FSE

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I kinda hate my life sometimes. I mean, it's alright most of the time, but there's an inherent concern when you're a prey animal in a predator's college. I get through most days ok, but there's just something about being in class and trying to take notes while trying to figure out if the cute tiger eying you wants to eat you out or just plain eat you.

Since coming to college, I often curse the joke of the universe that made me a Lagomorph. I wouldn't have minded being a normal rabbit so much, cause then I wouldn't known there was anything more than being hunted and surviving. Hell, being a freaking mouse Uplift would have been better. They're almost always ditzy, and even the smart ones will casually jump in a Pred's mouth just for something to do. And at least they can eat back.

It's worse for humans, I guess. They've got no claws, are kinda slow, and they're not very strong. Of course, it's worse _with_humans, too. Unlike us Uplifts, they can tinker with their genes without turning Chimera. So some of the fuckers can vore as well or better than most of us. So getting busy with a human means taking just as many risks as it does with a Pred, without the forewarning.

But to get back to my life, and why I hate it, I'm in the middle of a bit of a problem right now. Namely, that I've been cornered by one of the few "out" human Pred's on campus.

"Look, Jordan...I've got homework, ok? I-"

The human boy laughed. He's not unattractive, I note distantly. Only an inch taller than I am, if you don't count my ears. Pale skin, but not unhealthily so, just light. Short blond hair gelled into spikes, gray eyes that might be warm if he wasn't looking at me like a discount taco.

"Right. Homework." He licked his lips. "I know you're on a prey scholarship, bunny-boy. So shut up and follow me, or I'll report you to your RA, got it?"

And there it is. The number one reason my life sucks. I didn't used to mind being eaten, few Lags do. When the Uplift program started, the Preds had problems keeping their tongues in their mouths. So, after some ethical issues, the program directors decided to Uplift some prey species. They quickly figured out that uplifting Prey worked as well as Preds, and just went gung-ho. Hundreds of species hit the program's radar, and they're still going today.

I follow Jordan back to his room dejectedly. I've been feeling off lately, and I can't put my finger on why. It might be that I wasn't lying about the homework, though my Prof has said he'll give me extended deadlines if the lateness is scholarship related.

Sadly, the first few Prey species got a few "perks" to satisfy ethics concerns. Lags and mice are the primary ones, since the "perks" are hardwired in for us. For us, there's a variable timer that makes sure we age normally. And on the other side of the coin, we were the test run for the Regen gene.

Jordan leers at me as he unlocks his dorm. I keep my eyes down, hating the look on his face. He's got a nice ass, and I can't help but think I'd be excited to be visiting to his dorm if I didn't know where this was going.

A handful of species are "safe" to eat right out of the box. You can binge on baby bunnies or mice or chicks and they'll come right back. No harm, no foul. Other species can use Regen pills to get the same effect, but you have to have consent or it's murder.

Lags are a vore-safe species. A few switches were flipped in our heads to make allow us to enjoy being prey, in addition to the Regen genes. So I was able to get a Prey scholarship. The program directors failed to consider the rabbit's sex drive when they Uplifted us, so I have a dozen older siblings. My three oldest sibs were able to go to college on savings, but the rest of us have had to figure it out for ourselves.

As I step into Jordan's dorm, I stifle a groan. He's got a set of bondage straps laid out on his bed. Bastard. That thought pauses a moment, before me and I try to figure it out. I love being tied up...why is this bothering me so much lately?

Anyway, my scholarship terms are simple: I get eaten whenever, by whomever, up to three times daily. In exchange, free ride. Oh, non-"vore safe" species can take Regen pills and get the scholarships, and many do; but there's still more than enough slots for everyone.

Jordan waves casually at the bed, and starts unbuttoning his shirt. I sigh, and begin stripping off. Might as well get it over with.

This is the part that really sucks, I suppose. Lags are all about the sex, and I'm no exception. I love fucking, sucking, and being fucked and sucked. Hell, I love all kinds of freaky sex stuff. But part of the legal definition of Prey is that once we're captured, surrender, or agree, we're food without rights until we're completely consumed or until 48 hours are up. Whichever comes first.

So, as I lie down on the bed, I know I'm going to get at least fucked before Jordan eats me. The problem is, he's not going to care about it. I wouldn't mind being a whore, or a slut. At least guys would buy me drinks, ask for my number, bank on the renowned Lag sex drive and get to know me with the full understanding that I'd probably get sexy with them just for the sake of sex. Instead, guys walk up to me, check my card to see if I'm available to eat, and then either haul me off for a meal or go looking for someone else. The only time I get sex is when I'm on the menu. Something about that niggles at me, and I feel a faint glimmer of why I feel so pissed and tired lately. Am I just feeling unappreciated, maybe?

