Page 17 of Alien Rescue

Rose staggered to the bathroom and then stopped and frowned. Her head felt weird. Carefully she touched her hair and almost screamed. “Mirror,” she said, not expecting it to work with English, but the alien had made the wall a mirror with a grunt. It was worth a try. The wall turned smooth and shiny enough to reflect her image. “I’m going to kill that alien,” she muttered. He’d plaited her hair and then connected the plaits to form a weird upside-down basket on her head. It took her forever to unravel it. She ended up sitting on the bathroom floor, spending time she could look for an escape, undoing his elaborate braiding.

It was a relief to use the facilities and to get clean. Did that alien think she was some kind of toy he could play with? She showered and went to the closet the alien had previously taken that horrendous dress from. And why she’d kept quiet she’d never know, but he’d been so proud of himself. She shrugged. No use getting on his bad side before she escaped. And she would escape. More horrific frilly dresses hung in the closet, and Rose couldn’t bring herself to put one on. Along with an alien uniform. It would be too big for her but maybe she could wear the shirt like a dress and roll up the arms. With a grin she took the uniform weirdly attached to the top of the closet space. It came loose easily. Rose quickly ditched the flannel pajamas she swore she saw her grandmother wear. The shirt might look like metal, but it was butter soft. It shrunk to fit her. “Cool.” She reached for the pants.

The strange metal house was crammed with the oddest collection of human stuff. On a shelf she found hair clips and any kind of hair ornament imaginable. Even tiaras. “Where would the alien have gotten tiaras?” Her voice sounded loud in the quiet house. She smoothed her hand over the wall of the bedroom, looking for anything that would give her an advantage.

Wait a minute. “Weapons,” she said out loud and waited. Rose shrugged. It was worth a try. Another part of the wall opened when she touched it. To reveal a wooden club. She stared at the crude weapon. If that was the answer to her request for weapons, she was not impressed. Rose smiled and lifted it. It was heavy, but she was so much stronger, she might just get away with it. If she could hit him with the club and run out the door before it closed behind him, maybe she could escape. Her legs threatened to give way beneath her at the thought of taking on that big alien with only a club. What if she really hurt him? It was a crazy plan, but she had to try it.

She found three more rooms stuffed with human things and returned to the living room. She wandered into what had to be the kitchen. What did they cook? Probably the large beasts they hunted for their pelts. Her mind still couldn’t grasp the fact that she was in an alien’s home. She’d failed spectacularly, getting herself kidnapped. The last time she’d failed this big, her family had been destroyed. And if she didn’t try to escape or do something, she would turn into a collaborator.

The door opened and the alien walked in.

He might be large and terrifying, but he sure filled out that uniform. His eyes turned blood red when he saw her in his silver uniform. His gaze travelled over her body, lingered on her breasts, the swell of her hips. She could almost feel it like a physical touch.

He walked in and without thinking, unleashed his claws and blocked the heavy object that came at him. He retracted his claws and pulled back his arm inches from her vulnerable neck. Her eyes, no longer glimmering with tears, flashed fire at him.

“Human, have you lost your sense? I could have hurt you.” He’d slashed through the ceremonial club which he’d kept around for when she was ready to claim him. He’d have to synthesize an exact copy for the other warriors.

Without answering, she screamed, “Keeah,” and came at him again. He had to quickly step back, afraid she’d break her delicate bones on his tough skin and bones. Human bones were extremely fragile compared to a Zyrgin’s.

He jumped back to avoid a rather odd-looking roundhouse kick. “Woman, stop this immediately, you will hurt yourself.” Whoever had trained her had obviously wanted her to lose any fight. She was worse than a pre-change warrior.

With another savage scream, she went for him again, her moves warrior-like. She might be small, but she was at least fast for a human. He had difficulty reading human expressions—their faces were so soft and contorted into strange expressions all the time. The expression his breeder now had on her face was definitely mean. He’d have to teach her fighting skills to match that expression.

Larz had told him of Parnell’s ridiculous training programs and now he saw first hand what his friend talked about. Her eyes tracked him—killer eyes. She might not have the skill, but she did have the instinct.

“Why are you attacking me, my breeder?” He should immobilize her, but he enjoyed playing with her like this. He gently caught her fist, kissed her knuckles, and let her go. He jumped back to avoid another awkward kick that would hurt her foot if it connected.

“Stop calling me that. How would you like it if I just decide to call you something? Like...like Komodo?”

She continued to circle him with that feral look in her eyes. He’d been right about the way she consumed her food. She’d been gaining strength to take him on. She tried another kick, and he moved to the other side of the room, terrified she might get a kick in and break her leg. He searched for something that would turn off this sudden savage mood.

“I am much stronger than a human. If you wait until I sleep, you have more of a chance to harm me.” She’d never be able to get at him before he woke, but the hope of it might get her to calm down and talk to him.

Her eyes narrowed on him. “Are you mocking me?”

“I am merely trying to keep you from harm. Zyrgin bones are like human steel, but better.” Zyrgins had naturally strong bones and skin that was enhanced with genetic treatments. “You can’t break our arms or legs if any of your hits or kicks reach me. If you catch me by surprise and I strike out, I can slice right through you with my claws.” He didn’t tell her the chances of her catching him by surprise were impossible.

She stared at him for a moment longer, and then brought down her fists and stepped back in a move as fluent and graceful as any warrior.

“I am pleased that you have decided to claim me as your warrior,” he told her.

“Say what?” She took several steps back from him, the warrior suddenly gone.

“The club you hit me with is the ceremonial club Earth women hit their men with when they want to belong to them.” With his limited knowledge of the expressions on human female faces, he thought his breeder might be trying not to laugh.

“You are mistaken, I do not want to claim you.”

“Too late, you are mine now.” He looked at his spare uniform, stretching very fetchingly over her curves.

“You are wearing my uniform.”

“Yes, I like it.” She lifted her chin at him. “I’ve decided to keep it.”

He was about to insist she take off, but then he thought about how delicate she was.

“You may keep it for now.” He looked around them. “You have explored our new dwelling. Is there anything else you’d like to have?”

She glanced around her, and again he wished he knew her facial expressions. “This place literally has everything.”

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