Chapter 10

Developments

Sam's untidy fur stuck out in white tufts, and he sat with head cocked slightly to one side as he contemplated his friend over a plate of refried dried venison and buttery bread. He stirred his plate with a fork rather than wolfing it down with his customary enthusiasm, and his gaze was thoughtful.

“I really don’t understand what happened last night,” he said at last.

The memory of Sam's strong grasp and soft fur lingered in Weskar's mind. The mystery of the other dog's magnificent sheath had led him to a world of pleasure he never expected. He understood the biological purpose of these parts – in the same way he understood the operation of his heart and lungs. But every dog knew that their genital appendages were mere relics, left over from a more primitive age. Doctor Williams, otherwise known as the “Protector”, had given them the cloning machines, and they had no need for crude biological forms of reproduction.

Yet his newly awakened sexuality fascinated him. He wanted to explore it more. Why had he never experienced this inexplicable desire before? The answer could only be the effects of the drug-laced Kibble. To keep us under control, he realised with a start. It made sense: in the crowded confines of the city, order would be difficult to maintain. The Kibble kept them all docile.

But not completely. Weskar's repressed desires had filtered into his dreams, and left him with a vague longing during his waking hours. And it wasn't just his sexual exuberance which the drug had held in check. He felt more alive than he ever had before. His senses were sharper, and his paws tingled with anticipation – of what, he didn't know.

He caught the Saint's gaze, and felt a comfortable warmth in his heart. They had shared something secret and wonderful, which he could not put into words. Perhaps it was better not to try. He let his paw rest on Sam's larger one. “I’m not complaining!”

Sam's tail swished and his face brightened when he saw Weskar's smile. “Who would have thought that modern, sophisticated dogs like us could...” He frowned for a moment, no doubt thinking about the city inhabitants and their strict unwritten rules of decent behaviour. Then he pounded the table with a paw and gave a hearty laugh. “Well, damp whiskers to the prefect, I say. I don't want to be modern or sophisticated any more!”

Weskar grinned. “My thoughts exactly!”

They both felt it at the same time – a change in the mood, an electricity between them. Weskar saw a new hunger in those deep Saint Bernard eyes, and he knew his own face mirrored the big dog's desire. Sam's chair scraped back as he stood, and Weskar was on his feet in an instant, his paw reaching for the lube bottle. No words were needed as Weskar applied the cool silky liquid to himself, but Sam followed his movements with an intense gaze. Weskar realised that he held a strange power over the big dog – the power to inspire desire, and the power to satisfy it. He wanted the Saint. He wanted to submit again to that awesome strength, but first he would make the dog work for it.

He launched himself out the open door, and bounded over the porch to land with a crunch in the slushy snow, now melting in the sunshine. Sam moved with a speed that the Shepherd could hardly believe, and his fluffy tail streamed out as he leaped to catch the smaller dog. But Weskar was quicker, and he scampered out of the way. Off he went, dodging through the trees, the Saint in hot pursuit.

They burst from the forest into a sunlit clearing, and Weskar, looking over his shoulder to tease his pursuer, tripped on a branch and fell into a snow drift. He scrambled up, but a fallen tree blocked his path. Then he felt the rough grasp of Sam's paws, and the big dog was on him, panting with exertion and excitement. Weskar started to pull away again, but the strength of those arms, and the musky smell of the big dog, sent a wave of fire through him, and he forgot everything as he leaned against the log.

Sam's big teeth clamped onto his neck in a bite of symbolic possession, and he wanted nothing more than to feel the huge Saint Bernard cock inside him. Sam did not hesitate, but thrust forward, this time with much more confidence, and Weskar got his wish as the Saint pinned him against the rough wood of the tree trunk and thrust and thrust until his knot swelled and he gasped his release.

---

Weskar put a match to the wick of the kerosene lamp, and its orange glow filled the cabin as the day's last light faded from the sky. Sam held a page of notes up to the lamp-light as he chewed on his pen and squinted at his scribbles.

“Listen to this,” he said, and read from the page he had been examining.

