Feral Hearts - Chapter 2

Story by kaleemmcintyre on SoFurry

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Young Byron has grown up into a paladin, a holy warrior of the church of the land, and now has to deal with his homosexual relationship with his lover, Kurtis, his protective nature towards the reviled wolfmen known as the luphanos, and the hostile feelings of his own people towards him and his decisions. And that's on top of a looming threat of a fiendish hellion growing around him.

Chapter 1 -> https://www.sofurry.com/view/1525132


“Alexander, stay!" Byron shouted at the glowing white shepherd standing next to his side.

His faithful hound was almost frothing at the mouth as he looked at his injured master and the two fools that he stood between. Thankfully the massive canine was well trained and so didn't take a step forward to assist the raven haired paladin, yet.

Once he was certain that his canine companion wouldn't try and intervene to 'save' him the paladin returned his focus to the kerfuffle at hand. “This will stop." Byron growled as he continued to block the soldier's blade with his own, all the while an injured luphanos bit deeply into his shoulder making torrents of blood ooze out from the wound.

“That animal is gnawing on your flesh, Sir Byron!" the younger soldier shouted in disbelief as he looked at consecrated member of the king's army as though he had completely missed that fact.

“I am well aware of this." the black haired man grunted as he felt the fangs of the quite feral bipedal wolf chew deeper into his skin, upon feeling a touch of fangs press down into his bones the green eyed man winced in unrepressed pain. “However," Byron said through clenched teeth. “you will not kill him."

“But sir…!!" the soldier attempted to say but a glare from the older knight made his resolve wane quickly.

“But nothing, soldier." Byron said in a tone which was as cold as ice. “Now at ease."

The soldier grunted as he looked between Byron, the luphanos, and the still glowing shepherd which was angrily glaring at him. Seeing that he was clearly outmatched, not to mention outranked, the soldier pulled his sword away from the paladin and then carefully returned it within the sheath at his side. He then gave a salute to the holy church's finer warriors before backing up slightly.

“Thank you." Byron nodded. He then turned to look at the other pain in his neck. “Now as for you," the black haired man slowly eased his blade back into its holder and then reached out to stroke the snarling wolf across the muzzle. “Stop it." he said in the luphanos' tongue.

The grey furred wolfman let out a surprised woof at hearing the words of his people spoken by the human. Amber eyes looked up into Byron' face, suspicion and anger were clearly set within the bipedal lupine's mind, however in seeing the black haired knight smile back at him he ever so slowly removed his teeth from the human's bloodsoaked shoulder.

Byron let out a relieved sigh a second later.

“How?" the beastman tried to say, though it was hard to gather his thoughts after such a blood rage had overtaken him.

“I learned your ways from...a friend." Byron chose to speak in the common tongue as he was well aware that the soldier behind him was probably looking mystified at the scene in question, after all, not many men could speak the language of the luphanos.

He then hissed as his arm began to throb slightly.

'I hurt you.' the bipedal lupine whimpered and then lowered his pointed ears in shame.

“I'll be alright." Byron chuckled as he watched the luphanos walk up to him and then sniff at the human's bare shoulder.

When the gray wolfman saw faint golden light shimmering from the wounds the luphanos whimpered and then looked up at the human in utter confusion. Instead of answering the obvious question Byron merely raised a finger up to his lips. Understanding the obvious gesture the bipedal lupine nodded in response, however, he still felt bad for harming the human and so rolled its tongue out over the wounded flesh in order to help the paladin's tanned flesh heal.

The paladin gasped when he felt the gray wolfman's warm wet tongue slowly lick over his injury, the unfamiliar luphanos seemed to take his gasp of surprise in stride though as he lapped at the bleeding wound that he had been responsible for. However, when the soldier behind them let out a noise of surprise the bipedal lupine turned his head to look at the other human, he then snarled and narrowed his eyes as the other took a step forward. Before the beastman could think to try and do anything foolish Alexander barked at the soldier.

A second bark made the soldier jump slightly, the white shepherd picked himself up from where he had sat down and then stood in between his master and the somewhat twitchy human. Black canine eyes narrowed as the canine's body began to glow with the holy light of the gods once again.

