Page 58 of Under His Skin

That was… weird. Alex had a sudden panicked moment where he imagined Tracht getting him a ring. But that didn’t seem like something Tracht would do. Probably Tracht just wanted new cuff links or something. Or maybe they sold bejeweled butt plugs here.

The clerk looked up and smiled at them. “Captain Tracht, welcome! Please, come on back. I have the item in storage for you.”

Alex gave the jewelry store a quick glance over, but nothing stood out to him as being Tracht-like. There were fancy stones on a lot of the rings, and everything shone in that white-jade color of that mineral they mined on Ino.

They were taken to a private back room, with a few safes, a sofa, an armchair, and a coffee table. Tracht took the armchair.

Alex didn’t want to sit alone on the sofa, so he stood next to Tracht and waited.

“I saw the photos. The work looked exquisite,” Tracht remarked. “Give my regards to the designer.”

The clerk brought out a thin box and handed it to Tracht. “I’ll certainly do that. She regrets not being able to meet you here today, but she’s busy with other work”

Alex was curious to see what was in the box, but before Tracht opened it, he looked at Alex and pointed to the floor in front of him. “Kneel.”

In front of the clerk? Alex wanted to protest, but he wasn’t going to push his luck so soon. It was just one person. This was fine.

He got to his knees and was glad that the office had a plush carpet. It would have been worse kneeling out on the streets somewhere.

Tracht pushed the back of his head, forcing Alex to look down. Only then did he open the box. “Yes, this is gorgeous.”

“Thank you. As you requested, we’ve hidden the electronic components in the clasp.” The clerk approached a few steps, but stopped short. Alex could only see his shoes out of the corner of his eye.

“Marvelous. And it’s keyed to my chip?” Tracht’s hand on Alex’s scalp scratched lightly.

“Yes. Nobody will be able to open it except you.” The clerk hesitated before adding, “I’ll leave you two in private?”

“Yes, thank you.”

The clerk left, and Alex sighed in relief when the door shut behind him. It was easier without an audience.

“I suppose you have no idea why we’re here,” Tracht said, his hand settling on the back of Alex’s neck and squeezing lightly.

“No,” Alex answered honestly. “Why are we here?”

“I’ve been thinking that your neck looked unbearably bare. I’ve grown so used to you wearing a collar that it’s almost indecent how exposed your throat is now.” Tracht let go, and a moment later he hooked something around Alex’s neck.

It was cold at first, settling on Alex’s skin, but warmed up fast. It took Alex a second to process it.

A collar.

Alex lifted his head up and saw Tracht admiring him.

“Much better.” Tracht set a finger underneath Alex’s chin to tilt it up further. “This is what I want to see. A clear mark of ownership. Nobody’s going to think you don’t belong to somebody. If you get lost, people can scan the chip and instantly know who to return you to.”

Embarrassment flooded Alex, his skin warming up and probably turning completely red. He wasn’t some dog who needed to be kept in line like that. He could find his own way back if he was lost. Heck, he wouldn’t get lost in the first place!

“It’s not a bondcollar,” Alex said hoarsely. “It can’t… it can’t transmit to places.” He couldn’t decide if that was a good or a bad thing.

“Of course it’s not. Why would I want it transmitting anything? No, it’s just a permanent mark of possession.” Tracht leaned down, his lips barely brushing up against Alex’s. “You don’t get to complain about this. This is what you wanted, after all. You chose this.”

Yes. Yes, Alex had.

Epilogue

“Wow. Wow, that really is gorgeous.” Nadia said while rubbing her hands over Alex’s collar. They’d just finished a movie and were taking a break at the nearby food court.

Alex preened a bit and grinned. “Right? And it’s made of this like, super hard metal that doesn’t scratch or break, and all of it is waterproof, and there’s the interlocking bits that look classy but are super meaningful and stuff.”

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