Tears Of The Neko - 3. Chapter 3

Kayden felt the relief slump from his shoulders when the tall brown-haired man gave him a reprieve on the death sentence he had demanded. That one smelled of lemon and tobacco, and he curled his nose at the combination of scents of the man called Roman. The blond one wasn't so bad; he smelled of pepper and jasmine, the one called Harrison.

He didn't want to be any trouble. In fact, he tried very hard not to, to be as inconspicuous as possible, as quiet and unobtrusive as he could. He just couldn't help his reactions to the loud shots.

He closed his eyes and tried to push away the images of his mother and father falling to ground after sounds like that, his strong sense of smell sniffing the blood that blossomed from their wounds. He had tried to crawl over to them, to comfort them. His breathing was heavy from racing through the forest away from the hunters. He had paused too long over his mother's unmoving body, tears slipping from his emerald eyes, when a rope snagged his neck and tightened.

"He's awful little," the hunter said, and the man had wrestled him to the ground. Kayden hissed and scratched, but the men were over twice his size and had his arms and legs tied with a rough rope. "Do you think we'll get anything for him?"

"We'll get something. Those others were too old, too feral, anyway. This one's young enough to learn it's place soon enough. Then we can sell him with the others."

Kayden bit his lip at the memory of his parents' death and his capture by the hunters years ago. They'd been right, and they had been able to teach him his place well enough, almost too well--his captivity had kept him from growing and made him too skittish of everyone, too submissive to do anything of use. The memory of the whips, canes, fists, and chains was enough torture to keep reminding him that he didn't want to be there ever again.

He didn't mean to scratch the master, and he'd tried to make it better, but it seemed as if all he did was upset the brown-haired one called Roman. He rose gracefully to stand under the direction of the slave master Arnett and followed the yellow haired man toward a huge mansion.

He'd never seen anything so big before, besides the forest. He had learned to like the 'inside', especially in the winter when food was scarce and he felt constantly cold in the woods, especially in the biting winds. Inside, he was usually at least fed a little and he didn't usually freeze. Sometimes his former master at the market would even toss him a thin blanket. He wondered briefly what his cage would be like here. He hoped it was big enough to stretch out in; he missed that. He had hated being cramped up all the time. Unlike the others who shared a huge cage and could move around and stand in, his had been small, big enough to sit up in, but not stand or stretch all the way out.

They had almost made it to the door of the kitchen when his ears perked up at the sound of a horse thundering across the ground. It took the blond--Harrison-- a few seconds longer to hear it.

"Shit, it's Damien," Harrison cursed as he quickly grabbed Kayden's thin arm and yanked him roughly into the kitchen door.

Kayden had a moment to glance backward to see a tall dark haired man galloping on his horse towards the stables. Kayden's breath caught in his throat as he glimpsed the strong, handsome features of the man.

"Ysmenia! Is the little store room still empty?" Harrison snapped to an elderly matron wearing an apron.

The entire kitchen staff stared at him in shock at his sudden appearance, but the servant quickly wiped her hands on her skirts and nodded. "Yes, sir. It's been cleaned out to make room for the winter stock."

"Good." Kayden felt himself shoved toward the woman. "Put him in there quickly."

"Make sure you lock the door good," Roman commented from his spot at the table where one of the maids was dressing his wound.

"My Lord," Garin, the head chef, started to protest at the thought of the neko in his kitchen. "I can't have a n--"

"He's a surprise gift for Damien's birthday," Harrison snapped. "Get him hidden. Damien will be coming in soon."

Kayden felt his chain passed over to the woman and followed her to a little storeroom back behind the main kitchen. There were empty shelves and it felt cool and damp from its recent cleaning.

Ysmenia looked at him curiously as she led him in. She was slightly taller than he was, but she had a kind smile that put him a little more at ease. He knew he must look filthy after his foray in the slave yard.

"I'll see about getting you some food as soon as the master is gone. Looks like you could use some," she commented.

Kayden watched as the door closed and the bolt was thrown to lock the door. It was dark inside with no light, but his feline eyes adjusted quickly and he could make out the few empty shelves that probably stored winter fruits and vegetables. The room was cool, which would be good for the fruits and vegetables, but made him shiver. He found a corner and curled up as small as he could in it, sliding into a fitful slumber.

