She could feel herself already more connected and attached to Mylash than ever before. She almost wanted to weep as he pulled his teeth away. They lay together, entangled in each other’s bodies, sweaty and satisfied. A few drops of her blood discolored the white pillowcase.
Loretta cuddled into Mylash’s chest, and he wrapped his arm around her.
“Now we are mated. My inner dragon is satisfied.”
“Are you satisfied?” she asked, looking up at him.
“Even more than my dragon. He doesn’t get to make love to you like I do.”
She gasped as sharp laugh. “No, he doesn’t!”
Mylash threw his head back and let out a hearty laugh. Then he turned serious. “My love, it is good to be with you like this.” He cupped her chin in his hand. “We will have many babies. I hope they look just like you.”
“You say the sweetest things, babe.” To hear the hottest man she’d ever seen say he wanted their kids to look like her made her feel truly desired.
“You are everything to me, my little mate,” he said, kissing her again. He pulled away, put his uniform back on, and looked at his wrist. “But it’s time for basketball!”
Chapter 15
Loretta followed Mylash into the gym and stood in amazement as she watched dragons fly around overhead. The space was huge, like several football fields laid out and stacked up on top of each other. The transparent dome allowed a view of the outside. Brilliant stars and galaxies shone above the flying dragons.
Mylash picked up a basketball from a rack near the wall. “Let’s get this party started,” he yelled.
A group of men gathered around Mylash as she crept back to the bleachers that were full of female humans. She sat down next to a curvy, dark-skinned girl with a pregnant belly under her designer jacket.
“Those are the commandos from Draconia,” the girl said. Loretta smiled over at her, then looked back at the men surrounding Mylash. “You’re mate is a bad ass, supposedly.”
“He is,” Loretta agreed.
“I’m Lexi Garcia. You’re Loretta Franklin, right?”
“Yes.” They shook hands and Loretta felt instantly at ease with the pretty, young woman.
“When are you due?” Loretta asked.
“In the spring. It’s a human gestation period. There are already dozens of babies on board the armada. You should come hang out in the nursery some time or in the brides’ quarters. It’s away from the unmated males. We can have coffee and shop for new clothes.”
“Can’t you just get that in your apartments?”
“Yes, but the rest of the girls aren’t there.” She nodded back up the bleachers at all the women sitting there. Many of them were heavily pregnant or holding small children. Loretta bit her lip, thinking that she would be like them soon. “The brides’ quarters are like a cute little shopping district in some city on Earth. The guys made it for us so we would feel more at home.”
“That sounds really nice.”
“Look. The game is starting!” Lexi said, cheering for the guys. “That one’s mine.” She pointed at the Commander.
“What’s it like being mated to the Commander of the armada?”
“Probably a lot like being mated to the leader of the most bad ass commandos in the Draconian military.”
Both women giggled and settled in to watch the game. Draconian basketball had similar rules to human basketball, but Draconian rules included shifting and flying. They did seem to be required to dribble and shoot in human form. Between shifts, they didn’t bother putting their uniforms back on.
Mylash and Commander Or were on the same team, playing against half the commandos. Mylash’s team had the advantage. He caught the ball as Nash dropped it, flying overhead in dragon form. Mylash shot the ball from far across the court. It sang over the heads of the other males. Someone jumped to catch it but missed.
The ball flew to the end of the gym and sunk effortlessly into the basket. Loretta stood and cheered like a high school girl at homecoming. Lexi cheered beside her, still sitting on the bleacher.
Mylash’s team won the game. He flew and landed in front of her, shifting out of dragon form with a sly smile on his face.
“That was an illegal throw,” one of the commandos said.
“It was perfectly legal,” Mylash countered.
“How do you guys even keep track of the rules?” Lexi asked, pushing herself up from the bench. Nash was there to help her to her feet and hold her gently in his arms. He kissed the top of her head. Loretta took comfort in seeing the love between the other couple.
“Did you see that shot, little mate?” Mylash asked her, taking her in his arms.
“That was awesome,” she giggled. She’d seen him burst through walls and turn solid rock to molten lava. But the throw was super impressive too.
Loretta spent the next few days relaxing on the ship. She hung out with Lexi in the brides’ quarters and got to know a lot of the other girls there. There was a lot of talk about the commandos. Most of the men in the armada had normal civilian jobs. It wasn’t a military operation. The commandos on the other hand, were special forces military. The baddest of the bad back on Draconia. The women were curious to see who those men would be mated with.
“You’re our first commando bride,” Lexi explained to her as they sat under the artificial sunlight that glowed over the little sidewalk cafe where they liked to have brunch.
The trees that lined the street ruffled gently in the manufactured breeze. In almost every way, the street felt like they were back on Earth. Of course, the roof overhead was transparent and showed space beyond. Loretta had heard the brides liked it that way. She did too. It didn’t help to pretend they weren’t actually on a spaceship just because they wanted some of the comforts of home.
“I hadn’t thought of it that way,” Loretta said.
“Your husband is leading the force to bring prosperity to Earth. It’s pretty amazing.”
