by Pearl Foxx
“I mean, if you wanted to be inconspicuous, something like Maxsym Smith or Maxsym Jones would make more sense, but I guess it's fair to say nobody on Zynthar would anticipate someone named Dracones to be an actual Draqon."
Maxsym sputtered, choking on his coffee and burning his tongue. He slammed the mug down on the table with shaking hands and spilled more than half the scalding contents onto the table. "What are you talking about?”
The woman chewed another mouthful of eggs, eating slowly and calmly before answering. "You know, shape-shifting Draqons from the planet Kladuu. You’ve got wings stuck in your back."
Maxsym blinked at her.
"Come with me," he spat and shoved his plate forward.
The woman gestured for him to sit back down as she swallowed. "My name is Maeve Delgado. I know Noaz. He’s Vilkan, and he's been in touch with his Alpha, who's been in touch with your Queen Niva.”
Maxsym took a deep breath, trying to control his nerves at the revelation that a human on the space station not only knew who he was, but what he was. "We can’t talk here."
"Where would you suggest we talk? Wouldn’t any place else look kind of odd for an astrophysicist to be talking to a guard on the service of the commander’s daughter?"
"I guess," Maxsym mumbled He wasn’t accustomed to being at a loss for words, but it was clear this woman knew more than he did, and he was woefully unequipped to deal with the situation. "All right, we do it your way. Can you fill me in on what the fuck is going on?"
Maeve sipped her coffee and made a sour face. "The stuff on Noaz’s ship is much better. Really, if it weren't for my natural inclination to help my species, I’d help you blow the place up over the crappy coffee alone."
"I didn't blow anything up," Maxsym whispered, leaning over the table.
"You did something."
His wings stretched beneath his skin. "I did nothing."
"If you could chill out and sit down, it would look more like we’re having a regular conversation, as opposed to right now, where it looks like you're trying to crawl onto my lap." Maeve gestured at Maxsym's hulking body leaning halfway over the table.
He sat back down and tried to roll his shoulders out, but the tension wouldn’t leave the large muscles along his spine. He had to be hallucinating. No way was this woman here. Humans didn’t act like this, and even if they did, humans didn’t know about Kladians. At least not anyone besides Commander Gideon and his legion of ships that had attacked Kladuu.
"Look, I didn’t mean to surprise you like this. I was trying to find a way to casually bring up the fact that I'm dating an alien and I know all about you being a giant flying reptile, but there isn’t really a good way to break into this kind of conversation, you know what I mean? Now that there's been an explosion, we’re all under scrutiny. And if you did it—"
"I didn't do anything," he insisted, but he could see the disbelief in her eyes. "I didn’t! I’m capable of something more subtle than blowing up the docking bay.”
Maeve scratched her ink-smeared cheek. “That’s not what I heard. According to Noaz, you’re in a shit ton of trouble with Zayd.”
He huffed. When it came to Zayd, the leader of the Draqon hive and Maxsym’s best friend, Maxsym thought it was safe to assume he was in far more trouble than just a “shit ton.”
“Great, so you didn’t do it, and I didn’t do it. Since we can agree on that, I’d really like to focus on stopping Gideon before he attacks Kladuu again,” she said.
“I have been trying to find out who was involved in the attack, but I can’t get a single person to open up. None of the guards will talk with me much.”
“Maybe it’s your delightful demeanor.”
Maxsym narrowed his eyes at the little human. “I can be charming.”
“So I hear. Anyway, no one’s going to talk. The only people who know about the attack are Gideon’s private staff.”
“What about all the humans who flew the ships? They had to know they weren’t in their solar system anymore.”
Maeve scoffed, waving off his words with a flutter of her fork. “They recruited top-tier fighters. Most of them didn’t make it back, and the few who did were shipped off. Even I don’t have clearance to find out where they went, and I have clearance for damn near everything, except I can’t find a single record of Gideon’s communications with Savas or whatever trading they were doing.”