“S-sir Byron…" the soldier began to speak but the black haired man silenced him with his next statement.

“I understand that this is all rather confusing to you, but you'll have to trust that I am in full control over this situation." the paladin finished while giving the soldier his most disarming smile.

“Are you sure, sir?" the soldier asked as he looked at the gray wolfman sniffing over the almost completely healed wound he had made.

“Yes." Byron chuckled as he reached out to stroke the luphanos over the back of the head. When the muscular creature began huffing into his face the paladin couldn't help but laugh out loud, he quickly reigned in his amusement as he remembered the surreality of the current situation. “Now please, return to the city. I'll handle this situation from this point on."

The soldier looked between the higher ranking human and the wolf beast in front of him, he glared daggers at the luphanos when the other's tail began to wag, however he thankfully went off about his way after giving a salute to the paladin.

'He's more than likely going to tell someone at the church about this little altercation.' Byron thought with a sigh.

The paladin just knew that he was going to hear about this later on from the head priest, but at the moment it was really hard for him to care about his future tongue lashing. After all, he had two furry friends who needed his reassurance that everything was going to be alright now. “Thanks, Alexander." the white shepherd puffed out his chest rather proudly as it looked up at his human.

The holy canine hadn't been thrilled to see his master's mate get in between the fighting pair, however he felt a sense of pride that the alpha male settled the conflict without taking a life. When the luphanos moved to lick his human across the face the white shepherd felt somewhat annoyed as he looked up to the older pup. A sharp bark made the gray wolfman freeze and then gaze down at him. A low growl got the pup to whimper and then curl in on itself, its tail curled down in between his legs as the more dominant canine let him know that he was getting too affectionate with Byron.

The paladin chuckled at this.

“You don't have to be jealous." the black haired man stated as he knelt down to rub his hand across his furry companion's head. Those words got a happy whine out of Alexander. “And now, as for you," the paladin lifted himself up to look at the still cowering luphanos. “What are you doing so close to such a large human town?" Byron said in the bipedal lupine's tongue; he knew that the luphanos wouldn't understand what capital meant, as the language of the beastmen was simplistic at best, and so decided to go with a simpler term.

“Others are sick with black fever." the black haired man was instantly on alert. “Healer using herbs and roots to heal but says we need human light power to heal them," The luphanos then began to growl as he recalled something rather unpleasant. “But humans attack when I come near to ask for help!" the gray wolfman growled.

Byron winced when he heard this.

Time and again since he had graduated to the rank of knight Byron had seen just how intolerant his kind could be, especially when faced with creatures as queer as the luphanos, and while he tried to bring out the virtuous nature that he knew was deep inside of his people, Byron often found himself falling into conflict with some knights after trying to get them to see the good in those creatures that weren't human.

Byron put these thoughts into the back of his head so that he could focus on the problem in front of him. “Black fever?" the paladin asked.

“Sickness which makes blood run black and fur turn dark."

Byron's eyes shot up at that.

Hellion poison.

The raven haired man knew this kind of ailment all too well as he had been stricken with it a few days after having been covered in the blood of a hellion he had killed some ten years ago. The feeling of his blood running cold and his skin peeling off to reveal jet black scales had been one that Byron never wanted to experience again. Thankfully Kurtis had been able to cure him, and several other people who had been inflicted with the disease, once the symptoms had started to manifest. It was just sad that the blonde haired teen had to do so after being told that the paladin for which the young priest-in-training had traveled with had been slain by the fiend who she had been sent to kill.

Shaking his head free of the unpleasant memories Byron returned his focus to the conversation at hand. “I understand." the paladin stated calmly. “I'll bring my packmate here tomorrow to help your people." That got a happy bark followed by a short nod from the towering gray wolfman.

Byron let out of a huff as he was quickly slathered in warm licks. Before he could say anything though the luphanos turned and then ran back into the depths of the forest, the bloody injuries the bipedal lupine had sustained from being sliced into by the soldier's sword were quickly forgotten as most of them had healed after ingesting the paladin's holy blood. Not that the luphanos had paid any attention to this.

