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Mitchell & Michael

By Cyberklaw

Part 11 - Canine Recollections

"Well, I certainly needed that!" Said Mitchell as he strolled in through his front door. Zack and the two slaves close behind him, Daniel closing the door once they were all inside. "Thanks for talking me into the night out."

"Don't mention it." Said Zack. The muscular rottweiler stifled a yawn as he stripped off his jacket and handed it to Daniel.

Mitchell hugged Michael close, and the lion purred softly. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I am ready to curl up in bed and get some sleep." He said. "You can take the couch if you want Zack."

"Sure." Zack nodded. "Let's just get our slaves secured down in your dungeon and then we can all get some shut-eye."

The black panther frowned at the rottweiler, but remained silent. Zack noticed the look and knew what it meant. His friend wanted to say something to him, but in private.

"Daniel." He said. "Take the young kitty down to the dungeon and wait. We'll be down in a moment."

"Yes, Master." Daniel nodded. He guided Michael away in the direction of the dungeon.

When they were gone, leaving the two Masters alone in the hallway, Zack looked back to Mitchell. "I'm assuming there is something you wanted to say?"

"Yes, there is." Said Mitchell, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Why do you suddenly think you get to decide where both our slaves should spend the night? I was planning to have Michael in my bed with me tonight. I just didn't think it was a good idea contradicting you in front of the slaves..."

"And I thank you for that..."

"But why...?"

"Because I could tell you were planning to have your new little lion share your bed!" Zack interrupted. "And I didn't think it would be a good idea, so I made the decision for both of us. You let a slave share your bed too often early on, he starts getting the wrong idea, he can start to forget his place..."

"So you just decided to butt in and make decisions for me on how my slave should be trained?" Mitchell fumed.

"I decided to help, yes." Said Zack.

"What makes you think I need...?"

"You're falling for him, Mitch!" Zack stated. "You're falling for him more than you yourself probably realise. I've known you long enough to see it a mile off. And I expect his performance at Alpha's tonight, and admittedly he handled himself very well for a first-timer, has only strengthened whatever feelings you have towards him."

"That's no reason to..."

"You need to give him the full slave experience!" The rottweiler urged. "He needs to know exactly what he's getting into if you and he get together beyond this weekend. Otherwise, you run the risk of him being overwhelmed and freaking out over the whole thing later. And you know that. But your feelings for him were about to get in the way."

The panther just stared at him angrily. He wanted to refute it, but in all honesty, he couldn't.

"Look" Said Zack. "It's done now, and although you don't realise it right this second, it's for the best. It's late and we're both tired, so how about, if you're still pissed at me in the morning, we continue this then?"

Mitchell took a deep breath. "OK. We will talk about this more tomorrow."

"Something to look forward to then." Zack shrugged. "Let's go say goodnight to our slaves, shall we?"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Michael stood silently in the dungeon. His gaze was wandering about, seeing the room and its wide selection of equipment in a whole new light. The part of him that had been awakened by the trip to Alpha's Den was eager to try many of the things on display sometime in the future. And he wanted to try them as Mitchell's slave.

Daniel stood by his side, calm and silent, waiting for his Master as he'd been instructed. Michael's admiration for the German shepherd had only grown after seeing him in action at Alpha's that night.

They didn't have to wait too long for their Masters to return. Mitch and Zack came strolling down the stairs. Both slaves immediately straightened up, standing to attention.

There was a quick exchange of hugs and goodnights, and then the two slaves were ushered into the cage in the corner with a couple of blankets and told to lie down and sleep. The cage wasn't exactly huge, so it was a snug fit, and the lion and the dog were cuddled up together as they lay down. The cage door was locked and the Master's left them there, turning out the lights as they went back upstairs to get some sleep themselves.

The young lion lay there in the dark for what seemed like a very long time, Daniel's muscular form next to him, his mind racing.

He couldn't stop thinking about Mitchell. He wanted to be with him so badly, he wanted to be curled in bed with him, or better yet, suckling on his cock or restrained at his feet. Or even...

"Having nice thoughts?"

It was Daniel had spoken. Michael had assumed the canine had fallen asleep by now.

"Why do you say that, sir?"

"Because your hard cock is currently poking me in the stomach." Although it was difficult to make out in the darkness, Michael was sure Daniel was grinning.

"Err..." The lion had been too caught up in his thoughts to realise he was getting an erection.

"Don't worry about it too much." Daniel soothed. "I assume you were thinking of Master Mitchell?"

"Yes sir." Michael admitted.

"I do the same sometimes." Said Daniel. "When I'm alone in the dark I think of my Master and just can't help myself."

"But I thought we were supposed to control our erections at all times?"

"Well, maybe not at all times." Daniel explained "All appropriate times certainly. But I know all too well that there are times when you just can't help yourself. For example..."

He took Michael's hand and moved it toward his groin. The lion felt the thick hard erection.

"I was thinking about my Master as well." Daniel chuckled in the dark.

Michael retracted his hand, glad he wasn't alone in being seduced by thoughts of the Master he loved.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of." Daniel went on. "I like to think it's actually quite natural. You're alone in the dark, with only your thoughts for company. You think about your Master..."

My Master. The thought of Mitchell as his Master rolled around the lion's head once again, bringing more feelings of desire and arousal. He'd become so used to thinking of Mitchell in that way as he'd settled more and more into his role as a slave. But his thoughts came crashing to a halt when they reached the point where he thought about how he wasn't Mitchell's slave, not really. He was just a temporary slave for the panther, just trying it out. Tomorrow evening, his weekend wearing Mitchell's collar would be over and it would be back to ordinary life.

But he didn't want to go back. Now that he'd had a taste of this life, of the joys of being submissive, he wanted more of it. He'd discovered this whole new side to himself to explore and experience...

