The Dragonlings and the Magic Four-Leaf Clover

by S. E. Smith

  Mattie was so focused on Bouncer that she didn’t hear the footsteps coming up the corridor. She gasped in surprise when she heard the deep voice speaking to her. Turning, she looked up into the intense, burning gaze of the warrior who had been getting off the lift just a few minutes before.

  “Hello, female,” the tall warrior said as he stepped closer to her.

  * * *

  Chapter 3

  * * *

  Jai rubbed his aching brow and breathed a sigh of relief. He was off duty for the next eight hours. He wanted a quiet place to relax, a stiff drink and a soft bed. He was determined to find a spot where there would be absolutely no human females. Right now, he did not see anything even remotely pleasant about them. He had been called in to cover for another warrior who had been injured while training, otherwise he would have been happily focusing on engineering.

  Unfortunately, the warrior had been assigned to the detention area where a human female was being detained. Kev Mul Kar, the Seeker’s Security Chief, had told him she was called a reporter. She was someone who asked questions and wrote information for her people.

  “Asks questions?” Jai muttered as he stepped onto the lift. He closed his eyes and tiredly leaned his head back against the wall. “She never shuts up! If I had heard the word ‘why’ one more time, I swear I would have stunned her ass.”

  “Who were you going to stun?” Petre asked as he stepped into the lift behind Jai.

  “The reporter,” Jai glanced at his friend and shook his head in resignation. “Lady Jo came and finally took the female to the other humans.”

  “Thank the Gods,” Petre groaned. “I was stuck with her the last shift. I thought humans needed plenty of sleep. She drove me nuts asking questions and singing some song about rum and pirates and such.”

  “I just hope I don’t have to deal with any more human females if they are like that one. Lady Jo is nice, but she may be a rare treasure among the species,” Jai said with a grimace.

  He had been very thankful when he was finally given a reprieve. Lady Jo had come down and demanded that the female be released into her care. Jai had called Kev for approval. Once he received it, he couldn’t turn off the shield holding the annoying female fast enough. The female had just grinned at him and flipped her middle finger up as she walked away. Jai wasn’t sure what the gesture meant, but he suspected it was meant as an insult. He was just thankful for the peace and quiet.

  He and Petre talked about other things going on around the warship before the lift slowed. Petre walked off first. He fell back against Jai as a striped creature with a hairy limbed creature on its back, trotted by with a pale, red-haired female running beside it. Petre’s eyes widened as he looked at the long bare legs of the female and her pert little grin as she waved. With a muttered oath, he turned to follow her but was distracted when Kev called out to him.

  “I want that female!” Petre muttered, glancing at her retreating figure before turning with a sigh of resignation toward Kev, who was waiting for him. “See if you can find out where she is going,” he asked Jai as he walked away.

  Jai had been so lost in his own thoughts that he had followed Petre without thinking when he stepped off the lift. It took a moment for him to realize he was on the wrong level. With a curse, his eyes flashed in annoyance to the second set of strange creatures running through the corridor.

  The set of animals that ran by him this time were smaller and came in all different sizes, shapes, and colors. His eyes swiveled to the figure following them. Heat filled him, immediately wiping away the fatigue and irritation. A small female with lush curves ran by him. His eyes locked with hers for the briefest moment before she pulled hers away. A heated blush turned her smooth, dark complexion a light shade of rose. Her skin was darker than Lady Jo, more of a creamy mocha. Her hair was a dark brown and cut short. She had it spiked with the tips touched with different colors that showed off her creamy skin. Her eyes were a soft dark brown that made him want to drown in their rich depths.

  Jai watched as she raced past him, her rounded ass encased in a pair of dark blue leggings that emphasized her figure. She wore a blue top as well, but it did nothing to hide her generous breasts. The thought of tasting her rosy tips jerked him out of his stunned reverie. He had never had such an intense reaction to any female before, including those who sought to entice him into spending his credits on them.

  He jerked forward in a panic at the idea of losing sight of her. Fear washed through him at the thought of another warrior seeing the female and claiming her before he had a chance to. He rounded the corner and muttered a silent curse when he bumped into his commander.

  “Excuse me, my lord,” Jai muttered, looking behind Manota in an effort to catch a glimpse of the female.

  He wasted precious moments answering questions and asking Manota if he had seen which way the female had turned. He had been nervous Manota would rebuke him for asking and order him to stay away from the female. He knew deep down he would end up being seriously disciplined for disobeying a direct order because he knew he would have ignored any command to leave the female alone.

  A grin spread across his face as Manota explained his female had taken a right. Relief and amusement burned through him at the slight look of resignation on his commanding officer’s face. It was obvious Manota understood the impact the human females had on a warrior. With a quick ‘thank you’, Jai raced down the corridor and turned at the intersection leading away from the direction he had originally intended to go.

  He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the unusual female kneeling by one of the creatures she cared for. He slowed his step, not wanting to startle her. She was the most beautiful, exotic female he had ever seen.

