Author's Note: Another one with humans with animal ears/tails/wings. What is my deal with that, anyway?

Téa's a swan (because swans are beautiful and aggressive and if you think that doesn't describe Téa then let's agree to disagree), Joey and Serenity are dogs, and Seto is a wolf. Because of course they are.

If you wonder why Téa and Serenity are so calm about Joey going into heat and so candid and supportive during it, it's because heats are seen as normal. Teens usually notice their first heats when they're in public, and instead of getting embarrassed, they can go up to any adult they're comfortable with and ask (quietly, of course, so they don't disturb anyone else) what to do. Adults are very forthcoming, since they'd gone through it before, too. Heats aren't strange or embarrassing; they're just mildly inconvenient if you're not prepared for them.

AND SUDDENLY THERE WAS PORN?! Careful, guys, this might seem kinda weird because Seto's got a knot. In my mind his dick's perfectly human as long as he goes through a natural rut, but when someone in heat triggers a rut, he develops a knot, to help ensure a higher rate of pregnancy. What's wrong with me someone send help. Dirty talk ahoy!


City

"Gardenia has fallen," Téa whispered, horrified, as she watched smoke billowing up from the holes in the walls surrounding her castle. She'd known it was going to happen; she'd told every citizen to leave if they could, and surrender if they weren't able to, and had ordered her army to stand down against the invaders. She just hadn't expected the people to fight back with what weapons they could find, for her soldiers to charge the enemy with weapons drawn.

The battle, if it could be called that, shouldn't have happened. Half the people in the city had left, and those that had stayed didn't listen to her orders. She'd meant to receive the invading general in her castle peacefully, to offer what little refreshments she could pull together as she tried to negotiate terms of surrender. Instead, the soldiers that had stayed had locked her in the castle, drawn up the bridge leading to it, and charged.

Téa had only been able to watch in horror as her people were slaughtered. Wolf of War indeed.

.-.-.-.-.-.

General Seto Kaiba was a sight to behold, tall and muscular and eyes as sharp and calculating as any snake. His claws were covered with blood, and his face was thunderous. Téa surrendered readily, packing a small trunk and giving her remaining lady-in-waiting permission to leave.

"I'd rather stay with you, thanks," Serenity replied, taking a step closer to her. She smiled a little. "Just to make sure that you're taken care of, your highness."

Téa smiled, because it was nice to know that even when she had no choice but to surrender, people still trusted her and wanted to see her safe.

"Joey said he's coming, too!" she added cheerfully, smiling. "He's also not giving you a choice about it!"

The brunette frowned. "He does realize that he might be considered a threat, doesn't he?"

"Of course. He is a threat," the younger girl replied, confused. "I think the only soldier in the army that could beat him is the Wolf of War, anyway."

Téa gaped at her, horrified, before angrily hissing, "Why would you say that out loud in front of them?!"

"…Oh." Serenity smiled nervously. "You're right. That was probably a bad idea."

Téa didn't even get a chance to shriek about how it was not just a bad idea (it was a horrible idea and any chance of a surprise attack if push came to shove was now gone) before Seto approached them, wiping his hands on a scrap of fabric that looked familiar—

"…Are you wiping the blood from your hands on one of my drapes?!"

Seto looked down at the scrap of fabric, then looked back up at her. "…No."

"It's a good thing you're a better fighter than you are a liar."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. One of my soldiers mentioned someone else joining you, who you insist is a better fighter than everyone but me?"

Téa schooled her face into something innocent. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Seto narrowed his eyes at her to show that she wasn't fooling him. "As long as he doesn't start any fights, he's welcome to come along."

"He's actually probably more likely to jump and hump," Serenity assured him happily.

"SERENITY!" Téa trumpeted, livid.

"…Jump and hump," Seto muttered, frowning, before rolling his eyes and turning to walk out to check on his troops. "Keep an eye on them. I can't deal with this."

"Yes sir."

.-.-.-.-.-.

From the way the women had spoken about him, Seto had been expecting a little bit… more. Someone bigger, more muscular. Not that the blond was small and scrawny, by any means, he just… didn't look threatening.

His eyes were constantly falling closed, even as he walked, like he was tired, but he was always being bullied into naps and full nights' sleeps by his female companions. He was constantly licking his lips, wagging his tail at anyone who looked at him, and smiling a syrupy sweet smile when they gave him a second glance. He was sluggish and, on one occasion, even had to have his sister carry him for a while. He was the exact opposite of a threat.

