After a long and cold night on the ground, Limon was woken the next morning in a most unpleasing way by Jackson, who thought it to be extremely funny to tread on the still sleeping fox as he stepped out of the bed. The scream, Limon had uttered in total panic, was probably loud enough that even the neighbors must have heard!
Meanwhile the little fox was on his way to Brandon, as it was agreed upon – or rather said ordered – the other day, to help the wolf to 'relax' after practice. Of course Jackson didn't let the fox go just like that – no! He bottled him up and continued to humiliate him until Brandon's practice was over. Only then did he walk Limon Spanish like a cur, with the explanation that his parents would be home soon. But Limon knew that the bear merely held him up to deny him a breather in the meantime.
"Uh!" Limon startled suddenly when he saw a familiar face coming his way. It was Brandon, clad in sports shoes, shorts, jersey and with a gym bag under one arm, who approached him. If Limon didn't know about the pain and humiliation he had in store for him, he could describe the athletic wolf in his slightly sweaty uniform and with his muscular, from the exercise pumped up arms and legs, as downright attractive. But the cold, disdainful gaze of the predator destroyed the merest hint of that thought immediately.
"My, my, you're even on time!" Brandon mocked and scrunched up his nose. "Honestly, I didn't think you'd even show up here, fox, after what we did with you yesterday. You really gotta dig being shellacked, don't ya?" the wolf laughed while he tossed his big, heavy bag into the fox's arms at full tilt. "Make yourself useful and carry this, you burro!"
"Uff!" Limon uttered as the piece of baggage nearly knocked him off his paws. Silently the fennec did as he was told and carried the heavy bag to Brandon's home. It was only a few more streets and, even though the bag was quiet hefty, it thankfully wasn't the heaviest load Limon ever had to carry for his needler. Until they stood in front of Brandon's front door, both boys were still. Limon was too afraid and nervous to say a word and the wolf... Maybe he was content enough for the moment because the fox played the pack animal for him?
The house of the wolf family, much like the vicinity it stood in, was old and rundown and its residents didn't seem to place much value on a benign and inviting home. Everything seemed to be rather convenient. The front yard was in a pitiful condition, the facade was weathered, the windows dirty and the porch was piled with rubbish.
Brandon unlocked the door and ushered Limon inside. "In you go!" the wolf grumbled and shoved the little fox hard, so that he, loaded with the heavy bag, lost his balance and crash-landed in the hallway.
As Limon picked himself up, he noticed a pair of paws that stood in front of him. Big, gray wolf paws, not unlike Brandon's, just a little bigger. When the fox looked up, he beheld a body no less imposing. The wolf indeed bore great resemblance to Brandon, though this one was a lot more bulky! With musclebound arms and legs, a six pack that looked more than just well-defined even through the shirt he wore and pecs that were without equal. With a beer can in his hand and an expression of astonishment as well as annoyance the bodybuilder looked down upon Limon. "The fuck is this fox doing here?" he asked Brandon, who just pulled the door shut behind him.
"We got assigned for some school project," Brandon explained casually. "Don't disturb us, we're busy!" And then he trod on Limon's back to walk over him. The prostrated fennec moaned when he felt the unexpected kick. After that Brandon went up the stairs.
"Hgnn. Don't make any trouble!" the giant wolf growled with a disparaging gaze towards the floor.
Limon didn't really know, whether this warning was directed towards him or Brandon and he actually didn't even want to. He just wanted to get out of this monster's orbit real quick, so he stumbled around the wolf and hurried up the stairs. "W-who was that?" Limon asked, close behind Brandon.
"My older brother. He hates you, by the way, so better stay out of his way," the wolf explained. Limon would certainly heed this advice, even though he didn't quite understand why Brandon's brother would harbor a grudge against him, where they didn't even know each other. Then the wolf suddenly laughed as he stood in front of his door. "What do you say? If you had such a big brother, you'd have two problems less, huh?"
Brandon's room was much like Limon had imagined it: sparsely furnished, untidy, frowzy and not exactly appealing. It was a real wolf den. There was not even a desk! There was, however, a worn couch, on which the wolf now slouched down with a sigh. Like a pleb he spread his legs and then pointed his finger to the ground between them. "Alright, you pipsqueak, kneel down and lick my shoes!" Brandon ordered disdainfully and with an evil smirk on his face. "And if you don't toe the line, I'll put on the cleats! Got it?"
Limon's ears submissively folded back as he carefully put the gym bag down and then lowered himself to the ground as well to crawl over to Brandon on his knees. The wolf had a talent to make unambiguously clear, with only few words and gestures, who the boss was here! "Y-yes, Sir..." the tiny fox said reflexively before he servilely pressed his tongue to the leather and began to lick Brandon's sports shoes like a good fox.
