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Chapter 16: The Black Fox Asks About Mating I stand there like an idiot, watching as she saunters off to her class. Her hips sway with each step, and I swear she adds a little extra bounce just for me. Or maybe for everyone still staring in shock. "Dude," a voice breaks through the haze, and I turn to see a group of guys who’ve gathered nearby. One of them shakes his head in disbelief. "How the hell did he pull that off?" "I—uh—" I stammer, trying to come up with some kind of explanation that makes sense. But what do I even say? That the hottest witch in school has some kind of insane fixation on me? That I’m just as confused as they are? The guys look at each other, then back at me with a mix of envy and awe. I can feel their eyes still glued to my back as I stumble away, trying to make my way to class without tripping over my own feet. More whispers follow me down the hall, a chorus of shock and jealousy that only makes my face burn hotter. "He must have some kind of secret power." "What does she see in him?" "Guy’s got all the luck." I speed up, hoping to outrun the attention, but it sticks to me like glue. Every corner I turn, someone else is there to gawk or murmur as I pass by. It’s like being caught in a weird dream where everyone knows you’ve kissed the hottest girl in school and won’t shut up about it. I finally reach my classroom and slump into my seat. The classroom wasn’t full, so I finally got a little respite from everything. That damn blue fox. The door creaks open, and I see her. Luna glides into the room with her usual quiet presence, a striking contrast to the earlier chaos. Her long black hair flows behind her, and her golden eyes lock onto mine the instant she walks in. She makes a beeline for me, dropping into the seat next to mine with mechanical precision. "Hello," she says, unpacking her things with an unsettling lack of emotion. Her voice is flat, but there’s a tiny glimmer of something in her eyes that suggests she might actually care about my response. "Hey, Luna," I manage to say, trying to sound like I’m not completely rattled from my encounter with Iris. My heart’s still racing, but for totally different reasons now. I’m half-expecting Iris to burst in and drag me out of here, but I force myself to focus on Luna. The last thing I need is her thinking I’m too scared to talk to her, even if I am kind of terrified of what Iris might do. "So," I say, trying to keep my voice casual even though I’m sweating bullets. "How’s it going?" She watches me with those intense golden eyes, like she’s dissecting every word for hidden meaning. "I saw you," she says abruptly. "With Iris." Crap. My face heats up all over again, and I glance around nervously, half afraid Iris might materialize out of thin air if she knows we’re talking about her. "Oh, uh... you did?" "Your mouth was on hers." Luna’s voice is blunt, almost clinical, but there’s a hint of something underneath—curiosity, maybe? It’s hard to tell with her. My cheeks go from red to full-on inferno. "You, uh, saw that too?" Luna nods, her expression unchanged. "Your lips were moving against each other with excessive force. It appeared unpleasant." I choke on my own spit, caught between embarrassment and the absurdity of her analysis. "It was... a bit intense," I admit, rubbing the back of my neck like a total dork. She cocks her head, eyes still boring into me like she’s conducting a very important experiment. "she pushed her tongue into your mouth" "Uh... yeah." I can barely keep from squirming. She’s so matter-of-fact about it, and I have no idea how to handle this conversation. Luna blinks, still watching me with that unnerving focus. "Why did she do that?" The question catches me off guard, and I stare at her like she just asked why water is wet. "You mean... the kiss?" "Yes." She’s completely serious, not a hint of teasing or sarcasm. "And why are you so flustered about it?" I scratch my head, trying to find a way to explain without sounding like a complete idiot. "Well, it’s something people do when they’re... in love." She frowns, processing this new bit of information with the same intensity she applies to everything else. "So you love each other?" Her words hit me like a truck, and I’m suddenly unsure of how to respond. Do Iris and I love each other? Is that what this is? My mouth opens and closes as I struggle to come up with an answer that won’t make things even weirder. "Uh, I guess?" I stammer, my head spinning. I can’t tell if I’m even answering her question. "It’s... complicated." Luna doesn’t react right away, just sits there like a statue, absorbing my words. Why is she so baffled by this? Doesn’t she know how love works? An odd thought strikes me: has she been sheltered or something? Her eyes narrow slightly, like she’s trying to solve a particularly difficult puzzle. "How does it feel?" "What?" I ask, thrown off balance again. "Love," she clarifies, her voice a mix of curiosity and frustration. "How does