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"Are you sure this is a good idea, my lord?" Anken asked with uncertainty. He had asked that question before. More than once, even, but as he looked at prince Regnar, doubt still clouded his face. After all the bad experiences they had had...

"You said it yourself, little 'yote, that we don't have much of a choice," Regnar responded. At least he sounded confident, but when did he ever not sound confident? Anken nodded but lowered his eyes.

A few short hours ago they were escaped prisoners in the wolf castle. Him, prince Regnar, Zeke, the slave that had helped them and Emett, the wolf captain that had fought against the dragons. They were naked and trapped with little way out. Now, they were all well-dressed and sitting in soft, fancy chairs surrounding a center table filled with tea and treats.

The fact that they were escaped prisoners hadn't changed. In fact, as the coyote glanced back at the orange sun going down on the horizon, he imagined that they were probably already making wanted posters of them. The dragons and prince Rael, the traitor, must have already taken notice of their escape. Even though Prince Regnar wasn't technically a fugitive, Anken was sure that he, Zeke and Emett would be tagged as such. Rael would find an excuse to put a search for prince Regnar as well even if he was his brother. The castle, the cities and the towns surrounding it would no longer be safe. Just how deep a pit could they dig for themselves?

"I'm sorry, my lord, but if you would allow me to express my opinion, I think that Anken is right." This time it was Zeke who spoke. The wolf slave definitely kept his mannerism when addressing a prince such as Regnar. "I've been a slave in this castle for more summers than I can count and even I know very little about the coronal secretary," Zeke continued. "This... Zayn. I have no knowledge of him ever using any pleasure slaves, my lord, and if you will forgive my manner of speech, that is not common for someone holding a noble title."

Anken observed how Zeke kept his eyes down towards Regnar's feet as he spoke. A fact that the black wolf himself didn't even seem to notice. He was probably used to it, after all.

"Yeah," Regnar confirmed, but he looked uncertain. "His status as a spymaster is an absolute secret. I told you folk about it out of necessity, but I'm sure he and my brothers would still scold me about it if they could. Maybe they still will."

The black wolf's ears fell back. Unusual for prince Regnar.

The coronal secretary, lord Zayn's title, was one of the higher titles anyone could achieve in the wolf kingdom. It rivalled Rael's title of chancellor, answering only, of course, to King Ruvel. Yet, Anken was also aware that the coronal secretary, while important in title, held very little sway in the daily politics of the castle. Next to prince Rael's influence, lord Zayn's was very small. Anken could count in his fingers how many documents he ever remembered seeing in his life as a scribe that had lord Zayn's name on them. Now knowing what he knew Anken guessed that most of the documents lord Zayn handled did not go through the hands of regular scribes. Yet, if his deeds happened in the shadow, his reputation was still nothing but a shadow as well.

The older wolf had held the position for longer than any of them could remember. Having worked with the previous king, Regnar's father, before them, Zayn's position in the high hierarchy had always sounded more like a heritage than something the wolf had earned. The little knowledge Anken had about the wolf fueled his doubts over if turning to him in such dire times was wise at all.

They were sitting in Zayn's living room. The coronal secretary's quarters were the most luxurious Anken had ever seen or stepped on before. While prince Regnar's room was wide and comfortable, Zayn had the whole upper floor of the top-most western wing for himself. The large living room they were sitting in was connected to a large private office and another door that Anken judged must lead to lord Zayn's bedroom. It was a room fit for a king. Or, in this case, the king's coronal secretary.

It was captain Emett, sitting across Anken, who continued the conversation.

"I think lord Regnar is doing the right thing. Lord Zayn has served King Revinauld as a close advisor until the very day he died. I can hardly think of anyone that could be more loyal to the wolf kingdom than him." Captain Emett kept his back straight and his voice serious. He had every facet of a military man as far as Anken could see it.

Emett also seemed to be doing much better. The antidote potion seemed to have worked well enough on him. No longer was the wolf enthralled to the dragon lord's tools and he was no longer talking to or flinching from things only he could see. Every now and then Anken caught his eyes trailing off to some random direction or another, but the wolf's lucidity seemed to have returned in its entirety. That and captain Emett's fervor on fighting against the dragons' plan.

"We thought the same thing about lord Rael when we went to see him," Anken pointed out as a counter argument. "Plus, even those who are loyal can succumb to the dragon's magic. We can't know who is being controlled by them and who isn't. Not anymore."

Anken's point made Emett look away as well. The captain was, after all, the last person that could argue against that fact.

"But it's not like we had a choice," Emett said. "We would never have made it past the castle's guards at the gates to escape and, no matter where we hid, sooner or later the corrupted guards were going to find us."

"I know that," Anken acknowledged, sighing. It was one thing to fight the dragons when they were mere guests at the wolven castle, but now that they knew lord Rael was collaborating with them? Suddenly the whole castle was their enemy as well. There were no guards they could trust, no person they could turn to. Lord Regnar's status had allowed them to wander the hallways and get as far as lord Zayn's quarters. No guard would dare speak up against the prince. Yet, when prince Rael found out they were out and about...

Anken felt uneasy. Though Zayn had received them and heard them out, that proved nothing. The coronal secretary had provided them with clothing at prince Regnar's request, but even after they explained their whole situation, Anken hadn't been able to read anything from Zayn. The older wolf just sat there and listened to the whole story with a straight face. A controlled face. Now that Anken thought about it, that was exactly what prince Rael had done. Those nobles were too well-versed in the social scheme of things. Too good at hiding their true feelings. Anken was aware of all of that, but he wasn't so sure prince Regnar was.

The coyote wished he had more time to deliberate on their situation, but the sound of Zayn's office door opening had them all turning to look at the wolf. Zayn wore a fine set of regal clothing, as was expected from someone of his stature. The gray wolf wasn't exactly old, but he was definitely past his forties, being as old as the late king Revinauld would be if he were still alive. Small strands of whitened fur could be seen threatening to start spouting around his plain muzzle.

"I apologize for keeping you all waiting," Zayn said in his cordial voice. The tone of a man of politics, just overflowing with cordiality. "I'm sure you can understand why I needed to make sure of all the facts regarding the claims you have brought me."

"With all due respect, what does that mean exactly?" Anken asked with a frown. The only reason he, and presumably any of the other three, had let Zayn leave them without saying much after hearing their story was because they were sure that the secretary's office, where he had gone to, had no other exits other than through the room they were sitting on. What could he possibly have done to 'check' their facts, then? If he had been able to talk to anyone else, there could be guards ready to knock on their door and take them back to the dungeon any minute.

"It means that I needed to check if what you said aligned with what I know," Zayn explained, still not approaching them, "for it seems that all the pieces of this puzzle are coming together. Even if, given what I'm hearing, it might just be a tad too late."

The coronal secretary stepped aside and pushed the door of his office open. From it, dressed in the same plain clothes they were, came a dog. Or, in fact, a wolf. Though prince Regnar and Emett just stared at him with alarmed confusion, Anken and Zeke stood up in surprise right away.

Prince Raenn was looking much better than he had when Anken met him in the slave quarters. His fur was no longer a mess and, though his features were still mostly that of a dog, patches of misplaced white fur could be seen near his paws and up his neck. The prince was also still wearing the heavy, leather-like slave collar he had been wearing before, but the second smaller one was gone.

"You can trust Zayn," Raenn said. Anken didn't know prince Raenn's voice too well, but it sounded familiar enough. Enough for Regnar's ears to twitch.

"Is that...?!" The black wolf stood up as well, studying the newcomer. Zayn was the one to nod.

"Yes. This is prince Raenn, as hard as it is to believe. I was lucky to... run into him, so to speak, this morning. Needless to say that it has been quite a day even before you gentlemen showed up at my door." The coronal secretary approached the table and nodded for Raenn to come as well. The prince seemed hesitant, but he followed anyway.

"But if THAT is Raenn, then...!" Regnar exclaimed, eyes still glued to his brother. The prince looked shocked.

"Then what?" Anken asked with some concern. He noticed Raenn was looking anywhere but at Regnar.

"It's nothing," Raenn quickly said. "I met with my brother after the change, but he didn't believe I was who I said I was. That was... a long time ago. We can forget it ever happened." As he spoke, Raenn did look at Regnar. Or, more like, glared at him. Anken noticed how the black wolf's ears twitched back before he nodded. Regnar sat back down and so did everyone else.

