Slavery Legalized

by Draugr & Element

Chapter 13: A Heart To Heart

---

[["Creative](%5C)](%5C)

This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License](%5C)

---

Georgio stood up, carrying his wolf with him.

"My silly wuff..." he said, chuckling, then kissing him again. He walked up the stairs, cradling the wolf against him. Randall spent most of this time wiggling in, just to be closer to his master, loving the feeling of having someone care for him.

"After our bath, we'll get the last of the laundry, and I'll show you how to fold them, okay?" As they reached the bedroom, something struck his mind.

"Oh! I promised you we could do anything you wanted tonight...have you thought of anything?" the feline said, stepping into the bathroom and placing Randall down by the tub. He turned on the warm water, beginning to draw a bath.

"I...I just wanna be with you, and make you happy. Whatever you want, I want. That's what I want," he said. His master began stripping down, and Randall followed his cue. He suddenly realized he didn't even feel the smallest hint of nervousness, which made him quite happy. "But...I'll try and think of something during the bath."

"And you keep telling me you're not some tame little slave, hehe...but, you know, Randall...I love you, and that means I want you happy as well, so think of something YOU really want, not if I want it, okay?" Georgio turned the water off and slipped in, purring as he patted his lap.

"I'm not...tame..." Randall said, although he didn't sound nearly so pouty nor convinced about it as he usually did.

"Come sit in my lap, and let me hold you, my sweet wuffie," Georgio said, shaking his head at his wolf's insistence. Randall gulped, looking at the water - but with his recent admission of love toward his master, he was feeling quite safe, and risked entering the bathtub. He stepped in gingerly, holding tightly on to his master's paw, until he was in his lap, where he finally relaxed. Georgio gently turned him around, so that they were chest to chest, giving him another kiss on the muzzle.

"Hmm...you always get so upset when I call you tame...it's your hot button, one of the reasons you get so angry..." He ran his paw across Randall's cheek, and the wolf leaned into it, loving the intimacy - even though his master was treading into dangerous waters.

"You're scared...scared to accept this fully, no matter how much you want. Just because you have these alpha instincts and strong urges...it doesn't mean you have to obey them or follow them. Your heart says 'I love this lion, and I want to be his,' but you won't give in, so you fight it, and get angry...you have to learn to accept this...or not."

"I want to be yours...but I'm still not tame!" he said loudly, getting a little bit irked. Randall didn't like the 't' word much. The wolf was convinced he had survived as long as he had - intact, more or less - because he didn't let himself be tamed. It wasn't an easy thing for him to give up, even if he had already done so in action. Actually saying so in words was a harder thing to do - it meant he had to admit that to himself. Despite his irritation, he leaned into his master, enjoying the sensation of his head rising and falling with each of the lion's breaths.

Georgio just held him close for a few more moments, rubbing his back, and scratching him around the ears, trying to put his wolf at ease before he continued. "You see how aggressive you got just because of that little word? What if someone called you that when we were out walking? You're scared, I understand that, but I love you...and I don't want to lose you, so by the Gods, don't let your pride get you killed, Randall. Ta-, well, that word...it isn't a horrible word...what do you hate about it so much?"

"Wolves aren't tame," he insisted. "There's no such thing as a tame wolf. Hmph." Randall did think about it a moment longer, though, his master's words having got through to him. What really bothered him about that word? He wasn't quite sure. Maybe genetics, for one thing - his species had a lot of alpha pride, and his master was right, it got them into trouble a lot.

"Tame makes me think...of some, some...some robot, with no free will. I may be a slave, but I can still think for myself!" he proclaimed.

Georgio pet Randall's cheek, chuckling. "Randall, you know, I don't want you as some robot, you have a mind...thoughts and feelings all of your own. You know that, but you know...deep down, somewhere, it's something you have to surrender and give in, I think you want that, honestly." He looked into Randall's eyes, smiling gently, despite the wolf's growing tenseness. "Wolves, like lions, have a hierarchy, they do as their alpha tells them, and I'm your master and your alpha here, but your thoughts of being tame...are off." He kissed him softly, nuzzling him. "Being a slave...surrendering means your Master takes care of you, and I know you like that, I've seen it. But when you say you're not tame, you don't convince me. When you get those alpha urges...well, wolves with stronger or more powerful ones suppress the others, and that makes him the alpha."

