FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

A Liger's New Pet

(Sequel to "The Prince's New Pet")

No matter how many spices he'd throw into the pan, he could never get rid of that smell. It was the same stench he'd come home to nearly every day, even when he was a kid, and nothing in the world could wipe those memories from his mind - not even another dash of chili powder.

Dad was drunk. Again.

It was always the same thing, too. The thick, biting aroma of whiskey assaulted his nostrils the moment he'd stepped though the door - his father'd have none of that Scotch-inspired shit. Matt hated coming home and cooking was the only way he knew how to get his mind, and nose, away from it. It didn't last long. Maybe a half an hour to an hour. But it was a necessary escape.

The thought that he was used to it was disturbing and frightening. After all, it was only his father and him. And because of his father's constant inebriated state, Matt was the only one with a job, at least a consistent one. They didn't even speak to each other for the most part. And when they did, it almost always escalated into something physical.

"Why don'cha make me som'tin while you're at it, boy? I'm fuckin hungry."

Every alcohol-laced word that came out of that bastard's vile mouth was cause of pure hatred in Matt. He always had to take care of himself, which was overwhelming enough, so having someone demand something of him was like a constricting attack on his soul. And each time, the shackles around his ankles were getting tighter.

"D'ya hear me, boy? Make me a fuckin sandwich or I'll kick ur ass like las'time!"

Matt's knuckles turned white around the wooden spoon he was choking to death. It may have been better if they were around his father's neck instead. He had half the heart to tell him to go fuck himself and make the sandwich on his own, but Matt knew how that would've ended. His left eye still hurt from their previous brawl. He'd even told his coworkers that it was from a fist fight at the bar. Matt didn't even drink - for obvious reasons.

He kept the fridge full of deli meats only because of his father. Those were other things Matt absolutely hated - honey ham, smoked turkey, salami, etc. Not because they were unhealthy. Not because they tasted like crap. Nope. He hated them simply because his father liked them. Anything that his father liked was something to be abhorred, which is why Matt cooked with fresh products - none of the out-of-the-box stuff.

"Waz takin you so long?" his father hiccupped. The only good thing about him talking was that that meant he wasn't drinking.

Matt grabbed whatever meats he saw first and removed them from the refrigerator. He slapped down two slices of bread and thickly coated some Dijon mustard all over the first. His dad would've had a fit if it wasn't "drippin wit musterd." Then, Matt dropped a number of slices of ham and turkey onto the other slice and put them together. He set the sandwich on a tiny plate and carried it out to the living room, ignoring his chicken stir-fry for the moment.

The living room was even worse. At least the kitchen had smelled of a mix of home cooking and alcohol. The living room smelled of nothing but regurgitated whiskey belches, and a whiff of his father's breath was enough to make a dog gag.

The television was loud - like usual. The only channel that thing had ever played was sports. Heaven forbid his father would ever watch anything else. Matt was surprised that images of football players hadn't already burned into that old CRT.

"Here you go," Matt said, making his words as icy as possible and dropping the plate down to the coffee table. The plastic made a sharp clack on the wood and roused his father from a very light non-sleep.

"You got a fuckin prob'em, boy?"

Matt ignored him and turned to start back toward the kitchen.

"Dun ignore me, boy. I'm fuckin tawkin to you!"

Just keep walking. Just keep walking. Matt repeated those words in his mind and took three more steps toward the kitchen. But the sound of his father clambering to his feet from the sofa was enough to make him turn back around. He wasn't going to be caught off-guard this time.

"You've never talked to me, dad. All you've ever done is order me around, and if that didn't work, you'd use your fists instead. And I bet you think that makes you some kind of big man. You're fucking wrong, you fucking drunk!"

"Why you fucker! Imma kick ur ass!"

His father stumbled toward him swinging his fist in a rage, but Matt just step to the side and led his father right to the ground and into the wall.

"You're no match for me when you're this drunk, dad. I'm nineteen years old now. I'm no longer that little boy that you used to take your anger out on."

His father's face was more than red, and not just from the alcohol.

"Dats 'cause you never lern ur lesson, boy. How dare you disrespet ur fadder like dat!"

"As far as I'm concerned, you've never been a father to me!"

He tried to stand back up from against the wall but he fell right back down. "It should've bin you that day! Satan should've takin you to hell, not him."

Matt's throat tightened, his heart started knocking on his throat, and his eyes started to swell. How dare he bring that up! That was it! He wasn't going to take it anymore.

"Fuck you, dad! Fuck it all! I'm getting the hell out of here," he spat and stormed over to the hallway that led to his room. "Good luck trying to survive without me." His words echoed behind him as he stomped into the bedroom and snatched up his backpack. He shoved as many clothes as he could fit into it as well as his wallet and a few other items. By the time he returned to the living room, his father had finally climbed back up to his feet.

"Wherz you tink youse going?"

"Anywhere but here."

"You can't joose leave."

"Watch me," Matt replied right as he opened to door to leave the apartment. He turned around and looked his father right in those pathetic, drooping eyes of his and said, "I hate you."

His father tried saying something but Matt closed the door before he could even hear it. He knew he'd left the stove on, but he wasn't going to go back there. That meal could burn and rot just like their relationship had over the years.

He had no clue where he was going to go but that didn't matter at the moment. He was too pissed off to care. The only thing that mattered was that his feet were moving and taking him farther away from that place with each step. He'd just let his gut guide him. That always worked for him in the past. Why would now be any different?

His car was usually parked about a block away, which was the nearest spot by the time he got back from work. Thankfully, his feet had led him to it; otherwise, he might have walked right past it since his brain was still caught up in an emotional fervor. The pouring rain was drenching his clothes but it helped cool his temper before unlocking the car door and climbing inside. He tossed his backpack to the back seat and removed the windbreaker he'd put on in a rush as he left. It was a good thing that he'd grabbed the windbreaker because his car keys were in the left pocket where he always kept them.

Matt turned the ignition and felt the rumble of the engine turn over and match the roaring of his heart. It was enough to fuel his anger even more. He put the gear in drive and pulled right out of his parking space. By the time he reached the entrance of the apartment building, Matt noticed that his father had successfully descended the staircase and was stumbling out of the metal doors. Matt didn't care to look. He kept his eyes forward and ignored whatever it was that his father was attempting to say in order to stop him.

The words "fuck you" and "enough is enough" kept echoing in his mind. He was never going to return. He had nowhere to go, but that didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was the fact that he was finally going to be rid of that bastard.

Even his compact, two-door car reeked of his father's alcohol from all the times he'd had to pick him up from the bar or drive him back home from the hospital due to an overdose. That smell only kept him enraged the entire time he drove. He wasn't even really paying attention to what roads he was taking.

Whatever.

It was instinct to head to the highway anyway and the highway would take him far away from home. He even had a nagging feeling to leave the country and just hand himself over to some of the anthros the humans were at war with. The closest one would be the United Prides. The lions would make him a slave, but that would be better than his current life, if you could even call it living.

He sped for a good hour or so before he even decided to take a look at the mile markers next to the road. It was great to see that he'd gotten a good seventy miles away from his hometown and coming closer to the nation's border. The thought of just giving himself to the lions still remained in his mind. At least then he'd have a place to live and food to eat every day. Maybe he could even prove himself as a good cook and just live out the rest of his life being a chef for some higher-up master. A smile crept across his face. That wouldn't be so bad, he thought.

He shook his head right after. Why was he even entertaining such an absurd idea? He hated being ordered around by his father, so why would being a slave to a warmongering lion be any different? It was a horrible idea.

Matt was checking his hair in the rear-view mirror when his engine started to sputter. The fact that his thick, brown tuft of fur on his head was super greasy was enough to distract him from ever noticing the low gas light that had turned on. It was good that he'd finally been able to get his mind off of his father, but that didn't help the fact that he was now five miles outside the nearest city without any extra gas to get him the rest of the way.

His car continued to sputter until it finally died. He slammed his forehead against the wheel and cursed. "Great!" he screamed. "This is fucking great. Now what do I do?"

Cars continued to fly past him without a care. Thankfully, he'd moved it over to the side of the road, but it would've been nice if someone stopped to help him out. He waited a good twenty minutes with his emergency lights on. Nothing. No one even pulled over to find out what the problem may have been.

He wasn't a very patient person to begin with, and he figured the only solution was to walk to the nearest gas station. And if his eyes were working correctly, he thought he could see one just above the horizon in the distance. It was dark but the lights looked familiar. The only problem was that he'd have to follow the highway there, which would take about an hour or so; or, he could cut across the fields and forest in a direct line to the gas station, cutting that time in half. To matt, the latter was a much better option, considering he was still determined to get as far away as possible.

After turning the emergency lights off and grabbing his wallet out of his backpack, he started trekking into the field that lined the highway. One good thing about this unfortunate occurrence was the fact that the air outside of the car and in the field was crisp and fresh with the smell of recently cut grass - no alcohol. It was dark and cloudy outside, and the rain that had drenched all the long vegetation rubbing against his legs highlighted that fresh earthy aroma. Matt was thankful that the rain had stopped. However, his pants were still getting wetter in the tall grass.

As he approached the forest that sat between the farm and the gas station, the lights disappeared beyond the canopy of oak, maple, birch, and a few coniferous trees. Without the stars or something else to keep his orientation, he wondered how exactly he was going to stay in a straight line. Perhaps it was a poor choice not to follow the highway after all. Oh well. It was too late to go back.

The forest floor was covered in old, decaying leaves and ferns, but it was relatively dry, which was a nice change. That and it was a fairly open space between all the trees and easy to navigate. He just hoped that he could keep his direction without any kind of guide. A compass was the last thing he would have thought to grab when running away from his father.

He'd snap a few low-lying branches here and there. Just in case he started going in circles, he'd be able to reorient himself. The darkness was also making everything more difficult than it should have been. He wished he'd paid more attention to the scout leader when he was in the boy scouts as a kid. It definitely would have helped him in his current position.

Squinting to get a better view, he took in a deep breath and let out a sigh of relief. He was pretty sure that he could finally see the gas station's lights in the distance. His pace quickened as he worked into a jog, eager to get out of the forest and into the warmth of the gas station. He figured he could spend a few minutes shopping around for a small gas container and some snacks for the rest of his trip.

However, the closer he got to the light the more he started to doubt that it was coming from the gas station as he thought he'd seen. No, it definitely couldn't be. The light looked much more like some kind of artificial, portable light source, like a big flashlight and maybe a few lanterns over there, too.

He was right. Ten yards away and it was perfectly clear. He'd stumbled upon someone's camp. Someone had pitched a tent in the forest and had hung a few fluorescent lanterns around on the branches. But Matt didn't fret. It might have actually been a good thing - he could ask the person for help and how to get to the nearest gas station.

Just as he was about to raise his voice and make himself known to whomever was the owner of the tent, a very large anthro lion with a thick rust-colored mane slid through the canvas door. Matt instinctually dropped his arms from his mouth and fell to the ground in a squat.

"What the hell is a lion doing here?" he whispered to himself. He couldn't think of any reason other than surveillance for their next raid - and that close to his hometown! He knew that lions were ambitious, but he didn't think that they'd plan a raid too far beyond the border. And how did they even get past the large garrisons stationed at the border anyway?

He did his best to crawl over to the nearest tree without making a sound. His windbreaker rubbed up against the paper-like bark of a skinny birch tree. It wasn't the best cover but it would have to do for the moment, because the largest tree within sight was even closer to the camp and he wasn't going to take that risk. He peered around the tree and found that the lion was staring right at him.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

He snapped back around the tree and pushed his spine flush against it.

"I've already seen you, human!" the lion spat. "It's now pointless to hide and futile to run from me."

Fuck.

The lion growled a little and yelled over to Matt, "Just come over here and it'll make things easier for both of us. I promise that I won't hurt you."

Matt kept his back up against the tree and didn't even turn to speak directly to the lion. "And how the hell am I suppose to believe that you'll keep that promise?" he yelled into the black of the forest.

"I guess you're just going to have to trust me. It's not like you have much of a choice anyway, right?"

"Fuck," Matt whispered to himself and shivered from something other than the cold of the evening. "He's right."

"Of course I am."

The lion's response nearly caused Matt's skeleton to jump out of his body. How could he hear him? Matt took a glimpse around the tree and found that the lion had been walking over to him. He was in even worse of a position than if he'd just decided to run at the sight of the lion to begin with.

"So?" the lion asked. "Will you take me up on my offer? I really don't want to have to chase you. And I'm sure that you don't want me hunting you like some kind of small prey. What do you say?"

Matt took in a deep breath. The lion had to have been only ten feet away from him now. He swallowed hard and exhaled. He was reminded of his earlier thought about purposefully getting caught by the lions. It didn't matter anymore whether or not that was a horrible idea. It seemed that it was going to be happening anyway.

"Alright," Matt finally responded. "I surrender."

"You've made a good choice, human."

Matt used the tree to climb to his feet and pivot around it to finally get a good look at the lion. The feline appeared much more regal than he would have expected, almost like an air of royalty came naturally to the lion. And even in the artificial glow of the lanterns, his beige fur was lined with a yellow that resembled rays of sunlight.

"There you are. Now I can get a good look at you," the lion inspected him, moving his eyes all over Matt's body. "What's your name, human?"

"I don't know if I feel comfortable telling you that, lion."

"I'm being honest when I say that I'm really just trying to be courteous. I truly don't wish to harm you at all."

"But you're going to take me as a slave, so it doesn't really matter anyway, does it?"

The lion's expression went blank and he didn't utter another word for a few seconds until Matt spoke up again.

"My name is Matt. What's yours?"

"Most people only know me by me last name - Diallo."

Diallo... that name seemed familiar but Matt couldn't really figure out where he'd heard it before. However, the fact that he'd even heard of the name must have been significant. It had to mean the lion, standing ten feet from him, must have somehow been popular - like some kind of general or something.

Wait - now he remembered! King Diallo! Leader of the United Prides!

It couldn't possibly be him. Could it? There's no way he'd risk coming over into human territory alone. Would he?

The drastic, and surprised, change in Matt's expression must have revealed to the lion that he'd figured out his identity. The king smiled, amazed that the young man was one who did more than just mindlessly go about his day or watch nothing other than sports. It was no worldwide secret who the king of the United Prides was, but one wouldn't know unless they paid a bit of attention to current events.

"So you're..."

"The king?"

Matt nodded, slowly.

"Yes, which is why you can probably see my personal dilemma in our current predicament," he explained, not letting Matt interject. He wouldn't have anyway. Matt was still speechless. "I can't risk having you escape and warn someone of my whereabouts, or even the fact that I was here in the first place."

Matt finally regained an ounce of his wits. He asked, "Why are you here in the first place?"

