Merrie opened her eyes as she felt Kine wake up. Her heart began to beat faster as she even though he made no noise and there was no hint that he was conscious, but she knew. Just like she knew what Bass or Borias was up, she could hear the noises of his mind when he stirred from slumber.

A smile grew on her lips. She stretched out across the thick blanket underneath her. Her ankles reached the bars of the cage and she braced herself against them. Curling her arms underneath her, she pushed herself to her wrist and knees. Her tail thumped against the cage top and she felt a little thrill at the claustrophobic confinement.

She pressed her spine up against the top and the heat boiled inside her. Still smiling, she inched forward and used her cheek to hesitantly push the cage door open. It swung open silently and her smile grew broader. Sometimes, Kine would lock it in the middle of the day and make her beg to open the cage. She liked that as much as being given freedom to roam.

The door tapped lightly on the foot of the bed. Kine's half-awake thoughts spiked with lust as the sound vibrated through his bed. It was just under two weeks since he brought her home, but they had quickly found an evening ritual to start each night.

She crawled along the side of the bed to where a pile of dirty clothes formed a ramp up to her master. She planted her body and struggled up it, her body sinking down in the folds. With every step, the smell of his body wafted up over her and she felt a familiar lust building.

Up on the mattress, she crawled over to the center of the bed. He slept under four heavy comforters, even at the end of the summer. He and Rimmy both were cold all the time except in sunlight where both of them quickly grew uncomfortably hot. She guessed it was the shadows and the strange powers they had over it. Both were inclined to disappear into crawling darkness during the frequent screaming fights that rang out across the mansion.

She used her mouth to pull back the first two layers. Both blankets needed to be washed but she had gotten used to the musty, ethereal taste of them. With a grin, she nuzzled her body underneath the last two comforters and crept underneath. The pressure bore down on her, pushing her down to the mattress, and she held her breath with growing anticipation.

When she reached his leg, she planted a kiss on his knee. The sweltering heat brought sweat to her brow, but she burrowed further up toward his crotch. The smell of his manhood, the musky burn of his power, surrounded her. She drank in the smell of it, her body hot and slick from need.

She couldn't see in the shadows, but she felt his manhood as she came up. It radiated heat and tented the blankets. She moved blindly, reaching up until her cheek found his hairy balls. With a grin, she mouthed one and enjoyed as they tightened in her lips.

A moan vibrated through his body and she rewarded it by working her way up his shaft. As she mouthed his cock, she planted her arms against his thighs. She was never more aware that she didn't have hands when the smooth ends ran along his skin and he let out another moan.

She caught the tip of his cock and slid her mouth down it. The heat radiated from his length and she buried her face into the thick patch of pubic hair at the base.

His hardness surged with love. “Oh, damn,” chuckled her master.

She grinned around his shaft and slid up slowly. She wasn't in a hurry and neither was he. The evening started with a blow job and she loved the feel of his cock bobbing up and down against her lips. She jammed herself down until his tip tickled the back of her throat and gulped down, sending little tremors of pleasure through both of them.

It didn't take long until he was about to cum. There was a bright burn of lust in his thoughts as he focused; it was one of the few times that Kine concentrated solely on a single thing. She loved being the center of his world, the source of his pleasure.

(Damn, this is the best way to ever wake up. Going to cum, going to cum!)

He grabbed her ears and took charge. With short thrusts, he jammed up into her mouth.

She writhed in his grip, wonderfully helpless as he guided her with wet, slurping strokes. She ground her arms against his thighs, encouraging him to come deep inside her.

He did, flooding her mouth with his seed and punctuating each thrust with a hard jam that stuffed his entire length into her mouth. When he was done, he slumped back, panting.

Merrie held his cum in her mouth as she reached out with her mind. She shifted through his chaotic thoughts, curious to see if he wanted her to hold it there or swallow.

(Damn, she is worth every fight with Rimmy. I don't think I've ever been happier in my life.) Kine's thoughts were growing more chaotic with every passing moment and she found it hard to read him.

She smiled warmly. His last thought lost the connection left a warm glow inside her. Merrie made him happy. She gulped down the cum filling her mouth and crawled up to him, pressing her naked body along his trim side. She didn't kiss him, but she rested her head on his shoulder and settled down on her back.

