Her Alien Protector: A Sci-fi Romance

Part 23

Ava

Everyone has been helping me address my scourge phobia and prepare for my upcoming evaluation.

Sometimes, when a scourge gets too close or yells too loud, in my mind, I am locked in a room with Loviatar. Slowly, though, with Rigel's help, I learn not to show my outward fear. Rigel even tells me I don't need to work on desensitization anymore. Maybe he thinks I am cured?

Kayla helps me prepare for the evaluation, too. She uses computers to find every single detail about this upcoming test, including information such as what behaviors they will be looking for and how they will score me. She teaches me a few scourge words, basically, pet commands. It doesn't take me long to learn those. In case that doesn't work, she gives me a cool secret watch. All I need to do is look at the watch's face and read the translated words.

So, I begin to believe what Kayla tells me. I can pass the test that only requires me to be a pet, not a pilot or an engineer or anything that complicated.

Except now that it is the day of my test, I cannot help noticing Rigel's nervousness. Throughout the day, he paces and sometimes shakes his wings and fluffs out his feathers. Then, right before we leave for my scheduled appointment, he offers me a... pill?

"...if you find yourself jittery or nervous," Rigel says, going on some rambling explanation about pharmacologic agents.

In my gut, this doesn't feel right. I refuse Rigel's offer.

"Shall we go," he says.

I bring him the leash. We walk through the hallways together, and I can't stop thinking about the pill. Does Rigel think I will mess this up? Did he only pretend I no longer needed to work on the desensitization plan because he thinks I am a hopeless pet?

I have a new realization on our long walk to my test: Rigel thinks I will fail.

***

The waiting area for the test reminds me of a bus or train station, with big rows of seats. Scourges sit in the chairs with their pets, waiting for their pets' evaluations.

Rigel walks with me toward a chair at the end of a long row.

A few scourges thrash their tails when we walk by them.

Don't show fear. I can't help myself, pressing my body against Rigel. Rigel sits in the large chair. He gives off so many little tells of his nervousness, from his wings fluttering, to putting his hands in my hair and pulling my hair so hard it hurts. Ow! Does he even know what he is doing?

I don't like sitting in the open surrounded by all the scourges, so since my leash is a bit long, I position myself in the same spot I do when I am in the park—underneath the chairs.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Scourges are only a few feet away, but with their big burly scourge bodies, it would take a lot of effort to reach me, so this arrangement makes me feel safe.

Watching the scourges from this semi-hiding spot becomes amusing, mainly because I can watch the antics of a scourge the others call Seth. The scourge Seth seems small by scourge standards, although, by human standards, he looks like he is about the same height and weight as an average adult male human. Seth runs around the room.

It is when Seth leaps over the chairs that happen to have scourges in them that a scourge holding a fanged rat in her lap yells at Seth. My wrist unit flashes with words, so I watch it to discover what the rat owner is telling Seth. "Seth, behave! That is impolite and inappropriate scourge behavior."

Oh my. Is Seth a child scourge?

Seth does not seem to be listening. He runs to the far corner of the room, drumming an animal cage so hard that the animal inside rattles and shakes the cage.

"Seth, son, leave that pet alone," yells the scourge, petting her rat.

Seth stomps on the tail of a few of the waiting scourges. So much scourge bellowing.

"Seth, be nice," says the scourge rat owner, while Seth ducks down, disappearing into the crawl space underneath the chairs.

Scourges argue, but Seth continues his antics, swiping at scourges' ankles. It is easy to estimate where Seth is by the way scourges roar and jump from their seats.

Still, I do not expect it when there is a hand at my backside. Seth hisses at me, flashing tiny scourge fangs. I crawl to the side, giving Seth a clear path to continue his ankle-biting expedition.

Seth goes a short distance past me, biting the next scourge who roars.

I don't like Seth being down here with me, but it is more comfortable under these chairs than out in the open lobby, and I only need to tolerate Seth occasionally.

On Seth's fourth time through the underneath-the-chairs obstacle course, he stops when he comes close to me.

Seth hisses the pet command for come at me. "Kata."

No way. When I refuse the order, the scourge kid makes a grab for my collar. Nope, I'm out of there. I get out from under the seats and sit on the floor near Rigel.

Technically, I am an adult, but Seth is not likely to listen to someone marked as a pet, so I press against Rigel's leg, hoping he will give Seth an admonishing glare or something. Rigel doesn't even look at me, his gaze intent on the watch-like device on his wrist, flicking his fingers, immersed in whatever he studies. Rigel's presence must be sufficient to make Seth back off because the scourge kid leaves me alone and continues his route.

I hear a familiar peep, and when I look up, I gasp.

"Glow Ball?"

The little rahoni darts in the air around me. I don't know what the rahoni is doing here, other than maybe accompanying a scourge. I am happy to see the rahoni and coax it to sit with me.

Seth makes a few more rounds through the lobby, leaping over every chair with the occupant in it. I am amazed at how patient the scourges are. Other than the rat owner, the other scourges do not speak to him. Maybe I overestimated how ferocious scourges can be.

It is still easy to see where Seth is as he pokes at yet another scourge, until...

One moment, the rahoni peeps at me, and the next—

Seth grabs the rahoni, dragging him under.

I tap Rigel's ankle, pointing at Seth. Rigel doesn't even glance at me.

I can hear the rahoni's peeps getting quieter as Seth crawls further into the tunnel.

I don't want to risk finding out what Seth will or will not do, so I take off after Seth.

When I get close to the misbehaving child, I'm at a loss. How to get Seth to stop, especially when I have such a limited vocabulary?

"Stop," I hiss in scourge.

Seth drops his hands. The little rahoni is smart, flying off the second Seth lets him go.

If I could speak scourge words, I would tell that scourge kid to 'be nice' and 'leave rahonis alone,' except I don't know any more words, so I turn my back on the kid, crawling back through the tunnel.

From behind, I'm tackled. Seth is like a wrestler, pinning me.

I'm scared. I'm underneath the chairs where no one can see me, and I can't get out of this kid's grip. So, when that kid puts his hand near my mouth, I bite.

Seth lets go, I crawl as fast as I can through the tunnel, but Seth's fingers catch my collar. He unclips my leash and has me by the neck. No matter how much I twist, the kid won't let go. I'm like this kid's doll, being dragged deeper into the tunnel with him. Where is everyone? Seth's parent? Or Rigel?

Seth and I are now at the far end of the tunnel, right in front of a large cage. Seth's grip is strong, and he pushes me against the cage grates. He bangs the cage.

Luminous red eyes shine at me from inside the cage and then those eyes rush at me.

Someone is screaming and–