Passion - Chapter Three
Nathan awoke. Cold.
Groaning, he sat upright and rubbed his eyes groggily.
He felt a sudden sinking sensation in his stomach as he recalled his experience with Marcus yesterday.
What was he thinking?! He was hit with a wave of panic as various awkward scenarios creeped their way into his head. What if the gardener wanted more? He couldn't just pretend to be attracted to males. He'd feel nothing for the squirrel and essentially be using him. Did that make him a hypocrite? He'd been willing to spend his dinner money on a hooker not but two nights ago. THAT was using someone... "No..." he thought, shaking his head. Whores looked at sex as their profession. He sighed and stepped out of his bed, picking his clothes up off the chair by his bedroom door. He dressed quickly.
He didn't really regret what had happened between himself and Marcus... He just hoped that the other male wouldn't end up hurt from their experience, and on a more selfish note, prayed that no one found out. Nathan doubted seriously that servants fooling around with one another during work hours was permitted, and he needed this job.
Nathan slipped silently out into the dining toom, startling a shy little hyena girl and causing her to nearly spill the milk she was setting down on the table. Natasha grinned at him as she emerged from the kitchen, carrying a large plate of eggs and sausages.
"You're up early." She set the set the food on the table and looked at him quizically. "What got you out here so quickly?" Nathan smiled back at her.
"My nose."
Natasha laughed and poked the end of it playfully.
"What did this nose of your promise you?"
Nathan grinned at her, before raising it into the air.
"Well, eggs and sausage, but in the kitchen... hmm... ham... fried bread... crepes with cheese... chips... fresh apples..." he paused, sniffing intently. "And peppermint tea."
Natasha stared at him in disbelief as he finished.
"I am shocked! All furs have sensative noses but yours... that's quite the gift!"
Nathan blushed and looked at his toes. It was nice to be able to predict the weather, or his next meal, but he found it difficult when he was around females in heat. Of course, most males would, but it effected Nathan particularly moreso. It was difficult to focus on anything when he was swamped with a scent that made his brain shut down and his hormones take control. He looked up, Natasha had gone back into the kitchen.
"Nathan?"
The rat jumped and spun around, meeting a pair of deep chestnut eyes. Marcus smiled warmly. "Good morning!" Nathan smiled back, his ears flicking towards the back of his head slightly.
"Mornin'."
Marcus frowned, sitting down on one of the long benches at the table and motioning for Nathan to join him. He did.
"Look..." the squirrel whispered. "I understand how you might feel strange, Nate... but trust me, you don't have to." He smiled reassuringly and continued. "I'm grateful for that time I had with you yesterday, but I don't expect more of the same thing. I understand that you like females, and don't worry... Just so long as Jacob and the Master are kept in the dark, you needn't worry about anyone knowing." He straightened, flicking his tail cheerily. "I'd like us to be friends. It'll be nice to have another male around, I love my lady companions, don't get me wrong, but when they get hormonal, I'm often left scared and alone in a corner somewhere." Nathan smiled brightly at the red squirrel. His little speech was exactly what the rat needed to hear.
"Thanks, Marcus." The squirrel waved a paw dissmissively but smiled back at him.
"Think nothing of it, ratboy. Ah! Breakfast!" Marcus rubbed his paws together eagerly as Natasha, accompanied by another young mouse and the hyena girl, emerged from the kitchen carrying more trays of food. Marcus had already gotten to his feet and grabbed a plate from the end of the table, beginning to pile fried potatoes onto a cheese crepe before eagerly plucking an apple off the top of the neatly arranged pile. Nathan didn't hesitate to follow, helping himself to a reasonable serving of fried ham, an egg, a little bread, and an apple. He had been careful the past few days to introduce regular meals and portions into his diet, knowing that it was just as dangerous to take more than you can handle as it was to go without. He settled beside Marcus, who smiled as the rat entered his peripheral vision, but kept his focus on his plate. The squirrel had a good feeling about Nathan. He was trustworthy, and both needed a friend to watch their back.
~~~~~~
"Hey, Marcus...?"
"Hm?" The squirrel looked up at Nathan as he stepped out of the servants door behind him. The air was thick with moisture, warning them of the approaching rain. Nathan's eyes traveled to the ebony lupine above the main doors.
"Where is the Master anyway? I had assumed I'd see him around, but haven't once since I've been here."
Marcus shrugged and started down the stone steps to the driveway. Nathan followed.
"He's around. Up in his study for the most part." He paused, sighing. "Poor Liah... She's a sweet little thing, but she hasn't a clue about... well anything really. Her father's so wrapped up in his own affaird to give a shit about her or what she does."
