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Episode 4: Rising Waters

"Some say that the ocean is one of the worst places to be what with the sharks, poisonous fish, fish that the size of your forearm that can spear you with a giant snoz and let's not forget the multitude of mammals that have teeth the size of your head! But I think the ocean is great! It's the one place in the world where the world actually shuts up_."_

_ _

Jacques Marquis

Rillotian Comedian

_ _

"You do realise you've confused them more than you've made friends with them, right?"

Jacob forced himself to stare straight ahead, looking straight at Max while his accusation tensed the air with every passing second. Even without looking, he saw the confusion and shock in the eyes of each of his companions. He kept his cool, however. If they knew what he knew, they wouldn't be so eager to jump down his throat and ask why he was being so nice.

Like you said, dad... These are desperate times.

We can't afford any more dissension. As much as I'd love to go through this while acting totally badass...

... someone has to take one for the team.

"A bit quick to change, isn't it? They're going to ask questions."

Let them. I don't want any more secrets between any of us. If we're going to stop Balthazar, we have to do it together.

"Why don't you just tell them then?"

What? And spill my guts? I've got a reputation to think about!

Spectre slapped his own forehead and let out an exasperated sigh.

"What are you talking about?" Max growled, fangs bared. His words brought Jacob back to the present and he hadn't even noticed he had slipped back into the habit of staring to the left where Spectre crouched. "Do you think I'm in love with you!?"

"You've made it clear you have no interest in me," Jacob answered, his cocky grin still in place. "But it is clear that someone has your attention." His eyes narrowed. Max took a step back. "You support MODD. You don't want Balthazar dead. You've voiced reasonable concerns about the consequences of our actions and every step of the way, you've tried to hinder us. But still you follow us. If you really wanted to stop us, you'd call out Eden and attack. But you don't. Why?"

No reply came from the dragon so Jacob provided it for him.

"Because someone around here -" he waved a paw at the Branded " - is loyal to the job and you don't want them hurt in whatever plan or scheme you're cooking up that's designed to kill the rest of us."

Again, no reply though Max was edging closer and closer to the door.

"The question is," Jacob finished, folding his arms firmly. "Is who this person is."

There were looks of confusion and suspicion being thrown around. Like a warped game of 'Who-dun-it?', each of the Branded threw their suspicious stares at the others. Even Rex joined in the medley of silent accusations. No one seemed to really like Max else they would have just kept their eyes on him, trying to plead with their eyes that it was not true.

"What do you know?" Max growled back. "You think you're in love!? You treat Leo like -"

Jacob interrupted with a lifted paw, keeping his cool perfectly. He wasn't sure how or why he didn't explode at that moment. Perhaps it was because he had already had that conversation with Canis or that his father was watching. However, he found himself with a rather strange sense of clarity. No blinding rage filming over his vision and waking up with blood on his paws.

"I know how I've treated Leo. I know how I've treated each of you. That's why I'm trying to make amends."

The dragon jabbed a finger in the direction of each of the Branded. "So you offer each and every one of them something to buy their loyalty!?" His finger quivered at Leo before switching to Rex. "And what of those two!? You offer sex!? How is that any different?"

Jacob resisted narrowing his eyes. When he felt the suspicion in his heart weighing down his eyelids, he turned to where Max was pointing.

So... It's either Rex or Leo...

"Does it matter which one it is, son?"

Everyone has their motivations to come along, dad. The problem we have is that it doesn't necessarily align with what's good for Mortaelis. They want to kill Balthazar but will that solve our problems? Will that stop Realmbreaker?

Spectre was silent for a moment. "You've become very insightful, Jacob..." Pride blossomed in his voice.

I'm thinking clearly again. Back when it was just you and me and we were just running around to survive, I wasn't blinded by revenge or some compulsion to act out my murderous rage.

This time, I'm keeping my head clear.

His eyes returned to Max. "How is sleeping with my mate and my half-brother any different this go around?" he repeated.

By the way, when I'm having sex, you are not allowed to watch.

"Jacob, you tell me about it regardless. I'd rather not be there when you get skewered with Rex's dick."

Awww... You're curious aren't you? Is that why you kissed me that one time?

Spectre blushed deeply and turned away.

"It's different because of the reasons behind it," Jacob finished, smiling slightly towards Max. "The same outward action can have a different meaning."

"And you think that makes you a better person?" Max countered.

That made him chuckle softly. "I don't know. Depends on the outcome. But tell me, how much better are you if you openly reject everything we've done but still do it and hide in the shadows trying to sabotage everyone else for the selfish reason of trying to seize someone for your own heart's desire?"

Max's jaw opened and closed several times. "That's... That's not fair! I've... I've never -"

"Admitted your own mistakes and accepted that you, like everyone else, is flawed."

Jacob was a little surprised when Sierra stole his line. Some compelling force urged him to step aside as Sierra cut through the Branded and stood before Max. Her gaze was quite... frightening. It wasn't angry nor was it fierce. It was disappointed. Jacob imagined it was like someone's grandparent giving them that look and the guilt that welled up inside would have been crushing.

Max certainly crumbled underneath the pressure.

"I wish I had understood sooner..." Sierra sighed. "But I had hoped that you would join our crusade to make the world a better place. However, I simply cannot train someone to heighten their powers and their potential when they view themselves an infallible."

"I'm not that arrogant!"

A loud snort came from behind Max.

James Canis pushed himself off the doorframe, unfolding his thick arms and striding over to them, a big grin on his face. "Yeah you are."

Max was utterly speechless.

Canis hiked a thumb at the dragon. "Can you believe this guy? He insists he isn't gay and he ends up sleeping with a total slut like me. Plus, let's not forget that he's trying to steal -"

"Shut up!" Max roared, lunging at the Alsatian. Canis nimbly dodged away.

"Oh yeah! And you know what the kicker is?" Canis grinned broadly at Max. "This guy hired me to break Jacob Reaper so that this entire little rebellion would fall to pieces. And he paid with sex!"

"That's not true!"

But it was.

Jacob could see it in Max's eyes. There was no denial in them. Just a lot of pleading.

"So you still think you're perfect?" Canis accused. "There's your plan gone down the drain, huh?"

That was the breaking point. Max angrily spun and stormed out. There was a slight glimmer on his cheeks. Whether it was sweat or tears, Jacob couldn't guess. His eyes settled on Canis instead who had his chest puffed out and a broad grin on his face. When they met gazes, it almost seemed like the sergeant was looking for his approval.

Sierra shook her head sadly. "There is still doubt amongst you, isn't there?"

The looks on each of his companions was filled with doubt indeed. Jacob had been watching the lesson quietly before tempers began flaring and he noticed the hesitation in each of their steps. Their ears were not perked, their eyes filmed over with weariness. Whether it was weariness from the heart of something else, it kept them from being truly focused.

"Let us reconvene later today," Sierra offered. "You have all had an emotional night."

"Let's take a raincheck for tomorrow," Jacob offered. "I've got a lot of activities I'd like to get through with my team." It felt strange calling them his 'team'. He'd never used a collective term for them before but this time, it felt right. "Least of all is catching up with Max and bringing him in line."

There, Sierra beamed. "A leader now, are you?"

A quick glance at the others showed that mantle had passed onto him a long time ago. He just never realised it. "If I have to be."

"Very well then. Why don't you take the rest of the day off? Breakfast, lunch and dinner are here at your convenience. Though I have much preparation to do for the ball."

Jacob lifted his paw. "Could I talk with you in private before you rush off?" He got a lot of strange stares for that one. "What?"

"Nothing," was the instant reply.

"You just asked for permission, Jacob. You've never asked for permission before."

That strangely made Jacob chuckle inwardly.

Fair enough. I just need to make sure Sierra and I are on the same page.

"Of course," came the Elemental Lords' reply.

The rest of the Branded and Rex left the arena without another word. A few curious stares were thrown his way but they still left the arena. Whether they milled about the entrance with their ears pressed against the door, however, was another matter.

"You seem to have come around and done a complete personality change," Sierra observed, her eyes bright yet still filled with curiosity. "What changed?"

"Don't get me wrong, I still want to burn, maim, kill and murder. It's fun and bathing in the tears of the families I've brutally deprived of life is really good for my fur." A slight blush touched his cheeks. Grateful that his black fur prevented that from being said. "I just realised that I've been really pigheaded and selfish. Really self-centred and quite honestly, unfair to the others. They call me a friend and I call them 'allies'.

"As much as it pains me to say it..." He took a deep breath and let it out very slowly. "Canis was right."

Far behind him, he heard a soft 'Ha!', confirming that at least one person had their ears pressed against the doors.

"I've taken my friends for granted. I've used them in my personal vendetta against Balthazar that, quite honestly, is really stupid."

Sierra raised one eyebrow at him, inclining her head to the side. "Balthazar had your father murdered and you locked up and supposedly experimented on. How is that not justified vengeance?"

"Because it's vengeance."

That made her laugh. "I see. I imagine it wasn't easy to just let go of all that hatred."

"Easier than you think. I jumped on the 'Let's all kill Balthazar' bandwagon pretty darn fast. Letting go was just as easy as looking at how I got there and doing it in reverse."

"You brought Gale back to life?"

It was his turn to laugh. "If only." He gave her a bright smile. "I got to talk to my dad."

Sierra gave him a worried look that was tinged with just a bit of curiosity. "I'm still curious about that. How exactly did you communicate with the dead?"

"Oh he's not dead. He lives inside my head! Like I said, he told me to kill and burn things." Just for the fun of it, he widened his smile into a crazed grin, widened his eyes like saucers and tilted his head to the side. "He even mentioned once that he wanted to fuck my brains out. I think I have a daddy complex. That's why I'm gay."

"I did not say that!" Spectre exclaimed incredulously. "I kissed you once_! That does_ not mean I want to fill you with me seed!"

You already did.

"You know what I mean!"

Easy, dad. I'm just having some fun.

