Read Bride Games: (Alien's Bride) for Free Online Page B

ally, or, more likely, this was a show to break her resolve.
    Lenora hoisted the chain off the post and let it drop.   Vivian blinked a few times.   The robot paced a small area in front of her just as it had Lenora.
    “Okay.   How am I supposed to get past this thing?”
    Lenora pointed to her naked stomach with her hand too close to her body for the men high behind her to see.   “I can’t help you anymore.”   She pointed at down at its casters.   “I’m sorry.”
    “Ohhh.”  
    Vivian took off her shirt and threw it into the robot’s casters.   Lenora put her face in her hand to groan.   When she looked up, however, she saw the shirt had become tangled.   The robot strained in place once again.   Vivian climbed up right next to it.   Its pincher caught her hair.   She ripped herself free.
    “Ow, fuck!”
    On the next level she paused to laugh at the dead robot.   “Holy shit!   Did you do this?”
    Vivian first tried to throw up the chain without climbing on top of the robot.   After several tries it occurred to her to use the metal corpse to get nearer.   In moments she stood beside Lenora on the next to last tier.  
    Vivian climbed onto the cube and tried jumping.   “There is like, no fricking way.”
    Lenora looked at Nayjoor.   “You’re supposed to help her!”
    Nayjoor crossed his arms.   “She’s had enough help.”
    “Um, what are you guys saying to each other?” Vivian said.
    The alarm went off.
    “Nayjoor!” Lysanter said.
    “Forget it!”   He tramped through the exit.
    The robot whirred out of the door.   Lenora positioned herself between it and Vivian and rammed her body into it.   The unit rolled several feet back.   Its casters switched directions and pushed back against her.   She fruitlessly struggled against its momentum.   Her feet slid backwards toward the cube.
    “Lenora!” Vivian said.   She realized her voice came from above her.
    Lysanter and Vivian gazed down at her, side by side.
    “I touched the statue.   I won.   This guy helped me up.”
    Lenora exhaled and let herself go slack.
    ***
    The doorway behind the top tier led outside to a small lot of ships.   Lenora and Vivian sat on the benched seat of a flying limousine while Lysanter sat across from them.   They each wore fresh shirts he’d procured.
    “Vivian was supposed to be with Lord Nayjoor at this time.”
    “Ugh.”   Lenora cringed.
    “I’m not going to seek him out, but he might send his servant for her.”
    “I know all about Nayjoor.   His ex-wife was at the colony.”
    “Any chance you guys could talk in English or Mandarin?” Vivian said.   “So I can understand?”
    “He doesn’t speak any Earth languages, Vivian.”
    “Boo.”   She pouted.
    For now Lysanter chose not to tell Lenora that he’d had her language implanted in him last night.   Perhaps it was petty, but he would take any advantage he could get if it meant getting through to her.
    “Please get in the habit of calling him Lord Nayjoor,” Lysanter said.   “If someone outside his class disregards his title it’s a great offense.”
    Lenora glared at him for several moments in silence.  
    “I punched you in the face,” she said at last.   “Don’t you think I’m past the whole title garbage?”
    Lysanter smiled softly again.   “I understand why you hit me.   You thought I was an obstacle in the game and remained focused on winning.”
    She nodded.
    “Just to be clear, my only intention was to help you.   Our involvement at the end was Danfet’s idea.   He was trying to devise a good first introduction.   I was naïve to go along with him.   I’d hoped that seeing me trying to help you might make you less apprehensive toward me.”  
    Lenora crossed her arms.   “Sorry I punched you.”  
    She said it in a perfunctory way, but even that felt like a breakthrough to Lysanter.   He bowed his head in acceptance.  
    “Why was this guy trying to ‘devise a good first