Page 11 of Pet: Genesis

“Do you know what I like most about the beings under my care?” he asks. His words pull my attention from the tool to his face. He’s still looking at the blood leaving my body.

“No,” I whisper.

His eyes finally rise to meet mine.

“Their obedience.”

I narrow my gaze, yanking my arm away from his hold. I immediately note that the point of contact the needle punctured is suddenly on fire.

“I am not your sla—” My sentence is cut off as his hand grasps my face, holding me captive to his gaze.

“I am only going to warn you, just this once.” His tone is different than it was seconds ago. It’s cold. Humorless. He tilts his head to better look into my eyes. I don’t stop the shudder that courses through my body.

“Consider yourself broken.”

He roughly releases my face as he turns away from me to place the tube on a tray. He’s gathering other instruments. One of which I recognize as a cotton swab. He comes toward me once again, his eyes burning brighter than anything I’ve ever witnessed in someone’s eyes. He doesn’t speak as he moves the swab toward my mouth. Once he finishes his task, he turns away from me and begins labeling everything he’s collected.

I furrow my brow, taking in the foreign lettering. It isn’t English. It must be his native language. It looks bizarre.

“Remus,” he says, breaking the silence.

Ilook up at him in confusion. His eyes are still focused on his task, and once he finishes labeling, he looks at me with an eerie expression.

“You may call me Remus.”

Remus.

A unique name for a unique being.

“Remus,” I repeat his name with uncertainty, and he seems pleased with the usage. His name sounds foreign rolling off my tongue. It’s a universal symbol that humans and Leviathan share: Names. He seems to be in a strange mood at the reveal of his name, so I change tactics.

“Do you plan on keeping me here forever? As a slave?” I ask. He mulls over my question before responding.

“I’m not sure,” he says. He slowly makes his way toward me, and I hate how his eyes roam over my body.

“Do you plan on hurting me?” My voice comes out a small whisper. Something he takes notice of. He leans against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Not if you don’t give me a reason,” he says.

“Then... why am I here?” The dreaded question I have yet to understand leaves my lips with ease. His eyes visibly darken as he comes to stand over me. His proximity intensifies the mood of the room, and I suddenly feel like I’m suffocating. I try and keep my gaze focused on his chest, but he uses his fingers to lift my eyes to meet his. What I see in his gaze will haunt me even if I ever escape this.

“If only you knew the things I have in store for you.”

Chapter Five

Iris

How far would you go if it meant your survival? Would you swallow your pride? Your dignity? I have. I have engrained survival into my bones from the moment the Leviathan invaded. Survival is key. I’m no good dead. And right now, all I have is my life and my will to survive. Remus has taken what would pass as my dignity.

I hear the sound of his footsteps as he circles me, inspecting. My eyes are focused on his shoes. My head is bowed, my hands at my side.

“In the Leviathan society, you are not our equal. You are the conquered. So, you shall behave as such. If I or anyone of my people are in the room, your eyes should be down. Your head should be down. You have no voice. No place.” His tone rings with authority, leaving no room for argument.

“Do you understand, Iris?” he says.

I bite my tongue to prevent the insult threatening to leave my lips. I hear him release a breath of irritation before he roughly pulls my face up to meet his. The blood drains from my face at the sight of those emotionless amethyst eyes. The intensity of vibrancy is enough to make my brain question the existence of this being.

“How am I supposed to take you anywhere if you aren’t properly trained?” he asks.

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