A Short Leash Read online

  Master Kade did not say anything more. He went back inside the house and Sierra clapped her hands, thinking she had won. Oh, how wonderful it was to be a little more powerful than the man who was master.

  She was mid-step in a little victory dance when hard hands clamped onto her from behind, one on the back of her neck and the other on her hip.

  “Next time I tell you to come down, you come down,” he said, slapping her bottom hard. His palm cracked across her cheeks several more times, making her feet dance against the rooftop as she emitted a squealing sound.

  “Do you understand me?” He gave her a little shake, turning her to face him. “I will not tolerate disobedience,” he informed her. “I especially will not tolerate defiance.”

  Butt stinging, pride wounded, Sierra was not in the mood to meekly agree with the man holding her. She didn’t know how he’d managed to get up on the roof, but getting up on the roof was not the only feat she was capable of. With a swift bite to his wrist, Sierra managed to get Kade to loosen his grip long enough for her to make an escape back down the tree. Now he was on the roof with an angry red mark on his wrist and she was on the ground, rubbing her bottom.

  “How long do you want to play this game, Sierra?” Kade growled the question down at her, his looming presence more intimidating than a crouching mountain lion. “You’re in very, very big trouble, my pet. I would not suggest making it any worse.”

  “I don’t want to be in trouble,” Sierra said. “So I will not be.”

  “That’s not how it works.”

  “Yes, it is. If you can decide that I’m in trouble, I can decide that I’m not.”

  Master Kade’s expression performed antics of confusion alternating with annoyance and eventually settled on stern. He turned and walked back out of her sight. Sierra backed away from the house and tree, not sure where Master Kade was likely to reappear. He seemed to have all sorts of secret ways of getting about the place; he had certainly materialized on the roof almost silently.

  When he didn’t appear immediately, Sierra crouched and waited. He was coming. He had to be coming.

  Almost fifteen minutes later she realized that he was not coming. She looked in through the house windows and saw him sitting on the couch. He was working with something in his hands, but other than that he was not so much as looking at her.

  Another fifteen minutes later Sierra pushed through the door and looked at him, maintaining a careful distance. “What are you doing?”

  “Waiting for you to come receive your punishment.”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “Because you know you deserve it,” he said. “Because you know you’ve been a bad girl and you know you’re due a spanking. When you’re ready, come tell me.”

  Sierra squirmed in the doorway. It was somehow more difficult when he wasn’t chasing her down. She didn’t know what to do with herself; she certainly wasn’t going to take herself over to him and let him punish her.

  Kade did not pay any further attention to her. He went about his business as usual, made a meal as always, and even served a portion for her. She was a little reluctant to come eat it lest he grabbed her and started spanking her, but he showed no sign of doing that.

  They ate together in silence. Sierra had never noticed how much they chatted in their everyday life. Each meal was accompanied by a conversation on some matter or another, usually a debate on the life of a citizen vs the life of a wild one. But Kade did not say so much as a word to her and she was not inclined to try to start a conversation that he would not entertain.

  “When you’re finished, you can go to your room,” he said, breaking the silence. “Unless you’re ready to face your punishment.”

  “What if I said I was sorry?” She looked at him under her lashes, hoping he might relent.

  “You’d be lying,” he replied. “You’re not going to be sorry until we’re done, and you’re not going to be properly forgiven until I’ve dealt with this matter. You bit me, Sierra. You put your teeth on me. You don’t ever do that.”

  There was something in his voice she didn’t like. It wasn’t anger, and it wasn’t frustration. It was something else, something almost sad but not quite. Disappointment. He was disappointed with her. The realization hit Sierra like a rock. From the moment she’d arrived he had cared for her and implicit in that care was a kind of approval. He exuded warmth that she didn’t even notice until the very moment it went missing.

  A little whimper rose to her lips as she finished the last bite of her meal. He ignored it, choosing to clean up the plates as Sierra sat on her stool and wished she’d never misbehaved in the first place. She especially regretted biting him, as he seemed to be most upset by that.

