Kalen: Warlord Brides (Warriors of Sangrin Book 2)

by Nancey Cummings

  “Yes, sir,” Reed said crisply.

  “And did he give you permission to spar with it?”

  Reed shook his head, short hair shaking vigorously. His horns curled back from his forehead, still developing. The adolescent had a few more years of growth and training before he would be a warrior.

  “That staff is made from a wood that is as hard as steel. There is a reason training staffs are made from a softer wood.”

  “Those are for babies,” Ishraam said.

  Kalen frowned. The little warrior was very bold and willful. “Was it your idea then? To spar without the proper equipment?”

  “I’m not a baby,” he said.

  “I can see that.” Kalen took a hypospray from Meridan and pressed it to the injured arm.

  “I don’t want a pain blocker,” Ishraam said. This was ridiculous. If he was playing at being tough to impress the nurse, he had another thing coming.

  “And why is that?”

  “Because I failed.” His voice was solemn. “The pain reminds me not to fail again.”

  “Oh that’s baloney,” Meridan said.

  Kalen held up his hand. “Pain is the sign of a mistake but a mistake is not failure. It is an opportunity to learn, adapt and do better. Now I will move the bone back into place. You will not enjoy it but it will be over soon.” A closed reduction was simple enough. “Hematoma block,” he said, accepting the hypospray. He pressed the silver cylinder to the arm. “Now stay still.” His hands skimmed down either side of the arm. The scanner showed him the location of the fracture. Strong fingers nudged the bone into the correct location.

  “Scanner,” he said. Meridan hovered the scanner over the arm. Close but not close enough. His thumbs dug in, pressing the bone into place. Satisfied, he wrapped the arm tightly in a bandage. The innate Mahdfel healing insured the fracture would heal quickly, even if not set properly. Now it would heal cleanly.

  “Take the bandage off into two days. If you lose sensation in your fingers, come see me.” The child’s complexion paled. “Or Nurse Vargas,” Kalen quickly amended.

  Reed nodded, stepping forward to take his brother away. “Will you tell our mother?”

  “Do I ever?” Meridan asked in reply. “Get before I decide to start.” She watched the two boys dart out of the room and sighed. “Those two. I think Ishraam finds ways to hurt himself.”

  Kalen snorted.

  “What?” She gave him a skeptical look.

  “Mahdfel sons are headstrong and curious.”

  “Destructive is more like it,” she said, disposing of the used supplies. “You were very good with them, by the way.”

  “You are surprised?” Kalen could be good with children. He had not gone out of his way before now but if Meridan Vargas considered that important, he would make it a point. A vague itching in his tattoo stole his attention away from that thought.

  “I’ve seen your bedside manner.”

  “They are Mahdfel, no matter their age. I know how to speak to them.”

  A smile played at her lips. Kalen had the overwhelming urge to brush his thumb along her bottom lip, forcing her to part those petal pink lips. He needed to kiss her right at that very moment. It was important. Paramount.

  He needed to clear his head. Meridan was exempt. She could never be his match, no matter how tempting her lips.

  Chapter Five

  Kalen

  Days went by. He didn’t understand himself.

  The scent of wild meffus berries surrounded him. Her scent. To be in a room with her overwhelmed his senses. It took all his will not to throw her down on the floor and take her hard. The smoky undertones, the aroma of her desire, told him that she would not protest too hard. She craved him. At least her body did. But that was not how an honorable male behaved. He was in control. He was not a savage. No one could ever say that Kalen Halse was without honor. Unlike his father.

  The recycled air of the base guaranteed that the wild berry scent followed him, dogging his steps. There was nowhere to escape it. No place with fresh, clean air. So his mind constantly turned back to the curious Meridan Vargas.

  He found temporary relief in the biomes and public green spaces. The vegetation scrubbed the air and he could think again. However, the next day he reported to the clinic and shared a too small exam room with the intriguing nurse.

