by Lili Zander
I laugh out loud. “I like the sound of that,” I admit. A sudden high-pitched blare of noise cuts off my next words. “What’s that?” I ask when it subsides, sitting up in alarm.
“Dariux.” Zunix is already untying the boat. “He’s back. Let’s go see what he discovered.”
13
Zunix:
Dariux is alone. I fear the worst and lace my fingers in Olivia’s. “What happened?” one of the human women ask. “Are they dead?”
“No.”
Everyone starts talking at the same time. For a few minutes, there’s a tumult of voices in the camp, and then Liorax claps his hands loudly for silence. “Maybe we should hear what Dariux found,” he says pointedly.
Dariux gives him an ironic bow of thanks. “The rains hadn’t yet started to fall in the Lowlands,” he says. “And I found the Fehrat 1 easily enough. But,” he pauses and looks around at all of us, “it was empty.”
“The scientists were gone? Were they dragged away by predators?”
He shakes his head. “No. The tracks were made by people. Four sets of Draekon tracks led away from the ship. Someone took the scientists.”
“What about Harper? Viola? Ryanna and Sofia? Did you see any sign of them?” Olivia cuts in.
“I’m getting to that,” Dariux says impatiently. “As I was saying, the Fehrat 1 was empty. The dead human and the dead technician had been buried by three people. Two Draekons and one human.”
“How could you tell?” Paige Watkins calls out.
“Humans have smaller feet,” he replies. “As best as I can tell from following the trail they made, they walked toward the mountain range to the east and met up with either three or four Draekons. Those Draekons had come from the direction of the river. Anyway. I followed a lot of trails and eventually found a waterfall. A fight had taken place there, between the predators that litter in the Lowlands and three human women.”
“And?” I roll my eyes at the way Dariux is drawing out the story. He loves the fact that everyone’s hanging onto every single word.
“The predators had been killed. One with a gun, two others with bone knives.” He looks around and smiles widely. “The four women are with Draekons. They are safe.”
Olivia breathes a shuddering breath of relief, and her grip on my hand tightens. Dariux notices and raises his eyebrow in my direction. I shrug blandly in response. If Herrix and Belfox want her, they’re not doing a very good job of showing it.
Speaking of which, where are Herrix and Belfox? I realize I haven’t seen either of them all day. That’s odd. Neither man likes to explore, and they never are too far away from camp.
Belfox had left for an hour yesterday. I’d thought it strange, but I’d been more preoccupied with the thought of Olivia being alone with Herrix. Now, the threads appear connected, and my intuition warns that the two men are up to something.
“We know where they are, right?” Olivia asks. “Let’s go get them.”
Dariux shakes his head immediately. “Even if I wanted to set out again on my skimmer, it’s not possible. It rains in the Lowlands unrelentingly for three months. If you are caught out in the open during the rainy season, it is a death sentence. Your skin will be flayed from the force of the deluge, and your lungs will struggle to find air to breathe.”
“So we wait?” May asks.
“There is no other choice,” Dariux replies firmly. “Your friends are with Draekons. They will be safe and protected. When the rains subside in three months, we will look for them.”
The gathering breaks up, and Dariux comes up to me. “I couldn’t get the luggage hold opened,” he says, his voice heavy with frustration. “The door was jammed. Sorry.”
“It’s fine.” Olivia is happy that the other women are safe, and that’s all that really matters. “Come over tomorrow if you want to use the ThoughtVault.”
If he’s surprised that I’m not holding him to the terms of our deal, he doesn’t show it. He nods. “Thank you.” He gestures to the half-completed building. “This is going well. I admit I wasn’t thrilled with the idea at first, but maybe it’ll be good for us.”
Olivia:
A week after Dariux returns, the Draekons finish building the new treehouse, and we move into the larger space. For the first time since I landed on the prison planet, I sleep in a room by myself, and it feels pretty damn good.
Even with bedrooms of their own, it doesn’t take long for the women to mate with the Draekons.
