I snorted. “You are foolish.”
He laughed off my insult. “If you thinkI’mdumb, you should meet my friend Levi.”
I didn’t give a pandar’s ass about his fellow flesh-bag friend, but talking about them clearly improved Paz’s mood, so I let it slide this time.
I crossed my arms, leaning against the edge of the pool. “Hmph. If you want me to meet him, he must come here.”
Paz perked up. “So, youwouldlet my friends visit?”
“Maybe if you keep behaving.”
His expression brightened like the morning sun. My chest squirmed in a cottony, weird way. Why did the human’s smile bring me happiness?
I hadn’t meant my promise about his stupid friends. Unfortunately, now I felt compelled to see it through. But not now, and not anytime soon. I wanted Paz all to myself until I had my fill—and I’d never be satisfied.
My gaze raked over him. The water was crystal-clear, and I saw every part of his strange body. He was so squishy and breakable. I felt the fierce, hot urge to protect him from the world’s dangers.
It was only natural, wasn’t it? He was my pet, and therefore, my responsibility.
Without thinking too hard about it, I reached over to stroke the tuft of curly fur on his round little head. It was damp but silky. The sensation was pleasant, so I quickly fell into a rhythm.
Paz made a humming sound and leaned against my palm. I felt the weight of his slight figure press into me, trusting I wouldn’t let him fall.
A lick of warmth brushed my ribs. Despite being a naked weakling with no sense, the human was cute. I was glad I’d caught him in my trap.
As I continued petting his head-fur, Paz shuffled closer until his head rested on my bicep. It weighed nothing. I could’ve lifted his entire body with a single tentacle wrapped around his waist.
That sort of weakness usually angered me. I despised weakness of any kind. But with Paz, it dug open a well deep inside me and awakened a fiery mix of emotions. I wanted him to be safe. I wanted to protect him. And I knew that if anything or anyone threatened him, they’d face my white-hot rage.
“Hey, what’re you so stiff for, Kur’tok?” Paz asked casually. “Relax.”
I grunted by way of apology, then forcibly unclenched my muscles. I’d forgotten how perceptive the human could be. It was like he really cared.
I shook off that thought. Paz was my prey. My pet. A human flesh-bag. He couldn’t care about me likethat—I was crazy for even considering it.
My hand roamed wherever it desired. It slipped down the back of Paz’s neck, making his skin shiver. My fingers were large enough to wrap around his thin throat, and strong enough to wring the life out of him—but he wasn’t scared. In any case, I would never dream of hurting him. I liked him the way he was: warm, alive, and mouthing off.
My hand drew a path down his spine and along the plane of his back. It was smooth as the rest of him, not a patch of furor scale in sight. The lack of feelers was the weirdest part of human anatomy. The fact that his shoulders were even visible felt obscene.
“Mm, that feels nice,” Paz said, swaying pleasantly. “I don’t remember the last time I had a back rub.”
My nostrils flared. I didn’t want anybody else touching Paz this way.
“I will give them to you,” I growled. “Only me.”
The corner of his lip curved. “I’m okay with that.”
One hand wasn’t enough. Grunting, I picked up Paz. The human didn’t protest. He weighed as much as a wet handful of soil. I placed him between my legs so his back was easier to access.
“You were too far away,” I grumbled.
He cleared his throat. “We’re, uh, pretty close now, huh?”
“It is better this way.”
I placed both my hands on Paz’s shoulders. They disappeared beneath my giant palms. Rubbing circles with my thumbs, I massaged my pet until he moaned and melted into the touch. The whimpering sounds that spilled from his mouth made me feel hot, but the water hadn’t changed temperature. I was still convinced the human kept his special powers hidden, but as long as he didn’t use them to escape, I was fine with his secret.
My hands dipped down to the gentle slope of his lower back. My thumbs dug in, sensing the tension there.
