The Morning After (Short Story)

This originally appeared in Chasing Tail Issue #1 last year, and is a prequel to my short story "A Moment of Darkness." It's been a while since I've posted something this adult on here, so enjoy!

The wolf awoke naked, his hands cuffed behind his back against the bedframe. The smell of lube and musk filled the air as the morning light burned into his skull. The first thing he noticed after he blinked his eyes against the bright light was that the drapes in the corner hotel room had been pulled back and he could look out over the city. The towers of the downtown spread out before him. Of course, anyone who looked in would have seen his naked body, if the glass had not been tinted to reflect bright light.

Ammar blinked again, trying to get his head on straight, and shifted his weight. His arms were raised and behind him, but he was lying on the bed. He was stiff, and sore, and he wasn’t sure why before it came flooding back to him.

The wolf remembered then. He’d been looking out over the skyline as the coyote had fucked him last night. He’d moaned loudly around the gag in his muzzle, his face pressed up against the glass. That would have been visible to anyone looking in then.

Next to him on the bed lay the ball gag he wore last night along with a used towel. Someone had wiped themselves up after sex last night, and left the cum rag on the bed, but who? He couldn't quite remember with the pounding headache in his head.

Maybe it was Ezra, but was the coyote the only one he’d been with last night? The stretched feeling under his tail was enough to tell him he’d been busy. He’d gotten drunk and wanted to do this. He’d ridden the night out in a state of ecstasy. First with the coyote and then…his mind refused to tell him if there was more.

He shook his head and closed his eyes to focus. He pulled the scents in the room into his nose and let his mind sort them out. There was musk and the scent of lube, his scent, and one he vaguely recognized. No one else had been in his hotel room, but the vaguely familiar scent triggered the memory of him greeting Ezra at the door, already knowing what he wanted to have happen. The coyote had come up because he’d invited him up. All of this was his doing. Ammar had known Ezra for a while now, but he’d never known Ezra like this.

He shifted and felt the straps shift against the wooden slat headboard. Ammar carefully reached out with his digits to let himself go. There wasn’t a lot of play in them, but he should be able to get a claw under the strap and—

Little padlocks clinked against the buckles.

The wolf froze and felt his ears go back.

The thick leather handcuffs were his, the restraint strap was also his, but the locks weren’t something he’d ever bought. Someone had left him here, used and waiting to be found.

He turned his head to look over the restraints. He was so used to letting himself slip from these cuffs he could do it without looking, but this required him to actually focus his attention on the handcuffs. At the end of the buckle’s prong that went through the leather there was a small loop. Where normally there was nothing, now a small padlock rested. Looking around, he could see the straps had been tied to the end of the headboard, high up, out of his reach. He was securely chained to the king-size bed.

With a sour feeling in his stomach, he tried to reach for one of the anchor points. He had to squirm to sit up, and even when he did get his back against the headboard, he realized the ends of the straps had also been secured with a padlock.

Why had Ezra done this? He shook his head, trying to think. Ammar had been at a company dinner, but after he’d left dinner, he texted Ezra, asking him to come up and join him. He’d flirted with Ezra before, but for a first time playing together, this was a rather involved scene.

Ammar had told the coyote that he was lonely after the company dinner, and he needed company. Ezra had come to his room, and the coyote had given him everything he’d wanted. Ammar had not been shy about what he wanted either, and Ezra had tried to satiate the wolf’s urges.

The wolf glanced around. Maybe if he could get to his phone, he could text Ezra, assuming he could somehow get the phone into his paws. Luckily, his phone was on the nightstand, and next to it a set of small keys. All of it was well out of reach of his bound arms. However, Ammar realized he could contort his body to get a footpaw over there. He would need to be careful though. If he didn’t hook the keys correctly or knock the phone onto the bed, both would end up on the ground.

As he started trying to work his body onto his side, he finally noticed the chaise lounge by the window had a blanket tossed on top and a pillow. Ezra had slept there, but why had he left Ammar in this state?

His mind provided the missing piece finally: because Ammar had asked him to. He’d told Ezra he just wanted to be used and the coyote had done just that. Ezra had fucked the wolf like the wolf wanted to be fucked and…

There was a tapping at the hotel room door. “Housekeeping!”

Every strand of fur on his body stood up. He didn’t want to be found like this.

“Housekeeping,” said the voice, as a card was pressed up against the lock. There was a click as the room unlocked.

He started desperately trying to get onto his side as he heard the door to the hotel room open. Even though his wrists were straining at the cuffs, he managed to get onto his side. Wildly he took a swipe with one of his footpaws. He managed to even get a claw into the keyring, but the keys slid off and bounced off the side of the bed and onto the ground, somewhere between the bed and the chaise lounge.

He was going to be the laughingstock of the hotel, and his boss might hear about this. Shit, he was in trouble, and this wasn’t going to be good. His coworkers would never let him live this down if they found out. Hell, the whole conference might hear the story.

“Can I help you,” said a familiar voice.

“Housekeeping,” said the strange voice from the hallway.

“I can see that. I left the do not disturb sign on the door for a reason.”

“I’m so sorry, sir. It was on the floor. Also, it’s 10 AM. I thought perhaps you might have dropped it by accident.”

“I didn’t,” said Ezra.

“Oh, okay. Do you need anything.”

