Must Love Dragonsl (Space Dragons Seek Mates Book 1)

by Michelle Ziegler

  Eadric? I need something. A key card I would assume.

  A moment later something smacked him in the back of the head.

  Here. Now hurry up.

  Kal swiped up the card from the floor. It was only then that Kal noticed the blaze around them out in the main room. So much for quiet.

  Shoving the key card against the smaller rectangle, his patience wore thin. Finally the pad and the doors parted. Of course. How stupid could he be when his mate was involved. Stupid. He couldn’t do that. A second passed as he cleared his mind.

  An elevator the size of a fucking shower greeted him. His dragon growled. Yeah. No. They wouldn’t be shifting; not in here.

  Getting in, he turned and saw several buttons. Great. Which floor. Stepping back, Kal relaxed his mind. Blowing out a breath, anything to calm his heart, the blood pumping through his veins, and the anger surging through him. She was here, he just had to sense her. The door closed and for a moment he stood there. The quieter he was, the louder she came through as he searched floor by floor. Room, by room, her heartbeat finally echoing back like a beacon. Pressing the button, he prepared for an attack as he descended.

  His dragon crouched within him, ready. Their skin thick with dragon scales still, his eyes-battle ready to hunt by body heat rather than by human sight. Kal sat in balance between human-warrior and dragon-warrior.

  Pushing up against the wall with nowhere else to hide, he did what he could.

  The doors opened, and before he took his next breath something growled, lunging in to attack. Kal snapped out a hand, and the figure began to scream as he incinerated it within seconds. Another figure came out of a fog and Kal simply reached out again. This time a knife sparked against his armor as the person ignited and screamed.

  Maddie’s voice broke the screaming and sounds of confusion beyond the tin can fortress.

  Kal? They have magic. I can’t protect you.

  He squeezed his fists against the change, his claws trying to break through. He didn’t give a damn what they had. They would not stand in the way between him and Maddie.

  I’ve seen the magic. It hasn’t helped them. I’m coming. He said back.

  Reaching for her through their connection, he allowed her emotions to flow through him. Her anger, her fear, and underneath it all, hope. He’d never let her out of his sight again.

  From the corner of his eye, more movement.

  “Stay right there,” said a voice.

  Standing still, he turned his head and glared. Who the hell had the right to tell him to stay, like some pet.

  “Tell me where Maddie is and perhaps I will do as you ask.”

  Three men walked out of the fog like the mist taking on form, guns pointing in his direction.

  “She’s safe, for now. As long as you cooperate, maybe you’ll see her again.”

  His dragon didn’t like those words one bit. Neither did Kal nor the roar that he screamed into the space.

  Stretching to his full height, he unfolded from the elevator. The mist clouded the room and he couldn’t make out the full size of what he believed to be a hall. Morphing into something between the dragon and the human, the stench of fear permeated his nostrils. Kal let more of his dragon come out to play, but only enough that they could still move.

  “W-what the fuck is that?”

  Much better, he thought to himself.

  The humans started to shoot at him, the bullets more dart-like. They bounced off his scales. Very little on this planet could hurt him, and he had every intention of showing them exactly how useless their weapons were.

  Kal sucked down the air, slowly tasting it, feasting on the smell of terror. It was a drug to his beast. They lived for this shit.

  Fire brewed within him with every step he took. He’d taunt them. A second later and Kal began to torch the room, filling any space between him and the men with fire. Heat signatures of human and not-so-human scattered. The mist might have blinded him as a man, but not as a dragon.

  The attack stopped, and he sprang into action. Kal used his dragon sense to sniff out threats. He needed to understand his enemies, but more, he was trying to figure out where Maddie was imprisoned. So close, yes, Maddie was weak. What had they done to her?

  Kal would know her presence for the rest of his life, and the thought she was so close and yet so far pissed him off even more. She would be back in his arms soon.

  Standing without cover wasn’t ideal. Scanning around the space, the colder spots told him where walls and voids were beyond the airy fog. Nowhere much to hide. Alright then.

