Maddie watched Vlad's plate intensely. Her eyes followed every movement of his fork, from plate to mouth. She sat tensely, pretending to clean her whiskers every time he looked over at her.
"Don't beg, Maddie," Vlad told her. The sound of his voice only made her stand and rub against his legs. She reached up, putting her paws on his knees, but he quickly detached her claws and set her back down. "No."
Maddie sat again, curling her tail around her feet. She squeaked at Vlad, thumping the tip of her tail against the floor. She'd already eaten her own food, scattering the crunchy bits all over the kitchen floor, but she was waiting impatiently for something off his plate.
Vlad tried to deny her, he always did. But he could never keep up his resolve.
"Fine, you win again."
He took a few peas from his plate, bright and green, and rolled them across the tile floor. Maddie's eyes lit up and she chased after them, batting them between her paws. She would amuse herself until he was done, leaving the mushed remains for him to clean up later.