Part 1: The Mysterious Crown and the Mysterious Stranger

AJ looked up blearily as Alex slid another beer in front of him. He gave the bartender a lopsided grin and took a deep swig before unsteadily placing the can on the counter.

“Man, I’m gonna have to cut you off after only three beers,” Alex murmured over his shoulder as he pulled a draft for a woman across the bar. “For a waabishkiiwed, you sure can’t handle your alcohol.”

There was an unnatural pause as these words filtered through AJ’s beer-addled    

brain. Finally, he smiled lazily and belched. “Jus’ shut up an’ lemme drink in peace.”

Alex shook his head. “Good thing I know you’re staying in the hotel tonight and not driving home. Where did Hank and the rest of the guys go?”

AJ shrugged. “Casino. Fucking assholes.”

“Mmmm, I’m surprised that Hank gambles. Doesn’t sound like him.” Alex said, crossing his arms as he stood in front of him. He was a tall, thin man with close-cropped black hair and strong Finnish features that belied the fact he was over half Ojibwe. 

“He’s tryin’ to keep ‘em honest, man. Hank s’honest guy, ya know.”

“Uh huh. Yeah, that and a pain in the ass. Does that dude ever–” he stopped abruptly, leaning down to examine something on the bar next to AJ. He wrinkled his brow, wondering, “Hey, where’d that crown come from? Is it made out of leaves?”

AJ pushed himself up on his elbows with great effort and looked around, confused. “What crown?”

“This one, you big idiot.” Alex picked up the delicate wreath from the counter next to AJ and placed it on his head. He laughed then, commenting, “You look like one of those Greek heros, dude! Didn’t they give these out as prizes during the ancient Olympics?”

AJ shook his head but the crown of leaves didn’t budge. Finally, he reached up and felt it, grimacing. “Fuuuuck,” he grunted. “I’m a regular fucking Hercules!”

It was true. The wreath brought out AJ’s Mediterranean features. With his bulging muscles, black curls and closely-trimmed beard, he looked very much like a portrait of the legendary hero come to life.

Alex was about to reply when there was a commotion in the atrium outside the bar and he looked up to see a crowd of rowdy people pouring through the doors. They were an odd group being a mix of ages, genders, and races with only one visible thing tying them all together: A plentitude of plush. Nearly everyone was wearing at least one piece of a fuzzy costume. Some had goggle-eyed cat masks, others had enormous mitten paws, and still more wore the top or bottom half of an animal costume. There was at least one guy dressed in a very convincing werewolf outfit.

“Oh, I see the furries have arrived for their convention,” Alex pronounced, sounding amused. AJ turned on his stool to take a look and would have fallen off if Alex hadn’t reached out and caught his arm.

He shook his head, thinking that he was seeing things. “Whaaat?”

“Furries,” Alex said, not taking his eyes off the long parade of fantastically dressed visitors. “They booked the convention center and most of the rooms in the hotel for the weekend. I don’t know why they chose to meet up here other than it’s the off season and the tribe probably offered them a really good rate.”

“Freeeeeeeks,” AJ slurred. “Better stay the fuck away from me.”

“Be open minded. Everyone’s got some kink,” Alex observed sagely. “At least the furries don’t hide it.”

“Yer full of shit, dude. I’m one hundred percent normal.” AJ puffed himself up proudly before nearly toppling off his stool again. 

Alex to exhaled in disgust. “Yeah, you’re a normal drunk alright. I’m cutting you off.”

Before AJ could protest his friend’s cruelty, though, a guy settled onto the stool next to him and, winking slyly, ordered a beer. AJ blinked. The dude was young and really built. He was tawny-haired and was wearing a Detroit Tigers cap turned sideways and a little, red t-shirt that clung to his defined torso as if it were painted on. His jeans were equally tight. AJ’s mouth fell open.

“Have anything from the D?” the guy asked Alex in a pleasantly deep voice.

“Atwater Brewery Ok?” Alex queried, taking this request in stride. The casino was hours away from Detroit but tourists from its suburbs accounted for more than half of the clients.

The dude nodded, edging ever so slightly closer to AJ. Alex’s mouth quirked and he suppressed a smile as he turned to rummage through the small refrigerator behind him.

“S’up, man?” the guy asked before noticing the leafy crown adorning AJ’s head. He reached out to finger it briefly before sticking out his hand. “Hey, that’s a nice laurel wreath you got there, buddy! I’m Gil, by the way.”

AJ stared at his hand for a moment before reaching out to grasp it. The young guy had a really firm grip. “AJ,” he stated as Gil’s fingers massaged his palm. “You with that group?”

Gil nodded. “Yeah. Me and my man, Brandon.”

AJ was taken aback by this announcement. “Your…man?”

“Yep. He’s a doctor. Way into the furry lifestyle.”

“You’re…gay?” AJ’s tongue was lodged in his throat and the question came out more as a croak than anything else but Gil seemed to understand.

He was about to reply when Alex placed a beer in front of him, asking, “You wanna pay up front or start a tab?”

Gil leaned forward on the counter, exposing his magnificently toned biceps and smiling coyly up at the bartender. “Oh, I’ll start a tab,” he said. “Charge it to Room 609, Ok? And add AJ’s drinks to it.”

Alex raised an eyebrow. “He’s done drinking, just so you know.”

AJ looked down and Gil smirked. “Oh, yeah? Well, I was gonna order him another beer but I guess he’ll have to make do with a pop. Got any ginger ale?”

“Lemme guess, Verners?”

Gil spread his hands. “Well, I wasn’t gonna say that but now that you mention it…Why not go Detroit all the way tonight?”

Alex’s eyebrow went up a little further. “Indeed. Why not go all the way?” He turned and went in the back to search for a ginger ale.

“So,” Gil asked as they watched Alex disappear through the swinging doors to the kitchen. “You here for the convention, AJ? Wanna join me and Brandon for…some fun?”

AJ’s face went pale as the meaning of these words sank in and he abruptly pushed himself away from the bar. “I’m not gay!” he said a bit too loudly and several of the other patrons turned to stare at them. He wobbled to his feet and would have stumbled away if Gil hadn’t grabbed his arm.

“Relax, dude! That’s cool,” he soothed. “I’m sorry! I just thought that you were with our group. With that crown and all…”

AJ stared at Gil’s hand on his arm and willed himself to walk away but didn’t. Instead, he found himself sitting down again. Gil patted his knee as he slouched across the bar counter, breathing heavily. He didn’t know why he was so worked up.

“You are awfully fucking delicious, AJ,” Gil continued, leaning into his shoulder. “I mean, shit, those guns of yours are amazing! And you gotta be at least two hundred fifty pounds of muscle.”

“Two seventy five,” AJ corrected, not sure why he was still talking to Gil. “I played football in college until I got injured.”

“Hey! Me, too! What position?”

AJ blinked. It had never occurred to him that Gil might be a football player. Were there any gay football players? “Uh, tight end.” For some reason, he reddened with this announcement and coughed uncomfortably.

If Gil was inclined to make a jest, though, he didn’t. Instead, he nodded, adding, “Awesome. I was a running back. Didn’t get injured. Just wasn’t very good.” When AJ didn’t respond, he continued. “Wasn’t very good at anything, really. Dropped out of college and would have been screwed if it weren’t for Brandon.”

Alex reappeared, pushing a can of Verner’s ginger ale across the counter to AJ. He looked at it askance before reaching out and taking a sip. His expression must have been eloquent because Gil laughed and leaned into him further. They were now sitting very cozily, shoulder to shoulder.

“You guys–” Alex started to say but stopped as another man approached. AJ felt Gil tense next to him and he was about to turn when he felt a pair of heavy hands land on his back and begin massaging his shoulders.

“Oh, Gil,” a light voice said behind AJ’s ear. “I love this Adonis you’ve found for me! You have the best taste in men! You’re Daddy’s good little catcher!”

Gil’s cheeks turned rosy and he looked away uncomfortably. Alex crossed his arms and drew himself up to his full height, asking in a cold voice, “What’ll it be, man?”

AJ tried to pull away but the hands held him fast. “I’ll have a scotch on the rocks. You got any Glenmorangie?”

“Yeah, but only the 18-year old stuff.”

“Fine.”

“I’ll need to see some ID first.” AJ had never heard Alex treat a patron like this. Even in his drunken state, it was clear that the bartender did not like the man behind him.

There was a pause and finally the man removed his hands from AJ, coming to stand next at the bar. AJ looked over at him. On the surface, he didn’t seemed particularly ominous. In fact, he looked a bit ridiculous. He was a young guy, maybe five years older than Gil. He had blond hair and stood about six feet tall and seemed to be in good shape. Not as fit as Gil or AJ but fit nonetheless. He was also wearing a rainbow-colored fox costume, missing only the head and the paws. AJ smirked. Yeah, the dude was a furry alright.

He handed his driver’s license over to Alex, joking, “Gees, it’s been years since anyone asked for my ID.”

Gil laughed nervously and Alex maintained his stony silence, taking the ID with him as he went to pour the drink.

The man turned to AJ then and devoured him with his gaze for a long moment before announcing, “I’m Brandon, stud. I’m sure that Gil has told you all about me. And you’ll get to know me even better tonight…”

AJ took the opportunity to belch loudly before turning back to his Verner’s. He was too drunk and too…confused…by everything to do anything else. One thing was certain, though: If Alex didn’t like Brandon, then he was definitely no good.

Brandon’s smile turned wintry with AJ’s snub and he was about to comment when Alex returned with his ID and glass of scotch. He reached out to take them but Alex stopped him, holding the drink up high.

“Just a sec. I need payment up front for this drink. It’s too expensive to put on your tab.”

Brandon grumbled but duly stuck his hand into his costume and pulled out his wallet. Gil was strangely silent but he dropped his hand on AJ’s knee and squeezed as Brandon took the drink and knocked it back in one gulp. AJ wasn’t an expert but he could have sworn you were supposed to sip scotch, especially the really expensive stuff.

The silence stretched awkwardly as Brandon waited for Alex to return with his credit card. When he did, the dude placed a heavy hand on AJ’s shoulder and patted him fondly before turning. His fake tail swished behind him as he said over his shoulder, “Ok, boys. I’ll see you both back in my room after the grand entrance. Don’t be too late…” His voice was airy but there was an edge of steel in it. Clearly, Brandon was someone who was used to getting what he wanted.

Alex watched him go with a sour expression on his face. After he was gone, he turned to Gil and said sternly, “Listen, bro. I don’t know who you and your boyfriend are but I know what you’re planning. AJ is drunk and…inexperienced. I’d prefer it if you left now and didn’t come back but I can’t kick you out without reason–”

“Damn right!” Gil exclaimed, regaining his cockiness now that Brandon was gone. “AJ is free to–”

“No, he’s not,” Alex stated, shaking his head. “You don’t get it. We’re not like you trolls down there. We stick together up here. AJ is–”

“Sitting right here, bro.” AJ didn’t know whether to be flattered or annoyed by Alex’s protective behavior.

Alex smiled and patted AJ on the hand. “Yeah, I know. You’re right here. And that’s where I want you to stay. Sit here and sober up. Then go back to your room. Or go join Hank and the guys. You don’t know what you’re playing with here.”

“He’s playing with me,” Gil interjected, sounding gruff. “And enjoying it. Aren’t you, buddy?” He hand moved farther up his thigh and AJ flushed, stifling a moan.

“Ungh, yeah. Yeah, I guess I am.” Part of him couldn’t believe it but he didn’t want Gil to stop…doing what he was doing. He knew it wasn’t right but, shit, it felt so good!

Alex’s mouth quirked and he rolled his eyes. “Wow, and I thought I’d seen everything. AJ, I never would have guessed you were into guys.”

“Hey! I’m not just any guy,” Gil protested, sounding more confident after AJ’s admission. His hand was rapidly nearing AJ’s crotch.

“Yeah, I can see that,” Alex remarked drily. He surveyed the two of them for a moment before shaking his head and throwing his hands in the air. “Ok, I give up. You can do what you want. Just remember that I scanned Brandon’s ID and will hunt you down if necessary. No drugs and no unsafe sex or you’ll have me to deal with.”

“Thanks, Mom,” AJ said, giving Alex a goofy grin.

“Yeah, thanks.” Gil’s tone was somewhat less grateful but AJ didn’t notice because at that moment the guy’s fingers found his throbbing erection through his jeans and started stroking.

***

They didn’t go back to Brandon’s room.

Instead, they took it slow. 

Gil sipped on his beer, staring at AJ seductively as he raised his succulent lips to the neck of the bottle. His hand was…doing amazing things to AJ’s crotch and it was all he could to stop himself from moaning out loud. When Gil put down his bottle and leaned in for a kiss, AJ didn’t resist. His own lips parted and they met tentatively, almost chastely. Gil pulled away and smiled. His face was only an inch or two away from AJ’s but it felt like too far.

“You’re so hot,” he sighed, breath redolent with lager. “God, I don’t know what it is about you but I could feel you across the room. It was like you were calling my name.”

AJ cringed a little at this corny line but then realized he felt the same way. There was something magnetic about Gil. Something almost eerie in the strength of the pull he felt toward him. He was straight after all! He’d never so much as touched another guy, much less kissed him. He was still too drunk to figure it out but he really didn’t want to. No, this felt too good to question.

“Come here, handsome,” Gil was saying. “Lemme hold you. I just wanna sit here with you.”

Heedless of the fact that there were at least a half dozen locals present who knew him and who were almost certainly texting their friends about his unexpectedly gay behavior, AJ leaned into Gil and shivered when the young man put a warm, heavy arm over his shoulder. Gil nestled against his neck and kissed him, sending little jolts of electricity through his body. The young guy’s hand folded around his pulsing hardon and tickled. AJ giggled.

And then he started crying.

It took him a minute to realize that there were tears rolling down his cheeks. He felt a drop of water on his neck followed by another. And then Gil’s arms were around him and he was sobbing. And sobbing. And sobbing.

He sat there crying into Gil’s chest for a long time before he sobered up enough to realize what he was doing. Embarrassed, he tried to sit up but Gil held him fast. He could hear the distinct syllables of his name in the murmuring around the bar and felt heat creeping up his neck. Trying again to stand, Gil stopped him.

“Shhh, don’t worry, man,” he whispered. “I’m Ok with getting out of here but let’s do it together. I want to be with you.” AJ made a strangled sound and Gil laughed. “Even tough guys cry, AJ. God knows that I’ve been doing enough it myself lately.”

He patted AJ lightly on the cheek and stood up, holding his hand out to his new friend. AJ was keenly aware of all the eyes in the room focusing on them as he reached out and took it. Gil’s palm was broad and warm. He squeezed AJ’s hand and then dropped it to straighten the laurel wreath on his head. Satisfied, he smiled and slapped him affectionately on the rump, causing AJ to jump in surprise and delight. It was hot having a guy touch him. Really hot.

As they were leaving the bar, AJ felt something open up inside of him and he felt lighter, freer than he had in a long time. Everything was happening so fast and he was still more than a little drunk but he knew that meeting Gil had forever changed him.

And there was no going back.

***

“Let’s go to your room,” Gil suggested after they’d made their grand exit from the bar.

AJ looked down at his feet. “Um, about that…”

“What?” Gil asked, staring up at him. A moment later, understanding dawned on his handsome face and he answered his own question. “Oh, I get it. You have a roommate who might…”

AJ nodded, feeling the heat creeping back up his neck. Hank would definitely lose it if he caught AJ in bed with another guy. Shit, he’d be pissed even if he brought a woman back to their room. Hank was old fashioned that way.

Gil’s eyes narrowed as he schemed. “I see. Well, we could go back to my room but Brandon will be there soon and he’ll want to…” his voice trailed off before he added, “And unless I’m really stupid, I’d guess that’s not what you want.”

AJ shook his head and then stopped. He had an idea! It wasn’t a very good one but it was the best he could do. “We could, um, go back to my place. I live about an hour from here and my truck is outside.” Why did his voice sound so tentative? He couldn’t help it, though. Being around Gil, doing what he knew they were about to do, made him feel young and awkward. Even though he probably had five years on Gil, his young friend had experience he lacked. Experience that required him to be in charge.

Gil’s face crinkled in a sly grin. “That’s right! I forgot you were from around here! Here, let me grab my bags from the room and I’ll meet you back down here in five, Ok?” 

He scurried off, leaving AJ with a perfect view of his beautiful butt. AJ sighed. Christ, that boy was smoking!

***

He fired off a text to Hank, apologizing for leaving and making up some lame excuse for having to head back home. He knew that Hank wouldn’t buy it but it didn’t matter. Let Hank think whatever he wanted; AJ was going to get lucky tonight for the first time in a very long time. It almost didn’t matter that it was with a guy. Almost.

Any reservations he might have had about taking Gil home with him vanished when the stud reappeared with a backpack slung over his shoulder. There was a mischievous glint in his eye and a swagger in his step as he saw AJ admiring him across the room. The dude was so perfect! Both boyish and manly at the same time. AJ could feel his pulse quicken as he drank in the sight of him. This man and he were going to…Shit, he couldn’t believe what he was doing!

Gil grinned up at him as he approached and tucked his hand through AJ’s arm, guiding him out of the building as he laughed, “Brandon’s probably not even gonna notice that I’m gone til morning. He’s lost in some furry orgy or something by now anyway.”

AJ had been too preoccupied to contemplate Gil’s actions and the impact they might have on his relationship with Brandon.

“Will he…be OK with us, you know…?”

In answer, Gil held up his smartphone and made a big production out of turning it off. He pretended to dust off his hands as he slipped it into his pocket, saying, “No way to know! He’ll just have to wait til tomorrow to be pissed at me.”

