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"Possession - Part Two: Coran's Choice"

The persistent, slow beeping of the heart monitor was all that kept Coran from falling into a completely sound sleep as he sat on the chair beside the hospital bed. Benny had suffered a broken arm from the truck as he had tackled the Relic out of the way, and Coran was confused why the human would have let him do this. The blanket over the lower half of Benny's body was a slate grey color while the sheets beneath him were a soft white. The machines around Benny sent chills down Coran's spine as he looked at them; the nurses had told him time and time again that Benny would be fine, but he hadn't regained consciousness yet and the machines weren't telling him a damn thing about what was wrong. He'd been like this for two days now, and Coran hadn't left his side. But why shouldn't he? Benny was just a pet, someone to do his chores for him and treat him like a king in his house... but he was also kinder than the Relic had expected, and the fact that he saved his life really put things into a new perspective. Coran sighed loudly and leaned back, bumping the back of his head into the wall behind him.

The door opened and a young female nurse stepped inside. Coran could see the two Relic guards outside the doors peer in after the nurse, they were standing guard so humans who didn't understand their ways wouldn't learn about the patient's "employment" with the Relics. As the door swung closed, the nurse barely looked up at Coran, she didn't even crack a smile as she began to check Benny's vitals, first his pulse and then his heartbeat with a stethoscope. Then she wrapped a band around his arm to take his blood pressure.

"H-how is he doing?" Coran asked.

"As well as can be expected, after nearly being run over saving a monster like you for some reason." She answered sharply, then visibly bit her tongue. "He received a nasty concussion from the accident, Mister Coran. And as I said before, this kind of condition could last several days, even weeks. There's no way to tell." She glanced at him as he growled and flopped his form back into the chair. "You look exhausted." She observed. "Why don't you go home and get some sleep, we will contact you as soon as we hear something."

"I cannot leave." Coran said. "My father will be here soon, and Benny is my responsibility."

"Benny?" The nurse looked up, surprised. "That's the first time I've seen one of your kind refer to your pets by name. You were even calling him "human" when he was being admitted here." Coran shrugged somewhat dismissively at the observation. "Tell you what, the coffee machines downstairs cost fifty cents for a cup, they're right next to the cafeteria." She dropped two coins onto the bed next to the Relic. "Why don't you go have a cup, wake up a little. I should be done by the time you return."

Coran sneered a bit as he slid the coins off the mattress into his paw. "Why are you being so nice to me?" He asked.

"Because I've never seen someone put so much care into his friend." She answered. "I think you've earned a cup of coffee at least for staying at his bed side."

Coran stared at the two silver coins in his fingers for a good long minute before returning his gaze to the nurse. "Thanks." He said curtly as he slid from his chair. He could feel the fur on his back pull away from the insides of his clothes, he'd hardly moved in several hours. Standing up, his neck felt like a crane, his head dipping down in a strikingly exhausting pose. Pocketing the coins, he slowly left the room, eyeing the two guards as he passed them. He could hear them whispering to each other, his concern for his pet had garnered quite a bit of talk of sympathetics. But over the weeks he and Benny had been together, Coran couldn't help but have grown fond of the human, only for Benny to save his life on their first outing together instead of running screaming away when that truck hit him.

The elevator ride down three floors was long, and they opened immediately outside the door of the cafeteria. The smell of the food made his nostrils flare and almost fold in on themselves, he couldn't understand why hospitals subjected their patients to this sort of treatment, but just as the nurse said, a coffee vending machine was only a few paces away, glowing across the corridor next to a set of tables just inside the room. He saved the fifty cents that the female had given him and instead inserted his own money into the slot. A few seconds later, a stream of brown liquid mixed with the milky cream from another spout and he capped it with a lid before pulling it from the small bay. Sitting down, he barely managed to take a sip, still staring at the money he'd set on the table when he heard the elevator doors ding and open. Rekhis stepped through the doors and spotted Coran immediately. He sighed as his father approached and seated himself in the chair across from him.

"Son." He said.

"Father." Coran responded softly. "What brings you out today?"

Rekhis chuckled, clearly unsure of what to say. "Well, I had heard about what happened to your pet and--"

"Benny."

"Excuse me?"

"His name is Benny, father." Coran clarified. "And I see him as no more a pet than I see you."

Another chuckle emerged from the older Relic's muzzle. "Wh-why that is simply an unconventional way of looking at things."

"What is unconventional is the fact that the man lying in the hospital bed upstairs was responsible for saving your son's life, and you shrugging off his existence like he was nothing."

"He is nothing." Rekhis snapped an angry look. "He is a possession, Coran. Nothing more, nothing less. The fact that he stupidly pushed you out of the path of an oncoming vehicle does not negate that. Our kind does not damage easily."

"It is the actions I admire." Coran scowled before taking a drink of his coffee. "He could have tried to run, even if the car had glanced off me, he could have gotten to someone by the time I recovered enough to go after him. And frankly, at this point sir, I would not have cared. Benny is a good man."

"Will you stop saying that?" Rekhis glared at Coran angrily, his fist pounding on the table loudly. "There is already talk of sympathetic Relics infesting the Royals. Males and females who want to co-exist with them, to give them rights to exist among us."

"Then perhaps they should."

Coran had placed his drink onto the table and just like that, Rekhis slapped the cup away with the back of his hand. "I will not hear that type of talk from my blood!" He snarled angrily. "There is nothing more that can be done for your human. It will take him weeks to recover from his injuries, and that is if he regains consciousness! He will be slow and likely completely useless to you. That is why I have another male human in my limo downstairs."

"Wait... what?" The audacity of his father was too much for Coran as he felt the fur raising on the back of his neck. "You want me to replace him?"

"It is only natural. When a fisherman catches a lame or a diseased fish, he puts the fish back into the water and continues for another one. Do not worry, this one is broken and will not incite these kinds of ideas of equality and compassion as this one has. This one will have his memories altered and he will be returned to his own kind. You will not have to worry about him anymore."

Coran's claws raked across the table, leaving deep white marks in it as he stood up. "You will not take Benny away from me." He was seething with anger now, especially looking at his father's calm demeanor. "I--" His voice trailed off suddenly as the words that would have followed filled his throat with a nasty bile. He swallowed the feeling and altered his words. "I care about him. He has saved my life at the risk of his own. I will not replace him, and if you do not wish to support me on this, father. Then I suppose we've nothing more to talk about."

He walked to the elevator and pressed the button, not looking back at his father, Rekhis' eyes could be felt almost burning a hole into the back of his head. As the door opened he could hear his father call after him. "I will not pull my funding from the human's care in gratitude of helping you, Coran. But there will be talk, there will be rumor, and you will know no rest if you and this human continue to be together."

