Tracking Trisha (Dragon Lords of Valdier: Book 3)

by S. E. Smith

  Trisha scooted over to the edge of the bed as fast as she could, taking the top cover with her. She could feel the soft cloth of the bedspread against her skin so she knew she wasn’t wearing her borrowed clothes anymore.

  “What in the hell are you doing in my bed?” Trisha squeaked. She pushed her heavy mane of curly hair out of her face as she sat up.

  “Actually, this is my bed and you are the one in it with me.” Kelan responded with a slight curve to his lips. His mate looked beautiful with her hair all tousled and curly around her. Kelan felt the low rumble of a purr as his dragon woke and responded to the presence of his mate so close and delectable.

  Trisha frowned at Kelan in confusion. “You know what I mean. How did I get here and where are my clothes? Where are Carmen and Ariel? Did you say you have Cara too? When are you taking us home? And, why don’t I hurt anymore?” She finished breathlessly. God, he was so cute! She was having a terrible time keeping her eyes and her thoughts above his chin.

  Kelan folded his arms under his head as he leaned back against the pillows. The movement pulled the covers further down his chest until they rested just above his hips. His lips twitched when he saw the color rise in his mate’s cheeks and she turned her head slightly to the side as if she was uncomfortable at seeing his body. She would have to get over those feelings very quickly if that were the case. He planned on being around her a lot without his, or her, clothes on.

  “That is a lot of questions. I carried you here, I removed ‘my’ clothes from you, your two friends are locked up so they cannot do any more damage to my ship or my men, and yes, the one you call Cara is also on board although we are trying to find her again after her little experiment in engineering. As for you not hurting anymore…” Kelan began roughly as he remembered the amount of pain she endured. He sat up, twisting towards her. The movement caused the sheets to bunch around his waist and made him look even bigger and closer and definitely more dangerous to her libido. “…You should never have been allowed to have felt such pain. My symbiosis and I both regret not seeing to your physical wounds sooner. If we had known, we could have healed you sooner.”

  Trisha frowned. “What do you mean you would have healed me sooner? There is nothing else that can be done. The doctors did everything they could to put me back together after the accident.” Trisha said in bewilderment.

  Kelan studied his mate’s face, watching as emotions flickered across it; sadness, pain, and finally resignation. He wanted to chase all of those away and erase whatever caused it. He tried to get Carmen or Ariel to tell him what had happened to Trisha. Carmen merely shook her head and turned away from him. Ariel looked at him with tears in her eyes and said it was up to Trisha to tell him if she wanted him to know. Both refused to say anything else.

  In the transporter room, his symbiosis moved over and over Trisha’s body, healing and mending. Kelan could not comprehend how a body could have so much metal inside it and be able to function. His symbiosis moved carefully over each part of Trisha, absorbing the metal inside her into its own body while mending the bones, muscles, nerves, tendons, and tissue. It worked on Trisha for the better part of an hour before Kelan finally stopped it. Trisha had lapsed into semi-consciousness by then before falling into a deep, exhausted sleep. Kelan carried her to his living quarters after instructing several of his security force to escort the now subdued females back to their own quarters. Once he, his symbiosis and Trisha reached his living quarters, he carefully undressed Trisha and placed her in his bed allowing his symbiosis to finish the healing process. He sat watching over her until his symbiosis finally moved away satisfied she would be all right.

  Kelan called Jarak before he joined Trisha to have someone go by and repair the damage to the other females’ cleansing unit door and panel but cautioned him to maintain adequate security for the men doing the work in case the females decided to attack again. Jarak informed him all warriors assigned to guard them were now required to have their symbiosis with them at all times and he increased the number of guards from three to six. Satisfied his ship was safe from at least four out of the five women, Trelon’s mate was still on the loose, he ordered Jarak not to disturb him unless it was an emergency. Kelan spent the next six hours with his arms wrapped around Trisha. It was only in the few minutes before she woke that he simply laid next to her watching her.