Seto approached the queen after a few days of watching them, concerned. He had orders to bring the woman in alive, and as healthy as possible. He figured the same went for any companions she had, lest she complain about it. "Does he need to ride in the wagons? Is he sick?"

Téa shoved the blond's sweat-soaked shirt into the taller man's face. "No, he'll just be like this for a couple more weeks."

Shocked, Seto inhaled the scent of the blond, and let out a startled rumble when he smelled sexheatlustsexlustdesperationlust. A long whine punched out of him as he felt himself growing hard. "He's a man," was all he could choke out, even as he fought down the urge to drag the blond to his tent and rut him until neither of them could move.

"It's a gift from the fairies," Téa replied, shrugging. "All of our people are able to conceive. Usually we have suppressants that we can take to keep from going into heat, but I urged everyone leaving the city to take as many as they needed. They left a handful of suppressants that Joey made sure Serenity and I took instead. It's not his first heat; just the first one where he couldn't find a partner to help him through it."

I would gladly help him through it, Seto thought, watching as the blond took an oilskin of water with shaking hands. I would help him through it so hard.

"Shhh," Serenity whispered, grabbing the oilskin and helping him drink. "Tristan said we'll be stopping near a river tonight, so you can take a good long soak and touch yourself without getting so messy."

Joey whined quietly and arched his hips up as she pulled the skin away, then turned his gaze on the brunet. His tail wagged lazily as he smiled up at him and rolled his hips again.

Seto hadn't realized he'd taken a step toward him until Téa's wing slapped him backward. He grunted, embarrassed. "I… apologize," he muttered, frowning, and turned to walk back toward the front of the procession.

Far away from the reason that the sweet scent of heatlustdesperation was still lingering in his sinuses.

.-.-.-.-.-.

True to Tristan's word, they set up camp near a river, just a few days' travel from the capital city of Domino. Seto watched the women herd the blond toward it immediately, helping him strip and then sit in the water.

Seto wasn't the only one that watched him touch himself, but he was certainly the only one that growled at everyone else afterward.

.-.-.-.-.-.

They made it to the city with little fanfare and even less problems. King Atem welcomed Queen Téa of Gardenia with open arms, explaining that Seto and his troop had actually defected from King Gozaburo's army and had tried to reach Gardenia before they could. Unfortunately, he'd only made it in time to save her and her companions, her subjects already ruthlessly slaughtered by the time he got there to subdue the other attackers. Seto pretended not to see how grateful she was and went back to the quarters his distant cousin had given him and his brother.

He hugged his brother tightly, scenting him, then went to the window to glance out at the garden, where his cousin was having tea with the queen. "You can go down and join them for a snack, if you want. I'm really in no condition to be around anyone. I've been on-edge the entire trip and I even growled at Tristan yesterday, even though I shouldn't have."

Mokuba smiled fondly even as he packed a bag so he could find somewhere else to sleep for a few days. "I bet. You usually are a big grump when you go into rut."

Seto rolled his eyes. "My rut isn't for another mon—" He stopped, then turned to look at his brother, frowning. "…Can you smell it?"

"I think everyone can smell it. Tristan warned me about it when you guys came in," the younger boy replied, smile fading a little. "Your rut's really not supposed to be for another month?"

"Forced my rut," the brunet muttered, growling in annoyance. "Mokuba, please go ask her highness if she would deign to speak with me urgently."

Mokuba nodded and shoved some more clothes in his bag, because apparently he was going to be gone a little longer than he thought. He rushed out when his brother growled at him to hurry up, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end when he sensed the annoyance in his growl quickly turning to frustration and then, just as quickly, to a deep, warm need to breed. He pitied whatever girl had forced his brother's rut.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Téa was only a little taken aback when the door in front of her cracked open before she could even knock. The sharp blue eye peering out at her was nearly glazed over, but there was still clarity in them that showed he wasn't entirely affected yet. "You wished to speak with me?"

Seto rumbled quietly, gripping the chain keeping his door from opening and releasing it again when he remembered why he'd locked it. "He—Joey, you called him?—forced my rut. I need something with his scent on it while I work through it."

She blinked slowly, uncomprehending. "…Why don't you just have sex with him?"

"He doesn't appear to be in any condition to consent," the brunet snapped waspishly. "Contrary to what a lot of people believe, I only take willing partners."

