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

Mara

“I want to go.” I speak up, my voice stronger than I expected, and raise my hand high to make sure I’m seen in the small crowd that has gathered.

The group of aliens and humans goes silent, their eyes glued to me. Most of them look at me as if I've lost my mind. And maybe I have, but the chief of the Anuriix tribe, Daggir, only nods his head before moving on to ask for more volunteers.

Draggar, the chief's first warrior and son and mate to my friend, Haley, stands beside him with the usual unflinching, stoic expression on his broad face while Haley shoots me an encouraging smile. I try to return it, but it feels shaky.

Isabella elbows me in the side. “You’re really going?” She whispers, her brown eyes wide.

I nod, not trusting my voice.

She studies my face for a moment like she's searching for something. Whatever it is, she must find it because she lets out a determined huff and squares her shoulders.

"Then I'm going too.” Before I can respond, Isabella raises her hand high, just like I did, and calls out, “I want to go on the mission,too.”

What the hell are we doing?

I can't speak for Isabella, but the person I was back on Earth would not do something like this—volunteering to travel across a hostile planet, one that is teeming with deadly creatures and aliens, just to search for other humans that we aren't even sure are out there. Or still alive if they are.

The old Mara was cautious. Maybe too cautious.

I never ventured outside my comfort zone. I buried myself in work and crime statistics and bad memories to prove to myself that the world was a scary place and I was better off protecting myself. I was convinced that if I was prepared enough, I could control the chaos of the world.

Yeah, best laid plans, right?

None of those precautions kept me or my little sister safe. Not from the Zyfeliks, and not from being abducted and becoming one of the statistic I studied so closely. Just another missing woman who will never be found.

Hell, Maddie and I are probably being featured on a true crime podcast right now back on Earth—the tragic case of two sisters who vanished without a trace. How ironic is that?

Which is why I’m determined to be a new version of myself. The old one didn’t keep me safe, so it’s time for the new, improved version to get a shot. And let’s face it, I’ve learned a few things since being taken from Earth. Namely, that aliens fucking suck.

First the Zyfeliks abducted me and nine other humans, keeping us penned up in cells for days, and nearly starving us. All while they took us further away from Earth and ran tests to determine if we were quality merchandise .

Yeah, they were planning on selling us at an underground auction. Underground because apparently it violates intergalactic law to even have contact with humans, let alone steal us and sell us. That’s when something called the Alliance Force showed up. Rather than risk getting caught, the Zyfeliks dumped us like trash on the side of the road. They detached the cargo bay we were trapped in and sent it crashing down onto an uninhabited planet.

Except, Laedirissae isn’t uninhabited.

We quickly learned this planet is full of deadly wildlife, including creatures that look disturbingly like dinosaurs. Between the dinosaur-like predators lurking in the jungles and our meager supply of food and water, it was a fight to stay alive.

We appointed Haley as the leader of our ragtag group, and we were just starting to figure out a plan of sorts when she disappeared. We searched everywhere for her. We called her name until our throats were raw, but she was gone. It was like she was swallowed up by the jungle.

Turns out, Draggar—the big, teal-skinned alien warrior who looks at her with adoring eyes—found her, and claimed she was his spirit mate, his amoris. His tribe welcomed her and offered us sanctuary.

Not long after, Haley and a squad of Laediriians showed up to rescue us from two pterodactyl-like creatures that I now know are called anurois that had been harassing us for days.

I remember watching in awe as the nearly seven-foot-tall warriors effortlessly and gracefully fought against the oversized birds, ultimately winning. Their movements were a mesmerizing blend of strength and graceful elegance as their swords slashed through the air.

And one warrior in particular... he treated the deadly battle as if it was nothing more than a game. There was a fierce joy in the way he moved, muscles rippling under his bright skin and a gleam in his eyes as he dodged razor-sharp talons.

For a moment, it felt like time slowed to a crawl as my gaze locked onto him and I forgot how scared I was.

He was splattered with blood from the massive creatures, but the white flash of his fangs was clearly visible as he grinned. That's when I realized just how dangerous this planet is—and just how dangerous the Laediriians could be.

The Anuriix tribe might have saved us, but that doesn’t mean they’re our friends. I've seen too much and been burned too many times to trust them at face value.

Their sheer size, the imposing muscles that ripple under their teal skin, and the way Haley seemed to so quickly fall under Draggar’s spell haven’t exactly eased my suspicions.

I don’t trust them. Not one bit.

Yeah, they may have welcomed us into their village, offered food, shelter, and hospitality, but something feels off. They’re hiding something. I'm going to find out what it is, and I'm going to find a way off this planet.

Because I refuse to sit back and wait for the next disaster to strike.

Not again.

We’ve only been in the Anuriix village for a few days, and so far, it’s been a bizarre experience. Everything about this place feels like it’s teetering on the edge of two different worlds.

On one hand, their medical tech is so advanced it makes Earth’s hospitals look like Victorian bloodletters. I’m talking real miracle stuff like handheld scanners that can diagnose any issue within seconds and treatments that work faster than anything I’ve ever seen.

On the other hand, the village looks like it could be used in a medieval reenactment. Their houses are made of stone with rustic, wooden roofs. They cook over fires, and most of the buildings in the village don’t have electricity. The ones that do are powered by lunar and solar energy panels.

And they fight with swords. Like honest to goodness knight-in-shining-armor swords.

It’s hard to wrap my head around how they can be so advanced in some areas and so primitive in others. Which is why I think they’re hiding something. Maybe a spaceship that works and can transport a bunch of stranded humans back home.

I glance at the warriors standing at the front of the crowd, their sharp gazes scanning the elders and younger members in the village and, occasionally, us humans. My eyes are involuntarily drawn to one warrior in particular—Sorrin—and my gaze rakes over his muscular frame and his bright skin before I force myself to look away.

They’re all wearing loincloths—actual loincloths—made of dark blue leather. The material clings to their hips, barely covering what it needs to. Which I guess makes sense since we’re deep in what the tribe calls the hottest season—summer, I guess.

Against my will, my gaze flicks back to the warriors. The loincloths don’t leave much to the imagination, and if I’m being honest... well, bodybuilders back on Earth would have a serious inferiority complex if they saw these guys.

Not that I’m impressed or anything. I mean, I don’t trust the Laediriians as far as I can throw one of those massive swords they carry around. But I can still appreciate the view.

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, with blue-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 I will find out.

The sound of laughter interrupts my thoughts and I glance up, noting that the meeting has broken up and everyone is milling 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.