Page 17 of Claimed by an Alien Warrior

“We use it to buy things,” she said. “Food, clothes, our homes. Just about everything. If we don’t have money, we’d be homeless and starving.”

“So its only purpose is the procurement of other goods that actually have use? Does that not seem…foolish? Why not trade those goods directly?”

Zoey shrugged. “It’s just the way that it is. We work and slave away the hours to earn it, and most of us barely make enough to get by.”

“All aligarii serve their roles to ensure our society has all it needs,” he said, his tone implying it was madness to do things any other way. “Even the other species who live among us want for nothing, so long as they do their part.”

“I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that there’sonekind of alien, so I definitely don’t need to hear about any others right now.” She glanced at a passing sign. Thirty miles to Vegas. “Your society sounds much nicer than ours.”

“Perhaps. I have spent little time in true aligarii society.”

“What do you mean?”

“I amAekhora, born into theKhorzar. I have trained for war since my youth and have fought on many different worlds.”

“Did you…” Her tongue slipped out to wet her suddenly dry lips. “Did you comehereto start a war?”

He turned his head toward her, and reflected light made his eyes glow at the edge of her vision. Zoey tensed.

“Aligarii do not start wars. We finish them. We protect those unjustly attacked, protect worlds unable to defend themselves. MyUmen’rakwas simply passing through this system. We were unaware this planet bore any life.”

“Okay,” she sighed in relief. “Noend of all human life as we know itanytime soon, then. Unless…you bring more of your kind back to take revenge for what was done to you.”

Rendash released a heavy breath. “What was done to me would be my responsibility to avenge,” he said. “I would not make your entire, primitive planet pay for a personal vendetta.”

Zoey’s muscles eased. “Thank you. Though I resent that remark about us being primitive.”

“You drive wheeled vehicles over the ground. How could that not be considered primitive?”

“We’re intelligent beings who have advanced quickly through the years. We arenotprimitive.”

“By your own standards.”

“And you’re just rude,” she shot back.

“Again, by your own standards.”

Zoey cracked a smile and shook her head. “I give up.”

“That you haven’t given up yet is the only reason I am not locked in a dark room, Zoey.” To her surprise, there seemed to be genuine gratitude in his voice.

Her smile faded as the weight of the situation settled atop her again. “Yeah, guess you’re right.”

What more would they have done to him if she’d given him over? Would they have shot him right in front of her eyes? The thought churned her stomach.

She swallowed back a sudden wave of bile and cleared her throat. “Are you thirsty? I have some water.”

“Yes.”

Zoey groped over the passenger seat until she found the water bottle and passed it to him. She watched in the rearview mirror as he twisted off the cap, leaned back, and drained the bottle in two gulps.

“We should probably grab some food and find a place to stop for the night. You can do that…disappearing act you did back there to hide.”

“Stop? We must continue. As I told you, we have a long way to travel.”

“I don’t know about you, but thisprimitive humanneeds sleep. Even if I hadn’t had a shitty day, I can’t drive all through the night. I need to rest. So, if you’re keeping me on as your personal chauffeur — that’s someone who drives people around, by the way — then you go at my speed.”

He was silent for a time. “Very well, human. Acquire lodging and sustenance for us.”

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