"If you say so..." Sierra murmured. He didn't miss the fact she had taken a step away from him. "I am most interested in speaking with him. He knew Balthazar even more than I. Perhaps he knows what he is up to."

"That knowledge won't benefit you, Sierra," Spectre growled darkly. "If you knew what we knew, Balthazar would do the same to you and your children what he did to me and my son."

Jacob decided to rephrase. "You know how my dad knew Balthazar more than you?"

"I just said that," Sierra responded, slightly irritated.

"Yeah... And you know how he imprisoned me, experimented on me and then drove me insane?"

"More now than ever before."

Jacob beamed brightly. "I'm glad you've adopted so many kids."

Her face instantly fell. "Point taken." A heavy sigh changed the subject. "So if you are no longer bent on revenge, what are you fighting for?"

His reply was a vague shrug. "Honestly, I don't really know right now. All I can say is that I was both the motivation and the source of the division amongst the Branded. Max hates me, Kerry disagrees with me sometimes, Joanna doesn't like my views on culture and art, Taylor disagrees with my relationships, Rex wants me to bone him and bone him alone and Leo... Well... I think he wants my babies... somehow..." Jacob scratched the back of his head in confusion. "Anyway, the point is, the only thing holding us together is, at the same time, Balthazar's death.

"And Max does have a point. What will happen once this is all over? I'd like to replace the life I lost when Balthazar screwed me over. To do that, I figure it'd be handy to have a university lecturer, rich businessman's daughter, an aspiring lawyer, an employee of MODD and an Elemental Lord as friends. If anything, I'll have the son of a Tribal Chief as a mate and if all else fails, I can go back to Leo's Clan and... 'make babies'... if that's at all possible."

Sierra opened her mouth to speak but was quickly interrupted by a sharp 'Whoo' coming from beyond the doors. Both Jacob and her gave the door a glance just in time to see it shut. Neither of them were sure who made that sound.

"I must say, that is a very mature outlook," she said. "Are you still bent on continuing with the plan?"

"About that..." he began. "I said I'd help you get rid of Balthazar but his ultimate fate will be in your paws. Just so you know, I am committed to that. I am not going to be your headsman."

"That is more than I can ask," Sierra said, bowing slightly. "I must apologise for Sergeant Canis' behaviour as well. He is truly a sweet child..."

Jacob laughed softly. "No need to apologise. Really, he was the wakeup call I needed. I think after he slapped some sense into me, I finally found a quest worth pursuing aside from black vengeance."

"Oh? And what is that?" Sierra paused for a moment then quickly raised her paw.

"No. Do not tell me. That is your reason. Your quest and purpose. No need to share it with me." As she lowered her paw, she said, "Go, enjoy the day with your newfound purpose. Tomorrow morning, before we meet for our training session, I would like to take you down to Triton. Your father visited it once. I think he would like for his son to see how much it has changed."

_ "Honestly, I'm indifferent. It's really quite nice but you_ really can't touch much. Everything tends to explode if you do and being miles underwater, that's quite dangerous."

"Thanks," Jacob responded. "I'd like that."

They bid each other farewell. Jacob turned to leave the arena. He wasn't at all surprised to find that no one was waiting for him on the other side of those doors but he suspected they had all left the instant they had heard him approaching. Some part of him wanted to have someone to talk to. If only to find out who had ha'd and whoo'd.

It was not long before he found that someone.

Leo was crouching down at the foot of the stairs, looking up like a lost puppy. Jacob smiled down at him and the huge, Tribal wolf immediately got to his feet, tail wagging happily.

"Jacob!"

"Hey."

They embraced tightly and for the first time, Jacob truly felt the warmth Leo was exuding was being returned. He wasn't sure if what he felt really was love but he was definitely sure he could learn to love Leo.

What's not to love? He's cute, innocent and damn sexy!

"Let's not forget that he believed that eating your cum will make him stronger..." Spectre murmured.

You don't approve?

"What? Of course I do. I'm just saying... You might want to keep your husband from spitting out that truth out in public. Especially if you plan on having a family... Speaking of which, if for some unknown reason, you two do have puppies... Is he planning on feeding him... erm... 'milk'"

Jacob's mind locked up with the imagery though his 'head' began to fill with blood strangely.

Leo pulled away from him, giving him a puzzled look. The massive Tribal leaned forward and sniffed him a couple of times, even going so far as to sniff Jacob's crotch. Naturally, Jacob didn't mind.

"You smell different," the Tribal observed. "Stronger, somehow. Manlier."

"Why thank you," Jacob responded, puffing out his chest. "Though that could just be the fact that I fought pretty darn hard last night and haven't had a shower since. Come on, I need a bath."

Leo smiled brightly and followed him eagerly back down the hallway. His mate was always so eager and cheery that it was a little hard to see what truly motivated him. Jacob recalled Leo mentioned that he was sent out on this quest from his country to search for a 'true Alpha' and he claimed Jacob was that Alpha. If so, was it possible that Leo had no motivations except to be with him?

"Hey Leo, what do you want to do today now that we're free for a while?"

"Whatever you want!"

Yikes...

Spectre lazily fluttered around Leo's head, examining the Tribal curiously. "Wow... He is devoted to you. Some would kill for that kind of devotion."

Yeah... But given my new insights, I'd rather have him acting on his motivations, not mine. Mine tend to lead to trouble.

"Are you sure there isn't anything you want to do? Go see the city? Look at some art? Chase some birds?" Jacob wracked his brain for more ideas. "Erm... Have sex?"

Leo instantly straightened, grinning broadly with a tent clear in his tight, denim shorts. "The last one!"

"Hey! I found his brain!" Spectre exclaimed, pointing at the bulge.

Quiet you.

"Um... Maybe later," Jacob said, wrapping an arm around Leo's shoulders. He loved the musky, earthy smell his mate gave off, mixed with that smell of freshly cut grass. A small whiff was as much as he could take without slamming his mate against the wall and doing it there and then. "But there must be other things that you want to do. Life is more than sex, eating and working out."

Leo inclined his head to the side curiously. "'Working... out...'?"

"You know. Bicep curls. Bench presses. Squats. Exercises that you do to get that rock hard body of yours."

The Tribal just looked at him, puzzled.

"You're kidding me!" He pulled away from Leo, shocked. "You don't work out? How'd you get that big?"

Leo shrugged absently. "My father was big. My grandfather was big before me. I hunt and run with the pack leaders. I was blessed with this body from my proud lineage. That and I drink much of my father's milk!"

Wow... Does that really work...? Hey dad...

Spectre darted away. "Don't even think about it!"

"I almost feel stupid for stealing all those gym memberships now..." Jacob muttered as they reached their room doors. He pushed open the door and nearly shut it again in horror.

"Rex! What the -!?"

His half-brother sat in front of an enormous screen with the cord of a game controller wrapped around his thick, pulsating cock. The only thing he wore was a black shirt that really hugged his figure with a similarly designed game controller on the chest. The words 'Press the Start Button' and an arrow pointing to his crotch was painted just below.

"Huh..." Spectre muttered. "I guess big cocks come from your mother's side of the family."

Jacob conjured a mental image of himself - calling him 'mini-Jay' - and sent his miniscule copy charging after his father with a spiked and bloody bat with rusty nails embedded into the wooden frame. Both of them disappeared out into the hallway.

"Hey Jay!" Rex exclaimed, grinning lewdly. "I thought after last night, you could do with some fun! Been a while since we played Strip Gamer."

Leo poked his head under Jacob's arm. "Oh! We can have sex now?"

"Hell yes!" Rex replied. "Multiplayer!"

Jacob's cock was defying him but he decided that the first thing he needed was a bath. He reeked and dust clung to his fur after spending so long in the dilapidated house. Denying Rex was very hard and he was about to speak the magic words when a brilliant idea hit his head.

Quickly, he grabbed Leo and pushed him towards Rex. "Leo, meet videogames."

His mate just gave him a puzzled look. "'Video... games...?'"

"Yup!" Jacob sat his mate down next to Rex, purposefully tugging at the game controller that was wrapped around Rex's cock. His half-brother let out a soft squeal as the cord tightened around Rex's cock, muttering how bad an idea it was. Jacob handed the controller to Leo and kicked started the game console. "Just follow the instructions on screen and you'll be fine. Press the buttons here" - he pointed at the controller - "and the people up there" - he pointed at the screen - "will do what you want! Have fun!"

Quick as a flash, he bolted towards the bathroom, slamming the door behind him and grinning broadly.

I am a bloody genius!

Spectre appeared in front of him, flapping his wings lazily. "How exactly is getting your Tribal boyfriend who probably thinks all technology is evil to play videogames a work of genius?"

"It'll give him something to do," Jacob responded, striding into the bathroom and stripping off his clothes. He tossed his coat on the sink and as he did so, caught a brief glimpse of himself in the mirror. Instead of seeing his father where his reflection should be, he saw himself for the first time. Standing beside him, however, was his father... or rather Zack.

"We'll start simple with the whole giving him a goal to work for," Jacob explained to his father in the mirror. "Videogames have a set goal, right? Beat the other player up. Get the highest score. Finish the game. Whatever. If he can do those, it might trigger off other ambitions in his head. He might want to be like those characters in the video games. He might want to make his own! It'll work!"

"Or he'll turn into a vegetable, fat and oily and sit in front of that big screen for all eternity until he merges with the couch."

Huh... Hadn't thought of that.

"I'll keep a good eye on him."

Jacob turned and switched on the shower, letting the warm waters drizzle him and soak into his fur. He had to wrinkle his nose a little upon smelling himself. Salt water and moss didn't make for a pleasant smell. Scrubbing himself down was a chore in itself with his thick fur. Looking at Spectre, he realised he got that thickness from his father. Not that he could complain.

Having a dad - even in a strange form like his Animus - triggered off a sort of... 'son reaction' in him. Everything reminded him of his dad and he had the sudden urge to ask Spectre to go fishing with him. He was starting to have weird fantasies about Zack teaching him to ride a bike. All of them were dismissed, however.

