A Daughter's Return

S.M. Wolf

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Kayla is copyrighted by Kittiara. Master David Wolf, Mike Canaria, Pamela and Charles Otterbein and this story are copyrighted 2010 by S.M. Wolf. This story may not be reproduced or otherwise distributed except with the prior written permission of the author. Any resemblance between the story and characters and any person, living or dead, is coincidental.

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Kayla lay face down on the bed. The otteress' muzzle was buried in the soft pelt of Master David, her wolven owner and lover. Her body lay on his belly before curving off to the side with her lower abdomen and legs lying on the bed.

From the waist down Kayla's body was tingling in the afterglow of over two hours of sex. Her breasts would have felt the same way, but, pressed against her Master's belly, her nipples were already sending a different and very agreeable sensation to her brain's pleasure centers.

In the six months since she had given herself to Master David completely, Kayla had undergone many changes. She was still not always the most willing of participants in some of the more kinky sex acts that her Master favored, but she had come to accept all of them and enjoy most. Her sexual repression was evaporating at the paws of her gentle lover who brought her such great emotional as well as physical pleasure. She still mainly liked times like tonight when they lay in bed together and mutually pleasured each other into exhaustion. For her it was the perfect way for two furs who loved each other to spend the night.

The change in her attitude about sex was not the only major adjustment in her life. After the six months of hell in the Academy and the uncertain start of her life in the penthouse, Kayla had begun to open up and experience life again. She was still tight-lipped about her past and how she came to be a slave, and Master David allowed her to remain quiet on that front. It was clear that he was there for her if she ever wanted to talk, though.

Kayla smiled up at Master David. Right now she wanted to show her Master how much she appreciated him again.

The otteress crawled up Master David's long, lanky wolf frame in an almost predatory manner. Her belly pressed against his, and she settled her crotch above his belly button in preparation for mounting him again.

"Kayla," Master David said in a surprisingly serious voice, "can we talk?"

"I'd rather do something else right now, Master," Kayla replied playfully as she dipped her head and kissed her wolf.

Master David took Kayla's face in his paws and held her still just above him. She looked into his eyes and saw unexpected concern if not outright worry. Her playful mood evaporated.

"Kayla, this might not be the best time to ask this, but I think we need to discuss it now.

"Would you like to see your family again?"

Kayla just stared at Master David in utter shock.

"I know it can be difficult," Master David continued in a rush, "and you may not even want to do it, but I think it is time that I give you the option. It may be tough, but I think it would be a good idea if you let them know what happened to you."

Kayla blinked several times. Master David's words started to sink in slowly. He wanted her to go home and see her parents and siblings.

How could he be so cruel?!

All Kayla could think was her showing up unannounced at the front door and telling her family, "Hi! I'm here for a moment to tell you I am a sex slave who graduated from the Academy and now serve a horny, kinky wolf as his sex toy. Bye!"

Kayla was certain how badly that would go over!

"Kayla, talk to me," Master David said insistently.

Kayla tried to turn her face away, but his paws held her in place.

"Master David, would you like to know that your daughter suffered my fate? Remember, even you do not know all of it," the otteress said with some heat.

Master David looked her right in the eyes and replied, "I know that I would want to know what happened to someone that I loved, even if it was horrible. I would want to see them again, and have them be part of my life."

Kayla snorted.

"Fat chance of that happening with me!"

"Why?" Master David asked in surprise.

"I'm a slave! I cannot just leave and go off anywhere I want!"

"Why not?"

Kayla looked down at her lover. She opened her mouth to reply but then closed it. She realized that with her Master, even though they had never actually discussed it, she likely could come and go as she desired. She certainly went enough places with him when she asked to go and he came along. It was a totally foreign concept to one indoctrinated into slavery at the Academy. All thought of independence had been systematically drummed out of her mind and body by the harsh training of the Government-run sex slave factory.

That training had little to do with the reality of her current status. She might be a slave in name, but more and more she was treated as a freefur and had considerable and growing responsibilities. She shuddered at the thought of how many credits were on her credit stick. It was more than all of the credits that she had made as a forensic accountant at her old firm. There were also her new friends who never cared about the collar around her neck. To them, it was just some jewelry she happened to wear.

"Okay, I probably can go home without you sending a patrol to hunt me down and capture me as a runaway slave," Kayla conceded. "Why would they want to see me?"

The last question came out through trembling lips. She had tried hard not to think about her family and old friends. Her life before entering the Academy and becoming a slave was dead and gone. She had no hope of ever regaining it. It was better to just lock the memories away and not think about any of it ever again.

"Because you are their daughter and sister. That means more to them than I think you realize," Master David replied. "The Academy, I am sure, tried to make you think that your family would hate you now."

Master David sighed.

"I'm sure that is true in some cases, but, given who you are, I doubt that your parents would fall into that category. They could never have raised someone as wonderful and loving as you are if they were otherwise."

Master David released Kayla's head.

"Think about it. You are welcome to go at any time if you wish."

Kayla turned away and slid onto the bed. She lay with her back to her Master. Her pleasant mood was gone. Right now she wanted nothing more to do with her Master this night.

Master David laid a paw on Kayla's shoulder.

"I am sorry if I upset you, Kayla," the black wolf said into her left ear. "I know it is hard, but you need to know that you have the opportunity now or at any time in the future."

Master David gave Kayla a quick peck on the cheek, turned over and went to sleep back-to-back with his otter slave.

Kayla lay on the comfortable bed trying to find sleep, but unconsciousness eluded her. Long locked away memories invaded her thoughts. Silently she cursed her Master for bringing them back to life. She had loved her family. Their loss had been one of the hardest parts of becoming a slave. It was one of the main reasons she had become so withdrawn and uninterested in life at the Academy. The threat of losing more of those she loved like her coffle restrained her emotions and attachments to others. Master David was starting to teach her another, better way of life, but she still had her fears, fears shared by all slaves.

What if her mother and father rejected her? What if they threw her out of the house and demanded that her Master flog her for the impudence of coming to their home uninvited and unescorted? What if they no longer considered her to be their daughter, just a piece of property?

These and a multitude of other questions haunted Kayla's night. She could not sleep and rose looking haggard and wan.

