A Study In Anatomy
Part 3:
“Male Coalition”
Although Miles is starting to come to terms with his interest in zetas, the fallout from his sexual encounter with Alec remains unresolved, complicating the human’s life in ways he doesn’t like. 
AUTHOR’S NOTE: This story is written with the assumption that you have read the first two entries in the series. I hope to have Part 4 ready in late June or early July. 
 
VIII. Dependencies

Returning to normal life after visiting the Menagerie felt like stepping into an old movie – by contrast, everything felt washed out and unfocused. Miles did, however, feel more relaxed than he had in a long time. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed the social life he’d shared with his ex-boyfriend, and now that he’d had a taste of the Seneca City nightlife, he didn’t think he’d be going back to spending weekends at home by himself. 

Nevertheless, Mr. Riley’s health class remained a unique challenge. The first problem was that the teacher continued to supplement his lectures with photos of models that could have been porn stars. For example, the high-definition images of a very athletic tiger, shown from the front and side, were currently being displayed on the large screen at the front of the class. The model’s prominent erection was almost as admirable as his physique, and based on the way some of his classmates were shifting in their seats, he didn’t think he was the only one to notice. 

The images had been carefully cropped so most of the tiger’s face wasn’t visible, preserving his anonymity, but that just encouraged Miles’ imagination. He pictured a cocky young zeta with a smirk, thick fingers slowly easing down his torso until they wrapped around his cock, thick and glistening in the photographer’s lights. 

And then Miles realized what he was doing and forced himself to focus on his tablet to take notes. During previous lectures, Miles had exerted a great deal of self control to keep those types of thoughts in check. He’d assumed that after the weekend, (and after getting laid for the first time in months, not counting that situation with Alec) that would have been easier. Instead, he found that his fantasies had grown more vivid. 

With some hesitation, he began using the tricks he’d used before to keep his mind from lingering on the sensual details. No matter how comfortable he was starting to get around zetamorphs, there was no doubt that it would be a bad idea if his classmates put together what Miles’ arousal scents in this class might mean. Alec had, after all. He’d been lucky that the wolf was open to the idea rather than repulsed by it. He couldn’t count on his other classmates being so open minded. 

“Sexually speaking, felinid males are most known for the presence of penile spines, more commonly referred to as barbs, located near the tips of their penises, as pictured here.” The canine zeta, pacing near the front of the room, paused and used a small laser pointer to call attention to the anatomy in question. 

The cock itself was mostly smooth, with a rounded tip. It was just human enough in shape to be appealing and familiar to Miles, but still exotic. Like the other zeta penises he’d seen, this one had a pink, fleshy color that made it stand out sharply from the fur around it. Unlike those, a collection of small, fleshy prickles were prevalent in an inch-wide ring near the tip. Miles inevitably started thinking about what the texture might feel like – first, just against his fingers, but that idle speculation quickly turned more intimate. 

He also started to compare it to the others he’d seen recently. He thought Alec’s might have been thicker overall, but the tiger was still hung by human standards. Without meaning to, that thought spurred him to glance to his right. The wolf, his dark brown fur looking black in the low light, was staring ahead with steadfast interest, tail down and curled under his seat while eyes and ears were stiffly focused on the front of the room. The human had the distinct impression Alec was ignoring him, which probably made sense after their awkward conversation in the bathroom of the Menagerie. He’d basically told Alec to fuck off and mind his own business. Now, he worried he’d been too severe.  

“—are used to stimulate ovulation in females and facilitate reproduction. They are composed primarily of fibrous tissue called keratin.”  

Miles set his jaw and refocused on the lecture. He didn’t usually have this kind of difficulty paying attention in his classes. He had the grades to show it. But the subject matter was too close to the other things his mind had been focused on, and that made it harder to keep his thoughts from drifting. 

Later in the lecture, while Riley paused to let his students take some notes for an impending exam later in the week, a female cougar raised her hand. There was an uncharacteristic hesitation before Riley nodded to her in acknowledgement.

“Yes, Ms. Carson?” 

“I have a friend who says that barbs make sex hurt. Is that true?” 

The teacher pulled the gold-framed spectacles from his muzzle and produced a lens cloth from the front pocket of his tweed jacket. There were a few murmurs from other students. 

“The short answer is yes,” Mr. Riley said flatly. “Spines can cause discomfort and even injury.  

“There is a procedure many felinid males undergo that dulls the barbs. This is commonly referred to as felinid circumcision, though that is not a technically accurate term, and should not be confused with human circumcision procedures we discussed last week.” Riley replaced his glasses, then clicked forward to the next slide, which showed a slightly curved, tapered penis attached to a tawny sheath. The barbs on the end looked more like small bumps than spines, as they had on the previous slide. Miles had to admit, they looked more inviting than the unaltered spines the tiger had been equipped with. 

“The procedure makes penetrative sex more comfortable for a felinid male’s partners, but there are some complications. First, the functionality of the spines is reduced, making it harder to induce ovulation and thus reducing fertility. That can be easily remedied with medical devices, so don’t be overly concerned about that issue. The other concern is that many males who have undergone the procedure as an adult claim reduced sensitivity. This last issue doesn’t seem to occur in males who have the procedure performed before puberty, but this is, of course, controversial.

“For the felinids in the room, I wish to stress that you will be able to lead a normal sex life regardless of whether you have natural or modified spines. For those who haven’t had the procedure, there are specialized condoms among other solutions you can use to reduce discomfort for your partners. As I said during our discussion on the canid ‘knot,’ it’s most important to plan ahead. Spur of the moment decisions are what lead to unwanted consequences.” 

This was a statement Riley had issued before, and Miles was starting to think of it as a mantra. Superficially, the human agreed with the sentiment. All this unpleasantness with Alec could have been prevented with a blunt conversation about the mechanics of what they wanted to do. 

But, Miles had always enjoyed the thrill that came with acting on impulse and the feeling of being wanted that often came when a relationship became sexual. It was hard to imagine those moments surviving in a world where the entire act was planned out in advance. He imagined what it would have been like if he’d had to sit down with Tyler before their first time and talk through the mechanics and boundaries and possible complications. He doubted he’d have been able to work up the nerve. 

The zetamorph situation added an extra layer of complication. He remembered Coach Card’s story about his ancestor all too well. He supposed it would be worth sacrificing some of that thrill if it would prevent things like, say, getting forcibly knotted in a public place. 

He risked another glance towards Alec and caught one of the wolf’s ears angled towards him, if only for a few seconds. That brought an unexpected warmth to Miles’s chest. He’d worried the wolf had given up on him, but maybe there was still something there. 

“Another important thing to know is that most male felinids have an extremely short refractory period. They are instinctually driven to pursue ejaculation multiple times in an encounter. This instinct is born out of the need to stimulate ovulation to successfully impregnate a female. In feral felines such as lions, this can be taken to extremes – for example, when mating, wild lions copulate three to four times per hour over the course of several days. For lion-zetas, the frequency is about the same, but the process typically only takes a few hours.” 

There were some murmured exclamations and at least one giggle as the class processed that. Miles tried to imagine what it would be like to do nothing but have sex for three or four days. He knew he would never have that kind of stamina. But maybe some zetas did. He could see it from Virgil, the zeta he’d hooked up with at the Menagerie over the weekend. The hare hadn’t been boasting about his virility. He’d exhausted both Miles and the fox, Simon, by the end of the night, and he’d still looked disappointed when Miles said he was done. 

