Zadri (Scifi Alien Weredragon Romance) (Dragons of Preor Book 5)

by Celia Kyle

  He’d explored her until she nearly passed out from the pleasure and then helped her into the bathing chamber to relax while he saw to things. When she’d opened her mouth, ready to offer to help him see to things, he brushed his lips across hers, ordered her to rest, and then disappeared.

  The rest of the night had been polite of all things. No more kisses. No more passion. No more screaming his name. Had she wanted all of that?

  She didn’t know and that was probably why he’d stopped. He’d given her what she wanted and taken nothing for himself. She wondered what that said about him—and her.

  Those were things she could think about later. Like, when she wasn’t standing just inside medical’s doors, waiting for Healing Master Whelon and Nurse Butler’s attention.

  They both focused on another pregnant—bearing and wasn’t that a weird term—woman sitting on a nearby platform, feet dangling high above the floor. The two women chatted, Nurse Butler—a human-Preor mate who specialized in obstetrics—asking questions while the Preor male used some device to scan the patient. Every so often he would glance over his shoulder, gray eyes meeting Delaney’s, and she noted the worry filling his gaze. Worry over… what?

  Was the other woman ill? Was something wrong with her baby? Delaney cradled her own stomach, running her palm over the rounded mound. She wouldn’t know what to do if something was wrong with her child. She wouldn’t—

  “For the love of the skies, Whelon, quit it,” Nurse Butler snapped at the large male.

  His voice was low, hardly a murmur, when he responded. She wasn’t sure what he said, but Nurse Butler didn’t even try to keep her voice down while she glared at the male. “No, we don’t. You’re a healing master and we have two pregnant women. Do you know how many patients the average obstetrician sees a year? Hundreds. We don’t need one healing master per woman.”

  The male’s wings twitched. “A bearing woman’s needs supersede—“

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah…” Nurse Butler waved him away and then turned her attention to Delaney. “Delaney?”

  A tinge of unease slithered through her, making her take a small step back. “Yeah?”

  Maybe today wasn’t the day to see the doctor. She could… come back when he wasn’t glaring.

  “Tell Whelon how long you had to wait for appointments on Earth.”

  “In general or…” She waved a hand at her belly.

  “Both? Either?”

  “A month for a regular appointment, two to three for my gynecologist.”

  “Barbarians,” Whelon hissed long and low.

  “You know, maybe this isn’t a good time…” She backed away, shoulders pressed against the wall.

  Their patient hopped from the platform, pushing past the arguing healers with a roll of her eyes. “Ignore them. I have for the last twenty minutes.” She waddled toward Delaney, one hand pressed to her lower back the other extended toward her. “I’m Lana. You must be Delaney.”

  The Preor growled. “Lana, you must not risk—“

  “By the skies, it’s not a risk,” Nurse Butler snarled right back. “Human women can—“

  Instead of shaking Delaney’s hand, Lana hooked her arm around Delaney’s, leading her toward one of the other platforms. “Preor are a leetle bit overprotective and when I come in, Whelon’s instincts go into overdrive. He’s going to be impossible now that he has two bearing women to care for.”

  Delaney frowned and shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

  The nurse suddenly appeared at their side. “I’m Carla, he’s Whelon, and he wants to wrap you both in cotton until you present your children.”

  “Cotton is not a sufficient material to properly protect—“

  Carla groaned. “Whelon.”

  The massive Preor froze in place and narrowed his eyes at Carla, his wings twitching. “That was human sarcasm.”

  “Yes,” Carla huffed.

  Whelon sniffed and tugged on his robes before running his hands down the front. Then he turned to face Delaney. “Ignore the human female. She is a barbarian.”

  It wasn’t until that moment, that full look at Carla, that Delaney realized who she was. She swallowed hard, voice no more than a rasp. “You.”

  “Me?” Carla pointed at herself, eyebrows raised.

  Delaney tried to focus on the nurse’s face, mind toying with her.

  Carla was in front of her, fine and whole.

