by Anna Adler
Fifteen minutes later, she was showered and ready, her hair dry and tied back, and she stepped out of the bathroom. Chase had gotten dressed as instructed. She found him in the office, staring at the mess.
“I don’t know how to make this up to you,” he said, running his hand through his hair. “I’ll clean it up, though. Do you have a brush and a trash bag or something?”
Holly patted his bicep. “We have more important things to worry about than housecleaning. I’ll put the robots to work.”
“I, uh, I think I broke one of them.”
Holly paused and rolled her eyes. “Right. Don’t do that again. The robots are expensive. If you feel the need to break something, stick to furniture.”
“Yeah. Sorry.”
“But never mind this. We have to go shopping. I need a new VR monitor. And we should get you more clothes. You only have one set.”
“All right.”
At the door, Holly picked up the collar and the leash and presented them to Chase. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to wear this again when we go outside. It’s the law.”
“No problem. Want to put it on me?” He bowed his head to give her better access.
Holly was surprised how he didn’t express any resentment toward the pet collar. “You really don’t mind wearing this?” she asked as she locked the slim metal band around his neck.
He shrugged. “It’s no big deal, although I don’t like the fact that it can zap me…I’d actually prefer a leather collar.”
A leather collar? He would seriously like to wear a collar?
Holly pictured him wearing a broad leather collar around his neck, perhaps with her initials engraved in it. And his impressive upper body would be bare and he’d be wearing tight leather pants… A flame licked at her belly.
She caught herself fantasizing and snapped out of it. “How do you feel about the leash?” she asked.
He grinned. “As long as it’s you at the other end.”
Holly’s mouth quirked into a smile. She had such a hard time believing it, but her tall, muscular male was eager to be her plaything. What fun they could have together, exploring their respective kinks, if they lived in a free society and Chase didn’t have a death threat hanging over his head.
“I don’t intend to hand your leash over to anybody,” she said.
His grin widened.
“Come along then.”
They exited the apartment, heading back toward the city center.
“Pets can only go outside while wearing a collar and a leash, accompanied by their owner,” Holly said. “But if it wasn’t for the pet laws, would you still want to wear a collar?”
“Collar? Yeah. I’d wear it all the time. The leash? Probably not. It’s impractical if I have to fight.”
“Did you have to fight a lot before coming here?”
“Yeah. Of course.”
“What do you mean, ‘of course’? You led a violent life?”
“The world out there is violent. I have to be ready to defend myself. I’ve always had to fight. I grew up in prisons and in the crappy parts of old space stations. Someone always wanted to beat me up, steal my stuff, or kill me—just for the fun of it.”
“Oh no.”
“No big deal. I’ve always been big and good at fighting; it comes naturally to me. I’m still alive, am I not?”
“Still. It’s horrible.”
“I guess. What I find much worse is being alone.”
Holly understood even better why he had gone berserk when she tried to send him away. She gave him a reassuring smile. “You’re not alone anymore.”
“Yeah, baby. That’s exactly what I mean. That’s why I’m in heaven right now.”
“But having to wear a collar and a leash, and having a woman walk you like an animal…doesn’t it make you feel humiliated?”
“No. I get that a lot of guys don’t like it. They’re all alpha male and all that; they want to be in control. All my friends are like that, so I know how they tick.”
“But you’re different?”
“Being on a leash with you isn’t humiliating. It makes me feel stronger.”
Holly shot him a curious look. “Stronger? How?”
“It’s…I don’t know…I never tried to explain this to anybody. I want to protect you. I might be a tame pet to you, but to everyone else I’m a bloodthirsty beast. Anyone who tries to touch you, I’m going to leap on them and tear them apart.”
“Oh.”
Her pet had a protective instinct.
He went on, “Wearing your collar, I don’t feel like a fluffy poodle. I feel vicious.”
“I see.”
His confession pleased her. She didn’t take pleasure in humiliating him. She was happy he felt proud and fierce, wearing her collar, because that’s how she saw him as well. A big, intimidating beast who obeyed her commands.
“And…” A shadow came over his face.
“And?”
“I guess it’s a childhood thing. I like the idea that you might put me in a cage so I can’t get away from you. I’ve been abandoned before. But if you own me, you’re not going to abandon me, right? This whole domination shit, it makes me feel safe.”
Holly stopped and turned to Chase. She put a hand on his cheek. “I’m never going to abandon you, Chase. I want to keep you.”
“You mean it?”
“Every word.”
“Holly, you’re incredible.” He reached out for her.
Holly threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. He wrapped his big arms tightly around her waist, lifting her off her feet. His hard body against her felt wonderful. After they broke apart, Chase looked dizzy. He stumbled to the nearest lamppost and leaned against it with one hand.
“What’s wrong?” Holly demanded, alarmed.
“The alcohol and all this emotional stuff,” Chase grumbled. “I’m feeling a bit messed up right now.”
Plus the fact that he’s wounded and the rapid-heal substances are sucking up his energy. I should probably get some food into him.
“There’s a restaurant just over there,” Holly said. “Let’s go sit down and eat.”