“Flesh trade.”
She made a show of shivering. “The idea makes my skin crawl. Some of the other planets in the Intergalactic Alliance of Planets and Lifeforms do that, but it’s so … barbaric. After knowing a few Kladians, I’m really shocked it happens there.”
“I imagine you haven’t met the Hylas then. Right now, they’re the only ones involved in the flesh trade. Perhaps a few other rogue groups who separated from their main clans are as well, but it’s not the norm. It’s not who we are anymore.” He looked down at his coffee and felt a pang of guilt over what his planet had done, even though the Draqons had never participated. “But if there are Kladians here, I need to find them and get them home. I need to figure out who attacked the station last night before anyone else, especially Kladian hostages, get hurt.”
“I don’t want to see anyone hurt, Kladian or human.”
“Fine, well, either way, we need to find out what’s going on. Do you believe it was a terrorist attack?”
Maeve glanced around to see who was near as if they hadn’t just been discussing aliens and treason. “If it really wasn’t you then it had to be the human resistance group. I’ve mostly stayed away from them because I need Gideon and his men to see me as loyal so I can keep directing Falconers away from the wormhole, but I know how to get in touch with them. We should meet with them and find out what we can. I don’t think they’re violent, but you never know what people will do when they’re desperate.”
“I thought all you humans just loved the Falconer program?”
Maeve scowled. “It’s easy for you to hate the Falconers because you’re on the other side of it. I get it. The resources Gideon finds sell for a shit ton of money. But he doesn’t use that money to make conditions better on Earth. He puts it right back into his program, and it’s pissing people off. They’re tired of suffering.”
“You people really want to return to Earth that badly? It’s a hellhole down there. Even the people living there hate it.”
“You’d do anything for your home, wouldn’t you? Why can’t we fight for ours?” She sighed. “Meet me later. Maybe I can introduce you to the resistance group.”
She gathered up her plate and mug, but stopped and looked at Maxsym with keen intelligence. “Listen, I know those people up there at the top of the food chain can be charming, but don’t fuck around. Let's find out what you need and get you out of here. It’s not safe.”
“If it’s not safe for me, then it’s half as safe for you. You’re only human.”
“Exactly, and humans, whatever else we may be, are loyal to their own. And you’re the alien around here.”
She walked away without another word, leaving Maxsym alone with his cold coffee.
Maxsym arrived at the Gideon family quarters for his shift at precisely 14:00 hours, but he took his time in the antechambers of the family’s quarters to mull over his thoughts some more.
The conversation with Maeve had spooked him. The possibility that he didn't know as much as he thought about the Falconer situation on the space station was unsettling. He looked forward to meeting with whomever the human resistance was. Hopefully, they would at least have some information for him on where to start his search for the captured Kladians. So far, none of his skulking around in hallways or speaking with the guards had resulted in anything other than a guard assuming he wanted a date, which hadn’t sounded like a terrible idea at the time, but now that he’d met Veronica …
He waited for the security doors to open and allow him into the main room of the Gideon household.
"Thank God you're here," the guard on duty
whispered under his breath as soon as Maxsym stepped through the doors. “Everyone is in a mood today. It’s going to be a long one. And I don't envy you. That brat is in rare form.”
Maxsym balled his hands into fists at his side. Veronica could be a brat, sure, and she had the sash and tiara to go along with that title, but he didn't appreciate anyone else making remarks about her. Instead of betraying his misguided and possibly sleep-deprived opinion, he just nodded as the guard led him back to the main seating area.
The family sat, each on separate couches, waiting to be called to the formal dining room for afternoon tea by their personal servants. Veronica perched on the edge of the seat, her hands twisting in her lap and her eyes darting back and forth between two hallways. Her hair hung down around her shoulders, the curls wild and disheveled.
Maxsym tried to catch her eye, but every time he looked in her direction, she avoided his gaze.