--Neko--

The door burst open, and Damien strode in with his powerful gait and strong stride. He halted mid-stride when the kitchen staff all stopped suddenly and he noted that both of his brothers were also in the kitchen. His dark brows furrowed.

"What's going on?" he asked warily as Geoff nearly ran into his back.

Harrison swung his arm around his brother's shoulders. "Nothing, dear brother."

Damien shrugged his brother's arm away and huffed. "Why don't I believe you?"

"Because he's hiding away your birthday present," Roman grinned wickedly.

Harrison shot him a glare, while Damien snorted in laughter.

"He just got it home and didn't have time to get it hidden upstairs before you came back," Roman continued with a sly smirk at Harrison's irritation. "Hid it in the back storeroom, wanna see?"

"Roman!" Harrison sputtered.

Damien cast an amused glance between his two younger brothers. "I think I can wait a couple days."

He slid his gaze to his brother's arm being wrapped in linen. "What happened to you?"

Roman's eyes turned dark as he glanced at Harrison. "It got scratched when I tried to help Harrison here with your gift."

Harrison's mouth dropped open in shock at how bold his brother was about referring to his present.

"It was an accident," Harrison growled back, and Damien just laughed at both of his brothers.

"Be careful next time," Damien warned congenially and moved on to the exit, leaving them all in the kitchen and finally escaping to his quiet study again.

Harrison watched the broad shoulders of his brother disappear out of the kitchen. "You bastard," he snapped at Roman. "You're trying to ruin my surprise."

"And your 'surprise' tried to ruin my arm," Roman snapped back, rising from his chair.

"You just want to ruin my fun," Harrison pouted. "You almost gave it all away."

"Oh, trust me, the fun hasn't yet begun," Roman said cryptically. "Damien doesn't care anything about his birthdays anymore, so he had no intention of taking my suggestion to peek at your little gift. But, remember, it's still alive only because I think it will be amusing to see his reaction to it in a couple days, otherwise I would have had Arnett put it down for attacking me like that."

There were a few gasps from the servants standing around, and Roman took a moment to straighten and exude his power over the room. He could feel the anxiety radiating around him. Then he walked firmly out the door.

Geoff had surveyed the exchange quietly, not wanting to get in between of the brothers' argument. But he couldn't make sense of what they were saying--Damien's gift was alive?

"Someone what to tell me what's going on?" he rumbled.

Harrison sighed, beginning to wonder if his impetuous decision to purchase the neko for his brother was worth all the trouble. Instead of trying to explain it, he waved the guard down the hallway to the storeroom.

When he threw the latch and shoved open the door, the guard took a moment to register what he was seeing--a tiny, pale little neko was cowering in the corner.

"I bought a companion slave for Damien for his birthday," the blond count breathed exasperatedly.

The guard's eyes shot wide in shock. "Are you kidding me? Have you lost your mind?"

Harrison sighed. "Yeah, I'm beginning to think so."

"That thing is nothing but skin and bones," Geoff scoffed. "What happens to him when Damien refuses to keep him?"

Harrison shrugged. "I don't know. I was hoping maybe Damien would at least get a laugh out of it for his birthday. He's been so..."

Geoff's eyes softened in understanding, knowing exactly what Harrison was thinking. "Yeah, I know. But you know how Damien is. He doesn't like anybody around."

"True," Harrison admitted. Harrison sighed as he turned to Ysmenia who was hovering at the end of the hallway. "Can you make sure Kayden is fed and bathed, and something suitable is found for him to be presented to my brother in?"

She nodded quickly. "Yes, sir."

Harrison was making his way back through the kitchen as the captain rummaged in the cold storage locker for some cheese, then sat down at the kitchen table, grabbing some bread and pour water from the pitcher resting there.

"My lord," Garin started again. "You can't expect me to allow him to stay in my kitchens. Nekos aren't allowed to work in the kitchens for a reason. It's unsanitary, with the tail and fur and all."

"Master Garin," Harrison began patiently, "I understand your concern, but he's not actually in the kitchen, is he? He's in a storeroom, and just for a couple days."

"Yes, my lord," Garin grumbled, obviously unhappy about it, and Harrison heard the captain chuckle behind him.

