Page 14

14

Griffin

Every time he obeyed, there was still the same sense of satisfaction and… relief that he’d done what he’d been told. I never knew if my threats or promises would be good enough, and there was always the chance he’d laugh in my face and make it that much harder to continue his training.

But he was breaking. I could see it in the sullen resignation written across his features, the way his voice wasn’t nearly as defiant as it had been. Part of me was a little bothered by that, but then he’d say or do something to prove to me that there he was, right below the surface.

Then I didn’t know whether to be relieved or frustrated.

Make up your fucking mind. Either you want him to break or you don’t.

It wasn’t as simple as my mind would have me believe. I wasn’t an expert, and I wasn’t going to start googling “how to break in a sex slave” on the internet. Firstly, because I had no desire to completely prove myself guilty in every sense if they ever found him — and secondly, because there was this part of me that didn’t want to acknowledge that was what I was doing.

“All you had to do was put in one little plug,” I told him, “and now…” I opened the cell door, beckoning to him as I kept a wary eye on him. “After I put your mitts back on, you can take a walk around while I get new bedding for you.”

I could see the flash of disappointment in his gaze when he realized I wasn’t going to leave the mitts off. Hell, he was probably equally disappointed that I wouldn’t be leaving the room to get his new bedding, but he’d have to deal with the fact that I was prepared. I had a dog bed the next size up, complete with a fluffy blanket and fuzzy squeaky toy for him to play with.

He eyed me, and I was pleased to note that the care he’d taken to hide himself from view had lessened so much. It wasn’t like he was proud of his nudity — not yet — but he wasn’t as afraid of it, either.

Especially if it meant he got to walk around and see where he was being held.

I could’ve told him there wasn’t much to it, but he wouldn’t have believed me anyway. Besides, there was still something powerful about being able to walk outside of the cage.

Before I let him step out, I put his mitts back on his hands, and he let me with minimal resistance even though he knew that once they were on…

He knew a lot of things would be impossible, but he let it happen anyway.

I watched him walk for a moment, how he stepped forward only to cringe when the tail brushed the back of his leg, then I went into the cell to grab his old bedding.

He turned, coming back, and I could practically see the intention on his face .

“Good boy,” I told him, as though I didn’t realize he was thinking about trying to slam the door closed with me inside — like it didn’t have a lock only I had the key to. “Do you want some scratches before you keep walking around?”

It took him off guard enough to where I swept out of the cell, acting as oblivious as if I had no idea what he’d been considering. I dumped the dirty bed and blanket at the foot of the stairs, going to hunt through the boxes.

He followed me over there, but I shook my head. “No, these are surprises for my good little pup,” I told him. “You don’t get to see these until you’re ready.”

He scowled, but his good behavior continued. I guessed there was something about the plug in his ass that took away some of his fight…

And fuck, it looked good there, so it was an overall win. It was just another step toward his ultimate fate — the harness, the plug, the mitts… He didn’t need much more. I’d have him crawling around on the floor in front of me, chasing balls and chewing on squeaky toys before I knew it.

I found the better dog bed, ripping the plastic open and shaking it out. It looked like a large, comfortable pillow, and he’d have plenty of room to stretch out.

I crossed to the cell, keeping track of him out of the corner of my eye to make sure he couldn’t sneak up on me or catch me out unaware. He didn’t seem like he was going to try anything again, likely seeing the futility of it. There may have been several boxes, but they weren’t stacked high enough to give him places to hide.

Besides, all I’d have to do was flood the room with light, and I’d find him instantly.

I arranged the bed then turned to grab the blanket, adding that to the pallet. When I turned around again, facing the cell doors, he was standing right there .

“What would you do if I locked you in there?” he asked.

Even though my heart started to race at the thought of being trapped in such a small space, I shrugged. “You’d kill us both if you locked me in.” I forced a smile, knowing it came out as more of a sneer than anything else. “But you won’t.”

He bared his teeth at me like he was some sort of wild animal instead of anything else. Feral. But he could be feral. Feral creatures could be broken, potentially more easily than humans could. If he’d already devolved that much, it was only a matter of time.

It was terrifying and exhilarating all at once.

“Only because I don’t have the key. We’d see how you’d react to being trapped and told what to do otherwise,” he said.

I laughed. I couldn’t help it. It startled him, making him take a small step back. He didn’t understand that he couldn’t manipulate me the same way.

