Cali & Drake (The Alliance Book 1)

by Stormy McKnight

  “How is it that you were so…different,” Cali asked impatiently.

  “We call ourselves valkie warriors, I’ve no words in your tongue to explain it. We’ve got enhanced fighting ability…sight, smell, strength. If threatened or highly emotional, it comes upon us, a type of adrenaline—”

  “When you first woke up in medical,” Cali gasped, remembering. “Your eyes were the electric blue for one second and then went back to normal. Then again during sex.”

  “Yes,” His gaze became heated and Cali regretted bringing up their intimacy. Luckily Drake focused on the first time his eyes had changed.

  “In the medical unit, I saw the guards behind you and almost lost control, as my friends did. I would have attacked…”

  “How was it that you stopped?” Cali’s voice had softened.

  “There are only two things that can stop a valkie male when in a fighting frenzy.” Drake shifted uncomfortably and Cali grew suspicious.

  “What two things?”

  “The threat has been eliminated.” His eyes locked on hers, the slight flow of electric blue was back in his gaze.

  “And the second thing?” Cali prompted softly.

  “The calming presence or touch of his chosen mate,” Drake’s voice washed over her smooth and sexy.

  “A chosen mate?” She stood upright and Drake matched her stance. “You didn’t even know me in medical. How is it that my touch stopped you?”

  “My body recognized you. Call it chemistry, magic or the universe connecting us, but that is what you are. My chosen mate.” Drake’s voice dipped lower, daring her to deny what he was saying.

  “I can’t be your mate, you don’t know anything about me. I thought we were just having fun. I may have visited your planet now and again to see you, but—” Her protests were weak even to her, and they caused an electric charge to enter the air. Cali knew it was Drake’s ability when his eyes flashed. She started to scoot away slowly. “There’s something else you should know.” She had been so adamant about honesty, and so angry with Drake for lying, she felt about one inch tall when she blurted. “I can’t be your mate because…I’m already promised to another.”

  Cali ran for the door. She knew she wouldn’t get far, and she didn’t. Drake was on her before she took two steps. His arms wrapped around her and jerked her back against him.

  Cali could feel him shaking against her. She held absolutely still, afraid he must be very angry. When she felt his breath against her ear, she flinched and prepared for the worst.

  “Cali.” His voice came out tinged with laughter.

  He was amused?!

  Her head jerked up, and his lips caressed the sensitive spot against her neck.

  “My sweet Cali,” His lips moved to play with her ear. “Any male promised to you is of no consequence to me. I will kill any man who thinks to claim you.”

  “You can’t—” Cali gasped again when he pushed himself against her backside. His hard arousal produced an answering swell of moisture in her cleft.

  “I can and I will.” He growled the words and Cali’s body trembled against his arms in response. “You’re mine, Cali. I’m never letting you go.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Cali sat crossed legged on her bed. She couldn’t believe it had only been a day since finding his friends. Twenty-four hours of lounging around her rooms, making love with Drake and talking until her voice felt like it was going to give out.

  “So in order to avoid getting forced into a partnership, I hijacked this ship. I always planned to be a captain and find my way out here in space. So it hasn’t been a hardship being on The Reliant.” She smiled at Drake, “The crew doesn’t know any of this, so please don’t say anything. Not that I think you would, just be careful. They think we’re on a mission sanctioned by The Council. With no planets close enough to turn to for sanctuary—” Drake raised one brow and Cali added, “That I knew of at the time! I told the crew we were to study any new activity in the Buffer Zone. I wasn’t expecting to find that Titus was spacefaring.” Cali laughed and tried to calculate the odds of making up a mission only to have it turn into something fruitful.

  “How can the crew not know that you aren’t the true captain?” Drake was lounging next to her. He didn’t mind nudity, and she wasn’t about to ask him to cover up. Since he’d demolished his door, and they needed privacy, her quarters had been chosen. Her wounded crew had been healed and released from the holding cell. Everything pertinent was explained to the officers, the details whitewashed for the crew and a course set for Titus.

