by S. E. Smith
Abby smiled at Morian, feeling another thread of her despair slowly dissolving as she realized she had been accepted by a very important ally, her new mother-in-law.
“Come, let us go eat and enjoy the festivities.” Zoran smiled triumphantly as he realized Abby had moved one step closer to accepting his world. He wrapped his arms around the two most important women in his life and led them inside.
None of them saw the dark figures hiding high among the huge trees. One figure in particular remained focused on Abby until she disappeared from sight. Only then did the last dark figure move cautiously down the tree to disappear into the darkness.
Chapter 18
Abby gasped as Zoran gently set her down on the soft purple grass. It was a week since the dinner introducing her and the other women from Earth to Valdier. Abby hadn’t had much time to visit with the other women. She spotted them on occasion from a distance and had run into Carmen in one of the palace’s long corridors while exploring. Carmen seemed nervous, as if she was trying to find a place to hide. She didn’t say much to Abby but that she was well and would talk to her later. Abby was puzzled about Carmen’s behavior until she turned a corner a few corridors down and ran face first into Creon, Zoran’s middle brother. Abby shivered as she remembered looking into Creon’s cold, dark eyes. Abby had to agree with Ariel on the “scary son-of-a-bitch” description. He quickly excused himself and hurried off in the direction where Abby last saw Carmen heading. She hoped Carmen would be alright.
“Oh, Zoran, this is so beautiful.” Abby exclaimed as she moved towards the edge of a crystal clear pool before gazing at the small waterfall feeding into it.
“I had hoped you would like it here.” Zoran said as he came up behind Abby and wrapped his arms around her.
Zoran had been debating for the past week about how to explain to Abby the transformation her body was seeking. Each time they made love it was becoming harder and harder to keep her dragon from taking over. Hell, it was even harder for his own dragon not to demand it. It had only been his promise of explaining everything and then showing Abby how to complete the transformation by today that kept the peace inside himself.
“Abby, there is something I need to tell you.” Zoran began. He gently turned Abby around in his arms. He picked this place because of its seclusion. He wanted Abby to feel comfortable in her first change. His mother symbiosis was waiting for his command to appear. Once the change was done, he would divide his symbiosis so her dragon would have the needed protection but he hoped he could complete their first mating as dragons first.
Pulling back, Zoran raised Abby’s hands to his mouth pressing a gentle kiss to each of her fingers. “Abby…” Zoran began before stiffing suddenly as pain radiated through his body.
“Zoran?” Abby felt Zoran’s hands squeeze hers tightly and watched as his eyes darkened dangerously. “What…?”
Zoran thrust Abby behind him, ignoring Abby’s gasp of alarm as she saw the thick dart protruding from his left shoulder. Zoran let out a vicious growl, pulling the dart out before twirling around. He tried to shift into his dragon form but was unable to as a wave of dizziness flooded through his body. Grasping Abby by the hand, Zoran began running for the cover of the thick forest surrounding the small meadow only to stop suddenly as dark figures began emerging. Zoran turned, only to find his path blocked by more and more of the dark figures.
Abby was terrified. The huge, dark figures were close to seven feet tall. A dark fall of black hair hung down to their waists. Their bodies were covered in a black leather cloth with what appeared to be weapons strapped across their chests. Abby watched in horror as three of the figures raised a weapon and fired it at Zoran. She cried out as she felt Zoran jerk as three more darts hit him in his chest, shoulder, and leg.
“NO!” Abby screamed as she tried to hold Zoran as he slowly crumbled to the ground. “No, please, no!” Abby grabbed the darts pulling them out of Zoran and throwing them aside. “Zoran, oh baby, I love you.” Abby ignored the figures approaching as she focused on trying to get Zoran to look at her. “Tell me what to do. Please, be alright.”
A shadow covered Abby as she lay over Zoran’s body trying to protect him. “So, we meet again, Valdier leader.”
Abby looked up into the face of the dark figure. She shivered when she encountered cold, dead looking eyes. “What do you want?” She whispered.
