Free A Short Leash by Loki Renard Page B

silvered sheen that seemed quite impractical for hunting. Both of them had belts at their waist with small pockets and compartments, but they were otherwise completely unarmed.
    Their attire was quite similar to Sierra’s, except for the fact that she was wearing what amounted to very short overalls instead of a tunic and short pants. Kade had given her the one-piece blue outfit, which sat high across the front of her thighs and just barely covered her cheeks at the rear, leaving her stocking-clad legs free to move. Both stockings and clothing were marked intermittently with bright orange slashes designed to make her visible to the hunter she accompanied, but not reveal her as a threat to the animals they might stalk.
    “This is Kara and Seraphine…”
    Kade introduced her, gesturing to each of them as he said their names. Kara was the pink-haired pet; she had a pleasant round face and a snub nose, which gave her an air of perpetual innocence. Seraphine was a different matter. Her features were narrow, her cheekbones high and prominent. Her lips were stained with color, her glittering emerald eyes defined by dark slashing brows. She was beautiful and elegant, her hair the color of spring leaves wound about her head in intricate braids in a fashion that made her look as botanical as the surrounding flora. She locked eyes with Sierra and winked, long lashes batting against alabaster cheeks. Sierra did not sense any camaraderie in the gesture,; the woman’s expression was far too calculating.
    “…and their masters, Hadrian and Roman.”
    All four names went in one of Sierra’s ears and out the other. The way the other pets were looking at Kade was giving her a very uneasy feeling. Though their expressions were sweet, there was a certain predatory glint in their eyes. Even at a distance she could sense their desire for him. Their scents had changed the moment he entered the clearing. The citizens standing over them could not detect it, but Sierra’s senses were attuned to such signals. The two pets coiled before Kade had all but ovulated the moment he appeared.
    “How are you girls?” Kade asked the question, which prompted giggling.
    “Very well, Master Kade,” they all but chorused.
    “I trained both Kara and Seraphine,” he explained to Sierra.
    The uneasy feeling inside Sierra grew to a recognizable emotion. Jealousy was flowering inside her. What had Kade done to these two? Had he bared them? Almost certainly. Had he… touched them as he had touched her? The thought made her recoil with anger. Kade had never made any secret of what he was and what he did, but somehow he had always made Sierra feel as though she were the only woman in his life. Being confronted with the evidence of others was not pleasant, especially with the way they were looking at him with barely disguised lust.
    “Say hello,” Kade nudged her. Sierra refused, taking a step back behind him.
    “Aw, she’s shy.” Hadrian said, or maybe Roman did. They were both dark-haired citizen men with dark eyes and pale skin. Sierra wasn’t surprised their pets were more interested in Kade. Kade had a magnetism the citizens just did not have. His scent alone was more powerful and alluring than theirs, and he was far more handsome. His jaw was stronger, his eyes were brighter, his shoulders broader… Sierra peeked out from behind him and curled her lip in a silent snarl at the two pets who looked as though they wanted to throw themselves at him.
    In the end, it was Kade who went to them, greeting them both affectionately. It was a relatively innocent touch, but it drove Sierra wild in an instant. If Kade was not hers and she was just another in a very long line of women, then she would not stay. Thoughts came swiftly, only barely predicting action.
    She wanted to leave.
    They were already in the wilds.
    Sierra ran.
    There was a shout, and then the awful whacking began to pulse against her backside thanks to the infernal collar. She persevered