"Y-yeah. Let's just forget about it," Regnar said in agreement with his head low. Anken was sure there was more than that to the story, but he made a mental note to ask prince Regnar about it later. Noticing the black wolf's discomfort, the coyote cleared his throat and changed the subject.

"With all due respect, I notice prince Raenn is still wearing the collar, though?" Anken asked. Raenn frowned immediately while also bringing a hand up to gently tug at the heavy leather collar around his neck. It was Zayn, however, that nodded and bothered to explain.

"Indeed. The silencing collar he was wearing blocked none but himself to take it off, but the slave collar is a more complicated matter. They are very intrinsic artefacts, those things. The pendant that locked it is required to remove it." Raenn nodded in agreement, looking embarrassed about the fact that he was wearing the slave collar in the first place. Zayn, however, continued. "I have been looking into finding the key, but it seems that the old slave master that now resides in the dungeon had it. I fear that either the dragons or prince Rael might be in possession of it, though I cannot say for sure."

"Isn't it dangerous, though? They can track slave collars with magic!"

This time it was Zeke who spoke up. The wolf slave still seemed reluctant, as if he was going to be punished for speaking out of place. Anken thought that usually, he probably was.

Zayn pointed up at the wall by the front door. "My quarters have the crystals that do not allow magic through. It is a matter of safety given the sensitivity of the subjects we treat here. Prince Raenn was clever to hide in the king's quarters where those are also present."

Raenn let a smile creep up on his face after being complimented. He moved in to sit on one of the cushioned chairs around the center table as well. Zayn did the same, taking the larger one.

"You were hidin' in Ruvel's room?" Regnar asked with a tone of curiosity. "Does that mean he knows about all this?"

"No," Raenn quickly answered, shaking his head. His eyes then fell down to the floor. "It's a long story, but I couldn't tell him."

Regnar raised an eyebrow and seemed ready to inquire more about it, but this time it was Zayn who interfered with a new topic.

"The topic we should focus on is not how each of us got here, but rather how we can proceed. When all of the information all of us have gathered is put together it becomes clear that both the dragon lords and prince Rael will not take long to put their plans in motion. King Ruvel is scheduled to be back tomorrow, after all."

"Well," Anken chimed in first, "lord Zayn, if you're really the castle's spymaster, it must mean that you deal with a lot of information. I assume that, given that you believed both us and prince Raenn's claim about the betrayal in the first place, you must have seen clues of it of your own? Perhaps some you have yet to share with us as well?"

The coyote's question brought a smile out of Zayn. "I see that the rumors of your wit are not unfounded," the coronal secretary commented. Anken's eyes widened a little, but the coyote also couldn't help but let his ears fall back with some measurement of embarrassment over the flattery. "I read about who you were when they arrested you. It's my job to know such things," the older wolf explained, obviously sensing Anken's surprise.

"Anken has a point, sir," Emett said. Anken took notice of the respect the captain had when addressing the spymaster. "Anything you can share with us helps. Anything at all."

"Very well," Zayn said in a nod. The gray wolf cleared his throat and took a moment to think before he actually spoke. "I dare say that I would not even think to check twice when poor prince Raenn came to me presenting his unfortunate, yet ludicrous story. On less pressing times I would have taken it for a lame attempt at a scam or escape coming from a slave. Given the nature of recent events, however, I did give it proper consideration and now I'm very glad I did."

Prince Raenn watched the spymaster, but they all could see how his lowered his ears were, signalling some level of embarrassment. The prince did, however, give the older wolf a small thanking smile. One which Zayn returned.

"After so many years in this business, I had a hunch that something was wrong. We have had magic users of dubious background accepted to tend to the castle's magical wards during the dragon's visit and cargo allowed into the castle without proper inspection information. Those are just the more telling signs amidst a myriad of smaller ones. I brought every single one of these to lord Rael's attention, as we always do, but lately, the prince has been less... attentive than usual. His behavior is full of deviations. He insists on having a personal guard with him at all times, even inside the castle as we are. All of that had me baffled."

"Of course! Because Rael was in on all of it!" Regnar jumped in with a growl. Anken saw the prince's hand curling into a fist. Zayn ignored the prince's rash attitude and simply nodded in agreement.

"If it is as you claim, then yes, it makes sense. Without your word as evidence, however, I must admit that it had never crossed my mind that, of all people, lord Rael would be working with the dragons. His devotion to the wolven kingdom and its affairs is unparalleled."

"If I may, perhaps he is being controlled or replaced by an impostor, as the dragons have done in the past?" Zeke jumped in to suggest. Every eye fell on the wolf slave, but it was Anken who shook his head.

"I wanted to believe so as well, but when we talked to him... well, he really did seem to have all of his bearings over his thoughts." The coyote looked at Regnar, who nodded in confirmation.

"It was him alright. As arrogant and smug as always," Regnar hissed with a silent snarl.

"I dare say I would notice if he was an imposter as well. Lord Rael is privy to a lot of confidential information that would be almost impossible to replicate by an intruder," Zayn added.

Raenn let out a little huff on the side.

"Well, what we ought to do is clear, then!" Regnar started, "We wait until night time and catch Rael in his room. None of my guards will dare stop me and if they try, I'll just crush them. We take Rael by the neck, throw him in the dungeon and explain everything to Ruvel when he gets back!"

Anken put a paw on Regnar's leg. "I'm afraid it's not that simple, my lord." When the prince looked at him, he shook his head. "We have acted rashly against lord Rael before and he used it against us. I'm very sure he is prepared to use such a bold move against us one way or another. It will both expose us to him and give him grounds to leave even you at the dungeons for as long as he wants..."

Regnar frowned. His silent growl grew in tone.

"He's right, my lord," Emett added. "We must also consider the dragons. We don't know the extent of their alliance, but I dare say that they would not sit idly by even if we did succeed in taking lord Rael into custody. Whenever we do strike, it must be with all our fronts covered."

The black wolf sat back against his chair, folded his arms and grunted.

"You said King Ruvel will be back here tomorrow, lord Zayn?" Anken asked. The coronal secretary and spymaster nodded.

"He should be back early in the afternoon as per the latest communication."

Anken frowned. They were really running short on time.

Prince Raenn was the one that spoke up. "Perhaps if we could reach Ruvel? Zayn can get him here and then we could all talk to him. Get him on our side..." The young prince looked at Zayn hopefully. The gray wolf, however, shook his head.

"That is... possible. I have considered it, but I feel like it would be ill-advised. Lord Rael is the king's trusted brother and, even having all of our words against him, we still lack any kind of hard evidence of lord Rael's actions and involvement. I fear that it wouldn't be enough to take drastic legal action against him."

"Why do we have to make things so complicated?" Regnar growled.

"It's the law, my lord. We can't ignore it," Anken said, reaching to put a paw over the black wolf's leg. Regnar looked at him and seemed to successfully calm down, though at the same time, Anken caught a few more stares. Zayn, prince Raenn, Zeke... The coyote quickly pulled his paw away and felt his face growing a little hot.

"Well, we do have an ace up our sleeve," Emett commented. The wolf captain nodded towards the teapot sitting in the middle of the coffee table and, as a result, drew every eye down to it. Prince Raenn, being the only one that wasn't aware of it yet, took a few seconds to recognize it. Then, his eyes grew wide.

"Is that...?" The wolf prince asked, to which it was Anken who nodded.

"The dragon's potion to switch bodies. Lord Regnar took it from the castle's kitchen before we came up here," Anken explained.

"Won't the dragons simply realize it is missing and be wary of it, though?" Zeke asked. The slave looked at the potion with curiosity. "There's no way they're not keeping track of something that powerful even if it was being made in the kitchen, right under our noses."

"Ah, but I thought of that!" Regnar said, jumping in. The black wolf smirked. "I distracted the kitchen slaves saying I wanted cake. Took it when they weren't lookin'. That's why it took so long."

Anken smiled at the black wolf. He felt genuinely proud of his tactical prowess on that regard. "They will probably realize it is missing, but it is unlikely that they will be able to link it to us having it," the coyote added.

"Are you sure you took the right one?" Zeke asked, inspecting the teapot. "N-no offense, my lord! It's just that it looks like an ordinary teapot." the slave quickly added.

