Chapter One #2
For what felt like a long time, Kefir remained very still, very silent. Eventually, Ellery felt boy wrap his hand around his dick. Kefir’s touch became a little firmer as he seemed to gain confidence. Apparently, lions liked to jack off just as much as humans.
It wasn’t the kind of information Ellery had been searching for when he volunteered to play the part of the sacrifice, but as Kefir rubbed his thumb back and forth across the head of his cock, Ellery couldn’t quite manage to feel annoyed by the diversion.
Pre-cum began to slick Kefir’s touch. He was just beginning to build up a pleasing rhythm when, without explanation or warning, he took his hand away.
“Wh—?” Ellery quickly cut himself short, but he wasn’t quick enough.
“Do you mind?” The question was so softly spoken, so wary. As out of his element as Ellery felt, with his wrists bound and his eyes covered, he couldn’t help but think it was Kefir who was really out of his depth.
Even here on what had to be his home territory, surrounded by the familiar, Kefir seemed to be completely uncertain what he should do. And he seemed to be looking to the one person in the room who knew zero about the whole tradition for advice.
“It’s your choice,” Ellery said, very clearly. “Whatever we do here is your choice.”
“Unless you say your word,” Kefir added, carefully.
“Yes,” Ellery allowed. “Unless I say my safe word. And what’s your safe word?”
“Lions don’t have words,” Kefir pointed out politely.
Subs do, regardless of species. And you really shouldn’t let the bondage confuse you into thinking that I’m the sub in this scene… Ellery smiled slightly. It probably wouldn’t hurt to find a more diplomatic way of putting it.
“They do if they’re doing a scene with me. Your safe word is red. If you get scared or want to stop, that’s what you should say. Understand?”
As he said the words, Ellery felt something settle inside him. Familiar ground. When it came right down to it, it didn’t matter if it was a human club or a lion’s den. Dominance was dominance.
“Kefir,” Ellery prompted. “Do you understand?”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Good boy.”
Being cuffed and blindfolded didn’t change who was in charge, who was responsible for the scene. It didn’t excuse a dom from doing his duty and taking appropriate care of the man under his control. It just made it a damn sight more difficult to enjoy the process.
“It’s your choice what you want to do next,” Ellery prompted.
Kefir’s hand came to rest on Ellery’s leg and cautiously began to trace over his skin again.
“That’s fine,” Ellery promised. And he forced himself to remain still and impassive as Kefir resumed his explorations.
He’d gone over dozens of submissives’ bodies that way over the years. He knew how to make a guy squirm, either with pleasure or with frustration, depending on how well they had behaved up until that point.
And he knew how a blindfold could alter a submissive’s experience of the world, how it could heighten each sensation, how it could encourage them to give up control and rely on their dom.
Being vulnerable before another man could pull something out of a sub’s psyche.
Trust could come quickly to a man who couldn’t rely on his own senses to take care of him.
And, just as Ellery had expected, it did nothing for him, except make him consider the bondage more annoying than ever. He would have given a part of his soul to be able to reverse their positions.
Lacking the ability to do that, he had to be patient with the situation he’d committed himself to.
Squaring his shoulders a little, Ellery took a deep breath and chased the tension out of his muscles.
The very fact he relaxed and seemed more willing to accept Kefir’s explorations seemed to give the boy some extra confidence.
A breath caressed Ellery’s shoulder as he felt Kefir lean toward him. A moment later, a rough little tongue lapped at his skin.
“You taste nice.”
It was said so politely, Ellery had to bite back a chuckle. “Thank you.”
Kefir moved to kneel at his side. His hands began to explore Ellery’s back with just as much interested as he’d inspected the rest of him. Kefir’s fingers stroked gently down his spine until they reached his bound wrists. He hesitated as he touched the cuffs.
He was going to undo them. Ellery had no doubt about that. Kefir was going to undo the cuffs and make the whole situation one that Ellery might be able to truly enjoy, and—
“Kefir.”
Kefir snatched his hands away from the restraints the moment he heard the leader of the pride speak, and Ellery found a few new mental curses.
“The food’s about to be brought in.”
Ellery had the distinct feeling that some silent message passed between Kefir and the leader of the pride at that point. And, damn, but the blindfold really was grating now.
“There’s a sofa,” Kefir suggested, softly.
With his knees already protesting and his legs cramping in the unfamiliar position, Ellery didn’t need to be coaxed. He quickly nodded his approval of the idea.
Kefir’s hands slid against his skin as he helped Ellery to his feet.
Soon, Ellery had no hesitation in thinking of the lion as smaller than him.
As their bodies brushed together, he was left in little doubt that he was a good head taller than Kefir.
He also knew for certain that the boy’s cock was just as hard as his own.