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  "description": "Reposted from my FA account.\n\nM/F Adult Story - Contains cuckolding, cheating, mind-control, impregnation, implied pregnancy, implied teen sex, voyeurism, and some other stuff too.\n\n A pair of bounty hunters takes on a job to search for a missing vixen, and finds a mysterious castle with a new master. When the master turns out to be an fellow bounty hunter with a new agenda, the stage is set for a showdown. But the master of the castle has a few sinister tricks up his sleeve...\n\nThis has been by far one of my most appreciated stories. It is one of the longer stories I've written, but I think it has nice pacing, and a number of readers seemed to like the villain's methods.",
  "description_bbcode_parsed": "<span style='word-wrap: break-word;'>Reposted from my FA account.<br /><br />M/F Adult Story - Contains cuckolding, cheating, mind-control, impregnation, implied pregnancy, implied teen sex, voyeurism, and some other stuff too.<br /><br />&nbsp;A pair of bounty hunters takes on a job to search for a missing vixen, and finds a mysterious castle with a new master. When the master turns out to be an fellow bounty hunter with a new agenda, the stage is set for a showdown. But the master of the castle has a few sinister tricks up his sleeve...<br /><br />This has been by far one of my most appreciated stories. It is one of the longer stories I&#039;ve written, but I think it has nice pacing, and a number of readers seemed to like the villain&#039;s methods.</span>",
  "writing": "To Find a Weakness\n\n\tA bag of gold was dropped onto the desk with a loud *thud*, the sound of coins clinking in the leather bag as they hit the hard oak. The fur that had dropped the bag, a robust bear-morph with a bored expression on his muzzle, then adjusted his spectacles and made a check on a clipboard before him. “That’s 200 pieces for a successful rescue, 20 gold pieces for combat expenses and proof of melee, and 5 gold pieces for the standard injury clause.” The bear looked up from his clipboard and allowed himself a wry grin. “Although that little paper cut you got on your arm hardly qualifies as an injury in my book. What’s the matter, afraid you’ll die from loss of blood?”\n\n\tThe target of the bear’s snide comment was a lion who was garbed in the professional attire of a bounty hunter, his hands and arms crossed before him in a state of impatience. Everything about the lion’s physique bespoke a well-trained warrior, strongly muscled and well-armored for battle, with nary a weak point except for possibly not being quite as maneuverable as he could be with as much protection as he boasted. The cut that the bear referred to was a mild gash on the lion’s arm near the elbow, where he hadn’t been quite fast enough to dodge out of the way of a thrust spear. “Hey, an injury is an injury,” the lion spoke up in an irritated tone, “and that clause is there for a reason. You know it as well as I.”\n\n\t“OK, OK, no need to get fussy about it, just making conversation,” the bear spoke dismissively, holding his pen between his fingers as he waved the issue off. “All in all, I’d say it seems to be a nice day’s work for you. I don’t supposed I could interest you and your partner in another job so soon after this one?”\n\n\t“Depends on what the job is,” the lion responded, his ears perking up a little at the sound of another business opportunity. In truth, this rescue operation had been a little routine, and even though the lion had garnered a minor injury, it was more because he took things for granted than any real effort. He was eager to snap up another easy job if it presented itself, as it was always prudent to prepare for lean times.\n\n\t“Well, at the moment, we only have one job, it just came in earlier in the day, but it seems to be a hot topic. Hang on a second,” the bear said, moving over to the job notice board and taking off the newly supplied document. “Ah, yes. This one is an out-of-towner. Do you know the region around the Frostwood?”\n\n\t“In passing, perhaps,” the lion responded, “though I’ve never really fancied the place. Forests are not a lion’s comfort zone, and I doubt my mate has been there either. I suspect the job has something to do with there?”\n\n\t“Very astute. There seems to be something happening in that region. For a little while now, there have been reports of missing anthros in the region surrounding the Frostwood. Searches have revealed no traces of the missing individuals, so they have largely been thought to have been the work of bandits or the local fauna of the Frostwood.”\n\n\t“Up until now,” interjected the lion, seeing where the conversation was headed.\n\n\t“Mmm, yes. Actually, nothing has really changed, but one of the missing anthros this time around was a vixen lass who was rather well known and also happened to be the daughter of one of the town council of Willowbark. So, the town got together and managed to scrape up enough coin to get an emergency bounty notice posted.”\n\n\t“I see, I see. And no one is on record for taking the assignment yet?”\n\n\tThe bear took a moment to double-check his records, then answered the lion. “Not yet. Word hasn’t really gotten out yet, and those who might have heard of it are naturally hesitant about venturing into the Frostwood, though I am sure someone will take the assignment soon if not you.”\n\n\t“Well, I haven’t made any decision yet, of course,” the lion stated simply. “Any particulars to this case I ought to know about? And what’s the rate?”\n\n\tThe bear smiled and nodded. “It appears so…I’ll tell you what I know of it.” He checked his notes briefly and cleared his throat loudly. “The last known location of the vixen was around the Fey Glen, where the rare Thillis Flower can sometimes be found. Speculation is that she was looking to find some and try to cultivate it in her own garden to sell as a medicinal herb. Disappearances have been known to happen around that region, but the other disappearances in this case have been too varied to form a pattern.” He looked lower on his notes and tapped the sheet with a claw. “There is a rumor that there is a castle somewhere deep in the forest, it might be a good place to investigate if the disappearances are indeed an outside influence.” Just then the bear paused, reading something over twice just to make sure, then looked up to the lion once more. “Oh, and this last bit is interesting. It appears all the missing furs are female. You might want to inform your mate about that…it could be an unexpected hazard.”\n\n\tThe lion took all of this in attentively, his experience as a bounty hunter enabling him to memorize each detail of the job in full, no matter how insignificant it may seem. After the bear had finished speaking, the lion nodded and rubbed his chin. “I will certainly take that under advisement. And the rate?”\n\n\t“I’m getting to that, I’m getting to that,” the bear continued, going over the finance sector of the job. “Emergency Bounty pay…says here that if the condition of the vixen is good, it will add an additional 150 gold to the total. Along with a special incidental clause of 20 gold for every other missing fur found. With all that added in, and the usual incidentals…it looks like the job could pay anywhere from 600 to 1,000 gold pieces.”\n\n\tThe lion’s eyes widened at hearing the rate…a successful mission would yield the most impressive bounty ever offered for a rescue operation, and would certainly be worth the boost to reputation once word got around. The lion almost accepted the offer on the spot, but knew this matter had to be discussed with his partner. “Hold on a moment, Urso, let me check with the missus first. But you have my interest. Be right back.”\n\n\tThe door to the Hunter’s Guild opened and out stepped the lion, who immediately began looking for his partner. He didn’t have long to look, as his gaze alighted on a particularly svelte lioness who happened to be leaning against a street peddler’s cart, checking her sword handle to see if the leather grip on the hilt needed reworking. Upon seeing the lion, the lioness grinned and moved from her position, her graceful and lithe form moving with the practiced ease of a predator.\n\n\t“Got the payment, partner?” The lioness had a voice that was sweet on the ears, but with a hint of a no-nonsense demeanor about it. “Short and to the point, that’s Elora…” the lion thought with a bit of exasperation to himself.\n\n\tThe lion brought out the bag of gold that had been presented to him by the bear and tossed it to the lioness nonchalantly, who then snatched the bag from the air just as fluidly. “Yup, easy haul. We also got another job offer, and it could be a really big score if everything goes just right.”\n\n\tElora looked to her mate with something of a suspicious gaze. “Oh really, now? Silas, honey…what have we discussed about big scores? That there’s almost always a catch?”\n\n\tThe lion nodded to his mate and grins. “Oh, believe me, I haven’t forgotten, especially since you drill it into my head every time I see big figures…other than your own, that is.” Silas winked to his mate, hoping that a little flattery might help win her over to his side in this matter.\n\n\tIf Elora fell for the sweet talk, she didn’t show it, but she heard him out at the very least, and soon got all the details of the job, the matter of the money secondary in her eyes once she heard about the gender of the missing furs. “I think you can agree with me that this is too much to be a coincidence. Something’s going on here, and you know how I love mysteries.” Elora grinned toothily, and flicked out a dagger at her hip belt, balancing the weapon skillfully. “Besides…if it’s some creep abducting women, I’ll see to it he gets what he deserves.” A thrust of the dagger into the open air, a twist, and then the dagger was right back in her belt sheath, as quickly as it had appeared.\n\n\t“Oh, I’m sure that he will, if that’s the case,” Silas nodded in agreement, then placed a heavy paw on the shoulder of the slightly smaller female. “But don’t go off without me on this one. We don’t know enough yet, and I don’t want you to vanish on me either if we get separated and I can’t find you again.”\n\n\t“Hey, someone’s got to watch your back,” Elora chuckled softly, while giving her mate a soft elbow into his side. “You’d be lost without me, you know that. You’re the only one who seems to come back with any injuries, whereas I…” The lioness twirled in place before her mate before coming to a stop, looking up into his eyes with a confident grin. “…am untouched.”\n\n\t“Yeah, yeah, rub it in,” the lion chuckled, leaning close to his mate to kiss her tenderly. “Let’s just make sure that it stays that way. So, we’re taking the job, then?”\n\n\t“Yeah, we’re taking the job. The Pride Hunters are back on the case.”\n\n\tThe journey to Willowbark was uneventful; in their home town of Havenport, the Pride Hunters (as they were known in bounty hunter circles) were fairly well known as being efficient and capable adventurers, and even those who had imbibed a little too much strong drink knew well not to mess with one or the other. Also, the roads were typically well-travelled and watched by merchant mercenaries who protected trade routes, so attempted banditry along those roads was quite rare. Silas and Elora travelled light so as to make the journey a little faster, as time was potentially a factor in this rescue mission, but they were in no way underequipped for their new mission. The gold had gone a long way in helping the two lions to restock their supplies and make a few upgrades to their arsenal, and they were headed to Willowbark with all the confidence that they would soon have their task wrapped up and be a good deal richer in the process.\n\n\tSilas was the muscle of the group, the lion bounty hunter specializing in heavy arms and strong-arm tactics. His combat style was usually to trade blow for blow and to beat the enemy into submission, trusting his heavy breastplate and ring mail greaves to protect him long enough to get the job done. His gear of choice was a two-handed heavy mace designed to bust through armor and doors, his strong physique allowing him to power through most opponents and obstacles with the need for a second or third blow usually unnecessary. The only problem was, all of his gear weighed him down and made him slower, which in operations that required speed or stealth, was certainly a hazard. To that end, he had special release catches made in his armor which allowed him to shed the heaviest part of his gear, the breastplate, in order to speed him up a little if he needed. Still, he knew that against skilled, quick opponents, he would be in trouble, and that’s where Elora came in.\n\n\tElora was the speed to Silas’s muscle, and also the specialist. The lioness favored mobility over protection, and was only lightly armored, with studded leather armor protecting her vitals and leaving her arms and legs free. Being just a little proud of her hourglass figure, she had the leather cured to conform to her lithe shape, adding to her level of comfort a little while displaying her attributes to any who would notice her, including her mate. Her weapon of choice was a short sword which was perfectly balanced to allow her the chance to land several hits before the average bandit could land one. She was quite proficient in it, and often used her skill to keep her mate from becoming overwhelmed when others tried to gang up on him. Along her waist was a tool kit full of various devices and secondary weapons for when the situation called for, as Elora liked to put it, “a woman’s touch.” Among the pockets and sheaths were a couple of throwing daggers, a couple of fighting daggers, a set of lockpicks, tinder and flint, a magical runes dictionary, and even a specialized tail-dagger that could be wielded in a pinch for a little extra offense.\n\n\tIt was often speculated among those who knew and had seen the duo in action as to which one was the most deadly in combat. While it was generally agreed that Silas was the better brawler, Elora had the best skill with weapons, and was likely the better duelist against an opponent when it came to skill versus skill. Also mentioned in the arguments was Elora’s seeming ability to never obtain any injuries against her person, but though Elora never liked to admit it, she owed that in large part to her mate, who would often shield her from attacks with his armored body whenever possible. The two were nevertheless an effective strike force together, and had quickly made a name for themselves among certain circles. \n\n\tWillowbark was an averaged-sized town with quite a brisk trade maintained along the outskirts of the Frostwood, a forest with a known reputation for harboring dangers that were not easily bested. The forest allowed plenty of opportunity for those seeking to make their fortune, but it was never all that surprising when someone disappeared into the forest and was never seen again. Most times a rescue party was formed, but more often than not, those who were lost were never seen again. Only experienced adventurers ventured into the Frostwood, and it was a wise adventurer who brought someone along with them to watch their back.\n\n\tSilas and Elora’s first destination was to the local Hunter’s Guild to confirm in person that they were undertaking the job, and to learn of any other particulars that had occurred since they left Havenport. What they learned surprised them; in the day and a half journey that they had undertaken, another female had vanished, this one a rabbit doe who was a friend of the vixen and had thought she could discover where the vixen was hiding. She had foolishly ventured out on her own, before anyone could stop her, only leaving a note that she was going deeper into the Fey Glen to find her friend. The fact that she hadn’t returned left a valuable lead for the two lions, and they thanked the proprietor of that particular guild and went to a tavern to get a quick bite before they undertook their assignment.\n\n\t“Well, I feel bad for the kid, but if we act quickly, we should be able to find her,” Silas mentioned between mouthfuls of beef stew (heavy on the beef). “And if everything works out, that’s another 20 gold to the tab. Plus, we have a lead now.”\n\n\tElora sighed and blew on a spoonful of beef broth, cooling it for her palate. “Yes, but it’s still troubling. Another disappearance, so soon…it could mean real trouble for this town if we don’t get to the bottom of this. We don’t know if this the work of one individual, or several, or even none. And if this trend continues, pretty soon whole populations might start disappearing.” She swallowed the broth, then tapped her dish with the side of her utensil. “No telling how this one will turn out.”\n\n\t“You’re not having second thoughts about the job, are you?” Silas looked into his mate’s eyes, all of his attention focused on the lioness in that one instant.\n\n\t“No, no. I just want to get this job done as quickly as possible and get the hell out of here. It’s a nice town, and I don’t want to be known for letting these poor furs down.”\n\n\tAfter paying their tab, the two felines got directions to the Fey Glen, and made their way on foot, the glen only being about a half-hour’s journey from the town proper. The two bounty hunters didn’t expect any trouble as they entered the glen, the area being spacious with little room for ambush, but as they ventured in deeper, they knew they were getting close to the Frostwood border. With two armed lions patrolling the area, it was unlikely any foe would blindly present arms against them, and when scouring the area turned up no visible clues, the two bounty hunters were forced to consider the Frostwood as the last option to find the missing townsfolk.\n\n\t“Well, looks like we’re headed in,” Silas mused to himself, weapon at the ready. He turned to his mate, who likewise had sword in hand, and was eyeing the expanse of trees warily. “Think you can track them in this wood?”\n\n\t“I don’t know. There’s no tracks leading in, but there’s a possibility we might find something once we’re inside.” Elora looked to Silas with a determined expression. “It doesn’t really matter, though, does it? We’re on the clock, and time may be against us here. We have to try.”\n\n\t“Sure enough. You know my skills in tracking pale to yours, so I have to rely on you. I just wanted to hear it from your lips.”\n\n\t“If it’s there for me to find, I’ll find it,” Elora spoke with a confident smile. “And you’ve always relied on me, dear, from the first day we’ve met. Why should now be any different?”\n\n\t“Oh, ha ha,” Silas chuckled. “Just don’t leave my side, OK?”\n\n\t“Never have, never will,” Elora responded, nuzzling her made before moving in front of him, taking the first steps into the treacherous Frostwood.\n\n\tThe Frostwood was so named because of the peculiar nature of the flora, more specifically the large trees that made up the majority of the wood. The trees were a variant of oak that long ago had suffered a multitude of pest problems, which had endangered the trees to the point where the forest was little more than patches of dead trees and trees that were struggling to survive. To combat this, the oak trees developed a defense system adapted from the changing of the seasons; most insects tend to go into slower active periods in cold weather, and some hibernated or dug underground to avoid the cold. The trees managed to duplicate the feeling of cold within their bark by actively exchanging heat through their leaves along with the process of photosynthesis. The result was a tree that was quite hot along the leaves, while the trunk often got cold enough to form a light frost over its exterior, cooling the natural surroundings along with the trunk itself. The inner core of the tree remained warm, to keep the natural functions going, but the exterior was cold enough to shield it against most forms of external attack. The insects had adapted to only linger amongst the treetops where the heat and cold balanced out, preserving the ecosystem, but at the same time, the animals that resided within had changed and adapted themselves, producing creatures that were specialized for the Frostwood and nowhere else.\n\n\tThe unique environment of the Frostwood presented significant challenges for the bounty hunters as they looked for clues surrounding the disappearance of the townsfolk. Normal tracking methods were sometimes misleading; the chill of the surrounding environment made looking for footprints problematic, as the ground was hard and unyielding, and a low mist made looking for signs of passage difficult. Elora was a skilled tracker, however, and though she muttered the occasional curse out of frustration, she eventually happened upon a trail of sorts that led deeper into the Frostwood. The trail was not obvious, but there was enough evidence to investigate, and it was the only lead that the two could come up with, so they each crossed their fingers and took the trail, each feline on guard for any trouble.\n\n\tNeither Silas nor Elora would admit this aloud, but the Frostwood had them on edge. Part of the reason why the Frostwood was not often ventured into was that the cold and mist often played tricks on your senses, and the wood was thick enough that it was easy to brush against cold bark and send a shifter up one’s body. In actual winter, the Frostwood was all but impassable, as the cold could become frighteningly intense. Often the two bounty hunters would pause and listen to see if anyone was around or if they were being followed, looking for any signs of life, be it friend or foe. Each time they were daunted, and it seemed that the further they journeyed into the Frostwood, the more threatening it became.\n\n\tThe trail slowly began to become more visible the further that the lions travelled, and eventually the path led to a spot where the two could see signs of a structure past the trees. Cautiously, they approached the structure through the path, and found a clearing where they could observe what lay ahead. “The rumors of a castle were right after all,” Silas thought to himself as he gazed upon a towering castle right in front of him, the building well-surrounded by the heavy and dense forest, providing excellent cover from prying eyes. It was the first lead that the two had found, and both the lions looked at each other expectantly, an unspoken agreement passing between them to check out this mysterious castle.\n\n\tWhen the duo first saw the castle, it was still a respectable distance away, but even with that distance, it was apparent that the castle was fairly spacious. Together with the spires that enabled the highest point of the castle to see out over the forest, the fortress was about eight stories tall, and judging by the space that the castle took up in acres, it could size a considerable garrison if needed. The true asset of the castle was its location, however; the clearing that the castle was in the center of was by no means spacious, though there was room enough for a makeshift moat, a garden, a stable, and a guardhouse. There was room enough to roam, but the surrounding forest was close enough to the castle that bringing any sort of army to bear on the fortress would be troublesome at best. The trees would break up any concentrated charge, and trying to set up an army within the perimeter of the forest would leave it vulnerable to attack from above with a hail of arrows fired from the castle turrets. Trying to burn the forest to assault the castle with fire was also impossible due to the special nature of the Frostwood, which made the castle easy to defend. The two lions considered this as they approached the castle through the path, making sure to keep an eye out for any signs of attack from the residents of the castle, if any were present.\n\n\tIt wasn’t long before the two bounty hunters found themselves at the castle moat, and what they saw gave them brief pause. The castle drawbridge, rather than being in a defensible position, was lowered across the moat, inviting anyone who was passing by to breach the castle walls. It was ideal for the two lions, and that was exactly what made them suspicious. The years of training that the bounty hunters had told them that it couldn’t be this easy to enter; nothing was ever truly easy in their line of work. So Elora went through a checklist of safety precautious. She checked to see if the drawbridge was illusion; it was solid enough. She checked for traps; none prevailed themselves to be found. She even checked into the moat to see if anything was lurking to snatch then from the bridge as they crossed. Everything checked out to her senses, and in the end the two trusted to their luck and experience to see them through.\n\n\tTheir caution was at least vindicated as they set foot onto the bridge. Whoever the proprietor of the castle was, they were no fool, and at that very moment, a loud booming voice echoed in the minds of Silas and Elora as they attempted to cross, halting them in their tracks. “If ye seek to enter, do so with the intent of harming none. Else, ye may not cross. If ye seek to remain, no violence or malice shall ye try, else thy freedoms are forfeit.” \n\n\t“Ah, it’s a geas of hospitality,” Elora spoke aloud, realizing what was happening instantly. \n\nSilas too was aware of the cause, but his reaction was more puzzled than anything. “So…we can’t cross unless we place ourselves under the geas. What are you thinking, hon?”\n\n“I think we have to accept the terms of the geas. If we don’t, then the owner of the castle would have time to bolster his defenses and make the place impregnable before we return with reinforcements.” Elora turned to her mate and gave a little shrug of her shoulders. “Besides which, we don’t yet know if the owner of the castle has anything to do with the disappearances yet. But if they don’t, we would still have a potential source of information.”\n\n“But we leave ourselves with little options if we have to deal with the master of the castle,” Silas continued on, working all the possible scenarios out in his mind.\n\n“True, but there’s not really much choice, is there? We have to find out what’s going on. At least the geas will be broken if we are attacked by the residents of the castle. We just have to stay on our toes and abide by the geas; stay as peaceful and as nonthreatening as possible.” Elora smiled and grinned knowingly. “Besides, there are ways around such a geas. Just leave it to me.” She then turned back to the bridge, breathed out once, and then closed her eyes as she let all feelings of aggression leave her body to let the geas take hold. She then stepped forward without restraint, crossing the bridge.\n\nIt took a little longer for Silas to accept the geas, his uneasiness keeping his aggressive thoughts in his mind for a while, but eventually the lion also crossed the threshold to reunite with his mate, and the two entered the castle proper and strode into the open doorway, each bounty hunter on high alert as they looked for signs of inhabitants.\n\nIf there was one advantage to being under a geas of hospitality, it meant that you were always free of anxiety, as the geas instilled a relaxed and calm demeanor into one’s mind. Often it would give those under said geas a clarity of thought and a sharper mindset, free of worrying about combat tactics or the fear of attack. Still, the advantages going into a situation blind were plenty, and being veterans of combat, the bounty hunters were well aware of this fact. They had sheathed their weapons, finding them of no use at the moment, but they kept their eyes open, memorizing the layout of the castle as they moved into the heart of the fortress. Having an escape route in these circumstances was always a wise move, and one of the most dangerous things that could happen in a rescue mission was to become lost in a hostile environment. By now the two lions knew each other well and understood their roles, Silas checking for easily defensible positions while Elora memorized their route and possible hazards.\n\n“Think anyone is home?” Silas heard his voice echo a bit through the empty halls, finding it unusual no one had greeted them yet.\n\n“I’m sure there is…no one places a geas of hospitality on a castle and leaves it unguarded to pilfer,” Elora opined. “But this is a sizable castle. We might find someone on the higher levels.”\n\nThe duo soon found that the layout of the castle was different than most. They could detect no sign of a throne room on the lower level, though investigations did provide knowledge of a dining hall, a kitchen, several lavatories, and one or two meeting rooms. The stairs themselves were easy to find, but as the two lions were looking for signs of life, they explored the lower level thoroughly before moving on, making their way to the second floor. It was here that they encountered their first contact with the residents of the castle, although it was not what they expected.\n\nIt was a squirrel they saw first, a female squirrel that appeared to be garbed in the attire of a servant girl, and that appeared to be young in appearance, but clearly a mature squirrel, if her bust size was any indication. The lions saw the squirrel girl standing at the end of the hallway just beyond the stair that they had climbed to ascend to the second level, but what was interesting was that the squirrel seemed to be waiting for them expectantly; she wasn’t even the slightest bit unnerved at having two armed and apparently capable lions invading the castle before her eyes. In fact, the squirrel bowed to them at the end of the large hallway and put on her best smile, crossing her hands in front of her and waiting patiently for them to approach. The two bounty hunters looked to each other, and then proceeded towards the squirrel, assessing her like any good adventurer would. After ascertaining that she didn’t seemed to be armed in any way whatsoever, the two lions allowed themselves to relax their guard as they approached, hoping to put their best foot forward as they opened up the lines of communication.\n\nThe squirrel girl waited until the two lions were within reach, then allowed herself to do a prim and proper curtsy, her gaze lowered in deference. “Welcome to Castle Frostwood. The master is expecting you. Please, follow me to the throne room.” With that, she turned and left down the hallway, clearly expecting the two lions to follow her, and not even turning her head to see if they were or not. Silas and Elora, their mouths still open to greet the young lass, watched her walk away while still forming the breath to speak, but when it became obvious that they were meant to follow, they closed their mouths and fell in step behind the squirrel, saving their questions for this ‘master’ that they were being led to.\n\nIt wasn’t a long trip to the throne room, the path to their destination only being down the hall, past a couple of large doors, and then a turn left to a short hall that led to a large, expansive room that could only be the throne room. Large columns decorated and supported a wide, spacious room that was decorated to impress…or at least it once was. The room was considerably less impressive than it was in the past, with tapestries faded and covered in accumulated dust over the years due to negligence. The room itself was impressive in its size, but it lacked anything that even hinted of being in use over the years, all the glamour of the room having long become dull and listless. However, the floor at least was clean and with a decent polish, the only real part of the room that looked cared for. All of these clues led the two bounty hunters to conclude that either the ‘master’ of the castle was a poor caretaker of his possessions, or that he or she wasn’t really the original owner of the castle, and had just happened upon it and claimed it as his or her own. They would find out soon enough; they could make out a figure at the very end of the throne room, sitting on a throne and observing them as they strode into the room. Whoever it was, they were far enough away that their features were indeterminable, but the squirrel girl continued on towards that figure, moving steadily and with grace, obviously still meaning for the pair to follow.\n\nThe walk was a fair one, with much space to cover, the room being spacious enough to accommodate a large audience if need be. Before the journey was complete, however, the being sitting on the throne suddenly stood up and made a casual bow to the new arrivals. “Greetings…Silas and Elora.” Hearing their names uttered, the two lions paused for a moment, while the squirrel girl continued on, soon finding her way to stand beside her lord. The sound was familiar, and at their distance, it took a little while for them to match the voice with the figure who was speaking, but the two lions both came to the same conclusion at once, and uttered a single name at the same time: “Cayle.”\n\nIt was most definitely a surprise to the two bounty hunters to run into someone they knew in his castle hidden off from the world, and even more so to discover that it was Cayle. Cayle was also employed as a bounty hunter, but whereas Silas and Elora were a team, Cayle worked alone. Not always because of choice; Cayle was notoriously difficult to work with, and not many cared to try, despite the successful track record he had earned over his career.\n\nCayle was a gray wolf, and while wolves were somewhat common in the bounty hunter business, this one stood out in several ways. Where most wolves radiated an aura of fierceness and strength, Cayle seemed to project an aura of calculation and cunning. His eyes were often remarked as seeming to look right through you, as if weighing your capabilities and deciding if you were worth the effort or not. Cayle was also notoriously self-centered and vain, to the point where he eschewed the idea of using his teeth or claws for combat. He kept his claws manicured to the point where they were useless for anything but grasping documents or scratching lightly through his thick fur. Despite this seeming handicap, Cayle was quite a formidable wolf, built strongly with a wide frame and muscles that were well-honed from his trade as a bounty hunger, but also lean, with a body structure that was as quick and agile as it was powerful. \n\nCayle had started out in the bounty hunter business a little earlier than Silas and Elora had, but from what they knew of his history, they knew that Cayle had originally started in the trade using heavy weapons and armor. But that had only lasted about a couple of months before Cayle had decided that finesse was more his speed, and he switched to using a mix of swords and daggers, with armor that was more suited to stealth and agility. The change worked for the wolf, and he quickly developed a reputation for being capable and reliable in the field. Along with that reputation for being reliable, also came the reputation for his self-importance; he would on occasion accept jobs with a partner, and they would invariably be the last time said partner would ever attempt to do so again, becoming fed up with Cayle’s attitude and unwillingness to compromise on even the smallest of details. Cayle’s track record only boosted his ego all the more as time went on, and it became apparent that cooperation with him would be all but impossible as a result.\n\nCayle’s attitude also had another caveat; though he had a good track record, rumors of cruelty began to filter through the network. Ugly stories of the wolf giving no quarter to an enemy who was not deserving of death, of harassing townsfolk who failed to give him the right of way, of performing rescues and treating the client no better than the kidnappers in the process...even rumors that the reason that Cayle was so good at his job was because he actually orchestrated some of the situations himself. The rumors could have been laughed off as just being professional jealousy among his peers, if not for the fact that Cayle seemed all too capable of performing each and every one of those acts. So the rumors persisted, and Cayle did nothing to stop their circulation, or even change his behavior a little.\n\nIn the past 6 months, Cayle had vanished from the public eye, and there were rumors that he had undertaken a bounty hunter job that had gone south, and rather then face up to the music, he had decided to hide out for a while. There were still other rumors that he had just gotten fed up with the business and retired somewhere. There were even rumors that someone had just gotten fed up with him and taken him out of the picture. The rumors eventually died down, and people stopped talking about him; he wasn’t liked, and while he was a good bounty hunter, there were others just as capable to step up in his place. So life went on as usual. In truth, Silas and Elora had not thought about Cayle’s disappearance at all up until now, having heard the rumors, but not caring in the slightest. And now here he was, apparently the ‘master’ of the castle, and seeming for all the world as if had planned this very meeting.\n\nThe sight before the two lions was different than what each could recall about Cayle. If memory served, Cayle last preferred to don a set of swords, a rapier and short sword, which he wore along his hip for easy access. In addition, he wore a lightly armored leather jerkin that was dyed to match his fur pattern almost seamlessly, enabling him to hide easily in missions that required stealth, and also making his vitals a little hard to target in a fight. The attire was rounded out with a set of leathers along his nether regions that were also dyed, but less armored, giving him the agility he desired at the cost of a little protection. Cayle still wore the armor that was so suited to him, but he no longer bore the rapier or short sword at his side. Instead, he held a bastard sword across his lap upon the throne, the metal of the sword matching his fur perfectly, and glinting in the low level of light that filled the room. He had also added a couple items to his person; a thin cloak around his shoulders that was more for presentation than for utility, and a glittering crown that looked regal in appearance; this was most CERTAINLY for show.\n\nWhen Silas and Elora were within three sword’s lengths from the throne, Cayle held up his hand in a clear motion for the duo to halt their advance, and the wolf stood up from the throne, taking the sword from his lap to hold it in a casual but ready position, just in case. It was one of the basics you learned as a bounty hunter; you survived in the profession by being careful, not stupid. The wolf stepped down from the raised platform upon which the throne was raised, and in a rare show of courtesy, he reached up with his free hand, removed his crown, and tossed it behind him on the cushioned seat of the throne.\n\n“Welcome, welcome to my domain! So good to see some familiar faces,” the wolf exclaimed with a grin, his free hand moving to his hip in pose regally for the duo, his cloak being sure to billow around him appropriately. He had planned for this moment, clearly, and was playing his role to the hilt, trying to impress. He wasn’t totally off the mark, either.\n\n“Your domain?” Silas scratched the side of his chin as he processed this information. “You mean to say that this castle is yours?”\n\nCayle grinned a little wider, and nodded. “Yes…well, it is now. Doubtless you have noticed that the castle is in a state of disuse. Before I came here, it had not been inhabited for some time, and with no one to claim it, I decided to make it my own. Not many bounty hunters can boast they have their very own castle, hmm?” He swept his arm around as he spoke, displaying the wide throne room about them all.\n\nElora elected to respond to this, eyeing Cayle with a suspicious glance. “A castle and servants, it seems. Wherever did all this fortune fall from, I wonder?” Her tail flicked to the side, tapping her mate on his flanks, a silent signal developed between the two. Be on guard. \n\nCayle shrugged at this and ventured a sly smile, tapping his head with one of his index fingers. “Fortune indeed, but also well-deserved. I’ve put in my time with the Hunter’s Guild, and I’ve earned my fair share of prosperity for the work that I have done. And a reputation such as mine can go a long way if one knows how to use it properly.” He nodded to the squirrel lass, who promptly curtseyed respectfully. “Surely you realize that one such as myself has no shortage of admirers…as well as those who are jealous, of course.” As he said the last, he eyed the two lions with those probing eyes, as if trying to discover if they were guilty of that very crime.\n\nSilas felt as if a great act were being put on for their benefit, and was beginning to get annoyed; it was easy enough to bore of Cayle’s antics even for the most patient of folk. But Elora’s tailflick had not gone unnoticed, and Silas knew to play to the vain wolf. “Oh, of course…we’ve heard some of the things that were said, but it is nice to see that you are well and prospering.” Silas pretended to be impressed by the surroundings, knowing that it was in part expected. “How on earth did you find this place?”\n\n“Ah, I’m so glad you asked that question,” Cayle responded, tapping the point of his sword onto the hard floor audibly in excitement. “Story time…” Elora thought to herself, her tail twitching a little bit. She didn’t like Cayle one bit, and though she had warned her mate with her tail, she didn’t know if she would be able to hold her feelings in check much better.\n\n“You see, it all started around my sudden disappearance about 5 or 6 months ago. I’m sure you remember, it must have been big news,” Cayle began, while reaching back to take the crown in his free hand, twirling it lazily around his index finger. “I’d just completed a task for the Hunter’s Guild, and after collecting my fee, I discovered that there was little work to be had at the time. I was starting to get fed up with the hunter’s racket, between you and me; last couple jobs, there had been a few complaints, which didn’t really bother me much, but I was just starting to tire a bit of the whining. But I had heard that there was a finder’s fee on rare herbs around the Frostwood, and while herb-gathering usually isn’t my bag, I knew that strange things happened around the Frostwood, so I figured it might be good to investigate the area and see if I could drum up a little business on the side. I figured that the hard-to-find herbs were deep in the heart of the Frostwood, so I’d just gear up a little and head towards the center.\n\n“Honestly, the Frostwood isn’t as bad as everyone makes it out to be…if you travel in the warm periods, that is. I was kind of in the middle, so that was fine. I picked out a couple of spots with some interesting herbs and collected a few for samples. I’m no horticulturalist, so I was just guessing, for the most part, but I got lucky, and one of the herbs turned out to be Malkiseed, which as you know is useful for strengthening metallic alloys. Well, I went to go find the patch where I found it from by taking a direct route, and lo and behold, I managed to run right into the edge of the clearing to this place. I investigated, thinking to make my acquaintance with whomever the castle belonged to, but believe me, when first I encountered the place, it was in much poorer shape than what you see it in now. It was quite clear that the place was desolate.