With the wars back at home, they couldn’t extend any further resources. The mating armada was not equipped with an extensive armory. Its purpose was mostly the housing of Draconian brides, and the resulting children, in the years that the armada would be stationed in orbit around Earth. The crew of the fleet had little experience in diplomacy, or statesmanship—the fleet was populated by the males best suited for breeding the next generation of Draconians. Nash was the Commander of an army of husbands and fathers.
Half were warriors who would leave with their brides back to Draconia as soon as they were mated, to be replaced with another set of warriors. The other half was Draconians from every other level of society—technicians, healers, engineers, and builders.
The Draconians one purpose on Earth was to find women to breed, not to create a human utopia. Nash had hoped for better news for Lexi, more definitive action on the part of his government.
In the meantime, he would begin his own investigation into the leaked technology originating from his fleet. The idea that one of his men had betrayed the entire armada made anger boil in his gut.
He began looking through his starship logs, checking the comings and goings and communications systems used by each member of the fleet.
At first glance, absolutely nothing looked suspicious. But then, he found some irregular communications logs and transport coming from the waste-management ship. There seemed to be one cargo transport per week coming from the waste management ship, and going to Earth. Why would a transport from waste management go to Earth?
Chapter 8
After Nash left Lexi alone in the apartment, she spent the time using a shipboard computer to access the regular Internet, and catch up with her friends back at school. She wished more than anything that she could complete her education. She had to shut the feeling deep down inside of her, otherwise it would eat her up and make it impossible for her to carry on.
About an hour later, Nash returned to the apartment looking sexier than ever. Lexi growled at herself for feeling so attracted to him.
When he found out she didn’t want to be there, he should have just let her go. That wasn’t something that she could easily forget. Even if he did look unbelievably hot in that skintight uniform. Even if he did make her wet every time his glowing yellow eyes focused on her curves.
“I would like to take you on a tour of the ship,” Nash said, coming to stand in front of her. She glanced up at him from where she sat on the couch, facing the TV.
With the way that he made her feel every time he was around, she was seriously considering letting him do things to her that she never would have considered before.
“That sounds great. I was getting bored sitting around here.” Liar.
“I wanted to show you something special today. I believe this will make you happy, and fill you with satisfaction. It is my greatest hope—it is my greatest pleasure to bring you pleasure,” he said with a shy smile on his face, and her stomach flip-flopped.
They went out into the hallway and into a small room that reminded her of the vessel that had brought her there. They sat down, were strapped into chairs, and were quickly propelled out into space.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
It only took a few moments before the vessel docked, and the doors slid open to a transport bay. Other transport vessels were docked and there was a great deal of activity, and comings and goings.
“This is our research vessel,” Nash said. “Many of the Draconian males aboard the armada are scientists. We maintain this vessel so that they may continue their work. I would like to show you our laboratories.”
“You have laboratories on your ships?”
“Indeed, we do. I believe that you could learn a great deal here, and perhaps even find occupation.”
“I don’t know anything about Draconian science,” she said, following him through the transport deck.
“It is my understanding that science is science,” he said, looking down at her with a spark in his eye.
“That’s true,” she conceded.
They found their way to the hallway of the science ship, and stopped at the laboratories, visiting each one in turn. They clearly were not human laboratories, and had very little resemblance to anything she recognized from her university.
However, the fact that there was scientific research happening on board the fleet gave her a tremendous amount of hope. Maybe she could learn something from the Draconians. With a little bit of effort, she could become a Draconian scientist in her own right.
Nash had said that they would be orbiting Earth for another decade. In that time, she was sure she could learn a great deal from the Draconians, and possibly even achieve the kinds of advancements she had always dreamed of—finding a cure for cancer, finding a way to protect the environment, feeding the poor.
When they arrived at the chemistry lab, the main technician took her on a tour and explained how everything worked. He knew enough about human science to converse with her in a way that she understood. Draconian chemistry was far beyond anything Lexi could’ve ever imagined, but that only excited her more.
Chapter 9
By the time they arrived back at their apartment, Lexi couldn’t help but think about her family back at home. She was worried about them, especially Melody.
“Has the dowry been distributed to my family yet?” she asked Nash as they sat down at their dining table for an evening meal. The table was set with another feast, not quite as extensive as the first. But still, it was an impressive spread.
“They should have,” he said, dishing food onto his plate.
He poured Lexi a glass of wine, which she sipped between bites of the finest French cuisine. Her senses could barely believe how delicious it tasted.
“I’m really worried about my family,” she said, her voice shaking. There was no telling what Mario would do even if he received the money.
“Tell me more about this man who threatened your family,” he said, looking her directly in the eye.
