Her Alien Protector: A Sci-fi Romance

Part 2

Ava

My waking life shrinks to only a few things: the scourge Loviatar and the pain he likes to inflict. Any hope I had for escape is long extinguished because he constantly keeps a chain on my collar.

At night, it's different; I dream. I am running back to my brother and sister, get them into a plane and I fly them away—away from my father and his deadbeat ways, away from the small town and all the people who either judged us or ignored us when all we needed was a hand to help us, until—

I jolt awake at the menacing growl in my ear. Loviatar yanks on the chain and I scurry to follow. My dreams and any sense of freedom fade. I am trapped in a spaceship full of scourges who kidnapped me.

Loviatar walks faster than normal through the corridors today. I run to keep pace with him and follow him through a large door.

What is this place where lots of animals run about? There is a group of rat-looking things with curled, sabertooth-like teeth hopping in the grass. Flying above are birds with bright red bellies.

Benches are scattered around this place and Loviatar sits on one.

Next, the strangest thing of all happens—he loosens the slack in the leash.

So many questions pop into my mind. Are we in some sort of park? Is this a test?

When the possibility that this is a test occurs to me, I sit near his feet and bow my head. Not worth the risk.

Or maybe this is a dream? It must be because a human walks toward me.

"I am Kayla. Who might you be," says the woman with bright green eyes.

Loviatar growls. Warily I watch him, trying not to make any sudden moves.

"I'm human like you and I have another human friend over there," says Kayla, pointing.

I glance in the direction she indicates—a human sticks his arm out between the grates of the undersides of a large bench, waving at me.

Kayla holds out her hand. "Come visit with us in our hideaway."

I want to take her hand. Go with her. Meet the other human, too. I can't, though; not with Loviatar a few feet away and holding the other end of my leash.

"It will be fun. Come on," says Kayla, stepping closer.

Loviatar's tail thrashes and I freeze.

What is wrong with Kayla? Doesn't she know scourges are dangerous?

Kayla smiles, oblivious to everything.

I scooch along the floor, moving a few inches closer to the hideaway.

A worm would move faster than me, but Kayla whispers words of encouragement, and the other human under the bench claps. Another tiny inch, another, and then... I am careful, always watching Loviatar. Only when he doesn't growl or thrash his tail or yank my chain do I move closer. It feels like hours pass but eventually, I crawl into the hideaway underneath a bench.

Surprisingly, their hideaway is huge with more than enough space for three humans. I guess it makes sense that the spaces underneath these benches are spacious. Scourges are not just tall (between 7- and 8- feet tall), but muscular, which means only a large well-built bench could support the weight of scourges.

Between the gaps of the grates, I peek at Loviatar. His tail is not thrashing—yet.

Kayla's eyes sweep from the top of my head to my shoes.

In shame, I glance away. My body is covered in bruises; I know this not just from the pain, but I have seen my reflection in the water pool in Loviatar's apartment.