“Come on, Alexander," Byron turned to look at his guardian hound. “let's go back and speak with Kurtis." the white shepherd gave two strong barks and then rose to follow his master's mate back to the main road.

As Byron walked towards the well worn path he found himself sighing as he looked up at the midday sky above him, his thoughts soon turned back in time as he recalled the events that had led him to where he was now.

Ten years ago he found himself fighting against a number of lesser devils in an effort to save the people of the southern territory after their main town was being attacked by the creatures of the netherrealm. Back then Byron had been so unskilled in combat that he had sustained more than a few injures in the defense of the common folk, however his quick mind and budding leadership skills had saved numerous lives, though despite all of his intelligence he was in no way prepared for what happened a day later. Sir Robert, his knight and master, had returned to him, but not as the man he had been but as a corpse which had been wrapped in cloth by the knights who had marched with him into the fire soaked southern territory castle.

There had been a fiend waiting for them within the castle, the ancient creature had wanted to destroy the center of Lord Joseph's power in order to weaken the entire kingdom of Escabar, however it had underestimated just how resilient human the will could be and so had found itself desperately fighting back against wave after wave of knights looking to defeat it.

From what Byron had heard the fiend had summoned dozens of lesser devils to help it in battle, however all of the creatures had fallen when the Lady Violet had walked her way into the heart of the throne room where the upper class hellion had been seated. The blonde haired paladin had been prepared to face the high ranked hellion, as proven by how swiftly she had dispatched the fiend, and yet she found herself quickly outmatched when the corpse of the dead beast rose up to reveal a much more hideous form, its previous figure having been nothing more than a disguise its true self. The blond haired woman had been severely wounded during the second fight but thankfully Sir Robert, and the knights that had survived storming into the castle with him, banded together to mortally wound the fiend. In seeing that it wouldn't be able to secure a victory for itself the creature had decided to make sure that the humans wouldn't survive the battle as it shoved its claws deep within its body and then used some kind of accursed spell which had ignited its blood.

Byron remembered hearing a thunderous booming sound from where he and the other knights had set up camp, however he would have never thought that the sound had come from the southern castle being ripped apart by an explosive blast of fire.

It was thanks to Lady Violet erecting a sacred barrier right before the hellion could finish his spell that some of the knights were able to survive, however, because she and Sir Robert had been so close to the creature they were almost completely burned to ash by the heat and force of the explosion. The surviving knights who were able to pull themselves out from the ruins of the castle had dug out their fallen comrades and the two higher ranking knights before returning with Byron and those who had been left behind. Byron had been so shocked to learn of his master's death that he had broken down in tears once the realization that the man he had come to idolize was no longer a part of this world. Sadly he had little time to mourn as Sir Robert's last order to him had left the surrounding knights looking to him for guidance during this situation. So, after choking back his anger, sadness, and despair, Byron had ordered three knights to ride to the other three territories and inform the ruling lords of what had happened while he marched the survivors back to Lord Karsdal. Upon returning to his lord's castle Byron presented Kurtis to the older man and then gave his report. Minutes into retelling the tale of what had happened Kurtis coughed up black bile and then passed out in front of the older man.

The last thing the black haired squire had felt was a deep cold creeping into his heart and a strange sting within his arms and legs as if he were being bitten by numerous serpents. It was only later that he learned he had contracted hellion poison from having the lesser devil's blood splash across his face. Thankfully Kurtis had stayed by his side all the while he had been sick cementing a friendship between them, though that newly created friendship had been somewhat strained by the news which came down from the capital several days after Lord Karlsdal had sent his report to the king.

Since Lady Violet had been slain Kurtis had been asked to return to the capital by the high priest, the holy order had wanted to know every detail for which had led up to the loss of the paladin's life. Since the order had come from the church Lord Karlsdal had no choice but to send the young man off, however, not wanting to let the younger man go so soon Byron had asked to go with the other in order to ensure his safety. Lord Karlsdal, being the observant man that he was, had allowed him to escort the youth back home. Thankfully the older man had given Byron the time needed to regain his strength, and thus draw himself both emotionally and physically closer to Kurtis, as both he and the young priest-in-training, not to mention the blonde's white shepherd puppy, had spent their days together in the young squire's room as Byron continued to regain his strength. A few days after he was well enough to walk Byron found himself being made Lord Karlsdal's temporary vassal. The confused squire was told by Lord Karlsdal that he was going to the capital with several written messages to deliver to the king along with delivering Kurtis to the high priest within the church.

