The Hands That Lead

"Listen here, humie. I don't do slow and careful. I'm rough and hard. Got it?"

John sighed — but only on the inside. The wolf in front of him was putting on a show. Admittedly, it was a good one, fitting for his large frame and toned build. Anthros tended to be that way—bigger, more... pronounced. Especially stallions or elephants, and especially in certain areas. That, John suspected, was part of what made them so alluring to humans.

It was becoming a real problem, too. Population projections painted a grim picture — human numbers were in rapid decline. Seeing a human on the street was already rare. Soon, they’d be nothing more than myths, stories told to children.

_Humans: an endangered species. Who would've thought?_

Drama and tensions were rising over it, but John wasn't caught up in all that. His priorities were right in front of him — in the form of a large, handsome wolf. His fur was a sleek gray, with accents of black running down his spine and lighter, almost white patches framing his face. And then there were those amber eyes — sharp, confident, promising both thrill and a good time.

By comparison, John was almost boring. Your run-of-the-mill human—slightly taller than average, slightly more toned than average. But that was about it. He was still dwarfed by the towering wolf. Not that he minded. Not in the slightest.

What did get on his nerves, though, was the act. Wolves always did this — it was practically in their nature. Sure, modern society (especially with human influence) had made such posturing a no-go in business and public life, but the moment things got a little more… private, a little more... intimate? That was another story entirely.

And Lorin — yeah, that was his name — was putting on one hell of a show. Big, strong alpha wolf. Dangerous and tough. Yada, yada, yada.

_Boring._

This wasn’t John’s first rodeo. Far from it. But he went along with it. Challenging "alpha" wolves in public over their warped idea of dominance always led to drama, and bruised egos weren’t worth the trouble. Honestly, John didn’t care either way — he enjoyed being on top just as much as he did being underneath. But the act? That, he could do without.

So, he decided to play along, hoping it would be the quickest way out of this bar and into a far more... comfortable setting.

He took a step closer, extending a tentative hand — just enough tremble in his fingers to sell the role — before placing it lightly against Lorin’s chest. Tilting his head ever so slightly, he looked up at the wolf and asked, voice laced with just the right amount of sheepishness:

"And what if I want that, big boy?"

Smooth sailing from there.

John knew half the anthros in that bar were watching, burning with envy. A human was a rare prize, an exotic catch. And Lorin? He either thought himself incredibly lucky or saw this as confirmation of his so-called "alpha" status. Either way, John knew one thing for sure — Lorin wouldn’t let an opportunity like this pass him by.

---

There were other perks to being an "exotic beast" — otherwise known as a human. Preferential treatment, better pay, government bonuses for "endangered species support," and all that. Was it fair? No. Was it necessary? Probably not. Did John complain? Not one bit.

He wasn’t rich by any means, but he was comfortable — enough to quit a job on the spot without worrying about the consequences. And that was plenty. He’d settled into a nice house in the suburbs, nothing extravagant, just a cozy place he could call home with pride.

Lorin pulled into the driveway and gave a grunt of approval. "Nice place.", he shut off the car and stepped out.

John, too tipsy to drive, let Lorin take the wheel — not that the wolf would’ve let him anyway. A "strong alpha" provides and takes care of his underlings, or something like that.

_Whatever._

John grunted as he worked his way out of the car, swaying just a little as he crossed the lawn toward the front door. Lorin was right behind him, hovering like he thought John might topple over at any second.

The door opened easily, but Lorin was there in an instant, stopping him with a firm grip.

"Last chance, puppy. I'm not gonna go easy on you."

_Cheesy_, John thought. _Almost cringe._

He giggled, just tipsy enough to sell the act, tilting his head in mock innocence. "Try me, big boy. I bet you’re not even half the wolf I can handle."

It was a challenge — but just a small one. Enough to push Lorin forward. Enough to let him think he was in control.

The big bad wolf didn’t even realize he was the one being led on a leash.

