“Grandma, really, it’s fine.”
“This isn’t for you honey, this is for the rest of us. Now come on in the house and get ready.”
Loretta’s sister grabbed her hand and tugged her into the house. They found their way into her old bedroom that she’d shared with her sister, the dress already spread out on the bed.
Loretta stepped into the wedding dress her mother had worn on her wedding day. The photographs still hung on the walls of her grandmother’s house. Her heart did flip flops in her chest as she gazed at herself in the mirror. It wasn’t the uber-chic designer fashions she and the other brides had access to, but it was the most special dress she’d ever worn.
Her sister slipped into a fancy dress as well and they helped each other with their hair and makeup. There was a knock at the door an hour later and her grandmother opened it.
“Everything’s set, let’s go.”
“I can’t believe you guys are doing this,” she said, laughing as her grandmother led her by the hand out to the new car.
“It isn’t every day your granddaughter marries the man who will bring peace to the planet.”
She sighed wistfully. “No, it’s not,” she whispered.
They made it to the old Baptist church where she’d spent most of the Sundays of her childhood and piled out of the car. Her brother had gone with Mylash to help him get ready at the church. Loretta’s grandma and sister helped her out of the car and up the front steps. They waited in the front lobby. Loretta peaked through the doors that led into the altar room. She could see Mylash standing in front of the altar.
That was an image she never expected to witness. She stepped back and laughed. Everything was turning out more beautifully than she could have ever imagined. Mylash was the sexiest, sweetest, most powerful man. They loved each other so deeply sometimes it hurt. Now, here she was with her family at church, ready to take vows in front of all her oldest friends.
Her sister and grandma waited with her until the music started. First her sister went through with her bouquet in hand. Then Loretta walked with her grandmother down the aisle toward Mylash. He stood there in his Draconian uniform, looking sexy and nervous at the same time.
He took her hand as she came to the altar. She stepped forward and faced him in front of the preacher. The ceremony was a blur, but Loretta had never felt happier in her life. Mylash repeated the vows and so did she. At the end, he slipped a massive diamond on her finger. It glistened in the candlelight. After everything else he’d done, a ring like this was a small token.
They said “I do” and walked hand in hand down the aisle. Everyone smiled and cheered for them. At the reception, the true colors of her church came out. Everyone was singing and dancing to the band. Champagne, cake, and delicious food filled everyone’s bellies.
“I don’t understand how my grandma organized all this in two hours,” she said to Mylash as they slow danced at the center of the floor.
“She didn’t. I told her to organize it days ago.”
“I didn’t ask you to come down here until a few hours ago.”
“I was going to offer right after I asked you to manage our six-hundred trillion-dollar investment portfolio.”
“I still can’t even imagine that number. Don’t you think you want someone more qualified than me?”
“You are exactly the person I want handling this. You understand more than anyone how important it is. Society must focus on peace and prosperity. I need your help to make that happen.”
“Mylash. I can’t believe your faith in me.”
“My beloved little mate. I’ve had that much faith in you since the moment we met.”
Alien Fighter’s Woman
Draconians 3
She needs a way off the planet ... but she gets a lot more than she bargained for.
When Tabby Wilson has to run from her techno-drug-dealing boyfriend, she figures the Draconian mating lottery will be her ticket to safety -- and the good life. Then her new mate is forced to take her along on his commando mission, but she soon learns that the dragon shifter alien provides benefits far greater than luxury.
Oro Nix can't afford distractions -- he's an elite fighter facing a serious human threat. Nonetheless, he quickly succumbs to the lure of his sassy little human mate, her sexy curves, and the roar of his inner dragon.
But he and Tabby soon discover that his mission is more complicated than either of them realized -- and she's part of it.
Chapter 1
Tabby Wilson gripped the handlebars of her stolen motorcycle, her curly black hair whipping out behind her as she rode. The orange sunset cast the desert in a warm glow. Tabby took the rural Arizona highway with the confidence of a skilled rider.
Today was the last straw. She wasn’t going to put up with Leo’s bullshit anymore. She was out. Screw him and his crew.
As a parting gift, she’d taken his bike and a wad of his cash. Her cheek still stung where he’d slapped after she’d caught him with another girl in her own bed. What an asshole.
Leader of a gang who dealt in techno-drugs, Leo Hendrix oversaw this part of Arizona, second only to the head honcho of the Arizona/Mexican techno-drug cartel, Juan Norte. Leo would be pissed about his bike, but Tabby knew it was small beans for men like Leo and Juan.
At the end of the day, Tabby knew that she was only ever another piece of tail for Leo. The curvy black girl who fit the outfits the way he liked. He could find another by the end of the day.
Even life with Leo had been better than the hell she’d grown up with. Poverty on the Mexican border for a minority girl like her, with a hot body and a pretty face, had been rough. She was lucky to find a man like Leo to protect her when she did.
Tabby was older now and she knew she deserved better. She had some clothes, makeup, and maybe a thousand dollars packed in the motorcycle.
