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I agonised over sending it.

Sorry.

It wasn't a good message but it was one I had to send. Regret gnawed at me. It had been days since I'd had my date with Hope but I flaked on her the instant Ralph made his body available to me. I'd never felt stupider. Everything I'd done since then only felt like it worsened the feeling of regret.

Why? She replied. I stared at the word. Why had I bailed on her? Or why was I sorry?

No games Jason, if you're not into me it's fine. Awful way to go about it, but fine.

The regret constricted my lungs. I needed to put it somewhere and maybe this was unfair. I wasn't sure. At this point I didn't really care, someone else had to know the truth.

I'm into you. But I'm fucking my friend's ex behind his back. He stalked me to the concert and I went to fuck him in the bathroom. Not because I'm not into you but because I can't control myself. That's the truth.

My heart ached as I waited for her response, but telling her felt good in a way I couldn't describe. She'd tell me exactly what I deserved. Guilt hung over me like an axe waiting to fall. I braced as she started typing a response. I watched the dancing dots in the chatbox for minutes, only just as I convinced myself I was ready to hear anything she had to say the app froze for a moment and kicked me back to my message list.

I stared at my phone, confused for only a second. She'd blocked me. The realisation was an icicle in my chest. I was incredulous as I raced to my laptop and pulled up one of the social media sites she frequented. She hadn't blocked me there yet. I dove into my messages, about to beg her to say something but I froze.

A day ago an account with a black display picture and a gibberish name had messaged me a black cat emoji. I twinged. Ralph. He'd admitted to stalking me over social media but it never crossed my mind he might use it to contact me. No proof of anything we said here would show up on my phone's message logs. I blinked and sent back a cow emoji, my heart suddenly raced.

I shook my head in disbelief. I glanced about my inbox, disoriented for a moment. I'd come searching for something. Hope. I stared at my monitor, she'd been there a second ago. Icy dread filled me. I'd lost my chance.

I sucked in a long breath. I think I knew I never had a chance in the first place but it was hard not to hope. I hung my head, not entirely sure I knew what to feel. A ping grabbed my attention. Ralph had sent me a response.

You've got a stalker :3

A rush of emotions swept through me. In a blink I moved from concern to humor to lust. I chuckled to myself as I replied.

Where's he going to follow me next then?

I hadn't anticipated the way that might be interpreted until he responded.

Hopefully to Orson Park at say maybe 1pm today or tomorrow or as soon as possible

I stared at the reply. I turned it over in my head, why did I bother with anyone else? He was the most beautiful person to ever want me. My cock gave an impulsive throb. We'd wind up fucking. Of course we would, because everything was easy with him. A thought of Max made my head pang. Almost everything.

I searched up the park, it was a decent drive away, near the outskirts of the city. It bordered on a big nature reserve which was heavily wooded. I stared at an image of the forest and an anticipatory laugh slipped out of me. I was going to fuck him against a tree.

Today. See you at 1.

A huge smile lit up my face, my cock flexed instinctively in my pants. I picked up my phone and texted a quick cancellation to the two clients I was meant to train today, they could wait. I gave a contented sigh as I stood and tugged the waist of my pants down to free my hardening cock. It sat heavy in my hand as it grew to its full nine and a half inches. I jerked it idly, delighting in the sensation it sent through my body.

A thought occurred. There was no red tape here. I used my laptop's camera to snap a photo of it and sent it to Ralph with no context. He saw it immediately.

holy shit i always forget how big it is

My cock throbbed, all I could think of was him needing two hands to hold it fully. I stroked myself as I replied.

Sneaky little slut's taking me into the woods. A locker room and a university bathroom weren't exposed enough for you?

I wasn't even sure why I taunted him. I think I was seeking confirmation that we would fuck.

:3, came his reply. And that was all. I stared at the emoticon, once was a time when I decided I'd never trust any woman who used that face. It signalled to me they were trying too hard to look cute, but from Ralph it seemed both playful and mockingly innocent.

I could almost hear Max's voice chiding me over such a thought, but that disconnect felt valid. Ralph put out. I furrowed my brow as I tried to rationalize it to myself. Perhaps it was silly that I'd ever held such strong thoughts over the use of an emoticon.

As with so many things in my recent life, I chalked it up to newfound maturity and comfort in myself. But as that thought formed, I could once again envision Max tearing chunks out of my certainty with calculated words.

I chewed my lip, arousal forgotten. Maybe I understood more of Ralph's trepidation around the snow leopard than I thought. I'd been avoiding Max since my failed date with Hope. I didn't want to tell him I fucked up, I especially didn't want him to find out why.

I blinked. That anxiety had congealed into sour thoughts about Max which I didn't necessarily believe. I drew a lengthy breath to steady myself. It was fine. Max wouldn't find out about Ralph and I, hell, maybe I'd pay him a visit tonight. I could use some cuddles and relaxation after Hope.

A filthy grin crossed my face. I'd probably need a lengthy shower first.

Orson Park hardly seemed to be a park. There was a singular picnic table in a clearing near the carpark, next to a billboard that highlighted a few hiking trails. Otherwise, forest spilled out in front of me.

It was five past 1pm, and Ralph wasn't here yet.

I sat in my car with the engine running, unsure exactly what to do with myself. Gabbie had liked nature walks and picnics and seeing new places and other things which most people regarded as normal but seemed truly boring to me.

I drummed at my steering wheel and abruptly stopped once I realized I'd been tapping along to the memory of a song I'd heard at the concert I'd gone to with Hope. I shuffled uncomfortably in my car and waited. The song had been about opportunities lost in the haze of psychedelics.

