worse. And on top of all the other emotional baggage the man carried on a daily basis, he had to be out of his mind with worry about his son.
Although Craig had picked up on the fact that Merlin had been a difficult kid, he hadn’t missed the quiet ferocity with which Alun had defended him among the angry crowd of aliens the other night. He bet that, as nice as everyone was being, they didn’t necessarily realize that aspect of Alun’s feelings. They probably weren’t thinking that they had to reassure him, but someone did.
Taking a chance, he slid closer to Alun and plunked his ass down on an adjacent chair. He was careful not to get too close. Man, he’d been a dumbass, the way he’d taken the liberty of touching Alun and even holding him in place so that he didn’t cater to Val with his ingrained need to please. It had been gratifying that Alun hadn’t jerked away or shown any other signs of fear. It was also good to see that Val had learned his lesson and was getting drinks for his husband instead of expecting Alun to do it.
He watched Alun pick at his food for a few seconds before saying, “It’s hard to have an appetite, isn’t it?”
Alun froze for a few seconds before glancing his way. The guy never quite looked him in the eye, which was understandable and frustrating. “I’m not used to eating much.” He took a small bite of omelet. “It’s delicious, though. I should be more grateful.”
“Bullshit,” he said as gently as he could. Alun was startled enough to look fully at him for a few seconds. “These people made the decision to bring you into their home. The least that they owe you is good and plentiful food. You don’t owe them anything.”
Now Alun looked at him as if he had lobsters crawling out of his ears. “You say the strangest things. Sorry,” he added hastily. “That was rude.”
“It’s okay. You can be as rude as you like. You don’t owe me anything, either. I’m only trying to help you understand your worth. And,” he added with a shake of his head, “I can see in your eyes that you don’t believe that you have any.”
Alun almost bristled, which was a damn good sign. “That’s not true, mun. I have a lot of useful skills that help the family.”
“I’m not talking about your role as domestic help, but let’s put that aside for the moment. What I meant about your lack of interest in eating was that it’s because you’re worried about your son.”
With a drop of his fork, Alun curled into himself before clutching at his chest with one hand. Beneath the thin-knitted sweater he wore, there was a distinct outline of a chain and what might be a cross that he now had his fingers around. That surprised Craig. He had assumed the aliens didn’t worship the way many humans did and wouldn’t have tolerated their slaves doing so. He certainly hadn’t expected to see signs of Christianity. This unexpected news gave him an ‘in’ where Alun was concerned.
Reaching inside his own long-sleeved T-shirt, he pulled out the cross his parents had given him when he’d graduated from the police academy. He made a point of holding it up for Alun to see. “I find that this gives me hope and courage when I most need it. I’m not sure if anyone is actually listening when I pray, but it’s a source of comfort, nonetheless. It reminds me of Sundays with my family, going to church and eating a big dinner with everyone around the table. It really isn’t something I should hide away.”
So saying, Craig deliberately let it hang against his chest where it could be seen. After a few seconds, Alun did the same with his. It was lovely, bigger than Craig’s, shiny gold and a crucifix, not just a cross. Alun kept his hand around it for even longer before slowly releasing it and picking up his fork again. He took a larger bite of his omelet than he had before.
“I’m that worried about him,” he said eventually in a low voice. “Merlin.”
“I know and understand. He’s your son. Of course you are.” He dared to pat the man’s arm but was careful not to indulge himself by keeping it there. “They’ll get him back.”
Alun merely nodded and kept eating, slowly, steadily. By the time the others had come down in greater