FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Kel's Tales 3 - Introductions

By Liam Rasui

I was in my study, doing some evening note taking of a few incidents that had occurred over the last week. I hadn't had much time to do so upon returning to my rooms, and needed to get some rest soon for I'd hardly slept much the last couple of days. It was fairly late, and my candle had nearly burned itself out, but I kept scribbling down notes, not wanting to forget any minor details. I didn't really need these notes except for personal amusement. Once I'd jotted something down, the memories stayed fairly well planted in my mind, but I liked having a written record of my travels.

I'd started considering retiring for the night, since I didn't want to light another candle, and at a guess, I only had about a half hour remaining on the current one. Those things took hours to burn out, and I wouldn't pay enough attention to it to know how many had gone by, likely staying up until dawn broke. A breeze blew in from the window about then and extinguished the flame, which is what finalized my decision to head to bed. After capping the inkwell, I placed the quill I'd been writing with across its small wooden stand. I had many fancy items around my abode, and my writing tools were some of the best in town, so I took good care of them.

As I stood from the wooden stool, I heard a sound from the other room that made me take pause. I often shared my bed with others, but hadn't been in town half a day, and certainly not long enough to look up any of my sleeping companions and offer to let them spend the night. I crept silently, barefoot as I was, over to the door leading into the bedroom and stood listening for a time, hearing the faint shuffling of feet across the floor and the sounds of someone poking through drawers. The drapes were drawn in this room, and the candle hadn't been bright enough to show through, which made it difficult to tell that anyone was here at all. It was known that I was in town, however, and I'd hoped that whoever was in the other room was simply one of my companions hoping to surprise me. It did happen on occasion, after all, with the sort of company I kept, but that didn't explain the sounds of them going through my things.

I carefully turned the knob of the door before me, silently opening it just a crack to peek through. I didn't spot anyone right away, for it was dark in there just as it was in the study, but my feline eyes allowed me to make out the outline of someone dressed in black leggings and matching shirt, a wrap about their head making their identity difficult to discern. At a guess, I'd say he was male with the lithe figure that the tight clothing revealed. A feline tail stuck out from the intruder, one with markings unfamiliar to me, twisting behind him as he peered at some item of mine that he held in his hands. He seemed to have gotten distracted by the item, a small journal I kept in my nightstand drawer for jotting down notes that came to me in the night, and was occupied with the contents of its pages.

I considered the situation for a moment before slinking through the door, not bothering to close it entirely since nobody else entered my rooms and I didn't want the soft click of the slant falling into place to alert the intruder. Slinking across the floor in near silence was fairly simple, the sole article of clothing I wore doing little to hamper my movements as the silk of the short robe brushed against my hips and upper thighs, left open in the front. I came up behind the other feline and, mere inches behind him, said, "You know..."

The intruder jumped at the sound, starting to turn, but I was ready, and grabbed the hand I saw moving towards his belt, twisting the arm around behind him while I used my body to force him up against the wall beside the nightstand. My other hand grabbed his free arm, fingers gripping around his wrist. The journal tumbled from his grasp to the floor at our feet, and I nudged it to the side to avoid having it get damaged in any scuffle. I pinned the wrist to the wall above the other feline's head. He wasn't much shorter than my own six-foot height, but he was smaller in build, making it fairly simple to keep him from escaping my grasp with the wall hindering his actions. He remained silent through this, and I lifted my muzzle to the bulge of his ear under the fabric that covered most of his head to finish speaking. "You should pay more attention to your surroundings when you've invading someone else's home."

A grunt was the only response I received, the feline in my grasp struggling for the upper hand despite being fairly well trapped. I put more of my weight against him, my muzzle brushing against the cloth about his head for a few moments, then with a sudden motion, I twisted the raised arm down behind his back to join the other, and grasped both in one wrist. Having one hand freed, I started removing the wrap from around the other feline's head, though he tried to prevent its removal by tilting his head away. I pressed him more firmly against the wall, fingers tightening around his wrists, preventing him from squirming too much while working on the cloth, letting it drape against his shoulder once his head was mostly visible. Black hair was tied in a short ponytail under the fabric, rounded ears poking up from it, spots trailing up his neck and across his face and muzzle. He was looking away from me, but I moved my head to glance into his blue eyes before he could turn away again, catching the brilliance of them.

A hint of a blush had crept its way into his ears, and I smirked as I held him firmly against the wall. "So what brings you to my home, hmmm?" I asked.

Rather than responding, the other feline grunted a second time. Further inspection of the spattered rosette patterns across his neck, though difficult to make out in the darkness, marked him as a jaguar. I observed him for a time, then lifted my muzzle to speak into his ear, letting the warmth of my breath blow across the sensitive hairs there. "You must have been after something. Thieves don't just wander into random homes for no reason."

"You weren't supposed to be here," was his reply, not the answer I was looking for, and I gave the edge of his ear a sharp nip, my teeth threatening to puncture the skin held between them before releasing. The jaguar yelped at the likely unexpected action, ears falling back against his head as he let out a low growl.

"And who said I'm not supposed to be here, hmmm? These are my rooms, why shouldn't I be in them?"

The jaguar took a moment to respond, his growl staying steady until he spoke, "You're supposed to be at the palace. They sent you an invitation."

I recalled the invitation in question. The local duke had invited me to join him at his palace for the evening upon my return to the city. But, as I hadn't been back long enough to even settle in, I'd declined the offer. I was curious how this fellow knew about that, though I suppose I had to give him some credit for being able to collect the information, even if it had been incomplete. I didn't bother asking about that, however. "What are you after? What little trinket of mine are you being paid to acquire, and who by? Because I'd really like to know so that I might pay them a little visit."

The jaguar grunted, not responding, until I clamped my teeth over the tip of his ear, nearly breaking the skin. Another yelp escaped the other feline before he spoke quickly, voice raising, likely hoping to prevent his sensitive flesh from being damaged. "A clasp! A... a cloak clasp. They told me what it looked like, but that's all..." He hesitated a moment, and I pressed my teeth into the skin between them again, coercing him to continue, "A cheetah head with brown glass in its eyes... I can't tell you who's paying me, they'll have my head!"

