Kallel: A Sci-Fi Alien Warrior Paranormal Romance (Defender of Earth Book 2)

by Ashley West

  Instead she asked him about himself, namely "What do you do that lets you wander around markets being a nuisance at two thirty in the afternoon?"

  And of course he laughed at that, because it seemed like he couldn't help but laugh at everything she said. "I'm a lawyer," he said, and Haven awarded herself a mental point.

  "Don't lawyers work normal hours?"

  "Some of them do. I have to go in later to do some work for a case, so I thought I'd get my shopping out of the way now when I have some free time."

  Haven nodded. "Sensible of you."

  Delton's smile grew into a smirk. "Does that turn you on?"

  Her look of placid interest was instantly replaced by a flat look that clearly said she was unamused. "Goodbye."

  "I was only kidding!" he laughed, following her as she moved on in the store, grabbing a bottle of wine and some juice before she started pushing her cart towards the registers. All she had to do was check out and then she would be free to go to her car and drive away from this man who thought he was funny.

  As luck would have it, Delton was apparently bad at multitasking, since he swore when he followed her to the register and realized he'd forgotten some of the things on his list.

  Haven didn't even feel bad about the unsympathetic smirk she shot him. Of course he just laughed at that, too and shook his head at her. "We can't all be you," he said, shrugging. "I have a feeling we will meet again, anyway."

  "Because you're a stalker," Haven replied, putting items on the belt to be rung up. She'd managed to snag an empty register, so at least Delton slowing her down had been good for something.

  "Admirer," he retorted. "There's a difference."

  "Mmhmm," Haven said, turning away from him. "Don't you have things to do?"

  "So cold. Just downright frosty."

  "Goodbye, Mr. Lawrence."

  Her groceries were rung up quickly by a baffled looking cashier, and Haven loaded her cart up again, wishing the woman a good afternoon before she pushed her cart out into the parking lot. She glanced around for good measure, making sure Delton wasn't somewhere lying in wait, and then she transferred her groceries to her trunk and started for home.

  The strange encounter at the market was the only real deviation from the way she had planned out the rest of her day. She called her mother and they chatted for a bit while she put her groceries away. Then she got things prepped for dinner while she paid her rent and utility bills online.

  Once dinner was ready, she curled up on the couch with it, using chopsticks to ferry spicy peanut noodles and beef into her mouth while she watched Netflix.

  It might not have been exciting, but it was relaxing, and as she washed the noodles down with a swig of her wine, she made a content noise. One that was immediately interrupted by her phone buzzing on the coffee table.

  That was odd in and of itself because unless she was talking to her mother or had to call in for work or something, she rarely talked on the phone. Her friends texted her when they wanted something, and she didn't really talk to anyone else.

  In her mind, she had a moment to wonder if Delton had somehow used his powers as a lawyer to get her phone number, but when she picked up the phone and looked at the screen, it was just Darren.

  "What's up?" she asked, sipping her wine while she leaned back on the couch.

  "Haven. What are you doing right now?" Darren asked. "No wait, don't answer that. I can figure it out. You're eating dinner and catching up on Netflix. Am I right?"

  Haven rolled her eyes. "What do you want, Darren?"

  "That means I'm right." He was talking quickly, voice full of excitement. "It also means that it's nothing you can't stop doing to come out with me tonight."

  "What?"

  "Please, Haven? They're doing half priced margaritas at that bar I like, which means there will be plenty of women because women love margaritas."

  She rolled her eyes again, wishing there was some way that he could hear it. "Are you kidding, Darren?" she asked, even though she knew he wasn't. "It's Monday night. I have to work in the morning. So do you, for that matter."

  "I know," he said. "But think of the opportunity!"

  "To watch you hit on women every bit as desperate for a date as you are at a bar on a Monday?"

  Darren huffed. "You don't have to say it like that."

  "That's what'll be happening, though. What do you even need me for?" Haven wanted to know.

  "To be my wingman. Woman. Whatever. And for moral support. And because you need some variety in your life, Haven. When was the last time you went out on a Monday night?"

  "Never. Unless you mean out for takeout or something."

  "You know good and well I don't mean out for takeout. Come on, Haven. If you're not going to do it for yourself, then at least do it for me."

  Haven sighed, rubbing at her face. "Darren, no. Do you have any idea how early I have to get up in the morning? I'm not doing it. It'll just end up with you striking out and then I'll have to get you home because you'll be too drunk off half price margaritas to drive. I'm not going through that on a Monday night."

  There was no room for argument in her tone, and Darren sighed. "Fine, okay. I knew you would say no anyway, so I called Charles before you."

  "Then why did you even bother?"

  "Because one of these days you're going to have to do something unexpected. I thought maybe tonight would be the start."

  "Goodnight, Darren," Haven said sharply, and hung up before he could reply.

  She wasn't in the mood for the rest of the show, so she turned it off and then gathered up her dishes to wash them in the sink. It wasn't even nine yet, and she was already done for the day. Going to bed seemed a bit much, even with how early she had to get up, so she decided to have a nice long bath with the rest of her wine instead, pushing Delton Lawrence, Darren, and everything else out of her head.

