Page 141 of I'm Not Your Pet

“It is to thank you,” I responded, hoping he understood. “You are…” I wasn’t sure I knew the right word to describe how they must feel. “You are respect,” I told him, grateful when I found one I hoped…fit.

I figured I must have gotten it right because the sound Huu-goh made was positively delightful.

We were halfway to our rooms when Huu-goh seemed to remember something.

“Briar!” he gasped out, holding my fin tight. “Briar. We need to find Briar.”

Rather than argue, I let him take the lead.

Hours passed. The entire crew was on high alert.

But no one found Huu-goh’s new human friend or the Sahrk that had helped him.

As a last ditch effort, Huu-goh and I returned to the helm to search the cameras. They were a live feed, and did not record more than a few hours, so there wasn’t much time to check them. As we sifted through footage with the help of Thrash, Mala sat in my seat and directed the rest of the Sahrks in preparation for landing.

“I thought I told you to go,” Mala laughed when he finally acknowledged us. He spoke in our native tongue, but Huu-goh seemed to understand the tone, because he rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

So far all we’d seen was Briar exiting the helm and disappearing down the halls. It was like he knew exactly where to move so that he could not be seen by the cameras.

“Huu-goh’s friend is missing,” I told Mala. I was unsurprised that he had not heard. Though word had spread, Mala had been focused on the duties I would normally be attending to.

Mala’s spots went yellow and then gray with concern. “Missing?”

Thrash made a startled sound, catching all of our attention.

And the sight I saw when I glanced at the cameras made my blood run cold. “What—” I swore softly in my own tongue. Ushuu approached, frowning at all of us in confusion before his own spots paled and his eyes caught on the image playing on the screen.

“Is that…” Ushuu started.

“Kael.”

I would not forget his face. I could not. Not when it had haunted me for years. My old roommate. The Sahrk that had died first, that day, all those years ago. Only now…his dark gray surface was littered in scars, and he was far older than the last time I’d seen him. It took a lot to cause scarring like that on a Sahrk. But Kael was no normal Sahrk. He was a hybrid. A pod-child like I was, but mixed with aliens not of our planet. His surface texture was unique. Fuzzier.

The playful man I’d once known was unrecognizable.

“He was the one helping us…and I didn’t even notice.” Ushuu sounded horrified, and Mala moved to soothe him before I could. “How is he alive?”

“I do not know,” I replied, numb as I watched as Kael held the door open to the bay. He must’ve hacked into the system somehow—knowledge of its inner workings allowing him to dock against us without triggering alarm.

“There!” Huu-goh’s sweet words in English startled me out of my thoughts as his pale friend entered the screen. Briar glanced both ways, a bag over his shoulder stuffed full. “No,” Huu-goh said softly, wilting at my side as he watched Briar follow the Sahrk through the docking bay and off our vessel. “No,” he repeated, sounding defeated.

I squeezed him close, staring at the screen in shock for a few more minutes as the footage continued to play.

“How long ago was that?” I asked Thrash in my own tongue, soothing my sweet mate as he pressed his face to my chest.

“An hour or so, sir,” Thrash said.

“I’m sorry,” I told Huu-goh, switching back to his native tongue so he could understand. He’d relayed to me most of what had happened but there had been a lot of words I had not understood. Later, I’d ask Ushuu to translate.

Or…

When we reached Osheania—I’d make use of the translators available at the visitor center, though I still planned on surprising Huu-goh with permanent implants as soon as possible. The thought made me giddy—even as it filled me with guilt for being so excited to speak with him again, given the circumstances.

“I’m sorry,” I told Huu-goh again, stroking a hand down his back and nuzzling his head. He sighed, defeated.

“It’s okay,” he said softly, though he pulled away, rising from his seat. He turned to look at me, waiting expectantly. I rose just as quickly as he had, sweeping him into my arms again as we made our way out of the control room and toward the barracks.

Huu-goh and I snuggled for what felt like hours.

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