Master David paused at the door to the private penthouse elevator. It was time for him to leave to take charge of Wolf Enterprises for another day, but he took Kayla in his arms and held her tight for several seconds. He tilted his head down and kissed Kayla.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you by bringing up your family last night. I can only imagine what it is like for you, but I know I would want to see mine again, even if I were still a slave."

Kayla was brought out of her funk by his words. Unlike Kayla, he had been sold into slavery by his pack at birth. His desire to see that pack surprised her.

"I cannot imagine why you would want to see them, Master David. Why could you possibly desire seeing those wolves?"

"Because, despite everything, they are my family.

"I have no love of them. There is no emotional attachment. However, I would like to know why they did what they did. Seeing packs like Canaria Pack leave me wondering how any pack can give up a cub to a life of slavery willingly. I wonder what compelled them to do it.

"In your case, you have a long history with your family. I thought..."

Master David's voice trailed off. He stood holding Kayla for a moment more before kissing her and releasing her.

"I'll be back around six tonight. If you want, get something special ordered in or make reservations for a nice restaurant. Call up Val and Todd if you want too."

With a grin, Master David disappeared into the elevator. Kayla was left alone in the penthouse.

Well, almost alone, Kayla thought to herself as she went upstairs to the exercise room. I still have the burning issue of seeing my family again.

The otteress worked out as hard as she could, but even physical exhaustion did not drive thoughts of her family far from her mind. They popped back in as soon as she paused in her exercise regime. Silently she cursed her Master for dredging up her dead and buried past again.

There was no resolution to Kayla's problem that day or for several days to come. Her Master was attentive and caring as always, and he seemed genuinely contrite, but, when he was away, Kayla was torn by the issue. She loved her family. She knew that she wanted to see them again, but could she take their rejection and scorn for her becoming a slave if that were the case?

After a week of introspection and sleepless nights, Kayla found herself sitting at the desk in Master David's penthouse office. Before her was access to one of the finest computer networks in the known universe. She had been given access months ago and had used it for a variety of reasons, but never had she used it for her personal use. Now she found herself contemplating the unthinkable.

The easy part first, Kayla thought to herself.

"Access mapping program. Search for Bayberry Lane in the town of York," she instructed the voice command system.

A hologram appeared in front of Kayla. An orbital view of Elysium appeared. The globe spun until she was looking at the region northeast of the capital. The view expanded. She almost felt like she was falling at great speed through the atmosphere. The descent stopped suddenly, and Kayla found herself looking at a birds-eye view of her old street.

It was a one block street in a middle class subdivision of a small town. She followed the road southward to the last house before the corner. She could easily distinguish the light gray shingles of her old home. The privet hedge her father had planted over a decade ago framed the edge of the lawn. Mentally she filled in all the rooms beneath the roof. Her eyes watered a bit as she thought of the joy she had felt living in the crowded house with her parents and the rest of her kith and kin.

"Center on the south end of the road and show street view," Kayla commanded the computer.

The display zoomed in again. There was a bit of a blur, and then she was apparently standing at the south end of the road looking northward. The view showed a street that was starting to show its age a bit, but the houses were still well kept and the lawns well manicured. Her eyes roved over the houses she had known so well growing up. Each brought back a memory of a friend, neighbor and even childhood rivals and enemies.

Kayla found her tears growing much more intense when she looked at the blurry image of her old house. She had to stop and wipe her eyes repeatedly before continuing.

"Rotate image thirty degrees counterclockwise and zoom two hundred percent."

The computer did as ordered.

Kayla gasped.

Outside the house, halfway down the driveway was a lamppost. From the cross arm, a sign hung. It said simply Otterbein Raft.

Kayla had made the sign in middle school when the home economics and shop classes had switched for six weeks. The males had made shirts; the females had made signs. She had been so proud of carefully cutting the sign to the correct size and using the router and guides to cut the letters into the wood. She had painted it in bright colors and presented it to her parents when she was done. She had thought that they were just going to put it away somewhere, but that weekend her father had attached a couple of eyebolts to the cross arm and hooks to her sign. It had been a fixture outside their home ever since then.

And it was still proudly proclaiming the residents within even after Kayla had fallen into slavery.

"Computer off!" Kayla nearly shouted. The display went dark.

Master David found Kayla face down on a sofa balling her eyes out when he arrived home that night. He could not get her to explain what was happening, but he did hold her close and comfort her as well as he could. It was easy to tell from his look that he was troubled by her misery and reticence, but he did not order her to tell him what had happened.

More days passed. Kayla tried to immerse herself in her duties, but her thoughts kept returning to the slightly fuzzy image of her old home and the knowledge that her family still lived there.

Kayla stopped inspecting the latest bill for the penthouse utilities. She looked up and frowned.

The mapping program used images from robotic vehicles that canvassed the streets of Elysium. The image of her former home could easily be several years old. Even fourteen months ago she would still have been a member of the Otterbein family raft, not a sex slave.

Suddenly Kayla was uncertain if her parents were still living at the old house or not.

Kayla ducked her head and stared at the clenched fists in her lap. After several uncertain seconds she stood and walked to the office. She had to know.

"Computer, access mapping program Return to the final address and view from my last session."

The image of her old home reappeared in the display.

Kayla took a deep breath. In a shaky voice, she said, "Identify current residents of this house."

Almost instantly driver license pictures of her parents appeared in the display.

"Otterbein, Charles and Pamela." The computer proclaimed in a toneless voice.

Kayla stared at the display without seeing it. Instead she was overwhelmed with emotions as suppressed memory after suppressed memory came crashing through her mind. All the memories, all the feelings, all the joy of her old life returned in a tidal wave. She broke down crying again.

"Additional information is available," the computer added, but Kayla did not hear it. Instead she spent the next hour curled up in the chair shaking from all the emotions running through her.

Kayla's sensations ran the gamut from love of her family to hatred of her Master for holding them out to her again. A fatalistic resignation crept in as the knowledge that her parents were alive and living in their old house seeped down into her brain past the emotional storm raging through her mind.

When Kayla finally calmed down she noticed the flashing message on the screen. She frowned. What additional information could be available? Given the computer systems of Wolf Enterprises, it could be almost anything. With some trepidation Kayla ordered the computer, "Display additional information."