  Trisha pushed her hair away from her face where it had fallen again. “What do you mean when you say you would have healed me sooner?” She repeated again softly trying to understand what he meant.

  Kelan couldn’t resist leaning towards her and running the back of his hand down along her soft cheek. “My symbiosis has the power to heal me and my mate. You are my mate, Trisha Grove.” Kelan replied to her softly spoken question.

  Trisha gasped and pulled away, catching herself before she almost fell off the bed. “I am not your mate.” She replied as she swung her legs off the edge of the bed and stood up wrapping part of the huge bedspread around her. “I don’t have time to be a mate. If I did, I certainly wouldn’t choose you! I have to go home. You never responded to that question. When are you taking us home?”

  Kelan frowned at Trisha’s withdrawal. His dragon growled a low warning. It would not let its mate go again. Bite! Now! It was demanding. Mine! Now!

  I’m trying. Kelan replied frustrated. He swung his legs over the other side of the bed and stood up.

  “As I said before in the transporter room, you will not be returning to your home world. Your new home will be on Valdier.” Kelan stated determinedly. He did not want Trisha to doubt he would not let her go.

  Trisha kept her eyes focused on his face, refusing to look any lower or to be intimated. It wasn’t like she had never seen a naked man before. She used to catch sight of plenty of guys growing up running through the woods and she had been married for three years even if a year and a half really didn’t count. She would not give him the satisfaction of making her uncomfortable. If he wanted to prance around in the buff, so be it.

  Trisha was already shaking her head. “No, I have to return home. I have no other choice. If you do not return my friends and me as soon as possible then I will consider this an act of war against my people.” Trisha said determinedly. She would get home to her dad come hell or high water.

  “War?!” Kelan repeated in disbelief. How in the hell did they get from him laying in bed being horny as hell to her declaration that he was at war with her and her people?

  “War.” Trisha said desperately. Maybe she could be the one to intimidate him, she thought. “Under the conditions of the Geneva Convention, I expect the articles concerning the capture of prisoners of war to be upheld and respected. The articles include: Quarters, food and clothing as stated in Articles 25–28, hygiene and medical attention as stated in Articles 29-32…” Trisha continued speaking in a rushed voice as Kelan stared at her in horror as she recited what she had learned in basic training.

  What in the hell was she talking about? Kelan wondered in dismay. He just wanted to claim her, what in the hell did this Geneva have to do with that? “I am not at war with you or your people.” Kelan broke in. He walked around the huge bed until he was standing in front of Trisha.

  Trisha gripped the bedspread tightly and kept her eyes trained on his face refusing to look anywhere else as he moved towards her. When he stopped in front of her, she tilted her head back to look into his eyes.

  “I have to go home…please.” Trisha pleaded softly. “It’s very important I return as soon as possible.”

  Kelan gazed down into Trisha’s deep, dark brown eyes drowning in them. He reached out to gently touch her cheek again, letting his fingers trail down along it to her jaw before he groaned and lowered his head until his lips were almost touching hers. He moved his other hand to her hip and pulled her against his hardened shaft. He wanted, no needed, her badly. His dragon was practically purring at having his mate so close to him. A taste, he thought. He would sample a taste before he responded to
her plead. He knew deep down she was not going to be happy with his answer but he also knew it was the only one he could give her. He would never let her go. She was the light to his dark. She filled the emptiness that had been eating away at him, his dragon and his symbiosis for so long. She was the rest of him and he would do whatever it took to make her realize he was the same for her.

  “I can’t.” Kelan said softly before he crushed his lips to hers and pulled her tightly against him.

  Trisha recognized two things instantly. He said can’t, not won’t; and, she had never been kissed like this before. She knew she should pull away. Instead, she took a step closer. It was like stepping into the sun for the first time or feeling the rain on your face after a hot day, she thought in awe. It held a sense of wonder about it that made her want more, even as she knew it was impossible. Reluctantly, she pulled away from the kiss and looked down to where her free hand was splayed across his bare chest. She let her fingers thread through the light coating of hair. Trisha shivered at the pleasure she felt deep down inside at the touch of his skin against her sensitive finger tips. She gently pushed away from Kelan, taking a step back to put a small space between them so she could get herself back under control, at least a little bit.

