by Charlie Tran
"What the hell? I'm not wearing this." I made a face as I held up the clothing he'd picked-if you could even call it clothing. It was more like glorified lingerie. Shorts that were far too small, that would barely hide your junk. A silken halter top that covered only the chest, with a mesh of plastic beads that dripped down barely far enough to obscure my stomach from prying eyes.
"Hurry up,” he snapped. “It's the only thing I can find to hide your fat belly. Unless you wanna show it off, of course." Glenn winked at me as he stripped himself naked with little shame. I averted my gaze, blushing and getting up out of my seat as well. The clothing he was attempting to pull onto his rather amazing, slim physique matched my own, though with a curtain of faux gems to hide his stomach.
"Fine," I grumbled.
"Good boy. Hurry up, we don't have all day."
"All right, now when we go in, don't say anything. Just stand tall and follow my lead," Glenn whispered as we walked down the hall, approaching a large set of beaded curtains that blocked us from completely seeing the inside of the main establishment.
I pouted as I waddled closer to him, trying to covertly pull the fabric of the shorts out of my behind. They were so small that they kept riding up, though that was probably the point.
"Stop that!" he lectured as he turned around and swatted my elbow.
"Fine." I sighed, watching him as he slid a hand through the strands of the beads and pulled them to one side. They were loud, clattering against one another in a way that made my ears ring. But if their purpose was to announce that more workers were entering, it worked, for as we stepped past them, the eyes of those in the room were drawn to the two of us for just a moment.
The sheer size of the room was stunning, and the view from the outside didn't do it justice. It was almost magical how big it was inside compared to what I assumed the size was going to be within. And the décor was much more luxurious and elaborate than that throughout the rest of the Gilded Heart.
The rugs that overlapped one another and covered the likely grimy floor were beautiful, deep red in hue, with ornamental gold and royal blue designs covering them. The walls were a bright, almost yellow mirror that reflected the patrons and the workers walking to and fro, many of their outfits as risqué as our own. This was true of everyone except for the butlers, wolves I recognized from the cages. They walked around with their heads low, trays on their hands laden with glasses of wine and other drinks as they delivered them to the customers.
"Look, over there," Glenn whispered from over his shoulder, nodding toward a group of three men sitting around a hookah. "Those are my regular custies. The one on the left, anyway."
"How can you tell?" I whispered back as I followed him. They were all wearing masks. Every single patron in here was. And aside from that, the smoke that overwhelmed the senses made it too hard to isolate anyone's scent to determine who they were.
"Trust me, I can. Stop lollygagging." Glenn clicked his tongue, swinging his hips in an over-exaggerated manner. He came to a stop in front of the three gentlemen, placing a hand on his side.
"Glenn, so nice to see you." The man he had pointed out to me spoke up, his uncovered mouth turning up into a wide, perverse grin.
"You too, X."
X? Were they using code names?
"And who's your friend here? I thought you worked alone when you weren't on your knees scrubbing the club all day."
"You mean on your knees with you." His friend next to him snickered, elbowing his friend in the side. The man called X brushed it off, extending out a hand for Glenn to grab, and pulling him down to sit at his side while I stood there stupidly.
"Well, aren't you going to take a seat?" the man sitting next to X said, patting the seat between him and the other gentleman while X was turned around, completely focused and enamored with Glenn.
"Oh... Oh yeah. Of course," I stuttered, awkwardly making my way around the table to plop down in between the two men.
"So… Tell us about yourself. How long have you been here? Jay, by the way." The masked customer leaned back casually, one arm on the back of the heavily cushioned couch the other extended toward me in greeting. I took it, giving him a polite handshake before quickly retracting my hand. "Not very long."
"It's his first night," Glenn said, leaning from around X with a wary smile on his face. "So don't try anything weird. I'm teaching him the ropes."
Thank God for Glenn. I hoped he would continue to prevent these creeps from trying to get to know me more than I was willing to let them.
"Fine, fine." Jay huffed, turning his attention to the man that approached us now. He was a bit older compared to the others around here, but he fit in quite well. And I recognized him. He was usually confined two cages down from my own. A relatively handsome wolf, he had slight graying in his beard but a magnificent physique for someone who got to eat only once a day.
"The same?" Jay asked, tilting his head to the side. The butler-esque wolf nodded, placing more of the sheesha into the top of the hookah.
After filling it up to the man's liking, he bowed and walked away with no conversation from his end. They must have been trained to not interact with the patrons any more than what was required for their job.
"Want to start us off?" Jay passed the first pipe over toward me. I eyed it curiously, unsure of myself as I accepted the golden metal end of it. "It's just tobacco, right?" I leaned forward to look at the tobacco through the holes punched on top of the foil. The burning coal above sparking slightly as smoke drifted from it.
"Of course. If you want to have anything more, you'd have to do us a favor first," the unnamed gentleman said, placing his hand on top of my knee. I made a face, staring at his touch, but didn't push his hand away. Not yet, anyway. Instead, I placed the pipe into my mouth and took a long draw from the hookah.
