A Short Leash Read online

  “It probably needs cutting,” Kade said. “I have a pair of scissors in the bathroom.”

  His suggestion ignited a protective impulse. Sierra lifted the corner of her lip in a snarl. “You will not cut my hair,” she said through a mouthful of sausage.

  “I will get a woman,” Master Kade relented. “Will a woman do?”

  “Will a woman do what?”

  His lips curled in a patient smile. “Will you let a woman cut your hair? Someone who knows what she is doing?”

  “What citizen would know what she is doing? Citizens are only good at putting too many clothes on and building ugly nests.”

  “Ugly nests,” Master Kade chuckled again. “Is that what you think of the city?”

  “It’s the ugliest thing I ever laid eyes on,” Sierra replied. “It supports only one kind of life. That’s unnatural.”

  “Smart little thing, aren’t you,” he drawled. “I wish I could meet your teacher. He left you with quite a burden.”

  “Burden?”

  “You’re a thinker,” Master Kade said. “And thinkers never have it easy, my pet. Now, to my original question—will you allow your hair to be tended if I find a talented hairdresser?”

  He was asking. Not ordering. That was interesting. “It’s my choice?”

  “You may be a pet, but you are a woman first and I know well enough not to impose my will on a lady’s appearance.” He winked and his face turned friendly and handsome in an instant. Not that it hadn’t always been handsome, but it was a different kind of handsome, one that brought a smile to her face.

  “I will allow it,” Sierra agreed.

  *

  A few hours later, Sierra was woken up from her morning nap by Master Kade and a citizen woman with the most extraordinary hair Sierra had ever laid eyes on. It had been twisted into a complex and elegant style atop her head, rife with near architectural curves. Each twist and turn was trammeled by a string of glittering beads. Sierra stared in wonder at the majesty of it all. The woman did not have hair. She had an event on her head.

  “This is Melissa,” Master Kade said. “She does the hair of all the most important citizen ladies; her talents are beyond compare.”

  “Oh, hush,” Melissa said, waving her hand. “You exaggerate.”

  “I don’t want a house on my head,” Sierra said. “I don’t want to be all twisted up.”

  “I am sure she is capable of simpler styles,” Master Kade replied. “You tell her what you want and she will do her best to do it for you.”

  “I will do whatever you like,” Melissa agreed. “Come and sit in the bathroom and we will see what we can do.”

  Sierra agreed to the plan. It seemed unlikely that her hair could get any worse, and Melissa seemed nice enough. She certainly knew how to handle hair; that was for sure. If Kade was a master of pets, then this woman was surely a mistress of hair.

  Sitting on a stool in the bathroom, Sierra surrendered herself to Melissa’s attentions.

  “It is in quite a state, isn’t it?” Melissa said, frowning. “You poor thing.” She took careful hold of Sierra’s hair close to her scalp and began brushing at the tangles. It was a long, slow process but she took her time and made sure not to pull Sierra’s hair too hard.

  It had been a long time since Sierra experienced caring touch from any other person besides Kade. Melissa’s hands moved through Sierra’s tangled hair with the alacrity with which a monkey might throw itself through dense bush.

  Sierra found her eyes closing as Melissa worked, lulled into a deep relaxation by the process. She had not thought citizens capable of providing comfort or care, but Kade and Melissa were so very different from her old owners. Sierra started to wonder if perhaps she had judged all citizens too harshly based on the limited interactions she’d had with her first owner. She cast her mind back further, to the ones who had trapped her and the ones who had bid upon her, and decided that she was not wrong. Most citizens were mercenary, cold, and cruel. Master Kade and his circle might be different, but they were the exception to the rule.

  “You’re so easy to work with,” Melissa said. “I thought a pet would be much more active. The last time I tried to do a pet’s hair, she ate half my product and threw the rest out the window.”

  “Sierra does not have all her energies at her disposal,” Master Kade said. Sierra opened her eyes to see that he had chanced by the bathroom door, no doubt keeping an eye on her lest she unleash her feral nature on the poor hairdresser. “But she is also a careful, thoughtful pet.”

