Living among the Stars (Sky Riders #2)

by Rebecca Lorino Pond

  Before Ruehar perished in the battle, he had been in the process of building another transport to send to Earth. By now it should be just about ready. He was eager to begin his own reign as leader of Lephus, but he would not make the same mistakes Ruehar made.

  His leader had been so engrossed with gaining females that he never bothered to look at the entire picture. Sure they were desperate for females, but also for able bodied males whether Lephusan or not. They were not a pure race, rather a race made up of several different ones. For the most part, the residents of Lephus were the rejects from other planets that no one wanted or had been exiled.

  In order to build what he was dreaming of he couldn’t be picky. He needed to take what was offered to him or pay for it at the right price. At this point, he had no idea of the extent of Ruehar’s gold stash but that was about to change.

  “I, Captain Zol’tsa, am now your leader. As you all know by now, Ruehar and his ship fell in the battle against the Qeterans. For this, I swear to enact revenge. There are not many of us left, so there is a need to find others who are willing to support our cause. I need any abled bodied males to come forward who can direct a transport or ship. I know that Ruehar left a few behind.” He waited for those males to step forward when he called for them. One by one each man moved through the crowd gathered on the landing pad where he waited. By the time, all those able to work a ship came forward he had a hand full of males.

  “Didn’t expect there to be so little,” he said as he looked over those standing before him. A couple was beyond the age for participating in a battle, but he couldn’t be choosy at this point. “Within the next couple of days I want to send out ships to scout the universe for those who may wish to join us! The transport that is being built will be finished and sent to Earth to gather more females and males this time. We will succeed this time and replenish our world.”

  A weak cheer went up from the crowd. At least they didn’t reject him as their new leader. He could only imagine what they all thought when word reached Lephus that Ruehar had been killed. Without someone to step forward and take control, they were all doomed to die on the miserable planet they lived on.

  “I would also like to relocate us to a new home. A home that has so many more things that we can benefit from. It is a smaller place but well suited to fit our needs. By the end of the next solar week, I plan to have everyone relocated to Napra.” Whispers raced through the people when he revealed the name of their new home.

  Napra was a small moon that orbited a giant planet in their galaxy, Epsilon. He had never been there until yesterday when he flew his ship to the moon to scout it out for a future home. The moon itself was uninhabited by intelligent life but offered everything else they would need to start a new life. The mountains he flew over would provide great cover from those who were nosy enough to visit. The air was breathable and at the right pressure in order for them to survive, as well as plenty of vegetation and trees to build new homes.

  He even landed his ship in a clearing by a river that was rushing down from the great mountain tops. The water on the planet needed to be suitable in order to do anything on the moon. Using his survival kit is his ship, he scooped up some of the clear water and put it in the long cylinder tube. Next, he added a couple of drops of the water clarifying solution that was a vital part of every survival kit. He swirled the tube then waited for it to turn any other color. If it remains clear, the water is drinkable. He waited extra-long just to make sure the drops were still good and didn’t provide a false reading. Satisfied with the results, he headed to Lephus.

  “What can we do to prepare for our exodus?” someone in the crowd called out to him.

  It felt good to have someone asking him what to do. For so long he had taken orders from Ruehar and followed them without a flaw. Now it was his turn to give out the orders.

  “Go home and pack up your belongings. The first wave will leave here in three days. Those with any kind of building skills will be on that first ship. I have a location where I want to rebuild our home and I am positive you will love it.” He smiled at the upturned faces gazing at him as if were some kind of a god.

  He stood and watched as the crowd began to leave the area. Many were talking and chatting with excitement while some didn’t say a word. The few small children they had were running and jumping enthusiastically as they thought about the adventure they were about to embark on.

  Yes, he smiled smugly to himself, this was definitely the right move. He would be able to make Napra a kingdom of his own.

  *******

  This was bullshit! Kelly paced back and forth in the bedroom until her bare feet started to hurt. The big ape had actually left and locked her in the room! As soon as he left she had searched the rooms for another exit but didn’t find out. Her only other choice would be to jump of the balcony! In a way, it did make her feel more secure knowing that no one could get into the room any other way unlike what had happened at Maggie’s.

  That was the one time she felt utterly powerless to protect herself or her friends. The man who had tackled her pinned her to the floor with all of his weight then secured her hands behind her back. The man made the one mistake of using a piece of rope to tie her hands. With her skinny wrists and maneuvering she knew she would be able to get out of the rope in no time. She just had to wait for the right time so that none of them got killed.

  But, being locked in this damn room was going to be a problem. Picking locks was not exactly her thing and was her weakest skill. Unfortunately, the door to their rooms had a computerized lock which was activated by Kharis’ fingerprint.

