Purr

By Danath

Chapter 1

Ben purred as he ran the flat of his paw over the front of his jeans, feeling the large, throbbing bulge. He gently squeezed himself and sighed, closing his eyes in pleasure as he slowly gyrated his hips. Grinning, he flipped up his fedora and smiled at the audience, letting it fall to the floor as his paws ran down his sides. The young puma’s tail ran over his conspicuously bulge in his jeans, slowly wrapping around his thigh.

Purring louder, he bent over fluidly and nuzzled his knee, spreading his legs a few inches wider than his shoulders and slowly waving his tight bottom at the crowd on one side, winking at the oglers on the other. He dragged his paws up his right leg and over his crotch again as he stood up. As his paws ran up his chest, he snagged his plain white cotton t-shirt with his claws and started to pull that up. The too-small shirt showed off his hard pecs and stomach as it clung to his lithe frame.

As he pulled the shirt off over his head, Ben flexed his pecs and rubbed himself again, reaching out a paw for the pole that stretched out above his head. To the cheers of the audience, he deftly swung around it, wrapping his leg around to stop himself. Lewdly, he rubbed his bulge against the pole, teasing the crowd as he winked, smiling at them.

The knots of muscle on his back flexed as he leaned backwards, holding onto the pole with one paw, feet at the base so that his back was arched backwards. Pumping his hips slowly into the air, his other paw ran over his silky belly fur and undid the button on his jeans, enticing another cheer of approval from the crowd. He pumped the air with his waist, grinning as he leaned backwards.

Teasing them further, he squeezed himself again, moaning for their benefit before pulling himself back upright. A hush fell over the crowd as he walked around the outside edges of the circular stage that protruded into the audience, a narrow walkway running back to the main stage. The floor lights illuminated his golden fur and deep, dark eyes as he strutted around the stage, paws running up his sides and through his deep fur, then over his firm rump and thighs.

He turned on a heel and scanned the audience, playing with them as he pretended to try to find them. All the onlookers hooted and yelled, trying to get his attention. He jumped in mock surprise at one especially vigorous audience member and grinned, showing off his teeth as he stalked over to the lucky patron.

The brown bear was all smiles as he reached out for Ben’s paw, kissing it lovingly while Ben pretended to be abashed. Kneeling, Ben crawled up to the bear and sat back on his haunches, slowly rubbing his chest and stomach for the bear’s amusement as the other eager onlookers watched. The stage, which came up to above the bear’s waist, worked to Ben’s advantage as his crotch was nearly directly in the face of the bear, who was just watching in rapt pleasure, sweat gathering on his brow as he watched the dancer pump his hips. He was tall and broad shouldered and in very good shape, probably in his early thirties or late twenties. Ben leaned in and nuzzled the side of the bear’s face, inhaling the bear’s thick musk and gently nipping his ear before leaning back again.

Ben smiled softly as he took the bear’s paw in his and guided it to the zipper of his jeans. He grinned as the bear zipped down the already unbuttoned jeans. Blowing a kiss, Ben pulled the flaps from the zipper off to the sides and offered the bear a good look at his light blue bikini bottom, showing off his bulging sheath and balls.

He leaned over until his mouth was inches from the bears and whispered into his ear.

“Go to the bar after the show and tell the bartender that Ben sent you.”

He smiled again and ran a paw straight down his belly and into his bikini bottom. He squeezed his sheath for the bear’s benefit before standing up and returning the center of the circular stage. He reached behind his back, thrusting outwards towards the audience and undid the button holding the pants up over his tail at the same time. Then, with a practiced flourish, he rolled backwards, heels over head, and ended up on his feet, sans pants. He tossed them onto the floor near his shirt and turned to face the audience, clad only in his bikini bottom.

As the cheers grew louder, the heavy, throbbing music that he moved to grew deeper, filling his senses as he lost himself to the dance, enjoying being the focus of attention. With a practiced kick, he used his foot to tip his hat into his paw, and then slid it onto his head. With one paw on his hip and the other on the hat, he struck several poses for the audience, his toned, muscled body filling them with lust. He strolled around the edge of the stage again, teasing them as they tried to push bills into his bikini bottom.

Picking out a strapping older wolf sitting a few chairs back, Ben decided it was time to foray into the audience. Checking to make sure the bouncers were aware of his intentions in case there would be problems, he slowly descended the steps at the end of the stage and walked toward his victim, butt swaying erotically. The people in front of him melted away as the more daring ones pushed bills into his bikini.

