Life's a Bitch, Part 1

Story Catch up Post for December, 2016

Universe: High School Days (technically!)

Tags: Wolf, Canaan Dog

8,785 words

Here there guys! This post is a catch up post, because while I've been writing a lot of new stuff and posting it lately, I haven't been keeping up with posting my Older stories, like I promised.

So this story, which is currently in two parts and unfinished, will post this week and again in two weeks, and I'll be double and triple posting stuff like this until we are all caught up. When we get enough of them posted, I might make a survey to see which one I should continue if you guys are up for that.

Anyways, I started this story sometime back in 2006, when I got the chance to befriend a fur who inspired the character of Alon in this story. Some of my oldest fans might recognize a couple background characters and places here.

I hope you guys enjoy it.

***

Sometimes, what you want in life turns out to be something different from what you expected. Sometimes ‘Until death due you part’ kills a person on the inside. This is the story of one man who wanted to be a father, and how that choice affected his life.

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Life’s a Bitch

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John listened with sweaty palms as the phone rang, the wolf’s tail twitching nervously as he tried to reach his wife on her cell phone. The big white handset of his home phone felt clammy pressed against the wolf’s ear, and it just rang and rang. John looked nervously at the clock on the microwave. The neon green numbers glowed brightly in the dark kitchen, flashing 9:32 PM at the wolf. Stephanie was running much too late, even for her. Something had to be wrong. The ringing finally stopped and his wife’s voice mail message began to play for a second time. John frowned, hung up and dialed again.

The middle-aged gray wolf began to pace back and forth across his kitchen floor. John’s phone hung on the wall of the breakfast nook, and the cord was just long enough for him to get all the way to the edge of the tiled floor where the kitchen stopped and the living room began before forcing him to turn back. John ran his paw through his head fur; beginning to pant a little in panic. He looked at the clock, and then out the back window in the vain hope of seeing his wife drive up the alleyway towards their house, when his wife’s cell phone finally picked up.

A deep, and very masculine, voice barked, “What do you want?” on the other end. John pulled the phone away from his ear, staring at its glowing keypad in disbelief. The voice sounded strangely familiar somehow, but it was not his wife.

John put the phone back to his ear and listened closely. Stephanie’s cell phone only barely picked up her voice as she said, “Oh give me that.” John could hear the sounds of people fumbling with the phone, and then with a big, happy smile in her voice Stephanie came on the line. “Hello John!” John’s frowned as his wife panted breathlessly, her voice suspiciously happy and light. She was never happy when he called. “What is it honey, I’m kind of in the middle of something…”

John cleared his throat a bit and straightened his tie unconsciously, “Well Stephanie sweetie, I was wondering when you were going to get home tonight. I’ve got…” John stopped as the sound of giddy, high-pitched laughter forced him to hold the phone away from his ear again. John recognized that laugh, a barking, high-pitched sound that had at one time made him smile. It was the sound of his wife being tickled, and he could just hear the deep sound of someone growling playfully on the other end of the line. Someone male. There might have even been an exaggerated snap of someone’s jaws just before everything was muffled, probably by Stephanie’s paw as she yelped for the other man to stop.

Stephanie’s voice was loud again when she said, “Oh darling I’m sorry. Did I not tell you? The girls and I are going out of town this weekend and,” there was a rustling sound and the line went quiet as his wife covered the microphone again. John could just hear his wife’s muffled voice saying, “Stop it, I’m serious,” before she returned loud a clear to say, “and I’m not going to be home until late Sunday.”

John’s tail drooped between his legs, and he leaned against the kitchen wall for support. The wolf’s nice suit bunching around his shoulders as his head leaned against the glass of a window in the breakfast nook. “Till Sunday?” he muttered in disbelief.

Stephanie didn’t even notice the heart broken sound of John’s voice. “Till Sunday honey so don’t wait up for me alright…” his wife’s words dissolved into a torrent of giggles and with a final click the phone cut off and left John in silence.

The wolf just stood there, staring in silence out of the back window of his house. John’s own reflection stared back at him; a ghostly vision of a wolf that looked like he had just been stabbed in the heart.

Most men would have become enraged at a phone call like that. Most husbands would have shouted, thrown the phone to the ground, and then quickly retrieved it to call every one of their wife’s friends trying to find where she was. Years ago, John would have done the same. Now of course he did nothing. He didn’t need any proof to know where his wife was and what she was doing. John had known his wife was cheating for years now.

The wolf’s ears flattened against his head, and his face burned with shame. It burned his heart to know his wife was enjoying the touch of another man. The guy who had answered the phone was probably sliding himself inside Stephanie right now. John hung the phone up when it began to beep angrily at him, and then the wolf sat down heavily at the kitchen table. John loosened his tie slightly and looked down at the now cold dinner he had spent all night preparing.

