"Jesus fucking Christ," Mikaela muttered, smudging her eyeliner for the third time. The bedroom mirror reflected her frustration, cheeks flushed, lips parted in concentration, as she dabbed at the streak with her thumb. The Mrs. Claus outfit clung to her curves, the red velvet straining over her hips whenever she leaned forward. "Should've just stolen a better eyeliner pencil while I was boosting those hubcaps last week."
Outside, snow pattered against the window, muffling the distant hum of Christmas music from the living room speakers. She capped the eyeliner and tilted her chin, inspecting the final look: smoky wings sharp enough to cut glass, lips glossed cherry-red to match the dress. Not bad for a girl who usually wiped grease off her face with an old shop rag.
The house smelled like pine needles and spiked eggnog, her dad's recipe, heavy on the bourbon. She trailed a gloved hand along the banister as she descended, her boots clicking against the hardwood. Garland coiled around the staircase, twinkling lights catching the silver rings she still wore from working on Sam's busted Camaro that afternoon.
"Okay, where's the goddamn..." She spotted it instantly: one limp strand of tinsel dangling from the mantel like a half-assed afterthought. Mikaela snorted, snatching it down. "Fuckin' amateur hour." Her fingers itched for something heavier, a wrench, maybe, but she smoothed the replacement strand into place instead, stepping back to admire the symmetry.
(Outside of Mikaela's home.)
Meanwhile, three blocks over, a teenage boy sneered, his knuckles whitening around the collar of a sobbing ten-year-old. "You think you can just walk through *my* park, shrimp?" The little girl behind him let out a whimper, her mittens pressed to her face.
"P-please," the boy stammered, eyes darting to his sister. A skeletal branch snapped underfoot as the teen raised his fist.
"The fuck you whispering for..." A rustle, sharp and sudden, from the snow-heavy bushes. Then, black leather, glistening, whipcrack-fast around the bully's ribs. His scream cut off mid-breath as he vanished into the underbrush.
Thuds. Wet, meaty ones. "Oh fuck... fuck, stop..." The bully's voice cracked into a sob. Something crunched, like cartilage giving way. The little girl whimpered into her brother's jacket.
From the darkness, a low chuckle, hungrier than the winter wind. The bushes trembled. Blood dotted the snow in fat, uneven splashes.
"What the..." The boy clutched his sister tighter, their breath steaming between them in frantic little clouds. The bushes parted with a wet crunch, revealing towering black hooves, furred thighs that could snap oak, and a grin full of teeth sharp enough to carve bone.
"Not *your* park, little rat," the Krampus purred, licking crimson off her knuckles. She crouched, her horns scraping the icy branches above, and tilted her head at the trembling siblings. "But you... oh, you smell like sugar and *sincerity*." Her claw tapped the boy's nose, leaving a smear of something sticky. "Naughty list's full. Lucky you."
The girl hiccuped, snot-glittered mittens still pressed to her face. "H-he took my..."
"Shhh." The Krampus unshouldered her sack with a rustle of wrapping paper. "Bet you wanted that My Little Pony themed laptop, yeah?" She tossed the girl a slender box, the exact teal hue from the mall catalog. The boy got a Switch, not the OLED model, but close enough to make his breath hitch.
"That bully won't bother you again." She ruffled the girl's hair, her claw catching momentarily in a tangle. "Unless he wants to find out what reindeer *really* eat for breakfast." The children's laughter bubbled up like shaken soda, sudden and fizzy against the frozen air.
The two kids clutched their presents like holy relics, faces smudged with tears and snot. The Krampus leaned in, her hot breath smelling suspiciously of peppermint and something darker, copper, maybe, or burnt sugar. "Now scram," she growled, but the corners of her mouth twitched when the little girl launched forward, wrapping tiny arms around her thigh. The boy hesitated, then joined, his face pressed into the fur lining of her skirt.
"You're... you're not like the stories," he mumbled into the fabric.
The Krampus barked a laugh that shook snow from the branches overhead. "Damn right, kid." She ruffled his hair, careful with her claws. "Stories got it backward. We eat the nasty ones." Her grin widened just enough to flash a hint of fang. "The sweet ones? We *keep*."
From the bushes, a wet groan. The Krampus rolled her yellow eyes. "Ugh. Forgot the trash." She reached back, hauling the bully out by his collar, his nose bent sideways, lips split like overripe fruit. She dropped him in the snow with a thud. "Run along, maggot. Tell your friends Santa's got a new enforcer."