\n\n“I checked out the place from top to bottom, from dungeon to this very throne room. It took a long time, especially since I was going slow to try and avoid any traps or pitfalls that might have been left for unwelcome travelers. I expected at least one, so imagine my surprise when my investigation turned up no defenses at all. There may still be some lurking undiscovered, but I am reasonably certain now that there are none. My serving staff have been around for some time now performing their functions, and have not set off any traps; the purpose of a trap is to catch someone unaware, and there have been countless opportunities to set one off.\n\n“I did discover one or two things that had been left here by the previous occupants, though; this crown, for instance. A nice little bit of treasure that could probably fetch a good amount of coin on the market, but I do think that a crown should stay with the one who rules. And since no sign of the previous owners could be found, I chose to make myself the ruler. Yes. Ruler of Frostwood Manor. For lack of a better title. And since then, restoration has begun to make this castle into a truly awe-inspiring sight, for when I choose to make this place known, I am sure it will soon see lots of visitors, as it is in a prime location to set up trade. So, as you see, fortune has indeed come to me at last. And it shall continue to do so,” Cayle finished with a triumphant flourish, settling the crown back on his head after he had ceased speaking.\n\n\tDespite Silas and Elora’s annoyance at Cayle’s antics, both paid very close attention to the story. It explained about how he found the castle, and why he was now the lord of the manor, but it was obvious to both that Cayle had failed to explain some things; he was holding something back, despite how forthcoming he seemed. After the wolf had finished speaking, Elora decided to try a more direct tact. “Well, as the ‘Lord’ of Frostwood Manor,  perhaps you could assist us with something relevant to your domain. You see, we didn’t just happen to stop in without purpose. We’re on a mission for the Guild, you see. We’re looking for furs that have disappeared around the Frostwood recently. Specifically, a vixen and a female rabbit.”\n\n\t“Oh?” Cayle’s ears gave the slightest twitch. Elora spotted the movement, and that smallest of twitches gave her a little chill; if she was reading his reactions right, he knew something.\n\n\t“Yes. Vixen goes by the name of Cherise. She’s about 15 years, comes to about shoulder height, has a small patch of red on the very tip of her tail, and is known for having a pink ribbon tied to her tail. The bunny doe goes by the name of Risa. She’s about 14, and is a pure white bunny, pink eyes, likes to wear a red shawl and is about the same height as Cherise, but a little taller due to her ears. Oh, and Cherise may also still have her herbal satchel with her. Does any of this ring a bell?”\n\n\tCayle listened to Elora’s description with interest, his eyes darting from her to Silas and the back again, his free hand rubbing his chin while he spun the tip of the sword point into the floor loosely. When she finished, the wolf raised the sword up and rested it up and over his shoulder, his other hand brushing through his headfur underneath his crown. “I see, I see. Well, as it so happens, I have seen them. They are my guests here in the castle. They are staying in the servant’s quarters in the West Tower. You see, they looked a little lost, and I thought it would be best if I kept them safe for a while.” As he said this, the edge of his muzzle curled up a little, ever so slightly. Elora felt that chill deepen; he was toying with them somehow. And she felt a little bit of rage come over her.\n\n\tSilas spoke up then, able to feel the tension in his mate, and hoping to defuse the situation somewhat. “I see. Well, we have come to retrieve them. I’m sure you understand, a contract is a contract. We’ll come back and give you a percentage of the profits of course, as a show of cooperation.”\n\n\tCayle turned to the male lion and nodded. “Well, that sounds like a profit for all of us. Why don’t I have Contessa here show you the way?” He motioned to the squirrel lass, who curtseyed once more and smiled winsomely.\n\n\t“That would be excellent. Elora, are you coming?” Silas’s voice had a slight edge to it; he knew his mate would hear the hint in his voice.\n\n\t Indeed, Elora heard the subtle prod that her mate was giving her, but she had pieced something together in her mind; she wasn’t certain, but it seemed like the correct scenario, and she was determined to piece together the truth. “I think that I’ll keep Cayle some company here. It shouldn’t take both of us to check up on them.”\n\n\t“Are you sure?” Silas kept his voice steady, but the edge was still there; his mate was the smarter of the two, that was sure, but she was also the most stubborn as well.\n\n\tElora eyed Silas with a clear and firm gaze, her eyes steely with resolution, but also understanding as well. She turned back to Cayle and held up one of her fingers. “One moment.” She then turned and took Silas aside, out of earshot. She knew it was perhaps a little conspicuous, but she knew no other way to get her point across and reassure the male at the same time.\n\n\t“Look,” she began, whispering to her mate, “I know what you’re trying to do. It’s sweet, but I can take care of myself. He’s hiding something, and I intend to get to the bottom of it. You go and do what you have to do.”\n\n\t“But…” Silas began, intending to protest.\n\n\t“Relax. I’ve always come through without a scratch, remember? And there’s the geas to consider. But remember what I told you, there are ways around it. I’ll be fine.” Elora then looked back over her shoulder, where Cayle was waiting patiently, his fingers stroking over the squirrel maid’s tail as she stood waiting. “Besides, methinks someone needs to be taken down a peg.”\n\n\tSilas didn’t like it, but he had to admit, Elora knew her stuff. And she was right; she could hold her own. She had proven that time and time again. “Just be careful. We’re not doing ourselves any favors by making enemies.” He then spoke louder, so that Cayle could hear. “All right, I see your point. Well, have fun, I’m off to the servant’s quarters, apparently.” He separated from his mate and walked up to the squirrel, who curtseyed once more. “Shall we?”\n\n\tElora watched as squirrel and lion walked away towards the entrance to the throne room, waiting until they had exited through the main door before she turned back to the wolf, who was looking at her with those calculating eyes once more, the sword of his casually presented at his side now. It was no one but them, and she knew that the wolf was somehow pleased at this outcome; something in his body expression told her so. “So...let me guess…the vixen and bunny just happened to find this castle, just as you did?”\n\n\tCayle chuckles, and walked around to the side of the throne, leaning on it as he observed the lioness. “Cut the bullshit, honey. It’s as clear as day that you think I did something. And what exactly do you think I did? That I kidnapped them and are holding them for ransom?”\n\n\tThis gave Elora pause for a moment; that was exactly where she was headed. But she rebounded after a moment and replied, “Well, didn’t you? Admit it, Cayle. You’re hardly known for your charity.”\n\n\tCayle laughed and placed a hand on his chest, feigning shock. “You wound me, have I not invited you into this castle with nothing but respect due one’s colleagues?” He then smiled and turned to face Elora once more. “You think I have the girls locked away. But they are as free as the wind to leave. They simply choose not to. They’re in the servant’s quarters, where my helpers come and go as they please. Your mate will discover this for himself once he checks for himself.” He held out his hands magnanimously. “Does that sound like a kidnapper to you?”\n\n\t“You expect me to believe that those girls would not seek to rejoin their families after being away for so long? I doubt that. You’ve done something, of that I’m sure.” Elora crossed her arms in front of her. “I’m just not sure what yet.”\n\n\t“You malign me, my dear. Can’t you believe that my girls simply enjoy the pleasure of my company? Sure, the castle is not in the best of states, but we’re working on that together,” Cayle commented with a grin, clearly enjoying playing a game with the perplexed lioness.\n\n\tAt that moment, something more clicked in Elora’s mind. “Your girls? Wait…the disappearances…are they all here? All the missing girls?”\n\n\tCayle chuckled and toyed with the point of his sword. “So what if they are?”\n\n\tElora closed her fists tightly; that cold chill had just intensified. “I knew it. You’re behind all of this! What do you intend to do?”\n\n\t“Come come, you’re a big girl. You’ve figured out this much, surely it’s not so great a leap to figure out what comes next.”\n\n\t“You…”\n\n\tCayle raised his sword then, pointing the tip at Elora dramatically. There was still quite a bit of distance between them both, so there was no threat, but a sword raised still makes a very important point. “What do you think to do? I have given you leave to take the two girls, but only those two. Consider it a rare generosity on my part. I can rescind that leave at any time, and you will leave empty handed. You cannot take them by force, not with the geas in place. Either leave with the girls and pledge to say nothing, or be forced to leave the girls in my care. And who knows what I’ll do, hmm?”\n\n\t“You want me to keep silent on this? Ridiculous!”\n\n\t“If you return without the girls, knowing where they are and whose care you were leaving them in, I doubt that would go over well with your clients. Best to say you never found them at all, hmm?”\n\n\tElora growled and clenched her fists a little more. Oh, this jerk had it coming, all right. But he was right…it would definitely look bad if she left things as they were. Even if she amassed a force to take Cayle on, their reputation would still take a hit. But she still had a trump card to play. She looked defiantly at the wolf and placed her hand on the hilt of her short sword. “There’s another way. If you’re man enough for it.”\n\n\t“Oh? And what other way do you suggest?”\n\n\t“I challenge you to a gentleman’s duel. For stakes. If you win, you have my word, I and my mate will not tell a soul of what we have discovered here.”\n\n\t“You and your mate? Very brazen of you, to include your mate in this agreement without his consent.” Cayle grinned and lowered his sword point to the floor once more. “He may not honor it.”\n\n\t“Do not tarnish my mate’s honor, wretch!” the lioness practically spitted at the wolf. “He and I are true to each other in all things, and we trust each other’s word without question!”\n\n\t“As you say, as you say,” Cayle nodded almost dismissively. “Well, if that is so, then I think that it suits my interests well enough. And if you win? Let me guess…I give up all the girls to you unconditionally.”\n\n\t“AND vow never to kidnap anyone else.”\n\n\t“Drat, I was hoping you wouldn’t catch that little loophole. But it’s what I would insist on if our roles were reversed too, I think,” Cayle admitted, then grinned wider. “You really want to do this? You can’t win, you know. I’m better than you.”\n\n\t“Then you should have nothing to worry about. Are we agreed?”\n\n\t“Agreed. I accept the terms of your gentleman’s duel. We fight until one of us yields.” He grinned and walked towards the front of the throne, towards where the large carpet leading up to the throne covered a wide expanse of the floor. He kept walking to where there was enough room to maneuver, motioning with his hand for the lioness to follow. “There are training facilities for this sort of thing within the castle, but a fight in the throne room seems…grand. Shall we fight here?”\n\n\t“The sooner the better,” Elora growled, unsheathing her short sword and moving to unbuckle her tool kit. In an honorable fight, it would be weapon against weapon, and using the tools would decidedly be cheating. She tossed it to the side, where it clattered on the floor noisily, and turned to face her opponent, swinging her sword to warm up as much as she could.\n\n\tCayle held up his free hand, as did Elora. They locked their grip together without needing to be prompted; it was a ritual that needed to be performed in order to fight under the geas. “Challenge is given, and Challenge is met. This has been decreed. Until the victor has been decided, the geas around us is freed,” the two intoned as one, then separated from each other to prepare for combat. Each stood about 10 feet from each other, and got into a ready position, feeling the restriction of the geas melting away to give them the freedom they needed to fight.\n\n\t“I’ve heard rumors of your skill, Elora. I’ve always wondered what it’d be like to take you on.”\n\n\t“Get ready, creep. I’m not going to take it easy on you.”\n\n\t“Charming. But you can’t win.”\n\n\t“Watch me!” With that, Elora dashed forward to close the distance with the wolf. The duel had begun.\n\n\tSilas followed the squirrel maiden with no small amount of concern for his mate; he had no idea what was transpiring at that very moment, but he had a feeling that it probably wasn’t good. Even with the geas in place, there was nothing much to like about the situation, and the lion just hoped that by the time he found the two girls and returned, the situation would have calmed down somewhat. He didn’t allow himself to dwell on it overly, though; it was important to keep your mind on the moment and be aware of any possible complications in the present.\n\n\tOne thing he had noticed as he walked with the squirrel was that she was not talkative; she had her orders and she was carrying them out dutifully. This in itself was not unusual, as some servants did what was asked of them to the letter, choosing to put on as much of a professional air as possible. The squirrel was young though, and in the lion’s past experiences, squirrels were usually a chatty bunch. Silas kept waiting for the squirrel to initiate conversation, but she never volunteered anything. Given the situation he had just left, it was slightly unnerving.\n\n\t“So your name is Contessa? That’s a nice name,” Silas ventured after a while. Perhaps all he needed to do was get the ball rolling.\n\n\t“Yes, and thank you,” the squirrel responded in a lilting voice, looking straight ahead without even turning her head. It had a slightly dreamy quality, as if she were daydreaming about something as they walked.\n\n\tAn uncomfortable silence followed for a moment, as Silas waited to see if anything more came of it. When it was apparent that nothing more was going to be stated, he cleared his throat and continued onward. “So, how did you wind up working for Cayle?”\n\n\t“Working? I don’t understand,” she responded, still with that slightly dreamy voice.\n\n\t“You know, as his servant.”\n\n\t“It just…seemed right…” Contessa answered cryptically. She left the matter at that, but she seemed to sway her body unconsciously a bit more afterwards, her body language suggesting that she was quite happy with the arrangement.\n\n\tSilas sighed and gave up the pretense at conversation. He wasn’t going to force it, and in truth, he didn’t really need to. If she wanted to keep to herself, that was her right. He just hoped that his mate was finding the answers that she sought from the wolf. Or at the very least, staying out of trouble.\n\n\tThe sounds of metal clashing on metal echoed throughout the throne room, the wolf and lioness testing their blades against each other in the first couple of passes. When fighting in the field, it was all about gaining advantage against an opponent by any means necessary, but in a duel, theoretically the combatants were on equal footing, which meant that it was important to gain as much knowledge about your opponent as possible before committing to an attack. They could be over in a flash or draw out over minutes, depending on what approach you took, but this was not a duel to the death. Either Elora or Cayle had to yield, and that meant looking for a decisive advantage.\n\n\tTheir blades clashed once more, Cayle defending with a quick backstep and a defensive swipe, while Elora closed the distance. “He’s fast…it’s going to be hard to make him commit.” Cayle then took a cursory swipe at the hilt of Elora’s sword, which forced the lioness to deflect the swipe before the blow could knock the sword out of her hand. “That wasn’t a serious blow, he’s just testing still. Probably a strong wrist.” Cayle moved his sword next to swipe at his foe’s legs, but Elora danced away nimbly. “He’s looking for weak points to exploit. Trying to whittle you down gradually. He’s prepared for a long battle.” All this went through Elora’s mind as they fought, knowing that much similar information was reaching Cayle’s mind as well. Soon the real fight would begin.\n\n\tThe lioness could already tell that the wolf was a seasoned opponent that would be tough to beat. But she didn’t believe in the slightest that he was as good as he thought he was. She thought that she detected a slight difference in their respective speeds. It was hard to tell, as they were still testing each other, but it was much harder to disguise speed than it was strength. You could pull back from a blow, but defense meant you had to commit with speed, lest a strike find its mark. Perhaps if she struck in a flurry, she could breach his defenses. But she had to be sure; Cayle’s sword had a reach advantage on her, and he could strike her first if she wasn’t careful.\n\n\tAnother pair of gauging blows were exchanged, and the wolf grinned menacingly. “I know something you don’t know…” he taunted, motioning for the lioness to come closer with his free hand.\n\n\tThough the lioness was angered by the wolf, she was no fool. “He can’t possibly expect that to work. Think…you have to get inside of his reach.” She made as if she was going to engage him, giving a loud roar, then pulled back, hoping that he would commit a strike.\n\n\tCayle was too smart for that, however. He kept himself in perfect ready position as he advanced, and swiped once more with his sword. The strike caught Elora’s blade just right, and slid along her own, forcing the lioness to close with the wolf in a sword clinch, the bastard sword gleaming brightly for an instant as Cayle brought his strength to bear.\n\n\tRather than force the wolf back directly, Elora held the clinch for a moment, then used a slight bit of leverage along with a backstep to separate from him, and hoping to catch him off balance, took a swipe at his side. Cayle recovered in time, blocking the strike, though not without a visible effort. “So, he IS slower. At least, if I can get him off guard.” She smiled in triumph; she had not won the battle yet, but she had a little insight now.\n\n\tStrangely, Cayle did not seem bothered by this; quite the opposite. If Elora thought she had scored a victory, the wolf seemed to feel the same. It was a little disquieting to the lioness as she settled back into a ready position. \n\n“You should have never challenged me, my dear,” the wolf stated calmly, his grin growing wider. “You have no one to blame for this but yourself.”\n\n“Don’t act as if you’ve already won. I’m not breathing heavy,” the lioness warned, changing her stance up slightly. Despite her words, she was wary of drawing the battle out for too long; it was hard to gauge which of them would tire first this early in the duel, and it was a dangerous thing to try and rely on her endurance when it was so much of an unknown. “I might have the edge in close combat skill; better try and engage him and throw off his center.”\n\nAs Elora thought this to herself, Cayle performed a half-step lunge with his sword thrust outward, both hands suddenly on the hilt of his sword as he exploited the advantage of the bastard sword’s versatility. The strike was strong, but rather than try and deflect it, Elora simply sidestepped the lunge and tried to cut along his midsection. The wolf knew better than to overcommit though; he was ready, cutting his stroke short and wheeling away so that the short sword only caught the billows of his cloak. Both the combatants followed through with their next strikes, which resulted in another locking of their swords. Cayle levered his sword forward slightly, and the lioness could see her reflection in the glinting steel of the blade as it flashed in front of her. This was what she wanted however; the lioness was skilled in tight quarters, and brought her knee up to deliver a solid blow at what she thought was his genitalia. She was satisfied to hear the wolf grunt, but he didn’t keel over as expected; the colored leathers apparently were decently armored to protect THOSE vitals as well. The shock was enough to cause them to separate in the next instant, however, the two pushing away from the clinch.\n\n“Not much there to hurt, eh?” Elora taunted with a wry grin, glad to be able to do at least a little damage to him in the exchange. The adrenaline was definitely starting to flow; she was feeling a bit flushed all of a sudden, an unexpected feeling given the circumstances. Could she be getting turned on by this?\n\n“Oh, I had no idea that my cock was on your mind. Looking for some wolf in you?” Cayle responded, holding his sword hilt to his groin in what was most clearly a phallic gesture. It was brief, however; he returned his sword to a proper guard position, the wolf seeming more confident than ever.\n\nThe words that the wolf spoke combined with the gesture that he performed evoked something in the lioness. An image in her head formed for the briefest instant, of the wolf mounting her lewdly, and was gone in a flash as she shook it out of her head. Where had THAT come from? That should have been the furthest thing from her mind! She snarled, angry at herself for even entertaining the notion. Almost vengefully, she took a swipe at Cayle’s groin, knowing he would block or dodge it, but needing to lash out there, at least for a moment.\n\nSure enough, the wolf was ready, and deflected the blow with ease. “Oooh, testy…” he chuckled aloud, and countered with a rush, lowering his shoulder while blocking with his sword to charge the lioness. The charge connected partially, throwing the feline off balance for a moment, and Cayle used this opportunity to throw his own blow, his leg lashing out to try and cripple Elora’s knee. The kick connected, but only just; it grazed the side of her knee, and while it stung, it failed to cause any lasting damage. Elora responded with a wild punch, unable to bring her sword to bear in the closeness of the moment; it connected, but in the confusion, she couldn’t tell where. She tried to throw another punch, but this one was caught by the wolf’s hand, which he had released from his sword to counter with. They grappled for the upper hand in close quarters, a test of strength, while the two swords clanged noisily against each other, looking to slip free to score a glancing wound.\n\n“I think that’s enough…” Cayle said through gritted teeth, and then to Elora’s surprise, the wolf leaned forward and pressed his muzzle to the lioness, his lips meeting hers in a sudden lunge. The kiss was firm and unyielding, truly the last thing that Elora expected at that moment. But what was even more unexpected was that she could feel herself responding, her head pressed back and her lips pursed as she all but melted into the kiss before she could stop herself. It was instinctual; by the time she realized what she was doing, the kiss was over, and the wolf had released the lioness from the grapple to get a little more distance and gauge the reaction of the female.\n\nIf it was merely a kiss stolen, Elora could respond with righteous fury. How DARE he! But she had shared the kiss openly, and could not understand why. What was going on? The experience had shaken her more than she cared to admit, and so she was ill prepared to defend herself in the next moment. A carefully calculated sword swipe got past her guard and sliced at the bindings of her armor, severing the cords before thought to refocus herself. “Stupid! Pay attention!” She backpedaled from the wolf, who made no move to follow, and she took the time to discard the armor, not caring for modesty at that moment. Loose armor was worse than no armor; it could slip at the wrong time and hinder a critical block or movement. The studded leather clattered to the floor, leaving her shapely chest and abdomen bared completely. She made no move to cover her modesty, instead keeping her sword at the ready to defend against a follow-up attack.\n\n“Mmmm, very nice…” Cayle commented appreciatively, his eyes roaming Elora’s ample breasts, quietly noting to himself that her nipples were peeking through her fur. Rather than pressing the attack, he remained in place, and moved his free hand to the bindings at his own leathers, keeping his sword at the ready as he unfastened his protective garments. It was a peculiar move, given the situation; Elora could only guess that he was trying to even things up a bit in the duel. When Cayle’s specialized chest armor was discarded to the side, and he moved to unfasten his lower vestments as well, this theory went out the window completely.\n\nIt was a stupid move; removing pants or leathers from one’s legs in the midst of combat would likely tangle the legs up for a while, and in a conflict where speed is everything, it’s a hindrance no one could afford. Elora saw this, and three thoughts ran through her head. The first was incredulity that Cayle was making such a foolish mistake, the second was a seething rage that the wolf was stripping before her as if he had something to offer, and the third was a call to action, her hunter’s instinct kicking in as she saw the opening that she needed. “Now! He can’t maneuver! Press the attack and make him pay!” The last thought spurred her to action, but as she set herself in motion, she realized that something still wasn’t right. Her heart was no longer in the fight; her mind was confused and unfocused. She was going through the motions now, at war with herself as much as the wolf in front of her.\n\nCayle was still in the process of disrobing in front of the lioness, but even in this state of vulnerability, he was ready for an attack of opportunity. He watched the lioness as she stirred into motion, but before she could close even half the distance between them, he shouted a command to her, holding his sword ready: “Drop it!”\n\nThe sound of a sword clattering to the floor could be heard echoing throughout the throne room, and it took Elora a moment to realize it was hers. She stopped in place, stunned into inaction, looking down at her hand as if it had betrayed her somehow. She hadn’t even thought about heeding the command, but somehow, she had done just that, and now she was foolishly unarmed for no reason that she could perceive. Moreover, she noticed now that Cayle had finished discarding the rest of his armor, and was now standing there as naked as could be, save for the sword in his hand. The realization made her gasp, not in surprise, but from the butterflies that suddenly stirred from her core, something unnatural and wonderful.\n\nIt took only a moment for the lioness to take in the full breadth of the male before her in his naked state, her combat reflexes allowing her to assess the situation like any other. Once she had done so, there should have been no reason to let her gaze linger any longer than it did, but Elora simply couldn’t bring herself to look away. That in itself was unusual; the lioness loved her mate, but while he was indeed a find physical specimen, and handsome as well, he had never been able to make her feel like a lovesick girl lusting after her Adonis. She had never felt that way until now, and it was ridiculous that she should feel this way towards someone who was clearly her enemy. But she just couldn’t stop staring, and Cayle knew it.\n\nCayle’s body was trim and firm, as one might expect from someone in the bounty hunter profession. And it was large and menacing, as one might expect from an alpha male of a wolf pack. Now that it was presented in all its glory for the lioness to look upon, other details of the wolf’s body surfaced that might not have been apparent early on. The most notable of these was the fact that he kept himself well-groomed; there were no tangles or knots in his fur, despite the fact that it was thick and that it was kept under his armor, where tangles could develop. This wasn’t entirely surprising; Cayle was notoriously vain, and he probably spent more than a healthy amount of time grooming himself each day. But it was a pleasant surprise; in the field, one often had do without some of the fineries that made one presentable, and it could be easy to forget entirely.\n\nHe was also very clean, and with the armor removed, Elora could get a clearer scent from the male, a scent that sent those butterflies to action once more. Even with the wolf having engaged in combat with her just moments ago, he wasn’t panting or perspiring in the slightest, and his fur all but gleamed in the low level of light, much like his sword did in the heat of battle. It wasn’t a clear gray as she had thought; some traces of white and silver streaked through his underbelly in such a way as to highlight his toned body and firm musculature. It swayed a little in the slight undercurrent of slightly chilled air that filled the room, but more so in the sway of his tail that moved this way and that, the wolf clearly enjoying the attention.\n\nWhat held Elora’s gaze more than anything was what Cayle had taken the extra time to reveal; with his leathers removed from his lower half, the wolf’s sheath and balls were completely visible. Despite what Elora had implied earlier, the wolf was quite well equipped for mating, with a sizable sheath that left very little to the imagination. Not that it needed to; sometime during the conflict, Cayle had become aroused enough that his cock had emerged halfway from his sheath, presenting his lupine organ lewdly to the lioness. Cayle seemed quite proud of this, and with his free hand, he reached down to cup his generous ballsac, hefting the swollen orbs in full view of the lioness, a sight that made her gasp aloud. “Aren’t you glad you waited?” he teased, a triumphant smile gracing his muzzle.\n\nThe lioness was ashamed to realize that she was panting a bit, and not because of the exertion from the duel. She should be outraged! To be looking at another male in such a way other than her mate! She hated this male, so why was she feeling this way? It was maddening! The thoughts ran through her mind, cutting their way through the fog of confusion, and she forced herself to look back to her blade, still lying on the floor where she had dropped it. She had to get it back before he took advantage of her defenseless position!\n\nEven with these thoughts forcing their way through, she still hesitated, and that hesitation was enough for Cayle to seize the advantage. Within a blink, he dashed over to bar the lioness from her short sword with the blade of his bastard sword, the metal glinting as it rested within inches of her bared chest. “You don’t know when to quit, do you…” the wolf chuckled, the lupine still cautious, but with every reason to be confident now. “That’s fine. It just makes it more fun. I can see that you still can’t believe you’ve lost.” He raised the sword up, placing the blade just under the chin of the lioness. “Would you like me to tell you how?”\n\n“H-how?” Elora gasped out, worried about her situation, but also so very very confused. A part of her refused to give up…it was just too humiliating to be beaten this way. Perhaps she could wrestle his sword out of his hand, or catch him in a vulnerable spot now that he was unarmored, or…\n\n“This is a very special sword,” Cayle answered the lioness, his fingers reaching out to all but yank the leathered skirt that she wore free from her hips, making Elora yelp a bit in protest; with the sword so close to her neck however, she dared not respond to the affront. “Perhaps you remember me mentioning that I found a few treasures in this castle. This blade was one of them. Perhaps it was the sword of the previous ruler of the castle; I found it in a bedroom I can only assume to be that of the previous lord.” He flicked the blade once, showing the double-edge that was honed to razor sharpness. “It’s called Enuvite. Or at least, that’s the official inscription. I like to call it Weakspot.”\n\n“Weakspot?” Elora was all too keenly aware of her state of nakedness now, as well as where that blade was. She was also keenly aware of the moistness between her thighs, and was praying against hope that the wolf would not notice. “Please, grant me this one last shred of dignity…” she thought to herself…but at the same time, against all rational thought, some part of her was hoping that he DID notice.\n\nThe wolf had not noticed yet; he was too wrapped up in his explanation, though he was looking over the lioness’s naked body with appraising eyes as he held the sword ready, and would likely discover the fact soon enough. “It’s a marvelous blade…not really my favored type of sword, but it was too well made not to want to use. And besides which, it has a special power as well.” The blade glinted once more, and the lioness gasped; something had changed, and whatever it was, it made her attraction to the wolf that much more palpable. “If I hold the blade close to someone, just like now, I can give them a weakness. No matter how strong or sure someone may be, this sword can give them a vulnerability that I can exploit. A weakness against something, like a particular type of metal or weapon…or a weakness for something, like a particular scent or craving.”\n\n“You…you cheated?” Elora spoke aloud, realizing now that the strange feelings and actions she was experienced were being manipulated by the wolf.\n\n“I hardly think so,” Cayle continued, “I told you at the outset that you couldn’t win. It’s not my fault that you didn’t heed my words. It was my blade versus yours…my tool simply had better…reach.” He winked to her and reached down with his free hand and stroked between the moist folds of her legs, causing the feline to mewl in pleasure before she could stop herself. “Speaking of tools…you seem to be quite enamored of mine.”\n\nElora snarled to Cayle at that, but it lacked the conviction it should have had, and both of them knew it. “S-shut up! You…you did something to me!”\n\n“Of course I did! I should have thought that was obvious.” He continued to stroke over her cleft, making the beautiful feline purr from his touch. She was a fine specimen of a feline; bold, tough, sexy yet strong, alluring and nigh untouchable. Her golden coat of fur was short but soft, a rarity for lions, and it framed her body wonderfully. Her musculature was such that she appeared to be strong and sleek at the same time, her ample breasts the epitome of femininity, her hips wide and shapely, her legs and arms toned and firm. The signs of arousal made her even more desirable, those nipples jutting forth from her chest, eager for attention, while the slickness of her petals could be felt coating the fur of the wolf’s fingers, which made stroking her even easier. “The fight could have been over anytime, you see. The first weakness I forced upon you was the weakness for obedience. Specifically to strong-willed wolves. Like myself, for example.”\n\nA light flashed in Elora’s mind then. “The sword!”\n\n“Yes. When I told you to drop it, you didn’t hesitate. I could have commanded it at any time, but I wanted to see how good you were. And you are good, I won’t deny. Maybe, just maybe, you could have won.” At that admission, the wolf slipped his fingers forward a little, penetrating the feline’s folds for the first time, the sudden intrusion making the lioness stand on her toes in shock…and in pleasure as well. “But that didn’t happen, did it?”\n\nThe lioness was forced to remain still as the wolf explored her body, the sword hanging menacingly close to her. It was shameful, knowing that she couldn’t do anything about it, but at the same time, she was no longer sure that she could. Her plans to try and somehow turn the situation around were quickly becoming forgotten, the tingles of pleasure assaulting her mind and keeping her distracted. She felt such a loathing for the wolf, but also a strange attraction, an unnatural attraction; she knew without a doubt now that the mysterious sword was to blame, but the knowledge didn’t help her situation or her resolve. Her arousal continued to grow despite herself, and she felt another spike as the wolf leaned close to blow into her ear the way that lovers do, while those fingers continued to explore her depths.\n\n“I’m sure you can guess that I’ve given you a few special weaknesses just for this situation,” Cayle continued on, murmuring into her ear. “Weaknesses pertaining to arousal, desire…pleasure…” At the last word, he brought his thumb into play, slowly brushing it over Elora’s engorged clit, which sent an electric thrill running through the lioness. As he did so, he slid in a little closer, rubbing the base of his aroused shaft against the fur of Elora’s hip, the heat of his member being felt even through the soft fur. The blade that Cayle held flashed once more, and the lioness felt herself respond once more, her pants now quite audible throughout the throne room.\n\nCayle growled softly to the lioness, an undercurrent of lust coloring the sound, and he unceremoniously tossed the sword to the side, where it clattered to the floor some distance away. It was well out of reach of both the wolf and the lioness for the time being now, leaving both the furs unarmed. Without missing a beat, Cayle used the now free hand to further embrace the lioness, moving his body behind hers and sliding that hand to her chest, groping one of her breasts shamelessly as the other hand slipped its fingers in and out of her cleft and continued to brush over her clit. The wolf was clearly unafraid of Elora trying to escape his grasp to lunge for one of the weapons on the floor, a soft chuckle escaping his lips as the lioness never even made an attempt to try, her soft moans and whimpers filling the air.\n\nWhy was she not doing anything?! Elora was just letting the wolf take advantage of her like some wanton slut! She had never let anyone touch her like this except for her mate, and she would have broken the bones of anyone who dared try! She wanted to fight the calling, the instinctual need she felt, but every time she tried, another spike of pleasure quelled the resistance, and it became that much harder to regain her sensibilities. She was in trouble, real trouble…but the one who could save her was nowhere near, and unaware of her plight. Almost limply, she raised one of her hands as if to try and pry the wolf’s hand from her chest, but the move turned into a caress, her body betraying her further as she cradled his hand to her breast to encourage his touch. Cayle just smiled, and leaned closer, his fur mingling with Elora’s as he murmured into her ear once more, this time louder and full of confidence.\n\n“Look at you…your body wants me. It wants me so badly. What of your mate, fair Elora? What of that trust, that bond of love? Look how readily you give yourself to me to enjoy. And love? You are NOTHING to me. Just a slut for me to screw until I am satisfied and drained of seed. A bitch for me to breed and conquer. And you would let me; don’t try to deny it. Every moan I hear escape your lips tells me so.” As he spoke, he began pinching Elora’s nipple through his fingertips, and started to work his fingers faster into her cunt, forcing her to shudder in his grasp. \n\nElora tried to force the words from her lips to deny the wolf’s claim, but to her shame, the only sound that issued forth from her muzzle was a moan of pleasure. She wasn’t sure if it was the sword’s influence or Cayle’s apparent skill, but he was pushing all of the right buttons to bring her body to a desperate need. Even the viciousness of the wolf’s words did nothing to stop her from wanting more, her legs quivering and weakening from his assault, and finally giving way entirely. The lioness fell to her knees, simultaneously trying to shy away from his touch and drive herself onto his fingers; knowing the wolf was her enemy, and yet craving his touch. Thoughts of her mate soon faded from her mind, the lioness unable to focus on anything but the moment, but even that focus was quickly dwindling.\n\nCayle allowed Elora to sink to her knees, his body following soon after to keep his body close to her own, never allowing her a moment apart from his touch. Those fingers kept thrusting in and out of Elora’s pussy, quicker and faster, while his other hand circled the flesh of her nipple, cradling the breast possessively in his palm. He leaned his head close and growled into her ear, then gave her a firm nip on her neck, letting his teeth sink in lightly to her flesh, right at the spot where she was most sensitive. The pain wasn’t enough to shake her from her hazed state; rather, it intensified it, her mate having given her similar bites when they shared intimate moments together. Another moan escaped her lips, this one deeper and more heartfelt, the bite evoking something deep within her.\n\nShe was close, she knew…she was still trying to fight it somewhere deep inside, but it was like trying to beat down a brick wall with her bare hands. She knew that the wolf was savoring every moment of her distress, taking satisfaction in his dominance over her, and her pride told her not to give the wolf this victory, to hold out until her mate could save her. But she couldn’t deny, she WANTED this wolf…she wanted to please him, to serve him…it was all a lie, one big lie fabricated by the sword’s power, but she was making it come true, she couldn’t resist the unnatural urges that flooded her mind. Her juices were flowing steadily, dripping down Cayle’s fingertips to let him know how close she was, her body now writhing in place as the need to feel sweet release began to overwhelm her.\n\nThe wolf seemed to sense Elora’s state, and he released her neck in response to bring his muzzle to her ear once again, his breath brushing hotly over her ear tufts as she moaned once more. “Feel how readily your body betrays you? Quite suiting for one who would give herself to her foe so wantonly…how quickly you forget your mate.” Another firm thrust of his fingertips drove his point home as the wolf continued to speak. “I am your mate now…and you will submit to me. You cannot resist.” Another squeeze of her breast, another rub of her clit, and she could feel herself slipping. “Yield to me, little feline…say it. Do you yield?”\n\nElora closed her eyes and tilted her head back, her whole body tensing right at the moment when she knew she could fight no longer, and the moment culminated in her muzzle opening wide, shouting out two words loud and clear. “I yield!” She couldn’t stop herself; the words tumbled out, and it was like a gate had been thrown open, another cry following after, formless and wordless, just a simple cry of pleasure and release. Her pussy clenched tightly over the wolf’s fingers as she spasmed, her toes clenching and unclenching while she dug her claws reflexively into Cayle’s hand along her breast. The wolf remained still, perched behind her and still moving his fingers as much as he could inside of her, spreading her juices around while making sure to rub her button as much as possible. It kept Elora’s pleasure flowing, never really giving her a moment to just enjoy an afterglow between sensations, her body held aloft by Cayle’s hands, preventing her from bracing herself on all fours from the rush of pleasure.