Pursued: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Fated Mates of the Kalixian Warriors Book 10)

by Presley Hall

“We’ll go to the celebration, okay?” Brielle gives me a small, conciliatory smile. “And we’ll see how it goes. You’re right. If we’re going to stay here, we need to try to fit in more. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop watching out for you.”

  “Okay.” I nod, trying not to show how excited I am. But deep down, I’m jubilant.

  It worked!

  I finish my lunch quickly, my appetite returning with gusto as I get lost in daydreams about what the feast will be like.

  The rest of the day and the next morning seem to drag interminably, every second ticking by at half speed. By the time Brielle and I start to get ready for the celebration in the late afternoon, I’m nearly giddy with excitement.

  It’s fun to get dressed up a little, especially since there haven’t been many opportunities for that recently. We both bought something nicer for Sana’s naming ceremony than the usual simple clothes we purchased from the market when we first came. That’s probably what we’ll wear to the feast, since I know Brielle would think it’s impractical to buy something else new, and I don’t want to push my luck.

  Besides, the dress that I have is nice enough. It’s a spring-weight wool, still warm enough for the evening temperatures, in a dark blue that brings out my eyes and makes my pale skin and black hair stand out. It’s cut low, although with my nearly flat chest, it’s far from immodest, with a full skirt and stiff collar at the back of my neck that stops just at the sides, framing my collarbones nicely. The sleeves are long and fitted, with black embroidery at the wrists and along the neckline and hem. There were dresses with much fancier metallic embroidery, but they were far too expensive, the kind of thing you’d see the queen wearing.

  Still, I almost feel like a princess from a fantasy novel as I gaze into the full-length mirror in our room, turning this way and that. I slip my feet into a pair of leather flats, adding small silver earrings with a semi-precious stone I don’t know the name of that I picked up at the market. They’re a similar color to aquamarine, a few shades lighter than my eyes.

  “You should put your hair up,” Brielle says, coming into the room.

  She’s wearing a dress of a similar cut, but with a higher neckline, in a dove-grey with white embroidery. I tried to get her to pick out something brighter, but she said she didn’t want the attention. I of course, at the time, took it as a dig at my own choice, but now I don’t think she meant it that way.

  I look at my sister as she pins up her own hair, considering. She’s been practically a mother to me for years now, when she should have been enjoying the middle of her twenties, being irresponsible and having fun. But Brielle has never, to my memory, been irresponsible. And I think now she’s used to just being in the background, doing the work that she thinks needs to be done, making sure that everything is safe and okay and taken care of.

  Attention, or love, or fun would just be a distraction. Something to make her lose sight of what’s really important, in her mind.

  Taking care of me.

  “Okay,” I say, glancing in the mirror. I had planned to leave it down—my long, thick, black hair is one of my favorite features. But Brielle is clearly fidgety, and I figure she’ll like having something to do, something she can help with. “You know I’m terrible at putting it up myself, though. Can you give me a hand?”

  My sister smiles at that, her face lighting up. She hurries over to me as soon as the last pin is in her own hair, standing behind me and lifting and twisting thick handfuls of my hair until it’s somehow magically in a chignon at the back of my head, rolled and twisted until it lies perfectly and elegantly arranged. Like magic, she produces a pin with a carved bird at the end of it, and slides it in. The bird is carved out of some gleaming white metal, but it has tiny blue gemstones where the eyes are carved.

  “I found this in the market the other day,” she tells me. “I don’t know why it was so inexpensive, but it made me think of you. I was saving it for a special occasion, or maybe when you needed cheering up. But this seems like a special enough occasion. Your first party in our new city.”

  Abruptly, I turn around and hug Brielle. There might be times when I feel smothered by her, but she always manages to remind me how much she really does care about me.

  The walk to the palace isn’t very long, and it’s a beautiful night. By the time we get there, the twin moons are starting to rise in the sky, and I take a deep breath of the clean, fresh air. It’s so different than the air in Boston, and although I miss the smells of the city sometimes, I love this new place. It’s unlike anywhere I’ve ever been before.

