Sable brought them along a different route through the woods, but Merrie trusted her with her life. It felt good crawling along the ground next to Sable; she could almost picture herself as a dog in a pack, a bitch just like Sable. She smiled at the thought and just enjoyed the feel of the soft, moist earth underneath her hands and knees. It didn't take long, maybe thirty minutes, before she came over a hill and she saw Bass by the pond.

Her master was lying on the grass, sprawled out and looking relaxed. He had one arm around each of the bitches, hold them loosely to his dark gray chest. As Sable and Merrie drew closer, Merrie caught sight of Sama’s gaping asshole still leaking globs of fresh cum. It pooled in the ground underneath her, streaking the green grass with white streaks. On the other side, Licker was facing away from Bass and had both hands pinned between her legs. Her gloved fists were pressed up against her pussy, but more cum oozed out from between her bound fingers and soaked the ground underneath her.

Merrie wanted to be them at that moment and clenched her own openings with hopeful anticipation.

Sable rushed forward with a bark and Bass glanced up at her. She threw herself into him.

Sama and Licker rolled free as he grabbed Sable and flipped the bitch on her back. Sable held herself still, her throat bared as she looked at Bass with smoldering eyes. With deliberate movements, Sable thrust her breasts up toward him.

Bass chuckled. “And where did you two go? She didn't try to run, did she?”

Sable shook her head and licked Bass' nose.

He looked at Merrie and smiled. “Good girls.”

Sable moaned and wiggled her body. The short stumps of her arms and legs quivered as she arched her back. He lowered his head and caught her nipple in his mouth, nibbling on it before tugging it between his lips. The large breast was pulled up by the nipple before it slipped from his lips with a snap. She let out a soft moan and spread her legs. Her hips rocked up toward Bass in a unmistakable request.

Bass grinned and nipped her nose. He whispered softly, but Merrie could hear him. “Not now, love. I need to work out. You never know if someone is going to attack the mill again. Then,” he chuckled, “I’ll fuck you in the water to cool down.” Bass stood up. “All right, I need to do this. Keep an eye on the bitches, okay?”

Sable barked again. She crawled to her knees before she bounded over to Merrie. She was obviously excited as she circled around Merrie twice, then sat down heavily with a sloppy grin on her face.

They watched as Bass headed to his sword. His cock swung as he plucked his sword from the ground and strapped the sheath around his naked waist. It looks strange to see him wearing nothing but the white sheath and the hilt sticking out in front of him. His gray skin was dark in the sunlight as he walked a dozen meters into a section with low grasses.

Bass sank down to kneel in the center. He closed his eyes and straightened his back. He brought his hands into a praying position. Soft words rumbled in his throat, but Merrie couldn’t hear them from her distance. As he prayed, Merrie focus on him with all her attention. The world seemed to collapsed around her, growing dark with her attention. She stopped noticing the grass underneath her, the trees blowing in the wind, and even the sun above her. The fields grew dark and then faded away until the only thing she saw was her master.

Her heart thumped as she admired him. Bass was her kidnapper and his rapist, but Merrie loved him with all her heart. She hungered for his compassion and his tenderness. She loved him with all her heart when he was gentle just as much as when he fucked her with all his might. She didn't want to think about being sold or taken away from her precious thriban master.

She already surrendered her mind and body to him. He woke up the submissive inside her but she still couldn't shake the feeling that she could give even more to Bass. More than just wet holes to fuck and a willing body to submit to his will. There was something far more intense than being trained and humiliating herself as a bitch for him. There was some part of her that just needed to be given, surrendered. It just needed her to reach out with her mind and–

Pain exploded across her senses. The world exploded into a bright light as she grabbed her shoulder and smacked Sable instead. Gasping, she looked down to see Sable’s teeth clamped down in the flesh, deep enough that blood welled up from the bright teeth visible beneath her pulled back lips.

Merrie stared in shock. Sable had just bitten her.

Sable released her grip on Merrie's shoulder but continues to snarl as she pulled back. A growl, deep and threatening, rumbled in the curvy woman's chest. She stepped back before she purposefully moved between Merrie and Bass. There was a determined look on Sable's face as she glared at Merrie.