At some point between the hare’s escapades, Miles had taken the opportunity to ride Simon. Virgil had suggested it as “practice for your wolf,” and the sex-drunk Miles had liked the idea enough to give it a try. The relatively gentle and lazy sex had been a nice contrast to some of the other other activities for the night. Although, Simon had gotten fairly loud and even a bit grabby when he’d finally been able to take the vulpine’s knot. But he didn’t have any bruises or claw marks to show for the encounter, and that was an improvement over what had happened with Alec. 

Miles had a hard time shaking off memories during the rest of the lecture, but he did make the attempt. When the bell rang, he was embarrassed to realize he hadn’t taken as many notes as he should have considering that they were just a few days away from a midterm. He’d need to spend some time with the textbook tonight to make sure he hadn’t missed anything. Although, a part of him mused that there was a more exciting way he could study felinid anatomy. 

He again glanced to his right, wondering if now would be a good time to try talking to Alec again. The wolf had already packed his things and was walking out the room without so much as a look of acknowledgement. Miles watched him leave, frustrated at the wolf’s attitude. He supposed he’d just need to give it a few days. Sighing, he began to pack up his own things. 

“Mr. Hawley, I’d like a word, if you don’t mind.”

A cold feeling momentarily seized Miles and he looked up at Mr. Riley, who had moved over to his desk in the front corner of the room. The human finished securing his textbook and tablet, then shouldered his bag before walking to the front corner of the classroom where the teacher appeared to be typing an email. 

This close to the german shepherd, that cold feeling he’d felt earlier grew into a general tightness in his stomach. The zeta was intimidating up close, and he had a reputation around the school for being stern and unforgiving. Despite this, Miles quickly realized he was feeling something else that he wasn’t entirely comfortable with. Not with a teacher. He decided it must have been a product of the way his mind had been wandering a few minutes earlier and tried to ignore it. 

“Relax, Mr. Hawley,” the zeta said, apparently picking up on his tension without even looking away from his screen, although he did have an ear pointed at the human. “You’re not in trouble.” 

He took a deep breath and tried to take the teacher’s advice. He didn’t want the zeta to realize that at least some of the tension in Miles’s scent and body language was more than anxiety. “Oh. Then is it about the paper we turned in last week? I know it was a little longer than you asked for, but I felt the subject needed–”

The dog tapped his screen once to send the email, then turned his full attention on Miles, who suddenly realized he’d been babbling. The zeta’s muzzle parted in an expression Miles was surprised to recognize as a wry grin. It was the kind of expression he wasn’t used to seeing from a teacher, especially Mr. Riley, who always seemed so strict and serious. 

“Humility may be a virtue, Mr. Hawley, but false modesty doesn’t suit you. You’ve only been here a few months, but now that your credits from New Garden have been applied, you’ve established yourself as one of the top students in this year’s class of seniors. You shouldn’t be afraid to show that.” 

Some of the warmth and tightness he felt returned as he opened his mouth to respond, unsure whether he should start with a thank you or an apology. When he failed to make the decision, the teacher just waved a hand. “Well, that’s something we can discuss another time. This is about another matter.” 

Briefly, he wondered if Coach Card or Alec had talked to Riley. Would this be another lecture on the dangers of zetasex? 

“I wanted to see if you might be interested in some extra credit work. It would look good on your college applications, if nothing else.” 

Unbidden, his mind immediately went to the dirtiest gutter it could find in the form of a surprisingly vivid fantasy. A part of him was disgusted at himself, the teacher was probably older than his father. But, Miles couldn’t help but feel like the slight salting of gray on his muzzle and cheeks made him look handsome. The mental imagery caused the warmth he’d felt earlier to spread to his cheeks, ears, and groin. 

At Miles’s silence, the teacher cocked his head ever-so-slightly, and the human cringed inwardly as he saw the dog’s nostrils flare a few times. A tan eyebrow rose, though Miles wasn’t sure how to interpret that. “Not that Mr. Hawley. I understand the subject matter for this class might be exhilarating, but I would appreciate you exercising some self control.” 

Miles shifted his stance and hoped the slight pressure between his legs wasn’t obvious. “Sorry, Sir.” 

The teacher sighed. “It’s all right, Miles. I remember what it was like to be a teenager. Let’s just focus on the matter at hand, yes?” 

The human nodded, and Riley continued. 

“I’ll keep this simple. There are several students in this class that are struggling. I believe one in particular would benefit from peer tutoring, and Mr. Card has asked that I find a student who might be a good fit.” 

Miles had a sudden suspicion he knew where this was going and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it. “It’s Alec, isn’t it.” 

The unflappable Riley’s eyes widened, but he nodded. “An impressive deduction, Mr. Hawley. Is this an issue? I saw the two of you speaking after class last week, and you seemed to be getting along. Did I misinterpret things?” 

Miles resisted the urge to laugh. They had gotten along. That was sort of the problem. Did he trust himself to spend any time alone with the wolf without feeling the same urges he’d felt in that shower on Friday? Not for a second. 

“We kind of had an argument.” 

Riley’s disappointment was plain enough for Miles to read it. “Is that a no, then?” 

Miles shook his head. “I’m willing to do it if he needs the help, but I don’t want to make things worse since there’s some tension between us.” 

“I see,” Riley adjusted his glasses, then leaned back his chair, regarding Miles with slightly narrowed eyes. “Well, I suppose the next step then is to see if he’ll agree to this arrangement. Should I arrange a discussion, or would you like to speak to him first?” 

He hesitated. “I think it would go easier if you’re there. If that’s OK, Sir.” 

“That’s fine. I’ll let Alec know that I need to see him this afternoon. Please be here at 3:30.”

The teacher looked like he was about to dismiss Miles, but the human had one more question. 

“Is this tutor thing why you called my dad last week?” 

He seemed taken aback by the question. 

“Oh. Well, yes and no. I did mention that I was interested in you tutoring a student, and your father seemed to think you’d be good at that. But there was another routine matter. Nothing you need to worry about.” 

Miles looked back at Riley, unsure if he should push. “I’d still like to know. Unless it’s confidential for some reason.” 

There was another pause as Riley regarded him, then after a short sigh, he shrugged and explained. 

“Next week, there will be a lecture that discusses zetasexuality, or at least as much as I’m allowed to cover by state law. It’s mandatory for zetas, because they need to understand the legal ramifications. Human students are required to get parental permission to attend, which means they usually don’t.”

Miles blinked. “Isn’t it my decision? I’m an adult, right?” 

“That would be my preference. But the school board has informed me that in this case, the permission requirement applies to all human students with no exceptions. If I were a lawyer, I might argue that such requirements are a violation of the 22nd Amendment, but I’ve learned to choose my battles.”

Every teenager in the country was well aware of the 22nd Amendment, which firmly established adulthood as beginning at age eighteen. It had been ratified during the war, mainly for draft purposes. In the decades since, the amendment had been used to strike down nearly all legal age restrictions set above eighteen. 

“So, what did my dad say?” 

Riley shrugged his large shoulders. “It’s rare for human students to be allowed to participate, and he seemed to think it would be best to have you follow suit.” 

