Market

I woke up with the sun shining through the window and climbed out of the dog bed. The sky was lit up orange and I forgot how beautiful sunrises were since pet shops never care if pets get a good view or not.

I sat in the bay window watching the birds fly until noise to my right brought my attention to Derik. *Does he ever look bad?*

"You're awake," he yawned.

"Yes, sir." His nose wrinkled but I knew he wouldn't say anything about the name as long as I didn't call him master.

"Brush your hair and teeth and we'll get going." *Guess that means no food then, that's a shame.*

I quietly walked into the bathroom and tried to stop the purr in my chest when I brushed my hair. Vampires purred when they were feeding from anything alive or when they were exceptionally happy, unfortunately for me, so did hybrids.

When I walked out of the bathroom Derik was dressed. He was wearing black jeans and a teal t-shirt. Remembering my collar I went back into the bathroom and put it on.

Standing in front of Derik to signify I was ready I waited for him to look up from his phone. He scowled at my collar and then my clothes and then my feet. *Does he not like my clothes, there really isn't a ton I can do about that.*

"Wait here." Derik left and returned a minute later with some shoes and clothes he'd probably borrowed from a maid.

I accepted the things from him and went to the bathroom to put on the light jeans, red T-shirt, and black sneakers. This time I actually had a clean pair of undergarments to wear. None of it fit properly all too big for my malnourished frame. When I came back he scowled only at the collar and hooked my leash to it.

I stayed quiet on the trip to the parking lot about a block from the market. When we got there Derik held my leash and I trailed after him. People trickled around the shops and stands the market was made of.

Derik walked into the first clothes shop, and not a pet clothes shop either just a regular clothes shop, and detached my leash. I stared at him puzzled.

"Pick some things." He already looked bored.

"A-are you sure?" I stammered out.

"Yes, I'm sure."

Not wanting to test his patience and have nothing to wear I quickly picked out some casual clothes, socks, some PJs, a pair of shoes, a jacket, and some undergarments. Not sure if both of us would live to summer as it was only late fall I didn't waste his money on cooler clothes.

I brought him a small basket of clothes which he looked down at and sighed, *are they that bad?*

"You're going to need more than that and something fancy to wear while I'm at any meetings you go to." His words were a little shocking.

I grabbed a plain black dress and some heels in my size and brought them back to him. He nodded and grabbed some more clothes in my size, and surprisingly my style too, off the racks.

The amount the clerk told him to pay practically made me flinch but somehow Derik didn't seem to care. *Who in their right mind would spend so much on a pet?*

*But I suppose with how expensive pets themselves are it shouldn't surprise me that money on their clothes and food don't bother the owners.*

He put my leash on and we walked back out of the shop with far too many clothes. He walked into a pet store and I briefly wondered what else I could possibly need.

*Maybe he thinks I need a whip or a muzzle? He doesn't seem like that type of owner though. Especially with all the expensive clothes he just got me.*

*I guess maybe a muzzle for the half-moon.*

He bought a very comfortable looking new black collar and a matching leash and we left.

When we were heading back to Derik's car I saw a fresh fruit stand. It smelled amazing and I stared wishfully at some raspberries.

I felt a small tug on my leash and was prepared to keep walking forward when Derik walked towards the stand. He bought some raspberries and placed them wordlessly in my hand.

A loud purr came out of my throat causing Derik to chuckle. My face heated up. In an attempt to hide my embarrassment I started eating the raspberries which only made me purr louder.

Derik spent the rest of the walk trying not to laugh at how weirded out everyone looked that his pet was purring, I haven't seen a vampire as a pet yet but it might be possible. When we were in the car he broke out laughing and it was hard not to join.

When he stopped laughing I was smiling into my raspberries, like a weirdo. The ride back was peaceful and as soon as we got back into Derik's room I dumped my collar. Unsure what to do with the empty container my raspberries came in I set it by my bed.

Derik started putting the clothes he'd bought in his closet, which was strange. Generally pet's clothes go on top of their cage.

Remembering the clothes I was wearing weren't mine I wondered how to bring up the topic of returning them to whoever owned them.

"Um... Derik?" I started a bit hesitantly.

"Yes?" *He doesn't sound annoyed, that's good.*

"Did you borrow these clothes from a maid?"

"Yes, why?"

"I'd...um... like to return them to whoever owns them. Do you mind if I wear your shirt again?" *Am I pushing my luck too much, I really don't want to screw this up.*

"You can wear my shirt sure, I'll give the clothes back to her when you're done changing. Wait here." He tossed a bra and underwear at me that I caught and for some reason now was when I was embarrassed.

I scurried into the bathroom and changed back into Derik's shirt. I quietly folded the maid's clothes humming to myself. Checking my anklets were secure I left the bathroom.

