Page 18 of Grumpy Alien Boss

Heavy footsteps crunch on the helipad gravel outside. My heart leaps into my throat.

I dive behind one of the massive passenger seats, making myself as small as possible. The leather creaks as I wedge myself into the gap between seat and wall.

The footsteps grow closer. Closer. A shadow falls across the craft's window.

My hand clamps over my mouth to muffle my breathing. The dead phone digs into my hip where I've shoved it in my pocket.

Metal scrapes against metal as the door slides open. My heart pounds so hard I worry he'll hear it. Darwin's polished shoes click across the deck plating as he moves to the console.

A soft beep, and my phone buzzes back to life in my pocket. The frozen screen clears, showing the photos I managed to take.

"You might as well come out." Darwin's voice echoes in the confined space. "Whoever you are, I'm not going to hurt you, but I must insist you do not share the digital records of this craft."

My legs shake as I stand, gripping the seat for support. The morning light streams through the windows, casting strange shadows across Darwin's face.

"It's me, Mr. Rook." My voice comes out steadier than I expect. "If that is your real name."

The air around Darwin shimmers like a desert mirage. His human form melts away, revealing something both terrifying and beautiful. Red scales catch the light, gleaming like rubies. He towers over me now, his bone ridge casting shadows across features that are somehow still recognizably Darwin.

My hand flies to my mouth, but the scream stays locked in my throat. The scale in my pocket seems to burn against my leg, a physical connection to the truth I've suspected all along.

Those late nights when his shadow looked wrong on the wall. The way his eyes caught the light. How he always knew when someone was approaching before they entered the room. It all makes perfect sense now.

His reptilian features soften, becoming almost gentle despite their alien nature.

"Olivia, I should have known it was you. It is difficult to keep secrets from one as shrewd as you are."

My mouth feels dry. "What... what are you?"

"My true name is Dar. I am a Vakutan warrior." His voice remains the same rich baritone I know, even in this form. "We are locked in an eternal struggle against shape-shifting aliens called the Grolgath."

He explains about a galactic war spanning centuries between various alien races. The Grolgath want to alter Earth's timeline, make humanity choose the wrong side in some future conflict.

"So you're... you're one of the good guys?" The scale in my pocket seems to pulse with warmth.

"Yes. I use my business enterprises to fund an organization called Veritas. We protect Earth's timeline from Grolgath interference." He gestures at the alien craft around us. "This technology helps us track their movements."

My head spins as I process it all. Aliens. Time wars. Secret organizations. And Darwin - no, Dar - at the center of it all.

"That's why you destroyed the rainforest." The pieces click into place. "There was something there. Something alien."

"A Grolgath base, yes." He nods, the bone ridge catching the morning light. "We couldn't let them maintain a foothold so close to population centers."

"And now?" I ask, my voice barely a whisper.

"Now you have a choice, Olivia. Join us. Help protect humanity. Your skills, your determination - Veritas needs people like you."

CHAPTER 8

DAR

My talons rasp against the metal deck as I wait for her answer. The silence stretches, becoming a living thing between us. Her green eyes search my alien features, no doubt trying to reconcile them with the human mask she's known.

"I want to help." Olivia's voice rings with conviction. "If Earth's in danger, how could I not?"

The knot in my chest loosens. I won't have to erase her memories after all. Won't have to lose her.

"And hey, if I can help save the world with spreadsheets and quarterly reports, even better." She gives a shaky laugh. "That business degree has to be good for something, right?"

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