by Presley Hall
Those three don’t feel rudderless because they have their mates—that mystical bond the Kalixians believe in, the one that makes you feel as if your whole life has been leading up to finding this one person. It all makes sense for them now, in a way that it doesn’t for any of the other women.
It doesn’t make sense for me, exactly, but it also doesn’t feel all that strange.
A small grin tugs at my lips as I wander down a hallway of the ship, exploring while the warriors are all locked away in their meetings.
I’ve probably adapted so well because I’ve spent most of my life immersed in science fiction and fantasy books, with the occasional romance or classic thrown in.
I’ve always been shy, quiet and reserved, a bit of a loner—and nothing about that has changed since leaving Earth. I’ve spent my whole life with my nose in a book, living out these sorts of scenarios in my mind, escaping with characters to distant lands and being thrown into unexpected adventures, so this doesn’t really feel all that startling.
In fact, with the threat of being married off to one of the disgusting Orkun gone, I can’t say that I’m not a little intrigued to find out how this is all going to play out. Even if it were an option to go back to Earth, back to my community college classes and grocery store job, I don’t know if I’d want to.
Why would I, when there’s a whole galaxy out there that I thought only existed in books and movies? When I have the chance to explore yet another part of it?
I’ve never really minded the way I lived, on my own without any close friends or family to speak of. That’s just who I’ve always been, more comfortable with fictional people than real ones.
But… despite that, I can’t help but be a little jealous of Rose and Harper, and even Autumn, who I’ve gotten to know a lot better since we boarded the ship.
I’ve watched Rose and Tordax with envy since the day she accepted their bond, and watching Autumn come out of her shell with Sorsir has been like watching a flower bloom. I even found myself wishing that the mate bond would spark between me and one of the other Kalixian males while we were living in Monri, stealing glances at them when I passed them in the hallway and wondering what it would be like to have the attention of one of them.
The idea of the fights in the arena was a little terrifying to me, so I never went to watch them. But I saw the warriors coming back from their matches—muscles gleaming with sweat, hair tangled and eyes bright with victory, streaked with blood and dirt—and the sight sparked something primal, almost lustful, inside me.
The mate bond still seems mysterious to me, but I know from Rose that it goes deeper than just lust.
It’s an emotional connection like no other, and it seems incredible and wonderful to me. I told Rose as much when she and Tordax were first mated, and it still seems almost unfathomable. It must be amazing to have someone love you like that—with their whole being.
But despite the feelings that seeing the warriors sometimes roused in me, none of them have ever particularly drawn me to them. Even Sorsir, who I found attractive, was too cocky and boyish for me to really think of him in any serious way.
It’s clear that Autumn has gotten him to settle down, but he didn’t seem to me like the kind of man I’d want to be with.
I’d want someone more serious, more responsible, but the ones like Druxik and Tycran scare me a little. And I haven’t felt drawn to any of them enough to want to get to know them better.
Ha. Who am I kidding? Even if I did want to, there’s no way I’m outgoing enough for that.
I couldn’t even talk to a cute boy I saw at the library once back on Earth, and he was my own age and had acne. I’d never be able to manage so much as a word to these huge, intimidating, muscled warriors… except maybe, “excuse me.”
Certainly not “do you think you might be interested in me as, you know, a mate?” or “oh my fucking god, you’re so gorgeous it hurts.” Although that last sentence has definitely gone through my mind about more than one of them, more than once.
So, since none of the Kalixians seem interested in approaching me, and I’m certainly never going to have the nerve to approach them, I don’t see how a mate bond could even happen.
Don’t let it get you down, Emma. You’ll be arriving on a brand new planet soon. That’ll bring more than enough adventure for a lifetime.
As I’m giving myself a mental pep talk, Lucy and two of the other women come around the corner, startling me.
“Emma!” Lucy grins at me, tossing her blond hair over her shoulder. “Sorsir just told us we need to get back to our quarters—we’ll be landing on Kalix soon. He doesn’t want anyone walking around in case anything goes wrong, although it shouldn’t.” She smiles at me reassuringly. “Should be a smooth landing this time.”
“Oh, okay.” I give her a small smile, shoving my hands in the loose pockets of my flowy pants. “I’ll head back.”
“You can come stay with us if you want. Most of us are going to hang out together until we’ve landed,” Lucy offers, but I shake my head.
“That’s okay, but thanks,” I say quickly.
She looks like she’s going to say something else, but then she shakes her head. “All right. You know you’re welcome anytime though, right?”
“Thanks.”
I duck my head a little. I’ve been spending time with the other women more often, and I’d even call myself friends with some of them, but my knee-jerk reaction is still to keep to myself.
“Well, we’ll see you on the other side then.” Lucy shoots me an excited grin before heading down the corridor.
When she disappears from sight, I turn around to hurry back to my room. I’m bunked with three other women, but the room is empty when I get back. They must be with the others, and I’m glad for the peace and quiet to get my thoughts together before we land.
What am I going to do, on Kalix?