Jordan straps my wrists over my head, followed by grabbing my ankles and strapping them to my wrists. My thoughts drift out of reach again as I squeak, but he doesn't seem to notice or care. He sits on the edge of the bed, and strokes my ears, making me squirm. My cock stirs, and I curse inwardly. I don't want to enjoy this for some reason. He's going to freaking eat me...light dawns. He's going to eat me and not give a damn one way or the other about that, either. But...the last time I beat off was three hours ago, and the guy who had me for lunch just chewed my leg off while I blew him...damn my Lag sex drive, but I'm horny.

His hand goes to my cock and starts gently squeezing and tugging. I lick my lips, arching my back as he really starts working at it. He lifts one of my ears to his mouth and gives it a nibble. I shudder and let out a little moan.

"This is why I like eating bunnies...Mikey, isn't it? They're always so happy about it."

Just like that, hard-on gone. Jordan pulls back, and his eyes widen with shock. "Dude...dude, are you crying?"

I blink. Damnit, I am crying. Why the hell am I crying? "Fuck."

He frowns, and sighs. His hand goes over my head, and there's a click. Immediately, the tension on my arms and legs vanishes as the quick release goes, and I'm laying on a cute human boy's bed, naked and unbound.

I stare up at him. "Why did you untie me?" I hate how thick and childish my voice sounds, how vulnerable I feel.

He shrugs and stands up, reaching for his clothes. "It was my bad, Mikey. I..." he runs a hand over his head, not even ruffling up the spikes. "I thought since you were a Lag, and you'd signed up for that scholarship, you'd be down for this."

I roll over on my side, brushing away tears fiercely. "Sex? Hell yes. I like sex. I like it a lot. It's the being eaten after or during that gets to me. Hell, I've got picture proof that some like the sex to come after the eating."

Jordan turned around, tugging his pants into place. He freezes when he realizes I'm still laying on his bed, naked.

"Um...I'm...sex is great, dude, but I'm really hungry. And the two aren't...that different when I'm this hungry. So...look, you're hot and all, but if you're not cool with being dinner, you kinda need to go."

I blew out a sigh of frustration and sat up, tugging at the cuffs. "Sure. I'll just be out of your hair."

Jordan licked his lips and turned away. "Dude...it's nothing personal, ok? I just wanted to have sex and dinner. I'm just not gonna eat someone that isn't into it."

I finished getting the cuffs off and reached for my pants. "Why?" I almost yelled. "Everyone else does!"

I started jerking my pants on, aware that I was starting to cry again but not really caring. "I'm a goddamn Lagomorph! I'm a sex drive with legs! I should be getting boned in both holes 5 times a day and twice that on Sundays! I should be an occasional snack, maybe, but I shouldn't have to beat off in bathroom stalls because I'm a designated free lunch, damnit!"

Jordan had turned around at some point, and he was staring at me, mouth open. The moment stretched out; I blinked a couple of times, then muttered "Screw it." I grabbed my shirt, hit the door, and was out and down the hall before I had to face any consequences from my little tantrum.

I made it halfway to the dorm door when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I jumped so hard I hit my head on the ceiling, lost control mid-air, and hit the floor cursing as my shoulder dislocated on impact. Fuck. Dislocations are a bitch. Someone's hand was on my shoulder again, and I looked up to see Jordan trying not to laugh.

"Sorry, dude. Didn't mean to freak you out. I just...man, that was a hell of a startle. Are you ok?"

I sighed and stood up, wincing as my shoulder ground in it's socket before letting out a nasty pop. It flared one more time, then reset and the pain lessened. I gave him a wan smile. "I'll be fine in a few minutes. Once it goes back in it's socket, I just have to wait for the muscles and tendons to heal."

Jordan hissed. "That sucks. Look...I get that you might be in a...bad place right now, ok? But...if you want to came back and just talk..."

I cocked an eyebrow. "No offense, but...why? If you want to eat me, just say it and eat me."

Jordan shook his head rapidly. "I don't...I mean, I _do_but...honestly, it just sounds like you need a friend, dude. So I'll keep the om-nom-noms in check." He raised his hand, three fingers extended. "Scout's Honor."

I hesitated, then nodded. He walked back to his dorm, and I followed him. Honestly, I wasn't sure it was a good idea. I'd had Preds jerk me around before, fuck with my head before eating me. But he'd stopped instead of eating me. And maybe...maybe he was on the level.

Less than a minute later, I found myself sitting on a chair across from Jordan. The human boy looked lost for words, running his hand through his hair over and over. I waited a minute or two, then sighed. "So..."

"You never get sex without being eaten?" he blurted.

I blinked. "No. No, I don't, ok?"

Jordan rubbed his face. "Why? I mean, yeah, you're here on a me-" He cut himself off.

I grinned. "You can say it. I'm here on a meal ticket."

He looked embarrassed. "Yeah. But...no offense, dude you're a lagomorph. I thought Lags just had to walk into bars to get a dozen offers. I mean, the jokes alone..."

"What, like 'Lags have long ears so you can keep track of where the blowjob machine is'? Or 'powder puffs mark gloryholes'?"

Jordan laughed. "Yeah, like that. Why aren't you...?"