But on the other hand, it was one hell of a big step to go from trying the life of a slave to actually living it. Despite letting himself get caught up in the thrill of it all so far, particularly during all the fun at Alpha's, as he lay there, the adrenaline was fading, and more and more doubts were creeping in. And when he was honest with himself, he wasn't completely sure that big step was one he was ready for...

He was snapped out of his conflicted musings by Daniel's voice. The German shepherd was still talking.

"...and of course, Master Zachary is who I have to thank for helping me realise I was a slave at heart, that this is the life I wanted. When he found me, I had a lot of doubts and I'd had a few bad experiences, as well as some fun but ultimately mediocre ones. I came so close to giving it all up, denying what was in my heart and trying to live a 'normal' life."

For some reason, this caught Michael by surprise. Perhaps it was because the canine seemed such a natural in the role of a slave, the idea of him ever having doubts to the extent of quitting was hard to imagine.

"Really?" Said the lion, unable to conceal his surprise. "You had such doubts, sir? That's... difficult to picture..."

"I imagine it would be, looking at me now." Daniel sniggered. "But way back when, on the day I first met Master Zachary, I was a very different guy..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Now... you're different!"

The sudden voice behind me caught me by surprise, but I tried not to let it break my rhythm.

At that moment, I was jogging on one of the treadmills at the gym. It was my first time at that particular gym, as I'd only moved into the area a few weeks before. It was a small, yet well stocked, all-male place, the best I'd been able to find that I could afford. It had seemed pretty quiet at that time of day, not many guys there. I hadn't expected to be bothered, which suited me just fine.

Life for me at that time was not very good. I don't really want to go into too many details, because even all these years later, I'm not too comfortable talking about it, even with those I'm close to. But, I will say that I was all alone, no friends, rejected by and cut off from my family for being gay. I had recently got out of a relationship with a Master that had not been at all pleasant. I've said that I'd had some bad experiences. He had been one of them, easily the worst.

After him, I'd come to the decision that I needed to get away, make a fresh start elsewhere, cut all ties to the BDSM world. Since all the friends I had at the time were involved in that world, I cut myself off from them as well. I tried my best to convince myself that wanting to be a slave had just been a weird phase I went through, that it wasn't really me. Even though I knew that wasn't true. Even through that period of denial, there was always a part of me that yearned for it.

And so, I moved to a new city, found myself a small place, and took the first job I could find to pay the bills. It wasn't great, working at a crummy local supermarket. It was low paid and had pretty much no prospects, but it allowed me to survive.

Since my late teens, I'd had quite the interest in bodybuilding. And a vague dream of someday being a professional that I knew deep down was never going to happen. So, I had searched for and signed up at a gym.

And my first workout there was interrupted by some stranger...

"Excuse me?" I said, keeping my eyes forward, doing my best to stay focused on running.

"You're different. You're new here." The voice laughed. "A guy can get bored looking at the same handful of males every workout. It's good to see some fresh meat on display around here."

Great, I thought, the gym has its own resident lecherous creep.

"And such nice meat!" The voice was saying. "Not as bulked up as you could be, but still nicely built!"

I switched off the treadmill and padded to a stop, turning to give this guy a piece of my mind. But whatever protests I might have been planning died in my throat as I saw him.

Standing there was a very large rottweiler, with a physique of bulging muscles, dressed in tight and skimpy workout clothes, blue shorts and a white tank top. He was grinning at me and eyeing me up and down. He was one of the most impressive and attractive specimens of a male canine I'd ever seen.

And I recognized him.

"Zachary Moore?"

His grin turned to a look of wide-eyed look of surprise. "Yeah, that's me. Do I know you, young pup?" His gruff tone made me slightly weak at the knees.

"Err... no, sir." I stammered, suddenly embarrassed. "But I err... know you from your 'movies'..."

"Ah." Zachary said, knowingly. "A fan, are you?"

I found myself unable to focus properly under the rottweiler's gaze. "I... well, sir, that is to say... I..."

"I'll take the bulge in your shorts as a yes." He snickered.

I blushed again, hands instinctively going to my groin in a vain attempt to hide my arousal. I hadn't noticed my growing erection until he'd mentioned it.

Zachary merely laughed at my reaction. "Cute. What's your name, young pup?"

"Daniel, sir."

"Well, Daniel," Said Zachary, stepping closer and placing a hand on my shoulder. "Welcome to my gym!"

"Your gym, sir?" I was surprised by this.

"Partly my gym." The big canine corrected. "I own half the place. So, are we going to see your cute ass here often?"

"Probably, sir." I managed. "I just moved into to the city a few weeks ago..."

"In that case, you'll need a guide." Zachary said, grinning a devilish grin that caused a twinge in my groin. "I know all the best places to hang out for guys with our tastes."

"Tastes, sir?"

"You're a fan of my movies." Zachary explained. "That indicates certain tastes that I share in spades." He moved closer, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. A part of me shuddered at the close contact with such an attractive and dominant male.

"And I can show you such a great..."

With a monumental force of will, I managed to regain my composure and gently pushed him away, stepping back.

"I'm sorry, sir." I said. "But I'm really not into that kind of thing anymore."

"Oh?" The handsome rottweiler looked disappointed.

"Yes, sir." I said, firmly. "I used to be, got really into it... but, sir, it's just not me anymore..."

Zachary just started at me, smugly. "Oh, really?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then just answer me this." Zachary smiled. "Why have you been calling me 'sir' this whole time?"

"Well... I..." I faltered. I honestly hadn't realised I'd been doing it, so groped for an explanation. "Sir, I... It's just... I..."

Zachary stepped toward me and leaned in close, whispering in my ear. "Here's what I think. You saw someone you recognised as being a Master, so the sub in you automatically started addressing me with respect."

He pulled back, looking me in the eye. "So, I think this whole thing is 'you', it's a big deep part of you that for whatever reason, you're trying to deny."

"No, sir, I..." I tried to say something, but stopped when I realised that I'd called him 'sir' again. Why did I keep doing that?

