NORTH Part Three

Story by unstablebill on SoFurry

, , , , , , , , , , ,

#3 of NORTH

Part 3 of a 5-part series. Stay with husky drone 04 as the new polar bear arrival continues his "onboarding."

04 gets a vision into of the inner workings of the facility and sees a side of 01 that few ever see.

We learn what the machine is for.

Comments are really the reason I write so please add a note if you enjoy!! It literally keeps me going. XD


The bear took a few moments for his eyes to stop rolling back into his head. For a long time he looked like he might be at risk of crashing over onto his side, which would not have surprised 04 one bit, because when Master wanted to be in your head, Master got into your head. The husky swallowed nervously, watching the massive kneeling polar bear reel, while Master held his head and stared him down.

Finally the polar bear caught his breath, and some rigidity came back into his huge wide back. He straightened up again, blinking slowly and repeatedly. He seemed dazed, straining to focus his eyes, and it took him a long time to orient himself again.

After almost a minute, the polar bear stopped reeling, and he stared dazedly up at Master, swaying gently. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but didn't say anything at all.

Master smiled at him. "How do you feel?"

The bear had to think for a moment. "Fine, Master," the huge man rumbled. He was still a little unsteady.

"What is your name?" Master asked.

The bear stared at him, thinking. His brow furrowed, and after a moment, he frowned. He closed his mouth, and then opened it again, and then finally, hesitantly, spoke.

"I...I don't know?" he said.

Master beamed proudly down at him. "Your name is 16. You're part of our family."

The bear blinked, and then smiled happily back. "Yes, Master," he rumbled. "Thank you, Master."

Watching, 04 felt his hackles slowly rise, starting at the back of his neck and traveling down his spine. He repressed a shiver.

Why am I so tense? he thought.

"Rise up, 16, and take your place in your new home!" Master said, releasing the polar bear's huge head.

He took a step back, and the polar bear rose to his full height. 04 actually had to lift his head to watch him. The husky watched, eyes wide.

The bear looked around. He seemed to notice the shepherds for the first time. His eyes settled on 04, too, for just long enough to make the husky's heart beat a little faster.

"Who are they, Master?" the bear asked, his muzzle turned into a severe frown.

"Your packmates!" the otter said, delighted. His face contorted into an evil smile. "Would you like to meet them?"

16 looked them all over again. "Very much, Master," he said, staring directly at 04.

The husky felt his mouth go dry. Oh God, he thought. He's gonna fuck me while Master watches and I'm gonna die. He tried to bite back the whine that was building in his throat.

Master chuckled. "I'm afraid that one is not part of your initiation," he said.

The polar bear turned back to the otter. "Yes, sir," he said. He looked eagerly toward the shepherds. "Who should I...meet, Master?"

The otter gestured to the line of dogs against the back wall. "Go take your pick."

"Yes, sir," the bear said, eagerly. He immediately walked over to the row of shepherds at the back of the cabin.

He started with 02. The king shepherd was a foot taller than most of the shepherds, pushing 7', thick and mean. He raised his upper lip as soon as the polar bear came near him, furrowing his brow. A low, dangerous, terrifying growl emanated from his throat.

A growl?! 04 felt his eyebrows raise in shock. Stunned, he glanced at Master to see how the otter would react. Master's brow furrowed, ever so slightly, but otherwise the otter gave no indication that anything was wrong.

16 didn't even react, just stared the shepherd in the eyes, and silently moved on. He came to 03 next, the 6'6" shepherd watching him with slightly wide eyes.

The polar bear leaned in and down, suddenly, sharply, too fast, and sniffed loudly. It was a deep inhalation and the sound was explosive in the cabin.

All of them jumped. 04 felt himself flinch in surprise. 03 jerked back so hard he hit the wall behind him, golden eyes wide in his face of black fur. He gasped.

02 barked, deafeningly loud, making everyone flinch again, lunging forward, stopping just before hitting the bear. 16 turned his head, but otherwise didn't react. They stared at each other from inches away.

04 felt his skin crawling. What was happening?! He stared at Master for guidance. The otter just watched, though now his frown was obvious.

02 started growling again.

"Easy," said 16, and moved on to the next dog.

It was a long time before 04's heart stopped pounding.

It was tense as 16 went down the rest of the line. He did lean in to sniff 5, 8, and 9, though he did it slower and without further incident. They mostly just watched him warily.

Then he came to 10, the chef shep, who was already blushing and wouldn't make eye contact. His tail was between his legs but his ears weren't tilted back. Instead he was squirming in place, transferring his weight back and forth from foot to foot.

04 blinked, watching him, and then cracked a smile. 10 was definitely a size queen, like 04 himself, though he guessed the dog had a bear fetish that they were all just finding out about now.

Including 16, apparently. The bear leaned his huge head in, dipping his massive nose under 10's chin, snuffling gently. At the same time, he reached forward with his big mitts and gently grasped both of 10's flanks.

The shepherd squirmed. 04 could tell he was trying with all his might not to whine submissively. His tail popped out from between his legs and started wagging.

"Nnnnngh," the shepherd whimpered, involuntarily. He was already hard in his uniform pants.

"This one," said 16, with an evil little smile.

Master watched him. "Why?" he asked.

16 stared at the dog. "He's nervous. But mostly excited. He wants this."

The otter nodded. "Very good." He smiled and turned to the rest of the dogs. "The rest of you will get your turn. In the meantime, 10 and 16, please step forward."

Still smirking, the bear took center stage in the middle of the wooden floor. 10 trailed after him, panting gently, his tongue poking out. 05, 08 and 09 gave him approving smiles. 09 clapped him on the back as he stepped away. 02 and 03 didn't react positively but at least they didn't start shit, either.

The mood was jovial now. 10 was about to get his world rocked and they all knew it. His erection tented his pants as he walked.

"Face each other," Master ordered.

They did. 16 stared down into 10's eyes. The much-smaller shepherd squirmed under his gaze. He alternated between gritting his teeth and panting.

"16, undress your new friend."

"Yes, Master," 16 growled, cracking a smile. He reached for the smaller dog.

Staring up at him, eyes wide, 10 shivered. He was clearly still into it but he was also staring down the barrel of a 9-foot-tall polar bear who had been told to strip him.

"I'll be gentle," 16 told him, reaching for the hem of the dog's shirt.

The shepherd raised his arms. 04 noticed that he was shivering now, head to toe. 16 grasped the sides of the dog's shirt with his huge hands and pulled upward, tugging the dog's shirt up over his head without even lifting his own arms over his head.

Reflexively, involuntarily, 04 let his eyes roam over 10's shirtless body. The shepherd was not especially ripped but thickly muscled, beefy, the only shepherd besides 02 with a belly. He was a beautiful black and tan and 04 drank in the sight of him. On some level, he knew they were conditioned to be in love with one another's bodies, but he couldn't fight it any more than he could forget his number. He could tell it was working on the other dogs, too, because there wasn't a pair of golden eyes on anything but 10 as the bear stripped him.

16 reached down for the dog's belt clasp and quickly worked it open. 10 started panting faster now, fast and frightened, squirming in the huge bear's grasp, especially as the bear carefully lowered his fly and opened his pants. 16 crouched down to unlace the dog's boots, again working quickly and precisely.

"Step out of your boots," he told 10. "Put your hands on my shoulders."

10 complied instantly, nodding even as he was doing it. He put his shaking hands on the bear's shoulders, breathing hard, and worked his way out of his boots. Left first, and 04 was surprised to see 10 was wearing his boots with no socks. Then right. He stumbled as he did it.

"It's okay," 16 told him, deep voice lowered to a whisper. "I won't hurt you." He looked earnestly up at the shepherd, staring into his eyes.

10's golden eyes widened. He nodded, taking a deep breath, and even managed a weak smile.

16 stared at him, the faintest hint of a smile in his eyes. "There it is." Reaching up, he slid his massive thumbs down into 10's pants, and gently but firmly tugged downward.

16 went slowly and carefully, but he was still so strong that 10 had to struggle to stay standing as his pants were yanked forcibly down off of him. He squirmed in place, gritting his teeth, shivering, and 04 was actually concerned for a moment. Then he caught a glimpse of red as 10 turned to step out of his pants, and realized the shepherd was rock-hard, fully out of his sheath.

16 straightened up, and as 04 watched the hulking bear and the helpless, exposed, aroused shepherd, he had to swallow. He was feeling pretty full in the sheath himself, and he didn't have anything more than a jockstrap to cover it up. The husky felt the dull throb of arousal pulsing in his chest, and his stomach, and his sheath.

They all stared at the naked shepherd. 10 squirmed under their collective gaze, exposed. Amazingly, this seemed to make him grow harder, and now his cock started throbbing with his heartbeat. He looked away, blushing furiously.

The cabin was starting to fill with the smell of horny dog musk. 04 took and released several long breaths, willing himself to stay soft, so there wouldn't be two rock-hard dog cocks on display.

