Her Alien Protector: A Sci-fi Romance

Part 25

Ava

The scourge grips my leash and leads me through a long hallway. When we stop, a door opens. It's dark and something unseen growls from inside the room.

The scourge points into the room. Is he kidding me? Without being able to see what kind of beasts are in there, I'm not—

The scourge scoops me up, carrying me into the room. Hoots and growls and hisses are all around us. The scourge places me back on the floor and is already walking toward the door. I try to follow, but my leash holds me back. I'm helpless to watch as the scourge leaves.

When the door slams shut the room is once again plunged into darkness. The sounds get so much louder. What if these animals attack me or hurt me?

Don't panic, don't panic, don't—

Everything spins. I dig my nails into my palms, desperately trying to stop my mind from spiraling.

My heart races and I cannot slow my breathing.

A luminous yellow ball is floating toward me.

Am I dying?

When the ball gets closer, it peeps.

"Glow Ball?"

The animal flies into my arms, and I hug him. So much peeping.

Glow Ball casts light, which helps me see the leash and collar, enough so that I can unclip myself. I carry Glow Ball around the room, using him as a lantern. The wall looks like the one in Rigel's room and office: a computer, maybe?

"Turn the lights on," I say and tap the device on my wrist for a translation. Slowly, I say the scourge words that appear on my device, say it to the wall, and...

Overhead lights flick on, illuminating the cages scattered across the room. Oh, I must be in some sort of pet waiting room.

An animal roars. I look in the direction the sound comes from, and I see a familiar large cage near the door. My cheek still stings from my last encounter with the creature.

Maybe this time it will not be as scary? I grip Glow Ball tightly and take a step closer to the dark cage. Red glowing eyes gaze back at me. The beast inside growls, and those red eyes race toward me. I stumble backward, barely dodging the paw that reaches between the cage bars and swipes at me.

I don't even remember running but I must have because I am now across the room.

Breathe. I bend over, catching my breath.

Something brushes against the back of my hair. I jolt and whirl around, finding myself eye-to-eye with a creature that I would think was imaginary if it were anyplace else but the Hydra ship. It looks like it might be a miniature elephant with huge eyes, except the animal's hide looks like stalks of ivy.

The animal's trunk moves down my face, from my ear to my cheek and neck, blowing little puffs of air that tickle.

"Are you like... a mutant elephant?" I ask.

The animal bleats.

"Don't be scared. We just need to wait here until someone gets us," I say like I'm the expert now. "I need to call you something other than... elephant thing... How do you feel about the name, Snuffy?"

The animal bleats again.

"Snuffy it is, then," I say, giving Snuffy a pat on the head.

I want to explore more, and I climb onto one of the tables with a half dozen or so cages. Snuffy's trunk lightly curls around my ankle. Glow Ball flies around me.