After a moment of silence, the jaguar tense against me, I released the hold on his ear and thought his words over. That clasp was a family heirloom, one that I wore frequently, and if I hadn't been here, neither would it have been. I had a few theories as to why people would be after it, one being its worth. Those eyes weren't glass, but rather rare, brown diamonds. I wasn't about to correct the thief on that, however, and had other questions on my mind as I held the other feline captive between my body and the wall.

During the silence, the jaguar glanced around as I watched him, even with the thoughts running through me head. I caught another glimpse of those eyes of his, so bright and inviting. He must have noticed me staring for he blinked at me, looking over his shoulder into my own bronze eyes for a long moment before lowering his gaze. I tried to keep watching his eyes, but as he turned his head I caught the blush deepening in his ears. This amused me greatly. The thief wasn't only easily distracted, but was also shy.

Leaning my muzzle against the side of his neck, I started to purr quietly, my tail twisting about behind me. I gave his neck a gentle nuzzle before I spoke again. "And why would anyone be after such an item, hmmm?"

The jaguar was still rather tense, though he started to relax just a bit at the affectionate gesture, likely being thrown off guard. He took a long moment to reply, though, but I was patient. It's not like I had anywhere to go that night.

"...I don't know. Maybe as a collector's piece? He said... they said... it was something to do with a family dispute. Or rival or something, I'd only overheard him talking about it to someone else... I wasn't supposed to know."

In that, the jaguar had not only revealed that the true thief was male, but also that it was personal. I'd have to learn more, obviously. I wasn't about to let something like this go. I had no few surviving family, however, so I figured it was a rival for some title that my father had passed on to me, one of those vague things that I'd never really paid much attention to but gave me access to certain events that the few nobles I cared for wished me to attend. Something else I had been meaning to look into, actually. I'd have to do that sometime soon.

I kept my muzzle pressed against the side of his neck while I thought it over, but before I could speak further, he moved, suddenly. My grip on his wrists had grown slack, and he managed to get one of them loose before I could reaffirm my hold. He half turned and shoved his shoulder against mine, pushing me backwards half a step, then tried to twist his other wrist out of my grasp while bolting across the room.

He didn't get far, however. I had a firm hold on him and pulled him back, grabbing both of his wrists in my hands and turning to push him back up against the wall, facing me. He let out a soft "Oof" as I knocked the wind out of him with the force of the shove, pinning him firmly against the wall with his hands above his head. I looked into those brilliant eyes of his. He blinked at me, then tried to pull his head back as I leaned my muzzle close, nose barely touching his, staring into the blue pools before me. I was entranced. I wanted to stare into those eyes forever, lose myself in them. Of course, being a thief, he was eager to escape, and started to struggle against my grasp. I only leaned more against him with the squirming, feeling his body rubbing against mine as I watched his eyes. I'm not sure what he saw on my face that made him take pause, but he stopped struggling and stared back into my bronze gaze for a few long moments, then blinked and mumbled, "I uh... I won't come back. I'll tell them I couldn't find it and gave up searching..."

The sound of his voice brought me from my revere and I blinked back at him, ears twitching to catch the words he spoke. Another long moment passed before I reacted, though not a reaction he was expecting given the wide-eyed look he gave me as my lips pressed firmly to his. He tensed against me, blinked again, then started to relax. Though he seemed reluctant to return the kiss, he certainly wasn't objecting to it in the least. I kept my gaze on his during this, and he just started back at me, motionless. My tongue slipped out from between my lips to tease at his mouth, the moist tip of it sliding across his lips, seeking entrance. It didn't take too long for his lips to part, the jaguar's eyes half closing as he started to reciprocate the embrace, his tongue seeking out mine and lapping at it.

I'm not sure how long we kissed, our tongues teasing at each other, gazing into each other's eyes, but after what seemed like forever I broke the embrace, pulling my head back. He leaned his muzzle forward, trying to keep me from breaking contact, but I still held him pinned firmly against the wall. He managed to lick across my lips briefly before I'd pulled far enough back, and let his head lean back against the wall, watching me through half-closed eyes. I watched him for a moment or two, then released my hold on his wrists and stepped back.

He stayed against the wall for a few seconds before relaxing and letting his hands fall from above his head, though he held them about chest level as he watched me, confused. I turned away from him and made a motion towards the door, saying, "Go on, then."

I couldn't see the reaction, but I didn't hear him move for the door, or make any movements at all, really. Paying him no mind for the moment, aside from listening, I slipped the silken robe from my arms and draped it over the edge of the bed, then headed over to the dresser across the room to collect my brush and get the tangles out of my hair before retiring for the night. The jaguar remained silent through all of this, and I glanced towards him as I lifted the brush to my hair, then paused mid-motion as I noticed him still leaning against the wall. He had his hands at his sides, flat against the wall, his eyes watching me with that confused look still plastered across his face. I arched my brow towards him. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

The jaguar blinked, looking uncertain, then glanced around the room, but still didn't move away from the wall. He looked back at me, and I saw a hurt look mixed into the confusion in his eyes.

The brush was returned to the dresser as I turned fully towards the intruder, leaning back against the mahogany piece of furniture. After watching him for a few moments, his ears splayed and he lowered his gaze to the floor, a blush darkening the insides of his ears. He pushed away from the wall and started towards the door. He had to pass by me to get there, and as he did, I reached a hand out to trail the tips of my fingers against the base of his tail, causing the jaguar's step to falter as he paused. My fingers trailed down the length of his tail, just feeling the soft fur along it, wrapping around it and giving a gentle tug. He tensed, letting out a faint squeak of surprise, and glanced back at me.