"It's your choice, of course." Zachary shrugged. "If that's what you want to do. I just think it's a shame, cute young pup like you..."

"Well, sir..." I stopped again. I just couldn't seem to stop myself calling him that...

He chuckled, apparently finding my struggles amusing. "Tell you what, there's a coffee shop just across the street from here. You finish up your workout, get yourself cleaned up and meet me there in an hour. That is, if you want to talk further. Your choice."

And with that, he patted me on the shoulder and strolled away. I watched him go, mesmerized by his impressive body, the movement of his muscles as he walked...

I shook myself from my daze, thinking about what he'd said. I was doing my best to move on from that whole world, there was no chance in hell I was going to have coffee with a Master...

And yet, an hour later, there I was, standing outside the coffee shop across the street, debating with myself about whether or not I should go in.

On one hand, going in would risk getting sucked back into a scene I was trying to avoid. On the other hand, I did want to try and set things straight with Zachary, I felt like he'd got the wrong impression of me. The idea that I might want to get to know a handsome, confident, dominant guy like that rottweiler was one I was trying not to let into my head.

I made my decision. I went in.

The place was reasonably quiet and empty, so I easily spotted Zachary. He was sat at a table in the corner, reading a newspaper, a mug of coffee on the table before him.

As I approached him, the muscular rottweiler glanced up at me and grinned a wide grin. He had changed into jeans, black leather boots and a tight white t-shirt. A leather jacket was slung across the back of his chair.

"There you are!" He said, his powerful gaze making me slightly nervous. "Sit down, relax!"

I was immediately thinking that perhaps this hadn't been such a good idea. The sight of him was causing all sorts of feelings and desires to well up inside me, exactly the kind of desires I had been recently been trying to suppress.

But still, I sat down in a chair opposite him. He put down his newspaper and stared at me with a vague smile.

OK, I thought, just set him straight and get the hell out of there...

"So, tell me." Zachary said, bluntly. "Why did things go so badly with your last Master?"

This took me surprise. "Sir? How did you..."

"It's not tough to work out." Zachary explained. "I may not be the smartest guy in the world, but when it comes to Masters and slaves, I'm a bit of an expert."

I squirmed in my seat. This was not something I wanted to talk about.

"You're trying to turn your back on the sub side of yourself that's so obviously there." The rottweiler was saying. "The most likely explanation is that you had a bad time of things with someone."

"Please, sir," I pleaded. "It's... it's not something I want to talk about."

He nodded in response. "Fair enough, I won't push it. Can you at least tell me his name?"

"Vincent. Vincent Hawthorn."

"The zebra? With a big scar on his face?"

"You know him, sir?"

"Only by reputation." Said Zachary, sadly. "A real hardcore, grade-A asshole from what I've heard. The kind of guy who gives all us Masters a bad name. I could probably easily name half a dozen clubs and bars he's been banned from."

Yeah, that was definitely Vincent...

"Perfectly understandable you might want to move on after a bad time with a guy like that." Said Zachary. "It's just a shame that you're burying a big part of yourself in the process, letting it go unfulfilled..."

"Sir, really, I'm..."

"Don't." Zachary interrupted, raising a hand. "Don't try to tell me you don't have a subby, slave side. To me, it's plain as day. And there's nothing wrong with that. Don't go thinking its something to be ashamed of..."

He was right, of course. Even though I didn't say anything, didn't admit it, he was right. That part of me was there, it hadn't disappeared or anything. Was it really so wrong, so shameful to just accept who I was?

"Besides, you're a fan of my movies!" Zachary laughed. "Don't try to tell me the slave in you isn't getting a thrill out of being here with me!"

While that was technically true, I had a confession to make. "Actually, sir... I was always more interested in your co-star..."

"I see." The grin remained on his face, but the cold look in Zachary's eyes told me that he was no longer as amused. "I take it you mean Lucas?"

I nodded. "Yes, sir! I always thought he was great!" I blurted out, enthusiastically, before I could help myself. "So cute and innocent and..."

"Straight." Zachary interrupted, suddenly.

His words hit me like a ton of bricks. "What...?" I said, hoping I'd misheard him.

"Lucas, or rather, Jason the actor who played him, is straight." The rottweiler across from me explained. "He was a down on his luck straight actor who did the movies because he needed the money. He actually got married to his girlfriend about six months ago."

That was something of a surprise.

Perhaps a bit of explanation is in order here. Master Zachary was once involved in gay pornography, and appeared in a multitude of movies. The most successful of these was his canine BDSM series 'Bondage Dogs'. It may seem an unimaginative title, but was successful enough to get as far as 'Bondage Dogs 9'. The plot of these movies, such as it was, revolved around Master Zachary's character introducing a sweet, innocent and very attractive young Labrador by the name of Lucas to the world of leather, bondage and BDSM.

My first exposure to the series was 'Bondage Dogs 3', which I saw in my late teens. I had instantly been smitten by Lucas and his cute body and youthful naiveté. He was far from my first gay crush, but had always been one of my strongest. It was a time when I really was rather young and stupid.

Learning he'd actually been straight was a bit of a blow. A hundred teenage fantasies were shattered in an instant.

"Sorry to have to give you the bad news." Zachary shrugged. "But you're not the first to have a crush on him and end up disappointed. You're not the first I've had to break the news to..." He sighed. "Jason always did have more fans than me..."

It was only then that it hit me how rude I must have seemed, going on about how great his co-star had been. I felt awful and was overcome with the need to reassure him, make him feel better.

"I'm sure you have plenty of fans too, sir..." I said. "I mean, you were very good in your movies..."

"Oh, really?" Zachary said, fixing me with a stare of slight disbelief. "You think so?"

His gaze seemed to bore into me; I found I couldn't look away. "Y-y-yes, sir. Always a very powerful, very dominating performance, sir..."

"But Lucas was your favourite?"