As John began to cut his juicy but cold steak, the wolf’s mind was consumed by thoughts of his wife. She was almost certainly in the throes of passion with another man. He could almost see some other wolf, a younger and stronger man, mounting her from behind like the damn bitch she was. John could just imagine how much the other man was enjoying his newest conquest, a married bitch even, but it didn’t make his heart ache the way it once did. This wasn't something new for John. The anger was old now. Stephanie had been unfaithful to him so many times the wolf had forgotten how badly it was supposed to hurt. He’d stopped being angry with a lot of things Stephanie did to him. Hurtful comments and missed occasions were unimportant now.

Tonight felt worse through. This hurt more than anything had in a long time. Missing one of the boy's weekend soccer games, or failing to pick them up from school for a fling, those were things John could deal with. It had hurt at first, hurt so bad he'd nearly left her, but John was past that now. He stayed with Stephanie for the boys. They needed a mother, or at least Skyler still did, and even if she wasn’t always there for them she was still their mother.

John bit his knuckle and closed his eyes, trying to hold back his emotions. Why did she have to forget tonight? Tonight was supposed to be special. How could she miss their twentieth anniversary? Stephanie always remembered special days, because she expected John to give her gifts and take her special places. How could she have forgotten about this? John knew the answer. She was always more forgetful when she’d found a new male, but he did not want to think about the fact that his wife was lifting her tail right now to some new stud instead of sharing their anniversary dinner.

The wolf cut the steak he had cooked slowly, staring across the elegantly laid out table at his wife's empty seat. The steaks were cold now, but what galled the wolf most was the helping of spicy sage potatoes sitting beside the meat. They were her favorite dish. John hated the taste of those potatoes, they burned his nose and tasted like sand, but he cooked them anyways because it made her happy. He even had a big helping of them on his plate because she wanted him to eat them.

John did a lot of things he hated to keep her happy. He bought gifts and took her on long holidays. She bought clothes and jewelry, and ended up spending most of the money he earned. Stephanie spent so much that John had too work extra cases at his law firm just to make sure Jake and Skyler would be able to go to college. John lifted the fork and stared at the cold, soggy potatoes on the end of his fork, mocking him. The steaks alone had cost him a hundred dollars, and he had spent the money happily. He had wanted tonight to be something special. John wanted her to remember him, just for once.

Just for once, he wanted to be the one behind her when she raised her tail. John stared at his fork for a moment longer, and then dropped the fork to his plate when his stomach threatened to heave.

John blew out the two candles he had set on the table with an angry snort. They puffed out, smoke curling into the air as the wolf stood up. He looked down at the china plates, the expensive wine, the carefully wrapped gifts, and the bouquet of roses he had cut from his own garden, and the anger just boiled up inside him. He grabbed the edges of the tablecloth and used it like a sack, dragging every scrape of food and cutlery into the air.

The wolf's hackles rose just a bit as the thin china dishes made a tinkling sound. Probably a thousand dollars worth of plates and cups shattered as he hoisted the bundled tablecloth up and carried it to the garage door. Wine dripped onto the concrete floor of his garage as the wolf waited, panting slightly as the garage door rose slowly to revealed the cold night. He ducked under the door and walked quickly down his driveway to the garbage bins where he heaved the entire bundle, food, plates, flowers, gifts and all into the trash bin with an angry cry.

The wolf panted slowly, his breathe curling around his muzzle in the cold night air. He closed the lid on the trashcan and the moment of anger slipped away, leaving the wolf feeling empty inside. John had no desire to go back into the house. The only thing inside for him was bed. John’s back tensed, and he suppressed the growl of anger when he remembered the bedroom. Before making dinner he had covered the bed in a blanket of rose petals, lit candles, and set a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket. It was a recreation of their wedding night, when he and Stephanie had shared the honeymoon suite at a fancy hotel, long before he could afford such things, and he did not feel strong enough right now to clean it up.

John leaned against the picket fence and stared at his own house. The windows of the dark house stared back at him like empty eyes, or the opening of a tomb. Unlike whatever bed Stephanie was sleeping in right now, his home and life were empty tonight. John wracked his brain, trying to think of something he could go inside and do. Something to keep himself busy, to keep him from dwelling on Stephanie, but he could think of nothing.

He had no projects to work on, no hobbies he could indulge to forget what was happening and why he was alone. John had sent his younger son Skyler to a friend’s sleepover party for the night so he and Stephanie would have the house to themselves. His older son Jake had left for college six months ago, and he had not really seen the boy since then. Weekend phone calls and a monthly meal were all he had. Now even his wife was gone. John’s ears drooped, because in reality she had been gone a much longer time then either of the boys.

The wolf sighed slowly as he realized there was nothing for him in his own home. Tonight John was alone. He was a forty-one year old wolf whose fur had begun to go gray at the tips and had no clue what he was supposed to do by himself.

