Karac: Kaldar Warriors #1 (19 page)

“If you want your question answered do not demand an answer.  Ask nicely.”  I enunciated.  “Anyways, it doesn’t matter anymore, does it?  I’m stuck here and not going home.”  I shot back at him.  He continued to scowl as he backed up and took out his hand computer.  The other two faded back into the hallway with Merrik.  I returned my attention to Kelly.  “So, what’s this about super hearing?”

“Oh, it’s part of their genetic makeup.  They have what we would consider super hearing and sense of smell.  It helps them a lot when they are in battle or scouting a new area.”

“I see.”  That would explain Karac overhearing my conversation with my parents yesterday. 

“You’ll get used to it.  Not much is secret with them around.  If you do want privacy, go in a different room and shut the door.  It will help but not completely.”

“Noted.”  I nodded. 

“So, what else have you been up to?”  Kelly asked curiously.  “I know the first few days can be kind of crazy while you adjust.”

“I’ve been wandering around the ship, with an escort of course.  Visited the sparring room, talked with my parents, hung out with Karac-“

“Wait,” Kelly held up her hands.  “You went to the sparring room?  And did you say you talked to your parents?”

“Uh, yeah.  I asked Karac to teach me self-defense in case I need it.  With all the guards all the time I felt like I should have the basics just in case.”

“I never thought of that.”  Kelly cocked her head to the side, thinking.  “I wonder if Diekt would show me a few moves.  Couldn’t hurt, right?”  She smiled.

“Right.”  I grinned. 

“And what was that about your parents?  How did you manage to speak with them?”

“Oh, that’s right.  I told Karac the only way I was leaving Earth was if I got to talk to my parents.  He agreed but mentioned that most of the females, well, us, aren’t allowed to call home.”

“He’s right.  I’ve been here six months and haven’t said a word to my family.”  Kelly had tears come to her eyes as she thought about her family.  I reached over and patted her hand.  I could understand how hard that would be.  If all the women faced this same challenge, then I had to do something to ease their pain. 

“I’ll work on him.  I asked already for him to change his rules but he’s worried about security.  He doesn’t want our Earth governments to know more about the Kaldarhns then what he apparently tells them.”

“I would appreciate it.”  Kelly sniffed, “I miss them a lot and I know many other women who would kill for a chance to talk to their family.”

“I promise.  I’ll get him to change his mind.”  I said forcefully. 

“Ok.  Thanks.”  Kelly smiled before taking a deep breath to pull herself back together.  “What else would you like to know?”

We spent the next hour talking, giggling, laughing and outright teasing the warriors in the other room.  Kelly was a blast to hang out with.  She eased my fears about making this big change and committing to Karac.  Yeah, it was a big step.  Leaving home, living with a warrior race, not to mention mating the heir to the throne…it was a lot to take in.  And yet, I already felt something for him, just as I knew he did for me.  Now, I just had to convince myself that it was the right thing to do.  We were just finishing up talking when the door whooshed up and drew our attention to the front entrance.  I locked eyes with a stormy faced Karac who strode over to me.  He reached down and pulled me to my feet.

“We are leaving.” 

“What?  Where?  Why?”  He waited a full second for me to slip my shoes on before he started back towards the door. 

“I need to speak with you back in our rooms.”  He pulled me behind him without a backward glance.  I looked over my shoulder to a worried looking Kelly and shrugged.  This “drag Ashley behind Karac” was becoming a daily occurrence.  Just before I was dragged out into the hall, I waved at Kelly.  Karac in a bad mood was nothing new to me, but my small wave seemed to alleviate some of the worry on Kelly’s face as she returned a small wave and smile. 

“I’ll talk to you soon!”  I yelled to her as Karac put distance between us and them.  I turned my attention back to Karac who was stomping up the hallway where everyone was jumping out of our way.  Merrik and the other guard were hot on our heels. 