Words immediately appeared beneath the pictures of her parents. Most of it was mundane and uninformative. She already knew their species, ages, sex, height, weight, etc.

"Stop!"

Kayla looked carefully at the last line of the display.

Her father still worked as a middle manager at the steel wire company. She knew that he hated the job, but it had allowed him to raise Kayla and his other progeny in relative comfort and security. With the last of his pups grown and out of the house, he would be working towards his retirement and hoping that his vested pension did not magically disappear in a bankruptcy or other management trick.

Her mother had always worked odd jobs to help out with the finances. They were all minimum wage positions that did not use her college degree, but they had put food on the table. Now she was listed as unemployed.

It was not the first time that her mother had been unemployed, so the young otteress was not particularly surprised. She had lost her job a week ago according to the information being displayed. Kayla knew that she would be taking it with good nature and equanimity, but she also would be tearing through the house cleaning every surface as she worked through her frustration at losing another job that she did not like.

Most importantly, she almost certainly would be home alone this afternoon.

Kayla's body grew cold at the thought. It was just before noon. She could be to the house by three o'clock, well before her father would come home or any of her kin would visit. She could see her mother alone and find out how much her parents hated her. She could leave without seeing the others or stay depending on what happened.

Kayla sat up in the chair. She pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around her calves. She stared at the images in the display and thought about seeing them in the fur again. It was a terrible risk, but she felt her heart pulling her towards home.

Kayla closed her eyes and ducked her head. Aloud she said to the room, "This is stupid."

Nonetheless, Kayla stood and went upstairs. She took a quick dip in the whirlpool tub to clean up. Even the warm water and strong jets could not relax her tense body. She dried off and went to her closet. She selected a nice but somewhat plain dress. She did not want to flaunt her good fortune in case things went badly. She dressed and slipped her credit stick in her clutch purse. She also slipped the petite communicator her Master had given her over her left wrist. She was certain that it would allow him to track her movements, but she did not care right now.

Kayla took the elevator down to the apartment building lobby. Mike, the young gray wolf doorman, met her at the door.

"Good afternoon, Lady Kayla!" he said cheerfully as he touched the brim of his cap in salute. "Are you awaiting Mister Wolf?"

"No, Mike, I have a short trip to make."

Mike's eyes grew wide. He was well aware of her status as a slave. She could even see him checking the collar around her neck. She misinterpreted his actions, though.

Mike looked crestfallen. He looked down at his feet and asked, "Um, are you escaping, Lady Kayla? If so, I'll get the right people here and make sure you get away safely."

Kayla suddenly remembered the night that she had tried to escape from Master David. She had returned to him willingly even if she had not understood why. Later she had learned that there was a plan in place to ensure her safety and rapid emancipation if she had decided to leave.

"No, Mike!" Kayla responded with more vigor than she had intended.

The young male wolf's mood brightened considerably.

"Good! I was hoping we would not lose you too."

It suddenly occurred to Kayla that Mike must have seen a lot of Master David's slaves before her flee the penthouse. He likely had been instrumental in meeting and guiding many to their new lives.

"I'm planning to be around for some time, Mike," Kayla assured the wolf.

"But, right now, there is something personal I need to do.

"Can you get me a robotic cab?"

"Sure, Lady Kayla!" Mike replied. He sprinted outside to get her transport. She grinned at the retreating wolf. He was so young and enthusiastic. She was glad that he was a friend to her Master and her.

Kayla found some credit bills in her purse. As Mike helped her into the cab she slipped them into his paw.

"Lady Kayla! I cannot accept this!" he said in shock and surprise when he saw the hundred credit notes.

"Too late. Mike!" she laughingly replied as she closed the door and the cab sprang out into traffic. It was always fun to win the never-ending game of giving Mike large tips to support his pack.

"Destination?" the robot driver asked.

"Forty-one Bayberry Lane, York."

There was a delay of several seconds while the computer calculated the route.

"This address is outside the normal operating range of this vehicle. Additional fees will be added. In addition, you must pay for the trip in full now. Failure to provide credit will result in the police being notified," the cab autopilot informed her in a stern voice.

Kayla was not surprised by the request for prepayment, but the threat of turning her over to the police raised the hackles on the back of her neck. It was not an empty threat. She knew several slaves that had been sold to the Academy after minor violations like this. The Government used it as a "recruiting" method to ensure a steady stream of slaves into the system.

For now she inserted her credit stick into the reader and waited.

"Thank you, Ma'am!" the robot said in a suddenly more respectful tone. She gathered it had been programmed to respond favorably to large credit balances. It was not surprising as the rich on Elysium were dangerous to cross but very profitable to serve.

"Do you require anything?" the voice asked. She could swear that she heard a hint of hope in its tone. No doubt the cab company had programmed it to extract maximum credit from its richest customers. As a former accountant, she knew that add-ons and upgrades often brought in far more than the base price of an item or service.

"Not at the present time. Please alert me when we are fifteen minutes from my destination."

"Certainly, Ma'am! In the meantime, please sit back, relax and enjoy your ride! And thank you very much for choosing Orange Cab Company for your transportation needs today!"

Someone had definitely programmed respect for credits into the cab software.

Kayla sat back and watched the city pass by. It took an hour to get out of the capital proper using the surface streets. The cab entered the expressway towards her old home and sped up considerably. She saw the exit to Anders. That was where her old apartment and job were. Briefly she felt a pang of terror. It was also where she had been kidnapped. From there, she had been taken to the Academy and sold. Likely they had taken this same road into the capital that fateful night.

The exit passed along with another. At the third exit the cab diverted onto the surface highway. Kayla recognized the road that she had taken so many times going back and forth to see her parents.

"Fifteen minutes to arrival, Ma'am."

The otteress really did not need to be told. She knew that this was the exact halfway point in the thirty minute trip from her apartment to her old house. Kayla stared out the windows and watched the road roll by.

In ten minutes they entered York. It was a small town that mostly catered to professors at the nearby private university. It was middle class and conservative to the core. One of her friends, in explaining why she wanted to get out of York so badly, had compared it to the fictional town of Stepford.