I smiled pleasantly at him and released his tail, which twisted about behind him, brushing up against my legs. As he turned to start towards the door again, I lifted my hand to the back of his neck and teased my fingers across his pelt there, letting the tips of my claws barely touch against the skin beneath his fur, which rose on end at the touch as the thief shuddered. He stood motionless but for that winding tail of his while I let my fingers move over the back of his neck, tangling them in the black strands of his hair, pulling the ponytail out from where it was tucked into his clothing. I stood, stepping up behind him, lifting my other hand and using both to collect the jaguar's hair and smooth it down after freeing it from its confines, then moved it to the side and leaned my muzzle in to plant a gently kiss at the back of his neck.

He let out a soft little whine, a mix of enjoyment and confusion, it sounded like. I kissed across his neck, letting my tongue slip out to lick at him a few times, matting down his fur with its moisture. He leaned back, and I inched closer to let him lean against me while I nibbled and nuzzled at him, my hands lowering to rest on his hips. I didn't keep him there, just let him rest against me while my lips and teeth teased at the back of his neck for a while. I then rested my muzzle against his neck and merely breathed across his fur, feeling his relaxed stance, the other feline's tail having coiled loosely about my ankle.

I caught a faint purr emanating from the jaguar and listened to the soft rumbling sound for a few moments before speaking, my voice soft, nearly a whisper. "I thought you were leaving."

The purr caught, and he tilted his head to glance back at me, blinking. He then started to push himself away from me.

I slipped one arm about his waist as I gave the side of his neck a gentle nip, and he paused again. I was enjoying toying with him, and he seemed to enjoy being toyed with, the telltale sound of his purr giving me that impression. My fingers tugged at his shirt, pulling the cloth out from where it was tucked into his leggings, lifting the fabric enough to bare his stomach. I splayed my hand against him, ruffling his soft pelt, pressing lightly against him to keep him held against me, my other hand giving his hip a gentle squeeze. At the same time, I gave the side of his neck another gentle nip, using the attentions there to shift the fabric lower and reveal part of his shoulder. The jaguar squirmed against me, and I felt the muscles in his abdomen twitch against my fingers.

He rested a hand on my wrist, just letting it sit there while he leaned against me, his head tilting back to nuzzle at me. I caught enough of a glimpse of his face to notice that his eyes were closed, and he had a content look on his muzzle. I clenched my hand against his stomach, the tips of my claws pressing in just enough to dimple the skin. He tensed at that, his fingers wrapping around my wrist, as though expecting me to dig them in enough to cause harm. That wasn't my intent, however, and I relaxed my hand, moving it to let one clawtip trace around the other feline's navel. His stomach twitched beneath my touch and he started to relax against me, again.

Without warning, I flattened my hand against him and pulled him back against me, the hand on his hip gripping tight, and bit down where his neck and shoulder met. My teeth dug into him, clamping down hard enough to keep him from pulling away. As I did that, I gave a sudden buck of my hips, letting the other male feel the length of my hard cock press against his rear for just a moment.

The jaguar gasped at the unexpected motion, tensing and emitting a startled yelp, though he didn't try to struggle away from me. Rather, he leaned more fully back against me, hand gripping my wrist tight, his other hand moving to grip at my thigh and squeeze at it. I held him like that, ears perked to listen to the little whimpering sounds he made as he started to squirm. After a time, my teeth released the flesh they'd held trapped between them, and I licked my tongue over the area, purring contentedly at the feel of him writhing against me.

With the release of my teeth, the other feline started to pull away. I didn't stop him, letting my hands slide over him as he turned to face me, resuming their perch on his hips. His bright blue eyes looked at me, searching my face, for some sign of what I was playing at, I presume. I had a playful smirk on my muzzle as I watched him, cocking my head to the side questioningly. His brow furrowed, that blush still lingering through the pale fur of his muzzle and along the inner ears. He stumbled over his words as he spoke. "This... this is highly irregular... shouldn't the thief be the one trying to seduce the vict..."

I cut him off by pressing my lips to his, pulling his hips firmly to mine as our mouths met. He was more receptive than earlier, only hesitating a moment before he leaned into me, raising a hand to cup the back of my head while we kissed. Our eyes remained locked, though half closed, and I stared into those blue pools of his, losing myself in the moment, feeling him rub himself against me, feeling his arousal through his leggings as he pressed his hips against mine. I knew what he wanted, and I knew what my loins wanted, but I wanted more than just a fling in the night. I wanted him to be mine. I wanted to make him mine, to claim him for my own and not share him with anyone.

It isn't often that I find someone that attracts me in such a manner, that stirs me in a way that fogs up my mind, toys with my emotions. From the first moment I caught a glimpse of those brilliant blues of his, I knew I wanted him. Under other circumstances, I would have had my way with him and then sent him packing, without the games. That was how things worked in these lands. People met, they fooled around, then they moved on. But I didn't just want that from him. I was overwhelmed by the feelings running through my mind and body.

I pulled away from him so suddenly that he nearly fell, keeping one arm out as he gripped at it to steady himself. Then I turned and walked towards the window, my tail twisting and winding behind me in agitation. He didn't follow, but he didn't make any moves to leave, either. I stood by the open window, likely his point of entry considering I'd been in the room that contained the only other entrance into this one, as the attached bath had no windows and no doors but for the one leading to it. I did nothing to hide the erection I had, folding my arms over my chest as I looked out over the street below, my mind swimming as I tried to sort out my thoughts.

I heard movement behind me, but didn't turn to look, too caught up in my thoughts. I'm usually rather attentive to my surroundings, but occasionally something will get into my mind and make me unable to concentrate, though I wasn't exactly worried about the thief doing anything unpleasant after how he'd reacted to my tormenting. Silence soon followed, and for a while I thought he'd just left, which would have made things easier, but then I heard him clear his throat. I glanced towards him from the window, brow arching as I discovered that he'd removed his clothing and was leaning against one of the posts of my bed, looking as though he wished to speak but was unable to make the words come out.

He was far more attractive than I had imagined, the golden brown pelt of his covered in the jaguar's near-black rosette patterns across his back, shoulders and thighs. These gradually shrank in size down his arms and legs, a few speckling across his muzzle, and his black, unkempt hair draped around his face, freed from the confines of the ponytail, framing his shining blue eyes. The fur lightened over his front, a pale tawny color, though still obtained some of the spots spattering across his chest and stomach. He was still aroused, his ochre shaft jutting out from the black curls of his groin, and his white-furred sack contained more of those spots. His frame was slender, but he did have some muscle definition unexpected for his size and stature, and a slight feminine shape of his hips that I found quite enjoyable. Overall, his coloring was much like my own, except for the difference in spots and my hair being brown.