\n\nThe lioness never could really tell when she was finally allowed to recover, the moments blending together into a blur, but she finally regained some of her senses after a while, discovering herself on the carpeted floor in an undignified heap, her muzzle still panting as she recovered from the rush. She was dimly aware that the geas of hospitality was back in place, having satisfied the conditions of the duel by yielding to her opponent, though she wasn’t sure if that was his intent all along. She turned her head, looking around for the wolf, and saw him grinning to her with a satisfied smirk, as he knelt and picked up his wicked blade once more. “Looks like I win…and to the victor goes the spoils.” He started to walk towards her, holding the blade at the ready, and she felt a little shiver run through her as she realized that he meant to use the blade on her once more.\n\nCayle walked towards Elora, still naked and quite erect; in all the time that he pleasured the lioness, he never once took his pleasure from her. “You never had a chance,” he told her, showing the blade once more, walking towards her with calculated slowness. “And now, let’s have some fun, you and I. But first…let’s make a few…adjustments.” The wolf grinned cruelly, and brought the sword to bear on the lioness, the gray steel glinting with its malevolent power.\n\nThe castle was certainly larger than it seemed; at least, it seemed that way to Silas. It was broad, to be sure, and it took a fair amount of time to cross from one section of the castle to the next. But it was tall as well, and when one had to climb several flights of stairs to get to their destination, it made for quite a journey indeed. Silas had followed Contessa to the base of the West Tower, and now the two were making a steady journey up the winding staircase towards the servant’s quarters. It wasn’t a tiring journey for the lion; he had quite a bit of stamina built up from his natural physique and his chosen profession. He was a bit surprised that Contessa could manage the flight of stairs without seeming winded however; he figured that perhaps she had just gotten enough practice to not notice anymore.\n\n“How much farther is it to the servant’s quarters?” he ventured, more to make idle conversation rather than out of any sense of frustration or urgency.\n\n“Not long now,” Contessa answered. “Just a couple more turns around the staircase, and we should be there.”\n\n“Good, good,” Silas nodded, glad to know that he was almost at the end of his trek. He was anxious to get this over and done with so that he could reunite with his mate. He just couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that those two were probably at each other’s throats, though with the geas in place, he didn’t really see how. “And they’re all right, safe and sound?”\n\n“Yes, yes,” Contessa replied almost dismissively as she rounded the staircase up ahead, her tail swaying behind her almost hypnotically. “Master takes good care of his pets.”\n\nSilas paused at that; it was something that didn’t ring right. “Pets?” As he puzzled this, Contessa turned the corner and almost vanished out of sight; he hurried a bit to keep up. “What do you mean?”\n\n“It is what he calls us,” the squirrel replied in her dreamy voice, not missing a beat as she continued on up the stairs. “He is our master, and we are his pets. It is the way of things.”\n\n\t“What are you saying? He is keeping you as his pet?”\n\n\tContessa laughed merrily at this, as if the lion had just told some amusing joke, or simply just didn’t get it. “We are his. We gladly serve our master.” She paused then, and pointed to a large set of double doors that were sitting just off to the side of the stairs. “There. That’s the servant’s quarters.”\n\n\tThank heaven for small favors; Silas had expected that they would have to climb the entire tower to reach the room they sought. The room was only about halfway up the tower, leaving the lion to briefly wonder what was all the way up at the top. “Probably a guard room of some sort, or a lookout post, to guard the castle in case of attack,” he thought to himself; if he were in charge of the castle, he would probably have at least two such fortifications out of the four towers available.\n\n\tThe rest of the staircase was cleared in the next moment, and the two stood outside of the double doors in preparation to enter. The lion reached out and knocked on the door politely, a move which made the squirrel look at him strangely. Without a word, the squirrel pushed on the door, and it creaked open a little, whereupon Contessa held out her hand in a clear invitation for the lion to go ahead and go inside. “Well, here’s to hoping this goes as painlessly as possible. I’m sure Elora is waiting for me to return.” \n\n \"Mmmm, this is heaven,\" Cayle thought to himself, his body settled on his cushioned throne while the lioness perched between his legs and suckled wantonly on his exposed cock, the sounds of her slurping filling the air as she bobbed her head up and down. Such a wonderful conquest indeed; Elora's muzzle fit around his cock like a glove, and even if she still held any notions of biting down on his cock to take some sort of revenge, the geas would prevent her from doing so. Not that she would anyways; the sword had done its dastardly work all too well, and the lioness was now a slave to the desires that filled her mind constantly.\n\nThe wolf reached down with one of his hands to lightly pet over Elora’s head, stroking between her ears while the other hand finally lowered his blade to the side of the throne, having finished his ‘adjustments’ for now. He grinned sinisterly as he both witnessed and felt what his actions had done to the lioness, congratulating himself for having done such a masterful job of taking control of the situation. Now the very feline who had defended her mate’s honor so vehemently earlier was betraying him of her own free will, giving head to the foe that she had battled and lost to only moments before. Better still, the wolf had left her fully aware of her actions, the lioness knowing what a despicable act she was participating in, but unable to help herself from doing so.\n\n“Mmmm, you’ve done this before, haven’t you? For that mate of yours. I’ll bet that you wrapped your pretty little lips around his prick more than once. But look at you now…giving me such wonderful strokes of your tongue, almost as if you mean it. But you do mean it, don’t you, slut?” Cayle chuckled into Elora’s ears, rubbing her head a little more and forcing her to take more of his cock into her lips, an action that needed little encouragement as the lioness complied without resistance. He smiled to himself as he felt her take his shaft in to the hilt; she was going to make a fine addition to his little harem.\n\nCayle had tested the boundaries of his sword’s abilities quite a number of times before now, and had quickly adapted to take advantage of what powers were available to him. He had learned that the sword was indeed powerful, able to inflict all sorts of weaknesses in anyone the sword was close enough to. At first he started simply, using one or two guinea pigs for his tests, finding that the sword could affect physical traits as well as mental. As he grew bolder, he learned that the weaknesses were extremely potent, and while someone could try to overcome them momentarily, they would still be there, as much a part of them as if they had been there all along.\n\nBut the sword had weaknesses as well…well, perhaps not so much weaknesses as things the sword couldn’t do. It couldn’t change memories, for example. The lioness before him was still in love with her mate, despite the way she was wrapping her lips around his cock and bobbing her muzzle up and down, allowing the tip of his wolfhood to sink into her throat. There was no way that the wolf could make the lioness totally forget Silas, or even abandon the love that she had for him. But Cayle had no need for Elora’s love, much as he had told her from the start. He was a vain wolf; all he desired was to be adored, to be worshipped, and he could think of no finer worship than to have a beautiful feline such as this forsake her own mate to taste his cock and offer herself to him.\n\nTo that end, he had carefully devised a plan from the first moment that she had offered to engage him in combat. The weakness to obey was just the start of the plan…with that, he could end the conflict in a heartbeat if things were going sour. After that, he began to inflict weaknesses in the lioness designed to make her more pliable to him. The first was a weakness to his wolf pheromones; the more that he remained close to her, the more his scent would fill her nostrils and incite a lustful desire in her. Next he slipped in a weakness against strong-willed males, a weakness that would work well with the weakness to obey, and evoke a submissive side in the lioness. After that, it was almost child’s play; he added specific weaknesses tailored to attack her directly. A weakness for wolf cock, a weakness for being used, a weakness against dirty talk…every one of them designed to tempt her and make her do things she would have never considered otherwise. And finally, a special weakness, a weakness for wolf cum, HIS wolf cum, that had her sucking wantonly on his rigid pole with no shame whatsoever.\n\nCayle moved his other hand to gently stroke underneath Elora’s chin as it moved back and forth, the lioness making soft muffled moans as she savored the flavor of his cockflesh, one of her hands slowly rolling over the large wolf testes that hung inside of his sac. “Mmmm, such a good kitty you are…keep it up, pussy, and you’ll get your cream soon enough.” The wolf chuckled softly, then growled in pleasure as the lioness redoubled her efforts, using her raspy tongue to attend to the underside of his sensitive glans. A wolf’s anatomy was decidedly different than that of a lion, but Elora had adapted marvelously and was purring loudly, truly lost in the moment.\n\nThe wolf’s instincts told him to thrust, to pound that muzzle that was bobbing up and down into his lap, but he resisted the urge; Cayle felt that it would be ever so much sweeter if he could make her get him off all by herself, to bring him to his peak without any help from him whatsoever. She wouldn’t be able to say later on that he had forced her without telling an outright lie; the deed would be hers and hers alone to live with. He stretched a little more, and brought his naked footpaw to draw between her kneeling thighs, stroking the soft petals between her legs with the top of his foot and ankle, letting the fur brush over her cunt smoothly to offer her a little more stimulation and incentive. Elora all but melted into his touch, pressing her top forward and letting her breasts pillow against Cayle’s left thigh, her touch along the wolf’s sac becoming more insistent as he rolled and stroked the orbs within along her fingertips.\n\n“Mmmm, easy there, kitten,” Cayle murmured to the lioness, stroking over her headfur a little more while looking into her eyes with a grin. “Let’s make it last. Why don’t you be a good little slut and suck on my balls for a little while?” This was another part of his dominance over her, to test her willingness with commands and suggestions, to make her further debase herself by playing to the wolf’s whim. To his delight, Elora complied without even the slightest hesitation, pulling her muzzle off of the cock in her maw slowly, savoring the taste before it finally escaped her lips with an audible sucking sound. She took hold of his wet shaft in her hand and stroked it up and down firmly, spreading the saliva over his erect pole with her actions while she leaned her muzzle down to the musky ballsac underneath and gently took one of the plump orbs into her lips. Soon the sounds of soft suckling resumed, the lioness purring loudly as she breathed in the scent that so captivated her now and kept her aroused.\n\nCayle was just a bit surprised; he hadn’t told Elora to keep working over his cock with her hand, the action further proof that she was not simply going through the motions to please him. His growl deepened a little more and he nodded to the lioness, who looked up at him once with lust-filled eyes, then lowered them to gaze upon the shaft she stroked in her palm, watching it gleam in the low light. “Mmmm, that’s right…use that soft little mouth of yours…stroke off my cock…make your master proud, my pet. Worship my cock, make it your entire world.” As he spoke, precum trickled from the tip of his member, running down the underside of his shaft, the gaze of the lioness fixed on that leaking fluid as she used her tongue and lips on the softly furred nutsack before her. He could tell she wanted it, but she would obey him like a good little pet, he knew. He knew just how potent the sword’s power could be.\n\nHis mind flashed back to his first conquest at that moment, drifting back to just several days after he had found the castle and the mysterious sword. He left the castle and made sure to leave himself some signs to get back to his find, but he needed to get supplies, and to that end he journeyed to the town of Willowbark. The journey was uneventful, but just as he was leaving the town, he had hatched a plan to drum up a little business. A little manufactured kidnapping could be good to keep him in the cash, as long as the one kidnapped couldn’t recognize him and he could capitalize on the job before anyone else in the Hunter’s Guild did. If he stayed close to the town, it would probably be relatively easy. So he waited around the outskirts of town as he looked for an opportunity. Soon he saw her; a little slinky ferret lass who couldn’t have been more than fifteen or sixteen years of age, who had foolishly gone wandering into the outskirts of the Frostwood without any escort or any visible means of defense.\n\nThe capture was over in a blink, the stealthy wolf able to subdue the ferret girl before she even knew what had happened. The wolf covered her head and eyes so that she couldn’t see, and tied her up so that she couldn’t escape. After that, he led her towards the castle, the journey being a lot smoother and quicker now that he knew the area relatively well. He prodded her periodically in the small of her back with the tip of his sword to remind her that he was armed and potentially dangerous, though he knew that she wouldn’t be worth much to him if he hurt her. She didn’t need to know that, though. Her whimpers were annoying though, and he was glad when he finally reached the castle with her in tow. Just before entering, he prodded her once more with the sword and told her, half-jokingly, that she should count herself lucky; some people had a weakness for being tied up and blindfolded. His sword flashed once at his words, almost as if it caught the light just right, which was odd; the sun was still out, but already beyond the horizon, so there shouldn’t be any flashes of light. Even odder was the fact that the ferret girl had begun to squirm in her bindings a bit, soft moans escaping her lips. Cayle told the girl to keep moving and kept a wary eye on her, thinking perhaps she was trying to escape her bonds. He was surprised, however, when he later on caught the ferret girl rubbing her crotch against the ropes that tied her wrist, seeming to try to get herself off rather than trying to escape her bonds, soft moans escaping her lips as she tried to do.\n\nCayle had left the hood on the ferret girl’s head, so she didn’t see him approach, nor did she hear him; the wolf could be remarkably stealthy when he wanted to be. But he approached her and watched her state, finding the situation a bit of a turn on as well as being quite curious. He remembered his words from before, and brought the sword to bear on the ferret girl, trying to use its power actively then to try and give her a weakness he could see to confirm it for himself. Something very obscure, something like perhaps…tailfucking. The sword flashed once again, as if struck by light, and almost instantly, the ferret tossed her bound hands over her head and snuck her long tail between her legs, sliding the length back and forth underneath the dress she wore, molesting herself in full view of the wolf.\n\nShe had been most appreciative afterwards when he used the sword to push all the right buttons, and after he had taken her and slaked his mounting lust with her all-too-willing body, he realized that he had struck the jackpot, in more ways than one. He decided he would keep the girl rather than simply hold her for a job; she was quite pretty, after all, and had already demonstrated that she could be trained quite readily. But the sword…the sword was the key to so much more. If he was right, then using the sword, he could defeat any foe in a head-on battle, could influence anyone he wished with a subtle nudge, and could bend people to his will. The last particularly interested him; he was not without certain male needs, and though the ferret girl was a prized acquisition, he desired more still.\n\nCayle was brought back to reality before long, stirred from his recollection by the intensifying feelings around his shaft and sac. Elora’s hand was getting quicker along his slick cock, the lioness spreading around his pre as it trickled forth to smear it wherever she could, hoping to get a taste of the fluid as it came nearer to where she was attending to his balls with her muzzle. Cayle could feel his body responding to her actions, and could sense that it wouldn’t be too much longer before she brought him to climax, but he’d be damned if he let her get him off with a simple hand job. He knew what he wanted, and thanks to the weaknesses that he implanted in Elora’s psyche, he knew what she wanted as well.\n\n“Just dying for a taste, aren’t you, kitty? Probably can’t wait to wrap your tongue around my cock again and suck me deep. Well, go ahead. Let me feel your desire, Elora of the Pride Hunters.” The last he said with a sneer; if he had his way, that would be the last she would ever hear or use that title again. To him, she was pet, slave, servant, slut…but never equal. He was so much more than her, and the fact that she was between his legs and servicing him in this manner was all the proof he needed in his eyes.\n\nIf Elora picked up on the sarcasm in the wolf’s voice, she didn’t show it; she merely slipped her muzzle off of Cayle’s moistened sac and brought it back up to the object of her desires, enveloping the tip of his organ with her lips and sliding her muzzle down his rigid flesh. A moan of desire slipped from her muffled lips as she sampled the wolf’s precum, sliding her tongue this way and that to collect what she could, the flavor intoxicating to her senses. She only slipped her muzzle down a little more than halfway this time, keeping her hand fixed at the base of his shaft and meeting it with her lips before she pulled back, bobbing her head once more. As she moved her muzzle, her hand moved as well, stroking what she could of his cock when her muzzle pulled back, moving in time with the rhythm to stroke and suck him off at the same time.\n\nCayle groaned loudly and tilted his head back for a moment, losing sight of the fellatio as he basked in the sensations, but quickly settled back into place. As much as the pleasure was affecting his body, the sight of the lioness moving her muzzle and hand over his shaft was equally as powerful, and the wolf wanted to witness the sight in full. “Ooooh, yeah…suck that cock, bitch…let me feel your hunger. I’ll give you a taste you won’t forget.” His foot stroked between Elora’s thighs a little quicker, making sure to brush over her clit to stimulate her even more, dangling the bait of more pleasure for the lioness to take hold of.\n\nThe increased contact along with the wolf’s words affected the lioness as if she had just been invigorated, and in the next moments, her mouth and hand practically flew over Cayle’s cock, her eyes closed as she let herself be guided by the sense of taste and touch alone. She all but hugged herself to the wolf, her legs spread slightly below her, the lioness purring at the taste of the wolf’s pre but having no time to swallow, the fluids partially leaking out around her lips to trickle onto her moving fingers as well. She was giving it her all, that much was clear, and Cayle knew that it was only a matter of time before she was rewarded for it. He could feel his peak rising, the intensity building, his body tensing…he let his tongue hang out, panting in pleasure, unable to speak, his words reduced to groans of pleasure. So close, so close!\n\nThe moment came without warning, the wolf only sounding a moan of relief and release a split second after. Cayle’s heavy sac tensed as the pleasure of climax washed over his body, forcing the bounty of wolf spunk through his rigid shaft to explode from the tip, spurting thickly into Elora’s bobbing muzzle. It soaked the inside of her mouth before she was prepared, the lioness still moving her muzzle up and down the spire of flesh before her, the rich cream spilling slightly from her muzzle as she moved. When she finally registered the change in taste and texture, she stopped bobbing her muzzle and lips and simply sunk her entire mouth upon the thick length, filling her mouth and throat all at once as she resorted to an enthusiastic suckling instead, swallowing what she could while savoring the taste of what was still in her maw.\n\nIt was a thrill like no other for Cayle, watching Elora feast upon the cub batter that he was feeding her, witnessing the pure lust that had overtaken the feline. She continued to purr, and purr loudly, her hands moving to his ballsac to tenderly caress it, trying to coax more cum from the orbs for her to drink down, the wolf able to see her throat bob as she swallowed over and over again. The eyes of the lioness remained closed as she nursed at his cock in seeming bliss, every movement of the feline languorous and attentive, her mouth worshipping his pulsing and spurting length as if it were catnip, her tongue moving along the underside and glans to savor every moment. One would never even suspect from the way she was behaving now that she had been ready to cause him mortal injury just a short while ago. He loved it. This magnificent feline, his enemy, swallowing and draining his cock as if it were all she desired in life. To him, it was the sweetest form of victory, and one he would enjoy for quite some time.\n\n“That’s right, kitty, take it all…use that slutty mouth of yours and get every last drop,” Cayle murmured to her, the hand upon Elora’s head still stroking her between the ears, playing with her fur as she fed. His touch was light and tender, his euphoria easing his demeanor towards the lioness for a while; beast though he was, he still appreciated the way she gobbled down his cock and cum like a champion. “Feel my essence flowing into your body. I’m sure you’ve never tasted a male other than your mate…taste me now, and remember. Remember the moment when you sucked me off to sate your own desires…remember the taste of the wolf that you betrayed your lion for.” He chuckled as he heard Elora moan through muffled lips soon after, knowing he had scored a hidden blow somewhere in her psyche.\n\nHe watched Elora continue to suckle his shaft, then when he had offered her the last spurts of cum from his cock, he watched as she began to move her muzzle once more, moving up and down slowly with her lips as she adored his wolfhood. He could feel her tongue stroking along his cockflesh once more within her muzzle, though he couldn’t tell if she was trying to clean his dick off completely, or just simply lavishing it with affection. He really didn’t care; it still felt amazing, and apparently the lioness knew to be gentle with her strokes…at least until he got his second wind, at any rate. He could also feel the moisture soaking his footpaw as well; apparently, she had climaxed around the same time as he had, though he was so caught up with his own release, he had failed to notice at the time. Just as well, he wasn’t all that concerned about her satisfaction, having given her a good stroking to start things off.\n\nHe recalled that moment mentally, and with that memory, he remembered the dull throbbing pain in his hand, where the lioness had sunk his claws into him with her release. It was an insignificant injury, compared to what could happen in the line of work of a bounty hunter, but Cayle resented being injured in any matter, even in the throes of pleasure. He held up his hand in front of him, noting the several puncture marks along the back of his hand near the wrist. He then looked back to Elora, who was happily and blissfully suckling on his cock, her breasts sliding slowly against his thigh as she moved. She would pay for inflicting such wounds upon him, that much Cayle was certain of. He growled to himself then, his sinister side chuckling within his mind; she would pay, but there was no reason for it to be an unpleasant experience for either of them. \n\nOh yes…his victory over Elora was far from complete.\n\nSilas wasn’t quite sure what he had expected when he walked into the servant’s quarters, but it certainly wasn’t what he happened to walk in on. The doors opened up into a spacious room, a room which was clearly designed to house a number of people in a limited area. While the room was limited to the tower’s girth in surface area (which was not small by any means, but still confined out of necessity), it was tall, and was carefully constructed to house several levels of floors within. The room was also furnished nicely, with plenty of beds, couches, and soft cushions to keep anyone comfortable. Silas could only assume that the furnishings had always been there, as he couldn’t imagine the wolf taking the time and effort to decorate this part of the castle without taking care of something as basic as the throne room first.\n\nThe room’s size or décor wasn’t what surprised Silas, however. What surprised him were the servants themselves. To the last, every one of the servants was a female; various species, various sizes, but all of them female, no exception. Even this in itself might not have been enough to surprise Silas, but it was clear from the first moment he laid eyes on one of the servants that they were more than just mere servants. Most of the girls in the room were naked, and the ones that weren’t naked were dressed in some form of serving girl outfit, or some variant of a harem girl outfit. It was obvious what some of them had been up to as well; a number of them were displaying various stages of pregnancy, and a few of them looked to be well into term, the most prominent of them being a ferret who lounged lazily on her side, watching the lion as he entered.\n\nSilas took in the scene before him with eyes darting to and fro, his instincts and training telling him to assess the area for potential threats, but even as he fell into his training, he could still appreciate the number of lovely females that greeted his eyes. He was mated, true, but he could still enjoy the sight of the female form in all its glory, and there was plenty to see. Once he was suitably sure that there were no perceivable threats, he relaxed a bit and tried to make sense of what he was seeing. All of the girls were reacting to his entrance into the room as if they expected it, which they very well might have; none of them showed any signs of distress at a stranger in their midst. What was possibly more interesting was that they all seemed to express disinterest, as if they had been expecting someone else and had been disappointed.\n\nEven with this somewhat disquieting observation, the lion shrugged it off in his mind. He was here for one purpose and one purpose only, to retrieve the vixen and the bunny. With this in mind, he called out in a loud voice, “CHERISE! RISA! Are you here?” In the back of his mind, he wondered…would it be a good thing if he found them in here? He had a sinking feeling that if they were indeed here, that they were not mere guests as he had first been told.\n\nHe saw the bunny first; those ears twitched visibly from somewhere in the back of the room. The vixen was the first one to make her way towards the lion however, and as soon as he saw her, the lion’s fears were confirmed. While Cherise didn’t appear to be in a gravid state, she was nevertheless as naked as some of her companions, her youthful and shapely body presented to the lion in its entirety. Cherise didn’t appear to be at all bashful about her nudity, standing before him dutifully and making no attempt to hide her modesty at all, as if shame were simply beyond her. Almost as if disbelieving of what he was seeing, Silas checked her appearance with what he had been told about her, hoping that maybe he was mistaken. But although the lion saw that there was no pink ribbon due to her nudity, the red tailtip was a dead giveaway. It was her.\n\nMoments after, Risa showed herself as well, and just like her friend, she too was completely nude, her arms crossed in front of her politely, but still displaying no signs of modesty or concern; her crossed arms framed her breasts rather than hid them from view, as if to brazenly display her feminine attributes. It was harder to identify the bunny girl from her description, as a number of bunnies with her fur pattern shared the pink eyes as well. But when she stood by Cherise, it was clear that the two knew each other simply from their stance. It was her, sure enough.\n\nSilas felt a surge of anger at seeing these two without a shred of clothing on; they had most certainly not arrived here with no clothes, and for whatever reason, they had none now. What had happened? Did Cayle strip them of their clothes for his own amusement? Or worse yet, had he kidnapped them and raped them? The latter was certainly possible, from what he knew of the wolf, and it made a certain sense. So why then did these two girls seem completely at ease? There was no sense of relief that someone had come to perhaps rescue them from their fate, no tears of joy or attempt to flee the chamber. In fact, the two girls were smiling, with that same gentle and slightly mysterious smile that Contessa displayed. In fact, Silas realized that ALL the girls seemed to share that smile, a realization that chilled the lion somehow.\n\nSilas resisted the urge to look away for the sake of the girls’ modesty; anywhere he looked, there would be a girl who would be just as naked as these two. Best to just get to the point and ask questions later. The two girls were waiting expectantly with that smile on their muzzles, but weren’t initiating anything, so there was no point in beating around the bush. “I’m here to take you two home. Come, get whatever possessions you have and follow me. We have to talk to Cayle and get some answers before we go.”\n\nThe two girls looked at each other briefly at this news, then turned back to the lion, displaying the first sign of emotion he could detect. However, it wasn’t what he expected; the two girls had a somewhat defiant look in their eyes.\n\n“No, we’re not going home,” answered Cherise.\n\n“We are pledged to serve Master,” added Risa.\n\nThe response was so unexpected, that Silas did a double-take for a moment. Unable to deal with the duo’s replies, he turned back to Contessa, who was watching the scene unfold. “What the hell is this?” he asked the squirrel, neither unable nor unwilling to disguise the ire in his voice.\n\n“It is as they say. They are pledged to serve Master. All here serve our Master’s will,” the squirrel replied without missing a beat, a soft smile curling over her features once more.\n\n“Don’t give me that! This vixen was looking for herbs in the Fey Glen, there’s no way she came here on her own to be Cayle’s servant, I’m not buying it!” Silas could feel his anger growing hotter; he wasn’t getting the whole story, and he knew it. “These girls don’t even have their clothes anymore! Cayle’s responsible, isn’t he?”\n\n“Master does not wish us to wear clothes, so we do not wear clothes. It is the way of things,” Cherise spoke up, in a matter-of-fact sense, her hands braced on her hips in a rebellious pose.\n\nSilas turned on the vixen, unable to believe his ears. “You can’t be serious! You’re actually insisting that creep is your master?!?”\n\n“Master is good to us!” Risa piped up, in a firm but respectful tone. “He is good to all of us!”\n\n“All of you?” It was at that moment that the truth of the matter clicked in the lion’s head. “Wait…you’re all girls…you’re all the missing girls! But…”\n\n“Master came to us all and made us his own,” the squirrel lass interrupted, seeing the lion’s confusion. “It is his way. We all wish to be his pets. We will not go with you, we will stay and serve Master.” She apparently saw that Silas could not comprehend, and added helpfully, “Perhaps your lioness friend can explain it to you better.”\n\n“Elora? Why would she…” Even as he spoke the words, a sick, cold feeling settled into Silas’s gut. “Oh no…he wouldn’t…”\n\nContessa chuckled softly, not perceiving any problem with the situation at all. “We will gladly welcome another pet into the fold. She will be well looked after; Master is good to all of his pets.”\n\nSilas didn’t dignify the remark with a response; his only thought was to return to the throne room. The feeling of dread was growing stronger, a sick certainty that Elora was in over her head. He made a beeline for the door, muscling Contessa out of the way inadvertently in his haste. He burst past the entrance and almost tumbled headfirst down the staircase in a rush, only managing to keep himself balanced at the last moment. He took the stairs several at a time, disappearing around the corner just as Contessa called down to him with words that chilled him to the bone.\n\n“Where are you going? Stay with us. It’s already too late…”\n\nCayle had stamina to spare, the wolf being in great physical condition. It was only a couple of moments before the lupine’s libido kicked into gear once more, and only a couple of moments after that before he was ready to do something about it. The wolf and lioness moved from the throne to the center of the carpeted floor just before the elaborate chair, Cayle thinking the soft rug more appropriate for what he had in mind.\n\nElora had nearly had to be dragged off of the wolf’s cock, her intense suckling not ceasing even after she had licked off all the cum she could find, letting the flavor of Cayle’s cockflesh linger on her tongue after she could no longer gorge herself on the sticky seed. Not that Cayle minded in the least; he would happily have let her shame herself further in this fashion if he didn’t intend to shame her in other ways as well. There would be plenty of time later for that, after all. He instead commanded her to move to the carpet and to position herself on all fours, facing away from him. Elora undoubtedly knew what was going to come next, and Cayle knew that the little bit of self that she still had left would recoil at the notion, but that part of her was totally overruled by the weaknesses for the wolf that were acting upon her. She obeyed without hesitation, slinking down to the carpet with that feline grace, and positioned herself as commanded, unable to help herself.\n\nThe wolf growled to himself as he observed her body perched on all fours before him, a position she had likely never taken for anyone else except her mate. With her body lying in wait for him, he could see that Elora’s breasts seemed even more prominent as gravity caused them to extend further from her chest, making her svelte body seem even more buxom then when he first looked upon her naked body. Her ass seemed to flex before him as she anticipated his touch, her tail swaying behind her wildly; he couldn’t tell if it was excitement or anticipation, but that tail was high enough in its movements to leave his intended target completely visible.\n\nElora tilted her head, daring to look back at the wolf as he approached; it was perhaps a bit of arrogance on her part, but he had never commanded her not to look, so he decided not to chastise her. Instead, he suffered her gaze, grinning a little more as her eyes stayed fixed on his groin, where his lupine cock still stood proud and erect, free from the trappings of his sheath. He moved one of his hands down to his shaft as he moved, stroking it a little as he strode towards the waiting lioness, giving her a bit of a show; he felt a thrill of satisfaction as he caught her licking her lips once, the taste of his cock still on her tongue. “My my, aren’t you a little slut? Don’t worry, you’ll soon have your fair share,” the wolf chuckled aloud, finally coming to stand behind the lioness.\n\nCayle hadn’t given the lioness any orders to remain silent; up until just a moment before, her muzzle had been too occupied to reply to any of his vocal barbs or taunts. Now that she was no longer sucking on his cock, she could reply, but for whatever reason, she remained silent; a purr was the only response he got, an ever-constant purr that continued from her sticky meal only moments before. That tail kept lashing behind her, the movement like a sign that was saying, ‘Come hither and enjoy.’ It was a signal that needed no words, and the wolf wasn’t about to wait for them. In a move that was as natural as it was calculated, Cayle lowered himself onto his knees behind Elora, and wrapped his arms around the torso of the lioness, getting a good grip on her waist to brace himself as he sought entrance to her moist pussy. He was no amateur in this act; without the aid of sight, he pressed his cocktip to the lips of her vagina with the first touch, then lunged forward with his hips to bury the entirety of his breeding tool within the lioness, filling her tight passage with his throbbing meat.\n\nIt was nothing short of glorious; Cayle couldn’t help but groan in delight as he sunk his thick rod in to the hilt inside of the lioness, the feline’s moist depths welcoming him home like a friend long remembered and missed. The wolf grinned to himself as he heard Elora’s gasp at his intrusion, the feline letting her head hang low as she also groaned in pleasure, the claws at her hands and paws catching and releasing at the carpet as she braced herself in turn. “Sweet as sugar,” Cayle murmured into Elora’s ear as he perched over her body and moved his hands up to cup over her bare breasts; he was about to claim something truly precious, and he was going to savor every last moment.\n\nUsing his handhold on each of Elora’s ample globes to give him the purchase he needed, the wolf began to thrust firmly into her heated depths, each lunge of his hips impaling the receptive lioness over and over again. He made no pretense at being a tender or caring lover; the pistoning of his hips lacked the subtlety or gentle buildup that such a partner would provide. Instead, his lunges came hard and firm, each thrust causing the feline to shudder briefly from the impact, the lioness having to use her claws to keep herself upright as the wolf pounded her from behind. Cayle used his claws as well, the sharp needles lightly pricking Elora’s breasts as he used his hands to grope and fondle the softly furred chest in the throes of his mating. Before long, the thrusting and groping combined to cause the feline to begin moaning loudly and shamelessly, unable to disguise her pleasure from the wolf.\n\nCayle drank in the moans of the feline underneath him, each sound of pleasure coming from the lioness seeming like a personal victory to the wolf. Each moan, each whimper he heard was as if he were besting her in another duel, and each cry was a sign that he had gotten past her guard. Each stroke of his cock inside her tight confines was another step closer to defeating her in his quest for his ultimate goal, the thick shaft throbbing with desire within the feline’s pussy and drooling its pre within her depths. But it wasn’t enough to just fuck Elora; he wanted to shame her, to let her know the true nature of the act she was willingly giving herself over to. Just as he gave those swaying breasts of hers a firm squeeze, Cayle leaned in close and began to murmur into the feline’s ear. Where a gentle lover might have whispered sweet nothings, the wolf intended to do anything but. “That’s it…moan for your Master, my little slut lioness. You can’t hide your pleasure from me, I know how much you want me to fuck you, to mount you like your precious mate cannot. I’ll make sure you get the humping you deserve, little kitty…just tell me how much you want it…”\n\nTo Elora, the words she heard uttered from the wolf were as good as a command, and as Cayle thrust all the more firmly into her from behind, she tilted her head back and moaned loudly, the words suddenly spilling forth from her muzzle with unmistakable enthusiasm. “Oh! Take me, Master! Mount me, mount me rough and hard! I need you!” She gasped once more in pleasure as she felt the wolf’s heavy ballsac slap against her ass firmly, then continued on, her purrs loud and constant. “Make me your pet! Claim me as your own! Just don’t stop!” The words rang loud and true, without hesitation, the lioness unable to fight the weaknesses that worked on her constantly, and unable to resist the allure of the sensations that flowed through her, sensations that kept growing all the more stronger.\n\n  Though the words made Cayle growl in delight to his plaything, he still desired more; his lust kept growing as he mounted the lioness, his thrusts becoming more hungry and potent. One of his hands moved from the plump breasts along Elora’s chest to slip down between her thighs, his fingers finding her clit and stroking it as he speared her depths, making the lioness cry out loudly, a pure mewl of delight escaping her lips. He kept his fingers close, teasing her button while he mounted her, his other hand still pawing at her chest as he continued to murmur to his prize. “Oh, don’t worry, you’re mine already, Elora dear…I’m just putting the icing on the cake.” Cayle moved his muzzle to give her a soft nip along her ear, his hot breath washing over the sensitive fur there. “You were right to be worried about the girls…I fucked every single one of them, and they all begged me for more.”\n\nThe wolf’s words were not lost on Elora; Cayle could feel her body tense a little underneath his as spoke, that part of her that remembered her mission still showing concern for the young charges. She was helpless to do anything about it however, and Cayle knew it. He grinned a sinister grin, and pressed closer with his body as he spoke further. “You were far too late to help any of them, kitty…I made sure to knock them all up the moment I had them in my clutches. That’s right…every one of the girls has a litter of wolf cubs deep in their womb, even your precious Cherise and Risa. A little bundle of joy to remind them that they belong to me.” His heavy ballsac slapped even more loudly against her rear as he spoke, the wolf’s nuts churning heavily as they refreshed and replenished the seed lost only moments before. Already they were as large as before, and were threatening to become even larger still as his lust rose to new heights. “You will share the same fate, my pet…I will make you my breeding bitch, tie with you and pump you full of my cum, and plant some cubs in that cunt of yours. See if your loving mate will want you then, with the seed of another male growing inside of you. What then, little slut? Will you tell him what a whore you were for me? Will you explain how you roared in delight as I fucked you full of pups?”