Page 5 of The Alien Who Saved Christmas
Xane stopped walking.
Crap. He was going to make a scene.
Newtonian physics worked, even in a galaxy far, far away. Sadie had done surprisingly well in her prerequisite science course, so she knew what she was talking about. Her forward momentum was no match for his sheer mass. She stumbled, inadvertently letting go of the chain.
One black eyebrow arched as the leash fell slack between them, and Sadie tumbled to the ground. “Gods, you’re feeble.” Xane scoffed.
Sadie didn’t bother to argue. She was too busy scrambling to her feet, before an elephant-looking alien stepped on her. Keeping her head down, she reached up to make sure the hood was still in place. No one else on this planet was wearing a purple scrunchie in their hair, so her humanness was sure to stand out.
“You’re certainly not a Lythion.” Xane persisted loudly. Did he not know how to whisper? Did it not occur to him to try? “What are you? A Gortx? Yo’delen?”
Sadie grabbed the chain again and desperately tugged on it. Willing him to move.
He didn’t move. “You should kill me now, because I willneversubmit. I am Rtaharion. Do you know what that means?”
Of course she didn’t.
“It means I am honor-bound to fight all who oppose me.” Xane continued in a deeply threatening tone, not waiting for an answer. “Rtaharions are bred to fight. If you think I will spare you, just because you are small and pathetic, you are gravely mistaken.”
Hang on. Sadie hesitated, glancing back to frown at him.Pathetic?That was a bit much. Which one of them had justpulled off a brilliant rescue? She pulled harder on the chain, annoyed now.
Xane didn’t seem to notice. “Certainly, I will never obey a clumsy, puny creature, like you. Even drugged with your unholy elixirs, I will defy you.”
Well, that was dramatic.
Sadie looked towards the orange sky, praying for some help with the big idiot. Why couldn’t Xane just cooperate for five minutes?
“I may not even have to murder you myself.” He hypothesized. “In paying so much for me, you revealed yourself to be stupid and wealthy. Soon, everyone on this accursed rock will be targeting you for robbery and death…”
“Would you shut up?” Sadie interrupted, losing her patience. “Damn it! IknewI should have bought the yellow fuzzy guys.”
Xane froze.
The lack of movement wasn’t the same stubborn resistance he’d given before. This was a deep and disquieting stillness. This was pure, unadulterated astonishment.
Sadie blinked, confused by why he was so surprised. Could he tell she was human? Did they even know about humans around here?
All at once, Xane seized the chain and used it to drag her backwards. Sadie gave a squeak of alarm as he wrenched her closer to him. She tried to drop the chain again and dash out of range, but his catcher’s mitt of a hand was already sealing around her wrist, holding her still.
This wasn’t how alien buying was supposed to go. She was pretty sure.
Dropping his head, Xane peered into the shadowed confines of the thick hood. His incredible turquoise eyes landed on her face. He gave a strangled growl, the sound somewhere between dark suspicion and complete wonder.
“No, I’m not one of those See-Through Kidnappers, okay?” Sadie hissed. “Keep it down or you’ll get us both in trouble.”
Xane didn’t seem to have an answer for that. He was too busy studying every inch of her face. Clearly, theydidn’thave humans on this planet. He looked like he’d never seen anything like her in his whole life.
Sadie knew that feeling. Meeting aliens was always scary.
“I’m not dangerous.” She assured him swiftly. She didn’t want to freak him out. If he felt threatened, there was no telling what he’d do. The man was built like a mountain, on top of abiggermountain.
Xane didn’t respond to her assurance. He didn’t even seem to hear it. His incredible eyes were memorizing her features, apparently finding them far more interesting than anyone else ever had. His focus was so intense it felt like an x-ray. Gigantic fingers grabbed her by the chin, angling her face this way and that, as if searching for some sign of a mask.
“The colors of your voice…”
“Voice colors?” She interrupted blankly.
He ignored that, his tone now much lower than it had been before. “You’re truly a female.” It sounded like an accusation mixed with something akin to awe.
