hole.
"It doesn't work that way. There is a ritual. Although, it's unknown what needs to happen with a human. But, clearly Pogona exists between you both and we need to take you back to our planet to break the bond."
" Pogona ?"
"It's the overriding urge that compels the life bond."
"Compels it to…?"
She waved her hand weakly. I sensed it was terribly embarrassing to talk so openly about something that must be common knowledge in her culture. "Well, to copulate, to be together. Mostly we don't disgrace ourselves. Strong feelings and events can trigger more…extreme actions."
She shifted uncomfortably. "I'm reasonably sure he was simply waiting to share a meal with us. I stepped out, and I wasn't thinking what would happen if he saw you. Although I really expected he'd have more control."
"Well, I, uhm, when he told me I was a prisoner, I tried to escape."
"Oh, oh dear. What happened?" There was a slightly horrified look on her face.
"I tried to hit him with the carafe, but he caught it. Then the momentum knocked us down."
"Which is when I found you?"
I shook my head. Now she just stared at me, clearly fascinated. "So you…you tried to fight him?"
"Well, I'm not keen on being a prisoner. But it was when I head-butted him that it got…" I trailed off for a moment. This was his sister. "Intense. It got intense." I could feel my ears burning; they must have been blazing red.
She sounded slightly scandalized. "So, that's where all the blood came from."
"Yeah, basically." I shrugged. They were holding me prisoner, they had to expect I wouldn’t just sit there. When he snatched me, I’d just shot up a man’s truck. Clearly I didn’t mess around.
"It's just…in our culture, women…we don't…I mean…we literally can't resist our life bond. Fighting isn’t something that is even possible."
"Well, when you walked in, I wasn't doing a whole lot of resisting." More like spreading and begging. All this alien technology, and no way for the floor to swallow me up when I’m so embarrassed I could die.
She got very still and quiet. "It's beyond that…it's awful."
"What do you mean?"
"I've studied humans, you know. I know that in a coupling, you aren't compelled to obey. We are. I've vowed to destroy whatever life bond happened to me. My brother and I…we promised each other we would help give each other freedom. We watched our father destroy our mother. He was cruel beyond reason. I'm happy to just let the bloodline die out and never mate. But Tlavi wants to continue our family line. So he must find someone appropriate."
“And I’m really not.”
“He’s wrong, you know. But he can’t see past the other ropes our father bound him in. He has a real fear of being controlled now. I will leave you to your thoughts. I must find him.”
She strode out of the room. I’d been thinking of him as a big, mean jerk, but I hadn’t thought about why our connection would be so painful for him.
~ * ~ * ~
Days passed slowly. Thea left me some books she’d picked up from Earth to study and would check up on me occasionally. I was staring up at the ceiling when she joined me one day, bearing a tray of food. We lounged on the divans, talking about one of the books we’d both read.
“How much longer until we are at your world?” I finally mustered the courage to ask.
“We probably have another two weeks, I think you call them?”
I gasped. “Seriously? Doesn’t this thing go any faster? I thought you were super advanced?”
Thea smiled. “I don’t think you realize just how far away your planet is from mine.”
“I’m getting the idea. Why were you anywhere near Earth?” At least another two weeks? Then the return trip? There was no way my mother wasn’t going to completely flip out.
“Tlavi never said, specifically. I think he could feel the pull towards your planet, to find you.
"It doesn't work that way. There is a ritual. Although, it's unknown what needs to happen with a human. But, clearly Pogona exists between you both and we need to take you back to our planet to break the bond."
" Pogona ?"
"It's the overriding urge that compels the life bond."
"Compels it to…?"
She waved her hand weakly. I sensed it was terribly embarrassing to talk so openly about something that must be common knowledge in her culture. "Well, to copulate, to be together. Mostly we don't disgrace ourselves. Strong feelings and events can trigger more…extreme actions."
She shifted uncomfortably. "I'm reasonably sure he was simply waiting to share a meal with us. I stepped out, and I wasn't thinking what would happen if he saw you. Although I really expected he'd have more control."
"Well, I, uhm, when he told me I was a prisoner, I tried to escape."
"Oh, oh dear. What happened?" There was a slightly horrified look on her face.
"I tried to hit him with the carafe, but he caught it. Then the momentum knocked us down."
"Which is when I found you?"
I shook my head. Now she just stared at me, clearly fascinated. "So you…you tried to fight him?"
"Well, I'm not keen on being a prisoner. But it was when I head-butted him that it got…" I trailed off for a moment. This was his sister. "Intense. It got intense." I could feel my ears burning; they must have been blazing red.
She sounded slightly scandalized. "So, that's where all the blood came from."
"Yeah, basically." I shrugged. They were holding me prisoner, they had to expect I wouldn’t just sit there. When he snatched me, I’d just shot up a man’s truck. Clearly I didn’t mess around.
"It's just…in our culture, women…we don't…I mean…we literally can't resist our life bond. Fighting isn’t something that is even possible."
"Well, when you walked in, I wasn't doing a whole lot of resisting." More like spreading and begging. All this alien technology, and no way for the floor to swallow me up when I’m so embarrassed I could die.
She got very still and quiet. "It's beyond that…it's awful."
"What do you mean?"
"I've studied humans, you know. I know that in a coupling, you aren't compelled to obey. We are. I've vowed to destroy whatever life bond happened to me. My brother and I…we promised each other we would help give each other freedom. We watched our father destroy our mother. He was cruel beyond reason. I'm happy to just let the bloodline die out and never mate. But Tlavi wants to continue our family line. So he must find someone appropriate."
“And I’m really not.”
“He’s wrong, you know. But he can’t see past the other ropes our father bound him in. He has a real fear of being controlled now. I will leave you to your thoughts. I must find him.”
She strode out of the room. I’d been thinking of him as a big, mean jerk, but I hadn’t thought about why our connection would be so painful for him.
~ * ~ * ~
Days passed slowly. Thea left me some books she’d picked up from Earth to study and would check up on me occasionally. I was staring up at the ceiling when she joined me one day, bearing a tray of food. We lounged on the divans, talking about one of the books we’d both read.
“How much longer until we are at your world?” I finally mustered the courage to ask.
“We probably have another two weeks, I think you call them?”
I gasped. “Seriously? Doesn’t this thing go any faster? I thought you were super advanced?”
Thea smiled. “I don’t think you realize just how far away your planet is from mine.”
“I’m getting the idea. Why were you anywhere near Earth?” At least another two weeks? Then the return trip? There was no way my mother wasn’t going to completely flip out.
“Tlavi never said, specifically. I think he could feel the pull towards your planet, to find you.
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