Sam-

My first round of exams hadn't been nearly as bad as I thought it would be. My teachers had given me an extra week and a half to catch up and I was actually eager to show Richard the grades I'd managed. They weren't perfect, and one needed some work, but after having not been in school for over a year? I think I did pretty darn well!

"Hey Richard?" I called as I slipped inside the house. To my surprise, it wasn't Richard who greeted me, but the lawyers and... My parents.

Unable to hold back my glare, I forced myself to not stomp past them and instead walked calmly into the living room to set my bag down.

"He went out to pick up some dinner." My mother said, her nose lifted so high that she appeared to almost be looking for something on the ceiling.

Ah. He took the kids. That's why she's mad and I'm not feeling a bit lightheaded.

Unfortunately, my heat had begun to kick in a few days ago. Even worse, I had a feeling that every other shifter in the room could tell, too. They would, no doubt, try to use it against me somehow. But, until Richard came home I made sure to keep myself out of sight, deciding to take a shower. With the door locked and a change of clothes set on the counter, I slowly stripped off my clothing and stepped under the water. It took a good deal of effort to keep my hand above my waist after washing myself.

That's the last thing I need. For them to smell me having jerked off in the shower.

Biting back a groan, I washed my hair, then sighed with relief when I heard the group in the other room begin talking louder.

Sammy, are you der?

Hearing Jess's voice in my head, I grinned and turned off the shower. Yes. I will be right out. I replied before drying off and getting my clothing on. I had decided on a pair of flannel pajamas and a loose white T-shirt. It was cold outside but I had no intention of going out tonight, so the outfit should work fine. When I was ready, I unlocked the door and was immediately met with Richard's smile. My hormones shot through the roof at just the sight of him. Add the smell and the feeling of his hand as it settled atop my head for a moment, and I was literally beginning to get light-headed.

"Sam? Is something wrong?" Richard whispered, leaning in to be sure that none of the people sitting at the dining room table could hear. I didn't want to tell him. Wanted to manage it myself later, after the kids went to bed with my hand and a very cold shower, but he would be able to tell soon anyways, if he wasn't already guessing. So, with a stressed sigh I turned my head and whispered in his ear. "Heat, but I have it under control."

Richard's eyes went wide and he darted a glance over his shoulder. He was obviously worried about them finding out, too. Turning his attention back to me, he forced a smile and nodded. "Alright. Let's not tell them. They don't need to know."

I nodded back, then leaned down to scoop up my son as he padded over. Hmph, probably ran away from my mother and father. Smart boy. Grinning, I pressed a kiss to his fuzzy head and slowly began to follow Richard toward the dining room. There was no way to put off whatever was going on, and even with the smell of pizza in the air and Coda having nursed from me the past several nights, I wasn't hungry so that wouldn't be an excuse to stall. 

"We wanted to go over visitation rights." One of the lawyers said.

"There are none." I said as I sat down at the table across from them, my son in my lap.

The lawyer cleared his throat, then pushed a few pages of paper toward me. "That is what we'd like to fix."

Clutching Coda to my chest, I bared my teeth in warning.

"They deserve no part of his life."

Everyone at the table gasped, except for Richard, of course. He knew I wasn't going to let them near my son if I could help it. They were lucky that I was even letting them see him right now.

"Being the child's grandparents, they have rights."

Smirking, I nodded. "If the parents, or parent, cannot care for the child. However, the child is obviously quite well cared-for and being said parent, I do not want them anywhere near him. Ever."

The second lawyer, who had remained silent until now finally spoke up. "Surely you wouldn't be so heartless as to force him to grow up not knowing his grandparents?"

Oh, this one is gonna be good.

"Surely he would be better off. After all, they had thrown his mother out as soon as they found out that their son was going to have mutts."

The lawyers glared, obviously having been told something else.

"We are not here to discuss past issues between you and your parents. We are strictly here for you to sign the visitation agreement."

Furious, I forced myself not to snarl as I replied. "I guess if you don't want to talk about the past, then their son technically doesn't exist because I was disowned. Richard adopted us and I would rather sign Coda's life over to him than let either of my worthless parents near my son for even a second."

When no one replied I stood up and gestured to the door.

"Since that issue is now taken care of, I'd like you to leave. I have classes to study for that I'm doing quite well in. Then I'll be getting a job and heading to college with my son, and all of this," I gestured to them and their lawyers. "Will be gone forever."

The lawyers, likely used to that kind of treatment, hurried to pick up their papers and stand. My parents, however, were definitely not used to being told what they could and couldn't do. They glared at me, but I held firm, hugging my son in my arms. They wisely kept whatever they were thinking between them to themselves and followed their lawyers out the door. The second it closed I walked over and locked it, then set my son down with a shaky sigh.

"You okay? I think you did really well for being surprised by them."

I nodded at Richard, lifting my hands to press against his chest and lean in when he walked over. My forehead settled just beneath his neck and I took in a deep breath. "Besides the fact that I feel like I want to hump your leg for five hours, I'm doing great."

He chuckled, giving me a quick hug before slipping his hand into mine and tugging me into the kitchen. Two boxes of hot pizza were sitting on the counter. The smell made my stomach rumble but when I looked down at my pup, he only seemed interested in one thing.

"Let me guess. He didn't eat again?"

Richard sighed and shook his head. "No. I tried to get him to eat lunch, too, but he flat-out refused."

"I guess he's still going through... whatever he's going through. I'll feed him. Can you make me a plate of pizza, please?"

