The Prisoner's Release and Other Stories (10 page)

“
One, two, three,” Taypha pointed at Alexan three times, and everyone laughed. “Don’t worry, Red, I couldn’t possibly compete with you.”

Alexan shook a finger at him. “That’s right.”

Jonas put an arm around Alexan and smiled. “And I wouldn’t let him.”

The fox resisted the touch for a moment, and then leaned against Jonas. His earlier conversation apparently over, he glanced around the room. “Your boyfriend couldn’t make it, Benton?”

Benton shook his head. “Working late again. He’s in charge of a whole regiment,” he said proudly to Jonas.

“
Glad you could get away, at least.”

Benton smiled. “Your dinners are always fun.”

Jonas thought he heard Mikka murmur, “You don’t know the half of it,” but halfway through whatever it was Mikka said, Alexan was telling Jonas that Benton’s boyfriend was also a cougar.

“
Oh? He’s not a noble either?”

“
He is, yes,” Benton nodded. “He’s from a small barony out east. So he has an honored position in the guard.”

“
Oh.” Jonas sat back on the couch. It would have been nice to find other non-noble cougars employed somewhere.

“
Speaking of which, I should probably get back to him.” Benton stood up. “Thank you for the hospitality and the interesting ideas, and welcome back, Alexan.”

“
I should go too.” Taypha put his glass down and stood up. “Got to be up early tomorrow.”

Mikka was showing no signs of leaving. Alexan glanced at him and then patted Jonas on the shoulder. “Can you see our other guests out?”

“
Sure.” Jonas stood and waited while the bear and fox paid their respects briefly to Alexan, then followed them out the front door.

“
Got to walk up to the main street there to catch a cab.” Taypha gestured and started walking down the small street they were on. Benton and Jonas followed behind.

“
So you’re going to be staying with Alexan,” Benton said. “That’s nice. I’m glad he’s got someone. And another fox-cougar couple, too. Mostly the gay cougars pair up among themselves. And the straight couples, you know, always same species.” He flicked his ears. “That’s how we do it in our country. I don’t know about over the mountains.”

Jonas smiled. “It’s the same there too. I’d like to meet your cougar someday.”

“
I’m sure you will. He just works a lot in the evening.”

“
How long have you known each other?”

“
Known? Years. We’ve only been together for a couple years though.” Benton’s tail swished.

“
It sounds like there’s a story there.”

“
Maybe for another time.” Benton grinned. They’d reached the main street, and Taypha was already looking down the street to an approaching cab and signaling it. The goat driving pulled the cab over to the side.

“
Benton, you want to share? I think you’re on my way.”

“
Sure.” The fox extended a paw to Jonas. “Nice to meet you, Jonas. Hope to see you again soon.”

“
Same here.” Jonas clasped the fox’s small paw in his own, then turned and grasped Taypha’s paw as well.

“
Good to meet you.”

“
Likewise.” Taypha didn’t seem to be showing the effects of his drinks, but then again, he weighed as much as the three foxes put together, so maybe he had a higher tolerance for it.

They climbed into the cab and rattled away down the mostly-empty street. Another cab came up from the opposite direction driven by a bear; he slowed in front of Jonas, then sped up again when the cougar waved him on.

Jonas took his time walking back down the street, while the few people who were out hurried past him, not even looking up to see the clouds part around the moon. He admired the sight all the way back to the house, thinking that it had been a promising night. He’d enjoyed meeting Alexan’s friends. True, he wasn’t really a friend to any of them yet, but he felt that would come in time. None of them seemed off-put by his profession, and if Mikka was more interested than Jonas was comfortable with, the interest seemed harmless.

The house was empty when he returned; at least, all but Alexan’s room was, and that was locked. He rattled the door handle once, then retreated without pushing his nose to the door to sniff who might be inside. Alexan must have seen Mikka off and then gone to bed, he thought, but even though he tried hard to convince himself that that was the case, he knew that Mikka hadn’t gone far, and Alexan hadn’t gone to sleep.

Chapter 6

If Mikka had stayed the night, he left without Jonas noticing. Alexan was cheerful the next day, and Jonas didn’t ask him why his door had been locked. He would just have to be a better mate, he told himself. And he couldn’t expect Alexan to just give up any relationships he’d had. After all, he’d imposed himself on the fox's life. And maybe nothing had happened. All the same, he let Julianna clean the fox’s bedroom that day, fearful of the scents he might pick up on the sheets.

They sat down to dinner that night and Alexan looked very pleased, relaxed, and content. He always did, after sex. But Jonas listened to the echo of Pike’s words and smiled, determined that he would not be one of the former prostitutes who fled relationships. Alexan was providing him with a roof, and food. If he were patient, and showed Alexan how much he trusted him, the fox would return the sentiments, he was sure.

After dinner, they sat together in the living room and sipped wine. “Did you have a good time last night?’ Alexan asked.

Jonas nodded. “I like your friends. Are those your closest friends?”

“
Some are. I’ve known Mikka forever. Benton only for a year or so. But those are my gay friends. I thought you’d be more comfortable with them. We’ll have Gaff and his wife over next week.”

“
All right.” Jonas relaxed and lapped at his half-glass of wine. “How did your planning go?”

“
Very well. I think we have a good chance of success. It will take a couple months, I’d say, but certainly before I would be leaving next year.”

“
Good.”

After a pause, Alexan said, “But there’s something else I wanted to ask you about.”

“
Hm?”

“
Do you think you could handle the cleaning by yourself?”

Jonas tilted his muzzle. “Why? Is Julianna leaving?”

