Halia is riding high after completing the task that Rhannah had given her. It seems that the whole Mistress/Pet situation is going to go off better than she had expected. The rest of the day goes by without a hitch. The cows do their jobs, and Halia helps out as she had on any other day at the ‘office.’
Of course, the horse is busy wondering just what prize her mistress had in mind for her the whole time. Keeping herself busy doesn’t allow her much time to actually speculate. It also allows her to make the day go by with relative quickness.
Once the two return to the car, Halia cannot help but just blurt out. “So, what do I win?”
“Hm…?” Rhannah asks, quirking an eyebrow as she pulls out of the lot. “What do you mean?”
Halia frowns.
A slight smirk spreads on Rhannah’s face, which brings a strange swelling within Halia’s heart. “Oh, I’m sorry, dear.”
Those words deflate that anticipation.
“You did so well, but you still lost.”
“What!?”
“You remember the rules, right?”
“Of course I do,” Halia responds. “You said you would punish me if I failed, and all I had to do was get them in their seats within the time limit.”
“Without saying a word,” Rhannah interrupts. “And, when I told you that you had fourteen minutes on your clock, you said, and I quote ‘Fucking shit.”
“You can’t be serious!” The horse’s shoulders droop. “You’re going to punish me for that!? “That’s not fair!” Halia shouts, her jaw popping from the stress. She turns away, pushing her prosthetic back in place but not looking towards her mistress. “This… this game is…”
“Too much?” Rhannah stops the car. “You know what to say if so.”
Halia rubs her chin, sitting back and unbuckling her seatbelt. “No, I’m good,” the horse says. “I can handle it.”
“Are you sure?” Rhannah says, gripping the wheel tighter. “It isn’t… too much?”
Halia holds onto her belt for a moment before letting go and getting out of the car. “Yeah… I’m fine. So, what’s the punishment tonight?”
Rhannah sighs, clutching her chest a moment before she gets out of her car. “Well, I figure you can do your chores tonight without wearing a stitch. 
“A topless maid service, huh? I can handle that. Just… give me some time to decompress first.”
“That’s fine by me, “Rhannah says, unlocking the door to their home and letting the horse inside.
Halia heads immediately off to the bathroom. There, she takes a deep breath, her eyes closed, and grabs her top, lifting it up over her head.
It isn’t too much longer before she’s stepped out of everything. She grasps the sink and opens her eyes.
The face that greets her back is the one that she sees all the time when she looks at the mirror, but not the one she’s always seen. She champs in front of the view—those teeth are all so perfect, all so artificial. Medical science makes it impossible to distinguish from the real thing, but she can. And her arms and her legs, all exposed, with the scars still there.
“Why the fuck are you doing this?” she asks the horse looking at her. “Why are you letting her do this to you?”
She sits and waits. For what? A response from the mirror? She relaxes her shoulders, rolling them, stretching out the stress building up. The pain throbs where her false joints meet her real flesh, and yet, she heads to the door, completely nude..
Gripping the knob, she thinks about the numbness, the lack of feeling in the parts of her that aren’t real, and she notices the beating of her heart speeding up. She clutches her chest, a tingle of sensitivity over her body where her fingers tread.
She steps outside, finding Rhannah sitting in the living room in baggy clothing, looking up from a book.
The cow places her book down and nods. “So, how does it feel?”
Halia holds her arms out and spins around in place. “This what you wanted, mistress? She speaks in a flat tone, deferring to the bovine boss. “To see me, scars and all?” 
Rhannah shrugs. “Oh, Halia. I’ve seen your scars already. But the question is, why does that matter?”  
“I’m going to get us some dinner ready or something,” Halia says, walking off towards the kitchen.
“Don’t forget an apron, or you might hurt yourself.”
“I’m not afraid of pain,” Halia says, but she looks through the pantry to find one of the aprons. Against bare skin, the fabric feels alien, and yet, not bad at all. “What do you want.”
“Surprise me,” Rhannah says. “You’re good at that.”
Halia snorts, opening the refrigerator. Her tail twitches as she feels the coolness upon herself.
