3. Zara

Sweat streamed down my back as I jolted upright and screamed loud enough that I knew no one in the house would have slept through it. If any of us slept.

The pounding in my chest told me that the nightmare had been exactly the same as it had been days ago. Or hours ago? How long had it been?

I couldn't figure out how long we'd been here. I'd awoken many times. Each time a little less bright and more painful as whatever drug we'd been given wore off.

My heart pounded away no matter how long I sat here.

Another scream carried through the thick doors and walls. It didn't matter where we were. It didn't matter if it felt safe. I was out of bed in seconds, running through a massive door, turning down a hall built for giants, and pushing open the next huge and heavy as hell door.

"You okay?" I asked before I fully stepped into the room.

I could hear her breathing before I could see her in the darkened room. Was it day? Night? There were no clocks anywhere in this place. All I knew was this wasn't home, and I still wasn't really sure if we were safe.

I crawled into bed with Aria.

"Are they coming back?" she asked me.

This was a loaded question because, at the moment, I wasn't sure which they I was more terrified to see. Everything seemed like it was happening to someone else. I'd watched human-like beings rescue us, but at the same time, they had glowing eyes like a reptile. Their skin was more dragon-like, if that was even a thing. Apparently it was a thing, though. It was a thing. There were dragons here, and I was terrified of what I would see if I looked outside.

I swallowed down my terror to focus on Aria. I would have loved her as a sister in another life. Or this life. If we had a life after this.

"They? Which they? You mean the big guys that brought us here and gave us food? Or do you mean they as in assholes who stole us, locked us in cages, and then tied us all together with chains?"

She rolled toward me and hugged me.

"The scary they. The ones that give me nightmares."

I knew what she meant. No reason to elaborate when I had the same nightmares.

I shrugged like I wasn't trembling on the inside and lay down next to her and let her hug the shit out of me. To be fair, this was the closest I would ever get to holding someone like the sister I'd lost not too long ago. How long had it been? It felt like it had been so long since I'd been abducted by aliens, another lifetime.

I snorted without meaning to.

"What's so funny, Zara?"

I squeezed her tightly and rubbed her now clean hair. God, if anything, that had to be a blessing. These dragon dudes could be assholes, but you give me a shower, and I was almost willing to trust them.

I sighed. Funny. Right. What wasn't funny anymore?

"This. All of it. Like, where even is here? My sister once asked if I believed in life after death. I told her I would believe in aliens way before I'd ever believe that there was a god. I was so angry that first our parents were killed in a car accident and then, well. My sister survived just to die of cancer. Who knew I was right?"

Aria sniffled.

"I'm sorry. I don't think that's funny, though. I never would have believed that aliens existed."

Her hair was soft under my touch, just like my sister's. Aria wasn't much older than my sister would have been by now. I wish I could have shielded her from the shit we'd just experienced.

"Well, to be fair, I sort of imagined aliens looking more like the giants that rescued us. These dragon men. The others? Well, let's hope that those creatures never find us."

Her breathing evened out. She was sleeping again. Too bad I couldn't find comfort in anything. I think I'd rather be in a stress-induced panic sleep rather than in this hyperaware state of Toto-we-aren't-in-Kansas-anymore.

How many days or weeks had it been since I'd been holding a coffee and a donut, walking my happy ass to work? And then? Well, let's just say I will never crave donuts again. I threw up somewhere around the exit of the Milky Way. I snorted. I didn't even know what I was saying.

Where the hell was here? Everything here at least looked somewhat human, but then it didn't.

I crawled out of Aria's bed. I wish I wasn't the me that got stressed out and wanted to pace. It's like my feet wanted to know what was happening even if my brain couldn't figure out that we were indeed not home and there were for sure aliens.

