Page 53 of Pet: Genesis

I smile to myself as I enter his study to find everything in its exact place. His arrogance will be their downfall. I place the book that I’ve been using to read on the desk as I make my way toward the map on the wall. I place my finger over the pin, and like it did before, the words and information appear on a hologram. My eyes widen from the information revealed to me. It isn’t all completely clear, as I am not an expert in the language, nor am I close to being fluent. But the basic letters and verbs, including the sentence structure, pop out at me. These aren’t just names on the map. They’re notes.

Remus takes notes.

My eyes shift over the map as I activate the rest of the information.

“Oh my God,” I whisper as new information is revealed to me.

The notes Remus has taken on one of the pins are intricate and detailed, and I can make out enough of the words to understand what it is I’m looking at. The Leviathan have a main port. It’s their most important city and entrance to our planet, where everything initially goes through when arriving on Earth. I doubt the resistance knows about this.

I continue to intently study the map, trying my best to remember the landmass that it’s located near, but I come up blank. All I know is that it’s in the center of the ocean.

I quickly swipe my hand over all the pins, turning them off as I make my way to Remus’s desk, where he has written over everything. He’s a very neat and organized alien, I realize as I look down at the contents of his desk. I move my hand closer to the notes, trying to make out what it is he has written, when I hear footsteps. I tense, snatching the book I brought with me and quickly opening it to a random page as the footsteps get closer.

Margot steps into the room with a large vase of flowers in her hands, placing them on the floor near the doorway. She doesn’t acknowledge me as she turns away to return to her duties. I release a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding. I should know by now, I never know when Remus is near. I can’t even hear him approach.

My legs tremble, and I can barely hold myself up as I walk out of his study; the fear of being caught was enough to make me nauseous. I told Jude before this that I wasn’t brave when it came to purposely spying on the alien that has almost conquered our planet, and a light sheen of sweat has formed across my forehead from the adrenaline still trying to leave my system, proving my point.

A shaky laugh escapes my lips as I enter the living room, returning to the glass to spy on the Leviathan below.

I am not prepared for this.

“Iris, move away from the glass.”

I slowly turn to face Remus as he enters the room from his previous destination. I expect him to come toward me as he usually does in greeting, but he instead moves to the couch, plopping himself down across the soft cushions before throwing his arm over his eyes. It’s the most human thing I’ve ever seen him do. He’s silent as he lies there, and I can’t help but stare at him in this state.

He’s predatory in everything that he does, his actions always seemingly calculated. I’ve never seen him so much as sleepy, yet he seems off today. I take one last glance at the Leviathan below before stepping away from the glass to move in Remus’s direction.

I study him as I approach, my mind shifting to the notes I found in his study. I don’t know when the next time I’ll be able to see Jude will be. Even then, Remus’s initial discovery of our conversation during events has prevented me from even being able to attend any events recently. He keeps me here, away from the public eye, away from Jude.

Remus senses my approach, lowering his arm from his eyes. His lashes are white, just like his hair, as he opens his eyes to reveal his vivid gaze. He slowly sits up, his expression shifting as a thought occurs to him.

“If you had one wish, what would it be?” he asks.

I don’t hide my shock from the question. I don’t understand why Remus would care about my wishes. I would think it would be obvious what my desires are. At the same time, Margot steps byus with another vase, placing it near the kitchen. I watch her for a minute, the answer to his question becoming crystal clear. I keep my eyes focused on Margot as I answer.

“That you and your entire race would vanish from existence and give us back our planet,” I snap. Instead of anger, I’m met with laughter. I look away from Margot to see Remus smiling. It’s a small curve at the corner of his mouth, letting me know his patience is thin.

“I forgot for a second who I was speaking to,” he says calmly. I feel uncomfortable at his lack of anger and his amusement at my blatant disrespect. He gently pulls me down on his lap, the heat from his body instantly warming my own. His fingers find the locket around my neck, and he pops it open, his eyes focusing on my family.

“Do you really think mine is the only race that exists outside of your solar system? Had I not arrived, someone else would have eventually. Your planet is too ripe with resources and inhabitants that have no idea how to use or defend it properly,” he chuckles.

The thought never crossed my mind, but I hide that surprise from him. I won’t give him the satisfaction, especially since he’s laughing at my race’s expense. I bite the inside of my cheek but feel my inner demon claw at my skull to get out. I know that Remus’s brother is missing from Jude informing me, but Remus doesn’t know that.

How suffocating it must be to have someone you care so much about missing because of the race you see as inferior? It must eat him up inside. So, I take an “innocent” stab at his emotional state.

“I thought this celebration was for you and your siblings? Did something happen that your brother couldn’t attend?” I ask. Remus doesn’t respond. He keeps his eyes focused on the locket. But I immediately notice the shift in his mood, and I almost regret my stab at his weakness.

Almost.

He closes my locket, looking at me with no hint of emotion. His eyes search mine, and I find myself slowly recoiling from his expression. I’ve never seen him like this, not even when he made an example of me at the event.

“If it were up to me, I would rid this world of all of you,” he says.

My eyes widen, my heart dropping into my stomach as a wave of unease consumes me from his tone.

He’s serious.

I know I should stop. Clearly, I’ve struck a nerve, but I’ve also been in his care long enough to know that he sees something in me. Something that makes him tolerate me more than most.

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