  Trisha drew in a shaky breath. Looking back up into Kelan’s eyes, she said softly. “Then, I can't let you kiss me, or touch me, again. I have to go home. It is not for me, but for my father. I can’t let him go through what he did before. I… won’t let him go through it. He thought he had lost me once and it almost killed him. If he loses me again and never knows what happened to me…” Trisha’s voice faltered as she thought of the pain her dad must be going through at that moment. “…To not know what happened to his only daughter, his only living family…” Trisha stared deeply into Kelan’s eyes fighting back the tears of pain and sadness. “It would kill us both, him for not knowing and me for being unable to stop his pain.

  Kelan was going out of his mind! He looked down at the reports but didn’t see a thing. His mind was replaying the scene from earlier over and over in his head. After Trisha pulled away from him, telling him about her father, he tried to explain to her why he could not take her back but it had been fruitless. Every time he tried to touch her, she would move away from him. He tried to get her to see reason. He had a mission. He needed to return to Valdier and find out what was going on. His oldest brother needed to return home. He needed her! But it all fell on deaf ears. She refused to listen, just repeating over and over she needed to return home immediately. When he still refused to take her she began reciting her name, rank, and a long series of numbers until he finally lost what little patience he had left.

  Kelan ran his hands through his hair and rested his head against his palms as he leaned forward in his seat. He thought if he could kiss her into submission she would finally see things from his point of view. His dragon was more than ready to initiate the dragon’s fire mating; but, when he tried to grab her she shrank away from him with a startled cry. His dragon had been too close to the surface and she was not used to seeing him. His symbiosis took offense to Kelan and his dragon scaring Trisha, shifting into a pytheon, a large, six limbed creature found in the deep forests of their planet. It attacked Kelan, wrapping large bands of gold around his waist and dumping him and his dragon naked out in the corridor outside his living quarters. Then, the damn thing had the nerve to refuse to let him back in for some clothes. It was only Trisha’s compassion that allowed him a pair of pants, which she threw out the door the minute his symbiosis cracked it open, hitting him in the face with them. Before he could even pull the damn things down, the door closed again sealing him out.

  Kelan was simmering with anger and frustration. He was left with two choices: stand in the corridor and look like a fool or go and kill his older brother. The second choice sounded much, much better. After the looks of disbelief he kept receiving from the warriors who passed him by in the corridors, not to mention the two guards stationed outside his living quarters who were not even trying to contain their amusement, he could use the physical release of beating on someone, namely Zoran. Unfortunately, his older brother was occupied with his true mate at the moment. Since killing his brother was going to have to wait, he decided to head to the commander’s quarters off the bridge where he stored some spare clothes for when he couldn’t get back to his living quarters. He just stepped off the lift when Jarak caught up with him. It seems Trelon’s mate was at it again. This time their communication’s system was down due to an overload of requests for his younger brother’s Personal Virtual Companion holovids. Jarak took one look at Kelan and shook his head. Kelan was standing barefoot in front of him wearing nothing more than a pair of pants and a pained expression. Jarak didn’t even bother asking what he should do. He just threw his arms up in the air in resignation and said he would take care of it.

  For the first time in his long life, Kelan didn’t know what to do. Throwing his head back, he stared up at the ceiling wondering how his life had gotten so complicated. It used to be so simple before, get laid when he felt the need, attack the bad guys, and kick some ass on occasion. Was that to much to ask? Kelan thought in frustration.

  Don’t want simple. Want my mate, no one else. His dragon grumbled bad-temperedly.

  I want her too but you heard and saw her. She is being stubborn. Kelan growled back in frustration.

  Take her anyway. Claim her. I want to bite. NOW. His dragon responded pacing back and forth impatiently under his skin.