"He has been talking about nothing but your dick the entire journey," Téa deadpanned. "Contrary to what a lot of people believe," she added, clearly annoyed with his choice of words. "Being in heat does not make us animals. Joey is perfectly lucid. He's just tired and hot all the time. I'm pretty sure he was even the first one to smell your rut; I had to drag him back into the tent and explain to him that just because you went into rut at the time he was having his heat did not immediately mean you would say yes if he asked. He felt so badly that he made his special pancakes even though he already felt ill."

Seto frowned. "Those pancakes were from him?"

"I had Serenity deliver them for him so it didn't seem like he was propositioning you. Dominians aren't the only ones with propriety, you know," she teased, smiling. "I'll bring him here so you can ask him yourself, if you want."

Seto knew he should decline, that he should insist that they wait and talk it out when they had time. "…You think he'll say yes?" is what he asked instead, keyed up and exhausted and a million other mixed up feelings.

Téa grinned at him.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Seto didn't even have a chance to open the door all the way before he heard, "Yes, hi, my name's Joey, stick it in me."

Seto stared at him.

Téa elbowed the blond lightly, rolling her eyes. "Joey."

Joey leaned in the doorway and tilted his head forward, taking in a deep lungful of air and holding it for a moment before he gazed up at the brunet coyly. "Will ya see me through my heat, sir?"

Seto stared at him for a moment longer, just until the smug expression faded into something a little more nervous, so he was certain the blond was lucid enough to be asking. Finally, though, he shut the door, slid the chain back, and opened it again, snarling when the smaller man only blinked up at him in confusion. "Get inside so I can put it in you."

"You deserve each other," was all Téa said, before she turned and stalked away like they had offended her by merely existing.

Joey immediately plastered himself to the brunet, panting and licking at his chin in a show of submission. "Ngh—gonna fuck me good? So I can't even think about gettin' up and leavin' ya?"

"You won't be able to," Seto growled, tearing at his shirt, angry at the thought of the blond even thinking about leaving him in the middle of his rut. "'m gonna knot you. How'd you like that, huh, stuck there while I fuck you until you're begging for a rest?"

Joey whimpered, licking his lips as his eyes fell shut. "I've only been knotted once, durin' a scheduled heat. Felt so good."

Seto tore at his pants, the seat already wet and sticky with the blond's heat-slick. "Gonna keep you here until I'm sated, until you're a boneless mess that can only take it—already wet, gonna make you wetter, 'til you're drenched and dripping—"

Joey shuddered, jaw dropping a little as he began to salivate at the thought. "Yeah, yeah, sounds good—gonna clench your knot so good—" He licked his lips, whining as he felt a little drool trickling from the corner of his mouth. He reached up to wipe it away and yelped pathetically when his hand was smacked away.

A thumb was pressed to the wet corner of his mouth before sliding inside. He licked at it desperately, body thrumming at the taste of the older man's sweat, more slick gliding down his thighs as he thought about being able to use his mouth on the brunet's cock.

Seto growled and shuffled him over to his bed, spinning him around to press him to it on his belly. "Gonna pup you so good, Joey. Gonna make you mine. Gonna keep you."

Joey mewled as he felt the brunet delicately spreading his cheeks, so different from the way he'd been handling him a moment ago. He felt a little more slick trickle out and flushed with embarrassment, feeling more exposed now than he ever had. He whined helplessly, too aroused to move, too hot to struggle, too exhausted to beg. Instead he hitched his hips the tiniest bit, tail flying up in invitation.

Seto didn't need to be asked twice. He growled and lunged forward, licking a long stripe between his cheeks that made the blond howl before beginning to suckle and lick the little pucker winking back at him. It was soft, pliant from the constant attention the blond had been giving it on his own, stretching around his tongue and, after a moment, a finger, and then two. He pulled back, panting, and slid a third finger in, growling, then a forth.

He groaned when the blond clenched around them and whined in complaint, pressing his forehead to the blond's thigh as he shoved his fingers in and out. "M' knot's bigger than my dick, you'll need this extra stretching," he muttered, swallowing thickly at the thought of forcing his knot in, of locking them together for twenty minutes only to start all over again. "Gonna lick you clean, after. Lick you until you come and then lick you more, until you're crying with it."

Joey whined again as the fingers pulled out of him, already close to tears with want. He whimpered as the brunet lifted his hips, already trembling a little with need as he felt the head of the other man's cock pressing against his hole. Whimpering again when it only stayed there, a soft pressure, he wiggled his hips the way he'd always been told was a little brain-breaking.

A snarl was his only warning before the brunet shoved into him in one swift thrust. He groaned, clenching around it, urging him to move with heat-weak legs. "Go, go, go!"