Chase nodded and followed. Pet owners were given the best tables, so as soon as the waiter saw Holly step in with Chase, he smiled and directed them to a private lounge with a view of a small park. Chase dropped into his seat and exhaled. He sniffed at the air, with its delicious smell of food, and said, “I just realized I’m starving.”
“Your pet is hungry?” the waiter inquired of Holly. “I’ll bring something right away.”
He hurried away and returned with a portion of grilled, spiced soy meat, which he placed in front of Chase. The man paused to stare at Chase’s bandaged hands and looked at Holly with a frown.
Great, he thinks I’m abusing my pet.
“He hurt himself while exercising,” she explained lightly. “He has so much energy he gets carried away.”
“I see. Some appetizers for you, ma’am?”
“Just my order, please.”
The waiter bowed and left. Chase looked at her with a frown. “What order?”
“I already went ahead and ordered for us,” she said and pointed at the little smart screen embedded into the table. “The food will be here soon, but have your snacks first.”
Chase looked hungry, but he eyed the bowl and the cutlery warily. “Am I…how should I eat this?”
“Any way you like. You can eat it with your fingers, or you can use that fork.”
“Oh. I thought I might have to eat straight out of the bowl without hands or something. Or put the bowl on the floor.”
Holly laughed. “Why would you do that?”
“Isn’t that how pets eat? On Earth, dogs eat out of a bowl on the floor.”
“If you want to amuse the other people in this restaurant, you can of course put the bowl on the floor and eat without hands. It’d be hilarious. But usually only pure-blood Wolfmen do that. Humanoid pets are expected to eat just like
we humans do.”
“So I can pick up the fork?”
“Yes. In the training center, we can’t give freshly caught pets knives, forks, chopsticks, or anything because they could use them as weapons. That’s why we make you eat with bare hands. But once your training is complete, you’re supposed to eat using the same utensils as your owner.” She smiled and added, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to confuse you. I should have told you that you can, of course, use the utensils before you.”
Chase barely had time to munch away his appetizer before their food arrived. An assortment of various meat and vegetable dishes and sparkling water. Holly made sure the waiter left before speaking.
“Based on what I’ve told you, what do you think our odds of success are?”
“Pretty slim,” Chase admitted as he ate. He didn’t sound concerned, though. “Trying to free all the pets and getting them off the planet is impossible. We don’t have the time or the means. I know we have to do something soon because I don’t want to end up back with the IPT.”
“But you’re adamant about staying? We could get you off the planet first, just to make sure you’re safe.”
“I’m staying,” he said in a tone that brooked no argument.
“Your life is in danger here.”
“My life is in danger out there, too. I’m not exactly a law-abiding citizen… Being here with you is worth the risk.”
“All right. But I don’t even know where to start planning. I’ve studied every escape route there is. It’s not…it’s not that easy.”
“Well, we’re two people now instead of just one. Keep piling the facts on the table. We’ll think of something.”
Holly chuckled. “How can you be so confident? You know the odds are against us.”
He shrugged and put the next piece in his mouth. “I’ve escaped shitty places before.”
“You have?”
He looked a little ashamed now. He stopped eating, put his fork down and dropped his gaze to the table. “I’m not a very nice guy, actually. I’m a thief and a smuggler, and I’ve gotten caught for the stuff I do. I’m not what women look for in a guy when they’re planning a long-term relationship. It’s another reason why Silenia seemed attractive. You didn’t care about my past.”
Holly considered what he said, and it fit his behavior. He was too crude and volatile to be an upper class citizen; she should have seen that from the start. He was an outlaw with a violent past, but it didn’t turn her off.
“I only care about what kind of person you are,” she said. “Your past doesn’t matter to me, as long as you strive to become better.”
He flashed her a relieved smile. “I want to be better, but I’m gonna need help, otherwise I’ll just mess up again. I want you to tell me what to do.”
She returned his smile. “I will. Tell me about the places you’ve escaped.”
Chase picked up his fork again. “Probably the worst prison colony I ever got dumped on was TC-2. It was a labor camp…a mining planet like Silenia, except that place wasn’t comfy and prosperous. It was cold and dark. The prisoners were sent there to be worked to death. We weren’t given proper clothes or proper food. We were told to mine the frozen, rocky ground, but we weren’t given proper tools. The sleeping quarters were freezing, with nowhere to wash up. Everyone got sick. The prisoners died of hunger and exposure, except for the Crasnians, who can fucking eat rocks to survive. Escaping was practically impossible. Security was tight, with death bots watching our every move.”
“That’s horrible.” She swallowed. Chase’s description turned her stomach. “But you escaped. How?”
“I pretended to be dead. I collapsed during a workday and let them carry me off in a pile of bodies. A gift from my Lizardian father…I have the ability to turn my heart rate so low I appear dead. They dumped me into a mass grave. I stayed where they threw me for maybe two days, without moving, just to be sure I looked dead enough. It was cold. I almost died for real. I survived because the corpses they dumped on top of me shielded me from the wind.”
Holly leaned forward. “And then?”
