Page 33 of Charmed By the Alien Warrior

Mara chuckles, but the sound is wet as if she is holding back tears. “The knife. Crystal made it back at the crashed ship. I know it’s not much, but having it back makes me feel a little safer.”

“Ah.” I nod.

Despite the wound the small weapon managed to inflict upon the Pugj who took Mara, many of the other creatures on our planet have much thicker hides. A knot of unease settles in my gut when I think about small, ridgeless Mara standing defiantly against a tiniio or a magnis.

Then, a thought occurs to me, and I reach for the blades secured at my waist. I carry many weapons, all Laediriian warriors do, but one less will not harm me. And if it will make the small female in front of me feel safer then it is no issue at all.

Eyeing Mara’s delicate hands, I choose the smallest dagger I own and pluck it from its sheath, handing it over to her hilt first. “Take this.”

Even though it is the smallest blade I possess, it still dwarfs her palm. I jut my chin out to the knife. “It will be no match against a sword, but at least you will not be defenseless.”

She shakes her head and tries to hand the weapon back. “You don’t have to do that.”

I shake my head and press the knife back into her hand. Untying the sheath, I hand it over, too. “If it makes you feel safer, it’s yours. Just promise me you’ll keep it on you, always.”

Her fingers curl around the hilt. “I promise,” she whispers, her voice trembling.

She looks at me then, and the genuine pleasure at my gift shining in her eyes is a force all its own. My throat tightens, and for a moment, words escape me.

Mara yawns again, and with a sheepish upturn of her mouth, she lays down and burrows into the pile of leaves.

“Good night, Sorrin.” Her quiet voice whispers to me.

“Good night, Mara.”

The cave’s silence wraps around us, broken only by the distant sounds of the jungle and the soft rhythm of our breathing. Slowly, Mara’s eyes drift shut, her body finally succumbing to the rest it desperately needs, leaving me alone except for my thoughts.

I sit up for a while, my mind a tumult of thoughts and emotions. Her vulnerability tugs at something deep inside me, something primal and protective. I shift closer, keeping watch over her as she sleeps, my senses alert for any danger.

What is it about this small human? I don’t think she is my spirit mate. Not that it’s not possible. The amoris bond that has developed between Draggar and Haley is proof that it is possible for Laediriians to bond with these humans, and that the bond is just as strong as it was between two Laediriians.

But surely the Universe would not bind me to someone so unlike myself—a female so quick to challenge me, to push me away. Then again, she hasn’t been truly unkind. Not tonight, at least.

Except, Mara has endured so much. Taken against her will from her home. Caged and then abandoned on a planet that is so foreign and unknown to her kind that she is like a kitling learning everything. Who wouldn’t be guarded after such an ordeal? Even I would struggle to keep my spirit intact under such strain.

Still, she unsettles me.

No, I do not think Mara is my mate, but I will not deny that I desire her. I want to feel the press of her mouth, so often occupied with stern words, against mine. I want to drag my tongue over her soft skin. I want her beneath me, writhing and moaning in pleasure. The images flood my mind, vivid and unrelenting, and my heart pounds in response.

I huff out a breath and tilt my head up to stare at the rough stone ceiling of the cave. The weight of my thoughts presses down on me, even as exhaustion begins to creep in. Mara would never agree to such desires, I remind myself. And yet, the ache remains.

My gaze lands on her one more time, tracing the gentle rise and fall of her chest, and I finally allow myself to relax and drift off to sleep.

Chapter 12

Mara

The darkness around me feels suffocating, pressing in from all sides. My lungs work double time as the breath saws in and out of my chest.

I'm running, my feet barely touching the ground, but no matter how fast I go, I can't escape the menacing presence behind me. I’ve kept my head straight forward, not daring to look over my shoulder, so I don’t even know what is chasing me. But I know it’s there and I know deep down in the marrow of my bones that it wants to hurt me.

Finally, after what seems like hours of running, I chance a glance over my shoulder and see the brightly shining eyes of Bigfoot, his face twisted into a cruel grin that shows off his sharp teeth. Fresh blood drips from them, running down his face.

My heart pounds in my chest, the fear threatening to choke me, but I turn my head back around and keep running asfast as I can. But it’s not fast enough. I feel the sharp clench of his claws as they grab onto the back of my neck.

Right before my eyes, Bigfoot’s hairy frame morphs until he turns into my mom’s killer. Those same cold, dead eyes that I stared into at the trial look back at me, and I open my mouth to scream. But nothing comes out.

His grip tightens on me, but somehow, I’m still running. Still trying to get away from him.

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