The wolf laughed gleefully, "Ha! Sir? Damn, Jacks really has a good grip on you, huh?" He turned his paw sideways to signal Limon that he had to work his shoe sole as well. The wolf watched pitilessly as Limon humbled himself to lick the dirt off his old kicks. For Brandon, this was exactly the kind of treatment he deserved from such an inferior fox! "By the way..." he added after a moment, "Jacks told me, you've been doing his homework for quite a while now already. From now on you can do mine as well!"
With his tongue lolling out, Limon saw up into the wolf's wicked face. "B-but..." This can't be true! How on earth was he supposed to handle Brandon's mountain of homework as well now? He spend almost half a day with school work is it was, already! "Brandon, how am I supposed to do your homework as well? Th-that's impossible!"
"That's impossible?" the wolf repeated and then threateningly reared up. His strong hand dashed forward and grabbed the weedy fennec by its throat. "Fox! You will do as you're fucking told! I give a shit about how you do it, as long as you get it done! It's not as if you'd have anything better to do with your crappy life, you loser!" he barked right into Limon's face, while clenching his fist.
"Hmpf! Ugh... Argh! Al-alright..." the fox wheezed without air. He reached for the wolf's thick arm to get free, but it was useless. His powerful fingers would not loosen until Brandon wanted it! "Urrck! I-I'll do it! I will do it! I c-can ma-anage this s-some-ho-urgh... Gurgh! P-ple-ea... Br-a-ah-hngn..."
Right before the fox finally run out of air completely, Brandon let him go. "Let this be a lesson to you. If I say something, you do it, understood?! Next time I won't go this easy on you!"
Coughing Limon rubbed his squeezed neck to ease the pain. Somehow he got the feeling that Brandon treated him even more ruthlessly than Jackson did. He definitely seemed to have a keen penchant for violence, which was unsettling. He also behaved a lot more unrestrained and impulsive than the bear, as if he was indeed convinced of his action's legitimacy. While Jackson knew that he wronged Limon, but willingly approved of this to delight in his agonies, the wolf seemed to believe he possessed a sort of unlimited legitimization to discriminate Limon and to do with him whatever he wanted. As if it was just a bit of fun for the bear, but for Brandon it was self-evident to see Limon, or maybe even all foxes, as inferior and to demand submissiveness. This was a thought Limond didn't exactly found comfort in!
"Y-yes, Sir..." said the small fennec, once he had caught his breath.
"Good!" Brandon retorted and then bowed down to untie his shoes. "Then let's see if you really understood it..." With a devious smile he pulled the right shoe off his paw and then pressed it to Limon's face, with its opening pulled over his snout. "Sniff!"
Limon's first instinct was to pull back, but he knew that this would dissatisfy Brandon, so he let him put the shoe over his nose without resistance. He held his breath, for he immediately noticed the muggy climate inside the footgear. The insole, against which Limon's sensitive fox nose was pressed now, was still sweaty after the sport. The fennec was afraid of what his nose would have to experience if he was to breath in, but slowly he was running out of air! A first whiff of the worn out leather reached his nostrils and the poor fox whimpered miserably.
"Take a deep breath, fox!" ordered the wolf with a dirty chuckle.
Limon didn't have a choice! For one, he badly needed to draw breath, and secondly he really didn't want to risk being punished by Brandon if he refused. With a resigned sigh he let the spent air leave his body and then drew in a deep breath through his nose. "Hargh! Urgh..." complained the fox in disgust as the rough, tangy-sweet aroma of the freshly worn sports shoe clouded his mind. The mere thought of sucking this filthy air into his lungs made Limon want to throw up. He shut his teary eyes and tried to keep up until Brandon, who crudely laughed him down, would have enough.
Dishonorably the wolf twisted his shoe left and right on Limon's crumpled nose to make sure that the filthy fox got what he deserved. "Well? You enjoying this, you little freak? Gotta be like Christmas in July for you to be at the paws of a real man like me!" Jackson laughed condescending. "What's with this shit anyway? Are you some kind of homo, or just sick in the head for being into this crap?" He briefly waited for an answer. Though with his nose almost squeezed into the toecap already, Limon couldn't give any. "Doesn't really matter! First you're a fox and second it's the same thing anyway!"
Limon endured the wolf's verbal humiliation in silence as he filtered his breathing air through Brandon's rancid shoe. When his harangue was finally over, Brandon took the shoe off his muzzle and carelessly discarded it. "Gah! Huuuf..." Finally released, Limon took in a deep breath, though the fox didn't have a cause for relief yet!
Because next Brandon pulled off his socks. "Open your mouth, you thrall!" he ordered grouchy and readily stuffed the two warm, sweaty sock into the poor fox's throat. Limon gagged and timidly tried to resist, but the wolf already had a fitting leverage at hand, "And keep them in, or I'll get the duct tape!" When the fennec obeyed, Brandon leaned back on the couch and offered his left paw to Limon. "Now! Jacks said, you give quite passable massages? Well then... go on! And you better make an effort, or else – Well, you know how it goes!" he imperiously growled down on the desert fox.
