A Claim for Calix: A Sci Fi Alien Romance (Tallean Mercenaries Book 4)

by Lynnea Lee

  “Kean.” Arus nodded to his research partner. Then back to Cal, “Olfactinull damages the scent receptors when inhaled. Your body will need to heal and regrow the receptors in your olfactory system. It will take time.”

  Kean, who was listening in, grimaced. “Olfactinull is nasty stuff when inhaled. Most Talleans can heal from it completely, but I’ve heard of some whose sense of smell was never the same. How did you inhale it?”

  Cal was unsure about sharing his misfortune and the events leading to it with the chemist turn drug dealer. But he decided he needed the information. He explained Emma’s condition and how he had used the chemical to deaden his senses to spend time with her.

  “You said she was at a breeding facility?” Kean’s interest was apparent.

  “She was only there briefly, and they were unable to force her to conceive.” Cal looked seriously at Kean. “My female will not be a test subject.”

  Kean laughed. “Of course not. I’m simply interested in the location of the facility.”

  It was Arus that replied. “We have a lead. Trenton decoded a message asking for help rescuing human females from a breeding facility. He plans on checking it out.”

  “It could be a trap. Maybe I should offer a team to help. The females there will have information that will help our research.”

  Cal nodded at the lone guard at the door as they entered the room they had left the females in earlier.

  The other females were lounging on a set of luxurious leather couches, but Emma was nowhere to be seen.

  “Where’s Emma?” Cal hated having to ask. If his sense of smell was working, he would just follow her scent.

  “She took a walk to stretch her legs,” Mia answered.

  “Alone?” Horrible thoughts of her getting hurt or being attacked ran through his head.

  “Don’t worry, Cal. The other guard left to watch her.”

  That was worse. Emma was alone with the guard.

  “Where did they go?”

  “They went down to the pond, I think.” Mia turned back to Arus, nuzzling the side of his face with her own.

  Cal stomped down the path towards the pond. Two figures sat close together under a large tree. Too close. The guard had an arm around Emma and his face buried into the side of her neck. Emma pushed him away, a look of concern on her face, but didn’t fight or leave. The guard did not seem put off by her strange smell. In fact, he was extremely interested. The guard pulled Emma close again.

  A heaviness settled on Cal’s chest, and he struggled to breathe. This young guard enjoyed Emma’s scent. Did Emma like his attention?

  The two continued to converse. Then, Emma started to struggle against the male’s grip. “Stop it!”

  Cal roared and ran towards them.

  Chapter 16

  The other females were slightly buzzed with wine and enjoying themselves, but Emma was bored out of her mind. She could handle some socialization, but she needed a moment to recharge and stretch her legs.

  She excused herself to take a walk around the grounds. Not wanting to alert the guards, she stepped out through the doors leading to the terrace. The terrace overlooked a well-manicured garden. The sun hid partially behind some fluffy clouds, but the sky was bright blue, and the weather beautiful. She didn’t want to be stuck inside. Once back on the Defiant, she would have plenty of time indoors.

  Swinging open the simple metal gate separating the terrace from the garden, she stepped out onto a path leading to a small pond. The pathway wound around several giant trees. It seemed whoever had designed the garden did so around the large specimens. The trees were ancient and probably were here long before the estate.

  Inhaling a deep breath, she sighed. The lush, rich scent of nature soothed her. And while the scent wasn’t the same as on Earth, it still reminded her of home. Emma wondered if she would ever see Earth again.

  Lucky for her, she didn’t leave behind many friends or family. Her mother had passed away from breast cancer when Emma was in college, and her father was never around much after that. Since she was no longer considered a dependent, Emma had moved out of the military housing. Her father was never home much when she was growing up. And the times when he was around, he lavished his attention on Emma’s mother.

  He treated Emma more as a side effect of having a wife, rather than as a daughter. After her mother passed, her father had grown even more distant. Emma thought perhaps it was because she reminded him of his lost love. They had looked remarkably similar.