It was prince Raenn who leaned forward, opened the lid and took a sniff at the liquid. The wolf quickly winced and put the lid back on. "It is the damn potion," he announced, ears folding back.

"Matched what the bull described to me," Regnar said, shrugging.

"Having the potion is good indeed, but how do we use it?" Zayn intervened. "The dragons must have taken a long time to plan their use of it. I can't fathom how they managed to smuggle the ingredients to make it into the kitchen, nor how they were able to get a pleasure slave inside that had all the knowledge and skill necessary to impersonate a prince in a reliable manner. It is something that I intend to find out." Zayn's expression was nothing if not serious.

"Perhaps one of your spies could do it?" Regnar suggested. "Surely you have some people well trained in that kind of thing."

Zayn shook his head. "I have no trustworthy agents like that here in the castle. I can call some back, but it will take a few days for them to get back here. I dare say we might not have that kind of time."

Prince Regnar was right back to frowning.

"That isn't even the point, though," Anken added. "We have this potion, but we wouldn't even know where to use it. The advantage that both the dragons and lord Rael had over us was that they studied and knew all of our moves and motivations. We, on the other hand, don't know what either of them is really planning. Neither together nor against each other."

The coyote realized that every pair of eyes in the room was set on him. It drove his mind away from his strategic frustration and made him a little more self-aware of himself and his manners. He couldn't hold his ears from folding back just a little.

"The coyote has a point," Zayn said, much to Anken's relief. "It is hard to figure out how to counter actions we do not know of."

"Then what we need to do is find out what they're planning," Emett said, jumping in. The wolf had a level of determination in his voice.

"Umm," Zeke stammered, before talking as well. "We must also rescue lord Rowell! He's a prince too and, unlike lord Raenn here, he is still in the dragon's clutches. The things the dragons are doing to him to keep his magic at bay are..." Zeke stopped, ears pinning down against his head. Anken could swear he heard a hint of a whine coming from the wolf slave. "We can't leave him as he is. He could really help us on the magical side of things, too"

Zeke's suggestions sounded more like a plea.

"All of that is easier said than done, I'm afraid. We have much to learn and limited time. There is no telling when either of them is going to strike," Zayn said. The old wolf stood up from his chair. Even he looked frustrated, Anken noticed, no matter how well he naturally tried to conceal it. "I will do my best to come up with whatever information I can, but my hands are tied. Lord Rael is very clever. One of the smartest wolves I have ever known, even more so than his father ever was. If I make any rash moves through common means, he's bound to see it coming."

Anken saw the look of frustration in each one of them sitting there. It was no wonder. He himself could feel the powerlessness gnawing inside of him.

"What I can do for you, though, is make this place safer. I will work on spreading a subtle rumor that you and lord Regnar slipped out of the castle and were seen in the city outside. That ought to reach lord Rael's ears quickly enough, as well as the dragons', which might just prompt them to at least direct their searching efforts elsewhere. In the meantime, however, I'm afraid you lot will have to be confined to this space."

"Thank you, lord Zayn. We are in your debt." The coyote smiled up at the coronal secretary and nodded in thanks. Having a safe place to be, at least for a while, was already a step in the right direction.

"I have a lot of work to do, but perhaps in the morrow we will be more successful in our efforts to come up with our next move," Zayn still said. Not everyone looked very happy about the suggestion.

"What?" Emett said, speaking up. "The dragons and the second prince are plotting against the kingdom and you would have us sit here and sleep?"

Anken could tell the wolf captain was making an effort to be respectful despite his disagreement on the matter. Lord Zayn, however, simply smiled in response. He clearly expected a response of that sort.

"I think you will find that a good night of relaxation does wonders to the mind, captain Emett," the coronal secretary just said. "After what all of you have been through, I dare say you have earned it, too. Don't worry. The situation is dire, both for the castle and for Lord Rowell, but he who is too eager to have everything, gets nothing. The kingdom will still be standing in the morning."

Zayn didn't offer them time to argue about it. The coronal secretary simply left the room to do as he said. The wolves shared the tales of their last days and argued among themselves some more even after Zayn left, but the result had been the same. They were all eager to do something, but nobody knew what to do. Emett and Zeke were particularly inclined to get to work, but what they all had to agree on was that Zayn was right. They couldn't act too soon again. The coronal secretary still returned to bring them food and water, which they all ate far too eagerly.

Zayn gave them his quarters to sleep on and assured them he'd be fine sleeping somewhere else. He urged them on the basics, such as not making much noise and not opening the door for anyone. Anken, Zeke and Emett were happy settling down on any of the many pieces of cushioned furniture that adorned the large quarters' living room. It was suggested that prince Raenn and prince Regnar share the oversized bed inside lord Zayn's bedroom, but for some reason, despite being brothers, the princes definitely did not want to sleep together. In the end, prince Raenn settled for a makeshift bed he made for himself inside Zayn's office, which gave him some measure of privacy.

Anken, however, paid little attention to these details. The coyote's mind felt like it was always racing. He tried to go over everything they knew in his head over and over again, but they knew just so little! Emett seemed as apprehensive as he was, at least, but he could tell the wolf captain still had other things in his mind, too. He made a mental note to look into that as well, but he could seldom find time to think about everything he wanted to think about.

They needed a plan. The fact that they were all there proved they had even more allies than Anken thought they did. He needed to come up with a way to expose both lord Rael and the dragons for who they really were. Preferably in a way that would leave little doubt about what their intentions were, or else they might find a way to wiggle their way out of the accusations or worse, turn them around. But... how? The more Anken tried to think about it, the more of a herculean task it started to sound like in his mind.

The evening turned into night and the castle grew quiet. Sleeping in the large armchair with a blanket Anken had settled in was still much, much better than the bunch of hay on stone that passed on as a bed in the dungeons, so why wasn't he able to relax and fall asleep? Close to him, he could already hear the light snores of both Zeke and Emett, one on the couch and one on the other chair. Both seemed like they were sound asleep. After a good while of sleepless frustration, Anken's ears twitched for the sound of a door opening.

The coyote grew attentive immediately. They had locked the door leading to Zayn's quarters, but while they were indeed somewhat safe there, they were definitely not out of the woods yet. What if the dragons had some magical means to locate them that could penetrate through the crystals on the walls? Anken looked around and found that it was the door to Zayn's bedroom that had opened. He saw prince Regnar's head peeking through it. And looking straight at him.

"Psst," the prince whispered, trying to be quiet. Anken saw Emett stir in his chair, though. The black wolf brought his hand out of the door and motioned for Anken to go to him. The coyote gave the prince a confused look, but after a second whisper, he caught captain Emett's ears twitching. Anken frowned. He didn't want to wake them up, so he reluctantly and quietly got up and tiptoed closer to the bedroom.

Before he could even ask prince Regnar what he wanted, the black wolf's arm came to grab Anken's arm and pull him inside. The coyote was still stumbling to get on his feet when the door behind him was gently closed without making much noise. Anken dusted off and straightened his clothes, recomposing himself.

"Yes, my lord?" The coyote kept his voice low even though the wooden doors there were quite thick. He suspected that the soundproofing was also intentional given what he had learned about Zayn.

Regnar looked down at him. The black wolf, usually so confident and full of himself, still seemed rattled. Anken expected a smirk or perhaps a dirty remark, but what he saw was prince Regnar's ears lowered. The wolf shifted in place looking a little uneasy and kept his eyes off to the side.

"I couldn't sleep. Peeked out and saw you moving, so I figured you couldn't either." The prince stepped towards the bed, still not looking directly at him. Anken's own ears folded back, if only just slightly, out of worry. Regnar sat down on the edge of the bed.

The bed was as large as he had glimpsed from outside. Over it was a mess of blankets and pillows, which likely meant that Regnar had indeed been attempting to sleep and failing. The black wolf was shirtless. That was understandable, for when Zayn had provided simple sets of clothing for all of them, the white linen shirt that prince Regnar had gotten to wear had been so tight over his broad musculature that it looked like it might rip if he bent over. Anken was still wearing his set of plain shirt and laced pants, but Regnar had left only his pants on. Those too were far too short on his legs, only going down to his calves.

