Taken (Warriors of Karal Book 3) Read online

  Watching him go, Chrissi tried to find a thread of sympathy for the Hrokili, but she couldn’t. Instead she turned her attention to her predicament: where were they heading and how was she going to get back to Malik?

  The female led the way with confidence and Chrissi hoped she knew where she was going and that when they got there, there would be someone in charge, someone who could pilot the ship. If not, then Chrissi would have to learn herself, because she wasn’t going to live on this ship for the rest of her life.

  They climbed some stairs, and then walked along another corridor, the smell becoming stronger and she realised they were heading back to the cells. And a worrying thought hit her, what if she was going to end up back in one of those cells. Should she make a run for it now?

  “Where are we going?” Chrissi asked.

  “Tikira.”

  “Tikira? What does that mean?” Chrissi asked.

  “Tikira,” she said again, pointing to herself, and then they rounded a corner to find the corridor outside of the cells filled with the furry aliens. The female pointed at them and repeated, “Tikira.”

  “Oh, so that is your species, or your planet. You are going home?” Chrissi asked.

  “Home. Tikira.” The female slipped away, going down on all fours and running around with the others. In amongst them Chrissi could see couple of different aliens, all looking happy, and she was relieved that they were all free. Someone here must have told the female they could fly the ship and get them home. All she had to do was persuade them to drop her off on Lilith, or let her have Malik’s ship. Of course!

  She looked up to where the rest of the aliens were being released from their cells. There he was, Malik. He had somehow come to find her, and she had never been happier.

  “Malik,” she called, and he looked down, waving at her, and then he leapt off the side of the railings, dropping down two floors to land on his feet, a big grin on his face.

  “I thought I might run into you here,” he said, and then his smile faded. “What the hell did they do to you?” he asked gruffly.

  “You know, I should learn to go quietly and cooperate, but I’m not good at that,” she said, and then rushed into his arms. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

  “I would never stop looking for you, Chrissi. I feel things for you, in my heart that a Karalian is not supposed to feel. When they took you, they took my heart too. And even a Karalian cannot live without a heart.”

  “Can we go home now?” she said quietly, lifting her head to look at him, her tears coming at last.

  “Yes, we can go home. And what a prize we shall take,” he said, his arms expanded outwards to encompass the Hrokili ship.

  Her eyes opened in wonder. “You mean we are taking the ship with us?”

  “Yes. We must find out all we can about these Hrokili and then we will stop them. No one takes the property of the Karal without severe repercussions.”

  She was about to tell him she hoped he meant the cruiser, not her, but then she realised she didn’t care; she liked being his property. After all, he owned her heart just as he had admitted she owned his.

  Chapter Twenty-Six – Malik

  “We could have lived like gods on Tikira,” he said as he steered the Hrokili ship away from the planet. They had stayed there for two days, where they feasted on fruits and meat, and drank the clear water from icy pools, and bathed in hot springs while watching the sun set. Then made love under the soft fur blankets in the small tepees the Tikira lived in.

  The strange furry aliens lived in a nomadic tribe system, and they moved around with the seasons. It was a stress-free life. Or had been until the Hrokili came.

  “I know, but we have to get this enormous craft back to Karal. I want the Hrokili stopped.” She looked across to him. “Your Council will act, won’t they?”

  “I hope so. I think so. While the Hrokili are out here, they are a threat. We might be able to protect our planet, and maybe even Earth, with the defence system, but the Karal have spent so many generations exploring space, I can’t believe that even the Hier Ruler would be content to simply hide away, never reaching out to explore and gain new technology.”

  “Let’s hope so,” she said, as they powered forward. “It will be a quicker journey home?”

  “Yes, this thing can move faster than anything I have ever seen. Our main problem is going to be wormholes.” He eased the throttle further forward and they sped faster until the stars around them became a blur.

  “What’s wrong with the wormholes?” she asked.

  “I have been looking through the Hrokili technology, and as far as I can tell, the thing that is stopping them getting to our sector of the universe is they do not have the technology to open and close wormholes.” He checked a monitor and then pressed a button that worked like autopilot. “So we are going to have to use the cruiser, or take the long way round.”

  “By use the cruiser, you mean we will have to go through the wormholes in separate ships?” she asked.

  “Yes. You choose: you can either pilot this ship or the cruiser.”

  “Oh my goodness. Which do you think?” she asked.

  “You are capable of piloting either, Chrissi,” he said, wanting her to know he had confidence in her, even if she didn’t feel it herself. “You trained for this. You helped me work out how this ship works. You can do it.”

  “I’ll take this ship,” she said. “I just have to stay close to you, right?”

  “In theory. I have to do some work to adjust the beacons. The wormhole will be stretched to capacity, but it should work perfectly.”

  “I like perfect,” she said.

  “Good, because I think you are perfect,” he said, leaning over and kissing her. “When we get back to Karal, I will commend Darl for his choice of a mate for me.”

  She smiled. “That seems like a lifetime ago.”

