Pendant of Fortune (49 page)

“
Oh.” There was a short pause. “No one else can hear us?”

“
No.” Volle smiled. “I could talk about how much I’d like to have my paw on your creamy white sheath, stroking it and feeling it grow warm and hard…”

He heard a strangled gasp and then a slow exhalation, or maybe it was just the movement of a tail through the water. “Are you sure they can’t hear us?”

He glanced at the two otters, and though he couldn’t see them clearly, he could see that they were engrossed in conversation. On the other side of the pool, nearer to Streak, a female coyote was just getting out of the pool. “Positive. They don’t know I’m talking about my paw stroking your nice long wolfhood.”

Streak’s voice came ghostly to his ears. “And they can’t hear me tell you I’m pressing my rump back against your sheath, feeling your swelling and rubbing against it.”

Volle grinned. His sheath
was
swelling as he talked and listened. “Mmm. I’m rubbing it up under your tail. Running my paws all over your lovely body.”

“
I’m pressing back…wanting you inside me. All nice and hard under your paw.” He paused and then giggled. “I am, too.”

Volle grinned. “Me too,” he said softly. “All hard, under your tail, pushing up and inside you.”

“
Ooh.”

“
Stroking you with my paw.”

“
Feeling you inside me, squeezing and pressing back against you.”

“
My arms around you, paw sliding up and down your wolfhood, pushing in and out of you.”

Another pause. “Volle?”

“
Mmm?”

“
If we don’t stop, I’m gonna come in the water. And I think they’ll notice that.”

Volle laughed. “Okay. Me too, actually.” His member was rigid, fully extended from his sheath. The hot water felt good on it, and he realized that he had only felt a slight twinge from the wound Dereath had given him.

“
This is neat, though.”

“
I thought so. I didn’t really like it at first, but it’s better with you.”

“
I’d prefer it if you were here.”

“
All right. Be there soon.” He stood, grateful for the low bench that kept his sheath under the waterline, and kicked off, swimming rather awkwardly across the pool. He’d never been a great swimmer, but he could get to where he was going, albeit with a lot of splashing. The otters, he was sure, were smirking as he made his way across to Streak.

The wolf had moved away from the listening arch to another bench nearby, and Volle joined him there. Though the water wasn’t completely clear, he could see the effect their talk had had on the wolf, and he settled down beside him, spreading his legs to show off his similarly hard member.

Streak grinned and nuzzled him, looking down, and slid a paw through the water to feel his hardness. “Mmm. I’d better not…”

Volle resisted the urge to thrust into the wolf’s paw and wrap his paw around the erect wolfhood. He just nuzzled back with a smile and said, “I don’t think I have the willpower to stop you.”

“
It’s up to me, then.” Slowly, Streak withdrew his paw, trailing his claws through Volle’s fur in the warm water. “I’ll make it up to you tonight.”

Volle kissed his nose. “Not if I get to you first.”

They relaxed for a little while longer, until they were presentable again, and Volle was just about to suggest that they move to the cool pools when he heard a voice behind him. “Lord Vinton.”

Volle flicked an ear back. “Lord Dewanne.” He turned slightly. “I was wondering where you were.”

The other fox smiled. “Delia and I had some business to attend to.” His gaze flicked to Streak, who had turned as well. “I heard that you and the wolf were acquitted. Congratulations.”

“
Thank you,” Volle said. He couldn’t smell Dewanne’s disapproval, but he could hear it in the polite lack of enthusiasm.

“
Thanks,” Streak added, but Dewanne didn’t turn to him.

“
Well, I’m going to have a soak. I’ll see you later.” He waved a paw and strolled around to the other side of the pool.

“
You’d think he would be more friendly, being another fox,” Streak remarked when Dewanne was out of earshot.

“
He was.” Volle sighed, not sure he wanted to tell Streak about Dewanne’s sentiments. “Maybe he’s just out of sorts today. You ready to cool off?”

Streak nodded, and together they left the pool, dressed with a little groping and giggling, and walked over to where the cool pools were situated, Forrin at their side. Tish and Tika were no longer there, but after a brief bath, Volle and Streak found them at the lunch tables, eating with Delia.

Volyan bounced off the table and ran over to Volle when he saw them approaching. He skirted Forrin warily and tugged on Volle’s shorts. “I gotta secret,” he whispered. “Mommy told me to tell you a secret.”

Volle smiled at the nearby weasels and bear who had turned at the cub’s loud whisper. Streak and Forrin, looking amused, walked on and joined Tish and Tika. “I’ve got big ears,” Volle told the cub, squatting down beside him. “You can talk quieter. What’s your secret?”

“
Mommy gave me a secret message for you,” Volyan said, more quietly. “I couldn’t tell you before ‘cause the wolves were there. She said it was only for you.”

Volle nodded. “What did she say?”

“
She said she wants you to come see her this afternoon.”

“
By myself?”

The cub’s ears flicked back, and his eyes drifted downward. “I dunno.”

Thoughts clicked together in Volle’s mind. Ilyana had been ‘indisposed’ for a couple days, and now she wanted to see him. She was in season; that’s what was going on. And she wanted him to come breed a new cub. He didn’t know if he was ready for that, but he supposed she must have an idea of the proper time. “All right. Was I supposed to bring you?”

Volyan shook his head. “No. But—oh! She said…” He wrinkled his little muzzle, trying to remember. “She said…you don’t hafta bring the blackberries.”

Volle grinned. So she’d known he might guess, and was reassuring him. “All right. Maybe I’ll bring Streak instead.”

