FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Prolegomena

Koko slowly drifted past a large chunk of steel rubbage, probably once a freighter ship, deep in thought. He listened carefully to the infinite void of space; bursting solar flares, blazing nebulae, and just the piece and quiet of the open void. Koko, the so-called Defender of Earth, never liked to drift too far from his home planet, but every now and again he ventured off in search of some excitement.

The planet Earth, a lonely planet in the Solar System, is relatively small and insignificant compared to the systems and peoples Koko had met over the years. The tall husky thought about his home a lot, more so how it was evolving and how it was surviving. He hadn't been back for many years, but he estimated Earth was almost in its nineteen-hundredth year since the supposed birth of Christ. Koko wasn't sure how far the people of Earth had advanced, but he wagered a fair amount, at least since he'd been there. Koko pondered whether or not to return quite yet, as he has been out of action for at least a month. He found it difficult to keep an accurate track of time when roaming the void.

Suddenly, Koko heard a noise coming from the wreckage. He spun around and drifted to the left, pulling himself in. As he peered over the edge, he noticed a jagged piece of metal scraping along the much larger chuck on which the husky was grappling. "It's never anything exciting out here," Koko grumbled to himself. But just as he was about to kick himself away from the wreckage, he noticed a peculiar glint out of the corner of his eye. Koko turned and pulled himself slowly along the metal junk, toward the glowing item. Upon closer inspection, the item appeared to be metal and disk-shaped. He grabbed it with his right paw, gripping a jutting pole with the other.

The disk, about three inches in diameter, was nearly invisible when the nearby star wasn't reflecting in it. Curious, Koko put the disk safely in his satchel and looked around him, searching for more. As he slowly scanned the empty space around him, he suddenly noticed quick flashes, roughly the same size as the disk. He floated forward, almost mesmerized by the spinning disks. Each time Koko focused on one disk, another seemed to appear, spinning, quickly reflecting then disappearing. After a long moment Koko managed to gather eleven disks, not sure if he had gotten them all. As the husky floated further away from the wreckage, he quickly put a paw on the smooth surface to slow himself. When he finally came to a stop, he climbed atop and sat, weightlessly, resting momentarily.

A moment later Koko pulled the first disk out of his satchel and examined it closely. More than likely it was used for storing information, but he was curious, now, exactly what information it held. Holding the shiny disk in front of his face, Koko held it, inadvertently, at an angle which seemed to display some kind of holographic image. He peered into the centre of the disk in awe, trying desperately to make out the image. He quickly determined that the hologram wasn't an image so much as it was a script. Although he couldn't be certain, Koko could only guess it was of Commune origin. He had never encountered the Commune personally, but he had heard many tales of their ruthlessness and ferocity. Koko made it a habit to be unbiased, as he believes everyone should be given a chance, but they were very compelling stories. He would not judge the Commune until he had dealt with them personally.

Koko put the curious artifact back in his satchel, eager to find out what was on them. He held his nose up and perked his ears, listening very closely for the whirr or roar of an engine. Koko, still sitting atop the decrepit metal, concentrated deeply on the black void. Suddenly, from behind him, he sensed the faint sounds of large ship, possibly on its way to clean up the mess Koko was sitting on. He focused his eyes where he sensed the ship, and before long he saw a large galaxy-class ship approaching quickly. The husky stood up on the wreckage and pushed off toward the ship. Within minutes he was pulled into the docking bay, along with the ruined freighter. When the artificial gravity finally kicked in, Koko slammed into the ground, and onto some jagged metal. He groaned as he lifted himself to his footpaws.

Suddenly a door slid open up above the husky and three aliens appeared. They were tall, muscular aliens, and so far as Koko could tell, hairless. From their heads grew very long, flaccid horns, which darkened at the ends. Although silhouetted by the light behind them, the aliens appeared to have very smooth, luminescent skin. Koko found himself gazing into the eerie glow of their beautiful warm skin.

"It appears we have a passenger, Captain," one of them spoke.

"Indeed it does," the middle one, the captain, laughed. He looked down at Koko. "Tell me your name, wanderer."

Koko stood up straight. "My name is Koko, sir."

"And how did you come to be with that ruined ship?"

"Well, it wasn't me who caused the disaster, sir, if that is what you were getting at. I happened by it after about a month of floating aimlessly."

The three aliens laughed.

The captain spoke again. "Then how did you survive that length of travel with no food or water?"

"I hold many secrets, sir. And with all due respect, those secrets are mine, and mine alone."

"Fair enough, Koko." The captain, soon followed by the other two, walked to a lift and lowered himself, approaching the husky. He stood just a few inches taller than Koko. The captain then held out his three-fingered hand. "My name is Yharne, Captain of this vessel."

Koko held out his paw and grabbed Yharne's hand.

Yharne continued, "To my left is Lieutenant-Commander Ghralle, and to my right is Security Chief Raeske."

Koko retrieved his paw and addressed the two. "Pleasure to meet you. I've never seen your species before. You're from...?"

"This ship, the Hellion, hails from the Seventh Planet of Lumar, in the Lumar System."

"And bitter enemies to the Commune," Koko added. "I've heard of both of your species, but never encountered them. It's an honour to be the first of my kind to have met you firsthand."

"Indeed," replied the captain. "Now, Koko, Raeske will show you to your quarters for the time being."

"Well, I don't intend to stay long, sir."

"Nevertheless, we will have something prepared for you. And when you're settled in, I'd like to talk with you."

"Oh, good, 'cause I've got something I want to discuss with you, too."

Captain Yharne laughed. "Then it's settled. Come to my office whenever you're ready."

With that, the captain left and Koko was escorted to his room. The room was reasonably small, with one bed against the wall and several shelving units on the adjacent side. Koko threw down his satchel carefully and plopped himself on the bed. He looked up at Raeske. "Thank you. I'll be fine now."

Raeske blushed a little, but then nodded and exited the room.

Koko lay back, letting out a long sigh. From his satchel, which he had tossed onto the bed, he pulled out one of the disks, examining it again. Again he was left with the same questions. He figured with such a close relationship to the Commune, the Lumarians should be able to decipher what is on the disks. Again he threw the disk into his bag and got up, removing his shining armour. Starting with the chest and shoulder plating, he unlatched them from his sides, revealing his muscular chest and soft white belly fur. Koko carefully placed his armour on the floor, as there was no other place to put it, and progressed to remove the armour from his arms and paws. With his upper half fully exposed, Koko outstretched his arms and waved them around in fluid motions, exercising his muscles. He let out a long sigh and sat back on the bed, spreading himself out, leaving his leg armour on.

Suddenly the door slid open again. It was Raeske. "Oh, I forgot to tell you something."

Koko looked up. "What's that?"

"Um," Raeske said dumbly, entering the room a little. He seemed flustered. "There's food in that compartment over there, if you're hungry. I guess that's all."

"Alright. Thanks again."

"You're welcome." Raeske stood part way in the room, shifting slightly.

"Is there something else?" Koko asked.

"Well... This is extremely unprofessional of me, but I make it a rule to live with no regrets, and this is something I don't want to end up regretting..."

Koko sat up. "What is it?"

Raeske sighed. "I... I really like you. A lot."

Koko was taken aback. "But we just met. Surely there must be another Lumarian."

"No, I can't explain it. I've never felt so strongly about anyone before." Raeske couldn't stop blushing. "The moment I saw you, it was like... love at first sight, I guess."

Koko laughed. "This is unbelievable."

Raeske walked further toward Koko. "You know, you've got a very nice body..."

The husky laughed again, rubbing his head. "Thanks," he said, shifting over a little.

Raeske took a seat on the bed beside Koko and looked at him with a nervous smile. He then placed a hand on Koko's paw.

Koko blushed. "Raeske... you're very sweet, but I can't stay here and be with you. I just don't want to break your heart."

Raeske lowered his head. "I understand. May I at least... have a kiss?"

Koko turned and put his paws Raeske's face. "Yeah, I can give you that." Koko leaned in and planted his soft lips against Raeske's. As he did, he moved his paws back behind the Lumarian's neck, pulling him closer. Koko closed his eyes and felt two warm hands pass over his ribs and gently rub his back. He began to murr as he shifted closer to Raeske, kissing him deeper. Suddenly he felt the aliens' tongue enter his maw - such a powerful muscle - and he murred even louder, feeling warm instantly. His tongue danced with Raeske's between their mouths, exciting the two greatly. Koko then pulled back, panting a little. He stared into Raeske's eyes. "I wish I could stay, I really do. But I can't..."

"Why?" Raeske asked. "Why not stay with us?"

"I just can't. I know if I do I'll regret it, and so will you. So will everyone on this ship." Koko looked up at Raeske through tearful eyes. "I have such incredible power... it wouldn't be safe for me to stay here."

"I see. Will I ever see you again?"

Koko placed a paw on Raeske's shoulder while getting to his feet. "I don't know what the future holds, but I know if you want something so badly, you will get it. My grandfather used to tell me, time and time again, that good things come to those who wait. I've been waiting for many years, and I have found one very good thing." Koko picked up his satchel and smiled warmly. "Perhaps now it's your time to wait."

Raeske smiled back at Koko. "Thank you."

Koko nodded and left the room, heading for the Captain's office. When he arrived he saw the captain at the far end of the room, staring out the window. "Captain," Koko said.

Still staring into the stars, Yharne addressed Koko. "I was beginning to think Raeske wouldn't let you leave your room."

"Sir?"

Captain Yharne turned to face the husky. He was grinning devilishly. "I knew from the moment he laid eyes on you. To be honest I didn't expect to see you here so soon. Was anything the matter?"

"Nothing was the matter. However," Koko said, pulling a disk from his satchel, "I found these disks floating around near the wreckage. They're beautiful in design, despite the high probability of being of Commune origin. Unfortunately I don't know their language and I'm hoping you can help."

Yharne sat at his desk. "Let me see them."

Koko pulled out the disks and laid them out on Yharne's desk. "I assume those are labels of some kind, but I have no idea what they say."

Yharne examined the disks. "Hmm... Let's see here... Well, they're fairly simple things, most of which Lumar is already aware of. However, this one here reads, 'Invasion Task Force: Operation Earth.' But that's-"

"'Operation Earth?' You have to show me what's on that disk!"

Yharne, somewhat taken aback, inserted the disk into the glowing console on his desk. Images and text suddenly sprung up, and Yharne analyzed it carefully.

"Well? What's it say?"

"Hold on... It appears the Commune are planning to invade the planet Earth for communications and military purposes... But this doesn't make any sense. They know they can't enter the Earth's Solar System."

"I have to go. I have to stop them."

"I can't let you go, Koko. It's strictly forbidden."

"I am Earth's protector! If not me, then who?"

"Universal laws prevent any advanced species to interact with undeveloped worlds, Earth included. The Commune government can handle this situation themselves. The most we can do is inform them of this offense."

Koko growled then slammed his fists down on the Captain's desk. "This is insanity! They're going to tear my world apart and you won't stop them?" Koko lifted his paws, revealing a large crack in the desk. He stared down furiously at Yharne then turned and left. As he traversed the corridors, he passed by Raeske, nearly knocking him over.

"Koko? What's the matter?"

Koko continued to his room without a word. He entered and quickly put his armour on and made his way back toward the docking bay. He pushed his way past the wreckage and the Lumarians working on it. "Koko!" the husky heard from the bay door. He spun around angrily. It was Raeske.

"Come with me."

"What?"

Raeske gestured with his head for Koko to follow.

Koko looked around the docking bay and decided to follow. "What's this all about?"

"You'll never make it to Earth by yourself."

"Huh? How do you know?"

"Captain Yharne filled me in. I'm under orders not to let you live this ship..."

Koko looked over at Raeske.

Raeske smiled. "But to hell with my orders. You need to save your planet."

As the two reached the shuttle bay, Koko turned to Raeske and wrapped his arms around the Lumarian. "Thank you so much, Raeske. I won't forget this." He held Raeske in his arms for a moment, staring into his eyes. After a long moment, the two separated and Koko boarded the shuttle. He sat in the cockpit and started up the engines. As he waited for the bay doors to open, he heard a voice sound. It was Yharne.

"What do you think you're doing? If you plan on stealing one of my shuttles and-"

Koko shut off the communicator and engaged the forward thrusters. He took one last look at Raeske then blasted out of the Lumarian ship, heading full speed toward Earth. As the Hellion opened fire on Koko's small shuttle, the husky engaged the hyper drive. Within moments the Lumarian ship was out of range of his scanners and he punched in Earth's coordinates. He would shortly be back on his home planet, somewhat wary of what has become of its inhabitants within the last hundred-or-so years since his last departure.

Koko sat back in his seat and stared at the passing stars and planets. "Well, Earth," he said to himself, "I'm coming home. Let's see what surprises you have in store for me this time."

* * *

The day began like any other. Luther woke up with a slight chill as the heavy snowfall draped over the fields. He curled himself into a fuzzy ball under his sheets to warm himself up, grabbing the end of his tail as he did. The young lion shivered as the light poured through his window, the thin white curtains doing nothing to block the rays. He growled deeply as he pondered getting up. Despite the festive spirits which still lingered in the air from barely a week ago, Luther was back to his old apathetic self. He didn't care much for the holiday season. However, there was something about the new year that he quite enjoyed. Perhaps it was because it gave him a chance every year to be with the few friends he had without much worry of society's views and so-called morals. Besides that, this was a very special new year.

It was the turn of the century that year. Luther was nineteen and entering the twentieth century. Times were changing rapidly and Luther was eager to jump ahead. He always read in the newspapers and the magazines about all sorts of exciting new technologies that scientists were working on; telephones, radios, even the so-called horseless carriage. The changing world fascinated Luther greatly.

Almost as much as science intrigued Luther, the winter was his favourite time of year. While most furs spirits were down, besides around the holiday where they are annoyingly high, his spirits were up. He just loved the sound of the deep soft snow crunching under his footpaws and the smell of the clean crisp air. But most of all he loved that there wasn't as much work to do around the farm, especially while it was snowing. It's not that Luther was particularly weak or lazy, but like most furs, he figured, he would rather to do nothing at all than arduous physical labour. But when he was needed he was never too far from help.

Most of the work that needed to be done during the winter consisted of shoveling snow off the steps and driveway, which wouldn't be so bad if the driveway wasn't so long. Luther always went on every year about how they should build an automatic shovel or plow, but his ideas were always passed off as inane rambling. "Ahead of his time," as so forth. Luther knew it was possible. He knew an automated carriage was going to be possible, so it was a simple matter of putting a large shovel at the front.

The young lion continued to lie under his sheets, looking out the window, thinking about the future. Suddenly there was a violent rapping at the door. Luther groaned and put his head under his sheets, his ears poking up from under.

"Luther," a voice cried from behind the door, "this is the last time I'm calling you down. Get your tail out of bed and help your father."

"Help him with what?" Luther asked from under his sheets.

"It doesn't matter what. Just help him."

Luther groaned again and threw off his sheets. He walked to a pile of dark clothes on the floor and slipped on his trousers, then his shirt. As usual, the groggy lion buttoned his shirt crooked, but he didn't care. A farm boy didn't have to look nice for society, as society was miles away from him. He didn't bother with his suspenders either; he thought they were stupid. Luther, nearly half-dressed, walked down the creaky stairs, only to be met by his mother.

"It's ten o'clock in the morning, Luther. Did you plan on lying in bed all day?"

"I was hoping."

"You know there's work to do around here. There was heavy snow last night and your father can't do all the work."

Luther sighed.

"And why don't you straighten yourself up a little? We're having guests over tonight, and if you want to go into town for the new year's party, you're going to have to look better than that."

"Nobody cares, mom, what I look like, especially me."

Luther's mother sighed. "I just want you to look nice for Elizabeth. Her and her parents are coming for dinner. You know, you two make a very cute couple."

Luther rolled his eyes.

Luther's mother walked away. "You'll have to find a girl one of these days, you know."

"Maybe I don't want a girl," Luther grumbled to himself. He continued to the door and threw on his coat and went outside to help his father. The moment Luther stepped outside, the cold air rushing into his lungs, he suddenly felt better about the whole affair. He took a step down the stairs, pausing for a moment as his footpaw crunched the snow beneath him. Luther smiled and continued down the stairs and to the barn where his father was.

"So, your mother finally dragged your ass outta bed, eh?"

"Yeah. She said you needed help with something?"

"Well, in case you couldn't tell, son, it snowed last night, which means we've got some shoveling to do. Lots of shoveling."

Luther groaned as he picked up an old rusty shovel.

"Hey, now, I thought you liked the snow. You should enjoy doing this."

Luther walked away, dragging the heavy shovel behind him. "You know what they should invent?"

"Yes, I do. But until that day, son, we'll do it the old-fashioned way. Now quit your bellyaching and help me with the snow."

Luther groaned and started at the bottom of the steps. As he cleared out the snow at the beginning of the driveway, he said to his father, "Hardly anyone comes up here, let alone with their carriage. This is so pointless."

"Well, we're having your mothers' friends over tonight," Luther's father explained while shoveling on the other side, "and I can guarantee you they won't be walking all this way."

"They could ride their bicycles."

"In the snow? Honestly, Luther, I think you just complain for the sake of complaining. You're nineteen years old now. You've gotta grow up sometime."

