Page 29 of Stealing Jia

“Me.” The snake slithered up my leg and wrapped around my waist. “My name is Chiara. I am a Shani from the planet Derak. I thought he was going to eat us like the Rodan ate my friends,”she wailed.“I opened a worm hole to take us to safety, but I am not strong enough to port us to your world or mine.”

I carefully stroked her dry, scaly skin. “It’s okay. It’s okay. You did good.”

“I did?”

“You were awesome. How did you end up on Threll?”

“The Rodan attacked my planet. They took us younglings and destroyed our lair. My mother was badly hurt in the fight. I must go home. She needs my help.”

“We want our momma,”LeeLee and LooLoo cried in unison.

Adoz chirped mournfully.

“No die,” Tiny pleaded.

I closed my eyes wearily. Adam still needed rescuing and now I had to get all these children home too. How was I going to pull that off? I couldn’t fly a spaceship and I had no clue where the Rodan base was or where their families were either.

The storeroom door slid open and there stood a foam covered Trayon. How had he found us so quickly?

“Our minds our linked and your unique lifeforms show up on the ship’s sensors,” Trayon answered.

Chiara hissed at him like an enraged python.

Pepe bared his fangs and barked, “Go away. Go away.”

Tiny shivered violently.

I grabbed Adoz’s mouth. “No fire!”

“We bite. You die,” LooLoo warned.

“Tabor poison doesn’t work on Askole warriors,” Trayon said, keeping his hands in plain view. “Are you ready to surrender?”

“Are you going to let Tiny live?”

“What you ask for is impossible.”

If I remembered correctly, Askole man parts were like humans. Reaching out with my mind, I mentally grasped Trayon’s balls and twisted them viciously. “Wrong answer. Earth females might be small, but we make up for it in pure meanness.”

Trayon let out a wheezing gasp and dropped to his knees. “You are a cunning and ferocious female.”

“You bet I am. The kid lives or I unman you.”I tightened my grip.

“As you wish.”

“What?”

“You have my word I will not harm the child.”

I released him. That was a little too easy. “I want it in writing.”

“I will add it to our mating documents.”

I groaned. I knew there would be a catch. “How do you propose to keep the rest of your people from killing Tiny?”

“I will adopt him.”

I gaped at him.“You would do that?”

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