“But…but they’re so big,” Lilli murmured and Karn saw—with some discomfort—that her big brown eyes were now fixed on him. She was staring right between his legs.
“Yes, well. That’s to be expected with this kind of slave. Kindred, is he?” Mistress Mirabella said to Lady Tikka as they came to a stop before Karn’s pedestal.
“Indeed he is, Lady Mirabella.” Mistress Tikka raised her chin. “And a prime specimen as you can tell. Are you looking for a protector or simply a big, frightening showpiece male to increase your status?”
Karn snarled menacingly to show that he was well able to fulfill either function. The expression showed off his fangs to best advantage, which were his heritage from the Blood Kindred side of his family.
“Both,” Mistress Mirabella said shortly. “But not for me—for my daughter. She’s only just come of age and this will be her first bodyslave. As such, he will have to be both protective and attentive as she’s very inexperienced.”
Karn quickly wiped off the menacing snarl he’d pasted on his face. If he was going to make the sale it was clear he would have to appeal to the girl, who was looking up at him with a mixture of fear and uncertainty on her lovely face.
“The Kindred can do that,” Mistress Tikka said quickly. On top of her fee, she had been promised that she could keep whatever credit Karn’s sale made her, so she was motivated to ‘move the merchandise’ as it were.
“But…he has fangs, Mother!” the girl protested faintly. “I don’t know what to think about that—what if he ties to bite me?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Lilli! He has a pain collar—see?” Lady Mirabella pointed at the fake black collar Karn wore around his neck. “He can’t bite you as long as you know how to handle him. Show her,” she demanded, looking at Mistress Tikka. “Give him a good zap.”
“Of course.” Lady Tikka pointed the remote at Karn and made a big display of pressing the pain button.
Right on cue, Karn gasped and fell to his knees, grasping at the collar. Then, because he enjoyed being dramatic, he toppled off the platform and lay gasping and writhing at the feet of the three women.
“Oh, no! Stop—Stop!” Lady Mirabella’s daughter, Lilli, came rushing over to bend down by Karn’s side. “Stop it!” she cried again, looking up at Mistress Tikka. “Can’t you see you’re hurting him?”
“As you wish.” Mistress Tikka pointed the remote again and pressed the button.
Karn went limp at once and lay panting, like a male who had just run a desperate race. His long hair was in his face but he made no move to brush it away from his eyes. It was annoying, but much better to look like he was so exhausted from dealing with the terrible pain that he couldn’t even move, he thought.
Then, to his surprise, he felt a soft hand lifting the long strands away from his face. Rolling his eyes upward, he saw Lilliana—Lilli—bending over him.
“Are you all right?” she whispered, looking into his eyes as she cupped his cheek. “You poor thing! I’m so sorry they did that to you. It was dreadful—I would never treat you so. I promise.”
Karn felt a sudden, unfamiliar pressure in his heart as those big, brown eyes looked down into his. It was like she had cupped the beating muscle in her soft little hand and given it a gentle squeeze. Gods, she was lovely!
“Lilliana, you mustn’t treat a bodyslave too gently,” Lady Mirabella was scolding behind her. “You can’t let pity get in the way of discipline.”
“Yes, Mother,” Lilli murmured, but her eyes were still locked with Karn’s.
He got to his knees and took both her hands in his.
“Little Mistress,” he murmured and bent to press a kiss to each of her soft, sweet little palms.
“Oh…” Lilli’s brown eyes got even wider. “What…what is your name?” she asked.
“I am Karn,” Karn told her. “And I will serve you, body and soul, if only you will make me yours.”
“That’s enough of that!” Lady Mirabella snapped. “Get him back up onto the display pedestal, Tikka—I want to inspect him.”
“Of course. Get up!” Mistress Tikka pointed the remote at him menacingly. “Don’t make me shock you again, Kindred.”
Karn climbed back onto the display pedestal at once, though he would rather have stayed down on the ground and talked more to the lovely little Lilli. Still, he would have plenty of time to talk to her if he could pull off this sale. Which was the important thing, he reminded himself—not the fact that he felt strangely drawn to the curvy female.
“Now look, Lilli,” her mother instructed when Karn was back in position. “You must examine a male from every angle when choosing a bodyslave. Remember, this choice will reflect on you and me and our entire house!”