“
Do you have blackberries?” The cub’s tail wagged as he looked up hopefully.

“
No.”

“
Oh. I thought if you didn’t hafta bring them, maybe I could have some. I like them.”

“
It’s the wrong time of year,” Volle said, ruffling Volyan between the ears. “Though maybe around here…who knows? Tell you what. If we can’t find any, then when you come back to the castle with me, we’ll have some blackberry jam. I know they keep it in the kitchens there. Okay?”

“
Yeah!” The cub hugged him and then scampered off to the table, saying, “Tika, Tika! I’m gonna have blackberry jam!”

Volle joined the lunch table, and a moment later was chewing on a fresh chunk of bread. He enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of the luncheon; since everyone was wet, there was no real point to observing proper table manners. Volyan was taking full advantage of this, eating directly off his plate and not even using his fingers. Even Forrin relaxed somewhat, smiling and joking with the other wolves.

Dewanne joined them halfway through lunch, sitting next to Delia and nodding hello to everyone. He didn’t talk much, and so when Tish and Tika rose and announced that they were planning to return to the hot baths, Volle stood too. Streak, who had finished eating some time ago, stood with him, and Forrin did the same, adjusting his scabbard.

“
Coming back for a bath?” Tish asked

Volle shook his head. “We need to get back up to the mansion. I think, if Streak doesn’t mind, I’d like to dry off and walk into town.”

“
No, that’s fine.” Streak smiled and extended his muzzle to Tish and Tika. “It was nice to see you again.”

Tika grabbed him into a hug and wagged her tail enthusiastically. “We’re delighted to see you again, too. So nice to see you enjoying yourself out here.”

Tish nodded, touching muzzles. “We’ll see you at services tomorrow, if not before.” The sparkle in his eyes belied his serious tone.

“
Goodbye, you two,” Volle said, but if he thought he could avoid a wet wolf hug, he was mistaken. Tika squeezed him too, the wet press of wolf and sulfur assaulting his nostrils as he hugged back. Tish smiled when he’d been released and touched muzzles with him.

“
Pity they aren’t younger,” Streak mused as they walked toward the dust baths. “They would have been fun to go out with, I think.”

“
I think they still are.”

“
They are,” the wolf agreed. “But they won’t be staying around.”

“
No.” Volle tried to forget that whenever he thought about returning to the palace.

Streak seemed to sense his reluctance to think about that, and dropped the subject. They reached the dust bath area and waited behind another couple. “They dry you off here,” Volle explained, “and get the sulfur out of your fur. Feels really good.”

Streak nodded. “What are we doing in town?”

“
Oh. Ilyana wanted to see me. But she didn’t say I couldn’t bring you.” He flashed a smile. “So I’m going to.”

Streak smiled and nodded as they advanced to the weasel, who bowed and smiled. “Male for you, sahr?”

“
Female this time, I think.” Volle grinned and pointed to Streak with his thumb. “Male for him.”

“
Very good, sahr. We have a female ready. The male will be a moment longer. And for him?” He indicated Forrin.

The guard shook his head. “I’ll come with him.”

“
Er…” The weasel looked slightly discomfited. “Only one allowed in bath house at a time, sahr.”

“
Then I’ll wait outside,” Forrin rumbled.

The weasel shrugged. “As you like. Come?”

“
I can wait until his is ready too,” Volle said, but Streak nudged him.

“
Go on,” the wolf said. “I can wait.”

Volle chuckled and nodded. “All right.” He followed the weasel back amongst the bath houses.

“
Listen,” he said, bending down to talk softly in the weasel’s ear. “If it’s possible, could you give the white wolf the otter I had last time?”

The weasel smiled and nodded. “He is working today. You liked him, sahr?”

“
Very much. I would like my friend to see him too.”

“
Very good, sahr. But today you want female?”

Volle nodded. “I just want a massage. It’s easier for me to be restrained if it’s a female.”

“
Ah, I see.” The weasel nodded enthusiastically. “You will like Daira. She has strong paws.” He held aside the curtain in the doorway of the cottage they’d reached. Forrin poked his nose in, looked around, and then came back out and nodded to Volle, taking up a position just outside the door.

“
Thank you.” Volle ducked under the curtain and stepped inside.

“
Good afternoon, sahr.” The high-pitched voice that greeted him belonged to a small female weasel standing beside the familiar shape of the dust bath. Even for a weasel, she was small, and her scent indicated she was young, though still mature.

Volle nodded. “Good afternoon.” He slipped his tunic and pants off with less reservation this time, since he knew what to expect. She took the wet clothes and brought a dry set to her workbench while Volle lay down in the dust, his head in the basin. He could feel her in the air currents as she moved around the room, and then felt the sprinkle of dust as she covered his back and legs.

There was a scrape of claws on stone, unexpectedly, and then he felt her press down on his back from an odd angle. A moment later, he felt all four paws on him as she kneaded and walked her hind feet down his rump and legs, expertly hooking her claws into his fur so she wouldn’t slip. The added weight lent a pressure to her strokes that even the male otter hadn’t had, and soon Volle was groaning in pleasure.

It was a pleasure of one sort only, however; her scent and body, while attractive, held no allure for him, and when she asked him to turn over, his member was discreetly quiescent in its sheath. She didn’t seem disappointed or surprised, but continued her massage, and finished it without asking if he wanted any other services.

He smiled, dressed, and thanked her. Blinking in the bright afternoon sun, he squinted his way back to the waiting area and stretched out on a bench, closing his eyes while Forrin sat alertly nearby.