"Yes, he's such a cute stud!" I said, almost out of reflex, before remembering I was trying to make the rottweiler feel better. I fumbled for the right words that might do the trick. "That is to say you're extremely attractive as well, sir... A-a-and part of what helped make Lucas so attractive was your strong Master Canid character pushing him into situations, exposing and contrasting his innocence..."

Zachary let out a laugh at that. "That's one way of looking at it, I suppose." He then leaned in closer, a playful gleam in his eye that I would eventually come to know very well. "So you think I'm extremely attractive?"

"Of course you are, sir..." I stammered.

"Glad you think so." Zachary said. "Did you ever fantasise about me?"

The suddenness of the question caught me quite off guard. I blushed and looked away, feeling very self-conscious. "I..."

"Here, let me come a little closer." The muscular canine shuffled his chair around the table until it was beside mine. He put one arm behind me, resting it on the back of my chair. He was still smiling. I could smell the sweet tang of his masculine musk as he leaned in closer to me.

"That's better." He said. "Now... did you ever fantasise about me?"

"Sir, I... Yes, sir, I did..." His closeness and attitude was making me a little flustered. My cock was rapidly stirring and thickening in my underwear.

"How much?"

"A lot, sir." I admitted, sheepishly, unable to look at him.

"And you enjoyed those fantasies?"

"Yes, sir... a great deal..." It seemed pointless to try to deny it.

Zachary took my chin in one hand and turned my head back to face him. "I like you, Daniel. I like the cute way you can't stop yourself calling me 'sir', even when you try not to. I like how you sweetly tried to stroke my ego and make me feel better about Lucas having more fans than me."

I was at a complete loss for words at this point. My head was filled with fantasies about this big dominant rottweiler, my cock uncomfortably hard.

"So, here's my offer." Said Zachary, intensely. "Let me show you a good time. Let me satisfy that side of you that's currently going unfulfilled. Let me give you a chance to live out some of those fantasies. Be my slave."

"I...I..." I struggled to say something coherent in response.

Before I could manage to answer, he suddenly pulled away from me. "But I don't want to pressure you or anything. So think about it."

He reached into a pocket of his jacket and pulled out a pen. He tore a corner from the front page of his news paper and proceeded to write down his number. When he was done, he handed it to me.

"Here you go, Daniel." He grinned. "If you want to let your slave side out to play, give me a call."

And with that, Zachary drained the last of his coffee in a single gulp, grabbed his paper and his jacket and left, leaving me staring at his phone number, feeling confused and uncertain. My head was filled with the kinds of thoughts, desires and fantasies I was now no longer so sure I want to bury and deny.

I walked home in a daze, thinking about my conversation with Zachary the whole time. The first thing I did when I got home was to masturbate furiously over thoughts of serving Master Zachary. As soon as I was done with that, I picked up my phone and called him...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"...And I never tried to deny my slave side again." Daniel finished

Michael took all this in, thoughtfully.

"I am forever grateful to Master Zachary for helping me to realise how big a part of me my sub side is," Daniel explained, "and how big a mistake it was trying to ignore it. Since that day, since fully accepting that was me, who I am, I have felt so much happier, more complete and content than I ever would have thought possible beforehand."

The lion remained silent, listening intently to the big canine.

"It's not all been smooth sailing, of course." Daniel said. "Every relationship has its ups and downs. There was even a very rough patch in which we broke up for a while, and I spent some time with other Masters. But it's all been worth it, because I serve my Master Zachary, and I love him so much."

Michael could hear the adoration and devotion in the canine's voice and felt a pang of envy. A big part of him wanted that, or at least something like it with a Master he could love. Like Mitchell.

But another part of the young lion still hesitated. Was he just getting too caught up in the thrill of what he'd been through tonight? Was he just thinking with his dick?

Michael took a deep breath. He needed advice, and a fellow slave with long years of experience like Daniel probably made him a very good fur to talk to about how he was feeling.

"Sir?" He said. "Is it OK if I ask your advice on something?"

The German shepherd beside him patted him on the arm comfortingly. "Of course. What is it?"

"Well..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Zack was still awake.

He had been tossing and turning on the couch for quite some time now, but just couldn't get to sleep. He knew it wasn't the couch itself. He'd slept there plenty of times before, and it certainly wasn't uncomfortable, even when sleeping naked as he preferred to do.

He sat up, thoughtfully scratching at his muzzle. He knew what the problem was. He wanted his slave. He was missing Daniel.

The naked rottweiler stood up and stretched his muscles. A quick kiss and grope of Daniel would probably satisfy him and allow him to settle down for some sleep. He padded through to the kitchen and the door leading down to the cellar.

As he eased open the door, he paused, ears pricking up. He could hear the two slaves down in the dungeon, talking...

"Of course. What is it?" Daniel was saying

"Well..." The lion was replying. He seemed hesitant. "I've really enjoyed the time I've been spending with Master Mitchell. I mean really seriously enjoying it, it's like it's revealed this whole other side of me that I didn't know was there before..."

He paused before continuing. "But I don't know if it really is some part of me, or just the excitement of trying something so new and strange. I mean, I'm definitely developing strong feelings for Master Mitchell, and I really want to ask him to extend things between us to something more long term. But..."

That was enough for Zack. In that moment he knew exactly what he had to do next. It was time for the talk...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Michael was suddenly interrupted by the sound of clomping footsteps, his explanation to Daniel coming to a halt as they both turned to look.

Zack was stomping down the stairs into the dungeon, looking fierce and determined. He was completely naked, his full muscular physique and glossy fur on display, his large, semi-hard cock dangling between his legs.

"Master?" Said Daniel, hopeful and expectant.

"Silence, slave." Zack said. The look of disappointment that crossed the German shepherd's face was a little heartbreaking, but Daniel obeyed and didn't say anything further.

Zack was more focused on the lion in the cage. He stood there for a moment, glaring at him. The young lion just looked up at him fearfully, not saying a word.