  He started to walk. To Kal’s surprise the fog began to clear, revealing a hall that appeared to be much larger than the small house above. Stark white doors, the only decoration on either side with small letters and numbers. Nothing helpful.

  The dragon drank in the terror that continued to fill the air, thick and heavy. At least someone was smart.

  The hall seemed empty though, so somewhere, perhaps behind these doors, were more humans or something like a human. Come out, come out and play, he thought.

  Kal stalked through the remaining smoke cover, following the strongest sense of her.

  “I wouldn’t go any further, alien,” an overhead speaker blared.

  Turning his head back and forth, Kal tried to locate the source. Small little domes covered what must have been cameras, and near them were speakers he’d missed in all the excitement. One on either end of the long space.

  He pulled back his dragon to allow himself the ability to speak. “Oh? And why is that?”

  “We don’t need any trouble. We’re merely interested in your species.”

  Really? Doubtful.

  When he didn’t speak, the voice spoke up again.

  “Let me introduce myself. I’m Dr. Rollings. This is a research facility. We have no intention of hurting you, as long as you stop this little attack.”

  This time Kal snorted. “Attack? You attacked me. You took my mate. Hand her over and we leave.”

  The crackle of the speaker sounded on and off and on again. “Mate? We were under the impression she was human.”

  Officially annoyed, Kal rolled his eyes. He didn’t have time for this, and he continued his search, stopping at each door.

  The first door didn’t have her scent. The second was more of the same. And the third.

  “You won’t find her, this facility is state of the art. The Illuminati are nothing if not thorough in their endeavors.”

  He stopped. Kal scraped his claws against the door. It dented, just as anything would under his attack.

  “Illumi-what? I don’t care what you are. You do not threaten me, my mate, or my kind.”

  A door opened behind him.

  “Stop, alien.”

  He didn’t bother turning around. The fire did as he asked and took the enemy behind him so he could continue on his search for his mate.

  12

  Maddie woke with a start. When had she fallen asleep? Tired. She was still so tired. She tried to push herself up but her limbs acted more like lead weights than appendages. Stupid body. Flopping her head back down again, she squeezed her eyes shut against the exhaustion.

  Okay. What had all happened. This was stupid. A spell. She needed something that would give her a caffeine jolt in magic form.

  Whispering a few words, she waited. Well, if she didn’t exactly have magic to cast more magic, maybe her fate would be to just lay there. All right. Back to the basics. She remembered coming somewhere.

  She remembered telling Kal to stay. Yeah. That was probably a fruitless effort. Oh, right. Every time she spent energy to contact him she’d pretty much pass out.

  What else had happened? Maddie had a long list of people being turned into cockroaches. She also had a cocktail of feelings toward her ex, none of which didn’t also have him ending up like a cockroach. So, now. Kal? Where was he? He’d gone to his brothers. Right. And then her mother visited.

  Right, her mom. Reality came back. Her mo
m had done something. Sucked her dry of all energy. And then, what was next? Right, Donnie had kidnapped her. Great. She was all caught up and now she could be pissed.

  Blinking, Maddie tried to make out shapes. The lights a blinding white didn’t help her throbbing head. Where had that little douche-canoe taken her? At least she was alone right now. Her skin crawled thinking of being in his arms. How had she ever thought of marrying him? When had that ever been a good idea?

  There are moments when something solidifies your choices. This was that moment where all guilt could leave. Her anger ate up all the space she’d saved for remorse. He’d never have made her happy, and she sure as hell would never have let him control her.

  Fear of being lonely was nasty. Her life had felt like she was always running into a dark room with no idea where to go or what was in front of her. She was always looking for something, or someone. Reality was that she would never find what she needed, not by running. Her show had been a failure, but probably because she’d been looking for answers that weren’t there.

  Everyone wanted answers to the afterlife, but maybe any answer would never be enough. Because the dead couldn’t answer why them and not you.