“
Could you?”

“
I guess so.”

“
Okay.” Alexan took a drink. “It’s just more expensive than I’d thought providing food for us both, and this plan is going to take money too. If we could do without her, that would help me out a lot.”

“
All right.” Jonas sighed and brushed the fox’s ear. “If it’ll help you.”

“
It will. Thanks, Jonas.” Alexan smiled and kissed him.

Jonas still felt uneasy about it, but Alexan kept kissing him, and he had little choice but to kiss back. And then their clothes somehow ended up on the floor, and as Alexan was fitting Jonas’s erection into his muzzle, Jonas knocked over his glass of wine.
I’ll have to clean that up
, he thought, but the thought faded away into pleasure at the caresses of the fox’s tongue. Alexan took him all the way in and finished him nicely, licking as Jonas thrashed in pleasure under him. And then it was Jonas’s turn to swallow the fox, and he tried not to imagine that he could taste Mikka’s scent on the long member as it slid over his tongue. He held Alexan as the fox gasped and thrust into him, and then his muzzle was full of distinctive musk and he didn’t have to worry about other scents.

They curled up together in the bed Julianna had made for the last time that day, and Jonas thought it wouldn’t be all that bad.

And for a while, it wasn’t. Alexan got angry twice at mistakes Jonas made in cleaning, but after that Jonas learned well and did a better job. After all, mates could have fights, but the important thing was to learn from them. Jonas knew that, and so he did his best to learn.

They visited Gaff and his wife for dinner, partly because Jonas didn’t feel he would be up to cooking a dinner, and partly because Alexan didn’t want to pay to host another dinner so soon. Gaff proved to be charming and witty, and his wife was pleasant as well. Jonas met the older of their two cubs, a precocious young vixen who was hushed by her parents for commenting that Jonas’s clothes were dirty.

Mikka and Taypha returned frequently, but Mikka did not stay the night again. Benton returned only once in the month following the first dinner, again without his mate. Jonas didn’t have much of a chance to talk to him except for a brief conversation when Benton was showing off a wooden knife hilt he was working on.

They went to Gaiaday services in a small chapel nearby that did very generic services and allowed each member of the congregation a moment of silence to say prayers to their own god. Alexan found the passage in the book for Cougar, but Jonas was unused to such a specific god and intoned the prayers he knew by heart for Felis. The services were similar enough that he felt he was still heard.

Otherwise, Alexan didn’t include Jonas in many of his plans during the day. Only once did Jonas get to see the small booth he rented in the market, and then the excitement of the market overwhelmed his reaction to Alexan’s booth and wares, most of which he’d already seen. The fox was petulant after that, and no matter how much Jonas apologized, Alexan never invited him back to the market.

Jonas did manage to surprise Alexan one night when he met him with a fully cooked fowl and a nice, smooth honey mead. Taypha had brought them by at Jonas’s request and he’d given Jonas a little bit of cooking help and advice. The bird was a little dry, but not bad, and the mead was wonderful. Alexan didn’t even realize until Jonas told him that it had been exactly one month since their arrival in Caril.

“
An anniversary?” Alexan sounded amused.

“
I thought it was worth a little extra.” Jonas sniffed the fowl. “Taypha helped me with the cooking. I’ve never done a whole bird before.”

“
Your cooking’s getting better,” Alexan said, chewing. “I really don’t miss Julianna.”

“
I do,” Jonas said. “Just ‘cause I’m doing all the work now.”

Alexan laughed, and when dinner was over, they moved immediately to the bedroom. It was good; Alexan remembered to slide his paw underneath for Jonas, and they came almost at the same time. And afterwards, Alexan hugged him affectionately and said, “I’m glad you came with me.”

The next week, Alexan came home with Mikka, unannounced. Alexan was wearing a beautiful white silk shirt with ruffles cut into it, and blue and turquoise patterned pants that Jonas didn’t recognize. Both he and Mikka were in high spirits. The grey fox actually greeted Jonas with a hug, the first time he’d done so, and Jonas hugged back tentatively. “I hope we have enough food.”

“
I’m sure you’ll make do,” Alexan smiled as he and Mikka sat down. “I’ve been telling him about your cooking.”

Flattered, but still flustered, Jonas retreated to the kitchen and hurriedly cut an extra piece of bread. He apportioned the meat three ways in his mind and stroked his whiskers. The portions would be a little small, but would do. But there were only two carrots. He decided he would do without.

“
I don’t really like vegetables,” he explained to Mikka when he put the plates down.

Mikka touched the carrots and smiled. “Well, I appreciate them. I’m sure this is delicious. Where’s the sauce?”

“
He tends to burn the sauces,” Alexan said.

“
Only twice!” Alexan had been angry the first time, but tolerant the second, either as a result of his mood that day or of just being used to it. The fact that he was joking about it was a good sign, Jonas thought.

After dinner, Alexan opened a new bottle of wine, one of the nicer ones from his collection. Jonas accepted the proffered glass with a little surprise, and sipped from it while Alexan and Mikka took longer drinks of theirs. They made small talk for a few minutes, and then Mikka excused himself to use the outhouse.

As soon as he’d left, Alexan put down his glass and leaned towards Jonas. “I need your help again,” he said.

“
Of course.” Jonas set down his glass as well. “What’s wrong?”

“
I borrowed those clothes from Mikka.” Jonas nodded. “Only…I couldn’t just borrow them. Because I’m a fox, see, and my scent gets into the fabric…you know. So he said I had to buy them from him. But I don’t have enough money for that. So I asked if there was another way I could pay for them.”