by S. E. Smith
Trelon rolled over and stood, stretching his arms over his head. When he looked to where he laid out their clothes he frowned. Where had his little mate gone and what the hell was she wearing? If she returned to the palace garbed only in his shirt…Trelon’s mind rebelled at his sweet little mate’s body clad only in his shirt, with her sexy little legs showing for all to see, and her dragon’s mating scent close to the surface as she approached her first transformation. His eyes popped open in fury at the thought. He would kill any other male who came close to her!
Striding over to the rock where his clothes were he frowned when he saw his shirt and boots but no pants. Looking around to see if they had fallen off, he grunted when he couldn’t find them. Closing his eyes, he focused on his symbiosis. It sent back images of Cara, wearing his oversized shirt that hung to her knees and…his pants on her tiny frame. He chuckled as he watched her pull them up as they started to slide off her narrow hips. She had them rolled up so far, almost half the length was in a bunch around her delicate ankles. She touched her waist and he felt the warmth of his symbiosis as it instructed the tiny piece of gold around her waist to tighten a little more. Only then did she let go of the pants. She had made it to the enter walls of the city. He must have been asleep longer than he thought for her to have walked so far, they were a couple of miles outside the walled city. Knowing she was safe, Trelon picked up his shirt and slid it over his broad shoulders and slid his feet into his boots before calling for his dragon. That was one nice thing about the change, whatever he was wearing before the change was what he wore after. It was part of the magic no one really understood, just accepted. Unfortunately, his dragon was his best bet of getting back to the palace without the embarrassment of explaining how he had lost his pants. With a swept of his wings, he was in the air flying towards his wayward little mate.
Cara had woken sprawled across Trelon’s huge chest. The catnap was just what she needed. Trelon had continued to sleep even as she pulled carefully out of his arms. Since he looked so peaceful, she decided to let him sleep. She had learned a long time ago she didn’t need as much sleep as most people. When she had tried during her years at home to force herself to stay in bed she had almost made herself sick. She had too much energy and trying to hold it in just gave her ulcers. At the boarding school, she had driven the faculty and staff nuts with her midnight wanderings until they had finally given up on trying to contain her. They had tried locking her in her room, she just picked the lock. They tried wearing her out by making her do all kinds of physical activities, she had just excelled while they had to hire extra staff due to burnout. They had tried medicating her, she had ended up in the emergency room and her Uncle Wilfred threatened to throw them all under the jail. So, finally they just ignored her which suited her just fine.
Cara grinned as a couple of little boys about the ages of nine or ten began following her. Cara smiled at them and they giggled, pointing at her. She turned to walk down a narrow street that contained all types of stands. She didn’t really know for sure where she was going but figured she was headed in the right direction since she was following Symba who had changed into a type of large cat. Many of the men in the market must have recognized Symba because they bowed in respect, their symbiosis’ lowering their heads as she passed.
“You some type of bigwig or what, Symba?” Cara asked softly as she ran her hand over the symbiosis’ head. Symba’s huge frame shivered as if a chuckle had passed through it.
Cara stopped as she saw she had three little boys following her now. Reaching over to pick up some type of round fruit, she frowned and looked at the man behind the stand. “How much are these?” She asked.
“Nothing for my lady.” The man replied with a broad grin. His eyes were glued to the mark on Cara’s neck. Cara could feel the heat of a blush rise up her neck until her cheeks were pink. She had noticed the mark when she went to rinse in the stream. She had touched it in fascination but the blurred image made it difficult to really see.
“Oh, but I can’t just take them.” Cara said hesitantly. She had no idea how the economy system worked here.
Symba sent an image to Cara. It had let Trelon know of her purchase and the man would be compensated for the fruit. Cara smiled down at her golden friend. It appeared Symba had also communicated with the man’s symbiosis who relayed the message to the man.
“Okay. That is just freaky.” Cara said with a grin. “Thank you.” She told the man as he held out the fruit.
“Would you like a basket for them?” The man asked.
“No, thanks.” Cara said with a happy smile. She didn’t plan on having to carry them for long.
Cara winked at the boys behind her as she moved over to a fountain in the middle of the market. Sitting down, she waited until them came towards her before picking up one piece of fruit, weighing it carefully in her hand. She winked at the tallest boy first before she picked up the other two. With a skill developed over years of practice, she tossed the first, then the second, followed by the third piece of fruit up into the air. Soon, she was juggling the three pieces doing random tricks like turning around in a circle or tossing them under her leg. The boys giggled and laughed as she did some of the more complicated tricks. After a few minutes, she lightly tossed one piece of fruit then the others to each boy.
“How did you do that?” The tallest boy asked eagerly.
