Pet: Genesis *Published*

Chapter 5

Iris

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 the Leviathan invaded. 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.

I hear the sound of his footsteps as he circles me, inspecting. 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 the room, your eyes should be down. Your head should be down. You have no voice. No place." His tone rings with authority, leaving no room for argument.

"Do you understand, Iris?" he says.

I bite my tongue to prevent the insult threatening to leave my lips. I hear him release a breath of irritation before he roughly pulls my face up to meet his. The blood drains from my face at the sight of those emotionless amethyst 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 releases me, and I immediately focus my eyes back on 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 go to the dining room. It's the only place I have been allowed to go besides 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.

Once we reach the dining room, 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.

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 shifts to Remus, who is seated next to me. His eyes are focused on a screen that he holds. I shift my attention to the screen once again, noticing the symbols that he is using to write. It's safe to assume this is their language. Remus's eyes glide 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.

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

"That isn't a topic up for discussion," 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 are no flaws on his face. Not one. How can something so flawless even exist? My eyes drift to the strange shade of his hair. It's all pulled back perfectly away from his face into a loose ponytail. He would have stood out among us even if he hadn't arrived so spectacularly. He's too perfect. Everything about him gives off his otherworldly presence, especially how 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.

That's another thing I've noticed about Remus. He's really adamant about my physique. He's spent all of this time ridding me of my dirty appearance. He's made sure I always eat, I'm always clean, and he even used strange lotions to soften my hands and feet. It's a red flag about my being here. I take a few more bites of the food and push my plate away, catching Remus's attention. He finally looks away from the pad in his hands, his eyes following the motion before focusing back on me.