by Viola Grace
“Cousins?”
“There are close to a dozen of us here. All related to Mr. Blue, a bunch of generations back and all about to step foot into being drakes ourselves. He’s been matchmaking for generations.” She watched as he placed her hand between his and made a strange sandwich.
“That is interesting. I will have to ask my father about it. I mean, I know some drakes go out and create progeny without finding a mate, but it isn’t recommended. Their partners don’t always survive.”
She chuckled. “Mr. Blue’s partners all survived. He took care of them, but I still have no idea why the elders would send one of their own out for this purpose?”
“The universe is expanding. Colonies are being formed in every habitable corner of every star system. We are needed.” He pressed his lips to her shoulder.
“So, I am in heat?”
He chuckled against her skin. “Yes. Definitely.”
She nodded. “How long will it last?”
“Don’t know. A day, a week, a month? No idea. I will be here for you.”
He bit her shoulder gently, and she shivered. “Oh. Great. That has a tone of cheerful menace to it.”
He chuckled against her skin. “Good. You are paying attention.”
He licked her shoulder and neck before turning her with a splash and pulling her astride him. The moment that his cock found her opening, she thrust her hips and took him inside her with the water sloshing around them. She slowly rode him, his hands stroking her breasts and cupping her hips, sliding over her and pulling her in so he could use his mouth on her skin. The friction caused by the water rinsing away her essence was sweet, and it was heightened by the nipping kisses that Yr-el gave her while she slowly rode him until she arched back and shuddered in his arms.
The message on the flashing com was from Mr. Blue, and they listed as they ate. Styra, you are hereby relieved of duty and are assigned to the Ackerwol Imperium. Your base will be Harva. Your position is as security protocol programmer. Your cousins want to throw you a going-away party if your mate will part with you for a few hours.
She blinked. “Harva? Where the hell is Harva?”
He chuckled. “It is my home. We have two dozen large cities and lots of open space. It is the ideal place to raise offspring.”
She froze. “Offspring?”
“Certainly. That is what your heat is about. I am surprised that Mbrak is encouraging you to meet up with your relatives.”
She curled up, and he wrapped around her back. “What is so weird about me meeting up with my cousins?”
“Well, unless I miss my guess, they are all female, and as you are in a strong heat, you will begin the process to trigger the ones who are developed enough to pursue a mate of their own.” He slid his hand down and pressed it to her belly. “That is if your heat is still active.”
Her body had lit up when he ran his hand across her skin, but she sighed. “I don’t give a fuck what my body wants right now. My brain needs sleep.”
He chuckled. “Then, as long as I can touch you, sleep it shall be.”
She gave a low huff and wiggled against him to get comfortable and make him uncomfortable. She wished that she had been able to keep the smirk off her face. He stroked a hand across her cheek and turned her head for a kiss. Her body warmed rapidly, and then, he cuddled her close, chuckling softly.
She closed her eyes and pretended that the slight contact hadn’t set her blood on fire.
Her body was content to rest, but she was not going to sleep deeply. She had an agenda to plan for. When she was dumped on a new world, she was going to need a plan and possibly some clothing that didn’t have a magnetic closure.
Dancing for hours with her cousins was highly enjoyable. Mr. Blue had given them all a few hours off and was managing the entertainment center himself during that time.
Styra enjoyed flinging her limbs around with her cousins, but it was disconcerting that Yr-el had invited himself to the party. Weirdly, the ladies had been happy to have him.
Styra was still aching from her previous activity, so she took a seat in the private room of the club near the port. Abil was there, smiling with her clipboard in her hands.
“You look happy, Styra.” Abil nodded as if affirming her identification of the emotion she was seeing.
Styra sipped at a juice. “I am. I think. I don’t know. It has been so long since I felt more than the small trill of excitement when rescuing a client. Now, it seems to happen every few minutes when I am with him.”
“Really? Exciting?” Abil frowned. “Maybe I should get my own. I am next eldest, after all.”
Styra chuckled. “You won’t have to look too hard. I think that now that we are all adults, Mr. Blue has decided to bring the mates to us. Mine was just the first.”
Abil chuckled. “There is another one on the way right now. His ship is docking right now, but I am to keep you away from him. Your pheromones are a little potent.”
Styra blinked. “Really? I can’t smell them.”
“You smell like sweet flowers to me, but the boss said that you would smell different to each drake.”
“He mentioned this to you?”
“Yeah, he seemed concerned about you but amused and cheerful at the same time.”
Styra glanced at the corner where Yr-el was sitting. He was leaning back casually, and he had a drink in one hand. Even from across the room, she could see the stars moving under his skin.
There was a stack of parcels for her, and each had a new outfit that didn’t look like something that would suit her for daily work but, instead, looked very pretty and feminine. Abil smiled. “Mr. Blue’s suggestion, as well. He said that you wouldn’t need bodysuits and that your mate would appreciate skirts for your daily wear.”
Styra hugged her. “Thank you.”