  Chapter Three: The Warmth of Home

  Kal didn't know what he was more nervous about: having a private audience with the Queen later, or telling his family what he'd done. It had been a spur of the moment decision, but one he definitely couldn't bring himself to regret. As he trudged through the freezing rain towards his mother's home, excitement started to build.

  He was going somewhere. Somewhere that wasn't the wall or the mines or anywhere else where it would be cold and icy. Maybe it would even be warm on Earth. He'd heard that they only had one sun and more balanced seasons, so for half of the year, it was actually hot outside. What would that even be like?

  Humans were definitely going to be odd, and he'd probably need to do some reading about how to approach them. Now that they knew that aliens were a real thing, and that they weren't the only people in the universe, at least. But that didn't necessarily mean they were going to be friendly toward him just showing up on their planet. He'd have to let them know that he came in peace. That he was there to help them. Kal was no Champion of the Randoran, but he could help. Come to think of it, he should probably review what the former Champion had done when he was on Earth.

  Honestly, following in those footsteps was a little intimidating, but the more he thought about it, the more excited he got.

  His hands were shaking with cold when he peeled his glove off to press his palm against the sensor on his mother's front door. The light shone green and the door slid open, letting him step inside.

  His mother's house wasn't equipped with the fancy tech that siphoned water off a person and crystallized it back into the air, so he carefully stripped out of the wet fur and his wet boots, dropping them into the bin next to the door with a sodden splat. His pants were made to dry quickly, and his shirt was only a little damp, so he padded through the house towards the kitchen where he could hear his mother laughing with Kellan.

  Following his injury, Kal's older brother had moved back in with their mother. He had a hard time moving sometimes, the ever present cold seeping into his bones and making his bum leg ache more than it would normally. Their mother looked a
fter him, and Kellan endured it with good grace. Or something close to it.

  The house was amazingly warm, and something smelled delicious. When he stepped into the kitchen, his stomach rumbled at the sight of his mother's sweet bread, a long, thick loaf, studded with dried fruits and topped with a sweet, sticky frosting.

  It had been his favorite thing as a kid, and he still loved it as an adult.

  "What's the occasion?" he asked as he stepped in. There was no way they would have heard what happened so soon, and even if they had, it took hours to make the sweet bread. That, and he wasn't sure his mother would look at his leaving as something to celebrate.

  She looked up at him with a warm smile. "No occasion," she said. "I just felt like making it."

  Kellan rolled his eyes. "She says that, but it's really because I've been in more pain than usual lately. She's trying to cheer me up."

  That sounded like something their mother would do, and Kal looked at his older brother with concern. "Are you okay?"

  He nodded. "I am. It's just the weather. All these storms are just making it worse."

  Their mother sighed and motioned Kallel toward a seat. "Sit down, Kal. You look frozen through. I'll get you a plate and something warm to drink."

  Kal didn't need to be told twice. Kellan was already seated at the table, his bad leg propped up on the chair across from him. Their mother had been trying to get him to get a hover chair for as long as he'd had the injury, but Kellan was stubborn and insisted he could move fine without one. Having to quit being a warrior had been hard enough for Kellan, so neither Kal nor their mother forced the issue.

  A steaming mug was placed in front of him, and Kal could smell the mingled scents of his mother's spiced tea. When a plate with a thick slice of sweet bread joined the mug, Kallel was pretty sure he was going to die from happiness.

  He sipped at the hot liquid and took a bite of the bread, making appreciative noises. When he looked up, his mother and Kellan were both looking at him expectantly.

  "What?" he asked.

  "Didn't you come here for a reason?" his mother wanted to know.

  "Can't I just come by to visit?"

  She gave him a skeptical look. "It's coming down out there, and your home is much closer to the wall than mine. I know you came all the way out here for something."

  She had him there. Kal sighed and ruffled fingers through his hair, trying to think of the best way to tell them. He didn't want them to try to change his mind about going, but he couldn't really see them being happy for him. Not like he wanted them to be. But he was an adult, and had been for a long while, so it was his decision to make. He just needed to remember that.

  "I do have something to tell you," he said.

  His mother and Kellan exchanged looks. "Go on, then," Kellan said. "What's happened?"

  Kallel drew in a breath and then began to explain. He started in a roundabout fashion, mentioning the Randoran and how they had gone to the aid of the Earth against the Alva. His brother, he knew, had great respect for the Randoran, as did everyone who had been helped by them all that time ago. Starting there would help. He explained that the queen had found out that the Alva weren't really gone from Earth as they were meant to be and that the humans were still threatened by them. And then slowly, almost sheepishly, he told them that she'd asked for someone to go down there and see what was happening.

  "And you volunteered," Kellan said. It wasn't a question.

  "Yes," Kal replied. He didn't see the point in pretending he hadn't or stringing them along.

  They exchanged another look, and it gave Kal the distinct impression that his mother and brother talked about him a lot when he wasn't around.

  For a long moment, neither of them said anything, and Kal sat there, fidgeting. He didn't want to rush them, but some indication of what they were thinking would be nice. Finally he couldn't take it anymore. "Well?" he asked.

