Kidnapped by the Alien Dragon

by Ward, Abella

  He roared, pushing himself from the wall, and turned. Once again the dragoness danced just out of reach.

  "How should I kill her? Should I take her apart? Should I slowly disintegrate her to her atomic base? Should I—"

  Brask's fist collided with Nylæq's chest. As she backed up, gasping, his fingers wrapped around Nylæq's throat. His lips curled back. The knife sunk deep into his ribs but even as he howled he squeezed tighter, twisting his body to force the dragoness down. Libba heard screaming as the knife sunk in again and again and realized it was her. Nylæq's eyes widened. She slashed at Brask's face. Blood spurted. Brask jerked her head one way and the other.

  The dragoness kicked wildly and was still.

  Libba dashed forward, grabbing Brask's arms. "We have to get out of here. Brask!"

  He didn't seem to hear her. He was still squeezing the dragoness' neck. Libba cupped his face with her hands, having to use some force to turn his head towards her. His wild eyes met hers.

  "It's done, it's over," she said. "You have to come with me, now. We have to get back to the ship. Brask. Come with me."

  His gaze slid out of focus as he nodded. Libba pulled him to his feet, wrapping an arm around him. She knew that she couldn't support him if he fell, but tugged him along, putting one foot in front of the other. She wasn't going to give up. She wasn't going to let him give up.

  God help her, she was getting them out of this place.

  Chapter Ten

  His wounds had longs since scarred over, but the internal damage from Nylæq's 'experiments' was taking longer to stitch itself back together. Brask lay on a couch, a book propped in his hands, wishing that Stlozyn healed just a little faster. At least they weren't as slow at healing as humans, though. Libba had given birth two weeks previously, and even with medical attention, she was still complaining about her tender parts. A dragoness would have been sore for a day or two, but by the end of the first week would have been fully healed.

  The human, sitting across the room with her feet up, glanced up at him. "You're staring at me."

  "Because you're so beautiful."

  Somewhere in the kitchen, they heard Biryl groaning. "Don't. I can't stomach another one of your 'cutesy' moments."

  "Cutesy?"

  "It's a human word meaning so sweet it makes you sick."

  Brask closed his book and sat up with difficulty. His skin pulled, making him gasp, and he put a hand on his chest.

  "Are you okay?" Libba asked, her eyes widening.

  "I'm fine. Just healing." He groaned. "I keep hoping that I'll remember how we got off of Nylæq's ship. I don't even remember killing her."

  "I know." Libba gave him a sympathetic look. "I don't remember much after that myself."

  She shivered, and Brask held out his arms to her. She moved from her chair and snuggled against him. She was so soft and fit into his arms perfectly. He closed his eyes and thanked the Creator for bringing her into his life.

  "That's right, you two just sit there being all cutesy while I slave over making dinner," Biryl complained from where he was. "Doesn't bother me at all."

  "Nobody asked you to stick around, you know," Libba reminded him, rolling her eyes. "You're the one who decided that we couldn't do anything without you. But you know what, women take care of babies by themselves all the time on Earth. We don't need your help."

  Biryl snorted. "Here I am, aiding two criminals, and what thanks do I get? None, that's what I get. How would you like it if you had to take care of two people who couldn't take care of themselves while one kept insisting that she was fine? Except, of course, when she's complaining about how much pain she's in?" He glared at the two of them, and a pained look crossed his face when one little cry started two more from the nursery. "Make that taking care of five people."

  "I'll get them," Libba said, standing.

  Brask leaned back into the couch again. He would volunteer to go help his mate with the triplets himself, only it wasn't a good idea to pick up and carry the infants in his state. In a few more weeks, hopefully, he would return to peak physical condition. Until then, he had to take it easy.

  "I tell you, one more day of this and I'm out of here," Biryl muttered. "I don't see how anybody survives as a parent."

  Despite Biryl's complaining, Brask knew that he would never leave them. They probably didn't need help, not anymore at least, but it was far more than just a matter of getting day-to-day tasks done. The only reason any of them were still free and not sitting in a Stlozyn prison somewhere–or worse–was because Biryl had faked their deaths.

  There was no way Brask would have been pardoned for killing Nylæq, despite the circumstances. Dying was the only way they would have a chance at living. A large part of the crew that had stood with him against Din had followed them to the planet they now lived on. It wasn't the most welcoming place, but it was survivable.

  But what surprised Brask was that there were still newcomers arriving. The first ones had been farmers sent by Trafin, and like Brask they wanted a place where they could freely practice religion. The next batch were low-ranking scientists who wanted the same thing.

  There was a risk that if people continued to flee to the planet the Science Board would find them, but Brask couldn't turn away people who wanted the same thing from life as he did. They did need a board of government, though, and would be holding elections soon. It was almost certain that Brask would be voted in, and he was already planning what to do with the colony when that happened.

  Libba returned from the nursery, wheeling a basinet that contained their three babies, who were now all crying and flailing their fists. Brask heard Biryl mutter something about needing some silence to keep his sanity. His friend slipped from the house as Libba handed one of the triplets to Brask.