“Well, girl,” he slipped his hand around her waist. She spread her legs as his fingertips trailed down her belly and he palmed her pussy. The warm tickled her sex and she rocked her hips into his fingers. He ran one finger along her seam, parting it with short strokes. “I actually have a job tonight. I need to be there at ten. It's a support job, but it looks like a pretty good pay.”

She moaned as he worked his way up to her clitoris. She knew what he was going to do and couldn't wait until he started to drum his fingers against her pleasure.

Her master tapped against her, a single pulse of pleasure that coursed right up her spine. He caressed the fold of pleasure, working the fold of flesh between his fingertips. Just as she was beginning to whimper, he released her clitoris.

Merrie whined with need.

“Don't worry, girl. I know how to make you cum.” He tapped against her pleasure. And then again and again. He tattooed the same complicated beat against her pleasure and she cried out as the orgasm started to reach her.

A clock tower rang out.

Kine froze, his dripping fingers hovered right over her clitoris.

She whined and rocked her naked pussy up for his fingers. The tiny hairs on her pussy caressed his fingers, but he pulled back instead of delving back into her heated slit.

The clock tower continued to ring out.

When it ran out for the ninth time, a prickle of fear coursed along him. And then the tenth bell ran out across the city.

“Damn the gods!” Kine surged out of the blankets. “I'm late!”

Merrie fell back, staring up at his naked body. She wanted him, but she could feel the blind panic rising inside him.

He jumped off the bed and threw open one of the wardrobes. Tossing clothes to the side, he found a dark shirt and pants. Tugging them on, he shoved his balls into the fabric and buttoned them. “Crap, crap. Rimmy!?”

No answer.

“Damn it, Rimmy!? Rim!? Damn, she's probably already there.”

He pulled down a black scarf and wrapped it around his face. “Okay, I'm late. Merrie, there should be food from this morning,” he jumped around as he shoved his shoes on, “and I'll bring something nice back.”

The shadows gathered around him. The darkness oozed out from underneath the bed and in the cracks of the wardrobes. The ethereal smell filled the room.

Merrie shivered at the power swirling around her. The energy prickled her skin and her nipples wrinkled at the sensation.

“And,” Kine gasped, “I'll be back in eight or nine hours.”

His body disappeared into the shadows until only his brown eyes were visible.

Merrie reached out with her arm, the severed end somehow painfully useless.

“I'll be back.” And then he was gone.

Merrie lowered her arm with a sigh. The ache of desire burned inside her. With a sigh, she flopped back on the bed and stretched out. It had been two weeks since he brought her home and she was already comfortable. Kine woke up every evening and went to bed early in the morning. Every few days, he would disappear for the night, but otherwise he spent his hours fucking her and fighting with Rimmy.

She sighed and pressed her arms between her legs. Her wet pussy teased her skin and she let out a soft sigh of need. She didn't have a collar now and she could bring herself to her own orgasm.

She planted her ankles on the mattress and hiked up her hips. It gave her access, but the smooth end slipped and she flopped down. Frustrated, she curled herself up around her arms and stroked herself to an orgasm.

The pleasure left her comfortably warm, but it was nothing compared to the fury or intensity of Kine's pleasure. She sighed with disappointment. Keeping her arm pressed tightly against her pussy, she curled up and wondered how she would pass the hours until her master came back.

Merrie woke up a few hours later from dozing. She opened her eyes and picked herself off his pillow. With her movement, his comfortable smell swirled around her and she smiled. Rolling over so she was once again on her back, she looked down at her body.

In the center of the large bed, she was a tiny thing. Her spread legs ended too soon, but it felt right that there was nothing past the smooth ends of her ankles. Her tail was a curl of blonde hair on the white sheets. She smiled and trailed her gaze up to her hips where the curls of hair were returning to her pussy.

Kine seemed to like her bare pussy and she wished she could shave for him.

Folding her legs, she lifted her hips again. She stopped as she watched the folds of softness along her belly. She was losing her taut abdomen with her new master. Neither her master or Rimmy cooked, so they brought food home with them. Two weeks of rich eating was taking its toll on her. It was a blur of fucking and eating and waiting.