"That's very privileged information I'd rather keep to myself. But I'm much more interested in why _you_are here."

Matt's head dropped to look at the dimly lit forest floor. Although a lot of the leaves on the ground were dead, the artificial glow of the camp lanterns almost made them appear to have inklings of life still remaining. Was it a good idea to tell him the truth? Matt figured that being honest really couldn't worsen his situation, so he went for it. "I'm running away from home," he told the king.

"I see," the lion responded, taking a few steps closer to Matt. He squinted and examined the human more carefully than before. "Does it have something to do with your black eye?"

Instinctually, Matt raised his left hand and pressed it against his left eye. The dull pain that spread under the pressure of his fingers told him that it was indeed still bruised. Matt worried that the lion already had him figured out, because everything up to this point told him that the king was highly intelligent and acutely aware of subtle clues that most people would never pick up on in a lifetime.

"I may be taking you back with me as a slave but that is even more reason for you to be honest with me right now, Matt. Why are you running away from home?"

Matt cleared his throat and struggled to swallow the large lump that was forming inside it. "It's because of my father."

"He gave that to you?"

"Yes."

"I am so sorry, Matt. That is an idea I'd never entertain the thought of doing to my own son. I can definitely understand why you'd run away from home. I probably would have done the same thing."

Sympathy from a lion? And even the king to boot! If there was anything to turn Matt's world upside-down, that was it. Why was the lion even taking such an interest in Matt in the first place?

"I couldn't put up with it anymore," Matt's voice cracked and his lips started to tremble. A few tears swelled at the corners of his eyes. "I hate him!"

The king nodded and did something that Matt never would have expected. He opened his arms and closed the space between them. Matt scrunched up at first, afraid, but part of him needed it. He needed the comfort. So he let the lion wrap his big, furry arms around him and give him the warmest embrace he'd ever felt his entire life. He dug his face deep into the thick fur of the king's mane and let it soak up his tears, his cries muffled by the thick, golden hair. Why couldn't his father have been more like this?

"It's alright, Matt. You've been through horrors that no child should ever have to endure." His huge paws massaged the human's back as Matt sniffled hard and attempted to catch his breath. "And it may be hard to hear. And it may sound cruel. But I think you would have a much better life with us, even if it is as a slave. What do you say?"

Matt swallowed hard, but the lump in his throat was finally starting to subside. What he had thought was such a horrible idea just an hour earlier was now the best idea in the world. "Yes," he replied. "I want to go with you."

* *

Just the clothes on his back. That's all he had. The king hadn't even allowed him to go back to his car to grab his backpack. And they'd taken those away from him and switched them out with a red rag of a shirt and a beige, cotton pair of pantaloons. But the most humiliating of accessories was the leather collar they'd strapped around his neck.

Anxiously, Matt played with the metal ring of his collar as he stood in front of the crowd, waiting for his turn. He thought he was going to be auctioned off like the rest of the slaves. The king had left him at the sand-ridden grounds of the selling block, but being abandoned like that was nothing with which Matt was unfamiliar. He decided that the king was never coming back for him, and it was best to accept his fate of being purchased by some random lion that had a pocket filled with the right amount of gold. In fact, he wondered just what price he would sell for. What was the going rate for a nineteen-year-old, male human?

But his turn never came. The slaver never ushered him over nor called for a starting price.

"There you are," a voice called behind him. It was the king, and he was dressed in an outfit that was a much better fit for his regal appearance and stature: a white tunic trimmed in gold laces and silver bracers encrusted with glimmering gems. "I apologize for leaving you here while I fetched a few people, but it's standard procedure for all slaves to be processed and sold here. However, I'm glad to see you didn't take the opportunity to run away."

Matt huffed. He assumed it was a joke. "I wouldn't have gotten very far."

"Very true," he paused as to let the subject settle. "There're a few people I'd like you to meet. The first is my son, Khari. And the second is his slave, Josh."

The king stepped aside and allowed Khari and Josh to step forward. The prince was just as tall as his father, but it was easy to tell that he was much younger. His mane was shorter but the rays of sunlight breaking through the clouds above reflected off of his shiny coat like a well-groomed golden retriever. His furry skin was tight against his muscles and devoid of any scarring, unlike his war-wearied father.

And the prince's slave was probably close to the same age as the young lion. Matt estimated somewhere in his early twenties. His auburn hair was a few shades lighter than his master's mane and he had a tan that was a bit darker than what Matt would expect for a red-head. The prince wore nearly the same attire as the king, and Josh had clothing that was a huge step up from what the other slaves were sporting, at least all the ones Matt had seen up to that point.

"It's nice to meet you, Matt," Josh was the first to introduce himself and stuck out his hand. Was it customary for a slave to be able to speak before his master? Matt took a quick glance up at Khari to check his expression. The royal lion was probably close to eight or so feet tall. Apparently, the prince didn't care that Josh was speaking before him.

Matt grabbed the other slave's hand and gave it a good shake. "It's nice to meet you, too."

"Oh, come on!" Khari bellowed in a bit of a chuckle and slapped Josh on the back, shoving him over to Matt. "You humans and your handshakes. Give him a hug!"

Josh smiled and did as his master requested, but Matt didn't know how to feel about it. Just like before, when the king had embraced him, he did nothing but allow it to take its course. He didn't wrap his arms around Josh, caught up in his confusion more than anything else.

"Come here, human," Khari said and tugged Matt over to him, his bulky arms creeping around to Matt's back and squeezing tight. "My father's told me the short version of why you're here. I'm really sorry that such a thing led you to us."

Matt tried to wriggle his way out of the prince's bear-like hold. "It wasn't really a choice," he replied.

He'd never really had a choice. Running away was the first time he'd chosen something out of his own accord - out of self-interest. There was nothing wrong with it. He was glad he made that choice, even though this is where he'd ended up.

Khari finally let go of the skinny human and stepped back. They were all smiling with the slightest of twists on their lips. Matt intuitively understood that they were withholding something from him.

"You have something to tell me, don't you?"

"I told you he's a smart one," the king added, looking over to his son.

The prince chuckled, "That he is."

"And it's obviously about who my master is going to be."

"That's two points so far," the king was beaming; proud that he'd picked one of the ripest apples off of the tree. "Can you get the third?"

"Hmm," Matt started stroking his chin as if it helped him ponder more easily. "And my master is going to be someone that you know?"

"Third point."

"Someone at the palace?" Matt looked off toward the horizon. The city was quite large but the tall, gold, and ivory dome and minarets of the palace were visible above the stone and mortar buildings and hovels that sat below it.

"Fourth point."

Matt looked directly into the king's golden irises, hoping he was correct with the next one. "Is it you?"

The king frowned but had the curled hint of a smirk on the other corner of his muzzle. Matt clearly didn't get the fifth point.

"IT'S ME." Another voice thundered from behind Matt, and a shadow started to engulf him. Whoever it was, he had to have been an absolute giant, because the shadow extended a good ten feet past him and even the king. Matt's legs started to tremble. He was afraid to turn around.

"I'd like you to meet your master, Matt. His name is Nuru. He's a liger."

Matt finally mustered the courage to twist his ankles around and pivot a hundred and eighty degrees. He should have known to look up, but he kept his chin level with the ground just to get a feel for how monstrous his master really was. At eye-level his master's head wasn't even visible, and the giant feline was still standing a good three feet from him. The first thing Matt saw was his master's furry and ripped gut. He'd swear that the cat must have had an eight-pack or something, even through all that thick fur. And his belly button sat right above the rim of his white pants. For some reason, his master was shirtless. Perhaps, it was because no one made any clothing in his size.

Finally, the back of Matt's neck scrunched as his gaze crept upward, taking in the rest of his feline master. The liger was an absolute behemoth, standing close to twelve, or even more, feet high. His paws were close to the size of Matt's chest and his biceps were thick as a tree trunk. The whiskers on his muzzle vibrated with a gentle breeze that seemed to always accompany his height, and they were on a head that had to have been the size of a large beach ball.

Altogether, he was a predator like none other. And the worst part was the creepy and spurious smile he appeared to be wearing, with those gigantic, white fangs hanging down from his upper jaw. Matt assumed that his master was sporting that patently fake cheeriness just out of some courtesy that he didn't understand.

"ARE ALL HUMANS THIS SKINNY?" the liger asked the king. He pinched Matt's scrawny left arm between two of his fingers and lifted it up in the air, giving it a good jiggle. Apparently, Nuru had never seen nearly a third of the human population.

Matt would have pulled his arm back if it had been anyone else who'd done such a thing to him, but he wasn't in the position to oppose his master, not that he'd get very far with such a colossus. He did, however, take the opportunity to compare his arm with his master's, and he could see why the liger had been so curious. It was like a wet spaghetti noodle being compared to a baseball bat. In a way, Matt was actually quite jealous. He'd never seen such enormous muscle mass on any other creature. It was kind of awe-inspiring. N-not that he was into such a thing...

"No, Nuru. Not all humans are as skinny as this one," replied the king.

Nuru's mask dropped and a scowl showed for a microsecond before that overly toothy smile made its return. He spoke more softly between his teeth, his voice dropping an octave from its already low rumble. But despite the liger's intimidated stature, his voice was far from scary. "Then why are you giving him to me, my lord?" he said. "I'd much rather have a human who can carry his weight as a slave."

"Bah!" Matt huffed, indignant. "I can carry my weight! I've always taken care of myself just fine - with an overgrown, drunken buffoon thrown in there, too."

The scowl returned. Nuru was not very pleased with his slave's attitude.

"AND HE'S DISRESPECTFUL!" the liger's booming voice returned to its natural state.

Khari interrupted, "Give him some time. I'm sure that you'll have him broken in soon enough, Nuru." The prince turned to his slave and passed him a bawdy wink.

Matt shuddered and raised a curious and worried eyebrow. Broken in? What the hell was that supposed to mean?

"He's had a difficult past, Nuru. I just ask that you be patient with him and start with the basics of being your personal slave," the king explained. "It is an honor, not a privilege to own a slave. Take care of your property and it'll bear you valuable fruit one day."

Matt's face scrunched up even more than it already was, and it was interesting to find that his master's face was just as contorted as his. During his time traveling with the king, Matt had learned that the old lion tended to speak with archaic philosophical undertones that equated to some part-time Confucius wannabe. It obviously hadn't rubbed off on anyone else, yet. Matt kind of hoped that it wouldn't eventually rub off on him. He didn't even know whether or not he'd be seeing much of the king anymore, anyway.

He turned back to face his master only to find the liger's monstrous paw right in front of him. It completely blocked his view as the dark pads squeezed around his face, holding him in place.

"What's going on?!" he yelled, his voice muffled by the warm flesh around his mouth. No one heard him.

After Nuru pulled his paw away, Matt instantly recognized exactly what the liger had done. He attached a leash to his leather collar. The liger gave the thing an easy tug, pulling Matt forward a good foot and making sure it was tightly secured.

"Hey!" Matt exclaimed, letting his tongue slip once more. "What's the big idea, cat?!" He'd gotten so used to talking back to his father that he didn't seem to have a problem doing it to anyone else, even if it was a twelve-foot-tall predatory feline.

"YOU CALL ME MASTER FROM NOW ON, SLAVE. THE LEASH IS FOR YOUR SAFETY."

"Like hell it is! You just don't trust me," he spat back before looking around the selling block and realizing that most, if not all, other slaves were also wearing leashes. His master was probably just following some kind of protocol, but he wished that the liger would just tell him the truth rather that chalk it up to "safety."

Josh started chuckling and spoke lightly. "How come you don't use a leash on me, master?" His lips were puckered in a teasing manner. It was obvious that he was joking in an attempt to lighten up the situation.

Khari laughed. He repeated the same wink from before and replied, "I can certainly start using one if that would please you, slave."

"Oh, it definitely would, my lord."

Matt shook his head. He knew exactly what they were referring to and didn't care to hear much more of it. "Oh, dear god! Whatever. It doesn't matter. Just please get me away from here before these two decide to go into further detail that none of us want to hear."

"I AGREE," his master replied. It was the first thing the liger had said that Matt was happy to hear. "TIME TO HEAD BACK TO THE PALACE. YOU'LL BE LIVING WITH ME IN MY QUARTERS. YOU'LL HAVE A ROOM FOR YOURSELF."

Matt gritted his teeth as he tried to shelter his ears from his master's deafening voice. He hoped that his inside voice was much quieter than his excessive outdoor language, which rivaled any standard megaphone.

They all walked back to the palace together. The streets were paved with modern asphalt but there were hardly any vehicles on them. For the capital of the United Prides it certainly wasn't as bustling as Matt would've expected. However, a rumbling from below suggested that they had an extensive underground railway system.

All of the humans that they'd come across were all wearing the same leather collars as Matt and Josh. However, there was one big discrepancy - the ones that Matt and Josh wore were dyed different colors. Most of the other slaves' collars were a typical light brown but theirs was a bright orange. It was clear that palace slaves were held in higher regard or something like that. Matt didn't know whether or not he should've felt honored about that.

Matt still had nervous shakes. His spine would shiver every time he looked up and subjected himself to just how huge and ripped his master was. Even staring at the ground couldn't save him from it. Each time they had some dirt or sand to walk through, Nuru would leave his footprints - or pawprints, whatever you wanted to call them - which were massive.

The liger's feet sat flat on the ground like a human's; however, Matt's own feet weren't even big enough to take up an fifth of its size. Not to mention the fact that he was following in the gigantic liger's shadow, literally. Nuru was blocking the sun from touching the human the entire way as Matt didn't dare try to walk beside him or, even worse, in front of him.

The palace grounds were quite heavily guarded, more than what Matt would have suspected, but they had no trouble getting past the guards with the king present. There was a long wading pool that stretched all the way to the polished marble staircase that led up to the grand entrance of the enormous, domed building. The giant doorway faced eastward toward the rising sun. To the north was what looked like some kind of barracks or training ground and to the south were a number of additional buildings. Matt couldn't guess the purpose as to all of them. However, the palace itself was much larger than any mansion Matt had ever seen. It must have been big enough to house close to nearly twenty families. And with all those other buildings on the grounds, that number was probably closer to one hundred.

"Welcome to the palace, Matt," the king said as he escorted them up the short staircase. "But this is where we must separate. Your new master will take you to his quarters and give you the run-down on the personal duties he has for you."

Nuru tugged the leash again and Matt snarled in response. It was odd because growling like that at his master almost made him feel like some kind of wild animal that was outright refusing to be tamed. The liger glared at him with his icy blue eyes, and both of them were grinding their teeth.

Things were off to a great start.