John hung his head slightly and pinned his tail to his trouser legs. How long had he been living like this? Living day to day for his family, without a life of his own? He never thought about himself. If Skyler were home he would simply go play with the young wolf pup. John could take him to a movie, out to some restaurant to eat, or race him across the house. It was the best possible way he could think of to spend an evening. He lived for those moments when he made his eight-year-old pup laugh. It filled the wolf with joy just to think about it, and when Skyler was around he never noticed the lack of things in his own life. John filled his nights with helping Skyler with his homework, or just sitting with his son on the couch reading together and watching TV. His weekends were filled with Pup scouts and soccer games. He was a leader in Skyler’s Pup Scout troop, and he loved taking his son and his friends to museums and out camping. John knew that Skyler was his life. Once he had been the same way with Jake, until his older son had grown too independent and rebellious to ‘hang out’ with his dad.

The memory of that time stung John a little, but the wolf’s ears perked up a bit. Maybe he could call Jake and talk with him. He usually called his son on Sunday to see how he was doing, but hearing Jake’s voice right now would certainly cheer him up. The wolf grinned as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and called his son. The phone rang quietly, and John breathed out slowly as he held the small cell phone close to his ear.

The young wolf answered with a barked, “Hello?”

John smiled at the happy sound of his son’s voice. “Hey there son, how are you doing?” the wolf said, and he could hear what sounded like a party going on in Jake’s dorm room.

“Hey, dad.” Jake’s voice sunk down low, and he almost growled into the phone. “What is it?”

“I just called to talk a bit. How’s your week been?”

“You know how my week has been, same as the last time you called. Look, I don’t have time to talk okay?” Jake was talking fast, and John could hear him yelling something to someone at the party.

“Okay son, I thought you might be free is all. I just wanted to talk.” John said quietly, his ears flicking backwards in disappointment as Jake answered.

“It’s Friday night Dad, of course I’m busy,” Jake nearly snarled into the phone, “I have a life you know. Besides isn’t your anniversary or something? Go talk to Mom. Geez hold on Toby, I’m coming.” Jake talked to his friend for a moment, as John’s ears flattened tight against his head, and his tail tucked between his legs at his son’s hurtful, though unintended comment. The pup couldn’t have known, but it hurt John badly to hear his feelings of emptiness so bluntly confirmed by his son.

“Okay son, I’ll talk with you on Sunday then. Are you still coming by the house next week?”

“Yah, yah, I am. Bye dad.” Jake hung up the phone, and John turned the cell phone off, his momentary hope for the evening replaced by a fresh wound. Jake had no way of knowing how badly his comments hurt his father, and of course he was busy. It was nearly ten on a Friday night, and the boy was in his freshman year of college. John wanted to kick himself for being so foolish. Of course his son was busy. Any normal person would be.

Somewhere nearby a dog began to bark loudly, and John looked around the dark alley behind his suburban house for a moment. The lights from the other houses on his street did not really filter through the high fences and shadowy bushes of their back yards, and so long shadows were cast over John’s yard, the one open back yard in the alley. It was a lonely, eerie sight to the wolf and he did not find his house any more inviting then the dark alleyway he stood in. John straightened his tie slightly, got in his car, and pulled out his PDA. What he needed right now was a drink. He pulled up a search page, found the address for the closest bar, ‘Adams’, and drove into the chilly night.

***

John turned the wheel of his sedan, following the directions of his GPS unit, and found yet another street to marvel at. The wolf had never really been in the city at night, and he found it fascinating to drive though that the dark streets, which were filled with so much more life then the suburbs at night. There were dark business complexes and law offices like the one he worked at, neighborhoods with huge mansions gated off from the outside world, and all night diners with that looked more like pictures then real places. The air was warmer here, trapped by the concrete and buildings, and it was filled with a hundred different smells.

Before long, John turned onto the street he was looking for. People were everywhere, walking up and down the little strip of bars and outdoor cafes. It had to be one of the city’s nighttime hotspots. John could hear a live band playing at one of the cafes, and it made him smile to hear “Strawberry Fields Forever” come dancing through his open window.

John parked the car, got out into the warm night air, and slid his keys into his back pocket as he made his way to the bar. He slipped into the door for Adam’s, nodding slightly at the muscle bound bull that was guarding the door.

The inside of the bar was dark, and the music was so loud John could barely think. The wolf’s chest vibrated with the force of the base and his fur ruffled as a guitar riff played. He blinked and glanced around, swaying a bit as he tried to get his bearings. The club was so dark but there were strobe lights flashing and spotlights dancing across the crowd. They filled the dark club with a sharp light that did not truly reveal anything. It made John’s eyes hurt, and his ears flattened against his head as the noise assaulted him. John had never heard music like this before, but it reminded him of the racket Jake had started listening to before he moved out. Only it was a whole lot louder.

There were only a few people in the bar, but John could tell by the smell that the bar was very rarely this empty. There was a heavy perfume that smelled of roses and had to be intentional, layered over the smell of musk, alcohol, and sweat from a hundred different breeds of furs. Cats, dogs, wolves, lions, foxes, ferrets, maybe even a skunk, hundreds of different scents all mixed with cigarette smoke and a hundred different types of booze all combined to assault the wolf’s nose, clogging it badly so that John’s sense of smell was almost useless. There was no way he could even smell his own scent, much less make out any individual in the crowd.

