The Human Pet: A Sci-Fi Romance

Part 21

Kayla

I wake up on my master's bed, a bit groggy. Blankets are tightly wrapped around me like I am a baby or something, which only means... Tarak. Where is he? I look around the room. The door to the pool room is open, so he might be there, or maybe he has stepped out. That's good because I need time.

I shake myself free from the blankets and slowly sit up, glancing down to see how I am dressed. I slowly exhale in relief that I am still wearing the hospital gown. Good. I open the tie of my hospital robe, and everything I had swiped from the hospital—a box with sutures, a package of bandages, and even a little alcohol vial—topples onto the floor. I push them under the bed, hiding them away for when I have time to check the product numbers on the computer.

Dull pain in the back of my head throbs. Already, I'm tired and getting a headache.

I crawl back into bed. Lights out.

***

The light in the room is too bright. Tarak is by the bedside, tugging on my blanket. I grip the end of the blanket and yank it over my eyes. That's better since it is nice and dark, and I can stay buried in these blankets and sleep. Except Tarak peels back the blanket yet again. I huff in annoyance, grab the blanket, and Tarak lays his hand over mine. He gazes at me with his big gray eyes.

We haven't spoken a word, but I think I know what he wants. Sure enough, he puts his hands underneath my back and my knees and lifts me. There's a sharp pain in my head and I cry out.

"Shh," says Tarak, carrying me into the pool room.

The pool room is often brightly lit, so I dread this but when we enter, I am pleasantly surprised. The room is relatively dark, and only a few flickering candles illuminate pockets of the room.

I do not think I am capable of bathing right now; I am tired and have the most excruciating headache. Tarak looks after me. He strips me of my clothing and gently carries me into the pool. He dabs my skin with a soft sponge and warm water cascades over me.

I can't help reflecting on how my view of my life on Hydra has changed. I used to hate the idea of being Tarak's pet, but I've grown to enjoy having someone care for me. It is even more than that, though. Tarak is so gentle and kind, that even with my pounding headache, I want to stay here in Tarak's arms forever, except that he is already carrying me out of the pool and swaddling me in big fluffy towels.

The towels around me are so tight that once again I feel like a baby, or maybe a mummy because I can't even move more than a hand. Tarak takes me to bed, carefully positioning me on his chest and his strong arms wrap around me.

Darkness.

***

The blue star flickers across the wall and Tarak crouches by the bedside.

"Kata," he says in a soft voice, holding out a single berry for me. His other hand is what draws my attention because he holds a bunched-up blanket.

How obvious can he get? Nope. I do not want to do whatever it is he is planning to do with the blanket, so I stay in bed.

He calls me again, shaking that berry, and this time, I can't help but notice how pinched his eyes look.

Ugh. Unless I go along with this, he will probably never leave, and I put him through so much yesterday. So, when he dangles the berry for the third time and calls me... Even though I know I will regret this, I make a half-hearted grab for the berry, and he drops the blanket around me.

It's horrible! I can't see anything, my hands are trapped, and he forces the berry into my mouth. His hand slips over my mouth so I can't spit it out. A bitter taste floods my mouth, which I can only guess means that the berry is laced with pain medication. He runs one of his fat fingers over my throat as if that would encourage me to swallow.