  “What will you do?”

  “Give you exactly what you deserve,” he said, washing the remnants of food from the plates. “I’m going to give you a taste of leather.”

  “You’re going to make me eat leather?”

  The dimple in his cheek made a brief appearance. “No, I’ll strap your disobedient backside with a leather strop until I’m satisfied you’ve learned your lesson.”

  “You would do that to me?”

  “I won’t enjoy it, Sierra, but I will do it. What you did today wasn’t acceptable. I need to know that you’ll obey me when you’re not under my direct control. I need to know I can keep you safe, and I can’t do that if you think it’s funny to disobey me.”

  “But I climbed the tree,” she pouted. “Isn’t that good?”

  “It’s good for your muscles,” he replied. “It’s not going to be good for your hide. Go bend over the back of the couch. I will tend to you when I have tended to these dishes.”

  Sensing that this was an opportunity to get back on his good side, Sierra got up from her seat and walked obediently over to the back of the couch. She sat on the back rather than bending over it, but that was better than not going there at all and she figured he might be happy about that.

  He looked over his shoulder and made a swirling motion with his finger. Clearly sitting on the back of the couch was not in fact the same as bending over it. She reluctantly let her feet down until they touched the floor, then turned around and bent over the back of the couch, her hands on the soft cushion. The position was more comfortable than she’d thought it was going to be. The back of the couch was well padded and she could swing her legs back and forth in a way that was somewhat amusing.

  “Stay still,” Kade said, a growl in his voice, but the glimmer of a smile on his face. He was having a hard time staying angry at her. Sierra hoped that would translate into clemency later on.

  She stilled her legs and held position, waiting for the clinking of dishes to stop and the smacking to start. It was not a pleasant wait. She did not like the idea of tasting leather, even if she was going to be tasting it with her butt.

  “Good girl,” he said, some of the warmth returning to his voice. He seemed to genuinely appreciate her submission. Finishing the dishes, he crossed over to her and patted her bottom with affection. “When this is over, we will start over again,” he said. “And you will have learned something important.”

  “I will have learned that annoying you is a bad idea. I already knew that.”

  “You will have learned how very important it is to obey me,” he said, peeling her panties down over her hips to bare her bottom. His hand landed shortly thereafter in a harsh slap, which was followed by many, many more. Kade wasted no more time in conversation; the spanking had begun in earnest and his hand was moving in a blur, whacking her cheeks so hard and so fast Sierra didn’t feel the swats as separate slaps but as one continuous burning heat.

  She let out a yowl, but that did not stop the punishment. It went on and on until her bottom felt as though it burned as hot as the sun. She kicked and wriggled and squirmed, but Kade showed her no leniency at all as he spanked her to a crescendo of whimpering and sniffling.

  “I’m going to forgo the leather this time because you’ve al
ready been spanked today, but you will obey me,” Kade growled down at her. “Especially when it comes to matters of the wilds. Your senses are still quite dulled. You will be in danger if you do not listen, understand me?”

  “Yes,” Sierra sniffed sadly.

  “I know you’re feeling strong,” he added, “but you are nowhere near full strength, Sierra. Even when you are, I need to know you will obey me.” He rubbed her bottom, soothing some of the sting away. “And every time you disobey me, you can expect to be punished even more thoroughly. This was just a warning, Sierra. It can and it will be worse if you do not learn your lesson.”

  As tears fell, Sierra promised that she had learned her lesson and was finally rewarded when Kade picked her up in his arms and held her close, kissing her cheeks and cuddling her close. “You can be a good girl, I know you can,” he murmured.

  Sierra wasn’t so sure.

  Chapter Five

  Discipline was not the only thing on Kade’s agenda. Sierra was quickly gaining weight and she felt some of her wild senses returning, but Kade was not satisfied with that alone. He told her as much one morning after breakfast. “I think it’s time you got out of the house,” he said. “You need a little socializing.”