  “A change from your usual charges,” Melissa smiled.

  “Yes,” he agreed. “Sierra is very unique.”

  Sierra did not know precisely what he meant by that, but the warmth in his tone made her smile.

  “Leave us be,” Melissa said. “You will see her when she is done.”

  “Of course, m’lady.” Kade offered a little bow and did as he was asked, leaving Sierra giggling.

  “You tell Kade what to do?”

  “Kade is a pussycat,” Melissa said. “He keeps all his toughness on the outside, that one.”

  Sierra smiled as Melissa talked. It was nice to hear about Kade from one of his friends, even nicer to see him relaxed. He truly did seem to be a very good person, which was more important than being handsome or masterful or anything else.

  “I’m going to turn you away from the mirror,” Melissa said. “I want to surprise you with what I’m doing.”

  Just as Kade had done, Sierra obeyed Melissa. She turned away from the mirror and let Melissa do her job, the soothing sound of scissors clipping and the light brush of the teeth of a comb sending little happy tingles coursing across her scalp.

  An hour later, Melissa declared that she was done and turned Sierra back toward the mirror.

  Sierra let out a little shriek of excitement upon seeing herself anew. Melissa had preserved most of her hair’s length; in fact it seemed even longer than it had before thanks to the fact it was nice and straight and gleaming with fresh shine. It fell to Sierra’s shoulders, framing her narrow face with long purple strands and bringing out the complementary violet of her eyes.

  “Thank you,” she said, happy tears in her eyes. “I love it.”

  “You have such beautiful hair,” Melissa replied, running her fingers through the sleek lengths. “It’s very thick and strong, and the color is just phenomenal. I know many ladies who would give anything to have such a unique shade.”

  Sierra smiled, pleased because she knew she was beautiful. Melissa had taken the liberty of applying a little citizen cosmetic magic to her face, which smoothed out the tone and took away the dark circles. It was only a small amount, but it made Sierra feel much more like her old self.

  “Time for the big reveal, I think,” Melissa said. “Go out and show Kade.”

  Sierra all but skipped out of the bathroom. “Kade?”

  “Here, my pet,” he rumbled from the living room. He stood up as she approached with an expression of wordless approval on his face. Sierra smiled shyly as he stared.

  “You like it?”

  Kade didn’t answer. He kept staring, so much so that Sierra wondered if perhaps she had done something wrong. Or perhaps, without all the tangles and hair in her face, he could see what she really looked like. Maybe her face displeased him.

  “I… what… have I…” She lowered her head in confusion as she ran out of words to question what she needed to question.

  “No,” he said, stopping her stammering. “I’m sorry. You look beautiful. I mean, you were beautiful before, but now I think you are seeing it too.”

  Sierra beamed. She had thought she looked beautiful, Melissa had told her she looked beautiful, but it was nice to hear it from Kade too.

  “Now it won’t be so unpleasant to look at me,” she said with self-deprecating humility.

  He tipped her face up toward him and brushed his lips against hers. “You are exquisite, Sierra. Never think otherwise.”

  Her
lips parted at his touch, an organic response that was met in turn by Kade as he pulled her close and let his tongue dance slowly inside her mouth, making her dizzy with the kiss.

  “Well,” Melissa laughed behind them. “I’ll count this as a success.”

  “Thank you,” Kade said, looking over Sierra’s head. “Do you want a drink or anything?”

  Sierra had almost forgotten that the woman was there. She was electrified by Kade’s touch, aroused beyond reason and thrilled with the power of her own sexuality.

  “That’s quite alright, I’ll see myself out, unless you’re going to ask me to join what seems to be about to happen here,” Melissa winked.

  “You’re a married woman, remember,” Kade chuckled.

  “Oh, I remember,” she said, waving goodbye to the pair of them. “Call me in six weeks and I’ll give you a trim, Sierra.”

