by Lexi Ander
"Not all humans are the same, Dargon. Feel how his scent calls to us. This speaks of compatibility. If he was anything other than honorable, he would not smell alluring to us."
Alpha was disgruntled by Dargon's distaste, but after what Dargon had witnessed in the last year, he had no intention of ever becoming involved with a human. Dargon meant to leave the dock, the mystery pheromone identified; there was no other reason for him to stay. The inspectors were probably finished examining his ship—but his feet refused to move. The human male was attractive, a little over two meters tall. A respectable height, though Dargon was a half meter taller. The Terren had white irises, not a color natural to the species. The shoulder-length black hair had some kind of beads woven within it—not that he cared.
Movement at the airlock drew his eye. Mar'Sani entered the space dock along with the security personnel, spreading out and forming a parameter. Two more Mar'Sani males exited the airlock with the Ice Tran. Dargon straightened from his position against the support post. These were not just any Mar'Sani. The fiery red tips to their barbs proclaimed those two as royalty.
"Imperial Atlainticians. What are they doing here? They do not leave the Waters of Poseidon lightly."
"Zeus!" one of them bellowed.
All movement on the space dock stopped as everyone turned to watch the display, a few took cautionary steps away as the Mar'Sani bulls snarled, and for all intents and purposes, charged the human.
"Dargon," Alpha said with apprehension.
The need to protect flared to life within Dargon, and he had taken several steps before hesitantly halting. The human issued his own roaring challenge and strode to greet the two large males. They did not clash as he thought they would. Instead, all three heads were pressed together in a sort of dance, it was the only way to describe what he witnessed. A chorus of hisses and whistles ensued while the three walked in a circle, foreheads never disengaging until they threw their heads back and growled—long and loud. The other Mar'Sani guards surrounded the three, responding with their own snarling-hisses.
Those who had been brave enough to stay on the space dock fled at the crescendo of Mar'Sani greeting. That left Dargon as the only bystander watching the display. The two bulls snatched up the Terren in a fierce embrace, which was returned by the human.
Alpha snarled. "They dare touch him! Do something! Do not let them handle our Zeus!"
Dargon clenched his teeth down on a response and locked his body into position to keep from striding forward and snatching the human away from the intimate embraces of the Mar'Sani.
"He is nothing—you hear me?—nothing to us," Dargon responded woodenly.
One of the bulls met his gaze over the human's head, lips peeled back over dark gums to flash a set of sharp teeth, forked tongue testing the air. Dargon could not stop his responding chuffing-grunt. He took a step back when he realized he truly was in mating heat and had almost issued a challenge over a human. A human!
Even as his mind rebelled, his body prepared to morph to his true form for battle and released rutting pheromones. His sex, although hidden by the floor-length hyde skirt, was fully extended and weeping lubricant. The Battion moved, blocking his view of the Terren and Mar'Sani. The break of eye contact was like a gust of sub-zero wind, snapping him back to himself, returning his self-control. He shoved his instincts down and replaced them with rational thought.
"Wait! What are you doing, Dargon? Challenge them!"
While Dargon struggled with himself, the Mar'Sani started questioning the human. "Where is your security detail? Director! You promised our father Zeus's safety would be assured!" A hiss of warning punctuated the last sentence.
"Azaes, I have Hadon." That voice was a siren's call to Dargon, and he reluctantly took a half-step forward.
What was it about the human?
The Terran, Zeus, placed a hand on Azaes's chest, and Dargon spun on his heel. He had to get off the space dock before he morphed and ripped the arms off a Mar'Sani imperial.
"No, you cannot leave. Go back right now and acquire the human. Dargon, you cannot walk away from him. You know what this means as well as I do."
His skin prickled and his sex ached for release. No matter how much he wanted to drag the human back to his ship, he would not lower himself to fornicate with space junk, no matter how alluring the scent or physically appealing.
"Of all the things to think …"
Behind him, voices raised in anger. He stumbled and grasped a hand rail to keep from going back to protect the Terren. He was damn glad he had scouted alone. None of his crew needed to witness this debacle.