I shrugged, and noticed my shoulder had stopped hurting completely. Only good thing about freaking regen. "Because I'm food. What's the point in dating someone that's food by default? And yeah, I could go to bars and get off there. Hell, I'd welcome it. But I spend anywhere from 5 to 8 hours being eaten, being used as a sextoy by the guys eating me, and regenerating. I have 3 to 5 hours of classes a day, need 8 hours of sleep...and I still have to study sometime. Weekends are about the only time I have to really get most of my work done, so...there's no time for it."

Jordan frowned. "Huh...this may seem like a weird question, but if the only time you get fucked is when you get eaten, why don't you enjoy being eaten?"

I blew out a breath of frustration. "I do! Just...not like this." At his quizzical look, I sigh. "Because it's...it's degrading, ok?"

At his look of confusion, I raised a hand to forestall the obvious question. "Yes, Lags as a race get off on being food. It's hardwired in. And no, I'm not defective or anything. But it's a joyous thing, like sex should be. I could have opted out of the sex if I'd wanted to, but I didn't. I get off on the sex despite being eaten because my body needs it, and it helps keep me sane through this to get semi-regular doses of happy with my crapsack.

"But for us, being food is a joyful thing. For us, sex is like breathing or eating for you. And being eaten is like sex for us, from your point of view. It's a joyous sharing of oneself to sustain others. It's...beautiful, loving, generous...it's exciting. Being hunted by someone is thrilling, being caught an occasion of laughter and good-natured jokes while being prepared."

Jordan nodded slowly, light dawning in his eyes. "But that's what it should be. A well prepared meal, eaten with appreciation for its quality. Here-"

I interrupted him, surprised at the level of bitterness in my tone. "Here I'm a burger to go. Eaten and fucked not because I'm desirable, but because I'm cheap, easily obtainable, and filling."

Jordan winced. "Ah. So...you're basically having the same feelings a human would have if they were molested?"

I blinked. I honestly hadn't considered that. I took the idea out and turned it around a few times. Then I shook my head.

"No, because I had a say here. I opted for this."

Jordan rolled his eyes. "Every time you think 'they're just like us.' Mikey, I don't know how you missed this, but human laws aren't so inflexible as that. Just because you said yes doesn't mean you can't be abused."

I stared at him. "What."

Jordan came over and knelt beside my chair. "Let me guess: lags are tribal, so you have some kind of council of elders model that keeps its own set of laws and rules, subject to inter-species law as a basis and a commonality. And I'd bet that consenting action for the good of the tribe is the prime law, right?"

I nodded, dumbstruck at his seeming depth of knowledge.

"But this wouldn't come up in your tribe, would it? No one in you tribe would abuse this gift, and anyone outside it who did would be shunned or sanctioned. Either way, the elders would deal with the human authorities. And you haven't told your elders how bad things are because your advancement is good for your tribe, and you don't want to seem like a whiner that bit off more than he can chew. Close?"

I gaped at him. "How on earth-?"

Jordan laughed. "I'm an inter-species PoliSci major. I'm planning to be a diplomat. Now, why don't you chill here for the night, and we'll get this taken care of in the morning, ok?"

My turn to frown. "How are you going to 'take care' of this?"

The human boy shrugged. "We'll deal with it in the morning." He stood up and padded over to a rack of shoes, pausing before selecting a pair of combat boots.

"I still need to eat, but I'll hit the bar and and be back in an hour at most. You can have the bed, if you like."