Nathan sighed sadly and looked up at the many windows of the house. For a moment he thought he saw the wolfox watching them from behind one of the red velvet curtains.
"What does she do all day?"
"She reads. She taught herself. She lives in the pages of fairytails her mother left her after she died."
Nathan felt a strange sadness descend over him. It began as a tightness in his chest, working it's way out slowly, weakening his limbs, and stinging his eyes. He blinked away the threat of tears. What was wrong with him? Was this pity he was feeling...? No... it was something else. Something strange... And it terrified him. Marcus looked at the rat inquisitively. "You ok, Nate?"
"Hm...? Oh... Yeah. I'm fine."
Marcus smiled and continued around back to the gardenshed. Nathan looked back up at the window.
Their eyes met. The mixing grey and blue of a storm at sea. Something nagged at the back of Liah's mind as she watched the strange newcomer. Who was he? Liah shook her head as he broke their connection to hurry after Marcus. The wolfox's thoughts taunted her. Who was he to HER?
~~~~~~
-Ireland-
"No please! You can't take him!!" The rat mother wailed, and fought against her bonds. "MY BABY! YOU CAN'T HAVE MY BABY!"
"QUIET!" She cried out in pain as the large armored bear hit her hard in the side of her ribcage. The female fell to her knees... her body shook with pain and sobs as she fought to catch her breath... tears streaming down her elegant muzzle and onto the damp grass. "I'll find you, my little one... remember my name... remember your mother... remember me..."
Sean sat bolt upright, panting. His fur was drenched with sweat. A rustling beside him made him to turn and face the darkness of the cell, shifting a heavy chain off his belly as he did so.
"Sorry, Murdoch..." He whispered. His response was a faint chuckling.
"That's ok, Sean. I wasn't asleep anyway." The other rat emerged into the dim glow of the torch, clanking as he moved due to the weighted dangling from his wrists. He gave the white rat a worried look. "You were having the dream again, weren't you...?" Sean's gaze fell to the floor and he nodded slowly.
"I can't... I-I can't remember her n-name, Murdoch..." His voice shook violently as he fought back a wave of tears. The brown rat instinctively went to move forward and comfort his friend, but his chains kept him away.
"I'm so sorry, Sean... I really am..."
Sean bit his lip, his breathing ragged. Murdoch sighed and looked at him sadly. "Let it out, mate."
The white rat covered his face, his body shuddering as his sorrow filled the empty darkness. Murdoch lowered his head respectfully. "Gods help us..."
~~~~~~
"RISE AND SHINE, BOYS!"
Sean stirred, blinking sleep from his eyes. He looked over at Murdoch. The larger rat had fallen asleep on the cold stone floor where he'd watched him cry. He clicked affectionately at his friend as he roused from his slumber. They spoke a silent language. Communicating with their eyes. You didn't speak in front of your masters, not unless they spoke to you first. Murdoch looked at him.
("You ok...?")
("Don't worry... I'll be fine.")
A large white stag, armmed with a rather brutal looking club, opened the cell door to admit another rat that followed obiediantly in his wake. She was much older than Sean and Murdoch, but she had an innocence about her. The female was a dazzling silver, with long auburn hair. If not for her sorrowful emaciated appearance, she would be quite beautiful. Quickly and silently she unlocked their bonds, fastening lighter chains to their steel collars so they could be led out into the courtyard.
The stag jerked on the chain, causing Sean to let out a startled yelp. The deer scowled. "Shut yer trap, ya dirty fuck!" He had a cockney British accent. Sean clenched a fist angrily, opening his mouth to speak. Murdoch brushed a paw across his back and Sean's mouth snapped shut. He could sense what the larger male was thinking, and he was right.
It wasn't worth it.
The two were taken outside along with six other rats and two mice. Sean breathed in deeply as the frigid air carressed him. Despite the cold, he enjoyed stepping outside in the mornings. The sudden change from the stale dungeon scent, to the fresh invigorating wind of the hills helped him imagine himself in a life without chains. His own beast. Belonging to no one. Free.
He gazed out over the rolling green landscape and imagined what it would feel like to know that you could stroll across them whenever he pleased. As far as his footpaws would take him. He watched as the clouds parted and the distant hills were bathed with the golden light of the sun. He whispered back to Murdoch as the stag barked at the two mice to prepare the carriage that would take them into the village.
"Look at that there, lad... Can you imagine?" He smiled.
Murdoch followed his gaze, sighing sadly.