\n\nElora panted and moaned with ever-increasing frequency, the feline under assault from her mind as well as her body. Cayle’s words were triggering another weakness, that against dirty talk, and his words cut right to the quick. Her eyes closed and she mewled loudly, her front lowering just a little more, her hindquarters offered up a little more to the lusty wolf. It was an invitation that was gladly taken, and Cayle perched over her a little more, using the additional leverage to drive his cock into the moaning female. Now that he was fully in the throes of mating, his body began to respond like nature had intended; the base of his cock started to swell noticeably, the knot forming and pressing into the feline’s pussy with each forward stroke, adding a new dimension to the sensations. The swelling base continued to grow steadily as he hilted himself inside of Elora, the wolf well aware that at any moment, he was going to lock himself inside of her, bringing them both to the point of no return.\n\n“Can you feel that, my slutty little bitch? I’m going to become part of you, to lay my mark upon your body, a mark you can never erase,” Cayle murmured into Elora’s ear once more, and began to stroke over her clit with a will, exercising his control over her to the utmost. To his satisfaction, he felt the lioness tremble once more, and an explosion of fluids washed over his cock, the release causing the feline to abandon her handhold on the floor entirely. She fell with her front half against the carpeted floor, her moans loud and constant, muzzle and arms laying against the rug weakly as her body was mounted constantly through her release, that knot growing larger and larger. Cayle pressed the advantage, and kept Elora’s hindquarters aloft as he fingered and thrust into her pussy, his other hand pawing at her breast and nipple as it was lowered against the floor. He could feel the feline’s inner walls clenching and gripping at his shaft as it lunged forward, but he would not be satisfied until he sealed his knot within the moist cunt at last. It was coming; the fleshy bulb was getting harder and harder to slip in and out of the tight snatch, and each time it sent a new thrill of pleasure through Cayle’s body.\n\nThe fingers dancing along Elora’s button didn’t relent, rubbing that firm nub over and over, not giving the lioness time to recover from the surge of pleasure she felt just seconds before. Her body was positioned in such a way that she was helpless to escape her plight, and could only take the repeated teasing and stroking of the wolf as best as she could. Another orgasm soon followed after the first, and it was at that very moment that Cayle’s growing knot finally lodged firmly within the lioness and refused to budge, trapping the majority of her gushing fluids within her as the bulging flesh continued to swell. The feeling caused Elora to cry out once more, the desperate and needful sounds coming from the feline only serving to drive the wolf on even more, a snarl emerging over Cayle’s muzzle as he changed his deep and long thrusts into short and intense ones, tugging at the sensitive flesh of the lioness each time.\n\nNow that the wolf had finally tied with Elora at last, he felt a sense of elation; the only way out of this for the feline now was to let the wolf finish, and that meant allowing him to fill her birthing chamber with all of his potent cum. The knowledge made Cayle’s movements that much more unyielding, every thrust tugging firmly at Elora’s sex with that bulging knot as he sought to stuff it deeper still. His fingers practically flew over Elora’s nipple and clit, rubbing and pinching each to give the lioness no relief whatsoever. The moans and cries coming from the pinned female were joined by the wolf’s in turn, his growls and snarls of lust echoing from the large chamber walls of the throne room. Elora was little more than a rag doll  to be used for Cayle’s pleasure, her body simply too exhausted to struggle or fight, and her mind too warped by the sword’s power to want to.\n\nAnother climax rocked the feline’s body, a weak mewl escaping her lips as her body struggled to cope with the pleasure it was feeling. Cayle never gave her that chance; in the next instant, he curled his arm around Elora’s torso and raised her up against his chest, his body tilting back while remaining in contact with her the whole way. The lioness ended up perched in the wolf’s lap, her legs spread wide to both sides of his body, her chest raised up and bouncing enticingly while in the throes of mating, her back pressed to Cayle’s chest as he held her possessively. The shift in positioning was sudden, but Cayle kept moving his hips throughout it all, making sure to drive his hips up into the captive lioness without missing a beat, the wet sounds of sex filling the air as he forced her to ride his thick pole of flesh. The wolf could feel the feline’s exhaustion as he impaled her on his organ, but he didn’t care; he was almost to his peak, and nothing was going to stop him now. “Mmmm…better get used to this…” he murmured hotly into her ear, moments before slathering his tongue along her neck.\n\nIt all became too much for the lioness as yet another orgasm wracked her body, her senses pushed to their limit and her body completely exhausted. As her body signaled another release, her eyes rolled up into her head and she fainted away, her form going completely limp in the grasp of the lustful wolf. Cayle noticed the change immediately, but was not discouraged; he merely shifted his grasp on the feline to hug her to his chest with both arms, propping her up as he continued to mate with her unconscious body. The fact that Elora had fainted in his grasp was only a slight disappointment to the wolf; he had wanted to have here awake for the final moment. Still, it was a testament to his sexual prowess, and he chuckled to himself inwardly as he huffed and panted, feeling his impending release inching closer and closer as took her limp body roughly.\n\nJust then, the lion made his appearance, the male bursting into the double doors in a panicked rush. Not stopping with the initial rush, he let his momentum carry him into the large throne room quite a distance, able to see the two figures tied together in a position that didn’t look the least bit like casual conversation. What he saw both shocked and enraged him; he could see his mate, his sweet and caring lioness, seemingly unconscious, and being screwed by Cayle…CAYLE, of all people! He couldn’t tell what precisely had happened while he was away, but Elora was knocked out, her body held in place by the wolf, who was looking directly at him with devilish glee as he drove his cock into the lioness. All he could think of in his mind was that the wolf had harmed his mate somehow, and he had elected to take advantage of the feline’s helpless state to get his rocks off. This thought alone made the lion absolutely FURIOUS.\n\nSilas reached for his mace, everything else forgotten as he moved to defend his mate, the singular thought to bash the lupine’s head in first and foremost in his mind. As he started to move, however, a mysterious force froze him in place even before his hand had gone halfway to its destination. Not only that, but the rest of his body seemed rooted to the spot as well. He couldn’t move! The surprise at this discovery only lasted for a moment, before the rage he felt took over once more, and he fought against the invisible force with as much strength as he could muster. He might as well have been trying to push over a castle wall with his bare hands; the more he fought to free himself, the more he was thwarted.\n\nSilas wouldn’t have been in time to prevent what happened next, however…even if he had been free to act. The moment after he had begun to fight against his bindings, the lion was forced to watch the act that the wolf had been building to steadily, Cayle’s victorious howl sounding throughout the large chamber. Clutching his mate, the wolf tilted his head back and closed his eyes, as the heavy balls below his conquest began to clench and churn, forcing the heavy bounty of wolf cum through the spire of flesh that filled the feline’s pussy. The lion was treated to a front row seat as he saw his mate defiled, saw the bulges of the wolf’s prick within Elora’s sex become visible as the strong pulses of sticky wolf jism forced their way through and deposited themselves in the receptive walls of the lioness. If there was any doubt as to what was happening, it was dashed as the merest trickle of cum escaped the tight seal of the wolf’s knot to trickle down to the base of his sheath, the smell of sex carrying itself to the sensitive nose of the lion.\n\nThe lion howled as well. Oh how he howled. His rage was such that if he could have killed Cayle with the force of his anger, the wolf’s life would have been ended in the blink of an eye. He raged impotently, however, the invisible bindings that held him in place allowing him to do nothing else than howl, his distress evident to the wolf, who by this time had lowered his head once more, panting with pleasure and grinning to the lion. He knew what he had done, and the victory was all the sweeter now that his rival had witnessed the act, and could do nothing to stop it. Cayle even made a show of it, rolling his hips a little more to mime the act of mating, though the deed was already done. Worse still, the wolf could take his time and savor the moment, with Silas completely immobilized, and he was doing so, his cock still pulsing to empty the contents of his balls within the lioness, each spurt of cum adding to the one before to ensure her fate was sealed..\n\n“Welcome back, Silas, I see you decided to return without the vixen and bunny…perhaps you just wanted to catch the show?” The wolf’s grin was as wide as it could be, his devious and sinister nature revealed in plain. He taunted Silas as the lion was forced to watch the carnal scene, the male’s thoughts blinded with fury. “I was just entertaining your lovely mate here…we’ve had such a delightful time together.” He reached his hand down to stroke his fingers lightly along the unconscious feline’s pussy, playing with her nether lips while grinning to the furious male. “In fact, she had such a wonderful time, she was begging me for more. She didn’t even seem to miss you.”\n\n“GRRRRAAAAGHH!!!” Silas roared in near madness, wanting for all the world to wipe the smirk off of Cayle’s face with one ferocious swipe of his mace.\n\n“Awww, is the big bad lion angry? Well, just sit tight, I’ll be with you in a moment. AFTER I finish with her.” Cayle chuckled maliciously and hefted the limp Elora in his arms, tilting her back more against him while he finished in the lioness, making sure that Silas could see everything. He moved one of his hands over Elora’s belly, tracing a slow circle where her womb would be, his claws brushing through her soft fur with a deceptive tenderness. “Little Elora here is going to be a mother. You should count yourself lucky you got to see the blessed event…when she finally wakes up, you can tell her all about it.” Just for good measure, Cayle moved his muzzle to the feline’s neck and kissed her slowly, drawing his tongue along the nape of her neck in such a way that it would infuriate the lion. He was not disappointed; Silas practically trembled with loathsome rage, his roars coming one after the other, the lion so filled with red-hot anger that spittle flew from his lips with the gnashing of his teeth.\n\nIt wasn’t long before the wolf’s climax had run its course, but his lupine physiology left him tied with the lioness, locked with her to ensure that his cum stayed where it belonged inside of her to impregnate her with his brood. It would take some time before that knot would finally shrink back to its normal size, and Cayle took that time to taunt the lion in every way he could think of, keeping Silas so enraged that it was a wonder he didn’t exhaust himself from the constant struggles alone. Finally the point came where Cayle knew he could finally slip free from his conquest, and he stood up, holding the limp lioness in his arms. “Look at you. You’re just dying to take me on, but you’re as helpless as could be. Just like your mate here.” He slowly slipped his cock from Elora’s pussy, making sure that Silas could see every inch exit the lioness, then he unceremoniously tossed her to the carpeted floor, the rug cushioning her body as she came to rest.\n\n“You are such a fool, do you know that?” Cayle continued on as he faced the lion in his naked state, his hands raised in a bemused gesture as he shrugged and shook his head. “Don’t you remember the geas that you placed yourself under when you entered this castle?” The wolf then turned and walked to his throne in a measured pace, retrieving his sword from where he left it on the floor to turn and brandish it towards the enraged lion. “Your intent to harm me activated the geas. Now it has you frozen in place. As long as you’re under the roof of my castle, you play by my rules, simpleton.” Cayle approached the lion further, coming to stand beside Elora once more, but maintaining a respectable distance from Silas. “I, however, could break the geas simply by running you through where you stand. A quick end to a pitiful fool.”\n\nSurprisingly enough, Cayle didn’t follow through on his harsh words, simply raising the sword and picking at the sharp tip as if he were merely cleaning his claws. “But I am a sporting fellow, and would not dispatch a fellow member of the Hunter’s Guild so callously. If you want to revenge your mate, I will take you on.” He brought his sword to a ready position then, and chuckled aloud. “Hell, I’ll even take you on like this, give you a bit of an edge. Come on, Silas of the Pride Hunters. Will you take me on in a duel?”\n\nSilas snarled to Cayle in undisguised fury, the words of the wolf barely making it through the red fog that clouded his mind. Of course he would take the chance, and he would make the vain bastard of a wolf nothing more than a stain on the castle floor when he was done with him! “I’ll make you pay for all you’ve done! Release me and know your doom!” He could practically taste the sweet justice when his mace would break the wolf beyond all repair, crushing the fiend and leaving him broken and lifeless.\n\nIf Cayle was intimidated by the lion’s words, he didn’t show it, the grin still plastered over his muzzle. “Fine, then. I won’t even bother with ceremony; I can always replace the geas later.” He briefly thought about giving the lion a nick to release from the geas, but he didn’t want to get too close to Silas in his enraged state, not yet. Instead, he simply plucked one of his hairs from his pelt, chanted some words over it, and then severed the hair in two with his sword. Immediately the restricting force surrounding the lion vanished, leaving Silas free to move once more. The first act that Silas took was to grasp his made firmly with both hands and charge towards the wolf, intending to burst through his guard and cripple him with the first blow.\n\nCayle was ready for the move, the wolf aware that as soon as he released the geas, he was going to get attacked, and so when Silas charged, Cayle already had his sword at the ready, using both hands to grip the bastard sword to provide maximum leverage. The two weapons clanged together with a resounding clash of metal on metal, the sword catching the mace along its haft, deflecting most of the weight of the blow. The two figures clinched as their weapons met, Silas trying to use his muscular stature to press Cayle’s sword back against him. If he was strong enough, he could either put the wolf out of position, or even cut him with his own sword, preferably somewhere along the neck where he was most vulnerable.\n\nThe sword flashed once, as if it caught the light just right, and in the next instant, Silas was pushed back by the wolf, the lion thrown off-balance by the unexpected maneuver. So off balance, in fact, that Silas found himself falling over onto his back, a disastrous state even with his armor protecting him. The lion’s feline reflexes kicked in, enabling him to right himself…or they would have, if he didn’t suddenly feel incredibly weak! He tried to raise his mace to defend himself in what experience had taught him to do countless times, but he just couldn’t seem to budge the heavy object anymore, much less lift it. He couldn’t even lift his own body off the ground, the heavy armor he wore weighing him down to the point where all he could do was lift his head up to look at the wolf towering above him, his anger still filling his mind, but also a touch of confusion and panic as well.\n\nCayle lowered his sword towards the lion, pressing the tip to his unprotected neck to stop his struggles. Silas ceased to move; though he desperately wanted to fight back, there was no way he could mount an offense quick enough before Cayle could spear him with the point of the blade. Still, the lion remained on guard, as did the wolf; each knew that a moment of inattentiveness could change the tide of battle in an instant. Silas wouldn’t quit until the wolf was lying at his feet in a bloody heap, and Cayle wasn’t about to give him that chance. Even knowing this, a part of the lion was still puzzled why Cayle didn’t finish him off. It was foolish to keep an enemy alive that was hell-bent on dispatching you; everyone in the Hunter’s Guild knew this as a general rule.\n\n“I’d ask you to yield, but we both know that isn’t in your nature,” the wolf spoke with a wry grin. “Still, I don’t have to worry. Fact of the matter is that I know you’re as weak as a kitten right now. You couldn’t lift your weapon to strike me even if you wanted to. But I’m not about to take chances in any case.” The wolf kneeled down while still keeping his sword trained on the lion, and partially took the heavy mace in his free hand to drag and fling it a short distance away, well out of reach of the angry feline. “You won’t be needing this anymore. Such a fool indeed, to think to take me on with such a pathetic weapon.”\n\n“What the hell did you do to me?!?” Silas snarled out, aware that his life was in Cayle’s hands, but still defiant as ever.\n\n“I do so hate explaining myself twice in one day. Long story short, I made you weak. All your precious strength, gone. And that’s not all. I can do a lot of things to you, and probably will, so do try and pay attention.” The wolf chuckled to himself, as if he had just made an amusing joke of sorts, but his eyes were cold as he looked into the lion’s own, his threat all too real.\n\nIt was then that Silas noticed some movement behind Cayle, where his defiled mate lay. She was coming around! She didn’t seem to be hurt; Silas thanked his lucky stars for that, though he didn’t doubt that the lioness had an emotional scar or two that she would have to deal with later. He couldn’t call out to her, or else he would give away her state and foil any chance of surprise, but the two had worked together long enough that they knew each other’s habits intimately. She would see that he was in trouble, and she would creep up behind the wolf and keep him occupied long enough that Silas could escape the point of that sword. He could activate the release catches in his armor and gain a fighting chance without its weight encumbering him; he could see Elora’s tool belt off in the distance, and if he was quick enough, he could get one of the daggers inside to defend himself with. It all hinged on the stealth of his mate, and she seemed to take stock of the situation within a moment, the lioness crawling on her hands and knees as silently as she could manage as she approached Cayle from behind. \n\nSilas knew that he had to keep the wolf as occupied as possible, or else the fiend could turn around at any moment. He risked another barb or two to keep Cayle’s focus, planning things out in his head as much as possible. “Couldn’t take me face to face, you coward? Had to result in dirty tricks? You know if you hadn’t done this to me, I would have smashed your bones into powder…”\n\nCayle laughed out loud and gave Silas a kick along his side, a contemptible kick that was more meant to silence the lion rather than hurt him. “You can’t be serious! I know your type, all brawn and no finesse to speak of. You should consider yourself lucky; I would have whittled you down to size and left you bloody and broken otherwise. This way, you still have your health, such as it is.” The sword flashed once more as the blade pointed at the neck of the lion, the tip mere centimeters from his throat. \n\n The distraction was working, sure enough; the wolf never even noticed the approach of the lioness behind him. She crept closer and closer, closing the distance, and Silas tensed his body as he prepared himself for action. In a moment, she would be able to act, and he would be ready.\n\nAt least, he thought he would be ready. What happened next shattered all the lion’s well-laid plans into dust.\n\nElora did manage to creep up on the wolf without being detected, but to sneak up on the wolf was never her intent. And neither did she intend to engage him in conflict. Instead, in front of the lion’s horrified eyes, the lioness slid herself around in front of Cayle’s naked body, and still on her hands and knees, began to slowly lick at the wolf’s cockflesh and sheath, cleaning off what remained of the combination of his cum and her juices. She did this knowingly in front of her mate, at first merely using her muzzle and tongue, but a moment later, reaching up as well with one of her hands to stroke and caress his ballsac in lewd worship of his maleness.\n\nIt was madness; Elora couldn’t choose this filthy wolf over her own mate, she simply couldn’t! Silas couldn’t process this development, his mind casting out the image his own eyes were telling him. But there it was, in plain view, and the rage the lion felt melted away at that instant to be replaced by a sick, betrayed feeling, the very core of his psyche broken. Cayle gave an appreciative murmur as he enjoyed the ministrations of the lioness, then chuckled to the shocked lion with a sinister glee. “You see now, Silas? You’ve lost. You’ve lost everything. I never forced myself upon your precious mate…she came to me of her own free will. Go ahead. Ask her for yourself. Hear it from her own lips. That is, when she’s done using them.” He laughed at his own joke; in his mind the moment couldn’t be any more perfect.\n\nSilas was afraid to ask, more afraid of anything else in his entire life. Surely this had to be some sick, nightmarish dream that he was bound to wake up from any minute. There was no way that Elora, the love of his life, would ever admit to something so cruel, so heartless. Even if she had done so behind his back, surely she would have the decency to lie and not give the wolf the satisfaction of seeing her admit something so shameful. But in the back of his mind, Silas knew this wasn’t a dream, knew that Cayle would never have invited him to inquire of his mate if he wasn’t already dead sure of the answer that would come from his lips. Still, a part of him knew he had to ask. Even without Cayle’s sword threatening to run him threw, he knew he had to ask. “Elora, honey…is it true?”\n\nElora turned back to Silas from her kneeling position, her hand still cradling the wolf’s sac and the orbs within. If she so desired, she could grip the testes with all her might and crush them to get her revenge on the wolf. The Pride Hunters’ situation was dire, and it might be the only thing they could do to avenge the hurt both of them had suffered. The option was there. Secretly, Silas wished she would take it. He dreaded the answer he was about to hear, and if only she would do that, some part of him would always know that she remained true to him.\n\nWhen Silas looked into Elora’s eyes, however, they told him all he dreaded to hear before she even uttered a single word. Those eyes were filled with lust; a fully encompassing lust, but also, great sadness. He could see it was still Elora behind those eyes, no matter what her actions suggested. She knew him for his mate, she remembered all the time they had spent together; she still loved him. Which was what made her next words the most crushing that Silas had ever heard. “Silas…baby…I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…” she murmured, before she turned back to the wolf’s organ and wrapped her lips around it, closing her eyes as she gave herself over to the bliss that was serving her new master. The lion watched in disbelief, then closed his eyes, the pain of the moment too much to bear.\n\nCayle looked down to the suffering lion, his victory complete. Well, almost complete. The wolf could be truly inspired when it came to cruelty, and as he watched his foe cry out in mental anguish, he came upon an idea that made the wolf grin even wider in fiendish glee. He had to do something about the lion, that much was certain, but the wolf really had nothing to gain by dispatching him with his sword; he would upset the lioness on some level, and he wasn’t sure that her grief at her loss would allow her to fight the sword’s power on some level. Not only that, but if word ever got out, he might have trouble with the Hunter’s Guild down the line. But with his new plan, he could find a much better use for Silas.\n\n“What are you waiting for? You got what you wanted…finish it…” Silas sobbed, ready for the finishing blow.\n\n“Finish it? We’ve only just begun, dear Silas. Your suffering has just begun…”\n\nEpilogue\n\n\t“I still don’t see why I have to take the damn kids back. You’d think Cayle with his vast ego would want the credit for finding the vixen and bunny after all this time,” Silas fumed with distaste.\n\n\t“Dear, you know that if any questions are asked about what happened, it’s the Pride Hunters’ reputation on the line, not Master’s,” answered Elora as she rubbed her swollen belly. “We took the job, so it only makes sense that we knew who to look for. How would it look if a wolf who never took a contract with the guild suddenly showed up with not one, but two missing kids that fit a contract and asked for a reward? Besides,” she continued with a chuckle, “he’s going to keep the gold in any case, so he comes out ahead.”\n\n\tIt had been roughly 8 months since Silas and Elora had ventured forth into Frostwood Manor and encountered Cayle. The seasons had changed, winter had come and gone, and the Frostwood was passable once more. More importantly, however, was that Cherise and Risa had both birthed their newborn cubs recently, and had just gotten to the point where their figures resembled those that they had first retained when they were abducted. Cayle had not forgotten about the contract that Silas and Elora had accepted long ago, and though it was rare for a missing persons contract to last over 6 months, it was still not unheard of. Compounded with the fact that the vixen was the daughter of someone important, and it was very likely that the contract (and the reward) was still pending.\n\n\tAlways with an eye for a little extra coin, Cayle intended to collect on the contract, and he could do without a couple extra girls around; he had abducted quite a few more over the months, and that meant more mouths to feed…not to mention the number of cubs that has popped up in the months since. The wolf had a number of nursemaids in his entourage now, but he knew for sure that the vixen and the bunny had value apart from their service, so he could part with them for now. Especially after he gave them commands to lay low for a while, then to disappear once more into the Frostwood to rejoin him in the castle. A genius move on his part, the wolf thought.\n\n\tTo that end, he put Silas in charge of delivering the two girls to Willowbark. Only Silas; there was no way that Elora in her gravid state could make such a journey easily, and Cayle always had good reason to keep her close. Elora was his favorite pet ever since that fateful encounter 8 months ago, and he never let either of the lions forget it. So Cayle was gearing up for the journey while Elora supervised, making sure that he didn’t forget anything vital. It was a role they had long shared together in their time as bounty hunters, reminding each other of their gear, a survival technique that had served them well. Silas never carried much as a general rule, but it didn’t lessen the importance of the role.\n\n\t“I really wish you wouldn’t call him Master. Why can’t you just call him Cayle?” Silas made a face of disgust, the distaste obvious in his demeanor, but he knew the answer he would get even before he asked the question, having asked the question many times before.\n\n\t“Silas honey, I told you before. I just can’t help myself. Master wishes me to call him Master, and I feel like I should. It’s soothing to me to call him that, it feels right. I know it’s just the sword’s power making me feel that way, but it doesn’t change how I feel about it.” She gave him one of her daggers, the only weapons he could comfortably use now that his vast strength had been taken away. “Besides, it’s been 8 months. I would have thought you had become used to this by now.”\n\n\t“Used to this? He flaunts his victory in front of me every day! How could I possibly get used to the shame and humiliation? It’s almost more than I can bear!” The lion snarled as he said this, reminded of the event even as he spread out his new tools before him: a lightly padded shirt and breeches, a set of daggers, a canteen of water and a pack of rations. It was about all the lion could carry now without feeling encumbered by the lost of his strength, and to this day he still felt mostly naked without his heavy armor and his two-handed mace to rely on.\n\n\tElora put on a sympathetic face and reached out to rub her mate’s shoulder, for a moment erasing some of the pain and hurt the lion felt. “Dear, he could have killed you. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you. Especially when there was something I could do to save you.” She winced just a little bit as Silas looked to her with soulful eyes; they both knew that what she did had nothing to with saving him, but they could almost manage to believe the lie by now. “But we’re both here, and we’re both together. Sure, it’s not what we wanted, but we’re treated well. Surely if we’re together, we can make the best of this.”\n\n\tSilas sighed and shook his head; it still felt like a nightmare, especially with what had been done to him. But she was right, they still had each other. Cayle had given them that, at least. But not without cost. With Cayle, there was always a price to be paid, and Silas had paid it with interest. It was maddening to the lion, but he had no choice in the matter. “You’re right, you’re right. We have each other. And Cayle. But we have each other.” He collected his gear and cleared it from the bed that was in the center of the master bedroom, making room for the event that he knew was coming. It was part of his duty, and his shame as well. He set the gear down in the corner and got into position, as he had so many times before. Elora moved onto the bed following her mate’s movements, moving slowly with the gravid belly she carried, and stretched herself out onto her back as she waited patiently with her mate.\n\n\tNeither of them had long to wait; soon the doors to the bedroom opened, and in strode Cayle, the wolf already quite naked as he anticipated the events to come. This had become something of a regular routine in the past couple of months, but it never got old to the wolf, not even a little. He looked to Elora first, and then Silas, observing for himself that both were naked in his presence, something that he had commanded ever since he devised this little exercise. “Ah good, you’re still here. I wanted to make sure that you got a proper sendoff before you undertook your journey.” He chuckled at that, amused at the idea. The look he got from Silas was scathing, but Cayle was well used to that by now.\n\n\tThe wolf crawled up onto the bed slowly, his sheath already pulled back to reveal the offending member that had knocked up the lioness, the cock quite erect and ready for action. Cayle had known what to expect when he entered the room, and that knowledge had gotten him ready for action in advance. Now that erection bobbed almost menacingly at the wolf’s groin as he approached the lioness in full view of Silas, who did nothing to stop or slow his advance. “Hello, gorgeous…the big bad wolf is coming to getcha…” Cayle rumbled in a seductive growl, reaching Elora’s ankle as he prowled on hands and knees towards his prey. The lioness giggled as she watched him advance, the look of lust in her eyes having returned the moment her master walked into the room.\n\n\tSome time ago, when Cayle first lit upon this idea, he would mate Elora and fuck her raw, but now that she was nearing term, it was a little more difficult to get into the positions he favored, as well as considering the health of the cubs inside of her. So as his hands slid up and down Elora’s thighs, Cayle continued to crawl up her resting body to perch himself just beyond the swell of her belly, in the perfect position to nestle his throbbing shaft right between the ample breasts of the lioness. Each of those firm orbs had swollen with milk in preparation of the coming young ones, which made it all the easier for the wolf to hump the feline’s tits when he settled into his rhythm. “Mmmm, now that’s just right…” he growled, looking into Elora’s eyes, then back towards Silas, a broad grin passing over his muzzle.\n\n\tSilas watched the scene play before him countless times before, a look of anger etched on his features…but also, a look of lust as well. As Cayle began to pin his mate’s breasts together and thrust his hips forward eagerly, the lion was also working himself over, one of his hands encircling his erect feline prick and stroking his meat as he watched the scene. He couldn’t help himself; as much as he abhorred the thought of his hated foe claiming his mate right in front of him, the thought excited him just as much, if not more. It was the sword, he knew…Cayle had used its powers on him more than one, and had exacted this special penance unto him for his defiance. Cayle had given him a weakness for voyeurism…a devious punishment indeed, to make the lion desire the very thing that he dreaded, a constant reminder of how far both of them had fallen. He was as powerless to resist it as Elora was to resist the wolf, her moans of delight reaching his ears as Cayle lunged his cock through her cleavage to smear precum through the softly furred tunnel.\n\n\tElora knew her role well; she cooed and purred to the wolf as he molested and thrust into her breasts, bringing her hands around to cradle Cayle’s rump, her hands stroking over his ass to encourage his thrusts against her bounteous flesh. Her head was tilted up to watch all the action, her eyes fixed on the cocktip that emerged from her cleavage again and again, the primal hunger plain on her face as her lust grew. “Talk to him, my pet…tell your precious mate how much you enjoy feeling my cock against you…how much you long for my cum,” the wolf growled to the feline under him, making sure to press his cocktip right underneath Elora’s nose so that she could scent his musk.\n\n\t“Mmmm…oh Silas…I just want to gobble him up…I want to suck down his cum and feel it all over my body…I can’t stand it, it feels so goooood…” Elora gasped breathily, her hips rising and falling as she mock-thrust back against the male, unable to feel his shaft penetrating her depths, but certainly able to imagine it. Her words were no mere attempt to serve her master’s wishes; she meant every word that escaped her lips, her voice earnest and sure about her desires. Those words were not lost on her mate, who groaned and growled in response, his hands moving quicker on his shaft as he stroked himself off. The words both repulsed and excited him at the same time, and the fury that he felt was rechanneled through his body, setting his aroused senses on fire all the quicker.\n\n\tThe wolf and the lioness continued to tease and toy with Silas throughout their passionate sex play, using words and actions to both infuriate and stimulate the lion. By now, the two knew almost all the words and phrases which would get to him the most, but it was something of a game to them by now, discovering more all the time. Cayle’s aim was to cause Silas as much mental anguish as possible, while Elora was simply hoping to help her mate get off, as much stimulation as she was allowed to give to the lion; the two were still mates, but Cayle’s control over them both prevented the possibility of the two ever being intimate again. Still, she could do this much, though she knew it caused him as much pain as it did pleasure.\n\n\tAt last, the moment came when Cayle reached his peak, and he grunted with delight as he pumped his essence all over the breasts and muzzle of the lioness, who basked in the cum bath with glee and extended her tongue to catch what she could of the wolf’s spunk. A moment later, a roar filled the room as Silas climaxed as well, the lion jerking his seed onto the bedroom floor as he felt the sweet rush of release. Lately, the lion could only reach the plateau of pleasure when he saw the wolf finish all over his mate, something that Cayle was only too happy to do. It was another shame that Silas had to bear, adding to all that he already carried with him. As he watched the wolf wipe his spent cock all over Elora’s muzzle, he wondered to himself, would this nightmare ever truly end? Was there ever a way that he and Elora could be together again?\n\n\tAs Silas contemplated this question, as he dutifully went to clean up the mess he had just made of the floor with his spunk, his heart went colder than the Frostwood. \n\nThe End\n\n",
