FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

This story is a first of it's kind for me. As I sat alone in my dark room, I told my mind to let go and type. And this is what I came up with. I hope to hear some feedback on this, and if people enjoy it, I'll write a sequel or something. Who knows? Went over it six times to check for errors, so if you find any (non-grammar) errors, let me know so I can fix it.

It was early evening, just starting to get dark, and there she was again. The pretty young thing that made my blood rush to my favorite appendage. She'd just gotten off the bus, and I was waiting for her. Not that she noticed, of course. So many red foxes waiting to get on the bus, so what's one more? Monday through Friday, the bus would pull up and off she'd get, walking the extra two miles to the Prey Quarter. Why was I watching her, you ask? I didn't know, myself. Quite simply, she intrigued me.

I first saw her when I was about to board the very bus she always got off from. This bus always stops just outside the western edge midpoint of the Predator Quarter, before going through the Quarter route, which is about twenty miles long and takes four hours to traverse. The Pred Zone, as those of us who live in it call it, is only about five miles across, both ways. The city is split into four somewhat equal quarters: Predator, Prey, Bird, and Open. As the names suggest, these zones are meant to split everyone up by their species. Predators are supposed to stay in the Predator Quarter, Prey in the Prey Quarter, and so on. There was no law against going into or living in another quarter, but you become something of a target by doing so, unless you lived in the Open Quarter. Open, as its name implies, is open to anyone. The laws there are many and the punishments HARSH! I went across the border once with a marijuana cigarette in my pocket ($2.50 apiece at the gas station) and wound up getting a hundred swats with a big ass paddle right on my bare ass in front of God and everybody. I never knew I enjoyed that sort of thing 'til I blew a load right onto a wolf bitch that'd been at just the right angle to see both my face and my dick. We hooked up after that and did a little S&M, but it's really not my thing so we broke off after a short while.

Why does the bus takes four hours to loop through the Pred Zone, might you be wondering? That bus, the only one that goes through all four Quarters, rather than sticking to just one, also has the highest number of reported rapes during its route through the Predator Quarter. The block where the bus stopped was always full of "those kinds" of furs. And everyone on that block, indeed everyone in the Pred Zone, called the bus by the same name: "The Fuck Bus". If you wanted an easy fuck, get on board and pick your poison. The driver himself was a pred, and, more to the point, a Pred Supremacist. How do I know that? Because I was one. I used to be all for the "Pred Power". I used to see that guy during meetings, and made a friend of him. He even gave me a bus pass, free of charge. We'd quit the movement at the same time. The pred in charge started talkin' 'bout his own 'Final Solution' to the 'prey problem', as he called it. Anyone with half a brain quit the movement when the dumb bastard started sayin' he was gonna kill all the prey. The smart ones, myself and the driver included, knew that we needed prey. I harbor no ill will towards prey. I just believe them to be weaker than me, inferior in every way that nature says matters, which is true. So we quit, rather than do something completely stupid. The movement fell through when the numbnuts was caught right after he'd slashed some poor prey's throat. If I parted the fur on my belly just so, you could see the wolf-teeth tattoo that signified the movement. Tats are permanent, unless you wanna get the laser treatment. And I like having fur.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I used the bus the same way the perverts did. Unlike the perverts, I could actually get some femme into bed willingly, but I like a change every now and again. I thoroughly enjoyed the Fuck Bus, especially when there were songbirds on board. Songbirds. I don't know why I find them so damn sexy, but I do. I see a songbird, I get wood. It's the way I've always been. I'd always check through the windows before getting on, just to see if there were songbirds. If there were, I'd be inside faster than lightning hitting the ground. I'd always pull up a seat next to one, say hello, and be as disarmingly charming as I could, right up until the bus went through "The Tunnel". This tunnel is pitch dark with the only sources of light within being the headlights of the bus, the interior lights, and small, heavily spaced guiding lights that didn't provide any real illumination unless you were standing on top of one. No one but the city bus service is allowed to use the tunnel, and only the Fuck Bus actually used it. As soon as the bus went into the tunnel and everything got dark, the interior lights and headlights would go out. Then the driver would slow the bus to a crawl, so that a trip through a tunnel that would only take ten minutes to finish at normal speed would now take two hours. During that time, everyone on the bus would either fuck someone or be fucked by someone. Everyone but the driver participated, but that was only because he had to drive. Still, he usually brought along a victim for him to entertain during the ride. Suddenly, I'd have my pants and boxers down around my ankles, a paw wrapped around the birdie's beak, and her clothes would be off. I say her, but male songbirds are just as good (male songbirds don't actually have a penis; instead, they have a vagina-like organ that does the inseminating; it's quite fun to stick it in there). Still, I prefer femmes to males. As soon as she was undressed, I'd yank her into my lap and ram my cock into her cunt or asshole, whichever I could get to easiest, while at the same time I'd remove the paw on her beak.

I love taking songbirds like that. They always let out beautiful high-pitched notes instead of screams. And let me say this: songbirds are nature's sluts. Always have been, and always will be. It's only rape if they aren't willing. And after the initial jab, they're willing all right. They'll thrust back on you when you thrust in, they'll spread their legs wider to give you easier access, and if you don't wanna cum in one, make them come and pull out. The bird'll be on its knees with your dick in its beak, damn near beggin' for a mouthful. When you fuck one of 'em roughly, they sing to it in their bird whistles. Makes the situation almost romantic. My favorite part of the song is the discordant note they let off when I slam my knot in . Collapses the song and collapses their sexual control. If you ever fuck a bird like that, the moment after they make a wrong note (and birds don't do it willingly), they'll cum a fuckin' river. Even better is that they never report it after, unlike the deer, eagles, rabbits, and several other species that ride that bus through the Pred Zone. It's so annoying being called to the police station on rape charges. I've never actually been arrested for rape though, because of the Predator Quarter Laws. By law, the city government can't stop us from having sex with any fur we come across in the Predator Quarter.

When the Quarters were created, the government gave each quarter the duty of creating its own laws, which would then mesh with city-wide laws to build a good place for furs to live. One of the laws the predators came up with was a very roundabout way of saying that rape was legal. I read the Quarter laws when I moved in years before, and found that particular law made me feel rather confused, which I suppose is what happened to the lawmakers who read it. They tried to interpret the legalese, got confused, said "Fuck it," and legalized rape in the Predator Quarter without realizing it until it was too late. However, the law was amended to make it so that rape was only legal if neither party is injured during the act. Most of us could live with that. So simply, if you fought back and hit the guy trying to screw you, it's immediately illegal and you can report him or her to the police and have their asses arrested. After that, it's sue city. No matter which quarter you're in, illegal rape is punished the same way. Fifty years in prison for a male, thirty for a femme, unless they call for reconciliation. That means that they have one chance and one hour to convince the person they raped to drop the charges. And you'd be surprised at how often the charges are dropped because of a single apology. Most rape pairs, the victim and the rapist, actually go on to become mates. There are very few rapists in prison, and they won't be getting out for a LONG time.

You might wonder why songbirds, who have the ability to fly, take the bus. The truth is, the Predator and Prey Quarters are listed as no-fly zones, and many birds choose to work in the Pred Zone. Why? Because bosses are more agreeable and nicer in the Pred Quarter, and starting salary of an elementary school music teacher, which is the lowest paid position in the Predator Quarter, is fifty dollars an hour. The only real hazard a teacher had to deal with was being fucked on the way to or from work. And if you think about it, is that really so bad? Anyway, there're almost always songbirds riding the bus, and almost always songbirds to vent my lust on.

But I digress.

I figured the little mouse had heard the stories about what happened on the bus after it entered the Predator Quarter, so chose to walk the rest of the way home instead of taking the long ride through the Tunnel. Though I thought it strange that she didn't take a bus from the Open Quarter into the Prey Quarter, which would've saved her the trip. As she passed the stop, I watched her go. I had planned to get myself a 'ride' on the bus this evening. It'd been days since I'd last gotten on and gotten off and I was feeling desperate. But as soon as I saw her through the window, I decided to wait on the bus ride and get a good look at the mouse.

Here's a little fact that most people tend to overlook: the Prey Quarter is cornered by the Predator Quarter and the Bird Quarter. And there are no direct roads from the Prey Quarter to the Open Quarter, where intermingling is rampant and rape is illegal again. I guess the mouse had decided long ago that the Predator Quarter was safer than the Bird Quarter. Sure songbirds are the majority in the Bird Quarter, but there are still lots of the ones known as "Birds of Prey". And sometimes when an eagle, or hawk, or even a falcon (awesome lay there), sees a mouse walkin' down the street, instinct takes over and they swoop down for dinner. Doesn't happen often, but it happens enough that most prey creatures stay away from the Bird Quarter unless they're taking the bus. But the Bird Quarter bus station is in the middle of the Quarter, more than two miles from any way you wanna enter from. So it's considered "safer" to pass through the Pred Zone, where you won't be made dinner, but you may be made a meal.

When she got off the bus, I got my first really good look at her. Every other time she left the bus, I'd brush passed her to get on board. I'm nearly six feet tall, and she only comes to my navel. So when I say she's a little mouse, I mean she's a LITTLE mouse. Most mice are about five foot five, give or take an inch, so she's a serious runt.

In the Pred Zone, it's legal to kill off the smallest and weakest of your litters, to reduce the mouths to feed, since runts tend to die at a young age, and to spare the child from torment at the hands of larger children. In my own litter, I was first one out. The third one out was the smallest by far. My mother, a vixen with a heart of gold and a lineage as pure as snow, refused to kill her and instead let her grow up. My mother gave birth to six of us, but only three of us survived the first day, my sister one of them. By the time she was full-grown, at age thirteen, she was a tiny little thing, barely five feet in height. And my mother adored her, and my brother and I did as well. When she went to school, however, she was teased unmercifully by the larger children, all because she was short. In fact, she was nearly raped by one of the bears that attended our school. If my brother and I hadn't been watching out for her, she would've been fucked all to hell in the girl's bathroom, and there wasn't anything legally stopping the bear from doing it. My brother, Michael, and I kicked the bastard's ass and gave him a swirly he would never forget. We cut class to take her home. Michael went back to school and I stayed at home with her, to keep her company until our mother came home. I'm not ashamed to say I fucked my sister that day. In fact, she asked me to, so that if someone actually managed to rape her, she wouldn't lose her virginity to the bastard. When our mom got home and saw me tied to my sister, she asked me what happened. When I explained it to her, she nodded and told me to start packing. Within four hours of my brother and father coming home, we had packed our stuff and moved away from the city, away from the place where it was legal to rape people. My sister's fine now, and happy with her new boyfriend, the biggest damn fox I have ever seen. I checked the Guinness Book of World Records and saw his name and picture under the "Tallest Fox" category. That guy's over eight feet tall! He plays pro basketball for the Roanbach Reds, my favorite team. I moved back to the city at age fifteen and I've enjoyed every minute of it.

I digress again. I apologize.