Luther frowned and grumbled something to himself, continuing to shovel snow. Seeming like he was getting no progress, he began to think about going into town that night with his friends. It was rare that he got to spend time with them, besides at school which didn't really count anyway. The moment they were let out, Luther always had to rush straight home to help with the work on the farm. Plowing the field and planting the seeds was usually his job, as it was the most strenuous. The only upside he could see to living on the farm was that it kept him always in good shape. Although he didn't play sports or any such activities, he was usually the strongest boy in his class. He enjoyed this knowledge and enjoyed more so showing off his strength, most commonly to bullies who were much taller and bigger than himself. There was only one other of his classmates who was probably stronger than Luther, a rottweiler named Hunter. Fortunately for Luther, he and Hunter were good friends.

Luther found himself thinking about Hunter a lot, although he wasn't sure why. He had always known he wasn't particularly attracted or turned on by the opposite sex, but was he truly attracted to his friend? Luther shook his head and continued what he was doing. There were rumours going around the classroom, and probably around half the town, about Hunter's unusual preference in mates. Luther pondered if perhaps he, too, was one of those so-called "sacrilegious few" who enjoyed those particular types of activities. He knew he wanted to try it, just for curiosity's sake, despite what society deemed immoral. Growing up in the typical God-fearing family that he had, Luther tried to deny these feelings to himself, and yet every so often he would get an urge. He would, at these times, commit himself to absolute privacy and would, again despite society's judgment, paw to the images in his head, most commonly of his friend Hunter. And still he denied it. There had to be a reasonable explanation for these feelings, but he couldn't even guess it. Luther growled a little as he threw another pile of heavy snow aside.

"Don't forget to get as much ice off as you can, Luther," his father shouted from behind.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." All Luther knew now was that he was anxious to get his job done and to go into town to see his friends for the new year's celebration, specifically his friend Hunter. He also knew that Elizabeth, the old-fashioned lioness whom his parents were having over for dinner, would undoubtedly be coming along with Luther, which could make things more complicated for him and Hunter. He decided a while ago, despite his constant denial, that he would try to be more liberal about his feelings, and whether he was completely comfortable or not, he would explore those feelings as best he can. Luther felt incredibly nervous about that night, but for his own sake, he had to be strong.

Soon enough, Luther found himself nearly done the entire drive. He looked back at the house, leaning on the shovel and wiping his brow, almost in amazement. He wondered what time it was now; it didn't seem like much time had passed, but he knew he had been out there for a while.

"Don't stop now," Luther's father said to him from afar. "You're nearly done."

Luther rolled his eyes and continued his labour. Within moments Luther was done, or what he saw as "done," and continued back to the house, dragging the shovel behind him.

"Thanks for your help Luther. I'll finish scraping the ice you missed and you go ahead inside. Your mother has some hot cocoa for you."

Luther grunted and threw down the heavy shovel then went inside. He took off his coat and progressed to the stairs, to go to his room.

"Honey, do you want some cocoa?"

Luther stopped. "Um. Sure. Thanks."

Luther's mother stepped out of the kitchen with a steaming mug and stopped before handing it to her son.

"Are you going to clean yourself up? They're going to be over in a couple hours."

"Who's going to be over?"

"You know exactly who. Now go get ready. Just because you live on a farm doesn't mean you can't look nice."

Luther held out his paw.

His mother just looked back at him. Finally she sighed and handed him the mug of cocoa. "I expect you to be dressed properly for when our guests arrive. I know you have some nice clothes up there."

Ignoring his mother now, Luther headed up to his room. He took a sip from the mug and entered his room, setting the mug down on the night stand. Luther sat on his bed and lay back, sighing. As usual his thoughts went back to Hunter. He remembered specifically the few times in school, in phys ed class, when the boys would be inside playing basketball, a relatively new sport added to their activities, and they would play "shirts versus fur." Luther wasn't much into sports, but he enjoyed this one for a very specific reason. To even out the teams, he and Hunter were usually separated, and often Hunter was on the "fur" team.

Luther curled himself on his bed and recalled those few games. He could remember vividly one particular day: He had been at one end of the small gymnasium, sitting on the bench, watching Hunter play. Hunter was a particularly large rottweiler, his strength quite apparent. Luther remembered as the dark canine would weave expertly between his classmates and stretching his muscles every time he got the ball in the basket. As the coach went to fetch the ball out of the basket, using a long dowel, Hunter would greet and sit beside Luther, usually panting. Luther would simply stare his friends' pounding chest and at his tongue, which was hanging somewhat from his maw because of his panting. Watching this, Luther had wanted to press his lips tightly against Hunter's muzzle, kissing him passionately.

Luther writhed a bit on his bed as he also recalled the smell radiating from the sweaty rottweiler and his glistening black fur moving slightly as he caught his breath. Luther wanted so badly to wrap his arms around his friend and just fondle and touch every bulging muscle on his body. He wanted to feel his smooth black fur under his large felid paws. Luther remembered staring, still, as Hunter had gotten up from the bench to continue playing, his smooth athletic back teasing the lion as it drew further and further away. Still watching Hunter play, Luther reminisced the entire game, more so when he got to play himself.

The "shirts" were in the lead, so the coach had thrown Luther on Hunter's team. Luther had promptly removed his shirt and joined Hunter and his other classmates. He remembered playing as hard as he could, trying to show off to the rottweiler, until something happened that Luther recalled most vividly; he had noticed Hunter checking him out while on the court. In retrospect it didn't seem like a big deal, but for once in their entire friendship, Hunter noticed Luther on a more personal level. After noticing this, Luther felt self-conscious and tripped over his own footpaws, stumbling to the floor and hitting his head. Luther groaned as he shook his throbbing head, and to add fuel to the fire, he also felt incredibly embarrassed.

Luther had looked around in a daze, only to find Hunter's out-reached paw. The dizzy lion then gripped the paw and felt himself get pulled up, into Hunter's arms. Luther could still remember how warm he had felt, his naked furry chest pressed up against Hunter's. Luther had shaken his head again and the next thing he knew, he had been pulled into the locker room with Hunter.

Luther just barely recalled what Hunter had said to him. "Boy, it looked like you hit your head pretty hard." Hunter had put his paw on Luther's back to comfort him.

Luther groaned as he tried to remember that moment. He remembered how warm he had felt as his fur was gently caressed by the rottweiler. He had looked up to Hunter and felt a very strange and new feeling, and at the time he couldn't make much sense of it. Luther also recalled how much more intense it had felt when Hunter had put his arm across Luther's back and pulled him close. Luther had cuddled closer to his friend and lifted his paw, still in somewhat of a daze, and lightly stroked Hunter's soft, dark-brown chest fur, purring slightly.

"You gonna be alright, Luther?" Hunter had asked.

"Yeah," Luther had replied dumbly.

Luther remained curled on his bed, reminiscing over that day, writhing about a little bit. Luther had unbuttoned his shirt and pants and his paw found its way to his warm, partly-hard length. He stroked it slightly, still under his trousers, which invigorated the lion greatly. He moaned a little as his length hardened, remembering the warmth of Hunter's dark-furred chest. As his member continued to grow, Luther let out another small moan and his strokes became more sensual. He liked to take things slow to preserve the feeling.

Luther murred quite loudly as the fabric of his pants rubbed continuously against the end of his cock. The sensation sent quick pulses of pleasure shooting up his shaft, and he made a noise every time. Luther giggled a little as he continued this, but finally he had had enough. Luther hurriedly removed his pants and nearly tore off his shirt. As he remembered being so close to his well-built friend, the feeling in his groin grew. Luther began to blush as he recalled that time and he felt very warm. He lay on his back, his paw now just gripping his length, stroking it ever so slightly, and let out a long moan as his right paw coursed over his own chest. He played around a little with his right nipple, imagining the large rottweiler atop him doing the same to him. Luther finally let go of his cock and crossed his arms and pulled his knees to his chest, feeling the incredible warmth and murred. He then relaxed his muscles and lay on his side, staring at the off-white wall and still thinking about Hunter. Luther's right paw eventually found its way back to his still-throbbing length and he continued to touch himself. He smiled as he felt his cold paw tightly grip his lion pride and he blushed again as he pictured the large rottweiler in his room with him.

Luther giggled a little as he turned onto his back and spread out his legs, both paws caressing his inner thighs and fuzzy balls. "Hunter," the lion murmured to himself over and over. His paws ran slowly but continuously up and down his throbbing shaft as he stared at the ceiling. His fantasies grew as he imagined himself being held in Hunter's arms and kissed softly in the city park. Just Luther's left paw once again seized control of his organ and he began to stroke slightly more vigorously than before. As he arched his back a little, the feeling and his moaning grew. His right paw gripped the sheets under him and he writhed around. He mused about Hunter's soft kisses and his sensual lips moving up his neck and stopping at his muzzle. The pleasure intensified as Luther stuck out his tongue a little, picturing himself and his friend embraced in a warm and passionate kiss. He let out a loud groan, squirming about, as he focused more on the feeling of Hunter's tongue in his maw, the warm slimy muscle dancing with his own. Luther arched his back again and his paw stroked his length even faster. He tried consciously now to slow himself down in order to get the most from his time alone. He groaned loudly as he slowed his pace, concentrating more on the subtle sensations. He murred loudly as he paced himself, almost teasingly.

Luther continued to imagine himself locked in a deep embrace with Hunter, his body pressed tightly against the rottweiler's warm, toned body. He recalled the look and feel of the dark-furred chest and stomach, the sensual curves and bulges, and the soft fur running through his fingers. Luther shut his eyes tightly as his breathing became deeper and he began to undress Hunter mentally. Luther imagined the rottweiler sitting on his own bed, beside the lion, slowly peeling off his clothes. Luther blushed as he saw, in his mind, Hunter completely remove his clothes, now lying beside him naked. He looked down the rottweiler's muscular chest and stomach to Hunter's crotch. Luther moaned as he inadvertently sped up his left paw, but at this point he didn't care. The lion kept his eyes closed as he now imagined Hunter sitting up, his legs spread out and tending to his own length. Hunter's large pink pride grew quickly in Luther's mind, and his dark-furred friend wrapped his large paw around it, stroking it sprightly. Luther giggled and moaned at the same time.

As his feeling grew more intense, Luther's imagination ran with him. Flashing now from image to image, the lion's mind was racing, and so was his paw. He threw himself back and again arched his back. He could almost feel Hunter in front of him, his warm paws caressing over his fur and teasing his tailhole. "Oh, Hunter," Luther groaned repeatedly. As Luther continued fapping, he made loud grunts and moans. He began to feel, in his mind, Hunter's cold nose and warm tongue press devilishly against his tailhole, pushing open his sphincter a little. A shiver ran up Luther's spine as he imagined this vividly, the moist muscle pushing into his body and electrifying his senses greatly. Luther let out a loud moan as a small shot of pleasure shot through his body, a bit of precum leaking from his well-worked length. It had been a very long time since he had had this sort of alone time, and he was making the best of it.

Something suddenly and very briefly ran through the lion's mind. Strangely, Luther's feelings toward Hunter were stronger now more than ever. He had never fapped so rhapsodically before, especially over one fur; someone so specific. He assumed it was because of the new year's advent, and he knew they were getting together that night. Luther momentarily became excited and nervous, a feeling he couldn't quite figure out. All he knew was that he liked what he was doing and what he was doing it for. He tried again to repress the guilt he knew he'd feel afterwards, and the voice deep within telling him it's wrong. Luther ignored those thoughts and replaced them with the thoughts of the tall, well-built rottweiler who carried him out of the gym that day. The one who held him close and didn't let go. The one who cared for him.

Just at that moment, at the pinnacle of Luther's pleasure, the lion heard a loud rapping on his door. Just as he heard this, and choosing to ignore it, Luther's heart jumped as he bucked and let out a very loud moan, arching his back and letting out his first load of hot seed in a burst of ecstasy. His paw continued to work his organ as the quick shots of elation rushed through his body, more seed spilling out and running down his paw. Luther laughed a little as he relaxed himself into his bed, still stroking his mostly-flaccid length. He heard another rapping at the door but again ignored it. He simply lay back and enjoyed, with a wide grin on his face, the fading pleasure which lingered in his body, his paw almost stuck to his warm, and now slimy, length. Luther then lifted his paw to his muzzle and looked at the mess, sniffing it. He closed his eyes and gave it a slight lick, then after a short pause, Luther began to lap up his gooey spooge, murring a little as he did. He then placed his paw on his chest, his legs spread comfortably on the bed, and let out a long satisfied moan. Luther felt very warm, and he was certain, too, that he was still blushing.

Suddenly Luther's door swung open and his mother walked in, gasping at the sight. "For God's sake, Luther! What on Earth are you doing?"

Luther shouted and tried to cover himself. His heart was pounding. "Mom, what're you doing? I was just... I..." He couldn't find the words.

Luther's mother scoffed. "I know what you were doing, and it's disgusting. I cannot believe this..." She turned and rested her head in her paw, as if frustrated. "I was just coming up here to tell you to get ready because the Hargreaves' will be here shortly. For the love of God... it's a good thing Elizabeth didn't walk in on you. Then you two would have to get married," she said factiously.

Luther lowered his head, mostly out of embarrassment.

"Get your clothes on, Luther, and for once in your life, at least try to look presentable."

"Yes, ma'am," Luther replied quietly. His mother left without another word, slamming the door behind her, and Luther pulled himself off his bed. He went to the window, still naked, and stared out and sighed. He just gazed into the infinite field of snow, the dark trees shooting up out of the perfect white sheet like black lightning, thinking. Luther's parents condemned that particular type of self-pleasure, as did most of society, but Luther couldn't understand why. He knew there were religious reasons, but he never cared much for religion, much less practiced it. He always thought there was a higher power watching over the planet, but he refused to believe it was some incorporeal spirit with no proof of its existence. Luther often wondered, but rarely questioned, why such a god would forbid so many of his own characteristics and actions. The lion sighed again and put on his nice suit.

Luther hated wearing a suit. It was too formal for him. He knew most, if not all, male furs wore such attire, but even as a child he found it a bit much, especially since he lived on a farm. Luther didn't care much for the trendy or popular. He would much rather do things his own way, living his own life. He was done high school-he had finished last year-and he wanted desperately to move out. But he knew someone had to look after the farm when his parents couldn't. Luther didn't have any brothers, so the duty fell on him.

Luther finally finished dressing himself and went downstairs to wait for the guests to arrive. As he emerged from the stairs, his parents were sitting in the living room, glaring at their son. "What?" Luther asked.

"You know very well 'what,'" Luther's mother replied. "Neither we nor our Savior condone that sort of... behavior."

Luther sighed then looked up at his father.

"Don't look at me like that. I know it seems natural to you, but there are some things in this world we just can't do. Unless, of course, you're married, in which case it wouldn't be necessary."

Luther's mother smacked her husband on the arm and glared at him. She looked back at Luther. "Sometimes I wonder about you," she said. "You'll need to find a nice girl sometime. That's why Elizabeth is coming over. I think you two would make a great couple, and her mother says she's got her eye on you."

Luther sighed and lowered his head. "What if... what if I don't want a girl?" he said quietly.

Luther's parents were taken aback. An awkward silence filled the air.

What seemed like an eternity later, Luther's mother jumped out of her seat and grabbed Luther by the arm. "I know you have crazy ideas of the future, boy," she started in a stern voice, "but if that is so, then in the eyes of the Lord you are dead to us. I will not have my son thinking such things. It's... it's unnatural."

"Macy," Luther's father cut in, "don't you think you're overreacting just a little? Perhaps our son is just confused. I mean, he's been on this farm his entire life. Maybe he just hasn't experienced the world like we have."

Luther's mother released her son's arm and sat back beside her husband. She seemed the most upset over this.

Luther sighed. He was quickly beginning to regret saying that. He began to think now that his plans to meet up with Hunter would be ruined. His parents no doubt heard about Hunter's tendencies, despite any denial, and would eventually figure things out. A sudden rapping on the front door interrupted Luther's thoughts.

Luther's mother looked at the door then back to her son. She glared at him and shook her head. "Don't think this is over yet. We have to have a long chat tonight." Luther's mother walked past him to the door, his father continuing after.

Luther followed slowly, his head hung low. He felt more guilty now about what he did than ever. He wasn't in the mood for guests, especially for Elizabeth. Luther's family didn't associate much with the upper or upper-middle class society, and so their relationship with the Hargreaves' was very important. Luther didn't care either way, but his parents put a lot of pressure on him to make a good impression around the wealthy. Luther looked up as the door opened and saw Elizabeth's glowing smile. He suddenly felt very confused. He knew he was attracted to his friend Hunter, but was it possible he was also attracted to Elizabeth? Luther hadn't seen her since they were in high school, but it wasn't until now that he noticed her smile. He looked away for a moment and shut his eyes, trying to focus on Hunter.

"Luther," he heard his mother call, "come here. Elizabeth has something for you."

Luther slowly made his way forward and looked up at the lioness. Her face was beaming as she held something behind her back. "What is it?"

Elizabeth held out her paws and presented Luther with a plain ring.

Luther looked down on it, then back to her. He didn't understand.

"I brought this for you, Luther. I thought it would look nice on you."

"Um... thanks..." Luther replied.

"Well isn't that cute," Luther's mother said with joy, "Elizabeth, are you proposing to my son?"

The entire group, while still inside the front vestibule, laughed loudly, except for Luther. He simply frowned.