Merrie couldn't understand what happened. One moment, Sable was bouncing happily next to her and the next she was snarling at Merrie. Fear rose inside Merrie but her collar prevented it from consuming her thoughts. At the same time, she felt an intense feeling of being rejected. She was being pushed away from Bass and there was only one person between her and her master. Sable was pushing her back, with a snarl and somehow projecting her thoughts.

It wasn't a physical rejection, but the force of it made it hard for Merrie to breathe. The emotions were intense and brutal, untouched by the magic of her collar. Tears burned at her eyes as she tried to call out to Bass, to beg him to explain what was going on. She reached out with her gloved paw, her helpless fingers bound tightly to her palm. She couldn't talk but she desperately wanted him to look at her, to see what Sable was doing.

Merrie's mute actions infuriated Sable even more. The curvy bitch surged forward, mouth open as she growled. Her teeth looked suddenly sharp, like a dog’s.

Merrie let out a shriek and flung herself away.

Sable’s teeth clamped down on Merrie’s right breast and a burst of pain exploded from the soft, delicate flesh. Teeth dug in deep, and then Sable flipped Merrie on her back.

As soon as Merrie hit the ground, Sable released her and crawled on top. Sable's weight crushed her as Sable lowered her head until they were centimeters apart. The growl continued, vibrating Sable's body and shaking through Merrie's skin. Their eyes matched and Merrie found herself staring into the crystalline brown of Sable's hard gaze.

Sable was threatening her, but Merrie didn't realzie the full impact until she felt it sliding into her thoughts, driving away everything but the sharp realization that if she kept reaching for Bass, Sable would kill her. The images in her mind were intense, as if she was actually performing it. She could feel Sable's teethmarks still on her breasts but the images forming in her head showed a far more terrifying fate, of Sable somehow turning into a beast and savaging Merrie. She could imagine the pain of being torn to pieces of the formerly adorable bitch.

Merrie tried to look away, but her eyes were locked into Sable's gaze. She was forced to live through the projected threat. Her body jerked with the imagined attacks and she could feel imaginary blood pouring out of her phantom injuries. As the mental Sable attacked, Merrie felt the fear burst through the protection of the collar and flash through her mind. She tried to scream as the pressure built up, then she lost control.

She felt her bladder releasing and hot urine poured out from between her legs. It coated in the insides of her thighs and soaked into the ground below her thighs. It was humiliating, losing control from an imagined threat.

Sable, on the other hand, seemed to relax as the scent of Merrie's fear rose up. She crawled off Merrie but didn't relax. Her body was tense, vibrating, as she regarded Merrie with hard eyes.

Merrie inched away from the puddle of warm liquid and crawled to her feet. She was disgusted by the pee that clung to her skin and tried to shake it off but failed. She kept her body low and tried not to breathe in the scent of her surrender. Shame burned her cheeks as she stared at Sable, trying to understand what had just happened.

Behind Sable, Merrie could see Bass still working out. He didn't act as if he saw Sable and Merrie facing off. Merrie wanted to go to him, to hide behind him.

As if reading her thoughts, Sable shook her head sharply and growled again.

Whimpering, Merrie took a step back.

Sable nodded and gestured for Merrie to keep crawling away.

Merrie stared in shock, still struggling with what happen, but one thing was clear. Sable wanted her away from Bass. Merrie felt the sharp pain of rejection in her gut. It was completely different than anything she encountered at the mill and it stunned her. Something had changed, something in the hour since Sable trusted her enough to go to the very edge of the mill and back.

She turned away from Bass and Sable. Her mind spinning, she decided to snuggle up to Licker and Sama. Looking around, she saw Sama still sleeping on the ground, but the black-haired teenager was gone. Curious, she crawled toward Sama.

Sama was sleeping with a content smile on her lips. Her hair was still bound in the dog ears, but a few strands stuck out and clung to her face. Along her pussy lips, still swollen and a rosy pink, Bass' cum dried in the summer sun. The ridge of Sama's fist rested against her pussy as she slept half-curled up in the longer grasses.

Merrie gave Sama a kiss on the cheek. She straightened up and looked around for Licker. But, when a metallic bang shot through the air, she spun around to look at Bass and Sable.

