by Lili Zander
The last thing I see before I black out is Cro, mouth wet from my pussy, rising with a huge grin on his dimpled face.
10
Zlatin
Will she hate us when she wakes? I don’t know.
I shouldn’t have touched her, but the serum coursed through my veins as well, weakening my willpower. That’s no excuse, I remind myself. I should have been able to control my desire.
But what I feel for Dor is so much more than the results of a serum. She is our mate. The dragon inside me craves her, craves the completion of the mating bond.
By unspoken agreement, both Crothyr and I ducked around the issue. We told her that we transformed when we saw our mate, but neither of us told her the rest of the truth. The mating bond is complete only when we claim her, and until we’ve done that, we will not transform again.
Dor is fast asleep on the narrow bed. Crothyr pulls out his tablet. My friend has planned well; his safehouse in Ryki is equipped with all the necessities. We can hole out here for days without running out of supplies.
He glances at the screen idly, then stiffens. “Bast,” he swears under his breath. “This complicates things.”
“What’s the matter?”
He pushes the tablet toward me. I look at it to see both our faces reflected back at me. Quickly, I read the rest of the message. There’s an Empire-wide alert for Crothyr and me, and worse, the order has been signed by Lenox’s spymaster Ru’vi ab Crosu. “I didn’t think she’d move against her own kinsman.”
He laughs without humor. “My aunt took a very dim view of my decision to join the rebellion,” he says. “It gives the High Emperor an advantage over her. Brunox, Head of the Council of Scientists mocked her once in the Saaric, and she swore that she would not rest until I was captured and killed. However,” he adds thoughtfully, “While this order appears to originate from Ru’vi, I don’t think she signed it. The scientists would first have to admit they took someone from Earth.”
“It doesn’t matter. The result is the same. We’re not going to be able to get off the homeworld. Every port will be on high alert.”
Crothyr’s lips curl. “Tarish, then. I’ll send him a message.” His lips twist. “The commander will not be thrilled to hear from me. A family could retire with the bounty he put on my head.”
Tarish will come around. “It’s a good thing I took the vid.”
11
Dorothy
I wake, warm, but not too warm. What time is it? Did I miss the alarm for work? Shit. Slimy Stan gets super-cranky when I’m late.
I roll over and hit a solid wall of muscle, and my memories return. Being abducted by aliens. Ending up in the lab of the mad scientists. Tin comforting me while the Wicked Witch pumped me full of hormones. The guards bringing in Cro in shackles.
Then the impossible had happened. Tin and Cro had turned into dragons. Because of me. Because I’m their mate.
Cro and Tin are fast asleep on either side of me. I remember. They were going to sleep on the floor, but I’d clung to them, and I wouldn’t let go.
My cheeks heat. I’d been so wanton last night. Had I really made them cut my jumpsuit off? Had I really grabbed Tin and dragged his mouth on mine? Had I really demanded that Cro join us?
Ugh. Awkward.
The thing is… last night was pretty damn amazing. The best night of my life. Even better than the day I hit the Top Five Board on StarShip Wars.
Waking up next to them is pretty damn nice too.
It can’t last. Tin’s words from last night come back to me. This part of the homeworld doesn’t see many outsiders. You’ll be noticed.
I’m not from here. I need to get back home. Even if there’s nothing there but a creepy boss, a dead-end job, and a ton of student loans.
I’ve known Tin and Cro for less than twenty-four hours. I don’t understand why the idea of leaving them fills me with a sense of loss.
“You’re awake.” Tin sits up, and the blanket falls to his waist. He’s naked, and those yummy abs come into view. Drool.
Cro lets out a snort and rolls to spoon me. His arm slips around my waist.
“Cro—” Tin starts, but I put my finger against his lips.
“Let him rest.” The man must be exhausted from giving me enough orgasms to make me pass out in ecstasy. Letting him sleep in is the least I can do.
“Are you feeling better?”
Head: Clear. Body: Temperature slightly elevated, but I’m willing to bet that’s because of the naked aliens on either side of me. Libido: In the red zone.