The bully scrambled backward on elbows, legs numb, his breath hitching between whimpers. His gaze flickered between her claws and the curve of her chest, his ribs throbbed where she'd kicked him, but his dick twitched traitorously. "Y-you're not real," he stammered, blood bubbling in his throat.
"Wow. Still dumb." She flexed her fingers; his pupils dilated. "Tell you what, hero... limp home before I decide you'd look prettier *without* that nose." He scrambled upright, limping into the trees, one hand clutching his ribs, the other awkwardly adjusting his jeans.
The Krampus watched him go, then pulled a crumpled parchment from her belt. A clawed finger dragged down the inked names, paused, and scratched through "Tyler McKinney" with a flourish. The next entry made her nostrils flare: "Mikaela Banes." She traced the letters slowly, her tongue darting over pointed teeth.
"Mm. *There's* my Christmas dinner." The kids were already skipping toward the street, their laughter trailing behind them like tinsel. She inhaled deeply, catching the faintest trace of motor oil and cherry chapstick on the wind. "Better hurry, little mouse," she murmured, folding the list with deliberate care. "Your stocking's gonna be *stuffed*."
Inside, Mikaela crouched by the tree, shoving a last-minute gift into the pile. "Dad, if you *actually* got me that torque wrench I asked for..." The front door exploded inward in a shower of splinters, the force rattling the ornaments. She rolled instinctively, glass shards peppering her stockings as she came up in a crouch, one hand already snatching the fireplace poker.
"Christ, coulda *knocked*..." The words died in her throat.
The Krampus filled the doorway, snow swirling around her hips, her breath steaming in the sudden draft. The belt under her breasts creaked as she straightened, clawed fingers flexing. "Mikaela Banes," she purred, slow, savoring each syllable like bourbon. "Been waiting *so* long to unwrap you."
Mikaela's grip tightened on the poker. The Krampus's nostrils flared at the scent of her adrenaline, sharp, metallic, delicious. She took a step forward, her hooves sinking into the carpet with deliberate, predatory grace.
"You got three seconds to explain why my door's in pieces," Mikaela growled, shifting her weight onto the balls of her feet. The Krampus grinned, licking a fang.
"One," the monster counted, her pupils dilating. Mikaela's pulse thudded in her throat, visible even through the high collar of her dress.
"Two." The Krampus's tail lashed, knocking over a vase. Water soaked into the rug between them.
Mikaela lunged on "three," the poker whistling through the air, only for the Krampus to catch it mid-swing, the metal screeching as her claws dented it.
"Good girl," she breathed, yanking Mikaela flush against her. The heat between them was immediate, oppressive. "Knew you'd fight." Her free hand tangled in Mikaela's hair, tilting her head back. "Gonna taste even sweeter when you *lose*."
Mikaela's knee came up, hard, but the Krampus twisted, taking the hit on her thigh with a throaty chuckle. "Feisty." She pressed closer, her breath hot against Mikaela's ear. "Bet your pussy's even *wetter* when you're pissed."
Outside, snow continued to fall, muffling the sound of Mikaela's boot heel slamming into the Krampus's shin. The monster hissed, her grip loosening just enough for Mikaela to wrench free, but not fast enough to avoid the hand that snaked under her skirt, claws skimming the damp lace between her thighs.
"*Fuck*...!" Mikaela's hips jerked forward involuntarily, her body betraying her. The Krampus laughed, low and dark, her thumb rubbing slow circles through the fabric.
"Knew it," she murmured, licking a stripe up Mikaela's neck. "All this time, dreaming about my teeth in this pretty throat..." Her other hand cupped Mikaela's ass, squeezing. "And you're already *dripping* for me."
Mikaela's breath hitched, her back hitting the wall as the Krampus crowded her closer. The monster's scent, pine, blood, something muskier, flooded her senses. She should be fighting. She *was* fighting.
But Christ, the way those claws felt, teasing her through the lace...
"Gonna wreck this little outfit," the Krampus promised, nipping at Mikaela's collarbone. Her free hand tugged at the Santa dress's bodice, the fabric tearing with a sound like ripping wrapping paper. "Then wreck *you*."
Mikaela's pulse jumped. The poker clattered to the floor.
Outside, the snow kept falling.
