Obedient Kitten

by Marilynn Fae

  Theodore has never been much for patience but he finds himself wanting to give her time to adjust, wanting to give her the world, if only she would talk to him.

  She curls her arms around her knees, tucking into herself miserably and he watches as she nibbles at the tip of her tail, finding comfort as she grooms herself. She's beautiful. Mostly human with a few catlike features that could've been clothes put on her. Her cat ears are soft to touch, fluffy and well-groomed, as is her tail. There's fur on her wrists and up to her fingers, which look more like paws than they do human hands. Her legs are bend and cat-like, making it easier for her to be on her hands and knees instead of in a standing position.

  There is something in her pupils that is not quite human too, her iris too narrow and sharp, her pupil a long slit instead of the normal spherical dark shade. It is easy to pretend she's human and easier to be reminded that she's not. He cups her neck and holds her, the heady smell of her anxiety filling her nose, but not fear. She's not afraid of him. Her skin is warm on hers and she seems to press into his touch, eager for the contact. The poor thing. She must have missed human contact for a long time. His hands cup her face, gently coaxing her to look up at him.

  She sobs out then, realizing she's trapped and he's a bigger predator than him.

  He is careful to keep his animal from surfacing, aware that he looks intimidating enough as a human already. He does not want to scare her even more.

  "I'm going to take care of you now, kitten," he says. "You've been lonely, having you, darling? Caged here all on your own." Danny is a good man, but he has a family of his own. A wife whom he loved and children that he cared deeply for. If they have not come up for her yet, it is likely they didn't know about her either. She's Danny's little secret, his hidden shame. Perhaps he had been obsessed with her too. He monopolized her and wanted her just for himself. "I'm not going to keep you in a cage," he says.

  She blinks at him, confused.

  "I don't need to hide you, kitten. I'm a wolf. No one would touch what's mine. Well, no one who values their life," he grins and it is a feral grin with a hint of fang.

  She quivers and tries to look away. He keeps his hands on her cheeks, preventing her from turning her gaze from him. In the corner, he sees Alex hesitating. The boy probably wants to provide input, but the memory of being thrown into the glass in the office is still fresh in his mind and he keeps wisely quiet.

  "It's alright if you don't," he says. "But you'd have to go back there," he continues, gaze flitting into her cage.

  Her breath hitches and she looks so afraid. Her hands- her paws grasp the hem of his shirt, as though afraid he would leave her right now and is trying to keep him there with her.

  "Danny left you with me, though," he says. "And I'm going to take care of you. I'll keep your safe with me, show you the world, perhaps." It sounds cliche, but he can tell he's "Would you like to come with me?" he asks again.

  "Wrii- ith you?" she echoes feebly, tongue curling around the words wrong.

  He rumbles in reply, tone still soothing, but hands gripping her tightly because she feels ready to run. "Yes. With me," he says.

  "All- all the time?" she asks, and she sounds so hopeful, the idea of spending time with another living being is so seductive that she is leaning in as she asks this, eyes shining brightly.

  He answers, "If you want."

  She blushes and nods, her eyes wide as saucers, so lovely and trusting. The scent of fear and anxiety have all but gone now, leaving behind only the sweet smell of peaches that had drawn him in earlier. "New- new Master?" she whispers.

  "If you want," he rumbles, liking the sound of the word on her tongue and the way she tilts her head, offering her neck already in submission.

  She frowns, as though the concept of choice is foreign to her. She mewls sweetly, and then leans up to rub the top of her head on his arm. "Master Teddy?" she whispers.

  "Yes, pet. If you want," he says, pausing only a moment when he hears his name on her tongue. Danny must have told her about him. Nobody else calls him Teddy. It's a silly pet-name, one that was given to him when he shredded the teddy bear that Danny had given him on his sixth birthday. He didn't like that the stuffed animal had part of his name.

  "I want-" she murmurs. "I want pets, Master Teddy," she whispers.

