Page 14 of The Alien's Private Redemption

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.

"Thank you all for coming," Colonel Schuh started, and Dr. Phillips huffed.

"That was hardly an invitation," she snapped. "Are we able to move forward or not? Endless meetings are not going to get the results I was sent for."

"Are you in a hurry to attempt to kill your patient again?" Zoric asked. Her tone made him seethe with anger, but a gentle nudge from Angela reminded him that he was no longer alone.

"Are you going to keep me from doing my job?" The psychiatrist was agitated. More than could be accounted for by the incident the day before.

"What is your job?" Zoric asked. "I didn't think torture was allowed in this situation."

"I've been tasked with identifying and removing Private McBride's triggers, in the hopes that her unique experience can be used to protect others in the future," Dr. Phillips said. The tipof her nose lifted slightly with each word until she was looking down it at him.

"It appears you're attempting to identify them by setting them off," Ae-cha drawled. "This is honestly something that I should be handling as I am uniquely qualified to do so."

"I return to my objections to torture," Zoric replied.

"Dr. Phillips," Colonel Schuh interrupted. "I'd like an update with how far you'd gotten with your evaluation, then we're going to move forward integrating your work with our advisors. We are here to work together. And no, Zoric, torture is not allowed. If you'd please sit, I'm sure the good Doctor would feel more comfortable."

Zoric approached one of the chairs and backed into it, his tail sliding up and over the arm on the side, pulling his kilt with it, so the bare backs of his thighs met the chair. His scales kept him from feeling the cold of the faux leather but it was an uncomfortable texture.

Ae-cha glanced at him with a smirk and looked away. The Colonel made a note on the pad of paper in front of him, then nodded when Zoric had settled into his chair.

"If you're quite finished flashing us," Dr. Phillips said.

Zoric raised an eyebrow at her. It was a facial expression he'd worked to be able to make so a human could recognize it and was happy to see her own expression change. "I don't know what you think you saw, Dr. Phillips, but I can assure you that it wasn't what you're implying. No lizardman has ever had occasion to blush over that."

Dr. Phillips flushed and stammered until Colonel Schuh interrupted her. As uncomfortable as Zoric was in his chair, he leaned back with satisfaction.

Chapter 7

---