Bound

  Bound

  Fated Mates of the Kalixian Warriors #4

  Presley Hall

  Copyright © 2020 by Presley Hall

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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  Fated Mates of the Kalixian Warriors Series

  Claimed - Book 1

  Stolen - Book 2

  Rescued - Book 3

  Bound - Book 4

  Broken - Book 5

  NOTE: Each book in this series can be read as a standalone, but for maximum enjoyment, it’s recommended that you read the series in order.

  Contents

  1. Emma

  2. Khrelan

  3. Emma

  4. Khrelan

  5. Emma

  6. Khrelan

  7. Emma

  8. Emma

  9. Khrelan

  10. Emma

  11. Khrelan

  12. Emma

  13. Emma

  14. Khrelan

  15. Emma

  16. Khrelan

  17. Emma

  18. Khrelan

  19. Emma

  20. Khrelan

  21. Emma

  22. Khrelan

  23. Emma

  24. Emma

  25. Khrelan

  Epilogue

  Also by Presley Hall

  1

  Emma

  “Emma? Hey, Emma!”

  The muffled sound of someone calling my name wakes me, and I roll over. Sunlight streams through the curtains, warm and bright.

  For half a moment, I think I’m still on Earth, waking up in my own soft bed in my tiny studio apartment. As if the last months have just been a dream, something entirely made up in my head.

  But then I open my eyes and remember where I am.

  Kalix.

  A few months ago, I was abducted from Earth by a horrifying alien race called the Orkun. Well… actually, I was technically sold to them by my own government. Traded as a tribute bride to an Orkun warlord in exchange for advanced weapons and protection for the human race. Luckily, another alien race called the Kalixians rescued me and the other tribute brides before the wedding “ceremony” could take place.

  After the abduction, the rescue, the crash, our stay on the trading planet Wauru, and the battle with an alien mob boss, we finally made it back to Kalix, the home world of the gladiator race who saved us. And by order of their prince, Khrelan, we’ve all been installed in a living complex similar to the apartment buildings I’m used to back on Earth. Our accommodations are provided free of charge until he and his advisors can figure out what’s to be done with us.

  Will they allow us to integrate into their society—to work and learn and become a part of them? To potentially continue mate bonding with their males, as Rose and Harper and Autumn have done?

  Or will we be sent back to Earth? Back to our former lives?

  “Emma! Come on, lazybones! You awake yet?”

  This time, the voice is followed by knocking, and I groan as I shove the covers back and sit up. I can’t help the smile that tugs at my lips though. Lucy, another one of the women who was abducted by the Orkun, is housed in the pod next to mine, and she’s a very exuberant neighbor.

  Some of the women might still be ambivalent about settling down on an alien planet, but Lucy isn’t one of them. She’s the type to make the best of her situation, and she clearly loves the adventure of it all. In fact, she’s been trying to get one of the warriors, Tycran, to notice her for weeks. It’s been almost comical to watch how completely oblivious he is to her interest.

  “Coming,” I mumble, standing up and shuffling through the small living space. “I’m coming!”

  The pod, which is a little bigger than a studio apartment, is more luxurious than anything I could have afforded on Earth working my minimum-wage retail job. It has three rooms. A main living room/bedroom, a small kitchen, and a washroom. The walls are all a glass-like material, which can be adjusted with a remote to either show the outside world on one side, with the other three able to cycle through six different color options, or be entirely enclosed with one of those color options. There are long, flowing drapes made out of some velvety material that can be drawn over the “glass” wall if it remains see-through at night, and I’ve fallen asleep almost every night that way, with the drapes mostly drawn and just the glimpse of the city lights peeking through.

  The second I open the door, Lucy practically bounds inside, grinning brightly at me. Her blonde hair tumbles over her shoulder, longer than my own brunette locks.

  “Hey, sleepyhead.” She chuckles. “I thought maybe you slipped into a coma.”

  I roll my eyes as I shut the door. Lucy and I have become closer since we all settled into our pods a week ago. I’m a little shy and don’t always make friends quickly, but she’s so outgoing that it doesn’t really matter.

  “Nah,” I tell her. “No coma. Just felt like sleeping in a little.”

  “Sleeping in?” She looks aghast. “Who has time to sleep when there’s so much to see? So much to do? We’re on a freaking alien planet!”

  I grin. “True.”

  Honestly, I was really excited to come to Kalix. I’ve always been a bit of a nerd, the girl who loved sci-fi books and reading about fantastical adventures. But since we arrived here, I’ve been grappling with the difference between fiction and reality. It’s one thing to read about all of this crazy stuff—and something else entirely to live it.

  Truth be told, I haven’t ventured out of my little pod all that often over the past week, despite promising Lucy that I’d go exploring with her. The newness and strangeness of this place, as amazing as it is, can also be a bit terrifying.

  “Rose asked some of the girls to come to her place today. We should go,” Lucy adds. Then she waggles her eyebrows at me. “We can check out the sights on the way.”

