Page 6 of Charmed By the Alien Warrior

At least, they’re more humanoid than the assholes who abducted us, but it’s still blatantly obvious that they’re aliens. From their brightly colored skin in shades of teal to the protective ridges that line their bodies to the elf ears that seem to give them enhanced hearing, there’s no mistaking that they’re aliens.

And then there’s the most unsettling thing about this place. The complete absence of Laediriian women. None. Absolutely zero. Haley told us they were wiped out by some kind of plague generations ago, but I thought she must have misunderstood. It seemed too crazy to be true.

But no. There are no women here. Instead, they reproduce using artificial wombs. When Haley first mentioned them, I laughed. I mean, come on—clear tubes filled with glowing liquid that can grow an actual fetus? It sounded too outlandish to believe.

But I’ve seen them, and they’re real.

I stood there in the little building the Anuriix tribe calls the Womb Hut with Haley, staring at the glowing containers, the wombs that the warriors treat almost as if they’re sacred. Only one of them actually contained a fetus, but it was real, withblue-tinged skin and impossibly small limbs that twitched as if it could feel us watching. My breath caught in my throat. No matter how weird it all was, I couldn’t help the slight tug at my heart.

That tiny fetus? It’s Haley’s nephew—Draggar’s brother’s child. A child conceived before his brother died in some accident I haven’t gotten the full story on yet. And it’s the child Haley has wanted for years.

I watched Haley walk up to stand beside Draggar at the womb. He had instinctively wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. Their gazes locked, and it was like the rest of the world didn’t exist. Every bit of love and dedication they felt was written as plain as day on their faces. I almost felt like I was trespassing just watching them.

It’s sweet, I guess. But it also unsettles me in a way that I don’t want to examine too closely.

Because that’s another thing I don’t trust—this whole “amoris” deal. The Laediriians claim their spirits can recognize their perfect mate, their amoris, and their spirits form a bond with each other. Like destiny or some cosmic soul mate nonsense. It sounds like something straight out of a fairytale, and I don’t believe in fairytales.

Knowing that we’re the only women in the entire village and there’s a whole bunch of bachelor warriors looking to find their soulmates makes me antsy. Because no matter how respectful they’ve been, there’s still a hopeful look in the warriors’ eyes that makes it clear they think one of us could be their amoris mate.

My gaze flickers to the warriors again. To their credit, they haven’t given me any actual reason to worry. They’ve all been kind and generous, sharing their food, clothes, and help.A few of them have even smiled at us—not the predatory kind of smiles I’d been bracing for, but genuine ones that make it obvious they’re beyond thrilled we’re here.

Haley’s already warmed up to them and calls them her friends. Even Draggar, one of the bigger and more intimidating (well, intimidating when you first see him) warriors in the tribe, has been beyond kind to us. And he treats Haley as if she hung the moon and stars in the sky.

But that’s just it. What if they’re putting on a good front to lull us into a false sense of security? And when we least expect it, they pounce and sell us or enslave us or something equally awful.

I can’t shake my suspicions. The warriors are massive, especially when compared to my five-foot-nine frame. If they wanted to, they could easily overpower us, and we wouldn’t stand a chance.

And I learned the hard way that friendliness can be a mask. It’s the people who smile at you that you have to watch out for. Because sometimes, they’re waiting to stab you in the back.

It’s not like I haven’t seen it before. My mom is the perfect lesson to not trust a charming smile and that when you least expect, the guy you thought was nice can turn into a monster. I mean, serial killers have been known to disarm their victims with nothing but a friendly smile and a good story.

Let Haley believe in her fairytale if she wants to, but I’m not falling for it. Not until I know for sure what secrets these aliens are hiding.

And Iwillfind out.

The sound of laughter interrupts my thoughts and I glance up, noting that the meeting has broken up and everyone ismilling about. One of the warriors throws back his head and laughs at something another says, his fangs flashing in the sunlight. It’s Sorrin.

He says something to Draggar, and even from where I’m standing I can see the way his eyes twinkle with amusement. Sorrin’s skin is brighter than most of the other Laediriians, more of an iridescent aqua that reminds me of the pictures I’ve seen of the Mediterranean.

For a moment, Sorrin’s attention shifts, and his gaze locks with mine. His eyes are darker than Draggar’s, more like weathered granite, with shadows that almost seem to hold secrets.

A flicker of some emotion crosses his face—curiosity? Amusement? It’s gone before I can figure out what it was. My pulse quickens despite myself, and I force my gaze away, pretending that the sudden warmth in my face is from the blazing sun.

Yeah, these guys are dangerous.

Chapter 2

Mara

“Mara! What the hell are you doing?” Maddie rushes over to me, her purple hair pulled back into a bouncy ponytail.

The Zyfeliks were scared to get too close to my sister because of her purple hair. They thought it was an indication she was diseased, and they made sure to keep their distance from her.

My lips tip up at the corners every time I think about Maddie muttering under her breath, “IwishI could give them a disease.”

“Well, right now, I’m headed back to our hut.” I chuckle when she scowls at my answer as I walk through the village and to the building that doubles as a medical clinic.

Daggir, the leader of the Anuriix tribe, has assured us we can each have our own huts when we’re ready, but so far, we’ve chosen to stay in the clinic together—all of us except Haley, that is, who shares a hut with Draggar. Maybe it’s because there’ssafety in numbers. Or maybe it’s just that the world outside still feels too uncertain.

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