  A small smile curved his lips when he saw the shock in her eyes at the sight of him standing over her. She was even lovelier the closer he got. Blood rushed to his cock as her lips formed a small ‘O’ of surprise. His eyes moved to her lips and he wondered what she would taste like. Just the thought of them against his had him taking another step forward.

  “Hello, female,” Jai said, stepping closer.

  His gaze followed her as she nervously stood up and slipped her hands into the back pockets of her blue leggings. The movement pulled her baggy blue T-shirt snugly against her full breasts, showing the rounded pebbles of her nipples that swelled even as he gazed at her.

  “Hi,” Mattie replied with more than a touch of nervousness at the huge man standing just a foot or two from her.

  She had to tilt her head back to look him in the eye. He was tall like all the other alien males and the fact that she was barely five feet four inches wearing her shoes only emphasized that. He wore his hair in a short military style. His skin was a dark tan, slightly lighter than her own.

  Mattie received her coloring from a combination of her mom who was from South Africa and her dad who was Caucasian. Her parents had met at Columbia State University but their marriage hadn’t lasted more than four years.

  She took a step back when the male took another step bringing him even closer. She could actually feel the heat from his body and catch his scent… Mattie briefly closed her eyes and inhaled. His scent was causing her body to do things she didn’t even know was possible. She had read books that spoke of a woman’s body turning to liquid but this was ridiculous!

  How could the smell of someone turn you on? She silently wondered.

  “What are you called?” Jai asked in a soft, deep voice that caused goose bumps to pop up on her arms.

  Mattie shook her head in an effort to get herself back under control. She tilted her head to the side and scowled up when the man took another step closer. He was practically in her face now! She refused to move back, even though that was what she wanted to do.

  Who did he think he was! She had every right to be here. She glanced up at the male again. He was intimidating in his uniform. The black leather vest, black pants, and mid-calf boots made him look even bigger and more dangerous in her op
inion.

  Maybe it would have been better to have just jogged around the storage bay, she thought as she suddenly realized just how alone they were. She wondered if anyone would hear her if she screamed.

  “Mattie,” she responded as she gave in to her sense of self-preservation and took a tiny step backwards. “What’s your name?” she asked, nervously biting her lower lip. She froze when he reached out and gently touched her lower lip with his thumb.

  “Jai,” he replied huskily. “What are you doing out of your area?”

  Jai studied the small female that barely came to his chest. He liked that. He also liked her soft, rounded figure. It made him want to scoop her up and press her against his body.

  Mattie shifted uncomfortably. “No one said we couldn’t explore,” she retorted. “The dogs and I needed some exercise. Why? It isn’t like it’s dangerous or anything to walk the hallways or anything, is it?”

  “It can be,” Jai replied with a devilish grin.

  He thought of how much he wanted her. The primitive urge to chase her, capture her, and claim her flooded him the moment she ran past him. Now, standing closer to her and seeing how delicate and feminine, she was only made it worse. The thought of someone else finding her first drove him the final step closer. He had to mark her as his.

  Mattie gasped and took another half step back, almost tripping over Peewee who was lying by her feet. She started to protest, but the words died on her lips as Jai reached out and grabbed her arms, pulling her closer to his body. She trembled and pressed her hands against his chest as he pulled her closer.

  “You are invading my personal space, you know,” she whispered nervously. “I… You… can let me go.”

  “I don’t think so,” Jai said as he wrapped his arms around her. “I am claiming you as mine, female.”

  “Claiming…” Mattie’s startled response was cut short as Jai bent his head, claiming her lips in a heated kiss.

  Mattie’s protest was smothered as his lips brushed against hers before he deepened the kiss. She felt her feet lifting off the ground as he wrapped one arm under her butt and pulled her against him. She gasped when she felt his hard length pressing into her stomach. He took advantage of her gasp of surprise, sweeping his tongue inside her mouth to explore her taste. If anything, she was even sweeter than he expected.

  A low groan escaped from him as he finally pulled back. “You taste even better than I thought you would. I want you,” he breathed as he brushed kisses along her jaw and down along her neck. “You are mine, Mattie.”

  Mattie jerked as she felt his lips lock on to her neck, pulling at the tender flesh. The sharp nip caused her to arc into him. He tasted her pulse as it fluttered rapidly under the onslaught of his lips. Her responsiveness to him ignited his blood until he felt like he was about to explode. Never had he had such a reaction to a female. Never had he wanted someone so badly that he could think of nothing else but taking her, claiming her, loving her.

  “What… are you doing?” Mattie moaned as her head fell back.

  “Making sure everyone else knows you are taken,” he growled out as he pushed against her.

  Panic built as fear overwhelmed her. She didn’t know this man. He could just be playing with her. He probably thought she was easy with the way she had been responding to him. She pushed against his shoulders as he continued to try to kiss her. Finally, she cried out a sharp command in German to Poppers, the Standard Poodle.

  “Poppers, beißen seine Hose!” Poppers, bite his pants! Mattie cried out.

