Hunted_Katieran Prime

by KD Jones

  Tera laughed. “I remember what it was like growing up with my sisters. We kept our parents on their toes, for sure. Where are the children?” She had only just noticed how quiet and peaceful the home seemed.

  Lindsey snuggled next to her mate as she answered. “Our little girl is staying with my father, his mate, and my sister, who are visiting us for a few weeks.”

  “Our kids are at home with a nanny we just hired after the twins were born. This is our first night out without them. It feels weird.” Lizzie turned to her mate and whispered, “Should I call and check on them?”

  “They’re fine.” TylOR wrapped a reassuring arm around his tiny mate. It was strange seeing someone so big and muscular with someone as short and little as Lizzie, but their love for each was strong and real and inspiring.

  Tera had to glance away from the loving scene to keep from expressing the loneliness she was feeling. That was when she realized that there was another person in the room—a gorgeous blond-haired Kiljorn, who had the most amazing eyes. How had she not spotted him when she first came inside? He had seemed to blend in with the environment effortlessly, but now that she’d seen him, she couldn’t seem to look away.

  “Oh my, where are my manners? Tera, this is Warrior CristOF, an elite tracker for the Kiljorn nation. Warrior CristOF, this is Tera Kincaid. She’s in charge of the construction of the new schools on Katiera and here on Kiljor, and helped set up the foster program.”

  “Hello, Miss Kincaid.” CristOF gave a gentlemanly bow, somehow keeping his eyes on her the entire time.

  She felt heat rise to her cheeks. No man had ever looked at her so intently before. It was like he could see all of her at once, inside and out. It was...intense, and kind of hot. She almost forgot there were other people in the room watching.

  “Nice to meet you.” Thank God she didn’t stutter.

  There was a small silence while she stared at him, which was broken when Lindsey cleared her throat.

  “Dinner is ready. I admit I didn’t cook it all myself, but I had amazing helpers.” Lindsey let her mate help her stand. KadEN paused to place his hand over her slightly swollen belly.

  “May I assist you?” A deep male voice rumbled close to her.

  Tera looked up and CristOF was suddenly there, offering his hand. Close up, he was breathtaking. She looked at his hand and hesitated before placing her hand in it. The moment they touched, electricity shot through her whole body. She stood up, but she wasn’t sure she could feel her legs. Her heart was racing and for a moment she forgot to breathe.

  CristOF kept hold of her hand as he led her to the table. Everyone else was seated, leaving two empty chairs side by side for her and her impromptu escort. She felt herself shaking a little and was surprised when he squeezed her hand in comfort. That should have made her embarrassed, but when she looked into his eyes, she saw a kindness and warmth that made her feel safe instead.

  He pulled her chair out for her and scooted it in gently as she sat down. When he took his own seat she was acutely aware of him, his heat, his...scent. Humans didn’t have the same senses as Katierans or Kiljorns, but she could smell a woodsy, masculine scent. It was delicious and seemed to wrap around her. Crap! She needed to get her mind off of the sexy male next to her. She concentrated on the food that was placed in front of her instead.

  “Is that lasagna?” Lizzie asked.

  Lindsey smiled. “It’s a combination Earth-Kiljorn version of lasagna. The sauce is my own creation that I’ve been working on in my small garden.”

  “Lindsey is a wonderful garner,” KadEN bragged.

  “‘Gardener,’” Lindsey corrected with a loving smile. “I’ve been taking classes from a master gardener class taught by two instructors, one from Earth and another from Kiljor. I really like taking care of the vegetables, growing them and taking them from the garden to the kitchen.”

  Tera took a bite of the lasagna, closing her eyes and sighing in pleasure. Chuckles around the room made her pop open her eyes in surprise. She felt the heat in her cheeks again.

  “Sorry, I’ve not had anything this good in a long time.”

  “That’s the best compliment I could have asked for,” Lindsey reassured her.

