You step back as the girl is still basking in the orgasm you gave her and say her name. “Heilan.” You speak with a more assertive bend to your tone than you are used to, to where just the saying of her name in that manner demands attention. As if proving that, her ears twitch and stand up a little straighter than before. When she is looking at you, you point at the floor in front of you.

“What?” She asks, giving you a confused look. It is understandable that she is confused, but you have decided that this is not a space for an understanding hero, it is a space for a dominant one. You still have your eyes on Kara and this is a good testing ground for things that you could probably not do with her. As such, without Heilan knowing, you made the decision that this is not a relationship among equals.

“Not what.” You say sternly in a way that makes her flinch. You know she is smart, so you simply repeat her name.

“Heilan.” And point again to the floor in front of where you are standing. As you do that with resolve, you feel an update to your interface and open it to see 'Dominance' in the list of skills. You will have to look at it to see the exact implications, but at the moment, the implications to what you are doing now are clear. She gulps and slides off of the bed and onto her knees in front of you, to your surprise. It probably should not be too much of a surprise, you muse as you reach down and rest a hand on her head, between her soft ears. As she looks up curiously, you stare down into her bright eyes and see them widen immediately. You read it on her using your other skill. She is feeling submission. It strikes you right away that life really is unfair. You wonder just how many men have this dominance skill. It makes you feel bad enough to pull back slightly.

“Heilan?” She nods, hanging on your words.

“Show me your interface.” While that act may seem simple and innocuous, it is one that truly demonstrates your dominance and her submission and loyalty. If she chooses to do it, that is. The interface is sacred and to show someone yours so easily would be far worse than stripping down naked for them. Worse than admitting deep, dark secrets. The interface carries with it most of one's strengths and weaknesses. It is also a window into who they are and what they do. If you know someone's interface you know them and can predict what they are going to do and how they are going to act.

“Okay.” Heilan blushes deeply. All of that does hit her, you can tell. She knows the implications and what it means for you and her, but she still reaches up to touch you and activates it. You see her interface in all of its intimate glory and you are surprised to see something you have not yet heard of.

“Negatives?”

“We have them. Different variants have different ones. Sometimes they aren't too bad.”

“I see...” Intuitively you know that it can't just be the case that beastfolk are worse and so you look through and are a bit shocked to see her base numbers that represent her physical prowess. She is the same age as you and of roughly the same experience, or less, but she is far more capable physically. For you that is shocking because even if you did not know it until a short time ago, you still have a heroic trait that has been increasing your own prowess passively throughout the years and she still beats you.

“The negatives balance out the positives?”

“So they say. But my 'tribe' doesn't consider ours to be negative since it boosts cohesion among our kind.”

“Interesting.” You look to see what it is. The negative she has as a lupine variant of beastfolk is 'Pack Mentality.' Suddenly everything makes sense. Why she is a puppy around Kara, who probably passively exudes pack dominance. Also, why she is now acting very submissive towards you after awakening your dominance skill. The realization kind of deflates the mood, as things take a very exploratory and conversational turn. Thankfully, Heilan brings it back or her own accord. She looks up at you, her near-luminescent eyes staring into yours.

“You're exuding some real alpha energy, like I haven't felt before.” She exhales lightly.

“And it's really hot.”

“So you haven't felt that negative being triggered before, really.”

“Oh, I've felt it, kinda. With my dad, mostly.” She pauses, her tail wagging as you begin to read arousal again.

“But with you...”

You blush. “Haaah...”

“What is it?” She tilts her head curiously to one side. Her tail is still wagging happily behind her.

“I feel bad both leading you on and uh... Controlling you like this.” You explain.

“I like Kara.”

“I gathered.” She says, not seeming to surprised or bothered.

“What? So-”

“I thought she was yours already, kinda, with the way she was acting. She was obviously acting on your side to get us together in the same room. I was already getting some pretty heavy pack-leader vibes from you, especially after you showed an interest in beastfolk and our plight. Now that I can really feel it I know that she's probably your main, but I can still be your beta, right?”

You stare down at her. She is excited without you even having to get a read. Her chest is rising and falling at a heightened rate. You eye her plump tits, wide hips and her unsubtly athletic form.

