“You realize, of course, that while we can return the female you bought to Earth, we cannot, under any circumstances, give you a refund or exchange your purchase for another, correct?”
Charnoth, the leader of the Commercians, peered up at me anxiously, his beady eyes wavering at the ends of their long stalks.
“Yes, I know,” I said heavily. “In fact, I am prepared to pay you extra to keep an eye on little one, er, Elli, and make certain that no other male tries to buy her. She is not for sale.”
“Of course, of course!” Charnoth’s wormy face lit up with the mention of extra money. “We would be most happy to fulfill your requests, Overlord.”
“Good,” I said. “Then keep an eye on her and be certain no one else tries to buy her.”
“She will be removed from the AMI,” the Commercian promised. “Now as to the price…”
“I’ll pay whatever price you name, but I cannot stay long. I must get back to my home world,” I said harshly.
The truth was, I couldn’t bear to be there with little one, knowing I could never hold her again—knowing that our love was now against the law.
Of course, I could have signed a one-year contract with her, as I would have with a female of my own kind, but I didn’t want that. I didn’t want just a year—I wanted forever. And there was no possibility of that now that she was no longer my pet.
Bitterly I wished I hadn’t promised not to breed her. If I had gotten her pregnant with my child, we might have stayed together, even though we would no longer be allowed to act as Master and pet. But I had given her my word and I would not break it now, no matter how badly I was tempted to.
Behind me, I could feel my candalla swishing back and forth in agitation. He did not like the idea of leaving little one any more than I did. Even now I felt him wanting me to breed her—urging me to keep her with me no matter what the consequences and cost.
If I had not been Overlord of an entire continent, I might well have listened to him. I might have taken little one away to another planet and lived with her there as Master and pet, in the relationship both of us had grown to love.
But I couldn’t do that—I had responsibilities to attend to. Captain Tau’rex had told me that in the time I had been gone, the tensions between the Northern and Southern Continents had grown much worse. I had to be on my home planet to help settle my people and hopefully avoid any kind of civil war. I couldn’t abandon my post, no matter how much I loved the little human I was leaving behind. It simply wasn’t in me to do so.
And so I turned my face and tried not to see the tears rolling down little one’s flushed cheeks. She was obviously hurting but I knew I couldn’t comfort her—if I took her in my arms, even once—I would not be able to let her go again.
“I must go,” I said abruptly to Charnoth. “Send the bill to my home world—you have my coordinates. And be certain that little one…that Elli gets home safely. Put her back exactly where you found her.”
“Yes, Overlord.” Charnoth bobbed his wormy blue head in abject agreement. “Yes, it shall be done—I give my word.”
“Good.” I turned to go back down the connecting tunnel that led back to my own ship when I heard little one call my name.
“Sir,” she whispered and her voice was filled with tears. “Sir, don’t do this. Don’t leave me. I love you!”
Her words tore at my heart and I knew that if I turned around I would go to her. So I didn’t turn around.
“I love you too, little one,” I said, and then kept walking, leaving her behind even though it felt like I had left my primary heart beating on the floor at her feet.
I was certain I would never see her again.