Protected By The Alien Bodyguard by Ella Maven

Thirteen

Bloom

Every time Cravus had mentioned home, a look came over his face that I envied. One of belonging, of knowing his roots, and I didn’t have that. But when I stepped onto the path of the Kaluma settlement, and large trees with massive trunks stretched to the sky before me, a settling feeling warmed my chest.

This was my home. This was where I belonged, and it was never more apparent than when a woman with long dark hair pulled back into a braid sprinted toward me, shouting and hollering, with her arms spread out.

She caught me up in a hug, and although I’d never met her, didn’t know a thing about her, I returned the hug, squeezing her tightly.

“You must be Karina,” I laughed as her breath warmed my neck.

She pulled back and grabbed my face, hers flushed and alight with excitement. “When Sherif told me Cravus was bringing home a human mate, I thought I was going to come out of my skin!”

A Kaluma stepped up behind her—the one from my dreams—with white hair shaved on the sides and braided in the back. He wore an amused expression. “She hasn’t talked about anything else since then. I’m sure you’re great, little female, but I’m already tired of you.”

Karina turned around and smacked on the arm, hard. “Apologize.”

He snorted and then met my eyes with glittering blue ones. “I’m not being serious. Nice to meet you. I’m Bosa.”

I nodded. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

He exhaled loudly and raised his voice. “Yes, I’m sure. We all know this place can’t run without me.” He grinned and then stepped up to Cravus, his expression sobering slightly. “You had us worried, friend.”

“If it wasn’t for Bloom, I wouldn’t be here.”

“I can say the same,” I murmured.

Bosa peered over Cravus’s shoulder at the rest of the crew who were unloading the cruiser. “Where’s Sherif?”

I pressed my lips together as Karina craned her neck to look for the pardux. “He ignored us every time we tried to talk to him on our way here.”

Cravus swallowed. “He stayed behind.”

“What?” Bosa hollered so loud that Skags let out a squawk and flopped out of my sling. The Kaluma jumped back and raised his bat above his head. “What the yerk is that thing?”

“No!” I cried, diving on top of Skags, who trembled so badly that his bones were rattling. “He’s my friend!”

Bosa exhaled roughly and relaxed, lowering his bat. “Yerk me.”

I picked up Skags, who eyed Bosa with distrust.

“Can I pet him?” Karina asked.

“Yes, he’s very friendly.” I glanced at Bosa. “Usually.”

Karina laughed. “He has a way of bringing out the worst in everyone.”

“Hey!” Her mate protested.

While Karina scratched the ears of a now-calm Skags, Cravus explained why Sherif chose to remain behind. Bosa’s expression darkened with every word until his jaw was tight and his grip on his spiked bat was white-knuckled. “That’s a suicide mission. What’s he thinking?”

“You know what he’s thinking,” Cravus murmured.

“It’s not that I don’t want Kazel back too—”

“I know,” Cravus said. “I know. He does too. There was no talking him out of it though.”

“Do you think Drukil is going to act quickly?”

“We can’t be sure,” Cravus said. “But we need to get in touch with the Drixonians.”

“We’ll arrange a meeting. Maybe the females can get together.”

“Females?” I asked.

Karina gripped my hand, her smile big. “Their allies the Drixonians saved close to a dozen women. All mated.”

“What are the Drixonians like?”

Bosa curled his lip with distaste, while Cravus punched him. “The Drixonians are exactly who we’d want in a battle with the Council,” he explained.

“Are they… kind to their women?”

“Too kind,” Bosa muttered. “Those females walk all over them—”

“Excuse me?” Karina cocked a hip out and crossed her arms over her chest.

I didn’t miss the slight wave of panic that colored Bosa’s face. “Kotche—”

“Don’t act tough or we’ll see who has to sleep outside tonight. Cold and alone.”

He narrowed his eyes. “That means you’ll be cold and alone too without my cock to warm you—”

She slapped a hand over his mouth. “Don’t you have warrior things to do?”

He blinked at her over her palm and shrugged his spiked shoulders. She dropped her hand with a roll of her eyes and linked her arm through mine. “Well, I’m going to give Bloom a tour. You two go…” she waved a hand. “…do whatever it is you need to do.”