The wolf, who was wearing a distinguished black suit and tie, smiled and put his paws on Ben’s waist as the dancer straddled his thighs. Ben put one arm around his neck and leaned back, sliding up the wolf’s surprisingly muscular thighs until his bottom pushed against the wolf’s groin. He purred loudly for the nearby onlookers as he repeated the movement several times, smiling broadly as he felt the wolf’s not inconsiderable erection through his slacks. He wiggled some more and pulled himself against the wolf, noting with surprise that the wolf was much older than he thought at first, probably in his fifties or sixties, but still had a twinkle in his eye that made Ben smile.

Standing up, he circled behind the wolf and ran his paws over his thick shoulders and chest, nuzzling the side of his neck, and teasing him in general. Sliding back around to his front, he sat across the wolf’s lap and put an arm around his shoulders as the wolf supported his back with one of his, his other paw stroking Ben’s calf.

“You, sir, are a true gentleman… thank you,” Ben whispered to the wolf before pulling away, smiling back over his shoulder at one of the nicer people he’d given a lap dance to recently. No uncomfortable or unwelcome groping, only the steadiness of his large paws on his sides… he’d have to watch for that one again. Not even a slap on the ass as he walked away!

He smiled to himself as he got back on the stage and contemplated doing the full monty for the obviously horny patrons. He looked back into the wings as he gyrated back and forth, paws all over his sexy body, flexing and moaning for the audience as he let his bikini bottom fill with his erection. He saw the manager standing there and, seeing the glance, flashed the “go-ahead” signal to Ben, signifying he should take it to the last step.

Grinning, Ben squeezed himself once more before turning around and pulling on his bikini bottom strap, pulling the thin, string like bottom from between his hard cheeks and underneath. He did this a few times, pulling it up and down, teasing, before flicking out a claw and cutting it in half. The crowd gasped collectively as they realized that there wasn’t much left holding him in.

He grinned lewdly at them over his shoulder as he flicked his hat from his head, caught it, and placed it over his crotch. Humping the air with his butt, he purred and bent over and spread his legs, letting the crowd get a good look at his low hanging ballsac. Standing up, he strutted to the end of the stage again and reached beneath the hat. Picking out the bikini, he smiled and tossed it to the wolf.

The wolf looked surprised at the gesture, but smiled back at Ben and winked before putting it in his front pocket and patting it with a paw. Ben blew him a kiss and walked back to the middle of the stage, still gyrating to the music. He smiled at the bear who was still cheering at the edge of the stage, and then returned to the pole.

At a carefully timed part in the music, Ben removed his hat and clung to the pole, his cock sticking up and out, throbbing and thick. He groaned as the air hit it, sending shivers through his body as he pressed himself against the pole. Turning around, he pressed back against it, rubbing his butt up and down the pole, back flat against it, showing off his thick, long cock. An enormous eight to nine inches, it dwarfed many others. Perfectly formed, with a large head and thick, smooth pole, it ended in a delicately trimmed patch of hair with a large, full sac hanging below.

He decided to really turn the crowd on tonight and slowly stroked himself, moaning as he pretended to be taken by the pole behind him, appearing to masturbate on stage, while really in total self control of his cock. He kept it up for several minutes, rolling on the floor, getting on his hands and knees, and even shocking the crowd by kneeling back on his haunches and leaning over far enough to suck nearly half a foot of his cock into his mouth.

As he started to wind down, the crowd grew restless, wanting more. Shouts started to spring from the people at the foot of the stage, yelling for him to cum for them, to go all the way. Without appearing so, Ben looked at the manager in the wings again, looking for the okay to go the distance…

He got it. The manager gave him two thumbs-up, indicating he should do it. Grinning, Ben turned his back to the audience and stroked himself, audibly moaning and groaning as he worked himself into a frenzy, along with several audience members.

As he turned around, he squeezed the base of his cock, moaning again as his other paw slid up and down his enormous dick, barely able to fit the whole way around. Many people in the crowd moaned as thick amounts of pre began to spill down his cock and over his paws. He fell to his knees and sat back on his haunches again as he worked himself to his orgasm, loving the feeling of over a hundred pairs of eyes focused on him. Tilting his head back, he moaned gutturally and humped his paws frantically, driving himself along until finally he humped several hard times, moaning as he came.