"Yes," Anken said, keeping his voice still respectful and controlled. He approached the wolf, but just stood there. He had never seen prince Regnar like that, so he found that he didn't quite know what to say. "I couldn't sleep either."

"It's just crazy," the prince started, eyes still on the floor. "When we heard that the dragons were planning something, I just got angry, ya know? How dare they do this right here, in our castle? Kidnap my brother? I just wanted to take my sword and show'em."

Regnar shifted in his seat again. Anken could tell that he looked stiff. Uncomfortable. His eyes jumped back and forth but never met the coyote's.

"I can understand that," Anken just said.

"But then this whole Rael thing happened," Regnar continued. The wolf stopped to sigh, then brought a hand up to rub at his temple. "Now it's just so... complicated. How could he do this, Ank? Work with the dragons? Betray Ruvel? Betray us?"

Regnar finally looked up at him. Anken never thought he'd see prince Regnar's eyes getting wet, but he saw them. The wolf's brow was furrowed and, the coyote noticed, his fists were clenched. The way Regnar kept his teeth grit showed how he was holding back from growling out loud.

"I can't say," Anken just said, shaking his head. "Lord Rael is an intelligent wolf. He must have his reasons and goals to do what he is doing, no matter how twisted his means to achieve them are."

Regnar's eyes narrowed towards him, even if just slightly.

"Are you siding with him?" the wolf asked, no longer holding back from growling in a soft way.

"Of course not." Anken moved by the prince on the bed's side. "What he's put prince Raenn, prince Rowell and countless others through is already a crime by itself. Even worse that they're his brothers. I hope he was just not aware of the suffering he caused them with his schemes, but from what I know of lord Rael..." Anken hesitated, sighing. "...I doubt he did not know."

Regnar's growling intensified. "I'm gonna make him pay for it."

Anken took hold of the black wolf's fist clenched hand and placed his paw over it. Regnar looked down at it and, reluctantly, opened his paw so that the coyote's could meet it.

"Remember what I said. He might have lost his way, but he's still your brother." The coyote placed his paw against Regnar's and gave it a squeeze. "He's a prince. I know you're angry, but if you were to hurt him, no matter where and when, I know you would come to regret it, my lord. And not just because of the law."

Anken saw Regnar looking at him. Their eyes met for a few fleeting seconds with a myriad of emotions shifting behind the black wolf's pure yellow eyes. So many that the weary expression he saw in the prince's features was justified.

"I know," the black wolf finally said in a sigh.

"Promise me you won't hurt him. We will find a way to stop him, then we will arrest him and he will face justice for what he did as the law says he should." Anken kept his eyes firm over Regnar. The wolf seemed hesitant, but he finally nodded.

"I promise," he grumbled. Anken smiled.

"If you need to punch someone, let it be the dragons. If we prove what they're doing then their acts are seldom short of a declaration of war. I dare say a punch would be justified."

That prompted Regnar to smile as well. "I very much look forward to that," the prince said. The black wolf's fluffy tail even wagged back and forth over the bed for a few moments. Then, Regnar let out a small gasp as if in realization.

"Oh! But I'm going on and on about my problems when in fact it was you that..." the wolf bit his lip and folded his ears back. Anken felt the wolf's paw squeezing his a little tighter. "We barely had time to rest. Are you, uhh... are you alright, Ank? I mean, after what that dog did to you, and then after what that fucking dragon..."

Regnar's voice trailed off. Anken's own ears folded right back in some level of embarrassment. What the dragon had done to him was something that he had been trying hard not to think about. Reflexively, the coyote shifted a little in his seat. Truth be told, he could still feel it. Beneath his tail. It wasn't as sore as it had been the first days, but sometimes when he sat down the wrong way he could still feel it. The pain wasn't the worst of it, but remembering how it had felt with Regnar there, watching...

"It's fine, my lord," the coyote said, defensively.

"Are you sure?" Regnar asked, leaned in. The prince's face was riddled with worry and guilt. "I'm fucking stupid! I should have asked Zayn to find a trustworthy healer the moment we met with him! I was so absorbed in our problems that I didn't even think about it."

The prince's throat let out a small growl that Anken could tell was of frustration. The coyote felt his face growing a little hot, but he made a point to smile in order to reassure Regnar.

"It's alright, my lord, really. It's already been a few days since the dragon's..." Anken cleared his throat to avoid talking about that. "A-and the slave dog barely touched me before you arrived to save me. I owe you for that."

Prince Regnar just snorted. "Owe me? Psh! If it weren't for you, I'd probably be in my room right now sleeping like a dumb rock!"

This time, it was Anken's eyes who trailed downward.

"If I hadn't insisted in involving you in that matter with the message left in your room, at least you wouldn't be a fugitive in your own kingdom."

Regnar's paw let go of his to touch the coyote's shoulder. It made Anken look up at the taller wolf.

"I'd be in just as much danger as I am right now, I just wouldn't know about it. If anything, I owe you, Ank." Regnar gave the coyote a toothy smile. The wolf put his arm around the coyote's shoulder and pulled him closer before leaning down to nuzzle the top of his head. Anken's tail wagged softly over the bed without him even meaning it to.

"Please, my lord. You give me far too much credit." The coyote let his head rest against the black wolf's bare shoulder. Regnar's signature smell filled his nose. It was such a distinct smell. In a way, it had the same hint of wolf that Anken could smell all over the castle, but at the same time, it had an indistinguishable uniqueness that belonged to the prince alone.

"I already told you that you don't have to be so formal all the time." Though Regnar's words were a reprimand, his tone was very soft. Almost playful. The prince placed a paw over Anken's thigh, then when the coyote looked up at Regnar, he met the prince's muzzle coming towards him.

The kiss was unexpected. It made his heart jump and speed up so fast that he felt like there was pressure in his chest. Yet, at the same time, perhaps he expected it. The coyote let his eyes closed and parted his lips so that their tongues could meet. As always, Regnar took the lead, pressing his larger muzzle against his own and directing the kiss. He pulled the coyote against him, leaving Anken to do little more than let himself feel the warmth of their closeness and the heat of their intimacy.

As their kiss went on, Regnar shifted forward against the coyote too. His hand over Anken's thigh kneaded it, then slowly moved up to the coyote's stomach. The paw pulled Anken's shirt up until it was exposing his abdomen, reaching his chest... and it was only then that the coyote pulled away.

"My lord! You can't possibly be thinking about sex in a time like this?" the coyote asked. His ears were still downed, his face hot and he was still out of breath. The prince gave him one of his smirks. The coyote did, however, pull his shirt back down when Regnar retreated as well. "We're wanted by the whole castle!"

"I didn't say anything about that," Regnar teased in response. Anken's face grew redder right away. A sudden urgency that maybe he had assumed the wrong things and made things awkward overcame him, but before he could say anything prince Regnar quickly leaned forward to give the bridge of his muzzle a lick.

"I don't want sex," the prince said, his voice calm and soothing, "but I do want to relax. I want you to relax. It's been so long since we've had time for ourselves. Don't you want to enjoy it?"

The prince let go of him and, with both paws this time, grabbed the base of his shirt to slowly pull it up. Anken stopped the wolf by placing his paws over his.

"The others are sleeping right there in the other room!" the coyote argued with some urgency. Regnar didn't seem bothered by the notion at all.

"It's alright. Don't you trust me?" As Regnar asked his question, he looked straight at the coyote. His yellow, piercing eyes were filled with confidence, but Anken also couldn't stop his eyes from trailing down to the wolf's chest. Regnar was just so...

He couldn't even find words to describe it in his head.

The wolf's smell was all around him, and with the prince's eyes still looking at him expectedly, Anken slowly took his paws off Regnar's. The black wolf's smile grew and he continued to pull Anken's shirt up, prompting the coyote to lift his arms so that he could take it off. The prince threw his shirt to the side.

"I can't, my lord. I can't do it yet. I'm still not..." Anken said, stammering. He didn't know how to say it, but as he shifted sitting in the bed, he felt the light sting of soreness under his tail. He knew he could not take something up there yet, especially something as sizeable as prince Regnar's was.

"I know," the black wolf said, still smiling. Much to Anken's surprise, the prince stood up, then with the coyote still sitting at the bed's side, went down to his knees in front of him. The black wolf's clawed hands came to carefully undo the laces of the coyote's pants.