At the mill, she went on daily walks. It broke up the constant training and fucking. And, to her surprise, she missed the structure. It was a stark contrast to the chaos of her new master.

She ran the end of her arm along her belly and wondered what she could do. Nothing came to mind and she forced herself to roll on her wrists and knees. Her body sank into the mattress as she worked her way to the edge and flopped off. She hit a pile of dirty clothes and crawled out along the floor and into the hallway.

With both Kine and Rimmy out of the house, the mansion painfully empty but it wasn't silent. At the far side, the dogs were howling and fighting. She shivered at the noise; she was afraid of them ever since Kine introduce them. She could see feel the snap of Tamin's teeth on air, inches away from Kine's fingers. She could easily imagine the same with herself; the alpha could crop her and there would be nothing but blood and screams.

She headed into the kitchen, carefully crawling around the large glass statue that Kine had managed to bring home a few days before. None of them knew what to do with it so it sat at the foot of the stairs, blocking everyone. She reached the kitchen and wrinkled her nose at the smell. She was familiar with smell of dishes that desperately needed to be washed, but neither Kine or Rimmy were inclined to wash them.

Merrie pushed a chair up to the table and crawled into it. Her legs flailed for a moment before she caught the edge. Her breasts ground against the bottom of the chair until she managed to haul herself up. Panting and flush with embarrassment, she looked over the remains of the previous morning's dinner.

She sighed and used her arm to pull a plate closer. The half-eaten remains of the chicken looked edible. She dug through it, stripping the meat from the bones.

As she ate, she tried not to listen to the dogs barking.

She finished eating and pushed the plate to the side. The meat left her face greasy and she rubbed it against a towel, but it wasn't enough to get rid of the slimy feeling. She glanced over at the sink, but she couldn't reach it easily. Sighing, she crawled off the chair and pushed it over to the sink. She struggled back on it and used her short arms to rub her face with the soap and then activated the water rune. It took her almost ten minutes to clean her face and body. When she crawled off the chair, she headed back to the bedroom.

As much as she loved spending time with Kine, she hated being alone. She couldn't open the doors by herself, she could barely push things around, and she spent long hours trying to do the easiest thing like washing herself. She was painfully aware that the sleep and eating was ruining the figure she grew to love. Hours of walking and training ruined by two weeks of being lazy.

An idea bubbled up in her thoughts. She stopped at the foot of the stairs and her ears perked up. She could still walk, though the trail was limited. She continued along the path to the bedroom, but instead of crawling into the familiar bed, she turned around and headed back.

Only ten minutes later, she was sweaty, panting for breath, and bored. Just going back and forth, in the same path she took every day, was dragging on her thoughts. Depressed, she turned in mid-lap and headed back to the bed. Crawling up the pile of dirty clothes, she nestled underneath the topmost and thinnest comforter and closed her eyes, wishing for sleep to pass the time.

She was at her grandfather's house, a young girl on her knees as she stared up at her grandfather's dripping cock. The familiar twisting of fear and loathing came up in her throat, a burn of bile.

Merrie bore down on her body, forcing it to return to her bitch form. It was easier the next time and it didn't take long until she was the adult woman on her knees, but still looking up at her grandfather. The pressure to return her back to a girl rose up, but she managed to keep it at bay.

"It's been weeks since you've been here, little one."

She shuddered at his voice. She opened her mouth, but didn't know if the geas would prevent her from speaking.

Her grandfather leaned forward, peering at her. Then, a frown crossed his face. "You have a geas on you. That isn't in the plan or in the contingencies."

She opened her mouth, tensing up. “M-M… my new master didn't want me to talk. So, he…” She fought the sudden tears. "I can't talk anymore."

"And yet you haven't been distressed enough to trigger a lesson. Has life been good for you?"

“Yes.” She choked. "No?"

"Then we should talk."

There was a twisting sensation and they were suddenly in his kitchen. She sat at the table, at her customary place, with a bowl of steaming oatmeal in front of her. Like when she was a girl, her legs dangled over the edge, but it was an amputated arm that rested on the table, a stark contrast to the mustard yellow mat.

Her grandfather was at the counter, wearing a simple farmer's fare and cutting up vegetables for slow-cooking dinner. The steady tap of his knives brought back comforting memories.

