Stolen

by Presley Hall

  I press my lips together. “I don’t know, exactly. I don’t think so. There are no more Kalixian women of the age to mate and produce offspring. Unless we look outside, our species will end. I think the prince will see that. And I think he may see the return of the mate bond as a sign… a good thing.”

  Harper looks hopeful, but I can see the worry lingering behind her eyes. I stand up and lean forward, kissing her forehead softly.

  “Don’t worry, my Irisa,” I murmur. “I will make Prince Khrelan see the wisdom of this.”

  I hope I’m right. I’ve never been a diplomat or an orator. Tordax is better at these things than I am, at navigating not only the heat of battle but also the complexities of the court. I am a warrior, from beginning to end. It has been my life’s purpose to serve at Tordax’s right hand and fight for the people of Kalix. The whims and subtleties of politics are lost on me.

  It’s just another battle, I tell myself. Only it will be fought in a gilded hall instead of on a battlefield.

  I kiss the tip of Harper’s nose, and then her mouth again, shivering with pleasure as her fingers trail over the edge of my horns and bury themselves in my hair. With a little moan, she drags my mouth harder against hers.

  “I can’t wait to get you home,” I whisper against her lips, and she laughs quietly.

  The sound of it reverberates through me, and I close my eyes, existing briefly in this perfect moment, with the sound of her laughter wrapped around me and the touch of her lips against mine.

  The days ahead of us are full of unknowns. I have no idea how the prince will react to the news of our mate bond. My illness is still unresolved, a black cloud hanging over us both. But right now, I have Harper here with me, alive, and she loves me.

  That’s all that matters.

  23

  Harper

  Two days later, when I’m well and strong enough to leave the healing pod, Malav takes me to Jocia, the capitol city of Kalix. He tells me that his home is there, although he hasn’t been back to it in a very long time, and I’m full of anxious excitement and nerves as the sleek, swift train that we’re on approaches the outskirts of the city.

  The city where we landed was small, surrounded by mountains and forests, a tiny outcropping of civilization in the middle of a planet that looks to be wilder than I expected. We passed by other small cities as we traveled, all of them small and modest and dotting the otherwise largely untamed landscape.

  The planet itself reminds me of Malav and the other Kalixian warriors that I’ve met—wild and savage in some ways, with a streak of civilization when needed.

  The capitol city, however, rises out of the tangled wilderness like a monolith. There’s a spire in the center of it, with large buildings all around. As the train slows and reaches the station, I can see roads and transport pods, businesses and things that look similar to apartment complexes.

  But what draws my gaze the most is the inhabitants. My head swivels back and forth as I take in the sight of more Kalixians than I’ve ever seen in one place.

  It’s clear that Malav and the other warriors’ clothing—or lack thereof—has something to do with their chosen way of life, as these Kalixians are more covered. The men wear long, loose tunics over pants, with flat shoes, and the women wear either long wrap dresses cut low in the front and back, or similar tunics over loose harem-style pants, all in brighter colors than the men.

  I can’t stop looking around as Malav leads me to a transport pod, where he slides into the driver’s seat. My eyes are wide as I take it all in. The city itself looks light-years ahead of anything I’ve seen back home on Earth, and in the wildness of Kalix, it stands out even more.

  The planet is beyond anything I could ever have imagined.

  “It’s beautiful,” I tell Malav as I take it in, and the smile that crosses his face beams like the sun. When he stops the transport pod in front of a stone house, he simply sits there for a moment, staring at it.

  I realize in a flash what this means to him. He’s home.

  “I didn’t think I would make it back here,” he whispers, and I see the sheen of tears in his eyes. They don’t fall, but his green eyes shimmer for a moment as he takes in the view in front of us. “I never thought I would see this place again.”

  The house is made of a heavy grey stone, rectangular in the front with a taller section in the back. There’s a tall black fence around it that appears to be made out of some material like iron, and I can see plants and flowers in the backyard.

