Page 34 of The Alien's Major Dilemma

"Great, then you can tell me where to pick up my boyfriend and where the door is," Marissa said. "Because I need to get back to base yesterday."

"I understand you're in a hurry to get home," Ae-cha told her. "And it's good that you remember you have one. This is a positive step."

"Ma'am," Major Ozark started, "I don't think you have any idea who or what you're talking to. I have to get out of here now and unless you want to face the wrath of my people, you want me out of here now, too."

"And who are your people?" Ae-cha asked, leaning down to look Marissa in the face.

"I am Major Marissa Ozark of the United States Marine Corps."

Ae-cha sighed. "Yes, you've said that more than once now. I am familiar with the name though I don't understand why you think it's the most important thing to tell me. I can't get you home if you're not willing to talk to me."

Marissa's jaw set. "What do you want to know?"

"You were found in the company of a male Chelion," Ae-cha said, a satisfied smirk twisting her lips. "We are familiar with their tactics and attitudes towards females. What did he do to you?"

"That is none of your damn business," Marissa snapped.

"Oh, dear," Ae-cha said with a shake of her head. "I was afraid of that. Do you not remember the physical details? Or has he convinced you that nothing has happened yet?"

The lizard woman's tongue flicked out near Marissa's face and she flinched.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Marissa demanded. Her confusion had turned to anger and it was swiftly becoming rage.

"I'm here to help you but I can't do that if you won't talk to me," Ae-cha told her. "I can see this is making you upset. That's also a completely normal response from women who have had their freedoms violated by the Chelions. Can you tell me anything about what happened to you?"

"Screw you, lady."

Ae-cha gave another heavy sigh. "I was hoping to do this the easy way but you're giving me little choice."

With a speed Marissa had never seen from a human, the lizard woman struck. Her right hand held the top of her head in a crushing grip, while her left hand forced her chin up to look into her eyes.

Ice poured down her spine and through her veins while she felt Ae-cha try to bore through her eyes and into her mind. The migraine that flared behind her eyes joined the scream that rang through her ears.

And then it was gone.

As though someone had dropped a solid wall between her and the assault, Marissa could still feel her trying to get through but nothing worked.

Something wet slid across her lip and she tried to direct her breath to blow it away.

Ae-cha jerked back and the first thing Marissa saw as her vision came back into focus was the splatter of blood across her face. She reached up to wipe at her lip and came away with the blood that had been dripping down her face.

"Why does it burn?" Ae-cha hissed. "Human blood doesn't burn. What did he do to you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Marissa said. "How do you know human blood doesn't burn? Who do you think did something to me?"

The lizard woman was on her feet and moving to the other side of the room before Marissa could finish the last question. Not that she needed an answer.

Ae-cha turned to her, a white powder covering her face that she was wiping away with a soft white cloth with short, precise strokes. "I've gotten enough human blood on me from the other women who have been kidnapped by the Chelions. They come in covered in scars and lacerations, hysterical from the pain and trauma. You try cleaning the wounds on a screaming, thrashing trauma victim without getting any blood on you."

She snorted and tossed the cloth on the counter behind her.

"Most of them don't have the presence of mind to spit it in my face."

Marissa frowned. "The only trauma I've suffered has been at the hands of your people. Cooper has been nothing but nice to me."

"His name isn't Cooper," Ae-cha told her. "And I don't want to know what society you come from where kidnapping and rape is 'nice'."

"He didn't-" Marissa started, then stopped and swallowed. "He didn't rape me."

---