Bass stood at the end of a kata maneuver, holding his sword straight out. His formerly naked body had a piece of shiny armor wrapped around his upper arm. As she watched, he spun around and brought the point a decimeter from the ground, the air grew hazy and two plates of armor appeared around his forearm. In a split second, they slammed into place with a metallic crash and the armor sealed around his arm.

He swung his sword around and let out a commanding bellow. As he came to a halt, more pieces of armor appeared around his other arm and slammed into place. The squeal of metal ripped through the air as it settled into place.

With a start, Merrie recognized the armor as the set from the bedroom. She didn't know Bass could summon it, but then she heard of paladins and other warriors who could equip their items with summoning magic. In her life before the mill, she never encountered any of the mystical warriors. Actually, when she thought about it, the adventures and fighters she read about in the weekly sheets were just like actors and royalty, people she heard about but never thought she would ever meet.

Bass took a step and threw open his arms. The breast and back plate appeared and crashed into his hairy chest. His entire body shook from the impact as they sealed into place. The burned out, blackened symbol was almost painful against the brilliantly polished armor. He stepped forward and more pieces of his armor slammed into place.

Merrie felt a flash of something as the leg plates began to appear. It was just on the corner of her eye and when she looked, she couldn't see it. Then, Bass finished another maneuver and more armor slammed into place. Just as the armor sealed around him, there was a flash of light that coursed between Bass and Sable. The next time Bass moved, Merrie was watching as she saw a flash of a connection form briefly between the two. The more armor Bass summoned, the more solid the connection formed until it became obvious what it was.

A leash.

There was a mystical leash between Bass and Sable. It was haze around Bass, but it seemed to go from his heart to Sable's; the translucent line of energy disappeared right between her two large breasts. Merrie took a step forward, then stopped to avoid antagonizing Sable. She held herself still as she stared in surprise.

Bass grunted loudly and jumped straight up. His powerful legs carried him a few meters off the ground before he swung his sword in an overhead slash. He hit the ground and the dust exploded around him.

As the leash flashed, Sable shuddered just like when she came. The line was steadier, almost physical expect where it flowed through Bass' body with his movements. He continued to work, not reacting to the leash as it sailed through his skin. He swung his sword at neck high and a wave of force blasted out of the blade to cut through the grasses a dozen meters away. At the same time, the connection flared once again and Sable squirmed as she inhaled sharply.

Merrie felt a longing as she regarded the connection. It was something beyond Sable surrendering her body, or even obeying without question. It seemed like a mystical representation of the closeness between Sable and Bass; the bitch seemed to know exactly what her master wanted, did whatever he needed, and was just as natural to him as his wonderful cock. Sable was a lover, a friend, and a whore all in one package. Merrie didn't know if the connection was why they were so close or just a result. All she knew is that she desperately wanted the same thing with Bass.

Her realization came into focus. Merrie was struggling with the need to surrender herself to Bass, to give more than her body, more than her mind. She ached to be more than holes for him to fuck and a bitch to order around. She wanted to give him that connection, to truly and utterly give up her heart and soul to the man.

Now that she knew what she craved, she had to find a way. Her gaze focused on Sable. The bitch was squirming back and forth, rocking her pussy against the ground as Bass continued to work out. She seemed to be in rapt fascination with every movement of his sweat-slicked body. Merrie could almost picture the lust in Sable's eyes.

Merrie didn't want to interrupt their time together. She felt sad that she couldn't lust after Bass in the same way, but she didn't understand why Sable reacted so poorly. With a sigh, she turned away again. Sooner or later, she and Sable would figure it out.

Even though it hurt to leave, she decided to find Licker. She looked across the fields and crawled toward the nearest grass, expecting to find Licker cowering in the sun. But, there was no teenager hiding in the grass, or behind the rocks. Merrie felt a prickle of worry and wondered if some terrible beast would attack with Bass so close.

She caught a flash of movement on the opposite side of the pond. Crawling up on the rock, she perched herself on the top and peered across the waters. She saw Licker on the far side, moving violently against another pile of rocks that jutted out of the ground. Curious, Merrie crawled down and headed toward the teenager.