I pulled a breath into my lungs and held it. Ralph was the most stimulating drug I'd been on. He made the things Max and I did feel mundane. Shagging my neighbor seemed as normal as breathing when I sized the two side by side in my mind.

I'd been burned so many times chasing good things, but I'd only ever been burned by the women I'd chased. The ceaseless drive for shared pleasure was mutual with Ralph. I just didn't know much about him in particular.

This date could help clarify something for me. I just wasn't sure what I wanted to know. I couldn't just fuck him. I mean, I could. But he told me he loved me. Even I'd feel bad about exploiting that with no intent to reciprocate.

I wanted to open up to him and see what romance with another guy felt like. Would it be different? So far there were almost no similarities at all. Where I used to have to hesitate and move cautiously in courting a girl's heart, Ralph had already beaten my impulses to charge head first. And I liked that.

As strange as his confession of love seemed to me in the moment, I think I was coming to appreciate that he'd told me. It broke every convention of dating I'd ever known but it gave me the power to direct my thoughts and decide what I'd do about it all.

I stared at the wall of trees through my windshield, evidently I'd decided I liked it. But did I love it?

As I pondered the thought, another car pulled up and dropped him off. I caught his golden eyes in my rear view mirror, licked my lips and rose from my car. He spread his arms as he walked close to me. I wrapped him in a hug that lifted him from his feet as I nuzzled his neck. He smelled faintly of rose and sweet almond, the delicate scent hardly differed from the sweet bodywashes my female partners had used. Something stirred in my loins- my breath caught in my throat.

The only thing that stopped me from tearing his clothes off and taking him was myself. He cooed gently as he pressed his paws against my head and kissed the side of my muzzle. A furious rush of arousal coursed through me.

I ached to chase it, but I steeled myself against it and put him down.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." He looked up at me, the briefest hint of hurt in his voice like I'd wounded him by not rutting him in greeting.

"No worries." I grinned down on him with forced mirth to displace the hunger in my stare. I wanted at least a little bit of a date before I had him curled in- I cleared my throat and pushed my thoughts in another direction. "So what's the plan?"

"Plan?" A gleam of white broke the black fur of his face. The mischievous smile was full of sexual intent. I couldn't help the way my own grin strained my lips with desire.

"Thought that might be the case." I caged an arm around his shoulders and chauffeured him towards the treeline. "Why don't we wander a little and talk?"

"I guess." His brow furrowed like the idea was outlandish. "I get kinda... oh." He snickered. "I see."

"Hmm?" I felt I knew exactly where he was going with this.

"I get sweaty if I have to walk far." He looked up at me adoringly. "Guess you like that."

"Maybe." I licked my lips. "But my intent is pure, actually. Tell me about yourself." I started walking. He followed hesitantly. The dappled sunlight spotted our darker coats past the treeline. I took easy strides which he had to pace to keep up with.

"Um." He wrinkled his nose. "I'm Ralph. I like bulls." He shot me a guarded look. "What do you want to know?"

"I dunno." I grit my teeth at the awkwardness. "Do you like movies?"

"No."

"TV?"

"Same thing, so no."

I winced. "Music?"

"Actually I just went to a concert a few days ago and I had a great time."

I lightened at that. "Oh really? Tell me about it."

A silence followed. "You were there."

I blinked. "Fuck me I thought you were... whatever." I laughed it off. "Sports maybe?"

He shrugged. "Too distracting. Too many hot men who are far more enjoyable to watch."

It was something. "Right, uh. Do you like anything besides watching hot men?"

"Fucking them."

I snorted. "Should've expected that. So no hobbies then?" The question hung heavy in the air, I felt him react almost coldly to it. I cleared my throat. "Nothing wrong with that, um. What do you do for work?"

Another silence stretched beside me. "I dunno what to tell you," he said weakly. "I used to want to be a dancer."

I hesitated, maybe I was being too direct. "A dancer in the same way Max was a 'dancer'?"

He froze in his tracks. "Mhm."

I stood still, the forest was silent around us. "Is um, is he the reason you don't want that anymore?"

Ralph shrugged. "I like making people happy, alright. And that's something I've learned makes me vulnerable, so I'm a lot more selective than I used to be." He spoke the last few words in the quiet voice he used around Max.

I drew in a lengthy breath. "Ralph?"

"Hmm?" His eyes were sharp and unwelcoming.

"My bad." I shot him a meek smile. "I know you don't, like, whatever. Won't happen again."

He tilted his head. "It's okay." He bumped his snout against my arm. "I'm so bad at conversation, I know."

I ruffled a meaty hand over his head. "Same. So, I'll make it interesting." A wild grin split my face. "Tell me something I don't know about you and I'll take something off." I shot a hand towards him to broker the deal.

He shoved his paw forward, shook and blurted words in a rapid stream with his hand still in mine. "I'm 33, I can't stomach caffeine and I've made like twenty gallons of hooch."

I blinked. Fuck me he was older than Max. I was certain he'd be younger, but I really shouldn't be surprised. I grasped my shirt in a handful and counted the articles of clothing I wore. Shirt, shorts, underwear. Fuck. "Hooch?" I yanked my shirt off and tossed it over his head.

He let it fall to the ground, his golden stare traced the muscles of my chest.

"Why so much hooch?"

"A hobby, perhaps." He flicked a smile my way, it melted my heart.

"Cool." Excitement fluttered in my chest. "You should tell me more."

He squinted at me. "You need to strip more, or has he-"

"Please, humor me." I shot him a pleading look.