"I don't want to live in a town populated by Stepford Wives the rest of my life!" the female blue jay had told the otteress. She had to wonder what her friend would say if she knew Kayla's current status. As an Academy trained sex slave she was about as close to a living Stepford Wife as anyfur ever got in real life.

Kayla watched as the ice cream store that she had frequented growing up came and went. A left turn took the cab past her old middle school, high school and elementary school. At the end of the road the robot turned right. Kayla looked out the left windows. She could not see the houses in her old subdivision, but she could see the trees on its edge.

A left turn brought the cab onto the main road serving the subdivision. Kayla's heart was pounding now. She could see familiar houses sliding past. Another left turn brought them into the subdivision proper. Kayla looked about half expecting to see furs that she knew. For better or worse, most furs were still at work or school. There were only a few toddlers and preschoolers playing outside much as she had done twenty years ago.

There was one final turn onto Bayberry Lane. Looking out the front window brought back the many years that she had lived here. Her eyes were drawn to the last house on the right. She stared transfixed at it as the cab pulled up in front of her old home and stopped.

"We have arrived at the destination, Ma'am."

Without taking her eyes off the house, Kayla said, "Thank you."

"Do you require anything else, Ma'am? Perhaps a ride back to the capital? Do you wish me to stay here and wait for you?"

The last question brought Kayla's attention back to the cab.

"I'm not sure how long this will take."

"I can wait approximately forty-six hours before I will have to recharge my fuel cells."

The cab did not mention the cost of the wait, but Kayla assumed it had calculated that the credits she had would be plenty. Not surprising considering her balance. She mulled over her options before deciding to risk returning her cab. She still had one more question.

"How do I summon transportation?" she asked.

"We have an affiliate nearby. It will take fifteen minutes for a cab to arrive once summoned. Do you want me to download the information to your communicator for your convenience, Ma'am?"

Kayla looked at the communicator on her wrist. She shrugged. It was Wolf Enterprise issue. It probably had better protection against spyware, Trojans and other threats than the average planetary defense computer. She flipped it into receive mode.

"Yes, please."

A download bar flashed across the display. A moment later her phone book appeared with the name of a local cab company added to it.

"I have taken the liberty of notifying the affiliate of your need. They will expedite a cab for you when you call, Ma'am."

"Thank you."

"We are pleased to be of service any time, Ma'am!" the robot driver responded as it opened the door for her.

Kayla exited the cab and stepped onto the driveway. She was barely aware of the vehicle's door closing behind her and the cab speeding away.

The house still looked the same - the same orange-red bricks, the same white garage door, the same covered front porch, the same manicured hedge, the same post light. The now empty large picture window that was so often filled with holiday decorations stared back at her from the center of the facade.

Kayla gathered her courage and forced her fears down. She could be running away in tears in a minute, but she had to do this! She had to know, no matter how much she could get hurt.

The otteress slowly walked up the driveway and onto the porch. She went to the front door and pressed the doorbell. Inside she could hear the five chimes bong in sequence to announce that there was a fur at the front door. Kayla took a step back and nervously wrung her paws as she waited. What if no one was here? What if her mother had company? What if-

The door suddenly swung open, and Kayla was face to face with her mother.

"Good afternoon, Miss. How can I help you?" Kayla's mother asked her.

Kayla's heart sank. Her own mother did not recognize her! She was crestfallen and almost turned away to run down the driveway, never to return.

Pamela's face shifted from helpful attentiveness to puzzlement. There was something odd here. She looked at the well groomed otteress standing on the porch looking like she was about to cry. Her scent was masked by her perfume, but she looked almost familiar. Pamela could not place the femfur's name or where she had met her, and for some reason it bothered her immensely.

"Ma- Mama?" Kayla managed to croak out through her suddenly dry mouth.

Pamela blinked several times in utter confusion. Her entire body went numb and cold in shock as she realized that it was her daughter standing before her. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words emerged. She could only stand there staring at her daughter.

Kayla was almost ready to turn and run away when her mother finally snapped out of her shock.

"Kayla!" Pamela screamed before throwing herself onto her daughter. Kayla found herself being almost mauled in the intensity of her mother's joy at seeing her again. Both otteresses' eyes filled with tears as they broke down crying in joy.

It was a good five minutes before Pamela let go of her bear hug on Kayla. She still kept her paws firmly entwined in Kayla's.

"Where have you been?! What happened?! We missed you so much!"

Pamela went on for some time even as she pulled Kayla through the front door and into the house. Kayla glanced around. It appeared as if no other furs were home at the moment. Her mother's excited chittering would have brought any of her siblings or father running.

Pamela pulled Kayla to the living room couch and forced her to sit. She wrapped her arms around her daughter and pulled her down tight to her bosom. She continued to pepper Kayla with nonstop questions for some time.

"Kayla, are you alright? Are you in trouble?" Pamela asked before she finally managed to stop her torrent of questions.

Kayla gave a little shake. Her mother let her free so that she could sit up and look her mother in the eyes.

"I'm okay, Mom," Kayla managed to get out around her sobs. "I'm not in trouble, at least now."

"Then why did you just disappear like that?! One day you were here; the next day you were gone.

"We filed a police report and canvassed your old neighborhood, but no one ever saw you. The police were no help! They said you just vanished into thin air! They kept looking and looking for you, but they never had a clue where you went."

Kayla stared at her mother in utter disbelief.

"The police... The police told you that they couldn't find me?"

"Yes!"

Kayla leaned forward and covered her face in her paws. She had always been afraid that her parents would hate her for being a sex slave. She had never considered that they might not even know her fate.

"The bastards. The bloody, damned bastards!" Kayla said angrily through clenched teeth.

"Kayla! What's wrong?"

"They knew. They knew exactly where I was. Every minute of every day for the first six months. They knew exactly what I was doing. They could have told you at any time."

Pamela stared at her distraught daughter in shock.

"The policefurs knew where you were?" she asked incredulously.

Kayla shook her head yes.

"Kayla, how could they know, and why didn't they tell us?

"_ What happened to you, Kayla?! _" Pamela nearly screamed. She was shaking in fear of the answer.

Kayla took a deep breath. She had never thought that she would have to be the one to break the news of her new status to her family.