I was still staring at the wall in confusion when he left. I continued to sit there for almost half an hour, before stirring and crawling into his bed. I drifted off to sleep empty minded, unable to really think.

~~~~~

Jordan was apparently a very quiet Pred, able to get back in, strip, and climb into bed with me without a sound. While his stomach protruded obscenely, filled with some guy he'd picked up and eaten at the bar, no less. I woke up to feel him pressed into me and made a happy noise before catching myself. Given the events of last night, it was doubtful I'd get wake up sex.

His arm and leg were thrown over me, pinning me in place and making it difficult not to grind back into his morning wood. I couldn't really get up without waking him, and lying still with his dick snugged up under my tail was maddening. Even as I resolved to try an go back to sleep, I realized I'd been squirming and humping back into him unconsciously.

I carried on for a second, telling myself there wasn't any harm. Besides, it felt damn good to be snuggled back into a guy, feeling his morning erection tucked up against me. It'd been a while since I'd woken up with a guy; since I'd left home, come to think of it. Suppressing a sigh, I stopped myself with an effort and started to get up only to be pulled back. Jordan growled in my ear, sending shivers through me.

"Don't you dare stop. We may have to go take care of your problems soon, but if we don't take care of this right now, I won't be able to think straight for wanting to fuck you."

I let out a moan, and press back against him, firmly this time, wriggling and teasing at his dick with my tail and ass. He chuckles and I let out a squeak as the head of his dick suddenly presses up against my hole. He grabs one of my ears and jerks my head back, while his other hand starts rubbing my belly. "Oh, please keep wiggling like that. In fact, why don't you impale yourself on me."

I sigh happily and start rolling my hips. The first few twists and humps just nudge his head against my hole, but on the fourth or fifth he pops inside. A long hiss escapes us both, and I continue to hump back into him, rolling my hips ever faster as I work to stuff myself with his dick.

Jordan rolls over without warning, shoving me onto my face and knees without sliding out of me in the slightest. My hands are pinned to the small of my back, and my ears are grabbed, jerking my head up. I let out a small cry of pain at the rough treatment of my ears, but it turns to shouts of encouragement as he begins slam fucking me.

"Yes gods yes oh fuuuuuck me Jordan fuck harder gods harder."

Jordan laughs, sounding delighted. "Oh, really? You -- ungh -- want it harder?"

"Yes!"

He laughed again, and then my eyes bugged out as what felt like a rocket propelled dildo slammed into me. Between heartbeats, it did it three times more. I couldn't even draw breath to scream, though it swiftly became pleasurable after the first shock of pain. A tiny, sane portion of my brain registered that this was how he'd caught up to me in the hallway: he had a full human Pred mod suite. Speed, strength, reflexes, senses, the works, everything enhanced ten to twenty fold. Weird for a future diplomat, but at the time I was too busy being jackhammered to care.

He managed that pace for what felt like hours. I lost all track of time as my world closed down to consist of his dick slamming into me and his hands all but crushing my wrists and ears. We were both reduced to animal grunting noises, his rapid and staccato, mine long and drawn out over dozens of thrusts at a time. Then my hands and ears were momentarily free before his arms clamped around me and hauled me up against him, back to chest. One arm pinned me in place while his free hand closed around my dick in a death grip. He slammed into me maybe a dozens times more, harder than I would have thought possible.

"Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck IIIIIIIII'mmm cooooommmmmiiiiiinnnnng!" he screamed, and I lost the ability to breathe as his arm tightened with bruising force around me. The hand on my dick was clenched so tight, my own orgasm was punctuated with blasts of pain that set off starbursts behind my eyes. I screamed silently with him, unable to get any air. My vision was fogging and graying out from pain, pleasure and asphyxiation when he finally released me. I collapsed, and he fell on top of me.

When the world came back, he was shaking me gently. "Mikey? Dude, come on, are you ok? Say something, damnit!"

"Urgh."

This astonishing conversational ploy was apparently what he needed since he sighed and snuggled down next to me. "Phew. I thought for a second I'd gone too far."

I shook my head, and tried to tell him how great the sex had been. What came out was "Ngghifwshgertahlulvheayhoopntidmeh."

He laughed. "Ah. Well, how about I let you recover for a second while I dress and make coffee?"

I must have succeeded in nodding, because he kissed me lightly on the top of the head before crawling over me. I lay on the bed, struggling to pull my wits together as I watched him perform blasphemy by covering his luscious body with cloth, and then perform miracles with a coffee maker that resulted in divinity in a cup. Ok, it was black dollar store coffee, but to the freshly fucked coffee is still an act of the gods.

He let me drink about half of it. "Come on, Mikey. I know you might still be a little wobbly, but we need to get moving if we're going to get this done this morning."

I growled into my coffee, but started reaching for the pants he was holding out. I set them on the bed beside me. "So what are we doing, exactly?" I asked as I brought the coffee in for another swig.

"We're going to talk to the Dean of Inter-species Studies."

I snorted coffee through my nose.

~~~~~

The dean was an imposing guy. A human-tiger hybrid, with the most terrifying qualities of both. His hair was strange, salt and pepper composed of shades of orange and black that nicely highlighted his deep tan and blocky features. His eyes were all tiger, luminescent yellow with a cat's cold and calculating expression.

"Jordan!" he boomed, rising and coming around the desk to extend a hand. His voice would have done a foghorn justice. "I was starting to think you were too busy to stop by this semester!"

Jordan chuckled and knocked the proffered hand aside to step closer and plant a deep kiss on the huge hybrid.

While the dean appeared like a slightly odd human in build and coloration, it was his smile and size that gave it away. His mother must have been a Siberian uplift; he was easily 8 1/2 feet tall and almost half that across the shoulders. And when he pulled back from Frenching Jordan to flash me a smile in greeting, I had to fight the urge to run. His mouth was packed with the sharp fangs of a big cat, not a human tooth in sight.

He extended his hand to me, holding Jordan tucked away under one arm. "I hope you won't think this improper. Jordan and I's relationship predate his time here, if it helps."

I stood still by an act of will and took his hand, shaking my head. "N-no, d-dean."

He literally roared with laughter, and I let out a squeak that thankfully went unheard. "You've no need to sound so scared, young man! I'm quite capable of controlling myself, even in the presence of a handsome young Lagomorph. Now, what brings Jordan to bring you here?"