  As for friends, she didn’t have many, just the small group she saw at work. They’d gone out for happy hour occasionally and did a Christmas gathering once a year. And of course, they had invited Emma to their weddings as each of them found husbands and wives and got hitched. But she had never felt particularly close to them.

  And just as Emma was doing now, she often had to step away from social situations to recharge alone.

  At the edge of the pond, Emma found a quiet spot under a large tree and sat down. Picking up a stone, she skipped it across the water, watching the ripples dance across the surface. When the ripples stilled, she searched around for another stone to cast.

  Instead of a flat, skippable stone, her eyes landed on a pair of booted feet with ferociously sharp looking claws sticking out the front opening of the boots. She looked up.

  “Hello, little female.” Zake beamed at her. “I almost thought I was going to be disciplined for losing one of my charges. I’m glad I found you and that you are safe.”

  She didn’t want to get the young guard in trouble. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sneak out. I just needed to stretch my legs. And it’s such a beautiful day. It’ll be a shame to waste it inside. Once I’m back on the Defiant, I’ll be stuck inside a lot.”

  “I understand. But one of the guards, like myself, will take you for a walk if you need it. We will keep you safe.”

  Emma didn’t know what he would need to protect her from in here but smiled back at him anyway. He was just doing his job.

  “Thank you.”

  He sat down next to her. “I will stay with you now. Just pretend I’m not here.”

  He leaned a little closer, too close. Was he smelling her?

  She expected him to comment about her strange scent as every single Tallean male had, but he didn’t. Instead, he continued to sniff. Maybe he had a stuffy or defective nose. Either way, it was near impossible to pretend he was not here with him practically inhaling her.

  He growled lightly at her, and an arm snuck around her to tugged her right up to his body.

  Okay, strange. Emma tried to move away, but Zake kept her pinned. He smelled her again, this time a little less obviously. She decided to be honest since social skills were never her forte. “Do I not smell funny to you?”

  He responded by burying his face into her neck and inhaling. “You smell divine,” he growled into her neck.

  She froze, not knowing what to do. Then she pushed him away.

  “Calm. I won’t hurt you.”

  “You shouldn’t touch me. I’m with someone.”

  “With someone. But you are not his mate. If you were, you would say so,” Zake snarled. “How could any male spend time with you without the intention of trying to form a mating bond? If it were me, I wouldn’t let you leave until my body realized you were the one.”

  Emma tried to stand. “That’s very flattering, but I’m taken.” She needed to get back to the others. This was going too far. Zake had been a gentleman so far, but his words were concerning. What if he decided to squirrel her away, consequences be damned?

  On one hand, here was the lone Tallean male who found her strange smell to be “divine” but on the other hand, he was not Calix. But a little voice in her head wouldn’t stop talking. If she weren’t in the equation, if Cal didn’t settle for her, it would open him up to look for his mate again. He would be able to find someone that smelled divine to him.

  But just t
he thought of Cal looking for someone else made her angry. Fuck that! Cal was hers!

  “Zake, let go of me, or I’m going to scream.”

  “I won’t hurt you, I promise.” He didn’t let go. Instead, he tried to bury his face into her neck again.

  “Stop it!” She struggled against him, trying to get out of his grip.

  A deafening roar sounded, and Emma was ripped out of Zake’s grasp. Strong arms threw the Tallean guard against the tree, he landed with a thud, shaking loose a bunch of leaves and a few small branches. Cal was on the male in a second, holding him up by the throat.

  “She is mine.” His voice was low and menacing. “Do not touch what is mine.”

  Young and overconfident, Zake replied with a sneer, “She is not your mate. She is fair game.”

  “She is my property.”

  Property? Property. Not his mate. Just property. The word sank in, and her vision blurred. Emma stared down at her hands and tried not to cry. Stupid emotions! Why was she such a cry baby?

  “Do we have a problem?” It was their host, Kean.