"Drystan," the noble called another servant over. The young man immediately bowed to his master. "You know the small study that connects to the Duke's bedroom?"

"Yes, sir."

"Damien doesn't use it, correct?"

"No, sir. He uses the office next to the parlor."

"Good," Harrison grinned. "I want you to prepare that room without Damien knowing. Get it cleaned, set up a bed if you can. It doesn't have to be very large, as you could see." He waved his hand in the general direction of the storeroom where Kayden was.

John Drystan nodded with a smile.

"Oh, and get a few clothes gathered in there for him. Arnett can probably help you. He'll need something more than that slip of fabric he's wrapped in right now."

"Yes, sir," the young man bowed and turned to hurry off to begin his task.

Harrison took a deep breath now that the excitement was over. "So, Garin, how goes the birthday preparations?"

--Neko--@

Kayden startled when the door creaked open, spilling light into the small room. The older woman with the long brown braid stepped in, peering into the darkness looking for him.

"Little one, where are you?" she called.

He uncurled himself and moved toward her, so silently that he startled her when he was almost at her feet before she noticed him.

"Oh, my, you are a quiet little thing, aren't you?" She sighed as she met his liquid green eyes. "Okay, well, stand up. Let's get you fed and cleaned. We'll go to the bath in the servant quarters, and I'll feed you over there. Don't think Garin would like it too much if you were in his kitchen long."

She took his leash and led him through the kitchen. He kept his head down and ignored the eyes of the other servants on him as he carefully kept his tail tucked down, and his ears tucked back fearfully.

"Here," he heard a man's voice stop the woman near the exit to the kitchen. It was the chef, Garin. He shoved a bowl at the woman. "Feed him."

Ysmenia smiled at the gruff chef, carefully accepting his gift on behalf of the little neko. Kayden's eyes widened at all the food in the bowl, sure it couldn't be meant for him. His eyes darted up to the man seeming to glare down at him.

The man huffed as his eyes raked over the thin body of the boy. He'd never seen anyone, human or hybrid, who was so skinny. He obviously hadn't been fed well by his previous owner.

"He needs to eat," Garin grumped. "I don't want him passing out in my kitchen."

"Yes, Garin, of course," Ysmenia smiled as she continued to lead the neko out of the kitchen.

They made their way down a long hallway that led to the servants' quarters. Some of the older, more senior servants had their own tiny rooms, but most of them resided in the large open barrack-like rooms, one for males and one for females. There was an open room in between the two dorm rooms that held a few old couches and tables for lounging, playing games, and general socializing. Off to the side, Ysmenia led him into a bathing room.

It was more modern than anything that Kayden had ever seen before; of course, other than his childhood home in the forests, he'd only lived with the hunters in the camp and at the slave market. There were several small walled off areas with pipes spouting from the wall and ropes hanging next to them. The cubicle-looking areas appeared to be damp and a grate was in the floor where water seemed to be draining into. Nearby there was what appeared, and smelled, to be a chamber pot in another small walled-off area, but it didn't look like any chamber pot he'd seen before. On the other side of the damp washroom, there was a pipe over the tub that, when the woman tugged on a long rope, let water flow in. She tugged hooking the rope over a hook to keep the water running, filling the tub with water.

"Do you need to relieve yourself first?" she asked.

Kayden knew his face blushed bright pink as he barely nodded. She smiled kindly and led him over to the weird chamber pot. There was clear water already in it, and it appeared to have a hole in the bottom. He didn't understand why the water didn't just drain out.

She pointed, and he just stared at her, then back at the odd chamber pot. Then she laughed. "I don't suppose you've ever used a water closet before. You just go in there and then pull this chain to flush."

Flush? What in the world did that mean? He just stood there staring at her, before she finally turned around and headed back to the bath. He eyed her over his shoulder before he reached within his wrap to relieve himself into the oversized bowl.

"All done?"

He jumped as she appeared next to him, his tail swishing anxiously. She pulled the chain and water rushed into the bowl, cleaning it out. He jumped at the sudden rush of water, but then curiously moved back and watched it swirl in the bowl.

She laughed as she watched his ears twitch in curiosity. Then she tugged him towards the bathtub. The water looked so clean and clear. He'd only ever bathed in cold streams, or in bath water that had already been used by other slaves first.

