The Prisoner's Release and Other Stories by Kyell Gold Page A

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