Randall muttered something under his breath that was completely unintelligible. It didn't seem like he was ready to admit any of this to himself, at least not out loud, and it didn't seem like he was very happy at all. His ears were flattened back against his head in anger, not submission, and his teeth were bared, though he didn't dare do this in the direction of his master. He wanted to hold on so badly to his alpha pride, even though what he really wanted was to submit to a master and be taken care of, and please others before himself. The two parts of him were at odds, and right now they were being tested.

The lion held him close, knowing something was going on inside his slave, trying to think of what to say.

"What about...your pride, as a slave? As my slave?" Georgio gently held Randall's chin, directing his gaze into his own eyes. He saw Randall's anger in there, and frowned a little, wishing he could help the wolf accept what he really wanted to be. Randall diverted his eyes off to the side as best he could - his master was making him a bit nervous, forcing him to consider all of this.

"I chose you out of everyone else possible on that auction block...I have a deep trust, and a deep love for you. Those are things as a slave you can have pride in - you're my personal servant, you're the only one I want at my side...to serve me, love me, protect me as well, from those that would try to hurt me." The lion leaned in to kiss him, then pulled back.

"You don't have to remove your pride...but see past what you think, and see the pride you feel in here," he said, placing his paw over the wolf's heart. "You think your pride is all in your genes, in your thoughts...but, think about it. Where have you felt the most proud? Serving me, and making me and yourself happy...or being some alpha in a pack? You have worth, you have your own thoughts and feelings, and even independence...but you have to ask yourself...which side of the coin does your heart tell you that you would be most proud to be on?"

"I...I guess that makes sense," Randall said, having listened to his Master's side of things. "A different kind of pride..." Randall tried as best as he could to swallow that "other" kind of pride and bury it, but it wouldn't go away...not completely.

"I still don't like the 't' word," he said, his stubbornness not yet allowing him to completely budge.

Georgio smiled and kissed his nose. "That's fine, but you have to put up with it. When people say you are tame, instead of snapping at them, just take it in and know that you know better, that your master gives you room to breathe and be your own person. So if someone says how tame you are, you're not going to react badly to it, understood? That can get you in trouble."

"Ooookaaaaayyyyy..." Randall pouted, resigning himself. Georgio smiled, then sunk further into the tub, holding the wolf close. Randall breathed in sharply, flinching at the sensation of being further immersed - but he held on closely to his master, knowing he'd be kept safe.

"My sweet, wild, wolf...I know this is hard for you on many levels, but as time passes...maybe you'll be okay with more and more things, alright?" he said, scratching his wolf's belly.

Randall smiled then, though - no canid can resist the allure of a good belly scratch.

"Well...maybe in the meantime...I can just...splash them instead!" he exclaimed, using his paws to throw water into his master's face. He grinned, not even thinking that may have been a little out of line.

Georgio chuckled, taking hold of the wolf's paws. "Hey, hey, jeeze! But, I'm serious, Randall. If you get out of line one day with this temper of yours, you could be taken from me...likely neutered...maybe even put down. I'd have a chance to get you back in court...but...those chances aren't great, you know?"

"Nobody is going to take me from you." Randall lunged forward and gave his master a tight hug. It would have taken several furs to peel him loose. Georgio smiled, pet his cheek once, and kissed the top of his head.

"That's why I'm pushing this for you, and want you to do that punishment a couple times a day until I say otherwise...it is to remind you of what anger can do. That very well could have been Kana...or even me."

Randall let go at the mention of that.

"I'd never hit or bite you or Kana! Ever! No matter what!" The wolf seemed genuinely shocked at that idea. He couldn't imagine himself ever hurting anybody...well, except maybe his former masters. Or their friends. Or Trent. Or his "trainers." The auctioneer, who had raped him the night before he'd been sold to the lion. The slave police...not Tom and John, of course, they were nice furs. Also anybody who tried to hurt his master...the list was a bit longer than the wolf had expected, but still, Master and Kana were not on that list.

"For me to bite you...I'd have to be...really, really, really...oh. Angry..." he said, looking down, seeming a bit disappointed in himself.

Georgio softly pet his wolf's head. "That's exactly my point. The reason I want you to do that twice a day...once at night, and once in the morning, is because you need to keep that anger in mind, and in check, otherwise we are going to have problems. Remember the pancake incident? You were just beginning to trust me, and I made a comment about your fur...you could have easily bit me, or tried to assault me. You have to learn to control your temper, otherwise it will control you, alright?"

