Page 4 of Caldar
Don’t think about super endurance and what that would be like.
Great, now she was imagining Caldar with his bedroom voice and dangerous daddy vibes and his super endurance. It left her feeling achy and needy and so, so resentful. It wasn’t even Caldar’s fault. Sonia had no right lusting after the alien who endangered her friend. She knew better. Her brain got the message—we don’t like him—but her body was too busy daydreaming aboutsuper enduranceand his strong hands.
This was the point in the romance books she read where the main character decides to bang it out of their system. That never worked. Someone always caught feels. Plus, the Mahdfel weren’t known for being the love ‘em and leave ‘em types. They were all in, for life. There were no casual hookups with the sexy alien warriors. She wasn’t falling for sexy alien tricks.
She just didn’t understand why this particular alien was fixated on her. It made no sense. She didn’t feel threatened by him. Despite all the bad things people said about the Mahdfel, everyone agreed that they pampered their mates. People never heard stories about being kidnapped and locked in a basement, or even being married against your will.
Other than the mandatory testing once a year, whether you like it or not.
If anything, Earth’s government was the bad guy here.
The alert on her comm unit chimed, letting her know to head back to the shuttle. Sonia had turned off the main road and found herself on a side street. Residential and down in the heels, from the looks of it. She had no idea where she was, and it didn’t seem good. The steward on the shuttle that morning cautioned passengers not to stray too far from the touristy areas. Certain neighborhoods were rough.
At the time, Sonia chalked it up to bougie nonsense. Now that the sun had slipped behind the buildings and the shadows seemed to swallow up the light, her bougie butt regretted not paying attention.
The map on the comm unit told her the port was on the other side of town. Honestly, all she had to do was look up. The massive cruise ship hung in the sky like a star. According to the map, the most direct route was through a park. With the sun setting fast, she didn’t want to walk through an unfamiliar and potentially poorly lit park. The alternative was to backtrack and keep to the main roads, but she didn’t have enough time. Maybe a taxi? Yeah, not in this neighborhood.
Sonia looked at the park and then down the empty road, weighing her options. Her alien was gone. Apparently, he got bored following her or maybe found someone knew to harass.
Fuck it. A brisk walk in the park sounded like a good idea.
Bad idea. Such a bad idea.
CALDAR
Terrans were impossible. Fragile and easily breakable, they seemed to have no idea how vulnerable they were. And stubborn, especially when you told them how vulnerable and fragile they were.
This Terran in particular, Sonia, was more stubborn than most.
He followed her through the twisting lanes of the picturesque seaside village. She marched with a determination and purpose he couldn’t help but admire. There was much to admire about her physical form.
Her complexion was a rich bronze that glowed in the sun. She kept her hair shorn on the sides in the style of a warrior, with long curls on top. Sometimes she decorated her curls with a colorful wax that smelled subtly of Earth fruits. Most intriguing were her eyes. They expressed every thought and emotion. In a certain light, they flashed with gold flecks. They were sharp and intelligent, and he desperately wanted them to soften with affection when they looked at him. Better still was the strength in her voice when she told Caldar all the ways she disliked him.
This was a female worth winning.
The streets grew gradually dingier and narrower. The buildings sagged with age, seemingly slouched against each other for support. His female did not notice, nor did she notice the curious eyes watching her.
So long as they only watched.
He followed at a distance, ready to be at her side in an instant if needed.
His female had made it very clear that she loathed him. Which was unfair, in his opinion, as she did not know him. He was used to being loathed. A male with his skills—lying, manipulation, and generally being a scoundrel—did not win him many friends. Or any. He didn’t need friends.
The Mahdfel clans would have nothing to do with him publicly, but he was too useful to ostracize entirely. He was the dirty, necessary secret, gathering information, strategizing, and placing players on the battlefield.
The metaphorical battlefield. He had been in battle for some time. At his age, most males would consider teaching the younger generation of warriors or retiring to be with their mates, perhaps raise a family.
Caldar wasn’t quite ready to call himself decrepit and throw himself out an airlock just yet. He had debts to repay and wrongs to right, starting with this stubborn female.
His female frowned at her comm unit. Glancing around, she crossed the street and entered a darkened park. He followed.
CHAPTER2
SONIA
Sonia knew she made a mistake.The atmosphere grew still, the underlying tension just waiting to explode.
She kept to the path, walking swiftly as she scanned the bushes for trouble. Weak lamps created dots of illumination, brief islands of safety from the advancing darkness.