“‘...representative should travel to (gap) and check (can’t read the next bit) before the ‘All Clear’ can be given and Exit Procedures started.’ I think someone was supposed to visit the control room we found, maybe to check if things were safe outside. No doubt there used to be an easier way of getting there, but it was destroyed by the rockfall.”

The pen cracked between the Saint's massive teeth, and quite a bit of drool ran down it, but he didn't notice as he stared thoughtfully into the distance.

“The the walls and tunnels of the city were very strongly built.” he continued after a moment. “A random cave-in seems unlikely.” He fixed Weskar with a serious gaze. “I wonder if someone sabotaged it?”

It was a treasonous thought, and one which the Shepherd would never have believed if he did not already have proof of ancient conspiracies within the city. The Prefects had been lying to the canines for generations, and now anything seemed plausible.

“This won't be easy,” the big Saint rumbled, echoing Weskar's thoughts. “The Prefect will do anything to hold onto his power, and that means keeping the people inside the city.”

“But surely he understands the food shortage. He's got to do something or everyone will starve!”

“I think he believes his own rhetoric!”

“You mean he really thinks the Protectors will save everyone?”

“Ha!” Sam's laugh held derision but little mirth. “The Prefects haven't believed in the Protectors for hundreds of years! They just keep the myth alive because it gives them power. No, the only thing he believes in is himself, and I think he's so attached to the idea of the All-Powerful-Prefect that he can't imagine not being in control. Maybe he expects to magically fix the Kibble machine with nothing more than the strength of his personality. In any case, we can't expect a warm welcome.”

Weskar thought of his family, and all the other canines still going about their daily lives, unaware of the looming crises. Their rescue might seem an impossible task, but they had to find a way.

---

The next day, Weskar was cleaning up their lunch dishes when he spotted a figure approaching the cabin. A flash of russet fur shone in the sunlight even as Alenna's familiar scent came to his nose. She wore a simple tunic and light pants, and a discreet white bandage covered her injured ankle, which she favoured with only the slightest of limps. Weskar's tail wagged with joy to see her back on her feet. Beside Weskar, a scrape and a clunk heralded Sam's enthusiasm as his tail knocked over a chair.

“Hello, boys!” she beamed, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Not having too much fun without me, I hope!”

“Well...” Weskar and Sam shared a brief glance.

“You're looking better! Syenna didn’t manage to poison you with her herbal potions.”

Alenna made a face. “Well, from the taste, she might have been trying. But yeah, I'm much better! She wanted me to stay in bed for a few more days, which was obviously ridiculous.”

Indeed, Weskar thought she was positively glowing. As she drew close, his nose picked up an intriguing smell on top of her usual scent. It made him wag, and want to sit really close to her, and produced an excitement in his belly.

He made a pot of tea and they sat down. Alenna reclined in her chair and looked from one dog to the other as she sipped from her mug, and her rust-red coat shimmered in the sunlight which fell across her from the open door. Sam looked restless, matching Weskar's own feelings. It's good to see her again, he thought, but there was more to it than that.

Then Alenna put down her mug with a decisive clunk, and stood up. She sidled around the table to Sam’s chair, where she stopped to run her paws over his neck and shoulders. He raised his nose, letting her see his throat while he sniffed deeply at her scent. Then, saying nothing, she walked seductively towards the bed. Weskar noticed the way her body moved beneath her thin clothes. Sam almost knocked the chair over again in his eagerness to follow her.

Something exciting was happening, and Weskar felt tension in the air. He also stood up and took a step towards Alenna, but then a look from Sam stopped him dead. It wasn’t a vicious look, or an angry one; Weskar could only describe it as ‘commanding’. With the look there came the faintest of growls from deep in the big dog’s throat, and Weskar recognised it as possessive. This is mine, he was saying. What was his? Weskar didn’t understand, but he knew that he couldn't stay there. He stopped in his tracks, and instead he swallowed and headed for the door.

