview, tomorrow.

"Can you imagine how surprised I was," Octavio said, sitting on the sofa, "when Miss Ryzhaya told me Arthur Foxworth was sharing her bed?"

"Arthur, darling," Chia giggled, "who do you think sent Tonya to find you?"

Indeed.

Why had Lady Chia sent Tonya to find him? Why hadn't Octavio?

'Because Octavio didn't know you have signature authority over the Institute for Special Projects,' he thought. Almost nobody did; just five mammals.

Oops.

Arthur laughed. Make that, six mammals. The wildest, most passionate night he had ever spent with Candace had been when he had bragged about his new 'perk' of being able to commission his own research projects at the Institute. It had been the only surefire way he knew to get Candace to lift her tail for him: Let her know something about his job: How much it paid, where his office was, how many agents reported to him, general gossip, his schedule. Anything new, and he got to spend a warm night with her without it being a mechanical 'duty' night.

He had never talked about items specifically prohibited by the Agency's regulations, or that could compromise a case. But Arthur knew quite well the value of the information he had shared, how it could be used to lead a mammal to a situation like he currently found himself in. It was one reason for the limits imposed on the spouses of senior members: senior members needed to be able to talk to their spouses if they were to keep trust in their marriage. Their mates just needed to keep their mouths shut about what was said, as they should for most intimate family business.

Looking back, he knew when Candace had been turned: When he had served as Station Chief in Aurora, under the cover of Commercial Attaché. Lady Chia. Wow. She had barely been in High School! She must have been the one who sent her precocious younger classmate, Kasani, to him after saying he needed someone to 'keep him warm during the frosty winter nights' while Candace went out 'enjoying the nightlife'.

Kasani had repeatedly tried to get him to mate with her, sometimes subtly, sometimes like a sledge hammer. He was glad that he had resisted, knowing it could have really ruined her future. They had spent many nights talking, playing games, and keeping warm in more chaste ways, like close cousins. The last time she saw him, the young vixen had told him she would wait for him to claim her, tearfully prophesying how, one day, he would be her first.

'Prophecy, my tail!' Arthur scolded himself. 'I've been the mark of a long-con started by a couple of teenagers!' He'd always wondered how the schoolkits had managed to get around without any of the official chaperones. How in Mammaldom had Chia managed to compromise them?

Somehow, Chia had compromised Candace, then tried to compromise him with Kasani as well. Had they mated, Baratean law could have been quite severe on him, even sending him to the slave pens, and Zootopia would not have lifted a finger on his behalf given Kasani had been below the Commonwealth's age of consent. Baratean law gave no minimum age as long as there was consent; it just needed a valid contract to be in place, which also had to be approved by the family head if a minor was involved. Basically, the only crime was Sex Without a Contract, as the embassy staff would joke. But it was a serious crime that would have easily compromised him.

Arthur grunted. Sometimes, good deeds did go unpunished, after all.

"I shall make you a High Lord, Arthur. It is a good thing to bring new blood into the Empire, and I have wanted to bring yours in for a long time."

What an Empress Chia would make!

1:25 PM

Trina's eyesight was gradually returning; the doe could now make out shadows while sitting in the sunlight in the enclosed balcony. Her phone rang, Zeke's ringtone, and she felt around to pick it up.

"Hello, Zeke," she said, smiling.

"Glad to hear you talking, Trina," he said. "You were in bad shape on the train, last night."

"You were there?" she asked, surprised.

"Boss called us in," Zeke told her. "We hopped aboard at Rivercross Station. Barely made it, too, having to pick up supplies, and all."

"Supplies?"

"We are the cleanup crew, you know," he laughed.

"Cleanup?"

"You sure you're OK?" Zeke asked.

"Am I OK?"

"Yeah. You keep repeating what I say."

"Repea—Oh, sorry," Trina said. "I do not recall much about last night past being a fool, I'm afraid."

"You're lucky the boss found you," Zeke said. "That bucko was out for your blood."

"What?"

"Bunny, you ran into the Grey Heart Brigade," he told her sternly.

"In Zootopia?"

"They're everywhere, Trina," Zeke warned. "That's why we don't like you going around alone."

"He... he didn't tell me that," Trina said. "He just said some rabbit tried to date-rape me."

"He almost did," Zeke agreed. "Then he was going to kill you."