This time, my lust isn’t caused by the drug. This time, the lust is all mine.
Judging from the long, hard dick poking the back of my thigh, Cro’s pretty horny in the morning, too.
“I’m great. Really great. Last night, um... thank you.”
Tin studies me. “You remember.”
Oh God. Does he regret last night? I did throw myself at them. I practically forced them to touch me. What if they didn’t want to?
It’s as if someone threw a bucket of ice water all over me. I draw the blankets up to my chin. “Can you get me something to wear?” There’s a quaver in my voice.
Cro sits up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Are you okay, Dor?” he asks, his tone concerned.
No. Not really. “Of course,” I lie brightly. My stomach chooses that moment to rumble loudly. Normally, I’d be mortified, but this morning, I’m glad for the diversion.
* * *
The guys get me breakfast—a weird crunchy cereal that’s spicy and salty, and more of last night’s curry. I’m hungry enough that I wolf down both, and when I’m done, I drink another bottle of the fluid. Tin shows me how to use the facilities, and I take a long shower.
Side note: This shower is amazing. Water spurts at me from every direction as soon as I step into the translucent space. After that, some kind of soap sprays out, and invisible hands appear to massage the cleanser into my skin. Okay, it’s probably some kind of nanothingies, not magic. Then the hot water jets again, and finally, warm air fills the chamber. Bliss. I could stay in there all day.
When I’m dressed in another jumpsuit, I go out. Tin and Cro are sitting at the table, their heads bent over the tablet. “What’s going on?” I ask them.
Cro looks frustrated. “We’re waiting for a message from Tarish,” he says. Seeing my confused look, he adds, “He’s our commander. Tarish was not happy with my decision to look for Zlatin. Hopefully, he’ll come around soon. With the Empire-wide alert on us…”
“What Empire-wide alert?” I interrupt, alarmed.
“Last night, after you fell asleep, we discovered that there’s an alert for both Crothyr and me,” Tin says. “Which makes things complicated. We can’t buy seats on an off-planet ship, and we can’t rent a private one either. Everyone at the ports will be watching for us.”
At the idea of being back in that lab, my body turns cold. The two men must sense my terror because Tin puts a comforting arm around my shoulder. “I promised you before, Dor,” he says, his voice a reassuring rumble, his breath warm against my skin. “You will be safe. I will not let anything happen to you.”
“We contacted Tarish last night,” Cro explains. “He’ll be able to create a way out for us.”
“What if he decides not to help? Are we stuck here?” An idea strikes me. “Can’t you just transform into dragons and fly away?”
“No, the bond isn’t complete,” Cro replies. Tin flashes him a warning look, but it’s too late. I’ve already heard.
“Okay, guys.” I put my arms on my hips and lift my chin. I’ve already survived an alien abduction. My shock factor has a new, super high setting. “I know you think you’re protecting me, and I admit, last night, I wasn’t ready for the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But it’s a new day, I’ve had the best shower of my life, and the breakfast cereal was actually quite tasty. I’m as ready as I’m going to get, so tell me everything.” I take a deep breath. “Please?”<
br />
Tin’s expression softens. “Draekons transform when they first recognize their mate,” he says. “After that, they need to claim her before they can transform again.”
Claim their mate. Claim me.
“What does that mean? Are you going to bite my neck or something? Drain my blood under a full moon? Will you sparkle?” I might be getting just a tiny bit hysterical here.
Both men look confused. “To claim you, we will have sex with you,” Crothyr says. “At the same time.”
Holy fucking shit. They’re talking about double penetration. How the hell is that going to work? I saw Tin naked back at the lab. He’s huge. If Cro’s similarly hung, they just won’t fit. There’s no way.
Is there? There’s a small part of me, the horny part, that’s encouraging me to keep an open mind.
“Okay, moving on.” I rub my legs together discreetly to relieve the ache there and hope the men haven’t noticed. Judging from Cro’s smirk, no such luck. “What’s the plan? If this guy, Tarish can get us off the planet, where are we going? Back to Earth?”