  “When we get back there, I plan to show you my planet. All the places I travelled to as a boy, all the different animals and plants.” He sighed. “I never thought I would tire of space, but this mission has been long. I would like to set down some roots, breed children and watch them grow.”

  “If I ever get pregnant,” she said.

  “We could always practice now,” he said, pulling her towards him. “There are seven hours before the wormhole. That should give us time.”

  “I didn’t think you wanted to leave this control deck empty.”

  “Who said anything about leaving it?” he asked, his cock hardening in his pants as he thought of being inside her. The more he had of her, the more addictive she became. But it was a sweet addiction.

  She smiled. “I like your way of thinking, young Karalian.”

  He got up and pulled her into his arms, one hand supporting her bottom as he sat her down on the edge of the control deck. She wore overalls, and so his first task was to undo them, which took seconds. He was more than eager to take her while they flew through the universe at near light speed.

  Lifting her, he pulled her overalls down, letting them drop to the floor. Then he took a step back, and undid his overalls, sliding them down to pool around his feet. His cock, large and hard, stood proudly in front of him and she curled her hand around him, her fingers sliding along the hard ridges and over the bulbous end.

  Malik moved her panties to one side, and slipped the head of his cock into her, giving her a moment to adjust to his girth. When she relaxed and edged forward, he knew she wanted more, and flexed his hips driving into her. She took him, accommodating his large cock, her sex gripping him tightly, driving him insane. The friction of their bodies rubbing together soon made his orgasm close in on him. Chrissi’s small cries encouraged him, she was close to coming too, and he lowered his head and grazed his teeth across the fabric of her bra, making her nipples into taut buds with his teasing.

  She arched her back, her cries soft, feminine as her climax crested and she let herself go, her sex pulsing around his cock, sending shock waves throug
h his body. Then he came. His cock grew bigger, the head engorged until it fused with her body and his seed spurted out, filling her with his essence, and with his hope that she would conceive by the time they arrived back on Karal.

  “I bet that’s the first time anyone has had sex on this deck,” she said afterwards as she retrieved her clothes. “I can’t even imagine those wrinkly little Hrokili being strong enough for sex, I think they would snap in two.”

  “Let’s not think about them,” Malik said. “Not now.”

  He kissed her, and she said, “Anything you say, Captain.”

  “I should go down to power up the cruiser and get ready for launch. Then I will come back and we can go through the launch sequence and how we will deploy the beacons.”

  “I’ll be here, waiting,” she said.

  He pulled up his overalls and headed out of the control deck and made his way to the loading bay where the cruiser was docked. Malik recalled entering the ship, of feeling as if he was being absorbed into the belly of a targomit, a sea-dwelling creature of ancient stories. The Hrokili believed the ship had been captured; too late they realised they had in fact been infiltrated by an Karalian intent on destroying them. He could still taste the blood lust on his tongue.

  But that was done. The ship was a worthy prize and the information it contained would bring the downfall of the slavers. If only they had not taken his woman, they would be safe now on their own planet, instead of dead, their bodies floating out in space.

  The cruiser’s ramp was already lowered. He went up it and onto the control deck, which now felt tiny compared to the Hrokili ship. He pressed a button and the computer sparked into life.

  “System check,” he said.

  “System check begin.”

  He sat back in his seat, watching the computer screen, going over the readings, until one appeared that he did not expect.

  “Computer, confirm system check,”

  “Confirmed.”

  “Highlight Chrissi Talbot. Rescan tag.”

  “Tag rescan.”

  The result appeared the same. He leaped out of his seat, and ran back up to where Chrissi was watching the stars flashing by. Bursting in, he took her by surprise, and she took up a defensive stance.

  “Sorry. It’s only me,” he said, breathing hard.

  “Malik, what’s wrong?” she asked, going to him.

  “Nothing,” he said, feeling light-headed and ecstatic as he told her, “We are going to have a baby.”

  She flew into his arms, her relief profound. “I’m so pleased. I was scared they might take me away from you if I didn’t conceive.”

  “Shh, Chrissi. No one will take you from me again.” And he meant it; he would die for her and their child. They were his family, a part of him that gave his life meaning. Before this mission he never realised he was missing something. A simple thing really, but an emotion so strong it made everything look different.

  “I love you, Chrissi,” he said.

  “I love you too, Malik,” she said, kissing his face. “Now let’s get home.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven – Chrissi

  “Does this mean you get a promotion?” she asked Malik as he came back to his small quarters after a visit to the Hier Council. Chrissi had been left to wait there—not that she minded, she could happily sleep for a week. They had arrived back yesterday under an armed escort. The Karal had scrambled their big battle cruisers as soon as the Hrokili ship was detected flying into the sector, despite Malik transmitting all the correct codes to prove who they were.

  “No. The Karal don’t work like that,” he said. “We work for the common good.”

  “I’m glad, because that means there are thousands of Karalian working for our common good too,” she said. “And that makes me feel safe.”

  “You are safe. The defence system will be deployed within the next few days. Soon no one will get in here except Karalian ships.”