"Aye. But that's not for us, Sean. We were born into this life, and we'll go out of it the same way."
As if the clouds were working to emphasize his point, the sun disappeared. Leaving the hill cast on shadow once more. Sean watched rain begin to fall over his hill as they began the long trek into town for the slave market. His grey eyes sparkled as the wall of rain swept towards them.
"No Murdoch. We'll get ours, my friend. You'll see."
~~~~~~
"Nate! Heads up!"
That was all the warning he got before being knocked flat by a flying sack of coal. "OH SHIT!" Marcus ran forward. "I'm sorry! I thought you would catch it!" Nathan groaned and shoved the heavy coal off his chest.
"You thought wrong, Marcus."
The squirrel grinned sheepishly and helped Nathan to his feet.
"You uh... you better get that over to the bath house." He nodded at the sack on the floor of the shed. "Wally likes to have hot water at the ready."
Nathan looked at him in bewilderment.
"Wally? I thought we had to call hi-" Marcus pressed a finger to his lips and gave him a cheeky grin.
"I won't tell if you don't."
The bath house was directly behind the manor and devided into three large rooms. Two for baths, and the boiler room. It was a very logical setup. Rather than one boiler in the house, and one to heat the baths, there was one large one in the bath house. It used far less coal as any hot water not used for bathing was used to heat the house, though such a sophisticated form of heating was very uncommon as so few could afford it. Since Nathan was to be in charge of the boiler room, Martha had given him the key to the bath house. There was nothing in there that "Wally" had to worry about him stealing anyway. Not unless he found a way to move one of the plaster walls that had been painted as extravagantly as thr portraits throughout the mansion.
The two bathrooms each had a large marble tub, bigger than the single bedrooms the servants slept in. One was white marble with pictures of winged feral horses and wolf cherubs. The other, deep green marble with frescos on the wall depicting gory battle scenes. The floor was the same black tile as that at the entrance of the main house, and Nathan's boots made his pawsteps echo loudly, bouncing against the rounded ceiling as he headed towards the boiler room.
He added the contents of the sack to the large coal pile beside the boiler, which still glowed with embers from the fuel he'd put in last night. Jacob had already taken him through the mechanics of the heater. It was pretty complicated, with several different knobs and handles to operate the system, but once set the hot water would run on a continuous cycle throughout both buildings. Most morning required a different arrangement, based on whether or not the Master would be having guests and which rooms would be used. The only permanent heating arrangement made certain that the Master's study and bedroom, Liah's room, the kitchens, and the servant's bedrooms were always warm.
Nathan slipped a glove onto his paw so he could turn the shiny brass knob labled: "Servants baths". Hot water was to be supplied to the servants for bathing every other day. In between, if they needed to wash up, they had to do so with cold water. Coal was expensive.
The rat hummed cheerily as he shoveled coal into the boiler. It was rather tedious, but at least the heater kept him nice and warm. He'd end the day covered in black soot, so he left his shirt and jacket outside the room to avoid having to go through the week with dirty clothes until the wash was done. Once he had a healthy fire raging in the belly of the boiler, he closed the grate with the end of the shovel before tossing it down next to the coal pile. He sighed and stretched, running his tongue over his lips as a tobacco craving racked his senses. He hadn't had a fag in four days. He wiped his paws on his muscular stomach and stepped out into the hallway.
Liah blushed furiously as she saw Nathan exit the boiler room. She had never seen a male's body before. His broad shoulders and slender waist intruiged the pretty little canine, and she blushed an even deeper red under her fur as she found herself imagining what he must look like under his trousers... She shook the thoughts from her head and looked at the floor. Proper young ladies weren't to have such ideas. The wolfox watched as he buttoned up his shirt and draped his coat over his shoulder. She fidgeted silently. Something was happening to her. That strange sensation she had experience only a few times in her young life began to creep up on her once more. A strange warming sensation between her legs. She squeezed them together as her sex tingled. Fluid beginning to trickle from her slit and wet the soft white fur on the inside of her thighs.
Nathan froze, his nose twitching. Estrus. His sheath responding to the smell immeidiately, swelling and causing his face to grow hot beneath his fur. But where was it coming from...? His mind buzzed as his eyes darted around, searching for the source. He saw a flash of red and black at the entrance to the white bath. His heart pounded in his chest as he followed after it, the tip of his maleness now poking out of his sheath.