"What are you doing?" Anken asked, growing a little nervous. He let Regnar undo his pants and pull them down, then even lifted his rear so that the prince could pull his pants down and out through his legs. It left the coyote sitting naked over the bed. Anken couldn't help but glance up at the room's door. Sure, nobody would burst into a prince's room, but they hadn't even locked it...

"I think it's about time I give something back after everything you've done for me, Ank." the prince spoke with a smirk. His paw came back up to the coyote's thigh. Anken felt a measure of embarrassment coming up over him once more given the fact that, exposed as he was, it was clear to see that the pink tip of his member was visible peeking out of his sheath and, in turn, giving away the measure of his arousal despite his protesting against what they were doing. The little snort Regnar let out was directed towards that, he was sure.

"What does that mean, my lord?" the coyote asked, swallowing. He caught himself being formal again, but he just couldn't help it.

"Give back," Regnar repeated. "I don't think I can be any more clear than that."

The coyote's eyes widened when he saw Regnar's muzzle advancing between his legs. There was a small nuzzle of the prince's cold nose against his exposed flesh. When Anken realized what was going to happen, he opened his muzzle to speak against it, but the lupine's tongue coming straight to the base of his sheath caught him off-guard. Instead, the coyote let out a little mix of a moan and a whine that, in his head, could not be more embarrassing.

Regnar let out a small chuckle. The prince's eyes remained locked up with his shocked ones as he slowly, very slowly, trailed his tongue up from the base of the coyote's sheath until it reached the exposed tip.

"My lord!" Anken said with some urgency. "I- You ca-"

"Shh," Regnar retorted, cutting the coyote off. "Don't say anything. Just feel it, alright? I want to do this." The black wolf's paw slid up from his thigh to grab his sheath and pull it back, exposing the coyote's inevitably growing member. Anken got to see Regnar's muzzle coming forward and, though he was expecting it this time, that smooth canine tongue teasing his growing member directly made him tense up and suppress another moan so that he didn't look so needy.

There were a thousand things he wanted to say. Regnar was a prince! The third prince himself was on his knees right in front of him and licking his cock. Regnar's larger muzzle seemed somehow out of place pressed against his smaller sheath. The coyote's ears were glued down to his head, his heart was pounding, his muscles were tenser than he had ever remembered feeling them being, and yet his entire focus was at the sight of the prince's handsome muzzle nuzzling his cock. The coyote's pink member grew and grew, taking on a slightly redder tone as it hardened. The prince's tongue attacked it with the wolf turning his muzzle sideways so that his long tongue could envelop the growing length. He lapped at it, tugging the coyote's member back and forth as it became stiff.

"You look so cute when you're eager," Regnar said. How unfair that he could throw in such comments after telling Anken to be silent! The coyote felt a renewed wave of heat coming over his face, but also a lump on his throat. There was a lot he wanted to say, yes, but would he be able to even if Regnar hadn't told him not to? His mind, usually so acute to find the right words, felt like a scrambled mess of incomplete thoughts. All he could feel was his heart beating loud on his chest and the twitch of his dick when the prince's tongue met it one more time.

With his member fully hard, the black wolf's hand moved up to grab it at the base. He pulled the coyote's cock down so that it was pointing at his muzzle. Regnar stared at it for a long a second, then his tongue came out to lick his lips once before it advanced. Anken saw how the wolf's lips met his tapered tip, then was embarrassed to notice that his cock throbbed in the prince's hand right away. Regnar held it steady as he continued to, painfully slowly, move forward and take in Anken's cock into his muzzle. The warmth of the prince's muzzle enveloped his cock in a way that had Anken's hands gripping the bedsheets as hard as he could to cope with the pleasure. He could barely bear to look. The coyote closed his eyes, let his head fall back just kept his teeth gritted to keep the sounds he wanted to make inside his throat.

The warmth continued to envelop his cock. The prince took about half of it into his muzzle, then his tongue started to tease the underside of the coyote's cock, buried into that sanctuary of pleasure. The prince took his sweet time with his tongue teasing the upper half and tip of the Anken's malehood inside his muzzle. The coyote was sure that he was leaking precum, but Regnar didn't seem to mind it. The prince's tight grip at the base of his cock keeping it steady was growing tighter by the second as well. Anken could feel his knot starting to swell at the base, still confined to his sheath in a manner that started to grow slightly uncomfortable.

Anken couldn't hold back from moaning when Regnar decided to go further in. He felt more of his cock being enveloped by the prince, still in a glacial pace that left him with an urge to hump forward that was really hard to contain. His body needed more of that pleasure. Anken felt Regnar taking more and more, inch after inch, but then a choking sound made the coyote open his eyes. The prince pulled back from his cock to cough once, then twice.

"My lord! Are you alright?!" Anken asked. The reality of what they were doing started to sink down on him again. The prince. Was sucking. His cock.

Regnar, however, just laughed, even if it meant he coughed one more time. "Yeah, of course! Sorry, I just, uhh, I've never done this before. At least not to somebody else. The slaves make it look so easy, but when I felt your cock deep down there I felt like I couldn't breathe!"

Anken blinked. Regnar had such a fame for his sex prowess, yet he had never... Well, it made sense, when the coyote stopped to consider it. Would he suck a slave's dick? The image of Regnar lying on his bed with some slave working between his legs was easy to come up with, but the other way around just felt, well, as wrong as it was feeling for the coyote.

"You don't have to-" Anken quickly started saying, but this time to cut him off Regnar gave his balls a little squeeze. Not in a hurtful way, but enough to make him flinch and let out a little gasp.

"Quiet. I said I want to," the prince said with resolution. "I'm sorry, I won't let it happen again! You just sit back and enjoy the moment." Despite how nice he was being, Regnar's tone had his usual authority behind it. As if it was some kind of order. Anken reluctantly nodded, ears still folded back, and tried to catch his breath. He kept his eyes on the prince this time. Regnar looked focused when he lowered his muzzle to his cock again to envelop it once more.

The prince took it slow, just like the first time, taking the time to tease and play with the length as he slowly continued to sink back down. Much to the coyote's relief, Regnar seemed to finally realize that his knot was large enough and pulled his sheath back, exposing the engorged bulb of flesh to the chilly air of the room. Regnar's fingers started to knead Anken's knot in a move that worked with every canine. Each little squeeze made the smoothness of that tongue feel ten times as pleasurable.

Yet, still, Anken could see clear as day when Regnar reached the depth that was beyond his comfortable. The prince frowned and, though there was a gargling sound, Regnar didn't relent it this time. His tongue grew clumsier and Anken could see Regnar struggling not to gag, to the point where his eyes started watering a little, but he powered through. The prince did not go further down, however, with roughly three-quarters of the coyote's cock into his muzzle. Regnar suckled at it, swirling his tongue around the length for a while, then pulled back just enough so that the huff of air he let out through his nose signalled that it was easier for him again.

Truth be told, Anken didn't have nearly enough experience receiving blowjobs to make comparisons. Yet, even when the prince moved on to start bobbing up and down the coyote's length, he knew that nips of sharp teeth he felt on his length every now and then were not supposed to be there. The black wolf huffed through his nose, clearly making an effort to keep going as his lips bobbed up and down the coyote's smooth length and, sometimes, he even dared go a bit deeper, but every time he tried it did not work too well for him.

As clumsy as the blowjob was, it was still the wolf's tongue against his cock. It was still prince Regnar's tongue against his cock. That, coupled with the squeezes on his knot and how rare a blowjob was for someone like the coyote, made him start groaning with his pleasure getting to its highest point in a matter of a few short minutes. At first, Anken held back from his orgasm. He felt slightly embarrassed that such a short time had passed and he was already ready to blow. The prince, despite the occasional sharp tooth picking on the coyote's cock, caught him off-guard by suddenly taking more of his length in. Anken looked down with surprise, seeing how Regnar's eyes immediately started watering again. He could practically feel the black wolf's throat spasm from his gagging as the tip of the coyote's cock reached into it. The move, coupled with the hard squeeze on his knot and the way the prince's tongue enveloped his cock, pushed him past the tipping point.