The wolf couldn’t let that challenge slide. Of course not.

John barely had time to react before he was lifted clean off the ground, slung over Lorin’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes. The wolf inhaled deeply, his snout pressing against John's side as he made his way up the stairs, straight to the master bedroom. Wolf senses were something else—something to be cherished, something to abuse the hell out of. John had plans for that later.

With a toss and another giggle, he landed in the sheets.

"Strip. Or I’ll shred your clothes, pup", Lorin growled, already pulling down his own pants.

John didn’t hesitate. He had already played along with the whole act — no way in hell was he wasting any more time before getting to the good parts.

"Good boy", Lorin rumbled, his eyes raking over John’s smooth, bare body as he crawled onto the bed. The hot predator cornering his prey, moving in for the kill.

John, in turn, took in the sight before him. He had already seen that Lorin was toned back at the bar, but up close, he was quite the sight — broad, powerful, and well-equipped in all the right places.

And John was more than ready to put that to the test.

Lorin’s tongue extended downward, gliding across John’s shin before wandering upward, tracing a slow, deliberate path along his thigh. A shiver ran through John — equal parts anticipation and arousal.

The wolf was savoring his prey, tasting him before moving toward his goal. His tongue halted just shy of John’s aching need, his hot breath washing over sensitive skin, making him tremble.

"My, my", Lorin rumbled, voice thick with amusement. "Quite well-endowed for a puppy. And that scent — mmm... You certainly know how to please your alpha."

He resumed his slow exploration, his tongue sweeping over John’s soft belly, trailing higher, flicking against his chest. The wolf alternated between sniffing and licking, that oh-so-canine habit of experiencing the world in ways humans simply couldn’t. Their sense of smell, their taste — it was leagues beyond human perception.

Lorin finally reached John’s face, tilting his head slightly, amber eyes locking onto his own.

John liked where this was going. No — he loved it. He had been waiting for something like this for a while. Picking someone up in a bar was easy, but finding someone who was actually worth his time? That took effort.

And yet... something was off.

Not wrong, not alarming—just... off.

There was something in Lorin’s gaze that didn’t quite match the act he was putting on. His predatory stare wasn’t as sharp as John had expected. A flicker of uncertainty? A lack of confidence? Or was he just overanalyzing?

_Doesn’t matter. I can figure that out later._

Right now, John had more urgent matters to attend to.

He leaned forward, teeth grazing Lorin’s slick, hanging tongue before biting down gently — just enough to tease. Then, he let his own tongue glide over Lorin’s chops, tasting him, taking in that intoxicating scent. And of course, he knew exactly what he was doing.

Licking his lips? That was what all the _submissive, good boys_ did, right?

A sharp huff. A low grunt. Lorin’s hips bucked involuntarily.

_Oh yeah. Right on target._

The amber eyes lost focus for a split second, his maw hanging open in silent invitation. John seized the moment, slipping a hand around the wolf’s thick neck, pulling him closer.

And just like that, they went from licking to full-on making out.

The tough alpha melted under the sensations. For just a moment, John could swear he felt Lorin shivering.

Shaking, even.

The massive frame of the wolf lowered itself onto John. Covering him like huge fur-blanket. Warm and... moist.

There was that hot and wet thing that was now squished between their hips and it drove both of them increasingly wild. Lorin kept pumping, bucking, fluids started to cover his stomach. Canines were infamous for their overproduction of pre. And all that started to make his fur stick to Johns belly. Naughty and oh so very hot.

Lorin's hands wandered down, groping his butt, digging his claws into the soft, malleable flesh. John groaned, inviting deeper exploration with Lorin's tongue, but alas John retreated.

"Take me already, big boy."

"With pleasure.", a low growl and a parting gift of another sloppy kiss, before he wandered down again.

Licking and sniffing all the more. Taking special care to thoroughly clean his belly.

Lorin was awfully wholesome and careful about this whole ordeal. Absolutely nothing like his act in the bar had led on.

