Chapter 10
Nash took the transport vessel down to the waste management ship and disembarked in the docking bay. He was determined to get to the bottom of the fleet’s technology leak. As a rule, Draconians were extraordinary loyal to their own kind. They may be fierce warriors in battle, but the thing that had sustained them for so many millions of years had been there loyalty and brotherhood to each other.
Back on Draconia, where dragons flew freely in the skies, it was easy to believe that their people would always support one another. With war against their ancient enemies, the Mulgor, taking more and more of their resources, Nash could see that times and attitudes were changing.
The Mulgor had been dormant for ten thousand years, and had just returned as preparations to leave for Earth had begun. Everything had been mass confusion—the plans to go to Earth had almost been canceled. As it was, half of the original fleet had been assigned to war.
That meant that the warrior class had to take shifts between fighting and mating in this chaos. Some Draconians had decided to go rogue and become a negative influence on the human race, a race that was crucial to the sustained genetic diversity of the Draconians.
He believed in Draconia, and had always been an observer of the ancient customs and traditions of his people. He had always been exceptionally loyal to his culture and his society. He could not conceive of the mind of someone who would not feel the same. Nevertheless, he would get to the bottom of this betrayal.
“How can I help you, Commander?” asked the technician standing behind a control panel on the transport deck.
“I would like to check on all of the data logs for communication and transportation coming from this vessel,” Nash said, showing the technician which vessel he meant.
“Right away Commander,” the technician said, pulling up a holographic screen of the data. After the information loaded, Nash scanned all of the records.
“Why are these ships going to Earth once a week?” he asked.
“I don’t know sir,” the technician said.
“Is this your regular post?” Nash asked.
“It’s not sir, I was reassigned here recently. The man who worked here previously, disappeared, and no one has been able to locate him.”
“Disappeared? Since the last transport from this vessel to Earth?”
“Yes, it was around that same time,” the technician said, looking sheepish.
“Why did no one report this? Disappearing to Earth is against regulations.”
“Nobody wanted to get him in trouble. Maybe he wanted to go find his own human woman and start a new life.” The technician shrugged. Nash let out a sigh. This was unacceptable.
“What was the name of that man?” Nash asked. “I want to have access to every data log he’s made the entire time he has been aboard the fleet.”
“Yes, sir,” the man said. His fingers flicked over the hologram, and soon the information came up on the screen.
The man’s name was Hallo Vox. He was a low-level civilian worker, who had been in waste management back on Draconia. There were no incidences of criminal activities in his past, but his data logs were highly suspicious—he’d taken every weekly visit to Earth from the waste management vessel. This man had to be the one responsible for leaking the illegal technology to the humans.
“Thank you,” Nash said. “After I deal with this person, the entire fleet is going to have an overhaul.” Nash got back in his transport vessel and flew to the command ship.
He knew Lexi would be sleeping alone by now in their bed. He wanted more than anything to go slip beneath the sheets with her. He wanted to run his hand up her shapely legs and touch the moist place between. His dragon roared in his mind, and was becoming more difficult to control as each moment passed.
His dragon constantly growled and thrashed that his mate was right before him. The dragon insisted he take her, claim her, spill his seed deep inside her womb, and fill her with his young. But, Nash knew that he could not treat Lexi that way—he had to go slowly with her. He had get past her apprehension and fear. It was the only way that they would both be happy.
But, that didn’t mean that his dragon wasn’t driving him mad. Every time he looked at the little human female he felt his cock grow hard.
He had to control his erection because he knew how much it frightened her. Spilling himself on her breasts had been shocking to Lexi, but it was the only way that he knew that she would begin to relax around him. Brides who were reluctant needed the extra help from the pheromones in a Draconian’s semen.
If he had left it alone, it may have taken her months or years to come to the place where she was now. Instead, it had taken only a few days. However, in the process he had frightened her.
It was true that the Draconian phallus was larger than the human counterpart. But, he also knew that the human female could accommodate a Draconian phallus. It had been done many times in the past. The human females who had accepted their Draconian mates were said to be the most pleased females in the galaxy.
He wished that pleasure for his bride, and for himself. Listening to his dragon grumble within was becoming difficult to control.
Chapter 11
Lexi sat in the apartment looking over the course information for the next semester at her old school, wistfully thinking about how great it would be if she could continue her studies at the human university, while also studying with the technicians aboard the science vessel in the Draconian armada.
Nash’s voice spoke over the communication system: “I would like you to come join me down at the flight gymnasium. Follow the lights on the floor leading you out of the apartment. It will bring you to me.”
“What is the flight gymnasium?” she asked.
“You’ll see when you get here.”
Lexi slipped off the couch, and followed the lights blinking on the floor in a line toward the exit. She stepped through the door and down the hallway until she came to an elevator, which took her straight up. It opened into an entrance hallway with double doors leading into what looked like an immense room. It was as big as several football stadiums lined up and stacked upon each other. The roof was clear and open to the view of space beyond.
