“Because you are my miracle. We didn’t know combining Mulgor and our new Draconian lasers would do that until you took down that Mulgor ship,” he said.
“But anyone could have shot that after you knew it would work.”
“Anyone is not my beautiful, brave, clever bride. That is only you.”
He kissed her hard on the mouth, while the other Draconians continued to talk loudly about the implications to their mission.
“Sir,” an officer said. “You have to see this.”
Vlosh and Indigo looked up at the screen in front of them. The Mulgor fleet was moving out of Venus’s orbit and one by one, every ship in their fleet jumped out of the solar system.
“They’re gone,” Vlosh said triumphantly.
“Where did they go?” Indigo whispered.
“Contact Draconia, update them on our status. Inform them of the new laser technique. And warn that the Mulgor fleet might be headed their way.”
“Yes, sir,” the officer said.
Vlosh took Indigo’s hand and led her off the bridge.
Chapter 19
When the Mulgor didn’t return and additional vessels did not arrive in the Draconian solar system, there was great celebration throughout the fleet.
Indigo and Vlosh went to visit the mating armada to celebrate the birth of Loretta’s baby girl. With another girl being born to the Draconians, it was even further cause for celebration.
Indigo had brought Loretta’s baby a sweet teddy bear from Earth. When they arrived at Mylash and Loretta’s apartment, it was clear her friend had absolutely everything she needed for the baby.
Wading through the piles of toys and onesies, Indigo came to sit with Tabby and Lexi beside an overjoyed Loretta and her little baby girl in the sitting room of her luxury apartment.
“She’s so gorgeous,” Indigo said, looking down at the innocent, sweet baby.
“She is, isn’t she?” Loretta said in a sleepy voice.
“Are you getting enough sleep? Because I’m sure there are plenty of brides and Draconians who could help you.”
“It’s fine. I already have lots of offers from potential nannies. We’re all each other’s nannies, right?” Loretta said in her soft southern accent.
“That’s right,” Lexi said.
“I don’t want to be a nanny, but I will style your baby’s wardrobe,” Tabby said.
The three other women giggled. Lexi’s daughter Violet began to fuss, and Nash came to take her in his arms. He bounced her and cooed down at her with the most love in his eyes Indigo had ever seen a man give a baby before.
Her heart swelled to think of Vlosh looking at their own children that way. After the success with the laser attack on the Mulgor mothership, they’d been working night and day on making one.
“Tabby, you’re hilarious,” Indigo said.
“I need some outlet. Taking down drug dealers inside the new dark internet takes its toll on a girl.”
“How much have you progressed with that?” Nash asked Tabby.
“We’re making progress, but more people than ever are turning to the techno drugs and the relief the virtual reality offers them since the Mulgor invasion. Humans have lost hope.”
“We’ve bought out almost every large corporation on Earth. But that’s just the beginning,” Loretta said.
“The President has given us the go ahead to begin major reconstruction on Earth now that the Mulgor have left the solar system,” Vlosh said. “More civilian crews will come in and much of the fleet will take up residence on Earth. It has been our prime directive to avoid interference with races we’ve mated with, but Earth has become our responsibility. It is now our duty to guide humanity to a better future.”
“What if there are more traitors? What if the Mulgor come back?” Indigo asked.
“We must count on setbacks. But reconstruction will commence immediately. Civilian crews will arrive soon to begin the process.”
“Do you think there will be human revolt and push back?” Loretta asked Vlosh.
“The terrorist threats have been disposed of,” Loretta’s mate Mylash said proudly.
“We are taking out all the drug cartels we can identify as quickly as we can,” Tabby’s mate Oro said.
“There will always be resistance to anything new. Humans will not trust us at first. It is their way,” Nash said.
“Regardless of setbacks, the reconstruction will commence. Earth will enter a new dawn of prosperity and technical advancement.”
“Whether they like it or not,” Tabby said.
Everyone looked at her sideways.
“What?” she said.
Everyone laughed.
“She’s right. It may go against many people’s freewill. This is why we have never interfered with a civilization in the past. Coming to Earth at this point in your development was a mistake. But now we are here. The only way forward is with our help.”
“Hear, hear,” Loretta said, her voice tired and distant as she rocked her baby on her chest.
“Why don’t we let Loretta and Mylash rest now,” Indigo said.
Tabby rubbed her swollen belly. “Good idea,” she said.
“Why don’t we go play a round of Draconian basketball?” Oro suggested to Vlosh as the two couples walked to the door.
“Draconian basketball?”
“You’ll love it,” Mylash said just before the door closed.
“Sure. Why not?” Vlosh said.
Tabby and Indigo walked together as Oro explained the rules of Draconian basketball to Vlosh. It had originally been Mylash’s idea to take the human game and make it something for Draconians to play aboard their ship.
Indigo loved sports and was excited to see Vlosh play the mash up game of Draconian basketball.
They entered a massive room called the flight gymnasium that was like several football fields spread out and stacked up on top of each other. The space was huge.