  "writing_bbcode_parsed": "<span style='word-wrap: break-word;'>To Find a Weakness<br /><br />\tA bag of gold was dropped onto the desk with a loud *thud*, the sound of coins clinking in the leather bag as they hit the hard oak. The fur that had dropped the bag, a robust bear-morph with a bored expression on his muzzle, then adjusted his spectacles and made a check on a clipboard before him. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s 200 pieces for a successful rescue, 20 gold pieces for combat expenses and proof of melee, and 5 gold pieces for the standard injury clause.&rdquo; The bear looked up from his clipboard and allowed himself a wry grin. &ldquo;Although that little paper cut you got on your arm hardly qualifies as an injury in my book. What&rsquo;s the matter, afraid you&rsquo;ll die from loss of blood?&rdquo;<br /><br />\tThe target of the bear&rsquo;s snide comment was a lion who was garbed in the professional attire of a bounty hunter, his hands and arms crossed before him in a state of impatience. Everything about the lion&rsquo;s physique bespoke a well-trained warrior, strongly muscled and well-armored for battle, with nary a weak point except for possibly not being quite as maneuverable as he could be with as much protection as he boasted. The cut that the bear referred to was a mild gash on the lion&rsquo;s arm near the elbow, where he hadn&rsquo;t been quite fast enough to dodge out of the way of a thrust spear. &ldquo;Hey, an injury is an injury,&rdquo; the lion spoke up in an irritated tone, &ldquo;and that clause is there for a reason. You know it as well as I.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;OK, OK, no need to get fussy about it, just making conversation,&rdquo; the bear spoke dismissively, holding his pen between his fingers as he waved the issue off. &ldquo;All in all, I&rsquo;d say it seems to be a nice day&rsquo;s work for you. I don&rsquo;t supposed I could interest you and your partner in another job so soon after this one?&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Depends on what the job is,&rdquo; the lion responded, his ears perking up a little at the sound of another business opportunity. In truth, this rescue operation had been a little routine, and even though the lion had garnered a minor injury, it was more because he took things for granted than any real effort. He was eager to snap up another easy job if it presented itself, as it was always prudent to prepare for lean times.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Well, at the moment, we only have one job, it just came in earlier in the day, but it seems to be a hot topic. Hang on a second,&rdquo; the bear said, moving over to the job notice board and taking off the newly supplied document. &ldquo;Ah, yes. This one is an out-of-towner. Do you know the region around the Frostwood?&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;In passing, perhaps,&rdquo; the lion responded, &ldquo;though I&rsquo;ve never really fancied the place. Forests are not a lion&rsquo;s comfort zone, and I doubt my mate has been there either. I suspect the job has something to do with there?&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Very astute. There seems to be something happening in that region. For a little while now, there have been reports of missing anthros in the region surrounding the Frostwood. Searches have revealed no traces of the missing individuals, so they have largely been thought to have been the work of bandits or the local fauna of the Frostwood.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Up until now,&rdquo; interjected the lion, seeing where the conversation was headed.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Mmm, yes. Actually, nothing has really changed, but one of the missing anthros this time around was a vixen lass who was rather well known and also happened to be the daughter of one of the town council of Willowbark. So, the town got together and managed to scrape up enough coin to get an emergency bounty notice posted.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;I see, I see. And no one is on record for taking the assignment yet?&rdquo;<br /><br />\tThe bear took a moment to double-check his records, then answered the lion. &ldquo;Not yet. Word hasn&rsquo;t really gotten out yet, and those who might have heard of it are naturally hesitant about venturing into the Frostwood, though I am sure someone will take the assignment soon if not you.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Well, I haven&rsquo;t made any decision yet, of course,&rdquo; the lion stated simply. &ldquo;Any particulars to this case I ought to know about? And what&rsquo;s the rate?&rdquo;<br /><br />\tThe bear smiled and nodded. &ldquo;It appears so&hellip;I&rsquo;ll tell you what I know of it.&rdquo; He checked his notes briefly and cleared his throat loudly. &ldquo;The last known location of the vixen was around the Fey Glen, where the rare Thillis Flower can sometimes be found. Speculation is that she was looking to find some and try to cultivate it in her own garden to sell as a medicinal herb. Disappearances have been known to happen around that region, but the other disappearances in this case have been too varied to form a pattern.&rdquo; He looked lower on his notes and tapped the sheet with a claw. &ldquo;There is a rumor that there is a castle somewhere deep in the forest, it might be a good place to investigate if the disappearances are indeed an outside influence.&rdquo; Just then the bear paused, reading something over twice just to make sure, then looked up to the lion once more. &ldquo;Oh, and this last bit is interesting. It appears all the missing furs are female. You might want to inform your mate about that&hellip;it could be an unexpected hazard.&rdquo;<br /><br />\tThe lion took all of this in attentively, his experience as a bounty hunter enabling him to memorize each detail of the job in full, no matter how insignificant it may seem. After the bear had finished speaking, the lion nodded and rubbed his chin. &ldquo;I will certainly take that under advisement. And the rate?&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;I&rsquo;m getting to that, I&rsquo;m getting to that,&rdquo; the bear continued, going over the finance sector of the job. &ldquo;Emergency Bounty pay&hellip;says here that if the condition of the vixen is good, it will add an additional 150 gold to the total. Along with a special incidental clause of 20 gold for every other missing fur found. With all that added in, and the usual incidentals&hellip;it looks like the job could pay anywhere from 600 to 1,000 gold pieces.&rdquo;<br /><br />\tThe lion&rsquo;s eyes widened at hearing the rate&hellip;a successful mission would yield the most impressive bounty ever offered for a rescue operation, and would certainly be worth the boost to reputation once word got around. The lion almost accepted the offer on the spot, but knew this matter had to be discussed with his partner. &ldquo;Hold on a moment, Urso, let me check with the missus first. But you have my interest. Be right back.&rdquo;<br /><br />\tThe door to the Hunter&rsquo;s Guild opened and out stepped the lion, who immediately began looking for his partner. He didn&rsquo;t have long to look, as his gaze alighted on a particularly svelte lioness who happened to be leaning against a street peddler&rsquo;s cart, checking her sword handle to see if the leather grip on the hilt needed reworking. Upon seeing the lion, the lioness grinned and moved from her position, her graceful and lithe form moving with the practiced ease of a predator.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Got the payment, partner?&rdquo; The lioness had a voice that was sweet on the ears, but with a hint of a no-nonsense demeanor about it. &ldquo;Short and to the point, that&rsquo;s Elora&hellip;&rdquo; the lion thought with a bit of exasperation to himself.<br /><br />\tThe lion brought out the bag of gold that had been presented to him by the bear and tossed it to the lioness nonchalantly, who then snatched the bag from the air just as fluidly. &ldquo;Yup, easy haul. We also got another job offer, and it could be a really big score if everything goes just right.&rdquo;<br /><br />\tElora looked to her mate with something of a suspicious gaze. &ldquo;Oh really, now? Silas, honey&hellip;what have we discussed about big scores? That there&rsquo;s almost always a catch?&rdquo;<br /><br />\tThe lion nodded to his mate and grins. &ldquo;Oh, believe me, I haven&rsquo;t forgotten, especially since you drill it into my head every time I see big figures&hellip;other than your own, that is.&rdquo; Silas winked to his mate, hoping that a little flattery might help win her over to his side in this matter.<br /><br />\tIf Elora fell for the sweet talk, she didn&rsquo;t show it, but she heard him out at the very least, and soon got all the details of the job, the matter of the money secondary in her eyes once she heard about the gender of the missing furs. &ldquo;I think you can agree with me that this is too much to be a coincidence. Something&rsquo;s going on here, and you know how I love mysteries.&rdquo; Elora grinned toothily, and flicked out a dagger at her hip belt, balancing the weapon skillfully. &ldquo;Besides&hellip;if it&rsquo;s some creep abducting women, I&rsquo;ll see to it he gets what he deserves.&rdquo; A thrust of the dagger into the open air, a twist, and then the dagger was right back in her belt sheath, as quickly as it had appeared.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Oh, I&rsquo;m sure that he will, if that&rsquo;s the case,&rdquo; Silas nodded in agreement, then placed a heavy paw on the shoulder of the slightly smaller female. &ldquo;But don&rsquo;t go off without me on this one. We don&rsquo;t know enough yet, and I don&rsquo;t want you to vanish on me either if we get separated and I can&rsquo;t find you again.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Hey, someone&rsquo;s got to watch your back,&rdquo; Elora chuckled softly, while giving her mate a soft elbow into his side. &ldquo;You&rsquo;d be lost without me, you know that. You&rsquo;re the only one who seems to come back with any injuries, whereas I&hellip;&rdquo; The lioness twirled in place before her mate before coming to a stop, looking up into his eyes with a confident grin. &ldquo;&hellip;am untouched.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Yeah, yeah, rub it in,&rdquo; the lion chuckled, leaning close to his mate to kiss her tenderly. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s just make sure that it stays that way. So, we&rsquo;re taking the job, then?&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Yeah, we&rsquo;re taking the job. The Pride Hunters are back on the case.&rdquo;<br /><br />\tThe journey to Willowbark was uneventful; in their home town of Havenport, the Pride Hunters (as they were known in bounty hunter circles) were fairly well known as being efficient and capable adventurers, and even those who had imbibed a little too much strong drink knew well not to mess with one or the other. Also, the roads were typically well-travelled and watched by merchant mercenaries who protected trade routes, so attempted banditry along those roads was quite rare. Silas and Elora travelled light so as to make the journey a little faster, as time was potentially a factor in this rescue mission, but they were in no way underequipped for their new mission. The gold had gone a long way in helping the two lions to restock their supplies and make a few upgrades to their arsenal, and they were headed to Willowbark with all the confidence that they would soon have their task wrapped up and be a good deal richer in the process.<br /><br />\tSilas was the muscle of the group, the lion bounty hunter specializing in heavy arms and strong-arm tactics. His combat style was usually to trade blow for blow and to beat the enemy into submission, trusting his heavy breastplate and ring mail greaves to protect him long enough to get the job done. His gear of choice was a two-handed heavy mace designed to bust through armor and doors, his strong physique allowing him to power through most opponents and obstacles with the need for a second or third blow usually unnecessary. The only problem was, all of his gear weighed him down and made him slower, which in operations that required speed or stealth, was certainly a hazard. To that end, he had special release catches made in his armor which allowed him to shed the heaviest part of his gear, the breastplate, in order to speed him up a little if he needed. Still, he knew that against skilled, quick opponents, he would be in trouble, and that&rsquo;s where Elora came in.<br /><br />\tElora was the speed to Silas&rsquo;s muscle, and also the specialist. The lioness favored mobility over protection, and was only lightly armored, with studded leather armor protecting her vitals and leaving her arms and legs free. Being just a little proud of her hourglass figure, she had the leather cured to conform to her lithe shape, adding to her level of comfort a little while displaying her attributes to any who would notice her, including her mate. Her weapon of choice was a short sword which was perfectly balanced to allow her the chance to land several hits before the average bandit could land one. She was quite proficient in it, and often used her skill to keep her mate from becoming overwhelmed when others tried to gang up on him. Along her waist was a tool kit full of various devices and secondary weapons for when the situation called for, as Elora liked to put it, &ldquo;a woman&rsquo;s touch.&rdquo; Among the pockets and sheaths were a couple of throwing daggers, a couple of fighting daggers, a set of lockpicks, tinder and flint, a magical runes dictionary, and even a specialized tail-dagger that could be wielded in a pinch for a little extra offense.<br /><br />\tIt was often speculated among those who knew and had seen the duo in action as to which one was the most deadly in combat. While it was generally agreed that Silas was the better brawler, Elora had the best skill with weapons, and was likely the better duelist against an opponent when it came to skill versus skill. Also mentioned in the arguments was Elora&rsquo;s seeming ability to never obtain any injuries against her person, but though Elora never liked to admit it, she owed that in large part to her mate, who would often shield her from attacks with his armored body whenever possible. The two were nevertheless an effective strike force together, and had quickly made a name for themselves among certain circles. <br /><br />\tWillowbark was an averaged-sized town with quite a brisk trade maintained along the outskirts of the Frostwood, a forest with a known reputation for harboring dangers that were not easily bested. The forest allowed plenty of opportunity for those seeking to make their fortune, but it was never all that surprising when someone disappeared into the forest and was never seen again. Most times a rescue party was formed, but more often than not, those who were lost were never seen again. Only experienced adventurers ventured into the Frostwood, and it was a wise adventurer who brought someone along with them to watch their back.<br /><br />\tSilas and Elora&rsquo;s first destination was to the local Hunter&rsquo;s Guild to confirm in person that they were undertaking the job, and to learn of any other particulars that had occurred since they left Havenport. What they learned surprised them; in the day and a half journey that they had undertaken, another female had vanished, this one a rabbit doe who was a friend of the vixen and had thought she could discover where the vixen was hiding. She had foolishly ventured out on her own, before anyone could stop her, only leaving a note that she was going deeper into the Fey Glen to find her friend. The fact that she hadn&rsquo;t returned left a valuable lead for the two lions, and they thanked the proprietor of that particular guild and went to a tavern to get a quick bite before they undertook their assignment.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Well, I feel bad for the kid, but if we act quickly, we should be able to find her,&rdquo; Silas mentioned between mouthfuls of beef stew (heavy on the beef). &ldquo;And if everything works out, that&rsquo;s another 20 gold to the tab. Plus, we have a lead now.&rdquo;<br /><br />\tElora sighed and blew on a spoonful of beef broth, cooling it for her palate. &ldquo;Yes, but it&rsquo;s still troubling. Another disappearance, so soon&hellip;it could mean real trouble for this town if we don&rsquo;t get to the bottom of this. We don&rsquo;t know if this the work of one individual, or several, or even none. And if this trend continues, pretty soon whole populations might start disappearing.&rdquo; She swallowed the broth, then tapped her dish with the side of her utensil. &ldquo;No telling how this one will turn out.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;You&rsquo;re not having second thoughts about the job, are you?&rdquo; Silas looked into his mate&rsquo;s eyes, all of his attention focused on the lioness in that one instant.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;No, no. I just want to get this job done as quickly as possible and get the hell out of here. It&rsquo;s a nice town, and I don&rsquo;t want to be known for letting these poor furs down.&rdquo;<br /><br />\tAfter paying their tab, the two felines got directions to the Fey Glen, and made their way on foot, the glen only being about a half-hour&rsquo;s journey from the town proper. The two bounty hunters didn&rsquo;t expect any trouble as they entered the glen, the area being spacious with little room for ambush, but as they ventured in deeper, they knew they were getting close to the Frostwood border. With two armed lions patrolling the area, it was unlikely any foe would blindly present arms against them, and when scouring the area turned up no visible clues, the two bounty hunters were forced to consider the Frostwood as the last option to find the missing townsfolk.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Well, looks like we&rsquo;re headed in,&rdquo; Silas mused to himself, weapon at the ready. He turned to his mate, who likewise had sword in hand, and was eyeing the expanse of trees warily. &ldquo;Think you can track them in this wood?&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know. There&rsquo;s no tracks leading in, but there&rsquo;s a possibility we might find something once we&rsquo;re inside.&rdquo; Elora looked to Silas with a determined expression. &ldquo;It doesn&rsquo;t really matter, though, does it? We&rsquo;re on the clock, and time may be against us here. We have to try.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Sure enough. You know my skills in tracking pale to yours, so I have to rely on you. I just wanted to hear it from your lips.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;If it&rsquo;s there for me to find, I&rsquo;ll find it,&rdquo; Elora spoke with a confident smile. &ldquo;And you&rsquo;ve always relied on me, dear, from the first day we&rsquo;ve met. Why should now be any different?&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Oh, ha ha,&rdquo; Silas chuckled. &ldquo;Just don&rsquo;t leave my side, OK?&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Never have, never will,&rdquo; Elora responded, nuzzling her made before moving in front of him, taking the first steps into the treacherous Frostwood.<br /><br />\tThe Frostwood was so named because of the peculiar nature of the flora, more specifically the large trees that made up the majority of the wood. The trees were a variant of oak that long ago had suffered a multitude of pest problems, which had endangered the trees to the point where the forest was little more than patches of dead trees and trees that were struggling to survive. To combat this, the oak trees developed a defense system adapted from the changing of the seasons; most insects tend to go into slower active periods in cold weather, and some hibernated or dug underground to avoid the cold. The trees managed to duplicate the feeling of cold within their bark by actively exchanging heat through their leaves along with the process of photosynthesis. The result was a tree that was quite hot along the leaves, while the trunk often got cold enough to form a light frost over its exterior, cooling the natural surroundings along with the trunk itself. The inner core of the tree remained warm, to keep the natural functions going, but the exterior was cold enough to shield it against most forms of external attack. The insects had adapted to only linger amongst the treetops where the heat and cold balanced out, preserving the ecosystem, but at the same time, the animals that resided within had changed and adapted themselves, producing creatures that were specialized for the Frostwood and nowhere else.<br /><br />\tThe unique environment of the Frostwood presented significant challenges for the bounty hunters as they looked for clues surrounding the disappearance of the townsfolk. Normal tracking methods were sometimes misleading; the chill of the surrounding environment made looking for footprints problematic, as the ground was hard and unyielding, and a low mist made looking for signs of passage difficult. Elora was a skilled tracker, however, and though she muttered the occasional curse out of frustration, she eventually happened upon a trail of sorts that led deeper into the Frostwood. The trail was not obvious, but there was enough evidence to investigate, and it was the only lead that the two could come up with, so they each crossed their fingers and took the trail, each feline on guard for any trouble.<br /><br />\tNeither Silas nor Elora would admit this aloud, but the Frostwood had them on edge. Part of the reason why the Frostwood was not often ventured into was that the cold and mist often played tricks on your senses, and the wood was thick enough that it was easy to brush against cold bark and send a shifter up one&rsquo;s body. In actual winter, the Frostwood was all but impassable, as the cold could become frighteningly intense. Often the two bounty hunters would pause and listen to see if anyone was around or if they were being followed, looking for any signs of life, be it friend or foe. Each time they were daunted, and it seemed that the further they journeyed into the Frostwood, the more threatening it became.<br /><br />\tThe trail slowly began to become more visible the further that the lions travelled, and eventually the path led to a spot where the two could see signs of a structure past the trees. Cautiously, they approached the structure through the path, and found a clearing where they could observe what lay ahead. &ldquo;The rumors of a castle were right after all,&rdquo; Silas thought to himself as he gazed upon a towering castle right in front of him, the building well-surrounded by the heavy and dense forest, providing excellent cover from prying eyes. It was the first lead that the two had found, and both the lions looked at each other expectantly, an unspoken agreement passing between them to check out this mysterious castle.<br /><br />\tWhen the duo first saw the castle, it was still a respectable distance away, but even with that distance, it was apparent that the castle was fairly spacious. Together with the spires that enabled the highest point of the castle to see out over the forest, the fortress was about eight stories tall, and judging by the space that the castle took up in acres, it could size a considerable garrison if needed. The true asset of the castle was its location, however; the clearing that the castle was in the center of was by no means spacious, though there was room enough for a makeshift moat, a garden, a stable, and a guardhouse. There was room enough to roam, but the surrounding forest was close enough to the castle that bringing any sort of army to bear on the fortress would be troublesome at best. The trees would break up any concentrated charge, and trying to set up an army within the perimeter of the forest would leave it vulnerable to attack from above with a hail of arrows fired from the castle turrets. Trying to burn the forest to assault the castle with fire was also impossible due to the special nature of the Frostwood, which made the castle easy to defend. The two lions considered this as they approached the castle through the path, making sure to keep an eye out for any signs of attack from the residents of the castle, if any were present.<br /><br />\tIt wasn&rsquo;t long before the two bounty hunters found themselves at the castle moat, and what they saw gave them brief pause. The castle drawbridge, rather than being in a defensible position, was lowered across the moat, inviting anyone who was passing by to breach the castle walls. It was ideal for the two lions, and that was exactly what made them suspicious. The years of training that the bounty hunters had told them that it couldn&rsquo;t be this easy to enter; nothing was ever truly easy in their line of work. So Elora went through a checklist of safety precautious. She checked to see if the drawbridge was illusion; it was solid enough. She checked for traps; none prevailed themselves to be found. She even checked into the moat to see if anything was lurking to snatch then from the bridge as they crossed. Everything checked out to her senses, and in the end the two trusted to their luck and experience to see them through.<br /><br />\tTheir caution was at least vindicated as they set foot onto the bridge. Whoever the proprietor of the castle was, they were no fool, and at that very moment, a loud booming voice echoed in the minds of Silas and Elora as they attempted to cross, halting them in their tracks. &ldquo;If ye seek to enter, do so with the intent of harming none. Else, ye may not cross. If ye seek to remain, no violence or malice shall ye try, else thy freedoms are forfeit.&rdquo; <br /><br />\t&ldquo;Ah, it&rsquo;s a geas of hospitality,&rdquo; Elora spoke aloud, realizing what was happening instantly. <br /><br />Silas too was aware of the cause, but his reaction was more puzzled than anything. &ldquo;So&hellip;we can&rsquo;t cross unless we place ourselves under the geas. What are you thinking, hon?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;I think we have to accept the terms of the geas. If we don&rsquo;t, then the owner of the castle would have time to bolster his defenses and make the place impregnable before we return with reinforcements.&rdquo; Elora turned to her mate and gave a little shrug of her shoulders. &ldquo;Besides which, we don&rsquo;t yet know if the owner of the castle has anything to do with the disappearances yet. But if they don&rsquo;t, we would still have a potential source of information.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;But we leave ourselves with little options if we have to deal with the master of the castle,&rdquo; Silas continued on, working all the possible scenarios out in his mind.<br /><br />&ldquo;True, but there&rsquo;s not really much choice, is there? We have to find out what&rsquo;s going on. At least the geas will be broken if we are attacked by the residents of the castle. We just have to stay on our toes and abide by the geas; stay as peaceful and as nonthreatening as possible.&rdquo; Elora smiled and grinned knowingly. &ldquo;Besides, there are ways around such a geas. Just leave it to me.&rdquo; She then turned back to the bridge, breathed out once, and then closed her eyes as she let all feelings of aggression leave her body to let the geas take hold. She then stepped forward without restraint, crossing the bridge.<br /><br />It took a little longer for Silas to accept the geas, his uneasiness keeping his aggressive thoughts in his mind for a while, but eventually the lion also crossed the threshold to reunite with his mate, and the two entered the castle proper and strode into the open doorway, each bounty hunter on high alert as they looked for signs of inhabitants.<br /><br />If there was one advantage to being under a geas of hospitality, it meant that you were always free of anxiety, as the geas instilled a relaxed and calm demeanor into one&rsquo;s mind. Often it would give those under said geas a clarity of thought and a sharper mindset, free of worrying about combat tactics or the fear of attack. Still, the advantages going into a situation blind were plenty, and being veterans of combat, the bounty hunters were well aware of this fact. They had sheathed their weapons, finding them of no use at the moment, but they kept their eyes open, memorizing the layout of the castle as they moved into the heart of the fortress. Having an escape route in these circumstances was always a wise move, and one of the most dangerous things that could happen in a rescue mission was to become lost in a hostile environment. By now the two lions knew each other well and understood their roles, Silas checking for easily defensible positions while Elora memorized their route and possible hazards.<br /><br />&ldquo;Think anyone is home?&rdquo; Silas heard his voice echo a bit through the empty halls, finding it unusual no one had greeted them yet.<br /><br />&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure there is&hellip;no one places a geas of hospitality on a castle and leaves it unguarded to pilfer,&rdquo; Elora opined. &ldquo;But this is a sizable castle. We might find someone on the higher levels.&rdquo;<br /><br />The duo soon found that the layout of the castle was different than most. They could detect no sign of a throne room on the lower level, though investigations did provide knowledge of a dining hall, a kitchen, several lavatories, and one or two meeting rooms. The stairs themselves were easy to find, but as the two lions were looking for signs of life, they explored the lower level thoroughly before moving on, making their way to the second floor. It was here that they encountered their first contact with the residents of the castle, although it was not what they expected.<br /><br />It was a squirrel they saw first, a female squirrel that appeared to be garbed in the attire of a servant girl, and that appeared to be young in appearance, but clearly a mature squirrel, if her bust size was any indication. The lions saw the squirrel girl standing at the end of the hallway just beyond the stair that they had climbed to ascend to the second level, but what was interesting was that the squirrel seemed to be waiting for them expectantly; she wasn&rsquo;t even the slightest bit unnerved at having two armed and apparently capable lions invading the castle before her eyes. In fact, the squirrel bowed to them at the end of the large hallway and put on her best smile, crossing her hands in front of her and waiting patiently for them to approach. The two bounty hunters looked to each other, and then proceeded towards the squirrel, assessing her like any good adventurer would. After ascertaining that she didn&rsquo;t seemed to be armed in any way whatsoever, the two lions allowed themselves to relax their guard as they approached, hoping to put their best foot forward as they opened up the lines of communication.<br /><br />The squirrel girl waited until the two lions were within reach, then allowed herself to do a prim and proper curtsy, her gaze lowered in deference. &ldquo;Welcome to Castle Frostwood. The master is expecting you. Please, follow me to the throne room.&rdquo; With that, she turned and left down the hallway, clearly expecting the two lions to follow her, and not even turning her head to see if they were or not. Silas and Elora, their mouths still open to greet the young lass, watched her walk away while still forming the breath to speak, but when it became obvious that they were meant to follow, they closed their mouths and fell in step behind the squirrel, saving their questions for this &lsquo;master&rsquo; that they were being led to.<br /><br />It wasn&rsquo;t a long trip to the throne room, the path to their destination only being down the hall, past a couple of large doors, and then a turn left to a short hall that led to a large, expansive room that could only be the throne room. Large columns decorated and supported a wide, spacious room that was decorated to impress&hellip;or at least it once was. The room was considerably less impressive than it was in the past, with tapestries faded and covered in accumulated dust over the years due to negligence. The room itself was impressive in its size, but it lacked anything that even hinted of being in use over the years, all the glamour of the room having long become dull and listless. However, the floor at least was clean and with a decent polish, the only real part of the room that looked cared for. All of these clues led the two bounty hunters to conclude that either the &lsquo;master&rsquo; of the castle was a poor caretaker of his possessions, or that he or she wasn&rsquo;t really the original owner of the castle, and had just happened upon it and claimed it as his or her own. They would find out soon enough; they could make out a figure at the very end of the throne room, sitting on a throne and observing them as they strode into the room. Whoever it was, they were far enough away that their features were indeterminable, but the squirrel girl continued on towards that figure, moving steadily and with grace, obviously still meaning for the pair to follow.<br /><br />The walk was a fair one, with much space to cover, the room being spacious enough to accommodate a large audience if need be. Before the journey was complete, however, the being sitting on the throne suddenly stood up and made a casual bow to the new arrivals. &ldquo;Greetings&hellip;Silas and Elora.&rdquo; Hearing their names uttered, the two lions paused for a moment, while the squirrel girl continued on, soon finding her way to stand beside her lord. The sound was familiar, and at their distance, it took a little while for them to match the voice with the figure who was speaking, but the two lions both came to the same conclusion at once, and uttered a single name at the same time: &ldquo;Cayle.&rdquo;<br /><br />It was most definitely a surprise to the two bounty hunters to run into someone they knew in his castle hidden off from the world, and even more so to discover that it was Cayle. Cayle was also employed as a bounty hunter, but whereas Silas and Elora were a team, Cayle worked alone. Not always because of choice; Cayle was notoriously difficult to work with, and not many cared to try, despite the successful track record he had earned over his career.<br /><br />Cayle was a gray wolf, and while wolves were somewhat common in the bounty hunter business, this one stood out in several ways. Where most wolves radiated an aura of fierceness and strength, Cayle seemed to project an aura of calculation and cunning. His eyes were often remarked as seeming to look right through you, as if weighing your capabilities and deciding if you were worth the effort or not. Cayle was also notoriously self-centered and vain, to the point where he eschewed the idea of using his teeth or claws for combat. He kept his claws manicured to the point where they were useless for anything but grasping documents or scratching lightly through his thick fur. Despite this seeming handicap, Cayle was quite a formidable wolf, built strongly with a wide frame and muscles that were well-honed from his trade as a bounty hunger, but also lean, with a body structure that was as quick and agile as it was powerful. <br /><br />Cayle had started out in the bounty hunter business a little earlier than Silas and Elora had, but from what they knew of his history, they knew that Cayle had originally started in the trade using heavy weapons and armor. But that had only lasted about a couple of months before Cayle had decided that finesse was more his speed, and he switched to using a mix of swords and daggers, with armor that was more suited to stealth and agility. The change worked for the wolf, and he quickly developed a reputation for being capable and reliable in the field. Along with that reputation for being reliable, also came the reputation for his self-importance; he would on occasion accept jobs with a partner, and they would invariably be the last time said partner would ever attempt to do so again, becoming fed up with Cayle&rsquo;s attitude and unwillingness to compromise on even the smallest of details. Cayle&rsquo;s track record only boosted his ego all the more as time went on, and it became apparent that cooperation with him would be all but impossible as a result.<br /><br />Cayle&rsquo;s attitude also had another caveat; though he had a good track record, rumors of cruelty began to filter through the network. Ugly stories of the wolf giving no quarter to an enemy who was not deserving of death, of harassing townsfolk who failed to give him the right of way, of performing rescues and treating the client no better than the kidnappers in the process...even rumors that the reason that Cayle was so good at his job was because he actually orchestrated some of the situations himself. The rumors could have been laughed off as just being professional jealousy among his peers, if not for the fact that Cayle seemed all too capable of performing each and every one of those acts. So the rumors persisted, and Cayle did nothing to stop their circulation, or even change his behavior a little.<br /><br />In the past 6 months, Cayle had vanished from the public eye, and there were rumors that he had undertaken a bounty hunter job that had gone south, and rather then face up to the music, he had decided to hide out for a while. There were still other rumors that he had just gotten fed up with the business and retired somewhere. There were even rumors that someone had just gotten fed up with him and taken him out of the picture. The rumors eventually died down, and people stopped talking about him; he wasn&rsquo;t liked, and while he was a good bounty hunter, there were others just as capable to step up in his place. So life went on as usual. In truth, Silas and Elora had not thought about Cayle&rsquo;s disappearance at all up until now, having heard the rumors, but not caring in the slightest. And now here he was, apparently the &lsquo;master&rsquo; of the castle, and seeming for all the world as if had planned this very meeting.<br /><br />The sight before the two lions was different than what each could recall about Cayle. If memory served, Cayle last preferred to don a set of swords, a rapier and short sword, which he wore along his hip for easy access. In addition, he wore a lightly armored leather jerkin that was dyed to match his fur pattern almost seamlessly, enabling him to hide easily in missions that required stealth, and also making his vitals a little hard to target in a fight. The attire was rounded out with a set of leathers along his nether regions that were also dyed, but less armored, giving him the agility he desired at the cost of a little protection. Cayle still wore the armor that was so suited to him, but he no longer bore the rapier or short sword at his side. Instead, he held a bastard sword across his lap upon the throne, the metal of the sword matching his fur perfectly, and glinting in the low level of light that filled the room. He had also added a couple items to his person; a thin cloak around his shoulders that was more for presentation than for utility, and a glittering crown that looked regal in appearance; this was most CERTAINLY for show.<br /><br />When Silas and Elora were within three sword&rsquo;s lengths from the throne, Cayle held up his hand in a clear motion for the duo to halt their advance, and the wolf stood up from the throne, taking the sword from his lap to hold it in a casual but ready position, just in case. It was one of the basics you learned as a bounty hunter; you survived in the profession by being careful, not stupid. The wolf stepped down from the raised platform upon which the throne was raised, and in a rare show of courtesy, he reached up with his free hand, removed his crown, and tossed it behind him on the cushioned seat of the throne.<br /><br />&ldquo;Welcome, welcome to my domain! So good to see some familiar faces,&rdquo; the wolf exclaimed with a grin, his free hand moving to his hip in pose regally for the duo, his cloak being sure to billow around him appropriately. He had planned for this moment, clearly, and was playing his role to the hilt, trying to impress. He wasn&rsquo;t totally off the mark, either.<br /><br />&ldquo;Your domain?&rdquo; Silas scratched the side of his chin as he processed this information. &ldquo;You mean to say that this castle is yours?&rdquo;<br /><br />Cayle grinned a little wider, and nodded. &ldquo;Yes&hellip;well, it is now. Doubtless you have noticed that the castle is in a state of disuse. Before I came here, it had not been inhabited for some time, and with no one to claim it, I decided to make it my own. Not many bounty hunters can boast they have their very own castle, hmm?&rdquo; He swept his arm around as he spoke, displaying the wide throne room about them all.<br /><br />Elora elected to respond to this, eyeing Cayle with a suspicious glance. &ldquo;A castle and servants, it seems. Wherever did all this fortune fall from, I wonder?&rdquo; Her tail flicked to the side, tapping her mate on his flanks, a silent signal developed between the two. Be on guard. <br /><br />Cayle shrugged at this and ventured a sly smile, tapping his head with one of his index fingers. &ldquo;Fortune indeed, but also well-deserved. I&rsquo;ve put in my time with the Hunter&rsquo;s Guild, and I&rsquo;ve earned my fair share of prosperity for the work that I have done. And a reputation such as mine can go a long way if one knows how to use it properly.&rdquo; He nodded to the squirrel lass, who promptly curtseyed respectfully. &ldquo;Surely you realize that one such as myself has no shortage of admirers&hellip;as well as those who are jealous, of course.&rdquo; As he said the last, he eyed the two lions with those probing eyes, as if trying to discover if they were guilty of that very crime.<br /><br />Silas felt as if a great act were being put on for their benefit, and was beginning to get annoyed; it was easy enough to bore of Cayle&rsquo;s antics even for the most patient of folk. But Elora&rsquo;s tailflick had not gone unnoticed, and Silas knew to play to the vain wolf. &ldquo;Oh, of course&hellip;we&rsquo;ve heard some of the things that were said, but it is nice to see that you are well and prospering.&rdquo; Silas pretended to be impressed by the surroundings, knowing that it was in part expected. &ldquo;How on earth did you find this place?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Ah, I&rsquo;m so glad you asked that question,&rdquo; Cayle responded, tapping the point of his sword onto the hard floor audibly in excitement. &ldquo;Story time&hellip;&rdquo; Elora thought to herself, her tail twitching a little bit. She didn&rsquo;t like Cayle one bit, and though she had warned her mate with her tail, she didn&rsquo;t know if she would be able to hold her feelings in check much better.<br /><br />&ldquo;You see, it all started around my sudden disappearance about 5 or 6 months ago. I&rsquo;m sure you remember, it must have been big news,&rdquo; Cayle began, while reaching back to take the crown in his free hand, twirling it lazily around his index finger. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d just completed a task for the Hunter&rsquo;s Guild, and after collecting my fee, I discovered that there was little work to be had at the time. I was starting to get fed up with the hunter&rsquo;s racket, between you and me; last couple jobs, there had been a few complaints, which didn&rsquo;t really bother me much, but I was just starting to tire a bit of the whining. But I had heard that there was a finder&rsquo;s fee on rare herbs around the Frostwood, and while herb-gathering usually isn&rsquo;t my bag, I knew that strange things happened around the Frostwood, so I figured it might be good to investigate the area and see if I could drum up a little business on the side. I figured that the hard-to-find herbs were deep in the heart of the Frostwood, so I&rsquo;d just gear up a little and head towards the center.<br /><br />&ldquo;Honestly, the Frostwood isn&rsquo;t as bad as everyone makes it out to be&hellip;if you travel in the warm periods, that is. I was kind of in the middle, so that was fine. I picked out a couple of spots with some interesting herbs and collected a few for samples. I&rsquo;m no horticulturalist, so I was just guessing, for the most part, but I got lucky, and one of the herbs turned out to be Malkiseed, which as you know is useful for strengthening metallic alloys. Well, I went to go find the patch where I found it from by taking a direct route, and lo and behold, I managed to run right into the edge of the clearing to this place. I investigated, thinking to make my acquaintance with whomever the castle belonged to, but believe me, when first I encountered the place, it was in much poorer shape than what you see it in now. It was quite clear that the place was desolate.<br /><br />&ldquo;I checked out the place from top to bottom, from dungeon to this very throne room. It took a long time, especially since I was going slow to try and avoid any traps or pitfalls that might have been left for unwelcome travelers. I expected at least one, so imagine my surprise when my investigation turned up no defenses at all. There may still be some lurking undiscovered, but I am reasonably certain now that there are none. My serving staff have been around for some time now performing their functions, and have not set off any traps; the purpose of a trap is to catch someone unaware, and there have been countless opportunities to set one off.<br /><br />&ldquo;I did discover one or two things that had been left here by the previous occupants, though; this crown, for instance. A nice little bit of treasure that could probably fetch a good amount of coin on the market, but I do think that a crown should stay with the one who rules. And since no sign of the previous owners could be found, I chose to make myself the ruler. Yes. Ruler of Frostwood Manor. For lack of a better title. And since then, restoration has begun to make this castle into a truly awe-inspiring sight, for when I choose to make this place known, I am sure it will soon see lots of visitors, as it is in a prime location to set up trade. So, as you see, fortune has indeed come to me at last. And it shall continue to do so,&rdquo; Cayle finished with a triumphant flourish, settling the crown back on his head after he had ceased speaking.<br /><br />\tDespite Silas and Elora&rsquo;s annoyance at Cayle&rsquo;s antics, both paid very close attention to the story. It explained about how he found the castle, and why he was now the lord of the manor, but it was obvious to both that Cayle had failed to explain some things; he was holding something back, despite how forthcoming he seemed. After the wolf had finished speaking, Elora decided to try a more direct tact. &ldquo;Well, as the &lsquo;Lord&rsquo; of Frostwood Manor,&nbsp;&nbsp;perhaps you could assist us with something relevant to your domain. You see, we didn&rsquo;t just happen to stop in without purpose. We&rsquo;re on a mission for the Guild, you see. We&rsquo;re looking for furs that have disappeared around the Frostwood recently. Specifically, a vixen and a female rabbit.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Oh?&rdquo; Cayle&rsquo;s ears gave the slightest twitch. Elora spotted the movement, and that smallest of twitches gave her a little chill; if she was reading his reactions right, he knew something.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Yes. Vixen goes by the name of Cherise. She&rsquo;s about 15 years, comes to about shoulder height, has a small patch of red on the very tip of her tail, and is known for having a pink ribbon tied to her tail. The bunny doe goes by the name of Risa. She&rsquo;s about 14, and is a pure white bunny, pink eyes, likes to wear a red shawl and is about the same height as Cherise, but a little taller due to her ears. Oh, and Cherise may also still have her herbal satchel with her. Does any of this ring a bell?&rdquo;<br /><br />\tCayle listened to Elora&rsquo;s description with interest, his eyes darting from her to Silas and the back again, his free hand rubbing his chin while he spun the tip of the sword point into the floor loosely. When she finished, the wolf raised the sword up and rested it up and over his shoulder, his other hand brushing through his headfur underneath his crown. &ldquo;I see, I see. Well, as it so happens, I have seen them. They are my guests here in the castle. They are staying in the servant&rsquo;s quarters in the West Tower. You see, they looked a little lost, and I thought it would be best if I kept them safe for a while.&rdquo; As he said this, the edge of his muzzle curled up a little, ever so slightly. Elora felt that chill deepen; he was toying with them somehow. And she felt a little bit of rage come over her.<br /><br />\tSilas spoke up then, able to feel the tension in his mate, and hoping to defuse the situation somewhat. &ldquo;I see. Well, we have come to retrieve them. I&rsquo;m sure you understand, a contract is a contract. We&rsquo;ll come back and give you a percentage of the profits of course, as a show of cooperation.