16 turned to look at Master, and the bear's head was so big that the movement made 04 snap his head up to look at him.

"Now you," Master said, smiling pleasantly.

16 nodded, reached for his belt, and practically flung his clothes off. He undressed with impressive speed, pulling out his belt, carefully folding his uniform pants, and folding his shirt on top of it. He set them on a pile on top of his boots and straightened up.

The massive naked white polar bear looked more like a marble statue than a living creature. He straightened up and stared down at Master. The bear's musculature was massive. He was shockingly trim for an ursine, and 04 let his eyes linger for a long time on the trim slab of the polar bear's chest, glide down his visible abdominal muscles, and settle on his naked fluffy crotch. His sheath was fat and full but he wasn't yet out of it; the sheath alone was the size of a 12oz aluminum can. The cock inside would probably be terrifying. 04 stared at the bear's sheath and tremendous, heavy dangling balls, and had to remind himself to breathe. He could smell bear now, too, a sharp musky scent that overlaid all of their dog scents, and he felt arousal deep in his guts.

"Now what, Master?" 16 asked, casually.

The otter beamed. "Pleasure your new friend," he said, simply.

16 processed that, nodded, and then turned to the shepherd. "Yes, sir," he said, again.

10 let out a soft, sharp whine. Nervously, the shepherd curled his paws into fists.

16 lowered his head to look the shepherd in the eye. "Anything you don't want me to do?" he asked.

"I-I'm fine!" the smaller dog barked. "I'm just nervous because you're so big! It's an evolutionary defense mechanism!" he sputtered.

16 cracked a smile. "That's okay. You're not the first." He reached up for the dog's face and cupped the shepherd's chin - and his entire head, in fact - in his humongous bear paws. He stroked 10's head and rubbed his temples, effortlessly palming the shepherd's entire head.

10's entire body stiffened, but as soon as the bear started petting him, his nostrils flared, and 04 could tell that the shepherd was deeply inhaling the bear's scent. The dog's eyes gradually un-widened, and then slowly unfocused.

04 thought of how good the bear smelled up close. 10's done for, he thought, cracking a smile.

16 rubbed harder, ruffling the dog's face ruff, squeezing him gently, and 10's eyes slid slowly shut, his mouth opening. "Haaaaahhhhh," he breathed, quietly. His eyebrows went up in surprise, though his eyes stayed half-closed in pleasure.

16 leaned in and nibbled gently at the side of the dogs' face. 10 whimpered, tilting his head over, exposing his throat. 16 let his paws slide down 10's arms, holding the dog in place, and 04 saw the shepherd shiver. He arched his back, staring at the huge bear, as if in disbelief that this was happening.

04 felt his own sheath start to part. He was starting to slide out of his sheath. The jockstrap would mostly restrict him from getting fully hard but it would be painfully obvious. He tried not to squirm, shifting left and right on his big husky feet.

16 lowered himself to his knees now, pulling 10 toward him, sliding his paws around behind the dog. 10's arms were still pinned at his side, and 04 could tell the polar bear was using his claws, dragging them through the shepherd's black fur, grazing his skin. 16 suddenly squeezed, holding 10's back and ass and crushing the dog up against him, and dipped his massive head, nibbling delicately at the side of the shepherd's throat.

10 gasped, high and sharp. He squirmed in place, and then started to struggle, writhing between the bear's massive arms and his huge wide torso. 04 would have leapt in to help him, but 10 was whimpering now, almost squeaking, and the sounds he was making were unquestionably sexual. Based on the position, he would be grinding his throbbing cock against the bear's perfect abs, as 16 held him firmly in place. 10 was squeezing his eyes shut now, gritting his teeth, whining sharply, and 04 absolutely knew he was in heaven.

The husky opened his mouth to let himself pant. He was fully hard now, his cock tenting the front of his jockstrap. He stood perfectly still, hoping no one would notice.

Looking to the rest of the shepherds, he found them in a similar state. All of them were hard, even 02, who shifted uncomfortably to accommodate his huge meat stick. A few of the dogs were openly playing with themselves.

04 glanced at Master. The otter just watched, perfectly still and perfectly silent.

16 growled lightly - it was a play growl, 04 knew, because serious bear growls were existentially terrifying - and shuffled his huge head in to nibble harder on 10's neck. 10 squeaked and tilted his head away, moaning, and now 04 could see that he was definitely humping against the bear's meaty torso.

"Good boy," 16 growled into 10's fur. The dog gasped, tilting his head back.

Master nodded, and it made 04 turn to face him.

The otter turned to look at him. His red eyes fixated on the husky.

04 felt his heart leap into his throat.

Master looked around for a moment, and then found the bear's duffel bag. "04, please come here," he said.

04 looked around. None of the other shepherds had even acknowledged that something was happening. They were just watching their compatriot being defiled. 10 and 16 were still enthusiastically going at it. No one else had reacted in any way.

The husky tore his eyes away and quickly walked to Master. "S-," His voice faltered. He had to clear his throat. 'S-sir?" he finally croaked out.

Master was crouched over the bear's bag, digging through it. He pulled out a huge oversized cellphone - an older one, by the look of it - and pressed a button. The phone lit up, unlocked. Satisfied, Master put the giant phone back in the bag. He straightened up, all smiles.

"04, I hate to pull you away from the fun, but would you please go bring this to 01?"

04 felt his eyes widen. "S-s-sir?" he stammered.

Master smiled at him. "It's okay. He'll be waiting for you. He's waiting for 16's information so he can do a little research. It's the rest of his onboarding." He waggled his eyebrows. "I hate to tear you away from the party. But based on the husky cum I smell on you, you had your fun already." He lowered his eyes mischievously, smirking.

Horrified, 04 lowered his eyes. "Yes, Master. Right away, Master." Avoiding eye contact, he reached for the bag.

"04," Master said.

The husky died a little inside. He looked up. "Y-yes, Master?" he asked.

The otter was staring directly at him. "You're a good boy." He reached up to cup 04's muzzle. "You're a perfect little bitch dog and I love you."

The words hit 04 like an ocean wave. He reeled, absorbing Master's praise, his head swimming as the words poured over him like hot wax, sinking into him, warming him. His head spun. Perfect little bitch dog.

"Th-thank-" 04 gasped. He struggled to get the words out. He swayed, dizzily, and he could barely breathe. "Thank you, Master," he gasped, blinking back tears.

The otter beamed back at him and it warmed 04 up from within.

Unable to keep the smile off his face, 04 hefted the huge, heavy oversized bag, and opened the door into the cold arctic air.

***


Inside 01's lab, as always, it was stiflingly hot.

The black jaguar was at his desk. He looked up as 04 opened the door, yellow eyes wide and annoyed. He wasn't wearing the usual sweatshirt-and-parka combo that 04 saw him in almost year-round. Inside his lab, he wore only a t-shirt and a pair of their standard-issue small cotton workout shorts, his beefy legs and huge broad panther feet bare on display. It was the only time that 04 could see the jaguar's naturally thick and muscular body, though he hardly ever dared to look.

He walked in and sniffed deeply, reflexively. The room was full of 01's scent, which to 04 smelled like a combination of warming spices - ginger and cloves and coriander.

"Don't any of you ever knock?" growled the big cat.

04 felt his ears fold back against his head. "I'm sorry, sir. Master said you would be waiting."

The jaguar stared at him. His eyes darted to the enormous duffel bag that 04 was holding. "Is that the bear's?"

04 nodded.

01 nodded back at him. "Okay. Come in then, 06. You're letting the heat out."

04 frowned. "I'm 04."

The jaguar's eyebrows furrowed. "Fine. Come in, 04, you're letting the heat out."

Frowning, 04 stepped into the room. He had to turn sideways to fit the bag through the door.

He had barely gotten it through the connecting hallway. 01's lab, which was also his quarters, was half of the Master's trailer. There was a tiny connecting hallway running the length of the trailer, so either quarters could exit into the connecting hallway instead of exiting to the frigid Arctic exterior, but the hallway was small. It was also perfectly ambient, which made 04 a little annoyed - the connecting hallway was probably 65 degrees, so he didn't see why 01 was complaining, except of course 01's lab was probably closer to 85 degrees.

He staggered in. The room was 12 by 12. 01 had a desk with four computer monitors, where he did...something 04 knew absolutely nothing about. There was a stainless steel lab table, and a lot of equipment that 04 absolutely did not recognize. In one corner was 01's bed, which was huge, since 01 was easily 8 feet tall, towering over 04 and most of the dogs, even 02 and the malamutes. The space was filled with plants, including what 04 thought was a huge monstera tree, and lit by one big window in each side wall. The windows were covered over with water vapor, lending them a bright, frosted glass look.

01 rolled over in his chair. "Bring that over here," he ordered.

04 set the bag down in front of him. He swallowed, struggling to keep his tongue in his mouth, as he already felt the urge to pant. 04 much preferred the 40 degrees outside to the sweltering heat of 01's lab.