Begrudgingly, Matt followed close behind his master as the king, Khari, and Josh went their separate ways. He had half a mind to step on the giant cat's tail as it swept back and forth on the recently waxed marble floors. Nothing but spite for his master was filling his heart. He would have much preferred to be the king's slave rather than - wait - Matt didn't even know what kind of title his master even had. And why was a liger even in the lion's palace, anyway?

Matt cleared his throat and bit his tongue. He was going to hate himself for even uttering the word. "Master?" he tried to grab the liger's attention as they wandered down the south-facing, stone hallway.

Nuru didn't even stop walking. He had, however, been courteous enough to shorten his strides so Matt could keep up with him. "Yes, slave?" he answered. Finally, he'd lowered the volume of his voice.

"So what exactly is your title? What do you do here at the palace?"

"I'm the prince's personal bodyguard, which was a recent honor. I was promoted to the righteous position two full moons ago."

"Two full moons? Really? Why not just say two months? No one speaks like that anymore."

"Why do you insist on your continued insolence, human? I am your master and you should treat me as such." He tugged the leash once more as if to assert some kind of dominance. It only made Matt sneer harder.

Matt shoved a few fingers between his neck and the collar. It was really starting to itch. "And how come you have to use this stupid leash? The prince doesn't use one with his slave." He started to resent whatever kind of relationship Josh had with his master. How did they get along so well? He couldn't imagine ever becoming buddy-buddy with this gigantic brute of a liger.

"I told you it's for your safety."

"Bullshit," Matt coughed.

Nuru finally stopped and spun around to glare at his slave. He bent over so his head was level with Matt's. And after taking in the sheer size of the liger's head, Matt guessed that it probably weighed close to his whole body. Those bright blue eyes burned into Matt's soul as those black lips curled. "I've had quite enough of your disrespect, slave. I'd much rather not have to teach you a lesson, but your starting to force my paw."

Matt swallowed hard. Perhaps it was finally time to zip his lips. His tongue had gotten him in plenty of trouble before with his father, and his father hadn't been a monstrous mass of pure feline muscle. Pressing Nuru's nerves even further would be a bad idea, so he decided to hold his tongue for the meantime.

Near the end of the grand hallway, they finally came to a gigantic wooden doorway that had to have been the door to the liger's quarters. It wasn't too often that Matt came across decorative or ornamental doors, but that seemed to be the case with nearly every single door in the palace. There was a story carved into the heavy cheery wood that depicted a mythical battle between a lion-man and a serpent. Near the center, which was actually level with Matt's face, was where the two figures melded together - half lion; half serpent. The handles were composed of the two tails of the hybridized being. Nuru's heavy paw grasped the scaly-tail handle and pulled it wide open, revealing the master's bedroom.

"I was told that this used to be a gallery before the king had it remodeled to be my personal quarters," his master explained, finally unlatching the leash from Matt's collar and locking the door behind them.

Matt had already been in awe at so many things that day, so it wasn't too much of a surprise to find his master's quarters as opulent and grandiose as the rest of the palace. The vaulted ceiling had to have been nearly twenty feet high, tiled with a mosaic of a jungle canopy. It was magnificent. He could only imagine what the king's or prince's quarters may have looked like.

"Every morning you are to first prepare a bath for me, then you are to make my bed," Nuru began. He was obviously eager to lay down the rules. "After I am done bathing, you are to help me trim and sharpen my claws. It's a tedious task that I have little patience to do myself. You will also make sure that everything of mine is in its proper place and in order. My duty guarding the prince starts an hour after the sun rises and I cannot be fooling around trying to find something. Do you understand?"

The scrawny human just nodded in response. He was only paying half attention to his master. He was still caught in the awesome sights around him.

"Are you even listening, human?"

"Have a bath ready before you wake up. Got it."

"And what else?"

Matt's shoulders shrugged a bit, "Something about keeping everything clean." He let his fingers slide down the cold steel of an enormous claymore. It was something he'd have a hard time even lifting off of its wooden stand.

Nuru's paw wrapped around Matt's entire forearm and pulled it away from the sword, swinging the tiny human around to look him in the eye, looming over him. "You weren't listening."

"Yes, I was," he spat, trying to pull his arm away but the liger wouldn't let go. His eyes just kept to the side. There was no way he'd be able to look his master straight in the face.

"If you'd been listening, then you would have known TO KEEP you're filthy HUMAN hands OFF of MY THINGS!"

The liger's voice was starting to regress into its natural thundering boom. Nuru also seemed to become less eloquent when his voice roared. Matt cowered a bit and attempted to pull his arm away once more.

"Let go of me!"

"NOT UNTIL YOU LOOK ME IN THE EYE AND LISTEN!"

Matt was sure that the entire palace could hear the commotion. But why should he listen? No one ever listened to HIM.

"DO IT, HUMAN!"

It wasn't like he had much of a choice. His eyes inched up the liger's massively buff body until he met with the grey-blue eyes of his master.

"MUCH," Nuru cleared his throat, "better."

The gigantic cat's pink, wet nose was just inches from Matt's face, the hot air blowing past his cheeks. He caught hints of Nuru's last meal on his breath, and no doubt, it was fish that wasn't properly seasoned and mostly likely overcooked. At least it didn't reek of alcohol. That was a plus.

But however uncomfortable Matt was, he kept his resolve. The worst feeling for him was to be proven that he couldn't do something. To him, it was a sign of weakness, so he held fast to staring deep into his master's eyes, proving he was never going to be scared of him, even though he had every rational reason to be utterly terrified of the gigantic liger.

Nuru's long whiskers twitched, and his meaty lips curled as he started speaking slowly as if Matt couldn't already comprehend him. "You are to do as I say, when I say it. Understand?"

Matt kept his eyes locked on those huge orbs and nodded in response.

"I want you to say it. I want you to say, 'I will do as you command, master.'"

The human's insides were ablaze. Every inch of him fought against those words, but he knew he had to say it. He had to acquiesce just so he could get his arm back. It was starting to hurt.

"I will do as you command," Matt paused. Again, the next word made his body ache and his teeth grind. "Master."

"Then let's put that to the test, shall we?" Nuru said and finally let go of Matt's arm. "Prove to me that you can keep your promises."

As Matt rubbed his reddened arm to ease the pain, the gigantic liger moseyed on over to an ornate chair that took up a large portion of a corner of the room. It was just wide enough for Nuru's bulky buttocks to fit comfortably, and sturdy enough to hold his massive weight. It still, however, expressed its complaints with a few creaks and groans. Matt certainly didn't want to hear what his master had in mind for him.

Nuru repositioned his thick golden tail as he leaned back in the chair, tilting his flat padded feet upward to the ceiling. His baseball-sized toes curled and cracked. Matt knew exactly where he may have been going.

"My feet are sore and are overdue for a good massage," he requested.

Yep. Matt's intuition was correct, and he cringed a bit at the thought of touching those enormous padded feet. His nose was already curling, and Nuru was picking up on his disgust.

"You'd be welcome to wash them first if you'd like," added the liger. "There's a bucket along with some soap in the washroom. It's over there." His arm lifted and pointed across the large room to an open doorway.

That would mean more work, Matt thought. So he was torn between having to do more work and having to deal with any possible dirt or stench on his master's feet. It was a tough choice.

"Aren't you the prince's bodyguard? How come you're not doing that?" Matt asked. He did his best to avoid his master's command and deflection was always his best defense. It had always worked with his father. He just hoped it would work with Nuru, too.

"I've been given the day off. Another competent individual is covering for me," Nuru replied, casually. "So quit stalling and either go grab the bucket or get over here."

Damn. It didn't work and Matt was fresh out of any more ideas. He took a step forward willing to massage the liger's raw feet, but he recoiled again. "I-I'm going to go get the bucket," he said. He wanted to stall as much as possible.

"I thought so," Nuru chuckled. "I figured you couldn't do without it. Humans have such weak stomachs."

Matt stopped in his tracks. He absolutely hated being told what he could or could not do. It was if it was implying that he was weak - that he couldn't take care of himself. He turned around and glared at his master. He'd prove him wrong, even if his insides were trying to tell him otherwise.

He sauntered over to the liger, attempting to display a faux confidence. Having to deal with the smell of alcohol for years was horrendous, so spending a few minutes massaging a gigantic liger's padded feet couldn't be anywhere near as bad. He knelt down next to his master's feet until his butt was on the floor. That's when the smell finally hit him. The liger's feet were close to the size of Matt's entire torso, so the moment he sat down, his nostrils were less than a foot away from those huge, furry toes. Matt gagged a bit at first, but that was more of a forced reaction to the situation. When he actually thought about it, his master's aroma really wasn't that bad. It was almost spicy and savory. It was like a mix of ground ginger and yellow cheese, which was an odd combination, yet it was certainly tolerable enough for him to do his job and prove Nuru wrong.

Those big toes still wriggled, eagerly waiting for Matt's tiny fingers to go to work. Out of the corner of his eyes, Matt glimpsed a dry smirk curl along the liger's muzzle. He was obviously enjoying the fact that his slave was doing as he asked more so than the fact that he was about to get a foot rub. Matt kind of despised that sly grin, but he was too caught up in his own pride that he'd just been playing into his master's paw the whole time. Or rather, this time it was right into his master's feet.

Matt's hands press forward until the finally came into contact with the first monstrous foot. It was odd to see his hand in comparison to it. Like an infant being compared to its parent, his hand, or even his own foot for that matter, wasn't even a fifth the size of the liger's foot. Matt couldn't help but feel a bit of awe at the situation with his palm pressed up against the black, meaty pad. Never, in a million years, did he think he'd be so close to such a titan of a being. Only a fool wouldn't have been in admiration, or even envy, of such muscle and power.

He shook his head and did his best to wrap his fingers around the side and dig his thumbs into the firm and coarse flesh. The pads were unyielding at first, but they soon became quite supple as Matt kneaded them. His thumbs and fingers were eventually able to sink into the softening pads over the course of a few minutes. The liger had been right - he did need the foot massage. Matt could imagine that most of his day was either standing or walking next to the prince. Either way, it wouldn't have involved much sitting or idling.

Some part of him liked feeling the thick meat between his hands, giving way to the pressure and losing tension. He'd never really given a person a massage before, so it was definitely a new experience for him. And it was one that he was starting to realize he enjoyed. His mind wandered to thoughts of rubbing down the rest of the giant liger's body. All of that muscle. It was remarkable - like a fantasy.

No, that was sick, he told himself.

But the way the muscle and meat felt in the palm of his hands - it felt like he couldn't get enough of it. He'd even graduated to using the full force of the ball of his palm, pushing it deep into the pad and gliding all over with repeated circular motions. The feeling of the rigid pad tickling his sensitive skin was odd but pleasurable, more pleasurable than he would've ever envisioned.

Stop it, he thought. He shook his head again and moved on to the other foot.

This time he let his eyes roam from the liger's foot and take in more of his master. Nuru was utterly beaming with delight, but his eyes were closed. Matt took the opportunity to gaze at his master's huge, ripped chest. His abdominals and pectorals just popped out like nothing the human had ever seen before. Matt was utterly jealous as it was something worth being worshipped. The sheer power that his master must've held was unimaginable.

"Do I have something on my belly?" his master asked, oblivious as to why Matt was staring.

Matt's eyes shot right back to Nuru's foot, and he started kneading the flesh even harder. He was embarrassed that he'd even done such a thing. "No, master," he replied. This time he was too distracted to get hung up on that word. "I just kind of zoned out for a bit."

"Zoned out?"

"Yeah, you know when you get caught up in thoughts that you don't even realize that you're staring off into space?"

"Space?"

"Never mind," Matt rolled his eyes, but did so behind his master's huge foot.

"Don't be impertinent with me, slave," the liger growled. He must have felt Matt's eyes rolling around in his head because Matt was fairly certain that he couldn't see him. That or his master took offense to that phrase. "I'm just asking questions, because some of the language you use is different than what I've been taught."

Matt's brow furrowed. What he's been taught? Was English not his first language? If that was the case, his master must've been some kind of linguistics genius. There was no accent other than the usual syllables that felines had some trouble pronouncing. Plus, he was even more eloquent than Matt, and that was surprising since English _was_Matt's first language.

"Just how did you learn English anyway," Matt paused, getting caught on that last word once again, "master?"

"You should already know that lions speak English as their first language, human," he answered with a tone that suggested a certain degree of pride and arrogance. "However, I had the misfortune of being born outside of civilization due to my being both lion and tiger. It wasn't until my lord, the king, took me in and schooled me in the arts of language. It took many years to get up to speed with everyone else. But I am a fast learner. And after moving into the palace and having access to the library, I've only expanded my knowledge even further."

Wow. Matt couldn't help but feel some respect and sympathy for his master. That was quite a feat.

"But you've never heard of the saying 'zoned out?'"

"I have never encountered that in either reading or speech. Is that a problem?"

"No," Matt's shoulders involuntarily shrugged. "I just found it weird."

"Are you INSULTING me, human?" The liger was doing it again; his voice was starting to boom.

Damn, he was like a ticking time-bomb, Matt thought. "No, I-" he started.

"I DON'T care to HEAR INSULTS, especially from SLAVES."

Matt was perplexed. He'd figured earlier that the liger's ego was a bit sensitive, but he didn't think he'd gone far enough to provoke such a reaction. He attempted to respond before he was interrupted again.

"GET ON YOUR HANDS AND KNEES, SLAVE."

Matt refused at first. He was still caught up in his confusion. He'd thought he was actually making some kind of connection with his master until he decided to blow things out of proportion. "What?" he said. "What exactly did I do?"

"DID YOU NOT HEAR ME? I SAID GET ON YOUR HANDS AND KNEES. THIS IS ANOTHER TEST, HUMAN."

"I want an answer first."

"YOU'RE A SLAVE. YOU DON'T HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF DEMANDING ANSWERS."

"But what did I say wrong?"

"HANDS AND KNEES!"

This all seemed vaguely familiar to Matt, like every other time his father would throw a fit and he'd never know why. When he'd been a kid, the only option had been to submit, because his father had been a giant compared to him at the time. It didn't matter once he'd grown up. He was able to fight back against his father. But now it was like reliving those days as a kid. He was now that helpless little child facing the chaotic blowback from an inconsistent giant. Once again, his only choice was to submit. He twisted around to his knees and rested his hands on the cold, marble floor.

"THAT'S-" Nuru cleared his throat, signaling that he'd finally realized how loud he'd gotten. "More like it," he finished and tossed his feet and legs atop Matt's back, which nearly caved to the unexpected weight.

Matt winced and did his best to hold up his master's heavy legs. Together, they must've weighed somewhere between two hundred to three hundred pounds. Perhaps that was even an underestimation. It wasn't like he could really concentrate on guessing correctly.

"We'll see just how strong you are, human," the liger chuckled.