Outside, he couldn’t think, and didn’t want to think. His mind kept replaying the scene: Alenna sliding on to the bed, her intriguing smell filling the room; Sam, completely unlike his normal self, claiming her. Weskar felt their rejection and it clawed at his heart, mingled with a deep frustration which he didn't understand. But another part of him knew instinctively that this was somehow right.

The young Shepherd found himself halfway up the hill behind the cabin before he knew it, and the exertion helped to clear his head. Alenna had cast a spell over both the dogs. And her smell... how could he describe it? It was not strong, yet it set fire to his heart. How had he never noticed before? It's because we're free of the Kibble, he thought, remembering the effects they had already experienced.

But that was not the whole truth. The Ridgeback bitch offered something, and she had chosen Sam. Given his own attraction to the Saint's strength, Weskar couldn’t blame her for that.

He channelled his feelings into motion, and he felt better as he climbed through the trees. The snow was nearly gone, and delicate splashes of green showed here and there on the ground where new growth sprouted. The forest gave off a wealth of interesting smells, and his nose twitched with olfactory excitement.

Soon he came out atop a rocky ridge and sat down on a boulder to catch his breath. The spring-fresh smell of pines wafted up from the valley below. Weskar contemplated the view and wondered what he would do. Sooner or later he would have to return to the cabin. He cared a great deal for Sam, and he felt a lot closer to Alenna after their adventures. He was a grown-up dog, and it did no good to act like a spoilt puppy. If Sam and Alenna wanted to share something, he would give them space to do so, and hopefully retain their friendship.

Feeling more at peace with himself, the Shepherd stood and stretched his limbs, then leaped down from the boulder and began the long walk back.

Closer to the cabin, however, his resolve faltered. Would they still resent his presence? He paused at the edge of the clearing, unsure of himself. I could go back to the village, he thought. But that seemed like giving up. Best just walk in, act casual and hope for the best.

But before he got halfway to the door, it opened and Alenna slipped out. She closed it quietly behind her, and stepped lightly down from the doorstep. Weskar opened his mouth to greet her, but she held up a finger to her lips. She smiled to see him, however, and her tail wagged gently and sensually as she crossed the clearing to join him.

He couldn’t help but notice that she wore her shirt half-open, and no pants at all. Her musk filled his nose once more. A strong excitement drew his gaze down the perfect curves of her body, but the shirt was just long enough to entice him without revealing anything. Embarrassed, Weskar forced himself to look away.

Still saying nothing, Alenna took his paw and led him towards the forest, and he had no power to resist. He followed her through the pines, and the cabin was out of sight before she spoke.

“Sam is sleeping and I didn’t want to wake him up because he looked so peaceful. I thought we should go for a walk.”

Weskar had just been for a walk, but right now any excuse to be alone with Alenna would do. They sauntered through the trees for a while, and the Shepherd hardly noticed which way they went as the smell and presence of the bitch filled his mind. His belly ached and his paws tingled with excitement. He wanted to grab her, take a huge bite of her neck fur in his mouth and hold it. He wanted to rub his paws over her smooth flanks. He wanted to tear open the buttons of her shirt and press his face against her naked torso.

Eventually she spoke, interrupting his disjointed fantasies. “I’m sorry about earlier. You probably felt bad. I don’t know what got into me.”

They reached a sun-filled dell on the side of the hill, ringed by dark green firs. Alenna sat down on a smooth rock, and Weskar joined her. His heart pounded as she met his eyes, although her expression was serious.

“All I know is, I really wanted something.... I wanted a male, and all I could think about was Sam.”

“Don’t worry, I understand.” Weskar reached out a paw to caress her shoulder. “Believe me, I can see the attraction!”

She smiled, and it seemed as if a beam of extra bright sunlight shone on him. Was her smell getting even more exciting? A wicked glint appeared in her eyes as she leaned forward to kiss him on the mouth, and he felt her paw slide down over his sheath.

“I want you to be the second,” she whispered in his ear.

