do better than me, my lord.”
Jherik stopped and turned his head. The coyote was staring defiantly at him, paws on his hips, showing off as usual. “You are beautiful,” he conceded. “But I don’t think that’s what I want.” He left without waiting for an answer and went in to dinner.
At dinner, he managed to be polite, if not talkative. Viana had taken his old seat next to Marhik, and he took the seat on the other side of his father. Marhik and his father were engaged in conversation, and Viana split her time between following them and trying to draw out Jherik. At one point, she mentioned how roomy their quarters were, and Jherik frowned.
“You must have grown up in a closet,” he said, “if you think Marhik’s room is large.”
Marhik heard this and looked across at Jherik. “Oh, we’re not staying in my old rooms. We’re in Papa Iothik’s old chambers. Dad thought they’d be more suitable for a couple.”
“Oh,” Jherik said, and then sat upright. “Oh.”
“What?” Viana asked, and Marhik and their father were both looking at him now, but he didn’t see any of them.
“Excuse me,” he said, putting his plate down. “I need to go do something right away.”
Their confused murmurs followed him out of the dining room, but he didn’t hear. He sprinted up the stairs, taking them three at a time, and passed the door to his chambers, stopping in front of the door to Marhik’s old rooms. The scent of fox still hung in the air. Slowly, he pushed the door open.
Marhik’s chambers were laid out almost identically to his. The first room held toys, trophies, projects, books, and chairs, as well as a small desk. On the opposite side of the room, exactly paralleling the place that Yakua slept in his chambers, there was a small cot.
And on that cot, a blanket covered a lumpy shape, with a bushy orange tail hanging down.
Jherik closed the door softly, but not softly enough. Benton sat up with a start.
The cougar held up a paw. “Don’t run away. Please.”
Benton blinked sleep from his eyes and nodded. “I’m sorry, sir. I shouldn’t have...”
“You shouldn’t have waited to tell me,” Jherik said, kneeling beside the cot.
Benton’s expression changed from wariness to a weak smile. “I thought you’d notice. I wasn’t exactly subtle.”
“I’m not exactly perceptive.” Jherik took the fox’s paw in his. “You may have noticed I spend a lot of time thinking about myself.”
“You should! You’re the son of the baron.”
Jherik grinned. “I know. But you showed me that if I think about other people once in a while, things go a bit easier.”
Benton nodded, and then looked down at his paw. He squeezed Jherik’s back tentatively and looked up. “I just got confused. I thought you’d be leaving and you said all those things, and I just couldn’t help myself.”
“I’m glad you did. It made me think a lot.” He tilted his muzzle and smiled at the fox. “But you didn’t give me a chance to return the favor.”
Before Benton could muster more of a reply than the surprise in his eyes, Jherik had leaned forward and pressed his muzzle to the fox’s slender one. He licked at the soft fur and felt the jaws open willingly to admit his tongue.
The kiss was his first deep one ever, and he liked it. He pulled back and smiled at Benton, resting a paw on the fox’s hip. “I hope that was okay. I haven’t done much kissing.”
“Yes, sir .” Benton’s eyes were sparkling. He said, “If you want to try again...” and that was all he got out before Jherik’s muzzle was pressed to his, tongue sliding through his sharp teeth again and rubbing against his. There was more passion this time, more heat between their muzzles. The touch of Benton’s fur and tongue was not simply nice; it was intoxicating. Jherik panted over the fox’s whiskers, and his paw moved down to Benton’s tail, hesitated, then moved up to his back to hold the fox closer.
Jherik felt the wagging of
Jherik stopped and turned his head. The coyote was staring defiantly at him, paws on his hips, showing off as usual. “You are beautiful,” he conceded. “But I don’t think that’s what I want.” He left without waiting for an answer and went in to dinner.
At dinner, he managed to be polite, if not talkative. Viana had taken his old seat next to Marhik, and he took the seat on the other side of his father. Marhik and his father were engaged in conversation, and Viana split her time between following them and trying to draw out Jherik. At one point, she mentioned how roomy their quarters were, and Jherik frowned.
“You must have grown up in a closet,” he said, “if you think Marhik’s room is large.”
Marhik heard this and looked across at Jherik. “Oh, we’re not staying in my old rooms. We’re in Papa Iothik’s old chambers. Dad thought they’d be more suitable for a couple.”
“Oh,” Jherik said, and then sat upright. “Oh.”
“What?” Viana asked, and Marhik and their father were both looking at him now, but he didn’t see any of them.
“Excuse me,” he said, putting his plate down. “I need to go do something right away.”
Their confused murmurs followed him out of the dining room, but he didn’t hear. He sprinted up the stairs, taking them three at a time, and passed the door to his chambers, stopping in front of the door to Marhik’s old rooms. The scent of fox still hung in the air. Slowly, he pushed the door open.
Marhik’s chambers were laid out almost identically to his. The first room held toys, trophies, projects, books, and chairs, as well as a small desk. On the opposite side of the room, exactly paralleling the place that Yakua slept in his chambers, there was a small cot.
And on that cot, a blanket covered a lumpy shape, with a bushy orange tail hanging down.
Jherik closed the door softly, but not softly enough. Benton sat up with a start.
The cougar held up a paw. “Don’t run away. Please.”
Benton blinked sleep from his eyes and nodded. “I’m sorry, sir. I shouldn’t have...”
“You shouldn’t have waited to tell me,” Jherik said, kneeling beside the cot.
Benton’s expression changed from wariness to a weak smile. “I thought you’d notice. I wasn’t exactly subtle.”
“I’m not exactly perceptive.” Jherik took the fox’s paw in his. “You may have noticed I spend a lot of time thinking about myself.”
“You should! You’re the son of the baron.”
Jherik grinned. “I know. But you showed me that if I think about other people once in a while, things go a bit easier.”
Benton nodded, and then looked down at his paw. He squeezed Jherik’s back tentatively and looked up. “I just got confused. I thought you’d be leaving and you said all those things, and I just couldn’t help myself.”
“I’m glad you did. It made me think a lot.” He tilted his muzzle and smiled at the fox. “But you didn’t give me a chance to return the favor.”
Before Benton could muster more of a reply than the surprise in his eyes, Jherik had leaned forward and pressed his muzzle to the fox’s slender one. He licked at the soft fur and felt the jaws open willingly to admit his tongue.
The kiss was his first deep one ever, and he liked it. He pulled back and smiled at Benton, resting a paw on the fox’s hip. “I hope that was okay. I haven’t done much kissing.”
“Yes, sir .” Benton’s eyes were sparkling. He said, “If you want to try again...” and that was all he got out before Jherik’s muzzle was pressed to his, tongue sliding through his sharp teeth again and rubbing against his. There was more passion this time, more heat between their muzzles. The touch of Benton’s fur and tongue was not simply nice; it was intoxicating. Jherik panted over the fox’s whiskers, and his paw moved down to Benton’s tail, hesitated, then moved up to his back to hold the fox closer.
Jherik felt the wagging of
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