Ok, so including the last chapter we are going to have at least 3 chapters that were not originally in the draft but it has made me a little slower updating. Thanks for all the reviews and it's great to see so many new people still joining the story. For those who ask, Belle will be introduced within the next 2-3 chapters depending on how I split them.

Thank you for some pretty awesome guest reviews that I have not been able to respond to plus all those who review even though English is not their first language :)

Happy Holidays :D x

Oh, and I just (after about 2 years) discovered my tumblr inbox so massive apologies to anyone who has messaged me there and never received a reply... -_-

Anyone interested in following it is just general SQ and other bits and pieces I take an interest in. Tumblr account same as my fanfic user name.

Crimson Bonds will be updated when I return from what I anticipate to be an epic new year in Warsaw, Poland.

xxx

Emma stretched slightly as she woke, feint sounds rousing her from sleep. As drowsiness left and she became more conscious of her surroundings the slave jerked fully awake. She was in the queen's bed, not where she knew she had fallen asleep the night before, on the floor. She was also not alone, her mistress still slumbering beside her, curled on her side, facing towards the blonde.

Shit.

A mental curse as Emma tried to remember if she'd decided that it was a good idea to climb into the queen's bed during the night. Or not. Nope, she had no recollection of moving. So, noting it was still dark and her body clock told her it was a few hours before sunrise the slave took the safe option and slipped back out of the bed and onto the rug near her mistress.

It was only a few minutes later that Emma's eyes flew open, not yet fully asleep but very aware that she was back in the queen's bed without realising she had moved.

Magic.

The only explanation but the queen appeared undisturbed, slumbering quietly. A sigh from the slave and she elected to stay put, suspecting that if she moved again, and risked waking the queen, that she would end up right back in the bed. How to broach the subject though? Another sigh, this time from her mistress as the queen turned onto her back and Emma closed her eyes and tried to rest while she could. Who knew what the morning would bring?

Regina stirred, slowly waking from the soundest, most refreshing sleep she remembered having since -. Brown eyes blinked and came face to face with blonde curls. Another blink and she recalled the events of the previous night, or most of it, she didn't remember falling asleep or how the blonde ended up sleeping beside her, she wasn't complaining, it was another chilly morning. Despite the magical fire she constantly kept burning in the grate. And the layers of furs on the bed.

A frown as she pushed herself up against the pillows and took a moment to review her day. A thought and she summoned her wolf who would aid in her tasks.

Red had retreated from the queen's rooms the previous evening and taken Greta with her to the wolf's own rooms, adjacent to the pup's but she needed to keep an eye on the younger girl for the night. They hadn't spoken of Greta's indiscretion or anything of note, the pup changing to her wolf form and sleeping in front of the fire as Red sat in her chair and stared into the flames, not sleeping at all.

When Red felt the queen request her presence the silence was broken, Greta rousing and lifting her head from where it had been tucked into her tail as she slept.

"Stay here until I call you," the older wolf ordered and Greta sunk her head back down and let out a puff of air, telepathically making it clear that she would obey. A final glare through narrowed eyes as Red left and made her way down the short length of corridor to the queen's rooms, slipping inside and preparing for the day to come.

"Mistress?" Red appeared in the doorway to her bedchamber and Regina looked up from the book she had been reading, placing it down on the furs as she gave the wolf her full attention. Red was not all that surprised to see Emma asleep next to the queen.

"Bring me Alexis," Regina ordered. "And send the girl with some food." Red nodded at the first but paused at the second.

"Mistress, we have an issue with the pup," the queen frowned and slipped out of the warmth under the furs and stalked towards the wolf, Red not missing the glance she threw at the still sleeping slave. She and the blonde needed to have a talk. As soon as possible.

"What?" Regina queried as she snagged deftly snagged from her robe where her pet had placed it over a chair the night before, drawing the light but warm silk over now taut shoulders as they reached her main chamber. "Is she injured?" The queen raised her eyes as she walked towards her desk

"No, Mistress. She -," Red exhaled. "She forced herself on Miss Eva." Regina spun to face the wolf.

"She What?" The queen cried, a little high pitched for the wolf's sensitive ears. "Get her in here now!"

Emma was roused by the sound of her mistresses voice and it didn't sound good so the slave scrambled out of bed and jogged to where she found her mistress talking with Red. Or rather the queen looking fit to kill and Red, stoic but obviously wary of her mistresses wrath.