Miles wasn’t sure how to interpret that. Again, he wondered how his father, who had always been supportive of his sexuality, would handle learning what he had been doing on Saturday night. Riley misinterpreted Miles’ discomfort. 

“No need to worry, Mr. Hawley. No one will think less of you. As I said, it’s rare any human students are allowed to attend. You’ll be excused from class and sent to the library to complete an alternate assignment when the time comes.”

***

For the rest of the day, Miles continued to find it difficult to concentrate. It didn’t help that his last last class of the day was pre-calculus. The teacher, an elderly human named Ashby, didn’t put much effort into anything. He suspected she’d taught the same way for three or more decades. Each class, Ms. Ashby would dim the lights, and then she would sit on a stool next to an old fashioned overhead projector and meticulously demonstrate math problems. She would talk through her process, and try to explain new concepts, and she would pause periodically for questions. But Miles found that after twenty or so minutes of this, everything sort of blended together. 

His thoughts kept drifting to Alec. It had been surprising to learn he was struggling with Riley’s class, but then he realized that he knew almost nothing about the wolf. They’d only known each other a few days, after all. After everything that had happened, it felt like it had been a lot longer. 

He felt guilty as well. Alec had taken the time to ask about Miles’s family. He’d walked around his home and asked about his hobbies. And Miles hadn’t bothered to return the favor because he’d assumed Alec was just doing it as a pretense for sex. Now that Miles was trying to process how he felt about the wolf, he wished he’d taken the time to get to know him better. He resolved that this tutoring thing might give him that opportunity. That is, if they could get over all the baggage surrounding their encounter in the locker room. 

When the electronic chime sounded the end of the class and the school day, he found he was eager for the conversation. But it was only 3:00, which meant he had time to kill before anything else. 

He made his way to his locker and changed out a couple of textbooks he’d need for the night, then wasted a few minutes near the cafeteria, where he bought a Coke, ignoring the imagined protest from his father, who’d always disapproved of sugary drinks. Miles just wanted the caffeine, though he secretly enjoyed the ultra-sweet taste and the way the carbonation stung his tongue. 

He watched the clock tick by as a few other students passed on their way out, or to extracurriculars like marching band or football practice – where Alec would probably need to be soon. At 3:29, the human made his way to Riley’s classroom, ignoring the slight tingling in his fingers and the jumpy feeling in his stomach. 

The heavy door to Mr. Riley’s classroom was open as he approached it from the hallway. When he was a few feet away, he realized the teacher’s deep voice was carrying out into the corridor, even though he was keeping his voice low. The tone in Riley’s voice was surprisingly tender, laden with genuine concern. Miles hesitated, stopping just outside the door frame so he could listen without being seen. He told himself he wasn’t eavesdropping, he just wanted to make sure he wouldn’t be walking in on the middle of a personal conversation. 

“—know you have a lot of pressure on you at home, but your father can’t expect you to bear that kind of burden by yourself.” 

“He doesn’t. But someone needs to.” Alec’s voice. Defensive. “Mom’s already working two jobs. It’s still not enough.” 

Miles glanced down the hallway, immediately feeling like he was invading Alec’s privacy. Should he leave and come back in a few minutes? He almost did just that, but curiosity kept him in place. 

Hearing Alec speaking about his home life shifted Miles’s entire perception of the wolf. He realized then, he’d been making a lot of assumptions about Alec based on the humans he’d known back at his old school. Because the majority of students were zetamorphs, Alec was one of the most popular students. He was an athletic senior. Charming. Attractive. And the starting quarterback for any high school was always a minor celebrity by high school standards. 

Riley let out a slow breath. “Alec, the bottom line is you’re failing my class, and Mason – Coach Card says you’re not doing well elsewhere either.”

“No offense, Mr. Riley, but your class just isn’t that important. It’s not like the plant is going to give a shit about my GPA. If mom wasn’t making me finish high school, I’d probably already be working there.” 

A pause. “Alec, you’re bright enough to do something with your life. I know money’s an issue, but Mason says you’ve had a few college scouts expressing serious interest. If you keep playing as well as you have been, you could have a scholarship.”  

“That only solves half the problem. I could find a way to pay for college if I had to. But, the settlement my dad signed only gives us about six months. After that, if I’m not bringing in money, my brothers and sisters are going to start going hungry.” 

“You know, the only reason that plant even operates in Seneca City is because the zetamorphs don’t complain about all the safety violations,” Riley said, a slight growl creeping into his voice. 

Alec chuckled darkly. “I know all about that thanks to my dad,” his voice broke and the wolf took a steadying breath before continuing. “But they hire people without experience, and they give you plenty of hours.” 

“There are other jobs, Alec.” 

“I mean, I know that too. I actually have a. . . thing I’ve been doing on the weekends. I’ve been trying to set the money I get for that aside. If I can lean into that, I might be able to put some away for my family.”

Miles remembered the way Alec had been dressed at the Menagerie. The tight shirt. The jeans cut to show off the athletic curves of his legs and ass. The way his fur had looked styled. The scent of some kind of cologne clinging to him. That shirt had been red. 

No one said anything for several long seconds. Miles heard the minute hand on the old clock over the door move. “Alec, I know what kinds of jobs zetas work in this city when they’re desperate for money.” 

When the wolf remained quiet, Riley let out another sigh. “I can’t condone it, but If it gives you a chance at a better life, I’m not going to tell you to stop. Just, be careful. Hell, if there’s any class you should be paying attention to, it’s this one.” 

After a few more minutes, Alec spoke up again. “So, how do I get my grades up?” 

“I’m not going to go easy on you. I won’t offer you opportunities that I wouldn’t give to anyone else. That said, I have found another student who’s agreed to help tutor you for my class, at least.” 

“Who? Cara?”
 
“I considered Ms. Carson, but I worried her extracurriculars would be an obstacle, especially since your athletic schedule is also a complication.” Riley cleared his throat, “You can come in, Mr. Hawley.” 

He hadn’t realized he’d been noticed, and he felt slightly ashamed as he stepped around the door frame. Riley and Alec were standing a few feet apart at the front of the classroom, Riley leaning against his desk. Alec had turned to face them, tail down and ears flat as Miles stepped in. 

The wolf’s body language immediately stiffened, and his wide eyes darted from Riley to Miles several times, as if trying to decide if this was some kind of coordinated trap. “Jesus, how long have you been standing there?” 

Miles knew his cheeks were turning pink, but he couldn’t stop it. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, it just kind of happened.”

The wolf let out a low growl of annoyance, and Riley had moved closer to put a hand on the wolf’s shoulder. “Alec, I understand the two of you were involved in some sort of argument. Mr. Hawley told me he’s willing to put that aside to help. He has fewer extracurriculars than most other students, and he is one of the top students in your year.” 

Alec dipped his muzzle and his ears flicked back. He pointedly avoided making eye contact. 

“It’s not a big deal, Alec. I can still help, even if we’re not exactly best friends.” 

The wolf opened his mouth to say something, but he stopped himself. After a few seconds, he tried again. “You made it pretty clear you didn’t want to be around me,” he said, ears dropping again. 

Miles heard some emotion creeping into his voice and fought it back as he spoke. “I told you I was just trying to figure things out. You’re the one who won’t even look at me now.”

