Mossy Oakes is a quiet little suburb, backed up against a small forest near the state border, and Amy wouldn't have it any other way. It would be rather hard to keep her little family's secrets if Mossy Oakes was any other cul-de-sac; the rest of the world doesn’t even believe in magic, and that’s a good thing, in her opinion. Historically, things don't turn out too well for the magic folk when the normal folk find out about them. Plus, being so close to the forest is good for Cedric; it gives him a place to escape to when the ‘civilized’ world becomes too much to handle.

The water in the pot she’s filling sloshes when strong, capable arms wrap around her waist from behind, a firm chest pressing against her back while a stubbled cheek presses against hers, interrupting Amy’s early-morning musings. "Morning, love," Cedric mumbles, still sleepy. "Did the coffee maker decide to cooperate today?"

Amy smiles fondly, nodding. "I think it knows Galvyn is coming home today.” She doesn't look away from her pot as she listens to Cedric's pre-coffee shuffle across the kitchen, the clinking of the mugs as he rummages in the cabinet above the coffee maker before deciding on one and pulling it out. "Assuming all went well with the Council, that is."

Cedric snorts, yawning as he pours himself a cup of coffee only a few shades darker than his skin. "You know he won't let them get in the way of coming back to us on schedule," he mutters through another jaw-cracking yawn. "It's the holiday season, he loves this time of year, no matter how many times he sees it."

Amy snickers, remembering the chaos that had been their small, cozy house the year before; Galvyn was worse than the local stores, insisting on decorating far too long ahead of time. As a result, their house was perpetually lavishly decorated from the end of September to just after the New Year, and last year had been mild compared to how enthusiastic Galvyn had been the first year they’d actually owned this property. "We'll have to remember to buy the whole candy aisle this year for the trick-or-treaters," Amy muses aloud with a pointed look at Cedric, who shrugs unrepentantly.

"You spend two decades trapped in a body that literally can't handle chocolate, see how good your self-control is," he retorts, wagging a finger in her direction while keeping a secure grip on his coffee, another treat he had been denied for twenty years.

"It'd probably be good enough to keep me out of the emergency room," Amy teases, flicking some water in Cedric's direction, laughing when he blows a raspberry at her in retaliation.

"You're lucky I've got coffee," he grumbles, but Amy can hear the underlying fondness.

"I'm quaking in my slippers," she informs him, grinning cheekily. "Now, hurry up; we've got a reunion to prepare, and I want to get a start on the Samhain decorations."

“All right,” Cedric sighs, draining the last of his coffee in one large gulp; he deposits the now-empty mug into the sink, and then presses into Amy’s personal space. He plucks the pot from her grip and places it on the counter before laying his hands on her hips, drawing her in a for a toe-curling kiss that is nearly enough to make Amy forget all about the planned outing.

Cedric’s expression when he finally pulls away says he knows exactly what effect his kiss has on her, and Amy can’t let him get away with that.

So she grabs the still-damp dishcloth from the sink and throws it in his face, giggling when he yelps, then bolting when he lunges for her, growling playfully. She flees down the hall to the bedroom, laughing all the way.

* * *

Amy sucks in a deep breath of the crisp fall air, relishing in the crunch of fallen leaves beneath her feet. She laughs at Cedric's antics, the way he bounds through the woods, stump of a tail wagging in a way it decidedly had not been when Amy and Galvyn had first met the canine shifter. Cursed for two decades, they'd never found out exactly what Cedric had done to earn the wrath of whoever had trapped him. For all they knew, Cedric had gone messing with some artifact or other; the only detail they’d ever been able to get out of him was that his current shifted form was not the one he had been born with, though he rarely talked about his life before the curse. Honestly, Amy thought that Cedric’s time trapped inside the body and slightly-enhanced mind of a Boerboel mastiff had affected his human memories. It had taken a lot of time, research, and trial and error to break Cedric out of the shift, and by that point they had all grown so fond of each other that the rest was history.

That had been seven years ago; they'd moved to Mossy Oakes five years ago, and despite the occasional spat between Cedric and the other — feline — shifter two doors down, life had been good.