"I wouldn't have done that! I ran away, remember? I didn't want to hurt you." Randall thought a moment. "But...I guess if I couldn't have run..." He gulped, not liking where that train of thought was leading him.

Georgio gently grabbed Randall's chin again, once again redirecting the wolf's gaze to his own eyes. Randall whined and tried to wiggle his head free, then just resigned himself to looking off to the side, folding his ears back. "I have an idea as to how we might find the root of all this anger of yours...but it's dangerous, for you and for myself, and either of us could be injured...I don't want to have to go that far, that's why I'm trying now to talk to you about it, try to figure out why you're so quick to anger. And don't say it's because of genes...I met at least a couple passive wolves in college."

"I don't like the sound of that," he said, then tried to think of how to answer. He didn't want to put his master in danger. "I'm...I'm angry, because that's how I survive," he said, leaning into his master. "But...now, you can protect me," the wolf said, as though this were a fundamental law of the universe.

Georgio stroked along his back, resting his cheek atop Randall's head. "That's right, you don't need to worry about survival anymore, because you know you're okay now, don't you? You don't need to protect yourself anymore. You have nothing to be scared of, nothing to worry about...because you have me, Randall, I'm going to protect you and care for you and love you always, alright? And I know you'll protect me and love me and care for me back."

Randall nodded, his muzzle moving up and down in the damp fur of his master's chest.

"Just...don't expect me to change all in one day. I've survived like this for years and years now, y'know?"

Randall tried to think back to only three days ago, and could barely remember that time. The wolf he was then seemed so alien and unreal. He'd changed quite a bit, yes - his master had helped bring out the wolf he was supposed to be. But there were still a lot of things to work on. His anger. His pride in being the "alpha". Little things, like eye contact, his fearful reactions to simple, harmless actions. His clingy nature towards his master; distrust of strangers. All these things would take time to melt away, and the wolf felt a bit apprehensive about the days to come. To him it felt like his master was asking him to strip away his identity, and completely change who he was. Which he was willing to do, out of his love, but it was still frightening.

But maybe...maybe those things aren't really me...maybe what Master is saying is that I need to stop all that stuff, so I can be who I really am?

Randall shivered a bit - the water was beginning to feel cold.

Georgio let Randall think awhile, knowing he had a lot to mull over. He filled the bath with some more hot water, feeling the wolf shiver up against him.

"I don't expect you to change that quickly, Randall," he said finally. "It'll take time, but you have to promise me to try hard to watch your temper, alright?" Randall nodded affirmatively. He'd try, for his master.

Georgio frowned, noticing how hard it was for Randall to meet his eyes. He pushed Randall away a bit, cupping the wolf's head in his paws. The wolf tensed up a bit, but didn't struggle much. "I love you, Randall. I promise it'll be okay...but, look at me, and count to ten, and don't look away, okay? I just want to see if you can at least try."

It took about a full minute before he could muster up enough guts to raise his eyes. He looked up and was almost instantly stricken with fear. His better was looking at him. A free fur. What if he was struck, for challenging his master's position over him? What would those eyes see, if they stayed on him much longer? There were things Randall never wanted to share with anyone, horrible things, what if those secrets were revealed? Would his master still love him, knowing what had been done to him? What he had done?

He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, trying to use the pain as a distraction.

"One..."

"T-tw-"

He lurched forward and buried his face in his master's chest fur.

"Don't make me Master, please." he pleaded.

Georgio wrapped his arms around Randall, rocking him a bit, soothing the upset lupine. "Shh, it's okay...you did very well for a start. If you can remember...try to do this a couple times a day, just to work on this. Something you can take pride in, understand?" He leaned back against the tub wall, relaxing with his wolf, still holding him tight. "Mmm...my sweet wolf, I love you, you know that?"

"I love you too...just...just...I don't wanna repeat that," he said, rubbing his muzzle back and forth across the lion's chest. In a way that had been one of the worst things for him to endure. "I'm...I'm afraid I'll see something I don't like...but mostly that you'll see something you don't." Randall had spent so much time around such evil furs that eye contact terrified him. All he ever saw in another fur's eyes was burning lust, malice, and completely apathy for his own well-being.