"I'll show you how a real wolf makes puppies squeal in delight.", that was the last thing Lorin said, before he lifted Johns legs and dove snout-first into his butt and started lapping like his life depended on it.

John saw stars for a moment and had to claw into the bedsheets, trying his earnest to suppress too loud a moan. The wet tongue worked thoroughly, another gift of those damn canines. Long, slobbery tongues. Flexible for all the right places.

"Oh fuck-", John groaned. "Don't stop."

Instead of responding, Lorin wrapped his massive arms around Johns hips, leaving his legs suspended in the air, while he doubled his efforts exploring Johns insides, getting him nice and slick and oh so needy.

John had lost any sense of time, while the wolf worked vigorously, grunting and moaning himself. He was certain he could cum if given enough time. The pleasure was simply immense, but certainly not enough for his insatiable and growing need right about now. It was not that John would complain, he could enjoy that for hours on end - and maybe it had already been hours, but he was in it for something else.

"I'm plenty slick back there. Get to it already.", it was more of a moan than an actual comment. Still Lorin picked it up and grunted in response.

"I'm not done, puppy."

John tossed himself around, forcing the larger anthro to re-adjust his grip, but not stopping his endeavour. Where John had been belly up, he was now belly down. His member dangling freely and now easily accessible for him to start playing with himself. But Lorin wasn't having any of it.

"No distractions. Bad boy.", he stopped licking and digging and set John down. Leaving him on all fours, butt wiggling.

"I'm waiting."

Lorin growled, something between arousal and frustration. He dug his claws into the humans sides and pressed him down into the sheets.

"Rambunctious one, huh? Don't worry, I'll make sure, you'll be nice and obedient after I'm done with you.", he growled, slapping his large red piece of wolf cock against the smooth ass.

It was quite big, definitely a challenge for John, but nothing he couldn't handle. He wiggled his butt again. Just to drive home the point, that Lorin better get started.

And he did. He pressed that hot piece of meat against his entrance.

A groan between clenched teeth. A whimper of enjoyment. Lorin's thorough tongue-work definitely helped the process along. Slowly forcing John to stretch, having him claw the sheets again. Much to his relief though, Lorin seemed to not be fully hard, just hard enough to get it in, but not enough to feel like he would rip him right open. Still accommodating such a big wolf was quite the challenge. Quite the good one, too.

"You like that, puppy? You like having your guts re-arranged?", Lorin guided his dick deeper still. His excessive pre-ing took care of lubrication on its own. His paw holding his member steady as to not bend and slip out.

"Shut up and fuck me already.", John was done with the corny lines. He needed that wolf dick and that knot working him open, till he couldn't breathe anymore. Not some awful dominance lines, he was out of patience.

A growl was the only response he got before his twitching ass was assaulted by Lorin's member.

_Finally._

The rutting was awful. There was no way to put it mildly. Lorin couldn't seem to get into the rhythm. His dick was constantly slipping and bending, even as John tried to relax more to not squeeze too tightly it did nothing to help the situation. And worst of all, the bulge at the base - his knot - the best part about all of this, wasn't bulging. The knot remained a distant dream. Much to both their frustration.

Meanwhile Lorin was all in. He was giving it his all. Pushing, pulling, panting, moaning. But John wasn't deaf or stupid, he heard the growing frustration, he felt the slaps on his butt that were meant to be teasing and dominating, but all that came from it was the opposite - it appeared desperate.

John had had that feeling since the beginning about the wolf. The feeling that the act of dominance and alpha wolf behavior really was just that - an act. Not only that, but the performance that followed in bed had been anything but "hard and tough".

It wasn't impressive, it wasn't dominant. There was a tinge of frustration in John, but he wasn't about to ruin his and Lorin's night over it.

