Deserae

Chapter 17

I hate her. I hate her. Her long raven hair and her yellow eyes, her matching black ears and tail that Luna couldn’t wait to touch the second they were alone. Her slender figure and her soft purr whenever Luna touches her, I hate her. Everything about her. Everything she is, I hate it.
This little Neko thinks she can come here and become Luna’s favorite at the drop of a hat? Not on my watch. Not while I’m here. Not after everything I’ve done for Luna and all of the torment I put myself through to make her want to keep me.
A smirk crept on my lips as I sat on the bed beside Luna, as she looked down at her new Neko and asked her questions about what she was good at and what scared her the most. The same questions Luna asked me once upon a time, when we were first getting to know one another and she was still in her abusive faze.
This is the way is should be, how it should always be. Luna and I together, and everyone else below us. She said she would keep me, and she’s always saying how I’m always her favorite pet. There’s no way this little Neko could ever take my place, Luna’s always going to love me more.
“Rae?’ Luna said softly.
I looked at her and bit the inside of my cheek to keep my from smiling. “Yes, Mistress?”
“Do you want to go eat dinner, I’m going to be in the playroom for a little while.” The little Neko looked up at me with fearful, hopeful eyes, like whatever Luna’s about to do to her won’t be as severe as long as I’m there. But she’s wrong, Luna will do more to her and make me watch if I go.
Maybe the little Neko won’t survive, and maybe she’ll be so scared that Luna’s beating her instead of me that she’ll hate Luna and rebel against her. Then, I’ll be guaranteed the spot as Luna’s favorite pet, and all of my worried will be over.
“I’ll go with you,” I said quietly, “If that’s alright?”
Luna cupped my cheek kindly and smiled down at me like a proud mother would her child, “I was hoping you’d say that.”
Then she took my hand and ordered the slave to follow her, and we walked side-by-side down the hall. She let us all into the playroom, ignoring the small gasp from the slave when the Neko finally found out what tastes Luna has.
Was I that scared when I found out for the first time? No, certainly not. I mean, yeah I was scared, but I didn't gasp or whimper or anything like that. Instead, I wanted to look around and know what Luna expected from me, I wanted to make sure I wouldn't disappoint her no matter what.
But I'll make sure this little Neko can't do that. I'll make sure that I'm always Luna's first pick and that she craves me more. She'll always want me to play with and will have me sleep with her, I'll be the one she goes into town with and parades around. 
I will be her favorite.
Luna sat on the loveseat and I beside her, with my arms wrapped around her waist and my head on her shoulder. Her free hand is running itself through my hair calmly, making me feel like the only person in the world. My feet are curled up beside me so I’m completely on the couch and not on the floor at all, unlike the little Neko kneeling below me and Luna.
She’s on her knees with her hands out in front of her, her palms upward so that Luna can reach the most tender skin on her hands and arms. “Hands up,” Luna said, looking down at the candle in her hand and swirling around the hot wax inside of it.
I remember when Luna did this to me, but she didn’t use the red candle. On me she used the white one, and told me that it can burn at a lower temperature and hurts less than any of the others. She said it was more of a training stage and eventually I would get to the higher temperature candles, but we never reached the red one.
This time, the little Neko is started on the red candle, and that’s how I know the different between us. Luna didn’t want to break me instantly, and she wanted to preserve me even when I had a punishment. But this girl? Luna doesn’t feel the same way about her, and doesn’t care about getting her ‘warmed up’ to the punishment, Luna just wants the satisfaction of hurting her.
The little Neko let out a yelp and immediately dropped her head, feeling the burning of the wax as it fell onto the palms of her hands. I know what she’s feeling, to a degree, but I wonder how intense it is for her? Maybe she’s been punished a lot throughout her life, so this might feel like nothing to her, maybe she’s just acting to make Luna more satisfied.
“Hand up, slave.” Luna warned, her voice just as soft and melodic as always. I couldn’t help but smile at the little Neko, at how much pain she’s probably in and how I don’t have to feel that way anymore. Instead, I can sit and enjoy the torment Luna puts on other people while sitting in the safety and security of her arms.
The slave whimpered and brought her hands up further, but her fingers are threatening to curl in towards her hands, probably to try and block the wax from hitting her palms. I don’t know what she’s complaining about though, the feeling on your palms is minimal compared to how it feels on forearms, but hopefully Luna won’t wait too long for that.