  Struggling to comfort the other two, Libba retook the spot beside her dragon and sighed. "This is a little exhausting. It's a good thing I'm not a quitter, otherwise I'd go running to the Science Board just to get some sleep."

  Brask smiled at her, rocking his son. Three healthy dragons, a little on the small side but still tough as nails. All three of the babies were a strange pinkish color, and the littlest one had fewer scales and more hair than the other two. Brask suspected he would end up a little more human than his brothers.

  "If you had known what was going to happen when I suggested that you get pregnant by me, would you have chosen the same?" Brask asked hesitantly.

  Libba didn't look at him. "Yes. But I would have decided to have your babies because I knew how happy I would be. Not because I was afraid of the Science Board. What about you?"

  "I'd have done it all again in a heartbeat. I have everything I ever wanted now. A family. A mate who respects my beliefs, even if she doesn't share them. A colony away from Bronæl where I can practice my religion, and where other like-minded individuals can gather." The baby he held stared up at him and he smiled. "And what about you? Are you happy?"

  "Yes." Libba leaned against him, her cool gray eyes so full of warmth that there had to be a fire burning somewhere inside her. "Until I met you, I was a drifter. I'm not drifting anymore. You're my rock, Brask. The rock I will build my future on."

  *****

  THE END

  Did you like what you read?

  ”Kidnapped by the Alien Dragon“ is a standalone book in a series of scifi romance novels, featuring the alien dragon species Stlozyn and their human mates. Other parts of the series:

  - Abducted by the Alien Dragon

  - Taken by the Alien Dragon (coming soon)

  The books each have a guaranteed HEA and contain plenty of action, lust, violence, steamy love and surprise pregnancies.

  Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed reading “Kidnapped by the Alien Dragon” as much as I liked writing it. Please consider leaving an honest review here; it means a lot to me to hear from you.

  Abella Ward

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  Bonus Book 1: Abducted by the Alien Warrior

  Description

  A curvy smuggler on her next mission PLUS a dominant alien warlord who takes her captive PLUS an enemy on their heels!

  Andromeda Nus has been on her own since the age of fifteen. She’s a smuggler by trade and a good one at that. But smuggling is just a cover for her real business – aiding the human rebellion against the warrior race of aliens hell bent on conquering earth.

  The Dolcivs are humanoid and hyper-aware. They are smarter, faster and stronger than their earth-born cousins. They’ve been struggling to conquer Earth, but humanity isn’t going down without a fight and not all members of the Dolcivs agree with the war.

  Sent to a far distant system to pick up plans for the human rebellion, Andromeda is captured by the Dolcivs Lord, Historan Strath. But Strath is not part of the Regime conquering Earth. He is his own Lord and answers to no one.

  Being Strath’s prisoner is more tempting than terrifying. Strath is wealthy and powerful and enticed by Andromeda. Can Andromeda free herself from Strath? Will she be able to bring the plans to the rebellion? Or will she fall for him instead?

  Chapter One

  I couldn’t stop my leg from jiggling. This was a problem. I was wearing handcuffs and every time I nervously fidgeted, the chains around my wrists would rattle. It was an unnerving sound. The jangle echoed around my cell, a stark reminder that this would most likely be the last room I ever saw.

  The walls were made of a stainless steel that was colored dull gray, with a single raised bed and one sink. The room was dark, with only one bright light on overhead. The ship that picked me had looked massive. There could have easily been ten thousand souls on board. The guards had been efficient, my jail cell was inescapable. I didn't know who it was that snatched me, but I could tell that escape would not be easy.

  I forced myself to stop fidgeting. I needed to be calmer than this. Whoever had me was trying to psych me out. They were leaving me alone in this cell to slowly drive myself crazy. I had no idea how long it had been since I had been dumped in here. At least two days, maybe three, with nothing to do but stare at the bare walls around me. A few hours ago a guard had come and placed the cuffs on my wrists, but he hadn’t been back since.

  It had been a trap. I didn’t know if the trap was for me or someone else, but it had worked. I came out of hyperspace practically on top of a giant ship. In the few moments it took my computer to re-align I was vulnerable and in that moment the great ship swallowed my tiny one easily.

  The troops had taken a while to find me. I hid down in one of my smuggling compartments secreted away far in the bowels of my ship. But they knew someone was onboard. The guards tore her apart until they found me. I had been stripped of my weapons, my clothes, even my boots. Now I was in a simple jumpsuit – unflattering to my curvy figure - and a pair of socks, nothing else.

  I didn’t recognize the insignia on the uniform of the men who captured me. The decal was a series of dashes and dots. It wasn’t the insignia of the current rulers, the Dolcivs Regime. Their symbol was easy to recognize, a solid circle surrounded by a circle of dashes and another one of dots. Whoever had me wasn’t a recognized Lord in the Regime. He was a Lost Lord, and a powerful one by the look of it.

  I couldn’t take the waiting. It was driving me crazy. I stood up and began to pace back and forth. It took six and a half steps to walk the length of the cell. I began to march back and forth as my mind tried to figure out where I had gone wrong. I had been working as a smuggler for over eight years and I had never been caught before.