  Then she was a ragdoll, tossed through the winds, broken and bleeding.

  She was smiling widely in medical.

  Then she was backing away, the wind whipping at her hair a split-second before she was grasped in midnight claws.

  Carla was happy with a teasing glint in her eyes.

  She was terrified, tears coating her cheeks.

  Carla’s blonde hair shined in medical’s soothing light.

  It clung to her skull, soaked with blood.

  The memories and reality continued to flicker, bouncing back and forth, tugging at her mind while adrenaline flooded her blood. Her heartrate increased, pounding out a rapid rhythm while her lungs fought for air until she was panting, struggling for breath.

  Well. Dying. Clean. Bloody. Smiling. Crying.

  It was an unending circle, spinning round and round while her mind was flooded with memories that weren’t her own, yet they were.

  “Delaney?” Carla touched her arm and she jumped, jerking out of reach and backing away until she came up against the platform. “Calm down. Everything’s fine.”

  Carla’s voice was soothing, but she wasn’t going to be soothed by platitudes. Not when she’d witnessed the woman’s near-death, thousands of feet above the sea.

  “I saw…” Delaney shook her head, fighting to banish the thoughts, but they wouldn’t leave. Not until she got the words out. “I saw you dying.”

  Everyone froze—even Whelon snapping his mouth shut—and stared at her.

  “What do you mean?” The nurse’s voice was soft, calm.

  Alive.

  Alive and real and Delaney wasn’t tied to that male while he carried Carla through the air. She wasn’t.

  “I… Didn’t Chashan send…” She would really prefer not to rehash if Chashan sent her records on.

  Whelon actually glared at Carla. “Carla would not allow me to—“

  “Tell me.” Carla’s voice overrode the disgruntled healer’s.

  Staring into blue eyes she recognized. Delaney told them what she’d experienced.

  She recounted seeing Ballakin for the first time and then the terrifying events after. The falling. The pain. The blood.

  The end.

  And then… the waves of calming. She’d forgotten about those times. When a feeling of contentment—almost happiness—would wash over her in a gentle wave. A hint of desire was ever-present and with it came a nearly loving embrace. The scents of heat and spice were somewhere in her memories, too. The aroma intimately twined with the feelings of ease, the trust that suffused her.

  “The nightmares became less… sharp with time and instead I felt…” Delaney rubbed her forehead, trying to put a name to the emotions she’d experienced.

  “Loved.” Carla gave her a soft smile.

  She shook her head, denying the woman’s word without hesitation. “I’ve never been loved.”

  But she had loved. She loved the child inside her. She loved Zad—

  She snapped the door closed on that thought, shoving it back and pushing it out of sight. A few hours and a couple orgasms didn’t form an emotional bond. It was too soon and weird and they didn’t know each other. And that just reminded her about the Knowing.

  Along with the questions she had about the phenomena.

  “Can the Knowing do that? I mean, what I described? With sharing Balla—“ The events fresh in her mind, she found it difficult to say the male’s name. “With sharing his sight?” Whelon stood nearby, motionless, staring at her. His face had paled, the healthy flush of his tanned skin now so light she wondered i
f he’d died. “Healing Master Whelon?”

  She would have—should have—asked Carla, but the woman’s eyes overflowed with tears, clear rivulets coursing down her cheeks, and Delaney regretted the retelling. She was also thankful she hadn’t mentioned Ballakin’s passing thoughts about abusing Carla sexually.

  The doors to medical parted and a large, pink Preor strode into the room. His face was a study in harsh lines, and fury sparked in his eyes. “Shaa kouva?”

  The words were a sweet endearment, but his tone was anything but tender.

  Without a word, Carla spun and ran to the massive warrior—obviously her mate if the endearment and gentle way he held her were any indication. Low words were exchanged between them and then Carla was lifted into the male’s arms and carried from the room without another glance in their direction.

  Delaney raised her eyebrows in silent question, and Lana supplied the answer. “Mated couples can share thoughts and feelings. And there is more than one reporting of a male and female sharing sight and sensation, as well.”

