Your Blood and Bones are Mine to Hold

Aliana didn't hear Chimera come back into the den. She only noticed he was there when she began to turn and saw his massive frame in the doorway, obscuring the light from outside with his bulk. She gasped quietly and averted her eyes down, but quickly recovered so she could turn back to grab some of the painkillers she'd just put away. No doubt he would want some more to ease his recovery process, and she did not want to make him mad when he was also in pain, too afraid to see what that combination would be like when mixed with Chimera's violent outbursts. Dainty paws scurried to grab the herbs and some dried berries to make them a little more palatable since she knew he hated them, not saying a word to him before she got him some relief.

A soft thud of something weighted landed in front of her, tearing her attention away from the medicine she was preparing for him. Aquamarine eyes immediately sought out the object, noting the bundle tied up like a present. She gazed down at the parcel for a long moment before glancing back up at Chimera with trepidatious yet curious eyes. The massive brute was watching her expectantly, his eyes fixed on her without a sound. He wanted her to open the gift. Ali turned her eyes back to the gift, back to Chimera to make sure she was understanding him correctly, then slowly slipped from the shelf to cautiously unwrap the bundle.

Untying the leaf package, Aliana was stunned to find the jaguar pelt blanket within, a soft gasp of awe coming from her while her paws ran slowly over the exotic fur and the plush, warm rabbit lining attached to it. It was gorgeous, the pelt clean and pristine—save for a small spot where tiny nicks could be seen in a small spot, and as she laid her paw over them, her claws lined up perfectly with the almost indiscernible pocks she had left when Chimera had fucked her on top of it. Of course, it had still been attached to her would-be murderer back then, but there was no denying where the pelt had come from.

As Aliana ran the blanket through her paws, she noticed the heft of something else wrapped up in the bundle. Raising a curious brow, she carefully unfolded the blanket to release the high leather collar. Her eyes widened as she lifted the finely crafted collar, studying the supple fine-grained leather and the quality lacework that would hold it together around her neck. She turned the collar over in her paws, bringing her wide eyes back up to Chimera's hard stare, feeling her heart racing in her chest, but it wasn't from fear or panic. Her ears flicked back against her head while she tried to sort through everything in her head. "Sir, I... I don't deserve gifts this fine." Her paw ran over the smooth surface of the collar again, glimpsing her silhouette in its oiled shine. These were the nicest—and only—things she'd ever owned. Ali met his gaze again with a demure smile. "Thank you, Sir."

Looking down at the collar, Ali carefully loosened the lace to slip it on around her neck, shuffling it through her cloudy gray and white fur until it was comfortably around her throat. The weight and grip of it around her neck started a warmth inside her. She aligned the lace with her throat, feeling the black fabric dangling along her windpipe, then turned to present herself to Chimera. Sitting before him, Ali tipped her head back until her muzzle was pointed skyward, giving him access to her collar while exposing all of her vulnerable throat to him. "Would you mind tying this for me?"

"Aliana"