I tried, I really did, but my throat closed around the words and refused to release them. Out of all the preds who'd eaten me since my arrival at college, none of them had been anything like the dean. Oh, they'd been badass, some of them; but there is a world of difference between a person that happens to eat other persons and thinks themselves powerful for it and the sheer presence of the true predator in front of me. Standing still, he made me want to scream and run for the horizon in terror.

And that, for the first time, made me realize how right Jordan had been. Before coming to school here, a man like the dean would have given me the same reaction as a rollercoaster; terror, but with a delicious sense of anticipation and excitement. Now it was just stark, mindless terror.

Jordan saw the look on my face, and gently disengaged himself from the dean. "Damn. Sorry, Hugh, I'm so used to you I didn't stop to think...not to be rude, but could you sit behind your desk? Mikey's having some problems and you're...well, you might be triggering him."

A mortified look appeared on Hugh's face. He slowly retracted his hand. As he began backing around his desk with equal slowness, I realized distantly it wasn't sarcasm. A slight pang of gratitude made it through the haze of terror when it came to me that he was trying not to move suddenly.

Jordan's hands touched me lightly on the shoulders, then clamped down as I screamed in terror and tried to repeat my "hitting the roof" stunt. He held me firmly and guided me to a chair as I panted, eyes flicking from windows to door, hunting for escape routes.

"W-w-what the h-hell is w-wrong w-with me?" I stammered through chattering teeth.

Hugh was looking at me with a combination of horror and concern. "I'd very much like to know the same thing, Jordan."

Jordan winced, and began slowly rubbing my shoulders. "Mikey's here on a Prey Scholarship. He's..." Jordan sighed. "There's no easy way to say this. Mikey's been abused, Hugh. Badly."

The dean went still. His eyes locked onto me and began to smolder. His voice was barely intelligible through his growl. "Explain."

Jordan spoke quietly, explaining how I'd been eaten over and over, used sexually when convenient, and ignored entirely when not fulfilling either function. He laid out my explanation of how my days went, my breakdown and outburst, and even told Hugh about our morning.

By the time Jordan wound down, Hugh was gripping his desk hard enough to leave grooves and growling continuously. His eyes had been closed for most of the last half, and he'd stopped asking questions when his voice stopped making sense. He shook silently, save for his growl, for a full minute before opening his eyes. When he looked at me, I shrank into the chair, scrabbling at the arms. If Jordan hadn't held me, I'd have been gone faster than thought.

"Hrrrrrrrroooowwwwghh --" he cut himself off, visibly working to get himself under control. When he opened his eyes again, the fire in them was banked, and when he spoke his voice was understandable. "How can you have lived with this? Why have you not told someone before?"

I shuddered. It took me a few tries to whisper, "I thought this is what it was supposed to be like."

Hugh came up from behind his desk with a roar, and that finally did it. Whether terror lent me strength, or the sudden loss of control startled Jordan, I sprang backwards over the chair with a scream, somersaulted in mid-air and landed in the corner of Hugh's office. Next I knew, I was curled into a ball under a writing desk flinching back from Jordan's hand and whimpering over and over "please don't eat me please don't eat me please don't eat me please don't eat me..."

I saw a hand appear on Jordan's shoulder. "Jordan...stop. We need to find a Lagomorph mayor-priest." Jordan shrugged off his hand, eyes pained as he reached out for me again. Hugh's hand intercepted his, and his voice had steel in it this time. "Now, Jordan. We can't do anything for him, we're the thing he's afraid of right now. Come on, the faster we get help, the better it will be for him."

Jordan hissed. "Mikey...we'll be back. It's going to be ok."

He and Hugh vanished. At that point the world stated revolving unsteadily. I kept trying to get up the courage to climb out from under the desk and run, but beyond rocking back and forth I couldn't seem to move.

I wasn't sure how much time passed, but there was suddenly another Lag in front of me, wearing the off white robe of a mayor-priest. He watched me for a moment, mouth moving. I realized he was speaking and forced myself to focus.

"--hear me, Michael Forthryn Jercell. Listen to my voice. Give me some sign if you can hear me, Michael. You must hear me, Michael Forthryn Jercell. Listen to my voice. Give me some sign if you can hear me, Michael. You must --"

I nodded, almost spastically, and the mayor-priest rocked back with a sharp exhale of relief. "Good. Michael, can you speak?"

I tried a couple of times before jerking my head in a negative.

He winced a little, then sat down cross-legged before me. "Michael, I'm going to put my hand on your chest, alright?"

I nodded. When he touched me, a bit of the tension inside me eased. The delicate touch encompassed points that had been ingrained into me from birth as meaning the presence, comfort, and blessing of a mayor-priest.

"Michael, I'm going to sing for you, ok? I'm going to sing the Great Song. When you can, I'd like you to join me. Can you do that, Michael?"

I nodded again.

His voice was a soft tenor as he began to sing. There are no real words to the Great Song, just a simple repetitive melody. The words come to each singer as the song is sung, different every time. The melody slowly filled my head and before I knew it I lunged into his arms sobbing. He held me, rubbing my back and singing. He kept singing steadily while I cried, and was still singing wordlessly when the tears were gone.