Lost in thought, Amy jumps when Cedric bumps into her hip, shoving his cold nose into her palm and huffing demandingly. Rolling her eyes, Amy nonetheless smiles and complies with the wordless demand, scratching behind Cedric’s ears and chuckling at the pleased groan he lets out. “We can’t stay out for too long today,” she says as they continue wandering, stopping to investigate the occasional interesting plant or rock. “I promised Mother I’d give her a call in the morning. Well, the morning over there.” Amy’s mother had recently been on a ‘rediscovering my roots’ kick, and as such had dragged her husband overseas to Japan to reunite with the family that she had left behind when she’d first moved to the States for school.

Cedric sneezes and Amy grins. “I know, I know; but it’s making her happy, so that’s all I care about. Besides, she’s gonna have a lot of cool stories to tell when she gets back, and even Dad’s having fun. Can’t begrudge them that.” Cedric sneezes again, and Amy flicks his ear lightly. “Keep that up, mister, and I’ll give Galvyn your share of the candy in the next package Mom sends back. Now come on; we need a few more things to bring in for the altar.”

* * *

That afternoon finds Amy fussing about the house, trying to keep her hands busy until Galvyn comes home; she knows that Cedric is watching her with barely-restrained laughter, but since he’s also looking at the clock every few seconds, she doesn’t call him on it. They’re both anxious; Galvyn’s been gone for nearly two months, busy working with the Council — the one for their part of the country, anyway — preparing and organizing for the hectic holiday months coming up. Magical mischief always skyrocketed around Halloween and Samhain, and with the energy from the normal world revving up the magical energy available to every single mythical creature in existence, a lot of bad things could happen. Precautions had to be taken, safety measures put in place ahead of time to minimize the possibility of those bad things coming to pass and putting mundanes and the supernatural both at risk.

Galvyn wasn’t the head of the Council — thank the gods, otherwise he’d be gone all year instead of just for a couple of months — but as one of the oldest Fae in the region, and the only one who had been born in the old country, his expertise was invaluable. Didn’t mean that Amy and Cedric didn’t miss him while he was gone, but they understood the necessity of his absence.

Besides, these Council meetings were a good excuse for Skype sex.

The sound of Cedric leaping to his feet draws Amy’s attention from checking on the roast she’s had simmering in the crock pot all day, and she pokes her head out of the kitchen in time to see the shifter bolting for the door, pulling it open just as the portal Galvyn liked to use to make dramatic entrances appeared. Barely remembering to put the lid back onto the crock pot instead of tossing it onto the counter (and most likely breaking the glassware), Amy darts to Cedric’s side as Galvyn steps from the portal, the shimmer in the air closing behind him with a pop.

Galvyn doesn’t get a single word out before Amy’s on him, literally throwing herself at the Fae, trusting him to catch her as she wraps her legs around his waist, her arms around his shoulders so that she can tangle her hands in his hair and haul him in for a deep kiss.

It’s difficult to choose between continuing the kiss or breathing, but when Cedric steps up beside them, Amy reluctantly chooses breathing, though she doesn’t remove herself from the octopus-like embrace. It does grant her the perk of getting an up-close look at the kiss Galvyn and Cedric share, and feeling the way Galvyn’s hands tighten on her thighs. “Well,” he laughs when Cedric finally backs up. “That’s one hell of a welcome.”

“Duh,” Amy grins, unable to resist stealing another kiss from his smile. “We missed you. Sex is boring when it’s just two people.”

“Oh, I see,” Galvyn sighs, stepping through the still-open door without dropping her, “you’re only with me for the sex. I suppose I should feel honored you’ve kept me around this long.”

“You are pretty amazing at it,” she concedes, sharing a smirk with Cedric over Galvyn’s shoulders as he closes the door. “But, two months is an awful long time. I think my memory’s getting fuzzy.”

“Is it now?” Galvyn laughs. “For such a talented witch, your memory seems to be going awfully fast.”

“That’s what a grimoire is for. Now, are you going to take me to the bedroom or not?”

“I’d rather take you in the —”

“ And I think that’s a new record,” Cedric interrupts, clapping Galvyn on the shoulder as he passes, heading into the kitchen, presumably to steal a carrot from the roast under the guise of ‘checking’ it; Amy can't be bothered calling him out on the theft, though, not when Galvyn’s looking at her like that . “What was it, two minutes this time?”

“Two and a half,” Amy says cheekily, yelping when Galvyn lifts one hand only to smack her ass.

