by Lynnea Lee
A Claim for Calix - Tallean Mercenaries
Book Four
By Lynnea Lee
Copyright © 2020 Lynnea Lee
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or used in whole or in part, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction and the characters and incidents found within are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons, living or deceased, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Content
Content
A Claim for Calix
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Epilogue
AUTHOR’S NOTE
ALSO BY AUTHOR
A Claim for Calix
He’ll do anything to find his mate!
Calix has been looking for his mate for years. There’s someone fated just for him, and no one else will do. But one look at Emma has Cal overwhelmed with protectiveness. He knows Emma is not the one, but that doesn’t stop him from stealing her and claiming her as his own.
Emma stinks.
Stinking is ideal for avoiding attention. But when it comes to the hot-as-sin alien mercenary who just rescued her from slavery, that’s the last thing she wants. Emma wants her muscle-bound hero, lock, stock, and barrel. Instead, he dumps her in the spare room to “keep her safe.” What a bummer!
But the more time they spend with each other, the more they realize they are perfect together. Will Calix give up his hunt for a mate to claim the female he loves? Or will Emma leave him in a misguided attempt to help him find his one true mate?
Can be read as a stand-alone or as part of the series. Growly mercenary and steamy scenes ahead. HEA guaranteed.
Chapter 1
Calix fingered the hidden blade through his pant leg, but he doubted he would need it during this simple escorting mission. He leaned against the soft back of his chair. Anyone watching would think he was relaxed, but Cal was on high alert.
It was a simple mission: get the merchant safely to his destination and protect him during the deal. Cal had done this plenty of times. And this time, he even had the help of the establishment the merchant chose to conduct the discussion at.
The Meeting Ground was a neutral zone that companies and crews could rent out to conduct business. The establishment provided refreshments, entertainment, and all the armed guards required should the deal go sour. Other people’s business was their business, and they were damn good at it. Most likely, Cal’s services wouldn’t be required until they left the establishment for their ships.
A server came by and filled their drinks. Cal accompanied their merchant client with two others from his crew. Vosken was an experienced mercenary and an exceptional fighter, and Grissom was young, fast, and a quick study. Cal often trained with both males and knew they would have his back.
The host, an older male with a distinguished air, appeared by the door, and all parties turned to face him.
“Thank you for choosing the Meeting Ground to be your neutral zone. Here at our prestigious establishment, we believe that the best way to avoid excessive violence is to make sure all other needs are met, and met well. We provide award-winning food and drink, as well as female distractions to help calm frayed nerves during your business transaction.”
Three females walked in, heads bowed. Their host brought a rounded human female towards Cal and his group. “You males look like you may need some female flesh.”
Cal raised his hand to reject the distraction. He knew what the host was trying to do. The Meeting Ground offered females to distract those they believe may instigate violence at their establishment.
“We insist.” The voice was firm, with a hint of warning. The male looked him squarely in the eyes, and Cal knew better than to reject the offer.
The host dumped the soft female into Cal’s lap before offering the opposition’s security the next female in line. His female whimpered, and Cal brushed the wavy, blonde hair out of her face.
The first thing that stole his breath was her beauty. She was gorgeous, with light grey eyes and little markings all over her face. She had a pert, upturned nose and full, rosy cheeks. The next thing that stole his breath was the myriad of bruises that covered her face and arms.
Anger surged through him. Someone had beaten this small and harmless female black and blue! But Vosken’s hand landing on Calix’s clenched fist forced Cal to tamp down his anger. He was working, and he needed to keep it together.
He exchanged glances with Vosken before guiding the female to sit between his legs. Cal would have much rather have her curves on his lap, but he knew he needed to keep his wits about him.
She scented heavily of fear, and the scent wrenched a hole in his chest. No female as harmless and soft as the one in front of him should ever be this afraid.
Despite her fear, she robotically reached to open the front of his pant as if she had done it many times. Her actions were from her training, not desire. Cal stopped her. As much as he wanted her hands on him, he wanted her willing and wanting. “I do not need the distraction. I am still working.”
She looked thankful and dipped her head.
Unable to stop himself from touching her, Cal petted her, stroking his fingers through the soft, blonde waves, and she relaxed. As her fear subsided, her underlying scent came through. Something was off about it, but it didn’t stop Cal from craving her. But from the off smell, Cal knew that she was not his mate. The scent was clear about that. Too bad.
Cal had been looking for his mate for years and had found nothing but meaningless sex and females who were interested in him only for his infamy. They wanted to add the dangerous mercenary to their long list of sexual triumphs. Not one of them had cared about the male beneath.
