by S. E. Smith
“I’m not so sure this is really a fair conversation,” she mumbled, tracing his left brow with her fingers. “You make me feel things I’ve never felt before. I’ve had two previous relationships, each ending in disaster when the guys felt more for me than I felt for them.” Sara’s fingers paused when Jaguin emitted a soft growl. She looked him in the eye and raised an eyebrow. “Do you want to hear this or not? If you don’t, I’ll take my unhappy ass back to my room. If this is going to work, you need to listen to me rumble and growl, too.”
Sara waited until Jaguin released another snort before he lowered his head and rested his chin on her lap. A reluctant smile tugged at her lips. She wouldn’t admit it, but this was a first. In her previous relationships, she would have walked out without bothering to explain why and would have kept going.
“Where was I?” She murmured, frowning as she tried to pick up where she left off.
Jaguin emitted a series of rumbles and snorts as if he was repeating what she said. Sara was surprised when faint images of her life before flashed through her mind. She glanced warily at where Honey lay watching them from a few feet away.
“This is definitely the strangest conversation I’ve ever had,” she muttered with a roll of her eyes. “So, I was in two previous relationships, neither worked out. I realize now that I was just lonely and they were safe because I knew I’d never love them. Well, the first one was safe, the second one – not so much, but that is a different story.” Sara glanced down with a skeptical look. “Are you sure you really want to hear all this?”
Jaguin’s head nodded just a tad. Sara groaned. He wasn’t going to let her get distracted. Drawing in a deep breath, she focused on what she was trying to tell him.
“I told you a little about my childhood. It wasn’t all that great. I know there is such a thing as a happy relationship between two people. Delilah’s parents had that before she died. But, well, they seemed to be pretty few and far between where I grew up. It just seemed like a lot of work for something that wasn’t likely to happen. My real mom, well, she never gave two cents on a pig’s tail what happened to me. My aunt wasn’t much better, though she kept me from going to a foster home, so I figure in the long run I was better off. Life wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t impossible. I know I have issues of abandonment. I’m working on those. It’s the other issues….” Sara shook her head and lowered it. “I need time, that’s what I’m really trying to say. I just need time to deal with my past, my present, and figure out what I want in my future. I’d like to spend more time with you, in this form as well, if you don’t mind. Maybe that will help us both. I’ll get used to being in an alien world, still get to spend time with you without feeling all nervous, and figure out what in the hell I’m talking about. God! So much for having a Ph.D.! This is so messed up I don’t even understand myself.”
Sara groaned and buried her face against Jaguin. A moment later, she felt the warmth of Honey as the symbiot shifted into a large three-toed sloth and wrapped his long arms around her. They sat there for a long time, just holding each other.
Before Sara knew it, she was slowly sliding down as exhaustion from lack of sleep, her emotional confession, and the adrenaline dump from Carmen’s frantic command to follow her earlier washed over her. She snuggled up against Jaguin when he rolled onto his side and wrapped his wing around her, pulling her closer to him. Her fingers spread wide, trying to touch as much of him as she could. Honey slid under her, forming a soft bed.
“You know, I could get used to this,” Sara mumbled sleepily. “Do you think anyone would mind if we just crashed here for a little while?”
Jaguin’s side moved as he chuckled. Sara’s soft, sleepy laugh mixed with his. She looked over her shoulder when the room grew dim. The room was no longer empty. Instead, they were in the forest again. This time it was night and the sky was filled with the brilliant luminous sparkle of millions of stars. All around them, trees and large plants rose up, some with glowing flowers larger than a dinner plate, nestled among the sights, scents, and sounds of the forest. In the distance, Sara could hear the sound of a stream.
“It’s so beautiful,” Sara whispered, afraid to break the magic of the program. “I wish it were real. I could lose myself in it.”
Jaguin’s wing tightened around her and his head rose to look up at the stars. From the angle where she was lying, Sara could see the proud profile of the dragon. Curling her fingers around the edge of his wing, she held it to her – feeling safer than she ever had in her life.
