A pen clacked loudly to the wooden desk, followed a few moments later by the soft thud of the
leopard woman's head. She'd fallen asleep again, this time in the middle of writing a sentence.
Prime Minister Keldra Mayis, the administrator of the Eastern Sovereign, had been working herself
ragged lately.
  'Umm... Milady?' Sophie Nerrik called. The young weasel woman had been working as the Prime
Minister's personal assistant for the last nine months and had seen too much of this in the last few
weeks. 'Milady you need to wake up!' She approached the desk and climbed atop it, using the struts
placed there for that purpose. Weasels and animals of similar sizes would be too small to actually
stand at a desk sized for a leopard, so instead it was made longer and had a place to allow such
people to stand or sit atop it and converse with the larger citizens at eye level.
  'Huhh?' Keldra stirred, lifting her head suddenly as Sophie leaned over to gently tap her on the
forehead. She sighed in frustration at seeing what had happened, noticing as well that her glasses
had been damaged when her head hit the desk.
  'You fell asleep again.' The weasel sighed. 'You can't keep doing this. It's three in the morning,
you need to sleep! And frankly so do I.'
  'I told you, you can go home.' Keldra rubbed her head where she had landed. 'I told you that four
hours ago. And two hours before that as well.'
  'I know.' Sophie retorted, stepping back and climbing off the desk. 'But last time I left you here
alone, you fell asleep at your desk just like that and left a giant drool stain on the press secretary's
report. It even showed up on the photocopies I made.'
  'Well, what am I supposed to do?' Keldra shrugged, standing from her desk and stretching her
arms and legs. 'It's a demanding job but I enjoy it. And someone has to do it.'
  'But that doesn't mean it all falls on you.' Sophie stepped over to one of the bookshelves on the
east wall of the office. 'We're a democracy, and that means no single person has all the
responsibility. Did you forget that you do have a Deputy Prime Minister? I am sure Desmond can
handle things if you take a week off.'
  'I don't feel right asking him to do that.' Keldra said, stifling a yawn.
  'What, his job?' Sophie shot back. 'He's basically sitting on his hands with the way you've been
running things. Not that you aren't doing a great job mind you, but you need to realize you can share
this burden of leadership.'
  The leopard sighed and rubbed her forehead with one hand. 'Alright. I guess... I can take a few
days off to recuperate.'
  'A week.' Sophie said, folding her arms. 'A whole week. No stress, no work and no missing insane
amounts of sleep. I'll find some reclusive resort where you can keep out of the spotlight and just
take it easy.'
  'A whole week?' Keldra asked. 'Do you really think that much is necessary?'
  'I'd say a month but I know asking that from you is ludicrous.' Sophie grinned. 'Don't worry, I
know a great place. It's near the mountains south of the old borderline. Used to be a military
outpost but since the expansion they repurposed it. It's a bit fancy, but I think it's exactly what you
need.'
  Keldra took a deep breath and sighed. 'I'm not so sure. I mean, going to some place away from my
responsibilities just seems like a... bad career choice.'
  'If it will make you happy, I will go with you.' Sophie suggested. 'I'll keep in touch with the Deputy
PM, and if there is an emergency situation I promise I will keep you in the loop. But other than that,
you just need to relax as much as possible.'
  Keldra thought about it for a minute, before sitting back down at her desk and leaning back in her
chair. She took another look at the paperwork she had been about halfway through and finally
nodded before looking up to meet Sophie's expectant gaze. '...Alright. We'll go.'
  'Excellent, Ma'am.' Sophie nodded. 'Now go get some sleep. I'll make the arrangements, and the
rest of this can wait until morning.'
 
 
  'I still can't believe I let you talk me into this...' Keldra muttered, looking at her face in the mirror.
  'I thought we were past this?' Sophie sighed, not looking up from whatever she was checking on
her phone as the limousine pulled up and came to a stop. 'You need the time off.'
  'Not that.' Keldra replied. 'I mean what you did to my hair.'
  'Oh.' Sophie looked up, trying not to laugh. 'But it looks great! And it will make you much harder
to recognize.' Keldra's usual simple brown bangs had been restyled into a tied back ponytail and
dyed jet black. Her usual silver framed glasses had also been replaced with a fancier looking rose
gold pair.
  'Didn't realize that was so important.' The leopard shrugged as the door beside her was opened
from the outside. The driver, a well-dressed leopard man, announced that they had reached their
destination. The two women thanked him as they exited, and Keldra took a few nervous steps
towards the building they had come to as Sophie finalized payment details. The sun was just on its
approach to noon, making the leopard wish she'd kept her sunglasses out of her luggage bag.
  Once the vehicle had left, Sophie walked past Keldra and beckoned her to follow inside. This was
the only building in sight, larger than a city block, taller than six storeys, and plain looking with only
mountains and trees surrounding it. The only other people around out here were a lynx greeter
standing near the door and a lioness standing a discreet distance away. Probably security.
  The lynx looked the pair over as they approached, perhaps curious as to why such an odd pairing
had booked time together at a place like this. He made no effort to bar their path, instead offering a
curt nod and smile as he held open the door for the two women to pass.
  Keldra's breath caught as she laid eyes on the building's interior. It had looked every bit the part
of its former boring existence on the outside, but the inside was like a palace. Lavishly crafted timber
chairs lined the entry foyer, and the front service desk was a marvel of modern craftsmanship.
Keldra instantly felt underdressed when she caught sight of a few of the other patrons waiting
nearby, her tailored dress suit looking cheap compared to the ostentatious garments of the other
felids nearby.
  Sophie had already approached the front desk. Keldra noticed that several of the other patrons,
most notably a lion couple and a group of leopards, were eying Sophie and Keldra with curious looks
of intrigue and suspicion. Even the lynx behind the desk seemed surprised to see a weasel here, but
she didn't say anything besides the usual protocol and pleasantries that everyone in the service
industry rattled off by muscle memory.
  'Did you... just pay the entire bill up front?' Keldra asked as Sophie returned to where she was
waiting. 'Don't they usually just take a deposit?'
  Sophie shrugged. 'Most places do. But I guess it's just insurance here.'
  'What do you mean?' Keldra asked, following as Sophie read the tags attached to their keys and
headed towards the elevators at the far side of the room.
  'This place allows hunting.' Sophie asked nonchalantly. 'I guess if clients get eaten, at least their
rooms were paid for.'
  Keldra was silent as Sophie stretched to reach the elevator call button. The weasel had convinced
her to take time off work, disguised her and brought her to a place that no sane weasel would want
to be. What in the blazes was she thinking?
  As the elevator closed with them inside, Sophie took a deep breath and turned to look up at
Keldra, seeing the leopard was still sporting the look of incredulity she'd worn for the last few
minutes. 'I know what you're thinking, and I assure you everything will be fine.'
  'Oh really?' Keldra smirked. 'And what am I supposed to do if my assistant gets herself eaten? I
don't know the first thing about this place, I wouldn't know who to call or what to do, or even how
to leave!'
  'Please, just relax.' Sophie said, echoing her own message for the last few weeks. 'You and I have
a shared apartment, each with our own room and plenty of space between us. You can do your own
thing, and I'll be nearby if you need something. Honestly, the normal hours still apply so the only
thing even remotely likely to eat me is you.'
  'That isn't funny.' Keldra rolled her eyes. 'You know I haven't hunted in years. It isn't a good look
for someone in Office. People need to be able to trust me.'
  'You're here taking time off.' Sophie grinned. 'Besides, nobody is going to recognize you. You look
like just another leopard taking a vacation.'
  'With the weasel assistant of the Prime Minister.' Keldra retorted.
  'Oh pshh, nobody knows who I am.' Sophie grinned as the doors chimed and rolled open. As they
stepped out into the hallway, Sophie once again took the lead down the hall to their left. 'And
besides I don't think it would stop me if they did. I still snare a mouse here and there on my way
home some nights.'
