Page 5 of Charmed by the Alien Warrior (Spirit Mates of the Laediriian Exiles #2)

Mara

“Do you think it’s a good idea for the humans to accompany you?” At the chief’s question, my gaze flicks to the man seated a few places away.

Not that my gaze hasn’t already been drawn to him countless times since this meeting began. Sorrin stands out in any room he’s in. He’s tall—like all of the Laediriians I’ve met—but there’s something about the way he carries himself, a kind of easy confidence that’s hard to ignore. Unlike the others, who are usually solemn or focused, Sorrin almost always looks as if someone has just whispered the funniest joke ever in his ear.

And right now, that infuriating smile of his is aimed directly at me.

It’s big and unapologetically goofy, stretching across his sharp, angular face. His fangs glint in the sunlight spilling through the small windows of the cramped room, and his stone-gray eyes gleam with mischief. It’s the kind of smile that makes me certain he’s up to something—or daring me to guess what’s going on in that maddeningly smug head of his.

I frown and clench my fingers together in my lap. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s to never trust a man who smiles like that. They’re always trouble. They might be charming and a good time to be around, but they leave pain in their wake.

And Sorrin? With a smile that big, he’s probably heaps of trouble.

As if to confirm my suspicions, his smile grows wider when he notices the deepening frown on my face. My pulse skips a beat, and I clench my jaw, silently daring him to say whatever smug thought is dancing behind his eyes.

As the leader of the search mission, he could probably get me kicked off the team, and I wonder for a second if that’s what he’s going to do.

His gaze shifts to the chief, who waits for his answer.

“I think having the humans along will be beneficial,” Sorrin says, his voice warm and smooth making something flutter low in my belly. “They can speak the human language and will be able to reassure the others when we find them.”

It doesn’t escape my attention that he says when we find them not if we find them, and I wonder if he’s really that confident that we’ll be able to find the other ship that crashed. And that they’re actually still alive.

I glance away, my thoughts turning over the possibilities. Could we actually track down the missing ship? I haven’t seen much of this planet, but from what I have seen, it’s an endless stretch of unspoiled nature with thick jungles and deadly predators. It’s going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

“Then, its settled.” Chief Daggir’s voice cuts through my thoughts. The room quiets as his gaze sweeps over the group. His eyes harden when they pass over the angry, old guy, Jaran. “The eponirs’ mating season will be at an end soon. You will leave as soon as they have returned to the village.”

Eponirs? Uh-oh. I haven’t seen them, yet, because the mounts are released every year during their breeding season to do what animals do, but I’ve heard the Laediriians wax lyrical about them. They’re massive animals that sound as if they’re somewhere between a mammal and a reptile, and the tribe uses them for travelling over long distances. The thought of riding one of those creatures makes my stomach churn. But the chief’s words settle heavily over me for another reason entirely.

This is really happening.

I swallow hard as reality crashes over me. Soon, I’ll leave the safety of the village and my friends, and I’ll venture out into an alien world filled with unimaginable dangers—dinosaurs, warring tribes, and who-knows-what-else lurking in the shadows.

Still, beneath the anxiety bubbling in my chest, there’s something else—something I haven’t felt in a long time. Excitement.

Because for once, I won’t just be the cautious, safety-conscious one watching from the sidelines. I’ll be part of the action.

I’m going to have an adventure. And while I’m out there, I’m going to find a way off this planet.

Whatever it takes.

***

Jesus Christ, what the hell was I thinking?

I must have been insane when I volunteered for this mission. Literally insane. Hell, we don’t even know if there are more humans on Laedirissae, let alone where to find them.

The four locations Vrenner gave us are really just estimates of where the ship possibly could have come down. And here I am volunteering to accompany five aliens, who I only just met, and go wandering off on a strange planet.

If I was back on Earth and heard someone had similar plans, I’d be shaking my head at their stupidity. This violates every single safety rule that I’ve followed since I was nineteen. Every rule that I taught my sister to follow.

So, why am I doing it?

It’s that urge that’s been building inside of me since I was abducted. No, since long before then. That little voice inside me that whispers, “Do something.” I’ve always been a good big sister. The diligent one. The cautious one.

Hell, I became my sister’s guardian when I was nineteen. A literal teenager. Overnight, I went from late night study sessions and movie dates with my boyfriend to consoling a fragile twelve-year-old. We went from being a normal family to joining a club no one ever wants to belong to. I had to grow up fast. Too fast.

There was never any choice for me. I couldn’t lose Maddie too, my last family member. It wasn’t an option. So, I threw myself into raising her, even though I had no idea what I was doing half the time.

