A few hours later, Korum woke up to the familiar feel of Mia lying pressed against his side. Her breathing was quiet and even, and he knew she was deeply asleep, worn out by his sexual demands. He’d managed to abstain from drinking her blood this time, since he’d indulged fairly recently, but he hadn’t been able to stop himself from taking her a couple more times throughout the night.
Sometimes he wondered if it was normal, the way he craved her all the time. He’d always had a strong sexual drive, but he’d never felt the urge to have one woman over and over again. With Mia, he simply couldn’t get enough, and he wasn’t sure he liked being so dependent on one tiny human girl.
In general, his obsession with her bothered him on multiple levels. As happy as she made him, the depth of his feelings for her was unsettling. If he ever lost her . . . Korum couldn’t bear to even think of that possibility, his chest squeezing in agony at the idea.
Slowly disengaging from her, Korum got up, trying to be as quiet as possible to avoid waking her up. She needed far more sleep than a Krinar, and he always made sure she got enough rest. Even with the nanocytes in her body, she was still far too fragile and vulnerable for his peace of mind. If he had his way, she would never go anywhere alone, always staying safely by his side.
But Korum knew she would hate it if he restricted her independence too much. As it was, she resented the few safety measures he’d implemented. She viewed the tracking devices as a way to control her, as an invasion of her privacy, not understanding how important her safety and well-being were to him.
It was already five in the morning – a late start to the day for Korum. Normally, he would already be working at this time, but he hadn’t gone to sleep until three hours ago, staying up late to satisfy his hunger for Mia. He needed her even more than usual, feeling edgy and restless in anticipation of the upcoming fight.
He wasn’t afraid. In fact, the prospect of danger excited him. It had always been this way; in his youth, he’d even provoked a couple of fights just to feel that rush of adrenaline. As he got older, however, he’d learned to suppress that part of his nature, to use sports as an outlet for excess energy. As a result, he hadn’t been in a real fight – with the exception of Saur’s attack in Florida – for a solid eighty years.
He did worry about having Mia at the Arena, though. The venue would be crowded, with almost every Krinar on Earth attending the event in person. Those on Krina would watch virtually. The idea of having her out in public after everything that happened made him uneasy, even though he knew there was little real danger. The fight was to be in Lenkarda, while Saret was somewhere out in the human world.
Still, Korum would’ve kept her away if it weren’t for the fact that doing so would be the equivalent of insulting her in public. Arena fights were considered to be one of the most important and interesting parts of Krinar life, and everyone – charl included – was expected to be there. Deliberately excluding Mia would make it seem like Korum was punishing her for something – which couldn’t be further from the truth.
Thinking about it further, Korum decided to have two guardians watching Mia at all times. He would also arrange to have her sitting next to Delia, just in case his charl needed reassurance from an older, more experienced friend. That way, he wouldn’t have to worry about her during the fight – and thus be able to fully concentrate on his opponent. Even a moment of inattention in the Arena could be deadly.
In the meantime, he had a few hours before the main event. The best thing to do at this point was to catch up with his designers and make sure that they were working on the prototype of the shielding technology he’d recently developed. Voret and the rest of the Council were understandably worried about utilizing the old shields now, so that project had to take priority.
Casting one last look at his sleeping charl, Korum left the house.
Chapter 14
Mia waited for Delia to pick her up, her foot tapping nervously on the floor. She was almost sick with anxiety in anticipation of the fight, and she was glad the other charl was going to be with her during the event.
To distract herself, Mia took a deep breath and looked down at the gleaming material of her white dress. Korum had left it for her this morning, and she’d figured she was supposed to wear it to the event. Unlike the usual light and flowing Krinar clothing, her outfit today was made of some stiff, relatively thick cloth and fit her body closely. It had a subtle shine to it, as did her sandals today. Korum had also given her a beautiful necklace to put around her neck. If Mia didn’t know better, she would’ve thought she was getting dressed up for her own wedding.
She hadn’t seen Korum this morning, although he’d called and promised to meet her in the Arena before the fight officially began. When they’d spoken, she could hear a note of barely suppressed excitement in his voice, and she knew he was looking forward to this barbaric ritual.
It still struck her as odd that she felt so attuned to him after just a couple of days. She could sense his moods, discern his emotions. She could even predict some of his reactions. When he’d come home last night, she’d known exactly what would happen when she wrapped her arms around his neck and transformed an innocent kiss into something more. As much as she had enjoyed their first night together, it had been obvious to her that Korum was holding himself back, that he was trying to make allowances for her ‘inexperience.’ And, while she had appreciat
ed his restraint, it somehow wasn’t enough. Last night, she hadn’t wanted sweet and gentle; she’d wanted him wild and out-of-control, his true nature fully revealed.
His possessiveness both scared and thrilled her. If she didn’t want him so much, she would’ve been frightened by his passion, by his insistence on her giving him every part of herself. It made her wonder what would happen if she ever tried to leave him. Would he let her go, or would he stop her from going home? Could he stop her? If Delia were to be believed, humans had very few rights inside Krinar settlements – an idea that bothered Mia quite a bit.
Of course, none of that mattered right now, in light of the upcoming fight. Looking impatiently at her wristwatch-bracelet device, Mia saw that it was already twenty minutes before noon. Where was Delia? The wait was heightening Mia’s anxiety.
Two minutes later, she finally saw a small transport pod landing outside, next to the house. Delia came out of the aircraft and waved to her. Relieved, Mia smiled, glad to see the other girl. Arus’s charl was wearing a dress that was similar to Mia’s, and she looked stunning, her dark hair smooth and threaded with some strange-looking jewelry.
Quickly exiting the house, Mia approached the Greek girl. “Thanks for picking me up,” she said as she got closer.
“Of course,” Delia said. “I would’ve done it even if Korum hadn’t asked. You must be so frightened right now.”
“I’m beyond frightened,” Mia admitted. “I feel like I could puke when I think about it.”
Delia smiled. “I can see that. Here, come inside, and we’ll head over there.”
“Has Arus ever been in one of these fights?” Mia asked, following her into the aircraft and taking a seat on one of the floating chairs inside.
“A few times,” Delia replied, giving her an understanding look. “And every time I thought I’d have a heart attack. Believe me, I know exactly what you’re going through.”
“It was probably worse for you,” Mia said. “At least I’ve only known Korum for a couple of days.” Although it might as well have been a couple of years, given the nearly paralyzing fear she was feeling at the thought of losing him.
Taking a deep breath, Mia tried to calm herself by studying her surroundings. After all, she had never been in an alien aircraft before – or, at least, didn’t remember the experience. To her surprise, she could see that the inside of the pod resembled the interior of Korum’s house to a large degree, with light colors, transparent walls, and floating seats. There was no obvious ‘technology,’ as she was used to seeing it in the human world. Instead, everything seemed to work effortlessly, almost like magic.
As the aircraft took off, Mia could see the green forest through the transparent floor. In the distance, the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean sparkled in the bright sun. It was a beautiful day, and, under any other circumstances, Mia would’ve greatly enjoyed the ride. As it was, she couldn’t stop thinking about what was to come.