Sean bite his lower lip, tilting his head back over the leather seat. The way he was forced to sit in the seat was driving him crazy. The steel balls were firmly set against his prostate, tricking his body into thinking he needed to piss or was attracted to something. Shifting on the seat, he tried to lessen the pressure before he got too hard and the ring permanently kept him that way. Taking deep breaths, he reached out to grab the bars and arched his back with a tormented groan. Hoping to distract himself, he opened his eyes to force himself to focus on the Elites. A blush burned his cheeks when his eyes locked with Mark's. Mark smirked at him, turning his eyes casually away to look out the window. Swallowing, Sean slumped down in the seat, lifting his legs up to brace his bare feet on the bars. The pressure eased off in this position but made him feel... vulnerable. The car eventually came to a steady stop and Mark opened the door. Sean dropped his legs, waiting for the lock on his door to release.

Mark leaned halfway out of his door, asking Matthew a bit reluctantly. "Matt... Are you sure you want to do this? I can always just-" Matthew waved him out, confidently chuckling out. "Relax. I got this. I'm not a child. Go." Mark groaned slightly as he got out. Sean shifted to face the tinted window of his door. The window began to roll down and Sean blinked a little confused. Mark rested an arm on the side of the door, telling him coolly. "Matthew is going to take you to the Pet Center. Behave yourself. Don't make matters worse." Sean placed his hands on Mark's arm, watching him wince slightly. Mark looked so tired that it made him nervous to leave him. He didn't know what would happen to him if Mark died. Would he be sold again? Sent back to the Slum? Raising his hand off Mark's arm, he anxiously asked him. "Can't I stay? What if you need me?" Mark chuckled to himself, looking him in the eyes as he answered calmly. "You're worried about me?" Sean took his hands off Mark, bowing his head as he clenched his jaw.

Sean didn't want to let himself say anything that he might regret. Even after being publicly punished... He still found that he preferred it over his treatment in the Slum. It troubled him that he was growing dependent on Mark for protection. Yet at the same time, he craved Mark's touch. Which became more evident as the back of Mark's fingers touched his cheek. Sean leaned into the warmth of them, his heart pounding harder to a steady beat. Mark's touches lately cleared his thoughts like a breath of fresh air. Mark leaned in, bringing his lips to his ear as he whispered to him and him alone. "Don't let your trauma stop you from living. Go. Have some fun. Use your bracelet if you get into trouble. I'll see you later." Mark's lips kissed his forehead, then he moved away to let the window roll back up. Sean put his hands on the door, watching Mark go inside the house. Once he was safely inside, Matthew tapped the window separating him and the driver. As the car started again to take them away, Sean's heart sank a little.

He was a little uncomfortable being left with a man he didn't know very well. Matthew cleared his throat, cheerily saying. "How about we all loosen up a bit? Get to know each other." Matthew pressed a few buttons on the roof of the limo and the bars lowered between them and the main compartment. Sean hesitated to move, until Matthew waved to them with a warm smile. Nate was the first to climb over the seat divide, the bells of his anal plug jingling as he stiffly kneeled on the seat with guarded eyes on Matthew. Sean climbed over after him, taking a seat where Mark had been and ignored how the bells on the string to his anal balls jingled. The spot allowed him to lay down across the seat and stretch out his long legs which was heaven. Matthew gestured to the small shelf of drinks, asking them curiously. "Thirsty?" Sean rolled over onto his stomach to look at the shelf. The stuff was so fancy. He didn't recognize any of it. Matthew removed a box from under his seat, starting to say aloud. "Nate, right? I got you-" Matthew yelped, snapping Sean's attention to Matt. Nate had snatched up a fancy knife and had tried to attack Matthew with it, but the knife bounced off Matthew's shield.