Matt wondered if it had anything to do with the "breaking him in" that they'd referred to earlier. He wanted to prove himself, not for his master's sake but for his own. His own pride was at stake.

But that proved to be much harder than he'd originally thought. Not only did his arms grow numb within the first minute, but all that foot rubbing that he'd done earlier had increased the potency of the liger's stench, which still lingered heavily in the air. It assaulted his nose at the worst time, just when he thought he could stand another minute. But what had been tolerable the first time was now powerful and distracting enough to break his concentration. His back muscles gave way and he collapsed to the icy floor, the liger's feet with him, landing flat on his back.

"Pathetic," the liger snorted. For some reason, Matt could hear a ring of vengeance in his voice, as if he'd returned an insult. "You didn't even last two minutes. It's so sad that all of you humans are so scrawny and frail. I really don't know why my lord decided to give you, of all people, to me."

Defeated, Matt's lips and cheek scowled against the polished marble. He felt nothing but contempt for the whole world, especially his master.

Nuru lifted his enormous feet off of Matt's back so he could get up. "You'll find your quarters over there," he pointed to a doorway on the opposite side of the wide room. "I suggest you take a quick nap before I put you to work tonight."

A nap did sound good, and at least his master was kind enough to suggest it. But after that fiasco he still hated Nuru. Matt rose and dusted off his pants and shirt, which hardly needed it because the floor was so spotless anyway. He couldn't look at the liger anymore and prayed that he wouldn't demand that he look him in the eye again. Without saying a word, he marched out of the bedroom and into his own quarters.

His room was a lot smaller than his master's of course, and was probably something like a closet or utility room. But it was still a good twenty square feet larger than his room back home. The bed was full-size - bigger than his usual twin-sized bed - and it had decent linens. At least, in some respects, they seemed to take care of their slaves. He looked forward to his nap. It was a much needed break after all he'd been through the past few days.

* *

"SLAVE!" Nuru's voice thundered from the darkness. "DO YOU WISH TO TELL ME WHY MY BATH ISN'T READY!?"

Matt's eyes snapped open. It was his first official day, and he had already slept in past the rising sun. He'd been too used to sleeping in since he usually worked late at his last job. Not that his current situation was anything close to an occupation. It was forced labor.

Before he even turned to look, he could feel the liger's massive presence at his door. "I'm sorry. I've never had to wake up before sunrise before. Give me some slack."

"GIVE YOU SLACK? YOU'VE CAUSED ME TO BE LATE!"

Matt yawned and somewhere in his mind he was smiling. Even though it wasn't intentional, he realized that it was the perfect payback for the humiliation he'd suffered the previous evening. Perhaps the tables had turned, and he was now in more of a position of power. If that was the case, he was going to milk it as long as possible.

"Oh, really? It can't be that bad. I'm sure the prince doesn't need his body guard this early in the morning," he dared. "I'm sure that he and that whipped slave of his are just fine without you."

If the liger's face hadn't been covered in fur it would have shined a bright, glaring red. But there was no doubt that Nuru was fuming - for more than one reason. Matt was sure that if the liger was to get in a bath, the entire thing would evaporate into a thick cloud of steam. And the smile that Matt was feeling inside stretched even wider. It may have been a bad move, as he was still afraid of the liger, but not afraid enough to test the waters.

"H-HOW," Nuru stuttered, thunderstruck by the words that had come from his slave's mouth, "DARE YOU SAY SUCH THINGS!"

"Well, am I right?"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT, HUMAN! NOW GO GET MY BATH READY!"

Matt started to pick out some dirt that had collected underneath some of his fingernails. "In five minutes. I'm still waking up."

"Y-YOU-" the liger boomed as he stormed toward Matt's bed with his paw extended, the long claws sticking out. "LITTLE..." He stopped just short of the bed and Matt. It was clear that he was doing his best to fight his rage.

It was something Matt had seen plenty of times before in himself - never giving in to his anger like his father. And because of that, he knew his master would never go so far as to lay a single paw on him. Playing with the liger's guilt was the advantage that he needed. And he was going to use it over his master.

"Little what? If you've got something to say, say it."

Nuru just let his massive arms fall to his side in defeat before he turned and started for the door. "This is why I hate humans," he mumbled, but he made sure to say it loud enough for Matt to hear.

Matt's heart continued to pound all the way into his throat from the encounter. For a moment, he thought that his master may have acted on his rage. But he didn't. Matt's heart sank just a little. Even though he'd won that round, he couldn't help but feel bad for the titan, which despite his intimidating size and power, may have truly been a gentle giant. The guilt he had hoped to use against the liger had turned against him.

Matt sighed and rolled out of the bed with a nagging feeling to make up for the transgression. Furtively, he tiptoed from his room over to the washroom. He was surprised to find a marble fountain that normally ran into a huge basin but was blocked by a sliding stone slab. The water, instead, was flowing down into a drain rather than the large pool that was just waiting to be filled. It had been the sound of running water from the fountain that had helped him fall asleep so quickly the previous night. He smiled and slid the slab along the marble groove to let the water start flowing into the polished marble basin.

"You changed your mind?" the liger observed.

Matt passed him a weak grin but didn't say anything. He'd gotten his revenge, but he was still angry about the previous night. He started toward the exit to go and get into a new pair of clothes for the day.

"Thank you," Nuru coughed.

He still didn't reply. The air was overly awkward and he didn't care to. He just proceeded to return to his room and shuffle through the maple wood dresser that had already been stocked with slave's clothing. And as he donned his clothes, he glimpsed the collar around his neck in the dresser's mirror. He'd almost forgotten that it was there, and thankfully, it wasn't itchy during the night. Otherwise, he would have never gotten any sleep.

Also, he couldn't help but hear the big liger undressing and dropping down into the pool of water. It had been a bit cold for Matt's tastes, but he figured that Nuru, with his thick coat of fur, didn't mind it at all. The liger's deep sigh of relief echoed all the way into Matt's room. And that rumbling purr caused Matt's mind to wander and imagine his master's nude body. He was curious just how big certain other parts of the giant might have been.

After shaking his head and slapping himself across the cheek, he scowled at his reflection in the mirror. What the hell? He was only curious, and he just wanted to touch those huge muscles. That was all. He wasn't gay. And certainly not for some titanic, muscular, sexy... God damn it! He slapped himself again.

However, he did have to try and sneak a peek, because the curiosity was just way too strong. He had to see if everything was... in proportion. Just one quick look. It wouldn't hurt.

His movements were slow, hovering his feet less than an inch off of the ground with each step in order to stay as quiet as possible. He paused at the doorway and kept his body flush with the stone wall before creeping around to peek. He kept his breathing shallow. Stealth was something he'd practiced many times over the years, and having a violent drunk as a father tended to force a person to practice such things.

Just one second. That's all he allowed himself as a glance around the trim of the doorway. However, it ended up being quite useless as his master's back was facing him. The liger was leaning back with his arms outstretched along the marble perimeter of the basin. If Matt wanted to get the preview he was craving, then he was going to have to make a risky move. He'd have to sneak up behind his master and look down from above. There was no other available angle.

He turned the corner and took a better look. Nuru was still leaning back but thankfully his large head was fairly upright - creating enough of a blind spot above him. Matt gulped and took the first step. Silence was the key.

He took another silent step. There were just three more long strides remaining in his estimation.

Three. Two. One.

His master's relaxed breathing hit Matt's ears as he watch the giant liger's chest rise and fall. And then there it was. Matt's eyes wandered down to Nuru crotch where he found what he was looking for. Also, the answer to his question about proportion was confirmed in the affirmative. The sheathed, and currently flaccid, cock was just as enormous as the rest of the liger's body. At least it was huge in comparison to any human dick. He wouldn't have known how it would've line up with other ligers' manly bits.

"Would you care to pass me the soap?" Nuru asked.

Matt froze and his heart leapt up into his throat. Was he caught in the act? "I- I- I-" he stuttered.

Nuru's left paw pointed to the opposite end of the pool. "It's right over there near the bucket that I told you about yesterday."

Matt leaned forward and noticed that Nuru's eyes were closed. It appeared that they were never open the entire time. That was a relief, and Matt let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Yes, master," he replied, choosing to oblige to avoid the possibility of being discovered. He marched over to the bucket and grabbed the large bottle of soap that lay next to it.

"And the bucket," his master added.

Matt did as he asked and carried the two items over to Nuru, placing them down next to his left paw, which was still stretched out along the side of the pool.

"Thank you," he mentioned, and Matt wiped away the beads of sweat that had begun to form on his forehead. But as he attempted to leave the washroom, he was stopped by his master's voice echoing once again amid the stone walls. "And it's pretty useless to try and sneak up on a predatory cat."

Matt's body immediately grew warm, and the sweat he'd just wiped away started beading even faster. He swallowed hard and said, "I don't know what you mean."

"You were tiptoeing into the room. Did you think I couldn't hear you? Also, did you think that I couldn't smell you?" his master said as he turned around to get a good look at the shrinking human. He had been caught in the act. He just hoped that Nuru didn't know why he'd snuck up on him.

"Yeah, I guess it was kind of stupid of me." Matt shrugged his shoulders and tried once again to escape the washroom.

"Did you like what you saw?"

"W-what? I- I don't know what you're talking about."

The liger's fuzzy right eyebrow lifted upward. "You were curious. That's innocent enough. I'll forgive you for it."

Matt's throat tightened. He didn't really know how to respond to that. "I- I still don't know what you're talking about."

"Deny it all you want, human. But you just had to get a look at my penis."

"I - no - I - what?"

"It's not the first time I've had gawkers trying to get a quick glimpse. They all want to know if it's as big as the rest of me."

Matt's cheeks grew bright red over the course of a single second. How could he think that he'd get away with doing such a thing? Also, he was filled more with feelings of embarrassment and humiliation rather than regret. He probably still would have done it, even if he'd known ahead of time that he'd get caught. It would've eventually happened anyway.

"So are you gay?"

"No!" Matt spat. A second later, he was surprised by the speed at which he'd responded.

"Good," Nuru paused and turned back around so Matt couldn't see his face, but Matt did catch his right paw nervously twirling around in the water, creating small eddies. "Neither am I," the liger added.

Matt's back was starting to ache and his legs were trembling without his consent. "Are we done here?" he asked. He just wanted to get the hell out of there. His master had decided to make it more than a little awkward.

"Yes, but you'd best have my clothes out and lying on the bed for me when I'm done with my bath. Plus, you'll find the claw trimmers on my dresser."

It was a habit for Matt to roll his eyes at every order anyone had ever given him. It was no exception this time as he made his way over into his master's bedroom. He was still enthralled by the magnificence of the grand gallery, and he thought it was a bit of a shame that it had been converted into a bedroom with some of the décor and art remaining. The claymore that he'd inspected must've been one of those pieces, as it seemed more decorative than useful. However, Nuru probably would have been the only person to wield such a massive weapon.

He strolled over to the dresser and shuffled, first, through the top drawer where he found, to his surprise, a number of silk and satin shirts. It was no question that they had to have been tailored specifically to the liger's extreme size. And it was also a wonder why Nuru hadn't worn one of them when he picked Matt up at the selling block. His master must've preferred to go without a shirt.

He decided to grab the most casual one he could find and placed it on the dresser without wrinkling the fabric. Next, he went down to the drawer below the first and that was where he found his master's undergarments, and the sight of it caused a yearning itch within him that he didn't recognize. It was quite a new feeling. He swallowed hard and looked in the direction of the washroom to make sure the coast was clear before grabbing one of the liger's gigantic briefs. Subconsciously, his hands inched up to his nose.

Matt paused. What the hell was he doing?

But just one good whiff. He could chalk it up to curiosity again, like everything else he'd been developing odd urges for.

His teeth bit down on his bottom lip as he endeavored to control the weird craving. However, it was useless. He shoved the underwear into his face, digging his nose right where the liger's huge balls undoubtedly rested, dripping with sweat and sex at the end of the day. And his master's scent still remained - a hint of his musky, masculine power lingering in the fabric. Matt closed his eyes and let the manly odor take over his senses. He took two more deep breaths.

After opening his eyes he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His hands shot away from his face almost instantly. "Ugh! What am I doing?" he scolded himself, disgusted. He placed the underwear atop the shirt.

He shook his head the entire time as he went to close the underwear drawer but stopped the moment something caught his eye. Within the mass of white fabric, there was a something flat and bound in brown leather. Matt reached for it and pulled it out. He quickly realized that it just so happened to be his master's diary, or journal, whatever you wanted to call it.

His fingers fanned the pages as he entertained the idea of reading its contents. It was too tempting. He pulled the leather-bound cover open to the first page and started with the first entry:

I know that I'm different. I know that I'm weird. But that doesn't make it any less painful when they remind me of that fact.

It now made some sense. He should have figured it out earlier, but using the word "weird" must've been some kind of trigger for the liger. That's why his master had nearly exploded out of nowhere during their conversation the previous night.

"Did you find the trimmers?" his master's voice echoed throughout the huge chamber.

Matt jumped. The diary fumbled about in his hands before he managed to shove it back inside the underwear drawer. His eyes dashed about the surface of the dresser until they came upon the trimmers his master referred to. He grabbed them and held them up for his master to see. "Yep! I've got them right here!" he replied, his voice cracking a bit.

"Good. But how come my clothes aren't on the bed yet? It shouldn't take you that long."

"I just need to grab your pants and I'll be all set, master," he said, closing the second drawer and moving down to the third. He pulled out the first pair of pants he saw and added them to the pile of clothes he'd prepared. After grabbing them and the trimmers, he turned to face his master, who was still drying himself off with what had to have been his fifth towel, judging by the other four wet ones that were piled up on the floor next to him. It must've been annoying having to dry all of that fur.

He strolled over to the bed and placed the clothes on top of the thin sheets. There was no comforter. Matt guessed, correctly, that Nuru didn't really need a thick cover to keep him warm at night.

But his eyes were locked on his master. With his fur still wet and clinging tighter to his skin, it only made every single one of his massive muscles more prominent. The liger's body was a lot like those huge guys you'd see in the world's strongest man competitions. Matt still felt entirely envious. And this time he felt a little more than just envy. Something was growing a bit tight in his pants. His cheeks grew red and he pushed the boner back down, trying to conceal it between his legs by clenching his thighs together. That only made it worse.

It almost made Matt hate himself even more than he already did. Something had to have been wrong with him. In fact, he had always tried convincing himself that he needed some psychiatric help. He saw this as more proof of that fact.

"You look uncomfortable. Is something wrong?" Nuru asked. That big furry brow of his was pointed toward the sky again.

"N-no," Matt gulped. "I- I just need to go to the bathroom. But I was afraid that I needed permission to do so."

