Page 50 of Kidnapped By the Beast
“Ah yes—when you first start getting milked, your breasts are very sensitive,” T’linga said sympathetically. “They cannot be constricted in any way.
“I guess so.” Lexi sighed and turned away from a stall. As she did, she noticed a group of women at the far end of the row. All of them wore breast coverings in shades of green. Suddenly she realized she hadn’t seen anyone else in the market wearing green all day. Every other color, yes—reds, purples, pinks, blues, and golds—but never any shade green. Weird.
“Over here!” T’linga’s excited voice broke into her musings. The alien woman pulled Lexi across to a massive stall hung with colorful coverings. “This merchant has the lightest fabrics—guaranteed not to hinder nectar production. Dr. Brandt can’t possibly object.”
Lexi’s relief was instant. At last, she could cover herself. She wandered deeper into the stall, quickly separated from T’linga by the sheer size of the place.
A Terian merchant approached, his four eyes zeroing in on her chest. “Magnificent,” he breathed. “So full, so lush. You will be our finest customer.”
Lexi folded her arms over herself, flushing. Great. Apparently it’s a cultural norm to openly admire a woman’s boobs here. Lucky me.
“I’m looking for a breast covering for someone with only two breasts—not four,” she told him. “Er, something light enough not to hinder nectar production.”
“Certainly, we can do that for you, lovely off-worlder! We have whole sections of garments that haven’t been sewed together yet for customers who like to mix and match colors and fabrics. Come with me and let he show you.”
“Oh, thank you,” Lexi said, perking up. She might even forgive him ogling her breasts earlier if he could find her something to cover up with.
They came to a section of the stall with many two-breasted pieces on display. Clearly the idea was for a Terian woman to pick two of them to sew together. But of course Lexi could just choose one and put it on.
The helpful merchant showed her coverings in red, gold, lavender, and orange, but none of them really caught Lexi’s fancy.
“No, none of those.” She shook her head as she looked through a rack beside the payment station. “I’m sure there’s something here for me, though. I’ll know it when I see it…” Then her gaze fell on the exact garment she wanted.
It was a breast covering of the softest fabric she’d ever touched, in vivid green—the exact shade of her eyes.
“That one,” she said firmly. “That one is perfect for me.”
The merchant blinked, all four eyes widening.
“That one? Truly? But you seem like such a respectable young woman.”
Lexi frowned.
“What’s that supposed to mean? I like the color—that’s the one I want.”
He hesitated, then shrugged.
“Well, as you wish, though you may get unwanted attention when you wear it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Unwanted attention? No, you know what—never mind. Just let me buy it, please.” Lexi handed over the Terian coins Brandt had given her—she had just enough. She stepped behind a large sign listing the wares the shop sold for some privacy since fitting rooms apparently weren’t a thing here. Whipping off the gauze band which hid almost nothing, she slipped the covering on and nearly moaned with relief.
It tied behind her neck and around her back, like a bikini top and back on Earth, Lexi would have felt extremely exposed if she’d worn it in public. But after going for days with her breasts bare or nearly bare, it felt like the most wonderful coverage.
Finally, I’m covered. Thank you, alien Victoria’s Secret.
She had no idea that with the soft green fabric hugging her breasts, she had just stepped into more trouble than she could imagine.
26
LEXI
“T’linga?” Lexi called, her voice echoing oddly in the shadowed row of shops. “Are you down here?”
Silence answered and Lexi frowned. She’d been looking for her friend for almost thirty minutes now, going further and further into the market to try and find her but so far, no luck. It was like T’linga had completely disappeared.
She turned in a slow circle, realizing the market had changed around her. The bright colors, the laughter, the cheerful babble of bartering voices—all of it had faded behind her. The air in this section of the market was dimmer, the light filtering through sagging tarps stained with old smoke. The sweet scent of candied fruit and spiced nuts was gone, replaced by acrid fumes. There was a metallic tang in the air, with an undercurrent of something rotten that turned her stomach.
Her skin prickled.