He wasn't that kind of son and Isaac Reaper was not that kind of father.

"Gah...!" he muttered, trying to reach over his broad back. "Can't... reach..."

"Just use the shower nozzle, Jacob. It's the kind that you can take off and guide."

"Huh... So it is."

He prised the nozzle from its stand and washed himself thoroughly with it. Once his fur was sufficiently cleaned, he squirted some shampoo onto his paws and massaged it into his scalp. It had a particularly fruity smell to it that was a little too sweet for his tastes but the conditioner that followed had a manly musky to it that he quite liked.

Once completely done, he rinsed one more time before shutting off the shower and stepping out. He glanced at the clock.

"Damnit."

"Thirteen minutes still?"

"Yeah..." He shook his head and stepped into the fur dryers, letting the hot air get in all his fur and dry him off. Of course, he stepped out as a giant fluff ball but that was quickly remedied with a quick pat down with a towel and some brushing.

Satisfied with his appearance, Jacob pulled his clothes back on and -

Crash!

His danger senses screamed and he quickly bolted out of the bathroom.

The screen was spurting sparks of electricity, its face cracked and broken where the controller had broken it. Leo looked startled while Rex... Rex just looked royally pissed.

"I call hax!" the silver-haired wolf exclaimed.

Hax...? Did Leo beat him...?

"What's going on here?" Jacob asked, striding carefully into the room.

"Where's the headphones?" Rex demanded, lunging at Leo who just giggled and nipped at him like they were two pups playing. "Where are they!?"

Jacob stormed over to them. "Hey!" He yanked Rex off his mate, giving him a shove back. "What are you talking about!?"

Rex threw a ferocious stare at Leo. "He cheated!"

Eyebrows slowly rising, Jacob said, "You mean Leo beat you...?" The lack of a response was all he needed. He slowly turned towards Leo, puzzled. "You beat him?"

Leo held up his paws, fingers extended. "This many times!"

Ten times...?

Whoa...

"Jacob, you've created a monster."

"He's a Tribal!" Rex protested, throwing his paws into the air. "There is no way he could be that good already!"

"Maybe you're just not that good?" Jacob offered smugly.

"I could still beat your ass!"

Jacob wasn't going to take the bait. "Probably," he conceded. "Why don't you go cool off, Rex? Tonight, we'll have a rematch. All three of us."

Rex instantly went stiff... in more ways than one. His eyes glazed over and he spoke with a zombie-like drawl when he said, "Okay. I'll be... somewhere... else..."

Then he was gone, bolting out of the room, no doubt to take care of his 'problem'. No doubt he forgot entirely that he still didn't have any pants on. His fleeting back did give Jacob a moment to see the writing on the back of his shirt. The words 'Insert Coin to Play' were scrawled across his broad back, an arrow pointing to his rear.

Smiling, Jacob sat down next to his mate, wrapping his arms around the big Tribal and holding him tightly. Leo let out a soft moan as he buried his nose into Jacob's chest, snuggling up tightly. A content smile crossed the young Tribal's features.

"Hey, don't go to sleep just yet," Jacob laughed. "There's still a lot of the day to go through!"

"You're right!" Leo sat up was immediately began pulling off his leather jacket. "There still much time for mating!"

Horny bastard...

"No," Jacob replied, sliding the jacket back on. "There's other stuff to do apart from sex, Leo."

His mate's features dropped, ears flattening against his head. "Do you not want me anymore, Jacob?"

Jacob rolled his eyes and turned towards Leo, spreading his legs wide to show his tenting pants. "More than anything. But there is more to relationships than just sex."

"There is?" Leo asked, utterly confused.

Yeah, I know. I was surprised too when I found out.

"Apparently so. That is why we're going to go out!"

"Out? Out where?"

Good question...

"Just... out."

*****

Sadly, Jacob had no idea how to take someone out on a date let alone where. Asking his father was out of the question. He had just reconnected with him and he wasn't about to go running and asking for dating tips quite yet. That last thing he wanted or needed was visual imagery of how he and his mother had conceived their one and only child.

Still, Jacob had made a commitment and if there was one thing that he had discovered about himself, it was that he was relentlessly stubborn. Admitting that he didn't know the first thing about dating to his date probably wasn't desirable.

Then again, this was Leo.

I could probably get away with anything and Leo would like it.

With that in mind, the first thing on the agenda after breakfast was an early visit to the museum before things got crowded. Rex was nowhere to be found and they spent the better part of an hour looking for him. Even Leo's keen sense of smell couldn't find his half-brother.

Jacob dismissed the thought, knowing if he were Rex, he'd probably find somewhere to quietly masturbate away his humiliation at being trounced by a technologically-stunted - yet admittedly very sexy - Tribal.

They sat down at a cafe built on a bridge over one of Angelsea's major arterials. The glass-bottom floors made dining quite unique. The calm, rushing waters swirled just inches away from their feet. Schools of fish danced amongst the currents amongst gently swaying anemone and different types of coral.

The menu stated that the cafe was built to appreciate the majesty of the city's beautiful canals that were decorated by reefs that had grown amongst the walls. Despite the disturbances gondolas constantly made, the sea creatures were surprisingly well-adapted to the environment. A shark even drifted lazily underneath, making Leo lick his lips.

"You like shark?" Jacob asked his mate.

"They are the best prey in the sea," the Tribal answered, wagging his tail excitedly. "Prey that fights is prey worth eating."

Huh... Good to know.

He regarded the menu again. There was a lot of words he barely understood but thankfully, there was a descriptions for them. Naturally, being Angelsea, everything was sea-oriented. A scallop omelette seemed a little strange to him but he ordered that alongside a second helping for Leo. Some hot chocolate was added to the mix.

"What is 'Cough-ee'?" Leo asked, inclining his head to the side, emerald eyes wide in confusion.

A horrible mutation between a cough and a squeal?

"I think you mean coffee," he responded. "It's a drink most people have to wake up in the morning or get over a hangover."

"I used to down six cups of those a day," Spectre sighed heavily. "Your mother always complained I had coffee breath."

Once their menus were taken away, Jacob leaned forward and grasped Leo's paw across the table. He gave his mate a gentle smile which Leo returned with his own.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" he began.

"Of course," Leo answered brightly.

"What do you do for fun back where you come from? What do you do to entertain yourself?"

"Fuck."

His fur fluffed out at the sound of that voice. It was painful turning his head around but when he saw that glimmer of copper red and those knowing, green eyes, he just knew his date was ruined.

"Joanna..." he muttered through bared teeth. "What are you doing here?"

"Watching a disaster," she answered.

"Oh you don't look that bad."

The vixen threw her head back in a mock laugh. "Wow, you regressed really quickly, Jay. What happened?"

Don't fall for her bait. Don't fall for her bait.

"Not going to fall for that," he said, turning around to meet Leo's befuddled gaze again. "I hope you have a lovely breakfast."

Something brown and long splashed into the river beneath them.

"Hey look!" Joanna cried. "A stick!"

Please no...

"I'll get it!" Leo exclaimed.

And just like that, the big Tribal hurled himself over the railings and dove straight into the waters. With the sharks. The other diners gasped and a woman even fainted. Jacob just sighed and slammed his forehead against the table. He felt someone sit in Leo's seat. Some shimmer of hope filled him - hoping that all those years of rage and semi-insanity had finally surfaced and he had begun hallucinating.

But no.

It was just Joanna.

"Out on a date?" she asked, smiling wanly.

"I was. That is until you threw a stick and my boyfriend dove after it."

She shook her head patronisingly. "Oh you child. Breakfast at a seaside cafe? Really? Where did you get your dating tips from? A sitcom?"

"I would ask where you learned how to ruin dates but then I remembered you haven't gotten laid in a while."

The vixen nodded a couple of times, even jutting out her lower lip in acknowledgement. "Fair call. But you know how to swindle and scam people into your bed to get something you want. When it comes to really showing someone you love them, I bet you have no idea."

Spectre patted his shoulder lightly. "Don't worry, son. Trust me, I had no idea when it came to your mother as well. It's like we were on different worlds most of the time."

Yeah, that's because she was a woman.

"Now don't be sexist."

"And I suppose you know how to show Leo the time of his life?"

"No." She reached forward and poked his chest. "I know how to make you express how you truly feel."

"I love him. That's all there is to it."

"Oh really?" Joanna leaned forward, smiling with a sinister edge on her muzzle. "Tell me, Jacob, now that you've had your eyes open and you've gotten let go of your lust for vengeance, do you lust for anything else?"

Trick question!

"Of course. I want Leo."

"Right. Did he offer sex yet?"

Uh...

"No...?"

Joanna clucked her tongue while she shook her head. "Oh Jacob..." She leaned back, crossing her arms behind her head. "When you were up on those training grounds, you wanted to patch things up with everyone and you almost had me fooled. But then, you offered sex to build a relationship between you, Leo and your half-brother. That showed me two things..."

She lifted two fingers. Their scallop omelettes were placed in front of them as well as Jacob's hot chocolate and coffee for Leo - or rather for Joanna. The vixen took a sip of the coffee and nodded her approval.

"That's good." She coughed one moment and cleared her throat. "Make that three things. Firstly, you have no idea what Leo wants, what he truly desires or what will be good for him."

"Of course I do!" Jacob snapped. "He wants to fuck my brains out!"

"You realise you said that out loud, right?"

Jacob cast a few glances around. Another woman fainted while other kept their eyes on him. "Oh come on," he snarled at them. "My barely clothed boyfriend just jumped over the ledge and you're staring for that? Get over it."

His eyes went back to Joanna. "That's all he wants."

"Naive," she said, shaking her head. "Jacob, just because that's what he tells you, it doesn't mean that's all he wants. Leo is a lot more complex than you give him credit for. Sex isn't the only thing he wants."

"Then what should I have offered him, huh?" he challenged.

"Oooh... Bad move there, rookie."

Quiet you.