It was actually quite pleasant, the taste almost like sugar cookies and strawberries, and upon exhaling the taste was even more pronounced, but it didn't really make me cough either. For as long as I was stuck here until I could-I hoped-make an escape, I might as well just enjoy myself. Right?
"I like this, I think," I said with a smile, watching as Jay took the second pipe into his mouth, tilting his head back to exhale the smoke up toward the ceiling of the room.
“It is rather fun, hmm?" Jay said with a bright smile. I began to survey the rest of the club for a bit, watching to see who I could recognize from the cages in the back. There were also wolves I'd never seen before talking with other customers.
Suddenly, there was a shift on the couch, drawing my attention away from my people watching to see Glenn and the X fellow stand up, hand in hand. I leaned forward, ready to stand up and follow after them, when Jay grabbed my wrist to pull me back down onto the couch.
"Hey! What are you doing?" I frowned, furiously pulling my arm away from him. Glenn raised a hand, making a slicing motion in front of his throat with an angry look on his face, signaling for me to cut it out.
"Just because he's showing you the ropes doesn't mean you have to follow him around the entire time like a puppy.”
"He's right, Silver. Just relax and chat. I'll be back sooner than you know it."
"Why? He finishes prematurely?" the other man asked, cackling at his own joke while X flipped him off.
Glenn didn't say another word to me but merely walked away with X following close behind. They stopped for a minute at the bar, and I saw him draw out his credit card and pass it off to the bartender in exchange for a set of keys.
And as they disappeared behind the curtain of beads that we had entered through, I was now left alone, stuck with two creepy strangers.
I was hoping they wouldn't do anything out of bounds when I felt Jay's hand on my other knee, both of men casually patting the lower portion of my thighs. Strangely enough, the man whose name I hadn't caught didn't really seem into it like Jay did. His let his fingers scratch the top of my knee rather than rubbing it in a more... sensual way.
I side-eyed
him as his hand retracted and he readjusted himself, tugging at his jacket.
As he did, something within his coat caught the light of the overhanging chandelier.
Something shiny and golden.
A badge?
13
Lucas
I fiddled with the mask that I'd gotten from Vik, adjusting the straps on it from the back to make sure they would work. He had taken it off of another person back at Club Mega and given it to me to help me get into the club after he was tired of dancing. In fact, he was almost too tired to join me for the cab ride. He wanted to stay in a private back room of Club Mega and shove more powder up his nose for the rest of the evening while groping me. I wasn't going to indulge him in that regard.
He was exhausted, and I threw him a quick glance, watching him as he leaned against the cab door. I thought he was going to fall asleep and not be able to get me into the club as I desired. Finally, we came to a stop in the middle of nowhere, far outside of the city, nearly a half hour drive away. I cringed, looking at how far the meter had run up just to get us here.
"All right, that'll be…"
"Just take it." I narrowed my eyes as I passed my credit card toward the cab driver so that he would let me get out.
"Mmf. Made it?" Vik groaned, leaning off of the window and opening up the car door.
The cab driver passed my card back after sliding it through the reader and said nothing more. I sighed, stepping out of the taxi and slamming the door behind me to see the neon lights written at the top of the building.
The Gilded Heart.
The rain that had been building up throughout the entire cab ride had turned to snow in the freezing temperature. I hadn't a proper coat, only the jacket I'd brought with me, and it was almost unbearable to be standing out in the cold.
"Ah right, less go in," Vik slurred as he stumbled forward, and I quickly caught him by the shoulder to help prop him up before he face planted on the slick surface of the pavement.
"Are you sure this is the right place?" I asked, leading him up to the main doorway and opening it up for the two of us.
"Mhm."
"Then why are there no cars out here?" I asked, scanning the empty parking lot.
"Oh, most people get their drivers to leave them here. Rich assholes." Vik sighed as though he had sobered up completely, and we found ourselves in the warmth of the club instead of the freezing cold outside.
Rich people. Grimy club in the middle of nowhere. Grey Brotherhood involvement. Oh, yeah. This had bullshit written all over it. But I was gonna keep playing the part.
There was a man standing near the entrance-a huge, burly man with a shaved head.
"Why does the moon rise?" he asked lazily, cracking his neck to the left and right.
"Because the wolves come out to play," Vik said, strolling past him and not waiting for the bouncer to react. And he didn't, instead shrugging his shoulders as though he didn't care whatsoever.
Behind the next plush door was the main part of the club. It was open, spacious, and much more elaborate in decor than its unassuming presence outside would have led me to believe. While I had assumed it would be disgusting and dirty based on how it looked from out there, the inside was stunningly beautiful.
"Whoa," I breathed, trying to take in the splendor of it all. The only thing similar to the small party room inside Club Mega was the heavy smoke that filled the air making it impossible to smell or pick up any other wolves' scents.
"Go grab a table, huh? I gotta go see a wolf about a bag." Vik sniffed, scratching at the tip of his nose as he continued toward a small door in one corner of the room next to the bar.
'Brotherhood Only' was written on the door in gleaming gold paint. The bartender gave him a quick glance before tending his station once again, clearly recognizing at least the blue hair of the wolf who allowed himself in.
