Abducted by the Dragon Lords: A Paranormal SciFi Reverse Harem Romance (Dragon Shifters of Kiyria Book 1)

by Lexa Lumos

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Jane hissed as Brea whimpered.

  “I’m not being ridiculous,” Carla said primly. “We don’t know these aliens from Adam. They could eat people. They look like the type.”

  “More than likely they’re trying to prevent us from mating with the Kiyrians,” Anya said, refusing to let her imagination run wild. This was no time for ridiculous hypothesis. Not if they were to survive. “They’ve been trying to destroy them for ages. This is just another step in their plan. We mean nothing to them.”

  “Then why don’t they flush us out the nearest airlock?” Jane asked.

  Anya clenched her fists. “I don’t know, but I’ve got a bad feeling.”

  “A feeling like they might be studying us?” Jane asked. “Yeah, I get that, too.”

  “Makes sense if we’re the only species compatible with the Kiyrians,” Anya said. “Erys said humans are immune to the bioweapon the Krull used on Kiyria. They’d want to develop something new, so they probably have to study us.”

  “They’re going to do to us what they did to the Kiyrian woman?” Brea whispered.

  “Not if we have something to say about it,” Jane said. “We need a plan.” She turned to Anya. “What do you think?”

  Anya froze. What did she think? She thought she was about to have a meltdown, but she couldn’t. Not here. Not when they were still in danger. Why did they turn to her to fix things?

  She shoved her bangs out of her eyes. “We’re going to wait and watch for an opportunity. Once we have one, we’re out of here. We’ll head for escape pods or whatever they’ve got. You can fly one, can’t you, Jane?”

  Jane snorted. “Probably. Maybe.”

  “And go where?” Carla demanded. “If you’re right, they’ll just kill us on Earth.”

  Anya sighed, closing her eyes a moment. There was only one way they’d be safe. To make sure Earth was safe. “We have to find the Kiyrians.”

  “Back to those monsters that kidnapped us?” Carla squealed.

  “They’re not monsters!” Anya was surprised by her defense of them. “They kidnapped us, yes, but they didn’t have much choice, did they? Humans have done far worse to survive.”

  “Doesn’t make it right,” Carla muttered, fussing with her beads.

  No, it didn’t. Something she’d have to chat to her triad about when she got back to them. If she got back to them.

  It didn’t escape her that she’d thought of them as “her” triad, but she decided not to examine it too closely. She didn’t have time to think about it right now anyway. If one man could hurt her, what could three do?

  Chapter 12

  The three tiny ships hovered in the shadow of the planet called Pluto, just out of sight of the massive Krull vessel. Despite the bristle of antennae all over the ship, they were invisible to their enemies for the moment.

  “On my mark,” Taryk said, his knuckles white as he gripped the arms of his chair.

  “Aye.” Vaden’s voice crackled over the comm.

  Jarys echoed, “Aye.”

  “Mark!”

  Jarys’s ship streaked around the planet, uselessly laying down fire across the alien ship’s hull. The Krull ship immediately returned fire, which the Kiyrian ship easily dodged.

  Using the distraction as cover, Taryk and Vaden dodged beneath the Krull warship, coming at it from different angles.

  Taryk brought their ship up under the Krull vessel, attaching to it like a leech. Within moments, Fen had burned a hole through the hull with a plasma saw, giving them access to the interior.

  The three of them slid through, landing in what appeared to be a storage bay. The lights attached to their uniforms barely penetrated the darkness, showing the hulking shadows of stacked crates. Food and weapons to feed the Krull war machine, no doubt.

  Fen used a handheld device to scan the ship. “According to my readings, the women are being kept together in holding cells one level down.”

  “The Krull?” Taryk asked.

  Fen shook his head. “The largest concentration is focused on the attacking vessel, but there are still several dozen between us and the cells and another few guarding the cells themselves.”

  “Damn,” Taryk hissed. This wasn’t going to be as easy as he’d hoped.

  “Shift?” Erys asked.

  He nodded. “It’s the only way.”

  Fen grinned. “Don’t have to ask me twice.”