I had to get a full-time job and figure out adult things like insurance and bills. Those first few years were hard. Crappy jobs. Side-eyes when I pulled out an EBT card. Whispers when people would realize whose daughter I was.

But none of it mattered. I kept going, and we survived. And when I look at my sister now—strong, brilliant, and so her —I know every bit of it was worth it.

But now...

If there’s one thing Mom’s death and this abduction have taught me, it’s that life can change in a heartbeat. A phone call, a flash of light, and suddenly, the whole world is upside down. And now here I am, getting ready to leave for an adventure I never could have even dreamed of. In just minutes, I’ll leave behind the safety of the walled-in village for the unknown of this new world.

“I really wish you weren’t going.” Rose says, a worried frown stretching across her face.

She’s the mother hen of our group, the one who has been a friend to everyone and boosted our spirits even in the darkest moments. Ever since she revealed her pregnancy to us on the ship, her maternal instincts have seemed to only intensify.

Glancing up as I check my satchel one last time, I reply softly, “I know, but I have to. What if there are other women out there? They’re probably terrified.”

“It’s been nearly two weeks since we crashed. They’re probably a lot more than terrified. They’re probably dead,” Crystal says bluntly, giving voice to the unspoken fear at the back of my mind.

A tense silence falls over the group, and I know we’re all thinking the same thing. If there were other women on the spaceship and they crashed on this planet, then they faced the same dangers we have. But unlike us, they didn’t have a bunch of fierce warriors show up to save the day.

The warriors approach then, their mounts trailing behind, and I gulp at the sight of the massive eponirs. Somehow they’re worse than anything I could have imagined.

While the tribe uses the eponirs as transportation over long distances, just like we did in the past with horses, they’re bigger than any equine I ever remember seeing on Earth. Their bodies are covered in coarse dark brown fur, while their faces and long spiked tails are lined in green scales. A sharp, spiraled horn juts from each animal’s forehead, and their glowing red eyes seem to see straight through me. Even from here, I can make out the sharp, cloven hooves of their feet as they silently move towards us.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Crystal mutters. “How many monsters does this planet have?”

“I think they’re cute. Kind of like unicorns,” Aria says, stepping closer.

I blink, taking another look. The horns do give them a unicorn vibe—if unicorns were crossed with lizards and looked like they would eat you in one bite.

Slowly, over the last couple of days the eponirs have returned from their mating season, sedately trotting up to the village gates. I eye the red gaze of the nearest eponir as it studies me, then looks away as if dismissing me. Somehow, I don’t think they’re quite as sedate as they appear.

Draggar joins the warriors, speaking quietly to them, as they check the saddles on the back of their mounts’ backs. Every so often, he glances over at Haley, and they exchange one of those secret smiles that seem to say more than words ever could.

It’s weird, but nauseatingly sweet, too.

Crystal breaks the moment with a teasing roll of her eyes. “Get a room,” she calls out, her voice laced with a thread of teasing exasperation.

Haley’s laughter rings out, her face turning bright red as if she’s been caught doing something illicit. Her hand goes to her chest, and I’m immediately reminded of something she told us on the journey from our crashed ship to the village—after one of the many times, she and Draggar snuck off for some alone time in the jungle.

She explained how the amoris bond supposedly works, how it ties two people together, allowing them to feel each other’s emotions. At the time, it sounded like a fairy tale, like the kind of nonsense designed to make hopeless romantics swoon.

But as I watch her now, sharing another look with Draggar that’s so heated I feel like I should look away, doubt creeps in. A small part of me wonders what would the bond feel like? To be connected to someone so deeply, to know and be known in a way that is beyond anything I’ve ever heard of?

Could the amoris bond be real?

I shake my head. No, things like spirit mates and love at first sight and amoris bonds don’t exist. They can’t exist.

Still, the way she lights up under Draggar’s gaze, the way his softens when he looks at her—it stirs something uneasy in my chest.

Oblivious to my inner turmoil, Haley beams at Draggar again and crosses to stand next to him. He murmurs something too quiet for me to hear, and she laughs, the sound carefree and happy.

Two things I haven’t been in a long time.

My grip tightens on my satchel. This isn’t the time to get caught up in fairy tales or wistful daydreams. We have a mission ahead, and that’s where my focus needs to be.

Around us, the other girls move closer to the animals, their curiosity overriding their caution. Laughter and gasps of amazement echo through the space as they admire the creatures from what they probably consider a safe distance.

Only Crystal and I remain where we are, the sound of the others fading into the background.

“So,” Crystal says, lowering her voice. “All that talk about saving the other women is great, but come on, you and I both know why you’re really going.”

I frown. “We do?”