“Karac, do you think you could let up and we could walk like normal people?”  I asked heatedly.  I was tired of being pulled along behind him.

“No,” was the clipped reply.  Rolling my eyes, I lengthened my stride to ease the pull from his hand.  Sooner than the ten minutes it took to get to Kelly’s, we were back in our private hallway and both Merrik and the other guard stopped midway down the hall.  I looked back at Merrik who wore an apologetic face, which had me thinking he had something to do with Karac’s current mood.  Karac pulled me through the door which whooshed shut behind us.  He let go of my hand and paced to the center of the room.  I couldn’t figure out why he was so upset.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”  He continued pacing without glancing at me. 

“Tell you what?”  I asked, confused. 

“That the boy you were living with asked you to marry him?”  Karac growled before he swung around and faced me head on.  He was livid but I could tell it wasn’t directed at me.  It was a good thing Nathan was a whole planet away. 

“How did you…Merrik.”  I growled.  That must have been what he was typing after he confronted me about Nathan.  Jerk must have informed Karac what I said.  Sighing, I asked, “Why does it matter?”

“Why does it matter?  Ashley, another male was vying for your attentions.  He was after MY MATE!”  He roared. 

“Well I’m not there anymore so it doesn’t matter.”  I crossed my arms in a defensive gesture.  I really didn’t see his point. 

“If you were there, and I was courting you on Earth, would it matter?”  He toned it down a little but was still louder than normal. 

“What do you mean?”  I hedged.

“If we were all on Earth and I tried to court you, would you have allowed me or was your heart already given to the boy?”  The question seemed important to Karac, but I couldn’t see how this would help us at all. 

“Nathan and I-“

“Did you love the boy or not?”  Karac demanded.

“No, all right!  I don’t love him.”  I yelled back.  Karac paused a beat.  There was a small measure of relief that crossed his face.  He scrubbed his hand over his face before asking his next question. 

“Why did he ask you to marry him, then?”  I could tell he was curious and wouldn’t let up until I answered him.  I sighed in frustration.  Rehashing a could-have-been relationship with a prospective relationship was just plain awkward.  I looked at the ground as I answered. 

“He said he cared for me.  Didn’t want to see me taken from home.  If I married him I could have come out of hiding and you wouldn’t have been able to take me.”  I replied softly.  A few seconds passed before Karac’s feet came into my view as he stopped in front of me. 

“You think a little thing like a marriage certificate would stop me from taking you?”  He asked, almost as softly.  My head snapped up. 

“You’re serious?”  I asked incredulously. 

“Damn straight.”  He nodded with force.  “If you had been married and I knew you were my mate, I would have moved mountains to get you up here with me.”

“What if I would have had a family?  Children?” 

“That is beside the point.  The gods wouldn’t be so cruel as to give us a mate that was already attached to another male, let alone have children.”

“So none of the warriors have found a woman that is their mate but already married?  Or has children?”

“Of course not.  We are only sorting through unmarried records.”

“But, Karac.  Some of the women down there could have been desperate when your edict came down.  I bet quite a few females would have just married anyone to stay with their family, even if they didn’t love them.  Some might even have children even if they weren’t wed.”

“They would deny the possibility that their truemate was among my warriors?”  Karac asked appalled.

“Is that really such a surprise?” I asked, thinking of the measures I went to so I wouldn’t get caught. 
And look how well that turned out.
  “How many registered in the first place?”

“15%.”  Karac growled, frustrated. 

“Only 15%?”  Even I was shocked by that number.  The media had kept a pretty tight lid on how many women had registered but I never imagined it would have been that low.  Sighing, he closed his eyes and nodded.

“Karac, you have to change your tactics.  If you want the woman of Earth to trust you, trust the warriors who come for them, you have to give them something in return.”  I pleaded. 

“What do you suggest?”  Karac, for once, seemed open for suggestions.  No way was I passing up this chance. 

