Page 22 of I'm Not Your Pet

Huu-goh had seemed happy.

That had been the calm before the storm.

“Yew muhthehrfuhker,” he hissed out, stomping around the room, his tiny body stiff. I could not for the life of me understand what he was so upset about. I’d done everything the “How to care for an Earthling” pamphlet had told me to do today.

He was fed, watered, clothed.

I’d been gentle with him. Fed him treats.Pettedhim.

What else could he possibly need?

You’re not enough for him,a traitorous voice whispered.

That sudden sense of inadequacy threatened to bring me to my knees.

No, no. I could do this.

I could.

I needed to stop fantasizing about mating with him and move on. That was the problem. Maybe he could sense how ill at ease I’d been. Maybe he was more astute than I’d given him credit for. Maybe he’d been learning me as I’d been learning him.

I held my hands up in surrender, purring low in the back of my throat to soothe him. The sound rumbled as I edged my way toward him so I could fix the mess I’d made of this.

Slow and easy. Don’t frighten him.

“Treeteeng mee lyke uh dawg.” Huu-goh stomped around some more, his ire turning to sadness that tasted salty-sweet in the air as his eyes began to leak again. “Tuh-gg-eeng mee awround ahll dae. Aye thot yew wehr dihffehrehnt—” He pointed at me again, in accusation. His eyes were red-rimmed. Tears leaked down his cheeks. My hearts ached. “Buht aye ahm juhst un ahnimahl to yew—naht uh purrsahn—and aye—” he hiccuped. I froze, floored by his beauty and the fact that for the first time in my life I had no way of fixing this.

I’d always been a fixer.

It was in my blood.

But I didn’t know what he was saying. Didn’t know how to solve a problem I couldn’t understand.

I gazed at those stormy brown eyes as they filled to the brim over and over again. My hands shook, still raised placatingly—because I didn’t know what to do. Huu-goh rubbed his palms against his eyes, the shirt I’d procured for him hanging loose on his long, limber frame.

He looked gorgeous when he was sad. He always looked gorgeous, if I was being honest. There was something about himthat was so colorful. Even without the ability to understand his words, I could see his emotions written plainly across his face.

The longer I’d spent with him, the more I’d grown to admire him. His tenacity. His intelligence. His resilience. I respected him more than I’d respected anyone I’d ever met. So to see him hurt like this pained me. Especially when I knew it was my fault.

“Wah-ter?” I offered, because it was one of the only English words I knew.

“Noh. Noh wah-ter.” Huu-goh put his hands on his hips. He stomped. Actuallystomped. Then he froze, and frowned, realizing what he said. “I meen. Naht thihs sehcond. Buht yes, Aye-ll need wah-ter uh-gayen aat sum poihnt. Ore aye-ll dai.”

I didn’t understand what he was saying, but I nodded anyway. Slowly.

“Fuh-d?”

“Noh fuh-d.” To my horror Huu-goh’s eyes filled with tears again, his frustration evident. I didn’t understand. Maybe this had been a mistake. Maybe all of this had been a mistake. I was supposed to make his life better, not…not this—whatever this was.

“Aye juhst…aye juhst—” He deflated, looking lost and lonely as he crossed his arms over his chest and squeezed himself tight. “Aye-m lohn-lee.”

His eyes spoke to me—the way they always had.

I simply had needed to listen.

Oh.

My hearts thudded unsteadily as I realized what he needed.

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