Dragons of various colors, shapes, and sizes flew below the blinking lights of the stars shining through the ceiling. Lexi stepped through the entrance and covered her mouth with her hands. She had never seen the dragons up close before, and she was shocked and amazed at how graceful and magnificent they truly were.
She saw Nash standing at the edge of the floor, one of the only males in human form in the entire room. She walked toward him with excitement building in her belly—he looked so imposingly handsome, she tingled all over. He smiled back at her, and opened up his arms while showing his sharp teeth.
“You’ve arrived, beloved,” he said, bringing her into his arms and patting her back.
She pushed away gently and smiled shyly up at him, feeling overwhelmed by the massive space, and the dragons around her.
“Is this what you wanted to show me?” she asked.
“I wanted to show you my dragon,” he said, standing proudly as his officers stood beside him.
“Okay.” Lexi felt both giddy and nervous at the same time. She’d seen dragons on the news, she’d even seen them flying above her neighborhood, but she’d never expected to see one up close. It all seemed so mythological, so foreign, so alien.
He took a few steps back, puffing out his chest as he grinned down at her. He peeled off his uniform—with one flick of his finger, it disappeared. With a mighty roar, he tilted back his head and in the space of a few seconds, grew and morphed into a being the size of a killer whale, with wings covered in red scales, and a mouth of teeth that would frighten any monster.
Lexi stepped back and gasped. She wasn’t sure if it was horror or excitement that she felt when she looked at her husband in his true form. He was a dragon, a mythological creature from centuries past. He was a barbarian god, from de
ep antiquity. Lexi’s heart clanged inside her chest, beating furiously with desire and arousal.
Nash pumped his wings and jumped into the air, soaring high above her. The bright shining stars of the heavens couldn’t compare to the beauty and grace of his being. His power permeated the space. It came upon her in waves, and she could barely keep her knees from buckling under the weight of it.
“Oh my God,” she gasped, her eyes wide. She couldn’t believe that this was the man she’d been given to. According to the Draconians, she was his soul mate—his one and only, his perfect match. Lexi might not believe that computers could find you true love, but she was beginning to believe it was possible that Nash could be the one.
He dove, and circled, and rose into the air, seeming to do aerial acrobatics for her amusement. She laughed and clapped, cheering as he tried to impress her.
Nash swooped down and landed gracefully on the floor, walking toward her in his Dragon form. Without missing a stride, he contorted, shifted, changed, and instead of the dragon, there was Nash walking toward her—the man who had been so kind and patient, the man that had taken control of the situation, even when she had no idea what to do. Even though the Draconians caused problems on Earth, Nash had shown that he was trying to solve them. He cared about her, and she could feel it.
He came to her and took her hands, kissing the sensitive pulse points of her wrists. Lexi bit her lip and blinked, almost ready to let him show her how she would open to him.
“That was amazing,” she said. “I’m kind of stunned. I can’t believe I was that close to a dragon.” She stared up at him with awe on her face.
“You’ve been that close, and closer, this whole time.” He said this modestly, but she could tell that he was pleased by her reaction.
“I know. But, you look human. It’s easy to forget that you aren’t.”
“Were you pleased with what you saw?” he asked, a sexy smile on his face since he already knew the answer.
“Pleased? It was magnificent. When I was a kid, I was really into dragons. Little did I know that we’d be invaded by them a few years later.” And then I’d be married to one.
“This isn’t an invasion,” Nash grumbled, his smile fading.
“What would you have done if human women refused to mate with you?” she asked. Why am I antagonizing him again?
“We only take willing women,” he said, putting his hands on his waist and standing taller.
“I wasn’t willing,” she pointed out, perversely attempting to push his buttons—if he had any.
“Let us finish this discussion somewhere private, my beloved bride,” he said, taking her hand tightly and leading her out of the flight gymnasium.
When they arrived back at their apartment, she sat on the couch and crossed her arms, looking out at the blackness of space. She wanted to know why he hadn’t let her go even though she didn’t want to be there. You’re lying again. He sat beside her, his body sinking gracefully into the couch.
“When the mate is located, the male’s mating impulse goes into overdrive. The inner dragon awakens with the need to couple and claim the rightful mate. It can be torture. That is why, once a perfect match is located, we cannot let her go.” He made it all sound so normal.
“Even if it’s against her will?” She wasn’t ready to claim defeat on this point, even though his body leaning against hers was making it hard to concentrate on the conversation.
“If the fated mate is not claimed, the dragon will wither and die. A female has never refused to mate after some time with her male. It is impossible. Even if a bride is reluctant at first, she will come around eventually. The mating impulse can be hard to overcome, but male Draconians care for their brides, and do not force them to mate.” He sounded more subdued with each word, as if he realized she still didn’t want to stay with him.
“Ever?”
“No. It is counter to our ways,” Nash said softly, without looking at her.
“Like leaking illegal technology to a vulnerable population?”
