by Maia Starr
“Who knows?”
“She’s probably just scared you’ll fall madly in love with sexy shifter Haden and spill all her dirty little secrets.”
I backed against the counter behind me and hoisted myself on top of the desk. She wasn’t wrong. I’d been accompanying Zaphira on meetings to Udora for six years now, ever since my 22nd birthday. I knew firsthand the relationship between Earth and the Koth. I knew the struggles they’d overcome to make the choosing ceremonies continue; the scandals.
I would have thought of myself as her confidant, of sorts, if Zaphira was the type to confide. Still, I knew how she liked her coffee and eventually knew how to run her operation just the way she liked it.
It was Zaphira’s job as the ambassador of Riddell, the organization put in place to maintain peace with Udora, to ensure everything ran smoothly between our planets. It was my job to do frequent journeys and monthly call-ins with the Koth to make sure Udora was still a safe space for humans to breed.
Funny. I’d used that term hundreds of times in the past. ‘Breeders.' That expression seemed so cold now that I was considered one of the breeders.
“So, are you coming with?” I asked, now desperate to change the subject.
“To your lovemaking swoon fest?” She winked. “I’ll pass.”
“No, idiot, to Udora.”
“Oh thaaat,” she said while drawing out her vowels. “Yes dear, of course. Why?” she asked suddenly, rushing my bag through security and then tossing it back over to me. “You itching for a chaperone?”
“Oh yes, that is me.”
“So, you ever met prince charming before?”
I shook my head. I’d met enough dignitaries by now to have forged a few friendship on the mountainous planet, but never Haden.
I’d been a reporter before Zaphira brought me into Riddell. She’d read several of my pieces regarding a different planet and its geopolitical drama and decided to scoop me up into her fold. I’d gladly accepted, of course. I wasn’t the only woman, nor reporter, who wanted to jump at the chance to meet the Koth.
There had even been several occasions where I’d flirted with the higher ups in passing. Partially to stroke my ego, partially to pass the time, and partially because they were so incredibly sexy.
“Seriously, though,” Anita huffed, jostling me away from my thoughts as she spun in her black leather office chair. “Please don’t be one of those girls who runs off and sleeps with the shifter on the first day. Those couples are never happy.”
“I think it’s kind of romantic,” I said.
“It’s not,” she responded bluntly, stamping the last couple through and pointing them to the nearest exit to the shuttle platform. “It’s just trashy.”
“Aww, they’re just excited.”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”
The sooner a breeder could get pregnant, the more favorably she was looked on by the Koth.
“Here comes Prince Charming now,” she suddenly blurted, spinning back in her chair and watching my match walk through the blue tinted glass doors. Anita stood from her desk as he approached and nodded her hello to the black dragon. “Hello, Mr. Commissioner.”
“What a greeting,” he said in the most charming way possible; his eyes darting behind her to catch my attention. I slid off the desk and straightened my blazer out, suddenly all too aware of how handsome he was.
He had a deep, beautiful skin tone with black scales that seemed to He had short brown hair that was cut to a small fuzz that made him appear even more athletic and fierce, and blazing blue eyes that sat in his strong, square face. There were small patches of crystal shards patched in with his broad scales that I had never seen before on a shifter. These details made me want to get to know him even more.
“Hello again,” I said and tried not to smile like a teenager.
“Hello, Sarra. And may I said how incredibly charmed I am by your accent,” he responded.
Normally I hated when people said this. I’m English, and everyone thinks it’s a compliment to tell me how refined I sound when I speak or how fetching my accent is when, to me, they’re the ones who have the accent. Anita knows my irritation with this and offers a giggle as she buries her head in her hands.
Usually, I’d have some kind of sarcastic quip ready to defend myself with, but instead, I said, “I hope that isn’t all you’ll be charmed by.”
“Something tells me it won’t be,” he said with a smile.
“Ooh!” Anita gasped. “She must like you!”