  Yeah, she knew it. In her heart she’d known, but she hadn’t had the courage to ask the Knowing. It was easier to delay the inevitable.

  “But that does not explain your connection to Defense Master Zadri,” Whelon murmured. “It is impossible for a female to—“

  Medical doors slid open again, and Whelon sighed. They all watched a wingless purple warrior stride into the space, his massive size nearly swallowing up every inch of the area with his presence.

  “Lana,” the male growled and Lana rolled her eyes. “Your ah-point-ment is finished and it has resulted in your discomfort. It is time to rest.”

  The woman just smiled and padded toward him, hands resting on her stomach. “I’m fine.”

  “No. Rendan commed that he would be delayed because his mate was in need of him. If she was in need then you are in need and you will come.” He even went so far as to cross his arms over his chest.

  Lana snorted but didn’t back away from his forbidding glare. “Uh-huh. Let’s go talk in the hall. This is Delaney’s time with Whelon.” The woman twined her arm around her mate’s and leaned against the large male. Lana smiled and laughed, but her distress and exhaustion were visible from where Delaney sat. “Delaney, it was nice meeting you. I know you got here on your own, but I’ll leave one of my guards here for you since I know Zadri has a shift this morning. Luzan will make sure you make it back to your rooms okay.”

  Delaney didn’t need a babysitter. The Knowing had gotten her to medical, hadn’t it? But she couldn’t exactly turn down the war mistress.

  “That’d be great.” She forced her lips to form a smile. With that, she was alone. Alone with a massive warrior who’d argued with Carla, growled at Lana, and essentially called her a liar. “So.” She kept that fake grin in place. “Where do we start?”

  Whelon reached out and pulled a datapad free. “You experience the Knowing? Even now?”

  “Yes,” she nodded.

  “Then we shall test your blood and I will provide you with various mental challenges. A female…” He stared at her, head tilted. “A female cannot experience the Knowing with any other than her mate.”

  “I am experiencing it with my mate.”

  He shook his head. “A female only has one mate. The Preor have even attempted genetic manipulation to encourage matching and have been unsuccessful. It is impossible to force the Knowing or we would have long before now.”

  Delaney shrugged. “I guess I’m the exception to the rule.”

  Whelon grunted. A sound she interpreted as “we’ll see.”

  “I shall start with the blood.” He tapped a button on the platform, a hidden compartment sliding into view. A single hypo lay within and he lifted it from its home. “And when Zadri arrives, I can compare your genetics.” He pressed it to her arm, the small device snatching a droplet of blood. “I will also retrieve a sample of your first mate’s blood for additional comparison.”

  Her first mate’s. Delaney mentally shook her head. She didn’t want anyone to refer to Ballakin as her first mate. Zadri was her only. Ballakin had been an abnormality.

  Delaney fought to change the subject, steering away from Ballakin. She’d already thought about him too much for the day. “When is Zadri supposed to come by?”

  With luck, she could scurry away before he showed. Embarrassment over her behavior still rode her hard, the knowledge that she’d practically stripped for a near stranger almost strangling her.

  “He agreed to a time that coincided with yours, but he has not yet appeared.” Whelon frowned while Delaney mentally rejoiced. She wasn’t ready to see him just yet. Maybe she’d be over her embarrassment in a decade or so. “I will comm him once your testing is underway.”

  The healing master pressed the hypo to her arm once more, drawing another snippet of her blood from her body.

  “The, uh, mental challenges? Can they be done in my—I mean, our—rooms?”

  “Do I displease you?” He placed the hypo back into its drawer. “Carla has indicated females are prone to avoiding physicians if they are displeased with their care. Do you wish to leave because I have displeased you?”

  “No.” She tried to think of a reason other than the truth that she could give him. She rubbed her belly, anxiousness overtaking her, and the resulting nudge from her baby told her what she needed. “The baby just tires me out. I thought I could go back to our rooms and rest a little before I dive into the tests. But if you want me to stay, I can…”

  Whelon immediately abandoned her, pressing his thumb to the identipad to make the doors open. “What a bearing woman desires rises above all else. You must return to your rooms immediately. I will comm Zadri and demand his presence while you return to your suite for rest and comfort.”

