“We have to watch that sector carefully,” Magmus agreed.
“My bride must be kept safe,” Elait said, pounding a fist against the stone table.
“Perhaps you should take a ship out to meet her,” suggested Salvatt.
“And leave my lands?” he growled.
“The sector in question is only one or two weeks away from Galaton,” Salvatt said. “We can send our admirals to the air lands to ensure your rule will not be questioned.”
“Why should I trust that you will not take my lands or raid my coffers?”
“We all want the fighting to end. The dukes and earls haven’t been this aggressive in five thousand years. The last time the females died out, I believe our families each lost our lands. Doesn’t anyone remember their Galatonian history?” Salvatt asked.
“Of course we do. The battle to regain our ancestral rule took a thousand years.”
“And we worked together then,” Salvatt said. “Our houses will work together now. The fire lands have no need for water, air, or earth.”
“Agreed,” Magmus said.
“I am left with no other choice but to trust you. My bride must be secured. I will take an armed transport ship out to meet her Bride Ship. If there looks like there is a growing Mulgor threat, we can address it once we are sure.”
“Agreed,” the other princes said.
As the meeting of the Council of Princes ended, they were all satisfied with what needed to take place. The princes of fire, water, and earth would send their most trusted admirals to watch over the air lands while Elait went to protect his bride and the safety of all brides traveling to Galaton in the future. It was a critical mission for all of them.
Salvatt strode out to his speeder and traveled across the world, back to his mate.
He found her sitting in their newly remodeled shared chambers, playing with Shiloh as he crawled across a plush rug. She stood to greet him, carefully rising to her feet, despite her round belly. She reached up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. He bent down to let her plant her lips on his face.
“How was the meeting of the princes?” she asked.
“It went well. We are addressing a possible threat from the Mulgor along the travel routes the Bride Ships must take.”
“Oh no. Is it serious?”
“We aren’t sure. It could just be rumor at this point. The prince of the north is going out to meet his bride and inspect the sector for signs of the Mulgor.”
“That does sound serious,” she said.
“No need for you to worry, my pretty mate,” he said, taking her to sit beside the baby on the padded mat on the ground. She leaned into his chest and he put his arm around her shoulder.
“It’s good to have you home,” she said, rubbing her hand over her rounding baby bump.
“It’s good to be home,” he said, leaning down to kiss her.
His big hand ran over her swelling belly. Salvatt’s heart burst, knowing that this time, he’d be with his beautiful mate the whole time she ripened with his child. He looked down at her face and cupped her cheek.
“My sweet little mate. You came to me from across the stars and brought me new strength. You brought new strength to the fire lands and to Galaton.”
He kissed the top of her head and she sighed against his chest.
“Salvatt, being here with you and Shiloh and our new baby on the way. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted. There’s no other place for me in the universe than right by your side.”
“And my place is right beside you,” he said, patting her back as they watched their son.
Salvatt let out a satisfied breath, feeling the warm glow of love radiating between him and his family. Celeste hadn’t just brought her human X chromosome to Galaton. She’d brought Salvatt his heart.
THE END
Air Dragon’s Baby
Elemental Dragons 2
A warrior dragon prince must claim his Earthling to save his throne -- without even touching her ...
All Sophia Castillo has ever wanted is to be a space pilot. But the Space Academy has kicked her out for being too cocky and rebellious -- with no second chances. After the Draconian lottery matches her with a faraway dragon shifter, she’s torn -- until she learns the smoking hot alien will die without his mate.
Even across the galaxies, his image tugs at her. Ready to take the biggest gamble of her life, she sets out on the long journey toward Galaton … already impregnated with her distant mate’s seed.
Elair Purr is the Air Prince of Galaton, one of four elemental rulers who control the planet. As soon as he learns about Sophia, his mating thrall rises, confirming that she belongs to him. Besieged by rebel dragons, Elair struggles with the urge to abandon everything and claim Sophia, his inner dragon roaring for his mate. When Sophia gives birth to his child on board her bride ship, their longing to be together grows even stronger.
When Sophia’s bride ship is almost at Galaton, it is attacked by the Mulgor -- the Draconians’ ancient enemy. Elair must leave his planet to rescue his mate and infant son ... and Sophia must cope with the magnitude of their joining. Once they’re together at last, the consummation of their mating can no longer be delayed. They’ve risked everything for love … will their Galatonian home be waiting when they return?
Chapter 1
Sophia Castillo gripped the steering wheel of her transport vessel and squinted through her old Earth-style aviator sunglasses. The prairies swept out for miles in every direction. Herds of bison ran over the grassy flatlands beneath her.
Becoming a transport vessel pilot wasn’t the absolute worst thing that could've happened to Sophia, but it definitely wasn't the best. All her life, Sophia had wanted to be a space pilot. She'd spent years honing her skills through her primary education and when it had come to be time to apply for the Space Academy, she was the best pilot she knew.
Just thinking about the Space Academy made her grit her teeth with frustration as she flicked her finger across the holographic dashboard of her vessel, accelerating the ship to inadvisable speeds.