Inside, the real storm was just beginning.
The Krampus smirks as she looks down at Mikaela. Introducing herself as Noelle with a purr. "Merry Christmas Mikaela. Today is the day I finally claim you. You belong to me. You are mine now."
Mikaela scowls, wrenching her wrist free from Noelle's grip. "The fuck I do! You're insane lady."
Noelle throws her head back and laughs, the sound rich and throaty. Her massive H-cup breasts bounce hypnotically with each chuckle, the biggest pair Mikaela has ever seen, straining against the tight fabric of her shirt. Mikaela's traitorous gaze lingers for half a second too long before she scowls harder.
Then Noelle glances up, her yellow eyes gleaming with mischief. "Oh look," she murmurs, claws tracing Mikaela's jawline. "Mistletoe." Mikaela's breath hitches as the Krampus leans in, her hot breath ghosting over her lips. "Christmas tradition says we *have* to kiss now."
Mikaela growls, twisting her face away. "Fuck your traditions..."
But Noelle's grip tightens, her claws pressing just shy of breaking skin. "Oh no, little mouse," she breathes, licking the shell of Mikaela's ear. "You don't say no to me." Then her lips crash down, claiming Mikaela's mouth with brutal, possessive hunger.
The kiss is *filthy* all teeth and tongue and wet, desperate noises. Mikaela's pulse pounds so hard she swears Noelle can taste it through her lips. The Krampus growls low in her throat, hands sliding down to grip Mikaela's ass hard enough to bruise, lifting her effortlessly until their hips slot together. Mikaela's stockings rip against Noelle's claws, her thighs trembling where they bracket those muscular goat legs.
"A *year*," Noelle snarls against Mikaela's mouth between brutal, biting kisses. "Every fucking night watching you under streetlights, grease on your hands..." She bites Mikaela's lower lip, sucking the sting away. "Thought I'd *die* waiting."
Mikaela gasps when the kiss breaks with an obscene pop, slick smeared across both their chins. She twists free mid-air, landing in a crouch that sends her torn skirt fluttering. Noelle's nostrils flare at the sight of Mikaela's flushed thighs, and then the chase *is on*, boots pounding hardwood as Mikaela bolts for the kitchen with Noelle's laughter licking at her heels like wildfire.
"Fucking...*stay back*!" Mikaela vaults the counter, knocking over a tray of sugar cookies. Frosting smears under her gloves as she grabs a butcher knife, brandishing it with both hands.
Noelle prowls forward, hips swaying, her claws tapping the granite. "Oh honey," she drawls, licking powdered sugar off her knuckles. "That little toothpick ain't scaring nobody."
The knife quivers in Mikaela's grip for half a heartbeat before she hurls it, *thunk* embedding in the cabinet inches from Noelle's ear. The Krampus doesn't even blink. "Missed," she purrs, and Mikaela *snarls*, launching herself backward into the hallway.
"You call *that* running?" Noelle's voice drips amusement as she follows at a leisurely stride, claws scraping the wallpaper. Mikaela's boots skid on hardwood, her breath ragged, she barely makes it to the stairs before a hand fists in her hair, yanking her backward into Noelle's chest.
"Fuck...*let go*!" Mikaela elbows blindly, connecting with ribs harder than steel. Noelle grunts but tightens her grip, her breath hot against Mikaela's nape. "Nah. Like you *here*." Mikaela's heel connects with a shin, goat hide barely flinches, and then they're *moving*, Noelle bodily steering her through the house like she weighs nothing. The living room blurs past, Christmas lights streaking in Mikaela's vision, then the den, the damn *coat closet*
Mikaela wrenches free at the foot of the stairs. She takes the steps three at a time, lungs burning, slamming her bedroom door behind her with enough force to rattle the framed posters of muscle cars. The lock clicks, a flimsy thing, decorative, and she *knows* it won't hold, but Christ, she needs *air*, needs to *think*
Silence. Heavy. Then
The door detonates inward, hinges shearing clean, wood splintering like kindling. Noelle steps through the wreckage, dust swirling around her hips, hands planted on those *obscene* curves. "Cute," she murmurs, toeing the broken door with a hoof. "Real cute."
Mikaela's back hits the dresser, her thighs trembling where they press against the wood.
Noelle's nostrils flare, she *smells* it, the slick heat Mikaela can't hide. "Bedroom's better," the Krampus decides, licking her lips. "Gonna wreck this one *proper*."
