Page 4 of Charmed by the Alien Warrior (Spirit Mates of the Laediriian Exiles #2)

Sorrin

The smile that usually graces my face dims and I wonder for a moment if I have done something to upset the female named Mara. But then I shrug. The humans are strange, and their ways are unlike anything I’ve ever encountered in my life.

They are not like us Laediriians. Not like the males of our species or the females who ceased to exist generations ago. Which is understandable since they are not even from our galaxy. But that does not lessen my confusion at their strangeness.

And, if I am honest with myself, it does not lessen my fascination either.

Their dull coloring should seem lackluster when compared to the vibrant hues of our skin. But instead, it only seems to highlight the softness of their features, the delicate roundness of their faces. Their skin, devoid of the camouflage abilities and protective ridges of my people, looks impossibly smooth, almost fragile. The round orbs on their chests and the plump curves of their backsides are peculiar, yet my eyes are drawn to them as though by some unseen force.

It is a most curious feeling, and one which I am not really accustomed to.

Our females were nothing like these humans. Not that I have ever seen a Laediriian female in person—they perished long before my time. But I have seen illustrations of them in the manuscripts that are stored on the Ancestor’s Ship. They were tall like the males of our kind with bodies roped with muscles and ridges. Their chests, flat except when nurturing kitlings, were a practical design by nature, devoid of the unnecessary softness the humans possess. The humans appear frail and sickly in comparison.

And yet, my gaze seeks the humans out. Or, more truthfully, one human in particular.

Mara.

She is a soft being with hair that almost appears to change colors – brown like the fur of a dicro, but with flames of red when the sunlight hits her mane. Exactly like the fire in her spirit that she keeps tightly banked. Her rounded eyes sparkle green like the fluttering of leaves on a warm day when I’ve spied her laughing with the other humans. But in quiet moments, her lively eyes darken and become distant as if she has been transported somewhere far away.

When the small female raised her hand and volunteered to assist in the search for the other humans, I was surprised, but I shouldn’t have been.

Despite their soft frames, these humans harbor strength and tenacity that I admire. Draggar, the first warrior of our tribe, is mated to one of the females, and he has recounted tales of Haley facing down a tiniio, one of the many beasts on our planet, armed only with a rock and a small stick.

I was part of the group sent to the humans’ crashed vessel. A shudder runs through me when I think of the scene we found when finally reached the wreckage, to discover the females crowded inside and bravely fending off two viscious anurois with small spears. If my fellow warriors and I had arrived even a moment later, the foul beasts would have torn them apart.

Yet, I do not think Mara likes me or the people of my tribe very much. She watches us with distrust, as if she expects us to turn our swords on her at any moment. But that would be unthinkable. Does she not know we would lay down our lives to protect her? That no warrior in our tribe would dare harm her?

Even though these females are not of our species, they are a part of our tribe, now. We will honor them as we would have honored our own females had they survived. That is our way.

Pushing my thoughts aside, I quickly make my way back to the center of the village, heading to the chief’s hut. As I step inside the council room, Draggar, seated at the far end of the table beside his mate, waves me over. His usual stoic expression is softened, his silver eyes briefly flicking toward me and then the doorway behind me, as if he is counting how many warriors have arrived.

I stride to his side, nodding to a few of the other males gathered around the long table. Most of the volunteers are already present, along with two of the elders who serve on the Council. Haley sits beside her mate, her small figure relaxed as she leans her head close to the female beside her, their whispered words reaching my ears.

“Something’s going on with Em,” Isabella, the other human says.

“You arrive with the shadow of the chief, Sorrin,” Draggar murmurs as I sink down onto my seat beside him.

“I arrive when I mean to,” I reply with a grin.

His jaw tightens with irritation, and he leans closer to me. “You joke, but this is not a routine hunt. There is more to this than you know.” His voice is low and clipped as if he doesn’t want anyone to hear his words.

“More? Are we expecting anurois to be waiting to ambush us? Or a herd of tiniio?”

Draggar’s gaze darts around us to ensure no one else is listening, then back to me. “I believe there’s a traitor in our tribe.”

The grin slips from my face. “A traitor? Working with the Pugj?”