“It just takes time, practice, and concentration.” Cara grinned, answering him back. She didn’t think she should say her therapist recommended it to help her focus. “Start with one, throwing it up and down so you get a feel for the motion and keeping your eye on it. Then, add a second doing it with both hands. Once you feel comfortable, add the third. Just don’t give up.” Cara explained touching the boy’s soft hair. She wondered what it would be like if she and Trelon were to ever have children. Would they look like this boy with his dark features and strong build? Shaking her head to banish the image, she pulled away from the idea of being with Trelon long enough to have kids. He was probably just looking at her as a nice diversion. Symba growled low and brushed up against Cara as she felt the wave of sadness come over her.
“Let’s get back to the palace.” Cara said. “I need to find something to wear for the dinner tonight.”
Trelon had flown back to the palace after checking to make sure Cara was alright. He had many things to do that he had been neglecting. There was the dinner tonight but that was the least of his worries. Zoran’s capture and torture was a major cause of concern. The Curizan’s who had captured him needed to be dealt with as soon as possible. Trelon had hoped after the last war with the neighboring galaxy had ended they would finally have peace for a while. He was tired of all the fighting. The development of a militant group of Curizan was something that needed to be dealt with immediately. They had discovered the abandon base where Zoran had been kept. Unfortunately, no records had remained. All the computer equipment had been destroyed and there was no trace of the men who had been there. Not even the dead bodies of the men Zoran had killed during his escape were left behind. His brother Creon was working with an informant within the Curizan ranks. His brother was being very hushed, hushed about it and that worried him. As brothers, they had never kept anything from each other. Their loyalty was absolute. Now, that Zoran had a mate it was even more important. If his mate was harmed, it was more than possible they could lose him. As leader, his strength among their allies and their enemies was renowned. Trelon also needed to finish the new defense system he was working on for their warships. If it worked, it would give them a distinct advantage over anyone who dared to threaten them. Some of the things Cara had done on board the warship had actually given him some ideas. He had no idea that certain sound waves could increase the power of the crystals they mined. This might be just the extra he needed if he could find a way to do it without getting the symbiosis who helped drunk. Then, there was the issue with his own mate. He needed some way of knowing she was safe at all times. Trelon’s m
ind was so busy going over all the issues he didn’t even see the figure curled up in his bed.
“Trelon, what happened to you?” N’tasha asked from her reclining position.
Trelon jerked around his hand automatically reaching for his sword. A curse exploded from his lips as he realized with everything going on since this morning he never strapped it on. He had flown straight to the balcony of his living quarters and shifted. He had been so lost in thought he had not even taken the time to scent his rooms to make sure they were empty. That was a rookie mistake that could get him and his mate killed if he wasn’t careful.
“N’tasha, what are you doing here?” Trelon bit out harshly.
N’tasha’s eyes filled with tears at the harsh tone. “You said you would talk to me later so I thought I would wait for you here.” She let her eyes drift down his body. When she looked back up the tears had changed to desire.
Being without clothes had never bothered Trelon before. He saw nothing wrong with viewing the natural state of his body or that of others. In fact, in the past he had never had a problem removing his clothing when he had been tempted to pleasure a willing female. Since there were not an abundance of unmated females, he had never turned his back on one willing to ease his desires much to the disgust of his symbiosis on more than one occasion when it did not like a particular one. He had even made suggestions to other males and accepted suggestions from them on how to increase the pleasure when the desire had hit in a less private place. But, for the first time, he felt a wave of unease ripple through him at another female looking at him. He did not find it pleasurable. It felt…wrong; very, very wrong.
Trelon walked over to one of his clothing drawers and opened it. Kicking off his boots, he pulled a pair of pants on. He didn’t look at N’tasha while he did it. He didn’t like seeing her looking at him in desire. In fact, his dragon was so infuriated it wanted to toss her out; preferably from the balcony. Be nice, Trelon scolded his dragon. You are being too nice, it growled back. I want our mate. Trelon fought back a frustrated sigh as he agreed. He did not like the idea of another female’s scent on his bed either. He wanted only Cara’s.
“N’tasha, I have a mate now. I have no desire for you.” Trelon said finally turning to look at where N’tasha had been reclining.
He took a startled step back, running into the clothes drawer, when he saw she had moved while he was pulling his pants on. He was definitely losing his touch as a warrior, he thought with disgust.
“But, Trelon,” N’tasha said, tears welling up in her eyes again. “I thought you loved me. You talked like you were going to mate with me when you returned.” She whispered softly as she ran her hand over the bare skin of his chest where his shirt hung open.
Trelon shivered with revulsion. Pulling her hand away from his skin, he spoke urgently, “N’tasha, I’m sorry I gave you that impression. I had thought to mate with you but I have found my true mate. I’m sure you understand.”
He had no idea how he had gotten himself in this mess. He should have listened to his symbiosis and even his dragon. One had never cared for N’tasha and the other downright wanted to tear her apart. That was why Trelon had had to send his symbiosis away whenever he had been with her. Now, he could appreciate that revulsion. Her touch sent waves of disgust through his body. He doubted he could ever convince his cock to thicken for her, even if his life depended on it.