With that, he stood up on his tiptoes and planted a passionate kiss on AJ’s lips. He inhaled in surprise and Gil stuck his tongue inside his mouth. Lights exploded as AJ realized he was tasting another man’s mouth. It was so soft and warm and delicious. So good. He leaned into his new lover and surrendered. Gil knew what he was doing. He could trust Gil.

“You know how to drive a stick?” he asked, feeling lightheaded as he pulled away to dig in his pocket for his keys. “Because I’m too smashed right now to get behind the wheel.”

Gil smirked as he dropped the keys in his palm. “Oh, yeah,” he said in a voice dripping with innuendo. “I know how to drive stick alright. Just you wait and see.”

***

Part 2: The Furry Goat

“So this is your place, huh?” Gil’s puzzlement was obvious and it brought a smile to AJ’s face.

“Yeah, this is my farm, city boy.”

It was after dark and the lights of AJ’s old pickup didn’t show much other than the old barn with a sagging roof and the back porch of the farmhouse that had seen better days. AJ’s dog, Monster, an Australian cattle dog, pulled himself up from his haunches and trotted over to the truck, tail wagging. When he turned to look, AJ saw that Gil was sitting there with his mouth hanging open.

“I…I,” he started to say but couldn’t find the words.

“This is how we live up here, dude,” AJ explained, refusing to apologize for his poverty. “At least those of us who don’t have much money. My parents are dead and my sister is a meth addict. I barely have enough to survive on as a carpenter in the summer building ‘cabins’ for rich folks from downstate.”

Gil swallowed. “No, it’s not that. It’s just that…”

His voice broke off and AJ felt his stomach fall as he realized that Gil was crying. Panicked, he turned to apologize but Gil held up his hand.

“It’s Ok. Really, I’ll be Ok,” he said in a broken voice. “God, I’m sorry! I guess both of us needed to cry tonight.”

“What’s wrong?” AJ’s tongue fell thick in his mouth. He hated seeing Gil so upset.

The boy waved the question away, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. “I’ll explain later. Right now I don’t want anything to get between me and you enjoying ourselves.” He shifted into neutral and turned the engine off, waiting patiently as AJ exited to come around and open the door for him. He leaned on AJ’s arm as he got out and Monster pressed up against his legs.

Gil laughed, reaching down to ruffle Monster’s neck. “Nice dog, dude. I wish I had one. What’s his name?”

AJ didn’t answer right away. He was lost in the simple pleasure of the cool May evening, smelling the innumerable odors of the farm and surrounding forest, feeling the firm warmth of the man leaning against him. Far away he heard a whippoorwill call and the muted hoot of a great horned owl. The moon was high in the sky, nestled among streaky cirrus clouds. Even the black flies, the perennial scourge of spring in the north woods, had decided to take the night off from biting. He couldn’t remember a more perfect evening and didn’t want it to ever end. Flipping Gil’s hat backward with his hand, he leaned down and kissed the top of his curly head.

“Monster,” he said finally.

Gil started. “What?”

“I said ‘Monster.’ My dog’s name is Monster.”

Monster jumped up at the sound of his name and AJ petted him, smiling. The dog was just about the only thing that had kept him sane over the past five years when a succession of bad deeds, bad news, and bad luck had rendered him nearly immobile with grief and depression. He didn’t tell Gil that naming the dog ‘Monster’ was his way of trying to tame the beast that lurked inside of him. Somehow loving a creature named Monster made it easier for him to love that part of himself that had done…so many awful things.

“He’s beautiful,” Gil breathed. “Just like you.”

AJ hung his head. “If you knew me, you wouldn’t say that.”

“Really?” Gil challenged. “Well, if you knew me, you would say the same thing. Maybe we’re not so different?”

This gave AJ pause and Gil laughed, saying, “Let’s take this inside, big guy. You see, us city boys get spooked by the great outdoors.”

***

AJ led Gil through the darkened house by the hand, stopping in the living room to turn on the lights. The woodstove was nearly out and the place was chilly so he paused briefly to fill it with an armload of wood. Gil looked around appreciatively.

“It’s so clean! I would’ve thought you’d be messier,” he commented.

AJ flushed with pride at these words. “Well, I may be poor but I’m not filthy. I do what I can to stay on top of the chores.”

He hadn’t done much to change the decor of the house since his mother had died a year ago, both lacking a sense of interior design and not wanting to erase the last traces of her presence in his life. His mother had been a tough woman but she had tried to raise him and his sister right even if she had to do it alone after his father left. He would always be thankful for her and had promised her before she died that he would make amends for…

“Hey.”

He looked up and saw Gil watching with him a small smile on his face.

“What?”

“You know what,” Gil said, pacing over to him. “You are the sexiest man I’ve ever seen and I wanna…do things to you that Christian boys aren’t supposed to do.”

AJ’s mouth went dry and his heart started pounding in his chest. He stared back at Gil helplessly, feeling his cock swell in his jeans. The boy noticed this as well and reached out to cup his package in his hand.

“Good thing I’m not a Christian,” he whispered as he led Gil into the bedroom.

Monster watched them go before turning around several times and settling down by the woodstove.

***

Gil clawed the shirt off AJ’s back and was working on freeing him from his jeans when he stopped himself.

“Oh, hey, I almost forgot!” he said breathlessly. His cheeks were rosy in the glow of the bedside lamp. “Will you wear something for me?”

AJ pulled back, perplexed by the question. “What?”

Gil looked down, suddenly bashful. “Well, it’s kinda embarrassing…”

“What? What’s embarrassing?”

“Um, well, you see…”

AJ sighed heavily. “What, Gil? What do you want me to wear?”

Gil’s eyes rolled up toward the ceiling and his cheeks colored. “I have a confession to make.”

“Go on.”

“It’s not just Brandon who’s into the furry lifestyle. I am, too. It’s how we met, actually.”

AJ felt his stomach fall with this news. “You want me to get into one of those fursuits, don’t you?”

Gil’s eyes got wide. “What? Oh, god no! I’m not into that kind of stuff!”

Crossing his arms, AJ leaned backward and pulled a skeptical face. “Well, what are you into?”

“Here,” the young guy said, reaching around to pull out his backpack. “It’s better if I show you.” He rummaged around in the bag for a moment before pulling out a big, furry mound of something. It was brown and really fuzzy. He held it out to AJ with shaking hands.

AJ took the proffered fur and examined it. There were two identical tubes of shaggy, brown hair. His brow wrinkled. “What are these?”

“They’re for your legs. Here, take off your jeans and slide ‘em on.”

“I still don’t get it.”

Gil gave him a pleading look. “Just do it, Ok?” He didn’t wait for AJ’s reply, busying himself instead with pulling more stuff out of his backpack.

AJ shrugged and was unfastening the top button on his jeans when Gil slipped something on his head. He looked up, confused. It felt like he was wearing one of his sister’s hair bands. Reaching up to feel around, he realized it was a hair band of sorts. It held fast to his temples under the laurel wreath that improbably still adorned his head.

But there was something else attached to the band. What were they?

“Hey, are those…?”

“Yep, they’re horns. Goat horns to be exact.”

AJ glanced at his reflection in the closet mirror. His thick hair hid all evidence of the plastic band, making it look instead like he had a legitimate pair of horns. He smiled. He looked like a crowned goat!

“You see?” Gil said proudly. “I knew you were perfect for this costume the moment I saw you!”

“You’re into goats, dude? That’s pretty kinky.”

Gil looked offended. “Not goats! Goatmen!”

“Huh?”

“Haven’t you ever heard of satyrs? They have the upper body of a man and the lower body of a goat.” He paused to admire AJ for a moment before continuing. “You’ll make a perfect satyr with that hairy, muscly body and those curly locks on your head. Not to mention your beard.” He shivered theatrically. “Super sexy, dude!”

AJ stared at him and then back at the mirror and realized he was getting aroused. There was something kind of hot about the way he looked with the horns…He glanced down at the leggings that he was still holding. What would he look like if he put them on?

“There. I knew you were one of us.” Gil’s voice was triumphant. It sent a thrill down AJ’s spine and he resumed fighting with the top button of his jeans until Gil stopped him. “Let me,” he said, taking AJ’s hands and moving them down to his side.

Gil got down on his knees and slowly, almost reverentially unfastened AJ’s jeans, working them slowly down his thighs and exposing his black UnderArmour boxers. His erection was tenting the shear fabric lewdly and he blushed.

“Christ, are you hiding a monster in there?”

AJ looked down at himself, feeling almost ashamed of his unnatural size. Most guys would be proud to have a cock so huge but he had always hated it. Having an extra long foreskin only made matters worse because all of the guys on his football team had been circumcised. He’d avoided showering in front of them whenever possible. The few women he’d been with had been repulsed by his floppy giant. Contrary to popular belief, having a huge schlong had done nothing for his sex life.

“Oh, what’s wrong, dude?” Gil asked, looking up and noticing his expression. “Are you worried that I’ll make fun of you or something?” He exhaled loudly, face breaking into a wide grin. “Well, I won’t. Why would I? I’m a total size queen who has been dying for a big cock like yours! Brandon is, well, he’s not very big. And satyrs are supposed to be super hung.”

The next moment he yanked down on the waistband of AJ’s underwear and his huge tool flopped out, nearly fully engorged and dripping precum like a fucking faucet out of the thick folds of foreskin.

Gil was rendered speechless for a moment. Finally, he looked up at AJ, his face white.

“Fuck.”

AJ smiled self-deprecatingly, saying, “I know, right? Are you still Ok with it?”

“Shit, yeah!” the young guy exclaimed. “That’s a fucking huge cock! And your pubic hair is woolier than a goat’s. You’re fucking perfect!”

He finished peeling off AJ’s jeans and underwear and helped him to step out of them before tossing them aside and holding up the leggings. AJ tentatively stuck his foot out and let Gil slide it on. The leggings hugged his flesh like a second skin, nestling around his butt cheeks and cradling his massive organ. It hung out fat and heavy and dripping wet in front of him as Gil pulled something else out of his bag of wonders.

AJ squinted. “Hooves? You have a pair of hooves?”

“And a tail,” Gil replied, nodding. “You wanna be a complete satyr, right?”

“Fuck, yeah!”

Gil shook his head, smiling, as he helped stuff AJ’s foot into the hollow of one of the hooves. “I feel like I’ve created a monster…my own sexy monster!”

***

AJ made a really convincing goatman. He couldn’t help strutting around in front of the mirror, admiring himself, as Gil whooped and cheered. It took some getting used to but the hooves were pretty cool. Even the little goat tail stuck with adhesive at the top of his butt crack felt amazing. Looking over his shoulder, he wiggled his big ass and marveled at how sexy and bestial he looked. His cock was straining and hard and ready for action.

He didn’t have long to wait.

Gil stripped out of his clothes and joined him, reveling naked and aroused. The younger man possessed an incredibly ripped physique (AJ later learned he worked as a personal trainer while Brandon was at work in his clinic) and a perfect man’s ass. He couldn’t remember ever seeing a butt more perfect and wondered why he hadn’t noticed men’s butts before. Gil’s was hairy and blocky and firm and soft at the same time. It drove him wild with lust. So wild that he didn’t care that the guy’s cock was smaller than average.

“Sorry I’m so small, dude,” Gil said, looking down at his little, circumcised erection. It was probably less than five inches fully hard. “I wish I was hung like a horse like you!”

“Shhh,” AJ said, pulling the boy against him and caressing his head with his hand. The reality of what he was doing–dressed like a goat cavorting naked with another guy and about to have sex–was finally dawning on him but something about Gil’s tender receptivity (and gorgeous ass) short circuited his apprehension and he felt his arousal build. “I don’t care. In fact, it’s a good thing you’re not very hung. If you were, I’d probably run bleating from the room.”

Gil laughed at this, waggling his little erection provocatively. “What? My little man isn’t scary enough for you? Just wait!”

“Oh, your little man is more than man enough for me, stud,” AJ said, leaning down to kiss Gil’s cheek. “It’s your ass, though, that I find most entrancing…” He cupped the boy’s buttocks in his hands and squeezed, causing Gil to shiver with delight. Carefully, he reached back to pull a condom and lube off the nightstand, handing them over to Gil.

“You sure about this, man?” the boy asked, his voice wavering as he slathered his ass with lube before unwrapping the condom and rolling it onto AJ’s pulsing shaft. “We don’t…”

AJ silenced him with a kiss, hoisting him bodily into the air and landing him smack dab on the fat head of his cock. Gil’s scream of delight brought Monster barking into the room.

***

Gil’s magnificent naked body was dappled with sunlight when AJ awoke. The boy was draped over him. Bits of the goat costume were scattered around the room and across the bed, though somehow the laurel wreath had managed to stay affixed to his head. He lay there motionless for a long time, not wanting to move, not wanting this perfect moment to end. Gil’s face was angelic in the morning light and his breathing was soft and slow. A little bit of his saliva had pooled on AJ’s hairy chest and he had to resist the urge to stick a finger in it and lick it up.

If this was what being gay was like, it wasn’t half bad, he realized. Yeah, why had it taken him so long to realize that?

He smiled and lay his head back on the pillow, savoring the sweetness of the man lying on top of him.

***

“Where are you going?” Gil was sitting up in bed, looking forlorn as AJ pulled on his jeans.

AJ smiled. “I have to tend to the horses.”

The boy sprang up in bed, instantly alert and quivering. “Horses? You have horses? Can we ride them? I’ve never ridden one before!”

AJ thought about it for a moment before nodding. “Yeah, sure. We can take ‘em out after breakfast. This farm is next to a big state rec area with riding trails. We’ll have them to ourselves today, I guarantee it.”

“Excellent!” Gil said, pumping his fist. “I can’t fucking wait! I wanna go for a horseback ride!”

AJ laughed. The boy’s enthusiasm was infectious, plus he conceded that the horses could use some exercise. It had been at least a week since he’d had time to ride them.

***

Hank called while he was out in the barn getting the horses ready. His friend was nonplussed by his disappearance the previous night.

“Dude,” he drawled in a sleepy voice, “that was seriously not cool. Not cool at all.”

“I’m sorry, bro! I got lucky last night and knew you would go ballistic if you came back to the room and found us there.”

Silence. Then, “I’m not sure how I feel about that.”

AJ rolled his eyes. Hank belonged to a very conservative church and frowned on sex before marriage. “Come on, man!” he complained. “I’m not a monk like you! Do you know how long it’s been since I got laid?”

“AJ, I don’t want to talk about this with you.” His friend’s voice was toneless; he was pissed.

“If you’re gonna go out and tomcat around, that’s your business. I hope she was worth it.” 

Hank’s sanctimonious attitude was annoying on the best of days but today AJ was in no mood. He couldn’t resist throwing gasoline on the fire by saying, “Oh, he was worth it alright. He was the best piece of ass I’ve ever had.”

There was a startled pause before the phone clicked in his ear; Hank had hung up.

AJ shook his head and resumed grooming his mare, Princess. He had just moved around to her rump when he noticed the telltale winking ‘back there’ along with her elevated tail: Princess was in heat. He groaned as his phone buzzed again. Cursing, he threw down the brush and grabbed his phone.

“What?”

“AJ, this is serious.” It was Hank again. “You can’t be gay. I’m coming over to pray with you. You need help.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Hank! I’m not gay and I don’t need you to pray for me!”

“You just told me that you had…intercourse…with a man.”

AJ sighed through his nose. “No, I didn’t! I said that I fucked him up the ass. That’s different and it doesn’t mean I’m gay!”

There was a long pause before Hank replied in an injured tone, “Do you have to be so profane? And if having…anal intercourse with another man doesn’t mean you’re gay, I don’t know what does!”

“Look, Hank, I don’t know what it means and I don’t care. All I care about is that I met a really fantastic man who adores me and I adore him.” Thinking of Gil made him feel all warm and tingly and he felt his annoyance with Hank evaporate as he added, “And I’m happy for the first time I can remember. How can this be wrong?”

“It is wrong,” Hank stated flatly. “I’m coming over there now.”

AJ started to tell him that it didn’t matter, that he and Gil were not going to be there anyway, but Hank had hung up already.

***

Gil was wearing one of AJ’s t-shirts and nothing else when he stomped back inside. His new lover was standing at the stove, frying up some scrambled eggs, and looking incredibly sexy. His big, bare ass jiggled alluringly as he stirred the eggs. AJ’s heart melted as the boy turned and gave him a huge, proud smile.

“Hey, stud!” he said brightly. “I think you got me pregnant.”

AJ laughed in spite of his sour mood. Everything about Gil was sexy. He kicked off his boots and padded over to wrap his arms around his lover, tickling his ear with his beard. “Mmmm,” he breathed. “I’m not sure. I think we need to try a few more times to be sure.”

The young guy giggled, leaning into him and shivering at his touch. Finally, he lifted his head and his eyes grew soft as he teased, “You’re still wearing your laurel crown.” He reached up to pat the wreath on AJ’s head, commenting, “It’s funny. The leaves seem even greener and fresher this morning. Did you pick new ones?”

AJ shook his head, assuming that the boy was joking but when he touched the crown, he realized it was true. The leaves were pliant to the touch and his fingers came away smelling sweet and fragrant. He inhaled deeply, savoring the smell.

“You’re the ‘Lord of the Forest’,” Gil said. “You see? You’re a true satyr!”

All of this talk was only serving to make AJ aroused and he rubbed his now swollen crotch against the boy. 

Gil laughed in delight, leaning into him. “Ever have sex on horseback, dude?”

He felt his heart skip a beat and had to take a deep breath to steady himself before quipping, “No, but our horses may try to have sex while we’re riding them: My mare is in heat!”