The thought struck him that perhaps he had done something wrong, that in the pod the night before he had been too aggressive, too outspoken. But he had just been himself, and fuck that, he wasn’t about to change his behavior for some human woman. But the sinking feeling in his stomach continued.
"Penelope," Mrs. Gideon called.
A servant with blonde hair and a thick waist appeared in the doorway and bowed.
"Bring me another gin and tonic. You know, from the Anuulthian coalition. I do so enjoy the fruits they add to their concoction."
"That won’t be necessary, Penelope.” Everyone's attention snapped to Commander Gideon. “My wife will not need any more to drink this afternoon."
He looked down at the pile of papers in his lap, and the conversation ended simply because he’d dictated it. Based on the behaviors in the room, Maxsym presumed that was usually the case, but this time, Mrs. Gideon whined and shifted in her seat.
“But dear—” she started, her voice pitched high enough to shatter glass.
"Darling, I think you had more than enough for both of us yesterday, don't you?" Gideon didn't even look up as he lobbed his latest insult.
"Father," Veronica admonished loud enough to pull attention to her, even her father's. "Give it a rest for one day? She's been through a lot. Hell, we've all been through a lot. It was frightening being woken in the middle of the night and dragged to the escape pod, and you won’t even tell us what happened."
Maxsym stared at Veronica in disbelief. He had yet to witness a single person stand up to Gideon with such force the entire time he'd been on the station. While he enjoyed Veronica’s playful and brazen behavior, he honestly hadn’t given her the credit she deserved.
Gideon lowered the papers in his hands to his lap, then moved the pile onto the seat next to him. He crossed his legs and lifted his gaze to his daughter. "Is there something you'd like to say, Veronica?"
Everyone in the room's eyes bounced between the commander and his daughter. Maxsym didn't think anyone expected her to continue. He certainly didn't. Hell, if the man had looked at him with that death glare, he wasn't sure he would have been able to breathe.
Veronica let out a shaky breath and wiped her hands on her skin-tight pants. "It's just, well." She rushed her words as if they had no spaces between them. "We didn’t sign up for this. Yesterday, we all could've died. Your Falconer program is putting our lives at risk, and now you're acting like it's not even worth discussing. I know the reports you’re looking through are about yesterday's attack. I’m not stupid. We deserve to know what happened."
"I never thought you had any interest in such things," Gideon said in a smooth, calm voice, but the vein in his forehead throbbed, betraying the undercurrent of rage Maxsym could scent in the air around the commander.
"I don't. If you want me to be completely honest with you, the way I'm asking you to be with me, I’m not interested. I don't care. I wish I didn’t have to care. But after spending the night being rushed through a fiery station into a pod, I need to know what’s going on. And for that matter, who was the man you were talking to last night?"
The entire room stilled.
Gideon's face turned red, and the vein throbbed so quickly Maxsym thought the commander might have an aneurysm.
No one breathed.
"What man?" her father asked.
"The man I heard you talking to. The one you called Caj. I was getting hot chocolate, and I heard you. So now you're keeping secrets about what's happening on the station and who you are doing business with?”
"Enough," Gideon roared, jumping to his feet.
Veronica jumped at the sudden surge of emotion from her father, and Maxsym felt his scales rustle, his wings pressing up beneath his skin. He held back a growl, along with the instinct to surge between her and her father to protect her.
“You don’t have to yell—” Veronica started.
Gideon slashed his hand through the air, making it clear the discussion was over. "You are my child. You’re to respect and obey me and understand that any time you make my job more difficult, you put lives at risk. You want to know what happened last night? Too bad. It doesn't matter because I'm taking care of it just like I take care of my Falconers. You need to know and trust that. I’ve had about enough of your attitude for one day." The man grabbed the papers and muttered under his breath, "Stupid girl."
The words ricocheted around the room, piercing Maxsym’s resolve.
