Page 9 of Kidnapped By the Alien Chieftain

He removes his hand sharply from my chin. “You dare question my honor, female?” He turns, thundering towards the entrance. “Come.”

He’s genuinely upset with me. I half jog to keep up with his long strides as I follow him out the door.

I continue to hurry after him down the black marble corridors, noticing statues, skulls of wild, dangerous-looking beasts, exotic-looking weapons and other rustic chic line the walls. Again, I’m struck by the contrasting of styles on the ship. The décor of the ship and the ship itself feel like they are from two different places in time or from two different cultures.

Another alien, like Krogoth but smaller, walks in the opposite direction.There are more of them here then.He clinks softly in his armor, brown hair much shorter than Krogoth’s long raven black hair. He stops as he’s about to pass, then raises his right fist to his chest. “Rexus,” he says, bowing. Krogoth nods in return, continuing to walk.

“What does Rexus mean?” I say between trying to catch my breath.

Krogoth glances over his shoulder. “It means chieftain,” he grumbles.

“So, you are like some big hotshot?” I ask, wishing he would slow down.

“Hot… shot?” He taps at his wrist console, frustration creasing his brow. “Stupid thing. No, Pebbles, I’m not hot and clearly not shot.”

I can’t help but stifle a laugh at his confusion.I need to be careful with my idioms.

“My name is Roxy, RAHk-see.” I enunciate each syllable slowly and deliberately, hoping he’ll finally get it right. “You must have misheard earlier in the shower,” I add.

He turns his head to look at me, flashing a mischievous smile. “No, I did not mishear,” he says slyly, crushing my fleeting hope.

“But my name isn’t Rocks or Pebbles. It’s Roxy!” I say, unable to contain my annoyance any longer.

“Pebbles suits you better. You are like tiny pebbles, strong but small.” His deep voice reverberates through the ship’s corridor.

Before I can object further, I notice another Krogothian coming towards us. This one has long moss colored green hair and a fur cloak draped over his right shoulder.

“Alto Rexus,” the newcomer says, saluting like the previous alien. Krogoth nods back. As the green-haired one is about to pass, his eyes dart in my direction. He halts in his track as if he walked into an invisible wall, his widening yellow eyes gawking at me. He briskly turns the other direction and jogs off back to the direction he had just come from.

Krogoth erupts into laughter, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably. I look down, checking if one of my boobs is showing.

“Something I said?” I enquire.

“You never spoke, silly Pebbles,” Krogoth says between laughing, “I forbid Xandor from being near you. Now he runs away.” Speaking of it reignites his laughter all over again. “Gods, I must lift this demand before he challenges me for his honor’s sake.”

“Oh.” I scratch my head, not fully understanding the context. “What does Alto Rexus mean? Something chieftain or chieftain something?” I gasp, nearly walking into his back as he abruptly stops.

“It is a relic from the past. It means nothing.” Krogoth stares off into the distance, voice lowered.

“You’re very strange,”I say before taking a deep breath. “Krogoth, I was thinking. It’s obvious I’m not the right woman for your… um, marriage. I mean, you’re obviously a very important alien man, Mr. Alto Rexus and all, and I’m just a girl who enjoys a good book with a glass of wine curled up on the sofa. You need someone more… exotic. Someone who can match your status and lifestyle,” I blurt out. My heart is pounding in mychest, all my hopes of freedom condensed into a single torrent of mostly babble.

He looks at his console with his brows furrowed before raising one eyebrow, looking at me. I can barely wait for his response. The anticipation is overwhelming. “No, you are my perfect female.” I feel like I’ve been gut punched. As my breath escapes my mouth in shock, my flicker of hope is extinguished.This does not make any sense!

I feel seething anger boiling within me at this obvious injustice. “I can’t be the perfect female for you! You don’t know anything about me, you savage, freaking giant kidnapper!” I shout, my words ringing through the corridor.The time for niceness is over!

Krogoth stands motionless, his eyes wide, taken aback by my outburst.Good!“Your words pain me, Pebbles,” he says, his voice calm but tinged with sadness. “What can I do to prove to you my honorable intentions?” he says, pleading with his hands outstretched towards me.

I feel a slight twinge of regret at his earnest words. I need to remember that Mr. Honorable Intentions kidnapped me!“Weapons… yeah, access to the ship’s weapon systems!” I exclaim loudly.There’s no way he’ll give me access, thus proving his words hollow like the rest of this whole charade.

I watch as Krogoth rubs his chin with his fingers, deep in thought. “If that’s what it takes to earn your trust, then so be it.” He tinkers with his wrist console. “Done.”

“Ha, I knew…” I begin before fully realizing what he has said.There’s no way he’s actually given me access!“Prove it,” I demand.

Krogoth interrupts me with a sense of urgency in his voice. “Wait.” He looks quickly at his flashing wrist console. “We must hurry. The Scythians have found us,” he growls. Everything around me spins as he sweeps me up over his shoulder.

I scream in shock. “Put me down! What the hell are the Scythians?” I feebly thump his back with my fists.

He leaps down the corridor with a speed that dazzles my eyes.

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