Page 35 of Pet: Genesis

Remus’s eyes remain focused on mine, and I feel my anger flaring at the amusement I see there. He’s always amused. Always taunting me from behind the scenes, finding joy in my reactions. I pull my face from his grasp, glaring at the ground in disdain. I can’t bring myself to look into Remus’s eyes. Even being this close to him makes me more than uncomfortable. My eyes slowly shift to Margot, who stands silently, and Remus notices.

“Are you still this worked up over her presence?” he asks. Silence washes over us, but he knows the answer to what he is asking. He scoffs at me, turning away from me to make his way to Margot.

“Perhaps I should rid you of her then—”

“No!” I scream while simultaneously lunging for him, my hands grasping the material of his clothing and squeezing it tightly. He stops walking and slowly turns to look at me. His eyes arenarrowed, slowly taking in the grip of my hands on the material of his clothing. My mind screams at me to let go, but I don’t. I hold fast, looking him directly in the eyes.

“Don’t hurt her,” I whisper. My voice is shaky as I stare death in the face, but he only watches me, his mind working at a pace I can’t comprehend. He finally faces me, standing at his intimidating height.

“Let go, Iris. Now.”

I step back, releasing the fabric. Silence overcomes the room, and I swear Remus is going to tear me a new one, but he doesn’t. I tense when I feel his fingers along my shoulders, lightly tracing my flesh. His fingertips trace from my shoulders to my hands, and he slowly pulls me along with him into the open area of the living room.

We stop walking when we reach the open area that Margot was leading me to in the first place, and Remus decides to turn on me. His grip tightens around my hand, and he pulls me flush against his chest, lifting me with ease until my feet rest atop his. He moves his feet under mine and slowly spins around the room with his hand pressing against the small of my back.

“Tonight, there is going to be an event.” I look up at him, but his gaze isn’t focused on me. His eyes look distant.

“There will be humans with inhibitors. And there will be humans with free will.” His grip on my hand tightens, and he pulls me even tighter against his chest. I flinch but keep my mouth shut as his mood suddenly shifts to one I am not used to.

“If you do anything to disobey me or put any form of slander across my title, I promise you, Iris...” his gaze finally travels downto mine, and I feel a shiver crawl its way up my spine from the cold gaze that meets mine, “I will make you regret it.”

His tone is one that I haven’t heard in a long time. Not since we first encountered each other. Up until now, Remus has been amused with my presence. But now, he’s warning me. He slowly lowers his head, and I feel the warmth of his breath tickling my throat, followed by his lips. He presses a soft kiss on my neck, followed by his tongue, which traces a straight line atop my flesh.

“I haven’t given you a glimpse of what I truly am...” A squeal escapes me when I feel a soft prick against my throat. Remus’s lips slowly close around the area, and I feel a slight tug before he licks the spot, his lips moving to my ear.

“Don’t make me kill you tonight.”

Remus wasn’t lying when he said this was an event. The venue alone is dazzling, to say the least. I look up as the Leviathan bow to Remus as usual upon his approach. There are also Leviathan standing outside, speaking to one another with smiles. They look breathtaking, but still, they are dull in comparison to their terrifying leader. My gaze shifts to Remus, who walks ahead of me. We are matching in color. He’s dressed in his signature white, his hair pulled back and held in place by a jeweled pin. The rest of the jewelry he wears also gives off a white hue.

We reach the entrance to the venue, and the doors are opened, revealing the halls of this spectacular event. My eyes widen as I take it in. I’ve never seen anything like it. Within the walls, crystals are embedded, giving off natural lighting that perfectly illuminates the large room that now hosts Leviathan. We reach the large double doors, and a Leviathan greets Remus, bowing with a smile. Remus watches him with a blank expression as he scurries away before turning to me. His eyes are so intense that I feel myself beginning to squirm under his gaze.

Unexpectedly, he pulls out a delicate jeweled bracelet. He doesn’t speak as he places it on my wrist. I focus my eyes on it, my heart sputtering to a standstill when I see the symbol engraved on Remus’s chest on the bracelet. I flinch when a sharp prick suddenly forms on my wrist. This isn’t a bracelet.

My eyes shift up to Remus, his gaze dark as he stares it down.

“This is something I have modified specifically for you, Iris. It’s your very own inhibitor. Much better than the necklace you hate to wear.” My eyes widen when I see the familiar blue light that illuminates from it to the palm of his hand. And as quick as it appears, it disappears.

“If you try and remove it like you so recklessly tried with your friend, it will cut into your flesh and slice through your muscles and bones before you can place your fingers around it. Already, it’s coding itself to your nervous system. So, if I wish for you to feel pain...”

Suddenly, pain flares through me. My skin is on fire, and every single cell in my body burns along with it. I open my mouth,wanting to scream, but nothing comes out. Remus angles his gaze in front of me, a small smile playing on his lips.

“Oh no, Iris. You can’t scream. I haven’t allowed it, have I?” he smiles wickedly at me. Tears burn in my eyes, and I feel myself growing weak as my brain fights against the mysterious intruder that commands it. Finally, it stops. The pain stops as if it were never there. As if it never existed. I release a heavy breath, looking at Remus in horror. He steps closer to me, placing his fingers under my chin and bringing my face to his, placing a light kiss on my lips.

“Behave, Iris,” he says right before the doors to the grand hall open, revealing hundreds of Levithan dressed like they are some form of nobility. Thunderous applause erupts from the crowd as they all stare at their ruler in excitement. The Levithan from earlier appears next to us, gesturing for me to go with him, and out of instinct, my eyes shift to Remus.

He smirks, pleased that his training is somewhat effective. “Go with him.”

The Leviathan are enamored with Remus. Luckily, I am standing near his seat at the head of the ballroom, so I can easily see the smiles and awe on the Leviathan faces as Remus gives his speech. I wonder what it is he’s saying to them. I watch him closely as he speaks. He’s very matter-of-fact. Strangely, he holds a charisma that I don’t fully comprehend. From what I’ve seen, he rarelysocializes with them. When it comes to these events, he is usually above them, away from the crowd. They only ever listen and show their praise. I don’t think the Leviathan race is capable of a revolt against him.

Remus waves his hand slowly and says one last sentence in their language before stepping down from the balcony and through the throngs of Leviathan. All bow and show him recognition as he passes by. Are they aware of the sadist that their ruler is? Or do they choose to ignore it and praise him because of the power that comes with his title?

Once Remus is seated on the throne, the party slowly comes alive, light music playing and the lights slightly dimming. I watch in fascination as the Leviathan in attendance interact with each other. Their mingling is similar to humans. They speak to one another, smiling politely and laughing when necessary.

I’m pulled out of my thoughts when I hear Remus laugh. I quickly look to see him speaking to a Leviathan he doesn’t seem to be irritated by. This Leviathan looks nothing like Remus or his siblings, so I know this Leviathan isn’t related to Remus. He has dark hair and eyes like the rest of the Leviathan, and as if sensing my gaze, he looks in my direction.

I quickly look away, praying he won’t make a scene, having caught me staring. He says something more to Remus in their language before Remus calls to me in English.

“Come here, Iris.”

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