are vampires running protection for the werewolves, so she sent me to you.”
“And exactly why is your little problem important enough to disrupt my play night?”
“My werewolf client,” I said, “seemed to think it was urgent that he get this control charm inked before the next full moon, which is a week from Saturday. Did I mention werewolf? Full moon—werewolf. Any more questions?”
“No,” Savannah said, shaking her head with a wry smile. “Life sure is complicated.”
“Tell me about it,” I said.
“Sooo… “ Savannah said. “This would be the werehouse… near the Perimeter, out towards Six Flags?”
“Suuure,” I said. “I don’t know, Savannah. I don’t keep up with all the people who come running to the vampires for protection. Jinx seemed to think you would.”
“As it so happens, I do. But… should I now add you to that list?” she asked. “Are you now running to me for protection?”
“If that’s what you want to call it,” I said. “If that’s what it takes to get free passage—”
“Do you want my protection?” she said, firm, almost formal, but still smiling.
“Yes,” I said. “I want your protection. So, look, what do we have to do? Do you just call them and put me on a list, or do I need some kind of visa or something?”
“Or something,” Savannah said, smiling even more wickedly now. “Doug,” she said, crooking her hand. He stood, and I turned my head to inspect the sofa, the widescreen TV. I heard ripping of Velcro, his leash rattle to the floor, and then Savannah’s stage whisper:
“Fetch the box with the… signs of my house… from the dungeon.”
Doug disappeared through the same side door that Darkrose had first gone through. I looked at Savannah; something about the way she was smiling was making me very uncomfortable, though the crosses were not shimmering, so she meant me no harm. Suddenly I wondered whether that was a myth; but before I could ask, Doug returned.
He had shed his puppy mitts and was carrying a large plastic box filled with metal bands similar to the ones on Savannah’s thighs. Savannah ferreted around in it a bit, and withdrew a metal collar and a golden padlock. She held it in her hands, staring at me; I swallowed.
“Doug,” she said. “If you would be so kind, give Dakota the sign of my house.”
Doug took the collar and lock and padded towards me, and as he turned I got a good eyeful of the cage on his cock. I winced—now I’d gone and named what it was. I’d really been trying not to think of it. In all fairness, it didn’t show as much as I first thought it did: it had thick metal bars and you had to think for a second to realize ‘he’ was in there. But I still ended up with Savannah’s caged submissive standing next to me respectfully holding a collar.
I raised an eyebrow and looked at Savannah. “Is this really necessary?”
“Actually, it is,” she said, smiling. “Think of this as your visa.”
I sighed. “Fine,” I said, turning my back to Doug.
He fumbled with the collar a bit, reaching up. “God, you’re tall,” he said, voice muffled by the dog’s mask but clearly audible.
“You’re not gagged in that thing?” I asked.
“I couldn’t go ‘ruf, ruf with a gag in my mouth,” he said. “Could you kneel or—”
“Give me that,” I said, taking the collar. It was curiously heavy in my hands, and I felt all tingly. It was heavy and silvered on the outside, backed with dark rubber on the inside. A dangling ring hung beneath an elaborate engraved S on the front, and there was an odd little post-and-hole contraption on the back where it came apart. Now I was fumbling with it, and I looked over to see Savannah smiling, amused.
Damnit, I could figure this out. I stretched the collar open, pulled it around my neck, and closed it. I felt Doug’s fingers reach up, slipping my hair from beneath it, and then pulling the edges together until the post slipped through the hole with a clack; then he pushed something heavy onto the back of the collar… and locked it with a sharp CLICK.
Doug returned to kneel at her side, and I turned to face her, adjusting the collar. It felt oddly… right about my neck, neither too tight nor too loose. I started to wonder if she’d had the collar made for me, and had kept it, waiting, all this time since we split. I caught her