"I'll...I'll work on it, Master, but I really don't want to..." That's a stupid thing to say...what matters is what Master wants, not what I want... he thought. And...I'd like to be able to look in his eyes, someday...

"Well, alright, how about this...we'll work on it every now and then. I'll ask, but if you don't want to...just say no, and I won't make you.

"Okay." Randall said. That sounded much better. He could just say no indefinitely...well, now, that was a bit unfair. Master wanted him to work on it, and he wanted to make Master happy. He'd have to face his fears sometime.

"Now...how about we enjoy our night, okay? Have you thought of anything?"

Randall's head was racing at his master's question. What did he like to do? He'd never really had many opportunities to do things he enjoyed...consequently, he didn't really know what he enjoyed doing. Suddenly he thought of something, something that often brought him comfort when he was in bad situations.

"Is it dark outside?" he asked, unsure.

"Hmm? Well, yeah, its getting there, Randall," his master answered, giving him a curious look. "Did you have something you wanted to do tonight?" He kissed his nose, smiled, even more curious now at the odd question.

"Can...can we go outside, maybe? Just lay in the grass and watch the stars?" Randall hated being alone at night, even back with his previous owners, but as long as his master was there alongside him, he'd feel fine.

"I used to do that, back when I was owned by...the others. I could pretend I was a king of an entire solar system, way up there, and none of the other...stuff...was happening. For a little bit, my life could just melt away, and I'd feel like a real fur again..."

Randall smiled a bit, lost in his thoughts. Suddenly he realized how what he was saying must be coming across to his master.

"Not that I want to escape from you!!! I love you, I love being here, and I love being your slave. It's just...relaxing."

Georgio chuckled at the wolf's clarification, he thought it was cute, how hard Randall tried to make him happy. "Well, of course...so, you want us to go out, naked? Or is that too much for you? It's warm tonight, I won't be cold if you aren't."

"Naked is fine." Randall said, the word sounding funny to him. He giggled a little bit.

Georgio nuzzled him, giving him another kiss. "And I know you love me, and love being my slave...I love you as well, and I love the fact that you're mine, and nobody else, and that you'll always be with me."

He leaned back into his master, and mumbled something - it seemed like more a reassurance to himself rather than anything specifically for anyone to hear.

"Nobody can ever take me away from you..."

Georgio smiled, holding Randall for a few more moments, before he kissed his ear, picked him up, and got out of the tub. "Well, let's dry off, would you like to help me?" He set Randall on his feet, grabbing a pair of towels, and let the tub drain. As he stood on one of the towels, he began to run another over his body, drying out his fur.

Randall, however, was still dripping wet, and couldn't resist his instinctive reaction to shake dry. Rather than drying himself off the rest of the way, however, he got down on his knees to help his master dry off first. His master looked down at him, and sighed.

"Stop that! Use the towel to soak up all the water you just sent everywhere...from now on, if you want to shake dry, do it in the stand shower please...ugh..."

Randall folded his ears back and looked down as he was scolded, feeling bad that he'd done something wrong. He quickly got to work drying everything off. He had to wring the towel out once before he could completely finish. He wrung it out again, dried himself off, then wrung it out a final time before laying it over the edge of the tub, in a nice and neat fashion.

"Good boy, Randall!" Georgio praised, pleased that he was at least cleaning up after himself. Randall felt a bit better...if not a bit ridiculous when his master told him he was a 'good boy.' That's something you did with a pet dog...but his tail wagged and his ears perked up anyway, knowing that he was fixing the mess he'd made in a satisfactory manner. Going by his body language, he obviously enjoyed that term.

Georgio held his paw, and walked with him out to the bedroom, where he abruptly picked him up, eliciting a surprised yip from the wolf. It felt good, being in the lion's arms, surrendering his control to someone he trusted - he just hadn't expected it.

"Come on, Randall, let's go lay naked in the backyard and cuddle together, okay?" He kissed his head, and smiled, looking down at the wolf in his arms. "Who is my beautiful loving wuffie?"

Randall licked his master's muzzle. "I am," he grinned. "I'm yours." The lion kissed him back, walked down the stairs, and out to the sliding glass door that led to the backyard. His master slowly let him down, holding onto his paw the entire time.