“Really? May is the rutting season after all. We proved that last night.”

AJ grinned at the memory. “True,” he said slowly, “but this means we can’t take them out for a ride. It’s too dangerous.”

Gil dropped the spatula. “What? Why?”

“Because my stallion hasn’t been gelded.”

“Uh, come again in city boy talk?”

AJ smiled. “He still has his balls. If I take him out with the mare while she’s in heat, I don’t know if I can control them. Horses get…pretty worked up when they’re ready to breed.”

“Just like us.”

“Yeah, only worse. Rodney is a pretty docile horse and I have good control over him but…”

Gil turned off the burner and set the skillet aside. The smell of cooked eggs was making AJ’s stomach growl. “I’m sure you can handle him,” Gil said confidently. “You’re my big, tough satyr after all.”

“I dunno. It feels too risky. If you were a more experienced rider, I might…”

Gil turned and kissed him, reaching into his jeans to fondle his sleeping giant. 

The giant awoke. 

In seconds, AJ had lost all reason and barely remembered to put on a condom before he was pounding away at Gil’s hole while the boy braced himself against the stove. The skillet clattered to the floor, splattering eggs all over as he erupted in orgasm. This time, Monster was too intent on licking up the scrambled eggs to howl as AJ and Gil cried out in ecstasy.

***

“I still think this is a really bad idea.”

Gil looked over his shoulder and smiled devilishly. He was standing in the doorway of the barn, backlit by the morning sun. Dust swirled around him, making him sneeze. He straightened after wiping his nose, saying,  “You know what, Jay? I wanna ride ‘em naked!”

AJ ignored the way his heart fluttered at hearing this new pet name and clapped his hand to his forehead. “What!? Aren’t you listening to me? I don’t think we should ride them at all, much less naked!”

The boy didn’t listen. He was already walking up to Rodney, murmuring quietly to the huge beast as he reached up to take the bridle. Rodney eyed him warily, looking over to AJ and back at Gil. He wasn’t accustomed to anyone besides AJ riding him. Fortunately, he was a very well behaved horse and took his cues from AJ. When he saw that his human was calm, Rodney relaxed and let Gil pet him. The boy had to stand on his tiptoes to reach his mane because the stallion was almost nineteen hands tall. After a slight pause, Rodney lowered his head and nickered. Gil laughed with delight.

“He wants a treat,” AJ prompted, handing him a carrot from a bag hanging by the door of the barn.

Gil took it and gingerly lifted it to the beast’s muzzle. Rodney flared his lips and very carefully nibbled at it.

“He’s such a beautiful, shiny black!” the boy breathed before squatting down and exclaiming, “And, shit, he’s got balls! They’re almost as big as yours!”

AJ blushed. “Er, well, a horse can dream. He does have me beat in the cock department, though. Just wait til I take Princess out and he gets a whiff of her.”

“Mmmm, I can’t wait.”

“You’re terrible.”

Gil giggled. “Can we ride bareback?”

“I assume you’re talking about the horses and not having unsafe sex?”

“Hey!” Gil said, putting his hands on his hips. “How do you even know what barebacking means? I thought you were straight…until I turned you gay anyway.”

Gil was still wearing only AJ’s shirt and a pair of Crocs. His dick had shrunk up to almost nothing in the chill of the morning air, something that only made AJ hornier. He had to force himself not to whip his cock out right there and pound away at the boy again.

When he didn’t answer, Gil opened his mouth before seeing the look in AJ’s eyes. His eyes went round and he reflexively covered his butthole with his hands, taking a step backward. “Dude!” he protested, “my hole can’t take any more of your horse cock! It needs a rest!”

AJ made a funny growling sound in the back of his throat as he took a step forward. “Then I suggest that we ride with our clothes on. I can’t be held responsible for my actions otherwise.”

Gil winced but nonetheless persisted, pleading, “Come on! If you ride in front of me, then I get the perfect view of your man ass and you won’t see me at all! You owe me this!”

“Owe you for what?” AJ said flatly. “I don’t follow your reasoning.”

“Just humor me, Ok? Let’s do it! Let’s ride bareback naked! Do you know how sexy that would be?”

AJ was going to refuse but Gil’s expression was so plaintive and his brown eyes were so big and lovely that he just couldn’t. Finally, he sighed in exasperation, saying, “Ok, we can ride naked,” he paused to hold up his finger as Gil’s face lit up, “but not bareback. You have never ridden a horse before and have no idea how painful riding bareback is. And we will wear lots of insect repellent. Horses attract flies and it’s black fly season. I’m not gonna come back with my ass covered in bites.”

“Unless they’re my teeth marks,” Gil added slyly, raising up on his toes to nibble AJ’s lower lip.

AJ tousled his hair, pulling away long enough to say, “Maybe. But we need to get going. I didn’t tell you that my friend, Hank, is on the way right now intent on saving my soul. He could pull in any minute.”

***

Part 3: The Wild Ride

AJ put Gil on Princess, much to the younger man’s disappointment.

“But I wanna ride the stallion!” he complained as AJ helped him into the saddle. “I don’t wanna be on a mare!”

AJ was so distracted by Gil’s nakedness that it took him a moment to respond. Gil laughed at his dazed expression, waving his hand in front of his face and saying, “Uh, my eyes are up here, big boy. Up here!”

AJ shook his head and then blushed when he realized his cock was hard and straining. Riding naked with Gil was going to be incredibly difficult, he realized with chagrin. How was he going to keep Rodney and himself under control? He used a bitless bridle with both of horses, training them to respond to the gentle pressure of tugging. This was great under ordinary circumstances but now he was regretting it. Could he control Rodney? Further, could Gil, who had never ridden before, control Princess? He gritted his teeth. This was shaping up to be a disaster.

“Listen, Gil,” he said in a pleading voice, realizing he was too weak to say no even when he knew it was the best choice. The boy’s incredible beauty was too much for him! “I’ll let you ride Rodney after we get back but right now, I gotta be on him. He’s a very strong horse and will become very hard to control around Princess. You could get hurt or even killed if I let you ride him. Plus, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m a big guy and am too heavy for Princess.”

Gil’s face fell but he nodded his assent and AJ smiled up at him. He looked so gorgeous on the chestnut mare, completely naked and pretending to be an expert horseman. He couldn’t quite figure out how old he was because Gil shifted back and forth between acting like a grownup and an excited little kid but that was part of his allure. Right then, he barely looked older than nineteen. Only his incredibly developed physique belied his true age which AJ estimated was probably around twenty-five. Still a kid, AJ thought fondly. There was a lot of growing up that happened between twenty-five and thirty and AJ felt like an old man in comparison. Perhaps it was a paternal instinct that Gil triggered in him but he realized then he would do anything to protect the boy from the brutality of life. He wanted him to stay fresh, young, and happy forever!

Gil noticed his admiration and leaned forward on the horse’s withers to hug Princess around the neck. At first she stiffened but soon relaxed as he placed his cheek in her mane and gently scratched her crest. She whinnied and stomped her foot. She was ready to go!

Straightening, Gil inclined his head to AJ and said in a funny, stilted voice, “Make haste, my liege! The forest beckons us onward!”

***

AJ soon regretted riding naked.

“Christ, I wish you’d at least let me wear a jock or something!” he complained as his massive equipment bounced painfully up and down in the saddle. “This fucking sucks!”

Gil laughed. “Oh, you poor thing! It must be difficult to be so well endowed! I’m perfectly comfortable back here with my boy-sized cock and balls.”

“Fuck you,” AJ growled, reaching down to cup his aching balls with one hand while he tried to keep Rodney under control with the other. Just as he’d predicted, the stallion was high spirited and randy, being driven to distraction by his close proximity to Princess. The horse kept trying to dodge off the trail in order to get behind the mare and AJ was forced to drop his balls in a moment to grab the reins. He gritted his teeth, cursing Gil for talking him into this stupid ride.

Taking pity on him, Gil called out, “We don’t have to ride so fast, dude! Let’s slow down a bit.”

“I’m trying!” AJ shouted, nearing exasperation. “Rodney won’t let me!”

They were just about to leave the boundaries of AJ’s farm and enter the state recreation area. The grazing fields were already beginning to give way to forest and everything was a verdant green. It had been a very wet spring and the grass was high and dripping with dew. Tendrils of mist curled around the tree trunks and birdsong filled the air. Monster trailed along behind them, only his ears and tail visible through the tall grass.

Despite his discomfort, AJ felt a thrill run up his spine. He was riding naked with his new, male lover through the woods! And soon they would be on public lands! Even though it was early in the season and he was certain they wouldn’t meet anyone on the trails, it still felt transgressive. He shook his head. What was happening to him? What if they got caught?

With great difficulty, he pulled up on the reins and brought Rodney to a halt in front of the sign at the entrance to the rec area. The stallion was already sweating beneath him and his flesh quivered against AJ’s thighs. He reached down and patted the beast, soothing him as Gil rode up beside them. The boy looked radiant and so did Princess. AJ felt his cock pulse and a few seconds later, it poked up between his thighs.

“Dude!” Gil exclaimed, noticing his erection. “You’re just like Rodney! His huge, ugly horsecock is almost dragging on the ground! I had no idea that stallions were, well, you know…”

AJ nodded, unable stop reaching down and jack himself. Rodney was breathing heavily under him and let out a long, low snort as Princess lifted her tail and stuck her rump provocatively in the air. Gil laughed and lifted his crotch in the air, showing his own throbbing erection. It was small and slender and totally fucking hot. AJ licked his lips.

“We’re a fucking hot mess, aren’t we?” Gil said, leaning over to squeeze AJ’s thigh. “But I don’t care! Shit, this is more fun than I’ve had in a long time!” He held up his hand and, putting his thumb and forefinger close together, added, “I’m this close to telling Brandon to fuck off so I can move in with you. What do you think about that?”

AJ was only able make a guttural moan before Princess took off with Rodney in hot pursuit. Gil let out a startled yelp and grabbed frantically for the reins as the two horses set off on a wild chase through the woods with Monster tearing along behind.

***

It took a long time and many close calls but AJ and Gil were finally able to bring the horses under control. This wasn’t due to any great skill on their part; Princess and Rodney ran until they were exhausted, finally slowing to a slow trot near the crest of a great, wooded hill. The horses’ chests were heaving and sweaty and their flanks quivered with fatigue. Even Monster was tired out, trotting out of the forest a minute later with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. Rodney drew up behind Princess and sniffed her rump. He snorted, making a sound that could only be interpreted as lustful and AJ laughed.

“He knows what he wants alright,” he said, jumping down off the horse and tying him to a tree. Incredibly, the laurel wreath had stayed on his head the whole time. He reached up and patted it, feeling absurdly happy that it was still in place.

Gil’s face was white and he plopped to the ground, wobbling like a drunkard and rubbing his butt. “God damn! That was fucking…fucking…fucking…” his voice trailed off as he came to stand next to AJ, folding his arm around his waist. “I think I need you to hold me,” he said in a small voice. “I guess I’m not as much of a country boy as I thought.”

AJ obliged, taking him up in his big arms and squeezing. “Still wanna move in with me?” he asked teasingly.

Gil’s vehement answer startled him. “Fuck, yeah! Let’s do it! I know a little carpentry. We could work together during the day and fuck like puppies, or stallions, at night!”

“You would leave your doctor to come live with a redneck in the middle of nowhere? And a poor redneck at that?”

Gil paused to rest his cheek against AJ’s hairy chest before looking up at him adoringly. “I would follow you anywhere, my liege.”

“Stop teasing me! I’m being serious!”

“And so am I. You’re my lord. I am at your service.”

AJ exhaled, annoyed. “Come on, man! That’s not funny. Why are you talking nonsense?”

Gil smiled, the corners of his lips barely lifting. “I’m not teasing you. I really would go anywhere with you, do anything for you.”

“Gil,” he said warningly but the boy only leaned up kiss him. His mouth tasted of leather and steel and he smelled of horse and man sweat; he was delicious!

Just then they heard voices and looked down to see a pair of hikers coming around the bend of the trail below. AJ froze, belatedly remembering his nudity and realizing that he and Gil were completely naked and exposed from their vantage point at the top of the hill. He tried to dodge away but Gil held his hand fast, rooting him in place. A moment later, two guys wearing backpacks emerged from the forest. They looked to be in their mid-twenties or so, probably a couple of college students hiking the trail to Lake Michigan about ten miles away. AJ felt the back of his neck grow hot as the hikers’ gaze was drawn to them. He wanted to die or at least hide but Gil was at ease. His lover lifted his arm and waved at them, smiling and yelling out an exuberant hello. There was a pause and then the two guys laughed, waving back and giving them the thumbs up. One of them reached into his pocket and pulled out his smartphone to snap a quick photo of them. AJ ducked his head and pulled Gil in front of him to cover his enormous erection. Gil giggled, turning to watch the hikers as they worked their way around the hillside below.

“Darn!” he said finally. “I was hoping they’d strip naked, too!”

“I’m glad they didn’t,” AJ admitted, still feeling flushed. He wasn’t comfortable being naked in public and doubted he ever would be.

Belatedly, he became aware of the grunting behind him and only managed to pull Princess away from Rodney a second before he mounted her. He wrestled the stallion down, keenly aware of the big beast’s disappointment. Rodney looked back at him in disgust and probably would have kicked him if AJ had been within striking distance of his back hooves.

Wiping the sweat from his brow and swatting at the black flies spinning around his head, he said, “We’re near the river and I’m hot and tired of being bitten. Let’s go soak in the water for a bit, Ok?”

***

They passed the hikers again on the way down to the river. That was bad enough but just after they trotted past the bemused duo, a pack of runners caught up to them and went flying past. AJ shook his head, mortified. The runners were young and lean and shirtless, each wearing just the tiniest pair of red, nylon shorts. They hooted and catcalled, startling the horses as they dashed by and both AJ and Gil had to clutch at the reins to stay mounted.

“Shit, is everyone and their fucking duck out on the trails today?” he muttered after the group had disappeared up a hill in front of them.

“I hope so!” Gil responded happily. “I love being naked outdoors with you!”

AJ shook his head. “Great. You’re a furry and an exhibitionist. Why am I not surprised?”

“I like exhibiting you,” Gil corrected. “You’re too magnificent to be kept hidden away under clothes. I want the whole world to bask in the glory of the ‘Lord of the Forest’!”

“Why do you keep teasing me?” AJ insisted, reaching down to pat Rodney. “I’m really nothing special. If you only knew what I’ve done…”

“Jay, I don’t care,” Gil said, stopping him. “You don’t know what I’ve done, either. Christ, I could be an axe murderer for all you know (though I’m not). Let’s just say that I recognize royalty when I see it. There is something special in you just waiting to come out and I intend to help that flower bloom. I’ve already provided the sunlight, now it’s time for some water.”

AJ shook his head. “Why are you talking in metaphors? You’re so full of shit.”

Gil didn’t answer. Instead, he shook the reins and Princess took off at a gallop leaving AJ to fight for control of Rodney.

***

The river was high and fast when AJ, Rodney, and Monster caught up with Gil and Princess. Red signs posted along the banks warned against canoeing or kayaking. The boy had dismounted and was leading a reluctant Princess across at a shallower section. The horse balked and tried to pull back but somehow Gil managed to keep her under control. AJ called for him to come back but Gil merely waved him off with one hand as he tugged the reins with the other. After several breathless minutes, they made it to the far side safely. AJ was pleased to see the boy took the saddle off of Princess before setting her free. Gil left the mare to graze on the grassy bank while he threaded his way back across, slipping and sliding on submerged rocks. AJ noticed the water was turgid and muddier than usual, probably due to the heavy rains over the past week.

“There,” Gil announced as he clambered up the bank. “She’ll be safe from Rodney over there.”

“Dude, we could have just tied them to trees, you know.”

“Whatever. She’s happier over there.”

AJ sighed, jumping off his horse and looking around to make sure no one was around. He knew it was only a matter of time before they had company and wanted to be submerged below the waist before anyone showed up. He pulled off Rodney’s saddle and picketed him, giving him enough line to graze comfortably before squatting down to pet Monster. The dog was panting and, even though he knew it wasn’t very healthy, AJ encouraged him to get a drink from the river. I’ll make sure to give him his dewormer tonight, he told himself. That stuff will kill giardia, won’t it?

The dog padded over to the river bank and lapped at the water while AJ wandered down the bank find a shallow eddy bathed in sunlight. Sticking his toe in the water, he realized it was pleasantly warm and slid in. A moment later, Monster joined him, sinking in beside him and grunting with relief.

“Yeah,” AJ said, scratching his dog behind the ears, “feels pretty good, doesn’t it?”

The eddy was just the right depth, the rocks were smooth on his bare buttocks, and the water was the perfect temperature. He leaned his head back against the reedy bank and sighed, closing his eyes and enjoying the warm sun on his face.

“Woah, there’s actually signal out here?”

He cracked an eye and looked up to see that Gil had pulled his phone out of the saddlebags. The boy stared at it as he joined AJ in the pool of water, nestling up against him. AJ smiled and put his arm around him, privately pleased when the boy cuddled close.

“I’m texting Brandon and telling him to piss off,” the boy announced firmly. “I’m staying here with you.”

Words couldn’t describe the beautiful emotions these words stirred inside him. Having Gil move in with him was like a gift from heaven, like a brilliantly sunny day in the middle of a long winter, like a…well, let’s just say he couldn’t have been happier. Still, he felt compelled to push back a bit.

“You sure, man? We only just met last night and don’t even really know each other yet?”

He could feel Gil’s smile against his neck. “I already told you that I know you’re the man for me.”