Kayla sighed and set her paws down on her thighs. There was no choice. Her mother had to know, and she was the one who would have to tell her. She could not look at her mother. Instead she stared at the coffee table in front of the couch without really seeing it. She decided to get the worst over quickly.

Kayla raised her paw and tugged on her collar.

"Do you see this?" Kayla asked her mother.

"Yes," Pamela replied in a confused voice. "It's a nice necklace, but I don't see what-"

"It's not a necklace, Mother," Kayla interrupted. "It's a slave collar."

With a heavy heart she turned to look at her mother. A look of utter horror was etched upon her face.

"I was kidnapped and sold to the Academy to be trained as a sex slave."

All color drained from Pamela's ears and lips at the mention of the infamous Academy.

"Oh, by the gods, NO!" Pamela screamed at the top of her lungs.

Kayla thought that her mother was rejecting her, but instead Pamela grabbed her and pulled her close. Her mother was crying uncontrollably as she held her young daughter. She kept repeating "No! No! No!" over and over again for some time.

When Pamela's first wave of hysteria subsided she said around her crying, "Kayla, I am so sorry! We should have protected you. We should have kept you safe. Gods! The Academy! How could anyone survive that hellhole?"

Kayla answered her last question, "By having some very good friends."

"Some of the guards helped you?" Pamela asked

Kayla actually snorted derisively.

"No, they just helped themselves to any of us they wanted," she replied bitterly.

Seeing her mother's anguish, Kayla quickly continued, "No, I had several good friends among the slaves. Trouble, Marla, Zassa and Jenny managed to help me survive."

Kayla looked her mother directly in the eyes and said, "I am not going to lie to you. It was hell,

"But it is over and done with. There is nothing you or I can do about it. It is in the past - over and done with forever."

Pamela looked at her daughter. She was surprised at the intensity and even strength in her daughter. Kayla had hardly been fragile, but there was a certain steel in her voice and her body language that surprised her mother. Her daughter had changed much in the time that she had been away.

"Kayla, we still should have found some way to find you and get you back."

"The Government was hiding me. Nothing leaves the Academy without their full knowledge and approval, including their slaves.

"You never had a chance."

Kayla saw her mother start to speak again. She was sure that her mother would again profess a failing on her part, so Kayla quickly said, "It was my fault anyway, not yours. You tried to warn me, and I did not listen.

"So you see, you did try to protect me. My foolishness and pride were what got me enslaved."

"How..?"

"Richard," Kayla said bitterly.

Pamela stared at Kayla with an uncomprehending look.

"Richard? What does your old boyfriend have to do with this?"

"He is the fur that kidnapped me. He's the one that sold me to the Academy."

Pamela erupted like Krakatau.

"I'll kill that bastard ferret!" Pamela screamed.

"Only if you get to him before me," Kayla replied with considerable steel in her voice.

Pamela went on for some time about ways to cripple, maim, mutilate, torture and slowly kill the ferret of her enmity, but eventually she asked, "Why did he kidnap you and sell you into slavery?"

"He is a professional corporate spy. On Elysium, they play very, very rough, and they are not afraid to eliminate furs that get in their way as I learned firsthand.

"I was on the trail of someone who was using our company to double bill Wolf Enterprises. Richard was using his position in the mail room and information center to gain access to accounts. He initiated bills and siphoned off the money when they were paid. He learned that I was getting close and arranged a trap for me.

"Instead of killing me, he sold me to the tigress who is the Head Mistress of the Academy. I was just a little extra cash for him, a fringe benefit of the job. He was mad because he had to disappear before he wanted to leave because of me, so he wanted to be sure I suffered."

"I am going to bite his balls off if I ever see him," Pamela flatly declared.

Kayla believed her.

With considerable effort Pamela pulled herself together. She realized that Kayla was right. The past was the past and unchangeable. What mattered right now was her missing daughter was here, alive and reasonably well.

"Kayla, you said that you are a slave."

"Yes, Mama."

"A- A sex slave?"

Kayla wanted nothing more than anything to lie, but she knew she could not.

"Yes."

Pamela closed her eyes and started crying again. Tears dribbled down over her cheeks.

Kayla turned around and grabbed her mother's shoulders.

"Mom, stop it! It's not bad at all."

That certainly got her mother's attention.

"'Not bad at all'? How can it not be bad! You get used - Raped! - for some lecherous fur's sexual pleasure-"

Pamela suddenly stopped and covered her muzzle with her paws.

"Kayla, do you have a Mistress?"

Kayla managed not to laugh at her mother's distress. She could intellectually still understand her mother's reaction to the thought of her daughter being owned and used by a femfur, but after the Academy her sexuality was effectively bisexual even if she still preferred a male between her legs.

Kayla smiled and replied in a warm voice, "No, I have a Master.

"A very loving, kind and gentle Master."

Pamela looked at Kayla like her daughter had grown a second head.

"How can you say that? He owns you!"

Kayla was about to reply when her mother panicked.

"By the gods, what are you doing here without him? Did you escape? Are they coming for you? We have to hide you right away!"

Pamela half rose and started pulling Kayla off the sofa.

"Mother! Settle down! Everything is fine."

Pamela stared at her daughter with a dumbfounded look, but she did sit back down without a protest.

"I'm sure he knows where I am and approves of me being here. He started the whole thing a few nights ago when he suggested that I come to see you."

"He wanted you to come here?" Pamela asked incredulously.

"Yes, he did," Kayla replied firmly.

"He said that he thought you would want to see me again, to know that I was okay."

"I do!"

"I thought about it for a few days before deciding it was worth the possibility that you would utterly reject me to see you again."

Pamela raised her right paw and stroked her daughter's face.

"Kayla, I will never reject you, no matter what you do, no matter what happens.

"You are my daughter, and that is all that matters to me."

Pamela pulled her daughter close and held her. Much of the tension drained out of both of them as they quietly sat holding each other. Neither spoke, but there was no longer any need for words. Kayla was home. Her mother still loved her. That was all that mattered to either of them.

They held each other and talked of many things until early evening. The pair of femfurs only broke their embrace when they heard the door to the garage open and a cheerful voice call out, "I'm home!"

Kayla stood and turned. Her father walked through the door to the family room. He had gained a couple of pounds and some more grey hair, but otherwise he looked just like he always had, When he saw her he stopped and looked at her in shock.