  “I was assigned The Reliant. My mother had announced that there was a change in leadership, but the crew still answered to me when I came onboard. Since I am the daughter of a powerful leader, they assumed it was a test. They didn’t question when I said it was under the orders of The Council for The Reliant to run drills in the Buffer Zone.”

  “Your mother must be a very powerful woman if her name got you access to a starship without question.” Drake mused out loud.

  “She isn’t only powerful but extremely ambitious as well. I don’t want to take a partnership with the male my mother has chosen, I just don’t have a way around it. His family has ties to the council as well. My mother figures if we are to enter a partnership, it will cement our hold on the Council of Three for generations. There won’t be a stronger link than any children—” Cali stopped when Drake growled low in his chest. “Did you just growl?”

  “You need to stop talking about another male touching you. Getting you with child.” Drake’s voice was harsh.

  Cali shrugged and absently fingered his chest. The tension in his body eased instantly. “Okay. Enough about me. I’ve been wondering something. How did your ancestor manage to unite the separate clans of your home world? If your people were as widespread and violent, as the history books on my world describe, then it must’ve been very difficult to gain their cooperation.”

  “Well, with our abilities we were all equally matched in fighting. It was felt that it was only a matter of time before someone got creative and destroyed all humanoid life out of spite or by mistake. My ancestor worked tirelessly to make all of the clans connected. We are reliant on each other now, so it’s in our best interest to watch each other’s backs. Even after all these years there is a group we call “Others” that still insist on living outside the rules, but the majority benefit from the new system.”

  “I’m still confused about how the clans are connected.”

  “All five clans produce something that benefits the others. For example, the Metari supply all of the water for industry, the mining of trianium and agriculture. In return, they are supplied with food, mineral and the newest technology. We allow the clans to intermix. For example, if you have an affinity for plants, but are born in Metari you can live in Denary if you wish. The years of using this system have built a trust among us, we live in harmony now, when before it was chaos.”

  “That’s a very strong strategy your ancestor implemented. When one clan benefits, they all benefit…very wise.” Cali eyed his lounging form and a thrill ran into her belly. “So who has the leadership of the clans?” Cali was impressed that someone could get that many males with Drake’s abilities to unite.

  “There is a council of representatives that meet once a month. Each clan is allowed one representative on the council. Those five men vote on the items set before them by the sub-councils.”

  “How are the representatives chosen?” Cali asked. It was a similar system to Cestori and she was interested to know what worked on a planet with males like Drake.

  “Where your planet is matriarchal, Titus is patriarchal.” He shifted on the bed, “Each clan has a line of succession, chosen from the strongest male line. All five clans have the Challenge of Succession every four years.”

  Cali frowned, not liking the sound of this challenge thing. “What exactly is that?”

  “The sitting representative from each clan, if a male challenger presents hi
mself, faces his opponent in feats of strength, tactics, and hand to hand battle. If that representative is beaten, the new line of succession would rule from that family line. The only requirement is that a challenger has to be of the clan he is vying to lead. I couldn’t challenge the sitting leader of Metari for instance.”

  “Who represents your clan on the council?”

  Before he could answer, her door chimed. Cali looked toward her doorway in surprise, “I wonder who that could be?”

  Drake sat upright on the bed, his attention on her as she swung her legs off the mattress to stand up.

  “You might want to put on a robe.” His lazy drawl stopped her midway to the living room.

  “Thanks for the reminder,” She managed a sheepish grin at the look on his face. All she wore was a flimsy nightgown, and one it wasn’t very captain-like. She turned back into her bedroom and grabbed a robe, tying it as she went. Stopping at the bed she kissed Drake quickly and then rushed to close the door behind her.

  “Computer unlock my door.” She authorized and the computer chirped to let her know her request had been recognized. Reaching her entryway, she said, “Open.”