  Not having anything else to do, she decided to take a shower and go to bed. Everything in this place was new and different and she hoped it would all work like the things back at Etor’s home. The shower was a walk-in one without a door and extended for a good ten feet. Shower heads protruded out the walls and ceiling while a long stone bench stretched across the back wall.

  Stripping off her clothes, she walked into the shower. It automatically turned on which took her by surprise, but how in the world was she supposed to adjust the temperature? There weren’t any knobs to turn or buttons to press.

  “What the hell?” She ran her hands over every stone in the shower and didn’t find a thing. “I need the water warmer, damn it!” As soon as she said the words out loud the water began to feel warmer. “Holy shit! Its voice activated. Warmer,” she said. She was in heaven now that the water was at the temperature she enjoyed.

  She let the water run over her tired body as it poured down from the ceiling. It felt like she was standing beneath a waterfall, only it was warmer. She ran her fingers through her hair to wet it all then reach for a bottle shed assumed was shampoo. Squeezing a drop of blue liquid in her hand she sniffed it to see what it was before she used it. The smell reminded her of Dove soap back home that she used to use. She squeezed more of the shampoo/soap and washed her hair. It felt good to scrub her head even though it had only been a day since she last took a shower. After rinsing her hair, she quickly washed her body then rinsed off. As soon as she stepped out from under the shower head the water went off. Steam filled the bathroom and fogged up the mirror across from the shower. She took one of the fluffy brown towels sitting on a shelf and dried her body. It suddenly dawned on her that she didn’t have any other clothes with her.

  “Wonderful! Just freaking wonderful!” She was left with no choice but to wrap a towel around her and wear it as a sort of dress.

  Back in the bedroom she walked up to the window that faced out over the mountain valley. A big, bright moon was shining in the night sky. Off in the distance and above the mountain peaks, she could see large birds flying and swooping through the sky. She really couldn’t get a good look at them, but she could at least tell they were quite large. She was about to turn away when one of the birds flew closer to the mountain she was on.

  Her eyes widened in shock when she realized it was a dragon! Not Kharis’ dragon, but anoth
er one. With the light of the moon, she was able to see that the dragon was a beautiful shade of green. She wished she could see it closer up and feel its scales. Not going to happen!

  Feeling down, she turned away from the sight and went climbing in the bed. If she had to stay looked in his room then, she was going to take his bed! Let him sleep on the sofa or on the floor for all she cared.

  *******

  Kharis headed back to his room after his ride on Serelath and a long talk with his youngest brother. He left Kelly locked in their so he had no worries that she would try to bolt. The call he placed to his brother was a personal one. He wanted to find out how the other two females were taking it being yanked away from the only home they knew so far of Qetera. Vulmar said that Hunter was giving him some trouble and had managed to escape once already, but Lexie, on the other hand, was taking it all in stride.

  Vulmar asked about Kelly and he reluctantly informed his brother that he too was having a hard time with his mate. They talked for a few more minutes then decided to call it a night. He wished his brother well and ended the call.

  He would have to figure out a better way to convince Kelly that she belonged to him now and that her life was with him. He hadn’t meant to be so demanding earlier, but his Rage was trying to surface again. Why couldn’t she just understand that he was trying to protect her?

  ******

  Parath glided through the night air as she hunted. It was the perfect night to hunt because the brightness of the moon would make a prey easier to find. It had been several days since she last fed so she would have to find something that would satisfy the knowing hunger that continued to grow. Typically, she enjoyed hunting with the other females but tonight she wanted to be alone for some reason.

  It wasn’t often she went out on her own since she was a young dragon and didn’t have much experience with protecting herself. Females were considered the weaker of the dragons but held in high regard. Females were greatly protected because of their ability to produce numerous eggs at one time. For the most part, a female would mate with a dragon who hadn’t been chosen to be gifted to a Qeteran male. Only those males with the mark would receive a dragon upon their birth and would be raised right alongside the infant.

  Parath felt different though. She had this desire and need to belong to a Qeteran, but she knew it wasn’t possible. The few times she had ventured out on her own, she would fly over the cities the Qeterans lived in hoping to find the one particular being that her mind could join to. It was very rare for a female dragon to connect with a Qeteran, but it was known to happen. The last known pair was over a hundred year ago.

  The night sky was clear as she headed out to find her meal. She would fill her stomach first then fly over the cities before returning home. It wasn’t long before she had her mea in sight and swooped in to make the kill. The feel of the meat filling her belly rejuvenated her. She felt strong again as she stretched her still growing wings out. It wouldn’t be much longer until she was full grown and able to take a mate.

  She breathed in the cool night air as she sped through the night towards the city nearest to the mountains, Ashme. Serelath lived here with his Qeteran, Kharis, whom she had seen numerous times out flying. Pings of jealousy would course through her when she would see the pair out and wished she had the weight of a Qeteran on her back.