Luna stopped her act and turned to me, picking up my face with her hand so that I was looking up at her. “Are you enjoying this, pet?” I love that, how she calls me ‘pet’ and the other girl ‘slave’, it makes me feel so superior.
“I do, Mistress.” My voice is practically phantasmagoric. Even though she’s punishing the other girl she still has time for me, and still makes sure that I’m happy.
“Good.” She placed a light kiss on my lips, letting it linger there so I could focus on just her for the first time since her new ‘pet’s’ arrived. But it couldn’t last forever, and she pulled away a little quicker than I would have liked, “I’m going to get something from our room, keep an eye on Lilian for me?”
I nodded without thinking about it, but sure, I guess. I can keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn’t go anywhere or touch anything, even though I don’t think she would anyways. These pet’s William bought Luna are quite well trained, I wonder if he had them trained just for serving his fiance? That seems like something one royal would do for another.
Luna got up and went over to the stairs, ascending them lightly and exiting without another word. I turned back to the slave without any emotion on my face. If she couldn’t pick up that I hate her yet, she’ll get it now. She’ll understand who the top dog is here and she’ll know her place is at Luna’s feet, while mine is in her lap.
As soon as the door closed all formalities dissipated, and I sat up straighter, in the same position Luna had a little while ago. With my back straight and tall so that I’m looking down on the slave, one leg crossed over the other to give off a subtle but dominant feeling.
I sighed, “What’s your goal here?”
The slave kept her head bowed but her ears perked up when I spoke, I know she’s interested now. “I’m sorry?”
“Your purpose for serving our owner, what is it?” I clarified.
“Um…” she thought for a moment, looking away slightly towards the floor so she wasn’t looking towards me. “May I be honest with you?”
My eyes narrowed down at the little creature, and my voice came out more of a growl than words. Like the animal Luna always said Vampire’s were, she was right to a sense, “Go on.”
She shivered, “I thought y-you and Madam Luna were together.”
“Together?” We are pet and owner, is that what she means? Obviously I’m important to Luna and not just some other slave to be thrown around and tortured like the rest of them, she cares about me. She cares about me more than anyone else in this palace, I’d bet.
“In a relationship,” she whispered, “I-I thought you were lovers.”
Does everybody else think that too, or is it just her? Perhaps others think I’ve been promoted from pet to lover, but Luna and I have never slept together so I don’t think that’s true. And besides, she still calls me ‘pet’ both when we’re in public and when we’re alone, so what would warrant me to be her lover?
Although, she does treat me better now than in the past. But who could say that’s not just because I’m more obedient. She never has a reason to beat me anymore, I don’t give her one. Of course, there’s also the fact that she hardly makes me do anything for her anymore, all she requires is my presence. That, I don’t do anything outrageous in public, and I’m respectful of everyone I meet, those are pretty much her only rules for me.
“I’m sorry,” she said finally said, breaking the strange silence between us, “I shouldn’t have spoken.”
“No,” I said, using the tip of my shoe to lift her face towards me from underneath her chin, “You shouldn’t have. Keep those thoughts to yourself and don’t go spreading rumors around.” I leaned forward to close the gap down to a foot between us, “You wouldn’t like Luna when she’s angry.”
“Is that so?” My heart sped up at the sound of my Mistress’ voice, but I didn’t jump. Instead, I just leaned back casually and put my legs back to both flat on the floor, then looked at Luna and smiled.
She walked towards me but went behind the couch, draping her arms over my shoulders and placing her chin on my shoulder. A part of me is scared that she’s going to strike me or use me as an example for ‘look what happens when you try to threaten my other pets’, but she didn’t, she just embraced me like always.
Her mouth got closer to my ear and she whispered, “Do you not like me when I’m angry?” 
I smiled and blushed slightly, thinking of one time when Luna got mad and came back to the room. She started pacing and ranting on and on about Marlene and what a snake she was for stealing Luna’s father. When Luna sat on the bed, shaking from all of the anger coursing through her, I sat down beside her and place a hand on her shoulder.
She didn’t hit me like I was expecting, she didn’t yell at me or insult me for being kind, she just looked at me for a long moment. Then, quite unexpectedly, she adjusted herself to be laying on the bed with her head in my lap. I didn’t move for fear of bothering her, but it was nice at the same time. It was one of the first times that she’d ever let her guard down around me and, ,after that, I couldn’t think of all of the cruel things she’d done or said to me, only about how she was just like me. A little lonely and a little broken, and very much in need of love.
“No,” I said, “I like you all the time.”