  "Well what?" their mother returned, looking at him placidly.

  "Aren't you going to say anything?"

  "What would you like us to say?" she asked.

  "I don't know. Something at least. I know you probably don't want this for me."

  "Kal," Kellan said. "You and I both know that what we want for you has never mattered."

  "That isn't true! Of course it matters."

  "I don't mean it like that," he said, soothing. "I mean that you always had your dreams and nothing we said was going to change what you wanted. If the Alva and the Randoran hadn't come here, well, who know what might have happened with you. You might have gone on to be the explorer you wanted to be. Or maybe you would have ended up working in the mines. But no one can say you haven't done right by your people, Kallel. Despite where your heart really was, and even with this, you're serving our Queen, our people. I can't tell you not to do it."

  "He's right," their mother said softly. "We always knew you'd find a way to leave Horu. It was just a matter of when and how. And now you've found your way."

  For some reason that made him sad, and Kal frowned. "I'm not...I don't do this because I feel like I need to get away from you," he said, wanting them to understand. "Or because I don't love my home and my family. My people."

  "We know that," Kellan replied. "You're doing it because you have to. Everyone has that one thing they have to do, Kal. For me, it was following in our father's footsteps, and I did that for as long as I could." He massaged his leg under the table. "For you, it's something different, and that's fine. No one will say you were selfish."

  Overcome all of a sudden, Kallel dipped his head down and blinked rapidly, trying to make sure he wasn't going to suddenly start crying. He was an adult, for the stars' sake. A fully grown, full blooded warrior, and here he was sitting in his mother's kitchen getting weepy because he felt like he had earned his brother's approval.

  "Thank you, Kellan," he said finally, glancing up.

  "Of course," Kellan said, and then he smirked. "I don't know if Earth can compare to the planet with the temptresses you used to talk about."

  Kal groaned. "I was just a kid back then."

  "Tell me you don't still think about them."

  "I don't!"

  "Of course not."

  Their mother cleared her throat and they both looked to her. She'd been quiet for most of Kellan's little speech, and her eyes were suspiciously shiny. "Sometimes I used to worry that you would go away and never come back," she said.

  "Mother...why would I?"

  "Because you're like me," she said simply. "When I was young, I met your father, and I followed him from the little town I'd been born in all the way here, to the walled city. Because he had my heart. I've never regretted that decision, but I've also never looked back."

  Kal hadn't know that about his mother, and he felt like he was looking at her with new eyes, seeing the young woman who had fallen in love with a charming warrior and given up everything to be with him. She'd made her life here, and it suddenly made sense why they'd never met her side of the family, why she had joined their father's house and never mentioned hers. And then their father had died, and she'd remained, taking on the burden of raising him and his brother alone.

  "Mother..."

  "I want you to know that it's alright, Kallel," she said firmly. "If you leave here, and you find something that makes your heart sing, something that makes you feel like you're coming home, it's alright if you don't come back. My mother never said that to me. She told me that if I left, I wasn't a member of her house any longer, and I accepted that. But, Kallel, you will always be my son. No matter where you roam."

  It was so much more than he'd been expecting, and Kal couldn't help himself. He got up and moved to hug her, arms holding her close. She was so much smaller than he was now, just around six feet or so, while he had surpassed seven, but she gripped him back just as tightly, and Kallel was awed, as he always had been, by his mother's strength.

  "Thank you," he murmured into her hair.

  Telling his family had made
him more confident in this, and when he was summoned to the fortress once again, to meet with the queen alone this time, he had his back straight and his head held high.

  He wasn't dripping this time, either, since the storm had broken and the weather was actually rather nice that day. The weak sunlight lit his path up the glittering way to the fortress, and the same woman was standing at the door waiting for him, looking impatient.

  "Her Majesty awaits you," she said, voice clipped as she turned and led him deeper inside. Kal was expecting to be taken to the same room as before, but they bypassed the door for it and went up a large staircase and then down an elaborately decorated hallway.

  His eyes widened at the richly carpeted floor and the holograms set into the wall, depicting the previous rulers of the Hakkan. They couldn't be headed for the Queen's private chambers, that wasn't even heard of for her to receive people there, but maybe a private meeting room?

  Kal's nerves increased tenfold.

  The woman pushed open a door that didn't even have a sensor built into it, and she gestured him forward and into a softly lit room. Inside was a great carved desk and two chairs, the one behind the desk already occupied by the Queen.

  She looked up and gave him a small smile, gesturing for him to sit down across from her.

  The door closed with a click as the aide left them alone, and Kal sat down, trying not to look as nervous as he felt. It was one thing to face with queen with hundreds of other warriors, but it was an entirely different thing to sit across from her in a private meeting.

  Kamina steepled her fingers, and Kallel could see that they were minimally adorned, one shining ring on each hand, and that was it. Those who were rich enough to afford the gems that the people mined always liked to show it. They walked around decked out in everything from rings and necklaces set with gems to circlets and had gems sewn into their clothing. Kallel did alright as a warrior, but he wasn't interested in walking around showing off his status with shiny bits. He was pleased to see that the queen felt the same.