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Unwind

I walked about the club, idly wondering if the long line and cover charge were worth it. I'd never been to the Theta Wave_before, but it seemed like an energetic place, and popular, judging by the number of people I was tripping over. Music but not blaring, lightshows but not that would invite seizures upon the patrons, I suppose I could get used to this place. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, in inverse proportion to the amount of clothes that they were wearing it appeared. It looked as though I'd erred on the 'too much clothes' side of the spectrum, thus keeping all the fun beyond my grasp. I'd heard that this was one of _those kinds of clubs, so at least I'd proved my sources right. It was just as well. It had been a long time since I'd gotten any good tail, so I wouldn't call this a bad choice of venue.

Even if the only interest I'd generated so far was from another guy, resulting in a misunderstanding that I'm sure would've been very amusing to watch for those not involved, I had a good feeling about this place. I felt kind of crestfallen watching that little husky walk away. He seemed quite genuinely disappointed when I... explained myself. Guess that proves the rumor about the place not having any particular orientation policy too.

Despite the rather diverse mix that this atmosphere had attracted, no one really caught my eye. Sure there were a few shapely bodies lighting up the dancefloor, but they were getting plenty of attention already. I had wandered the place for far too long and come up empty-handed. I turned a few heads, but I'm betting that was simply because I looked so out of place here. I figured I'd have a drink since the bar wasn't too crowded yet. It would at least give me the chance to sit down and stop wandering so aimlessly. Here's hoping that these $15 drinks have some kind of chick-magnetism enchantment on them.

I needed something that wasn't going to ruin my breath, sweet but not a girly cocktail...

"Amaretto on the rocks." I said when the vulpine barman pointed to me, a snap decision that I may or may not come to regret.

Another odd look, but he turned to the shelf and started to prepare the spirits without comment. It was then that serendipity took pity on me, it seemed. For almost the instant that I stopped searching and let my attention wander where it liked, I found what I sought. Another jackal! Just a few paces away, lounging in a booth with some people she didn't seem to know. I pushed my butt a little tighter against the stool to get my tail to stop thumping against it and turned back towards the bar to regain my composure.

"Black..." I whispered under my breath.

She was midnight black from the tips of her regal, pointed ears to her shining, sickle-like toeclaws. That was what had kept her under my radar until now. I was in the mood for the company of another canid, another jackal ideally, but I was looking for the sandy brown of my own fur. And why wouldn't I be? Black jackals are a myth, literally! The only place that you find them is carved on the side of Egyptian pyramids. It had to be a dye job.

I certainly couldn't fault her for it though. She wore it well. The fine coat of dark fur was impossibly glossy, its sheen taking on the many colors of the house lights as they flashed and swept through the air around her. Her coat added much to the sleek outlines of her thin, toned muscles. I turned back around upon hearing the clink of a glass in front of me, briefly not remembering I had ordered it. Come to think of it, I didn't remember deciding to steal another glance at the black beauty behind me either, but that had certainly happened a couple times in the interim.

"Seventeen-fifty, pal," he said in a businesslike way, taking notice of how distracted I was. I considered not leaving a tip to shave as many pennies off this transaction as I could, but that wasn't fair. The price inflation wasn't his fault.

"Oh, yeah..." I handed him a twenty. "And... keep the change."

"Good on ya," he said, using the collection of his fee as an excuse to lean in close and whisper in my ear. "The seat swivels, you know."

I nodded, fur ruffling on my cheeks in a blush. Point taken. I was being just a bit too obvious about surveying my latest fancy. I took a quick drink, hoping I hadn't already betrayed my interest too much. I swished the sweet liquor down, crunching one of the smaller ice cubes out of habit. The strong syrupy flavor quickly coated my tongue, soon forcing me to swallow. It certainly wasn't the manliest drink in the world, but excuse me for wanting to enjoy the flavor of what I'm drinking. Heh, listen to me getting all defensive with myself.

When I felt I had re-established my anonymity I chanced another glance. She was right where she was before, surveying the crowd with an air of casual disinterest. Now that I thought about it, she kind of did look like she belonged on the side of an ancient obelisk. She had a gold pendant around her neck that matched her ornate bracelet, and the skirt that hung loosely about her waist was made of an off-white linen; no stitches, it appeared, just held up by the gold-tasseled cord tied on her right. Her short top was made in a similar style.

"Okay," I thought, turning back to the bar, "practically counting the pleats in her skirt. Not exactly the way to be discreet."

I took another long sip, estimating that I'd gotten through about eight or nine dollars of it by now. I knew that I couldn't wait around forever. If I kept sitting there stealing quick peeks and procrastinating I'd miss my chance. I spun the stool as I took another sip. Just one more glance.

And she was gone. Damn! I knew I had to finish my drink and go after her. I tipped my glass back and-

"Ever heard that it's rude to stare?" came a voice from behind me.

In a perfect world I would've come back with some quip about it being a form of flattery or taking time to appreciate a work of art or something, but what I actually did was jump in surprise and gag as I felt an ice cube sliding down my throat. I turned back to slam my glass down to lean on the bar while I coughed and gasped, shivering as the frozen mass finally slid past the point where it blocked my throat.

"That- agh!" I wheezed, clutching my chest. "That would've been an embarrassing way to die." I felt a hand on my back, and only then did I look up to see who it was attached to.

"Drink or breathe, dear. You can only do one at a time," the black jackal said as she rubbed gently between my shoulder blades. Her claws made a gentle swishing across the fabric of my shirt.

"Yeah, never... never been good at multitasking."

"Can't say that's a skill I'd recommend practicing," she said, the concern fading from her face as my breathing evened out. "At least, not with those two activities in particular."

"Yeah, I'll stick with the walking and chewing gum thing I had going on earlier."

"Much better," she gave the air a gentle sniff. "Amaretto? Heavens, I don't think that bottle has been uncorked since we opened the place."

"Yeah, I know... it's-"

"It shows that you're drinking to enjoy yourself, not to get wasted. I admire that."

"Heh, getting wasted at this place would break the bank."

"And yet some people still pull it off. It's like they've got something to prove."

It wasn't until I followed her eyeline that I spotted a muscle-bound Doberman escorting a particularly rowdy wolf to the door. Another bouncer latched onto his other arm as it continued to flail about excitedly. They looked to be winding up for a toss as they stepped outside with their troublesome cargo in tow.

"So what exactly are you doing here?" she asked, turning her attention back to me.

"Well you know, mingling... trying not to drown. The usual."

"I meant in general," she explained. "You dress, you talk, and you drink like a sensible sort of man that just wants to relax a little. This is certainly a place for recreation, but hardly what you're looking for."

"Well yeah, I've... started to get that impression."

"Oh, don't feel bad. I haven't really found much stirring or exciting here tonight either."

"Really? I find it hard to believe that you weren't generating any attention." I looked away suddenly when I realized what I was saying. "I-I mean you, you're so..."

"Hmm?" She put her elbow on the bar and leaned over it to center herself in my field of vision again. "Do tell: I'm so..."

Having her golden eyes locked onto me was not making my ability to form words come back any faster. I squeezed out the only explanation I could without trying to turn away again.

"I... well I just meant- you... you look nice."

Her finger gently nudged my hanging jaw shut. She trailed a claw down to the tip of my chin as she gently taunted:

"I don't think that's quite what you were going to say."

I moved to speak again, but I felt the pressure on her claw increase, silencing me.

"Perhaps the crowd is making you nervous, hmm? How about we get out of here?"

I couldn't nod, but I saw her eyes flit down briefly to my wagging tail.

"Good," she said, standing and walking away thorough the crowd. What could I do but follow?

"You came here trying to enjoy yourself," she explained, raising her voice slightly over the music as we snuck past the groups of other furs dancing, talking, or just hanging around watching one particularly amorous couple making out a few booths over. She wasn't facing in my direction, and yet she seemed quite certain I could hear her. Oddly enough she was quite correct. I noticed that we weren't heading for the exit. "Having fun is a noble ambition; one I'd like to help you with. And I think I know just the way to help you unwind."

We ended up in the back, past the VIP curtain. The burly bull mastiff bouncer nodded and graciously stepped aside at her approach, so I guess she was supposed to be there. As she unlocked a room at the end of an unassuming hallway, it all finally started to click together in my head.

"Wait, you said 'when we opened this place'. Do you... work here?"

"Well, someone's been paying attention. Yes, I do work here. Is that a problem?"

"Oh, well it's just, uh, I didn't really want-" I started to stammer again under her gaze.

"Did I ever mention money?"

"...n-no."

"And I don't want any. Did I mention anything... unmentionable?"

"No, but-"

"Company policy. If you're going to proposition someone you've got to be upfront about it. Misunderstandings of such a delicate nature are very bad PR."

"Oh, okay... so why-"

"Ya don't look a gift horse in the mouth, hon," she stated, startling me a little. "I saw you out there and I thought you looked rather lost. I thought it was cute and I couldn't just leave you out there to wander about like a lost little puppy. Plus I've never had another jackal come to the back with me before. I couldn't let an opportunity like this slip by me. Now, care to come inside?"

I suddenly felt very guilty about my suspicion. She was only trying to help.

