Page 10 of Captured By The Alien Barbarian
Hold up, what have I done?
“What’s wrong?” I ask, barely resisting the urge to move away from him.
“Why do you bare your teeth at me?” Taccit snarls. Suddenly, he is up and marching to the other side of the room, putting space between us.
“Bare my... what?” I say in confusion, my heart pounding like it’s trying to smash through my ribcage.
“I try to be friendly, only for you to insult me!” He spins back around to fix me with a menacing growl, the deep rumble echoing around the cramped room. He takes a few threatening steps towards me, causing me to squirm to put some distance between us.
“I smiled at you!” I defend, somewhat out of breath. “I was being friendly!”
His stride falters. His gaze narrows suspiciously as he scrutinizes my every inch. Those nostrils of his flare repeatedly. Is he... smelling me? I have heard that some extraterrestrial beings can detect emotions. Is he smelling how absolutely petrified I am at that moment?
“Explain how that was being friendly,” he asks, more commanding than questioning. I hate when people tell me what to do. Yet, I am so frightened of this alien right now that I am willing to ignore his tone. After all, when your safety hangs in the balance, some sacrifices must be made.
“I was... smiling,” I reply, my voice cracking.
After giving me a long, appraising look, he slowly lowers himself closer to the ground, crouching a short distance from me.
“Your species bares their teeth... when they smile?” He certainly doesn’t sound entirely convinced.
“Ah, yes. Humans have this peculiar habit of showing their teeth when they’re happy. Or when we’re, you know, just being friendly. Like this... May I demonstrate?”
He nods, his yellow-eyed gaze practically burning a hole through me. Doing my best to comply, I attempt a weak smile. I turn up the corners of my lips, producing what can only be described as the world’s least sincere smile. It ends up more like a pained grimace, but I figure it will have to do—it’s not like he’d know any better, right?
His expression falters for a moment, and that oh-so-familiar panic starts creeping in. He disapproves. My attempt at a grin becomes etched in place as I watch, anxiety levels spiking for his reaction.
Finally, he forces a smile himself. It is more like he is copying me, rather than showing a genuine emotion. And then it strikes me: his teeth are sharp. Very sharp. His smile resembles more of an animal baring its fangs than an actual smile. It is downright terrifying, to be honest.
I’m not even sure my own smile remains in place, given the way my heart races. If he makes any sudden movements, I am fully prepared to jump out of my skin.
“I will have to remember this behavior. My people do not bare their teeth when they smile,” he muses, nodding to himself. Seemingly done with me, he returns to whatever it is he had been doing on the far side of the cavern.
Out of the blue, Taccit asks, “Are you in need of a drink?”
“Uhm... no, thank you,” I reply.
Truthfully, I am dying for a drink, but then there is the inevitable aftermath—having to relieve myself. In case you’ve forgotten, I am currently cuffed and tied to a wall with nary a bathroom in sight. I don’t dare imagine what solution he might come up with for that situation. I opt not to press my luck.
Taccit turns from me and shrugs his hulking shoulders, seemingly unfazed. His tail is held stiff out behind him.
“It is a shame that you do not find what I offer you desirable right now. You will need to eat and drink eventually,” he says, glancing at me over his shoulder. “I’m aware that pain can make you feel unwell. I apologize for not having any more medicine to help you out.”
“Oh, er, thank you.”
Maybe I really have been too quick to judge this guy. He appears terrifying, but his actions aren’t entirely malevolent. He has rescued me, presumably fending off that rabid beast in the process, and even tried to feed me. The only thing that doesn’t quite add up is the cuffs and the little prisoner title.
“Hey, umm, Taccit?” I venture, testing the waters. His back stiffens, and his tail goes as rigid as a ruler. Slowly, he turns toward me, his expression unreadable.
This time, I try a closed-mouth smile, not a tooth in sight. “Is there any chance you can remove these cuffs and set me free?”
There is a pause that seems to last an eternity. I begin to think he won’t respond at all.
He grunts out a simple, “No.”
“What?” My temper flares, overriding my fear and any last vestiges of logical thought. I plow ahead with reckless abandon. “I’m not a slave, and I’m not a prisoner! You can’t just go tying people up for no reason. You have no right to do this to me!”
Taccit stands tall, looming over me. I am instantly reminded of just how big, this guy is. Mental note—don’t provoke the big alien guy with freaking razor-sharp claws and sharp, pointy teeth like something out of a nightmare. “You don’t have much of a choice, my little Nika. You are a prisoner whether you like it or not,” Taccit says. His tail slams onto the ground, a sharp crack noise echoing off the walls and making me wince.
