Chapter 3

Chapter

Three

ZOE

" D on't worry little guy, I'm not leaving you alone with the big nasty alien," I tell Tumeric as I carry him swiftly through the hotel lobby.

At the front desk, Jessica frantically waves at me, probably hoping I can read alien better than her—which for both of us is a big fat zilch. I hold up my prize, Tumeric's little feet wiggling frantically in the air, and rush into the staff corridor. Before I know it, I'm in my bedroom.

My bedroom. Mine. Still feels weird to say, like I've fully come to accept living here. Not that I have any choice.

I deposit my new little pet down onto the bed.

"Now, you're going to have to stay here until I finish work. Then we'll figure out what to feed you, okay?"

I watch as he, because I've come to think of it as a he, makes himself at home. He rolls in place, literally rolls like a ball, before finally coming to a spot where his body sort of deflates and flattens a bit.

"Try not to pee on the bed, or whatever you aliens do. Ooze? Whatever. I know this isn't home, Tumeric, but maybe you and I can make a life here all the same," I tell my little buddy.

Life on planet Cardonia is so different that at times I just want to scream. But now that I've got a companion to come home to talk to at night, it won't be so bad. Someone I can speak freely to, without judgment.

"Bye, sweetie," I call over my shoulder, a warmth filling my chest as my little buddy stands close to the edge of the mattress as if planning to follow me. "I'll be back really soon."

I open the door, stepping through, only to slam into a brick wall. My nose crunches, a shooting flare that stabs into my brain. My vision swims as I stumble backwards. Hands reach out, grabbing hold of my arms and keeping me upright.

For a very brief moment, panic hits; a reminder of being abducted and held against my will. I blink through blurry, tear-filled vision to see a swath of red. A warmth floods through me. Is this Rist? Did he come to check up on me? Does someone actually care about me?

"Female, you took the beast."

My elation plummets to a quick death at the sound of his voice.

"Taruk," I grit out as I rub at my nose. I glare up at his blurry vision, my eyes watering. "Again, my name is Zoe, not female. Do you have any idea how insulting it is to be called that all the time? It'd be like calling you male all the time."

There's a beat of silence.

"I am a male," he replies matter-of-factly. These guys don't get the concept of sexism at all…

Taruk's hands flex on my upper arms, the tips of his claws grazing against my skin. Goosebumps erupt across my body at the scraping contact, tingles rushing across my skin, before centering low in my stomach.

I pull out of his grasp, stepping away to give myself a bit of space. I cross my arms over my chest, hoping that Taruk doesn't see how my nipples have hardened at his proximity, pressing against the fabric of my bra.

Taruk towers over me, my head barely coming to his chest. Unlike Rist with disarrayed hair, Taruk's hair is cut shoulder length. It's a pretty bad cut, like he's hacked at it himself with a blunt blade, leaving it to spike and flare in every which way. What with his roughly broken horn, and that perpetual frown on his face, he looks every inch the bad boy.

Stupid libido. Why does my body have to respond around these aliens? It's just cause he's hot and it's been too long, not because I actually like the guy. A one-night stand doesn't need a personal connection, just a physical one.

"Where is the beast?" He growls at me. Okay, so most of his words sound kind of growly like when you listen past the translator. Still, he doesn't have to glare at me like I've personally insulted him. He was the one that wanted to kill my pet!

I lift my chin, running my fingers across my lips like a zipper. I refuse to be threatened. The dragon-guys that kidnapped us were positively terrifying, but Rist promised me that I was safe here. I need to start believing it.

"What does this mean?" Taruk says, poorly mimicking my action.

"It means I'm not talking," I tell him, mentally kicking myself as I remember that these aliens don't know any of Earth's customs, let alone our weird non-verbal gestures.

"But you are talking…" He replies, appearing more than confused.

Oh, geez. Why are so many aliens so literal?!

"Tumeric is safe and happy! He's mine."

"I am the beast-master, female!" Taruk says. "It is my duty to care for any animal on hotel property."

I poke his chest as he looms over me. He hasn't exactly stepped closer or anything, but this guy is massive. He literally towers over me. It makes me feel small. "I refuse to give him to you to be ‘taken care of'."

"So, you know what to feed him? What conditions he needs? What if he can't breathe in this atmosphere? Do you have the equipment to save him then? This is my job! How am I supposed to save him if you're in the way?"

I hesitate. Okay, now he says it that way, it sounds more like he wants to take care of Tumeric, rather than take care of him permanently.

Aliens are literal… remember, Zoe?

I feel like a fool. Still, the damn beast-master doesn't seem to notice as he continues on his tirade, breathing heavily as he speaks, anger barely leashed. "I don't know what kind of beast he is. He could be dangerous. You could get hurt!"

I…

Okay, I didn't quite consider that. He's just so cute it's hard to imagine that he'd hurt me. And I mean, he hasn't. Yet. He's an alien critter. He could pop like a balloon, or excrete acid or something for all I know. I just sort of assumed that if Rist handed him over so readily to me that Tumeric was safe to handle.

I've been a bit of a fool, I'm woman enough to admit that at least.

"Okay," I say, biting my lip.

Hopelessness wells up strongly, hitting me so hard in the chest that I struggle to breathe. I have to give up my beloved pet. I only just got him! I just wanted a companion, someone to give me some comfort and wouldn't judge me if I cried or did something stupid. Sure there are plenty of women around that I could hang out with, but people have told me all my life how I'm too blunt and can be a pain to get along with.

"Female?" Taruk asks, leaning closer. He breathes in deeply through his nose, sniffing the air. A lot of aliens can smell human emotions, though they aren't familiar with which scent means what emotion. I think I hate this guy. I'm petty enough to hope that my pits stink—take that, Taruk, your stinking planet doesn't have deodorant!

"Fine! You can have him!" I declare, throwing up my hands. I blink repeatedly as my eyes burn, doing my best not to burst into tears. Is it too much to ask for one thing to go my way, for one source of comfort?

"I…" The bright red alien stammers. For just a moment I think he's softening towards me. Maybe he'll let me visit Tumeric. I mean, this alien can't be as callous as people claim, right?

"Good," he tells me. "You are not good enough to care for a beast."

I glare up at him.

Beep this guy. He truly is a beast.

I open my mouth to give this guy a piece of my mind, only to be cut off by an ear-piercing shrill scream. What the heck?