"Yes, of course! Thank you," I said as I stepped into the dark room.

I heard a light switch click on behind me, not that it made a great deal of difference. The thick, ornate lampshades let only a diffuse, dappled light out into the room. The effect was impressive, if not terribly functional.

"This... is very generous of you. I don't really know what to say."

"Oh think nothing of it," she responded. "First time's usually free anyway. My services tend to inspire a great deal of shall we say, customer loyalty? Do make yourself comfortable."

I took a moment to look around as my new friend busied herself at the incense burner on a shelf in the corner. This place looked more like the hovel of a gypsy fortune teller than... well, come to think of it I didn't really know what she did here at the club. A luxurious bed with black satin sheets drew my attention away from the room's eclectic decor. I gave a little shiver at the feeling of the slick material as I ran my hand across the bed.

"Nice aren't they?" she asked, prompting another surprised jump. "Well worth the investment, I'd say."

"Oh, yeah. They're... real spiffy."

"And you're still real nervous," she observed. "Loosen up a little! This is a safe place, I promise. I do whatever I can to make people feel welcome here."

"I'm... sorry. It's a very nice room and you've been a gracious host. It's just, things are moving kind of fast."

"Oh, we're not going anywhere. Feel free to slow things down if you like. Though this will go smoother if you take those clothes off."

"I... beg your pardon?" I asked, making sure I had heard her right.

"I'm a masseuse, dear. And I think that a little treatment would go a long way towards cracking that shell of nervous energy you've got yourself holed up in."

"Oh, a massage. I guess that would be okay."

"Try not to get too enthusiastic."

"No, it's not that I-"

"You're still nervous, I know," she said, taking a seat on the bed. "That's why we're here, to help you relax."

"I wish it were that simple..."

"Come on," she patted a spot next to her. "Tell me why it isn't that simple."

I wasn't really expecting that question, so I took a seat as I put together a response.

"Well, I can't just... stop being something that I am. I'm always thinking about the future, worrying about how things are going to go wrong and how I could prevent it. And if I manage to not do that I'm always thinking that I should be. I just can't stop worrying, dwelling on that kind of thing. I wish I could just stop thinking for a moment and let it all drop but I... I don't know how."

"Hmm, no surprise. Putting a stop to all thought is something that monks and other masters of the art of meditation must work for years to perfect, but no need to worry. I know a few shortcuts. Now, you say that you're plagued by worry. That is both symptom, and source, of your problem."

"... do tell," I said. She spoke with such confidence and gentle assurance that she had immediately captured my attention.

"The body follows where the mind leads. It creates many problems all on its own, but it is still the horse that your mind rides upon to get around. If you think only of the way things could go wrong, then that is what will happen. Your mind will lead your body to the conclusion that you focus on. Think of how to make things go right, and you will lead yourself down that path. Once you have a goal, pursue it to the exclusion of anything that may slow you down."

"Okay, that sounds like something I could do I guess. But what about all the noise?" I tapped my head. "In here."

"Hmm. Well like I said, wiping a mind just like _that_is near-impossible. It is your mind's job to generate thought. Stopping that outright would be like telling the clouds not to make rain, or telling that rainwater not to flow to the sea. What you need is a... surrogate thought. Something else to think about. A thought that's simple and mundane, that way you won't be able to get all worked up about it."

"Well, yeah. That sounds like a good idea," I couldn't help but agree with her. Everything she said just made so much sense. "Did you have something in mind?"

"Let's try this," she said, pulling on my wrist and placing my hand on her belly. My arm had hung limply and I didn't have the presence of mind to pull it back in that split-second.

My fingers wiggled reflexively at the touch of her soft fur. Mine was so coarse and prickly by comparison. I wondered briefly if it would be too forward, but considering how my hand got there... I went ahead and stroked gently down to the drawstring at her waist a few times, eliciting a smile from both of us.

"So, are you worrying now?" she asked.

"I, wh-" I was momentarily shocked back to reality by the question. "Oh I, I guess it did slip my mind there for a second."

"See? I knew you could do it!" she praised me before moving to her next point. "Now, let's see if we can stretch that second out a little bit, shall we?"

"Yeah, okay." I nodded a bit dumbly. I didn't know why I was feeling so tongue-tied still. The way she so precisely hit my weakpoints with these questions was making me feel a little vulnerable I guess.

"Now, you've got to focus here. Do you feel that?"

"Feel..." I looked down at my hand, the confusion plain on my face, "what?"

"Here," she placed her hand on top of mine and pushed it into her pelt with a little more force, taking a deep breath before she spoke again. "Can you feel how my breath pushes out my belly?"

Now that I was looking for it, I did indeed notice my hand moving a bit in time with the gentle swelling of her abdomen.

"Yeah, I feel it."

"Good, that's the right way to breathe. Down here, with your diaphragm pushing all your other organs out of the way to make more room. You," she moved my hand to my chest. "keep breathing up here, with the muscles in your chest taking all the strain. It's inefficient. Keeps you from relaxing. Come on."

She got up, pulling me along with her.

"Alright, stand up straight now." She pulled back on my shoulders gently as she sidled behind me. She placed a hand on my stomach and instructed: "Now, push my hand out with your belly."

Without thinking, I clenched my gut, which did indeed move her hand out noticeably.

"Oh, you know that's not what I mean, silly pup!" she casually teased. "Here."

She drew herself right up close to me, resting her head on my shoulder and taking a few deep breaths for my benefit.

"Can you feel the way that I'm breathing against your back?"

"I... can feel a number of things against my back," I said, my voice wavering slightly.

"Hm." She said, giving me a playful lick on the cheek. "Well, try to focus on just the one, okay? Can you do that for me?"

"I-" I certainly wasn't flushed with confidence on the issue, but something about the way she spoke so sweetly with her mouth right next to my ear gave me just the push I needed. "I'll try..."

And wouldn't you know it, the instant that I put some real thought into it, I started picking it up right away. Her belly pressed against my back, a little more assertively than I expected, but it nudged my spine into just the right position. I felt the gentle swell of her breath and suddenly it all clicked. It was like the bottom dropped out of my chest and air was rushing into all sorts of places it had never been before. I felt my skin gently lifting her hand as I filled up with a deep, satisfying breath.

"That's it. Oh, that's very good!" she commended me with a gentle squeeze at my waist.

Even at this trivial little thing, I couldn't help but feel a flush of triumph. I tilted my head back and let my eyes drift shut as a savored another of my newly-trained breaths. I started to think that there wasn't just more of it, there was something different about the air. There was this gentle, sweet smell that tingled up my muzzle. I took an instant liking to it, ending every breath with a rising demand for more. I felt it spread all the way back into my throat as if it were a physical presence. A spicy warmth danced in my mouth, I... could I taste it?

"Mmh... what's that smell?" I asked, blinking my eyes open as the tantalizing aroma brought me back to awareness.

"Ah," she gave me a little nudge with her muzzle, directing my gaze towards her incense burner. It was a small pewter lamp, the kind that one might expect a genie to pop out of. A small stream of gentle, bluish smoke curled out of the spout, roiling and wafting about into the relatively still air. "It's a blend of my own invention. Cloves, lavender, vanilla, and a few ingredients I keep to myself. It's quite smooth despite its complexity, and I mix it very lean. It's so light that you often won't pick it out unless you're looking for it." She gave my belly a gentle squeeze. "Or if you just learned how to breathe properly for the first time."

"Hmm..." I murred gently, placing my hand on hers. "And to think I was under the impression that I had this 'breathing' thing licked this whole time."

"Never hurts to get back to basics, does it?" She raised her hand, along with mine, to my collar, her deft claws undoing one of my buttons. "So, feeling a bit more... comfortable now?"

"Yeah..." More buttons came lose. I was briefly surprised to find my own hands unbuttoning them. "Comfortable..."

I felt my shirt slide gently off my shoulders as she took in from me.

"Now I bet that feels better, doesn't it? Come on," she invited me to sit next to her again. "Tell me more about why you have such trouble relaxing."

"Okay," I took my seat once again and thought about my problem. In a strange inversion of our previous conversations, the words actually came to me best if I looked her in the eyes. "Well, people always say 'just relax, chill out a little', but it's just not as easy as that."

She nodded gently, her caring expression entirely focused on me. Her pupils had widened in the dim light, softening her gaze. The broad, dark pools of her eyes beckoned as if they were urging me to continue.

"I know that I need to relax. I know that it's a good thing and it would help a lot of my problems, but it's not- I... I can't just-"

"You don't know how to relax," she finished. "It's not a voluntary thing that you can just do on a whim, and you believe it to be beyond your control."

"... yes," I said in an awed whisper. She understood me so perfectly, she had to know how to fix this. I eagerly awaited her answer.

"As much as the mind directs the body, so too does the body direct the mind," she said. "Relaxing your muscles is simple enough. It's just a matter of unburdening them and working the tension out. And from there, we can work our way up to relaxing your mind."

I leaned into it a little as her hand stroked down the back of my neck.

"I know a number of ways to help someone's muscles unwind, but I think I'll ease you into it with something a little less likely to make you uncomfortable. We'll just get in a good stretch first, okay?"

