Her breasts were tipped with pink nipples, and the golden cascade of hair which covered her head was repeated in theme between her thighs, curling around a deliciously tempting slit. He could not see that part of her at this precise moment because she had moved up into a kneeling position in an attempt to regain some modesty.
“Up, pet. We need to fasten the belts which hold us to our seats, and ensure that the food trays are in their upright and locked position.”
“There’s food?”
“There was food. You slept through most of it. Don’t worry, there will be more once we reach the surface.”
What the literal fuck was happening?
Katie tried to remember what had led to this. She’d woken up in some weird places in her time, but usually there was a frat guy somewhere in the vicinity. On this occasion, there was no frat boy. There was a massive, incredible beast of a not-quite man with coal black eyes, bright red skin, and a pair of wings which, even tucked away behind his shoulders, looked impressive.
She was naked. Entirely fucking naked. Except for one thing around her neck which wasn’t hers. She knew what her clothes looked like.
“What is this thing around my neck?”
“You would call it a collar. It is a sign that you belong to the royal house, and that you are not to be touched by any other than me. I believe you humans have a similar custom where you leash your fingers.”
“You mean wedding rings?”
“Yes.”
“That's not the same.”
“Isn’t it?”
“No.”
“Why?”
She didn’t have an answer for that. She wished she did, but…
“Because this is what we do to animals. Not people!”
“That’s hardly my concern, is it? You are in my kingdom now, pet. And you must follow our customs, otherwise there will be much confusion and probably, pain.”
“Why would there be pain?”
“Because I will punish you if you disobey me.”
Well then. That answered that. She’d apparently agreed to run off with a mad, winged alien who now thought he could treat her like an animal. Her mother had warned her that she’d end up in trouble. Katie never imagined she would be so right.
“Do not worry, pet. You will find yourself well cared for with me. There is no need to work another day in your life. No cooking for ungrateful strangers who bestow pennies upon you in return for your labor. Instead, you will have access to all the riches my kingdom has to offer.”
That sounded like a good deal. And it certainly brightened her mood. She fingered the collar nervously, and looked up at him. “Can we take this off…”
“No,” he said firmly. “It stays on.”
She decided wearing a collar for all the riches of an alien kingdom still wasn’t a bad deal.
“So if I’m your… pet, or whatever.” She blushed just saying the word. “Then do you have a girlfriend, or a wife, or a queen, or something?”
He smiled. It was a very handsome expression when merged with his pre-existing handsome face, and she felt fluttering in her tummy.
“I do not,” he said. “I have never been interested in a female mate who believes she shares power. She does not. She cannot. There is only one king on this planet. This is why I prefer to have a pet.”
So her alien captor was some kind of sexist. Not a great trait, but she supposed not all alien societies had undergone gender revolutions.
“So… being a pet means, also…” She didn’t want to ask. It felt too presumptuous. But it seemed as if there might be some chance of romance. She did not know how to feel about that. Or rather, she did know, but was embarrassed by it.
Every day she’d gone to work, stood over the fryer, felt her pores clog a little more, and wished for someone to rescue her from the mundane work-a-day life she was leading. She’d usually imagined a billionaire stopping for a burger, sweeping her off her feet and taking her somewhere like Tuscany, but this was good too.
“It means you are mine in every way. It means I will protect you, provide for you, and procreate with you.”
“You want a baby? With me?”
“Of course.”
He was not shy about his intentions, or afraid of commitment, apparently. Those were both very attractive traits. But it was also a lot.
“I… I’m nineteen. That’s… I wasn’t going to have a baby yet. I was going to finish college.”
“You were not going to college.”
“No. I was going to my job that I use to pay for college.”
“College being…”
“School. I was going to learn how to be a lawyer. I was pretty close to dropping out anyway. I guess that doesn't matter anymore. They’re going to think I was abducted.”
“They’ll probably think you perished in the explosion which was caused by the time fracture.”
“What’s a time fracture?”