Joanna smiled and set down her cup of Leo's coffee. "You might have gotten plane tickets to Oxis. I'm willing to bet that Leo's tribe would have been ecstatic to learn that their prodigal member had found his Alpha Prime and is mated to him."

"Burned."

Shut up.

"You could have also started educating him on how we Rillotians do things," Joanna continued. "You might have been able to avoid this mess." She gestured over the railings.

"Severely burned."

"Another thing," the vixen continued. "You don't love Leo."

Crack...

Something broke in him but he wasn't sure what.

"Of course I do!" he protested. "Leo is -"

"The one guy apart from Taylor in our group that has actually slept with you. Tayl is too mature and knows he can't be with you so he pulled away. Rex is your half-brother so that doesn't count. Max hates your guts. That leaves Leo who absolutely adores you. You were just lonely. I'm willing to bet you tried to be chivalrous and even attempted to push Leo away but in the end, you reeled him in because you couldn't stand being on this crusade alone.

"Now that your revenge is basically done, take a moment to ask yourself, Jay, do you love Leo?"

"I -" He stopped.

Jacob looked back at all the times that he had spent with Leo... and realised that each and every one of those had been filled with sex. There was really nothing between them except for some form of semen being sprayed everywhere. Even when they tried to talk about their relationship, it ended up with sex without anything being resolved.

"... I like him..."

"But do you love him?"

Jacob closed his eyes a moment. "No... But I want to."

Joanna straightened, smiling brightly. "And now you have taken the first step."

He gave her a puzzled look. "First step to what?"

"To true love!" She reached forward, seizing his shoulder and squeezing it tightly. "Stick with me, boy, and you'll love that crazy kid with all your heart!"

"You're going to help me?"

"Hey, you're taking me to private viewing of Paula Matriocia's gallery. It's the least I could do."

Huh...?

"I actually think it was Orville Brian's gallery."

Joanna took another sip of her coffee. "Oh that's this afternoon. I'm talking about the gallery we're seeing tomorrow."

Jacob was just about to protest when he realised what she was hinting at. Smiling, he said, "Sure."

"Oh and one last thing you should know about Leo," she said, setting down her cup of coffee. "What were you thinking trying to get him some coffee?" she demanded, loudly and theatrically. "You know how he is! What would happen if you got him hooked on this stuff!? He barely has enough self-control as it is!"

Huh... I wonder what a coffee-crazed Leo would be like...

"Please don't."

"Don't get him addicted to anything," Joanna said, speaking in normal tones again. "Anything addictive, stay away from. At least until we get him to be more cultured."

Huh... Do you think videogames are addictive?

Spectre didn't reply.

Wham!

Both Joanna and Jacob jumped when a large, bleeding, dead shark slammed into the table in front of them.

"Look what I caught!" Leo exclaimed, tail wagging excitedly.

*****

Step One... apparently.

Do something he likes.

Sex was out of the question so Leo suggested they do the next thing he loved to do.

Hunt.

Jacob stood on the edge of one of the main 'beaches' in Angelsea dressed in nothing but a pair of fur-tight briefs, his clothes sitting dry next to him. Leo had to wear his torn, denim shorts because he wasn't wearing anything else beneath that. Joanna was secreted somewhere but still watching. She insisted that the suggestion had to come from Jacob to make it seem to Leo that he was the one being romantic and not seeking advice from a manipulative vixen who was somehow an expert on relationships.

"So..." Jacob began, rubbing the back of his neck. "I've never actually hunted before. What's the first thing we have to do?"

"Know your prey!" Leo answered brightly. He pointed down at the clear waters. A multitude of fish drifted in along and amongst them were some very large sharks. "A shark is quick and powerful. We are at a disadvantage in the water but if we strike at it quickly enough, we can catch it by surprise! They are more afraid of us than we are!"

"I find it difficult to believe that a fish with a chainsaw for a mouth would be scared of me." He peered down into the waters. Apparently, shark hunting was a sport in the city. Restaurants paid handsomely for shark meat and shark fins as the fish had started to become grossly overpopulated in the canals. They were eating all the other fish and when their territory ran out of fish, some would leap out of the water and try to snatch pedestrians.

One of the dangers of living in a town that has an entire reef-style ecosystem in the middle of the ocean...

"I am sure you will take down the biggest shark of them all!" Leo exclaimed brightly. "You are my Alpha! You are strong!"

Out of the water, maybe.

That sparked a bit of worry in him. In the air, he had no rival. Not even Taylor who favoured the Element of Wind could outmatch him in the air. But in water...

"Watch me!" Leo exclaimed brightly. Quick as a flash, the Tribal dove into the water, sending a cold shower Jacob's way.

Yikes...

Leo looked like a torpedo underwater. He moved with powerful, broad strokes, zooming through the clear waters with the speed to match one of the toothy fish. Like a silent shadow, he crept up next to one of the sharks, just swimming beside it. Then, quick as a flash, he lashed out, seizing the shark around the waist. Naturally, the fish thrashed and tried to slip out of his grip but his claws had sunk deep into its flesh and his fangs had buried themselves into the shark's gills.

There was a huge burst from the water and Jacob was wide-eyed when Leo landed beside him, the thrashing shark in his jaws.

How the hell did he do that!?

"Your boyfriend has very strong leg muscles."

Leo dropped the shark onto the sand to the applause of the other beachgoers. "Now you try!"

Dad... If I die, will you tell Joanna that this is all her fault?

"I don't think it'll matter much, son."

Taking a deep breath, Jacob wandered over to the edge of the sand and peered into the waters. They seemed quiet enough and there was a flicker of hope that no sharks invested the waters after Leo managed to nab two of them in the past hour. However, when he saw something big, blue and finned slide by, he knew he either had to dive in and hope the shark didn't bite his balls off first or chop them off now and hand them to Leo as a sign of resignation.

He decided to let the shark do the neutering.

He took a deep breath and dove beneath the waves. All sound became dulled, the constant swooshing of the waves against the shore dominating all noise. Like diving into the arteries of a world, the waves seemed like the heartbeat and the current, the ebb and flow of life. He swam as fast as he could under the waves, seeking out the black shape that he was sure had been a shark.

However, as he pulled away from the shore and swam more towards the deep ocean, the sea grew darker and misty. The clear waters gave way to a dull haze.

Too far...

Better turn back.

He turned around in the water just as his lungs were starting to burn.

For a moment, he saw the underside of Angelsea.

It was like staring at a beautiful, colourful underwater city. An entire coral ecosystem sprouted from under the city. There were towers of coral covered in anemone. Fish swam around the spires in schools like pedestrians walking the streets. Rays of light broke on the ocean's surface, casting different shades across the pinks, purples, greens and blues of the hidden city.

Huh...

His eyes followed a single, large glass tube that ran jutted out from the centre of the city, disappearing down into the depths of the ocean. Lights flashed far, far, far beneath him and where the tube vanished in the gloom.

Must be Triton...

His lungs began to burn and he broke the surface of the ocean a moment later, spluttering salt water out of his muzzle. Leo was a waving speck in the distance.

Wow... I swam farther than I thought.

A sense of doom filled him and he slowly turned around.

A fin just dove out of view.

Oh shit...

He took a deep breath and dared to peer into the eyes of death.

The red eyes of death.

Holy - Spectre!

In a flash of light, Spectre appeared beneath him and burst out of the waters, carrying him along. His Animus spread his wings wide, showering droplets of salty water onto the gaping paw of the Unsealed shark that erupted from the waters right beneath them. Jacob yanked his tail away from the closing jaws of the beast, fangs gnashed together as he flicked his paws...

... and remembered he had left the gloves used to summon Radiance and Requiem back on the beach.

"Son of a bitch!"

He thought fast and conjured a blade of light in his right paw. The white, crystal-like blade sliced through the air and sliced into the Unsealed's nose. The cut was shallow and it burned the flesh around the wound but it was enough to cause the Unsealed to twist in the air and for those dagger-like teeth to just miss Jacob's feet. The beast plummeted back into the ocean with a deafening splash.

"I hate sharks!" Jacob barked.

"I don't know. I remember you popped a boner when one of the sharks on the beach strutted by. He was pretty hot, right?"

Jacob gave his father a bewildered look. "Are you sure you're not gay?"

A deep roar emanated from just above the ocean's surface. Deadly, bright-blue fins began springing up from the ocean. They cut a smooth beeline towards the shore. There had to be a dozen of them. Through the waters of the sea, Jacob could see the enormous bodies of the sharks, each one twice as long as a car and probably as wide.

"That's not good," he muttered. He summoned another blade of light in his free paw and hurled both into the waters. Neither struck their target, disappearing into the depths of the ocean. His heart began pounding hard in his chest. Each beat was another blade of light flung into the deep, blue ocean. The sharks seemed to sense his intentions, swerving away from the incoming projectiles.

Spectre quickly gave chase, speeding as close as he dared to the ocean's surface. Once of the Unsealed sharks burst from the waters, leaping over six feet above the waters and with jaws wide. The Animus swerved in midair, dodging the attack before opening his own jaws. A beam of searing light exploded from the winged wolf's throat, blasting a hole right through the Unsealed's flank. The creature dropped back into the ocean, its body unravelling in a stream of blue energies.

That's one way to get them out into my element.

The shore drew closer but there were countless civilians swimming in the sea too far to make it in time.

Crap!

He flung more and more light swords into the ocean. The Unsealed dodged them with ease. He could almost see them mocking him with their broad, toothy grins.

Double-crap!

"Your attacks are too narrow," Spectre shouted. "Use a blast of sound!"

"What?"

"Jacob, you can manipulate two Elements, remember?"

Oh yeah...

He flung his paws forward. The air thundered with a wide burst of sound that slammed hard into the waves. For a moment, there was a crater-like indentation into the waters. The three Unsealed that were caught in the blast seemed surprised by the attack, flailing momentarily as they were pushed deeper into the ocean.

Now!

