by Crystal Dawn
Once she was clean, dry, and wearing a sleep T-shirt, she lay down to sleep. It came right away. She’d not even thought about the food she’d been promised. Not much later, or so it seemed, Erak was talking to her and shaking her gently. “Tomi, you need to eat, Sweetheart.”
“Go away. I’m tired.” Surely that would do it.
“You must eat. After using fire, food is even more important than rest.”
“No.”
“No?” He asked confused. “Get up or I’ll tickle you.”
“No.” He began to move his hands around her body getting her excited until he hit that spot. It was the one that made her giggle uncontrollably. “Stop!”
Erak stopped for a second without thinking. “Get up and I’ll stop.”
“I’m tired.” She whined.
“And stubborn, but you must wake up.” He tickled her again until she sat up and threw a pillow at him. “There you are. We have a nice meal set up at the table for you.” His mate snorted.
She did however get up and move to the table where she looked at her plate with interest. When she started to eat, it was quick and without reservation. “Who cooked?”
“No place was open so I had to ask your mom to fix you food.”
“No wonder it’s so good. Thank you.” She added grudgingly.
“You’re most welcome my love.”
“Find out anything about these rogues?”
“There were some humans from Earth mixed in. We are investigating, or rather Garulto is, to find out how they got here. He and your mom may be taking a trip to Earth. If the emperor approves it and it looks like he will, Kitty may be coming back with them.”
She squealed. Throwing herself into Erak’s arms, she kissed him. The barbecue sauce from the ribs smeared on his face making her smile. Dragons could be messy eaters even in human form. He reached up to his cheek and wiped it clean.
“I’d love to see my baby sister. You’ll love her, I know you will.”
“There’s no doubt in my mind. All your family are great.”
She leaned back. The food was mostly gone and she was almost full. “Dessert?”
“Of course. Your mom’s famous berry pie.”
“Yes.” She threw a fist in the air. “That’s a sign of victory.”
“Okay.” He said clearly not understanding. “Here’s your pie.” He set a plate with a large piece of pie in front of her.
That’s when she practically inhaled it. Erak’s eyes were wide in disbelief. Her dragon had done a lot and used a bunch of energy. Why wouldn’t guys give a hungry girl a break?
“Will we ever have a chance to go back to Earth?”
“Things come up here and there. If you want to go when that happens then yes.” He agreed.
“Thank you. I would like to go back every once in a while. We can buy a few necessities and maybe even some luxuries.”
“If there’s things you need, regular trips are already being made to Earth. Anything you want can be brought back.” He assured.
“I already knew that. That’s where some of the spices and all of the coffee and chocolate come from.”
“Well, yes. That’s true. Since you’re done eating, we should turn in.” He suggested.
She sighed heavily. “I’m not sure I can sleep now. “
“I can help with that.” Erak smiled.
“I bet you can.”
She got up and walked to the bed with him right behind her. Once they were near the bed, Erak took over. He picked her up and carried her to their bed. Giving her no time to think he stripped her bare in seconds. His face, his nose to be precise, went straight to her center. Now it was damp with need and she knew what he was going to do. This was going to be so amazing. Her dragon rumbled with anticipation.
As his tongue licked her folds, she stared at him in a daze and slid her fingers through his hair. Erak pulled his cock out of his pants and she was sure it was uncomfortable in there. His tongue moved up to her clit as his finger sank into her channel. She could feel she was wet for him. Worrying her little nubbin, he added another finger to stretch her for his thick staff. Added a final finger he then nipped her bundle of nerves sending her over the edge. Right away, he slid up her body pushing his cock into her channel.
His dragon rumbled too now. Without a pause he drove deep inside and began hammering in and out. She felt like she like she was about to take flight. Making love to her mate was the ultimate joy. Arching to meet him she then wrapped her legs around his hips to hang on tight.
They both made little sounds of pleasure as the tension built until she exploded and he followed her. It amazed her that she had fought against this. The two of them were perfect together and it would always be so. Falling to the mattress beside her, Erak was asleep before she was. It would seem he’d had a hard day too. She looked at him as he lay there his face relaxed in sleep. He looked younger and carefree.
That made her realize how hard he took his responsibilities and how much he needed her to help balance his life. Too much work and not enough play, but she would help change all that. She snuggled up close to him and even in his sleep his arm moved around her. He made her feel safe and warm. No one else could have ever given her this.
Soon, she thought, they would have a baby. If she judged by the rest of her family, it wouldn’t be long at all. For now she needed some sleep to prepare for all that lay before them. It wasn’t hard to fall into a deep sleep. Hours later, caught between sleep and waking, she wasn’t sure if she was dreaming or not. The soft touches that made her ache with need seemed so real.
It started with a gentle kiss that took off and explored her mouth. His lips moved down her neck and he licked the spot he had bitten when he cemented their mating. That made her writhe with need.