Thick, long ropes of cum erupted from his hard cock, spurting nearly five feet. It splashed onto the plastic floor and some nearly landed in the audience as he jettisoned his thick load, groaning as his cum poured out over his paws and down his cock, coating his balls and paws with his seed.

As he sighed in contentment, the lights came down and he scuttled offstage, noting that a large majority of the audience had their paws in their pants and shorts, rubbing themselves vigorously, and a few even had large wet spots on the their clothing.

He grabbed a towel from a rack behind the curtain and wrapped it around himself before heading over to talk to the manager, who was beaming at him excitedly. A few workers ran onto the stage to pick up his clothes, while another took a mop and quickly cleaned the stage floor as the next dancer warmed up nearby. At least one was collecting money people threw for him.

“Hey, Purr! How am I supposed to top that?” the next dancer to go on called out, laughing. “Didja have to blow your wad so early in the night like that?”

Ben, or Purr as he went by on stage, laughed as he called back, “I’m expecting company tonight! Have to recharge by then, you know?”

Growl, a wolf, laughed as he sprayed his body with a fine musk and shook himself, preparing to go out and dance. Ben smiled and watched the start of his program, shaking his head as he watched the built wolf gyrate and thrust forcefully, his leather harness and cap a dead giveaway of his style and preferences.

The manager of the club clasped an arm around his shoulders and shook him, laughing.

“Great show, kid! Loved it! Great stuff. You got a real talent, you know that?”

“Thanks, Ernie… you going to want me to go out again tonight?”

“Nah, take it easy, you earned it. And besides, the bouncers wouldn’t like it – they had to take a couple people outside towards the end there when they tried to climb up on stage with ya.”

Ben gave a start of surprise before he started walking towards the back rooms with the black bear.

“Really? I didn’t see anyone. Any of the regulars?”

“Nah, nah, it was some new guys, never seen ‘em before, but they were getting pretty pushy. Don’t worry about it, Elmo knows what he’s doing. That guy's got more protective instincts than my mother!”

Ben laughed and opened the door for Ernie with a paw, still holding his towel up with the other. Ernie filled two glasses half full with vodka and handed one to Ben, then sat down on a long, leather couch. The room was full of chairs and even had a futon. Posters and graffiti covered the cement walls. The overhead fluorescent lighting blinked and fizzled as the heavy bass of Growl’s song trickled through the walls. There were three doors, one to the office, one that led to a hallway with a few rooms and the backdoor, and the one that they came in from that went to the stage. It was empty except for them right now. All the other dancers were either in the changing rooms in the wings or getting ready to do their show.

Ben sighed as he leaned back into a deep armchair, holding his glass in one paw and wiping his brow with the other. “Man, that was good times.”

“Yeah, I could tell you were enjoying yourself out there. You really get off being watched, huh?”

The question was more of a statement of fact than anything. Ben just smiled. “Looking for a private showing, Ernie?”
“Hey, not for me, I’m too old for that. When I want a show I’ll just bitch at Taylor to wear underwear and take it off slow,” he said, laughing.

“Hey, what’s this about me and underwear?”

Ben waved to Ernie’s longtime friend and lover, Taylor, as he walked into the room from the hallway that lead to the business office. While Ernie managed the dancers and the actual operation of the bar, Taylor was the bookkeeping mastermind, arranging salaries, repairs, fixes, and the like. He and Ernie couldn’t be more different, Ben thought to himself as he watched them hug and kiss each other. Ernie, the short, rounder bear with a comb-over hairdo, and Taylor, a tall, thin rabbit who was just starting to descend the hill, were as much a mismatch as any, but at least they’re happy together, thought Ben. And that’s what counts. He smiled as he took a sip of his drink.

He took another sip from his glass and purred. “Hey, you finally started getting the good stuff, huh?”

Ernie grinned and raised his glass in a toast. “It’s the best for the best, kid. You and the rest of that crew of yours saved this place from shutting down and turned it into the best in the city. I owe ya.”

Ben grinned. “Yeah, and it wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t take us all in in the first place, you know? Before you found me, I was over at The Hole. Now I got a respectable place to work, a place to sleep, and at least two people who’ll keep me out of trouble, not that they’ll succeed, mind you.”

“Speaking of places to live, it’s been quieter here since you got that apartment!” He laughed and squeezed Ernie. “Always sad when a sparrow leaves the nest, eh, Ernie? How’s that working out for you, Ben? You know your room will always be ready for you here. It’ll always be your home, but you might have ta share with one of the kids, you know?”