  “Mm-hmm,” Sierra agreed, pressing close to Kade as Melissa left. He kept an arm wrapped around her waist as she ground herself against him, her pussy pressing against the thick muscle of his thigh.

  “You really do like your new haircut, don’t you,” Kade murmured, patting her bottom.

  “I like being me again,” Sierra said. “I saw myself again for the first time.”

  He smiled down at her. “You saw what I’ve been seeing since you got here. You truly are a singular beauty, Sierra.”

  Sierra knew that was not entirely true. There were all sorts of little things wrong with her, but Kade truly didn’t seem to notice any of them. She saw total approval in his eyes, a complete acceptance of everything she was.

  “Now you’re the one staring,” he said, gently stroking her cheek. “What are you thinking, my pet?”

  “I’m thinking…” Sierra did not want to give voice to what she was thinking, so she went with something lighter. “I’m thinking I really like my hair.”

  “So do I,” he said. “And I like your smile,” he added, leaning down to kiss her again. “And I like your bottom,” he murmured against her lips, palming her cheeks as he spoke. “And I like your sweet little cunt,” he continued as his fingers slid down between her thighs. “I want you, Sierra.”

  He spoke in a growl of animal need that evoked an instinctive response in Sierra. She wanted him too. From the moment she had first laid eyes on him, a part of her had known that one day she would give herself to him. She could sense that the moment might have arrived as his hands roamed her body and he laid kiss after kiss against her heated skin.

  Sierra did not make any verbal response. Words were unnecessary when nudity would suffice. As Kade caressed her, she first removed her clothing, then began to work on his. She had not seen him without coverings before and as the cloth and leather gave way to flesh she began to get a deeper sense of the man. There was barely a part of Kade’s large muscular body untouched by scars. His chest, his back, his abdomen all bore the marks of wild beasts upon them. With a soft cooing sound and an even softer touch, Sierra ran her fingers across a thick band of scar tissue that traversed his abdominal plane.

  “A boar,” Kade explained. He took hold of her hand and drew it up to his left shoulder where a deep white line ran down to his nipple. “A lion,” he said. “And many others.”

  “You’re wearing a menagerie of scars,” Sierra said, pressing her cheek to his chest.

  “I have long been a hunter,” Kade replied as he cupped her bottom. “I have only been a good one for some of that time.”

  She smiled up at him with admiration. Not only was Kade strong and handsome, he had humility, and a very large, very thick cock, which was pressing against her abdomen with throbbing need. Sierra wrapped her hand around it, finding that she could fit both her hands one atop the other and still have his head be free of her grasp.

  A shiver of pleasure ran through the great man as Sierra bent down and let her tongue run over the head of his cock. She had seen many men naked in the village, but none were so impressive as Kade. His manhood was a beast in its own right, a throbbing rod that wanted just one thing… to sink inside her.

  Kade picked her up in his arms, kissing her deeply as she wrapped her legs around his waist. The position left her pussy brushing against the head of his cock, her wetness coating the thick mushroom head as they ground together. His strength was an aphrodisiac, but it was his tender care that truly made her womanhood flower for him.

  Pressing against his body, Sierra let out little whimpering moans as slowly but surely, Kade lowered her onto his cock. She was not so much filled by him as they were fitted together, two parts of a whole joining as one. This was love as she had never known it before. This was no lust-filled animal rutting; this was a becoming of something new. Their eyes were locked together as Kade sank deep inside her, all the way to the very core of her being.

  “Mine,” he murmured against her lips.

  “Mine,” she replied as he carried her to some piece of furniture that had ceased to have any relevance or meaning in her mind and placed her back upon it, sliding himself with a tender slowness in and out of her pussy. Sierra arched her back as Kade lifted her legs over his shoulders and made free with her body, his hot cock taking her with languid enjoyment, which left her panting and whimpering for more. The tantalizing pleasure of the slow strokes was making her clit tingle and her pleasure build as she moaned her need.

  “You’re perfect,” Kade purred down at her, running his hand along her body to cup her breasts. “And you’ll be perfect to me no matter what.”