To say the least Byron found himself trembling all the while he and Kurtis rode together.

Yet it was during this journey that the young blonde had moved their budding friendship up past the point of polite cohorts to the level of lovers, though it hadn't exactly been by choice.

Along the way to the capital the pair had been accosted by more lesser devils and a number of bandits. Thankfully Byron was able to defeat them all with his swordplay, however after being injured and healed time and again by the young priest Kurtis found himself openly stating words to the black haired squire for which Byron couldn't help but reciprocate. Two days before getting to the capital the pair had made love to each other underneath the stars with Byron filling the younger boy's body with his hard cock. Byron admitted that the tight feel of the smaller boy's body had been one that he had been quite surprised by, however in thrusting himself deep into the other he had found himself growing to love the sensation of the young priest-in-training's warm body, not to mention the subtle gasps and moan the other released everytime their hips smacked together.

They both laughed afterwards since they both admitted how clumsy their attempts to satisfy the growing need which was blossoming for each other had been, as neither had any oil with them and so Byron had charitably raised Kurtis' legs up into the air and then spread the other's pucker open with his tongue before slipping his aching shaft into the other, and yet in the end they forged a bond between the two of them that would never be broken, despite life's attempts to challenge their affections for one another.

Once at the capital Kurtis had been immediately swept up by the older men of the church for questioning while Byron had sought to gain an audience with the king. The black haired teen didn't like to admit it now but back then he had been terrified of going to speak with his majesty, after all, just a lowly squire, and so he felt that he didn't have any right to speak to a man of such importance. And yet in stepping into the throne room and seeing the regal brown haired man seated with a crown upon his head Byron remembered that he was there as a vassal of Lord Karlsdal, and so, sticking out his chest proudly, he had delivered the messages for which he had been given by his lord.

Thankfully the king was a patient individual who had listened to his harrowing retelling of the events which had taken place all the way through to the end. Being given a measure of praise by the master of the kingdom had filled Byron with a sense of self-appreciation, the likes of which had made him feel as though he could walk on air once he left the older man's presence.

That was until he learned that he would have to leave Kurtis behind.

The blonde haired boy had been kept from seeing him by the older priests, as they had said that he was going to be taken through intense priestly training due to having survived a hellion attack. Byron, not being a knight, had no right to ask to speak to the other boy, though he had asked to be allowed to send him a letter from time to time. This was permitted by the high priest and so, with a heavy heart, the black haired squire had left the capital to return to Lord Karlsdal. Upon doing so Byron was made to train to take over Sir Robert's position as one of the lord's head knights, something for which the black haired teen didn't look back on with any fondness. While Byron knew well enough that being a knight was not a simplistic duty to fulfill, he never would have thought that the workload was as arduous as what he had gone through; every morning had been filled rigorous training with men who would soon be following his every command, while his afternoons were spent learning military tactics and house politics from both heavily bound books and various figures of influence who roamed the city. His evenings failed to bring him any respite as Byron sometimes had to physically pull himself away from the books he had been forced to study, less he not get any sleep.

Thankfully somewhere in between all of this he had been able to retain his sanity by sending letters to Kurtis, the blonde haired boy shared with him his own frustrations as he too was being made to train just as hard, though not in the same manner. Though he couldn't exactly tell Byron what his training entailed the stories of his communing with the gods and learning sacred spells from the other priests had made the black haired teen feel quite sorry for his friend/lover. More than once Kurtis had sent him a letter quietly hinting to the fact that he had done or seen something for which had left him questioning his faith. One particular tale Kurtis went in length about how the church had ordered the excommunication of one of their own, the details of the process were as such that Byron found himself closing his friend's letter in disgust after having only read halfway into the document. Despite this though Byron would always write Kurtis back with whatever inspirational words that he could think of at the time, it was in doing this that the black haired teenager kept the fire of their friendship burning brightly between them.

