Page 13 of Charmed by the Alien Warrior (Spirit Mates of the Laediriian Exiles #2)

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 as fast 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.

Suddenly, he disappears and the dream morphs again as the ground beneath me gives way, and I'm falling, plummeting into an endless void of nothingness. I scream as loud as I can, but the sound is swallowed by the darkness, disappearing just like I fear I’m about to. Just as the void is about to consume me, a hand reaches out and grabs onto me, pulling me back from the brink. I look up and see Sorrin, his gray eyes boring into mine.

“Mara!” I can hear his voice calling my name, but his lips don’t move. “Mara!”

“Mara.” Sorrin’s voice breaks through the nightmare, gentle yet insistent.

I jerk awake with a gasp.

The cave’s cool, damp air is a stark contrast to the suffocating heat of my nightmare. My breath comes in ragged gulps, and my heart races as I try to shake off the remnants of the dream. The soft glow of the moss on the cave walls casts eerie shadows, but the familiarity of the bioluminescent light comforts me.

Even more comforting is the man beside me.

My gaze shifts, and I realize Sorrin’s face is just inches from mine. His gray eyes are wide with worry. This close to him, I notice that his irises aren’t solid gray—there are little flecks of gold around the center, and they almost seem to grow larger as I stare.

“Mara?” His voice is a gentle rumble that echoes through me. He shifts closer, his presence a healing balm in the aftermath of the nightmare that still echoes in my mind.

“I’m fine,” I whisper through stiff lips. Wiping a trembling hand across my damp forehead, I take a deep breath in an attempt to steady my breathing. “It was just a dream.”

He studies me for a moment, his gaze piercing in the dim light as if he doesn’t really believe me. Finally, he asks, “Do you want to talk about it?”

I shake my head. “Not right now.”

The last thing I want is to relive that terror, even in words. I don’t want to even think about it right now. Instead, I force myself to focus on the present, and that’s when I notice that as we’ve talked, I’ve moved closer to Sorrin until my front is almost pressed against him.

Heat pours off of him, and even though I’m still covered in perspiration from the nightmare, I want to burrow against his warmth and soak it in. I want to let it— him— relax and soothe me.

That realization sends a flush to my cheeks, but instead of pulling back like I know I should, I hesitate. Sorrin doesn’t move, doesn’t even breathe, as if he’s waiting for me to decide what happens next. And after the nightmare I just had, the patience and restraint he’s showing is all it takes.

Before I can second-guess myself, I close the gap between us and press my mouth against his. His lips are firm and full against mine. At first, he stiffens, then ever so slowly, I feel the tension leave his frame like he’s exhaling a breath.

At first, his lips don’t move against mine, but eventually they grow bolder. But still, he lets me set the pace. He doesn’t take control and turn the kiss into a duel for dominance like so many men would. It’s sweet and just what I need right now to quiet the chaos in my head.

My lips linger on his as I pour the remnants of my nightmare into the kiss. Finally, with a whimper, I pull back, my heart pounding for reasons that have nothing to do with bad dreams.

When I look up and meet his eyes, I notice the gold flecks have expanded, crowding out the gray, until his irises look as if they’re on fire. His mouth hangs open in an expression of awe. And I’m reminded that this is possibly his first kiss ever, and a glow of warmth seems to settle in my chest.

But eventually, those same old feelings of fear and self-doubt that seem to follow me around like a cloud begin to hammer at my brain.

“I… I didn’t mean to.” My words come out shaky with the raw emotions that are still rampaging through me. “I don’t know what came over me.”

“Nor did I, but I do not regret it.” Sorrin’s grin flashes as he continues, “Or any future kisses.”

I let out a small disbelieving laugh and roll my eyes, but I can’t be annoyed with him. Not when he’s flashing that heart-stopping, mischievous grin that I’m actually starting to like. Kind of.

It’s strange how such a soft, gentle, and short kiss could leave me feeling so odd. So different and changed. There’s an ache in my chest telling me to pull him to me and kiss him again, but I ignore it. Instead, I shift backwards and turn my focus away from him and to the cave entrance.