The jaguar reached his massive hands into the bag, digging out the phone immediately. It had looked like a tablet in Master's hands but in 01's huge cat paws it just looked like a normal cellphone.

04 must have stared at it a little too long because 01 looked at him. The husky felt himself wither.

"Go sit on the sofa," 01 ordered.

Nodding, 04 scrambled to his feet and moved over to the couch.

It was huge, sized for someone 01's size, and probably ten or twenty years old. 04 hefted himself up onto the cushion. He sat, trying not to pant.

01 dug through boxes until he found a connector. He plugged the phone into his computer and started tapping keys.

Sweltering, 04 opened his mouth a little. He tried to pant quietly.

01 noticed immediately. He glanced at the dog, face severe and blank.

The husky grimaced. "Sorry, sir," he rumbled.

"You may remove your shirt," the jaguar told him.

04 felt his heart swell. "Thank you, sir!" he burst. Writhing out of his shirt, he pulled it off and dropped it next to him, and immediately felt much better as his fur could finally radiate some of the heat he was holding. He sat back on the couch, clad only in his jockstrap, his mouth half-open, relaxing.

Rolling his eyes, 01 went back to his work. His fingers flew over his keyboard, and after a moment a number of windows opened up. They had little icons that looked like phone apps.

01 started with the camera roll. He pulled the window up to his biggest monitor and dragged the photo folder up, filled with previews, viewing them 16 at a time. 04 watched silently from the couch. The sofa was big and soft and the heat was making him tired. 04 was a little scared of 01 but he liked him a lot. The thought of taking a nap on the big jaguar's sofa while the cat worked filled him with another kind of warmth. But he knew 01 wouldn't like that, so he willed himself to stay awake.

The bear didn't have many photos. Almost none of them were of people. There were a lot of photos of the Alaskan landscape. 01 scrolled down, and 04 could tell what season the pictures had been taken because there was a clear change from the beautiful wild garden that was Alaska's short summer, to the gray wintery snowscape of the winters. As he watched, year after year passed by. 04 counted at least five different seasonal cycles.

Buildings, vehicles, supply shipments, documents. Occasionally a person. Occasionally some pornography. Pretty vanilla stuff, though 04 noticed both men and women. Mountains. Ships on the dock. Tiny quarters on a fishing boat. Lots of seascapes.

04 worried. Something was bothering him. Something about the bear, how they'd just picked him up from the mine. How close the mine was. But he couldn't think of it. It was like a name or a place he was trying to remember.

The jaguar brought up a beautiful picture of a rainbow over the ocean, with the bear in front of it. His one and only selfie.

01 glanced back at the husky. "Not a terribly exciting fellow, this polar bear."

04 blinked slowly. "Blue collar jobs. No family. No close friends."

The big cat raised an eyebrow. "Hm," he said. "Some of you do pay attention."

It was a backhanded compliment, but a compliment nonetheless. 04 leaned back on his tail so 01 wouldn't hear him wagging.

01 pulled open another window from 16's phone and dragged it onto the larger screen. 04 saw a series of questions.

I am happy with how my life has turned out. 1 Strongly Agree, 2 Mostly Agree, 3 Neither Agree Nor Disagree, 4 Disagree, 5 Strongly Disagree. The bear had selected choice 5.

04 only saw one page, but all of the questions were like that. I feel confident in the choices I have made. When I make a decision, I stick by it. I have control over my life. Someone would miss me if I was gone.

04 felt a chill at the last question. The bear had selected choice 5.

01 glanced back over his shoulder and caught the husky staring. 04 felt himself shrivel. He tried to sink into the couch.

"Since you're watching over my shoulder," the jaguar rumbled, "You might as well come up here."

Ears back, 04 pried himself off the sofa and slunk to where 01 was perched in his chair. He stood next to him, trying not to lower his head too far so he wouldn't embarrass himself with a full submission display.

The huge jaguar turned to him, and very slowly, looked him up and down his nearly-naked form. 04 was suddenly acutely aware that he was standing in front of the facility's 2nd in command in only his jockstrap.

01 stared, sniffing deeply, leaning his big head in. "Out running, were we?" He stared at the husky's bare chest, his nostrils flaring.

04 felt himself shrivel. "Sorry, sir," he mumbled.

01 blinked. He seemed surprised. "I wasn't complaining," he grumbled. "You're just...very...concentrated." He looked up into the dog's eyes, and then turned to show him the screen. "What I'm looking at now is an assessment test. It's very common in psychological evaluation, but not very reliable. We use it to gauge general life satisfaction."

He flipped to the next screen. The questions changed. I feel happy most of the time. I am often unable to be consoled. When change happens, I recover quickly. Sometimes, I want to die. That was the last question on the page. 04 couldn't see the answer. He was glad.

01 tapped down a few more screens. 04 glanced at the scroll bar. The screen was only scrolled down a quarter of the page.

The husky frowned. "How many questions are there?"

01 shrugged. "Usually a hundred."

The husky turned to him. "D...did I take a test like this?" He stared. "For my...onboarding?"

01 chuckled. "No. Your onboarding was...a little different."

The husky thought about that, and nodded. "Oh," he said, softly.

"The rest of the phone research is very basic. Just looking for red flags." With astonishing speed, 01 checked every app's storage files. The bear didn't have any social media so 01 didn't have anything to look at there. His browser history was all vanilla porn or very basic informational searches. 04 stared. The bear didn't seem to have much going on.

The last thing 01 opened was a questionnaire with information like the bear's full name, last addresses, and social security number.

"Background check," 04 said, before he could stop himself.

01 nodded. "Very good. That's the last stage we handle here." He opened a program called PERSONA SEARCH and started entering the bear's information.

The husky frowned. "Why are you manually entering this? He could have just sent it to us."

01 grunted. "Too much of a trail. If someone does come looking for our dear bear friend, it would be far too good a clue that he transmitted his social security number and credit history a week before he dropped off the face of the earth."

04 couldn't keep the frown off his face. "But he emailed Master. I heard him say it. There's already a trail." He took his eyes off the screen and turned to the jaguar.

The big cat raised his eyebrows. "He sure did."

They stared at each other.

He agrees with me, 04 thought.

The thought made him worry.

01 looked at him another second longer, and then went back to entering information.

04 let out a shaky breath. He felt worse now than he did before.

01 glanced at him. "Don't worry. It hasn't backfired yet. At least I convinced Master to do a thorough personality check before he claimed anyone else." He hit a button and results started scrolling.

04's ears perked. "Huh? When does that happen?"

01 glanced at him, cracking a small smile. "It's happening right now."

04 stared at him, and then thought back to what he'd seen in the lodge.

Master had told the bear to "test out" anyone he'd seen on the way in. He'd noted the results. Master had directed the bear to choose a shep, which had predictably resulted in the bear getting snarled at by 02, and then watched how he handled it. Master had observed what the bear's preferences were and seen how the bear handled a shy, nervous shepherd.

It hadn't been playtime. It had been an evaluation.

He stared in wonder.

01 was still scrolling. "Hmm, I'm starting to see why Master picked this bear up off the street. No family, no business connections, no address for more than a year, no solid career. He won't be missed. He sure can pick them."

04 frowned. "He'll be missed by the gold mine."

01 glanced at him. "He'll put in his notice as if he's leaving the job. Standard practice. Master made you all do it. Then he'll be part of our happy family."

The husky snorted skeptically.

01 paused, and then slowly turned to face the dog.

04 felt himself wilt. He fought the urge to curl himself into a ball.

He'd thought that 01 would be mad, but he wasn't. In fact, the cat was curious. This, of course, was worse.

The jaguar stared at him. "Tell me why you did that."

The husky writhed under the cat's gaze. "'I'm sorry, sir," he said, hurriedly. "It won't happen again."

The jaguar leaned forward. "Has Master told you everything is fine?"

04 stared at him. "I...I can't remember?"

The jaguar nodded slowly. Now he looked concerned. 01. Was looking at him. With concern.

04 felt his ears flatten against his head. Now he did dip his muzzle, hunching his head. As much as he tried to still his body, he felt himself begin to shiver.

The jaguar's eyebrows rose. He was studying 04 intently now.

04 felt a crushing sense of guilt. It was getting hard to breathe. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry. Can I please go? I'll come back later. P-please. I just have to g-"

"Look at me," 01 interrupted. He pointed at his eyes. "Look me in the eyes." He leaned forward.

Cowering, 04 did as he was instructed. He wanted to curl into a ball instead of making eye contact with the jaguar. 01 was tall, and seated, they were more or less at eye level. The husky stared into the jaguar's yellow eyes.

"Good," 01 told him. "Keep looking into my eyes. Sleepy puppy."

The words washed over 04. He straightened up, surprised, his eyebrows rising. The feelings of panic started to drain out of him like 10's dirty dishwater, the gray cloudiness swirling down the drain.

"Wh...what?" he breathed. Something was happening. 01 was doing something to him. "Wh-"

"Sssshhh," the jaguar cut him off. "Keep looking. Sleepy puppy."