AJ had to swallow to keep from being overwhelmed by tears. He struggled for a long time before he managed to say, “I…I feel the same way but I’m really not a very good person. And Brandon’s a doctor and young and and handsome and apparently rich…”

Gil stopped him. “Young? How old do you think he is anyway?”

AJ thought about it for a second. “Thirty? Thirty-two? He looks like he’s about my age and I just turned thirty in January.”

“Ha! He’d be flattered to hear that!” Gil lifted his head to look AJ in the eyes. “He’s fifty-two.”

AJ blinked. “No shit? Really?”

“I’m not shitting you,” the boy said, lowering his head back against AJ’s chest. “He’s a dermatologist and has had all sorts of…procedures done on himself to stay looking young. He’s terrified of getting older, or at least of looking older.”

AJ pondered this for a moment before shaking his head. He still couldn’t believe that the dude was over fifty years old.

“How long have you been together? And are you gonna tell me that you’re really forty-three?”

Gil laughed. “Hardly! I’m only twenty-four and I’ve been with Brandon since I dropped, er, got kicked out of college when I was nineteen.” He paused for a moment before adding in a low voice, “I…did some shit, some really bad shit, and my family disowned me. I don’t even know where they live now that they’ve moved away from Michigan.” His voice caught in his throat and AJ caressed his cheek with the back of his hand. Finally, the boy continued, “I know I haven’t made Brandon sound like a good guy but he really saved my ass. I don’t fucking know how I would have made it without him. He was…both a lover and the dad I needed badly then. That sounds fucked up but it’s true.” He stopped then and AJ had to coax him to continue. His neck and chest were wet from Gil’s tears.

He reached up to rub his nose before kissing AJ on the neck, saying, “You’re so kind to me. I…don’t deserve you.”

Even though he was touched, AJ couldn’t help snorting. “I don’t deserve you! If you only knew half the crazy shit I’ve done! It sounds like we’ve both got our share of baggage.”

Gil was silent for a long time and AJ reveled in the closeness, the heat emanating from him, his slow heartbeat. He felt at peace, truly at peace for the first time in a very long time.

“Your farm,” Gil said finally. “I cried when I saw it last night because it reminded me of my grandmother’s place. She…was the only person who really understood me when I was growing up. Maybe if she hadn’t died so soon….well, I might have made better decisions.”

AJ was about to say something when he looked over to see the pair of hikers emerge from foliage. He studied them for a moment and smiled. They were quite a handsome pair! One of the guys was dark-skinned, probably African American or Latino. The other appeared to be Asian. Both were tall and in good shape, though the black guy was beefier and slightly taller. They let their packs slide off their shoulders and took off their hiking boots to dangle their feet in the river. They smiled and waved when they spotted Gil and AJ. Gil laughed and waved back enthusiastically.

“They’re fucking hot! I wish they’d come join us down here!”

AJ colored. “I don’t think they’re gay, dude.”

“Neither did you until you met me,” Gil pointed out, grinning.

“Well, I–” he started to say but was cut off by a loud voice behind them.

“There you are! Why didn’t you wait for me back at the farm?”

AJ’s stomach sank. It was Hank.

***

Part 4: A Forestalled Love

“Hank!” AJ exclaimed. “How the fuck did you track us down here?”

His friend came to stand beside the bank, glowering down at them with his hands on his hips. They had been buddies since high school, even going to the same college and playing football on the same team until AJ injured his knee. He and Hank had been through some rough patches, especially when AJ…got into some bad stuff a few years ago…but ultimately their friendship had endured. AJ sometimes thought that Hank stuck by him out of pity and the hope that his religiosity would rub off on him. So far, it hadn’t.

AJ found himself observing his friend with new…gay…eyes and liked what he saw despite the lecture he was receiving. He could tell that Gil was doing the same thing because the boy sat up and studied Hank with fascination. They both completely ignored his tirade, instead focusing on his rugged good looks and muscular body. He was not quite as tall and muscular as AJ but he radiated a potent masculinity that was intriguing. With his sandy brown hair cut short in an almost military style haircut, his dense beard, and green eyes, he made quite an impression. He was dressed in a pair of canvas shorts and a blue tank top. A dark stain of sweat accentuated the cleft between his pecs. His man-sized nipples pushed conspicuously against the tight fabric. AJ had to move his legs apart in the water to keep his cock from poking out as he grew more and more turned on..

“Hey! Are you listening to me?”

“No, we’re not,” Gil piped up. “We’re too distracted by your hot bod and that bulge in your shorts.” The boy pulled himself out of the water and emerged dripping to take Hank’s hand and shake it, saying seductively, “I’m Gil, by the way. It’s a pleasure to meet you, stud.”

AJ’s friend was so startled by Gil’s nudity and provocative behavior that he took his hand and shook it dumbly for a several long moments before he yanked it back. Drawing himself up to his full height, AJ was certain he was about to yell, ‘Get thee behind me, Satan!’ but instead he surprised them both by deflating. One moment he looked like he was about to lash out and the next, his shoulders sagged and he wiped his brow with the back of his hand. He gave AJ such a dejected look that he couldn’t help smiling.

“Here, bud,” he cajoled. “Why don’t you sit down here next to me. You must be exhausted after hiking so far and…getting yourself so worked up.”

Hank obliged, plopping down on the grassy bank next to AJ and unlacing his boots. A moment later, he stuck his hairy feet in the pool next to him and leaned back on his hands, letting his head fall back. He let out a long sigh as AJ admired his prominent adam’s apple.

Gil laughed merrily before politely excusing himself. “I think I’ll go check on Rodney, guys. It looks like you have some catching up to do.” He padded off.

“You feeling Ok?” AJ asked after a while. He didn’t know why Hank had lost the wind in his pompous sails so quickly. Maybe Gil really did have a strange effect on men? He certainly had succeeded in converting AJ to the gay lifestyle. He smiled privately at the thought. So, the gays really can recruit new members after all…

Hank lifted his head to stare balefully at him. “I…should get going. I don’t feel right.”

“Uh huh, I think I know the feeling. Don’t worry, though, it will pass.” He reached over and squeezed his friend’s knee and smiled when Hank tensed.

“I…I don’t want to…I don’t…I should…I…”

“Shhhh, dude. Just relax and enjoy yourself for once. You’re too serious all the time. It’s a beautiful day, the sun is out, the water is warm, and your best bud in the whole world is sitting here next to you.” He winked, kneading Hank’s leg with one hand while he scratched his own armpit thoughtfully with the other.

“Are…are you…naked in there, too?” Hank’s voice sounded almost childlike.

AJ lifted his head and looked down at himself and realized the water in the pool was pretty murky. If you didn’t know better, you wouldn’t guess he was naked. He looked back at Hank.

“What do you want my answer to be?” he asked slyly.

“I…I don’t know.”

“Why don’t you slide in here and find out for yourself?”

To AJ’s unending surprise, Hank stood up and slipped off his shorts, exposing the pair of tighty whities he was wearing underneath. AJ blinked. He didn’t realize that they still made underwear that nerdy. On Hank, though, the underwear didn’t look nerdy. No, on Hank they looked…

Hank quickly bent over and pulled them off, straightening up to give AJ a clear view of his neatly trimmed pubes and his semi-erect cock.

AJ stared. He’d never seen his friend naked before! If AJ was self-conscious about being nude in front of other guys due to his huge cock, Hank was self-conscious about being naked in front of anyone, period. He didn’t know why because clearly the dude didn’t have anything to be ashamed of down there. Shit, he was packing much more than AJ guessed. (He’d assumed that Hank had a tiny penis all these years.) His friend’s cheeks colored under his beard as he stood there, letting AJ soak in the sight of his naked body for a few seconds before he squatted down and slipped into the water next to him. His thigh pressed firm and hot against his own. AJ’s eyes widened. What had happened to the Hank he knew? This was such a bizarre and unexpected transformation!

Monster took the opportunity to exit the river, casting a backward glance at them. He looked so put out that they both laughed. The dog wandered over to a patch of shade and curled up, keeping his back to them.

Gradually, AJ became aware that Hank was shivering and he shifted his weight to lean against him. When Hank didn’t pull away, he moved to put his arm over his friend’s shoulders. Hank’s body began to shake almost uncontrollably then and after a moment, he curled into his arms, laying his head on AJ’s chest.

AJ looked around uncomfortably and noticed that the pair of hikers further up stream had stripped out of their clothes and were splashing each other in the spray from the river. He shook his head. What was going on? It was almost like the river water was turning everyone gay or something. He shrugged and turned back to Hank.

“You Ok, bud? I have to admit that I’m more than a little surprised right now. I never had you pegged for…”

“Shut up, AJ,” Hank said, gritting his teeth. “Just shut up. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Ok, Ok! I mean, I’m just confused. And what about your church–”

“SHUT UP!”

AJ fell silent, reaching up to caress Hank’s fuzzy cheek with the back of his hand. Life sure was strange sometimes! He couldn’t believe how much everything had changed in such a short time. It was almost like a dream. A really bizarre dream. He closed his eyes and watched his thoughts spin like spiderwebs caught in the current of a rapidly flowing river.

Sometime later, he felt a hand on his head and opened his eyes to see Hank staring up at him wonderingly. “Why are you wearing a crown of leaves?” he asked, voice cracking.

“Because I’m the ‘Lord of the Forest’,” AJ answered, smiling. “Bow down before me, mortal!”

Rather than bowing down, Hank kissed him. AJ’s eyes went round as his friend’s lips closed on his own and Hank’s beard scratched his face. Gil was smooth-shaven so the experience of kissing a hairy man was new to him.

He liked it.

He really liked it!

Then, just as quickly as Hank had moved to kiss him, he withdrew, pulling away from AJ and trying to roll out of the pool.

“Hey! Hey! Where are you going?” he protested, taking Hank by the shoulders and yanking him back down into the water. “Sorry, bud! You don’t get to back out now. You just committed yourself.”

Hank’s face was burning red and he wouldn’t look at AJ. He had to take his chin in his hand and turn his head toward him.

“Kiss me again,” he ordered.

Hank shook his head, still refusing to look at him even as AJ held his face immobile.

“Hank…” he warned and then he took a sharp intake of breath as the impossible happened.

A tiny tear, barely perceptible, appeared in the corner of the stud’s eye.

And just as quickly, Hank wiped it away.

AJ was touched. Shit, he was more than touched, he was rendered speechless. In the fifteen years he’d know Hank, he’d never seen him express any emotions besides anger and indignation. He felt his heart twist almost painfully as he stared at his friend. His stoic, impossibly self-righteous friend. His best friend…

Hank met his gaze and incredibly the corner of his mouth lifted and his eyes crinkled. He was smiling! He was smiling! Gradually, the grin spread across his whole face until he was radiant. He seemed ten years younger, appearing almost like an angelic teenager as the serious, pensive Hank disappeared to be replaced by someone almost completely new. Someone who was alive and fresh and…

“You are so beautiful.”

Whoa! Had Hank really just said that? AJ’s eyes went round. When he didn’t say anything, Hank’s face fell and he tried to pull away again but AJ held him firmly in place.

“Thank you,” he whispered as he let his hand drop. “Thank you, Hank…” 

Before he could continue, Hank surprised him again, lunging at him and pinning him down. He held his arms over his head as he pushed into him. They writhed for a long time, twin cocks rubbing up and down against each other, each guy getting more and more turned on. As his shock wore off, AJ slid his hands down Hank’s taut back to his buttocks and squeezed. Hank moaned. Shit, his friend had an amazingly tight ass! Then he laughed. Of course, Hank had a tight ass! Hank was a tightass!

He was almost too delirious with the sensual pleasure of Hank’s hard and hairy body to notice the arrival of the men’s cross country team in their tiny red shorts. Finally, their excited shouting caused him to look over. He turned and Hank followed his gaze.

What the fuck? 

This couldn’t be happening! 

He blinked and Hank exhaled in surprise.

It was true.

The cross country team members had pulled off their shorts and were horsing around naked downstream. The guys had paired off, one guy mounting the other’s shoulders, as they commenced facing off in a chicken fight. AJ watched with fascination. Their hard, slender bodies glistened in the sunlight. Laughing with abandon, they looked like they were having the time of their lives. He’d never seen young dudes capering around nude so unselfconsciously. It was both adorable and hot.

Hank apparently thought so to because AJ moaned as his friend reached down and grabbed his cock.

Only to drop it the next moment as if he’d been scalded.

“Holy mother of god!” he exclaimed. “How is that possible?!”

AJ’s cheeks colored. “Oh, yeah, by the way, I have a really huge cock, Hank.”

“I guess so! Jesus!”

“Hey! Don’t use our Lord’s name in vain!” AJ teased, unable to resist poking at his friend.

Hank looked sheepish for a moment before recovering. “Nice try. Now about your penis…” He gingerly placed his hand back in the water and felt his way down to AJ’s crotch.

“Thar she blows!” AJ exclaimed as Hank’s fingers closed around his very hard, very fat cock.

Hank rolled his eyes and resumed jacking him slowly as he stared meaningfully into his eyes. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes were burning with a lusty fire. AJ smiled up at his buddy, feeling his cock pulse and expand. He massaged Hank’s buttocks, still amazed by his best bud’s firm and muscular ass.

“I never want to stop looking at you.” 

Hank’s eyes held him entranced and AJ lost himself in the shimmering green depths, feeling as if his friend was opening his soul to him, inviting him in. He had to blink back tears; he had no idea that it was possible to meet someone like this, especially another man–and Hank, no less! Hank the Prude! A slow smile spread across his friend’s face as a tear trickled down AJ’s cheek. At that moment, a drop of sweat slid down Hank’s forehead and landed on his other cheek.

“I…” Hank’s deep voice broke off as struggled to find words. When he spoke again, his voice was husky. “You won’t believe me but I’ve been in love with you for years.” His eyes widened with this admission but he didn’t look away. AJ felt another tear slide down his cheek. Hank tilted his head as a wry smile touched his lips. “There must be something in the water here because I never thought I could tell you that. Heck, I never thought I could touch you like this! Please tell me that this is real!”

“I don’t know,” AJ admitted truthfully. The day just kept getting more and more unbelievable. He felt like he’d somehow been transported to an alternative, gay reality. Everything was the same and yet completely different. “I hope it is real, even if you are a total fucking pain in the ass most of the time.”

Unexpectedly, Hank guffawed. “Me? You’re the ‘Prodigal Son’! I’ve spent my life trying to be a good Christian!”

“Yeah? Well, you’re not doing a very good job. In case you haven’t noticed, your hand is on my cock and I’ve got my finger up your butthole.”

Hank stiffened and then grinned. AJ wiggled his finger, making him squirm. He’d taken the opportunity to explore his friend’s most private region while Hank was distracted professing his love.

“Ungh.”

“I’m sorry. What was that?” AJ was having trouble maintaining a straight face as he watched Hank’s face contort with pleasure. “If you think this is hot, just wait til I get my cock in there.”

“OOOOOOOHHHHH, FUUUUUUUUUCK!”

AJ moved another finger inside Hank’s hole, gently pushing deeper as he worked on stretching his sphincter. Hank was so tight that he could tell he would have to work hard to open him up enough to take his cock.

“What? You want me to stop?”

“NO!”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Tough Guy, what was that?” AJ couldn’t help teasing him, plus it was hot how Hank was writhing up and down, trying almost comically to drive AJ’s fingers deeper inside him.

“No, fuck, no!” he panted, lowering himself on top of AJ until he was plastered against him. His hairy chest was rubbing almost painfully back and forth but it was a good kind of pain. A really good pain.

“My girl likes it up the ass, doesn’t she?”

“Yessssss–” then he caught himself and froze. “Hey! I’m not a girl!”

AJ smirked. “You’re not? Ewww! That means you’re a faggot! Gross!”

“You don’t have to be mean,” Hank complained, resuming his salacious hip thrusts. “You know I’m new to this.” He hung his head, admitting in a low voice, “I…am a still a virgin.”

“Well, yeah, dude,” AJ sighed. “So was I until last night. I’m as new to this gay stuff as you are.”

Hank paused and refused to look at AJ until he put his hand on his cheek and turned his face toward him.

“Oh, I get it,” AJ said delicately. “You didn’t mean… You’re a real virgin?”

Hank gave a small nod, eyes downcast. AJ felt his heart melt. It was so damned adorable watching his macho, military-tough friend acting shy and awkward.

“Awww, Princess,” he purred, making Hank giggle. It was an incongruous sound coming from him. “That’s what I’m here for: To take away your ass virginity once and for all.”

Hank made an unintelligible sound as he fought to catch his breath. Finally, he collapsed on top of AJ, chest heaving as his butthole clenched around his fingers. He was hot and sweaty even though they were still partially submerged in the river.

“Let’s just…lie here together for a while,” he murmured in AJ’s ear. “I don’t want to rush this.”

“Neither do I! Did you think I was gonna fuck you right here and now? Even I’m not that bold,” he admitted. “I wanna take my time and fuck you in private.”

Hank groaned. “Do you have to be so crude? We’re talking about my ‘precious flower’ here.”

AJ laughed and wrapped his arms around him, hugging him tightly.

***

Part 5: The Chase

AJ almost dozed off under the pleasant warmth of his friend’s bulk. Hank was a big guy but AJ’s broad chest was more than able to accommodate him. He marveled again at the strange twists and turns his life had taken in less than twenty-four hours. Who would have guessed that Hank was harboring a long-simmering crush on him? The dude had kept it under wraps very effectively but now AJ understood why his buddy was so fervently dedicated to his church. He’d been doing everything he could to resist temptation…

He lifted his hand and stroked the leaves of his leafy crown, contemplating things. He wasn’t superstitious and was firmly agnostic on the topic of religion but the more he thought about it, he was forced to conclude that the crown was somehow related to the bizarre happenings. Where had it come from? Who had placed it on the bar the previous night? Was it having some perverse effect on him and everyone he came in contact with? And if so, how was that possible?