She’d been so angry, she’d left without a plan. Leo had hit her before, but he’d been drunk and she’d been dumb enough to forgive him. This time, he’d gone too far. Hitting her because she caught him with another girl? That was it. She wouldn’t do it anymore. Tabby had some self-respect. Or at least she wanted to.
Goal: Learn to respect self.
She made a mental note. The desert stretched out in front of her, and she saw the distant lights of a small highway town. It was unlikely that Leo would ever find her here, out in the middle of nowhere. That was why she’d decided to travel this way. Nevertheless, a guy like him had eyes and ears everywhere. It would be best if she laid low for a while. She wouldn’t put it past Leo to want revenge for the bike and for leaving him.
She pulled into the small town. There was one stoplight along the highway. On one side of the street was a restaurant with a bar, and the other side had a hotel and gas station. Perfect. She pulled up to the hotel and parked the bike. Sauntering inside the office under the fluorescent buzzing lights, she could already tell this place was a dump. It had mismatched carpet on the floor and some kind of strange moldy, rotten smell she couldn’t place. Gross.
The old man behind the counter looked up at her with dark eyes and darker gaps in his teeth. After she rented the room, she decided the weird-ass smell must be coming from the man. He handed her a key and called her sweetheart. She gave him a smirk and winked at him.
Right… Sweetheart…
Tabby hadn’t been a sweetheart in a good long time, and she didn’t have any expectations of ever being one again. She’d seen too much and been pushed too far. She took the key and parked her motorcycle in the furthest, darkest corner of the parking lot and found her room.
She spotted it on the second floor, but decided to get something to eat first. She went across the street to the restaurant and sat at the bar. It was a local dive-greasy spoon combo.
Tabby sat at the bar with her beer and burger and surveyed the establishment. There were a couple families in the booths in the restaurant on the other side of the room from the bar. She felt a ting of sadness when she looked at them
. That kind of life just wasn’t for her. It never had been. She’d be on the run forever if she didn’t figure out what to do with herself now.
She put her bottle down on the counter, put a bill under it, and walked out. A few orange street lights glowed on the pavement as she walked across the highway to the hotel. The big sky of the desert stretched overhead, brilliant with stars, even in town. Tabby trotted up the stairs to her room and shoved the key in her door. Inside, it was cold and musty. She shut the door and dropped onto the bed, fatigue setting in.
She couldn’t sleep now. She was too riled up to rest. Angry, she clicked on the TV and began to aggressively change channels. Everything was stupid. Tabby threw the remote across the room and groaned as she flopped down onto the bed.
The TV chattered and Tabby laid there, staring at the ceiling.
You, too, can live a life of luxury. All you have to do is enter the Draconian Mating Lottery for your chance to win a delicious Draconian mate. Why stay on the ground when you can live in the sky?
Tabby sat up straight and stared at the TV. What? She’d heard about the Draconians like everyone else. The dragon-shifting aliens from Draconia had come to Earth five years ago. In exchange for women, they’d given humans advanced technology. In the process, they also kind of messed up the Earth’s economy. Even the techno-drugs that Leo dealt had originated with the Draconians.
She’d never thought of entering the lottery. She’d been too young when it had started a few years ago. Seeing the commercial now was like a light going off in her head. If she matched up genetically with a Draconian male, she could have all that stuff they offered on the commercial. The luxury apartment aboard the ship. The designer clothes. And five hundred grand for anyone she chose on Earth.
That didn’t seem like such a bad idea. She thought for a moment. Maybe this could be her new life goal. Part of it anyway. She always knew she deserved better than what she’d had on Earth. Screw this shit hole. Why not have a better life in the stars?
She hurried to the desk and pulled out a pen and paper from the drawer, quickly writing down the information. The nearest Draconian consulate was in Phoenix. That was Leo’s territory. Screw it. She was going to enter that damn lottery, and Leo wasn’t going to stop her.
Chapter 2
In the morning, Tabby showered and changed her clothes. She kept telling herself that she would be matched with a Draconian. Having a genetic match wasn’t some kind of guarantee. There weren’t all that many Draconian males available on their armada because they were fighting some war back on their home planet.
She didn’t understand it all. They’d been tight-lipped in the PR department until recently, when they started killing terrorists and taking down corporations.
The world might be changing, but Tabby didn’t want to stick around and see it happen. For better or worse, her new goal was to get the hell off Earth. She went downstairs to her motorcycle and drove out of town.
Approaching Phoenix, apprehension tugged at her gut. Leo could find her so easily here. The place was crawling with techno-drug addicts. The stuff that hooked people into the new dark internet. It wasn’t just the data miners who were enslaved. The drugs and technology allowed people to immerse themselves in the environment at the expense of their real lives.
Tabby could spot some addicts crossing the street when she stopped at an intersection approaching the consulate. They looked like zombies, staring into their computer lenses and plodding along. At least these ones were still walking around with mobile devices. She knew of whole buildings where they laid around, connected to computer terminals, virtually dead to the world.
She’d tried the techno-drugs once, but it wasn’t for her. She liked to live in the flesh and blood more than the virtual world. She liked to feel alive. Even life with Leo was better than no life at all.