  Keldra sighed. She did miss her younger days sometimes, the ability to just take a quick ride to
one of the smaller mustelid or rodent colonies and snare a few of the stragglers near the edge. And
now that their societies were intertwined, it would be even easier. But she was supposed to be the
face of the country, the representative of everyone's right to live in this land as equals. Even of the
laws permitted them to eat each other, she couldn't be seen to betray the trust of her citizens.
  'Here we are.' Sophie stopped, looking at the large door before her. This time the handle was
beyond her reach, so she sheepishly handed the key to Keldra.
  'What is this, a lion suite?' Keldra asked, turning the lock and opening the door. Her breath caught
as she looked inside.
  'Basically.' Sophie nodded. 'You know lions, always the biggest and always the best.'
  'Right...' Keldra nodded. Sophie wasn't lying. The place was furnished like a king's palace from the
old feudal times, a stone fireplace dominating the living area and beautiful porcelain platters pre-set
around a finely crafted mahogany table. It was almost comical, as though whoever arranged this
place had sought nothing but the most expensive wares with no thought given to whether anything
matched anything else.
  'So...' Sophie slowly pushed the heavy door shut again. 'It could be another ten minutes or so
before they haul our luggage up. Would you like me to order room service? Or maybe I could just
swing by the bar and see if I can lure another weasel up here...?'
  'You have a strange sense of humour.' Keldra scoffed, slowly feeling the upholstery on one of the
throne like chairs near the fireplace.
  'Yea... Humour.' Sophie nodded, heading into the kitchen area and struggling to open the fridge.
She took out a large bottle of water and leaped atop the counter, stretching to reach the overhead
cabinets and precariously taking out two glasses. 'How about a drink of water then? At least until
you decide what you want to eat.'
  'Sure, thank you.' Keldra called. 'And actually, lunch does sound like a good idea.'
 
  The first evening was pleasant, the pair enjoyed a roast dinner brought to their apartment and a
bottle of well-aged wine. By that time it was barely even three in the afternoon, but already Keldra
was feeling just how tired she was finally catching up to her. She decided to take a quick shower and
go to bed early, to which Sophie agreed was a good idea. The weasel however, had a different plan...
  The bar and restaurant were as lavish as the rest of this place, finely crafted seating as well as
tables and even the drinking glasses were embellished with crystal and rose gold. Sophie found
herself a seat near the main bar and took a look around. This was definitely the busiest place in the
entire resort, and as she expected there was a healthy mix of patrons, from the large lions to the
smaller mustelids like herself. This was also considered a public area, meaning that prey was
protected here. If her plan was to work, she needed to convince someone to follow her back to her
apartment. Something that may prove tricky once they knew she was in the section normally
reserved for large predators.
  'Would you like a drink, Miss?' A voice called her from behind. She turned to see the source, a
bartender that was surprisingly an otter woman rather than the almost exclusively felid staff she'd
seen so far.
  'Yes, I'll have...' Sophie thought, not wanting to make herself too drunk on top of the two wine
glasses she'd had with lunch. 'A whiskey on the rocks please. Tab is room A62.'
  The otter paused for a moment. 'The... leonine section?'
  'Sort of a business trip I guess?' Sophie shrugged. The bartender returned the gesture and poured
her drink. As she took the first sip, she started to eye up the smaller patrons. A family of stoats,
parents and two grown children were sitting down to dinner in the restaurant not far from a table of
otters. Otters were a little above her size class, but she noticed with interest that the stoats seemed
to have something of a disagreeable discussion going. From what Sophie could overhear, the
daughter had no interest in being here and wished simply to return to her room. Her parents were
insisting on a family dinner.
  Sophie smiled to herself, taking another sip and settling in. All she had to do now was wait for her
opportunity.
 
 
  Keldra stirred slowly, rolling over on her bed. With a quick glance out the window, she could see
that the sun had not long set. Looking towards the alarm clock beside the bed, she saw that it was
only a few minutes after seven. Roughly three and a half hours of sleep, not bad and a good head
start on what would hopefully be a good night's sleep.
  'Sophie?' She called, stepping out of her room after she had straightened her clothes out. 'Are
you still here?'
  'Yes!' The weasel called from the living area. 'Just got back a few minutes ago.'
  'Back?' Keldra asked, heading towards the living room. The sounds of something on the television
could be heard, as well as something... else? And also a scent that did not belong to either of them.
  'From the bar.' Sophie stood and walked out from behind the sofa, allowing Keldra to see her. But
she was not alone. In each hand was grasped a mouse, both squirming and terrified. One was a male
and the other female, and by their dishevelled look it seemed clear that Sophie had been in the
midst of removing their clothes.
  'You found... them, at the bar?' Keldra asked, under no illusions as to the smaller woman's intent
but all the same reluctant to bring attention to it.
  'On our way back.' Sophie continued. 'Silly things were in the wrong section once the sun went
down, so I figured why not?' She made a large shrug and grinned, to which Keldra simply sighed and
rolled her eyes.
  'I get it.' Keldra nodded knowingly. 'You think you'll spark my predatory instincts by trying to get
me to eat one of them.'
  '...No.' Sophie replied coyly, slowly bringing one of the mice to her lips and holding him there.
Both of them ignored the rodents' cries and pleading with practiced ease, a fact that made Keldra
uncomfortably aware of just how little this was actually bothering her. 'These two are mine. Yours is
on the couch.'
  'Very fun-' Keldra caught herself mid-sentence as she processed what her assistant had just said.
She took a step forward and leaned over the couch to see a young mustelid asleep on the cushions
with her mouth hanging open and a puddle of drool under her cheek. 'W-who is this? What did you
do?'
  'Her name is... Sheree or something. I forget.' Sophie shrugged, slipping her mouse prey between
her lips. She deliberately lapped at his body and slurped his flavour as loudly as she could, making no
secret of how much she was enjoying her snack. Or rather, for someone her size, two mice was a
perfectly filling meal. Just as this stoat would be if Keldra was to...
  'I... Sophie, I can't.' Keldra shook her head, softening her voice so their unwitting guest wouldn't
wake up.
  'Sure you can!' Sophie said with a mouth full of squirming mouse. She made one more slurp
before swallowing the unfortunate rodent down, to the hysteric cries of his wife. 'Nobody will even
come looking for her.'
  'But...' Keldra shook her head, taking another look at the oblivious girl. 'She's so young...'
  'Be honest with me now.' Sophie said, climbing to the arm of the couch before balancing herself
on top. Now standing only a little lower than Keldra's eye level, she leaned a little closer. 'As a
predator, does that really bother you?'
  'I...' Keldra stammered. 'A little? Maybe?'
  'Hmm...' Sophie thought for a moment, before suddenly beckoning the leopard to lean in closer.
As Keldra did so, a curious and careful look in her eye, Sophie reached out and latched onto the
leopard's shirt.
  'What are you doing?' Keldra demanded. She had never seen this side of her assistant before and
while her mind was racing with increasingly morbid curiosity, a semblance of professionalism fuelled
a spark of outrage that was quickly growing hotter.
  'Just tell me...' Sophie continued, quickly climbing and sitting herself on Keldra's shoulder. Before
Keldra could repeat her question, Sophie's thigh was brushing against her lips and across the front of
her muzzle. The scent, and the first hints of the taste, were amazing. Something Keldra had almost
completely forgotten. 'Does it still bother you?'
  Keldra reached up slowly, carefully but firmly taking Sophie by her scruff and holding her out in
front of herself. Sophie managed a small innocent smile before Keldra took a deep breath. Before
Sophie could ask what was happening, Keldra's maw had opened and enveloped the weasel's head
and shoulders.
  Sophie gasped, taking a lungful of stale humid air from the leopard's mouth as the large and
powerful tongue caressed her chest and neck. The top of Sophie's head was being pressed into the
ridged roof of the mouth and her nose was barely an inch from the downward curvature that led
into Keldra's slowly flexing throat. It would only take a few simple gulps...