Finally, falteringly, I joined him. The melody hurt in my throat, but it became easier with each repetition. Words floated up, and I sang them first. I felt the mayor-priest relax for the first time since I'd climbed him, and he sang with me:

Though the gift has been taken And my spirit nearly broken I must continue, cannot end Through strength of kin, I will withstand

A dozen rounds we sang, falling silent at the same time. His hands rubbed my shoulders one more time, then he pulled me back to search my eyes. "Are you back, Michael Forthryn Jercell?"

I nodded, brushing tears away from my eyes. "I am here, Father Mayor."

He blew out a huff of breath, and cradled my face. "You scared me horribly, Michael. I understand why, but please do not go so long without coming to the tribe again. When children wander away, I cannot know how they fare. I only wish I had sought you sooner. For that failure, and my part in this by it, I offer my deepest sorrows."

I blushed and put my hands over his. "Thank you for your sorrow, Father Mayor. But your failure is not of kind that must need such offering."

He smiled, touched our foreheads together and mouthed "thank you."

Then he helped me to my feet and led me to a chair. I saw for the first time that Jordan, Hugh, a human woman I didn't recognize, and the crocodilian dean of financial aid were standing in the office. I flinched involuntarily before realizing that Hugh no longer filled me with terror. Disquiet yes, distant disquiet, but not the mind breaking terror that had so overwhelmed me before. I had a way to go, but I could at least function.

The mayor-priest got me settled and offered me a cup of tea. I accepted it with a grateful smile. The mayor-priest's eyes became solemn. "Michael, I can't send you away until I've had some time to talk to you more fully. But I need to deal with this as soon as possible. Will you be alright seeing the other gift?"

I went very still. Mayor-priests were taught something extra, given some other gift through their training. Whatever it was, they used it sparingly and only full adult Lags were allowed to see it usually. Mostly because it was supposedly horrifying.

I hesitated, then softly said, "If you think I can handle it Father-Mayor, I'll do my best."

His eyes sparkled. Then he turned to face the others in the office. His finger stabbed out at Jordan. "You. Child. Get over with Michael and stay out of my way."

Jordan jumped slightly, and his eyes widened. He moved to stand beside me so fast he blurred a little. The mayor-priest turned slightly to Hugh. "Your culpability here is balanced. You have done as much harm through inaction as aid through action. More through action, as ignorance absolves you somewhat. Will you stand?"

Hugh shuddered. "I will."

The mayor-priest nodded. When he didn't speak again, I realized he wasn't offering the same option to the human woman, or to the financial aid dean. The woman steeled herself, and the crocodile blanched.

What happened next shocked me so much I nearly fell out of my chair. For the first time in my life, I heard a mayor-priest shout. But it wasn't the incoherent babbling most people descend into when they shout for more than a few seconds. It was strong, powerful, and filled with barely controlled fury.

He berated them. He accused them. He snarled obscenities. Every word filled the air with almost palpable knives, slashing and shredding at the three. Within seconds they were in tears. Within minutes, the crocodile was on the ground, beating at his temples with his hands struggling to speak. Hugh and the woman stood and took it, but both were shaking so bad it was even odds whether they would collapse just from loss of balance.

He went on for close to an hour. He laid out the whole story, the horror he felt at what had been done, the incomprehensible rage he felt that it had gone unnoticed. Even though I wasn't the target of his fury, I felt scoured inside. By the time he fell silent, Jordan was on his knees beside me, mouth gaping open; Hugh and the human woman were leaning on each other for support, wracked with dry sobs, eyes so swollen they were unable to produce any more tears; and the crocodile was making tiny keening noises, twitching silently.

The mayor-priest stood silently, unmoving. He waited while Hugh stumbled to his desk, half dragging half carrying the human woman. He put her in his chair, and leaned heavily on the desk. He closed his eyes, panting.

The human woman got her voice back first. "I...off-" she coughed, cleared her throat and tired again. "I offer my sorrows, Father Mayor. And my thanks for your gift."

I stared at her in shock. Forget thanking Father Mayor for that...lashing, how did she know what to say?

The Father Mayor raised his hand, and softly said, "This is good, President Charne. But though my kind is harmed by this thing, it is not to me you must speak."

My mouth dropped open. Presid-? This woman was the college president?!

She nodded, and looked at me. "To you, Michael Forthryn Jercell, I offer my sorrow for this evil that has been done to you in this place I govern, and in that, by my hand."

I licked my lips. "I thank you for your sorrow, President Charne. Unknowing was your part, and your only sorrow may be ignorance. In that, your hand was forced without your will. I offer you my sorrows for this evil done to you."

She blinked and rubbed her eyes. "I -- thank you for you sorrows, Michael Forthryn Jercell. May our sorrows bind us, and lead us from what causes them, that we may come to a place of joy."

I stared at her in shock. Father Mayor chuckled, and whispered "Michael..."