Licker was kneeling against a rock, rubbing a rough edge against the laces of her glove. Almost all of the strands were frayed as she whimpered with her own desperation. The collar bounced around her neck as her entire body shook from her frantic movements. With a snap, the laces gave and Licker clawed at the glove to peel it off. She spun around as she started on the second glove, then froze as she caught sight of Merrie.

Merrie paused in mid-crawl, staring up at Licker in stunned shock. She was expecting to find Licker cowering and wanted to tease her into an orgasm, she wasn't expecting to find the teenager trying to run away. As she stood there, she didn't blame Licker for trying. Being kidnapped, raped, and forced into sexual slavery wasn't for everyone. It was the right thing for Merrie, but Merrie was different, much like Sable and Dixie were different than all the bitches.

When Merrie didn't movie, Licker started on her other glove. Her fingers pulled out the laces and tore open the leather glove. She let out a gasp of breath as she peeled off the leather and tossed it into the pond.

To Merrie, Licker looked more naked than she had ever seen the girl. Bass took off their gloves and boots every night for their bath, but it didn't have the stark contrast of seeing Licker free of bondage in the middle of the field. It felt wrong to Merrie, but she didn't know if it was because she had already given herself up to her new life.

Licker frowned and crawled over to Merrie; she still had her boots which prevented her from walking. As she drew close to Merrie, Merrie held her breath, but Licker surprised her by reaching out and grabbing Merrie's right hand. She started untying the laces before Merrie could respond.

Merrie froze in shock, staring down at the delicate fingers that removed her own bondage from her slack arm. It was a tender, compassionate maneuver and something Merrie didn't expect. She didn't want to be free, but she couldn't find the words or the energy to stop Licker from peeling off one glove and the other. As her fingers came free, Merrie stared at them as she tried to stretch out her hand. She worked one finger at a time, peeling it off her palm and watching as she trembled with the now unfamiliar sensations of her digits.

Licker finished Merrie's second glove, then made a grunting noise. When Merrie looked up, she gestured to Merrie's boots before working at her own. It only took seconds before Licker was yanking off the second boot and tossing it into the pond. She looked happy as she regarded her bare feet and Merrie realized that Licker had a beautiful smile.

Merrie thought about running away with Licker. She knew where the fence was and how to get there. It would be a fast run. She glanced over her shoulder across the pond where Bass and Sable were still lose in their own tiny world. It would be so easy.

But, Merrie didn't want to leave. She loved being a slave, being fucked, being owned. It was right for her and something she never wanted to leave. If she escaped, she may never find anyone as compassionate as Bass, kind as Borias, and even as playfully violent as Tabitha. She was happy at the mill. Even with Sable's recent attack, Merrie loved Sable just as much as a sister. They were a pack together, or as close as Merrie could be in their pack without being an alpha.

An epiphany blossomed in her mind at the thought. After five days at the mill, Merrie was familiar with the random sensations of being able to reach out from her body, a desperate urge to somehow grab Bass and hold him tight. It scared her at first, but the intensity reminded her of Sable's connection to the thriban. She could almost picture herself throwing out a rope in attempts to surrender more than her mind and body to Bass. The tingling wasn't just love and passion and surrender, it was an instinctive desire to bind herself to Bass.

She could only imagine two bitches who were so close to their masters that they would do anything: Sable and Dixie. Both were alphas at the mill. Both were utterly close to their masters, Bass and Tabitha.

Only alphas to bind to their masters.

And she could bind herself to one.

There was only one explanation.

She was an alpha.

Merrie felt sudden tears burning her eyes. She wiped them from her face just as Licker pulled off her other boot. Looking down at her suddenly bare feet, Merrie knew she couldn't leave. Now not, not ever. She rested her hand on Licker.

When the teenage girl looked up in confusion, Merrie shook her head. She mouthed the words, “I have to stay.”

Licker whimpered. She was frustrated and desperate. She grabbed Merrie's bare hand and tugged Merrie to her feet.

Merrie swayed from the unfamiliar sensation of standing up. She wanted to drop back to her knees, to surrender.

Tugging on her hand, Licker tried to pull her along, to encourage her to run just like herself. The girl was desperate for freedom and it hurt Merrie to look into her brown eyes and see the desperation.

“Please?” mouthed Licker, unable to talk with the collar still around her neck, “I have to go.”