_So much for the big, bad wolf._

John slipped forward, turned on his back and grabbing the confused and panting wolf by the arms. He pulls him close again, and flips him. It's a fair bit difficult considering the size difference between the two, but John manages. It's not like Lorin is protesting. The human sits himself on top of the wolf, the soft fur brushing pleasurably over his bare skin. A quick look at Lorins tool confirms his suspicion. It's not standing at full attention. Maybe a bit above half way, not enough to easily squeeze past John's entrance and any attempt to fuck properly? Pointless. With a firm grip, he wraps his hand around the base, just behind the knot.

A sharp grunt is his reward. John holds him tightly. While pleasurable for Lorin, it served a different purpose for John. Fixating and controlling the wolf for what's to come next.

"You like that big, fat rod, pup-"

"Stop it already!", John snarled, his voice cutting through the air like a whip. He might not be a wolf, but he sure could make one shut up in an instant. Lorin stiffened beneath him. His muzzle remained shut, ears flicking back slightly. For a second he just stared, thrown off-balance by the sheer authority in John's tone. Then, predictably, his pride flared up.

A low growl rumbled in his throat, deep and gravelly. "Tch. You think you can just-"

John didn't let him finish. He squeezed hard, causing Lorin to hiss and stiffen back up again. The growl cut off into something far weaker - more a huff than a snarl. Lorin's amber eyes flashed, but John saw through it. There was no real challenge behind that gaze. No true fight. Just instinct. Just habit.

The human held the gaze. Suddenly no longer the submissive little plaything - the pup, that had been seemingly easy prey for the wolf. He stared the wolf down. Showing him exactly why humans had ruled the top of the food chain and made wolves into their pets in the past.

The wolf folded. Lowering his gaze as he lost the challenge for dominance.

John smirked. "That's adorable.", he murmured, his tone dripping with amusement.

Lorin tensed. His breath hitched for the briefest moment, the way it always did when predators realized they weren't the one in control.

John let his free hand wander over the soft chest fur, running his fingers through it. "Still trying to act tough," he mused further, shaking his head. "Still clinging to that little fantasy of yours. But we both know..." he leaned in again, eyes locked with Lorin's, lowering his voice to but a whisper. "You like this."

Lorin's body betrayed his act. His dick twitched wildly, his knot started forming more than it ever had during their extended fucking session.

"Yeah, that's what I thought, cutie."

John felt and heard the tail swishing madly about. Wolves were terrible at hiding their body language. Finding a wolf that was able to lie without his tail, ears, or whiskers betraying him was even more rare than finding a human on the streets.

Lorin's lips parted slightly, his breath shallow. But he still hesitated, like his pride was putting up a final, feeble fight.

John wasn't having it. He grabbed Lorin's muzzle and was just about able to keep it shut. It served to deliver the message. "Here is how this is going to work."

The tail swished again.

_Oh yeah, I've got him now._

"You're going to drop the act. No more pretending. No more cringe-worthy 'big, bad wolf' nonsense. You're going to listen and you're going to be a good boy. _My_ good boy. Understand?"

Lorin's throat bobbed in a hard swallow. He shifted slightly, like he was about to protest again - until John clamped his muzzle shut a little more and increased the pressure on Lorin's trapped cock.

The resistance crumbled.

A breath. A pause. Then, finally, he nodded.

John couldn't help but grin. "Gooooood boyyyy."

Then, the human moved off of the wolf, letting go of muzzle and dick alike. John was pleased to see the wolf was rock hard. As in veins-popping hard. That was all the confirmation he needed.

"On your side boy", he smacked the exposed fuzzy butt with a sharp smack. "Now lets see if you can actually _earn_ that title."

Lorin found himself manhandled by the smaller human. It was quite the exercise for John. He reached over to the nightstand, opening the top drawer and pulling a bottle of lube from it.

A generous serving of cold and sticky lube and a sharp hiss from Lorin later, the human had started to slowly and deliberately finger the mighty wolf, that had fallen from his throne.

For John it became apparent almost immediately, that he was working with a bottom. A subby one at that. If the moans weren't any indication, then the pulsing knot definitely was.