*~*~*
"With all due respect, Prince Azaes, Zeus is only a human, no different than the other Terrens in the employ of this imperial space station."
Zeus had the childish urge to slap his hands over Azaes's ears. The Director did not understand the insult he had inadvertently given. Accustomed to the indifference, Zeus had not considered how his family would react to the common perception.
"You will watch how you speak of the son of Emperor Valdor Vondorian!"
The Director's thick ruff stood on end, giving him a recently-tased look as Azaes's voice rose in affront.
"Brother." Zeus reached up and stroked the cool, smooth scales of Azaes's chin, drawing Azaes's attention to him. "Has anything happened to me? Have I been harmed in any way? The Director is responsible for the security and safety of the station. I could not in good conscience draw away valuable resources from the whole."
"The only reason you have not been harmed is because you are disregarded, not respected as a prince should be. That is what drove you away from home."
Zeus knew he had much to explain to his brothers but it would not be here. "There are many reasons why I took the position here. Besides, there are advantages to invisibility."
Mestor laughed aloud, pulling Zeus into another hug. "He has a point, brother. The Gerrho'Sauridae is invisible against the Black Desert sands. When it is detected, most disregard the snake to their detriment. One quick bite and death follows before they draw their next breath."
Zeus's throat burned with suppressed emotions at being so honored by Mestor. In the presence of the future emperor, warlords, and the Elite Honor Guard, Mestor proclaimed Zeus not only dangerous but the embodiment of Atlainticia's oldest, most respected, and feared creature, known locally as Striker. Never before had Zeus been honored with such a compliment.
Azaes looked as if he would argue then suddenly smiled. "You are correct. The youngling has a deadly bite."
Zeus detached himself from his brothers and drew Cleito forward. "Cleito de Conti'Quan, I introduce you to my brothers, Prince Azaes and Prince Mestor Vondorian."
"It is my pleasure to meet friend Zeus's family. He has told me many wonderful stories of you. It would be my honor if you would dine with me this evening." Cleito's bow was returned by the twins.
"Fantastic!" the Director nervously exclaimed. "I will assist Cleito with readying the suite." With an arm around the Conti'Quan, the Director left Zeus alone with the twins.
"Come, let me show you to your quarters before I report to work." Zeus pressed his lips together to hide his smile at the Director's retreating figure. His family could be intense.
Azaes and Mestor fell into step with him. "So tell me about your lover." Azaes caught Zeus's elbow.
"I do not have a lover," Zeus hissed.
"Then you have not been courting the Dar Massaga?" Mestor inquired.
Zeus glanced at their dark faces. Surely they were jesting. "I do not know what you are referring to. I have not had a lover since arriving at the station." Zeus's head snapped back and forth as the twins continued the conversation, speaking as if they were one person, one mind.
"He flooded the space dock with mating pheromones."
"And was staring a hole in the back of your head."
"He could not decide if he wanted to fuck you or kill you."
"He did not like us touching you.
"
"Nor did he like the raised voices."
"He was fighting his instinct."
"Only a fool would fight the truth of his core."
"There is more; he was angry too."
"An explosive combination."
"A dangerous combination."
Zeus held up his hand. "I have not met a Dar Massaga so I do not know what you are talking about."
"Warlord Sohm'lan reported you were being watched," Mestor replied.
"I thought it was because of your arrival." Zeus rubbed the back of his neck.
"Maybe we should find out why," Azaes said, his face a hard mask. Zeus hoped the poor soul left the station soon. The twins might eat the Dar Massaga if they thought he would harm Zeus.
Dargon stormed through the corridors, people quickly moving out of his way once they caught sight of his dark mood. He wanted to kill something or someone—slowly. Preferably the human. The Mar'Sani Royal Guard stalked him through the corridors. They dogged his every move, watched his ship. His crew were already dealing with the stress of watching for an enemy psionic, and now they had to deal with being tailed because an imperial brat was overprotective of his pet Terren. Dargon could not get off the station fast enough.
