Kat, Full Novel

She turned to him, taking a small sip of her coffee, and gave him a once over. He wore a black butler's suit, was tall, as tall as she was even, and was a handsome man no doubt, with sharp features and a close shaven beard. Black hair dusted with gray topped his head, and his eyes were sparkling green.

"Cobb," she said, taking another sip. "You seen my cigarettes?"

He didn't turn from the stove, but said, "No Madam, though have you checked your car? If I am correct, you took them with you to the auction last night."

"Oh!" she said, snapping her fingers. "You're right. Thanks Cobb, you're a lifesaver."

"I do try," he said, turning around with a plate of food in his hands - two eggs, some bacon, and a biscuit - and a smile on his face. Setting it down before her, he added, "So what do you think of your new toy, Madam?"

She tsked and rolled her eyes. "She's not a toy. You know that."

"I do?" he asked, turning back to fix himself a small plate.

Alexa chuckled as he sat down at her small kitchen table, sitting directly across from her. "Honestly, though," she said, "She seems skittish. Be a little gentle with her, okay?"

"I will try, Madam," he said, taking a bite of his biscuit. "And you?" he asked. "You're up quite early."

She downed a small helping of her eggs. "Errands. I need to pick up some things for our new girl. New mop, some dusters, things like that."

"Ah, of course," Cobb said. "And myself? While you are gone?"

She waved her hand and looked out the window to the front hedges. "Let her have a day to adjust. Make sure she's fed, cared for, but I'm leaving the house in your hands."

"Good hands indeed," he said, smiling cheekily.

She grinned. "Uh huh. Well, anyway, I'm just gonna finish my coffee and head off. Make sure you vacuum my room today, okay?"

"Of course, Madam."

She smiled at him, before turning her attention to her food. Fairly quickly, she finished and downed her coffee, before bidding farewell to Cobb and getting in her car, which sat in the gravel driveway. She threw her purse on the passenger seat and pulled out her phone, setting some music on, and enjoying the warmth of the early morning sunlight. It felt good on a deep level, somewhere in her bones.

She'd told Cobb she just needed cleaning supplies, and this was true, to an extent. But there was more to it than that. She punched an address in on her phone, set it on her dash, and released the parking brake and put the car in first, crunching her way down the driveway and hitting the road. Off in the distance, she could see the city skyline. It was a pretty thing, set in light, rolling hills and surrounded by woods and farming fields. She quite prefered to live outside of it, but it was nice to have the skyline at night.

As she drove off her property and onto the main road, she let her mind wander. The look in her slave's eyes last night was concerning, for sure. It was the look of defeat, fearful defeat, and that made Alexa nervous. She trusted that Kat would open up, eventually. Sarah had, though it had taken a while. But she was used to it by now and knew just what to do. The problem was, if Kat truly had given up, that made her dangerous.

Still, she was cute enough. Short black hair, a light sprinkle of freckles across her cheeks, stunning blue eyes and, hopefully, a beautiful smile. Alexa loved smiles, and Kat seemed like she'd have a gorgeous one. Alexa just had to figure out a way to crack it out of her.

Eventually, rolling hills and woods gave way to more urban development. Suburbs passed by as the road joined a highway that looped around the city. She joined up with the flow of traffic, heading along the I-111 loop to exit 44, where she slipped off into another section of the city outskirts.

Soon, she came upon a two storey building with a silver awning. In blue paint were the words, "Io's Slave Jewelry." She parked her car out front, putting it in first and yanking up on the brake, before slipping out and shutting the door behind her, taking in a deep breath of the day's fresh air. Outside, a small girl was opening up the shop. She turned and noticed Alexa, and a large smile appeared on her face.

"Mistress Alexa! You're back!"

"I am," she said, grinning. "Go find your Master for me, would you sweetie?"

The slave nodded and bowed, rushing inside. Alexa watched her go, smiling and shaking her head. Io was an adorable girl, always so bubbly and happy. It was always a treat to see her. Alexa headed into the store after her, a small bell chiming at her arrival, and examined the familiar place.

It was huge, for a jewelry store. Necklaces and earrings, pendants and collars, everything was here, and it was all handmade. Io spent her days crafting each and every piece with care and love, and with her Master, the store was filled with glass display cases that ran all through the floor. Honestly, it was rather impressive, she thought. Alexa wondered if she could get Kat to do something of the sort some day. At least it would get her a hobby, she thought. Kat needed one.

