Chapter 4 | Rex

Chapter 4

Rex

It was a reckless plan, a crazy one, but I couldn’t stop it once it had formed in my mind. I was going to take my lunch outside, on the stoop in the sunshine. The last time I’d done something like that must have been back on my homeworld before I’d been stolen for the Arena sands as a young male. It should have been an enjoyable experience to sit in the sun and eat my food, but I was nervous, just like a youngster might be.

I wanted to see my human. I wanted to know what kind of female she was and if I could convince her to talk to me, to trust me. When I sat down, I kept my lower arms behind my back and ate with the upper set. Did she think I was a freak for having an extra set of limbs? Some aliens disliked it, but I’d heard that humans were very versatile. That’s why they were so coveted.

Then I caught a glimpse, and I understood—truly understood—why the species was so sought after. Pale skin, a hint of dark brown hair, and then a green eye peered at me through the narrow gap behind the bin.

My heart started racing at the sight, my lower fists clenching and unclenching rhythmically. I felt that look down in my bones, burning into me like it was a brand. I knew in that fated instant what my parents had often talked about on the mother planet: the look of a true mate.

That female hiding behind the dumpster was meant to be mine, and the look we were sharing said it all. As long as that eye was focused on me, I felt like I could see into her very soul, and she could see right back into mine. I battled urges that surged through me, which I knew wouldn’t be welcome. I wanted to leap across the distance, smash the bins aside, and pull her into my arms.

I knew she could read the desire in my eyes, and I knew she’d flee if I did that. This was a delicate balance; I needed to earn her trust before I could even bring up the subject of mates. I also felt a calm settle over me. I had faith that this would work. She was still looking, she hadn’t broken the contact; which was a very good sign. I just knew that like me, she could feel the potential of the bond vibrating between us.

It was the sound of the timers on my oven in the kitchen going off that broke the contact, a good twenty minutes after my break was supposed to be over. With the potential of my pies and bread burning when I needed those to feed my mate, I rose to my feet. I did it slowly, despite the insistent beeping of the kitchen timer.

She was still looking at me without flinching when I unfurled my big body to my full height and flexed my arms at my sides. I had four; she only had two, and I was gently testing to see if my physique would scare her off. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d sent a person running with just a glare, but then, usually, my reputation preceded me. I doubted this human girl had heard of me.

I left the door open again when I went inside, hoping against all hope that she’d follow me like a stray Batan or Riho. It was a foolish thing to hope for, but a male could dream. Dream like I’d dreamed last night, of silky skin and soft moans. I hadn’t even known she was mine then.

When Drova stalked into the kitchen on the heels of those lewd thoughts, I felt appropriately punished. The old Asrai male had red skin like mine, but his face was covered with skull-like markings. I was told that these were meant to be threatening, but really, nobody knew why they had evolved with faces like that—just that they were creepy. Drova was washed out and yellowed, like a skull that had sat in the Ov’Korad sun for too long and cracked under the heat.

If I could, I would wring his skinny neck and be done with him, especially since I’d found out what he’d been doing to Jenny. Thank the stars the female had escaped with that strange alien when she did yesterday. The shady, gambling-addicted bar owner rarely came into my domain. I had a feeling he was scared of me; that would be one of the only wise thoughts he had in his ale-addled skull.

“You’re going to have to serve food as well as make it today, Rex,” Drova said loudly as he stopped just inside the door. He braced his hands on his hips, near the belt with the stunner. If he thought he could get away with wearing a laser pistol, I was certain he would have, but the Ovters who ran this planet weren’t keen on handing out gun licenses to just anyone. Especially not crooks. That didn’t mean Drova didn’t have one; I knew he kept a big gun beneath the bar for protection. He just didn’t dare threaten me with it.

The implication that he could reach for his stunner at any moment was there, though. It was supposed to warn me not to try anything, but really, he needed that to feel safe. I knew all about bullies. Offering him a placid smile, I simply turned my back to him and pointed at the apron Jenny had left behind on a hook on the wall.

“No waitress,” Drova snapped. “But my creditor is dead. I’ll get a new one soon.” He bared his teeth, the left incisor chipped from a brawl before I met him. “You’re not sinking your paws into more of my bar. Got that? Now get to work.” He spun around and stalked out of the kitchen without a backward glance. As always, he seemed to think that my lack of a voice meant I was deaf as well, and he’d spoken at peak volume, which meant that my little human out back might have heard all of that, word for word.

I turned on my heel, purposely making my movements slow, and peered out the door to see if she was there. Our eyes met, hers a pretty green that reminded me of the mother world, of the lush forests I’d grown up in. I jerked mine toward the apron on the hook and raised one of my shoulders as though I was posing a question. My heart pounded wildly in my chest as I waited. Did she get it? Did she understand?