I wanted to go to him, to use him as I've used so many others, to pleasure both him and myself and then lie in his arms and enjoy his company until dawn broke. But if I did that, chances were that I would never see him again. That was how things worked, and I didn't want that. Instead, I stood there, watching him, admiring his body with my eyes rather than my hands. After looking him over for a long moment, I looked to his eyes and opened my mouth to speak, but he interrupted me.

"I can stay," he said. That caught me off guard, and I blinked. I'm sure the confusion showed on my face, for he continued, "While you're in town, I can stay. With you, I mean. I've heard that... that you leave a lot, spend a lot of time out of town, traveling between cities. Which makes sense, since you're a bard and all." A pause, a slight hesitation, then he continued, "I'll tell him I couldn't find it, that it wasn't here, you weren't here. I don't know what they want some silly cloak clasp for, but it's not my concern..." His words trailed off. He must have realized he was rambling.

I let out a soft chuckle and shook my head, trying to clear it. He'd brought all those questions back to the surface of my mind. "Who's he?" I heard myself ask before I could think better of it.

The jaguar opened his mouth to reply, then closed it again, reluctant to tell me who the culprit was, though he looked like he really wanted to. I frowned and started to turn away again, then he said, "If I tell you, he'll send people after me... he's got good contacts in all the guilds. He'll know I said something. I... I don't wanna die." The last words were spoken in a hushed voice, the other feline's gaze going downcast as he spoke them.

After a moment, I responded, "You must have a pretty low opinion of yourself if you think he... this person... would so easily discover your disloyalty and so easily get rid of you for it. Though, really, if you did stay with me so long, he'd be under the impression that you probably had told me, anyway. So what's the point in not telling me when telling me would enable me to do something about this guy? Or at the very least, know what sort of trouble you're up against."

He looked up again, his turn to frown. He thought about it for a few moments before responding. "I'm not exactly a top-class thief. He hired me because I'm cheap, most likely. Scrounges every penny he possibly can. Either that or the guild thought this would be some sort of test of my abilities and loyalty, I don't know." That made him take pause and his eyes went wide, "If this is just some test... and they find out I'm talking to you about it, they could expel me..."

I snorted. "So go solo. You only need the guild to get you started, really. I've known plenty of thieves and other sorts who quit their guilds once they got good enough to work on their own. Of course... if they get caught, they don't have the backing of the guild to get them out of trouble..."

He nodded at that, settling onto the edge of the bed as he spoke. "I'm not good enough to go out on my own, not yet. Oh, geeze, I've probably just screwed myself out of the guild anyway." The jaguar lifted a hand, waving it dismissively. "Duke C'Nisi. Not the local duke, but his holding isn't far to the..."

I interrupted him, "East." He blinked and nodded, and I continued. "He holds the vineyards to the East and has been working to gain political influence and acquire further holdings. I think he's managed to get a few farmsteads not too far from his vineyards. He's after political gain."

"...You know a lot about politics, I take it," the thief said.

I shook my head, smirking. "C'Nisi is an bastard offshoot of my father's lineage. The duke is my great uncle. After my father died, I inherited his titles and influence. My uncle always thought that was unfair, that a lowly bard should hold such influences, that I have no use for them... which, really, I don't, but at least I didn't kill for them." I didn't have great respect for the man.

The jaguar gave me a questioning look, then shook his head. "You hardly know me, yet you're telling me this."

I shrugged. "You told me something. Besides, it's far from a secret. Anyone who asks can find out the duke is my great uncle. With how much you do know, I'm surprised you didn't know that."

He raised a hand to rub at the back of his head, looking sheepish. "I uh... didn't do a whole lot of research. He told me who you were, where you were staying, where you were supposed to be, and what to find, and that was about it."

I nodded, then turned to look out the window once more, going over what I'd learned in my head. I wasn't surprised that C'Nisi was after my father's titles, really, but to go about it in such a manner? It made me wonder just what had been in store for me at that celebration I'd declined to attend. I knew the duke of the city was a friend of the C'Nisi bloodline, though he'd never openly go against anyone with such a reputation as mine. With my family in town, however, I knew this wouldn't be the only thing coming my way.

I hadn't noticed the jaguar creep up behind me, and jumped slightly when I felt his arms slip about my waist, glancing over my shoulder at him as he leaned up against me. He didn't try to pull me to him. Instead, he molded his body to mine and let me stay where I was. After the initial moment of shock, I leaned back against him and he mumbled into my ear, "Ashjanti."

It took me a moment to realize he'd just given me his name. He already knew mine, as he'd stated, so I didn't return the introduction. I laid my hands on his arms as he held me against him, nuzzling at the side of my neck. I stayed like that for a few while, then turned to face him, the jaguar slipping his arms from about me just enough to not inhibit my movement, then hugging me about the waist once more. I looked into those eyes of his, wondering at the peace of mind I had staring into them. That brought up even more questions, questions I struggled with while I looked at him. How could someone of such a stature as myself so easily fall for someone I'd just met? And he'd given me his name. A thief doesn't give his name to his target lightly. That's a sign that they feel they owe you something, giving you a way to track them down after breaking into your home.

My own hands found their way to his hips, resting on them lightly as we looked at each other. He seemed to not know what to say, and neither did I, so I did the one thing I could think of. I kissed him, just lightly brushing my lips against his. He returned the gentle kiss, then slipped his tongue out to flick across my lips. I smirked. He grinned sheepishly, that blush of his returning to his ears once more. The grin lit up his eyes and I caught myself smiling. We'd been in each other's company all of maybe an hour and he was having such an affect on me. I'd made up my mind then. I would do whatever it took to make him mine.