&rdquo;<br /><br />\tCayle turned to the male lion and nodded. &ldquo;Well, that sounds like a profit for all of us. Why don&rsquo;t I have Contessa here show you the way?&rdquo; He motioned to the squirrel lass, who curtseyed once more and smiled winsomely.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;That would be excellent. Elora, are you coming?&rdquo; Silas&rsquo;s voice had a slight edge to it; he knew his mate would hear the hint in his voice.<br /><br />\t Indeed, Elora heard the subtle prod that her mate was giving her, but she had pieced something together in her mind; she wasn&rsquo;t certain, but it seemed like the correct scenario, and she was determined to piece together the truth. &ldquo;I think that I&rsquo;ll keep Cayle some company here. It shouldn&rsquo;t take both of us to check up on them.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Are you sure?&rdquo; Silas kept his voice steady, but the edge was still there; his mate was the smarter of the two, that was sure, but she was also the most stubborn as well.<br /><br />\tElora eyed Silas with a clear and firm gaze, her eyes steely with resolution, but also understanding as well. She turned back to Cayle and held up one of her fingers. &ldquo;One moment.&rdquo; She then turned and took Silas aside, out of earshot. She knew it was perhaps a little conspicuous, but she knew no other way to get her point across and reassure the male at the same time.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Look,&rdquo; she began, whispering to her mate, &ldquo;I know what you&rsquo;re trying to do. It&rsquo;s sweet, but I can take care of myself. He&rsquo;s hiding something, and I intend to get to the bottom of it. You go and do what you have to do.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;But&hellip;&rdquo; Silas began, intending to protest.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Relax. I&rsquo;ve always come through without a scratch, remember? And there&rsquo;s the geas to consider. But remember what I told you, there are ways around it. I&rsquo;ll be fine.&rdquo; Elora then looked back over her shoulder, where Cayle was waiting patiently, his fingers stroking over the squirrel maid&rsquo;s tail as she stood waiting. &ldquo;Besides, methinks someone needs to be taken down a peg.&rdquo;<br /><br />\tSilas didn&rsquo;t like it, but he had to admit, Elora knew her stuff. And she was right; she could hold her own. She had proven that time and time again. &ldquo;Just be careful. We&rsquo;re not doing ourselves any favors by making enemies.&rdquo; He then spoke louder, so that Cayle could hear. &ldquo;All right, I see your point. Well, have fun, I&rsquo;m off to the servant&rsquo;s quarters, apparently.&rdquo; He separated from his mate and walked up to the squirrel, who curtseyed once more. &ldquo;Shall we?&rdquo;<br /><br />\tElora watched as squirrel and lion walked away towards the entrance to the throne room, waiting until they had exited through the main door before she turned back to the wolf, who was looking at her with those calculating eyes once more, the sword of his casually presented at his side now. It was no one but them, and she knew that the wolf was somehow pleased at this outcome; something in his body expression told her so. &ldquo;So...let me guess&hellip;the vixen and bunny just happened to find this castle, just as you did?&rdquo;<br /><br />\tCayle chuckles, and walked around to the side of the throne, leaning on it as he observed the lioness. &ldquo;Cut the bullshit, honey. It&rsquo;s as clear as day that you think I did something. And what exactly do you think I did? That I kidnapped them and are holding them for ransom?&rdquo;<br /><br />\tThis gave Elora pause for a moment; that was exactly where she was headed. But she rebounded after a moment and replied, &ldquo;Well, didn&rsquo;t you? Admit it, Cayle. You&rsquo;re hardly known for your charity.&rdquo;<br /><br />\tCayle laughed and placed a hand on his chest, feigning shock. &ldquo;You wound me, have I not invited you into this castle with nothing but respect due one&rsquo;s colleagues?&rdquo; He then smiled and turned to face Elora once more. &ldquo;You think I have the girls locked away. But they are as free as the wind to leave. They simply choose not to. They&rsquo;re in the servant&rsquo;s quarters, where my helpers come and go as they please. Your mate will discover this for himself once he checks for himself.&rdquo; He held out his hands magnanimously. &ldquo;Does that sound like a kidnapper to you?&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;You expect me to believe that those girls would not seek to rejoin their families after being away for so long? I doubt that. You&rsquo;ve done something, of that I&rsquo;m sure.&rdquo; Elora crossed her arms in front of her. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just not sure what yet.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;You malign me, my dear. Can&rsquo;t you believe that my girls simply enjoy the pleasure of my company? Sure, the castle is not in the best of states, but we&rsquo;re working on that together,&rdquo; Cayle commented with a grin, clearly enjoying playing a game with the perplexed lioness.<br /><br />\tAt that moment, something more clicked in Elora&rsquo;s mind. &ldquo;Your girls? Wait&hellip;the disappearances&hellip;are they all here? All the missing girls?&rdquo;<br /><br />\tCayle chuckled and toyed with the point of his sword. &ldquo;So what if they are?&rdquo;<br /><br />\tElora closed her fists tightly; that cold chill had just intensified. &ldquo;I knew it. You&rsquo;re behind all of this! What do you intend to do?&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Come come, you&rsquo;re a big girl. You&rsquo;ve figured out this much, surely it&rsquo;s not so great a leap to figure out what comes next.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;You&hellip;&rdquo;<br /><br />\tCayle raised his sword then, pointing the tip at Elora dramatically. There was still quite a bit of distance between them both, so there was no threat, but a sword raised still makes a very important point. &ldquo;What do you think to do? I have given you leave to take the two girls, but only those two. Consider it a rare generosity on my part. I can rescind that leave at any time, and you will leave empty handed. You cannot take them by force, not with the geas in place. Either leave with the girls and pledge to say nothing, or be forced to leave the girls in my care. And who knows what I&rsquo;ll do, hmm?&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;You want me to keep silent on this? Ridiculous!&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;If you return without the girls, knowing where they are and whose care you were leaving them in, I doubt that would go over well with your clients. Best to say you never found them at all, hmm?&rdquo;<br /><br />\tElora growled and clenched her fists a little more. Oh, this jerk had it coming, all right. But he was right&hellip;it would definitely look bad if she left things as they were. Even if she amassed a force to take Cayle on, their reputation would still take a hit. But she still had a trump card to play. She looked defiantly at the wolf and placed her hand on the hilt of her short sword. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s another way. If you&rsquo;re man enough for it.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Oh? And what other way do you suggest?&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;I challenge you to a gentleman&rsquo;s duel. For stakes. If you win, you have my word, I and my mate will not tell a soul of what we have discovered here.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;You and your mate? Very brazen of you, to include your mate in this agreement without his consent.&rdquo; Cayle grinned and lowered his sword point to the floor once more. &ldquo;He may not honor it.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Do not tarnish my mate&rsquo;s honor, wretch!&rdquo; the lioness practically spitted at the wolf. &ldquo;He and I are true to each other in all things, and we trust each other&rsquo;s word without question!&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;As you say, as you say,&rdquo; Cayle nodded almost dismissively. &ldquo;Well, if that is so, then I think that it suits my interests well enough. And if you win? Let me guess&hellip;I give up all the girls to you unconditionally.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;AND vow never to kidnap anyone else.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Drat, I was hoping you wouldn&rsquo;t catch that little loophole. But it&rsquo;s what I would insist on if our roles were reversed too, I think,&rdquo; Cayle admitted, then grinned wider. &ldquo;You really want to do this? You can&rsquo;t win, you know. I&rsquo;m better than you.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Then you should have nothing to worry about. Are we agreed?&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Agreed. I accept the terms of your gentleman&rsquo;s duel. We fight until one of us yields.&rdquo; He grinned and walked towards the front of the throne, towards where the large carpet leading up to the throne covered a wide expanse of the floor. He kept walking to where there was enough room to maneuver, motioning with his hand for the lioness to follow. &ldquo;There are training facilities for this sort of thing within the castle, but a fight in the throne room seems&hellip;grand. Shall we fight here?&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;The sooner the better,&rdquo; Elora growled, unsheathing her short sword and moving to unbuckle her tool kit. In an honorable fight, it would be weapon against weapon, and using the tools would decidedly be cheating. She tossed it to the side, where it clattered on the floor noisily, and turned to face her opponent, swinging her sword to warm up as much as she could.<br /><br />\tCayle held up his free hand, as did Elora. They locked their grip together without needing to be prompted; it was a ritual that needed to be performed in order to fight under the geas. &ldquo;Challenge is given, and Challenge is met. This has been decreed. Until the victor has been decided, the geas around us is freed,&rdquo; the two intoned as one, then separated from each other to prepare for combat. Each stood about 10 feet from each other, and got into a ready position, feeling the restriction of the geas melting away to give them the freedom they needed to fight.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve heard rumors of your skill, Elora. I&rsquo;ve always wondered what it&rsquo;d be like to take you on.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Get ready, creep. I&rsquo;m not going to take it easy on you.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Charming. But you can&rsquo;t win.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Watch me!&rdquo; With that, Elora dashed forward to close the distance with the wolf. The duel had begun.<br /><br />\tSilas followed the squirrel maiden with no small amount of concern for his mate; he had no idea what was transpiring at that very moment, but he had a feeling that it probably wasn&rsquo;t good. Even with the geas in place, there was nothing much to like about the situation, and the lion just hoped that by the time he found the two girls and returned, the situation would have calmed down somewhat. He didn&rsquo;t allow himself to dwell on it overly, though; it was important to keep your mind on the moment and be aware of any possible complications in the present.<br /><br />\tOne thing he had noticed as he walked with the squirrel was that she was not talkative; she had her orders and she was carrying them out dutifully. This in itself was not unusual, as some servants did what was asked of them to the letter, choosing to put on as much of a professional air as possible. The squirrel was young though, and in the lion&rsquo;s past experiences, squirrels were usually a chatty bunch. Silas kept waiting for the squirrel to initiate conversation, but she never volunteered anything. Given the situation he had just left, it was slightly unnerving.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;So your name is Contessa? That&rsquo;s a nice name,&rdquo; Silas ventured after a while. Perhaps all he needed to do was get the ball rolling.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Yes, and thank you,&rdquo; the squirrel responded in a lilting voice, looking straight ahead without even turning her head. It had a slightly dreamy quality, as if she were daydreaming about something as they walked.<br /><br />\tAn uncomfortable silence followed for a moment, as Silas waited to see if anything more came of it. When it was apparent that nothing more was going to be stated, he cleared his throat and continued onward. &ldquo;So, how did you wind up working for Cayle?&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Working? I don&rsquo;t understand,&rdquo; she responded, still with that slightly dreamy voice.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;You know, as his servant.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;It just&hellip;seemed right&hellip;&rdquo; Contessa answered cryptically. She left the matter at that, but she seemed to sway her body unconsciously a bit more afterwards, her body language suggesting that she was quite happy with the arrangement.<br /><br />\tSilas sighed and gave up the pretense at conversation. He wasn&rsquo;t going to force it, and in truth, he didn&rsquo;t really need to. If she wanted to keep to herself, that was her right. He just hoped that his mate was finding the answers that she sought from the wolf. Or at the very least, staying out of trouble.<br /><br />\tThe sounds of metal clashing on metal echoed throughout the throne room, the wolf and lioness testing their blades against each other in the first couple of passes. When fighting in the field, it was all about gaining advantage against an opponent by any means necessary, but in a duel, theoretically the combatants were on equal footing, which meant that it was important to gain as much knowledge about your opponent as possible before committing to an attack. They could be over in a flash or draw out over minutes, depending on what approach you took, but this was not a duel to the death. Either Elora or Cayle had to yield, and that meant looking for a decisive advantage.<br /><br />\tTheir blades clashed once more, Cayle defending with a quick backstep and a defensive swipe, while Elora closed the distance. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s fast&hellip;it&rsquo;s going to be hard to make him commit.&rdquo; Cayle then took a cursory swipe at the hilt of Elora&rsquo;s sword, which forced the lioness to deflect the swipe before the blow could knock the sword out of her hand. &ldquo;That wasn&rsquo;t a serious blow, he&rsquo;s just testing still. Probably a strong wrist.&rdquo; Cayle moved his sword next to swipe at his foe&rsquo;s legs, but Elora danced away nimbly. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s looking for weak points to exploit. Trying to whittle you down gradually. He&rsquo;s prepared for a long battle.&rdquo; All this went through Elora&rsquo;s mind as they fought, knowing that much similar information was reaching Cayle&rsquo;s mind as well. Soon the real fight would begin.<br /><br />\tThe lioness could already tell that the wolf was a seasoned opponent that would be tough to beat. But she didn&rsquo;t believe in the slightest that he was as good as he thought he was. She thought that she detected a slight difference in their respective speeds. It was hard to tell, as they were still testing each other, but it was much harder to disguise speed than it was strength. You could pull back from a blow, but defense meant you had to commit with speed, lest a strike find its mark. Perhaps if she struck in a flurry, she could breach his defenses. But she had to be sure; Cayle&rsquo;s sword had a reach advantage on her, and he could strike her first if she wasn&rsquo;t careful.<br /><br />\tAnother pair of gauging blows were exchanged, and the wolf grinned menacingly. &ldquo;I know something you don&rsquo;t know&hellip;&rdquo; he taunted, motioning for the lioness to come closer with his free hand.<br /><br />\tThough the lioness was angered by the wolf, she was no fool. &ldquo;He can&rsquo;t possibly expect that to work. Think&hellip;you have to get inside of his reach.&rdquo; She made as if she was going to engage him, giving a loud roar, then pulled back, hoping that he would commit a strike.<br /><br />\tCayle was too smart for that, however. He kept himself in perfect ready position as he advanced, and swiped once more with his sword. The strike caught Elora&rsquo;s blade just right, and slid along her own, forcing the lioness to close with the wolf in a sword clinch, the bastard sword gleaming brightly for an instant as Cayle brought his strength to bear.<br /><br />\tRather than force the wolf back directly, Elora held the clinch for a moment, then used a slight bit of leverage along with a backstep to separate from him, and hoping to catch him off balance, took a swipe at his side. Cayle recovered in time, blocking the strike, though not without a visible effort. &ldquo;So, he IS slower. At least, if I can get him off guard.&rdquo; She smiled in triumph; she had not won the battle yet, but she had a little insight now.<br /><br />\tStrangely, Cayle did not seem bothered by this; quite the opposite. If Elora thought she had scored a victory, the wolf seemed to feel the same. It was a little disquieting to the lioness as she settled back into a ready position. <br /><br />&ldquo;You should have never challenged me, my dear,&rdquo; the wolf stated calmly, his grin growing wider. &ldquo;You have no one to blame for this but yourself.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t act as if you&rsquo;ve already won. I&rsquo;m not breathing heavy,&rdquo; the lioness warned, changing her stance up slightly. Despite her words, she was wary of drawing the battle out for too long; it was hard to gauge which of them would tire first this early in the duel, and it was a dangerous thing to try and rely on her endurance when it was so much of an unknown. &ldquo;I might have the edge in close combat skill; better try and engage him and throw off his center.&rdquo;<br /><br />As Elora thought this to herself, Cayle performed a half-step lunge with his sword thrust outward, both hands suddenly on the hilt of his sword as he exploited the advantage of the bastard sword&rsquo;s versatility. The strike was strong, but rather than try and deflect it, Elora simply sidestepped the lunge and tried to cut along his midsection. The wolf knew better than to overcommit though; he was ready, cutting his stroke short and wheeling away so that the short sword only caught the billows of his cloak. Both the combatants followed through with their next strikes, which resulted in another locking of their swords. Cayle levered his sword forward slightly, and the lioness could see her reflection in the glinting steel of the blade as it flashed in front of her. This was what she wanted however; the lioness was skilled in tight quarters, and brought her knee up to deliver a solid blow at what she thought was his genitalia. She was satisfied to hear the wolf grunt, but he didn&rsquo;t keel over as expected; the colored leathers apparently were decently armored to protect THOSE vitals as well. The shock was enough to cause them to separate in the next instant, however, the two pushing away from the clinch.<br /><br />&ldquo;Not much there to hurt, eh?&rdquo; Elora taunted with a wry grin, glad to be able to do at least a little damage to him in the exchange. The adrenaline was definitely starting to flow; she was feeling a bit flushed all of a sudden, an unexpected feeling given the circumstances. Could she be getting turned on by this?<br /><br />&ldquo;Oh, I had no idea that my cock was on your mind. Looking for some wolf in you?&rdquo; Cayle responded, holding his sword hilt to his groin in what was most clearly a phallic gesture. It was brief, however; he returned his sword to a proper guard position, the wolf seeming more confident than ever.<br /><br />The words that the wolf spoke combined with the gesture that he performed evoked something in the lioness. An image in her head formed for the briefest instant, of the wolf mounting her lewdly, and was gone in a flash as she shook it out of her head. Where had THAT come from? That should have been the furthest thing from her mind! She snarled, angry at herself for even entertaining the notion. Almost vengefully, she took a swipe at Cayle&rsquo;s groin, knowing he would block or dodge it, but needing to lash out there, at least for a moment.<br /><br />Sure enough, the wolf was ready, and deflected the blow with ease. &ldquo;Oooh, testy&hellip;&rdquo; he chuckled aloud, and countered with a rush, lowering his shoulder while blocking with his sword to charge the lioness. The charge connected partially, throwing the feline off balance for a moment, and Cayle used this opportunity to throw his own blow, his leg lashing out to try and cripple Elora&rsquo;s knee. The kick connected, but only just; it grazed the side of her knee, and while it stung, it failed to cause any lasting damage. Elora responded with a wild punch, unable to bring her sword to bear in the closeness of the moment; it connected, but in the confusion, she couldn&rsquo;t tell where. She tried to throw another punch, but this one was caught by the wolf&rsquo;s hand, which he had released from his sword to counter with. They grappled for the upper hand in close quarters, a test of strength, while the two swords clanged noisily against each other, looking to slip free to score a glancing wound.<br /><br />&ldquo;I think that&rsquo;s enough&hellip;&rdquo; Cayle said through gritted teeth, and then to Elora&rsquo;s surprise, the wolf leaned forward and pressed his muzzle to the lioness, his lips meeting hers in a sudden lunge. The kiss was firm and unyielding, truly the last thing that Elora expected at that moment. But what was even more unexpected was that she could feel herself responding, her head pressed back and her lips pursed as she all but melted into the kiss before she could stop herself. It was instinctual; by the time she realized what she was doing, the kiss was over, and the wolf had released the lioness from the grapple to get a little more distance and gauge the reaction of the female.<br /><br />If it was merely a kiss stolen, Elora could respond with righteous fury. How DARE he! But she had shared the kiss openly, and could not understand why. What was going on? The experience had shaken her more than she cared to admit, and so she was ill prepared to defend herself in the next moment. A carefully calculated sword swipe got past her guard and sliced at the bindings of her armor, severing the cords before thought to refocus herself. &ldquo;Stupid! Pay attention!&rdquo; She backpedaled from the wolf, who made no move to follow, and she took the time to discard the armor, not caring for modesty at that moment. Loose armor was worse than no armor; it could slip at the wrong time and hinder a critical block or movement. The studded leather clattered to the floor, leaving her shapely chest and abdomen bared completely. She made no move to cover her modesty, instead keeping her sword at the ready to defend against a follow-up attack.<br /><br />&ldquo;Mmmm, very nice&hellip;&rdquo; Cayle commented appreciatively, his eyes roaming Elora&rsquo;s ample breasts, quietly noting to himself that her nipples were peeking through her fur. Rather than pressing the attack, he remained in place, and moved his free hand to the bindings at his own leathers, keeping his sword at the ready as he unfastened his protective garments. It was a peculiar move, given the situation; Elora could only guess that he was trying to even things up a bit in the duel. When Cayle&rsquo;s specialized chest armor was discarded to the side, and he moved to unfasten his lower vestments as well, this theory went out the window completely.<br /><br />It was a stupid move; removing pants or leathers from one&rsquo;s legs in the midst of combat would likely tangle the legs up for a while, and in a conflict where speed is everything, it&rsquo;s a hindrance no one could afford. Elora saw this, and three thoughts ran through her head. The first was incredulity that Cayle was making such a foolish mistake, the second was a seething rage that the wolf was stripping before her as if he had something to offer, and the third was a call to action, her hunter&rsquo;s instinct kicking in as she saw the opening that she needed. &ldquo;Now! He can&rsquo;t maneuver! Press the attack and make him pay!&rdquo; The last thought spurred her to action, but as she set herself in motion, she realized that something still wasn&rsquo;t right. Her heart was no longer in the fight; her mind was confused and unfocused. She was going through the motions now, at war with herself as much as the wolf in front of her.<br /><br />Cayle was still in the process of disrobing in front of the lioness, but even in this state of vulnerability, he was ready for an attack of opportunity. He watched the lioness as she stirred into motion, but before she could close even half the distance between them, he shouted a command to her, holding his sword ready: &ldquo;Drop it!&rdquo;<br /><br />The sound of a sword clattering to the floor could be heard echoing throughout the throne room, and it took Elora a moment to realize it was hers. She stopped in place, stunned into inaction, looking down at her hand as if it had betrayed her somehow. She hadn&rsquo;t even thought about heeding the command, but somehow, she had done just that, and now she was foolishly unarmed for no reason that she could perceive. Moreover, she noticed now that Cayle had finished discarding the rest of his armor, and was now standing there as naked as could be, save for the sword in his hand. The realization made her gasp, not in surprise, but from the butterflies that suddenly stirred from her core, something unnatural and wonderful.<br /><br />It took only a moment for the lioness to take in the full breadth of the male before her in his naked state, her combat reflexes allowing her to assess the situation like any other. Once she had done so, there should have been no reason to let her gaze linger any longer than it did, but Elora simply couldn&rsquo;t bring herself to look away. That in itself was unusual; the lioness loved her mate, but while he was indeed a find physical specimen, and handsome as well, he had never been able to make her feel like a lovesick girl lusting after her Adonis. She had never felt that way until now, and it was ridiculous that she should feel this way towards someone who was clearly her enemy. But she just couldn&rsquo;t stop staring, and Cayle knew it.<br /><br />Cayle&rsquo;s body was trim and firm, as one might expect from someone in the bounty hunter profession. And it was large and menacing, as one might expect from an alpha male of a wolf pack. Now that it was presented in all its glory for the lioness to look upon, other details of the wolf&rsquo;s body surfaced that might not have been apparent early on. The most notable of these was the fact that he kept himself well-groomed; there were no tangles or knots in his fur, despite the fact that it was thick and that it was kept under his armor, where tangles could develop. This wasn&rsquo;t entirely surprising; Cayle was notoriously vain, and he probably spent more than a healthy amount of time grooming himself each day. But it was a pleasant surprise; in the field, one often had do without some of the fineries that made one presentable, and it could be easy to forget entirely.<br /><br />He was also very clean, and with the armor removed, Elora could get a clearer scent from the male, a scent that sent those butterflies to action once more. Even with the wolf having engaged in combat with her just moments ago, he wasn&rsquo;t panting or perspiring in the slightest, and his fur all but gleamed in the low level of light, much like his sword did in the heat of battle. It wasn&rsquo;t a clear gray as she had thought; some traces of white and silver streaked through his underbelly in such a way as to highlight his toned body and firm musculature. It swayed a little in the slight undercurrent of slightly chilled air that filled the room, but more so in the sway of his tail that moved this way and that, the wolf clearly enjoying the attention.<br /><br />What held Elora&rsquo;s gaze more than anything was what Cayle had taken the extra time to reveal; with his leathers removed from his lower half, the wolf&rsquo;s sheath and balls were completely visible. Despite what Elora had implied earlier, the wolf was quite well equipped for mating, with a sizable sheath that left very little to the imagination. Not that it needed to; sometime during the conflict, Cayle had become aroused enough that his cock had emerged halfway from his sheath, presenting his lupine organ lewdly to the lioness. Cayle seemed quite proud of this, and with his free hand, he reached down to cup his generous ballsac, hefting the swollen orbs in full view of the lioness, a sight that made her gasp aloud. &ldquo;Aren&rsquo;t you glad you waited?&rdquo; he teased, a triumphant smile gracing his muzzle.<br /><br />The lioness was ashamed to realize that she was panting a bit, and not because of the exertion from the duel. She should be outraged! To be looking at another male in such a way other than her mate! She hated this male, so why was she feeling this way? It was maddening! The thoughts ran through her mind, cutting their way through the fog of confusion, and she forced herself to look back to her blade, still lying on the floor where she had dropped it. She had to get it back before he took advantage of her defenseless position!<br /><br />Even with these thoughts forcing their way through, she still hesitated, and that hesitation was enough for Cayle to seize the advantage. Within a blink, he dashed over to bar the lioness from her short sword with the blade of his bastard sword, the metal glinting as it rested within inches of her bared chest. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t know when to quit, do you&hellip;&rdquo; the wolf chuckled, the lupine still cautious, but with every reason to be confident now. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s fine. It just makes it more fun. I can see that you still can&rsquo;t believe you&rsquo;ve lost.&rdquo; He raised the sword up, placing the blade just under the chin of the lioness. &ldquo;Would you like me to tell you how?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;H-how?&rdquo; Elora gasped out, worried about her situation, but also so very very confused. A part of her refused to give up&hellip;it was just too humiliating to be beaten this way. Perhaps she could wrestle his sword out of his hand, or catch him in a vulnerable spot now that he was unarmored, or&hellip;<br /><br />&ldquo;This is a very special sword,&rdquo; Cayle answered the lioness, his fingers reaching out to all but yank the leathered skirt that she wore free from her hips, making Elora yelp a bit in protest; with the sword so close to her neck however, she dared not respond to the affront. &ldquo;Perhaps you remember me mentioning that I found a few treasures in this castle. This blade was one of them. Perhaps it was the sword of the previous ruler of the castle; I found it in a bedroom I can only assume to be that of the previous lord.&rdquo; He flicked the blade once, showing the double-edge that was honed to razor sharpness. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s called Enuvite. Or at least, that&rsquo;s the official inscription. I like to call it Weakspot.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Weakspot?&rdquo; Elora was all too keenly aware of her state of nakedness now, as well as where that blade was. She was also keenly aware of the moistness between her thighs, and was praying against hope that the wolf would not notice. &ldquo;Please, grant me this one last shred of dignity&hellip;&rdquo; she thought to herself&hellip;but at the same time, against all rational thought, some part of her was hoping that he DID notice.<br /><br />The wolf had not noticed yet; he was too wrapped up in his explanation, though he was looking over the lioness&rsquo;s naked body with appraising eyes as he held the sword ready, and would likely discover the fact soon enough. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a marvelous blade&hellip;not really my favored type of sword, but it was too well made not to want to use. And besides which, it has a special power as well.&rdquo; The blade glinted once more, and the lioness gasped; something had changed, and whatever it was, it made her attraction to the wolf that much more palpable. &ldquo;If I hold the blade close to someone, just like now, I can give them a weakness. No matter how strong or sure someone may be, this sword can give them a vulnerability that I can exploit. A weakness against something, like a particular type of metal or weapon&hellip;or a weakness for something, like a particular scent or craving.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;You&hellip;you cheated?&rdquo; Elora spoke aloud, realizing now that the strange feelings and actions she was experienced were being manipulated by the wolf.<br /><br />&ldquo;I hardly think so,&rdquo; Cayle continued, &ldquo;I told you at the outset that you couldn&rsquo;t win. It&rsquo;s not my fault that you didn&rsquo;t heed my words. It was my blade versus yours&hellip;my tool simply had better&hellip;reach.&rdquo; He winked to her and reached down with his free hand and stroked between the moist folds of her legs, causing the feline to mewl in pleasure before she could stop herself. &ldquo;Speaking of tools&hellip;you seem to be quite enamored of mine.&rdquo;<br /><br />Elora snarled to Cayle at that, but it lacked the conviction it should have had, and both of them knew it. &ldquo;S-shut up! You&hellip;you did something to me!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Of course I did! I should have thought that was obvious.&rdquo; He continued to stroke over her cleft, making the beautiful feline purr from his touch. She was a fine specimen of a feline; bold, tough, sexy yet strong, alluring and nigh untouchable. Her golden coat of fur was short but soft, a rarity for lions, and it framed her body wonderfully. Her musculature was such that she appeared to be strong and sleek at the same time, her ample breasts the epitome of femininity, her hips wide and shapely, her legs and arms toned and firm. The signs of arousal made her even more desirable, those nipples jutting forth from her chest, eager for attention, while the slickness of her petals could be felt coating the fur of the wolf&rsquo;s fingers, which made stroking her even easier. &ldquo;The fight could have been over anytime, you see. The first weakness I forced upon you was the weakness for obedience. Specifically to strong-willed wolves. Like myself, for example.&rdquo;<br /><br />A light flashed in Elora&rsquo;s mind then. &ldquo;The sword!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Yes. When I told you to drop it, you didn&rsquo;t hesitate. I could have commanded it at any time, but I wanted to see how good you were. And you are good, I won&rsquo;t deny. Maybe, just maybe, you could have won.&rdquo; At that admission, the wolf slipped his fingers forward a little, penetrating the feline&rsquo;s folds for the first time, the sudden intrusion making the lioness stand on her toes in shock&hellip;and in pleasure as well. &ldquo;But that didn&rsquo;t happen, did it?&rdquo;<br /><br />The lioness was forced to remain still as the wolf explored her body, the sword hanging menacingly close to her. It was shameful, knowing that she couldn&rsquo;t do anything about it, but at the same time, she was no longer sure that she could. Her plans to try and somehow turn the situation around were quickly becoming forgotten, the tingles of pleasure assaulting her mind and keeping her distracted. She felt such a loathing for the wolf, but also a strange attraction, an unnatural attraction; she knew without a doubt now that the mysterious sword was to blame, but the knowledge didn&rsquo;t help her situation or her resolve. Her arousal continued to grow despite herself, and she felt another spike as the wolf leaned close to blow into her ear the way that lovers do, while those fingers continued to explore her depths.<br /><br />&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure you can guess that I&rsquo;ve given you a few special weaknesses just for this situation,&rdquo; Cayle continued on, murmuring into her ear. &ldquo;Weaknesses pertaining to arousal, desire&hellip;pleasure&hellip;&rdquo; At the last word, he brought his thumb into play, slowly brushing it over Elora&rsquo;s engorged clit, which sent an electric thrill running through the lioness. As he did so, he slid in a little closer, rubbing the base of his aroused shaft against the fur of Elora&rsquo;s hip, the heat of his member being felt even through the soft fur. The blade that Cayle held flashed once more, and the lioness felt herself respond once more, her pants now quite audible throughout the throne room.<br /><br />Cayle growled softly to the lioness, an undercurrent of lust coloring the sound, and he unceremoniously tossed the sword to the side, where it clattered to the floor some distance away. It was well out of reach of both the wolf and the lioness for the time being now, leaving both the furs unarmed. Without missing a beat, Cayle used the now free hand to further embrace the lioness, moving his body behind hers and sliding that hand to her chest, groping one of her breasts shamelessly as the other hand slipped its fingers in and out of her cleft and continued to brush over her clit. The wolf was clearly unafraid of Elora trying to escape his grasp to lunge for one of the weapons on the floor, a soft chuckle escaping his lips as the lioness never even made an attempt to try, her soft moans and whimpers filling the air.<br /><br />Why was she not doing anything?! Elora was just letting the wolf take advantage of her like some wanton slut! She had never let anyone touch her like this except for her mate, and she would have broken the bones of anyone who dared try! She wanted to fight the calling, the instinctual need she felt, but every time she tried, another spike of pleasure quelled the resistance, and it became that much harder to regain her sensibilities. She was in trouble, real trouble&hellip;but the one who could save her was nowhere near, and unaware of her plight. Almost limply, she raised one of her hands as if to try and pry the wolf&rsquo;s hand from her chest, but the move turned into a caress, her body betraying her further as she cradled his hand to her breast to encourage his touch. Cayle just smiled, and leaned closer, his fur mingling with Elora&rsquo;s as he murmured into her ear once more, this time louder and full of confidence.<br /><br />&ldquo;Look at you&hellip;your body wants me. It wants me so badly. What of your mate, fair Elora? What of that trust, that bond of love? Look how readily you give yourself to me to enjoy. And love? You are NOTHING to me. Just a slut for me to screw until I am satisfied and drained of seed. A bitch for me to breed and conquer. And you would let me; don&rsquo;t try to deny it. Every moan I hear escape your lips tells me so.&rdquo; As he spoke, he began pinching Elora&rsquo;s nipple through his fingertips, and started to work his fingers faster into her cunt, forcing her to shudder in his grasp. <br /><br />Elora tried to force the words from her lips to deny the wolf&rsquo;s claim, but to her shame, the only sound that issued forth from her muzzle was a moan of pleasure. She wasn&rsquo;t sure if it was the sword&rsquo;s influence or Cayle&rsquo;s apparent skill, but he was pushing all of the right buttons to bring her body to a desperate need. Even the viciousness of the wolf&rsquo;s words did nothing to stop her from wanting more, her legs quivering and weakening from his assault, and finally giving way entirely. The lioness fell to her knees, simultaneously trying to shy away from his touch and drive herself onto his fingers; knowing the wolf was her enemy, and yet craving his touch. Thoughts of her mate soon faded from her mind, the lioness unable to focus on anything but the moment, but even that focus was quickly dwindling.<br /><br />Cayle allowed Elora to sink to her knees, his body following soon after to keep his body close to her own, never allowing her a moment apart from his touch. Those fingers kept thrusting in and out of Elora&rsquo;s pussy, quicker and faster, while his other hand circled the flesh of her nipple, cradling the breast possessively in his palm. He leaned his head close and growled into her ear, then gave her a firm nip on her neck, letting his teeth sink in lightly to her flesh, right at the spot where she was most sensitive. The pain wasn&rsquo;t enough to shake her from her hazed state; rather, it intensified it, her mate having given her similar bites when they shared intimate moments together. Another moan escaped her lips, this one deeper and more heartfelt, the bite evoking something deep within her.<br /><br />She was close, she knew&hellip;she was still trying to fight it somewhere deep inside, but it was like trying to beat down a brick wall with her bare hands. She knew that the wolf was savoring every moment of her distress, taking satisfaction in his dominance over her, and her pride told her not to give the wolf this victory, to hold out until her mate could save her. But she couldn&rsquo;t deny, she WANTED this wolf&hellip;she wanted to please him, to serve him&hellip;it was all a lie, one big lie fabricated by the sword&rsquo;s power, but she was making it come true, she couldn&rsquo;t resist the unnatural urges that flooded her mind. Her juices were flowing steadily, dripping down Cayle&rsquo;s fingertips to let him know how close she was, her body now writhing in place as the need to feel sweet release began to overwhelm her.<br /><br />The wolf seemed to sense Elora&rsquo;s state, and he released her neck in response to bring his muzzle to her ear once again, his breath brushing hotly over her ear tufts as she moaned once more. &ldquo;Feel how readily your body betrays you? Quite suiting for one who would give herself to her foe so wantonly&hellip;how quickly you forget your mate.&rdquo; Another firm thrust of his fingertips drove his point home as the wolf continued to speak. &ldquo;I am your mate now&hellip;and you will submit to me. You cannot resist.&rdquo; Another squeeze of her breast, another rub of her clit, and she could feel herself slipping. &ldquo;Yield to me, little feline&hellip;say it. Do you yield?&rdquo;<br /><br />Elora closed her eyes and tilted her head back, her whole body tensing right at the moment when she knew she could fight no longer, and the moment culminated in her muzzle opening wide, shouting out two words loud and clear. &ldquo;I yield!