it feel?" I blink at her, trying to wrap my head around the question. How do you explain something like that? Especially when I’m not even sure myself. "Um," I start, fumbling for words. "It’s... kind of intense? Like you can’t stop thinking about the person and want to be with them all the time?" I watch her for a reaction, but her face is unreadable as ever. "It’s hard to explain." "I see." Her ears twitch slightly, and her tail sways with a deliberate curiosity. "Continue." "Uh, okay," I say, surprised by her interest. I take a breath and try again. "It’s confusing and kind of scary, but it’s also really... nice? Like you’d do anything for them, even if it’s crazy." Luna listens with unblinking focus, her fox-like attributes moving subtly with each word. It’s both cute and unnerving, and I can’t tell if she’s actually getting what I’m saying or just filing it away for some future analysis. "Interesting" She finally speaks, her voice softer but still direct. "And you feel this way about Iris." Her statement—not even a question—sends my heart racing again. "I-I mean, Iris definitely feels that way," I mumble, attempting to deflect without sounding like a complete coward. "And I... well, I’m still trying to figure it all out." Luna nods slowly. "You two are matched," "Matched?" I echo, not entirely sure what she means by that. "Destined for each other. You two are fated mates" Luna clarifies, her eyes narrowing in thought. The words hang in the air for a second. "Fated mates?" I repeat, way too loudly. A few heads turn our way, and I lower my voice, leaning closer to her. "Is that what you think?" Luna nods once, decisive and certain. "Yes." Her conviction is overwhelming, and I slump back in my chair, completely dazed. Is that really what Iris believes too? No wonder she’s been so intense about everything. "How do you know?" She tilts her head, studying me like I’ve just asked why the sun rises. "I can feel it." Her answer is so straightforward, so confident, that I don’t know how to respond. It’s like she’s saying the sky is blue, and I’m the idiot questioning it. "Can you feel it too?" she asks, leaning in slightly. "I... I don’t know." My voice is barely a whisper. "Maybe?" Luna watches me for a moment longer, then nods as if that’s confirmation enough. Her eyes flicker with something unreadable, a complex mix of emotions I can’t quite pin down. Then she surprises me by adding, "I want to feel it too." The admission hangs between us. I stare at her, my heart doing somersaults as I try to process what she means by that. Does she want to feel love? I sputter, trying to break the tension with a laugh. "Wow, Luna, I didn’t know you were such a romantic." Luna blinks at me, her expression shifting ever so slightly, like she’s questioning if I’m making fun of her or not. "No, I mean it!" I say, quickly backpedaling and reaching out to touch her arm. "It’s a good thing. You’ll definitely feel it someday." She watches my hand on her arm, and for a split second, her eyes soften. "Do you really believe that?" "Sure," I assure her with what I hope is a convincing grin. "You’re amazing. You’ll probably have everyone fighting over you." The corner of her mouth twitches, maybe in the tiniest hint of a smile. "Okay" Luna leans toward me, suddenly close enough that I can see the fine strands of hair framing her face. "Uh, Luna?" I say, trying not to flinch. She’s like a fox investigating a suspicious object—a very large, very sexy, very intense fox. She sniffs at the air around me, her nose twitching delicately. "You smell like Iris," she declares with unnerving precision. I gape at her, caught somewhere between surprise and embarrassment. "I do?" Her eyes meet mine, as piercing as ever. "Did you mate with her?" The question is so blunt it knocks the wind out of me. My mouth opens and closes like a fish gasping for air. "W-what? What to you mean?" Luna blinks, and her expression is almost innocent. "Did you insert your penis into her vagina?" I make a noise somewhere between a squeak and a groan, my brain short-circuiting at her abrupt question. "NO! No, we didn’t—" I fumble, face burning hotter than ever. "We didn’t do that!" She just milked me all night with her mouth and thighs. Oh god. She watches me, unimpressed by my denial. "You released pheromones as if you did." "What does that even mean?" I squirm under her steady gaze, feeling more exposed than ever. "It means you smell like mating." Her ears twitch, and she leans closer again. "Like sex" "I—uh—" My words fail me as I sink into my seat, feeling like I might spontaneously combust from sheer embarrassment. Luna pulls back slightly, regarding me with that intense gaze of hers. "How was it?" "Uh," I stammer, trying to find a way to answer that doesn’t involve dying of shame. Why is this so hard? I fumble for words, aware of how Luna’s curiosity cuts through my every attempt to evade. "Iris is just... really affectionate," I try weakly. "Affectionate." She repeats the word like she’s testing it out, then