Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 46803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
“You’re mean, you know that? And rude.”
“I am much meaner to young ladies who do not do as they are told.”
She lets out a little snort. “Did you just call me a young lady? You’re so old-fashioned. Also, what the fuck are you?”
I respond to her curiosity, because that is something I do encourage. “My species are called Euphorians in your tongue. In case you do not remember, you are aboard our ship after being wounded in an altercation on your planet. You are safe here and will be taken back to our world.”
She ignores the information about her predicament and instead continues to focus on me as I search through our stores to find a suitable meal for her. I have quite a softness for hamburgers, and I know many humans consider them to be a comfort food. She deserves a little comfort, perhaps.
“You look like a cross between a vampire, an orc, and an elf.”
“I am sure our appearance has contributed to the lore of your world over the years. We have been visiting for a long time.”
“Yeah? What the fuck were you doing with the cows? You know how much creepy stuff you guys have been doing to cows? Removing their assholes? Seems to me you’re assholes enough?”
I was reaching for the ground meat when she made that particularly crude comment, but upon hearing it, I withdraw my hand and close the refrigerator. Bending down, I take a bowl and a bag from beneath the counter, filling one with the other.
“I would appreciate it, and you will be much happier, if you speak when you are spoken to, and do not indulge in casual disrespect. I am very busy, and I do not have time for an unruly human pet.”
“Pet?”
I put food in front of her in a shiny metal bowl. She looks at it, and surprisingly for a supposedly starving human, wrinkles her nose at it.
“What is this?”
“It is a pelleted nutrition containing everything a human needs in order to be healthy and have a shiny coat.”
She looks at me with those rebellious dark eyes. “The actual fuck is wrong with you.”
It’s not a question. It’s a statement. It’s rude.
“This tastes like ass,” she declares as she starts eating. I note that the taste does not stop her from consuming every single morsel of it. Her appetite is healthy, and so is she. In spite of my irritation at her verbal rudeness, I find myself feeling a great deal of admiration for her. I have overseen the capture and training of many humans over the years. Many of them weaken under far less stress than she has recently experienced.
I find myself watching her, assessing her. In terms of appearance, she is quite pleasing. She has a strong but soft body, smooth skin, and pretty features. A lot of Euphorians appreciate the larger eyes, and hers are wide with curiosity, but also rebellion. Her hair is dark and curling, which is relatively rare, and would potentially mean she would fetch a fine price. It’s possible she could have a place in one of the more established houses if she were used as display only, but I suspect her temperament is too wild for such refined locations.
Taming can only go so far toward changing the essential nature of a pet. This is why we usually select our pets with more care. Or I did, when choosing pets was my domain, before Arkan decided that he should give things a go and essentially kicked off an entire planetary civil war in the process.
“You should smile more,” the human says to me.
“Excuse me?”
“Turn that frown upside down. You look so serious. It might never happen.”
“What might never happen?”
“Whatever it is you’re so worried about.”
“I am not worried, human.”
“You can lie to yourself all you like, but I know a worried man, or whatever you are, when I see one. You’re shitting yourself about something.”
I’ve never known humans to be particularly insightful when it comes to reading our species. After all, most of our communication is telepathic, and humans have no mind reading abilities at all. They are simple creatures entirely dependent on small mouth noises. But this one seems to have a strangely powerful sense of empathy.
Interesting.
She smirks to herself. “Can I get another bowl of human chow, mister?”
“Yes,” I say, refilling the bowl. Her need for nutrition is great, though she should not eat too much all at once. The first amount of food was a relatively small amount. This is another smaller amount. I’m now feeling better about not having made a hamburger. It would have been too much for her to eat anyway.
“Stingy,” she notes.
“You have not had food in your stomach in weeks. If you eat too much, there is a very real likelihood that you will eject it all as quickly as you ate it. I will feed you often, human.”