TEN
Two weeks later
I sit in front of the window and look out at the city below us. I’ve been here for two weeks, and I haven’t left the apartment once. Daddy has only left the apartment twice since bringing me back.
Is this how my life is going to be now with Daddy looking over me twenty-four seven?
“What are you looking at?” Daddy asks.
“The city,” I mumble and lean my forehead against the glass.
I am going out of my mind with how bored I am. All I can do is crawl around, look out the window, and sleep. And eat, but I don’t pay much attention to it. Daddy has been feeding me at least six bottles a day for the past two weeks, trying to get me to gain weight, and I have.
But I still pretend that I am cold to keep the blanket around me, so my body isn’t on display. If Daddy finds out I’ve been lying the past couple of days, things aren’t going to end well for me.
“How are you feeling?” he asks.
I stay silent.
“Little pet, how are you feeling? Are you still cold?” Daddy asks. “I can have Yamal come over and examine you.”
“I’m okay,” I whisper.
“So you aren’t cold anymore?” Daddy asks.
I shake my head. “I’m still cold.”
“But not as cold?”
My whole body freezes. Why is he asking so many questions? Does he know something that I haven’t told him? No, he can’t possibly know that I’m a little warmer.
“Little pet?” he calls my nickname and squats next to me. “Talk to Daddy.”
Even though I’ve been here two weeks, I still haven’t called him Daddy out loud. I just haven’t been able to bring myself to say that word yet. It feels too official, like I’m going to be here for the rest of my life if Icall him that.
I don’t want to be here for the rest of my life. I want to go back to the space station.
But at the same time, something inside of me is telling me to stay here with Daddy. That he is the one for me. I will have an amazing life if I stay with him. I can’t think about it, though. Daddy might be waiting for me to get comfortable with him before he decides to do what he really wants with me and make me suffer.
“Little pet?” Daddy gently touches my shoulder.
I flinch and look at him.
“What’s wrong?” he asks.
I shake my head. “Nothing.”
Buteverythingis wrong. I can’t seem to keep my mind away from him. Every single thing I do has me thinking about him. Has he cast a spell on me?
“You don’t feel as cold as before. Do you need the blanket?” He pulls the blanket away and feels my skin.
I turn around and grab the blanket, pulling it to my chest and staring at him with wide eyes. What is he doing?
“Leah, at some point you won’t be able to use the blanket to cover yourself. If you aren’t cold anymore, we can put the blanket back in your kennel,” Daddy gently says.
“I’m still super cold,” I rush out.
Maybe he’ll believe me and let me have the blanket for the rest of my life or until he gets bored with me and sends me back to the space station.