“I think so too.”
Lexi picked up a shopping bag from the bouquet they’d been shopping at and rose out of her chair. “I’ve got to get going. I’ve got work over on the lab ship. We cracked the cure for cancer yesterday.”
Lexi leaned down and gave Loretta a kiss on the cheek before waddling off to a transport elevator. She sat there for a moment and looked out at the cute little neighborhood. It was a relaxing atmosphere, and she liked it. Loretta wished she had a job of her own. She’d never heard back after her interview.
She picked at her cheesecake and noticed a shadow cast over her table. She looked up and found Mylash standing above her.
“Hi,” she said brightly. “Did you come for pastries?”
“Sure. I love your human sweets.” A waiter brought him a plate with cheesecake and a cup of cappuccino. “But I came down here to ask you something else.”
“What is it?”
“You were a financial analyst. You know the human financial system first hand.”
“I was a junior analyst. Yes.”
“Still. You have more experience than anyone else on the armada with the human financial system.”
“Really?”
“You do. And that is what I wanted to discuss with you. The armada is worth, in human terms, over six hundred trillion dollars. We need help investing that money into the human stock market. We want to slowly take over every human corporation on the planet and buy up all the natural resources. We’ve run the simulations and see this is the most effective way to get to our end goal.”
“Are you kidding me? You want me to be responsible for six hundred trill… Oh my god. I think I’m going to faint.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t feel so good.”
Without a word, Mylash scooped her up in his arms and carried her out of the brides’ quarters, through a transport elevator, and into the sick bay.
“Medic! My bride is ill,” he said, sitting her down on a slick white table. A medic approached and scanned her with a hand h
eld wand.
“She isn’t sick, General. She’s just pregnant.”
“What? Why would I feel sick so soon?”
“The gestation will be normal for a human, but this side effect is common for human/Draconian pregnancies. You’ll have some dizziness for a few days, and then it will subside.”
The medic walked away, and Mylash grasped her hand, looking down at her with the happiest look she’d ever seen from him. “A baby,” he said.
A tear slid down her cheek. She hadn’t spoken to her grandma in days and a rush of guilt and panic hit her all at once. “I can’t believe this is happening,” she whimpered.
“Aren’t you happy?” He looked crestfallen.
“I am. I want our baby. I need to see my granny, Mylash. Can you take me home?”
“Of course, my beloved little mate. I will take you now if you are well.”
Chapter 16
It only took a few minutes to make it back to Earth in the transport vessel. When she saw Alabama coming into view outside the window, her heart jumped.
So much had happened since she’d left for her job interview just a few days ago. She knew her grandma would be worried sick. Loretta hadn’t checked in since the first day in the city. The whole time she’d been on the ship, all she’d wanted to do was forget about all her worries and relax with Mylash.
Now, the guilt of avoiding her responsibilities hit her with a hard crash. They landed at the consulate in Montgomery and took a hover car out to her grandmas’ house out in the country. It didn’t take them more than a few hours to get from the ship to her grandmother’s front drive.
It was an old neighborhood and a lot of the houses were in disrepair. Loretta noticed a new car in the driveway and assumed that it was someone from the bank here about foreclosing the house. She took a sharp breath as she climbed out of the car. Mylash was there beside her, holding her hand as she walked to the front door.
It burst open and her younger brother and sister ran out into the front walk. They crashed into her, giving her hugs of greeting. “We didn’t know what happened to you,” her sister said. The twins were eleven years younger than Loretta, only fifteen. Her grandmother threw her arms around Loretta. The woman had two young teens to care for, and Loretta had left her without word for days.
“Hush now, children, give your sister some room.” Her siblings pulled away, and her grandma gave her another hug.
Loretta finally managed to introduce Mylash to the family, but her grandmother stopped her. “We already know him. He brought us the money we needed a few days ago.”
“You did?” Loretta asked, putting her hand to her mouth.
“I knew that you were exhausted. I wanted to take care of anything that might worry you so you could recuperate. I know how much your family means to you.”
She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. “Oh Mylash, I couldn’t ask for a better mate.”
“I heard you two went and got married and didn’t invite your old granny,” her grandmother chided.
“I’m so sorry…”
Her grandmother just laughed and slapped her with a kitchen towel. “I’m playing with you, child. I know it’s complicated. But we’re going to set up a gathering at the church for the two of you today. You can wear your mama’s wedding dress.”
“Grandma, really, it’s fine.”
“This isn’t for you honey, this is for the rest of us. Now come on in the house and get ready.”
Loretta’s sister grabbed her hand and tugged her into the house. They found their way into her old bedroom that she’d shared with her sister, the dress already spread out on the bed.
Loretta stepped into the wedding dress her mother had worn on her wedding day. The photographs still hung on the walls of her grandmother’s house. Her heart did flip flops in her chest as she gazed at herself in the mirror. It wasn’t the uber-chic designer fashions she and the other brides had access to, but it was the most special dress she’d ever worn.
Her sister slipped into a fancy dress as well and they helped each other with their hair and makeup. There was a knock at the door an hour later and her grandmother opened it.
