Rogue Warriors of Lorr
Captured By the Alien Chapter 6

She seated herself outside in the garden. It became the spot where she liked to rest and think about everything that was happening. When she first found the garden, she thought she was going to be leaving Grux.

She remembered feeling sad and even cried a little. She hardly knew Grux, but she knew once her family found out where she was, they were going to want her back. She would leave Lorr and, in turn, Grux. She told herself that the night with him was her sweet goodbye and her way to remember the kindness he'd showed her. She could think back to it when she was having a low day.

She told herself to remember the violet-skinned alien and the night they shared. She wanted to remember him as her savior after everything she went through.

But that day was weeks ago, and she was still here. The king had told her a few days later that they were having trouble finding her parents. Then the following week, he was too busy with meetings to find the correct time.

It seemed he had a new excuse each week for why she couldn't contact her family. She hated to think he was dragging his feet, but it seemed that way. Even she didn't know where they were, though, so maybe he truly had been trying to track them down. It wasn't terrible. As much as she looked forward to going back to Earth, she was enjoying the freedom she had on Lorr. She spent her days walking the halls and soaking in their history.

She had another meeting with the king that afternoon, but she could guess how it would go. He would be more focused on the dignitaries of Lorr instead of her.

She wasn't saying that the other people weren't important, because they were, but she just wondered when her issue would be a priority.

She sighed, looking over the garden. She figured she might as well take it all in. There would be a time when she wasn't here, and she would think back on everything fondly. "Scarlett."

She lifted her head, spying Grux striding down the pathway toward her. He was wearing a grin, looking happy to see her.

She smiled, thrilled to see him, as well. Grux and she had spent as much time as possible together over the past several weeks.

They didn't have a lot of it, though, and anytime they seemed to catch a break, it was quickly yanked away because his father would call for him.

They, however, did have dinner together each night. It was their time to catch up after a long day, and she liked that quiet time with him. She liked sitting down, talking with him, and learning more about Lorr.

"Hey." She gave him a wave. "I thought you had a meeting with your dad."

"I snuck out." He seated himself next to her, giving her a bigger grin. "I can only take so much political talk before I grow bored."

She chuckled, looking away. She gazed over the garden and froze when she felt Grux's hand land on hers. She looked at it, feeling a spark run up her body.

They hadn't slept together since that first night. Not that the idea hadn't crossed her mind because it had on several occasions. But the thing was, she didn't know if that was a good idea. She couldn't get attached to Grux. She was looking forward to going home, and feeling anything for him was a dangerous game.

But she liked having him around. She liked sitting and chatting with him. She liked how he made her feel.

"So," she said, looking at the different flowers in the garden. "Are we still on for dinner tonight?"

"Of course. Wouldn't miss it for the world." Grux stretched out before he leaned back in his seat. "So, what did you do today?"

She couldn't help but smile. She was excited to tell Grux that she had spent hours drawing and painting in the garden, a pastime she'd left behind on Earth. It felt good to explore her hobbies and find pieces of herself that had felt long-forgotten.

Grux seemed to light up hearing about how much she enjoyed herself. She couldn't help but blush when she realized she'd been talking for an hour.

"I didn't even get to ask about your day," she finally said, chewing on her lower lip.

Grux chuckled, leaning forward. He grabbed her chin, popping her lower lip free. He leaned forward, his nose pressing against her softly. "That's okay. I enjoy listening to you."

He kissed her, cupping the back of her neck like he hadn't seen her in days. She liked being the center of attention. But someone cleared their throat, making them pull apart. They both turned to see a counselor standing a few feet away. He gave them a smile, almost embarrassed, and then looked at Grux. "The king wishes to speak to you."

"Fuck."

She chuckled, patting his hand that was still on hers. "I'll see you later. You better get going."

He looked back at her, gazing into her eyes. "All right." He kissed her once more. "I'll see you tonight for dinner."

And just like that, she was alone again. She rubbed her hands together and looked over the garden. As much as she liked being here, just how long could she stay here without feeling like they were keeping her against her will?

She shook her head, not wanting to think like that. Grux had saved her. He wouldn't pull her free and then force her into another jail cell. That wasn't like him. Or she could only hope it wasn't.

Grux was bored. He had been listening to his father go on and on about the possibility of Earth agreeing to something. He honestly had stopped listening hours ago. He was just thinking about dinner with Scarlett. "Are you paying attention?" his father barked, causing him to glance over at his father's irritated expression.