Luther's mother stopped laughing and took the Hargreaves' coats. The group filed into the living room while the smell of the evening dinner slowly filled the air.

"What is that I smell, Macy?" Elizabeth's mother asked.

Luther sighed as he slouched in his chair, being forced to listen to their inane chatter. He wanted to spend the rest of the night either in his room or out with Hunter. The lion let out another sigh.

"Something wrong?" Elizabeth asked, forcing herself a seat beside Luther.

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with."

"Oh... So, are you going to try the ring on? I hope it fits."

Luther rolled his eyes and took the ring from Elizabeth's paws. He slowly slipped it onto his ring finger. It fit perfectly. Luther stared into the shining ring until his gaze somehow met with Elizabeth's. She was still smiling warmly. Luther opened his mouth a little, unable to speak. He felt something very strange in his heart, and like most of his feelings, he couldn't make sense of it. Was he also attracted to this lioness? If so, then what of Hunter?

"I..." Luther tried to speak.

"What is it? Do you not like it?"

"No, the ring is fine. I just... I don't know. I've got a lot on my mind, I guess." Luther noticed his father glaring at him. He sighed again and looked back to Elizabeth. "I don't want to talk about it."

Elizabeth looked into Luther's eyes, quite visibly worried.

Luther looked away and slouched further, the tip of his tail flicking a little as it hung off the edge of the chair. He stared into the end of his tail as if mesmerized, all his thoughts flowing around in his head at once. Luther couldn't quite get a grasp of all these feelings inside him.

The conversation went on for some time longer, almost an hour, and Luther loathed every second of it. He never cared for idle conversation, despite engaging in it a lot himself, but the lion managed to entertain himself with a piece of lint that was stuck to his shirt. Finally their dinner was ready and Luther's mother hopped out of her chair and began to set the table. The group slowly assembled in their appropriate seating; Luther and Elizabeth sitting across from each other beside their mothers, plus both their father's at either end of the table. Luther never understood why they had to sit so specifically.

When everything was finally set, they all politely gathered their foodstuffs from the various dishes and plates. Luther sighed as he slowly filled his plate. He then leaned his head on his paw, with his elbows beside his plate.

"Luther," his mother snapped quietly, "get your elbows off the table! We have company."

Luther rolled his eyes and removed his elbows.

"And sit up straight. Just because we live on a farm doesn't mean you can't be a gentleman."

Luther scoffed and began to eat his food. The meal wasn't anything fancy, although he noticed a few things which is mother added to impress the Hargreaves. Luther always hated when guests would come over because his parents, usually his mother, stressed proper etiquette more than usual. As always, Luther never saw the point of proper etiquette. He understood that by society's standards - how to dress and how to speak, sit, or walk - etiquette was very important. But he could never understand why it was so important. Would slouching and putting your arms on the table somehow ruin the whole experience? Luther shook his head and continued his meal.

Luther suddenly gasped as he felt something crawl along his leg. He paused, some food dangling off his fork, as he concentrated on what it was. The thing moved slowly up and down his leg, touching his inner thigh. Luther began to sweat as it moved further up his leg. He then looked up at Elizabeth, who was smiling devilishly at him. Luther frowned and shifted in his seat. He should have guessed it was her.

The rest of the dinner went on with barely a word spoken, save the occasional comment or two on the dishes provided. When Luther finished, he placed his utensils on his messy plate as society deemed "proper." The parents continued on with their conversation since before dinner started until Luther's mother, later accompanied by Elizabeth's mother, began to clear the table. The fathers continued talking about the stocks and some sports, and other trivial matters. Luther slouched a little in his seat and tried to zone the conversation out. The lion then growled quietly as Elizabeth's footpaw continued to roam his leg.

Luther looked up at the frisky lioness and frowned. He shifted subtly in his chair but it was useless. Luther then leaned forward and tried to kick Elizabeth's legs. He missed several times but finally got her.

Elizabeth yelped loudly as she jumped back in her seat, banging her knee on the underside of the table.

Luther laughed as the parents turned their heads to the two.

"Luther, that's enough fooling around!" Luther's mother stood over him. "If you don't settle down then you won't be able to go into town tonight."

"She started it," Luther replied. He knew that was a mistake.

"Luther," his father started, "show your mother some respect."

Luther sighed. "Yes, sir."

"Now go up to your room until we call you down."

"What? What for?" Luther noticed, out of the corner of his eye, Elizabeth's parents looking at him and shaking their heads a little. Luther frowned. He then got up out of his chair and went toward the stairs. "I don't know why you're always trying to impress the Hargreaves' so much..." he grumbled to himself. Luther went up the stairs and into his room, slamming the door behind him. He slumped down on his bed and muttered to himself, annoyed that he had just been sent to his room. Luther was even more annoyed not at the fact that he had just been sent to his room, but because he was sent up in front of the guests. More specifically, they were upper-class guests. His parents didn't send him up to his room to punish him. They sent him up to embarrass him. Luther was almost certain now he wasn't going to go into town.

Suddenly there was a rapping at Luther's door. He turned around and ignored it. The door then slowly slid open.

"Luther?" It was Elizabeth.

Luther sighed. "What do you want?"

"Our mothers are in the kitchen cleaning up and our fathers are in the living room talking about sports. I got bored."

Luther turned around. "So what do you want with me?"

Elizabeth sat at the end on Luther's bed. "Would you like to take me into town?"

"I want to take myself into town. I'm meeting my friends there."

"Aren't I one of your friends, too?"

Luther looked up at Elizabeth. He stared at her awkwardly. "Uh..." he started, "I..."

"I get it, Luther. You don't consider me a friend."

"No, it's not that. It's just... I'm sorry."

Elizabeth lowered her head. "You know, I always liked you, Luther." She placed a paw on Luther's footpaw. "I was just playing with you at dinner. I didn't mean to get you sent up here."

Luther sat up. "Well, don't worry about it. They were just embarrassed in front of your parents. You know their obsession with the upper-class."

Elizabeth laughed. "You know, I often wondered how they became friends to begin with. My parents never told me about how they met you guys. I guess they don't want it to be a well-known fact that they fraternize with farmers... no offence."

Luther scoffed. "None taken. When I get a chance, I'm going to take the first train out of this dump and never look back."

"That's kind of sad. Won't you miss everyone?"

Luther looked up at the ceiling and thought about that. He knew he wouldn't miss his parents, but he was certain he would at least miss Hunter. Luther looked down, gazing into empty space, thinking. Perhaps he could take Hunter with him, and the two could live the rest of their lives together, traveling forever. Luther smiled. "No, I wouldn't miss anyone I leave behind."

"I can't imagine being away from my family and all my friends. Because if didn't have them, then who would I have?"

"You could always have... the one you love."

The two sat on the bed thinking to themselves. Luther felt quite warm at that moment.

"Tell me, Luther," Elizabeth interrupted, "do you... love anyone?"

Luther started to blush. "I... yeah, I do."

"Really?" Elizabeth said, getting a little excited. She moved back onto the bed and leaned in closer to Luther. "Who is it? Anyone I know?"

"Yeah, I think you do."

Elizabeth stared intently at Luther. "Well? Who is it?"

Luther blushed some more. He was nervous about telling Elizabeth, but he wasn't sure why. "It's um... it's Hunter."

Elizabeth continued to stare at Luther, not sure what to make of it. "Hunter? You mean...?"

Luther nodded.

"So that means you're..."

"Yeah... I- I think I am... Surprised?"

"Yeah, I'm surprised. I mean, we all know Hunter is, but you, too? Does he know?"

"No, I was going to tell him tonight... that is, if my parents let me go."

Elizabeth paused for a moment then hopped of Luther's bed. She walked to the window and tried to open it.

"What're you doing?" Luther asked.

"If your parents are going to confine you to your room, then you need an escape route."

Luther laughed. "Are you serious?"

Elizabeth giggled. "Of course I am. Besides, if it's for the one you love..."

Luther smiled warmly at the young lioness. "So, it doesn't bother you that I'm... gay?"

"Of course it doesn't bother me, Luther. It's the twentieth century! Times are rapidly changing. You of all people should realize that."

Luther stared at Elizabeth, smiling. He got off his bed and helped his friend open the window. As he placed his paws on the cold wooden frame, his left paw inadvertently met with Elizabeth's. He looked over at her and noticed she was blushing profusely. Luther suddenly felt that strange feeling in his gut again, like when he was thinking about Hunter. He quickly pulled his paw away. Luther paused for a moment then forced the frozen window open.

"Well, there you go," Elizabeth said. "You're free."

"Thank you." Luther promptly closed the window to stop the cold air and snow from rushing in. "Are you going into town tonight?"

"Well, my parents are attending the Rothchild's annual New Year's Party, and I'm certain your parents are welcome to join mine. I'm also certain I'll be forced to attend."

"You don't want to go?"

"These parties are all so stuffy. You have to put on a nice dress, which you only ever wear once a year, and walk around as if you're enjoying yourself and trying to impress the other Lords and Ladies. I'd just like to slip into something casual and go off with you guys."

"Well, then, why don't you? I don't think Hunter would mind."

"I couldn't possibly. My parents are very strict when it comes to propriety. They'll tell me I must attend, or risk embarrassing them. You don't understand what it's like to be rich."

Luther sat back on his bed. "No, I suppose I don't. But, you know it is the twentieth century, and they say rules are made to be broken. You said yourself you don't even want to go."

Elizabeth sat beside Luther. "I... I know, you're right."

"You'll have way more fun with us poor kids, anyway. Our parties may not be as glamourous and beautiful as yours, but at least you know who your friends are. We don't care what you look like, or how you act, or what you say. Anything goes. In fact, I can almost guarantee you my friends have never even heard the word, 'propriety', much less be able to define it."

Elizabeth thought about that for a moment then laughed. "Thanks, Luther." She placed a paw on Luther's shoulder and massaged it a little. "You're absolutely right. I'll be there."

Luther smiled. "Great. We're going to meet downtown at around nine."

Elizabeth giggled and got up. "Well, my mom's probably done in the kitchen now and is wondering where I am. I'm certain my parents would not approve of a lady even entering a boys room. That leads to touching, you know." Elizabeth laughed and winked at Luther.

Luther laughed and winked back. He watched as Elizabeth exited his room.

"See you tonight, Luther."

Luther smiled in response. He lay back down on his bed and pondered the quick moment, the fraction of a second, that his paw had touched Elizabeth's. Could it be he had feelings for her, as well? Luther's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by his mother's cries.

"Luther," she said, "I want you to come down here, please."

Luther sighed and dragged himself off his bed. He then skulked down the stairs only to be met by his and Elizabeth's parents, all of whom had most of their warm winter clothes on. They were obviously going somewhere.

"We'll be leaving with the Hargreaves' now, and we will be back late. If you want to go into town tonight, I suppose I can't stop you. However," she said as the group was leaving, "I strictly forbid you from seeing that rottweiler friend of yours. He's a terrible influence on you."

Luther frowned. "Alright, mother. I promise." Luther glanced over at Elizabeth as she looked back at him. In that instant their eyes met, he knew they were both thinking the same thing. He knew, somehow, what she was thinking and what she was planning, and he knew she was thinking the same about him. Luther grinned as the group left the house. Moments later, as he heard the carriage roll away, Luther became almost giddy with excitement. He ran up the stairs and nearly tore off his nice clothes and quickly slipped into what most of society would deem inappropriate. Rather, Luther slipped into an old, partly torn outfit which he normally wore around the house or for working in the field. He looked out his window, which faced the town, and watched the lantern on the Hargreaves' carriage slowly disappear.

Luther let out a long sigh as he stared at the dim lights of the town. He had to walk into town, which he was accustomed to, and on a good day it takes him about an hour. Luther wasn't particularly fond of the hike through the knee-deep snow, but what waited for him at the other end more than made up for frozen paws and tail. He took one last look at the town and smiled, now turning and running excitedly down the stairs. He grabbed his thick winter coat and bolted out the door.

As Luther walked quickly down the driveway, his thoughts focused almost exclusively on Hunter. Under the dark blue, starry sky, the lion couldn't help but smile. He lowered his head as far into his coat as he could to keep warm and picked up his pace. Luther stared down at the icy road, again remembering Hunter's magnificent physique, the shimmering black fur accented with a dark brown on his chest. As Luther continued to recall that day, he had begun to feel much warmer. His digits and tail were frozen, but when he kept the beautiful images of the rottweiler in his mind, the biting cold seemed to disappear. Luther looked up at the hundreds of stars and let out another long sigh. The nervousness in his gut grew more intense as he neared the town. Luther was certain he was going to be sick, but still he pressed on.

Part way down the frozen road, which had very few tracks from passing buggies, Luther heard some voices. He stopped and listened. Out in the open fields, sound traveled very well, especially on such cold, clear nights. Luther squinted his eyes in hopes of seeing any dark figures silhouetted by the snow, but no such luck. He perked his ears in hopes of hearing the crunching snow beneath their footpaws, but again nothing. Luther shrugged and continued on. He could occasionally hear loud sounds coming from the town, and since it was New Year's Eve, he figured it was just a rowdy group of furs celebrating the holiday.

As Luther marched on through the deep snow, he looked up again at the stars, staring into the deep dark cosmos. He often stared into the night sky, often pondering the future. Tonight was especially indicative because of the new year, rather, the new century. Society was wiping clean the slate of a hundred years passed and would begin a new age of golden opportunities and magnificent dreams. Luther then reflected on that thought. Although he was very hopeful of the future, he couldn't help but feel society was in some kind of regression. Rather, they were never going to evolve any further than they already have. He knew of all kinds of new technology and amazing ideas that were in the works, but despite all that, Luther couldn't help but be at least a little cynical, Human Nature being what it is. Most furs looked at the future with ignorance, but Luther always remained optimistic.

The frigid lion then approached an intersection in the road. Of course going straight would lead him right into town, but Luther was feeling a little more adventurous. As well, the lion had some energy to burn and rather than taking the main road, Luther decided to forge his own path. Besides, his way would take him to exactly where he wanted to go. Luther approached the side of the road and just stared momentarily into the large field of sheer, glistening snow. He focused at the other end of the field and backed up a little. With a smile on his face, Luther bolted toward the snowy field, leaping gracefully over the ditch, which was completely filled with snow anyway, and took off in large bounds through the thigh-deep snow. The lion closed his eyes and cried out happily as he plowed through the freezing snow. He was panting heavily now, but still giggling as his pace slowed. Luther stopped for a moment to catch his breath, seemingly stuck in the field. He looked up at the town, which was very near by, and sighed as he looked back and noticed he had barely even gotten a quarter of the way through.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," the snow-covered lion said to himself. He then trudged along at a semi-normal pace. The quick sprint through the field had already tired Luther out, and he was certain he couldn't feel his footpaws. But Luther just shrugged it off as he hiked through the snow.

After a long while, Luther finally reached the edge of the large field. He looked back and laughed when he saw a dark diagonal line cross through the snowfield. As Luther made his way up to the edge of town, he suddenly sunk deep into the ditch. He waved his arms around hysterically as he tried to keep his head above the snow. Finally giving up, having fallen to his frozen rump, Luther looked up at the wall of snow. He growled and clawed at the snow in front of him, now trying to dig himself out. After a lot of cursing, Luther finally freed himself of the frozen ditch. As he looked up, the cold lion was met by a group of young furs, just a few years older than himself.

"Well what have we here?" one of the boys said. "A frozen lion. What brings you to this end of town?"

Luther finally got to his footpaws. As he futilely brushed the snow off his coat, he looked up at them. "I'm meeting some friends downtown," he said to the dark-furred canine. "You got a problem with that?"

"No, no problem at all," the canine said with his paws in the air. His two friends just laughed devilishly. It was obvious he was the leader of their little pack.

Luther didn't trust any of them. They were all wearing hats, so their faces were hard to see. "So are you going to get out of my way then?"

"Depends... Who're you meeting?"

"What do you care?"

"Just curious, that's all."

"I'm meeting my friend H-," Luther stopped himself. "Elizabeth. Elizabeth Hargreaves."

"Oh, really? Because, as far as I know, the Hargreaves' are going to be at that big fancy party, and farm boys like you weren't invited. So, are you lying to me?"

"Not entirely."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Luther sighed. He was anxious to meet Hunter, so he figured he'd play along. "She's going to sneak away from her party and join me tonight."

"Bullshit," the canine spat. "Why would a girl like her want to put her paws on something like you?"

Luther was starting to get annoyed.

"So tell me, who're you really meeting?"

Luther growled. "My friend Hunter, okay? Now move it."

"Wait, wait, wait. Did you say Hunter? That rotty?"

Luther responded with silence.

"You hear that?" the canine said, turning to his friends. "He's going to go meet Hunter, that disgusting fag!"

Anger suddenly boiled up in Luther. He lunged forward and swung a paw at the leader, his claws protracted. He then found himself caught by the other two furs. Luther tried to free himself, growling loudly.

The leader just laughed. "I seem to have struck a nerve. Don't tell me you're just like him, because my friends and I really don't like that." He looked down at Luther with disdain. "You're vile. You're repulsive. You're... unnatural."

Luther looked up at the canine with a hate-filled glint in his eyes. Suddenly the lion felt a sharp pain strike his left cheek. Luther cried out as he felt his warm blood trickle down his face. Before he could look up, he felt another blow to his right cheek, then another to his left. The latter blow struck extremely close to his eye; Luther couldn't see from it.