John looked around for a moment, and smiled slightly. He had always thought a place like this would repel him, but instead John found himself drawn to the hard beats of the music and the swirl of smells and people. It was filled with people and life, unlike his home. The overload of sensations made it hard to think properly, and right now that was exactly what he needed. This was exactly the kind of place he was looking for tonight.

John slid his way through the crowd, which seemed to part slightly for him as he made his way to a bar. He shouted an order at the bartender for a scotch and soda, and the slinky tabby cat with spiked head fur gave John a confused look. The wolf returned the look as the cat went about making a drink for him. Why would a nice looking tabby cat dye her head fur white he thought. John frowned slightly at the pink and orange concoction the bartender gave him. It was not the drink he ordered, but he paid for it anyways. It tasted fruity and had a real bite to it, and in a way that was all that mattered to the wolf. He wanted to be drunk after all, so what did it matter if he got there on hard liquor or fruity mixed drinks? John sat down on one of the stools by the bar and let the music, smells, and booze drown out his thoughts.

That was pretty much when John realized he was in a gay bar, because an athletic looking hyena punk pushed a slim, barely legal Dalmatian boy up against the bar and locked lips with the smaller dog.

John looked away quickly as the two started to make out, the insides of his ears red as he tried to avoid watching the hyena kiss the athletic young dog, but it was hard not to notice them playing tonsil hockey right next to him. No one noticed his embarrassment, but John now felt very, very out place in his business suit and tie. John wanted to leave the bar as fast as he could without appearing rude, but as he stared at his drink he realized that the outside world offered nothing but silence and loneliness.

As time passed, John grew accustomed to the level of noise, lights, and smells. As his senses began to adjust, he found himself growing more and more on edge. John shifted nervously on the barstool, his tail twitching as he looked around the bar. The club made him feel strangely alone even thought he was surrounded by a whole crowd of other furs. He felt cut off by the noise and lights from the people sitting right beside him.

Everyone here was young and dressed in trendy, slinky clothes. They were excited and happy, and that excitement was slowly getting to him as well. It had to be the pervasive scent of musk. The air was thick with the scent of male arousal, and it made John’s tail twitch nervously. John’s knee began to bounce as he became more and more aroused by the scent. He hadn’t felt like this way since he was back in college, back when he went clubbing with his fraternity brothers. John smiled slightly as he remembered those days. Back then they would all stand around the bar talking, egging each other on and getting roaring drunk, until they were actually pumped up enough to flirt with a good looking woman.

John had never been that into clubbing, it was more about hanging out with his frat brothers. They all loved cruising the straight bars looking for a wolf or even a dog bitch they could take home for a night. One time John had even hit on a tigress, and that had turned into a really wild night. The nights he did score were happy memories of course. The few women who took him up on his awkward advances went back with him to his dorm and they had sex all night long.

John had been a real goof back then, falling over himself to get girls to notice him during his freshman and sophomore years. It had really helped to have his frat brothers pushing him, working him up before being shot down.

Of course, it had not been that long before he met Stephanie at a frat party and started dating her, and then everything had fallen into place so quickly once Jake was on the way. John was only twenty-two when he had married Stephanie, and a few months later his life had become complete the moment he first held Jake in his arms.

The wolf smiled happily and lost himself in thoughts of those early years with his son. Things like going out to bars had simply fallen by the way side at that point. They simply didn’t matter compared to his son.

John was lost in the memory of raising his older son when the dog first sat down beside him. The wolf’s fingers danced around the rim of his empty glass, and his goofy smile turned into a look of surprise when the artic fox bartender handed him another glass, filled with vodka that had a reddish cloud expanding in it. John was about to say something about not ordering another drink when the fox just nodded towards the dog that was sitting beside John, and walked away.

John grinned sheepishly and looked over at the slightly taller male sitting beside him. The dog was a Canaan with creamy white fur, bright blue eyes, and a big smile. His ears were perked up and the dog held a glass just like John’s in his left paw. He raised the glass at John as if he were making a toast. “Vodka and Red Bull, you’ll like it.” The dog said, and John smiled slightly as he clinked his glass against the Canaan’s.

“Umm, thanks.” John said uneasily and glanced at the dog with trepidation. The Canaan wasn’t wearing a shirt, it was tucked into the waistband of his jeans, and John could easily see the bulging lines of muscles under his fur as the dog smiled at him. John smiled back politely, and could just see the stranger’s tail wagging out of the corner of his eye.

The white tail swished back and forth, drawing the wolf’s attention briefly to the dog’s muscular back and the curve of his denim-covered rump. The Canaan’s back muscles flexed as he leaned forward against the bar, turning his body so John could get a better look. This was a guy who worked out a lot, and his back rippled as the muscles moved underneath he short white fur.