  “And Earth? Will they give my people a similar defence system?” she asked.

  “One step at a time,” Malik said. “The engineers are going through the Hrokili ship right now to gain any technology that could be useful, and to figure out what they use slaves for, and more importantly, how they are going to be stopped.”

  “Urghh, let’s not talk about it anymore. I am done with being a warrior for now,” she said.

  “A female warrior. I like the sound of that,” he said, coming and sitting by her.

  “So it’s real, then? The first baby girl has been born?” she asked, although Tikki had been here while Malik was gone and shared the news with her.

  “Yes.”

  “So things are going to change in a big way?” Chrissi said.

  “Eventually. It’s too early to make plans; one small female child is not enough to change us. Not yet.”

  “Don’t be too sure, Malik,” she said.

  “Shall we go?” he asked.

  “Where?”

  “Home. I have been given indefinite leave. I may have to return to answer further questions but right now I have permission to leave. So let’s go.”

  Excitement filled her. “Yes, please. I can’t wait to see your home.”

  In half an hour they were packed and on board, leaving the tower behind them, a sense of adventure filling the air of his small cruiser. This was the start of their new life together, and Chrissi wasn’t apprehensive at all. They had been through so much already that there was little that life could throw at them that they couldn’t face together.

  The green plains stretched out before them and he followed an old road, taking his time as he drove, pointing out odd landmarks or stopping to let her see the animals that roamed freely. Young and carefree, she had never known this feeling before: all her life lay ahead of her, the sadness of her life on Earth, when the Saviour Programme had been shut down, and all thoughts of Mr. Murgrove now such a dim, distant memory. She was so detached from her old self, it might have happened to another person.

  Malik turned off the road onto a side track, and they headed towards a low mountain range in the distance. After about a mile, he switched the cruiser to flight mode and they took off, steadily climbing, but not going so high that she couldn’t see the landscape below. And what a landscape it was, filled with forests in the distance, and great lakes which shimmered in the afternoon sun. Then they rose higher to crest the mountain peaks, and before them was the glittering sea, shining, welcoming them home.

  Tipping the control lever forward, they began their descent, the landscape below coming into sharper focus.

  “This is amazing,” she said. “It’s all so beautiful.”

  “I’m glad you approve. This is my home, the sea, the beaches, it’s where I grew up and where I want our child to grow up,” he said.

  “He, and she, will be blessed to grow up in such a playground,” Chrissi said.

  “Shall we go to the house, or do you want to look at the beach first?” Malik asked.

  “The house. And then maybe we could go out on your boat—you promised to show me how to navigate by the stars,” she said.

  “I did, and I intend to keep my promise.” He looked out of the window and up at the sky. “Tonight should be perfect.”

  “Then let’s go and unpack and then maybe take a picnic with us. Spend the night out at sea,” she said.

  “You are incredible,” he said. “I’m sure most women would be happy to have their feet back on the ground, but you want to swap one vessel for another.”

  “For me it will be nice to be outside. The cruiser got a little bit claustrophobic at times, so being out in the open air will chase away all the cobwebs,” she said.

  “Cobwebs?” he asked.

  “An old, dusty spider web,” she said.

  “Ahh, I can see I might need some training in these human terms,” he said. They came in low across the beach, and in the distance a small house could be seen, perched on a low cliff above the sea. This was where he took her.

 
; “This is where you live?” she asked.

  “Where we live,” he corrected. “The garden stretches way back. You can help me harvest the late summer fruits.”

  “I never took you for a gardener,” she said. “But I like it.”

  “All Karalians grow their own food.”

  “Then that is another thing I will enjoy learning. And when our children are old enough, we can teach them together.” She sighed contently as she looked at the little house. She could be happy here, with Malik and their children. She hoped to go into space again one day, but for now her need to fly amongst the stars was gone. But to sail under them, that was something she longed to do.

  Malik let down the exit ramp and they went down together, carrying their luggage. Malik had said he would go back to his rooms in a day or two and bring the rest of his things back, but for now they had everything they needed.

  The little gate squeaked as Malik opened it for her. “I’ll oil it tomorrow,” he said, and while they walked around the garden she could see him mentally making a list of all the small jobs that needed doing, all the things that needed his attention. But right now, she needed his attention.

  “Show me inside.”

  He led her to the front door, and opened it into a small hallway, with four rooms leading of it and a staircase. Going from room to room, he showed her around, and Chrissi began to imagine their life here. It would need a woman’s touch, just little things to soften the maleness of the rooms. Some cushions, a rug, now it was her turn to make a mental list.

  When she looked up, he was smiling at her in that way that made her stomach flip over.

  “Come,” he said and he took her upstairs. At first she thought it was because he wanted sex, to make love to her in his bed for the first time. But instead he led her past the bed and out onto a small balcony. From there they could see all around the small bay, and right out to sea.

  “Wow,” was all she could say.

  “There is the little boat,” he said,

  “Can we go out on the sea now? It looks so calm, so inviting,” she said.