He hmphed. "It was just something to keep me busy during a hard time."

I nodded slowly and waited.

"Didn't drink much, if you were wondering." He sighed and stared up at the canopy. "Mmm." He took a shallow breath. "It's hard for me to open up because I've kinda messed up a lot." I seized onto that common ground.

"I feel you there." I flexed an arm for him and delighted at how his eyes followed the movement. "These didn't come about from getting where I wanted out of school or anything like that."

"Well, at least you've something to show for it." He averted his gaze, a sad smile tugged at his lips. My heart panged. I was wracking my brain for everything Max had said about him, he'd been through a rough time. I think I lacked the sensitivity to handle that meaningfully. I wanted to say something about how his experiences gave him something desirable but I didn't trust I even understood what I'd mean by it.

Instead I put a hand on his shoulder. "You can tell me anything, any time. No pressure, alright?" It seemed suitable at first but I don't think it gave him any reason to open up either.

"I want to say one thing." He nudged my hand off of him. "You make me feel alive in a way I haven't felt in years."

A smile broke on my face. "You damn well better know I feel the same." I cast my gaze down between my legs and nudged the semi in my pants. He giggled, my cock throbbed. It really was just an inevitability when we were together.

I tugged both my pants and underwear down in a single motion. I stood naked before him and the immediacy with which his gaze whipped towards my cock only encouraged it to harden faster.

A breeze rustled the branches of the trees and sent a shiver through me. I hadn't made a habit of getting naked in public before I met him. I wasn't even sure I liked it in particular, but the rush of taking him wherever whenever was undeniable.

"You should tell me more about your brewing," I suggested half-heartedly.

He ignored the request as he reached for my cock. A small part of me wanted an answer, the rest of me glowed at the warm contact of his paw.

I don't know how he managed it every time, but he stared up at me with a look of innocence that sent me wild. He pawed at my cock curiously like it was his first time touching one.

The thought ricocheted off of another in a chain reaction too fast for me to direct. Synapses fired, seeking confirmation that somehow he was a virgin; he hadn't touched a cock before because he was a girl.

I stared at him like the role I'd cast him in was as real and true as his little black paw stroking my cock. Excitement gathered in every muscle throughout my both. My jaw was tense as I watched him walk his fingers over me. I couldn't wait longer. "Taste it." I thrust my cock towards his lips like I was offering a treat. His pink tongue darted out. I sucked a tight breath as pleasure gripped my chest. "Good girl," I cooed.

As soon as the words left my mouth he moaned a pitch higher than usual and flicked his tongue hungrily at me. All it took was two words for him to assume the role I'd put him in.

I pushed him back against the trunk of the tree and grinned hungrily down on him. We hadn't made it far enough in the woods, nor even ventured from a trail. Our privacy was dependent on nobody else taking this walk. A thought dazed me. Maybe I wanted someone to witness how I'd fuck my little whore in a tantilizing inverse of the day I met Ralph, I wanted them to barge in on us and join.

Me wanting it made it too easy to assume that Ralph wanted it too. Perhaps that was even where his preference for public sex stemmed from. I growled as I thrust against his face. My thick cock marked his black fur with silvery streaks of his spit and my precum.

He leant in to lap at my balls. His thin tongue was warm and the length of my cock was treated to the soft sensation of the fur between his ears. He was so dedicated I knew he'd refuse me nothing I wanted.

A perverse thought rung through my skull. My fingers twitched and I felt as though I was salivating. I turned without warning and pressed my ass against his face. His wet nose bumped my hole and a shudder ran the length of my body as I lowed.

"That feels so good." I was jittery as I pushed weight back against him and trapped his head between my ass and the tree. He made flittery sound as he started eating me out, each coarse stroke of his tongue made my knees weak.

My tail brushed back and forth across his head which brought a flick of his ears at each swish. Something about annoying him while he was forced to lick my asshole brought the widest grin to my face. "Good girl," I spoke in the same gentle cadence I'd used earlier but accentuated the praise with a rough shake of my hips. I sought his limits, but he made my gestures seem weak because he purred and pressed his tongue even firmer into me.

I exhaled loudly and a drop of pre fell from my tip. I almost jumped when I saw his pink paws rising to grasp at the base of my cock. "Fuck." I gasped under my breath as he started stroking me in uneven tugs that wrung so much pleasure from me I had to close my eyes and clench fists to feel even a semblance of control over my own body.

His tongue pressed deeper into my hole. I lowed and rocked backwards, briefly forcing him out but he chased after me with direct intent I wasn't prepared for. I stumbled and he nudged me. I toppled onto my side and rolled onto my back. Before I could even orient myself I felt the warm swipe of his tongue against my cock.

I gasped about the forest floor, writhing as he licked me. His little paws formed a ring which stroked the base of my cock. He crouched between my thighs, his head pitched forward as he lapped at me in uneven strokes. I couldn't keep up.

With each motion I lost ground until I was clutching fistfuls of leaf litter.

He didn't flinch as I gasped, my chest tightened and my hips raised. I shot a load across his face. He kept licking as a second spurt coated the side of his muzzle. He sniffed as he tilted his head and licked it up, then returned to lapping at me.

I moaned under him, thoughts aflame with lingering lust. He'd keep going. His warm tongue flicked over my slit, drawing the final sticky drops of my orgasm out. My hand fell to the side of his face and moaned again. I scratched my thumb against the base of his ear, grinning as he kept licking me ceaselessly. The scattershot round of fireworks that was my orgasm receded, leaving me panting and full of warmth.