  She saw the truth of his words in his eyes and felt it in his touch. He was glorious, his powerful body rising above her, his muscles rippling as he thrust. Sierra could not tear her gaze away, drinking every part of him in. This was worth every bit of pain and sorrow she had known. Kade let her legs slide down around his waist and leaned down, kissing her deeply as he ground himself inside her, his cock stirring the juices of her desire.

  She could feel an orgasm building deep inside her, urged forth by his tender touch. Kade was close too; she could tell by the way he was straining, his cock thrusting and pulsing at the same time as he held himself still inside her for a moment and pressed kisses over her face.

  “Never forget that you’re mine,” he growled softly, his hips working anew in short thrusts that were like sparks to the tinder of her climax. Sierra clutched at his shoulders and threw her head back, her whole body convulsing as an orgasm ripped through her, causing her legs to lock around him and pull him close as her pussy enthusiastically milked him for everything he had. Kade’s rough cry blended with her own high-pitched wail of pleasure and together they completed their coupling, seed mixing with juices of need bathing every part of her pussy.

  Afterward Kade looked down at her tenderly and pressed soft kisses to her lips. She remained on her back, her breath coming in light pants as she lay across what turned out to be a small table of some kind.

  “Are you alright?”

  “It’s never been like that before,” Sierra said, her body weak. “I’ve never…”

  “That’s how it is when a wild one finds a mate worthy of her,” Kade said, running his fingers through her silken locks. “Your body has been calling to me from the beginning.”

  Sierra was certain much more than her body had been calling to him. She felt as though she had been born anew, cleansed of the emotional debris of her imprisonment and given fresh eyes with which to see and a new heart that seemed to beat only for him.

  Chapter Four

  Over the following weeks, Sierra regained much of her strength. Frequent meals, plenty of rest, and an abundance of care transformed her completely. Just one month after her arrival she had put on weight, her skin was clearer, her eyes were brighter, and her hair was so shiny and healthy she couldn’t help but admire it at every opportunity.

  Master Kade had kept her confined indoors, something she had not minded at first, for she had not had the energy to go running about anyway. But as her strength returned, so did her native curiosity and her
desire to explore his compound.

  “Before we go out,” he said after she begged for the umpteenth time, “you’re going to have to wear this.” He held out a thin strap of leather with a dark circle attached to the center and a fastener on one end. She knew instantly what it was, and she did not want anything to do with it.

  “No more collars,” she said, shying away.

  “I know you don’t want to wear one,” Kade said with some sympathy. “But I promise you will only wear it when you’re out. The moment you come home, the collar comes off.”

  “No.” Sierra was not often defiant or stubborn, but she found both traits at her disposal when confronted with the thick black band he wanted to put around her neck. She put her hands to her neck and shook her head emphatically. “No collars.”

  “Don’t be naughty, Sierra,” he said, his tone cajoling. “A collar is sometimes a necessity. If you’re wearing this and you get lost, I will be able to find you.”

  “You mean if I run into the wilds you’ll be able to find me,” she said, screwing up her nose. “I don’t want to wear a collar.”

  “This isn’t optional,” he informed her. “And this isn’t a collar like your old owner put on you. It’s much lighter and much more comfortable. You won’t notice it once it’s been on for a few minutes.”

  “No!” Sierra took further refuge in refusal.

  “Well, in that case,” Master Kade said, “you can go to your room and you can stay there. I wanted to take you out around the compound today, but if you’re going to be a brat, I won’t bother.”

  Sierra bit her lower lip. “But I want to go out.”

  “Then you have a choice. Wear the collar and go out. Or go to your room until it is time to eat.”

  They had just eaten, so it was not going to be time to eat for another four hours. That meant four hours of daydreaming and napping instead of going out where the plants and the wild winds were. Or maybe… maybe she could go to her room and then go out anyway. The doors of Master Kade’s home were not locked, so far she had stayed indoors only because he told her to. She had been a good, obedient little pet, but that was going to change if he insisted on putting that collar on her.