"But... how... he told me he... talked to the rabbit... that he changed his life..."

Zeke laughed. "That, he did," he chuckled.

"...And then, he... had dinner with him..." Trina heard Zeke's phone hit the ground while he laughed uncontrollably. After a few moments, he picked it up.

"Sorry about that, Trina," he said, laughter in his voice. "The boss sure has a way with words sometimes."

"Yes, he does," she agreed. "But I don't see what is so amusing."

"I think it's best if he explained," Zeke said, changing subjects. "So, how long have you two been...?"

Trina felt her ears heating up. "I don't know what you are talking about," she stammered.

"Well," Zeke ventured, "You had what amounts to a fatal dose of Metrapozine in rabbits. If you weren't lovers before, you most certainly are now, since you're alive, talking to me."

"Metrapozine?" she asked, unfamiliar with the drug.

"It's a hormonal stimulant that also acts as a mood inhibitor," he told her. "Mostly used for treating low-fertility couples."

"And how would you know that?" she asked.

"Gret told me; he's the pharmacologist, remember? I wrote this down—never know when it can come in useful—it's very nasty," he said. "The drug eases a female's inhibitions while also increasing ovulation efficiency. In most species who do not have regular fertile cycles, it will trigger spontaneous ovulation with accompanying arousal. In bunnies, because of their faster metabolism, high doses also sends the hypothalamus into overdrive, triggering acute hyper-anxiety linked to the mating behavior. Side effects can include nausea, blindness, aggressor/dependent sexual behavior, anosmia—that means you can't smell anything—short-term hearing loss, headaches, loss of motor skills, and, adding insult to injury, constipation."

"Hyper-anxiety?" Trina asked.

"Yeah. Severe panic attacks strong enough to cause arrythmia and blood pressure spikes that can burst your heart or the blood vessels in your brain. They get triggered by your need to mate. As I said," he told the bunny, "real nasty stuff, and you were chocked full of it; likely slipped into a drink—it dissolves readily in alcohol."

"You're saying I had to mate or die?" she asked, incredulously.

"Pretty much," he concluded. "Boss said that creep was trying to record a video of you, so I expect it was more like you would go after the nearest male to have your way—and you did—or you would be dead. So, if you two weren't lovers before, you most certainly are now. And I say: Good for both of you; you've been walking on eggshells around each other for months."

"Have I been that obvious?" she asked, disappointed with herself.

"That you were interested in the boss? Not at all," Zeke said, sincerely. "Just that something wasn't right between you two. I'm glad it wasn't something like you couldn't stand him; that could've been real awkward."

"Not much chance of that, Zeke," Trina giggled. "I find him quite wonderful for a mammal his age."

"Just never go to a museum with him," Zeke joked. "He can't stop complaining about how they got the displays wrong."

"I've heard him arguing with the History Channel, Zeke," Trina said. "He can be very eloquent." She heard Gret's voice saying something in the background.

"He might get a chance to expand his vocabulary," Zeke told her. "Gret tells me Judy, Skye and another doe just got into an SUV and are heading into town. Skye definitely looks unwell, if not injured. No sign of the tod. No kits playing outside, either, which seems curious. Also, tell the boss there's a ZIA sniper team watching the hill; they must be friendlies, since they had the vixen in their sights and didn't take her out."

"I'll let him know, Zeke," she said. "Thanks for the talk."

"Catch you later, Trina," Zeke said. "Try not to beat yourself up. And get some rest."

The doe put the phone down and slowly found her way back to the bed, where Kataiahs still slept. She crawled in next to the lynx, rubbing his chest, then giggled as he began to purr.

"Is it already Wednesday?" he asked sleepily.

"I'm afraid it is still Friday, sir," she told him, then relayed Zeke's message. Kataiahs sighed.

"If Skye is injured, there's only one place for them to take her," he said. "I suppose it's time to get up, now. How are you doing, my dear? Your heartbeat sounds normal, with no irregularities. Can you see, yet?"

"Only shadows," she told him. "But it is much better than nothing, sir. Were you going to tell me the Grey Heart Brigade accosted me?"

"At some point," he said, holding her paw. "You had enough stress, as it were. It was a chance encounter, my dear. He was looking for a simple distraction, but your choice of alcohol and that lovely accent of yours made him suspicious. Once your guard was down, he slipped you the drug and then confirmed his suspicions by your reactions to carefully selected food and questions. That is when he overdosed you and you truly lost control."

