Page 21 of My Wild Pet

Wild One straightens her shoulders and then says, “Briar.”

It’s unfamiliar and uses a human combination of sounds that I don’t like. “No,” I say, my voice laced with finality. “That won’tdo.” I don’t explain to her because it’s fruitless without Imperial, but I speak my thoughts out loud for Kaelin and myself, “No, Wild One, you’re a fire contained, smoldering in the ashes of what you once were… Ash. That’ll be your name.”

Kaelin looks at me. “You don’t think it’s too obvious. Ash and Ember?”

“Not at all. I think it suits her. Look at her,” I turn my gaze towards Wild One and point to her. “Ash. You are now Ash.”

She blinks, quiet for a moment before she replies in her human language—a phrase I don’t understand because I turned off my external translator, but her tone makes her meaning clear:I have a name and it’s Briar.

“I don’t understand you,” I say bluntly. “You must learn my language. I will not speak or listen to yours. Human languages are a weakness, a disease that slows the mind and leads to insanity.”

“Briar,” she says again, proudly, pointing to her chest.

“Ash,” I repeat, pushing her back with a calculated gesture.

“Briar,” she insists.

“Ash.” I raise my ring and press it, sending an intense wave of pain through her body. I watch as she writhes. “Names reflect truth,” I say coolly. “You may cling to your old one, but in time, you will see the truth in mine. Ash is your name.”

When the punishment ends, she slumps in my grip. I point to her chest again. “How are you called?” I ask and then point to Kaelin, and say his name, and then I point to her.

She hesitates, then whispers hoarsely, “Ash.”

I touch my ring again, and she flinches, expecting more pain. Instead, I flood her system with endorphins, watching as confusion replaces her fear.

“Ash,” I repeat softly, allowing the word to settle over her. She understands now. I can issue both pleasure and pain.

I turn to Kaelin. “Feed her and have her washed. I’ll keep her in my quarters in the normal way.”

“Don’t you worry she’ll bite you?”

“No. She’s behaved no differently here than most other fresh pets. Unless I see any deviation, I’ll consider what happened with the human male on the Octopod ship an anomaly. No doubt brought on by how Octopods keep humans. Perhaps that’s what Yellow One was suffering from too. Such a pity.”

“We should never buy pets from Octopods.”

“No kidding,” I agree. I pet Ash between her legs. Her fur is slightly wet from Kaelin’s stroking and I assume from our little disagreement about her name. This bodes well. Humans who are aroused by domination make for excellent show pets. I look into Ash’s curious green eyes and say, “We saved you Ash, and now we’re going to make you a champion show pet.”

CHAPTER 9

Briar

I’m led onto another spaceship by my new master. Immediately I feel that this ship is different. The air carries a faintly sterile scent, clean and familiar in a way that contrasts sharply with the acrid, oceanic tang of the previous alien ship. Visually, it’s more human-like too—or how humans imagine our spaceships would be in science fiction movies—a seamless blend of elegance and utility, where every surface gleams with purpose. Gone are the organic, pulsating walls and alien orange hieroglyphs of the octopus-like aliens. Here, everything is clean and dry, precise and calculated. The only real differences from anything humans would make is the lighting. It’s too dark, it feels like I’m in a bar. And it’s cold. Not cold enough to kill me, but cold enough to remind me I’mverynaked.

Another grey-skinned man with jet black hair and large eyes approaches us. He and my master begin speaking in their strange, alien language. Both of them look so human—strong builds, symmetrical features, the only difference is their ash-grey skin.

Although, their language is nothing like anything I’ve ever heard before. Not that I’m a linguist, but I took a few years ofItalian in college and this is nothing like that. Their words are complex, long and guttural like German, yet strangely melodic and tonal, almost like a song. It’s hypnotic, and for a moment, I try to listen, to pick out patterns or familiar sounds.

But after a few minutes, my brain gives up, overwhelmed by the alien rhythm, and I zone out entirely. My eyes wander over the ship’s interior again—technology way more advanced than I’ve ever seen is everywhere. I don’t even know what most of what I’m seeing does. No wonder they think humans should be pets.

And that realization terrifies me. I think about our own history—how humans treated each other when one group had a large technological edge over the other, and it was even worse if different skin tones were involved. Those situations on Earth never ended well. Now I’m the one outclassed, and I can’t help but wonder,What will become of me here?

I zone back in when the other grey man begins to part my labia. He runs his finger up and down my slit and I can’t help it; I become aroused. Surprising myself, I stand with my feet apart to give him more access. Maybe I’ve been drugged or maybe after what I’ve just been through I’ve subconsciously decided to completely give myself over to these grey human-like men because I would prefer them over the octopus aliens. For the moment, anyway. And what other options do I have? Go out the airlock? I don’t have the courage for that. Not yet.

Curiously, I watch my master’s face expression as the other man inspects me. He’s not looking at me with sexual desire. That’s good.

The man with the big eyes stops touching me and removes his fingers. I turn to him and watch as he sucks on them, sucking up proof of my arousal.

Then, the two grey men continue speaking calmly in their alien language. I don’t understand a word, but I think their tones shift from clipped and professional to something more intense.

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