Merrie steeled herself for what Haviston would do to ruin another memory of her grandfather.

"Tell me, little one. What's happening?"

Surprised, Merrie stared at him. "What?"

"Tell me. What is your new master like?"

“He's nice. He's about my age with dark hair…” and she began to describe her new life. There was a surprising amount of detail she remembered and just as much she had forgotten. When she faltered, her grandfather would ask questions and it would open up a floodgate of new information. She resisted telling her grandfather about Kine's and Rimmy's shadow powers, but relented. He asked simple question and kept her speaking.

It was almost a relief to speak to her grandfather. When silence finally pooled in the kitchen, she sat there and wiped the dried tears from her face.

Her grandfather placed a bowl of stew in front of her and sat down on the opposite end of the table. "I'm not Haviston, you know."

Merrie sniffed. "What?"

“Me, this,” he gestured to the kitchen, “this is not Haviston. Not all of it. These are your memories,” he pointed to the stew, "and he used the intensity of them to hang these lessons."

"B-But, why did you rape me? My grandfather would never do that."

There was a sad look on his face. “Every lesson has a price. If you don't suffer, you don't learn. If you are just given a spell like this.” He took a handful of sugar from a bowl and spread it across the table. The grains fell down in a rune pattern.

She peered down at it, her eyes picking out the pattern. It was the seeking spell again, but there was a slight variation on it. She pointed to the difference. "What is that?"

"A measurement of movement. But, if I just gave this spell to you in the first place, you wouldn't understand how there was a time and place for it. You would have a tool but no understanding of how important it was to use it properly."

"H-How could I use that spell wrong?"

He smiled. "You have compulsion spells and the ability to find someone. What would stop you from picking out the perfect master and force everyone to give him money to buy you?"

Merrie gaped. “I could do that?” Even as the words came out, she realized he was right. "But, I didn't. I didn't think about it."

He nodded. He used his hand to brush the sugar back into the bowl. When he set it down with a clink, he looked up. “Subconsciously, though, you did. If you had the spells, I have no doubt you would have used them and managed to push yourself closer to what people call ‘evil’. I like to call it ‘selfish’ but evil sound more terrifying.” He grinned at her.

Merrie stared down at the steaming bowl. She felt the tears welling up again. "But, what do I do now?"

Her grandfather dug his hands into both the sugar and the salt bowl. He held out both palms to her, the grains spilling out on the table. "Learn."

She looked at him in confusion. Her tail curled around the back of the chair. "What?"

“These are two spells. This one,” he held up the sugar, "is a charm to keep you thin and fit. You invest a little energy into it and it will maintain your body."

“You know,” she giggled, "I could have used that for most of my teenage years."

“Yes, you could have,” he said but there was a sense he was waiting.

Merrie stared at it for a long moment. It would keep away the softness she was getting. She could remained as she was now, but able to eat the same rich foods as before. But, then she would still be underneath the covers, wishing sleep would steal away her days. She turned to the other one. "What is that?"

"A simple time keeper, also a low-powered spell. All it does is remind when it is time to do something. No magic answers or transformations."

She stared at it for a long time, her skin prickling. "What could I use it for?"

"To wake your master up on time? To remind you it is time to pace the mansion for health? Maybe to bring you back here for a new lesson or just… to talk?"

A smile crossed her lips, it was sad and excited at the same time. "But, then I would have to keep working out to remain thin, right?"

“Yes. This one,” he held up the salt, “is not an easy life. This one,” a little sugar spilled out of his hand as he lifted it, "is the easy life. Pick one, my darling, you've already earned it."

Merrie lifted her head to him. "Earned it? You didn't fuck me."

He smiled and said, "You poured out your heart to me. Remarkably, that can be far harder than just being fucked. So, little one, which one do you want: sugar or salt? An easy life or hard work?"

She reached out for the salt, hesitated and went for the sugar. Her arm was millimeters from the brown and white grains when she stopped. In the real world, she was underneath covers trying to sleep away the day. She had nothing, no schedule, no structure. With a sigh, she reached out and stuck her arm into the salt.

It poured out of his hand on the table, spreading out into runes across the gingham tablecloth. It took her only a heartbeat to memorize them, but like before, the spell was incomplete and she would have to assemble it. The idea of working appealed to her, something to pass the time alone.