My muzzle dipped to his neck, where I bit him hard, teeth pressing in against his flesh. The unexpected pressure caused the jaguar to gasp, his body tensing against mine, his hands clenching to press the tips of his claws into by back. I gripped his hips and pulled him up against me, letting the length of his shaft rub against my soft pelt while I pressing my own length against his fur. Though the conversation had dwindled our lust, it wasn't difficult to rekindle, and I could feel his cock's hardness increase against me as I held him there, teeth gripping at his neck, hands holding him tight to me. His eyes closed before he tilted his head away, presenting more of that tender neck of his to me for attention, and he relaxed against me, leaning into me and seeming rather content in my arms.

My teeth relented their hold and I started nibbling down the side of his neck, grazing the points of my teeth against his skin as they lowered towards the shoulder. My hands held his hips firmly for a few moments, then slid to his back. I left one at the base of his tail, fingers brushing through his soft pelt, clawtips just barely touching the skin beneath, teasing at the flesh just under his tail. My other hand ran up his back, slowly caressing my fingers through his fur, feeling the curve of his spine. He molded his body to mine at the attention, his arms tightening around me to hold him against me, a gentle purr emitting from the other male. I stayed standing for the time being, letting him hug himself to my body as I teased at him. His tail brushed up my leg, the end of it touching near the base of my tail for just a moment before it continued its nervous motions against my thigh, twitching and swaying in seemingly no predetermined pattern.

I lowered my muzzle as I nibbled across his shoulder, teeth barely grazing over his skin, giving a few little nips along the way. The jaguar made little whimpering noises which each touch of my teeth, his body held firmly to mine as he squirmed against me. I ran my fingers up the back of his neck, tangling them in his black hair, then gave a gentle, experimental tug. He let out a quiet, startled whine, but after another gentle tug, he let me pull his head back. I then moved my muzzle from his shoulder to nibble up his throat, and gave a sudden, sharp nip right where throat and muzzle meet. As I did, my clawtips pressed into the flesh under his tail, trailing lightly over the cleft of his rear, grazing hard enough to dimple the skin as they teased their way towards the puckered flesh of his tailhole. My teeth pressed in against the soft flesh of his throat, the jaguar whining as I bit him there, his body shuddering against me. His arms tightened further as he leaned heavily against me, clinging to me as though to keep himself upright. His claws pressed my back as he slid his arms more firmly about my waist, and I let out a soft growl as I felt them scrape against my skin, shifting my hips to let the length of my cock rub against his fur.

I pulled my muzzle back, releasing his throat, though I kept the grasp I had of his hair, which kept his head tilted back. He had his eyes shut and his mouth partly open while my fingers searched his rear for his tailhole, though I took my time running them over his ass, ruffling his spotted fur and teasing along the cleft. As I watched him, his tongue slipped out to lick at his lips, then his eyes peaked open just enough to notice me looking at him. He reacted by splaying his ears, that blush of his deepening to a near crimson in color. Then his eyes closed again and he let out a long whine, trying to tilt his head forward, though the grip of his hair kept it firmly in place. To distract him, I slid my fingers in to press against his tailhole, easily found once I'd decided to do so, rubbing firmly over the sensitive flesh. The thief squirmed against me, his whine cutting off in a soft moan as he hugged himself to me.

Only then did I let him lean his head forward, but I met him halfway, my lips pressing to his as my tongue slipped out to lick at him. He was more than willing to return the kiss, his own tongue slipping through my open mouth to slide across mine. His hands slid up my back, claws scratching against my skin rather harshly, though I don't expect it was intentional. I did enjoy it, however, arching my back to the touch and deepening the kiss, my hand pressing against the back of his head to keep his muzzle held to mine. My fingers kept teasing at his rear for few moments longer, one rubbing over his tailhole while the claws of the others grazed at the skin around it. I then moved my arms to slip his from around me, pulling my muzzle away from his. He blinked his eyes open to give me a questioning look, but before he could voice his confusion, I lifted him by the waist and slung him over my shoulder. He gave a startled yelp, though didn't try to stop me, instead going limp as I turned and carried him to the bed.

Once there, I half crawled up onto the bed before letting him slide off my shoulder, flumping the jaguar down almost casually. I spread his legs and moved between them before he had a chance to figure out what was happening, and in moments I had my muzzle at his crotch, my tongue slipping out to give a long lick up the length of his erect shaft. He'd been about to sit up, but at that, he lay back against the bed and let out a soft moan, his eyes closing once more. I kept my eyes watching him as I teased my tongue up his length, rubbing the moist flesh over the other male's cockhead. As I gave that length of cat-cock a few laps of my tongue, my hands busied themselves, one gripping around the base of the jaguar's shaft while the other cupped the soft sac beneath it. Once I had a firm grasp of the base of that luscious cock, I took the head of it into my mouth, lips wrapping around it as I started to suckle on the sensitive flesh trapped between them.

Ashjanti's hands gripped at the bedding as he let out a moan, his hips bucking to try to push more of his length into my hungry maw. I allowed it, my lips sliding down his length as I sucked hard on the flesh between them, letting him force himself into me with his thrusting. My hand unwrapped from his cock as my lips slipped lower, moving to grip his thigh, letting my claws touch against his skin. Once his full length was trapped in my mouth, I pulled back, my moist tongue lapping along the entire length of cat-cock as I did. I stopped once only his cock's head remained, my tongue rubbing and caressing over the sensitive flesh, teasing at it, tasting the jaguar's precum as it dribbled from the tip. My tongue caught at it, smearing the sticky fluid over the naked flesh of the other feline's shaft. He moaned at the attentions, squirming against the bed, his cock giving a few twitches as I took the full length of it into my mouth once more. I kept my tongue pressing against it, sliding over every inch of that delicious cock that I could reach, moistening the length of it with both the jaguar's precum and my saliva.