He'd keep going until I shot another load across his face and I was almost content to let him. His insatiable need to please me mirrored my insatiable desire to be pleased. There was more I wanted to do, though it was hard to pull myself from the coarse strokes of his tongue.

It almost hurt to nudge him away from me. I grinned up at him. He was far too clothed for my liking. I crouched in front of him, staring up at his face with daring intent. I placed a hand on the waist of his shorts, surprise lit up his eyes. I didn't know if it was real or genuine as I bared his flesh.

His five inch cock pointed right towards my muzzle, the perfect helmet shape of it was slick with precum. I lashed my broad tongue across his tip. He gasped and buckled, only staying on his feet because he steadied himself against my horns.

I rumbled as I savored the sweetness of his body. I'd never been one to give head, but this felt different. I had to taste the excitement his body produced. I had to know what he felt like. "Such a sweet girl." No dissonance crossed my mind as I nosed at his cock and sniffed it. He jittered at the warm sensation of my breath.

I opened my mouth and cupped his entire length in my tongue. He squirmed where he stood, his fingers clenched my horns harder. I shifted to drag my tongue across his nuts. They felt so small compared to mine, he was like a toy.

A rush of desire shot through me as my tongue curled under his balls. I could taste his taint, but my hunger rode past it. I wanted to fuck him. I wanted to spin him in my hands and stretch his hole with my tongue before I bent him over and pumped him full of bull cum.

It was hard to wrench myself back to focus on what I intended first.

"Like that?" My voice was low. He gasped in a feminine pitch, the sound tugged a rumble out of me as I swallowed him and rolled his cock in my mouth. He moaned as he quivered, his feet braced in the dirt as the forward press of my body challenged the fragile stance he held.

He was more off balance than I anticipated. His pleasing me had brought him closer than I thought, the realization only excited me further. I rocked my head in a fervor, my lips smacked against the base of his cock. I was dimly aware of him yanking his shirt off, then his paw clutched to his chest as he withstood the pleasure I gave him.

I fumbled a hand up his body and seized one of his nipples. He crumpled over me as his cock gave a tantilizing throb. The reaction only urged me on.

I pulled back and squeezed both his nipples, my mouth agape. His entire body shook as a whimper sprung from his lips. His cock gave a final throb as his orgasm sprayed across my tongue. I leant back, satisfied as the salty globs coated my palate. I was about to swallow his load but an idea sprung to mind.

He doubled over me, holding onto my head as he tried to catch his breath. I gave him no reprieve as I turned him around, lifted his tail and spread his pink hole. The sight and sense of his soft black furred cheeks in my hand around his delicate flesh pulled taut sent arousal roaring through me. I speared my tongue into him and coated his hole in his own seed.

I'd intended to prepare him further but desire demanded I lurch to my feet. My thick cock was a poor fit for the narrow groove of his ass, but that only made me want him more. I braced an arm across his chest as I wrenched his tail out of the way and rubbed my cock between his cheeks, exhaling pleasantly at the slippery sensation of his cum. What possessed my mind as some interluding foreplay instead sent urgent jolts of pleasure rushing through me.

My meaty hand cupped his cheeks as I kept thrusting along his crack. He glanced back at me, his mouth open wide as he moaned. It almost felt cruel to keep him waiting.

I spread his ass and speared into his pink hole. The surge of warmth that raced through my body sent my fingers quivering. His eyed widened as he gasped.

"Good girl," I rumbled as I sank into him. Nine inches pressed deep into him with more resistance than he'd offered me before. I only growled at the tightness of his body, it would soon yield to me. I worked my cock inside him, being far too forceful on the downswings. He stumbled forward with each thrust as I walked him towards a tree. He whimpered under the force and I relished every sound. All I could see, hear and feel was lust.

His claws scraped at the trunk of a tree as he floundered for something to hold onto. I pumped hard into his ass and lowed at the firmer sensation of his body braced against the tree. I thrust a few steady strokes which took my lust as kindling for a roaring blaze of passion. I lost pace immediately. I jerked my hips, staring in wonder as the rim of his hole tugged at my shaft. He was tight and tense and warm and loud as I worked myself against him in a faltering beat.

Each thrust raised within me a whirl of pleasure which clutched me firmer as he answered each thrust with a staccato gasp that cracked his voice and was shadowed by a rushed intake of breath. My hands found his shoulders and he felt tiny in my grasp. A growl rose in my throat as I pumped into him even harder and faster.

My balls slapped his taint in a chaotic, ceaseless rhythm. The sound echoed through the forest, percussive and wet as I thrust into his cum-soaked hole. I threw back my head and roared between panting breaths. I forced myself into him with such ceaseless fervor the muscles in my back ached.

His claws gripped the bark of the tree, leaving quivering gouges that adjusted with every weighty thrust of my hips. I'd pushed him even further against it, his body crushed between me and the trunk. He poked his ass back at me to lift his cock away from the rough surface.

I don't know how or when I came to grasp his prick in my meaty hand but I squeezed it as I railed him. He squealed in my hold, the sound the perfect pitch between pain and pleasure.

It sent me wild. I caught glimpses of what I did to him like a slideshow in my mind, each frame a perfect picture of passion. All motion between each glimpse fell from my memory, surrendered to the pleasure.

I remember the deep, primal welling of feeling within me clearly.

My cock throbbed so violently I staggered and shouted. The first spurt of cum painted his guts. I shivered, caught in a lengthy exhalation as I pulled out. The second spurt landed across his cheeks. I collapsed forward and braced against the tree. My cock jumped as it sprayed a third spurt up his back. My vision wavered as I swayed, heaving in tight breaths. My lungs burned with exertion and I lingered as I tried to fill them.