Several years later Byron found himself being knighted by the dying Lord Karlsdal, the older man's time in the world had already been stretched rather thin, as could be seen by how sunken in his face was, and with sadness the black haired man was forced to say goodbye to the only other person who had ever been like a father to him. That the new lord of the castle, sent down by order of the king, was a less tolerant man than Lord Karlsdal only served to make the years to come much more laborious for Byron.

Born of noble birth, Lord Faris was a hard man who made everyone around him rather uncomfortable. While not exactly as pompous or arrogant as some of his rank could be the older man seemed to go out of his way to make life tough for those around him.

First, he had removed many of the 'niceties' for which the former lord had put into place in order to make the castle comfortable for everyone who lived within it. Second, he had asked that many of the maids to leave the castle, this had quickly put him at odds with the head maid. She herself was eventually dismissed and so left in a huff with her daughter Natalie for the north. Thinking back on it Byron found himself still slightly missing the girl, as even though he had no 'interest' in her, she was still a friend whom he had had so much fun teasing during his younger years. The next thing Lord Faris had done was reduce the number of soldiers which would gain the status of knighthood, his thoughts at the time had been that only those of explimpary status should be knighted; Lord Karlsdal had been much more lenient with his judgement with regards to which man should wear such a prestigious title and so he had more knights than any other lord within the kingdom, something for which had made him quite popular with the common folk. The last thing the new lord had done was to make a decree that all non-humans were to be killed without question if they found.

This had brought up a serious problem for Byron, as a year into becoming a knight had come across several luphanos while traveling across the various territories within the region. One wolfman in particular, whose name was Howling Black Moon, had taken a shine to the young knight and so had taught him the tongue of his people so that they could better understand one another. The luphanos, who had fur as black as night and eyes of brilliant red, had taught Byron many more things as their relationship with each other grew, from how to track prey, to how to wrestle with an opponent, to how to enjoy the company of other men while striped bare. That was one lesson in particular that the young knight had been somewhat fearful of undertaking, as he didn't know what Kurtis would think over such a thing, however in sending a letter to ask the other for permission to undertake such a study, at Howling Black Moon's behest, Byron found that his blonde haired lover was okay with him learning how to pleasure another male. The young priest's reasoning had been that he should learn as much as he could for when they finally reunited with one another, something for which had made Byron a more than eager student for the luphanos.

The feeling of the older and stronger male and then inside of him had been something that the young knight had been very surprised to enjoy. Howling Black Moon had told him that while he would make a good alpha male for his mate that it didn't make him any less of a leader for enjoying raising his tail for another male.

“You humans make such a fuss over the simplest of things." the black furred wolfman had chuckled while slapping his massive knot against Byron's worn pucker. “Pleasure is pleasure, and it should be shared with those that you both respect and risk your life with." This was a truth that all luphanos lived by, as seen by how, when taking Byron to a small clearing one evening during a harvest moon, Howling Black Moon had shown the young knight this truth by lifting his own rump and having several other nomadic luphanos breed him long and hard.

Byron had been asked to join in, with two other luphanos offering to let him bury himself deep within their rumps, however because he didn't know how Kurtis would feel about him being in an orgy he politely declined. The others respected his reasoning and so moved on to share themselves with much more willing participants. The evening ended with all of the wolfmen howling to the full moon just as they finished releasing their lusts inside of one another. Howling Black Moon had been a mess of male seed and meat by the time morning came, and so Byron had to drag the massive mountain of muscle to a nearby river to clean him. Both had laughed about this, as that simple moment had been one to reveal how so alike their kind was, despite the extra fur and long claws the other had.

Sadly after Lord Faris new law was put into play a group of mercenaries began sniffing about the area where he normally met with his furry friend. Knowing better than to stay around where he wasn't wanted, the black luphanos decided that it would be best to move on, less he was caught and skinned alive. So after a night of fantastic intimacy shared between them, Byron said goodbye to his second lover after giving the other a tense hug and a watery smile.