The wolf’s golden eyes met Miles’s for the first time, and despite his clear disquiet, his tail wagged a few times. “Miles, I don’t want to do something that might hurt—” His ears flicked towards Riley and he cut himself off. 

The teacher was looking between the two of them, his head tilted slightly in the same curious expression he’d used when he’d noticed Miles’s arousal earlier in the day. He realized the zeta might be piecing together the exact nature of their “argument” and Miles felt a need to interrupt that train of thought. 
 
“I’ve thought about that. Look, we can just meet in a public place so we can stay focused.” He looked to Mr. Riley, “Do you know a place like that where we could study in the evenings?”  

Riley considered a moment before responding in a slow and measured tone. Miles suspected his bid to distract the canine hadn’t worked. “There’s a coffee shop within walking distance that could work. I stop by there when I need to work late and usually see a few college students.” 

The wolf’s ears were still low. “We’ll need to work around my game and practice schedule. I doubt I’d be able to meet before 6:30 most nights.” 

Miles nodded. “Would before classes be an option?” 

The wolf’s eyes dropped. “I don’t think I could get here early enough. I need to help my brothers get ready for school before I leave.” 

“So, evenings then?” 

The wolf sighed. “That’s probably the only option. That’s when I—” he hesitated, glancing at Riley, “I usually work two or three nights a week and on the weekends.” 

“That’s fine. I can make that work,” Miles said. His dad might have an issue with it, but Riley said they had discussed it already. And it wasn’t like they were going to be alone. “Like I said, I want to help. We could start Wednesday night, if you want. A good grade on Friday’s midterm will be a good start.” 

The wolf looked to Riley, ears and tail still down. He then looked to Miles, eyes searching for something. Finally, the wolf let out one more breath, then dropped his arms. “Where’s this coffee shop?” 

IX. Collaboration
Wednesday night, Miles found himself in a café reading The Count of Monte Cristo for his English class. After months in a city where humans were a minority, it was strange reading something written before Z-Day, where every single character was human. He kept picturing Dantés as a red fox for some reason, then felt shitty about it because of course he’d cast the scheming French protagonist as a fox. Then he’d poked around online and found that it had become common in modern stage and movie productions to cast a fox zeta in the role, and he stopped feeling quite so bad. 

Riley had been right about the café being a good place for studying. A little larger than your average Starbucks, the place was buzzing with activity even though the sun was starting to get low. There were even a fair number of people who had come in for a light dinner - the place sold simple sandwiches and baked goods in addition to the usual collection of coffees and teas and bottled soft drinks. 

The pungent coffee smell had soaked into the entire shop, even though they weren’t selling a lot of caffeinated stuff this late in the evening. 

About ten minutes before sunset, a small bell over the door jingled. It did this every time someone entered, so Miles had stopped looking up each time, which meant he missed Alec until the wolf was standing near the large faux leather chair he’d been lounging in, catching the human by surprise. “Hey. I’m going to get a sandwich. Do you want anything?” 

He hadn’t realized he’d been so engrossed in the book, and the wolf’s deep voice caused him to jump. Alec seemed amused by that, but Miles ignored that. “That’s fine, I already had something.” He gestured to the small triangular table in front of him where he’d left a mostly empty place and a tall glass of ginger tea, now cooled. “Is this OK, or do you want me to find a  larger table?”

The wolf shrugged. “Should be fine. I like that it’s in back. Not very crowded, so we can talk.” 

Miles wasn’t sure if that was meant to be ominous, so he chose not to take it that way. A few minutes later, Alec returned with his sandwich and a large cup full of chilled coffee. The smell of the cooked chicken breast was almost enough to make Miles change his mind about eating more. But Alec seemed more interested in the tall glass of coffee. 

“Not planning on sleeping tonight?” 

The wolf shrugged as he stirred a couple packets of raw sugar into the dark liquid. “I’ve been going since five this morning. It’s either this or I fall asleep while we try to study.” He looked across from him, a wry smile touching his eyes. “That is, assuming you aren’t going to back out. You have a habit of doing that when I think I’m doing what you want.” 

The bluntness stunned Miles, as did the apparent levity in the wolf’s tone. “And here I thought I was going to have to force this conversation.” 

The wolf sighed, then took a moment to take a taste of his coffee. Apparently satisfied, he looked back across the table. “Well, you’re here, so I guess you don’t hate me. And I’m tired of it hanging there between us. I know I fucked up, and I’m sorry. I really like you. I hate that I did that, but I can’t change what happened.” 

Miles had to ignore the way the ‘I really like you’ made him feel like he was plunging down the steep incline on a roller coaster. “I made some mistakes too. I guess the thing that bothers me is that you seem afraid to even look at me.” 

At that the wolf’s eyes rose, and Miles found those golden irises peering at him with a kind of intensity he hadn’t seen since they’d had sex. He’d forgotten how intimidating that gaze was, and he found himself looking away before he could stop. 

“You’re afraid of me.” 

Miles shook his head. “Not you, exactly. It’s just, the way I get when I’m around you. It’s hard to explain.” 

Alec leaned forward. “Maybe. But I think I know what you mean.” 

“I figure, as long as we’re in a place like this, we’ll be fine. And, you know, if we decide to try something again, we can make sure we’re both ready this time.” 

The wolf’s tail wagged at that, and just like that, the thick tension that had been there for nearly a week all but vanished. 

From there, Alec ate his sandwich while Miles quizzed him on topics that he expected on Mr. Riley’s exam. He was surprised to find that Alec had a solid memory. He only needed one or two repetitions before he could remember even fairly complex lists and figures near perfectly. His spelling was atrocious, but that could come later. 

They did keep their voices low, if only because it was awkward to discuss the characteristics of knots and penile spines in a room populated by at least a half dozen other zetas, some of whom had rather large ears. No one seemed to notice or care. The same went for the fact that a human and zetamorph were whispering together in a somewhat isolated corner of the café. 

After about an hour, they took a break to get fresh drinks, Alec surprised him by asking about the Menagerie.

“I know it isn’t by business, it’s just that not many humans even know the place exists.”

Miles wasn’t sure he wanted to answer. He looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to them. “I saw an advertisement online.” 

Alec narrowed his eyes for a few seconds, then gave a knowing smile. “Huh. Well, I’m sure you got a lot of attention. You must have noticed there are way more zetas interested in humans than the other way around.” 

Miles tried not to look too interested, but he did lean closer so he could keep his voice lower. “I did notice that. Why? I expected it would be about even.” 

“It’s a biology thing. Think of it like this: for millions of years, humans evolved to find certain features attractive and to be fearful about large furry things with teeth and claws. For zetas, we’re only something like five or six generations removed from people who were born human. Most of those instincts are still there for us. Meanwhile, it’s more natural for humans to find us. . . uncanny, at best. For a human to be open to zetasex,” his voice had gotten so low Miles could barely hear, “you have to be able to set that aside, not to mention all the legal stuff.”  

Miles thought about that. Having “off” instincts wasn’t so strange to him. He’d come to terms with something like that when he’d realized he was gay. Except, that wasn’t seen as all that strange anymore, at least in this part of the world. He’d grown up across the street from a trio of gay men. He’d had friends and teachers and family members who were openly gay. 

