Will felt nauseous. He was slowly waking up and his head was spinning. Then he remembered where he was. Will kept his eyes closed and strained to hear something. He felt his furry ear twitch accidentally and mentally cursed himself. He tried to remain still.
After a while of silence, he realized that he wasn’t in the small cage. For one, he wasn’t curled up, and also, he wasn’t on a hard metal slab. He felt something soft and cushiony below him. His mind was working hard to keep up. What had happened? He remembered being in the cage, then…oh, the predator- the bear, he put a needle in his arm. They drugged him and then…then what happened? He remembered he was hearing double and everything was moving. There were bright lights and a booming voice. Animals laughing. Numbers being spoken…the auction! Will was in an illegal auction.
The ram felt his heart beat fast with fear as he slowly opened his eyes. He was on a large, comfortable bed. He was lying naked above the plush comforter. He looked around slowly. The room was uninhabited, well besides himself. There was an elegant nightstand to his right. On top were his belongings. Will quickly realized his wallet and clothes were missing. He scanned the rest of the room. It was a nice, neat, and well-kept bedroom. The floor was a dark hardwood that matched the bed, nightstands, and dresser. On the wall above the dresser was a large mirror. The mirror’s frame was made up of intricately woven silver vines. It looked like an antique. On the left nightstand there lay what appeared to be a very expensive watch. This was definitely the bedroom of someone with wealth.
The ram pondered what to do. Obviously he’d been sold, but Will couldn’t figure out why he was still alive or why he was placed on a comfortable bed instead of tied up in a basement or something. It wasn’t long ago that Will had been told he would be sold for consumption.
It was strange to think about. The ram had learned in school only a small bit about the Land of Predator and its inhabitants. He learned that predators were animals much like themselves, that used to eat prey many years ago. It was common knowledge that they no longer have that diet. They eat fish and insects and plants like prey do, though they still need to live separately. The segregation is crucial. The two types of animals are just too different from each other. They learned that predator animals had a completely different culture. A clashing way of life. They were told that predators lived a more simplistic lifestyle, not exactly barbaric, but along those lines. After a while the populace had a general idea, or at least they thought they did, of who predators were and how they lived. Though it was never exactly taught, most prey when asked would say predators are simple-minded, less intelligent, and live like it was hundreds of years ago. Some think predators live in huts or mud shelters. Some thought the wall was simply erected to divide the civilized from the uncivilized.
Looking around at the bedrooms furnishings, Will knew that the Land of Prey’s perceptions of the Land of Predator had been almost comically inaccurate. But what ignited his curiosity the most wasn’t the predator’s lifestyles, but the predators themselves. They were completely different animals. Animals he’d never seen or heard about. Every species he’d met in Land of Predator so far was foreign to him. Every single one. This puzzled the ram immensely. He’d always thought, like most, if not all prey animals, that predators were animals just like them. Animals like bluebirds, squirrels, cows…and sheep, that all lived differently from them. A predator bluebird. A predator squirrel. A predator cow. A predator sheep. But what on earth was a bear? A dog? A vulture?
Will got up off the bed slowly. He was feeling less nauseous now. Now that he was standing, he noticed a white wicker chair in the corner of the room by a window. The window had its shade pulled down. Will wanted to lift it, but saw a plastic bag on the chair. The bag looked out of place in the neat room so the sheep looked inside. His clothes!
Will quickly found his boxers, pants, shirt, sweater, and jacket with the fluffy cotton lining. Even his shoes were in the bag. He quickly put on his clothes; putting his tail through the slits in both his boxers and pants. Then Will couldn’t help his curiosity. He lifted a corner of the shade and took a peek outside. He was surprised how high up he was. He must be at least forty stories up. And he was in a city. He could see some cars down below, though there weren’t many. There was currently a huge snowstorm going on. He only saw a few animals on the sidewalk, but he was up too high to get a good look at them. He really wanted to know what species they were.
He was so engrossed with the sight of the Land of Predator, which looked much like Land of Prey after all, that he almost completely forgot he was in a predator’s house. His ears heard a sound from another room that sounded like some sort of metal scraping metal. Will sighed. He knew he couldn’t stay in this room forever and the animal in the other room…the ram didn’t know why he’d bought him, but if he intended to eat him he probably would have already done so, not to mention that he had awoken in a pretty luxurious room on a comfortable bed. No, this predator must have saved him. Maybe the unknown animal was in the Predator FBI and had gone to the auction to find evidence of trafficking. There was evidence to suggest that. He had left the ram’s Prey FBI ID and gun on the nightstand.
Will put the ID in his pocket and put his glasses on. He also placed the gun in his back pocket just in case. He was beginning to feel more himself now and was ready to meet the predator who – quite possibly – saved his life.
The ram walked to the other side of the room and opened the door. It opened up to a fancy-looking living room. A red carpet, a leather sofa, a leather wingback chair opposite it. A coffee table between them. A fireplace off to the side. It was lit. The sound he’d heard must have been the closing of its metal gate. There were bookshelves filled with tomes lining the walls. It looked like a private room in an old library. There was an animal Will couldn’t name seated in the wingback reading a book.