Paige is the first. “Gotta be honest,” she grins, a few weeks after we arrive at camp. “Once I saw their cocks…” Her voice trails off, and she fans herself. “Ladies, I’m not going to kiss and tell, but let me assure you, they have the equipment, and they know how to use it.”
Bryce turns to me, her eyes dancing with glee. “Three weeks,” she says under her breath. “I called it.”
After they do the deed, Rezzix and Magnux build a new treehouse for the three of them to live in. Felicity goes green with envy at the prospect of having her own house, and I swear that’s what prompts her to shack up with Luddux and Xanthox. It takes May longer, but two and a half months after we arrive, Yasix and Thesix finally win her over.
Things change around camp too. We start eating meals together in the new dining room. The only Draekons that consistently boycott the space are Belfox and Herrix. Herrix can’t stand the idea of giving Liorax credit for anything, and Belfox always follows his lead.
Bryce is passionately interested in everything about this new planet. She adopts an injured baby karvil when its pack abandons it, feeding it by hand patiently until it’s strong enough to hunt on its own. It’s an adorable little thing, shaggy and orange and cat-like, with large yellow eyes and three tails.
“You should name it,” Felicity says, stroking it and cooing to it.
So baby-karvil becomes Fluffy McCutie. Fluffy grows quickly and is soon as big as an adult, but she doesn’t leave our camp. She becomes Bryce’s loyal shadow.
Bryce is also the only one of us who’s interested in the native plants. “Daniel and I used to do a lot of farm-to-table stuff,” she says.
May snorts. “Bryce, sweetie, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it’s all farm-to-table here.”
“I know. Isn’t it awesome?”
Somehow, Bryce manages to sweet-talk Dariux into taking her on expeditions on his skimmer, Fluffy wedged between them. She returns after one of her day-long trips with two sheafs of grain. “What’s this for?” I ask curiously. “Are you trying to make bread?” Not going to lie, I’d kill for a good sourdough.
Her eyes shine with excitement. “No, beer. It should be doable. We just need grain, water, and hops.”
“Barley,” I point out. “Not some strange alien grain.”
She grins. “Well, it’ll be prison planet beer. I don’t really have hops either, but there’s a vine that grows in the woods that smells hoppy, so I’m giving it a go. It can’t be that hard. Women brewed beer in ancient Egypt.”
I chuckle. “Well, at least you have your priorities.”
“Hey, when life gives you lemons... make alien beer.”
I can’t argue with that.
When we’re alone, I corner Bryce. “So what’s the deal with you and Dariux?” I ask her. I’ve been at the camp for nearly three months, but while I know how the other Draekons will react in any given situation, Dariux remains an enigma to me. He seems to have a rivalry going with Zunix, yet I don’t get the sense there’s any malice behind it. He never does anyone a favor, and he’s bitter and grouchy, but he doesn’t really bother me. I’m not sure why. “Are you guys doing it?”
She laughs out loud. “Dariux thinks of me as an annoying little sister. In any case, he’s not my type.”
“You’re okay with the way things are?” I hesitate before I continue. “Everyone’s coupled up. Well, tripled up. Does it bother you?”
She shakes her head. “Maybe the other batch will have a hottie or two I’m interested in,”
she says with a shrug. “But there isn’t anyone here I’m attracted to. It’s not really a priority.”
The days go by. I continue to alternate dates between the two pairs of Draekons. Heeding Liorax’s warning, I ensure I’m never too far away from the camp on my dates with Herrix and Belfox. The more time I spend with the two of them, the more Herrix creeps me out. He’s absolutely obsessed with Liorax, with being Highborn, with the status and wealth he had back home. He seethes with rage about his exile on the prison planet. Belfox is less vocal about it, but it’s clear that he feels the same way.
Zunix and Liorax, on the other hand? Gotta be honest, I’m insanely attracted to them. We’ve fooled around on our dates, but we’ve also talked.
I’m still keeping secrets from them. I still haven’t told them the real reason I was on that spaceship. I’m not the only one though. Liorax never talks about his former bondmate, not that I really expect him to.