"Papa...?"

"Kayla?!" he half asked, half stated in a voice suffused with utter joy.

"Papa!"

For the second time that day Kayla was nearly borne to the ground as she was enveloped in her father's enthusiastic embrace.

There was a lot more crying by all three Otterbein otters. Kayla did not care. She was home with her parents, and it was alright to cry so long as the tears were tears of love and joy.

Charles Otterbein held his daughter at arm's length and quietly asked, "Kayla, what the hell happened to you?"

Before Kayla could respond, her mother interjected, "Nothing good! But just be happy for now that she is back with us."

A troubled look appeared on Pamela's face.

"At least for now."

Charles looked back at Kayla and asked, "Are you leaving again?"

Kayla nodded her head yes.

"I have to leave, Papa, but not right now. I am pretty certain that I will be allowed to return pretty much whenever I want, so it is not like this will be the only time you ever see me."

Charles' attention centered on one word.

"'Allowed'? Kayla, what or who would stop you from coming and going as you please...?"

The older male otter's eyes went to Kayla's neck. He saw the beautiful band around her neck and suddenly understood. He started to shake.

"Papa!" Kayla cried as he turned his head away and started to cry bitter tears. "It is alright! It is not your fault."

Pamela embraced her mate and held him tight.

"Let him cry for a bit, Kayla. It helps. I know."

Pamela turned her husband's face to look at her.

"I spent the past few hours going through all of this. It hurt like hell, but Kayla convinced me intellectually that it was not my fault or your fault. I doubt that she will ever convince me emotionally, though.

"Go ahead and hold her tight and cry while I find something for dinner. Afterwards we can talk."

Pamela paused for a moment and then added, "If it makes any difference, I think she's in love with her Master."

"MOTHER!"

For the first time since learning that one of her daughters was a sex slave, Pamela Otterbein smiled.

"Well, am I wrong?"

Kayla had no answer for her mother. The older otteress just smiled a smug little smile and headed for the kitchen.

Dinner was a frozen pizza heated up quickly to satisfy the hunger of the three otters without taking away their time together. Throughout the meal Pamela kept her tail entwined with her newly returned daughter's. Before she would have embarrassed Kayla by doing so. Now it was just a sign of affection and love that warmed Kayla.

Inevitably the conversation turned to Master David.

"Kayla, you said that you were a sex slave, and that... things... happened to you." Pamela said.

"Yes, Mother," Kayla replied softly.

Pamela screwed up her courage and asked in a sudden burst of words, "Does your Master rape you?"

Pamela seemed to recoil from her own words. Her look was one of embarrassment and fear.

Kayla reached across the table and took her mother's paw.

"We sometimes have sex. We often make love. He has never raped me."

"Does he beat you?" Charles asked in an angry voice.

A lot of things went through Kayla's mind. She had no intention of trying to explain the S&M portion of her relationship with Master David to her parents right now. It was personal between the two furs anyway.

Kayla looked her father in the eyes and outright lied.

"No, he does not."

"What?" Charles asked in shock. "That's what we always hear happens to slaves when their Masters are mad at them."

"I have only been punished once, and it was not a beating."

"What did you do?" Charles asked in an edgy voice.

"I tried to escape."

Both of her parents gasped. Her mother leaned forward and hugged herself. She knew that something terrible had happened to her daughter for that transgression.

"What did he do to you?" she asked her daughter fearfully.

Both older otters were surprised at Kayla's bark of otter laughter. That their daughter could be laughing and smiling about her punishment was incredible to them.

"He tickled me."

"Tickled you?" her mother asked in confusion.

"Yep! He spent a couple of hours playing with my feet since he said I had developed 'happy feet'. He used a feather, his fingers and his tongue."

Both of Kayla's parents continued to stare at her.

"It really was not bad,' she assured them. "It was more a formality, an acknowledgement that I had done something seriously wrong in the eyes of many including the Government."

Kayla added wryly, "Not that he really believed it. He had a car waiting to take me to freedom if I had decided to leave."

Kayla turned much happier as she added, "I'm glad that I stayed!"

Pamela looked at Kayla and asked in a voice filled with wonder, "He was going to let you escape? Just walk out the front door and leave forever?"

"Yes. He's actually an abolitionist. He has bought and let many slaves escape. Others he kept for the year and a day that the law requires before a slave can be freed. I've met some of them. Several are on his personal office staff."

Kayla looked back and forth between her parents. They were just staring at her.

Finally Pamela asked, "Kayla, who is your Master?"

"David Wolf."

"That name sounds familiar," Charles mused.

"He's the owner of Wolf Enterprises."

Kayla's pronouncement that she was owned by the richest fur on Elysium was a bombshell for her parents. They could only stare at her in wonder. Kayla just let her words sink in as she nibbled on the last of her slice of pizza and waited for them to recover.

It was some time before her mother finally asked, "Can you tell us about him?"

Kayla smiled a bit shyly and looked down at her plate.

"Remember how I told you he was kind and gentle and all sorts of other good things this afternoon?"

Pamela nodded yes.

"Well, he is.

"Whenever I'm with him he's so attentive, like I am the only thing on the planet that matters to him. He never raises his voice to me in anger, even if I make a mistake. He is that way with all his employees as well. He considers them his 'extended pack', and he treats them just like family.

"He takes me out at night. We go to restaurants and shows. He took me to a charity ball shortly after he bought me, and he had me introduced as 'Lady Kayla'. Not slave, not concubine, not even guest. 'Lady Kayla'.

"I think he truly cares about me. I know that I am coming to care for him immensely.

"And, yes, I do think I am falling in love with him."

Kayla took off her communicator and laid it flat on the table. She called up the photos stored on it and selected one taken by Valentia. They had been out at a pub having fun. Kayla had sat in Master David's lap. Their eyes had met, and both of them had smiled. Valentia had taken the photo at just the perfect moment to capture all the love between the two furs.

Now Kayla selected the photo and enlarged it as far as the communicator would allow. Her parents looked at the photo in wonder. It was astonishing to see their daughter in the lap of a strange black wolf, but there was no denying the look of love that was passed between the pair. For now it quieted their concerns though they were still having trouble dealing with Kayla's slavery.