  His heart melts a little bit and he rubs her hair, scratching the soft fur between her ears. She's really very lovely, quiet and sweet like this. He doesn't fell any ill-intent from her, but he hadn't felt any of that when she came at him earlier either. But she had been anxious then. "Would you like to come home with me now, pet? Is there anything you'd like to bring with you?" he asks, secretly hoping there's nothing she would want to bring with her. He would very much like to buy her all the things she needs. New things. Only the best for her. Already, he is thinking of finding someone to buy her a new wardrobe, one that would fit her better.

  The dress that Danny had gotten her is nice, but it's clearly not built with a half shifter in mind. Every sway of her tail pushes the skirt up a little, revealing the soft, smooth skin of her thigh.

  "Kitten?" he prompts when she doesn't answer.

  She 'mreows' at him, purring sweetly instead of answering. He has a feeling she's not listening to him at all. Most half shifters are like this, a little too much of their animals in charge for them to be fully human.

  "I um- With all due respect, sir. You should leave before the others come and check on her?" Alex is glancing worriedly at his watch.

  He grins and Alex stumbles back so quickly he falls on his ass. Theodore asks, "They're coming here?" Perhaps he could skip the firing part and get rid of them now. It would save him the trouble of having to hunt them down individually later. Than again, the hunt is part of the experience.

  A series of expression flits across the boy's face, from horror, to understanding, and then back to horror and finally, acceptance. "Perhaps- perhaps you should um- you should wait until you've gotten her settled in?"

  She's not even paying them any attention now, nuzzling into his touch like a touch-starved pet. She's really very sweet, warming up to him so quickly. She's too trusting. The only reason she has to trust him is that her former Master said she should and that appears to be enough for her. It really shouldn't be.

  He is going to have such fun ruining her.

  Chapter Four: Master Teddy

  Master Danny died on a sunny Monday morning. She knows because the men who came here with the electric prods and the keys to the front door tells her Master Danny is dead and is never coming for her again.

  She knows they're telling the truth before they would never have gotten the keys otherwise. Master Danny is human, but he is like her sometimes, possessive with the things Master Danny gives her. She doesn't even want to share any of her toys with him and she has a lot of toys but not enough. She loves her scratching posts the most. He takes a long time setting them up so she can hone her nails and shed her old claws.

  She loves the fish he brings her too. The fresh ones are always the best. She has a lot of food in the fridge, enough to last weeks and weeks since Master Danny doesn't always remember to visit her. She thought Master Danny was just slow when the doors opened that day, but strangers walked in, strangers in dark suits and smelling of greed and hunger that has nothing to do with food.

  They tell her that she belongs to them now, that she is a beautiful kitten and she will sell for a lot of money. It's a pity they told her all the terrible things they want to do to her before they got the final door open because it is the last door that matters.

  It is the door that opens from the inside, one that Master Danny had installed the last time he visited, when he smelled to heavily of sickness that she thought he was going to drop dead in the middle of his visit. He told her to stay hidden when the men came to install the electric gate that can only be locked from the inside and she did, hiding in her bathroom while the stranger construction workers whispered about eccentric old men and thei
r hobbies.

  Master Danny was there the entire time, keeping close to make sure no one would 'accidentally' wander into her room. She brought most of her toys in the room to keep her company then, and Master Danny would pet her and tell her she's a good girl when they're gone, so she had that to look forward to too.

  These men won't pet her, though. They don't even look at her without dollar signs in their eyes. They tried a number of things over the next few days. She was so scared when they had something bang against the roof of her home, but the metal is sturdy. Master Danny had been terrified of someone stealing her when he was alive. She was his pride and joy, he said.

  One that he kept hidden.

  Nobody plays with her. She calls and calls and her door remains locked.

  Master Danny says it's to keep her safe, but she knows it's to keep anyone from stealing her away. He likes her, but only as a pet. He brags about her to friends sometimes and rewards them by letting them see her, but he doesn't let them play with her.

  She's lonely all the time except for when Master Danny comes to visit. He would praise her for her beautiful fur and stroke her with his hands. He is careful, though. Always careful and he keeps a taser close by in case she can't help herself and uses her teeth or claws. Because he's human and fragile, so she has to be careful with him too.