He didn’t have the chance to ponder these questions for long because he heard Rodney whinney over the cacophony of the nearby cross country runners. Lifting his head, he groaned.

Gil had climbed atop the stallion and was riding him bareback down the bank. The boy looked immensely proud of himself, sitting astride the horse and doing his best imitation of a skilled rider.

“That idiot is gonna get himself killed!” he hissed, sitting up and carefully pushing Hank off of him. 

His friend whined in protest at first but then stiffened when he spotted Gil. Like AJ, he was an experienced horseman and recognized a newbie when he saw one. He sat up on his knees, grabbing at the grassy bank to pull himself out of the river.

“Hank,” AJ asked as he stood up, forgetting to be self conscious of his nudity. “Will you go across the river and grab Princess? She’s in heat and I’m worried that Rodney is gonna run over there.”

Hank didn’t need to be asked twice; he was already charging across the river.

Monster jumped up from the grass and followed AJ, barking wildly, as he desperately tried to head off the impending disaster.

***

Hank had trouble wading across the river in his quest to round up Princess. He could see the mare just on the other side, grazing placidly. She was only about a hundred meters away but the river grew rapidly deeper and faster the further in he waded. The rocks under foot were slippery and the water was so turgid that he couldn’t see anything deeper than a few centimeters. He forced himself to stop and catch his breath. He’d grown up on the river and he was well aware of its dangers. Only a stupid (or overly horned-up) man would rush across when it was running high.

He cast about before spotting a downed tree and carefully making his way over to it. The water was up nearly to his chest by now and he had to fight to maintain his balance. The sheer force of the current was such that one misstep would cause it to swipe his feet out from under him. He had to take it slow!

Inch by inch, he threaded his path to the tree, finally relaxing when he was close enough to grab a slippery limb. Using the tree to steady himself, he made it to the far side without mishap and stood on the bank with his hands on his waist, breathing deeply. His heart was pounding, partly from adrenaline and partly from hormones.

He shook his head.

He had kissed AJ!

Gosh, he’d done more than kiss him; he’d told him that he loved him!

What had come over him?

He must be crazy.

Crazy in love for that guy.

Kissing AJ, touching him, feeling him, grabbing his…well, you know. It had been ever better than he imagined on all those cold and lonely nights when he’d lain awake, aching to tell his friend how he felt but knowing it was wrong. And then he would spend hours praying for salvation, pleading with Jesus to take away his gay desires and make him a real man. A real man…

AJ was a real man.

And AJ was gay.

The transitive property meant that Hank was also a real man.

He shook his head again, laughing at his silliness. Now was not the time for syllogisms!

Princess raised her head from grazing to look at him. She was such a gorgeous chestnut! Her flanks shone brilliantly in the dappled sunlight and her mane was positively lustrous. He had ridden the mare many times on his forays onto the state land with AJ and she both liked and trusted him. He made a wickering sound and she gave him the equine equivalent to an eye roll. Most people didn’t realize it but horses have senses of humor and he and Princess understood each other intimately. He’d always felt an affinity with her.

“Hey, Princess,” he called out. “Where’s your saddle?”

He cast around, looking for it, and was surprised when she trotted up to him to nuzzled against him, snuffling. It almost made him want to cry again. Life was so wonderful, so new, so beautiful. His heart expanded in his chest and he laughed like a little boy.

He was lost in the purity of the moment when he heard a muffled cry from downriver and turned to see Rodney plowing across the river as Gil dangled behind him, all but falling off. AJ and Monster were in pursuit but he knew they were going to be too late. The sex-crazed stallion was going to drown himself and his rider in the attempt to get to Princess.

He didn’t think; he acted.

He grabbed a handful of Princess’ mane and pulled himself up, swinging easily astride the mare. Taking the reins, he gently kicked his heels into her flanks and guided her toward the stallion. His instincts told him this was the best thing to do even though his analytical mind had its reservations.

They cantered across the open field and crested a small hill, startling a herd of deer that had been resting in a copse of willows. The deer bolted at the sight of them and headed south along the river. At that moment, Rodney spotted Princess and let out a lusty whinney that sent shivers up Hank’s spine. It had the same effect on the deer because they panicked and turned tail, leaping en masse into the current. In an instant, the whole herd was swept downstream toward the stallion…

…and the cavorting horde of nude runners.

Hank tried to stop Princess but Rodney’s whinney had an instant effect on her and she followed the deer, leaping into the river. He didn’t have time to react, all he could do was hold on tight as the current caught them and pulled them under. He swallowed a mouthful of water and fought for the surface but he was too far down. 

He couldn’t breathe.

***

Everything happened too quickly for AJ to comprehend. He was only dimly aware of confusion erupting around him as the panicked deer swept into the group of runners and Princess and Hank were pulled underwater. He couldn’t waste his energy worrying about them. He had to get to Gil and Rodney!

The fool-headed stallion was swimming furiously as he fought to get to the mare. Gil appeared to be tangled in the reins and was bobbing up and down in the water, gasping for breath and flailing like someone who had no experience with rivers or horses for that matter. AJ plunged into the river, unaware that Monster had jumped in behind him. He was a strong swimmer and he knew how handle this kind of current. If he could just get to Rodney and grab the reins…

The horse and his hapless rider disappeared underwater just as he was within reach. His heart clenched and he had to will himself not to panic. Something scratched his shoulder and looked back to see Monster struggling behind him.

Shit! 

Could this get any worse?

He was forced to turn his attention to saving his drowning dog and was about to take him by the scruff of the neck when one of the deer or runners or something collided with him.

AJ didn’t have a chance. He was pulled under by the savage current and lost consciousness as he fought to hold onto his dog and swim to the surface.

***

Part 6: Awakening

AJ’s leafy crown was still on his head when awoke, coughing up river water, in the shallows of a rocky shoal. He reached up and felt it, incredulous that it had managed to stay on his head throughout the whole ordeal…

The whole ordeal!

Shit, where was Gil!?

He sat up and let out a little cry when he saw the boy partially submerged in the water a dozen feet away. He was lying on his side, twisted uncomfortably but he appeared to be breathing. But Rodney…

Rodney!

Only the stallion’s lower body was visible, his head was completely submerged. His legs were kicking feebly as he lay there drowning. AJ panicked and jumped to his feet, desperate to pull the horse’s head out of the water before he died.

At least he tried to jump to his feet.

Instead of running, though, he fell flat on his ass, splashing back down in the water.

His feet didn’t want to work. Something hard and heavy encased them and he tried to wiggle his toes but couldn’t. It felt like they were embedded in blocks of concrete. Well, maybe not concrete but something really hard.

He pushed himself up on his elbows and looked down at himself. Only the tops of his knees were visible in the muddy water.

He blinked.

Why were his knees so…furry?

He raised his leg partway out of the water.

Dense, woolly hair covered his legs. And speaking of legs, his eyebrows shot up as he pulled more and more of his leg out of the water. He gaped as he saw his lower leg curve back as a second “knee” emerged, dripping wet. Then his leg curved forward again, still hairy, still dripping until…until…until…

“I’ve got fucking hooves!” he yelled.

It was true. A broad, cloven hoof had taken the place of his foot. He could tell immediately that it was real and not one of Gil’s costume hooves. There was no way his foot could fit inside a hoof that small!

Gil let out a groan and AJ shook his head, realizing he had more pressing matters at hand. He gritted his teeth as he crept across the rocks on his hands and knees to the boy and the drowning stallion. When he reached them, he cradled Gil’s head in his hands, shaking him gently.

He held his breath as the boy opened his eyes. They were unfocused and his pupils were dilated. After a moment, his beautiful, brown irises contracted and he smiled up at AJ.

“My lord,” he said, smiling weakly.

AJ made a face, more to keep from crying than anything else, and lowered his head to kiss him before asking, “Are you Ok? You could have drowned!”

“I’m fine, my lord,” Gil said quietly. “In fact, now that you are crowned and in your true form, I’m elated.”

AJ pulled back, confused. Then he remembered the hooves and his weirdly recurved legs. He felt his heart stop and he stared at Gil, stricken.

“I…I”

Gil laughed. “Don’t worry. You’re not alone. All of us are here to serve you.”

With that, he pushed himself up off his shoulder and AJ sank back to stare in stunned fascination as Rodney’s feet started flailing until they gained purchase on the river rock. Gil pushed himself up as the stallion’s legs moved under him and he emerged from the water.

“Holy fucking shit!”

AJ scrambled backward as the man/horse shook itself before lowering itself to its knees. The man who had been Gil lowered his head in a deep bow.

***

Part 7: Mares Eat Oats and Does Eat Oats and Little Bucks Eat…

Hank could feel Princess beneath him when he awoke, her huge body warming his own. Incredibly, he had managed to stay mounted despite the savage forces of the current trying to rip them apart. He kicked his feet and smiled as he felt her move under him, incredibly relieved that she was alive and safe. He took a deep breath and felt her body expand beneath him, almost as if she was timing her breath with his own.

Thank Jesus! he thought, struggling weakly. He was lying on his side, his left arm mired in river mud. The current was slow here, twining almost lazily around him and the horse. Princess was also on her side. He reached down with his free arm and patted her shoulder.

And stopped.

Huh?

That was weird. It was almost as if he could feel his own hand on his own body as if he was somehow…

Nah, that was impossible!

He smiled at his foolishness. He was just pressing so tightly against her that he could feel his own hand touching her. It was like a vibration or something.

Yeah, that was it.

“Hey, there!” A voice called out. It sounded like a guy. A young guy from the timbre of the voice. “Don’t worry, I see you. I’m coming over to help!” 

He tried to lift his head but he was stuck in the mud and turned the wrong way. He lifted his hand and waved to his rescuer, glad that someone had found him. Even though he was naked, his usual modesty was superseded by his desire to be free.

There were slurping sounds as the person behind him made his way through the mud. After a really long time, he felt a hand on his shoulder and then there was a face looking down on him. A young, handsome face with…antlers?

He closed his eyes, thinking he must be delirious but when he opened them again, the face and the antlers were still there. They were pretty tiny as antlers go but looked incredibly real, right down the covering of spring velvet. Without thinking, he reached up to touch one but the boy lifted his head out of reach.

“Why’re you wearing those?” he asked.

The boy’s eyebrows lifted and he seemed unsure how to respond. Hank realized then that he must be one of the cross country runners, the same group he and AJ had watched earlier dancing naked in the shallows. The boy appeared to be about nineteen and had dark skin and brown eyes with long lashes. He looked both concerned and freaked out.

“I’m Faraj. Are you Ok?” He said finally, pausing to make a face before continuing, “I mean, as Ok as you can be after…what happened to us?”

Hank smiled. “Yeah, I’m Ok and I think Princess is, too.” Now that he had come out as gay to AJ, he was surprised by how easy it was for him to admit that he found men attractive. And Faraj was definitely attractive.

Faraj made another funny face. “Princess? Who is she?”

“My horse,” Hank said, a little incredulous that he had to explain this to the boy. He reached down and patted her shoulder again, forgetting about the weird sensation that made it feel like she was attached to him.

Faraj’s expressive eyes widened slightly. “Oh, you…don’t know yet, do you?” Then the boy shook his head, talking to himself. “Of course, he doesn’t know, Faraj! He just woke up!”

Hank was confused. “What are you talking about? What don’t I know?”

“I…I will help you understand but we gotta take it slow. Before I show you, though, I need you to know you’re not alone. Honestly, I’m in shock myself but searching for survivors helps. The same thing happened to me and I’m pretty sure every other guy on my team. I mean, not exactly the same thing because with us it was deer and with you it was a–”

“You’re babbling, Faraj.”

The boy stopped, giving him a sheepish look. He was about to say something else but caught himself and said simply, “Just know you’re not alone.”

Hank nodded. “Got it. Now what were you going to show me?”

Another pause, then, “Lemme dig you out first.”

With that, the boy commenced scooping out handfuls of mud, working furiously because the mud was soft and watery and the hole filled up again almost as fast as he scooped. Finally, though, he managed to get his hands under Hank’s left shoulder.

“Ok, I need you to help me,” Faraj instructed calmly. “Can you try to sit up? You won’t be able to sit up all the way because, well…just try to push yourself out of the mud, Ok?”

Not bothering to respond, Hank applied himself to pushing out of the mud. It was tough, though, and belatedly he realized he must be pinned under Princess because he couldn’t move his legs. He struggled helplessly with Faraj doing his best to assist but it was no use; he was trapped.

“Ok, let’s try something different,” Faraj said finally. Beads of sweat were trickling down his face as he looked down with concern at Hank. “Um, what did you say your name is again?”

“I’m…Hank,” he stammered, flushing for some reason. He felt tongue-tied around Faraj and didn’t know why other than there was something…what was it? Something really attractive about the guy and it wasn’t just his handsome face. He inhaled and flushed a deeper shade of red as he figured it out: Faraj smelled good. Really good. Like pure, potent, undiluted masculinity. He inhaled deeply again and let out a little snort, flaring his nostrils and wuffling the air. God, he couldn’t get enough of Faraj’s scent!

At first, Faraj stared at him strangely but gradually his expression changed from one of puzzlement to…something else. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as his eyes glazed over. With seeming difficulty, he shook his head. His gaze was glassy as he looked at Hank.

“Dude,” he murmured, “we gotta get you out of that mud before I do something I’m gonna regret.”

Hank’s heart began to pound with these words. What did Faraj want to do that he would regret? Would Hank regret it as well? He almost wanted to find out.

Faraj took a few seconds to master himself, though he still looked dazed when he said, “Hank, my buddy, this isn’t gonna be easy for you but I need you to kick your hoo–, I mean feet as hard as you can while pushing up with you arms. I will do my best to help.”

Hank stared up at him, still savoring his delicious aroma. Faraj’s little nubbin antlers were so adorable. Hell, everything about Faraj was adorable! He hadn’t even seen his body but he didn’t need to. He already knew that Faraj was a stud!

“On three,” Faraj ordered, setting his jaw and looking very serious. “One…two…three…”

What happened next haunted Hank for the rest of his life. It was the moment he realized that everything–EVERYTHING–about his life had changed and would never be the same again. He kicked and Princess kicked beside him. Only…it wasn’t Princess. It was…

“FUUUUUUCCCKKK!”

His vision blurred and then went dark.

***

“Come on, Hank! It’s Ok. Don’t worry.”

Faraj.

It was Faraj.

His eyes closed, Hank flared his nostrils, drinking in the boy’s rich scent. A warm hand was on his shoulder and he was sitting up on…

Remembering made him freak out. He started flailing around, lashing out, fighting fiercely, trying to get away, trying to get away, trying to…

Faraj kissed him.

Hank stopped fighting abruptly and opened his eyes to see Faraj’s beautiful, dark eyes locked onto him. He opened his mouth and welcomed the boy’s tongue inside, melting. All of his anger, confusion, and fear evaporated until he was completely Faraj’s. 

Faraj was his world.

After a long time, the boy pulled away slightly and smiled. “See? I knew that would work. You’re not freaking out anymore, are you?”

Hank was breathless. His mind was full of mush and his temples were pounding but somehow he didn’t really care. He felt suffused with a warm glow as he stared back at the young man kneeling on folded…deer legs…in front of him.

Now the little antlers adorning Faraj’s head made sense.

And the tapering, furry ears that were currently pressed flat against his head.

He couldn’t help gaping as he took it all in.

Faraj laughed. “Yeah, well, you look pretty dumb, too.”

Hank’s gaze fell and Faraj made a funny sound in the back of his throat, reaching up to cup his cheek in his hand. “Awww, I didn’t mean that as an insult, buddy! I was just teasing. You look fucking good. In fact, it’s all I can do to keep myself from…”

Hank held up his hand. “Ok! Got it!”

“Do you?” Faraj pressed, edging closer. “Maybe I need to show you what I’m talking about?” His brown eyes took on a devilish glint as he pushed himself up on his long, elegant legs. All four of them.

Somehow seeing him standing up, a creature with the torso of a youth and the lower body of a stag, caused reality to come crashing down on Hank and he panicked. His mind went blank and the next he knew, he was charging off down the river bank, flanks heaving and legs coursing beneath him. He didn’t even know how his body worked and didn’t even really care. He just knew he had to get away, get as far away as possible…

Far away…

“Yo, dude!” a voice called beside him. “Did you think you could outrun me?”

Faraj leaped in front of him then. No, Faraj did more than that! He leaped over him to land lightly in front of him. Hank came to a screeching halt, legs splayed out in front of him, all but tumbling over as he tried to avoid crashing into the man/beast. His body was so heavy and he had so much momentum that it took a long time to come to rest. When he did, he found himself inches away from Faraj as the boy placed his hands on his hips and smiled triumphantly down at him.

Hank stared at him, chest heaving and flanks quivering.

“Last I checked,” Faraj quipped, “deer were faster than horses. And far more agile!” He leaned down then and put his hands under Hank’s armpits and tugged. Hank didn’t want to but he found himself reluctantly putting his hooves (!) under his giant frame and pushing upward. In a moment, he was standing on all four legs, shivering.

“Shit, you sure are tall, though!” Faraj said, walking nimbly over to stand next to him. His head barely came up to Hank’s armpit and his deer body was easily more than a foot lower. “Now let’s get you cleaned up.”