“The area between the graveyard and the shuttle platform wasn’t well guarded. So I crawled up from the grave to the shuttles and hid inside. Got a ride to the nearest mothership.”
“That’s quite a feat.”
He gave a small shrug. “Escaping prisons is something I’m pretty familiar with. I admit I’ve never tried to help fifty thousand aliens break free before, and that’s a whole different ballpark than escaping alone. But still. I look at you and I know that we’re going to do this. Somehow.”
Holly couldn’t help but smile. “Well, at least you’re motivated.”
Chapter 17
After they finished eating, Chase felt like himself again. He was no longer drunk, and his body seemed to be healing rapidly. He removed the bandages from his hands and noticed the cuts had disappeared.
“Huh,” he said, staring at his palm that looked as good as new.
“The rapid heal seems to be working,” Holly observed. “I hope you’re feeling better.”
He felt great. The cut in the sole of his foot no longer bothered him, and his back was returning to normal too. He would have liked to keep the ache in his back a little longer, but he knew Holly needed him in peak shape. They exited the restaurant and Holly took him to a sleek and shiny electronics shop where she ordered a new VR monitor to be delivered to her apartment.
“May I take a one-time-use copy of your key so that our employees can install the monitor in your apartment?” the sales person asked.
“No, just leave it at the door, please,” Holly replied.
“What if somebody steals it?” Chase asked her as they exited the shop. “If they just leave it in front of the door, anybody can pick it up.”
Holly smiled. “Steal it? No one’s going to steal it.”
“Why not?” he wondered.
You can’t just leave stuff lying around unsupervised, can you?
“Why?” She looked confused. “It just doesn’t happen here.”
“No one ever steals anything?”
“It’s extremely uncommon.”
Next, Holly took him to a shop called Pet Premium that sold clothing and accessories for pets. It was an enormous, shiny department store full of pets and their owners. Holly chose some proper everyday clothing for him. Then she asked the sales person to find them a thermal suit and a breathing mask in Chase’s size.
“Planning an excursion?” the woman asked brightly.
“I might take my pet to Diamond Canyon,” Holly replied.
“I was there last year,” the woman said. “Beautiful.”
Chase looked at Holly sharply. “What are you doing?” he growled as the sales clerk moved away to find the items. “I told you I’m not leaving without you.”
“It’s just a back-up plan,” she said soothingly, putting a hand on his arm. “If our first plan goes up in flames and our lives are in danger, we both leave the planet. All right?”
“All right,” Chase said, satisfied. He would go anywhere Holly went. “What’s Diamond Canyon?”
“It’s an excursion spot outside Sky Dome One. Mineral Caves. Most of it is a safe, indoor area, but some parts of it require a suit and a mask. We’re not going there, of course, but it’s a good excuse to buy you a suit.”
The sales clerk brought Chase the appropriate suit. After they had tried it on and made their decision, Holly showed him to the accessories section.
“Just one more thing,” she said with a wicked look in her eyes.
What’s she planning?
He followed her, curious. She stopped in front of a selection of leashes.
“Somewhere here… Yes.”
She reached out a plucked a black leather collar from the shelf. She turned to Chase with a questioning look. His cock twitched.
Oh, hell yes.
“Yeah,” he croaked, his voice suddenly rough. “Good idea.”
He liked any
mark of ownership she put on him.
“That’s plain leather,” she said, putting the item away. “I like it, but I think something more badass would suit you better.”
She plucked a different collar from the rack. It was also broad, black leather, but it had a mean-looking thick-link chain sewn into it for decoration. Holly rubbed her fingers over the metal links, a sexy smile on her lips.
She likes it.
His cock swelled in a rush, making the front of his pants uncomfortably tight. He liked that she liked it. He wanted her to let her wicked, possessive side loose with him.
She turned to Chase. “Come here, let’s try this on.”
He bent forward and let Holly put the collar on him, above the metal pet collar.
“Perfect,” she said, her voice warm with playful desire. “That’s an appropriate collar for my fierce protector.”
She pointed to a mirror next to the shelf. Chase straightened and observed his mirror image. Hell yeah. Holly understood what he wanted. The leather-and-chain collar looked a hell of a lot meaner than the slender metal band around his neck. He didn’t want a cute kitten collar. He wanted something tough; something that looked like a warning.
This slave is dangerous.
He grinned at his image. He could feel his pulse between his legs. Holly hooked her finger through the metal ring at the front of the collar and pulled his head down for a kiss. She kissed him with such passion and possessiveness that his knees wobbled. He wanted to tear her clothes off and fuck her against the wall, right there. He pulled her hard against him, his hands cupping her perfect ass.
Holly broke the kiss and swatted his hands away, a wicked grin on her lips. “Bad pet,” she breathed, her eyes twinkling. “You should behave yourself.”
He grinned, but then paused to think. “Wait… How was I able to touch you, actually? I’m wearing the metal collar and it’s active, right? Shouldn’t I have gotten zapped?”
“Your collar is at the lowest security settings. Humans can touch you, and if they invite you to touch them back, you won’t be hurt. You can touch me safely, for instance, because the collar can read both our intentions when you approach me.”
“How can it read our intentions?”