"Every time I am able to relax the world seems to fall apart without me!" Regina's voice raised to a shout as she spoke, another massage and good sleep totally wasted. Though she had enjoyed seeing her pet emerge, sleep tousled but alert, muscles moving and breasts bouncing as the slave had rushed to join them. "Bring her!" This time Red knew she was dismissed and turned on her heel, movements precise as always as she left the room.

"The pup is getting beyond herself, pet," Regina growled as she paced in front of her desk.

"Mistress?" Emma gestured to the queen's naked state. A distracted wave of her hand and Regina dressed them both in familiar outfits, tight silk for the herself and the pants and shirt combo she had grown to appreciate on the slave. Today was a black day apparently, Emma noted, and a tight pants day as she flexed her muscles within tighter than usual leather but knew better than to comment.

It was then that Red re-entered the room, Greta slinking in behind, in her wolf form.

Regina fixed her eyes on the young wolf who was exhibiting typical submissive behaviour, practically crawling on her stomach towards her mistress, ears, plastered against her skull, a whine as she came to s atop and rolled onto her back with her belly and throat exposed. Regina sighed as she looked down at the pup, young wolves really were a handful. "Change, so we may speak, pup," she commanded and the wolf flipped onto her feet before the usual shimmer and shift before the girl was kneeling in front of her queen.

"Well? Explain to me why you thought it permitted to touch another, let alone one under my protection," Regina hissed at the girl whose head jerked up so meet the anger darkened eyes of her mistress.

"I -, she -." A pause and a deep, deep inhalation. "I lost control, Mistress. She was aroused and -."

"Enough!" the young wolf snapped her jaw closed, knowing now was a time to follow orders to the letter. "Red?" Regina sought the truth, gesturing that the older wolf was free to speak.

"I came across Greta -. I came upon them kissing, they were both aroused but I believe it was the pup who instigated the contact. She is wolf." Red growled, not condoning the action but understanding. "I only known how such action can end, Mistress."

"Indeed," the queen mused as she studied the girl before her. "It seems I have been far too lenient in her education."

Emma has been observing the scene but was still a little behind in the information she possessed. Greta and Eva? Greta had kissed Eva? The slave was not sure she really understood what was going on. Except that Greta had broken a strict rule, extremely basic rule for any slave but what did her being a wolf have to do with it?

"My Queen, your guest has arrived," Red spoke after a moment, the palace guard notifying her of the blacksmith's approach via the wolves' limited telepathy.

"Send her to me," the queen replied distractedly as she looked down on the young wolf. Emma waited, and watched the expressions on her mistresses face as she studied the pup, a mask to most but the slave knew enough to catch the subtle shifts and tightening of facial muscles to at least gauge the queen's possible thoughts. She was troubled but not as angry as Emma felt she should be given the pup's transgression. Yes, she was young but not stupid and in the blonde's opinion the queen should act quickly and decisively.

The silence went on, no words spoken by the queen, Greta kneeling before her mistress as she fretted over her punishment. What was going to happen? Now her mind was clear and not clouded by her hormones she realised what a grave error she had made, letting her wolf gain ingfluence over her more controlled logical self was a step back in her development. If it went unchecked as wolves aged, succumbing purely to the beast within them, they were often lost and unable to continue to make the change, forced to live their lives as animals. Or, if they tended towards violence the pack took it upon themselves to 'neutralise' such wolves, a cull for the greater good and safety of all.

Red was also curious as to how the queen would deal with the pup, memories of her own training providing mixed emotions. She knew she was a better, stronger creature for the queen's hand but it had been heavy at times. But -, the wolf turned her attention to Emma, it was not the queen's brutality that had won her unwavering loyalty, it was her well hidden compassion. The queen was unyielding and exacting, she knew exactly when to punish and when to employ a softer touch, this made her an extremely dangerous woman and Red wondered just how far Emma had fallen. The blonde could take any physical punishment yet to be thrown at her with a dignity and grace that Red had never seen before but it was the emotional attachment to their mistress that would be Emma's downfall. If Red was to make a bet it would be that the collar would come off, and soon, especially after what she had seen last night and the casual domesticity of the blonde's position in the queen's bed this morning.

"Enter," the queen's voiced disturbed the musings of the younger woman as the door swung open.