  Everyone else was eating and expressing their appreciation for the food. It was clear that these couples were close friends, almost a family, by the ease of their banter and how they teased one another.

  “Is this the kind of food you ate often on Earth?” CristOF asked as he leaned closer to her.

  She looked up into those dark eyes of his. His gold irises made him look like a predator, and that impression was strengthened when he didn’t take his eyes off of her. Tera almost forgot to breathe again. Damn, if he kept this up she might faint or something.

  He seemed to sense her discomfort and moved back from her a little. But he never stopped looking at her; his focus went to her lips, and she unconsciously licked them.

  “Um...yeah, I’ve often eaten Italian food, including lasagna and other kinds of pasta. To be honest, though, I take after my father. He was always a meat-and-potatoes guy. Give me a juicy steak any day and I’ll be happy.”

  “What kind of game did he hunt?” CristOF sounded truly interested.

  She laughed. “My dad? A hunter? No, he was a college professor. My mom was an elementary-school teacher.”

  “How did he get his meat if he didn’t hunt for it?”

  “On Earth, we go to a grocery store or a market. He did like to fish, though, before the EWG banned fishing for conservation reasons.”

  “I am a very good hunter, but I too like to fish,” CristOF told her.

  She smiled, warming to the subject. “Dad would take us six kids and my mom camping and fishing once a year. I was pretty good at it. No one else liked the fishing the way I did, so a lot of times it was just me and Dad on a boat out on the lake while my mother and sisters stayed at the cabin. What I miss most is the quiet and calm that came with fishing. I could sit there with Dad for hours, and neither of us would say a word. We’d just listen to nature and enjoy the stillness together.”

  CristOF leaned closer and said in a low voice, “I admit to spending much of my time in the jungle. It’s where I was raised, and I’m better with nature than with people. I feel awkward in social settings.”

  “Me too,” she admitted, also whispering. They had a moment, sitting close together and looking into each other’s eyes. She felt that electricity again, and they weren’t even touching. Then he broke the connection by moving back in his seat and turning to answer a question that Commander TylOR asked him. The next thing she knew, he was standing up and following the other two men down the hallway.

  “They’re going to have a quick meeting in KadEN’s home office. It’s top priority, apparently. I don’t know what it's about, but CristOF is being assigned a mission that even I’m not being told about. Hey, let’s take tea in the living room and talk about that daycare, get our minds off the men for a while.”

  An hour later Tera was ready for some fresh air. Lindsey was in the kitchen checking on dessert, Lizzie had put her feet up on the couch, and the men were still in their ‘quick’ meeting. Not that she was paying attention to how long they were gone or anything. She would’ve already left, but she’d promised Lindsey she’d try a piece of her cake first. Cake was her weakness. She hadn’t had it in years.

  Looking up at the stars in awe, she didn’t think she’d ever seen anything so lovely. They were so bright and shiny. Tera felt like she could almost touch them

  “Beautiful.”

  She jumped at the sound of a male’s voice from behind her—a damn sexy male voice. The timbre in CristOF’s voice made her whole being respond. Her heart beat faster, she had to remind herself to breathe, and her nipples tightened, which she found most disconcerting.

  “Warrior CristOF.” Was that her voice? It sounded winded, like she’d been running.

  He stepped closer, until he was standing right beside her. “Please c
all me CristOF.”

  “CristOF,” she repeated.

  “Why are you out here all by yourself?”

  “I’m admiring the night’s sky. Back on Earth, the pollution was so great that there were very few places to go that allowed us to see stars with the naked eye.”

  “I cannot even imagine such a thing. How exactly did that happen?”

  She shrugged. “We did it to ourselves. Sad but true. We’re lucky that the Katierans agreed to help us before the planet completely died. At least now, we have hope that one day, Earth will be renewed. I hope that future generations will appreciate Earth and take better care of it than their ancestors did.”

  A light touch against her hair made her turn to face him. “What are you doing?”

  “Your hair is so pale in the moonlight. The tendrils cascade down like a waterfall. I don’t think I’ve seen anything so beautiful before.”