I jolted as I felt his tongue stroke the underside of my cock. I hadn't been aware he'd moved. A surge of pleasure cracked like lightning through me as he licked me again. My arms wrapped around the tree to give me the strength to keep me upright, and there I stayed for minutes while his little tongue bathed my cock.

Dimly, I was aware of his own cum coating my hand.

I crept down the tree and turned so my back rested against it. Ralph moved to lie in my lap, his paws grasped for my cock. In a daze I licked his cum off of my hand and surrendered once more to his eager tongue.

Minutes melted away in a pleasant haze of overwhelm. I snatched him and crushed him in my arms while I planted a dozen kisses on his neck. I had no grasp of time but the sweat down my forehead and chest had started to cool in the gentle breeze when I finally spoke.

"That was the most intense orgasm I've had maybe ever." I imparted the words with a direct kiss on his cheek.

His only response was to exhale and nod. He stared off into the distance and rested his head against my chest for a time. "Yeah." It came detached from my statement, like his brain had only just caught up to his body. "Yeah," he said again.

I laughed as I stood and dragged him to his feet. His clothes sat in a pile a dozen steps away, mine were even further past them. We dressed in silence. A breeze rustled the leaves, the gentle sound echoed as tingles throughout my entire body. It felt like a post-workout rush. As my shirt fell against the sweat of my body, I couldn't deny it. I swung around to face Ralph, beaming at him.

"If you're angling to make me into public sex, it's working."

He shot back a faint grin. "Um. It's actually just my place is a mess and I don't wanna invite myself over to yours."

I squinted at him as he stepped over to nuzzle against my side. For an explanation, it almost fit well but I was unconvinced. I placed a hand over his shoulder and swung towards the path that led deeper into the forest. He halted in his tracks.

"Um, I think I gotta go." He whipped his phone out and flashed his lockscreen for a fraction of a second, way too fast to discern anything other than that he had a message. "Yep. Sorry." He gave me a sad look.

"Oh." That robbed the wind from my sails. "Alright, no worries." I blinked. We had rushed into this date almost entirely unplanned, if he was busy that was fine. I just wanted it to be more than sex and I didn't expect him to be busy. Especially with what little he told me earlier. Amidst the calm of the afterglow, it stung a lot more than I anticipated.

His frown deepened as he recognized I might've been caught off guard. He sounded apologetic as he started talking. "The hooch was a thing my father liked. He'd brew things you couldn't buy, weird stuff. Um, he passed ages ago without teaching me, but the last couple years I kinda needed an outlet and some comfort. It was interesting, I guess. Something to do when options were limited. Nice to remember him and think about... stuff. I just wanted to try it and some people I knew appreciated the drinks. Couldn't stomach them myself."

"Right. Cool." I nodded sagely, as if it made much sense to me. It was nice to learn something about his motivations but my thoughts were hooked on how he alluded to something bigger. "What-"

He raised a paw, I closed my mouth. "It's kind of scary telling you things, but I think it's scarier if I don't." He sucked in a slow breath. "I'm aware," he paused, "that you want to learn about me. But I'm still learning about me, like, how I am these days. And I need to do that first so I know what to tell you but I'm so scared I messed up and..."

He trailed off as I nodded. I think my patience would've been worn thin if we had a less passionate connection. "I'm still a little shaky after pounding you in the woods and I've come to expect that when we hang out." I gave him a filthy grin. "Don't be scared about losing me. I'm not leaving. But you should, if you gotta go. It's no stress." I chafed a little to let him go so easily. I craved more time alone with him. It was hard to avoid the natural inclination to invite him to my place some time. I wanted that. Fuck, I wanted that so badly. But it'd be almost impossible to hide him from Max if I did. Even if I snuck him in and out successfully, there'd be no mistaking the sounds we'd make.

His ears twitched. "Thanks."

We didn't speak much on the way back, but I caught him looking off fondly into the trees with a distant smile. When we reached the start of the trail, he said a hasty goodbye and dashed off to a car that was waiting for him. I cocked my head. It was the same one that dropped him off, being driven by a gruff looking bear. They hardly spoke as he strapped in and the bear took off.

I wrinkled my nose. From their mild greeting I couldn't tell if they were tense or comfortable with each other. I huffed. I couldn't decide if I liked the mystery of him or not. I wanted to understand him and the crumbs he'd left me were interesting but it was a far cry from something more solid. At the very least, I could settle in knowing that by witnessing his vulnerability it told me something of his character. He spoke honestly, even if it compromised something else of his integrity, like how he'd admitted so easily to stalking me. To loving me in a way that almost seemed unfounded if not for the sheer passion between us.

I appreciated that detail enough to be content with it. I'd have to be. Max would know so much about him, but I'd never be able to ask.

My drive home felt unnaturally uneventful, following the raw rush of emotions of the last hour of my life. So much had changed for me lately, and I think I liked that. It was undeniable I'd been so closed off about the things that made me happy before I met Max and Ralph. I never would be again.

As I climbed the stairs to my apartment. Max sat by his door on the stairs that led to the upper floor. "Waiting for me?" I grinned at him.

He snorted. "Got a hook up coming any second."

"Oh." I don't know why that made me wince. I hadn't really seen him hooking up with anyone besides me lately. He raised an eyebrow. I realized I'd been staring at him funny.

"Should've been home if you wanted me." He shot me a wink that turned my belly to ice. I knew he didn't know where I'd been, and yet it spooked me nonetheless. "I'm sure he won't mind if you want to join."