  As the palace comes into view up ahead of us, a small shiver of nervousness runs down my spine. Every time we come here, I feel more than a little intimidated. Back on Earth, the idea of an invitation to a palace would have seemed completely far-fetched, even if we’d lived somewhere like England instead of Boston.

  But here, it’s normal. Khrelan likes to be accessible to his people.

  Accessible enough to marry one of the women who came here with us, in fact. It’s a little astonishing to think that one of the women abducted with us is now a queen. But Emma is still as sweet and personable as ever, and if anything, the palace has become even more open since she’s been queen, drawing Khrelan out of his shell. She hosts the other women at the palace often, but of course we’ve never gone, although she’s invited us.

  The feast is being held in the great hall, and it’s absolutely stunning. Everything in the palace is a mixture of modern technology and an homage to the natural forests and landscapes, and it’s done beautifully. Everything is carved in the shapes of leaves, vines, and flowers, the wood inlaid with gold and the black carpets embroidered with gold thread.

  Brielle catches sight of a group of the other women as soon as we enter and takes my hand, making a beeline straight for them and avoiding the other Kalixians. For once, the men are all fully clothed—even Brele, who seems to have had the hardest time readjusting to the idea of wearing clothes in the city. As much as I enjoy seeing the massive warriors walking around Jocia in only their loincloths, I’m kind of grateful they’ve swapped them for the trousers and tunics that the Kalixians in the city favor. I don’t want to spend the entire night red-faced and trying not to stare.

  “I’m so glad you came!” Lucy calls, hurrying toward us both. Even Rose is here, looking tired but beautiful as always. The only noticeable absence is Harper, who I’m sure stayed home so as to not accidentally go into labor in the middle of the party.

  Brielle accepts Lucy’s quick hug. She seems stiff at first, but as the women all start to chat, I see her relax just a little.

  Maybe she’ll actually have fun tonight, I think. I really hope she does.

  A moment later, the wide doors at the end of the hall open, and a tall Kalixian warrior steps in. He’s dressed like the others, with dark brown hair and deep, nearly black eyes. His horns are short, curving toward the back of his head, and as he halts in the doorway and everyone goes silent, I realize with a start that this must be the one we’re all here to celebrate.

  Zatir.

  He’s unlike anyone I’ve ever seen before, even the other Kalixian warriors.

  There’s a cockiness to him, a sort of cool, careless swagger that immediately catches my attention, and although all of the Kalixians are gorgeous, he’s got to be the most handsome one I’ve ever seen. His face is perfect, all sharp jawline and high cheekbones, and it’s complemented by those gorgeous dark eyes and a perfectly sculpted body, noticeable even under the clothing.

  I know I’m staring as he walks into the room, but I can’t seem to tear my gaze away from him. It feels as if I’ve been punched in the gut, all the air rushing from my lungs in a heartbeat. A spark of electricity runs up my spine, like nothing I’ve ever felt.

  What is happening?

  4

  Zatir

  I pause just inside the doors to the great hall, trying to settle my emotions.

  Although I would never be so ungracious as
to turn down an offer from my king, I’m not entirely sure I want this feast in my honor.

  In the past, I would have soaked it up, enjoying every accolade. But now, the attention and the feast and everything else is a reminder of all the men that I lost, the men in my squadron who were killed by the Orkun and who can’t be here.

  They fought bravely, and they all deserve feasts as well. They deserve remembrance and fanfare. If they were here, we’d all be celebrating noisily together, getting drunk well into the night and singing loudly all the way back to the barracks afterwards. It would be a real party, a celebration to remember. Their absence feels even heavier than usual tonight. The pain of it still runs deep. It’s impossible not to think of them as I gaze at the room full of Kalixians in front of me.

  Still, I wouldn’t be myself if I didn’t take some pleasure in all of this, and I’m grateful to Khrelan for honoring me. He could have been angry at me for acting on my own, without orders, and not just coming directly back to Kalix. Instead, he was pleased. I’ve done a service for our people, whatever my reasoning.