Jacob flung a flurry of light swords into their midst. Stunned, the Unsealed could do nothing as they were skewered by the blades.

"Gotcha!"

But he was out of time.

A little girl screamed as an Unsealed vaulted out of the salty water, jaws outstretched to devour her.

Then the oddest thing happened.

A huge, black claw reached out from the waves and closed around her. The shadow seemed to melt into the waves, taking the girl with it. As the Unsealed crashed into the ocean, no trace was left of the innocent.

Leo...?

It wasn't Leo.

Jacob felt the fur on the back of his neck prickle and his eyes were drawn towards the shore. Standing beside the broad shouldered Admiral Jenkins was the hunched figure of an old crocodile... or was it alligator? He couldn't tell from the distance. Whatever the man was, that same black claw appeared beside him, gently unfurling and depositing the little girl beside him. All around him, similar black claws were springing out of the lapping waves and dropping those trapped in the ocean.

Whoa...

"Oculus..." Spectre growled.

"Who?"

"Professor Manfred Oculus. A researcher in the Triton Research Centre. He was always eyeing your mother. I never trusted him. He's also one of Sierra's lieutenants. He possesses the Seal of the Deep Sea. He holds the power over Water and Darkness but as a result, he sacrificed both of his hands. They are replaced by his Seal Weapon, Submersion."

As Jacob drew closer to the shore, he noticed Oculus' weathered, greyish scales were wrapped by a white lab coat and a pair of casual jeans. He seemed unimposing until he unclasped his hands from behind his back. From the elbow, both his arms were covered by metal, black and aqua-blue gauntlets. Silver claws drew from the tips of his fingers.

Jenkins reached over his shoulder, the orca drawing his trident. Bolts of electricity danced between the three tips of his Seal Weapon. He lifted it into the air, spinning it multiple times in his hand. Lightning arced out from the whirlwind, shooting straight into the ocean and striking the waters. The suddenly electrified water sent the Unsealed leaping into the air, roaring in agony.

Before Jacob could take the opportunity, black claws jumped out of the waters. The sharp, nail-like appendages ripped into the flanks of the Unsealed, tearing gaping holes right through their flanks. A thousand of the same claws just reached out of the ocean like the hand so of hungry demons eager to pull the Unsealed to their deaths.

In that instant, the Unsealed were all torn to shreds.

A bolt of lightning whizzed by Jacob's right arm.

"Hey!"

Spectre landed on the shore a moment later, Jacob leaping off and charging straight towards Jenkins.

"You almost hit me!"

"My mistake," the orca answered, his eyes dull and mocking. "I mistook you for a criminal."

It was bait and one Jacob was unwilling to take. He needed allies, not enemies. Gruffly and somehow managing to swallow his pride, he said, "Good shot though. Both of you."

The alligator - his muzzle was squarer - known as Manfred Oculus hobbled forward, nodding several times. "Ah, you must be Sierra's guest. A pleasure to meet you." He held out a claw but Jacob held back from shaking it.

Quick! Change the subject!

"So... You're a professor, huh?"

Oculus bobbed his head from side to side. "I would have been a doctor but I didn't have the patients."

Jenkins groaned loudly and Jacob thought he heard a large number of the crowd turn their cheering to similar groans.

"Oh boy... here we go," Spectre muttered, returning to his miniaturised form beside Jacob.

Oh, that wasn't so bad, was it?

"Um... Okay... Thanks for the help. I couldn't have done it without you. Now I just have to look for my mate..."

That didn't take long. Leo immediately erupted from the crowd like a joyfully puppy, throwing his arms around Jacob's neck and holding him tightly. "You are safe!"

Jenkins groaned again and turned away.

"Oh? This is your mate?" Oculus asked.

Jacob laughed softly as Leo licked his cheek all over. "Yeah... This is Leo. Leo, this is Professor Oculus."

Leo pulled away from Jacob and sniffed Oculus' crotch.

"My, he is friendly, isn't he?" the alligator laughed, petting Leo heartily. "I'm guessing you both take it anally, then?"

Jacob flinched.

"When was your last prostate exam?"

"Um..."

"You know males who often wonder if they should take a prostate exam get it in the end."

Okay... eew...

This time both Jenkins and Spectre groaned.

Leo straightened, oblivious to everyone's reactions to Oculus' puns. Jacob was trying to remain stone-faced but he was dying a little inside.

"Why is your back hunched like that?" Leo asked innocently.

"Oh I had some back trouble earlier in my life," Oculus answered with a bright grin. "But it's behind me now."

Jacob joined in the groans this time.

Alright... getting slightly irritating...

"Are you a doctor?" Leo asked.

What? Is he going to repeat himself now?

"Of sorts."

"How did you become one?"

"By reading medical books. I like the ones without an appendix."

Oh god no...

Oculus turned to Jacob with a bright smile. "I am glad you found someone of your own species. I once had a patient who was allergic to cats. When he found his soul mate was feline, he realised marriage was a little rash."

Jacob couldn't take anymore.

"Okay, I'm going to go find a friend. Leo, stay with the good doctor, would you?"

Leo wagged his tail brightly and turned to Oculus but not before the alligator shouted 'Break a leg'.

The crowd parted in respect as he hurried past them... or perhaps it was because he was still mostly in the buff, dripping wet and looked incredibly pissed. Finding Joanna was not hard. She was standing close to the edge of the beach, waiting for him with a cool glass of lemonade in paw. He loomed over her, eyes narrowed and jaw set angrily.

"Something the matter?"

"Hunting sharks," he stated with a growl. "I can't believe I let you talk me into that!" He threw his paws into the air in agitation. "Hunting sharks!"

"Relationships take sacrifice and compromise. If you want to build a meaningful relationship with Leo, you have to go through the stages. You've gone through Stage One: Do something he likes. Now it's time for Stage Two: Go to a group activity."

"What will that accomplish?" he demanded.

"If you can go to a group setting and not ogle anyone else, not make light of your mate and only focus on them, you're ready for the next step."

Jacob shook his head. He couldn't imagine Leo ogling anyone else. Then again... He could imagine Leo begging to introduce someone to be part of the 'pack'. "Leo is devoted to me heart and soul. He would never have sex with anyone else."

Without me, he added mentally.

"These steps are as much for you as they are for him," she said. "Now I've booked both you and him to go to a club that -"

"You know what?" Jacob snapped, lifting his paw. "No. I don't have time for this. I'm going to go build my relationship with Leo without your help, Joanna."

She gave him an exasperated look. "Oh Jacob. You need my help. You know as well as I do that you're new at this friends thing. Boyfriends are even farther from you. You've got to take help when it's offered."

"And you" - he snarled -"have got to stop looking at other people's flaws and start looking at your own!" He jabbed an accusing finger at her. "You honestly think that you're better at relationships than the rest of us? That we should adhere to your rules because they work? Where's your relationship status right now, huh? Where's your significant other? And don't give me any of that 'I want to kill Balthazar' crap!"

Jacob was huffing but he felt himself falling into a roll like when he was ranting against Canis. "In fact, you're so busy picking out everyone else's flaws and poking holes in everyone else that you've never had a good look at your own failings! Is that seriously how you deal with your problems, Jo? You push them aside and try to demean others so it makes you look better?"

"If I was doing that, why am I willing to take Sierra's help to become a better fighter?" she answered calmly.

"I'm not talking about fighting!" he answered. "You're here because you want to kill Balthazar and make the world a better place? Didn't Max's rant teach you anything? There will be consequences! What happens if Taylor, Kerry or even Rex are implicated in your crusade? Where will their life be, huh?" Jacob stamped his foot like an impudent child. "Jo, I respect you because you're very worldly. But really, you're focusing so much on the world that you're not spending enough time on you.

"I certainly learned that the hard way... Don't make the same mistakes I did."

Jacob turned away from her but froze after he was just a few steps away.

"What are the other steps anyway?"

Joanna was silent for a few short moments.

Then...

"Step Three: Do something you like. Step Four: Meet his friends. Step Five: Start an argument...

"... and Step Six: Make love and if you wake up and don't run away screaming, you have a stronger relationship from it."

*****

Finding Leo in the crowd had proven to be incredibly difficult. Jacob couldn't find either Oculus or Jenkins either so he had searched the rest of Angelsea. Unfortunately, he couldn't find neither hide nor hair of his mate and resigned himself to sitting on the pier - fully dressed - where he had his heart to heart with his father, staring out into the ocean and just wondering where his mate had gone.

Part of him felt sorry for having torn Joanna a new orifice but he hoped she didn't take it too hard.

"I think she needed to know that," Spectre said comfortingly. "She is a little nosy. And bossy."

"She's a strong woman. But she just spends so much time trying to mould others that she forgets to mould herself. I'm sure she'll make someone happy. If she's willing to make a few concessions here and there."

"Talking to yourself now?" Sergeant James Canis crouched down beside him, his legs dangling over the edge of the pier just like him. "And about a girl too. Are you sure you're gay?"

He gave the Alsatian a sidewards smile. "Quite frankly, I've used sex before to get what I want. Male and female. I'm far from a virgin."

"How does your hunky, crotch-sniffing mate feel about that, huh?"

"He probably wants us to track down every person I've fucked and convince them to join our 'pack'," Jacob answered, a little worriedly. "Is it possible to brainwash people with sex?"

"Deprivation or overdosing?"

"The second one."

Canis bobbed his head from side to side. "I'd say it's possible. Fill someone's bloodstream with cum and if they survive, I'm pretty sure they're yours. Or be practically a clone of yourself. I'm not sure which."

Jacob laughed softly, shaking his head in the process.

"Tell me something," Canis said. "Do you love him? Leonardo, I mean."

"Of course I do."

Canis snorted. "No you don't."

"And what makes you say that?"

"You were shaking your head while you said you loved him. Your muzzle is saying 'yes' but your body is saying 'no'."

Jacob waved absently at Canis. "You're reading too much into my every action."