Mikaela looks up into Noelle's lust filled eyes. "Please... let's talk about this. You can't just do this to me."
Noelle keeps slowly walking towards Mikaela. Each step makes the wooden floor creak under her hooves. "Oh Mikaela. There is nothing to talk about. You are mine now." She licks her lips while staring hungrily at Mikaela's body. "I'm going to breed you silly. Fill you up with my cum until it's dripping down your thighs."
Mikaela stares into Noelle's eyes like the Krampus is even more insane than she first thought. "Breed me? You're fucking delusional," she snaps, pressing harder against the dresser, the wood digging into her lower back. "Women can't knock up other women... basic biology, you psycho!"
Noelle's grin widens, slow and knowing, as she steps closer, her hooves sinking into the plush carpet. She reaches down, casually hiking up her skirt just enough for Mikaela to see the bare, smooth skin beneath, no hidden weapon, just thick, powerful thighs and a shadowed hint of something darker. Mikaela's breath catches, her pulse kicking up another notch.
"You humans," Noelle chuckles, low and rough, "always thinking with dicks." Her claw traces Mikaela's collarbone, dragging the torn fabric of her Santa dress lower. "Monster girls don't *need* them." Her thumb swipes over Mikaela's parted lips, smearing cherry gloss. "But I *do* need to taste you first." She gets on her knees to get to Mikaela's pussy.
The first lick up Mikaela's inner thigh is *filthy*, wet heat searing through her ruined stockings. She chokes on a gasp, fingers scrabbling at Noelle's horns as the Krampus inhales deeply against her damp lace. "Fuck...*stop*..." But her hips jerk forward anyway, betrayal slick between her legs. Noelle growls approval, teeth grazing the soaked fabric before tearing it away with a single sharp tug.
Mikaela's moans loudly as the Krampus *devours* her, tongue lapping at her folds like she's starving. The dresser rattles behind them, perfume bottles toppling as Mikaela's back arches, *too much*, the pleasure too sharp, too *hungry*. Noelle fists a hand in her hair, yanking her head back to expose her throat while her other hand grips Mikaela's hip hard enough to bruise, holding her still for every ruthless stroke of that wicked tongue.
"*Mine*," Noelle snarls between licks, the vibration shooting straight to Mikaela's core. Her claws dig in, possessive, *claiming*, and Mikaela's vision whites out as she comes with a shattered cry, her thighs clamping around Noelle's head like a vise. The Krampus doesn't stop, drinking her down like she's the last fucking sip of water in hell, and Mikaela's fingers twist in black hair as another orgasm rips through her before the first even fades.
Noelle pulls back just enough to smirk up at her, lips glistening, chin dripping. "Now," she purrs, rising to her full height, her claws tracing Mikaela's trembling stomach, "time to put a *pup* in you."
Mikaela's protest dies in her throat as Noelle's hand slides between her own thighs, fingers glistening with something *thicker* than arousal, the scent of it, musky, *fertile* filling the room. Her stomach clenches, suddenly *terrified* and *aching* all at once. "Wait...*what the fuck is that*..
"
Noelle's laugh is dark with promise. "Your Christmas present."
The claws at Mikaela's hips flex, gentle, almost reverent, as Noelle lifts her effortlessly onto the bed. The dress splits under those wicked claws like wrapping paper, Mikaela's skin pebbling under the sudden rush of cold air. "Gonna peel you open," Noelle murmurs, tossing the shredded Santa dress aside. "All my favorite presents come *bare*."
Mikaela kicks out, heel glancing off Noelle's ribs to no effect, the Krampus just *grins*, shrugging out of her own shirt. Those *monstrous* H-cups jounce free, heavy and hypnotic, nipples stiff against the chill. Mikaela's fingers twitch, torn between shoving her away and *palming* them just to see if they're as soft as they look.
"Jesus Christ," Mikaela croaks, scrambling backward across the bedspread, "you're like a fucking *anime character*." Noelle's answering chuckle sends heat pooling low in Mikaela's belly as the Krampus steps free of her skirt, revealing smooth brown skin, the festive little trimmed tree above her cunt, and *hips* that could sink ships.