Coran turned around as he stepped into the elevator and stared at his father, his ears pressed flat back in an aggressive growl as the doors started to close. "Bring it."

The next two days were on and off the same thing; Coran's fur began to get quite rugged around his jaw line, some semblance of a mane dipping down the front of his neck from his lack in grooming, but he waited for something anything to stir as Benny slept in the bed beside him.

On the third morning, Coran drowsily looked up, the morning light breaking through the shades, casting shafts of light across the bed as Benny lay looking at him. His soft eyes still looking a bit sleepily at the Relic, his chest slowly rising and falling under the sheet.

"B-Benny?" Coran said sitting upright. "You are awake?"

Benny gave an awkward squint in his eyes, almost half filled with disgust. "What do you care?" He said.

"Look... I know that we have had our differences, you being human, me being relic... but I would hope that we could work to patch things up"

There was a long pause before Benny answered, and the glare continued on. "You're joking right? You're holding me like a prisoner and you're wanting to "patch things up"? Are you fucking kidding me?"

Coran grimaced at the reaction. "I know it will not be easy, but I am hoping to try."

"Screw trying that... sir." He remembered his tongue at last. "Thank you for patching me up, but I'm not going to forget exactly why I ended up where I did."

"Fine. We will have out out of here today if you are up for it. Let me get the nurse."

The car that Coran had gotten for the trip back home was a small sedan. His motorcycle had been returned home the day after the accident. It was quiet in the car, only the sound of the road and the humming of the engine filled the cabin. Coran watched Benny who was resting his head against the window. The relic didn't care anymore that Benny could see where he was living, he wanted to open up the trust somewhere, this was only a small gesture, but the more he examined the human's responses, the more he realized that he didn't care much about that either. The pair just sat in silence.

"Would you like to listen to some music?" He asked. "I have... Foreigner I believe it is called."

"You collect 80's music?" Benny raised an eyebrow at Coran.

Coran shrugged. "I tend to collect whatever comes my way, human." He said with a toothy grin. "To tell you the truth, I have never listened to much of your music. I have kept much of it around to entertain my father's humans."

"Morale boost for the immoral?" Benny teased.

Coran shook his head. "No, it is nothing like that. My father cares about his humans, and I want to show you that I do too."

"Caring about human slaves doesn't make them any less slaves than--"

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Coran roared, gripping the steering wheel. "I have tried to be patient with your outbursts, human, but you continue to argue with everything I say!"

"Then maybe you shouldn't be saying anything." Benny scoffed, leaning back against the window. "-sir-" he added spitefully.

"Perhaps not."

The remainder of the trip was made again in silence, Benny had taken some pain killers for his bound arm, the doctor had said that it should be able to be removed in a month's time, but already Benny was itching to have it taken off. He idly flexed his fingers as he slept, and was only awoken when the rough gravel drive that led up to Coran's house rattled the car. Looking ahead he saw three figures in the driveway next to a black van. For a moment, Benny's heart raced, thinking that it was his friends, but his heart sank when instead they were three unrecognizable relics who approached the car as it came toward them.

Two of them were male, one of them with a rusty, coppertone body. He was clearly the biggest of the trio, his amber eyes almost shining in the daylight as they made contact with Benny's own gaze. He wore a white tank top shirt and black shorts. The second male was more of a brownish coloring, much more gangly than the other male and wearing a pair of long denim shorts and a green hoodie. The female had white fur but what looked like streaks of purple dyed into her mane. She was somewhat endowed as far as females went and she looked tougher than the second male. As they approached, he could see that she had purple colored eyes.

"Wh-who are these?" Benny started to ask.

"Shut up." Coran demanded abruptly. "You will not talk in their presence, I want you to go into the house."

"But--"

"Do it." Coran snapped. "They are friends of mine, but not as forgiving of human defiance as I am."

Benny closed his mouth and nodded in understanding. As the car came to a stop, Benny was the first to open his door, immediately the larger of the group leaned into the door toward him. "Well lookie here." He snickered and prodded a large finger against the human's cast. "I did not expect you being a charity worker, Coran. Your human is lame, you should have it put down."

"Into the house, human." Coran directed Benny. "I will speak with you later."

Benny slipped out of the car, but was abruptly shoved back against it by the larger relic. "Oh, no human. You can stay. We will make it quick and clean." He teased, grinning so widely that Benny could see his reflection on his teeth.

"Gron, leave him. He has much work to do." Coran warned.

Again, Gron shoved Benny back into the car, getting an expression of amusement watching the human bounce upright again. "Work to do? What work could this lame duck have that a simple replacement human wouldn't?"

"He is used to my routine." Coran said, slamming his car door shut. "I would have no other human."

The female leaned in close and sniffed the human along the bare skin of his neck, Benny froze in fear. "Oh, I do not know, Coran. The way we hear it, you kept a vigil on this human so tight at the hospital, we were convinced you were in love with it."

"Roona, leave him." Coran threatened, now walking over to step in between the human and the other relics. "Human, go into the house."

Benny started again, but was blocked off by the smaller male. "Oh, he does not have to leave so soon, we were just getting started to know him." His tongue lolled and he giggled a bit. "He could make a fine pet if it were not for that arm of his."

"Broshar, if you do not want a fist knocking a good quarter of your teeth out, you will let him pass."

A nervous look washed over Broshar's face and he quickly stepped to the side, allowing Benny up the walkway and into the house. Once the human was out of sight, the others turned to look at Coran. "Sheesh someone is quite protective of his slave." Gron taunted.

"He is my human, not a slave." Coran corrected him. "What are you three doing out here? We were not supposed to meet up until next week."

"Oh we just heard you were coming back today and we wanted to see how you were doing." Roona said, placing a hand on her opposite wrist. "Your father seems to believe you have become a human sympathiser."

"Ah. So it is my father I have to thank for your visit." Coran sighed as he leaned up against the car. "Well thank you for your concern, it is not needed."

"Oh is it not?" Gron asked, crossing his arm. "What is the matter with you? Most relics either return the humans or put them down for an injury like this."

"He is a good human." Coran said. "He did not deserve either. He saved my life, and I feel that I owe him his."

Broshar scoffed. "Saved your life? I bet that car would not have scratched you."

"Be that as it may, he did not have to jump in front of it to push me out of the way and he did. He did not run, he did not scream at the other humans for help, he earned my trust that day."