  * * *

  Rescuing Mattie

  Dust

  Dust wakes to discover the world as he knew it is gone after fragments of a comet hit the Earth. It isn’t the only thing that has changed, though, so has Dust. He now possesses powers that continue to grow, but also come with a price. A deadly encounter after he leaves his home leads to a new discovery – other survivors.

  * * *

  Dust soon learns that another creature has risen from the ashes, one that is determined to possess the powers that he has. On a journey filled with danger, it will take the skills of not just Dust, but those of his friends, if they are to survive.

  * * *

  This time the race is not for the swiftest, but the deadliest in a world where a changed human boy and an odd assortment of friends must face their worst nightmares, and accept that life on Earth will never be the same again.

  * * *

  Join Dust and his friends as they fight to overcome an evil force determined to create a new species unlike anything the world has ever known.

  * * *

  Chapter 1

  Before and After

  * * *

  Dust woke from his sleep, blinking up at the dark gray skies. He could see the swirl of acidic clouds through the hole in the ceiling. It took a moment for his body to catch up with his mind.

  He often forgot to focus on it. Since the morning he woke up alone in a collapsed building that had once been his home, he realized that things would never be the same. Before, he was just a fourteen year old boy who loved playing video games and hated going to school. A year had passed since the day the comet hit the Earth. A year since the strange cloud had washed through the small town where he had lived Before. That is what he called his life... Before. Now, he was in the After.

  His body wrenched as it came back to its solid form. He was used to the feeling now and thought no more about his unusual ability to dissolve into the shadows. Rising up off the floor, he stretched and twisted. Glancing around, he walked over to the bent metal cabinet where he had hidden his knapsack. It contained one pair of jeans, one shirt, a clean pair of underwear and socks, and a bottle of water.

  With a wave of his hand, the debris in front of the cabinet rose up into the air and moved. He opened the door and pulled out the dark green knapsack he had found in one of his many excursions over the past year. Slinging the strap over his shoulder, he turned and quietly left the building.

  Dust paused on the sidewalk outside the small convenience store where he had taken refuge. His disheveled brown hair stuck out in all directions. Glancing around, his dark brown eyes paused on a moving shadow between two abandoned cars halfway down the street. The sense of danger rose in his gut. His gaze narrowed on the three shadowy forms that slowly stepped out from between them.

  Devil dogs.

  He didn't know if that was what they were really called, but that was the name he had given them. They were like him... different.

  Turning, he slipped the straps over his shoulders so he could run faster. It was time to move on. Where there were three of the creatures, there could be more. Dust felt the adrenaline surge through him as he took off at a steady pace, glancing back and forth as he ran through the center of the small town he had arrived in late the night before. He had hoped to find food. The changes to his body demanded that he eat more often.

  Food wasn't always the easiest thing to find. The lack of it was what had finally forced him to leave the small town where he had lived with his family during the time Before. As the sole survivor, he had foraged for every piece of food he could find during the past year until he could find no more.

  Dust didn't bother turning to see where the creatures were. He knew they would follow him. They were hungry. He knew, because he felt the same hunger. There would be a fight, of that he had no doubt. Up ahead was the shell of a two-story building. With a wave of his hand, the door was ripped off its hinges and it flew out behind him. He heard a snarl and a thud. They were closer than he'd realized.

  Sprinting across the sidewalk, he disappeared into the shadows and allowed his body to dissolve. It would be difficult to keep his shadow form for long. He desperately needed food if he was going to continue using the amount of energy that he needed to maintain this form. Scooping up a metal pipe as he flew by, he turned just as the first shape came through the door behind him. The end of the pipe caught the creature in the chest, impaling it and driving him back against the
wall. His body solidified at the force and the wind was knocked from him as he slammed into the wall.

  The creature's glowing red eyes flashed and its jaws snapped, but he could already see the light fading. He immediately recognized that the creatures must be starving to attack him so boldly. Not only that, they couldn't hold their shadow form any longer than he could. He pressed the metal rod down to the floor and forced the metal tip further through the beast and twisted it. The creature's loud snarls turned to a scream before silence engulfed the room. Dust didn't wait. There were at least two left, possibly more.

  Ripping the pipe out of the creature, he turned toward the open stairwell. The faint sound of glass crunching under heavy feet pulled his gaze to the ceiling. He could hear one of them. It must have gone through an upper level window. Dust's jaw tightened. He would have to kill all of them or the creatures would follow him and he would never find food or rest. His fingers wrapped around the cool metal and he started up the steps, taking them in a slow, steady climb. He was almost to the top when the huge black creature appeared at the top of the stairs.

  Dust glanced over his shoulder when he heard a second snarl behind him. He was stuck between the two beasts. Glancing back and forth, he realized that they had set up a trap for him. A shiver ran through him. He started when the one above him suddenly jumped. Focusing, he used more of his precious energy. The creature flashed through his body, sending a wave of nausea through him. His body once more solidified and he thrust upward, pushing the rod through its soft underbelly while it was still in the air. He allowed the weight of the creature to twist him around. The force of the movement and his gradually weakening strength tore the metal pipe from his hands as it crashed into the beast moving up the stairs at the same time.