Enticed by the Alien Warrior Hope Hart (the giving tree read aloud .TXT) 📖

“Sure,” I mutter gracelessly, and his smile widens. He gets to his feet, striding around the table and offering me his arm as I rise from my own seat.

I take it, attempting to ignore the silence that has descended. From the surprised look on Tridi’s face, whatever Arix is up to is out of the ordinary. Bevix winks at me, and Arix places his hand over mine, leading me away from the table.

He shakes his head at his guards as they attempt to follow us, and they stop in their tracks.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“It’s a surprise.”

We walk in companionable silence for a while, heading further away from the river, the sun behind us. The sounds of people talking fade away, and soon there are only the chirp of birds and the rustle of animals foraging for food.

“It’s so peaceful here.”

Arix nods. He directs me between two trees, and we leave the forest path. He helps me climb over a fallen tree, then lifts me over a few large rocks.

We walk up a hill, and I’m slightly breathless when we finally get to the top.

“Wow.”

We’re in some kind of garden. Only, it’s nothing like the beautiful yet ruthlessly manicured gardens surrounding the castle. This is undomesticated and unkept, a free-for-all of flowers and plants.

Wildflowers bloom throughout, with little thought given to color selection or plant type. The bright colors clash in places, but the garden is all the more charming for its chaos.

From here, we have a view of the river, but anyone sitting in a hydro would have to squint to see us, hidden as we are through the trees.

It’s natural, disorderly, and untamed. I love it.

“What is this place?”

Arix gestures to a wooden bench on one side, surrounded by huge yellow flowers shaped similar to poppies on earth.

I take a seat, and he sits next to me, throwing one hand over the back of the bench. He instantly looks more relaxed than I’ve seen him since I met him.

“This was my mother’s place. She loved gardening and would often attempt to help the gardeners when they were working around the castle. But people gossiped. They said it was unseemly for the queen to be working like a servant.

“She was brokenhearted, but my father brought her here. He said he’d discovered it during one of his walks and it was waiting for her special touch. My mother didn’t make many changes—most of these flowers were already growing in the area, and she added a few she felt would do well here. But she loved this place. We’d sit right here when I was a child, and she would make me tell her all my problems.”

He smiles, and my heart thumps harder in my chest. Arix is beautiful, and every smirk and wicked grin he sends my way gives me butterflies. But the simple, sad smile, the fondness in his eyes when he speaks of his mom…

This is the real Arix.

“She sounds like an amazing mom.” I hope the jealousy I feel at the thought of growing up with a mom like her isn’t evident in my voice.

Arix removes his arm from across the top of the bench and throws it around my shoulders. “She was.”

“Do you mind if I ask what happened to your parents?”

“They were murdered.”

My mouth drops open. I expected some kind of accident. For some reason, foul play hadn’t crossed my mind.

I glance at him, and he pulls me closer. He’s not looking at me, and I reach out, placing my hand on his knee.

He turns his head, gazing down at me. “A little higher, beauty.”

I scowl at him, removing my hand. “I was being supportive.”

Surprise flashes across his face, as if he’s not used to anyone offering him comfort. The thought makes me sad for him, and I don’t protest when he drags me closer, using his other hand to grab my wrist and pressing his lips to my palm.

“Do you know who killed them?”

He shakes his head. “To this day, I am working to discover who could have done such a thing. Unfortunately, a court as large as my parents’ had multiple suspects. I have my own suspicions, but my father would expect me to only act once I have proof.”

His lips twist at that, and my throat tightens. I’m guessing he’d like to round up all his suspects and torture the information out of them. But he’s still attempting to honor his dad.

I shiver as he strokes the sensitive skin along my wrist, and he smiles. The bastard knows exactly what he does to me.

He studies my face. “Why do you want to go back to your planet so badly?”

I shrug. “It’s home.”

He leans down and picks a flower before handing it to me, and I smile, inhaling the light fragrance.

“Earth isn’t perfect, that’s for sure. In a lot of ways, it’s a goddamned shitshow. It’s full of wars and hunger and death. With a big ol’ helping of inequality and sadness. Just when you think you’re winning the game, the rules change and you’re suddenly losing.”

Arix tilts his head, and I smile.

“But it’s beautiful too, with sights that make you pinch yourself they’re so incredible. There’s hope around every corner. People who care about each other. People who sacrifice for others. But most importantly, it’s ours.”

He studies my face for a long moment and then nods. “I understand. My kingdom has its faults, and while I try to improve it every day, it will always be a work in progress. But if someone were to take it from me, I would not rest until I had taken it back. My father would expect nothing less.”

“I guess we have more in common than I thought.”

He grins, his eyes sharpening on my face. Then he lowers his head, giving me plenty of time to stop him, but I don’t, allowing him to cover my mouth with his.

His lips are firm and hot, and he uses the arm around my shoulders