“I know, but I’m really enjoying the apartment. It was actually hard to learn to sleep without the constant noise from the bar, though… that was my lullaby for a long time.”

“Ah, reminiscing and nostalgia,” broke in a new voice. “Ain’t what it used to be, you know?”

Ben jumped up and flung himself at the speaker, a tall, lanky skunk wearing a t-shirt and jeans. He grunted and staggered backwards through the door as Ben landed on him, pushing him down to the floor as Ben hugged him fiercely.

“James! What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were two thousand miles away!”

“Well, I’m gonna be a couple miles away in the hospital if you don’t get off of me!”

Taylor and Ernie were laughing themselves sick as Ben helped James up and led him into the room. Wiping away tears of laughter, Taylor waved to James as he sat down, massaging his chest.

“I told you that you should have let us tell him you were coming! Would have saved you some falling down!”

Ben grinned and hopped into James lap, leaning against the skunk and purring loudly. “Nah, it wouldn’t have.”

James smiled and rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, well, I know that… next time I think I’ll just move rather than catch you though! At least you remembered to keep your claws in. But yes, I’m here, but just for a visit. I’m going to be leaving next week, so you only got me for a little while. How have you been doing?” He grinned and picked at the hem of Ben’s towel which somehow managed to stay around his waist. “I see you just finished dancing.”

Ben grinned and nodded. “Yup. Been doing it a lot lately, Ernie says I’m doing good. Why are you in town? I haven’t seen you for two years!”

James smiled. “Ernie and Taylor invited me. How could I say no? And besides, your birthday is in a few days – I gotta be here for the big two-three, you know?”

Hopping off James’s lap, Ben stuck his tongue out at Ernie. “Ya should have told me he was coming! You want anything to drink, James? Taylor?”

“Rum and coke for me,” Taylor said.

“Got any beer?” asked James.

Tossing James a can, he poured a quick rum and coke for Taylor before returning to the couch to sit next to James. James looks good, Ben thought. Better than when he left. A big brother to James in many ways, the day James left to work in another city was a very sad one for Ben.

“I’m not here only for pleasure, unfortunately. Ernie’s invite just happened to coincide with some work I needed to do in this neck of the woods. Need to write up some new contracts for the lighting with a couple companies. Oh, and yes, Ernie, I’ll check out the system and make sure everything’s still okay, don’t worry.”

Ernie grinned and looked up at Taylor. “He’s doing good, Taylor. I knew he’d turn out alright.” He turned back to James, regarding him with a critical eye. “Pity you didn’t want to dance, though… you’d look great in a jumpsuit.”

James laughed and stood up, emptying the can as he did. “You wish, Ernie. Dancing’s not for me, never was. I haven’t got the rhythm for it. But Ben here… he’s the one that knows dancing.” He ruffled Ben’s head fur and smiled. “Anyways, I have to go… I need to go to my hotel and draw up some prelims for the meeting tomorrow. Might have a job installing lights for two or three warehouses, if I can snag ‘em. I’ll be back tomorrow though, around noon. That good for you? We can do lunch.”

Ben nodded and smiled. “It’s good to see you, James. Sleep good, I’ll see you tomorrow!”

James left out the back and Ben nestled back into the chair, a smile on his face.

“Well, I think the bed calls us, don’t you, Ernie?” Taylor tweaked one of the bear’s ears and grinned. “I think the boys know how to clean up and get to bed themselves.”

“Yeah… goodnight, Ben. See you tomorrow!”

They both stood up and left, taking the door that led to the stairs and to the apartments above. Ben remembered the bear he’d singled out in the audience and quickly stood up, running to a changing room on the other side of the backstage area. He found his clothes and pulled them on, sans underwear, and smiled as he remembered the wolf. That was one canine he wouldn’t run from!

He was sweaty and needed a shower, but he had a feeling the bear would like that.

Chapter 2

Ben walked through the wings to a side door near the bar. Several hours passed since his time on the stage and the show was slowly winding down, only one or two dancers left before the place closed, and several patrons were already leaving. He saw the bear sitting at the bar counter, drink in hand, watching the stage. Molinko was up there now, the slinky fox twisting and turning, pulling all sorts of erotic contortionist twists. Ben nodded to the bartender, Jimmy, and took a stool next to the bear.

“How Molinko does that thing with his legs is beyond me, you know? I think he’s made of rubber inside.”