"I'm going t-!" Anken tried to say in order to warn the prince, but it was too late. Even as his orgasm ripped through his body, Anken kept his eyes down on the black wolf. He could see Regnar's surprise when the first thick jet of cum hit his throat, but instead of pulling back the wolf just put up a heavy frown, closed his eyes shut and kept his tongue working. The pleasure it added to the coyote's orgasm was heavenly. He could feel the stimulation from the wolf's smooth appendage through his sensitive cock as several thick ropes of cum came from it. Regnar did pull back a little after a few pumps of the coyote's cock, but he kept the upper half of it into his muzzle until the coyote's pleasure started winding down into a delightful sense of relaxation. His cock started growing sensitive, at which point he flinched over the workings of the wolf's tongue and only then did Regnar slowly pull back.

A tendril of cum ran down the wolf's muzzle. His muzzle was a little puffed, showing he was holding it all inside. Anken saw that Regnar's eyes were still wet, his brows still furred as he brought a paw up to his own neck and then, with what looked like a herculean effort from the wolf's part, loudly swallowed the load of cum. It was followed by a very light, held back cough and a hint of tears, which Regnar quickly wiped out from his eyes as he recovered.

"That is so salty!" the wolf exclaimed.

Anken couldn't help but smile. He took his oversensitive cock into his own paw, wiping some of the drool and spit from it in a gentle way. Anken suddenly felt some embarrassment washing over him again. His knot was fully grown, which would keep him hard like that for a while and when the coyote looked down he saw that there was a clear bulge, very visible under the tight pants that prince Regnar wore. The prince, however, hadn't asked for any pleasure in return. The black wolf wiped his muzzle with the back of his furry arm, again and again, even going as far as wiping his tongue with it in an obvious attempt to get some of the taste out. Anken knew the feeling well.

"I'm sorry, my lord. Are you alright? You really didn't have to do..." Anken started, but this time Regnar didn't even have to say or do anything to cut him off. A sharp, sudden look coming from the kneeling wolf was enough.

"If you say that one more time, I'm gonna kick you out of this room naked and with your knot all out like that." Regnar's tone was threatening, but there was a growl that was obviously playful behind it, as was outlined by his signature smirk. Anken's smile returned and he nodded dutifully.

The prince smiled back at him. There was a glistening drop of white cum stuck to the bottom of the wolf's muzzle that stood out amidst his black fur.

"Come here," Anken said, patting the bed at his side. Regnar moved to sit up. The wolf sat so very close to him that the bulge between his legs was made even more prominent. Still, Anken tried not to stare at it and, instead, reached up with a clawed finger to carefully and gently wipe out the remnants of white cum from the black wolf's muzzle. The way the prince wrinkled his nose at it was cute, which was an adjective that Anken rarely ever tied to third prince Regnar.

"Thanks," the prince just said, letting himself fall back against the puffy bed. The prince's claws came up to gently scratch Anken's back. It felt so relaxing that the coyote let out a soft sigh. He let himself enjoy the caressing for a few moments. The coyote just looked back at the wolf, lying there. Regnar closed his eyes and sighed with satisfaction, but didn't stop the pleasant caressing over the coyote's lower back.

"Where would I be without him?" Anken thought. Regnar had praised his efforts, but if he hadn't gotten to know the prince better he would be the one who'd be oblivious to everything. Anken was sure that he'd be in his bed down on his simple quarters near the scribe office, resting after a day of sitting on a desk writing so that he could spend another day doing the same thing afterwards.

The coyote's expression shifted. Suddenly, that life that had once felt so fulfilling, felt so empty. Anken could understand what Regnar had meant. Being a fugitive and having his whole life and freedom at stake did not seem like as high a price to pay as it should be when it also meant that he could be where he was at that moment.

The coyote placed a paw over Regnar's thigh and kneaded it in a loving way. Prince Regnar thought he owed him, but the wolf had no idea of what he had already given him. Amazing how all of their problems that just a little while ago had seemed to be about to bite their heels could feel so far away. The night was still young and, for once, Anken thought he'd embrace his respite. He'd take it in his own hands.

Regnar was right there. With him. He would let himself enjoy it.

That's why Anken's hand slowly moved up from Regnar's thigh to the visible bulge in his pants. It wasn't as prominent as before anymore, but when Anken's paw fell over it he could still feel the outline of the wolf's sizeable member. Definitely hard and out of its sheath. He gave it a little squeeze, then caressed it over the wolf's pants. Regnar's eyes opened immediately with the wolf also letting out a small groan. Regnar lifted his head to look up at him.

"Ank, you don't have t-" Regnar started, but Anken had the pleasure of cutting him off for once.

"Shh. I want to." Anken smiled and he saw Regnar smiling in return. The black wolf moved to sit up, but Anken didn't stop the light rubbing over the prince's pants. He could feel his member hardening beneath it.

"Are you sure? I mean, you've already..." Regnar started but didn't finish. The wolf just nodded at Anken's still erect but spent member.

"Yes," the coyote promptly answered, with conviction. "If you'll let me, my lord..." For once Anken's tone was playful. He didn't expect Regnar to say no and the way the wolf beamed up was more than enough for both of them. He could see the black, fluffy tail starting to wag again.

Before Regnar could say anything else, it was Anken who took the lead. His touch on the growing bulge between the wolf's legs grew firmer, grasping the outline of the wolf's cock over the fabric and actively stroking it. The coyote, however, also leaned in towards the wolf. With his other arm, he took hold of a bundle of the thick fur around Regnar's neck so that he could gently pull the wolf towards him. Regnar didn't fight against it, letting himself be pulled forward and even looked surprised when the coyote's muzzle met his for another kiss.

The wolf was, as always, quick to get into it. Their tongues met with Regnar's arm coming to envelop his shoulder. Anken allowed him to take control of the kiss and, in return, gave the wolf's growing bulge a few squeezes near the base that had Regnar letting out pleasant little moans through their intertwined tongues.

The coyote was also the first to pull back. Even when he did, Regnar still leaned in a bit further, clearly wanting to continue, before finally giving up and opening his eyes. The coyote was starting to feel a little wetness around his teasing hand.

"Take your pants off," Anken said. Regnar's surprised eyes lingered on him for just a moment, but then the wolf's eager claws moved to undo the laces of his pants so that he could quickly pull them off. Regnar's dark red member jumped out of his undergarments when he did and, even while the wolf struggled to quickly get his pants off legs, Anken already appreciated the sight. The wolf's tapered cock was so distinguishingly canine. It was very similar to his own, yet at the same time, it was so different. Regnar's cock was more... wolfish. Hard as it was, its deep red coloring showed adorned by small visible veins, faint but very much there. Most of all, it was so remarkably thick. The wolf's prominent, black furred sheath was swollen with what Anken knew would be Regnar's sizeable knot, but even without it, the wolf's member was a sight to behold. Prince Regnar was finally able to kick his pants away.

"Sit back," Anken said in the same firm tone. He placed his own hand on Regnar's chest to push him back so that the wolf would lean backward, then he stood up. The coyote longed to just touch the wolf's magnificent cock and, for the first time, he would simply do it. Anken moved to sit on Regnar's lap, but he pushed the wolf to lean back a little more so that he could sit with his back against Regnar's chest and still just above the wolf's sheath and cock. It left the coyote's own furry balls pressed right against Regnar's hidden knot, but left both of their erections sitting right next to each other.

Both canine cocks, red in coloring, and even if Anken's still had the knot inflated to full size and the coyote being slightly elevated, it still looked like a diminutive version of Regnar's, barely reaching it tip against tip. Regnar, being considerably taller than he was, could still look down at them from behind the smaller coyote's shoulder. The wolf's broad, furry chest felt warm against his back.

Anken wasted no time. With both of his hands, he took hold of Regnar's length in front of him, eliciting a new groan of pleasure from the black wolf.

"Damn, Ank," Regnar started behind him. Anken enveloped the wolf's cock with one hand near the base and pulled the wolf's sheath back to expose the inflated knot at the base. That alone made the prince stop to let out a small huff through his nose before he continued, but Regnar only managed one more word. "Damn."

Anken smiled at the reaction. He left his own erection, which was now growing harder and firmer again for different reasons, alone for the moment so he could focus on the wolf's beautiful member.

