Page 58 of The Alien's Private Redemption

"I did not know that," he admitted.

"You've never blushed before?" she asked.

"Never in front of someone who would mention the color of my scales."

He felt her sympathy through their Bond before she spoke.

"That sounds lonely," she said.

Zoric shrugged. "In some ways, perhaps. I had my people and my place among them. There was companionship, if not true intimacy."

"What about your mother? Did she raise you to be the Captain of the Guard?"

"I don't think they can object if you touch my tail," Zoric said, avoiding more questions about his past. The lights cast strange shadows on his scales, making them shimmer green and gold as he shifted on the stool. He pulled his tail into his lap and enjoyed the feel of her eyes upon him.

Angela's curiosity rippled through their bond, even as he could feel her frustration and amusement at his change of subject. She watched him as he moved closer, and he was aware of the interest in her gaze, and of the sympathy at the spike of pain he'd shared when she'd asked about his mother.

"Is it sensitive?" she asked, her voice soft with consideration. Their Bond hummed with awareness. He recognized her gentle, careful approach, and appreciated her recognition of his need for boundaries.

The surveillance cameras whirred quietly above them, a reminder of their lack of privacy. Zoric felt Angela's awarenessof their observers fade as she focused on him, their connection growing stronger with each passing moment.

"Not in the way you might think," he answered, letting amusement color his response. "But it is part of my balance. You might want to warn me before you-"

Her gentle touch along his tail sent a jolt of surprise through him that echoed in their bond.

Angela giggled, the sound bright against the institutional silence. "Sorry," she said, not sounding sorry at all. "I couldn't resist."

He felt her delight at his reaction, saw her eyes widen as she realized she could feel his answering amusement. The bond between them strengthened with each interaction, growing more natural by the moment.

A warning buzz from the cellblock door interrupted their exploration. Their time was running out, and they both knew it. Angela's disappointment mixed with his own, creating a bittersweet ache in their shared connection.

"I'll come back," he promised, standing reluctantly. The stool scraped against the concrete floor as he pushed it back.

"I know," she said simply. And through their bond, he felt her certainty - not just that he would return, but that she would be waiting.

As he walked towards the cellblock door, Zoric did his best to hide his irritation at their interruption. There was an armed soldier waiting for him in the doorway, and another in the room on the other side. The door slammed shut behind him and his escort led him away from the cellblock.

He wanted nothing more than to turn back and resume his conversation with Angela. Even her brief touch along his tail had been enough to make his heart race with need, and he could feel her thoughts going in a similar direction.

The human military base had assaulted Zoric's senses from the moment he arrived. His scales detected minute changes in air pressure from the security systems, while his tongue collected data about everyone who had passed through in the last hour. The soldiers' weapons carried traces of oil and gunpowder, their uniforms crisp with industrial detergent that made his nose itch.

His claws clicked softly against the polished floors as he followed his escort, each sound echoing off walls designed for human acoustics. The corridors were just wide enough to be uncomfortable - too narrow for his natural gait but too wide to brush against the walls for balance. Everything here was built for a different species, a constant reminder of his outsider status.

The facility was a maze of corridors that always seemed to end in another conference room. Identically furnished with a polished wood table, faux leather office chairs, and a large screen that nobody seemed inclined to use. They had beige walls and a concrete floor painted to look slightly different from the institutional grey that covered the hallways.

Ae-cha and Colonel Schuh were already waiting for him, sitting at the table in the office chairs humans seemed to love. He didn't know how Ae-cha managed it but he always felt like he was on the verge of sliding off the front. Instead of sitting, he approached and leaned against the wall.

His tail brushed the wall behind him and the memory of Angela's touch thrilled through him again. He hadn't realized he was broadcasting along the Bond until he felt an echo of her pleasure a moment later.

It was no wonder his people would go to the lengths they had to secure a bond like this. And this was a Bond newly formed and not yet consummated. Zoric didn't dare hope he'd be allowed to consummate the bond but he yearned for it, and Angela, with every fiber of his being.

The sharp, chemical scent of Dr. Phillips preceded her into the room, and Zoric couldn't stop the curl of his lip. There was a reason perfume wasn't allowed in the facility but apparently the psychologist didn't think the rules applied to her.

She sat at the table and smacked her file folders on the polished surface. They looked new and Zoric couldn't help but smirk at how long it must have taken her to salvage her notes. As if she could feel his reaction, Dr. Phillips turned a hateful look his direction before straightening her shoulders.

Colonel Schuh nodded to the soldiers stationed at the door and they walked out of the room, closing the door behind them. Zoric could hear the shuffle of their boots as they took up positions outside.

Who were they guarding, he wondered? And against what? As far as he could tell, there weren't any other prisoners in this facility, though that hadn't always been the case.

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