"Zeke said I might have been... aggressive," she said shyly. He nuzzled her.

"You most certainly were a bunny with a one-track mind," he told her. "Thankfully, I managed to rise to the occasion, though you did wear me out at the end. When you finally woke up, I thought you were still under the influence and I was seriously afraid I might lose you."

"Well, sir, you did not." She gave him a hug. "Thank you for not giving up on me."

"My pleasure," he said, rubbing her hindquarters and tail suggestively.

"Now, sir?" she said, surprised.

"The spirit is willing," he said, nuzzling her, "but the body needs a few more hours, I'm afraid. However, you didn't pounce on me, so it means the drug is finally out of your system, thanks to that fast metabolism of yours, and I can go deal with other matters."

"What happened to the buck, sir?" she asked.

"I thought I explained all that," he said, uncomfortably.

"Zeke found it very amusing when I told him you two had dinner."

"I said I had dinner in his room, my dear, not with him."

"You're avoiding the subject, sir."

"Yes, I am," he said. "You have had enough to worry about for one day."

"Is he going to be a problem later on, sir?"

"Nothing that won't pass in a day or two," he told her, giving her a kiss while getting out of the bed.

2:05 PM

Lady Windbright sat near the pool in the Commons, sunning herself under the panoramic skylight. She was bored. The other females avoided her, as usual, not having much in common with the snow leopardess. Some of the other felines would, on occasion, come to talk and gossip, but Windbright didn't have the interests or stories the others craved, so those sessions would generally fizz out after a few minutes. She would gossip about males at length, though, having a hedonistic streak she satisfied as often as she could, and that was enough to keep her 'in the loop' with the other females.

Protocol for snow leopards traditionally differed from other mammals, since a snow leopard had no property to lose, nor were interested in politics. Snow leopards lived to serve the Empire. They were the law keepers, incorruptible by virtue of lacking political ambition and an unwillingness to gather personal wealth. They were, in turn, fully supported by the Empire, and females had a degree of freedom envied by other species. Windbright needed no chaperone, was free to associate with whom she willed, and even had her choice of quarters in the Embassy. She just preferred not to be alone, although that would change soon enough, she knew.

Only one thing was expected from a snow leopardess, something Windbright could not do: Name the father of her kits. Her younger sister, Ketryn, had taken over her duties as Commons Keeper because of this, and the male snow leopards would no longer give Windbright the time of day, hypocritical prigs that they were. Any time now, she expected word from the Clan stripping her of her title and recalling her to Aurora for discipline—or worse—for humiliating House Snowclaw.

All a snow leopard had was their honor, which Windbright believed in, and was the reason she had not simply lied and named one of the most likely bedpartners. She also truly regretted that two of the potential fathers already had mates in Aurora, though in truth, she had not found out until after they had coupled. She probably should have filed charges against them; as it were, she had told Ketryn about it, and the two had been sent back home with black marks on their records—as compared to in chains, facing criminal charges.

Murmurs amongst the other females made her look towards the main entrance. Her sister had entered, carrying a rolled-up document, heading straight for her with a grim cast to her face. This was it, and the others knew it as well: Time to go home in chains.

Ketryn kneeled before her, holding out the document with both paws.

"Lady Windbright," her sister said formally. "A request for marriage has been received. Do you wish to consider it?"

Windbright laughed amidst the sudden silence in the Commons. "Are you serious?" she chuckled. "Have the new recruits arrived already?"

"My Lady," Ketryn said, stiffly. "The candidate is a High Lord, able to support you, from an honorable House, and has affirmed, upon his honor, that he can breed you."

Intrigued, Windbright took the document and unrolled it, her eyebrows arching up. The 'brag sheet' attached to the contract was impressive. Too impressive, so it was obviously from a much older male. Someone new to the Embassy, then, looking for a younger wife to keep him warm.

"Is he healthy, Ketryn? Will I get more than a years' use out of him?" she asked, holding up the contract.

"I believe he is in extraordinary health," Ketryn said. "I can't vouch for how long he will live, or if he will see to your needs past today."

"Fair enough," Windbright said, scenting the contract, making Ketryn frown.