04 jerked gently again, his body jolting, and when he stopped moving he felt completely at ease. In fact, he was starting to feel numb.

He stared into the jaguar's eyes. They were beautiful. He didn't want to look away now. 01 was beautiful, and 04 loved staring at him. He stared, holding perfectly still, his mouth slightly opening. Things were getting hazy. He felt so much better.

"That's a good boy," the jaguar purred. "Keep looking. Such a good boy. Take a deep breath and hold it."

04 inhaled and held it. He was feeling warm and relaxed. The big jaguar reached up and touched the sides of 04's face, and then his shoulders, and then his bare sides, and 04 was slightly surprised to find himself frozen in place. The jaguar pushed him gently, but his body just would not move out of position, almost reflexively. His body felt heavy and lethargic and immobile.

"Let it out," 01 ordered, and 04 exhaled. As the breath left him, so did the last of his energy, and he stood perfectly still. His eyes wouldn't even stay all the way open now, and his vision occluded as his eyes slid half-shut. He was so relaxed. He felt amazing.

Still he stared at the big cat, and it occurred to him that he was slipping under, and 01 wasn't supposed to be able to do that, only Master was, and while this wasn't the same kind of brute-force takeover that Master exerted, 01 was absolutely unequivocally taking control of the husky's mind and body. He noted this the way he might note the current weather, because it was getting harder and harder to think, and 04's thoughts got hazier and hazier, and everything was lost in the warm, comforting, cat-spiced fog that was completely overtaking him.

Watching him, the cat rumbled. He reached up and stroked 04's face. "Repeat after me," he said. "You are a good and obedient dog."

04 stared at him. He could barely stand, eyes half closed, ears drooping. "I am a good and obedient dog," he murmured. The words sapped even more of his energy. All of his resistance was gone.

"It feels good and right to give me control," the cat instructed. He touched the dog's shoulders.

"It feels good and right to give you control," the husky mumbled back. His arms dangled uselessly at his sides, tingling from the jaguar's touch. He was 01's now. He would do anything the cat told him to do. He fought to keep his eyes open, even as slits, because the jaguar had told him to keep looking. His eyes were so beautiful. They compelled him.

"You hear me and obey."

04 swayed gently. Hearing the words filled him with dull pleasure. It was so hard to speak, but felt so good to say the refrain back. "I hear you and obey," he rumbled.

"Good, good dog," the jaguar told him, squeezing his cheekruffs and roughly rubbing his head. "Good sleepy puppy." The jaguar's paws were huge and all but enveloped his head. 04 barely felt it. He couldn't think and he couldn't feel his body. He only knew pleasure and 01's will.

The jaguar sat back. He just watched 04 for a moment, staring at the tranced husky.

04 just stared back, swaying gently on his feet. He awaited his next orders.

"Now then," 01 said. The jaguar reached up to stroke his chin. "04...you're a very good dog. Your Master and I need your help with something. Tell me you'll obey."

The words sent a charge of pleasure through 04's entire body. "I will obey," he breathed.

01 nodded. "Good, then. Close your eyes."

04 complied, instantly.

"Good. Now, I need you to access your mind. Think of it like the bear's phone. I need to plug into you and get some information. Tell me your mind belongs to me."

04 let out a shallow breath. "My mind belongs to you."

"Very good. I want you to observe your mind before you, on a screen, just like we were both looking at. A list of programs, all with their own data. Can you see it, 04?"

04 swayed, processing this. In front of him appeared a screen, one icon at the top followed by a series of icons below it. At the top, instead of a phone logo, he saw a stylized husky face. There was a little "04" superimposed over it.

"I see it," he rumbled.

"Excellent. Now, 04, one of these programs has an error in it. It's giving you trouble."

04 felt himself frown. There was a little red exclamation point in a triangle over the husky icon now.

"Very good. You see what I mean. Now, 04...I need to know where the trouble is coming from. Tell me if you understand."

"I understand," 04 said.

"Is it 02?" the jaguar asked. "Open up the apps and tell me."

04 frowned. As he watched, a folder called DOGS opened up, followed by a subfolder called SHEPHERD DOGS. Inside that folder were thumbnails of all the dog's faces. 02's was first. He was frowning.

04's limited intellect couldn't tell if that was what the jaguar meant. "I...I don't know," he whispered, agitated.

"Scan it for errors," the jaguar offered. His voice was confident, and it calmed the husky.

As he watched, a little icon appeared over 02's face. SCANNING, it said, in a green computery font. A little progress bar climbed toward full. 25%. 50%. 75%. 100%.

SCAN COMPLETE, it said. NO ERROR.

Eyes still closed, 04 furrowed his brow. "No error," he whispered.

"Hm," the jaguar said, in front of him. "Expand your scan to the entire residency."

04 watched as the SHEPHERD file closed, and then the DOGS file, in a main file called PACK. The scan appeared again.

He watched, silently.

Suddenly, a little red exclamation point appeared. ERROR, the text said.

04 gasped. "Error," he said.

"Mmm," the jaguar grunted. "Open folders until you find the problem."

"Yes, sir," 04 whispered back. He did. PACK, opened. SHEPHERD DOGS was clear. HUSKY DOGS was clear. MALAMUTES was clear. 01 was clear. The last folder had a big red X.

It was 16's face.

"Bear," 04 growled.

"Hmmmm," 01 mused. "Run a diagnostic. Tell me what the problem is."

04 watched as this happened by itself.

DIAGNOSTIC: 10%. 25%. 50%. 75%. 90%. 100%.

ERROR: DANGER TO MASTER.

04 gasped. "Danger to Master," he whispered.

01 was close, leaning forward. "Diagnose danger," he said.

DIAGNOSTIC: 10%. 25%. ERROR: ACCESS DENIED.

The husky felt his heart pounding. "Access denied," he whimpered.

"Administrator credentials 01," the jaguar growled. 04 felt strong paws roughly grasp the sides of his face again. 01's thumbs were over his muzzle, tilting his head gently upward, exposing his throat. "Override Infallible Master protocol."

DIAGNOSTIC: 10%. 25%. 50%.

04 watched, his heart pounding.

75%. 90%. 100%.

Text filled the screen.

MASTER BEING TOO RISKY MASTER BEING TOO RISKY MASTER BEING TOO RISKY MASTER BEING TOO RISKY MASTER BEING TOO RISKY MASTER BEING TOO RISKY MASTER BEING TOO RISKY MASTER BEING TOO RISKY MASTER BEING TOO RISKY MASTER BEING TOO RISKY MASTER BEING TOO RISKY MASTER BEING TOO RISKY MASTER BEING TOO RISKY

04 snapped his eyes open. "Master's being too risky!" he gasped.

01 recoiled, golden eyes wide, eyebrows up, ears back, mouth open. He looked as scared as 04 had ever seen him.

The husky barely noticed. "Master's being too risky!" he repeated. "He just picked that bear up off the street! The mine is too close. We don't know what's going on there!" He gasped. He couldn't catch his breath. "He already left an electronic trail and now he's here! We're walking distance down the r-r-road! Someone will come for him and find us!" He gasped, his tongue lolling out. How could this happen? Master didn't make mistakes. Master was perfect. 04 couldn't bear the thought of questioning him. He felt horrible, miserable, agony deep in his guts. He knew he was a bad dog for even considering this. He couldn't breathe. His tongue lolled out of his mouth, and he couldn't get enough air. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe.

"It's okay, it's okay, it's okay!" 01 assured him, grabbing his shoulders. He gathered up the husky and squeezed him. "Sleepy puppy! Sleepy puppy!"

04 writhed in his grasp. "It's not okay! Master is in danger!"

"Sssshhh," 01 growled, tightening his grasp. He was so strong, bear-hugging the husky, pinning his arms to his sides. It was terrifying and comforting at the same time. "Master is fine! Master's in the lodge! Master has all his good dogs to protect him! Sleepy puppy!"

04 jerked, squirming in 01's arms, his arms pinned to his sides. His legs gave out, and now 01 was holding all of his weight. 04's body and brain were trying to shut down, but there was a hole in his heart that prevented him from fully relaxing. "I'm a bad dog," he whimpered. "I've doubted Master."

"It's okay. You're a good, good dog," 01 purred into his ear. "You're just concerned for Master. Sometimes Master makes mistakes."

"No he doesn't," whimpered 04. He buried his nose against 01's chest.

"Of course he does," 01 said. "But you can't see it because of your programming. No wonder you were so agitated. You poor sweet dog. But you can relax now, sleepy puppy. I'm going to help you."

04 felt himself starting to slip again. "You...you will?" He was having trouble keeping his eyes open. The warmth of 01's body was starting to seep through 04's thick fur.

"Yes, good boy. I hereby grant you a one-time exception to your programming. Please raise your concerns to your Master so you can help keep him safe. Administrator clearance 01."

"Thank you," 04 mumbled. "We're...we're all in danger."