“I would rather talk more about warming—”

“Bye!” she shouted over her shoulder. I waved to Cravus, who waved back with a smile before turning to once more converse with Bosa.

Karina turned and winked at me. “If Bosa ever gives you trouble, you let me know. He’s all talk. Well, he bites too, but only when I ask.” She tilted her head in thought. “Or if you’re a mortal enemy.”

“Makes sense,” I said, feeling a little overwhelmed. She seemed to sense my slight distress and patted my hand. “So what do you want to do first? I can give you a tour, or we can eat, or I can take you straight away to get clean and in a bed to rest.”

I glanced around, feeling strengthened by her kindness. “I’ve been stuck in a cruiser for too many days. I’d love to walk around.”

Her smile grew as she flung out her arm. “A tour it is!”

* * *

Round huts sat on fungus like pads jutting out from the large trees, leading up so high that I could barely make out some at the top. Vines hung in various positions, and I watched as members of the settlement hopped nimbly from fungi platforms and branches before sliding down the vines.

“Bosa and I are in that one,” she pointed to a hut with a spiked wreath on the door. “And that’s yours.” She pointed to a nearby hut, which was covered in orange and purple flowers.

My jaw dropped. “Is that…”

“Cravus asked us to decorate it. He said you like flowers. Wensla and Gurla helped me. You’ll meet them soon.”

I gasped. “He asked… you did…” I felt my eyes filling with tears and quickly swiped at them. “Why am I crying? How stupid—”

“Hey,” Karina turned me to face her. “You’re not stupid. I heard about what you’ve been though. You don’t… remember Earth, right?”

I shook my head. “Sometimes I get flashes, but… not really.”

“So, it’s understandable that having a home again is going to make you feel. A lot. So go ahead and feel.”

I sniffed. “I’m so happy you’re here. What did you do when you were the only human?”

She shrugged. “All the females were really kind and welcoming. And I keep Bosa in check, which is helpful to all of them since he’s a handful.”

I laughed. “I worried that they would be unwelcoming, that they would think I was stealing one of their men. But Hara assured me no one would treat me like that.”

“And she’s right,” Karina confirmed. “As long as it’s your choice to be with Cravus, then they are happy to have more feminine touches here, trust me. You know the history and what they went through with their last pardux, right?”

I nodded.

“Yeah, so most of them don’t even want mates, but they feel responsibility to choose and procreate. Us taking a few warriors out of the mating pool is a blessing to them.” She fingered my short hair. “They know what it’s like to feel unsafe, and so they are happy to provide us somewhere we can live freely.” She grinned. “They’re great cooks too. And they smoke a dried weed that is—” she whistled. “Better than anything I’ve ever had, you know what I mean?”

I stared at her.

She blinked at me. “You know, like pot?”

“Pot?”

She pursed her lips. “After dinner, honey. I’ll hook you up. I promise it’s all natural and will make you feel right at home.”

I just met her, but I trusted her. “Okay.”

The tour continued. She showed me the stream near the settlement where they bathed and washed clothes, the training arenas for the warriors, as well as the crop fields and livestock pens. Next, she pointed out the kitchens, dining areas, and healer building. “They’re self-sufficient here. It’s a mix of primitive living—kind of glamping to be honest—but yet they have space travel technology and rocket launchers.”

I wasn’t sure of everything she was talking about, but I nodded. “You like it here?”

She smiled at me, although I could tell it was tinged with sadness. “Do I miss Earth? My friends? Apple pie? Yeah, I do. But that’s not my life anymore. This is. Bosa is the love of my life, I have friends, and I’m learning a lot of skills on how to be productive. It’s rewarding, and I’m safe and loved.”

“It’s funny you say it like that. I don’t have my memories, but I had a dream, or a visul, I guess, where my old self told me that it was time to move on, that I am still me but adapting to a new environment and life.”

Karina patted my arm. “I’m so sorry about what happened to you, but I’m so very glad you met Cravus. I respect him so much. I bet you can help him forge weapons, if that sounds like fun to you.”

I hadn’t even thought about that. A bubble of excitement inflated my chest “Do you think I could?”