“But, how? You have not been back long enough to have found another female who could be your true mate! I have not seen any new females in the palace except for the…” N’tasha’s voice faded away as she realized it was the new females who had been accepted. “It is one of the off-worlders?” N’tasha asked softly.
Trelon nodded trying not to show his relief that she seemed to accept it; at least until she threw her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his. Trelon’s hands flew out to grab N’tasha just as a sound from the door registered. N’tasha jerked back with a cry, tears streaming down her face as she turned to look at the tiny figure standing like a statue in the doorway.
Cara’s eyes flew between the two people standing before her, one looking extremely distressed while the other looked – guilty. She turned her head and took in the rumbled bed. Her gaze flew back to Trelon and she let her gaze move from his opened shirt, to his untied pants, to his bare feet before traveling back up. If anything, he looked even guiltier than before. Cara decided the red stain rising up into his cheeks combined with the slightly swollen, moist texture of his lips was like a nail gun shooting four inch nails into his coffin. It was Darryl all over again, only this time much, much worse.
Trelon watched as Cara’s face turned to a blank slate. She smiled politely at both of them before turning on her heel and walking out the door. Trelon started forward only to be stopped by N’tasha’s hand.
“I’m sorry.” She whispered. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
Trelon growled at his symbiosis who was standing guard outside the living quarters of the one called Carmen. All of his gold bands were gone- again. They had turned into little dragons and flown back to his mother symbiosis but not before they had bitten the shit out of him. He had little teeth marks all over his arms. He had tried to find Cara after he had finally gotten rid of N’tasha but she had disappeared again and without his symbiosis it was almost impossible. He had finally found a servant who had commented on seeing the tiny human female with the other human female named Carmen. The servant had blanched when he had mentioned the name. Great, just great, his dragon roared in anger. It was so pissed at Trelon, it was making his already miserable life even worse. He didn’t know which was worst; the whining or the silence. It was like two-thirds of him was missing. He had never been so alone before. He had always had the other two parts of himself. How did other species exist? He wanted to rant and rave at the loss. But, worse was the loss of Cara. No, he wouldn’t think like that. He told himself determinedly. I just have to explain it was all a misunderstanding. He thought out carefully what he would say. The female who I had been sharing sex with thought we were going to mate after I returned. Yes, she was in our bed. Yes, I was mostly undressed. Yes, she was kissing me. Yes, I am so screwed. He thought in despair.
Cara fluffed out her hair. It was beginning to grow out and the purple highlights were beginning to fade a little. She was very proud of herself. When she had walked in on Trelon in a lip lock with another woman she had been so stunned she had just frozen. The pain had been so intense she was amazed she had not died right then and there. It had only taken one look at his guilty expression and the other woman’s tormented face to know there had been something going on there. She had felt the ice as it froze around her heart. It had formed faster and thicker than the ice had when Darryl had betrayed her. She felt like her heart no longer even existed inside her. If not for the fact she could feel it beating she would have thought she had turned into the Snow Queen.
She had wandered the corridors of the palace in a daze. She didn’t acknowledge anyone or notice any of the beauty contained within the walls. When she had found herself outside a set of doors with a number of guards standing a good distance from it she had frowned. What were they guarding so heavily, she wondered? Images floated through her mind of bruises, cuts, and …Carmen. Oh, she thought.
“Excuse me.” Cara said softly moving past a set of guards who were watching her warily.
Both moved so she could knock on the door. When there was no answer, she knocked again a little louder. Cara was vaguely aware with each knock the guards took a step further back. She turned to watch as one actually seemed to be hiding behind a large planter when the door was flung open.
“What the hell…” Carmen said before she realized it was Cara standing there.
Cara stared at the large vase Carmen had in her hands before she looked up into Carmen’s eyes. Cara opened her mouth, than shut it. Her eyes widened as they brimmed with pain filled tears but she never said a word. Carmen took one look at Cara’s fac
e, cast a murdering glance at the guards who shank back from her, and pulled her into the room before slamming the huge doors shut.
Carmen set the vase down next to the door and pulled Cara into her arms holding her tightly muttering everything would be alright. Cara had just wrapped her arms around Carmen’s waist and cried as if she had been told it was the end of the world. As far as Cara was concerned it was. Carmen never asked her anything. She just led her over to the small couch in the living area and held her, stroking her hair and muttering everything would be better. She just needed to take it one day at a time. Cara had finally calmed down but the ice had settled even further. She withdrew into her protective shell letting only the person other people wanted to see come out. Outwardly, she was the bright, sunny person people expected to see. It had worked to hide her pain from her dad’s inability to show her that he really loved her. It had worked with her Uncle Wilfred when he had continuous tried to get her to be the sweet little girl her mother had always wanted her to be. It had helped at the boarding school when the bullies thought they could wear her down and make her quit. And, it had helped with Darryl when he had taken the last little bit of naïve hope in her young heart.