The bear jumped and turned around, surprised to see him sitting there. A large smile grew on his face as he replied.

“You were pretty agile on stage yourself.”

Ben winked and turned to Jimmy. “Hey, can you get me a –”

“Don’t tell me, vodka and cranberry.”

“You got it, Jimmy.”

Picking up his drink, Ben stood up and walked over to a booth, one of a dozen or so that lined the walls on either side of the stage. The seat coverings were thick velvet and high walled, offering lots of privacy. There were even curtains that could cover up the entrance. Smiling at the bear, Ben slid into the booth and motioned for him to follow.

The bear did and drew the curtain closed behind him, smiling broadly at Ben as he sat next to him.

“So… what’s your name, Mr. Bear?” Ben smiled and sipped his drink as he watched the bear.

“Ralph… Ralph Barnes. Pleased to meet you, Mr. Purr.”

“Ben. Purr is just a stage name. I noticed you enjoyed the show… I thought you might like a more personal one.” He winked and took another sip of his drink.

“I think I would!”

Ben smiled, teeth showing, as he pulled the bear towards him, his back against the wall. As his paws ran over the grizzly’s large back, he arched his neck and purred as the bear licked his fur. “I thought a little anatomy lesson could be arranged,” Ben said as he reached inside the bear’s sports jacket and unbuttoned part of his shirt.

Ralph put a paw around Ben’s lower back and pulled him in against his chest, powerful arms flexing as his other paw ran over Ben’s butt and legs. “That sounds like a good plan to me…”

“Watch your legs,” Ben said as he flipped a latch. The table dropped and the supporting leg folding up so that the tabletop was level with the seats, forming a wide, flat area. Ralph just grinned and shook his head.

“Nice trick.”
“It comes in handy,” Ben said as his eyes narrowed on the bear, purring as his arousal grew. He pulled off his shirt and watched the bear do the same. Ben traced a paw over Ralph’s shapely chest, defined pecs and abs hard and smooth to the touch through his thick dark brown fur. Purring, Ben straddled Ralph’s waist and pressed his stiff erection against Ralph’s. Ralph’s cock was a long ridge in his dress pants, slowly throbbing through the fabric.

Ralph brought a paw to Ben’s head and pulled him in for a kiss, which Ben eagerly met, tongues twining as their breathing quickened. With a low growl of pleasure, Ben’s hands roamed the bears chest and sides, stroking and rubbing the thick fur as he slid against Ralph’s large erection. Ralph inhaled Ben’s musky scent and grinned, licking his cheek.

“You smell good… I like how you feel, like you’ve been working hard.”

With a quick movement, Ralph rolled over, partly pinning Ben beneath him as he kissed him again and again, a paw tugging loose the button of Ben’s jeans. After getting his zipper down next, the bear reached in with a paw and squeezed the cougar’s cock. Ben gasped and moaned, pushing into the eager paw as he pulled on Ralph’s shoulders.

Ralph backed up for a moment to pull of Ben’s jeans the rest of the way, then took off his own, exposing his large eight inch rod. He grinned at Ben and nestled down between his legs, purring as he pressed it softly against the cougar’s bottom. Ben purred and kissed Ralph’s cheeks, neck, and muzzle, encouraging him on.

“We’re getting right to the point, aren’t we?” Ben joked.

Grunting, the bear started to push, his powerful thighs flexing as he pushed himself inwards, slowly spearing the smaller cougar underneath him. Ben could hardly move, trapped by the bear’s bulk, and moaned and purred in pleasure as he felt his tail hole invaded. He rubbed the bear’s ears and kissed him again as he forced himself to relax in order to take the thick cock easier. With a moan of pleasure, the bear pushed harder, sliding in the whole way. His cock throbbed heavily inside of Ben, pre leaking out and lubricating the passageway as he pulled out and pushed in, stretching and filling Ben’s tight hole.

Ben, for his part, was hardly still. He moaned in pleasure, trying not to be too loud in case people wandered by their booth. He clutched at the bear, purring as he felt himself being taken. His cock spurted between his stomach and the bear’s, pre leaking into their fur as he closed his eyes and arched his back best he could.

Ralph groaned and suddenly pushed in hard, jolting Ben. He did this several more times before pulling out and cumming hard all over Ben’s chest and stomach. He used his paw to aim and stroke as he orgasmed, his heavy balls pulsing. Ben purred as he watched, impressed by the amount of cum the bear shot off. His purrs turned to gurgles as Ralph grabbed his cock in two slick paws and squeezed, slowly stroking up and down his entire length, making him groan and spurt more pre.