  I can’t help but laugh. I’m pretty sure she’s not talking about the buildings or the scenery. She’s talking about the men.

  And this planet is full of them.

  Years ago, the Orkun killed off nearly all Kalixian women, unleashing a virus that tore through the female population. Only a few women still live, and they’re no longer of child-bearing age. That’s why it was such a big deal when Rose formed a mate bond with Tordax, the commander of the Alpha Force, the Kalixian military team that rescued us. Then Harper and Malav bonded, and then Sorsir found Autumn and the two of them paired up as well.

  It’s a bit of a divisive topic here on Kalix.

  Tordax and his men believe that the human/Kalixian mate bond could be the best chance for the Kalixian race to survive. But others think they’re better off dying out rather than mixing with another species, believing that mingling Kalixian and human blood will only weaken them further.

  From what I can tell, the prince hasn’t come down firmly on one side or the other, despite the fact that his best commander and his primary military advisor are both mated to human women.

  “Yeah, okay.” I gesture to the small couch, which is sleek and seamless. “Just give me a few minutes to get ready.”

  “Sure thing.”

  Lucy settles onto the couch as I slip into the little washroom to shower. I quickly scrub my short, wavy brown hair, letting the hot water stream over me.

  We’ve been provided with some Kalixian clothes, and I also have several outfits I bought on the trading planet Wauru. I decide to wear one of the former today—a deep green dress made out of a silk-like material. I didn’t wear dresses much back on Earth, but I have to admit I like the way this one flatters my curves. It gives me a little boost of confidence, and I hope it will help Lucy and me blend in better on the streets of Jocia.

  Ha. Fat chance of that. We don’t have horns or color-changing eyes, for one thing.

  And we’re women, which makes us stand out like two sore thumbs.

  “Gorgeous,” Lucy declares when I step back into the main room of my pod. She’s wearing a dress too, and I try not to be jealous of the way she moves so gracefully in it. She was a stripper back on Earth, and she’s got a natural ease about her that I wish I had. I’m more the kind of person who considers it a victory when I manage to walk in a straight line without tripping over my own feet.

  It’s a gorgeous day out in Jocia, the capital city of Kalix. The weather is warm and breezy, and Lucy and I take our time as we head over to Rose and Tordax’s house. Unlike the rest of us, Rose, Harper, and Autumn all live with their mates.

  A little twinge of envy rises inside me at the thought. I want that. Not the house to live in, necessarily. But someone to live with. A mate.

  None of us quite believed in the mate bonds at first. But after seeing three pairs of aliens and humans fall head over heels in love with each other, it’s hard to deny the truth. This mystical bond that the Kalixians believe in is real.

  Lucy and I chat companionably as we walk, our heads swiveling this way and that as we observe our surroundings. The buildings in Jocia are an interesting mixture of rustic structures and extremely modern ones. It’s a juxtapositio
n that fits with what I’ve seen of the planet itself—largely wild forest with the single capital city carved out and rising up in the middle of it all.

  “Sure beats the view back on Earth, huh?” Lucy murmurs as she nudges me with her elbow.

  I blush. Yeah, she’s definitely not talking about the architecture.

  The streets are busy, and it’s hard not to stare at the men walking past. I thought I got used to the sight of the Kalixian warriors while we were on the ship and living on Wauru with the Alpha Force.

  But the truth is, they still take my breath away.

  Some of the men are dressed in the warrior fashion, wearing nothing but a loincloth. They’re the hardest to not stare at. They’re all muscular and incredibly handsome, their bronze skin shining in the sun and horns glinting as they walk past. Others are dressed in fitted pants and tunics that seem to be the fashion of the capital city, more like what Prince Khrelan wore the one time I saw him.

  Not all of them are as devastatingly gorgeous as the warriors of the Alpha Force, but I don’t see an ugly one among them.

  “None of them are as gorgeous as Tycran,” Lucy adds with a small sigh. “But damn. I don’t think I knew a single guy back on Earth who could hold a candle to these men.”

  I have to agree about that. The horns were a little jarring at first, but even they add to the strange beauty of these alien men.

  It’s a little overwhelming, especially since there’s not a female to be seen. I know a few are still alive, but from what I’ve heard, they’re all elderly and sheltered somewhere, revered and almost worshiped in Kalixian society. I’m not likely to see any of them out and about on the street.

  “So? What do you think?” Lucy glances at me. “Anybody in particular catch your eye? You should talk to one of them!”

  Heat floods my cheeks, and I shake my head vigorously. “Um, not right now. Rose is waiting for us.”

  Ugh. Come on, Emma. You’re never going to find a mate if you’re too shy to even look at them, let alone talk to them, I chastise myself.

  I could speak to any of the men on this planet thanks to my translator implant. I don’t have any real excuse for avoiding conversation, but I can’t imagine what I would say. What would we have in common? How could I possibly interest any of these handsome alien men other than as a passing novelty?