"Trust or no, you cannot simply let a human have free reign." Roona said. "I noticed he wasn't blindfolded for his trip, it is as if you are inviting him to escape."

"He was asleep for most of the trip." Coran explained. "And besides, I felt that I should extend him the courtesy of trust in return to the bit he has shown me."

The trio looked at one another before Gron glared at him again. "You are putting much into this human. They are nothing to us, fodder to do our bidding. You treat him as though you are friends when deep down, you will always be the beast that trapped him, that tamed him. And he will always resent you for this."

"I am trying to understand why the son of Rekhis would do this." Roona asked.

Coran rolled his eyes. "I do not want to go through my life being my father's son." He said. "My achievements and my merits are my own."

"So then, explain your college choices." Gron said.

"What do you mean?"

Gron laughed. "Come on, Coran! A lawyer? We have been friends since primary school, when you wanted nothing more than to become an architect when you grew up. Not a stuffy collared lawyer."

"I had the aptitude." Coran argued.

"But not the desire. You just do what your father wants."

"I do not."

Gron laughed again. "You are even beginning to sound like him. I am surprised you do not whip your human for his insolent glares."

With that, Coran grabbed Gron by the collar of his shirt and pulled him in with a growl. "Never compare me to one of those." He snarled.

"Whatever you wish." Gron's less amused expression still had a smirk on it as he pushed the other relic away. "Anyway, this... attachment you have developed for your human. Drop it." He said. "Before it hurts both of you."

Coran watched as the three relics climbed into the van and started down the driveway, his eyes didn't part from the vehicle until it was out of sight and he pushed the door open to enter the house. Already, he noticed that Benny was standing at the sink, automatically doing the chores he was supposed to as he ran the dishes through the sink, scrubbing hardened food off the surface of plates before inserting them into the dish sanitizer that would later run and clean them the rest of the way. He sighed sharply as he approached, watching the human use one arm to shuffle the dishes from the counter to the sink and into the washer.

"What are you doing, human?" He asked.

"These have been sitting around for several days." Benny explained, not looking up. "Honestly you can't do a thing on your own, sir."

"You are not exactly in the best shape to be doing that."

"What am I supposed to do? I'm not good for anything else, am I?" Benny snapped.

Coran winced a bit and moved in, shoving the human slightly to the left with his hips. "Here, you're missing all the really ground in stuff, let me help."

"No, this is my task."

"And I am not going to let you do this by yourself." Coran interrupted. "Now pass me that damn plate!"

There was a look of cautious surprise on Benny's face as he handed the dish to the relic. He snapped it out of the human's hands and began to scrub it with a brush located on the right side of the sink. "Wh-why are you helping me with this?" Benny asked. "I figured you'd break the scrubber in half and make me clean it with my tongue or something."

"I just want to make things... better." Coran explained.

"Well you can't!" Benny snapped, slamming the next glass down and hearing it shatter in the sink. His face went pale all of a sudden, and immediately he took a step back. "I'm... s-sorry." He said.

"It is alright." Coran answered, clenching his teeth to keep from losing his temper. He'd never seen anyone so in need of training, his father's pets were always so obedient, so willing to comply with all of his demands, the very thought of having someone that resisted him was lost on him. He stepped away from the sink. "You can clean this up, and I would like something to drink when you are finished."

"I would... like something too, sir..." Benny's voice trailed off as he glanced down at the wolf's pads. "When you can get off your feet."

Coran had nearly forgotten about the formalities he set up, he patted the human on the cheek, making Benny jump. "This one is on me, Benny. For your recovery."

Benny was obviously skeptical, his eyebrow raised slightly and he started to say something but cut himself off and returned to the sink where he began to clean up the remains of the glass. It was nearly thirty minutes before Benny appeared in the relic's bedroom, handling a bottle of the amber liquid as well as a glass filled with what smelled like water. Handing Coran his drink, he discovered it had been opened already and he took a drink from it as Benny sat quietly beside him. The pair sat in silence several minutes before Coran spoke up.

"So erm... a musician, hm?"

"What?" Benny seemed a bit startled at the question. "Oh... yeah... at least I was."

Musing on the thought, but not really lingering on it, Coran continued. "You any good?" He snorted a bit as the human shrugged some and wobbled his head back and forth without a real response. "Hard to hear that answer." He smiled a bit.

Benny took a sip of his water, not really taking his eyes off Coran. "Why are you being so nice to me sir? I thought you just wanted a pet to shut up and put up with what you wanted."

Coran held his breath a moment before responding. "Well... that is what I want in a way." He admitted. "I mean, it is hard to get by without you around, you help me out in more ways than I can count. I just... thought I could help out some too."

"That's not why you own a slave." Benny said bitterly.

"Well... Coran cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his head. "I do not... consider you my property." He said. "Just... mine."

"It's the same thing." Benny snapped back. "You can't possess somebody and not possess them, it doesn't work that way, sir." He paused. "The... the same logic applies when I call you 'sir'. You're not my master, you're just the dog that won't let me out of his house."

"But I want to be more than that, I--"

"Sorry. I need to get back to my chores." Benny said. "I don't feel like sitting around doing nothing."

"Are you certain he would not try to escape on you again?" Gron asked, lifting a bottle of beer from the counter and taking a swig as Coran sighed and leaned against the bar right next to him, sighing as he felt the vinyl bar stool squish down under his backside before picking up a shot glass and swirling the contents in it. It had been almost three hours since the relic had left Benny at home, insistent, the human had decided to dust every inch of the house like some obedient slave which made Coran feel even worse.

"No, he will not." He answered. "Benny has nowhere to go, nowhere close anyway. And he is injured, he would not make it very far at any rate." He tossed back his drink and swallowed loudly, enjoying the brief tingle that it brought to his senses. "I believe I have trained him that well at any rate."

"There you go, calling the human by his name again." Gron said. "You sound as though you are growing attached to him. You are not, are you?"

Coran shrugged. "I do not know, friend. I have come to rely on him, I would not part from him in the slightest."

"Just because he pushed you from a moving truck should not give you any ideas that he is worth more than any other human. He is your pet, a slave to do with what you will, brother. Do not forget this."

"You sound like my father." Coran groaned, tapping his empty glass on the counter to be refilled. "Sometimes I believe he puts more stock in his pets than in his own son."

"The man bought you a house, he gave you a servant, you have had quite the silver spoon fed life, Coran. I would not tarnish his name for his own views."

"His views are not mine." Coran said after another shot, slamming his cup down so hard now that he almost broke the glass. It took him a moment more to swallow his alcohol on that breath. "I am thinking of rejecting Wester's offer."