"Yeah. That sounds good." She was so considerate, taking things at a slow, comfortable pace. I imitated her movements almost automatically as she stood and reached for the ceiling.

"Yes, that's right. Stretch yourself up and out. Reach waaay up towards the sky and then bring your arms slowly down, sweeping them as wide as you can at your sides. Alright, try pulling them back a little bit as you bring them down. Hmm, no. That won't do. We've got to get you to stop curling your shoulders forward like that, terrible posture. Clasp your hands behind your back like this." I mimicked the way she knitted her fingers together just at the base of her tail. "Good, keep your arms straight. Now clasp your hands tightly, but move your arms as if you're trying to pull them apart. Don't tighten up your back. You should feel your shoulder blades press towards each other a little."

I groaned a little as I felt the sinews of my chest and shoulders shift and strain at the motion. I was moving in ways I hadn't moved in a long time. I felt kind of rusty, but it was such a satisfying feeling when I finally let go and released all the strain. Keeping my shoulders back made me feel just a little bit taller, and opened up even more space for those deep, soothing breaths.

"Good, very good. I'm going to have you try something similar in front now. Knit your fingers across your belly. Alright, now press your hands in while you push your chest out. Straighten up as if you were trying to make the curve at the small of your back longer."

I once again did as I was told, enjoying the way my back flattened out as I stretched myself up again. I didn't notice her sneak behind me until she had slipped her hands underneath my armpits and clasped her arms across my chest. She tightened her grip and heaved upwards as she leaned back, squeezing a stunned little squeak from my mouth. I gasped as the motion rippled up my back, joints popping as they moved into line. She eased me back onto my paws, but they did not seem inclined towards staying underneath me. I felt her authoritative grip guiding me to the bed as my head spun a little. I turned to her when she sat down next to me.

"Y-you... tricked me..."

"Sorry about that. It really needed to be done."

"Rurrf..." I groaned, swaying slightly.

"Yes, I'm sorry about that. Upper-abdominal stretches can restrict blood-flow to your brain if they're done too fast. I daresay it was effective though."

"I wouldn't say that," I commented, gently leaning back to lie on the bed until the dizziness passed. "I don't really feel too much- Oooh... ungh..."

Once my back was flat against the bed it really hit me. My head and arms flopped heavily down onto the sheets, my paws sliding away from the bed. It was like that little jerk to my spine had created an avalanche that spread that limp, stretched-out feeling to the rest of my body. My tongue even lolled out the side of my mouth for a moment or two.

"Whoa..." I said as I slowly composed myself and sat up again. "It feels like someone a few sizes bigger than me wore my back for a day and brought it back all stretched out."

"You like it?"

"Ohhmmhmm..." I mumbled, still leaning on her for support a little.

"Glad to hear it. Now we can move on to something else."

"Hmm yeah. Let's do that..." If it felt anything like this, I was all for it.

"Okay, so what we need is a demonstration of what relaxed muscles feel like, that way you know what you're looking for. You can't just relax your muscles at a whim, but you know full well how to contract them in order to move about. So all we've got to do is contract each muscle, that way you know how it feels, and you know that you just want the opposite of that. Contracting each muscle group calls attention to it, lets you figure out how it behaves, and how best to take the strain off."

"I... I'm not sure I'm quite following."

"Here," she took hold of my wrist. "Make a fist and flex your arm a little."

I did so, straining against her grip.

"Hold it until you start to feel a little tired. Remember how that feels here, and here," she said patting the tightened muscles in my forearm and bicep. "And then just... let go."

When I stopped pulling and allowed her to extend my arm I somehow saw what she was getting at. There was a certain kind of feeling to the tense muscles, and when I told them to let go, they complied, letting that feeling drain away. I opened and closed my fist, very much aware of the changes in my lightly strained muscles.

"Wow..."

"See?" she asked, excited as always to see progress. "Now we just have to do that, except all over. You up for it?"

"Sure, where do we start?"

"Well, I wouldn't want to do anything you're not comfortable with. Would it be okay if I touched your paws?"

"Yeah, that's fine." She was so congenial about it I couldn't think of a reason to object for the life of me.

"I wondered why you were so well-dressed but didn't have anything on your paws," she commented as she knelt before me, cradling one of my paws in her hands. "But now I see why you wanted to show these off."

I blushed a little, not used to someone offering such reverence to my paws, but also because I was gritting my teeth against the tickling sensation of her claws gently brushing the fur around my pawpads. I tried not to let my leg twitch as she raised my paw level with my body.

"Just a little stretch now, okay?"

I nodded as she gently pulled my leg to full extension and then pushed it back again. My pants bunched up a lot at the back of my knee, they were starting to feel kind of... limiting. She gripped around my ankle-joint, pressing on the bone in such a way that it forced my paw to straighten and my toes to spread out. It felt odd to have my joints worked by someone else, but soon I started to flex my toes and wiggle back and forth a little in response, enjoying the sensation.

"Right, I'm gonna press against your paw a little bit now, and I want you to push back."

I didn't even acknowledge her that time. I just started doing as she said. I pushed back with my leg, slowly increasing the force against her hand as she moved my paw up and down, back and forth, around in little circles, everything that my leg could comfortably do under load, plus a little more to really limber me up. The effect was astonishing. The strain shifted again and again to different muscle groups all over my leg as she worked with it. I groaned with satisfaction as she finished my right leg and started to work on the other. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, my body doing what it needed to almost automatically. Of course, my automatic responses became a concern when one of her claws slipped between my toes and brushed against the fine fur therein.

"Ah!" I gasped, jerking my leg, though she somehow maintained her grip on my paw.

"Awww" she cooed, cradling my paw a little tighter. "Little toesies are sensitive aren't they?"

"Hey, now hold o-AH! Ahahaa!"

I desperately clenched my toes against the onslaught of those tantalizing claws. No use. She remembered that trick about straightening my ankle out and had no qualms about using it against me to great effect. I writhed and squirmed, but none of my desperate flailing was coherent enough to get me anywhere. By the time I wrenched my paw from her grasp and pulled it close to me with my arms, the giggling and hyperventilating had robbed me of all but the most basic logic and I forgot that I had a whole other paw to defend. How I managed to stop short of kicking her in the face in the ensuing assault I can't possibly fathom.

It was a harrowing experience, but at last when tears streamed from my eyes and I was trembling from panting so hard, she relented. I was just getting my breath back so that I could scold her something awful, but I noticed something as the stalled wheels in my brain started turning again. That feeling of great tension all being released, exhausted muscles finally getting a chance to unwind... I could feel it all over my body! I had just jerked and thrashed using every muscle I had, and now every little fiber within them sang with contentment as that great tumult drew to a close. I leaned my head back and moaned as the sensation overwhelmed me. I rolled my head to the side to take in her triumphant smile with barely open eyes.

"H-how..." I stammered, "do you do that?"

"Do what, hon? she asked, faux innocence as thick as ever.

"Just... know everything and... and do everything perfectly without looking like you're even trying?"

"Practice," she purred. "And I know how to capitalize on an opportunity."

I leaned back, my curiosity forgotten. I gave a contented sigh, my head swimming in glittering euphoria as my breathing evened out.

"Well_someone's_ a happy pup." she observed with great satisfaction. "I trust that you'd like your treatment to continue? With your blessing of course."

I knew what she meant and the prospect filled me with jittering anticipation instead of dread. I unbuckled my belt and unbuttoned my pants, feeling her tug them down from my ankles an instant later. Glad to have only my underwear between me and the magnificent touch of her hands, I gently rolled onto my belly, crawling up to get the whole of my body onto the bed before resting my head onto my arms beneath me. I felt my body gradually settling into the position of its own accord, going slack and still as she climbed up onto the bed behind me. I relished in the feel of her hands on my back even though she was just using a small, experimental amount of pressure.

"Oh, yes," her voice rumbled from behind me. "So calm and... receptive. You're a completely different jackal than the one I met just an hour ago."

"What... a whole hour?"

"That's of no concern," she assured me. "This is all a gift for a new friend, remember?"

"Yes... that doesn't matter," I admitted as her hands stroked through my fur. They deftly swept across my back, touching, pressing, squeezing, getting the lay of the land... getting to know my body more and more intimately with every stroke.

"I know that a massage table is traditional," she explained, "but having someone lay on a stiff slab like some kind of lab specimen while I walk around and work on them seems so cold and impersonal. Massage isn't just a clinical process, a way of simply fixing parts in a broken system. I'm not treating a body, I'm treating a person. The best way to do that is to treat them like a person. I much prefer my subjects to be comfortable. It's a little awkward to work like this, but it brings me so much closer, it gives me so many more opportunities to make this a much more personal and rewarding experience. Don't you agree?"

With that last word she put her first real force into the stroke of her hands. I could tell she was still hardly exerting herself and yet I marveled at the strength of her hands. My slackened muscles obediently yielded to her touch, sending a pleasant, relaxing ripple of sensation up my back that left me unable to respond until she withdrew her hands.

"Yes, I agree. It's very comfortable. Your bed is so soft and relaxing..."

"I'm so glad it meets with your approval," she said as she set to work again, kneading my flesh with renewed vigor. "Every massage is different you know, just as every person is different. I figure out what you like and what you need, and construct a treatment as I go along. If there's anything you'd like me to do, feel free to ask."