“Your turn, Ben… cum for me…”

Ralph’s gentle encouragements were all the cougar needed. He humped the grizzly’s paws faster and faster, moaning continuously as the warm paws stroked and squeezed. Stiffening suddenly, it was all Ben could do to shakily forcing himself into Ralph’s paws again as he started to cum, thick ropes that arced onto his chest and then drooled down over the bruin’s paws. He grabbed at Ralph’s neck, pulling him close and licking his lips with his broad tongue, panting hard.

Ralph stroked him until he ran dry, licking back at his tongue. Breathing heavily, Ben laid there, a smile on his face. “Mmmm… very nice.”

Smiling back, Ralph lay down next to Ben and pulled him against his chest, hugging him fondly and licking the cougar’s ears. “Yes, you are,” he said, grinning. “I really enjoyed that… you’re too sexy for words, you know?”

Ben blushed and rubbed the bear’s large paws. “You as well… you must exercise constantly!”

“Sorry it didn’t last longer, but I’ve been pretty hot all night… you dancers sure know what you need to do to get a guy going, you know that?”

Ben grinned and kissed the bear’s cheek. “It was great. I don’t think we have time for much more, unfortunately, because the bar’s going to-”

Suddenly, the overhead lights went out. Sitting up quickly, Ben giggled. “That’s our cue, I’m afraid… we gotta get going before we’re locked in.”
“I don’t know… with you around that might not be so bad!” Ralph smiled as he handed Ben his shirt. “Is there any way I’ll ever see you again?”

Ben pulled his shirt down over his chest before stopping when he realized how much cum was still on his fur. He turned to the bear and leaned forward, kissing him on the muzzle lightly with his lips. “Yes, I think so. Do you live in the city?”

The bear nodded as he pulled on his jeans, using some napkins to clean off spooge from his paws and Ben’s stomach. “Yes, I came here tonight with some friends, who’ll probably be outside wondering where the hell I am.”
Ben laughed and hugged him after he pulled on his jeans. “Just tell them that you were receiving dance lessons from one of the dancers… I’m sure they’ll figure it out.”

Ralph smiled back and hugged him, then handed him a business card. “Till next time… have a good night, Ben, and sleep well.” Ralph drew back the curtain and exited, walking over to the door and waving to Jimmy, who was cleaning glasses.

Setting down his towel, Jimmy walked from behind the bar and pulled back the curtains. He helped Ben set the table back to its upright position and handed him a clean towel from his apron pocket.

“Do me a favor… wipe that goop up, okay?”

Ben laughed. “No problem, Jimmy. You taking off?”

“Yeah, I was just waiting for you two lovebirds to get finished. Don’t you ever use the tables for the things they’re meant for?” The old horse was grey around the face and put on a grumpy exterior, but everyone knew he had a heart of gold.

“Nah, then you don’t have anything to complain about, Jimmy.”

Jimmy laughed and shook his head. “Goodnight, Ben. See you tomorrow.”

Ben opened the door to the coat room near the door and picked out his jacket. Slipping into it, he opened the door and closed it behind him, knowing Jimmy would lock it before he left. Pulling the jacket close around him, he smiled to himself as he walked the three blocks to his apartment. It had been a good night.

Chapter 3

Ben shivered. The night air was cool. He pulled his jacket around his shoulders tightly as he briskly walked down the street. The streetlamps provided weak illumination as he rounded the corner. His building was a tall, ancient piece of brickwork. Rent was cheap, but the place was clean and warm. It also has a very large tub, he thought to himself, smiling at the thought of a hot, relaxing bath.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn’t hear the footsteps behind him until they were nearly upon him. He staggered as a fist came out of the darkness and landed on his temple, dazing him. He nearly crumpled, but managed to stay on his feet. He turned around to face his attacker and realized there were three of them, all very drunk.

The lead one, the one that attacked him, was a scrawny fox. He was wearing a leather jacket and a gold chain. The two behind him were his henchman. One, a jaguar, was smiling lewdly at him and rubbing his crotch while the other, a short Doberman, was coiling a length of nylon into a circle.

“Grab his arms,” said the fox, motioning to the other two. “I wanna see his ass.”

The other two laughed and grabbed Ben, who could only struggle weakly, still dazed from the unexpected blow. The Doberman held onto his arm and pulled his head back, growling when Ben tried to bite his hand.

