Page 10 of I'm Not Your Pet

So different and yet?—

“That’s a huu-man,” Mala explained, leaning into my side, observing what I was. We’d been friends for long enough I’d lost count of the years. He knew me better than anyone, aside from my childhood caregiver from the orphanage, or Ushuu, the man who had taken me under his wing when I was a cadet.

“A huu-man?”

“They’re from a planet called Earth,” Mala added. Because again, he knew me. So he understood that something was happening here—even if he didn’t know what it was. “I’ve been seeing them pop up more and more around the galaxy lately. A&R’s newest hot ticket item.”

Had I truly been so focused on my duties that I hadn’t paid attention?

The answer was right in front of me.

“He’s…”

“Gorgeous?” Mala supplied. “Yeah, he is.”

Mala was married, and should therefore not be commenting about anyone else’s gorgeousness.

I growled at him, and he laughed.

“He looks so…” I managed, still staring at the peach-colored creature. He’d stopped drawing now and was instead peering down the street, fingers cupping the glass like he was trying to see through it. That only confirmed what I’d suspected, that it was difficult for the dancers to see out. In a horrible way it made sense. Less distractions.

After a moment, he settled, arms curled around his knees, his head resting against them while he waited.

Knowing he couldn’t see me made me relax a little.

I wasn’t at my best, after all.

And I was sure my spots were an ugly shade.

“He looks so…?” Mala wheedled.

“He looks solonely,” I managed, because hedid.

He looked lonely.

So fucking lonely.

The only one of his kind.

No doubt frightened out here—in a world that wasn’t his own. Surrounded by creatures that didn’t understand him.

I could relate. Though I was on a crew full of Sahrks, I had never met someone who understood the bone-deep loneliness I often felt. Like because I looked and sounded like the others, I was supposed to fit in, even though I never had.

“Maybe you should go keep him company,” Mala suggested.

And though I hated the thought—I hated the idea of leaving without speaking to the huu-man even more.

The small creature was even more interesting up close. At first, I hadn’t been sure I’d made the right choice in requesting him. It’d been something I’d mulled over all night, only to come to the conclusion that I could not live with myself if I did not.

I was now glad I’d trusted my gut, as meeting him in person had led me to realize that my feelings the night before had not been a fluke. He interested me in a way no other creature ever had. So many things about him were curious, like the fact he leaked when he was sad.Tears. That’s what they were called. I’d heard of them, yes, but Sahrks did not leak—so the term wasn’t something I’d often thought about.

There were other interesting things too. Like how soft his fur was. How lovely his spots looked in person. How small and frail he appeared and yet was able to move so sensually and with such strength. Or how watching the curve of his back, and the shape of his ass had made my blood heat in a way it never had before.

Most interesting of all, however, had been his proposal.

Only minutes into our first meeting and he’d asked tomatewith me.

My denial of his proposition had obviously upset him. I figured he didn’t know what he was asking me. Physical intimacy was something that was saved for one’s mate. And though, at the time, I’d felt like I was doing the right thing, I wasn’t so sure now.

---