She heard steps on the stairs on the far wall. Turning to face them, she saw a tall man, somewhere in his 50's, with a small white beard and short gray hair, who smiled at her with rosy cheeks, coming down the steps. He reminded her a bit of Santa Clause, she thought with a stifled chuckle.

"Tim!" she called out, opening her arms and walking toward him.

"Alexa!" he called back, hurrying over to embrace her. "Oh, it's been a while. I was so sad when you couldn't make it last week."

"Things have been busy, with the new business deal I have lined up," she said, squeezing him tight. He grunted, then laughed.

"Life does what it does." He let her go with a pat on the back, before backing up to look at her. "You look as good as ever."

"Thank you," she said, laughing. "And how has Io been?"

"Oh, she's a dear," he said. "She's upstairs right now, finishing your piece. I'd tell her to come down, but she insists that there's one more thing that needs doing before it's ready."

"She is quite the perfectionist."

"Oh my, yes, she is," Tim said. "Well, here, have a seat over here. Can I interest you in coffee, or tea?"

He led her to a pair of chairs in the corner, and sat down with her.

"No thank you, already had my morning coffee and too much gives me the jitters," she said.

He nodded and stroked his beard. "Yes, well. Tell me. You went to the Auction House last night? What's this new slave of yours like?"

Alexa crossed her legs, leaned back, and covered a yawn with her hand. "She's cute. Very skittish though, doesn't like crowds, I think. I get the feeling she's going to be a work in progress, if you catch my meaning."

"Yes, well, it's a good thing you're getting this ring then," he said. "But I think she'll like it regardless. Io put in a lot of work to make it, and I've double checked the lifespan of it. Should last for about two years before you need to change the battery."

"That's quite nice," Alexa said, smiling, pleased. "Thank you."

The boards overhead creaked, and then came the distant sound of a sander. Tim turned to her and chuckled. "Sometimes, I can't even get her to eat, she's so busy. I have to command her to."

"She's a sweet girl," Alexa said. "You definitely have a good one. I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again. You ever get tired of her, come find me. I'll take her off your hands."

Tim laughed. "You'll never get my Io! Never!"

Alexa pretended to pout. "But she's so cute."

Just then, Io came rushing down the stairs. Her hands were cupped, one under the other, as she hurried between the display cases and over to Alexa. There, she knelt, raising her hands to present her work. In her hands was a ring of silver with a thin, deep blue line embedded in it. Deep blue, like the ocean. Alexa picked it up and inspected it in the light, where it shimmered, and the blue of the gem that ringed it really shone. A little heavy, she thought, but stunning.

"Azurite, pure, that is," Tim said, nodding to it. He pulled out a pair of glasses from his pocket and put them on. "Finely cut, with not a hint of malachite. What do you think? Did she do good?"

Alexa examined it for a moment more, before tossing up and catching it, smiling. "She did wonderfully," she said, patting Io on the head. Io giggled and turned her head this way and that for Alexa to scratch it.

Then, putting the ring in her pocket, she said, "You did receive my payment, yes?"

"I did!" Tim said, clapping his hands together. "Two boxes of crystal and a thousand, safe and sound in my safe. Though I must say, you really didn't have to pay that much. The ring was only nine hundred."

Alexa shrugged. "Consider it a tip, for the good service."

"You're too kind."

She chuckled to herself, and with that, she stood, and Tim stood with her. Io crawled out of the way, kneeling by her Master's side. Alexa took Tim's hand in hers and shook it, saying, "Well, I'm afraid I ought to go. I have plenty to do before I go home, and only oh so much daylight to work with. Cleaning supplies for Kat, food for Cobb, and coffee for me."

"Kat's her name?" Tim said. "That's a lovely name. Well, if you ever want to get her a little something nice, just come back. You'll always have a discount at my store, I promise."

"I will, Tim," she said. They leaned in and kissed each other on the cheeks. "Thank you! And to you, Io. Who's a good girl?"

Io giggled and placed her hand on her heart.

"Yep! Good girl," Alexa said, smiling at her and giving her a final head scratch. "Alright Tim, you take care."

"You too," he said. And with that, she left.