Pulling up to the consulate, she bit her lip and frowned. She sat on the parked motorcycle and gripped the handlebars. Did she really want to be some alien shifter’s woman? She’d seen the pictures of the Draconians. Those dudes were fine. A lot of girls she knew had tried to get matched. None of them had won the lottery.
Tabby took a deep breath and let it out. Now or never. She got off the bike and hurried up the stairs of the classic Greek building to the front door. Inside, there was a big, round room, empty except for one desk. She walked toward it and stood before the big man she knew must be a Draconian.
“Greetings. Have you come to join the lottery?”
“Yes. Tabby… Tabitha Wilson. I’m twenty-two. Fertile and all that.”
“Very good. I’ll need a small DNA sample. I can take a swab from the inside of your cheek.”
He handed her a long swab, and she rubbed it inside her mouth for a moment before giving it back to him. A circle opened up on his desk, and he dropped the swab inside. He flicked a holographic screen.
“How long will it take? Should I come back?”
“You’ve been matched with one Lieutenant Oro Nix.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
Tabby stood back and folded her arms. It had worked. Just like that.
“When do I get to meet him?”
Chapter 3
Lieutenant Oro Nix glided down the hallway of the command ship of the Draconian Mating Armada. He’d come to Earth with an elite fighting force, handpicked by the President of Draconia to deal with the Earth crisis. This was one of the Draconian’s mating planets.
Because Draconian DNA favored males, it was crucial to their survival that they mate with other species once every thousand years. Earth humans were on a five-thousand-year rotation. The last time the Draconians had visited Earth, humans had been an undeveloped species who worshiped the Draconians as gods. This time, Earth humans were much different.
To prevent humans from blowing themselves up with their own weapons, and to salvage the poorly planned mission, Draconians had offered humans technology in exchange for the Earthlings’ cooperation. There wasn’t much else they could do with their attention divided by the war with the Mulgor back at home.
The technology the Draconians had given humanity had corrupted them and worsened an already bad social structure at a vulnerable time in their development. That was why Oro’s commando squad was called in. Oro’s crew were the most skilled warriors in the Draconian military.
While his general’s mate bought the human corporations out of business, the rest of the crew continued to fight violent threats. The Draconians were no longer taking a passive stance on the human situation. They’d come to give them a better way to live. They had to take responsibility now.
Today, Oro’s general had asked him to come down to his briefing room for a special operation of urgent importance. Oro loved his job. It gave him great glory to work for the good of Draconia and their race. Even helping these Earthlings gave him satisfaction.
He slid into the room with General Shin. The general smiled at him from across the room, showing his sharp teeth. Oro stepped forward and stood before his general and friend.
“You wanted to see me, sir?” Oro said, preparing himself for his mission. The human problem had not been without its dangers. Even as a powerful dragon shifter, the humans could still pose a threat to his life.
“I have a new mission for you. There is a man who is at the center of the techno-drug market in North America. He needs to be taken out with stealth. If he sees you coming, he could use the addicts against you. The drugs allow him to control the addicts’ minds with a special computer code. My intel says he is the only one who knows the code. The original programmer is dead. You can’t give him a chance to use it or it could mean death and war for millions.”
“Thank you for trusting me with this mission, General Shin.”
“You are the best man for the job. With your stealth assassin abilities, I couldn’t have chosen a better man.”
General Shin gave Oro the details of his mission and transferred the information to Oro�
��s private database. Oro checked the information on his communication device on the wrist of his uniform.
Oro excused himself from the general and hurried to the transport bay. Just as he stepped into his vessel, his wrist device pinged with a message. Oro flicked his wrist, but there were no details. Strange. He wondered if it was part of his mission. He climbed into a transport vessel from the docking bay and jettisoned off into space.
He sliced through the atmosphere, barreling toward Earth. When he reached his destination city, the ship eased onto the landing pad behind the consulate. After disembarking, he strode through the sliding doors into the main consulate room.
The doors whooshed behind him and he checked his wrist device again, checking the information he’d downloaded from General Shin. When he looked up, the secretary of the consulate stood before him. Beside the secretary stood a beautiful human woman.
He nodded once at the secretary and the gorgeous, curvy woman with glowing dark skin and long curly hair. Their eyes met as he passed, and something about her stopped him in his tracks.
The woman licked her full, pink lips and Oro felt weak in the knees. His inner dragon bolted. As a fighter, Oro and his dragon were a well-oiled machine. To have his dragon scream inside his mind was highly unusual.
“Lieutenant Nix, I hailed you through your wrist device.”
“Yes. What is it Secretary Noro?”
“This woman is your mate. She entered the lottery and her DNA matches yours.”
“What? I never entered into the system. How is this possible?”
“As far as I know, all the commandos were entered by General Shin and Commander Or. Everyone is to be mated, sir.”
Oro’s penetrating gaze fixed on the woman. She looked nervous, but her confidence was palpable. He liked her looks. And her smell. His inner dragon hissed and growled, gnashing at his brain.
Desired By Dragons Page 15