The knife shot from Nate's hand from the rebuff of the shield and impaled itself in the floor of the car. Matthew lowered his feet back to the floor as he relaxed, his hand going behind the back of his seat. Sean tensed thinking that Nate had just set himself up for another punishment. Matthew lifted his hand, revealing a squirt bottle seconds before squirting water directly into Nate's face. Nate winced, then slowly opened his eyes to ask a little confused. "What the hell?" Matthew narrowed his eyes on Nate, stating out in a light tone. "Bad dog." The perplexed look on Nate's face broke Sean. Bursting out into fits of laughter, Sean fell across the seats to laugh into a round red pillow. Sean laughed so hard that his sides hurt, and tears came to his eyes. He saw why Mark was so protective of Matthew now. Taking deep breaths to collect himself, Sean sat up again, catching Matthew's embarrassed look when he asked him. "What is so funny?" Nate snickered a little, taking a seat on the floor to take his time wiping off his face. Sean propped his head up, chuckling out. "I wasn't expecting that." Nate lowered his hands, telling Sean with a bright smile. "I... I honestly don't know how to respond to that..."

Sean rolled onto his back, lifting his long legs to put his feet on the ceiling. It was relaxing to know that Matthew wasn't anything like his brothers. Matthew swatted Sean's legs down from the ceiling, saying in a meek commanding tone. "Hey, get your feet off the ceiling." Matthew then opened the box he had, pulling out a chain collar similar to Sean's as he told Nate. "Put this on." Nate refused to take it, leaning back defiantly. Matthew let out a sigh, telling him nicely. "Please?" Nate raised his eyebrows, still not moving. Matthew clenched his jaw, cooing out seriously. "Guys... Let's not do this. We are all adults..." Matthew leaned closer to Nate to put the chain on him, but Nate quickly rolled away to get up onto his knees. Matthew frowned at Nate, grumbling out. "Don't make me have to punish you." Nate swatted Sean's thigh, chuckling out smugly. "I'm not going anywhere near him with that shield on." Sean folded his hands under his head, chuckling out. "Nate, be nice." Matthew fell for Nate's game, messing with something on his watch, before stating out. "There. Satisfied?"

Sean sat up in disbelief that Matthew had really fallen for that. Nate grinned wickedly then lunged for Matthew. Matthew yelped as Nate snatched his wrists and pinned him down across the floor. Sean swung his feet down to the floor, saying loudly. "Nate! Don't!" Nate straddled Matthew's waist, sitting down on him to keep him from thrashing around. Pinning Matthew's hands down with one hand, Nate covered Matthew's mouth to keep him from yelling for help. Nate ignored Sean's pleas to growl down at Matthew. "Let's get one thing straight. You are not better than me! I'm my own person! You can't just-" Nate stopped talking as Matthew softly muffled something against his hand. Lifting his hand, Nate growled out. "What?" Matthew licked his lips, taking a short breath before calmly replying. "I never said I was better than you, or that you weren't your own person. Partners Eternally Together. That's what is means to be a Pet. Sure, we aren't all saints... but I'm an Elite. I set an example for the Nobles. Don't you see how lucky you are? Mark and I have chosen Slum Dogs as our Pets for the first time in history. Just as you set an example to them by showing them who YOU are."

Nate released Matthew's wrists, but stayed over him as he growled out. "What do you mean?" Matthew relaxed his hands over his head, smiling as he answered honestly. "Nobles mimic the trends of the Elites. If they see you as good friends and companions... They'll buy the Slum Dogs as Pets in the future. All the Slum Dogs that want a better life... They won't be rejected. You could change everything. You're scared of being 'owned' but you haven't seen anything but a small part of my world. Let me show you both something." Nate glanced over his shoulder, asking Sean nervously. "What do you think? Is he lying?" Sean shrugged, unsure. Matthew picked up the chain collar with his fingers, telling Nate sweetly. "Put this on and I'll show you. Trust me?" The car stopped and the door opened, causing a Valkyrie to snatch a gun off his belt to point at Nate. Matthew sat up against Nate, raising a hand toward the Valkyrie as he ordered in a stern voice. "Stand down!"

The Valkyrie obeyed, lowering his weapon as he bowed and robotically stated out. "Command confirmed, Elite Matthew. Apologies." Nate jerked his head back with how close Matthew was to him now. Matthew relaxed after the Valkyrie calmed down, looking to Nate before blushing a bright red. Sean smirked to himself, he had never seen an Elite blush like that. Sean watched the way Matthew slowly raised the chain collar to drape over Nate's head. He couldn't help thinking that Mark wasn't the only Elite that wasn't as emotionless as the computer wanted people to believe. Matthew seemed more emotional than even Mark. He was almost jealous of the way Matthew looked at Nate. With the collar on, Nate climbed off Matthew and moved away from him. Matthew climbed out of the car, gesturing for them to follow him as he said nicely. "Come on. Let me show you what being a Pet really is." Sean was curious enough to get out, which prompted Nate to follow him.

