Page 66 of Charmed By the Alien Warrior

I go around and introduce everyone sitting at the fire. The warriors respond with a nod and a hand to their chests in a respectful greeting. The two women seem mesmerized, watching each one with curiosity as if they’re trying to make sense of our strange group.

After a moment, Isabella speaks up, her voice gentle. “What are your names?”

The taller woman swallows her last bite, then wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. “I’m Leah,” she says, nodding toward her companion. “And this is Cassandra.”

A smile tugs at my lips. “We’re very happy to meet you both.”

Their eyes shift between us, and slowly, the guarded edges of their expressions soften, replaced by wary hope.

Chapter 24

Sorrin

I watch the two new human females settle around the fire, their movements cautious, like skittish prey unsure if a predator is nearby. Their eyes dart between us, filled with a wary suspicion that makes the scent of their nervous energy sharp and distinct. It’s impossible to ignore—it prickles at my instincts, stirring both a protective urge and a simmering anger at what brought them here.

Leah and Cassandra are their names, and somehow, they seem even more fragile than Mara and her friends were when I first saw them, as if they might break at the slightest move from me or one of the other warriors.

Yet, there’s a spark of stubborn defiance in their eyes that reminds me of my mate. That glimmer is what sets these humans apart. For all their smaller frames and vulnerability, they possess a resilience that rivals the most battle-hardened warriors of my tribe. It’s a quiet strength that refuses to fall to the horrors they’ve endured.

Still, the anger roiling inside me is impossible to suppress. My mate, Mara. Isabella and the others. Leah and Cassandra. None of them should have ever been taken from their world and forced into survival on this unforgiving planet. The thought of my mate—my spirited Mara—trapped in that same terror before I found her tightens something deep within my chest.

I clench my fists, my nails biting into my palms as I struggle to rein in the protective instincts flaring inside me. If I could track down every Zyfelik who had a part in my mate’s abduction, I would, and I would make them beg for her mercy. But I know that that is an impossible task. So, I will concentrate on the things I can control now like ensuring my mate is safe and protected, that she never has reason to fear again.

The new females sit stiffly, leaning toward the warmth of the fire but keeping their distance from us. Cassandra’s hands tremble slightly as she rubs them together for warmth while staring into the fire. Leah glances warily at Vrenner when he shifts to add another log to the flames.

I watch as Mara’s gaze moves over them, her expression softening as she notices the humans’ unease, and I know she’s remembering the first days after she met the members of my tribe. She wore her own wariness like a shield then, her every move cautious and every glance filled with suspicion.

She shifts closer to me now and leans against my side. Her hand slips into mine, her fingers threading through mine with a familiarity that still feels like a gift. I squeeze her hand gently, silently promising her the comfort she seeks—something I will always be ready to provide.

For a long moment, we sit like that, and I let myself savor her warmth against me, her presence a steady reassurance against the chaos and uncertainty of our world.

Then, Mara chuckles at something Isabella says, and that sound—light and unguarded—wraps itself around me, steadying the chaos in my chest. It’s a sound I’ve come to rely on, a balm against the harshness of my world.

I glance at her as her laughter fades, her full lips still tilted up at the corners in a slight smile. She catches me watching her and raises a brow, curiosity flickering in her eyes, and I know, as surely as the twin moons rise each night, that I will spend every breath I have ensuring she smiles like that for the rest of our lives.

Mara turns to me suddenly. “Leah says there are six others with them.”

Six more humans. Hope unfurls cautiously in my chest, and I can’t help but wonder if any of these humans are spirit mates meant for my people—if the bonds my tribe treasures so deeply could extend to those we’ve yet to meet.

Leah, the taller of the two, clears her throat, her shoulders stiff with tension. “There was one more, but we lost her.” Her voice is steady, yet I can hear the unmistakable thread of sadness in her words.

The smaller human, Cassandra, speaks for the first time, her voice soft but steady. “The pterodactyls got her.”

Mara and Isabella curse in their human language, their eyes wide in shock at the other human’s words. Her hand clenches tightly around my hand as if she’s holding on for dear life.

“What areterry-ducktills?” Enosir asks, his youthful curiosity cutting through the heavy silence like a blade. He leans forward, his head tilted in confusion, as though trying to imagine such a creature, and I can’t fault him.

There are many human words that simply do not translate even though we have all been implanted with translator chips. Their language is more complicated than my own Laedirich.

Mara glances at him. “They’re the big birds you guys call anurois.”

Enosir’s eyes widen in shock. “A human was taken by an anuroi?”

A murmur ripples through the warriors, and I notice Yarik and Warrix both gripping the hilts of their blades as if they are ready to charge out of the hut to take on the anuroi by themselves.

“We had something similar a long time ago on Earth,” Isabella explains to him. “They were called pterodactyls, and the anurois remind us of them. They look sort of similar.”

Leah nods sharply, her face hardening as bitterness creeps into her tone. “Except these things seem faster. And smarter.” She pauses, her eyes narrowing. “They hunt in packs.”

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