"Thank you, grandfather."

He reached out over the table and took her arms. His strong grip caressed the ends as he stared into her. "I think, my little one, that you should go back on your walk and play with your new spell."

Merrie opened her eyes with a frown. She didn't know if she chose the right one, but she had something to figure out. She crawled out of the blankets, shivering at the lack of heat and pressure. Sliding off the bed, she started to crawl.

It took her almost an hour before the spell finally clicked. It sent a surge through her body when the spell took effect, but it was a subtle sensation and she wasn't sure if it worked. The spell didn't come with instructions, but she could guess to its function. Concentrating on a point in time a few minutes in the future, she felt a ripple of power as the spell attached to it.

Merrie kept crawling, pacing between the kitchen and the bedroom. As she got closer to the dining room, she could hear the dogs barking in the back. She pushed past them and returned to Kine's bedroom. Turning back, she lapped around twice.

As the time grew closer, she felt her heart beating faster. What if it didn't work? What if it did? The spell wasn't controlling or finding people, but somehow she was growing more excited about something as simple a time keeping spell.

And then it triggered. It came as a sharp awareness that time had passed. It coursed along her body and seemed to settle in the back of her head.

Merrie almost came with the joy of feeling the spell warn her. Her tail began to wag back and forth as she played with it, setting it for a few seconds in the future. She held her breath until it triggered. With a grin, she barked and wagged harder.

Her bark set off the dogs in the back room. Their howls filled the mansion, echoing against the walls. She shivered and clamped her mouth shut. She stared at the kitchen as the howls rose up again. She could hear the dogs rattling their cage and she wondered if they could ever escape.

Turning her back, she crawled back to the bedroom. But, just as she was about to get into bed, she was reminded that she needed to keep exercising. Setting her time keeper for a lap, she crawled across the mansion and back again. The spell reminded her that she wasn't fast enough. She did it again, pushing herself to lap the mansion faster.

Another hour and she felt better about herself. Her body was slick with sweat and her limbs trembled from the effort. She came to a stop near the kitchen with a smile on her lips and her tail wagging.

Her stomach gurgled with hunger. Turning on her knees, she crawled into the kitchen. At the smell, she pulled a face. Circling around, she pushed the chair over to the table and crawled on it. She dragged the food closer and began to eat.

From down the hall, she heard whines. She froze, her ears perking up as she listened to the pathetic sounds. It was the same sounds the bitches made at the mill and it was one of discomfort, not anger.

Guilt tore through her. They needed something and she didn't know what. But, there was no one to take care of them. Trembling and afraid, she reached out with her mind, searching for their thoughts. She had to adjust her senses for the canines, the non-human minds were difficult to read and just as chaotic as her master. They didn't have thoughts, just needs. She concentrated on Tamin, the alpha.

Hunger slammed into her, quickly followed by an intense desire to move, to fight, to howl. Anxious energy poured into her and she sobbed at the overwhelming sensations.

Jerking, she lose her balance and tumbled from the chair. The impact left her rear stinging and she laid on the floor, trying to get the pang of hunger out of her head.

The dogs howled loudly and whined.

Merrie had to do something. She got on her feet and braved the hall. The smell of dog grew stronger as she headed back. There was also the scents of urine and shit. Gulping, she nosed open the door to the porch.

The smell was overwhelming as was the noise. As soon as the door creaked open, the dogs growled and snapped at her. Their paws clawed at the cage, rattling the metal door.

Merrie wanted to throw up. She froze, one arm off the ground, choking on the emotions and smell.

Tamin snarled and snapped through the cage. The door rattled loudly, almost deafening.

Merrie felt a twisting in her gut as she inched into the room. She could feel their hunger radiating from them, a primal desperation that cut through her own shields. They were desperate for food and it had turned into a mindless rage as they snapped and growled.

Merrie whimpered as she crawled into the room. Her sphincter tightened as she glanced at the eight growling dogs. They saw her as an intruder, a soft and vulnerable thing to hunt and kill. She felt sick but she continued to the spilled bag of dried meats.