I relished in the skilled motions of her hands across my back. I really was having trouble coming up with a suggestion for anything I could possibly need. I considered the gentle burning left over from our earlier stretches.

"Well... my shoulders are still kind of- oooohh..."

I felt her healing touch fall upon my shoulders nearly as fast as I could get the word out. Such strength! My arms were getting squished painfully beneath my neck. She relented for a moment so that I could put them at my sides. She even fluffed up a pillow for me to settle my head on before returning to her task.

"Some people find it distracting when I talk to them during a massage. They prefer to be left alone with their thoughts and sensations. I'd be happy to leave you to it if that's the case for you. Am I disturbing you?"

"Oh, no... not disturbing." The way her hands were squeezing every last tiny ache from my muscles was making it ever more difficult to focus on her words, but I still enjoyed hearing them. Her voice was so smooth and comforting, but if I really listened I could hear a burry tone of strength and confidence that pervaded everything she said. It was a solid drone like that of a powerful engine, it felt like it would lull me to sleep if I listened too hard.

"Oh, good. You look so peaceful now I'd feel just awful if I interrupted you."

I settled back against the pillow and sighed again, feeling another rush of tension leave me with my breath. Just as I did so, she pushed down hard and compressed my chest. I felt my throat tighten as the air escaped, briefly turning breathing into speaking. "I l-li...i... huh..."

"Yes?" she asked, letting up on the pressure so that I could get a proper breath again.

I was uncertain for a moment, my head still working out what had happened. I had an idle thought and then... it was like she had physically squeezed the words out of me. I saw no harm in finishing the sentence that had been partly pushed past my lips.

"I... like your voice. Could you... talk more please?"

"Oh, but of course..." I could practically hear the sly jackal grin spreading across her face as she spoke. "It's your show dear. What would you have me say?"

"Well... how did you become a masseuse?"

"I suppose that's a story of some merit," she said, speaking as if she had to give hardly a thought to the expert manner in which she massaged my back. "I can't remember exactly when the notion entered my head. I've always loved making people happy though. I find no greater source of contentment than seeing that look on people's faces -yeah, that look right there! I trust your shoulders are feeling better?"

I winced a little as she called me out on the dopey smile that had plastered itself across my face. My eyes were glazed with my face impassive and my ears flopped lazily back. I'm glad it was only her that saw me looking so foolish. I wiggled my shoulders a bit, finding them in miraculous shape.

"Yes, much better," I said, shifting around a bit to get my neck back into a comfortable position.

"And I think I see my next target," she declared.

I got a surprise as she straddled my back and placed her hands on either side of my neck. It was awkward at first, but as she started to really work the kinks out of the tight sinews running down from my head I found it every bit as relaxing as anything else she'd done. Even her weight against my back was astonishingly comfortable, like she knew precisely how to distribute it. She didn't seem to find anything unusual about the change in position. In fact she picked up the conversation right where she left off.

"The body is a fascinating thing. Everything, every tiny little piece all the way up to every grand, complicated system has to be in perfect order to support life. It's a miracle that most people take for granted. I was always enthralled by finding out all the interesting ways that different races were put together, what they liked and what made them tick. Understanding the sweet spots of a person's species made that goal of seeing them happy a lot easier to achieve. It's a wonderful thing, and I do believe I've got your number, little pup."

"Wha? But you said you'd never worked on a jackal..."

"Oh, such a good listener!" she exclaimed, scritching my head as praise. "That's one of the things I like about you. But you forget our kinship, though. I know full well how jackal men will just lose their minds if you rub this little bit of fluff here at the base of their ear just the right way."

"Hey, w-Hnnngh!"

The words were torn from my mouth as she demonstrated her point. I was instantly overwhelmed by the explosion of sensation that came from her teasing fingertips. Electric bolts leapt down my spine, causing my leg to twitch wildly. I was sure I'd hit the ceiling if she hadn't been on top of me at the time. I realized before long that my difficulty speaking was because of the mouthful of pillow I was clenching in my jaw.

It was just a split-second later that she changed her motion from a quick scritching to a slow, gentle sweep of her claw. The effect was profound. The electric excitement was replaced with a slow, seeping warmth that calmed me once more. I gingerly pulled my fangs out of the tiny holes they had left in the pillowcase. My jaw opened with a pleasured groan as she kept at my ear. She was doing it again, tensing me all up to release it all in a big rush like letting loose a taut rubber band. My body fell limp again, wholly at the mercy of her touch.

"C-can't... mooove," I stammered, barely able to speak, sighing as she let up. "Well, I didn't say 'stop'."

She giggled as she put her deft little claws back to work for another moment or two, lavishing attention on my other ear and sending a renewed wave of tingling sensation through my body. Before long my eyes rolled back in my head, leaving me pretty much insensate for a period of time I couldn't determine.

I felt her pulling on my hand as my awareness trickled back into my overwhelmed brain. She was stretching my arm lengthwise and running her hands along it to stretch and straighten all the muscles. Naturally, it felt great. I flexed my other arm and got the impression that she had worked on it while I was still... out.

"Not too much left to do," she commented as she settled my arm next to me and shifted around to work on my legs.

"Mmmngh... mhnmm." Putting forth the effort to speak seemed like such a chore. I wasn't even sure quite what I was trying to say.

"Sounds like you're getting the hang of this 'relaxing' business, no?"

I crooned a soft note of satisfaction as she dug her fingers into the thick sinews of my thigh. She took to it with surprising enthusiasm. It was as if she was excited by the challenge that the thick mass of toughened flesh posed. She certainly was getting the job done. I could feel her influence penetrating all the way into my bones. My throat rumbled appreciatively once more as she worked her way down to my knee. My nose tickled as the sound reverberated behind my sealed lips.

"Oh, go on, let it out!" she said. "It means I'm doing a good job."

I took her at her word, letting my mouth fall open to release an impassioned moan. Another, more confident one followed almost immediately after. It seemed like responding to these sensations made them even stronger, and gave me even more pleasure to bellow to the heavens about. My leg started to writhe and stretch in response to the stimulation, my toes flexing and curling in ways I didn't know they could move.

"Hmm, looks like someone's paws want a little more attention," she observed, sliding herself down to sit just at the bend of my knee. She lifted my paw up so that she might properly work on it

Her weight pinned down the wriggling limb so that she could get a good grip on my paw. Once more she cradled it as if it were a hard-won treasure. She kneaded her way up my ankle and beyond, gracefully manipulating all the delicate little structures that spanned the long gap to my paws.

"People don't give paws enough credit, you know," she said as her fingers began to wrap around my toes from behind. "They're a lot tougher than they look. You can put a whole lot of pressure on them-"

She pressed her thumbs deep into my paw pad and squeezed up through the middle, rubbing in little circles as she spoke.

"-without harming a thing. I mean, that's a paw's job isn't it? It holds up the weight of your body and takes on the force of everything you do. It revels in the punishing conditions that we put it through, and yet we only stop to give it any thought or consideration when something goes wrong. But widdle paws like some attention when they're doing a _good_job too, don't they?"

I became aware of the thumping of my tail, though stopping it was completely beyond me. So too, it seemed, was the ability to apologize for it. Only another pleased groan left my mouth when I opened it. She giggled and leaned forward a bit so that I was no longer swatting her. My tail continued to dance excitedly over hers as she worked on my widdle paw.

"That's a sign that I'm doing a good job too," she said as she finished her work and settled my leg back onto the bed.

She worked her way around the swing of my tail, still emphatically declaring its appreciation. I registered a dull surprise as I felt her hands gripping my waist.

"Calm down now... I get the message."

She spoke in soothing tones that matched the gentle treatment she was giving my butt. The smooth strokes were quite light, but still easily felt through my underwear, and then just as if she had flipped a switch, my muscles slackened. I gasped as my tail settled peacefully between my legs moments later. It was astonishing. She had control over things that I didn't have control over! My confusion and disbelief dissolved rapidly as she set to work on my other leg, settling me back into that near-torpid state of blissful relaxation.

My body settled automatically into a limp and tranquil pose as she set my other paw down on the bed. With the great sense of liberation that washed over me, I also felt a soft, comforting warmth. The air was the same temperature it had been before, and though the bed had warmed to my body, that wasn't the source either. It seemed to be coming from within me. It wasn't a sudden surge. It had been slowly building inside me the whole time, but now it truly took hold, soaking my body in a comforting swath of gentle heat as it spread to my extremities.

My prone form shifted slightly from the change in weight distribution as she crawled up the bed to bring her head level with mine. I smiled as my tired eyes fell upon her, and she smiled back, knowing what I meant to convey. She still asked though, remembering my love of her voice no doubt.

"How do you feel, my pampered little pet?"

'Pet?' the back of my mind seemed to ask, even as I murred out a response. "Mmmh, feel so... so warm. Mmm..." Pet... What a nice thing to call me. She's taking care of me, doting on her pampered little pet.

She nodded knowingly, stroking my back as she spoke. "When your muscles relax there's more room for your blood to flow through you. Less work for your poor heart, and more warm, life-giving blood for all those tired, overworked limbs of yours. Doesn't it feel just wonderful my pet?"