Not stopping there, he moved on to her full breasts and he suckled each in turn. Tugging one hard into his mouth, he released it once it was sensitive to his touch. Now she was fully awake, aware, and ready for so much more.
He rolled himself on top of her resting his weight on his forearms as he pressed his cockhead to her entrance. She was sopping wet and he gently slid in until he was fully inside. They groaned together. His need overwhelmed him even though he’d considered letting her sleep just a bit longer. Need refused to allow him to wait and he was sure her need was strong too. She urged him to move faster and harder. Her heels pressed against his ass cheeks hard demanding more. Giving in he began to move. The faster he moved, the more she wanted until he was pounding into her and she was screaming in pleasure.
Her release hit making her scream his name. Her tight channel squeezed the seed right out of him and he called out her name in his bliss. Their bodies were slick in sweat and their breath came in gulps. She felt a slight ache between her legs and her throat was sore from her screams. This was the way to feel all the time. Erak rolled off her and they both slipped into a deep restful sleep.
They slept until this horrible buzzing noise intruded. “Dear Goddess. We’ve slept nearly a day.” Erak grouched.
She hopped up and ran for the shower with him right behind her. There was no time for pleasure, but she couldn’t deny she was disappointed. Once they were dressed, they headed to the throne room where Jary sat at his desk.
“My king.” Jary greeted. “We were concerned and the emperor is here. I knew you would want to be woken.”
“You were right. Thank you.” Erak agreed.
That kind of sucked. They were rudely awoken and they had to thank someone for doing it. They sat in the thrones and waited for the emperor to join them. He entered with a smile on his face. “I hear congratulations are in order?”
“They are. Why don’t you join us at the table?” Erak asked and they both moved. She’d read that it was rude to sit on a throne when someone of equal or greater authority was your guest.
“I’ve gotten some information from the king of cats. Leotus says he too has rebels and Dannia has found a place with them. Their issues are the same
as some of ours. The biggest, is the mating issue. I’m hoping this plan to get mail order brides will work.”
“It’s been done on Earth in the past and worked well. The main issue is finding women that won’t be angry when they find themselves in another galaxy.”
“How do we avoid it?” He asked.
“By being as honest as you can. Tell them your country is so different from the US, it’s like another world. Let them know that you have closed borders and only brides and approved family members can come and they may never be able to come back.”
“Approved family members?” He questioned.
“Some women may have children or be in charge of young siblings or elder parents. Taking them in those cases where it will work, makes your population more rounded. Yes, you need brides, but you also need more people.”
“That’s true. But we need to be careful about who those people are.” The emperor said.
“I agree. That’s why you run background checks and interviews. It will give you the best chance of getting good people.” She explained.
“How would we even set up such a program?” He wondered. So far Erak had been quiet and only listened. ”You hire experts that do this kind of thing. This will be a long term program since the need for mates won’t end anytime soon.”
“True.”
“Ranger is pretty sharp. I bet if you give him a description of what you want, he will get it done.” She pointed out.
The emperor smiled. “I believe that is true as well. What do you think Erak?”
“Some of Earth’s ways are helpful. I am glad we can take the good and leave the bad behind. Tomi mentioned before that it’s important to set goals when you approach someone to run this program for you. What are our goals?” Erak asked.
“Five hundred mates a month?” The emperor threw it out there.
“You may not get that right away. Some programs build numbers slowly. It takes time to get the word out. There may also be a problem when they try to find your country on a map.”
“That’s no problem. We bought a small country and named it Draconis.” Erak explained.
“Of course you did.”
“It was the smart thing to do.” Erak agreed.
“You’re right. That will help. Now you just need to get it started.”
“I’ll contact Ranger as soon as we outline what we want from the program. He’ll be thrilled.” The emperor chuckled.
She didn’t know what to make of that. Maybe Ranger was already over worked? Erak had called breakfast in and they ate with the emperor before he left. “That was interesting.”
“You’ll get used to it. Queens are often involved in these type of meetings.”
“Now what happens?”
“I’d like to say we spend the day in bed, but we both have too much to do.”
“I know you have a lot to do, but what about me?” She asked.
“Did you forget your cafeteria?”
“Oh, my God! I did forget. I’m such a bad boss.”
“Lushia is running things, but she needs a raise.” Erak suggested.
“Absolutely. I’d best get over there. There’s no telling what is going on.”
Erak looked relieved that she would be busy since he would be. She headed down the hall to her cafeteria. The aroma of cooking foods led her straight there. It was busy, no surprise since it was lunch time for many of those that worked at the castle. When she stepped into the kitchen, she washed her hands and asked Lushia where she was needed.
“We have food cooked for lunch, but we need bread and dessert for supper.” Lushia said.
That was good because baking relaxed her and allowed her to think through things. A chance to relax was a good thing anytime, but with these last few crazy days, she really needed it. Once the oven was filled with bread and sweet rolls, she sat at the table with Lushia drinking coffee and eating a piece of pie.
“Catch me up!” She urged.