  She hated lying. At least a little. But she wasn’t ready to tell all.

  “That sounds great.” She padded forward with a smile—a real one. “I’ll try and come back later.”

  “As you wish.” Whelon tipped his head in acknowledgment.

  Delaney stepped into the hallway, coming face to face with an orange male she didn’t recognize. “Luzan?” He didn’t say a word, mimicking Whelon and tipping his head. Okay then, not all Preors were big on conversation. “Great. I’m just heading back to our rooms.”

  Another silent nod.

  Keeping her smile in place, even if it had turned into a fake grin, she padded ahead of him, slowly making her way down the hallway. She glanced over her shoulder every so often, finding Luzan’s gaze alternating between staring at her and scanning the corridor.

  Maybe he just took his job seriously. He was a guard to the war mistress. He had to be pretty skilled and important to have that position. Delaney doubted he was kept on duty because of his stimulating conversation and more because he could kick ass.

  So, she’d take a brooding, glowering Preor over one who would want to chat with her.

  She took another peek at him, at his deeply furrowed brow and the lines of his frown. A shiver chased up her spine, body reacting to the emotions she saw but couldn’t quite interpret. Sadness. Determination. Regret? She narrowed her eyes, continuing on her path while looking back at him now and again. Why would he feel regret?

  Delaney wasn’t sure. She did know that she had her own dash of regret. Mainly because while she was staring at Luzan, she didn’t pay attention to her path. Which meant, she didn’t see the obstacle laying on the ground. She didn’t know what sent her flying through the air. Or rolling across the grated floor, metal digging into skin, until finally, she hit a wall with a sickening thud. Her belly collided with the hard surface while an agonizing jolt of pain overwhelmed her senses.

  And then… there was the wetness between her thighs.

  7

  Rendan’s war blade nearly separated Zadri’s head from his body. He ducked, the gleaming length whistling as it passed over his head. While crouched, he punched his opponent in the gut, making the warrior grunt and
jerk. It did not hurt the male much, but it gave Zadri the opportunity to flex his wings. A quick beat and he flipped up and back—out of Rendan’s reach.

  That did not mean Zadri was safe.

  Taulan and Kozav stood ready, each of them taking turns attacking him. Sometimes it was one on one and others as a group. Regardless, the three were intent on hurting him as much as possible. Zadri was just as determined to send the three limping to medical and bleeding from more than one wound.

  “Is that all you have, dry scale?” Zadri grinned at Rendan, the male a perfect match for him. It was what brought the two of them together—determined their positions within the fleet.

  Rendan was the offense master to Zadri’s position as defense master.

  Rendan snorted. “Hardly, hatchling.”

  Taulan and Kozav lingered in his periphery, probably waiting for the right moment to engage him as well. It was a constant battle, spinning from one warrior to another, each with their own fighting style. It invigorated him, this rush of adrenaline as their blades struck and blood flowed. It helped him work off the sexual frustration that still filled him after his chaste night.

  He did not regret the taste of Delaney on his tongue and her cries still rang in his ears. It’d been a delicious torment, but a torment nonetheless. He’d restrained himself, forced his body under control and denied himself the pleasure of his mate’s body.

  Not until she is ready to accept me fully. She took his pleasure, but would Delaney someday take him? He was not sure. Which was why he resisted until those heartfelt words passed through her lips.

  Shaa kouvi.

  “Hatchling?” Zadri swung his blade, and Rendan blocked the strike, vibrations snaking up his arm with the collision. He whipped his other sword through the air, forcing Rendan to split his attention between the two. “Better to be young and strong than old and weak.”

  He pushed the warrior back with a well-placed foot to the gut, sending Rendan stumbling. The rustle of wings was the only warning he received about another attack, the slide of scales on scales coming from his right as Kozav came forward.