Suddenly, he grabbed the key to the cage and unlocked it, swinging the door open. "Come out of there, little lion."

Michael obeyed, crawling out and then waiting to one side on his knees while Zack locked the cage again.

"Stand up and follow me." Zack commanded, leading the way up the stairs and out of the dungeon, the young lion climbing to his feet and trailing along behind him as he'd been ordered.

Daniel watched them go before lying down again to try and get some sleep. He suspected he knew exactly what his Master wanted with Michael. After all, he knew his Master very well...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Michael really didn't know Master Zack very well.

As such, the lion had no idea what to expect, not a clue as to what exactly Zack wanted of him. Fearful thoughts ran rampant though his head as he followed Zack out of the dungeon and into Mitchell's kitchen.

Zack strolled over to the kitchen table and sat himself down on one of the chairs. He glared at Michael again. The expression on the rottweiler's face was neutral and completely unreadable. A feeling of anxiousness started to creep over him. Did Mitchell know what Zack was doing?

"Sit." Zack ordered.

The lion started to obey, sinking to the floor.

"No." Said Zack. "Sit on a chair." He pointed to one of the others at the table.

Michael did as he was told, even though it was completely unexpected.

When the young lion was seated, Zack leaned back in his chair, stretching his muscular frame. "You and I are going to have a little talk. Not as a Master and a slave, but as a friend of Mitchell and someone who's getting close to him, who may want something long term with him."

The question of how Zack knew quickly came and went, giving way to fears about what Zack wanted to say. It had always seemed that the rottweiler Master's opinion of him was pretty low. Maybe he thought Michael wasn't worthy of his friend?

"Mitch and I have quite a bit of history." Zack explained. "I could tell you some really crazy stories about the crap we've been through, more of it my fault than his. But when it comes right down to it, I owe him a hell of a lot. And so I look out for him, sometimes without him realising it."

"So..." Michael ventured. "He doesn't know you've taken me out of the cage to talk to me?"

"No." The rottweiler admitted. "I'd prefer it if he didn't know, but if you feel like telling him in the morning, go ahead. I won't ask you to lie to him. I'll leave it down to your conscience."

Michael wasn't sure what to make of that. Or of this whole situation for that matter. This seemed to be a whole different side of Zack he was dealing with, one he hadn't seen before now.

Zack looked thoughtful, as if wondering where to start. "I love Mitch like a brother." He said eventually. "As long as I've known him, he's been the best, closest friend a guy could wish for. Always sticking by me, being there for me during good times and bad. All in spite of me being... well, me!"

"What do you mean by that, Sir?" Michael asked, although he thought he knew the answer.

"Your politeness is cute, kitty." Zack chuckled. "But I am well aware that my nature and attitude can be off-putting for many, they make me difficult to warm to. I am not the easiest guy in the world to be friends with. I usually come on very strong and like to play rough, sometimes too much. I can often be thick-headed, impulsive and arrogant. And I think if you were ever to describe me to someone else, you'd say things along those lines..."

The lion couldn't deny that was probably true.

"But Mitch..." Zack mused. "Mitch has always accepted me from the day we first met, accepted who I was and still chose to be my friend, never trying to change me or manipulate me into something I wasn't. I often think I don't deserve a friend as good as him."

The thought passed through the lion's mind that maybe that was also probably true. And then he immediately felt guilty about it. Zack was Mitchell's friend; he must have some good in him for that to be so...

The rottweiler was looking at him coldly. "I've seen that expression many a time whenever I've said that. I know what it means."

Michael suddenly felt embarrassed and even guiltier. Offending Mitchell's best friend was probably not a good idea if he did decide to pursue a relationship with the panther.

"If it helps," The lion said, meekly, "I did feel guilty about thinking it straight away..."

Zack regarded him with his cold look for a few more seconds before breaking into a grin. "That's more than most do! Usually, it's just the awkward expression and silent agreement. A few times, it's been vocal agreement. One time, it was a very vocal agreement followed by a fist coming towards my face... but that's a long story."

"I am sorry..." Michael said, meaning it.

"It's OK, little kitty." Zack reassured him. "It all comes with the territory of being me. And we're getting off topic..." he paused, thoughtfully.

A few seconds later, the rottweiler Master seemed to arrive at a decision "Let me tell you a story, kitty. It'll explain just how much I owe Mitch..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"I owe you one, Mitch..."

"You owe me plenty, Zack, but you know I don't keep score." He handed me a glass of water and a couple of aspirin.

I tried to give my friend a smile as I took them from him, but failed miserably. Which was understandable, given how miserable I was at that moment. I simply swallowed the pills and gulped down the water.

Right then, I was dealing with a bad hangover and he and I were sat side by side on his couch, where I had slept the night before.

"So, you going to tell me about it?" He asked.

"Tell you about what?" I replied, defensively.

"Last night." Mitch said. "About why you were so drunk at Alpha's you were almost passing out, resulting in me getting a call from Beta in the early hours of the morning to come pick you up."

"Mitch, I..."

"And don't even think about pulling your usual tough guy 'I'm fine' routine." The panther said, sternly. "I know you well enough to know when you're not fine."

I hesitated before responding. "I saw him at the club tonight."

Mitch didn't bother asking who. He knew. "Oh, Zack..."

"He was with some scruffy looking hyena," I explained, going over the memories of the night before in my head. "Collared and being dragged along on a leash, looking happy and horny. You know, how he used to be with me..."

My panther friend put his arm around my shoulders comfortingly. "You've got to stop doing this to yourself. It's been nearly a year..."

"Ten and a half months." I corrected, automatically.

Mitchell sighed. "Sooner or later, you're going to have to accept the fact that you and Daniel aren't together anymore..."

"But I don't want to!" I growled, loudly. I immediately regretted it, as the loud noise just made my head throb more than it already was. I clutched my head with a hiss of pain.