The Draekons exchange glances.
“To the rebel base,” Cro says.
“And then Earth, right? To drop me off?”
Tin doesn’t meet my eyes. Cro sighs heavily. “Earth’s complicated,” he says. “We have ships capable of the distance, of course, and Tarish will be happy to spare one to take you back. But Earth is in the neutral zone.”
“Totally confused here, guys.”
“The High Empire is vast,” Tin explains, “but it does not control the entire universe. There are three major empires, and the Zorahn are one of them.”
So far, so good. I’m with them. This spiel reminds me of the introduction of most MMORPGs. In the beginning, there were three races. Dwarf, Elf, and Goblin. Then man came along and brought devastation to the realm. Blah blah blah.
Except, this time, the stakes are a matter of life and death, and so I’m listening pretty intently.
“More than a thousand years ago, the High Emperor went to war to expand the Zorahn Empire,” Tin says.
“That’s the origin of the Draekons,” Cro adds grimly. “We were created by the scientists to do their dirty work for them. For almost a hundred years, the Draekons were slave-soldiers of the High Empire. But eventually, they rebelled. After much bloodshed on both sides, the Draekons won their freedom, but not for long. The scientists developed a virus that decimated our population. Their goal was to eliminate the Draekon gene.”
“Let me guess, it didn’t work.”
A smile curls on Tin’s lips. “Exactly. After the Draekon rebellion, the High Emperor lost his soldiers, and he was forced to negotiate. The Triumvirate was formed, and the borders of all three empires were solidified. Unconquered planets were designated neutral, and contact with them was forbidden. The Great Peace holds to this day.”
“But a Zorahn ship landed on Earth five months ago,” I say. “They took a group of women back.” I suddenly realize something. “They’re probably here somewhere, right? Those women? On this planet?”
“The ship crashed on the prison planet,” Cro says bluntly. “The humans are dead.”
Fuck. A wave of sadness washes over me at the fate of those women. This time, it’s Cro who puts an arm around my shoulder and pulls me into his body. “I’m sorry, Dor,” he says softly.
“That’s okay,” I say, my voice small. “I didn’t know them, really. I don’t know why I’m upset.” Actually, I do. I feel an odd sense of kinship with those ten women. I’m very far away from home, and they were my only, tenuous connection to Earth. And now, they’re dead. “Tell me the rest of it. If Earth is in the neutral zone, how come the Zorahn ship landed there?”
“High Emperor Lenox paid the other members of the Triumvirate for the privilege of landing a ship in the neutral zone,” Tin replies. “It will take him decades to regain that lost wealth. There will be no more Zorahn ships on Earth anytime soon.”
Cro holds me close. “Of course, some ships slip through the cracks, like the drone ship that took you. But it’s risky. The Triumvirate will shoot on sight.” He caresses my cheek, and that light touch makes me shiver. Goosebumps rise on my skin. “I will risk my life gladly for you, Dor, but I won’t risk yours. You’re our mate. Every instinct in my body demands I protect you.”
This time, the warmth I feel isn’t really sexual. It’s fuzzier. Until I met Tin and Cro, I never had anyone watching out for me. It’s a really nice feeling. A girl could get used to it.
What about Earth? It sounds like I can never go back again.
Well, is that really such a loss, Dor? Are you dying to get back to Slimy Stan? To the teen creeps? To the other losers who leer at your rack and pinch your butt on a daily basis?
Not really.
“Can I ask you something else? Last night, you could have claimed me. We all know I was pretty damn willing. Why didn’t you?”
Both men shake their heads. “Last night,” Tin says softly, “what you were feeling was a result of Ashl’vi’s serum. I want you, Dor. Never doubt that. But when we claim you, it will be because you want it too. Of your own free will.”
Hand to God, I’m swooning. Seriously. Can these guys get any dreamier?
A beep from the tablet distracts us. Tin glances at the screen. “We have an answer from Tarish.”