Rhannah taps her cheek, biting her lip. “I see, but what about that question I asked earlier? You have all the right to tell me to back off for tricking you earlier today, and yet, you didn’t.”
Halia kicks the door closed and places her collected ingredients on the counter. She picks up a knife, examining the blade for sharpness. “There’s really a simple explanation for it. I let you mess with me.”
“Oh?” Rhannah says, pushing herself up, walking up towards the horse with the sharp implement, chopping at onions with speed and precision, walking up behind her, basically looming over her. “And why is that?”
Halia sniffs, cracking a gentle smirk. “Oh, well, what else are you going to do to me? Make my life worse than it already was?”
“I could certainly try if that’s what you want, but I’d rather we continue to have our little teasing fun. After all… I know full well you wouldn’t let me do things to you unless you wanted me to. You’re stronger than that, Halia. In fact…” She places a paper on the counter. “Here’s some proof.”
Halia puts down the knife, staring for a moment at the paper laid there. She doesn’t grasp it, not at first, but the silence between her and Rhannah is enough for her to finally snatch it up. She scans over it and then reads it repeatedly before she spins around, waving the letter in Rhannah’s face. “What the hell is this?” Halia asks. “Some kind of joke? A manipulation tactic?”
Rhannah frowns. “No, it’s not intended as anything of the sort. Pet, I figured if you wanted to remain here with me, it should be of your own accord. I’ve realized I’ve asked you to make many changes, and I know how stifling that could be, so I grant you a way for you to leave and be happy all on your own.”
Halia trembles, gripping the paper tightly in her fingers. “I never asked for any handouts, and this… this could set me straight, but… it’ll RUIN you.”
“I realize that,” Rhannah  says. “It’s all right there: sexual harassment, manipulation, proof available through the court system that could cost me millions, and grant you all that you need to live a healthy life.”
“You’re painting this like a weakness, that if I can’t handle you, the only alternative is to destroy you. What kind of game is that?”
“I suppose the question really is if it’s a game you’re willing to play with me.”
Halia narrows her eyes, and she grabs the cow by the waist, pulling her up close to her. “It’s a game that’s driving me wild. If you think tricking me is gonna stop me from winning, then you have another thing coming.”
Rhannah smiles, leaning in and nuzzling against her neck. “Thatta-girl,” she muses. “Now, then. How about I help with dinner? We doing naked chores together, then?”
“Oh no, don’t punish me by making me look at your udders again!” Halia says in mock horror. “Anything but that.”
“Oh, you’ll be able to look, alright,” Rhannah says, pulling her top up and over her head. She drapes it over her arms, a playful yet sinister look upon her eyes. “But you can’t touch. That’s your real punishment tonight.”

When Halia wakes up the following day, it is to a lonely house. She grumbles and picks up her phone, seeing a message left to her by her mistress. Heart fluttering, she brings the phone up to her ear.
“Good morning, beautiful,” the voice says in a hushed tone. “I’m looking over you right now. It seems like you’ve had quite a restful sleep again this night. That’s quite lovely. So, I’m letting you sleep in, but if you want a reward tonight, you’ll come into work today, and before you enter the milking room, you’ll read a note I left for you in your locker. Follow the directions, and you’ll get a prize—one that rivals the prize I feel watching you right now.”
Halia closes her eyes and stares out the window, seeing the mid-morning sun dance over the dairy. “Well, another day… another game. Guess I’ll play it, mistress.”

Rhannah arrives at her milking station, waving to some of the other gals as she slides into her seat. In particular, she keeps an eye on the young Beth Kline, who has been acclimating to her position. However, the addition of Halia to the staff seems to make the young milker a bit nervous. Hopefully, this newest game would help to break the ice for her.
The first round of snacks is scheduled to be brought out soon. It is a nice treat to help keep the women energized as the precious commodity is extracted from their tits. If it comes late, then the girls would be pretty grumpy during lunch.
But Rhannah has faith it will come in time.
Right at her expected hour, the door to the kitchen opens up. Rhannah glances in the direction, biting her lips and squeezing her planner.