She was a white mouse with red eyes, often termed a lab mouse. She wore a gray blouse with a gray skirt that let her thin tail hang high, giving anyone looking at her a nice view of her white panties. It looked like a school uniform, but I knew there weren't any schools in the city that required uniforms, except for "Saint Christopher's School for All" in the Open Quarter. But their uniform is navy blue, not gray. I took a look at the bus, then at the mouse, waved goodbye to the driver (our agreed-upon signal that I wasn't getting on), and followed the mouse, staying far enough back and moving at a slow enough pace that it didn't seem like I was following her.

One might think that, because of what almost happened to my sister, I would hate the very idea of rape. But even my sister agrees with the practice of rape, even if she couldn't perform it without tools. Since she was too small to overpower most other fur and make them sate her desires, my sister settled on Michael and me, and sometimes our dad. It wasn't uncommon for one of us to wake up gagged and bound to his bed as she rode him to climax. We didn't fight back or complain, the first because she was smaller than us, the second because it felt good. Fucking and being fucked feels good, despite what some complainers say, and with the laws in the Pred Zone, you don't have to worry too much about being battered and abused while you're being fucked (unless you like it that way). Living in the Predator Quarter means always being willing to let yourself go. If someone grabs you from behind, just relax and take it. It feels good if you let yourself enjoy it.

The rape law has three major additions to it to protect the populace. First, if you have an incurable STD, you have to submit to sterilization. This way, you don't feel the urge to be sexual, so are much less likely to transmit the disease to anyone. Because of a predator's sense of smell, we can tell if a femme (or male) is fertile or not. If she isn't, then she's sterile and shouldn't be touched. There hasn't been an STD epidemic in the Predator Quarter in over seventy years, and the sterilization law was unanimously passed at the city-wide council, which passes laws that affect all four quarters. The second is that, if you are in heat, you are granted immediate immunity to rape (unless it's same-sex, anal, or oral rape). This is to keep heated femmes from being saddled with unwanted children. This part of the law is severely punished. If you rape a heated femme and get her pregnant, she can press charges. If she does, not only do you pay a huge fine (in the hundred thousands) and go to jail for fifty years, when you get out, you will also be forced out of the Predator Quarter and will not allowed back in (unless you're in a bus or car that's just passing through) for ten years. And good luck finding a new job, because your position is automatically terminated, wherever you work in the Pred Zone. The third protects pregnant femmes. If you're pregnant, you are immune to all forms of rape. You may, however, be approached by a stranger asking for sex. It is thus entirely your own choice whether or not to be taken. Notice how I haven't outlined punishment for raping a pregnant femme. That's because the punishment varies depending on whether she miscarried or not. And even if she didn't, the punishment is severe. I used to think it weird that there were no laws protecting children from rape, but after seeing the statistics on the types of rape, I found that laws prohibiting it are unnecessary. Of all the types of rape, both punished and unpunished, the type that occurs the least is the raping of a child. It seems even perverts have boundaries they won't cross. Sex with children still happens, but only after a certain age, and it's almost always consensual and in a safe environment, like one's home, making it simply sex rather than rape.

The mouse wasn't in heat, didn't look pregnant, and she smelled fertile. Her scent was very strong, and if I closed my eyes, I could've followed her by scent alone. She was a rape victim waiting to happen. She was walking in the gutter, which I consider a smart move if you want to avoid rape. There are so many dark alleys hiding rapists in the Predator Quarter that I've literally seen a tigress get yanked into one, come out fifteen minutes later, walk twenty feet from that alley, and get yanked into another one.

As she walked, she passed a mixed group of preds, mainly foxes. Foxes are the most numerous of predators, because we take lifelong mates, though sex outside of the mateship is fine. Most other Pred species only hook up for sex, then separate again. Foxes (And Wolves as well) don't do that. When we pick a mate, it's forever. We tend to have a lot of kits. And we foxes almost always have the largest surviving litters of any species, so no worries about our kind going extinct. As I passed the same group, I heard one of the foxes talking about "hitting it" with the mouse. I stopped and moved back.

"She's mine," I said with a growl. I'm taller than most foxes, and the one I said it to was shorter than the fox average. His ears drooped and he nodded. With a predatory grin, I turned and chased after the mouse, moving faster to make up time.

By this time, the mouse was almost to the Prey Quarter. Only three blocks and she'd be safe. I had to make my move now or wait another day. I chose to move now. I ran the several feet between us, making sure to be quiet about it, and came up just behind her. With a swift motion, I pulled out the cloth rag I always keep in my jacket pocket and pressed it over her mouth and nose, my arm going around her chest to hold her still. The mouse struggled for a few seconds before passing out. The fumes of the liquid on the rag are twenty times more potent than chloroform. The more common of the two, chloroform takes about a minute for full effectiveness, depending on the size and species of the fur one uses it on. This stuff, known as shadeform because no common fur knows what its medical name is, works in about five seconds, depending on species and size, with a relaxing effect in the first second. The only problem one might have with shadeform is that it wears off quicker than chloroform.

It was a good thing I stopped her there. We were right in front of my apartment complex. Hoisting her over my shoulder, I carried her inside.

I must've had too much shadeform on the cloth when I drugged her, because it shouldn't have taken ten minutes for her to wake up. When she did wake up, she tried to scream, but the gag I had placed in her mouth kept her from doing so. I hadn't touched her in a sexual way while she was unconscious. I consider it unsporting to molest someone when they aren't awake to know it. The use of date-rape drugs and knockout gasses is not illegal in the Predator Quarter. Neither is the use of other kinds of drugs. Yet strangely, the Pred Zone has the lowest use of narcotics in the entire city. I believe that, because usage of such things is legal, that most furs don't want to do it anymore. In the other quarters, it's still illegal, so people buy, sell, and use the stuff just to rebel against the law. I myself like a to puff on the green cig every now and again, just to relax.

I was sitting across from her, watching her reaction with interest. She was gagged but not bound, sitting on my couch with fear in her eyes. I smiled sincerely at her.

"You can remove that gag if you want," I said. I believe it was then that she realized that she wasn't actually tied up. She reached up and fiddled with the buckles on the strap, but couldn't seem to get it to release. She was struggling with it, and her breathing was becoming hysterical. I stood up. "Here, let me help you with that," I said softly, moving over to her. I was smiling widely, my teeth showing. She closed her eyes and whimpered as I kneeled down and brought my face close to hers. I reached behind her head and undid the strap of the gag, and pulled the hard rubber ball out of her mouth. Her eyes opened and I looked into them just long enough to see her red eyes widen at my closeness before I pressed my muzzle against hers in a kiss. I could see the fear and disgust in her eyes even as I pushed my tongue between her lips and tasted her saliva. I drew back from the kiss with a grin, even as she stared up at me and shivered. I was straddling her, both keeping her from rising and stopping her from effectively kneeing me in the groin. I played with the pool of her saliva in my mouth before swallowing it.

"Sweet," I said softly, leaning in close to her again. She jerked back, trying to keep me from her lips. Fair enough. I wasn't going to kiss her again yet anyway. I pressed my nose to hers. "You taste sweet, mouse," I whispered softly, letting out a hot breath. "The other mice I've tasted were sour, but you are sweet." I wrapped my arms around her and licked from the tip of her nose to the space between her eyes. She shivered in my arms.

"Don't," she said quietly.

"Don't what?" I asked, licking along her nose again, one hand stroking her tail.

"Don't hurt me," she said softly, tears falling from her eyes.

I slowly dragged my tongue up each of her cheeks, one at a time, tasting her tears and removing the tear tracks. "I won't hurt you," I replied softly, letting out a burst of hot breath in her dishy mouse ears. I then lapped at the rim of each in turn, listening to her gasping moans as each sensitive appendage was stimulated. "If you thought I would hurt you..." I breathed as I slid my tongue along her ear, "you would scream." I gave light nips to the edge of her ears, each in turn.

"D-don't do this..." she said, stuttering a little because of the ear stimulation. "P-please don't rape me..."

"Rape?" I asked in a fake shocked tone. "I won't rape you. You will have sex with me of your own free will. I just prefer a bit of foreplay to loosen up my partners." My paws came out from around her back to fondle her chest through her blouse. Yes, I had left her dressed in her "uniform". "I do have a question for you, though," I continued, whispering in her ear again. "Why do you take that bus to the edge of the Predator Quarter?" she gasped. "I see you almost every day. Getting off that particular bus...Right on the edge of the Predator Quarter. Why would you do that? All those males wanting a piece of you..." I leaned forward and nipped her ear a bit harder than before, one paw slowly unbuttoning her blouse before pulling it open, revealing her white bra and chest to me. "You get off that bus every evening during the work week, but your outfit suggests you don't work at an office. And I can tell by your scent that you're no school fur. Neither teacher nor student, and not a business woman." I leaned down and pressed my nose against her chest. She cried out as my cold nose pressed against her flesh. I inhaled deeply, taking in the multitude of scents from her fur, including one I was actually surprised to find. "You smell like old fear, mouse. Old fear and pain. Someone's hurt you. Not recently but not all that long ago either. I smell half-healed wounds on you, as well." At this, the mouse began to cry softly. Unlike the small tears she had dropped before, these were larger, heavier. They struck my head and wet my fur as I continued, lifting my head. "I think I know why you do those things you do..." She looked up to meet my eyes. "There's someone after you. An old lover who won't let go. That's why you keep coming to the Predator Quarter. You want a predator to take you as his own and protect you from this lover. I smell the trust radiating from you, mouse. You trust me." I said the last part with a predator's grin, showing off all of my teeth. I wanted to unnerve this mouse, yet the scent of trust only grew.

Very well. I prefer my partners willing anyway. I had planned on doing her, willing or not, but her acceptance was nice. Rape may be an easy way to get sex, but it's nice when you know they want it. I leaned into her ear again and whispered, "I'm going to fuck you. I'm going to fuck you and you're going to enjoy every second of it. I'm going to tie with you and cum inside you. Then, when we're finished, we're going to the Prey Quarter to collect your things, because you're moving in with me." She looked up at me in shock. She hadn't said even a dozen words to me since I'd abducted her, and here I was talking about making her move in with me. "You're going to move in with me," I repeated. "Because I make you feel safe. Because you want me to protect you. Because, deep down, you want a predator to dominate you in every way. So you will have your wish. I will be your everything, and you will love it." Her cheeks were a brilliant red now, visible through her short fur. But though she was blushing, her eyes held such hope for what could be that I had to smile. "Don't worry," I continued, "I won't let harm come to you...because I own you. I never let harm come to my property... Unless I want it to." I leaned down to her neck and gave her a small bite. A loving little nip on her throat. She gasped and rubbed her thighs together.

Slowly, I climbed off of her. She looked up at me with a question in her eyes. I leaned down and picked her up again. Holding her close to my chest, I made my way down the hall and into my bedroom. I love my bedroom. As soon as I had permission from the owner, I painted the walls and door black and replaced the original white carpet with black. Then, once the black paint had dried, I painted small stars on the ceiling, following an astronomy chart I'd gotten just for this purpose. At night, it seemed as though I was sleeping outside under the stars.

