Page 26 of The Alien Who Saved Christmas
“How did you become a slave?”
He reached over to adjust the light-control panel, darkening the chamber, so she could rest. His Rtaharion eyes could still see her clearly, even in the dim light. “I hired on as a mercenary for someone else’s war. The opposite side won.”
She made a face when he didn’t go on. “You’re a very succinct storyteller. Anyone ever tell you that?”
He instinctively reached up to touch the 1 Medallion which had once never left is neck. It was now gone, of course. He’d removed it after his last argument with his brother, wanting nothing more to do with his overbearing family. It had been a mistake. He’d been young and foolish, just like Hathgarr claimed. It had cost Xane two years of his life.
“You do not want to hear all the details of my captivity. They are… unpleasant.” Sadie’s naivety might confound him at times, but he also had no desire to sully it. She was uniquely clean, in a world full of sadness and horror. “I was with bad people, who did bad things. I fought them. Mostly I lost, butI created enough problems that I ended up here.” He waved a disgusted hand to encompass all of Corono. “Drugged and sold to the blue salt mines.”
“Drugged and sold tome.” Sadie retorted lightly, as if she wanted to make him feel better.
Xane grunted. “For too many credits and at too much risk. You make bad decisions.”
“Sometimes. …But not this time.”
He frowned at her casual surety. “Why did you bid on me? The truth. Did you believe a Rtaharion would help protect you?”
That wasn’t a bad strategy, actually. As a small being, she’d sought out a larger one to act as a guardian against her enemies. Then, she’d chosen him as a mate, doubly sealing him to her. It was clever.
“I’ve never even heard of a Wrath-air-ree-on before.” She scoffed. “I told you; I just liked your eyes.”
He rolled the eyes in question. “You’re pronouncing it wrong.” He muttered, because she was pronouncing it wrong.
Sadie didn’t seem to mind the correction or his obvious doubt. “I take it you thinkeverybodyshould know about the Ra-thair-eee-ins.”
She wasstillpronouncing it wrong. “Rtaharion.” He corrected tiredly.
“That’s what I said!”
“No, you didn’t. Andyes, I believe that all worlds have heard of the Rtaharions. We’ve warred with most of them.”
“You guys are intergalactic badasses, huh? I totally see that.” She didn’t sound worried about it, though. “ButEarthlings just war with ourselves, on our own little planet. A few of us have been to our moon, but that’s about it. I had no idea aliens existed until last month. And you’re the first one I ever really talked to.”
Xane’s eyes widened. “You…” He struggled to comprehend what she was saying. “Your people do not travel the universe? At all?”
“Nope.”
He tried to wrap his brain around that. “So, you truly have no idea who the Rtaharions are?”
“Nope.Allof this alien stuff is new to me.”
Sadie had been telling him similar nonsense all day, but he hadn’t really processed the ramifications until now. Her planet was apparently isolated and small. Of course it was! The Milky Way was a backwater in the middle of nowhere. That explained why she was so confused by normal things. Why she didn’t understand the mating rules, or the dangers of buying a Rtaharion at auction, or how to keep a low profile in a tavern…
His thoughts skidded to a stop, backtracking.
Wait.
She didn’t understand the mating rituals.
Terrible, unfair ideas flooded through his mind in a rush. “Explain how marriages work on your planet.” He instructed warily, wondering how lucky this day was about to get for him.
“Well, different places on Earth have different customs. In Ohio, a couple usually says vows to protect and care for each other, forsaking all others. It’s very simple.”
“Not simple, at all, as ‘care’ is not a word that Rtaharions use.” But his possessive nature liked the “forsaking others” part. A lot.
“We have a special ceremony for the happy couple. A wedding is an important thing.” She stifled a yawn. “It’s a terrible idea to make a lifelong commitment to another person with one random word in a bar. You guys havenotthought that out enough.”
“Spouses don’t part untildeath?” He translated in astonishment. Did the women murder the men, once they were through with them?