  One moment three men stood in the bay. The next, three massive dragons with glittering gold scales and very sharp teeth had replaced them. Good thing the Krull were big bugs. Their ship interiors were even more generously proportioned than Kiyrian vessels.

  In dragon form, they had no need of weapons. Taryk let out a roar and charged through the bay door and down the corridor. Around a bend was a huddle of bugs. One got off a shot, but it skittered off his scales. He blasted them with his inner fire, and the bugs turned to ash.

  Behind him, Fen let out an encouraging roar.

  “Don’t burn down the ship ’til we get off,” Erys admonished in dragon tongue.

  The corridor opened into a large cross junction. Right in the middle were at least a dozen bugs. Several raised their weapons to fire, but Taryk and his brothers waded in, swinging claws and tails. A bug soared through the air and hit the bulkhead with a sickening crunch, yellow-green slime sliding down the wall. Another lost several limbs to a swipe of Taryk’s claw.

  Laser fire ricocheted off the bulkhead, occasionally streaking over his scales. It was uncomfortable, but his scales were nearly impenetrable. Unlike his humanoid flesh, his dragon skin protected him better than any armor.

  His brothers roared and swiped, tearing through the Krull like paper. The Krull might be deadly enemies in space, and ruthless in their use of bioweapons, but hand to hand, they were no match for Kiyrians. Within a few moments, the attackers had been decimated.

  “Where to?” Taryk asked.

  “Escape pod bay,” Fen said, glancing at his device. “The women are on the move.”

  THE FLOOR VIBRATED under Anya’s palms. A barely noticeable shudder, but it was there. It came again. “I think the ship is under attack.”

  “Are you sure?” Jane asked, glancing back over her shoulder from where she’d been inspecting the force field emitters on the cell.

  “Pretty sure. Feels like it did when the Krull attacked us, but not as big. Like the attack ships are smaller or something.” She stood up, dusting off her palms. The floor had been...gritty.

  “Has to be the Kiyrians,” the dark-haired woman who’d introduced herself as Eden said. Though Anya didn’t remember seeing her on the ship, the bugs had thrown Eden in the cell with them. “Who else would come for us?”

  “Maybe we can use this to our advantage,” Jane mused.

  Brea chewed her thumbnail. “How?”

  Anya got to her feet, eyeing the space. The lights flickered as the shudder came again. Outside the cells, the guards chittered in aggravation. Or at least she assumed it was aggravation. It was hard to tell. They spoke too quickly for her translator to pick it up.

  As the shudder came a fourth time, the force field flickered. “There.” She pointed. At the junction of force field and wall was a row of emitters. “Next time the shield flickers, we’ll short out the emitters.”

  “And how do we do that?” Eden asked.

  “I will pray,” Carla said.

  Anya ground her teeth but restrained herself from saying something mean. “I’m sure that will be very useful, Carla. Jane? Any ideas?”

  Jane grinned and tapped her metal belt buckle. “I think I can manage something, but what do we do once the shield is down? The cockroaches are still hanging out in the hallway.”

  “They’re distracted,” Anya said. “We let out the other women and then run like hell.”

  “We’re not faster than the bugs,” Eden pointed out. “At least I’m not.” She grinned ruefully as she indicated her plump figure.

  “None of us are,” Anya ass
ured her, “but we’re smaller. We can fit places they can’t. We head straight for the nearest docking bay and grab whatever ship we can. Get the fuck out of here.”

  “Then what?” Brea hugged herself.

  Anya let out a huff of air. “Hopefully Eden is right, and it’s the Kiyrians attacking the Krull. We know they’ll take us back onboard their ship, and maybe we can talk them into protecting Earth. It’s in their best interests to do so.”

  Jane nodded. “Worth a shot. Vane is a reasonable man.” She slid her belt out of its loops and crouched by the bottom emitter. “Ready.”

  The ship shuddered again.

  “Now!”

  The field flickered. Jane jammed her metal belt buckle into the emitter and tumbled back. Eden grabbed her before she hit the deck. The force field tried to reestablish itself. The emitter sparked brightly and buzzed. Fire flashed, and she smelled hot metal.