  Her doors parted and Diandra stood outside, wringing her hands in agitation.

  “Diandra, what’s wrong?” She waved her friend inside, “Come in, have a seat.”

  “Is Drake here?” Diandra looked around nervously.

  Cali knew it must be bad for her friend to be acting so strangely. “He’s in the bedroom.” Cali hurried to assure her friend, “He won’t hear us if you’re worried about that.”

  “It’s all falling apart.” Diandra refused to sit, instead pacing between the doorway and her bedroom.

  “What’s falling apart?” Cali tried to soothe her friend.

  “You and Vathral? There’s still a chance for you to be together. After I make sure everyone who helped me is cleared of any wrongdoing, I’ll return to Titus to be with Drake.”

  “Not Vathral and me.” Her friend stopped and pulled a shining object out of her pants pocket. “I should never have taken this assignment. Move toward the doorway. Slowly and quietly.”

  Cali did as Diandra asked. The look of pure malice on her friend’s face spoke volumes. “What’s going on?” she whispered, afraid to anger her friend when she was holding a phase blaster. Set on stun it would take down a normal male. If the setting was kill, you might get two steps before it stopped your heart.

  “If you were any slower, you would be going backward,” Diandra snapped, “I was never your friend. I was sent to the Academy for the sole purpose of keeping an eye on you. My mother worked it out with yours so it would appear coincidental. From the very beginning, my sole purpose was to report back on your friends, your lovers, your antics….”

  Cali’s mind went reeling. She refused to accept what Diandra was saying. “I don’t believe—”

  “Shh.” Diandra held her finger to her lips. “You don’t get to talk right now. I want you to stay quiet. All those years at the Academy listening to you rant about romance, love, and happy ever after. If I could’ve gotten away with it…” she let the threat hover between them.

  “What about your feelings for Vathral. I’ve done everything in my power to help you be with him.” Cali felt her frustration building.

  “I don’t have feelings for Vathral. He was a dalliance that was supposed to come to an end with your partnering ceremony. That was the plan from the beginning. How it got so messed up, I’ll never know.”

  “When I sent you to The Apoxis, you came back here on purpose?” Cali couldn’t believe she had been so naïve.

  “Yes, I didn’t have time to warn your mother, so I took the chance and transported back here just in time. At least while on The Reliant I could keep an eye on things. I knew that eventually we’d return to Cestori. You would have your adventure, no harm no foul,” Diandra moved between her and the bedroom.

  “That’s why you were so adamant I stay away from Drake.” Cali knew Diandra had been acting out of character, but she hadn’t ever imagined this scenario.

  “I wouldn’t have had to do this if you’d returned to Cestori months ago. But then you found Drake in that damn pod, then his friends. The plan of going home was changed to taking our passengers to Titus. Too many things can go wrong. I can’t let this ship go to Titus. Besides, if they are spacefaring now, your mother might like a chance to meet your new friends.”

  Cali opened her mouth to argue but Diandra stopped her. “I want you to open comm with the bridge and turn us around. Now.” She raised the weapon warningly.

  Cali spoke through the tightness in her throat, “Computer open a comm link to the bridge.” The chime of the computer told her she had a connection. “Navigation. Full stop.” She hedged for time. If she could get Diandra to listen.

  Holding up her hands she implored, “We can’t take the males from Titus to Cestori. Please—”

  “Cali, have you gotten rid—”

  Her panicked gaze swept to Drake as he appeared in the doorway. Diandra swung her weapon to target him and Cali gaped in horror as a flash went from the phaser to strike Drake in the chest.

  “Drake!” She yelled his name and went running to his prone body.

  “Such dramatics,” Diandra stopped her with the phase gun pointed at her. “It’s set on high stun, not kill. I can change that if you don’t do what I want. Get the ship moving back to Cestori…or I’ll be forced to kill him.”

