Page 30 of Pet: Genesis

It’s sickening.

I notice a small boy no older than eight with an inhibitor on his temple. He doesn’t have that empty gaze yet, but he will. My stomach dips in discomfort as I take in his situation. He follows behind a small girl. She laughs and giggles, skipping in excitement behind her parents, stopping at moments to allow him to catch up. I can’t imagine what he went through to get to this point. Or rather, I don’t want to think about it as Remus has so generously already shown me.

I pull my attention away from the children, focusing on Remus’s back. His long white hair flows behind him as he walks with the predatory arrogance he was born with. If given the chance, I would kill him. But as he has proven in every attempt up until now, it’s all but impossible. I am alone, and any human ally I could possibly have has been killed or is now a former shell of themselves.

Chapter Ten

Iris

Our new destination is a place much different than the residence Remus keeps in the mountains. It floats high above the city, the interior walls stretching high to give it more space than I’ve ever seen. It has much less greenery than the mountain home, but it contains foreign plants that I assume are native to Remus’s planet. There are actually a lot of objects that I assume are native to Remus’s planet, as the entire room looks foreign to me. I am pleased that I can make out the furniture and kitchen area, however.

“I am shocked at the level of obedience you exhibited today. I thought for sure you were going to test me,” Remus says as he enters the room. “Especially since we were in the public eye,” he adds.

He looks natural in this space. And the smile that accompanies his sentence makes me uneasy. Smiles on Remus are arare sight. He voices his amusement and smirks, sure. But a smile fueled by joy is rare. I take a deep breath at the sudden rise in my heartbeat as he continues to watch me, and I’m sure he can hear it. As if to prove my speculation, his eyes travel to my chest, and his smile widens, exposing his straight white teeth and those abnormally sharp canines. I quickly lower my eyes to somewhat protect myself from his gaze, but it only adds to his upbeat mood.

“Oh, I see. You have finally gained apprehension in my presence,” he says.

I tense when I hear the sound of his approach, my shoulders bunching the closer he gets. But instead of stopping in front of me like I expect, he continues to walk past me to the open space that overlooks the city. I don’t miss the deep chuckle that leaves his lips as he does so, enjoying my reaction.

“This is our home for the next few months while I finish business on this godforsaken planet,” he says. I silently approach, stepping past the beige-hued furniture. The entire wall and ceiling are glass. I look at Remus as I register what he said.

“Finish?” I ask.

Remus now looks at me, irritation quickly hiding itself as he takes in my expression. He takes a small step, closing the gap between us as he reaches for the necklace around my neck.

“I’m on this planet for one purpose. To complete that purpose, I must relocate to the required location at the required time. For now, this is the required location.”

“The city?” I ask as he turns away from me, walking toward the hallway. He simultaneously loosens the foreign jewelry that covers his arms as he responds to me.

“Yes. This is one of our capitals.” Remus rounds the corner as he speaks, and I take off after him, putting on a light jog just to keep up with his long stride.

“Why is this city a required location—Ah!” In my hurry, I don’t notice that Remus has stopped, crashing right into him. I stumble back from the rigid force, tripping over my own feet as I collide with the ground. I grunt in pain, looking up to see Remus glaring at me. He doesn’t have to voice it. I know exactly what he’s thinking.

I’ve grown too bold.

I slowly stand, lowering my head in submission.

“I’m sorry,” I murmur. I silently wait for his punishment, but it doesn’t come. He walks away from me without speaking, leaving me alone in the hallway once again.

Once Remus gets everything settled and we’re both cleaned up from the trip, he takes me into the dining room to eat. The view that rests beyond the glass window is beautiful as the sun sets over the sky. The lights that begin to glow from the buildings aren’t as harsh as they were when humanity owned the Earth. There are different colors and levels of brightness, as well as pulsing beams. It adds such an alien beauty to the scenery that stretches for miles.

“You’re not eating again?” I tense at the sudden sound of Remus’s voice. When I look up, he’s walking into the room without a shirt on, nor is his hair pulled back. My eyes immediately fall tothe symbol that marks his chest, which catches my attention. It’s almost as if it’s alive… like its pulse matches his life.

It’s captivating.

“Iris.” I blink, looking from Remus’s marking to his face, which is displaying irritation.

“I just got caught up in the view,” I say. I don’t bother expressing my lack of hunger. If I do, he’ll just make me go to bed early with him, which gives him a long time to do the things he’s been doing to my body. It’s as if he never gets tired or has any limits. It’s confusing being around him as a being. He looks human from a general standpoint, but the longer I spend around him, the clearer it is that he is anything but.

Remus takes a seat next to me, turning to look out the window. His eyes move slowly over the scenery, taking it in for the first time instead of ignoring it. It makes me wonder if he’s ever been homesick. According to him, Earth isn’t the first planet he’s taken over, nor is its people the first race he’s ever conquered. As I stare at the mystery that is Remus, I want to know more about this alien that humanity knows nothing about.

“Aeusenah,” The foreign word rolls off Remus’s tongue, and I look at him in confusion.

“What?” I ask.

He gives me a light smirk before responding.

“Aeusenah.It’s the name of this city. There are twenty cities total inhabiting the Earth.”

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