**The Mark of Devotion**

When I saw Sarah the following week, I was taken aback by the sudden change in her. She walked into the coffee shop, her eyes sparkling with excitement, and a dog collar proudly adorning her neck. The collar was a shiny silver thing, with a small name tag that read "Luna". "Sarah, what's with the... um, accessory?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant. Sarah beamed with pride, her eyes gleaming with a mischievous light. "Oh, I just got it yesterday," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Alex gave it to me. He said it's so the other werewolves know whose partner I am." I raised an eyebrow, trying not to stare at the collar. "That's... interesting," I said, choosing my words carefully. "I didn't know werewolves did that sort of thing." Sarah leaned in, a conspiratorial look on her face. "Yeah, it's a thing," she said. "Alex said it's a sign of commitment, and that it will help keep me safe." I couldn't help but feel a twinge of unease. The collar seemed... possessive, almost. But Sarah was clearly fishing for compliments, and I didn't want to hurt her feelings. "Wow, it looks... really pretty on you," I said, trying to sound sincere. "You and Alex must be really serious, huh?" Sarah's face lit up, and she batted her eyelashes at me. "Oh, yeah," she said. "We're really happy. And I feel so safe with him. He takes care of me, you know?" As I looked at Sarah, I could see the influence Alex was having on her. She was changing, subtly but surely. Her eyes seemed duller, her smile less genuine. And that collar... it seemed to be a symbol of Alex's control over her. But Sarah didn't seem to notice. She was too busy basking in the attention, and preening under my compliments. I forced a smile, trying to play along, but inside, I was worried. What had Sarah gotten herself into, and how could I help her if she was under Alex's spell? As we chatted, I couldn't help but notice the way Sarah kept glancing at her phone, her eyes lighting up whenever it buzzed. She seemed to be waiting for a message from Alex, and her whole demeanor changed whenever she thought about him. It was clear that Alex was starting to exert a strong influence over Sarah, and I wasn't sure if I was ready to see where this would lead. But for now, I just smiled and played along, trying to be a good friend to the Sarah I used to know.