  As if she could, Cali thought. If anything, judging by the angry look on Drake’s face and the glowing electric blue eyes, she would be forced to save her former friend at this rate.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Drake, don’t hurt her,” Cali shouted just as he jumped toward Diandra. Realizing what he said before about her touch calming him, she ran forward.

  Diandra seemed a bit slow to realize the danger she was in. The phase gun swung toward Drake, but he was a blur of movement and she couldn’t hit him. That didn’t keep her from trying, however. She was shooting wildly in her attempts to stun him.

  Cali grabbed her arm and knocked the gun away. “Stop Diandra. If you value the ability to draw another breath, don’t move!”

  Diandra must have had some sense of self-preservation because she froze on the spot. Since Diandra was without a weapon, Drake stopped as well. He was behind her, hovering protectively.

  “What is he?” Diandra’s slightly ragged breaths seemed to be the only response she would allow her body to have. Cali envied her the ability to stay so calm.

  “Drake and the others from Titus are special.” Cali slowly moved back to put some space between Diandra and Drake. “Something about the planet, their genetics, the food, atmosphere…who knows really. They call themselves valkie warriors. Their strength, senses, and speed are all increased when a threat is present.”

  Another chime sounded and Cali heard from the bridge. “Captain, we are picking up strange readings off the starboard.”

  “I’m on my way—”

  “A ship is decloaking…” The panic in the navigation officers voice was obvious.

  “Shields to maximum,” Cali ordered. She was stopped from giving further directions when a voice boomed over their comm system.

  “You have something of ours.” The voice was male, arrogant and angry. Cali turned when Drake let out a loud exclamation.

  “What?”

  “I can’t believe it.”

  “Return what belongs to us. Or else.” The voice boomed and then The Reliant was rocked by a blast against the shields. Alarms blared and warning lights flashed around her room.

  Cali ignored Drake and Diandra for the moment and ran into her bedroom. Yanking on a uniform, and knotting her hair into a bun, she bolted for the bridge. Seeing Diandra standing terrified in the same spot she ordered.

  “Return to your chambers!” Not waiting for a response she sprinted across the hallway.

  “What is our status?” She yelled to the officers on the bridge.
There wasn’t any sign of Vareen, so she looked at the woman holding down the science station.

  “We have minimal power to the engines. Shields are holding for now and weapons are available, but I wouldn’t recommend using them. We need to divert that power to the shields. I estimate we should have CD drive back in six hours.”

  “We don’t have six hours,” Cali snapped. “Put the other ship on visual.”

  “Yes, captain.” The science officer started working buttons on her console. The ship they were facing off with appeared on the display. It was unlike anything she’d ever seen. Sleek, massive, and deadly looking.

  “Let me talk to them.”

  Cali whipped her head to see Drake had followed her. Through her mind flashed the thought that at least he’d put on pants. Diandra wasn’t anywhere to be seen, and Cali hoped she had done as asked and returned to her quarters.

  “Communications, open a channel,” she ordered.

  “Yes, captain. Channel open.”

  Cali lifted a brow to Drake and nodded for him to go ahead.

  “Maxon, this is Chan’ Drake of the clan Renari. It’s good to hear your voice.”

  Cali’s heard shocked muttering around the bridge, and she silently wished she could join them. This was The Maxon? The ship that Drake thought had blown up.

  “Drake?” the voice boomed over the comm channel. “It can’t be.”

  Before Cali could move, there were flashes of light shimmering to solid forms all around the bridge.

  “Do nothing.” She yelled in case the officers or guards were foolish enough to attack their new guests. “Drop your weapons.” She thought to add in case even the presence of weapons would make things worse.

  Standing uncertainly on her own bridge didn’t sit well with Cali, but she didn’t know what else to do. The Maxon was obviously far superior to anything on Cestori. She couldn’t begin to fathom the physics and engineering it would take to cloak a battleship of that size. Not to mention they had transported through The Reliant’s shields as if they hadn’t existed.