Her Alien Protector: A Sci-fi Romance

Part 33

Rigel

I wake up to find Ava, sleeping underneath my wing, curled into a little ball.

My skin prickles and a sensation of warmth floods my body at finding Ava with me, especially since I thought I might never see her again. I pull her onto my chest. Tiny goosebumps cover her arms, and she shivers.

I pull her forward so that I can still see her face and lay my wings over the rest of her body. She mumbles in her sleep and snuggles against me. I wish I could hold onto this moment forever.

She wakes up while I am appreciating her presence, her amber eyes blinking at me. Her brow furrows and suddenly, she sits up and swings her feet down like she is about to leave. It's instinctive but my arms go around her waist. She squirms.

For some reason, Ava seems to want to go, but after nearly losing her, I need physical contact.

There are words she has used with me countless times.

Should I use these words? Yes, I will beg if I must because right now, I need physical contact. When I rest my hand over the nape of her neck, it's like... I can feel her pulsing heartbeat that somehow matches the high-pitched hums in my head.

"Please stay," I say.

She looks at my wings and pulls them tighter around her, and laughs. She looks at me with a tiny smile and a playful spark in her eyes.

Suddenly, I am possessed by a need to make her even happier. I can't help remembering the phrase I saw on the wall in my room, the one that was part of her language tutorial.

Should I say these words to her? Everything feels right from the warmth of her body pressed against mine, the sounds of her joyful laughter, and even that hum in my head that only happens when our skin touches.

I give her a quick kiss on the top of her head. "I... love you, Ava."

Her eyes flick to me and her brow crinkles like she is confused. "Love... me?"

I smile, pushing a stray strand of hair out of her face and over her ear, hoping this is the encouragement she needs to say the words back to me. She had a tutorial, so she must have been practicing them.

Her eyes glisten, her face scrunches, and she lays her head down on my chest.

"Ava?" I ask, my feathers quivering. Even though I keep calling her name, she won't look at me.

Is she only staying in my arms because I begged her? Inside, I ache. I want her to say the words back to me. I am almost tempted to carry her to the helm, use the translator, and ask her to tell me the words. If she refuses, well then, I can get on my knees and beg.

Eventually, her breathing evens and slows and she falls asleep again. Physically I feel better, knowing she is with me and that I have her safe and secure, but...

Why didn't she say the same words to me? Has something changed that she no longer feels that way about me? Worse, is she planning to say these words to someone else, and if so, to whom? Even though we touch, and I can feel her warmth, it feels like I am in Hydra, and she is part of some far-off star that I cannot reach.