In that moment, Merrie made a decision. She grabbed Licker's hand, then pointed in the direction of Dixie's stake. It was the closest spot to freedom and Licker's only chance. Merrie needed to stay, but if the teenager could escape, then both of them could be happy.

Licker gasped, then kissed Merrie on the cheek. She spun on her heels and stumbled toward freedom.

Merrie watched as Licker sprinted across the fields, then disappeared into the trees. Even as she hoped Licker would make it, she somehow knew that Licker would be caught if she didn't do anything. Her heart quickening, Merrie dropped to the ground and grabbed her boots. Fumbling with the leather, she pulled them on as she tried to figure out how to help.

A memory swelled up in her mind. It was the feeling of rejection that morning when Sable wanted to be alone with Bass. There were other times when new emotions would drift through her thoughts but they weren't her own. They always came around Sable and Dixie. Merrie wondered if she could do the same thing, if the ability to project was part of being an alpha. If she could, then maybe she could distract Sable long enough for Licker to escape.

As she struggled to pull on her boot, she watched across the pond for signs of Sable looking away from Bass.

Sable watched Bass with rapt fasciation as he ran through his weapon maneuvers. There were flashes of power as he started to dismiss his armor, piece by piece. It was beautiful, even from a distance, to watch as his powerful form was revealed.

Then, the moment Merrie was waiting for. Sable cocked her head and looked around. Merrie could almost feel a growing concern radiating from the bitch, even across the pond. Desperate to help Licker, she tried to project her thoughts. At first, it was just her mind echoing inside her skull for a moment, but then she felt a sensation of pushing out from her body. It was like trying to pull Bass closer, but instead she was radiating the storm of emotions inside her. She stopped instantly, feeling elated and knowing she needed to distract Sable. She wondered if she should pretend to be afraid or some other emotion, but settled back on confusion. It was an honest emotion at least. And being honest to Sable was important, even if she was distracting her.

Hands resting on the laces of her boot, she closed her eyes and pushed out with her thoughts. She could feel it blossom out of her body, like ripples in a pond. It spread out in all directions but she couldn't feel it after it left her mind. It was like screaming into the night and being unable to hear her own breathing.

Then, she felt a response. An intense wave of concern that splashed against her as she got the image of Sable spinning on her rear, then rushing toward her. Peeking up, she was surprised to see Sable bounding around the pond toward her.

Merrie realized she was not wearing her gloves and boots. Berating herself for not dressing first, she grabbed the second boot and jammed it on her foot. Her big toe cracked from the impact but she twisted the boot until her foot slid into place. She heard and felt Sable growing closer and redoubled her efforts to get her boots laced into place.

(Pack sister,) came a thought. It was the woman's voice from before, filled with smoke and whiskey.

Looking up, Merrie saw Sable come to a halt next to her. The bitch was not smiling, but neither was she angry. Instead, there was a cloud of sadness that surrounded her as she looked down at Merrie's bare hands and the open laces on her boots.

Merrie whimpered as she struggled with the boots. Her fingers refused to move and she felt clumsy with an audience. Her fingertips scraped against the boots. She stopped as she stared at the boots. There was no way she could put on the boots without help. She lifted her gaze to Sable who watched with sadness.

Then, a frown ghosted across Sable's face. She lifted her head and peered around her. Merrie knew she was looking for Licker. When Sable's gaze returned to Merrie, it was Merrie's turn to look sad.

To Merrie's surprise, Sable gave an understanding nod. She blinked as a wave of power radiated away from her, following the translucent connection between her and Bass. With the distance, Merrie could almost see the pulse sailing across the water before it struck Bass.

Bass looked up sharply and even from across the pond, Merrie could see a look of concern on his face. “Licker?” His voice carried out over the water. Moving sharply, he ran to the same rock Merrie perched herself on and crawled to the top. He shaded his eyes as he looked around. “Ass Licker!?”

Merrie shuddered at the sound of his voice. Tears burned in her eyes as she prayed Licker would make it. Looking down at her bare hands, she wondered how Bass would punish her.

