Read Online The Prisoner's Release and Other Stories by Kyell Gold - Free Book Online Page B

undressed.”
    “ What? We haven’t even had dinner yet.”
    “ We’ll eat later. Get your clothes off.” The fox was already unlacing his own trousers, pushing the door closed with his body.
    Jonas stared at him for a second, then undressed. Whatever was bothering Alexan, he’d be more relaxed after sex.
    He’d barely turned over before the fox was on him, thrusting and biting harder than Jonas had ever known him to. He bore the assault steadfastly, even when the fox’s sharp teeth sent lances of pain through his shoulder. “ There ,” Alexan growled, “your majesty , how do you like that ,” with thrusts and bites punctuating his words.
    It was all over soon enough, and Alexan was left locked inside him, panting hard. He licked Jonas on the shoulder and said softly. “You’re bleeding.”
    Jonas wasn’t surprised; he’d had to make an effort to keep from crying out at the sharpness of the pain. All he said was, “You were upset.”
    “ Yeah.” Alexan started to lick at Jonas’s wound. “The king…” He shook his head, then went back to licking.
    “ He did something?”
    “ Maybe. See…the reason I can trade in weapons is because the law prohibiting weapons trade between us and Tephos only says that trade in “bronze and steel” is forbidden. Wood and string aren’t mentioned. So I’m legally safe, even if really nobody is supposed to be going over there. But the king is considering a provision banning anything that could be used as a weapon. It’d ruin me. It’s because of that whole trouble with the assassin a couple years ago. Like that had anything to do with weapons!”
    “ Ow.” In his excitement, the fox’s claws dug into Jonas’s side.
    “ Sorry.” Alexan relaxed. “Not your problem.”
    “ If it’s bothering you, then it worries me.”
    Alexan stroked down Jonas’s side and found his sheath. He squeezed it, but Jonas wasn’t very aroused. “You don’t need to be worried.”
    “ What are you going to do?” Jonas tried to relax and enjoy the stroking.
    “ I need to find a noble sponsor, someone with the King’s ear. If he can sway the king…there are a couple merchants who supply to me who I might be able to get to join me.”
    Jonas let the stroking wash over him, closing his eyes. “Is there something I could do? Maybe help get in with one of the cougars?”
    Alexan laughed without breaking his strokes. “You? You’re just a prostitute. Don’t worry about it.”
    He kissed Jonas’s ear. Jonas sighed, stopped talking, and focused on his growing arousal. But his climax, when it came, was more a relief than a pleasure.
    The next night, Alexan was more relaxed, and Jonas enjoyed himself considerably more. Afterwards, he lay with his arm around Alexan and the fox’s paw brushing his stomach’s fur, and he felt good enough to give the fox a kiss.
    Alexan nuzzled him back and kissed his nose with a smile. “You don’t have to go back to your room tonight if you don’t want to.”
    “ I’d like to stay.”
    “ Mmm.”
    Jonas nuzzled his ear. “Will I get to meet some of your friends?”
    “ Sure.” Alexan sounded amused. “Why?”
    “ Well, it just gets lonely here during the day. Julianna doesn’t talk to me much.”
    “ You should spend more time with her, maybe help her out a bit. You’re almost done with the inventory, right?”
    Jonas nodded. “A couple more days.”
    “ Okay. Well, help out Julianna for a bit, and I’ll bring some friends over soon, I promise.” Alexan squeezed Jonas’s paw. “I do want you to meet them.”
    That made Jonas smile, made his heart swell, and reassured him that everything was going to be all right.
    When Alexan did bring his friends by, three days later, Julianna had made a nice stew for them, and Jonas had helped her clean up the dining room. He wanted to get dressed up, as Alexan had, but the fox didn’t have any clothes that would fit him, and of course Jonas had no other clothes. “You’ll be fine,”