With his undivided attention on Regnar's malehood, the coyote's deft fingers trailed through the wolf's member. Anken started slowly at first, keeping a steady grip at the base near the growing knot and using his other hand to tease the tip. The little droplet of precum he got from it pleased him. Regnar was content on sitting there and letting him work, but when he used his thumb to give the wolf's cock a gentle rubbing near the tip, it was delightful to hear the wolf behind him clearly trying to stifle a moan.

He repeated the move while also trailing his other hand down the beautiful red pole. The prime of prince Regnar's masculinity. Anken brought his paw, sticky with the wolf's precum, up to his own muzzle so he could give it one long, drawn-out lick. He knew Regnar was watching from over his shoulder. He put a few fingers into his own maw to make sure they were slick with his own saliva before taking hold of the wolf's cock again. The wetness made the dark red cock glisten against the faint candlelight of the room in the most beautiful of ways.

Still, Anken was there to please Regnar, not just to admire him.

The coyote started stroking the wolf's cock. It was a slow stroke at first with just his fingers enveloping the thickness of Regnar's wolfhood and going up and down from the base all the way up to the tip. The wolf's knot grew steady and, before Anken even noticed, he could no longer tell how had it ever fit in the black-furred sheath sitting well beneath it. He continued to stroke the prince's length with vehemence.

"Fuck, Ank..." Regnar groaned behind him. Anken felt the wolf nuzzling the back of his neck. The black wolf sniffed, burying his muzzle at the base of his neck where his fur was thicker and giving it a few slow, warm licks. It made the coyote shiver from the pleasant sensations. He gave his own cock, sitting right over Regnar's, one single stroke with his other hand. Though Anken had just been brought to orgasm moments ago, he saw a faint droplet of precum coming to slicken Regnar's own length right beneath it, joining in with the wolf's own slickness.

It was a different kind of arousal. Anken had been with Regnar. Kissed him, sucked him off and gotten in bed with him several times, but sitting there on his lap gently stroking his cock while the wolf's tongue caressed the back of his neck brought a sense of closeness to the wolf of the likes he hadn't felt before. The coyote felt horny, yes, but at the same time he felt so much more than that.

It was a feeling he couldn't even rationalize. Working on the wolf's cock, he found that he really didn't want to. He just couldn't hold back anymore. Anken sped up his stroking on the wolf's length, other hand joining the first to grab at Regnar's knot. The bulb of flesh was so wide that it didn't even fit in his paw alone. Yet, the coyote gave its side a squeeze, then brought two fingers to gently rub and grind at it in a way that, as expected, made Regnar have to stop to moan again.

Anken leaned forward. Just a little, enough to pull back from Regnar's licking so that he could lean to the side and look at the wolf. That hand teasing his knot stopped so that he could reach up to the wolf's snout over his shoulder. He gently grabbed prince Regnar's muzzle and looked back at the wolf. He saw a glow on the wolf's eyes, an expression of pure pleasure that brought him joy. He could no longer hold back indeed.

For the second time that night, Anken advanced upon prince Regnar's muzzle. He held the wolf's chin steady even if he didn't have to since the wolf definitely didn't seem to have anything against leaning in for their kiss.

Their tongues met again. Anken closed his eyes while they kissed. He never stopped the slow stroke over the wolf's cock, but now he would, on occasion, widen his grip so that it enveloped his own cock as well, pressing both lengths together. He felt Regnar's arms coming around him, enveloping him. One hand came up to the coyote's chest, caressing and feeling the fur there, while the other went down to their lengths.

This time, it was Regnar's stronger paw that squeezed on their knots, both together. Anken couldn't help but huff even through their kiss, but he answered in kind by lowering his other hand to the wolf's length as well so that he could continue his stroking and treatment with both of them again. Regnar let out a moan through their interlocked muzzles that reverberated to his own tongue in the most pleasant of ways.

As they went on kissing, pleasure and time meshed up together in Anken's head. He felt warm in the wolf's embrace. Comfortable. Safe. He realized that the rest of the world might as well not exist. He didn't need anything from it. The coyote's world became that of Regnar's tongue making way inside his muzzle. Of the fire he felt inside him and the pure, carnal pleasure radiating through his body. His grip on the wolf's member grew tighter, firmer, without him even realizing. His stroking grew just a little faster, all while he still kneaded on the wolf's sensitive knot. Each time he managed to make Regnar moan again into their kiss felt like a victory. The joy of bringing this wolf pleasure made his heart flutter inside his chest and, for just one moment, beat even faster than it was already beating.

Anken could not for the life of him tell how much time had gone by when Regnar retreated from his lips, even if just slightly. Their noses were still almost touching. He opened his eyes to saw the wolf's face scrunching up in tone with the louder moan that came from his lips, no longer smothered by the coyote's own.

"Ank... I can't... fuck, I'm fucking close..." Regnar groaned. He could hear it in the wolf's voice. With some semblance of rational thought returning to the coyote, he slowed down his stroking. He realized he had been stroking both lengths together for a while now, even if his cock was only getting one finger of his grip. That explained why he was feeling so damn horny himself as well. Still, the coyote smiled up at the wolf.

"There's no need to hold back, my lord. Please."

Anken sped up the stroking. He focused on Regnar's member alone, making sure his grip was tight and that his hand covered the whole of the wolf's throbbing, veiny member. It felt hot in his hand and sticky with the wolf's own precum. With a glance downward, the coyote saw that the wolf's knot had inflated to full size, dwarfing his own above it.

Regnar's moan was louder this time. So much that for a second Anken worried that someone outside might hear it. The coyote promptly advanced upon the wolf to initiate another kiss, which Regnar responded to, as he always did, but lazily. Spying with one eye he could see the wolf's expression softening, giving in to the deep pleasure of his impending orgasm.

Anken's other hand came down to give the behind of the wolf's knot a hard squeeze. The final push he knew every canine needed. At the same time, he pressed his muzzle harder into Regnar's, shoved his tongue into the wolf's muzzle and, in turn, felt the vibrations of the wolf's orgasmic moaning on his own teeth.

Regnar's arm enveloping him squeezed him close to the wolf's chest in a gentle way as the black wolf's climax hit him. He could feel each of Regnar's muscles tensing up. His thighs beneath his own, his chest against his back, his biceps holding on to him. Every single one of them pulled up and then relaxed in perfect synchronization with the way the wolf's cock started pulsing. Anken never stopped stroking Regnar's cock. He didn't care that the first shot of cum flew up to land on the floor, nor that, as it continued to pulse in orgasm, a flood of warm, sticky wolf cum started washing over his hand stroking the wolf's cumming member.

The only thing Anken cared about was the wolf moaning in pleasure through their kiss.

Each tiny sharp inhale and each light groan from Regnar brought pleasure to Anken himself. The blissful climax lasted only a few seconds and when Regnar's muscles started to threaten to tense up again, he knew that pleasure was giving way to sensitivity, so the coyote started slowing down his stroking, little by little, and broke off his kiss so that the big wolf could catch his breath.

"F..." Regnar panted, out of breath. "...fuck."

The reaction made Anken smile. He brought his hand, covered in wolf cum, up. Regnar's cock looked even more impressive in his afterglow than before. The canine member, engorged and still pulsing ever so slightly, had its knot grown as large as it could be. White pearls of shining cum were still adorning its tip. Anken saw that they had made a bit of a mess on the floor beside the bed and the smell of wolf and sex grew heavy in the air, but he wasn't particularly inclined to care about that at that moment. The coyote let his head fall back against the base of Regnar's neck and shoulder and just grew content in feeling how soft his fur was.

It surprised him when Regnar's other hand returned to their lengths once more. He could feel the wolf wince when he grabbed at his own, but then that larger, black-furred paw took hold of Anken's cock above it instead. Unlike him, Regnar had no reservation about taking a good grip of it and starting to stroke it as well. Anken couldn't help but groan himself.

"My lord, you don't have to- I already did that!" the coyote protested. Regnar, as usual, didn't listen to him. He continued to stroke him. The wolf knew as well as he did that after the pleasure of their whole ordeal, Anken was as close to cumming as he had been, having released his seed once before or not.

"I want to. I want you to cum over my spent cock. C'mon..." Regnar said. He saw the wolf looking down over his shoulder at it as he stroked the coyote's smaller length above his own. As always, the black wolf's paw held that confidence. That certainty, determination, masculinity. Regnar's paw was rougher and Anken found that, as always, he could not resist it.