Zunix is hiding something as well. He knows far more about the Draekons than he lets on, and he’s never told me why he’s so well-informed.
But despite all our secrets, a connection grows between the three of us.
Why the hell haven’t I jumped these guys yet? What’s holding me back?
I’m not really sure.
Bryce is thriving. She’s making beer, experimenting with baking, and is generally having a fantastic time. Paige, Felicity, and May are happy with their Draekons.
It’s different for me. My identity was entirely tied up in my job. Back on Earth, my only focus was on my career. I’m Olivia Buckner, CIA operative. That’s all I know how to be.
Now, I’m stuck on the prison planet. The Draekons mate for life. My life is being decided for me in a way I’d never anticipated, and I’m not sure I’m ready.
14
Liorax:
The more time I spend with Olivia, the more the dragon inside me wants her. Not just the dragon. If I’m being honest, the man in me wants her too.
So what are you waiting for? Tell her how you feel. Ask her to be yours.
But, though, Olivia is nothing like Kat’vi, fear of repeating the past holds me back. So I play along with Dariux’s contest, even though a very large part of me wants to force the issue and claim Olivia for my mate.
I spend a sleepless night, tossing and turning, my dreams filled with images of the red-haired human woman. Finally, at dawn, I give up on rest and get out of bed. Zunix and I spent yesterday with Olivia, which means, unfortunately, it’s Belfox and Herrix’s turn to spend time with her today.
Stupid contest.
I’m making my way to the clearing when Zunix falls into step with me. “It’s almost three months to the day since we found the human women,” he says.
“It’ll stop raining in the Lowlands soon. Is that what you’re thinking about?” The expedition to find the other women is problematic. Dariux’s skimmer will only hold two people, three in a pinch. Dariux will almost certainly want to be one of them. Who will be the other? I’m not sure. The mated dragons could fly to the other camp, but convincing them to leave their new human mates will be difficult.
His expression is pensive. “Among other things.”
“What’s bothering you?”
“Herrix and Belfox,” he replies. “They’re up to something. Do you know that every time we’re with Olivia, the two of them borrow Dariux’s skimmer and head east?”
“East? To the desert?” I give him a surprised look. “Why? They’ve never been interested in exploring this planet.”
“I don’t know why,” he replies. “But my instincts tell me that they’re up to no good. The timing is suspicious.”
“You could ask Olivia to look into it.” My lips twist into a reluctant grin. “She’s good at getting information out of people.”
Zunix laughs. “She is indeed,” he says, his expression admiring. “But I don’t want to. Whatever Herrix and Belfox are doing, they’re taking efforts to keep it concealed. I don’t want to put her in danger.”
That’s sentiment I can appreciate. Olivia is stubbornly self-reliant, but I still feel the urge to protect her, and my dragon cannot bear the idea of her in any kind of trouble.
“However,” he adds, “I’ve got Dariux’s skimmer today. I’m going to try to figure out what the two of them are up to. Can you ask Olivia to keep them away from the eastern edge of Lake Tuli?”
“She’s going to want to know why.”
Zunix’s eyes twinkle. “And I’ll be happy to tell her.”
Three months ago, I’d been concerned for my friend. His games were starting to take on a hard edge, and I’d been afraid that he’d end up like Dariux, bitter and hostile.
But he’s changed in the last three months, and that’s entirely because of Olivia. Zunix can never leave his spymaster training behind, but he’s lost his unfeeling edge.
“Be careful,” I warn him. “You know I don’t trust Herrix.”
He nods, and we part ways. I continue to the clearing, but when I get there, I’m not alone. Olivia’s there, shooting arrows at her target, her expression focused. She doesn’t hear me come up, and I watch with pleasure as she hits the bullseye three times in a row.
She’s been practicing. She always had some level of skill, but she’s improved by leaps and bounds. I start to clap, and she looks up, startled. When she sees me, her expression softens into a smile. “I didn’t see you,” she accuses me.
My lips twitch. “You always do better when no one is watching, Olivia. You do know I’m onto you, right?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she tells me, biting back her smile. We’ve been playing this game for weeks now, trading truth for truth, and I know it’s only a matter of time before all our secrets are out in the open. “Where’s Zunix?”