I placed the mouse on my bed and stripped her of her binding clothes. She simply laid there and watched me. Once I'd finished stripping her, I slipped out of my own clothes (chosen for the ease of removal in a hurry) and climbed on top of her, my throbbing penis completely unsheathed.

Before I could continue, however, there was one last thing I needed to know. "What is your name?" I asked with a lust-filled growl.

"N-Natalie...You?"

"My name is Phade, but you may call me master..." I replied. With that, I repositioned myself and gave my first thrust. I could tell by her scent that she'd had sex before, and by someone well endowed, but judging by the way I had to force myself into her, the male had only been well endowed by mouse standards. I made it halfway in before she cried out.

"Stop!" she shouted, shivering and whimpering. I did. I was surprised to hear her shout. I'd wondered whether she could speak right or not. "P-please..." she whispered. "Please be gentle...You're too big to go so hard right away..." She was right, of course. I'd overlooked the fact that she was much smaller than me when I made my initial thrust.

"All right," I replied softly. "We'll try a different way." I gathered her into my arms, my cock still lodged inside her, and sat on my heels with Natalie in my lap. I moved one hand down to her rump and lifted her up while sliding my hips back, drawing my penis out of her until just the tip remained inside. Then I slowly lowered her again, piercing her deeper than before, but not by much. I repeated the process several times, trying to loosen her up a little. It didn't take long at all. She had become rather wet from my attention on the couch, and now she was soaking, her inner muscles so loose I could have slipped my fist into her (not literally). The next time I raised her up, I suddenly removed my hand and thrust up. The combined effect of gravity and foxy muscles thrust nearly all of my cock into her body. She screamed in both pleasure and pain but didn't ask me to stop again.

I pushed her back onto the bed again and began thrusting in and out of her rapidly. Her small legs wrapped 'round my back, pulling me closer with every thrust. Her walls hugged my shaft like a velvet vice, trying to hold me inside even as I tried to withdraw. The unique sounds of our rutting filled the room with a cacophony of squishes, sighs, and moans as I pressed myself into her harder and harder, my sac slapping against her rear as I tried to force my knot into her.

"I'm going to tie with you," I said with a lusty growl. "Prepare yourself." She nodded and closed her eyes, paws gripping the sheets tightly. I drew nearly all the way out of her body, then thrust myself back inside with the greatest force I could muster, biting down on her shoulder and forcing my knot inside of her. She bit her lip hard, to keep from screaming in pain and passion as my knot swelled within her, tying us together as I continued to make short thrusts, moaning through my mouthful of mouse. I reached a hand down between our bodies and rubbed at the little nub of pleasure protruding from her body.

Natalie moaned in pleasure as she came, her walls sucking my cock like an experienced mouth. I gave a last, hard push, feeling the tip of my foxhood pierce ever so slightly into her womb before I came, releasing her shoulder as I yipped in pleasure, my cock twitching and spraying my thick seed deep inside her body. It was amazing.

And then it was over. No more orgasm, only the feel of my knot stuck within her. Like any sexual encounter that was stir of the moment, there followed an awkward silence as we waited for my knot to shrink enough for me to pull out. I was still over the top of her, but with a bit of maneuvering, I managed to make a comfortable spot for her on my chest. It takes an average of twenty minutes after mating for my knot to deflate, and the silence was beginning to bug me.

"You aren't a screamer," I said softly in her ear, which was against my chest. "You're very quiet in sex."

She nuzzled my chest softly. "My ex-boyfriend," she said, and I could hear the coming tears in her voice, "he liked to hurt me when we made love, just so I would scream. I'm glad you're going to protect me..." She sniffled a few times before the floodgates opened and she began to cry again.

I've never been good at dealing with crying furs. It usually annoys me to have them cry after sex, and I would often say something and make them cry more. But inspiration just seemed to strike that day. "Don't worry," I replied. She looked up at me. "I don't mind that you don't scream. Screamers bug me." She smiled. She had such a lovely smile.

Silence fell again, but it was comfortable, which was a relief. Her eyes were gorgeous, and if I'd kept looking into 'em, it would've taken longer to loosen my knot. I reached down and stroked her back softly.

Twenty minutes later, we were free, but messy. Like I said before, it'd been days since I'd gotten some, and my balls had swollen to half again their normal size. All that had been held back before had been spilled into her.

When my knot had deflated to a point where I could move it, I'd told her to sit on me. She'd done so without question, and I'd gripped her arms and lifted her up. With a bit of a struggle, my knot popped out of her and a wave of mixed cum spilled out of her and onto me. Anyone who has had to clean congealed cum out of his or her fur knows that it's a pain in the ass. By mutual unspoken agreement, we decided to shower.

My shower is big. Everyone's shower is big in my complex. My apartment is big by most standards. That's because it's a big building with few apartments. The owner of the building had decided to build high quality apartments for family furs. I'd gotten one on the off chance that I found a vixen I wanted to have kits with. The rent is ungodly for a bachelor, even one who made pretty good money building computers for people. Luckily, the owner lets me keep my money and instead has me pay another way. I said it before. I prefer femmes. However, I'm not above swinging the other way, especially for a good cause (like keeping me from being homeless).

Anyway, like I said, my shower is big. It's built to hold multiple furs and have them all get clean. Great for bathing six or seven kits at the same time. Natalie and I fit in with room to spare. I turned the water on and bathed in the steaming hot water for a few minutes, before I became aware of a tugging on my tail. I turned around to see Natalie pulling it gently. Again, I'd forgotten that she was much smaller than me. With my position in front of her, she wasn't getting any water on her. I grinned sheepishly, moved behind her, and sat down, catching a little water as Natalie soaked.

While she bathed in the hot stream, I looked her over a bit more. I'd seen her many times at the bus stop, but this was the first time I'd truly seen her without her clothes. Sure, she'd been naked in my bed with me, but I had been more focused on the fucking than on the looking. She was slender with wide hips, a good breeder. Her breasts, which I saw when she turned to grab the fur shampoo off the shelf, were a fair size, for a mouse (which meant they were barely a handful for a horny fox). Her tail was long and whippy, with pinkish skin that could be easily seen through the thin white fur on it. It connected to a nicely rounded rear, not scrawny and boney like the other mice I've done.

Natalie was trying to scrub the rim of her left ear with the bar soap when it slipped from her fingers to the floor. She bent down to pick it up.

Passing through my mind was the old prison adage, "Don't Drop the Soap". When she bent down, her tail was raised high and I could see her little tail hole. My mind told me I shouldn't. My dick told it to shut the hell up. I was up on my knees behind her, pressing my dick against the small hole, before she could even get a grip on the soap. She gasped and tried to struggle. I leaned forward and bit the scruff of her neck. Her body relaxed instantly. Most furs seem to think that trick only works on certain preds, but in truth it actually works on most furs. It just depends on where you bite.

She sagged in perfect, if involuntary, relaxation as I released her neck. "You are mine," I said in her ear, my chest against her neck. "You are mine, and I shall have you any way and any where I please. Isn't that right?" I asked rhetorically.

"Yes," she replied in a breathy whisper, her ring squeezing against my tip softly.

"Yes what?"

"Yes, master?"

I gripped her small mouse breasts in my hands as I prodded her back entrance. I find that I'm actually quite lucky when it comes to anal sex. I've never been a shit-dick, which is surprising. And this time was no exception. After my initial slide, I always pull out to check for crap on me. With some of my old work buddies, before I started working freelance, we've discussed anal a few times. The others have had bad experiences with it, getting crap inside their hole so they plug up and can't get off. I don't want that to happen to me, so I always check before I go in again.

Once again luck was with me. No brown marks on me. I slid back in, taking it slow, though Natalie seemed to take me quite easily.

"You've had it like this before, haven't you," I whispered.

"Y-yes," she stuttered, holding back a moan to answer. "He used to take me like this to make me scream. After a while, it stopped hurting so I stopped screaming. He stopped doing it when he found out." There was no reason for her to elaborate on who He was.

I wasn't surprised to hear that the sadistic bastard she'd been with before had used butt sex to make her scream. The more I heard about him, the more I wanted to kick his ass. That would come later. But first...

I lifted her off the shower floor, still impaled on my length. I repositioned her against the wall, facing me as I began to fuck her full mousey ass again. I could see the smile on her face as I continued to slam against her. I wasn't going to knot her though. I doubted her anus would actually take my knot without being torn apart.

I thrust progressively harder and faster, my pubic fur brushing against her stretched anus, causing her to moan softly. I reached a paw down to her crotch and began massaging her leaking lips and throbbing clit. She was so close to release, I was almost suspicious. If I hadn't felt her cunt clamp down on me when we fucked in the bedroom, I would've said she'd held it back.

We both only lasted a couple of minutes. Being used again so soon after sex, my dick was almost painfully sensitive to the pleasure I was receiving from her greedy ass. Her other hole was leaking fluids heavily, so I sped up my attentions on her. I reached my other paw down to my rod and made a ring of my thumb and forefinger around it. When I felt ready to blow, I thrust hard into her, my fingers keeping their tight ring as my knot forced its way through them. It's a trick any knot-bearing fur learns for masturbation. The ring tricks your body into thinking the knot is inside a vagina, and lets you cum. The effect was instantaneous. I let out a few yips and bit Natalie on the shoulder as my cock twitched and spewed my hot seed deep into her bowels. Natalie, to my surprise, squeaked loudly and clamped down with both holes, one on the finger sliding inside, the other on my meat. Her deathgrip on me prolonged my orgasm, drowning me in the pleasure of the act.

When at last I was empty, I drew my softening member out of Natalie's abused ass, barely able to stand. I leaned in and kissed her lips gently, finding her tongue going into my mouth first as we kissed passionately. When we broke apart, I lifted Natalie off the shelf and set her down in a corner of the shower to rest for a bit while I washed.

As soon as I finished, I stepped out of the shower and dried off. Looking back at her, I said, "Take your time, Natalie. We'll go when you're done." She smiled at me in answer and I left the bathroom. I really didn't want to see how a mouse gets rid of anal semen.

Despite the stereotype that encompasses all femmes, it only took Natalie fifteen minutes to finish her shower, dry off, and get dressed. It was another half an hour before we actually left, since she needed her fur brushed. I helped with that. It's custom among foxes to help groom furs you have sex with.

Anyway, we were out the door and on our way into the Prey Quarter in less than an hour. She stuck close to me while we were in the Predator Quarter, but she released her hold on me when we crossed the threshold into the Prey Quarter, though she continued to hold my hand with a smile. I'd been there a few times before, but not often. I hate being in the Prey Quarter, since everyone likes to give curious predators dirty looks as they passed. I don't mind being feared, but I hate when people stare at me. Luckily it was really dark out now, the time being just after eight in the evening. There were very few furs out at this time of night since it was close to prey curfew, the time when every prey fur in the Prey Quarter was supposed to be inside. I've never understood why that is, but we walked unmolested to Natalie's place.