  Holy shit! Was CristOF flirting with her? Her palms felt sweaty. “Th...thank you.”

  “I leave tomorrow evening for a mission. I was hoping...you would join me for the midday meal.”

  “Yes.” Where the hell did that come from? The dazzling smile he gave her made her melt inside.

  “I’ll come by to pick you up at your place at noon.” He turned to leave.

  “Wait, don’t you want my address?”

  He gave her a wink. “I can track you down.”

  *****

  CristOF had only arrived for dinner ten minutes ago and he was already ready to leave. He was about to ask to speak with KadEN and TylOR about the mission so that he could excuse himself early, when...his dream walked in. She had curly blonde hair and incredible green eyes. She couldn’t have been more than five-foot-two; not even tall enough for her head to completely reach his shoulder.

  Talking to her at the dinner table had been exciting. She was intelligent, but shy. Also incredibly attractive. He didn’t think she even knew how attractive she was, judging by way she avoided looking others directly in the eye and shifted uncomfortably if anyone looked at her too long. However, she looked him in the eyes without hesitation. He fought the urge to kiss her sweet, bow-shaped lips. What surprised him the most was that he could listen to her talk for hours and not be bored.

  He hated to be pulled away from Tera even for a minute, but he managed to put thoughts of her aside to meet with Prime Leader KadEN and Commander TylOR. After reading the reports, he had questions—a lot of them. When he was done, he came back into the living room, looking forward to speaking with Tera again. He was disappointed to find her gone.

  “She’s on the balcony,” Lizzie told him.

  “What?” He glanced at her where she lay on the couch, looking exhausted.

  “Tera is on the balcony, just in case you were wondering.”

  CristOF nodded and headed towards the open balcony doors. He paused on the threshold watching her. She was definitely the female from his dream. Tera was a goddess, with moonlight shining through her golden curls. Watching as she tilted her face toward the light, he was completely entranced.

  He was leaving on a potentially one-way mission tomorrow evening. There was a chance he would never again see this beauty. That was unacceptable. He couldn’t help asking to meet with her the next day. He would savor his time with her; take those precious memories with him—for however long the Goddess blessed him to live.

  Chapter 5

  Tera had changed three times already, not knowing what she should wear for a lunch date: a dress, or pants and a t-shirt? Should she wear her hair up or down? She had no idea where they were going or what they would be doing. It had been so long since she’d been on a date. The last time had been on Katiera, almost two years ago.

  A handsome Katieran warrior had kept taking meals at the same time as her and her friends. Katierans often took their meals in large groups at a cafeteria. She had noticed him, but hadn’t thought it was anything more than coincidence. Later, she found out that he’d purposely gone to the same cafeteria every day just to see her.

  Eventually he built up the courage to come over to her table and ask her to join him for the next evening meal. Her few friends encouraged to go, so she did. She’d shared several meals with GaEB, but when he kissed her goodnight, she didn’t lose herself in him. Maybe all those romance novels had her wanting a hot and heavy love affair that just wasn’t reality.

  All she knew was that she didn’t feel for GaEB what he was feeling for her, so she ended things with him. Over last two years she’d wondered if she’d made a mistake, if she should have given GaEB a second chance. Now, after meeting CristOF, she knew she’d made the right decision.

  CristOF was different. He had a quiet confidence that appealed to her. His eyes were dark and intense. It felt like he could see her very soul. He didn’t miss anything. No wonder he was a tracker. Through the whole dinner, she’d felt like she was his main focus; as though he was stalking her like she was his prey. It was daunting to be the center of someone’s attention, but also...exciting.

  His voice was deep and raspy, wrapping her in a warm velvet blanket. She could have listened to him talk all night. Never had any guy caught her attention like this, which was why she’d agreed to share the midday meal with him. This would be good. She would see him again in the light of day, and see that he wasn’t that special. Tera had been restless all night thinking about the man that had fascinated her. No one had ever caught her attention like this before, making her extremely aware of him being a sexy man and her being a lonely woman. She was not sure she liked it. The sound of the doorbell followed by the announcement of her visitor had her turning around in a flutter.