She lines up her next shot, and I correct her aim slightly. She smells like the green flowers that grow around the lake, and my cock leaps in my trousers. Her skin is warm and soft, and I ache for her. Constantly.
Claim her, my dragon growls, not for the first time. “He’s wandering around the eastern edge of Lake Tuli,” I reply.
She gives me a sidelong look. “Because Belfox and Herrix keep heading there? Let me guess, Zunix is snooping around today because he knows they’ll be otherwise occupied?”
She smiles at me, her eyes crinkling at the corners, and I find myself returning her smile. “Exactly. That’s what I appreciate about you, Olivia. I never have explain things to you. Zunix told me to tell you that he’ll be very grateful if you keep them away from Lake Tuli today.”
“Will he?” she asks cheerfully. “I’ll have to think of some way to make him repay the favor.”
I laugh. “I’m sure you will.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Herrix and Belfox walking toward us, matching scowls on their faces. “Liorax,” Herrix says coldly as he nears. “What are you doing here?”
If my kinsman is expecting me to be intimidated at his tone, he doesn’t know me at all. “Talking to Olivia,” I reply calmly. “Was that not obvious?”
Olivia bites back a grin at Herrix’s annoyed glance, and then, to my irritation, she gives him a sweet smile. “Shall we go?” she coos. “We’re going on a hike today, aren’t we?”
Jealousy fills my chest. I’m trying to stay calm when Herrix throws fuel on the fire. “He’s been teaching you to shoot?” he demands. “Him?”
His entire life, Herrix has resented me because I was the Firstborn of Laris. My patience snaps. “I have,” I tell him with a smirk. “She’s a very good student. In fact,” I pause and let my smile widen, “I’m pretty sure she’s better than you.”
Olivia raises her eyebrow. What are you doing, she seems to ask.
Belfox can’t be easily baited, but as I expect him to, Herrix reacts immediately to the provocation. “Shall we wager on it?” he says, lifting his chin.
I start to reply, but Olivia cuts in. “Sure,” she says tightly. “What do you want to wager?”
“Not you,” Herrix says dismissively. “Liorax. If I win, Liorax will hunt for me for the next year.” He smiles gloatingly. “I’ve always wanted to be served by the Firstborn of Laris.”
Olivia:
Herrix is a dick.
This situation has trouble written all over it. Part of me wants to defuse it, but there’s also a part of me that’s getting pretty damn tired of Herrix’s ‘women-can’t-do-anything’ attitude. Combative-Olivia wins out.
“Deal,” Liorax says easily. “And if I win, you give up your claim to Olivia.”
I’ve been wondering what on Earth has gotten into Liorax, but when I hear his wager, the dots connect. Clever, clever Liorax. He’s buying me freedom. If Herrix loses this wager, I’ll never have to go out with Herrix and Belfox again.
There’s a lump in my throat. I’ve no doubt that if I lose, Herrix will lord it over Liorax mercilessly. This might be the nicest thing that anyone has ever done for me.
Win or lose, he’s so going to get a thank-you blowjob.
“No.” A smooth voice cuts in. Dariux. The Draekon appears from out of nowhere, moving as silently as the karvil. I hadn’t even heard him approach. “The mating bond is too important to be a prize in a wager.”
Damn it.
I want to press the issue, but I don’t. Dariux is clever and manipulative, and he has managed to win the support of nearly everyone in camp. If I go up against him right now, I will lose.
For the moment, I’ll let his ‘master of the universe’ act go unchallenged.
Liorax frowns. “Fine. If she wins, you give up your time with Olivia for the next month.”
Dariux looks thoughtful, and then he nods. I turn to Herrix, my eyebrow raised. Will he bite?
He does. The prospect of humiliating Liorax is too much to resist. “That is acceptable,” he says. “Do not worry, Olivia,” he adds, his voice dripping with condescension. “This contest is not your fault. You will not shame yourself when you fail.”