  It was finding your purpose. Finding your why. The reason you were alive, left behind. She’d lived for so long in a fog, and then Kal came in and suddenly everything became bright. She could see everything.

  Good. Finally. So, instead of feeling sad for herself, she needed to get her shit together and get out of wherever Donnie had brought her.

  She would focus on moving one finger at a time.

  Well, hell. Panting with exhaustion, the shitty reality crept in. This could take a while.

  The door creaked, freezing her blood. Or well, she stopped moving her fingers.

  The door clicked shut a second later. Listening, Maddie could hear footsteps.

  “Maddie? Are you awake?”

  Her stomach pitched. Donnie’s voice was the last one she’d ever wanted to hear again.

  Okay. So. Did she answer or not? Would he just go away?

  “Maddie? I can see your heart rate on the monitor. I know you’re awake.”

  Well, crap.

  “Fine. I’m awake. Why are you spying on my heart, anyway?”

  Maddie had never realized how unnervingly quiet he moved. The shift of the mattress shook her, and if she could have jumped up and away, she’d have done it.

  “You’re acting weird. I had to do something. A nurse came in and hooked you up to a monitor. Nothing else though. If we don’t know what he did, we can’t treat it. I didn’t let them draw blood, not yet.”

  Her eyes flew open at the blinding light. Blinking a few times, she finally focused and saw Donnie was way too close for comfort.

  “Yeah. You better not have let them draw my blood. They are crazy. Right? All of them; are nuts? Talking about aliens.”

  The bed shifted as Donnie moved closer. Maddie attempted to back away, managing a few inches.

  “Maddie, don’t be like that. They are here to keep us all safe. Well, I should say we. I signed on to help them.”

  Of course he did.

  “Right. You always did make dumb choices.” Maddie moved her arm. The fact he was so close gave her the drive to move the stupid appendage.

  Maddie? Which room are you in?

  Her breath hitched, and Maddie tried to cough to hide it. Kal. Of course he was here. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t relieved.

  “Maddie. What has gotten into you? I get it. You’re mad, but it’s only because you’re not yourself. That alien did something to you.”

  She tried to laugh, but it hurt. She couldn’t let Kal walk in with Donnie here. That was all she needed, some kind of male pissing contest. Donnie would lose, but she didn’t need that on her.

  “Fine, Donnie. Fine. Do you want me to admit he’s not from here? Fine. He’s not. But stop assuming he did anything. He has not hurt me.”

  Deep breaths. One, two. And up she went.

  “See. I’m sitting up, just like a big girl.” Well, shit. Now she wanted another nap.

  I don’t know where I am. Donnie’s here. Maybe search for the scent of deceit?

  She could practically feel the laugher in Kal. Hell, maybe she really could.

  Through the exhaustion there was something new, maybe some kind of energy. Was her magic recovering? Bits of energy, like a leak in a dam trickled through her. Thank God. Kal. It had to be Kal’s energy finding its way to her.

  “Maddie? Are you listening?”

  Ugh. Could she just say no?

  “Sorry. What?”

  His hand rested on her leg. Her eyes narrowed.

  “I asked you, if you remembered what happened. What he - I mean, when did you start feeling this way?”

  She bit her lip, trying to stop from swearing at him. At least until Kal got there.

  “Can you move your hand, please?”

  He smirked.

  “Do you even realize the only reason you're not a guinea pig is because they believe you to be my fiancé still?”

  She sat there thinking of how it would look when Kal punched him.

  “Which, I know you’d change your mind if he weren’t here brainwashing you. So, before you yell. Yes. I know. You haven’t agreed to anything yet.”

  Wow. He just didn’t get it. All the missed calls that she never returned. The returned Christmas gift. The holiday card she’d sent with a picture of her and her TV crew with no mention of coming home. Nothing. And yet, nothing had told him she’d meant it when she’d said they were wrong for each other.