There was a large scoop in the bag. About a half liter in size. Gulping, she clamped her mouth on it and filled the bowl. Jaw trembling from the effort, she dragged it to the cage. She felt fear clutching her gut as she stared at the eight pairs of almost black eyes staring back at her.

She inched forward, shoving the scoop over the edge of the cage.

There was a deep growl. She looked up to see Tamin looming over her, his teeth pulled back in a snarl. A whine escaped her throat and her tail dropped down to cover her ass and pussy.

Tamin stepped forward, his massive paw thudding on the ground.

Merrie almost lost control of her bladder as she felt the anger in the alpha. Her helpless body trembled with fear and she gulped. The scoop tumbled from her mouth and the food spilled out.

Two of the other dogs lunged for the food.

Tamin snapped forward, his teeth lashing out for Merrie's body.

She screamed and jerked back, tumbling over as she felt her skin burn from a scrape of Tamin's teeth. She crawled back as fast as she could and watched as the eight dogs tore into each other, trying to get to the pathetically small amount of food scattered across the floor.

Unable to get the scoop again, Merrie fled in fear. She felt ashamed at her weakness, but Kine's pack terrified her as much as Grange and Bass.

She tried to go back to exercising, but couldn't find the energy. The hours of fast crawling had left her exhausted. Despaired, she headed back to the bedroom, set up a reminder to wake her up in a few hours, and squirmed under the blankets to take a well-deserved nap.

When she woke up, she got a lesson from her grandfather, gave him a blow job, and then spent the new few hours mulling over the new spell as she paced around the mansion.

It felt good to do something. She promised she would do it again, but to make sure, she set an alarm with her new spell. There was a little thrill as she enjoyed the simplicity of the charm. It represented control, not over others but simply herself. She only hoped that she had the will to keep herself beautiful for her master.

She finished by bathing herself in the kitchen sink. The smell of rotting food choked her, but she didn't know about any other place to clean up. With every door blocked off by clutter, she only had a limited number of places. In a way, she felt like the dogs on the porch, confined to a small cage except that her cage was a mansion.

Merrie got off the chair by the sink. She gave one fearful glance down the hall to the porch and headed back, looking for something to whittle away the hours.

As she was crawling across the stairs, she felt a gathering of power. It coursed along her skin and surrounded her with the ethereal taste of shadows. A smile crossed her face as she closed her eyes, basking in the feeling of her master wrapping around her.

She ran to the front door and got into a begging position. But, as she settled into place, she could feel the magic behind her, not in front. Turning around, she crawled back to the center of the house. She could feel the power still gathering, an intense darkness clinging to her skin.

Wondering if Kine would appear in her bedroom, she headed there but stopped after only a meter. It wasn't from there. She lifted her head and peered up the stairs. It felt like the energy was gathering on the second floor, toward Rimmy's room.

Mounting the stairs, she crawled up it. Her breasts swayed back and forth as she worked her way around the destroyed section and then up to landing. Closing her eyes, she focused on the power and then headed away from Rimmy's room toward an abandoned hallway above the northern wing. Unlike the doors on the bottom floor, these were not blocked by clutter or garbage.

The shadows were deep in the hall. She followed her senses, stopping in front of the door with the strong pulse of magic. Taking a deep breath, she got on her knees and brought her wrists up to her neck. She wasn't sure if it was Kine or Rimmy, but it was better than pacing for another hour.

The energy peaked and then there was a thump of someone landing on the ground. The floor creaked as the shadow magic faded.

Merrie's tail wagged back and forth. She inhaled to push out her breasts and hoped it was Kine who had appeared.

Footsteps tapped along the ground and then the door swung open.

It was Rimmy.

The slender woman had a scowl on her face and a bag slung over her shoulder. Her clothes were like Kine's, dark gray and black. They clung to her slender body, accenting her small breasts and narrow hips. She wore tight jeans that clung to her trim legs. Only a crescent of dark skin peeked out from between her shirt and jeans.

Rimmy stopped with a jerk, a black-coated blade sliding out of a sheath from her arm. With a grunt, she stopped. “It's you.” She said it as if Merrie was a curse.

Merrie's ears flatted against her head and she gave a sheepish look.

“Fucking cunt.” Rimmy swung her bag off her shoulder. It clinked as it settled into place. She reached out with her other hand and Merrie felt her heart skip.

