Page 12 of I'm Not Your Pet

“I…” I pushed my plate away, suddenly no longer hungry.

How could I eat when I knew my huu-man even now was sitting inside that godawful place wondering why I would reject him? I swallowed the lump in my throat again, lowered my head, and explained.

“I don’t see why you can’t just buy him,” Mala said when I was finished. He crossed his arms over his chest, his pale blue biceps bulging. “It is not as though any of us would mind. There are no rules against interspecies mating.”

“He may not even want a mate,” I said softly. “He does not know our ways. His proposal was more than likely a misunderstanding.”

“Still.” Mala paused for a moment as he mulled over what he was going to say next. “You said you could smell his arousal?”

“Yes.”

“So he was attracted to you.”

“He could’ve been confused,” I countered. “He was frightened of the situation.”

“But not of you.”

That…I wasn’t certain of. I didn’t think so. But the whole thing had been confusing for the both of us. When I’d stroked his hair he’d melted, and his eyes had…well… His eyes had spoken what his words did not.

My gut told me that he wanted me as badly as I wanted him.

But all of this was new and foreign, and I wasn’t sure my instincts knew what was real—or if it was wishful thinking on my part.

“I want to save him,” I said softly. Admitting thathurt. “But…I don’t want him to think he’s trading one cage for another.”

“You said yourself that you don’t think he knows what he offered you,” Mala countered. “Why not let him make the first move?”

“Bring him aboard…” I murmured, thoughts spinning. “And see if he tries to initiate something after he is free?”

“Right.” Mala bobbed his head. “Then you’ll know for certain that it wasn’t just the situation. And that he’s as serious as you are about mating.” Sahrk’s mate for life. It is simply our way. It wasn’t something I wanted to get wrong.

“Right,” I agreed. “He is intelligent. The Manager said so. But even without his confirmation, it is obvious. He would fit in here.”

“He’d fit in withyou,” Mala snorted. “You’ve always been odd.”

I rolled my eyes.

“An odd mate would perfectly suit you.”

I couldn’t help but think he was right.

“Do youwanta mate?” Mala asked, eyes searching mine.

That was the question, wasn’t it?

I hadn’t before.

But maybe…maybe that had been because I had never met my huu-man before.

“I do not even know his name.”

“That’s easy enough to fix,” Mala shrugged and gave my shoulder a slap, his tendrils sneaking out to squeeze around the muscle affectionately. “I say you go back and get him. We can spare another day before we head to our next stop.”

I couldn’t stop thinking of those haunted eyes. The way he’dtrembled. The way he’d leaned his weight against me. The way he’d trusted me—a total stranger—not to hurt him despite the fact I was easily twice his size.

“Alright,” I decided, my hearts thumping. “I think you’re right. Tomorrow.”

“Yes!” Mala pumped his pale blue fist, grinning at me, his eyes squinting happily. “Tomorrow. I’ll go with you. We can getthe paperwork figured out. You’ll need a second set of limbs to carry his belongings when you pick him up.”

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