A door creaked somewhere in the house, and I froze. I always thought I would be the fight in the fight-or-flight model. But really? I was just paralyzed. Maybe it was the green, gross, squishy thing that had all of us chained up, waiting for someone to win the fight. Maybe it was the mush they had called food. Maybe it was the fact that every creature who had held us captive stood larger than us. It could be the tubes and tubes of creatures looking just as helpless as we had been.

It had all been real. The smells alone were part of my core memories now, and there was no forgetting the screams.

A glance around, and I knew we were at a disadvantage here too. Not really heartwarming. With every step I took, I tried to keep silent. It was illogical to think that they wouldn't be able to unlock doors, but I wanted to lock them anyway. The issue? It appeared that as I stopped by the door; the lock needed something pressed to it. A finger, I would have guessed, but the men that rescued us had had claws.

I heard the scrape of something, and I froze. Shit.

There was nowhere to hide. The only thing I could do was put myself between Aria and whatever was on the other side of the door.

The soft shuffle of someone moving seemed to vacillate between my room next door and this one. Was it looking for me?

I held my breath, pressing my hands over my mouth like that was going to stop anything. The last abductor had grabbed me mid-stride in the middle of a city full of people. Nothing like those nighttime kidnappings you hear about.

My heart picked up the pace as the door handle twisted, and a small squeak told me something was for sure coming in.

Well, if that was what was happening, I realized I literally had nothing to lose, except maybe my new friendship with Aria, so I did what any normal sane woman would do. I puffed up my chest and spread out my arms to stop whoever it was from getting past me to her. Like that was going to make me look any bigger or scarier. This was so ridiculous.

The moment the door opened and hall light spilled into the dimly lit bedroom, I launched myself off the ground and grabbed onto the creature.

"Don't you dare hurt her," I yelled. "Leave us alone."

Two massive hands grabbed my thrashing arms and locked me in place.

A shiver ran the length of my spine at the feel of large but nearly human hands.

"What?"

I couldn't stop myself. My senses were confused, and it was far beyond just being on a space adventure I never wanted.

"Tiny human, you are safe here."

His voice rolled over me like a blanket, and all the tension in my body dissolved. What did my damn body know that my brain had yet to catch up on?

He released my hands, but it wasn't lost on me how he watched me with caution. It was apparent I wasn't able to hurt him though, so maybe it wasn't caution. That damn shiver ran along my spine again as I looked up and up. He was massive. Bigger than I remembered even. Or no. I hadn't seen this one yet. His eyes nearly glowed an emerald green in the dim light filtering in the room.

"Zara?"

Shit. I stepped back toward Aria. The short movement did what I needed, and my brain seemed to come back to the moment. The frustration.

"Safe? How can we be safe locked away in this?" I said and started waving my arms around like a lunatic.

The man followed my movements for a moment before turning that unnerving gaze back on me. He wasn't anything like I thought. I swear they had had scales and claws.

"You are safe here. You are not locked away; however, I would request you remain here unless one of our people are with you until you learn to navigate the domes."

"Domes? Where are we? Better yet, what are you?"

He stayed where he was, not coming any closer, but the longer he stayed, the more his scent filled the room. I breathed in so deep I was certain he noticed.

"Tarek, lady. Who are you? I know Earth gives all their children names. What is yours? Zara?"

I blinked like an idiot.

"Zara, yes," I said.

He tilted his head toward me. I had no idea why, but something about him said to trust him. No, it was just my stupid body and the odd sensation within me. What was this feeling? Butterflies? I couldn't explain it.

"Zara. I like that name."

Aria cleared her throat, all panic gone in the action.

"Zara? I think we should trust him. Don't you?"

I blinked several times, trying to ignore what the hell ever was happening to me.

"Right. Sure. This is Aria. I think I like her name better."

I had no idea why I said that, but something about the way he looked at me had me feeling… something.

Confused? Check.

Less alone? I wasn't sure, but that might have been exactly why this was scary. I knew he wasn't a human, regardless of how he looked.

The last thing I needed was to finally find that missing piece, the one that causes an ache soul deep, with an alien.