"I'll teach you a lesson, lion. Then perhaps you'll think twice about deciding to be like that rottweiler."

Luther looked up and was suddenly greeted with a hard fist to his gut. He cried out as he fell to the icy ground. He looked through one eye at the canine just as a large boot met with his face. It felt as if his muzzle was being torn into pieces from the sharp treads. The biting air nipped painfully at the open wounds in Luther's face. He let out a sorrowful groan as all he could hear was laughter and crunching snow around his head. Luther writhed in pain below the small gang. As Luther began to wonder what they were still standing about for, he felt one last kick to his gut, which sent him rolling and sliding so the side of the ditch, and heard the group leave. As he left, Luther began to silently weep in the freezing snow. All he wished for now was to feel Hunter's warm paws gently caress his painful, torn up body. However, through great pain, Luther slowly climbed to his footpaws. Now standing on his shaky legs, he continued into town in a daze, clenching his stomach.

Luther continued to stumble through the empty streets toward the downtown area. He knew was going to meet Hunter by the large clock, but wasn't sure how long the rottweiler was going to wait. He had no idea what time it was, nor how long he was lying in pain on the ground. It didn't seem like very long, but it was thoughts of Hunter which kept the lion going.

As Luther approached the downtown area, feeling almost paranoid about running into the canine's pack again, he was filled with anxiety and excitement. He looked around for Hunter, through only one blurry eye, then suddenly keeled over. The other furs just walked on by, probably mistaking Luther for a drunkard. He let out a quiet groan as he tried to pull himself toward Town Hall, where the small clock tower was. He could make out images of several furs by the clock, but couldn't be certain who they were. He then looked up saw it was almost quarter-past-nine. Elizabeth was probably waiting for him, possibly even with Hunter. He then noticed the small group of furs around Town Hall walk away and Luther held out his paw as if trying to flag them down.

"No..." he said quietly. A tear rolled down Luther's freezing face as all hope was now lost. His one chance to be alone with Hunter was now walking briskly away. Luther started to cry into his arms, still lying painfully on the icy ground.

Suddenly, Luther felt a paw grip his shoulder. He turned himself painfully around and looked up at the mysterious fur. He was standing under bright lantern, so it was impossible to see his face.

"Luther?"

Luther's eyes suddenly lit up. It was Hunter's voice. He held up a paw and was quickly pulled to his footpaws. Luther desperately clung on to the large canine, crying tears of joy.

"Luther, are you alright? What happened to you?"

Luther looked deep into Hunter's dark eyes, smiling. "I ran into this gang... they beat me up."

"That's terrible. Why on earth did they beat you up?"

"Because they...because I told them I was going to meet you."

Hunter thought about that for a moment then grunted. He likely knew why. "Well, it's okay now, Luther. You're with me." Hunter held Luther out a little to get a better look at his face. "Boy, they really did a number on you. We've got to get you cleaned up. C'mon, I'll carry you."

Luther felt incredibly warm, and even more so when he felt his footpaws sweep out from under him and was being held in Hunter's arms. He clung close to Hunter's body, his arms wrapped around the canine's neck and his bloody head resting against his chest. Luther murred a little as Hunter's warmth seemed to remove his pain.

Hunter smiled. "You comfy, Luth?"

Luther remained silent until he suddenly heard his name being called out. It was Elizabeth.

"Do you know her?" Hunter asked.

"Who?"

"That girl there. She's wearing a pretty nice dress," Hunter scoffed. "Probably got lost or something."

"Oh, that's probably Elizabeth. She wanted to hang out with me tonight. Is that okay?"

Hunter paused for a moment. "Yeah, it's fine."

Finally Elizabeth caught up with Luther and Hunter. "Boy, you two just can't wait, can you," she laughed. Elizabeth took a better look at Luther. "Oh my God... What happened to you?"

"I..." Luther began.

"He had a run-in with a small pack of dogs. I guess they figured he was gay since he was meeting with me."

Elizabeth looked up at the tall rottweiler with puzzled look on her face. "You mean..." The lioness then let out a small laugh. "Well this is rich. Come on, let's go get Luther cleaned up. I've got something you may be interested in knowing."

It was Hunter's turn to look at Elizabeth in puzzlement. Obediently, he, with Luther still in his arms, followed Elizabeth.

Elizabeth took them through the downtown area toward the more rich end of town. There was a old large mansion close by where she was taking them.

"Is this your house?" Hunter asked.

"No. It belonged to the Smithson's, but because of particular crimes, none of which have been fully verified, they were forced to abandon their home, at least until they get it all worked out. Surely you must have read that in the newspaper."

"I don't read the newspaper," Hunter replied.

"I read about it," Luther said. "My father was all up in arms about it. He said it's despicable the way these rich folk think they can get away with anything. Tax evasion, or some such thing."

"That's the story, anyway," Elizabeth said doubtfully. "Whichever the case may be, their house and all their possessions were seized, and it's been a while so we'll probably be able to get in."

When they reached the cold, dark mansion, after painstakingly climbing the stone wall, Elizabeth took the two around to the back where they slipped in through the kitchen window.

"Have you been here before?" Hunter asked.

Elizabeth smiled devilishly. "Not as far as the public is concerned."

Luther smiled.

Hunter rested his injured friend down on the table and removed his coat, as well as Luther's.

Luther groaned a little. "You know, it doesn't hurt as much now. I think I'll be fine."

"Luther," Hunter began, "you're covered in blood for one thing, plus your wounds won't stop bleeding. You need to be bandaged up."

"But... I wanted to look nice for you..."

Hunter stared down at Luther, uncertain of his meaning.

Elizabeth walked over with a damp cloth and slowly wiped the blood from Luther's face. "Just relax Luther," she said, rubbing his head. "You'll be okay. We'll stop the bleeding." After wiping most of the blood out of Luther's fur, she opened up a small medical kit which was hanging in the cupboard. She expertly managed to suture some of the larger wounds and close up the others.

"How do you know how to do this?" Hunter asked.

"I read a lot when I'm at home. My parents don't like it so much because it's 'un-lady-like,' but I don't care. I want to help furs like this."

"How noble."

Elizabeth turned to Luther. "Now just close your eyes and rest for a moment. Everything will be fine." She nudged Hunter a little, suggesting they go to the other end of the kitchen.

"What is it?"

Elizabeth sighed. "Luther told me something quite interesting today, and obviously you haven't figured it out."

Hunter's ears twitched.

"He's... in love with you, Hunter."

Hunter was taken aback. "He is? I... I had no idea. He never said anything."

"Well, you know how shy he is. I mean, you should have seen him blushing when he told me."

Hunter smiled. "That's amazing. How long has he felt this way?"

"I have no idea, but I gather it's been a while. You should go talk to him..."

"What are you going to do?"

"Well, you should take him into another room, somewhere more comfortable. And I'll see if I can fix something to eat. I doubt there's much left here that's still good."

Hunter nodded and walked back to Luther.

Luther opened his eyes and looked into Hunter's eyes. He began to blush uncontrollably. He then held up his arms and put them around Hunter's neck as the rottweiler picked him up.

Hunter left the kitchen with Luther in his arms, slowly wandering around the mansion. As he entered the main foyer, with a large staircase leading to the second floor, the pair stared in awe of the beautifully tiled room and incredible marble pillars. There were two large crystal chandeliers which glistened in the dark room, hanging below the incredible skylight. They could see the dozens of stars from where they were standing.

Hunter progressed up the stairs slowly, passing old paintings of various Lords and Ladies, likely from this family's past. He then reached to top of the stairs and looked down at the floor below. Everything seemed much more grand from his view. Hunter shook his head and continued down the hall. He peered into the open doors, nothing particular grabbing his interest, until he turned a corner and came across two large chamber doors. Hunter opened the doors and walked into the master bedroom. He was impressed by the sheer size of it. The bed was in perfect condition, a large silk canopy draped above, and off to the side was an incredible fireplace. Hunter set Luther down on the huge bed and looked around the fireplace. There was still wood inside and long elegant matches atop the mantle in a fancy crystal vase. Hunter had quickly lit a fire and went back to see Luther.

With the pain mostly gone, and his dizziness wearing off, Luther couldn't help but touch and caress his sutures. He had never had stitches before, so it was an odd feeling. As he touched the threading, Luther began to think a little about Elizabeth. She had such genuine concern for him, and was truly not bothered by him and Hunter. Luther's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Hunter's warm paw on his forehead.

"How are you feeling, Luther?"

Luther began to blush, although he wasn't sure he had ever stopped. "I'm doing good. The pain is almost all gone."

"That's good."

An awkward silence filled the air.

Finally, Luther spoke up. "Um... I heard what Elizabeth told you..."

Hunter remained silent.

"What... what do you think?"

Hunter smiled. "Well, I'm truly flattered. I think it's great. How long... have you felt this way about me?"

"I don't know," Luther laughed. "Since I can remember. But I think the moment where I truly fell in love with you... was in gym class that one day."

"Gym class?"

"Yeah, you know... We were playing basketball and I fell and hit my head. You took me to the locker room and took care of me..."

Hunter thought about that for a moment. He was trying to recall that day. "Yeah, I can vaguely remember that... Well, that must have been three years ago. You've felt this way about me for that long?"

Luther nodded. He was suddenly very nervous.

"That is truly amazing." Hunter shifted himself further onto the bed, closer to Luther. He leaned over the lion a little.

Luther's heart was pounding madly and he was breathing quickly. He held up a paw to Hunter's chest as the rottweiler slowly lowered himself. "Hunter, I..." Luther was interrupted by Hunter's warm lips pressed against his own. Luther pushed a little on Hunter's chest, but quickly eased into the kiss. He put his paw back around Hunter's ribs, rubbing softly. He closed his eyes and started to murr loudly as he got more into the kiss, more so when he felt Hunter's warm tongue enter his maw. Luther's heart raced faster. He then returned the gesture as he felt the warm strong muscle dancing with his own. The pair continued to lock lips sensually for what seemed like hours.

Hunter finally pulled away and stared down into Luther's eyes. He, too, was breathing heavily. "S... sorry. I couldn't help it..."

Luther laughed nervously. "That's okay. I always figured my first kiss would come from you."

Hunter smiled, showing a bit of his teeth. "There's not one inch of you I wouldn't want to kiss right now."

Luther became flustered. His face was beaming red and his nervousness wouldn't go away. He just stared into Hunter's dark, glowing eyes, breathing heavily and unable to speak.

Hunter, on his knees to Luther's right, stared back. He then leaned down again and went in for another kiss.

As Luther felt Hunter's lips once more, a certain excitement filled his body. He put his paws up and around Hunter's neck, feeling his powerful shoulder muscles, and once again let his tongue venture into Hunter's maw, the warm, slimy muscle arousing him greatly.

Hunter pushed down a little harder on Luther as his carnal nature started to take over. He pulled back and began to lightly kiss Luther's muzzle and neck.

Luther made a satisfied groan as he felt Hunter's warm lips gently caress his body. His paws continued to course across Hunter's shoulders and neck.

Hunter again backed off, this time placing a paw on Luther's thigh.

Luther squirmed a little as he felt Hunter's paw gently massage his inner thigh. He giggled as his paw made it's way close to his crotch.

Hunter withdrew his arm. As he gazed down at Luther, he slowly removed his shirt, one button at a time.

Luther watched as Hunter unbuttoned his shirt. With each button undone, the lion became more nervous. He knew what was coming and he refused to deny it. This was probably his only chance he'd ever get alone with Hunter, and tonight was going to be that night. Luther knew he had to remain strong. He watched in awe of the rottweiler as he tossed away his shirt, revealing once again to Luther his muscular dark body. Almost instantly, Luther leaned up, despite a bit of pain still remaining in his gut, and clung on to Hunter's furry form. He began to murr as his paws coursed through Hunter's warm, brown chest fur. On his knees as well, Luther rested his head on Hunter's shoulder.

Hunter laughed a little. He put his paws around Luther's back, holding him in a close embrace.

Luther wrapped his arms around Hunter and squeezed him tightly, making an odd noise as he did. He continued to blush. "Hunter," he said softly, "I love you more than anything else in this world. I want to be with you forever..."

Hunter was a little surprised. "I... Thank you, Luther. That really means a lot to me."

Luther looked up at Hunter, teary-eyed. "I just need to know, though... do you like me back? Or... or is this just some kind of favour to me?"

Hunter put his paws on Luther's shoulders and held him out, looking deep into his eyes. "Now what kind of question is that?"

"I just... Maybe I'm just old-fashioned..."

Hunter smiled. "The Luther I know is always looking toward the future."

Luther lowered his head.

"You have nothing to worry about, hun. Hell, I had a crush on you since the second grade. I'd have said something sooner, but I've always just assumed you weren't gay."

"You really mean that?" Luther said, smiling.

"Of course I do, sweetie. You know, I do remember that day in gym class... I had just assumed you were a little delirious from hitting your head. It didn't even occur to me that you were flirting with me."

Luther blushed some more. "Your fur was really soft. It still is..."

Hunter held his paw to Luther's chin and lifted it, his lips just barely touching. "Truth be known, Luther, I went home that day and pawed to your touch. I could still feel your warm paws brushing through my fur."

Luther giggled. He was certain that his face couldn't get any redder, but he didn't care. He could tell, through his black fur, that Hunter was blushing, too. With his chin being held up by Hunter's paw, he dared not move. Luther's paws rested on Hunter's sinuous hips, which still lay under his pants. As he continued to stare into his mate's dark eyes, he felt his muzzle moving closer to Hunter's. Within moments, the pair once again locked lips, this time much more softly. Luther closed his eyes and felt very warm as his lips met with Hunter's. The long sensual kiss sent excited shivers up Luther's spine. As he pulled back, he felt his bottom lip being pulled by Hunter's teeth. He went in again for another soft kiss, then again for another.

Hunter stroked his paw through Luther's mane, which had been kept short. He then kissed Luther's nose and again brushed both paws through his mane, over his ears and around to his back where he pulled the lion in, snuggling close.

Luther began to purr as Hunter's paws swept through his fur. He then smiled, as he couldn't have dreamed for a more perfect moment. Seconds later, Luther found himself being pushed backward. He kicked out his footpaws so he lay perfectly on his back facing Hunter, who was kneeling right above him now. Luther's heart began to race as he looked up bashfully at his dark-furred mate. He gasped as Hunter let himself fall on top of him, his paws breaking the fall. Luther couldn't help but smile as the pair bounced slightly on the old large bed. He looked back up at the rottweiler and gasped again as he felt Hunter's powerful paws grip his sides, right below his ribs, and slowly move them up his body, lifting a bit of his shirt. Luther greatly enjoyed the feeling of Hunter's warm paws massaging every muscle they passed over, especially his chest and ribs. Eventually, almost without knowing it, Luther found himself topless. He looked up at Hunter, puzzled somewhat, and watched the rottweiler toss the old shirt away. Luther blushed and crossed his arms over his chest.

Hunter laughed. "What the matter, honey? It's nothing I haven't seen before."

"I know, but you did it so... subtly."

Hunter leaned over the lion, his paws propping him up just under Luther's arms, and pressed his muzzle right in Luther's chest fur. "You know," he said, somewhat muffled, "it was always your chest I liked." Hunter's paws gently grazed over Luther's nipples as he spoke. "I remember when we were kids, and I'd come over to your place and we'd swim in that huge hole in the cornfield... Well, the one thing I always looked forward to was being able to see you without your shirt on."

"Are you serious?"

Hunter smiled and nodded. He then dug his nose in Luther's chest and took a deep breath. When he lifted his muzzle, he appeared as though he was in ecstasy. Pausing for a moment, he looked down at Luther, grinning. "You have no idea how much I've always wanted to do that."

Luther giggled as he uncrossed his arms, letting them rest at his sides.

Hunter again dug his nose into Luther's chest, this time letting out a deep growl and shaking his muzzle around.

Luther laughed loudly as Hunter played around. He lifted his paws to Hunter's head and stroked behind his ears as his laughter died down. He looked Hunter in the eyes and began to purr.

"You only purr when you're really happy, don't you..."

Luther nodded.

"Well... I can think of one way to make you really happy..."

Luther suddenly became extremely nervous. He simply watched as Hunter leaned back, kneeling between his legs, and worked on unfastening his belt.

Hunter removed his belt and tossed it aside, then promptly unbuttoned his pants and slowly removed them. He awkwardly got out of them and threw them to the floor. He looked down at Luther, now completely naked, still kneeling, letting the lion get a good long look. He stretched his muscles, as if teasing the lion.

Luther began to sweat as he looked up at Hunter's dark, naked body. His eyes rapidly scanned up and down, checking out every inch of his muscular form.

"Slow down, honey, or you might miss something. Just take it nice and slow."

Luther gazed into Hunter's eyes. After a long moment, he worked his way down Hunter's body, starting at his chest. Hunter's pectorals, which were mostly covered in dark-brown fur, appeared smooth and powerful, his nipples barely visible through the black fur surrounding his chest. Luther then gazed at Hunter's perfectly sculpted abs, the orange firelight shimmering off them beautifully, creating particular highlights. Luther's eyes then stopped dead at the sight of a bit of pink poking its head out of Hunter's sheath. Suddenly everything came into perspective; this was actually going to happen.

Hunter then got down on his knees and paws and crawled atop Luther. "Are you doing alright? You seem pretty nervous."

