Collared

by Eli Ellsworth

  --

  When Rick awoke, he had a hard time telling where he was. he stared at the wall and the shelf hanging from it. Everything he could see was all colored in expertly matched shades of gold and cream, paired with some neutral grays.

  For a while, he wondered what one of the things on the shelf was supposed to be. He'd narrowed down the options to an impractical water bowl or an artsy fartsy art lamp. That was when he started to feel the aches and shakes in his bones, the after-effects of a werewolf transformation, as well as the peculiar sensation of gross stickiness.

  Memory returning to him in an instant, Rick bolted upright. He was naked, the torn shreds of bedding laying on top of him like a blanket. Why was he not in chains?

  What had happened to Anri?

  Rick's blood ran cold, and he turned in his bed, ready to run across the entire mansion if needed-

  When he saw Anri's body, his clothes dirty and scratched, but not entirely torn off. His chest, his chest---

  Raising and falling.

  Anri's body, breathing.

  Anri's body, sleeping.

  Sleeping, waking, eyes slowly opening. Soft blinks, eyelashes fluttering in the morning light.

  And the most beautiful smile Rick had ever seen.

  Rick slumped in the bed, feeling like he might cry on the spot.

  "You humped my leg." Anri said, a tone of both amusement and complaint.

  Rick laughed so hard he nearly fell out of bed.

  "I'm serious! I, aahh..." Anri said, raising his hand to his face as he yawned. He stretched out his limbs in the bed, looking relaxed and content for all his ruffled appearance. "I had to give you a pillow. You tore through three!"

  Rick looked down. He could see a couple feathers stuck to his lower half.

  "Oh. Oops?" He said, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks. He could see Anri grin from ear to ear.

  He nudged Anri on the shoulder, and Anri snickered.

  "Well," Anri said, his voice still soft and dimmed from sleepiness. "That was an adventurous night. If you'd felt that excited..." Anri smiled at Rick's disgruntled face. "You could've told me. I wouldn't have minded making arrangements for it..." Something in the way Anri had said it, from the way he was leaning against his hand, his posture so lazy and unguarded, the morning light filtering through the curtains and coloring all of the stray hairs around Anri's head...

  Something about it made Rick shiver. He looked down at his knees. He reached out to scratch at his stubble, when he felt something unusual around his neck. He looked down, trying to see the dog collar secured around his neck. Beside him, Anri let out a chortle of nervous laughter.

  "Oh, sorry! I forgot about that-" Anri said, a slightly guilty grin on his face. It made him look younger, somehow. Rick felt like he had an idea of what Anri might've looked like in high school, when they'd first met. "Here, just let me-" Anri leaned closer and tugged on Rick's collar, trying to find the clasp.

  Wide, honest brown eyes, a rounder face, cheeks flushed...

  Rick caught Anri by the wrist.

  "I remember you," Rick mused. "From high school, I mean. You told me you liked how I played in my matches..."

  Anri seemed surprised for a moment, then he smiled.

  "I liked a lot about you back then." He said, a little wistfully.

  Rick swallowed.

  "Any of that carry over to now?"

  Anri smiled, his eyes crinkling. "Hmm..." He hummed. Rick's grip had slackened by now, and he didn't resist when Anri hooked his finger underneath Rick's collar and pulled him forward, just inches from Anri's face. Anri stood on his knees, now looking down at Rick. He seemed to be inspecting Rick's face.

  Forget memories, Rick felt like he'd straight up time travelled back to his teenage years, hormones and sweatiness included.

  "You do look pretty neat in a certain light." Anri said, a soft smirk on his face. Rick simply stared - he couldn't find it in himself to move. Anri traced the contours of Rick's face with his fingertips. "But," he brushed his fingers across Rick's lips, hesitating for a second, before continuing his sentence. "You do need to take a shower. You smell like wet dog." Anri quickly removed Rick's collar, then moved away.

  Rick looked down at himself - yeah, he could agree with that assessment. He stood up, brushing the remains of bedding off of him. Anri was inspecting the torn sleeve of his dress shirt.

  "And so do I," Anri said, frowning. Rick felt the guilt sit heavily in his stomach. Anri didn't seem to be bleeding heavily, but... Rick should never have been allowed to get loose, he should never have allowed even the possibility of this happening

  He clenched his fists.

  "Did I... hurt you, yesterday?" Rick asked. As lighthearted as Anri had been that morning, it was difficult to discern the real damage. And the humping comment, well... It was an annoyance when your Pomeranian did it, but it was something else when done by 200-pound werewolf.

  Anri looked up at him, sighed, then brushed the curls away from his face.

  "It's... not something I'd like to repeat." Anri said. "It wasn't the most comfortable night, and I don't know about you, but I imagine I didn't get more than a couple of hours of sleep."

  Anri just barely caught the phrase Rick had muttered underneath his breath.

  "What did you say?" Anri asked, and Rick felt too awkward about staying quiet to not answer.

  "..I just... said you look pretty fine even without the extra hours of sleep."