  Flying low over the city, she narrowed her vision until she could clearly see any movement on the ground. For the most part, the city was quiet as the residents of the city prepared to end their day. She happened to catch a glance of Serelath landing as his partner waited. Sadness hit her as she watched the pair dart up into the sky and disappear. Continuing on her flight, she rounded the city one last time before she would to the sea and scout out the town there.

  She was traveling through the valley on her out when she felt a strange pull over come her. Her instincts took over then as she followed in the direction the pull had come from. To her surprise it led her near the big house built into the mountain side. The pull was coming from inside the house! She glided over the house a few times with hopes of seeing who or what was causing the pull. Nothing appeared to give her a clear view, but it was definitely a bonding pull!

  Maybe whoever it was sensed her presence and was scared to show themselves. Thinking that was the reason, Parath flew away from the house and waited. She narrowed her vision even further until she focused on nothing but the house on the mountain. A shadowed figure moved to stand in one of the brightly lit windows.

  It was a female standing there staring out into the night! But…something felt different when she looked at the female. It felt as if…as if the female wasn’t Qeteran! Was it possible she could bond with a female of a different race? She dove in for a closer look.

  The female in the window had eyes that were filled with anger and sorrow. It tore at her heart to see the little female so sad and angry. Who was she angry with? Did she know of Serelath? She was about to fly up to the window when the female suddenly turned away and disappeared farther into the house.

  A wave of excitement rushed through her. Could she have actually found someone she could bond her mind to? Yes! She knew it was true! It had to be!

  As she turned away from the house, she decided she would come back during the day tomorrow. That way the female would be able to see her too. The true test would come when they locked eyes for the first.

  Chapter 5

  Kharis spent the next few days sleeping on the sofa. He hadn’t been exactly comfortable considering his legs hung over the edge of the too short piece of furniture. He rolled to a sitting position and rubbed the back of his neck. The lack of sleep was wearing him thin.

  When he had returned to the room the other night, Kelly had been asleep in his bed. He debated for a long time whether or not to climb into the bed with her then decided it was best if he slept on the sofa. Over the course of the last few days she hadn’t uttered a word to him and what made matters worse, she refused to leave to room even when he offered to escort anywhere she wanted to go.

  He glanced to the closed bedroom door. Was she still sleeping? He wanted to go through that door so badly, but his pride kept him from doing so. The first rays of the morning were spilling into the room as he sat there wondering what to do. A sudden sound outside on the balcony drew his attention.

  Through the glass of the double doors, he saw a green dragon hovering over the balcony. He studied the unknown dragon as it kept its eyes on something he couldn’t see. What the hell? Serelath! Who is this dragon outside my house?

  The sound of a yawn had reached into his mind before his dragon spoke. What dragon? I haven’t seen any other dragon hanging around. Go back to sleep. It’s too early to be up.

  Serelath’s attitude irritated him. He knew that no dragon would ever hurt anyone on Qetera, but it was so unusual for a dragon to be so close to the house he didn’t belong to. He opened the doors and stepped outside. The dragon turned its head to see what the noise was then shot up directly into the air.

  The damn thing was looking into the window of his bedroom! Anger started to bubble up then quickly faded away to be replaced with curiosity. Why would the dragon want to see his mate? Definitely strange.

  He shook his head then went back inside. There were more important things he needed to worry about then some dragon trying to get a peek at his mate. He needed to go get dressed and work in his office today. He didn’t want to stray far from the house just in case Kelly needed something or wanted to go somewhere. After all, he was starting to feel guilty for keeping her locked in the room.

  ******

  Kelly stretched lazily in the big bed. She reached out to touch the pillow next to her and found that Kharis still hadn’t come to sleep in the bed. Apparently, he changed his mind about wanting her. Good! At least now he would leave her in peace and take her back to Yhadell. It was quite lonely being locked in a room with no one to talk to except Kharis, whom she ignored when he did address her, but she was begi
nning to have conflicting thoughts.

  With a heavy sigh, she sat up in the bed. Another night of tossing and turning had her exhausted. Her mind was always straying to Kharis even when she tried to block him out. When she started to think about the kiss, they shared her body would betray her. Her nipples hardened and she felt a heaviness in her secret spot. Twice now, she had been thrown over his shoulder and twice now she had been able to feel the muscles in his back and ass as she hung upside down. She desperately wanted to run her hands over the muscles that carried her with such ease. Secretly, she had been hoping that he would have returned that first night and take her in his arms and give her another one of those breath taking kisses.

  “No, I can’t think like that,” she told herself. “He doesn’t want you anymore because you did a fine job of pushing him away and telling him you didn’t want him.

  What a fool you are, her mind shouted back.