The thief whimpered and moaned as I bobbed my head along his shaft, lapping at the head of his cock, coaxing more of his precum to leak from it. My fingers teased at the sac they held, squeezing gently. I pressed my palm against it, cupping his testes in my hand as I moved them around, then pulled my hand back to give a gentle tug as I pulled my lips back up his length. My fingers caressed at him, teasing up to the base of his shaft then back over the soft fur of his sac while my hand massaged it. I only pulled my lips halfway up his length, suckling at him. He didn't move his hands to me. He seemed unsure of what to make of the situation, just yet. That didn't discourage me, though.

The jaguar bucked his hips as my lips ran down his shaft, letting out a low moan. His cock twitched as I pressed it against the roof of my mouth, then let my teeth just barely graze at the sensitive, naked flesh as I moved back up its length. I pulled up to the ridge about the head of his cock, my teeth stopping there, and gave a few gentle rubs of their points against that bare skin along the underside just beneath that cockhead's ridge. My tongue lapped greedily at the flesh between my teeth, tasting the warm fluid that gathered on his cock's tip. After a few moments of this, and a long moan from the jaguar, I once again slid down his full length to take the whole of it into my mouth and let my tongue give several long licks along the underside of his shaft.

I could feel the heat of his body rising, feel the movements and twitches, the tensing of his body, that signaled that he was nearing release, hear the whimpering that came with these other signals. That's when I pulled back, releasing his cock from my mouth, lifting my gaze to look up at him. It took him but a few seconds to realize that I'd stopped, and he let out a long whine, lifting his head to peer at me, a look of both confusion and frustration on his face. I watched him for a moment, then slowly lifted his cock with my fingers, barely touching it, and let my tongue run up the length of it from the very base right up to the tip, where I flicked the end of my tongue over the sensitive flesh a few times. I kept my eyes locked to his, the jaguar's gaze watching the agonizingly slow movement of my tongue as he let out a series of little whimpers, his body shuddering against the bed. I repeated the process, from base to tip, slowly teasing at his shaft as I watched his eyes. The second time, he splayed his ears and let out a low, pleading whine, his gaze meeting mine as he squirmed beneath me. A third time, my tongue slipped down to the base of his shaft, slowly moving up the length of it to flick against the tip, and his whine grew louder and more insistent. I heard his hands run against the silk bedding, claws catching on the delicate fabric as he tried to contain his frustration.

I understood his passive nature. It had been easy to tell that he was submissive from the earlier teasing, and I took full advantage of this in my tormenting of him. Keeping my eyes locked to his, I leaned my head back, muzzle moving away from his shaft as I slowly slid my tongue across my lips, licking at them while he watched. He shifted against the bed, whimpering pitifully. After a moment, I started to crawl up his body, my hands sliding up his thighs, over his hips, then one resting against the bed to hold my weight while I rubbed my body against his, letting my pelt caress over his hard, twitching shaft as I moved my muzzle across him. My eyes stayed on his as I lapped at his navel for a moment, then continued upwards. My hand slid up his side to his chest, where my fingers found one of his nipples, and I trailed a clawtip around that little nub of flesh, causing the jaguar to squirm and let out a little whimper. He almost looked afraid as he watched me, his gaze locked on mine as though he couldn't turn away.

I moved to rest lightly against him, feeling his muscles twitch at the touch of my body against his. My tongue found its way to his other nipple, giving it a few little flicks before my teeth pressed in against the sensitive flesh to pinch at it. Another whimper escaped from the other feline as I did that, and I tugged gently at the flesh trapped between my teeth before releasing it, moving my muzzle up to tuck it under his. He tried to keep his eyes on mine, but I nudged his chin upwards and nibbled my way up his throat. My hand moved away from his chest, sliding my fingers through his soft pelt up to his shoulder. I lifted my other hand to join the first, one on each shoulder, and pressed down on them to pin him to the bed as I lifted myself so that my head hovered over his.

He looked up at me, our eyes peering into each other. I could see the frustration and lust in those bright blue eyes of his, I could feel it in the warmth of his body as I pressed myself to him. My muzzle was close to his, noses barely touching as I spoke to him. "I want you," I murmured. He let out a low whimper, squirming and rubbing his body against mine, the hardness of his cock felt rather noticeably as he shifted beneath me. "I want you to want me," I continued, breathing slowly as I spoke.

His eyes stayed on mine, unblinking, as he gave a barely noticeable nod. That wasn't enough. "I want you to be mine," I said, my voice barely more than a whisper.

Ashjanti whimpered, and I heard him swallow hard to choke it off. He was practically motionless by then, the only movement the slight twitching of his body against mine. I kept watching him, and he must have figured I was waiting for a response, for he replied, his words barely audible, as though he were afraid his voice would crack. "Claim me."

Those two little words were all I needed. I shifted over him to a half-raised position, one hand still on his shoulder, the other moving down to guide one of his legs up to my waist. He wasted no time in moving the other to join it, wrapping them around me, and I shifted my hips to let the head of my cock, already moist from my own precum, press up against the puckered flesh of his tailhole. His legs squeeze about my waist, pulling me close to him, and I gave a sudden buck of my hips, the press of my cock against him hard enough to coerce the constricting flesh to spread enough for me to ease my way in. As I entered him, I lowered my muzzle to his and kissed him firmly, our tongues joining as they had before, the jaguar eagerly tasting himself on my lips and tongue as he lapped hungrily at them. The low moans we both made were muffled as we kissed, though I managed to catch his eyes closing before my own did the same.

I felt his arms slide around me, his hands running across my back as I pushed my length further into him. I felt his hot breath against my nose as he embraced me, pulling my body to his. My hips pressed until I was fully buried within him, though I didn't stay like that for long, the intense passion and desire welling up inside of me coercing me to mate with my jaguar, pulling my length halfway out of him as his flesh constricted against it. He wasn't doing much to cool my interest, his claws raking over my back, and I felt his teeth catch on my lip as he tried to catch it between them. I let out a low growl and pulled my lips from his, using my muzzle to turn his head, and then nipped sharply at the side of his neck. He let out a little yelp, which quickly turned into a moan of pleasure as I gave a hard buck of my hips, feeling the tightness of him around my shaft as I buried it deep within him. I felt more than heard the deep, rumbling purr rise from him as it vibrated through his neck.