Natalie's place, as it turned out, was her parent's house. Not surprising, since prey children tended to stay with their parents until they turned twenty. I had no idea how old Natalie was, but I knew she was both well used and a good lay. That was something. She used a key she pulled from her pocket to unlock the door. We went inside the nice house.

The sounds of dinner being served and eaten were prevalent, and the smells were delicious. I could feel my mouth watering as I realized I was starving. I held my hunger in check, however. It wouldn't do to scare her parents. She led the way down the hall and to the dining room. I stayed out of sight just around the bend.

"I'm home!" cried Natalie cheerfully, a song in her voice. I could hear the pure happiness coming out of her and I smiled.

"You're awfully late, sweetie," said an older female voice, probably her mother.

"Work ran kind of long tonight. Then I went out with this guy I met. He was really nice."

"Went out with someone?" asked an older male voice, most likely her father. "What about Devin?"

"What about him?" she asked, her cheery tone going down. "I broke up with him a while ago."

"You did?" asked her father. "He said you two were still together."

Natalie didn't speak, but I figured she was shaking her head.

"Oh no," said her mother. "You might want to go to your room, honey. He's here right now, and he's looking for you."

"What?!" cried Natalie. I could feel my lips drawing back as I growled silently.

"Hello, Natalie," said a new male voice. It didn't sound like a mouse, nor did it smell quite like one. I took me a minute to place the smell. As the only cliché goes, 'I smell a rat'.

"Go home, Devin," replied my new toy. There was fear in her voice, and I didn't like it. "We broke up!"

"I don't think so, Natalie," said the rat, Devin. His voice sounded greasy. Pardon me for stereotyping, but all rats sound greasy to me. "I came to take you back, baby."

"'Take me back?!'" cried Natalie in outrage. "I left you! And I'm not your baby. Not anymore."

I could hear the rat moving, and suddenly there was a loud slapping sound that made me wince, and a sharp squeak of pain from Natalie. "You're my baby 'cuz I said you're my baby. I came to take you back. You should be grateful, you little whore."

"Don't call my daughter a whore," shouted Natalie's father. I could hear a chair clatter to the floor. "Get out, Devin. Right now. Before I call the police."

I heard an ominous click. Not the click of a gun being cocked, mind you. Those were totally banned in all Quarters. No, this was the click of a switchblade opening. I heard Natalie gasp.

"Don't fuck wit' me, Pops," said the rat. "Fuck wit' me, and I'll gut your whole family. Now sit down, old man, before I make you bleed."

I heard a crunch, like you hear when you bite into a fresh, juicy apple. The rat cried out in pain and I heard something heavy being thrown against the wall I was leaning on.

"Phade!" cried Natalie from right on the other side of the wall, which told me she was the heavy thing that had hit the wall. That was my cue. We'd decided she'd introduce me before I came in, but now was not the time for introductions.

The rat laughed.

"Fade? What're you tryin' to do, you dumb bitch? Use magic?" Of course, there's no such thing as magic. He was simply mocking her.

"No," I said loudly, growling. I stepped out from behind the wall. The mice at the table (Only two, so I figured Natalie was an only child) hid beneath it. Natalie crawled across the floor to take shelter with her family. There was a trail of blood following behind her and I growled louder. "Phade is my name." I was pissed now. More pissed than when that bear tried to rape my sister. Rape is one thing, assault and murder is another.

The rat, both pudgy and black, paled visibly under his fur. "Y-you're the guy she met?" he asked, shaking now.

I nodded, unleashing my predatory grin on him. Guaranteed to make most prey flinch, which is just what he did. "Get out, rat, before I gut you." I raised my paw and unleashed my retractable claws.

Give the rat some credit, he had guts. In an instant, the cockiness was back on his face and he tossed his switchblade from one hand to the other. "Let's rumble," he said, showing off his buckteeth. To this day, I still think his whole 'let's rumble' bit was stupid, as if I were part of a rival gang and all we were gonna do was beat the hell out of each other and leave. Idiot.

He attacked me first, slashing at my face. I dodged beneath it and sank my foot into his gut, sending him flying back. Fucker left vomit on my leg. He got up again and approached me with more caution. I tried to kick him again, seeing as how I didn't want to kill him, but he ducked under the kick and slashed across my left arm. The cut was deep and my arm went almost completely numb. I growled in pain and anger. Dumbshit thought he had me. He didn't even try to break away. He just kept digging his knife into my arm. Idiot. I was enraged now.

I twisted away from him, wrenching his knife from his hand. The blade was lodged in my arm and I wasn't about to try to get it out. With a feral growl, I slashed him across the face with my good hand. I felt the satisfying tearing sensation of flesh ripping as I parted his flesh and blinded his eye. He screamed. I continued. I thrush my outstretched paw forward, into his side. He coughed up blood and screamed again as I ripped my claws along his stomach, laying his belly open. His innards became outtards and his blood flooded the floor. Like I said before, he HAD guts, but not anymore. The light of life in his good eye dimmed, faded, and extinguished. He was dead.

I sank to the floor with a sigh, as I tried to take my shirt off to use as a tourniquet. But every time I tried to lift my left arm, it wouldn't respond. Suddenly, I felt a light touch on my right arm. I whipped my paw around, about to strike, when I saw it was only Natalie.

"Hold still," she said in my ear, before she pulled off her blouse and, with the skill of someone with fair training in first aid, wrapped it tightly around my arm, just above the knife. The bleeding stopped. "We have to get you to the hospital," she said with a whisper. I nodded, since I couldn't speak. The pain had sealed my power of speech. She turned her attention to the mice under the table. "Daddy, call the police, and an ambulance," she commanded. Before the elder mouse could even get out from under the table, the sound of sirens suddenly appeared.

There was the sound of something heavy hitting the door, then several furs of indistinguishable species flooded into the room with guns drawn, crying "Police!"

After that, everything went blurry and I passed out. I woke up in the hospital two days later with my left arm wrapped in a heavy cast and Natalie asleep with her head on my leg. When she woke up, she explained what had happened.

According to her, the blur I had experienced was actually because an overzealous police fur had pistol-whipped me in the back of the head. It seems that little act had gotten him fired. I smiled at that. When Natalie saw me smile, she started crying.

When I asked what was wrong, she told me. "You almost died, Phade. The moron that hit you nearly killed you. I could've lost you..." She sobbed. I reached out my good hand and rubbed her head softly between her ears.

When she had calmed down, she continued. Despite her father, mother, and her own testimonies that the rat had come in with the intention to kill and that his own death had been a side effect of self defense, I was still going to be put on trial for murder. Seemed to me that some prey had it in for me simply because I'm a predator.

She explained that I'd been lucky the knife hadn't been removed immediately. The blade had lodged between some very important parts in my arm. If I'd pulled it out, I probably would've severed the things and made my arm dead weight. I thanked God I wasn't too stupid.

I was to go on trial in a month, which was how long I had to be in the hospital. That shocked me. The wound hadn't seemed too bad, but apparently I was wrong. I then asked the question that was on the tip of my brain.

"What about sex?" I asked. Since I was most likely in a Prey Quarter hospital, I couldn't just grab some nurse and have my way with her. It'd be a long month if I couldn't have sex. Swollen balls hurt.

She grinned at my question as she slid up onto the bed and lifted my blanket. "That's what I'm here for," she said with a laugh, before sliding under my blanket, disappearing completely from view.

When she started suckling on me, I decided life wasn't too bad.

Then came the trial, and my opinion changed. I was the defendant, of course. It turned into a famous court case titled 'Prey v. Phade Aarons'. That's right. My last name's Aarons. Got a problem with that?

The scumbag prosecuting me (more like persecuting) dredged up every little thing he could think of to attack my character. Like in these excerpts from the stenographer's records (slightly edited, with commentary):

Scumbag: Mr. Aarons.

Me: Just call me Phade.

SB: Phade, then. Is it true that you often ride the public transportation vehicle 203, also known as the "Fuck Bus"?

Me: Yes.

Here he looked shocked, like he couldn't believe I'd actually said yes. He coughed.

SB: Do you know the reputation this bus has?

Me: Yes.

The crowd was talking in shocked tones. At least, the prey were. The predators didn't seem at all surprised. And as for the birds, I saw a few of the songbirds I'd met, and fucked, on the bus. I almost waved to them.

SB: Have you ever performed sexual acts aboard this public vehicle?

Me: Yes.

SB: How many counts would you say?

Me: Lemme think...(here I counted on my fingers) ...Fifty-three, I believe.

SB: (He drew back in surprise, which made me stifle a laugh) F-fifty-three?!

Me: In the past six months.

There was an uproar as the predators in the audience started cheering. Obviously, the predators on the jury had to remain silent, but I could still see a few half-hidden grins and looks of envy. The trial was being held in the Open Quarter, with an 'impartial' jury. Impartial my ass. Half the jury were predators, a quarter were birds, and a quarter were prey. Half the predators were foxes and half the prey were rats. I suppose that's as impartial as they could get. The judge slammed his gavel down and called for order. The judge was a skunk, which meant that he really was impartial.

SB: Uh...How many have you had...Over your entire life?

Me: I don't recall. I have a tally sheet at home.

That drew a laugh from the crowd, as if I'd made a joke. I'd been serious. I also had tail feathers from several songbirds that I'd considered 'outstanding lays'.

It was all downhill from there. It was a relentless character assassination. The squirrel called in people I knew from work, people who'd seen me walking down the street, the wolf bitch I'd done S&M with. He called my damn family in from out of state. He put my fucking little sister on the stand to try and say I was a menace. That backfired though. It was at this point that the scumbag was upgraded to shithead. He sounded so damn cocky, I wanted to rip his cocky off.

Shithead: So, tell us about the first time your brother raped you.

Sister: He's never raped me

SH: Huh? But I thought you said he'd raped you.

Sis: No, I said I lost my virginity to him.

SH: Okay, so tell us how that was.

Sis: It was nice.

SH: Uhh...(He was struck speechless for over a minute) I'd like this witness's testimony to be stricken from the record.

My attorney, a cougar, looked offended. "Objection!" he cried.

"Sustained," said the judge.

SH: Damn...Your witness.

My attorney stood up and went around to the stand

Defense Attorney: Good afternoon to you, Ms. Aarons.

Sis: Please, call me Shelly.

Def: Alright, Shelly. Can you tell us about your first time?

Sis: Sure.

She launched into the story of how me and Michael had saved her from being raped, and then how she'd asked me to take her virginity. She smiled at me when she finished and I smiled back.

Def: So your brother made love to you because you asked.

Sis: Yes.

Def: Are you scared of being raped still?

Sis: No. My brother helped me get over that, and my husband protects me when people try.

She blew a kiss to the fox whose head was at least a foot higher than everyone else's.

Def: Thank you, Shelly. That's all.

The judge let Shelly leave the box. She walked passed me, tapping my face lightly with her tail, before sitting down behind me.

Def: Defense calls Phade Aarons to the stand.

I was sworn in again and I sat down.