"What? Why?" Gron exclaimed. "Forget what we told you earlier, it was just a little teasing! Wester is an incredible opportunity."

"Yes. It is. But... I just do not think that it is right for me."

"What has that human done to you?" Gron asked after several moments of simply staring at Coran. "Six months ago you could not wait for graduation, you wanted to turn the world on its stomach so you could reap it for all its money in lawsuits. I have never seen you apply yourself to anything so hard, I mean for hell's sake, you graduated at the top of your class which I never would have expected from a relic of your high school reputation."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Coran asked, a half tilted ear perking a bit at the other relic.

"You really need me to remind you that you were caught on tape, forcing Principal Hallard to practically ingest your feet, sliming it with his tongue and shoving it down his throat before fucking the living daylights out of him?"

Coran smirked coyly. "Got me out of a lot of detention."

"Even back then you acted as a human would--"

There was no warning to the punch Gron received. Suddenly his vision blurred as the massive relic's fist collided with his temple and sent him crashing down to the floor. When he looked up, Coran was standing over him, anger drenching his face, his fists still clenching and unclenching involuntarily almost. "You may accuse me of a lot of things, but that is certainly not one you should trifle with, Gron." He said as the other relic slowly recovered.

"Then you should stop acting like one." Gron said, sounding more serious. "This thing you have with your human, this thing must end now, or so help me..."

"So help you what, Gron? Will you tell my father on me?"

Gron scoffed. "Well you could certainly use a spanking from father dearest."

It was late when Coran's motorcycle headlight reflected off the side of his house. The shades on the windows had been rolled down, hiding the interior from the outside world. Relics absorbed alcohol much faster than humans, his excessive drinking only left him with a slight buzz by the time he'd returned, but it still took him a few minutes to find the right key to fit in the lock on his door. It hadn't been opened since he left, the deadbolt still slid back and he opened the door.

The house was dark inside, save for a few lights from the kitchen appliances which guided him through the house to the turnoff to his bedroom. Benny was asleep at his place on the foot of the bed, but his snoring sounded a bit more manufactured. Coran removed his shirt and peeled off his pants before falling nude into his bed. Enjoying the brief coolness of his sheets before stretching his legs down and feeling the warm lump of a human coil around them as he'd been trained. Laying flat he curled an arm up under the pillow beside him, but realized he couldn't really get warm enough with Benny down at his feet. He sat up and grabbed the human by the shoulders.

"Wh-what..." Benny said, sounding sleepy as he was pulled up into the relic's massive chest and straightened out before his head hit the plush pillows. He could smell the alcohol on Coran's breath and was rigid to the male's touch, the bulge of his member pressed against the back of his shorts, the fabric of that and the sheet thinly layered between them seemed to protect him from anything more. "What... what're you doing, Coran?"

"Shush." Coran said with a slurred voice. "I need warmth, you will serve that purpose well, Benny."

Benny's heart was pounding as the large form draped itself over him and he felt himself almost whimper at the almost immediate result in his shorts. "Y-you called me Benny...?" He asked softly.

There were no words, Coran had passed into unconsciousness. The mountain of his body pressed down on the human, but the plushness of his fur almost comforted him, like was being wrapped in a big pillowy blanket. It didn't take long before he dozed off himself.

"No... no, father I don't..."

Coran's voice roused Benny from the best sleep he'd had in months, and he found himself clutching the sheets of the bed under him. The relic's warm body was off of him, leaving him shivering a bit in the cool bedroom without a sheet on him. He yawned and looked over his shoulder at the door as Coran walked past, talking on a phone. He yawned again and stretched, rolling over on his back and enjoying a few moments where he forgot he was a slave in the house.

"No, really. I do not think it would be a good idea." Coran said again as he passed the doorway again, then gestured to the human with a sharp jerking of his head which made Benny quickly crawl out of the bed and instinctively start making it grunting a bit at the pain in his bandaged arm. Even after two weeks it still felt like it was a fresh injury and making the bed was still a bit of a pain. "I..." Coran growled a bit, leaning against the door frame now. With a look of irritation he switched the phone to his other ear. "I told you I did not want a party this year..." He paused and then responded to the unheard voice on the other end. "I do not care what mother expects, I am not twelve years old anymore." He paused an huffed a blast of air through his nostrils. "I-- but..." Again and again he started to speak but was cut off, growing a bit more irritated as he rubbed the bridge of his nose next to his eyes. "Fine... fine I will bring him and you can introduce him to your entire fucking army of pets... would that appease you, father?"

Benny's curiosity had gotten the better of him and he stopped struggling with the sheets. What could he possibly be planning for him?

"Alright. Very well, I will come, and I will bring my human with me..." Benny cringed, he was getting used to Coran not referring to him like a pet, he'd almost forgotten what it was like. With a grunt, Coran turned off the phone and glared at Benny. "You. Get cleaned up." He said. "It seems my father and mother are..." He held up his fingers in quotation. "'Not' holding me a surprise party for my birthday."

"It's your birthday?" Benny asked. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Why would I?" Coran asked. "It is a silly celebration, a tradition made by humans, but since I was born in this world, my mother has always taken it to heart and insists on holding one for me every year."

"Well... happy birthday just the same." Benny said softly.

For a brief moment, he could have sworn Coran expressed a slight smile which was quickly covered up. "No more stalling, get cleaned and dressed. I suppose it is about time you met my parents."

Benny couldn't withhold the grin. "Meeting your parents for the first time, such a step in our relationship." He stuck his tongue out teasingly.

"You will not make a spectacle of me. We will be there an hour and back home. I plan to have my hide out of there so quickly that it will not have time to shed and fall onto the carpets. Do you understand?"

Benny nodded. "Yeah, sure." He agreed, noticing how serious the relic sounded now.

The cascade of water from Coran's shower was more than Benny had expected when he turned it on. The glass surrounds suddenly misted with spraying from the side panels that made it look like a virtual rainstorm had suddenly come to life in the bathroom. The human hadn't been in Coran's bathroom before, the beige tile flooring and spacious shower made him almost a bit jealous. He'd resolved to bathing himself in a small tub or outside with a hose, but time and Coran's seemingly endless attempts to change his ways granted him this, and Benny hoped to take advantage of it. He stripped off his shorts and slipped into the enveloping warmth of the shower. Even with his arms apart, the human couldn't touch both of the walls at once, and the ceiling was about twelve feet off the ground in here, making up for Coran's massive eight foot height. The shower heads themselves were either hidden in the walls or coming up through the floor, the main head showering down on him was a chrome stainless steel that hung at about seven feet, but it was detachable for easy reaching. Benny flicked it out and began to go over his body with it, the warmth was close to scalding on his skin, but that was how he liked it. His cast had been downgraded to a flexible bandage the other day and he was still getting used to a limited range of motion. He turned the faucet on his face and flicked out his long hair, he'd almost forgotten how good it felt to just let it hang down.

