Page 91 of Citrine

Except now I'm staring into the shark eyes in front of me, looking for that glimmer of soul.

Wroahk suddenly raises his hand and puts it to my face, pulling me to him gently, wrapping me with as many limbs as he can until only my face and gills are uncovered.

"You are still warm. You are still alive. I will not let you die."

That is the last piece of gentleness I am spared before he grabs me and shoves another cuttlefish looking thing toward my face. I smack him hard, and he changes tact, shoving it into my hand.

He backs off, then makes another move toward me, like he really wants to cram it in my mouth, cover it, and make me swallow it like someone trying to get a pill down a dog's throat.

He doesn't, and leaves me the choice to eat it, which I do after a hunger pang hits my stomach again, but I'm still pissed.

"You don't need to shove things at me, Wroahk! You hold it out and I choose to grab it or not."

"Your life belonged to me from the moment I decided not to eat you. I will not let you harm or kill yourself. I can hear your hunger."

"Is that supposed to sound romantic? It's really fucking not, you asshole. I curse the day I met you."

Dammit. I can already feel my strength returning from the fish and my stomach is finally settled down after days of griping. I don't want to admit it.

"Consentapplies to what I eat, too, Wroahk."

His face falls as he makes the connection. "I will not forget. Do you want more?"

This time, all he does is hold one out to me.

How sad is it that it feels like progress that he isn't whipping his tentacles waving food in my face?

He learns, at least. I'll give him that.

Even if he's just as stubborn to admit it as I am. Just as willing to say words that don't match his actions.

"I thought you said you wouldn't hunt for me."

"As long as you are alive, I will do what I must."

I'm still pissed off, but part of me has to admit that, for him, that's saying a lot.

It doesn't sway me, though. Okay, maybe a little, but it shouldn't. He's an alien and I'm slowly becoming one myself. I need to distract my mind.

"What's it like? Being you, I mean?" I ask, wondering if he'll prefer to answer me this time instead of being perpetually silent.

He's not forthcoming with answers. Rather, he's looking around, searching for something. I hope he doesn't notice that I'm still hungry. I have to find a way to slip away from him. His hold is tight but if I can distract him again…

My stomach growls at that exact moment. My eyes widen as his gaze meets mine and I can see the gears turning in his head.

"Don't you dare," I warn him.

He doesn't, though I can see his limbs twitching with his desire to feed me.

It's going to take some patience as I let myself adapt. Nothing good ever comes out of rushing or trying to deny reality. There's been plenty of loss before this. I just have to focus on my goals, just like always.

I don't have to panic or try to overthink everything… just calm down and breathe and simply accept that I have another way of doing that now.

In and out. Gently, slowly. Better still, I don't have to imagine that I'm floating because I truly am threading along gently in the water, being pulled by a tentacled man who is intent on keeping me alive.

It could be worse, really, even if we are going to have to come to terms with how freaking bossy he is.

After I calm down, I turn to swim toward the cave, his tentacles in the water all around me, barely leaving room for my body to move.

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