“Everything’s set, let’s go.”
“I can’t believe you guys are doing this,” she said, laughing as her grandmother led her by the hand out to the new car.
“It isn’t every day your granddaughter marries the man who will bring peace to the planet.”
She sighed wistfully. “No, it’s not,” she whispered.
They made it to the old Baptist church where she’d spent most of the Sundays of her childhood and piled out of the car. Her brother had gone with Mylash to help him get ready at the church. Loretta’s grandma and sister helped her out of the car and up the front steps. They waited in the front lobby. Loretta peaked through the doors that led into the altar room. She could see Mylash standing in front of the altar.
That was an image she never expected to witness. She stepped back and laughed. Everything was turning out more beautifully than she could have ever imagined. Mylash was the sexiest, sweetest, most powerful man. They loved each other so deeply sometimes it hurt. Now, here she was with her family at church, ready to take vows in front of all her oldest friends.
Her sister and grandma waited with her until the music started. First her sister went through with her bouquet in hand. Then Loretta walked with her grandmother down the aisle toward Mylash. He stood there in his Draconian uniform, looking sexy and nervous at the same time.
He took her hand as she came to the altar. She stepped forward and faced him in front of the preacher. The ceremony was a blur, but Loretta had never felt happier in her life. Mylash repeated the vows and so did she. At the end, he slipped a massive diamond on her finger. It glistened in the candlelight. After everything else he’d done, a ring like this was a small token.
They said “I do” and walked hand in hand down the aisle. Everyone smiled and cheered for them. At the reception, the true colors of her church came out. Everyone was singing and dancing to the band. Champagne, cake, and delicious food filled everyone’s bellies.
“I don’t understand how my grandma organized all this in two hours,” she said to Mylash as they slow danced at the center of the floor.
“She didn’t. I told her to organize it days ago.”
“I didn’t ask you to come down here until a few hours ago.”
“I was going to offer right after I asked you to manage our six-hundred trillion-dollar investment portfolio.”
“I still can’t even imagine that number. Don’t you think you want someone more qualified than me?”
“You are exactly the person I want handling this. You understand more than anyone how important it is. Society must focus on peace and prosperity. I need your help to make that happen.”
“Mylash. I can’t believe your faith in me.”
“My beloved little mate. I’ve had that much faith in you since the moment we met.”
Alien Fighter’s Woman
She needs a way off the planet ... but she gets a lot more than she bargained for.
When Tabby Wilson has to run from her techno-drug-dealing boyfriend, she figures the Draconian mating lottery will be her ticket to safety -- and the good life. Then her new mate is forced to take her along on his commando mission, but she soon learns that the dragon shifter alien provides benefits far greater than luxury.
Oro Nix can't afford distractions -- he's an elite fighter facing a serious human threat. Nonetheless, he quickly succumbs to the lure of his sassy little human mate, her sexy curves, and the roar of his inner dragon.
But he and Tabby soon discover that his mission is more complicated than either of them realized -- and she's part of it.
Chapter 1
Tabby Wilson gripped the handlebars of her stolen motorcycle, her curly black hair whipping out behind her as she rode. The orange sunset cast the desert in a warm glow. Tabby took the rural Arizona highway with the confidence of a skill
ed rider.
Today was the last straw. She wasn’t going to put up with Leo’s bullshit anymore. She was out. Screw him and his crew.
As a parting gift, she’d taken his bike and a wad of his cash. Her cheek still stung where he’d slapped after she’d caught him with another girl in her own bed. What an asshole.
Leader of a gang who dealt in techno-drugs, Leo Hendrix oversaw this part of Arizona, second only to the head honcho of the Arizona/Mexican techno-drug cartel, Juan Norte. Leo would be pissed about his bike, but Tabby knew it was small beans for men like Leo and Juan.
At the end of the day, Tabby knew that she was only ever another piece of tail for Leo. The curvy black girl who fit the outfits the way he liked. He could find another by the end of the day.
Even life with Leo had been better than the hell she’d grown up with. Poverty on the Mexican border for a minority girl like her, with a hot body and a pretty face, had been rough. She was lucky to find a man like Leo to protect her when she did.
Tabby was older now and she knew she deserved better. She had some clothes, makeup, and maybe a thousand dollars packed in the motorcycle.
She’d been so angry, she’d left without a plan. Leo had hit her before, but he’d been drunk and she’d been dumb enough to forgive him. This time, he’d gone too far. Hitting her because she caught him with another girl? That was it. She wouldn’t do it anymore. Tabby had some self-respect. Or at least she wanted to.
Goal: Learn to respect self.
She made a mental note. The desert stretched out in front of her, and she saw the distant lights of a small highway town. It was unlikely that Leo would ever find her here, out in the middle of nowhere. That was why she’d decided to travel this way. Nevertheless, a guy like him had eyes and ears everywhere. It would be best if she laid low for a while. She wouldn’t put it past Leo to want revenge for the bike and for leaving him.
Draconians: Complete Series (BWW Dragon Shifter Scifi Romance) Page 14