Putting the wand back up on the mount, Benny groaned and leaned forward, resting his hands on the tile wall to envelop the feeling of the shower water beating down on his back. He looked down at his toes as they curled in the swirling water under him, he began to remember how excited Coran got when he made Benny lick his toes, his pads, his claws simply for a drink of water. The swelling in the sheets or whatever he was wearing at the time was too unmistakable. At first, Benny had thought it was just off the power of commanding him that got the relic's rocks off, but the more he thought about the rough taste on his tongue, the more he wondered how it felt the other way around, the more he remembered how good it felt to give Coran that kind of a pleasure. Those thoughts began to stir him and he noticed an almost immediate arousal standing erect and solid as a rock.

Whimpering, Benny couldn't help himself as he took one of his hands from the wall and began to slide it along his length, while not particularly huge, he was above average for most humans. He closed his eyes as he gripped his shaft tighter, focusing on the imagery in his mind of Coran having his way with him, those thick, long fingers wrapped around his waist. He sighed softly and began to move his hand back and forth a bit faster, feeling every inch of the flesh from tip to base, the squeeze of his palm underneath made a soft squishing noise that only made his cock twitch more in response. He leaned a bit away from the wall now, his hair tumbling some over his shoulder as his other hand began to tease and tug at his sack, he could feel his heart pounding he licked his lips and began to breathe through his teeth. All he could see in his mind's eye was those large paws, he could taste them, he could feel them pressing against his flesh even he hadn't realized how much they had affected him, how far they pushed him.

"Ahh! Nnngh!" He silenced his orgasm suddenly with a clamped hand over his mouth as the sound of his seed slapped against the lower part of the door, then pooled in the areas around his feet before circling the drain and disappearing down below. He could swear he heard the slapping for a good minute or two, but was surprised to look down and see that he'd stopped shooting and a long string of white was now dipping over his thumb and dripping onto the floor. He quickly washed his hand and rinsed the door of the evidence. He hadn't realized he was so pent up, but it had been several months since he'd last--okay longer... he admitted to himself as he continued to wash up.

"Did you leave me any hot water in there?" Coran teased as Benny emerged from the bathroom draped in a white towel. Benny paused, the unabashed relic standing up without a stitch of clothing on. He fought back a blush and Coran looked at him with a perplexed glance. "That was not meant to be a difficult question." He said.

"Oh... n-no... there's plenty of hot--hot water in there." Benny stammered nervously.

"Good." Coran said as he walked past. He paused and sniffed the air. "What is that smell?" He asked.

Benny grew even more anxious, he'd forgotten that the relics had the senses of regular wolves, including a keen sense of smell. "Must... be the combination of shampoos I used." He said. "I used a couple of different kinds, I wasn't sure what was what."

"Hm." Coran nodded a bit. "Next time, simply ask me."

"R-right. Yes sir."

The car ride was certainly a relief as Benny stuck his head partly out the window, taking in the brisk chilly air as they drove along the winding roads. Benny had forgotten just how cold it was outside, he'd almost forgotten about the world outside. The loud rumble of the car's engine echoing along the road, he didn't care where they were going, he didn't pay much more attention to that than he did to the fact they were outdoors. After a long time, a bump in the road caused Benny to look up at the estate-sized gates that were opening for them, the bumping being the turn onto the drive that led out to a mansion of a home, shrouded somewhat by the morning fog still lingering around the grounds.

"There are a few things you may need to know about my father." Coran said as they drove up toward the house. "He detests humans. He is one of the more adamant voices in the Royals advocating their use as pets. He will not treat you with any degree of kindness, you will need to keep your eyes low, your tongue still and move on past him at any opportunity."

"Oh trust me. I met him before, I'm not really looking forward to seeing him again." Benny said. "How about your mom?"

"My mother is... different in a way." Coran shrugged. "To everyone, she is a pillar of independence, a strong and fierce woman. But around my father she is much more timid, she is not the woman she should be. She may be sympathetic to pets, but she does not show it around Rekhis." Benny nodded in understanding.

As the car pulled around, the vision of Rekhis daunted in Benny's memory, he stood fully upright, if his head were pointed any higher it would be staring straight up. He wore a black tuxedo and tie, a thick mane of hair tied back somewhat by a red strand, the remainder of his head of hair slicked back some as it entered the small ponytail. Next to him was a rather lovely looking female, she had a mane of black coifed up somewhat atop her white furred body. Compared to the males, the females were much slimmer, though they were still a hearty difference from human females. They probably still towered over the human males as well. She wore a purple dress with cuffs that flared out at the wrists and came back to her elbows, breaking for no more than three inches before returning to the low cut remainder of a slim elegant dress that disguised her feet. A hint of a smile pressed on her lips as she saw her son slide out of the car, countered immediately by the scowl Rekhis gave Benny which made him want to crawl back into the car and go home.

"What is he doing here?" He sneered.

"He is my pet." Coran answered coldly. "I do not see you travel without at least one of yours, father."

"I for one think it is nice for you to have a friend, Coran. Welcome, human." The female bowed her head.

"Atala, do not greet the human with the respect you would grant a normal guest."

Atala's smile fell a bit, her head slumped slightly. "Yes, my husband."

"Show him to the servant's quarters, Coran." He stated. "Your dinner will begin shortly."

Coran felt unjust guiding Benny back toward the back of the house where two smaller buildings sat. The feeling of the relic's hand on his back made Benny feel more comfortable, almost calmed after confronting the mean glare of Rekhis once again. "You were right. Your mother seems really nice."

"Heh. It would seem you've gained some ire from my father." Coran admitted with a chuckle. "Not an easy thing to do to wear out that man's patience."

"I have a feeling being human is probably part of it. So... I've got to stay here?"

"Only until dinner starts. Then I can probably give you a tour, but leave it to my father. He's not a pet sympathizer, but he does provide his own with comfort." He said as he pushed open the door to one of the cabins and led him inside.

It was definitely spacious, and the floors were finished with carpet, four beds lined the walls near the back and an additional two bed rolls were wrapped and tied to a rack under one of the front windows. There were four humans he counted, all of them seemingly busy at work and unnoticing of either Benny or Coran for a few minutes. A young girl with dark hair stopped mid-stride and turned to look at Benny. She gazed cautiously at Coran, and soon the three other men stopped working and joined her.