  There was a fizzing sound, and the force field died.

  Anya didn’t hesitate. She charged into the corridor. The bugs swiveled toward her, but she didn’t wait. She ran past the front of the cells, slamming her palm against the release plates. As each force field went down, women poured into the corridor. Angry, pissed off women.

  One of the bugs raised a weapon. Three women overwhelmed him with cries of, “Down with the patriarchy!”

  Anya had no idea what gender the bugs were, and she didn’t care as long as they got off this damned ship. “This way!” She waved at everyone to follow her.

  The women charged after her, now armed with weapons she doubted any of them knew how to use and a lot of rage. A lifetime of it, apparently.

  She’d paid attention when they were dragged aboard. It had been hard telling the difference between one corridor and the next. Superficially they all looked the same. But she’d noticed the hatches, and the dashes that made up the Krull language, varied enough she could more or less figure out where to go.

  They were nearly to the shuttle bay when they entered a wide T-junction. She came to an abrupt halt, the rest of the women stumbling to a stop behind her.

  “What fresh hell is this?” Jane muttered.

  “Oh, dear,” Eden said, shoving a lock of dark hair out of her face. “I’ve been reading too many paranormal romance novels.”

  “You and me both,” Anya agreed.

  Standing in front of them were three honest-to-god dragons!

  The largest one threw back its head and let out a roar that shook the corridor.

  Chapter 13

  “What the actual fuck?” Anya muttered.

  “Sweet jeebus,” Jane agreed.

  Brea stared.

  Carla passed out, still clutching her rosary.

  The other women emitted varying degrees of screams, moans, and whimpers. Except for Eden, who appeared perfectly calm if a little stunned.

  Anya.

  She whipped her head toward the smallest of the three dragons, though “small” wasn’t exactly the right way to describe him. He was a massive beast, scaled in gold and silver, with flaming golden eyes, not unlike the other two.

  Anya, it’s me.

  She blinked. “Erys?”

  The dragon’s lips drew back in what she interpreted as a grin, although it was the most terrifying she’d ever seen, showing rows of sharp teeth. He let out a sound that was suspiciously like a laugh.

  Jane squeaked.

  Anya laughed. “Don’t worry. That’s Erys, and I assume the other two are Fen and Taryk.”

  The middle dragon bobbed his head. The biggest let out another roar.

  “Taryk, stop it. You’re scaring everyone,” she ordered. Surprisingly, Taryk shut up.

  “They’re... they’re dragons.” Jane’s tone was flat.

  Brea looked ready to swoon. “What’s happening?”

  “I read about this in a romance novel.” Eden sounded giddy. “I think they’re shifters. Holy crap!”

  “I’d tell you to stop reading so much, but I think in this case it’s a good thing you did,” Anya muttered. Dragon shifters? As if alien abduction wasn’t enough. “Where to, guys?” Because hopefully they had a way off this damn ship.

  Erys swung his head toward one of the corridors before shuffling down it like an overgrown dog, with scales and too many teeth. Could he breathe fire? Would he let her ride him?

  Images of her doing just that, naked, and with him in human form filled her mind. She could swear Erys laughed. Bastard.

  The other two dragons guarded the remaining entrances to the junction.

  “Come on, everyone. Follow Erys.” She trotted after him but stopped in front of Taryk, unable to resist patting his snout. He huffed into her hand, his breath overly warm and smelling just a bit of campfires. A tendril of smoke escaped his wide nostrils. Apparently the answer was yes on fire.

  She smiled at him, then hurried after Erys. The rest of the women joined her, and Fen and Taryk took up the rear, leaving the junction and the dead bugs behind.

  They came to another junction, this one also guarded by dragons, only these were a green-gold color and slightly smaller than hers.

  Erys swung his head toward her and sent her a mental message. Send some of the women with Vaden. We can’t fit them all on one ship.

  She nodded her understanding. “Okay, everyone, listen up. Carla, Jane, Brea, and Eden are with me. As are you four.” She pointed to four others. “The rest of you go with the green dragons. They’ve a ship waiting.”