"Maybe." The Alsatian suddenly stood up. "But you know what?" He lashed out, seizing Jacob by the cuff. "Tonight, you're my bitch."

As much as the soldier's abrasive nature rubbed Jacob's nerves, it was clear that this was a form of 'tough love'. Canis was just being brutally honest. He needed that kind of feedback. Over the years of pillaging and stealing, he had taken the infamy as a form of praise. Canis brought him back to reality, telling and showing him that being an asshole wasn't really something to be proud of.

Still, he wasn't about to just lift his tail up to another asshole.

He waved off the canine's paw. "Rape? I thought you were classier than that."

"I am. I'm taking you to a bar. The rape... Well... maybe after if I get you sufficiently drunk."

Smirking to himself, Jacob stood up and said, "Okay. You're on. If I get you drunk off your ass, you're my bitch. If it goes the other way around, I willingly lift my tail to you."

Canis' smirk was priceless. Jacob took a mental picture of it. "You're on."

"Not going to tell him that alcohol has no effect on you, huh?"

Nope.

The streets of Angelsea drew to a quiet lull as the sun began to set. In the wave of the recent Unsealed attacks, most people had locked themselves in their homes and with good reason. Strangely enough, the bars were enjoying increased business, at least according to Canis. Jacob figured it was because people were trying to forget the impending doom that loomed in the shadow of every hour.

Canis took him to the Deep C bar which had a rather unique setting. At first glance, it was a single-storey structure but in reality, it had multiple basement floors and cut into the coral build underneath the city. Jacob was mesmerised by the dim, mood lighting complemented by the wavy lights coming from the streetlights above breaking against the water's waves.

It didn't pass him that every occupant in the bar was male.

"Gay bar?" he asked.

"Gay bar," Canis answered smugly as they approached one of the many bars littering the facility. Each basement level had one. To add to the surreal watery feel of the bar, the floors were transparent. With the choice of music, the lighting and the fact they were surrounded by water and colourful fish, it almost felt like they were actually in the water.

Canis flagged down a bartender. "Two appletinis please."

Jacob regarded Canis with one eyebrow raised. "I'm sorry, what?"

A strange, bright green drink was pushed in front of each of both of them with a slice of green apple wedged against the martini glass.

"We're going for something relatively light first," Canis said, lifting the glass and making a mock toast towards Jacob. "If you fall on your ass after this one, you're officially a sissy."

Taking the glass, Jacob dared a sip and was surprised at the fruity taste twinged with the slight fragrance of alcohol and a heavy dose of green apple. As with every alcoholic beverage he had ever drank, he felt nothing. His unusually fast regeneration - even by Branded standards - ensured that he never got drunk. Except strangely for when he was injected with anaesthetics.

Canis eyed him like a predator and it was clear what his intentions were. As flattering as it was, Jacob was in no mood to be randomly jump into bed with anyone. The one person in his eyes was Leo.

I better call him out on this... Better not let his hopes get too high.

"You know you're not going to get me in bed, right?"

"We'll see," the Alsatian answered, gesturing that they head to a nearby booth. It was in a quiet place secreted in the far corner of the bar. However, it was like a trek through a battlefield to get there. More than a few men dared a grope and one even stopped in front of Jacob and dared a 'hello'.

Jacob offered a smile and shook his head, nodding towards Canis. He didn't trust himself to speak and the guy slunk away with an understanding smile and disappointment in his eyes. As they sat down, Canis flagged down a waiter dressed in nothing but a black jockstrap, ordering a beer for them both. The stag winked at them slyly, asking if they wanted one of the condoms that hung from his waist in the shape of a belt. They both declined.

"I'm serious, sergeant," Jacob said. "I'm with Leo. I'm going to commit to that."

Canis set down his glass. "I know that. And frankly, I'm not here to give you a night you'll regret. I want you here so that you'll sit here and take this all in." He waved a broad paw at the bar.

Jacob took a deep breath. The smell of manly musk filled with the scent of sex was in the air. Hormones were high and even a little bit of cigar smoke. "Yeah, that's the very alluring odour of man and masturbation."

Clang.

Canis slammed his hand on the table. "I'm serious, Reaper," he growled. "This is my home. If you're going to save it, I want you to know exactly what you're saving." He nodded towards the bar. "You think this place is all about sex? That guy on the bar? He's clinically depressed. Do you see that guy trying to feel up the kangaroo? He lost his wife and thinks he's never going to love another woman again. Do you hear that go shouting 'whoo' near the jukebox?" Canis leaned forward. "Listen to just what he is 'whooing' about."

Jacob tilted his head towards the malamute throwing his paws into the air, shouting with joy. "Um... he's really happy...?"

"He's going to get shipped out tomorrow to some dull job guarding supplies towards the big Black Ring project," Canis answered. "He's trying to spend the last moments of his exciting life here before he falls into a coma from boredom."

Their beers arrived and Canis drained the last of his appletini before draining half of his beer. Jacob had to raise his eyebrow and tentatively finished his own martini.

"People who go around saying they'll save the world make me sick," Canis grumbled, leaning back in his seat with his arms crossed. "They're looking at a collective. They think each and everyone one of us is like some cell in a bigger body. We're not. Each of us is unique. Each live in their own worlds. It just so happens that our worlds cross over everyone else's."

"You never took philosophy when you were in high school, did you?"

"And you did?" Canis accused.

"Briefly," he answered with a dismissive shrug. "Spectre convinced me when I was younger to sneak into a local high school to catch up on the mechanisms of light and sound. You know, to help understand my powers better. As my elective I took up philosophy."

"I'm honestly surprised you didn't say you 'studied ass'."

"Tail. I studied tail. It was a very enjoyable course. The teachers were very hands on."

Crap... Oculus got to me. Now I'm spurting out terrible puns.

Canis grimaced and gestured that they drink. Jacob drained his own mug. Canis had finished his by the time Jacob had set down his. The sergeant flagged a waiter for another. Jacob worriedly regarded the Alsatian, hiding his own grimace at the bitter taste of the brew.

"All I'm saying is that everyone sees what everyone else sees but it's their brain that processes those things and organises them into useful information. What we see might not be what someone else sees. We can't judge someone for doing something that is ultimately right for them."

"Isn't that being selfish?"

"Why can't people do things for themselves?" Canis demanded. "When people do something for someone else, they may or may not get a fragment of appreciation. When we do something for ourselves, it's selfish. How can we claim to be individuals when we're all looking after one another? Besides, who gave us the right to do what is right for someone else, huh?"

Jacob straightened, his lips forming a small frown. "Who died?"

The Alsatian looked like he was about to object but when his second beer arrived, he took a gulp before setting it down, seemingly swallowing his denial with it. "When you live in an orphanage, you make brothers and sisters out of the other kids who are lost just like you. One of my brothers died recently. He was a construction worker on the Sea Gate. There was an accident. He fell. His body was broken, battered and he couldn't walk. He lived though."

I think I know where this is going...

"Choose your next words carefully, Jacob."

"But his mind was gone," Canis said, making to drain the rest of his beer. Jacob did the same, gulping down the pint despite the taste. This time, Jacob called for another two beers. "Couldn't speak properly. Couldn't even look me in the eye. He shit himself every ten seconds and no one even tried to help him."

Wham!

The sergeant straightened. "We can make spaceships and a space station that spans the entire planet's width and we can't repair one guy's brain!?" A small tear rolled down his cheek but he quickly wiped it away. "You know what they did?"

"Euthanized him."

Canis was silent, staring at the froth of his beer in front of him. "They said he was suffering. That there was no hope. Who are we to judge? He didn't do anything wrong. He never hurt anyone. And they killed him like a common criminal."

"To be fair, Rillotia doesn't have capital punishment." He got a penetrating stare from the Alsatian and he sensed Spectre about to protest. "But if it were me, I would have chopped off the heads of all those assholes that thought they could pass judgement on your brother and lay the skulls on his feet so he can shit on their corpses."

"Nice save."

A laugh was his response followed by Canis' smile. "You're just saying that."

"You know me. I'll do anything for wanton mass murder. I don't need any reason but having a cause behind me really helps swing my blade."

"Appreciate the sentiment," the sergeant chuckled. He gripped his beer, lifting it to towards Jacob. "To wanton mass murder and the gratuitous violence."

"I'll drink to that." Jacob took a swing of his beer just as Canis drained his. A fourth beer was called over. "Tell me about your brother."

Canis chuckled softly, grinning to himself. His eyes were blurred and the effects of the alcohol was starting to creep in. "Always had my back. Big and strong. When I was the runt in the orphanage, he always protected me. He was the guy that got me to the gym. It's how I got guns like these." He flexed his biceps. Like a beacon in the storm, countless guys turned their heads towards that watermelon-sized bulge.

Jacob felt his lions stir. He needed that mass of meat put down so he lifted his beer. "To the guys that inspire us to get rock hard abs."

"And killer bods," Canis laughed and they drained their fourth beer.

"He's not looking so good."

I'll stop after the next one. He looks about ready to pass out.

"You've got to appreciate everything that you have, you know," Canis sighed. "You've lost a lot. I can understand that. But you're lucky. You don't have attachments. When some random guy dies on the street, you just wonder why it couldn't have been you that took their life. Me... I get to wonder why I couldn't save them or if that guy was someone I knew. It must be nice, being free like that."

Turning his eyes towards the seemingly carefree people at the bar, he gave a sad little smile and said, "It actually gets a little lonely. I would rather have ties that I can wrap around me and keep me warm at night than go to every city and pretend I didn't care when really, deep down, I wonder why no one cares about me."

"I always cared, Jacob."

I know, dad. It just wasn't the same until I found out you were my personal guardian angel.

"So either be part of society and get dragged down in its infinite spiral of depression or stand aloof and be alone," Canis snorted. "That's funny."

Jacob lifted his fifth beer. "To life's jokes. Without them, we'd be bored as hell."