  “Donnie. Stop. Please. Stop lying to yourself. I appreciate your attempt to save my life from something you delivered me to. Which, we will need to talk about in a second. It’s sort of backhanded to say that I’m safe because of you. I’m also in deep shit because of you. I think that sort of outweighs it all.”

  His hand slid a little higher. She twitched her leg, and he didn’t move. Donnie’s face twisted into something much more fae than human. More sinister than she’d ever seen.

  “You don’t seem to understand. He, your alien, put you in this position. He put me in this position. That alien took you from me and gave me no choice. I would have left him alone, I wouldn’t have joined this stupid group. But, I didn’t have a choice now, did I?”

  Maddie dug her nails into the bed, trying to pull herself away.

  Donnie twisted from where he sat and began to climb up the bed. One hand on either side of her. She lay back, avoiding his face. He hovered over her, her heart rate kicking up in panic.

  “What does he have that I don’t? Is this what you want? A man to take what he wants? Some alpha a-hole prick? I’d be more than happy to play this little game.”

  Fear gripped her. A spell, something. She tried to cast a transformation spell. Nothing. She tried to conjure up the fire that Kal had taught her to manipulate, but all she could feel was a sputtering of sparks on her fingers. Crap.

  “Donnie. No. That’s not what he’s about.”

  He pushed a knee between her legs.

  She couldn’t breathe.

  “Donnie. I can’t fight you off. This is rape. I’m not willing.”

  He smirked.

  “Is that the way you like it? I saw you run from him in the alley. And yet, you were still back with him? He’s an asshole. Maybe all those experts are right. The nice guy finishes last. Not this time, Madeline. Not this time.”

  Donnie lowered his head, his eyes flashing a creepy inhuman gold.

  Maddie turned her head, his words a sickening heat against her ear.

  “Do you think he will still want you with another man’s scent on you? Do you think he’ll still want you with another’s magic flowing within you?”

  She squirmed. “Ew, gross. Get off, Donnie.”

  Pushing him, he didn’t move. She was no match, not in her still-drained body.

  “You didn’t think I was gross a few years ago.”

  T
he sour in the pit of her stomach came back, the same as it had every time she’d been with him or any man for that fact. She had known deep down they weren’t right for her, her own version of her mother's power, maybe.

  Okay. This wasn’t working. Maybe she could change tactics. Fae magic wasn’t in her expertise, and she couldn’t use it to power her own. The sting of something foreign pricked her skin. It had to be Donnie.

  She had to breathe, but the feeling brought up panic. Dread. This wasn’t right.

  She winced as Kal’s anger raced through her, at the realization that she couldn’t hide anything from him. Anger wasn’t solving this though, and she needed to change her tactics with Donnie.

  “Donnie. Stop. I. I mean. What kind of relationship could we have if we start off like this?”

  He paused.

  Good. That had to be good.

  “Just think about it. I mean, you obviously believe I can’t live without you. But, how can you prove that if I’m angry? If he has me under a spell, I won’t be able to think rationally, not when it comes to you or any other man,” she said.

  Donnie pushed himself up, giving her space to look at him.

  “Right?” Maddie asked.

  She didn’t like the way his eyes flicked over her.

  “I can’t figure out what he’s done. What if it’s a spell. What if …” He died off.

  “What if wha-”

  He pressed his lips against hers and Maddie freaked out. She couldn’t push him away. She couldn’t get him off of her, but as she pressed her fingers against his skin, she called out to Kal’s powers.

  A tear slid, running down her temple as she focused on the threads of fire coming to her. She could feel the warmth growing, growing.

  Finally, Donnie jumped back with a scream. “You bitch.”

  She bit back the tears. “Don’t you ever touch me again.”

  Donnie wasn’t Donnie anymore. His skin tinged an inhuman green.

  “If I can’t have you, no one can.”

  Maddie held on to whatever energy she could, pushing herself further up on the bed, calling the fire to her. She focused on the holes in his shirt where her fingers had singed the fabric.