“Just for that, I’m going to go get a shower first,” he threatens, but it carries no weight and they all know it.

“No you’re not. Not when I’ve got those enchanted condoms you like so much waiting in the bedroom.”

They reach the bed fast enough that Amy half-suspects Galvyn opened another portal; she’s laughing when he deposits her on the bed, dropping her so she bounces before he follows her down, covering her body with his and doing the same with his mouth, kissing her hard enough that Amy knows her lips will be bruised by the end of the night.

She couldn’t care less, not with Galvyn finally back where he belongs: in their bed with his hands roaming her body and his mouth on hers, coaxing her into kiss after drugging kiss.

He eventually breaks away in favor of divesting them of their shirts, cursing under his breath in Gaelic when he sees that she’s not wearing a bra. Amy just grins and runs her hands down his chest, dragging her fingers through his chest hair. “Figured I’d save us all some time,” she manages to get out before gasping as Galvyn’s head ducks down, mouth latching onto her breast, nipping at the flesh before laving his tongue over it, soothing the sting. Her breath hitches when his mouth moves lower, teeth just barely scraping over her nipple, tongue flicking against the small peak it forms as his fingers tease its twin, causing a whine to fall from Amy’s throat.

“Now, now,” Cedric chuckles from the doorway, moving closer until the bed dips under his weight. “It’s not nice to tease, Gal, you know this.”

Galvyn mumbles something against Amy’s breast, but doesn’t allow himself to be distracted from his current task. Cedric chuckles again, leaning over to steal a kiss of his own from Amy. “You know,” he murmurs, his own hand drifting down her side, skating over her ribs to tease at her waistband. “It’s been quite a while since we’ve been able to pamper you.” The callouses on his fingers drag against Amy, tickling the sensitive skin at her hips as he works his hand into her pants, dipping under the soft fabric of her panties. “All the hard work you’ve been doing the past two months,” he continues as his fingers move lower, hand curving to cup her sex, one finger dipping into her folds, “keeping me in line, working with the Homeowner’s Association, cleaning and cooking, dealing with the temperamental coffee-maker, doing most of that on your own since we all know I’m not that good at household chores… I think you deserve some pampering.”

Amy gasps when his hand moves upward, sliding his finger through her folds until it bumps against her clit, a teasing touch timed perfectly with the pinch Galvyn delivers to the nipple he’s been playing with while Cedric talked. “This isn’t pampering,” she protests, the effect she’s going for ruined by the breathless quality of her voice. “This is teasing!”

Cedric’s grin turns wolfish. “Oh, this isn’t teasing yet, ” he promises, reaching for the bedside table closest to him, his hand slipping from her pants as he leans over and rummages in the drawer for a moment before sitting back up and dangling a pair of padded handcuffs from one finger, looking at her questioningly.

Amy’s breath catches in her throat, and she only has to consider for a moment before she’s nodding enthusiastically. The pot roast still has another few hours to cook, they need to kill that time somehow , and if that means that she gets these two gorgeous men paying attention to her for that entire time, well, that is more than fine with her, even if she can’t touch back for part of that time. There's something about knowing it's all a facade that makes the feeling of helplessness brought on by being cuffed that much sweeter.

Galvyn laughs, low and slow as he helps Cedric situate her comfortably on the bed before slipping the cuffs around her wrists, first over one, then through one of the posts of the headboard, and then securing the other cuff around her other wrist and waiting patiently while she tests them. Once Amy nods, Galvyn gives Cedric a nudge, and they trade places, Galvyn scooting backwards on the bed while Cedric sidles up next to her, leaning in for a sweet, lingering kiss. “You’re beautiful like this,” he murmurs against her lips, running his hands through her hair, fanning it across the pillow. “Spread out on our bed, so trusting, letting us tie you up and do things at our pace.”

“Turnabout’s fair,” Amy manages to get out around the hitch in her breathing as Galvyn starts working her pants off, leaving biting kisses on every part of her he exposes before slipping the last of her clothing off and chucking it somewhere that’s not the bed. Amy shivers as the cool air hits her exposed body.

Cedric laughs, leaning in for one more kiss before he moves lower, kissing his way down her jaw to her throat, pausing long enough to suck a bruise into the skin there before continuing south. Amy tosses her head back, keening as Cedric descends on her breasts while Galvyn peppers kisses along the insides of her thighs, working his way up to her sex, gently nibbling along the join of her thigh before he runs his hands up her legs, squeezing her thighs with the barest hint of nail before sliding his hands under her ass and lifting her up to meet his mouth.