Weskar’s head swam as she slid her shirt up and pulled it over her head, revealing two rows of small, evenly spaced nipples nestled in the soft fur of her belly. Female anatomy had not seemed particularly interesting in the past, but now it drew his gaze and filled his mind with wonder and excitement. Nestled in the soft fur of her crotch, her vulva enticed him. She sat in the sunlight, her tongue slightly out and the tip of her tail tracing a lazy arc, her fur shining red-gold. Weskar could no longer resist, and he bent down to place his nose at her entrance and sniff deeply.

And then he understood the truth, although perhaps he had already guessed but not put it into words - beneath her enticing scent, he could also smell the strong aroma of Sam. The big dog's musky smell mingled with the sharp tang of the Saint Bernard’s cum.

Shaking a little with excitement, and not sure exactly what to do, Weskar ran his paws up her lovely belly fur, and lifted his nose to nibble at her neck. She moaned and craned her head back, her paws exploring his shoulders. Then her moist, swollen vulva drew him back. He lowered his muzzle again to lick her, first savouring the mingled taste of Saint cum and her own juices from the fur surrounding her slit. Then he eased his tongue inside and her strong, heady flavour filled his senses. His tongue found a small bump at the top of her opening, and she gasped. Her paws gripped his shoulders and she thrust herself against him in her desire.

Then it seemed that she could not wait any longer. With a commanding look and a small growl, she forced the young dog down onto the warm rock. Before he could move, she was on top of him, straddling him, bending down to lick hungrily at his mouth.

Weskar felt his cock and his balls aching with anticipation. Long-suppressed instincts took over as he grabbed her hips and pushed her back until the end of his sheath was against the opening of her vulva, and then probed upwards. She leaned back, panting, tail high, as she pressed herself down in search of his shaft.

The questing tip of his cock found her opening, and he felt slick warmth. Instinctively, he thrust forward with his hips, feeling his member find its target and slide into her. Gasping and awash with a burning desire, he thrust again and again, pushing his cock deeper into her than he would have thought possible, her wet fur clamped against his groin and his paws clasping tightly to her waist.

She pushed hard down against his thrusts, wanting to feel him inside her. As his penis probed deeply into her vagina, he felt her muscles clench in time with his thrusts. Soon she was clamping down hard on the base of his cock, and her spasms brought him to a peak of burning excitement. He could feel his swelling cock growing inside her, locked in by her muscles. The pressure and the rhythmic squeezing of her vagina brought Weskar to an orgasm so intense that he thought he would pass out. He felt his cock begin to pulse as he shot his cum deeply inside her, wave after wave mingling with the Saint Bernard seed which had already filled her.

Weskar’s thrusts had stopped, for they were now firmly tied. He pulled her close, and she lay down on top of him, nibbling at his neck and then kissing him deeply.

They lay together in the warm sun for twenty minutes as Weskar’s pulsing subsided and her muscles relaxed. He held her body against his, and with his cock locked inside her deepest recesses, they could not be closer. Her paws stroked his ears as she looked dreamily into his eyes, and he could hardly believe that she was the same Alenna. Her tough exterior was gone, as if she had finally let down her guard. And with her soft warmth against him and her warm breath on his face, he felt awash in fulfilled contentment.

Eventually, her muscles relaxed and he slipped out of her. They looked at each other, smiling, as she eased off him and stretched her legs. Their dishevelled fur was sticky with their mingled juices. Alenna contemplated the Shepherd's rapidly shrinking knot, and her usual haughty gaze was gone, replaced by genuine warmth.

“Wow...” she smiled. “You have a wonderful cock!” She bent down to lick him clean, starting with his balls and working up to his sheath. Weskar shut his eyes, and lay back in a blissful daze.

When she had finished, she rubbed his tummy. “Maybe Sam wasn’t such a good choice for the first time,” she said. “Talk about huge!”

Weskar giggled. “I know just what you mean!” he said.

“Oh really!” Alenna looked at him with a sly grin. “So you were having fun without me!”

Weskar didn’t know what to say to that, but he couldn't keep the smile off his muzzle. The spring warmth had banished the chill of winter, and the sun-warmed turf gave off a moist smell filled with the promise of new growth.