He trotted down to the river bank and looked over his shoulder at Hank who watched him, entranced. He still couldn’t believe that Faraj’s lower body was that of a stag! He looked…amazing. And that was before he caught sight of the dude’s ‘equipment’ back there. His mouth fell open for a moment before he closed it with a snap. An uncomfortable sensation began to radiate from his own…hindquarters…and he stomped a hoof: Faraj had the biggest, ugliest cock he’d ever seen.

And it was hard.

Really hard.

The boy caught his stare and rolled his eyes upward, abashed. Belatedly, he sidestepped so that his rear leg covered his…but even so the big, red, dripping organ poked out between his furry thighs.

Hank realized then that his whole upper body had gone scarlet and he stamped his hooves again, feeling like he should get out of there. He should get…

“Don’t go, Hank,” Faraj said quietly as he lifted his head to sniff the air between them and scrape at the rocks with a cloven hoof. “This,” he nodded toward his hindquarters, “is only because you’re in…”

Hank swallowed, feeling sweat trickle down his armpits. “I’m in what?”

Faraj’s expression grew unexpectedly tender. “Hank, you’re in…season. That horse you were riding was a mare, right?”

These words seemed to hang in the air between them for a moment as time stopped and Hank’s brain struggled to fathom their meaning. The next instant, though, they plummeted to the earth along with him.

He collapsed in a crumpled pile on the ground as he grabbed his head in his hands and let out an anguished yell.

***

Part 8: The Shredded Flower

“Ah, you’re back.” 

Hank groaned and turned away. He fervently wished that he could die. He just wanted to die.

When he didn’t say anything, Faraj continued, almost as if he was talking to himself, “I’m glad now that I grew up on a farm. I always felt like a total hick but at least I get what we’re going through.”

Hank cracked an eye. Faraj was standing over him, his long ears pricked up and a little smile on his face. He folded his arms when he saw Hank peeking at him and tapped an elegant hoof.

“Come on, big guy!” he cajoled. “It’s not so bad. Here, why don’t you let me wash you off.”

“Fuck you.”

Faraj laughed. “Don’t tempt me! Do you know how difficult it is for me to not rape your horsey ass right now?”

Hank flinched, clenching his huge, new buttocks, causing Faraj to laugh louder. The boy leaned down and clapped him on the shoulders before taking him in his surprisingly strong grip and pulling him up. Hank didn’t want to budge but finally sighed and let the boy help him up. His legs felt shaky and his whole body felt…wrong.

He stood there, hanging his head and refusing to look at Faraj.

“Awww, stud! Don’t look like that,” Faraj said, taking a little mincing steps until he was facing Hank, his body so close that he could feel the heat emanating off of his human torso. He reached up and put his hand under Hank’s chin, lifting it until Hank’s gaze met his own.

“You’re still a man! Just because you have an incredibly hot filly underneath you doesn’t change that!”

When he still didn’t respond, Faraj jumped up and, resting his forelegs on Hank’s withers, leaned in and kissed him. His mouth was sweet and soft and the skin above his lips was just slightly stubbly. Hank responded, taking his head in his hands and pulling him in tightly, devouring his mouth. He felt the telltale burning sensation radiating from his hindquarters and knew what it meant. Christ, he knew what it meant!

They parted finally with Faraj wrapping his warm arms around his torso and resting his head on his shoulder. His breathing was rapid and his body was sticky with sweat.

“Hey, stud,” the boy gasped. “Can we…you know?”

Surprisingly, Hank didn’t react in the way he thought he would. Rather than violently shoving the boy away from him, he cast his eyes down and then flushed when he realized he was arching his back and pushing his rump into the air. He lifted his tail and swished it back and forth…seductively. Shit, he was in heat! He was fucking in heat!

Faraj was having trouble catching his breath and licked a trickle of sweat off Hank’s neck before nibbling his ear. When he spoke, his voice was throaty. “I…I don’t think I can reach your…You’re too tall and I don’t think my deer was full grown. I’m not…very big.”

Hank smiled at this admission. He’d seen the monstrous red poker jutting out from between Faraj’s rear legs. The deer may not have been full grown but its cock was fucking huge!

He let Faraj lead him down to the water then, picking his way carefully across the slippery rocks, his hooves clicking and clacking in a satisfying way. He realized then as he felt his mare parts swell and grow hot that Princess was with him and still very much alive. It was the strangest thing, like he was two beings in one. He quivered as he felt her body welcome his own, almost as if the merging was still happening. His senses became her senses and her urges and desires, his. It was alien and beautiful. He lifted his head and snorted, feeling overcome with lust and…happiness.

Faraj caught the note of abandon in his snort and lifted his head in an exuberant bugle. Hank laughed; the boy sounded more like an immature elk than a deer. Still, the sound sent a thrill down his spine.

“Lemme wash you off, my man,” Faraj said and Hank smiled. His new friend was obviously trying to reassure him about his masculinity, despite the fact he now lacked male parts, and it was kind of touching. He waded over to the boy, thumping him companionably with his rear thighs.

The water was slower moving there because the river had widened, its banks fanning out. They were farther downstream than he’d been in a long time. This was a remote section of the river and one of his favorite places. The trees were tall on the banks and resplendent in their fresh green leaves. The evening sun hung suspended in the air, casting a golden glow through the bows overhead. Time slowed as he savored this moment, this completely crazy, fucked up moment that nonetheless couldn’t have been more perfect.

Faraj splashed him with the cool water before running his hands over Hank’s lustrous, chestnut coat. He shook himself, delighting in the power of his new lower body, the way his heavy muscles felt strong and supple. Droplets of water sprayed all over, wetting Faraj’s face and torso. The boy was staring at him with an avid expression, his face flushed and the huge rod between his legs straining.

Faraj pranced around him, stopping behind to massage his hindquarters with his hands. Hank sighed and widened his stance, lifting his tail and swishing it coquettishly.

“You’ve got sand in your lady parts!” Faraj laughed, lowering himself to splash more water on his hind end. Hank shivered as the cold water touched his exquisitely hot…

Faraj touched him there!

Faraj had touched his…!

Wait, Faraj was doing more than touching him! His head lifted and he twisted around, realizing belatedly that it was really difficult to see what was going on back there.

Faraj licked him.

“Ah, fuck!” he moaned, feeling both repulsed and aroused. “What are you doing?”

Faraj ignored the question, getting down to business, lapping and slurping away back there, his tongue probing and exploring and tasting and…

“Jesus! That’s fucking amazing!” Hank yelled. “Don’t stop!”

He heard a giggle as the boy continued working on him, driving him crazier and crazier the more he tormented him with his incredibly penetrating tongue. 

Finally, Faraj stepped away, wiping his chin. “It’s so fucking weird!” he exclaimed. “Two hours ago I would have puked at the thought of…doing that to a horse but now it’s the fucking hottest thing I can imagine!”

“Why the fuck did you stop?” Hank demanded, feeling like he was about to explode.

Faraj’s eyebrow lifted. “Because I want to fuck your hot horse pussy, dude. Now kneel down and let me at it!”

Hank did.

His whole body was quivering as he lowered himself onto a small sandy spot in the river, tossing his tail and looking longingly over his shoulder at his lover. Faraj wore a serious expression and radiated a sultry confidence that made Hank feel weak. Slowly, almost diffidently, the boy paced over to him, coming to stand behind him again. This time, though, he walked forward, placing his front hooves on either side of Hank’s horse body and leaning into him. He stiffened as the boy lowered himself on top of him.

“It’s not gonna be perfect, dude,” Faraj cautioned. “I don’t think deer and horses were meant to mate, ya know.”

“I don’t fucking care!” Hank hissed, unable to tolerate another second of delay. “Just fuck me!”

“Ok,” Faraj said simply, needing no more encouragement. He thrust his molten rod into Hank, grunting like an animal as Hank’s head exploded and his body lit on fire. The boy’s huge, furry balls slapped hard between his legs with every thrust, setting off a myriad of neural explosions and making him feel faint. He was getting fucked in the cunt by a deer!

The young buck was bucking wildly, sending Hank into hysterics as his arousal built to an almost uncontrollable level. The sensations going on…back there…were indescribable. There was nothing in his life or imagination that could have prepared him for this experience and he was on the verge of exploding when he heard voices. 

Looking up, he gaped.

A whole herd of stag men were arrayed in front of them, crossing their arms and glowering. They looked both menacing and funny standing there in the shallow water, ears pointing forward in annoyance and tails lifted like white flags. Each one was sporting an enormous, slimy red erection between his furry hind legs.

“Faraj!” the tallest stag (a muscular, dark-skinned man with almond-shaped eyes) demanded, placing his hands on his hips, “I can’t believe you didn’t invite us to the party! We’re your best bros!”

Incredibly, Faraj didn’t miss a beat and continued to thrust deeply, almost viciously into Hank’s rear end, even reaching to grab him by the shoulders and yanking him backward. He was intent on using every bit of leverage available to pound deeper and harder. A low growl was building in his chest as he exacted an exquisite punishment. Hank moaned and a soporific haze of euphoria descended over him. He felt an insatiable hunger to be pounded violently, as if only pain could bring him the release he so deeply craved.

When Faraj exploded inside of him, he was almost disappointed. He wasn’t done yet! He wanted more!

The boy collapsed backward and Hank heard a rude slurping noise as his stag cock withdrew from his horse pussy. He cried out at the emptiness. What was the point in having a pussy if there wasn’t a hot cock inside of him?

Faraj’s teammates had his back. Literally.

The big stag pushed the boy out of the way as he took up position behind Hank’s aching rump. He smacked him hard on the flank, announcing, “I’m Choi, dude. Prepare to get fucked by the finest!”

***

The stag men pounded his pussy for what felt like hours until every one of them had gone at him at least twice. Faraj was the last one to mount and was the only one to bring him to orgasm, their twinned bodies convulsing in carnal bliss. It was pure animal sex and Hank loved it, realizing that he couldn’t have asked for a better way to lose his virginity. His ‘precious flower’ was now thoroughly trampled and destroyed in river mud that stank of musk, deer cum, and animal sweat.

He was so happy!

Faraj took his time pulling out, waiting for Hank’s muscles back there to stop convulsing. He was dripping sweat as he slumped onto his broad backside, still teasing Hank with little thrusts.

“The only thing I miss is being able to kiss,” he said wearily. “You’re so far away!”

Hank smiled, rolling his butt muscles under his weight. “I dunno. I can’t imagine how that could have been any better.”

Choi snorted behind him. “If we’re gonna be deer boys for the rest of our lives, you’ll get plenty of more opportunities like that dude. All of us are bucks! Not a single doe among us!”

Hank let this sink in, unable to suppress the thrill that pulsed through his body. The stag men all laughed and he felt his cheeks grow hot.

“Looks like our filly likes that idea, boys!”

They helped him clean up afterward, each one more interested than the next in maintaining good horse hygiene, focusing especially on one part of his new anatomy. He had to playfully kick them away at one point with his hind legs.

When they were done, the sun was dipping toward the hidden western horizon and the forest was beginning to fall dark around them. The reality of their situation descended on them then and they became glum.

“Shit,” one of the guys complained. “I’m hungry! What the fuck do I eat now? Grass?”

Hank shook his head before having a thought. “I don’t know but I know who will,” he said slowly, “Have you guys seen AJ?” He didn’t understand why but he felt certain that his friend was the key to their new life.

“The goat dude?” Choi asked. “The really big, hairy guy? I saw him about a mile upstream awhile back. He’s probably still there. He looked like…he was gonna be busy for a while if ya know what I mean.”

Hank blinked with this news. “AJ is a goat? No shit!”

Choi shook his head. “Not all goat. Just half goat, kinda like us except he only has two legs.”

***

Part 9: Gay as Fuck

AJ’s mouth was hanging open. A fly landed on his head and he flicked it away with an ear before he realized what he was doing. His ear had…?!

“FUUUCKKK!” he yelled, reaching up and feeling… “What the FUCK?! What have you done to me?”

To his growing consternation, AJ discovered quickly that his ears, long and tapered and covered with a short coat of fur, were the least of his worries. Two thick, gnarled horns curved up and back from his scalp. They were firmly embedded in his skull, not merely stuck on like the fake pair that Gil had made him wear the night before.

Gil pawed the dirt with a huge hoof, tossing his head impatiently. “Come on, dude! Just go with it!”

AJ didn’t look up. He was numb, lost in a daze of confusion and…revulsion. He hated looking at and feeling himself. He’d turned into a total fucking freak who smelled and looked like a goat! He clutched at his head, trying to tear off the ugly, twisted horns and the hateful crown. They wouldn’t budge. Just as he feared, the gnarled horns were embedded into his skull. They were part of him now. And the crown was so deeply twined into his thick, curly locks that he couldn’t extricate it. He lifted his head and howled in frustration and anguish. What the fuck had happened to him?

Gil let him howl until he was hoarse before saying, “Are you through?”

AJ stared up at him angrily. “This is all your fault!”

He received an elegant eye roll in response as Gil stepped forward, repeating, “Get over yourself and enjoy it! You’re sexy as hell!”

“Leave me alone,” AJ ordered. “Or better yet, change me back. I hate this!”

Gil shook his head. “I won’t and I can’t. Why do you think I’m the one who did this to us?”

“Because you are called me the ‘Lord of the Forest’ and bowed down to me and shit! What the fuck am I supposed to think?” He scowled fiercely up at the bizarre creature that Gil had become, adding, “This had better be some sort of fucked up hallucination. I want my fucking body–and life–back!”

Gil chose to ignore this last part, instead saying, “Huh. I don’t remember saying or doing that. Are you sure?”

AJ crossed his arms, nonplussed. “Uh, yeah. I’m sure.”

Gil gave him an innocent smile. “Well, maybe it’s true, AJ. Have you thought of that? Maybe this is who you were always meant to be?” He looked around, indicating the forest around them. “I mean, can’t you feel it? The forest seems…relieved, almost happy.”

“You are so fucking full of shit! Forest can’t be…” Then he felt it. It was the strangest sensation. His skin became stippled in gooseflesh and he shivered. Something…old, no, ancient had just stirred. The wind ruffled his hair and he felt the ground breathe beneath him…

“You feel it, don’t you?”

AJ had gone pale. “W-What is it?”

“Dunno,” Gil said, shrugging. “But it doesn’t really matter. It just confirms my suspicion that there is nothing we can do,” he spread his arms to indicate his horse body and AJ’s goatiness, “about what happened. There’s no going back.”

“Alex,” AJ murmured before saying more forcefully, “Alex! He’ll know what this is about! This forest was part of his tribe’s ancestral lands. They fought the state government for years in court for possession of it. Maybe it’s cursed! Maybe they’ve cursed us!”

Gil shook his head. “This isn’t a curse, dude.”

“Speak for yourself!” AJ shouted, suddenly angry again. “Look at me! I’m a fucking goat!”

“A fucking sexy goat.”

“Fuck you!”

“That’s what I’m trying to do!” Gil commented wryly, refusing to get pulled into his drama. “Especially now that your piece is swinging so heavy and long.” He turned then and, lifting his long tail high, shoved his horse’s ass in AJ’s face. 

AJ wrinkled his nose at first and then caught Gil’s scent: One-hundred percent pure, stud stallion! His cock lifted from its dense nest of hair. Something about it felt…different and he stared down at himself.

“Fucking hell! Look at my cock!”

Gil laughed, glancing over his shoulder. “That’s what I’ve been doing the whole time you’ve been ranting and raving. You’re truly hung like a hor–, er, goat now, dude!”

Trembling, AJ clenched and unclenched his hands. His cock had already been huge by human standards but now had surpassed the range of believability. The schlong swinging heavy between his mutant legs was stupendously long and fat and veiny. It shone, slick with sweat, in the furry nest of his thighs. His balls, now completely hairless, dangled like heavy fruit beneath it. The appendage had to be more than four inches in diameter and semi-erect was hanging nearly to his knees.

He made a strangled sound as he stared at it and was turning on Gil again when he heard Monster whine nearby. Whirling around, he saw that his poor dog had gotten trapped in a mudhole in a shallow part of the river. Only his snout was sticking out and he appeared to be sinking fast. AJ’s chest clenched as he watched his beloved dog’s muzzle slipping away. He forgot all about his unwanted changes and bolted over to rescue him.

Running on cloven hooves wasn’t easy and his massive cock and balls didn’t help. They slapped painfully against his thighs, unbalancing him and he half-lunged, half-tumbled at Monster, landing on his furry knees and reaching desperately into the mud to extricate the poor creature. His disgusting cock was so long that it flopped heavily down, splashing into the mud. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to ignore it.

“It’s Ok, boy,” he panted as he felt around in the thick mud for the dog’s legs. Oddly, though, his hands touched something that didn’t feel like a dog’s forelegs. Were those human arms…? “Gil!” he yelled, panicking, “I think someone’s stuck down here in the mud under him! Help me!”

Gil trotted over and looked down at him, saying, “Uh, I would but…well, I can’t exactly kneel down like I used to.” He looked significantly down at his torso merged with Rodney’s body and AJ cursed.

“Go get help then!” he shouted, frantically grappling at the body of the man submerged in the mud. “I don’t know how long he’s been in here! He’s probably drowned already!”

Gil stared at him for a moment before turning and swishing his tail. In a moment, he’d galloped down the river bank. AJ turned back to digging in the mud. The man’s body felt warm which was a good sign and as he clawed at the arms, trying to pull him up. Thankfully, after a few seconds, he felt the body begin to move. Shaking his head in relief, he felt his ears flop against his new horns, and pulled harder. Monster groaned as his head came up out of the mud and AJ was happy to see that his dog, though muddy, didn’t appear to be the worse for wear. He wondered briefly how Monster had managed to wash into the mudhole on top of the man. Had the man tried to save the dog and gotten stuck in the process? He shook his head again, grimacing at the foreign weight of his ears and horns, and redoubled his efforts to free the trapped pair. Once he got the dog free, the man would follow.

