Chapter 2

Chapter

Two

TARUK

T he human female stands before me, trembling.

Good. If she fears me, then perhaps she'll leave my presence all the faster. Little does she know that I'd never do anything to hurt her. Despite my species' predatory nature, my progenitors raised me to be a protector. It still doesn't mean I want to take responsibility for her—I refuse to walk back down that path in life.

"What do you want, human?" I ask as I scratch at what remains of my once glorious horns, trying to ease the itch that never seems to fade. They are merely stubs now, representative of my long-lost honor.

The human flinches, clutching her bundle of fur closer to her abundant chest. The action draws my eye as the soft skin rises and falls with each deep breath she takes. Humans are a strange species, with so few defenses. Perhaps it's their charms that draw you in for slaughter; the number of times I have found myself watching them from a distance lately has been disconcerting.

"Rist said I should see you," she tells me.

"I don't need an assistant," I tell her with a growl, noticing the way her slender throat gulps in reaction. I'm half in the mind to comm Rist and tell him, again, that I have no interest in working with anyone. He knows I simply wish to be alone, yet he constantly pesters me. I'm only here at all because I owe him. If I had any choice, I'd be back out in the wilds tracking the herd of barjarlacks, away from all of this.

Surprisingly, the female continues speaking, "Rist said you can identify this little guy."

It's only now that I realize she doesn't hold a bundle of cloth but some animal.

I lift the creature from her outstretched arms, careful not to harm her with my claws, and examine it thoroughly as I search for identifying features. About the size of my hand, it seems impractically evolved—there's no way this creature is threatening with its lack of claws, fangs, or other weapons. But it's also surprisingly shaped for a prey animal; it doesn't appear to have any way to escape predators with its lack of wings or its tiny feet.

An intriguing specimen indeed. As much as I want to expel her from my stables, I admit she brings me something of interest. That alone makes her intrusion into my solitude acceptable, for the moment. I don't have any intention of allowing her to stay for long.

"It will be registered in the Federation's Archives," I tell her. Already I'm imagining the best pen to place it in, and what I might try feeding it. "Since it's not someone's pet, I'll take care of it then. Inform Rist that I'm handling the problem."

"You're going to take care of it?" She gasps, eyes widening. "As in, take care of it—take care of it? Seriously?"

"Yes," I reply, unsure why she needs me to repeat myself. Is she having difficulty hearing? When I overheard the humans talking previously, keeping my distance of course, none seemed to have any issues communicating. Maybe her translator is faulty?

"You can't do that! He's mine. I've named him Turmeric!"

I blink down at her, my mind trying and failing to understand this human.

"We know nothing about this animal. As the resident beast-master, this creature is now my responsibility," I tell her. Does she not realize how easily she could be hurt? I do not want her pain on my conscience. Dread settles in my stomach, painful and heavy, at the thought of someone getting hurt—again—because of me.

"I found him, therefore he's my responsibility. I'm keeping him," she exclaims. It's easy to hold the critter out of her reach as she attempts to reclaim it from me; this human is so tiny. Of course, this causes her soft body to brush against mine as she practically attempts to climb me like a tree to reach the critter. A spike of lust rushes through me, heating my blood spontaneously. I growl, shaking the unexpected feeling away. Instantly the female flinches away from me, eyes wide and disbelieving.

Instincts demand that I comfort her and dispel her fears, even if they are of me. But I don't. I can't. Not anymore. It's better we keep our distance. This way no one can get hurt.

"You know nothing of properly handling alien fauna," I tell her as I put distance between us. My irritation rises the more I am in her presence. Each brush of her soft skin is like a jolt of electricity, a prickling of my skin that has me tensing.

The last thing I want is for this female to think she is welcome here. I don't want her anywhere near me. I don't want to be near anyone. Not anymore.

I walk stiffly to a nearby cage and place the creature inside. Once I've sorted through the Galactic Federation's Archives and identified it, I'll know how to best care for it. Chances are it'll be a quick flight home for the little creature.

"Go back to your tasks, female," I tell the human as I gather my portable comm unit from a drawer. It's a newer unit model that provides access to the Archives without needing to visit an official terminal, of which there are few on this planet. A necessity for one like myself, since I'm so reluctant to go anywhere near port cities. Or crowded places in general, for that matter.

"It's not female," the human replies with a hiss. "My name is Zoe."

I refuse to look back and see her pout. This beast could be dangerous, and she could become harmed by it. The thought of her injured… it's extremely unpleasant. I'm already furious that Rist sent her with the beast when neither knew of its species. Females need protection, not pandering to their every whim. It's better for us all if we maintain our distance.

I shake my head as I listen to her footsteps hastily fleeing my presence. It's my duty to see to any beasts; both wild and tamed ones. It's not my duty to make her feel welcomed, or to care for her.

The door slides closed behind her, and almost instantly the room feels colder. Lonelier...

Good. It's better this way.

In some ways, I am glad of the way that the females talk about me beneath their breaths. They call me ‘beast'. They look at me with fear. As painful as it is to hear those words, it's for the best; they will not seek me out that way. I will finally be able to live out the rest of my days in peace. That's all I ever wanted: peace.

I force my mind back to my task. With the female gone, I can finally assess the risks of this new alien species. In the worst case scenario, I'll have to spend some of my personal credits to return it to its home. With so many ships coming and going lately, it shouldn't be hard to find a merchant willing to transport it.

I turn back to collect the creature, and come to a standstill. The cage is empty.

There's no way it could have escaped on its own.

"Blasted female!"

The last place I want to go is near the main hotel, where every manner of alien can be found. It looks like I have no choice.