by Maia Starr
I was not afraid. I had single-handedly taken down five weredragons in combat before. The rage that I found inside toward my brother for killing our father and for dropping Marissa from the sky was enough to give me the power to take down one hundred weredragons if I needed to in order to get to him.
Bam! I hit one of his warriors straight in the belly charging him, pushing him back at a perfect angle where he would slam straight into the other warrior. I used my sword to slash at both of their wings, and in seconds they were spiraling toward the grass. Traydon looked over his shoulder in fear.
"I am coming for you, brother!" I shouted at him. He took off, flapping his wings faster and moved straight up towards the sky and into the sun. He was trying to use the sun to block my vision. This would not work on me; I flew towards the sun for fun. In fact, it would give me an advantage. Instead of chasing him directly, I flew vertical, straight up into the atmosphere. I saw Traydon look back over his shoulder looking for me. I was well above him, hovering high, looking down at him. He spun around in every direction looking for me, but he was only looking horizontally. This is why he was no good at battle. This is how I was going to defeat him. I positioned myself directly above him and then dove straight down as fast as a falcon.
Boom! I hit him hard and he didn't even know I was coming. His wings folded under him and I used my weight to speed him toward the ground and straight into a rock face. He hit it hard; it was the end of him. I flew up and waited for him to recover. He did not. I picked up his limp body and carried it back toward the battle.
As I approached, I saw Axon and our warriors gathering the defeated warriors of Traydon in surrender. As I approached, flying high with the body of my brother, our warriors cheered in victory. We had won. We had taken back the throne. We had achieved justice and vengeance for my father. He had been right: there could not be two kings to co-rule together. The desire for power was too great and one king would turn against the other, just as my brother had showed with his actions.
"Are you all right?" I asked Marissa as I landed on the ledge where I had left her. She ran to me and threw her arms around me.
"I am fine. Are you hurt?" she asked.
"No. I am not hurt. We have victory," I said to her.
"I am so happy. I was scared I was never going to see you again," she said to me.
"You never have to worry about that," I said as I grabbed her into my arms and wrapped her around me. Then we flew off, back to claim the castle.
I took the castle steps over the city of Cerista. My Drackon of the city had gathered at the base. My brother’s body laid at my feet.
"Drackon! Listen to me! I have sought revenge against my brother for taking your king’s life! We have victory! I reclaim this castle! I am now your king, King Jarith Rykor!"
The crowd cheered. I was glad to have their support. I continued, "Tomorrow, we bury our king with the celebration he deserved! We honor his life and his work as the greatest king that ever lived!" The crowd cheered again.
"After the week of proper funeral celebrations for our king, we will have my official coronation. I will be crowned your new king!" The crowd cheered again.
We climbed the steps into the castle and into the great hall. I took the throne. Before me, in the hall, was Marissa and my many warriors who all knelt down to me. It was a responsibility that I had dreaded for so long, but now I knew that I was the rightful king, and I would do right by the Drackon.
Chapter 11
MARISSA VOLANDER
Watching Jarith in battle was scary, but exciting. He was a very skilled warrior. His extreme skills turned me on as he showed his strength. But what I was coming to love about him was his way of motivating through speech. When he addressed his warriors before battle, I was in awe of him.
Then when he addressed the entire city from the top of the castle steps, my heart was about to burst with love for this alien king. He was strong not only physically, but in the way that he addressed the Drackon. It was unlike anything I had ever seen on Earth. It was like kings of old that addressed their warriors with motivating speeches that made them want to give their lives for their king. It was impressive. It was something that Earth had lost.
Now, as I watched him sit on the throne, I knew one thing was for sure: I was not returning to Earth. For the first time, I wanted to give up everything to be at this warrior’s side. He was everything to me. I hoped that I was everything to him. His father was going to force him to wed me, but Jarith himself never agreed to it.
I was taken back to my room and a guard was placed outside my door, and another on the veranda, just in case. Jarith was taking no chances while he went to secure the castle and deal with many things.
It was the next day before he came to me again. I was excited to see him, but I was also dreading it because there was something very important that I needed to tell him. He walked into my room and came straight to me, giving me a strong hug.
"I missed you. I'm sorry for being gone so long. Many responsibilities to take care of. The funeral begins at noon. I will have a dress brought to you."
"Thank you. I am very sorry about your father. You must feel extreme sorrow," I said to him.
"Yes, it does not feel real yet."
"I am here for you," I said to him.
"I want to speak to you about that," he said.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I do not want you to feel as though you are a prisoner on this planet. My father tricked you into coming here. You have my permission to return to Earth, if you wish. I will make sure that you get there safely. It is up to you," he said.