Kat, Chapter Two

The collar she'd been given was much nicer than the cold steel one she was accustomed to. Her old Master had placed her in a heavy metal one that weighed down on her and cut into her collar bones. She had small scars, still, from where it had bitten into her. This collar, though, was just a nice, thin strip of titanium that locked in the back and felt light around her neck. It was just light enough not to hurt her, and just heavy enough to remind her of her place.

Mistress's house was quite large and sat on a fair sized chunk of land outside of the city. A field stretched out from behind it, and a grove of trees led up to it. A verdant hedge wall surrounded the entire house, and there was a small private garden in the back. The house had a rustic English style to it, and the interior was mostly deep, rich redwood with bright wood floors, save for the bedrooms, which had lush red carpet. There were deep red curtains on the windows and vases with flowers through the halls. Paintings of landscapes and scenery dotted the walls surrounded by large, ornate frames.

She'd gotten the chance to do a little explorin today, when her Mistress had left to run some errands and she'd been left in the hands of a man named Cobb, who apparently worked as a paid butler. He seemed nice enough on the surface, with a seemingly genuine smile, sharp features, black and gray hair, a close beard, by all accounts fairly handsome. They'd gotten to talking a little bit today, even if it was a little stilted from her nerves.

From him, she'd learned that Mistress Alexa had apparently owned some fortune-wielding business she'd take over from her father, and created multiple offshoots of it, all of which had made her comfortable enough to live such a life as she did. So that was why everything was so lavish, she'd thought. The Mistress had a taste for elegance. And grace. And beauty. At least, that's what Cobb'd said.

She'd also learned of the Mistress's previous slave, a girl named Sarah, but... she hadn't learned much. Cobb had let it slip in passing, and when she asked where Sarah was, he'd simply said that she was away, doing... something. Cobb didn't say what, and Kat didn't ask. Just from the tone of her voice, she knew not to.

She thought about it all as she sat on a bench outside, in the garden, under the midday sun that hung over the flowers and blackberry bushes, like a ripe orange hanging from a tree. The garden itself seemed a little neglected. There were weeds here and there, and the plants seemed a little wilted. Perhaps Cobb just hadn't the time to tend to it. He seemed like a busy man. She stared at it as she shifted, changing positions, standing, or laying on the bench. Some sense of unease stirred within her. She needed some way to release the energy.

The night before hadn't been so bad, when the exhaustion had finally reached her and the reality of things started to fade. Her Mistress had afforded her a comfortable bed, it seemed. A stark contrast from the floor, though, so perhaps she was just used to something worse. She wasn't sure. Either way, when she'd fallen asleep, finally, she slept dreamlessly, as though she was dead. And that was how she preferred it.

Today, though, fresh and awake as she was, the nervous energy surged through her like lightning. Who was this new Mistress, exactly? She seemed nice, but so did Master, before - well, before. So Mistress Alexa seemed nice, that didn't mean she was. Cobb seemed to speak highly of her though, praising her achievements and gentility. But Cobb seemed nice. Everything seemed nice. But she'd been there before. Where everything seemed but wasn't.

She gnawed on her fingertips. She couldn't trust these people. Everytime they came close, laid a hand on her, she recoiled. Just talking to Cobb for the five minutes she did made her stomach churn with anxiety. The thought, "what if" bounced in her mind. She was starting to sweat.

Just then, Cobb came around the corner of the house, dressed in his fine black uniform. He approached her and gave her a once over. "Kat," he said, "You look hot."

She swallowed dryly. "Yes, I am."

He raised an eyebrow. "Well fortunately for you, Madam Kilovich has returned and wishes to see you in the foyer."

She looked up at him and blinked. "M-Madam who?"

Cobb smiled innocently at her, but she could see something else in it too. Pity, maybe. "Your Mistress."

Kat's heart jumped. "Mistress Alexa wants me?"

"Yes, Kat," he said, giving her a gentle, if stern look. "Don't keep her waiting."

She started to shake, but stood. With a small bow to Cobb, she headed toward the back doors. Despite being clothed in a breezy red top and white shorts that her Mistress had gifted her and commanded her to wear (they were much nicer than what Master had given her, she did admit) the heat was really starting to get to her.

She slipped past the large french back doors and into the kitchen, making her way through the hall and dining room and into the foyer. Here, Mistress Alexa was sitting in a chair by the wall, apparently waiting for her. She looked Kat dead in the eyes as she entered the room, making her flinch. Mistress Alexa snapped her fingers and pointed at her feet, and Kat nervously made her way across the room to kneel before her, head down, as she was supposed to. Quietly, she waited for her Mistress to speak.