Rimmy grabbed her by the ear, crushing it in her grip. The pain slashed across Merrie's senses before Rimmy shoved her to the side. Before Merrie could get back to her feet, she was striding back to her rooms. “Fucking waste of time, money. He already has enough bitches, now he's gotten himself a useless cunt.”

Merrie picked herself off the ground, wincing at her crushed tail. She got back on her wrists and knees and crawled back down the hall.

“And,” snapped Rimmy at the entrance to her wing, “don't follow me, you fat cunt!” The door slammed shut and Merrie cringed at the impact.

Merrie whined.

The door slammed open. “And stop making those noises! Your limp-dicked ‘master’ will be home in an hour!”

The door banged loudly as it was slammed closed.

Merrie fought back a whine and crawled down the hall. At the stairs, she made her way down the steps and headed straight for Kine's bedroom. Her movements were a soft whisper on the ground.

She didn't know why, but Rimmy's hatred of her tore at her heart. She felt beaten and crawled with her tail between her legs.

At Kine's bed, she slipped under the first layer and curled up. Bringing her knees up to her chest, she clutched herself and wished she could sleep until her master came home.

It was almost twenty minutes later when she heard a creak of someone entering the room. Hopeful, she raised her head and peered from the cover, but it was Rimmy.

The woman had changed into a mini-skirt and a tank top. The top hung from her small breasts, the tiny nipples like the ends of a needle sticking out. Her skin was chocolate in color, almost black but somehow exotic compare to the pale skin that normally populated Franome City.

Rimmy's hair was pulled into a braid and wrapped with black leather. It reached the small of her back as she looked around the room in disgust. Her eyes glanced over Merrie, but dismissed her with a snort.

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a large padlock and dropped it on the cage. It rang out and Merrie jerked at the noise.

Rimmy focused on her, a glare darkening her face. “You stole him, cunt.” Her voice was brimming with fury as she clutched the bars of the cage. “Before you, he paid attention to me. But ever since you… crawled into the house like a bitch, he's been screwing you and ignoring me.”

The room grew darker with every passing moment as energy beat down on them.

Her eyes brightened as the room grew darker until Merrie was surrounded by darkness. Two green eyes focused on her. “But, not tonight. Tonight, I'm going to remind him that I'm better than any fucking bitch.”

Magic rose around her and there was a ripping sensation and everything turned black. The room brightened almost immediately and Merrie blinked in surprise. Trembling, she crawled to the edge of the bed and looked around. She didn't notice anything different until she glanced down to her cage.

It was gone.

On the far side of the house, the sound of barking rose up. Merrie jumped off the bed and scrambled to the far side of the house. She heard the howls and growls before she reached the dining hall, but then the scrape of metal on the floor told her exactly where Rimmy was. Whimpering, she came to a sliding halt at the hallway, staring into the room.

Rimmy was next to the dog's cage, grunting as she shoved the heavy steel contraption into the corner near the other cage opening. She slammed it against the wall and stood up. Sweat prickled her brow. “That is way too heavy.”

Merrie inched into the room.

Rimmy turned to her. “Welcome to your new home, cunt.”

Merrie whined and shook her head.

“You aren't getting him tonight.”

One of the dogs barked loudly, lashing out at another hound in the cage.

Rimmy turned around. “Damn it, he forgot to feed the dogs again!”

Storming over to dog food, she dug around. “Where's the damned scoop?” Her voice trailed off as she saw it. “He left it in the cage? As useless as his fucking dogs.”

Merrie crouched down, unable to admit it was her mistake the scoop was in there. It was in the center of the cage, gnawed on with the handle snapped off.

Tamin stood over it, growling deep in his chest.

Rimmy glared at the dogs. “Down!” she bellowed.

Merrie sat down reflexively as did the other dogs. She felt her body growing tense as the sharp words echoed in the room.

Rimmy worked the latch on the cage. It was just a bar over a pair of metal hooks. The door screeched as it opened.

Tamin lunged for it, his teeth bared.

Rimmy swore and then the shadows exploded from around her. She disappeared and Tamin's teeth snapped down on empty air. His momentum brought him through the door cage and he stopped outside of the opening, his body tense with anger.