“Yeah.” You say instinctively. How could you say no? After that moment of weakness passes, however you clear your throat.

“So you don't mind being bossed around or... Treated like a bitch, basically?”

She turns around and slides her leggings down under her wide rear. Your eyes widen as you see wetness. The wetness would not be too surprising considering what you two just finished doing, but what is shocking is just how soaked she is. As her tight pants separate from her pussy it looks as though steam is is rolling off the pink folds. A solid, thin line of clear liquid is streaming down.

“Mother told me I'd get like this when I met the man I was meant to mate with. She gave me some advice for when it happens.”

You gulp. “What?”

“Face down...” She lowers her head to the floor. As she does her legs widen.

“Rear up...” Her cunt is suddenly extremely available as her ass is lifted into the air. You basically have no control at this point. You get down and pull your member free. Before entering you lean over her back fully rest your head on the back of her head. You Poise yourself at the entrance while your hand rolls over her soft, stiff ears. She is shaking.

“Hurry!”

“That doesn't sound like begging.”

“Please?” With that you push into her fully. Unlike Kara, she is extremely tight. Kara does feel good to be in, but Heilan's pussy does not require any effort on her part to wrap tightly around your dick. Strangely, even though kara was less tight naturally, hers felt more opulent. In contrast, every part of Heilan's body seems to be trying to milk you as quickly as possible. It is enough that you already feel yourself being caressed to orgasm after just a few short, deep thrusts. Feeling it coming, and not wanting to get the girl pregnant, you try to quickly pull back. As though she can sense it, either through intuition or the throbbing of your cock, as you try to pull free she quickly bounces her rear back into your mid section to effectively hilt your member inside of her as you let go.

“Damn...” You pant, trying to pull back again you feel her finally just bounce back fully, knocking you on your ass. She nimbly avoids letting your cock leave her cunt, and easily transitions into a reverse-cowgirl position where she is able to keep your cock firmly inside of her as deep as it can go. Your eyes widen as Heilan even places her hand down between her legs and uses two fingers to pinch her sex so that only a faint trickle of white is able to escape. With those actions, the rest pumps directly into her womb.

“I guess you really wanted to mate?” You groan, laying back and enjoying the feeling since it is too late, anyway. What she did was technically not okay on a lot of levels, but to be fair to her there is a lot of that going around and you are not one to complain, considering your prior actions and decisions.

“I don't really get what you were doing.” Heilan comments offhandedly.

“Shouldn't the pack-leader have a say in who he knocks up?”

“If the alpha's acting irrational it's the Beta's job to reign him in. It's one-for-all AND all-for-one.”

“Ah, I see.” You place your palm over your face and just hope to the gods of fertility that it doesn't take.

You did not spend much time in town. After procuring winter clothing and supplies from the locals your party heads north, as was originally intended. While walking with Kara ahead of the group you explained the situation. She got a kick out of it.

“City beasts are so funny. Not sure what I expected but I guess they're all pining for a piece of what they had before.” She elbows you and grins proudly.

“But hey, congrats 'daddy.' Didn't know you had it in you, 'pack-leader.'”

“Hey, as far as she knows, you're in my 'pack' as well, 'beta.'” You chide.

“Know what, since you're being so good at playing along with what I asked I won't even contradict it. Sure. For the sake of the ruse, I'm your 'beta.'”

“Really?” Even if it's pretend, it still feels very good. All it took to get her respect and cooperation was to knock up another woman. It sinks in just how strange Kara is, and beastfolk in general. You do wonder what her negative is, now that you know that most variants should have them. You consider asking, but know it is essentially the same as asking. 'What is your weakness.'

“What's the plan, ladies?” Vura calls out as she steps between you two.

“Ah, you mean the mountain pass, verses the forest route?” A local guide had explained it rather intuitively.

The pass is a very direct route, but there have been signs of incursion recently and it is a known location for bandits, raiders and other demon-folk to set up in ambush.

The forest route is an indirect, unmarked path around the pass, but it would typically require a local to navigate without getting lost. You take for granted that Kara knows the area and decide on your own that the two choices is mostly a matter of time and threat level.