I was shocked. I thought it was understood that I would be staying with him. But I did not foresee the option of going back to Earth. A part of me didn't want to go back. I missed my life. I had gave up so much and laughed thinking that I would be returning within a couple of months. Now after so much that had happened and after giving my heart to this weredragon, not going back seemed like a normal thing to do.
"Do you wish me to stay?" I asked him.
"I do. I do, greatly, but I do not want to keep you against your will," he said as he brushed the hair away from my face.
"I understand. Can I think on it?” I said to him.
His face sort of dropped into a frown and then he said, "Of course. Take your time. I must prepare for the funeral. A warrior will come escort you down to the celebrations."
"Wait. There is something very important that I must tell you. It is hard for me to say it," I said to him.
His face grew in anger and he said, "What did my brother do to you? Did he take you? Did you fuck him?" he growled the words.
"No! Nothing like that."
"Good. I can't bear the thought of him inside of you. I want to be the only one," he said pulling me near him and kissing me.
I got lost in his kiss, and it felt good to be alone with him in a romantic way. I pressed my hands against his hard chest and enjoyed every inch of him. Then I pulled myself away; it was time to come clean.
"I have to tell you something."
He moaned at the fact that I had stopped a passionate moment. I moved over to my jewelry box and took out the velvet bag. I poured out the scales. He moved over to them and looked at them and then looked at me.
"What's this? Why do you have these?" he asked. His brows furrowed.
"It's a long story. But it was part of my mission for Gladonetics Corporation. We didn't know exactly what the king wanted with Gladonetics Corporation. But this is what Gladonetics wants, the technology in the dragon scales. I was to take them back so that we could study them and try to replicate the material."
"You, Marissa, are stealing from us?"
"Yes. I'm sorry, Jarith. I was taking my job very seriously at the time, and I did not know any of this was going to happen. That is why I am showing you now?"
"You betrayed me. I have had enough betrayal for a lifetime. Now I am getting it from you as well?!" he shouted. He was very angry
.
"You betrayed me as well! You let me believe I was on this trip for advancements between the Drackon and Gladonetics. That was not the case, and you knew it."
"That is not the same thing!" he shouted.
"Yes it is!"
"No! Your betrayal would affect an entire society. Not just one human! I cannot trust you. You are going back to Earth!" he shouted as he grabbed the scales and stomped out of the room.
"Wait! Please don't leave," I said after him. But he had already left. I was hurt. I knew that he would not be happy about the corporate espionage that I had pulled, but I had to tell him; I could not keep the secret from him. Now I regretted it.
Now it was no longer my choice whether I would return to Earth. He was sending me back regardless if I wanted to go or not. My heart sank. I felt sick to my stomach. I felt nauseous. I moved to the veranda to get some fresh air. The guard was posted on the wall. He nodded to me. I was going to nod back to him but instead… I threw up.
I couldn't believe how much this was affecting me and making me sick. My stomach was in knots. Then it hit me.
"Shit."
"Lady, are you all right? Shall I get someone for you?" the guard said as he came toward me.
"No, just a little nauseous. I will be fine," I said, moving back inside to the bathroom. I splashed water on my face. When was the last time I had my period? It was on the spaceship, on the journey here. I couldn't believe it. I was pregnant. Jarith was the father. I was pregnant with the child of the king, and he wanted nothing to do with me. I collapsed to the floor in tears at my luck.
A few hours later, I was at the funeral celebrations for the king. It was a mournful parade through the city with the king's body hoisted high in the air. Weredragons flew high above the city in circles following the parade. They would dive and swoop and soar high in the sky doing tricks and spirals. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. I was not at Jarith's side. It was where I wanted to be. I watched him be the regal prince that had turned king in the funeral procession. My heart ached to be near him, and I wished that I had not told him about the scales. Now that I knew I was carrying his child, a weredragon human hybrid.
In the great hall, a large feast was set up and a celebration filled the space. It was a celebration of life for the king. Jarith sat on a platform at a table with his lieutenants on either side of him. I wanted to be sitting next to him. I wanted to tell him that I was with child. But a part of me wanted him to want me simply because he wanted me, not because he had to because I was with child.
If he found out that I was pregnant he would not allow me to go to Earth; he would keep me here, but he would still be angry toward me. I did not want that. But I was not sure if space travel was safe for a pregnant woman. It seemed like it would not be. I felt very sad knowing that I would have to stay on Mooreah and have Jarith hating me.
He looked at me. I did not see hate in his eyes, I saw hurt. I saw betrayal. I had messed up.