Sable rested the end of her elbow on Merrie's palm. Merrie looked up as bitch inched closer. Then, Sable stepped into Merrie, crawling up her and pinning her to the ground. It wasn't the violent attack from before, or the playful tackle, but an irresistible force as Sable planted her breasts along Merrie's and drew herself close to rub their cheeks together. Merrie could feel Sable's breath on her ear as Sable wiggled closer. Then, Sable's lips brushed against Merrie's earlobe.

“I love you, sister,” it was Sable speaking in the same voice Merrie heard in her head, but Sable's voice was rough with disuse, “but I can't let you bind to my master.”

Merrie froze, her mouth open with surprise. Sable's voice echoed in her thoughts.

“You must remain a beta until you are sold. Please, sister, don't make my mistakes. Don't bind yourself, please?”

There was an intense sorrow that came with her words. It was a shadow that hung over Sable, something terrible that happened that Sable couldn't describe. Along with it came understanding of a new word, beta. It took her a moment to figure out what Sable meant: an alpha without a master.

What Sable asked Merrie struck deep. Sable didn't want Merrie to bind with Bass, Borias, or anyone else at the mill. She wanted Merrie to be alone, terribly alone, until she was sold to the highest bidder. And that bidder would end up being her master, one way or the other. The idea of a complete stranger being her one and only sent a pang of fear and jealousy coursing through her mind. She could never have Bass. She would never truly enjoy submitting to him, not the way Sable gave herself. No matter how much she loved Bass, he would never be her master.

Hot tears ran down her cheeks. She mouthed the words, not caring of Sable corrected her. “Why? Why not?” She was devastated as despair filled her.

Sable kissed her and her own eyes sparkled with tears.

Merrie repeated herself, lips moving against Sable's.

“Because it would kill him.”

The words ran true, said with Sable's mind and body. Merrie didn't understand, but she could feel Sable's conviction in the words. She wanted to ask more questions, but Bass came crashing through the grasses and Sable scrambled off Merrie. She sat down next to Merrie who struggled to get into a begging position. Merrie didn't know if it would help, but begging for forgiveness seemed like the right thing to do.

Bass stopped as he came into view. He was still naked except for the sword in his hand. He looked worried until he focused on Merrie, then relief flooded his face. He let out a long, shuddering breath. “You didn't run, Cunt. I was afraid-” He stopped himself with a stricken look. Then, he sat down heavily on the ground. “Licker is gone, isn't she?”

There was no denying it. Merrie gave a hesitant bark.

He let out a groan and pulled out a whistle from the side of his sheath. “I haven’t had to do this in years.” He blew on the whistle, but no noise came out. After a moment, he blew three more times, then once more. Replacing it, he stared at Sable and Merrie and let out a long, depressed sigh.

“Come on, Cunt, let me fix those boots.”

Surprised, Merrie obeyed. She crawled into his lap and nestled her rear into the space between his thighs. She was terrified and comforted at the same time.

He reached around her and began to untie her laces, just like he did every night for their bath. “You know, I have to punish you for this.”

Merrie shivered and let out a whimpering bark.

“One for every glove and boot you took off-”

Merrie closed her eyes. She knew that it would be a real punishment instead of an excuse to fuck her.

“-and one for letting Licker run away.”

She didn't regret helping Licker. It was the right thing to do for the girl and the worst thing she could do for herself. But, it felt right taking the brunt of Bass' punishment. She only hoped Licker would make it to the edge of the mill.

“Tonight, you get the cage. No fucking, no orgasms, no fun. And you get your cum from the bowl.”

She shivered at the angry and disappointed words. It was a punishment for her now, to go without an orgasm for the night. But, she deserved it and would accept it. She could have stopped Licker if she wanted to.

“And you, Sable-”

Sable lifted her head and there was a sad look on her face.

“-will spend the next six days with Grange. He needs help with keeping his bitches in line and maybe you can temper his beatings a bit.”

Sable whimpered and began to beg.

Bass shook his head and his arms tightened around Merrie. “I know, but you didn't do your job. And you know what is going to happen to her now, don't you?”

Sable lowered her head and barked softly.

Bass reached out and stroked her head, his large hand covering both of her dog ears. At the same time, he reached one hand around Merrie to hold her breasts and pull her tight to his chest. His cock twitched with the movement and he planted a single kiss right at junction of Merrie's neck and shoulders. “I love both of you, but there are rules.”

