The Vampire King's Pet

Chapter One: Steel Bars

There is a difference between slaves and pets. Slaves are usually humans who serve their masters, the vampires, with either food, cleaning or as an occasional punching bag. Slaves are not allowed to own any belongings, even the clothes they wear are not even theirs. There are no children with toys or stuffed animals. They are considered as smaller and weaker humans, but are given some freedom until adulthood.
Pets however, is for comfort and for fun, or whatever they really want. Pets do get some toys and material things, but it is still from the courtesy from their owner.

I will never let myself be degraded to a slave or even worse; a pet - or so I thought. 

Lynx hadn't eaten or hunted for as long as she could remember, and were forced to appear in her human form. 

"What are you looking at?" one of the vampires working at the auction house said.

 Lynx quickly looked down again and shifted her weight in the cage she sat in. Her view had been blocked by steel bars for almost a year now and it was even longer since she had stretched her legs. 

"Dinner, kitty," one of the vampires said and pulled in the chain around her neck so she wouldn't be to close to his hand. 

"I know that you have teeth," the vampire said, and let go of the leash. Between her paws or 'hands', as the humans would call them, laid a bowl of boiled meat and some potatoes. 

"Are you thirsty?" the vampire said. 

She shook her head no - she didn't want him to pull in the chain again. 

"I am going to give you a free pass Kitty, since it probably is your last night and all. But if you bite me, I promise you you will regret it," he said as he cautiously filled her bowl up with some bottle water. 

Lynx flicked the heavy collar around her neck and patted on the steel bars. 

"You want me to let you out?" the vampire said. 

She nodded her head and tried to show him that she wouldn't bite if he did. It had been over a month since she last were allowed to move. 

"You have to wear this," the vampire said, and held up a mouth-cage with a metal piece that would hold her tongue in check. She nodded her head again. He was one of the kinder ones. 

"Put it in your mouth and turn so you have your back to me. When I let you out don't you dare change. Is that understood?" he said. 

Lynx nodded again and did as he said. The humiliation burned in her ears as she put it in her mouth and allowed the vampire to fasten it to her collar. 

"Good girl," he said as he grabbed her lead and locked the cage up. Lynx crawled out. Her legs had stiffened over the weeks and she moved around slowly. 

"I only have ten minutes Kitty," the vampire said as he pushed open the cell door and walked down the hall with her. The cells were occupied by hungry humans who stared at the moving couple. 

"What's going on here?" one of the guards said. 

"Just taking her for a walk Chief," the vampire who held her leash said. 

"What a kitty kitty," Chief said and scratched her head as if she was a kitten or a dog. Lynx glared up at him angrily and could feel her claws penetrating her human skin.

 "Don't you dare," Chief said, and hit her hard over her cheek."Take her back to her cage, Jeff," Chief said. 

"But it really isn't a problem-" 

"Take the bloody animal back to it's cage!" Chief roared so the slaves in the other cells hovered together. "Now." 

"Alright Lynx," the vampire mumbled as he tugged in her leash. 

"And leave the mouthpiece on - I am not sure if she is so willing tomorrow when her new owner picks her up. I am not interested in any foolishness," Chief said and stalked of. 

"Sorry Lynx," Jeff said as he locked the cage door again. She begged him with her eyes to take the mouth cage of so she could eat, but he shook his head. 

"I'll get fired," he said and bent down to hear level. Tears threatened in her eyes as he removed her uneaten dinner. Lynx curled together in her cage, and appeared even smaller than what the cage allowed her to. She had forgotten her voice after the years of imprisonment and now she wasn't even sure if she could make any sounds. She hated being in her human form, she hated that she was not allowed to do anything that made Lynx, Lynx.