“So, he healed you, huh? That’s good.” Abil reiterated what the other girls had first exclaimed at.
“It hurt like hell, but it has helped me to move like an average person. No more hunching over in pain. Getting used to food is strange, but that will probably come with time.”
Abil nodded. “I can see that it would be a problem. The supplements that you had to take were far more extensive than the ones we take.”
Styra paused. “You are on supplements as well? You never said.”
“We all are. I am guessing it is a top-up of the boss’s blood, but we all take it, and it helps us with the interface.” Abil smiled. “Your mate’s ship will be leaving tomorrow morning. There isn’t a gate window, but he says that you need to go.”
Styra blinked. “So, that is the reason for the emergency party. I had better hug my way out of here. I am so tired.”
Abil nodded. “The first shift and an entire day of coitus would take it out of you. Be well, and I would like to visit you if I am able.”
“I would like that.” It would be a touch of something familiar to have her cousins visit one by one.
Abil nodded again. “I will have your new clothing brought to the captain’s ship.” She made notes on her clipboard and smiled brightly.
“Thank you, Abil. You always know what needs to be done.” Styra smiled. “Despite your slow start, you have the quickest wit that I have ever dealt with.”
“I wish I could speak as fast as I think, but that is what I have to work with. I do get a little better each day.” Abil sighed.
Styra hugged her again. Her cousin had arrived unable to speak at the age of ten. She had been found in a forest, living alone, and Mr. Blue had arranged for her delivery to the station. Like the rest of his descendants, she had ended up alone. It was a curse that had touched most of those related to Mbrak the Blue.
She looked around the group and sighed. Every one of them was orphans through death or surrender.
Styra got up, hugged her way through her relatives, and then, she went over to Yr-el, and she crawled into his lap. She sighed deeply.
“Are
you all right?”
She nodded. “I am. I am exhausted, and I will miss them all in my own particular way.”
“Have you been drinking?”
“Only juice. I have no idea what kind of reaction I would have if I imbibed.” She sighed. “My organs are still settling in.”
He kissed the top of her head. “It is best to take some things slowly.”
She grinned and looked up at him. “That isn’t what you said right before the party.”
“That was different.” He smiled and kissed her. “That was for mutual gratification.”
She sighed. “So, we leave tomorrow, huh?”
“How did you...”
“Abil. She talks slow, but she knows everything. She’s the true second-in-command on this station.”
He nodded. “I am beginning to understand the role that you and your relations play on this station. I got a copy of your resume when you were getting dressed. You can really code that quickly?”
She nodded. “That was my skill. I can react rapidly to the information flow, and I can bend it just enough to slip past.”
She paused and then said, “I am ready to leave if you are.”
He grinned. “Sweeter words have never reached my ears.”
He picked her up, and her relatives cheered her as she was carried off to the hotel for a good night’s rest.
She laughed for five minutes at the thought that she was going to get much sleep.
Chapter Nine
She held still as the ship disconnected from the station and floated away. The crew was seated at the controls, and Yr-el had left her with a quick kiss to the cheek and retreated to another part of the ship.
“Where did he go?” She asked the crew.
The lieutenant chuckled. “He is going to fly out, grab the ship in his mouth, and then tear a hole in space to get us directly to Harva. No delays.” There were a pause and an alarm. “There he goes.”
She looked at the monitor and saw the drake circling the ship before they jolted, and they started moving forward at an accelerated pace. He moved them around the traffic approaching the station with ease, and her heart thudded as she left her home.
The ship rocked and rattled as Yr-el picked up speed. Styra gripped the sides of her seat, and she winced. “Save the rough ride for solid ground, Yr-el.”
The rocking immediately smoothed out, and the ship hurtled toward a rift that appeared in front of them. There was a low hum of a growl that went through the entire ship in response to her words.
She looked at the speed and the smoothness of the vessel’s trajectory. “Can he hear me?”
The crew was laughing at her, and she blushed. She may or may not have propositioned her mate. Her body was still humming from his early morning attention.
They shot through the rift and came out the other side in a matter of minutes. Harva was waiting for them, a bright and lively world.
Yr-el carried them to a point near one of the moons and released the ship for landing.
They descended, and he followed them to the port on the surface. Styra watched the progress, and she found it fascinating that they could travel so quickly from world to world with a drake controlling them.
When they were settled, the lieutenant stood next to her. “We are offloading your things to Yr-el’s home. He will probably want to fly you there as soon as you clear customs.”
“Customs?”
He nodded. “Just like on the station. Certain worlds require registry of transient populations. You won’t have any trouble.”
Styra rubbed her hands on her skirt and stood up. The gravity felt weird.
She was escorted out of the ship and to customs by his men. With the guard of the imperium next to her, she was eased past the crowds and then faced customs. The sneer on the face of the inspector was obvious.
Styra faced him and extended her travel documentation.
“I see you are from Blue Station.”
“Yes.”
“The pleasure station.”
She cocked her head. “Entertainment. Yes.”