"Yes...wonderful."

"I'm so glad you feel that way. It brings me great joy to see happiness in others, but that is not my only goal. Happiness is so immaterial, fleeting. It runs off and must be recaptured again and again. That is why it is called 'the pursuit of happiness'."

I nodded gently with my head still resting heavily against the pillow. She was right. She was so smart... always right.

"I seek also something more permanent though, something much more difficult to achieve," she stated, drawing my attention. I couldn't wait to find out what it was. "Tell me pet, why did I call you here?"

"You... wanted to help me," I said, reviewing the pleasured haze that was my memory. "I needed... help to relax."

"Yes. You couldn't relax on your own," she stated. "You're a good guy, so polite and reserved. It's what makes you such a good little pet. You're very mature for your age. Pragmatic, responsible, sensible. You have a command over yourself that many struggle to achieve, but you've forgotten how to turn it off. This control limits you. You have such good control over yourself that you no longer know how to let yourself go. How to be free... You needed me to show you the way."

"Yes... I need you."

"You needed to cast off the shackles you had imposed on yourself. Your self-control has cost you your freedom. So you came to me to be freed... to give up control."

"Give up... control."

"Yes, that's right. You wanted to lose yourself, to be free of self determination, remember?"

"I... wanted to lose... control."

"Very good. It's good to remember your purpose."

"Remember... my purpose." I couldn't help the words coming to my lips. I felt so drained, as if my mind had emptied, my thoughts trickling away with the tension and fatigue of my body. As she spoke, everything that she said filled the void in my mind. Her words became my only thoughts.

"You are relaxed and happy, my pet. So I have achieved my purpose, yes?"

"Yes... so happy."

"So tell me pet, why are you still here?"

My brow furrowed as I cast into the haze and came up empty. I had to respond though. I had to-

"Don't strain yourself, pet," she said, giving me a comforting pat on the head. "I will tell you."

I leaned up and brushed my head against her hand. She took the prompt and began to stroke gently down my head and neck, an act that soon had my pleasured murring filtering out through the pillow that held up my pampered puppy head.

"You are here because I hope to leave a more lasting impression than a simple massage can provide. If I weren't speaking to you, you'd drift off to sleep in a moment or two and wake up feeling refreshed, but really none the wiser. Since you've been such a cooperative and... _receptive_little pet, I want to help you more. Would you like that?"

An excited shiver passed through my body at the question. I leaned enthusiastically against her hand and murred out my approval with nothing approaching words.

"I thought so," she said, her fingers getting dangerously close to my ears as she gave me an appreciative scritch. "Now, this won't be easy. I will be here to guide you, but you mustn't let your fear lead you astray. Can you do that, pet? Can you be brave?"

"I can. I'll be so brave... Mmmh."

"And you must follow my guidance to the letter. Will you do that pet? Will you obey me?"

"I..." her look was piercing. There was still the softness that I knew her for, but now her gaze looked deep into me, looking for a sign of reluctance. "I... will obey."

My heart leapt as she went from glaring to beaming. Her eyes sparkled with mirth as she spoke once more.

"I have more questions for you, my pet. If you agree, I want you to say 'Yes, mistress.' to each one."

A breathless whisper touched my lips, "Mistress..."

I never did learn her name. That seemed like such a good thing to call her though. I was a hair's-breadth from accepting it without question, but my voice started to shake as the true meaning of the word percolated through my brain.

"My... m-mis... mistres-"

I gasped and my body trembled, so much so that she... that Mistress wrapped her arms around me. That word was like the shot of a cannon in the vast emptiness of my mind. The implications tumbled down on me like an avalanche. Mistress... she was my mistress. I was Mistress' pet. I belonged to Mistress. Each thought filled me with equal measures of excitement and terror. My freedom, gone. My will, gone! Everything I liked about myself-

"Shhh... it's okay," said Mistress as she wrapped me in her comforting embrace. "Mistress is here. I'll make it all better. Don't be scared, pet. Mistress will always be here. Mistress will make everything alright."

I couldn't help but bury my face in her fur. That warm, cloying perfume in the air clung to her and mixed so smoothly with her natural musk. My tremors stopped almost immediately. Yes... Mistress knew best. This was a safe place. If I had faith in my mistress she would protect me. I squeezed her back, flush with the confidence she had granted me. I brought my eyes to meet hers once more.

"It's frightening, but I... I trust my mistress."

Her jaw drifted down in astonishment, and slowly, but surely, she leaned forward and brought her mouth to mine. My nervousness was all instantly transmuted to exhilaration at the touch of her lips. It was such a short kiss, but it spoke volumes upon volumes of how my mistress cared for me, how happy I made her, and how valuable my faith was to her. We held each other, our heaving chests still pressed tightly together.

"Alright my pet," she whispered in my ear. "Let us not undo too much of our careful work. You must relax if I am to help you. Can you be calm for me, my pet?"

"Yes, Mistress."

Another excited shudder ran through my body. There was such a profound rightness to those words that I couldn't help but squirm with delight when I said them. But soon I felt my muscles slacken and my rapid breathing taper off. I had to relax... be calm so Mistress can help me. It was so easy now. Mistress made it so easy for me.

"Not long ago, you felt the warmth of your blood pulsing through your body. Can you still feel it, my pet?"

"Yes, Mistress... I feel the warmth coursing through me."

"Good." Mistress noticed that I was staring into empty space. So she laid her head down right in front of my face, to give me something beautiful to look at as she explained. "Stress is a self-perpetuating cycle, but so is relaxation. Your muscles go limp, they stop fighting, stop using energy. This is rejuvenating, but it is only part of the cycle. I want to help you close that loop, to take you beyond relaxation."

"Beyond... What is beyond relaxation, Mistress?"

"I cannot tell you, my pet. Not because I do not wish to, but because the words do not exist to describe it. But with your cooperation, I hope to show you."

"What must I do?"

"Same as always, my pet. Relax, and listen to your mistress."

I nodded gently, my eyes drifting closed briefly. It had been getting so hard to keep them open. I managed to lift my eyelids again though, when I felt my mistress' weight settling on top of me.

"Settle, pet," she instructed. "It's all part of the exercise."

My body slackened again, shifting and bending to accommodate her new position, draped over top of me. Had I not been under such explicit instructions to stay relaxed, I'm sure my body would've been reacting very differently to this turn of events. I couldn't fathom why this was necessary, but I started getting an idea of it as I began to feel the warmth of Mistress' body augmenting my own. She wrapped her arms gently around my chest and laid her head against my shoulders before she began to speak.

"Your heart, and your lungs... they are the engines that drive all the other energy in your body. They are marvelous machines, capable of many wonders. But they are not perfect, and if you ignore this fact, you cannot harness their true potential. Just as they bring energy to your body, they also consume it. It costs energy to lift your diaphragm, and the heart is a power-hungry muscle in itself. If you have not mastered these machines, they will be your undoing. They consume much more power than is needed to sustain themselves, unless they are properly regulated. This is how the cycle starts, my pet."

I listened with rapt attention, fighting to keep my focus through the creeping sleepiness at the edges of my mind. It was only now that I realized Mistress had a hand right over my heart. I could feel its rippling contractions as it pumped beneath her fingers. I imagined the intricate living machines in my chest, now gently cradled by my mistress' arms. I could not adequately control them. I could only hope Mistress would show me how.

"Do you feel my breath, pet?"

I nodded. Her fur rubbed against mine as her chest rose and fell with slow, deep breaths. My own clashed with it. My breaths were much faster, harried even. I breathed deeply, but my breaths were quick gusts with interruptions between them, whereas she inhaled with a constant, gentle rise, and exhaled like a smooth, warm breeze.

"Your body requires very little energy in your state, even less than mine, and yet here I am, awake and alert with my lungs exerting a fraction of the effort. I have trained my body to dial down its responses, to use only the energy it absolutely needs. And I offer you the chance to sample the fruits of my efforts."

She drew herself even closer, putting her head up over my shoulder. Her voice was larger-than-life with her head right next to my ear.

"Take slow, even breaths," she instructed. "Steady in, steady out. Try to slow your breathing down to match mine."

I did as she commanded, pulling together my focus to get my breathing in line. I fought against the rhythm I had set, and tried to breathe only when my mistress breathed. I had it for awhile, but soon my chest burned and I started to feel dizzy. I had to sneak in another breath, and then another, and then soon my illicit breaths had me puffing even faster than before. I couldn't do it. I felt Mistress' hand rise to my head just as my brow began to furrow with frustration. Her gentle stroking helped to bring me back down.

"Shh... don't despair, pet. It's okay, you're doing fine. I worked on this for years before I got it just right. You've already made amazing progress and I think this goal is within your grasp. I would so love to see you succeed, but if you are to do so, you cannot afford to become irascible if results are not forthcoming."

I winced. I couldn't stand to see Mistress disappointed.

"It's okay, I know you will try again, I know you will give nothing but your best effort. For now, don't think about how hard it is and how it frustrates you. Think about how nice it is to be Mistress' pet. Think about how good it feels to listen to my voice, how satisfying it is to follow my instructions, how grateful you are to have a loving mistress..."