  So I put a smile on my face and step forward to join the crowd of people who have come to welcome me back home.

  As I stride deeper into the room, my skin suddenly prickles all over, as if every hair has lifted all at once. It’s a strange sensation, one I’ve never felt before. But I don’t have time to consider it, because I’m immediately swamped by other Kalixians, both warriors and ordinary citizens. The warriors, especially, are eager to greet me.

  “We’ve heard stories about your exploits,” Sorsir says, coming up to clap me on the shoulder and draw me into a tight, one-armed hug. “And I demand to hear every single one of them, directly from your mouth.”

  “We all do,” Druxik adds, giving me the same greeting. “And I want to hear more about that ship of yours. You’ll be coming for my piloting credentials next, if I’m not careful. The citizenry is already saying you’re the finest warrior we’ve got.”

  “I’m sure it’s all been blown widely out of proportion.” Tycran embraces me as well with a grin. “After all, my mate and I blew up the Orkun base. What have you done, out there all on your own?”

  “Every female in the universe that I could find,” I tell him with a chuckle, enjoying the opportunity to shock the stoic man. “And I took out a few supply lines too, in between.”

  Tycran rolls his eyes, but Sorsir and Druxik both roar their appreciation at my joke.

  “Come on.” Sorsir jerks his chin. “Let’s get a drink. With one child at home and another on the way, I haven’t been out like this in weeks.”

  I laugh, shaking my head at him. It feels good to have others to banter and joke with again. I’ve missed the camaraderie of being among other warriors.

  “Ah, yes. I heard about the bonds—”

  My words break off as that prickling sensation runs over my flesh again. I turn slightly, and my gaze lands on a woman in the crowd.

  She’s one of the Terrans, an extremely slender female with black hair that’s been pinned up on her head, skin so pale that it glows almost translucent in the light of the hall, and bright blue eyes set in a dainty face. My first thought is that most men would call her striking and not beautiful, but that thought is immediately lost when I realize she’s looking in my direction too.

  Our eyes meet, my gaze locking with hers.

  It feels as if a jolt of energy passes through my entire body, freezing me in place for a moment. I’m unable to tear my attention away from the stunning woman. I feel as if a current is running through me, every nerve in my body alive and on fire, and a single word rises up in my mind with the urgent force of a tidal wave crashing onto a shore.

  Mine.

  I know it as surely as I know that Kalix has two moons. This woman is mine. I’ve heard the stories. I know the mate bond is possible between our two species.

  And that’s exactly what’s happened. The bond.

  I don’t stop looking at her. I don’t want to. And she can’t seem to stop looking at me either. Our eyes are locked, that current of electricity arcing between us—

  Then she tears her gaze away, jerking her head sharply to one side.

  To my shock, she gathers her skirt up in her fists and runs out of the room.

  There’s no question about following her. I couldn’t stop myself if I tried. I hear someone saying something behind me, maybe more than one person, calling after me and asking me where I’m going. But everyone else in the great hall seems to fade away, just noise in the distance as I hurry after the ethereal girl as if she’s some kind of vision from one of the old stories.

  I have to talk to her.

  I have to know if she felt what I just did.

  I have to claim her, and make her mine.

  Her trail leads all the way up a winding staircase, out to a balcony overlooking the massive gardens behind the palace. Her back is to me as I step through the arched doorway, and I see her clutching the railing, her shoulders moving quickly as if she’s breathing hard.

  “If you’re thinking of jumping off, I’d really rather you didn’t,” I say in a teasing tone as I approach her slowly. “Because then I’d have to catch you, and I’ve had a tiring three years. I might not be as quick as I once was.”

