Page 6 of The Alien Who Saved Christmas

Xane cut off her crazed idea, before it went any further. “No.”

“No?”

“ No . You are not stealing a Vipri.”

“I know! I just said, it’s not stealing. Slavery is wrong, no matter the galaxy. Way more wrong than stealing. We’re saving him.”

“No!” He repeated at a roar, because it seemed like the word was not processing.

He’d never bellowed at one of his owners before, but then this was the first time he’d ever been owned by a lunatic.

“You will not go back to that town again, woman. It is a miracle from the gods that you survived the first trip.”

She frowned at his volume and hesitantly edged back from him.

Xane took a deep breath, willing himself to stay calm. The female was a fraction of his size, without claws or horns to defend herself. It made perfect sense that she would be wary of him. Everyone was wary of him, and he liked it that way.

But he didn’t like her retreat.

“If you are truly alone, then I am the only thing standing between you and certain death.” He warned. “I would not move far afield of me, if I were you.”

She didn’t look convinced. “Why would you stand between me and certain death?”

“Because, for the moment, you are standing between me and the blue salt mines.” That was the reason he preferred to focus on. Everything else was asking for trouble.

“Oh, you don’t have to worry.” She waved away his logic with a graceful sweep of her small hand. Possibly because she had never encountered logic before. She seemed oblivious to reality. “You’re never going into those mines. You’re free.”

He didn’t believe her. “Am I?” He mocked, raising his bound wrists.

“Yeah, about that…” She cleared her throat. “See, you’re totally free. …But, I’m slightly worried that you’re going to attack me, as soon as I unlock you.”

“If I wanted you dead, I’d kill you no matter the obstacles.”

“That isn’t making me feel better.”

He lifted a shoulder, because his words were true. He could not help how they affected her. Gods, his head hurt. He widened his stance, concerned he might disgrace himself and fall to the ground. Everything was swimming.

“I mean, you can’t blame me for being a little cautious of you.” She persisted. “You ripped off some guy’s leg, a couple hours ago.”

“I did?”

“Yes! The auctioneer alien.”

He grunted, barely remembering. The man had been insignificant, and the drugs made everything hazy. “Well, the chains were on my hands when I defeated him, then. Why would you assume the restraints keep you safe now?”

The woman was quiet for a moment. It made no sense, but the silence made his headache worse. Her colorful voice soothed him. Gods knew why.

“You’re right.” She finally said and mauled at her lower lip some more. “Also, it’s morally wrong to keep you chained. I feel terrible about it.”

“So, release me.” He challenged, not believing for a moment that she’d actually do it.

She hesitated. “You promise not to hurt me?”

“I promise nothing.”

“Seriously!?” She lifted her hands in an exasperated gesture.

Xane gave another shrug. Rtaharions let their actions speak for them, not empty words.

His perplexing little owner sighed. “I have no idea why I bid on you.” She dug in the pockets of her robe. Coming up with a key, she moved closer to him. “There were way nicer aliens up for sale. I’m sure of it.”

“Half of them would have eaten you by now. The other half would’ve done worse.” He glowered down at the top of her head. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to figure out how intergalactic handcuffs work.”

She wanted to continue with this ruse? Fine. He snatched the key from her.

And she let him.

Any other being on this planet would have known better. They would have left him in shackles. But Sadie-Mal-Own, stood there while he freed himself. Yes. He was assuredly imagining all this. …How in the netherworld could he imagine someone who smelled as good as her, though?

Aggravated with life, Xane dropped the chains to the purple ground, shifting his neck to work out the kinks and stretching out his arms, at long last. Sadie-Mal-Own’s gray eyes were apprehensive, but she didn’t flee in terror. It reinforced his idea that she was hopelessly dim.

“Feel better?” She asked guilelessly.

“You’re an idiot for releasing my bindings.” He told her in way of an answer. “I could now kill you, rape you, hide your body, and escape.”

“Why would you do that? I just let you go.”

Xane scoffed at that obvious lie. No one ever released a slave, unless the slave was wounded or old, and costing them money. “Why would you purchase me, only to release me the same day?” He demanded, answering her question with his own.

She shifted, looking uncomfortable.

He waited, studying her for some hint of her hidden plot.

“I didn’t want you to die.” She finally muttered.

“Why?” Anyone else would have rejoiced.

Sadie-Mal-Own gnawed on her lower lip, and his gut clenched in inconvenient desire.

“You have nice eyes.” She whispered, like the revelation embarrassed her. No doubt because it was a transparent falsehood.

