Callim's Challenge Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  About This Book

  CHAPTER ONE - Shelly

  CHAPTER TWO - Callim

  CHAPTER THREE - Shelly

  CHAPTER FOUR - Shelly

  CHAPTER FIVE - Callim

  CHAPTER SIX - Callim

  CHAPTER SEVEN - Shelly

  CHAPTER EIGHT - Callim

  CHAPTER NINE - Shelly

  CHAPTER TEN - Shelly

  CHAPTER ELEVEN - Callim

  CHAPTER TWELVE - Callim

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN - Shelly

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN - Callim

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN - Shelly

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN - Shelly

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - Callim

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - Shelly

  CHAPTER NINETEEN - Callim

  CHAPTER TWENTY - Shelly

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE - Callim

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO - Shelly

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE - Shelly

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR - Callim

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE - Shelly

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX - Shelly

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN - Callim

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT - Shelly

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE - Shelly

  CHAPTER THIRTY - Callim

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE - Shelly

  About the Author

  Sneak Peek of Travek's Treasure

  CALLIM'S CHALLENGE

  By Pearl Tate

  Copyright © 2019 Pearl Tate

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner.

  Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Book Cover Design by Alena Marie

  Website: http://pearltate.com/BookCovers

  Instagram Account: http://pearltate.com/covers

  This book is dedicated to my awesome beta readers.

  Thanks for helping me smooth this out!

  CALLIM'S CHALLENGE

  Shelly

  Abducted from Earth, contracting a deadly disease, getting matched up to an alien I’ve never met… welcome to the chaos that’s my life. Now, I’m on a spaceship traveling to Quasar to get the vaccine I need to survive and meet my future mate.

  I’m used to being at the mercy of others. First, it was my drug-addicted mother and eventually the foster care system. It frustrates me that after finally reaching a point in my life that I had control, it’s all been stripped away again. I don’t believe in fate and being told my perfect match is waiting for me sounds like complete idiocy. There’s no other choice now though. It’s either that or die a debilitating death.

  Callim

  I’ve spent my entire life studying and preparing to travel to another planet. As an orphan I’ve been raised in a Sanctuary with many other males who will be my companions in our travel and work as representatives of Quasar. It’s a solitary life that I’ve learned to thrive in.

  When marks appear on my body, I’m pulled by the Council into what they call The Mating Re-emergence Study and told my mate is on her way to join me. Then they arrive and instead of staying in the study, we’re rescued by the Discovery’s crew and I’m finally traveling through space towards a different unknown planet. Can I convince my new mate I’m more than just a tool she needs to survive?

  CALLIM’S CHALLENGE is the sequel to BREN'S BLESSING (Book One of the Quasar Lineage) and MATTHIAS'S MIRACLE (Book Two of the Quasar Lineage) and AMARI’S ADORED (Book Three of the Quasar Lineage) and DEVLIN’S DARLING (Book Four of the Quasar Lineage).

  You don't have to read Bren's Blessing, Matthias’s Miracle, Amari’s Adored, or Devlin’s Darling in order to understand the plot, but the story will be more well-rounded if you do!

  CHAPTER ONE

  - Shelly

  I stiffen as Beth walks up behind me because there’s no way I want to explain to her why I’m looking at his picture. Holding my breath, I flip the screen to the locator program Matthias has been training us on.

  “Hey. Everything okay?” My tone is innocent while I wait to see if she teases me. I deserve it. We’ve all been relentless as we give each other shit. It’s part of what makes the whole “hurry up and wait” process tolerable around here.

  “Yeah, but I’m hungry. Are you almost ready to take a break and get something to eat?” Damn. How long was I staring at his photo? Is it that time already? I’ve already lost more sleep than I’m willing to admit looking at him in my room.

  Peeking over at Matthias and Susan behind Beth, I see they have their heads together. If it’s actually lunchtime, then we’ve done well. Even though Matthias is a tyrant when we get together to learn this software, his attention span is short. And the closer it gets to D-day, the shorter our meeting times have been. I’d be willing to bet those two will take off here any minute.

  “Sure. Let me shut down.” Sounds easy. Until the last week, it was easy too.

  The tablets the Quasar aliens we are traveling with use are similar to what we use on Earth. Touch sensitive and intuitive. But I’m sick. Very sick.

  Tirus X is an airborne disease I contracted when I first ended up on Dactyles. It’s what the prisoners call planet Six Two Four, the Quasarian prison planet. Our study group from college was abducted almost three weeks ago from Earth. Three of us are on the Discovery now, heading towards their home planet Quasar.

  “Damn.” Beth grabs my tablet from my shaking hands. You need to be firm and hold down the close buttons. My fingers have trouble cooperating with the long holds. “Are you okay?”

  Her worried tone has me watching my arm dispassionately right along with her. It shakes and a pins and needles sensation has taken over my hand. “Fucking great, huh?” I snort my annoyance. It’s hard to explain how humbling it is to watch your body just fail like this.