Sometimes Amy swears the thing she loves most about Galvyn is how he doesn’t beat around the bush, no matter what he’s doing. Even when he’s supposed to be teasing her, he isn’t shy; he starts with one broad, confident swipe of his tongue over her folds before diving in. His tongue slips deeper to gather the wetness she’s already leaking with quick licks, occasionally shifting upward to focus on her clit for a few moments, driving her closer and closer to the edge before backing up and dragging her back with him. Amy curses him, shifting restlessly on the bed, hands twisting in her bonds as she rocks her hips, stopping only when Cedric’s hand clamps down on them.

“Patience is a virtue,” he chides, glancing up and smirking at her from where he’s been lavishing attention on her breasts.

“Yeah, but what we’re doing isn’t,” Amy whines when Galvyn pulls away from her to laugh, pressing his cheek against her thigh. “ C’mon. ”

When she glares at them, Cedric just keeps his smirk in place as he returns his attention to her breasts, this time with both hands, kneading the flesh in slow, firm rolls of his fingers; Galvyn watches for a moment, a fond smile on his face, before he turns his attention back to his previous task. He, at least, seems to have decided to take mercy on her; he focuses on her clit, tongue flicking over and swirling around it, his face pressed so close that if he weren’t damn near immortal Amy would be worried about him passing out.

Cedric pinches her nipples, rolling them between his fingers slowly and tugging lightly, making her gasp and arch her back, the heat pooling in her gut growing, building like the anticipation before a killer wave at the beach, small waves rolling over her, unsatisfying, making her strive for the next one and the next, until the one she’s been waiting for finally arrives, breaking over her with enough force to punch the breath from her lungs.

It leaves in a high-pitched cry, her whole body arching as her thighs clamp around Galvyn’s shoulders, ankles locking behind his back to keep him in place, mouth gentling her through the orgasm until she’s in the aftershocks, the occasional shiver rolling through her as she catches her breath.

When he pulls back, Amy tugs at the cuffs, pouting at Cedric until he and Galvyn release her so she can drag Galvyn in for a hungry kiss, licking the taste of herself off of his lips and moaning when Cedric pulls Galvyn in for a kiss of his own.

“Gods, I’ve missed this,” Galvyn sighs when he and Cedric break apart. “Skype sex is awesome, don’t get me wrong — I love how far technology has come — but there is nothing like hearing you come in person.”

Amy flushes, thwacking Galvyn in the shoulder. “Yeah, well, we missed you just as much,” she says, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “It’s always boring around here when you’re gone.”

“I’m sure you guys were just languishing,” he snickers. “How many fights did Cedric get in with Sylvia?”

Cedric’s skin turns ruddy with embarrassment. “No more than usual,” he insists, even as Amy snorts. “Why are we talking about this? We were in the middle of something.”

“Yes, we were,” Amy says, taking pity on Cedric and running her hand down Galvyn’s chest, dropping it to his lap to cup his already-hard length in her hand, rolling her palm against him enticingly. “I’ve been looking forward to this all week.”

Galvyn hisses out a curse, turning to capture Amy’s lips in a heated kiss. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing,” he mutters. “But I’m going to let it slide this time.”

Amy smirks. “Of course. Now, I hope you remember where we keep the condoms.”

“Top drawer by the lube,” Galvyn answers immediately, grinning when Cedric obligingly grabs a couple, dropping them on the bedsheet. His grin widens when Amy shifts around until she’s on her knees, using one hand to push Galvyn backwards.

“Good,” she purrs, her hands skimming down his sides, fingers bumping over his abs. “I’m feeling kind of greedy today, I think. I want to return the favor you just did me while Cedric gets me ready to take you both. Took a nice long shower earlier, thinking about this.”

Amy greatly enjoys the way Galvyn’s chest heaves as his breath catches. “Well, how can I deny you, then?” he says breathlessly, eyes wide and pupils so dilated that she can barely see any of the brilliant green of his irises.

“You could always say no,” Amy says, turning serious for a moment as she and Cedric both pause, looking at Galvyn expectantly. “We can do something else — or nothing, if you’d rather.”

