Allies (Warriors of Karal Book 5) by Harmony Raines Read Free Book Online Page B

important as a whole species.
    But then, humans had always thought of themselves as being more important than they actually were.

Chapter Ten – Niko
     
    Before he had arrived here with Petra, he was confident he could bring her straight to his home and mate with her. He didn’t think it would make any difference how willing she was; after all, that was how his father had claimed his female in order to father a child. The last generation had never made deals with other species, they had simply taken what they wanted.
    And he had thought he could do the same. Certainly Petra was what he wanted. After visiting the sim, he knew exactly how to please a woman, and how good it felt to be inside one. But the sim had not prepared him for the feelings and emotions being here, with a real live woman, would evoke in him.
    She made him feel weak, and yet strong, because she brought out the protective side in him. Making him remember the way his father used to watch over him and make sure he was safe, a thing he had forgotten, but would need to remember when he was a father himself.
    Which would never happen if he didn’t take her to his bed.
    But she looked so nervous, and he had no idea how he was supposed to put her at her ease. As he put the last of the dishes away, his thoughts once again returned to his father and their walks on the beach. His father had made him feel at ease, so naturally, as if he could read the young Niko’s mind. He looked at Petra, trying to figure out what exactly must be going through her mind.
    She was on a new planet, surrounded by aliens, and not by choice, but because the Hier Ruler or the council had decided that this was the best course of action, to keep her mother under their control. He knew that was how the Karal worked, and he did not judge the council for it. The only reason that the Karal had become such a dominant force in the universe was through single-mindedness. They took what they wanted—no, that was wrong, they took what they needed. The Karal never stole for the sake of it, only through necessity.
    He wanted to put her at her ease, and that would not happen here. “Would you like to go and see some of Karal now? We could take some supplies and head to the beach. It’s been a long time since I’ve camped there, we could stay the night and see the stars.” He watched the tension fall away from her. She looked at him and smiled. A smile that made his colours flow across his skin, and he found himself smiling widely too. A rare event here amongst the warriors.
    “That would be amazing. If you’re sure, of course.”
    Nervousness flitted across her face and once more, he wondered what she was thinking. Whether she thought he was trying to trap her, by offering her something as simple as a trip to the beach.
    “I’m sure. It would be good to get out of here. Get some fresh air. After all, we are about to depart into deep space, and we could be gone for weeks. If the planet that we are heading for does not support life, we will not be experiencing any fresh air for the duration of our journey.” It sounded like an excuse as it came out of his mouth, but he found he could not simply say that he wanted to take her to the beach to make her happy. That would be giving her power over him, and he was not ready to do that.
    “May I freshen up first?” she asked. Confusion crossed his face. “You know. Use the bathroom?” She indicated the door leading to the bathroom but she didn’t move that way, not until he nodded in agreement.
    “Of course. Help yourself. While we’re here, I want you to think of this as your home too.” He shook his head.
    Did he really mean that? he asked himself. Wasn’t he in charge?
    “Thanks,” she said smiling brightly, and once again he mirrored her expression, his lips curling upwards, and his teeth showing, while faint slivers of silver spread across his skin.
    “You’re welcome. I will pack what we need while you are … freshening up.”
    He