"M-Master Coran!" The pale but taller man said almost trembling. "A pleasure to see you again sir!"

"It's such a rare treat, the master has such a handsome son." The shorter and fatter of the men said while a lanky man who looked to be of native American descent spoke up. "You have been away for quite some time, young master. It is good to see you again."

"Thank you." Coran said nodding to them. "This is Benny, he will be here for a bit, do not feel intimidated by him, he is a good human." He patted Benny on the shoulder before turning around and leaving the room.

"Hey." Benny said nervously.

"Hey." The larger male stepped forward. "I'm Max. This is Curtis." He pointed to the skinny man, then to the shorter statured man. "That's Brian, and that's Tiffany." He said, pointing to the female.

Benny resisted a jaw drop, of course he'd recognized the female, he hadn't recognized from where until her name was mentioned. "I see. It's great to meet you guys." He said.

"Hrm." Curtis grunted. "We better get back to work. Master Rekhis will be irritated if we don't finish before their return."

"I'll... join you guys in a moment." Tiffany said, turning to them. They all nodded and walked away.

"Tiffany? Jessie's sister?"

Tiffany smiled a bit. "I'm glad she hasn't forgotten about me." She said.

"How the hell did you end up a slave here?"

Tiffany shrugged. "I just... didn't have anywhere else to go." She explained.

"Didn't have anyw--" Benny's voice trailed off. "Your sister has been worried sick about you being kidnapped by these monsters, made one of their slaves!"

"It's not really that bad." Tiffany said with a shrug. "The relics really do whatever they can to make things comfortable, they give us food, shelter, protection..."

"But you're not allowed to leave."

"Trust me, Benny. I'm better off like this. I didn't want to go running home to mom and sister dearest, I didn't want to tell them the mistakes I made, so a few relics offered me a place to stay and I took it."

"Y-you mean... you volunteered for this?"

"Well... yeah. Very few humans actually are taken by force."

"I was!" Benny argued. "I was taken from my home, from my friends, all because daddy dearest here wanted his son to have a pet!"

"You should be grateful to have a master like Coran." Tiffany said coldly. "He seems to be more capable of a master than..." He paused and noticed the men looking at her. "Well... than most." She corrected herself.

"Listen to yourself! It's like you don't even care your sister is worried about you."

"I've learned to be happy here. I'm comfortable." Tiffany said. "Maybe you should find your own comfort with Coran. I heard he likes a sausage party too."

"Don't talk about him like that." Benny answered, crossing his arms.

"What was that, Benny? Are you defending your master?"

"He's not my master!" He shouted back, trying to back up his words with justification, but he couldn't think of another way to describe him. "He's... he's a friend."

"A friend you claim responsible for kidnapping you?"

"No, that was Rekhis. Coran had nothing to do with that."

"You seem pretty convinced."

"I am convinced!" Benny roared now, clenching his fists before noticing the men approaching them. "I... erm..."

"Defending your master is only natural, Benny." Tiffany said with an air of calm suddenly. "Don't be afraid of it."

"I... rrgh." He groaned and put his hand across his eyes. "What the fuck."

It had been close to three hours when Coran finally appeared in the door, he looked exhausted and was panting out of breath. "Hey. Sorry I kept you waiting, Benny." He said, noticing the human's concerned look. "It was more difficult to shake my father than I realized." He explained. "After a three course meal plus a desert, he and mother continued to hound me about my treating you more like a relic than a pet. I eventually had one of the servants slip them a couple of pills to put them to sleep and I made my escape."

"I'm--I'm sorry, when you mention wolves and putting to sleep--"

"Very funny." Coran rolled his eyes. "Mother has a small bottle of valium that she keeps to keep her nerves calm. A pill each put them out like babies. Now let us return home before they come to their senses."

The two of them rushed out to the driveway where one of the house servants had already pulled Coran's car around, the two of them settled in the seat and as Coran started the engine, Benny spoke up. "Coran..." He asked. "What... what am I to you?"

"You know..." Coran chuckled in spite of himself. "That is the first time I've heard you say my name without spitting." He laughed again as he flipped the gear into drive and they were off like a shot.

Benny did his best not to make the sudden pull into speed distract him as he continued to speak. "No, really... what are we? Are we friends? Are we pet and master? What do you see me as?"

For the first time, Coran didn't have an immediate answer. His massive claws flexed against the steering wheel and he was quiet for a time. "I... have something to show you when we return home." He said. "A thank you for putting up with me. It is not much but... I do hope you will enjoy it."

"If it's another set of chores, I'll do them... but I won't like it." Benny teased a bit.

The rest of the drive was quiet again, Benny nor Coran could think of anything to say to the other, Benny wondered what the relic would have in mind for when they got home, he wasn't even aware he was planning something. As they pulled up into the driveway, Coran was the first out of the car and he opened the door for the human, first letting him out of the car, then letting him into the house first. It was even quieter than Benny would have expected, even the ticking of the clock on the wall was louder than their breathing.

"I w-wanted to show you this." Coran said as he stepped over and opened the door to the cellar. Benny cringed at first at the idea of being led down into a small dark enclosure, but Coran smiled and held a hand out. "Oh, for once could you trust me?" He asked.

Benny was still hesitant, but followed Coran's guidance down the stairs into a surprise; it was a fully finished basement. Shag carpeting lined the walls and tickled Benny's feet as he reached the bottom of the stairs. There was a long, curved couch in the center of the room and a massive projector screen against the wall on the other side. He gasped as he saw it.

"Oh wow, a 3D multiplex adapter?" He asked as he admired the hardware fed just above it. "And a digital projection mat?" He fingered the screen. "What the hell are you doing with a fully furnished theater in your house and not even tell me about it?"

"Heh." Coran shrugged a bit. "It was just finished the other day." He said. "I wanted to... thank you for saving my life that day."

"I thought you already did that by lightening up my tasks around the house."

"No, that was to show you that I appreciated your dedication to your work." Coran explained.

"You probably would have just been grazed by that truck." Benny shrugged. "I really don't know what I was thinking, diving in front of you like that."

"Well, I was beginning to think that somehow you cared about me. Despite what happened before we met."

"Maybe." Benny shrugged before admiring the console before the projector that slid out and illuminated with a selection of movies digitally displaying on the panel. "Whoa-ho! Now this is cool! What kind of movies do you have in here?"

"Last I checked... it was about every movie that has survived to digital media."

"Wow, are you serious? What do you want to watch?"