“His name is Mario Rici. He used to be a smalltime gangster in Seattle, but now he is the leader of a new techno-mafia that keeps the entire neighborhood in fear.”
“I’ve spoken with my government contact back on Draconia, and he says he’ll bring the matter to the President. In the meantime, I’m investigating the matter.”
“Have you found anything?” she asked.
“I believe I have. I’ve seen some suspicious activity happening with the waste management ship.”
“Waste management ship? How could waste management be connected to illegal computer technology and addictive smart drugs?
“I intend to look into it right after dinner.”
“Why didn’t you look into it already?” she asked.
“My primary concern was spending time with you. I wanted to show you the laboratories. I understand that you are a student. I wanted you to know that you can still study—your education is of great importance. I want you to be happy, my beloved bride. Knowing that you are happy fills my heart with joy.” Why does he have to say such sweet things?
“I’d be happy if I knew that my family was safe.” She wasn’t going to forget about them just because she was living a life of luxury with her ‘mate’.
“Indeed, I understand.”
“I’d like to go see them, check on them.”
“It is against regulation for the bride to leave the ship until the complete claiming has taken place.”
“Complete claiming? What the heck does that even mean?” She leaned back in her chair and stared at him with exasperation and confusion.
“I must plant my seed inside you, fill you with my scent and bite your neck, filling you with my venom. The venom gives you a long life. This is the only way that you will be truly mine. This will bond us together forever. It will also ease the roar of my dragon, who even now rages at the borders of my mind. Until we have become as one, you cannot leave the ship. It is
our protocol.”
“So, to see my family again, I have to let you put that huge thing inside me, and bite me with venom?” Lexi could feel the fear bubbling in her chest. She knew eventually she was going to have to let him do it, but that didn’t make the prospect any less frightening. But, if she was honest with herself, the fear inside warred equally with lust and desire, and that scared her more than the idea of the mating ritual.
“We could do it now, if you would like,” he said matter-of-factly.
Lexi grumbled and sat back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. He just didn’t get it, did he? “No, thanks,” she said, her legs starting to shake under the table.
“I can see that the idea of mating worries you. You fear me? Do you believe I mean you harm?”
“Dude, your penis is huge.” He speaks bluntly, I’ll speak bluntly.
“It is normal for Draconian males,” he said, totally oblivious to the fact that just because it was normal for Draconian males, did not mean that it was normal for human women.
“That thing is never going to fit inside of me. I’ve never even had—” Shut up, Lexi.
“Never even had what?” he asked, when she paused.
Lexi let out a growling sigh. She didn’t want to say it. She didn’t want to discuss this with him. She was already more embarrassed than she’d been in a million years.
“I’ve never had…you know…” she said, flipping her hand around in front of her in a circular motion.
“You know, what?” he asked, mimicking her hand circling in the air.
“I’ve never had sex before, okay? You happy now?”
“That you’ve never had sex before?”
“God,” she growled. The truth was, she felt like crying. She was embarrassed, scared, and she couldn’t help that Nash seemed to turn her on more every second of the day.
“It wouldn’t matter to me if you’d had sex before. And, it doesn’t matter to me that you have not had sex before.”
The direct rationality of his statement made her even angrier. Why did he have to be so nice? He was making all of this so much harder. She had been determined to come up here and just be miserable for the rest of her life. Instead, Nash was making her have feelings, feelings she’d never had before. Feelings she certainly never expected to have for a Draconian.
“I can see you are concerned about the size of my phallus in comparison to the size of your vagina,” he said in his usual blunt way. “Rest assured beloved bride, that when the moment arrives your body will open to me like a flower. You will feel nothing but pleasure. And we will be bonded as one, for all eternity. We are fated to be together—that is the way of things.”
Lexi just sat there and stared at him. He certainly seemed confident about the whole thing, which made her feel slightly less terrified. That didn’t mean she was ready to do it right now, though.
“I still want to see my family. To be honest, Nash, you’re way sweeter than I expected you to be. I really like you. If I have to be a Draconian’s bride, I’m glad it’s with you. But, I’m still unconvinced about the whole mating thing.”
“Fair enough. I understand, Lexi Garcia. Now, I must go investigate the waste management vessel. I may not return before you take your repose.”
Nash rose and walked toward the front door, stopping briefly to nod to her before leaving. Lexi let out a long, deep sigh. Everything she had said to Nash had been true. Nash was a nice guy for an alien, but that didn’t mean that his anatomy was ever going to fit into her anatomy.
Chapter 10
Nash took the transport vessel down to the waste management ship and disembarked in the docking bay. He was determined to get to the bottom of the fleet’s technology leak. As a rule, Draconians were extraordinary loyal to their own kind. They may be fierce warriors in battle, but the thing that had sustained them for so many millions of years had been there loyalty and brotherhood to each other.