The workers all gasp and chatter among themselves when they see what walks through the door. With her hooves clopping along the floor, Halia’s approach is unmistakable. No one, save for the boss lady herself, knew what they would see when she stepped inside.
Halia is as nude as the rest of them, standing tall as she walks to each station, handing small treats to each worker. In the slight chill of the room, her nipples perk up, showing her latent arousal to everyone, but her face doesn’t betray such emotions. Instead, she gives everyone a fine ‘good morning’ and the requisite snack.
“Dear, what are you doing?” Bertha asks, taking the tray from Halia. “You know only us cows need to dress down for this job. We ain’t selling horse milk.”
Halia gives her a slight smile and moves on to the next in line, Beth. “Oh, it’s nothing much. I just thought it was unfair to all you ladies that I got to dress up in a fancy suit while even the boss has to be in the buff.” She hands Beth her tray and winks. “How’s that? Not so strange now, is it?”
“It’s, uh, actually bizarre, but… thank you!” Beth says; the twinkling in the younger cow’s eyes does good to keep Halia from wanting to kick the tray across the room in frustration.
“Now, what kind of bet did you lose?” Clara says, taking her tray.”
“Who said I’m losing the bet?” Halia retorts.”
Clara snorts a laugh at that. “I’ll have to see what kind of winnings you’re after. I could get in on that action.”
Halia’s tail twitches. Hopefully, Rhannah wouldn’t be getting ideas from the exchange.
Soon enough, Halia approaches Rhannah, standing between the cow and the tray. “Here you go, just as you’ve ordered, boss.”
“I can see that,” Rhannah says, taking the snack. “Good job. Don’t forget to get your treat later once you’re done.”
Halia’s mouth twitches in the slightest suggestion of validation. “I’ll take you up on that offer, boss. Now, will that be all?”
“For now, yes,” Rhannah begins, “but the fun is just getting started, Pet.”

The moment that the door closes behind Halia, she shoves the tray away and leans against the wall, clutching at her chest, catching her breath. Is she panicking? Now, of all times? Her vision wobbles, and she feels those pains of hers in her phantom limbs—the memories of yesteryears, the bombs, the sisters—!
She stumbles forward, her hands upon the counter. Sweat builds up over her brow, despite the gentle chill in the air. Her arms shake under the weight of her psychosis. No matter what she does, no matter who she becomes, she can’t run away from it, from them. What’s the point? Can’t she just numb it—make it all go away? Drown herself in booze and pills and pretend it’s never happened? She should call this whole game off. It’s too hard. She can’t-
 But then, her mind flashes to seeing Rhannah, looking up at her with that smile, that gaze of approval—that affection.
Halia closes her eyes and refocuses herself, pushing away from the counter, clenching and unclenching her fists.
The door opens, and on the other side stands Rhannah, draped in her office robe. She gently closes the door, letting her voice rise up like a soft glimmer into the turmoil of Halia’s mind. “Do you want to say the word?”
“W… what?” Halia can hardly remember until she recalls something about clocks. “Nix…”
Rhannah takes a deep breath, clutching her robe.
“No…” Halia says, rubbing the back of her neck, rolling it for that good stretch. “No, I’m good.” She finally says, turning towards her mistress, her arms apart. “Here for another look?”
Rhannah, still frowning, adjusts the cart, making sure it’s nice and out of the way, all the while giving her hands something to do. “No, I just heard the crash. I wanted to see if I had gone too far.”
“Nah…” Halia says, shaking her head. “I’m good.”
With a sigh, the cow nods. “Alright, well, you know you’ve earned yourself a reward tonight. You look like you could use a drink.”
“I thought you were getting me to go sober?” Halia says.
“There’s more to drink in life than alcohol,” the cow chuckles. “I’m only doing a half-shift today.”
“Aa… ah, I see,” Halia says, rubbing her jaw. “Yeah, why not? You go on ahead. I think I need a shower.”
She takes the exit that leads into the hall so she can get to the locker room. Removed from the location of her latest episode, she can enjoy the feeling of the air-conditioned climate upon her skin and relax before she finally gets back there.