  Master Danny had been sick for a long time before he finally died and he said- he said he has a friend who would keep her safe when that happens. Teddy, he had said. Teddy is a good wolf. He would make sure no harm comes to her.

  She had been upset when he didn't show up immediately, when he didn't come for her after Master Danny died. She wonders if he would be like Master Danny, who only visited her once a few weeks when he remembers.

  Alex is a good wolf too, she thinks. He would sneak her snacks when his masters aren't looking, little dried fish that's salty and savory. She likes them a lot. She hopes he has some today too, but he doesn't smell like snacks today. Instead, he smells like a new person.

  Wolf, she thinks when her gaze lands on the new stranger. He's a scary-looking wolf too, big and imposing with muscles everywhere. He smells crisp, like the suit is new, and something warm and dangerous. Her fur bristles and she pulls her upper lip back to scent the air discreetly. She wonders if he's like the other wolves who've come here. Would he talk about selling her too?

  But Alex brought him, so he must be kind. Alex is a good wolf. She frowns, not knowing what to think.

  Then, he tells her his name and her heart clenches. He's Teddy.

  Seeing her new Master makes her cry a little because seeing him means it must be true. Master Danny really is dead and she belongs to someone else now. She is upset enough to attack him, forgetting to be careful until she is too close and he catches her. He's not human. He's not human so she doesn't have to be careful.

  She nuzzles up to him. Maybe he would play with her more, pet her and nuzzle her. She hopes wolves like cats. He smells nice, like pine and forest, not at all like Alex, who smells like tobacco even though he doesn't smoke. Not like Master Danny, who smells like medicine because he's sick.

  He's strong enough that she doesn't worry at all about hurting him. He's strong and young and she doesn't have to worry about him dying and leaving her all alone.

  She takes a chance, nuzzling up to his hand to get him to pet her. He's not very good at it, but she thinks he can be trained. She hopes he wouldn't keep her locked up in here like Master Danny. She hopes he would pet her all the time and keep her close to him. She revels in the sensation of his fingers combing through the strands of her hair between her ears, the soft scratches of his nails on the thicker fur at the base of her ears. She shifts under the touch, pressing against his hand and bowing her head to expose the back of her neck, chasing after the touch.

  His rumbling purr is pleasing. She wants to hear more of it.

  She's never met someone who's like her before. Sure, he doesn't have the ears or tail of tufts of fur all over her body like she does, but he's an animal nevertheless. She can smell wolf on him even though he's not shifted and he moves like a wolf too. He's strong. Powerful. She doesn't have to be afraid of hurting him. If anything it's the opposite.

  She knows he's being careful when he's touching her, putting just enough pressure on the back of her neck so that he's holding her still without digging his fingers in. It's grounding. She kind of loves it.

  She's aware of Alex looking at her oddly and she sways her tail, deliberately tugging her skirt up. The scent of arousal from the boy makes her giggle but the man patting her head growls with displeasure.

  She cowers a little, scared by the noise from the apex predator in the room. She's used to being the only dangerous thing in the room. Master Danny doesn't bring werewolves with him to visit her and he certainly doesn't let his friends close enough to touch. The stranger touching her is still pleasant though, even when he's growling dangerously.

  She purrs at him, lazily thrusting her head to his hand so he can continue petting her. She likes being touched and he's a quick learner, scratching the bit behind her ears where it feels best and she moans happily, loving how it feels.

  "You shouldn't tease unless you're willing to follow through, kitten," he warns dangerously, fingers curling around the base of her neck.

  She blinks up at him, confused. He looks upset. No, not upset. He looks hungry and there aren't dollar signs in his eyes. "Master Teddy?" she whispers, frowning. Oh. There's a heady scent of arousal coming from him as well, she realizes after a second. Oh! Does he want to mate? She'd like that very much. Her purr intensifies, rumbling through her vocal chords as she leans closer towards him, tail perked up to show off her naked bum as she crawls closer towards him. Behind her, Alex makes a choking sort of noise.