Yes. Perfect. He couldn't have come up with anything better.

"You do not have to ask for permission in order to relieve yourself, slave," his master replied. However, his eyebrow lifted higher than before.

As soon as Matt had the opportunity, he turned and shuffled out of the room. There was some truth in what he said. He really did have to go to the bathroom. So, in order to keep to his excuse, he did just that.

"Don't take too long," Nuru called after him. "You still need to trim and sharpen my claws."

After returning, his master was already lounging in the chair from the previous night. Already, his feet were outstretched and the moment he saw Matt, he slid his claws out, ready to be trimmed. Matt was nervous about the whole thing to say the least. He'd never trimmed a cat's claws. Not even a simple house cat.

"Don't be nervous," the liger said, easily reading the human's body language. "I'll take you through it, step by step."

Matt sat down next to the liger and grabbed the first, massive paw that his master offered. The claws were long enough to pierce all the way through the skinny human's torso. It was very intimidating, considering all the muscle behind it, too.

A question, however, had been nagging Matt ever since the previous night before he fell asleep. "So while you're on guard duty, what am I supposed to do, master?"

"I suggest that you stay here and make yourself busy scrubbing the floors and changing the linens on my bed when the servant drops them off," he explained, but he was fairly casual about it. "Although, if you were to wander on over to the palace library to check it out and do some reading, I wouldn't be opposed to that. We have one of the largest collections of classics that you'll ever set eyes on."

"That's wei-" Matt stopped himself before the rest of that word came out, knowing fully that it was his trigger word, "-interesting. You're fine with me lounging in the library?"

"At least you'll be learning something. Perhaps you can even study lion culture and get a better understanding why I may do or say certain things to you. It would benefit us both."

"I agree," Matt gulped, remembering the liger's diary. "In fact, I may take you up on that offer. There's some light reading that I really want to do."

"Good. Hopefully, you'll understand me and my actions better when I return, slave."

Matt grinned. "I have no doubt that I will."

* *

It's been twelve years since the king rescued me from that hellhole. Humans are so cruel. I've despised them for nearly my entire life. But the king has convinced me that most humans are kind and empathetic. I had a hard time believing it until I met with my lord, Khari's, slave. I think his name is Josh. There have been numerous times now where Josh has seen my frustration, anger, and grief. Yet, he did not exploit me for it. For the first time in my life, he put one of those padless and furless hands on me and asked "Do you want to talk about it?" Not a single lion has ever done that for me. I fear that Khari's slave has been changing my initial preconceptions of humans, and I don't know if I should trust this new feeling. It goes against everything that I've ever known.

Matt sighed and turned to the next page, which was another entry. Most of the liger's diary was filled with fairly depressing things, like the abuse he faced as a "circus freak" in the shackles of human captors. They were, apparently, the only family that he had - not that Matt would have ever considered that family. The unfortunate liger had been rescued by the king when he was ten years old. It was astonishing that Nuru had even survived such horrors. And it was even more amazing that he was so in control of his anger. Matt wouldn't have been able to say the same if he'd been in his master's position at such a young age.

Josh did it again. I can't help but to speak freely and openly with that human - about my feelings, my fears, my... eccentricities. I feel so comfortable around him, and I don't really know why. In many ways, I'm quite jealous. I'm jealous of what Khari has, and I hope that my lord appreciates every inch of his slave. I know that I would.

"What is it with this Josh guy anyway?" Matt gritted his teeth. Appreciate him? Bah! Matt hadn't seen any of that appreciation at all from the liger. He also got hung up on the mention of the liger's "eccentricities," wondering what exactly that may have meant. Supposedly, Josh would have now known. Matt wondered if a talk with Khari's slave was in order. However, Matt's eyes continued on to the next page.

My lord has informed me that I shall be receiving a slave of my own upon his return. I can only hope that my slave is everything like Josh.

"God damn it! Josh again!" he exclaimed, letting his body fall down onto the bed. He'd been walking around and reading the whole time. He usually liked to keep moving while he read.

I dislike him very much - my slave, that is. He is very disobedient and rude. Every second with him only makes my day more stressful than it already is, and I've only had him for just the afternoon and this evening. My mind cannot stop wondering why my lord decided that this human would be a good fit for me. He is nothing like Josh. I can only hope that that changes. However, I will not be holding my breath.

Matt's chest started to hurt. He found reading that about himself kind of painful, and after reading everything about the liger's past, it only made him feel like a bit of an ass. His finger pulled the next page expecting to find nothing on the other side, but he was proven wrong. Nuru's last entry must've been that morning. The liger must've jotted it down while Matt was in the restroom or something.

I think there may be some degree of hope with this human. There has to be some compassion in there - because I believe I saw it today. Despite our fight, he still prepared a bath for me. And there was something about way he looked at me and my nude body. I don't believe he was just gawking like I'd said he was.

Matt's cheeks started to grow quite red again, and he tried to swallow his heart back down into his chest.

I... I can't help but think he has "a thing" for me, even though I doubt he'd admit it. And the truth is that I may be developing feelings for him, too. Maybe I should try to be a little less dictatorial with him. Looking back, I did seem harsh last night. I just don't want to look weak in front of all the others, because I hear how some of the lion's still talk about Khari and his slave, especially Runi. I don't know. Maybe I'll give my slave some freedom today. I think I'll suggest that he head on over to the library. That place has always helped me relax.

That was the last entry, and it made Matt speechless. He felt like even more of an ass. He was, however, curious as to whom this "Runi" character was. But the most important thing was to try and make things up with his master. It was amazing how similar they actually were in some respects, but perhaps that was the reason they were constantly at odds.

He wondered if he'd be able to find Nuru and apologize for a few things. He removed the diary from his face only to find the liger looming over him and the bed. Only the grimmest of frowns and a deepest of scowls marked his face.

"A bit of light reading, huh?" the enormous liger growled. Matt was amazed that his voice wasn't already booming.

"I- I can explain," Matt tried.

"No need." Nuru snatched the diary from Matt's hand and threw it hard into the dresser, cracking the mirror. The liger's massive paws were clenched and the grinding noise of his teeth reverberated between the stone walls of the chamber. He leaned over Matt's tiny body and rested his paws at the human's sides. His muzzle crept forward until it was inches from Matt's face, just close enough for Matt to catch a few tears that were forming in the corners of the liger's eyes.

Matt recoiled and spoke softly. "I-I'm sorry."

"Do not expect me to forgive you for this, human." Seeing Matt's utter terror was enough to make Nuru back off. He turned his back to the human and started toward the exit.

"I said I'm sorry!" Matt yelled after him and the huge door slammed behind the liger. The room suddenly felt much colder.

* *

It'd been hours and still Nuru wouldn't stop. He needed to feel his fist pounding against something soft. Other than reading, punching things seemed to be the only other way to relieve certain kinds of stress, and the large, human dummies were the perfect target of his anger.

That human had defied him for the last time, but he had no clue as to what to do about it. If he hadn't left the room, he was afraid of what he might have done to his slave. Everything that he'd begun to think differently about humans was now being torn apart before his very eyes. But that still didn't account for Josh. Khari's slave must've been the exception rather than the rule like the king had said.

He kept throwing his fists into the poor thing, nearly breaking it. No matter how many times he tried, the next punch just wouldn't get rid of that feeling of violation. He feared that it may never go away.

"Something has clearly upset you. I don't think I've ever seen you this angry, Nuru," a voice called from the entrance of the training grounds.

The liger didn't even turn to see who it was. He already knew, so his paws kept pounding into the dummy. "I'D PREFER NOT TO TALK ABOUT IT, RUNI, ESPECIALLY TO YOU."

"It's about your new slave, isn't it?"

Nuru's jaw clenched even tighter.

A sly grin curled along the corner of the lion's black lips. "Not as obedient as you'd like, yes? Nothing like my nephew's slave? Oh, what's his name again? Josh, I think?"

The liger finally turned to face the prince's uncle. His huge paws were still fists. "You're the last person who should be talking about my lord and Josh."

"Oh, am I?"

"Yes. Khari has told me all about you."

"I see," the lion said, strolling up closer to the giant. He looked into those big blue eyes. "But how come he hasn't told you the secret to making a human behave so well like Josh does?"

"H-he's told--"

"You nothing. And why would he? He doesn't understand humans like we do, Nuru. He doesn't know that they'll stab you in the back the moment they have an opportunity. That's why I've tried to save him from getting too close to that slave of his. Josh is just a disaster waiting to happen. You should be happy that your human has shown you his true colors from the start."

That hit Nuru hard. He still harbored ill feelings about humans and their real intentions. It was enough to consider what the lion had to say.

"It's in their nature to deceive and betray, my dear liger. You of all should know this very well."

Nuru hung his head. "Yes, I do," he replied, having his own experience and his deepest fears confirmed. "But what can I even do about it?"

"Humans only know of brute force and violence. It is the only thing they respond to. Why do you think this war started in the first place? They know of NOTHING beyond their own self-interest."

"What exactly are you suggesting, Runi?"

"Have you broken him in yet?"

"The king told me that that is never to happen without the slave's explicit consent and approval. It is supposed to be a type of bonding."

"Those are all lies," Runi scoffed. "Do you truly believe that every single lion waits for their slave to consent? That goes against the purpose of having slaves in the first place! My brother is a fool who continues to believe that these humans have any shred of decency."

Nuru stepped back, shocked. "H-how could you say such a thing about our lord, the king?"

"Maybe I'm wrong," Runi shrugged his shoulders and started to walk away before turning to say one last thing. "But maybe I'm right. You need to start thinking for yourself, Nuru."

* *

Just one more squeeze of lemon should do the trick. Matt was hoping that cooking would help. Not only did it help him get his mind off of what had just happened, but he figured that making a meal for his master would put him on the path of reparation. And thankfully, the servants in the kitchen had no problem with it and were kind enough to let him borrow their grill for an hour. He might not have had the same reaction if he'd shown up right before dinner, however.

Judging by the smell of stale fish on his master's breath that first day, the liger was overdue for something that actually had some flavor. And since Matt had plenty of practice grilling up salmon, he figured there was no way he'd be able to screw it up. He just hoped that pleasuring and teasing the liger's palate would wash away the anger and usher in forgiveness.

The problem with most fish was overcooking. It was a fickle thing, knowing when to take it off of the grill, but Matt had done it enough times that it was almost like a second sense. He didn't even need a timer.

Cooking had always been helpful in other ways, too. It really did calm his nerves, and he could feel the tension that had built up in his shoulders and back wane. The only thing that lingered was his apprehension about how he was going to approach his master after what was an egregious violation of his privacy. Perhaps, he thought, if he was to be open and honest about his own past to his master, then that would help turn things around - an eye for an eye, in a way. He read all of Nuru's secrets, so sharing his own secrets should make up for it. He hoped that would be true.

That fishy smell lingered for a bit in the kitchen air, but once the lemon and seasoning started to seep into the meat it disappeared and was replaced by a delightful aroma. That's how he knew it was done. He always trusted his gut - and nose - when it came to grilling.

Along with the salmon, Matt had decided to fry some potatoes and bacon in a pan. He figured he'd stay away from too many vegetables, thinking that big cats didn't really care for them. Normally, that would be too heavy of a meal for someone, but he was cooking for a gigantic liger. He was sure that Nuru wouldn't be that particular.

Once everything was done, he placed the two salmon filets and bacon potatoes neatly onto a large ceramic plate and covered it with a silver dome to keep it warm. Thankfully, his master had gone over his schedule with him. If the liger chose to stick to it in light of recent events, then he was most likely taking a break in the library during the prince's martial training. He hoped that that was the case. But he was actually betting on it, considering he knew reading helped his master calm his nerves

The plate was heavy and the seductive aroma creeping out from around the rim was tempting. But Matt made it all the way to the library with it in hand, nearly burning his palms, but he fought the pain. Using his back, he opened the huge door to the library. He turned around to find a magnificent sight. His master was right. The library truly was something to behold.

There were three levels to the grand library, which were all shaped in a square stepping formation, and each wall was lined with fifteen-foot tall bookshelves. All of them were filled. And some of them were cram-packed with books. There was a wide and polished cherry wood stairwell that rose from the center of the room, connecting all three levels. The most curious thing about it, however, was the fact that lions were never portrayed as the scholarly type throughout human media. It was a blatant contradiction to a well-know stereotype.

However, Matt's eyes were diverted by a gigantic figure seated in one of the many lounging chairs lining the bottom middle of the room. The big liger was leaning back in the cushioned recliner. He was the only one in the library.

As Matt approached his master in a hesitant amble, he noticed a glare that would blind him every now and then coming from the liger's face. Nuru was wearing glasses that were hardly his size. The temples looked like they were stretch beyond their limit and the hinges would snap at any minute.

"I can't have food here," Nuru said without moving his eyes from the book. He used a paw pad to slide the paper over to the next page. "That should be obvious."

Matt gulped and nervously cleared his throat. "I'm sorry."

Nuru removed the glasses and finally looked over to him. "Oh, it's you," he said, scrunching his furry brow. "I can't really pick up on your scent with the smell of - what is that exactly?"

"I grilled some salmon for you?"

The liger's eyebrows lifted toward the ceiling in disbelief. Incredulity was not a common expression of his.

Matt's throat started to swell as he tried to think of a way to end the silence. "I think you'll like it. I'm actually quite good at cooking fish," he stammered a bit, but it came out clear enough.

Nuru put down the book and turned his massive frame to face the tiny human. "I'm having a hard time believing that, but I suppose I'll give it a chance." He didn't care to tell Matt that grilled salmon happened to be one of his favorite dishes. "But I can't eat it here. Let's go back to my room."

He left the book behind, and Matt follow at his tail, being sure to keep a fair distance from him. There was a large - small for Nuru - dining table in his room with a chair that must've been crafted specifically for his size. And being reminded of just how enormous his master was made Matt afraid that the portion he'd prepared for the liger would hardly be enough. He just prayed that the taste would make up for any shortcoming with amount.

Matt had to lift the plate up to his neck in order to slide it up onto the table. The table had to be tall enough for the liger's legs to fit underneath. It was clearly an entire dining set made just for him as there was only the one seat, and dinner guests must not have been very common for the liger.

Nuru lifted the silver cover from the plate. He took in a big whiff of the delicious aroma but hid any olfactory delight he may have experienced. Not getting a response about the smell hit Matt with a hint of disappointment, but the proof was going to be in the pudding - or in this case, the fish.

His master used a huge fork to skewer the first filet. The whole thing fit right into his mouth and the liger took his time tasting it. It was clear that he was fighting any chance that a good reaction would slip. But it did. His eyes went wide and his lips twitched into a curl for a microsecond. Matt caught it, though. He also caught the liger rubbing his padded fingers together - a subtle clue that Matt had learned to appreciate in his own satisfaction of delectable foods.

