Page 97 of Plug and Drain

“Will I be required to do…other things?” she ventured, suddenly too embarrassed to be explicit. “Like, service you?”

“Well…” Arken’s eyes flashed before he glanced away, scratching his nose. “The Master and pet dynamic would allow us to carry on as we have been since early this morning…And, of course, I will ensure that you are taken care of in all ways.”

Susie scarcely dared to breathe. How could she explain to Arken that it was not herself she wanted to be looked after?

“What about my pack?” she asked.

“Your pack? What about them?”

“I’m their leader. They rely on me.”

“Ah, yes. Well, I would never dream of denying you the chance to see your friends. But I’m afraid that any official association with a pack would have to cease. It is my desire for you to be mine, Susanna, in every way. In any case, I’m afraid you will be far too preoccupied with your new duties serving me to hold any kind of leadership position. Surely, there is someone who could take your place.”

Just as she’d suspected, but the note of finality in Arken’s tone still hurt. He seemed to notice her reaction because his voice softened as he continued.

“That protection I would also offer to your pack.”

Arken’s words swept through her, his offer suddenly tempting. She’d spent the last few months laying the groundwork so that she and her pack could sleep in peace and walk through the school without fear of being bullied. And Arken was just offering that kind of safety to her on a silver platter?

It was more than tempting, but the cost was high.

Exactly how high, though?

“Well, if you have no other objections…” He reached into the case and took hold of the collar, lifting it so it dangled from his long elegant fingers.

“Pets aren’t allowed on the Student Council,” she blurted out.

Understanding crossed Arken’s face. “Ah, yes. You did say you were a member. Well…” He searched her gaze. “Well, if it’s important to you, perhaps we could bend that rule a little. I could escort you to the meetings.”

She gritted her teeth and looked away. Of all the rules she wanted Arken to ‘bend’, that was not at the top of her list. And he was missing the point completely. “It doesn’t matter,” she muttered. “No one else on the council would respect me enough to listen to me, anyway. Not if I was a pet.”

That gave Arken pause. “I do see your point, although I cannot say I agree. A submissive deserves as much respect as the next person. And you will always have mine.”

But I’m not a submissive!

Susie’s head whipped up, her vision blurring with tears. “Do you even remember the speech I gave at the Student Council meeting last year?”

Arken blinked.

“The one I invited you to,” she pressed.

“No, I’m afraid I do not. That is, I remember attending the meeting, but as for the specific details…”

“If you did, you would understand just how important that position is to me. And you would understand why I cannot give it up.”

Arken’s lips parted in confusion. “Do you mean to say…”

He trailed off into silence. The tension grew unbearable, choking off the last of the air in the room. When he spoke, his voice was deathly quiet and full of disbelief. “Are you refusing me?”

Susie swallowed, her skin prickling and itchy as she shifted her weight from one foot to another. She felt like the room’s walls closing in around her, threatening to crush her, her ribcage too small for her pounding heart.

She needed to control herself, to control her breathing, and to speak while she still could. “Yes, I…I suppose I am.”

“Because of your role as pack leader? Or your position on the Student Council?”

“Both.”

Arken gave an incredulous laugh and scratched the side of his nose again. “You do realise that the Student Council does not hold any real power? That it was created for the very purpose of giving students the illusion of power? To help them feel involved?”