"Don't worry, the yard is enclosed, Randall...nobody could see us even if it was daylight, alright?" he exclaimed anticipating a possible panic attack. Georgio went and laid down in the grass, indicating a spot by him for Randall to lay. The wolf enjoyed the feel of the cool grass on his footpaws, but he really wanted to lay next to his master - so he walked over, and laid beside him. This was like so many other nights...except this was of his own choosing, this time. He wasn't miserable and hungry, chained to a post with an aching tailhole...he felt wonderful. As Georgio pulled Randall up, so that his head was laying on his chest, the wolf curled up beside him, pressing against him for warmth. He was still somewhat thin from his years of abuse, and didn't stay warm as easily.

Randall looked around, seeing that the yard was indeed closed. Strangely, he felt safe because he was trapped in the enclosed area. Nobody could get to them. The wolf laid there a moment, watching the last dying light of the sun disappear until the next day, and first tiny pinpricks of light appearing from stars unfathomable distances away.

"You know, I don't lay out here nude as much as I wish anymore...or even in the house...maybe we could make this an everyday thing, before and after I go to work...what do you think, Randall?"

"Whatever makes you happy, master," Randall replied, a little distantly since his head was up in the stars at the moment. Georgio just laughed in response.

"Randall, when I ask you something, I want your opinion on it...your thoughts matter a lot to me." He nipped his ear playfully, giggled, then continued. "Silly thing, and here you tell me you're not a 'yes-sir,' 'no-sir' kind of slave, heh."

"Not at all.." Randall said, licking his master's nose, knowing he was just joking with him. They laid there a few moments, before Randall suddenly spoke up.

"Why did you pick me?"

Georgio's ears popped up at the question. "Hmm...well, honestly? When I saw you? You looked like you'd been beaten and broken and battered so much...that, well...hmm, how do I put this?" He scratched him behind his ears, knowing the wolf liked that. "You resisted them for so long...frankly, I just thought I would have a go with it, I'd try my approach and see if I could bring out the real slave in you...the sweet thing laying by my side now, that loves his master and wants to serve him." Georgio looked away a moment, taking in a deep breath, wondering if he should continue - he knew Randall was still a bit sensitive about some things. Hearing no objection, however, he went on.

"Not like a challenge, or anything, but...I was close enough to see in your eyes, and, well...they screamed...help me, save me, love me, protect me...and, own me...they also said 'back off, or I'll tear you in two,' hehe, but that was just fluff on the top, as we know now." Randall simply nodded, either he hadn't heard, or he was beginning to accept that about himself - a small little twitch of his ear, a tic he had when he got irritated, though, told Georgio he had heard. That he wasn't responding was probably a good thing - it meant Randall was on the path of acceptance, which meant he was already beginning to heal his emotional wounds.

"So...why did you not decide to run, ever? I mean, really run, instead of that mistake you made before, when you thought I'd discovered your escape plan...why haven't you...well, why haven't you tried to resist me or anything, like you did your old masters?"

Randall's eyes watered a bit as his master asked that question, but he tried not to show it. He didn't know how to explain how he felt - that there actually existed a fur in this world that would care that much about him. That meant a lot to him. The wolf wasn't sure how to answer the next question. It took him a few minutes to formulate a good answer.

"I don't have any reason to...I'm happy here. You're the first fur I ever met who treated me like I had worth. I ran from my old masters and resisted them so much...because they were just...evil." Randall clutched his master tightly, some of his fear returning to him at the mention of his old masters.

"You don't ever want to see what I saw in them...if I didn't resist, I was afraid I'd become like them. Bitter, evil, incurable. I almost did...If I ran from here...I'd be running from everything I've ever wanted. I have someone I love and someone who loves me. I can't run from the only fur in the world that I can trust. I'd be lost again."

With the sunset, the cool night air was beginning to set in, and Randall huddled in closer with his master, seeking his warmth. He paused a minute longer, before adding in a much less serious tone of voice:

"Well, all that, or it could just be because Trent threatened to make a wolfskin rug out of me if he ever caught me again."

Georgio rubbed his back, drawing his arms more tightly around his wolf, wanting to keep him warm and safe. He rolled Randall so that he was on top of himself. "I didn't know he threatened you...that big dragon guy? Well, if we see him again, we are going to have to insult him big time, by you being a perfect slave, and being okay when you hear the world 'tame'...even if it's just pretend, for just a moment." He kissed him softly, caressing his thighs, but was careful not to get too close to anything, for fear of scaring the abused wolf.

