Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 149470 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 598(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149470 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 598(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Sir’s frown deepened, furrows appearing on his high forehead between his curling horns.
“I wouldn’t want to kick you by accident, little one,” he said slowly. “And I don’t usually approve of allowing pets to sleep in their owner’s bed. But…”
“But what?” I said, leaning forward eagerly when he paused.
He sighed deeply.
“But I suppose I can make an exception, just this once. Provided that you give me your word you’ll stay on the sleeping platform and won’t try to go wandering around the room or my ship.” He pointed a finger at me sternly. “I’m prepared to be very strict about this. If I catch you out of the platform, you’re going straight into your crate no matter how much you hate it. Am I understood?”
“Yes, Sir,” I said, speaking the name he had given me to call him for the first time. “I’ll be good—I promise.”
“Well…” He sighed and ran a hand over his curling horns and black hair. “I suppose for tonight it’s allowed. But the moment we get to the spaceport, I’m buying you your very own pet bed. Understood?”
I nodded eagerly.
“Yes, all right. I understand.”
“All right then—come up on the bed.” He patted the bed beside him, as though he was inviting a cat or dog to jump up.
I might have been more offended, but at that point I was just so relieved that I didn’t have to sleep in that horrible crate, I barely even minded his condescension.
But getting up into the high sleeping platform by myself was easier said than done. As I said before, it was really high and there was nothing to use as any kind of step to climb up. Plus, the silver bedspread was really slippery. Still, I gave it a try. Gripping handfuls of the silver duvet in both hands, I attempted to pull myself up.
I go to the gym regularly but you know how guys often skip leg day? Well, I kind of do that same thing with my arms. So I’m afraid I don’t have as much upper body strength as I would like. Not nearly enough to pull myself up onto a bed that is chin-height on me. My feet kept slipping on the silver coverlet as I tried to drag myself up and I kept on sliding back down again.
Sir began making that rumbling sound again and after a moment, I realized he was laughing at me—just like he had when he’d found me in the clutches of the alien toilet!
“Hey!” I said sharply, panting. “It’s not funny—it’s not my fault… you have a bed… as tall as Mount Everest!”
“Come here, little one” he said. And leaning down, he held out his arms to me.
Though it went against all my instincts, I inched closer and allowed him to pick me up under my arms and swing me onto the bed, like I was a little kid or a doll—which was basically how I felt with him, size-wise, anyway.
“There you go,” he said, still rumbling with laughter. “You really are adorable, you know that, little one?”
“I don’t know any such thing,” I said with as much dignity as I could muster. He was looking at me with that expression on his face—the same one I always wear when I’m watching cute and funny cat videos online—and it pissed me off. “Do you want me to sleep at the foot of the bed?” I asked, deciding not to dignify his laugher any further.
He shook his head.
“No, as I said, I don’t want to kick you in my sleep. You can stay here beside me as long as you don’t kick either.”
“Don has never said I kicked,” I said. “And I never really slept with anyone else all that much.”
“Ah yes—the mate you left behind, correct?” He raised an eyebrow at me. “The one you claimed you were going to be Joined to when you thought I wanted you as my bride?”
“He’s not my mate, he’s my fiancé,” I corrected him. “But that means we were supposed to be mated. And we would have been if you hadn’t taken me away,” I added accusingly.
Sir shook his head.
“You’ll forget him soon enough, little one. He’s in your past now and soon enough you and I will form a bond. The bond between a Master and his pet is quite strong, you know,” he added.
Angry words filled my mouth so fast they nearly choked me. How dare he compare the bond of an owner and pet with the bond of two equal and loving romantic partners? How dare he condescend to me like this—acting like I was a puppy that was missing its littermates but would forget them soon enough?
Then I remembered I was only sleeping on the bed instead of the horrible coffin-like crate because my new Master was letting me. And if I went pissing him off before bedtime, I would probably wind up back in the crate.