"Okay, get in," she ordered.

He frowned down at the water, then at his wrap.

"Oh, boy, you don't have nothin' I haven't seen before. Get yourself in that water now. I don't have all day."

Hesitantly, he took the scrap of fabric that he had wrapped around his waist off and scurried into the water. It was warmer than he'd expected it to be and wondered briefly how it got to be so. She handed him some soap and a rag, and then scooped up the linen he'd dropped.

"My lord, this is nothing but a rag," she muttered as she whisked it away. She returned moments later with a coarse towel and another pile of fabric.

When he hadn't done anything with the soap, she quickly grabbed it and started scrubbing the dirt from his hair. Using the rag, she quickly rubbed his thin body, clinically removing the layers of dirt.

He felt her pause as she noticed his back, but he was grateful when she didn't say anything about the scars. The rag ran gently over his shoulders and arms. "Got a few scratches here, huh?"

There was no way he was breaking the silence that had been beaten into him, so he just sat there, gritting his teeth against the sting of the soap on the abrasions from the tree branches. Apparently, realizing he wasn't going to respond, she just hummed and continued her scrubbing.

She seemed to be cautious around his tail, and he slashed it through the water, splashing her slightly. She cuffed him briefly on the back of the head, and he dropped his chin submissively to his chest. He hissed when she rinsed his hair and got water in his ear, earning him a baleful glare.

She reached in to the bottom of the tub and pulled a little plug and the water started to drain out. Kayden stared, mesmerized by the swirling water. A towel was dropped on his head and she vigorously towel-dried his hair before rubbing down his shoulders.

"Get up," she ordered, continuing the drying, rubbing the towel down his sleek black tail. He suddenly shook his head to remove the water from his ears, sending a light spray of water from his hair.

"Hey!" she snapped, but then she started laughing at the pitiful look on the boy's face.

She handed him a pile of fabric. "Here's some pants..." She looked briefly behind him at his tail. "You think you can wear these?"

He nodded at the black trousers. He could wear human pants, he'd done so before. The men who had captured him had given him pants in the winter, but in warmer months they didn't bother giving him pants since they cost more than the scrap of fabric he was just expected to wind around his body. Master Farth at the market had been the same way. He'd always chosen, of course, to wrap his waist in modesty, but if the scrap was long enough, he'd loop it up over his shoulders and chest too. He pulled on the dark pants to the base of his tail over his buttocks, then he pulled the drawstring in front and tied it. They were huge and pooled around his feet. The pants hung low on his hips because of his tail, lower probably than most human males would wear them, but they were better than the scrap of fabric.

"Hmm, looks like I'll need some scissors," Ysmenia stated as she eyed the hem gathered on the floor. She tossed him a shirt. It was too big too, but he didn't care. It was more clothes than he'd had in years. "I'll have to figure out something better for the master's birthday, but that will do for now."

She gestured toward the lounge area, and he pulled up the pant legs as he stumbled after her to the table where she had placed the bowl of food when they'd come in.

A loud bang from down the hall suddenly had him skittering toward the door, looking for escape.

"No!" he heard the woman yell behind him.

But in his panic, he ran blindly for the door--tripping right into a hard body. The man grunted when the small body barreled into him.

"Ellis! Stop him!"

He felt arms wrap around him, restraining him. He was breathing hard when he was picked up and carried into the room.

"Shit!" the man grumbled. "He scratched me!"

Kayden felt himself dropped unceremoniously to the floor, his leash grabbed as he huddled into the corner. Kayden peeked up, expecting to be hit for scratching the man, but realized the man was just wiping at the scratches on his ribs absently.

"Thank you, Ellis," Ysmenia breathed as she clutched at his leash. "He just got scared by the pots dropped in the kitchen and freaked out. Guess I need to trim his nails, huh."

"Who is this anyway?" Ellis asked, eyeing the cowering little neko.

"New slave that Master Harrison bought."

"Fuck, he doesn't hardly weigh anything," Ellis grunted. "What good can he possibly be? Probably can't hardly carry a full bucket of water."

Ysmenia shrugged. "He's supposed to be a gift for Master Damien's birthday."

