Page 2 of The Alien Who Saved Christmas

For no reason she could possibly fathom, Sadie flashed her own do-hickey, bidding against the Octopus-man.

She’d been watching and learning all morning, so she knew how it worked.

Basically, it was like any other auction, only you used some kind of multicolored penlight to bid.

Green meant “higher” or “more” or “keep going.” Something like that.

She wasn’t sure how much she was bidding, but green always seemed to win. She was sticking with green.

Octopus-guy glanced her way with a smug look and flashed green for a second time.

Sadie depressed green again, too.

So did Octopus-guy.

So did Sadie.

So did Octopus-guy.

So did Sadie.

So did Octopus-guy.

Now the crowd was beginning to murmur a bit, surprised by the competition.

Sadie hesitated. She had a bunch of the See-Through Alien Kidnappers’ metal coin things, which seemed to be alien currency. She had no idea which coins were worth what, though. And she had to have those fluffy duckling aliens to fly her ship. What if she ran out of money?

On stage, Xane stirred. Did he know what was happening? Sadie couldn’t be sure, but she felt like maybe he did. His expression shifted, like he was trying to focus through the drugs. Like some piece of him was awake and watching.

Half the crowd moved backwards in response.

Their fear was understandable. Xane wasn’t a particularly friendly-looking guy.

His horns were an elaborate headpiece of scary.

At least a foot across, they branched out of his dark hair, into intricate, unholy twists and knots.

And then there were the two sets of arms. One set was slightly lower on his torso, almost even with his pecs.

The lower set was smaller than his main arms, but they were still way, way bigger than human-sized arms. The guy could shred her without even trying.

Literally. All four of his hands were tipped with claws.

Xane’s dulled-stare drifted over the crowd and landed on Sadie.

She instinctively shifted, trying to stay in the shadows.

His head tilted the tiniest bit.

The auctioneer guy was jabbering away, giving a time warning on Lot 25. Calling for more bids.

Xane didn’t even glance his way. All his hazy focus stayed on Sadie.

Seemingly against his will, he took a step closer to her.

She could feel him trying to peer beneath the hood of the robe and figure out why she was bidding on him.

It was a great question. One that she didn’t really have an answer for.

As she stood there, debating what to do, she met Xane’s gaze…

And her breath caught in her throat.

This gigantic, scarred, bloodcurdling alien had the most beautiful eyes she’d ever seen. They were like a tropical sea, filled with heat, and light, and life. No one with eyes like that should die in an extraterrestrial mine. Someone with eyes like that still had so much more to see.

Everything outside of Sadie seemed to dim, until it was just her and Xane.

All her instincts about people jangled in her head.

Telling her that she wouldn’t be alone, if she had Xane with her.

Promising that he was the path to safety.

Screaming that she had to save this man, no matter what it took.

It made zero sense, but she suddenly felt it like a compulsion, and she only had two seconds to decide.

She could listen to her gut or play it safe.

It was a no-brainer.

Sadie never played it safe.

Her thumb pressed the green button and she kept it down, so the light stayed on. Her grandfather had raised turkeys on his farm. Back when she was a kid, he’d taken Sadie to livestock auctions.

“If you want to intimidate the competition,” Grandpa had said, “just act like money don’t matter.”

Xane didn’t seem to notice her aggressive bidding. He was fading back into his own head, swaying on his feet from the drugs. Whatever the auctioneers had given him, it was dragging him under. Unless someone fished him out, he’d drown.

Luckily, Sadie was there to protect him. She felt a sense of purpose. Of fate. For the first time in weeks, she was in control of her life.

Octopus-guy bid again and again, but Sadie’s light never wavered. Inside her head, logic warred with her sudden, stupid need to rescue Xane. Logic was making some compelling points.

Plenty of maniac killers had blue eyes. Not many normal people had horns.

She’d just seen Xane rip a man’s leg off.

Without the fluffy yellow aliens, she couldn’t get home.

She wouldn’t have enough money to free them, if she kept this up.

She might not even have enough money for him at the rate the price was climbing.

If the metal coins weren’t enough to buy this big guy, would the auctioneers try and sell her?

And still she kept the button depressed as the cost soared higher and higher. Sadie had always had a soft spot for strays. She was strong enough to take care of herself and this poor, helpless man wasn't. She had to save him.

The auctioneer’s voice got excited, thrilled with the skyrocketing bid.

Octopus-man was looking sickly around his actual gills.

Xane fell to one knee, like he couldn’t keep standing any longer.

Sadie’s heart was beating out of her chest. Knowing she was risking everything on a man with four-arms and pretty eyes. Knowing that she should stop before it was too late. But she kept going.

In twenty-five years, her instincts had never been wrong. And they’d never been surer of anyone than they were of Xane. She was gambling her life on this alien, but she needed to help him.

“I don’t have more credits on me, but we all know I’m good for the money.” Octopus-man said to one of the auctioneers. “I’m the richest man in town!”

Heads were shaking, refusing to take an IOU.

Octopus-man was furious, arguing with them and getting nowhere.

Sadie’s thumb stayed depressed on the green button until…

Sold!

The auctioneer hit the buzzer that signaled the end of bidding on Lot 25.

And Sadie Malone bought an alien for Christmas.