Page 22 of Found By the Alien Warrior

“Night fell and I still couldn’t find him. Cave panthers soon came from their dens. I heard my brother scream. I raced through the woods to find him, but by the time I arrived, the damage had already been done.” Aurik paused, drawing a ragged breath. “My brother’s leg was mauled.”

The intensity of his emotions gripped me. I reached out and placed my hand on his arm, offering what comfort I could. "That's terrible for him and you to go through." I felt the tremor beneath my fingertips as he fought to maintain control of feelings he held in for years.

"I brought Vortaris back to the settlement. He had lost so much blood... The healer got the bleeding to stop, but his leg was beyond repair. He lost it."

I moved closer to him, needing to offer comfort and share the burden of his pain. “I’m sorry.”

"Two days later, I left,” Aurik confessed. "My brother woke up and asked to see me, but I couldn't face him. It was my fault – I should have been there for him."

"You got him out of the woods.”

"We were foolish to fight. It was my brother’s birthright to lead our people. My mistake took that away from him."

I couldn't bear seeing him blame himself like this. "You can't be sure things would've turned out different or the same if you'd stayed together in the woods. You saved your brother’s life. That matters more than anything. At least, that’s how I see it."

Aurik looked at me, a glimmer of vulnerability in his eyes, and began toying with the pleats of my dress's shoulder strap. "You sound like you may have some experience with siblings yourself.” He attempted a smile.

"I have a little sister. She and I still fight like crazy sometimes,” I admitted, feeling a warmth spread through me as the somber atmosphere lifted ever so slightly.

Aurik leaned forward, pressing soft kisses on my forehead and nose as he listened. "Is she going to work for the Wanderstar Fleet along with you?"

"Absolutely not. She was beyond mad that I applied for a job and got a trial run. She wanted me to stay on Earth and get a respectable, boring job." I shrugged. "Boring sounds great right about now, but respectable? Ha, not me."

"Why do you say that?"

Now it was my turn to be vulnerable. I bit my lip as I debated sharing. "Oh, that's right. You don't know my past."

"We have the night ahead of us," His voice was low and warm, inviting trust.

Feeling the weight of the secrets we had shared so far, I hesitated. "You sure you want to hear my origin story? It's not epic. And according to my sister Keisha, definitely not humble."

He gave me a tender kiss and drew the blanket around my shoulders. "I've wanted to know what makes you so stubborn and beautiful."

Chuckling, I decided to take the plunge. "You're going to charm the sordid details out of me."

“I’m a little tired from the match, but I’m up for the challenge.”

“Alright, you win.” I began to tell him about growing up in Florida, my father working in a manufacturing plant and my mother teaching at an elementary school. I described the importance our family placed on a good education and hard work.

"But I didn't want to work hard to pay the bills," I confessed. "Do you know how high tuition is? I wasn't smart enough to get the scholarships, so I used my other talents."

"You became a referee?"

Laughing again, I shook my head. "Bless your sweet alien heart. I was an exotic dancer. I undressed for money, and it paid the bills and then some. I graduated debt-free, but my little sister threatened to tell our parents."

Aurik’s eyes widened as he took this in, but he didn't turn away or judge me. "Did she?”

"No. Our mom passed, and our dad retired after getting sick. I took care of him and used my savings to pay the medical bills. Eventually, I left the nightclubs and got a job as a hostess at some fancy schmancy resort hotel on the beach. I studied hospitality in school, but I just don't have it in me to be in an office." The words poured out of me now. “I got bored at work," I admitted. "I didn't want to stay in the same place and keep being sad about my broken family, either. Keisha hates how I shake things up."

Aurik’s eyes sparked electric blue with mischief. "I never would've imagined you would do that."

"Stop." I nudged him.

He drew me into another searing kiss, his hand resting on my thigh, draped over his as we sat on the bed pallet together. When our lips parted, he said softly, "I still think you're noble for caring for your family. How you use your mind and body is your choice. Not that you need me to tell you."

I couldn't help but feel surprised at how curious and nonjudgmental Aurik remained, even after learning about my past. Feeling vulnerable but emboldened by his open-mindedness, I dared to reveal more. "I liked my little stripper gig in college, but I'm not gonna lie. It could get unsafe, depending on who walked in the club each night.”

Aurik's expression turned apologetic. "It's not good that things didn't turn out safer for you in this solar system."

---