Mistress swept away the bad thoughts and swiftly replaced them with calm fulfillment. Her muzzle had gotten so close to my ear that her voice vibrated the tufts of fur within it, creating a soothing tingle that skittered across my skin.

"...my words make you feel complete. Your thoughts are lost without them. The embrace of your mistress makes you feel strong and confident, doesn't it?"

"Yes, Mistress."

"Good," without warning, her other hand started to stroke the sensitive fur of my right ear, nudging my head gently closer to her mouth as she began to speak again. "Now, don't fight your body by forcing fewer breaths. Just lengthen them. Try to see how long you can breathe in for, how long you can breathe out for. Don't concentrate on my breath, the goal. Concentrate on your breath, your improvement. Listen to it and feel how it's changing. Concentrate on making progress. If you don't ever stop making progress, you will make it to your goal."

My mouth hung slightly open as she held my head close to her. She spoke to me in such a forceful way. I could feel my body bending to her will already, and I had barely even wrapped my mind around what she had said yet. It would seem that I had forced her to exercise more direct control to get results. I could not despair though. I had to prove to Mistress that I could do this.

I felt my breath coming under my control again. The reflexive breaths I had drawn at Mistress' behest had been a good starting point. I took in a slow, even breath, filling my chest to its limits. The pressure burned slightly, but I resisted the temptation to blow all the air out at once. I only allowed myself to let it out over the course of a count of five. That seemed to work. Then I breathed out for a count of six. I planned for my next breath to take to a count of seven...

...sixteen... seventeen... Wait, something was missing. A rhythm I'd been feeling all along. Something against my skin... yes! Mistress' fur. I no longer felt it scrubbing against mine as our breaths went in different directions. Her fur meshed perfectly with mine as our chests rose and fell in flawless synchronization. What?

"Mistress!" I gasped.

"Yes, I know, pet. I know," the comforting strokes to my head returned. "You're doing wonderful, I'm very proud of you. Don't talk though, not until you've mastered the rhythm. Just breathe, let the new pace become natural to you, and then we can move on."

I gave a gentle nod, feeling my eyes droop. It was as if the effort of simply nodding was draining me.

"You feel sleepy, I know. Your body is slowing down. Don't fight it. If you feel tired, just relax a little more. Let your body show you how to conserve energy. Let your eyes drift shut if it feels right. Follow what your body tells you."

I did as she had instructed. Soon my eyes were closed, as I felt they should be. My awareness of the world began to fade to only a tiny glimmer. But I could still hear Mistress, still feel Mistress, and that was all that mattered.

"Do you hear that, pet?" Asked a deep, thrumming voice. Mistress had pulled herself forward and pressed her throat against my ear.

As the rumbling of her voice faded, I began to hear the strong, regular rushing of blood through her neck. The pressure rose and fell just the way her breath did. The sound thundered through my ear as she held me close.

"I hear your heartbeat, Mistress. It's so soothing."

"It's the first sound you ever heard," she explained. "Before you were even born, you listened to your mother's heart as her body gave you life and her blood gave you strength. Even now, there is some part of you that still recognizes it from all those years ago."

Images of my pre-natal self nestled beneath a great, life-giving heart within my mother's body flowed through my mind. Mistress' pulse filled in the soundtrack. Mistress was so good at making me see what she was saying.

"Listen to the rhythm. Take it all in. Get familiar with it again. The heartbeat that gave you life has come back to greet you now that you have one of your own. Open yourself and invite it in..."

Before I could even question what she meant, I felt it happening. The pulsing of Mistress' blood echoed through my head, spreading ever further as I focused myself on it. It was as if I could hear it in my other ear. The sound soon felt like it was coming from all around me. So much so that it began to drown out Mistress' voice until she pulled her head away from mine.

"Now, keep that heartbeat in your mind. Listen for it. Remember how it sounded and direct your mind towards it. What do you hear?"

I did as she commanded, the strong, nurturing heartbeat still fresh in my mind. I strained my senses, but came up with nothing.

"I-I don't..." I froze in the middle of getting the sentence out. My ear twitched. "There... there is something."

"What does it sound like, pet?"

"It's faint. More thready. It's-" I gasped as I lined up the sound with the contractions beneath Mistress' hand. "It's mine!"

"Very good. Now, get to know this one, too. You'd think you would be familiar with your own heartbeat by now, but there is always more to learn about yourself."

I was flabbergasted. I could hear my own heart just because she told me to listen for it! And yet there it was, my pulse growing in my perception as I focused on the sound.

"I bet you're thinking that this is another thing that's beyond your conscious control, and in a way it is, but in a way, it isn't."

I furrowed my brow at the contradiction.

"Oh come now, pet. You know that I'll explain," she said with a reassuring pat on the head. "You can't tell your heart when to beat or when not to beat. It thinks that it knows best, and in principle it is correct. Trial and error would be a very poor way to learn how much blood flow you need to live. You can influence it though; push it faster or slower, if you've been trained properly... or you're loyal enough to your mistress."

I leaned gently towards another appreciative skritch during the pause.

"Thinking about tinkering with your ticker is scary, as well it should be. There's some risk here. But it is that very fear that makes it seem impossible. Fear makes your heart speed up, wresting it from your control again. You cannot allow that to happen. You must not be afraid. You will feel like you're losing yourself, but you must push past that. Can you do that, pet?"

"I... I will try, Mistress."

"If you are brave enough to try, you will be brave enough to succeed."

I settled in and closed my eyes as Mistress instructed me once more.

"Think of your heart. Watch it beat, the rippling contractions passing over its surface. Your heart is but a muscle. It cannot think. In a way it knows no better than you when to beat, it has only that formless instinct guiding it. Think of it now, instead of your muscles squeezing to pump your blood, it is your mind. Squeeze with your mind. Follow the rhythm of your heart, get to know it well, for after you learn to follow, you shall learn to lead it."

In my mind I saw my heart, squeezing and pumping with all its great strength in order to sustain me. I got a sense for the enormity of the complex system of blood vessels it served, all the intricate structures working perfectly together to keep me alive. I reached out to my heart, focused on it, and gave a gentle squeeze. Nothing happened.

"Remember pet, you are still learning," Mistress advised. "Do not force your will upon your heart, touch it gently, let it show you how it works."

The image of my heart still hovered before me in the darkness. I reached out tenderly to it. What I felt was confusing, but the sensations slowly resolved into something I could understand as I watched the beat over and over again. It wasn't just squeezing and expanding. The contractions spread across the surface in great waves, each chamber triggering at only the precisely correct time. Valves snapped shut or flapped open when the pressure came to a head, and then more vital, warming blood was pushed out into my body.

I squeezed again, this time feeling much less resistance. I concentrated my effort at the apex of the wave of the contractions, and allowed it to taper off naturally from there. I felt little bumps along the way that let me know to adjust the pressure I was using. Soon I had the rhythm mastered. I had been hearing and touching my heart for so long that the complex sequence of events had become a reflex.

"That's right, visualize the control. See it, _feel_it. Make it real," my mistress whispered. "Now, are you ready to command that muscle? Are you ready to show your heart the error of its ways?"

I thought of my heart and its thready, fluttering beat. There was so much more that it could do, so much energy that it wasted in its normal pulse. If I was able, I had to show it the way, to teach it as it taught me. I nodded to my mistress.

"When you squeeze this time, make the effort a little later in the beat. Just a tiny fraction, see if you can get your heart to follow you. And then when it does, push it a little more."

At first my heart shuddered and I felt a slight pain in my chest. Mistress' gentle stroking calmed me once more. I tried a second time, more gently. After just a few moments, the synchronicity had restored. My heart had responded to the pressure of my mind, making the beat a tiny moment longer. I pushed the beat another tiny fraction and got the same results. I waited a little shorter before changing it each time. I felt an excited quiver in my mistress' fingers on my chest as she felt my pulse begin to lag. Soon every other beat had a little push to make the next beat longer and my pulse was in a gradual, nearly imperceptible decline.

I focused on my task, doing everything I could not to let my excitement speed my pulse again. My heartbeat was strong, slowing ever more by the second, but each beat was now solid and resolute. I could hear it getting louder, the rushing blood in my ears suddenly surging in volume. I gasped as I felt Mistress' throat against my ear again. The pulse coming from outside my ear precisely matched the one within it in every detail. I had done it! I had mastered my body just the way Mistress had hers.

"Yes, that's right my pet," her throat rumbled pleasingly against my sensitive ears. "Hold onto that rhythm. Follow me. My breath and my heartbeat will guide you. Soon you will not have to expend your focus. It will come to you naturally."

I uncoiled the tense focus that had let me police my autonomic functions so closely. I shuddered gently as I felt the satisfaction of my success permeate my brain. I wasn't aware of how much I had been exerting myself all this time. It was an indescribable relief to let my focus wane and return to my state of peaceful relaxation. I had such little energy to work with, focusing my mind like that was taking all I had.

"Your mind and body are adapting," Mistress explained. "Learning to work with less and less energy. There is one particular shortcut in that respect I'd like for you to take notice of. I bet you can feel it happening right now. Your brain is starting to balk at the effort of timing your heart and lungs, and why should it bother when I am here to guide you?"