There was a pause. “Actually, I could use some towels.”

“Oh of course, I can bring them in for you.”

“No need now,” he replied. “Here, just drape them over my arm and I’ll be fine.” There was a shuffling sound as the door was opened wide. “Thank you.”

“Of course, sir.” Footpaws dragged across the carpet, then the door slammed shut, and the lock clicked automatically.

Ammar turned to the entranceway, lying flat on his back, but he couldn’t see anyone there except for a shadow.

“Hello?” the wolf called out.

The coyote came in carrying a coffee in one paw and a paper bag in the other. The towels were draped across the arm carrying the bag. “You’re awake, I see.”

“Can you let me go?”

The coyoted yipped, amused. “No.”

The wolf whined. “I can’t be here all day, I have a meeting.”

“I told your boss you were sick. Anyway, he looks like he barely crawled out of bed himself. Your company’s development staff drink like fish.”

The wolf laid his ears back. “It’s the company culture.”

“Yeah, well you work for a shitty company then.”

The wolf snorted and pulled at the bonds. “So, you’re going to leave me in my room like this?”

“Of course not, but if you really want me to, I can let housekeeping find you.”

Ammar’s ears went back.

The coyote chuckled and walked over to dump the towels on the chaise. “So why this setup?” He put the bag down on the TV stand before he turned to look at the wolf. “You planned this, you told me you wanted this, and I, in my half-drunk state, went for it. We hardly know each other.”

“We’ve talked all the time.”

“About networking requirements for a software product my company sells. Not… kink BDSM!”

Ammar felt his tail, even though it was pinned under him, try and curl back up under himself. “Look, I’m sorry. I guess I got lonely, drunk, and I made a pass, and oh shit, I didn’t even think about the consent implications.”

The coyote went to open his mouth, and then shut it. “Fuck, neither did I. I assumed you were down for it when you sent me the room number and told me the door would be ajar. I just opened the door and there you were, naked and ready. Even so, if you were drunk, and I was drunk… we made bad decisions.”

The wolf put his head back against the headboard. “I’m sorry. I let myself get carried away. I’ve always pondered about that pride icon in your emails. After the mixer the night before and the flirting, I figured I knew enough to make a move.”

Ezra chuckled. “Oh, it’s no secret at work I’m gay. I lead SwantonTech’s Rainbows employee channel. If someone isn’t willing to be out at work, no one is going to be. It helps me put people at ease. Does Sizix Software even have a pride group?”

The wolf shook his head, “No.”

The coyote walked over to the nightstand and picked up the keys from the floor. “From what I’ve seen of your company, I’m not surprised. You however, brought a lot of gear to a tech conference.”

“I use Barked when I get too pent up.”

“Maybe use less gear when you first meet someone,” said Ezra.

Ammar whined. His tail was still trying to curl up under him. “Sorry if I came off too strong,”

“It’s not strong,” said the coyote as he went to undo one of the cuffs. He knelt on the bed to get to the padlocks. “It’s just not first date material, if you know what I mean.”

“That depends who you ask.”

“I guess, but second or third date would be when you should start getting into your preferences,” he remarked, putting the key in the lock and undoing it.

“I mean, the locks weren’t mine.”

Ezra coughed. “Well, uh… no, they’re mine.”

Ammar looked up at the coyote towering over him, and a thought struck him, “How drunk were you last night?”

“That’s not important.”

“And you take padlocks to a conference?”

Ezra looked away, ears down. “I’ve seen you on Barked."

The wolf frowned. “You planned this.”

“I did not plan this,” growled the coyote. “I just knew what I was getting into when I came up, and well, fuck. Okay, you’re not the only lonely gay guy here who likes kinky stuff, okay?”

Ammar shook out the cramp in his free arm and put his paw on Ezra’s hip. “So maybe I texted the right person last night after all.”

The coyote looked at the paw on his hip and then back at him. “And what do you think that means?”

The wolf leaned forward a little to nose at Ezra’s crotch. “Not sure, but you’re getting hard.”

Ezra blushed. “I’m trying to be the adult here.”

“It’s cute,” said Ammar, “but we seem to have danced around this a bit.”

The coyote growled. “I can find your predicament sexy and still keep my pants on.”

“Do you want to?”

The coyote growled and yanked the paw off his hips and lifted the arm to push it back against the bed frame. “No!”

“Then don’t.”

“This is not how we should be doing the morning after!”

“Then stop sending me little winking emojis in your emails.”

“Stop posting hot nudes of yourself on Barked!” retorted Ezra.

“Stop fucking teasing me,” growled Ammar.

Ammar felt his arm be guided back into the cuff and the strap tightened. “Oh, I’m going to use you like a cum rag right now, wolf,” said Ezra.

The wolf’s pinned tail wagged. “We can get breakfast afterwards and talk.”

Ezra got off the bed and pulled down his khaki pants. “I’ve got breakfast, but I only got myself a coffee. Not sure how you like your coffee, so we can get you one when we’re done.”

Ammar smiled as the coyote got back up on the bed, now pants-less, and brought his crotch up to Ammar’s muzzle. “Cream, no sugar., although it’s looking like extra cream this morning.” The wolf then leaned forward and took the hardening shaft into his muzzle. He didn’t need to be prompted to. He wanted it, and so did Ezra. He’d been right to chase this one.