Page 20 of The Alien Who Saved Christmas
Good, he was alive.
“Who do you really belong to, female?” The cyclops demanded, still ranting about nonsense. “One of the Lythions?”
“She belongs to me.” Xane’s attention stayed riveted on Sadie. “This is what you’ve chosen, yes?”
He seemed really intense, all of a sudden. And much less weak than before, like Rtaharion-adrenaline had been pumped into his system. She hesitated, sensing some kind of extraterrestrial trap. The entire bar was silent and watching her.
“Yes or no, Sadie-Mal-Own.” Xane’s turquoise eyes glowed hot. “Do you choose me?”
“Yes?” The word came out like a guess.
Xane nodded, as if that settled the matter. His jaw firmed, and he looked back to the cyclops with a whole lot of alien smugness. “She’s mine.”
“This will never stand! You can’t…”
“The woman is now a Rtaharion’s mate.” Xane interrupted. “Are yousureyou wish to continue with this challenge?”
The cyclops didn’t seem so sure, all of a sudden.
Neither was Sadie. “Mate?” She repeated skeptically.
Xane ignored her, entirely focused on the other man’s capitulation. “I’m taking my woman. Stand aside.” It was an order, backed up with muscle and death.
Cyclops-guy stood aside.
Grabbing Sadie up again, Xane tossed her back over his shoulder. She squeaked in surprise, as he stalked right out the weird door and into the hot air of the desert.
Sadie hung onto any piece of him she could grab, as she bounced along. “Okay, wait… What did I just agree to?”
“You agreed to accept me as a husband, until you choose another male.”
“Husband?” Sadie gave an incredulous sputter. “What thehell? I don’t remember agreeing to that!”
“And yet it happened.”
“No, it did not!”
“The entire bar heard your assent.”
“You mean the part where I said I ‘chose you’marriedus?” The man was out of his mind. No way was any of this legal. “That’s a pretty broad interpretation of my ‘yes.’”
“It’s done. Accept it and move forward.” Xane headed around the side of the building. “Right now, we must focus on retrieving your Vipri.”
Sadie’s head was spinning, and not just because blood was rushing to it. “Retrieving him from where?”
“The alleyway. I knocked him unconscious and dumped him out a window.”
“You beat up a duckling?!”
“You can thank me later, wife.”
Chapter Six
Lost in space, for a long time,
But with you, it’s all primetime.
We’re stuck here tonight, but that seems alright,