“You spent a fortune for no reason, except my eyes? This is what you claim?”

She slanted him a glare, not appreciating his skepticism. “It’s not a ‘claim.’ It’s true!” She insisted again. “And it’s Christmastime. People are supposed to do nice things at Christmas.”

“What is Christmas?”

“It’s a holiday where people send cards and spread freaking kindness.

They buy stuff too.” She sniffed. “ You were kind of an impulse buy. Like when you’re in the checkout line at the supermarket and know you shouldn’t buy the Milky Way, but somehow you end up with three of them in your basket. ”

“You speak of that backwards galaxy in the middle of nowhere?”

“What?”

He made a frustrated sound at how hard it was to communicate with the tiny creature. He’d never spent any time conversing with a female. They were scarce and protected. But they couldn’t all be this troublesome. It had to be her. “Is your translator broken?”

“No, I don’t think so. The thing is just a piece of crap. Either that or you’re getting all mixed up, because I have no idea what you’re talking about half the time.”

“ Nythtar Omega .” He bypassed his own translator to pronounce it. “My translator says the galaxy’s name is ‘Milky Way’ in your dialect, but…”

“You know where the Milky Way galaxy is?” She interrupted, her invitingly plump lips parting in surprise. “That’s what you’re saying? Oh my God, that’s incredible! That’s like my neighborhood!”

Beings lived in that awful place? Impossible.

“Do you think you could draw me a map?” The female bounced up and down on the toes of her strange shoes, excitement evident in her lovely voice.

He couldn’t see most of her body, but he sensed the intriguing movement of her breasts under the robe.

“Once I get the ducklings, I can show them the route, and I’ll be home! ”

Xane hated himself for wanting to give her whatever she wished, just to keep her smiling up at him. Sadie-Mal-Own was a Weakness. He had not anticipated that, but he suddenly knew it was true. He could already feel himself falling under her spell of madness and lust.

Like all Weakness, she needed to be stamped out before she took root.

Xane forced his attention away from her luscious pink mouth. “No.” He told her firmly. This possibly-imaginary woman’s charade would not pull him in. He wouldn’t allow it.

“No?” She blinked at him and stopped bouncing. “No, you won’t draw me a map?”

“No, I want no part of whatever it is you’re plotting.” Xane turned and started back towards town. “If you’re releasing me, then I’m leaving. I will waste no time drawing maps for a female who will soon be dead.”

He walked away, wanting to force her hand and prove to himself that he’d been right. To make her explain this deception. To admit that she’d lied about freeing him.

“Xane?” She called suddenly.

He hesitated, the sound of his name in her strange accent flaring across his senses. He looked back, not sure whether to be pleased or disappointed that his plan to force a confession from her had worked.

“Are you okay?” Rather than looking defeated and contrite, she seemed worried. “You’re weaving all over the place.”

No. He wasn’t okay. His head was going to explode. “I’m fine. The slavers gave me castr extract.” The drug’s effects often came in waves, and he’d been injected with a lot of it. Too much. Everything was foggy.

“I know they did.” She started after him, pretending to be concerned for his welfare. Why would she pretend to be concerned? What was the profit in it? “Stay here and rest for a while. I’ll take care of you.”

Xane shook his head and it made him dizzy. “Caring” was meaningless to his people. He wasn’t staying here. He would never allow someone to catch him unaware. He needed to go… Wait, where was he going? It was hard to keep his thoughts straight.

“The ship is pretty hidden.” Sadie-Mal-Own persisted, disregarding his refusal. Her voice was smooth and cool against his overheating mind. “It’s how I stayed off the radar for the last few weeks. You’ll be safe, while you sleep it off.”

Xane squeezed his eyes shut, trying to think.

He was typically a decisive man. He made decisions quickly, based on facts, and he stuck with them.

Whether it was the drugs or Sadie-Mal-Own herself, though, he suddenly found himself unsure of his path.

He was torn between what his malfunctioning brain told him was smart and what his deepest instincts desired.

He should go. No. He should stay.

The woman was lying and attempting a ruse. No. She was helpless and needed his protection.

She was a Weakness. No. She was his…

Xane’s internal debate ended abruptly, when he toppled face-first into the sand.

The last thing he saw before he passed out was Sadie-Mal-Own racing for him. The hood of her robe fell back from her face, revealing a mass of thick brown curls that glinted in the sun like magic.

His eyes widened in amazement.

Oh phlarge .

He really was delusional.