They hadn't even started and the Lorin's dick was already twitching and spurting pre like crazy. His ears were folded back, from strong groans and moans, became pathetic and cute whimpers.

"Oh definitely a good boy. Maybe even the bestest of boys. Aren't you, cutie? You're a good boy. Yes, you are.", the reactions to John's dirty talk was strong. The magic words "good boy" on a canine triggered something in them. Made them shiver, made them pant and whimper, but call one that in public and you would be in a world of trouble. And yet, behind closed doors? A whole different story - a much better one from John's perspective.

His dextrous fingers found the prostate fast. It was already hard, just as hard as that pulsing cock. Rubbing and squishing it were like a magic bitch-button, causing Lorin to completely melt and pant with his tongue lolling out the side. His eyes were unfocused and John was sure, he was so far gone, no words would reach him now.

It took about a minute, maybe two and Lorin started spurting more than pre. The transparent fluid became milky white. His large balls started tensing and relaxing again.

_Definitely a subby bottom. Even one that can be milked like that._

John grinned as a small puddle of sticky white cum formed on his bedsheets. He'd worry about that another time. Right now, he doubled down. Making sure to have Lorin ride that orgasmic bliss for as long as possible and milk as much cum from him as possible.

The great thing about making subs cum from anal was that they were still horny after that.

"Look at you, mighty alpha wolf, being all cute and subby for a human. You enjoyed that, didn't you?"

Lorin nodded weakly, absentmindedly. He wasn't even realizing what was being said, but that didn't matter.

John shifted again and removed his fingers from the wolf's sticky butt. The next load of lube covered his own raging erection and just a moment later he dove right in.

It was now John's time to moan and grunt and pant with effort. His fingers had worked his boy's ass open, his dick was just the icing on the cake. And a good one apparently, because from the panting and overwhelmed wolf became a needy, whiny bitch. He even flipped fully on his back, butt lifted and legs interlocking behind John.

It was clear, that he wasn't planning on letting his breeder go anytime soon and the human was all too happy to oblige. He pounded away, with vigor and relief. Finally being able to sate his desire of a good rut, he humped hard and fast, eliciting increasingly vocal comments from the wolf beneath him. He even found himself being pushed by the powerful legs.

If there had been any doubt left about the true nature of the wolf, this now settled it.

This time Lorin creamed his belly, before John was even close. Admittedly, the tight and incredibly hot walls of that large wolf were pleasurable beyond belief and yet, it was the wolf that shot first.

This time, there were no spurts, but a constant stream or dribble of cum that formed a puddle in the wolf's gray belly fur.

"Not built for endurance, huh?", John teased between breaths. "Don't worry, I'll make you cum until you're shooting blanks, cutie."

John knew all the tricks in the book. It wasn't his first romp, not even his first with a wolf. And he had learned a thing or two about how to treat a wolf just right.

When Lorin's legs gave out and released him, John now starting to get sweaty himself as the exertion started building. He grabbed the legs and pushed them over, folding the mighty wolf in half. His dick never left that loosening hole of the wolf. In this new position he started to pound again.

"Take your doggy-dick in your muzzle, boy.", he ordered. His new pet had no reservations about it. A long muzzle and a dick sized on the larger end made it very easy to follow his command.

The breathless gasps and grunts and vocalizations that Lorin had been voicing, were muffled to groans and moans.

John found his rhythm fast, going for hard and slow instead of shallow and fast. Each time rocking the larger body beneath him.

Lorin was a quick-shot. Not that John minded. Most canines didn't last long, especially not once the right buttons were pushed. Once done, they became putty in the hands of the right handler. In fact, it was actually quite fun. And it gave the humans even more of a mythical status with their sheer endless endurance.

John almost didn't realize Lorin had cum again. He had a difficult time staying focused when that hole clenched tightly around him. Cum ran down the sides of Lorin's muzzle and he was starting to cough and choke on his own cum.