04 didn't notice, but the jaguar was silent for a long time after that.

When he did finally start talking again, his voice was shaky. "F...first thing tomorrow, okay, 04? See Master first thing in the morning, tomorrow."

"First thing tomorrow," the husky mumbled back.

"Good boy," the jaguar said, into his ear. He was still holding the dog's entire body weight. "Here, let's calm you down. Stand up, sleepy puppy," he ordered. The jaguar turned 04 around, facing away from him, and gently lifted the dog onto his feet.

04 put his feet under him as best he could. His footing wasn't sure but he did stay upright, gently swaying. Standing up and holding his eyes open was taking way too much energy, so he finally closed his eyes.

01 pressed up against him, still seated in his rolling chair. He scooted forward on the seat and straddled the husky, his thick legs on either side of 04's hips, and reached around him, squeezing the smaller dog. He flattened out his palms, rubbing them up and down the dog's fluffy stomach.

04 writhed in pleasure. He lifted his head up, moaning.

"There we go. What a good boy," 01 rumbled. He rubbed 04's entire body with his huge jaguar palms, stroking his entire stomach and chest, the underside of his throat, the front of his legs, his bulge.

04 squirmed in pleasure, and stood gently at attention.

After a moment he felt thick jaguar claws slide in between the strap of his jock and his hips. 01 gently lifted the pouch off of his sheath and balls, and carefully tugged the strap down over 04's muscular legs. It cleared his big quads and dropped onto the floor.

Dazed, eyes closed, 04 stood in 01's quarters, completely naked.

A moment later the cat's hands were back on him, again from behind, but now more gentle and deliberate. 01's fingerpads traveled over his stomach, and then chest, and then they diverged. 01's left hand settled under 04's muzzle, roughly holding his entire lower jaw in place. The cat's right hand settled on the husky's sheath.

04 squirmed, letting out a quiet grunt, writhing under the cat's ministrations. The hand on his jaw tightened, almost painfully, lifting his head and exposing his throat, and the other hand gently massaged his sheath.

It felt good and the heat and the cat's scent quickly overwhelmed him. Even tranced, 04's cock slid smoothly out of his fat sheath and into 01's waiting paw.

01 slowly and gently stroked the dog's shaft. "See?" he rumbled. "Would a bad boy get a reward like this?"

"Nnnh!" 04 gasped. He tried to hump 01's hand, but he was trapped between the cat's thick thighs and his iron grip. He had no choice but to stand there and take it at the pace 01 was setting.

"Answer me," 01 ordered. "Would I do this for a bad dog?"

"No," 04 grunted. "Only a good dog."

"Say you're a good dog," 01 growled in his ear. He wouldn't speed up. Same achingly slow pace.

"I-I'm...I'm a good dog!" 04 gasped.

"Good. Good dog. Good sleepy puppy," 01 purred in his ear.

04 felt himself sliding, deeper and deeper. He felt like he was falling out of his body.

01 went on and on and on. 04 felt his body and his thoughts get further and further away. He might have been asleep, or deep in trance, or dreaming, he didn't know which, but he did know that 01 just held him in place and edged him for a long, long time.

"Mmmmm, you like me, don't you, sleepy puppy?" the jaguar finally rumbled.

04 roused from the depths of his stasis. "I love you," he rumbled.

"Oh, that's so nice of you," 01 rumbled. "Would you...feel better...if I fucked you, sweet puppy?"

04 let out a shallow breath. "Yes, sir," he answered without opening his eyes.

"Well," 01 whispered. "The good dog is going to get a reward now."

01's hands left him, but only for a few moments.

Then he felt rough hands on him, all over him, under his tail. Slick lube. Working all over him, then into him. He was so relaxed. The sensations felt so good. Huge hands slid under his arms and his body grew light as he was lifted off of his feet.

He dangled for a moment, and then he came down on something hard, directly under his tail. 04 could barely feel his body, but he knew what this was - 01's unstoppable member. There was resistance as 01 lined him up, and then a bending, and then a sudden rush as the cat's impossibly thick cock impaled him. 04 was completely limp and felt almost completely numb, but he felt a stretching, and then incredible fullness. He kept sliding down, down, down, until it seemed that his entire insides were pushed aside for 01's invading member, and only then did he settle against the cat's warm lap.

Strong, big arms curled his arms around 04's chest again, and he leaned back against the jaguar. His whole world was fullness and pleasure. 01 whispered things to him, things that never reached 04's conscious mind, and the magic the cat was making in his brain mixed with the dull, throbbing, inexorable pleasure from his guts, and 04 floated on a cloud of ecstasy. The only sense that was telling him anything was his nose, and his nose was telling him all about the jaguar, and bliss.

01's whispering increased in urgency, and 04 felt his body respond. He pushed back against the cat, and he felt the jaguar grasp his thighs and push 04's muscular husky butt down onto his member, grinding the dog into his lap, and 04 just floated along as if caught in a warm rushing wave. 01 was in control of 04's body now, as well as his mind, and the husky loved him and trusted him and patiently waited for release.

Some part of 04's brain was aware that he had done a good job when the cat grunted and seized and pushed him down and held him there. Then there was more whispering in his ear and 04 was shocked to find himself climaxing, writhing in the jaguar's grasp but failing altogether to escape. He felt his climax splatter his stomach and chest, and he smelled both of their semen.

"Good dog," 01 grunted in his ear. "Good, good d-dog," he gasped, shivering. "Go to sleep now, sleepy puppy."

04 went to sleep.

***


"Wake up, 04," someone said, gently shaking him awake.

04 sleepily opened his eyes. He was warm and somewhere soft. He slowly blinked awake.

A massive black jaguar was staring at him from a few inches away.

04 awoke with a start. He looked around, wide-eyed. He was on 01's sofa, in his jock and shirt. Oh God, he'd fallen asleep after all. "I'm so sorry, sir!" he burst, jerking his head up, eyes wide. "Please forgive me!"

01 cracked a rare smile. "It's okay, 04. The check is done. Can you bring it over to Master?"

04 wriggled to a sitting position. "Yes, sir!" He scrambled off of the sofa. His entire body was sore, and for a moment, his legs gave out. Jesus, how long had he been asleep? His legs were killing him. Insanely, his asshole felt sore. He struggled to stay on his feet. Why did his whole body ache?

01 frowned at him. "Please relax," he said. "You were out for a while."

04 swallowed. "I'm sorry, sir. It'll never happen again."

The jaguar blinked at him. "Do you remember anything else?"

04 thought. He had watched the background check and then...fallen asleep? "N-no, sir?"

The jaguar seemed to be considering, for several long moments, and then cracked a little smile. "We had sex, 04. You stripped down to your jockstrap, and I-" The jaguar swallowed. He actually looked a little flushed. "I really just liked that a lot," he said.

04 stared at him, blankly, and then suddenly the memories came rushing back to him. Sinking down on 01's huge jaguar meat. His scents. The feeling of the cat's paws on 04's body.

The husky stared, eyes wide. "I-I-I-I-I...I can't believe I forgot sir, I'm so sorry." He was blushing with his whole face and he could feel the heat in his chest too. Holy shit. 01 had fucked him. He stared at the cat in disbelief. His mouth opened reflexively and he started panting. The afterglow washed back over him. His whole body remembered the sensation at once.

The cat smiled at him. He was so handsome. "It's okay, 04. The heat is probably getting to you." He leaned back in his crouch. "And...don't worry. I'm just another drone. I'm just like you."

04 swallowed. "Y-yes, sir. I knew that." Right? Of course he knew that. "I just..." He looked at the cat. "I just didn't think you liked me, sir."

01 looked at him, and slowly frowned. He was quiet for a long moment. Finally, he spoke. "I like you just fine, 04. I like all of you. I just...this place...the things he's doing here..." The jaguar got a faraway look in his eyes, and trailed off.

04 didn't know what to say to that, so he didn't say anything.

01 suddenly brightened. "Anyway! Please bring this report to Master." He held up a sheaf of papers. "And...thank you for raising your concerns. Please raise them to Master." He smiled. "We appreciate your concern for our well-being."

04 felt his heart swell, and he nodded. He felt so much better than he had when he walked in. The sex had been good, but the relief was better.

"Thank you, sir!" 04 burst. He beamed, wagging, and gratefully accepted the papers from the jaguar.

01 smiled at him. "That'll be all, 04."

Smiling, the husky nodded and headed for the door.

***


When he got back to the cabin, 3 of the shepherds were tapped out. 05, 08, and 09 were seated or laying against the back wall. 05 had a Gatorade. 08 looked like he was on the verge of unconsciousness. 10 looked exhausted but was sitting and watching, his ears drooping, his face and chest wet and matted with...something.

The massive polar bear was on all fours, a fallen deity. 03 was crouching, humping the bear's mouth. 02 was on top of the bear, robotically fucking him, growling softly and pumping like an oil derrick. 02 was 7 feet tall, muscular, beefy, but he looked so small humping the much-larger bear. Any other third party wouldn't even have been visible between the two huge shepherds.

