by Lili Zander
I’m missing something. What do we have to do with the shift?
We watch from the safety of the forest as eight of the Draekons crouch to the ground. I barely know where to look. Bones shatter. Skin tears. Vertebrae become spikes, and wings emerge from their backs. The Draekons who haven’t shifted take shelter along with us, their gazes openly envious as they watch their companions transform.
When the dust settles, eight massive dragons stand in the clearing.
Liorax moves next to us. “Belfox and Herrix transformed when they saw Olivia,” he says to Zunix, his voice pitched low.
“I know.” Zunix sounds grim.
“Do they mean to lay claim to our mate?”
Hold on one second. What the everlasting fuck is this ‘our mate’ bullshit? I’m tempted to ask, but for the moment, both men seem to have forgotten I exist, even though I’m still in Zunix’s arms. In fact, I might as well be furniture, for all the attention they’re paying me.
“I don’t know,” Zunix replies. “We can’t take on the entire camp. Not yet. Not until the bond is complete.” He takes a deep breath. “For the moment, we’re going to have to play along.”
I’m not quite sure what’s going on, but something tells me I’m not going to like the answer when I find out.
Liorax:
On the homeworld, Dariux and Zunix were assistants to the Spymaster. Despite that, I trust Zunix.
Dariux, on the other hand? Not so much.
For sixty-five years, Dariux has brooded. In the High Empire, he had power and prestige. Exile stripped all that away from him.
The true worth of a man isn’t measured by how he reacts during times of plenty. It is measured by how he reacts during times of adversity.
Dariux has turned bitter. He’s sown discord among us. Like Zunix, he managed to use his network of contacts to arrange a tech drop on the prison planet, but he’s hoarded his tools jealously.
And now, things are about to get worse. Dariux considers Zunix his rival. I saw the envy in his eyes when eight Draekons transformed. When he finds out Zunix shifted as well…
We have a claim to Olivia, but so do Belfox and Herrix. Dariux is going to be called on to resolve this dispute, and I don’t trust him to be fair.
The dragons howl and growl and roar, but the first transformation doesn’t hold for long. In a matter of minutes, every one of them has shifted back, and they all crowd around us, jostling for access to the humans.
The women shrink back in fear, and Dariux notices their reaction. “Enough,” he shouts, his voice carrying through the clearing. “You are frightening our guests. We are not savages. Step back.”
Then again, maybe I’ve judged Dariux too harshly.
I took everything I could find from the ship on the principle that any technology would make our life on this harsh planet easier. Rummaging through the pack I’m carrying, I hand Dariux a translator. When he sees it, his eyes snap to me. “How much?”
“Consider it a gift.” Not everything needs to be bartered for. There were many spare translators on the wreck, and I’m happy to share. It will ease the women’s transition.
Belfox and Herrix push their way through the other Draekons. “She’s our mate,” Belfox roars, his hands clenched into fists. “Put her down, Zunix.”
“Make me,” he replies calmly.
“Enough,” Dariux snaps again. He bows to the women. “My apologies,” he says smoothly. “This must all seem very confusing to you.”
“Why did he call Olivia his mate?” This is one of the human women, the one with the broken hand. Her voice has a definite quaver in it. “What’s going on? He said,” she points to Zunix, “that we’d be safe.”
Actually, what he’d said was that they wouldn’t be taken by force, which is a very different thing.
Dariux gives Zunix an amused look. “Did he?” he asks wryly. “How very gallant of him.” His eyes soften somewhat when they rest on the clearly terrified women. “Allow me to explain. We are Draekons, men with the ability to become dragons.”
Zunix rolls his eyes. “I told them that already,” he says impatiently.
“But you didn’t mention the mating bond,” Dariux guesses, his eyes taking in the protective way he’s cradling Olivia. “You didn’t want to frighten her? That’s rather considerate of you, Zunix.”
My hands clench into fists. Dariux is deliberately provoking us, but I need him alive. The med-kit is keyed to him, and he’s the only one who can operate it. The effects of the rubra leaves are wearing off, and Olivia is pale again, her face pinched with pain.
She is our mate, my dragon growls. Help her.