"All right then," I said to myself, looking around for an empty booth. There were several, but I was totally unsure of what the protocol was. Do I just go seat myself, or do I wait for someone to attend to me? Were any of these booths reserved for someone else?
"Hello there, sir." A voice popped up from the side of me, causing me to jump slightly. I readjusted my mask to see a bit better and through it, I saw a spindly wolf standing next to me wearing not much more than what I would call a Speedo and a bow tie. The attire was much more akin to a strip club rather than a fancy lounge, but I wasn't complaining.
"Oh, hey," I said. I had to remind myself to just keep it cool. I couldn't blow my cover just yet.
"Do you need any help finding a place to sit, sir?"
"I, uh, yeah. I could, I suppose." I bit my bottom lip, rubbing at the back of my head self-consciously while trying to avoid eyeing the man’s exposed flesh. He wasn't masked. In fact, unlike the patrons, none of the other staff was. His face was quite handsome but was nothing compared to my Silver, of course.
"Is it your first time?" he asked, taking a step closer and shooting me a sly smile. I nodded, a blush creeping onto my cheeks. I could feel the warmth building there and spreading across to my ears.
"Well, we do have two booths that aren't yet taken or reserved. Or you could simply have a seat at the bar. It's up to you to decide which delicacy you wish to partake in."
"Excuse me?" I tilted my head to the side, genuinely curious. "Delicacies?"
"Well, yes. Would you like to partake in a bit of hookah or something a bit heartier in terms of party favors?"
The fuck?
"Or perhaps you just want a drink and a warm body for the night?" another person said, as they walked closer to the two of us. This wolf had a deep golden tan and looked far healthier than the skinnier worker who'd been talking me up. Their hair was a bleached blonde color, the dark roots peeking through.
"I, uh, I… Ahaha…" I stammered, not knowing what to say. They were scantily clad, their nipples pierced, and while the other wolf wore a Speedo, what this man had on could barely qualify as a thong. He could clearly tell I was eyeing him, and as he spun around for a moment, the jewelry he was wearing jingled with the motion.
"Like what you see?"
Of course I did, but I wasn't going to be buying a prostitute for the night! That wasn't why I’d come here. I had to remember to focus on what I was doing. I looked up, eyeing the other booths and the other equally undressed workers who walked around with various customers, some of them entering and exiting through a doorway strung with beads that led down a hallway.
"I was actually looking for... someone..." I began to say, still glancing about the club hoping to find…
"Silver!" I gasped, and the other two wolves accompanying me turned around to note the wolf in question.
The prostitute grabbed me by both of my wrists, bringing my hands up and placing them onto his body to feel his chest and the piercings on him.
"I've never seen him before. He's probably new, and I don't think he'll know close to the number of tricks that I can pull off," he said, giving me a cringey kissy face. I was embarrassed at how blatant he was about it, and I yanked my hands off him and turned to the other Speedo-clad wolf.
"Can you bring him over?" I asked, trying to keep the desperation from my voice.
"He seems to be a bit… preoccupied with the other two gentlemen. I'm sure there's a great selection of other wolves that you could be-" he started, but he stopped in mid-sentence at the sight of my frown.
"Him. He's the only one I want."
"Hmph!" The blonde spun away, walking off to go find someone else to bother.
"Very well, sir," the skinnier wolf said, and I watched him make his way over to Silver and the grubby wolves who had their paws all over him.
I observed the scene carefully, the bow-tie wearing wolf talking to the other two. They made a few wild gestures before he motioned back at me, finally shrugging as Silver stood up and followed him back toward me. His head was low and his face flushed. He was staring at his feet as he approached.
"Here
you are. Have a good evening." The other wolf walked off, leaving me with Silver, finally alone.
"Silver," I whispered, causing him to look up from the floor to stare at me through the eye holes of my mask.
"L-Lucas?" The shy look on his face changed to one of surprise and-I hoped-joy.
"Yeah, care to explain to me what the fuck is going on tonight? What was with those texts, and why are you dressed like that?"
I could feel a bit of jealousy building up in my stomach, especially with how much skin he was revealing and seeing him with the men who were groping his legs.
"Wait. We can't talk out here like this," he said, his eyes darting quickly left and right while his voice fell quieter. "Come on," he said, guiding me toward the barkeep. I only hoped that Vik wasn't going to be returning anytime soon. Or if he did, he wasn't going to go looking for me and out me for who I was.
Silver had fished some cash out of my wallet, and after passing it to the barkeep, he received a set of keys. He used the number card on the small keychain to take us to our room. It was practically empty though romantic in its feel. A massive mattress that took nearly half the room was on the floor, nice silken sheets decorating it. A few candles were lit in the corners, mostly melted at this point in the evening. But aside from that, a trash can and a small side table with various types of lubricants and condoms atop it were the only furnishings in the room. It was lowly lit with only the flickering glow from the candles aiding us in seeing through the darkness.
I didn’t care about the décor because finally, with the doors locked, we had some privacy.
"Lucas, I can't believe you're here," Silver said, wrapping his arms around me and burying his head into my chest. "How did you know where to find me?"
"You said you were at the club," I replied, returning the hug and holding him tightly. "I went to Club Mega first, and that blue haired asshole led me here."