  “I wouldn’t call it great, but what the fuck, Shelly?” Her eyes drill into me as if I’m doing it on purpose. “How long has it been this bad?”

  Shrugging, I stand. “It’s speeding up.” Keeping my voice low, I glance over at Susan. As soon as I do, she stands too.

  “Break time?” Susan’s shifting from foot to foot like she has ants in her pants. It’s a familiar dance and Beth and I have discussed this at length. She’s horny. Just watch—they will take off to their room.

  “Yeah, Beth and I will grab a bite to eat. You all coming?” I smirk at the double entendre while Beth jabs me in agreement.

  “Um…” Susan’s eyes shift to Matthias who has his back to us. “I think we might go make something in our room. I’m not feeling great. I may lie down.” If I didn’t know she was totally lying, I might be worried. But those two are hornier than a priest at a playground.

  “Okay.” Beth and I skirt around them as Matthias stands up too.

  “Will you two be back here after? I want to make sure that the tablet system is on the most current version. Now that we are so close to Quasar, I will make sure everything is up to date on yours.” His mouth turns down and his happy mood fades. That’s because tomorrow is the big day. We arrive at their home planet and go down to deal with the council bitches.

  They think that we’re coming to stay. I mean—yeah, we signed an agreement that we would. But we have no intention of staying on the planet. We just have to get the vaccine.

  If I don’t get the vaccine for Tirus X
in the next week or two, there’s a good chance I’ll end up on a ventilator and in a coma. It’s starting to progress physically and when it shuts down my organs and breathing… I’m toast.

  “Yes. I’ll be here. You will be too, right Beth?” She’s still thinking too hard about me. I can see the wheels turning in her head.

  “Ah, yeah. Of course.” Her pale blond hair bounces with her agreement. Her fair features just don’t look right when she’s serious. Beth is such an enthusiastic, happy person. She’s the yin to my yang.

  As we walk out the sliding door, I consider why I feel that way. I’ve always taken everything seriously. It’s hard not to when you were raised like I was. Wondering where the next meal would come from or if your mom would bring home a hitter this time.

  “Maybe we should stop by Atticus’s medical bay for some testing?” Beth keeps her voice low as we walk the wide hall to the cafeteria. Grabbing her upper arm, I tug her to the side to let the big guys behind us pass.

  Pressing her slightly to the wall, I whisper. “Yeah, for what? There isn’t anything he can do, remember?” She shrugs and won’t make eye contact, staring at the floor between my feet instead. When she pulls me into a hug, I try not to stiffen as she rubs my back.

  “I’m worried. I’m sorry. I know you hate it but humor me.” I’ve been humoring her. Everything seems to be affecting me more than her. She has the same disease, but it’s progressing much slower in her body.

  It could have something to do with the fact that her mate was found quicker than mine? Who knows? They certainly don’t around here.

  They are just as shocked as we are that human women are mating compatible with their race. When Bren and Hannah hooked up, they realized they had matching marks on their bodies. Even then, they still weren’t positive how things would roll out. Even Susan and Matthias are still being watched with interest.

  It was two weeks ago their doctor realized we had Tirus X. Atticus immediately contacted the Quasar’s council for the vaccine. All the prisoners had it before they were sent to Dactyles. But their council was just waiting for the opportunity to study a mated couple. Our dependency on them for the vaccine gave them exactly what they wanted.

  Technically, we can get the vaccine from our mate’s nanos—once we hook up with them. But both of ours are on the planet Quasar along with the council who wants to study us.

  “Why don’t you just take a picture, it lasts longer.” I snarl at the man whose steps slowed as he got closer. Averting his eyes, he picks up the pace and is gone around the corner before Beth pulls away. She’s shaking from suppressed laughter and there are tears in her eyes.

  “Fuck, Shelly. I think you scared the shit out of him.” That’s about the only great thing about these guys. They defer to the women. Even with us being at least two feet shorter than their average female’s height, old habits die hard.

  “I don’t fucking care. I’m so tired of being stared at.” Beth nods in agreement as we move back towards the cafeteria. “Don’t stress about me, alright?” Beth doesn’t even roll her eyes as I order how she should feel--again. “Tomorrow I’ll get the vaccine… and my mate. Yippee.”

  The enthusiasm is sarcastic, but Beth knows what I mean. She’s taking it better than I am but that’s to be expected. She didn’t grow up with a crack-head mom who constantly made bad decisions that fucked up her life. It’s only been a little over a year since I was at her mercy.

  “Aren’t you excited at all?” Beth finally sounds exasperated with me. Good.

  I like to make my own decisions. Even the bad ones. To know that some cosmic god has played matchmaker pisses me the fuck off.

  Yeah, I admit he’s eye candy. When his picture and bio showed up about five days ago, I wasn’t the only one that thought he was a dead ringer for Dwayne Johnson—with hair. All these guys possess a lot of hair on their head that they can control like fingers. Their intricate styles rival prom and wedding updos.