On the other hand, he’d never met someone who was openly in a relationship with a zetamorph. Hell, before coming to Seneca, he could count the number of zetamorphs he’d met in person on one hand. 

He didn’t think this attraction he felt was an inherent part of who he was in the same way his gayness was. It wasn’t like it had been with girls, where he’d never understood how anyone found them sexually interesting. He still found plenty of human men attractive. And yet, the thrill he got from sex with Simon and Virgil and even Alec had been so much more intense than anything he’d had with Tyler or the other guys he’d messed around with. What did that say about him?  

Was the whole zetasex thing some fetish or kink? Was he like one of those people who obsessed over women’s feet or who got hard the second they smelled leather? He didn’t like those comparisons, but he could live with them. What worried him was the extremists like his mother. The religious and political groups who insisted that zetasex was just a thinly veiled form of bestiality. 

He’d always rejected those ideas because of the implication that zetamorphs were less than human in some way. They could all think and talk and give consent, and those were very important distinctions, even if the law didn’t always recognize them. 

But wasn’t part of what Miles found zetas so appealing tied to the varied animalistic features they brought to the table? Hadn’t he enjoyed the tickling sensation of Virgil’s fur against his back? Hadn’t he been enamored with the feel of Simon’s knot when it pushed against–

“What are you thinking about?” 

Miles blushed. “Nothing.” 

Alec smirked at him and tapped the end of his nose a couple times. “You sure? Because it smells more like a something.” 

Dammit. 

“Maybe it has something to do with what happened on Saturday?”

Miles glared at him. “Maybe we should talk about what you were doing on Saturday.” 

The wolf grinned. “I’ll answer your questions if you answer mine. I’m not embarrassed.” 

“You first.”

The wolf sighed. “Fine. One question from you, then you answer one of mine.” 

The human hesitated, checking for eavesdroppers one more time. “Are you really working at the Menagerie?” 

“Yes. Who’d you take up to the private rooms on Saturday?” 

“Hey, that wasn’t an answer.” 

“Then ask better questions. I’m waiting.” 

Miles sighed. “I’m not going to give you names. I told you there was a hare.” He hesitated a moment, mainly because Alec’s body language made it clear he’d assumed that was the end of the answer. “And also a fox.” 

The look of surprise on Alec’s face took the sting out of any embarrassment Miles felt at admitting to a threeway. It helped that Alec didn’t linger on it. Or at least he left it long enough to keep playing their little game. 

“OK, your turn,” the wolf said. 

He hesitated a moment, making sure his question wasn’t one that could be so easily answered with one word. “What kinds of things do you do when you’re working?” 

Alec shrugged. “I dance for an hourly wage plus tips on the ground floor. Mostly. I’m not very good at it yet, but I still get decent money. I do wear red when I’m there — you know what that means?” Miles nodded, and the wolf continued. “Well, I’ve only had two people hire me for that. Wolves are common enough that I don’t get that much attention.” 

It was strange to think that one of his classmates was working as a prostitute. Not that he thought any less of Alec for doing so. Hell, Miles had fucked Simon just a few days earlier, and he certainly hadn’t been concerned back then. 

“Were they humans?”

Alec’s smile returned, wider this time. “No. That’s two you owe me.” 

“Fuck.” 

Alec chuckled. “I figured that was off the table, but we’ll see how the night goes. Now, about these zetas. Did the fox happen to be one of my coworkers?” 

Miles saw no way to dodge that without breaking the agreement, but at least it only required one word. “Yes.” 

Alec spoke quickly, his voice excited. “I knew I smelled you on him. We’re not supposed to ask each other about clients, but–” 

“Hey, don’t make a big deal about it. He was sweet about it and I don’t want to make trouble.” 

Alec looked surprised. “I’m not jealous, Miles. I just, I wanted to know if you were interested in zetas with– with similar anatomies.”

Miles sighed. “Yes. I am. I wanted to see if, you know, with practice. . .” 

The wolf’s ears went up and his tail was thumping against the arm of his chair. “Really? Did you like it?” 

“Yeah. We took our time, and he was gentle. It was nice.” 

“And he didn’t get, you know, overexcited at the end?”

Miles shrugged. “Well, he’d already cum once, so I think that took some of the edge off. And I was on top, so I could take things at my own pace.” 

“Huh.”

“Can I have a question now?” 

The wolf waved a hand. “Sure.” 

“What did you do with those customers or whatever you call them?” 

He laughed. “I’m afraid my stories aren’t all that exciting compared to most the others I’ve talked to. Like I said, I’m not that popular.” 

“The first guy was a deer. Mid-twenties. He had a pretty specific predator-play roleplaying thing he wanted to do. Basically, we ‘wrestled’ and when he eventually ‘won,’ he got to— well, you can figure that part out.”

Miles had kind of assumed Alec would be one of those macho types who would never bottom. Thinking of him that way was stirring up new fantasies that Miles suspected he’d be returning to later that night. 

“And the other?” 

“That one’s a little sad. You sure you want to hear it?” 

Miles nodded, and the wolf shrugged. 

“Well, he was another wolf. Kind of old — like older than my dad, but not old enough to be my grandfather. Anyway, I almost told him no, but he was handsome enough and polite and I wanted the money. So when we got to the room, he didn’t even make me take off my clothes. He just wanted to lay down with me on the bed and cuddle. He kept sticking his nose against my neck and breathing deep, like the way you do when you get fresh air after being stuck in a car for a long time. It made me feel weird. I think it was some kind of pack-seeking thing. Wolves who don’t spend time with other wolves get strange, sometimes.” 

“I didn’t know that could happen.” 

Alec soda. “It’s pretty common among zetas. A lot of us share DNA with herd or pack animals, and we just don’t feel right if we don’t get to socialize with our own kind fairly regularly.” 

He tried to imagine what it would be like to be so lonely that he’d pay someone just to hold him. 

“OK, Miles. I have one more question.” 

The human looked across the table into lowered, golden eyes. The wolf’s ears were splayed and Miles wondered if the sudden downturn in his mood was because of the story of the lonely wolf. “Sure.” 

“Would you go out with me? Like on a real date?” 

Miles couldn’t say anything for a few seconds. “Really, Alec?” 

“It’s not that strange. We can go to a public place like this, just talk and have fun. No sex stuff, unless that’s what you want. I can control myself. I promise.” 

The human sighed again. “The problem isn’t either one of us. It’s both of us together. I don’t want to be in another situation where neither of us is in control.” 

“Well, you’re working on that, right? I am too. So why not work on it together? We can try some things. Talk about it. Figure out what works.”

“And if you hurt me? Or someone finds out and we get in trouble?” 

The wolf looked down. “I don’t know. I don’t think that would happen.” 

“But we need to think about it all the same. This is new for me, and things could get messy if we aren’t careful.”

Alec looked disappointed, but he nodded. “Fine, nothing so formal then. Can we at least agree that there’s something here that we’re both interested in exploring?”

He considered. He felt like Alec was walking him into a trap, but he resisted the urge to back away. “I can agree to that.” 

“OK, so let’s just leave it at that for now. We can help each other, and if you do get to the point where you want to change things, just let me know.” 

He lowered his voice again. “You’re not expecting celibacy or anything, right?” 

