Page 58 of Claimed by an Alien Warrior

The steps creaked as he followed her down. “Is it going to be the same as the other movie? The…Ace Ventures?”

“Ace Ventura. And no. We’ll have to check out their collection, and you can pick this time.”

They entered the media room. The TV mounted on the wall had to be eighty-plus inches, the biggest she’d ever seen, and there were surround-sound speakers set into little alcoves all around the room. There were no wires to be seen anywhere — and no DVD player, cable box, or anything of the sort.

She found a remote control, set in its own charging dock, on a stand beside one of the eight leather recliners. It was the most complicated remote she’d ever seen, complete with its own display screen.

At the back of the room, she discovered a small, black handle on the wall. When she tugged on it, a door — which had blended seamless with the paneling — swung open. She stepped through the doorway to find what could pass for a small bedroom in most of the houses she’d been in. Here it was probably just referred to as themedia closetor something like that.

Shelves upon shelves stuffed with DVDs and Blu-rays lined the walls. There had to be more than five hundred titles. The missing electronics were set on a shelf near the door; a Blu-ray player, a gaming console, a satellite receiver, and the surround sound unit. The neatly-bundled cords for each device ran into the wall.

“This is so neat.” Zoey looked at Ren and grinned. “Pick a movie that looks interesting while I try to figure out how to get all this going.”

Rendash joined her in the closet; they were able to both fit inside without bumping into one another. His eyes widened. “All of those are movies?”

“Yep. And that’s not even close to how many movies are out there.”

Tentatively, he reached forward and removed a DVD from the nearest shelf, turning the case in his hand to look at the front. “And you mean for me to choose based on the picture?”

“A lot of people find movies that way.” She pressed the power button on the Blu-ray player, and there was a soft chiming sound from the main room. She poked her head out of the closet to see the TV turning on before returning her attention to Ren. “If the cover looks interesting, we can check the back to see what it’s about.”

He flipped the case to glance at the back and frowned. “I still cannot read human writing.”

“I can read it to you, or we can leave it as a surprise.” She stepped closer to him. “If you want a certain genre, I can point out a few to you.”

Moving back, he swept his gaze over the collection. She could understand how it would be overwhelming; she could read, and had at least heard of most of the movies, but Zoey doubted even she could make a choice in any reasonable amount of time given so many options.

She watched while he slid movies out for closer inspection, unable to tell if he was choosing randomly or based on whichever spine-logos were most appealing to him. In most cases, he only asked for the title, if for anything, but he had her read the back descriptions on a few.

When he made his choice, she wasn’t sure if she should’ve been surprised or not; he selectedGalaxy Quest. She took the case from him, opened it, set the disc in the tray and pressed the button to close it.

“Come on,” she said, grabbing one of his hands and pulling him into the main room. He closed the door as he passed through.

Zoey released his hand when they reached the chairs, plopping onto one of the center seats. He settled into the chair beside hers, a comical look of worry on his face as the leather squeaked and creaked.

“Is that normal?” he asked, holding all four of his arms up as though afraid to lower them onto the chair.

Zoey laughed. “Yes, it is. I guess we’ll find out if leather sticks to scales like it does to bare skin before too long.”

Rendash lowered his arms slowly, settling the lower pair on the armrests with the upper pair atop them. He nearly leapt out of the seat when his leg bumped the recliner button and the whole chair tilted back.

Giggling, Zoey placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s fine. Lay back and relax.”

Leaning back, he shifted a hand to the recliner controls and tipped the seat backwards. Once he settled, he clasped the fingers on both sets of hands, resting them atop his bare abdomen.

From the moment the movie began, Zoey found her attention on Ren nearly as often as it was on the TV. His comments, often muttered absently, added a new layer of comedy to the film that she hadn’t guessed was possible. Whether he was questioning the existence of the alien species depicted on screen or debunking Hollywood physics, his earnestness was endearing and entertaining at once.

Toward the end, Zoey found herself watching Rendash rather than the movie, taking note of every shift in his expression — each curl or twist of his lip, the subtle twitches of his brow, and the intense look that often came to his eyes. It wasn’t exactly conscious. She just…

She was going to miss him when he left.

Rendash had quickly become an important part of her life, and despite the circumstances, these last few days with him were some of the best she’d ever had. She felt closer to him than any person should to another in so short a time. It didn’t make sense. She just…didn’t want him to go.

One of his side eyes flicked toward her. He lifted his head and turned it to face her, all four of his eyes focusing on her. “Shouldn’t you be enjoying the movie, Zoey?”

Zoey smiled. “I am. I’m also enjoying the company.”

“I cannot see how watching me is more engaging than watching that.” He gestured to the TV. “Though it is rife with inaccuracy, it is, at least, entertaining. You humans have quaint notions of space and the intergalactic community.”

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