nods as if filing it under some mental list of Things That Are Affectionate: Fox Ears, Kisses, Blowjobs. Probably not the last one though. "What did she do to you?" Oh god, she’s not going to let this go. My mind races for an escape route as Luna waits, her eyes boring into me. "Well," I begin, stalling for time as I desperately try to phrase things without dying of mortification. "We just—uh—did stuff people do when they’re close." Her ears perk up with interest. "What kind of stuff?" Why is she so curious? I’m pretty sure my face is the color of a ripe tomato. "Just... stuff!" I say, my voice cracking in a way that is not at all embarrassing. "Things like... kissing and more kissing?" Luna’s tail flicks behind her, and she peers at me with those intense golden eyes. "And mating." "No!" I exclaim, too loudly again. A few more heads turn our way, and I shrink back in my seat. "Not exactly." Why am I even answering her questions? And why the hell doesn’t she know about this stuff? Luna’s eyes seem to brighten with an almost alarming interest. "What kinds of mating are there?" I choke on my own breath, caught off guard by her sudden shift from shy romantic to sex ed inquisition. "Uh, I dunno," I mumble, wishing the ground would swallow me whole. "A lot?" "How many?" she presses, her curiosity relentless. Is she serious right now? I glance around, hoping for a distraction or intervention—anything to save me from this conversation. No such luck. "A few?" I hazard, trying to keep things vague. "Name them." Oh god. My face is pure fire, and she isn’t even blinking. "There’s... um," I stutter, feeling like an idiot. "Oral?" Her ears twitch with recognition. "Mouth mating." I’m going to die. "Sure," I sigh heavily, defeated by her bluntness. "And?" Luna leans closer again, her tail swishing behind. I take a deep breath, resigning myself to finish this one way or another. "Uh, manual?" She looks confused. "With hands?" "Pretty much," I squeak, nodding helplessly. "What else?" Her eyes are wide with expectation, like a kid on Christmas morning. "Luna, do you really want to know all this?" I ask, my last-ditch effort to escape with a shred of dignity intact. "Yes." The answer is instantaneous and firm. I groan inwardly. "Okay... there’s, um, thigh?" Her ears perk up. "Thigh mating?" I stare at her in disbelief. "You really don’t know anything about this stuff, do you?" She shakes her head, almost apologetically. It’s the first time she looks unsure of herself. A small part of me—not sure if it’s the masochistic or sympathetic part—actually feels for her. I let out a long sigh. Luna’s gaze never wavers, even as the silence stretches on. "Which did you do?" Her question hits like a sledgehammer. I glance around nervously, making sure no one else is in earshot. "Pretty much all of them," I mumble, each word feeling like it’s dragged from the depths of my soul. She looks at me, absorbing my confession with an unreadable expression. We fall silent, the air thick with everything left unsaid. Eventually, more students begin to trickle into the classroom, their chatter filling the space and giving me a welcome distraction from Luna’s intense scrutiny. She doesn’t press further, and we sit there quietly until the room is packed, leaving only the teacher to arrive. My heart finally starts to settle back into a normal rhythm. Luna’s chest starts to hurt. She stiffens, her ears flattening for a moment before she schools her expression back to neutral. The teacher finally enters, and I swear I’ve never been so relieved to see that boring old bastard in my life. "Settle down, everyone," he drones, waving his hands like we’re a bunch of unruly kids. The class gradually quiets, and the lesson begins. I sneak a glance at Luna. Her hands are clasped tightly in her lap, and there’s a slight tension in her shoulders that wasn’t there before. I wonder if my awkward confessions actually got to her. Is she... upset? I shift in my seat, trying to focus on anything but the enigma next to me. The teacher’s voice fades into the background as my thoughts spiral. Luna seemed so intent on understanding what happened with Iris—almost desperate, even. A soft vibration in my pocket interrupts the chaos in my head. Saved by the bell, or in this case, a message alert. I sneak another glance at Luna, who is now focused on the lesson, her eyes narrowed with determination. The tension between us eases slightly as I slide my phone out. Iris: Lunch at our usual spot? <3 <3 I exhale a breath I didn’t know I was holding. It’s like she has a sixth sense for knowing when things are spiraling out of control for me. I tap out a quick reply, grateful for the distraction. The rest of the morning trudges on with lessons dragging like molasses. Thankfully, Luna doesn’t bring up mating or anything else that makes me want to die on the spot. Her attention stays locked on the front, and I decide that maybe I’m off the hook for now. Finally, lunch arrives. The moment the bell rings, I bolt up from my seat.