Series of Death, Draft 02, CH 38 (Patreon)

Marlot watched the dark-furred lion walk through the bar as if it was his personal hunting ground.

He tried to see what Trembor might have seen in the male. That picture had shown love, not just friendship. It had been a theme among all the pictures.

Marlot’s skin crawled at the memory of the lion holding his hand, caressed it, the invitation. How could his lion, so strong and confident, have fallen for such a slimy male? And one that partied with other males rather than being home to the cougar he lived with? He hadn’t found a mating contract, but there had been some sort of relationship there. A male didn’t get that angry, then that contrite on realizing he’d gone overboard with a friend. The lion cared for the cougar, Marlot had been certain of that.

Then, the following evening, the lion had spent three hours at another male’s house, a tiger, after work, before going home. The one after that, he went to see a lynx who was wrapped around the lion before the door was fully opened. The way Gorrek’s hands grabbed the lynx’s ass, they were more than friends. The next evening he was back at the lynx’s home, but a panther was also waiting for him there. The two were uncomfortable until the lion opened his arms to them and they melted against him.

Last night, Gorrek had gone to yet another house, a jaguar, but the meeting had started differently. The jaguar had been stiff, unwelcoming. Marlot hadn’t seen anger in the jaguar’s face, only determination. He kept the lion’s at arms’ length, once even shoving him back as he took a step forward. The lion spoke for a minute, and the jaguar’s body language shifted; uncertainty cracked the determination. The lion’s body wasn’t angry, which Marlot had expected at being treated this coldly. After another minute of listening to the lion, the jaguar looked down, fidgeted in place, shrunk in on himself. He was ashamed, Marlot realized. Gorrek caressed the other male’s face, and the jaguar leaned into the touch. They hugged and went inside.

Marlot had touched his cheek, remembering Trembor’s touch. He’d shaken himself and gone back to his stalking, waiting for the hunter to make his move.

He had to give this to the lion; he had a way with words. It was the only thing that explained the jaguar’s reaction. Marlot would never have melted that chilly reception. On top of the time he spent with the jaguar, Gorrek left with a package wrapped in butcher paper under an arm. It looked large enough to feed two people.

And now, the lion was at this bar, the lynx on his lap, the panther leaning against him, and another lion and tiger at their table. They were all laughing.

Was it a lion thing, this need to be with multiple people at the same time? Trembor’s father had three mates, and while he didn’t know how the relationships had begun, he’d seen enough during that one dinner he attended to know there was respect between Torim and his mates, which Marlot couldn’t see here. If not for the way the lynx had draped himself over the lion, or how the panther nuzzled him right now while they talked, he would say the relationships were entirely casual.

Was this what Marlot had to look forward to with Trembor? He wanted to say no, but with Trembor walking out on him for some unknown reason came the realization he didn’t know the lion as well as he’d thought. Now that they were mated, would he have insisted to bring more males into their relationship? Would he have expected Marlot to simply go along with it? The way he felt the lynx and panther did?

Would he do it? Marlot wondered. Could Marlot share his lion with other males, or would he demand exclusivity? He should be enough for the lion, shouldn’t he? He groaned. He was mature enough to know love didn’t mean things would be simple, but why were they this complicated? He loved Trembor, he’d thought Trembor loved him. With open discussions, it should have been enough to weather anything.

Then why at the lion walked away?

Marlot tried to remember the details. They’d argued about how they’d bring the tiger to justice. Trembor had bristled at how Marlot had made a deal with the hacker for the information. Had unreasonably demanded he break his word and turn him over to the enforcer, even if that meant the proof he’d provided would be destroyed. When Marlot wouldn’t agree, the lion had turned and walked away.

He sighed. Why did he keep going over this? He didn’t know why Trembor had walked away because the lion just wouldn’t talk to him. He looked at the lion seated with the four males now on his side of the table, leaning close as if they all wanted to press against him.