“Let the women here talk to their families.  Explain what can and cannot be said over the com device.  Word of mouth will spread that women here are treated fairly and with respect.  I’m sure there are many women down there that would appreciate a safe place to live.  Or someone to love them.”

“You really think that would help?”  Karac sounded skeptical, but hopeful. 

“Absolutely.”  I responded confidently.  “I wouldn’t be surprised if you doubled the numbered registered within two months.”

“I have so many warriors that have yet to find their mate.”  Sighing, he closed his eyes and nodded.  “I’ll do it.”  I squealed in excitement which had Karac’s eyes popping open at me in surprise.  I launched myself at him and threw my arms around his neck.

“You won’t regret it.  I promise.”  I whispered in his ear before kissing his cheek.  He held me tightly, leaned back, and looked down at me.

“This still doesn’t clear you on not telling me about the boy.”  He scolded gently, but I could see the smile he was trying to hide. 

“Nathan.  His name is Nathan.”  I rolled my eyes. 

“Whatever.  Are you going to tell him that you will be mated to me?”  His arms tightened around me. 

“Does it matter?  You’ve already said I can’t go back.  I’m stuck here.  Or on your planet.”  I pulled out of his arms and took a few steps away.  I could see the hesitancy on his face. 

“We can visit.”  I looked at him sharply in surprise.

“What?”

“I won’t let you stay for an extended time,” he admitted quickly, reading the excitement on my face.   “We simply would not have the time for that.  But we can go visit your family in person for a few days.  After our mating is complete.”

“Really?”  I ask, hesitantly.

“Yes.  I always keep my word.”

“Oh, thank you.”  I threw myself back into his arms.  “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”  He rested his head on top of mine and I was content to just be held.  Did I mention how right it felt to be in his arms?   I heard Karac take a deep breath in my hair.  “I love your scent,” he mumbled. 

“It’s probably the lavender shampoo I used earlier.”  I pointed out, still resting my head on his shoulder. 

“No, it’s flowery with a hint of rain.  Same as when I first held you in my arms that night.”

“You mean the night you almost killed Nathan.”  I joked.

Chuckling, he replied, “I didn’t almost kill him.  He was just knocked unconscious.”

“With a concussion and cracked rib.”

“Minor injuries for a warrior.”

“Nathan isn’t a warrior.  He’s a farmer.”  I pulled back to look him in the eye. 

“Which is exactly why I’m your mate.  You deserve a warrior to protect you.”  He replied forcefully. 

“You do realize I didn’t need protecting on Earth, right?”

“You could have.  I’ve watched the news and heard the reports.  You only escaped the brunt of Earth’s tragedies because of where you lived.”

“True.”  Living in the big cities I could have had a totally different perspective.  I tried to pull away but Karac held me tighter.  I didn’t object. 

“How are your muscles, by the way?”  He asked, changing the subject. 

“Ok.  It helped to walk around this afternoon and stretch them a bit.”

“I’ll have to take it easier on you tomorrow.”  He said decisively. 

“Whatever you say, Sensei.”  I commented sarcastically with a roll of my eyes.  When I looked back at him he had a quizzical look on his face.

“What is a sensei?”

“Oh, um…a martial arts teacher.  Not far off from what you were teaching me.”

“I see.”  He rubbed my back then stepped away.  Looking down, he saw the necklace around my neck and smiled.

“Oh, thank you for the gift.”  I said shyly. 

“Do you like it?”  He looked genuinely concerned that I wouldn’t. 

“Yes, it is very pretty.  Merrik was kind enough to tell me its meaning.”  I added pointedly.  Karac had the decency to look chagrined. 

“Yes, well.  It looks beautiful on you.  You look beautiful.”

“Thank you.”  I avoided his eyes, not good at accepting compliments. 

“I’m going to meet up with Calzen and talk to him about giving permission to the females to contact their families.  Would you like to join me?”  I was a little surprised by the offer but was happy for any reason to get out of the room.