Page 43 of Alokar
There was a faint electronic hum, followed by the deep groan and metallic shift of something massive and heavy, then the air itself began to ripple and undulate like heat waves, revealing the sleek hull of a spacecraft materializing before my eyes.
Hollywood had it all wrong. This wasn't some bulbous, chrome-plated craft with gaudy fins. It looked remarkably like images I'd seen of cutting-edge military stealth aircraft—angular, predatory lines and matte surfaces—just a lot bigger. There was a low, thrumming rumble that seemed to vibrate through my bones, preceding a seamless black ramp lowering silently from the ship's shadowed underbelly.
Ewok's chest rose and fell with a sigh so profound it seemed to echo from the depths of his soul—the saddest, most heart-wrenching sound I'd ever heard. He turned to face me,his massive hands trembling slightly as they cupped my face with infinite tenderness. Those mesmerizing honey-brown eyes were now liquid with unshed tears, catching the light like amber jewels.
"I don't know how I'm going to leave you," he groaned, his voice thick with anguish as he pressed gentle kisses across my forehead, my cheeks, the bridge of my nose—each touch an attempt to memorize every inch of me.
"That's good," I told him, my smile blooming despite the gravity of the moment as I linked my hands around the strong column of his neck. "Because you’re not. I'm coming with you."
"Hannah," he groaned. His expression was a wash of conflicted emotion that tore at my very soul—hope blazing bright as a star warring with the deep shadows. "I would never ask this of you—to leave your home, your world, everything you've ever known. Not to mention, the danger...."
"You're not asking, I'm offering,” I interrupted, rising onto my tiptoes and kissing him with all the certainty in my heart. "I love you, Ewok. I know it might be dangerous, but I want to be with you.”
“The Kerzak will never accept a human as my mate,” he said gruffly, eyes filled with torment. “They would kill us both.”
“Then I won’t be your mate,” I suggested with a wink. “At least as far as anyone knows. Life is short and I want to spend every precious moment of it with you—whether you can recognize me as your mate or not."
“You would be okay with letting my people and others think you are less to me—a slave or a concubine?” He said the words like it hurt him to consider the possibility.
“I don’t give a damn what anybody thinks,” I said determined. “I grew up believing in Bigfoot. I know what it’s like to have almost everyone think I’m a lunatic or worse. And the one thing it taught me is that it doesn’t matter what others think, it only matters what you know to be true.” I went up on tiptoe and kissed him gently. “And what I know to be true is that as long as we are together, nothing else matters.”
Ewok crushed me against the solid wall of his chest, as he kissed me with a desperate intensity that stole my breath and set my soul ablaze. "I want nothing more," he whispered against my lips. "But if you leave Earth, there is a chance, a very real chance, that you can never return."
"I'm okay with that," I promised, my voice steady despite the enormity of my choice. "I'll miss the mountains, but I'd miss you more. Besides, I bet there are countless places among the stars just as breathtaking as anything here on Earth."
"There are," he promised, his voice filled with wonder as his eyes seemed to see distant worlds. "And I will show you every single one of them."
"Sounds like a plan," I grinned up at him, my heart soaring.
"I have been thinking about your suggestion—about ruling as king just long enough to change the ancient laws so my sister can claim her rightful place as queen. I intend to change the law, but it could take time, perhaps years before I can claim you as mate." He touched my face, his large claw-tipped fingers—so capable of destruction yet impossibly gentle—tracing the curve of my cheek.
"I'll wait as long as it takes," I promised, meaning every word with every fiber of my being.
"Are you absolutely certain this is what you want?" His voice carried the weight of responsibility for ensuring I understood the magnitude of my choice.
I nodded without hesitation. "What do you want, Ewok?"
"You," he breathed, the words a sacred vow that resonated through the very air around us. "Just you."
Ewok wrapped his powerful arms around me, lifting me effortlessly until our faces were perfectly aligned and our kiss could deepen into something transcendent—a melding of souls that spoke of forever.
"I love you, Ewok," I whispered when his lips finally left mine to blaze a trail of fire along the sensitive column of my neck.
"I love you, Hannah," he murmured against my skin, each word a brand upon my heart. “My mate.”
We stumbled into the spaceship, wrapped in each other's arms, our kisses growing hotter and more desperate. I vaguely registered the interior of the ship—sleek chrome surfaces gleaming under soft blue lighting, holographic displays flickering silently along the walls, everything designed with the elegant efficiency one would expect from a craft capable of interstellar travel. He carried me to a small table nestled in an area that reminded me of the compact kitchens inside luxury RVs, complete with seamlessly integrated appliances and storage compartments that seemed to emerge from the walls themselves.
I spread my thighs, hooking my ankles around his lean hips and squirming against his hardness when he pressed close to me, the heat of his body radiating through the fabric of my jeans and T-shirt. I wanted him with an intensity that made my pulse race. I didn't think there would ever come a time when I didn't crave his touch, his warmth, the way he made me feel so utterly alive.
Except.
My eyes fell on the rough burlap sack he'd unceremoniously plopped upon the polished metal table beside me, its coarse weave stark against the ship's pristine surfaces.
"Um, Ewok," I began, pulling back from him reluctantly, my hands still resting on his broad shoulders.
His honey-brown eyes immediately narrowed with concern, his furry brow creasing. "What's the matter?"
"Do you think we might get rid ofthat?" I nodded toward the bag with an involuntary shiver. "Making love next to a severed head isn't exactly romantic."