12
Crothyr
Tarish’s note is, as expected, terse.
Crothyr, you stupid idiot, are you trying to get everyone in the rebellion killed? An Empire-wide alert, by all that is sacred in the Gardens of Caeron.
I should leave you out to dry, but thankfully for your sorry ass, I like Zlatin. For his sake and for the sake of the human woman that’s trapped in the middle of all this, yes, I’ll extract the three of you.
There’s a drone ship in the Northern Wilds. Obiko Sector AT-478 RM 320 Z1. It will remain there until the twin suns rise tomorrow. Since you’ve managed to evade my bounty hunters, I’m quite sure you’ll be able to get there in time.
Also, did those butchers hurt Zlatin?
My grin grows as I read the note out loud.
When I’m done, Dor looks worried. “He sounds really angry,” she says. “Are you going to be okay?”
Zlatin chuckles. “That’s just Tarish. He snarls a lot, but he means well. If he were really angry, he wouldn’t send help.”
“And he wouldn’t ask after Zlatin’s health,” I add. “No, Tarish isn’t the problem. Getting to the Obiko Sector, on the other hand…” I rub my jaw thoughtfully. “It’s a long journey, and the shuttle I have outside doesn’t have great shielding. We’re going to need a better one.” I get to my feet. “Time to go beg Nevvi for another favor, and hope her asking price isn’t too high.”
Dor looks up. She has a strange expression on her face. “Nevvi?” Her voice is casual. “Who’s that? A girlfriend?”
The translator in my ear explains the strange word. Girlfriend. She thinks Nevvi and I are bedmates? Does Dor not understand that she’s my mate? No other woman matters.
But she doesn’t know. She’s from a different world, one with different customs. She does not know the weight, the importance, the significance of the Draekon bond. “No,” I assure her. “Nevvi’s not a bedmate, and she’s never been. We’re just friends.”
“Not to mention she likes Tarish,” Zlatin adds. “They’ve been bedmates for years, though neither likes to admit it. Every year, they meet for one week in a remote outpost near Gaarven.” He turns to Dor. “You are our mate,” he says. “No one else. It is a thing we take seriously.”
“Okay,” she mumbles, her cheeks flushed.
Zlatin turns to me. “You’re going now? Do you have a comm?”
“No. Too risky.”
He looks worried. Dor surveys us. “Why don’t the two of you go?” she asks. “I’ll feel a lot better if I know you were watching each other’s backs.”
“I’m not leaving you unprotected,” Zlatin replies at
once. “We only killed one of the scientists. Travix and Kal’vi are still out there, and they’ll be looking for you. They can’t allow you to escape. It’s a death sentence if the Triumvirate finds out they abducted someone from a neutral world.”
“We weren’t followed to the safehouse, right?”
I shake my head reluctantly. Finding a ship shouldn’t take too long. Nevvi will come through for us, especially now that Tarish has sanctioned our return, but I agree with Zlatin; I don’t like the idea of leaving Dor alone.
“Look.” Dor’s voice has a tremor in it. “You guys just told me I couldn’t go back to Earth. It’s a lot to take in. I just need to be alone for a bit.” Her grey-green eyes swim with tears. “Please?”
I exchange a glance with my friend. I don’t like the idea of our mate in distress. If there’s anything we can do to alleviate it…
“Very well.” Zlatin looks as hesitant as I feel. “We’ll be back in two hours or less. Don’t go outside. We’re in the city of Ryki, and there will be people on the streets. You can’t be spotted.”
Zlatin and I quickly change into the grey robes of the Lowborn and pull the hoods over our faces. It’s an effective disguise; no one will approach the Lowborn on the homeworld. Then we leave to find a fast shuttle to get us to Obiko Sector.
I’m willing to swear we haven’t been followed. There’s no logical reason for the sense of unease that’s lodged in my heart.
13
Dorothy
Once they leave, I make a beeline for the shower. There, I cry for about ten minutes. Mostly, it’s shock. The thought that I might never go back to Earth? I just don’t know how to deal with that.