The inspection had taken longer than he had anticipated, and he worried about the outcome. It was not that he did not have the money for the required repairs, he just did not have the time. The longer they sat in the dock, the more likely they would be found. If he could have sent a message to Valespia without its being intercepted by the psionic spy, he would have done so two weeks ago. But the hypernet was not safe for the information he carried. The sooner he delivered the cargo, the better. Without the repairs, they still had another thirty days before they would reach their destination.
Storming out onto the maintenance dock, he went to the railing and looked down. On three different levels, about twenty Asani were crawling all over a sleek 5T luxury ship. Their long, whip-like bodies were covered in sleek fur in varying shades of brown, gray, black, and white. A species capable of breathing on both land and water, their gills could be clearly seen on the individuals with lighter coats. When Dargon had been in the Terren quadrant, he had visited one of their museums where he had seen an extinct animal, the otter, which resembled the Asani. The Asani were much larger, one meter tall with longer legs, but the resemblance was still there.
A dark gray Asani ran by Dargon, footsteps ringing on the grating before she stopped and came back to Dargon. "You are not allowed on the dock without a yellow slip. Do you have a yellow slip? I do not see a yellow slip. You have to leave the dock. It is too hazardous. We are not responsible if you lose a limb. You do not have a yellow slip."
Was it awful that he wanted to snap the cute little girl's neck? Considering their breeding patterns were as prolific as Terren swamp rats, he doubted she would be missed. Instead, he waved the yellow tag the inspectors had given him. The little bug snatched the tag out of his hand and scampered over to the console to plug it in.
"Oh! Oh mi, mi, mi. I see." She whipped the tag out of the slot and handed it back to Dargon so quickly he barely managed to grab it. "Sorry, I cannot help you." The furball turned to go.
"Wait, what do you mean you cannot help me? My ship needs repairs." Dargon could not believe she was just going to leave him there.
"Of course it does, but not by me," she said nonchalantly as she tried to step around him.
Dargon caught the Asani by the arm and with exaggerated control asked, "Who can help me?"
The Asani gave him a bucktooth sneer and tugged on her arm. "You have to see the master mechanic." The way she said it implied that Dargon was daft. "You have a fusion issue that takes a master to fix. I am not he."
Narrowing his eyelids, Dargon glared at his future dinner. "Who, pray tell, is the master mechanic?"
The rodent snapped her teeth at Dargon.
That was it! He had had enough. He shook the pest and stood to his full height. The Asani dangled by an arm in front of Dargon, lips curled back as she huffed and ineffectually kicked at him.
"I am not the master mechanic, moron," she spat with indignant fury.
Dargon grinned at the fur-ball. Late meal was going to be fun tonight. He would even give the rat a head start. Then a pleasant and soothing scent wrapped around Dargon.
"I am the master mechanic. What may I do for you?"
He turned around and there stood that Terren, wearing blue cargos and not the formal uniform. Dargon stared into eyes so white they were almost silver, the irises encircled by a charcoal gray ring. The human was taller that he had thought, with a strong body. The long legs and well-curved ass that were on display that morning were now hidden under that shapeless bag. The glossy black hair had deep blue highlights, and it was still adorned with beads.
Alpha purred.
Dargon caught his breath. How did this Terren know the language of the stones? Their position, the order they were placed in, and the type of stones told Dargon a story: health, vitality, fertility, sorrow, broken strength, virtue, truth, power, and … chosen.
"I told you." Alpha's sing-song words rang in his head as he stared.
The sound of a throat being cleared brought Dargon back to himself. The rodent still dangled in the air, although the mouthy mechanic's eyes were double their normal size and her hair stood on end. He realized he had released a rolling chuffing growl, and he was not aware how long he had been responding to the message of the stones. He dropped the Asani, who fell to the grating and promptly scampered away.