Derik took the clothes from me but I noticed him look down at my ankle like he was confused.

"Why are you still wearing those?" His words made my cheeks heat up since it was childish to hold onto something so unnecessary.

"It just, it feels like a trophy, something you have to earn. It shows me my strength in a way." My voice was soft and I looked at the floor.

"I'll be back soon." With that Derik left leaving me alone in the room. I stared out the window remembering my old life.

"Funny how far we can fall," I mused out loud. I remembered my first master and his cruel smile.

The sick bustard laughed when he whipped me.

"Fall, what's wrong, why are you growling?" Derik's voice pulled me out of my memories.

"Nothing, just a memory."

"Alright, put this on and we'll go downstairs for lunch." He tossed me the soft black collar and I probably wouldn't have broken the rest of my collars if they felt this nice to wear.

Following Derik to a dining room I sat in a chair next to him. Eventually a slave came out to ask what we wanted. Not sure what I could and couldn't ask for I let Derik answer for me.

When lunch got to the table Derik had some kind of fish and a glass of blood and I got some mini sandwiches and some kind of juice.

When I cautiously tried the sandwiches they tasted sweet and a purr sounded in my throat. The juice was slightly sour and balanced the small sandwiches well.

Derik only laughed and ate his meal. When the slave came back to get our plates I was still purring quietly.

"W-what's wrong with her?" The young slave's voice shook. A loud growl rumbled in my chest involuntarily.

"Nothing's wrong with her, she's a hybrid." Derik sounded slightly annoyed but the slave was still staring at me with wide eyes. He looked at my anklets and I could hear him gulp.

I bared my fangs at him and he jumped a foot high. Snickering I got up and walked to Derik's room. I laid on my dog bed and stared at the ceiling forgetting about my collar. Soon after the door opened and closed and the smell of raspberries and mint lingered in my nose.

"He was just surprised." Derik's voice didn't tell me if he was upset with me or not.

"No, he was scared." My voice sounded inhuman lisping around my fangs, almost snarling.

"Most people haven't seen a hybrid before, and your eyes glow when you purr or growl."

"They do?" This was new information to me.

"Yep, and if I had to guess that's the reason he was scared. He probably thought you were going to eat him."

I stayed silent suddenly understanding why everyone was always so afraid. Regular vampire eyes only glow when they were hunting.

"I'm going to bring you to a meeting in two days." I heard Derik sit as his desk while he talked.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, the meeting will keep me out of the house for two days and I don't trust you to be alone for so long without killing someone." I huffed to make it clear that I could make it that long as long as no one tried to harm me. Paper ruffled and the sound of a pen scratched in my ears, more paperwork.

"What kind of meeting would keep you away for so long?"

"The national meeting the Regional makes with the lords."

My heart speed up and my breath hitched. Of course it didn't surprise me that Derik was high up but to have anyone sit in my father's place...

"I don't think that's such a good idea," my voice was almost a whisper.

"What, why not?"

"Each past Regional, as I'm sure you know, has a room filled with their portrait and photos of their family, friends, and favorite slaves. To have a picture in that room meant you were incredibly important to the past Regional and it draws attention for future employers and things like that. They are also usually given a large sum of money after the Regional's death since the ruler of a country saw them as important."

"Yes, I'm aware. Why does this interfere with you going to the Regional's meeting?" Hearing anyone called Regional other than my father stung.

"Because I'm in the last Regional's room which will draw a large amount of attention." I spoke with all the diligence my parents had raised me with and I knew they would be proud that when I wanted to, I could still be the daughter they'd raised.

"Why on earth are you in the last Regional's room?"

"Because I'm his daughter."

The scribbling of the pen stopped.

"What?!"

"Don't pretend no one suspected his relationship with my mother, I'm sure anyone that knows where I was taken from at least suspects that I was related to him."

"How did you explain being in the Regional's mansion when they found you?"

"Simple, I said that the Regional took pity on me and gave me a job under-the-table."

"You'll have to wear contacts while we're there so no one recognizes you then."

"With all do respect my hair color would also be easily recognizable. Not to mention my scent, a few of his old servants still live there and a few officials could recognise me." I might not be willing to get my father's reputation dragged through the ground but letting that cat out of the bag wasn't something I could do, this was one thing bigger than me or my father.

"I'm not dyeing your hair and you won't be staying here, I'll handle it."

I kept my doubt to myself, even if he hid my eye color everyone there would know about the mysterious hybrid with fiery red hair. Maybe changing my eye color would put doubt into some but Lords were far too intelligent to trick that easily.

Maybe I could just ditch him to keep from being caught. Hell I should have thought to hide myself a bit better after I burned my first file so it didn't bite me in the ass now.

But it's too late now.

Hours passed and neither of us said a word. Fretful I took my collar off and screwed my eyes shut.