“Well, excuse me for not paying the most attention when you started babbling about ancient blessings and shit like that,” Michael groaned, feeling his new tail slapping against the couch cushion as Otso examined him. “I was a little more worried about my sons at that particular moment.”
“You should always listen when the doctor is babbling, Michael,” Otso said sternly, gazing through his instrument at the base of Michael’s tail, occasionally letting his gaze drift further down to take in the sight of the other man's impressive bottom. Unlike Otso’s, Michael’s tail boasted a coat of grey fur flecked with brown, as was usual for non-Arctic species of wolves. “I hate to repeat myself, so I’ll keep my babbling to a minimum. Your family traces its ancestry back to a werewolf family, which means you and your relatives will adapt quite easily to this land thanks to a magical blessing. And, by that I mean that the more time you spend here among the various tribes, the more you will become like us. It will happen gradually as you spend time here, with the effects accelerating during sexual intercourse. But the ‘blessing’ makes it so that if you truly wish to remain here among the tribes from the depths of your heart, you will fully change immediately and irrevocably.”
Michael vaguely remembered something like that from the first time Otso had explained everything, but as much as he hated to admit it he was paying more attention to the handsome wolf’s smooth voice that to the specifics of what he had been saying, so a few details were lost.
“Well, that's just fucking great,” Michael sighed, giving his tail a poke just to convince himself it was actually real. “I mean, I like your tail, Otso. It looks great on you, really. Not so sure I can pull the look off myself, though...”
“Why not? Your son Tom looks quite fetching as a fox, if I do say so myself. I’m sure the father of such a handsome young man would look quite good with a fur coat of his own,” Otso said seductively, his smooth voice and calm manner helping to set Michael’s mind at ease. He rested his paw on Michael’s hand once again and leaned in for another kiss, but at the last moment Michael pulled away.
“I... I really need to think about this...” Michael stammered, feeling his heartbeat quicken as his and Otso’s tails entwined without him even realizing it. “I’ve got a job, I’ve got a life back in California, I-I can’t just...”
“Your sons did, too. They found a place up here, finding new lives without fully giving up their old ones,” Otso replied, sipping at his bourbon calmly. “You’re a smart man, Michael. I’m sure you could find a use for your skills here, earn a place among the tribes and build a new life.”
“Don’t give me that, doctor,” Michael snapped, not intending to sound so irritated. “You’ve just lonely and you’ve got your eyes on me, and you’ll say anything to get me to stay here with you!”
There was a moment of silence between them, during which Otso finished his drink and carefully set the glass back on the table.
“...True. I’ll admit that much. I hope this doesn’t come off as too self-pitying, but I’m quite lonely here without any other werewolves,” Otso said quietly, picking his words carefully. “I’m sure you’ve noticed, but I’m a bit too fond of talking. That’s a werewolf trait, not just an idiosyncrasy of mine, but I tend to talk more than the rest of my tribe. You see, unlike the other tribes, we werewolves don’t really have much territory of our own. No real towns or villages like the reindeer and other werebeasts do, just a few major clans wandering around. We generally prefer taking human forms and settling in human cities, only occasionally interacting with our own people. So, when we do get a chance to sit down and chat with someone we are fond of, we tend to... relish it, I suppose.”
“What is your point?” Michael sighed, wondering if the doctor was just trying to earn some pity points.
“No point. Just saying that I enjoy chatting with you. I’d like to keep chatting with you, if that’s not too much to ask.”
Michael began to get dressed, grimacing as he tried to wipe away his and Otso’s mixed semen that had soaked into his chest. The musky scent of the doctor clung to his body even after the bulk of the mess had been wiped off, a constant reminder of what he and Otso had shared that evening. He tucked his tail down a pant leg to hide it, then pulled on his parka and began to walk toward the door, since he still needed to check in on Eric before turning in for the night. His tail felt cramped and stuffy being hidden away like this, but he wasn’t in the mood to explain where he had gotten it to anyone at that particular moment.
“Doctor, I’m not planning on leaving until Eric is all better. And I’m more than willing to come by and ‘chat’ some more. If you really mean what you're saying...” Michael said, biting his lip nervously. “...Well, I guess you’ll really have to step up your game if you want to convince me to stick around.”
Otso already had a clever remark ready to go, a gentle tease to send the other man on his way out the door. But, now wasn’t the time for clever quips or games, so instead of his planned remark, the doctor just quietly rose to his feet, walked over to Michael, then planted a quick kiss on the side of the other man’s cheek.
“Of course. I look forward to seeing you again, my friend. Take care, the sidewalks are likely slick tonight,” Otso said quietly, seeing Michael to the door like a true gentleman. “Tell your sons hello for me, would you? And be sure to stay warm and eat healthy. You’ve got a bit of magic in you now, so I wouldn’t want you coming down with the fox flu or fox pox.”
“You made that last one up, didn’t you?” Michael said, a small grin sneaking onto his face.
“On my honor as a magi-medical professional, I would never joke about fox pox,” Otso said, not letting his face crack at all. “Luckily, all you’ll need to do to remain uninfected is avoid sexual contact with any werefoxes during your stay here.”
“Oh, is that so? And that’s real medical advice, and not just your way to keep me from sleeping around with anyone else while I’m here?” Michael replied. It was taking everything he had not to laugh his ass off right there, but by now this was a game for the two of them. “I think that if you want to keep my from sleeping around, perhaps you should put a little more effort into seducing me, doctor.”
“An excellent idea. How does breakfast sound? I’ll be around Bix’s tomorrow morning to check on my patient, then we can see about getting a little more seduction scheduled, shall we?”