  Despite being on the edge of one of the most modern cities I’ve ever seen, it looks remarkably homey—almost quaint.

  It surprises me. Malav has always seemed like a slightly austere man to me. I had expected cold quarters, more like a barracks than a home. But when he opens the heavy black door to let me in and sees my expression, he smiles wryly.

  “My mother was a lady-in-waiting to the former queen, Prince Khrelan’s mother,” he explains. “This was my parents’ house. I was raised here in Jocia, although my father wanted me kept far from the court. They sent me to train as a warrior instead. And when my mother died…”

  He pauses, and I see pain flash across his face.

  “That’s a story for another time,” he says quickly, shaking his head. “But the house was given to me. There is a woman who maintains it when I’m not here, as I rarely have been.” His lips press together briefly, a thin line in his face as he looks at me. “It’s a house for a mate, and a family.” His voice grow quiet. “I never expected to have either. So I’ve mostly lived in the barracks when we were not out on missions, not here. But now…”

  I can see the hope in his eyes, and I throw my arms around his neck, leaning against him as I press my lips to his.

  “It’s a beautiful home, Malav,” I tell him. “I’m glad you’ve brought me here.”

  I feel him hardening against me as his hands find my waist. He pulls me more tightly against him until I can almost feel his heartbeat as he kisses me harder.

  In a matter of moments, he’s swept me up into his arms, barely pausing to kick the door shut before he carries me down the hall to his bedroom.

  Hours later, I wake in the wide bed, tucked beneath a soft blue blanket made out of some sleek fiber.

  I sit up slowly, pulling it around my naked breasts as I look around the room. The furniture is surprisingly rustic—made of some kind of dark, rich wood—and there are other touches like that as well, like a woven blanket thrown over the end of the bed.

  “My father was a woodworker,” Malav says as he walks in, his voice startling me. “He liked to work with his hands. He hated how sleek and modern everything in this city is. My mother loved the elegance of the more modern materials. She complained all the time that it was like living in a cabin in the mountains. But she loved my father, so she put up with it.”

  He sets a large box on the end of the bed, and I look at it curiously. It’s made of a smooth and shiny material that shimmers in the sunlight coming in through the window.

  “What is that?” I ask, glancing up at him.

  “Touch it.” He grins at me.

  I reach out and touch the seam of the box. It makes a small noise and unfolds, revealing a stack of brightly colored fabric. I look up at Malav again, confused.

  “I went shopping,” Malav says proudly. “Well… I went to a shop and told them that I needed clothing for a female. That was the best I could do. They picked out the rest.”

  I stare at him, reaching out to touch the soft fabrics. “You didn’t have to do that!”

  My heart squeezes in my chest, and I suddenly feel almost shy. I’m not used to men bringing me gifts or doting on me like this. And somehow, Malav bringing me a box of clothing and then standing there in his loincloth is one of the sweetest—and simultaneously funniest—things that’s happened to me in a long time.

  I love it.

  “Well, as much as I prefer you without clothing,” Malav says with a grin, “we’ve been summoned for our a
udience with Prince Khrelan. We meet him tomorrow morning. And I thought it might… ease the shock if you were dressed in the Kalixian style. If that’s all right. I don’t want you to feel…”

  He trails off, looking suddenly worried.

  “Thank you.” I swing my legs out of bed and rise up on my tiptoes to kiss him. “I’m happy to dress the way your people do here. And that was really sweet of you.”

  A faint, pleased blush colors his cheekbones. “Of course,” he murmurs. He hesitates, and then looks down at me, his eyes serious. “I never expected to find an Irisa,” he says quietly. “I never expected to bring a mate home to this house, or to think of a future with her. I love you, Harper. I will do my best to be a good mate to you, to care for you, to honor you, to be faithful and true to you. But I need…”

  “You need patience,” I whisper, knowing what he’s trying to say before he can even finish the sentence. “This is new to you.” I smile reassuringly at him, squeezing his hands. “It’s new for me too, Malav. I’ve been independent my whole life. I’ve had boyfriends…” I try to think of how to explain it. “People I’ve had relationships with that weren’t this… serious. But I’ve never tried to share my life with someone. I’ve never even come close to marriage. I’ve lived alone my whole adult life. This will be new for me too. I’ll be difficult and stubborn sometimes, and so will you. We’ll fight, because that’s what people do when they live together. But we’ll work through it. We’ll get to know how the other likes to live, and we’ll compromise. And we’ll be happy. I know we will. I’ll be happy here, because I’m with you.”