“I’m sure you could. He’d probably be happy to have you by his side all day.”

“I want to feel like I’m a part of the settlement here. I want to work.”

“And that’s fine but give yourself break. Take time to adjust. No one’s going to have you pulling weeds in the crop fields tomorrow.”

I laughed. “Okay, that’s fair.”

Karina gestured toward the kitchens. “It’s about mealtime. Wanna learn about the Kaluma cuisine?”

I smiled. “I’d love to.”

* * *

We munched on thin, cooked tubers that Karina said tasted like potato chips. My tongue seemed to remember the flavor and I couldn’t get enough.

“Here, eat some bupz too,” fussed Wensla, a Kaluma female I’d just met whose belly was round with a late-stage pregnancy. She sat next to Gurla, and it was clear the two were very much in love. Sitting nearby, whittling some wood with a knife, was the other mate in their triad, a male.

Wensla wasn’t the oldest female of the settlement, but she very much struck me as a leader. I remembered Sherif had said she was to be in charge in his absence, along with Bosa and Cravus, but he’d given Wensla the final word. I had expected her to be wary of me, and while she definitely studied me closely, she came across more like a concerned mother.

The way she treated me made my brain spin a little. I was pretty sure I’d had a mom like her—sensible, caring, and very protective of her own. I immediately liked Wensla. Gurla was younger, talkative, and I got the impression she could be trouble sometimes. She had a mischievous glint to her eyes.

“Wensla is always making sure we get our balanced meals,” she said with a giggle. “Don’t worry, we can sneak more tubers later.”

“I heard that,” Wensla murmured while she filled our plates. We sat at a long table in the dining building. Most of the warriors were finished eating, having gobbled up their food in no time, but the females sat around me giving me time to try the new foods. The smoked meat was incredible, and Karina boasted that she’d had a hand in changing up some of their spice recipes.

“Did you hear about Sherif?” Karina asked Wensla.

Her fingers faltered, and she swallowed thickly before resuming her plating. “Yes, I was informed as I’m now part of the leadership with Cravus.” She hesitated before adding in an annoyed tone. “And Bosa.”

If Karina noticed the tone, she took no offense. “Do you think he’ll find his brother?”

Wensla sighed and leaned back in her chair. Gurla rubbed her mate’s swollen stomach and then gripped her hand. “If Kazel is still alive, I believe Sherif will find him. It’s whether he’s still alive or not.”

“Sherif changed completely when he heard that Zuri had seen a Kaluma.”

“Zuri?” Gurla asked. “Who’s that?”

“A human we met.” I explained briefly about our first meeting, including that she’d shot Cravus.

Gurla’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head. “You’re telling me that Sherif is going to find her to get more information?”

“That was what he said.”

Gurla let out a loud whoop. “I would give up all my jewels to see that meeting.”

“Sherif is not as patient as Cravus, and he doesn’t have a human mate to protect.” Wensla said.

Karina was clearly concerned. “Will Zuri be okay?”

“He won’t hurt her,” Wensla said confidently.

“I’m more worried about him.” I crunched on a tuber chip.

Karina stared at me and then let out a loud peal of laughter. I joined in. In my heart of hearts, I hoped I hadn’t seen the last of Zuri, and I sent up a silent wish she would be okay… and that Sherif would survive their meeting as well.

“Is there anything we can help you with, with your memory?” Karina asked.

While I’d accepted the Bloom I was now, I wished I knew a little more about myself in the past, in case I was harboring some secret skill. “I’m not sure. Scents seem to jog my memory. I dream about… flickering flames, scents, and wax. Zuri mentioned candles. In one of my dreams I told Cravus that I developed a scent called Star-Crossed.” I felt my cheeks heat. “It smelled like him.”

“Maybe you made candles.” Karina said. She turned and straddled the bench where we sat. “We can ask the warriors for anything we can use and there are plenty of flowers and fruits we can extract scent oils from.”

My nose itched, in a good way. “I’d like that. I think my memories will return, bit my bit. And if they don’t…” I sighed and smiled. “It’s okay. I know who I am.”

Karina squeezed my hand. “That’s a great attitude.”

