Cali & Drake (The Alliance Book 1) Read Free

took a
second to get her bearings. Her parents’ estate was on the outskirts of the
main community of Regency City. Which wasn’t really a city, it was actually rural
in nature, with a population of about fifteen thousand citizens. The city had
been founded as a vacation destination or getaway for the politicians and power
brokers of Thalesti. There wasn’t a whole lot of options when choosing which
way to go. Deciding on a destination, Cali took off at a run down the street.
There was one person she knew would help her. The last place her mother would
think she would turn for help. Vathral Dax.

Chapter Three
    The look on Vathral’s face almost
made the whole ordeal worth it. She wished she could take a picture, but her
mother had taken all of her communications devices. Nothing she had grabbed from
her room would have a tracking chip.
    “Cali?” Vathral looked around her, “What in the world are you doing
here?”
    “I’ll explain, just let me in.” Cali pushed past him and stood to the
side while he closed the door.
    Vathral had obviously come from bed. He wore a robe only partially tied
closed. He stood about six foot tall, which for a male on Cestori was quite
tall. He had warm amber eyes, similar to hers and muddy blonde hair. They had
spent breaks together as a group, so Cali had seen him in bathing trunks before
and wasn’t fazed by the expanses of tanned skin and tight muscles not covered
in the robe. Vathral was very good looking and fit. This whole mess would be
easier if she felt anything but friendship toward him. They just didn’t have
that certain spark together.
    Cali had gotten to know him since they had taken the same classes at the
Academy. She and Vathral were both children of Council members, so had
gravitated toward each other. They’d both dreamed of space travel and being
captains of their own ships one day. Being the offspring of council members
assured that the dream would be a reality. It wasn’t something they bragged
about, it was just how things worked on Cestori. Even though Vathral was a son,
the woman chosen for him might bear him a
daughter. That daughter would go on to sit on the council one day. If Vathral
and Diandra were to be allowed life-partnership, their union could potentially
be as powerful as her mother feared.
      “Follow me into the den.” Vathral
motioned toward a room on the left. “Please excuse the mess. The Apoxis is set to depart soon and I haven’t had time to transfer all my belongings to
my home in Thalesti. You are lucky to have caught me here at all, I was leaving
tomorrow for the city.”
    “I know I already said it, but you know I’m happy for you. The Apoxis is lucky to have you for the captain .” Cali grabbed a blanket off a chair
and wrapped her suddenly chilled body into its warmth.
    “As The Reliant is lucky to
have you. Are you going to tell me what has you showing up on my doorstep,
frozen solid, at this time of morning?” Vathral pushed a button and the
fireplace burst into life. After adjusting the settings, he settled his large
frame onto the couch across from her and waited.
    “Where is Diandra?” Cali sat straighter in her seat. “Is she here?”
    “No. She went ahead to Thalesti a few days ago. She had to report for
duty on The Reliant since you are
scheduled to depart.” Vathral’s brow furrowed and he sat forward. “What’s going
on Cali? You should be in Thalesti as well.”
    “My mother found out you petitioned for life-partnership with Diandra.”
Cali tucked the blanket tighter. “She doesn’t care how you feel, she’s only worried
about the political backlash.”
    “I should’ve known your mother would step in.” Vathral’s face had turned
ashen and he rubbed his temples. “I got so caught up in the excitement of
graduation, and being assigned to captain The
Apoxis . I wanted Diandra to share in the moment and begin our lives as an
official couple. I wasn’t thinking about the political