"Please, Windbright, do you wish the blindfold?" her sister pleaded, holding up the silken strap.

"You know I cannot," she said, tenderly. "I know what everyone says about me, Ketryn, that I'm a whore. But I really do have honor, you know."

"As my Lady wishes," Ketryn said with teary eyes. "Your suitor will be chemically blinded. Do you require longer than the minimum three hours?"

"Not if he is a breathing male," Windbright laughed. Ketryn smiled at that.

"So be it," her sister said, bowing formally. "Cameras will be set and recording, but not monitored. These recordings will be sealed with your contract in the vault should any legalities arise that require a review. Sound will be monitored at all times. No sounds but those nature has granted by instinct shall be allowed. That is, no words, music or any sort of schooled communication may take place until the contract has been consummated. At the first sign of communication, the contract shall be deemed ready for confirmation, and the examiners shall enter to verify this. Should the examiners determine a null result, the party at fault shall be charged with failure to honorably close the contract, and appropriate action shall be taken, even to the extent of death, if it is determined fraud has taken place. You will have the right to appeal without prejudice in case of dispute, with your honor and status unblemished should you win. Do you understand all I have said?"

"Yes," Windbright said, impatiently. "After as many times as I've had to say it, I'd better."

"Very well," Ketryn said with another bow. "You have five minutes to prepare after you reach your quarters, then your suitor shall enter. May this contract fulfill all your dreams, my Lady." Ketryn couldn't hold back her tears anymore.

Windbright caught her in a hug. "Don't worry about me, little sister," she said. "I can't mess this up. How bad could it possibly be?"

"Just be careful, Windbright, please," Ketryn said, leaving. "Something strange is going on."

Windbright laughed, stripping off her clothes on the way to her quarters. That always made the other females uncomfortable. Not the nudity. The battle scars and muscles of a warrior, the graceful, deadly movements of a predator used to fighting for her life.

She entered her quarters, making sure the cameras were placed properly out of habit, then groomed herself until the door opened, letting her suitor in. Immediately, she knew something was wrong; she smelled a wolf.

Was this some kind of sick joke? she thought, spinning around growling at the figure laying prostate just inside the door.

Octavio Belyiklyk.

She paused, taken aback. He looked even more impressive sprawled face down, naked on the floor. What could be going through the wolf's mind that he would dare approach a snow leopardess like this? Sure, there was nothing illegal about it, but when no kits were produced from the union, severe consequences could result if anyone—more like, when everyone—challenged the contract.

Belyiklyk was a warrior. What was he doing crawling on his belly to an outcast leopardess? He had the reputation as the foremost fighter in the Empire, and Windbright had personally seen his collection of vanquished foes, so she knew his reputation was more than braggadocio.

He was handsome—for a canine—she thought, larger than she was, his body hard and sculpted through the discipline of a warrior. Her thoughts began wandering, imagining how it would feel to have those strong, muscular arms wrapped tightly around her, their tails intertwined while he took her.

Octavio sniffed, noticing the change in her scent, and padded over to her on all fours, fully aroused. His muzzle dipped between her legs, taking in her scent and his tongue flicked for a taste of her. Windbright watched him, completely fascinated at her own submissiveness, leaning into his muzzle for him to have his fill of her. Her paws stroked his ears, encouraging him to move quicker, and she felt herself reach the threshold, but couldn't cross. It was tantalizing, how he did everything right, how badly she wanted this, yet she was held back by a flimsy thread she couldn't fathom in the back of her mind.

Octavio sensed her mood and knew what was missing for the leopardess. His muzzle darted beneath her and nipped hard at the base of her tail. She flinched with a loud hiss, slapping open-clawed at the wolf, who danced away untouched and began circling her like she was his next meal. She growled in frustration, and also anger for her sore tail, pouncing on the wolf who skillfully danced out of reach to begin circling her again, his tongue hanging out in silent laughter. She pounced again, this time flipping mid-air to catch him while he turned, but he still evaded her somehow, tongue lolling out, egging her on.

Windbright was now out for blood. Nobody humiliated her like this! She growled and began stalking the wolf, shifting and lunging at him, just to have him dance away and laugh every time. He was blinded, wasn't he? Octavio kept his eyes closed, regardless, she noticed. She also noticed he was limping slightly and had several fresh cuts along one side of his body, so she changed her tactics to go against his injured side, only to be nipped in the tail again as she sailed by where he had been. She was panting hard now, not from exhaustion, but frustration at the circling wolf. Unwilling to give up, she continued her assaults, her determination eventually winning out as Octavio slipped and fell.