  Instead, the weasel felt herself being pulled free and dangled in front of the leopard's
contemplative stare. Keldra blinked slowly and sighed, before setting Sophie back onto the floor.
  'So... was I as delicious as you thought?' Sophie asked with a mischievous grin.
  'I... don't know if you can keep your job after this.' Keldra replied. 'There are boundaries that
shouldn't be crossed. But... Yes. You were.'
  'Well then...' Sophie continued. 'If this is going to be the last time I can help you, I will do my best
to make sure you enjoy yourself. Please just trust me on this.' As if suddenly realizing that she still
held the second mouse in her hand, she lifted the shivering tiny woman up to her lips and gave her
along slow lick.
  Keldra watched, then her eyes darted back to the sleeping stoat. Weasel, stoat, their flavours
would be remarkably similar if not the same, and the girl was almost the same size as Sophie was. As
her mind raced, she suddenly realized she was leaning down over top of the girl, the wonderful scent
reaching her as her jaw quivered in her indecision.
  Suddenly the girl stirred, stretching her legs and rolling onto her back. She yawned and opened
her eyes, going from sleepy to terrified in an instant at the sight of the staring leopard above. 'AAAH!
What's going on? Where am I? Where is-!'
  Her voice was silenced by a large and powerful grip seizing her by her short muzzle and holding
her jaw closed. Keldra realized with horror and trepidation that it was her hand, claws extended
slightly as tears begun to well in the stoat's eyes. This girl was no child, but she was still young and
only in early adulthood at most.
  'Sophie...' Keldra growled. 'Why did you do this?'
  Sophie had watched the whole thing unfold with restrained elation. The mouse woman's tail still
flailed wildly from between her lips, and at her employer's question she made several hasty gulps
before stepping forward. 'Because like I keep saying, you need this.'
  The stoat's eyes went even wider in realization as Sophie stepped into her field of view. Her own
claws dug into Keldra's hand and wrist in a futile struggle to free herself. After a few seconds, Keldra
brought her second hand down and better restrained the squirming girl. Now she was all but
immobilized as Keldra lifted her up and held her tight against her own chest.
  Keldra's stomach seemed to sense the proximity of food, letting out a slow growl that brought the
leopard's attention back to how hungry she was fast becoming. The stoat girl was pressed directly
against the large felid's abdomen, breaking into muffled cries of terror at the sound mere inches
behind her. Sophie's timing had been perfect. Each second made the young mustelid look more and
more appealing, and an opportunity now lay before her that had been denied for almost a decade,
  The weasel and leopard simply stared into each other's eyes tensely for what felt like hours.
Sophie tapped her own belly lightly, lifting her shirt to show her slightly distended abdomen that still
showed small twitches as the pair of rodents played out the last minute of their lives desperately
trying to survive. That was the fate of this poor stoat should Keldra allow her ever growing
instinctual urges to prevail.
  'Just do it.' Sophie urged, ignoring the look of horror and betrayal her fellow mustelid gave her.
She took a few steps closer and climbed up onto the arm of the couch. 'I went to so much trouble to
get her here.'
  Keldra took a deep breath and closed her eyes, slowly lifting the girl closer to her face. After a few
moments of hesitation, her mouth slowly opened, allowing her tongue to droop out and run
tenderly across the top of the stoat girl's head.
  The leopard's eyes opened suddenly as if she had been awoken suddenly. Her mouth opened a
little wider, a drop of saliva landing on her prey's shoulder as the stoat was lifted further. Her prey?
Yes, her prey. She couldn't go this far and then not go all the way.
  Sophie's hands clasped together as Keldra's mouth enveloped the girl's head. Her scream was
almost instantly muffled as the leopard bit down, not hard enough to tear through skin but enough
to hold her firm while her claws quickly shredded the clothes from her squirming form. Now naked
and bearing a few shallow cuts, the stoat was lifted high and held as still as Keldra could manage as
she began to lower her into her waiting gullet.
  Sophie gasped as Keldra made her first swallow, a loud wet and slow gulp that muffled the prey's
cries even further. It was a beautiful sound, one that was echoed moments later as Keldra swallowed
again. The stoat's lower half was protruding from between two rows of teeth designed for tearing
meat, yet the thrill of having live prey in the stomach meant there were times this purpose was
forgone. Times like this, where the feeling of absolute dominion over the life and death of the
predator's prey satisfied an altogether different form of hunger. A hunger that had been repressed
for far too long.
  Keldra's throat loosed a soft growl as the still squirming legs of her meal slowly slid into her gullet,
aided by rhythmic gulps and her own tight grip steadily pushing the girl deeper inside. Though there
was a visible bulge in Keldra's neck and it was putting some strain on her ability to breathe, the
effect that the stoat had on the leopard's stomach was far less pronounced. Even as Keldra finished
her final swallow and began panting heavily, there was only a slight bulge below her breasts as her
stomach expanded just enough to accommodate her meal.
  'Oh my god...' Keldra murmured, her eyes wide with a mix of disbelief and ecstasy. 'I did it. I can't
believe I did that but I did it. Oh, this poor girl...'
  'You did it!' Sophie repeated, clasping her hands together. 'Yess! Come over here, sit down and
relax!'
  Keldra did as Sophie said, sitting down on the couch and unbuttoning her shirt. Sophie stood on
the couch beside her, the diminutive woman tentatively placing a hand on the slightly distended
abdomen that Keldra had exposed.
  'How does it feel?' The weasel asked, slowly leaning in close. She pressed an ear to Keldra's belly,
able to make out the faint sound of liquid sloshing and frantic crying before the leopard pushed her
away.
  'It's... fantastic.' Keldra sighed. 'But that isn't the point! Why would you make me do this? I was
doing so well.'
  'You were burying yourself!' Sophie replied firmly. 'Nothing but work, denying your most basic
instincts and feeling like you always had to be something better. Doesn't matter what title you have,
at the end of each and every day you are still a leopard. A carnivore.'
  'A leader of a whole nation.' Keldra cut in with a sigh. 'Sophie, it isn't that I'm trying to deny what
I am, but I have to keep up images at the very least. I need to have as many people's trust as I can,
including all the different...'
  'Prey species?' Sophie asked.
  Keldra nodded. 'It is difficult sometimes but it's worth it. And I have to do it. This is... this feels like
a failure.' She rested a hand over the slight bulge in her abdomen, feeling the struggles of her
doomed prey beginning to die down.
  Sophie remained silent for a few more minutes, taking the time to consider the leopard's words
as well as rest a hand on her own stomach. The mice had not lasted long, certainly not as long as
prey would last in a larger predator's belly. It was rare that she would down two of them, but she
hadn't wanted to leave a witness alive just in case one of them figured out who she was.
  'Are you alright?' Keldra asked suddenly. 'I'm sorry if I don't seem grateful about this. But I am
thankful that you are... well, thinking of my wellbeing.'
  'Oh I'm fine.' Sophie assured her. 'And yes, I do worry about you. I know that with our instincts it
can be difficult to empathize with people that are so different sometimes, and I know you need to
make a conscious effort to try. The Prime Minister's image is important. That's why I thought if we
came out to this secluded place and if nobody recognized you, things would be easier.'
  'Easier than I'd like to admit.' Keldra murmured.
  'That's the spirit.' Sophie grinned, before sliding off the couch and beginning to sift through the
stoat girl's ruined clothes. It didn't take her long to find what she was after, the girl's identification
card. She'd pop this and the two smaller ones she'd taken from the mice into the registry machine
next time she was downstairs, confirming the three patrons as consumed. She slipped the cards into
her pocket and then climbed back up onto the couch beside Keldra.