"Better grip," Noelle purrs, crawling forward, her claws sinking into the mattress on either side of Mikaela's thighs. "Gonna make sure my wife *takes* every drop." Mikaela's pulse jackhammers when those thick thighs bracket hers, knees pressing insistently until her legs fall open with a quiet *shhh* across the bed sheets.
The first brush of Noelle's pussy against hers punches the breath from Mikaela's lungs, too hot, too *wrong*, the slick glide of it sending sparks up her spine. "That's it," Noelle murmurs, adjusting her hips with a roll that has Mikaela's toes curling, their breasts pressing together, nipples dragging. "Perfect fit."
Mikaela chokes on a gasp when Noelle's claws curl under her knees, hiking her legs higher, *wider*, the angle exposing her completely. Noelle's breath hitches, her pupils blown black as she grinds down slow, their clits catching in a dizzying rub that makes Mikaela see stars. "Oh fuck...*wait*..." Mikaela's protest dies in a whimper as Noelle's hips snap forward, her wetness pulsing against Mikaela's entrance.
"You feel that?" Noelle pants, rutting against her in shallow thrusts, their combined slick dripping down Mikaela's thighs. "That's *mine*."
Mikaela grits her teeth, her back arching involuntarily. "Fuck off...ah!...it's just *wet*..."
Noelle chuckles darkly, tilting her hips to grind her swollen clit against Mikaela's in slow, deliberate circles. "Uh-huh. Keep lying." She nips at Mikaela's collarbone, claws tightening around her wrists. "Bet you've never even *touched* yourself like this."
Mikaela's breath hitches, she hasn't, not with the heel of her palm working slow, filthy circles like Noelle is now and the Krampus *smirks*, reading her silence like a confession. "Thought so."
"Shut...*fuck*...shut up," Mikaela gasps, bucking against Noelle's pussy as the Krampus speeds up her grinding, the drag of her pussy against Mikaela's so slick, so *hot* it feels like branding.
Noelle leans down, lips brushing Mikaela's ear. "Bet you've never come like *this* either." Her hips snap forward, deliberate, brutal, and Mikaela's vision whites out as Noelle's clit rubs against hers in a relentless rhythm that steals the air from her lungs.
Mikaela's fingers claw at the bedsheets, her thighs trembling where they bracket Noelle's hips, her body *betraying* her with every desperate roll of her hips. "F-fuck you," she whimpers, but her legs lock around Noelle's waist, pulling her closer as the Krampus *takes* what she wants, her pussy grinding Mikaela's into the mattress with every thrust.
"Already am, sweetheart," Noelle purrs, and then her teeth sink into Mikaela's shoulder as she *fucks her harder*, their bodies slapping together in a wet, obscene rhythm that echoes off the walls.
Mikaela's breath hitches, she can *feel* Noelle's pussy pulsing against hers, insistent, *hungry*, the swollen flesh dragging against her clit with every thrust, and then Noelle's claws dig into her hips, *anchoring*, pulling Mikaela up against her wet folds with a force that steals the air from her lungs.
"Oh fuck...*Noelle*..." Mikaela's voice cracks as the pressure builds, her thighs trembling, her toes curling into the sheets, and then Noelle *grinds down*, slow and brutal, their breasts pressing together, nipples dragging, and Mikaela *shatters*, her hips jerking as she cums *hard*, her clear fem cum splashing across Noelle's pussy lips in hot, sticky pulses.
Noelle *groans*, deep and guttural, her hips stuttering as Mikaela's cum coats her folds, and then, with a low, possessive growl, her pussy *seals* against Mikaela's, airtight, the swollen flesh twitching as Noelle's orgasm *rips* through her, her muscles locking around Mikaela's hips as she *pumps* wave after wave of thick, fertile cum against Mikaela's entrance.
Mikaela's eyes widen, her breath catching as she feels it *inside*, something warm and impossibly *deep*, flooding her, *filling* her, her womb *tightening* around the intrusion as Noelle's cum surges forward like a tide. "Holy *fuck*..." she gasps, her nails digging into Noelle's shoulders as the Krampus *grinds* deeper, her hips rolling in slow, *insistent* circles, milking every last drop into Mikaela's trembling body.
"T-told you," Noelle pants, her voice wrecked, her lips brushing Mikaela's ear as she *pushes* another thick pulse into her, Mikaela's belly *quivering* under the sensation, the heat of it *spreading* through her like wildfire. "Not insane..." she growls, nipping Mikaela's neck, her claws flexing around Mikaela's thighs, "...just *yours*."