“So,” he began, turning around for a moment to make sure there were no more couples waiting in the oversized room. “Are we able to leave together, or do you have some business to attend to?”
“No, no,” I said quickly. “I’m ready now. I wouldn’t want to keep my handsome shifter waiting.”
“Handsome, she says,” he said with a wry smile, looking over at Anita with an expression that said he was impressed.
“Oh, you like that, do you?” I asked flirtatiously.
“Sure,” he said with a shrug. “I mean, striking, powerful, and hilarious aren’t bad adjectives either. But handsome will have to do for now, as you’ve yet to know my handful of other pleasing qualities.”
“Pleasing, you say?” I smiled. “I will hold you to that.”
“I wouldn’t expect any less from a diplomat,” he said.
“And what’s up with men and their need to be funny?” I asked and looked to Anita, who gave me an equally passive, confused stare.
Haden’s brows raised far up his forehead and he shifted his arm above his head to scratch his back with a hint of clumsiness. “Is it wrong to want to make a lady laugh?” he asked nervously.
“No, but it’s like that’s the first thing they want us to think,” Anita interrupted. “It’s like once you get in a room with a woman, you all turn into a bunch of comedians.”
“Well, I assure you both my hilarious styling will speak for itself, thank you very much.”
Anita and I giggled amongst ourselves, and then I walked out from behind the counter. He took my hand and kissed it gently, his scales glowing ever so slightly as he made contact with my skin. He wore a blue blazer that perfectly complemented his eyes and black slacks. He was dressed like a gentleman.
“Just don’t think you can sweep her off her feet by giving her the ole’ tour of Udora,” Anita warned, grabbing a stack of papers with one hand while wagging her finger in his direction with her free hand. “She’s seen it!”
“Hello!” I began to laugh. “I can speak for myself, here!”
“I’m not worried,” he said coolly. “I can think of other ways to sweep her off her feet.”
Chapter Two
Haden
Sarra had been sleeping on the ship for days now. It used to take weeks for the shuttle to get to Udora. In the last five years, however, a higher-powered ship had been launched that cut the time in half. This meant it was easier for dignitaries to get back and forth from planet to planet. It also meant there was little time to spend with the woman of your choosing before everyone headed into cryo.
I’d exchanged pleasantries with the ever captivating Sarra before she had to attend to her work that first day on the shuttle. Although more time would have been preferable, I was glad to be with someone who I didn’t have to hand-hold or baby. I’d seen my fair share of choosings come back acting more like children than professional women.
Sarra had been put in cryo exactly one week prior. I had business to busy myself with, but I couldn’t help but visit her each night as the days went by.
Due to unfortunate instances in the past, only those with clearance were now able to enter the cryo chamber. Luckily for me, I had that clearance. I scanned my card through a reader beside the heavily locked doors and stepped into the darkened room.
The space was illuminated only by the light of nearby glowstones. These glowing rocks were collected from the sea depths in Udora’s waters. They shone a somber blue color. Riddell curated
the room to make a more peaceful atmosphere for the girls when they awoke.
Personally, I could do without the stones. They made me feel uneasy, like someone was behind me at all times. And I’d learned the last thing that instilled faith or morale in a crew was to see a member of the Koth skittering across the blue room like a scared rabbit at the slightest noise. Not exactly masculine, either.
“Having fun?” came the familiar voice of my friend Eddrys.
“Buckets and buckets,” I said, my heart racing at the sudden noise.
“Don’t be so jumpy all the time!” he shouted as she laid a hand on my wing. “She’s a beaut, isn’t she?”
I smiled and looked down into Sarra’s pod. She had green eyes and pale skin made whiter by the contrast of her black hair. It fell just above her shoulders, and her bangs were cut straight across her face. She had lovely, almond-shaped eyes that I looked forward to seeing open once more.
“But a shapely thing, isn’t she?” he corrected slightly, taking a closer look at her.
I frowned deeply. Her figure looked just perfect to me. “You’re crazy,” I scoffed. She was incredible. Beautifully pointed breasts and round hips with a cinched waist. I was always a fan of those beautiful hills on a woman’s body.