  Keldra watched with a slightly raised eyebrow as the weasel slowly inched her way closer once
again. Far from being in any way discomforted by a fellow mustelid being digested alive less than a
metre away, Sophie had a level of intrigue that seemed... even the word unusual seemed
inadequate. The leopard decided to let Sophie's odd fascination play out, not making any move even
when the weasel was once again placing her hand on Keldra's stomach.
  'S-sorry.' She said after a moment, realizing what she'd done.
  'This... fascinates you?' Keldra asked, placing her hand over her own belly as well. 'I have to be
honest, this isn't the reaction I'd expect from someone... well someone of such a similar race.'
  'Well, we look similar but we stoats and weasels do have our differences.' Sophie shrugged,
flinching as the leopard's belly rocked suddenly. 'I mean, I don't think that has anything to do with it.
I've always just been... curious? That seems to be the only way I can think of to describe it.'
  'Curious about what?' Keldra asked, slowly sliding her hand down onto Sophie's back. 'What it
would be like to watch someone get eaten alive? Or what it would be like to experience it yourself?'
  Sophie began to shiver as Keldra's hand kept her pressed to the softly gurgling flesh of her
stomach. She couldn't answer Keldra straight away, not until the plethora of thoughts had worked
their way into something coherent. 'Oh, umm... I think... Maybe both? But... I just don't know.'
  'I thought so.' Keldra sighed. 'I guess it... kind of makes sense.'
  'What do you mean?' Sophie asked.
  'Well you said it yourself.' Keldra smirked, looking down at her as Sophie looked back up.
'Predators tend to have a harder time empathising with... people, who would normally just be prey.
Not that it means I haven't come to like you. But you just seemed so... eager to please. Even from
the start.'
  'Did you suspect this whole time?' Sophie asked. 'That I might be one of, well, those weirdoes?'
  'No.' Keldra shook her head. 'It honestly never occurred to me, but I guess all the pieces were
there. Especially now. You brought me another mustelid to eat, and you didn't even flinch when I
put your head in my mouth.'
  'Right...' Sophie smiled subconsciously, rubbing her hand on the fur of her own cheek where the
leopard's saliva had matted it flat. 'I'm sorry.'
  'Sorry?' Keldra enquired.
  'Yea.' Sophie nodded. 'This was all supposed to be so you could relax a little. But I just couldn't
help myself. When I... when I took this job I just figured it would mean late nights. Going home after
dark, one night I was bound to get snared by some leopard or lion, and it would all happen without
this kind of awkward uncertainty.'
  'That's why you took this job?' Keldra asked in surprise.
  'Yes.' Sophie nodded, rubbing her head against the still twitching skin of Keldra's belly. 'But it
didn't happen. Everyone was just so professional. Then they made me your assistant after your last
one quit or something, I forget.'
  'He was embezzling actually, he's in jail now.' Keldra murmured.
  'Doesn't matter.' Sophie continued. 'Only took a month. I decided I wanted it to be you.'
  'Sophie...' Keldra sighed. 'But I like you. I don't really want you to die. And especially not like this,
knowing it was me that did it. I mean, if I got the news one day that it had happened, and it was just
the natural course of events, I think I could live with that. I'd still miss you, but it would be
something I could make peace with.'
  'You really... couldn't do it yourself?' Sophie pressed, squirming free of the leopard's hand and
standing on the couch. She was almost level with Keldra's shoulders now, and looked up into her
face as she leaned onto her. 'Well, alright. But if you want to try, we have the rest of the week. And
if it doesn't happen, and you still want me to resign afterwards, I'll understand.'
 
 
  Not a word of it was mentioned for the next three days. The pair enjoyed everything the resort
had to offer, including the discovery that there was an indoor pool in the lower levels completely
unmentioned in any of the promotional material. Sophie refrained from hunting again, instead
content to enjoy the impeccably prepared meals that the restaurant prepared. And to her delight,
Keldra was reluctantly loosening up enough to enjoy herself without the constant stressing about
work. The bulge that the stoat had left faded over the first two days as the leopard's stomach
gradually finished what remained of her, bolstered by the subsequent meals of cooked meat and
vegetables.
  That night, they had yet to settle on ordering room service or vising the restaurant again for
dinner. Keldra was splayed over the couch on her back, wearing only underpants and a singlet, while
Sophie was similarly relaxing on the armchair nearby. The television was on, but muted on some
news program. A story about something Desmond had been saying in relation to public schools
briefly caught Keldra's attention before she realized he was simply reciting her own prepared
statement. Everything was fine. Sophie had been right.
  'Two more days...' Sophie murmured suddenly.
  'What?' Keldra asked, blinking. She had been on the verge of dozing off.
  'We're here for two more days.' Sophie repeated. 'You know. Roughly the time it takes for a stoat
sized meal to work its way through.'
  'Oh...' Keldra replied in realization. Sophie was right. If she wanted to hunt again, or if... she
wanted to indulge Sophie's peculiar wish, it would almost have to be tonight if she wanted to avoid
suspicion when she returned to the public eye. She rolled over just enough to look over to Sophie's
position, noting the look of lust in the weasel's eyes. 'Right... I was thinking about that. Are you... are
you absolutely sure you want this?'
  'Well...' Sophie sighed. 'I guess it's something that I'll never really know until it happens.'
  'Okay.' Keldra slowly sat herself up. 'But what if it isn't what you imagined? What if it turns out to
be much more unpleasant that you could have anticipated? You do know that a predator's stomach
is designed to pretty much take prey apart, right?'
  Sophie took a deep breath. 'Yes... It means I'm going to die.'
  'Yes.' Keldra sighed. 'And if you want out, I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it. It's one thing to get
something your size down, it's another altogether to get it back up.'
  'Sounds like you've tried?' Sophie grinned.
  'Long story.' Keldra closed her eyes and shook her head. 'But basically if you do this, there's no
going back.'
  'Then... give me an hour or two?' Sophie asked. 'And try not to eat anything. If you can manage.'
  'Sure.' Keldra nodded. 'Try not to take much longer than that then.'
  Sophie simply nodded with a smile, before heading to her room. She quickly got herself changed
into jeans and a slim teal shirt before making her way back to the kitchen. She poured herself a glass
of water and took a quick drink, hearing the sound of Keldra shuffling her position on the couch.
  'Are you okay?' The leopard called.
  Sophie inhaled deeply before replying. 'I'll be back soon. Hopefully I'll know by then...'
 
  The tavern was just as crowded as it had been the other night. First thing Sophie noted was the
absence of the stoat family, or rather the remaining members. Either they'd called their vacation
short after their daughter turned up on the consumed registry, or they had managed to get
themselves on the same list.
  She didn't really care. Eat and be eaten was part of life for someone in their size range, and she
had no doubt that any stoat worth their weight would have put away plenty of rodents before they
even reached their teens. It was the way the world was, and a bunch of fancy words on paper in a
fancy looking building somewhere wouldn't change that. Only how and when it happened...
  She was three drinks in, her mind heavy with thoughts of her own fate. The tavern was inhabited
by two other weasels she hadn't seen before, and a different bartender.
  'So...' The bartender began, a leopard of trim figure and long silver dyed hair. 'You're looking like
you have a lot of weight on your shoulders. Need to lighten the load?'
  Sophie looked back at the leopard's face. Her eyes seemed to have genuine interest behind them,
framed by a few loose strands of hair that hung down either side of her face. She wondered briefly if
the woman was just sizing her up for later on, already planning the opportunity she could create by
getting this clueless weasel drunk enough. A grin crept onto Sophie's face. Maybe this was an easier
way?
  'You okay?' The bartender asked. 'You're not sloshed already are you? Even for a weasel that'd be
pretty lightweight.'
  'Oh, nono.' Sophie shook her head. 'I was just thinking about an awkward situation I've gone and
gotten myself into.'
  'Tell me about it.' The leopard enquired.
  'It's kinda personal...' Sophie murmured.
  'Your roommate's a leopard, the predator prey relationship became a topic, and she found out
that you are into it, that's my guess. Am I right?'