John quickly snapped his gaze away from the posing dog, trying to focus on his drink. This was a gay bar for pity sakes, not the kind of place he could look at other guy’s tail, even if it been just an innocent glance.

The dog at least didn’t say anything. He just shifted to face the wolf again and smiled at John. “So tell me,” the dog said after taking a slow sip of his drink, “What’s a guy like you doing here?” The dog’s smile was broad, and John felt his tail drooping as the dog’s fierce blue eyes watched him.

“Um, I just needed a little escape.” John laughed a little bit to cover his nervousness, “The daily grind you know. This looked like a good place.” The way the Canaan was looking at him made John feel strange, the pit of his stomach twisting into knots as the dog’s smile widened slightly.

“Really. Well a good-looking wolf like you in a suit must do something important. Are you a doctor or a lawyer?” the dog said with a grin and a hungry look in his eyes that made John’s ears burn. The dog leaned his head in close to John’s so the wolf could hear easier, “The politicians always change before coming in here.”

“I’m a lawyer actually.” John said, a smile creeping into his face as he drank more from his glass. The taste of the drink made the wolf lick his lips as he finished it. The vodka was much, much stronger then the drinks he had been nursing and it tasted very good. John looked a little closer at his new companion as he ordered another drink for the wolf.

The dog’s white fur was short and fluffy. It was a creamy, smooth color, and that brought the dog’s fiercely blue eyes out so much they seemed to leap out at John as the dog grinned at him. The dog’s muzzle was thick and his jaw was strong, his ears large and triangular, and they perked up as John looked at him. The Canaan was wearing a silver necklace with a small star of David on it, and John swallowed nervously when he got another look at how well built the dog was. This dog was an alpha. He had conditioned his body to peak physical condition and knew exactly how to use it.

After the long moment of silence as the two males sized each other up, the dog said, “So you’re a lawyer? That sure beats construction work.” The dog said, finishing his drink easily. “I know we pay our resident suit and tie a lot of cash.”

“Construction?” John said, his ears cupping towards Alon in an attempt to hear him better. “So can I blame you for the traffic I see every day in the High Five?” the wolf said with a smile, unsure why he was so bold as to tease a stranger like that.

The dog laughed heartily, grinning at John. “Oh no, that’s state crews. I’m a site manger down at those new high rise apartments on Fifth and Elm. I wish we had the state backing us up. That way we could avoid getting sued. We’re going to lose money on this job just from the legal fees alone.” The dog smirked lightly, his tongue smoothly sliding along the side of his muzzle as he licked his chops. “You wouldn’t by any chance,” the dog said as he dipped his head close to John’s, their muzzles almost brushing against each other, “be able to recommend somebody new I could work with?”

John felt his face grow flush, and he looked away. The way the dog said those words made it very clear they were no longer talking about work anymore. John looked at the Canaan, who smiled in an easy, friendly way that did not conceal the lust in his eyes at all. There was only one thing on the dog’s mind tonight, and it involved something John did not want to think about.

“I don’t really know about that.” John mumbled, “Umm, I got to go take a leak.” The wolf slid off his bar stool and quickly pushed his way through the crowd towards the back of the club. There had to be a restroom around here somewhere.

He found one in a back hallway behind the dance floor. He pushed his way inside, and regretted following thru on his lie about using the restroom. The restroom was huge and packed with young men dressed in swanky clothes, chatting to each other as they waited their turn. A pack of wolves was leaning against one wall, just lingering in the scent soaked room, and leering at people as they passed by.

One of the wolves, a big male with a white bolt of lightning on his shoulder, flashed John a wide grin. Then the other wolf jerked his muzzle up in a greeting, and then back towards the stalls behind him. It was part greeting and part challenge, and John flicked his eyes away from the alpha and took a spot in line to avoid him. It was a sign of weakness, sure, but John didn’t want to deal with another wolf right now.

John had to smile weakly and mumbled a hello when the young coyote standing in front of him actually turned around and asked him his name, his bushy tail flicking back and forth as they both waited in line. The wolf’s nose twitched and he began to panic quietly as the coyote babbled at him, talking insensately as the wolf pack beside them began to mumble to each other and grin at John.

John’s nostril’s nearly closed and he began panting for breath to avoid breathing the air. The scent of the room was absolutely overpowering. There were no walls separating the urinals from each other, and no ventilation system pulling the smell of urine and male arousal out of the room. It felt like the small crowded room was closing in on John, and he looked for a way out without giving away the fact that he was here under false pretenses.

John glanced towards the stalls, and knew he did not want to go down the short, dark, hallway to use them. None of the stalls had doors, and he could see that even the first stall had more then one occupant. The wolf almost barked in fright when someone tall bumped against him from behind, and the wolf kept his eyes focused in front of him to avoid eye contact with whoever it was. There was no way he was going to be able to have privacy here, and no way he could get away from the looks of the other males. No way he could get away from the smells, or the effects they were having on him.