"And...you could never be like them, Randall. When I see your eyes, even just in the few moments you allow me to look in them...I see nothing but a loving slave...caring, protective, and honest. A little cutie, wanting to be held at night, cuddled and loved unconditionally. I don't see any real hate or anger in you, or evil at all...what do you see in my eyes, Randall? Honestly?"

Randall hid his face again. "I duwannalook..." he mumbled. He rolled off to his master's other side, burrowing underneath him just a little bit, as much as the soft, curvy ground would allow.

Instead he tried to draw on old memories. It took him a few minutes to recover his composure.

"When I was up on the auction block...I singled you out. You looked like...someone different. Everyone else there just wanted me for sex and for a punching bag. I didn't recognize what I saw then, but...I guess...I don't know what you'd call it. Truth? Honesty? Just general...goodness? My heart almost stopped dead when you stopped bidding for just a second, right after that tigress's last bid. I guess I didn't consciously know it...but something in me wanted you to win me. It feels so alien to me to have someone I know I can trust with anything." Randall ran his paw over his collar, truly loving the feeling that he was owned by this lion, and that he could trust him for everything he needed, and in everything he confided with him.

Georgio pet his head, chuckling at his shyness.

"Randall...is looking at me so awful? Am I that ugly?"

"No, Master!" he protested.

"Are you scared I'll strike you? Scared you'll see something you won't like...or that I won't?" The lion flipped him back over, giving him another kiss. "Randall...no matter what is good or bad about you, I love you, and I'll never let you leave my side, not ever...I want to own you as my slave forever, nobody else's...I accept all of you, your flaws...your pros and cons...like a mate does."

"Thank you, Master...I'm not scared of you...it's just...the eye thing..." he trailed off. His master's reassurances made him happy, though, and he went back to looking up at the stars. This time, though, he didn't imagine himself as king of a solar system, but rather him and his master living a simple life way out there somewhere, away from all his earth-bound fears.

He rolled over, sitting atop Randall's hips, looking down, and smiling at him. He layed up against his chest, then licked his chin a bit playfully, purring. "So, my great king of the sky, enjoying yourself out here with your humble little lion servant?" he giggled. Randall yipped, a bit apprehensive. He knew Master wasn't going to harm him in any way, but still, he was pinned, and his body couldn't help but react even if his mind was fine. This time, however, it was a passing fear, and his body was soon both still and relaxed. He actually liked the sensation, when he thought about it - Master having complete control over him.

"Is there anything I can do for my all powerful sky king?" Georgio continued, once he felt Randall relax. "Can your lion servant be of any use? Hehe!"

Randall shook his head no. "I'm not imagining that, not anymore. I'm still your slave, we're just...just away, from here."

Georgio cocked his head, looking at him curiously. "Oh? You've gone from my king to my servant, even if your fantasy? How come?"

"Cuz I'm happy like this!" Randall exclaimed, smiling. "I don't wanna change a thing."

The lion laughed a little more. "So, where are we, Randall?" Georgio nuzzled his chest, one paw also rubbing it gently. He purred, his other paw clasped with his wolf's, sighing contentedly. "Tell me all about this fantasy world you and I are in...and how I made a mighty sky king into a slave, hehe."

The wolf moved a paw up, and pointed towards an odd configuration of stars that were closely lumped together.

"We're somewhere in there. A nice, green world, that the slave police, Trent, the auctioneer, my old masters...nobody knows about. Well...maybe Kana and the kids, and John and Tom could come too."

"I think we would all like that," Georgio said, nodding. The lion took hold of the wolf's arm, pulling it around behind his back. He purred, giving another contented sigh. "We should all go on vacation together sometime...maybe Disney World or something...I know you'd like that, and so would Kana and the kids." He gave the wolf's chest a soft lick. "So, what kind of things could we do on that green world? Are there parks there? Beaches? Oceasn? Modernized society?

"Ummm...I guess I haven't really thought about that."

"Mountains." he said, after a little bit. "There's lots of mountains. Nothing too fancy. Just a roof over our head. A nice big lake. Just for the view, not for swimming." Randall did not like to swim after living with his previous master. "And you wouldn't have to leave me to go to work."