"My Queen," the queen's armourer appeared, Alexis or Alex as she preferred to be known, the queen's last slave, one who had been released from her duties and now whose curious grey eyes were scanning the room with great interest. The queen's latest slave kneeling at the monarch's feet, the wolf-girl from the tavern by all accounts. She was attractive and Alex could see why the queen would be attracted to her but she prevented her eyes from roaming over the girl's naked body, instead turning her attention to the one wearing the collar. So this was the queen's new pet? Yes, they had met briefly but neither had fully had chance to appraise the other. Regina watched as they did, Alexis kept her expression neutral but the queen knew her better than she knew herself and knew that the ex-slave was jealous.

Alex took her time examining the other blonde, in looks they were similar, bar their facial bone structure, but the slave was beautiful.

The slave looked strong and the clothes the queen had provided flattered her body but why was the queen so enamoured of this one? Alex had heard all the rumours of how much of a beating the woman could take, how the queen was generally in a calmer mood since Emma had been collared and everyone who came the armourer's way had only good things to say about the queen's new pet. She was intelligent, so beautiful, well suited to the queen but to the ex-slave she saw nothing -, special. Then she found green eyes fixed on her and she met the gaze, Alex was no longer with the queen but of a high station in the queen's palace hierarchy and she was not enslaved but-.

Well, the queen seemed to have a type, Emma mused as she gave the new arrival a once over. Tall, blonde, extremely strong if her exposed upper arms and trade were any indication. But -, the slave smirked to herself as the other woman was first to look away. That explained a lot, and the way she looked at the queen -. Adoration, well hidden but it was there, it was the same look her previous mistresses had given her. Pathetic and although it was not a surprise, Red had revealed as much, Emma could see why the queen may have tired of the woman.

"Ah, Alexis," Regina greeted her guest after noting the silent interactions between the two blondes. Interesting, the queen noted, but not a surprise to see how the armourer reacted to her pet, although the slave's dominant side was kept hidden it was there and those in touch with such things, like her wolves and her former slave it seemed, picked up on it and reacted accordingly. "You have what I requested?"

"Yes, My Queen," Alex dipped her head and stepped forward, holding out two items, one a red velvet bag, that looked very familiar to Emma, and the other a small rectangular box, slightly longer than the slave's hand. The queen took the proffered items and weighed each in her palm as she decided how to proceed.

"Pet," Regina decided to mix things up a little, purely for her own entertainment.

"Mistress?" Emma stepped forward, awaiting the queen's command.

"What do you suggest?" Regina gestured towards the still kneeling wolf, eyes narrowing as she observed her pet.

"She needs a lesson in control, Mistress," Emma growled, "I had hoped she would have come further than this, by now." Greta whined when she heard the disappointment in the blonde's voice, she looked up to Emma, wanted to please the queen the way Emma did.

"As did I," the two women exchanged a look, one that confused Alex. The queen sought her slave's consul on punishing another slave?

"You always say what a handful the pups can be, Mistress," Emma smirked.

"Indeed," Regina agreed with a sigh, enjoying her pet's 'playfulness',"but now I fear I must take drastic measures."

"I would have to agree, Mistress," the slave concurred. "I would also suggest that we discuss this privately?" Emma nodded towards young wolf who was privy to their conversation then turning narrowed green eyes towards the stranger in the room. Alex was stunned as the queen nodded her own agreement, she had heard the queen's pet was well thought of but that she offered advice on a par with Red shocked the armourer.

"You have ideas?"

"I do," Emma growled in response, the words made Greta whimper and the sound made Regina chuckle.

"Pup, look at me," the queen ordered, placing her finger under the girl's chin. "I have big plans for you, but you will thank me when you manage to put yourself back together. After all Red did, didn't you?"

"Yes, Mistress," Red grinned wolfishly but was in agreement with her queen. The girl needed a firm hand and it seemed the queen, and Emma were in concord. She didn't doubt that they would formulate a suitable plan, with Emma involved plus the queen's guidance on the inner workings of wolves Red knew that Greta would receive the training she needed to overcome this awkward stage of her development. "What of Miss Eva?"

"I will send for her later, I have other matters to attend to now," Regina would speak at length with the other girl implicated in the misadventure. "Pup," the queen called for Greta's attention as she kept hold of the velvet bag but placed the box down on her desk. "It is time for you to take the collar."

xxxx

Next on The Collar

All present watched as the queen withdrew the collar from the bag. "Pet, her hair." Emma was shocked to be the one asked to help, assuming that it would be Red's job, not her as a slave. The blonde stepped forward and lifted Greta's thick, wavy hair away from the back of the girl's neck.