  Anri smiled, and Rick got the impression that he was trying not to laugh.

  "But," Anri said, a glitter of laughter in his voice, "Even still, you're really more of a puppy than a scary monster werewolf."

  Rick didn't know if he was offended or relieved. Anri twirled the collar around in his hands.

  "It's why I found this for you, last night - oddly, enough, you seemed calmer in it. Perhaps you just needed, well - er, a stronger hand?" Anri looked up at Rick, a cheekiness in his eyes. "I wonder if it's the same even now?"

  Rick wasn't sure when he'd sat down on the bed, but he suddenly stood up, feeling the heat in his cheeks. "Yeah, okay, I really need to take that bathroom now."

  Anri handed him a bed sheet. "To cover up," he clarified, after Rick had stared at it for what felt like five minutes straight.

  They walked through the warm colored halls of Anri's penthouse until they reached a bathroom.

  "There should be towels inside, and a pair of pants in the closet. I'll go find the change of clothes you provided me with once I finish my own shower." Anri said, then walked back down the corridor. Rick was never more grateful for his own foresight.

  He entered the bathroom.

  No human being should need this much space to take a shower.

  After trying out aaaallll the different shower and water massage settings, Rick felt squeaky clean once more. He put on the - pajama pants, apparently - Anri mentioned and ventured outside.

  Rick found himself back in the room he'd woken up in. He'd seen no one on the way there - he wondered if Anri had called the servants away. Heck, what time was it to begin with? He began fussing with his pockets - then remembered. His phone had been in the bag in the other room, with his clothing.

  He sat on the bed, glancing at the feathers with a cringe. He couldn't imagine what Anri must have felt like last night, facing off against a ravenous beast... Rick was surprised he'd survived, much less lived long enough to get playful. Rick slid his hand across the silky sheets, then picked up the collar. He turned it around in his hands - it was strong leather, lightly worn, yet without any telltale signs of werewolf claw.

  He had put it on willingly; a beast hardly driven by anything but instinct - agreeing to be restricted?

  Shaking the thoughts away, he put the collar down and stood back up. He walked out into the hallway. Rick heard Anri call his name from somewhere behind him, and he saw Anri down the hall - his head was peaking out of one of the bathrooms.

  Anri stepped out, holding a towel around his wa
ist. Rick gulped.

  "Oh, don't go back into that room! It's all messed up. Here-" Anri said, then ducked back into the bathroom. He came out with a set of keys, then walked forward and past Rick.

  He unlocked a set of doors at the end of the hall.

  "Here, it's my bedroom - it shouldn't have been damaged so you can wait in there." Anri said. He turned back to Rick with a smile across his lips, but it soon changed to a look of confusion. "Is something the matter?"

  It was clear that Anri had been in the middle of drying himself, his hair damp yet not dripping, his feet leaving wet marks on the floor. The wounds on his chest were hidden by band aids - so nothing serious, Rick realized with relief.

  Rick rubbed the back of his neck. He tried to remember more of last night.

  Anri moved forward, the towel shifting as he walked, revealing a sliver of his thigh. Rick pointedly stared at Anri's wet footsteps.

  "...The collar." Rick said, feeling like his voice had rusted over, unused for centuries.

  "Hmm?"

  "Why did you put it on me?"

  Anri looked at him. Rick's fingers were twitching. He could feel Anri's gaze even as he refused to meet it. He pretended to pick something off of the pants he'd been given.

  "I mean - I told you about it, right? You just seemed calmer. For a beast as big as you, I think... I think that it seemed to help find ways to exert control over you when you had none over yourself."

  Control...

  Anri adjusted the towel around his waist. Rick did not look. They were silent for a moment.

  "Are you... are you asking me if I had ulterior motives?"

  Rick wished he could see Anri's face at that moment, yet at the same time, he couldn't will himself to look.

  "Does it bother you?" Anri sounded almost apologetic.

  Rick shifted his weight from foot to foot. Drops of water slid down the nape of Anri's neck. Rick did not follow them with his eyes.

  "I... don't know." Rick said. He wasn't sure how to pinpoint what felt off about the idea. It wasn't... It wasn't like Anri had gone beyond the limits they'd discussed beforehand, even before they knew what a disaster it would turn out to be. He kept getting sidetracked with trying to imagine how the scene had gone down, his thoughts going in circles.

  Anri stepped forward.

  "Rick, if I've hurt you-"

  "No, it's fine - it's... it's not that." Rick said hurriedly. He gave Anri a smile. "If anything, I've hurt you. I just have to think about it more. You should finish your shower."

  Anri stared at him for a few more moments, but then his expression lightened in relief.

  "Yeah." He said and walked back to the shower. Rick followed him with his eyes, then went to sit inside the unlocked bedroom. It was clean and tidy, nothing misplaced - no personal items either. Rick wasn't sure if this was another guest room, or if it actually was Anri's bedroom, and the billionaire was simply away from home that much.

  He sat on the bed. He could hear the faint sound of water running from down the hall but he didn't bother closing the door to block it out.