They toasted, their mugs actually clinking together before they drained their beers halfway. Canis placed his on the table, regarding the amber fluids with half-closed eyed. "You're going to change the world, you know. Whatever happens, you're going to make a difference. If it's going to get more people killed or if you're going to die in a vain attempt to make the world a little more bearable, I'm rooting for you."

That was a surprise and a half. "You are? I thought you hated my guts."

"Don't get me wrong. I'd love to see you crash and burn." Canis offered a lopsided grin. "I'd love to be there to rub it in your face and then watch you try again. Hell, if I can even help to pull you back down, I'd be more than happy to do it."

I'm confused...

"I think he's saying that he wants to be your friend, Jacob."

What friend willingly participates in crushing your hopes and dreams, rubs salt in the wounds and then pats you on the back telling you to 'try again'?

"A good one."

...

"For the record," he said, "I'd love to fuck you over, put you in a corner to watch you cry, take pictures and distribute it all over the internet to your utter and complete humiliation. But when you're about to slit your own wrists, I'll be the one to stop you and promise that there's still more pain to come. Then I'd kiss your boo-boo to make it better."

Canis smirked and Jacob had to lift his mug and take a sip of his beer to hide his own.

"You're drunk," Canis sniggered.

"I'd say the same about you." He lifted his mug. "Hey, thanks for being a real asshole."

"The world needs assholes like us." Canis lifted his mug to meet Jacob's as well, the glass touching for an extended moment. "To us!"

"To us."

They drained their beers and placed their mugs back on the table. Canis coughed and patted the table. "Well, I've got guard duty in the morning. What do you say we call this a draw?"

"Sounds fair," Jacob answered with a warm, friendly smile.

Canis returned the gesture with a cocky smirk of his own. "By the way, you're paying."

Jacob shrugged. "Sounds fair. I stole your wallet anyway."

*****

Jacob had no idea where Canis actually stayed and he was hesitant to bring the sergeant back to the orphanage in such a drunken state. The palace seemed the most appropriate. To avoid arousing suspicion, he and Spectre carried Canis through the many open balconies of the palace. He carried the Alsatian into one of the nearby rooms that were thankfully empty.

He set Canis down on the bed with a heavy grunt.

"God, you're heavy."

"All muscle, baby!" Canis laughed, flexing his biceps again. Jacob rolled his eyes but couldn't deny that he was a little aroused by the show of masculinity.

"Good night, sergeant."

"Whoa! Wait up!"

Jacob crossed his arms, a little precaution should Canis decide to pounce on him. He was in a better position to fend off the Alsatian with his arms raised than if his arms were lowered. "Yes?"

Canis sat up, legs crossed and swaying slightly. His eyes were a little clear but still hazed. "Thanks for going out with me tonight. I had fun."

"You dragged me out," he answered. "And you're drunk off your ass. I seem to recall our wager. I get your ass."

Grinning lewdly, Canis turned around and lifted his fluffy tail to Jacob. "Well, what are you waiting for, stud?"

Jacob seriously considered the option. Many times in the day he had been tempted. Rex's little tease had started the process and Leo's presence had practically driven him wild. Now there was Canis, drunk, willing and still very sexy.

He shook his head. "I'll take a raincheck."

"What? I ain't good enough for ya?" Canis growled, suddenly aggressive.

Jacob smirked back at him. "No. You're drunk. I want you sober so you can feel it when I stick my dick up your ass." He turned around to leave. "Besides, I want to come back with reinforcements."

"I'm not drunk."

He reached the door, gripping the doorhandle and twisting it. "Yes you are."

"How many beers do you think I had?"

"Five plus an appletini."

He suddenly felt a breath run down the back of his neck. "One and an appletini."

Jacob spun around, coming face to face with the surprisingly lucid eyes of Sergeant James Canis. "What...?"

"Little trick I picked up while in boot camp," the Alsatian answered, smirking at him. "If you're in a drinking game with only your opponent, that guy across from you is focused on his own drink. I threw my drink away while you were so focused trying to get drunk."

After the first beer, Jacob didn't recall actually seeing Canis drain his drink. They had always drunk at the same time and he had just assumed Canis had played fair.

"You son of a bitch!"

WHAM!

Canis' broad paw slammed the door shut, veins popping on his forearm. "You stole my wallet."

"You had it coming."

Jacob wasn't really sure what happened next... or why.

But they lips met with a savage ferocity that sent his brain reeling. It was like Canis was trying to rip apart his muzzle. Desperate to try and defend himself, he tried to push the Alsatian away, trying to tear his lips away but Canis was persistent. The soldier's massive arms wrapped around his chest, one paw cupping the back of his neck and forcing him to take that long, flexible tongue deeper.

The experience was... strangely arousing.

No!

Jacob lifted his leg, his foot brushing against Canis' erect cock. Having too much respect for the Alsatian, he lifted his foot a little higher against those rock hard abs and kicked. Canis was sent reeling, falling onto the bed with a soft whump.

There was a moment where Jacob was tempted to leap into that bed and have his revenge.

But that moment was his failing.

He spun around to leave. Two powerful hands seized his shoulder and yanked him away. Sharp fangs dug into his shoulder, sending a strange mixture of pleasure and pain rocketing up his body. Even with his specialised clothing, he could feel those fangs kick-starting instincts inside of him that begged him to lift his tail and be taken like a bitch.

Those sensations were pushed back by survival instincts. He quickly tore off his coat and slipped away from Canis' grip. Realising he could not escape from the surprisingly fast soldier, his only chance was to fight. He spun, fists raised and fangs bared.

"What? No Brand powers?" Canis laughed, tossing aside his coat. The Alsatian yanked off his military shirt, revealing his sculpted body. His paws were like massive boulders and he struck a typical boxer's pose. "You know you're nothing without your swords and powers."

"You must be an idiot to face me knowing I've got those up my sleeves."

"You'd think so." Canis smirked. "But you'd never use them on me. You need an asshole like me."

He flashed back to just an hour ago when they seemed to form a friendship on a bridge made out of their mutual agreement to both hinder one another and offer a paw in guidance when the other fell.

Did he... Did he just say those things to get to me...?

"Bastard!"

Jacob lashed out, swinging his leg at the sergeant. Canis caught his blow and pulled on his leg, sending him tumbling to the ground. Suddenly on his stomach, Jacob tried to rise but a heavy weight slammed against his back, a bulge pressing between his butt cheeks. Canis' fangs hovered dangerously close to his neck but instead of a bite, the Alsatian's tongue brushed against his fur.

"This is how I like you," the sergeant growled. "On the floor, tail in the air and crying like a little girl!"

"I'm not -"

Canis seized the back of his head.

Wham!

Stars flashed before his eyes.

He felt Canis tearing off his belt. Desperation flooded his veins. Jacob swung his head at Canis, feeling his crown slamming against Canis' muzzle. The moment of shock was enough as he elbowed the muscular soldier's ribs and rolled him off. Jacob quickly scrambled to his feet. Dazed, but somehow managing to see the blurred figure of his would-be-rapist, Jacob charged shoulder first. He felt his head brush against Canis' thick pecs as he wrapped his arms around the Alsatian.

WHAM!

Canis gasped, the whole wall shaking from impact.

Whack! Whack! Whack!

The Alsatian was beating his back with his joined paws. Jacob braced himself, keeping his foe pinned to the wall, trying to think of a way to incapacitate his friend without killing him.

Shit... He's still my friend...

"You're having fun, aren't you?" Spectre accused, smirking.

Shut up!

His thoughts shattered when Canis slammed his palms against both his ears, dazing him. He stumbled back.

SMASH!

The sound of shattering glass filled his ears and he fell onto his back. He felt Canis pressing his weight on his chest.

"You're a tough son-of-a-bitch, I'll give you that," the Alsatian growled, reaching for Jacob's shirt and tearing it off easily. The instant Jacob felt his belt loosen, he knew he couldn't let the sergeant see the boner he was sporting.

Desperate, he seized Canis' head and dragged it down.

WHAM!

Their foreheads smashed against one another, stars flashing in front of his eyes in great numbers. Jacob let instincts take over as he threw Canis off and jumped to his feet. He was too disoriented to make an accurate estimate but he hurled himself in the direction he thought the sergeant had fallen and was grateful to feel something thick, muscular and furry beneath him. His right shoulder pinned down Canis' left arm while his left paw kept down Canis' opposite wrist. His legs were positioned to keep the Alsatian from moving.

His vision began to clear, his heart beating wildly in his chest. In the darkness, he could see Canis' sapphire-blue eyes staring at him, shocked and dazed.

"Got you," Jacob sneered.

Strangely... Canis smiled. It was like he was laughing at something but Jacob couldn't understand what. "Yeah... Yeah you do... Like what you have?"

It took him a moment to realise that his right paw was gripping Canis' rock hard erection though the sergeant's pants.

Military fatigues are surprisingly thin...

"Uh..."

"What're you going to do now, Reaper?" Canis smirked. "Door's right there."

For the second time that night, he wasn't sure what happened.

Their lips met again, the savage passion coming from him instead as he drove his tongue deep into Canis' throat and squeezed that thick, doggy meat between his paws. He moved his left arm, guiding it towards Canis' left nipple and giving it a hard, twist. The Alsatian beneath him moaned softly. The now-freed arm leapt towards Jacob's pants, wiggling them downwards.

They took a moment to take a breath, their eyes locked. There was a sense of surety in Canis' eyes but also a twinge of sadness. Jacob could see his reflection in those eyes. He was confused.

"I'm... I'm tired... I fell," he whispered.

"Fell on my cock?"

...

"Let's go with that."

Jacob locked lips with the Alsatian again, tasting a bit of blood but at the same time an incredible, heated passion that he never got from Leo. His mate... there was worship there... Worship and love. But this... This was something else. It puzzled him because it felt like every time Canis' tongue slid into his, it was desperately trying to draw as much of him into that muzzle as he could.

It felt like every kiss... was a kiss goodbye.

He wanted to know why.

