Every. Step.
Every. Single. Fucking. Step.
That's how often Kenzi heard bells in her ears. Though she was pretty sure none of the people around her heard it—from a combination of the scarf, distance, and ambient noise—Kenzi heard it just fine. After all, it was coming from her neck.
Her blush had settled into a general haze of heat from which she was pretty sure she'd never escape. Her bells told her in no uncertain terms that she was a pet. This was Bo treating her like a pet, so… she was one.
And while the bells still rang to the tune of "Kenzi's a pet," they were starting to also carry the meaning of "Owned." That was what they made her feel: that she was owned. Bo owned Kenzi.
It wasn't just how she fit into the Fae world, the way that most Fae would see her. Bo got her the collar. Bo agreed that Kenzi was her pet… and Kenzi was starting to feel like one.
Kenzi was a pet.
Bo owned Kenzi.
Kenzi was Bo's pet.
Bo owned Kenzi.
Kenzi was property.
Bo owned Kenzi!
Owned.
Owned.
Owned!
Kenzi felt light-headed, sure that her whole body blushed now. As her collar confined her, she felt like Bo (her owner!) hugged her, kept her safe. She felt like her owner had her arm draped over her shoulders, guiding her. Or maybe Bo's hand rested on the small of her back, pulling her forward. Or maybe Bo's hand was on her ass, lightly groping her pet as she led her onwards.
As her neck had ached in the absence of her collar, so too her ass now yearned for Bo's hand. Oh, why couldn't her owner be here now? She needed the succubus' presence dearly. She needed the succubus' hot tongue inside her mouth.
Her mouth opened slightly as she imagined her owner kissing her, but snapped back to reality when she heard the wolf whistles. She glanced around and realized that she accidentally turned herself into the center of attention. She unlatched her fingers from her ass… and her boob… and squeaked out a "Show's over, folks!" before skipping away, collar jingling.
Oh, God. Did she really do that in public? She was turning into a Bo-level slut, and she wasn't even a succubus!
She was, however, the pet of a succubus. When she thought about what kind of pet human a succubus would want to have, something like that came to mind. Shit, why did she have to put on that fucking collar?
"Because you're a pet," the bells offered. "Because Bo owns you."
"Shut up," she hissed at her collar. "Bo doesn't own me!"
Finally, she reached the Dal. She let out a sigh of relief as she entered the Fae waypoint. The tavern was filled with a joyful atmosphere as both Light and Dark Fae met over drinks and played games. It felt like home to her.
And what was more Dal-ish than its wonderful owner Trick? The barkeep was a fatherly figure to both her and (her owner) Bo. He would know what to do!
Kenzi meandered through the Dal, making her way to the bar by passing through the game area. She smiled as she saw Dyson and his partner Tamsin playing pool.
"Hey, Wolf-Man," she called, trying to project a cool demeanor. She was fine. Of course she was! Kenzi was always fine! "How's it hanging?"
Tamsin ignored her, but Dyson looked up.
"Hey, Kenzi," he said. "We're good. Bo's helping us with a case. There's a goblin that…" he trailed off and frowned. "Are you… wearing bells or something?"
She hoped the dim lighting kept him from seeing her deepening blush. "It's my keychain," she said shortly, and then walked away toward the bar.
"Hello, Kenzi," Trick said as she approached. "Your usual?"
She shook her head vigorously, setting off the bells, which only furthered her embarrassment. "I need to talk to you in private, Trickster," she mumbled. "Like, now."
Trick nodded. "Come," he said warmly, leading her into the back office.
She followed behind, trying not to feel like a dog following its master. It was silly. After all, she'd been back here with Trick a whole bunch of times. She'd helped Bo (her owner) save the world back here. It was practically hers.
Trick shut the door and turned to his human friend, "What's the problem, Kenzi?"
Kenzi whimpered. The problem with talking to Trick was that she had to actually show him what she was wearing. "Bo's on a super massive ego trip, Trickster. She's totally taking this whole claiming thing too far, and, uh…"
Swallowing, Kenzi undid the scarf and revealed what lay underneath. This was the moment when Trick would stare at it with shock and demand to know who treated her so poorly. When she told him, he would gasp and then curse Bo for being such a bad friend.
"Why, Kenzi, that's lovely!" Trick exclaimed like she just revealed an engagement ring, his eyes lighting up. "That's your first mark, right?"
Kenzi sat down silently. Well, she didn't say anything, anyway. The bells rang like they always did.
"May I?" he asked, holding out a hand to touch.
"Knock yourself out, Trickster," she allowed with a sigh.
Stepping forward, he gently ran his hand over her collar. "A nice bit of enchantment," he muttered. "Not one of ours…"
Trick thought of her as a pet too. Trickster! She started to worry she would never get her collar taken off. "So, you don't have a problem with this?" she demanded, trying to get angry so she wouldn't have to cry.