  “Excited to get off this ship. Excited to check out a new planet.” I continue to list the positives. Beth insists on this game. I need at least three before she will let me off the hook. “Excited to…”

  “Get laid?” Beth giggles as we walk into the cafeteria. It’s only half the size of my high schools. But there are more men in here than normal. We’re early.

  “Fuck yeah. I am actually.” Looking around at all the men in the room, I don’t see any ugly ones in sight. In fact, they’re all perfect. Large bodies, dark hair, symmetrical features. But none of them make my pussy clench like the tiny picture I received of Callim Devesti.

  The dossier I received on him was fairly basic. I tried to blow up the one picture they sent for a better look, but it was grainy. I couldn’t even relate to his age since their years are different. It’s hard to get excited when your husband-to-be has a job description of “emissary training.” I mean really, what is that?

  None of that matters though. What matters is that we have matching marks on our bodies. We’re mates. Destined for each other. Forever.

  Fucking heavy shit.

  And that’s the part that rubs me the wrong way. I’d finally reached a point in my life where I had control and what happens—I get abducted by aliens!

  CHAPTER TWO

  - Callim

  “His assignment is canceled. Bratha has taken his place in the pod.” I stare straight ahead silently at this news. Bratha? That’s disappointing. I’ve lost nothing to him before.

  I’ve never been in this room before either. Or in this wing of the building I’ve lived at my entire life. There are hundreds of males here. In the accommodations I’ve been raised in, we have strict duties and zones they happen in.

  Funjim’s voice continues to talk to the Sacred Mother as she circles me. Another first with how close she is. “After our initial contact and his identification, we reviewed his file. He would have left at the end of the season to Marel…” Their voices fade as they leave the chamber.

  I’ve never been noticed before by them, so it isn’t surprising they didn’t acknowledge me. Funjim heads multiple pods but Coran is my pod’s leader. He enters the door as soon as they disappear.

  “Come, Callim.” I follow Coran from the room when he turns to leave. Keeping one step behind, he leads me towards the infirmary? I’ve had occasional trips here through the years, but I shouldn’t need anything now. It’s not my place to question though as we walk through the entrance.

  “This way.” A technician waves us into another room. I’m surprised to find three medical technicians already waiting there for us.

  Their eyes immediately go to my chest. It's there the strange markings began showing earlier in the day. Circling me, they document them with pictures, taking measurements and infrared color identification.

  At one point, one gestures to me to remove my trapa. Unwrapping the material covering the lower part of my torso, it’s taken from me and set aside. Their eyes go immediately back to the markings that travel down the front of my body and onto my upper thighs.

  I stand stoically as my mind wanders. What could this mean? What sickness is this?

  Nothing hurts. I feel fine. But this morning when I awoke, they were there. Since my trapa only covers my lower body to mid-thigh, they were noticed right away.

  I’m so curious but I know my place. They command and I obey. It’s always been this way.

  I don’t remember anything different. Precise structured studies have been maintained my entire life. Our days begin and end with hours of daily reflections. My pod has been together forever. Changes are infrequent and rarely noticed. We don’t question what we can’t change.

  Two different nanups are handed to me, and I carefully drink them. Will these heal me? Is this a nano issue or something with my organic life form? No one speaks as they circle and document me.

  Coran leaves and then returns some time later. I let my mind flit and float, ignoring them and the world around me. The last few days have been interesting. A mysterious
female graces my daily reflections. I haven’t seen her face clearly yet, but she seems serious and absorbed, preoccupied by what she is doing.

  Her hair is lighter than any I’ve ever seen. A soft, light brown that falls over her face and covers it. It’s not restrained in a traditional style and pulled from the face. And she appears to be looking at a tablet. I’ve never owned one and never been trained on any kind of computer program, but pod heads occasionally use them.

  “Callim, come.” Coran and I are the only ones in the room now as he hands me my trapa. Covering myself, I turn and follow him out. We don’t travel back towards my pod’s building. Instead we work through the gardens to the perimeter dwelling. Guards open the doors willingly enough. Another first for me.

  Following a step behind, we wind through halls, only passing others a few times. This building is holy. It’s home to the Sacred Mother who is served by The Order. As orphans and unclaimed, we serve The Order in whatever capacity they need.

  Coran stops outside some double doors to speak with a guard at the door. “Coran with Callim here.” He waves towards me, “To meet with the Likana Line as requested.”

  The guard's eyes drop to me questioningly, raking over my body. Grabbing the door behind him, he swings it open for Coran to step inside. Following him in, I’m surprised to see two females waiting for us. I’ve had no interaction with females during my life. They fascinate me with their larger but curvier bodies.

  As we move towards the seating area, they stand, and I realize that Funjim is with them. It’s been one meeting after another since I woke up this morning with these marks. One of these females looks familiar, and she’s the first to step forward. “Callim Devesti, I’m Marquel Sune, head of the Sune line on the council.”

  Ah. No wonder. Even though our entertainment and news are restricted, at one time or another, I’d seen her picture. “And this is Mila Fortane. She’s the head scientist of a program we are putting together. It’s called the Mating Re-emergence study. Perhaps you’ve heard of it?”