Alien Bond (Alien Attachments) by Sabine Priestley Page A

They’d lived on starships that had hovered outside of major cities around the world. Proof of human’s inferior technology and their own peaceful intentions. After the first year, the ships had retreated to orbits around Earth, and while many Sandarians only visited the surface, more and more had moved down permanently. They were beautiful, rich, and possessed powers humans could only dream of. Something called psi. They could move things, and directly interface with technology using only their minds. Crazy shit like that.
    Kara finished her hotdog and leaned back into the public lawn chair. They’d be stored for the winter soon. She unzipped her boots and pulled them off, setting them next to her. They were tame by Steampunk standards, ankle-high black leather with brass wheels and cogs attached. It was a work day after all. She stretched her legs out and flexed her feet. Her red mini-skirt and tailored black button-up shirt gave a strong impression without being obnoxious. As an editor for a London independent paper, she could only go so far, unlike Zoe, who worked two floors up for a marketing company where creativity ruled. Kara cherished the weekends when she and Zoe vied for the coolest outfit.  
    “What time is it?” Kara asked, eyes closed. The warmth of the sun on her face felt like heaven.
    “Twelve thirty-five,” Zoe said.
    “Another ten minutes, and I’ll need to head back.”
    “Me, too.” Zoe inhaled sharply. “Kara, look.”
    Kara opened her eyes a fraction. Shit. “I saw them on the news a few nights ago. That poor woman. Can you imagine?”
    “Poor woman? Are we talking about the same thing here? She’s bonded,” Zoe made quotation marks with her fingers, “with a perfect male specimen, who—”
    “Alien.” Kara ground out the word.
    “Fine, alien, who happens to be beyond gorgeous.”
    “They can’t all be beautiful.”
    “I know that.” Zoe elbowed her. “Will you let me finish? She’s bonded to this perfect being, which apparently entails pleasure like nothing we’ve ever experienced. No contact required, although it’s supposedly better if they do touch, and”—Zoe held up a finger to shush her—“it lasts a lifetime.”
    Kara sat up and shoved her foot into a boot, then grabbed the other one. “Bonded. Lasts a lifetime. Sounds like slavery to me.”
    Zoe followed suit and got her things together. “Hey, I know independence is a big thing for you, given your dragon mother and all, but everything I’ve read says this bond is amazing. Look at them. They scream happy.”
    The brunette clutched the alien’s arm and laughed at something he said. They stopped and kissed before continuing on.  
    Kara grabbed her bag and stood. “Yeah, well, let’s check back with them in six months. No way that kind of control is going to be healthy in the long run.”
    “Who says it’s control? If it’s mutual, no one is in control,” Zoe said.  
    Kara gave Zoe a hand up before heading out of the park. “How can anything be mutual with an alien? They’re not even human, remember?”
    “That report on their DNA said that—“
    “Doesn’t matter. They came from the fricken stars. Landed ships all across the globe. That’s not human, regardless of what they look like.”  
    They were approaching Bayswater Road when Kara’s skin flushed warm from top to bottom. She stopped and glanced down. It felt as though she’d been dipped into a hot tub. It was a warm day, but not this warm. Her body tingled before the feeling settled between her legs. Shallow breaths shuddered in her lungs as her entire body quivered on the verge of an orgasm. Oh, no.  
    Zoe’s voice echoed in the background, impossibly far away and unintelligible. Kara blinked as her vision blurred then narrowed to a single point. Images of the news broadcast containing the “happy couple” flashed across her mind.  
    “It was brilliant,” the brunette had gushed at the anchorwoman. “I was shopping with my