I can guess what you're probably thinking right now. Something along the lines of how much that doesn't sound like me, based on what you know and have seen of me.

Yes, it's a side of me that usually remains hidden. Usually, I'm the tough, dominant, super confident Master, because that's me, that's who I am. But I do have other sides to me, some hidden depths. Most of the time, they are very well hidden and it can take a lot to bring things like my emotional side to the surface. Like love, or in this case, having loved and lost...

"In time, you'll find someone else..." Mitchell said, soothingly.

"Not like Daniel." I said, sadly. "I've been with loads of subs and slaves since he left me, and nothing I've felt with them has even come close to what I had with Daniel! I loved him..."

"Zack, you do know how many times I've heard you say that about a guy you've been with, right?"

"Damn it, Mitch, I mean it this time!" I grumbled, cautious not to raise my voice too much and set off more pain in my head. "Believe it or not, I've been in love before, in my younger days, back before I discovered the BDSM scene. I know what love feels like, and I felt it with Daniel..."

Mitch was doing his best to try and be consoling. "Zack, you..."

"But Mitch, it was stronger than I'd ever felt before." I moaned, unhappily. "The way I felt with him, I've never felt that way with a slave. I loved him so fucking much! And I never told him! Instead I screwed things up and drove him away! "

I buried my face in my hands. "I'm such a fucking idiot..." Mitch stayed silent, not disagreeing, just holding me comfortingly.

You're probably wondering exactly how I managed to screw things up with Daniel during our first time together.

The full details are long and complicated, so I'll give you the short version. After we first met, Daniel and I were together for three months, and it was very good at first. There were some initial difficulties as he'd been out of the scene for a while following a bad time he'd been through. But I was patient, yet strict, with him.

And I'm not ashamed to say I fell for him completely. It wasn't long before I wanted things with him to go on forever and I was considering asking him to move in with me...

But the curse of me being me struck. In my arrogance, I thought what he needed, what he wanted, was a tough controlling no-nonsense Master, and anything less wouldn't satisfy him and I'd lose him. So that's who I tried to be with him. Expressions of love seemed so at odds with that, so I found myself avoiding them.

Then one day, at the end of one of our sessions together, he said he loved me. And I didn't say it back. I can be an utter moron when it comes to love sometimes, and that was especially true then, as I found myself being unable to admit that I loved him too.

Things between us went on for a little while after that, but it just became more and more awkward. Daniel tried telling me he loved me a few more times, but I never said it back, I just responded with trying to be more and more the Master I thought he wanted.

But then the break up happened. It was difficult for him, plucking up the courage to confront me with the news that he wanted to move on, but in the end he needed to do what was right for him. And I had to let him go, you can't be a Master to someone who doesn't want you.

The break up hit me very hard. I just felt numb for the first few weeks as it sunk in exactly what I'd done. Found a slave I loved so utterly, only to drive him away. There followed anger and guilt and all sorts of confused conflicting emotions. I really went a little crazy there for a bit.

Mitch tried his best to be there for me during that time, but I did not make it at all easy on him. But this is Mitch we're talking about. He never once gave up on me. He just kept on trying to help me through it.

Even when my craziness died down some, I threw myself into trawling clubs like Alpha's, for other slaves to be with. Remember that slutty tiger Stripey at Alpha's earlier? Imagine a Master version of him, and you might have a pretty good picture of me during that period.

I was out every night I could manage. I went through a whole slew of one night stands and relationships that never lasted more than a week. All of them were utterly unsatisfying, but I started to convince myself I was better off without love, without Daniel.

But then one night, I saw Daniel at Alpha's, with a new Master, looking happy, and that illusion was shattered as my heart broke.

An attempt at drowning my sorrows with booze followed, which led to me being on Mitch's couch the following morning with a hangover and in an emotional mood.

"I will admit, Zack." Mitch said, after some time holding me. "I have never seen you like this before, so broken up. I have no doubt you loved him badly. But doing this to yourself is not going to change anything."

"I suppose you're right..." I admitted, miserably. "What's done is done..."

"Exactly." Mitch agreed. "You need to try and move on, learn from this experience..."

"Oh, I've learned my lesson from it already." I interrupted, bluntly. "If I ever get lucky enough to be with someone I love again, I'm not going to avoid letting them know, I'm not going to let my stupidity get in the way." My shoulders slumped as my misery welled up in me once again. "If I ever get that lucky again..."

Mitchell stayed there doing his best to console me for quite some time before deciding some food would do me some good, and cooked a big breakfast for us. I ate slowly and sadly, and it did help me feel a little better, a little more alive. However, I was still so wrapped up in my misery, I didn't really notice at the time how quiet and thoughtful Mitch was. It was only looking back on it much later I realised that was when he had been planning out what he did next.

After breakfast was over and done with, Mitch disappeared up to his bedroom and soon returned, now fully dressed in casual clothes.

"I need to head out for a bit." He explained. "I have some urgent errands to run. I'll be back as quick as I can. Stay here, Zack, I'll want to talk to you more when I return. Take a nap, have a shower, just try to relax and not think about things too much."

And before I knew it, he was gone, out the door and driving away in his car. I did briefly wonder what errands he could need to run so urgently on a Sunday, but then thought no more of it.

I forgot about taking a shower and instead lay down on Mitchell's couch, trying and failing to not think about Daniel and what I'd lost. Eventually I fell asleep.

It was some time later that I woke up again, and the room was noticeably darker. A glance at the clock on the wall confirmed that it was now early evening; I'd slept through the afternoon. I hauled myself up, stretching tired muscles, and noticing that my hangover and headache had faded somewhat. I padded over to the window and looked out. The driveway was empty. Mitch wasn't back yet.

As I sat back down, I wondered when my panther friend had got to, if he was OK. I really hadn't expected him to be gone so long.