16 was on his hands and knees, panting, slobbering on 03's cock, his eyes unfocused but maniacally eager, his face and chest fur matted with spit, sweat, and cum. 04 could finally see the bear's huge black cock swinging underneath him, rock-hard and dripping like a leaky faucet, and surmised with some alarm that Master had still not let him cum. 02's relentless pounding was squelching with every thrust, and 04 could see that lube and cum had dripped down both of the polar bear's inner thighs, down to his knees. He looked crazed, horny, ecstatic.

Eyes wide, 04 turned to Master.

The otter gave him a big grin. "You missed quite a show, 04," he said. He looked the husky over, his nostrils flaring, and sniffed him. He leaned in, and 04 knew the otter could smell 01's hands all over him. "Hmm. Or maybe you didn't," he said, raising his eyebrows, amused.

04 swallowed. "Show still seems to be going, Master." Clearing his throat, he handed over 01's report. "Here you are, Master."

"Thank you, 04!" Master took the papers and looked down. He took his time reading the first page.

04 watched Master for a moment, and then turned his head to watch 02 and 03 defile the polar bear. The bear didn't have to stretch his mouth to accommodate 03's cock, and in fact he seemed to be smiling. His eyes were unfocused but happy. On top of him, 02 was panting, pounding him, dripping sweat and drool onto the back of the polar bear's neck.

04 was fairly spent, but the show was exciting nonetheless. He stared, amazed, until Master cleared his throat.

The husky turned to look at him. The small otter was smiling. "Well! It seems we'll have a new addition to the pack."

04 felt his heart start pounding. He forced a smile, but the information had a...finality to it. He thought of begging the Master not to go through with it. But he couldn't think of why he would want that. So he just kept his mouth shut.

If the otter noticed, he didn't react. Instead, he walked past 04, toward the messy sex pile in the center of the lodge.

"02! 03! That's enough!" Master said.

03 disengaged immediately, panting hard, his tongue lolling out. He was rock-hard, his cock dripping pre and bear spit all over the floor. He looked relieved to be tagged out.

02 stopped but didn't move. "But Master! I haven't cum!" the huge shepherd protested.

The otter frowned. "You can cum whenever you want. I give you all free reign. Get off the bear."

02 stared at the Master, his brow furrowed, his eyes dangerous. He didn't move.

04 felt his hackles rise. What the fuck? He looked around in disbelief. All of the other dogs had noticed. They were all watching with varying levels of discomfort.

Finally, 03 cleared his throat. "C'mon, Two," he said. "You can fuck me at our quarters." He tried to pass it off casually but 04 could hear his voice shaking.

02 stared defiantly at Master for another long moment, and then finally pulled out of the polar bear.

The bear barely reacted as the huge shepherd pulled his thick cock out of him. He just held himself, still on all fours, looking up at Master, fur matted to his skin, his huge blue tongue hanging out.

Master stared at 02 for another moment, and then stepped up to the bear. He smiled down at him.

The bear looked up at Master, tongue lolling out like a dog, his eyes unfocused. "Master," he rumbled.

"Hello, 16," Master said. "How do you feel?"

The bear beamed up at him. "Wonderful, Master," he rasped.

The otter smiled. He reached down to gently hold the bear's wet, messy head. 04 raised his eyebrows. Let it never be said that the Master minded getting dirty.

"16, it just so happens we have an opening on our team for a security agent. Would you be interested in joining our family to help keep us safe?"

The bear nodded eagerly. "Yes, Master!"

The otter grinned. "Well then, welcome to the team."

The bear grinned massively. His eyes still weren't quite focused, and he looked a little frenetic. 04 watched him, taking a deep breath.

"Stand up, 16," Master instructed.

The bear nodded, lifting himself to his knees, staggering to his feet. He swayed gently. 04 wondered how long he had been on all fours. How long had 04 been gone? He felt like it had been hours.

The massive polar bear stood there, arms relaxed at his side, eyes swimming. He looked eagerly down at Master, a stupid, happy look on his face. He was still fully erect.

04 liked the bear's body but he absolutely couldn't keep his eyes off of 16's cock. It was black, as 04 knew the bear's skin was under his fur, and at least a foot long. The bear's meat was at least as thick around as a wine bottle. He was impressively hard and still leaking, dripping a steady stream of milky white pre down the length of his shaft.

Master, to 04's surprise, leaned over and went right after it.

The otter didn't have to kneel, just sort of crouched, and took the upper half of the bear's cock in his hands. He leaned forward, opening his mouth widely, barely able to get his jaws around the bear's cockhead.

16 gasped, gritting his teeth. His eyes suddenly cleared, and he stared down in plain disbelief at the small otter blowing him. "M-Master!" he gasped.

The otter grunted, making a quiet gagging noise, and dipped his head an inch or two lower, pumping the bear's shaft as he went.

16 gasped, clamping his huge hands into fists at his sides. He squirmed, his entire body tensing, and 04 could tell he was trying not to move, which was probably a good idea if he didn't want to knock down his new boss.

04 stared in disbelief. He knew Master liked to party but he didn't expect to see him blow a 9-foot polar bear. He looked at the other dogs. The shepherds were all staring in varying degrees of astonishment. 09 was sitting up now, his jaw hanging open. "Go, Master!" he cheered.

After 09 cheered, the rest of them started in, with the exception of 02, who was still scowling. Even 03 was grinning. 04 couldn't believe what he was seeing, but he couldn't help but smile, either. It was mostly barking and howling, but it was celebratory.

16 grunted, and then groaned, and then growled deep in his chest, which filled the lodge with deep reverberating sound. "M-master!" he growled. "I'm close!" 04 was frankly stunned the bear had lasted this long, after his hours-long sexual adventure.

The small otter doubled down, putting one hand under the bear's heavy dangling balls. He looked up with his searching red eyes, jaw straining.

The bear groaned, gritting his teeth as if in severe pain, and his entire body shivered as he let loose. "Aaannnggghghhh!" he snarled.

04 looked down at Master, concerned.

The otter gulped down the first mouthful, but the volume was just too great. He gagged and yanked his head back, and the next blast of cum hit him right in the face. It was like a jet of water from one of 10's kitchen sprayers, and it blasted all over him. He was still pumping, and the bear was still cumming, gushing rope after rope of stunningly thick bear cum into the master's face, soaking his fur and gushing down his shirt and pants. The cabin already smelled like a sex dungeon, but the fresh acrid scent of so much new semen hit 04's nostrils immediately.

"YEAHHHH!" howled 09, throwing one arm up in triumph, and everyone cheered. The bear came for a long time, holding himself frozen in place, grunting and growling and shivering. He didn't buck his hips but his naked white ass flexed as he strained to hold perfectly still.

Finally, the bear stopped cumming. Panting, tongue hanging out, he looked down. So did 04.

Master looked like he had fallen face-first in wet cement. He squeezed one eye shut. "Owwwww," he groaned, flexing his jaw.

04 and 08 rushed up to Master's side. "Master, are you alright?!" 08 produced a towel. "Sir, close your eyes!"

The otter took a deep breath, gasping. He closed his eyes and let 08 towel the worst of it off of him. "I'm fine! I'm fine!" 08 finished toweling him. The otter's brown fur was still matted to his face with pearly-white semen. "I got overexcited. I really should leave this to you boys."

They exchanged glances.

"Master, that was amazing," 09 said, his eyes wide and appreciative.

The otter chuckled. "Was it? Do you boys like your new coworker?"

"Yes Master!" chorused 5 of the 6 sheps. 04 looked up at the bear, who was smiling amiably, still breathing hard.

"Um!" Master announced. He coughed, licking his teeth. "16, I would like to formally welcome you to our Facility. Please give whatever notice you need to give at your prior employment and see us as soon as you can."

The bear smiled down at him. "I can start right now, Master!" he said. "I'll resign via email. I already cleaned up my affairs."

04 felt all of his anxiety return in one sharp wave. His stomach dropped. He looked at the otter.

"Oh!" Master said. He pondered. "Well, then. Uh!" He looked around. "These are your quarters. 08, 09, 05, will you help 16 get settled with bedding and such?"

The shepherds in question loudly accepted the order.

Master looked up at 16. "Do you know how to operate and maintain a fireplace? I'm sorry to say this lodge is the only place we have that will accommodate a man of your stature. We have bedding for you but the lodge doesn't have electric heat yet."

The bear nodded. "No problem, Master. I am a polar bear, after all," he said, smiling.

Master grinned up at him. "Very good. Now then! I hate to leave you, but I somewhat urgently need to take a swim." He smiled. "Your initiation gift to me is starting to dry in my fur."

The bear nodded. "Very good, Master!"

"Alright. Everyone else, dismissed!" Master announced.

The sheps began to file out. Master turned to go.

"Master," 04 said.

The otter turned.

04 swallowed. "Permission to guard you while you swim?"