  The job had been from a reliable client, the information passed through my broker as is the norm. The unnamed client (who is always unnamed in my business) needed something picked up in a far off system that was out of the Regime’s control. Out of the way pick-up and delivery was my specialty. I had a fast ship and I knew how to fly her. Usually, I could get in and out without anyone even knowing I was there.

  I hadn’t been expecting an ambush. There was always the chance I might encounter someone on one of my jobs, but I never landed right on top of someone else.

  The chances were billions to one, it was near impossible that two ships would just happen to be in such close proximity. Space is big, really big. It’s rare to run into another ship. No, it had been a trap. Whoever had set up this job had specifically sent me here. They wanted me in particular.

  I had paced the length of the room ninety-seven times when the door swung open. I turned to see a Dolcivs guard standing waiting for me. Dolcivs were like humans, only bigger, stronger, and faster, their eyes were bright blue and they shined under the lights of my cage. I was already considered short, but curvy by human standards, so the eight foot tall Dolcivs warriors towered over me.

  The guard grabbed me by the upper arm and wrenched me out onto the platform. I hurried to keep up with him, practically running to meet his strides.

  “Where are we going?” I asked. But he didn’t say anything. Neither had any of the other guards. They were well-trained. The prison on the ship was half-empty. I passed a few cells, where sullen-looking Dolcivs and a few humans silently watched me pass.

  I was led to a lift that rose up and up through the massive ship. Finally, the guard swiped his palm across the electronic pad and the elevator door opened to reveal an opulent suite.

  This wasn’t what I expected. My feet sunk into plush red carpets. The walls were covered in video screens that showed the starry space outside. We were in the orbit of a large gas giant and reds, purples and yellows swam along the surface of the planet. There were comfortable-looking chairs interspersed in the room and a long bar along one wall.

  I only had a moment to take this all in before I was pulled into the next room. It was dark inside and I could barely see anything. The only light that entered the dim room came from the red planet below us.

  “Unchain her and leave us,” a strong voice commanded.

  The guard nodded once, unlocked my cuffs and then stepped out the door. I remained frozen in place. I stared into the darkness trying to discover who my captor was, but I couldn’t see anything other than a few vague shapes. There was what looked like a great bed in one corner and then past that, a sunken area with a couch facing the view of the planet.

  I didn’t move. I didn't know what was expected of me. It seemed like I waited a very long time, shifting from foot to foot.

  “Andromeda Nus,” the voice said.

  I didn’t answer.

  “Listen well, Andromeda, for this is your one and only warning. Do not ignore me and do not waste my time with lies. I can easily rip the truth from you, but I would rather you give it to me. This would be best for you. Do you understand?”

  “Yes,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

  “Are you Andromeda Nus?”

  “Yes,” I answered.

  “You will address me as Sir, or My Lord.”His voice was low and smooth, but commanding. I craned my neck to try and get a better view of my captor, but I could only see shadows. The outline of a Dolcivs face, nothing more.

  “Yes, Sir,” I corrected. I should have known. The Dolcivs take their rankings and titles very seriously. If he was a Lost Lord, as I expected, he would care more than most.

  “The famed smuggler, Andromeda Nus.”

  “I never knew I was famed, Sir,” I replied.

  “But you are,” he said. “Come and step into the light.” I swallowed heavily, my stomach in knots. I moved slowly through the room, carefully picking my way in the darkness.

  He was sitting on the couch, his arms outstretched on the back of it. I could barely make out his features. He had a strong jaw and long dark hair, his eyes followed me as I walked in front of him,
taking in every inch of my body.

  “There,” he said. “Stand in the light.”

  I moved to where he indicated and stood with my arms crossed.

  “Put your arms down,” he said.

  I complied, my heart pounding in my chest. I knew that if I resisted him, he would bring his guards in and they would make me do whatever this Lost Lord demanded. It was better to appease him in these small ways.

  “Spin around, slowly,” he ordered. My heart sped up even more as I slowly spun in a circle. I could feel him watching me, practically devouring me with his eyes. When my back was turned to him I felt a shiver run up my spine and I could not help but shudder. I heard him give a low sigh when I did.

  Finally, I was facing him again. I was trying to stand perfectly still. I didn’t want him to know how terrified I was at this moment. This trap had been laid for me. He must have known my true purpose for taking the job that put me in this system. Did he guess that I was no normal smuggler?

  I wasn’t here to just work a gig. I had ulterior motives. Hidden deep in the storms of the planet below us was information. Plans and designs of Dolcivs ships that were vital to the mission of the human rebellion. They were waiting somewhere in the planet beneath me. Unless this Lost Lord had already found them and now he was just playing with me like a cat plays with a mouse.

  What was he going to do to me? It wouldn’t matter. No matter what, I would never talk. I would never tell him anything. I would take these rebel plans to my grave. I would never help the Dolcivs.

  “They didn’t tell me you would be so fair,” he said. “When they told me it was a female smuggler that was sneaking through my security lines, I imagined someone older. Someone a little more worn-out. But you are fresh and delicate as a flower. How have you managed to be in such a dangerous business and keep that pretty face of yours intact?”