Ashjanti panted as I nipped along the side of his neck, thrusting hard into his tight ass, feeling his flesh squeeze and caress at my cock as it moved through the other cat's constricting hole. I felt his tail brush against my leg as though it were going to wrap around it, and my own tail moved to catch his, entwining about it. I heard myself moan into the jaguar's neck as I nibbled at him, teeth pinching at his skin. My shaft continued its thrusting into his rear in steady motions as I fought to keep the pace slowed, though the burning desire and the feel of his body writhing against me as he hugged my tight to him were quickly making that more difficult. He panted against my ear as he tried to nuzzle at me, and I rubbed the side of my muzzle against his neck, purring loudly. He raked his claws against my back again, and I responded with another hard thrust into him, my body arching against those claws of his, pressing my chest against him. I panted out a ragged breath, then nipped sharply at his neck as my purr returned, and buried my hands beneath him to wrap my arms about him.

I couldn't hold out much longer, the feel of his flesh clenching about my girth, his claws against my back, his legs tight about my waist, all enough to drive me to speed up my thrusting, my hips bucking furiously against him as I buried myself into his tight confines over and over again. The jaguar's low moans with each thrust sent shivers up my spine as I made use of his lovely rear. I shifted, letting my muzzle find his throat and nibble along it as I moved one hand out from beneath him, sliding it between our bodies to grip at the other male's shaft and stroke over its length while the constricting flesh of his tailhole stroked over my own. I kept my eyes closed tight as my hand slid along his length, concentrating on holding off my orgasm while trying not to slow the pace of my thrusts. It didn't take too long, however, before I felt his cock throb in my hands, the length of it twitching, and he let out a long, low moan, gripping his arms tight around me and bucking his hips against me as the first jet of his seed spilled from him. I felt the heat of it against my fingers as I continued to stroke at him, smearing the sticky seed along his shaft as another stream joined the first, the warm fluid marking my wrist and his fur. I felt the other feline's tensing around my shaft as his tailhole constricted, clenching tight about me, and I gave a sudden, hard thrust deep into him, my hips grinding up against his rear as I felt my orgasm release the first jet of my own seed deep into him.

A low growl escaped my throat as I clamped my teeth around his throat, holding tight enough to make him gasp and dig his claws into my back, but without causing him harm. My fingers tightened around his shaft as I kept them rubbing over the naked flesh, smearing the jaguar's seed over his length. I gave another buck of my hips, trying to bury myself deeper into him while already hilted within him, and a deep groan followed the previous growl, muffled against the flesh of his throat, as another firm throb of my cock sent more of my cum into him. I felt the thief's length continue to twitch at the attention of my fingers, milking what I could from him to give him full release while the jaguar's tailhole gripped at my cock to do the same. His feet pressed into my rear to keep me firmly planted within him and he held my body tight to his as we shared our orgasms, the shuddering of our bodies felt by both.

As my orgasm started to die down, I released the hold on his throat, panting and resting against him, though my hand stayed between us, trapped there with the jaguar's cock, his sticky seed smeared against my hand and both of our pelts as I rested against him. I heard him panting and whimpering, and lifted my head to look at his face, the movement causing his eyes to peek open. He seemed pleased, letting his eyes close again as he dipped his muzzle to brush it against mine. I returned the gesture, nuzzling affectionately at him and purring contentedly, listening to the steady sound of his purr as it joined mine.

We rested like that for a long while, nuzzling gently at each other, his legs and arms keeping me where I was until he started to tire, and then slowly, almost reluctantly, he released his hold on me. I didn't move right away, however, keeping myself against him, my twitching shaft buried within him, for just a few more moments before I pulled my hips back. The movement of my shaft sliding out of him caused a low whimper to escape the jaguar, and I licked at his muzzle, shuddering lightly as I felt the flesh of his tailhole constrict against the head of my cock as it slipped free. I didn't move far from there, though I moved my hand out from between us before I settled down against him, resting my head on his chest with my nose still nuzzling at his throat.

He surprised me then, as I felt his fingers wrap around my wrist, pulling my hand to his mouth, and he slowly trailed his tongue over my palm, lapping up his own spunk. I blinked once, then purred rather contentedly as I watched the movement of his tongue as it caressed over my palm, then moved to my fingers, the jaguar working to clean every drop of the sticky fluid from my hand. He took one finger into his mouth, his tongue rubbing over it as mine had rubbed over his cock as I'd held it within my mouth, slowly suckling at that finger to ensure it was as clean as that action would get it, then repeating the process for each of the other four digits. After the second finger, I closed my eyes, though continued to purr as I felt him continue, felt his lips slide down the fingers, his tongue rub and lap over my flesh.

Once he'd finished with that, he slid his fingers between mine and gripped his hand in mine, and I gripped back at his. He then let out a little mewling sound. I flicked an ear, then lifted my head and opened my eyes to peer at him, curiously, and he pressed his lips to my own, which also caught me by surprise. I wasn't about to complain, however, kissing him deeply and letting him tease his tongue over mine to let me taste of his seed. The thought of that brought a stirring back to my loins, but I settled for the kiss, my tongue sliding over his to taste him, my hand slipping from his to caress the side of his muzzle. He touched his fingers to the back of my hand, then rested his hand against it, and we kissed for a moment longer before our muzzles parted. I rested my head against his shoulder, the jaguar's arm about me giving a squeeze.

I was happy, and willing to fall asleep in his arms, despite the mess of his seed coating both of our pelts, but the strong urge to tidy up that had been beaten into me in my youth won out and I started to rise. Ashjanti tightened his hold about me to keep me there, and I looked at him, smiling warmly, then gave him a gentle kiss before shaking my head. He relented, then, and let me sit up and slide from the bed.

Once I'd stood, I took his hand in mine and tugged, coercing him up as well. He gave me a questioning look, and I chuckled and mumbled, "Bath." I may not value my bedding too highly, but without a cleaning servant of my own as most nobles had, I wasn't about to risk getting my silk sheets too messed up and then have to clean them for myself.