&rdquo; She couldn&rsquo;t stop herself; the words tumbled out, and it was like a gate had been thrown open, another cry following after, formless and wordless, just a simple cry of pleasure and release. Her pussy clenched tightly over the wolf&rsquo;s fingers as she spasmed, her toes clenching and unclenching while she dug her claws reflexively into Cayle&rsquo;s hand along her breast. The wolf remained still, perched behind her and still moving his fingers as much as he could inside of her, spreading her juices around while making sure to rub her button as much as possible. It kept Elora&rsquo;s pleasure flowing, never really giving her a moment to just enjoy an afterglow between sensations, her body held aloft by Cayle&rsquo;s hands, preventing her from bracing herself on all fours from the rush of pleasure.<br /><br />The lioness never could really tell when she was finally allowed to recover, the moments blending together into a blur, but she finally regained some of her senses after a while, discovering herself on the carpeted floor in an undignified heap, her muzzle still panting as she recovered from the rush. She was dimly aware that the geas of hospitality was back in place, having satisfied the conditions of the duel by yielding to her opponent, though she wasn&rsquo;t sure if that was his intent all along. She turned her head, looking around for the wolf, and saw him grinning to her with a satisfied smirk, as he knelt and picked up his wicked blade once more. &ldquo;Looks like I win&hellip;and to the victor goes the spoils.&rdquo; He started to walk towards her, holding the blade at the ready, and she felt a little shiver run through her as she realized that he meant to use the blade on her once more.<br /><br />Cayle walked towards Elora, still naked and quite erect; in all the time that he pleasured the lioness, he never once took his pleasure from her. &ldquo;You never had a chance,&rdquo; he told her, showing the blade once more, walking towards her with calculated slowness. &ldquo;And now, let&rsquo;s have some fun, you and I. But first&hellip;let&rsquo;s make a few&hellip;adjustments.&rdquo; The wolf grinned cruelly, and brought the sword to bear on the lioness, the gray steel glinting with its malevolent power.<br /><br />The castle was certainly larger than it seemed; at least, it seemed that way to Silas. It was broad, to be sure, and it took a fair amount of time to cross from one section of the castle to the next. But it was tall as well, and when one had to climb several flights of stairs to get to their destination, it made for quite a journey indeed. Silas had followed Contessa to the base of the West Tower, and now the two were making a steady journey up the winding staircase towards the servant&rsquo;s quarters. It wasn&rsquo;t a tiring journey for the lion; he had quite a bit of stamina built up from his natural physique and his chosen profession. He was a bit surprised that Contessa could manage the flight of stairs without seeming winded however; he figured that perhaps she had just gotten enough practice to not notice anymore.<br /><br />&ldquo;How much farther is it to the servant&rsquo;s quarters?&rdquo; he ventured, more to make idle conversation rather than out of any sense of frustration or urgency.<br /><br />&ldquo;Not long now,&rdquo; Contessa answered. &ldquo;Just a couple more turns around the staircase, and we should be there.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Good, good,&rdquo; Silas nodded, glad to know that he was almost at the end of his trek. He was anxious to get this over and done with so that he could reunite with his mate. He just couldn&rsquo;t shake the nagging feeling that those two were probably at each other&rsquo;s throats, though with the geas in place, he didn&rsquo;t really see how. &ldquo;And they&rsquo;re all right, safe and sound?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Yes, yes,&rdquo; Contessa replied almost dismissively as she rounded the staircase up ahead, her tail swaying behind her almost hypnotically. &ldquo;Master takes good care of his pets.&rdquo;<br /><br />Silas paused at that; it was something that didn&rsquo;t ring right. &ldquo;Pets?&rdquo; As he puzzled this, Contessa turned the corner and almost vanished out of sight; he hurried a bit to keep up. &ldquo;What do you mean?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;It is what he calls us,&rdquo; the squirrel replied in her dreamy voice, not missing a beat as she continued on up the stairs. &ldquo;He is our master, and we are his pets. It is the way of things.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;What are you saying? He is keeping you as his pet?&rdquo;<br /><br />\tContessa laughed merrily at this, as if the lion had just told some amusing joke, or simply just didn&rsquo;t get it. &ldquo;We are his. We gladly serve our master.&rdquo; She paused then, and pointed to a large set of double doors that were sitting just off to the side of the stairs. &ldquo;There. That&rsquo;s the servant&rsquo;s quarters.&rdquo;<br /><br />\tThank heaven for small favors; Silas had expected that they would have to climb the entire tower to reach the room they sought. The room was only about halfway up the tower, leaving the lion to briefly wonder what was all the way up at the top. &ldquo;Probably a guard room of some sort, or a lookout post, to guard the castle in case of attack,&rdquo; he thought to himself; if he were in charge of the castle, he would probably have at least two such fortifications out of the four towers available.<br /><br />\tThe rest of the staircase was cleared in the next moment, and the two stood outside of the double doors in preparation to enter. The lion reached out and knocked on the door politely, a move which made the squirrel look at him strangely. Without a word, the squirrel pushed on the door, and it creaked open a little, whereupon Contessa held out her hand in a clear invitation for the lion to go ahead and go inside. &ldquo;Well, here&rsquo;s to hoping this goes as painlessly as possible. I&rsquo;m sure Elora is waiting for me to return.&rdquo; <br /><br />&nbsp;&quot;Mmmm, this is heaven,&quot; Cayle thought to himself, his body settled on his cushioned throne while the lioness perched between his legs and suckled wantonly on his exposed cock, the sounds of her slurping filling the air as she bobbed her head up and down. Such a wonderful conquest indeed; Elora&#039;s muzzle fit around his cock like a glove, and even if she still held any notions of biting down on his cock to take some sort of revenge, the geas would prevent her from doing so. Not that she would anyways; the sword had done its dastardly work all too well, and the lioness was now a slave to the desires that filled her mind constantly.<br /><br />The wolf reached down with one of his hands to lightly pet over Elora&rsquo;s head, stroking between her ears while the other hand finally lowered his blade to the side of the throne, having finished his &lsquo;adjustments&rsquo; for now. He grinned sinisterly as he both witnessed and felt what his actions had done to the lioness, congratulating himself for having done such a masterful job of taking control of the situation. Now the very feline who had defended her mate&rsquo;s honor so vehemently earlier was betraying him of her own free will, giving head to the foe that she had battled and lost to only moments before. Better still, the wolf had left her fully aware of her actions, the lioness knowing what a despicable act she was participating in, but unable to help herself from doing so.<br /><br />&ldquo;Mmmm, you&rsquo;ve done this before, haven&rsquo;t you? For that mate of yours. I&rsquo;ll bet that you wrapped your pretty little lips around his prick more than once. But look at you now&hellip;giving me such wonderful strokes of your tongue, almost as if you mean it. But you do mean it, don&rsquo;t you, slut?&rdquo; Cayle chuckled into Elora&rsquo;s ears, rubbing her head a little more and forcing her to take more of his cock into her lips, an action that needed little encouragement as the lioness complied without resistance. He smiled to himself as he felt her take his shaft in to the hilt; she was going to make a fine addition to his little harem.<br /><br />Cayle had tested the boundaries of his sword&rsquo;s abilities quite a number of times before now, and had quickly adapted to take advantage of what powers were available to him. He had learned that the sword was indeed powerful, able to inflict all sorts of weaknesses in anyone the sword was close enough to. At first he started simply, using one or two guinea pigs for his tests, finding that the sword could affect physical traits as well as mental. As he grew bolder, he learned that the weaknesses were extremely potent, and while someone could try to overcome them momentarily, they would still be there, as much a part of them as if they had been there all along.<br /><br />But the sword had weaknesses as well&hellip;well, perhaps not so much weaknesses as things the sword couldn&rsquo;t do. It couldn&rsquo;t change memories, for example. The lioness before him was still in love with her mate, despite the way she was wrapping her lips around his cock and bobbing her muzzle up and down, allowing the tip of his wolfhood to sink into her throat. There was no way that the wolf could make the lioness totally forget Silas, or even abandon the love that she had for him. But Cayle had no need for Elora&rsquo;s love, much as he had told her from the start. He was a vain wolf; all he desired was to be adored, to be worshipped, and he could think of no finer worship than to have a beautiful feline such as this forsake her own mate to taste his cock and offer herself to him.<br /><br />To that end, he had carefully devised a plan from the first moment that she had offered to engage him in combat. The weakness to obey was just the start of the plan&hellip;with that, he could end the conflict in a heartbeat if things were going sour. After that, he began to inflict weaknesses in the lioness designed to make her more pliable to him. The first was a weakness to his wolf pheromones; the more that he remained close to her, the more his scent would fill her nostrils and incite a lustful desire in her. Next he slipped in a weakness against strong-willed males, a weakness that would work well with the weakness to obey, and evoke a submissive side in the lioness. After that, it was almost child&rsquo;s play; he added specific weaknesses tailored to attack her directly. A weakness for wolf cock, a weakness for being used, a weakness against dirty talk&hellip;every one of them designed to tempt her and make her do things she would have never considered otherwise. And finally, a special weakness, a weakness for wolf cum, HIS wolf cum, that had her sucking wantonly on his rigid pole with no shame whatsoever.<br /><br />Cayle moved his other hand to gently stroke underneath Elora&rsquo;s chin as it moved back and forth, the lioness making soft muffled moans as she savored the flavor of his cockflesh, one of her hands slowly rolling over the large wolf testes that hung inside of his sac. &ldquo;Mmmm, such a good kitty you are&hellip;keep it up, pussy, and you&rsquo;ll get your cream soon enough.&rdquo; The wolf chuckled softly, then growled in pleasure as the lioness redoubled her efforts, using her raspy tongue to attend to the underside of his sensitive glans. A wolf&rsquo;s anatomy was decidedly different than that of a lion, but Elora had adapted marvelously and was purring loudly, truly lost in the moment.<br /><br />The wolf&rsquo;s instincts told him to thrust, to pound that muzzle that was bobbing up and down into his lap, but he resisted the urge; Cayle felt that it would be ever so much sweeter if he could make her get him off all by herself, to bring him to his peak without any help from him whatsoever. She wouldn&rsquo;t be able to say later on that he had forced her without telling an outright lie; the deed would be hers and hers alone to live with. He stretched a little more, and brought his naked footpaw to draw between her kneeling thighs, stroking the soft petals between her legs with the top of his foot and ankle, letting the fur brush over her cunt smoothly to offer her a little more stimulation and incentive. Elora all but melted into his touch, pressing her top forward and letting her breasts pillow against Cayle&rsquo;s left thigh, her touch along the wolf&rsquo;s sac becoming more insistent as he rolled and stroked the orbs within along her fingertips.<br /><br />&ldquo;Mmmm, easy there, kitten,&rdquo; Cayle murmured to the lioness, stroking over her headfur a little more while looking into her eyes with a grin. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s make it last. Why don&rsquo;t you be a good little slut and suck on my balls for a little while?&rdquo; This was another part of his dominance over her, to test her willingness with commands and suggestions, to make her further debase herself by playing to the wolf&rsquo;s whim. To his delight, Elora complied without even the slightest hesitation, pulling her muzzle off of the cock in her maw slowly, savoring the taste before it finally escaped her lips with an audible sucking sound. She took hold of his wet shaft in her hand and stroked it up and down firmly, spreading the saliva over his erect pole with her actions while she leaned her muzzle down to the musky ballsac underneath and gently took one of the plump orbs into her lips. Soon the sounds of soft suckling resumed, the lioness purring loudly as she breathed in the scent that so captivated her now and kept her aroused.<br /><br />Cayle was just a bit surprised; he hadn&rsquo;t told Elora to keep working over his cock with her hand, the action further proof that she was not simply going through the motions to please him. His growl deepened a little more and he nodded to the lioness, who looked up at him once with lust-filled eyes, then lowered them to gaze upon the shaft she stroked in her palm, watching it gleam in the low light. &ldquo;Mmmm, that&rsquo;s right&hellip;use that soft little mouth of yours&hellip;stroke off my cock&hellip;make your master proud, my pet. Worship my cock, make it your entire world.&rdquo; As he spoke, precum trickled from the tip of his member, running down the underside of his shaft, the gaze of the lioness fixed on that leaking fluid as she used her tongue and lips on the softly furred nutsack before her. He could tell she wanted it, but she would obey him like a good little pet, he knew. He knew just how potent the sword&rsquo;s power could be.<br /><br />His mind flashed back to his first conquest at that moment, drifting back to just several days after he had found the castle and the mysterious sword. He left the castle and made sure to leave himself some signs to get back to his find, but he needed to get supplies, and to that end he journeyed to the town of Willowbark. The journey was uneventful, but just as he was leaving the town, he had hatched a plan to drum up a little business. A little manufactured kidnapping could be good to keep him in the cash, as long as the one kidnapped couldn&rsquo;t recognize him and he could capitalize on the job before anyone else in the Hunter&rsquo;s Guild did. If he stayed close to the town, it would probably be relatively easy. So he waited around the outskirts of town as he looked for an opportunity. Soon he saw her; a little slinky ferret lass who couldn&rsquo;t have been more than fifteen or sixteen years of age, who had foolishly gone wandering into the outskirts of the Frostwood without any escort or any visible means of defense.<br /><br />The capture was over in a blink, the stealthy wolf able to subdue the ferret girl before she even knew what had happened. The wolf covered her head and eyes so that she couldn&rsquo;t see, and tied her up so that she couldn&rsquo;t escape. After that, he led her towards the castle, the journey being a lot smoother and quicker now that he knew the area relatively well. He prodded her periodically in the small of her back with the tip of his sword to remind her that he was armed and potentially dangerous, though he knew that she wouldn&rsquo;t be worth much to him if he hurt her. She didn&rsquo;t need to know that, though. Her whimpers were annoying though, and he was glad when he finally reached the castle with her in tow. Just before entering, he prodded her once more with the sword and told her, half-jokingly, that she should count herself lucky; some people had a weakness for being tied up and blindfolded. His sword flashed once at his words, almost as if it caught the light just right, which was odd; the sun was still out, but already beyond the horizon, so there shouldn&rsquo;t be any flashes of light. Even odder was the fact that the ferret girl had begun to squirm in her bindings a bit, soft moans escaping her lips. Cayle told the girl to keep moving and kept a wary eye on her, thinking perhaps she was trying to escape her bonds. He was surprised, however, when he later on caught the ferret girl rubbing her crotch against the ropes that tied her wrist, seeming to try to get herself off rather than trying to escape her bonds, soft moans escaping her lips as she tried to do.<br /><br />Cayle had left the hood on the ferret girl&rsquo;s head, so she didn&rsquo;t see him approach, nor did she hear him; the wolf could be remarkably stealthy when he wanted to be. But he approached her and watched her state, finding the situation a bit of a turn on as well as being quite curious. He remembered his words from before, and brought the sword to bear on the ferret girl, trying to use its power actively then to try and give her a weakness he could see to confirm it for himself. Something very obscure, something like perhaps&hellip;tailfucking. The sword flashed once again, as if struck by light, and almost instantly, the ferret tossed her bound hands over her head and snuck her long tail between her legs, sliding the length back and forth underneath the dress she wore, molesting herself in full view of the wolf.<br /><br />She had been most appreciative afterwards when he used the sword to push all the right buttons, and after he had taken her and slaked his mounting lust with her all-too-willing body, he realized that he had struck the jackpot, in more ways than one. He decided he would keep the girl rather than simply hold her for a job; she was quite pretty, after all, and had already demonstrated that she could be trained quite readily. But the sword&hellip;the sword was the key to so much more. If he was right, then using the sword, he could defeat any foe in a head-on battle, could influence anyone he wished with a subtle nudge, and could bend people to his will. The last particularly interested him; he was not without certain male needs, and though the ferret girl was a prized acquisition, he desired more still.<br /><br />Cayle was brought back to reality before long, stirred from his recollection by the intensifying feelings around his shaft and sac. Elora&rsquo;s hand was getting quicker along his slick cock, the lioness spreading around his pre as it trickled forth to smear it wherever she could, hoping to get a taste of the fluid as it came nearer to where she was attending to his balls with her muzzle. Cayle could feel his body responding to her actions, and could sense that it wouldn&rsquo;t be too much longer before she brought him to climax, but he&rsquo;d be damned if he let her get him off with a simple hand job. He knew what he wanted, and thanks to the weaknesses that he implanted in Elora&rsquo;s psyche, he knew what she wanted as well.<br /><br />&ldquo;Just dying for a taste, aren&rsquo;t you, kitty? Probably can&rsquo;t wait to wrap your tongue around my cock again and suck me deep. Well, go ahead. Let me feel your desire, Elora of the Pride Hunters.&rdquo; The last he said with a sneer; if he had his way, that would be the last she would ever hear or use that title again. To him, she was pet, slave, servant, slut&hellip;but never equal. He was so much more than her, and the fact that she was between his legs and servicing him in this manner was all the proof he needed in his eyes.<br /><br />If Elora picked up on the sarcasm in the wolf&rsquo;s voice, she didn&rsquo;t show it; she merely slipped her muzzle off of Cayle&rsquo;s moistened sac and brought it back up to the object of her desires, enveloping the tip of his organ with her lips and sliding her muzzle down his rigid flesh. A moan of desire slipped from her muffled lips as she sampled the wolf&rsquo;s precum, sliding her tongue this way and that to collect what she could, the flavor intoxicating to her senses. She only slipped her muzzle down a little more than halfway this time, keeping her hand fixed at the base of his shaft and meeting it with her lips before she pulled back, bobbing her head once more. As she moved her muzzle, her hand moved as well, stroking what she could of his cock when her muzzle pulled back, moving in time with the rhythm to stroke and suck him off at the same time.<br /><br />Cayle groaned loudly and tilted his head back for a moment, losing sight of the fellatio as he basked in the sensations, but quickly settled back into place. As much as the pleasure was affecting his body, the sight of the lioness moving her muzzle and hand over his shaft was equally as powerful, and the wolf wanted to witness the sight in full. &ldquo;Ooooh, yeah&hellip;suck that cock, bitch&hellip;let me feel your hunger. I&rsquo;ll give you a taste you won&rsquo;t forget.&rdquo; His foot stroked between Elora&rsquo;s thighs a little quicker, making sure to brush over her clit to stimulate her even more, dangling the bait of more pleasure for the lioness to take hold of.<br /><br />The increased contact along with the wolf&rsquo;s words affected the lioness as if she had just been invigorated, and in the next moments, her mouth and hand practically flew over Cayle&rsquo;s cock, her eyes closed as she let herself be guided by the sense of taste and touch alone. She all but hugged herself to the wolf, her legs spread slightly below her, the lioness purring at the taste of the wolf&rsquo;s pre but having no time to swallow, the fluids partially leaking out around her lips to trickle onto her moving fingers as well. She was giving it her all, that much was clear, and Cayle knew that it was only a matter of time before she was rewarded for it. He could feel his peak rising, the intensity building, his body tensing&hellip;he let his tongue hang out, panting in pleasure, unable to speak, his words reduced to groans of pleasure. So close, so close!<br /><br />The moment came without warning, the wolf only sounding a moan of relief and release a split second after. Cayle&rsquo;s heavy sac tensed as the pleasure of climax washed over his body, forcing the bounty of wolf spunk through his rigid shaft to explode from the tip, spurting thickly into Elora&rsquo;s bobbing muzzle. It soaked the inside of her mouth before she was prepared, the lioness still moving her muzzle up and down the spire of flesh before her, the rich cream spilling slightly from her muzzle as she moved. When she finally registered the change in taste and texture, she stopped bobbing her muzzle and lips and simply sunk her entire mouth upon the thick length, filling her mouth and throat all at once as she resorted to an enthusiastic suckling instead, swallowing what she could while savoring the taste of what was still in her maw.<br /><br />It was a thrill like no other for Cayle, watching Elora feast upon the cub batter that he was feeding her, witnessing the pure lust that had overtaken the feline. She continued to purr, and purr loudly, her hands moving to his ballsac to tenderly caress it, trying to coax more cum from the orbs for her to drink down, the wolf able to see her throat bob as she swallowed over and over again. The eyes of the lioness remained closed as she nursed at his cock in seeming bliss, every movement of the feline languorous and attentive, her mouth worshipping his pulsing and spurting length as if it were catnip, her tongue moving along the underside and glans to savor every moment. One would never even suspect from the way she was behaving now that she had been ready to cause him mortal injury just a short while ago. He loved it. This magnificent feline, his enemy, swallowing and draining his cock as if it were all she desired in life. To him, it was the sweetest form of victory, and one he would enjoy for quite some time.<br /><br />&ldquo;That&rsquo;s right, kitty, take it all&hellip;use that slutty mouth of yours and get every last drop,&rdquo; Cayle murmured to her, the hand upon Elora&rsquo;s head still stroking her between the ears, playing with her fur as she fed. His touch was light and tender, his euphoria easing his demeanor towards the lioness for a while; beast though he was, he still appreciated the way she gobbled down his cock and cum like a champion. &ldquo;Feel my essence flowing into your body. I&rsquo;m sure you&rsquo;ve never tasted a male other than your mate&hellip;taste me now, and remember. Remember the moment when you sucked me off to sate your own desires&hellip;remember the taste of the wolf that you betrayed your lion for.&rdquo; He chuckled as he heard Elora moan through muffled lips soon after, knowing he had scored a hidden blow somewhere in her psyche.<br /><br />He watched Elora continue to suckle his shaft, then when he had offered her the last spurts of cum from his cock, he watched as she began to move her muzzle once more, moving up and down slowly with her lips as she adored his wolfhood. He could feel her tongue stroking along his cockflesh once more within her muzzle, though he couldn&rsquo;t tell if she was trying to clean his dick off completely, or just simply lavishing it with affection. He really didn&rsquo;t care; it still felt amazing, and apparently the lioness knew to be gentle with her strokes&hellip;at least until he got his second wind, at any rate. He could also feel the moisture soaking his footpaw as well; apparently, she had climaxed around the same time as he had, though he was so caught up with his own release, he had failed to notice at the time. Just as well, he wasn&rsquo;t all that concerned about her satisfaction, having given her a good stroking to start things off.<br /><br />He recalled that moment mentally, and with that memory, he remembered the dull throbbing pain in his hand, where the lioness had sunk his claws into him with her release. It was an insignificant injury, compared to what could happen in the line of work of a bounty hunter, but Cayle resented being injured in any matter, even in the throes of pleasure. He held up his hand in front of him, noting the several puncture marks along the back of his hand near the wrist. He then looked back to Elora, who was happily and blissfully suckling on his cock, her breasts sliding slowly against his thigh as she moved. She would pay for inflicting such wounds upon him, that much Cayle was certain of. He growled to himself then, his sinister side chuckling within his mind; she would pay, but there was no reason for it to be an unpleasant experience for either of them. <br /><br />Oh yes&hellip;his victory over Elora was far from complete.<br /><br />Silas wasn&rsquo;t quite sure what he had expected when he walked into the servant&rsquo;s quarters, but it certainly wasn&rsquo;t what he happened to walk in on. The doors opened up into a spacious room, a room which was clearly designed to house a number of people in a limited area. While the room was limited to the tower&rsquo;s girth in surface area (which was not small by any means, but still confined out of necessity), it was tall, and was carefully constructed to house several levels of floors within. The room was also furnished nicely, with plenty of beds, couches, and soft cushions to keep anyone comfortable. Silas could only assume that the furnishings had always been there, as he couldn&rsquo;t imagine the wolf taking the time and effort to decorate this part of the castle without taking care of something as basic as the throne room first.<br /><br />The room&rsquo;s size or d&eacute;cor wasn&rsquo;t what surprised Silas, however. What surprised him were the servants themselves. To the last, every one of the servants was a female; various species, various sizes, but all of them female, no exception. Even this in itself might not have been enough to surprise Silas, but it was clear from the first moment he laid eyes on one of the servants that they were more than just mere servants. Most of the girls in the room were naked, and the ones that weren&rsquo;t naked were dressed in some form of serving girl outfit, or some variant of a harem girl outfit. It was obvious what some of them had been up to as well; a number of them were displaying various stages of pregnancy, and a few of them looked to be well into term, the most prominent of them being a ferret who lounged lazily on her side, watching the lion as he entered.<br /><br />Silas took in the scene before him with eyes darting to and fro, his instincts and training telling him to assess the area for potential threats, but even as he fell into his training, he could still appreciate the number of lovely females that greeted his eyes. He was mated, true, but he could still enjoy the sight of the female form in all its glory, and there was plenty to see. Once he was suitably sure that there were no perceivable threats, he relaxed a bit and tried to make sense of what he was seeing. All of the girls were reacting to his entrance into the room as if they expected it, which they very well might have; none of them showed any signs of distress at a stranger in their midst. What was possibly more interesting was that they all seemed to express disinterest, as if they had been expecting someone else and had been disappointed.<br /><br />Even with this somewhat disquieting observation, the lion shrugged it off in his mind. He was here for one purpose and one purpose only, to retrieve the vixen and the bunny. With this in mind, he called out in a loud voice, &ldquo;CHERISE! RISA! Are you here?&rdquo; In the back of his mind, he wondered&hellip;would it be a good thing if he found them in here? He had a sinking feeling that if they were indeed here, that they were not mere guests as he had first been told.<br /><br />He saw the bunny first; those ears twitched visibly from somewhere in the back of the room. The vixen was the first one to make her way towards the lion however, and as soon as he saw her, the lion&rsquo;s fears were confirmed. While Cherise didn&rsquo;t appear to be in a gravid state, she was nevertheless as naked as some of her companions, her youthful and shapely body presented to the lion in its entirety. Cherise didn&rsquo;t appear to be at all bashful about her nudity, standing before him dutifully and making no attempt to hide her modesty at all, as if shame were simply beyond her. Almost as if disbelieving of what he was seeing, Silas checked her appearance with what he had been told about her, hoping that maybe he was mistaken. But although the lion saw that there was no pink ribbon due to her nudity, the red tailtip was a dead giveaway. It was her.<br /><br />Moments after, Risa showed herself as well, and just like her friend, she too was completely nude, her arms crossed in front of her politely, but still displaying no signs of modesty or concern; her crossed arms framed her breasts rather than hid them from view, as if to brazenly display her feminine attributes. It was harder to identify the bunny girl from her description, as a number of bunnies with her fur pattern shared the pink eyes as well. But when she stood by Cherise, it was clear that the two knew each other simply from their stance. It was her, sure enough.<br /><br />Silas felt a surge of anger at seeing these two without a shred of clothing on; they had most certainly not arrived here with no clothes, and for whatever reason, they had none now. What had happened? Did Cayle strip them of their clothes for his own amusement? Or worse yet, had he kidnapped them and raped them? The latter was certainly possible, from what he knew of the wolf, and it made a certain sense. So why then did these two girls seem completely at ease? There was no sense of relief that someone had come to perhaps rescue them from their fate, no tears of joy or attempt to flee the chamber. In fact, the two girls were smiling, with that same gentle and slightly mysterious smile that Contessa displayed. In fact, Silas realized that ALL the girls seemed to share that smile, a realization that chilled the lion somehow.<br /><br />Silas resisted the urge to look away for the sake of the girls&rsquo; modesty; anywhere he looked, there would be a girl who would be just as naked as these two. Best to just get to the point and ask questions later. The two girls were waiting expectantly with that smile on their muzzles, but weren&rsquo;t initiating anything, so there was no point in beating around the bush. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m here to take you two home. Come, get whatever possessions you have and follow me. We have to talk to Cayle and get some answers before we go.&rdquo;<br /><br />The two girls looked at each other briefly at this news, then turned back to the lion, displaying the first sign of emotion he could detect. However, it wasn&rsquo;t what he expected; the two girls had a somewhat defiant look in their eyes.<br /><br />&ldquo;No, we&rsquo;re not going home,&rdquo; answered Cherise.<br /><br />&ldquo;We are pledged to serve Master,&rdquo; added Risa.<br /><br />The response was so unexpected, that Silas did a double-take for a moment. Unable to deal with the duo&rsquo;s replies, he turned back to Contessa, who was watching the scene unfold. &ldquo;What the hell is this?&rdquo; he asked the squirrel, neither unable nor unwilling to disguise the ire in his voice.<br /><br />&ldquo;It is as they say. They are pledged to serve Master. All here serve our Master&rsquo;s will,&rdquo; the squirrel replied without missing a beat, a soft smile curling over her features once more.<br /><br />&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t give me that! This vixen was looking for herbs in the Fey Glen, there&rsquo;s no way she came here on her own to be Cayle&rsquo;s servant, I&rsquo;m not buying it!&rdquo; Silas could feel his anger growing hotter; he wasn&rsquo;t getting the whole story, and he knew it. &ldquo;These girls don&rsquo;t even have their clothes anymore! Cayle&rsquo;s responsible, isn&rsquo;t he?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Master does not wish us to wear clothes, so we do not wear clothes. It is the way of things,&rdquo; Cherise spoke up, in a matter-of-fact sense, her hands braced on her hips in a rebellious pose.<br /><br />Silas turned on the vixen, unable to believe his ears. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t be serious! You&rsquo;re actually insisting that creep is your master?!?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Master is good to us!&rdquo; Risa piped up, in a firm but respectful tone. &ldquo;He is good to all of us!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;All of you?&rdquo; It was at that moment that the truth of the matter clicked in the lion&rsquo;s head. &ldquo;Wait&hellip;you&rsquo;re all girls&hellip;you&rsquo;re all the missing girls! But&hellip;&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Master came to us all and made us his own,&rdquo; the squirrel lass interrupted, seeing the lion&rsquo;s confusion. &ldquo;It is his way. We all wish to be his pets. We will not go with you, we will stay and serve Master.&rdquo; She apparently saw that Silas could not comprehend, and added helpfully, &ldquo;Perhaps your lioness friend can explain it to you better.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Elora? Why would she&hellip;&rdquo; Even as he spoke the words, a sick, cold feeling settled into Silas&rsquo;s gut. &ldquo;Oh no&hellip;he wouldn&rsquo;t&hellip;&rdquo;<br /><br />Contessa chuckled softly, not perceiving any problem with the situation at all. &ldquo;We will gladly welcome another pet into the fold. She will be well looked after; Master is good to all of his pets.&rdquo;<br /><br />Silas didn&rsquo;t dignify the remark with a response; his only thought was to return to the throne room. The feeling of dread was growing stronger, a sick certainty that Elora was in over her head. He made a beeline for the door, muscling Contessa out of the way inadvertently in his haste. He burst past the entrance and almost tumbled headfirst down the staircase in a rush, only managing to keep himself balanced at the last moment. He took the stairs several at a time, disappearing around the corner just as Contessa called down to him with words that chilled him to the bone.<br /><br />&ldquo;Where are you going? Stay with us. It&rsquo;s already too late&hellip;&rdquo;<br /><br />Cayle had stamina to spare, the wolf being in great physical condition. It was only a couple of moments before the lupine&rsquo;s libido kicked into gear once more, and only a couple of moments after that before he was ready to do something about it. The wolf and lioness moved from the throne to the center of the carpeted floor just before the elaborate chair, Cayle thinking the soft rug more appropriate for what he had in mind.<br /><br />Elora had nearly had to be dragged off of the wolf&rsquo;s cock, her intense suckling not ceasing even after she had licked off all the cum she could find, letting the flavor of Cayle&rsquo;s cockflesh linger on her tongue after she could no longer gorge herself on the sticky seed. Not that Cayle minded in the least; he would happily have let her shame herself further in this fashion if he didn&rsquo;t intend to shame her in other ways as well. There would be plenty of time later for that, after all. He instead commanded her to move to the carpet and to position herself on all fours, facing away from him. Elora undoubtedly knew what was going to come next, and Cayle knew that the little bit of self that she still had left would recoil at the notion, but that part of her was totally overruled by the weaknesses for the wolf that were acting upon her. She obeyed without hesitation, slinking down to the carpet with that feline grace, and positioned herself as commanded, unable to help herself.<br /><br />The wolf growled to himself as he observed her body perched on all fours before him, a position she had likely never taken for anyone else except her mate. With her body lying in wait for him, he could see that Elora&rsquo;s breasts seemed even more prominent as gravity caused them to extend further from her chest, making her svelte body seem even more buxom then when he first looked upon her naked body. Her ass seemed to flex before him as she anticipated his touch, her tail swaying behind her wildly; he couldn&rsquo;t tell if it was excitement or anticipation, but that tail was high enough in its movements to leave his intended target completely visible.<br /><br />Elora tilted her head, daring to look back at the wolf as he approached; it was perhaps a bit of arrogance on her part, but he had never commanded her not to look, so he decided not to chastise her. Instead, he suffered her gaze, grinning a little more as her eyes stayed fixed on his groin, where his lupine cock still stood proud and erect, free from the trappings of his sheath. He moved one of his hands down to his shaft as he moved, stroking it a little as he strode towards the waiting lioness, giving her a bit of a show; he felt a thrill of satisfaction as he caught her licking her lips once, the taste of his cock still on her tongue. &ldquo;My my, aren&rsquo;t you a little slut? Don&rsquo;t worry, you&rsquo;ll soon have your fair share,&rdquo; the wolf chuckled aloud, finally coming to stand behind the lioness.<br /><br />Cayle hadn&rsquo;t given the lioness any orders to remain silent; up until just a moment before, her muzzle had been too occupied to reply to any of his vocal barbs or taunts. Now that she was no longer sucking on his cock, she could reply, but for whatever reason, she remained silent; a purr was the only response he got, an ever-constant purr that continued from her sticky meal only moments before. That tail kept lashing behind her, the movement like a sign that was saying, &lsquo;Come hither and enjoy.&rsquo; It was a signal that needed no words, and the wolf wasn&rsquo;t about to wait for them. In a move that was as natural as it was calculated, Cayle lowered himself onto his knees behind Elora, and wrapped his arms around the torso of the lioness, getting a good grip on her waist to brace himself as he sought entrance to her moist pussy. He was no amateur in this act; without the aid of sight, he pressed his cocktip to the lips of her vagina with the first touch, then lunged forward with his hips to bury the entirety of his breeding tool within the lioness, filling her tight passage with his throbbing meat.<br /><br />It was nothing short of glorious; Cayle couldn&rsquo;t help but groan in delight as he sunk his thick rod in to the hilt inside of the lioness, the feline&rsquo;s moist depths welcoming him home like a friend long remembered and missed. The wolf grinned to himself as he heard Elora&rsquo;s gasp at his intrusion, the feline letting her head hang low as she also groaned in pleasure, the claws at her hands and paws catching and releasing at the carpet as she braced herself in turn. &ldquo;Sweet as sugar,&rdquo; Cayle murmured into Elora&rsquo;s ear as he perched over her body and moved his hands up to cup over her bare breasts; he was about to claim something truly precious, and he was going to savor every last moment.<br /><br />Using his handhold on each of Elora&rsquo;s ample globes to give him the purchase he needed, the wolf began to thrust firmly into her heated depths, each lunge of his hips impaling the receptive lioness over and over again. He made no pretense at being a tender or caring lover; the pistoning of his hips lacked the subtlety or gentle buildup that such a partner would provide. Instead, his lunges came hard and firm, each thrust causing the feline to shudder briefly from the impact, the lioness having to use her claws to keep herself upright as the wolf pounded her from behind. Cayle used his claws as well, the sharp needles lightly pricking Elora&rsquo;s breasts as he used his hands to grope and fondle the softly furred chest in the throes of his mating. Before long, the thrusting and groping combined to cause the feline to begin moaning loudly and shamelessly, unable to disguise her pleasure from the wolf.<br /><br />Cayle drank in the moans of the feline underneath him, each sound of pleasure coming from the lioness seeming like a personal victory to the wolf. Each moan, each whimper he heard was as if he were besting her in another duel, and each cry was a sign that he had gotten past her guard. Each stroke of his cock inside her tight confines was another step closer to defeating her in his quest for his ultimate goal, the thick shaft throbbing with desire within the feline&rsquo;s pussy and drooling its pre within her depths. But it wasn&rsquo;t enough to just fuck Elora; he wanted to shame her, to let her know the true nature of the act she was willingly giving herself over to. Just as he gave those swaying breasts of hers a firm squeeze, Cayle leaned in close and began to murmur into the feline&rsquo;s ear. Where a gentle lover might have whispered sweet nothings, the wolf intended to do anything but. