Page 39 of Married to the Beast

“Well then, I guess your mother will die.” Grindelia’s voice had never sounded more cold. “Good riddance, I say. Once a woman has been disavowed and has no husband to serve, she has no reason for living anyway.”

Then she hung up the phone with a finalclickthat echoed in Aleena’s ears.

22

ALEENA

For a moment Aleena just sat there, feeling sick. What was she going to do? Her mother needed her treatments—without them the sickness in her blood would spread to the rest of her body and she would surely die! But now that her heartless stepmother had refused to live up to her end of the bargain, there was nothing she could do.

She couldn’t ask her new husband for money—it was strictly prohibited and though Bear seemed very kind, she didn’t think he would be happy about her asking for fifty thousand credits only a day into their marriage. No, she had to think of a way to raise the money herself—but how?

Immediately the image of her new breast shield popped into her mind. The gold one with jewels that Bear had bought her might cover the costs. Of course, it was wrong to sell such an expensive garment that her husband had bought for her and doing it might get her disavowed, but Aleena couldn’t think of anything else to do. She was beginning to really like and care for her new husband, but she still hadn’t known him very long. She would rather be disavowed than watch her mother die.

She went to get the new breast shield—it was still in the bag the saleslady had put it in along with the receipt of purchase.That was good—maybe she could just return it for the full amount, Aleena thought hopefully.

She took the bag and hurried out to the waiting hovercoach before she could change her mind. This was certainly going to get her into trouble with her new Kindred husband, but it was worth it to save the life of her beloved mother. And at least it should be a quick and easy transaction—she hadn’t even worn the breast shield once and it was still in its original bag. She ought to be able to get the credit for it and go straight to the Healing House so her mother could get her treatment.

At least that was what shethought. But the minute she tried to return the breast shield, there was a problem.

“I’m sorry,” the manager of the shop said, looking disdainfully at the bag containing the golden breast shield. “But we cannotpossiblytake this back.”

“What? But I only bought it last night!” Aleena protested. “It’s never been worn once—look, it’s still in the same bag from your shop and here’s the receipt.”

“Soyoubought it?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “Or did yourhusbandbuy it for you?”

“Well, he…I mean, he let me pick it out,” Aleena faltered.

“Exactly. It was your husband who bought it and onlyhecan return it,” the manager said. “If we letyoureturn it you might take the credit and use it to run from him. Believe me, we’ve had that happen more than once and Irefuseto let it happen again.”

“I’m not trying to run from my husband—I just want…something different. Something else that’s notthis,” Aleena protested.

“Well then, if you’d like to make an exchange?—”

“No, never mind.” She took the bag back, feeling both frustrated and worried. What was she going to do now?

The only answer that came to mind was trying to pawn the golden breast shield. Of course, she probably wouldn’t get nearlywhat it was worth, but even if she could get half, she was sure she could convince the Healing House to give her mother another treatment.

With a resigned sigh, she took the bag with the breast shield in it and got back into the waiting hovercoach. She gave it directions for the pawn shop she and her mother had used in the past, when they gradually sold everything and anything of value in their tiny, cramped living area to pay for food and heat. It wasn’t in a very good part of the city, but she didn’t know of anywhere else that would deal with a woman who had no man at her side.

She felt nervous as she descended from the hovercoach in front of the shop and her anxiety wasn’t helped any when the mechanical voice of the coach announced that it was leaving.

“This area is suboptimal for my safety standards,” it said. “I must go.”

“But this errand will only take a few minutes!” Aleena protested. “Please don’t go—I need you to take me to the Healing House.”

“I will return if you call for me, but I cannot stay in this area,” the hovercoach said in its mechanical voice. “Goodbye.”

“All right—I’ll call you later,” Aleena said but it was already whizzing off down the street, leaving her alone in an extremely shady neighborhood.

Aleena had never liked going to the Lucky Leaf pawn shop by herself. Usually her mother was with her, which helped—two women together, especially if one was older, didn’t draw too much attention. But as a young woman alone, she would no doubt get more male eyes on her than she wanted.

She felt especially alone and vulnerable as she walked down the street, clutching the bag with the breast shield to her chest. She tried to tell herself that at least she had on new clothes andshe wasn’t wearing the old shield which had allowed her nipples to poke through but still she?—

A sudden thought nearly stopped her in her tracks. Bear had forgotten to replace the nipple bands that he’d taken off her last night. Which meant that she had no way to prove that she was married and had male protection!

That realization made her feel even more anxious and alone. She almost called for a hovercoach immediately but the thought of her mother’s plight stopped her. She couldn’t just give up—shehadto get the credit for her mother’s treatment!

Walking quickly, she finally got to the front door of the Lucky Leaf—it had a goldenfrizlaleaf with five points painted in faded gold on the front—and let herself in.

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