Her Alien Protector: A Sci-fi Romance

Part 18

Tarak

Anytime I'm even within a few feet of the little human Ava, her response is always the same. So, no matter how much I avoid her or hunch to make myself smaller—a challenge since I am a large and powerful scourge—her heartbeat races, and sometimes, she whimpers.

This is why I did not want her to come on this trip; scourges spook her. Except my Kayla arranged it so that this quaking human and the annoying bird Rigel joined us on my ship's first voyage.

I was eager to return to Hydra and finally rid myself of Rigel and Ava. Right before launch, once again, my Kayla has other plans.

"We need plant specimens. It will only require a short mission. Rigel will fly and Ava will collect more plant samples," says Kayla.

I argue. I bellow. Our entire expedition is devolving into sloppiness. The safety of all the extra creatures aboard the Firefly (even if I did not want them with us) is my duty.

Except during our discussion, Kayla presses against me, taking my hand and placing it over her chest where her mark lies. whispering. "Soul mate, you are mine and I am yours."

This is how Kayla defeats me.

She strokes my arm. My smart little mate knows what things to say to make me submit to her.

"Four hours," I bark gruffly and when her smile widens, I list my conditions. "You must stay on the ship, and I..." It pains me to say the next one. "I will accompany Ava and Rigel so I can collect more geology specimens."

The last part is a lie. I need more rocks the same way I need more ridiculous creatures aboard the Firefly. No, I must accompany Rigel and the little human Ava, for an important reason: all three of them, Kayla, Ava, and even Rigel (where did that bird grow up?) seem oblivious to the dangers of an unknown planet. Rigel and Ava survived one mission, but they should never have been alone.

That is how I find myself, once again, with a stone's throw from the two I never wanted aboard the Firefly. I play my role, pretending to work. Ava is near a clump of grass and although she should be taking samples, she warily watches me. Even from where I stand, I can see that she is struggling, trying to hide the fact that she is shaking.

Meanwhile, the oblivious Rigel watches me, studying everything I do from plucking shiny stones from the dirt and dropping them into my sack.

Rigel starts pestering me with his annoying questions. "What kind of rocks are those?"

Why does he want to know this? Is he planning on rock collecting?!

I chip away at another rock. Although I want to yell at Rigel, I push this urge down. This activity gives me cover for my real job: acting as a guardian sentinel.

"Mica," I say.

"I notice you are only selecting some of the rocks to put in the bag. How do you know which ones to collect?" asks Rigel.

My attention is on Ava and the flying butterfly—the rahoni—which Kayla also insisted we bring. In general, the bigger the animal, the slower its heartbeat. Right now, Ava's heart races so much it is faster than the small rahoni flying around her.

To see a human so distressed, even though she belongs to another, makes me upset. Especially when the one who should be taking care of her is more interested in rocks.

I want to nip and prod him toward Ava. Instead, I flash the tips of my fangs at him. "Why do you care more about rocks than your mate?"

He follows my gaze, glancing at Ava, and then stares up at the sky as if the answer is written there. "She is not my mate. Per Hydra's guidelines, I am her temporary owner, and as such, it is my job to help her adapt to life aboard Hydra."