Seto clenched his hips in his hands so tightly that his claws dug in a little and began pounding into him, a constant rumble from his chest as he rutted away. He licked his lips as he heard his hips slapping against the blond's wet thighs and thought about giving the blond a thorough tongue bath. He realized for the first time why the blond might have been a threat before, but wasn't now—his heat had softened what once had clearly been impressive muscles, made him gain fat to help carry pups. He was by no means weak, but his body had a softness to it that made him want to sink into it forever, provide for him, protect him, keep him.

He'd never fucked someone after he'd been forced into a rut. He found he rather liked it.

Joey groaned quietly as he felt the brunet's knot catch on his rim, eyes rolling back at the sensation; when he'd been knotted before, it hadn't been like this, so large and full. He wondered if that was a Gardenian thing, because they could all bear children, or if it was just because Seto's cock was (excitingly) much larger. "How big's your knot get," he panted, mewling when the brunet leaned down to cover his mouth with his own. He licked back weakly, distracted as he felt the knot catching for longer, almost to the point it was uncomfortable.

He groaned again when the brunet paused, trying to get him to move, but the older man just pressed a kiss to his shoulder, letting out a soothing little noise that made him relax, a little more willing to wait.

"Shit, I think I waited too long," Seto muttered, pressing a hand to the bed and curling it into a fist. He pressed his forehead to the back of the blond's neck and growled. "Damn."

Joey huffed, frowning in concern. "'s that mean?"

"Means I'll have to wait for my knot to go down and try again." The brunet swallowed thickly. This wasn't how he'd wanted it to go, but he could make do. "Okay. Turn over, and I'll blow you—"

Joey growled and went up on his toes, using what little leverage he had to shove himself back onto the brunet's knot. He threw his head back with a long howl as it squeezed past his rim, eyes widening sightlessly as he reached his own orgasm, torn between pain and mind-melting pleasure. He fell back to the bed, twitching, clenching around the older man's knot so hard that the brunet hissed in pain for a moment.

"'mahgah," he slurred, drooling a little as Seto began to rut into him again. He sighed and let his eyes slip closed, grunting with every aborted thrust until the brunet let out a snarl. He sighed, pleased, as the older man's hips jerked violently as he came inside him. "'s good."

Seto pressed closer, grinding between the blond's legs, before sagging on top of him, panting. "…That was incredibly reckless and you can't do it again," he hissed after a moment, growling. "I could have seriously injured you."

Joey whined petulantly, but when the brunet growled at him again, he submitted, pouting. "Fine."

"Was trying to keep you safe and you went and did it anyway, oh my God," Seto mumbled, hooking an arm around his waist so he could tug him further onto the bed and pressed up against his back. "I'm telling the queen."

"Don't tell Téa oh my God she'll kill me!" the blond gasped, horrified, and scowled when the older man began to laugh. He jerked his elbow back into his side, but the brunet couldn't stop, laughter turning into wounded wheezing before returning to outright guffaws again. "Jerk!"

.-.-.-.-.-.

Téa pursed her lips when the blond finally returned to her table, looking happy and healthy mauled. "I thought you didn't like it when guys marked you up."

Joey blushed bit his bottom lip to try and keep from grinning like he wanted to, shrugging. "Well, when Seto did it, I didn't mind." He slid a hand over his thigh, fingers brushing over the darker hickeys that the brunet had suckled only an hour before he'd left. He shivered a little, remembering the look that Seto had given him from between his legs, full of dark promise and smug confidence. "He's pretty convincin'."

"You're such a liar," Serenity said, but she smiled at him anyway. "I saw the way he looked at you. Only you could find a permanent mate by accidentally forcing someone's rut with your heat."

"…Well, I mean—" the blond began, blush traveling down his neck. "He's not a bad choice of mate anyway, is he-?"

Téa clasped her hands and cooed at him. "Oh, honey, he'll take such good care of you when you're pregnant! Won't let you leave the bedroom, he'll rub your feet, he'll feed you so you don't have to worry about overexerting yourself—"

"Over my dead body!" the blond snarled. "I will do as I please!"

"I dunno, I've heard wolves can be pretty adamant about their pregnant mates resting," Serenity teased. When she saw her brother's eye begin twitching, she laughed and rolled her eyes. "Joey, what are the odds that you even got pregnant? I mean, you took contraceptives when you realized there weren't enough suppressants for you, didn't you?"

Joey went silent.

Téa's teasing smile immediately faded. "…You took the contraceptives, didn't you, Joey?"

Joey sank down in his seat a little. "…There weren't any left."