"Bo's unaligned," he said, shrugging. "She can buy Dark if she wants."
"I mean, my collar," she snapped. "Bo got me a collar! Isn't that degrading?"
"Oh." Trick nodded, understanding now. He sat down across from her. "Do you think it's degrading?"
"Duh," she said. "Bo thinks I'm her pet!"
Trick paused. Though he looked at her with compassion, he didn't look at all troubled by the succubus' actions. "First of all, Kenzi, understand that Bo loves you. She would never do anything to actually harm you. She respects you just as much as she respects me, Dyson, or Lauren. I can't imagine she'd get you that collar, such an expensive piece of Fae jewelry, as an insult to degrade you instead of a gift to cherish you. Tell me you understand."
"Well, I guess," she said. "Bo's out of her mind, but at least she cares?"
"Bo loves you. Bo respects you," he emphasized. "Say it."
"Bo loves me. Bo respects me," she repeated obediently. "But…"
"Keep saying it until it sinks in," he told her. "Well, go on."
"Bo loves me. Bo respects me. Bo loves me. Bo respects me," she chanted, a little confused by the purpose of the exercise. Whatever her owner felt about her, Bo was still a control freak who wanted Kenzi as a pet.
Trick had her keep that up for what felt like the next five minutes. At a few points, she'd start to stop, but he'd gently indicate that she should continue, and she did. By the time he held up a hand to silence her, Kenzi felt very refreshed with the comfort of knowing Bo loved and respected her. Of course she did. How could Kenzi have thought otherwise?
Jingle.
Oh.
"And my collar?" she asked softly.
"A gift," he replied. "A very special gift given to a very special human in Bo's life."
She sighed, losing her grip on her anger. "I take it… even you, Trickster… think humans are pets?"
"Not all humans," he clarified. "But many, yes. You, Kenzi, are Bo's pet, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Bo loves you. Bo would die for you."
Kenzi sniffed. Hot tears slipped out of her eyes, sliding down her face. "I don't want to be a pet…"
"Now, Kenzi, don't cry," he said with concern. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and passed it to her. "It's not an insult. It's simply how humans and Fae best fit together. We're naturally superior to you the way you're naturally superior to dogs. Some humans eat dogs; others keep them as pets. Do you know how many consider them equals?"
She dabbed at her face. "We're not dogs. We're people."
"I'm one of the few Fae who agree," he said. "You're people. But you're still… Let's not use the word 'inferior.' You're… not as strong as us, the way human children are not as strong as human adults and are naturally subordinate. In a human school, who are in charge, the children or the adults? It's always the adults, right? It's not because the children are any less people than adults. They're just subordinate. There is nothing wrong with being subordinate. And you're subordinate to Bo. That's not so bad, is it?"
"Bullshit, Trick. Look at this!" She turned the tag around to show him the other side. "This says I'm a slave!"
"You're Bo's property," he agreed. "Do you really think Bo will abuse that power? No, she'll keep you safe and comfortable. I'm sure many humans would love to be in your position."
She took a deep breath. "Okay, let me get this straight. Bo owns me. She can make me do things against my will and you won't bat an eye. But she probably won't make me do anything worse than wear a collar for the rest of my life, so I should just smile and accept it. Did I get everything?"
He frowned. "Kenzi, that collar is a symbol of your bond to Bo. As long as you are hers, it will declare to all Fae that you are under protection. I think you'll find Fae will respect you far more now that they know you belong to someone. Every Fae will understand that attacking you means attacking Bo, and that will keep you safe from plenty of predators. I want you to try to stop thinking of your collar as an insult and try to see it as a blessing and a symbol of your friendship with Bo."
"A blessing?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I'm a fucking pet! Have you ever been a pet, Mr. Superior Fae Man?"
He chuckled. "No, I've never been a pet. I have, however, been a child. Whew, that was a while ago! My father kept me tightly under his control until I fully matured. Trust me, Kenzi, I know what it's like to be a dependent, kept from receiving the full rights of a Fae. I know I would have given a lot to have been treated half as well as Bo treats you." He again reached out a hand and stroked her collar. "Really, you're very lucky."
"And then you grew up, Trick," she said. "Your dad was an asshole—trust me, I can relate—but then you grew up and became the fucking Blood King. You told people what to do professionally. Guess what, Trick? I've grown up, and I've got a fucking collar!"
"You grew up into an adult human, not an adult Fae," Trick corrected. "And, don't take this the wrong way, Kenzi, but you still act like a human child. You wouldn't know what to do with real authority. You're not meant to lead. You're meant to follow. As your owner, Bo will take care of you. She'll feed you, shelter you, give you companionship, and will always care about you. She may restrict your freedom sometimes, but she'll always have your best interests in mind. If you think about it, I think you'll find that's what you truly want. Now, Kenzi, I'm afraid I must return to managing my business, and I must insist you return to the front of the Dal."