Alec chuckled. “That’s not a luxury I can afford. I need the money, if I can get it. And if I’m messing around, I’m not going to ask you to stop. Besides,” he whispered conspiratorially, “I think it’s kind of hot.” 

Miles laughed, hesitating only a few more seconds. “I guess I’m fine with this, then. No labels. Just. . . friends helping each other.” 

The wolf’s tail was wagging again. “Exactly.” 

They talked for a few minutes more before Miles realized they’d forgotten about studying. He swore, and then made Alec go through the points they’d covered one more time. Finally, far later than either of them had intended, they stood outside the café while Miles waited for a ride. The human had offered to share one with Alec, but the wolf reminded him they lived in opposite directions. So, they talked for a few more minutes. 

“Hey, Miles. There’s one more thing I wanted to say. And you’re not going to like it, so I’m just going to blurt it out.” 

“OK. . .” 

“You shouldn’t be running around the Menagerie by yourself.” 

Miles looked skeptical. “You said that before. I thought you were just being jealous.” The wolf shook his head, so Miles continued. “You’re not being overdramatic?” 

The wolf crossed his arms. “If you’d heard half the stories I have, you wouldn’t think so. Trust me, some weird shit happens there. My first night, one of the other dancers got fired and banned for trying to extort some politician he slept with. Plus some of the zeta gangs like to pick up humans there.” 

“What do you mean?” 

Alec sighed. “It’s complicated. It’s not like a trafficking thing, usually. It’s more like the zeta gangs compete for whoever has control over the most humans. It’s a prestige thing for them.”  

Miles didn’t think he understood. “Control them? How?” 

The wolf shrugged. “I don’t know. I think it’s drugs, mostly. They get you hooked on something and then use that to get you to do what they want. I see the gang junkies around the club sometimes. They usually look sick and kind of - I don’t know. Used up, I guess.” 

Miles narrowed his eyes. The few humans he had seen around the club had looked off, he had to admit. He just had a hard time imagining falling into a similar situation. He remembered having similar conversations with his father about how guys might try to slip things into his drinks or take advantage of him while he was drunk. He’d always been careful, and nothing like that had ever happened to him. Of course, he’d also usually had Tyler around to help. 

“I’ll be more careful, but I don’t want to limit myself by only going to the Menagerie when I have a babysitter.” 

Alec nodded. “Well, it’s not like I can stop you. But I was thinking, maybe you could text me when you head over there? If I’m there, I can keep an eye out for you. And if I’m not, I can ask one of the others. Simon’s full time in the bar, he’ll be there most nights, so I could ask him.” 

Miles didn’t like the idea, but he did like Simon, and he didn’t think that his being nice was just because Virgil had paid him. “OK. But just Simon. I don’t want to get a reputation as being high maintenance.”

The wolf seemed to accept that, and they exchanged contact information before Miles’s ride finally arrived and the two parted ways. 

When Friday came, Miles knew he’d done well on the midterm, but he was more pleased when he saw Alec’s tail wagging when they walked out of the classroom together. 

X. Deviation

Miles had been blackout drunk exactly once in his life. It had been at a house party back in New Garden, two years before his parents’ divorce, Seneca City, and a life surrounded by zetamorphs. In fact, it was just a week or so after he’d first met Tyler in a biology class. He’d been a transfer student and instantly popular thanks to his good looks and natural charisma. 

There had been a mutual attraction from the beginning, although Miles hadn’t recognized it. All he knew is that he liked Tyler, and his usual method of flirting (inviting guys home so he could blow them) didn’t seem to work. For one thing, Miles kept getting nervous about pushing for sex, which hadn’t ever been an issue for him. The other thing was that Tyler liked to turn his invitations back on him, so instead of private time in his bedroom, they ended up at a movie theater or the county fair. 

That was how a plan to hang out at Tyler’s over a weekend his parents were out turned into a house party. Someone had supplied booze, and Miles had decided drinking a lot might impress Tyler. As stupid as that idea had been, it had worked, mostly. Early in the evening, Miles had furtively tugged Tyler into his bedroom where they’d finally had sex for the first time. The confirmation that Tyler liked him too had been exhilarating, and he was so gratified by the experience that he didn’t realize how wasted he was until it was too late to do anything about it. 

His brain had politely edited the part where he was sick from his memory. He did remember spending most of the night staring at the ceiling fan in a spare bedroom, desperately trying to force the geometry of the room conform to the usual constraints of straight lines and level floors. 

In the present, he was going through a similar experience. Instead of the euphoria he associated with being drunk, though, he mostly just felt confusion. The room seemed to be spinning, and he kept getting this inexplicable, sweet taste on the back of his tongue. 

He was also having a hard time remembering exactly how many drinks he’d had before he’d let the zeta he’d been flirting with escort him to one of the private rooms. First, there’d been the beer he’d ordered from the cute lynx manning the service station near the pool on the second floor. 

That had been early in the night though, and lots of people had offered to buy him drinks. He’d only accepted one of those, in the form of a rum and coke. Or had that been his third? He thought someone might have handed him a second beer at some point, and now he was thinking about it, there might have been another rum and coke in there as well. He also remembered some apple cider down in the lower bar, but he couldn’t remember if that was from his last visit or this one.

The nagging sense that something was wrong kept interfering with his ability to focus on what was actually happening to him in the present. All those sensations felt like they were happening to someone else while his mind kept playing through other memories, often in ways that felt far more vivid. 

He felt like a character in an old sitcom – one of the guys who tried to date two women at the same time without them finding out (why were they always straight couples?). The character would run back and forth between dates, making increasingly stupid excuses to leave and go to the other one, until he inevitably fucked something up and everything blew up in his face. Except here, it was like both dates were sitting at the same table, but neither of them could tell the other was there. 

He realized his body was trembling, and that brought him momentarily into the present. That definitely wasn’t right. When he looked down at the zeta underneath him, he half expected to see russet and cream fur, blue slitted eyes, and chocolate brown ears. Instead, he found himself looking into the green eyes of a felinid zetamorph with gold fur and black spots. 

Of course. The cheetah. That was who had bought him the rum and coke. Miles had liked the way his eyes looked when they caught the light of one of the outdoor torches, and he’d had a charming smile. So, he’d decided to take a risk and accept the drink (and the conversation). After all, it had worked out all right with Virgil. 

Now they were having sex. Miles was riding him, straddling his stomach. Except that was over. They’d both just cum. The cheetah was panting slightly, smiling up at him with a fang-filled grin. Miles looked down and confirmed his own orgasm in the form of a sticky mess sprayed across the felinid’s ivory-furred stomach. 

“Is this real?” he thought to himself. Although the cheetah’s chuckle made him think he had said it out loud. Everything had a strange blurry quality to it. 
Focusing, the human leaned forward and placed his hands on either side of the zeta’s muzzle. A short gasp escaped him at the sudden vividness of sensation against his fingers: short, velvety fur, warm skin underneath, hard bones of the cheetah’s face. Yes, this was definitely real. 

Unexpected relief washed over him as his sense of reality refreshed itself. He’d felt like he’d been floating in deep water, and now he was finally feeling solid ground under his feet for the first time in hours. Eager for more sensation, his fingers traced the sinuous black curves on either side of the cheetah’s muzzle until strong hands grabbed his wrists, apparently not trusting him to continue that exploration near his eyes. 