Serenity dropped her glass of juice. Téa gaped at him, horrified. "…But—how do we know that it'll take, right!? This is your first natural heat in five years; it's possible you didn't conceive—"

"I'm actually more likely t' conceive in a natural heat after being on suppressants," the blond mumbled, sinking further in his seat. "'cause of all the build-up. The longer ya go without a natural heat, the more likely ya are t' get pregnant."

Serenity looked up from trying to mop up her juice with a napkin with a gasp. "And you forced Kaiba's rut! Forcing a rut can make a man even more fertile!"

"And it causes a knot," Téa whispered, slowly slipping from horrified to numb. "To try to ensure pregnancy. Oh my God." She swallowed thickly and began to stand. "I have to go inform Kaiba—"

"Inform me of what?"

The trio screeched in surprise and flinched away from him.

Seto glanced at them in concern, but when none of them answered him, he shrugged and reached down to grab the blond's chin, tilting his head up so he could press his lips to the younger man's jaw. "Look good out of heat."

"Uh—thanks—" Joey mumbled, blushing again. "Listen, Set—"

"Look better pregnant," the brunet added, before licking into his mouth.

Joey mewled, confused, but lifted his hands to dig into his hair anyway. When the brunet broke the kiss, he licked his bottom lip and, instead of commenting on the way the wolf's eyes darkened as he watched, asked, "Ya knew?"

"Of course I knew," Seto huffed, offended, and stood up straight. "I have done some research. And I could practically smell it on you halfway through rut. There really wasn't going to be a chance of not getting you pregnant when we coupled." He paused, then frowned in concern. "Did you not know?"

"…I mean, I guess I wasn't really thinkin' about it," the blond mumbled, embarrassed. "And when I finally realized, we were already halfway through and ya wouldn't 've let me leave the room under any circumstances anyway. Figured we'd just kinda… deal with it when we were better capable of doin' somethin' besides fuckin'."

"Do you want to have pups with me?"

Joey jerked back, shocked. "I mean, I wouldn't mind havin' pups with ya—"

"Then what's the problem?"

The blond blinked up at him. "…I guess… I don't really have one?"

"Good. I'm having a larger bed made, and it should be finished by tonight." Seto leaned down to nuzzle the top of his head before pressing one last kiss to his cheek. "Come to bed early."

Joey, who had been prepared to ask Téa where he would be staying now that his heat was over, squeaked quietly. "Ya want me t' live with ya?!"

"I need to keep an eye on my mate-to-be and my pup, don't I?" Seto asked, arching a brow, before reaching out to pile more bacon onto his plate. "We can go over wedding plans later."

"…Weddin'?" the blond whispered, but obediently began shoving the bacon into his mouth.

"I'll need to go get a ring, and I know we're doing this kind of backwards, but it's what I want."

"I want a summer weddin'," the younger man blurted.

Seto frowned. "Summer's already passed. The baby will be born before the wedding."

"…That sort of thing happens all the time in Gardenia. Some people even wait for their kids t' get older so that they can be flower girls and ring bearers."

The brunet seemed to consider this for a moment, then quietly stated, "I'd rather not wait that long."

Joey brightened. "So we'll do it next summer, and Serenity can hold 'im and Téa can officiate and I want a pretty white dress but I only want it to come down to here!" he added, pointing just above his knees.

Seto looked like he'd just been clubbed in the head. "A wedding dress?"

"Oh—" Serenity giggled, looking ecstatic. "It's a Gardenian thing. The men wear dresses and the women wear suits and the vows are about how they're equal. Our father's dress was beautiful. …Kind of a shame that he sold it," she added sadly.

"A wedding dress," Seto repeated, then let out a quiet, needy whine. "Oh my God."

Téa raised an eyebrow as the brunet abruptly turned and left without another word, then turned to the blond and smiled. "I think we just broke your fiancé."

"…Do you think I'll hafta settle for a long skirt?" the blond asked, frowning.

"I think he'll let you have whatever dress you want, Joey." Serenity beamed at him. "He'd probably let you have diamonds and pearls beaded into it!"

Joey's frowned deepened into something quite disapproving. "But I don't like diamonds and pearls."

Téa laughed because that seemed like a much better idea than crying. Joey clearly had no idea what he'd just done to his future husband by mentioning his wedding dress—a wedding dress with a short skirt, no less.

Seto had looked like he wanted to scoop him up and carry him back to bed. Téa had joked that they deserved each other, but somehow, it seemed like just the kind of thing that would happen to her friend.