The three sat in the family room talking for the rest of the evening and well into the night. Her parents asked her about what she did. She left out the kinky bits and glossed over the sex. Mostly she talked about the penthouse and her role in keeping it going. Her parents marveled that she had so much authority. She talked a lot about her new friends Valentia, Todd and Mike. Her mother nearly swooned when she heard about the charity ball and how her Master had romanced her after the ball was over.

Her parents told her about her siblings and their own life over the past year. Her youngest sister, the last of the kits, was away at college now. Her two older sisters were still working and not married yet. Her three brothers were still employed by the local government. All were still in the capital and its suburbs. They still came home on a regular basis.

"We'll have to call and tell then you are back!" Pamela suddenly said as she realized that they had not informed the rest of the family of Kayla's unexpected return.

"Could we wait, Mom?" Kayla asked. "I'd like to have tonight with just you."

Charles asked, "Kayla, how long are you going to stay?"

Kayla had not really thought about that question. She had assumed when she left the penthouse that she would be here for only a couple of hours at most and return before bedtime.

"I'm sure I could stay indefinitely," Kayla said, "but I think it would be best if I went back tomorrow. I'm sure that I can come again anytime."

"Bring your Master," Charles told Kayla. "I want to meet him."

Kayla recognized the hard edge in her father's tone. She and her sisters had heard it frequently in their teenage years when they talked about their dates. He wanted to give Master David a piece of his mind about keeping his daughter as his personal sex slave. She could understand his desire to protect her, but it might cause problems. Still, Master David was well able to take care of himself.

"I'll ask him to come, but he may not be able to make it," Kayla temporized.

Her answer satisfied her parents for the moment.

It was late that night before the otters went to bed. Her parents did not want to leave their daughter, and Kayla wanted to spend as much time as possible with them, but eventually her parents grew too tired to continue. They gave Kayla her old room and left her for the night.

It was strange going down the hall to use the bathroom again just like she did for most of her life. She had to towel off her fur when she was done with a quick shower. She could not help but think as she missed her fur drier that there were some definite benefits to living in the penthouse.

After she returned to her bedroom, she slipped out of her borrowed bathrobe and started to get into bed. There was a light knock on the door.

"Kayla, it's me," her mother called softly.

Kayla went to the door and opened it enough to stick her muzzle through.

"Yes, Mom?"

"Can I come in for a minute, Dear?"

"I'm not wearing much right now. Mom."

Pamela frowned at Kayla and said, "I saw you running buck naked around the house more times than I care to remember. Before that, I was changing your diapers. I helped you pick out your training bra.

"I don't think the sight of your naked body is going to shock me."

Kayla opened the door and let her mother in.

"I'm not afraid of you seeing me naked, Mother," Kayla explained. "The Academy... Well, they got rid of our nudity taboos fast. I could walk down the street dressed like this, and it would not bother me now. I just did not want to offend you."

"How can the sight of my beautiful daughter possibly offend me?" Pamela asked rhetorically.

Pamela pulled her daughter close again.

"I just wanted to see you one more time before I go to sleep and tell you that all of your old clothes are in the closet. We kept everything of yours in the hope that you would be coming back one day. I doubt that you need it now, but they are still yours."

"Everything?" Kayla asked in astonishment.

"I think so. We picked up everything from your apartment and got what we could from your office. We boxed most of the things away and put them in the closet and the attic. We can get them out for you and have them sent to you if you want."

"I do!" Kayla replied enthusiastically. She had thought that all of the mementos of growing up were gone. Apparently most were not. It meant a lot to her that her parents would keep everything for her. It helped open her mind and memories to her childhood and her life before slavery wider. She was suddenly looking forward to seeing her old yearbooks again.

Pamela smiled and hugged her daughter. Her eyes trailed downward to Kayla's throat.

"I see you are still wearing it, even when you are wearing nothing else," her mother commented. Kayla could tell that she was not happy.

"It is required by law that I wear a collar. At least mine is barely legal."

Kayla reached behind her neck and undid the hidden clasp. Her mother gasped as she took off her collar and held it out. She obviously had never expected a slave to be able to take off their own collar at will. For most slaves she was right, but Master David had undone that part of her indoctrination.

"The links are made from 14K gold. It is stronger and wears better than 24K gold. Otherwise Master David would have had it made of pure gold. The front has my name done in emeralds."

Pamela's muzzle opened in surprise as she learned that the stones that she had assumed were faux gems were real. She realized that they were worth quite a few credits.

"On the back," Kayla said as she flipped over the collar, "is Master David's name. Legally he has to show his ownership of me on any collar I wear in public, but I like to have it there to remind me of him when he is not around."

"You do love him, don't you?" Pamela asked.

Kayla paused for several seconds before responding.

"'Love' may be too strong a word at the moment. I like him immensely. There is a physical attraction to him, but it goes well beyond that. He makes me laugh, he makes me happy, and, perhaps most importantly, he makes me care about myself and others again."

Pamela pulled Kayla down to the bed. She sat facing her daughter.

"Did you stop caring about yourself, Kayla?"

Kayla tried to look away, but her mother gently pressed her paw against her face and forced her to look at her mother.

"Did you?" Pamela asked again.

"In the Academy, a lot of bad things happen. They try their best to break your will and turn you into a something instead of a somebody. At first it worked. I was alone and depressed, perhaps even suicidal though they would never have let me kill myself.

"My friends made sure that I got through the training. Their friendship helped me think of others, especially when we had to endure so much together. I never really opened up fully, though, because we all knew that any of us could be sold or even killed at a whim.

"Later, after they were sold and I was still at the Academy, something was going to happen that was worse than everything else I had been through. I had no one to help me get through it. I lost all hope.

"Master David happened upon me. He was tricked into coming to the Academy and saw me. He learned what was going to happen. He bought me to stop it.

"He showed me kindness and even love. That brought me out of my shell. Since then he has been helping me learn to live and be happy again."

"He sounds like a nice fur."

"He is! I'm sure you are going to like him, even if Dad is going to read him the riot act for keeping me as his slave the first time they meet!"

Both furs giggled.

"I'll work on that between now and when you bring your wolf here to meet us."

"Thank you, Mama."