He chewed for a little while, trying to savor it discreetly. And once it was down the hatch, he turned to Matt and said, "I like it."

That was very good to hear, and those words relieved even more tension from Matt's back. He watched as his master tried a bite of the bacon potatoes and caught his master's shoulders drop. The visual clues were clear. And even though Matt knew that Nuru wouldn't explicitly admit it, the liger was actually loving the food - not just "liking" it.

Matt waited for the next salmon filet to enter his master's mouth before he spoke up. He wanted to have a bit of time to speak without Nuru interrupting him. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry, master," he paused. "Again."

Nuru started chewing faster. He wanting to respond, but Matt kept going.

"And even though I probably won't be able to make up for what I did, I still wanted to try."

The big liger swallowed it all before chewing it properly. "I don't want to hear it, slave. Your best move right now would be to shut your lips and not utter another word."

"But I'm trying to--"

His master's paw clenched into a tight fist and Matt took a step back. However, he was still intent on forcing the issue. He wanted to solve the problem - not just forget about it.

"Don't," the liger growled.

"But I think we can be friends," Matt started, and something was pushing him to spit the rest of it out. He spoke swiftly and didn't let a single syllable of the liger's objections stop him. "After reading everything you've been through, I couldn't help but feel really bad about how I've treated you. I'm not like those awful people, and I can prove it to you. That's why I cooked this for you. I wanted to show you that I have value. I wanted to convince you that we actually have a lot in common."

Nuru's lips curled, exposing his ivory fangs. "We have NOTHING in common," he sneered. "You are a human slave - a pathetic, scrawny excuse for a life form. It's impossible for us to be friends."

He scooted away from the table and started toward the door, intent on ending the subject. But Matt had other intentions. He wasn't done. His brow furrowed deep and his lips twitched with frustration. "I bet you wouldn't say that about Josh!" he barked.

Nuru stopped in his tracks, his muscular back visibly rising and falling with each heavy breath. His head was hung and both paws were in tight fists. Matt had pushed the wrong button.

The enormous liger snapped back around and charged at Matt, wrapping one of his huge paws around the human's skinny neck. Without any effort, he lifted his slave up into the air and slammed him up against the stone wall. His icy, cobalt eyes glared with a tempestuous fury.

"HOW DARE YOU!" the liger spat, spraying Matt a bit in the face.

Matt cowered but his body was frozen with fear. It was just like he remembered. He could even see his father's anger in those eyes. It was the same anger he'd been helpless to fight - destined never to change.

"YOU WILL NEVER BE ANYTHING LIKE HIM! YOU WILL NEVER BE MY FRIEND! AND I WILL NEVER TRUST YOU! I WILL NEVER TRUST ANY HUMAN EVER AGAIN! AND THAT'S YOUR FAULT!"

Static started to fill Matt's ears as his hearing faded. It wasn't just because of his master's thunderous voice. It was because the paw around his neck was growing tighter by the second. But he didn't fight back. He didn't do anything. He was that helpless child once more.

"MAYBE RUNI WAS RIGHT!"

Runi... there was that name again. That was all Matt caught as he started to black out. However, he didn't totally slip away softly into the darkness. His body came to as he coughed and found himself on the cold, marble floor. His master towered above him, staring at his paws in incredulity.

"W-what have I done?" the titanic liger stammered before taking a few steps back. After a quick glance at his slave, he dashed out of the room.

Matt was left alone trying to recapture his breath and coughing uncontrollably. He worked his way up to his hands and knees, gasping for more air. It felt like he couldn't get enough oxygen. But that wasn't the first time he'd experienced such a thing.

He used the chair to pull himself back up to his feet and maintain his balance. His body was still in a state of shock as he limped over to the bed and fell face-first into the mattress. He rolled over and continued to gasp for air. It just wouldn't stop. He wasn't being strangled, but his body couldn't help but think that he was. It had to have been some kind of panic attack.

"What is going on in here?" a voice echoed from the doorway.

Matt turned, red-faced, and extended a hand to get the person's attention. It was Josh.

"What the hell!?" Josh exclaimed and hurried over to Matt, shoving an arm under him and lifting him up. "Raise your arms up above your head and try to take some slow, deep breaths, Matt."

Matt didn't want to take any chances and did as his fellow slave suggested. He crossed his hands atop his head and pointed his elbows outward, concentrating on controlling his breathing. The first few breaths were nothing more than additional gasps, but slowly his anxiety started to fade and with each subsequent breath he felt his lungs start to fill more. It was working.

"Nuru ran out of here like he'd just robbed a bank. And he was crying. I've never seen him cry," Josh explained. "What the heck happened?"

Matt sat forward, trying to get Josh's arm off of his back. Being touched was the last the he wanted at that moment. He'd learned to despise Josh, and his body was making that clearer than he could ever put into words.

"It's not your problem," Matt snapped, finally breathing normally. "Why don't you just leave it as it is and go back to your royal boyfriend?"

"I don't care if it's my problem or not. I want to help."

"And I WANT you to get the fuck out of here."

Josh threw his hands up in defense as he climbed back off of the bed. "Obviously, you need some more time to cool your head. But this discussion isn't over."

Matt was seething. "It is in my book," he replied.

* *

Runi should have been the last person he looked for, but Nuru was caught up in his anger and grief. And the prince's uncle had been right all along. Those humans were nothing but backstabbing vermin. All of them.

He did his best to wipe the tears dripping down his muzzle before rapping on the door to Runi's quarters. Looking weak was the last thing he needed.

There was a click, and the lion pulled the door open. "Ah, Nuru," he began, "I was half expecting it to be you. Come in."

The huge liger had to crouch in order to enter the smaller passageway. That was the case for a number of the rooms throughout the palace. He felt nervous about being there, but some part of him wanted validation for what he'd done, and he knew that Runi would most likely be the only one to give it to him. The lion closed the door behind them and ushered Nuru over to his sofa.

"What is the matter, my friend?"

The big liger sniffed, "I- I couldn't stand it anymore. He'd crossed me the last time."

"And what did you do about it?"

"I nearly strangled him to death."

"Good."

"Good? How can you say that?"

"He needed to learn the lesson somehow, Nuru," he explained, rubbing the liger's back in an attempt to comfort him. "You needed to show him that you are the master and he is the slave."

"But I almost killed him."

"'Almost' being the key word. You didn't and I'm sure he learned the lesson. He got a taste of your true power - that he's nothing but a small bug, easily squashed beneath your paw. That's what will keep him in line."

"Then why do I feel horrible about it?"

"Because you've been indoctrinated, my friend. You've been fed lies by the king and the prince."

The words conflicted with Nuru but they felt true. There was no denying how rapidly Matt had succumbed to his power and submitted. It had to be evidence that force was the only way to control disobedient and obstinate slaves, but it still felt wrong. It still felt inhumane.

"It's for his own good, Nuru," continued the lion. "Think about what would happen if he continues to cross you. How long will it take before you fall for that bloodlust that lies within us all? How long would it be before you actually kill him?"

"I can't. I wouldn't."

"Then you must break him," Runi advised, his voice growing thick with eager malice. "Force him to do as you say. Make him grovel at your feet and worship your power. Humiliate him. Let him know that he is weak!"

The lion had a way of making the liger's blood boil even more. He was pumped. Everything Runi was saying was true in that moment, and Nuru was thoroughly convinced. He needed to kill his slave's will and force him to bow down to his greatness, like all humans should do.

"Now return to him while he is still shaking in fear! Show him that you are his MASTER!"

Nuru stomped to his feet and started toward the door. His paw wrapped around the handle and he paused for a moment before leaving. He still had a lingering doubt.

"Are you sure this will work?" he asked, turning to face the lion.

"I have no doubt that it will. You did the right thing, Nuru," Runi told him. "I bet that when you return, you'll find that he's much more obedient. All you have to do is seal the deal."

The hallways back to his quarters were cold that night, but not as cold as the ice forming in his heart. But he wanted the ice there. He wanted to use it as motivation, because if he didn't let it sink in, he'd cave just like every other time. That would be no more. This time he was going to dominate that tiny human. He was the master.

Nuru didn't even use the handle to open the door. He just shoved it open with the padded palm of his massive paw. Matt wasn't in the bedroom but Nuru called out for him, storming over to the hall that led to the human's little room.

Matt trembled under the bed sheets after his master's voice thundered into his room. He pulled the sheets over and tried to act like he was sleeping, but his muscles wouldn't stop shaking. All he wanted to do was forget about what had happened and fall asleep. But that wasn't going to happen. Nuru wasn't going to let it happen.

"WAKE UP, HUMAN!" the liger roared as he ripped the sheets off of the bed.

Matt cowered. He no longer knew what his master was capable of doing. He'd thought that the giant would never lay a paw on him, but that wasn't the case anymore.

"I-I-I'm sorry!" Matt yelled.

"CALL ME MASTER!" Nuru placed one of his massive paws between the human's legs and arms, prying them apart until he had Matt pinned down. The paw was large enough to wrap around Matt's chest. It held him firm against the mattress as the liger lowered his head, his nostrils flaring. "DO IT!"

"I'm sorry, master!"

"I'M NOT CONVINCED."

Nuru's paw wrapped the rest of the way around Matt's torso and lifted him from the bed. Matt shouted his objections but the titanic liger carried him out to his chamber, ignoring the human. Matt had nothing on except his underwear, and the coarse pads on Nuru's paw were scratching his skin. He struggled to remove himself from the giant's grasp.

Once they were in the center of the room, Nuru placed Matt down on the cold marble. "BOW DOWN BEFORE ME, SLAVE," he demanded.

Matt tried to climb back up to his feet but his master just pushed him right back down.

"BOW DOWN!"

"Why are you doing this?" Matt pleaded with him.

"BOW DOWN!" Nuru repeated and forced Matt down to his knees. This time Matt stayed down. "NOW GROVEL FOR ME. SLOBBER AT MY FEET. KISS THEM!"

"This isn't you, master. What is going on?"

"DO IT!" the giant liger bent over and drove Matt's head down to his furry foot.

Matt tried to push back against his master's massive paw, but it was absolutely useless. Slowly, his head fell and his lips made contact with the liger's big toe. This time there was no way to avoid the smell, and being forced to inhale it only made it worse. What had been a mild stench before was now an assault to Matt's nose. It reeked of tangy, earthy leather and days-old fish - no longer that tame, savory aroma.

"I DON'T FEEL YOUR LIPS, HUMAN. KISS IT!"

He gave in. He couldn't fight against his master. His tongue slipped along his lips and moistened them up before spreading along the liger's toe in a wet embrace.

"THAT'S MORE LIKE IT. NOW KISS THE OTHER ONE."

This time Nuru let go and waited for Matt to do it himself. He needed to see that the human's will was broken. He needed to be convinced that it was working.

Matt swallowed hard. What choice did he have? He crawled, with his head hung low, over to the liger's other foot and started pecking each toe with an individual kiss. He just hoped to hell that it was enough to please his new power-hungry master.

A satisfied and sly grin swept across Nuru's muzzle. It worked. Just like Runi had told him it would.

He snatched the leash Matt had worn that first day from around his shoulders and hooked it up once again to his groveling pet. Since his slave had been so intent on acting like an animal, then he'd have to treat him like one.

"You were right when you said it was bullshit that the leash was for your safety, slave. I'm thinking, maybe, I was unable to be honest with you at first," he started, his voice finally calming down, but a hint of sadistic satisfaction remained. "So let me give it to you straight this time." He bent down and forced Matt to look into his glacial eyes. "You're mine. And this leash is so I can control you. Do you understand?"

Matt gulped, "Yes, master."

"Good. From now on, you'll never leave my sight, and tonight you'll sleep by my bed like a good little pet."

"Yes, master."

"I'm enjoying this new you, slave," Nuru chuckled. "So obedient. So respectful."

"Thank you, master."

* *

"Hurry up!"

Nuru tugged on the leash, pulling Matt over to his massive feet. The subordinate human proceeded to kiss his master's feet with every command, something he'd learned was necessary to please the giant liger and keep his anger at bay. It didn't matter if they were dirty nor had a particular strong smell. He'd grown used to it after the first twenty times.

The liger took him everywhere he went - no exceptions. It was cause for concern by the prince, watching the way that Nuru was treating his slave, but he'd done nothing about it. Matt assumed that the prince thought it was his choice, like he somehow liked it, which gave Matt some insight on Khari's and Josh's private life. But the fact that all of this was occurring right in front of him had to have been some kind of hint. Somewhere, deep down, Matt wanted Josh to figure it out. He wanted the person he'd grown to despise for no rational reason to notice his struggle. He wanted Josh to save him - something he thought he'd never say or even think.

But every hour of his day was now filled with forced compliance and a false adoration of a liger he was learning to hate. Any hope of developing at least a bit of a relationship with Nuru was rapidly fading away with every order he gave. His thoughts became nothing but means of escape or revenge - either one would do. However, a small thought that he somehow deserved the liger's wrath lingered. He had violated his master. How else would he expect him to react?

"Do it, human. They're waiting," Nuru whispered. He hauled Matt with him to his martial training in hopes of showing him off to the lions. His pride needed more confirmation, and that could only manifest in recognition of his broken and obedient slave. "Roll over," he commanded.

Matt dropped to the grassy ground flat on his belly and rolled to his right. It was humiliating as hell, but there was nothing else he could do but comply.

"Now play dead."

He rolled to his back and raised his arms and legs skyward like a dog, sticking his tongue out and closing his eyes for good measure.

"Good boy!" Nuru beamed and rubbed Matt's belly in jest. All the lions that had been watching all started to laugh hysterically. Matt's cheeks and ears grew red hot. Nuru added more fuel to the fire. "Stupid human thinks he's a dog!" the liger teased, causing more boisterous laughter from the lions. "Now show your master some affection."

Matt scowled for less than a second before putting on an absurdly gleeful mask. He crawled over to his master's feet and kissed each toe over and over until his master finally told him to stop.

"How'd you get him so well-trained?" one of the lions asked.

Nuru paused before answering him. "Well, humans are just wild little animals," he replied, but some part of him didn't fully believe that, and Matt could hear it in his voice. Some of Josh's influence still remained. That's what Matt was hoping would save him. "You just have to treat them like such," Nuru finished, tugging a bit on Matt's leash. "Speak, slave. Tell them how much you love your master."

Matt's upper lip and nose wrinkled in a disgusted frustration.

"I can't hear you, slave."

"I love you even more than the gods, master," Matt mumbled. He didn't even believe in any gods, but he thought it would make it sound more convincing to the lions.