_Cute._

John let him off the hook. Releasing him from his folded position and rolling him on his belly.

It was about time John too would get his release. He started pounding again, this time, fast, shallow. Trying his hardest to rub that abused prostate real good once more. And to put the final nail in the coffin and make it clear who of them was the alpha, he bit down hard on Lorin's neck.

As a human biting into fur, it wasn't the most pleasant of things. But at least anthro wolves didn't really shed. However, the effect on the canine that was being fixated by a mating bite? They. Got. Wild.

It was like that secret trigger that shut down their higher brain functions and made them into compliant little toys. Very useful and incredibly hot. That combined wih an assault on their prostate?

It took Lorin about ten, maybe twelve pumps before he shot his now considerably smaller load into the sheets.

John started to emulate a growl, forcing himself into him even harder, even more deliberate.

"Goooood... fucking... boyyyyy." he growled between clenched teeth and fur.

Lorin whimpered like a bitch in heat, bucking his hips and shooting over and over again.

Yet, it wasn't _quite_ enough to get John over the edge. He was close, but took the chance, got up quickly, crawled next to Lorin's head, grabbing him at the scruff of the neck that he had just bitten down on and started pumping his dick furiously.

It took him no time and then he finally - after all that - reached his peak. He grunted and shot rope after rope after rope all over Lorin's face and muzzle, marking him properly as his bitch.

John breath came ragged, sweat running down his naked body. Something he was sure was was absolutely flooding a wolf's sensitive sense of smell. Next to the cum on his face that is.

He relaxed himself as the last of the drops fell on Lorin's chops.

"Clean that, boy." he ordered, putting a leg over Lorin's neck and sticking his softening dick down his muzzle.

Lorin - to his credit - didn't hesitate. He started lapping and sucking on it like a wolf would when given ice cream.

"Yeah...", he drew a long breath, finally relaxed, leaning back on his hands. "you're mine now."

The room reeked of sex. Sweat, lube, cum and saliva had ruined the sheets. Lorin's fur was a sticky mess, his tail flicking idly about. It took them both a solid while to get their bearings, to catch their breath, to regain some strength.

"Shower?", John asked, scritching Lorin behind the ears.

No answer. He looked down between his legs, and chuckled involuntarily. The big bad wolf had passed out.

An idea crept up his tired mind and a mischievous grin across his face. John knew what would come in the morning. The act would come back, the pride would have him deny the prior evening. He had experienced it before.

He moved with care. Trying not to make too much sound. From his wardrobe he grabbed a black, heavy duty leather belt. Well, not a belt - for him it was almost a belt, but for an anthro?

He stepped back and carefully wrapped it around the wolf's neck and locked it. Not too tightly, but snug enough that he would definitely feel it in the morning.

A small physical reminder of this night's events - next to his sore ass and sticky fur of course.

John didn't take too long to fall asleep either. Laying himself next to and above the large wolfen frame. Wrapping a hand around him. Enough warmth for the night and mostly dry from their happy little spills.

---

"G'morning, puppy."

The voice stirred John from sleep, warm and teasing. He blinked the fog of sleep away and squinted toward the doorframe. There stood Lorin, still damp from his shower, rubbing a towel over his fur. Droplets clung to the thick coat at his neck, making the leather collar stand out even more against his pelt.

"Hope you don’t mind I helped myself to a shower", Lorin continued, casual and oh-so-smug. "After taking care of you yesterday, I was left quite... sticky."

_There we go again._

John sat up, rubbing his eyes before leveling an unimpressed stare at the wolf.

So, Lorin was back to this again. Back to acting like nothing had happened, like the night before had been some strange anomaly rather than a long-overdue shift in the balance of power.

John’s gaze flickered to the collar. It was dry. Lorin had taken it off to shower... and then put it back on.

Curious.