“Reminds me of Zaphira a bit,”
“Don’t say that,” I frowned, looking down to give her another glance.
“What, devil horns don’t do it for you?”
“Stop,” I laughed. “I have a good feeling about her. Don’t wreck it.”
“I’ve met her,” he shrugged. “She’s a gem in the foreign ministery field, let me tell you.”
“So I hear,” I nodded.
“She’s also one hell of a flirt. I’d watch out for that.”
I thought on that for a moment and then gave a shrug before kneeling down to get a better look at her. “That’s okay. I’m not jealous.”
“Is that so?” he asked with a mischievous raise of his brow. “I’ll keep that in mind when I’m escorting her back to my room for some ‘official business.'”
I gave him a stern look, and his smile faded from his lips as he inspected me. “I was only kidding!” he shouted with a laugh.
“Don’t you have your own mate to attend to?”
“Yeah, Petra.” The green dragon rolled his eyes. “A sight to see, but she’s a real pain in my ass. She’s laid out her plans for the next five years for us. If I’m not dead from exhaustion by then, you’ll find me a ‘very different man.' That’s what she said!” He raised his brows in an exaggerated manner. “Word for word!”
“Well, that would be a sight to see. Here’s hoping it’s a change for the better. Let me know if she has any luck with you, and I’ll have to come and shake her hand.
Eddrys sighed and spun on his heel, brushing his wings back with a hard flap. “How did you get this one and I ended up with my own personal dictator?” He laughed. “Oh yeah, because I didn’t have Zaphira match-making on my behalf.”
“What?”
“Yeah,” he continued with a yawn, glancing back at me. “Apparently Zaphira had a direct hand in your little match there. She does work under Zaphira; you know this, right?”
“I heard, but I thought it was strictly professional.”
Eddrys stared at me dumbfounded for a moment and then laughed. “Well, it’s not like they’re getting handsy with each other, Haden.”
I nodded, but the air in the room had suddenly changed. I looked down into the pod at the beautiful, angular face that met at a pointed chin. I felt my stomach drop. This one may be a challenge after all.
Zaphira was a woman who knew how to get exactly what she wanted. An excellent quality for her job; a bad quality for making friends. In fact, Zaphira had many scoffing in her name across Udora. There were also many who feared her.
I’d heard rumors that she had members of the Koth under her thumb. I’d also heard tales that she’d had a were killed in the past and helped cover it up. There were also reports of a pairing who’d gone missing around the time of one of her diplomatic visits, though the story was largely undocumented. Stories of her deceptive behavior had become so farfetched they’d turned into something of a legend.
If there was one thing the Koth didn’t appreciate, it was meddling.
She didn’t scare me. But the thought of her making a pairing didn’t put me at ease either. I knew enough that if Zaphira was making a personal pairing, it wasn’t without reason. I would just have to find a way to use it against her.
I looked back at the raven-haired woman next to me and bit my lip. Was I being played?
“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Eddrys said casually.
“I’m not.”
He stretched his arms in front of him, locking his fingers together as he did so. “The only thing you’ll have to worry about is your girl coming home with me.”
“Oh yeah?” I dared with a raise of my voice. “How will Petra feel about that?”
He winced at the name and slowly made his way toward the exit, tapping his nose as he passed by me. “Well played, Haden; well played.”
The doors shut with an audible slide and click as they locked, leaving me the only one left in the cryo room. I looked over the pods several times now and couldn’t find anyone as lovely as the one I had chosen.
I set my hands on the glass doors of her pod and leaned in to get a better look at her. A woman working under Zaphira, of all people. The Riddell director had been digging her hands in deep as of late. She’d been fishing for corruption, a flaw in our dealings with the Earth.
If she found any, she would be able to bring an Earthly embassy to Udora. I cringed at the thought. Even though I was part of the Koth, I wasn’t always in agreement with how they let the earth come in and leave their mark.