Will walked into the room and sat on the sofa. He put his hands in his lap and tried not to stare at the strange animal with its long white and spotted tail. The animal was older than him. He exuded wealth and power. His hair was trimmed neatly and jelled back. He wore a suit. Will could tell he was the type of male who would enjoy the finer things. The ram had a hunch that he attended the opera on occasion.
Will noticed the animal look up from his book. The ram met his eyes, then looked down at his knees. He didn’t like eye contact. Will decided he should probably say something. Something polite. He was in some strange animal’s home, after all.
“You have a lovely home.” Fuck, was that too cliché?
Hannibal hadn’t expected that. He hadn’t expected any of this. He heard the sheep wake up and walk around his bedroom. He waited patiently. He was curious and wanted to see what the little ram would do. Would he try to jump out the window out of desperation? He had heard the shade move the tiniest bit with his superior hearing, but he hadn’t made a move. It would be dangerous if some animal had spotted the sheep in his home, but the snow leopard couldn’t help himself. He didn’t think the animal would walk into his study, sit across from him, and try to make small talk like he wasn’t in the lion’s den, so-to-speak.
Ever the gentleman, Hannibal put his book down, crossed one leg over the other, leaned his head forward and said, “Thank you, how are you feeling?” with a small smile on his lips.
The ram’s curiosity was killing him. He wanted to know the situation. He wanted to know the predator’s species. He had so many questions. “You’re welcome,” he said without looking up. “I feel better now. I think the drugs are out of my system.”
“That’s good to hear.” The snow leopard reached his hand out and took hold of the flute of his wine glass that stood on a coaster on the coffee table. He brought the rim of the glass to his nose for a whiff, then slowly tasted the red nectar. This one was an expensive wine. A delicious wine. He was celebrating, after all. The wine wouldn’t do for marinating the sheep though. It wasn’t quite right.
Hannibal stood up and walked over to a glass case on the opposite wall as the fireplace. He took out a wine glass and brought it back to the coffee table. “Do you like wine?”
“Oh, uh…it’s alright, I guess. I’m not big on it, but I do drink it on occasion.”
“Special occasions only, yes?” He watched the ram nod.
“I’m more of a beer guy.”
Hannibal smiled a bit more. “No, you drink it because it’s cheap. What you really like is something stronger. Rum or Vodka?”
“Rum.” Will watched the animal nod. He was perceptive, but he didn’t seem like an officer or agent. Maybe a lawyer? A doctor? No. Will thought the predator’s voice was deep, but calming. He spoke in a certain way, a specific cadence. Maybe a therapist? Will watched as the animal poured wine from a green bottle into a second glass. He put a coaster on Will’s side of the table and put the wine glass on top.
“Try it. It’s from the east. A small city where grapes grow plentifully. They are known for their wine. Go on, tell me what you think.” Hannibal sat back and watched as the ram lifted the glass to his nose, then took a sip. The animal’s eyebrows pulled together and hip lips pursed. Maybe he couldn’t tell if he liked it or not.
The entire experience was erotic. Hannibal felt his cock swell at the sight of the defenseless sheep sitting on his couch, wearing clothes, and sipping at wine. So many things he thought he’d never see. So very wrong. Prey shouldn’t be leisurely sitting down on furniture like it was normal. And it was his couch. His cock twitched. It shouldn’t be wearing clothes either. But seeing his dinner dressed- the thought that the creature had self-awareness, was conscious of being naked, felt humility- it made him so hard. He wanted to see it wear more clothes, his clothes. He also wanted to rip those clothes off it. Degrade it. And lastly, the sheep was drinking his wine. The very wine he was taste-testing to see if it would be suitable to use to marinate said sheep. And it was drinking it willingly. Hannibal felt hungry. It was a different kind of hunger. His cock was drooling in a most uncouth way.
Will took another sip. He really didn’t care for wine, but this one wasn’t too bad. He put the glass back on the coaster and looked at the animal, still not quite making eye-contact. “Pretty good,” he said. “One of the best I’ve tasted, honestly.” It wasn’t a lie. “Um, by the way,” he just couldn’t stop himself any longer. “You’re a predator right? What species are you?”
Hannibal took another sip, then placed his glass back on the table. “I’m a snow leopard.”
“Ah, a snow leopard. Sorry, it’s just that we don’t really learn about the different predator species in Land of Prey, so it’s always a treat to meet a new species. I presume you like to live in cold climates?”
“I prefer them, yes.”
Will nodded. “I can live in cold climates too, though I prefer to live in milder climates.”
It’s a good thing you’re not living too long, then, Hannibal thought.
“Sorry I haven’t brought it up yet, but thank you.”
The snow leopard was confused. “Thank you? For what, exactly?”
“For saving me,” Will smiled. He forced himself to look in the leopard’s eyes. “I’m special agent Will Graham with the Prey FBI. I’m very grateful that you got me out of there. I can’t believe animals have been trafficked out of Land of Prey like this. Are you working with law enforcement somehow, or…I’m sorry, I didn’t ask your name.”
“Dr. Hannibal Lecter.” Ah, it all made sense now. The ram was too relaxed. He didn’t know his situation. “And I think you may be under some misconceptions. You see, I didn’t save you. I bought you. You, ‘special agent’ Will Graham, are going to make a very fine main course for my dinner table.”
Finnian Siog 