When his turn came, John was relieved that the urinal that opened up was against the far wall, well away from the other wolves and chatty coyote. The wolf kept his eyes fixed on the wall in front of him and tried very hard not to notice the person who took the urinal beside him. The wolf saw a flash of white from the corner of his eye, and he regretted glancing to the side. There was the tall, white furred Canaan from the bar staring blatantly at him as John unzipped his slacks and began to pee.

It was the most uncomfortable, horrible piss the wolf had ever experienced as he fought against his own growing arousal. John could not help but think about the males standing around him as they touched themselves, touched each other, and in the case of at least one cat who was yowling back in the stalls, fucking each other. John couldn’t stop thinking about it, especially with the dog staring at him. The strange dog was making no attempt to hide the fact that he was looking right at the wolf’s dick as John peed.

The worst part was that John wanted to look back. He wanted to glance, just for a second, at the male beside him. The dog was doing it after all, and he was being so insistent, following him in here, watching him. The urge to look back grew and grew, making the wolf’s breathing shallow until after a long minute John looked. His eyes fixed on the canine’s thick, pink dick as it hung out of his jeans, surrounded by short pubic fur that was a salt and pepper white. John involuntarily licked his lips as the big, crowned head bounced up and down slightly as the dog shook himself off.

There was a low, almost growled sound, as the dog rumbled, “Hey again.”

Fear gripped John’s chest and he looked up, his eyes meeting the deep blue eyes of the tall, muscled dog he had been sitting with. The dog’s muzzle broke into a big grin, and John caught the wag of the dog’s tail out of the comer of his eye. The dog licked his chops slowly, and John jumped a little when the dog began stroking his rapidly growing erection, pointing it at John as he tilted his head towards the bathroom stalls.

John snapped his eyes back to the wall in front of him, and he was almost unable to zip himself up he was so freaked out. John did not stop to wash his paws; he just scrambled his way out of the restroom and away from the dog, rushing so quickly that he ran into a short feline on his way out, who hissed at him in annoyance.

As John left the bathroom the scent of booze and perfume replaced the much strong scent of male musk and urine. The music and lights deafened and blinded him once more. John pushed through the crowd with no direction in mind, just hoping to reach an exit, until he reached the edge of the dance floor. There he stopped, unwilling to make his way into the sea of moving, half naked bodies he found in front of him. The wolf leaned against one of the poles holding up the second floor of the building, his tail pinned to his legs and his gray suit feeling terribly stuffy as it rubbed against his fur. Even his normally comfortable tie felt like a noose around his neck, and he loosened it slowly as he tried to calm himself down.

John closed his eyes as his heart raced, and he mentally cursed himself for being so stupid, panting from the fear and anxiety the encounter had engendered in him. John put one paw to his forehead and sighed, running his fingers through his short head fur and down between his ears, which were pressed flat against his head. He needed to get out of this bar and clear his head. Being around so many obvious tail raisers was playing tricks on his head, and the noisy atmosphere and booze was not helping combat the loneliness anymore.

John was about to leave when a pair of strong arms slid around his waist and someone pressed up close to him from behind. The wolf jumped, his fur fluffing out as the strong, male arms hugged him tightly from behind and held him in place against the pole. A now familiar scent filled his nose, and John tried to pull away from the Canaan, but the dog’s arms held him tight as the white furred muzzle pressed against the back of John’s neck. A cold, wet nose snuffled at the base of his right ear, and John shivered as teeth nipped tenderly at the scruff of his neck. “Where you going, wolf?” The dog’s deep voice said, the words rumbling out of the strong chest behind John and making his knees shake.

“I’m was just,” John gasped a little as a white dog paw pulled gently on his tie, holding onto it like it was a leash, “Going home…” John panted, once more trying to break free of the dog’s arms. He tried to use his one free paw to pry away the dog’s right arm, but John gasped as the strong arms crushed him in a fierce hug and the dog kissed his neck roughly.

The dog’s muzzle was long and his firm jaw rubbed against the collar of John’s suit, forcing his shirt back and pressing against his the fur of his collarbone in a way that made the wolf begin panting heavily. John’s back arched as the dog’s teeth returned to his neck to nibbling slowly, almost tenderly, pulling at the scruff of his neck in a way that made the wolf’s whole body tingle and his tail curl between his legs. It was a purely canine response, instinct overriding thought, which made John stop struggling and whimper like a puppy as the scruff of his neck was gently bit by the dog.

“You’re not really leaving so soon?” The dog asked, his paws beginning to rub at John’s stomach, “But you didn’t even tell me your name…” the soothing voice said, and John managed to twist himself around enough to the white furred dog in the eyes.