The otter blinked at him. "Why?" he asked, genuinely confused.

04 forced a smile. "Just want to keep you safe, Master."

The otter's brow furrowed. "I suppose that's fine." He looked down at 04's bare legs. "Maybe you can join me. You have some jaguar to wash off, I think."

04 felt embarrassment overcome his concern. "Y-yes, Master," he said, reddening.

Grinning mercilessly, despite his current condition, the otter chuckled.

***


The next day, 04 went to see Master in his quarters.

Master didn't necessarily care what the dogs smelled like, and in fact loved to pick them off on their way back from the gym trailer, but 04 wanted to be taken seriously, so he showered freshly and put on uniform pants and a black uniform button-down. 04 had finally gotten a good night's sleep for the first time in days, and he woke up well-rested and pleasantly-sore from 01's manhandling, especially under his tail. He felt good in general, and he felt great that he would finally be able to air his concerns to Master.

He thought about what he was going to say: the bear was too close, they didn't know anything about the mine, what if he'd left a trail that led back to them? 04 didn't know any details about what was really going on at Master's facility, but he knew they had to stay hidden.

He crossed through the chilly connection hall from the husky quarters, passed the fire doors for the gym and mess trailers, and peered through the door into Master's trailer.

04 entered and knocked on Master's door for a minute, and didn't get an answer, positive or negative, so unless Master was off with one of the dogs somewhere in the facility, that left the research trailer.

Swallowing, 04 returned to the connection hallway and walked ten feet across to the research trailer. His good mood was already starting to erode. Anxiously, he covered his points in his mind: unknown entity, electronic trail, too close.

He opened the door to the research trailer and all of it left his mind like fog blowing off the lake in a storm.

The research trailer had always been creepy to 04. It was a repurposed deployable field hospital, so it was always a little colder than the rest of the trailers. The entire thing was open with nothing to divide it into sections but dangling curtains, and parts of it were currently in use for several of Master's and 01's desks, bookshelves, tall work cabinets with stools, a microscope, several more pieces of lab equipment that 04 did not recognize, general storage, and even a few collapsible gurneys. It had a disheveled, mismatched, cluttered look that 04 hated, especially compared to the brutally-efficient, perfectly-sectioned, purpose-built other trailers.

What immediately grabbed 04's attention, however, was the far end.

This end had been a field hospital operating room, which they used for standard medical care - both 13 and 08 were some kind of advanced medic (though they both felt like fully-fledged doctors to 04) and they did most of their medical care on site. It had a huge gurney in the center, sized for even the largest of them, with a colossal, imposing surgical light suspended over the ceiling.

On this gurney was 02, completely naked, arms at his side, restrained to the table at his wrists and his ankles. He was laid out flat, staring straight up, eyes wide, mouth open, focused on a pair of small flatscreen monitors on a mechanical arm suspended directly over his face. 04 couldn't see what was on the monitors, but it was so bright it lit up 02's face. He was completely relaxed, his hulking body limp and helpless. 02 was a huge, hulking beast, thickly muscled but not defined, with a gentle curve of a belly and a fat sheath prominently on display. The big king shepherd could easily lift 04 over his head, and seeing him restrained like this wasn't completely unprovocative. 04 knew it was his conditioning, but he felt guilty for it just the same.

Staring, 04 also noticed a device encircling 02's big head, directly next to his huge ears, a large white device with two black pads that looked like RF readers but twice the size, extending down either side of 02's head. 04 couldn't tell what they were but it looked serious. He also noticed that 02's far arm had an IV line in, the line trailing up to a hanging bag full of bright green liquid that 04 absolutely could not identify.

He stared, horrified, and slowly felt his hackles rise. They'd never been given drugs before.

A curtain pulled back, and 04 flinched.

Master stared at him. The little otter was wearing a lab coat, which he didn't often do, and his glasses, which 04 hadn't known he had. He had a bright and ready smile. "04! What brings you here?"

The husky stared at him, eyes wide, and then turned his head. "I...I..." He couldn't keep his eyes off the restrained shepherd.

Master watched 04 for a second, turning to follow his gaze. He had what appeared to be a moment of recognition. "Oh," he said, flatly. "Mmmm." He frowned, turning his head. "Don't be worried about that. It...looks worse than it is." He grimaced.

"Wh-wh-what's happening to him?" 04 asked. He'd never seen 02 so still. He was definitely breathing but he was making no attempt to move. Just staring straight up at whatever was on the monitors.

Master smiled brightly. "Just...some new techniques we're trying out."

04 swallowed. "I-is...is this my fault?" He grimaced.

Master looked shocked. "Wh...is what your fault?"

04 swallowed a whimper. "Whatever's happening to him. Is this because of the fight? In the mess hall?"

Master stared at him for a moment, and then he softened. "Oh." As 04 expected, Master knew exactly what he was talking about. "No, of course not. That was just...part of a larger pattern." He smiled.

04 frowned. He glanced at the spaced-out shepherd. There had been a pattern. 02 had been growing steadily more...difficult. He'd been unpleasant, and vindictive. They'd all noticed it. The husky swallowed. "Will he be...okay?"

Master smiled sympathetically and let out a long breath. "Of course. This is just a little experiment! This is why we're here, after all."

04 turned to look at him. He stared.

It took him a moment to work up the nerve to speak. "Why...why we're here...?" he repeated, tentatively.

Master started to answer, but the door to the trailer suddenly opened. Master looked over 04's shoulder at the door behind him. 04 whirled in place.

01 was standing in the doorway, the large jaguar wearing a labcoat that 04 could have used as a bedspread. He had a laptop computer under his arm, and he looked up, surprised, eyebrows up. After a moment his expression softened. He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. "04," he said, slowly. He looked at the laid-out shepherd, and then back. "I'm sorry," he said. "This...wasn't on the schedule."

04 turned back to Master. The otter's eyes were surprised. He looked back and forth between the jaguar and the husky.

01 cleared his throat. "I asked 04 to come see you today. He has...some concerns."

Master stared at the cat for a long time, and then slowly turned to the husky. 04 felt his tail tuck between his legs.

The otter stared at him. "04...is something the matter?" he asked. His tone was gentle. His body language was open. He was responsive. Why do I feel so terrified? 04 wondered, straining to keep his ears from flattening against his head.

"Go ahead, 04," the big cat prompted. "Master knows you just want to keep us all safe. It's okay."

The otter watched 01 say this, and then turned to the husky, frowning with concern.

04 took a deep breath. "I have concerns about the bear, Master."

The otter's eyebrows shot up. "16?" he asked.

04 nodded. "Yes, Master. Well...not about him. Just...our proximity to the mine." He swallowed. "We just don't know anything about them, Master, and they're very, very close. They're between us and the highway. The bear emailed you, and we don't know the security status of his phone. There might be a trail that leads right to us. I..." He sighed. "I have a bad feeling, Master."

The otter listened to all of this, eyebrows up, mouth slightly opened. "Oh," he said, finally. He looked down, processing all of that.

04 stood patiently in front of him.

"Well," Master said, looking between the husky and the cat. He seemed...at a loss for words.

04 felt his anxiety come creeping back.

Master gathered his thoughts and turned to 01. "I thought we talked about this," he said.

04 raised his eyebrows.

01 nodded. "We did. And I was satisfied at that point. Until I heard from 04."

Master narrowed his eyes. He flashed his sharp little mustelid teeth for a moment. "As you know, this is all under control."

The jaguar stared at him. "Is it?" he asked, icily.

04 felt all the blood drain out of his face. He stared at the two of them, frozen. He had never heard any of them talk to Master like this before. He couldn't move.

The otter seemed unphased, if a little annoyed. "Of course it is," he snapped. "Have we ever had a problem before?"

01 frowned. "Have you ever seen one of the dogs concerned?" he countered.

They both looked at 04. The husky felt his ears flatten against his head.

"Especially him, of all of them," 01 said.

04 stared, his eyes widening. Him? What did that mean?

Master frowned. He was looking at 04, but not really focusing on him. He seemed to be deep in thought.

01 took a deep breath. "You can ignore my concerns at your prerogative, but if you ignore his gut feeling, I have a feeling you do so at all of our peril."

04 couldn't believe this was happening. He looked back and forth between the Master and 01. What did any of this mean?!

The otter looked up at 04, over his glasses, and took a deep breath. Without moving his head, he looked to 01, and then back to 04.

"Shit," he said, finally.

04 felt his eyebrows leap up.

Master turned to the jaguar. "Shit," he said again. "You're right. Of course you're right." He thought for a moment. "Um. How much security experience did you turn up in 16's profile?"

01's eyebrows rose. "Uh?" He thought about it. "A lot. Mostly down in Fairbanks. Some up in Prudhoe Bay. Some oil rig experience. One other mining company."

Master nodded. "Good. Find out what he thinks about our setup. Anything he thinks we're lacking, let's consider implementing." He considered. "And see how you feel about it. If you don't have confidence in what he's telling you, let's consider bringing in...outside experience."

