Page 20 of Alokar
“It was.” Ewok winced, a shadow of remembered pain crossing his features, which said far more than any detailed explanation. “Thankfully, my brother George helped me through the worst of it.”
The casual mention of his family made me realize how little I actually knew about his life, his world, his people. It made me wonder about so many things—the vast differences between humans and aliens, the complexities of a society I couldn’t even imagine.
“Is what you told me about your adopted parents... your baby sister... is it true?”
“Yes,” he said softly, his voice taking on a tender quality that made something warm unfurl in my chest. A flicker of something—vulnerability, perhaps, or deep affection—crossed his face. “Is it so unbelievable that members of different species would find love together?”
“I guess not,” I admitted, contemplating his words. “We don’t have different species here on Earth, but people from different races, different cultures, and different backgrounds fall in love all the time.”
I met his gaze across the flames, those teddy bear eyes exactly the same as they’d always been—warm, intelligent, kind. The feeling of safety and acceptance that had drawn me to himfrom the beginning remained unchanged, as constant as the North Star. I could see the love he held for his family shining in his expression, genuine and deep, and it softened something inside me. I was still angry that he’d deceived me, still reeling from his revelation, but I couldn’t help the way my heart responded to the glimpses of his true nature.
He looked like he wanted to reach out and touch me—his clawed fingers twitching slightly where they rested against his powerful thighs—but thought better of it, his hand curling into a loose fist instead. “I will let no harm come to you, Hannah. I give you my vow as a warrior.”
The weight of his promise settled over me, carrying the same unwavering certainty I’d always heard in his voice. “I know.” I believed him utterly, and now the shock had receded from my senses, I realized my feelings for him hadn’t dimmed as much as I’d expected. If anything, seeing him stripped of all pretenses—vulnerable and honest in his true form—only made the inexplicable pull I felt toward him stronger. I still wasn’t going to kiss him again, though.
“Where did you say Yaard might have died?” I changed the subject, my voice slightly hoarse as I cleared my throat, discussing possible dead bodies much more preferable than examining the confusing tangle of emotions churning in my chest.
“A place called Skadulgwas Peak. There was a cave-in at a new archeological site.” His deep voice carried a note of grim satisfaction, as if the very thought of our enemy trapped beneath tons of rock brought him some measure of peace.
“I read about that when I was back in Seattle tending to my dad’s estate. Some people believe Bigfoot attacked the dig’s camp.” The irony wasn’t lost on me. All those witness accounts dismissed as hysteria or hoaxes suddenly took on a chilling new significance.
Ewok looked at me, one thick brow arching upward in a gesture so familiar it made my heart skip. Well, duh.
I blew gently on my cup of stew, steam rising in delicate spirals that caught the firelight, and accepted the carved wooden spoon he offered. Like everything else he prepared, it was delicious. The first tentative taste revealed layers of rich, complex flavors that made my stomach growl appreciatively despite the emotional turmoil of the evening.
We ate in companionable silence for a while, the only sounds being the soft crackling of burning wood and the distant call of a night owl echoing through the trees. The silence between us remained comfortable and peaceful, no matter how dramatically his appearance had changed.
“How far is Skadulgwas Peak?” Ewok asked as he dished himself out more stew.
I glanced up at the stars scattered across the velvet sky, reading the celestial map that had guided me through these mountains since childhood. “From where we’re standing, about sixty miles northwest.”
“A few days’ travel then.” He paused, and when he spoke again, I would have sworn his deep voice held a tinge of nervousness, an almost boyish uncertainty that seemed at odds with his physical strength. “Will you come with me?”
“Yeah.” I didn’t hesitate, the answer emerging from some deep, instinctive place that had already decided before my rational mind could interfere. “I can’t have you getting lost and scaring the tourists to death. Plus, I want to see that the bastard is dead with my own eyes.”
Ewok’s gaze met mine across the flickering flames. Those warm honey-brown depths filled with what might have been profound relief. He smiled, the expression transforming his alien features with such genuine warmth that my breath caught in my throat. His smile faltered, as if he thought such a gesture might be inappropriate given recent circumstances, and his large hand slipped into his pocket, where I now knew his disguise device lay hidden.
“You can leave it off.”
A flash of genuine shock crossed his face, his eyes widening slightly. Even covered in thick fur, even with his more pronounced brow ridge and broader jaw, his face remained remarkably readable. “My true form does not make you uncomfortable?”
“I’m not going to lie,” I snorted, setting down my empty cup and meeting his gaze. “It shocked the hell out of me when I first saw the real you.” I smiled at him, the expression feeling natural and real despite everything. “But no, it doesn’t bother me.”
Ewok returned my smile, but the expression that spread across his features carried no actual amusement—only a deep, bone-weary regret that seemed to settle into the very lines of his face. His eyes held shadows of remorse that made somethingtwist painfully in my chest. “I am sorry I lied to you, Hannah. I didn’t think you would be receptive to me in my true form.”
Ewok delivered his apology with such raw, heartfelt sincerity that it brought a lump to my throat. The firelight shadowed his dark fur as he spoke, highlighting the vulnerable set of his broad shoulders, the way his clawed fingers curled slightly against his thighs as if he were bracing himself for my rejection.
“Well, I did come outshooting first and asking questions later,” I admitted, attempting to inject some lightness into the moment, hoping to ease the growing ache that had taken root in my heart at seeing him distressed.
“True,” he chuckled, and this time amusement flickered to life in his gaze, the sound rumbling from his chest in the way that had always made warmth bloom inside me. The tension in his frame seemed to ease slightly, his shoulders relaxing by degrees.
“But I am truly sorry. I hope you can forgive me,” he said, his deep voice dropping to barely above a whisper, as if he were afraid that speaking the words too loudly might shatter whatever fragile understanding we’d recovered.
“Maybe,” I said, though deep down, I knew I already had.
Chapter 9
Ewok