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s it&hellip;moan for your Master, my little slut lioness. You can&rsquo;t hide your pleasure from me, I know how much you want me to fuck you, to mount you like your precious mate cannot. I&rsquo;ll make sure you get the humping you deserve, little kitty&hellip;just tell me how much you want it&hellip;&rdquo;<br /><br />To Elora, the words she heard uttered from the wolf were as good as a command, and as Cayle thrust all the more firmly into her from behind, she tilted her head back and moaned loudly, the words suddenly spilling forth from her muzzle with unmistakable enthusiasm. &ldquo;Oh! Take me, Master! Mount me, mount me rough and hard! I need you!&rdquo; She gasped once more in pleasure as she felt the wolf&rsquo;s heavy ballsac slap against her ass firmly, then continued on, her purrs loud and constant. &ldquo;Make me your pet! Claim me as your own! Just don&rsquo;t stop!&rdquo; The words rang loud and true, without hesitation, the lioness unable to fight the weaknesses that worked on her constantly, and unable to resist the allure of the sensations that flowed through her, sensations that kept growing all the more stronger.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;Though the words made Cayle growl in delight to his plaything, he still desired more; his lust kept growing as he mounted the lioness, his thrusts becoming more hungry and potent. One of his hands moved from the plump breasts along Elora&rsquo;s chest to slip down between her thighs, his fingers finding her clit and stroking it as he speared her depths, making the lioness cry out loudly, a pure mewl of delight escaping her lips. He kept his fingers close, teasing her button while he mounted her, his other hand still pawing at her chest as he continued to murmur to his prize. &ldquo;Oh, don&rsquo;t worry, you&rsquo;re mine already, Elora dear&hellip;I&rsquo;m just putting the icing on the cake.&rdquo; Cayle moved his muzzle to give her a soft nip along her ear, his hot breath washing over the sensitive fur there. &ldquo;You were right to be worried about the girls&hellip;I fucked every single one of them, and they all begged me for more.&rdquo;<br /><br />The wolf&rsquo;s words were not lost on Elora; Cayle could feel her body tense a little underneath his as spoke, that part of her that remembered her mission still showing concern for the young charges. She was helpless to do anything about it however, and Cayle knew it. He grinned a sinister grin, and pressed closer with his body as he spoke further. &ldquo;You were far too late to help any of them, kitty&hellip;I made sure to knock them all up the moment I had them in my clutches. That&rsquo;s right&hellip;every one of the girls has a litter of wolf cubs deep in their womb, even your precious Cherise and Risa. A little bundle of joy to remind them that they belong to me.&rdquo; His heavy ballsac slapped even more loudly against her rear as he spoke, the wolf&rsquo;s nuts churning heavily as they refreshed and replenished the seed lost only moments before. Already they were as large as before, and were threatening to become even larger still as his lust rose to new heights. &ldquo;You will share the same fate, my pet&hellip;I will make you my breeding bitch, tie with you and pump you full of my cum, and plant some cubs in that cunt of yours. See if your loving mate will want you then, with the seed of another male growing inside of you. What then, little slut? Will you tell him what a whore you were for me? Will you explain how you roared in delight as I fucked you full of pups?&rdquo;<br /><br />Elora panted and moaned with ever-increasing frequency, the feline under assault from her mind as well as her body. Cayle&rsquo;s words were triggering another weakness, that against dirty talk, and his words cut right to the quick. Her eyes closed and she mewled loudly, her front lowering just a little more, her hindquarters offered up a little more to the lusty wolf. It was an invitation that was gladly taken, and Cayle perched over her a little more, using the additional leverage to drive his cock into the moaning female. Now that he was fully in the throes of mating, his body began to respond like nature had intended; the base of his cock started to swell noticeably, the knot forming and pressing into the feline&rsquo;s pussy with each forward stroke, adding a new dimension to the sensations. The swelling base continued to grow steadily as he hilted himself inside of Elora, the wolf well aware that at any moment, he was going to lock himself inside of her, bringing them both to the point of no return.<br /><br />&ldquo;Can you feel that, my slutty little bitch? I&rsquo;m going to become part of you, to lay my mark upon your body, a mark you can never erase,&rdquo; Cayle murmured into Elora&rsquo;s ear once more, and began to stroke over her clit with a will, exercising his control over her to the utmost. To his satisfaction, he felt the lioness tremble once more, and an explosion of fluids washed over his cock, the release causing the feline to abandon her handhold on the floor entirely. She fell with her front half against the carpeted floor, her moans loud and constant, muzzle and arms laying against the rug weakly as her body was mounted constantly through her release, that knot growing larger and larger. Cayle pressed the advantage, and kept Elora&rsquo;s hindquarters aloft as he fingered and thrust into her pussy, his other hand pawing at her breast and nipple as it was lowered against the floor. He could feel the feline&rsquo;s inner walls clenching and gripping at his shaft as it lunged forward, but he would not be satisfied until he sealed his knot within the moist cunt at last. It was coming; the fleshy bulb was getting harder and harder to slip in and out of the tight snatch, and each time it sent a new thrill of pleasure through Cayle&rsquo;s body.<br /><br />The fingers dancing along Elora&rsquo;s button didn&rsquo;t relent, rubbing that firm nub over and over, not giving the lioness time to recover from the surge of pleasure she felt just seconds before. Her body was positioned in such a way that she was helpless to escape her plight, and could only take the repeated teasing and stroking of the wolf as best as she could. Another orgasm soon followed after the first, and it was at that very moment that Cayle&rsquo;s growing knot finally lodged firmly within the lioness and refused to budge, trapping the majority of her gushing fluids within her as the bulging flesh continued to swell. The feeling caused Elora to cry out once more, the desperate and needful sounds coming from the feline only serving to drive the wolf on even more, a snarl emerging over Cayle&rsquo;s muzzle as he changed his deep and long thrusts into short and intense ones, tugging at the sensitive flesh of the lioness each time.<br /><br />Now that the wolf had finally tied with Elora at last, he felt a sense of elation; the only way out of this for the feline now was to let the wolf finish, and that meant allowing him to fill her birthing chamber with all of his potent cum. The knowledge made Cayle&rsquo;s movements that much more unyielding, every thrust tugging firmly at Elora&rsquo;s sex with that bulging knot as he sought to stuff it deeper still. His fingers practically flew over Elora&rsquo;s nipple and clit, rubbing and pinching each to give the lioness no relief whatsoever. The moans and cries coming from the pinned female were joined by the wolf&rsquo;s in turn, his growls and snarls of lust echoing from the large chamber walls of the throne room. Elora was little more than a rag doll&nbsp;&nbsp;to be used for Cayle&rsquo;s pleasure, her body simply too exhausted to struggle or fight, and her mind too warped by the sword&rsquo;s power to want to.<br /><br />Another climax rocked the feline&rsquo;s body, a weak mewl escaping her lips as her body struggled to cope with the pleasure it was feeling. Cayle never gave her that chance; in the next instant, he curled his arm around Elora&rsquo;s torso and raised her up against his chest, his body tilting back while remaining in contact with her the whole way. The lioness ended up perched in the wolf&rsquo;s lap, her legs spread wide to both sides of his body, her chest raised up and bouncing enticingly while in the throes of mating, her back pressed to Cayle&rsquo;s chest as he held her possessively. The shift in positioning was sudden, but Cayle kept moving his hips throughout it all, making sure to drive his hips up into the captive lioness without missing a beat, the wet sounds of sex filling the air as he forced her to ride his thick pole of flesh. The wolf could feel the feline&rsquo;s exhaustion as he impaled her on his organ, but he didn&rsquo;t care; he was almost to his peak, and nothing was going to stop him now. &ldquo;Mmmm&hellip;better get used to this&hellip;&rdquo; he murmured hotly into her ear, moments before slathering his tongue along her neck.<br /><br />It all became too much for the lioness as yet another orgasm wracked her body, her senses pushed to their limit and her body completely exhausted. As her body signaled another release, her eyes rolled up into her head and she fainted away, her form going completely limp in the grasp of the lustful wolf. Cayle noticed the change immediately, but was not discouraged; he merely shifted his grasp on the feline to hug her to his chest with both arms, propping her up as he continued to mate with her unconscious body. The fact that Elora had fainted in his grasp was only a slight disappointment to the wolf; he had wanted to have here awake for the final moment. Still, it was a testament to his sexual prowess, and he chuckled to himself inwardly as he huffed and panted, feeling his impending release inching closer and closer as took her limp body roughly.<br /><br />Just then, the lion made his appearance, the male bursting into the double doors in a panicked rush. Not stopping with the initial rush, he let his momentum carry him into the large throne room quite a distance, able to see the two figures tied together in a position that didn&rsquo;t look the least bit like casual conversation. What he saw both shocked and enraged him; he could see his mate, his sweet and caring lioness, seemingly unconscious, and being screwed by Cayle&hellip;CAYLE, of all people! He couldn&rsquo;t tell what precisely had happened while he was away, but Elora was knocked out, her body held in place by the wolf, who was looking directly at him with devilish glee as he drove his cock into the lioness. All he could think of in his mind was that the wolf had harmed his mate somehow, and he had elected to take advantage of the feline&rsquo;s helpless state to get his rocks off. This thought alone made the lion absolutely FURIOUS.<br /><br />Silas reached for his mace, everything else forgotten as he moved to defend his mate, the singular thought to bash the lupine&rsquo;s head in first and foremost in his mind. As he started to move, however, a mysterious force froze him in place even before his hand had gone halfway to its destination. Not only that, but the rest of his body seemed rooted to the spot as well. He couldn&rsquo;t move! The surprise at this discovery only lasted for a moment, before the rage he felt took over once more, and he fought against the invisible force with as much strength as he could muster. He might as well have been trying to push over a castle wall with his bare hands; the more he fought to free himself, the more he was thwarted.<br /><br />Silas wouldn&rsquo;t have been in time to prevent what happened next, however&hellip;even if he had been free to act. The moment after he had begun to fight against his bindings, the lion was forced to watch the act that the wolf had been building to steadily, Cayle&rsquo;s victorious howl sounding throughout the large chamber. Clutching his mate, the wolf tilted his head back and closed his eyes, as the heavy balls below his conquest began to clench and churn, forcing the heavy bounty of wolf cum through the spire of flesh that filled the feline&rsquo;s pussy. The lion was treated to a front row seat as he saw his mate defiled, saw the bulges of the wolf&rsquo;s prick within Elora&rsquo;s sex become visible as the strong pulses of sticky wolf jism forced their way through and deposited themselves in the receptive walls of the lioness. If there was any doubt as to what was happening, it was dashed as the merest trickle of cum escaped the tight seal of the wolf&rsquo;s knot to trickle down to the base of his sheath, the smell of sex carrying itself to the sensitive nose of the lion.<br /><br />The lion howled as well. Oh how he howled. His rage was such that if he could have killed Cayle with the force of his anger, the wolf&rsquo;s life would have been ended in the blink of an eye. He raged impotently, however, the invisible bindings that held him in place allowing him to do nothing else than howl, his distress evident to the wolf, who by this time had lowered his head once more, panting with pleasure and grinning to the lion. He knew what he had done, and the victory was all the sweeter now that his rival had witnessed the act, and could do nothing to stop it. Cayle even made a show of it, rolling his hips a little more to mime the act of mating, though the deed was already done. Worse still, the wolf could take his time and savor the moment, with Silas completely immobilized, and he was doing so, his cock still pulsing to empty the contents of his balls within the lioness, each spurt of cum adding to the one before to ensure her fate was sealed..<br /><br />&ldquo;Welcome back, Silas, I see you decided to return without the vixen and bunny&hellip;perhaps you just wanted to catch the show?&rdquo; The wolf&rsquo;s grin was as wide as it could be, his devious and sinister nature revealed in plain. He taunted Silas as the lion was forced to watch the carnal scene, the male&rsquo;s thoughts blinded with fury. &ldquo;I was just entertaining your lovely mate here&hellip;we&rsquo;ve had such a delightful time together.&rdquo; He reached his hand down to stroke his fingers lightly along the unconscious feline&rsquo;s pussy, playing with her nether lips while grinning to the furious male. &ldquo;In fact, she had such a wonderful time, she was begging me for more. She didn&rsquo;t even seem to miss you.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;GRRRRAAAAGHH!!!&rdquo; Silas roared in near madness, wanting for all the world to wipe the smirk off of Cayle&rsquo;s face with one ferocious swipe of his mace.<br /><br />&ldquo;Awww, is the big bad lion angry? Well, just sit tight, I&rsquo;ll be with you in a moment. AFTER I finish with her.&rdquo; Cayle chuckled maliciously and hefted the limp Elora in his arms, tilting her back more against him while he finished in the lioness, making sure that Silas could see everything. He moved one of his hands over Elora&rsquo;s belly, tracing a slow circle where her womb would be, his claws brushing through her soft fur with a deceptive tenderness. &ldquo;Little Elora here is going to be a mother. You should count yourself lucky you got to see the blessed event&hellip;when she finally wakes up, you can tell her all about it.&rdquo; Just for good measure, Cayle moved his muzzle to the feline&rsquo;s neck and kissed her slowly, drawing his tongue along the nape of her neck in such a way that it would infuriate the lion. He was not disappointed; Silas practically trembled with loathsome rage, his roars coming one after the other, the lion so filled with red-hot anger that spittle flew from his lips with the gnashing of his teeth.<br /><br />It wasn&rsquo;t long before the wolf&rsquo;s climax had run its course, but his lupine physiology left him tied with the lioness, locked with her to ensure that his cum stayed where it belonged inside of her to impregnate her with his brood. It would take some time before that knot would finally shrink back to its normal size, and Cayle took that time to taunt the lion in every way he could think of, keeping Silas so enraged that it was a wonder he didn&rsquo;t exhaust himself from the constant struggles alone. Finally the point came where Cayle knew he could finally slip free from his conquest, and he stood up, holding the limp lioness in his arms. &ldquo;Look at you. You&rsquo;re just dying to take me on, but you&rsquo;re as helpless as could be. Just like your mate here.&rdquo; He slowly slipped his cock from Elora&rsquo;s pussy, making sure that Silas could see every inch exit the lioness, then he unceremoniously tossed her to the carpeted floor, the rug cushioning her body as she came to rest.<br /><br />&ldquo;You are such a fool, do you know that?&rdquo; Cayle continued on as he faced the lion in his naked state, his hands raised in a bemused gesture as he shrugged and shook his head. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you remember the geas that you placed yourself under when you entered this castle?&rdquo; The wolf then turned and walked to his throne in a measured pace, retrieving his sword from where he left it on the floor to turn and brandish it towards the enraged lion. &ldquo;Your intent to harm me activated the geas. Now it has you frozen in place. As long as you&rsquo;re under the roof of my castle, you play by my rules, simpleton.&rdquo; Cayle approached the lion further, coming to stand beside Elora once more, but maintaining a respectable distance from Silas. &ldquo;I, however, could break the geas simply by running you through where you stand. A quick end to a pitiful fool.&rdquo;<br /><br />Surprisingly enough, Cayle didn&rsquo;t follow through on his harsh words, simply raising the sword and picking at the sharp tip as if he were merely cleaning his claws. &ldquo;But I am a sporting fellow, and would not dispatch a fellow member of the Hunter&rsquo;s Guild so callously. If you want to revenge your mate, I will take you on.&rdquo; He brought his sword to a ready position then, and chuckled aloud. &ldquo;Hell, I&rsquo;ll even take you on like this, give you a bit of an edge. Come on, Silas of the Pride Hunters. Will you take me on in a duel?&rdquo;<br /><br />Silas snarled to Cayle in undisguised fury, the words of the wolf barely making it through the red fog that clouded his mind. Of course he would take the chance, and he would make the vain bastard of a wolf nothing more than a stain on the castle floor when he was done with him! &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll make you pay for all you&rsquo;ve done! Release me and know your doom!&rdquo; He could practically taste the sweet justice when his mace would break the wolf beyond all repair, crushing the fiend and leaving him broken and lifeless.<br /><br />If Cayle was intimidated by the lion&rsquo;s words, he didn&rsquo;t show it, the grin still plastered over his muzzle. &ldquo;Fine, then. I won&rsquo;t even bother with ceremony; I can always replace the geas later.&rdquo; He briefly thought about giving the lion a nick to release from the geas, but he didn&rsquo;t want to get too close to Silas in his enraged state, not yet. Instead, he simply plucked one of his hairs from his pelt, chanted some words over it, and then severed the hair in two with his sword. Immediately the restricting force surrounding the lion vanished, leaving Silas free to move once more. The first act that Silas took was to grasp his made firmly with both hands and charge towards the wolf, intending to burst through his guard and cripple him with the first blow.<br /><br />Cayle was ready for the move, the wolf aware that as soon as he released the geas, he was going to get attacked, and so when Silas charged, Cayle already had his sword at the ready, using both hands to grip the bastard sword to provide maximum leverage. The two weapons clanged together with a resounding clash of metal on metal, the sword catching the mace along its haft, deflecting most of the weight of the blow. The two figures clinched as their weapons met, Silas trying to use his muscular stature to press Cayle&rsquo;s sword back against him. If he was strong enough, he could either put the wolf out of position, or even cut him with his own sword, preferably somewhere along the neck where he was most vulnerable.<br /><br />The sword flashed once, as if it caught the light just right, and in the next instant, Silas was pushed back by the wolf, the lion thrown off-balance by the unexpected maneuver. So off balance, in fact, that Silas found himself falling over onto his back, a disastrous state even with his armor protecting him. The lion&rsquo;s feline reflexes kicked in, enabling him to right himself&hellip;or they would have, if he didn&rsquo;t suddenly feel incredibly weak! He tried to raise his mace to defend himself in what experience had taught him to do countless times, but he just couldn&rsquo;t seem to budge the heavy object anymore, much less lift it. He couldn&rsquo;t even lift his own body off the ground, the heavy armor he wore weighing him down to the point where all he could do was lift his head up to look at the wolf towering above him, his anger still filling his mind, but also a touch of confusion and panic as well.<br /><br />Cayle lowered his sword towards the lion, pressing the tip to his unprotected neck to stop his struggles. Silas ceased to move; though he desperately wanted to fight back, there was no way he could mount an offense quick enough before Cayle could spear him with the point of the blade. Still, the lion remained on guard, as did the wolf; each knew that a moment of inattentiveness could change the tide of battle in an instant. Silas wouldn&rsquo;t quit until the wolf was lying at his feet in a bloody heap, and Cayle wasn&rsquo;t about to give him that chance. Even knowing this, a part of the lion was still puzzled why Cayle didn&rsquo;t finish him off. It was foolish to keep an enemy alive that was hell-bent on dispatching you; everyone in the Hunter&rsquo;s Guild knew this as a general rule.<br /><br />&ldquo;I&rsquo;d ask you to yield, but we both know that isn&rsquo;t in your nature,&rdquo; the wolf spoke with a wry grin. &ldquo;Still, I don&rsquo;t have to worry. Fact of the matter is that I know you&rsquo;re as weak as a kitten right now. You couldn&rsquo;t lift your weapon to strike me even if you wanted to. But I&rsquo;m not about to take chances in any case.&rdquo; The wolf kneeled down while still keeping his sword trained on the lion, and partially took the heavy mace in his free hand to drag and fling it a short distance away, well out of reach of the angry feline. &ldquo;You won&rsquo;t be needing this anymore. Such a fool indeed, to think to take me on with such a pathetic weapon.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;What the hell did you do to me?!?&rdquo; Silas snarled out, aware that his life was in Cayle&rsquo;s hands, but still defiant as ever.<br /><br />&ldquo;I do so hate explaining myself twice in one day. Long story short, I made you weak. All your precious strength, gone. And that&rsquo;s not all. I can do a lot of things to you, and probably will, so do try and pay attention.&rdquo; The wolf chuckled to himself, as if he had just made an amusing joke of sorts, but his eyes were cold as he looked into the lion&rsquo;s own, his threat all too real.<br /><br />It was then that Silas noticed some movement behind Cayle, where his defiled mate lay. She was coming around! She didn&rsquo;t seem to be hurt; Silas thanked his lucky stars for that, though he didn&rsquo;t doubt that the lioness had an emotional scar or two that she would have to deal with later. He couldn&rsquo;t call out to her, or else he would give away her state and foil any chance of surprise, but the two had worked together long enough that they knew each other&rsquo;s habits intimately. She would see that he was in trouble, and she would creep up behind the wolf and keep him occupied long enough that Silas could escape the point of that sword. He could activate the release catches in his armor and gain a fighting chance without its weight encumbering him; he could see Elora&rsquo;s tool belt off in the distance, and if he was quick enough, he could get one of the daggers inside to defend himself with. It all hinged on the stealth of his mate, and she seemed to take stock of the situation within a moment, the lioness crawling on her hands and knees as silently as she could manage as she approached Cayle from behind. <br /><br />Silas knew that he had to keep the wolf as occupied as possible, or else the fiend could turn around at any moment. He risked another barb or two to keep Cayle&rsquo;s focus, planning things out in his head as much as possible. &ldquo;Couldn&rsquo;t take me face to face, you coward? Had to result in dirty tricks? You know if you hadn&rsquo;t done this to me, I would have smashed your bones into powder&hellip;&rdquo;<br /><br />Cayle laughed out loud and gave Silas a kick along his side, a contemptible kick that was more meant to silence the lion rather than hurt him. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t be serious! I know your type, all brawn and no finesse to speak of. You should consider yourself lucky; I would have whittled you down to size and left you bloody and broken otherwise. This way, you still have your health, such as it is.&rdquo; The sword flashed once more as the blade pointed at the neck of the lion, the tip mere centimeters from his throat. <br /><br />&nbsp;The distraction was working, sure enough; the wolf never even noticed the approach of the lioness behind him. She crept closer and closer, closing the distance, and Silas tensed his body as he prepared himself for action. In a moment, she would be able to act, and he would be ready.<br /><br />At least, he thought he would be ready. What happened next shattered all the lion&rsquo;s well-laid plans into dust.<br /><br />Elora did manage to creep up on the wolf without being detected, but to sneak up on the wolf was never her intent. And neither did she intend to engage him in conflict. Instead, in front of the lion&rsquo;s horrified eyes, the lioness slid herself around in front of Cayle&rsquo;s naked body, and still on her hands and knees, began to slowly lick at the wolf&rsquo;s cockflesh and sheath, cleaning off what remained of the combination of his cum and her juices. She did this knowingly in front of her mate, at first merely using her muzzle and tongue, but a moment later, reaching up as well with one of her hands to stroke and caress his ballsac in lewd worship of his maleness.<br /><br />It was madness; Elora couldn&rsquo;t choose this filthy wolf over her own mate, she simply couldn&rsquo;t! Silas couldn&rsquo;t process this development, his mind casting out the image his own eyes were telling him. But there it was, in plain view, and the rage the lion felt melted away at that instant to be replaced by a sick, betrayed feeling, the very core of his psyche broken. Cayle gave an appreciative murmur as he enjoyed the ministrations of the lioness, then chuckled to the shocked lion with a sinister glee. &ldquo;You see now, Silas? You&rsquo;ve lost. You&rsquo;ve lost everything. I never forced myself upon your precious mate&hellip;she came to me of her own free will. Go ahead. Ask her for yourself. Hear it from her own lips. That is, when she&rsquo;s done using them.&rdquo; He laughed at his own joke; in his mind the moment couldn&rsquo;t be any more perfect.<br /><br />Silas was afraid to ask, more afraid of anything else in his entire life. Surely this had to be some sick, nightmarish dream that he was bound to wake up from any minute. There was no way that Elora, the love of his life, would ever admit to something so cruel, so heartless. Even if she had done so behind his back, surely she would have the decency to lie and not give the wolf the satisfaction of seeing her admit something so shameful. But in the back of his mind, Silas knew this wasn&rsquo;t a dream, knew that Cayle would never have invited him to inquire of his mate if he wasn&rsquo;t already dead sure of the answer that would come from his lips. Still, a part of him knew he had to ask. Even without Cayle&rsquo;s sword threatening to run him threw, he knew he had to ask. &ldquo;Elora, honey&hellip;is it true?&rdquo;<br /><br />Elora turned back to Silas from her kneeling position, her hand still cradling the wolf&rsquo;s sac and the orbs within. If she so desired, she could grip the testes with all her might and crush them to get her revenge on the wolf. The Pride Hunters&rsquo; situation was dire, and it might be the only thing they could do to avenge the hurt both of them had suffered. The option was there. Secretly, Silas wished she would take it. He dreaded the answer he was about to hear, and if only she would do that, some part of him would always know that she remained true to him.<br /><br />When Silas looked into Elora&rsquo;s eyes, however, they told him all he dreaded to hear before she even uttered a single word. Those eyes were filled with lust; a fully encompassing lust, but also, great sadness. He could see it was still Elora behind those eyes, no matter what her actions suggested. She knew him for his mate, she remembered all the time they had spent together; she still loved him. Which was what made her next words the most crushing that Silas had ever heard. &ldquo;Silas&hellip;baby&hellip;I&rsquo;m sorry, I&rsquo;m so sorry&hellip;&rdquo; she murmured, before she turned back to the wolf&rsquo;s organ and wrapped her lips around it, closing her eyes as she gave herself over to the bliss that was serving her new master. The lion watched in disbelief, then closed his eyes, the pain of the moment too much to bear.<br /><br />Cayle looked down to the suffering lion, his victory complete. Well, almost complete. The wolf could be truly inspired when it came to cruelty, and as he watched his foe cry out in mental anguish, he came upon an idea that made the wolf grin even wider in fiendish glee. He had to do something about the lion, that much was certain, but the wolf really had nothing to gain by dispatching him with his sword; he would upset the lioness on some level, and he wasn&rsquo;t sure that her grief at her loss would allow her to fight the sword&rsquo;s power on some level. Not only that, but if word ever got out, he might have trouble with the Hunter&rsquo;s Guild down the line. But with his new plan, he could find a much better use for Silas.<br /><br />&ldquo;What are you waiting for? You got what you wanted&hellip;finish it&hellip;&rdquo; Silas sobbed, ready for the finishing blow.<br /><br />&ldquo;Finish it? We&rsquo;ve only just begun, dear Silas. Your suffering has just begun&hellip;&rdquo;<br /><br />Epilogue<br /><br />\t&ldquo;I still don&rsquo;t see why I have to take the damn kids back. You&rsquo;d think Cayle with his vast ego would want the credit for finding the vixen and bunny after all this time,&rdquo; Silas fumed with distaste.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Dear, you know that if any questions are asked about what happened, it&rsquo;s the Pride Hunters&rsquo; reputation on the line, not Master&rsquo;s,&rdquo; answered Elora as she rubbed her swollen belly. &ldquo;We took the job, so it only makes sense that we knew who to look for. How would it look if a wolf who never took a contract with the guild suddenly showed up with not one, but two missing kids that fit a contract and asked for a reward? Besides,&rdquo; she continued with a chuckle, &ldquo;he&rsquo;s going to keep the gold in any case, so he comes out ahead.&rdquo;<br /><br />\tIt had been roughly 8 months since Silas and Elora had ventured forth into Frostwood Manor and encountered Cayle. The seasons had changed, winter had come and gone, and the Frostwood was passable once more. More importantly, however, was that Cherise and Risa had both birthed their newborn cubs recently, and had just gotten to the point where their figures resembled those that they had first retained when they were abducted. Cayle had not forgotten about the contract that Silas and Elora had accepted long ago, and though it was rare for a missing persons contract to last over 6 months, it was still not unheard of. Compounded with the fact that the vixen was the daughter of someone important, and it was very likely that the contract (and the reward) was still pending.<br /><br />\tAlways with an eye for a little extra coin, Cayle intended to collect on the contract, and he could do without a couple extra girls around; he had abducted quite a few more over the months, and that meant more mouths to feed&hellip;not to mention the number of cubs that has popped up in the months since. The wolf had a number of nursemaids in his entourage now, but he knew for sure that the vixen and the bunny had value apart from their service, so he could part with them for now. Especially after he gave them commands to lay low for a while, then to disappear once more into the Frostwood to rejoin him in the castle. A genius move on his part, the wolf thought.<br /><br />\tTo that end, he put Silas in charge of delivering the two girls to Willowbark. Only Silas; there was no way that Elora in her gravid state could make such a journey easily, and Cayle always had good reason to keep her close. Elora was his favorite pet ever since that fateful encounter 8 months ago, and he never let either of the lions forget it. So Cayle was gearing up for the journey while Elora supervised, making sure that he didn&rsquo;t forget anything vital. It was a role they had long shared together in their time as bounty hunters, reminding each other of their gear, a survival technique that had served them well. Silas never carried much as a general rule, but it didn&rsquo;t lessen the importance of the role.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;I really wish you wouldn&rsquo;t call him Master. Why can&rsquo;t you just call him Cayle?&rdquo; Silas made a face of disgust, the distaste obvious in his demeanor, but he knew the answer he would get even before he asked the question, having asked the question many times before.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Silas honey, I told you before. I just can&rsquo;t help myself. Master wishes me to call him Master, and I feel like I should. It&rsquo;s soothing to me to call him that, it feels right. I know it&rsquo;s just the sword&rsquo;s power making me feel that way, but it doesn&rsquo;t change how I feel about it.&rdquo; She gave him one of her daggers, the only weapons he could comfortably use now that his vast strength had been taken away. &ldquo;Besides, it&rsquo;s been 8 months. I would have thought you had become used to this by now.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Used to this? He flaunts his victory in front of me every day! How could I possibly get used to the shame and humiliation? It&rsquo;s almost more than I can bear!&rdquo; The lion snarled as he said this, reminded of the event even as he spread out his new tools before him: a lightly padded shirt and breeches, a set of daggers, a canteen of water and a pack of rations. It was about all the lion could carry now without feeling encumbered by the lost of his strength, and to this day he still felt mostly naked without his heavy armor and his two-handed mace to rely on.<br /><br />\tElora put on a sympathetic face and reached out to rub her mate&rsquo;s shoulder, for a moment erasing some of the pain and hurt the lion felt. &ldquo;Dear, he could have killed you. I couldn&rsquo;t bear the thought of losing you. Especially when there was something I could do to save you.&rdquo; She winced just a little bit as Silas looked to her with soulful eyes; they both knew that what she did had nothing to with saving him, but they could almost manage to believe the lie by now. &ldquo;But we&rsquo;re both here, and we&rsquo;re both together. Sure, it&rsquo;s not what we wanted, but we&rsquo;re treated well. Surely if we&rsquo;re together, we can make the best of this.&rdquo;<br /><br />\tSilas sighed and shook his head; it still felt like a nightmare, especially with what had been done to him. But she was right, they still had each other. Cayle had given them that, at least. But not without cost. With Cayle, there was always a price to be paid, and Silas had paid it with interest. It was maddening to the lion, but he had no choice in the matter. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re right, you&rsquo;re right. We have each other. And Cayle. But we have each other.&rdquo; He collected his gear and cleared it from the bed that was in the center of the master bedroom, making room for the event that he knew was coming. It was part of his duty, and his shame as well. He set the gear down in the corner and got into position, as he had so many times before. Elora moved onto the bed following her mate&rsquo;s movements, moving slowly with the gravid belly she carried, and stretched herself out onto her back as she waited patiently with her mate.<br /><br />\tNeither of them had long to wait; soon the doors to the bedroom opened, and in strode Cayle, the wolf already quite naked as he anticipated the events to come. This had become something of a regular routine in the past couple of months, but it never got old to the wolf, not even a little. He looked to Elora first, and then Silas, observing for himself that both were naked in his presence, something that he had commanded ever since he devised this little exercise. &ldquo;Ah good, you&rsquo;re still here. I wanted to make sure that you got a proper sendoff before you undertook your journey.&rdquo; He chuckled at that, amused at the idea. The look he got from Silas was scathing, but Cayle was well used to that by now.<br /><br />\tThe wolf crawled up onto the bed slowly, his sheath already pulled back to reveal the offending member that had knocked up the lioness, the cock quite erect and ready for action. Cayle had known what to expect when he entered the room, and that knowledge had gotten him ready for action in advance. Now that erection bobbed almost menacingly at the wolf&rsquo;s groin as he approached the lioness in full view of Silas, who did nothing to stop or slow his advance. &ldquo;Hello, gorgeous&hellip;the big bad wolf is coming to getcha&hellip;&rdquo; Cayle rumbled in a seductive growl, reaching Elora&rsquo;s ankle as he prowled on hands and knees towards his prey. The lioness giggled as she watched him advance, the look of lust in her eyes having returned the moment her master walked into the room.<br /><br />\tSome time ago, when Cayle first lit upon this idea, he would mate Elora and fuck her raw, but now that she was nearing term, it was a little more difficult to get into the positions he favored, as well as considering the health of the cubs inside of her. So as his hands slid up and down Elora&rsquo;s thighs, Cayle continued to crawl up her resting body to perch himself just beyond the swell of her belly, in the perfect position to nestle his throbbing shaft right between the ample breasts of the lioness. Each of those firm orbs had swollen with milk in preparation of the coming young ones, which made it all the easier for the wolf to hump the feline&rsquo;s tits when he settled into his rhythm. &ldquo;Mmmm, now that&rsquo;s just right&hellip;&rdquo; he growled, looking into Elora&rsquo;s eyes, then back towards Silas, a broad grin passing over his muzzle.<br /><br />\tSilas watched the scene play before him countless times before, a look of anger etched on his features&hellip;but also, a look of lust as well. As Cayle began to pin his mate&rsquo;s breasts together and thrust his hips forward eagerly, the lion was also working himself over, one of his hands encircling his erect feline prick and stroking his meat as he watched the scene. He couldn&rsquo;t help himself; as much as he abhorred the thought of his hated foe claiming his mate right in front of him, the thought excited him just as much, if not more. It was the sword, he knew&hellip;Cayle had used its powers on him more than one, and had exacted this special penance unto him for his defiance. Cayle had given him a weakness for voyeurism&hellip;a devious punishment indeed, to make the lion desire the very thing that he dreaded, a constant reminder of how far both of them had fallen. He was as powerless to resist it as Elora was to resist the wolf, her moans of delight reaching his ears as Cayle lunged his cock through her cleavage to smear precum through the softly furred tunnel.<br /><br />\tElora knew her role well; she cooed and purred to the wolf as he molested and thrust into her breasts, bringing her hands around to cradle Cayle&rsquo;s rump, her hands stroking over his ass to encourage his thrusts against her bounteous flesh. Her head was tilted up to watch all the action, her eyes fixed on the cocktip that emerged from her cleavage again and again, the primal hunger plain on her face as her lust grew. &ldquo;Talk to him, my pet&hellip;tell your precious mate how much you enjoy feeling my cock against you&hellip;how much you long for my cum,&rdquo; the wolf growled to the feline under him, making sure to press his cocktip right underneath Elora&rsquo;s nose so that she could scent his musk.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Mmmm&hellip;oh Silas&hellip;I just want to gobble him up&hellip;I want to suck down his cum and feel it all over my body&hellip;I can&rsquo;t stand it, it feels so goooood&hellip;&rdquo; Elora gasped breathily, her hips rising and falling as she mock-thrust back against the male, unable to feel his shaft penetrating her depths, but certainly able to imagine it. Her words were no mere attempt to serve her master&rsquo;s wishes; she meant every word that escaped her lips, her voice earnest and sure about her desires. Those words were not lost on her mate, who groaned and growled in response, his hands moving quicker on his shaft as he stroked himself off. The words both repulsed and excited him at the same time, and the fury that he felt was rechanneled through his body, setting his aroused senses on fire all the quicker.<br /><br />\tThe wolf and the lioness continued to tease and toy with Silas throughout their passionate sex play, using words and actions to both infuriate and stimulate the lion. By now, the two knew almost all the words and phrases which would get to him the most, but it was something of a game to them by now, discovering more all the time. Cayle&rsquo;s aim was to cause Silas as much mental anguish as possible, while Elora was simply hoping to help her mate get off, as much stimulation as she was allowed to give to the lion; the two were still mates, but Cayle&rsquo;s control over them both prevented the possibility of the two ever being intimate again. Still, she could do this much, though she knew it caused him as much pain as it did pleasure.<br /><br />\tAt last, the moment came when Cayle reached his peak, and he grunted with delight as he pumped his essence all over the breasts and muzzle of the lioness, who basked in the cum bath with glee and extended her tongue to catch what she could of the wolf&rsquo;s spunk. A moment later, a roar filled the room as Silas climaxed as well, the lion jerking his seed onto the bedroom floor as he felt the sweet rush of release. Lately, the lion could only reach the plateau of pleasure when he saw the wolf finish all over his mate, something that Cayle was only too happy to do. It was another shame that Silas had to bear, adding to all that he already carried with him. As he watched the wolf wipe his spent cock all over Elora&rsquo;s muzzle, he wondered to himself, would this nightmare ever truly end? Was there ever a way that he and Elora could be together again?<br /><br />\tAs Silas contemplated this question, as he dutifully went to clean up the mess he had just made of the floor with his spunk, his heart went colder than the Frostwood. <br /><br />The End<br /><br /></span>",
  "pools_count": 0,
  "title": "To Find a Weakness",
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