"Sleep well?", Lorin asked, stepping further into the room. His tail had that deliberate, lazy sway, and his ears were pricked forward, all posturing, all confidence. The proud, dominant alpha act, like he hadn't been writhing beneath John’s touch just hours ago. Like he hadn't gasped and shuddered at the smallest command.

John let out a slow breath. "You’re still wearing it."

Lorin stiffened, just a fraction. "What?"

John gestured vaguely to his own throat. "The collar."

For a second, there was nothing — just a flicker of hesitation behind the wolf’s golden eyes. Then, predictably, Lorin scoffed. "I was going to take it off."

"Were you?" John asked, voice even, challenging.

Lorin’s ears flicked back, brief but telling. "It’s not like I had a choice. You put it on me in my sleep."

"And yet, you put it back on _after_ your shower."

The wolf’s lips parted, just slightly, then pressed back into a firm line. A beat. Then another. "It’s just a collar."

"Really?"

Lorin exhaled sharply through his nose. "I don’t see why this is such a big deal. You had your fun. That doesn’t change anything.", he reached up then, fingers brushing against the leather. His movements were stiff, reluctant. John could see the way his jaw tensed, the way his ears twitched in hesitation.

Then, finally, he unbuckled it.

The leather came loose, and for a moment, John thought he’d toss it aside — maybe even throw it at him in some petulant display. But Lorin just... held it. Fingers curling around it, pressing it into his palm.

He didn't meet John's gaze.

John tilted his head. "You look regretful."

"Tch.", Lorin scoffed and turned toward the dresser, setting the collar down with forced indifference. "Hardly."

John pushed the blankets aside and stood, padding barefoot across the room. "Y'know, for someone so desperate to act like last night never happened, you sure don’t seem eager to let go of it."

Lorin’s tail flicked once. A tell.

"I know what you’re doing," the wolf muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. "You’re trying to... get in my head. Twist things."

John stepped closer, invading his space. "Twist things? I don’t need to twist anything, Lorin. You gave yourself to me."

A full-body shudder ran through the wolf before he forced himself still.

John lifted a hand — slowly, deliberately — and trailed his fingertips just under Lorin’s jaw. Not restraining, not forcing, just... testing.

Lorin swallowed.

John smiled. "You liked it. You still do."

Lorin exhaled, sharp, like he'd been struck. "That’s—"

"True?"

The wolf bared his teeth, but it lacked real fire. His ears flicked again, betraying him. "It was just—"

"Good?", John prompted, fingers still resting under Lorin’s chin.

The wolf's breath hitched.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Then, finally, the wolf turned his head away, breaking contact. "It doesn’t mean anything.", he muttered.

John sighed, shaking his head. He reached past Lorin, plucking the collar from where it sat on the dresser.

Held it out.

Lorin stared at it.

Not just a glance — he really looked at it, golden eyes locked on the strip of leather like it was some cursed object. His ears twitched. His fingers flexed, barely brushing against it before curling into a fist at his side.

A long silence stretched between them.

Then Lorin scoffed, sharp and dismissive, breaking the moment as if it had never happened. "You’re delusional."

John arched an eyebrow, unconvinced.

"You really think this means something?", Lorin gestured vaguely between them, then flicked his fingers toward the collar like he was brushing away a bad thought. "It was fun. You’re a great lay. But this whole twisted perception you have? Thinking you 'tamed' me?" He let out a short, humorless laugh. "Not happening."

John didn’t move, didn’t react. He just watched.

Lorin shifted his weight, suddenly impatient. "I’ve got shit to do. Busy day, y’know? Gotta take care of stuff." He was already moving, grabbing his shirt, pulling it over his head as if the act itself could shield him from the weight of what had transpired between them.

"See you around, pup."

Then he was out the door, slamming it behind him with more force than necessary.

John listened as heavy footfalls carried Lorin to his car. The engine roared to life a second later, a little too fast, a little too aggressive. Tires scraped against gravel as the wolf peeled out of the driveway, disappearing down the road.

John exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. "Right."