Def: Tell me, Phade; did you know that rape is illegal in the quarters?

Me: Yes. However, rape is allowed in the Predator Quarter, as long as neither participant is injured or are of the prohibited types.

Def: Prohibited how?

Obviously, being a predator and a lawyer (a potent combination), he knew the Pred Zone laws, but he wanted everyone else to know that I knew.

Me: If the one you choose is in heat, it is prohibited to have vaginal sex with her unless she gives you permission. This is to prevent unwanted cubs from being given up for adoption, and keeps the abortion rate down. Other types of sex are allowed, including anal, oral, or breast. If a femme is pregnant, she is immune to these advances and thus can decide exactly what she wants. It is completely illegal to force a pregnant femme to breed with you.

Def: You seem to know your laws well.

Me: I studied them when I moved here.

Def: (he addressed everyone) This fur knows his quarter laws. If you looked in any of the police records, I doubt you would find him being arrested for rape outside the Predator Quarter. That's because he chooses to do his business in the Predator Quarter. I also doubt you would find police records in the Quarter about him having improper sexual relations with heated or pregnant females. Your witness.

The shithead stood up as my attorney sat down.

SH: So, Mr. Aarons.

Me: Phade, please.

SH: Phade. Is it true that you were arrested in the Open Quarter for possession of a controlled substance?

Me: Yes.

SH: What was this controlled substance?

Me: Marijuana.

SH: Your witness.

Switch off.

Def: Please explain to the jury why you were in possession of this controlled substance.

Me: Certainly. I buy my marijuana at the local gas station for $2.50 apiece, plus tax.

Def: And is marijuana illegal in the Predator Quarter?

Me: No

Def: Then why did you have it in the Open Quarter?

Me: I'd bought it earlier in the day, for use when I went home. I was on the clock, going to a client's place to fix his computer. I was apprehended when it fell out of my pocket while pulling out the directions to the client's house.

Def: And were you punished?

Me: Yes

Def: How were you punished?

Me: I received a public spanking. A hundred smacks with a wooden paddle.

Def: Were you arrested?

Me: No

Def: Why not?

Me: It was a first offense, so I received a warning.

There were low murmurs coming from the crowd. I guess some of them didn't realize just how harsh Open Quarter punishment was. I was about to step down when the prosecutor called for his turn. I sat down and waited for him to begin.

SH: Mr. Phade, would you please stand up and show the assembled the tattoo you have on your stomach?

I looked up at the judge.

Judge: I'll allow it.

With a sad look at Natalie, who was sitting next to my sister, watching me, I stood up and took off my shirt. I draped it over the edge of the witness stand and spread my belly fur. There were cries of outrage at the sight. The shithead was grinning from ear to ear, which looked strange on a squirrel.

SH: Can you tell me what that tattoo is of?

Me: (I sighed then) A wolf's teeth

SH: And what does it stand for?

Me: Pred Power...

I looked away from Natalie when I saw the hurt expression on her face.

SH: And what is Pred Power?

Me: It's the belief that predators are superior to prey in every way nature requires and as such prey should be subservient and not equal.

SH: No further questions. Your witness.

Def: Are you still a member of the Pred Power movement?

Me: No.

Def: Why not?

Me: Because the leader kept talking about a 'Final Solution' against prey. That was his way of saying he had an idea to kill all prey. I stopped following then.

Def: Why is that?

Me: Because prey are a necessary part of life. Just because I believe I'm superior in size, strength, and other attributes doesn't mean I want them dead.

Def: And what happened to this 'leader'?

Me: He was arrested, tried, and executed for first-degree murder.

Def: Did you ever perform violent acts against prey before you quit?

Me: Besides using my predator looks to intimidate prey, no.

Def: Why do you still have that tattoo?

Me: Because tattoos are permanent, unless you get them removed with a laser.

Def: Why didn't you?

Me: Because I like having fur on my stomach instead of a bare patch.

Def: No further questions.

I finally got to go back to my seat. I didn't look back at Natalie. I could hear her crying and it made me feel bad.

Def: Defense calls Sylas Grim to the stand.

There was a general murmur of confusion, since no one seemed to know who Sylas Grim was. But I knew.

The middle-aged (and balding on top) leopard went up to the stand, was sworn in, and sat down.

Def: State your name for the record, please.

Sylas: Sylas Jamal Grim

Def: What do you do for a living, Mr. Grim?

Sy: I drive public bus 203.

Def: This bus is known by another name, isn't it? What's the name?

Sy: It's known as the "Fuck Bus".

Def: Do you know the defendant?

Sy: Yes

Def: Where did you meet him?

Sy: At one of the old Pred Power meetings. We started talking about life and eating donuts. The next thing I knew, we were friends.

Def: Do you recognize this?

He held up a plastic baggy with a laminated card inside it.

Sy: Yeah, this is a public bus pass.

Def: Who does it belong to?

Sy: Phade Aarons.

Def: And how did he get it?

Sy: I gave it to him...

And so it went. It didn't take long for me to realize that I wasn't really on trial for killing that rat. I was on trial because I was a predator with a supremacist past. Any court in any city in the entire damn country would've acquitted me of the crime under the argument of "self-defense", as well as "defending the lives of others". The trial lasted for six frickin' months, and it was only during the final month that I was actually questioned about the rat. Every day in court before that was full of character attacks and counter attacks. The prosecutor kept trying to make me out to be some sort of villain who went around randomly killing prey, while my defense attorney countered, saying that all of my crimes were either legal in the Predator Quarter or were falsely laid upon me. The court battle raged on from eight a.m. to four in the afternoon everyday, though every two weeks, we took a three day break. While the court case was going, I was forced to stay in the police station in the Open Quarter when not in the court.

The jail time was rough on me. I was by myself, mostly. Sometimes one of my friends or supporters would show up to talk, sometimes bringing gifts of food and books. I loved those times and really looked forward to them. I became rather disheartened when, after talking to Sylas about Natalie, it turned out that her family had left town 'til the end of the case. She'd left a message for me, which broke my heart when I read it. According to the letter, she hated seeing me turned into a villain, and she hated hearing about my crimes. She didn't trust me anymore. It said she didn't want to hear from me.

That's when I got mad. Not mad at her. Not mad at myself. Not mad at anyone who was involved in the case...except that damned prosecutor. The fuckin' squirrel.

"Sylas," I said, a note of importance in my voice. He sat up at attention. "I want you to take this letter to my attorney. Tell him to convince Natalie to come back. I need her here to finish the case."

"Uhh...Alright, Phade," said the leopard. He'd learned a long time ago not to question me when I'm being serious. He took the letter from me and left. I laid down on the small cot and tried to sleep. Unfortunately, sleeping in a cell is always bad.

Nightmares suck.

Two weeks passed before my next court appearance. My attorney had asked the judge to postpone it so he could convince a surprise witness to come in. The skunk had agreed, though I have no doubt it was a reluctant agreement. Surely he wanted to get the case over and done with. I'm so glad he was a fair judge.

My case had attracted tons of media attention from all over the country. The cell I was in had a TV in the wall, where I watched the news reports as they talked about me. All kinds of questions and theories were being thrown around, and I was getting pissed off at all the people calling me evil. It seemed there was a pretty even split between predators who thought I should be let off and prey who thought I should go to prison. Thank God they weren't in charge of sentencing, because some people were talking about the death penalty.

The day came when it was time for court again. I was resplendent in the county prisoner issue orange jumpsuit (which screams guilty to anyone who sees it; innocent until proven guilty my fluffy white ass), with shackles on my hands and feet and padded gloves on my paws, as if they thought I might cut someone up if my paws were free. I sat down with my lawyer and told him my plan.

He was totally against it, but I threatened to fire him if he didn't comply. He agreed reluctantly. He wasn't actually being paid to work as my attorney, at least not in the monetary sense. If we won the trial, his name would be big news and he'd be a highly sought-after attorney. If we lost...well, people tend to forget about the losers in time.

He stood up, cleared his throat, and said, in a loud voice, "My client, Mr. Aarons, would like to call one final witness to the stands. She hasn't had a chance to speak on his behalf, as Mr. Aarons wanted to keep her good name from being smeared. However, in order to adequately defend himself, Mr. Aarons feels he has no choice. Defense calls Natalie Fontain to the stand."

"Objection!" cried the squirrel prosecutor.

"On what grounds, prosecution?" asked the judge, giving the prosecutor a stifling look. Throughout the case, the prosecutor had called objection on nearly every witness the defense called, and quite frankly, I think he was running out of excuses. The squirrel couldn't think of one damn reason. It was plain as day on his face.

"Uh...objection withdrawn..." replied the squirrel, his gray cheeks turning red with embarrassment.

"Ms. Fontain, please take the stand."

Even though I couldn't see her from where I sat, I could smell her presence. And I could smell her coming closer, until she stepped into view. Her fur was nicely styled, and she wore a suit of casual clothes, as though she had been pulled into the courtroom while on her way to an informal date. She was sworn in and sat in the witness stand, waiting. I nodded to my lawyer.

"State your name please," ordered the judge.

"Natalie Lavender Fontain," replied the mouse. Her tail was in her paws now as she sat, looking nervous. If you look hard enough at her tail, you can just barely see the scar where her ex bit her.

"Ms. Fontain," began the cougar, whose name I forgot soon after the trial, though I still have his number somewhere on my Roll-o-Dex. "Ms. Fontain, what is your relationship to the defendant?"

"I don't have one."

"Let me rephrase that. What was your relationship with the defendant?"

"I was his."

"Can you elaborate, please?"

"I belonged to him. He owned me, like a pet."

"How long did you know him?"

"About three hours or so."

That got the crowd going. I knew it would. She made it sound like I'd made her my slave.

"A final question, Ms. Fontain: Where were you employed when you began your short relationship with the defendant?"

"I was working at a strip club called 'Cat & Mouse' on the north side of the Open Quarter." That explained the outfit she'd been wearing when I kidnapped her. A stripper. It hadn't even crossed my mind.

"Thank you, Ms. Fontain. No further questions."

Now it was time for prosecution. This was the part I dreaded. I figured he'd make me look like the spawn of Satan by the time he was through, but luck was with me. What can I say? Lady Luck is my bitch.

"Ms. Fontain," started the squirrel, "why are you here today? Why weren't you called as a witness earlier?"

"You know, I'd like to know that myself," replied Natalie. She glared at me. "I suppose only he knows."

"No further questions your honor." The squirrel turned away. I was surprised. With every witness that was called and re-called, he would often ask them the same question in a different way, trying to catch someone in a lie.

"You may--" "Your honor!"

He looked up at me. I'd interrupted him when he was about to tell her to go.

"Yes, Mr. Aarons?" he asked.

"I'd like a chance to question the witness, if I may. And then have her question me."

"Will this end this trial faster?"

"I believe so, your honor."

"Then go for it."

"Thank you your honor."

The judge nodded to the bailiff, who came over and unshackled my hands and feet, allowing me freedom to move. I dropped the gloves on the table, walked up to the stand, rubbing my wrists, and stretched.