I strained my ears to pick out the difference between my breath and hers, my pulse and hers. I could only do it because hers was louder in my left ear, the side Mistress was on. When I finally managed to separate the two, I could see what Mistress was talking about. Her breath was like a beacon, letting me know when to draw breath and when to let it go, and her heart called to mine, pounding out a steady, fluid beat so that mine could fall into step. I could feel it now, my control slipping. My command over my body was flickering in the darkness that had surrounded my mind. Such a tremendous strain... such effort to hold on.

"Yes my pet, that's it," Mistress whispered. "Just let it all go. Take a load off your mind. Let the control of your body drift to your ears, no need to decide for yourself, just listen to me and do as my body does. Let me help you. Let me support you. Let your mistress take care of you."

With the final collapse of my resistance, I felt my body slip from my command. A momentary flush of terror shook me as my heart stilled, only to be replaced by exhilaration when it pumped once more at Mistress' behest. My mouth stretched open in a soundless gasp as I felt Mistress' hand tighten on my chest. Her claws pressed gently into my flesh as she clutched possessively at my heart. Nothing about my body was my own anymore. I had abandoned it all so that my mistress could help me. With her support I was kept suspended in that barest glimmer of consciousness.

My body slackened again as I found comfort in the thought of Mistress caring for me in such a profound way. At long last I was enjoying the ultimate relaxation that had so long eluded me. It was such a tremendously liberating feeling not to have to expend the effort even of simply keeping myself alive. Her warmth flooded me through her silky pelt pressed against my back. My body no longer had a spark that burned on its own. The power that sustained me came from the outside. Mistress' will was keeping me alive.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Mistress asked.

My jaw quivered. I couldn't respond, but there was no need. Such contentment radiated from within me that I simply knew she could feel it. She was always so perceptive, reacting to the barest flicker of emotion within me. She had to be able to pick up on it now that the whole of my being was singing with joy.

"At last pet, you are truly mine," she said with an air of finality. "And this affords me a rather unique utility, you know."

Excitement silently tingled through my motionless form. There was more! Mistress could do more for me!

"Your body has temporarily forgotten how to self-regulate. As such, it will follow wherever I lead..."

I sensed a growing heat and a wave of dizziness accompanying a surge of awareness into my dimmed mind. It took me a moment to realize that she had momentarily sped her breathing, and my body had raced to catch up to her. She stroked my head as we coasted gently beck down to our previous pace.

"So sorry, I didn't want you to drift off too soon during this."

"During... wha- oooh..." My words were lost as my body started to shut down once more.

"Shhh... don't speak. Wouldn't want you to lose the rhythm now would we? You've never been trained in meditation, so your mind will fail you at a much higher heart rate than mine." She offered me another moment to settle down before continuing. "This troublesome conscious mind of yours... Finicky thing really. Soaks up a ton of energy, needs a great deal of bloodflow to sustain itself."

The manic rush was quickly dissipating from my mind. I was still sharp enough to perceive that she had pushed past the pulse rate I was at before, going ever slower as she spoke.

"Take that energy away, and your conscious self just throws up its hands and gives up."

Darkness gathered at the edges of my mind, it roiled and began to close in on me. I didn't even have the energy to feel dread. I simply sat there amidst the closing emptiness, at the mercy of my Mistress.

"But there is much more to your mind of course. A portion of the mind I've found to be much more congenial and... cooperative. Your subconscious."

My body fell away from me as my senses began to fade. Soon her words were my only perception of the world.

"This much lower-maintenance part of your mind has a little trick up its sleeve. There's a point right when your conscious mind gives out that you are still connected to reality by a thin thread, just before you slip away into the realm of dreams."

Just as she said, I felt as if I were dangling from a precipice at the edge of reality. Even her voice was fading now... just the barest whisper.

"It is at this critical moment, I've found, that I can speak directly to your subconscious. So whether or not you think you can, I assure you that some part of you can still hear me. And so, listen closely, my pet. Listen... closely..."

---

Strong fingers splayed across my back, gently stretching my skin and kneading my muscles. I rolled my shoulders appreciatively at the treatment and I felt the blanket shift on top of me. The movement was enough to draw my attention, the sensation of hands on my back vanishing the moment that I tried to focus on it.

"Hmm... wha?"

I lifted my head gently and fell back into the pillow, my body balking at the motion. You'd think the blanket weighed a hundred pounds. I dragged my eyes open to take in the dappled shadows of the dimly lit room around me. I worked up the impetus to move, feeling a responsive twitch in my fingers. With that little icebreaker I started to feel strength flowing through them once more.

I balled my hands into fists, the sensation of vitality slowly trickling up my arms and into my chest. I gathered myself up and then slowly splayed out into a big, theatrical stretch, banishing the warm drowsiness that had been weighing on me. I rolled over to look out at the room.

"I'm sorry, I must've-"

The small room stood empty before me. The air was clear and the decor was motionless, undisturbed for a very long time. The little pewter lamp on the shelf had long since exhausted its supply of incense.

I felt a little chill and pulled the blanket back up over my chest, clutching it to me as I tried to catch the last remnants of the comforting warmth that had wrapped me up in my sleep. I was in someone else's bed in a strange room in the back of a club that I'd just come to for the first time. I really should've been kind of freaked out, but I wriggled and settled myself in quite comfortably for the moment. I felt unaccountably safe in this place. I must've fallen asleep while that nice woman was giving me a massage. She certainly did good work. It had been a long time since I had just been out like a light like that. And my legs, my back, my... everything! My body felt as limber as the sheets it was lying on.

I felt so good lying there, but soon I felt a little twinge. My toes flexed and stretched, I drummed my fingers idly. Restless energy was rising within me with unprecedented speed. When I could take it no longer I kicked the blanket off me, a little surprised to find just my fur and a thin layer of cotton between me and the cool air of the room. I hopped up and snagged my pants from the chair they were draped over and slid myself into them.

I shook a little bit as I got my belt fastened. I was just raring to go! I wanted to get back out into that club and see if the atmosphere had improved during my little nap. I bounded over to the door, but my hand stiffened as I reached for the knob.

"I... shouldn't leave the place a mess," I said, trying to rationalize what was stopping me from leaping through that door. "Yeah, where are my manners?"

That was it, yeah. I don't know what I was thinking just trying to run out of here without even making the bed. I smiled as I gently tucked in the smooth, midnight black fabric around the bed. That black jackal woman did something very nice for me and leaving the room in shambles would be a heck of a way to respond. I scolded myself as I picked up the blanket from the floor and folded it neatly on top of the bed. So considerate of her to cover me up like that, especially since I nodded off while she was talking. Massage or not that's a big faux-pas. I straightened the pillows and smoothed the fabric out carefully, getting everything just as it was when I came in here... however long ago that was. I found my watch in the pocket of my pants. I must've put it there when it got skewed, as it was clearly ahead by several hours.

A faint smell pulled my attention to the shelf nearby. Curious, I walked over to get a closer look at the little incense lamp that perfumed the room so capably during my treatment. The lid had four vents surrounding the small loop that formed the handle. I recognized the outlines as those of an Egyptian Ankh. Hmm, seems she did have a theme here.

I wondered what kept the smoke from coming out through the lid. I hooked a claw into the loop and lifted the lid to have a look. Beneath the lid was suspended a disc that served as a baffle, frustrating the smoke's rise and forcing it to take the slightly more difficult path out the spout. An ingenious little device. The lid revealed a little mound of ash in the base of the lamp. I saw an ornate silver dish nearby, filled with a fine white powder. I had never used an incense burner before, but the process of maintaining one seemed relatively intuitive to me.

I upended the lamp, sweeping out the last of the ash into the dish with a finger. The stirring of the sweetly scented dregs made me a little giggly and prickled my nose, but I managed to clean the little lamp satisfactorily. I wiped my fingers on a nearby hand towel before reaching into a basket and pulling out a brick-red coil of incense. It spiraled upward slightly in the middle, with a pointed tip ready to be lit. Another clever little innovation. I lowered the coil inside the lamp, settling it in the base before placing the lid on top, making the little lamp ready for when my host next had need of it.

I glanced about the room again and found myself satisfied with it. There was no more that looked like it needed to be done. I thought of leaving a tip as I headed for the door again, but that just seemed so tacky and impersonal. She said that she didn't want money, she just wanted to help. Maybe I'll find her out in the club. I can thank her and let her know what a good job she did. And with that thought I found myself at the door once again, in another instant, I was out on the dancefloor, on the prowl once more. The Theta Wave had quieted down considerably since I had last checked in. Still no jackals, not even the one that I knew should be here. I did find an interesting new mark sitting at the bar though.

A smoky gray cat with mottled black tabby stripes running through her fur was batting her baby blues at the bartender, trying to flirt a discount out of him, it looked like. Ambitious, certainly. Anyone working in this place would have to build up an absolutely herculean immunity to that kind of thing. Normally I wouldn't have given her a second glance, but I got the feeling that today was a good day to be open-minded. I stepped a little closer, keeping a comfortable distance to observe my prey for an opening. As I saw the bartender readying to slide a milky-white mix drink down to her, I saw my chance.