“Something that should have been given to me several months ago.” The dark figure said as he knelt down next to Abby and Zoran. “I do not like being denied what I want and now it seems you have two things I want; the secrets to your symbiosis and a taste of your female. I wonder which will be sweeter.” The figure laughed coldly as he removed a small syringe from a pocket of his jacket. “I will let you think on it while I sample at least one of the two.”
Abby moved as if in slow motion, throwing herself at the dark figure before he could sink the syringe into Zoran. She felt the prick as the needle injected whatever was in the syringe into her side even as she pushed the dark figure back and away. She heard a voice that sounded like hers but different as she attacked the figure with everything within her. Waves of despair and dizziness swamped her as she fought the hands trying to restrain her before everything went dark.
Zoran tried to roar out a challenge as he watched what was happening; but, his voice and limbs refused to follow his directions. His dragon struggled to defend its mate but was unable to fight through the layers of paralyzed muscles encasing it.
The dark figure rose up, wiping blood from his mouth as he smiled down cruelly on Abby’s unconscious figure. “I will enjoy the taste of this one. She is a worthy mistress. Perhaps I will keep her for a while before turning her over to my men.” His dark eyes turned to stare down at Zoran; laughing at the hatred staring back at him. “I was going to simply knock you out the easy way; but, unfortunately, that was the only syringe I had so I guess it will have to be the fun way. Just remember when you wake up what I want…the answer to how you control the symbiosis. If I don’t have the answer in three days time you will never see your female again…alive.”
Zoran roared silently as he watched his hated enemy, the Curzian half-blood dark prince, pick up Abby’s still figure and press a kiss to her mouth running his tongue back and forth across her lips. The last thing he heard before the blow to his head rendered him to the silence of darkness was the cruel laughter of Ben’qumain.
“Zoran, come on, wake up.” Creon patted Zoran’s cheek a little harder.
“I don’t think hitting him harder is going to wake him up, Creon.” Mandra said as he watched Zoran’s mother symbiosis move to encase his brother’s body.
“Whatever shit they gave him is powerful.” Creon growled turning to the third man standing back to the side.
The large figure was dressed in solid black leather. His thick, black hair hung down to his waist and was braided on each side to keep it out of his face. “Trimida root. It makes one of the most powerful drugs we have to paralyze the wild gumbas on our planet. They are extremely dangerous, not to mention stink to high heaven, and meaner than my half-brother.”
“Thanks for that non-needed bit of trivia, Ha’ven.” Mandra growled out sarcastically.
Ha’ven shrugged his shoulders, not in the least bit intimidated by Mandra’s growl. “You’re welcome. If his symbiosis is as good as I suspect, he should be coming around soon.”
Zoran heard the voices as if through a long tunnel, echoing at first, then becoming clearer and clearer as he came closer to exiting it. He could feel his symbiosis moving through his body purging the vile drug that held him captive. As more of the drug was forced through his pores, his head became clearer and so did his memories. Zoran’s symbiosis burst from around his body shaking as if to rid itself of the droplets of Trimida just as Zoran let out a roar of rage shifting into his dragon shape.
“Oh, yeah. He’s pissed.” Ha’ven said warily keeping an eye on the furious dragon.
Zoran’s hea
d swung around looking for the voice of the Curizan. His narrow, slitted eyes focused on Ha’ven. A low, menacing growl began rumbling in his chest as he slowly flipped over to a crouching position. He took a step towards the tall figure, waves of dragon fire building in his throat as he remembered Abby’s still figure being carried away.
“Zoran, stop! He is on our side.” Creon said stepping between Zoran’s huge dragon and Ha’ven.
Zoran let out a deep growl, standing straight up to push his brother aside. Creon shifted quickly into his dragon. Snarling at Zoran, he warned him to stay back. Zoran ignored the warning, lunging forward and locking claws with Creon as he let a stream of dragon fire flow over Creon towards Ha’ven. Ha’ven rolled to one side raising a force shield in front of him, deflecting the dragon fire as it poured around him.