  Socializing didn’t really sound like fun to Sierra. Kade was all she needed in terms of company. “With who? Your citizen friends?”

  “I don’t just train pets,” Kade said. “I also advise hunters. Some of them are meeting in the wilds today.”

  Sierra perked up at that, a smile crossing her face. “We’re going into the wilds?”

  “We are,” he said. “And I’m taking a risk on you, Sierra. If you go running off, I will not be happy. If you misbehave, I will not be happy. If you…”

  Sierra grazed her teeth lightly over his arm. She knew that would not make him happy either, but it might stop the lecturing for a moment.

  “Sierra…” His tone dipped warningly. “You know better than to put your teeth on me, don’t you?”

  “Not hard,” Sierra said, offering a little lick.

  “Mm-hmm. Are you going to be able to behave yourself today? Or do you need a tune-up before we leave?”

  “That is not a question I can answer,” Sierra said truthfully. “I do not have the power of future sight. Is that something citizens have?”

  “You know very well what I mean,” Kade said, running his fingers through her hair. “These men look to me as their mentor.”

  “Oh, so you don’t want me to embarrass you?”

  “You won’t embarrass me,” he replied. “But if you get out of hand, I will not hesitate to correct you. You might find that even more unpleasant in front of others. Now promise you’ll be good.”

  “I’ll be good.”

  “If you’re not, you’ll find out what it feels like to be caned. That collar of yours is capable of disciplining you at a distance, so mind yourself.”

  “I will,” Sierra promised.

  *

  Sierra forgot all about the warnings and her promises once they entered the wilds. Kade kept her on a short leash, allowing her no more than five feet from him at any time, but the sights and the scents rushing her senses more than made up for that. This was the world as it truly was, soft earth beneath her feet, creeping between her toes with every step, the radiation-tinged breeze making her skin tingle ever so slightly. The air in the city was sterile and still, scented with nothing but the perfumes and flatus from the citizenry.

  She had never been in that particular part of the wilds before; her homelands were many miles off. The area she found herself in was more verdant and flower-filled than the wilds surrounding her village, which were mountainous, rocky, and often cold.

  She saw a movement out of the corner of her eye and froze.

  “What is it?” Kade asked.

  “Rabbit.”

  “We’re not hunting yet,” Kade said. “Leave it be.”

  Sierra ignored him. A rabbit, plump and juicy and fresh for the cooking made her mouth water and completely overrode any obedient impulse. She dived into the bushes, missed the rabbit completely and screamed as the collar sent a shock arcing through her rear cheeks. She did not know how the damn thing worked, but it was very effective. She felt as though a cane had just been laid hard across her bare behind.

  “Let that be a lesson to you,” Kade said. “You do not hunt unless I give the order.”

  Gritting her teeth, Sierra clutched at her bottom. It did little good, because there hadn’t really been any cane and there wasn’t actually any sensation to abate, just the message of it still lingering in her mind.

  “That wasn’t fair.”

  “That was perfectly fair. Stay with me and do as you’re told. That’s not so hard, is it?”

  “But the whole world is here,” Sierra complained. “And I just want to chase a little bit of it.”

  “Time for that later,” Kade said. “Today is for you to get used to the wilds again. A year is a long time to be away, your instincts are dulled, and what you do sense, your body isn’t ready to act on. Give it time.”

  “Time. Time, always talking about time,” Sierra said. “What if there isn’t any such thing as time? What if there’s only now and now I don’t get any rabbit?”

  Kade gave her his sternest expression, his scarred face taking on an almost fearsome aspect. “We’re not having one of these discussions. We need to keep going. There are others waiting for us, remember.”

  She did remember; there were going to be other pets and other hunters. Citizens and wild ones all together in a happy meeting. Sierra was looking forward to meeting the other pets. Maybe she and they could come up with some kind of plan to break free. The other pets must also be missing their wild lives.