  Sophie blinked in astonishment. 'Uhhmm... Yes? How could you possibly know that?'
  'You were in the restaurant together the other night when I was on duty here.' The bartender
replied, pausing for a few moments to take another customer's order and pour their drink. 'And I
took notice because you don't see those kinds of couples around very often, you know?'
  'That doesn't explain why you think I'd be into... that.' Sophie retorted.
  'I took a guess.' The leopard shrugged. 'I've seen people like you before, and you've been staring
at my mouth for the vast majority of this conversation. I do have nice lips, don't I?'
  Sophie sighed as she realized the bartender was right. 'Yea... You really do. Almost as perfect as
hers.'
  'So what's the problem?' The leopard leaned a little closer. 'She not into it? Or has she just not
clued in yet?'
  'Oh, it's nothing like that!' Sophie added hastily. 'We've been working together for months, I
guess you could say we've become pretty good friends? I've been wanting it for so long, and she
never knew. I guess I just figured it would happen eventually. But she only found out about it on this
trip. And I don't think she wants to go through with it.'
  The leopard took a quick glance around to make sure she wouldn't be needed for a few moments,
then poured another glass to replace the almost empty one in front of her weasel patron. 'So Miss...
How much would you be leaving behind if you went through with it?'
  'I... try not to think about it.' Sophie confessed. 'I guess it's similar to when I hunt for myself. Mice
have families and whatnot like everyone else. And every time I've ever hunted... someone hasn't
made it home to theirs. Equality hasn't really changed anything. I guess she just wanted so bad to
believe that it had. It's Sophie by the way.'
  'Angela.' The leopard replied. 'It can be a burden if you think of it that way. I'm guessing you
prefer to let your family think you were just caught?'
  'Of course.' Sophie nodded. 'I can't imagine what they'd think if they knew I just... gave myself to
some predator.'
  'But you also seem worried about the guilt you'd put your friend through.' Angela pointed out.
  'I guess so.' Sophie nodded in realization, taking a deep swig of her drink and relishing the burn it
left down her throat. 'I really want it to be her, but only if she wants to do it too.'
  'So.' Angela nodded. 'If you can't convince her, you need to either talk someone else into it, or
just be in the wrong place at the right time.'
  Sophie giggled at the suggestion and half slumped onto the counter. 'So what time do your hours
finish, cutie?'
  'Sorry Sweetheart.' Angela shook her head and grinned. 'I love the kicking and screaming that you
just can't fake. Wouldn't be the same if my prey was into it.'
  'Oh, you're mean.' Sophie giggled again.
  'You have no idea.' Angela laughed, running a finger over Sophie's cheek before licking it. 'I hope
you can work things out somehow with your friend. And if you find someone else, you will let her
know, right?'
  'I... should.' Sophie nodded, finishing her drink. When Angela raised an eyebrow, she nodded. She
had time for one more...
 
  It had been almost an hour now. Sophie's one more had turned into three, plus a bowl of peanuts
and a pretzel that she didn't even remember ordering. Angela had stuck close for most of the night,
seeming to have a genuine interest in keeping the weasel safe. Two other patrons, one a lion and
one a lynx, had tried to talk her away from the bar only to be told no by the leopard. Sophie had
begun to wonder if Angela was planning to make a move after all, before dismissing the thought. It
wasn't impossible for a predator to genuinely care about someone smaller.
  A buzz and soft vibrating came from Sophie's pocket. Fumbling slightly, she removed her phone
from her jeans and unlocked the screen. It was a text from Keldra. Sneaky cat, Sophie grinned to
herself. She'd hidden the leopard's phone on the first day to remove any distractions from work.
  Are you okay? The message read.
  One laat hurrah.. Sophie replied, scowling at her drunken typo the instant she pressed send. She
was up to about six drinks in an hour, not her limit by any means but not something she could easily
shrug off either.
  A few minutes went by before the next message came through. I thought about it. I'm willing to
do this for you. If you're absolutely sure.
  Adrenalin seemed to lighten Sophie's bobbing head as she read the message. Keldra was okay
with it now? She'd seemed so reluctant before. The weasel wondered what had changed her friend's
mind as she slid from her barstool and dropped to the floor. Staggering slightly, she took a deep
breath and put her phone away. There was no point in asking more questions over text when she
could ask them face to face. And she'd certainly had enough to drink.
 
  Sophie used the walls to steady herself as she made her way back to their room. Once she
reached the door, she noted sourly that the chair she had brought from further down the hallway to
reach the handle had been taken. She leaned on the doorway and knocked three times.
  Keldra opened the door, standing with a concerned look on her face as Sophie shuffled inside.
Once Sophie had kicked off her shoes and socks and drooped herself over the sofa, Keldra knelt
beside it on the floor. 'So... how much did you have to drink?'
  'Six.' Sophie giggled, draping her foot onto Keldra's nose.
  'Six what?' Keldra pressed, doing her best to ignore the smell.
  'Six whiskeys.' Sophie answered. 'My head is buzzing and I feel great. What happens now then, do
I need to take off my clothes for you?'
  'How about you have a shower?' Keldra suggested, pushing the small foot off her face and lifting
herself onto the couch. She looked straight into Sophie's unfocused eyes and fought back words she
couldn't quite form.
  'Alright.' Sophie murmured. 'Are you... Are you really sure that you're okay with this?'
  'With you... dying in my stomach?' Keldra returned. 'Well, if not me, you're just gonna find
someone else, right?'
  'I... probably.' The weasel nodded. 'I was certainly in the right mindset. Now that this is in the
open, I feel the urge to let it happen more strongly than before. You know... I think a lot of these
doomed interspecies relationships you hear about in the news are probably just... people like me.'
  'I guess that's possible.' Keldra nodded slowly. 'But I think plenty of those started out genuine as
well. I mean, it's a lot of effort to go to just to get yourself in someone's belly, don't you think?'
  'But to make it special...' Sophie shook her head, sitting up suddenly before splaying herself onto
Keldra's abdomen. 'To make it happen with someone special to you would make it worth all the
effort. Maybe they knew what it was all about from the start. In any case, the reality hasn't changed.
People are still hunted. It all just happens under different circumstances now.'
  'I never thought of it like that.' Keldra admitted. 'We were so caught up in thinking this would
make things better for everyone, I don't think we gave full thought to how practical it would be
across every class of citizen.'
  'Don't blame yourself for what's wrong with equality.' Sophie shook her head, pushing herself
forward and rolling onto her knees. The sofa cushion almost tipped off the edge of the couch,
causing her to slip further forward and land atop Keldra's face.
  'Hey.' Keldra exclaimed in surprise, lifting her head and lifting the weasel with it. 'You did that on
purpose. Her eyes tried to focus on something in front, only to be obscured by the drooping fabric of
Sophie's shirt.
  'Oh no, a leopard caught me...' Sophie giggled, running her hands through Keldra's hair and
squeezing her legs tight around the leopard's muzzle. Her tail dangled in front of Keldra's nose and
lips, and she tapped it onto them a few times and giggled again.
  'Oh yes.' Keldra retorted. 'And now you're really asking for it.' She nipped at Sophie's tail, feeling
the flinch of the weasel woman's body as her teeth clamped together. Once again she felt the same
primal instinct beginning to rise. It was different this time, where before it had been the feeling of
total power over a stranger, now it was power of a different sort. Without even trying, she had
allured a prey that wanted to be hers.
  Sophie seemed to sense the sudden change in Keldra's disposition and slid herself back onto the
couch. As she shuffled backwards on the cushion, the leopard's eyes locked onto hers. Feeling her
heart start to race, she tried to leap from the couch only to be intercepted and pinned to the floor by
Keldra's powerful hands. With her arms both immobilized, Sophie could only now watch as Keldra
finally let her animal side out to play.
