Page 126 of I'm Not Your Pet

Captain and Ushuu had been at breakfast, like they often were. I was certain the majority of the ship had no idea that they were together, as they’d never officially mated. It was a wonder they hadn’t noticed when it was obvious how much they cared for one another.

We’d eaten together and things had been fine.

They’d been fine.

Captain asked me how I slept—I said “good”. Ushuu passed me a bottle of water—and then?—

And then?—

The lights went out.

And the screaming started.

I tried to save them. I tried to fight. When the pirates entered the room, I challenged them—certain my strength, my gift, would be enough. Even rising to my full impressive height, the invaders were not intimidated.

It wasn’t enough.

Shots rang out, deafening and loud.

Kael hit the ground first, his dark, nearly black surface growing pale as blood pooled beneath his body. It was hard to see much in the dark, but I managed.

When I jumped in front of Captain, he yanked me out of the way—another bang sounding loud enough my ears rang. I was close enough to him that I could see the wound that blossomed in the center of his forehead spot. Blue blood leaked down either side of his snout as his eyes grew cloudy and his spots paled, colorless and dead, just as Kael’s had.

He fell to the floor with a thud.

Before I could scream and attack—before I could so much as breathe, Ushuu yanked me to the ground.

Together we lay in the puddle of blood, as the world spun and spun and spun.

The pirates left to retrieve the cargo they’d been after.

Ushuu’s quick thinking had saved our lives.

I learned a lesson that day.

The most valuable lesson I’d ever learn.

Good things don’t last, so they need to be cherished. Coveted. Protected.

Because one day they’ll disappear.

Death takes no prisoners.

And I needed to be vigilant, if I wanted to keep the people I loved safe.

As the days ticked down until our arrival on his—no,our—planet, Roark’s apprehension only grew. Following him around like the pet I’d used to think I was, helped a little—but it made it difficult for Roark to do his job. And he had eventually put a stop to that. He wanted me to act normal.

So…normal I acted.

I’d spend time with the other humans, telling them stories about the places Roark and I had visited. About him in general, because I knew some of them were still wary of the Sahrks and worried that they had traded one captor for another.

Ushuu’s presence helped. He was less threatening than the others, and when I wasn’t in the lab with him he was down with the humans, sharing food with them and telling them stories about his life traveling the stars.

There was no stopping my anxiety about the threat of pirates—but I could admit, even that fear was outweighed by my excitement.

Which made me feel guilty.

Don’t get me wrong—of course, I was deeply concerned for Roark and his very real fears. This entire situation had tobe awful for him. Not that he regretted saving the humans—because I knew he didn’t—but because it brought up things from his past he’d had to bury for the sake of his own sanity.

---