The Human Pet

Chapter 6

Potential triggers: force feeding

"Layla."

Alistair says something else while patting his leg. I don't fully understand it, but I follow him out of the bathroom.

It's easier to walk beside him now that I have clothes. It's strange. I haven't fully relaxed, but finally feeling the soft cloth against my body puts me at ease. There was only a shirt and pants, but I was happy with what I had.

He leads me into a kitchen, big enough to also have a dining table and a few chairs. And... oh no.

Right as my eyes land on it, I'm lifted up again. Alistair carries me over and sits me in a damn high chair. And I would jump, but I don't think my ankles would appreciate the landing.

I don't think Alistair would, either.

My arms are forced up as he slides the table in place. I can't see the complicated lock with the table in the way. I'm stranded.

My frown earns me a laugh. Alistair walks past me, then comes back with a bowl of...pellets? Oh, hell no.

I glare at the giant as he takes his own seat. For a moment I just stare at him. He can't honestly expect me to eat this...

Apparently he does. With a grimace I pinch one between my fingers and sniff it. They smell weird, but thankfully not as bad as the ones they gave us at the shop. Still pretty bad. These are bite sized and evenly speckled with brown and green. My stomach twists threateningly and I set it down. I don't want to eat this....

After a few minutes of me staring at the bowl like it offended me personally, I hear Alistair sigh. The grating of his chair against the floor makes me wince. A spoon comes down and picks up one of the pieces, hovering in front of my stubbornly closed mouth. He says my name in warning along with some other words I can't understand.

I open my mouth to protest. Before I can, the spoon is shoved into my mouth. A massive hand holds my jaw, clamping my mouth shut. Tears make my vision blurry once again as I look at Alistair's cold eyes.

~~~~

I'm glad I had the idea to take the bowl away. I didn't feel like cleaning up kibble, and judging by the way her arm had flailed I would've had kibble all over the floor. That said, I had to force myself not to soften up at the sight of those tears.

Like all good pet owners, I hated seeing my pets anything but happy. I knew that Layla would not like the kibble, but our food just didn't have all the necessary nutrients that humans needed. That's why I had gotten a food brand that seemed to have a good success rate. I had also been planning to give her a bit of my own food as a reward.

A distressed whine escapes my pet. I make sure to force down my want to let her go and comfort her. I could not budge on this. I didn't need her getting sick, as humans were more prone to catching illnesses than any other species.

"Eat, Layla. Now."

I can feel her shaking in my grip. Her mouth opens, and I tilt her head up so that it shuts.

"Now."

For a moment she doesn't breathe. I feel her jaw moving before finally seeing her swallow. It is only after that that I let go.

Now Layla hangs her head, sniffling and shaking. I've barely had her a day and already I hate seeing her upset.... Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I have to force myself to spoon up another piece and offer it to her. She doesn't open her mouth, choosing instead to give me a begging look.

Nobody said this was going to be easy...

"No. You have to eat this." I press the spoon against her mouth. "Open."

And she does. The next three bites she opens her mouth obediently. I make sure to praise her after each bite.

She hesitates at the next bite. It takes a bit of coaxing for her to take it. Then I decide to quit while I was ahead.

"Good girl, Layla. Thank you so much." I know she doesn't understand me. I'm hoping my soft and happy tone will help. As I grab my plate and bring it around, I notice that she's shaking and looking down, looking close to tears. A coo of pity escapes my lips. Using her spoon, I scoop up some of my own food.

"Layla~"

Her whine makes my heart crumble, along with the way she warily looks up at me. I give her what I hope is a comforting smile.

"Here you go, baby girl. Eat up." She winces as I bring the spoon around. But the second the smell hits her she lights up.

She eagerly eats bite after bite. I even give her some of my own water to drink. She tries to grab the cup from me. I don't let her. Our things are often heavier than what humans expect them to be. I don't want her dropping it and getting her clothes all wet.

Still, it feels nice to have her little hands resting on top of mine.

I relish in the small smile she gives me. I decide to let Layla down as I eat the rest of my dinner. She looks all too happy to be out of the high chair. It's cute to watch her wander around the kitchen. When she wanders too far I call for her, but for the most part I let her be.

As I watch her, I think to myself. Originally I had planned to let her settle in first before attempting to train her. I had even planned to take an extra week off of work if needed. But from the strides she had made already, I don't think I'll need to. Plate empty, I stand.

I hold back my squeal when she rushes to me. I reach down to pat her soft mane, grinning at the cute little pout she gives me. To my surprise, she follows me on the way to the sink. The counter is taller than she can see, but that doesn't stop her from trying to look.

I decide that it would be best to turn in. It was getting late, and Layla was clearly tired from her eventful day today. I just hoped she wouldn't be too mad at me tomorrow.

Her stuff was still in the room across from mine. She would feel much more comfortable if she had a space to call her own. Although if she got too territorial I'd have to move her crib to my room.

The crib that I hadn't set up yet....

I carry Layla to my room, setting her on my bed so I can grab her toothbrush. Her clothes were soft enough to sleep in comfortably. And the kibble would keep her full until breakfast. I brush Layla's teeth first, then mine while she does her business. I even lift her onto the counter so she can wash her hands.

Guess I should add a step stool to the shopping list.

When I carried Layla back to the bedroom she seemed to shake. Usually I slept in only pajama pants, but for the sake of her comfort I also put on an undershirt.

The way she turns around when I change doesn't escape my notice.

Her shaking only seems to grow as I climb into the sheets and pull her close. My best bet is to act like this wasn't a big deal.

Which it wasn't. Loads of people sleep with their pets. If I had gotten a domestic human, I would have done the same. But Layla is clearly timid so I would need to build her crib as soon as possible.

As I put an arm around her I hear her soft voice say my name in question. I simply kiss the top of her head and smile.

A book in my hand, I open it and start reading aloud. Layla's shaking lessens as time goes on. I had set her head on top of my chest, and with my arm around her it wasn't as if she could pull away.

It's a full three chapters before Layla falls asleep.

Please stop asking me about updates.