"Can you blame me? This is... my first time, you know."

Hunter grinned, then stroked a paw through Luther's mane. "You have nothing to worry about. I'll take care of you."

"I know you will... but still..."

"Yeah, I understand. Well, how about I just lie here with you until you feel ready? You can get used to my body."

"That would be nice... do you want me to take my pants off?"

"You do whatever you feel comfortable with, hun."

Luther smiled nervously. With shaky paws, he managed to undo his belt and, still under his mate, awkwardly removed his pants, his partially-erect pride springing out from under. He kicked the pants to the side and looked up at Hunter.

Hunter snickered as he lowered himself onto Luther.

Luther's heart skipped a beat, feeling Hunter's entire body press against his. He lifted his arms and wrapped them around to Hunter's back, rubbing his fingers through his soft fur. Luther instantly felt an incredible warmth all over as Hunter lowered and positioned himself. He could feel every muscle pressed against him, but more warming than that was the feeling of Hunter's hardening length rubbing against his thigh. Luther became extremely excited.

Hunter, now atop the lion, shifted himself to the side, so he was only partially on top of Luther. Lying on his side, Hunter's left arm was held up above his head while his right arm draped over Luther's chest. His paw grazed across the fuzzy and finely-toned chest, almost instinctively playing with the nipple.

Luther made a quiet moan as he felt Hunter's paw groping his chest. He, too, shifted a bit so he could easily face his mate. Luther put his left paw right under Hunter's arm, his paw roaming a bit to his back shoulder, and leaned in to give the rottweiler a kiss.

Hunter embraced Luther's muzzle quickly. The nervous kiss didn't last long, so he rested his head on Luther's chest.

Luther closed his eyes and took long deep breaths. His paw continued brushing through Hunter's fur as he got used to the rottweiler's warmth. He could feel Hunter breathing, and the motions of all his muscles as his chest expanded. It was quite a sensual feeling. With his eyes still closed, Luther took in the smells of the room, a mixture of the burning fire and Hunter's natural odor. It was a nice odor. It made Luther feel warm and relaxed.

"You know," Hunter said softly, "we don't have to do this at all if you don't want to."

Luther opened his eyes. "No, I want to..."

"Well don't get me wrong; this is very nice. Trust me when I say I could lie here forever with you, but if you feel we're moving way too fast, just tell me."

Luther smiled. "It's alright. I'd probably be this nervous no matter when we do it."

Hunter laughed. He nuzzled his head further into Luther's chest and let his paw caress his hard nipples and down the side of his ribs and abs. His paw then roamed up over Luther's belly and up the middle of his chest.

Luther let out a moan as Hunter's paw gently stroked through his fur. He raised his paw and held Hunter's, which was now just resting on Luther's chest. He turned to face Hunter and just gazed into his deep dark eyes. As he held Hunter's paw, he felt very relaxed. He continued to stare into the canine's eyes.

Hunter stared back, unable to look away, captivated by the lion's eyes. After a long moment, he somehow knew. Hunter just nodded and slowly got to his knees between Luther's legs, looking down on the lion's entire body. He smiled as he noticed Luther's fully-erect length, bobbing slightly up and down. He looked back into Luther's eyes, waiting for a confirmation.

Luther again gazed in awe of Hunter's gorgeous body, especially his light pink member protruding further from its dark-brown sheath. He gave a slight nod as a sign he was ready.

Hunter bent down, his paws resting just beside Luther's rump, and took in a deep breath of the lion's essence. His wet nose touched the end of Luther's cock, sniffing, then he began to give quick little licks at the very end.

Luther let out a little moan. It was such a new, yet pleasurable, feeling for him. His paws gripped the sheets under him as he felt Hunter's tongue caress the entire length, from base to tip. His pride was throbbing heavily now, and with each lick it became more intense.

Hunter stopped for a moment, smiling. "Calm down, honey. I've barely even started."

"S-sorry. It just... feels really good."

Hunter snickered then continued to stroke Luther's throbbing length with his tongue. As he did, his paw groped and massaged Luther's soft balls. He couldn't help but smile as he heard Luther groan. After a few more large licks, Hunter kissed the end of Luther's pulsating pride then wrapped his lips over top. With Luther's head just inside his maw, Hunter began to titillate his cockhole with the end of his tongue. After doing this for a while, amused by Luther's sounds, he tasted a bit of precum. As the sweet taste coated his tongue, Hunter lowered his head, taking in much more of Luther's length.

Luther was purring very loudly now, and between his deep breaths he would let out an audible moan. He writhed a little as he felt his entire length being swallowed by his mate, and more so when he pulled back out. He tilted his head back as he felt Hunter's strong tongue stroke the underside of his cock, his muzzle continuing to bob up and down. Luther gripped the sheets tighter, enjoying this new sensation greatly. He simply lay there, writhing in ecstasy, allowing Hunter to completely dominate his senses. This was much more intense than anything he had ever done before on his own. Luther was certain at this point his orgasm would come quick. He again let out a long and loud moan, showing is appreciation to Hunter.

Hunter stopped for a moment, Luther's length still within his maw, and looked up at him as his tongue continued to arouse the lion. He pulled back his head and with his right paw he very slowly stroked the throbbing length. He then smoothly slid off the end of the bed and kneeled on the floor before Luther, staring straight into his tailhole. He grinned as he pulled the lion close to the edge of the bed. Hunter then focused his attention on Luther's tailhole

Luther looked down at Hunter, curious what he was doing. He was breathing heavily at this point. "What're you doing? W-why'd you stop?"

"Because that was just a little warm up, hun."

Luther laughed and let his head fall back onto the pillow. As the intense feeling slowly wore off, he still enjoyed Hunter's warm paw caressing his length. Luther suddenly yelped as he felt Hunter's cold wet nose press against his tail hole.

"Spread your legs out a little," Hunter said. "You've got to give me a little more room."

Obediently, Luther spread his legs as far as they would go, keeping them bent. He was excited for what Hunter had in store for him.

Hunter pressed his muzzle against Luther's tailhole and began to lick the outside. He let out a loud murr as his tongue pressed harder against the innocent tailhole, trying to get itself as far inside as it could.

Luther was almost stunned at this sensation. He let go of the silk sheets and squirmed a little as Hunter's tongue began to enter his body.

"You've got to relax yourself," Hunter suggested. He gripped Luther's length, stroking it slowly, as his tongue slid through Luther's sphincter. He started to murr as his wet muscle caressed the inside of Luther's tailhole. Hunter then placed his paws on the backs of Luther's legs and lifted them up and out, getting better access. He again smiled as he heard Luther's loud appreciative moans. His tongue continued to venture within Luther's hole as far as it could. He was a bit surprised at how clean everything was, making the experience a little more enjoyable. Hunter stopped with his tongue and let in a deep breath, taking in the smells of Luther's bowels. He closed his eyes and softly kissed Luther's tailhole and rump. He was feeling quite warm now.

Luther started to murr, feeling very content. He let himself relax as his legs were held up and as Hunter kissed his bottom. He could somehow sense Hunter's warmth flowing into him.

Hunter lifted his nose and began to lick the underside of Luther's furry balls.

Luther started to murr.

Hunter did this for a moment until he began to fondle each one with his tongue. He opened his maw and let one sink inside, caressing it within his muzzle. He let out a quiet moan as he fed on Luther's left ball. He opened his maw a bit wider so as to accommodate both, but there wasn't enough room. Hunter gracefully pushed one out of his muzzle with his tongue and happily accepted the other, gently massaging it and the other one with his tongue and lips. As he did this, he felt something warm drop onto his muzzle, right between his eyes. Moments later, more fell onto him. Hunter smiled as his massaging tongue again ran up Luther's entire length, this time lapping up a fair amount of precum. He very much enjoyed the sweet taste against his tongue.

"U-unbelievable," Luther muttered to himself, enjoying Hunter's textured tongue sliding up his length.

Hunter snickered, his tongue lapping up a bit more pre. When he was certain he had gotten it all, his muzzle wandered back down to Luther's tailhole. With the taste of Luther's pre still on his tongue, he was able to enjoy Luther's tailhole that much more. He started to caress the sphincter more rigorously this time, really getting into it, his hips thrusting forward and back with each fondling of his tongue. He was certain he felt a bit of pre leak from his own cock just now, but he couldn't check. His paws propped up Luther's legs as his muzzle gave his sphincter a workout. Hunter moaned a little as the tastes and the sensations came together. He then felt a little more pre leak from his fully-erect member.

Luther lay there, gripping the sheets again, focusing on Hunter's gentle touches on and in his tailhole. He felt so warm and so close to the rottweiler. He was squirming a little, although Hunter's strong paws holding up his legs mostly prevented that. He felt trapped, stuck where he was, but he didn't mind in the least. Hunter's assertiveness even turned the lion on a little.

Hunter went on caressing Luther's tailhole with his tongue for some time, licking around the inside edge and sliding it in further. He then removed his paws from Luther's legs and slowly lifted himself onto his footpaws, staring down at the lion and licking his lips.

Luther looked up, sweating, and wondered what Hunter was planning.

Moments later, Hunter leaned down between Luther's legs, his paws resting beside the lion's ribs, under his arms, and looked deep into his eyes.

Luther, who was already blushing profusely, couldn't help but stare back. So close to Hunter's muzzle, he wanted to lean forward and give him a kiss, but he dared not move. He noticed a certain fire in Hunter's dark eyes. "W-what is it?"

"Up until today," Hunter said, "I never thought I'd get a chance like this. At least, not with you." He leaned down and planted his lips on Luther's, kissing him deeply.

Luther put his paws around to Hunter's back, pulling him in deeper, murring loudly.

Hunter lifted his head and again looked into Luther's eyes. Both their cocks were throbbing greatly now. Hunter shuffled his hips closer to Luther's rump and paused momentarily. "Do you think you're ready for this, hun?"

"R-ready for what?"

Hunter smiled. "You know, the main attraction."

"You mean that wasn't it?"

Hunter laughed loudly. "No, sweetie, that was just a bit of a warm up. Just to loosen you up a little, you know? You were so nervous in the beginning, and now look at you. You're all ready to accept me."

"Accept you?"

Hunter giggled. "You really don't know, do you."

Luther felt embarrassed.

"You understand how a male and female mate, right?"

Luther nodded.

"Well, in this case, I'll have to enter your tailhole, as there's nowhere else to go."

"Oh..."

"It's okay, sweetie, I understand it's your first time. I guess I just assumed you knew all the ins and outs, so to speak."

"Sorry..."

"Hey, no worries, hun. By the end you'll be an expert."

Luther smiled. Hunter always seemed to know just what to say. He then felt Hunter's warm length press up against his tailhole.

Hunter's hips were ready and in position, his body hanging just above Luther's, their muzzles almost touching. He grinned at Luther. "You ready for this?"

Luther put his paws on Hunter's shoulders and lifted his legs above his mate's hips. He smiled and nodded.

"I've got to warn you, Luther, this is probably going to hurt, at least in the beginning."

Luther was a little worried, but at this point he couldn't go back. "O-okay... I'm ready for anything."

"Well, because it's your first time, I won't torture you with my knot."

Luther suddenly went wide-eyed and gasped a little. He felt Hunter plant himself inside him just a tiny bit, as if getting anxious. "No... I want to experience it all. Torture me if you have to..."

Hunter paused for a moment. "Alright, honey, if you say so." He brushed a paw through Luther's mane. "But consider yourself warned. It is going to hurt, but I'll start off slow for you, and don't try to talk your way out of that."

Luther giggled. He nodded and patted Hunter's shoulders, signaling him he's ready.

Hunter nodded in confirmation. He paced his breathing and then inserted himself into Luther about a quarter of the way, slowly.

Luther's maw opened and winced as he felt Hunter's large pink pride slowly opening his bowels. Because of his precum, it was able so slide through gently and easily. He let out a loud groan as his sphincter stretched further than it had ever stretched before. It felt as if it was pulled as far as it could go, just before the point of pain. Luther felt reasonably comfortable with this, but he knew it would get wider further in. The lion tried to pace his heavy breathing. He made a noise as some more precum leaked from his aching length. With only one paw on Hunter's shoulder now, Luther's other went straight for his cock.

Hunter let out a laugh. "You doing alright?"

Luther grinned and nodded. He found it hard to pleasure himself with Hunter's eight-inch now a third of the way in. He could feel a bit of pain, the stretching, creeping in. He gripped Hunter's shoulder tight and closed his eyes. Hunter let out a deep growl, which aroused the lion. Luther, his mouth seeming unable to close, tensed all the muscles in his body as Hunter inserted himself deeper into Luther's warm body and a slow rising of pain took over his bowels. He let out a loud cry as the pain quickly grew more intense.

"Hun, you want me to stop?"

"N-no!" Luther cried. "Keep going... I'll be fine."

"Alright..." Hunter, perhaps a little faster this time, thrust forward, but still at a reasonably slow pace.

Luther removed his paw from his own length as his pre continued to pour down his fingers. He placed both paws on Hunter's shoulders, gripping tightly, and braced himself. The pain was extraordinary now, and Luther wasn't sure how much more he could take. This burning inside him was like nothing he had ever felt before. He could barely even feel Hunter's length stuffed inside him; the pain was too distracting. Luther continued to cry out in pain, a tear running down his cheek. His cries, which sounded much more like sorrowful groans, began to have an effect on Hunter. Luther could see it in his eyes. He could see Hunter wasn't enjoying this experience as much as he should be. He could see the pain in the rottweiler's eyes as he was forced to hurt his friend and lover. In amongst the shooting pain and his loud cries, Luther wasn't sure if he could continue this, for Hunter's sake. However Luther also considered the fact that Hunter knew very well what it would feel like, and that his moaning shouldn't come as a surprise to him. As the pain seemed to reach its climax, Luther shut his eyes tightly and cried out, patting Hunter's shoulders.

Hunter stopped. He was sweating a little, looking down on his mate. His large pink cock was still deep inside Luther's bowels.

"T-that's enough," Luther said with a tear, "I can't take anymore... the pain is too much. And... and it's not fair for you."

Hunter looked puzzled. Hanging above the lion, he let out a little laugh. "What are you talking about? I -"

Luther winced as another shot of pain ran up his body. "The pain... is too much. You can't go any further... "

Hunter smiled. "I'm all the way in, honey. Except for my knot, this is as far as I go... But if you really want me to quit..."

Luther shook his head. "No... No, don't. Just... maybe we should save the knot for later..."

Hunter laughed. "What ever you say, love. It's all up to you."

Luther smiled. As his paws started to roam down to Hunter's fuzzy chest, the searing pain very slowly disappeared and was replaced with little more than a tight pinching and discomfort. Luther's cock suddenly heaved, even more pre pouring out. He wasn't sure how much he was going to have left in him. He let out an aroused moan as Hunter's paw scooped up the excess and lifted it between their faces.

The sticky fluid hung off the end of Hunter's fingers. As he looked down at his mate, smiling, he slowly lowered his paw.

Luther grabbed onto Hunter's wrist with both paws and lapped up his own cum. He wasn't sure what suddenly compelled him to do this, but he enjoyed it. The sweet and salty taste coated his tongue. Luther began to murr with content.

Hunter retrieved his paw and tasted it himself. He smiled and murred in satisfaction. He thrust his hips a little bit forward, to remind Luther he was still inside him.

Luther's eyes suddenly widened as he felt Hunter's cock push into him. The pain, while still present, didn't seem so bad now, as it was joined along side with pleasure. Luther could barely describe how exactly he felt at that moment. While Hunter was stuffed deep inside him, stretching his tailhole painfully, he felt some amount of pleasure at the same time from somewhere within his gut. Luther opened his mouth again as Hunter started to pull himself out. He felt the searing pain momentarily again as Hunter's length reached its half point, its widest point, but it soon went away as Hunter pulled out further. Luther let out a long sigh, breathing heavily, as Hunter almost completely removed himself, the head of his cock remaining inside.

"So," Luther said, catching a breath, "this is the 'main attraction,' huh?" His sphincter still ached from stretching so far.

Hunter giggled and nodded.

Luther put his arms around Hunter's neck and hugged him awkwardly. "I love you, Hunter, and there isn't anyone else in this world I would rather share this experience with."

Hunter smiled. "Thank you very much, honey. That really means a lot to me." Hunter kissed Luther on the nose. "You ready to continue?"

Luther nodded.

Hunter thrust his hips forward, reentering Luther's bowels. Fairly certain Luther was adequately warmed up, he moved much faster. In just a few moments, Hunter had completely reinserted his entire length into Luther's warm body. He let out quiet groan as he did.

Luther, his paws back on Hunter's shoulders, opened his mouth again as he took in the rottweiler's large length. It was a bit faster, so he barely had time to react to the pain. He let out a loud moan as he felt Hunter's organ slide into his bowels, stretching them, again bringing that same sense of painful pleasure. With barely any time to familiarize himself with this feeling again, Hunter had already pulled himself out. Luther let out his breath as Hunter did this, moaning.

Hunter, wasting no time at all, thrust forward again. His hips moved forward and back along with Luther's body and his moans. Hunter arched his back a little and as he pushed himself deeper into Luther's bowels, his shoulders and chest moving harmonically with the rest of his body and Luther's.