Richard was already doing just that, so I awkwardly tugged at my clothing so that I could shift. The awkward portion came when I realized that I was fully aroused. Evidently my body thought that I was removing my clothes in front of Richard to finally get my heat taken care of.

If only.

The second my front paws hit the floor my son was locked on, making me wince.

I thought animals stopped going into heat when they were nursing!

Granted, I hadn't been nursing for awhile. Shooting a glare between my front legs at Coda, I grunted my discomfort and laid down on the blankets Richard had left out on the floor for me in front of the sofa. My plate of pizza soon appeared and I hurried to scarf all four slices down.

"Do you want anymore, Sam? There's another pizza..." Richard asked when I had finished. I really did, but if I ate too much more I'd have excess energy... and that meant a lot of time in the shower before I wore myself out. With that in mind, I shook my head, then flopped it down on the blankets as Coda continued to bite at my sore nipple. Since Richard had turned the news on, I tried my best to focus on it instead of the pain and overwhelming instincts buzzing around my body and head.

"Here. I want all of this in your belly." Richard said as he set down a second plate piled high with at least four more slices a minute later. I didn't want it, but I did want it.

"I'm not going anywhere until you eat. I can hear your stomach growling and with you being in heat, I know you're going to need your energy tonight."---"I-in the shower." He added quickly.

Yeah. In the shower. With my hand...

The next few days are going to be exhausting.

My attention returned to the pizza and I hesitantly shifting my weight enough to turn the upper half of my body and begin eating. Maybe with Coda nursing again my body will figure out that the heat and subsequent breeding is not needed.

It was wishful thinking, but hell, I freaking wished. Resigned, I finished off my sixth piece of pizza and at the same time, felt my son finally remove his teeth from me. Ow... and I feel like it's way too hot in here.

"Um, Sam?"

Fighting through the haze building in my mind, I looked up to see Richard's worried face as he leaned over. "Shift for me, please?"

I did as told right away. Something in the back of my mind hoped that he would carry me to his bed and we'd be busy for the rest of the night. The other part, the more reasonable, logical part, damn it, knew that that wasn't going to happen. Instead, the moment I was back in my human form Richard scooped me up and brought me into the bathroom. I could feel his partial arousal pressing against my body before I was set back on my feet, but I kept my hands to myself. 

"Will you be okay by yourself? I'll watch the kids for the rest of the night."

I shrugged, really not sure. I had been trying to get rid of the heat for days, but each time I woke up the feeling was there and grew throughout the day to climax at right about this time.

"I'll manage." I replied eventually. I could tell that he wanted to say something in response, but ended up biting his tongue and walking out.

The next hour was one of the most frustrating of my life. After what had to be at least fifty minutes, I was still ramrod straight with my hand and length red from too much attention. Laying on my back in the shower, I glared up at the ceiling, honestly getting close to wishing I didn't have a collar on. Another kid couldn't be that bad. And it would give me relief. That was most important.

"Sammy?"

Hearing Richard's voice, I tried to force my continuing urges down. Yeah, not happening. Instead, I rolled over onto my belly under the cold spray of water and groaned out. "I'm going to hump your leg raw if you don't go away..."

It wasn't meant as something mean or even funny. It was just the truth. My instincts were going insane, begging me to breed with something besides my hand.

I feel like one of those dogs that needs a pillow or big stuffed animal to curve their libido.

"Um... I called the vet."

That got my attention slightly off of my needs. Or it was just that I was humping the floor of the shower. Probably that.

I turned my head, looking up to see the shadow of Richard moving closer. He pulled the curtain back slowly and took a seat. After a brief glance down at me to fuel my embarrassment, he looked over toward the sink.

"They said that because cross-shifters are so rare, there isn't much information on their heat cycles yet. So, he gave me some information on normal female heats. The light versions and the heavy versions."

There was a slight pause before he continued.

"He told me that considering the symptoms you've been showing the past few days..."

Damn, he knew.

"He suggests that you breed for offspring with another canine."

I couldn't help but growl at that. I didn't want to breed for more kids! Or with another darn dog!

"I-I know you don't want more kids. God knows we can barely handle the ones we've already got, but he called your old vet after realizing you were the kid that kept showing up on TV when I gave him your full name. The vet released your information since your mother had disowned you there, too."

Love you too, ma.

"It seems that your mother actually got herself fixed almost directly after having you for a similar issue."

Narrowing my eyes at him, I asked. "What similar issue?"

"Well, he couldn't release specifics, but because the issue is in your history, genetically, he did tell me about your mother and that you will likely have frequent heats that grow in intensity unless you breed for children."

Balling my hands into fists, I banged one on the floor of the bathtub, then pushed myself up to sit.

"I can't get pregnant right now. If I do I'll be considered unfit to take care of the baby I already have. Maybe that's why my parents didn't comment on my obvious heat. They know it's going to eat at me..."

I looked up Richard, trying not to let tears slip from my eyes.

"They never told me any of that history. They want me to lose control again and get pregnant. To prove I'm not good enough for Coda..." 

I had more to say, but Richard evidently didn't want to hear it. He pulled me up into his lap, my wet body soaking his clothes as he squeezed me tight in a hug.

"Don't ever say that. You're always going to be what's best for Coda. He loves his mother and I'll do everything I can to keep you two together. Besides, you're my family now. If anyone tries to take you or Coda away from me, they're going to have a fetishist sock-bear after them. And yes, I will steal their socks right off their feet and eat them. That'll teach em'."