Freeing Luka: The Clecanian Series Book 2 Victoria Aveline (story read aloud TXT) 📖

He’d be in the middle of describing an animal or plant and would suddenly run his hand down her arm or quickly squeeze her hand without any explanation. Alice wasn’t even sure he knew he was doing it.

Her awareness of the confusing male ebbed, however, as they ventured further and the wonders of an alien forest revealed themselves. She could see many similarities in the fauna of Clecania and Earth, but some of the animals they came across were completely alien.

Alice was extremely thankful she’d been smart enough to wear boots when little green seed pods on the ground began hopping and biting at her ankles. Luka explained that the little insects had evolved to resemble the seed pods of native bushes. They’d wait on the ground by said bushes and nip at any creatures happening by, hoping to draw blood.

Luka’s senses were keen, and every so often he’d branch off and examine a track or a broken limb she hadn’t thought anything of. He seemed so at home here.

“Is this what you do when you come here every day?” she asked as he scooped a small amount of sap from a purple vine.

He stashed the sap in his large bag and then walked back over to her, his eyes lit with excitement. “A variation of this. I come to observe and note any differences. After four years, I’ve finally put together the fact that wadefs go into heat when the wyret vine’s sap begins leaking.” He threw his hands out, a delighted smile lighting his face. “I can’t believe I’d never realized it before. It’ll be exciting to see what properties this sap has. I’m wondering if they eat it or if it gives off an undetectable smell of some kind.” He held out his hand to her. “Come here, see if you can smell anything.”

Alice couldn’t hide her smile. Luka’s enthusiasm for his work was a palpable thing. She took his hand and let him direct her to the deep purple vine oozing green sap. Leaning in, she inhaled. “It smells like black licorice!”

She grinned up at him, and his eyes locked on her mouth. A heartbeat passed, and then she hastily cleared her throat and moved away.

Damn gorgeous man with his rugged Indiana Jones scientist-explorer thing.

“What’s licorice?” Luka asked from behind her, interrupting her internal griping.

“It’s a candy. People either love or hate black licorice. It has a very distinctive smell and taste.” She glanced at him over her shoulder and fought the urge to glare at the sun for highlighting his chestnut hair so perfectly.

“Do you love it or hate it?” He sped up until he was striding along next to her.

“Hate it. But I like some drinks that have that flavor for some reason. There’s this cocktail I created at the bar that has just a dash of anise…” Her words faltered for a moment when Luka briefly placed his hand on her lower back and guided her to the right. She swallowed and tried to remember what she’d been talking about. “Uh, anise is where a lot of the flavor in black licorice comes from, but if you put just a little in a mixed drink with ginger beer, it really brings the whole thing together.”

“Did you enjoy creating drinks on Earth?”

Alice frowned. From anyone else, that question might’ve sounded like he was putting down the profession, but Luka looked sincere as he waited for her answer. The corner of her mouth lifted. “I did. I mean, it wasn’t my dream job. The pay sucked. My boss sucked. And some of the customers sucked, especially during the school year when the college kids are in town. But I liked talking to the people who came in, and I liked making up drinks I thought they’d enjoy. Are there bars here?” Maybe she could go back to working in a bar while she tried to become an alien veterinarian.

“There are, but most of them have automated bartenders.”

Who did the lonely souls who needed a drink and a listening ear talk to, then?

Luka stopped her with a hand on her arm and pointed to a tree canopy. Thousands of colorful birds, each smaller than a grape, nested in the branches above. He cupped his hands around his mouth, making a loud, high-pitched shriek. The birds bolted from the trees in a mass of bright pinks and oranges. Once in the sky, they re-formed like a school of fish. Their small bodies flying so closely together gave the impression that a much-larger bird was hunting for its prey.

Alice’s gaze settled on Luka’s face, smiling up at the birds as they flew away. “What do you do for fun when you aren’t working?”

He glanced at her with raised brows and then began walking again. “I work more or I exercise.”

I bet you do. “Do you have any hobbies?”

He thought for a moment. “I collect stories of matings and I read papers from other researchers in my field.”

“What about your family? Do you go and visit them a lot? Do you ever get frustrated doing so much work? Do you take many vacations?” Now that Alice had started to feel more comfortable with Luka, she found she had a million questions for him. “What kinds of things do you do to stay happy?”

He laced his fingers behind his back, opened his mouth, and then closed it, as if unsure what to say. “I’ve always been very focused on work. Eventually, I’d like to stop working and move out of the city. I’d like to see my family more often, maybe visit my nephews. I haven’t seen my sister’s children since they were young.” He stared at the ground, brows drawn.

“You shouldn’t wait to do those things. Family’s important.”

“What’s your family like?” Luka asked, absently running his knuckles down her arm.

Should I get into