Page 35 of Alokar
“It doesn’t sound like you want to be king,” I said, letting my fingers play with his. I loved the stark contrast between the calloused skin of his palm and the impossibly soft, downy fur that covered the back of his hand.
“I would much rather be a warrior like my adopted father and stay aboard theBardagahelping to rescue those abducted and sold into slavery.” His voice carried a wistful longing that made my chest tighten.
“Then why don’t you?” I asked. It was definitely a worthy cause. “Surely your sister would like to be queen?”
A faint smile played along Ewok’s lips as he thought of his sibling, his eyes growing distant and fond. “Vienda is a born leader, but she cannot rule. The Kerzak have laws that prevent females from ruling as Queen. Even now, acting as regent, she is supposed to run every decision by me.” He chuckled, a rich rumbling sound. “She doesn’t.”
“Women can’t rule?” I rolled my eyes, incredulous. “That sounds kind of antiquated for a species capable of space travel.”
“Perhaps.” His sigh was heavy with agreement, his massive shoulders sagging slightly. “But it is the law of my kind. To shirk my duty would be to open the throne to someone like Yaard, and that I cannot do.”
I couldn’t blame him for that—the mere idea of someone like Yaard being king made my skin crawl. But I wasn’t willing to give up that easily, especially when it came to Ewok. “So, when you become king, can’t you change the law so your sister can be queen?”
Ewok’s eyes flashed wide for a moment, pupils dilating with surprise as a flicker of hopeful contemplation crossed his handsome features. “I had not thought of that.” The ceramic dishes clattered slightly as he pushed them away. He obviously liked the stew—his plate was nearly licked clean, not a drop of the broth remaining. “I don’t even know if it would be possible.” Then his excitement faded like a dying ember, his expression growing somber once more. “But I would still have to take the throne, at least for a while. I would still have to leave.”
Ewok seemed to settle into his destiny with resigned acceptance, and my heart felt like it had completely cracked in two, each jagged piece cutting deeper than the last. I forced a smile onto my face, but stood quickly, grabbing my half-eaten bowl of stew and ceramic mug with trembling hands and carrying them to the sink before turning toward the bathroom. I needed a moment to gather myself before I completely fell apart.
“I think I’ll take a shower,” I announced, my voice barely steady.
“Okay.” Ewok watched me with those perceptive amber eyes, concern flickering across his features, but he made no move to rise.
I sequestered myself in the cramped bathroom, turning on the water as hot as I could stand it until steam fogged the mirror. While there was a certain primal satisfaction to bathing in nature under waterfalls and in mountain streams, nothing beat the comfort of hot water sluicing down my skin in steady, scalding rivulets. Plus, the thunderous sound of the shower spray against the tile walls drowned out the sound of my sobbing.
I didn’t want Ewok to leave. I loved him.
Yep, there, I said it. I loved an alien Bigfoot—which no doubt had every dead Bigfoot hunter rolling over in their graves. I didn’t care. Besides my dad, Ewok was the most wonderful man—male I’d ever known.
I stayed in the shower for a long while, crying over the idea of losing Ewok, then scrubbing my flushed skin until it was pink and raw, and washing my hair with methodical, almost meditative motions. Normally, a good hot shower mademe feel like I could take on the world. Now I just felt hollow and sad, like someone had scooped out my insides with a rusty spoon. I wondered if they had showers in space, or if they used some science fiction-type cleanser that took care of things with sterilized air puffs or sonic waves. It might be fun to find out, which gave me an idea.
I hopped out of the shower, toweling off quickly and donning my faded, wonderfully comfortable flannel plaid robe.
Ewok knelt by the stone fireplace, the burgeoning flames casting dancing shadows across his angular features as he methodically jabbed at the smoldering logs with an iron poker. Upon hearing me enter, he rose slowly, his towering frame unfolding as his gaze swept over my figure in a way that made every nerve ending spark with awareness.
I stopped mid-step, my bare feet suddenly cold against the hardwood floor as I deliberately maintained distance between us, needing the space to keep my resolve from crumbling. “If you can’t stay here, maybe I could go with you?”
Ewok’s expression didn’t brighten with the hope I’d desperately wished to see. Instead, his features crumpled into something almost heartbreakingly forlorn, like a man watching his dreams slip through his fingers.
“Hannah,” he moaned, the sound rough and pained as it escaped his throat. “The cosmos is a dangerous place for humans—full of predators and politics that could destroy you.”
“No doubt,” I agreed, wrapping my arms around myself against the sudden chill that had nothing to do with the temperature. “But your mother seems perfectly happy there, and you said there were places where humans were safe.”
“Yes,” he conceded with a heavy sigh that seemed to carry the weight of worlds. “But none of them are mated to a Kerzak.” Ewok moved closer, his massive hands settling with surprising gentleness on my shoulders, their warmth seeping through the thin fabric of my robe. “You have to understand that most Kerzak consider humans lesser beings—pets at best, prey at worst. My parents wanted to change that perception. I want to as well, and so does my sister.”
“But your people would never accept their king being involved with a human,” I guessed, the bitter truth settling like lead in my stomach.
“The danger to you would be immeasurable... I don’t even want to think about it.” He shuddered visibly, his powerful frame trembling with the force of his fear. “Duke Ako, the most powerful ruler in the universe, had to send his mate Helene to Earth for years to protect her from Yaard. Even if he is dead, there are others who would threaten you. I need to know you are safe, even if I have to tear my own heart out and leave you to accomplish it.”
Any danger was worth being with Ewok, but I let it rest for now. “I don’t want you to leave,” I whispered, my voice barely audible as I ran my trembling hands over the broad expanse of his chest, feeling his muscles tense and jump under the fur that tickled my fingertips.
“I don’t want to leave you,” he muttered hoarsely, leaning down to nuzzle the sensitive curve of my neck, his breath hot against my skin. “But I see no other choice that doesn’t end with your blood on my hands.”
“I don’t want you to leave,” I repeated, leaning into his solid warmth and burying my face against his chest, breathing in his intoxicating scent—a heady mix of worn leather, warm bourbon, and fresh pine that made my head spin. His powerful arms tightened around me like steel bands, and for a suspended moment, the universe seemed to hold its breath, waiting. There was nothing else to say.
“I love you, Ewok.”
His honey-brown eyes, flecked with gold from the firelight, gazed down at me, a faint, bittersweet smile flickering across his lips. “Do you know the Kerzak do not have a word like ‘love’ in our language? But I understand the concept because of my mother.”
“What do the Kerzak have?” I tipped my face back, studying the play of emotions across his striking features. He hadn’t said the words, but I could see the depth of his feelings in the way his eyes devoured me, as if trying to memorize every detail.