Dragons flew all around and up toward the domed ceiling that showed a view of space beyond. Indigo spotted bleachers off to the side where a group of human women and a few Draconian males sat watching the rest fly about.
Oro and Vlosh went to go set up a game of pickup Draconian basketball while Tabby waddled toward the bleachers with Indigo.
It was all so exciting and overwhelming inside the gym. The men started their game as Indigo sat down with Tabby.
From what she could tell, Draconian basketball involved dribbling and shooting, but that is where the similarities to human basketball ended.
Shifting, flying, and running about naked were also major factors in the game. A player would get the ball, dribble while in humanoid form, then shift into dragon form with the ball clutched in his claw. He’d fly up onto the air, avoiding the other players who would try to grab the ball, shift, then dunk it as he came down.
In humanoid form, Draconians were all as tall as basketball players so it seemed fitting that they’d be into the sport. But they’d made it into a game all their own.
Indigo laughed and cheered as Vlosh played the game for the first time. As the highest ranking general in the military, Vlosh was no slouch in the physical fitness department. He and Oro dominated the other team. Oro being quick and agile, while Vlosh was more of a bull on the court.
Indigo clapped and laughed wildly at her man, loving every minute of cheering him on. Suddenly, she felt so dizzy and ill she thought she might faint.
“Wow…” she said, reaching out Tabby.
“What’s wrong?” Tabby asked, holding Indigo’s hand and patting her back.
“I feel so sick. I think I might faint.”
“Uh oh. I think congratulations might be in order,” Tabby said, giggling.
“What? What are you talking about?”
“Come on. I’ll take you to the medic. He’ll explain everything.”
Tabby helped Indigo to the exit and Vlosh came running up behind her, sweaty and naked. He flicked the spot on his neck that made his uniform spread over his
body and put his arm around his ailing wife.
“What’s wrong?” Vlosh said.
“She’s super dizzy,” Tabby said knowingly to Oro. “I’m taking her to the medic.”
“Dizzy.”
“I’ll let the medic explain. It’s a human thing.”
Tabby and Oro escorted Indigo and Vlosh to the medic and left them to see the medic in private.
Indigo laid on the white table while Vlosh held her hand. A medic came into the room with a metallic wand he waved over her body.
“What’s wrong, medic?” Vlosh pleaded.
“Nothing unusual for a bride after her claiming,” the medic said.
“What is it?” Indigo asked, feeling nauseous.
“You’re pregnant,” he said matter-of-factly.
“How could I be showing symptoms so fast? It’s only been a week since we first mated,” she said, embarrassed.
“It is different physiologically for humans when they carry Draconian young. But this is quite normal. It happens with almost all the brides when they conceive.”
Indigo sat back up on the table and noticed Vlosh looking at her like a kid who’d just got a bike, an X-box, and a truck load of candy for Christmas.
“A baby,” he whispered.
She threw her arms around his waist and squeezed, happier than she could remember being in a very long time. But it was bittersweet. A tear slid down her cheer and she sniffled.
“Aren’t you pleased, my mate?” he asked.
“I’m so pleased. I just wish my parents could have been there to meet our child.”
“I know my beloved. I know. That is why I’ve created a memorial to your family on Earth. I wanted to surprise you with it, but now is as good a time as any. When will she feel well enough to travel, medic?”
“She should be well enough in a few days.”
When Indigo’s dizziness subsided, Vlosh took her on a short trip to Earth. In the mountains outside of Tahoe, right beside one of the oldest resorts still standing, he had constructed a monument to her family.
Their burial place had been turned into a park with a large garden and large headstones that told the stories of their lives. Even in the winter snow, she could tell it would be beautiful in the spring.
Standing in front of her parents’ and best friend’s graves, she sniffed back a tear. It was the best burial she could have imagined.
She read the inscriptions on the headstones. They told stories of the most important and telling moments in their lives. It was so touching she could barely keep from falling to her knees and weeping.
“How did you find out all this?” she asked, holding onto him for support.
“I did my research. Asked people who had known them. It wasn’t that much trouble.”
“Vlosh, this is so perfect. So touching. Thank you.”
He leaned down and kissed her. When he pulled away, his lips and his eyes were smiling.
“No, thank you. Thank you for entering the lottery. Thank you for coming to the ship even when you’d just had such a terrible loss. Thank you for putting up with my dragon, and me. Thank you for being the brave, strong woman you are. And thank you for discovering a way to push back the Mulgor. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Indigo Robertson. This is just the beginning.”
Indigo squeezed him tightly and kissed him again. She knew he meant every word.
Alien Architect’s Bride
She survived the destruction of her world, but can she survive him?
A determined woman
Octavia Reynolds is living in a refugee camp in Central Park amidst the ruins of her beloved New York City. She's one of the only people left who understands what the city needs to rebuild, and feels the weight of that responsibility keenly.
When she finds out that the Draconians--the dragon shifting aliens who came to Earth six years ago to mate with human women--plan to reconstruct her home in a totally unacceptable way, Octavia is furious. She'll do whatever she can to save what's left of the city--even mate with an alien.