She taps my shoulder. “Liorax,” she murmurs, “the effects of the magic juice you gave me are wearing off. You wouldn’t happen to have any more, would you?”
A sudden surge of sympathy runs through me. She’s badly hurt, but she hasn’t voiced a single complaint as we trekked through the woods. I fish another bottle of the rubra and hold it to her berry-red lips.
Belfox and Herrix see the intimate gesture, and both men step forward aggressively. “She’s ours,” Herrix insists. “We turned into dragons when we saw her. Isn’t that what the legends say? When a pair of draekons first sees their mate, it brings forth the transformation.”
The others nod. “We did too,” Rezzix says. “When we saw that woman.” He points to a different human. “We demand a chance to claim our mates.”
“Are you animals?” I snarl, rage coursing through my blood. “You stupid fools. Their ship has crashed on this planet, and they’ve just learned that they’re stuck on the prison planet for the rest of their lives. They’ve lost their homes. Their families. Do you remember what that feels like?” I glare at them in turn—Belfox, Herrix, Rezzix, Magnux, Luddux, Yasix, Thesix, and Xanthox—and they have the grace to look ashamed. “Give them some room to breathe.”
Belfox takes a deep breath. “Very well,” he concedes. “Let the women rest tonight. But in the morning,” he glares at Dariux, “I expect this matter to be resolved.”
Dariux gives them a cold, quelling look. He turns to the frightened women. “My ladies,” he says quietly. “Our rudeness is unforgivable. Please, let me show you to my dwelling. You may sleep there tonight. We will discuss your role in our community in the morning.”
“Tell us what’s going on,” Olivia insists. Her face is still pale, but her voice is steady.
“Very well,” Zunix agrees. “Draekons gain the ability to shapeshift at will when they are mated. When a pair of Draekons shifts for the first time, it is because they have sighted a potential mate.” His lips twist wryly. “That’s what just happened.”
Olivia doesn’t react, but one of the others does, a woman with long curly brown hair. “I’m Paige Watkins,” she says. “So let me see if I can get this straight. The two of them,” she points to Zunix and me, “already changed to dragons when they saw one of us…”
“Olivia,” Zunix interjects. “We transformed when we saw Olivia.”
“Of course,” another woman mutters. “Double-D claims her next victim.”
Paige Watkins looks annoyed at the interruption. “And these guys transformed when they saw Olivia too?”
“Belfox and Herrix, yes.”
“So how does that work?” she persists. “Does that mean that Olivia’s expected to shack up with all four of them?”
“No,” Dariux replies, his brow furrowed. “The bond is always between two Draekons and one mate. To the best of my knowledge, this situation is unprecedented. We will need to decide how to proceed.”
“And the other dragons that shifted? Do you intend to mate with us against our will?”
“Never.” Dariux looks openly horrified. “There are other worlds in which such things happen, but we are citizens of the High Empire. We are not savages. If you do not wish to mate, we will respect that.”
Color is flooding back in Olivia’s face. The rubra is working its magic. For now.
I’m
done with reassurances and discussions. Olivia’s leg is still broken, and healing her is the most important thing. “Enough,” I say impatiently. “You have a place to sleep. You will be safe tonight. Of these things, you have my word as Lord of Laris.” I turn to Dariux. “We need to use your med-kit.”
His smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “There will be a price to pay.”
Of course there is. I might give away translators without a second thought, but Dariux always barters for an advantage. This time, the situation is grave. Olivia’s leg is badly damaged, and the open wound could infect her entire body.
Without the med-kit, her life is in danger.
Dariux’s cooperation will not come cheap.
5
Olivia:
That was educational.
For the moment, I ignore the fact that four of these guys leveled up because of me. With great difficulty, I also ignore my urge to strangle Felicity. Double-D claims her next victim. Catty bitch.
The situation is dire.
What none of the guys have said—but is perfectly obvious if you read between the lines—is that their protection comes at a price. This Dariux guy’s offer for a safe place to sleep tonight? Not without strings.
It doesn’t take Mensa-level IQ to figure out what the currency is. They want pussy. I don’t blame them. After sixty-five years, they must be pretty damn sick of their left hands.