  Almost faster than Sophie could blink, Keldra lowered her head and lapped her tongue across her
face. Sophie flinched, the sudden act had been unexpected but very enjoyable despite the slavering
of saliva it had left matting her cheek. 'A-again!' She gasped, struggling to lift herself to no avail
under Keldra's pinning grip.
  'Oh?' Keldra grinned. 'I don't think that's your choice to make anymore.' The words were
followed by a soft growl before Keldra opened her mouth and lowered herself more slowly to
Sophie's now trembling form.
  Sophie shivered not in fear, but exhilaration. The leopard's maw opening above her brought to
life a surge of adrenalin in her blood, instincts screaming at her to try and escape while her primal
desire screamed back to let it happen. Keldra's tongue pressed against her neck, running across her
face again. This time it was far slower and stopped just below her eye.
  In a moment of lucidity, Sophie pulled her wallet from her pocket and tossed it aside so that her
ID card could be submitted under consumed citizens later. Keldra followed up by tearing the pants
from the weasel's legs. Then she lifted one hand, extending a single claw to run through the front of
Sophie's shirt and bra.
  Keldra looked down at her now almost naked prey. The weasel's belly and chest were now
exposed to her, with only her arms still covered by the tatters of her former shirt. Those rags
wouldn't matter in a few moments, with the hunger in the leopard's stomach crying out to be sated
from its earlier being forced to wait.
  'So...' Sophie began, her breathing sounding laboured under her growing excitement. 'A-are you
going to eat me feet first, or head first?'
  'Hmm.' Keldra murmured. 'What do you think? Does this feel right?' She lifted Sophie's legs and
closed her lips around the soft skin of her thighs. She pressed her tongue into the trembling gap
between the weasel's legs and felt wiggling toes against the soft palate near the back of her mouth.
A little further and she'd be able to swallow, but she'd have to lift the smaller woman off the floor or
else nothing would happen. However it wasn't time for that just yet.
  'Huh?' Sophie blinked in confusion as Keldra's mouth opened, allowing her legs to fall free. As her
rump landed back on the floor, she lifted her head a bit to see what the leopard was up to.
  'Or maybe this...' Keldra's grinning face loomed closer, her lips pursing to give Sophie a soft kiss
on her forehead before they opened wide before her.
  'O-ohhh...' Sophie gasped at the sight. She'd had dreams of facing down a predator's maw, but
she had never thought the reality could be so... visceral. In that moment she took notice of
everything. Keldra's teeth were a pale off white, her tongue covered in the tiny barbs that almost
every felid had, and the soft flesh of her tongue and throat flexed with each hot breath as the
leopard slowly brought her mouth closer. The smell left much to be desired, but if Sophie was to go
all the way with this, she'd encounter worse in the predator's stomach.
  Darkness enveloped her as Keldra closed her maw over the weasel's head and upper torso. The
rough but warm and wet tongue pressed her into the hard ridged roof of Keldra's mouth and the
leopard's teeth were lightly pressed into her shoulders on both the front and the back. It would only
take a moment of lost control and Sophie could be bitten in half easily.
  Sophie twisted her head as another hot, moist breath washed past her. Her nose bumped
something slightly soft, something that flexed in response to her touching and caused the entire
mouth to ripple with a wet smacking motion. She realized she must have touched the back of
Keldra's throat, causing her to swallow reflexively. If it wasn't for the fact that Keldra was leaning
down, and the weasel was still on the floor beneath, the force may have been enough to begin
Sophie's trip in earnest.
  Keldra pulled away with another slow exhale. 'Wow... It's hard to believe that my ancestors
couldn't taste sweet things. How dull must life have been?'
  'Really?' Sophie grinned awkwardly. 'S-sweet? Me?'
  'Absolutely.' Keldra grinned, licking her lips slowly before leaning back in closer. 'Your fur carries a
sweet taste, with a salty undertone when my tongue hits your skin. It's a pretty good combination,
not one I've had much of lately.'
  'All that processed meat must have dulled your primal side.' Sophie sniggered and flopped onto
her back. 'Too much time on your ass behind a desk instead of on your feet chasing down live
morsels.'
  'Yes, I get it.' Keldra rolled her eyes. 'You won your bet, okay? I just hope being digested alive is
worth it to you.'
  'It was bound to happen sooner or later.' Sophie shrugged, before struggling to push herself
upright in her semi drunken state.
  'So what did you decide?' The leopard asked. 'Feet first, or head first?'
  'I-I don't know.' Sophie stammered. 'I'd like to think that I could handle going in head first, but I
feel like feet first might be safer.'
  'Safer...?' Keldra rolled her eyes. 'I don't think there is a safe way to be eaten alive.'
  'Sure there is.' Sophie retorted. 'If I go down face first, I can't breathe until I'm all the way inside
your stomach and can push outward enough to force air inside.'
  Keldra blinked slowly. 'You really have put a lot of thought into this...' The weasel giggled at the
leopard's observation and wiggled her toes. The leopard closed her eyes and tried to silence the
voice in the back of her head, the voice telling her everything wrong with this. What it would mean
to her, to her prey, and if anyone else found out, potentially her career.
  'I think feet first.' Sophie replied while Keldra was lost in her own thoughts, snapping the large
felid back to focus. 'Let me enjoy it as long as possible.'
  'There's really no talking you out of this huh?' Keldra sighed.
  'Stop thaaat.' Sophie shook her head. 'Where's that leopard from a few minutes ago who decided
it wasn't my choice anymore?'
  'Oh, she's here.' Keldra growled. 'She's still very much here. I suppose she should indulge herself
before this opportunity passes. But Keldra is still a tad concerned for the mental fortitude of her
colleague.'
  'Oh don't worry about that...' Sophie said, her breaths beginning to increase in pace at the new
tone in Keldra's voice. 'T-this is the whole point. How else can I get a thrill like this? The excitement,
the fear? This will be unmatched adrenalin. I'm gonna go out with the biggest bang of my life.
Probably twice. Maybe more if I can.'
  'Well... that's a lovely image.' Keldra forced a smile.
  Sophie flopped back onto her back laughing. 'I'm ready!'
  'Alright then...' Keldra replied, as much to herself as to her prey. With her left hand, she steadied
herself over top of her impending meal and scooped her right hand gently under the weasel's body.
Lifting her slowly to her lips, Keldra ran her tongue from just above Sophie's groin up her belly to lap
between the small woman's breasts.
  Sophie shuddered and moaned in delight, letting out a more fervent cry of pleasure as Keldra
repeated the act. Her legs lifted in anticipation and bumped Keldra's snout.
  'Mmmhh.' Keldra moaned back, inhaling the scent of her prey's adrenalin fuelled perspiration.
The smell urged the primal side of the leopard's mind to hurry up and eat, to satisfy the carnivorous
impulse that began bellowing in her mind like the roar of her ancestors.
  She lifted the panting weasel up high. Sophie raised a hand to one of Keldra's fingers and looked
down in well controlled fear and anticipation. Keldra's tongue ran across her lips before her mouth
opened as wide as she could make it. As she began to lower her prey towards her glistening maw, a
slew of thoughts began to bombard the weasel's mind.
  This was really it. Within minutes she'd be inside this predator, being churned and souped into a
slurry of her former self. The thought would terrify almost anyone, but all she could feel was a hot
blooded desire. 'Hnnnghh!' She winced in ecstasy as her feet made contact with Keldra's tongue.
  Keldra's senses flared as Sophie's taste crossed her tongue. She lowered the woman deeper into
her mouth, sitting her facing deeper towards her flexing throat. Her lips closed around the weasel's
waist, slurping on her like a large piece of candy.
  Sophie twisted herself in Keldra's mouth, hanging her breasts over the leopard's lower lip. She
pressed her groin more firmly into the tongue curling around her lower half, using her tail as best
she could to prop against the firm and ridged roof of the predator's mouth. The tip of her toes
brushed something, but whether it was the back of the leopard's throat or her uvula she didn't
know.