“Yeah.” She glances over at the others, then lowers her voice. “You’re like me. You don’t trust these guys as far as you can throw them. You want to scope out the planet—maybe even find a way off. They claim they came here on a spaceship but conveniently can’t leave? Bullshit.”

I snort. “Agreed. Their ancestors built all this tech, but we’re supposed to believe they’re stranded? It doesn’t make sense.” I huff out a breath and shake my head.

Crystal smirks. “Exactly. So, go play hero, but don’t forget why you’re really out there. And for God’s sake, don’t let one of these guys sweet-talk you into becoming his mate.” She holds out something to me, and I immediately recognize it.

It’s a piece of metal from the wreckage of our ship, sharpened to a point on one end and with a length of fabric wrapped around the other to form a shiv.

“Here.” She places the fabric wrapped handle in my hand. “You might need it.”

And with that she walks off, moving to where the others are.

Before long, the warriors are through saddling their mounts and I realize it’s time to go. I feel my chest tighten. These women have become my family in every way that matters. We’ve been through so much together, and now I’m leaving them behind to go off on what might be a wild goose chase.

Haley steps away from Draggar and throws her arms around me in a warm hug. “Relax and don’t worry so much,” she says softly. “And try to enjoy the trip, okay? Laedirissae is beautiful.”

Beautiful? I don’t know about that. On the grueling trek to the village, all I remember seeing was an endless blur of trees and rocks. But I bite back the reply hovering on my tongue and nod, squeezing her a little tighter in return.

Behind me, I can hear the deep rumble of the warriors’ voices and the sound of someone—probably him —chuckling at something.

I pull back from Haley and, as casually as possible, glance over my shoulder. Sure enough, Sorrin is nearby, his broad frame relaxed, his face lit up with a grin as he jokes with Vrenner. The sight of it—of him —is enough to twist something I can’t quite name in my chest.

“I’ll try,” I mutter, still watching him out of the corner of my eye. “But I don’t know how I’m supposed to relax when the village fool is leading this mission.”

Haley’s lips twitch like she’s holding back a laugh. “I think he’s kind of charming.”

I scoff at her. “Yeah, well, so was Ted Bundy.”

She rolls her eyes at me before moving back to stand beside her mate, leaning against him as he nods at me and says, “I wish you a swift and successful journey, Mara.”

My other friends follow suit one by one, wrapping me and Isabella in their arms and telling us to hurry back and be careful. Then, I’m left standing in front of my sister.

Before I can open my mouth and announce that I’ve changed my mind and I’m not going, Maddie anticipates what I’m about to do. She shakes her head and says, “Don’t you dare. Go out there and have an adventure. You deserve it.” She leans forward, her eyes dancing. “And if one of the big teal guys wants to be your mate, jump on him.”

A strangled sound emerges from my throat. “No thanks.” I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks and I quickly glance over to the “big teal guys” only to see Sorrin looking right back at me, his cocky gaze meeting mine as if in challenge. Ugh. I roll my eyes and turn back to my sister.

Maddie pulls me into a tight hug, whispering into my ear, “Just come back, sis. I can’t lose you, too. I love you.”

Her arms cling to me for a moment before she leans back. Unshed tears glisten in her green eyes. Eyes that are so much like my own. So much like our mom’s. I almost change my mind right then. Maddie and I have barely gone a single day without seeing or at least talking to each other for the last thirteen years.

But this is something that I feel like I need to do deep in the marrow of my bones. And as important as Maddie is to me, this is important, too. I need to help the other women if they’re out there, and I need to see for myself if there is some way off this planet.

“I will, Mad. I promise, and I always keep my promises, right?” I ask her, and a smile briefly flashes across her face before it’s gone. I give her another squeeze and whisper, “I love you, too.”

Then, it’s time to go and I move closer to the jumble of warriors and eponirs with trepidation, my heart racing in my throat.

Up close, the animals are taller than I expected, but then I guess they’d have to be to carry the large warriors. My head only comes halfway up to the animal’s chest, and I wonder how on Earth I’m going to climb on top of the beast.

Before I can look around or ask, two strong hands firmly grasp me around my waist, and I suck in a breath as I’m effortlessly deposited on top of the animal and into the strange flat saddle on its back.

The eponir snorts as a big body settles behind me and I’m engulfed in a cloud of heat as the warrior’s body presses too close against my back. My muscles freeze and I clutch at the front of the saddle trying to put more distance between us when I hear the deep rumble of the warrior’s voice as he gives the order to head out.

Shit. It’s Sorrin. That’s just what I need, stuck on a weird prehistoric unicorn with him .

This is going to be a long trip.