  I know several of the human women are still skeptical about the whole mate bond thing. Some of them have been quite clear that they don’t want a mate, but ever since I saw Tordax and Rose fall for each other, I’ve harbored a small, secret yearning for it. I don’t want to admit it, because I’ve prided myself on my independence all my life. I’ve always been a bit of a loner, keeping to myself and my books, losing myself in other worlds and other characters.

  There, in those pages, I had adventures and romances and friendships beyond anything I could cultivate in real life—except for my one close friend, Jade, who’s the opposite of me in pretty much every way. She’s the only thing I miss about Earth, and the only reason I would want to go back.

  But the possibility of the mate bond is intriguing.

  The idea of having such a deep connection to someone, of having someone know you intimately in every way, is fascinating to me. I’ve found myself longing for it, dreaming about that kind of bond, even though it’s something I never thought I would experience. And the physical aspect of it…

  Holy crap.

  I can feel myself blush hotly at the thought. All three of the mated women have been cagey with the details, preferring to keep it private. But I can see the way their warriors look at them, and the look in their eyes when they see their men. It’s a desire that I had no idea existed in real life, a hunger I can’t imagine anyone ever directing at me.

  What would it be like to want someone that deeply, that intensely? What does that kind of connection feel like?

  Luckily, before Lucy can try again to get me to approach one of the Kalixian men, we reach the house Rose and Tordax share. It’s a beautiful two-story home with balconies and a flat roof that I can imagine lying on top of in the afternoon, enjoying the sun.

  Rose answers the door after the first knock, her blonde hair piled atop her head. She’s wearing a red wrap dress, and I immediately notice that her pregnancy is beginning to show, her belly softly rounding.

  It wasn’t long after we landed on Kalix that Tordax and Rose announced she’s expecting a baby. The news spread quickly. The first evidence that offspring can come from a human and Kalixian pairing is a huge deal, and the factions seem deeply divided about whether or not it’s a good thing. As usual, the prince hasn’t spoken out one way or another about it yet, but word among the Alpha Force is that he’s cautiously optimistic, though still unsure.

  Looking at Rose’s glowing face, I don’t know how it could be anything but good.

  “You guys are just in time,” she says, smiling brightly as she pulls Lucy and then me in for a hug.

  “For what?” I ask, shooting a glance at Lucy. She shrugs, looking as curious as I am.

  Rose leads us into the house, smoothing her hair down and beginning to quickly braid it with nimble fingers. She looks like she’s settling in well here, and it makes me glad. I was a sounding board for her back on the ship when she was first grappling with her feelings for Tordax, and I’m happy to see how content and comfortable she seems now.

  “Tordax and I are heading over to the palace today. We’re hoping to get as many of the women as possible to join us.” She looks over her shoulder at us. “We plan to speak with the prince.”

  I feel myself flush a little at the mention of Prince Khrelan. I haven’t seen him since we landed, of course, but the memory of those impossibly blue eyes meeting mine through the crowd has stayed with me. I’ve tried to shake it, but it’s impossible to forget. I’ve been surrounded by gorgeous men non-stop since the Kalixians rescued us, but something about him stands out from the rest.

  “It’s no secret that not everyone here is accepting of us human women.” Rose sighs, pinning the braids around her head. “And no secret that the prince hasn’t fully come down on either side of the argument either.”

  “I know.” Lucy grimaces. “They think we’ll weaken them.”

  “Some do. Tordax says they’re not the majority, but it’s a loud faction. A lot of the ladies are nervous they’re going to be shipped away from Kalix if they’re not protected by a mate bond.”

  I stifle a small snort at the idea of anyone trying to ship away the women who have bonded to one of the Kalixian males. I can just imagine Tordax, Malav, or Sorsir’s reactions. It wouldn’t end well for whoever tried, that’s for sure.

  Again, I feel that familiar surge of envy. What would it be like to have a mate who protected you that fiercely, who would burn the whole world down rather than see you taken from him? It’s like something out of a fantasy, but for a few of us, it’s become very real. And I can’t help but be jealous.

  “Anyway, it’s clear that they wouldn’t do something so horrible as return us to the Orkun, but still, some of the women are worried they’ll be sent away. Back to Earth, or off to some other world where they might be wanted. So we’re going to the palace to talk to the prince, to try to convince him to support the mate bonds between Kalixians and humans.” Rose smiles brightly. “You two should come along.”

  “Count me in,” Lucy says immediately, up for anything as always.

  I hesitate for a second, my heart pounding harder in my chest.

  If I’m being completely honest, the prince terrifies me. Something about his powerful, regal demeanor makes me want to shrink away and hide.

  The memory of his gaze burning into mine makes me shiver. It was the most intense thing I’ve ever felt, and although I can’t forget him, I’m not sure I want to feel it again. It was almost too much to bear.