01's eyes widened. He looked like he was trying to keep an enraged expression off his face, and only partially succeeding.

Master smiled smugly. "But we'll start with the bear. Sound good?" He looked to both the jaguar and the dog.

01 considered. "Sounds good, sir," he said. He sounded genuine. "Thank you...Master."

Master looked at 04. "Any concerns about the bear himself?"

04 blinked. "No, sir. Just...just what might follow him here." He swallowed.

Master and 01 exchanged a glance.

"Understood, 04." Master smiled. "Thank you for raising your concerns. Anything else bothering you at the moment?"

Involuntarily, 04's eyes flicked to the laid-out shepherd. 02 hadn't moved the entire time. He was just lying there, limp, naked.

Master again followed his gaze, and again, astonishingly, only seemed to remember the helpless king shepherd once he was looking at him. "Ah. Right." He walked toward the dog, waving his arm at 04. "Come here, 04."

04's eyes widened. Immediately, his heart started pounding. He looked toward 01.

The jaguar nodded. He gestured with his muzzle.

Swallowing, 04 loped hesitantly to the far end of the lab, where Master was already standing.

02 looked even more dazed up close. The dog was laid out, eyes half-open, mouth parted, staring up at the monitors a foot away from his face. 04 could see what was on the screens now - brightly-colored spirals, swimming slowly in unending circles. He could see the bright pink spirals reflected in the shepherd's eyes, giving him a swirly-eyed expression. 04 shivered.

"Come closer!" Master insisted, overly-cheerful. "He can hear you, you know. He knows you're here."

04 looked at the absolutely blank expression on the giant shepherd's face, and then up at Master. "Really?" he asked, dubiously. It didn't seem possible.

Master chuckled. "Sure!" He stepped around to 04's side of the gurney. "Here." He took 04's big husky left hand in his small webbed paws, and hefted it onto 02's soft tummy. He guided 02 into rubbing in a big, gentle circle.

The shepherd started to squirm, gently coming to life, as if rousing from sleep.

Eyes widening, 04 took over and rubbed 02's tummy in a big, lazy circle.

02's eyes lidded to slits and he arched his back, groaning softly. He took a deep breath and let it out as a long, contented sigh.

04 felt himself start to wag.

Master moved around to the base of the gurney, where 02's huge black bare feet were shackled in place by massive leather straps around his thick ankles. The otter raised his hands and dragged his claws down the leather balls of 02's feet, twiddling his fingers on the dog's fat heels.

02 writhed in place, exhaling sharply. He didn't take his eyes off the monitors, but he did start to squirm in discomfort. His mouth opened and his tongue poked out, and he even started panting for a moment.

"See?" Master asked him. He beamed. "Nothing to worry about. You all just...need to be a certain way," he said. "Like the equipment here! You all need to be...in spec. And 02 was getting out of spec. And when a piece of laboratory equipment gets out of spec, you recalibrate it! 02 is being...recalibrated." He offered 04 a smile.

The husky stared at him. He wasn't sure he liked that analogy. He glanced to 01.

The jaguar was frowning.

04 turned back to Master to ask something else, but when he turned back, the otter was staring directly at him. His red eyes were intense, and 04 immediately forgot what he was talking about. He couldn't look away. He couldn't even breathe.

He just stared.

"You have nothing to worry about, 04," the otter told him. "Everything is fine."

04 couldn't catch his breath. "I have...nothing to worry about," he repeated back. "Everything...is fine." He was starting to feel hazy. Master's eyes floated in front of him.

The otter stared at him another few moments, and then broke the gaze. He turned away, amiably. "Here, you'll love this." He moved to the head of the gurney.

04 started awake, blinking. His head felt fuzzy. What was happening? He felt warm. His heart was pounding.

"The programming comes in several...flavors," Master said. He picked up a computer tablet attached by USB cable to the monitors over 02's face. "You'll like this one." He tapped the pad several times.

The light over 02's face blinked out, and then changed color to cerulean. 02 blinked lazily a few times, and then his brow furrowed, as he struggled to make sense out of whatever was in front of him. Then, his eyes slowly widened, and his mouth opened.

The shepherd's body came alive. He began squirming, his thick legs and arms tensing. He curled his huge paws into fists. The shepherd started tugging gently against the restraints, his arms and legs flexing gorgeously. The leather creaked, and the gurney made several loud metallic popping noises as it struggled to hold the massive shepherd in place.

02 let out a little groan, gritting his teeth. His package started to swell, and as 04 watched, the shepherd's fat fuzzy sheath opened up and his huge king shepherd cock slid out. He never took his eyes off the monitors, but his expression was intense and focused. He grunted, biting back a whine, and tugged his arms, flashing his teeth. His cock was fully hard now, and he arched his back and then bucked his hips. He stank of arousal now, restrained in place, mind completely under Master's control, helpless. His cock throbbed against his belly, the tip already glistening.

04 stared at it.

Master appeared at his side. "I'm sure 02 would like it if you would help him out right now, 04," he purred. He reached up and 04 felt the otter gently drumming his fingers on the back of his head.

04 stared at the dog's throbbing cock. He wanted it. He needed it. He was going into a trance again, he could feel it, but that wasn't going to stop him from planting his muzzle around 02's member and sucking him dry.

Master gently pushed his head downward, toward 02's meat, and 04 let him, and as his nose filled with the scent of 02's cock and he reflexively opened his muzzle, he knew everything was going to be okay. He leaned forward and took 02 into his mouth, and everything slowly faded out.

***

Someone was gently shaking him.

04 slowly felt himself stir awake. It was chilly, just how he liked it, and he was snuggled in a big soft comforter. He groaned in annoyance.

"04, buddy. Come on," coaxed someone. Firm hands shook his shoulder.

"Nnnnnnnawroooroooooroooo," 04 grumbled. He was too comfortable. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes.

06 was staring at him, nose to nose. "Hey," he grunted, leaning forward to lick 04's face.

04 grunted in annoyance, but lifted his head. He let 06 lick him for a few moments, as he blinked himself awake.

Bed. He was in bed.

04 snapped fully awake. He was in bed? He opened his eyes, and looked around. This wasn't his bed. This wasn't his room.

He looked around. "A-am I in...your bed?" he asked, tentatively.

06 stared at him, and then exhaled in visible relief. "Thank God. You're finally back with us. You were totally out of it all day yesterday."

04 stared at him. "All day? What day is it?"

06 frowned. "The 29th."

04 felt his heart start pounding. "The twenty ninth?" He'd lost the entire day after talking to Master. "Wh-what happened to me?"

The other husky swallowed. "I don't know. I found you passed out on the couch in the common area yesterday morning. You weren't talking sense. Something about being in danger and something happening to 02. I could barely get you to eat and then eventually I put you to bed. 13 checked you out and he said you were fine, physically, and I couldn't think of anything else to do." He grimaced.

04 watched him. He had no reason to believe 06 would lie to him. "Thank you for taking care of me." He thought about what 06 said. Something happening to 02.

Abruptly, it all came back to him. 02 laid out on the table. The IV. The device.

He inhaled shakily. "D-d-did 02 come back to the pack?" he asked, his voice shaking.

06 stared at him. He took a deep breath, and then let it out slowly. "Well..." He swallowed. "You...probably just need to see for yourself."

04 felt his heart drop into his stomach.

**


The walk to the shepherd trailer was a short one, but it felt like the deserted Alaskan highway.

By the time they crossed the short connector hallway, 04's adrenaline was racing. His heart was pounding in his chest and he just let his tongue loll out so he could start panting.

06 glanced back at him with a frown.

They crossed to the fire door on the other side, and after a short knock, 06 let himself into the common area in the shepherd trailer. It was exactly like the huskies' trailer, but mirrored.

03 was sitting in a folding chair at their little plastic table. He looked up as they came in, his worried golden eyes standing out in his black face. The shepherd looked at 06 and then 04. His ears weren't flat, but they were ratcheted anxiously backward.

02 was at the table, too. He looked healthy and strong, sat upright, friendly and attentive. He smiled at them when they came in: ears forward, confident, attentive. 04 had been naked in 06's bed and only put on a pair of shorts, and 02 actually looked the muscular husky up and down. His ears tilted back and he gave 04 a little bashful smirk.

04 stared. He felt cautiously optimistic. 02 looked fine. 02 looked great, actually. What the fuck had happened?

"Hey," 03 said. The shepherd had focused on 04 and had been staring at him since he walked in. "How...are you?" he asked, hesitantly. His voice was slow and concerned.

"Fine," 04 said. He was still looking at 02. "How is he?"

03 opened his mouth, but didn't say anything.

02 turned his big head to 03, and then back to 04. He was still smiling a big friendly smile. They could all hear his tail wagging behind him.

"I'm fine," 02 said, a big grin on his muzzle. He sounded great, until he continued talking.

His next words made 04's blood drain out of his face.

"I'm 02," he said, with a smile. "Who are you?"