My thoughts were interrupted when I caught a whiff of myself, wrinkling my nose in disgust. A strong stink of alcohol and dirt and sweat was radiating from me. I really should have had that shower. Oh well, better late than never...

I was about to get up to head to the bathroom and Mitch's shower, when the sound of a car pulling up reached my ears. Mitch was finally home. I stayed where I was, the shower could wait a few more minutes.

My ears pricked up at the sound of two car doors opening then closing and two sets of footsteps walking to the front door. Where exactly had Mitch been? Who was with him? Some new slave of his maybe?

I heard Mitchell and his guest come in through the front door. Then the panther told whoever it was in hushed tones to wait there a moment.

Mitchell then stepped into the living room, approaching me. He was looking very tired, as if he'd had a busy afternoon. I stood up to face him, but he spoke before I could say a word.

"Zack," he said. "I need you to stay focused and calm right now, OK?"

"OK..." I said, confused. "What's going on?"

"I've brought a guest." The panther explained. "And I want you to talk to him." He sniffed at the air and frowned. "Really wish you'd showered while I was gone."

"I forgot and fell asleep." I said, meekly. On top of all my other screw ups, I was now going to make a bad impression on my friend's guest.

"You can come in now." Mitch called over his shoulder.

"Mitch, who..."

My panther friend looked me directly in the eye, with one of the most serious expressions I'd ever seen on his face. "You said you'd learned your lesson, Zack. Time to prove it..." He looked over his shoulder to the doorway. I followed his gaze.

Daniel was there.

At that moment, I had no idea how he came to be there. It would only be much later that I would learn the extreme lengths Mitchell had gone to in order to track him down after discovering he'd moved home since breaking up with me. The favours he'd had to call in, the favours he'd had to promise others in return for their help. And even when he'd managed to find Daniel, it had taken a LOT of talk and convincing to get the German shepherd to agree to come see me.

At that moment, all I cared about was that Daniel was there, staring at me expectantly.

I was dumbstruck, lost for words.

Mitch leaned in, whispering in my ear. "Focused and calm, buddy. Talk to him. Don't waste this chance."

He then patted me reassuringly on the shoulder and left the room, nodding to Daniel on his way out, leaving the two of us alone.

I had never really expected to ever have a chance to talk to Daniel properly again, so had no idea where to start, what to say. I fumbled for something...

"You're looking well..." Was what I managed.

Not a great opening, but in fairness, it was true. While at that time he wasn't as big as he is these days, he was still nicely muscled, with that cute 'confident but submissive' demeanour that I love so much. He was dressed in some simple tight black jeans and a short-sleeved blue shirt. He really did look great.

"And you're looking..." He tried to reply, but stopped when he looked me over. I was still wearing the same clothes from the night before, which by that point were rumpled and messy. My fur was also in something of a state, matted and unkempt. He also sniffed the air, catching a hint of my stink.

"Yeah, I had a bad night last night." I said, awkwardly.

Daniel just nodded mutely.

"Let's sit down, shall we?" I ventured. The silent German shepherd seemed okay with that, taking a seat at one end of the couch. I sat myself down at the other end.

There was some awkward silence between us, as I desperately tried to think of something to say. I thought of Mitch's advice. Stay calm and focused. Don't waste this chance.

I took a deep breath and did something I had never done before in my entire life. I let my heart do the talking.

"I just want to say, Daniel." I began, looking down in shame. "I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry for how things went between us, for how I screwed it up. You told me you loved me and I didn't say it back, just became harsher, tougher on you. That was wrong because..."

I glanced up at him to see the German shepherd staring at me, his face a mask of shock and surprise. An apology was apparently not what he'd been expecting to hear from me. It threw me off for a moment, but I continued. "Because when it comes right down to it, I..." I faltered for a second. The next bit was still hard for me to admit to him, even then. I took another deep breath.

"I love you, Daniel. Deeply and completely." I looked down in shame once again, feeling unable to look him in the eye. "But I'm no good at love, admitting it or dealing with it. I hid behind being your Master, but just ended up hurting you and driving you away. I'm so sorry and I hope you can forgive me."

A second later, I was shocked to have Daniel's arms wrapped around me as he leapt across the couch and hugged me tight. It only took me another second to hug him back, enjoying being close to him again, and breathing in his scent. I'd missed that scent so much.

"Of course I forgive you, Sir!" Daniel said, his voice trembling with emotion. "I love you too!"

I pulled out of the hug, looking him in the eye and seeing tears there. "Really?"

"Yes, Sir." He nodded. "I thought you didn't love me though. And after all these months, I'd convinced myself that had to be true. Even when Mitchell turned up my doorstep and tried to convince me to come see you and talk to you, I didn't believe anything would have changed... but he was very persistent."

"Well, things did change." I smiled, weakly. "I finally realised just how badly I screwed up by losing you."

He was about to hug me again, but I stopped him. "Hang on, aren't you with another Master now?"

"Do you see a collar around my neck, Sir?" Daniel chuckled. I had been so swept up in him just being there, I hadn't noticed his neck was bare.

"But I saw you at Alpha's last night." I said. "On a leash with some hyena, looking very happy."

"Sir, when I have I ever been in a collar on a leash and not been happy about it?"

I smiled at that. "Good point."

"Sir, that hyena, Malcolm, he was a nice guy, but it was just a one night thing and..." Daniel was explaining, before suddenly stopping. "You saw me last night with another Master?" He looked at my messy appearance again, putting two and two together.

"I had a bad night." I reiterated. Tears welled up in Daniel's eyes again as he smiled.

"Since when do you go for one night stands?" I asked. "I wouldn't have thought that was your style."

"It's not really, Sir." Daniel replied, fidgeting nervously. "But it's just that... I've not been able to manage anything long term these past months, just been trying to get over you, Sir, but not managing it. I've been with all sorts of Masters, some nice, some... not so nice." He visibly shuddered at that. "But all of them had the same problem."

