Page 36 of My Christmas Alien Mate

The console thing between my legs retracted back into the floor and then there was Galexor, offering his hand to me. "Careful, you might be a bit dizzy."

That was an understatement. For a moment, I thought I would throw up as I stood and the entire bridge spun around me. Galexor's hands steadied me, otherwise I would have sunk back into the chair.

"Trust me, it's easier to walk it off."

Each step felt as if I was floating inside a violently swirling tornado. But he was right, I was beginning to feel a bit better with each step. I did feel heavier though and assumed the gravity had to be different aboard this ship.

We reached the corridor and walked past the room with all the baskets. "Wait shouldn't we—"

"The drones will come and get them," Galexor said offhandedly, and led me back to the open hatch.

First, I climbed the small latter up, then another down on the other side.

As soon as we were out, drones descended on the hatch, and I figured Galexor must have programmed them, because even before we were about to leave the hangar, drones carrying our baskets passed us by.

I hadn't seen any other aliens like Galexor yet, or anybody looking different from him, because I assumed Galactic Union meant the merger of many different species, but that changed when we entered a larger hallway, where two aliens approached us.

One looked like Galexor, the other more like a half lizard, and I tried my best not to stare at his scaly golden skin. Both wore the same uniform Galexor had worn when I first met him, only their color was red instead of black, making me wonder if the alien military was similar to ours on Earth, where different branches distinguished themselves with different colors from the others.

"The High Commander awaits you and your guest in his suite," the female of the two said. "Please follow us."

"I know where my father's quarters are," Galexor pressed out, not sounding pleased over having the two trailing us. Or, I allowed, they were more likely guarding us. I wasn't sure. That would have explained Galexor's obvious irritation though.

We stepped on something like a conveyor belt, and my dizziness returned as we walked down it while it carried us forward. Next to us was another conveyor belt going the opposite direction, but besides the four of us, there nobody else was around, making me wonder if that was a coincidence or by design, but I thought probably by design. I speculated that Galexor's father wasn't keen on having me, a human, seen by many of his crew.

Galexor hadn't said much, but I could easily imagine him breaking several rules by bringing me here.

Sweat trickled down my back. What if his father arrested me? Arrested both of us? I doubted Galexor would be able to do anything about that. No matter how angry or irritated he might get.

That thought scared me, and I scolded myself that I should have thought this through better.

It was too late now though.

The belt suddenly parted into four different directions, and I followed Galexor's lead as he stepped over on another belt that would take us down a corridor to our right.

We stopped in front of a bank of elevators and here Galexor placed his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his side.

"No worries," he whispered. I figured he must have noticed my growing tension and allowed myself to sink deeply into his embrace, inhaling his scent of cinnamon and ginger still lingering from our baking and something else, a scent that was entirely unique to him.

Doors opened to the side, and we entered a large, rounded space, making me feel as if we had entered a capsule. Soft music that didn't sound like anything I had ever heard on Earth accommodated our short trip up, and by the time we reached our intended level, I still hadn't figured out what the music was.

We moved through more empty corridors, and my suspicion that the hallways had been closed off for us intensified.

Finally, we stopped at the end of the hallway by two large doors, flanked by two aliens who reminded me more of creatures from hell than aliens. Black from head to toe, hairless with heads reminiscent of Anubis, they were more than fear inducing, and I found myself snuggling closer to Galexor, who didn't seem fazed at all.

"Devleroinzes," he whispered to me. "The most fearsome watchdogs there ever were. They never sleep, and their only goal in life is to protect whoever they imprinted on."

"Charming," I muttered, but my fear and sarcasm were both silenced when we entered an airy, spacious room beyond anything I could have ever imagined aboard a spacecraft, even an alien one.

Large, triangular shaped windows interspaced with each other, alternating between right side up and upside down, gave me a spectacular view of Jupiter straight ahead of me.

Sleek, silver-white couches stood grouped on one side, facing the windows and a wall that reminded me of rock with water slowly trickling down it. On the bottom grew alien plants in deep purples and yellows, brightening the otherwise white and silver decorated room.

The flooring appeared to have been made from some kind of polished white material that shone like travertine, down to the same grayish streaks.

Along the walls, I made out several doors and could only guess as to where they might lead.

On the other side of the room stood a large desk and a dining area a little to the side.

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