Page 70 of Pet: Genesis

They are physically the weakest race I have ever encountered, and yet they bicker among themselves for their differences. It’s one of the many reasons I don’t care for them. It’s also one of the reasons their planet was taken from them so easily. If not for me, there would barely be a planet to inhabit. When we first arrived, they attacked with poorly constructed missiles that could devastateand radiate miles of their world. And yet, they didn’t care. They chose to sacrifice their own helpless people for the greater good of their leaders.

I chuckle at the thought.

Such a primitive race.

My eyes shift back to Iris. Had the humans shown an ounce of her selfless bravery, there would have been a place for them. But they are volatile, destructive, and selfish. They cannot be left alone. They will destroy their planet long before they destroy themselves. They don’t deserve the abundance their planet provides. The decision to take the Earth from them happened long before we invaded.

Years of studying the race as a whole solidified my final decision.

Iris shifts again, pulling me out of my thoughts. She’s now lying in the grass, her attention still focused on the water. I fight the urge to lay with her. I always enjoy figuring out the way her mind works and her interaction with her surroundings. But I know her mind is a mess after being released from an inhibitor for so long, so I silently make my way back inside, leaving her to relax for the time being.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Iris

Remus is giving me space. It’s been five days since I was released from my inhibitor in this new location and Remus has barely spoken to me. But he’s left Jude to keep me miserable company. It’s unnerving living with someone like Remus and being at his mercy. If he decides he wants an inhibitor placed on me again, I can do nothing to stop it. If I anger him too much, he will make someone else suffer in my place.

The sun set an hour ago so the dim lights on the walls offer me a comforting ambiance as I walk through the silent house. I pause when I pass by the open archway that leads outside. Remus is outside. He’s gazing up at the stars as he leans against the columns. It’s one of the rare times he isn’t working. If not for the unnatural hue of his hair, he’d seem human. A light breeze sweeps over the area, gently washing over him. His hair is down, so the windflows through it easily, blowing it softly. He’s done this a lot recently: stare into space.

Remus tilts his head slightly, speaking.

“Iris.”

I tense as his voice sounds, pulling me out of my staring. I silently make my way to where he is seated, placing my hand in his that he has held out for me. He pulls me between his legs, his hands possessively wrapping around my waist. I gasp slightly as I look into his eyes. They are vividly bright and beautiful, contrasting the night. He smiles, revealing those abnormally sharp canines. His smile is painfully beautiful yet terrifying on his face. I take back what I said. There’s no way he could pass for a human. He pulls me down onto his lap, and I silently try to keep my heartbeat calm. I know the second my heart starts to quicken, he’ll do whatever he can to scare me. I tense just as his fingers trace a pattern on my exposed thigh.

“How are you adjusting?” he asks. I keep my eyes focused on my hands as I speak.

“Fine,” I say softly. If I’m being honest, it’s been difficult having Jude near me all the time and never being able to ask him if he’s okay. It’s also been challenging to get my body to become my own again. But I won’t tell Remus that.

“I know the effects of an inhibitor, Iris.” Remus chuckles behind me, his hands closing over mine.

I inhale a trembling breath as my throat compresses in discomfort.

“It’s been hard,” I say softly, “but you already knew that.”

My eyes shift to the bracelet on my wrist. I’m still his prisoner. I miss having my free will completely. Having Remus’s trust was something that I took for granted. I felt too powerful and thought I could manipulate his feelings, but I was so wrong. Remus is right about our race. I’m just like the rest of them—blinded by a little power.

“What’s going through that head of yours?” he asks softly. I release a bitter chuckle, my tears falling against my wishes, and I hastily wipe them away.

“I miss my freedom,” I say softly. Remus is silent for a moment before leaning closer to me. The heat from his body is comforting.

“Did you think kissing that boy would give you the freedom you crave?” he asks, anger lacing his tone.

“No... I... He just made me feel normal, like I was more than a slave... not frightened,” I say honestly.

Remus scoffs behind me.

“Well, there’s nothing I can do about that. Your body’s natural reaction to my presence is fear.”

I’m about to ask what he means, but he silently outstretches his hand in front of us, and I watch in awe as the grass ripples slightly before the individual blades tear out of the ground. I blink my eyes rapidly, trying to fathom what I’m seeing. The grass floats in a curved line and comes to rest atop Remus’s palm until there’s a small bubble shape of grass floating above his hand. I look at it in shock, reaching for the grass before drawing my hand back. Remus laughs, encouraging me.

“Go ahead,” he says softly.

I reach out, touching the grass, and it shifts slightly before moving back to its rotating form above his hand.

“How...?” I trail off, unable to formulate the proper question to even begin understanding what I’m seeing. Remus laughs louder now, and the sound is pleasant.

“It’s simple. Manipulation of matter,” he says. The grass speeds up its rotation until a rhythmic zigzag is floating above his palm.

---