She pounced without hesitation, realizing only at the last minute the wolf was laughing at her. His arms were much stronger than she had expected, catching her and turning her around with her back into his belly, his legs twining with hers to spread them apart and slip himself inside her. His arms held her tightly yet gently, giving Windbright an easy choice to pull away.

The leopardess knew she had no choice, nor did she want one; his strong embrace felt even better than she had imagined. She wrapped her tail around his, completing her fantasy, soon reaching that elusive summit once more, this time to fall over trembling in his arms.

He wasn't through yet, so she tugged his tail playfully with hers. Octavio gasped at that, so she offered her neck to him, then tugged firmly at his tail when his jaws had taken hold of her. He yipped in surprise and Windbright was suddenly filled with his knot, the unexpected sensation startling her and triggering her flight response. Unable to break away, she instinctively lashed out, catching Octavio with a claw to the side of his head.

"My lord!" she called out, seeing the cut start to bleed. He laughed softly and pulled her in tighter against him, finishing at last with a contented growl.

"You're mine, now, you magnificent mammal," he whispered hotly into her ear.

The proud tone of his voice was an intoxicating music to the leopardess. The cut on the wolf's head wasn't deep and stopped bleeding while they nuzzled in the afterglow. Octavio's paws eagerly learned every curve of her body, appreciatively tracing every scar his eyes could not see.

"How did you beat me, my lord?" Windbright panted, stretching with her arms under his neck. "You are blinded, are you not?"

He laughed. "Did I beat you, Windbright?" he whispered in her ear, his paws still wandering everywhere. "Is this not what you wanted?"

She laughed. "Only if this is the first of many sessions, my lord," she said, seriously. "I will not be a token wife."

"My sweet Windbright," he said. "We have no use for tokens."

"Who is 'we', my lord?" she asked, remembering Ketryn's words about something strange going on.

"Lady Chia," he told her. "My Alpha; she thought we'd be a good match, you and me. But you will have to be faithful, Windbright. Can you be?"

"I suppose I deserve that," she said. Octavio silenced her with a kiss.

"No," he said. "You do not. But I must ask, and I will trust your honor as a warrior to respond. What we are doing is too important, Windbright; we cannot afford a scandal. If you truly cannot settle for my attentions alone, I can plead Ketryn for an annulment. Think carefully before you answer."

"What have you done, my lord?" she asked. "Is this why the examiners have not barged in yet?"

"Your sister is very concerned about you," Octavio said. "We have an agreement to insure you are content."

"Since when is Lord Belyiklyk interested in the contentment of others?"

"It is surprising to me as well, if you must know," he confessed. "But, I am. So, my sweet Windbright, will you be a wife to me?"

"Do you really believe I am sweet, my lord?" she purred.

"I know so," he whispered into her ear. "Your taste is still on my tongue."

She felt herself blushing like a schoolkit. "I don't know why you want to wed a disgraced leopardess, my lord," she said. "But I agreed to become yours alone before I saw you, and my word is my bond."

"Then you would wear my mark?"

"My lord!" she said, scandalized. "That is completely..."

"...my choice," Octavio finished for her. "We want you staying with us, Windbright."

"You don't trust me, my lord?"

"We want you safe, Windbright," he whispered in her ear, low enough for the microphones to miss. "We cannot protect you in here."

Windbright looked into his eyes. She had heard many things about Octavio, the bulk of them bad. But he was not known as a liar, and even his enemies called him honorable. Something strange was truly going on.

"I will proudly wear your mark, my lord." Her own reputation was for being impulsive. "You will teach me how I ended up in your arms at the end, will you not?"

"I will gladly teach you to dance, Windbright, once I can see again," he promised, nuzzling her ears. "For now, let's summon the examiners; I still have things I must do."

Author's Note:

In case you might be wondering, all the characters have been responding to events set in motion long ago. Judy and Nick know the least about what is going on.

They are the fly in the ointment.

Someone is bound to do something about them soon.

As always, your comments are welcome.

Until next time,

Thanks for reading!