Page 38 of Milked for the Holidays

“I don’t do drugs,” she snaps out. “Especially not cocaine.”

Nagán and I stare at each other for a moment, our faces holding twin expressions of incomprehension. Dropping the bag onto her stomach, I ignore her twisting and turning as I grab my communicator. It only takes a few minutes of searching before I find what she’s talking about.

No wonder she was so frightened. The stories alone are enough to make my skin crawl. Handing it over to Nagán, I smile down at my cow.

“It’s not cocaine, my pretty girl,” I cajole, breathing with her. “We don’t have anything like this on our planet. The most are mushrooms that make you see things and plants that mellow you out. But even then, it’s all tightly regulated. Only certain farms can grow them, and they keep account of quantities which they deliver to the government daily.”

“Yeah,” Nagán agrees, tossing me my communicator. “Nasty stuff. It seems as if your planet is determined to kill itself. I’ll never understand Earthlings.”

“You don’t have to understand us,” she hisses, some of her old spark coming back. “You could just leave us the fuck alone.”

“Language,” I bark out, rising to grab a gag.

Her eyes widen as I come back with it. She shakes her head back and forth, her eyes pleading with me not to put it back inside her mouth. Dangling it from my fingers, I hunch down.

“I have been lenient with you because you are ill. Do not mistake my charity for weakness. I have made the rules abundantly clear concerning speaking in front of other Icorians. If anything else comes out of your mouth that isn’t a moo, you will be gagged for the rest of the night. Understand?”

She nods her head, shrinking in on herself. Satisfied, I drop the gag next to the bench and skim my hand up her arm. At some point, self-preservation has to win out with her. She can’t stay stubborn forever.

Gritting his teeth, Nagán shakes his head and prepares the syringe. I know he thinks I’m being far too permissive with her, but I can’t help but be indulgent when she lies there unwell. Besides, I know she’s not being bratty on purpose.

From what I’ve seen from her, she lashes out when she’s scared or hurt. Though these actions will have to be culled out of her, I can understand the motivations. I’d be the same way if I found myself on Earth with nowhere to escape.

Turning her head, she scrunches her eyes closed as my brother sets the tip of the needle against her skin. I run my hands over her hair, soothing her as he drives it into her arm. Her small yelp, however, is all the sound she makes.

“Good girl,” I murmur, sliding my lips against her temple. “You took that really well.”

“Celestials,” Nagán snarls. “You coddle her as if she’s a baby. It’s only a shot. I’m sure she’ll live.”

“What does it matter that I give her a small bit of comfort? Are you really so heartless?”

“No,” he sneers. “I’m a realist, pragmatic. You keep doting on these cows and you’ll find yourself with disobedient livestock.” With a sigh, he packs his needle away. “Look. I care about you. I know how much it kills you to send your pets back to Earth. But you do this every year. You let yourself fall for a set of large, pretty eyes and an accommodating pussy and think you’re in love. Wake up. These cows will never consider you anything more than a means to scratch their genetically altered itches.”

Next to me, Jessica flinches, her gaze drifting up my face. There’s a pain there, something that has nothing to do with physical discomfort. Her small hand curls around mine as my brother continues to spew his poison.

Is my little cow trying to comfort me? That’s a first. My heart threatens to crack as I squeeze her hand back, taking the solidarity she’s so freely giving me.

“Every fucking year,” he mutters under his breath. “You think you would learn by now. These cows will never want you. We kidnap them, dragging them from their lives. They’re only too eager to go back, leaving you alone. Again. And it’s me who has to pick up the pieces of your broken heart. Not again. Not this time. You want to indulge your livestock, then that’s your choice. I won’t stand by and watch you get hurt.”

He rises and motions to the pouches. “There’s enough protein in here to give it to her three times a day for the next year. Make sure she stays hydrated, milked, and fed. She’ll be fine.”

He storms out, slamming the door behind him. Jessica flinches, her brow furrowing at the violence he causes in his departure. Tears dot her eyes as she lifts a hand to my face.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers so softly I almost can’t hear her. “I didn’t mean to make him mad.”

With a soft, indulgent smile, I sit her up and place her on my lap. I rock back and forth a bit, holding her in my arms. She feels so good there, so right. Perhaps Nagán was wrong about her. She certainly seems to care more than the others.

“He’s frustrated with me, is all. You know how siblings can be.”

She shakes her head and gives me a lopsided grin. “Only child. It’s just me.” Her face crumples as she buries her head in my chest.

Though she doesn’t say anything else, I feel the pain and anguish radiating from her. We sit there for several moments as I rock her back and forth. Both of us hurt right now. We’re both damaged in some way. It just feels so fucking good to have her in my arms.

After a while, she seems to settle down. I pull back and ease her off of my lap so she can stand between my legs. “I guess now is the time to go over the rules of the house.”

Her nose wrinkles in thought, and it’s such an adorable action. I can’t help but draw her down so I can kiss the furrowed ridges. “You’ve already given me the rules.”

“That’s for outside, around the other cows. In my home, as my pet, things are a little different.”