“This dancer’s a feisty one, Tom,” he said to the fox.

“Well, we’ll just have to fix that, won’t we?” Tom smiled and belted Ben across the face again. “Pull him over to the alley.”

Ben’s head lolled to the side as he fought against unconsciousness, trying to stay awake. The jaguar reached down and squeezed his butt painfully, claws nearly puncturing his skin.

“Ooh, he’s a good one. I knew when I saw him dancing he was a good one.”

Tom grinned and pressed himself against Ben, who was held spread eagle on the ground by the other two. His drunken breath was nauseating as he kissed and licked Ben’s neck, while Ben snapped at his ears. One landed and part of Tom’s left ear was missing. With a yell of pain, he got up and hopped around, a paw to his ear. He kicked Ben in the side before unbuckling his pants and dropping them, kneeling down between the cougar’s legs as blood trickled down the side of his face.

“You’re gonna pay for that one, fucker!”

He landed several more punches on Ben’s stomach and chest, totally incapacitating the cougar, before pulling off Ben’s jeans. As he pressed himself against Ben again, a voice rang out through the alleyway.

“Let him go, fuckheads!”

Tom whirled around, pulling his pants up hurriedly. “Who’s this fuck?” he snarled. “Jake, go deal with our unwelcome guest.

“With pleasure,” the jaguar said. He stood up and walked over to the person standing in the shadows. “What’s wrong with you? This is a private party, shithead. You gots to go!”

He grinned and swung out at the still unidentified fur, who deftly blocked the drunk’s punch and landed a sharp tap between the Jaguar’s eyes, dropping him like a stone.

“What the hell… c’mon, Terry.” He buttoned his jeans and motioned for the Doberman to follow him as they left Ben gasping on the ground, his chest burning in pain.

“You picked the wrong night to stick your nose where it don’t belong, shithead,” Terry growled. “C’mon, bring it!”

The tall figure ignored their drunken insults and circled warily, careful not to let one in behind him, keeping his back to the wall. Seeing his chance when Terry slipped on a puddle, he darted in, grabbing the Doberman by the scruff of his neck. As Tom tried to punch him, he caught the fist in his paw and grunted, squeezing the smaller paw in his own. Suddenly, there was a sickening crack and the fox screamed in agony.

The stranger released his paw, now limp and useless, and then backhanded him, flinging him several feet backwards and into the wall, knocking him unconscious. Holding the Doberman tightly, he slammed the dog’s head into the side of a dumpster, leaving him knocked out as well.

He hurried over to Ben and gently probed his chest, checking to see how badly he was injured. Worriedly, he scooped up the cougar in his arms and started walking towards Ben’s building.

“Who… are you?” Ben gasped.

“A friend,” said the figure, his face hidden by shadows. “Don’t talk. You’re safe now.”

It was the last thing he heard before darkness claimed him.

* * *

Ben groaned slightly and turned over in his bed. He felt awful… the right side of his face felt inflamed and his chest burned. His head was pounding…

His eyes flashed open as he remembered what happened. He struggled to sit up, instinctively pulling his shirt tight around him, looking around in a panic. He heard pounding again. This time, he realized it wasn’t his head.

Groaning, he gingerly felt the side of his face. Definitely in bad shape. He stood up and coughed, pain bearable but very uncomfortable. Carefully, he started walking to the door. He realized he was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. His clothes from last night were in a pile in the corner. His keys and wallet were on his counter, he noticed as he passed it.

“Hold on, I’m coming,” he called out, hoping that whoever was out there would quit knocking on the door.

He looked through the peephole and saw a very worried looking James with an even more worried looking Ernie not far behind. He opened the door and sagged into James’s arms gratefully, tears springing to his eyes as he finally began to register what happened.

“Ben! Shit, Ben, what happened?” James quickly picked him up and carried him back to his bed, Ernie not far behind. After a few minutes, Ben stopped crying, composing himself.

“What time is it?”

“It’s past two,” Ernie said. “When you didn’t show up at noon we just thought you were running late or something. We’ve been pounding on your door for fifteen minutes now! What the hell were you doing last night?”

“It wasn’t what I was doing,” Ben said tiredly. “It’s what certain people were trying to do to me. Did the people the bouncers have to throw out happen to be a fox, jaguar, and Doberman?”