The Ridgeback stretched languidly as she picked up her rumpled shirt, and she didn’t bother putting it back on.

“Well, I’m getting hungry!” she said, hopping lightly off the rock where Weskar still reclined, his fur drying in the sun. A drowsy warmth filled the Shepherd, but he too felt a pang of hunger, and he was happy to follow Alenna back through the trees. He felt lazy and accomplished, and he watched Alenna with a new feeling of pride and love as her glossy coat caught the sunlight.

The appetising smell of Sam's cooking reached them long before they arrived at cabin. The Saint, dressed once more in the frilly apron, stood in front of a bubbling pot of stew. What will he say? Weskar wondered, nerves twisting in his stomach again. Anyone with a brain and a nose would know what he and Alenna had been doing. But when the big dog saw them, he grabbed Weskar and crushed him in a strong hug. “Oh Weskar!” he said, finally letting go of his smaller friend. “I’m sorry about earlier. I really don’t know what I was thinking.”

The Shepherd saw genuine concern in his open face. He smiled and nibbled his friend’s neck by way of an answer. “It’s okay. I think we’ve all gone a bit crazy lately!”

Sam turned to Alenna and kissed her tenderly on the nose. Then he took each of his friends by the paw. “Look at the three of us here together. A dog couldn’t ask for anything more!”

---

Grey clouds rolled in during the following days, hiding the mountains and filling the forest with the patter and drip of rain. Alenna read through a pile of ancient paperback books they found under the bed, Weskar tried his paws at cooking, and Sam filled more pages with scribbled notes as he worked on the Structions. They walked in the forest and were caught out by sudden rain showers, and they delighted in the cool wet smells of the forest. There was no more jealousy between them, and Weskar's prominent memory was of Alenna's inner heat as he slipped inside her beneath the drooping boughs of an ancient pine, her rain-soaked fur cold and dripping against him. Their sexual explorations, hasty and inept at first, blended with their other activities until they felt almost as natural as eating and sleeping.

Sitting around the table on the third evening after Alenna arrived, Weskar noticed their subdued mood. A feeling of relaxed contentment had replaced breathless desire, and Alenna's enticing smell had vanished. He felt a glow of protective love for the Ridgeback – and for Sam, in fact.

Sam had the bath filled and the water hot. It wasn’t large enough for all three canines, so they let Alenna go first, and then Sam and Weskar topped up the water and soaked together. Weskar lay back and contemplated his friend through the steam. The Saint gave a sigh of contentment, and Weskar smiled, feeling the same way.

“Syenna said we would feel different,” the Shepherd mused. “I feel like a different dog...”

Sam nodded, and Weskar saw a new look of resolve in his eyes. “I think it's time we returned to the village. I've found all I can in the Structions, and time is running out.”

Weskar agreed. He wanted to stay there, in the Outside, but he knew they had to go back to the city.

The next morning they tidied the cabin, shouldered their packs and started back down the trail. When they came to the large rock, they found Misha reclining in the sun as if he had been waiting for them. When he saw them approaching, he jumped down. Weskar saw a smile on the tan dog's face, but as before, he could read little in Misha's dark eyes. Was that a knowing look?

They wouldn’t find out easily. “I hope you all had a relaxing time,” was all he said.

“What are you doing here?” asked Weskar.

“Oh, just keeping any eye on things. I didn’t think you would want anyone to disturb you.” He gave Alenna a little sideways glance. “I made an exception for this fine lady, though, since I thought you would like to see her up and about.”

He does know what we were doing, Weskar thought. The tan dog showed no sign that he would mention it, though. No more was said as they sauntered back through the spring morning to the canine village.

The experience of the last few days had certainly changed them. And now, Weskar found himself drawn to Misha. He harboured a secret desire to wrap his paws around that gaunt tan body, and the dog's mystique intrigued him. He wondered idly whether Misha had any feelings for him. I doubt it, he thought with a sigh.