"Ms. Fontain," I began.

"Oh, stop it, Phade. Just call me by name.

"Alright, Natalie. Have it your way. Would you tell the court what you told me after we first made love? What you told me about your ex."

"I told you that I wasn't a screamer..." There were a few giggles in the audience; a fur's sounds during lovemaking is a very personal thing, on par with how deep a femme's vagina is. "And I told you how my ex, the deceased, liked to hear me scream."

"If you will, please describe a few of the ways he would make you scream for his enjoyment."

She gave me a dark look, her cheeks blushed in embarrassment. I had said 'if you will', so if she chose not to, she wouldn't have to answer. Luckily for me, she did answer.

"He would cause me pain, just to hear me scream. He used to twist my ears hard, bite my tail until it bled, he would shove painful items into me just to cause me pain and make me scream. He did other things, but I'd rather not talk about it."

I rubbed between her ears to settle her down. "Please tell the court, if you will, why you were walking through the Predator Quarter on that particular night."

"You know why, damnit."

"I know I do, but they won't accept what I say until I say it under oath. Please."

She sighed in defeat. "Fine...I was going through the Predator Quarter because I didn't want to take the bus that went from the Open Quarter directly to the Prey Quarter, since my ex-boyfriend, Devin Erickson, would most likely have been on that day. He usually was when I got on. So instead, I started taking bus 203 from the stop near the 'Cat & Mouse' to the edge of the Predator Quarter. I didn't actually know the reputation of the bus, but I did know the bus route. Since it stopped on the edge of the quarter, I figured I could walk home from there and be safe from him. After a few days of coming home from work like that, I made a drastic decision. I started wearing my work costumes home, to tantalize predators in the hopes that one of them would take up with me. I was scared of Devin because he liked to hurt people, especially me. So I wanted a predator to protect me, because predators were the only thing that scared him."

"Last question: What was going through your mind when I kissed you for the first time?"

"Objection!" cried the squirrel. "Irrelevant!"

"I object to your objection, sir!" I cried back. "It's completely relevant."

The judge sighed. "Overruled. Please continue."

Natalie giggled. "Two things were going through my mind. The first...You had dog breath."

That got a laugh from everyone, save the squirrel, who appeared to be boiling mad. I chuckled softly as well. I can always handle a few jokes at my expense. "And the second?" I asked.

Natalie sighed. "The second was...I could trust this fox. I knew I could trust you when I woke up gagged but not bound in your apartment, with my clothes still intact and my modesty preserved."

There was a lot of talk amongst the jury at this. Over the past six months, the prosecution had attacked me over and over, saying I was a sexual beast who couldn't control himself. But Natalie had just shattered the prosecution's whole case.

"No further questions, your honor."

"Very well, you may...trade places."

"Thank you, your honor."

Natalie climbed off the stand. Before I went in, I knelt down next to her.

"Remember, you can ask anything you want," I said, stressing the word 'anything'.

She nodded as I climbed into the box, took the oath, and sat down. Due to her size, Natalie had had to sit in a booster seat to be seen by the rest of the court. I took the booster out and handed it to the bailiff, who passed it to the court stenographer, who stuck it under her chair. A stepstool was brought out for Natalie to stand on while she questioned me.

She clipped the microphone they handed her to the collar of her shirt, then she cleared her throat.

"Please state your name, sir."

"Phade Aarons."

"Please state your full name, sir."

I scratched my nose. I hate my middle name. It makes no sense, as if my father, who had chosen it for me, had simply been playing Scrabble and had taken it from a bunch of spilled letters.

"My full name is Phade Telvak Aarons."

"On the day in question, where were you when I got off the bus?"

"I was at the bus stop, about to get on."

"And why didn't you?"

"I saw you get off the bus and decided to follow you."

"Please explain to the court how you followed me."

"I followed several feet behind you, to make it look like I was simply for a walk. When you passed a group of preds, I heard one of them talk about wanting to 'hit it' with you, so I told him you were mine."

"And how did you get me into your apartment?"

"I ran up behind you and pressed a cloth that had been soaked in shadeform against your mouth and nose. Once you were unconscious, I carried you inside."

"And why did you go to all that trouble?"

"Because you were interesting."

"Please elaborate." Her cheeks were severely blushed by then, hearing about what I did to get to her.

"I saw you one day, getting off the bus. You were the only prey I had ever seen get off the bus to walk through the Pred Zone."

"Pred Zone?"

"It's slang for the Predator Quarter."

"I see. Why didn't you molest me when I was unconscious." There it was. The one thing I could say that would make or break me.

"To tell the truth, I considered it unsporting." She drew back, an eyebrow arched as she looked at me.

"Unsporting how?"

"I consider it unsporting to force myself on unconscious furs. I prefer my sexual partners awake and active. Besides which, I was looking for a willing partner, rather than some random fur off the street. I feel more fulfilled and less like garbage when I have a willing participant."

"While you were...straddling me..." when she said that, she couldn't meet my eyes. I knew I was grinning like a moron, remembering that day, so long ago. She cleared her throat. "While you were straddling me, what was it you said you smelled on me?"

"I smelled old wounds and fear. The fear whet my appetite for you."

"You said you smelled one other thing. What was it?"

"...Trust..."

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Trust!" I said it loudly, so everyone could hear. "I smelled your trust in me. I tried to frighten you with my teeth, but the scent grew more. Feeling that amount of trust coming from another fur made me unwilling to violate that trust."

"Good. Now, you told me something, something like a great promise you made to me. What was it?"

"I said you were mine. I owned you. Every part of you was mine. I promised to protect you from your old lover, because I don't let anyone harm my property."

"Just a couple more questions, Mr. Aarons. Do you trust me?"

I was taken aback. She had asked me if I trusted her. I nodded.

"Please speak your answer."

"Yes, I trust you."

"Last question then: Why did you wait so long to call me up?"

I sighed. It was time to let the cat out of the bag. "I didn't want your name showing up all over the place. I wanted you to be able to continue on as if nothing happened. During these past six months, I've been made to seem like a horrible monster that randomly rapes and murders furs just for fun. People look at me like I deserve to die. Like I deserve every horrible punishment every thought up that stopped just short of death. I didn't want that to happen to you. Because I fell for you the moment I smelled the trust from you."

"No further questions, your honor..." Her voice broke after the last word and she started to cry as she stepped down from the stool and walked away. Since I was still on the stand, I couldn't leave until dismissed. Then the judge said something that really made me hate the prosecutor.

"What is this case really about?" he asked. The prosecutor was struck speechless. Luckily, my lawyer had an eloquent tongue in his head.

"The prosecution seems to want people to believe my client is simply a bad fur who needs to be put down, a rogue predator who murdered some fur. I move that my client, Mr. Aarons, should be allowed to actually tell us his side of the story. According to the reports from Ms. Fontain's family, Mr. Aarons was assaulted by a police officer while he was immobilized. He was pistol whipped to the back of his skull and rendered unconscious. He almost died on the way to the hospital because of that attack. And because of the traumatic events, they never took his statement on what actually happened."

"Objection!" cried the squirrel again, but the skunk gave him such a dirty look that he sat down, muttering, "Objection withdrawn."

"If you would, Mr. Aarons. Please start when you entered Ms. Fontain's home." I nodded and began telling the story of what actually happened that night. Natalie was asked to confirm what happened, which she did. She also confirmed the information about the knife wound and the officer's unprovoked attack.

By the end of the story, Natalie was in tears and the courtroom was silent. Even my lawyer, who had heard part of the story, was dumbfounded. The only one making any noise at all was the prosecutor, who looked ready to explode.

The skunk turned his attention to the jury. "Ladies and gentleman of the jury. I think we've all heard enough speechmaking over the past six months to last us a lifetime. We've heard countless attacks on this predator's character without actually knowing his crime. Even I was left in the dark about the actual crime. However, be that as it may, you still must make a decision in this case. I hearby suspend closing arguments and instead move on to judgement. Consider the evidence you have heard today, ladies and gentlemen. I don't want to have a hung jury on this. Court will be adjourned for four hours, to let you deliberate. When we return, we will hear your decision. Dismissed." The jurors, an intermixing of my 'peers', meaning half predators, then a quarter prey and a quarter bird, filed out of the room. "Mr. Aarons, you are hearby allowed freedom to move about the Open Quarter for two hours. You will have a pair of police officers following you, so do not attempt to run. When your two hours are up, you must return to the court holding cell."

"I understand, your honor. Thank you." I stepped off the witness stand and, after moving around to the front of it, grabbed Natalie off her stepstool and pulled her to my chest, holding her against me as I nipped the rim of her ear.

"You hungry?" she asked me.

"Starving," I replied, "In more ways than one."

"Can you believe they don't allow conjugal visits?"

"They don't? I thought you just didn't want to see me..."

"Of course I wanted to see you. I was upset that you didn't tell me about your past, but that didn't stop me from wanting you."

"I never got a chance, though. I really don't follow that philosophy anymore."

"I'm sorry for saying I didn't want to hear from you again. I didn't really mean it...C'mon, foxy," she whispered, nipping my shoulder with her buckteeth, these being much smaller than a full-sized mouse's. "Let's go eat."

She took me by the paw and led me out of the building. I was still in the orange jumpsuit, but I didn't mind. We had a pair of police officers following us, but I didn't care. We climbed into a taxi and were off to a nice fast food joint that served burgers, of both ham and soy varieties.

The food was better than the jail's, and the company was most assuredly welcome. During the meal, her feet stroked my legs higher and higher, before moving in further and stroking my hardened length through the jumpsuit. I held my noises back by biting into my burger. The food was good, the entertainment better. Since we were in the Open Quarter, and I wasn't allowed to leave it, we couldn't go back to my place for a little R&R, and I doubted the officers following me would allow me to rent a motel room for a bit. And I so didn't want to make love to her in my cell, since the bars are open and everyone could see. So I told her the truth, in quiet whispers in her big ears.

"I want to fuck you, mousey," I whispered with a growl. She gasped. "I want to throw you down right now and pummel you with my dick until we're tied and cumming. I want to take you in every fucking way that has ever been imagined by perverted minds." I leaned in and licked the rim of her ear. "And if I get off, I'll do just that. I'll do even better than that, though. I'll make you my mate. Not just my toy, but my mate. How does that sound?"

"Will I still be your toy?" she asked innocently.

I grinned. "Of course."

"That sounds wonderful. Promise?"

"Promise."

"Seal it with a kiss?"

"Damn straight."

I pressed my lips to hers in the deepest kiss I'd ever shared with anyone. My tongue is longer than a mouse's, and thicker. When my tongue entered her mouth, I pushed it farther back than ever before, tasting her tongue at the edge of her throat, and she allowed it (she later told me she had no gag reflex anymore, and demonstrated it to me). She moaned into the kiss and I could feel her getting warmer. Before I could push it further, however, one of the officers came up to me and tapped on my shoulder. I reluctantly drew back as my mouse, my toy, my prey, sat there panting with a lusty glint in her eye. I looked up at the officer.

