Pet - Chapter 14 (Patreon)

I jolt awake, my body screaming in pain. I look to my left when I realize there is a weight on me. Remus is sound asleep next to me. His breathing is slow and steady, his eyes closed. This is the first time I've ever caught him sleeping. I flinch in pain, a small squeak leaving my lips, and Remus' eyes immediately fly open, his gaze zeroing in on me. I don't know whether to sigh in relief or shudder in fear from the fact that the purple of his eyes is back.

Last night counts as by far the scariest night of my life. Remus is a monster. I know that now. I pushed him. I pushed him way too far. He was unlike anything I had ever seen. Tears well up in my eyes as he moves. I feel his hand snake up my body, causing pain to erupt in me from the trail of his touch.

"Are you in pain, Iris?" he growls. I can't even nod my head, so I settle for a moan. He smiles over me, the evil smile that I'm used to.

"Good," he says. And with that, he roughly jerks my body out of the bed.

It doesn't matter the number of screams I make, Remus is roughly yanking me around. Forcing me to move with his pace. My body is bruised. Black and blue and green all over, and I have a limp from my ankle twisting. Not only that but there are cuts on my flesh as well. I look like I feel. This time though, Remus doesn't take me to a healer. As punishment he says.

We walk through a dark hallway, and I flinch as a scream filled with pain echoes throughout the walkway. My foot catches, and I fall to the ground in pain. Remus doesn't care though. He drags me, causing my knees to scrape against the rough textured floor. I quickly try and scramble up, trying to ignore the pain in my hands and knees. Remus certainly isn't worried about it.

We finally approach a doorway, and Remus yanks on my chains so roughly that I'm yanked off my feet, and fall face-first into the room. I let out a cry of pain, slowly pick myself up, and pause as a stricken sadness washes over me.

Jude. He's chained by his hands, feet, and throat. And I don't miss the waterfall of blood coming off his back. Tears fill my eyes as I take in his form. His breathing is ragged, and he's barely conscious. His eyes travel up slowly, and as soon as he sees me, disbelief crosses his features.

"I'm sorry," he groans to me. I shake my head, tears falling hard and fast down my face.

"No... I'm sorry," I murmur. I want to reach out and touch his face, and comfort him, but I know that Remus is still in the room. And he proves me right as soon as he grabs ahold of my chains, dragging me across the room. Jude weakly struggles, but I have no fight in me.

Remus hauls me up locking my chains over my head. My legs are barely dangling off the floor. I'm right across from Jude. Remus doesn't speak at all. Which terrifies me. A loud rip echoes throughout the room, as Remus yanks my clothes off of me. My eyes widen and panic blooms in my chest. I'm completely naked in front of Jude.

"Remus, please-"

"Shhhh pet," he snaps at me. He's right next to my ear. He reaches up, moving my hair from my shoulder, and whispering to me.

"I want you to look at him, Iris. Don't take your eyes off of him or he will die," he says. I slowly raise my head, and Jude is gazing at me with wide eyes. I can't see Remus behind me, but judging from Jude's face, I know it can't be good.

"Tell her it's going to be ok," Remus growls from behind me. Jude looks from him to me, and shakes his head, opening his mouth at a loss for words.

"Tell her," Remus says again. I'm shaking in fear and anticipation. I gaze at Jude, and he looks torn.

"I..it's..going to... be.. ok...," he stutters out. No sooner are the words from his lips do I feel a searing pain across my back. I arch in pain, screaming. I feel a rough yank on my hair, forcing my head up.

"Look at him, Iris," he hisses. Tears are flowing down my cheeks and Jude is staring at me with a pain-filled expression.

"Tell her it's going to be ok," Remus repeats. Jude doesn't speak, and another crack shatters every nerve in my back, and I scream in pain.

"Tell her," he growls.

"Why are you doing this?" Jude screams. Another searing pain rips across my back, and I cry out loud as more searing pain rips into my flesh. I'm begging for mercy that Remus isn't willing to give.

"Stop!" Jude screeches. It's as if Jude's voice makes Remus angrier and angrier. His whips become more and more frantic with fewer breaks in between. He's in a rage. He stalks past me, throwing the whip down as he approaches Jude, grabbing a hold of his hair. I look at the whip and it's coated in blood. My blood.

"You do not ever put your hands on what is mine again. I may not kill you out of respect for your master, but I will make her life a living hell daily," his grip tightens on Jude.

"Is that what you want?" he hisses. Jude looks up at me, and I see the sadness in his gaze as he stares at me. Then, I see tears.

