Pet: Genesis [Publishing]

Chapter 4

How far would you go if it meant your survival? Would you swallow your pride? Your dignity? I have. I have engrained survival into my bones from the moment they came. Survival is key. I'm no good dead. And right now, all I have is my life and my will to survive. 

Remus has taken what would pass as my dignity away from me.

I hear the sound of his footsteps as he walks around me, inspecting me. My eyes are focused on his shoes. My head is bowed, my hands at my side.

"In the Leviathan society, you are not our equal. You are the conquered. So, you shall behave as such. If I or anyone of my people are in a room, your eyes should be down. Your head should be down. You have no voice." His voice is like a whip, leaving no room for argument.

"Do you understand, Iris?" he says. 

I have to bite my tongue from the insult threatening to leave my lips. I hear him let out a breath of irritation before his hand roughly yanks my face up to meet his. The blood drains from my face at the sight of those emotionless purple eyes. The intensity of vibrancy is enough to make my brain question the existence of this being.

"How am I supposed to take you anywhere if you aren't properly trained?" he asks. He sounds as if he's speaking to himself more than me. He finally lets go of me and I immediately train my eyes back to 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 make our way to the dining room. It's the only other place I have been allowed to go to other than 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.

We reach the dining room and 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 in fear.

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 still a mystery to me. My gaze reaches Remus who is sitting next to me. His eyes are focused on a screen that he holds. I look at the screen once again noticing the symbols that he was using to write. It's safe to assume this is their language.

Remus's eyes glide gently 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.

Suddenly, realization dawns on me.

"Why do you never eat?" I ask. Remus doesn't miss a beat.

"That isn't a topic up for discussion right now," 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 isn't a flaw on his face. Not one. How can something so flawless even exist? My eyes drift to the strange hue of his hair. It's all pulled back perfectly away from his face into a loose ponytail. Even if he hadn't arrived so spectacularly, he would have stood out among us.

He's too perfect. Everything about him gives off his otherworldly presence especially the way 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.