After the accident, I’d been alone with only my depression. People had tried to check on me, but I hadn’t wanted to let them see the state of the house. It had been filthy, truly filthy, and I’d gotten used to that.

I’d gone days without eating, and I’d only had enough to drink to keep myself from getting outright dehydrated.

I had been pretty much an animal then, every bit as much as I looked like one, and it had taken a long time for me to drag myself back out of it. But let him try to cage me and lock me away.

It wasn’t like I hadn’t done it to myself more times than I could count…

I strolled out of the cell before he could get any ideas about trying. Even without a key, he could still get himself in trouble if he made a stupid move. Contrary to what he might’ve thought, I wasn’t interested in making things harder for him. I wanted this transition to be easy… for both of us, even though that wasn’t going to happen.

“Time’s up,” I told him, gesturing to the open door of the cell.

He hesitated, poised like a rabbit about to bolt.

“There’s nowhere else to go except to a locked door,” I pointed out. “Then you’ll have me pissed off, and who knows what I’ll do when I’m pissed?” I flashed a wolfish grin. “You haven’t seen me upset yet.”

That was a lie. He’d gotten to me before. But I didn’t want him to know that, even if I suspected he was just empathetic enough to realize — just not enough to care.

He muttered beneath his breath then traipsed back to the kennel, hesitating at the door and telling me, “I hate you.”

“I know,” I told him, even though the words stung. They shouldn’t have. I knew better. I knew how he felt. I knew how he damn sure should’ve felt. But I guess I was hoping… “Get in.”

Hoping had never gotten me anywhere. It had only gotten everyone to leave me behind.

Part of me wanted to offer him some kind of entertainment to pass the time — books, maybe, but another part of me didn’t want him so easily able to escape into other worlds with other people. Books were magical in a world without magic, able to cause wonder with mere words. That was a weapon for someone like him, even if he’d probably never think of using it as more than a projectile.

That, and I had to keep him off balance. As long as he was bored…

I sighed as I closed the door behind him. This wasn’t much easier for me than it was for him, even if I got what seemed like the better end of the deal. I wasn’t really a monster, even if I looked the part.

Maybe he’d believe that, and maybe we’d get to… to see.

He went immediately for the bed.

“Is that one better?” I asked, knowing perfectly well it was, and knowing just as well that all I was trying to do was create conversation with someone who had no desire to talk to me.

“Mm,” he mumbled, not giving me a real answer, of course.

But the way he settled down onto it and relaxed, pulling the new blanket over him and breathing in deeply, told me more than any words would have. I knew he’d wanted this, and it was something that suited us both.

That was where the give and take would truly begin.

I’d get my puppy, and he’d get to pretend he still had dignity. It was a sad, fucked-up game, but it was the only one we could play… for now.

“You have an even better one in your kennel upstairs,” I finally offered.

His head jerked up at that, and he stared at me in what I wasn’t sure was disbelief or just outright confusion.

“It’s big enough for you,” I went on even though he hadn’t asked and probably didn’t care about the size of the cage he’d be held in. “Once I can trust you, I’ll bring you upstairs and you can keep me company while I work.”

Creating song lyrics for other singers was one thing, but it wasn’t everything. It was something I did more out of routine than actual pleasure. I’d lost my desire to create music when I’d realized how easily the world would throw me away… and all because of how I looked.

They’d claimed they hadn’t, but when the invitations had dwindled and the terms of my contract had been adjusted, I’d known. I hadn’t fought it. I didn’t want everyone staring at me every time I walked into a room anyway.

“I don’t want your goddamn kennel,” he snapped back at me.

“There’s sunlight upstairs,” I replied, remembering the way it had felt upon my face when I’d first ventured outside after months of crippling depression.

He tensed. “You wouldn’t risk it.”

“I live in the middle of nowhere,” I told him. “Do you think I’d really do something like this if I lived in the heart of Hollywood?” I quirked a brow.

He sighed heavily. “Yeah, sure, whatever.”

“You really can have things better,” I told him, shoving my hands into my pockets. “I know you don’t think so, but it can get better.” I exhaled slowly, pausing as I watched him try to pretend to ignore me. I’d have reminded him to keep the plug in, but it would’ve seemed cruel since he wouldn’t be able to get it out with the mitts on his hands either…

Then again, he might try to be creative.

“Just make sure that ass is still full when I get back,” I said crudely. “Or we’ll have problems.”

He replied, “We already do.”

I ignored him.