It took barely a minute before Anken had to hold back from moaning out loud again. He pressed his muzzle against the thick of the wolf's neck and his back against Regnar's chest as he came. Being the second time that night, Anken's orgasm was more of a dribble of cum that ran down Regnar's larger length beneath it, mixing in with the wolf's own with some of it sticking to the wolf's length while the rest dribbled down the lupine's knot and balls beneath it. Also for the second time that night, Anken felt the heavenly bliss of an orgasm in prince Regnar's hands.

The coyote felt his whole body relax on its own volition as it ended. Regnar's sticky clawed hand retreated from his twitching length. Anken let his head rest against the wolf's broad chest, glancing up at him. Regnar, still smirking like the deviant he was, brought his hand up to lick the cum off his fingers. The sight made Anken's spent cock twitch one more time.

"Still salty," the wolf declared, playfully. Anken let out a small laugh.

The black wolf's arms enveloped him one more time, then the coyote felt himself getting pulled back as the big wolf let himself fall back over the bed and brought the coyote with him. Anken shifted to the side, getting off from the black wolf to lie at his side instead. Regnar's fur was fluffy, but the muscles beneath it were hard and stiff. The coyote was content in resting his head on the black wolf's arm by his side. Regnar didn't seem to mind in the least that his red cock was still pulsing and covered in spunk.

"Rest with me. Stay the night," Regnar said. The black wolf's arm came beneath his neck to envelop him and pull him closer. Anken let his head rest against the side of the prince's broader chest, feeling the softness of his fur.

Anken thought about it. In the afterglow of his orgasm, new thoughts started popping in his mind. Not thoughts about the myriad of problems they were facing or all the danger they were under. Instead, the coyote thought about how wonderful being Regnar was and then he tried to figure out why that made his heart ache with want instead of beating with joy. The coyote was quick to realize he knew what was wrong. Just as he'd always known.

"I shouldn't," the coyote all but mumbled in response. "The others will notice. What are they going to think? What will lord Zayn think?" Despite his denial, Anken pressed himself just a little harder against the black wolf.

"Who cares?" Regnar asked, his tone as dismissive as ever. Anken had already been expecting that response.

"Both you and I should care, my lord," the coyote said with a sigh. Anken lifted himself up to support himself on an elbow so that he could look at prince Regnar. The coyote's ears were folded back in distress. "...What are we doing here?"

Regnar gave him a confused look. He expected that as well. "Whaddya mean? Isn't it obvious?" The black wolf licked his lips and smirked playfully to make his points. Anken, however, just shook his head.

"Yes, but..." the coyote sighed. "Let's say we beat the dragons. And lord Rael. Let's say all of them, somehow, disappear and the kingdom stays in king Ruvel's hands safe and sound. Then what?"

Regnar's look of confusion did not change. The wolf even tipped his head slightly to the side, giving the coyote a funny look. "Then everything goes back to normal!"

"That's exactly what I mean," Anken answered, looking away. His ears fell back yet a little further. "Don't get me wrong. All I want is for things to go back to normal. If lord Rael were to come out on top, or worse, if the dragons did, then I can't even begin to think about what would happen to us. I m-mean, to me."

"I wouldn't let anyone harm you no matter what," Regnar said right away. Anken glanced at him to see a serious frown on the prince's face. The coyote couldn't help but let out a weak smile.

"Thank you, my lord..." Anken said, resigning. He scooted closer to the prince to lie his head over the black wolf's shoulder. Prince Regnar's arm came to envelop him again in response. The coyote brought his hand up to the prince's chest, caressing the thick fur.

"You worry too much, Ank. We both just cummed our brains out, you twice, and you're still worrying," the prince said with a chuckle. "You're helpless, you know that?"

Anken's smile grew ever so slightly. He gave the prince a small nod in response. The coyote let the seconds go by, just lying there with the prince and letting himself enjoy every aspect of him. From his warmth to his smell, everything about the black wolf was soothing to him. He felt... safe. How could he not? The seconds became minutes and the minutes multiplied with neither of them saying anything.

And yet, at the back of the coyote's mind, that thought still gnawed at him. The same thought that never left his head when he was with prince Regnar. If everything went back to normal, then instead of them being two fugitives, Anken would go back to being a scribe and Regnar would go back to being a prince. What would happen then? Anken would probably continue to be a concubine in prince Regnar's bed whenever he was in the mood for a coyote, wouldn't he? Or would he be... more?

That thought seemed ridiculous to his him. What else could he possibly be? He was a scribe. A male. A nobody. Prince Regnar's way of thinking was different from that of the other princes, yes, but he was still a prince nonetheless. The logical part of Anken's mind, the one in which he relied so heavily upon, told him the way things were, yet for the first time those thoughts made his heart wrench and twist inside his chest. He knew from the beginning that he was not supposed to let things get so far, so why had he let them?

Without him realizing, a single wet tear had fallen down on the black wolf's fur. Anken quickly sniffled and brought a hand up to wipe his eyes. Regnar, however, lifted his head right away to look up at him with concern.

"Are you alright? What's wrong?" The prince moved to sit up, which prompted him to move as well. Anken quickly wiped out the rest of the wetness from beneath his eyes and shook his head.

"I'm fine, my lord. I'm sorry," he quickly said. Regnar's look of concern didn't vanish, though.

"Are you sure? If you need something, anything, I'll go get Zayn. Fuck the guards, fuck Rael, I'll find him."

The simple resolution in Regnar's voice was enough to make him smile. As Anken looked up at the prince's worried expression and downed ears, he realized that he couldn't just ignore everything Regnar was doing for him. Why had he tried so hard to give him a blowjob? Why did he worry so much about him? Why had he gone through the trouble to go back to the dungeons to find him after he had been arrested? These were factors that the coyote hadn't taken into account in his mind. Sure, they were loose factors. They could mean everything or they could mean nothing, but the fact that they were there was enough to him. For now.

"I don't need anything," Anken answered. He moved to hug the black wolf, pressing himself against the prince as hard as he could. Maybe he ought to be a little more like Regnar was and enjoy what he had without thinking about what it could become. The prince was definitely surprised by his move, but the black wolf's tail resumed its back and forth over the bed.

"What's gotten into you? Are you sure you're alright?" the prince asked, to which Anken nodded without letting go of him.

"Yes. I have everything I need right here," Anken said. He felt his face blushing a little for how forward he was being. Part of him was still afraid of the things he had always been afraid of. What would Regnar think of him saying that? What would he take from it? What would he tell the others if he spent the night with prince Regnar just like that?

Anken pushed those thoughts right out of his head. He had decided to let himself enjoy things while he could. He needed to stop being a fool and let himself actually do that.

"I'll stay the night," the coyote announced, pulling back from the black wolf. A smile was quick to grow on the prince's muzzle.

"Great!" Regnar just said. Anken watched as the black wolf awkwardly took hold of his still erect, knotted length and used the very sheets at the corner of the bed to wipe off all the cum in it. He saw how Regnar bit his lip due to the oversensitivity of it as he gently rubbed it.

"So crude," Anken thought, shaking his head but smiling. "Some people would doubt he holds the title of prince." The coyote decided not to comment on the act.

When Regnar deemed himself satisfied, he crawled back up on the large bed and laid down at the middle, patting the bed on his side and looking at the coyote expectantly. Anken was happy to oblige the wolf, lying down by his side only to quickly find himself getting enveloped and pulled towards the black wolf. Regnar's body was so warm that he barely needed any of the covers the black wolf pulled over them.

Without Anken expecting it, the wolf's muzzle was suddenly against his own to kiss him again. The coyote let himself get into it just so that he could feel the world fading around him just one more time. It felt far too quick for his tastes. Regnar pulled back, gave him one more lick right on the side of his muzzle, then settled down on his pillow while pulling the smaller coyote even tighter against his chest. Anken could still feel the whole of their bodies pressed together, including both of their spent erections between them. Damn those stubborn knots...

Regnar sighed. "Thanks, Ank," the wolf said with his voice tired. Anken nestled against the wolf and made himself comfortable. He was quick to realize he was more tired than he thought he was.

The coyote fell sleep overcoming him far faster than he thought it would. None of his problems or doubts were solved, but he found that indeed, for just one night, he could pretend they didn't exist.