"No. I mean, maybe actually." I shrugged. "I wouldn't mind but I don't really feel..."

In the dangling quiet of my failed words, he chuckled. "You're looking at me like you want to own me."

I gawked, speechless.

"Oh please, what do you think I've been doing when you go off skulking for days?" His words hung in the air. I shook my head to break the daze his accusation had left me in.

"I don't want to own you." I spoke carefully, like I often did during the earlier days of our friendship. "Let me know next time you're planning something, especially if it's with Ralph." I couldn't help myself. Even the thought of another threesome made me giddy. "I'll let you know if I'm interested, just, you need to let them know, alright?"

He tilted his head. "Suppose I don't have a good record on letting you barge in."

I nodded, the memory brought a smile to my lips. The day I met Ralph. "I thought we all had a great time."

"Maybe." He folded his arms. He had acted unusually pushy during that encounter and it had started the only standing drama between us. "I-" annoyance flashed on his face as someone started up the stairs, "I'll tell you later."

"Alright, have fun." I shot him a wink and passed by into my apartment. As I swung the door closed I stole a glance at his hookup, a lion of moderate build. I grinned to myself. I was better than that lion and maybe I'd prove it later.

I collapsed onto my couch and sighed contentedly. Max's stab at me was close, I didn't want to own him. I wanted to impress him to the point where he wouldn't be satisfied with anyone else. The way he'd hooked me was by grooming my ego, the thought came together naturally as I reflected on that. It was only poetic if he wound up losing the battle he started by seducing me.

I couldn't wipe the grin from my face. I was spoiled for opportunities with sexual partners in a way I'd never been before. That said, Max may be able to keep me more than satisfied but he didn't leave me in a breathless state of overwhelm as Ralph did.

Between the two of them, I think I'd even impressed myself. I stretched out, my back was weary with exhaustion and all the small muscles in my hips, legs, arms and even my neck panged from overuse. From sex. I couldn't stop the grin from tightening on my face. Ralph was smitten.

I probably was too, but it was so hard to probe that. I wasn't sure if I wanted him as a boyfriend quite yet, but it wasn't outright denial. Without a deeper understanding of him it was hard.

I sighed.

I was hard.

My thoughts danced through our time in the forest. I jerked off twice as memory merged with fantasy.

By evening I was still lying on my couch, smiling at the ceiling. My thoughts came sluggish and stupid, still wrapped in a warm blanket from this afternoon. Ralph. I think I was growing more and more used to the idea of him. I couldn't deny the way he made me feel and truly he was the only person who'd ever matched both my drive and wild abandon when it came to sex.

A knock at my door pulled me from my daydreams. I strode over to let Max in but took a moment to breathe deep as I tried to compose myself. I didn't want to arouse suspicion.

"Evening." I nodded to him.

"Yo." He folded his arms and leant against my doorframe. I gestured him in but he stayed where he was. "So are you going to tell me about the bitch or not?" He watched me through cold eyes.

I blinked. I hadn't properly spoken to him since my date with Hope went awry. I shot him a pained look. "Deadend," I tried to sound strong. "Didn't get on as well as I'd hoped."

"Ah." He clicked his tongue, the action restored his good humor. "You blew it." He smile sarcastically.

I glared at him but was in far too good of a mood to maintain it. "Yeah," I admitted.

He snickered. "Honest props to you for trying though, better than I've done since," he gestured vaguely to suggest Ralph. "Y'know."

Oh I knew. "Fair."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about um, if you wouldn't mind?" A lick of shame crossed his features. My heart skipped a beat.

"Something wrong?"

"Eh." He wrinkled his face. "The honest part of me says no, the dishonest part of me is so, so pissed off."

I met his gaze with caution but whatever troubled him wasn't directed at me. I gestured again for him to come inside and this time he followed. He sighed as he fell into a chair. "He's not replying, not answering my calls." He shot me a worried look. "I don't know what to do."

My ears burned. It was entirely possible I was to blame there. "Are you worried about him, or are you hurt he's ignoring you?" I asked, pacing my words carefully.

His brow creased at first, then his ears pulled back. "I don't know." He folded his arms and scowled at nothing in particular. "I..." he trailed off. "Both," he admitted with defeat. "Um, and jealous." A pained expression crossed his face. "Doubtless he's found someone else and I know I should be okay with that, but I'm not." His ears slowly drifted further from each other as he talked,

"Okay." I drew in a lengthy breath. I should assuage his fears, I should prod his selfishness. I should do something that didn't strain our friendship, but every choice was like walking blind through a minefield. I had to watch my tongue. If I said anything at all that clued him into what now lay between Ralph and I it would wound him. "Has he done this before?"

"Mmhm." Max rubbed a hand against his face. "For good reason. Now though, there is no reason why he'd really cut me off." He loosed a weighty sigh. "Unless..." His head turned slowly towards me. I froze. Nerves pierced my belly. "He might be jealous." He exhaled and gave a weak chuckle. "We spoke last week, I'd mentioned I'd been spending time with you." He cocked his head fully. "And given that he found you at your gym before that, it's possible he's... hrmm." He looked at me for a long moment, assessing me as he thought something over. "This might sound strange, but he might have feelings for you."

His words grazed my ears, the muscles of my jaws tightened. "What." I blinked. "I've only met him twice." I froze for a fraction of a second to make sure I'd counted correctly the only times Max had known I'd been with him. "I know nothing about him. How would- why would he?" I stared at him in genuine puzzlement. Without Ralph sitting beside me as a distraction, my own confusion about his feelings flowed easier.

