Page 20 of Pet: Torment

“But the Leviathan don’t seem to harbor negative feelings,” I counter.

Instead of anger, Remus once again shows his patience as he smiles, his eyes falling to my throat.

“You haven’t worn your locket since I returned it to you,” he says matter-of-factly.

“I—”

“Find it difficult when the memory of something so precious has been tainted?” he finishes for me.

My eyes widen at how spot-on he is.

“I thought you weren’t going to use the bond,” I say accusingly. But he once again laughs, and my cheeks warm from the sight of his smile.

“I don’t need the bond to understand parts of you, Iris. You and my mother are similar in that regard. You both don’t like reminders,” he says.

He studies me for a moment before gently gripping my hand as he pulls me along. It isn’t until we approach a hall opposite of the room that I realize Remus is taking me away from the celebration. He seems to know where it is he wants to take me, and for some reason, I am content with going along.

Remus takes me to the rooftop of the building. It’s empty and slightly chilly as we step onto the terrace, and Remus doesn’t miss a beat as he removes his cape, wrapping it around my shoulders as he leads me to the edge of the building. My eyes widen as I take in the large planet in the atmosphere. It’s much more visible now that night has settled over the land, casting light over the city below. Remus steps closer behind me, gently pulling me flush against him.

“How are you feeling?” he asks.

“Better,” I manage.

He doesn’t respond to my blatant lie. He knows me better than I know myself. He can hear my heartbeat and smell my fear. I’m sure he knows how I am feeling without me lying to him.

I am exhausted. Even standing here takes more effort than it did on Earth. And it doesn’t help that the dreams I’ve been having are keeping me up at night. All of that, coupled with Remus’s strange shift, is driving me to the brink of self-control. And it’s only been a few days since we arrived.

“We can leave if you’d like,” he says as if sensing my thoughts.

“Isn’t this celebration for you?” I ask, earning a chuckle from Remus.

“I hardly ever enjoy attending these. I am known to disappear after an hour or so,” he says.

Though his words should be harmless, they shed more light on the existence of him and his siblings. The fact that theyhave conquered so often that Remus has a known routine is unnerving. And as I look at the planet in the atmosphere, I am forced to acknowledge that regardless of his small shows of humanity, Remus is a force to be reckoned with. A force that everyone seems hellbent on warning me about. I continue to look at the planet, my mind shifting to the one we passed that was destroyed. And I can’t help but wonder if Noah is also aware of the history behind it.

I slowly turn to face Remus as I let my curiosity get the best of me. Before we attended the event, he asked me what was on my mind. And with everything that has occurred tonight, from learning about his mother and his title to dealing with his brother, I am beginning to appreciate the calm I’ve associated with Remus. He’s always been transparent, never hiding his intentions. So, I force down the emotions that I’ve been harboring against him for the sake of my own planet as I give in to the part of me that needs answers.

I take a small breath, reaching for his face. His eyes rival any jewels as the warm purple is slowly swallowed by the exciting flecks of blue sprinkled within his ethereal gaze. He always looks at me with such desire—such excitement. My fingers hesitate inches from his face as I recall the forcefield that pushed against me that day in the snow. But his eyes coax me into following through, and I am met with no resistance as my fingers come into contact with his cheek.

His skin is warm against mine, and I note that the blue in his gaze continues to shine brightly as I touch him. My mind shifts to Noah’s warning as I look into Remus’s eyes. I’ve always known Remus is otherworldly, but he casually mentioned his mother existing on a separate plane. And I don’t have the mental capacity to contemplate what that means.

Noah’s warning was a wake-up call I didn’t know I needed. Everything I’ve witnessed up to this point has been a red flag as to the danger that is Remus.

ThetrueRemus.

As I stand before him, taking in the unnatural beauty I’ve grown accustomed to, I realize just how out of touch I’ve been. I know nothing about this alien. All I know is what he’s allowed me to see and the patience that has come with it. What is he capable of that goes beyond what I saw on Earth?

“What is it?” Remus asks, knowingly.

His voice is low and strained.

“What are you, really?” I ask.

He doesn’t respond immediately, his hand slowly coming up to cover mine. He gently pulls my hand from his face, placing it on his chest where his symbol pulses beneath. He smiles, leaning in so that his lips hover over mine as he speaks.

“Yours.”

And then he kisses me.