Page 17 of The Alien's Private Redemption

"Who?" Zoric snapped.

"I wasn't aware anybody had permission to visit with her unsupervised," Ae-cha said, her voice sharp.

"Dr. Torres had questions about previous test results," the Colonel explained. "The guards are watching but he asked for a chance to get some information from her outside of an official interrogation. He felt bringing her into an interrogation room would be counterproductive, and I have to agree."

Zoric was out of the conference room before he'd made the decision to stand. A lifetime of navigating complex tunnel systems in less than ideal light helped him find the guardroom outside the cellblock without an escort, and the guards did not look happy to see him when he arrived.

"Open the door," he demanded. The scents of surprise and fear hit his receptors, and he could see the reluctance in theirbody language. Tiny movements in their hands and faces spoke volumes to him, sudden understanding granted by his Bond with Angela, and he knew they'd been given orders to keep him out.

"Private McBride is only allowed one visitor at a time, sir," one of the guards protested.

"Then it's time for the other visitor to leave." Zoric could hear his voice dropping into a dangerous growl and his vision was focused on the pulse he could see along their necks.

"Open the door, Corporal," Colonel Schuh said from the doorway.

There was a pregnant pause before the guard swallowed audibly and nodded. "Yes, sir," he said, then unlocked the door to the cellblock.

His claws left shallow grooves in the concrete as he rounded the corner, his tail helping him maintain balance at a speed that would have sent most humans sprawling. The scent of Angela's fear hit him like a physical blow, mixing with Dr. Torres' clinical curiosity in a way that made his scales bristle with rage.

Somewhere in his subconscious, he knew the others had followed him in, but his attention was focused on the person sitting onhisstool.

Dr. Torres turned just in time for Zoric to grab the front of his shirt, not the back, and haul him up on his feet. He could see the doctor's wide eyes inches from his own before he could articulate what the problem was.

"You're bothering her," Zoric ground out. "You need to stop."

While the doctor tried to come up with a response, his mouth opened and closed like a fish, the fear and surprise written all over his face telling Zoric just how little resistance he'd expected to his behavior.

"Zoric," Angela called. She was standing, pressed against the bars of her cell, and he could feel her concern for him. And her relief that he was there. "You need to put him down."

Her voice was calm, her words measured, and her eyes darted from his face to the people standing behind him.

Seeing her concern, he released his grip on the doctor's shirt, and noticed that his claws had punched through the now wrinkled fabric. Dr. Torres settled some of his weight back on his heels and lifted his hands to straighten a tie that wasn't there. When his hands gripped nothing, they smoothed down the sides of his labcoat and ended in his pockets.

"Hello, Colonel, Dr. Phillips, Ae-cha. I didn't think the meeting was over yet."

"It wasn't," Dr. Phillips said, her words clipped.

"It is now," Zoric said, his voice still holding the menacing growl he'd used on the guard. "And you will explain yourself."

"Colonel," Ae-cha said from behind him. "It might be a good idea to let Private McBride out from her cell for a moment."

"We can't just release the prisoner," Colonel Schuh said.

"The parameters of our assistance has changed," Ae-cha said, her tone casual. "And if you don't want to lose Dr. Torres, you're going to want Private McBride out of her cell very soon."

Zoric felt the air move with whatever gestures the Colonel made, then the cell door slid open, and Angela was at his side. With her hand on his arm, she pulled his attention to her face, and the world stopped.

Her touch sent ripples through his scales, each point of contact spreading warmth that seemed to sink straight into his bones. The rage didn't disappear - it coiled inside him, ready to strike if needed - but her presence gave him the control to choose whether to use it.

He fell into her eyes and felt the small twist of her lips rush through him as though she'd laughed with joy. His scalessoftened where she touched, and he wanted to ask her to run her hands over every inch of him so he could memorize how it felt when she touched him. Then he wanted to do the same for her.

He didn't yet know every inch of her inside and out and that felt like a true tragedy. She was the voice of reason that prevented him from carrying her off to remedy that lack by reminding him that, not only were they still in the cell block, they had an audience. Except, she didn't say anything, just walked into his arms and let their minds rest in the comfort of the others embrace.

"Colonel," Ae-cha said. "I don't know if this adds complications or removes them, but we're going to have to change our approach."

"Obviously," the Colonel said, drily.

"Would one of you care to explain what's going on?" Dr. Phillips demanded.

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