"It is dealer's choice." Coran chuckled. "I have never watched any of your human movies." He said, rubbing the back of my neck. "To tell you the truth, I always felt they were beneath me to watch."

"Oh, I'll have to prove you wrong." Benny stated. "Let's see now... how about we start off with a little dark comedy, maybe move into some scary stuff."

"Scary stuff?" Coran scoffed. "What sort of entertainment does that have?"

"Oh, you haven't lived until you've seen at least the first Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the Thirteenth movies. Then I could show you other flicks like... Beetlejuice, and Batman. Oh we're going to have so much fun!" He exclaimed, practically bouncing now as Coran slid gingerly into the couch.

"Then please... enlighten me." He said with a smile."

Together the two of them lined up to watch several movies, all favorites of Benny's. The human seated himself on the couch, only a few inches from the relic. Rigid at first, Benny soon relaxed and reclined on the soft leather sofa. He leaned away and laid on his left side raising his feet and resting them next to the canine. He'd noticed Coran glancing at them, and during their second movie a warm paw came to a rest on the human's calf. Benny didn't mind, in fact he welcomed the contact. Of all the things Rekhis did, Coran didn't seem to be nearly that type, his touch was comforting. Despite this, Benny could feel his heart race as a subconscious petting came from the relic's massive hand.

The third movie was Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Arc. Several times the interested Coran had shifted his seat and watched the movie more intently. Benny smiled, he knew that this type of movie would have been a clencher for him. As the movie ended, Benny pressed the button to bring the lights up.

"So what did you think?"

Coran shrugged a bit, almost indifferently. "This... Indiana Jones was a very interesting character. Such an unassuming character."

"Wait until you see the sequels. But the first one's the best. How is it you've got all these movies but you've never seen them?"

"As I said before, we have access to popular entertainment on most worlds we visit. Mostly for the entertainment of our pets. I have access to a vast library of human and non-human entertainment. But since I have never had a pet, I did not feel it was necessary to use it, until now I believed it to be just a means of distraction..." He paused as Benny had moved in closer, sitting up to face the relic more directly. His foot shifted and rested directly on Coran's crotch, causing an immediate response from the bulge and a startled grunt from the canine.

"You mean "never had a pet" ...until now, right?" Benny asked, pressing his foot more firmly into the spot, feeling the relic's arousal pressing firmly against it.

"I do-I do not know..." Coran stammered a bit. "But I believe I could get used to you being more..."

Benny wasn't more surprised with the kiss that followed, only more the grasp of the relic's claws around the back of his head and the size of the jaw as the muzzle turned awkwardly to the side in an attempt to emulate a human's embrace. Still, it was a nice change from being told what to do. He inhaled sharply and his hands wrapped as best as they could around the wolf's sides, gesturing him closer, the wolf complied, driving his weight to lay Benny back, keeping the human's foot on his crotch as they did so. The angle of the pin caused Benny's foot to drag Coran's pants down a bit, and the canine slid his shirt down off his shoulders, pressing his bare chest against the human's clothed one, it didn't take long before the relic to grasp Benny's shirt at the back and physically shred it open, flinging the tattered remains to the floor. The stern, fuzzy muzzle jabbed its way between Benny's neck and shoulder, a spark of cold on the relic's nose made him yelp.

Coran leaned back suddenly. "I-did I hurt you? I am sorry if I did!" He said, suddenly sounding panicked and nervous.

Benny blushed a bit, he hadn't heard so much concern from Coran before, his look was priceless; like a deer caught in headlights. Looking down, he noticed the rather full erection poking its way, half uncovered from the wolf's pants. Benny had an idea suddenly. "N-no." He said. "This feels good, but I'd like to try something to make you feel good too." He didn't really wait for a response as he ran the base of his foot along the shaft, making the wolf visibly shiver.

"Nngh... wow..." Coran whispered a bit as the human's toes flexed apart and pressed the member between them. He huffed, and there was an immediate trail of warm liquid dripping down the human's foot as the heel pressed against the still-covered balls.

Slowly, Benny's foot edged down some and back up again, sliding along the slickened shaft which at the same time, helped to push the trousers down a bit more. The sheer size was bigger than Benny had imagined, and the feeling of the cock pressing against the bottom of his foot only helped in tenting the front of Benny's shorts as well. Coran noticed this too and he craned his neck down, licking along the human's stomach and indulging in the treasure trail he found. Benny resisted laughing, the wolf's rugged whiskers tickled him, but the warm, bathing tongue made him want more. Coran pulled a bit back on the shorts, his tongue meeting the flesh that jumped at him in anticipation. Benny huffed a bit and his fingers stroked the canine's scalp near his ears, watching them flick and flatten as the human's fingers rubbed harder against his pelt. Coran's mouth then engulfed the cock, pulling the skin back as he did so with a sharp breath as Benny humped into his mouth. The wet, slick tongue wrapped around his shaft and he took it in completely, a free hand tugging at the human's shorts, trying to get them off without destroying them as well. He couldn't do much though with Benny's feet still pressing against his shaft. They were working more in conjunction now, the pressure of them pushing together and the tip sliding between the toes that curled around it, the sound of squishing as his fluids began to lubricate the soles of Benny's feet, it was very hard to not be distracted by this.

"Mmnhh--" He let out a sudden roar that startled Benny, and the human felt heavy, copious amounts of wetness streaming up his leg, splashing and squashing in between them as Coran grunted and began to thrust against the flesh, not seeming to care about making a huge mess of the couch as the puddle of cum accumulated under Benny's ankle, making it splash a bit as he put his feet down to enjoy the feeling.

"AAhhh... Coran t-too much..." He couldn't help but grab the relic's head as he suddenly cried out and unloaded into the canine's muzzle.

He didn't feel the backsplash from his ejaculation, it simply disappeared into that great muzzle. He felt Coran's fingers wrap tightly against his exposed cheeks. There was an elongated lap of the wolf's tongue as his soft eyes and silvery grey fur raised to look into Benny's eyes, a smile pressed across his muzzle. "Not bad." He said, running his tongue along his teeth. "Come." He said as he slowly unstuck himself from the human's seed-coated feet and helped him up. Benny gasped a bit as he noticed that the relic's swollen shaft hadn't really gone back down and as Coran helped him step out of his shorts, he started to guide him toward the steps.

Exiting into the kitchen, then to the left into Coran's room, he grasped the human again by the waist and pulled him into another kiss; this one more relaxed, it still felt awkward for the human lips to sink into the muzzle. After a sounding parting of their lips he stared into Benny's eyes. "Get on the bed." He said with lustful intent, and a commanding sounding tone. Benny sat on the bed's foot as Coran pulled open the night stand on his side, extracting a bottle of a clear liquid. "And roll over." He added as he coated the tips of his index and middle fingers in the substance.