Merrie's sphincter tightened as she stared at the dog only a few meters away.

Tamin's growl deepened and he took a step toward her. Behind him, the other dogs stepped out from the cage and spread out, forming a semi-circle in front of her.

Naked and helpless, Merrie lost control of herself. Urine ran down her leg as the alpha stepped forward.

He only had one need burning in his mind: hunger. But it wasn't for the dried meats he ate but the helpless bitch in front of him. His snarl filled the room and his muscles bunched up. With a growl, he charged.

Merrie screamed out, a high-pitched noise that echoed down the hallway. She scrambled back.

Tamin's teeth snapped down but he missed. He snarled as he lunged forward, his mouth opening as he aimed for her throat.

The world came to a halt as power rolled across her body. Runes burst into place, snapping into the domination spell and immediately exploding out from inside her.

It caught Tamin and threw him back. The huge dog crashed into the cage and slumped down. With a growl, he flipped off his back and charged.

Merrie braced herself and barked. The spell exploded out and grabbed the minds of the eight dogs. As one, they dropped their asses to the ground and sat. She could feel the fear and anger radiating from them, but there was also a submission as she gripped their minds.

Panting, she got back to her wrists and knees. Trembling, she took a step forward.

The dogs strained her control but she reinforced the spell and locked them into place.

She crawled straight up to Tamin, angry but just as scared as they were.

The massive male bowed his head, lowering himself. As she grew closer, he dropped to the ground and pressed his throat to the floor. His tail plastered against the ground.

Behind her, Rimmy came down the hall. “Useless cunt. You better not be dead, I'll never hear…” The footsteps came to a halt. “The… end of it? What the shit?”

Merrie turned around and was surprised by the shock on Rimmy's face.

Rimmy said, “What is going on?”

Shrugging, Merrie turned around and got on her knees, raising her wrists.

"And you fucking peed on the floor!? What is wrong with you?'

Merrie mimicked Tamin, dropping to the ground in shame and sorrow.

“Fuck this. Cage!”

As the dogs looked at Merrie, she released them. They sulked back into their cage, tails between their legs.

She peeked back up to Rimmy.

Rimmy pointed to Merrie's cage. “I said, get in your fucking cage, cunt!”

Gulping, Merrie crawled into her cage. Her body trembled as she turned around.

Rimmy slammed the door shut. Grabbing the lock, she latched it into place.

Merrie felt a surge of heat inside her. Her body grew hot as Rimmy stormed over to the food. She poured a few handfuls into the dog's cage and then another one into Merrie's. The dried meat chunks spilled out over Merrie's arms.

“He's fucking mine, cunt.”

Rimmy spun on her heels and stomped out of the room.

Merrie held out her arm through the bars of the cage, but it was too late. She tried to work the lock, but it was latched firmly. Unlike the dog's cage, which was a simple bar, hers required fingers to release.

After a few seconds, she slumped to the ground.

Time passed painfully slow for her. The minutes ticked by, stretching into hours as she waited for Kine to rescue her.

She felt his arrival with the gathering of shadows. It was on the opposite side of the mansion, but even from that distance, she could make out the cool power gathering around her. At her feet, the shadows grew sharper.

The dogs whined, some aspect of their nature responding to the rise of shadow energy.

“Merrie! Merrie!”

Merrie whimpered and barked.

“Where are you?” Kine's footsteps came down the hall. He skidded to a halt as he entered the room. A surge of lust rose up as he stared at her. “W-What happened?”

“She,” said Rimmy as she slid up behind him, “was naughty.”

“Was she?” he said with a chuckle, but his eyes never left Merrie's form.

Merrie reached out for him, whimpering, but she knew that he wouldn't rescue her. The lust was burning too brightly as he stared at her.

“Leave her,” whispered Rimmy as she wrapped her arms around Kine's waist and chest, “just for tonight. I'm feeling,” she kissed his ear, “frisky.”

Kine smiled and turned, his eyes clinging to Merrie for a long moment. “You know, it's been a while.”

“Yes,” Rimmy said as she drew him away. The shadows gathered around them, the darkness swirling around before it enveloped them both. For a moment, the only thing Merrie could see was Rimmy's green eyes and the look of triumph. And then, even that was gone.