  He desired her. He was not so innocent that he failed to recognize that basic need. No other female had ever affected him so. This new emotion both excited him and frightened him in equal measure. He would do anything to please her, to bring a smile to her face. Kalen was certain that if Meridan demanded he slit his own throat, he would. The least he could do was improve his bedside manner and be tolerant with patients.

  It was challenging. His instincts were to bark orders. A Mahdfel warrior responded to commands, respected them. He’d spent his professional career honing an authoritative voice with enough gravity to make even a pain crazed warrior pay attention.

  Now, Meridan wanted him to be compassionate. Terran females did not respond to barking commands. Their eyes leaked and they turned pink. They responded to smiles and his patient silence as he let them prattle on about their concerns. Kalen was surprised when he realized the Terran females often did not want him to give an explanation for every ache or symptom. They wanted him to listen. So curious. Almost as curious as the force that kept circling his thoughts back to Meridan.

  Almost.

  She was not his mate. Could not be. She was exempt. He needed to let this infatuation go. No good would come of it. But if he could discover the reason for her exemption, perhaps he could resolve it. Mahdfel medicine was more advanced than Terran’s. He had resources that were not available on Earth. He could fix her and then she could be his mate.

  He sat at the Terran sized desk with a tablet. They had an hour break between patients and Kalen used the time to enter notes. The Terran system was so primitive. Manually entering notes. He couldn’t even imagine the hours of productivity lost. Still, he had access to the SCLB’s medical records. All the records. It would take nothing to access Meridan’s record.

  No. Kalen pushed the tablet away. This was not the way. He needed to clear his head before the break finished. His control was shaky. Unacceptable.

  Outside the building, in the green space of the Medical Dome, his breathing did not ease. There was little relief to be found here. Her scent was too strong. He needed to go farther away. Picking a random direction, he walked. The base was a large, sprawling complex. He would not rest until he reached the far side. The walk would clear his head. Hopefully.

  Small public green spaces punctured the never ending corridors of the base.

  A familiar voice interrupted Kalen’s contemplation. A Mahdfel warrior, skin a dusky heather with pale, nearly white hair, chased a ball across the green field.

  Vox.

  Kalen growled in frustration. Why did Meridan seem to prefer this irresponsible warrior to himself? He was accomplished. He had much to offer a mate. Vox was… the male she preferred to spend her free time with. Rage surged through him. His fists clenched and flexed. His tattoo itched.

  Vox slid across the grass, kicking the ball into the netting with a loud roar. The team of males around him, some Terran, some Mahdfel, cheered. A game. They wasted their time playing a game. Kalen’s upper lip curled in contempt.

  Teammates slapped Vox on the back, congratulating themselves. The game seemed to be over. Vox spotted Kalen. The male’s brow knit in confusion, but he raised a hand in friendly greeting and headed toward Kalen.

  Everything about this situation was intolerable. Rage surged again and Kalen did nothing to contain it. He rushed forward, slamming his shoulder into the middle of Vox’s torso.

  Vox’s eyes went wide, and then he laughed in delight. The two men fell to the ground.

  Kalen sat heavily on Vox’s chest, pinning his competitor’s arms with his legs. His fist struck the male hard in the jaw. Vox’s lip split, spittle and
blood landing on Kalen’s pristine white coat.

  A manic grin spread across Vox’s scared face. The warrior was twice Kalen’s age, with more muscle mass and the experience to use it. He heaved, kicking off the ground and rolling to the side. He moved to pin Kalen to the grass but the medic was faster, and they rolled again.

  “Stay away from her,” Kalen snarled, landing a hit to Vox’s side.

  “She’s not yours.” Vox freed an arm and slammed it into the medic’s side, punching his arrenau. He slammed his head forward, crunching into Kalen’s nose. Blood gushed down, filling his mouth.

  Kalen pulled away, his rage vanishing.

  “You move well for a healer,” Vox said, rubbing his jaw.

  “I trained as a warrior, the same as you.” The same as every Mahdfel youth.