The pair, after somewhat of an awkward start, started to move very naturally together. As Hunter thrust his spear deeper into Luther, the lion let out a loud groan and arched his back, his paws gripping tighter at Hunter's shoulders. With each thrust, a bit more pre leaked from Luther's throbbing cock, which was rubbing against Hunter's well-defined abs, smearing the pre up his black fur. The feeling of Hunter's soft fur gently caressing the head of his cock only aroused the lion further, and he was certain it aroused Hunter, too.

With each plunge further, Hunter tried to ram his knot in just a little bit, trying to stretch Luther's tailhole gradually. Each time the edge of Luther's tailhole reached his knot, he gave an extra push, grunting as he did.

Not noticing Hunter's extra pushes, Luther's movements and sounds started to work fluidly with his mates'. As Hunter rammed his large cock into him, Luther would cry out in ecstatic pain, his entire body being moved back by Hunter's forceful thrusts. Even his breathing, deep and heavy, coincided with Hunter's. He felt such a powerful bond with Hunter, as even their souls melted together. Their mixing fluids connected the pair on a physical and metaphysical level, and at that point Luther felt more happy than he had ever felt in his entire life. He could see it in his eyes, Hunter's deep dark eyes, that he felt the same way. Hunter, too, felt this undying, powerful emotion welled up inside him, being released through their intense and erotic amalgamation. A tear ran down Luther's face as he clung onto his mate, letting him abuse his tailhole however he pleases, feeling very warm and very loved by the rottweiler. He felt safe and protected.

Through a euphoric haze, Luther looked past Hunter's dark, perfect body and his pink tongue dangling from his muzzle, to the open door at the end of the room. As he lay there taking the large rottweiler's constant, painful pounding, he noticed the young lioness Elizabeth standing in the archway, staring in shock. She had dropped a tray of food, which neither Luther nor Hunter had noticed. Luther was entranced by Hunter's warmth and his sensual touches and actions, he simply lay there, blushing, and staring through lust-filled eyes at the paralyzed lioness. As another tear rolled down his face, he looked away from the door and back to Hunter's face.

Hunter was panting heavily, a bit of drool dripping from his tongue onto Luther's chest. He closed his eyes tightly and started to growl. With each deep growl, he pounded Luther's tailhole harder, each time hearing Luther's cries. He could tell Luther was in pain, but he would continue anyway. Finally, Hunter opened his eyes, focused on Luther, and gave one final shove.

The pain almost unbearable, Luther looked up at Hunter stunned. His mouth was stuck open, unable to speak or breathe, and his eyes wide and fixed on Hunter's. His tailhole burned delightfully, the pain much more excruciating than before. He knew Hunter was pushing with all of his weight, trying to force his entire length through Luther's tailhole. Luther could feel Hunter's organ inside him, throbbing, keeping him warm. Despite the pain, he still felt the warmth and the pleasure deep within his bowels from Hunter's lying cock. He could feel every inch of it as little by little, it slowly and painfully slid its way through.

Hunter began to growl as he pushed, feeling Luther's tight grip on his shoulders. He placed his paws at the sides of Luther's head, getting a better position. He bared his teeth and closed his eyes, being forced to listen to Luther's cries of pain.

The tears rolled down Luther's face more steadily now. He suddenly let out a loud, primal roar as the pain seemed to reach its apex. Moments later, he heard a bit of a pop and felt Hunter slump down, panting heavily, his drool dripping off his tongue and into Luther's eye. Luther, who was also panting, released his grip on Hunter's shoulders. He looked up at him through lust and tear filled eyes. "A-are you...?" The pain, while still quite present, wasn't nearly as intense anymore.

Hunter nodded and smiled. "I... I'm sorry, Luther. I didn't know it would hurt you so much..." Leaning closer to the lion, bending his cock a bit awkwardly, Hunter kissed him softly on the cheek, their chests now touching. After that long moment, the pair were able to relax.

Luther could feel Hunter's chest contracted with his own. He felt Hunter's heart beating, and it seemed to be perfectly in tune with his own. Luther blushed as he considered that, wrapping his paws around Hunter's neck. The warmth in his bowels was incredible. He felt each pulse of the rottweiler's throbbing pink cock, which harmonized with each of his heartbeats.

Hunter started to wriggle about a little while atop the lion. He grunted a little as his hips pulled back a little, then back in again.

Luther let out a long satisfied moan as Hunter's length squirmed inside him, pushing back just a little further. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, focusing on this subtle feeling. Each push sent a sudden shock of sharp pleasure through his body. Going limp, Luther leaned his head to the side and looked back at the door. Elizabeth had left the room, but left fallen tray. He looked up at Hunter, who had lowered his head and was busy doing his thing. With each sensual pulse rushing through his gut, Luther twitched and grunted. Hunter's constant pounding sent intense shivers up his spine.

Hunter, who had paced his breathing, suddenly grinned, baring his teeth, and pushed forward much harder, letting out a loud grunt each time. "Here it comes, Luth," he said between grunts.

Luther looked up, curious to know what he meant.

Hunter then let out a heavy sigh as a sharp wave of pleasure filled his large cock. Within moments he had begun to unload his seed deep within Luther's bowels. Leaving his full length inside the lion, he hung above Luther and slowly licked his face.

Just when Luther thought he couldn't feel more full, Hunter had unloaded himself. He murred as he felt both Hunter's warm tongue on his cheek and his hot seed filling his gut. Like hot cocoa on a cold winter day, Luther's entire body felt extremely warm, almost feverish.

Hunter slowed his small thrusts and kissed softly at Luther's cheek and neck as his warm cum emptied into Luther's gut.

Luther let out a long moan as Hunter slowly pulled himself out of his sore tailhole. His seed was finally planted and their souls united. Luther sighed in content, knowing full well his bond with this rottweiler couldn't be stronger, and nothing on Earth was going to break that. He held Hunter close, a tear running down his cheek. "Thank you," was all he could think to say.

As Hunter removed himself, he gently massaged Luther's red tailhole with his fingers. Moments later he switched to massaging it with his tongue, trying to ease the burning pain. When he heard the lion's quiet moans, he smiled and looked up. Right in his line of sight was Luther's cock, aching to be fondled. Hunter promptly stopped what he was doing, giving one last, tasty lick, and with giving Luther almost no time to react, he put his paws around the base of the erect length and quickly wrapped his lips around, swallowing deep.

Luther looked down, somewhat surprised, and moaned as he once again felt Hunter's warm wet tongue massage the underside of his cock. The textured muscle excited Luther once again. With the pleasing pain still in his tailhole, he knew this wasn't going to take very long. Luther tensed his muscles and bucked forward in an effort to hold back his orgasm as long as he could, but eventually the tired lion gave up and his climax hit him hard. The sudden burst of ecstasy forced Luther to arch his back, letting out quick, muted gasps. He gripped the sheets tightly, as he had never felt an orgasm quite like this. The pleasure mounted as his seed surged into Hunter's maw.

Hunter choked a little as Luther's cum emptied into the back of his throat. His paws squeezed Luther's cock tightly and tried desperately to pull out more cum. He pulled his head back and let his tongue tease just under the head, waiting for more. Hunter groaned a little as more cum squirted out of Luther's cockhole, some of it hitting the side of his muzzle, and he lapped it up happily, enjoying the sweet taste. He continued to suck Luther's softening length voraciously until he was certain he had eaten all his cum. He pulled himself up onto his footpaws and crawled atop the exhausted lion. He looked into Luther's eyes and moments later was pulled down for a kiss.

Luther's tongue almost instantly entered Hunter's maw, kissing him deeply. As their tongues played together, he could taste his own jizz. Luther liked the taste. He kissed Hunter passionately for a moment more, then pulled him away. He held the rottweiler in his arms as the canine lowered himself. Luther murred as he felt Hunter's soft, warm chest press against his own, and as their limp, moist cocks touched and played haphazardly. Luther's cheeks, he knew, were beaming red.

Hunter giggled as Luther continued blushing. He shifted himself to the side, keeping one arm draped over Luther's chest, lying beside his mate. With the lion's seed planted in his gut, they now shared an unbreakable bond. Each had a small piece of the other dwelling inside them. This sacred bond would last their entire lives. Neither of them could be happier.

Luther turned to face his mate. He shifted close and held a paw on Hunter's hip, then leaned in for a quick kiss. As he relaxed himself, now feeling Hunter's paw roaming his side, he spoke in a soft tone, their noses nearly touching. "Thank you... for everything, Hunter..."

Hunter smiled. "There's no need to thank me, hun."

"Of course there is... This has been, by far, the best New Year's ever. I know that sounds kinda dumb, but... well I just had sex with the fur I love, and for that I'm thankful."

Luther laughed. "Well alright then. I guess I should thank you, then, for letting me be with you tonight."

The two smiled and held each other close. Hunter pulled the old sheets over themselves and the pair snuggled playfully. Luther very much enjoyed Hunter's soft black fur coursing along his. His paws continuously roamed across Hunter's smooth, yet muscular back as he felt the rottweiler constantly kiss his neck and collar bone. Luther couldn't help but giggle in his warmth. Suddenly the pair heard a voice from beyond the door.

"Are you two quite done now?" It was Elizabeth.

Luther suddenly sat up. He had forgotten she was even there. "E-Elizabeth... I'm sorry, I didn't kno-"

"Don't worry about it. It was nothing I haven't heard before, especially when my brother is home. Of course he's not with another guy, he's... well never mind. Are you two decent? I'd rather not shout from outside the room."

"Yeah, we're good," Luther said, his bottom half covered by the silk sheets.

Hunter sat up beside his mate.

Elizabeth entered the room. She couldn't keep her eyes off Luther as she approached the large bed. She began to blush as she checked out his muscular chest and belly.

"Is something wrong?" Hunter asked.

"No, nothing's wrong. I came up here to tell you it's almost midnight. I brought some drinks up, but it... slipped out of my paws."

"So what are we going to do, then?" Hunter said, grinning.

"I'm certain I don't know what you're getting at," she replied.

Hunter leaned forward and pulled Elizabeth onto the bed, and she came screaming. "I guess you're just going to have to party with us, then."

The lioness laughed. "I must admit, I've never been quite so close to a pair of such attractive, and naked, furs before. But do not, not even for a second, assume I will get naked with you."

Hunter laughed. "Fair enough," he said in delight.

Luther twisted his ring around on his finger. He felt a little nervous at that moment.

"So," Hunter continued, "how much longer until we bring in the new century?"

"Well there was about a half-hour until midnight when I first came up here. You two gave me a fright so I waited until you were finished. I've no idea what time it is now."

The three, all at once, glanced over at the large grandfather clock in the corner of the room. It was ten minutes to midnight.

"Oh, look at that," Hunter said, "we've still got some time until the celebration."

"If you don't mind," Luther started, "could we celebrate it in here?"

Hunter laughed. "Of course we can, sweetie." He turned to Elizabeth. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Beats spending New Year's with my family. Do you want me to get more drinks or something?"

"Well, we can get it."

"No, don't worry about it, boys. I'm the one who's dressed here. Just stay put." Elizabeth got off the bed and continued out the door, mumbling something to herself.

Luther lay back, shortly joined by Hunter. The two held paws and enjoyed each others company. "Happy new year, Hunter," the lion said softly.

Hunter smiled and kissed him on the nose. "Happy new year."

The pair continued to lie close together, sharing their warmth, awaiting Elizabeth's return. Minutes later the lioness appeared in the doorway with a bottle of champaign and some glasses.

"Well I found some more," she said, handing the two each a glass.

"Oh, excellent," Hunter replied.

Elizabeth poured the champaign and set the bottle aside. The three, smiling, held their glasses together and waited for the clock to strike twelve.

"It's been one hell of a century," Elizabeth said to no one in particular.

Hunter grinned and nudged Luther. "Yeah, I'll say. Who would have thought we would have gotten together?"

Luther blushed as the other two laughed.

"Oh, c'mon. Don't be so shy, Luther. She knows what we did."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Hey," Elizabeth asked, "are we going to do a countdown?"

"Yeah, I suppose we should, shouldn't we. Is that clock even accurate?"

"It seems to be..."

The trio stared at the clock, at the final minute of the nineteenth century. As the clock hit the ten final seconds, all together, with a bit of a laugh, the three started their count down. "Ten... nine... eight... seven... six... five... four... three... two..."

Just as they blurted out, "one," they heard the streets below fill with the happy and drunken laughter and shouts of a celebration. The fireworks cracked and whistled through the windows, and the trio cheered and drank their champaign. Moments into the fireworks, they suddenly heard a more deafening explosion, and a bright light fill the entire room from outside. The three stopped and listened intently. The cries from the street quickly turned from that of glee to that of fear and horror. Soon, another explosion.

"W-what the hell is that?" Luther begged.

"I don't know," Hunter said. "There's no way that's all fireworks..."

"What do we do?" Elizabeth cried.

"Let's... we should go to the cellar. It'll be safer down there."

The three instantly got up, tossing their glasses away, and Luther and Hunter quickly threw on their pants. As they ran out the door, another explosion rocked the entire house.

"It's getting closer!" Elizabeth shouted.

They continued through the hall and down the large winding stairs. Just as they reached the bottom, another explosion blew out the glass of the large windows, and knocking the large chandeliers down.

Luther staggered back as he got glass thrown into his face, arms and chest. Stunned momentarily, Luther felt the pain in his body, the glass thoroughly embedded inside him. He could feel his warm blood trickling down his face.

"Luther, are you okay?" Hunter cried frantically.

"Y-yeah. I'll be fine... Let's keep going."

As the trio ran past the shattered chandeliers, under the staircase, the explosions became louder and much more frequent. The mansion rocked and creaked as paintings and ornaments fell off the walls and pedestals.

Hunter stopped and turned to Elizabeth. "Which way to the cellar? Where are we going?"

Elizabeth was crying. "I don't know!"

"Well, where did you get the wine?"

"It was just on a rack in the kitchen... the cellar's probably outside. In the back."

Hunter grabbed Elizabeth's wrist and pulled her along, Luther following behind. They jumped out a shattered window which led to the back of the estate. As they looked into the sky, they could see unusual objects floating in the sky, throwing what appeared to be fireballs onto the town. Even against the dark night sky, they could see large billowing pillars of smoke, and the blaze of the town before them.

Elizabeth began crying out for her mother and her family.

As Hunter and Luther snapped out of their shock, they looked around frantically for the cellar door. Suddenly they heard a noise. As they looked up, a bright light shone down upon them. The three couldn't help but stare. In a split second, they noticed one of the fireballs about to drop. They then started to run. Moments later, a thunderous explosion sent the trio flying, the mansion blowing to pieces.

As Luther felt Hunter's paw slip away from his, his vision suddenly went dark. He felt a sharp pain in his leg. He wasn't moving anymore. The ringing in his ears was almost excruciating. Luther couldn't hear anything else except the sound of explosion after explosion. Eventually the sounds faded and all that was left was the sharp pain in his leg. He couldn't see, hear, or feel anything, as the pain quickly went away. Luther knew he was dying, but he was able to go with some peace in his heart, knowing he had finally admitted and shared his love for Hunter. As Luther thought about his mate, his coldness turning to warmth, he realized Hunter was still out there. He didn't know if either Hunter or Elizabeth were still alive. As Luther lay in the dead silence, a certain fire blazed within him. He had to help his friends. He couldn't die now, uncertain of their fates. Luther tried to open his eyes, but even if they were open now, he wasn't certain that he would have seen anything. The lion was blind. As the ringing faded, he could almost make out the sound of roaring flames. Luther tried his hardest to pick himself up, but his muscles burned. Luther lay back, breathing hard, unable to see, and began to weep. He wanted desperately to help Hunter, but there was nothing he could do. Luther tried to relax himself and pace his breathing. Again the sounds faded and Luther slipped further into the darkness. He felt absolutely nothing now, as if he was floating. This was the end. He would now die, not knowing whether his true love lived. Quickly, everything faded.

* * *

Luther suddenly heard a voice. His soul was excited. He tried desperately to hear what was being said, but it was useless. Luther began to feel anxious. He again tried to open his eyes, and the lion gasped as he was able to see, through the darkness, the bright lights from the burning town. The sharp pain in Luther's leg returned quickly, along with the rest of his senses. He looked up, able to see a figure silhouetted by the flames. He tried to speak. His voice was raspy and incoherent. Luther painfully lifted himself onto his elbows, his hearing returning. He could hear the crackling flames and the sounds of far-off explosions. Again he heard that voice. It wasn't clear, but he was sure it wasn't Hunter. Luther groaned as the pain in his leg continued to grow. As his vision became more clear, he could see the voice belonged to a husky. The husky drew closer to Luther's face, but he was still unable to make out anything distinguishable. He could hear his voice more clearly now.

"Hey, wake up. Everything will be fine."

Luther then noticed the husky's unusual attire as the canine stood back. Staring up at him, Luther suddenly became extremely frightened. The husky wore a shining suit of armour, but nothing like that was recorded by history. This jagged, plate-like suit struck fear into Luther's heart. He started to cry out and back away from husky. "W-what are you?" he cried. As he pulled himself back, the pain in his leg sharpened and he could hear his bones snapping and muscles tearing. He looked at his leg and noticed it had been crushed by a large piece of rubble, nearly torn in half from trying to free himself. Still terrified of the beast standing before him, he cried and tried to pull out his leg, ignoring the extreme pain. "Stop! Leave me alone!" Luther shouted. "Y-you can't exist. This isn't possible!"