  The others hesitated at being split up, but having no real choice, they followed the green dragons, as Anya’s group followed Erys. They reached a breach in the hull, which led to what was clearly a small Kiyrian vessel. One by one they clambered aboard. The dragons came last, but only after they’d shifted back to human form, clothing still surprisingly intact.

  Erys showed the women to a room filled with jump seats and helped them strap in. The seats were a bit big, made for Kiyrian men, but they’d do in a pinch. Within moments they had detached from the Krull vessel and were dodging cannon fire.

  Anya grabbed Erys’s arm. “We have to destroy that ship. They can’t get word back about Earth’s location—if they haven’t already.”

  He cupped her cheek, thumbs stroking her skin. “Don’t worry. We will do everything in our power to protect Earth. We won’t let the Krull destroy your people like they nearly did ours.” Then he leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips.

  She watched him stride away, hoping he could keep his word, but from what she’d seen of the Krull, she wasn’t sure that was possible.

  ONCE BACK ON THE SHIP, Erys checked the women over and gave them all a clean bill of health. None were the worse for wear, although a couple, including Anya’s friend Carla, were traumatized to the point where the captain and Taryk considered sending them back to Earth.

  “We can’t force them to stay with us,” Taryk insisted. “It goes against everything we believe in.”

  “Would any of them actually choose to go with us, given the choice?” Vane pointed out. “Remember, without them we die.”

  Fen didn’t much care whether the others stayed or went, though he hoped they stayed for his brothers’ sake. What he cared about was Anya. If she left it would be bad for Erys. They’d almost fully bonded. But even without that, losing her was unfathomable.

  He marched down the corridor, stopping in front of the door to her chamber. He didn’t even have the chance to knock before it opened to reveal her standing there.

  “Oh!” Her cheeks flushed.

  “Um.” He wasn’t sure what to say. For once, he had nothing clever. No plan, no tactics. His brain was suddenly useless.

  “I...” She licked her lips, and his dick hardened. “I was going to check on the others.”

  “They’re okay,” he blurted. “I came to see how you were.” That was tactless. He did not want her thinking he found her lacking in any way. Kiyrian women were strong and capable. The human women had proven that were that and more.

  She
stiffened. “I’m fine. I’m not some delicate flower in need of coddling.”

  “I didn’t think you were,” he soothed. “It’s just... you were taken by the Krull. It can be a difficult experience.”

  “They were pretty creepy,” she admitted with a rough laugh. “Thank you for coming for us.”

  Fen swallowed, hope poking up a weary head. “Then you’ve forgiven us? For taking you?”

  She retreated to the edge of the bed, sat, and patted the space next to her. He joined her a little awkwardly, unsure what she wanted from him. Was she still angry?

  “What you guys did was wrong, but I get it,” she admitted.

  He could hardly take in her words. Her shoulder brushed his, and he felt it all the way to his soul. He wanted nothing more than to bury his face in her hair and breathe her in. “You do?”

  “Yeah. You were trying to save your people. Your way of life. Humans have done worse for less. Doesn’t mean I’m happy about it.”

  “Is that why you were willing to bond with Erys?” he blurted, then flinched at his gracelessness. He was the one with the plans, not the words, but he wasn’t usually this dumb.

  She flushed crimson. “He caught me at a, um, moment.”

  He cocked his head. “What kind of moment?”

  Her flush deepened. “A horny one.”

  “I wish you were horny now,” he murmured. Then it was his turn to blush when she stared at him, mouth open. All-Mother save him, he was an utter moron. Another term he’d learned from watching too many Earth vids.

  “Excuse me?”

  He would very much have liked for the floor to open up and swallow him. He rubbed his palms on trousers that felt far too snug. “I’m sorry. I’m not very good at this.”

  “This?” She lifted a brow, amusement quirking her lips.

  “Men. Women. The mating bond. I don’t know how to do what Erys did.” He ducked his head, ashamed at his lack of knowledge. “I mean, I understand the schematics, but I don’t know how to get there. Ah, fuck.” He stood, wanting to get away from this humiliating situation, but she grabbed his arm.