Her Alien Protector: A Sci-fi Romance

Part 38

Kayla's eyes go wide and wild. "I can't just take him."

No one steps forward to take the kid.

Kayla meets my eyes, her voice close to a whisper. "What should we do?"

The horrible smell of this place is getting to me. I want to get off this ship and as far away from it as I can. Based on the way the boy clings to Kayla's leg, he wants to come with us. We have the power to take someone away from here. We shouldn't look away.

I put my hand on Dylan's head. "Crew."

That is all it takes. Kayla picks up Dylan and carries him through the door leading to the Firefly. This time, I am in the rear. I have their back.

As for Dylan, although he may be small, he is one of us now.

***

Taking Dylan aboard the Firefly seemed like a great idea when we were on the Phoenix Borealis. The moment Kayla puts Dylan on the floor and re-enters Firefly's helm, Dylan sees Tarak and cries, hiding behind Kayla. The little boy shakes.

Tarak's eyes get huge at seeing the boy's reaction, and he retreats, disappearing down a corridor.

"That's Tarak, although he is a scourge, he is nice," Kayla says cheerily, nodding toward the empty hallway.

Rigel and I stay at the helm, waving and smiling at the boy. Dylan won't speak to us (at least he doesn't cry), and for hours, the boy stays unmoving, plastered against the ship's wall.

When it is time for our next meal, Kayla gives Dylan snack rations. Rigel, Kayla, and I stay nearby, eating our own food.

Dylan still does not move, with his back against the wall, clutching snacks in his fists.

When the ship's lights darken, Kayla takes Dylan by the hand, leading him into the hallway, probably putting him to bed.

Minutes later, Tarak stomps into the helm.

"What's wrong, Tarak," Rigel asks.

"The little hooman," says Tarak, and the translator in my ear gets stuck on the word human like it is a glitch—apparently the translator doesn't know what to do with a mispronounced word in my own language. "He only trusts Kayla, so he is sleeping in a cot near her." Tarak's tail writhes.

"Sleep cycle commencing," announces the computer.

Tarak growls at Rigel. "Why are you still here, bird? The ship told us to sleep."

Rigel's arm goes around my waist, walking me toward the corridor. When we step into the dark hallway, I glance back at Tarak. His dark silhouette moves his hands around the wall computer as if he is working.

During most sleep cycles, Tarak is in his quarters by this time, which means Tarak probably didn't eat and is now missing his sleep cycle. I wish we could somehow help, but without Dylan learning to trust Tarak, there is nothing we can do.

***

Dylan's fear of Tarak affects all of us over the next few days.

Some of it requires us to shift our life, like me taking over some of the work shifts for Kayla by monitoring Hydra's communications (it is not that bad, Kayla trains me to do it and I want to help).

Eventually, when Tarak and Rigel are working together to make what is supposed to be a simple repair of the wall in the helm, a fight breaks out between Tarak and Rigel. Tarak pushes Rigel against the wall, snapping at him and scraping the skin along Rigel's neck.

I scream, terrified of what Tarak might do.

Suddenly, Kayla gets herself between Tarak and Rigel. She glares up at Tarak. "Tarak, what are you doing?!"