“So, are you planning on charging for your services here?” His brows were drawn together.
“Of course. No one works for free.” She could see the denial in his expression before he said anything. “I have received my transfer documents as a security specialist for Harva.”
He paused. “What?”
“Second from the bottom. Imperium staffing transfer.”
He flipped through, and he paused. “This says that you have commander ranking.”
She smiled. “I suppose it does.”
He scowled. “Please, place your hand on the screen and identify your species.”
She put her hand on the screen and grinned. “Drake.”
He froze. “Pardon me?”
“Drake. I am a drake. Run all the scans you like, it will still be the same result.”
His sneer was back. “If you are a drake, why didn’t you land outside the port?”
“Well, in the first place, I don’t like to do things illegally; in the second, I am also very new and have only changed form once. I don’t want to make things awkward as I settle in.”
“Settle in? Have you seduced one of the crew of the warship you came in on?”
The door to the interview room opened, and Yr-el growled. “Why is she in here, Rabor? You know better than to detain a drake in heat.”
The inspector shot to his feet and bowed. “Master Yr-el. I am so sorry. I didn’t know she was yours.”
Styra smiled. “We were getting there. He was fixated on sex, but I think we were getting around to why I was sent here.”
Yr-el pulled her to her feet. “Give me her documents.”
The inspector scrambled and put the stack together before handing it over. “I apologize, miss. You should have stated your relationship the moment that you entered.”
“I thought it would sound tacky.” She looked up at Yr-el.
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, pulling her against him and lifting her until they were face to face. She draped her arms around his neck, and when he lifted his head, he whispered, “Look at him.”
She turned her head, and the inspector looked terrified. “Do I have clearance to enter?”
He nodded and bent over to type swiftly. “You have clearance, Styra Il-Mbrak. Welcome to Harva.”
Yr-el grinned. “Excellent. She does try and do things technically correct. When she wasn’t out immediately, I knew that she hadn’t given all of the necessary information upon entering your office. Thank you, Rabor. Good day.”
He carried her out of the office, away from customs, and down the hall. His wings were still present as he walked out of the building and took flight.
She held onto his neck as he flew swiftly over the nearby city and headed toward the countryside. She had never seen that many trees and green spaces outside of a scenario.
She pulled herself up so she could whisper in his ear. “Where are we going?”
“My family home.”
“Why?”
He chuckled. “That is where we are going to live. We are nearly there. Look.”
She turned her head and gasped. Perched on a tall cliff was a castle that was very similar to the one in the scenario he preferred.
“It’s the castle.”
He chuckled. “Almost. When I saw it in the catalogue, I knew it was the one for me. I hadn’t read the fine print about the princess and the kiss, and I am very glad I didn’t.”
She smiled, and he landed with her, still stuck to him in the courtyard of the castle.
Smiling figures came out of the main entrance. A couple who looked to be five or ten years older than Styra and a young woman in an exquisite gown.
Yr-el kept his arm firmly around her as he retracted his wings and walked toward the older couple. “Mother, Father, I am here to introduce my mate, Styra.”
Styra was pulled along for the ride but left alone while his parents hugged him.
The young woman glared at her. “You? You are his mate? I very much doubt it.”
Styra looked at her, and she heard the back of her dress tear. The other woman took a step back as Styra raised her wings and beat them twice, knocking the other woman on her ass. She folded her wings against her back and looked to Yr-el and his family. He was grinning proudly; his parents were standing with their jaws slightly open.
She bowed. “Please, allow me to introduce myself. I am Styra Il-Mbrak. Orphaned, taken in and raised by the blue drake of Blue Station.”
His father stepped forward and bowed. “I am Ren-el, and this is my mate, Vanera.”
“I am pleased to meet you. You have an exceptional son.”
Yr-el snaked his arm around her waist. “And he has chosen an exceptional mate.”
Styra looked at the young woman, and she was gone.
Ren-el winced. “Ah. The rumour was that you were faking a drake bride to throw off our attempts to find you a mate.”
Styra dissipated her wings and stood with her hand pressed to her chest as the wings had torn the support out of her dress. She blushed. “The wings are new.”
Vanera smiled. “But they are yours. I still haven’t met mine yet. I am not old enough with enough drake material inside me.”
Yr-el smiled. “Styra and her cousins are all fully drakes; they are just maturing.”
Ren-el nodded. “That is what Mbrak said. I didn’t believe him, but he said if you took enough half-bloods over enough generations, the result would be a pureblood with interesting characteristics.”
She bowed. “I believe his words are accurate. I know my cousins. They are going to be fantastic drakes in the very near future.”
Ren-el chuckled. “I don’t know what the universe will do with an influx of female drakes.”
Styra smiled brightly. “It will just have to suck it up.”
Vanera laughed. “I like that attitude, but based on the look in Yr-el’s eyes, you two need some privacy unless public displays are more up your alley of interest. Oh, and we are planning a ball to introduce you to the locals as soon as your heat is over.”