"No," he whispers. Remus lets go of him and makes his way towards me. My breathing is ragged and labored, and I can't help but grow fearful with each passing step. But I don't have the strength to struggle, so I watch him.

"Tell him goodbye, Iris. We're leaving. And you will never see him again," he growls at me. I look past Remus, to Jude, trying my best to keep my eyes in focus. Jude is watching me with such sorrow.

"Bye," I whisper. Remus isn't satisfied though. He stalks past me, picking up the whip on his way. I hang my head, terrified of what's to come.

There is no hope. No hope for us. For humanity. Remus will find the resistance and slaughter them all. Even if the resistance attacked him, there is no way they'd be able to kill him. He's virtually indestructible. I have no idea how to kill him.

Remus has let me suffer day after day as he made preparations to leave the city. I don't know where we're headed now, but wherever it is, it's far.

I know that with each time we move, Remus gets closer and closer to ending us as he planned. And that alone terrifies me. What am I going to do when me and the other slaves are all that's left of our race? We'll be wiped from existence. I shockwave of pain rips through me, and I moan. I can't take this anymore.

"Remus," I manage. He doesn't look at me though. He keeps his gaze on his screen in his palm.

"What is it?" I look at him, but he doesn't seem to be interested in me at the very least.

"My body hurts," I sob. I just want the pain to stop. And I'll do anything for that relief. It's been days. Remus turns his head to look at me, and I don't see an ounce of compassion in his features.

"That's the point, Iris," he says. My tears are coming faster, and I squeeze my eyes shut. My whole body is a constant flare of pain. And I can't take it anymore.

"Please," I sob. I hear him laugh.

"It's amazing how obedient you become when in pain," he says. I hear him moving and open my eyes. He's sitting over me on the bed, leaning so that he's close to me. He moves his hands over my body, and I hiss in pain as he touches every bruise.

"If I heal you, what do I get?" he says nonchalantly.

"Anything?" I wail. He laughs again.

"I get anything regardless, Iris." His grip tightens around my arm, and I'm sobbing like crazy.

"I like you like this. In pain. At my mercy." His eyes darken, and I see the pulse of his pupil threatening to blackout his eyes again. I want to cry in relief when the purple appears. I close my eyes, trying to block out the pain.

Then, I feel his hand in mine, and from that same spot, a warmth spreads over me beginning at my hand and traveling through my whole body. It's a pleasant sensation that takes all the pain I was feeling with it. Before I can open my eyes, I feel his fingers against my temples and am forced into a deep slumber.

* * * * *

It's warm. So warm. And I can hear the rustling of leaves. The pleasant scent of the outdoors caresses my nose, and I can't help but smile. It's a smell I haven't been accustomed within a long time. I roll over in the soft bed, not wanting to move. I just want to lay here. I slowly open my eyes. I'm in a new room. It's beautiful. A soft cream color, and as I sit up, I notice the open wall. There's beautiful greenery and an entire pasture beyond. Which explains the smell.

I look around in confusion. Surely this can't be where we're staying. I immediately take note that all of the bruises and injuries on my body are gone. I hold my arms out in front of me, and they're nice and healed. I feel completely refreshed.

I slowly throw my feet over the side of the bed and touch the floor, which is a soft carpet. I slowly stand and make my way towards the door. I step into the hallway, looking around in confusion. Surely Remus has to be around here somewhere.

I step around the column and see him. He's standing with his back to me, in a pair of white pants, and no shirt on. He's putting his hair up in a ponytail. It's another humanistic thing that he does. I never considered that he might put his own hair up. And now watching him do it made him look less menacing.

"You can stop standing in the doorway, Iris." I jump. He didn't even turn around and he already knew of my presence. He slowly turns to me, and my eyes immediately fall to the symbol on his chest. He holds his hand out to me, and I enter the room, making my way towards him.

"How are you feeling?" he asks. I look up at him.

"Do you really care?" I ask. He laughs, but there is no humor behind it.

"You know that I don't like to repeat myself, Iris," he growls.

"I feel fine," I say immediately. He nods his head at me, walking out of the room and I know without waiting to hear that he expects me to follow. So I do. The house we're in is beautiful. It's in the middle of a field and secluded. And there is nature all around us. The large glass windows give me a perfect view of the world.

Remus leads me to the table that has food set out for me. My stomach immediately clenches. I'm hungry. I take a seat, and Remus sits next to me. Usually, he goes off and lets one of the servants keep an eye on me, but today he's watching me himself.

