Page 51 of Grumpy Alien Boss

“Thanks, Mel,” I mutter, half-listening. My eyes keep darting to the other side of the room, where my mother stands, smoothing her dress and avoiding my gaze. She looks so out of place, like she doesn’t belong here. But here she is.

I take a deep breath, the weight of the moment pressing down on me. Before I can second-guess myself, I stride over to her. Her head snaps up, surprise flickering across her face.

“Olivia, I—” she starts, but I cut her off, wrapping my arms around her in a tight hug.

“I love you, Mom,” I say, my voice thick. “It just might take me a while to forgive you.”

She freezes for a moment, then her arms come around me, holding me like she’s afraid I’ll disappear. “Oh, sweetheart,” she whispers, her voice breaking. “You lookbeautiful. I’m so proud of you.”

I step back, blinking away the tears threatening to ruin my mascara. “Thanks, Mom. Let’s not make this awkward, okay? Just... walk me down the aisle.”

She nods, her eyes glistening, and takes my arm. The double doors swing open, and the organ begins to play. The crowd stands, their faces a blur as I lock eyes with Dar.

He’s at the end of the aisle, his red eyes blazing. His smirk is pure mischief, like he knows exactly what I’m thinking. God, I love him. I love him so much it hurts.

The walk feels like an eternity and a split second all at once. My mother squeezes my arm as we reach the altar, then steps back, her place in my life both acknowledged and uncertain. Dar takes my hands, his grip firm, his touch sending a jolt of electricity through me.

“You’re late,” he murmurs, his voice teasing.

“Only because Maurice wouldn’t let me run,” I whisper back, a smile tugging at my lips.

The officiant clears their throat, and we turn to face each other. The vows are a blur, the words pouring out of me like water. My hands are steady now, my heart full. When Dar slides the ring onto my finger, it feels like a promise—a promise of forever.

And then he kisses me, his lips claiming mine with a fierceness that leaves no room for doubt. The world fades away, and for a moment, it’s just us. No past, no future. Just now. Just this.

When we pull apart, the applause is deafening. Dar’s grin is wild, his eyes shining with something that feels like pride. “Mrs. Rook,” he says, his voice low and dripping with satisfaction.

“Mr. Rook,” I reply, matching his tone. For the first time, I feel like there’s no limit to our happiness.

CHAPTER 20

DAR

The corridor of the Grolgath ship hums with the low, menacing whine of laser blasts ricocheting off the walls. My scales itch with the static of their energy, the heat of each bolt as it zips past us. Olivia’s powered armor glints under the alien lights, her movements sharp and precise despite the chaos. She’s keeping up better than I expected—better thananyhuman should.

“The path splits up ahead,” I say, just as she does.

We both pause, and she grins up at me, her green eyes flashing with that spark of defiance I’ve come to both adore and dread. “Isn’t it cute we’re in sync?” she asks, her voice light despite the situation.

I snort, shoving her gently toward the left side of the fork. “It would be cuter if the Grolgath weren’t trying to kill us.”

She laughs, a bright, reckless sound that cuts through the tension. “You’re such a romantic, Darwin. Always focusing on the negative.”

“Focusing on survival,” I correct, grabbing her arm and pulling her into a sprint as another volley of laser fire scorches the wall where we’d just been standing. “Less banter, more running.”

We barrel into the engineering section, the doors hissing shut behind us. I slam the manual override to barricade them, the metal groaning against the force of the Grolgath on the other side. Olivia’s already at the control panel, her fingers flying over the alien interface like she was born to do this. She’s got a knack for tech that still surprises me, even after all this time.

“Overloading the engines,” she announces, her voice steady. “Should make a nice little boom.”

“Too nice,” I growl, bracing myself against the door as it begins to buckle under the pounding from outside. “We need to be out of here before that boom happens.”

“Working on it,” she mutters, her brow furrowed in concentration. “These controls aren’t exactly user-friendly.”

The door creaks again, and I grit my teeth, pushing back with all my strength. For a split second, I consider shifting into my Vakutan form for the extra muscle, but the suit I’m wearing won’t handle the transformation. I’ll have to hold it as I am.

“Olivia,” I snap, “any day now.”

“Yeah, yeah, Mr. Impatient,” she shoots back, not looking up. “You try rewiring an alien engine while your boyfriend’s playing doorman.”

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