* * *

Although I’d gotten a lovely tour from Karina, Cravus insisted on walking me around after our last meal of the day before we went to sleep in his hut for the first time. We strolled down the main path settlement, and while I’d gotten out of smoking the weed that Karina had talked so fondly of, I could smell a sweet, grassy scent floating on the air. Several warriors puffed on pipes, relaxing in groups while a large fire burned toward the center of the village.

I’d briefly met Cravus’s father, who greeted us with a smile, but seemed to think Cravus was his late brother. I felt for my warrior mate, but he remained patient with his father and introduced me. The elder had told me I was pretty and then went back to smoking. Cravus said it helped him with his joint pain.

I gripped Cravus’s hand. “So, Karina mentioned that I could learn some skills to be useful here.”

He immediately frowned. “You don’t have to—”

“I know, I know. I can get settled first and I will. But I want something to do. I was wondering…” I swallowed. “I think I’m good with my hands. I want to help you make weapons.”

Cravus stopped short and stared at me with wide blue eyes. “What?”

“I want to help you make weapons. I want to learn what I can from you, and I thought I could maybe add a little flare like some designs on the handles or something.” I squinted up at him. “What do you think?”

“You want to learn how to make weapons?” He didn’t sound appalled, just surprised.

“Yeah, I get to learn something important, and I get to hang out with you while doing it.”

His face split into an ear-to-ear-grin. He picked me up and whirled me around. “I want nothing more than to show you what I do.” He brushed our noses together. “A few of the warriors have shown interest but get frustrated after a while. It’s slow, tedious, hard work.”

I pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “I can handle slow, tedious, and hard if you’re there.”

“A dagger with small blooms carved in the handle, maybe?”

“I think I can manage that.”

He dropped me back on the ground and took my hand. “Let me show you something.”

He led me down a path into a denser forested area. I walked along beside him, picking over large roots and fallen leaves until we came to a clearing. I looked up, and my breath left my lungs on a gasp. Before me lay a field of wildflowers, some massive blue petals the size of my head mixed with smaller green and white buds. I dropped his hand and stepped forward, reaching out to brush my fingers along a stem. I stopped short and turned to glance at him over my shoulder. “Are these…”

“Nothing poisonous,” he laughed. “You can touch.”

“Can I pick a few?”

“Yes, Bloom. You can.”

With a happy giggle, I carefully made a bouquet that I decided I would give to Karina even if it didn’t quite match her spiked decor. I found a pretty flower with wicked thorns to throw in her bundle. Next, I plopped myself down on the ground and began weaving a green and white flower crown for myself. I left a trail of pretty vines long in the back and placed it on my head before tilting my face back to the sun to catch some warmth.

When I opened my eyes, Cravus was crouched a few feet away, his eyes glowing.

“Thank you,” I said to him softly. “This place is beautiful.”

“You’re beautiful,” he said. “Welcome home, kotche.”

I grinned. “Glad to be here.”

Thank you so much for reading Protected by the Alien Bodyguard! Want a bonus scene where Cravus and Bloom make weapons together? Get it free HERE.

Curious about the Drixonians? Get the complete seven-book series, plus two bonus novellas and loads of bonus scenes in the box set, available in KU.

The Drixonian Warrior series

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What’s next? Sherif and Zuri’s story in

Claimed by the Alien Chieftain.

“She’s my match… in more ways than one.”

Sherif: Although my brother disappeared many cycles ago, I’ve never given up hope that he’s alive. I get word about a human who has seen him, but she’s evading me. When I finally come face to face with her, the situation becomes a whole lot more complicated, because I can’t deny the pull toward the female with the smart mouth. She doesn’t know it yet, but she’ll be by my side as I rule over my people.

Zuri: I heard about the Kaluma looking for me, and I’m not interested. No way. It’s bad enough he knows I’m human, but if he finds out the reason I’m free from my captors, he’ll surely lop my head off with his deadly blades.

But he’s hard to shake, and when we finally meet, I realize there’s a whole other problem—he’s claiming me as his mate, and I’m not sure I can resist.

Claimed by the Alien Bodyguard features a determined alien hero with alpha tendencies and a hacker heroine with deadly aim.

Read on for a sneak peak!