A man on a mission Grand Architect Joss Noro has come to Earth on appointment from the president himself. He expects to construct a typical Draconian colony, not have primitive [or uncultured, or unrefined, or ignorant] humans questioning his plans.
Joss rejected love long ago when his first love fell into the mating thrall with another man. When his general tells him he'll be getting a mate, like it or not, it only makes the already-surly dragon even crankier.
A change of plans Octavia joins the Draconian mating lottery as a last-chance gamble, hoping she can persuade the architect to listen to reason. She never expects her mate to be the very man she hates the most.
Joss and Octavia butt heads with as much passion as they give each other in the bedroom. But can Joss listen to the words of a backward human female, or will Octavia have to watch her city be destroyed once more?
Chapter 1
Octavia Reynolds shivered in her sleeping bag. She could see the daylight glowing outside her tent and hear the sound of the wind whistling through the trees.
She sat up, pushing her messy braids out of her face. Maintaining any semblance of grooming had become just as hard as everything else in the months since the Mulgor had attacked Earth.
Octavia was one of the lucky few who had survived the bombing of New York City. Now, she lived in a refugee camp in Central Park.
She unzipped her sleeping bag, groaning and hoping that there was some coffee left for her to drink this morning. She crawled to the entrance of her tent and unzipped the flap. Outside was the muddy, snowy world of squalor that had become her life.
Snowflakes fell gently onto the tents, and she could smell the scent of breakfast from the communal food kitchen.
She rubbed her face, feeling gritty and gross. Nobody else got to shower either. Everyone smelled like BO. Even wealthy executives and the glitterati of New York City had been thrust into poverty like everyone else.
She pulled on her snow boots and crawled out of her tent, having slept in her big down jacket to keep warm. She zipped up the flap and made her way down to the communal kitchen for a cup of coffee and a bowl of oatmeal.
After the bombing, there were few resources left in the city. New York was an island. Getting on and off was just as difficult as staying.
There were places in the world that had not been destroyed like New York, but moving the thousands of refugees that remained to some other location had proven too difficult and ultimately a waste of time.
All the other cities in the region hadn’t fared much better. The best thing for the refugees to do was to stay and try to rebuild any way they could.
Octavia walked into the food tent, and the smell of oatmeal and coffee filled her nose. She never thought that such simple things would fill her with so much joy. Like so many other native New Yorkers, Octavia was well-educated and used to a certain standard of living that was far removed from how she lived now.
She entered the line with the rest of the groggy refugees and pulled a coffee cup and a bowl from stacks on a folding table, greeting the volunteer cooks with a smile.
“How’s it going this morning?” she asked the cook who dished up her oatmeal.
“As well as can be expected,” the woman said with a sniff. There had been colds and flus running rampant through the refugee camp, not to mention the infections that so many had come down with. Luckily, there were a few doctors left alive and a dwindling supply of medication.
“How are the food stores?” Octavia asked.
“I’d rather not say,” the cook said, frowning. “How are the plans for rebuilding the city coming?”
“We’re making progress,” Octavia said, lifting her bowl. She went to the end of the line and filled her coffee cup before going to sit down at a long folding table among the crowd of refugees.
Octavia had a master’s degree in urban planning, but that didn’t mean anything when the city had been flattened by bombs. So many had died. Luc
kily, the Mulgor hadn’t used toxic nuclear weapons. If they had, no one would be left alive.
She was on a committee tasked with planning the rebuilding process. The truth was, unless they cut down all the trees in Central Park to create log cabins, there wasn’t much to start with.
In the spring, they would assess the rubble to recycle as much as possible in order to begin building temporary homes for the refugees. But there was so much debris and waste throughout the city, and very little heavy equipment left, not to mention fuel to run it on. The rebuilding process would not be easy, no matter how well-planned it might be.
Octavia had to keep herself occupied somehow. After the refugees had set up camp and tried to celebrate the holidays, all that was left to do was wait out the winter. Perhaps in the spring they could find some comfort in the lives they now shared.
She ate her breakfast, thinking of the things that had brought about the destruction of her world. Six years ago, an alien race called the Draconians had arrived on Earth asking to mate with human females.
Apparently, the Draconians had been here five thousand years before and human women had willingly mated with them. The humans had worshiped the Draconians as gods back then. But when they had arrived six years ago, humanity had only seen them as a threat.
In order to prevent war, the Draconians had offered to exchange technology for the willing participation of human females in the Draconian mating lottery. They also gave any girl who was genetically matched with a Draconian five hundred thousand dollars to give to anyone she wanted.
Unfortunately, the introduction of new technologies into the human economic system had created a vast disparity of wealth between the rich and poor. It had thrown the entire world into a deep recession.
When the Draconians finally decided to clean up their mess, their ancient enemy, the Mulgor, had attacked the Earth.
Almost every major city on the planet had been attacked. New York had been hit by a massive bomb that leveled everything but Central Park. Most of humanity had been thrown back decades or even centuries.
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