"What was that?"

"They weren't you." Daniel said simply, melting my heart. "You're the only Master I really want."

That time, I was the one who hugged him. He didn't complain.

My mood was soaring to heights I'd have never thought possible. I could hardly believe this was happening. Some part of me thought I was about to wake up from this dream at any moment.

"I love you, slave." I whispered in Daniel's ear.

"I love you, Master." He whispered back.

I hugged him tighter, never wanting to let him go...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"...and I never did." Zack smiled.

The big rottweiler noticed the pained expression that crossed Michael's face in reaction to that.

"Yes, it's a corny line, I know," Zack admitted. "But it's true. Daniel and I have been together even since then. It took us a bit of time and work to get back into our groove as Master and slave. And there were still ups and downs over the years. But we love each other more than ever."

Michael had listened to the rottweiler's story intently. He'd actually found it quite touching and informative, a glimpse into a side of Zack he would have never thought even existed beforehand. He was now looking at him in a whole new light.

"Funnily enough," the rottweiler said thoughtfully. "That was sort of the second time Mitch was responsible for me and Daniel getting together. You see, We first met at a gym I partly owned. Mitch was the one who'd advised me to invest in that place. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have been there to find him."

Seeing this side of Zack was causing Michael to actually quite like the rottweiler Master, something he definitely not been expecting when this conversation began.

"The point of all this, though." Zack said. "Is that if not for Mitch, I wouldn't have Daniel in my life. And that thought..." Zack's voice quivered momentarily and he paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "That thought is not pleasant. As far as I'm concerned, I owe Mitch a debt so big I can never fully repay him. Doesn't mean I won't always try, though..."

Michael nodded solemnly. The story had been informative about Mitchell as well. He was impressed with just how far the panther would go to help a friend.

"So when I can, I look out for him." Zack was saying. "I try to protect him. Mitch tends to fall for guys very quickly, and can often get himself hurt in the process."

He leaned in closer to Michael, fixing him with an intense stare. "So, just how serious are you about Mitch?" In that instant, emotional, story-sharing Zack seemed to have disappeared, and tough, no-nonsense Master Zack had returned.

Suddenly put on the spot, Michael stammered under the rottweiler's steely gaze. "Well, I... I... it's early days, Sir. But I do like Mitchell. A lot. I... I... I could see myself being with him long term..."

"And what about being his slave?" Zack did not let up his stare.

"It's not what I was expecting," Michael said, hesitantly, trying to choose his words carefully. "But... I have been enjoying it more and more. Like there's a part of me that's into it that I didn't know about before. Some part of me that's been awakened. I could be his slave..."

"Are you sure?" Zack demanded. "Be honest with me, kitty."

With a deep breath, the lion said. "Honestly, Sir? There... there have been some aspects of being a slave that I haven't liked."

Zack sat back, thoughtfully. He seemed to be mulling things over.

Michael felt a need to say more. "B-b-but I do like a lot of it! And Mitchell..."

"That's enough." Zack interrupted, silencing him. "I didn't say there was anything wrong with disliking some aspects of it, that can always be worked out between a Master and his slave."

A moment later, the big muscular rottweiler seemed to reach a decision about what to do next. "It's late and we both need to get some sleep. It's time to get you back into the cage."

Zack went to stand up, but then stopped. "I will just finish by saying this." He said. "If you do decide to take things further with Mitch, start a long term relationship as his slave, that's fine by me. He cares about you and you seem to care about him. But if you do that, and then decide later that the life of a slave just isn't for you, if you walk out and hurt him later on, if you break his heart... then you and I will have another conversation, and I will not be pleasant with you. So take the time to think long and hard and be absolutely sure you know what you're getting into, that it's what you really want."

He stood and headed for the door down to the dungeon, motioning for the lion to follow. Michael did so, trailing behind the canine Master silently, lost in thought.

When they reached the cage down in the dungeon, Michael saw that Daniel was still awake, apparently awaiting their return. Zack unlocked it and Michael crawled inside once again. The rottweiler was about to close the cage door, when he paused, before crouching and pulling Daniel into a deep, passionate kiss that went on for several seconds.

When they broke apart again, Zack was grinning at the German shepherd. "Goodnight, slave. Love you."

"Goodnight, my Master." Daniel smiled back adoringly. "I love you too."

And with that, Zack closed and locked the cage, and headed up and out of the dungeon, leaving the two caged slaves alone together in the dark once more.

"It went well then, I take it?" Daniel asked.

"Sir?" Michael was confused.

"Master's talk with you." Daniel said. "About you and Master Mitchell."

"How did you know what we talked about?" Michael said, surprised.

"Master has had a similar conversation with other potential slave's of Master Mitchell in the past." The big German shepherd explained. "Master is very protective of his friend."

"Yes, sir, that was definitely the impression I got. It seemed to go well."

"I am glad to hear that." Said Daniel, with a small sigh of relief. "When it goes badly, there can be lots of unpleasantness for a while afterwards. Like with Harris..."

"Who?" Michael didn't know the name.

"I..." Daniel faltered, looking embarrassed. "I've said too much. Please forget about it. We should get to sleep now." And with that, he closed his eyes to sleep.

Michael guessed Harris must be someone from Mitchell's past. He supposed he'd hear about it when and if the panther wanted to tell him.

Michael followed the canine slave's example, closing his eyes. But he had trouble getting to sleep, his mind a whirl of conflicting thoughts and feelings.

As intimidating as Zack had been, he did have Mitchell's best interests at heart; he didn't want to see him hurt. And neither did Michael. Mitchell was just so wonderful, he didn't want to hurt him, didn't want to break his heart. If he did carry on things with him, he would need to be absolutely sure it was what he wanted, so he could avoid that.

But that was the problem. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do. Not yet.

As he finally drifted off to sleep, the only thing Michael knew for sure was that a big decision lay ahead of him...

To Be Continued...