“And the Tussoll,” he says grimly, “perhaps even the Xeniiv.”

My muscles tense at his words.

We only recently learned that the Pugj have become friendly with one of our neighboring tribes, the Tussoll. And we have no idea why, but it can be nothing good.

The Tussoll, formerly our allies, have helped to spread lies about our tribe that we have been poisoning the land of a different tribe to starve them. Draggar found out about it when he came upon a desperate young Xeniiv hunter poaching on our territory because there was no food on his own land with the newly appointed chief of the that tribe spending a lot of time with the Tussoll. And now, with the arrival of the humans, it seems like the strange goings-on on this planet are escalating.

I frown, my mind racing. The idea of a Laediriian betraying their own kind is unthinkable, and yet Draggar wouldn’t say something like this unless he was certain. The Laediriian code of honor is taught to every kitling from the moment they can walk. Loyalty to the tribe, to our people, is sacred. To betray that is to betray our ancestors. Then again, I never thought any of our people would ally themselves with our enemies, and they have.

“Do you have proof?”

“Not yet,” he admits, his face hardening. “But I have suspicions, and—”

The door creaks open, cutting him off. The seer, Jaran, enters with his son, and they silently take their seats. Draggar’s gaze tracks their movements, lingering on them for a moment too long before snapping back to me.

His voice drops even lower. “Until I can confirm who it is, I need you to keep your eyes open. Watch everyone—especially the elders. This mission may be more dangerous than we realize.”

“Does Daggir know?” I ask quietly.

Draggar nods. “That’s why he’s sending a small group on this mission—volunteers only. He wants to minimize the risk of information leaking to the enemy.”

“I’ll keep watch,” I promise.

Draggar nods, his eyes narrowing. “Good. And don’t let your fascination with the female distract you from the task.”

Heat rises to my neck, and I quickly straighten in my seat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

A soft snort escapes Draggar, his mouth tilting up at the corners in a smile. “You’re not as subtle as you think, Sorrin. Just keep your focus, and keep everyone safe. My mate will be upset if any of her friends are harmed. Which means I will be upset.”

Before I can respond, the door opens again, and my gaze is drawn to the figure slipping inside. Mara.

As she takes her seat beside the other two females, her green eyes sweep the room before landing on me. She looks away quickly, but I catch the faint pink flush that rises to her cheeks.

I shift uncomfortably in my seat, Draggar’s words lingering in my mind. A traitor among us. The thought is as foreign as the humans themselves, and yet now, I can’t help but study the faces around me more closely. Could it be Jaran, as Draggar’s actions implied?

He is one of Chief Daggir’s advisors, true, but he has shown no interest in the wellbeing of the humans. He is an older male, one of the tribe’s elders, but he is not a male I have ever been particularly fond of. A large male with a stout figure and a smile that always looks insincere on his face, he has a fondness for wearing bright blue tunics instead of the loincloths that are traditionally worn by Laediriians. Right now, a hearty smile is plastered across his face, but to me, it looks insincere.

Chief Daggir strides in, and the room grows quiet as he takes his place at the head of the table. His penetrating gaze sweeps around the table and for the first time, I notice his face is drawn with deep wrinkles at the edges of his eyes that I don’t remember being present last season.

“Thank you for coming.” The chief of our tribe is tall and broad, just like all of our warriors. His skin is no longer the vibrant teal color of a younger male, but it has faded to the gleaming silver of an elder with gray hair that is pulled back in a braid that lays over one broad shoulder.

“The task you will undertake is one of great urgency and importance. The humans...” He glances to the three females seated at the table, his gaze softening as he takes them in. “Are strangers on a world that is foreign to them. They are not accustomed to the perils of Laedirissae. They will need our assistance and our protection, and we will gladly give it to them.”

He pauses, then motions for Vrenner, our tribe’s tech, to take over the meeting.

Vrenner rises and unrolls a large map of the lands surrounding us across the table. “With Isabella’s assistance...” He nods to the dark-maned human who said she was something called a technophile on their planet, “I have managed to confirm a second object did enter our atmosphere, and we’ve narrowed it down to four possible locations for it to have crashed. The Vex Grasslands, the Bitter Forest, the Ancestors’ Ship, and the territory of the lost tribe.” He points to the appropriate spots on the map.