Life went on after that as Byron found himself whipping Lord Faris' soldiers into shape so that they could fight against the hellions which had been seen skulking about the region once again. Yet all the while he performed his duties the young knight began growing more and more dissatisfied with the way his lord was running the country. Byron finally decided that he had enough of dealing with the man after the other had rewarded a group of mercenaries for bringing him the heads of several luphanos who had accidentally wandered too close to a human settlement. The sight of the others decapitated heads made Byron send a letter to Kurtis asking him for help with becoming a paladin. The young priest was somewhat confused over the request, as Byron had never before asked for such a thing, however, after getting the full story from his lover Kurtis was more than happy to help his friend out.

It took six months of back and forth messaging to put everything into place, but finally things moved into perfect position for Byron when the black haired knight went to the capital to interviewed and then tested by various priests for the position of paladin. Byron found himself being baptized by the high priests and then set before the king a month after successfully pleasing the golden gods with his piety.

The older man gave a long winded speech with regard to him becoming of such a prestigious order, and while Byron felt slightly bad that he had gotten such a position for such petty reasons he was more than ready to stand for what it meant to be a paladin.

At least until he started hearing the voices in his head.

'Whispers of the gods', the other paladins told him after coming to see them a week into hearing the voiceless murmurs.

These were how the paladins were able to understand the will of the gods, and enact themselves upon the world. It didn't help matters at all that there was some minor level of politics being played out between the church, the paladins, and the king himself, however Byron quickly realized that most of this meant nothing to him as he followed the supposed will of the gods when making his decisions, though he sometimes found himself clashing with said thoughts when his personal morals butted heads with the happenings within the world. More than once Byron stood up for someone who was breaking the law because of something he had felt deep inside of himself, and though this had caused him to be lectured time and again by the priests, and specifically the high priest, Byron refused to back down from doing what he thought was right in that given situation. This led to him becoming something of a black sheep amongst his fellow paladins, as the common folk would often come to him to ask for help with problems that others felt were beneath their concerns.

Thankfully Byron was smart enough to sidestep possibly agitating those within his order, and the church itself, by going off on long missions around the countryside with Kurtis in tow. That the two men were madly in love with each other was no secret to anyone with eyes, however the pair were smart enough to keep their public affections with one another a secret, as the laws against male debauchery had become somewhat tighter in the years following the hellion attack on the southern territories. This made getting out of the capital something of a joy for both men as it would allow the two of them to go and help those in need, while also giving them a chance to fill each other with their love, sometimes quite literally. More than once did Byron find himself filling Kurtis' rump with his cock and seed, the lessons he had learned from Howling Black Moon had made it so that the blonde haired priest was left howling in relief as he found his butt being pumped by his more muscular lover's hips.

That Alexander played watchdog for them while they mated with each other was something that both Byron and Kurtis were extremely grateful for, as it was so easy for someone to sneak up on them while the black haired paladin clamped his teeth around Kurtis neck as he filled him over and over again with strings of his sticky cum.

Sadly not every outing could be so pleasurable, as while out on a long horseback ride through the countryside Byron and Kurtis found themselves coming across a broken carriage splattered with blood and gore. The black haired paladin dismounted his steed and went over to see if there was anything left he could save while telling his lover to be ready to make haste away to safety should the area prove to be an elaborate trap.

His concerns proved to be true, as when making his way around the area several lesser devils had literally pulled themselves out from the shadows in order to assault him. Byron would have died from the encounter had Alexander not jumped onto one of the beast's backs and then began biting into it hard enough to make it roar out in pain. The shout had caused the others to turn to see what was going on, thereby giving Bryon enough time to draw out his sword and then cleave one of the creatures in half. With one of their own now dead the rest of the hellions not being attacked by the white shepherd charged at the paladin. His intense training with those within his order gave the black haired man all of the leverage he needed to skillfully slay the beasts one after another, that he also had the power of the gods to protect him meant that the few wounds he did receive were quickly healed by their endless power. Sadly Alexander didn't have such an ability and so when he had been thrown into a nearby tree Byron found himself gasping in horror at the sound of a spine shattering crack filling his ears. Rage filled the paladin's green eyes and he swiftly dispatched the lesser devil that had harmed his companion.