Except…

Except…

He let out a bewildered shout as Monster’s head emerged from the mud followed by…

Fucking shit!

His mind went blank as his dog’s head and neck emerged from the muck followed seamlessly by the shoulders and torso of a man. He stared, frozen, as his brain fought against what he was seeing, refusing to believe the impossible. He ran through a myriad of logical explanations that ultimately failed to explain what had happened to Monster. Finally, his poor synapses overloaded with the effort and he fell backward, landing heavily on his buttocks. He watched in horror as Monster pulled himself out of the mudhole.

His dog’s head and neck slowly transitioned, becoming progressively more human. His shoulders and arms were furry and still somewhat doglike, although he appeared to have fully-formed human hands. His shaggy chest now possessed bulging pectoral muscles and a tapering waist, the hair gradually thinning down to his belly button. Below his belly, all traces of dog ended and his lower body was human.

And not just any human.

Gil.

Monster had Gil’s lower body.

He’d recognize it anywhere.

His fucking dog had stolen his lover’s body!

The dog shook himself and trotted over to the river, diving in. AJ watched, feeling completely befuddled, as the creature washed himself off, splashing water over his body and rubbing until he was clean…as if it was most natural thing in the world for him to do. As if he’d always had a human body.

It was beyond disorienting for poor AJ to see his lover’s tight, muscular lower body, so nubile, so sexy, so…God, that ass! That perfect, full, round, muscular ass! And that little dick…

He shook himself, feeling ill. This wasn’t possible. This wasn’t happening. This…

“Holy shit! Is that Monster?” A voice called out behind him.

He turned and saw that Gil flanked by the two hikers they had passed earlier in the day, the same guys who had later appeared at the river to strip naked and cavort in the shallows. In his numb state, AJ felt almost nothing when he noticed that they now sported horns, goat ears, goat legs, and…enormous male appendages like his. Just like his…

AJ hugged his knees to his chest (or at least tried to; his legs didn’t fold up quite like they used to) and hung his head. He couldn’t take any more of this. He couldn’t take it.

***

He came to with Monster licking his face. AJ sat up with a start, shoving the dog away and sputtering, “Bad dog! Bad dog!” Monster hung his head and would have put his tail between his legs if he’d still had one. He sat back on his haunches and AJ flushed. He couldn’t get past the weird mind fuck of seeing Gil’s naked body with Monster’s head. God, he had a headache!

“Oh, Jay,” Gil sighed. AJ swiveled to see that his lover had folded his giant horse body down to lean against him. “It’s Ok. Really. It’s Ok,” he murmured, putting his hand on AJ’s shoulder and squeezing. AJ blinked and saw that the two hikers, now fellow satyrs, were sitting on Gil’s other side, watching him with sympathetic expressions. They appeared unbothered by their transformation. Shit, if anything, they looked happy, casting suggestive glances in his direction, all but begging him to…

He shivered. They were, he realized, even better looking than he’d imagined. Feeling confused by the urges they elicited, he smiled shyly before turning back to Gil.

His reply faded on his lips, though, when he heard the sound of approaching voices. He looked down the river to see a troop of young men riding on…deer? He squinted into the setting sun filtering through the trees and realized that the men weren’t riding deer…they were…

Wait, was that Hank?

On Princess?

Or…?

“Oh, god,” he groaned, as he saw what had happened to his friend. “Oh god oh god oh god oh god.”

The day just kept getting weirder! He gaped as he realized that the ‘buck boys’ were the cross-country team that had run past them earlier. And it sure looked like Hank had suffered a fate similar to Gil’s…only he appeared to have merged with AJ’s mare. As he stared, he noticed that his friend’s cheeks were rosy and his torso was flushed. He appeared to be glowing from within. 

Wait, he thought, I recognize that look! That’s the look of a guy who has…

Heart suddenly pounding, AJ’s eyes narrowed. Had Hank…you know…with the boys? 

His suspicion was confirmed a second later when he saw the ugly, glistening, engorged dicks jutting down between the boys’ stag thighs. One of the boys, a dark-haired beauty, playfully head-butted Hank as AJ stared, mouth falling open. A couple of the other deer boys leaped over Hank’s back, slapping his rump and laughing.

Holy fuck! AJ thought, the puzzle pieces falling into place in his mind. Hank was just gangbanged by the whole herd of buck boys!

He was opening his mouth to call out when he felt Gil tense beside him. He glanced over and saw that the boy’s eyes had gone glassy. As AJ watched, the boy’s torso stiffened and he lurched to his feet. He stood there, quivering, as if he was struggling to control himself.

“Gil, what…?”

The centaur boy shivered, giving AJ an agonized look before gritting his teeth and gasping, “Get. Him. Away. From. Me.”

AJ’s mouth fell open. “What? Who?”

“Hank,” the boy pronounced, whole body wracked with spasms. “NOW, AJ!”

One look at the boy’s face was enough to propel AJ to his feet. He ran awkwardly on his new hooves to the approaching herd, waving his hands and yelling, “Get Hank out of here! Get him out of here!”

The deer boys stared at him for a moment before turning to Hank. The man/filly was frozen in place, his nostrils flared as he pawed the rocks with a hoof. His eyes were locked on Gil and, as AJ watched, his friend lifted his tail. A moment later a dense, sultry aroma filled the air and AJ inhaled deeply. It was intoxicating. It was fucking…

All hell broke loose as every male in the vicinity attempted to mount Hank at the same time. The deer boys surrounded him and tried to fend off the satyrs, Monster, and Gil, but they were quickly overwhelmed and a violent free-for-all would have erupted if a voice hadn’t rung through the air, commanding them to stop.

Wait! I recognize that voice! AJ realized in a distant part of his mind. His grotesque member was engorged and pulsing, bigger by far than even Gil’s massive horse cock. And the instinctual urges flooding his system at the mere hint of Hank’s intoxicating scent were driving him crazy. Despite all this, he froze in place at the sound of his friend Alex’s voice.

“Jesus Christ, you guys!” his bartender friend was shouting, “Get the fuck control of yourselves!”

AJ hunched his shoulders as he turned, doing a double take when he saw that Alex was holding Gil’s doctor boyfriend, Brandon, by the arm. Brandon looked…different…than AJ remembered. Mostly the same but…different. Both younger and older but also creepier and smaller. He was glowering up at Alex, a murderous expression on his face.

The entire raucous crew of satyrs, centaurs, deer boys, and even the dogman fell silent, their lewd erections bobbing in front of them. In the lull, AJ realized that the wind had picked up and the air smelled of rain. The sun was just setting, staining the trees and river scarlet. The river moved swift and silent beside them as he heard a roll of thunder in the distance. It would rain that night, he thought as a trickle of sweat ran down his back. A blackfly bit his ear and he flicked it away absently, his attention returning to Alex.

His friend looked pissed and he obviously didn’t have qualms about taking his anger out on Brandon. As they watched, he hurled the man to the ground, pausing to roll up the sleeves of his flannel shirt before rounding on him.

“You!” he spat. “I fucking should have known who you were last night when that fucking crown showed up on top of my bar!” 

Brandon rolled onto his feet, backing away from Alex, eyes alive with hatred and…fear? He cast wildly about and would have fled if Alex hadn’t caught him again and tossed him back down on the ground. He scrambled to his feet again, blood trickling from his nose. Wiping it away, he sputtered, “You don’t know what you’re doing, asshole! You can’t stop me!”

Just then AJ noticed the little horns on Brandon’s forehead. They were tiny and almost hidden by his curly blond hair but they were definitely horns. Who the fuck is he? he wondered, turning to look at Gil. The boy’s face was frozen. He looked almost like he was hypnotized.

“Alex,” AJ began, “what…?”

“Shut it, AJ!” his friend yelled. “Just shut the fuck up and let me handle this.” AJ’s ears drooped and he took a step backward. He never seen Alex this worked up. What was going on?

Alex rounded on Gil next, hands clenching into fists as he spat, “And you, you little shit! I knew you were trouble from the minute I saw you! How dare you do this to my friend!”

Despite the fact that Gil was far from little, he shrank backward, pawing the ground with a hoof and looking back and forth between Brandon and Alex.

“Gil, darling,” Brandon called out in a low voice. “You know what to do.”

Still confused as to what was going on, AJ watched as Gil let out a strangled sound, clutching his head and giving Brandon an agonized look. Brandon crossed his arms and nodded, an evil sneer on his face. Finally, roaring in frustration, Gil lunged forward, attacking Alex with his hooves. Too late, AJ realized what was happening and tried to intervene but the centaur was already bearing down on the defenseless man.

Alex was ready.

Not even a raging centaur could shatter the man’s composure. He lightly sidestepped Gil’s hooves, stooping down to throw sand into the boy’s eyes. Gil dodged but only ended up moving further into the path of the spraying sand. He howled as he clawed at his eyes, rendered effectively helpless by Alex’s simple maneuver.

AJ’s heart clenched at the sight of his lover’s misery and he moved to help him but Gil was jumping around, slashing the air with his hooves so violently that AJ was forced to relent. He drew back and returned his attention to Alex and Brandon.

“Nice try, asshole,” Alex seethed, turning back to confront Brandon, “but not good enough. Now change them back or I’ll fucking kill you right here and now.”

Terror flickered briefly across Brandon’s face but was quickly followed by a sly look. Drawing himself up to his full height (which was still a foot shorter than Alex), he placed his foot on the ground, taking a step closer to his attacker. AJ noticed then that his foot was a cloven hoof, much like his own, only daintier. At the same time, he took in the man’s queer garb; he was wearing a peculiar green vest with matching leather trousers. The hair on the back of AJ’s neck stood up as his sense of unease grew. What the fuck was Brandon?

“You think you’re immune, don’t you?” the strange man was saying in a singsong voice. “But no man can resist my magic.” He took another step toward Alex who continued to regard him with a look of profound distaste, his muscular arms crossed and face set in a scowl. “Maybe you would like to join them? Maybe you aren’t so different from them after all, my noble savage.”

Alex bridled at the term ‘savage’ and was about to utter a sharp retort when the Brandon lifted his hand and waved in his direction. The evening air seemed to momentarily shimmer and AJ watched in amazement as a million sparkling lights coalesced above Alex before falling down on him like a gentle, green rain. AJ held his breath, expecting his friend to change before his eyes.

He didn’t. 

The green lights disappeared as he stood there unmoving, a look of skepticism eloquently etched onto his features. His body remained unchanged; he was the same Alex as always. As they stared, he knelt down and gathered a handful of dirt in his hand. Standing, he walked over to Brandon. The strange little man drew back from him, confusion and disbelief on his face.

“You have no power over me,” Alex said evenly, opening his hand and holding it over Brandon. “Now be gone and do not return.” He let the dirt trickle through his fingers, sprinkling over the cowering man-thing’s head. An inhuman shriek echoed through the night air and he disappeared in a black mist that quickly blew away in the rising wind.

They never saw Brandon again.

***

Alex paced over to AJ after Brandon had disappeared and stared up at him. His mouth quirked as he teased, “Wow, dude. You’re a total freak now.” He reached up and plucked the wreath off of AJ’s head, tossing it aside. “I’m sorry he didn’t remove the curse before I banished him.”

“It’s not a curse!” Gil protested, trotting up beside them. He was rubbing his eyes but otherwise seemed unharmed.

“If you say so,” Alex replied, lifting his shoulders. “You’re the one who has to live the rest of your life looking like that.”

Gil lifted his head and seemed about to retort but then caught himself. Giving Alex a little smile, he murmured, “Thank you for saving me from him. I almost forgot what’s it’s like to be free.”

Alex nodded. “No problem, dude. Must of been awful being stuck with that guy. What an asshole!”

Gil shook his head. “It wasn’t all bad, at least the parts I can remember. There are a lot of blank spots in my memory, though.”

“I can only imagine,” Alex murmured. “Sucks to be used as a minion, doesn’t it?”

“Who was he?” AJ interjected, still completely confused by what had just happened. “And do I really have to stay like this?” He looked down at himself with disgust. “I don’t wanna be a freak!”

“You’re not a freak,” Gil corrected. “You’re beautiful.”

“Whatever,” Alex said, rolling his eyes. “But, yeah, you’re stuck like this. Unless you want me to bring him back…”

AJ shuddered and backed away, causing Alex to laugh. “But, back to your first question, I don’t know what name you guys have for him. The Ojibwe have various names but don’t speak any of them aloud because it’s considered back luck. All I know is that he isn’t from here originally. And because of that, he couldn’t curse me. It was you white guys who brought him over with you.”

“Hey!” Gil called out. “You’re part white, too!”

“Yeah,” Alex agreed, chuckling. “I try to forget that.”

AJ wasn’t listening, his mind was furiously working to figure things out now that the weird, disorienting and intoxicating aura was fading away. He shook his head, feeling vaguely nauseous, and looked around at the assemblage of freaks around him. Monster was squatting down at his feet looking up at him expectantly, long tongue hanging out of his mouth. The buck boys were taking turns leaping over Hank as he kissed the beautiful, dark-haired youth whose front hooves were propped up on the centaur’s withers. AJ’s two fellow satyrs were standing nearby, exchanging meaningful glances as they looked longingly in his direction. He shivered and turned back to Gil and Alex.

“So, Gil,” he said slowly, “you were under Brandon’s control the whole time? Is that why you kept calling me the ‘Lord of the Forest’?”

Alex snickered, muttering something under his breath, but Gil ignored him, saying, “I guess so. I mean, I don’t remember calling you that. Like I said, there are gaps in my memory. The feelings I have for you, though,” he said, giving AJ an adoring look, “are one-hundred percent my own.” He stepped forward and took AJ in his strong arms, holding him tight and breathing, “I think you’re the sexiest man alive, AJ! I want to spend the rest of my life with you!”

Alex cleared his throat uncomfortably and looked away as the two kissed. Finally, he couldn’t stand it any longer and complained, “Hey, guys! What about me? I just saved your butts! Where’s my love?”

AJ broke away from Gil’s luscious lips (noting with satisfaction that, with his new longer legs, he was the same height as the towering centaur) and turned to Alex. “Um, Alex, you’re straight, remember?”

“I was straight, big guy,” Alex replied, lowering his eyes before looking up at them again slyly, “but not anymore. You saw Brandon curse me, right?”

“What?” AJ exclaimed. “But you said that he didn’t have any power over you!”

Alex laughed. “He didn’t…over the Ojibwe part of me. But, as Gil just pointed out, I’m part white, too.” He took a step forward and placed a warm hand on AJ’s shoulder, adding, “And that part just turned gay as fuck.”

***

Part 10: Goat Fucker

They left the forest, narrowly making it back to AJ’s farm before the thunderstorm hit. Alex ordered pizza for the crew, driving into town while AJ and Gil attempted to keep the deer boys in line. The young guys were hangry and tired and overstimulated, a potentially flammable combination as the reality of their new lives started to dawn on them. Alex returned just in time and the aroma of delicious cheese and baked crust distracted the young bucks from their outrage. They devoured ten boxes as Alex looked on in disbelief.

“Next time, you’re buying,” Alex commented drily, elbowing AJ in the ribs as lightning crackled outside. AJ laughed, drawing his friend in for a hug. Alex stood on his tiptoes and they kissed. 

“You’re Ok with being gay?” he asked after Alex broke away. “You’re not pissed at me?”

Alex shook his head, reaching up and running his hand through his crew cut. “Nah,” he started to say and then paused before adding, “Well, maybe a little. But it seems like a small price to pay to have my friend back.”

AJ looked down, touched. He was taking Alex’s hand in his own when a thought struck him and he asked, “How did you find us? You follow Brandon?”

“Yep,” Alex said, nodding. “Fucker was at the bar when he got Gil’s breakup text. He lost it, started throwing shit and carrying on. Then he stormed off.  I don’t know why but I just had a feeling that I’d better chase after him. Glad I did, too. You don’t want to know what happens to people who are trapped by…him. He would have stolen your souls.”

AJ started to laugh but stopped at the serious look on Alex’s face. He swallowed, saying, “Thanks. I mean it. Thanks, man.”

“Fucker,” Alex muttered with mock irritation. “I’ll make you pay for it…in bed. Or in a stable or wherever it is that you goat guys fuck.”

“Mmmm, why make me wait, stud?” AJ asked suggestively. 

Not waiting for permission, he took Alex by the shoulders and guided him outside where he pushed him against the door and trapped him between his muscular arms. Slanting his ears backward, his face cracked into a satisfied grin as the rain pattered down around them. Alex shivered but it wasn’t from the cold; they were cozy and dry under the eaves. 

His friend swallowed and looked up at him, his beautiful, brown eyes holding both fear and desire. Slowly, he lowered his head to stare at AJ’s bloated cock. “C-c-can I touch it?” he asked in a small voice.

AJ laughed and waggled it playfully, feeling the floppy weight of it slap against his furry thighs. “Only if I can touch yours first! You know I’ve never seen what you’re packing down there?”

“Uh, that’s because you were straight and I don’t make a habit of showing off my c–”

AJ cut him off by ripping his shirt open and exposing his smooth chest and little nipples. Before Alex could stop him, he moved his hands down to his belt and fumbled with the buckle. Alex grabbed him but he pushed his hands away. In a moment, he’d unbuckled his belt and ripped open the fly.

Pausing, he goggled at Alex’s underwear. “Shit, you wear panties?”

“They’re not panties, dude!” Alex complained, trying unsuccessfully to swat AJ’s hands away. “They’re briefs! I’m not a boxers guy!”