Our sacred lands and shallow mines were suddenly overrun with humans and tests, taking samples and setting up their hierarchy. They build sky rises, brought in currency, and now had civil rights on our planet. And what did we get in return? Women.
Something about the deal seemed like we didn’t have competent advisors on board at the time. Now they had me. The Koth was made up of 10 dragons and 12 advisors, myself included. Other notables were Koth Eliligan, Chalicien, Umadith, and Ikar – a dignified white dragon who had been serving as a faithful Were soldier and a stand-in representative for the Koth for missions and meetings for 90 years. He’d been promoted officially after a long time Weredragon died four years prior.
He certainly had the experience, but some found him to be a little softhearted for the job. Myself included.
“Everything okay in here?” came the voice of lovely Meghan Klein, a longtime custodian of the shuttles to and from Udora. She stepped into the building with her white lab coat and long, curly blonde hair trailing behind her. Her freckled face always brought an air of innocence to the shuttle missions. But one look into her eyes and you would be aware of the pain that burned within.
“Hello, Meghan,” I said and raised my hand from my kneeling position so as not to startle her.
“Oh, Haden,” she said, pressing her left hand over her heart in relief. “Sorry,” she offered, “but, we’re locking up for the night.”
“Can I interest you in a nightcap?”
She smiled and folded her hands together, but shook her head in decline. “Thank you thought. I prefer to stay with the girls.”
I nodded. “Ah, yes. I’ve heard there was an incident on your flight to Udora.”
She pressed her lips thin and reluctantly gave a nod. “I obviously wasn’t, you know,” she shrugged, “awake for it and all, but I watched the footage. Scary stuff out there.”
“Indeed. That’s why we take precautions now, to protect girls like you.”
“It was my sister, actually.”
I nodded. I didn’t know much about Meghan’s first journey to Udora, but she hadn’t left in five years, so I couldn’t imagine she found it all that excruciating. She stared at me in a way tha
t made me feel like I was expected to know more about her story. But, I didn’t.
In fact, remembering her name seemed like a feat in and of itself. No matter how hard I tried, names always seemed to escape me. In one ear and out the other. Another charming quality of mine that made me absolutely terrible at formal meetings.
She looked like she’d rightly given up on me when I finally remembered a tidbit about her. “How is that boy of yours?” I blurted out, standing up from the pod I had nearly attached myself to.
She smiled and her eyes beamed in the way only a mother’s could. Her face flushed and she gushed, “A handful. Getting to be more and more like his father every day.”
“Ah,” I chuckled. “And how does dear old dad feel about this?”
Her face fell again; her features twisting to some unfathomable pain. Clearly, there was something poignant that I’d missed.
“Uh, well he’s… He’s passed,” she mumbled awkwardly as the room continued to overflow with tension.
I cringed inwardly and berated myself for choosing such a stupid thing to chat about. Why, oh why couldn’t I just pay attention when people were speaking to me?
“I’m sorry to hear that. And that would be…?”
A deep crease formed between her thinly plucked brows, and she deadpanned, “Brenem, the Red Dragon.”
Brenem. Damn.
I pinched the bridge of my nose and looked up at her. “Right, I’m so sorry,” I expressed genuinely. “How could I not know that? He was my cousin.”
This sentiment caused her to brighten somewhat. Perhaps she’d thought I was going to judge her. After all, not only was Brenem a known hot-head, he had also chosen someone else during his time on Earth. Someone who was not Meghan Klein. Making her child one of infidelity and no doubt the scorn of his chosen bride.
Brenem was also an infamously violent fighter. He’d died putting a traitor to death, or so the rumor went.
“I didn’t know you were related,” she said, almost apologetically.
“We weren’t close,” I dismissed. “In fact, I didn’t know him very well at all. But, I’ve heard stories.”
“He had a soft side, too,” she defended in a small voice that almost sounded too tired to bother anymore. “Anyway… I guess I have to ask you to scoot now.”