He was done with casual flings, done with trying to force a mate bond with the wrong person. Or, he had thought he was. After seeing this beauty, he wanted to take every liberty he could with her and then steal her back to his ship to keep forever, even though she was not his mate.
Back on the ship, Cal had endured as all the newly mated couples expressed their love verbally and physically all over the vessel. At least there had been some positive outcomes. One being that Calix had been drinking Vore’s Rhean spirits, not that Vore would notice. He was too busy chasing his mate, Lettie, around the ship and celebrating their mating wherever he caught her: on the training mats, in the shared lounge, on the plants in the greenroom, everywhere. Nowhere was safe from the amorous duo.
There were also the other three couples on the ship. His captain, Zeylum, and his mate Ashe were more discreet because Ashe was shy about her sexuality. But Moira and Sidas had always been exhibitionists. And recently, Mia had gotten more comfortable with their sexually expressive culture, so Arus naturally pushed for more. Mia and Lettie were both extremely vocal, and it was hard to find anywhere on the ship to escape their ecstatic cries.
He was happy for his crewmates; they deserved love and ultimate joy. But what about him?
Cal reached for the drink on the table, brought it to his lips, and glugged down a mouthful. The wine was watered down, a far cry from the Rhean spirits he was used to. The establishment wanted their patrons relaxed but not drunk enough to start needless fights.
He tapped on the female’s shoulder and handed her the cup. She looked unsure. Cal nodded to her, trying to encourage her to drink. It would help her relax. Cal didn’t want her to be stressed.
But she froze as if she was afraid to take the drink from him. Cal held it up to her mouth and tilted it. She took a small sip, and Cal smiled at her in encouragement. She didn’t smile back. What would it take to make her smile?
Emma was surprised by the muscular Tallean male who directed her to kneel on the floor in front of him. He had gorgeous green eyes and perfect broad shoulders, and when he petted her, running his fingers through her hair, it soothed her. She leaned her head on the alien man’s lap, closing her eyes. For a fleeting moment, she felt at peace, and it was utterly at odds with the situation she found herself in.
After being abducted from Earth, Emma’d had three owners. Early on, with her first owner, she had considered fighting and rebelling. But after seeing the results of those who did, Emma decided she’d rather stay alive and with all her fingers and toes. She wanted to be whole when the opportunity for a better life came knocking.
Then she was sold to a breeding facility. It was a quick stint because Emma could not conceive, and therefore was useless to the scientists. Emma went up for auction again, and she was lucky to have been sold to her current owner, a company called the Meeting Ground.
Many merchants and businesses used it as a neutral zone to conduct business and discussions. The females, which they called “distractions,” were offered as a luxury, and while it sometimes meant sex, it didn’t always end that way. The guards also made sure the patrons were not too rough on their females. The females were, after all, company assets.
So far, this alien was anything but rough with her. The male she was sitting between the legs of was clearly acting security along with the two brawny guards next to him. Even though the Meeting Ground had removed all his weapons, he exuded capability and danger. Emma was sure this alien warrior needed no weapons to be deadly.
Emma looked down at his feet. Like all Talleans, each foot ended in four large claws that stuck out of the front of his boots. His claws were sharp and clean. He wore combat boots with an opening at the front for his claws. The boots had a thick sole, so that when at rest, his claws were held off the ground and out of the dirt.
Sharp fangs poked out of his lips when he smiled. And Emma knew that when he needed to fight a larger opponent, his fangs would fully descend, and the creases on his cheeks would unfold to allow his jaws to unhinge like a monster. Emma had seen those cheek creases in action more than once; Tallean male embraced violence. She had witnessed enough fights to know that the alien who caged her with his legs did not need any weapons. He was the weapon.
And that deadly weapon petted her so gently that she almost forgot she was just a female on loan. Taking a risk, she looked up to inspect his face. She was not supposed to look her clients in the face. He was rough around the edges, not traditionally handsome but rugged and masculine. He wore his dark hair loose just past his shoulders.
It was a unique look for a guard. Many of the males working security wore their hair long and tied back in a ponytail or braided, much like his two friends next to him. Usually, the ones who wore their hair loose were merchants or scholars.
He kept himself clean and tidy, as did his two companions, a rarity for guards. Many of the pant legs she had sat between had been stained with blood and dirt. Her alien guard smelled good too, all clean male and musk, and Emma found herself sniffing at him.
His hand tightened in her hair, and Emma realized that she was sniffing his crotch. She should be embarrassed, but she really didn’t have that left in her. She’d done too many things in the past few months to be embarrassed about much anymore.
Besides, this alien would be gone after tonight anyway. Emma would be long forgotten. Why should she be embarrassed? She tried to enjoy this moment of curiosity as much as she could. She would not get it again for a long time, maybe ever.