Galvyn’s shaking his head before she’s finished speaking. “No, no — I like your plan. Full consent given, all systems are go, full steam ahead, captain.”

Amy and Cedric relax, and Amy leans up for one last kiss as Cedric rummages in the bedside drawer once more. “Good. Now just lie down and let me take care of you,” she murmurs, smiling when Galvyn nods and complies.

Amy takes a moment to just take in the view before her with greedy eyes; this is a sight she hasn’t gotten to enjoy in weeks, and one she wants to savor every time she gets the chance. Looking at Galvyn spread out on their bed like the center fold-out of an issue of Playgirl , his arms folded behind his head, one leg cocked and gazing at her with those intense, literally-magic eyes of his, Amy can believe all those tales of poor farm folk and royalty alike being bewitched and taken in by the Fae, never to be seen again.

When impatience sparks in Galvyn’s expression, the muscles in his arms tensing with the effort of not moving, Amy herself is finally moved to action, leaning in to press a kiss to Galvyn’s jaw, then the side of his neck, the middle of his chest, just below his navel, in the cut of each hip, and then, finally, where he’s clearly craving it most. As Amy sets about her task, she hears the snick of the lube bottle cap, and tenses in anticipation; she jerks when Cedric dribbles some lube onto her ass. “That’s fucking cold! ”

Cedric snickers, scooping the lube up with his fingers as Amy refocuses, wrapping a hand around Galvyn’s length and stroking as she focuses the majority of her attention on the head of his manhood. Her attention is split despite her best efforts when she feels Cedric’s fingers circle her hole, just skimming over the puckered flesh. He uses gentle movements, coaxing her into relaxing before he carefully slips a finger into her, stretching and preparing her for what’s coming next.

When Amy finally takes Galvyn fully in her mouth, the Fae doesn’t even try to bite back the guttural groan that leaves his throat; if her mouth wasn’t currently full, Amy would smirk. Instead, she sets about trying to drag more sounds like that from him.

His hands come down, fingers tangling in her hair and tugging gently but not guiding her, letting Amy set the pace as the three of them settle into a rhythm. Cedric scissors his fingers inside of her as Amy rocks her hips back onto his fingers before leaning forward and bobbing her head, meeting the gentle rolling thrusts of Galvyn’s hips until Cedric finally withdraws his fingers, wiping them on the bedsheet — Amy can’t even find it in herself to be annoyed at the unnecessary mess, and neither can Galvyn — and reaches for one of the condoms by Amy’s head. She pulls her mouth off of Galvyn’s length, sucking lightly so that she withdraws with a small pop , eliciting a breathless chuckle from the Fae as she grabs the other condom, tearing the wrapper with her teeth and rolling it onto Galvyn, ensuring it fits properly before she crawls forward, resting her hands on his shoulders as she positions herself.

“You ready?” she asks, pausing one more time to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Galvyn nods, bringing his hands up to curl around her ribs, his thumbs brushing the undersides of her breasts as Cedric presses himself against her back, pressing his lips to her nape in a gentle kiss. “Ready,” he murmurs, his hands on Amy’s hips as she reaches down between her legs, positioning herself and Galvyn before she carefully sinks down, biting her lip as she rocks her hips, adjusting to the fullness of his length inside her. She sighs as her ass meets his hips, tilting her head back to rest on Cedric’s shoulder as she catches her breath. He presses a kiss to her cheek, hands coming to gently massage her ass in unspoken question after a moment.

Amy nods, leaning forward when Galvyn tugs on her wrists, accepting his offered kiss and gasping into his mouth when she feels Cedric pushing into her. “Breathe, agra ,” Galvyn murmurs, pressing his lips to her forehead when Amy pulls away to do just that, attempting to keep herself from tensing as Cedric carefully works himself inside of her until he’s buried to the hilt.

The three of them pause, their breathing falling into sync as naturally as — well, as naturally as breathing. It’s only when Amy bites her lip and carefully rocks her hips, testing once, twice, before nodding and reaching back to squeeze Cedric’s hand that the rhythm of their breaths changes. “I’m good,” she says, breathless in the best way.