The canine’s face lit up into a big, mischievous smile, his blue eyes sparking like the star on his necklace as he rubbed his tawny white muzzle against John’s cheek, the sides of their muzzles rubbing together as the dog stared into John’s eyes. The intensity of that stare captivated John for a moment, and the wolf forgot where he was and what was happening to him long enough to say his name.

“John,” the wolf mumbled, licking his lips nervously as the dog held him close.

John stared into the dog’s eyes as he smiled slowly. “Shalom John.” The words were easy, as if they were just two people talking instead of one male being held in place by another. “I’m Alon.” The dog said evenly, shifting his grip on the wolf so they were pressed even closer together. The dog’s bare chest pressed against the white dress shirt John wore under his suit jacket. John tensed as he felt a firm bulge press against the inside of his leg, the dog’s strong thighs rubbing against his own as the dog’s tail wagged. John tried to pull away from the dog quickly. This time, Alon moved with him and backed the scared wolf right out onto the dance floor.

Now John could not hope to escape the dog’s embrace. A crowd of shifting, dancing young men surrounded him, their fur rubbing against his suit and trousers. The small, slinky shorts they all seemed to be wearing would have serve them better as underwear, and they ground against each other in a sea of colorful, fluffy lust barely contained as erections strained fabric almost to the breaking point. John recoiled from the crowd and right into the arms of the white furred dog.

Alon murred softly as John pressed against him, and John could not pull back fast enough when the dog’s muzzle dipped down and Alon kissed him suddenly. John whimpered as his muzzle meshed with the dog’s muzzle. Alon’s grip even forced John to turn his head slightly to the side like a female would, their kiss deepening as their muzzles joined. John tried to pull back, but he was unable to move away. The dog had too firm s grip on back of his head and his hips.

John nearly gagged as Alon’s tongue slipped into his muzzle, and the dog’s paw slid down John’s butt slowly. It was a sensual, slow kiss that made John’s heart flutter and his ears burn in a familiar and very arousing way. This was like all the times he had seduced Stephanie at home when he thought he could still tempt her into staying home for the night. The only difference was that this time he was playing Stephanie’s role.

The club, the dog’s repeated advances, the kiss, the sensation of another man paw sliding past his belt and grabbing hold of his ass was totally alien to John. John’s loud whimper was lost in the din, and his tail lifted a little as the dog’s strong paw rubbed at his butt. Being held against the body of another male was wonderful and terrifying all at once. No matter how thrilling it was to be touched like that, to be wanted physically by someone else, all of this just did not fit with John’s world and the wolf pulled away from Alon with a loud whine.

John pushed past several dancing guys and raced away from the dog. Alon reached out and tried to grab the wolf’s tail to stop him and missed. The wolf’s fluffy tail had snapped to his legs and out of the dog’s reach as the wolf ran in total fear out of the club.

John reached the back of the club and pushed his way out the emergency exit door, figuring if there had ever been a moment in his life that was an emergency this was it. The wolf jogged a short distance away from the club and out of the alley, ending up on the street again standing only a few cars down from where he had parked his own mid-sized sedan. The wolf panted heavily to regain his composure, his breath billowing in the night air as he adjusted his tie and made his way to his car.

The wolf reached into his back pocket for his keys and found nothing. John frantically checked his other pockets and found nothing but his wallet and cell phone. He had lost his keys, or worse, what if someone stole them? John looked back at the club, panting in fear. Either way, he could not go back in there and look for them now. Alon would still be in there, and John knew just how much a wolf in a business suit stood out in that crowd.

What was he supposed to do? He could not call Stephanie, and Jake would not pick up the phone a second time tonight. He had no friends to call; he would never have come here if he’d had someone to call. John’s eyes darted up and down the once welcoming and busy street. Everywhere he looked there were males holding paws. The whole neighborhood was filled with tail raising, gay males. He could never call a coworker or neighbor and get picked up here. He would never live it down at the office, and he might lose his job. Even a taxi was no good, because then how would he get his car home and get inside his house? “Shit!” John yelled, on the verge of hyperventilating. What the hell was he going to do?

“John!” The wolf’s ears shot up and he turned around, pressing against his car in fright as Alon jogged up to him, his Star of David necklace bouncing as he ran. “John,” the white furred dog said quieter this time, grinning ear-to-ear as he stood just inches from the older wolf. “You dropped your keys.”

John’s eyes flicked from the dog’s face to the shiny ring of keys he was holding up. John licked his nose nervously as the dog closed his paw around the keys. Alon put one paw on the wolf’s car and leaned in close to John. “You left in kind of a hurry there.” Alon said evenly, a hint of concern in his voice. “I come on a little strong for you?”

