Maybe he does.

Lucas glanced at her. This wasn't the first time Audrey flirted with him, one of the many ways she enjoyed messing with him. This time, though, there was something in her tone of voice that had never been there before.

"Well, maybe I do," he said.

He let his hand drift towards her thigh, but before he could make contact, she laughed and rose from her seat. "Too bad, soldier."

She winked at him and moved off into the crowd. He shook his head. Somehow she always seemed to get the better of him. He sipped at his drink and continued watching Eldwyn.

Her new collar had already been noticed, and he could see a Human woman in her thirties was teasing her about it. Successfully, apparently, because Eldwyn was bright red with embarrassment, to the woman's obvious delight. Lucas knew this was the kind of embarrassment Eldwyn liked, though, so he knew not to intervene.

It continued like this for most of the rest of the night. Some men would paw her backside, though keeping up the pretense of it being accidental, but most were satisfied with teasing her with the unmistakable collar around her neck. He kept a close eye on it, but it was clear everyone was well aware about Audrey's rules, no matter how drunk they got.

Every now and then, Eldwyn sent him a quick glance, a shy smile coming to her face every time. She was loving this.

He sipped at his ale and just enjoyed watching her.

When closing time came around, Audrey gently got rid of the last few customers, all regulars judging from the way they grumbled even as they complied. She left him where he was, though, which he was happy to take advantage of.

She let the waitresses go as well, until only Percy and Eldwyn remained.

"We'll clear up from here, Percy," she told him. "Thanks."

He glanced at Lucas curiously, then shrugged, apparently deciding it was none of his business. "Sure. Good night."

Lucas moved a little closer to the bar itself, nursing one last drink, while Audrey was slaving over the books and Eldwyn swept the floor. He left his eyes to roam across her body, but they always found their way back to the collar around her slim neck. It suited her. There was something about the very visible sign of his authority over here that enticed him. Its meaning—that she belonged to someone—would be suspected by anyone with a slightly dirty mind, but it was just barely fashionable enough to avoid inconvenient questions from those who might disapprove. And most importantly of all, it reminded her of her place. He had noticed her fiddling with it several times throughout the night, a dreamy look coming in her eyes every time.

He could imagine her wearing an even shorter, more revealing outfit. The waitress uniform of the Fearless Hog was sexy enough, he supposed it was a large part of the reason it got so busy at night. He suspected Audrey had been the one to introduce it. She might have even designed it. He wondered how the customers would respond to even shorter, more revealing outfits. Would they draw Eldwyn into their laps, ignoring her squirming? Grope her body? Grind their crotches into her?

And why did the thought of strange men taking advantage of her arouse him so much?

His reveries were interrupted when she bent over to pick up some piece of debris, thrusting her ass into the air at him. He wasn't sure it was intentional, but it looked delicious in the tight black shorts.