Maybe he’d given up on them because Marlot stood his ground? Gorrek seemed to like getting his way. Maybe that was a side of Trembor he hadn’t seen yet? His lion wasn’t as talented with his muzzle as the dark-furred lion, but he did have some talent with it. He smiled at memories of what his lion had down with his muzzle, then groaned again. He didn’t need that kind of distraction while surveilling this lion. Not with how he also remembered Gorrek holding his hand, the look he’d given him, the implied promise of pleasure without ever having to voice them.

Fuck, he wasn’t doing anything with Trembor’s old lover, even if he wasn’t using him as bait to lure in Al’garinam.

Reminding himself why he was here cooled his blood enough, he realized he’d avoided the obvious question these last few days. Had the hunter picked Gorrek because of was connected to Trembor, or was it a coincidence? Either seemed improbable, but the odds of going after Trembor’s old lover right after threatening Trembor himself had to be astronomical. But if this was on purpose, what was the point? He remembered Al’garinam’s anger at the fact he and Trembor hadn’t talked when Marlot had rescued him.

Was the hunter trying to show him Trembor wasn’t as pure as he let on? Marlot had known his lion had had lovers before him. Well, he’d figured he had. Unlike him, Trembor was comfortable around other males, so he wouldn’t have kept to himself.

He rubbed his face. Why was he trying to assign any kind of sense to the hare? He was a hunter; he was deranged. Nothing he did made sense, except in his twisted mind. Just the idea Marlot was picked to stop him proved that. So what did exposing Trembor as… again, what? A normal, healthy, sexually active male, bring him?

He cursed as he noticed the lion was no longer at the table. He checked the time, exactly three hours since he’d arrived. The other three males now sat with as much distance between them as they could. They no longer looked like they wanted to be there. The lion had been the lube that let them enjoy each other’s company.

Marlot smiled at the image of the lion with the three males, in bed, all properly lubed up. His smile faltered as he located the lion exiting the bar and the implication that the four of them in the same bed meant they’d have sex at the same time. Then instead of Gorrek, it was Trembor in the bed with the males, forcing Marlot to share him.

He noted the time. This was now enough of a pattern he could add it to Stalker 2.0. The male’s care was a few years old. Which surprised Marlot; part of him expected the lion to have this year’s model.

Were the males Gorrek’s pride? The concept of the pride with lions was old. He’d read up on it as part of trying to understand Trembor’s extensive family. One male with multiple mates. Lots of cubs, a tightly knit community among all families, going back to a common ancestor. It had been a survival mechanism, back before civilization was a thing. And it had led to many of the leaders being lions, because of the support structure their family gave them. Unlike wolves, who, apart from their mate and cubs, were loners. Even having experienced Trembor’s boisterous family, the concept was strange to him. Wanting so many people around.

Maybe it explained why his lion had so many friends.

He followed the lion as he drove through the city. He was going back home, he knew, but while the odds of it were low, Al’garinam might still decide to spring on the lion anywhere in between, and Marlot had to be there to catch him.

Gorrek parked outside the garage this time, and Marlot frowned. He usually parked it inside. He exited it carrying something, another package wrapped in butcher paper. More meat. He hadn’t realized one of the males had brought him some.

Did Gorrek do any of his own hunting?

Could Stalker 2.0 deal with a predator who didn’t hunt? It still couldn’t deal with a hunting prey. Could he alter its code to make the lion’s stalking sexual, instead of driven by hunger? They were both hungers, after all, he’d simply have to change the characteristics the lion looked for.

What were those parameters?

Marlot snorted. “Start with how you feel, wolf.” He glanced down at his crotch. “You’re pretty damned needy yourself right now.”

He looked up to the lion, scanning his surroundings before heading to the door. Once the lion was inside, Marlot drove off. He did a circuit around the neighborhood to make sure nothing was out of the ordinary, then headed home, where he’d take care of his need, alone.

“Just go find yourself a male,” he grumbled. “The lion’s left you. You don’t have to stay faithful to him. You’re entitled to finding comfort too. Just pick a male to hold you.”

But he knew it wasn’t a question of being faithful. He just didn’t want anyone other than Trembor to hold him, to comfort him.

If he wasn’t going to have his lion, he didn’t want to have anyone in his bed at all.

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