"Eat. You've been asleep for almost 2 days," he says. I try and hide my shock at my sleeping schedule, and grab a piece of toast nibbling on it. It's hard to focus on eating when the enemy of the human race is staring you down.

"I go over it over and over in my head, and I can't seem to come to a logical conclusion," he says out of nowhere. I look at him, and he's watching me with an intense expression.

"Do you remember what I said I hate most, Iris," he says. I look back at the table, not wanting to look at him. Afraid that he might be in a bad mood. I nod my head.

"What was it that I said, he asks. I swallow the food in my mouth.

"Betrayal," I whisper. He leans closer to me, pushing a stray hair out of my face. I close my eyes in fear, shaking. I say a silent prayer, hoping that he isn't about to torture me at this table. He leans in closer to my face.

"That's right, pet." He places a soft kiss on my cheek. "Betrayal."

"If you ever betray me again, I will make you watch as I torture innocent souls. And once I feel that you have endured enough pain emotionally, and physically, I will kill you." He says it so calmly. I shudder in fear. He places his finger under my chin, making me look at him.

"Do you understand, Iris?" he asks. I nod my head vigorously.

"I have had enough," he says. I keep my gaze focused on the table, and I'm trembling in fear. Remus tortured me beyond comprehension. He scared the life out of me, almost dropped me out of the building, and made me suffer in pain for days on end. I'm no closer to finding out how to kill him today than I was the day I agreed to help Jude.

I feel tears streaming down my face. Maybe it's time for me to accept that we won't win. I can't change the facts. And the fact is that Remus is right. We are a selfish race.

After breakfast, Remus let me explore. The house is more like a villa of some sort and it's open. Everywhere I walk is another lead to the outdoors. It's beautiful. There's even a pool on one side. Not that I know how to swim or anything. The question is, why are we out here? I'm sure I don't have to wait long for the answer to that.

I'm sitting in the living room, looking out at the view beyond. For once, there is no glass. And I can actually touch the outside. I hear a deep voice, speaking in a foreign language, and I know it isn't Remus. I turn just in time to see a man walking through. He's about the same height as Remus, with pitch black hair that falls around his shoulders. He's dressed in deep-blood red outfit. I turn my gaze when he comes into better view, not wanting to be caught staring.

"Iris. Come here." I tense as Remus' voice calls out to me. I slowly stand, and make my way over to Remus, keeping my gaze trained on the floor. His fingers close around my jaw, tilting my head upwards. The man next to Remus smiles at me, and it makes me nervous.

"She is stunning, Remus. I can see why you're so fond of this one," he says. He reaches out, touching my cheek lightly and pushing my hair behind my ear.

"She looks much timider than she did in the arena," he says studying me. He looks at Remus, and I notice his eyes are black as well. That seems to be the trait of the Leviathan. I have yet to see one with any color besides black. Other than Remus and his brother.

"Where did you learn to fight?" he asks me. I look to Remus, not knowing if I can answer or not. He nods his head, and I look back at the man.

"When your world is taken and your parents are killed at a young age, fighting becomes second nature," I say bitterly. He smiles looking at Remus.

"I see she's not too timid then," he laughs. He says something to Remus in their native language, and Remus looks at me shaking his head and responding. The man smiles even wider, and steps back from me, heading in the direction of the house I have yet to see. Remus steps closer to me, standing over me. His gaze travels from me to the field beyond. His arms wrap around my waist, pulling me in so that I am flush against him. He places his finger underneath my chin, raisng my head, as he dips his head down and kisses me.

His lips are soft and warm. They're much warmer than Jude's. Like his entire body temperature. But instead of a rough kiss or even a passionate one, it's soft. And gentle. Like he's afraid he'll break me. I gasp as a sharp pain appears on my bottom lip, and jerk back from Remus. He pulls away, staring me down and not speaking a word. He seems to be searching my face for something. He licks his lips, tasting the blood he drew from my lip and giving me a deranged smile.

"Don't wander off," he says. He steps away from me walking in the same direction as his friend.

Remus

"So, you're saying they somehow created an entire, thriving society within the confines of a mountain?" My closest friend and advisor Azael is sitting next to me, showing me the scans. I stare at them in irritation.

"And why is it that we can't find this location?" I growl.

"It seems they're using our technology to cloak themselves. Somehow they've gotten ahold of it," he says. I feel such a blinding rage, I want to kill something. Filthy heathens have the nerve to steal our technology because theirs isn't good enough.

"Is there any news from Ezra yet?" I ask. Azael sits back in his seat.