It was then that Kayden noticed the tail. A large brown and white tail swished idly around from behind the large man, and Kayden realized he wasn't a human but another hybrid. When his eyes rose to the man's face he saw the brown pointy ears amid the finely cropped mud-colored hair.

So far he hadn't seen any other hybrids at the manor, other than the few that were bought with him. And based on the complaints that the chef had, he had not expected to see any other nekos in the house. Maybe they were just banned from the kitchen.

"A gift for the master, huh?" Ellis eyed the tiny creature huddled on the wall. He shrugged and walked toward the male dorm room.

"What are you up to?" Ysmenia asked Ellis as she pulled on the leash to get Kayden to move back to the table. He slowly perched in the chair as she shoved the bowl closer.

Ellis smiled as he watched the young neko reach into the bowl for some of the chicken. "Cat nap."

--Neko--

Kayden jerked from sleep at the sound of the door creaking open. He scented the air as a lamp preceded the man into the storeroom--lemon and tobacco. He could tell it was the sandy-haired one called Roman even before his eyes adjusted to the change in light.

He'd been locked back in the small storeroom again after eating, Ysmenia rushing off to help with dinner preparations. Even with the new shirt and pants, he still shivered slightly. He never seemed to be warm, you'd think he be used to it. He guessed it to be late in the night based on the hours that had passed, and with nothing else to do, he'd tried to sleep.

But now one of his masters was here. He sleepily uncurled and moved to kneel in front of the tall man.

The lamp was set on an empty shelf. "Well, my little tiger," the voice echoed in the room. "Seems like you are all alone."

Kayden gulped, recognizing the anger in the voice but not knowing what he'd done to cause it. Suddenly, a large hand gripped his throat and hauled him up, holding him against the wall. His feet barely scraped the ground, as he felt his air being cut off. Instinctively, he grasped at the arm pinning him to the wall.

"Not so tough without your claws, are you, tiger?"

His nails had been cut to next to nothing earlier, and he felt himself grasping at the arm with the pads of his fingers. His breathing quickened in panic, sure the man had come to kill him.

Suddenly, the man attacked his lips, forcing entry into his mouth with his tongue. As his breath was cut off, Kayden gasped and the man gnashed his teeth against his. The sloppy muscle invaded his mouth, scraping against his fangs. Kayden desperately wanted to bite down with his small fangs but knew that would push the man into a worse fury.

He was suddenly dropped, and Kayden collapsed onto his hands and knees trying to draw in air. He could hear the man rustling with his clothes but couldn't think as he coughed, trying to force away the blackness threatening to take over. When he felt the man behind him, tugging at his waistband, he hissed reflexively. Kayden suddenly struggled under the weight of the huge man, memories of other men forcing themselves on him fogging his senses.

"Hold still!" Roman snapped, and Kayden winced when his head was shoved into the floor.

"You may be Damien's gift, but you're still a slave in this household, and you will know your place. And one day very soon Damien won't be around. And I'll be king."

Kayden whimpered as he felt the man press his thick hardness against his opening. Tears streamed down his eyes as he felt the unbearable agony of the man ripping him apart. A hand clamped over his mouth as he let out a shriek of pain. The cloying scent of blood flooded his senses as the noble thrust into him, his own blood slicking the way for the man to reach his climax.

The pain kept Kayden from passing out. The man pulled out suddenly and Kayden felt the spurt of warm liquid on his back.

"Now you know who's in charge around here," Roman stated as he shoved off of him.

Kayden lay there, unable to move as he heard Roman hitch up his pants and leave with the light. Kayden began to wish that the man had just put him down. If Roman was like this, how bad would the man named Damien be? He'd nearly died with the agony and torture the hunters had put him through, he didn't know if he could go through all that again.

Suddenly, the light was back, and he hissed at the scent of Roman's return. Two rags and a small bucket of water were dropped next to him.

"Clean up," Roman demanded, clearly intending to wait for him to obey. With agonized movements, Kayden slowly obeyed, washing away the evidence of the man's abuse. Kayden was glad that the pants were dark and would hide any bleeding that continued.

"Get some sleep," Roman sneered when he was done. And Kayden slumped to the floor when he heard the door lock, exhausted and in shock from the sharp pain spiking up his spine. The tears flowed silently until he finally let himself fall asleep.