Her Alien Protector: A Sci-fi Romance

Part 9

Rigel

The odd game Kayla gave us—chasing fruit—does wonders for Ava. She eats with gusto and acts less skittish, even crawling onto me, all in pursuit of a few points.

What I am not ready for is how the game works for me. When she climbs over my body, we are so close I smell her alluring scent. I want to sniff her from head to toe, tuck her into my arms and wings, and snuggle.

We laugh, and when the clock on the scoreboard alerts us to the countdown for the remaining point, not even thinking about what I am doing, I push the berry from my mouth into hers. Our lips press into each other and my lips tingle, spreading into my spinal cord, down my limbs, and engorging my...

Oh, my stars. This situation has gone too far.

"Terminate the game," I tell the wall computer, struggling to get a grip.

No one on this ship knows my secret, how I grew up on a planet where all the females of their species were wiped out, so missing them in my formative years means I now lack the knowledge of how to even be intimate with women. I do not know how to control these emotions. What if I lose control and hurt her?

Ava does not recognize how dangerous I am to her. Even though the game is over, she continues climbing onto me. When her foot bumps into my throbbing penis, she wiggles her foot against my erection.

I need to get her away from me now!

My wings snap out. Ava tumbles onto the floor. Fearful eyes gaze at me, her lip trembles, and then she disappears under the bed.

What have I done?

My hands are in fists that I do not remember making. My reaction probably sent Ava into a state where she now relives her nightmare, and she must flee from me. I am a monster.

I do the only thing I can to make her feel safe; into the pool room I flee.

The irrationality of what I did hits me. I did not know how to handle new emotions, so I went into the next room and closed the door on her?

I cannot go face her now. First, there is my shame. Worse, I do not have control over my emotions, only recognizing them when they spill out of me. Furthermore, I cannot put these on Ava who is still recovering from trauma.

So, I bathe. Fortunately, via my wrist unit, I have access to information.

"Read aloud from the text from Your Human and You," I tell my wrist unit.

As I listen to the detailed information about the intricacies of caring for a human pet (feeding, grooming, and exercising), I search for missing pieces of the puzzle. How do I help my human? What do I say to her to make it right?

My feathers are heavy with water and the skin of my hands is wrinkled. "Where is Ava?" I ask my wrist unit.

"Sleeping on the floor."

I emerge from the pool, shake the water off, and step into my bedroom. Just as my wrist unit told me, she curls on the floor facing the door. Disappointment with myself resurfaces when I realize... Even after my odd behavior, she was waiting for me.

The room's temperature is frigid. Might Ava be too cold? I grab blankets from my bed and lay them over her.

I climb into bed and fall asleep.

***

The sound of Ava's cries wakes me.

My heart pounds. I will fight whoever is hurting her.