"In the meantime, how about we get you some PJs or a nightie?"

Kayla did not think it would be a good idea to mention that she had been planning to sleep in the nude as she normally did. Her mother still thought of her as her "little kit" even if her bosom was now larger than her mother's.

Pamela held Kayla out at arm's length. She looked over her daughter's body.

"I think your old stuff will fit you.

"You look in good shape," Pamela commented. "I think you've lost some weight."

"We had to exercise daily with weights and other things. Since I came to the penthouse I have been keeping up my exercise regime."

"I think it has helped you," Pamela said grudgingly.

Kayla caught her mother looking over her body very carefully. It took her a moment to understand what she was doing.

"If you are looking for scars," Kayla said quietly, "the physical ones are gone. So are the piercings and other physical reminders of the bad times."

Pamela closed her eyes and turned her head away.

"I'm sorry," she said in a hoarse whisper.

"Don't be," Kayla replied. "It just means you love me and care."

Kayla took her mother's right paw from her shoulder and placed it on her left breast.

"I still have scars in here, Momma. They are going to take a long time to heal if they ever do, but today was a big step forward.

"I never thought you would accept me back like this. I kept my memories of you and the rest of the family, all my childhood - everything! - locked away. I never thought about you because I thought you would hate me for what I have become.

"Master David knew better. He told me that you would want to see me, to know what happened."

"We do!" Pamela confirmed. "Even the bad parts, as much as they hurt us."

"And you welcomed me back. You showed me that you love me. You let me know that I still had the part of my life before I became a slave."

Kayla broke her mother's grip so that she could hug her. Pamela responded in kind.

"That meant the world to me, Momma," Kayla said around her tears.

The two otteresses held each other tight for some time.

"You know, Kayla," Pamela eventually said, "we are going to have to buy a lot more tissues before you meet you brothers and sisters. It seems like all we do is cry!"

That caused Kayla to laugh hard. It was true, but at least the tears were joyful.

Pamela left Kayla to get some sleep. Both otters were tired and emotionally drained if incredibly happy.

In the morning Kayla surprised her parents by cooking a delicious breakfast.

"Looks like somefur has been taking home economic classes," Charles quipped.

Playfully Kayla responded, "Master David just got tired of me setting off the fire alarm every morning!"

All three otters laughed.

When they had eaten and were ready, they started calling all of Kayla's relatives to give them the good news of Kayla's return. The videophone reunions were every bit as joyous and tearful as her reunion with her parents. All wanted to come over immediately to see her. Soon the driveway and street were filled with cars as the entire extended Otterbein raft converged on the house. Kayla found herself repeatedly pounced and hugged by her family.

When all were there she explained a bit about what had happened to her. She left out the worst details, but all of her family turned a sickly shade of green at the mention of her time at the Academy. They could only imagine the horrors she had gone through there. They were much happier to learn about Master David and how well he treated her. She caught more than a few speculative looks from her sisters and other female relatives when she talked about him. Unaccountably she felt a blush coming to her cheeks and ears. That just elicited some elbow pokes and bigger grins.

Kayla showed her family several pictures of Master David and her new friends. There were more than a few comments about the penthouse and its view. By the time that she was done Kayla had managed to allay most of her family's worst fears. She did not know if she would ever tell them the full truth about what had happened and her current relationship with Master David, but they really did not need to know. It was enough for them to know that she had not abandoned them and that she was relatively happy now.

Kayla shocked her family by taking them all out to a late lunch at the best restaurant in town. A flash of her credit stick immediately got them a private party room and plenty of service.

"Just one of the advantages of having connections to the richest fur on Elysium," she quipped when her family tried to protest. "He won't even notice me using some of the credits he gave me."

Lunch went well. The food was excellent, and the company was even better.

After lunch no one wanted to leave, but it was the middle of the week, and they all had lives that had been interrupted unexpectedly by Kayla's return. Her family had to take care of many things that had been left dangling. One by one her family left until by evening it was just Kayla and her parents again.

"I have to go," Kayla told her parents.

"We know," Pamela replied. She hugged her daughter again. There were more tears in her eyes.

"Will we see you again?" Charles asked.

"Yes, I'm sure of it," Kayla replied. "I'll be back sometime soon, or you can come and see me."

"Will your Master be upset if we come?"

"No, I don't think so. He likes his privacy, but he is very good about having friends over. Call before you come so I can be sure that he wants company."

Kayla gave both of her parents another hug. The robocab appeared in the driveway, and the door opened. Kayla was walked to the waiting cab by her parents. They each gave her one last hug before letting her leave. They stood watching and waving as the cab sped away.

The trip back to the penthouse was far too fast for Kayla. She spent the entire trip curled up in a ball, remembering time and again her parents and family and the love that they had shown her upon her return. None had rejected her or hated her as she had feared they would.

Kayla still had a family.

When the cab reached the apartment building Mike was waiting for her. He opened the door to the cab and helped her out of it.

"Did you have a good trip, Lady Kayla?" the younger wolf asked.

"The best, Mike," Kayla replied as she handed him a thousand credit tip. "The best!"

Kayla did not even hear his protests as she walked away.

The otteress took the elevator to the penthouse. Briefly she was troubled about how she would explain her overnight absence, but it turned out that there was no need. When the elevator opened, Master David stood in the foyer waiting for her. He was wearing a big grin.

Master David said, "Mike called to say that you were back and rather happy. I gather that things went well."

Kayla took her Master in her arms and kissed him.

"Yes, they did.

"How did you know that things would go so well or even where I went?"

"I did not have you followed or tracked. I was hoping that you would go to see your parents or other family members. From what Mike told me about you being distracted when you left I was pretty certain that was where you went.

"I guessed things went okay when you did not come home. When Mike called up, I knew for certain.

"I did not know how it would go for sure, but I thought you needed closure for your past life."

"I would not exactly call it closure. They want me to come back."

"I'm glad," Master David said before he kissed Kayla.

"You might not be after you learn the rest," Kayla said wryly when their lips finally parted.

"What else is there?" Master David asked in a voice filled with concern.

"My entire family wants to meet you!"

Kayla just laughed uncontrollably at the shocked look on her Master's face. She was suddenly looking forward to taking her Master home to meet her parents.