“Enough!” Creon yelled in dragon-speak. “Enough, Zoran. Ha’ven is the one who has been helping us. I told you about our informant at the meeting. This is not going to get your mate back.”
Zoran shook with the effort to get his dragon under control. The dragon was inconsolable about the loss of his mate. Zoran breathed deeply trying to calm his dragon enough to make him listen to what Creon was saying. Calm, my friend. We need to listen to what he has to say if we are to rescue our mate. She is mine as well. I cannot live without her either. Calm. Zoran kept repeating the message to his dragon until he finally felt like he was in control again. With a shudder, Zoran shifted back, falling weakly to his knee.
“Zoran, are you all right?” Mandra asked calmly.
Zoran’s eyes glowed as he stared coldly at Ha’ven. “Ben’qumain took Abby. He took my mate. I will kill the bastard. I will kill every last Curizan if he so much as harms a hair on her.”
“Well, I guess that answers if he is all right. He is totally insane. Maybe you should lock his ass up until we get this mess under control.” Ha’ven said with cool indifference.
“This mess, as you call it asshole, is your brother’s doing!” Zoran said rising to his feet, his fists clenched into tight balls.
“Not entirely.” Creon said softly. “I think it best if we take this somewhere more private.” Creon spoke quietly into a communicator and before anyone could say another word, all four men disappeared in a flash of light.
Chapter 19
Abby shivered as she slowly regained consciousness. She was disoriented and her head felt funny, as if full of cotton. Shaking her head in an effort to clear it, Abby tried to sit up only to find her arms and legs wouldn’t move. Pulling frantically, she realized she was strapped down on some type of bedding on a hard surface. Abby’s gaze swung wildly around as she tried to determine what happened. She remembered Zoran being shot and collapsing.
“Zoran!” Abby cried out, tears filling her eyes at the thought of anything harming him.
“So, the Valdier’s little pet has awaken.” A voice said out of the darkness.
“Where am I? Where is Zoran? What have you done to him?” Abby forced the questions through a dry, scratchy throat. “Why are you doing this?”
Ben’qumain knelt down next to the delicious mate of Zoran Reykill. Picking up a strand of her long dark hair, he pulled it towards him to sniff. “Beautiful. You are truly exquisite. I enjoyed the sounds you made the other night. Perhaps, I will keep you so you can ‘sing’ for me, along with other enjoyments, of course.”
Abby began shaking harder, gritting her teeth, she stared defiantly into the cold eyes looking down at her. “When hell freezes over! Now, let me go!”
Ben’qumain laughed out loud. “You have much fire. I am going to enjoy tasting it.”
Abby screamed as Ben’qumain grabbed the front of her shift and ripped it down the front. She fought against the restraints as he ran his hands down over her breasts to cup her between her legs. Recoiling against the touch of another man, Abby cried out frantically for Zoran as she twisted trying to get away. Ben’qumain stood up slowly with a laugh and began pulling his clothes off.
“What the hell do you mean, Raffvin is behind this?” Zoran asked running his hands through his hair. All he could think about was Abby. “Raffvin was killed years ago along with our father.”
All four men sat around the conference table of what looked like a Valdier freighter. Creon often used the disguised warship when he was working on assignments where he didn’t want anyone to know what he was doing. The crew of the freighter consisted of hand-picked warriors Creon trusted with his life. Zoran was surprised at the mixed number of warriors consisting of both Valdier and Curizan.
“No, he made it appear he had been killed. In truth, he killed father and staged his own death. He had always been jealous of father.” Creon said softly. “I had doubts when his body could not be found.”