  She doesn't really like clothes. The only reason why she wears them is because she didn't like the way the other men looked at her. This is her new Master, though. And he smells very nice. She wants to rub herself all over him and put his scent on her skin. "Mate, Master Teddy?" she asks.

  He presses forward so abruptly that she didn't have time to react until he has her pinned down on the floor, hands on her wrists to keep them from clawing at him. He needn't have bothered. She doesn't want to hurt him anymore since he pets her very well. He leans in and she blinks at how close their faces are. He's a very good-looking human. To her surprise, he keeps tilting his head down, bringing his mouth close to her ear so she can feel his exhales on her skin. "You want me to mate you, kitten?"

  She trembles, holding very still when he carefully bites her soft ear between his sharp teeth and gives it a playful tug. "Yes, Master Teddy," she whimpers. Her ears are very sensitive. She smells like arousal now too. She knows the moment he smells her by the way his pupils dilate and his grip tightens.

  Chapter Five: Mate

  Desire surges through his body acutely at the way she submits, pliant and meek with her neck exposed like she's willing to let him do whatever he wants to with her. And gods, he wants to. He wants to yank her skirt up and rut into her. He wants to curl his hands around her thighs and spread her open, fuck into her tight hole and fill her with his come and knot her. He wants to make her smell like his because isn't that what she is?

  His?

  They were right about his wolf being too much in control. He is half feral most of the time and it's only natural for someone like him to fall so quickly for someone who's even more feral.

  He considers denying himself this. She's young and inexperienced, smelling like a virgin who's eager to please. She's desperate for companionship and it's why she's submitting to him so willingly. He shouldn't take advantage of her. He should show her kindness, take care of her without using her for his own selfish wants.

  "Wants," she whimpers, arching up into his, the front of her chest brushing against his chest, pebbled nipples poking against the shirt enough to be visible, enough to let him feel the extent of her desires, and his self control shatters.

 
; Keeping her wrists pinned, he drags her leg up and around his waist. She's a quick learner, wrapping both legs around his waist readily and tipping her head back, offering her throat to him again. It's an incredible rush, the way she submits to him so easily. If she were really prey, he could bite down and tear skin, mark her and take her for himself, just like that.

  He bites down this time, unable to hold back the impulse to mark. His teeth sinks into the soft flesh of her neck. She's so soft, so sweet. Even her blood is sweet. He's careful not to bite too hard. He wants to mark her, not hurt her. He wants her to bear his mark and smell like his all the time, wants anyone looking at her to know that she belongs to him. She lets out a broken, needy moan, writhing against his body, struggling for any friction she can find like a cat in heat. Perhaps she is in heat. That would explain why she smells so enticing, why it's so easy to do claim her, why his wolf wants more than anything to have her.

  He shifts his mouth from her neck to her mouth, kissing her with the same desperately he hears in her whimpered moans. His free hand grasps the collar of her dress, tugging down so he can lick the delicate skin of her collarbone. She smells clean, like soap and... milk for some reason. He tastes it on her tongue too, innocent and lovely.

  The potent scent of her arousal hits every nerve ending in his body and he groans, releasing her wrists so he can palm her soft breasts. She's so tiny and so soft. He doesn't understand how someone so perfect and tiny can be so soft everywhere.

  It is not as though he's never had sex before. He's a virile wolf. Women threw themselves at him without a care, thinking him their tickets to a better life. He had women strip naked in his office. His receptionist seems to think his outrage is an appropriate way of dealing with them. He doesn't sleep with random women.

  He pays whores, high end escorts, for their silence. He doesn't want a body to warm his bed. He wants a mate and he doesn't just want any mate. He wants one like her. He first understood his own obsession with half shifts when he was eighteen and laid his eyes on one. She had been with an Alpha much like himself. Alpha Damien loves his mate but he does not let her out often. She is a small thing, a kitten in everything but age. She's twenty-one and pregnant.