  “Warrior CristOF requests entrance.”

  Glancing once more at her appearance in the mirror, she shrugged. This was as good as it was going to get. Leaving the bedroom, she walked toward the door and pressed the button to open it. Her breath caught at seeing him. He wasn’t as good as she remembered—he was better.

  “Good day, Tera.”

  Oh…my...God. CristOF was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. He stood there in a blue shirt crisscrossed to snap on the left side, and a darker blue pair of pants. His dark blond hair had been smoothed back, and it showed off his chiseled square jawline. He was mouthwateringly gorgeous, and she realized she’d just been standing there staring at him like an idiot.

  “Hi.” Why did she sound so breathy?

  “Are you ready to go?” CristOF asked, without taking his eyes off of her. He looked her up and down…twice. She shivered

  “Yes. Where are we going?” she asked as she closed the door behind her and followed him into the corridor.

  “I thought we would have a picnic since it’s such a lovely day.” He lifted his hand, which held a medium-sized basket.

  “A picnic? I thought that was a human custom. I didn’t know Kiljorns did the same.”

  “I had heard of the human custom and asked Commander TylOR’s mate about it. She made a few recommendations. I hope this is okay with you. We can go to the meal room with the others, if you prefer…”

  “I have to confess, I haven’t been on a picnic since I was eight. It’s a welcome surprise.”

  He looked down at her and smiled. Good grief, he was good-looking to begin with, but when he smiled...he was devastating. Her heart beat faster. An overwhelming desire to lick him all over hit her and made her stumble. CristOF caught her arm, keeping her from falling. That simple touch brought back the electricity from the night before. She stumbled again. Damn! He must think I’m a clumsy loon.

  “Are you feeling alright?” he asked with genuine concern, halting them in the corridor.

  “I’m…fine.”

  His touch on her arm was gentle but firm, and sent tingles throughout her whole body. She was extremely aware that he was all male, and warm. He had a great scent, the one she remembered from last night. Tera wanted to rub her body against his until she carried that scent with her.

  Where the hell did that thou
ght come from? She’d never felt such an immediate, intense attraction to a man, and she didn’t know how to handle it. Tera stared up at him, a little dazed. She noticed that he had moved closer to her and was leaning toward her, inhaling her scent. His eyes darkened, and...was that a growl?

  “Perhaps we need to...get some fresh air,” he suggested gently, putting his arm behind her back and leading her the rest of the way out of the building.

  Tera was grateful that she was on the first floor instead of on one of the higher levels, so that they were able to go directly outside from the main entrance instead of having to take the elevator. She agreed with him that fresh air would do her a world of good. Katierans and Kiljorns had incredible senses, and she worried that either she smelled bad to him, or... that he could scent her desire. When they got outside she breathed deeply, once then twice. Turning his way, she smiled to hide her nervousness.

  “Where to?”

  “I was told that there’s a new park not far from here that has tables set up for picnics.”

  “Oh, I know where that is. I love that park. It’s within walking distance, and it has several gazebos.”

  They strolled together down the paved walkway, one of CristOF’s hands at her back and the other holding the basket. He gently moved her out of the way when a hover cart drove by, almost clipping her. Hover carts looked a lot like golf carts, seating six people with a roof overhead but open on all sides. They didn’t have any wheels, just hovered off the ground. This one was actually quite fast, and she almost didn’t see it.

  “Thanks,” she told him.

  “I should go after the driver and make them slow down. You could have been hit.” He sounded really angry and worried about her, touching her lightly to ensure she was okay.

  She placed her hand on his arm to keep him from doing just that. “I’m fine. You saved me. I promise I’m normally not this much trouble.”

  He gave her a devilish smile, his anger evaporating easily. “You can save me next time.”