“You,” announced Tabitha as she squatted down next to Bass, “are pathetic.”

Tabitha was smiling broadly, like a cat who just ate a mouse. She was just as naked as Bass. She had a familiar white stake in her hand, unlettered, but otherwise was completely unarmed.

Bass didn’t look at her. Instead, he focused on reworking the laces on Merrie’s boots. “Just get her, Tabitha.”

“Which one?”

“Ass Licker. The teenager.”

Tabitha used her finger to start writing the name on the stake using a fingernail. The paint peeled from her touch as she carved Licker’s name and the date on the side of the stick.

Merrie felt a presence next to her and looked over to see Dixie on Bass’ other side. The tiny silfae’s cock was a full mast, but it looked like a little boy’s shaft. Merrie wondered why he was so excited.

“There we go,” giggled Tabitha. “The first marker of the season. I love the smell of fresh meat in the morning… afternoon.” She leaned over to Bass, “Don't you?”

“Drop it,” grumbled Bass as he struggled with Merrie’s laces.

“I can’t believe that the mighty and compassionate master had somehow not charmed a bitch into raising her tail every time he rubbed his cock.”

“Tabitha…”

“No, no,” chuckled Tabitha, “I want to enjoy this a little bit more. I mean, I didn't think this was possible for you to lose a girl. You are so sickly sweet that they cream just seeing you come in the room. And you, the mighty Bassimar Sarmo, actually lost a bitch with Sable next to him!.”

“Tabitha!” The lace in Bass’ hands snapped and Merrie whimpered at the feeling of being trapped between his powerful arms.

Tabitha stopped, a brief glare storming across her face. As the seconds filled the silence, the storm turned into a wide grin. She whispered loudly, not even trying to be quiet, “You lost one.”

“Yes, I know!” His yell rumbled across the valley.

“That also means you just forfeit twenty shares to me.”

Bass' lips compressed into a thin line. “I know.”

“Well,” she stood up and patted his shoulder. “At least you still got your balls and a couple more holes to fuck.” She stretched and twirled around. She spoke in a sing-song voice as she pranced around them. “I'm gonna go hunting.”

Between one step and another, Tabitha lurched forward as hair sprouted along every centimeter of her skin. It coursed along her body as she expanded and swelled. Her features melted and reformed she melted into a wolf-like creature. It was the same one that threatened her in the great hall, but it was only as large as Bass instead of towering over him. Like before, it had a large cock sheath and a tip of a cock sticking out of it. The creature sniffed the air and circled Bass again before it came to a stop. She looked at Bass with almost a laugh on her face. Then, she belted out an ear-piercing howl before sprinting away in the same direction as Licker.

Dixie carefully stood up. He glanced up at Bass, but then focused on Merrie.

Merrie felt a tingling coursing over her skin. She felt the connection of power stretching out from Dixie, a shimmering line that connected him to the dwindling form of Tabitha. It was the bond between Dixie and Tabitha, the bond of an alpha. The connection flashed and she could feel Dixie pulling power from Tabitha. He kept his brilliant blue eyes locked on Merrie as he transformed into a second wolf.

Merrie glanced down to see his cock still hard, but instead of a tiny little thing, it was a full-blown dog cock, with a wedge-like head and a knot at the base. It sunk back into Dixie's sheath before he let out a howl of his own. She jumped as he shot out after Tabitha.

Something hot splattered on Merrie’s back. She twisted her body to see tears rolling down Bass’ cheeks. He was trying to pull the lace out of her boot, but his fingers kept slipping. His lips worked but she had to strain to hear the words.

“… I’m evil now. I don’t have to save her. Please, don’t let her scream…” His eyes flickered up to catch her looking at him. He clamped his mouth shut and pointed forward. “Cunt, look that way.”

Feeling disturbed, Merrie settled back into place and held still. She watched as Bass regained control of his fingers and pulled out the laces. He unwrapped a replacement from around his sword and threaded it into place. By the time he tied off the first boot, he was calmer and the tears stopped rolling down her back.