Cedric tests it by withdrawing and rocking back; encouraged by the pleased sigh Amy gives in response, he picks up the pace. In their current position, he controls their movements, the rhythm, and he keeps it smooth and unhurried at first, a steady push and pull that’s a better drug than anything else Amy’s ever encountered. Galvyn and Amy rock their hips in counterpoint to Cedric’s rhythm, and when Cedric manages to sneak one hand around to reach for her clit, Amy jolts, cursing when Galvyn joins him, their fingers rubbing over and circling around her clit, rubbing the small ridge above it, and generally making it their mission to push her into another orgasm.

It doesn’t take much, not when Galvyn props himself up on his other elbow, leaning forward until he can take her nipple in his mouth, catching it in his teeth and tugging carefully before releasing it to lave his tongue over the pebbled flesh, repeating the treatment on the other breast. All of the sensations combine to shove Amy over the edge once more, and she breaks with a hoarse cry, clenching around them both, whining when their continued thrusts keep her on the edge, dragging her over once more when they fall, the high intense enough that Amy’s surprised they don’t inadvertently pop the lightbulbs in the bedroom.

The three of them collapse in a heap, dragging in gulping breaths; Amy slumps to the side once Cedric pulls out, carefully lifting herself off of Galvyn so that they can remove and tie off their condoms, tossing them in the direction of the trash can before they flop onto their backs, bracketing Amy between them. Amy yawns, reveling in the developing ache in her muscles. “Can’t sleep too long,” she murmurs. “Pot roast is almost done.”

“Eh, it’ll be fine,” Cedric mumbles from behind her, wrapping his arms around Amy’s waist and tucking his face into the back of her neck. “Roasts are meant to cook for a long time.”

“Besides, that’s what magic is for, if it somehow turns out overcooked, ” Galvyn adds around a yawn of his own. “Now, sleep.”

Amy manages a giggle before sleep finally claims her.

* * *

“ Trick or treat! ”

“Oh my,” Amy gasps, grinning at the three little monsters on her doorstep, two of which are sporting actual shifts. “Goodness, what frightful little beasts you are. Have you been out causing mischief tonight?”

“No!” they chorus, looking at the enormous bowl of candy in her hands with naked greed.

“We’ve been good,” the little werewolf adds earnestly, the slight lisp caused by his fangs dialing the cuteness up to eleven.

“Well, I suppose if you’ve been good, that warrants more than one piece of candy each,” Amy muses, turning to Galvyn, who’s standing beside her with a mock-serious expression.

“ Just good?” he asks, a teasing glint in his eye that doesn’t disappear even when Amy blatantly elbows him. “I don’t know…” Faced with three pouting faces, however, even his teasing resolve crumbles quicker than a burnt wick. “Oh, all right. Three pieces each, I suppose.”

The children whoop with joy, descending on the bowl Amy holds forward like goblins on a feast. After shouting their thanks, they take off down the sidewalk and to the next house.

Amy watches them go, then frowns. “Wait a second, where’s —”

Shrieks answer that question. A large dog leaps out of the bushes, whipped cream slathered around his jaws and exaggerating his jowls as he ‘roars’ at the children leaving the house. None of them are truly frightened, not with all those giggles as they bolt away. Amy shakes her head, passing the candy bowl to Galvyn so she can flick Cedric on the nose. “You’re not coming in with all that on your face, and I’m not licking it off. Go wash up,” she chides, putting her hands on her hips and summoning her best stern look until Cedric slinks off around the corner of the house, chastened, and presumably heading for the hose she uses on her garden.

Galvyn chuckles behind her, slipping an arm around her waist; they stand in silence for a few moments, and then, “Do you ever suppose you’d want any?”

Amy raises an eyebrow, looking at Galvyn expectantly. “Any what? Candy? Whipped cream?”

“No,” he answers, rolling his eyes, a partial smile curving his lips. “Kids. I’ve lived for centuries, and I’ve never had any children. Wanted them for a while, but never found anyone I wanted to have them with.”

Amy’s expression softens, and she smiles. “I don’t know,” she admits. “I’ve never given it much thought. But…” Watching the little ones wander around their suburb, some in costumes and some in the skins a force other than nature gave them, Amy feels a warmth growing in her chest.

“I could be persuaded.”

* * *

Relatively new to original erotic fiction, Airenn Martlock is from a hard-to-pronounce town on the East coast of the United States, and the cohabitor of three human beings, two dogs, three cats, three horses, and six fish.