Page 22 of The Alien Who Saved Christmas
The accusation jarred Xane from his thoughts. “What?”
Sadie-Mal-Own was endlessly concerned about the Vipri. It was vexing. “He isn’t waking up.” She sent Xane a frown. “Maybe he’s dying.”
“He will recover.” Xane leaned a shoulder against the doorframe. “Eventually.”
She sat back with a sigh, unconvinced. “Are you sure we have to put him behind bars? It seems cruel.”
“It’s for our protection.” Xane had appropriated one of the Lythions’ cages to contain the Vipri. Hopefully, it was sturdy enough to hold the little bastard. “If he wakes in the night, he could kill us in our sleep. His kind are endlessly treacherous.”
She rolled her eyes, like she did not believe that incontrovertible fact. “He’s going to be upset if he thinks he’s a prisoner." She predicted. “He might not want to help us.”
If need be, Xane wouldmakethe creature help, but he saw no profit in telling her that. The woman was very soft-hearted. “We will explain things to him, when he awakens.”
“Ifhe awakens.” She sounded gloomy. “If he dies, what are we going to tell the other one?”
“Other one? What other one?”
“The other Vespa!”
“Vipri.”
“That’s what I said. And I told you, there aretwoof them.”
He shrugged. “One should be sufficient.” It took two people to fly a Class H-77 Cruiser, but Xane was certain he could figure out the copilot controls. How difficult could it be to manage if a Vipri did it?
His new mate looked aghast. “We can’t leave the other duckling behind! I saw them at the auction. They adore each other.”
Xane tried and failed to see why that mattered.
“We’re saving both of them, Xane.” She rose to her feet, chewing on her bottom lip. “Honestly, I would like to rescueallthe slaves imprisoned here. We should try to do that, before we go.”
He squinted.“Why?”
“Why free slaves?” She blinked at him. “Because it’s the right thing to do.”
“How will it help your plan?”
“I don’t think it will. But it’sthe right thing to do.” She stressed the words, as if that would somehow make them less ludicrous. “You want to leave people chained up and imprisoned? At Christmastime?”
Dear gods… Xane pinched the bridge of his nose. “I wish to have sex, now.” He reported in a long-suffering tone, moving on from this nonsense.
Her berry-colored lips parted in astonishment. “You want to…? No! We can’t have sex!” She sputtered, shocked out of her moralizing. “I just met you today!”
“I doubt very much you will live through tomorrow, so I would prefer to move quickly.” Her idiotic ideas would kill them both very soon. There was just no doubt about it.
“I’mnothaving sex with you tonight, Xane.” Her delicate skin was flushed. He didn’t know why, but it further stirred his desire. “I get that you think we’re married somehow…”
“Wearemarried. You said you chose me.”
“That doesn’t count.”
His gut tightened, even though he’d expected this. “You wish to choose another?” He asked flatly. “Who?” He had the fleeting thought that he would kill the man. It was against the Unified Law and punishable by never-ending execution, but he was willing to risk it. No one was taking his new wife.
Gray eyes blinked up at him, filled with mysteries he’d never understand. “No.” She whispered. “I don’t wish to choose anyone else.”
Relief flooded through him. “Then you remain married to me.” Simple, unequivocal, and beyond debate.
Except, with Sadie-Mal-Own, nothing was simple, and she delighted in debating the unequivocal.