"Your two hours are up, Mr. Aarons," said the eagle. "It's time to head back."

"Alright. Can you give us a ride, then?" He nodded. I drew my now-fiancée into my arms and carried her out to the police cruiser. The drive back to the courthouse was enjoyable with Natalie there. But though I put on a smile for her, I had a cold ball of fear in the pit of my stomach.

Two hours later, I stood beside my attorney as I waited for the judge to announce the verdict. All the formalities had to be gone through, or else someone could call the trial botched or something and we'd have to go through the process all over again, and I'd rather die than go through this crap again. Finally, the judge asked the jury the question I wanted, yet dreaded, to hear.

"Have you reached a verdict?" asked the skunk.

The spokesman for the jury, a male songbird that I could've sworn I'd screwed answered, "We have, your honor." He opened up a folded sheet of paper that he'd had clasped in his wings, cleared his throat, and read from it. "In the case of 'Prey v. Phade Aarons', we, the jury, find the defendant, Phade Aarons..." The bird paused, coughing. That pause made the tension in the room skyrocket. "Not guilty!"

The room was completely silent for almost five seconds, before a cheer rose from my supporters. I was so relieved I started crying. What an asshole, scaring me like that.

Natalie was in my arms again as I kissed her as deeply as before, sharing my breath with her as I tasted her mouth. I was ecstatic at the thought of not having to worry about dropping the soap near Bubba. But, like all good things, some dickhead always wants to ruin the moment.

That fucking squirrel. I knew there was something I didn't like about him. I could see him just over the top of Natalie's head. He had a gun in hand and was pointing it at me, though Natalie was in the way. With my tongue down Natalie's throat, there was no chance for me to cry a warning. I did the only thing I could think of. I turned my back on him. I felt a searing pain just before an explosion of noise erupted from behind me. The bullet, I could feel, had gone through my back and hit one of my lungs. How did I know, might you ask? It's one of those peculiarities of intense pain. If it's bad enough, the mind tends to detach from the body, allowing you to look at it from an academic standpoint. Seconds after the gun went off, the bailiff tackled the squirrel and punched his lights out.

I continued to hold on to Natalie, even as she struggled to break away. I could see the tears in her eyes as blood welled in my mouth and spilled into hers. I looked into her eyes, made something of a smile with them, and everything went black.

I said it before, and I'll say it again. Nightmares SUCK. And when you're heavily dosed with painkillers and yet you're feeling something like pain inside you, it brings some nasty yet fucking weird nightmares. I don't remember my nightmares, though. I still get them sometimes, but they're getting more and more rare. Hopefully, there will come a day when I won't have any ever again.

I woke up in the hospital two weeks later. That year was bad for my health. I'd gone four years without a single trip to the hospital for anything besides shot updates, and now I'd been in it twice, both times with life threatening injuries.

Natalie was right beside me in the bed. I didn't even know hospitals had beds large enough for two patients to lay side by side. She woke when I woke, and the first thing on her face was a smile, then tears.

"Wha..." I couldn't ask the full question. The painkillers had numbed most of my muscles, making it hard to move my tongue and lips to talk. Hell, I could barely keep from drooling when my lips fell.

"Calm down," she whispered. Then she explained to me what happened.

I said it twice before, and I'll say it this time too. Fucking squirrel. My least favorite of all prey, 'cuz they're sneaky bastards. Turns out the rat I'd killed had actually been his estranged son. Why he was estranged, I didn't and still don't know. All I know is that they didn't know who the rat's family was until they tested his DNA against the squirrel's. A familial match. No wonder the squirrel was so hot to have me dead. At the beginning of the trial, he'd stated that I was a rogue predator, an evil, soulless beast that needed to be put down. He said he was going to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that I deserved death. And when I was pronounced not guilty, he tried the vigilante approach.

The bullet had missed my spine, which was lucky. An inch or two to the left would've killed or paralyzed me. And the former would've been the more welcome of the two. It had, however, blasted right through my lung, just like I'd thought. It was actually a good thing I'd had my tongue down Natalie's throat. I'd exhaled all my breath during that kiss, so when the bullet pass through my lung, the organ didn't pop like a balloon. It went straight through my lung and out between my ribs, and right into Natalie's chest, where it lodged between two of hers. Which explained why she was in bed next to me, though her injury hadn't been nearly as serious as mine.

"You're stuck here until your lung heals completely," she said to me. I could only nod.

"Wha...bla...hah..." I tried to ask. With the way things were, I probably would've bled out before any hospital could find a donor who shared my particularly rare blood type. She giggled.

"You mean, what about all the blood?" I nodded. She raised her left arm. There was a shaved patch of fur on her left wrist, with a thick bandage covering it. She then pointed to my right wrist, which was also heavily bandaged. "They were trying to find a blood donor for you when I asked them to check me. They didn't want to but I forced them to do it. Turns out our types matched. Lucky you."

"Ya..." I raised my left arm with much difficulty and wiped away the drool leaking from my mouth. For some reason my belly itched like I had fleas. I reached down to scratch it, but couldn't put forth enough strength to actually scratch the itch.

"Here, let me help you," she said softly. She slid her hands beneath the blanket and scratched at my belly fur. Except...I couldn't feel fur moving against her hand.

"Wha...mo...bla..." I hated my drugged state. And yet, she knew exactly what I wanted. She raised the blanket to let me look. There was no fur around my navel. None. And there was no tattoo either. "Huh?" I asked, the only complete sound I was actually able to make.

"When they made sure you were stable, I asked them to remove that tattoo. Don't worry," she said, laughing as I looked as horrified as I could without much muscle control. "They put some fur plugs in to replace the fur you lost. It'll grow in again."

I nodded and leaned my head against her. "Ma...Ta..." I whispered with a yawn.

She leaned against me as well. "Mate," she agreed.

No nightmares that night.

I was out of the hospital in three months. Natalie, as it turned out, had given enough blood to be dangerous for her. That's why she had to stay in the hospital bed with me for a while. When she was better, she went off to work. And right after work, she would show up in my hospital room and tell me about her day. I would always listen and answer her, my answers becoming clearer as they stepped down the meds. During my stay in the hospital, her family moved her things into my apartment, which apparently had them both pleasantly surprised. According to Natalie, her parents thought pred homes were full of feral animal skins and half-eaten bones and such. They didn't expect a modest apartment with many good books and tasteful pictures on the wall. I offered to lend them some books, but they replied they would be unable to return them. See, as it turns out, they had only been staying in the Prey Quarter because they wanted to support Natalie while she saved up money for her own place. They knew she was a stripper (though the club she worked at didn't do full frontal), and they supported her decision. Now that she had a place to call home all her own, they were going to be moving. Of course, we invited them to the wedding, which we planned in between bouts of dirty talk. They seemed both surprised and happy that we would be taking the vows, and agreed to come. I invited my family as well, though only my sister said she would come. My mother, though she did like Natalie (according to Shelly), had to keep up appearances among her pureblooded friends. The land they were living on was owned by a fox group called "Pures Vulpes", which, I guess, means pure vulpine blood, untainted by the blood of other species. And if she seemed to approve of her eldest son's marriage to a non-fox, they would be thrown out of their house. I understood.

Six weeks after I get out of the hospital, we were married. After nearly a year of trials and hospital time with no relief for a sexually starved fox (I'd refused to masturbate while in jail, since I was always in plain sight for anyone passing by to see), the wedding passed in quite a blur. I remember my fiancée, all decked out in her snowy white wedding dress that made her fur seem to glow, walking down the isle and up the special stairs we'd put in for this purpose. I simply faded out of attention as I waited, until the parts where I had to speak. We said the 'I do's', kissed, and I poured so much passion into the kiss it was almost obscene. When we parted and everyone cheered, Natalie looked like she could barely stand. She shot me a dirty look. I grinned lecherously at her, which made her blush, and I carried her down the isle. We stopped at the entrance and waved at everyone under a shower of rice, before we climbed into the rental car and drove off.

It was only a couple miles away that we stopped at the place we were having the reception. We rushed inside and waited for everyone to show up.

The reception remains a horrid blur to me, caused by my need to be closer to my wife, and all the alcohol I drank to stifle my urge to take her in front of everyone. I remember cutting the wedding (cheese) cake and feeding some to Natalie as she fed some to me. Everyone got a slice of the massive confection, and I separated out three pieces to be sent home with my sister. Another long blur and the speeches were over and it was time for the bouquet. Natalie turned around backwards and tossed the bundle of flowers over her head. I watched in amusement as my sister vaulted over the other femmes and grabbed the bouquet in her teeth in midair. She landed on the floor in a feral sit, her tail wagging. When Natalie saw, she broke down into giggles. Then it was time for the men's course: the garter belt. I pulled out a chair and Natalie sat down. I lifted one of her slender legs and slid a paw under her dress. There were a few whistles and catcalls from the assembled males, but due to Natalie's size, they couldn't really see anything. With a sly grin on my face, under the pretext of searching out her garter belt, I teased her sex a little through her undergarments. She bit her lip but didn't make any other sign to let the others know what I was doing. Slowly, I drew her garter belt down her leg and off. I stretched it like one would stretch a rubber band, closed my eyes, and let it go. I was never very good with rubber band shooting. It popped back in my face and I got a nose-full of her scent. I tried again and managed to get it to go forward. It arched over the crowd and was caught in midair...by my sister's boyfriend. He was grinning like a deaths-head and he walked out of the crowd to a chorus of boos and one voice crying 'that's so not fair'. To that complainer I replied that it wasn't his fault he was huge. I said that last part rather loud, and the boyfriend chuckled deeply. Apparently people noticing his height made him laugh.

That's where the night ended for me. At least the reception. I cannot recall anything else about the reception. It's completely gone from my memory, and I'm damn sure I passed out drunk during it, though Natalie assures me that I didn't, that I did everything I was supposed to do, including dance with her and others. According to her, I dance pretty well, for a fox with two left feet (figuratively speaking, of course). My memory of coming home is clear though. I got out of the car, took my bride up in my arms, and carried her up the stairs, across the threshold, and into our apartment. And straight to my bed. Our wedding finery was doffed in seconds, leaving us both stark naked and happy to be that way.

We didn't start in on sex right away. Her parents had forced us to stay apart until the wedding, which made the two of us crave being close to one another. They weren't being mean about it, it was just tradition. We laid upon my-our bed (I'd gotten the biggest damn bed I could find; the monster of a mattress can hold ten furs of average size) for a long time, just holding each other close. I had found out only a week before the wedding just how old Natalie really was. I'd thought nineteen or twenty, with the way she carried herself. She was thirteen, seven years my junior. She was fully grown by any furry species' standards (femmes and males both normally reached the end of their growth, and by extension adulthood, at age thirteen, though some continued on for a little longer), but still just a little older than a child. I sorely wish her first time could've been with me, and been gentle. She told me once that her ex, the dead rat Devin, had wooed her nicely, been a caring boyfriend, then, when she agreed to sex, had taken her harshly, damn near raping her spirit. I'm glad I killed him. I know I shouldn't feel happy about killing someone, but his death brings me peace. And if I were given a chance to do it over, I'd still kill him to protect her. When I'd seen Natalie get off the bus for the first time, she'd been only twelve (puberty for femmes starts at eight, and they're eligible for most jobs by age ten) and just wanted to be held. I'd shown her the tenderness she'd wanted and the dominance she'd craved. And now she would have them for life, because I would never let her go and I would never hurt her (unless she wanted me to).