---

A meeting hall stood at the centre of the canine village, and its massive rough-sawn beams and tightly shingled roof represented their proudest architectural accomplishment. Misha had taken them to Syenna's cottage on their return to the village, and while Alenna submitted to a thorough medical examination, the tan dog had gathered the village folk for a meeting. By the time Weskar, Sam and Alenna arrived at the hall, an excited crowd awaited them, and they all wanted to greet the newcomers and touch noses. They were a jovial bunch, tough but welcoming.

Sam stepped forward to address the assembly, his white fur freshly brushed and his tail high. Weskar felt a glow of pride, for the Saint's ears were forward, his eyes shone, and his coat showed a new gloss. The villagers listened with interest as he described the situation in New Hope City and how they had escaped from the prefect and journeyed through the caves.

“My new friends,” he concluded, “you've been very generous in the help you've already provided for us, and we offer our thanks.

“From my investigations of the city ‘Structions’, we know that there is an exit mechanism. It is our intention to go back to the city with a small party of canines and attempt to activate it.

“We don’t know what conditions are like in the city. They may already have run out of food. We must assume that the Prefect will oppose us. I hope we can change his mind - and the minds of the population - now that we've proved the existence of the Outside.”

Having said all he could, Sam bowed to Syenna. The Weimaraner announced her support for the venture, and called for volunteers to assist. When half the village population stepped forward, she raised her paw and surveyed the crowd. “Thank you all for your enthusiasm. However, I think the ideal number would be seven.”

After a brief consideration, she picked out the team. Red, Terry and Ruby were coming, and Misha's inclusion gave Weskar a secret thrill of excitement. Syenna nodded to a Collie female called Lorenne next, then added Reed and Tyler, two brothers of sturdy-looking Rottweiler and Mastiff ancestry. Syenna detailed many of the remaining canines to help with preparations for the journey.

The meeting broke up and the village residents departed to carry out their allotted tasks. At first, Weskar worried that they might resent the imposition, but he soon discovered a widespread enthusiasm amongst them. They were all excited about liberating the long-lost residents of New Hope City. Piles of food and equipment soon appeared in the hall, ready to be checked and sorted.

The preparations were complete by evening, and ten rucksacks stood ready, loaded with dried rations and bottles of water. The stack of equipment included oil-fuelled hurricane lanterns along with several ancient rechargeable electric torches. The appearance of these relatively hi-tech items caused Sam great excitement, and he pestered Red until the husky took him to examine the village's small wind-powered generator.

“It’s not much,” said Red. “We want to build a bigger one and provide electric lights for the whole village, but there is always so much to do, and hunting and farming take a lot of our time. Also, we don’t know much about how the technology works – although I hear that you may be able to help!”

That night, everyone gathered for a shared meal. Each canine household in the village prepared a dish, and they arrived with steaming bowls of stew and vegetables, bread, and sweet desserts of cake with fresh cream. Weskar, Sam and Alenna had never seen anything like it, and the smorgasbord of flavours and smells overwhelmed them.

Weskar sat back in his chair and watched the village canines talking and laughing together, a hard-working but happy community. The village offered a very different lifestyle to that of the city, but he knew he could fit right into it. Dogs are supposed to run under the open sky, he thought, not live crammed together in a cave.

When the canines had eaten their fill, and the dishes were mostly empty, Red passed around a heavy bottle and each adult canine poured a small measure of amber liquid into a glass. Weskar took a sniff and sneezed at the heady aroma of the strong liqueur.

Red stood and banged on his plate for silence. The big red and white husky made an imposing sight as his striking blue eyes swept over the tables.

“My friends, we stand at the dawn of a new era. If our quest succeeds, we will be opening our doors to over two thousand new canines. Let us remember that they are our long-lost sisters and brothers, found at last. The coming summer will not be easy as we adjust, but this world is vast and empty, and we have room for everyone. Together we can build a strong future. So I thank you all, and wish us luck!”

A clamour of cheering and applause erupted from the assembly as Red raised his glass in a toast.

Platters of roasted nuts and dried fruit appeared to finish the meal, and then the canines began to depart laden with leftovers and empty dishes. Weskar helped clear the tables and pack them away until a yawn overtook him. What a meal! he thought as he sauntered outside to get some fresh air.