Ha’ven joined in. “It was during the same time my own father was killed in an ‘accident’ that seemed very unlikely shortly after Ben’qumain appeared claiming to be a product of my father and a servant’s mating. My father was supposedly killed while on a hunt. There was little left of his body by the time it was found. I became very suspicious as Ben’qumain had been a member of the hunting party and was the only one to have seen the supposed attack of a pack of gumbas. My father was too experienced a hunter to have fallen prey so easily. After two more serious injuries involving two of my younger brothers, my brothers and I became extremely leery of the sudden ‘accidents’ that seemed to be plaguing our family. What my brothers and I have learned since is that Ben’qumain has gathered a small following of rebels in the hopes of killing us and taking over the ruling house of Curizan. He has joined forces with your uncle, Raffvin, who wants control of your kingdom.”
“How do you know all this? How do you know Raffvin is involved?” Zoran asked coolly. He still could not believe his uncle, who had been like a second father to him as a boy, would do such a thing.
Creon nodded to Ha’ven who turned on a holovid. “This was taken by an informant who is working for us. We both have men who have put their lives at stake to gain the information we have.” Ha’ven said quietly.
The holovid showed Ben’qumain talking to a group of men at what looked to be a military camp of some sort. The view was very narrow as whoever was taking it seemed to be at attention. Out of the corner came another figure, as the man came closer, his image became clearer. It was their uncle, Raffvin, shaking hands with Ben’qumain.
“Greetings. You have set in motion your part of the plan?” Ben’qumain asked.
“Yes, but there is a problem. Zoran has survived. He is returning as we speak.” Raffvin said sharply. “You were supposed to kill him!”
Ben’qumain gave an ugly laugh. “Yes, and you were supposed to give me the information I requested.”
“I told you, only the ruler of the Valdier has access to the information you seek. It is written in the Chronicles of Valdier. Only the ruling king’s symbiosis has the ability to access the information. You were supposed to get the information on his symbiosis so you could use it. No other symbiosis has access to it!”
“He was being stubborn. He would not reveal where his symbiosis was hidden and refused to call it to him, no matter how much we tortured him. There has to be another way.” Ben’qumain growled impatiently. “It will do me no good if he is dead!”
Raffvin’s face curved into a cruel smile. “My informants have given me information that may be useful. Zoran has found his true mate. There are one, of two ways, to get the information you seek. Capture his mate and he will be forced to give it to you or, if it is true and the female is his true mate, wait until he gives her the protection of his symbiosis. It will not leave her unprotected once he has given it to her. The problem with that is she will be stronger and it will be more difficult to control her with the symbiosis’ protection. It would be better to take her beforehand.”
Ben’qumain looked thoughtfully for a moment before replying. “A true mate, you say?”
“A very lovely one from what my informant tells me. She could bring y
ou much pleasure as well for all your troubles.” Raffvin chuckled as he and Ben’qumain moved to far away for the holovid to capture any more.
Zoran swore softly under his breath as he stared at the still images in the holovid. He felt sick at the thought of what Abby must be going through. He had had a taste of Ben’qumain’s torture. So help him, if Ben’qumain touched Abby, he would tear him apart limb by limb.
Chapter 20
Abby screamed again as she fought against the bonds holding her. Her skin tingled and itched as she struggled to break the straps around her wrists and ankles. She would not let him touch her! She would rather die than let another male take her. Abby felt a sudden wave of dizzying heat rush through her. She barely noticed Ben’qumain’s sudden stillness as his eyes widened in surprise in the process of unzipping his pants. Her breath came out in pants and she noticed the dark room started to look clearer. She could make out the high, rough cut ceiling of a cave and the beginning formations of stalactites. Suddenly the straps holding her ankles snapped and she was able to twist over onto her stomach. As she pulled on the straps holding her wrists, she watched as pale blue, gold, and white scales appeared on her arms. Her hands began to curl and she watched with a mixture of horror and awe as claws began forming where her fingers had been. Abby closed her eyes and welcomed the next wave of fire that raced through her, inviting the wave as she felt her body shift and change.
Smooth scales formed over her body. Abby arched her back as she felt the tingling spread. She could feel a tearing sensation as her wings formed, pushing out in long, leathery perfection with small claws forming at the joints. Abby swung her head towards Ben’qumain and let out a low growl as the straps holding her wrists snapped like a rubber band stretched too far.