The Human Pet

Chapter 16

At home Layla was still reserved. She barely talked to me and gave one worded replies when she did. Perhaps today was just too overwhelming and she needed some time to adjust. She couldn't still be mad at me for what happened at work, could she?

It'd be my fault if she was. I should have done more to acclimate her to the classroom, more to assure her that I wouldn't take her toy again. Humans were finicky like that.

No matter. She'll either forgive me and move on or I'll win her over again.

It was just about time for her nap to be over. Our days were twice as long as on Earth, so humans need to sleep in the middle of the day to stay healthy. Not for too long, otherwise they wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

I usually let Layla sleep for about two hours, anything over that and she'd become cranky at being woken up and would refuse to sleep later.

She's always a bit quiet when she wakes, always reaching up because she doesn't want to walk yet. I know I should probably make her, but she rests her little head on my shoulder and I'd be a monster to stop that!

Today is different. Layla wakes up too easily, as if she hadn't slept well. She rejects my offer to carry her, instead choosing to trail after me.

Her appetite still hasn't come back yet. Surely that's because of her cycle. She couldn't still be overwhelmed. She was home! This is a safe space!

Maybe she just needed time to adjust after a long day. It wouldn't do to have her see me fussing over her. That might scare her.

If this keeps up I'll take her to the vet. It's probably nothing, but first time human owner jitters are hard to shake.

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I don't know why this upsets me so much. It's not like I didn't know he saw me as a pet. I guess….

I guess some part of my mind still thought….hoped?.... that he saw me as a person.

But no. I'm not a person here, am I. I'm just some dumb creature. A poor animal that apparently needed to be saved from the uncultured world she was unfortunate enough to be born in.

Have they bothered to look and see how far humans have come? Or did they come around thousands of years ago and decide that these packs of humans were as good as they were gonna get.

I don't know. I don't care.

And that same part of my head that hoped that Alistair saw me as a companion and not some lesser being tries to get mad.

But…. I knew this already, didn't I?

From day one it was clear what roles we played. The fact that I kept my name meant nothing. From the very first day I was treated exactly like a pet. I was given a collar, I was acclimated to eating pellets, I was harness trained.

So why does it hurt?

Oh….

Oh….

Oh, that was a stupid thought.

Did I honestly think that learning his language would somehow get him to see me as a person?

No, that was stupid. It's not like I'm dealing with rational beings. These are beings that keep creatures that look exactly like them as pets, despite our intelligence.

How foolish I was, to think that it would work out.

And my owner - because that's what he is, not my friend, my owner - is probably oblivious to my thought process. He probably thinks I'm just tired.

….

I suppose I am tired.

….

I don't know what to do….