  Kelan growled out again as he looked down at the scales rippling up and down his arms. He fought for control. Even if he wanted to do what his dragon suggested, he couldn’t. His damn symbiosis wasn’t letting either one of them near Trisha right now. The visions it was sending him was tearing him up inside. He wanted to go to her, to hold her. He could feel her emotional pain. The only consolation he had was her physical pain was no longer an issue. With a muttered curse, Kelan stood up and headed for the door. Maybe there were some warriors working out in the training room. Since he couldn’t beat either one of his brothers up right now, maybe he could beat up some of the new warriors on board.

  Trisha stood looking at the closed door. She was in total confusion and it was pissing her off. She was always in control. Her dad taught her that to lose control could mean the difference between life and death. Not that she was really in a life or death situation right now. She was more in a battle of wills, she thought with a grin. She would get home to her dad one way or another. It had been years, she thought distractedly as she moved towards the bathroom, since she had felt this alive. Not since before her accident. Trisha looked at Bio who was back into the shape of the big, droopy-eyed puppy dog with an amused smile.

  “Does he know just how evil you really are?” Trisha asked humorously. “Those images you are sending him are totally bogus.” The symbiosis, Bio, just snickered and wagged its enormous tail back and forth.

  “I guess us girls really do need to stick together. You just make things up to your heart’s content until he feels so bad we’ll both have him eating out of our hands.” Trisha giggled.

  Trisha was trying not to laugh at the images the symbiosis next to her was making up and sending to Kelan. Kelan, Trisha thought with a silly smile. God, for an alien he sure could kiss and those muscles…just WOW. After Bio tossed Kelan out into the corridor naked as a jaybird, Trisha started planning her next strategy. He said can’t; not won’t. Well, she was a ‘can’ kind of girl. Whenever anyone told her she couldn’t do something, she made it her mission to do just the opposite. She laughed quietly as she remembered being told she would never make it in the space program because of her accident. Well, poop-on-them! She was so far in space she was a black hole in their you-know-what! Trisha thought with a contented sigh. Now all she needed to do was fufill her promise to her dad to take him with her!

  Trisha's thoughts were jerked back to the present when she caught sight of her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Her ey
es widened in disbelief as she stared at her stomach. Her fingers lightly traced over the flat, smooth surface that had been covered in a scattering of scars. She let her eyes wander up to her shoulder where there was supposed to be another long, ribbon of scars from where her collar bone had shattered. Trisha turned her arms looking for the incisions where the surgeons inserted the metal rods to her wrists and forearm. Trembling, she continued her scrutiny looking at all the places where the surgeons worked on her battered and broken body. The pain was not the only thing gone, so were all the scars. In their place was soft, smooth, undamaged skin. Trisha looked at Bio who was lying in the doorway of the bathroom silently watching her.

  "You did this, didn't you? You were able to fix me when no one else could." Trisha asked softly in disbelief. Tears shimmered in her eyes when she felt warmth enfold her as Bio sent waves of comfort through her. Oh, daddy, I wish you could see me whole again. Trisha thought as she continued to stare in disbelief at her image.

  Kelan rubbed his shoulder where one of the warriors got in a lucky punch. He probably shouldn’t have tackled six at one time but he was feeling like a challenge. He was getting to old for this, he thought dismally as he stared into his near empty cup. Kelan pulled another bottle towards him. He was on his fifth bottle of prized Curizan wine. He left the training room earlier under Jarak’s disapproving eye, making his way up to the dining area. Before he left, Jarak informed him in no uncertain terms that he was tired of Kelan, Trelon, and those infuriating females. They were sending all of his men to medical and he was running short of personnel. By the time Kelan made it up to the dining area, word had already spread about his head bashing down in the training room. After most of the men hurried out of the room when he came in, Kelan decided to pick a back table away from everyone. Now, he was slowly drinking himself into oblivion. He was just pouring himself another glass of wine when his brother Zoran came in.