Plus, there’s the shapeshifting thing. If they have mates, they get to be full-fledged dragons.
To be fair, Liorax and Zunix did warn us. You will be wooed, Zunix had said.
Do the other women realize what’s going on? Paige does, I think, as does Bryce. I can’t read May. Felicity is too busy being a twatwaffle to have any time to think. I have to figure out how to bring the conversation around to the topic.
The unpleasant reality is that if we’re really stuck on this prison planet, then mating with them might indeed be our best option.
Dariux disappears with the other women. Zunix finally sets me down on the ground. “Dariux will show the women to their quarters and will return with the med-kit,” he says, his voice gentle. “It’ll heal the break.”
“Thank you.” I wonder if I can risk a question without weakening my cover story. Because one thing is certain. Until I figure out who I can trust and who I cannot in this dog-eat-dog camp, I’m going to cling wholeheartedly to my ditzy, big-boobed, not-a-thought-in-my-head persona. “Is Dariux a doctor?” I open my eyes very wide. “I don’t have any money to pay him.”
Zunix’s eyes narrow. “So you heard that comment, did you?” A smile curves at his lips. “Liorax and I requested the med-kit. The debt is ours, and we will pay the price.”
“Which puts me in your debt,” I reply automatically. Shit. Ditz-Olivia isn’t capable of such analysis. I shouldn’t have said that out loud. What’s in the painkiller juice that Liorax gave me anyway?
Zunix tilts his head and surveys me. “Indeed,” he replies. “You’re quite right. It does put you in our debt.” His eyes crinkle with amusement. “I’m sure we’ll find a way to settle it.”
Of course you will. More boob magic.
Dariux returns before Zunix can ogle the girls too much. He holds a small rectangular box in his hands. It looks like my TV’s remote control, but it’s silver in color and has no buttons or screens of any sort.
The clearing has emptied. The sun’s waning rays filter through the trees, and the Draekons have vanished into their treehouses. Probably because of the detsena. Even my other suitors—Belfox and Herrix, if I remember their names correctly—have melted away for the moment, though I have a strong feeling I’m going to be seeing a lot more of them in the coming days.
Only Zunix and Liorax remain at my side. If they’re bothered by the prospect of being eaten by the detsena, they’re not showing it.
“What’s the price, Dariux?” Liorax demands.
“It’s simple. I want both your support in a matter of my choosing.”
Judging by Zunix’s reaction, that’s a steep price, and an unexpected one. “What sort of matter?” he asks warily.
Dariux’s lips curl in distaste. “Your mate’s life is at stake, and you haggle like a market vendor?”
Smug bastard. I want to punch him. It makes perfect sense for Zunix to get clarification. I’d do the same thing myself.
Zunix gives no sign of backing down. “I will not support you blindly in matters of capital punishment,” he says. “I will not harm Liorax, Olivia, or the other human women.”
Dariux’s smile grows, and I’m convinced my two rescuers have walked into a trap. “Those are reasonable limits. Do I have your word?”
“Yes,” Liorax says shortly. Zunix hesitates, then he too inclines his head in agreement.
“Good.” Dariux kneels next to me and unwraps the blood-soaked bandage. I avert my head from the wound before I catch a glimpse of the bone, and notice Liorax and Zunix staring at me with respect. “That’s quite a break,” Dariux says, his voice sharp. “You’ve been very brave, human.”
Years of training, buddy. Years and years of training.
“You must not move,” Dariux warns me. “If you jerk away, the med-kit will malfunction and heal the break badly. Brace yourself. This will hurt.”
No shit. The med-kit lights up, glowing an eerie blue, and as it hovers over my leg, it feels like someone’s holding a blowtorch to my skin. I grip the nearest hand—Liorax—and do my best to hold still. This is my gom jabbar.
Zunix’s fingers stroke my forehead, the touch strangely comforting. How long has it been since I allowed a man to get close to me? Too long. For far too many years, my first duty has been to the agency.
Now I’m on an alien planet, and two pairs of Draekons both want to mate with me. When it rains, it pours.