Max grimaced. "He's lonely. He does this sort of thing, I've seen it before." He cleared his throat. "Felt it before, I should say." He offered me a self-pitying smile.

"Right." I sat beside him. "So he falls in love and stalks people." I snorted. "Great." I spoke with sarcasm heavy in the word but I stared at the ceiling, trying to hide my grin. Max's jealousy was self-admitted, only he didn't know to pin it on me. I was almost giddy with excitement, the more taboo Ralph felt between us the more desire stoked itself in my mind.

"Mhm." He bit his lip. "I've tried so hard to show him something normal, but..." He exhaled as he stared at me. "You were a lapse in judgement, I guess. Introducing you to him, I mean."

I wanted to scoff. "Sounds like it," I muttered a little awkwardly, my heart thundered in my chest.

"I just wanted to do something with him again. You were the perfect opportunity, like, he's always had a thing for bulls. You were there. You were you." He snorted, jealousy was plain in his voice. "So. Here's my proposition." He touched the tips of his fingers together in a little steeple in front of him. "I use you to get in contact with him again. You get to fuck him. He gets to satisfy his bull thirst, we all win."

I know my eyes lit up at the suggestion, but I forced myself to pause. "Hmm."

"Ah." He grimaced. "You can enable me, it's okay." His self-awareness wasn't helping. I made a great show of hesitating, he leant back in his chair and rubbed tiredly at his face. "I appreciate you aren't jumping at the opportunity." He wrinkled his nose. "That's probably for the better."

"Yeah," I agreed. "I wouldn't want it to come between us." The words sounded egregiously hollow to me, but he relaxed when he heard them.

"Thanks. It probably would've and I really don't need that."

It was more than just uncomfortable to see him admit he wasn't acting in his best interests. I felt like I was reaching for brownie points when I spoke. "Have you considered he might be bad for you?"

He glared knives at me. "Yes but I haven't decided yet."

I shuffled awkwardly. "I mean, have you considered he might be bad for me too? He has my number. He knows where I work and he's made his interest clear. I'm not exactly, uh, the best at keeping promises." It felt dangerous to say but I wanted to seem like I could match his own self-awareness.

He stared at me for a moment, then he stared through me as a frown built on his face. "I- ah fuck." He steeled himself. "I think I need to tell you something." He spoke rushedly, trouble suddenly rose in his eyes.

"Yeah?"

The snow leopard nodded slowly. "I promised him I wouldn't but, it involves you now. So I think I have to, like, for your safety."

"Safety?" I scoffed at the word. "What do you mean?"

He looked at me for a short moment, then he scrunched up his face and stared at the floor. "I feel like I'm bullshitting." He shook himself down and drew a heavy breath. "I don't need to tell you this Jason, but I want to tell you. As a friend, not necessarily as a warning. It's been eating at me to tell you some truths about me."

I reached over to place a hand over his, I offered a warm smile. "I'd like to hear it."

Breath streamed through his lips, he seemed comforted by the contact. "Do you remember how I told you that Ralph and I uh, lost our relationship?"

I nodded.

"That wording was deliberate." He shuffled awkwardly in his seat. "We didn't really break up. Um, I mentioned things got... dark for him." He was gritting his teeth.

"Yeah?"

"He was in jail."

"What?" My heart lurched as I stared. His words dizzied me. The room seemed to zoom out before my eyes. I was leaning forward over the table. Thoughts jumped at a frightening pace. The hooch was prison hooch. "What did he do?"

Max's fangs bore down hard enough on his bottom lip to leave an indent when he started speaking. "We were pretty open. Pretty loose with things, what was between us was special but he had his side pieces. I had mine. But his were a little... different. He'd get, um, obsessed. And he'd start stalking them."

My mouth went dry.

"I promised him I'd never tell anyone, but, I can't. I can't not tell you." He blinked at me, tears were suddenly in his eyes. Until then, it didn't seem quite real. But Max was... Max. Cold, sharp, as self-serving as he was self-aware. Tears weren't his thing, yet his eyes glistened all the same.

I sat like a rock and stared, waiting for him to continue. Comforting words left me entirely.

He shifted in his chair. "These days... fuck me, these days." He tapped his fingers on the table restlessly. He froze, took a moment to swallow his tears and resumed, composed. "I can't not make it known."

"What did he do." My voice went low. It wasn't a question, it was a demand. I needed to know what I was getting into.

Max shrugged. "I don't know for sure," he croaked over the memory. "I got a knock at the door one day. Cops. Told me they were bringing me in for questioning. Accomplice to a crime."

I stared.

"He wanted me to meet one of his other guys. So I did. We made plans, just me and this other guy. No Ralph. And while we were together, Ralph slipped into this guy's place to try rob him. Only, me and this guy didn't get on well at all." He was speaking faster. "We cut it short. He went home, and Ralph was there. I only um, saw pictures. But, it got violent. Guy was a rabbit, not much bigger than Ralph. A cat wins that fight every day of the week." Max exhaled sharply, the sound not far from a hiss. "Ralph attested it was self defence. There was no robbery, it was a lover's quarrel."

"Did um..." My words didn't sound like my own. "Was the rabbit okay?"

Max winced. "Scratched up something awful. I saw the scars a few months on, Ralph did a number on him."

I exhaled slowly as relief spread through me.

"I wasn't- I didn't know- I mean I did, or I should've worked it out." Max bared his fangs. "I knew how Ralph would go after these guys. He'd tell me. Proudly. Seduction was what he lived for, and I uh, I mean. You know me Jason. You've seen me." He clicked his tongue like he was displeased with himself. "I see a man being stupid and I nod along and smile as they get what's coming for them. And I liked that about Ralph, until this happened. It was all just stupid fun, but he took it too far. I realize now I don't know how often he'd do more than just seduce them but I'm certain there were others."