Randall frowned, realizing that tomorrow would be another repeat of that situation, and he moved in closer to his master, clutching him tightly. He gave his master's muzzle a small lick.

"Do ya hafta go to work again..." he whined.

Georgio kissed him gently. "Tomorrow is Friday, Randall, we have to leave for the wedding, remember? We'll be together the whole weekend."

"Oh!" Randall perked up at the mention of this, having thought he'd need to endure another long day without Master. Although Kana was great, and so were the kids...and even John and Tom, though a little intimidating...but nothing was a substitute for his master.

Georgio kissed his nose, then rolled off, laying on his back, and pulling Randall in close to him. "Tomorrow, we'll get up, shower, pack a few things for the wedding...head out by noon. It'll probably be a couple hours of driving, if you want to sleep, maybe. Are you nervous about it at all?"

Randall softly whined - although he'd forgotten about the wedding, with all he'd been through, there was one thing that concerned him. "How many furs are gonna be there...?"

Georgio smiled, hugging him closer. "You'll be right next to me the whole time, I promise...on the leash, if you really want." Georgio nuzzled him a bit, kissing him on the cheek. "You'll be fine, I promise Randall. They'll be about three hundred total for the wedding, and since my invite was me plus a guest...how would you like to be my date, for the wedding?"

Three hundred??? To Randall, that number was no different than if his master had said three thousand. If he had the leash to connect him to his master though...maybe that would okay. That was how he had made it through the previous excursion.

"Randall?" Georigo asked, concerned about his silence. "Would you like to be my date, for the wedding?"

"That sounds nice," Randall said, yawning. "I'd...I'd love to."

Georgio pet his cheek and smiled. "Aww...poor thing, you're tired. How about you and I go to bed? We can sleep in a little, if you like." He kissed his head and stood up, gently helping the sleepy wolf to his feet. He walked with him back into the house, holding his paw the entire time. "You're that scared about the idea, huh? Well, Randall, if you don't want to, you can wait in the hotel room...or here, if you want. I'll miss you, but it's okay if that's what you want."

"No! I wanna see it." Randall said. "I'll behave, I'll try my best!" he promised, misinterpreting his master's suggestion as something much more dire.

"Good boy." Georgio thought of something else, something he wanted to make very clear. "And Randall, one outburst at that wedding and I promise you I will leave you in the hotel room the entire time, okay?"

"I'll behave, I really will...I don't wanna be alone," he repeated, gripping his master's paw more tightly. He paused as the reached the threshold to the bedroom again, but was able to will himself through the doorway, a big improvement from last time.

"Wow! The bed looks great...you did a great job, Randall," Georgio said, noticing how the bed was made. Randall's ears flushed at the compliment. "Thanks...but it was mostly Kana," he said quietly, climbing into bed with his master. He dove in under the sheets, turned around underneath them, and poked his head out the top, laying on his stomach, then wiggled up next to his master.

Georgio chuckled, pulling the wolf over so his head was resting on his chest, wrapping his arm around him. "You're so adorable." Georgio kissed his nose, then nuzzled him softly before pulling back, his usual gentle demeanor suddenly growing more serious.

"Randall, I think it is time I tell you something important...about why I understand you so much."

"What do you mean?" Randall asked, yawning again.

"Well...you see, Randall...I don't understand all that you've been through...but I understand some of it." Georgio laid back, staring at the ceiling while he collected his thoughts a bit more.

"I assume you are aware of the basic slavery laws...specifically, the ones allowing parents to enslave their offspring? Randall nodded, looking as though he knew the basic jist - he hadn't thought about such things in quite some time, though.

"Okay, you know how parents can have their kids enslaved? As long as they are still a dependent?" He rubbed his back a little, feeling memories coming back to him from his old life. "After high school, at age seventeen, I was planning to go to college for some sort of education major, I believe...I don't remember much, I wasn't that far along in my planning...anyway, a few days after I graduated, my parents came to me with a pair of slave police. I was cuffed, collared, and brought to the processing center to be enslaved...

Randall was shocked. No matter how hard he tried, he simply could not imagine his master with a collar, much less enduring the things he had. He gave his own collar a small tug as he thought about this. Although it sounded like he'd not gotten quite as bad of the end of the stick as the wolf had, it was difficult to take in, nonetheless, and must have been a horrifying experience. Randall's parents at least had not betrayed him like that...though his own enslavement was not of his choosing, and for life instead of a year, the thought terrified him. Someone he thought loved him turning on him...

