Page 8 of Resisting the Alien Rider

And there was that pain in my throat again. All at once, it seemed imperative that I restored just a little bit of fairness, or at least some balance, to Garrek and Killian’s world. Starting with not stealing the man’s tent.

“I can share with Killian,” I told him firmly. “We’re both smaller than you. I’m sure we’d fit.”

Garrek laughed again. It was quieter this time, but just as prickly and grating a sound as before.

“You wouldn’t get a moment’s rest,” he replied. “That boy thrashes around in his sleep like someone’s tossed him on a bed of coals and he’s trying to punch his way through to a cool spot.”

“Oh, no. Really? Do you think he’s having nightmares?” I asked it on a hush. I didn’t want Killian to hear and feel awkward that I was asking about him.

“Nightmares? Probably,” was Garrek’s maddeningly casual reply. As if everyone should expect to be fighting for their life in their sleep every night. He regarded me with narrow-eyed curiosity. “Don’t humans have them?”

“Sometimes,” I admitted. “Children especially. Or people who’ve gone through trauma might have them more often.”

He gave me a flat,well, there yougosort of look and said, “Killian’s a child. And he ended up here.”

And he ended up here. So, trauma.

“The sleeping arrangements are not up for debate,” he growled. “I won’t have you exhausted and complaining tomorrow because you got no sleep.”

“I won’t! I-”

“And,” he went on as if I hadn’t spoken, “I won’t have Killian feeling bad about keeping you up. Because I already know that he will.”

Well, that sure shut me up. There were two reasons for that.

One was that Garrek was right and I had no rebuttal. If Killian knew he moved around a lot, he might feel guilty or embarrassed for disturbing my sleep, and I certainly didn’t want that.

And the second reason I was standing there in gobsmacked silence?

I’d just gotten a glimpse into how much this big, surly rider actually cared about Killian. Despite Garrek’s grouchiness, his habit of barking orders, the way he complained about Killian lighting something,everythingon fire…

He wanted to protect Killian’s feelings.

“Alright,” I said quietly, sobered by the realization.

The realization that Garrek had a pretty big heart in there. And that big heart was a lot softer and squishier than I ever could have imagined.

If Garrek was hard, maybe it was only because this life had made him hard.

Try as it might, it clearly hadn’t finished the job.

A tender sort of warmth tugged at me, and I found myself lingering in front of him, even though theconversation seemed like it had reached its natural conclusion.

“Still doesn’t feel right that I’m taking your tent,” I said to fill the silence, digging the toe of my left boot into the dirt behind my other heel.

“Doesn’t need to be right,” Garrek said gruffly. “Just needs to work.”

I laughed. Garrek’s gaze went to my mouth and stayed there. I wondered if my blunt teeth looked strange to him.

“Hmm,” I said in a slightly teasing tone. “I’m not quite sure I like that motto. Feels like you could justify getting away with all kinds of things that are wrong so long as they got the job done.”

“Well,” he said with a dry sort of coolness that cut me to the bone, “I did kill someone. Didn’t get away with it, though.”

And with that he turned on his booted heel and walked away, leaving me wide-eyed in his wake.

4

GARREK

---