The Storm Wolf: Gathering Clouds - 10. Good Evening

Good Evening: A Lovely Night

Luther lay sprawled across my chest, his wet nose twitching occasionally, rubbing up near my neck. With each steady breath, I could feel his body rising and falling rhythmically, transmitting that reassuring warmth to me, without reserve.

It was only when he grumbled a bit that I realized I'd unconsciously started petting his big, mutt head again. Thankfully, he seemed to be sleeping deeply, or else he would probably protest how much he hated these interactions, like dealing with a puppy.

Normally, with these elements combined, I'd easily drift off to sleep, but it didn't look like tonight would be that simple.

I gently pushed Luther aside, slipping out of bed as quietly as possible. I couldn't immediately find where Rationalism knew my boots had been tossed, but the room's temperature had been pre-set, so even in this bare state, I didn't feel uncomfortable.

Luther grumbled again, then rolled over, wrapping himself up in the crimson coat I'd left on the floor. His slender, black tail swayed twice and then tucked itself between his legs.

No, this was too cute.

I shook my head firmly, forcing myself to focus, then walked toward the center of the room.

Sidestepping the scattered pieces of adamantine, I had the system terminal project a few reports, skimming them quickly.

Just as I was considering whether to make some coffee, a warm, solid figure embraced me from behind.

"Aren't you off duty?" Luther murmured, nuzzling into my ear.

"'On standby,'" I explained again. "Couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd handle some things."

"Tasks that aren't going anywhere," Luther said slyly, as his paws began wandering in ways that were far from innocent. "I could help 'handle' a few things too...like your to-do list."

"Aren't you ever tired?" I chuckled, wondering if I'd been like this at his age. "You've barely slept an hour."

I tried to brush his paws away, but this time he didn't relent, pressing his paw against my abdomen and moving lower. A soft moan slipped out of me, and I felt my ears heat up.

"You're still pretty lively yourself," the mischievous mutt whispered, making me want to smack him if I weren't trying hard to stay steady, avoiding any obvious trembling.

"Luther..." My voice was nearly a plea, which was all I could manage as a form of resistance.

"Yes, just like that." He laughed, clearly enjoying his victory. "Say my name."

I growled in frustration, but to him, it probably only encouraged him. If I'd had any willpower left to refuse, it vanished entirely as he slowly licked the fur on my neck.

With the paw he'd been stroking my chest with, he slid it down my side, pausing near my waist before firmly grasping the base of my tail, making me shiver. As he lifted my tail, combing his fingers through the fur, I let out a helpless whimper.

But to my surprise, Luther stopped and chuckled awkwardly.

"Uh..." The mood had shifted, but I still wanted to know what was up. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I just remembered..." Luther hesitated, releasing my tail, though he kept his other paw firmly on me, signaling that this cheeky mutt had no intention of stopping.

"Remembered what?" His reaction almost made me laugh, but I held back, patiently waiting for him while stroking the fur on his arm.

"I saw something in your storage locker once..." Luther trailed off, perhaps with a touch of guilt.

"We've talked about privacy before." I grumbled, though I'd mostly given up arguing about it with him.

"I wasn't snooping on purpose; I just happened to see it--and besides, if you didn't want anyone to see, you should've put it away properly!" I scoffed at his flimsy excuse.

"So, what did you see?" I honestly couldn't even remember what was in there anymore; it had been a while since I last organized it.

"A collar." He paused before admitting it, leaving me momentarily stunned. "At first, I didn't get why you'd keep that in there among gemstones and other high-end, intricate equipment. I thought it might be some sort of keepsake. But then, I caught the scent--all of your scent was on it."

"If you 'just happened to see it,' how do you know it had my scent?" I asked, exasperated.

"I already saw it, so what’s the difference!" the mutt barked, leaving me no choice but to roll my eyes at myself. "So, is that your collar?"

He didn't spell it out, but his emphasis conveyed exactly what he meant.

"Yes, it's my collar," I replied evenly, wondering what he might think of that.

"Oh, really? So, specifically, how do you use it?" The mutt seemed unusually intrigued, which I could sense clearly. "I did some research--for scientific purposes, of course--and found a bit of material," he added unnecessarily. Naturally, I was convinced. "But I ended up with more questions."

I tried to erase any mental image of Luther "researching," but it was too amusing.

"Well, what if I don't want to tell you?" I laughed, nuzzling up against him. "I still haven't gotten you back for snooping..."

In an instant, Luther threw me down with a motion that would make Arthur proud, pinning me belly-down to the floor and straddling my back.

"Oh, I know you'll submit willingly. I'm very persuasive." He twisted my wrists behind my back, bringing his nose close to my ear, whispering hotly enough to make my ears twitch. "I can be very rough if necessary."

"Oh, I believe it," I nearly laughed, but Luther seemed determined to prove his seriousness, tightening his grip on my wrists.

"Believe? You're about to know." His cunning tone dripped with confidence.

Before I had a chance to come up with a witty remark, I knew quite clearly that if necessary, Luther was indeed capable of being very rough.