Kurtis, who had hidden close enough to the battlefield to keep sight of everything, had quickly went over to his canine companion and then began healing him with the spells he had learned. Luckily enough for Alexander the priest was able to heal his spine before death could claim him. The hound had licked his master across the face several times over after the pain radiating through his body abadted, and soon enough the three of them were making their way back to the capital to give their report to the high priest. However, after telling the head of the church the news in question Byron and Kurtis had done something for which had branded them as scoundrels by everyone within the holy order.

The two of them had baptized the canine.

To say the least the priests within the church had not been thrilled to hear about this. The high priest himself had come down upon Kurtis like thunder for his actions, however Byron had argued on his behalf, asking why shouldn't someone so faithful be anointed by the gods? After all, there were no rules within the holy texts to say that such that a dog couldn't be anointed, and if the gods themselves did not disapprove over such a thing then there was no problem with what they had done. This had quickly silenced the high priest, but had also opened the door to new rules being created which would not allow for such a happening to occur ever again. This simple act had also showed both Kurtis and Byron how intolerant people within the church could be, it didn't help that many of the other paladins had made comments about Alexander which were very unflattering, to say the least. And while none of them attempted to do anything outrageous it became harder and harder to tolerate the lot of them as the months rolled by.

Soon enough Byron and Alexander found themselves sleeping in the local tavern in order to avoid the other paladins, something that was deeply frowned upon but ultimately ignored as he was still one of the best warriors for the church.

“You know, at a certain point, I think you enjoy pissing them off, don't you?" Kurtis asked as he leaned into his lover.

Byron, who had just arrived back at the capital, had quickly gone to grab the blonde haired priest, and now the two of them were happily resting inside of the black haired paladin's room at the local inn.

“Of course not." the green eyed man smiled down at the younger priest. “I can't help it if they're all too stuck up to appreciate holding their values across ALL creatures of this world."

“Yes, but this is probably going to have some serious consequences in the future." Kurtis snickered as he looked to see Alexander coming over to wag his tail at him.

“Are you saying that you don't want to help?" Byron asked in mock horror, he quickly received an elbow to the ribs for his troubles.

“Of course I want to help." Kurtis chirped. “I just hope that the high priest won't yell at us too much once he hears about this." The blonde haired man stroked his hand across his faithful shepherd's head getting a happy series of whines from the other.

“Oh you know he will, but at the same time, this is the best course of action for everyone, as a group of luphanos being this close to the capital won't be good for anyone." While the king had not made any policy directly calling for the death of any nonhumans the older man also didn't advocate not killing the creatures, and so more than a few soldiers were happy to take out their personal frustrations on the wolfmen, if they could catch one of them alone.

“True enough." Kurtis chuckled as he looked around the room. Once he was sure that they were alone, and that the door was locked, he leaned forward to press his lips tightly onto his lover's.

Byron didn't resist, he instead opened his mouth and then began running his tongue along the younger man's own wet organ. Reaching out to caress his lover's back and the black haired paladin brought the smaller priest closer into his body and then slowly peeled the other out of his white robes. Seeing that his master and his master's mate were were about to dance naked together Alexander padded over to the door and then sat down in front of it.

“Should we be going all the way right now?" Kurtis asked after pulling himself back from sharing his breath with his larger lover.

“You ask that after teasing me?" Byron growled playfully.

“I just wanted to have a taste of you," Kurtis blushed, being a priest meant that he often found himself becoming greatly embarrassed by his own desires, as he was supposed to be practicing a vow of chastity. “Besides, shouldn't we be going to see this gray luphanos?"

“I told him that I'd return to the area where we met today tomorrow, so there's no reason to go out right now," Byron said as he stood up and then undid the ties around his leggings. When the cotton material dropped to the floor revealed his twitching manhood Kurtis found himself panting in excitement like a dog. “Unless of course, you're not interested in sating the need growing in between my…" was about as far as the black haired paladin got before the younger man leaned his head forward and then swallowed him down to the root.

It took everything in Byron not to howl as he felt his lover's soft, wet throat encircle his slowly leaking shaft.