As he tried to pull away, Canis sat up with him and they were suddenly crouched on top of one another, Canis' cock poking at Jacob's ass. The thought of being penetrated riled Jacob's blood, sending hormones flooding his entire body and causing his limbs to move on instinct. He gripped Canis, holding the Alsatian as they both rose to their feet and staggered over to the bed, lips still locked and paws roving one another's thick, muscular backs, squeezing the mounds of muscle and bubble butts.

Jacob felt the feathery bed against his back, Canis lowering him gently and dropping down on top of him. They parted lips for a moment. He wanted to use that moment to ask why... but the moment was lost when Canis pulled down Jacob's pants, leaving his boxers. The Alsatian dove down, rubbing his muzzle against the fabric and bringing a moan from Jacob.

The huge, muscular sergeant lowered his lips against the erect cock hidden beneath the folds of the cloth, kissing the tapered tip and sucking gently. Waves of rippling pleasure washed over all of Jacob's body, making him quake and quiver in pleasure. His eyes rolled into the back of his eyes but his feet seemed to gain a sentience of their own.

The right foot curled around Canis' cock, squeezing on the thick, pulsing member with two toes while the other groped at the rim of his baggy military fatigues. The left foot hooked Canis' pants and worked with the right to pull them completely down. A wave of musk filled his nostrils, a heavy musk of man mixed with sweat and sex. Beneath it all, there was the salty hint of the ocean and an odd fresh aftertaste like a breath of fresh air.

It drove him wild.

Jacob bucked his hips, driving his clothed cock deep into Canis' throat, making the Alsatian gag slightly. A mischievous grin crossed the Alsatians muzzle as he drooled and slobbered all over Jacob's twelve inch member, soaking the cloth. The sensation felt strange but it made the warm breath from the sergeant's throat all the more pleasurable.

Canis slowly abandoned Jacob's member, drawing his lips towards Jacob's rock-hard abdominals and pecking at them one at a time. He drew his tongue in the crevasse they made, drawing laps around Jacob's belly button before tracing the rims of his pectorals. Canis lingered at Jacob's nipples, sucking at them and even daring little nibble that made Jacob's claws dig into the mattress.

A hot piece of meat rubbed against Jacob's cock, pulsing in tandem with his own heartbeat. Frustrated at the boxers that kept their cocks from meeting, Jacob slowly tore his underwear off. The wiggling made him rub against that pulsating member, making both of them groan softly as their lips met. Their nipples brushed against one another. The tips of their cocks drooled against one another, their abs fitting perfectly against each other and their thighs sized exactly the same that the grooves and mounds fit against one another like pieces of a puzzle fitting together after years being apart.

It was like they had grown up to be with one another...

Jacob need to know more...

He pulled away from the kiss, planting his lips against Canis' neck and tracing the veins that popped against his fur all the way down his broad shoulders and to those bulging biceps. Jacob curled his own arm around that massive mound, flexing and rubbing muscle against one another. Both arms looked the same save for the fur colour. The patterns their veins made were a perfect match. The rivers they made across their forearms matched exactly even to the point where they faded into their wrists.

Canis suddenly moved behind him, cock rubbing against his ass. Jacob still wanted to know more so he quickly spun around, facing his mirror image. In the dim light, he could only see the muscular silhouette of this sexy dog and those sapphire-blue eyes.

It was like looking at his twin.

His heart jumped to his throat.

Not long ago, he had been tasked with choosing between the hot, sexy Tribal and his half-brother... But now, there was Canis... He had the sexy, wild side that Leo had, a killer body and the handsome, movie-star looks of Rex.

It was like the universe was telling him it had made a compromise.

... and he wasn't about to argue.

Not now at least.

Canis rolled his paws against Jacob's thighs, slowly prising them apart. Jacob willingly lifted his legs, resting his thick calves against Canis' broad shoulders. The Alsatian was panting as he levelled his cock directly at Jacob's ass.

Bracing himself, Jacob closed his eyes and tried to imagine it was Leo who was sticking his cock in him.

But... he just couldn't.

It was James Canis.

Even in his mind... he couldn't tear the image out of his head.

A cry escaped him as that thick, pulsing cock pushed deep into his ass, sliding in and out slowly. His body quivered with pleasure. Strong, powerful paws gripped him tightly, curling around his back to stop his shaking.

That cock drove deeper into him...

Two inches in...

Canis' breath breathed down his neck, warming him in ways that he could not describle.

Three inches deep. He could feel Canis' heart beating through his chest and that pulsating member.

Four inches... Canis's thrusts were growing more feverish. His abdominals were pressing down against Jacob's cock, squeezing it and bringing Jacob closer and closer to climax.

Five inches... Six... A burst of precum burst from Jacob's cock. Canis' paw slipped out from behind Jacob's back, sliding in between their thick, muscular bodies and gripping Jacob's cock. A soft moan rippled from Jacob's throat, one stifled by Canis' lips.

Lost in the moment, Jacob could only grip the sergeant tightly to himself.

Seven inches and Canis was starting to thrust with a steady momentum, reflected in the strokes of his large paw around Jacob's member.

Eight... Nine... Jacob felt like was going to be skewered from head to toe but he just wanted more. He wanted more of this sexy Alsatian. Canis' tongue slipped into his muzzle and he gripped it with his own, sucking on it. He twisted his head to the side, allowing more of that hot dog to draw inside of him.

Ten...

Almost there...

Eleven... and finally...

Twelve...

Like a key fitting into the perfect keyhole, Jacob felt like a door had been opened and beyond was just... It was indescribable. His eyes closed and the darkness of his subconscious, it was just him and Canis, groaning and moaning as they rubbed their hot, sweaty bodies against one another.

Jacob's body undulated as his paws explored that mountainous back, each finger an explorer that mapped the lines of that broad, muscular back. They found the peak of Canis' neck, guiding that thick, tree-trunk like length so that the connecting muzzle could lock better with Jacob's lips.

The entire bed began to creak loudly as their passion began to mount. Their moans became muffled barks, their groans into frequent grunts. Canis' paw around his cock grew tighter. The Alsatian's balls slapped against his ass as his own bounced against the length of cock that came out of his rear every time Canis thrust deep into him.

Canis suddenly broke their kiss, throat his head back and letting out a ferocious growl.

"Fffffuck..." he grunted.

Jacob seized the Alsatian's shoulders and pulled them back down, his fangs sinking into Canis' flesh.

"Awwww yeah..." Canis moaned, thrusting harder and harder. "Ugh... uh... ugh! Ugh! Ugh!"

Jacob shut his eyes, feeling himself drawing closer and closer to his limit. He didn't want this moment to end. His knot began to bulge at the base of his cock, slowly pushing Canis' stroke closer and closer to the tip. Their hot, hard bodied compressed the bulge, squeezing more and more cum towards the tip and bringing him all the closer to that moment of bliss.

He could feel Canis' own knot pressing against the borders of his ass and he found himself pushing back down, willing that lump to enter him. With every thrust, he could feel his ass widening a little and every time Canis pulled away, he was left disappointed before feeling a rush of need. Canis gave one, massive push...

Pop!

Jacob shut his eyes, the rush of pleasure almost making him lose control.

Like having released a wild beast, the moment Canis fully entered him, the sergeant went wild. The Alsatian's thrusts were like a machine gun. Every thrust came in the span of a second...

... then half a second...

... a third...

... a quarter.

A howl was building deep in Jacob's throat and his breaths were growing deeper and deeper. He felt Canis tensing, his whole body growing rock hard like they were going to freeze in the same moment of release for all eternity.

"Awww fuuuuuuck!" Canis moaned. "I'm gonna cum... shit... I'm gonna cum...! FUCK!"

Canis suddenly threw his head back, giving one last push. His whole body when rock hard, veins popping all over his arms, chest and neck as his eyes shut tight in that look of immeasurable pleasure. Jacob felt his cock spasm inside of him.

It twitched once...

Twice...

A third...

...

BOOM!

Molten hot seed seeped into him with the force of a cannon to the point he almost thought it would burst out of his throat. The warmth exploded from his ass, seeping into the rest of his body and filling the rest of his body. When it reached his cock, Canis seemed to sense his need and gave him one last squeeze.

Jacob's howl was muffled by the Alsatian's fur, cum bursting from his cock and spraying between them. A river of cum flooded the crevasses of their abs, pooling just beneath his abs before dribbling into the valley between his mountainous pecs.

He was left panting, light headed and in a state of bliss that was quickly fading.

I don't want to go back...

"Back where...?" Canis murmured softly, licking his cheek tenderly.

Jacob hadn't even realised he had spoken out loud. "Out there..."

Canis smirked at him. "You like me, don't you...?"

He couldn't help the smile that crawled on his own muzzle. "Shut up..."

"Jacob has a crush... Jacob and James, sitting in a tree... K-I-S-S-I-N-G..." Canis collapsed on top of him, his warm body blanketing Jacob in its warm embrace. "But if it's worth anything... That was fun... Let's make this last as long as possible before we go back to pretending to hate one another..."

"Sounds good to me... Asshole..."

"Jackass."

"Fucktard."

Canis' smile turned soft and he bent over, kissing Jacob's cheek lightly. "Idiot..."

Jacob wasn't sure how long they lay there in each other's arms but it was long enough that Canis' knot had gone down and the Alsatian slowly slipped down as the blood rushed back to the rest of his body. Canis rolled off of him and they lay there, staring at each other with Jacob's cum gluing them together. Jacob got lost in Canis' eyes and he imagined the sergeant shared the same sentiment.

"You know we can't tell anyone about this, right?" he began.

"I know," Canis answered. "But I really needed a fuck."

"Me too," Jacob chuckled. He offered his paw in a handshake. "Once we're out those doors, we're back to be being begrudging friends and understanding enemies. Deal?"

Canis took his paw, that fleck of sadness in his eyes again. "Deal."

"Deal."

Both of them froze.

And turned towards the door.

Their jaws sprang open in horror.

There, silhouetted in the soft, evening light...

... stood Taylor.