Understanding dawned on Ernie and he slammed his fist into the bed, livid with anger. “Those bastards better pray the police find them first…”

James leaned over Ben and brushed some hair out of his face. “You better tell us what happened. Ernie, as much as I’m sure both you and Elmo would enjoy finding those assholes and teaching them some respect, we better call the cops. Get them on the phone, okay?”

“Yeah… yeah, okay.” Ernie fumed off, muttering under his breath. They heard him dialing from the kitchen as James turned Ben’s head, critically examining the bruise on his face. It went from his temple down to his chin.

“They really worked you over, huh? How’d you get back here?”

“Someone saved me,” Ben said frankly. “I don’t know who. He must’ve been someone at the bar last night that saw those three pull me into the alley. He really took care of them… I think one or two of them ended up with cracked skulls. They were pretty drunk, and I couldn’t stop them… if he hadn’t of shown up…”

James pulled Ben tightly against him as he started to break down again and held him, rocking him back and forth.

“It’s okay, it’s okay… you’re safe now,” he crooned soothingly, gently nuzzling Ben’s ears. “Just relax and forget it, you’ll be fine.”

Ben sobbed, clutching James by the shirt, unwilling to let him go. By the time the police arrived a few minutes later, his eyes were dry. James sat next to him at his kitchen table as they answered the police officer’s questions while Ernie paced back and forth behind them.

“You know, I think I might know the three you’re talking about. A squad car noticed them about seven this morning, called an ambulance. They’re all still in the hospital. One with a fractured skull, another with a broken hand. The third got off light, just a light concussion. I’ll radio dispatch and make sure they aren’t allowed to leave,” he said, picking up his radio. “I think that’s all the questions I have. If you remember anything else, call me. Just dial the precinct and tell them to put you through to Olander’s desk. I’ll call you sometime soon to let you know what’s happening with your case. Don’t worry, though, they won’t be on the streets for a long time.”

After the officer left, Ernie took his leave too, saying he was needed back at the club. He left James and Ben alone, telling Ben to call him later.

Ben got up and went into the kitchen. He pulled out some pancake mix and started preparing it when James came up from behind and hugged him.

“You gonna be okay?”

Ben smiled and turned around, hugging him back. “Yeah… I think so. Maybe it’s time to take one or two of those self-defense classes that Elmo’s always going on about, eh?”

James grinned and ruffled his head fur, pulling his paw away quickly as Ben winced. He pulled some milk and eggs from the fridge. “Let me help you with breakfast. Well, as much as breakfast can be at three in the afternoon.”

They talked while they prepared the late meal and ate it, enjoying each other’s company after being apart so long. When they finisehd, James smiled and got up. “I have to go… I have a meeting at 4:30. I can come back this evening, if you like though.”

“Sure… that’ll be fine. Check for me at the club first. I’ll probably head over there for dinner and to hang out with the guys.”
James nodded and hugged Ben again. “I’m proud of you, you know. You went through a lot last night. Didn’t know you were so tough!”

Ben stuck his tongue out and winced as he moved his jaw a bit too much. “Yeah, well, I always said I should’ve been an actor.”

“Well, call it what you will, but I’ll call you later, okay? See you at the club.” He closed the door behind him as he left.

With a sigh, Ben walked into his bathroom and peered at his face. The bruise was large and nasty looking, even through his face fur. His chest felt a lot better, but his face would take a couple of weeks to heal, and it would be several days before he could even cover it up with cosmetics.

Hey, I needed a vacation anyways, he thought to himself. Actually, I’ll probably just end up helping Taylor in the office for a week or so.

His thoughts returned to last night and the strange figure that helped him. He couldn’t remember a face, but his rescuer seemed so familiar... Ben shook his head, trying to remember what it was.

That guy was a real gentleman, he thought. Well, maybe not gentle with his three attackers, but at least with him. He stuck his paws in his pockets as he walked to the window in his living room, looking out at the skyline of the city. Grey clouds circled overhead, promising more rain later in the day. His eyes widened as he pulled a piece of blue cloth from the pockets of the sweatpants. He remembered the gentleman wolf from the club and the dance… a smile broke out on his face. But why not stick around? He must want to remain anonymous. Why?

Ben shook his head. He was just glad that the wolf was around when he was. He may very well have saved his life. Ben hoped he would be able to return the favor some day, or at least let the wolf know how much he appreciated it. With a yawn, he returned to his bed, setting his alarm clock for 6:30. He fell asleep in minutes, a smile on his face.