Outside, the weak, gray light of dawn is already filtering through the dense canopy of the jungle. I clear my throat. “How long will it take us to reach the Ancestors’ Ship?”

Sorrin eyes me for another moment, then finally he answers, “A day and a half of travel. We should reach it sometime tomorrow before the moons rise.”

I nod, and glance over at him. “Then, we should probably get moving soon.”

He grunts in agreement but hesitates, his gaze flicking back to me. “Are you sure you’re all right? If you need to, we can return to the village.”

My first instinct is to snap at him. To question if he thinks I’m weak, if he’s going to pressure me into giving up my plans, but I know his question is coming from a place of concern for me.

Instead, I sigh and say, “I’m fine, now. Really, I am. I just want to try to forget it for now and move on, okay?”

He eyes me for another long silent moment, his gaze searching mine for what I’m not sure, before he finally nods as if satisfied. Then, with a groan that somehow seems to settle inside me, he stands and stretches, his movements fluid and unhurried as he moves outside as if to give me time to gather myself.

Once he’s gone, I take a deep breath and rise to my feet.

After that, it doesn’t take us long to eat a quick meal of fresh bilb berries Sorrin found on a vine before we’re ready to leave. I run my hands over the large knife he gave me last night before sliding it into the sheath that I’ve fastened around my waist. I don’t know how he knew that having an actual weapon, not just a makeshift shiv, would make me feel better, safer, but it does.

I can feel the tension and fear that has been following me around for days—no, weeks, maybe years—release a little bit, and for a brief moment, I wonder if it’s the weapon or the man walking tall and confident beside me.

And for the first time, I actually take a few minutes to look around and enjoy my surroundings, and I finally understand what Haley has talked about. About how this planet may be dangerous, but it has a wild, untamed beauty that is gut-punching.

Early morning light filters through the dense foliage, casting a golden glow over everything. The jungle around us is waking up, the air alive with the sounds of chirping insects and rustling leaves. Large vibrantly red pinecone-like things hang from some of the taller trees. A brightly feathered bird that looks like a cross between a parrot and flamingo sits on a nearby limb, its eyes glued to us. The Laediriians call the birds psittas, and usually they hang out in large flocks looking for insects to devour.

Sorrin quickly takes the lead, his arrogance—no, confidence—and experience a silent reassurance. I follow closely behind, and before long the terror that had such a strong hold on me earlier is gone. Instead, it’s replaced with determination.

We have a mission. I have a mission, and I can’t afford to let fear hold me back from completing it. Not when there’s so much at stake. Not when there are people counting on me.

***

As we walk through the day, the foliage of the jungle thins, and the ground grows rockier. Dark gray boulders dot the landscape and the ground is covered in small pebbles. We stop a few times for breaks, to fill the waterskin and eat more bilb berries that are delicious, energizing, and always seem to be easy to find on Laedirissae.

It’s just as I’ve stepped behind one of the boulders for a pee break that I hear a sharp, rattling noise that instantly puts me on edge. I freeze in place, my eyes darting around wildly as I try to find the source of the sound.

“Sorrin!” I hiss.

Before I can even blink, he’s there in front of me, his skin flickering colors until it quickly settles on a mottled gray color to blend in with the land around us. His sword is drawn and he grips it with firm hands.

“Don’t move, Mara.” He whispers out of the corner of his mouth, his eyes fastened on a large stone situated nearby.

A stone that is moving. My eyes widen in disbelief. A fucking rock is moving. Just when you think you’ve seen everything.

“It’s a stonelurker.” Sorrin voice carries back to me.

A stonelurker? I watch as the creature unfolds itself until it’s standing. It has three legs and matte, coarse dark gray skin that ripples as it moves unsteadily across the ground. Then, with a swish, it turns and I realize its back was to us.

Its eyes, numerous and multifaceted like those of a fly, glitter in the sunlight. Its mouth opens, revealing rows of sharp, stone-like teeth, and behind it, a thick spiked tail twitches, sending out that same warning rattle that I heard just moments before.