Matthew led them into the glass elevator, causing Sean to press himself to the wall and shut his eyes tightly. Nate moved around the floating elevator, fascinated by it. When it docked, Matthew guided them to the gates. Sean stepped into one and scanned his bracelet like Mark had showed him. The gate opened to let him through, then closed as Nate stepped in. Matthew took a minute to register Nate into the system, giving him a bracelet of his own. Escorting Nate through, Matthew gestured to the lounge, announcing mostly for Nate's benefit. "This is the Pet Center. It has everything a Pet could want. Pools, bars, gyms, salons, craft rooms, art rooms, sports. You name it, it has it in this tower. Everything is monitored by both the working Pets and the Valkyries." Sean nodded grimly, following Matthew awkwardly to a set of elevators as he tried not to make the bells jingle. Shrugging, Sean said rather shortly to cover the sound of the bells. "I've seen this. How does it prove anything?" In the elevator, Matthew pressed a button and answered coolly. "The Pet Center is divided into age groups. You only have access to the adult floors. I'm going to show you more." Matthew scanned his wrist and the elevator finally moved.

Stepping out of the elevator, Sean jumped back as a chameleon child ran by screaming as two half snake people slithered after him. Nate shivered, huddling up to Sean. Matthew chuckled, when a human woman rushed out of a glass room to yell at the kids. "HEY! That's an Elite! What do you do?" The kids skidded to a stop, rushing to turn around and bowed their heads to Matthew. Matthew bowed in return and the kids rushed off to continue playing their game. The woman moved closer and Sean saw the white collar around her neck. She was completely human from what Sean could tell. The woman bowed to Matthew, asking respectfully. "I didn't know you were coming. Something happen?" Matthew shook his head, sweetly saying. "No, I have a few Pets with me that didn't grow up in the system. So, I thought you could show them what it's like to grow up here." The woman chuckled, leading the way down a hall filled with glass rooms that looked fancier than the classrooms he had seen in the Slums. These were brighter and more inviting. Not a cockroach or peeling painted wall to be seen.

The woman gestured to a room where a slender woman with angel wings was teaching kids about the different levels of Pet collars and how every collar came with higher privileges. Sean grimly touched his collar. According to the chart, his collar was the lowest rank and came with barely any privileges. Listening to her though, the angel woman told the class of kids about the importance of good behavior. The more well behaved you were, the more your Master would reward you with collars that let you do more. Bad behavior had to be controlled for the safety of others. While good behavior was given the 'freedom' that Sean and Nate were more accustomed too. Allowing them to wonder without a Master present and work or play as they desired. Both Sean and Nate looked at the kids with envy. The many kids weren't there alone. Their parents were sitting with them and helping their kids follow along in different languages. Most were collared Pets, but there were a few Masters that were helping their young Pets learn too.

Matthew pointed to an Elven Master with a young human girl Pet, telling them warmly. "Most Masters live such long lives that they pick young Pets to bound with from a young age. Allowing them to develop stronger friendships. All of it supervised until the Pet has reached full maturity. Gives the child's parents peace of mind as well as their Masters. After that, it falls to the Master and the Pet to work out the boundaries of their relationship." The woman nodded, adding in sweetly. "Every room has hidden cameras to help our teachers out with things like that. Allowing for safer environments. Helps us weed out bad behavior too. We want everyone to have fun here. Young kids are very impressionable. So, teaching them to practice good behavior is important." Nate narrowed his eyes on her, asking curiously. "And you punish bad behavior?" The woman nodded, then quickly said. "Not to the same degree that adult Pets are, mind you. We put them in quiet rooms and call in their parents or Masters to spank them if there is a need for it. Otherwise, in a lot of cases we simply just pull them aside and talk to them about their behavior. They are just kids after all."