"You were not really going to eat her, were you?" At Dargon's questioning look, the Terren elaborated. "You had a look about you that said Ton was quickly becoming a menu item. She can be trying at times, but I imagine she would be quite gristly and a mouth full of fluffy fur."
"I do not smell fear. He is not afraid of us."
Against his will, because he of course could never be fond of any Terren, Dargon smiled. "The chase would be the best part of the hunt. I have to keep my skills honed."
"Oh, so you practice catch and release?" The Terren smiled up at him, and Dargon released mating pheromones. He widened his stance as his sex was freed from his body.
"Sometimes I keep what I catch. I might want to play with it later." Alpha rubbed against him, rolling over his skin in approval.
"Do you always play with your prey?" The human's gaze was intent and unwavering on his.
Dargon stepped closer and inhaled the man's heady scent. He wanted to pick the human up and bury his face in his hair. "No," he said, his voice low, guttural, as he suppressed a Calling. There was no way this man would know how to respond—even if he was interested. "I normally eat my prey, but if I found someone worthy of the hunt, when I caught him, I would keep him. There would be no escape. Once he becomes mine—"he inhaled again, the human's scent was strong and intoxicating, "—I would never release him."
The man swallowed and licked his lips. "What if the prey does not want to be caught?"
"Given the chance, I am sure I could make a convincing argument."
A barely audible moan sounded, and the human breathed in small pants, nostrils flaring, pupils dilated. "Be careful on your hunt, your prey might bite back."
"All the better."
The Terren stepped forward and Dargon met him halfway. There were only a few centimeters between them. Dargon's dual hearts skip-scotched when the human hissed and gave a rolling click.
"Zeus! What keeps you?" The Mar'Sani from the space dock stood just inside the entrance to the maintenance deck with an entourage of bodyguards glaring at him and Zeus.
The two of them quickly stepped apart, instantly remembering where they were.
"Just a moment, Azaes." The human, Zeus, looked back to Dargon, the fire in his eyes banked. "You needed a master mechanic?"
"That is what the rat said," Dargon replied. Zeus took the tag from him without touching, and Dargon stamped down on his disappointment.
Zeus
sorted the data at the console. "Here is the pass to blue level. Dock your ship this evening at service deck twelve."
"Will you be the one to work on my ship?" Dargon wondered if he would bump into Zeus again.
He was rewarded with a sly smile. "You will be my last work order before I leave."
Dargon frowned. "Where are you going?"
"Home."
Dargon was dismayed and then pissed that he even cared.
"Zeus!" That was the second time the Mar'Sani had interrupt them. Dargon chuffed, dismissing the annoying lizard, his gaze going back to Zeus.
The human moved away leaving him standing there—alone.
Zeus waved a hand at the Mar'Sani. "Azaes, you will need to wait. Ton! Quit humping Wren. What in ten planets is everyone doing? Orgies are not allowed on paid time! You had better not be doing this to scare off the new master mechanic."
Dargon was startled by the hiss that sounded next to his ear. He had never—ever—been distracted enough to be caught unaware by another.
"You had better be careful, Dar Massaga. Your prey has the strike of a snake. Your death will come before he pulls back from the bite." The Mar'Sani—Azaes's—eyes narrowed to slits so the irises were just thin yellow slivers against a sea of polished black scales.
"What is the matter? Afraid I will steal your pet Terren? I have no use for toys, least of all human ones." Dargon knew he should not poke the angry lizard, but he had become a pain in the ass. Every time Dargon had seen the prince, he was met with challenging stares and posturing that invited a fight.
Azaes's thin lips pulled back to reveal glistening, black gums and sharp, needlepoint teeth. "I could have you killed for the insult you have given House Vondorian."
Dargon gave a derisive snort. "Over human space junk? I think not, Mar'Sani." Not waiting for a response, he spun on his heel and strode away.
"Zeus, the Dar Massaga is as uncouth and rude as a V'Saar insect, much like Rathmar Gadrius at home. You put that lizard in his place before you left. He still bears the scars for his insult. Do you need one of my daggers? You may have need of it dealing with certain people."