He wasn’t upset. Not even annoyed. He’d seen the way Lorin hesitated, the flicker of regret in his eyes, the longing in the way his fingers had ghosted over the collar before he forced himself to push it away.

Some people couldn’t handle the truth about themselves.

And some would come crawling back when they finally could.

John had a sneaking suspicion about which one Lorin would be.

But if not? That was his choice.

With that settled in his mind, John stretched, rolling the tension out of his shoulders, and got to work cleaning up. The bed needed fresh sheets. The washing machine hummed to life. A hot shower washed away the lingering scent of last night.

By the time he finally sat down, a fresh bowl of ice cream in hand, it was already past noon.

He flipped on the TV, settled into the couch, and took a slow bite, savoring the cold sweetness. With a contend sigh he settled for an uneventful afternoon.

---

The low rumble of an engine outside stirred John from his doze. He didn’t move, didn’t even open his eyes — just listened.

A car had pulled into the driveway.

He knew which one.

John stretched lazily, rolling his neck as he heard the engine cut off. Then... silence.

A long silence.

No immediate knocking, no hurried footsteps. Just someone sitting in their car, hesitating.

John smirked to himself. _Yeah. Thought so._

He let it drag out, savoring the wait. Then, at last, the hesitant creak of a car door, the slow, reluctant crunch of footsteps on gravel. Another pause. More waiting.

Finally, three stiff knocks.

John took his time standing, yawning as he padded to the door. When he opened it, he wasn’t surprised at all by what he found.

Lorin stood there, looking worse for wear.

His prior, effortless confidence was nowhere to be seen. His fur was still unkempt from coming out of John's shower earlier, his ears flicked back just enough to betray his unease. He was trying, still, to hold himself together, to keep his posture squared and his gaze level.

But it was a flimsy, pitiful mask.

John leaned against the doorframe, arms crossing over his chest, unimpressed. "Well, well. Look who decided to come back."

Lorin’s ears twitched. His jaw worked, like he was trying to will some shred of his former authority into his words. "I—", he swallowed. "I had things to do."

John raised an eyebrow. "That so? Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you had a whole lot of second-guessing to do."

Lorin’s fur bristled slightly, his tail giving a stiff flick. "I—listen. About earlier. I...", he exhaled sharply, clearly fighting to keep himself composed. "I was... rude."

John tilted his head, staring him down. "‘Rude’?"

Lorin flinched, just slightly, but held his ground. "I shouldn’t have left like that. I should have—"

"Should have what?", John cut in, voice sharp. "Should've thought before acting? Should've considered the implications of your actions? Yeah, should have."

Lorin’s ears were fully pinned back now. He was bigger, taller, stronger in every physical way imaginable, but right now, he looked impossibly small. His tail tucked just slightly, his claws flexing as his hands curled into nervous fists at his sides.

John could see it happening — the slow collapse, the weight of realization pressing down on him.

"Sorry", Lorin muttered, voice barely above a growl, strained with effort.

John let the silence hang. Let Lorin sit in his own humiliation for a moment longer.

Then, coolly, he asked, "So what now?"

Lorin stiffened. His gaze darted aside, flicking to the doorway, the interior of the house — anywhere but John’s face. "I—", he exhaled. "I was thinking we could... spend some more time."

John arched a brow, not buying it for a second.

A flicker of irritation crossed Lorin’s face, like he was mad at himself more than anything. His ears burned red, his throat worked, and finally, he muttered:

"Can I come in?"

John watched him for a moment longer. Then, ever so slowly, his lips curled into a grin.

It wasn’t kind.

It wasn’t welcoming.

It was sharp and knowing — more predatory than Lorin could ever dream to be.

Lorin tensed.

Then, from behind his back, John pulled out the collar.

Held it up.

"Not without this."

Lorin’s breath hitched, barely audible. His eyes locked onto it. His whole body froze, like prey caught in a trap of its own making.

John tilted his head, smirk widening. "So what's it gonna be, puppy?"