It wasn't until her whippy tail stroked my throbbing erection that I remembered I'd had very little sexual contact of any kind, and no orgasm, since the trial started. That was more than nine months. Long enough for a baby to grow...I now had someone I could have kits with. That was a warm feeling.

Natalie told me during our stay at the hospital that she hadn't touched herself or allowed others to touch her since I was imprisoned. She was feeling just as desperate as I was, but she hid it better. Her heat cycle had been and gone eight times, that time of the month that she was most fertile. She hadn't allowed herself to sate her heat, preferring to hold back and wait for me, for which I was grateful. But tonight...tonight was the night. Tonight was the middle of her heat. The time when I was most needed.

I rolled her over gently as I slid over the top of her. Her red eyes, seeming infinitely deep, drew me to her. I pressed my mouth to hers and gave her a gentle kiss. She pressed against the kiss, passion flaring as she licked at my puckered lips. I pulled back with a smile. I crawled off of her and over to the bedside table. I slid it open and pulled out a box. I looked a question to her and she shook her head. I smiled and dropped the box of condoms back into the drawer. I was over the top of her again in seconds, kissing her soft lips over and over again, not daring to kiss her the way I had done twice before. If I'd kissed her like that again, I would've missed out on something I hadn't experienced with her yet. I drew away from her slowly, a strand of saliva connecting us for a second before it broke, releasing me. I slid down her body to her puffy pink lips, all swollen with her heat and a tiny trickle of blood running out from between. I had sniffed her fur, tasted her mouth and lips and skin, I had felt all over her body, but I had never tasted that secretive place that even now begged for a special kind of kiss. I obliged, but not immediately. I leaned down and inhaled deeply of her womanly scent. From what she'd told me, she'd never been mated during her heat, since the rat had been afraid of getting her pregnant, so this was a kind of virginity in itself. And I would take this one gently...for as long as I could. Her pheromones filled my nostrils, making my cock leak precum as it became fully hard. Gently, ever so gently, I lapped at the very edges of her wanting lips, tasting her special nectar as it covered her flower.

"Sweet," I huffed out loud enough for her to hear. "You taste sweet, mouse." She sighed as she remembered the last time I'd said those words. "The other mice I've tasted were sour, but you are sweet." I took a slightly deeper lick along the edges, just barely parting her folds as I tasted her. "You are so very sweet. And I love sweet things." With that, I had spoken more than enough to last the rest of the night. I nuzzled her hot yet loving folds, a little bit of liquid sticking to my fur. I drove my tongue between her puckered lips, lapping at her walls gently, tasting her heat-stricken flesh as I tried to quell it with my tongue alone.

"S-stop!" she cried out suddenly and I drew back. She was breathing harder now and she gestured for me to come closer. I slid up her body and brought my ear close to her mouth. "I need you inside me, master," she whispered in my ear. "I need it so bad that if you don't do it soon, I'll do it myself." I liked the sound of that, but she didn't look like she had the strength to carry it out. I smiled gently at her.

"Promise me..." I whispered in a dishy ear, nibbling lightly on the rim. "Promise me you'll do that one night. If you do, I'll do what you want."

"I...promise," she whispered back.

I slid up her body until my pre-soaked member nudged against her entrance. And there I stopped.

"Seal it with a kiss?" I asked in her ear.

She giggled. "Yes..."

I bent down and gave her our special kiss, tasting her mouth as deeply as I could without choking her. And in that lip lock, I hunched my hips forward, sliding my warm length into her burning depths. Unlike the first time we'd made love, where it was a bit of a struggle for the first few thrusts, her insides sucked at my rod, pulling me deeper into her as if her sex had a mind of its own. I could feel the tip sliding as deep into her as the first time, but this time there was no resistance from her womb. It was wide open, and welcomed my member into itself like an old friend. Natalie's breathing came faster and faster the deeper my cock went into her before it reached its deepest point, the head just a short ways into her womb. I tried to draw back from the kiss, to let her have some air, but she wouldn't let go of me. Very well, I thought, if that's the way she wanted it...I slowly began to draw myself out of her again, her walls sucking at me, trying to haul me back in, trying to stop me from giving it what it needed. When I was only halfway out, I couldn't stand the suction and thrust all the way back in again, stroking her walls in that most intimate of ways. Having studied femme anatomy from the specialized medical texts (read 'kinky porno') I had hidden under the mattress, I knew approximately where the soft, spongy part of her was, that special spot within a femme's sex that few males really cared to stimulate. But she is my mate. I wanted to do something special for her, so I drew out again, this time resisting the urge to thrust until I found that spot. I angled my hips and gave a long, slow thrust against that spot. Her eyes shot wide open and she nearly choked on my tongue, which she was in the process of attempting to deepthroat, to my amazement, having never had someone try that before. I continued to thrust only against that spot for a few minutes, enjoying her writhing beneath me. When I looked into her eyes again, I could see a silent plea for me to finish her. I tried to smile with my eyes again, and changed my angle again, thrusting all of myself, up to my knot, into her. Her back arched and her short mouse nails dug into my back, adding to the pleasurable sensations of her rippling cunt along my shaft. She hadn't achieved yet, but was on the brink and was desperate to get off. I once again drew back, this time until just the head was inside of her. I nodded to her as she nodded back and released my tongue, not wanting to bite it when the next part came. I bit down gently on the side of her neck and gave a last, brutal thrust into her, my knot sliding passed her welcoming petals with ease, which neither of us expected, before they closed up to hold the intruder inside. I thrust rapidly into her now, back and forth as fast and as deep as I could. My knot wasn't fully inflated and I pressed it in an inch or two deeper before it suddenly ballooned against her spot and we were locked in place. She moaned and shook as she achieved orgasm, while I growled into her neck as I sowed my seed inside her womb, filling her small body with my semen. She clutched at me to the very end, her own teeth in my shoulder, adding a pleasurable pain to my orgasm.

We held each other for a long time, unable to separate for a ridiculously long time. My knot just wouldn't deflate. Every time I gave a tug to see if I could pull it out, it ground against her spot and her inner muscles would suck my length again, pulling out another spurt of fox cum and adding it to the hot, creamy mess already within her. I rolled to have her atop me, then slid us over to the edge of the bed again. I rifled through the bedside table again before finding what I wanted. I turned on the lamp and showed it to her.

"What's that?" she asked breathlessly. My move across the bed had ground my knot against her spot several more times, triggering a small orgasm.

"It's an artificial knot," I replied with a grin. "I'll show you how it works in a minute."

By holding perfectly still, it took much less time for my knot to deflate, though I changed our positions before it did. Our new one had me on my heels with her legs behind my back, ankles locked. In this position, when I pulled out there wouldn't be much mess. When I finally drew my soaked and sticky cock out, I demonstrated what the artificial knot did by sliding it back into her well-used tunnel. It was basically a heavy-duty balloon in design, with a miniature remote-controlled air pump in the end. I pressed a button on the remote in my hand and the pump activated, inflating the balloon within her tunnel. She shivered again as the knot sealed her shut. When I judged that enough time had passed and that the knot was big enough, I turned it off. The knot didn't deflate, however; that was another button. By turning it off, it stopped growing and simply retained its size. I unhooked her legs from me and set the remote on the bedside table. With a yawn I laid down beside her, rolling her onto her side as I rubbed her belly.

"So what does it do?" she asked softly.

"It works just like my knot. It keeps my seed inside you, to increase the likelihood that you'll become pregnant, but this works a bit better, since it doesn't deflate unless you want it to."

"When can I take it out again?"

"The directions said twelve hours or more for maximum effect, so about noon tomorrow."

"Mmmm... Good." She yawned and closed her eyes.

I leaned forward and nipped her ear one last time. "I love you," I whispered softly.

Her ear twitched, and a very sleepy voice replied, "I love you, too", before dissolving into light snoring.

I smiled and closed my eyes, willing myself to sleep.

Our attempt that night failed, sadly. She didn't conceive that night. We asked a doctor and he said it was probably because it was the first time she'd been mated during her heat. The first time almost never allows for conception, even with special tools.

Natalie was a little sad about it, until I reminded her that we had another chance in the coming month. She cheered right up. She was so happy that she went out the next morning before I woke up and came back with a gift for me.

I'm ashamed to say I yelled at her for leaving like that. I hurt her feelings very much when I did so. She spent more than half the day in our room with the door locked, crying. I could've easily picked the lock, but she wanted to be alone. And though I was sorely tempted, I didn't peek at the gift she'd brought back.

It was early evening before I was able to coax her out by wafting the smell of cheesy bread (cheese and bread are her favorite foods; she believes it's a divine miracle that they were combined into a quick and tasty snack) under the door. As soon as I got her out, I set down the plate I'd been holding and swept her up in my arms, holding her close to me. And while holding her like that, I explained why I'd been angry.

We live in the Predator Quarter, where rape is legal. I didn't want any male to have his way with her but me, because she was my mate. Unless she decides she wanted another male's touch besides mine. That was fine, though I didn't like it. There're all kinds of ways to gain immunity from rape in the Quarter (laid down by various predator opponents of the rape laws), and I'd been planning to give her one, but had forgotten in the excitement of the day. I sat her on the couch and went to the closet, rifled around for a minute, and came back with a collar. I explained its workings to her and placed it around her neck.

If any fur tried to touch her without knowing the password for the collar, it would give them a heavy, disorienting shock to their nervous system. I told her the passwords for turning it on and off, chosen for their memorable quality. This way if she told a male or female no and they tried to press the issue, they'd be in for, pardon the pun, a nasty shock. She smiled and went to the table, grabbed the wrapped object she'd brought home and handed it to me.

"Open it," she said with a mischievous grin. I did.

It was a book. A very nice book, but a book nonetheless. I read the title aloud.

"Kama Sutra?" I asked. Before that moment, I'd never heard of it. I quick flipped through it and the horny fox creature that lives inside my libido got himself a special kind of bone. It was a sex manual. I looked up at her, looked down at the page I'd flipped to, back to her, then grabbed her and the book, and hauled both into the bedroom, Natalie giggling all the way, and shut the door.

That's my story, such as it is. There's more to it, but it's a story for another time, surely. I will say that in Natalie I found a mate who shared my lusts and needs, as well as favorite books and foods (though she ate the soy versions of my favorite meaty treats; I'm working on liking soy). Most of all, I found love, companionship, and a femme who could share in my favorite kinks. She promised that one of these days we're gonna take a bus ride with a bird. We deep SWAK'd it, so I know she meant it. I can't wait.