She grinned as she zoomed past the galloping herds of buffalo and antelope. Then she pulled the wheel and twisted, turning her transport vessel into a spinning bullet that screamed through the sky.
Her vessel approached the edge of the Rocky Mountains, and she slammed on the brakes, whipping upward at a ninety-degree angle into the noonday sky.
Sophia let out a whoop of excitement as she accelerated towards space. Her transport vessel would only allow her to gain so much elevation before she had to level out. Coming up to the edge of the atmosphere would burn her and her vessel to ashes.
She slowly descended across the mountains and was soon on the West Coast, where she landed her vessel in the massive docking bay of the freight supply company she worked for.
She brought her vessel in for a landing and cut the engines before unstrapping herself from the pilot’s seat and stepping out of the exit hatch. The sunshine brought a smile to her face as she unzipped the neck of her flight jumpsuit, exposing her caramel tan skin.
“What the fuck are you doing out there, Sophia?” one of the transport managers yelled as he looked into her cargo bay.
Sophia stepped down the exit ramp with a swagger and smiled at the transport manager.
“Just doing my job,” she said.
“This freight is a mess!” the manager growled.
“This stuff is sealed in unbreakable boxes. And it was strapped in.”
“We've got hundreds of holocoms falling apart back here.”
Sophia glanced around the side of the transport vessel into the cargo and saw the holocoms scattered across the floor. Didn't look that bad to her; she'd seen worse catastrophes in cargo bays. What was this guy complaining about?
“If any of these are broken, we're docking your pay,” he grumbled. “You're lucky I don’t fire your insubordinate ass.”
“I’m your best pilot,” she said, shrugging. “And you like my ass too much t
o fire me.”
He grumbled and she chuckled as she walked away. Transport vessel jobs were a dime a dozen and she could easily get another one. But doing what she really wanted in life, that was another story. The Space Academy had called her “combative,” and had assessed that her personality simply did not meet their minimum requirements.
Sophia left the transport company's docking bay, and got the first hover bus downtown. She didn't have a scheduled trip back to the East Coast until the day after tomorrow, so she figured she might as well enjoy herself while she was here. She walked into the nearest pub and took a seat at the bar, rapping her knuckles on the antique wood.
“What can I get you today, Sophia?” asked the bartender, a middle-aged human with a receding hairline and a growing paunch.
Sophia pulled her sunglasses off of her face and hooked them into the neck of her jumpsuit.
“I'll take your best bourbon,” she said. “Straight up.”
The bartender pulled the bottle of bourbon off the top shelf and poured her a shot. Sophia picked up the shot glass and swirled the brown liquid inside before raising it to her lips. She threw it back in one quick drink and then slammed the glass back down onto the bar. “Another.”
The bartender poured her another shot and she threw it back as quickly as the first one. After that, and two more, she was feeling pretty damn good.
It was a day to celebrate. She had reapplied to the Space Academy. This time she knew that her work history as a transport pilot would have a big influence on the Academy's decision. She was expecting word from them at any moment.
Sophia was convinced that they would let her in this time. She had an excellent track record, until today, at least. She just hadn’t been able to resist pushing her vessel to the max. Why build these birds if you couldn't use them to fly? That's what Sophia always asked herself. She didn't understand why all the other pilots would deny themselves that fun, either.
She pushed away from the bar and sauntered through the pub, listening to old world music on an ancient jukebox. It sounded like shit but was also kind of charming in a retro way. There were some burly humans playing pool at a holographic pool table. Nobody used actual old-world pool tables anymore. She went up to the guys and asked them if she could play the winner.
The six-foot-two human males looked down at her and grinned at her five-foot-two petite frame, thinking that they could easily beat a tiny little woman like her. One of them had slicked back, black hair and held a cold cigar between his teeth. The other had short dreadlocks and a gap between his teeth.
Sophia knew that they were in for a rude awakening. Her stature fooled guys like this every time, so that they never saw it coming when she took their money.
Once the two men were done with their game, Sophia pulled her pool cue off the holographic rack and extended it into its full size with the flick of a button. Her competitor racked up the balls on the tabletop and offered her the break, so she positioned herself around the front of the holographic table, took aim at the white ball, and shot.
The balls all ping-ponged across the table, and of her chosen balls - the stripes - three sank into three different holes. After a moment, a fourth striped ball slowly dropped into a fourth hole. The men looked down at her like she was the second coming of Jesus Christ himself.
“All right, lucky shot,” she said.
The guys crossed their arms and her competitor gritted his teeth as he glared at her.
“You're a shark,” he demanded.
“I've never played this game before in my life.”
“Sure you haven’t, honey,” he said, slapping her on the back as he walked behind her.
She bent over to take her next shot, and sunk her next striped ball without a problem. Her competitor continued to glare at her, as did his friend.
She walked around the other side of the table and bent over. She wanted to take this guy’s money but she didn't want them to be pissed at her the entire time. Might as well let him have a turn. When she pulled back on her pool cue and shot, she purposefully made herself miss the striped ball she was aiming at. It bounced off the side of the table and rolled into the center, where it clacked against a few other holographic balls.