Limon, whose mouth was already filled with the wretched, slightly salty taste of the filthy socks, complied again. He took the heavy wolf paw into both hands and began to rub his thumbs over the athlete's strained pads. These too were still warm and slightly moist, Limon noticed. Nevertheless he worked Brandon's paws with dedication and no less endurance than was expected of him.
"Mhmhh... not all that bad at all," the wolf remarked after a while, before he lifted his right leg prop it up on Limon's shoulder. "Maybe I should have you come over more often after practice? This is actually quite pleasant..." Brandon mused and spread his toes, between which Limon immediately put his fingers to massage them as well. "Mmmh... keep going, fox!" While Brandon reclined and enjoyed his extensive foot massage, he grabbed himself a sports magazine and engrossed himself in it, without paying further attention to the fox.
The following one and a half hours approximately, Limon spent exactly like this: With Brandon's stinking socks in his maw, while he devotedly massaged the wolf's paws. He worked tirelessly until his fingers cramped and he noticed a fuzzy taste on his tongue. The fact that his suffering brought Brandon gratification and helped him to relax, made his situation only more unpleasant.
When Brandon eventually had enough, Limon certainly wasn't off the hook yet, for it only got worse! What followed was a range of further indignities that the wolf dished out in company with kicks and blows. Thereby the ruffian acted with deliberation, by beating Limon only where the marks wouldn't be visible – primarily on back and stomach. Despite the fact that he showed a much more brutal behavior than Jackson and exceeded the boundaries of an ordinary bully by far, Limon put up with everything the wolf did to him. How should he have resisted him anyway? This would have made things only worse! And so the little desert fox endured the thrashing and, as Brandon required several times, tried not to yammer or scream so the rest of the wolf family wouldn't hear him.
At the end the wolf trampled over Limon's maltreated body with bare paws to give him the rest. "Well? You still having your fun down there?" he asked gloatingly, while he let his paws ruthlessly sink into the whining fox's belly and even drove his claws into his flesh on top of that. "What do you say, I'm of a completely different caliber than Jacks, huh? Meh... the bear's quite alright, but he's far to lenient with something like you. Such a filthy fox like you needs discipline! One gotta show you your place so you don't forget who stands above you!" With a mean twist of the paw, he drove it even deeper into Limon's stomach. "And? Who stands above you?"
"Y-you... Brandon, you stand above me..." the fennec answered with tears in his eyes.
The wolf laughed despisingly, "Good fox! And you should be grateful for this! You can count yourself lucky that I even talk to you, you abortion!" In his contempt Brandon couldn't stop himself from delivering a final kick to Limon's face, before he finally stepped off of him. "With me, you get exactly what you deserve..."
Finally released, Limon curled up on the floor and clutched his body, which was covered with bruises and black and blue marks, with a soft whine. A moment later something hit his head again. A stack of tattered books rained down on him.
"Here, my homework. This shit is done by tomorrow, got it! And now get yourself lost. I can't bear your stench any longer!"
Quickly Limon picked the scattered books up to fulfill Brandon's final command as soon as possible. "Y-yes, Sir..." he stammered and dragged himself out of the room. At the other side of the door, Limon paused for a moment to collect himself. Propped on his knees, he held his belly and tried to bear with the pain. He already had to endure quite a few things under Jackson, but what Brandon just did with him was intense! How was he supposed to deal with such brutality? How should he abide this in the long run?
"Huh?" Limon made when he suddenly noticed a pair familiar paws standing on the floor. He looked up and recognized Brandon's musclebound brother, that stood in the stairway and gave him a grumpy look. "I-I, eh... w-was just about to go..." Limon stuttered and then pushed himself past the brute with bristled fur to hurry down the stairs and finally leave the wolf family's house. The whole time Limon felt his suspicious gaze rest upon him like a menacing shadow. This guy could be really creepy!
"Gah!" As Limon opened the front door, he nearly ran into the next wolf. This one was at least as big as the bodybuilder and he shared his gray pelt with him and Brandon, but this already was the most of their similarities. While Brandon was an athlete and his older brother downright Herculean, this wolf seemed to be anything but in form. He was indeed of sturdy build, though not nearly as well-conditioned as the other two. Additionally he had a stately beer belly and was significantly older. Limon assumed that this must have been Brandon's father.
The somewhat tired looking man saw down on the little fox. "Hmm? Who are you? Whatcha doing here?" he asked with a droning voice.
Baffled Limon began to round this wolf as well to clear off. "I, uhm... I'm Limon. I, uh... gotta go..." he explained sparsely and then hurried down the street in the hopes not to encounter any more wolves.