  Keldra emitted a low pleasant humming, her jaw and tongue vibrating softly under Sophie before
the weasel realized the large cat was purring. It must have been an odd sensation to have prey so
willingly hold still like this, and stranger still to have them enjoy the experience. Her lips pursed
tighter around Sophie's midsection and the weasel felt herself being drawn deeper. This time her
feet definitely made contact with the back of the predator's throat and as if in response, the tongue
bucked slightly and she felt her feet momentarily compressed together by the warm slick flesh.
  Sophie's hands reflexively clasped Keldra's chin. Her danger sense was screaming now, alerting
her without any doubt as to the mortal danger she was in. But her desire to let it happen screamed
back even louder, punctuated by the burning in her loins pushed further by every slight motion of
her body against the leopard's steadily moving tongue. It quickly became apparent that Keldra was
not giving thought to Sophie's pleasure, and the weasel realized that she may not have even realized
that this was turning her on at all. It made little difference, to Sophie this was the pinnacle of
arousal.
  Air rushed past as Keldra inhaled, and the realization of what was about to happen hit Sophie's
mind a split second too late for her to prepare. The reflexive inhale before preceding a gulp was so
sudden and Sophie so mired in her own enjoyment that she could only squeal in half terror half
exhilaration as Keldra made her first serious swallow. Sophie felt the rippling flesh compress tightly
around her calves and ankles as she was drawn deeper. Keldra's tongue was further under her now,
cupping her exposed breasts and pressing her back into the ridges of the mouth.
  Keldra's head leaned back, causing Sophie to sink a few inches further before another heavy gulp
pulled her down further. Her head was just past Keldra's incisors now, the heat from the leopard's
body causing Sophie's already panting and sweating form to push past what she thought she could
handle. The feeling of Keldra's tight gullet around her legs and waist was unlike anything she had
ever known, a steadily pulsating and all-encompassing grip that welcomed her into its hot wet
embrace.
  Sophie dared to look down past her shoulder, seeing the rippling flesh of Keldra's throat pursed
just below her breasts. The sight was all she needed to finally push her to the edge. Her loins burned
with sheer ecstasy as Keldra made another swallow, coinciding with the weasel's climax just as she
was gulped down to her shoulders. Her arms were pushed closer to her head by Keldra's cheeks as
another swallow dragged her down. She was almost entirely in the leopard's gullet now, her chin
and arms the last of her still resting on the tongue.
  The light flickered as Keldra's jaws closed. Sophie felt her position shift as Keldra lifted her head
one more time, one last preparation to...
  Sophie moaned in excitement as Keldra's tongue lifted and unceremoniously pushed back into
her face, forcing the last of her down into the slick pulsating gullet. The hot wet flesh was finally able
to push the weasel in her entirety, and Sophie closed her eyes as Keldra's body claimed hers, her
hands brushing the back of the leopard's tongue one final time before they too were enveloped by
the warm folds of Keldra's throat.
  Sophie was almost deafened by the sharp inhale that followed the moment she was clear of
Keldra's airway. Adding to the sound was the leopard's booming heartbeat. Despite her attempts to
keep herself in a comfortable position, Keldra's powerful peristalsis forced her to curl her legs
beneath her as she was steadily forced into the hot, humid pit of the stomach. She felt the sphincter
close above as her hands slipped through and after a few moments of stifling heat and slimy flesh
pressing in all around her, it finally sank in. She'd been eaten whole and alive, just as she wanted.
 
  Keldra took a deep breath and reclined on the couch, letting her hand come to rest on her
abdomen. Her mind ran blanks for almost a minute before she blinked in realization. She had eaten
Sophie. Swallowed her whole and alive after savouring the weasel's flavour for what felt like an
hour, but in reality had been less than a minute.
  She could feel the small woman shift slightly inside her. 'S-Sophie? Can you hear me?'
  Whatever Sophie attempted to reply was too muffled by Keldra's flesh to make out properly. She
sighed, wondering if she'd even be able to tell if the weasel began to experience more pain than she
could handle. It almost didn't seem to matter anymore. Sophie wouldn't be Sophie for too much
longer, as Keldra's stomach would even now be working on turning her into nothing more than
nutrients.
  Keldra's eyes dropped to where the weasel's clothes had fallen to the floor. An idea came to her,
one she was hesitant to do but felt compelled to at least investigate. She leaned forward carefully
and scooped Sophie's pants from the floor, noticing where her wallet had been tossed. The weasel
had evidently forgotten about her phone, as it was still in the other pocket of the pants.
  She looked at it curiously, sitting back on the couch and hearing Sophie give another muffled cry
or moan, but it was difficult to tell. The phone was significantly smaller than her own, sized for a
person one fifth her height. She considered the device, then sighed wearily. It was small enough. She
placed a hand on her abdomen, feeling small movements from inside.
  'Sophie, incoming.' She said, before wincing and placing the weasel's phone in her mouth. The
plastic casing was a significantly less pleasant taste than the supple skin and fur of the weasel had
been, but she managed to work it to the back of her throat and swallow it down. It felt like a small
pill compared to the full bodied weasel she'd sent down before. She fished her own phone out of
her pocket and waited. Maybe it wouldn't survive the trip. She didn't think phones were waterproof
but wasn't sure if her mouth and gullet would be too much for it to handle.
  Almost a full minute later, her phone buzzed and began ringing with the video call app. Sophie's
icon appeared on the screen and Keldra's thumb hovered over the answer button. She hesitated,
wondering what she was going to see. Would Sophie be in pain? Would she be begging to be let out?
And what the hell was Keldra supposed to do if that was the case?
  She hit the icon and held the phone up so her forward camera was on her face. It was difficult to
make out what she was looking at to begin with, but after a few moments she realized she was
looking at the side of Sophie's cheek. The camera inside her jerked suddenly, and then Sophie's face
came into view, dimply lit by the screen of her own phone. Keldra's eyes went wide as she made out
the expression the weasel wore.
  'I can't believe you actually did this.' Sophie breathed, wearing a huge grin. The leopard could see
the slowly undulating walls of her own stomach behind the weasel's head, a dull pink mass lined
with creases and visible blue veins. 'This is amazing. It feels even better than I ever imagined it
would.'
  'You really are a strange one.' Keldra sighed with a smile, relieved that at least for the moment
Sophie wasn't in any pain. At the same time, a sombre mood fell over her as the reality of the
situation began to sink in. This was the last she'd ever see of the woman who had been her assistant
for the last nine months. 'So um...'
  'If you're worried about my next of kin, don't.' Sophie interrupted, panting. 'I sorted out my legal
will before I took the job in the Capital... All you need to do is register my card. An attorney will see
to the rest.'
  Keldra could not help but notice the depth of each breath the weasel was taking, as well as the
steady jerking of the camera from side to side and the blissful expression on her face. In that
moment she realized exactly what was going on. 'Ohh... Do you... want some privacy?'
  'Not subtle enough, huh?' Sophie giggled, rubbing her head back into the stomach wall behind
her. Keldra could feel the motion pressing outward on her abdomen and deduced that Sophie must
have been facing backwards inside her. 'It's fine. Unless you find it awkward?'
  'I have to be honest, I found almost everything about this to be awkward.' Keldra replied with a
small grin. 'But I do have to admit, it was still quite... enjoyable.' Less than a second later, her belly
let out a long and slow groan as if to punctuate the point. On the phone's screen, Sophie winced for
a moment before her grin grew even wider.
  'Oh, sounds like your belly's getting serious.' She giggled. 'I better hurry if I wanna get three bangs
in before I'm done.' Her giggle turned into outright laughter when she saw Keldra roll her eyes.
  'Well then...' Keldra said, her smile fading and her mood turning sombre once again. 'I suppose I
should say it was a pleasure working with you.'