"Calm yourself, lion. This is very possible and I do exist. Now just listen to me, if you can. I am a healer. I'm going to move that rock from your leg if you only give me a chance."

With tears rolling down Luther's face, he reluctantly nodded.

The husky backed off and held his metal paws in front of him. He began to growl as he concentrated on what he was doing. Suddenly he stomped on the ground, spun, then stomped harder, forcing the rubble into the air. Keeping up with his momentum, he husky spun again, this time kicking the rubble away.

Luther stared up in awe of the newcomer. "H-how is that possible?"

The husky bent down, placing a paw on Luther's shoulder. "I am an Elemental, lion. The world around me is mine to control and manipulate."

Luther felt much more calm. He felt safe. "Where did you come from?"

"I'm from Earth," the husky said, now placing both paws on Luther's leg. "Eons ago, my village was destroyed and my people, myself included, were slaughtered. I, however, was granted the chance to be reborn, with the powers of a god. I took those powers and protected the Earth from evil. Eventually, having restored peace on Earth, at least for a little while, I ventured off into space. But I always came back when my planet was in need."

Luther suddenly realized, as he bent his leg, that it was no longer in pain. "I-incredible..."

The husky smiled, holding out his right paw. "I'm Koko."

Luther held out his shaky paw, gripping Koko's tight. "I'm Luther."

Koko stood up and pulled Luther to his footpaws.

Luther shook his head, most of his senses completely regained. He looked around at the destruction of the mansion and of the entire village. "Who did this? Was it... those strange lights I saw?" Luther suddenly remembered something. "H-Hunter! What happened to Hunter?"

"You have a very strong will, Luther, perhaps even stronger than my own. My powers keep me alive, for the most part, but you... you are sheer will power."

"What are you talking about? I need to find Hunter!"

"Hmm... I haven't seen Hunter. I only saw you, and most, if not all, furs would probably be dead right now. That rubble crushed your entire leg, far beyond any normal repair. You have glass embedded deep in your face and your chest. You have lost copious amounts of blood... And yet you were able to retain your consciousness, or at least your subconsciousness."

"So what? What are you getting at?" Luther said anxiously.

Koko held out his paw and placed it on Luther's head. "I'm going to give you some of my power, Luther, if you'll let me. And those powers will reflect entirely upon your personality. In this case, your will power. Of course there's no telling exactly how this will change you, or what your abilities will be. Logic would dictate your powers will rely heavily on your brain, as that's your strongest quality."

"But why? Why give them to me?"

Koko smiled warmly. "Like I said, you have more will than anyone I have ever met. This planet is in need of a new protector, and I can think of no one else more deserving of a piece of my power. Besides that, it will help you find your Hunter."

Luther just stared up at Koko, not entirely sure what to make of all this. A moment later, he nodded ever so slightly. He then felt a slight tingling in his head, then he closed his eyes and embraced the husky's power. His head began to throb, a headache worse than he had ever felt before. Luther closed his eyes tightly as the pain mounted, then he let out a loud cry. Still he felt Koko's paw on his head, and the pain continued to rise. He felt as if his brain was going to turn to paste and burst from his skull. Luther fell to his knees and gripped the ground tightly. His terrible screaming suddenly halted as Koko forcefully retrieved his paw, the pain now gone. Luther was panting, his eyes wide. He then felt extremely aware. He perked his ears as he stood up.

"How do you feel?"

Luther could almost feel the blood pulsating through his brain. He ignored the husky's question. He stuck his nose in the air, feeling the warm wind from the incredible blaze flow through his fur, but at the same time feeling the biting chill of the winter night. Luther held his mouth agape and looked about, concentrating on his heightened senses. He could hear his own heart pounding from within his chest. He listened intently to his body's internal motions as he gazed upon the ruins of the town. Everything was so clear now. He felt his brain throb a little as he focused on his senses. Luther could smell the burning ashes and scorched skin of the ravaged town. The foul stench burned his nostrils. The sound of the blaze rang in his perked ears constantly. In amongst the crackling flames, Luther could hear the desperate cries of pain, pitiful moans from trapped and burning furs. The lion closed his eyes and tried to shut out the sounds, but it was useless. As he listened to their pathetic cries, he could sense, somehow, their thoughts. All at once he heard a barrage of conscious thoughts swirling around in his brain, most of which nonsensical. With so many voices in his head, Luther fell to his knees, certain he was losing his sanity. Suddenly the horrifying moans faded as Luther listened intently to their thoughts. He tried desperately to sort through them, trying to find those of his friends. Luther began breathing heavily, darting his head and eyes back and forth. Suddenly, the lion got an intense pain and a flash in his mind. He held his head and cried out. "W-what is this?"

Koko stood alert.

"I-I see images of... some kind of beast. I-it's... four-legged, but with a normal body... like a centaur. Claws... such large claws... wicked metal armour..."

A bright light then passed over the two, quickly taking off again.

Koko relaxed himself. "That's the Commune. They're ruthless aliens. They have twisted plans of galactic domination, and they tend to prey on the under-developed worlds. They usually send a small army to exterminate the inhabitants, under the radar. Since the people have almost no defense, extermination is easy for them. It's illegal for any advanced species to interfere with developing planets, but they manage to get away with it. Fortunately for Earth, they have a protector, which is why I'm here. However, an Earthling traveling deep space is unheard of, so I must have tipped the Commune off that something was amiss. No doubt they sent a larger army. Their technology is very advanced, and I am an ancient warrior. Perhaps my efforts alone would not be enough to save the planet this time."

Luther looked up at the husky. "So... so it's your fault they're here?"

Koko lowered his head. "Yes, I suppose it is. Don't think I'm not aware of this fact."

Then, another flash in Luther's mind. He closed his eyes and tried to make sense of it. He groaned as he tried to piece together the constant barrage of images.

"Just calm yourself, Luther. Let it come naturally."

Luther lowered his arms and let the images flow into his head. He suddenly opened his eyes as he could clearly hear Hunter's quiet cries for help. Almost instantly, Luther felt as if he was right there with the rottweiler. He could smell him, hear him, and even feel his fur brushing against his own. He could see Hunter clearly in his mind. Luther turned around and stared at a pile of charred wood and stone several metres away. He could sense Hunter's life force from under it. Moments later, he darted toward it. He moved at an alarming speed. As Luther burst forward, the entire world around him seemed to slow to a crawl. It took only two large steps to reach the pile of rubble. Luther stopped at stared at himself momentarily. "This... this is amazing."

"Indeed, Luther, you have been granted incredible powers. You can do anything, move anything, with only a thought."

Luther looked down again at the rubble. He placed his paws on the stone and tried to lift it, but it was impossible. As he pulled harder and harder, small bursts of energy flew out from him in random directions. Pulling as hard as he could, Luther let out a mighty roar and suddenly flung a large piece of stone many metres away, and with his mind he was able to clear the wood along with it, as if a powerful wind had just blown it all away, leaving only a huddled up rottweiler underneath. Luther bent down and put a paw on Hunter's shoulder.

Hunter was shaking uncontrollably. His back was bleeding heavily, and in his arms he held a frightened lioness. He looked up through hollow eyes, unable to speak.

"H-Hunter...?"

Tears rolled down Hunter's face.

Luther could see the pain and the fear in his expression. He, too, started to weep.

Koko approached the two and took hold of Elizabeth, carrying her to a safety.

"Hunter, are you okay?" Luther held the rottweiler close. "What happened to you?"

Hunter was still shivering. He opened his mouth, trying to speak, but was left with nothing.

Luther just continued to kneel beside his mate, holding him. "You'll be alright, Hunter, I promise. I won't let anyone hurt you again... please, just say something..."

"T-they..."

Luther opened his eyes and listened intently.

"They can't be real... None of this is possible... How can those beasts exist?"

"Oh, Hunter," Luther began to cry again. He put a paw at the back of Hunter's head as he embraced the rottweiler, trying desperately to comfort him. "I swear to you everything will be okay. I... I will destroy the monsters that did this... I am going to make them pay." Luther stood up and helped Hunter to his footpaws. The two walked over to Koko, who had just finished up with Elizabeth.

"The lioness will be okay. No doubt she has suffered some mental trauma, but I would imagine your rottweiler friend here helped protect her in that regard."

"Can you help Hunter? Please..."

"Of course I can, Luther. Just leave him with me."

As Luther handed his mate to Koko, another bright light flew past them, this time much faster. Luther looked up at Koko, who was holding Hunter now. "I have to go after them," he said.

"Do you want my help?"

"No," Luther said, holding his nose in the air. "I think I'll be just fine."

"Keep in mind, Luther, you aren't immortal. My powers were given to me by the gods themselves, but yours weren't. As well, you mustn't let your power control you. Do not allow yourself to be consumed by them, because I promise you the results will be dire."

Luther nodded and took one last look at Hunter. He put a paw on his shoulder and looked into his eyes. They still had an empty glaze to them. Luther held his face in his paws and gave his mate a quick kiss. It seemed to perk Hunter up a little, but nothing significant. "You will get better, Hunter... I promise." Luther then backed away and turned toward the mass of flashing lights, further off beyond the town. He took one last look at Hunter then took off towards the lights.

Luther ran with incredible speed, each step thrusting him ten feet forward almost instantly. As he nearly ran into a large ruined building, Luther dug his heels into the ground and leapt high into the air. Floating above the mansion, Luther quickly realized he could make himself fly. Just like moving normal objects with his mind, he could move himself. After staring down at the burning town in awe, floating high above, he looked back at the lights and took off toward them. Within moments he approached the ships, most of which had landed in the cornfield near his house. He touched back down on Earth, in the deep snow. Bare-pawed, he confronted the alien camp. He could sense every one of their minds. They were so confident and proud of what they were doing. They had already destroyed larger nearby cities, and were just killing time until sunrise. Luther growled as he continued toward them. As the snow crunched under his footpaws, the Commune soldiers suddenly looked over at him, surprised.

The soldiers got up, curious what Luther was up to. Without warning, one of them held up a weapon and fired toward the lion.

Luther, seconds before the soldier fired, got a flash in his mind. He held up his paws and somehow blocked the attack. He noticed what seemed like a small charge of lightning flickering in front of his paws, just a few inches away. Luther stared at this curious phenomenon. Just as the Commune soldier attacked again, Luther braced himself and closed his eyes as he felt the force push him back a little, yet deflecting the blast. Again, another jolt of lightning hung in the air momentarily. Suddenly, without warning, a flashing black box landed at Luther's footpaws. He looked down at it, curious, then another flash in his mind. Almost instinctively, Luther thrust his paw downward, his pads facing the beeping device, then threw up his paw, sending a pillar of snow high in the air, carrying the device with it. Moments later, an explosion blew above their heads. Luther ducked and looked back at the explosion, feeling the heat against his fur. Just as he looked back to the Commune soldiers, he was met with a hard knee to his gut, which sent him flying back into a snow drift.

The Commune soldiers laughed.

When Luther came to a stop, buried in snow, he shakily lifted himself up again. He brushed the snow off himself and hobbled back toward the Commune, who had already sat back down. Luther growled and focused on the group. As he walked toward them, the ground started to shake and a drift swirled the loose snow around him. Luther began to feel rage like he had never felt before. Something inside him truly hated these aliens, more so than anything else on the planet. Luther focused this rage around him, sending chunks of earth and snow upward with each step. He bared his teeth, and just as he did the Commune soldiers noticed him.

The Commune, who had gathered more numbers, looked at Luther with confidence.

Luther couldn't sense even a shred of fear. Finally he came to a halt, staring his enemy down, the snow continuing to blow around him. His rage continued to grow.

With a laugh, one of the larger soldiers spoke. "An impressive show, Earthling, but you will need more than that to defeat my army. What we lack in numbers we make up for greatly in skill." This soldier, likely their commander, gestured with his head to a smaller soldier.

The smaller Commune stepped forward, carrying a large jagged blade. He began to swing the blade around impressively as he approached Luther. In a sudden burst, the soldier dashed forward, the sword coming down on Luther's head.

Luther took a step back and leaned his head to the side, the blade swinging right over the side of his muzzle, cutting off a bit of his mane. Luther took another step back and spun to the left, lifting himself a little to avoid another swing. As Luther landed back on his footpaws, he looked back at the soldier. To Luther, each attack was so slow, he could dodge it easily. The lion marveled at his significant increase in speed and agility. Luther clenched his paws into fists and looked the soldier square in the eyes. His rage mounted and the lion burst forward, running just under the moving blade, then dug his elbow deep into the soldiers' gut. Keeping up with his momentum, Luther swung around and kicked the soldier hard in the ribs. Luther could feel the bones shattering from the pressure behind his footpaw's force. As the soldier flew to the side, Luther's momentum faded as he landed gracefully back to earth. He was breathing hard as he looked to his left, feeling satisfied with the destruction he had wrought. Luther again focused on the group. He could sense a bit of fear now, but more than that it was curiosity. They couldn't quite grasp what was going on. Luther grinned wickedly at them. He was beginning to enjoy his new sense of power.

The commander growled and sent three more men to subdue the lion.

Luther walked forward, and before giving the soldiers time to react, he spun and planted a powerful back-kick on the first Commune's jaw, dropping him instantly. Keeping with his flow of energy, Luther spun again, this time digging his elbow deep into the next ones' gut. Luther flinched as the Commune soldier spat up blood, spraying it on his face. He backed off for a moment, trying to wipe the blood away, then turned to his left and held up his paws, blocking an attack. He quickly pulled his paws away and gripped the soldiers' wrists, squeezing hard enough to hear the bones crack, and pulled him close, holding out his footpaw and jamming it into his chest. He felt the ribs snapping in the middle as his footpaw tore through the skin and the bones, blood gushing down his leg. Luther retrieved his leg as the soldier fell. This was so easy for him. Luther began to laugh, somewhat maniacally.

"Earthling!" a voice shouted.

Luther looked over. It was the commander.

"How are you able to fell my soldiers with such ease?"

"I don't think it's me, I think it's them."

"Indeed. Point and case, lion, I would be very interested in your services. I will leave this planet now and never return if you allow me a piece of your power."

Luther shook his head. "Never. My power is not to be shared, especially with monsters like you."

The commander scoffed. "We are not the monsters. You Earthlings squander your planet's precious resources, destroying it slowly. You monsters are not worthy of such a fine world."

"And that is not a decision you can make. As a species, we will learn from our mistakes or suffer the consequences."

The commander stepped forward. "'Suffer the consequences,' indeed, lion. If you do not step down now, I will tear you apart personally then obliterate your pathetic species."

Luther stood his ground.

"Very well," the commander said, taking another step forward. He threw down his weapons. "Be warned, I am not Commander because I am of the same rank and skill of these other soldiers."

"Duly noted," Luther replied. As the commander took another step forward, Luther felt another flash in his mind. He closed his eyes momentarily, focusing. He could read the commander's thoughts: According to the Commune miliary hierarchy, if the Commander of a troupe falls, the rest fall accordingly, as none are stronger than their leader. Luther opened his eyes and glared at the commander, grinning. "Tell me, why risk your entire voyage on fighting me personally?"

The commander stopped. "You tore through my men with ease, and contrary to what you may think of me, I do not wish to see any more harm come to them. Pardon the cliché, but the lives of many greatly out-weigh the life of one."

"How noble of you."

"Indeed, we Commune aren't truly monsters."

Luther scoffed.

"It's all a matter of perspective, lion, and you'll be wise to remember that. If you defeat me today, I can assure you the Commune Empire will hear of it, and they will be intrigued. They will have nothing against you, personally, but in the game of war, power is everything, and if what I've seen so far is any indication, you are power."

A bead of sweat rolled down Luther's face. Suddenly things started to come into perspective. He would be hunted the rest of his life for his powers. Perhaps he had no choice but to follow the Commune commander. Luther's thoughts were suddenly cut short as he felt a sharp pain drill him in the gut, then the cold hard ice tearing at his half-naked body as he skidded across his yard. He stood back up shakily and leaped into the air, dodging the commander's down-kick. As Luther hung in the air for a moment, he forced himself to the left as a blade quickly rushed past his head. He lost concentration and fell to the roof of his house, sliding down the icy slope and onto the concrete. Again he tried to lift himself, but was met with a hard foot, slamming him into the porch, cracking it in half. Luther spewed up blood, turning onto his side, and a tear rolled down his cheek. He looked up at the commander, unable to speak. He was certain at least his ribs were shattered.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a large chunk of ice and frozen earth slammed into the commander, sending him flying.

Luther gasped and looked around hastily, trying to see exactly what had happened. He felt a cold, yet equally warm, paw on his shoulder, brushing through his fur.

"Your injuries are surprisingly minor, Luther, but you rest here for now. I'll take care of the Commune."

"K-Koko?" Luther reached for the husky.

Koko held Luther's paw, stroking it softly. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"Wait... If you can take... take out their commander, then they'll all fall."

"Are you certain? How do you know this?"

Luther grinned through bloody teeth. "I can... read minds."

Koko stood up, looking back down at him, smiling. "I'll take care of the commander then." Koko held out his paw to the right, and from the earth rose a long frozen shaft. As he walked toward the enemy, he artfully spun the earth around, like a staff.

Luther sat up, wincing at the pain in his gut. He looked up at Koko and just watched. He knew he had a lot to learn about his powers. Luther watched as the commander got back to his feet and approached the husky.