“Well the king made us take that day off which we were all grateful for since the rebels attacked. Two more workers were hired when we came in the next day. It’s made all the difference. I don’t feel like it’s enough to up our presence for supper, but it makes things less hectic for the hours we already have.” Lushia explained.
“I’ve thought about having someone here in the evenings with premade food. You know, like sandwiches, pies, and cookies. Things that can be served cold.”
“Like at the butcher shop?”
“Similar, yes. What do you think?”
“You’d get some business, but would it be worth keeping help here?”
“That’s the hundred dollar question.” She admitted. “But they can also cook ahead when they have time.”
“I’d best get back to work.”
“Do you need me?”
“We’re caught up for now.” Lushia said.
“Yeah, and that’s unusual.”
“Extra help makes all the difference.”
It was obvious it did. Life would have been so much easier had she had all this help before. While it was nice not to have to stay for now, this was hers. It was her little identity, something that was only hers. For now, it was enough.
She headed back to see Erak but he was busy. It was something she had to get used to because it would happen often. While he’d promised to find ways to cut back, she was realistic enough to know it would take time. Maybe she could find ways to help him lighten his load.
When she made it back to their rooms, she saw someone had cleaned up. Apparently they had a maid service. She tried to remember how bad things had looked and she was sure it had been rough. Yes, she was one of those that cleaned before the maid came in. Not everything, she just didn’t want to end up as one of those cleaning horror stories maids told other maids.
Maybe she was a bit of a workaholic because with no work to do, she had no idea what to do to keep busy or entertained. On Earth she would watch the TV or a movie. Here they really had nothing like that. In time she would figure everything out. Her life had just gone through a big change, but she would make sure this change was a good one.
Chapter 8
Kitty
Selia chanted, “Kitty cat.” Over and over. It was getting a little annoying, but they all knew she’d missed her youngest aunt.
“You miss her?” The emperor, Torr asked.
They’d not known his name before, it was rarely used and then only among family and close friends. It seemed a lot like Thor, but it might only be a coincidence. She didn’t believe much in those.
“Dori?” Garulto whispered to her. “Are you alright?”
“Yes, just making some plans.”
Now he looked worried and she had to smile. It was true she was known for her plans, but she also knew when to step back as she had when Erak had pursued Tomi. Any meddling would have messed them up. Tomi was too stubborn to allow anyone to help her along. Maybe she took after her the most, in that aspect anyway.
For the most part, she was happy. All her girls but one was settled and blissfully happy with their choice. Now she was working on that one and using the best means possible. She was feeding the emperor and she’d heard he liked spicy and unusual foods. That was no problem. Her recipe book had a section of Cajun foods and that should be right in line with what he loved.
Just in case spicy was too much, she had other foods that were a little watered down. They were for Selia and any of those that found her Cajun foods too much. She always had a backup plan. It seemed unnecessary because everyone but Selia loved her spicy chicken gumbo. The Jambalaya was wiped put completely. The Maque Choux was also gone. Now they were moving on to the Creole foods.
“This is amazing. It’s also not like anything I’ve had before.” Erak said.
“You pointed out that dragons like spicy foods. On Earth, our foods are different often based on regions or particular groups of people. These are Cajun and these others are Creole foods. Cajun foods are particularly spicy and
many people can’t tolerate them when fixed as they are meant to be. I haven’t found anything local that matches these ingredients.”
“Maybe we’ll have to grow some.” Bree said. That girl always had her mind on her business.
“I would recommend it. What’s this?” Torr asked.
“Just some pictures of us girls. Today is mother’s day on Earth.” Betty explained as she went through the pictures on the screen they’d pulled down.”
“I recognize most. Who is that cute little girl?” Erak asked playing along.
“That’s Kitty.” Betty explained.
“What does she look like now?” Erak asked. That young man was a helper.
“This is a picture of all of us on the Mother’s day before we left. Kitty is on the end.” Bree said.
“You are all lovely ladies.” Erak commented.
Torr’s eyes were stuck on Kitty. They left the picture up as they passed out dessert. Today he had promised to give them his decision. It never hurt to continue to build your case. She was a mother and couldn’t be happy without all her little chicks nearby.
Who knew? Maybe something would develop between them but regardless, her Kitty would be home. Maybe she wouldn’t share that Kitty was the most stubborn of all her girls. Not until she was here and it mattered, that was.
“I suppose you’re all waiting for my decision?” Torr questioned looking around as they all ate dessert and tried to appear relaxed.
“Aren’t you being unnecessarily cruel?” Tomi asked.
“I felt like I was poleaxed with all the good food and the pictures. Even the little one tried to influence me.” Torr observed.
“So?” Tomi asked.
“My mind was already decided. We will try her on the new program and if it is successful, she will be in charge of it. That means she will be traveling back and forth between the two worlds and eventually settle here.” He explained.
Tears came to her eyes as she rushed over and hugged him. Garulto growled. She turned to look at him. “Get over it.” Her mate looked suitably chastised.