Read Karac: Kaldar Warriors #1 for Free Online

time in Nathan’s house writing stories.  Some stories could be about the exact situation I found myself in, but when you’re the author, you always know how the story ends.  I’d have control over the fate of my characters.  Unlike my life, which seemed to be spiraling out of control lately. 
    My family was the hardest to say goodbye to.  Yeah, I’d still see them occasionally, but we couldn’t make it obvious that Nathan was chummy with my family.  Because if the Kaldarhns ever did come looking, the neighbor down the road would be a hot spot for sure. 
    I was now at Nathan’s house, because I wanted to be there when D-day hit.  Just in case there was some freaky fast alien way of identifying me as a non-registered.  I wasn’t taking the chance.  My parents drove me down to Nathan’s around ten last night.  It was pretty hard.  Emotional on my Mom’s part, again.  Just think what it would have been like if I had decided to run.  I probably would have given Mom a heart attack. 
    Nathan stood a few feet away as I gave Mom and Dad one last hug.  I smiled, hiding how much I was breaking inside.  Neither of my parents said a word as I turned to Nathan.  Everything had already been said.  Nathan was looking at me with concern in his eyes.  I think, even though we tried to minimize how much interaction we had in the past weeks, he was getting better at reading me.  Not something I was entirely comfortable with but couldn’t be helped either. 
    As I came up beside him he placed a reassuring hand at my back as we made our way into the house.  I didn’t turn to wave as my parents drove out of the driveway.  We stopped in the dining room, which now had a table by the way, and I looked around.  This was going to be where I lived for the foreseeable future.  I wondered how long I could keep my “everything’s going to be fine” act up.  I gave Nathan a weak smile, told him goodnight, and went up to my room.  He slept in the finished basement so we had plenty of space between us.  At first I thought it was funny.  He said he never went upstairs so I could have the whole space to myself. 
    After last night, tossing and turning, I came to realize it was hard to sleep when I felt so alone in my new home.  The sun was shining now with the new morning, betraying the cloudy mood inside me.  Suck it up Ashley, time to make the most of it. Sighing, I got up and started my new life as a fugitive. 

Chapter 3:  D-Day in Space
    Karac
     
    “What do you mean only 15% have registered?”  Karac growled across his desk as the warrior tech shifted uneasily in front of him.  Karac knew he was in a foul mood.  Things were not progressing as he had planned.  They were in Karac’s office which overlooked the blue-white planet below.  His office, referred to as Command, was just off navigation and down the hall from the communication and tech room.  Karac stood up and began pacing in front of the floor to ceiling window with his hands behind his back. 
    “That’s just it.  The database is up and running, we had a steady stream coming in at first.  But now, nothing.”  The warrior tech shrugged helplessly.  “Of the estimated population within the age range, we only have 15% of the females registered.”  The tech answered nervously.  Even though the tech was trained as a warrior, they all held a healthy dose of respect and caution for their leader when he was irritated. 
    “I thought the bio Darrok suggested we publish was supposed to encourage more females to register?”  Karac couldn’t hide his annoyance with the delay.  He and his warriors needed to find their truemates.  There was no other option. 
    “Well, we saw a small influx after that news release, but again, we are only at 15%.”  The tech replied.
    “Where is Darrok?  Why isn’t he reporting to me?”  Darrok was, after all, Karac’s head communication and tech warrior.  Karac didn’t even know this tech’s name