I fished a coin out of my pocket and flicked it towards the bar. She turned towards the metallic ping of it hitting the floor behind her, just in time for the drink to go sailing right past her hand and off the end of the bar. Those cats... so easy to distract. I took two long steps and thrust out a hand, getting a splash of the spirits on my hand as I snatched it out of the air. I deftly placed it on the bar as I took a seat next to her.

"Nice reflexes," she commented. "You saved me quite the investment."

"I wouldn't say that," I replied. "I got my hand to the right place, but I don't think I quite saved the day. In any case, I think you deserve a replacement. Bartender! One more of whatever the lady was drinking, this time not airborne!"

"Right, 'nother goddaughter, grounded! Comin' right up, champ!"

Goddaughter, never heard of it. The slightly dripping drink in front of me smelled kind of familiar though. I put a twenty on the bar as I tried to figure out what it was I recognized. I took a small sip of the sweet, creamy liquor, carefully appraising it and giving my new acquaintance a chance to appraise me. I came on strong, had to give her a chance to breathe before I pressed further.

After the bartender returned to swap the drink for my cash, I reached around the cat and deftly slid the glass away from her hand as she reached for it. I had to lean in pretty close to do it, not that she seemed to mind.

"Ah, ah..." I said, shaking a finger. "It's going to cost you."

"Oh, and what prize holds my replacement drink hostage?" she asked.

"Information. I just want to know what a _comely_young lady like yourself was doing buying her own drinks in the first place."

"Hmph. Easy enough," she said, idly running her fingers through the fur on my chest as she spoke.

Huh? Oh, I hadn't put my shirt back on. Genius! Glad I thought of it.

"Buying a girl a drink isn't always as thoughtful as you think it is," she explained. "No one buys me the drinks I want. They buy me the drinks they think I want. I swear if I get another Cosmopolitan dropped in front of me I'll puke pretentious pink Triple Sec all over this bar!"

"That bad, really?"

"I'm serious! They make me sick."

"Well, I suppose that's a lesson in life," I said, laughing gently at her frank account. "To get what you want, you'd best go get it yourself."

"Speaking of getting things that I want..." her eyes fell upon the drink I was still jealously guarding with my free hand.

"Ah, but of course," I released my captive with a flourish. "Enjoy."

"Hmm," she purred, sampling the drink. "Tastes like chivalry. Thanks for the save, and the replacement."

"Ah, well. I couldn't very well stick you with two-thirds of a drink that's had my finger in it now could I?"

"A noble effort nonetheless," she said, looking to the little white droplets on the bar. "Oh, you're dripping. Let me get that for you."

She pulled my hand to her, drawing us even closer together. Soon her rough tongue was dragging forcefully through my fur, squeezing out that little splash of creamy liquor. She purred with satisfaction as she lapped up the last remnants from the back of my hand. Such an odd thing to be so enthusiastic about. Must be a cat thing.

I noticed that she had been skipping my index finger, to what end I couldn't imagine, until I felt my claw brush down the length of her tongue as she slid it into her mouth, licking gently up the length as she did so. I couldn't help the excited prickling of my skin as she slid her mouth all the way down, sealing her lips around the digit. Her tongue rippled and swayed, the sandpapery texture tugging at my fur as she sucked my finger with a slow, deliberate motion. Her lips slicked my fur down as she slid her mouth off with a wet smack. She even looked at me when she did it. Yeah real subtle, this one. I was starting to like her style.

"And what do I call my little knight in shining armor?" she asked, playfully walking her fingers up my chest.

"I'm a pe- uh... Veng. M-my name is Veng." Well... that was weird.

She rubbed my chest affectionately with long deep strokes. I saw her nose twitch a bit and she leaned closer, drawn in by a sweet smell she had stirred up from my fur.

"Well,Veng," she purred, gently nuzzling me. "It seems I owe you one, just how could we settle that?"

"Hmm..." I playfully feigned deep consideration. "Let's finish our drinks, I'm sure that'll give us time to think of something."

I couldn't believe my luck! It had been only minutes and everything had just fallen perfectly into place with hardly an ounce of effort. And I was just so calm about it. I don't know what miracle was keeping me from trembling; from nervousness a moment ago or from rapidly gathering excitement now. By the same divine providence that got me this far, a tight lid still capped all my outward responses and my body remained cool and impassive, even though on the inside I felt like I was going to explode every time she touched me.

Her innuendoes got thicker and thicker as we chatted over our drinks, her rumbling tone dripping with seduction. And yet I didn't budge an inch. I acted as if we were talking about the weather, as if even the bluntest of euphemisms sailed right over my head. Even as she purred out another savory double-entendre, I saw her brow beginning to knit with frustration. I smiled devilishly at the sight. This has never happened before, has it kitty? I'm supposed to be putty in your hands by now, aren't I?

"I... am not accustomed," I saw wrath flash in her eyes as she took in my expression, "to being toyed with."

"Well, it's never too late to try new things now, is it?" I teased.

"Indeed..." she hissed. Her claws were cutting ridges into the finish of the bar as I at last forced her to drop all pretense. "Let's... go somewhere else."

"Oh, so soon?" I asked, feigning obliviousness as best I could. "I still don't know your name. We haven't even finished our drinks."

"Amanda," she growled, flipping my glass over and slamming it down on the bar. Most of the liquid didn't even have a chance to escape the glass before it was sealed against the wood.

"Ah, well Am-mnf!"

I was assertively yanked to her by a tuft of fur on my chest. My eyes watered a bit, but that was quickly forgotten as she mashed her muzzle to mine. Her jaws stretched open, loosing a predatory growl into the kiss that rattled my skull. Her hand grabbed the back of my head and pressed me into her as her tongue had its way with my stunned mouth. She lifted my tongue with hers, running the fleshy length against her invading fangs, just to let me know the potential consequences of disappointing her. She panted through gritted teeth as she pulled back, but she still didn't release me. She held me in her penetrating gaze as she made her ultimatum.

"Let's go. Somewhere. Else."

That one got me. I shuddered with excitement in her grasp. She flashed a great big fanged grin at my moment of weakness. Her excitement at seeing that I wasn't invulnerable was palpable. She disentangled herself from me, teasingly brushing my face with her dexterous tail as she turned to walk away. Just as I stood to follow, there was a tap on my shoulder.

"You left this behind, stud."

I gasped when I saw the jackal woman from before holding out my shirt to me. I was torn. There was a very obvious opportunity literally walking away from me at that very second, but then... I really should thank her.

"Oh... thank you. For everything, I mean. I'm so sorry but this isn't the best ti-"

"There a problem sweetie?" Amanda was back at my side in an instant. The claws digging into my forearm conveying what her tone did not.

"Oh, I just needed to touch base with your little friend here," the jackal before me stated. "You know, catch up a bit."

Amanda's eyes narrowed into an unmistakable 'Who the _hell_are you?' glare. My jaw strained. I knew that Amanda was at her breaking point, but as I thought of what this mysterious jackal had done for me I felt ready to burst at the seams with gratitude.

"You... do some amazing work. I was thrilled with the results." Oh, God! What am I_saying_?

"Oh, I can't take all the credit. It only works with a... cooperative partner."

What was this strange woman thinking? Oh, what this must've sounded like to Amanda! I have to end this conversation immediately or she'll... freak... out...

"No way..." I gasped as I saw the signature, sly jackal grin on her face.

She knew! She knew that this was _exactly_what Amanda responded to, a challenge! She was trying to help me again. The cool confidence from moments before returned to me as I looked into her soft, amber eyes.

"Well, I have much to credit our teamwork for, then," I said, adopting the same suggestive tone she was using.

"Quite," she replied. "I do hope to work with you again soon."

I felt Amanda's fur brush against me as it started to bristle all over her body. Her tail lashed impatiently behind her. Back and forth, ever faster as she watched our conversation with a hawk's gaze. Her breathing sped, a possessive growl rising in her throat. She trembled as she restrained herself, her grip tightening. I even heard her toeclaws scratching the floor. She was keeping a straight face now, but every other part of her was screeching 'No! Mine! BACK OFF!'

"I look forward to it," I said.

"I'll_always_ be in the neighborhood. Feel free to stop by..." I saw her glance at the ever-more-agitated feline, scheming grin growing just a little wider. She could tell that she had another half-second before my kitty was going to cut her to ribbons. "But it seems you're busy. Another time then?"

"Yes, another time," I agreed as she walked past me back into the crowd.

She was at my side, opposite my new friend, for just a moment. As she passed, she reached for my hand under the concealment of the shirt I was holding. She pressed a tiny, round tin into my fingers, the sort that lip balm might come in.

I heard her whisper: "This liniment is quite adept at treating scratches..."

"What? I don't have any-yeegh!"

"Come_on_!" The still-growling feline snapped. Her sudden yank to my arm sent my paws skittering across the floor as she dragged me after her. "We have someplace to be right now."

"Do we?" I asked, pocketing my new treasure, still flush with the self-assurance that seeing the black jackal had given me.

She whirled around and tore the shirt from my hand, throwing it to the floor before she continued to haul me by the arm across the club. "You won't be needing that." As the strung-out kitty led me off to stake her claim on me, I looked back to see that in just a few steps my other contact had vanished once more. "Thank you, mystery woman."

Thank you... Mistress.