Page 42 of Alien's Challenge
“Oh, sweetie, do you know what that means?” She hung up a few items on the dressing room wall. Calling it a dressing room was generous, as it was a blanket suspended on a rope.
“Not yet,” Alice admitted with reluctance. The opportunity to ask Faris what they meant hadn’t arisen yet. Perrigaul kept skulking around, giving her the evil eye.
“Well, there’s bonded, like a chemical connection. Their bodies alter when they take a mate. That’s for life. Try these on and I’ll wait outside,” Jasmina said, exiting the stall. She continued to speak. “Then there’s a spiritual bond, but only a few species can do that. Also for life.”
“I’m seeing a pattern.” Alice tried on the clothes, making a pile offitsanddoesn’t fit.
“A physical bond where they mark you, so no one makes a play for you. That’s usually for life. Then there’s bonded like a contract, where they keep for a season or two. That’s the most common around here.”
A contract? Faris had never mentioned a contract. Perhaps that was his plan and Perrigaul didn’t like it.
No. Faris was helping her go home. No bonds or contracts.
“What about you?” Alice asked, trying on a pair of pants that were just barely too small in the hips. “How long have you been here? How did they get you? Do you know how to get home?”
“Home? Sorry, there’s nothing for me on Earth,” she said from the other side of the partition. “I got lucky and my three mates found me. They’re good guys.”
“Three,” Alice repeated.
“Yup, they keep me busy.” Jasmina chuckled.
Alice continued to try on the clothes. Surprisingly, she ended up with more items in thefitpile than the other. She’d have to go through and pick out her favorite, rather than just make do with whatever fit her behind.
“What kind of bonds do the Nakkoni have?” Alice asked.
“Oh, I don’t know much about them. Those Imperial types keep themselves to themselves.” There was a pause. Then, “I have some shoes for you to try on.”
Alice emerged with a few practical pieces: pants, leggings, two lightweight pullover shirts, a sweater, and a shirt large enough to be a sleep shirt. Jasmina added socks and underwear to the pile. Alice tried on shoes, disheartened until Jasmine produced a pair of flexible shoes made from recycled plastic.
“Don’t forget gloves, scarf, and a hat,” Jasmina said. The pile kept growing. Eventually, even the store owner couldn’t think of another thing for Alice to buy.
As Jasmina folded the purchases, she lowered her voice. “You don’t have to go with him.”
“What?”
“If you want out, I know people. People who can hide you. We humans have to stick together.”
Alice perked with interest. “Actually, I’m looking for the woman I was abducted with. Her name is Miriam.”
Jasmina shook her head. “Doesn’t ring any bells.”
“Could you ask around? Is there like a registry or—”
The woman laughed. “A registry? This ain’t that kind of place. The best we got is word of mouth. I can ask around, but I’ll be honest, as long as you’re with those two lizards, no one is going to talk to you.”
“Because they’re Nakkoni?”
“Because they’re yourowners,” Jasmina said, nearly hissing with disgust.
Alice recoiled. “Faris is not my owner. He’s taking me back to Earth.”
“Sure he is, honey.” Jasmina slipped a piece of paper between the folds of a thick sweater. “If you change your mind about ditching them, remember that you’re not alone.”
“I trust Faris.”
“Uh-huh, but that other one? He looks like he’d sell his own mama for the right price.”
Alice said nothing, letting Jasmina finish wrapping up and bagging the purchase. She trusted Faris, perhaps too much. She followed him off a cliff, after all. But Perrigaul…