"And just how do you show me that love?"

"I grovel at you feet, master," he answered, pecking his lips on his master's huge feet once more.

"That's right, slave. You understand that that is the only way to earn you master's love."

Matt rolled his eyes as he continued to kiss the liger's huge toes. Nuru may have been able to control the human's body, but he would never break his mind.

"I wish my slave behaved that well," a few of the lions stated before they all broke off to their respective training areas.

Nuru tied Matt's leash up to a pole, knowing full well that the human would be able to untie it easily. However, he was confident that his slave wouldn't even try. And he was right. Matt just leaned back against the pole and waited for his master to finish his martial training.

It was like that every day. Matt would have to watch the giant liger defeat every single lion who had the gall to face him in the first place. Sometimes he found himself hopelessly cheering the lions that were dumb enough to try and train with the giant liger. He was always disappointed. However, it was actually a bit entertaining to watch his master overpower them in every single type of martial art. He was convinced that no one would ever be able to beat his master at anything physical - not even the king or prince, and especially, him.

There was only one good thing that remained. Matt was still allowed to cook, even though Nuru had to be present as it happened. He suspected it was because his master actually liked his cooking. But Matt didn't really care about that. Perhaps he would have, if their current relationship had been better. But he only cared that it was the only thing that remained that helped him escape from his reality. He would drift away with the smells of grilled meats and spices.

That's where they went after Nuru's training. Every day the liger would watch as his slave labored over the wood grill. The giant needed a big meal after working out and that meant Matt had to cook portions that he couldn't have ever imagined cooking. Three ribeye steaks, four large filets of salmon, two lamb chops - and those usually weren't even enough. Matt would have to boil a gigantic pot of potatoes and mash them up with three sticks of butter in a huge bowl for Nuru.

It took nearly an hour just for the whole process. It was a nice break, and it just happened to be one of the only times during the day that Matt's master would look at him with an authentic expression of appreciation. Matt clung to that hope. It was a hope that required some patience and a bit of luck - maybe. It was more likely that he actually needed to make it happen.

He needed Josh to notice that something was wrong, and that most likely meant that he'd have to cause a scene. However, causing a scene was exactly what kept getting him in more trouble with his master. It was a huge risk. He didn't know if it was prudent to take the risk, but he felt like he was approaching the end of the line. The humiliation was starting to infect his body and mind. Either he needed to take the chance, or he would risk actually being broken in by the liger - his mind the last thing to go. He couldn't let that happen. Not in a million years.

"I told you to sit, slave!" Nuru whispered harshly.

Matt must've black out or something. His body had to have gone on auto-pilot while his mind was lost in thoughts of hope. He didn't even remember leaving the kitchen. That was very scary - like he didn't have much time left before he lost his free will completely.

"Sorry master," Matt murmured and lowered to the floor, sitting next to the liger's feet. Khari was sitting in for the king for a particular summons. The boredom on the prince's face was obvious. Some ambassador from the wolves' nation went on about military expenditures and economic sanctions with the humans. Nuru had to be there in case of any assassination attempt or some weird thing like that. Matt guessed that the lions didn't really trust their lupine allies.

"Yes, yes, mhmm." Khari was nodding his head like he was listening attentively but his face was telling an entirely different story. Matt thought he glimpsed a few eye rolls from the prince, too. "I'll be sure to tell my father of your perfectly legitimate concerns, my friend."

"But, my lord," the wolf continued, "I still have to go over our nation's fiscal projections for this year."

"Do you have a computer?" Khari asked.

"Yes, my lord."

"Then I'd appreciated it if you just send those projections to us as an encrypted file. We'll have the appropriate people take it into consideration."

"But, my-"

"Thank you for taking the time to enlighten us about your nation's problems, and please give President Calo our deepest appreciation for his continued alliance. You can be assured that this war against the humans will come to a swift end if we remain united."

His speech was so bland. It was almost like he was reading a script. That or it was something that he'd practiced multiple times in front of a mirror until he was sick of hearing his own voice.

Khari waved a paw, giving Nuru the order to usher the wolf out of the throne room. There was another good reason to have a giant liger as a personal body guard: everyone was utterly terrified of him. No one dared talk back or defy the prince in any way when Nuru was present - not that they did even when he wasn't present. The prince was a lion who was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. Nuru was just even more of a deterrent for unruly behavior.

The liger bodyguard did as his lord commanded, showing the lupine ambassador to the exit and leaving Matt next to the prince. Khari passed Matt an amused look as he pointed at the wolf, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. Matt didn't know how to respond. It was clear that Khari didn't care much for his duties as royalty.

"Hey, master!" Josh waltzed in with that usual beaming face of his. Matt hated it. "That took way too long. It felt like I was waiting behind that column for hours."

"Tell me about it!" Khari smiled and pulled the human onto his lap, licking his cheek.

Everything about them made Matt boil inside. He didn't think it was jealousy, but he'd never admit to that anyway. But seeing Josh reminded Matt of something. He was too caught up in his spite for them that he almost forgot that Josh was probably his only remaining hope to get through to Nuru. After all, majority of the liger's diary was about Josh. This could very well be his last chance. He had to take it.

And it was the perfect time. His master wasn't near him, and his leash wasn't tied to anything. Nuru used to have Khari hold the leash for him, but that ended after the first time, because the prince didn't really think it was necessary. So he was free to run. But he wasn't going to run in order to escape. No. He was going to run so Nuru would catch him; and, right in front of Josh and Khari, the liger would show them what's really been going on.

He took in a deep breath and counted down. Three. Two. One. Go!

There was no looking back as he dashed toward the exit of the throne room, and in his sprint, he could have sworn he heard Josh gasp in surprise. Matt held his own leash in his hand, darting toward the huge door. Nuru was already there, but he needed to make it convincing. He had to sell it good. It had to be as if he was actually trying to escape.

The huge liger turned around to find his slave sprinting right for him. Matt heard Khari and Josh following close behind. Good. They had sprung into action. So far, everything was going according to plan.

"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU GOING, SLAVE?!"

"I can't stand it any longer! I'm getting the hell out of here!"

"THERE'S NO WAY YOU'RE MAKING IT PAST ME."

"It's worth a try!"

There was only one opening Matt could take, and that just happened to be between his master's enormous legs. Nuru's paws were stretched out, ready to grab the tiny human, but Matt wasn't going to be standing the moment he reached him. Nope. At three feet away from the titan, Matt fell into a slide. Thankfully, the marble floor was perfectly waxed and slippery.

It didn't matter, though. It all happened in slow motion. Matt's body glided gracefully across the polished floor and right under Nuru's crotch, but his master was too quick. He displayed the epitome of cat-like reflexes. But that's what Matt had been counting on. The massive foot planted down on top half of Matt's body, nearly crushing him but completely stopping him from sliding any farther.

Matt's small body sunk deep into the liger's foot pads as they gave way and wrapped around his side. He was utterly trapped. He couldn't even move his arms.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO DEFY ME AGAIN, SLAVE!" Nuru roared, putting more of his weight on Matt. He howled in pain.

The gigantic foot dug harder into Matt's chest. Yes! Nuru was doing exactly what he wanted him to do. But, damn, it sure was hurting like hell.

"I THOUGHT I DID EVERYTHING RIGHT. WHY DO YOU STILL DISOBEY ME?"

Nuru pushed harder and Matt let out a convincing and painful wail. It really wasn't that hard to sell, considering he really was starting to be crushed under the extreme weight of his master.

"You've - done - nothing right!" Matt gasped, trying to keep at least a little air in his lungs.

"I SHOULD JUST END YOU!"

There it was. That fire of bloodlust in those beautiful blue eyes. It didn't even seem possible, but Matt knew that Nuru wasn't seeing a defenseless little human being squashed beneath his foot. The liger saw every single human that had ever tortured him. He saw every human he'd ever wanted to kill. To him, he wouldn't be killing Matt. He'd be killing them.

"Stop it now!" Khari screamed and slammed into the giant liger, knocking him off of his feet and down to the ground. Matt took a sharp breath in. It was a good thing, too, because he'd started to get lightheaded. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" the prince barked, neutralizing the titan with some kind of choke hold. Matt realized that he may have been wrong about no one being able to take on his master. The prince was some kind of force to be reckoned with.

Matt started coughing uncontrollably again. He was having another panic attack, which was perfect. His body was naturally selling everything, so this time he let the gasping take hold of him.

"Take some deep breaths, Matt." Josh was there again to help him. No wonder the liger liked him so much. He'd spent so much time despising that guy that he never even realized that Josh truly was a compassionate person. And that's where he'd gone wrong from the beginning. All he'd needed to do was offer his master some compassion and empathy in light of their forced relationship. But it would have been so unnatural. It would have been against everything he'd ever learned in order to survive - everything he'd learned in spite of his father's abuse.

"Just try to calm down. Everything will be alright," Josh added. That's exactly what Matt was hoping for.

"You know that we don't treat our slaves like that, Nuru!" Khari went on, loosening his grip on the liger in order to let him speak. "I know that this isn't you. You would never kill an innocent person."

Nuru finally opened his eyes and they met with Matt, who was still choking on his anxiety. In that moment, they connected. They got lost behind each other's eyes and felt exactly what other was feeling. They both felt the shame of everything they'd ever done wrong to each other. But there were still ghosts on the other side of that liger's blue eyes.

"Let me go," Nuru demanded, and Khari's grip was loose enough that he just shrugged the lion off of him. "I need to be alone right now."

The giant liger climbed to his feet and started toward the exit.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Josh urged, stepping away from Matt, who was starting to calm back down. "I'm going with you."

Nuru waved a paw at him in an attempt to dismiss him. "No," he said.

"I don't care whether you like it or not. I'm going with you, Nuru."

The liger's lips curled into a scowl, but the moment Nuru saw disdain in Khari's eyes, they unfurled back into a relaxed state. It was the first time Matt saw the huge cat gulp with a bit of fear. Khari was definitely the last person to cross.

"Fine," he spat and stormed out of the throne room, and Josh followed close behind the behemoth.

The moment they were out of sight, Matt went into an uproar. "You're going to let your slave go with him! W-what if he-"

"Josh can take care of himself," Khari replied. "I trust both of them with my life, and I know that Nuru would never lay a paw on him."

Matt still steamed inside. Even though it was exactly what he'd planned for, he still couldn't help but hate seeing Josh and his master together.

The prince growled somewhere low in his throat, which kind of startled Matt until he figured out that the lion was just clearing it. "But while Josh does his thing with Nuru, you and I need to have a bit of our own heart to heart."

* *

"I became everything I hated," Nuru confessed to Josh. "Everything those vile people had done to me. I - I was starting to do him. How long would it have been before I hurt him beyond repair? Or even worse - killed him?"

They were in the library. It was best place, because Nuru was the only one that ever went there, so they knew they'd be alone. It was also quiet, which was something the liger really needed at the moment.

"You were protecting yourself, Nuru. You've been through horrors that no cub should ever have had to face. And Matt grew up with an alcoholic and abusive father. It's the same reason he was pushing back - it's how he knew to survive in his environment. Just like you," Josh explained. "How would you treat anyone else if they were in your situation?"

"I'd completely understand that they got upset, and I'd ask how I could help."

"Can you give yourself that same understanding and compassion?"

"But I nearly killed him, Josh."

"But you didn't. You didn't because you have good friends who will always stop you before you do. But you need to forgive yourself first before you can seek forgiveness from him."

"I don't even know how I could possibly make up for such a thing."

"Why don't you ask him what you could do?"

Tears were still dripping down the liger's broad, golden muzzle, and they were falling to the floor from his nose. Josh brushed his hand along Nuru's muzzle and wiped them away. It made the giant smile for a second as they locked eyes.

"You're so nice to me," he sniffed. "Why?"

"Because you've never given me a reason not to be. You're an amazing person, Nuru - honest, strong, courageous, intelligent, and compassionate."

Nuru huffed, "I don't really know about that last one."

"You really are. Someone or something just really got to you. Matt triggered your past and that was too much for you."

"And," the liger paused, taking another sniff, "Runi didn't really help. He just fueled my anger."

Josh's eyes went wide. "Well, that explains a lot. Runi likes to slither inside everyone's brain and tear it apart from the inside. Did you know that he tried to do the same with Khari and me?"

"I'd only heard what my lord had done to Runi. I didn't know it had anything to do with you."

"Khari never told you?"

"No. Surprisingly, we never get to talk very much. You and I have talked much more than my lord and I have."

"Regardless, Runi's got another thing coming after Khari hears about this."

"How come you always call my - and your - lord by his first name?"

Josh chuckled a bit, hoping that Nuru had finally calmed down all the way. "I'm sure you've figured out how Khari and I - let's say - work together."

"He broke you in early. That's what I'd heard. In fact, it was the earliest that it's ever been done. I just wish that I was as good as my lord. If that was the case, then I'd certainly have broken in my slave by now."

"That's putting in quite vaguely," Josh continued to laugh, twisting his lip into an awkward smile. "I swear. I think EVERYONE is confused about this whole 'breaking them in' thing. Hell, I remember being confused about it, too."

"I don't understand."

Josh rubbed his forehead as he thought of a way to explain his relationship with Khari in the most tactful way. It was too bad that he couldn't really think of one. "Khari and I are-" he started gesturing with his hands, clasping them, "-together."

Nuru's thick, furry brow furrowed. "I still don't understand, Josh."

"Nuru," he sighed, "Khari and I are having sex - we're mates, in a way."

The gigantic liger froze and the lids of his eyes nearly disappeared as they went wide. "WHAT!?"

Josh put a finger on the end of Nuru's muzzle trying to quiet him before he attracted everyone in the palace.

"T-THAT'S N-NOT--"

"How do you think he 'broke me in' so fast?" Josh grinned, recalling every little detail about his first few days with Khari. "I fell in love with him."

"But you're a human and he's a lion. You're a slave and he's your master. H-how?"

"We were both attracted to each other in more ways than one," he winked, making things a little more awkward for the big liger. "Oh, come on! You don't think that your slave is a little cute? I think he is."

"JOSH!!" Nuru marveled in disbelief, his jaw falling to the floor. He nearly slipped from the sofa, too.

"What? I'm just asking. I was wondering because it always seemed like you had a little thing for me. Are you not gay?"

"I-I-I-I-I-" he couldn't stop stammering so he closed his jaws with a paw. It was the only way to shut himself up. His chest rose as he took in a deep breath and gave a long sigh as he reminded himself of that first morning with Matt. He'd caught his slave taking a gander at his nude body. He'd also asked Matt if he was gay, and some part of him had wanted his slave's answer to be yes. He hung his head and mumbled, "I do like him. But I was convinced that it was wrong to ever like a human."