“Yes.” John said quickly, his muzzle bobbing up and down as he nodded, “and well I’m not…” John stopped, realizing how stupid it sounded to deny being tail raiser to someone he had just met inside a gay bar. Somebody he had just kissed in a gay bar. “It’s just, I don’t usually go to bars like this, and I didn’t…”

“Know how to react. It’s cool, I’m a bit,” Alon paused and put his other paw on the wolf’s car, sort of corralling the wolf against his sedan, “aggressive I guess.” The dog’s weight shifted the car, and John was struck by just how much bigger then him Alon was. As the young masculine dog leaned towards the middle-aged wolf his tail wagged back and forth. John whined softly as the dog’s arms encircled him without actually touching him. Alon’s voice rumbled and he was obviously laying the charm on thick. If John hadn’t been scared out of his mind he might have found it charming even. “I just wanted to know why a middle aged suit like you would be in a place like the Underground.”

John blinked once, and watched as the dog’s tongue slowly licked his lips. “I didn’t mean to end up here, I just sort of did.” John muttered lamely, his thoughts mostly consumed by the fact that Alon’s body was so dangerously close to his own. The dog’s legs and arms brushed against his, the end of his white muzzle hung an inch from John’s nose, and the dog was obviously aroused. It was so obvious what Alon wanted. In fact, the front of his jeans were tented out so far they almost touched John’s trousers. The wolf wanted to whimper and slink away, to just drive home, curl up in bed, and pretend this night had never happened. John would never go out like this again, he’d forget about his problems and stop being so stupid. He just had to get his keys.

John swallowed nervously, trying to think of what to say to make the dog leave him alone. “I don’t get out much,” he said lamely, and John instantly flattened his ears at how pathetic that sounded coming from a middle-aged attorney.

“Really?” Alon asked easily, as if there were nothing wrong and they were just talking like normal people. “Not many wolves your age come around the Tail Underground. I’m glad I got the chance to catch you.” The dog’s voice dripped with innuendo, and John could feel it as the dog’s tented pants began to rub against his thigh.

“What kind of dog are you?” John asked in bewilderment, staring at the canine’s grin as he tried to figure out what kind of person would hit on another man like this. The dog had mentioned their age difference and shrugged it away as unimportant all at once, as if it didn’t matter at all that John was probably old enough to be his father.

“I’m a Canaan dog you silly wolf,” the dog’s finger’s brushed the star of David around his neck, “I thought the Star would have given that away.” John blushed as the dog licked his face. Alon had no idea what the wolf had actually meant. “Where you headed now John?” Alon said with a big, eager grin that made John very uncomfortable.

John stared at Alon. He was acting like nothing about this situation was wrong . Of course, that was why the dog was acting like this. There was nothing wrong about this for him. John blushed and nearly kicked himself as he figured it out. Hitting on another guy was perfectly normal for Alon. He probably did it every day.

“Home,” John muttered, and the dog’s eyes lit up and his ears lifted up.

“Sounds perfect.” The dog practically leapt away from John and bounced over the hood of the wolf’s car. John stared at the display of sheer athleticism from the young male. John knew that the well-built dog was exactly the kind of guy John had always admired. Strong, self assured, handsome, and with a body to die for. Alon grinned and unlocked the car doors with a click of the remote on John’s key ring. “Lets go, hot stuff.” Alon said playfully, opening the passenger door as he tossed the keys to John.

John caught his keys in one paw and gaped as the dog just got into the passenger side of his car and closed the door, leaving him standing outside by himself. He glanced down through his window, the tinting making it hard to see the grinning, eager young dog in his passenger seat, but he could see the streak of white as the dog’s tail slapped against the armrest.

How in the hell had this happened? John swallowed nervously and couldn’t think of anything to do but get in his car. As he did, he glanced uncomfortably at the young, gay male sitting beside him. The dog was waiting for him to drive him home, where presumably the dog was expecting they would have sex. Alon reached over and grabbed John’s knee, squeezing it gently. “Come on John, the night is young,” the dog said playfully, licking the side of John’s muzzle in a canine kiss.

John gasped softly, his leg tensing as what felt like a jolt of electricity ran up his leg and grounded itself right in his crotch. The wolf trembled as Alon’s paw took hold of his tie and pulled the wolf towards him, so the dog could kiss him again. Their muzzle meshed for a minute, as the dog kissed him slowly. “Don’t worry,” Alon said with a big grin, letting John’s tie go so the wolf could drive. “Everything will be fine, okay?”

John stared at the dog’s blue eyes for a moment, and then slid his key into the ignition. The lights from his dashboard reflected on the silver wedding ring on the wolf’s right paw, and John realized just what he was about to do. The excitement, the rush, the booze, the fear, all of it dropped away as he stared at his wedding ring, and for a moment John was thinking very clearly as he turned the key and the engine of his car rumbled to life.

Alon was not going to take no for an answer once they were alone in John’s house. The dog would want to go all the way, and John’s heart sank as he realized just what position he was likely to play compared to the taller, stronger male sitting in his passenger seat. Could he really raise his tail to another male and betray his wife? He had just meet Alon, but the young dog had paid more attention to him in the last half hour then Stephanie had in the last year. Hell, she was in the middle of raising her tail for another male, why couldn’t he?

John cursed, threw the car into reverse, and drove the dog home.

***