  A few minutes later, some of her questions were answered in a clearing where four people—two citizens and two pets—were waiting for her and Kade. Two women around Sierra’s age were lounging at their masters’ feet. One had long green tresses, the other was blessed with much more rare hair of a pink hue. Sierra noticed that they did not look at one another and at first they also avoided making any kind of eye contact with her. They were far too busy gazing adorably up at the men standing over them. That changed when Kade made an appearance. Then they turned their eyes to him, ecstatic expressions appearing simultaneously on their pretty faces.

  “Gentlemen,” Kade nodded. “And ladies, of course.”

  All sorts of greetings passed between the men, but Sierra did not pay any attention to them. She was much more interested in the pets. They were very well dressed in short brightly colored tunics that barely covered the tops of their thighs, dark panties that gave them some measure of modesty, and long fur boots that came all the way up to their knees. Their hair was braided and tied back so that it would not catch on trees or brambles during the hunt. The pink-haired pet wore a tunic matching her hair color; the green-haired one wore a royal blue tunic with a silvered sheen that seemed quite impractical for hunting. Both of them had belts at their waist with small pockets and compartments, but they were otherwise completely unarmed.

  Their attire was quite similar to Sierra’s, except for the fact that she was wearing what amounted to very short overalls instead of a tunic and short pants. Kade had given her the one-piece blue outfit, which sat high across the front of her thighs and just barely covered her cheeks at the rear, leaving her stocking-clad legs free to move. Both stockings and clothing were marked intermittently with bright orange slashes designed to make her visible to the hunter she accompanied, but not reveal her as a threat to the animals they might stalk.

  “This is Kara and Seraphine…”

  Kade introduced her, gesturing to each of them as he said their names. Kara was the pink-haired pet; she had a pleasant round face and a snub nose, which gave her an air of perpetual innocence. Seraphine was a different matter. Her features were narrow, her cheekbones high and prominent. Her lips were stained with color, her glittering emerald eyes defined by dark slash
ing brows. She was beautiful and elegant, her hair the color of spring leaves wound about her head in intricate braids in a fashion that made her look as botanical as the surrounding flora. She locked eyes with Sierra and winked, long lashes batting against alabaster cheeks. Sierra did not sense any camaraderie in the gesture,; the woman’s expression was far too calculating.

  “…and their masters, Hadrian and Roman.”

  All four names went in one of Sierra’s ears and out the other. The way the other pets were looking at Kade was giving her a very uneasy feeling. Though their expressions were sweet, there was a certain predatory glint in their eyes. Even at a distance she could sense their desire for him. Their scents had changed the moment he entered the clearing. The citizens standing over them could not detect it, but Sierra’s senses were attuned to such signals. The two pets coiled before Kade had all but ovulated the moment he appeared.

  “How are you girls?” Kade asked the question, which prompted giggling.

  “Very well, Master Kade,” they all but chorused.

  “I trained both Kara and Seraphine,” he explained to Sierra.

  The uneasy feeling inside Sierra grew to a recognizable emotion. Jealousy was flowering inside her. What had Kade done to these two? Had he bared them? Almost certainly. Had he… touched them as he had touched her? The thought made her recoil with anger. Kade had never made any secret of what he was and what he did, but somehow he had always made Sierra feel as though she were the only woman in his life. Being confronted with the evidence of others was not pleasant, especially with the way they were looking at him with barely disguised lust.

  “Say hello,” Kade nudged her. Sierra refused, taking a step back behind him.

  “Aw, she’s shy.” Hadrian said, or maybe Roman did. They were both dark-haired citizen men with dark eyes and pale skin. Sierra wasn’t surprised their pets were more interested in Kade. Kade had a magnetism the citizens just did not have. His scent alone was more powerful and alluring than theirs, and he was far more handsome. His jaw was stronger, his eyes were brighter, his shoulders broader… Sierra peeked out from behind him and curled her lip in a silent snarl at the two pets who looked as though they wanted to throw themselves at him.