Ashjanti mouthed an "Oh," and stood, letting me lead him by the hand into the bath, where I flicked open a lantern and lit it. It wasn't anything too fancy, though likely more than what the jaguar was used to, for he almost stopped as he entered the room. I glanced back at him and chuckled, noticing that his eyes had gone a bit wide as he looked the room over, mostly focusing on the hot tub that rested along one wall of the small room. I realized that most didn't even have running water, but being as I was near considered a noble, I certainly had access to such amenities, and made use of them whenever I had the chance.

I left his side and walked over to the tub, setting the water running to fill it and settling against the edge of it to look back to him. He seemed sheepish, suddenly, afraid and lost, and I cocked my head to the side as I asked, "What's wrong?"

He blinked, pulling his gaze from the steaming water he was watching run into the tub to look at me, puzzled.

I raised a brow. "You look... lost. You don't regret what we did, I hope?" As the question slipped from my lips, I suddenly feared that he wanted to take back what he'd said. Those two little words, though mostly harmless throughout much of the world, meant a whole lot more in these parts. They were an acceptance of claim, telling the one who wants to own you that you accept their stake and their ownership. I had, in essence, given him a claim, and he'd accepted, making him mine.

As I watched his face for a reaction, his eyes widened and he quickly shook his head. "No, I..." He stopped, seeming unsure of himself, and frowned.

I turned to the hot tub to check the water's temperature before standing and approaching him. He didn't pull away, though I saw him tense as I neared, and that made me take pause for just a moment before I laid a hand on his arm, caressing my fingers over his fur as I spoke. "I don't want you unless you want me. That's how I work. If you have any regrets, tell me now, so that we can clear this up before things progress."

He lowered his gaze to the floor, blushing, still looking unsure of himself, and, as is my habit, I made the assumption that he didn't want to be owned. I pulled away from him and turned to leave the room. I tried to hide the hurt I felt as I spoke, but don't think I did a very good job of it. "I understand. I'll let you clean up and then you can leave. I won't stop you."

I heard him let out a quiet little whimper, and glanced back at him. The look of utter rejection as he hugged himself made me pause and frown. A dozen thoughts ran through my head, from him already being owned to being owned and abused, but I didn't voice any of them, I simply stood there watching him silently.

It took him a few moments to realize I was watching him, and he tried to compose himself after he noticed my look, straightening and moving a hand to brush the hair out of his face. I waited patiently, figuring he needed a moment to be able to proclaim some secret, and wasn't expecting what he did finally say once he realized I was waiting for him to explain himself. "I don't... that is, I've never considered... being owned, before. Not that I don't want to, I just... don't know what's expected of me."

I blinked. He seemed like a local to me, despite appearing quite young, so I hadn't considered that perhaps he didn't understand what it meant to be owned. He certainly seemed to know what the two words he'd said meant. My brow furrowed as I thought this over for a moment, then asked, "How long have you lived in the provincial lands?"

"I uh... just a couple of years," he replied. "I mean, I know about the whole thing, being claimed and such. But I'd never looked into any of it before. Nobody'd ever made any attempt to claim me, so I never thought it important."

I nodded, though he'd returned his gaze to the floor, so likely missed the motion. His actions made me consider. "You aren't my servant, if that's what you think. That's entirely different. A pet, as you would be, would be expected to pleasure his owner. Nothing more." I paused long enough for him to look up at me, but before he could say anything, I lifted a hand to stay his words as I spoke further. "Most would expect you to lay around waiting for them to want to use you, and then stay out of their way once they were through. That's not what I want. I want to share experiences with you, to have you as a companion and a friend, as well as a lover. To share more than just my bed whenever I call you to me."

That seemed to confuse him further, and I sighed and approached him, touching my finger to his chin before he could look away. "I don't just want a pet to do what I want whenever I wish it. I want a lover, a companion. I want you to be with me when you want to be, not just when I want you there. I don't want you to feel as though you owe me anything, and I don't want you to act like a servant or like you're worth less than me. I can't give you any titles, but so long as you're with me, I expect you to be treated as my equal by myself and those around me." I paused for a moment to consider my next words carefully before saying them. "I want you to love me, though I know that will take time, should you accept and wish to stay with me. I also don't expect you to be faithful, since I do leave the city to go on long treks, sometimes lasting for months, and I would hardly expect you to be able to last that long without the temptation to sleep with someone arising. It pains me that you didn't think to bring this up before, but... I know I was rather insistent, and didn't exactly give you much time to consider or ask questions, so I will accept a rejection if you wish to give it now."

Though his eyes remained on mine, I could tell he wished to look away, and once I'd finished speaking, I released his chin and let him turn his head to think over what I'd said. I returned to the hot tub to turn the water off as I noticed it was full enough for two, and didn't want to have it overflowing should he decide to bathe with me. Settling down on the edge of the tub once more, I gazed into the water as I waited for him to think over my words and make a decision. Of course I was hopeful, but also filled with much doubt, and I'd really expected him to decline.

I was lost in my own thoughts and didn't notice him approach me until I felt his arms slip about my waist as he knelt beside me, the jaguar tucking his head against my chest and rubbing against me. I was almost startled, not sure what to think of it as I looked down at him, my arm held in the air above him for a moment before I hesitantly rested it across his shoulders. He let out a soft whine before he spoke, "I don't want to reject you. I don't... really understand, but I want to, and I want to be what you want me to be."

My free hand moved to lift his chin so that I could look into his eyes, and the look in them made it clear that he meant what he said. I smiled warmly and pulled him up as I stood, hugging my arms around him and giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek. "You need time to fully understand. I can explain better, and explain how others view ownership and how if differs from what I expect. Though I'm sure that can wait, yes?" I kissed his cheek again before continuing. "A hot bath, then a good night's rest, and we can speak further of this in the morning. Perhaps over brunch, since I'm sure we could both do with sleeping in."

Anything else was driven from our minds as he settled against me, nodding and rubbing his muzzle against my cheek. I thought things were going well, and I certainly didn't expect the surprise he had in store for me the following day...