Page 20 of Alien Boss. Human Pet

My claws flick out. Just once. "Then wake Malkus andforcethe answers out of him."

His grip tightens. "You know damn well that’s worse."

Silence. He’s right—awakening Malkus guarantees slaughter. But so does sending Willow.

Pyke exhales. "It’s not your call."

I go still. "What?"

"Winn’s already briefing her." He steps back, merciless. "The decision will be hers."

“Willow ismine,” I snarl, the words tearing out of me like a primal roar. My claws flex, itching to sink into something—anything—to release the storm boiling in my chest. “You have norightto turn her into your instrument.”

Pyke doesn’t flinch. He never does. Instead, his brow ridges lift, his expression a mix of irritation and something far more dangerous: pity. “And you have no right to keep her in a gilded cage like some pet canary,” he snaps back, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. “You brought Willow into Veritas, Raekon. I told you to train her. I never ordered you to fall in love with her.”

The accusation slams into me like a gravity pulse. My jaw tightens, my throat locking up as I try to deny it—because it’s absurd, isn’t it? Vakutan don’tlove.Not like humans do. Not with their messy, fragile hearts. But the words don’t come. My silence is damning.

Pyke’s eyes narrow, his lips curling into a grim smile. “I see. So it’s worse than I thought. Is she yourjalshagar?”

The word hangs in the air like a detonator waiting to go off. My scales bristle, my chest tightening. “I don’t know,” I admit, the words grinding out like gravel. “But I suspect she might be.”

Pyke exhales sharply, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Then this will be even harder for you to do.” His voice is softer now, but no less commanding. “Raekon, I’m ordering you to convince Willow to undertake this mission. If she doesn’t, there’s no telling how many more humans will suffer—or how much damage will be done to the sacred timeline.”

The weight of his words presses down on me, but I shove it aside. “No,” I growl, feral. “I won’t do it. I won’t let her?—”

“You don’t get tolether do anything!” Pyke’s roar cuts me off, his eyes blazing with a fury I haven’t seen in years. “She’s not your pet, Raekon. She’s not your possession. She’s a woman—a human—with her own mind, her own choices. And if you care about her as much as you claim, you’ll respect that.”

I step back, his words hitting like a plasma round to the gut. My claws dig into my palms, the sting grounding me. “You don’tunderstand,” I growl. “Malkus isn’t just dangerous—he’sinsane.His mind is a labyrinth of traps. Even with fail-safes, the risk?—”

“Is worth taking,” Pyke interrupts, his tone final. “The Grolgath are abducting children, Raekon. Turning them into sleeper agents. Every day we wait, more lives are destroyed. Willow is the only psyker we have who stands a chance of surviving the dive. And if you don’t convince her to do it, I’ll have no choice but to wake Malkus. You know what that means.”

I do. The thought alone makes my scales crawl. Waking Malkus would be a massacre. But sending Willow into his mind? That’s a death sentence. And I can’t—Iwon’t—condemn her to that.

Without another word, I turn on my heel and storm out of the room. My claws scrape against the walls as I stride down the corridor, my mind racing. I need to find Willow. I need to get her out of here—away from Pyke, away from Veritas, away from the damnwar.She doesn’t belong in this. She never did.

I see Willow stride out of Pyke’s office, Winn trailing behind her like an overeager shadow. Her red hair catches the dim light of the base, and for a moment, the sight of her knocks the wind out of me. But then I remember why she’s here, what Pyke’s asking of her, and my scales bristle.

I cross the corridor in three strides, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the hangar bay. “We’re leaving,” I growl.

She digs her heels in almost instantly. “Raekon! What?—?”

I stop, turning to face her. Behind her, the thick glass wall reveals the endless black of the ocean, fish darting past in flashes of silver and blue. Her green eyes lock onto mine, and I can already see the defiance brewing there.

“Drop the act. You know what Pyke’s planning,” I snap. “And it’s not happening.”

She yanks her hand free, crossing her arms over her chest. “And you think dragging me out of here is going to solve anything?”

“Yes.” I step closer, looming over her. “Because you don’t understand what you’re getting into. Psycho-diving into Malkus’s mind isn’t like fixing a spreadsheet.”

“I’m not an idiot,” she fires back, chin lifting. “I know it’s dangerous. But those kids—Raekon, they’re beingsold. Tortured. Someone has to help them, and I’m the only psyker Veritas has.”

“You’re not ready for this,” I snarl. “Malkus isn’t just dangerous—he’sinsane. His mind is a labyrinth of traps, and you’d be walking in blind. I won’t let you?—”

“You won’tletme?” Her voice cuts through the corridor like a blade, sharp and unyielding. “Raekon, you’re my boss, my mentor, and my Dom—and you’re great at all of those things. But never forget that Ichooseto submit to your authority. This time, I’m choosing to do this because it needs to be done.”

I freeze, my claws flexing at my sides. She’s standing there, five-foot-nothing of fire and fury, and I’m the one who feels small. Her words hit me like a plasma blast, and I’m speechless.

“You don’t understand,” I finally manage, my voice rough. “Malkus will tear you apart.”

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