Her Alien Protector: A Sci-fi Romance

Part 47

Ava

"No," I scream when Glow Ball gets out of my grip and races toward the monster-sized creature.

Kayla slaps her hand over my mouth, pulling me behind a big boulder.

I am terrified for the little rahoni. A single nip or bat of the beast's paw is all it would take, and Glow Ball's life would end instantly.

When a large red eye with a slit-like pupil comes close, I dig my nails into my palms, forcing myself not to move. Puffs of air come from the monster's nostrils, stirring up a small breeze.

After what feels like an eternity, the creature resumes sniffing along the trail. I hear Glow Ball's high-pitch peeps.

I peek around the edge of the rock. I just need to see Glow Ball and know he is okay.

A deep rumbling sound draws my attention. The creature's big snout is getting closer to Glow Ball, and poor Glow Ball just sits on the ground, not even resisting.

I pluck a stone from the dirt, rolling it in my palm. I could hurl the stone and easily hit the creature from here. Then what? Would it even save Glow Ball?

The tips of the animals' snouts touch. A tongue flicks out of the larger creature's head, licking Glow Ball's front side.

I blink. Am I dreaming, or did that ferocious-looking monster lick Glow Ball like he is a wayward pup?

The eyes of the beast turn towards us again, its eyes like twin flames.

The beast raises its snout and howls. The howl cuts like ice, and I think I recognize the monster's cry—from the night I slept in the cave with Rigel; inside the chamber with the Xindi; and now.

The beast flaps its wings, stirring up a windstorm. I duck back behind the rock, bracing myself. When the wind subsides, the large creature is gone.

Kayla and I run back down the trail to the drones, strapping them onto our backs. We race back to the Firefly. Glow Ball flies alongside me, showing off with his loop-the-loops.

When we can finally see Firefly again, another long howl echoes through the canyon. I look around us, but there are no signs of the beast. My mind is in overdrive. What might these howls mean? Maybe the echoing wail is a cry of loneliness. Could the animal we encountered be a several-millennia-old rahoni, crying as it searches for its lost Xindi friend?

***

"Penny for your thoughts?" asks Kayla when we land.

I give Glow Ball a long hug, hoping in some way to compensate for any loneliness the old rahoni we encountered might have experienced. "I was just thinking about that other rahoni, the one we saw outside the chamber. I can't help thinking that there might be some overlap between the story told to us by the last Xindi and the fact that a large rahoni stayed near the ruins. Maybe it was the Xindi's friend?"

"Or maybe it was just a mating call, or we were too close to its nesting area, although I think it would have killed us if it was the latter."

I place the drone on the ground. "If it were a mating call, shouldn't we have seen other big rahonis near the ruins?"

"Speaking of mating calls," says Kayla, removing her drone. "I know you were embarrassed by what Tarak said, but I wanted to ask how things are going between you and Rigel?"

On Earth, I would have rather died before discussing something like this, but after all the adventures I had today with Kayla, I almost feel as if she could be a big sister. It might help to get someone else's point of view and get closer to what I want with Rigel, especially since we are moving at the speed of molasses.