“Oh, how nice. She's letting me have a turn,” her competitor said dryly.
“I told you, I’ve never played this game before.”
He rolled his eyes and bent to take a shot, sinking a purple solid ball with ease. As he walked around the table and sank two more balls in just as many shots, she realized that her competitor was no slouch himself. He'd better miss soon, or she could lose this game.
“I think you're the shark,” she said.
“Maybe I am.”
He continued shooting until he finally missed, and growled at himself. His friend slapped him on the back and called him a demeaning name.
Sophia smiled at them and took her cue to the table. This time she wasn't going to hold back. She sank one striped ball after another until she finally hit the black ball into the corner pocket and won the game.
“I believe we wagered twenty credits on this,” she reminded him.
Her competitor shoved the credits at her and she took them with a smile. Some people just couldn't take losing. Especially to a woman. That just showed what douchebags they were. She congratulated herself as she approached the bar. She had twenty more dollars to spend on bourbon tonight.
She rapped her knuckles on the bar again and the bartender poured her another shot.
“Are you taking advantage of my customers again, Sophia?” the bartender asked.
“Who? Those guys? I couldn't take advantage of them if I tried. They see a girl like me and all they think is I’m an easy mark all around. I'm doing a favor for every woman in the universe by kicking their asses.”
“Maybe you are. You hear from the Academy yet?”
“Not yet,” she said, right as her wrist holocom buzzed.
She tapped the bracelet and it came to life across the fabric of her jumpsuit. She flicked on the screen to open the message she’d just received.
“Dear Ms. Castillo, we regret to inform you that your application to the Space Academy has been denied. Previous applications for the Space Academy were taken into consideration and the board has determined that they will continue to uphold their previous assessments. Sincerely, Space Academy.”
“Goddamnit,” Sophia growled, slamming her fist on the bar.
“You didn't get in?” the bartender asked.
“No,” she growled, hopping off the bar stool.
She walked through the pub, listening to the old world music and feeling like she wanted to punch someone. The two dudes at the holographic pool table had moved on to playing some other sucker, and as she passed them she bumped her shoulder into the one she had played. He laughed at her, not taking it as the aggressive gesture that actually was. She sauntered to the other end of the room and plopped down in front of a TV screen playing the latest game of Draconian basketball.
Thirty years ago the ancient race of Dragon shifter aliens had come to the planet Earth in search of brides. Because of a genetic abnormality, the Dragon shifters needed to replenish their X chromosome every five thousand years or females were slowly bred out of their population. The Earth was on a mating rotation, but the Draconians had arrived to find the culture of the planet vastly more advanced than they had expected it to be.
That created a whole lot of problems for humans and Draconians. Those issues eventually led to the attack from their ancient enemy: the Mulgor, a race of lizard men. After the attack, the Draconians had helped to rebuild the planet.
Now Draconians and humans had something of a symbiotic relationship, and most of the integrity of the planet had already been restored. Socially, life was pretty good for most humans. Including Sophia if she really thought about it.
But she couldn't have what she really wanted: to go to space. Normal human civilians didn't get to go on trips through the wormhole to Dra
conia. And try as she might, the Space Academy would not take her on as a pilot. All she'd ever wanted was to pilot a spaceship and go on adventures around the universe. But she had been completely denied her dream.
The show went to commercial break and an advertisement for the Draconian Mating Lottery came on the screen.
“Find your fated mate today. Your trip to the stars is just a holocom click away,” the friendly female voice said as she smiled out from the TV screen.
Sophia drunkenly pressed the button on her holocom bracelet to bring up the screen. She typed Draconian Mating Lottery into her browser and brought up the website.
She quickly entered her information, feeling gleefully defiant. If she couldn't go to space as a pilot, maybe she could get some male Draconian to mate with her. She knew that those guys could pull strings, and maybe someday she would actually be able to pilot a ship like she wanted.
Women had been getting men to do things for them since the beginning of time; why not let her Draconian mate do the same? She giggled to herself, coming up with her drunken plan. Finally, the mating lottery website asked for a sample of her DNA. Luckily she was able to give the global cloud system a sample through her holocom bracelet just by touching her fingertip to the button. It extracted the sample from her skin and sent the basic information to the global cloud system. It quickly analyzed her genetics and spit back out her perfect match.
“Wow,” she said, not quite sure what she’d just done. “That was fast.”
“You've been matched. Please report to your closest Draconian Consulate at your earliest convenience,” said the message that came up on her holocom screen.
She hadn't expected to actually find a match so quickly. It had just been a silly drunken whim. She opened the link to her perfect match and read his profile.
Elait Purr: Air Dragon Prince of Galaton.
“Galaton?” she said under her breath.
She had never heard of such a place so she did a little further investigation online and found that Galaton was an ancient Draconian colony in the Draconian galaxy. They had a very different culture from the Draconians that she and most other humans knew.
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