  Emma had gotten a good look at him earlier when they’d met. He was handsome but kind of scary, with an air of danger. He wore his long dark hair back in a ponytail, a few shorter strands framing his face. He exhibited a quiet dominance.

  “Your guard touched what is mine.”

  “She is not your mate.”

  Cal growled and shoved Zake violently back against the tree.

  Kean turned to Emma. “Did he hurt you?”

  She shook her head, still staring at the ground.

  “The male is young and foolish. But he means no harm.” Then to Zake. “You are dismissed. Report back to the office in an hour for a new assignment. Calix, let go of my guard.”

  Cal reluctantly released the younger male.

  Calix did not let go of Emma’s wrist until they were alone. Red clouded his vision. He led them to a small sitting room lined with leather chairs. He didn’t care where they were, only that they were alone.

  “Why did you leave the safety of the group and go off on your own with the guard?”

  He was so angry he couldn’t think. Was Emma trying to find another male? The guard was young, but he showed no reaction to her smell. Did that make her happier?

  Emma didn’t reply, and Cal shook her. She whimpered, and he regretted his actions immediately. He tried to take a sniff to see if she was frightened, but he didn’t, couldn’t, smell anything. That confounded olfactinull! He needed to know what his female was feeling. Without his sense of smell, he would have to guess by her reactions.

  She avoided his eyes and rubbed at her wrist. Her wrist was red. The mark from his fingers had imprinted on her delicate skin. He reached for her wrist, and she flinched. Shit, he had scared her. He forced his voice to lower and tried to stay calm. He didn’t want to frighten her more.

  “Stay with the group, Emma. Don’t go off on your own.”

  She didn’t say anything, but her face scrunched up.

  He reached to tilt her face up to look at him. Her eyes were teary, but they also looked angry.

  “Did he hurt you?” If that guard had hurt her, Cal was going to rip his innards out and feed them to the birds.

  “No, he just smelled me. I didn’t try to go off with him on my own. I was just trying to go for a walk.”

  “You are upset. Why?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “You are not answering the question.”

  “What do you want me to say?” Her voice was a little louder and tinged with anger. “I went for a walk. The guard followed me. And now you are shaking me and questioning me. Why do you think I’m upset?”

  Cal yanked her to his chest and wished again that he hadn’t stepped into that cloud of olfactinull by accident. He was glad that she didn’t cower in front of him like she did when they first met. But, he was horrible at guessing her emotions.

  “I’m not good at guessing why you feel the way you do. Just tell me why you are upset.”

  “I just want to go back to the other girls now.”

  Cal held back a snarl. His female refused to answer his questions.

  The door opened, and Kean walked in. Cal turned to put his body between Emma and the male. What was Kean doing here? This was between Emma and himself.

  “Is there something the matter, Calix? Fear and anger are pouring off your female. And she was crying.”

  “Leave us. This is a personal matter.”

  “I can not do that. That female is in here alone with you, and she is angry and terrified. I can not leave her here. I allow no females to come to harm in my compound.”

  “You believe I’d hurt her.”

  “I have strict rules here, and I enforce them even with close friends. You know Ulrek. In the Dominion, he developed a habit of taking anything he wanted, females included, sometimes by force. He knows that is not tolerated at my compound, and now you do too.”

  “You think I would force a female.”

  Kean shrugged. “She does not want to be here right now. I heard her ask to return to the other females. I don’t know you well. But the crew of the Defiant are reputed as tough mercenaries, not soft males.”

  Behind him, Emma pushed her way forward.

  “Thank you, Kean. But Cal isn’t hurting me.”

  Kean’s sharp eyes noticed the handprint on Emma’s wrist, and he frowned.

  “Come with me, away from Calix, and tell me that again.”

  Cal forced Emma back behind him once more. “No. Emma will do no such thing.”

  “I am on good terms with the Defiant, and my work with Arus is important. I do not wish us to fight. But if you do not relinquish the female, you will force us to battle. She could be too frightened to tell me you are hurting her if you still have control of her. Those are your fingerprints on her wrists.”