"Who are you?" the commander demanded.

"My name is Koko, Elemental and Defender of Earth. You are an unwelcome presence on this planet, and if you do not leave now I will force you to leave. And trust me, my way is not a pretty way."

"You will find, husky, and I am a force to be reckoned with. No suit of armour will be able to protect you from-" The commander was suddenly struck hard by Koko's earthen staff. He hobbled to the right a bit, the rest of his men shifting closer, growling.

Koko grinned. "I'm not much for small talk, Commander."

The commander spat blood and gestured with his head for all his men to attack.

Koko held up his staff and spun it around. As he did, he turned and smashed the end into a soldier, shattering his jaw, sending a large chunk of it flying. Koko spun again and slammed his weapon into the ribs of another, sending that soldier toppling over to the right, knocking over several of his comrades. Koko then thrust the staff backward, jabbing it hard into the next soldiers' gut, then upward into his chin, knocking the large alien back. Koko then swung his staff forward, and with much force, smashed the underside of another soldiers' jaw, felling him instantly. Koko then jumped back to avoid the swing of a Commune blade, then swiftly jumped off a soldier and flew high in the air. As the weapons fire flew up toward him, he was surprised to see the blasts missing, rather, being deflected by something. Koko looked down at Luther.

Watching the husky carefully, Luther was holding up his paw, focusing on his friend, creating a mental shield to block the attacks. He grinned as Koko looked down on him somewhat surprised.

Koko then thrust himself downward, leaping gracefully off a Commune's head and landed in front of the commander. He looked up through focused eyes then slammed his body into the commander's gut, forcing him back. "This is between you and me, Commander. You know very well I can rip your men apart with such ease."

The commander reached behind his back and unsheathed two of his twisted blades. "Very well, husky. I see you are gifted in much the same way your lion friend is, if not more so. You will have your duel, and just like the lion I will take you down." With that, the commander ran forward, swinging his blades.

Koko stepped back to avoid each slice. He then held up his frozen staff to deflect the attacks. He swung it to the left, then parried to the right and jammed the blunt end of his weapon into the commander's side. As the commander staggered, Koko kicked him hard in the lower portion of his quadrupedal body. He then quickly held his staff to the ground, concentrated for just a moment, the lifted the end. With it came a large chunk of the earth. He spun his staff around and slammed it into the ground, which sent the earth hurtling into the commander. Wasting no time at all, Koko spun around, gaining momentum, and threw his staff toward the commander, impaling his lower gut.

The commander let out a terrible cry as he held the staff, staggering backwards and trying to pull it out. He fell to the snowy ground, one hand holding him up, backing desperately away from Koko.

The husky walked calmly forward, staring at the commander with a piercing gaze. As he approached the commander, who was cowering before him, Koko looked down. "Are you ready to admit defeat?"

Blood began to pour from the commander's mouth and nostrils."H-how can an earthling possess such power?"

Koko grinned, baring his teeth. "I am not an Earthling anymore. Centuries ago, I became a god, not of this earth. My powers far surpass anything in this known galaxy. At the very moment I learned of your voyage to Earth, you were doomed. Leave now or I swear, Commander, I will tear you and every one of your men to pieces."

As Luther gazed upon the husky, he sensed an innumerable amount of power and energy flowing from him. Luther began to tremble as Koko spoke those words, frightened of the very fur who had given him a fraction of that power. It was at that moment Luther realized Koko could be as ruthless and malevolent as he was tender and caring, and that contradiction terrified the lion.

"Such a power," the commander went on, "should not be kept just to yourse-"

Koko kicked the commander hard in the face. "I'm not interested."

The commander didn't move, save his slight breathing, as the blood from his face stained the snow a deep crimson.

Koko turned and addressed the other Commune, who had all surrounded the husky. "Your commander has fallen so it would be pointless for you all to stay and fight me. He is still alive, so move quickly. If you are not all gone within the next ten minutes, I will destroy you all."

The Commune, who remained motionless for a moment, snapped into action, dragging their half-dead commander back to their ships. Moments later the ships took off to the skies, their lights dimming and blending into the cosmos.

Luther, now on his footpaws, stumbled back as Koko approached him. He was shivering, but not because of the frigid air.

Koko extended his paw. "Please, Luther, don't be scared of me. I would never let any harm come to you."

"You cursed me!" Luther shouted.

Koko was taken aback. "Excuse me?"

"They know about my power now, and yours. They're going to come back, Koko, until either of us has been captured. You've doomed the planet."

"You are its protector, Luther."

"Well maybe I don't want to be. You're way more powerful than I am, so why don't you just stay here?"

Koko lowered his head. "I no longer believe my destiny lies on this planet."

"But it's your planet. You are its protector. You said so yourself."

"I... I can't explain it, Luther. I feel my destiny lies elsewhere, and I must explore these feelings for my sake."

"Well I can't stop them. You saw it yourself. If you didn't come, that guy would have flattened me."

"Then I must teach you how to use your power. I must help you explore yourself and all you are capable of."

"But... I don't know..."

Koko put a paw on Luther's shoulder, stepping close. "You must understand, Luther, they now have your scent. Their blood is on your paws, and with or without your power, they will come for you. You can either submit to the Commune, either in death or as their slave, or you can choose to enhance your strength and abilities. You have a powerful mind, Luther, and it can only become stronger."

Luther let out a long sigh and fell to his knees, his limbs going limp and feeling resigned to his fate. He felt two warm paws on his shoulders as Koko kneeled in the snow with him.

"Don't worry," Koko said, "I will never let any harm come to you. I will help you to become stronger." After a long moment, Koko picked Luther up and the pair flew back to the ruined town, to where Koko had left Hunter and Elizabeth.

As the two landed, Elizabeth came running after them. She wrapped her arms around Luther tightly, joyful tears streaming down her face. "Thank God you're okay," she cried.

"Thanks," Luther replied. "Where's Hunter?"

He's over there, lying down. Come on. I'll take you to him."

The three walked to a ruined part of the mansion, which still provided at least some shelter. Luther kneeled beside his mate, who was lying on a mattress. A small fire was crackling beside him, keeping the rottweiler warm.

"L-Luther?" Hunter said, opening his eyes slightly.

Luther smiled with a tear, holding Hunter's paw. "Yeah, it's me. How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling alright. I... I don't remember much." Hunter paused momentarily, looking deep in Luther's eyes. "I remember... you. I remember what we did. I remember the feel of your body and your warmth." Hunter put a paw on his belly, rubbing it a little. "I remember... you're inside me."

Luther laughed a little and draped himself over Hunter, squeezing him.

Hunter rubbed his paws along Luther's back. "And I'm... inside you, too."

"That's right, Hunter," Luther said tearfully. "I love you very much."

"And I... love you, too, sweetie."

Luther picked himself up and let his mate rest, turning to Koko. Without saying a word, he conveyed his thoughts to the husky.

Koko put a paw on Luther's shoulder and pulled him aside. He spoke softly. "All of his physical injuries are completely healed, however the mental trauma he suffered is quite extensive. He doesn't remember anything after the Commune attacked, and his memories before tonight seem somewhat erratic. The only sure thing he can remember is apparently the night you two had spent together."

Luther blushed a little. "Isn't there anything you can do for him?"

"His mind will recover over time, given the right circumstances. It could take months, it could take years. That is undeterminable, however he will need your love and support if he is to make a full recovery."

Luther wiped the tears from his eyes and nodded. He took a seat beside Hunter and held him close, feeling Hunter's warm paws again rubbing along his back. As he held Hunter, Luther began to think of the future. More specifically, his future involvement with alien species. Being far from close-minded, Luther knew the Commune would one day return, but other races would likely visit the planet, as well, seeking his power. He knew it was inevitable that they would return, and he had to prepare himself. Held in Hunter's warmth, Luther began to accept his fate as the Earth's protector.

"I'm going to go search for some survivors and see if I can help," Koko said.

Luther nodded as Koko turned and walked away. Elizabeth had decided to go with him. Luther looked back at Hunter.

Hunter was smiling up at Luther, his paw resting on the lion's left leg.

Luther leaned back down, holding Hunter under him, praying for a swift recovery. As his paw wiped across Hunter's brow, he focused on his dark eyes and delved into the rottweiler's mind. He closed his eyes as he began to see inside Hunter's head. He could see many scattered thoughts, most of them nonsensical. He tried desperately to complete Hunter's visions as a barrage of images pommeled his mind. Luther was able to find safe haven in Hunter's memory of that very night, before the Commune attacked. It was a warm place in his mind, clear and unchanging. As Luther focused on Hunter's most readable thought, he felt that same warmth again throughout his entire body. Again he could feel Hunter's strong paws brush through his fur and his mane, and even his large length pushed its furthest into his body. Luther let out a little groan as he dug further into Hunter's mind. He felt himself become quickly erect as his thoughts traveled through that night. Almost shocked at the amount of pleasure he was feeling, Luther kept his paw on Hunter's head, flying gracefully through the canine's carnal memories. Some pre leaked from his throbbing cock as he could almost feel Hunter's lips wrapped tightly around his pink organ. Luther held back his head and moaned as a sharp orgasm pounded his length, spraying his cum into his pants. As his orgasm struck, Luther had instinctively pulled back his paws. Breathing heavily, Luther looked down at Hunter, who was giggling slightly. The sensation lingered in his softening cock.

Hunter brushed his paw over Luther's crotch as he looked up at his mate.

"H-Hunter..." Luther placed a paw on the rottweiler's chest. He then looked down and noticed a familiar wet stain on Hunter's pants. "S-sorry. I guess I went too far."

"That was... amazing," Hunter said. "It... it was like we were back in that room..."

Luther dug a paw down his pants and promptly pulled it out again, some cum hanging off the end of his claw. He held it to Hunter's muzzle. "You want a taste?"

Hunter grabbed Luther's wrist and suckled on his digits, murring a little. "Thank you, sweetie."

Luther smiled. With his paw still partly in Hunter's maw, he looked serious for a moment. "Hunter, do you understand what's wrong with you?"

Hunter looked up at Luther then pulled his paw out, holding it to his chest. He nodded. "Koko explained it to me. He says that's partly why I feel so exhausted. My body and mind have been through a lot, he told me. I think he called it 'post-traumatic stress disorder,' or some such thing. I didn't really understand it."

"Well, it may be a long time until you get your memory back, Hunter. I can never leave your side until you do..."

Hunter laughed. "Do you think I'm complaining?"

"You lost your memory, Hunter. You should be complaining."

"You've got to look on the bright side, hun. I remember you and what we share. You should be happy. We have to spend our lives together."

"I was going to spend my life with you anyway, Hunter. We shouldn't have to spend out lives together."

Hunter was at a loss for words. A tear rolled down his cheek as he looked up into Luther's eyes.

Luther puts his arms around Hunter. "It'll be okay. I'm going to take care of you."

Without another word, the pair embraced, holding each other close. Feeling Hunter's warm fur beneath him, Luther already felt like he was helping. With his new power, he no longer felt safe in Hunter's arms, but instead felt more like the savior. As long as he lived, Luther would never let any more harm come to his mate. Luther started to think about the Commune and the future of the planet. If they did return, he knew he had to be ready. He had to become stronger to defend both the planet and his friends. In Hunter's arms, purring, Luther began to accept his fate and vowed to protect the Earth as long as he had a breath left in his body. This was the beginning of a new chapter in Luther's life, and in lives to come.

Afterwards - A brief 100-year history

In the following months, Luther worked very closely with the Elemental, Koko, training hard to become the defender of Earth. His power grew exponentially in just one year, and when he could grow no more, Koko finally left Earth, taking off to the sky in search of his own destiny. The husky left feeling confident in Luther's abilities to protect the planet, leaving these final words: "Don't ever fear, Luther, because I'll be watching over you. I am still one with this planet, and I promise you I will appear again if you are in great pain or in need of my assistance. I won't let any harm come over you. I promise."

Exactly one year after the Commune attacked the Earth, with no known alien activity since, Hunter's condition worsened. After experiencing horrifying flashbacks on that day, he started having terrible nightmares about the attack night after night, often waking in cold sweats. It wasn't long until Hunter became terribly depressed, attempting several times to take his own life, all of which were averted by his mate. He soon became detached from the world and even from Luther, feeling exhausted and apathetic towards most things.

Luther feared the worst for Hunter, however he was able to find the strength with support from Elizabeth. Over the years Hunter was able to confront his fears from that day and over months showed vast signs of improvement. However, on the fifth anniversary of the Commune attack, upon visiting the ruined town as part of his therapy, Hunter began to show the same symptoms he had five years before.

Despite his power, Luther eventually fell victim to his own emotions. It was extremely hard for him to see Hunter go through so much pain all over again, yet he managed to find solace in Elizabeth's arms. One night, several months after visiting their town, Luther put his mate to bed and the exhausted lion gave in to his carnal desires, having an explicit affair with the lioness Elizabeth.

There wasn't a day that went by where Luther didn't regret his night with Elizabeth. A few months later, after Hunter showed some improvement, Luther explained what had happened with deepest regrets. For some time after, the two never spoke again. Luther then began to show signs of clinical depression and attempted suicide by slitting open his wrists. It was then Luther discovered his fate was more interwoven with the planet than he had imagined. Although he cut deep and spilled copious amounts of blood, his body refused to die.

After that incident, a desperate Elizabeth pleaded with Hunter to forgive Luther, and eventually the two made up. Hunter was able to accept what Luther had done and why he did it. He understood it was partly his fault that Luther was driven to such desperate acts. Putting that behind them, Luther and Hunter were able to continue their deep relationship together.

Come the sixth anniversary of the Commune attack, the two went back to their ruined town, which had become a memorial several years back, and Hunter was able to face his demons. With Luther's undying love and support, Hunter eventually overcame his disorder and his depression and sleeplessness slowly disappeared.

One week after their return to the memorial, Elizabeth came to Luther's door with some alarming news: she was carrying his child. From that one fateful night they had spent together, Luther had planted his seed and was soon to witness the birth of his first and only child.

All throughout her pregnancy, Elizabeth had been urged by her parents to give up the name and location of the mysterious father. She knew only one fur it could have possibly been, and eventually she gave in and was forced to confront Luther. Upon hearing this news, she and Luther promptly married and moved in together, however it was merely for appearance's sake. While Luther cared deeply for the Elizabeth, she knew and accepted his love lay only with Hunter. Several days later, Luther's child was born; a female cub named Alexis.

Although the child put a strain on Luther and Hunter's relationship, Luther played a very active role in his child's life, supporting both his wife and Alexis. The following years were very difficult for the lions, however Elizabeth's parents made things significantly easier. Although they were extremely disappointed in their child, they felt they were left with no choice but to extend their wealthy paw to the new couple.

Hunter, surprised by all this, remained with Luther, and the two managed to maintain their close relationship. Despite society's strict and judgmental views, Hunter, too, played an active roll in Alexis' upbringing.

Many years after the birth of Luther's child, the Commune finally returned, this time with a full army. Luther managed to defend himself and the planet, however he had received a sound beating. After a quick recovery, people began to notice something wasn't quite right about Luther, as no one should have been able to have survived such a bloody mess, let alone be able to defend against an entire army of technologically advanced beings. Rumours began to spread quickly, however as quickly as they had started they were dismissed as complete nonsense; no one could possess such amazing power. Luther had society's close-mindedness to thank.

Within the next ten years, Luther's battles were mainly with single or small groups of bounty hunters, as they were able to slip under the radar much easier than an entire armada. Luther fought them away from prying eyes and disposed of them quickly, usually burring them under several metres of earth or throwing them back into space. As well as that, Luther also discovered that his daughter, too, possessed his same power. He worked closely with his Alexis to train and hone her abilities, as well as the dangers that came with it. He urged her explicitly to keep them as secret as possible.

Alexis eventually moved out in search of her own destiny at the age of twenty five, and ten years later celebrated the birth of her first and only child, Luther's grandson, Aaron.

Aaron, too, exhibited the same power as his mother and grandfather. He learned quickly to use his power and when he was strong enough, fought along side his grandfather. At the age of twenty-eight, Aaron witnessed the birth of his daughter, Helena. She, too, had his powers.

Learning quite quickly about her power, mastering them at a young age, Helena used her incredible abilities to help with common disasters, but while still maintaining secrecy. At the age of seventeen, Helena gave birth to her first son, Luther's great-great-grandson, Alexei. Finding it extremely difficult to support her son, she gave Alexei up for adoption to an older lion couple. Helena fell into a deep depression after giving up her son, but she knew it was the only way. It was the support of her loving mate which kept her going.

At the age of ten, the Commune attacked again with nearly half a full army, demolishing Alexei's small village. He managed to defend himself and defeat their Commander, Graves, but was left alone. Alexei lived a rather unfortunate life, always running from hunters and with no one to care for him. It was ten years after that where he met his mate, Kaelin, and he was once again able to feel happiness.

Ten years after Alexei's birth, Helena gave birth to her second son, Xavier, who grew up a very curious child. He, too, showed signs of his great-great-grandfather's power, learning quickly to use them. He eventually left the planet in search of his long-lost brother, Alexei.

Luther's powerful legacy, given to him by an ancient Elemental, lives on through his children and his grandchildren. The Earth, now in a time of peace, has its new protectors and will always until the day the Elemental returns to his planet. But until that day, Luther's power will remain with the planet, protecting it from evil and from those who wish it harm.