Of course, when she pulls her towel from the locker, Rhannah is there to greet her.
“Would you want me to join you?”
“What? Here?”

Rhannah titters at that. “Oh, please, we have a house for that. You don’t mind being a little sweaty in the car for a bit, do you? Especially if you put on some clothes first. We live together, after all. Do you think I mind my pet’s natural musk? Though, you could learn to hold yourself more professionally.”
“Says the woman who dares people to streak.”
Rhannah leans against the counter, leaning next to Halia. “Don’t think of it only as something for my own indulgence. Did you not notice Beth?”
“Huh…? Oh yeah,” Halia says, putting the towel back away. She squats down, reaching for her underthings. “Girl needs to loosen up if she’s gonna work in a place like this.”
“Society makes such a big deal on girls like us,” Rhannah says, shaking her head. “It’s a shame that people have to make such a fuss, especially since they spend an equal amount of time drinking what we produce as they are telling us to stuff ourselves away, to hide who we really are.”
“I never really thought about that,” Halia says, her shorts in her hands.
“Yeah, everyone has their own problems; they tend not to think about the issues of others. Each of my girls is dealing with or has dealt with something in their lives, whether it be big or small. The important part is that the mind doesn’t exactly care about how minor something should be. It only cares about what it thinks is important. It prioritizes that, even to our own detriment. Sometimes, we just gotta let it run its course and let it scream as loud as it can to get what it wants, even if it leads us to our destruction.
“Yeah…” Halia says. She crushes her shorts in one hand, and then she tosses them back into the locker.
The air hits Rhannah’s face. The sound crashes through her ears. A split second passes, and the locker is firmly slammed, echoing for but a moment. A moment later, Halia has the cow by the cheeks in her firm and capable grasp. That determined and intense stare sinks deep into her very soul. A moment later, and their mouths connect, hot breaths flowing from Halia’s nostrils and onto Rhannah’s fluff. The mistress tenses and then relaxes, letting it just happen, until, after some time, it doesn’t anymore.
“W… whoa…” Rhannah says.
Halia waves a finger. “Sorry, mistress, that’s not our word.
“What brought this on?” Rhannah asks, her hands down by her hips, half-hidden in her robe.
Halia’s hands run down the cheeks, past her neck, fingers hooking onto those robes. “You said I get a reward. You also said that the mind is going to scream until it gets what it wants. Well, how about my reward be something I want?”
“You won’t catch me complaining,” Rhannah says.
“Good,” she says, tugging the robe down, letting it spill to the floor. “Get in the shower. We are not stinkin’ up your car.”

Rhannah coos gently, feeling the confident press of Halia’s hands upon her body, leading her over towards the showers. “My, my, someone’s gotten quite confident, haven’t they?”
The horse leans in, wrapping her arms around her mistress. She pulls bodies up close to one another, burying her face against her neck. She takes a deep breath, shuddering as she takes a moment to enjoy and remember the ‘Eau d’Rhannah. A moment later, she looks the bovine beauty in the eye and says, “I’m taking my present now.”
Rhannah leans against the smooth tile, fingers reaching for the faucet. “You’re not afraid that someone’s gonna walk in on us?”
“I’ll be quick,” Halia says. “Plus, I have a feeling it makes you more excited to have the possibility. That’s why you are part of the operation and not just in management in some boring office job, right?”
Rhannah tuts her pet, turning the water on, letting the hot, wet spray hit the two of them. “Now, now, pet, it’s not good form to tease your mistress.”
“Enough teasing, then,” Halia agrees, her hands moving down towards Rhannah’s breasts. “You wanted me to try this out, didn’t you? Well, let’s see what all the hype is about.” With that, she brings her lips up to the tit, pinching the waiting and stiff nipple between her lips.
Rhannah gasps, her hands gripping the back of Halia’s head. “A…. Ah... That’s a bit… tight…” she gasps.
Halia loosens her grip just a bit, inwardly cursing her false mouth. It’s dexterous, sure, but the numbness makes it a bit difficult to enjoy or adjust things. Her tongue, thankfully, is natural, and it lashes over that nipple a bit before sucking, tasting that warm liquid as it leaks out of the bovine breast.