  He kept thinking about it - Anri with a leash in his hand, pulling him forward, something between mirth and amusement on his face... A shiver went down Rick's spine. He shook his head. He shouldn't let his imagination run wild like that.

  He fell back onto the bed. Stared up at the ceiling.

  Rick hadn't been turned into a werewolf - he'd been born as one. He belonged to his family's pack until he'd grown old enough to find his own - to find companions and lovers, to form a found family of his own...

  He'd only been the alpha of one clan - a clan that was no more.

  It was customary not to forge strong bonds with outsiders, or maybe it was just a necessity used by people that might be persecuted or chased out of town if their secret were to be revealed. He guessed he'd never really been... with an outsider before. Werewolf sex shenanigans had always been hasty and rushed, passion trumping over planning or technique, clothes lost or kept on or torn off amidst wolfish whelps and moans. Or maybe that had just been the case for Rick and his companions - young and foolish, full of boundless energy and enthusiasm.

  Nothing like the slow tease of fingers sliding down his chest... he swallowed.

  His mind kept wandering back to the scene no matter how much he tried to think of anything else.

  His chin being lifted, his voice being called with a tone full of mirth...

  Nails scratching and sliding down his torso, soft fingers slipping past his navel and further down. An agonized whimper muffled in his throat...

  Rick shot up. He could feel his face burn. Hastily, he walked to Anri's bathroom, making a brief pit stop in the room he'd woken up in.

  He didn't have to wait long.

  When Anri came out of the bathroom, he seemed somewhat surprised to see Rick standing there.

  "Was there something wrong with the room?" Anri asked.

  Rick shook his head furiously.

  "No, I just- I think there's something wrong with me," Rick stepped forward, soon pressing Anri against the wall. Rick felt heated, like he'd just run a marathon. He leaned his forehead against Anri's shoulder - which was about head height to him anyway. He could feel his hands shake, and he knew Anri was startled.

  He buried his nose into Anri. He could smell freshly laundered clothes, the sharp scent of antiseptic and whatever fruity shampoo Anri was using. The underlying scent of skin, of a human body, a touch of adrenaline...

  Anri tentatively took hold of Rick's sides.

  "I... did like it after all." Rick said, burying his head in Anri's shoulder for a few more moments, then lifted the collar for Anri to see - he'd brought it along. His face burned but he saw the comprehension come to Anri's eyes.

  "You did?" Anri asked tentatively, a smile playing at his lips. "You've thought it through?"

  Rick nodded. He let out a shuddery breath and spoke.

  "I want you to touch me."

  Anri's hand rose and he put a finger underneath Rick's chin, tilting it upwards. There was warmth in Anri's face, even despite the little mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

  "Then let’s put it back on, shall we?" Anri said, softly. He took the collar from Rick's fingers and, after Rick stepped back, clasped it shut around Rick's neck. Anri lowered his hands, stroking them up Rick's sides.

  "Stay still," Anri said, his eyes focused on Rick's nude torso. A shiver went through Rick. "Can you do that for me?"

  "Yeah," Rick said, then drew in a hissing breath as Anri continued his exploration, dragging his fingers across Rick's stomach, dipping low before coming back up, sliding around his sides and then full palms stroking down his back, dipping past the waistband of his pants. Rick abruptly remembered he hadn't had any underwear to change into.

  Rick clenched and unclenched his fists, trying hard not to move about despite his intense desire to grab hold of something. Anri pressed closer, squeezing and groping Rick's ass. Rick tried not to hide his voice, for Anri's benefit, yet it still embarrassed him when a whisper of a moan slipped past his lips.

  Anri seemed to be somewhere between enamored and transfixed, eyes shifting between Rick's body and face. His eyes seemed darker, the pupils blown wide as he looked down at Rick's face, his breathing short and quick, almost like he didn't want to waste any time on it. If anything, the almost adoring look Anri had was what made it easier for Rick to do. That is - doing anything like this with an outsider, a human, someone barely more than a stranger. Anri didn't seem quite... as calculating and perfect as he'd seemed before. He was riled up. Although Rick was teased and controlled, he didn't feel as if Anri might suddenly say something cruel, tease him without mercy about things he was uncomfortable about... He felt he was in safe hands.

  Rick felt Anri breathe down at his neck, and then he was being pushed forwards until they hit the wall.

  "Good boy..." Anri said, kissing Rick's neck. He lifted up his hands to lean against the wall and pressed a leg between Rick's
legs. Rick figured he could probably consider the previous command nullified at this and lifted his hands, gripping onto Anri's shirt. Anri licked his lips, breathing out a little sigh as Rick pressed closer.

  "I've... told you that you tried to hump my leg last night, yes?" Anri asked, and smiled as he saw Rick's face light up bright red. "So, puppy..." He leaned close to whisper it into Rick's ear, his hand playing with Rick's collar. "Would you like to repeat the attempt, albeit with a bit more success this time?"

  Anri pressed his leg harder against Rick's groin, and Rick took a harsh breath in surprise. Rick had to stop his hips from rocking back immediately.