What had his name been? Paden? Yes, he thought that was right. 

“Ari, you gave him too much. He’s tripping really hard.” 

The cheetah’s raspy voice had a strange accent. He’d liked it though. Something about the way it sounded had reduced him to blushes and coy glances for most of the evening. God, Tyler was right, he really was a slut. 

He didn’t resist the cheetah’s grip and instead tried to force his mind and senses to focus on further anchoring himself in this moment and the sense of continuity. 

“He’s small, but the first one wasn’t working. I gave him a second.” 

That voice was deeper than the other. He liked the way the vibration felt against his back. He was only briefly startled to remember that there was a second person in here with him. Because of course there had been two of them. The other, more muscular and taller was behind him. Jesus, they were both inside him. How had he forgotten that? He’d never done that before. It didn’t hurt, but he felt that maybe it should. 

For a few seconds, he was in Mr. Riley’s class, listening to him warn about how barbs could cause internal injuries if you weren’t careful. He didn’t feel like he’d been careful, and now he imagined the look he’d get if he had to explain some kind of sex injury to his father. 

“They’re supposed to take a few minutes to hit. They’re dosed for fucking zeas. Bloody hell, he’s burning up. If he gets sick we’re going to be fucked.” 

He did feel overheated, but he’d assumed it was because he was sandwiched between two furred bodies and because the sex had been intense. Or was he thinking of what he’d done with Virgil and Simon again? 

He looked around the room, trying to keep the tide from sweeping his mind back out into deep water again. 

This was only his second time in one of these rooms. This wasn’t the same one he’d shared with the hare and fox, but it was nearly identical: naked brick walls, simple but well-crafted wooden furniture with dark metal accents. Most of the space was filled by the wooden platform bed they were currently occupying, made up with simple, freshly laundered white linens (although they weren’t exactly fresh any more). No other blankets or pillows were provided. It wasn’t that kind of room. 

The only other furniture in the room was a small round table with three wooden chairs and a pair of lamps built into the wall on either side of the bed. Even to Miles’ human nose, the room’s air was unpleasantly sterile underneath all the sex smells. He’d heard a few zetas complain about things like that, but it was the first time he’d ever noticed it. Some deodorizing products apparently fucked with your sense of smell if they were used to heavily. 

“The heat is nice, no?” He felt a soft palm on his forehead and a cold nose against his neck. “No fever. The heat is from the plugs. He’ll be fine.” 

“Plugs?” Miles asked, not understanding how the word worked in this context. He kept thinking about plugging his phone charger into the wall, and his brain fixated on that for several long seconds. Where was his phone? 

Vaguely, he remembered aquamarine eyes reflecting in the dark as the larger of the felinids produced a small plastic baggie from his pocket. Miles had seen a bottle and some familiar looking wrappers and assumed the bag was just for lube and condoms. Those had made him feel safer. But he had been somewhat drunk when he’d come up here. Could there have been something else in there? Or maybe the lube had been laced with something. He vaguely remembered reading something about that once. 

They seemed to have picked up on his concern. Both were stroking him now. Their soft-padded hands felt nice against his skin. 

“Shh, Maandhow,” a voice cooed into his ear while a sharp claw slowly traced the edge of the bar in his nipple. A shudder passed through him and he nearly came. He wasn’t even hard. “You feel good, yes? Just float and be pretty. Thinking too much ruins the moment, yes?” 

“Float? No, I can’t—” 

He couldn’t finish the thought as the zeta shifted his hips and then shoved deeper into him. Miles arched his back out of sheer reflex. Oh, that hurt, but it also felt amazing. More intense than any sex he’d ever had, except possibly that time with Alec. And no one was even touching his dick. 

He didn’t realize the animal-like sound echoing through the room was him until he’d stopped making it. The zetas didn’t seem to mind. The one underneath him was staring up at him with those green eyes all but oozing lust. And dammit, in spite of the urgent understanding that something was wrong, the only thing he could think about was how good he felt and how he would do just about anything to keep it going.

Embarrassed at how much noise he was making, he put his forearm to his mouth and collapsed most of his body against the zeta underneath him just so he could muffle the sounds he couldn’t stop himself from making. 

Then he heard Virgil’s somewhat husky voice in his ear and he was gone. Back in the memory. Except now it didn’t feel like a memory, and he was questioning whether that other thing with the cats had been real at all. That other him, the one reduced to a trembling, sex-addled idiot felt far away.  

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that, dear. These rooms have soundproofing built into the walls. That’s why we can’t hear the music from downstairs.” Simon was underneath him. The red fox’s long muzzle was parted slightly and he was panting.  

Behind him, Virgil was holding him (mostly there for emotional support at that moment). Miles liked the way the hare’s arms felt around his chest. 

“That means you can get as loud as you want,” the hare had whispered, arms wrapped tightly around his chest. With Miles on top, the fox seemed to be exercising a great deal of restraint to avoid grabbing the human and forcing a tie before the human was ready. 

Glancing down, Miles was briefly surprised to find the arms around him were covered in golden fur and a constellation of solid dark spots. Gods, he’d lost track of himself again. He wriggled, against the way they were holding him, trying to get free, but the one behind him was getting close and he snarled loudly against his ear. 

Instinctively, he froze. Then whimpered as the cheetah bit down on his shoulder and slammed hard into him one last time. The prick of his teeth caused his skin to burn and the pulsing of the cock inside him caused waves of pain and pleasure to cascade through his entire body. He shuddered, then cried out again as his own powerful orgasm took him. He rode the crest of sensations as best he could, but he was lost in it for sometime. 

The feel of hot breath against his neck was what pulled him back this time. The felinid was pulling back, and his teeth had left Miles’s skin oversensitive. He felt a warm trickle, and was somewhat terrified to see he was bleeding from the bite. Rather than pain, the sensation sent a vibrating thrill down his side, a sensation that seemed to echo through every nerve in his body. Thin lines of blood from where the cheetah’s teeth had pierced his skin were now oozing down his arm, and tears were slowly streaming down his cheeks. 

The one below him was trying to soothe him. “Shh. You’re fine. You did good.” Miles accepted this, and didn’t resist as they put him onto his side, shuddering from occasional aftershocks of sensation. He didn’t quite sleep, but he wasn’t quite conscious either. He simply drifted between memory and sensation. He couldn’t have said for how long. 

A knocking sound on the door startled him back into consciousness. His head throbbed, and that reminded him again of that party two years earlier – or at least the aftermath of it. Still, his mind didn’t seem to be drifting quite so much as before. The smaller of the cheetahs was still cuddled up to him in the bed, spooning him. A soft arm was draped over his hips, and though he was certain that something was very wrong, the physical presence was still comforting. 

Miles stirred on the bed, eyes going to the door where he saw Ari, the larger of the cheetahs, moving to answer the knock. He opened it without hesitation, and three more cheetahs walked in. Each had a similar build to the others that he assumed was common for the breed: skinny, tall, and long-limbed, though there were clear differences if you looked long enough. Miles found himself giving nicknames to them based on the most obvious distinctive features. One was a few inches shorter than the others, except for Paden, and he had the remnants of an old scar across his left cheek, so he became Scar. Another had a pair of glasses and an icy facial expression that made him seem cruel and disinterested at the same time. The last was more heavily muscled, and had styled and dyed his headfur into a red stripe resembling a mohawk. Despite the differences, all three were wearing dark slacks and white collared shirts and skinny red ties. The same outfits Paden and Ari had been wearing when Miles had met them downstairs.