No, no, no. That's a ridiculous thought, Master would never turn on me. Especially after his own parents did. You're letting your fears turn you irrational...

Georgio let this sink in to Randall's mind for a bit, before continuing, seeing the surprise in the wolf's face.

"My parents had me enslaved for a whole year...needless to say, it was not the best of birthdays a few weeks later...even though they knew I treated slaves well, I guess they knew I needed perspective in life, and a direction, and frankly not to be the back talkie little shit I was heh, so they thought a year in a collar would be a good idea." He kept smiling, not wanting Randall to get the idea that he was upset about his past. "I was auctioned off two weeks later to a horrid master who beat me, tortured me...even raped me the moment I hit eighteen and it was techinically legal...whenever I was even slightly bad. He didn't beat me bad enough to draw blood, for whatever reason...I'm grateful for that, at least...but after being treated like that, I had direction, I knew what I wanted to do. I majored in slavery in college, finally deciding to take over my dad's business, so I could find slaves like you good homes, and families that would love them."

Randall took a few moments to process all this, before he finally reacted.

"That's horrible!" Randall exclaimed. "Why would your parents do such a thing..." He hugged his master, for once trying to comfort him, instead of seeking comfort himself.

"At least you had an end in sight, though, right?" That was one thing Randall had never had the privilege of - during those horrible five years, he'd thought the rest of his life had nothing better in store. "I didn't think someone like you could ever exist back then...much less that I'd wind up with you."

"Hey, it's okay, I'm not mad at them, in fact, I'm grateful...they really gave me a perspective on life and what I wanted to do...I was even tempted to ask them to extend my sentence for another year, heh..." Georgio nuzzled him softly, drawing in close. "But, when I realized someone like me wasn't too terribly common...I thought it better to be a master than a slave, to take a job where I could help young lifers find good homes, come to love their owners, and even being a slave. I know it might be hard to imagine, but I'm even grateful for that horrid master as well, for showing me exactly what to avoid."

"I guess so...I still wish you hadn't had to go through all that...I think you'd be nice even without all that having happened." Randall burrowed in next to his master's side, getting ready to fall asleep.

"Maybe, but even if I didn't I'm sure I would still be right here with you, loving you with all my heart, and owning you as mine, and mine alone, in my full control," Georgio said, licking his ear softly. "Now, stay close, and keep Master warm tonight, okay? And have good dreams, promise?"

Randall yawned again. "I promise, Master..." He drifted off to sleep not too long after. His dreams were mostly good. Some about living on the planet way out in the universe in that cluster of stars that he had invented. Some that almost were a perfect mirror of his new life. But sometime near the morning he dreamt of seeing his master at the door to his house. For some reason, Randall was outside, shivering, cold, and wet. His master was holding the door open, beckoning him to come inside. He tried running, pumping his feet in the real world as well as the dream world, but he only seemed to be losing ground. Behind him waited the angry jaws of his past tormentors, eager to swallow him up and abuse him anew. The dream passed, however, but he lay there shivering, his subconscious not yet ready to release him from all his fears.

Georgio's own dreams were strangely absent, save one, just of the wedding, where he walked in with his beloved slave beside him on a tight leash so he couldn't leave his side - not that he wanted to. He was awoke mid-dream, however, by Randall's feet, moving as though they were running. He thought he heard the wolf whimpering, like he was scared.

"Randall?" he lightly shook him, a little more each time. "Randall, hey...come on, wake up, it's okay...I'm here, Randall..." The wolf struggled a few times against the lion's touch.

"No...no...no...I won't..." he mumbled before snapping awake. He saw his master beside him and relaxed. It was just a dream. The wolf wordlessly started pushing himself underneath his master - if his master had hold of him, nobody else could get to him.

"Just bad dreams, Master..." he mumbled when he had finished, quickly drifting off to sleep again.

Georgio looked surprised at Randall's reaction, then smiled softly, happy that he was able to give comfort and protection to the needy little wolf. He held him, gently rubbing his sides, and stroking his head. He saw the alarm nearly ready to go off, clicking it off quickly so he didn't wake him.

"You can sleep a little longer," he whispered. For the next hour, he just held him, hoping he was having beautiful dreams again...and admiring just how beautiful the wolf was, himself.