Read Allies (Warriors of Karal Book 5) for Free Online

“I’m not quite sure what your cattle and sheep are, but no, it’s where we usually keep the females that were brought to Karal to breed with.”
    Petra took a moment to think that over. Here on Karal females were treated very much in the same way that farmers used to treat their cattle. Shut away in huge barns so that they didn’t escape and used to breed whether they liked it or not. Surely that was not how the Karal treated the females they bred with?
    “Why? Why would you keep people shut away?”
    He sighed heavily. “The females we bring here are not always as cooperative as human females have been.” He let the meaning hang in the air.
    It was as she had suspected. The Karal went off into space and took what they needed to survive. In some ways they were very similar to humans; it was all to do with survival of the species, of procreation. The Karal did what they had to do to make sure that their species survived. And it was the same as her mother had done only recently, overthrowing the President to ensure the survival of the human race. Even if that had meant sacrificing her daughter.
    “But this time it’s different, right?” she asked, wondering if this whole story about going into deep space was a lie, and really, she was just being brought here to live in this breeding house and used as the Karal saw fit.
    “Yes, it took a little time, but the first human females who came here to Karal managed to persuade the council that it was better for us to live together and raise our children together. So that is our new path. Although as more human females are bought here, new challenges arise. You cannot expect everyone to live in harmony.”
    “It would be naive of any of us to think that it would be easy for two alien species to get on without there being hiccups along the way. However, I think we all just need to understand how similar we are and understand we want the same thing. Here on Karal you want to have children. And on Earth we want to live without fear for our species’ future. By bringing the females here, you are accomplishing both things. So I’m sure that we will come to an understanding.”
    “From what Okil says, now that your mother is the President that understanding will be much deeper, much easier to achieve.”
    They arrived at the breeding house. Big gates swung open and Niko drove inside, parking the cruiser in a large courtyard. He stood up and stretched, and she admired the way he moved, lithe and supple despite his well-muscled body. She tried not to stare, turning to look out of the window instead.
    “Come,” he said, offering her his hand. “You have an appointment with Darl. He will give you a quick examination and then we can find something to eat, and then...”
    She didn’t need him to finish his sentence. She knew exactly what would happen when they retired to his quarters. It was, after all, the reason she was here. Although now she was worried that there was another reason for human females to be brought here.
    “What kind of examination?” she asked, conjuring up images of alien experiments from old movies.
    “Just to check your health before we go into space,” he said, easily.
    “Nothing else?” she asked.
    “Like what?” He frowned at her, and a burst of red crossed his face. She still had not figured out if the colours meant a specific mood, or if they were random, and she did not feel relaxed enough around Niko to ask him.
    “I don’t know? I guess I’m just a bit scared. This is all so new to me.” She looked at his hand and placed hers in it, feeling his fingers close around her hand as he pulled up from her chair. This was the first time they had touched, and when she looked at his hand she saw the colours vibrant, sparkling like little fireworks going off and she could feel the electricity pass from his skin to hers. A shiver ran through her body, but not from fear: this was something else. It was excitement, a promise of the unknown.
    She had