Page 5 of Oh No, I Stole An Alien Furball And Kissed A Beastmaster

“I am the beast-master, female!” Taruk says. “It is my duty to care for any animal on hotel property.”

I poke his chest as he looms over me. He hasn’t exactly stepped closer or anything, but this guy is massive. He literally towers over me. It makes me feel small. “I refuse to give him to you to be ‘taken care of’.”

“So, you know what to feed him? What conditions he needs? What if he can’t breathe in this atmosphere? Do you have the equipment to save him then? This is my job! How am I supposed to save him if you’re in the way?”

I hesitate. Okay, now he says it that way, it sounds more like he wants to take care of Tumeric, rather than take care of him permanently.

Aliens are literal… remember, Zoe?

I feel like a fool. Still, the damn beast-master doesn’t seem to notice as he continues on his tirade, breathing heavily as he speaks, anger barely leashed. “I don’t know what kind of beast he is. He could be dangerous. You could get hurt!”

I…

Okay, I didn’t quite consider that. He’s just so cute it’s hard to imagine that he’d hurt me. And I mean, he hasn’t. Yet. He’s an alien critter. He could pop like a balloon, or excrete acid or something for all I know. I just sort of assumed that if Rist handed him over so readily to me that Tumeric was safe to handle.

I’ve been a bit of a fool, I’m woman enough to admit that at least.

“Okay,” I say, biting my lip.

Hopelessness wells up strongly, hitting me so hard in the chest that I struggle to breathe. I have to give up my beloved pet. I only just got him! I just wanted a companion, someone to give me some comfort and wouldn’t judge me if I cried or did something stupid. Sure there are plenty of women around that I could hang out with, but people have told me all my life how I’m too blunt and can be a pain to get along with.

“Female?” Taruk asks, leaning closer. He breathes in deeply through his nose, sniffing the air. A lot of aliens can smell human emotions, though they aren’t familiar with which scent means what emotion. I think I hate this guy. I’m petty enough to hope that my pits stink—take that, Taruk, your stinking planet doesn’t have deodorant!

“Fine! You can have him!” I declare, throwing up my hands. I blink repeatedly as my eyes burn, doing my best not to burst into tears. Is it too much to ask for one thing to go my way, for one source of comfort?

“I…” The bright red alien stammers. For just a moment I think he’s softening towards me. Maybe he’ll let me visit Tumeric. I mean, this alien can’t be as callous as people claim, right?

“Good,” he tells me. “You are not good enough to care for a beast.”

I glare up at him.

Beep this guy. He truly is a beast.

I open my mouth to give this guy a piece of my mind, only to be cut off by an ear-piercing shrill scream. What the heck?

Chapter

Four

TARUK

As soon as the pained expression crosses Zoe’s face, I know I’ve said the wrong thing. The bitter scent of her unhappiness fills the air. When I drag it deep within my lungs, it feels like I am being stabbed all over again.

Does it truly upset her that she’s not equipped to care for vicious beasts? She is tiny and physically weak compared to my species, the Volscians. Her skin is soft, easily damaged. She doesn’t even have physical traits such as claws to protect herself. She shouldn’t be offering her protection to another beast. No, she is the one that should be protected.

A scream echoes down the staff corridor. I flinch at the high pitch, fighting the urge to cover my ears from the sting. Instead, I find myself standing between the little human Zoe and whatever danger presents itself. My instincts scream at me to protect her at all costs, even my own life.

“That came from the kitchen,” Zoe exclaims. Before I can react, her hand is threaded through mine, fingers clasping, as she drags me after her. “Come on! Laura’s there. She might need our help.”

Does she not know she shouldn’t run towards danger? How have these humans managed to survive and apparently thrive on their isolated little planet? They are practically suicidal.

I should stop her, yet my entire being is focused on that small connection between us; her fingers grip mine with surprising strength. The way she tugs me behind her, and I follow her tamely, not at all like the solitary beast I have become. Everything about this human is meant to tease and confuse. She is driving me absolutely insane!

Sounds of absolute chaos emerge from inside the kitchen. The door swishes open and one of the red-skinned Volscian cooks Rist hired dashes through.

“Nope. Not doing this. I’m outta here,” the male throws his hands up as he strides past. He’s clearly uninterested in whatever is going on inside. I grit my teeth, watching the coward run. It was hard enough to find any males to work for the hotel, and losing even a single trained cook could prove disastrous for us. We are short-staffed enough as is.

“Laura,” Zoe says under her breath as another shriek pierces the air. She doesn’t even pause to assess her surroundings as she dashes forward. I watch in horror as a heavy can of Zoltar slugs flies through the doorway, narrowly missing her face as she attempts to enter.

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