  “True but they say the specialists go soft. They forget what it is to be a warrior.”

  Kalen snorted, ignoring the pain. To forget what is was to be a warrior was to forget what is was to be Mahdfel. Impossible. “What about your specialty?”

  “Pilot,” Vox said with a grin. “Not the same as charging into the fray with nothing but a sword and our wits, but close. I need to keep my lightning fast reflexes sharp.”

  Another snort. “If you were as fast as you think you are, I would not have been able to pin you.”

  “You do move well for a healer.”

  “If you moved better perhaps you would not be scarred.”

  “Perhaps.”

  The two males sat in silence for a moment. Shouts of children at play filled the space. There were no insects. No bird calls. Only the whirr of the ventilation system.

  Kalen rubbed his nose. The cartilage was already set. He would have a bump now. Good. “You didn’t even ask who I spoke about.”

  “Meridan,” Vox said, rubbing his own tender jaw. “There is no other. You feel the compulsion, too?”

  A warning growl issued in Kalen’s throat. He didn’t like the other male talking about Meridan. Vox held up his hands in a peaceful manner. The motion soothed Kalen’s rage. When he calmed, he said, “I think she would be my mate.”

  “If not for the medical exemption,” Vox added.

  “Yes.” Then, “It does not matter what we feel.” Meridan would not be his mate and he was leaving soon. There was no time.

  “Perhaps. Although, it is acceptable to share pleasure with a female.”

  Kalen’s growl returned. He did not want to hear about another male sharing pleasure with his Meridan.

  “Peace. She does not desire me.”

  The notion that Meridan rejected Vox’s flirtation pleased Kalen.

  “She says I am like a brother,” Vox said. A smile spread on his face, pure and joyful. “I have shared much pleasure with Terran females but I have never had a sister.”

  Kalen rubbed his tender nose, considering Vox’s words. “You will not press a claim?”

  “I have known her for two years. I think I do not feel the compulsion toward her as strongly as you do.”

  “Perhaps.” His draw toward her was irresistible. It drove all other thoughts out of his head. How had Vox resisted for two years?

  The other male picked himself up from the ground. “My wants and desires mean nothing. I am transferring soon.”

  “You grow tired of the Terrans?”

  “I grow tired of waiting for a Suhlik attack that never happens. I’ve been here for two years, two peaceful, boring years. My skills will never be tested shuttling Terrans to and from the planet’s surface.”

  Kalen nodded, understanding the need to improve and test one’s skills.

  The comm link beeped.

  “Forgive me, friend,” Kalen said, standing. “I am late for my patients.”

  He jogged back to the clinic. In his haste to put distance between himself and Meridan’s scent, he lost track of how far he’d traveled. The light exercise elevated his heart rate and cleared his head. He reflected on Vox’s words. There was nothing wrong with sharing pleasure with a female. That seemed to be the relationship normal with Terrans, sharing mutual pleasure for a period of time before declaring themselves to be mates. The Mahdfel custom of claiming a mate first, introductions second, seemed foreign to Terrans.

  Meridan would never be his mate but that did not mean they could not share pleasure with one another.

  The problems with that idea presented themselves to Kalen. He was leaving in a matter of days. He would, most likely, never cross paths with Meridan again. And she did not seem like the type of female who wanted a casual or temporary relationship. But if he did not attempt, regret would dog his every step.

  Kalen returned to the clinic. The staff stared at him but said nothing as he honed in on his prey. The scent of wild berries led him directly to Meridan.

  Restocking a supply cabinet, she straightened when he entered the exam room. Her sweet smile faltered when she saw him. “What happened to you!”

  Kalen rushed forward, pushing her against the wall. She dropped a bottle in surprise, the plastic container clattering to the floor. The hard planes of his lean body pressed against her soft curves.

  He’d worked by her side all morning, but it was like he was only now seeing her for the first time. Her dark eyes opened wide in surprise. Her lips, pink and tempting, parted. Her breath hitched in her throat. Her body temperature elevated. Yes, she desired him.