After a moment, her Mistress said, "I bought something for you Kat."

Kat tried to unclench her jaw, and carefully looked up. In Mistress Alexa's hand was a small felt box. Mistress Alexa smiled at her, and Kat saw something behind her stunning hazel eyes. Something like a spark.

"It's a gift. From me, to you. It is a symbol of your servitude, and my affection. Yes, you have a collar, but I did this last time, and I think it's fitting I do it for you too."

She bent down to meet Kat's gaze, and opened the box between them. Within it was a small silver ring with a thin strip of the deepest, most dazzling blue she'd ever seen. Kat stared at it for a moment, wide eyed. She'd never gotten a gift like this. The gifts she usually received were clothing items, food, or beatings. Not this.

Mistress Alexa pulled it out of the box and took Kat's hand with a gentleness she'd not felt in a long time, slipping it onto her middle finger. "Keep this on. That is my command," she said, kissing Kat on her forehead. Despite herself, Kat felt a blush rise in her cheeks. "It'll keep you safe."

"Yes Mistress," she said, staring at it.

"Good girl." Then, standing and placing the box in her pocket, she said, "Go on now. Enjoy your day. Talk to Cobb if you want a bath and he'll pull you one. Tomorrow you start your chores, but I still need to speak to Cobb about that. You'll report to him for all of that, in the morning, do you understand?"

Kat looked up from the ring and caught her Mistress's eyes again. And there it was, again, that spark, that glint of something. It made her uncomfortable, but not uneasy. "Yes Mistress."

"Good girl. Now go on."

Kat nodded, and stood, hurriedly making her way out of the foyer, through the halls, and to her room. Within, she paused, and looked around, leaning on the door and letting her heart calm down. Her quarters hosted a desk by the window, a bed with silky soft crimson sheets, a bedside table, a mirror, and an ornate wardrobe. She went to the bedside table and opened the empty drawer, slipping the ring off and holding it. Something about the ring was off. It was a little weighty, but beautiful for sure. Still, it gave her a strange feeling in her gut.

Still, her Mistress had commanded her to keep it on. A strange emotion tore at her insides, but she carefully slipped it back on her finger, and closed the drawer.

She sighed, and laid in bed to cool down. To calm down.

To think.

Her dreams were haunted by the sounds of her past. Despite the persistent dark, the sounds of screaming and yelling and the thuds and slaps were ever present. She remembered every blow, every hit was conjured by her mind in her sleep, every curse word shouted, repeated by her damaged mind. When the police had shown up to haul him away, it was too late. Her dreams were already full.

She shot up in a cold sweat, heart pounding, breathing shallow. Gentle crepuscular beams were starting to filter in through the window, painting her room in a soft violet that was soothing. She took a breath, hand over her heart, breathing deeply and slowly, in, then out. Slowly, she let herself lay back down for just a moment, but found that the sheets had been soaked through and through. Grimacing, she sat back up.

Up it was, then.

She stood, inspecting her naked body in the mirror. That was one of her Mistress's commands, for some reason, that she sleep naked. She looked up, down, all around for any signs of a bruise that a voice in her mind told her was there. That it had to be there. Here, there, somewhere, the bruises had returned. Remnants of the past. Of course, there was nothing. Her smooth, naked body was as pristine as ever. She shook her head, trying to loosen the sleep from her mind, and started to get dressed.

After throwing on a small orange shirt and a pair of blue jeans, she pulled the door open and stepped into the hall, only to see Cobb making his way up a flight of stairs to her left. She nodded curtly, but he simply stood at the top of the landing for a moment, shaking his head. Kat stared at him for a moment, glaring cautiously, but Cobb simply stood there.

"Those clothes are for the days that your Mistress gifts you," he whispered as he walked up to her. "I don't suppose you can be blamed though. You were not informed of your uniform."

"My... uniform?"

Cobb stepped into her room, and she followed at a respectable distance. There, Cobb opened her wardrobe and pulled out a small French maid outfit, complete with frilly ruffles and all black and white. Cobb held it up to her, and she felt a heat rising in her cheeks. It had little short sleeves and was cut low enough to expose a bust. Interwoven laces ran down its front, and the short skirt was black on top, white ruffle beneath.