  The relief that washes over him is evident in every line of his face. “I’m glad you understand” He squeezes me tighter. “I was afraid that you wouldn’t. That you would expect…” His brow furrows. “Well, I didn’t know what you would expect. But I’m grateful that we are the same in this.”

  “I love you, too,” I tell him firmly. “And I’ll be good to you, and faithful, and all of those things. It will just take time for us to learn to live with another person. But we’ll learn together.”

  Malav hesitates. “Harper, my injury…” He looks away. “I don’t know what will happen. The treatment…”

  “I know.” My heart tightens in my chest at the thought of losing him so soon after we’ve found home together. “Let’s just get through meeting the prince, okay?” I touch his arm gently. “We’ll deal with one thing at a time.”

  He nods, swallowing hard. “One thing at a time.”

  24

  Harper

  In the morning, I dress in one of the wrap dresses that I find in the pile of clothing Malav purchased for me.

  There are no undergarments in the pile—I’m not at all surprised that it might not be the Kalixian way to wear them—but I find that I don’t really mind the lack of them. I wrap the green silk dress around me and belt it with a braided gold cord that I tie at the side of my waist.

  The brush of the luxurious fabric over my bare breasts is almost sensual, and as I braid my long black hair and pull it over my shoulder, I shiver with pleasure. I expect Malav will have me out of my clothes more often than in them, but this is arousing in its own way.

  I found a few cosmetics and a small bottle of perfumed oil at the bottom of the box too. My heart turned over at the sweetness of the gesture, at Malav trying to make me feel at home. I’m slightly amazed at the way falling in love with a good man has changed my reaction to things as well—once, I would have chafed at being brought clothes and makeup, accused my boyfriend of trying to make me look a certain way or control me.

  But Malav doesn’t make me feel trapped, stifled, or forced to do anything I don’t want to. And I want to fit in here, for him. It doesn’t mean I’m less independent, and I still have my old stubborn streak that raises its head from time to time. But I want to make him happy.

  And I know it will be easier for his people to accept me if I try to learn their way of doing things.

  The sun and fresh air of Wauru was surprisingly good for my skin, and I’ve loved not having to put on a full face of makeup for the first time in my life. There’s a small pot of something creamy and reddish-pink that I assume is rouge, and I rub a little into my cheeks.

  I find a pressed bronze powder that I sweep over my eyelids, and a charcoal-like stick that I use to smudge along the edges of my eyes and my lashes a little, until I have something that looks approximately like a smoky eye. I rub a little of the cream into my lips to give them some extra color, then stand up and slide my feet into the leather sandals Malav brought me.

  Looking in the mirror, I’m surprised at how well it suits me. Maybe I was never really meant for business suits and high heels.

  Malav is waiting for me in the living room, and both of our eyes widen when we see the other. I’ve never seen Malav really clothed before, but he’s wearing black, loose pants edged with gold trim and a long, cream colored tunic that looks as if it fits him a little more tightly than it’s meant to. But how could it not, as muscular as he is?

  His black horns gleam as if he’s polished them with something, and I breathe in sharply as he strides toward me. His hands go to my waist as he pulls me against him and bends to kiss me.

  “You look beautiful,” he whispers against my lips. “Kalixian clothing suits you.” His lips drift over my cheek and down to my throat as he breathes in the scent of the oil that he brought me, which reminds me of jasmine. “You look happy.”

  “I am,” I assure him as I wrap my arms around his neck, kissing him again. “I’m not used to seeing you with so many clothes on,” I tease him lightly.