"I...may our sorrows bind us, and lead us from what causes them, that we may come to a place of joy."

She smiled a little and leaned back in the chair looking exhausted.

A rough growl turned my eyes to Hugh. He opened his mouth, but I beat him to it. "Dean Hugh, you need offer no sorrows. Pain suffered in knowledge gained, action taken to mitigate suffering, and no power to command that which caused suffering combine to leave you innocent. By the leave of the Father Mayor," I looked at him, and he nodded, "I name you blameless here."

Hugh looked like he wanted to argue for a moment, then slumped. "Thank you, Michael. And thank you, Father Mayor. I'm not sure I could have lived with seeing that and not standing to receive your gift."

Father Mayor cocked his head. "And that is in part why you can be held blameless, Hugh Gathan Dannor."

My head was spinning, trying to keep up with all this. The cadences, the strict word choices...this was the way Lagomorphs spoke formally in private, and even then only in the presence of a mayor-priest. How did they know how to do this?

A stray thought bounced through my mind, and I looked down at the dean of financial aid. He was starting to move again, and the keening had stopped. Father Mayor was staring at him, and the way he was standing I could see a hardness in his eyes. President Charne was also watching him, and I saw the look of horror wash through her eyes, followed by fury.

She locked eyes with Father Mayor, and all but snarled. "He knew. The gift of a Father Mayor only hits the truly guilty that hard."

He nodded. "Whether he knew directly, or he'd heard rumors, or he only suspected, I don't know. But somehow, someway, he knew what was going on and did nothing."

The crocodile whispered, "No. Wait, it's not like that."

The human woman pushed to her feet, and forced her way around the desk. "Then explain it to me, John. Explain why the Father Mayor could reduce you to a near catatonic state."

John shuddered and watched her helplessly. "I...I'd heard...but I didn't...I thought if there was something wrong...someone..."

She spat on the floor. "You thought someone would say something. You thought you'd see victimization, brutality. You thought that as long as you didn't go looking for it, you wouldn't find any problems."

He shuddered. "Carol..."

"No. You are suspended pending review. You are further banned from this campus until such time as the review is complete. Now get your scaly ass off the carpet, and off my campus. Right. The hell. Now."

He started to respond, gave up, and stood. As he headed for the door, Father mayor's hand shot out and clamped down on his arm. John froze, and closed his eyes with a gulp.

"We are not finished, John Mayhew Scott."

John swallowed several times, then looked at me. "I...I offer my s-sorrows to you, Michael Forthryn Jercell. For this evil I have done to you."

I looked at him, unsure of what to say. There were two options, and both were valid. One was considered the high road, though both were justified. After a long moment of trying, I looked at Father Mayor helplessly.

He returned my gaze blankly. "I cannot."

I looked at the dean, at John. He'd allowed me to be hurt, allowed me to live in pain, to make his life easier. Not even through malice; for convenience. I wanted to take the high road, to accept his sorrows and offer hope. But...I couldn't.

"Take your sorrows with you, John Mayhew Scott. In this are you most guilty. And not from malice or unknowing are you guilty, but through uncaring and apathy. Uncaring you have been, and uncaring I judge you to remain. You have no sorrows to offer."

He jerked back as if slapped. When Father Mayor let him go, he all but ran from the office.

President Charne smiled tiredly at me. "Michael...I want you to know, whatever the investigation turns up, you'll be able to stay here. Full ride, no strings."

I blinked, and began to laugh. Until I did it, I hadn't realized how long it had been since I'd really laughed.