  'You too.' Sophie replied with a nod, her smile softening but not fading. 'And of all the
bloodthirsty carnivores that could have ended up getting me, I'm glad it was you.'
  'I don't think I'm gonna be able to watch this.' Keldra said.
  'That's alright.' Sophie replied. 'Just... take a nap. I'm sure by the time you wake up it will all be
over.'
  Keldra nodded slowly, then gave one last look at Sophie's soft smiling face framed by her wet
stringy hair, dimly lit by the screen of her own phone as she sat against the pulsating flesh that even
now worked to turn her into base nutrients. And then the screen went black, and the only remaining
clues of Sophie's existence were the barely perceptible motions coming from within Keldra's
abdomen.
  The leopard sighed and lifted her feet onto the coffee table before her. She tossed one of the
couch's cushions onto it to make it more comfortable, then splayed her arms over the back of the
couch itself and let her head lull back into the soft fuzzy fabric. Despite the thoughts weighing
heavily on her mind, she was still fairly tired from not eating for most of the day, and her body had
yet to recuperate any energy from Sophie's.
  She made one final look at her phone before resting her head back again. Taking a deep breath,
she closed her eyes and began counting. She made it to thirty before her mind drifted into sleep.
 
 
  Sophie ignored the slight tingling sensation that had begun to buzz around her toes and the tip of
her tail. Keldra's stomach had been empty but for the slime coating the walls when she arrived, but
ever the last few minutes it had begun to steadily fill with the acids and enzymes that would soon
turn her into goop.
  She panted frantically as her fingers massaged and entered her compressed lady parts. With the
restrictive nature of the predator's stomach, she hadn't been able to spread her legs as much as she
would have liked to. Still she managed to make it work, with her own hand all but forcing its way to
where she needed it to be. Her sole regret was that she hadn't thought to snare another mouse on
her way back to the room, someone with which she could have her own fun, and perhaps even a last
morsel to satisfy her own predatory side before this was all over.
  It didn't matter anymore. With the phone now turned off and dropped to be lost in the creases of
the stomach lining somewhere near her rear, her free hand was now caressing Keldra's stomach
walls with a soft swaying motion that seemed to cause it to ripple in response.
  With her loins burning, she reached her third climax and gasped the stale air in exhausted
triumph. It was only then that she realized how worn out she was. Every breath in this place used up
precious oxygen, of which she had no doubt there was practically zero left. She slumped into the
slimy undulating surface of the digestive organ surrounding her and began to think about her life.
  A low groan all around her preceded a steady dripping from above. The stomach walls were
beginning to secrete fluids more fervently now, as though some new sense of urgency had been
triggered. Each minute saw the caustic juices rise further, and the stomach walls began to expand
and contract with increased vigour.
  Sophie winced as her legs were squeezed even tighter, putting increased strain on her knees. She
tried to shift her position back to a more upright stance, but the slick surfaces she was surrounded
by offered no purchase. She had vastly underestimated how powerful the stomach muscles would
be, as even trying to force her legs to straighten out proved fruitless. Her left leg began to seize up in
a burning muscle cramp, and a soft whimper escaped her lips as she tried in vain to make the
merciless organ let her move.
  Finally she managed to wedge her other leg beneath the cramp and forced it to open slightly.
With her legs essentially crossed, she was now curled sideways in Keldra's stomach, something she
instantly realized put her head noticeably closer to the rising acids that were now lapping around her
shoulder and neck as well as almost the entire left half of her body. While it was true that her fur
and skin had yet to succumb to the full brunt of the unrelenting gastric acids, she doubted very
much that the more sensitive surfaces of her lips, nose and eyes would be so fortunate.
  Panic began to set in fast. She had counted on running out of air before the digestive process
could claim her, but now it was seeming less and less likely. While her head was swimming with stars
and her breathing was becoming more laboured, the frightening rate at which the acids were being
secreted all around her seemed like they were going to finish her first.
  'K-Keldra...?' She tried to call out, but her voice was far too feeble to be heard even by her over
the sloshing and growling of the stomach, now undoubtedly in full swing. She lifted her head as far
as she could manage, taking slow and deep breaths in the hope that it would not be much longer
before her lungs had taken the last of what little viable air remained.
  Suddenly the entire stomach lurched. Through the splashing and groaning, Sophie was able to
make out the unmistakable sound of a burp from above. She realized that with the stomach now
filling more with fluids, of course it would seek to expel what air it could. Moments later, she felt the
stomach compress once more, forcing the acids to rise to the level of her cheek.
  She flinched away, but it was no use. The rippling surface was now lapping at her face and forcing
her to keep her eyes closed and her lips pressed shut. Every inhale filled her nose with the acrid
stench of her own slowly fermenting body. Though she had tried to keep her legs close together, the
sensitive flesh of her nethers had quickly gone from tingling to burning with that last surge of caustic
acid that had been pumped into the digestive sac.
  She tried to move her tail, only to find that she could no longer do anything but twitch it slightly,
so tight was it now pressed to her thighs by the roiling stomach walls. The attempt must have
dislodged clumps of fur, as instantly the skin of her tail and legs joined that of her womanhood in its
unpleasant burning sensation.
  'Aaaah!' She managed one feeble cry as the acid splashed onto one of her eyelids, groaning
further as a few more found their way into her mouth. She wanted to retch, the foul fluids tasted
like vomit and she had no way of knowing how much of it was actually her own fermenting skin.
  Growing desperate, she stretched her head high one final time and took another deep breath,
this time knowing well that it would be her last. With her strength failing her by the second, Sophie
allowed herself to sink beneath the acid, praying that she could will herself to pass out before the
pain became too much. Another burp reverberated above, and she knew the precious air pocket she
had just drawn from was now gone. The weasel was now fully submerged in the leopard's stomach
acids, holding onto her final breath with a grim sense of finality.
  She hadn't expected it to be like this. Mice had never lasted this long in her own belly. She didn't
think the size would have made this much difference. Maybe she should have thought this through
more thoroughly.
  Tears leaked from her tightly clenched eyes, lost in the churning juices almost instantly. Her lips
burned, her nose burned, and her skin everywhere was now beginning to feel the full brunt of
digestion as her fur began to drift from her body. All she could do was hold and wait for the pain to
be replaced by the void...
 
 
  Keldra's eyes opened suddenly as a loud gurgle rumbled from her gut. She lifted her legs down
from the coffee table, noticing how stiff they'd become from being left there so long. Her arms
likewise felt over stretched and her neck had become slightly stiff. She picked up her phone,
wondering how long she'd been asleep as her other hand came to rest on her belly.
  It was after midnight. Her belly had gone soft, with little sign of Sophie's recent occupation. It was
done. The leopard sighed. The last two days she had here she would spend alone. Rising from the
couch, she stretched her limbs and then rubbed her face. With the nap having been far longer than
she planned, it seemed pointless to try and go back to sleep.
  She decided to try the bar, it would more than likely still be open for at least another hour and a
few drinks might help her fall asleep again. After a quick change of clothes into a more presentable
blue dress she made her way downstairs. As she'd expected, the bar was indeed still open and still
hosting half a dozen patrons. She recognized the bartender, a fellow leopard woman, from a few
nights earlier.
  'Pleasant night.' Keldra said, taking a seat and waving to get the woman's attention.
  'Sure is.' The bartender replied. Keldra glimpsed her nametag and saw that the leopard's name
was Angela. She seemed to have a cocky demeanour that Keldra hadn't noticed before, but it didn't
seem at all intended in an unfriendly manner, so she paid it no mind. 'So what brings a refined
woman like you here tonight?'
  'Oh, I just need to clear my head.' Keldra replied, letting a smile reach her lips.
  'Nothing does that better than alcohol and real talk.' Angela grinned. 'In fact, my shift ends in ten
minutes. Mind if I join you? One spotted cat to another.'
  Keldra met Angela's friendly gaze and felt her smile grow a little wider. 'That sounds great.'