Moving to the next room, Sean watched a Satyr Master show the kids a beautiful yellow snake that was draped across his shoulders. Nate moved to the glass, saying excitedly. "Holy crap! I thought the animals went extinct!" Matthew chuckled with the woman, before he told them. "My lab is trying to revive a lot of animals and put them in petting zoos here. That way the kids from off-world can see what our animals looked like. Plus, it helps our human children open up more by understanding animals similar to the off-world children. Right now, we've got small household animals for the kids to hold and see. Mark is even trying to get a market for selling pet to Pets. Funny, right?" Sean smirked, watching Nate slip into the room to ask if he could touch the snake. Some of the small children even laughed about it. The Snake children he had seen before, hissed at the snake and seemed to share a private conversation with it. Matthew nudged Sean, pointing to the snake kids as he said. "Mark is hoping the whole pets for Pets will lower the suicide rate of off-world Pets that get homesick. Or that are just left home alone a lot."

Nate squealed with the kids as another Satyr Master came out of a back room with an arm full of puppies from multiple breeds. Taking a puppy from the Master, Nate yelled out to Sean as he sat down on the carpet. "Sean, get your ass in here and feel him! He's so soft!" Sean chuckled, watching Nate snuggle a puppy that licked his face with a tiny pink tongue. He'd never seen Nate smile so much in his life. Unable to resist, Sean slipped in to sit with the kids as the Masters passed animals around and told them things about them. They wanted to stay and play with them all, but Matthew eventually had to coax them out because they were starting to hoard the puppies. Matthew showed them how a lot of Pets had jobs around the Pet Center and even Valhalla. While other Pets chose to live a more pampered lifestyle. Letting their Masters work in order to always being there for them whenever the Master wanted their company. Every level that Matthew showed them, showed how the different ages of the Pets played a role in their upbringing. Allowing them to chose what they wanted to learn after learning basics.

Which lead them back to the adulthood level, where the Adult Pets where given free rein to learn or play as they desired with very little supervision other than by the Valkyrie security. The Adult Pets treated them far different than the younger Pets had. From the moment they saw the way they were dressed and marked, they scoffed at them and stormed off. News of their shame had reached the adult crowd. The adults ignored them like they didn't exist but acknowledged Matthew with slight reluctance. Having a Slum Dog for a Pet didn't make him popular with the pampered Pet crowd. One pampered Pet woman in jewels bowed to Matthew, but muttered under her breath as she turned away. "Slum trash." Matthew swallowed, pretending not to hear her. Nate responded by clipping the shoulder of her friend, causing the woman to spill her red wine on the woman's white sparkly dress. Nate apologized to the friend, then flashed a dark look at the woman. Sean chuckled, high fiving Nate discreetly.

Matthew was going to say something to them, when his watch started going off. Slipping an earpiece into his ear, he told them seriously. "Behave. I have to take this." Nate and Sean faked innocence by crossing their hearts but were secretly crossing their fingers behind their backs. They watched him slip from the gates, then Sean tapped Nate's chest, telling him casually. "Come on. Let's go to the private pools. Maybe we can soak the ink off..." Nate nodded, following him in. Sean noticed that as they entered, the Pets inside quickly left. It was like being around a shamed Pet was bad for their health. On the way to the herbal pool at the end, Nate grumbled out. "Two weeks of being shunned... Great." Sean huffed, stepping into the pool as he said. "At least I have you to share it with. Otherwise, it would hurt more. Oh! Remind me to take you to the racetrack after this." Nate's face lit up and Sean winked at him. Sean loved the herbal bath. It smelled good and made his skin tingle.

He tried to see if the writing would come off... but it wouldn't. It was like having a tattoo. The ink had seeped deep into the skin. Frustrated, he started to say. "Well, at least the bath is nice. Get in, Nate. The water is-" Sean felt something grab his ankles, yanking his legs out from under him. Sean thrashed as strong arms wrapped around him and forced him to the floor of the pool. Pinned down to the bottom, Sean stared up at the figure and smirked as he recognized the massive hulking Pet over him. Al. Al flashed him a sharp-toothed grin, then released him. Sean floated back to the surface, spitting a mouthful of water as Nate paced the edge of the pool, screaming out. "HOLY SHIT! SEAN, GET OUT! There is a-!" Al rose up menacingly from the water behind Sean, draping his muscular scaly arms around Sean's shoulders possessively as he growled out playfully in a wicked sounding accented tone of voice. "Careful, Mon ami. I have a thick skin... but I take insults with Cajun seasoning." Al flicked his large tongue over his lips and Nate's face paled. To Be Continued...  

Translation: "Mon ami" (French) = "My Friend"