  The woman whirls around, her eyes wide and luminescent, huge in her delicate face. Out here under the bright moonlight, they almost look as if they’re glowing, and a few pieces of her dark hair have fallen around her face, making her look even more beautiful than she did at first sight. I feel drawn to her as if by a magnet, my heart beating so hard in my chest that I feel it throughout my entire body. I can feel my cock rising at just the sight of her, the sweet scent of her skin drifting over to me and sending a fresh wave of lust over me.

  By all the gods, I think, coming closer to her and closing the space between us. If I’d known this would be my reward, I would have returned home much sooner.

  There’s not a woman in the universe as beautiful as the one gazing at me right now.

  We’re so close now that we’re nearly touching, and I see her chest heaving as she breathes in short, sharp gasps, looking up at me with those startled eyes.

  I reach up to touch her face without thinking, tracing the tips of my fingers over her high cheekbone. She shudders, her entire body trembling as her eyelids flutter half-closed, her soft lips parting. My cock twitches at the sight, going from mild arousal to full hardness in the space of a second, suddenly aching with need. I’ve forgotten all about the party downstairs, the honor being given to me, everyone waiting to speak with me. All I can think about is how many bedrooms this palace must have, and that surely one of them has to be empty.

  All I need is for her to say yes, and I’d forget about the whole deshing party and spend all night in bed with her, worshipping her gorgeous body with every bit of skill I possess.

  She stares up at me, her thick eyelashes shadowing her eyes as my fingers go still on her cheek.

  My mouth turns up in a rakish half-grin. “When I first returned to Kalix yesterday and saw everything that had changed in my absence, I didn’t fully understand it. But now…” I stroke her cheek again, my chest tightening with emotion and need as I look down at her pale face. “Now I do.”

  Her lips part a little wider, confusion plain in her eyes. She doesn’t understand. But she will in a moment—as soon as I say what is on the verge of bursting out of me, the words burning on the tip of my tongue.

  “My soul has recognized yours.”

  5

  Nadia

  My eyes somehow go even wider, my heart lurching in my chest.

  Zatir’s words seem to ricochet through me as I look up at the devastatingly handsome warrior standing before me, his fingers grazing my skin as if he’s touching delicate porcelain, something precious and fragile. His eyes were nearly black in the hall when I first caught sight of him, but now they’re glowing amber as if lit from within, fixed on mine with an expression of awe, as if he’s g
azing at the most beautiful thing he’s ever witnessed.

  Me.

  No one has ever looked at me like this. I’ve been told plenty of times that I’m striking or that I have a unique appearance. But I’m not the kind of conventionally gorgeous woman who would draw the interest of a man like this. I’m too thin and flat-chested, excruciatingly pale, with hair so dark it just makes my pallor more obvious, and a delicate face with eyes far too big for my features. I make an interesting photo subject, but for a man like this—one who practically looks like a god—to want me? It makes no sense.

  He doesn’t even know my name.

  I only know his because it’s been on the lips of every single Kalixian in the city since yesterday. He hasn’t told me his name. And he doesn’t know mine. So how can we be mates?

  My soul has recognized yours.

  I never truly thought I’d hear those words, not really. But now that I have, out loud and unmistakable, I’m not sure how to feel. It seemed so far-fetched that I never stopped to think what I would say if the opportunity arose, what I would do.

  Do I want this? Do I want a mate, and the commitment that comes with it, the children that inevitably follow in almost all cases?

  The mate bond is the Kalixian form of marriage, and I’m twenty. On Earth, this would be ridiculous. I don’t even know how old Zatir is, but he’s definitely a good bit older than twenty. He might even be older than Brielle.

  What if I don’t want this?

  The thoughts tumble through my head so rapidly that I can’t seem to grasp on to any one of them. Zatir is just standing there now, his proclamation hanging in the air between us, his amber gaze fixed on mine as if he’s patiently waiting for me to respond.

  Except there’s nothing patient about what I feel shimmering in the air between us.

  I can feel it as surely as he can, something urgent and hungry, something that makes my skin heat and my body pulse with a sensation I don’t fully recognize. I’m aroused, my thighs damp with it, and the realization makes me flush.