"And if she'd been born a boy?" he asked, and everyone’s attention landed squarely on him.
Shit, he’d said that out loud. He really needed to work on that.
Gideon turned, papers held in one hand. "Private Dracones, you should choose your next words carefully.”
"Only that it’s my understanding that it's customary for a father with the kind of power you wield to bring their children into the family business, so to speak." Maxsym took a deep breath. "So, is the issue that you think Veronica is stupid, or is the issue that she's female?"
The commander mashed his teeth together like a mawfish and turned his gaze to Veronica. "I think it would be best if you and your guard left my chambers."
"But darling—" Veronica’s mother began.
"In fact," Gideon continued without even acknowledging his wife, “I think it would be best if family tea was canceled altogether today, in light of our current security situation."
He strode across the massive sitting room, passing right in front of his daughter without sparing her a glance, and disappeared down one of the many long hallways.
Veronica didn't waste time getting out of her parents’ chambers. She stood and kissed her whimpering mother on the cheek before leading Maxsym to the elevator.
Once they were safely inside the metal contraption, she turned her heated gaze on him. "What were you thinking? Are you insane?"
So fast he barely registered it, she slapped him across the face and then grabbed his shirt, pulling him in for a feverish kiss.
He grunted at the force of it, his hands catching her around the waist. She pushed him up against the wall and melted his mouth with her fiery tongue. Her kiss came in a great wave, rushing over him with passion and need. Then she was gone, leaving him with only the undertow of his desire.
When she stepped back, he had to fight the urge to pull her luscious body back against his. He brought his fingers to his lips, then to his cheek. "What was that for?"
"Which part?” Veronica's words teased, but her voice was still intense.
Were all human women this infuriating? How could Zayd stand it? "All the parts!"
"Speaking up for me like that was stupid. He could ruin your career. He could literally ruin your life."
“So, are you mad at me or hot for me? I’m at a loss here. You have to fill me in on what you’re thinking."
"No one has ever done that before." Her eyes softened, and she wrapped her fingers around his upper arm, pulling him back down for a slower, more lingering kiss. When the elevator computer announced they had arrived at her floor, she pulled away with a smirk.
&n
bsp; He narrowed his eyes at her. “And what are you thinking now?”
Her eyes turned devilish, her mouth hooking into a wicked grin. "This time, you can come back to my rooms."
Chapter Seven
Veronica
The door to Veronica's main room slid shut and she pounced on Maxsym with a desire and passion unusual even for her. She wanted to feel him inside her again. She wanted to know the unrestricted ecstasy she had found in his embrace the night before. Nothing had ever compared to the orgasm she’d experienced with him, and now having seen him stand up for her against her father—literally the most powerful man in the universe—her desire for him was coupled with admiration and respect.
Not to mention it was hot as hell.
She surprised him, rocking his body back as she wrapped her arms and legs around his muscular frame.
"That’s not what I was expecting." Maxsym laughed. He placed his hand underneath her ass and pulled her against him to consume her mouth with a forceful kiss.
He tasted like spice and cinnamon, exotic flavors she only encountered when his lips were against hers. She clawed at his neck and shoulders, trying to bring their bodies as close together as possible. She stroked herself against his growing cock, the hard length of him testing her sanity.
He groaned into her mouth before moving to kiss her along her jaw and nibbled on her neck.
She tilted her head to the side, giving him access to anything he wanted. He licked her, sending fireworks across her flesh. She was accustomed to being wanted, but never with the pure animalistic fire Maxsym brought to their passion. She wanted to see all of him, to see the flesh beneath his uniform. They had been together in a dark room, fully dressed, and while her hands told her the massive body against her was impressive, she wanted to see it for herself.
Maxsym tightened his grip on her, crushing her against him as if he couldn’t hold her close enough. Kissing her as he carried her toward her bedroom, he threw her down on her bed, his eyes dark with need. It was almost as if he had no pupils at all.