Back on Draconia, where dragons flew freely in the skies, it was easy to believe that their people would always support one another. With war against their ancient enemies, the Mulgor, taking more and more of their resources, Nash could see that times and attitudes were changing.
The Mulgor had been dormant for ten thousand years, and had just returned as preparations to leave for Earth had begun. Everything had been mass confusion—the plans to go to Earth had almost been canceled. As it was, half of the original fleet had been assigned to war.
That meant that the warrior class had to take shifts between fighting and mating in this chaos. Some Draconians had decided to go rogue and become a negative influence on the human race, a race that was crucial to the sustained genetic diversity of the Draconians.
He believed in Draconia, and had always been an observer of the ancient customs and traditions of his people. He had always been exceptionally loyal to his culture and his society. He could not conceive of the mind of someone who would not feel the same. Nevertheless, he would get to the bottom of this betrayal.
“How can I help you, Commander?” asked the technician standing behind a control panel on the transport deck.
“I would like to check on all of the data logs for communication and transportation coming from this vessel,” Nash said, showing the technician which vessel he meant.
“Right away Commander,” the technician said, pulling up a holographic screen of the data. After the information loaded, Nash scanned all of the records.
“Why are these ships going to Earth once a week?” he asked.
“I don’t know sir,” the technician said.
“Is this your regular post?” Nash asked.
“It’s not sir, I was reassigned here recently. The man who worked here previously, disappeared, and no one has been able to locate him.”
“Disappeared? Since the last transport from this vessel to Earth?”
“Yes, it was around that same time,” the technician said, looking sheepish.
“Why did no one report this? Disappearing to Earth is against regulations.”
“Nobody wanted to get him in trouble. Maybe he wanted to go find his own human woman and start a new life.” The technician shrugged. Nash let out a sigh. This was unacceptable.
“What was the name of that man?” Nash asked. “I want to have access to every data log he’s made the entire time he has been aboard the fleet.”
“Yes, sir,” the man said. His fingers flicked over the hologram, and soon the information came up on the screen.
The man’s name was Hallo Vox. He was a low-level civilian worker, who had been in waste management back on Draconia. There were no incidences of criminal activities in his past, but his data logs were highly suspicious—he’d taken every weekly visit to Earth from the waste management vessel. This man had to be the one responsible for leaking the illegal technology to the humans.
“Thank you,” Nash said. “After I deal with this person, the entire fleet is going to have an overhaul.” Nash got back in his transport vessel and flew to the command ship.
He knew Lexi would be sleeping alone by now in their bed. He wanted more than anything to go slip beneath the sheets with her. He wanted to run his hand up her shapely legs and touch the moist place between. His dragon roared in his mind, and was becoming more difficult to control as each moment passed.
His dragon constantly growled and thrashed that his mate was right before him. The dragon insisted he take her, claim her, spill his seed deep inside her womb, and fill her with his young. But, Nash knew that he could not treat Lexi that way—he had to go slowly with her. He had get past her apprehension and fear. It was the only way that they would both be happy.
But, that didn’t mean that his dragon wasn’t driving him mad. Every time he looked at the little human female he felt his cock grow hard.
He had to control his erection because he knew how much it frightened her. Spilling himself on her breasts had been shocking to Lexi, but it was the only way that he knew that she would begin to relax ar
ound him. Brides who were reluctant needed the extra help from the pheromones in a Draconian’s semen.
If he had left it alone, it may have taken her months or years to come to the place where she was now. Instead, it had taken only a few days. However, in the process he had frightened her.
It was true that the Draconian phallus was larger than the human counterpart. But, he also knew that the human female could accommodate a Draconian phallus. It had been done many times in the past. The human females who had accepted their Draconian mates were said to be the most pleased females in the galaxy.
He wished that pleasure for his bride, and for himself. Listening to his dragon grumble within was becoming difficult to control.
Chapter 11
Lexi sat in the apartment looking over the course information for the next semester at her old school, wistfully thinking about how great it would be if she could continue her studies at the human university, while also studying with the technicians aboard the science vessel in the Draconian armada.
Nash’s voice spoke over the communication system: “I would like you to come join me down at the flight gymnasium. Follow the lights on the floor leading you out of the apartment. It will bring you to me.”
“What is the flight gymnasium?” she asked.
“You’ll see when you get here.”
Lexi slipped off the couch, and followed the lights blinking on the floor in a line toward the exit. She stepped through the door and down the hallway until she came to an elevator, which took her straight up. It opened into an entrance hallway with double doors leading into what looked like an immense room. It was as big as several football stadiums lined up and stacked upon each other. The roof was clear and open to the view of space beyond.
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