Page 3 of My Alien Sunshine

“Fine, fine,” Nikolai agrees, albeit reluctantly. He yawns so hard I’m surprised he doesn’t dislocate his jaw, then shakes his head. “Damn, I really do need some sleep. Thanks for reminding me, Faelin. Go have some fun. Ya na bokovuyu."

"On the side?" I scowl at the translation my nodes offer. "You're not supposed to be doing anything on the side. You're supposed to be sleeping."

Chuckling, Nikolai pats my shoulder. "It's just an expression. I think Astra would say 'hit the sack'. And no, I'm not hitting anything, I'm just going to bed. Later, Faelin. And thanks."

I wave him goodbye as I head to the main airlock. The Farpoint Gateway station is huge, and although it takes some time, I retrieve Tareq’s stash without issue. A quick glance inside the box reveals more money than I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Tareq has been busy, it seems. It’s generous of him to share this with us. It also makes me wish I had this kind of savings. I have some money stashed away, but it’s nowhere near this much.

In no hurry to get back to the ship, I wander around the station. I should look around for a decent bar to take Nikolai to. I usually just go for the ones near the docks, but those might be too rowdy for my friend. He hasn’t said anything, but I think he’s still dealing with the trauma of being kidnapped and nearly sold as a slave.

“... human …”

The word makes me pause. I scan the crowd for the person who said it, finding two Karetelans. Like most of their kind, they’re short and their skin has a healthy shade of blue. I inch closer to eavesdrop on their conversation.

“Really? A human?”

“Yeah, a beautiful one. Expensive, though. I couldn’t afford her.”

My fists clench. Are they talking about buying human slaves?! I didn’t know the Karetelans were into that. They’re usually friendly and easy-going, but one never knows.

“How much for a night?” one asks.

The other one rolls his eyes. “You don’t want to know. Much more than we make, that’s for sure.”

“And she wasn’t a slave?”

“I didn’t see a collar anywhere on her. And trust me, with what she was wearing, I’ve seen most of her body.” His cheeks grow a darker shade of blue as he blushes. “She’s a working girl, probably the most expensive one on the station. And I’m telling you, she’s perfect.”

I can’t keep quiet at this new revelation. “There’s a human aboard this station?” The Karetelans gawk at me, startled. “Speak, friends,” I tell them in a slightly calmer tone. “I mean no harm. I’m merely curious.”

“A human female, yes,” one of them confirms. “I saw her at Scarlet Rivulet.”

“You have my thanks,” I tell them as I run off. I know the establishment he speaks of. It’s a high-end bar for the rich and powerful. Not one I’d choose to have a drink in, but I know how to act to fit in.

I need to see this female for myself. Is she really here willingly? The only way a human got off Earth was being kidnapped as a slave. Did she escape her master? Was she set free? Why didn’t she visit the UGC embassy and have them bring her home?

Too many questions whirl through my mind and I don’t have answers for any of them.

I head to Scarlet Rivulet, determined to discover the truth. And, maybe, spend some time with the human female. If she’s as friendly as Astra, I don’t mind paying her for a few hours of her time. Hopefully, I’ll entice her to see me outside of her job as well.

Chapter 3

Nala

The bar slowly fills, but nobody catches my attention. A young Karetelan buys me a drink, his cheeks flushed dark blue. Karetelans are usually gentle in bed and this one is adorable, but he’s not nearly loaded enough for me to waste my time with him. I sound like a bitch even to myself as I think that, but that doesn’t make it any less true.

I feel a pang of regret as I gently let him know he can’t afford me. If it was up to me, I’d have some fun with him, just because he’s so sweet. But I can’t give in to my weaknesses. I have responsibilities. There’s someone very important to me that I can’t let down, and it’s not that bastard Drayth.

I chase those thoughts away. I never let myself think about Ellen when I’m working, because that’s just wrong. Everything I do, I do for her, but I can’t think of my precious little girl while fucking some filthy alien.

Another male enters the bar, disrupting my train of thought. He’s massive and carries himself with confidence. I’ve seen most of the known alien species over the years, but I can’t place him anywhere. He’s red, kind of like the J-Hari, but those are usually slender sticks while this guy is built more like a brick shithouse, as one of my school friends used to say. And a very sexy brick shithouse, I have to admit.

He doesn’t have any horns, wings, tails or anything I would consider extra. Aside from the short brown hair on his head, the rest of his skin is smooth and hairless, similar to the Syndorans, but without their stripes. His fingers are tipped with retractable claws, but that’s hardly a telling sign. Half of the galaxy has claws.

A hybrid, I decide. They aren’t that uncommon, even though most races are content to live on their own planets and not mingle with others too much. Don’t get me wrong, practically everyone fucks everyone else, but when it comes to procreating, they stick to their own species. This male, however, is definitely a product of interspecies breeding, probably not the first generation of it, either. Not that it matters.

He orders a drink without checking the price first, which means he’s either stupid or has a lot of money to spend. His high-quality clothes suggest the latter. They aren’t fancy, but functional. A mercenary, if I had to guess. A successful one. That’s something I can work with.

My eyes widen as I notice the box that the stranger has tightly clutched to his chest. A credit safe box. Those are only used to store one thing.

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