“Who’s arguing?” Paz asked with a smile.
His tone shift disarmed me. What kind of magic did this human possess? I still didn’t know the full extent of his abilities. I had to be careful around him.
I grunted, then turned back to my underlings. “Pick up that fruit and put it in the den. My pet will eat it.”
“Right away, Kur’tok,” they said together.
As the two cowering Maeleons scurried into the den with their loads of fruit, Paz caught up with them.
“Hey, let me help,” he offered. “That’s a lot of fruit to carry, even for Maeleons with tentacles.”
I sneered. “Don’t help them. They can do it on their own.”
The real reason was that I wanted him to stay beside me, but I didn’t say that.
“Don’t worry, it’ll only take a second,” Paz insisted. “Can you drop the leash?”
“Hmph. I don’t want to.”
Paz flashed another smile. “I’ll be right back, I promise. Okay?”
He promised? I regarded his face, seeking signs of deception... and saw none. Would his promise be a lie?
“Fine,” I said, dropping the rope.
Paz’s brown eyes sparkled. “Thanks, Kur’tok.”
He scampered into the den to help Arr’tow and Haz’rull. If my underlings were competent, they wouldn’t need a human’s help, but I couldn’t give them that much credit.
I waited outside the den, flicking my tail irritably. Why did Paz care about helping those two when he should’ve been spending time with me? How annoying. If he was going to be my pet, we needed guidelines. He couldn’t go around doing whatever he wanted and getting into trouble. His fleshy human body was too fragile. I didn’t want him to get hurt.
“I’m back!” Paz said.
I was surprised that he’d already returned. “That was fast.”
“I told you, didn’t I?” He bent down to pick up the leash, then handed it back to me. “Here ya go.”
I grunted and closed my hand over the leash. It was odd he bothered returning it. If he was clever, he could’ve used the chance to escape... although he wouldn’t get far. So perhaps sticking around was the smarter choice after all.
“Hey, Kur’tok?” Paz asked. “Why did you get mad at those two? They brought tons of food.”
“Not meat,” I spat.
“So, you only eat meat?”
“Yes.”
“Have you...triedeating fruit?” Paz suggested.
“No,” I snapped. “Stop asking.”
“Okey doke. Then what you’re saying is, you’re still hungry.”
“Yes,” I grumbled. “But I’m more concerned about Kookee.”
Sympathy flashed in Paz’s eyes. “Oh. Are pandar carnivorous?”
“Probably.”
