Page 28 of I'm Not Your Pet

It was hard to think about that though when he was being so goddamn cute and earnest. Sitting there with glasses perched onhis nose, his big hands scribbling the word I spoke on his tablet—presumably so he wouldn’t forget.

“Peh-d.” Roark echoed, scribbling away. He had a hard time with Bs in general, but he was getting closer. Each stroke of his pen was deliberate and careful—just like everything he did.

“Bed,” I repeated, slower this time. “B-B-B- eh duh.”

Roark huffed in amusement—or annoyance. I still hadn’t figured out which.

“Pb-ehd.” He tapped the tip of the pen thoughtfully against the table. It was a nervous tick he had—the only one, as far as I’d gathered.

“Yes!” I gave him a double thumbs up and his eyes turned into pleased crescents. “Closer.”

“Pbed.” Roark waited patiently to see if he’d gotten it.

“So close!”

“Bed.” His voice was rough, his teeth razor-sharp and flickering in the light as he sounded out the word again.

“Yes!” Another double thumbs up—and an embarrassing victory lap later—we could officially add another word to Roark’s list.

I’d tried to learn his language too, but both of us had very quickly discovered that my vocal cords were not equipped for the guttural tones most of the words required.

When I’d tried to say the word for “bed” in Roark’s language I’d made him make an adorable barking-laugh sound. There were a couple words I managed more easily, but all of them felt uncomfortable and a little painful. They twanged my vocal cords like my throat was an untuned piano.

Those were the highlights.

Those little shared moments when I felt…normal.

It’d been so long since I’d felt normal.

But unfortunately, as the weeks wore on and my thoughts continued to fester—even those happy little moments couldn’tfix what felt inherently wrong between us. Earlier that day, when we’d been planet-side, Roark had tugged me close by my leash one too many times. Something inside me had finally snapped.

I liked to think that I was a patient person. I’d never had reason to be anything else. But even I had my limits. And if I was being honest, my “freak out” as I was privately calling it in my head, had been long overdue.

Yearsoverdue.

Way before Roark had picked me up and rehomed me.

And way before I’d been abducted and sold.

Thatwas why I’d panicked. Why I’d yelled at him. Why I’d raged. I’d done all the things I’d sworn I’d never do. All the things I thought were scary, and uncomfortable to witness. I’d been angry, loud, and unattractive. My behavior had been nothing butugly, I knew that. And for that I deserved punishment—or at the very least, retaliation.

But…

Roark hadn’t yelled back.

He hadn’t punished me.

Instead, he’dsoothedme.

Again.

Just like the day we met.

He’d given me exactly what I’d been missing, without even needing the words to understand what was wrong.

Only this time was better. Because he’dhuggedme.

Huggedme.

---