Hands continue playing down along Rhannah’s body, getting all up in her fluff, which only gets heavier with the water. The scent of public water starts to mix with the natural musk of her lover, providing a swirling concoction of senses to the impressive nose of the horse.
Halia pulls back from the nipple, her tongue lapping around her mouth. “Not bad,” she huffs, kissing just beneath those breasts, moving downward, downward, towards the other, swollen teets. “I wonder,” she begins, “Does this taste any different?”
“Try for yourself…” Rhannah says, petting her pet, biting her lip. “I’ve saved so much for you…”
Fingers wrap around one of those udders, the horse gently sliding her palm down along the shaft as she presses her breasts up against Rhannah’s. “Maybe, I should tease you a bit more… you think that would make the milk taste better, hm? If I threaten to let it come out all over this floor. Or, better yet, I could have you hold this milk a bit and get you boozed up, see if you can make some Irish Creme instead of milk? Ah, who am I kidding.”
She gets down on her knees, wrapping those lips around that teet, giving it a friendly squeeze, filling her mouth with that delightful liquid, enjoying for the first time her true treat.
“You… you really are a tease…” the cow says, fluttering her eyes. “And you’re so full of surprises… and you’re so strong in the face of everything. Halia… that’s why I love you.”
Rhannah yelps as a warm spray shoots out of the horse’s mouth. Halia stumbles back, her eyes widening, and a second later, she lets go, stepping back. “S… sorry, I… what?” 
“Halia, I didn’t mean to upset you, I-”
“Hey boss, is that you? I’m late, I-”

The two glance over, frozen when they see the smallish cow standing at the entrance to the showers. The newcomer’s eyes are half-lidded with dark rings either caused by lack of sleep or from her spots. Her hair is a mess, matching the black-and-white of her hide. She blinks when she sees the two there.
“Kathy…?” Rhannah says, “I… you’re back from vacation today, that’s right…”
Kathy shrugs and says. “Woke up late.” And she walks away, heading over towards her locker, where she casually strips.
Rhannah shuts the water off, running a hand over her hair, sighing. “Halia, that was, uh…”
But Halia had already wrapped her towel around herself, getting to her locker and putting her clothes back on. “I need to walk,” she says to no one in particular.
“Kay,” Kathy says.
Halia gives her an incredulous look before she slips her top back on. “I’ll see you later, boss,” she says, heading out the door, slamming it on the way out, leaving both Rhannah and Kathy alone.
Rhannah clutches at her heart, the pitter-patter of everything coalescing together just swirling throughout her. Did she make a mistake? Did she drive her pet away with a word?
“So,” Kathy’s speaking makes the bovine boss jump. “Like, I should just… go in… I can stay late.”
“Uh… y-yeah, Kathy, that’s fine. Listen, about what you saw here today…”
Kathy shrugs “No big deal,” she says, putting on her robe and walking out to the milking room to the sounds of cheering coworkers.
Rhannah, meanwhile, has the rest of the day off and a long time to think about precisely what she did.

The walk uphill is no major issue for Halia, who was used to long marches. The incline up a hill for most of the way would be a bit of a problem. The pain she feels doesn’t match anything like what’s flooding around her mind, to be fair. The sound of the car pulling up had her walking off to the side to let it pass, only to see that it was Rhannah, pulling up beside her.
“I honestly totally forgot about her. I was so wrapped up in all we were doing. I’m so sorry, Halia—I didn’t think anyone would come in on us!”
Halia shakes her head, trudging forward. “It isn’t about that, not really,” she says, her eyes upon the house.
“Then, what is it about? What I said? I just… wanted to share my feelings and-”
“That’s not a feeling you can just throw around,” Halia says. “Do you really think you feel that way?”
Rhannah grips the steering wheel tightly, tapping it with her thumbs. “Get in the car, and I’ll show you.”
Halia stops, sighs, and rubs her knee, her gaze lingering more on the path ahead than on the leisurely ride behind.