Page 79 of Married to the Alien Rogue

Raxnor gave the tiniest of head shakes, and I got the picture. Tell her nothing.

“Oh, a little side project of mine.” I made an airy gesture. “You know engineers. We do love to fiddle.”

The senator’s cold gaze remained locked on my face. “Don’t test me. Why are you here?”

A comp chimed behind me, and Kirel said, “The wipe is complete.” His program had run its course, deleting English and the structure of zurilium from all of the Tula machines.

But it didn’t really matter. Not when there were huge sheets of zurilium just sitting there. The Tula could run their own X-ray to get the structure. Then they’d have everything they needed to make more, even if they didn’t know what this alloy could do.

“Let us go or the video I prerecorded will be released to all the major news outlets.” I winced internally at the lie. I hadn’t made a video. But Lila pressed harder against my leg, reminding me this was one lie I really needed to sell. I squared my shoulders. “In it, I tell everyone how you bought me illegally and locked me in a room with straw and a hole in the floor like an animal.”

“You would resort to blackmail?”

“Don’t be so fast to get on your high horse.” I jabbed a finger at her.

Senator Bila blinked rapidly several times, her inner eyelids moving independently of her outer.

“She probably doesn’t understand what riding a tall undulate has to do with the conversation.” Raxnor murmured. “I know I sure as frek don’t.”

I opened my mouth and almost said she shouldn’t cast the first stone but stopped myself just in time.Mierda! Major idiom fail. Is everything in English an idiom? No wonder Hazel’s still working on it!

Focusing on the senator, I waved a hand to dismiss my previous words. “What I mean is you can’t complain that I’m blackmailing you. Not when you’re the one whoknowinglybought a sentient being to keep as a pet.”

“You cannot prove I knew you were sentient.”

“I might not be able to prove it, but we both know it’s true.” I met her cold, diamond-pupiled stare, refusing to back down. “You looked right at me when I tried to talk to you, and you recognized I spoke a language. I know you did. I could see it in your eyes.”

“I’m simply a loving mother who bought her children the most expensive pet I could find.”

With Raxnor’s steady strength beside me, I let myself feel the anger burning in my chest instead of pretending it didn’t exist. It was time to stop papering over the bad things in life with a smile and an “everything’s fine” attitude. It was okay to admit things weren’t fine. I’d grieved over my confinement. It was time to move on to the angry part of my processing.

“Look, I’m a scientist, not a politician, so I’m going to get real honest, real quick. I despise you with a fiery passion. ‘Loving your kids’ is never going to be a good enough excuse for what you did to me.” I wanted to make air quotes but doubted the gesture meant anything to the lizards.

“But there’s something I hate even more,” I continued. “And that’s the thought of the Grug in my head controlling the way I think, changing who I am in a way not even you and your crappy little cell could touch.”

I waved a hand toward the printers. “What we’re doing here today is nothing that will harm you and yours. And it might even help you, if you ally with us.”

“The Grug.” She snorted. “You’re a fool to go up against them.”

“And you’re a fool to think they’re not already working against you and all Tula,” Raxnor grit out.

Her eyes sharpened. “You have proof?”

“We do.” He tipped his head. “Though I’m not at liberty to share without consulting with my captain.”

Senator Bila stared hard at him for several seconds that felt like years. He remained unwavering, all honesty and steely resolve, and she finally offered him a sharp nod. “I believe you.”

I let out a quiet sigh.

She spoke over her shoulder. “Pack all of this up for our… allies.” As her people started to move, she added, “Except for one piece, which I will keep, as a gesture of good faith from my new friends.”

A wry smile twisted my lips. Her scientists would have the structure within the hour, but they wouldn’t know it could be used to block Grug telepathy, so we still had the bigger bargaining chip.

The room broke into activity. Asshole guard still watched us warily, but everyone else hopped to.

I turned to Raxnor. What did he think of this deal we’d struck? Or that I’d let it slip that the Grug were a threat? We’d needed something big to get the senator on our side. Her type needed major leverage to move.

His eyes held only pride as I met them. “My most special Zo-Fee. You are a wonder.”

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