Benny complied, albeit nervously as he laid back and rolled onto his stomach. Sure he'd had some fun before, but the sheer size of Coran's cock much less of the entire relic race, he wasn't sure exactly how he'd fit. He received his response in a sudden, jabbing, cold tipped finger that pushed immediately past his anal ring and made him cry out, burying his face somewhat into the sheets. Slowly, the canine's finger swirled around the human's anatomy, pushing the muscle outward, loosening it even more with a second digit that pushed in beside the first. Benny was hard as a rock again, he adjusted himself some as he lifted his hips, his cock had gotten caught under one of the sheets for a moment.

"You did not think I could smell it?" Coran said teasingly as he began to more abruptly push his fingers in and slide them out. "Ever since I smelled your scent in the bathroom this morning, I knew that I wanted you. Not as a pet, but as this." He slid his fingers out and grabbed the human's thighs, sliding him back toward him as a warm shaft ran along Benny's crack, hooking almost effortlessly against the hole.

Benny gasped aloud and cried out as he felt the tip press inward, immediately stretching his ring as the head pushed against the flesh. He was huge, and his relic lust was not relenting. He hissed a bit as he leaned forward, resting his head on Benny's shoulder, then leaning forward more to kiss him again. Benny shuddered and moaned, the thick head had tapered away some, and his muscles were starting to relax, it was all he could do to keep his hair from falling into his face and making a more tender moment awkward. He gasped, then swallowed, taking breaths as he could to ease the uncomfortable pressure in his stomach that quickly began to subside. He lifted his hips, greeting the wolf's loins and he could feel Coran's large paws grabbing the human's hips, pulling him back again and again as his large tongue continued to probe the human's mouth. There was a soft popping noise as Coran hilted into Benny then pulled himself back out again, then in again which made the human nearly collapse onto the bed. Benny was hard and dripping onto the clean sheets now, but neither of them seemed to care. He could feel the pressure making his cock burn, threatening to make Benny release, but he wanted to cum at the same time as Coran, he wanted to feel them howl together.

*Slosh, pop. Slosh, pop.* Benny could hear the sounds growing louder, he could feel Coran's tempo beginning to increase, he'd already cum so a second volley shouldn't be so much. Should it? He could feel warm fluids trickling down his thighs, Coran was ready to go again, his breathing was becoming heavier he parted his lips from Benny's, Benny noticed his eyes were closed, his lips had pursed and he gasped in enjoyment, slamming even harder into Benny's ass. Benny cried out, he was like a bottle rocket ready to explode, he bit his lip but realized he couldn't hold it in any longer.

He cried out suddenly, almost enough to throw Coran off his own track. There was a wet slapping sound against the bed sheets as every one of Benny's muscles clenched and released almost all simultaneously. Then, there was a second howl that echoed the human's cry, followed by a heavy sudden flooding of Benny's stomach as seed pulsed into him. If Benny had been a female relic, his thoughts wandered that he'd have gotten pregnant from that for sure. He was casually pushed down into his own spunk as the wolf continued to thrust into him, long after Coran's shots ran dry. He huffed and breathed heavily before finally collapsing onto the human and then rolling to the side when he realized he must be heavy enough to suffocate Benny. Instead, Coran pulled Benny into his arms, wrapping the muscular appendages around the human, still buried to the hilt in him.

"W-wow..." Benny said after a long time.

"Mmmhmm..." Coran agreed, resting his head against the human's neck and giving him a casual lick.

"That... was amazing..." Benny couldn't resist a little panting, and was thrown off by a chuckle from the relic. "What?"

"Oh, nothing..." He said. "Just do not tell my father about this, he would have kittens."

The pair grew quiet again, and for the longest time they drifted on the edge of sleep and arousal, it didn't feel like Coran would get soft for the longest time, when he finally did, Benny spoke up. "Hey, Coran?"

"Hmm?" Coran answered, obviously on the edge of sleep himself.

"I think... I could finally get used to being here."

Coran purred in spite of being a canine. "Mmm good... and I will help you with the chores a bit more from now on. How is your arm?" He asked, running his fingers down the bandaged shoulder.

"A little tender from resting on it." Benny had forgotten about his injury. "But I'll live."

The crowd wasn't entirely lively at the Aces High during the Jets' performance. Benny had gone missing almost a year ago, his house emptied, everything made it look like he'd simply moved away. Jessie sighed as she put her face in her hands, staring down at her drink. Four months of near leads have led her nowhere. Local authorities had told them that legally they couldn't just go randomly searching the Royal homes in search for one human who may or may not have voluntarily joined them, but she knew it couldn't be right. She turned around and nearly jumped out of her boots as John stood directly behind her.

"Jesus, John." She said. "You scared the crap out of me."

"I'm... fine..." John said in an almost monotonous voice. "Jessie."

Jessie rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm not. Our shows have been terrible, our budget has been widdled down to nothing. It's hard to believe that Benny was our bread winner, of course he really was a pool expert, wasn't he?" She paused, but got no response from John, and continued anyway. "I'm thinking about hitting the road." She shrugged. "Maybe set up in a town down in the states, you know? How about you? Would you and the guys want to come with me... y-y'know, if I decide to leave?"

"Don't be sad. We're both happy."

Jessie raised an eyebrow. "John, what the fuck is wrong with you?"

Saying nothing, John turned around and disappeared into the group of people directly behind him, leaving her even more confused. Turning around she stopped when she noticed a little white slip of paper underneath her glass that wasn't there a moment ago. Picking it up she unfolded the paper and saw what she recognized as Benny's handwriting in red ink:

"Jessie,

I found Tiffany and she's happy. I am too, I don't want you to worry about either of us because for the first time in my life, I think I've really found something worth while. Don't come looking for us, maybe we'll see you again someday soon.

Love, Benny"

Looking up, Jessie could not make out a single figure she recognized, and then her eyes fell to the exit door which opened, then closed. She ran towards it and burst through, exiting into the alleyway behind the club where a silver sedan was driving out of sight, the license plate moved too quickly for her to make it out. She sighed and fell against her shoulders, leaning against the alley wall. After a few moments of her silently sobbing, she was startled again by the sound of the door opening and three relics emerging into the space. They glanced at her, granting her a feeling of discomfort before one of them spoke.

"Say, human." He said. "We are headed out now, perhaps you'd like to come with us for a night cap?"

THE END