“Lexi,” he started, his voice annoyed, but then he turned away. “I am doing what I can. The fleet is full of civilians. Half the crew is civilians. This hastily assembled mission is ripping apart at the seams. The government back home is preoccupied with a war which is taking all our best soldiers. I am one of the few active military officers who will remain on this ship for the duration of our stay. I am blessed to have been granted a mate—it was the greatest wish of my heart, and I want only to make you happy.” By the end, he stared into her eyes, his practically pleading for her to give this—him—a chance.
“I get it, okay?” she said, putting her hand over his. He looked up at her, hope in his eyes. “You’re trying. You’re understaffed, and have no direction from your bosses. It’s a messed up situation.”
“I know who has been leaking the illegal technologies into human society. A man disappeared from the ship about a week ago, from the waste treatment vessel. His name is Hallo Vox. Come—we will go hunt him down together. Put this on under your clothes, it is a Draconian protective suit. It will conform to your body and protect you from harm.”
He walked to a cabinet and handed her a slinky green jumpsuit. She took it and hurried to change, excited that he was showing so much initiative and willingness to help her, let alone the fact that he was taking her along. She knew he wasn’t supposed to do that. It excited her that he would take a chance like this, just to show her how much he cared. I care for him, as well, no matter how much I don’t want to.
After she’d thrown her regular clothes on over the jumpsuit, she joined Nash again in the living room. They went down to his shuttle and flew toward Earth, breaking through the atmosphere in a fiery blast.
They slowly descended toward Earth and landed at the consulate in downtown Seattle. When they walked out onto the streets of the city, she took a deep breath of the damp air. It had just rained, and the streets were shiny with puddles. The smell of coffee and chocolate filled her senses as she walked past the shops, with Nash holding her hand.
She could barely resist popping into a coffee shop and getting a drink. It had been so long since she’d had one. He looked down, inspecting her.
“What is it?” he asked with a twinkle in his beautiful eyes. “I can tell you crave something by the look on your face.”
“Smell that coffee?” she asked, stopping on the street.
“Yes. Do you want that?” he asked, with another small smile.
She nodded her head, smiling brightly. They stepped inside the warm cafe. The smell of caramel, coffee, and muffins wafted through the air. She gazed around at the funky artwork on the brick walls. Earth. Home.
She went to the counter, still holding Nash’s hand. The sexy, hip barista looked up at Nash, and her eyes grew wide with desire. Lexi pursed her lips and smiled at the girl. “I’ll have a large mocha.”
“And, for the gentleman?” the barista said with a sexy tilt of her head. Stay away, bitch. Woah, where had that come from?
“I’ll have what she’s having,” he said, making Lexi laugh and easing the sudden tension between Lexi and the barista.
The girl shook her head and looked down at the cash machine. Nash paid with a credit card that he pulled out of his skintight suit. They took their coffees outside, and walked down the Seattle streets. Orange leaves fell around them. She sipped her coffee, feeling giddy inside. Nash was so hot. Girls totally wanted him. She laughed softly.
“What is it?” he asked her, his eyes on hers alone.
“It’s nothing,” she said, hiding another small smile. “So, where is this guy?”
“Ah. His vessel landed somewhere on the south side of the city.”
“South side?” she said. The coincidence was too much.
“Yes. There is a car waiting for me in a parking lot not far from here.”
The continued down the sidewalk and entered a parking lot. Nash pulled keys out of his suit, and pressed the button until his car bee
ped at him. They approached a brand new black Lamborghini, with jet propulsion hover technology.
“Wow,” she said, as he opened the door for her. She slid inside and put on her seatbelt.
Nash slipped behind the wheel and closed the door. “Do you know how to drive this thing?” she asked him, as he turned the key in the ignition.
“Yes. I’ve done it many times in the last five years.”
He shot out of the parking space and zoomed onto the street. As the transportation grid interlocked with the car, Nash pressed his foot on the gas, increasing up to an insane speed. They dodged through cars, and wove around traffic. It seemed like it took only a few seconds for them to arrive in the south side.
Nash parked in front of a tenement building and got out. Lexi got out behind him, and followed him up the front walk as he went inside. It smelled of urine and stale cigarettes.
“Where are we supposed to go now?” Lexi asked, as they stood in front of the filthy staircase and equally filthy broken elevator.
“Dragons like to be close to the sky, or below ground in caves. In a building like this, I’d guess the top floor.”
“How do you know he’s here?”
“Because the transport vessel had these landing coordinates. It is the most likely location of landing.”
Lexi followed him up the stairs, one at a time, until she was winded. It was a twenty-floor apartment building, too high to have a broken elevator. Some people came down the stairs, looking at Lexi and Nash strangely as they passed.
Nash noticed her strain, and lifted her up off the floor, carrying her the rest of the way to the top. She held his shoulders, looking at the masculine angles of his face. She could feel his hard muscles all around her, and smell the spicy scent of his skin. She bit her lip, feeling herself dampen from the contact.
Desired By Dragons Page 6