Page 3 of Protected By the Alien Bodyguard

Jaraz stands, dusting off his clothes nonchalantly. As if there isn't a dead guy laying on the floor.

Oh God, is that blood?

The world tilts, and I’m pretty sure the floor is rushing up to meet me.

“Breathe, female,” Jaraz commands with a voice that’s all gravel and no quiver-inducing qualities. His arms envelop me in warmth. It’s been a while since I’ve felt safe, back when my biggest worry was scalding my tongue on a latte, not, you know, alien abductions.

I gulp in fresh air, feeling like I've run a marathon. Or at least attempted one. Let's face it, I'm not the kind of girl that'd normally go running without a really good reason.

“Good girl,” he says. With surprising ease and large hands, covered with faint scars, he easily picks me up and plops me on the surface of Grum’s desk. And they say chivalry is dead.

I might actually be swooning right now. You know, if there wasn't a slaver taking a permanent snooze at my feet. Priorities, people.

Jaraz rummages through the desk, discarding Grum’s tablet with a flick of his wrist after seeing it password locked. Grum was paranoid about everyone. Except for me. He had this firm belief that humans are just exotic pets. For someone involved in shady business deals, he seriously lacked some brains. But then again, maybe that's why he chose such a charming career.

I’m just glad he didn’t sell me off. I refuse to consider the alternatives of being a glorified pet. Now, with him gone, I can reclaim my life. When to eat, when to bathe, what to do each day... I don't have to be a pet anymore.

I fiddle with the collar around my neck, a stubborn reminder of ownership. It won’t budge without the key; I’ve tried a thousand times before to no avail. I eye Grum’s body. Do I dare grab the key? I mean, it's not like he's going to wake up as a zombie and try to eat me. Aliens can't do that, can they?

Screw it. I've already killed him once. I can do this.

I try to stand, but my knees buckle.

I refuse to let this stop me. I crawl my way on hands and knees to dead Grum's side determined to secure my freedom. It's not like I've got dignity left to preserve anyway.

Blood’s everywhere, and yep, I’m a murderer. This is going to take some adjusting. Self-defense, sure, but does this make me a criminal? And possibly not the brightest, defending a guy I barely know.

Life’s suddenly not so black and white. Waking up caged and getting bid on by aliens is a pretty harsh wake-up call. It’s enough to make anyone question their core beliefs.

I pat Grum down. Finally, my fingers close around what feels like a weird, compact tablet. Is this seriously the key? It's no wonder aliens haven't invented phones yet if their "keys" are this huge. You either answer calls on your brick, have a cool ass sports watch with a hologram built in, or you talk out loud to yourself like a madman since you've got some fancy eyeball or brain implant or something.

I stand back up, clutching my newfound prize to my chest victoriously.

"We need to leave," Jaraz suddenly appears, crouching at my side. He swipes the key from my hand and presses a few buttons.

Just like that, the collar falls away with an unceremonious clunk into my lap. There's no grandiose music or fireworks, just... freedom. One second, that wretched thing was secured tightly around my sore and chafed neck, and the next it's nothing but a useless trinket that's controlled my entire existence. I'm no longer some animal chained up.

"Right then," I state to myself, my voice quivering. "I'm a female dog, ready to take back control of my life."

"Come on, we've got to go!" Jaraz's calloused hand grasps my wrist, sending an unexpected thrill through me that I definitely don't have time to unpack right now. He pulls me up effortlessly, and I can't help swaying into that solid chest of his.

No, I'm absolutely not attracted to this alien. It's just that I'm ecstatic to be free. That's it. Yeah.

I want to ask him why we're hauling ass all of a sudden, but thankfully my brain cooperates for once before I can voice that dumb question out loud. Hello, I killed a guy! Sticking around to politely turn myself in doesn't seem wise. What even happens to criminals here—a slap on the wrist or will I end up in some... I dunno, do they have dungeons or futuristic prisons? Maybe they jettison criminals out of a space hatch or something, execution style.

With no better plan than staying with the guy who hasn't abandoned me yet, I follow Jaraz's lead.

I find myself standing in front of "The Door". I've never been past this point. The one time I tried, the collar had delivered such a painful shock that I'd passed out screaming, and could barely walk for days afterwards. Fun times. I haven't worked up the courage to try again until now.

But I still can't help stalling, rooted to the spot like a coward. Because of pain. Learned helplessness. Fear of the unknown. There's a whole universe on the other side of that door. As crappy as my current situation is, it's still the devil I know. There's safety in that, as twisted as it sounds.

I'm so sick of my own anxiety dictating my life. Even back on Earth, I was the perpetually shy, awkward girl terrified of chatting up guys or asking for help. With my track record, it's surprising I even managed to order pizza without having an internal meltdown.

I'm done with being scared. I'm so close to breaking free, both physically and mentally. Yet taking that leap feels impossible. Then, Jaraz’s hand finds mine—his touch is calloused but warm. It grounds me amidst my spiraling thoughts and fears.

He looks at me, his eyes deep pools of inky black, filled with concern and something akin to pity. He can’t possibly fathom the full extent of my ordeal, yet in that fleeting eye contact, I feel a connection. I’m not alone, not for this first step into the unknown. And if I can manage this, maybe, just maybe, I can handle the rest on my own.

I’ve endured an alien abduction, survived as a glorified pet; surely, I can muster the courage to walk through a door. It’s a door! I give myself a mental pep talk, the kind that would make any coach proud.

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