Haley clears her throat and asks, “I’m sorry, what is the lost tribe?”

Draggar answers her. “They are the Laediriian tribe that became extinct, my amoris.” He raises her hand to his lips and places a kiss on it. “No one has seen any males from the tribe in at least a generation. Their village lies abandoned almost two days journey from here, near the Ancestors’ Ship.”

Haley nods, then asks, “Didn’t we travel close to the Vex Grasslands?”

“We did, my amoris. There were no signs that a ship or anything had crashed, but the grasslands are large. Perhaps it crashed on the far side of them.”

Around us, some of the other warriors shift, and I can feel the restlessness and the yearning that runs through them. Because it runs through me as well. Until the arrival of the humans, the fate of our tribe would most likely echo that of the Lost Tribe. It has been generations with only males being produced by the artificial wombs our species uses to reproduce, and over time, there have been less kitlings born each year.

But now, there are females among our tribe, and with the return of the amoris bond, there is a renewed sense of hope for our future. A sense of hope that is almost palpable among the unmated males.

Never in any of our lives did we ever think we would have the chance for a mate, but now we have a chance at love and a future and the happiness that only comes from with an amoris mate.

My thoughts are interrupted as our chief leans forward and gestures to the clearly marked territories of the tribes nearest to us. “With fears of the Tussoll and possibly even the Xeniiv allying themselves with our enemies the Pugj, we cannot spare a large group of warriors to search for the ship, nor do we want to draw attention to our purpose. It wouldn’t do to leave the tribe and our village without adequate protection, which is why only five males will be going on this mission. Sorrin...” He nods to me, then to the other males. “Vrenner, Enosir, Yarik, Warrix.”

Mara clears her throat. “And me.” Her voice is quiet but firm as she speaks and her face flushes under the scrutiny of so many gazes.

The other human, Isabella, speaks up adding her voice. “Me, too.”

Our chief’s voice softens as he says, “Yes, and the two humans, Isabella and Mara…”

He opens his mouth to continue, but before he can, an ugly blustering noise interrupts his words and I watch as Jaran shoots to his feet.

His silver skin gleams with perspiration, and spittle flies from his mouth as he says, “This is insanity! We should not be seeking out these females! They are too weak and inferior to us. And they certainly should not be allowed to traipse around Laedirissae with our warriors. I see nothing good coming of this...” He practically spits out the next words, a sneer on his face. Next to him, his son, Vrok, nods his head in encouragement. “Alliance with these creatures.”

Gasps sound from the females at his words, and I can feel the other warriors in the room go still with tension.

Draggar shoots to his feet, his hands fisting at his sides. “Inferior? My mate is not inferior to anyone, especially you. She is the most wonderful being ever created with more courage in her tiny hands than you have in your whole body.” Haley latches on to his arm, trying unsuccessfully to pull him back down beside her.

The older male sputters in indignation, but I see fear flash through his eyes as he takes in the large angry warrior staring him down.

Daggir’s booming voice echoes around us. “Silence!” His hardened gaze takes in the two males, one of whom is his own son and the commander of his warriors, and eventually they both resume their seats.

He turns to Jaran, and with a long-suffering sigh, he says, “Your concern about the humans has been noted, but in this, we will have to disagree.” He glances back to his son and the human mate sitting beside him, “We all heard the tales about the strength of the amoris bond, and the devotion it inspires between mates, and it appears the bond between a Laediriian and a human is just as strong.”

His gaze swings back to the older male, “This tribe will honor and accept any humans who wish to join us. I think it is wise for one of the humans to accompany our warriors on this mission. We have no guarantee that the other females who might have crashed on our planet have been fitted with translator chips or that they will be able to understand our warriors. Having one of their own kind along who speaks their language will ease any concerns they have.”

At Daggir’s next words, Mara’s gaze moves to me, and I catch of brief flicker of vulnerability in her eyes before she masks it.

“What say you, Sorrin? I have decided you will lead this mission. Do you think it’s a good idea for the humans to accompany you?”