A hand reached for the liquid-filled cup on the table in front of them, the massive hand dwarfing the container. The alien brought it to his mouth and took a big swig. Then, surprisingly, he tapped her on the shoulder and held the cup to her lips. She wasn’t sure what to do. She looked up directly into his face. Gorgeous green eyes met hers, and she froze.
Shit! She wasn’t supposed to look the patrons directly in the eyes. She looked away quickly, but he didn’t seem upset. Instead, he encouraged her to take the cup.
Emma was suspicious. She’d had one patron give her a drink before, and he had forced her to keep drinking until she was sick. He had laughed as she threw up. The asshole had thought it was funny that humans got sickly drunk on such weak booze. Emma did not want a repeat of that ever again. The manager had been angry with her even though she’d had no other choice. But the owner had heard about it and reprimanded the manager for allowing it to happen. Did he not know that humans could die of alcohol poisoning?
The alien put the cup to her mouth and tilted it. The liquid was cool, and Emma realized she was quite thirsty. She took a small sip. It was light and refreshing. To her relief, he moved the cup away and smiled at her, showing his fangs. She wanted to smile back, but she was too jaded. This man, this male, was being too nice. When something was too good to be true, it often was.
The legs caging her stiffened, and she sat taller, suddenly alert. For the first time, she focused on the deal being discussed at the table. The merchant on their side was selling pirated and illegal ship parts. She didn’t understand everything, but it was clear that the other side was unhappy. Unhappy was the wrong word; the other side was furious.
The guard who held her passed her the cup again, urging her to drink. Why did he want her to drink? He had a serious look to his face now, and Emma obeyed, not wanting to upset him.
The thighs tightened around her some more, and a big hand squeezed her shoulder. She now understood why the alien needed to have his wits about him. And it was also only now that she realized that, despite the establishment requiring that all patron leave their weapon at the door, her alien was still armed. Though compared to the large talons easily accessible on his feet, she wasn’t sure what a little knife hidden in his pants would be useful for.
She pressed her hand against the hard knife-shaped outlined on his thigh. She looked up at him, and he shot back a wicked grin. Then he took her hand, and he moved it to another location on his body, another weapon. He moved her hand once more as she continued to look into the mesmerizing green of his eyes. Again, her hand landed on something large and rigid. It became obvious after a moment that it was not, in fact, another knife but something a lot more intimate. His body had reacted to her explorations.
Despite having lost all semblance of modesty since being taken from Earth, she felt the heat rise to her face. He smirked at her, licking his lips. But he moved her hand off his crotch to rest back on his thigh before he focused his attention on the tense situation between the two business owners.
Right. He was working. Emma could respect that. Though for the first time since being forced to work here, Emma had wanted to explore the body behind her more intimately.
A bang sounded as a fist hit the table, and a snarl came from the opposing side.
Everything happened so fast, Emma barely had the time to react.
A table flipped over, and the guards on both sides stood at attention.
Emma tried to scramble away as the male who held her stood, but he gripped her wrist and lifted her to standing. He put her behind him and handed her over to one of his friends.
Emma looked up at
the brawny alien who now held her by both arms. Unlike the first Tallean, this one looked younger and less experienced. She should get away before things got bad. Emma had heard of females who had bones broken from being stuck under fighting Tallean males. She didn’t want to be a statistic. She was already unfortunate enough to be one of those who’d been stolen from Earth. Her track record sucked, and she didn’t trust her luck.
Emma pulled away, but the alien held her tight. She tried again, yanking hard, but the other guard next to them added a hand on her shoulder, giving her a tight squeeze. They did not plan on letting her leave.
Something was off. This was not normal behavior. Guards never included the female distraction in their ring of protection. When deliberations broke down, she was either forgotten or thrown aside. They have been taught to run towards the establishment’s security when it happened, to avoid injury. That was not an option with her wrists shackled in the guard’s large hands.
A fight broke loose. The opposition lunged for the merchant on their side, a knife aimed at his throat. Her alien reacted fast! In a flash, he pulled the attacker off the merchant. They wrestled, but it was clear that her guard was stronger by far, and he soon had the attacker immobilized.
She knew what would happen next. She had witnessed it several times while at the Meeting Grounds working as distraction—the role was aptly named, as the females given to the patrons often distracted the males from fighting.
The well-trained company security rushed in, keeping the disagreeing parties separated. Usually, their job was to keep both clients alive and uninjured until they agreed on a solution, or until one side called off the discussion. But this time, one of the parties had snuck in a weapon and broken the rules of the establishment. Once they broke the rules, their meeting was forfeit. The goal now was to get both parties out of the building with as little damage to company property as possible. The security would now force each party out through separate doors.