  Kalen nuzzled his face into the curve where her elegant neck joined her shoulder. He breathed deep, relishing the bright scent of wild berries with darker, smoky undertones.

  “Kalen? You’re covered in blood.”

  “Sports,” he said.

  A small laugh. Her chest fluttered. His hands skimmed the sides of her body, tracing the luscious figure hidden by the shapeless scrubs. His desire pressed hard against her stomach.

  “Kalen.” No longer a question. A husky note of desire darkened her voice.

  He lifted her chin, tilting her face upward. His lips captured hers, surprised when she yielded, opening to let his tongue plunge in. He skimmed over the surface of her blunt teeth, so alien to him. She kissed him back, lips eagerly working, her tongue dancing with his. He growled, pleased. No other female had ever affected him so strongly. His control grew thin. If he did not stop soon, he would tear the clothes from her body and have her against the wall.

  Kalen pulled away, his teeth nipping at her lower lip.

  Meridan stared back at him, lips swollen and panting. The smoky undertone notes of her arousal filled the room. His control wavered.

  He stormed out of the room. Clinic was cancelled for the afternoon.

  Chapter Six

  Meridan

  Meridan didn’t understand Kalen. He vanished from the clinic for an hour, returned with a broken nose and covered in blood, presumably his own, kissed her like it was the end of the world and then stormed off.

  Males.

  But that kiss. She kept going back to it. The way he dominated the room, filling it with his purely male presence. And the way he looked at her—like she was the only thing in the universe for him—made her shiver. She had never seen this side of the doctor before. She liked it, which surprised her. She never responded to the chest thumping theatrics of the Mahdfel warriors on the base when they tried to catch her eye. She refused to be interested in a male who was more muscle than mind. But Kalen…

  She didn’t know what she felt. Or what he’d been trying to accomplish when he pushed her against the wall and just kissed her like it was his right—like all of her kisses and every part of her being belonged solely to him. The taste of copper flooded her mouth. It was completely unhygienic. And completely hot.

  He’d barely touched her and yet she still trembled with desire. He could have done more. She’d wanted him to do more. And then he just left. As quickly and as unexpectedly as it had happened, the moment was over.

  She didn’t understand anything.

  Her comm link beeped with an incoming message. She raised her wrist, th
e thin, otherwise transparent, plastic material turning visible. “They’re showing Die Hard tonight in the Rec Dome. We should go,” wrote Daisy.

  “Anything. Keep me entertained.”

  “Bad day at the office, dear?”

  Meridan typed out a response then deleted it. “Weird day. We’ll talk.”

  “Cool. Dinner and a movie. Date night!”

  Meridan grinned, despite her foul mood. “Date night with my sister? Gross.”

  ***

  Daisy wanted sushi. The base’s fishery supplied the only sushi restaurant with fresh, farm raised fish. The nori came from the reconstructor but the rice was real, shipped from Earth and the vegetables were grown on base.

  They agreed to meet in two hours, giving Meridan enough time to shower off the day and change into her favorite sweater. Daisy would probably tease her for the faded, old, cranberry colored, cable knit sweater that she’d paired with a fluttery, floral skirt and knee-high, brown leather boots. It was a good outfit. Her sister was just jealous because she looked washed out in reds and pinks.

  Daisy arrived arm in arm with Vox. She scanned Meridan’s outfit, one eyebrow raised. “That old thing again?”

  “I like this old thing.”

  “When you get your clothing allotment, I’m going shopping with you.”

  Meridan was still saving her last clothing allotment but she didn’t want to tell her sister that. Besides, her clothes were perfectly fine. She didn’t need new garments just for the sake of having something new. Rather than say this though, she deflected, a classic big sister technique. “You invited Vox? What happened to Girls Night Out?”

  “First, it was Date Night. Two, he’s practically family,” Daisy said.

  “Thanks for talking about me like I’m not even here,” he said.