“Only another minute, Olivia.” Liorax’s voice is soothing. Funny guy, Liorax. Earlier, he gave Dariux a translator without demanding something in return. He definitely doesn’t like me, but he’s still doing the decent thing.
I can’t quite understand these men. They’re full of maddening contradictions. Whenever I think I’ve pigeonholed them, they do something that throws me.
It’s been less than a day, Liv. What do you expect?
The burning sensation abates. “It’s done,” Dariux announces.
“And not a moment too soon.” Liorax helps me to my feet. “Put some weight on your leg,” he encourages. “Can you walk? It’s almost time for the detsena to make an appearance.”
I know the Zorahn have superior medical technology. After all, they came to Earth with a cure for leukemia. But knowing something and believing it are different things. I put my broken leg tentatively on the ground, bracing for a shockwave of pain. It doesn’t come. My skin is smooth; all signs of my wound have disappeared.
Relief floods through me as I place a mental checkmark against ‘Step 1: Fix my broken leg.’
Gotta be honest. Liorax and Zunix could ask me to blow them right now, and I’ll get on my knees gladly. I’m that grateful.
It’s almost dark. There’s nothing more I can do tonight. Tomorrow morning, on the other hand? Time to focus on Step 2.
Viola, Ryanna, Harper, and Sofia are out there. Hopefully, they’re still alive. I’ve got to figure out a way to find them.
Everyone’s still awake when I get to Dariux’s treehouse. Not a shocker, I guess. It’s only been ten or fifteen minutes, though it feels a lot longer. “Your leg,” May exclaims. “It’s fixed.”
“Zorahn magic,” I reply. There’s some residual tenderness when I walk, and I’m not going to run a marathon anytime soon, but this is still miracle territory. “Wow, this is snug.”
Dariux’s treehouse has been built for one person, not five. There’s barely enough room for all of us to stretch out on the floor. There’s only two sleeping bags, and surprise, surprise, Felicity has managed to commandeer one of them. “They don’t live in the height of luxury,” Bryce agrees, making room for m
e. I sit next to her, leaning against the wall. As soon as I’m settled, the women resume their conversation.
“Do you think they’re lying?” Paige asks. “About there being no way out?”
Bryce shakes her head. “I don’t think so,” she says soberly. “When the two aliens got to our ship, they didn’t even see if it was salvageable. They just stripped everything off it. And remember what Raiht’vi said when they tried to get her out?”
I’d rather drown.
Good for Bryce. She certainly knows how to keep her head in a crisis. More than the other women, she’s paying attention to what’s going on.
“What does that mean?” Felicity’s voice is shrill. “We can’t live here for the rest of our lives. We can’t. Look at this place. There’s nothing here. Do you know there are no flush toilets? I asked one of the aliens, and he pointed me toward the woods.”
“Well, it is a prison,” I interject dryly. “I doubt you’re going to see Club Med style amenities. Think of it as camping.”
“I hate camping,” she says flatly.
I don’t have time to deal with her BS. “I’m going to sleep,” I announce, unbuttoning my NASA-issued shirt so I can roll it up and use it as a pillow on the hard wooden floor. “I’m sure we’ll find out more tomorrow.”
At the crack of dawn, there’s a knock on the door. Bryce, who’s closest to it, looks around to make sure we’re all clothed before she cracks it open. “We have a gift for our mate,” a voice announces.
Let the wooing begin.
“Umm, okay.” She blinks in confusion. “And which one of us would that be?”
It’s Paige. The two Draekons at the door smile broadly when she steps outside onto the narrow platform that surrounds the treehouse. “We went hunting at dawn,” one of them says, offering her a leaf-wrapped parcel.
“Thank you,” Paige says, her voice faint. “I’m Paige Watkins, by the way.”
The Draekons are Rezzix and Magnux. I’m good at names, but even I’m going to need a notebook of some kind to keep all the Draekons straight. They linger for a little bit, and every time their eyes fall on Paige, she blushes a little. I don’t blame her. Every Draekon I’ve seen so far is hot, and these two are no exception. Plus, when they speak to her, there’s a kind of smoldering intensity in their eyes.