Page 12 of Pet: Genesis

He sounds as if he’s speaking to himself more than me. He finally releases me, and I immediately focus my eyes back on the floor, releasing a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. He does this daily. He keeps me within the confines of this room where he can easily find me to thoroughly educate me on the ways of his society.

“Come. That’s enough for one day,” he says with his back to me. I follow him through the exit as we go to the dining room. It’s the only place I have been allowed to go besides my room, and that’s only if he escorts me. I haven’t seen Ruth since my escape attempt, or any of the other servants, for that matter. Remus himself keeps watch over me.

Once we reach the dining room, I take my usual seat. Remus appears minutes later beside me, placing a plate of food down in front of me. The food looks and smells amazing, as usual. I’ve learned to tamp down the guilt I feel from eating it. Since experiencing the feeling of a full belly, the thought of the starvation that once gnawed at my insides is enough to make me shudder.

The room is silent as I bring the food to my lips, giving me time to look around once again. The location of this place is stilla mystery to me. My gaze shifts to Remus, who is seated next to me. His eyes are focused on a screen that he holds. I shift my attention to the screen once again, noticing the symbols that he is using to write. It’s safe to assume this is their language. Remus’s eyes glide across the screen as he takes in the information on that pad. He never joins me. He only ever watches me eat or focuses his attention on that screen.

“Why do you never eat?” I ask. Remus doesn’t miss a beat.

“That isn’t a topic up for discussion,” he says, his gaze not leaving the screen at all.

I try and force myself to look away, but I can’t help but stare at the being in front of me. There are no flaws on his face. Not one. How can something so flawless even exist? My eyes drift to the strange shade of his hair. It’s all pulled back perfectly away from his face into a loose ponytail. He would have stood out among us even if he hadn’t arrived so spectacularly. He’stooperfect. Everything about him gives off his otherworldly presence, especially how he carries himself with such regal grace.

“Eat, Iris. I won’t have you looking malnourished like you were when I first found you,” he says without looking up.

That’s another thing I’ve noticed about Remus. He’s really adamant about my physique. He’s spent all of this time ridding me of my dirty appearance. He’s made sure I always eat, I’m always clean, and he even used strange lotions to soften my hands and feet. It’s a red flag about my being here. I take a few more bites of the food and push my plate away, catching Remus’s attention. Hefinally looks away from the pad in his hands, his eyes following the motion before focusing back on me.

“I’m not hungry,” I say, immediately looking away.

He makes me nervous. He’s been calm, but my instincts tell me it’s nothing more than an act. His words from last week keep playing in my brain.

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

He still hasn’t acted upon those words, and I fear that won’t be the case much longer. He stands abruptly from the table, shocking me out of my thoughts.

“Come.”

I follow Remus, expecting us to head back to the room I’ve been occupying for weeks now, but I’m shocked when he leads me down a separate hallway. I try and pay attention to the halls we move down to memorize the layout of this dwelling. But this place is a maze I fear I will never be able to figure out. We step into a small room, the doors closing on their own, and I feel my stomach shift as we move upward.

Remus still doesn’t speak as we make our way to this new destination. This time, the door opens to reveal another glass hallway. The greenery surrounding us on the outside is enough to stop me in my tracks. Judging from the view, we’re high up, possibly on a mountain.

“Iris.”

Remus’s voice pulls me out of my ogling. He’s watching me with an irritated expression. I hadn’t realized in all of my staring that I had stopped walking. I slowly look back to the worldsurrounding us, taking in the freedom that eludes me. I suck in a deep breath before following Remus up the rest of the hallway.

We reach our destination, and Remus stops in front of a door. This time, instead of the door disappearing like every other entrance in this place, he places his hand on an area that illuminates upon his touch. The door then proceeds to dissolve. Remus turns to look at me, commanding me without so much as uttering a word, and I step inside.

The lights illuminate the room upon my entrance. I note that the lights are coming from the edges of the walls. It’s soft, not harsh in the least, giving a warm ambiance to the room. The room itself is large. Much larger than the room I have labeled as my own and much more magnificent. The ceiling reflects the sky, bright and blue. The walls are beginning to lose the deep tint, revealing glass and another breathtaking view. I step closer to the glass, taking in the beauty of a waterfall below, crashing into a bright blue pond.

I turn back to survey the room, my gaze falling on the bed. It’s huge, easily dwarfing the one I’ve become accustomed to. I could probably roll over several times and still have plenty of room not to fall off the edge. A light below the bed gives it the illusion of floating over the ground, adding to the intimidating size. On the far side of the room lies a seating area with strange objects more than likely from the Leviathan culture. I hear Remus’s footsteps as he comes behind me, and I shiver from his presence. He places his hands around my shoulders, and the room darkens as the walls shift from glass to a dark hologram that plays the night sky surrounding us. Even the ceiling has shifted from daylight to the stars.

Remus steps around me before he begins to speak.

“Shall we continue?” he asks.

I keep my eyes trained down as I’ve been told, and he notices. A soft laugh leaves his lips.

“You can look at me when we are alone,” he says softly.

His words do little to ease my nerves, so I keep my eyes down. His hands slowly move up my arms, and I feel the warmth from his body slowly adapt itself to my body. His touch traces the inside of my arm, coming to close gently around my hand. His grip tightens as he leads me to a door in the far corner of the room.

Once we enter the door, steam engulfs me. It’s a bathroom. I immediately note that a servant is standing silently in the corner—one I’ve never seen before. But like everyone else in this prison, she has a blank expression on her face, the inhibitor taking away her will. I feel anger at the sight but tamp it deep down.

The servant comes toward me, reaching for my clothes. I immediately swat at her hands, pushing her body away from mine.

“Donottouch me,” I hiss.

I hear Remus chuckle, and when I turn to face him, his shirt is already off. My eyes widen at his physique. He’s a very lean being, his chest and stomach finely carved like the statues in Rome I used to see in books as a child. The sharp ridge of his muscles continues into a “V” that disappears into the loose pants hanging dangerously low on his hips. A strange symbol covers his left pectoral, stretching over his shoulder to rest somewhere on his back. The symbol itself is not only foreign, but it seems to glow fromwithin. It’s a deep purple that pulses ever so calmly. It looks breathtaking on him, completely matching his existence.

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