And once I started, I never wanted to stop.

~~~~~

Epilogue

Two months later.

I grinned at Jordan, watching him strip slowly. He smiled back, moving in time to the music.

"So Father-Mayor Hart really thinks you could enter seminary?"

I rolled my eyes. "Really? Now?"

He shrugged, and his shirt slid down a little. "Why not?"

My new boyfriend could be so frustrating sometimes. Especially when he decided to tease me.

I blew out a breath of annoyance, but I couldn't stop the giggle that escaped. "Fine. Yes, and he even said he'd sponsor me. Apparently, my choice not to forgive the dean and the reasons I gave for it constituted what the mayor-priests call a first choice. They're incredibly important, and I guess they show something that lets other mayor-priests know they've seen someone who can do the job."

He nodded thoughtfully. Almost absentmindedly, his hand fiddled with the top button of his jeans and it popped open. I licked my lips with anticipation, then groaned as he asked, "So what would that mean, exactly? Would you have to stop being with me?"

I shook my head hurriedly. "No, no! Mayor-priests are leaders and counselors. Beyond that, they can do what ever they want with their lives. Back home, our Father Mayor runs a nice little bookstore."

His shirt had slipped all the way off as he danced, and he turned so I could watch his ass come into view as his jeans headed floor-ward. I moaned. "Can we...can we postpone this talk? Cause I'm really horny, Jord."

I tugged at my bonds. Jordan had me bound hand and foot, tied to myself. My feet were attached to my balls, and if I wiggled my toes it released a tiny whisper of pain. My hands were bound at the wrists and tied to my chest in a harness, so they formed the human "praying" position. A thin cord went from my hands to my neck, and from my neck to my balls again. Twitch in one direction and it choked me a bit. Move in the other and my balls got jerked on. It was maddening, but incredibly erotic. Not least because every inch of it was edible cooking twine.

Jordan laughed, and crawled onto the bed with me. He climbed onto me, straddling me, and I yelped as his cock suddenly slid into me. "J-Jordan!"

He grinned, and licked the side of my face, sending shivers through me. "Mmm...I know you were hoping for foreplay, baby. But I'm just so hungry tonight."

I groan and writhe, then squeal as my balls are pulled and twisted, gasp as my breath is cut off by my struggles. He chuckles and speeds up his thrusts, causing me to squirm harder and put myself in even more discomfort in the doing of it. My face feels heavy from the blood trapped by the twine choking me and I pant heavily. Jordan leans down and kisses me, tongue exploring my open mouth. I kiss him through the lack of air, enjoy the hunger on his face as my vision starts to blur. My balls are on fire, and my ass is aching from the wonderful pounding Jordan is giving me.

Just as my vision tunnels 'til I can only see the look of pleasure on Jordan's face, I feel him slam into me, feel my ass fill up with his cum. My own orgasm blows through me like a tidal wave, and then I can breathe again. I gasp, grinning, and cough a couple times. "That...was intense."

Jordan giggles, and smiles. He pulls the release that attaches my feet to my balls, and massages them gently. "Glad you enjoyed it, babe." His eyes darken and he licks his lips. "Are you ready for dessert?"

I shiver, and nod. My boyfriend lifts my feet to his face and sniffs them deeply. He lets out a shuddering sigh of pleasure, then lazily licks my right foot from heel to toe. I moan and wiggle my other foot, drawing his attention to it. He turns like a snake striking and sucks my big toe into his mouth. I squeal, and writhe on the bed, drawing an answering moan from Jordan.

He sucks on my toe for another few heartbeats, mouthing it with a look of intense enjoyment on his face. Without warning, his lips expand and he takes half of my foot into his mouth. A little growl escapes him as he chews on me for a moment, worrying at my foot happily. He turns his head and squeezes my other foot inside his mouth, wrapping his lips around both easily.

His eyes open, and he watches me as he swallows me up to my heels. I let out a breathless little giggle and squirm, wishing I could reach my cock. His eyes twinkle and he reaches down for me, squeezing and rubbing my cock while I'm up to my ankles in his mouth. Since he's doing me the favor of pleasuring me, I figure the least I can do is make sure he gets fed.

I press my feet forward, enjoying the feeling of his throat squeezing my feet together, the wetness soaking my fur, the stickiness. As he strokes my cock, he leans forward to get a better angle. My calves push past his lips, his mouth distending obscenely as I slide in up to my knees. His hand on my cock is rough now; he's fighting off the urge to give in to his hunger. I grin and hump his hand, sliding a bit deeper into his mouth with each thrust.

His eyes are dark and needy, and then I'm spilling out over his hand. I'm up to mid thigh at this point, and now that I've cum, his control vanishes. He grabs me by the hips and snarls, swallowing me in gulps and bounds. My ass butts up to his lips, then slides in, my cock pressed to the roof of his mouth. It hurts a little on my sensitive cock head, but also feels so good that I start to get hard again.

As my cock slides down his throat, accompanied by my ass and legs, my stomach slides between his lips. My breath is coming in hitches and gasps now, and I love the look of naked hunger and joy on his face. My legs curl up inside him, and I feel his stomach wrapped around me so wonderfully tight.

"Eat me, baby. Eat me all up."

He growls and grabs my hands, stuffing me in his face as fast as he can swallow. I have to press them back against my chest to let him comfortably swallow up to my chest. Then my shoulders are outlined by his lips, and I'm just a second, a pair of swallows away from being completely enveloped by him. I throw my head back and watch in the mirror he put there for that reason. His lips slide up my neck, and in the mirror I watch his mouth open wider for a moment. In the mirror, my face looks back at me embedded in his.

Then his lips are closing over my head and I whisper, "I love you, Jordan."

The inside of his mouth always surprises me wonderfully. Soft, warm, welcoming, moist. I squirm, eager to be in his stomach. His throat massages my face and I giggle as my ears are sucked into his mouth like spaghetti. My face hits the base of his throat and then I'm inside him, curled up in the fetal position as his stomach begins squeezing and squishing me. I moan as his juices slosh and swirl around me, and settle in to digest.

The world tumbles a bit as Jordan changes position. As the first tingles start to come through my fur, I hear Jordan's voice rumble around me.

"Delicious as always, sweetheart. Sleep tight."

As the cords dissolve, I grab my cock, hoping to try for one last orgasm before Jordan's stomach really gets down to business. I smile and squirm around, enjoying the sensations of being food. I guess, nowadays, my life is pretty great.