Chapter 12
KING JARITH RYKOR
Marissa had betrayed me, and the entire Drackon race. She was here for her own, corporate greed. It made me sick. It made me sick to think I had fallen in love with her and did not know that she had a secret agenda, a mission. How could I ever trust her again? But I wanted to. I wanted to put it all aside. I wanted her to be at my side today at the coronation instead of in the audience where she had been for my father's funeral.
A week had passed and I had not visited her once. The guards that I had placed at her door were for her safety after what happened with my brother. But after she told me what she had done, those guards were now there to keep her from roaming the castle. She could not be trusted.
I made arrangements for her to be sent back to Earth, but that mission would not launch for another week. There was just too much going on in Cerista with the death of my father, the mutiny from my brother, and claiming the throne as the new king.
"We are ready for you, King Rykor," Axon said as he came into my room.
"Thank you; I am ready," I said.
Moments later, I was sitting on the throne as the crown that my father wore was placed on my head.
"I now grant you, Jarith Rykor, King of Mooreah."
The crowd cheered. My eyes focused on one face in the audience: Marissa's. She looked at me with longing. I wanted to go to her. I wanted her to be at my side as my queen, as my father had intended. She looked sad.
The coronation celebration began. A feast was served. Music played. I moved down to the tables and stood right in front of her. She looked at me with surprise.
"Will you dance with me?" I asked her. I was still mad at her, but I could not resist. I missed her scent. I missed touching her. A dance would have to do for now.
"Yes, I would like that," she answered. I took her hand in mine and let her out on the dance floor. It was obvious that everyone was watching whom the king was dancing with. But it was no secret who she was. After the battle, everyone knew about the human female that I had rescued from my brother.
On the floor, I pulled her close to me. She was so small. Her head moved against my chest as she looked up at me. She was delicate and I breathed in deep of her scent.
"I have to tell you something," she whispered to me as she stared up into my eyes. I wanted to kiss her trembling lips, but I had not forgiven her. I didn't know if I could ever forgive her.
"It is no use. Whatever you have to say, you are going back to Earth," I said to her out of anger and spite, even though it was not what I truly wanted.
"I do not think that journey would be safe for me," she said to me.
"I will make sure it is safe. The threat of my brother and his followers has been abolished. You have nothing to fear," I said to her.
"I was not thinking of my safety, but that of the child that I carry. A youngling. It is yours," she said.
Her words shocked me. It was not what I was expecting her to say. A smile came across my face. I was filled with happiness. She smiled at me. Then I remembered her treachery. I grabbed her hand and led her off of the dance floor, through the castle, and up to my quarters.
"Tell me again," I said to her once I had her alone.
"I am pregnant. It has to be yours," she said to me.
"Is this a clever trick? You do not want to go back to Earth. This is your way of staying. Of trying to get me to forgive you," I said as I grabbed her shoulders and stared at her.
The smile faded from her face. I had hurt her once again. "How can you say that to me? I would never lie about such a thing. I am sure there is a way that the Drackon have of finding out the truth on this. Why would I lie about it, knowing that you are able to find out if I am pregnant? That you are able to find out if it is yours? It is only a matter of time before you have those answers for yourself. Why would I lie about it?" she said as she moved away from me and sat down on the bed.
She began to cry. I felt for her. She was in fact on a foreign planet. She was away from her home. She had been through a lot and her life had changed completely. It was my fault. I had brought her here. I had seduced her. Now, she must be frightened to be pregnant with a hybrid child, and I was treating her like shit instead of comforting her.
I sat beside her and put my arms around her, "I am so sorry, Marissa. I have treated you wrongly. You must feel very frightened right now. I am here for you."
"Does that mean you are happy? Does that mean you want this child with me?" she asked.
"I do. In fact, when you first told me, I thought of nothing else but pure happiness. So much has come between us. I want it to be good; I want it to be honest."
"That is what I want as well, Jarith. It is the only thing I want. I want to stay here with you and have this child."
"That is not what I want," I said to her.
She looked at me in sorrow and said, "I understand."
"No, you do not understand. What I mean is that I want you to not only stay here and have my child, but I want you to be my wife and to be
my queen. Let us be a proper family," I said, planting a kiss on her lips. She kissed me back and wrapped her small hands around my neck, pushing her fingers into my hair, her favorite thing to do.
I was going to have a hybrid child. Marissa did not know what this meant. It was something that many craved; the Drackon held It in high regard.
I pulled away from her and said, "There will be something different about our child if it is a son," I said.
"What is that?" she said with a smile.
"When human females and male Drackon mate, it produces a weredragon that has never been seen on this planet before until we started mating with the humans. It is a weredragon that when it shifts, the scales and wings are not the colors that we are used to. Instead, it is many colors, vibrant blues, greens, yellows, oranges."