A vast spread of stars decorated the night sky, and Weskar admired them until the chill seeped through his fur. He was about to return indoors when he sensed a warm presence beside him. Turning, he found Misha also staring at the sky.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” the tan dog murmured.

Weskar nodded. “I couldn’t imagine anything this beautiful before I left the City!”

Misha was a vague shape in the dark, and his eyes reflected a glint of starlight. “Come on, I’ll show you something.”

A short walk through the village helped to warm Weskar's chilled paws, and brought them to a tree-covered slope beyond the last house. They climbed a steep path for a while until it ended where a rocky crag jutted out above the forest.

The homely orange lights of the village spread out below them. On the far side of the valley the hills rose in a dark line, and above them the stars shone like tiny bright diamonds spread across the inky black of the sky.

Misha sat on a rock, and Weskar joined him. They sat in silence for a while before Misha spoke. “I often come up here on fine nights. Quite a nice spot, isn't it?”

“It’s beautiful!”

“I don’t usually bring anyone else here, though.” The tan dog's voice was low, and Weskar could feel his warmth. He shuffled a little closer.

“Well, I’m glad you asked me.” And then Weskar leaned over and gave Misha a lick on the dark fur of his muzzle.

After another pause Weskar felt an arm around him.

“I was thinking...” Misha began, tone deliberately casual. “Sophie’s spare bed isn’t very big, and you probably want to get a good night’s sleep before we begin our travels back through the caves. There’s plenty of room to stay with me, if you like.”

There was a hesitance in Misha's voice. He's quite shy, despite his confidence and his aloof exterior. He wondered if Misha could see his smile in the dark.

“That would be lovely!”

Misha's spicy smell wafted around him as he leaned against the larger dog, and they admired the stars in a companionable silence until Weskar couldn’t stifle a yawn.

“We’d better get you to bed, youngster!” Misha's voice held a gentle laugh.

He followed the tan dog back down the path as excitement bubbled up to combat his fatigue. I'm going to his house, he thought. Maybe it was nothing more than a generous offer of hospitality, but the idea still thrilled him more than he expected.

Misha turned left as they reached the outskirts of the village. “This way,” he beckoned.

Weskar hesitated. “I'd better tell Sam I won’t be staying with Sophie tonight.”

“Don’t worry; I already told them.”

Weskar grinned at the effrontery. So much for shyness!

Misha led the way to a little cottage. Weskar could see next to nothing, but presently a wavering orange glow appeared as the tan dog applied a match to the kerosene lantern. All manner of unusual objects decorated the cosy interior, and Weskar had no idea what most of them were. Embers glowed in the ubiquitous wood stove, and the furniture consisted of two armchairs, a table, and a bench along one wall.

Misha stretched his paws and arched his back. “We don’t usually eat that well, except on special occasions! If we did I think we would all be far too fat.”

Weskar was actually admiring the tan dog’s lean body. Like most of the villagers, Misha was in good shape, his muscles well defined. Outside life probably involved a fair amount of hard work.

Misha regarded the young Shepherd with a quiet smile. He opened a curtain to reveal another room and a comfortable bed – somewhat wider than Sophie's spare, as he had promised. He gave himself a little shake, then turned back the covers and climbed in, moving over to the far side.

Weskar slid in beside him. The cold sheets soon warmed under their fur, and Misha put his paws around the smaller Shepherd’s shoulders. Weskar looked up into Misha’s deep brown eyes, and thought he could make out mingled desire and contentment. I'm starting to understand him, he thought, raising a paw to stroke the larger dog on his golden-brown cheek.

Then Misha bent down, and Weskar felt a familiar thrill run through him as the tan dog kissed him deeply. Weskar pulled him close, and the lean body felt even better than he imagined as it pressed against him.

“I hope you are not too tired yet,” whispered Misha as he straddled Weskar and rubbed himself sensuously against the Shepherd’s sheath.

“I think I can stay awake a bit longer!” replied Weskar with a smile.