Page 7 of Alien Rescue

Rose moved back, but that only gave him more room on the bed. Unless she wanted to attack him with a cushion or a Space Ranger doll, she’d better start talking. “I’m a human being and that means I have choices. I do not choose to be yours. Not your breeder, and, eww, by the way, not your wife.” She slashed the air with her hand. “Nothing, so?”

He leaned forward, got in her face. “So?”

“...So, put on your clothes and leave me alone.”

His wide shoulders blocked out the light. Like before, red strands bled into those strange black eyes that didn’t seem to have any pupils. “You are mine. That makes you my breeder. You should feel privileged to be chosen by me.”

Rose blinked. Indignation dissolved most of her fear and she pushed against his shoulders. He didn’t budge and why did he feel so nice and warm? She pushed again, with the same result. “Are you crazy? How can being brutalized by a savage lizard alien be a privilege?” She would’ve preferred to come up with better insults, but she was too scared and angry to think. She grabbed the flesh dangling so close to her face and pulled. Instead of an agonised scream she heard a grunt. A satisfied grunt. He gently opened her hand and held it away from him. “I am pleased that you are so eager for me, my breeder, but you have to be stronger before we do the first knowing.”

“I wasn’t? You think?” she sputtered and then shut up.

He literally swelled to twice his size and Rose couldn’t suppress a small, nervous squeak. “I may be bloodless, but I have omgraz-ra. You will never again insult me like this.”

Aliens have no blood? “I don’t know what omga whatever means. And...and I’m not going to play victim. If you try to rape me, I’ll cut off your balls.” Especially if he kept dangling them in her face. One of her fellow trainees had thought that because of her small size she’d make an easy target. She’d taught him a lesson in the dark in her bunk in the dorm. She wasn’t fooled by this alien’s assurance. If he tried anything, she’d teach him the same lesson she’d taught that little creep trainee. No matter how much bigger than her he was.

He took her hands in his. “Omgraz-ra, it means honor. I know what rape means.” His eyes blazed red. No bleeding in of tendrils, just that fiery blaze between one second and the next. “Never again accuse me of that.”

Yeah right, like not saying it will make a difference. She tried to get her hands loose with no luck. “Then why did you take off your clothes to get into bed with me?”

“Human females are emotionally needy.” He sounded as if he quoted a textbook. “I have superior understanding of female needs.” He reached out and took whatever he’d put away before and held it out to her. “Females need much care with their emotions and should be given many possessions.”

Rose dazedly took the ball of twine from him. “You’re giving me a ball of wool?”

“Human females make their primitive clothes with it.” He said it as if revealing a big secret.

Rose didn’t know what to say. He let go of her hands, lay down next to her, and carefully pulled her close, until she lay flush against his body. Her head on his shoulder.

“What are you doing?” Of all the things she’d expected to endure, him holding her as if they’ve been a couple for a long time wasn’t it.

“I am holding you. I read all the great works on females from your Golden Age. Human females need much care.”

“Which great works?” This was unreal. He was warm against her, and he had one huge claw on her shoulder and an arm around her waist. His sheer size was overwhelming. But apart from holding her close, he didn’t make any threatening moves. Still, she could feel him harden and swell against her hip.

He mentioned a few names and her eyes widened. “Those are romances.” They were from the Golden Age and popular even now. Some of the stories he mentioned were her favorites.

“Yes, they taught me a great deal,” he said with obvious pride.

“Like holding me while I sleep and giving me wool?” Rose relaxed. The only explanation for this bizarre situation was that she was still in that hole, having hallucinations.

“I also know about giving a human breeder many possessions. Possessions are more important to human females than family.”

Rose frowned up at him. Where did this guy get his odd ideas?

He pushed out his chest. “I am giving you many possessions for your dwelling.” She noticed he’d neatly sidestepped her question.

“So, what else do you know about human women?” She had a strange fascination in hearing his deluded ideas. She fought the tenderness that threatened to soften her toward him.

“Always apologize with flowers; always pretend you are wrong.” He tapped her shoulder carefully with one of his dangerous-looking claws. “I will not do that. I am a Zyrgin conquest warrior. I do not pretend.”

“Okay, I think I’ll go to sleep now.” Maybe she’d wake in the real world. Except somehow that didn’t seem as attractive a prospect as it should. Please let her wake with more energy. If she was going to escape, she couldn’t be so weak that she slept all the time.

He leaned over her and gave her an odd close-lipped kiss. And she meant close-lipped. He had them pressed so tight, she couldn’t see his thin lips, only the skin surrounding them. “I will kill you, you know,” she said sleepily.

“Of course, but sleep first, my breeder.” He lay down, pulled her into his arms, and fell asleep. Rose was tired and desperate to sleep, but that would make her vulnerable.

She woke alone, and she’d never admit it aloud, but she missed the alien’s warm body next to her. It had been curiously comforting to be held. She’d woken a few times during the night, and each time he’d held her securely. One time she’d woken when he’d adjusted the blankets around her. Her heart ached as if he’d grabbed it and twisted it inside her chest. The last time anyone had simply held her had been when her mother was still alive.

She was glad when the door opened and distracted her from thoughts of family. He walked in, carrying a silver mug. “I brought you human coffee. The doctor said you may drink it now.” He sat down next to her on the bed, carefully lifted her, and held the cup to her lips. Rose stared up at him. “What are you doing?”