"No," he says. Fuck. Ezra stopped checking in weeks ago. And none of us know why. His reports just stopped. I don't know if I should be worried or not. If they have the technology to kill a normal Leviathan, then Ezra might be in some form of danger if they've figured the weapon out. This is proving to be more irritating than I had originally hoped.

"Have you spoken with Xion lately," he asks.

"Yeah. Every conversation is a constant battle to get her to stay on Leviathar."

"Why do you want her to stay so badly? Isn't now the perfect time to bring her in? You know she can help you land a devastating blow," Azael says. I shake my head.

"No. She's different now. Changed since she found a mate. And she'll only be in danger," I say.

"Remus, won't it be easy to just go through and kill them all?" Azael asks. I shake my head.

"Believe me. I have wanted to. But it is not up to me," I say. He nods his head knowingly. Every decision I make must go through my mother. And for the sake of my sister, she doesn't want me to wipe out the existence of humans.

My sister's name is a name feared throughout the galaxy. Along with my own. I would have never thought that she of all people, would fall in love, and give up the life of conquering for a man. And not just any man. A fucking human. A group of them showed up on our planet years ago after their ship got caught in a star storm and catapulted them across the galaxy. They crash-landed and even though I told her not to, she still fell for that man. Even after his people's betrayal.

And now that she's mated, if something happens to her mate and he dies, she will die along with him. That's the weakness of the three divinities. Once we decide who we want to mate with, our body is synced to that person. Once they die, we die. Lucky for him he mated to a Leviathan, so his lifespan will be much longer than it was meant to be. But being a human makes him fragile to something as simple as a bullet. If he dies, she dies. And I cannot risk her coming and bringing him with her.

I let out a deep sigh, rubbing my temples. I have little tolerance for incompetence. The moment I find out where this resistance is, I am going to massacre the entire place, leaving no survivors. Just like I did with Iris's original home.

I gaze at the scan again. So far there have been a number of Leviathan deaths, and even our smaller settlements have been destroyed. Somehow they have our weapons and large numbers, and they are slowly putting up a fight.

"Remus, you can't think too hard about it. There is a traitor among us, that is all. We know you would have led us to victory long ago if someone wasn't against you," he says trying to reassure me. But the thought of a traitor does more than just irritate me. It fills me with rage. The same rage that filled me when I discovered Iris's betrayal, kissing that mongrel. Even now I want to snap her neck for doing something so wretched.

And seeing the blush across her cheeks, and the smile on her face the entire day, when she thought I wasn't looking, wasn't helping. She really had some kind of feeling for that wretch. I told Zaya I didn't want them to get any kind of acquainted, but that's her problem. She believes that fear alone controls her pet. She believed that he would never do so much as look in another female's direction. But she was wrong. And it nearly cost my pet her life.

"Where was the last attack?" I ask trying to change the subject. Azael pulls out a map showing me the marks of the past attacks. I scoff in disgust. The humans aren't too smart, seeing as they attack in a pattern instead of at random. I can anticipate their next attack just by looking at the marks.

"We're going to go to this town," I say.

"Why?" Azael asks.

"It's the next attack. I want to be there when it happens. We're going to kill all of those fools. And keep one to dig up information," I say. Azael nods his head in understanding. Apparently, you can't trust a simple takeover to the fucking subjects you rule. It's time for me to take things into my own hands.

After Azael leaves I go to find Iris. I already know where she'll be. When she was walking around, her gaze kept falling to the outdoors. I was so caught up in my plans that I hadn't realized she hasn't had fresh air since I took her from that wasteland. And I can see now how much she enjoys it. I find her walking around the pasture. She's far enough away that she won't notice me watching her. It's baffling to me how weak humans are.

Their senses, their strengths, their intelligence. Everything about them is weak. I could kill her right now and she wouldn't know what hit her. She wouldn't even realize it. I watch her slender form as she walks. Her hair has grown out a lot since she was first taken. It now falls to her shoulders in loose waves. Another strange trait of humans. Their physical beauty is unlike anything I have seen. They have different hair textures. Different skin tones. Different eye colors. Yet instead of celebrating that about each other, they use it as the perfect excuse to downgrade one another.

I've never wanted to break someone as much as I want to break her. Even now, she acts as if she's innocent and docile. She acts as if she's learned her lesson. But I see that spark. Deep within her, it is not dead. It's only resting. Waiting for the day to come forth once again. And I want that gone. Out of here. Even if I have to murder an entire continent in front of her, I will do it.