  “Trust me, I much prefer the warrior’s garb,” he groans. “You can take them off me as soon as we get home.”

  With that promise, he steps back and reaches for my hand.

  Home.

  I like the sound of that.

  Honestly, I don’t feel as if I’ve ever really had a home before. I had my apartment in the city, but it was just a place for me to sleep and occasionally eat, and bring back the odd boyfriend. I spent most of my life at the office. My apartment was never cozy or comfortable. It was just somewhere to be when I wasn’t working.

  But I feel as if this house could be our home.

  Malav opts for us to walk through the city to the palace instead of taking a transport pod.

  “I want to show you around,” he says, and I follow happily, my fingers laced through his. He points out a park filled with grass and wild-growing flowers, a massive fountain in the center of it. “Children used to play there, when I was younger,” he says, and I can hear the sadness in his voice.

  “Maybe there will be children there again.” I squeeze his hand.

  “I’ll certainly enjoy trying,” he quips, but I can hear the worry under the cavalier tone. We have no idea yet if the human/Kalixian bond can produce offspring, although I have suspicions about Rose. I’ve never had any pregnant friends, but I noticed her not feeling well in the mornings on Wauru, and she ran off after eating more than once. But she looked happy and healthier than ever, despite that.

  Malav points out places in the city that he’s been to—a restaurant that smells deliciously of some grilled meat and a tea shop that he says makes an amazing awk milk tea—a creature I’ve never heard of, of course.

  I’ll have to get used to eating things I don’t recognize, that’s for sure.

  The palace is the spire that I saw as we came into the city, a gleaming black and gold building that rises high above the rest of the city.

  We walk up the shining steps, Malav confidently, me slightly less so. My heart is hammering in my chest. What if the prince refuses to hear Malav out? What if he’s angry? What if he orders all of the women sent back to Earth immediately… or worse?

  The Kalixians are kind, I remind myself. Tordax and Malav can’t be outliers. This prince must at least be a decent person, for Malav to serve him.

  But my throat still feels tight with fear as I follow my mate
through the massive doors, onto the wide embroidered green carpet that leads to a second set of doors. The throne room where Prince Khrelan will receive us.

  Two guards are standing at the second set of doors, dressed in the loincloths of the warriors, but with leather chest armor, shoulder pads, and gauntlets, as well as leather shin guards. They have swords at their belts and spears in their hands, and they look at me suspiciously as we approach.

  “Prince Khrelan has summoned me,” Malav says in a clear voice. “And with me is a human woman, Harper of Terra.”

  The guards both furrow their brows, looking at me with some distaste, but they swing the doors wide. As they announce our arrival, I look down the long carpet to the throne on a tall dais at the end of it—and the man sitting on it.

  I’m not sure what I expected, exactly. The throne looks out of place in the sleek, modern room—a massive chair of carved wood, something that looks more as if it belongs in a tribal chief’s great hall than in a building in the most advanced city I’ve ever seen. There is a similar, smaller chair next to it—which I assume would be for Prince Khrelan’s queen, his Irisa.

  Of course, there is no such Kalixian woman for him.

  “The throne symbolizes the duality of Kalix, the modern and the ancient, nature and technology together,” Malav whispers in my ear as we approach. “Make sure to kneel when we reach it.”

  The man atop the throne is astoundingly handsome. I’ve yet to see a Kalixian male who isn’t. But whereas Tordax, Malav, and the others than I’ve met are battle-hardened warriors, mountainous men made of hard muscle, the prince is tall and lean, his short black hair styled back around his horns, which are longer than some of the other men’s, and black as well—but with gold leaf inlaid in the grooves of them.

  His crown is gold, a filigree circlet made to look like vines and leaves, and he’s wearing a black silk tunic and pants. His fingers are slim and long, and his face is clean-shaven, his jaw sharp and angular. He looks down at us with deep blue eyes that shimmer in the light coming in from the tall windows all around us, and his face is expressionless.