  “I’ll go with you, Kean.” She turned to Cal. “I’ll be right back.”

  Stars! If Emma wanted to stay here in this estate and take her chances here, she could just ask Kean to keep her. Despair rushed in, but Cal knew he could not stop her.

  “Go.”

  “Good, I will bring her back soon.” Kean nodded once to Cal before guiding Emma out the door gently by her shoulders. “Come with me to my office. We will have privacy there.”

  She followed the alien drug lord down the hallway and into an office with a giant wooden desk. But instead of to the desk, he steered her towards a low chaise lounge to the side and sat her down. He knelt in front of her.

  “He can not get to you now, and I will keep you safe if you need it. Tell me, truthfully, do you wish me to return you to Calix?”

  “Yes. He’s not hurting me, I swear. It was just a misunderstanding.”

  “And your wrist?”

  “He was a little rough, but he stopped when he realized he was hurting me.” She wasn’t in pain, physically. It was his words that hurt.

  Kean leaned in close. “You are telling the truth.” Then he scented her again. “Interesting.”

  “What is?”

  “I spoke to Calix earlier. He had inhaled a good dose of olfactinull by accident. He explained to me that you had a scent from a chemical in your system that he wished to mask. I do not smell this chemical. You smell fine. You smell incredible, actually.”

  Emma backed away, not wishing for a repeat of what happened with the guard. If Kean wanted to take her from Cal, he could. Cal would be in danger if he tried to fight for her.

  “I’m loyal to Cal. Please return me.”

  “Of course.” He paused before continuing, “You should know, when inhaled, Olfactinull damages the olfactory system, reducing, and in some cases, obliterating the sense of smell.”

  Emma gasped. “You said Cal accidentally inhaled some. Oh, no!”

  “He has lost his sense of smell completely.”

  Emma put a hand to her mouth.

  “But, wit
h time, his body will heal the injury, and his sense of smell will return. It will take time. Though a med bed would help speed it up.” Kean smiled at her. “Relax, Emma. He will recover. I can tell from your reaction that you care for him and wish to be returned to him. Let’s not keep him waiting. He might try to start a fight with another guard.”

  They walked back to the sitting room. Emma had a newfound respect for Kean. He had come in to check on her and made sure she was okay. He had been worried that Cal was hurting her. Maybe the idea of a good-hearted hardened criminal wasn’t too far from the truth.

  She had been scared when Cal had shaken her. It reminded Emma of the scientist at the breeding facility. They’d shaken her violently and thrown her around when they got frustrated at her body’s refusal to conceive. And back at the club, patrons would take their frustration out on her too.

  But the biggest thing on her mind was his words. Emma hated that Calix referred to her as his property. It made her angry. It was all she could think about. But now that Kean forced her to step away, she had a clearer mind.

  Emma was aware of how it could have looked to Cal back at the pond. The guard had put his face into her neck, and she hadn’t reacted until she realized he wasn’t going to stop. What if Cal thought she was trying to get the guard's attention on purpose? Emma didn’t want him to think that.

  Kean opened the door and gestured to Emma to enter. “She’s all yours.” Then, he turned and left.

  Cal dropped to his knees in front of her. Clasping his arms around her torso, he put his face into her chest. “You chose to stay with me.”

  Emma stood there, shocked at his reaction. She didn’t know what to say. Cal had called her his property. Would he hold his property as if he would die if she left? She stroked his hair, which was mussed as if he had run his hand through it in all directions repeatedly.

  “Emma, I can’t smell you. I can’t smell anything. I inhaled some olfactinull, and it dulled my senses. Please do not fear me. I will never hurt you. You are my Stars.”

  Emma debated whether she should say the next words but decided that honesty was the best policy. “I am just your property. You said so yourself to the guard.” Just saying the words made her want to cry again. “Lettie told me you were looking for a mate. I am not your mate.” Her voice broke as she tried not to tear up. She hated that she cried so easily.