Mikaela's breath hitches, her body *clenching* around Noelle's cum as it *settles*, heavy and *real*, inside her, her mind reeling, because *fuck*, because *women don't...* but Noelle's pussy *locks* tighter against hers, her cum *pulsing* with something *alive*, and Mikaela *whimpers*, her thighs shaking as the impossible truth *sinks* in, deeper than the warmth pooling in her womb. "You...you *actually*..."
Noelle *laughs*, low and rasping, her lips dragging wetly up Mikaela's throat, her teeth scraping the delicate skin beneath her ear. "Told ya," she murmurs, her claws tracing idle circles over Mikaela's *quivering* belly, the heat of her touch branding into the flushed skin. "Monster girls don't *need* dicks." She *grinds* down, slow and filthy, their clits catching in a dizzying rub that makes Mikaela's toes *curl*. "Just *you*."
Mikaela *gasps*, her nails digging into Noelle's shoulders as the Krampus *takes* her mouth again, the kiss *hungrier* this time, *messier*, Noelle's tongue licking into her with the same *claiming* greed as her pussy, her claws *tightening* around Mikaela's hips, *hauling* her closer, deeper, their bodies *melting* together in the sweat-slick heat. "Fuck...*fuck*..." Mikaela *moans* against Noelle's lips, her hips jerking *helplessly*, her clit *throbbing* where it's pressed against Noelle's, the pleasure *building* again, *fast*, too fast, her orgasm *cresting* before she can catch her breath.
Noelle *growls*, her claws *digging* into Mikaela's ass as she *pulls* her impossibly closer, their breasts *crushing* together, their cum *slicking* between them, and Mikaela *screams* into Noelle's mouth as she *comes*, her body *convulsing* around the Krampus's, her fem cum *gushing* against Noelle's thighs in hot, sticky pulses, her womb *clenching* around the thick *load* still *pumping* into her with every *rolling* thrust of Noelle's hips. "*Mine*," Noelle *snarls*, her voice *raw*, her pussy *milking* Mikaela's for every last drop, her cum *filling* her to the *brim*, her body *claiming* Mikaela's in ways no human ever could.
"Up," Noelle *grunts*, her claws *lifting* Mikaela's limp body effortlessly, her cum *dripping* down Mikaela's thighs as she *pushes* her onto the dresser, the wood *creaking* under their combined weight. Mikaela *groans*, her legs *shaking*, her belly *quivering* with the *weight* of Noelle's cum inside her, her fingers *clutching* at the Krampus's shoulders for balance as Noelle *reaches* for the discarded Santa dress, *ripping* it into makeshift shreds to *wipe* Mikaela's thighs clean with *rough*, *possessive* strokes. "Messy," Noelle *chuckles*, her tongue *dragging* over Mikaela's collarbone, *lapping* up the sweat and cum *mingling* there, her teeth *nipping* the tender flesh. "*Perfect*."
"Wait...*fuck*..." Mikaela *gasps* as Noelle *hefts* her into the air, her legs *dangling* over the Krampus's shoulder, her belly *pressing* against the fur lining of Noelle's coat, the *warmth* of her cum *sloshing* inside her with every *step* Noelle takes toward the large white sack waiting by the door. "You're *serious*?" Mikaela *hisses*, her fingers *tangling* in Noelle's hair, her thighs *squeezing* around the Krampus's neck as Noelle *laughs*, the sound *vibrating* through Mikaela's core.
"Deadly," Noelle *purrs*, her claws *tightening* around Mikaela's waist as she *drops* her into the sack with a *rustle* of wrapping paper, Mikaela's *curled* body *nestled* among the soft fabric like some *perverse* Christmas present.
Noelle *whistles* "Jingle Bells," the tune *rasping* through her fangs as she *hauls* the sack over her shoulder, Mikaela's *muffled* curses *vibrating* against her back with every *bounce* of her steps. "Knock *that* shit off..." Mikaela *snaps*, her fist *thumping* against Noelle's ribs from inside the sack, her voice *tinged* with something *between* outrage and *exhaustion*.
Noelle *grins*, her claws *patting* the sack with *mock* gentleness. "Hush, wife," she *chuckles*, her hooves *clicking* against the hardwood as she *carries* Mikaela toward the door. "Gotta get you *home*."