“Tonight-” His voice cracked and he cleared his throat. “Tonight, I’m moving Tits’ transformation charm over to you. She can have your regeneration charm because I’m going to fuck her hard since she’s the only bitch I’ll have tonight.” It was a statement, not a question.

He moved to the second boot and started undoing the laces.

A high-pitched scream ripped through the air. It was filled with agony and terror. A moment later, two wolves howled loudly and the sound rippled across the valley.

Bass swore and held up the snapped remains of the second set of laces. “Good thing I have more than one spare,” he grumbled as he picked up his sword.

He finished redoing her gloves and boot before Tabitha came back. Merrie was sitting on the far side of the pond again, a leash clipped to her collar and feeling miserable. She watched as Tabitha came walking up.

Tabitha was covered in blood, it coated her front from the bottom of her jaw clear down to her legs. Sheets of it clung to her skin and more of it matted her thick patch of pubic hair. It took Merrie a moment to realize that she had a body slung over her shoulder.

As Tabitha drew close, Merrie sat up with a feeling of dread growing. The silfae flipped Licker off her shoulder and dropped her on the ground in front of Bass.

The teenager was alive and moaning, but her eyes were tightly closed. Whimpers of pain rose from her throat as she gasped for breath. She tried to curl into a ball, but her movements were sluggish. Merrie looked at the nearest arm and fear ripped through her. Licker didn’t have an arm below the elbow, Tabitha had torn off it off. The end was a ragged, bloody stump that flickered with healing magic. Below was Licker’s other arm, Tabitha gave it the same cruel treatment. Shaking from the rising terror, Merrie dragged her gaze to Licker’s legs where they had been bitten off right at the knees. More healing magic flickered along the end; it wasn’t the deep healing used by Rendi and Borias but a shallow spell to only stop the bleeding.

Licker had been cropped.

The poor girl would never walk again. She would never pick up anything with her hands. She would spent the rest of her life a bitch and there was nothing she could do about it.

Merrie felt a surge of lust rise up and mix with the fear. This was her fate at the mill. It was only a matter of days before she was in Licker’s place, fighting the pain and grieving for her lost limbs. She would be helpless forever. One flash of pain, one high-pitched scream of agony and it would be over.

Next to her, Sama let out a shuddering gasp. Merrie glanced over and saw the same lust in her eyes. It was the collars changing their thoughts, making the violence in front of them something to desire. To hunger for. When it was their turn, Merrie knew she would be begging to have her arms torn off.

Fear swallowed her lust and burned it away. She forgot how to breathe as she felt it rising up, only to hold still against some force. It was the collar holding back her fear and she knew she was about to break out of the filters Borias spoke about.

Merrie didn’t want to lose control. She wanted to be a good slave, a good beta. She forced herself to look away, trying to prevent herself from breaking free of the collar's magic. The tears burned her eyes as the bile burned her throat. She gulped and buried her face against the ground. A single sob tore out of her as she struggled with her emotions.

Then, with a rush, she felt the collar clamp down. It was a sharp, bitter relief as the fear and disgust faded away instantly. When she returned her gaze to Licker’s trembling form, she could still feel her terror but it no longer threatened her self-control.

“And this,” said Tabitha in a sardonic tone, “is what happens when you fuck up, Bass.”

Bass glared at Tabitha. His hands were balled into tight fists.

Merrie felt the pain of seeing Bass suffering. She knew that he blamed himself for what happened, just as much as he hated Licker's pain. It was a contrast of emotions and she wondered why Bass cropped any of the bitches on the mill. He seemed to hate it so much and he was so tender. It was a missing piece in understanding the master she could never have.

Licker surged from the ground. For a moment, Merrie thought she was going to throw herself at Bass' sword. But, then Licker's wild eyes focused on Merrie. With a sob, the teenage girl crawled across the ground on severed ends of her elbows and knees to grab hold of Merrie. It was a tight, desperate grip of a girl who lost everything. But, Licker didn't have fingers and the grip slipped in the blood and sweat.

Not caring that Tabitha and Bass were watching, Merrie slid her bound arms underneath Licker's armpits and pulled the girl up. She held the trembling teenager tight against her.

Licker buried her face into Merrie's neck, trying to hold on with all her might. She sobbed loudly and her anguish shook Merrie to the core.