Liah's senses whirred as she heard him approach. Her sensative nose suddenly picked up a new scent. It was strange... musky... she couldn't quite place a paw on it, but oh she loved it... Something about it made her murr softly as more arousal dripped from her willing vagina. She looked up. Nathan was standing in front of her. His handsome face wearing a curious expression, his chest rising and falling slowly as he breathed in her scent. She felt her body aching for him, her eyes instinctively trailing to where his trousers had tented out. She blushed again as she gazed at his encased member, finding herself wondering even more about this mysterious creature that stood before her. Without warning, Nathan leaned forward, wrapping his strong arms around the gorgeous little wolfox and locking their muzzles. Her mind screamed at her to resist, but her body welcomed his advances, urging her to respond to his touch. Every inch of her tingling with pleasure as he thrust his tongue into her maw. She'd never experienced such an act before, but the response came instinctively and she carrassed his tongue with her own. She felt Nathan's paws slide down to cup her backside. She gasped, breaking their kiss, as he squeezed her gently and lifted her onto the edge of the cold marble tub. Her body took over entirely and she spread her legs for him, this time it was her who pulled them together where they met with another passionate kiss.
Nathan's fully hard penis throbbed behind the wall of fabric as he pressed himself against Liah. He had never been so aroused in his life. Overwhelmed by the scent of her heat mixed with the sweet smell of her fur, he ground his hips forward, causing the female before him to cry out in surprise and pleasure as his firm cock pressed against her eager opening. He felt the wetness of her arousal soak through the front of his breaches and he groaned longingly as it coated his member in her lubricant. He continued to roll his hips against her willing pussy, rubbing his rathood against her. Their foreplay tickling his senses, Nathan, loving every second of it. He felt Liah lean back from him slightly, and watch as she pulled the straps of her white silk dress down over her shoulders, exposing her fully developed chest. Nathan nipped her neck softly before focusing his attention on those soft perky orbs. Nuzzling the sensative fur between them.
Liah gasped. Waves of pleasure coursing through her as Nathan explored her virgin body. She moaned in as her lover groped her swollen breasts, tickling her hard pink nipples with his thumbs. Something nagged at the back of her mind, urging her to stop him, but the pressure that had begun to build between her legs overwhelmed her thoughts. Nathan continued to grind up against her, and she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close and pressing her hands into his muscular back, feeling his body tense as he rolled his hips. He suddenly leaned forward, his tongue flicking across her exposed flesh before he took the sensative nipple in his mouth, sucking on it teasingly. Something within Liah burst suddenly and she was overwhelmed with passion and pleasure. She cried out in pure euphoria, pressing her hips forward against his, her love juices pouring from her sex, drenching Nathan's lap, as waves of ecstasy washed over her virgin body.
Nathan gasped as his lover reached her first orgasm. Suddenly thrusting her hips forward to meet his and covering his maleness in her fluid, digging her claws into his back. The sudden force of her climax pushed the rat to his own release, and he tensed. Crying out with her as his seed shot from his cock, coating the inside of his, already soaked, breaches with his cum. Their bodies continued rocking together as the two lovers descended from the height of their simultaneous orgasm. The rat panted, their combined fluids milking out the last of his cum as his cock rubbed smoothly against the fabric of his trousers.
Liah trembled slightly as she caught her breath, pressing against the warm strong male positioned between her legs. She'd never felt so safe in her life... so relieved... She wrapped her arms around Nathan, who responded by holding her to him, kissing her forehead softly. Liah's stomach sank suddenly.
What had she just done?!
"N-Nathan..." She whispered softly.
"Hm...?" He leaned back and gave her a worried look. "Is something wrong...?"
Liah trembled, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Did... did we just...?"
Nathan shook his head.
"No."
"Then what...?"
Nathan blushed, stepping back from her. She pulled her dress straps back up and looked at the large wet spot on his lap.
"I... I didn't um..." he paused, searching for the right words. "I didn't enter you, Liah... I didn't know if I should... I'm sorry...?"
Liah smiled, wiping her eyes.
"No... I'm sorry... I've just never done... well you know."
Nathan moved forward, wrapping his arms around the wolfox once more. She pressed her head against his chest, closing her eyes and listening to the steady beat of his heart.
"I've never done anything like THAT before." Nathan confessed. She looked up at him and he continued. "We didn't mate, Liah... But I wanted to. I still want to... there's something about you... I just..." Liah cut him off.
"I'm so sorry, Nathan... I-I can't..." She pulled away from him, slipping to the floor and turning away so he wouldn't see the tears beginning to run down her face, as she moved swiftly towards the door. Nathan felt a sinking sensation in his chest as he watched her.
"Liah wait! Please!"
She was gone.
~To be Continued~