He’d assumed they were a couple. He’d thought it was cute how they dressed alike. Now, he was remembering Alec’s warning about zeta gangs. 

Miles tried to sit up all the way, but Paden wouldn’t let him. He pulled him back down next to him. The three of them were still nude, and the reek of sex was still overhwhelming those sterile chemicals he’d noticed before. 

Mohawk’s eyes lingered on Miles’s naked form for several long moments as he scanned the room, but the others didn’t seem all that interested. 

“What took you so long, I texted an hour ago,” Ari was saying. 

Glasses folded his arms and leaned against the small wooden table. “There’s someone downstairs asking around for you two. He kept trying to follow us around.” 

Ari’s stance stiffened and his tail switched behind him. “Who?’ There weren’t any hyenas today, I would have taken care of that.” 

Mohawk shook his head, turning his leering eyes from Miles and to Ari. “Not a ‘yeen. Wolf. I think he was one of the dancers.”
 
Miles felt a sense of relief. Had he told Alec he was going to be here? He remembered a conversation in a parking lot where he’d agreed to do that, but he couldn’t remember if he actually had. 

“You know who that is?” Paden murmured behind him. His voice was gentle, but it had a tone of command behind it. 

He tried to speak, his voice was croaky. “I’m not sure.” 

Ari swore. “Fucking pups think they own every human who walks through the door.” Hard eyes fell on Miles. “Who is he?” 

Miles shook his head. “I don’t— don’t know, I think it might be my friend from school.” 

He didn’t think he should have said that, but his thoughts were coming so slowly. It was like trying to run in knee-deep water. Worse, his sense of continuity was still adrift. He was no longer bouncing between the past and present, but he was having trouble remembering things like what day it was and how he’d gotten here. Had he taken a bus? 

A shudder passed through him, and Paden, still in bed with him, noticed. “Shh,” he said, placing a hand back on his hip and adding just enough pressure to urge him back down. “Everything’s fine.” 

Except he knew it wasn’t. 

He tried to get up from the bed again, but Paden pulled him back more forcefully. “You’re going to be dizzy. Don’t want you to hurt yourself. Do you need water? I can get you something?” 

“Stop being a mother hen, Paden. You always do this.” That was Glasses.

The smallest of the cheetahs grumbled. “What’s wrong with being nice? Besides, Ari bit him pretty fucking hard. I should get something to clean him up.” 

Ari chuckled. “Yeah. Got carried away. He was squirming a lot.”

Miles would have blushed if he hadn’t already felt warm all over.  

Paden didn’t say anything for a few minutes, so Miles said. “I would like some water. Maybe some ice. It’s really hot in here.” 

The cheetah sighed, and Miles saw him shoot Ari a dirty look. “Yeah, you’re right.” Paden got to his feet and walked around the room to gather up a pair of underwear and his slacks. That was apparently enough for him to feel comfortable stepping out into the public part of the club. “I’ll get some ice from the bar.”

“Get me a beer,” Mohawk said. 

“I wouldn’t mind another whisky,” Ari said, rocking the remnants of a large ice cube at the bottom of a rocks glass

“Yeah, yeah, OK.” 

“And keep an eye out for that wolf. Not sure what his deal is.” 

Almost as soon as Paden was gone, Mohawk was giving Miles another one of those long looks. If the others noticed, they didn’t say anything. 

“If it’s one of the lobos, I’m going to be pissed,” Ari said. “We’re supposed to have first claim on Friday nights.” 

Scar said something back, but Miles didn’t hear him because Mohawk had stepped closer and was running a hand through Miles’s hair. “I forget how soft human hair is,” he murmured. Miles flinched back, but he had nowhere to go. 

Mohawk smiled reassuringly. “Hey, I don’t bite,” he said that last with a glance towards his shoulder. The bite there wasn’t that deep and the bleeding had stopped, but it still throbbed with pain. “What’s your name?” 

He didn’t want to say it, and then he found himself glancing at the other three still in the room with him. They were all watching him now, and he’d never felt more like a piece of meat. Were they all going to want to fuck him? He didn’t think he could do that. Even through the haze of alcohol and whatever drug they’d given him, he could feel that he was sore and likely would be for several days. He wondered if it would be worse than how he’d felt after Alec. 

Ari seemed to misinterpret his expression – or maybe he just didn’t care. “Miles Hawley. He’s a senior at East Seneca. Just transferred in from out of state. New Garden, wasn’t it?”

Miles didn’t remember sharing these details, and he felt mildly embarrassed. He didn’t think he was dumb enough to open up to complete strangers like this.  

“He’s so small,” Mohawk said, letting his hand drift to his shoulder, then down his side. Miles shuddered. 

Ari chuckled. “He’s flexible enough where it counts.” 

Mohawk licked his chops, hand reaching down to the front of his slack. “That’s a pretty name. You think you could do me a favor, Miles?”

Miles had a pretty good idea what kind of ‘favor’ the cheetah had in mind. For possibly the first time in his life he felt more fear than anything else at the prospect of sucking a dick. He swallowed, looking up at Mohawk with wide eyes, then back to Ari and his two cronies who were all still watching closely. None of them moved to help. 

A long-fingered hand wrapped around the back of his head and urged him to the swelling ridge now concealed only by a dark pair of boxer-briefs. Miles closed his eyes and consigned himself to what was about to happen. 

A booming thud sounded from the door and echoed off the brick walls. He jumped, as did the felinids. He reflexively muttered an apology, but Mohawk shoved him away and the others were all ignoring him now, their full attention on the door way. Glasses was reaching into his pocket. 

“What the fuck?” Scar said. 

There was a second loud impact of something against the heavy wooden door, followed by faint talking sounds. He couldn’t make out the voices. . 

“Paden, is that you?” Ari called out, a dangerous edge to the question. Glasses had produced some kind of slender pocket knife. Maybe a switchblade. 

A muffled voice came from the other side, followed by the sounds of the door unlocking. He recognizes Paden’s accented voice, but Miles couldn’t make out what he was saying. 

The others seemed to relax. Though not entirely. The knife didn’t go away. 

The door opened, and a tall, bare-chested figure – Paden – stepped slowly into the room. There was a short corridor connecting the main room to the door, and a bathroom off to the side. The lights were off, and it was difficult to make out what was going on. Still, it was clear to all of them, including Miles, that something was wrong. The cheetah was moving slowly, a slight limp in his step. 

Then the felinid was stumbling forward, crying out in alarm as he tripped, then fell to the ground near the bed. In the light provided by the bedside lamps, Miles got a glimpse of the cheetah’s face. He looked dazed, and he was bleeding from his nose and cheek. One of his eyes was badly swollen. He groaned from the floor, but didn’t try to get up. 

Still standing in the hallway was a canid figure. He was shorter than the cheetah’s, but wider. Tall triangular ears and golden eyes that almost seemed to glow made it clear the intruder was a canid. Behind him, two other zeta figures stood in the doorway, both looking a bit more tense than Alec, who simply glowered at the remaining cheetahs.