"Yes." He nodded. "I'm listening."

His father narrowed his eyes. "You weren't."

Grux sighed, waving a hand. "You were saying?" He tried to get the conversation moving. The quicker his dad finished, the sooner he was free to leave.

"If we can get you and her together, there is a large chance we could have a bond with Earth. This would be a smart decision for us. Smart for the entire kingdom."

Grux frowned. He hated the idea of using Scarlett like she was a pawn in a game. Scarlett was a living, breathing Terran being with emotions.

He wished he could have been like this with Kozien, who was actually trained to take the crown. But Kozien's human was of low status on Noxxa, and Grux had found a woman that could be used for political gain.

He wasn't going to admit to sleeping with Scarlett, let alone tell his father there might be a chance he had feelings for her. He didn't like the tug that twisted him up inside.

"Well," he said. "If this meeting is over, I'd like to go get ready for dinner. It's been a long day."

"Yes." His father nodded, looking pleased. "Dinner. Are you seducing her over dinner? I've noticed you two dine together often."

Grux frowned. Leave it to his father to notice everything and ruin the one good thing he had right now.

"I'm just being nice." He lied with a straight face. "It's the right thing to do. Could you please obsess about something else? Anyway." He pulled himself out of his chair. "I'm heading out."

His father waved him off, and Grux took the chance to bolt. He didn't want to wait around for his father to think about something else they forgot to discuss.

Grux headed out. They had agreed to have dinner outside in the garden today. So, Grux walked to the garden, eager to see Scarlett.

He found spending time with her at the end of each day calmed him. It allowed him to relax and prepare himself for the next day. She was also something for him to look forward to.

He arrived to find Scarlett seated in the back corner, dinner already laid out in front of her. When she looked up, he could see she was happy, but frustration lay behind her eyes. "Hey." He gave her a smile as he slipped into the chair across from her. "Hope I didn't hold you up."

She waved her hand, giving him a soft smile. "No, it just got here."

He watched her smile slip, and he reached across the table. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She smiled once more. "Nothing is wrong."

He could tell she was lying to him. After spending weeks with her, he found he was good at reading her features. Better than expected to be honest.

"Scarlett, tell me. If you're worried about hurting my feelings, it won't happen."

After what seemed like several minutes, she sighed. She placed her hands together and looked at the food. "Did your father bring up when I could be going home? Has he talked to my family? Can I try?"

His stomach fell. Yes, that. She had been asking about that more and more these past few days.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "He didn't. I'm sorry. He hasn't been able to locate them, and you know we fear to let you try. We keep you here within the palace for safety, and I'm not risking the Flemlars hearing your voice over the comms." Her lips tightened, and she gave him a simple nod. He didn't like it. It was like she was dismissing him.

"Hey, we're going to get you home." He gave her a smile. "Just not yet."

"When?" she snipped.

He pulled his hand away and leaned back in his chair. He wanted to tell her as soon as they could, but that would be a lie. His father was dragging his feet.

"I'll ask him again tomorrow." He gave her a smile. "Can we eat? The food will get cold."

He hated to sidestep her issue. He knew she was growing impatient being stuck here. At first, she said she enjoyed having the time to explore and take in everything. But as the days grew into weeks, he knew she was growing irritated with the situation. She poked at her dinner, and he hated it. He could tell her mind was going a mile a minute. "What's wrong?"

She looked back up at him. "I feel like I'm trapped."

"What do you mean?"

She shrugged. "It's like I gave up one jail cell for another."

His stomach dropped. "Scarlett." He reached out, grabbing her hand. "No. That's not what this is."

"It feels like it," she admitted. "I feel like you're holding me here hostage. I can walk around the palace, but I know I'm being watched. I can't leave. I can't use the comms. You're almost never around. It's a pretty prison, but a prison nonetheless." "No." He shook his head. "I promise you. I'll get you home. Just not right now. Give it some more time, please."

She chewed on her lower lip, and he squeezed her hand. "Please. I will get you home. I wouldn't bring you here just for shits and giggles."

She seemed to smile at the expression she'd taught him. She gave him a nod before she went back to her dinner.

He needed to get a handle on the situation before it spiraled out of control, but he didn't know how.

F**k.