Sorrin’s stance shifts slightly as he prepares for the attack. “Stay back,” he commands, his voice steady and calm, and not for the first time, I wonder if anything really ruffles him.

Oh, wait. Yeah, he didn’t really like Zahrik.

The stonelurker lunges at Sorrin with surprising speed, its three legs propelling it forward with a force that seems impossible for something its size. Now that it’s standing up, it’s nearly two feet taller than Sorrin, but it doesn’t matter.

Sorrin moves with practiced ease, advancing and sidestepping the creature’s attack before bringing his sword down in a powerful arc. The blade glances off the stonelurker's tough hide, sending a shower of sparks into the air.

The creature roars in fury, its movements becoming more erratic as dark green fluid that I realize is blood oozes out of the deep cut. It rears back on one leg, allowing it to bring two of its legs up. Sharp, dagger-like claws protrude from its feet.

Sorrin dodges a swipe of its claws, then lunges forward, driving his sword into a vulnerable spot. The stonelurker shrieks, a horrible, ear-piercing sound and thrashes wildly.

But Sorrin holds his ground, using his strength and agility to stay ahead of the creature’s frenzied attacks. He ducks under a swing of its tail and brings his sword down again, this time with a lethal strike that pierces through the stonelurker's soft underbelly.

With a final, convulsive shudder, the stonelurker collapses to the ground.

Sorrin pulls his sword free and steps back, breathing heavily but otherwise unscathed. He turns to me and his eyes seem to be lit from within by a smoldering golden glow as they rake over me. I can’t stop myself. With a cry, I launch myself at him.

He catches me, his sword clattering to the ground as he wraps his thick arms around me. Shudders run through me as I’m enveloped in warmth and a spicy scent that is all his own. I don’t know why I’m doing this, but I can’t help it.

His large hands run up my back soothing me and within minutes, the tumultuous emotions running through me subside and I’m left with a low simmer of desire that settles inside me. Wait…desire? For Sorrin? No.

I jerk back and push away from the big man who only seconds before held me so gently. “I… I’m just glad you’re okay.” I can’t meet his eyes, that gaze that has so often infuriated me with its laughing twinkle. My eyes drop to the ground.

Sorrin chuckles. “If I had known this is all it took to have you in my arms, I would have found a stonelurker to battle days ago.”

I roll my eyes at him, then turn to study the creature. It’s spiked tail twitches, and I take a cautious step back. “Is it dead?”

Sorrin nods, wiping his sword on the leaves from a tree before sheathing it. “Yes, it will have involuntary spasms for a while, but the beast won’t trouble us anymore.” His eyes meet mine, concern flickering in their depths. “Are you alright?”

I nod, though my heart is still racing. “Yeah. I just… didn’t expect that.”

“Neither did I,” Sorrin admits, his lips tilting up, before he glances back curiously at the dead creature. “The Pugj brought stonelurkers with them when they arrived, and like our enemy they live at high elevations. I’ve never seen one out of the mountains.” His gaze rises and he stares out at our surroundings as if he’s studying them closely. “Curious things are happening.” He looks back at me, his gaze roving over me from head to toe and leaving behind a trial of warmth. “Very curious things.”

A shiver goes through me as our eyes lock, then I remember his words. If there’s one here, then there might be more.

“Do you think there are anymore out there?” I gaze fearfully around, eyeing each and every stone, small and large, with suspicion.

Wait, did that one just twitch? Or was it my imagination?

Sorrin shakes his head, a carefree smile once again on his face. “No. Stonelurker’s are solitary creatures and territorial. Even among their own kind. They avoid each other. There won’t be another anywhere near this one.”

Relieved, I follow him as we press on, but the encounter with the stonelurker lingers in my thoughts. Laedirissae is full of surprises, both beautiful and terrifying.

Despite my longing for the safety and familiarity of Earth, I can’t help but feel drawn to the wild, alien magnificence of this place. And the man beside me.