Squinting, AJ read the name emblazoned across the waistband. “Andrew Christian? Who’s he? And why’s he make such fruity underwear?” Before Alex could answer, he shrugged and yanked his buddy’s jeans down to his knees. Alex’s briefs were tiny and shear, appearing to be almost painted on. He whistled when he saw the bulge thrusting luridly against the flimsy fabric. Shaking his head, he murmured, “Christ, that’s–”

“A man-sized cock?” Alex laughed, adding, “Come on, dude. I know I’m not very big. Why do you think I wear such tiny briefs? Gotta do everything I can to look big.”

AJ wasn’t listening, he was too busy shimmying the dainty briefs down. Alex’s erection caught on the elastic and he pulled harder until it sprang out. He inhaled in appreciation as he took in the sight of his friend’s hidden treasure.

Alex was right; he wasn’t very big but, shit, he wasn’t exactly small, either! Jutting out from Alex’s shaved pubes, his proud cock probably a little shorter than average but it was really fat and veiny. The ridge of his circumcised cockhead was prominent, almost insanely so, and AJ couldn’t help thinking about what it would feel like to…

“Ungh.”

While he was busy admiring Alex’s cock, his friend had reached out and taken his giant cock in his hands. Lifting it, he waggled it about humorously before lowering his head and talking into it like a microphone, saying in a funny voice, “Hi, guys! I’m AJ’s monster cock and I am here to fuck–”

“Stop it!” AJ protested, slapping his hands away and then flinching when he inadvertently hit his sensitive cockhead. “That’s not funny! I know I’m a total freak, you don’t have to–” His words died in his throat and his eyes rolled back in his head. Somehow, Alex had managed the impossible and stuck the entirety of his fat glans in his mouth. In seconds, his giant had engorged to the point of ridiculousness and he looked down to see that Alex had to stand on his tiptoes to stay on top of it. His buddy did an incredible job, though, of besting the beast, pausing only after AJ was ready to shoot to look up at him.

“Shit, dude, you’ve got fucking coconuts down there and your dick is bigger than my arm! You don’t even need me; you’re so big that you can suck yourself without even bending over!”

“Hmmmm,” AJ joked as he reached down to take Alex’s butt cheeks in his hands, kneading them, “bending over…that sounds like a good idea.” 

Before he could do more than fondle his bud’s smooth, tight ass, though, he found himself spun around, face pressing against the barn door while Alex tugged up on his little goat tail. He moaned in complaint, trying feebly to resist but Alex had him.

And then he didn’t.

Bewildered, AJ looked around as Alex stepped out of his jeans and stalked into the barn, reappearing a moment later with an apple crate and cursing under his breath. When he caught AJ’s questioning look, he slammed the crate down on the ground behind him, harrumphing, “You’re so fucking tall now I can’t reach your…” AJ flushed, looking down, and Alex laughed, jumping up on the crate. 

“Listen, you sexy fucker,” he breathed in his ear, “I may be gay now but my ass is still a one-way street and I do the fucking!” He grasped AJ’s tail, urging, “Now get this thing out of the way.” AJ complied, lifting his tail and whining as Alex probed his butthole with a finger. His ears drooped when his friend lifted his finger to his nose, sniffing it. “Not as dirty as I’d thought you’d be,” he snorted. “Actually, you smell pretty good. Goaty but good. Your hole, though, is pretty loose. And slippery. Did horsey boy stretch you out?”

“Fuck you,” AJ grunted. “I’m an ass virgin!”

“Shut up, goatboy!” Alex hissed, grabbing AJ by the horns and pulling his head back before thrusting into him. AJ’s eyes glazed over as his whole body flooded with a scintillating tsunami of sensations. His ass was so sensitive! He could feel every vein, every ridge, every…ungh! Shit, he could feel every fucking pore of Alex’s cock. It was almost like his asshole now possessed the same sensitivity as his tongue. He lifted his head and bleated with ecstasy as Alex drove into him, breaking him, ruling him…domesticating him. By the end, he was every bit Alex’s goat whore, ready to do anything–ANYTHING!–to have that cock inside him again.

His heavy cock slapped against the barn as he painted it with his spewing cum. When the gushing goo finally dribbled off, he stamped his hooves and Alex sagged into his back, sighing with contentment. They stayed like that for a minute or two until his friend chuckled, “Um, that’s was great and all but I didn’t cum. Would you, um, be totally grossed out if I asked you to, you know, suck my…”

“What?” AJ protested, straightening up. “After you just fucked my asshole with it?”

“Well, I could wash off, I guess,” Alex mumbled sheepishly.

Sighing loudly, AJ beckoned to him, saying, “Nevermind, c’mere!” He sealed Alex’s mouth with a kiss before grousing, “Geesh, the things I do for my friends!”

“Hey! I just turned gay for you,” Alex pointed out. “The least you can do is suck my shitty cock!”

AJ laughed and cupped Alex’s smooth ass in his hands, squeezing appreciatively. He was about to kneel when his friend surprised him, leaping up to straddle his waist with his legs. They kissed deeply as the rain dripped down from the eaves over their heads. Inside, the deer boys gobbled down pizza and Gil and Hank rutted in a stall nearby. The pair of young satyrs took their cue from the centaurs and started pawing at each other. Monster regarded them wistfully for a moment before padding over to a pile of straw, turning around several times before settling down to sleep.

***

EPILOGUE

Hank gave birth to twin foals the next spring as the whole menagerie of human hybrids–and Alex–looked on. Faraj held Hank’s hand and coached him as the veterinary assisted. The vet, a bemused woman had offered her services after hearing about AJ’s farm on national television, was impressed with the ease of delivery. From the moment the head of the first colt emerged, there was no doubt who the father was; the two baby centaurs, one girl and one boy, were a spitting image of Faraj. AJ watched with fascination as the colts stood up on wobbly legs not an hour after being born. Life at the farm, he mused, had sure been interesting over the last year…and he had a feeling it was about to get even more interesting. 

He sighed and squeezed Hank’s shoulder, smiling down at him. His friend was exhausted and sweaty but his face was radiant as he held his new daughter to his chest. Faraj lifted their son over his head before lowering him down for a tender kiss. The foal wriggled, his little legs kicking. Faraj laughed, a proud father through and through.

Faraj had filled out over the past year, bulking up to rival Choi in size. He’d sprouted a full beard and looked very handsome with his new horns in spring velvet. After shedding his antlers during the winter, it looked like the new ones were growing into an impressive eight-point rack. He and Choi sometimes butted heads, vying for dominance in the herd, but everyone knew that Hank was the true leader on the farm. He used his size and…fragrant…desirability to rule the little colony with benevolent grace. Everyone bowed down before him when he trotted past. Now that he wasn’t heavy with foal, the others were eager to resume the wild orgies that Hank’s divine scent instigated when he was in season.

After the initial media storm had died down, the tribe’s charitable arm had stepped in and financed an expansion of the farm, buying up surrounding land and helping to build a massive new complex of barns and outbuildings. Under their advisement, AJ had incorporated the farm into non-profit entity and it now operated as a day camp for children and adults with disabilities as well as those recovering from PTSD and depression. Taking the model of equine therapy to a new level, the centaurs and buck boys helped their clients build trust and regain access to lost parts of themselves–while providing unparalleled fun and excitement. 

The centerpiece of the farm was a bunkhouse for the crew of hybrids, constructed as a clever combination of farmhouse and barn. The ceilings and doorways were high and, instead of stairways, there were wide ramps. The bathrooms were designed to provide a sanitary means for deer and horse waste elimination. Overall, it was a comfortable and spacious environment with a huge private courtyard where the residents could relax and, ahem, let everything hang out between shifts.

The satyrs had taken to wearing special tool belts with built-in mesh support cups to hide their massive endowments. And the buck boys and centaurs made sure to seek privacy when they became aroused (which happened quite often, unfortunately.) After many months of training, AJ had finally gotten Monster to wear a pair of denim overalls, though the dog would tear them off as soon as he inside the bunkhouse. Overall, these measures were a hassle but they helped maintain at least the illusion of respectability in a society still ruled by puritanical ideas of decency.

By night, the facility took an adult turn with the addition of two erotic entertainment studios. There was Buckhorn Entertainment, the gay porn studio, and Lady Bucks, the bi- and hetero porn studio. While all of the males on the farm engaged in same-sex erotic encounters, some of the buck boys still preferred to mate with women. And the entire world, it seemed, wanted to see the mutant hybrids in action, whether it was hybrid-on-hybrid sex or human-hybrid sex. Even with an advertising budget of zero dollars, they never lacked for willing human applicants. AJ had tasked Gil and Choi with selecting and training the new recruits. Human safety was considered a high priority since the delicate anatomy of humans was not designed for equine or cervine penetration. And no anatomy was designed for satyr penetration, save perhaps other satyrs.

Incredibly, there was a trickle of new centaurs, satyrs, and other hybrids coming to the farm each month. It seems that Alex was not the first to thwart Brandon’s malevolent plans and there was a widespread, if sparse, population of hybrid refugees from around the globe. Most lacked the same positive outcome that AJ and company had enjoyed and many suffered deep-seated trauma. The new arrivals almost always appeared at night and rarely spoke of their past. Somehow, though, they found their way to the farm where they could live their lives fully and, after some much-needed therapy, more or less happily. AJ was glad that the tribe had purchased so much land because they would need to expand the facility soon. It was a good problem to have, he realized. He’d really come to love his new life as a satyr.

AJ, Alex, and Gil trotted into the forest one spring evening not long after Hank gave birth to the foals. Monster jogged alongside, naked and happy to be free of his clothing. The camp was closed for the day and the crew was taking a hiatus from porn production. (They had to carefully manage their celebrity so as not to suffer from over-exposure.)

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into wearing this,” Alex was saying as he rode astride Gil while AJ clopped along beside them. He motioned down to his buckskin loincloth, grimacing. “Honestly, we never wore these things! It has always been too cold or too buggy in Michigan to go around nearly naked.”

“Shut up and humor me,” AJ growled, taking in his lover’s magnificent musculature and tanned skin. There was no doubt about it, Alex was a raging stud. Even after a year of fucking daily, the mere sight of him was enough to get him riled up. And the sight of him in a loincloth…

“And I can’t believe that you would wear anything made out of deer hide,” Gil laughed, bucking playfully under Alex.

“It’s faux buckskin,” AJ replied, taking Gil’s distraction as an opportunity to leap up on his back. “The boys would run me off the farm if I ever bought anything made of real leather.” He released the snaps on his protective jockstrap and tossed it aside, nestling in behind Alex.

“Hey!” Alex complained as he felt AJ’s monster cock pressing into the cleft of his buttocks. “No rear entry, dude! There is no way I will ever let you stick that thing inside me!”

AJ sighed in mock exasperation as he leaned against Alex’s back. Gil slowed to a slow trot and leaned backward. Soon the three were enjoying a tender moment together, their sweaty torsos mingling in a pleasant, manly hug. Monster ran ahead, leaping acrobatically over fallen trees and dodging undergrowth in his quest to be the first one to the river.

Gil took his time making his way down the trail to the river. When they arrived, the sun was dipping toward the horizon and the wind had picked up, blissfully blowing the blackflies and mosquitoes away. That spring had been warm but not as wet as the previous one and the river was running bright and clear in the dimming light. Monster was already rolicking in the rapids and AJ had to laugh at the sight. Even though it had been a year since Monster’s magical transformation, he still found it disconcerting to see his dog’s head on Gil’s old body.

“Hey, look at it this way,” Alex commented, intuiting his thoughts, “at least you don’t have to dry him off and pull stickers out of his coat when we get home.”

AJ shook his head. “Yeah, I guess. Sometimes, though, I wish he was still just a dog. I mean, people see him and think he’s a person but he’s really still a dog mentally. I’m almost tempted to get him neutered; it might help with his impulse control.” 

While he was talking, Monster ran out of the river and shook off, giving them a stellar view of his ripped physique. Then he settled down on a log and started mastubating. AJ groaned, “See what I mean? He does that all the time in front of the campers.”

Gil and Alex exchanged glances, prompting AJ to query, “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

Gil shrugged. “Oh, I dunno. We were just thinking of how many times in the past year we’ve walked in on you and your satyr buddies getting it on during business hours. Should we have you neutered, too?”

AJ was glad that he had a dense beard because his cheeks grew scarlet. Clearing his throat, he muttered, “We’ve never done anything in front of the campers, though.”

“Uh huh.”

“Oh, fuck off!” AJ sputtered, feeling his neck getting hot.

Alex laughed. “Truth is that we all have pretty active sex lives and sometimes forget who’s around. I guess we could blame it on Brandon but, you know, when it comes down to it, we’re just a bunch of guys doing what guys like do: Fuck like puppies.”

“More like horses, goats, and deer,” Gil murmured, looking down. A moment later, he added, “And speaking of…which one of you wants to help me out? I’m horny as shit right now and, unlike you, have no way of relieving my tension.”

“Me first!” AJ and Alex chimed in simultaneously. In a moment, they had leaped off his back and taken up their favorite positions: AJ in back and Alex reclining under Gil’s splayed hind legs. Gil lifted his tail in the air, exposing his fat anal ring and dangling balls. His slimy cock slipped out of its black sheath and pointed rigidly at the ground…and Alex’s waiting mouth.

Unconsciously wagging his little tail, AJ felt his pulse race as his massive organ stood up. Soon, he had slicked himself up with spit and pushed inside his lover’s amazingly hot and tight hole. His own organ dwarfed any of the other hybrids so he was the always Gil’s chosen when he wanted to be fucked. He thrust happily, feeling Gil clench down on him with a thousand different muscles. Horses had wondrous anatomies, AJ had learned over the past year. And Gil knew how to use every part of his and Rodney’s body to maximize pleasure.

Alex worked his magic on Gil’s organ, demonstrating his command of the fine art of stallion fellatio that he’d learned by studying every millimeter of the centaur’s long cock. Everyone teased Gil for having the ugliest member but there was always a line when he asked to be sucked off. 

Between AJ and Alex’s ministrations, Gil was ready to explode in minutes. They held him off, though, teasing and titillating him for almost an hour. By the time he reached his explosive climax, AJ and Alex were ready to shoot as well.

Gil sagged down and Alex rolled out of the way as hot cum spurted out at him. AJ carefully pulled out, being careful to save himself for Alex. He helped his human friend up and slapped Gil on the rump before hopping on his back. Thus situated, he pulled Alex up and positioned him so they were facing each other. Pushing Alex backward, he reached down to insert his fingers into the pouch of his loincloth. Alex’s fat cock was hot and hard and pulsing. His friend had shaved down there and AJ delighted in the smooth slickness of his skin. Alex was the hottest man he’d ever met…and the most adorable. 

He opened his mouth and they kissed. Alex lifted his hands and took his horns tenderly in his hands, pulling him in closer. AJ moaned as his lover’s hands slid downward to take hold of his goat cock. Holding each other’s cocks and kissing, they worked their tools, eventually managing to include Gil in their kissing. The three of them writhed and sucked and stroked until AJ and Alex exploded, bodies sweaty and flushed in the cool evening air.

Marinating in the pleasant torpor of post-orgasm, they rinsed each other off in the river and then lay down in the lush grass of a nearby meadow. AJ and Alex leaned against Gil’s flank and Monster curled up at their feet as they grew drowsy watching the stars appear in the darkening sky. After a while, Alex wondered, “Have you guys ever thought about what happened to the bodies of the deer boys? I mean, Monster got Gil’s body. What happened to their bodies?”

Gil thought for a moment before teasing, “Dude, have you been smoking something? I don’t think magic follows a strict transitive property. Whatever happened, happened, and that’s it.”

“And what about Princess and Rodney’s heads?” AJ asked, ignoring Gil. “Do you think Rodney’s head is somehow stuck inside of you, Gil?”

The boy guffawed, causing AJ and Alex to pitch forward. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard!” he exclaimed. “Of course, Rodney’s head isn’t inside me! Where the fuck did you come up with that idea?”

“I was just wondering,” AJ replied in an injured tone. He turned to Alex for backup, asking, “I mean, it’s worth knowing, isn’t it?”

“Shhhh,” Gil murmured, putting the matter to rest. “Let’s just enjoy the silence.”

Perturbed, AJ flicked his ears but relented, settling back against Gil and cozying up to Alex. His friend slung an arm over his shoulders and they lay there for a long time in companionable silence. The forest felt peaceful, deep, and…welcoming. He marveled at how connected he felt to the place, especially after his transformation a year ago. Sometimes, he was almost convinced that the forest was conscious, but that wasn’t possible. Or was it? Shit, a lot of things he thought were impossible had happened recently. Maybe…? He was about to comment when his keen ears picked up a sound in the darkness and he pricked them, straining to hear.

At their feet, Monster stiffened and jumped up, barking excitedly. AJ gritted his teeth and tried to ignore the lascivious feelings elicited by the sight of the dog’s perfect human ass. It was definitely a challenge restraining himself around the dogman at times. His human lower body was just so damned sexy! With effort, he forced his attention away from his dog’s butt and turned to see what he was barking at.

“Uh, guys,” Alex was saying as he followed the Monster’s gaze. “I think we just got an answer to my earlier question. Look.”

Gil and AJ squinted into the darkness and froze. Arrayed in a semi circle around them were a dozen naked young men with…

AJ blinked.

Stag heads?

Yes, they had fucking stag heads!

His heart began to pound as the stagmen crossed their arms, dipping their antlered heads, and looked meaningfully down at their very hard (human) cocks.

AJ swallowed. The night had just taken a very interesting turn…