Alien Dragon Read Online Free PDF Page A

dispose of you.”
    Dispose of me?
    They’ll kill me.
    If I’m a huge troublemaker, I won’t be worth what I cost in food to keep. Apparently, staying awake the whole four years suddenly seems less appealing than it did before.
    “Riley?” Hal asks. “That’s your name, right? Riley?”
    “Yeah. Riley. That’s me.”
    “Do you understand?”
    “Yeah.”
    For the first time, I might just be beginning to understand. And for the first time, I’m starting to wonder if staying on Earth would have been better.
     
     
     

Chapter 4
     
     
    Hal gets me a clean outfit so I can get dressed. It’s not a uniform like the rest of the crew is wearing. No black-and-red for me. No, he brings me a long blue gown. It’s almost like a nightgown. I raise my eyebrows in surprise. This is what he wants me to wear? It’s not what I expected. I bite my tongue, though, and I’m silent as I dress.
    Hal doesn’t give me panties or a bra and I don’t ask for them. Something tells me that Hal is at the end of his rope and I don’t want to go there. I’ve pushed my luck enough in my life to know that I don’t want to push this man. He can make the next four years bearable or he can make them complete hell.
    Today is only day one, and I don’t want to fuck up the first good thing to happen to me in years. If the worst thing I have to face is being without underwear, I think I can handle that.
    Once the dress is on, I automatically turn to look at myself in the full-length mirror next to my bed. There isn’t a single window in my room. Realistically, I’m probably in the middle of the ship, but I can’t help but wonder if the lack of windows also have to do with fear I might try to escape. It’s not like I’d survive at all in space.
    Maybe they just don’t want me looking out the window and freaking out when there’s just…nothing.
    The mirror is on the back wall. I can see the door reflected in it and it makes the bedroom look even bigger. Twisting and turning for a moment, I stare at myself from every possible angle. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a mirror. After the last war, our house was destroyed. That’s when Father and I built our little hut.
    It was the only thing we could create on our own for shelter. We didn’t have any luxuries. A mirror was out of the question, simply because we had to scavenge for everything we had. I don’t think anyone on Earth has seen an unbroken mirror in months, maybe even years.
    Now I see myself for the first time in forever, and I realize that I look like an adult. I’m not a little kid anymore. When did that happen?
    “You look lovely,” Hal comments, and while I’m not the best with compliments, I have to say that I think he’s right. My hair is long now. It falls past my shoulders. It’s still damp, but I can see that the color is still dark brown. My eyes look sad, but maybe they’ll brighten up. My skin is pale, almost clammy-looking, and I’m much too thin, but the gown seems to brighten me up. It’s not quite see-through, but it’s pretty close.
    “Why the transparent gown?” I ask Hal.
    He snickers.
    “Dragons like to play with their food.”
    “What?” I screech, but he just laughs.
    “I’m fucking with you. Come on. Let’s get you something to eat.”
    He leads me out of the room and takes me down a hall. Hal moves quietly and quickly.
    “How long have you been here? You seem like you really know your way around.”
    “Long enough.”
    “Is this your first journey to Earth?”
    “No,” Hal shoots me a sideways glance, as if he’s trying to figure out exactly how much to tell me. Whatever. We’re stuck together for a couple of years so even if he doesn’t tell me today, chances are I’ll find out everything I need to know during our time on the ship. I can be patient.
    Hal seems to come to the same conclusion because after a few minutes, he starts talking again.
    “I’ve lived with the Taneyemm my entire life.”
    “But you’re