I’m sure Tordax has come up with some plan for all of us, some way to have those of us who want to stay be gainfully employed. Maybe there will be some sort of library or archives I could work in. Maybe it’s possible for other species to go to school there. The idea of learning the history of another planet—of learning anything on a planet that I didn’t even know existed a few months ago—seems wildly exciting.
Thoughts and questions swirl in my head, my mind buzzing so fast that I’m distracted for the remainder of the trip into Kalix’s atmosphere, hardly hearing the announcements about our descent as I imagine the possibilities ahead of me.
Finally, I hear Tordax’s voice come over the ship’s announcement system. “Everyone, we have safely landed on Kalix. Please join me on the bridge. We will begin disembarking shortly, as soon as Prince Khrelan has arrived.”
I gather up my few things, putting them in the canvas knapsack that I bought in Monri. It’s mostly just a few articles of clothing, a brush, and a book I bought at a market stall—I can’t read it, but it had such beautiful binding that I couldn’t resist.
All of the women are already streaming out of their rooms, heading en masse to the bridge, and I follow along, looking around the ship a little wistfully as I take my place in the crowd.
I liked being on a spaceship.
There’s something I never thought I’d say.
Rose is next to Tordax, her face bright and eager, and I can see Autumn standing by Sorsir, her red hair tied back, her eyes nervous but still full of excitement.
That familiar spark of jealousy flickers inside me again, and as much as I tell myself it’s foolish and try to shove it down, I can’t quite manage it.
They’ll be starting an entirely different adventure when they get off this ship, a partnership the equivalent of marriage to men of a different species. Rose as a commander’s wife and Autumn with a new family, a father for her daughter and someone to care for her.
I’ll be on my own, and even though it’s always been that way and I’ve mostly been happy, I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to be starti
ng this new life with someone I could share it with.
Does Kalix have cats? Maybe I’ll get one of those.
The door to the ship opens, beginning to lower down, and bright sunlight streams into the ship. We’re at a landing dock, but I can see a city in the near distance; the buildings along the skyline look nearly as big as in some cities on Earth. It doesn’t look terribly “alien” from what I can see, aside from technology like the transport pods that hover above the ground outside the ship.
I notice as the ship’s door opens fully that one of the transport pods is a gleaming black with gold insignia on the sides, letters of a foreign alphabet wound together like a monogram. That must be the prince’s transport—this Prince Khrelan that Tordax mentioned.
And then I see the guards. They’re not dressed like the Kalixian warriors I’m used to, but wearing fitted black pants and long black tunics with gold edging, with leather armor layered over that. A few carry holstered blasters on their hips, but they have spears in hand as well, and as they form a line and separate, I wonder if they’re more ceremonial in nature than the Alpha Force team.
The two lines freeze in place. The leader at the head of them all speaks loudly as he announces, “Prince Khrelan of Kalix, here to greet the returning Alpha Force!”
The door of the black transport pod opens, and the prince steps out.
My gaze is glued to him, my bottom lip clamped between my teeth. This is my first sight of alien royalty, and I’m a little giddy at the thought.
He’s big, like all of the Kalixians, at least in height. But he’s leaner than the warriors, from what I can tell. His horns are long and black, and he wears his hair shorter than most of the warriors do, and clearly styled. As he straightens and the sunlight hits him, I can see that there’s gold leaf inlaid in the grooves of his horns. It’s striking, making his horns look almost like a crown.
“Greetings,” Khrelan calls out as he strides down the walkway.
Tordax steps forward, bending deeply at the waist and then going down on one knee in front of him. The other women shift nervously around me, but I can’t stop staring. I’ve gotten used to the casual almost-nudity of the warriors—well, not used to it, but at least not as shocked as I was—and although some of the military advisors and staff who were on board this ship were clothed in what Rose informed me was the style of those who live in the city, it’s still startling to see a Kalixian in more than a loincloth.
The prince is wearing a black silk tunic and pants embroidered with gold thread, matching the golden inlay on his horns. His jaw is sharp and angular, clean shaven, and his profile is regal.
Everything about him has the bearing of royalty.
As I stand there staring, I find myself wondering what color his eyes might be. I’m strangely desperate to know, to complete the picture of this regal, startlingly handsome man.
He urges Tordax to stand and greets him with a gesture that’s similar to a salute. He murmurs something to him, and as Tordax answers, Prince Khrelan turns to look at the gathered crowd of women at the back of the room.
I should look away, I know that. I should close my gaping mouth and drag my gaze away before he notices me.
Although I don’t see why a prince would ever take notice of me, the shy English student who can barely string two words together to a stranger.
As that thought flits through my mind, Khrelan’s steely, almost arrogant gaze cuts past everyone else and meets mine. And as my heart starts to race in my chest, I get my answer.
Blue.
His eyes are blue.
***
Thank you for reading!
Bound, Emma and Khrelan’s story, is next in the series. What will happen when this sweet Earth woman meets her alien prince?
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HERE
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Also by Presley Hall
Fated Mates of the Kalixian Warriors Series
Claimed - Book 1
Stolen - Book 2
Rescued - Book 3
Bound - Book 4
Broken - Book 5
NOTE: Each book in this series can be read as a standalone, but for maximum enjoyment, it’s recommended that you read the series in order.