He folded his arms and sucked in a strengthening breath. "I used to help. Sort of. He'd come to me for ideas. Reasons he could just so happen to be in the area, or bump into someone. We'd think of ways we could get someone going. Encourage them into their worst habits. Um, get someone to lower their guard in ways that could be taken advantage of." He paused, his stare bore holes in my head. Of course they both had practice at this sort of thing.

A flat smile rose on my face which broke our focus. "Man." It was all I could think of saying, my cheeks were warm with embarrassment.

He shot me a distasteful look but as our eyes met, he caught that I'd directed that at myself. He laughed bitterly. "You hardly needed encouraging."

"Probably because you weren't far off the mark," I admitted. I didn't know how to look at him. I wasn't sure how I felt, there were things he was telling me that demanded further examination but I was just stumped. "Go on."

"Mhm." He wrinkled his nose. "I'm so sorry."

I just shrugged, everything he said was daunting but it involved him in a way that made me curious for his wellbeing. "How'd you get off the hook?"

Max grimaced over the question and he pulled his hand back from mine. "I sunk him." He sighed. "Part way through investigations, he went cold on me. We were thick as thieves, quite literally, while we were trying to plan it all out. Because he could've gotten away with it, it wasn't even that hard I think. But he went cold on me. And it scared the shit out of me. I thought- no, I think I knew. He saw a chance to dump me in the shit somehow, even just to lessen his own sentence. The situation was a bit tense, I figured only I could get out unscathed if we weren't in it together." He shook his head. "So I... hmmm." He cut his gaze away from me and furrowed his brow in thought. When he went on, his tone had changed. "I made choices I had to make. So did he." He paused to rub his nose. "He needed to learn his lesson, if he thought he could play me too." He spoke the words with such finality I had to hide a scowl.

I was speechless. He'd told me there were reasons out of his control why he and Ralph had split. This sounded nothing of the sort, but I could see how he justified it to himself. Scarier was the notion that he thought their relationship could've survived that ordeal if they hadn't 'lost' it. I could tell that I was in deep with Ralph, but I couldn't tell if Max was years ahead of me in the same pit.

"He doesn't know." He wore a satisfied smirk. "I was careful. He thinks they just found something else, but I also know he suspected something of me." He chewed his lip. "He got out early on good behavior, a couple years for assault and attempted burglary. Not so bad, but I swooped in with a theory I'd been crafting for those years. One of his other guys was mortified by the situation, and I tried to concoct a narrative of what happened. How this bear had chased his own fears until he found the proof that sunk Ralph's case."

His eyes were slits as he frowned. "It was genius, I think. My finest work and I still believe that." He furrowed his brow as I frowned. "You probably think me heartless, and fair enough, but it was love that urged me into it." He cleared his throat. My head was swimming, I wanted to interject but he continued. "It worked. We had about a week together, madly falling in love again. Things were different, but that was going to be fine. Just, my narrative was so convincing Ralph sought him out."

I balked. Max laughed, the sound rung with bitterness.

"I should stop talking." He tapped at the table again. "But I don't think I will." He offered me a grin like I'd understand. It read dangerously, like he was threatening me into listening. "I dunno what he was planning, but whatever it was it didn't happen. The moment this guy saw him he was drowning Ralph in affection. In his worries. Emotionally, it was incongruent with my narrative. It gave him enough of a kick to work it out." Max sighed. "I think I'm lucky he only thought it was an attempt to get back together with him, and set things back to how they used to be."

"Ralph's smarter than that." I couldn't help myself. I'd been so enthralled it just slipped out.

"No I suppose..." Max froze as he cocked his head. "Jason."

"Hmm?"

He only stared at me. I stared back, mystified. Slowly, slowly my stomach started to drop. My eyes widened fractionally with each pounding beat of my heart. His gaze sharpened.

"What did you mean by that?"

I blinked. What did I mean by that? What had I said? "Just, he's. From all you told me I- he, just seems so..."

It was like every stutter only fed his suspicions. He sprung to his feet with feline grace. "Jason." Pressure mounted on my shoulders. Every fraction of a second that passed made it clearer and clearer what he was starting to see.

I burst out of my chair to tower over him, I still shrunk under his icy gaze.

"You're not." He sounded both disappointed and afraid. Who the fuck was he to feel either of those things for me? "Please tell me you're not."

Anger built within me faster than I could control it. I growled.

"No, fuck me no, don't-"

I shoved him. He leapt back at my touch and landed on his feet. "Who the fuck are you to judge?" I roared at his face.

"Shit." He hissed and dropped his head.

"Fuck off!" I shouted, in the quiet that followed my mind went racing for anything to say, anything to justify me. "Your jealousy is so ugly." I quivered with fury as I bunched a fist. "You're a manipulative freak and I should smack your fucking face." Anger made me quick with senseless words, all I could think of was Ralph's bitterness towards him as I chased the ecstasy of Ralph's passion.

Max's frown deepened as each word rocked him. I was ready for him to arc up, to grill me with the reserves of anger his recent bouts of self-pity had saddled him with. "I'm so sorry," he said instead. He closed his eyes as he exhaled. "You should-"

"Don't tell me what to do!" I raised my voice so loud it hurt my throat.

He flinched. I hadn't realized I stabbed a finger towards the door.

He gave me a pained look and strode off without another word. As the door shut behind him, I felt very alone.