"You like me."

"Yes, but you're different."

"I really don't think I am," Josh disagreed. "Did you even give Matt a chance?"

"No..."

"Would you like to?"

"Yes..."

The entrance to the library crept open and Matt inched his head inside. Nuru was glad to see, despite the amount of pressure he'd used, his slave was just fine. A shy smile snuck across his muzzle, but it was the most awkward he'd ever felt. Was he really capable of making up for what he'd done? Maybe he just needed to be absolutely honest with Matt. There had been so much that was left unsaid between them, and now was going to be the best time to admit his faults - as well as his true feelings.

"May I come in?" Matt requested. His face was riddled with embarrassment and guilt, which surprised Nuru. The liger was expecting the human to be absolutely livid. Khari must've said something to make Matt feel differently.

"Perfect timing," Josh said and stood from the couch. "Yes, you may, Matt." He walked over to the door and held it open, letting Matt inside the library. And for the first time, Matt actually passed Josh a faint smile in kind appreciation. "I'll just leave you two alone," he added, winking at Nuru before closing the door behind him.

Matt stood at the door for a moment, afraid to speak, afraid to come closer. His eyes didn't move for but a second - a quick glance at his master.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi."

Neither could look at the other. And it was odd to think that a library couldn't get any quieter. Too quiet for either of their liking.

"I'm sorry..." they both coughed, breaking the silence.

Matt scuffled over to the sofa and sat at the end opposite of the huge liger. His fingers tapped nervously on his legs, trying to figure out what to say next.

"I-"

"You have no reason to be sorry, Matt," Nuru interrupted him. It was the first time he referred to his slave by his first name. "I became a monster - the very thing I'd learned to hate. And I don't know what I could ever do to make up for such abusive behavior."

"I-"

"But know that you'll have my promise. I'll never put you in harm's way again, especially by my own paw. I'll give you the time and respect that you need to settle into your new role and it's my wish that I can repair whatever relationship is possible between us."

"Thank you." Matt squeezed the leather rope in his hand. He'd been right about the liger from the beginning. He'd just gone too far without ever giving him a chance. "I took my leash off. I hope you don't mind," he said handing it over to his master.

Nuru looked at it with disdain. "Never again," he stated and whipped it across the room and out of sight. "And while we're at it," he added, extending a paw and wrapping it gently around Matt's neck. The tiny human flinched at first but quickly realized what Nuru was doing. With a snap, the collar came undone and he tossed it over where the leash lay, never to be used again.

"Am I even allowed to be without a collar?" Matt asked, rubbing his neck. It wasn't as sensitive as it used to be.

"I have no doubt that my lord will understand. He will allow the exception, and anyone who disagrees will have to deal with me," his master explained, and Matt scooted closer to him, feeling much more comfortable and safe around him already. Nuru placed one of his huge paws on Matt's lap, itching for affection. "Speaking of which," he added. "What exactly did my lord say to you?"

"Well, for one," Matt started, pressing himself closer to his master. He climbed up to stare into those bright blue eyes, just an inch from Nuru's muzzle. "He told me not to ruin the moment with too many words."

"Wha-?" Nuru tried but Matt was quick to stop him from speaking any more. His soft, wet lips pressed deep into the liger's muzzle, grabbing hold of Nuru's top lip and caressing it. The liger's eyes shut and he let Matt pleasure his mouth. It had been so long - perhaps even forever - that he'd felt the physical affection of another.

After a few minutes of hard kissing, Matt backed away with a warm smile. It was that moment that they finally both realized how much they'd wanted each other.

Nuru sighed with satisfaction. "Now I really need to know what my lord told you."

"He - ah," Matt chuckled softly, scratching the back of his head, embarrassed, "kind of read me like an open book. He reminded me that I had every reason to act like I did because of my past, but that my behavior was exactly what was adding more fuel to the fire. He told me that you were NOT my dad and that I needed to stop acting like you were. He said that he'd hoped we'd be able to solve it on our own, but that obviously wasn't the case. Apparently, that was the reason why Josh hadn't intervened earlier. The prince was stopping him."

"That can't be all of it."

"It wasn't," Matt continued. "He told me - and these are his exact words - that we 'needed to get out of the fucking closet already' and 'break each other in.' I'd assumed that that meant you've - um - never had - um-"

Nuru's ears fell, embarrassed. "It's true," he confessed.

"Me, too," Matt admitted, and the liger's ears perked back up. It was good to hear that he wasn't alone.

Matt's left hand ran down his master's belly and let it sneak underneath the rim of the liger's pants, his fingers raking through the thick white fur. Nuru didn't resist. He did, however, grab the human and reposition him and himself better on the sofa. The liger's body was long enough that his legs hung over the arm while his head rested on the other.

Matt lay on Nuru's belly, his head resting on the liger's massive pectoral, listening to the rhythmic boom of his heart. With his hands, he started to remove his master's shirt before Nuru took over and removed it the rest of the way, exposing his extremely muscular and furry chest. Matt's fingers itched. He could finally feel those gigantic muscles beneath his hands. He started with the liger's belly, combing his hands through the fur and taking in the solid abs underneath it.

"Are we going to do this here?" Nuru asked.

Matt didn't reply until his hands had reached the liger's ripped chest. He looked into those blue eyes and answered, "Why not? No one else ever comes here."

"I just-"

"Shh!" Matt placed a finger on the liger's lips before fiercely kissing him again. "This is a library."

That feeling of Matt's lips on his was enough to shut him up anytime. Nuru craved it and grabbed the back of Matt's head, pushing him right back in, tasting more of him. He never would have thought that Matt's assertiveness could be such a turn-on. And it was rapidly turning into a fantasy. He wanted the tiny human to dominate him.

"C-can you take control, Matt?" he gulped, wondering how it would be received. It even felt wrong just saying it. "Do whatever you wish to me."

Matt beamed with lust. He couldn't have asked for anything better. "It will be my pleasure... master," he winked, sensing the irony. He knew that - somehow - it would no longer be difficult to say that word.

He started by crawling farther up his master's massive body and wrapping his lips around the liger's ear. He nibbled the edge of it as a cute display of dominance over the cat. Nuru twitched with pleasure and squeezed a paw over Matt's ass. He absolutely loved having the human tease every inch of him as Matt glided over to the other ear and did the same thing.

Nuru felt Matt's cock growing hard and poking into his chest. He stuck a big finger into the human's pants and started to pull them down, eventually removing them all together. Only Matt's underwear remained, with his erection bulging between the liger's beefy pecs. Nuru licked his lips and slid the underwear down Matt's legs, freeing the human's growing erection.

Matt's sex filled the air and Nuru took in a good whiff of it, letting it infect him as the human nibbled between his neck and shoulder. He shuddered with lust and bit his lip. He was hoping that Matt knew exactly what he wanted to do next.

Matt exhaled hard into the fur on his master's neck and scratched behind the liger's ears. He could feel Nuru yearning for something. It was an eagerness that he understood all too well. Straight to the point, he rose and scooted farther up the liger's chest, his cock just inches from Nuru's mouth.

Nuru's huge tongue extended from his muzzle and enveloped the head of Matt's cock, moistening and tickling every square inch of it. Matt's cheeks instantly grew red as he moaned. The liger's tongue was coarse but wet enough that it felt absolutely wonderful. Matt wanted more of that feeling and leaned forward, shoving the entire length of his hard shaft into his master's willing muzzle.

He couldn't even reach the back of the liger's throat but it wasn't necessary. Nuru's tongue folded around Matt's cock and stroked it. Matt howled and jerked as he wrapped his arms around the liger's big head and humped deep into his muzzle. It was like nothing Matt had ever felt before - the perfect blow job.

Nuru loved the feeling of Matt's manhood sliding back and forth along his tongue and tickling his taste buds, and even better that Matt was holding him in place and fucking his face. The human had a bit of a sweet taste to him. And the pre-cum that oozed from the human's cock was even sweeter. It reminded Nuru of the drops of honey he'd used to sneak when he was a -relatively - small cub.

Matt backed away the moment he felt an orgasm growing. But Nuru didn't let him get too far. The liger's tongue slipped out and slid all the way back between Matt's ass cheeks. He licked the whole length of his slave's taint and massaged every inch of his balls. Matt's back arched as he let the giant liger do his work.

The wet sounds of Nuru's tongue going to town all over Matt's genitals echoed between the bookshelves of the normally silent library. And it wasn't long before satisfied groans also sounded from Matt and Nuru. The liger forced the human's entire crotch onto the surface of his tongue and gave it one last lick, tasting all of Matt's sex.

"That felt amazing," Matt panted, trying to catch his breath. The pleasure had nearly taken it away from him. "Damn, I really want to fuck you, master."

A coy but excited smile stretched along the giant liger's lips. "I won't stop you," he replied and tore the pants and underwear off of his legs. He wriggled up the arm of the sofa a little more and let the tiny human slip down past his furry crotch and his full-blown erection. The gigantic member was standing tall, with its pink head popping out of the snow-colored sheath. The liger's cock was as thick as Matt's calf and nearly just as long as the human's forearm. It was already dripping a large amount of pre.

As Matt positioned himself beside his master's ass, he couldn't help but desire a taste of the liger's cock. There was no way it was going to fit into his mouth but that wouldn't stop him from licking it. He wrapped both of his hands around the huge shaft and pulled the furry sheath down. His mouth pressed up against the soft, wet flesh and he let his tongue slip out, tasting some of the liger's pre-cum. Nuru bit his lip and jerked. His cock had only known the touch of his own paw up until that point. He never knew exactly what he'd been missing.

Matt continued to lick his master's cock, right around the bottom of the edge of its head, tickling the extremely sensitive flesh. Nuru howled in utter delight. The feeling of Matt's erection teasing his tail hole just made it all the more irresistible. He grabbed his enormous legs with his paws and pulled them up to his chest, just begging for Matt to enter him. His tail coiled around the human's waist drawing him even closer.

The liger's aroma dominated the air with his genitals completely free. But this time, Matt reveled in it. The earthy, masculine odor just made him lust for his master even more. It was enough for him to crave something else. He took hold of the liger's massive padded foot and pressed it hard against his face, digging his mouth and nose into the supple black flesh. He let a small portion of the pad slip into his mouth and please the whole length of his tongue. It lit up every taste bud with a savory flavor. What had been something undesirable to Matt was now a craving. The hot scent wafting from the bottom of the liger's foot was sexually intoxicating.

The liger's saliva still dripped from Matt's cock, lubricating it just the right amount to spread his master's tail hole with ease. He inched it in, letting Nuru feel it stretch his soft flesh. The giant liger moaned as Matt pushed his dick all the way, clenching his ass tight around the human's throbbing erection.

Matt held Nuru's foot close to his face as he leaned and pushed deeper inside, closing the gap between his master's ass and his crotch, the liger's furry balls rolling up against his belly. He licked all over Nuru's foot pads and took in as much of his erotic aroma as possible. Nuru's ass clenched around Matt's cock again. It urged him to start, and Matt obliged. His hips started thrusting, pounding as deep as he could into the liger's big ass, the soft, fuzzy cheeks absorbing each push.

Nuru tilted his head back and concentrated on feeling the human fuck him hard. Matt may not have been very big but it didn't matter. He could feel his hard cock pushing firmly against his prostate and sending shockwaves of pleasure throughout his loins. That familiar tingling sensation between his cock and balls was growing and he knew that it wouldn't be too long until he'd cum. He just needed the right stimulation.

And Matt did just that for him.

Matt wrapped both hands around the white sheath of Nuru's cock, which was already well lubricated with his own pre. He started off slow, his hands gliding up and down the liger's shaft with ease, pulling the furry sheath along with them. The huge liger unintentionally slid forward and pushed Matt up against the other arm of the sofa and deeper into his ass. He roared with delight as the pulsing erection inside of him pushed firmly against his sensitive flesh.

Nuru took more control. He couldn't help it. He used his other leg against the sofa to slide his hole back and forth over Matt's boner and let his slave concentrate more on his giant cock. And Matt did just that. He stroked the liger faster and concentrated more and more on the head, pulling the sheath up and over a number of times.

The giant liger roared even louder. That wonderful feeling was growing even more intense as his ass clenched tighter around Matt's dick, and the wet sounds of his strong humping grew even louder in the library. He was going to cum. There was no way he could hold it back much longer.

Matt's face was red. He, too, was at the edge of orgasm. Despite the liger's titanic size, his ass, when it clenched, was just tight enough to pleasure his cock the right way. Plus, the heat of the liger's immense body sent him into sexual overdrive.

"I'm going to cum!" Matt shouted into the liger's enormous foot, and closed his eyes tight. Every muscle of his started to constrict as he released his seed.

Nuru howled, "ME TOO!"

The giant liger pushed his ass hard one last time into the human, shoving that cock as far up there as possible and let it drive the cum from his sack. Together, both of their backs arched. Their seed filled inside their cocks and spilled forth. Matt's cum oozed out into the liger's ass. And Nuru's cum shot over his shoulder and all over the white fur of his chest.

Matt finally let go of Nuru's foot and collapsed over the liger's crotch, hugging the humongous penis. That potent, tangy smell of the liger's sex took over his body, but he loved it.

Nuru panted as he recovered. It was a fantasy come true for the giant liger, even though being submissive was totally against everything he'd ever learned. But giving in to the tiny human was the best choice he'd ever made. He just hoped that it would go a long way toward improving their relationship. He hoped that, somehow, it would make up for hurting him.

"I'm so sorry, again," the liger started. "I should have just been honest with you that first day when I caught you looking at me. But I ignored my heart. And I ignored what my body was telling me."

"I'm sorry, too, Nuru. I should have been just as honest with you. And I forgive you for everything," Matt replied and let a bashful smile cross his face. "Just as long as we keep, 'breaking each other in.'"

"I'm definitely not opposed to that."

They both chuckled as they gathered their clothes from the floor and put them back on. Nuru kind of wondered if they were the first ones to "break in" the library. He was a bit humiliated, however, that the chamber still smelled of hot sex between a human and a liger. But he shook his head. He knew that the others would soon start talking about him like they talked about the prince, but he didn't care. The way he felt with Matt was too good to let others' opinions affect his relationship with him. He now knew exactly how Khari felt about his slave, and he was grateful that he finally found the same with his.

By the time they'd returned to Nuru's quarters, the big liger lied down on his bed, ready for a good night's rest. He watched as Matt walked by on his way to his own room. But he stopped the human before he could go any farther. He grabbed Matt's arm with his paw and Matt passed him a shy grin.

"Matt?" he started.

"Yes, master?"

"Would you like to sleep with me, in my bed, tonight?" the giant liger offered.

Matt's smile couldn't get any brighter. "I'd love to," he replied.