*.*.*
I tell you she like me better than you, his dragon purred, holding Sara close to his body.
She does not, Jaguin muttered. She just isn’t ready to accept her feelings for us yet.
She accept me, his dragon argued. She talk to me.
She was talking to me, too, Jaguin pointed out. We are one and the same, in case you have forgotten.
We stay in this form, his dragon replied. She accept this form.
And how are we supposed to give her the Dragon’s Fire if you don’t let me out? Jaguin asked in exasperation. Have you forgotten that? If you want your mate, we have to work together on getting Sara to accept us both.
I not think of that, his dragon muttered.
You also need to keep your temper. Another outburst like you did earlier and Lord Creon won’t hesitate to put us both out of our misery.
I not mean to. Our mate hurting. I want to go to her, his dragon snorted.
I know, my friend, but we are both too close to the edge. We need to be careful – for Sara’s sake as well as our own, Jaguin gently reproached.
I be good, his dragon said with remorse. I not try to kill the others no more.
Thank the goddess for that, Jaguin retorted before he released a tired sigh. Watch over her.
I will, his dragon promised. I always protect mate.
Chapter 12
Two weeks later, Sara stared down at the planet that would be her and Emma’s home for the unforeseeable future. It was different from the Earth in some ways, and yet similar in others. She turned when Emma walked up to stand beside her.
“It’s beautiful,” Sara commented, turning to stare back down at the planet.
Emma nodded. Sara wound an arm around the other girl’s waist and tilted her head to rest it against Emma. They stood like that for a long time, not speaking.
“Tandor wants… to see us… before we… leave,” Emma forced out in a soft, trembling voice.
Sara frowned and stared moodily down at the planet again. Tandor had been checking in daily to make sure that they were eating. Sara was, but she worried about Emma. The other woman was becoming more withdrawn the closer they got to the planet.
Sara straightened and wrapped her arms around her waist. The past two weeks had been a mixture of ups and downs for her emotionally. The realization that she had opened herself up to Jaguin in a way that left her vulnerable and defenseless, scared the hell out of her. She also understood the emotions running through Emma.
The Horizon had become a small world of its own; and, while she couldn’t speak for Emma, Sara had grown accustomed to living on it. Staring down at the planet below forced her to realize that all of this was real. The planet represented a new unknown. A strange world where aliens lived and dragon's ruled.
She knew she was overreacting, but she just wasn’t ready to admit that she would never see Earth again. The past two weeks had been crazy. It took a few days for Creon to relax his guard on Jaguin. He finally did when Jaguin reassured the Valdier Prince that he had his dragon under control again with Sara’s help. Sara grimaced. Creon ordered her to spend at least an hour a day with Jaguin’s dragon.
“It is for all of our sakes,” Creon told her. “I will do whatever it takes to protect my people. Jaguin is a great warrior and a good friend. I have no wish to end his life, but I will if he becomes a threat to others.”
“Isn’t that a little harsh?” Sara remembered asking in astonishment. “Surely some
thing less drastic could be done.”
Creon shook his head. “A Valdier warrior is not like a human one, Sara. A male dragon out of control can devastate a village. No warrior wants to live with that guilt.”
“It just seems so… cruel,” Sara responded with a shiver.
“There are worse things in life than death, Sara,” Creon replied.
Sara remembered the brief flash in Creon’s eyes. Something told her that he was speaking from experience. It shook her to see such powerful men vulnerable.
In the end, Sara found she looked forward to spending time with Jaguin in his dragon form. They would meet in the large room each evening. Jaguin would greet her in his two-legged form as she came to think of it before he shifted. The first few times, she noticed he appeared to be agitated. When she asked what was wrong, he replied in a short, clipped tone.
“My dragon is being very impatient,” he muttered with a grimace.
“Oh.”
Sara had to admit that she was more comfortable with the dragon then she was with the man. Her face heated and she could feel her body react to the reason why – she wanted Jaguin and it was becoming more difficult to deny that, especially to herself.
Sara returned to the present when Emma stiffened and turned to face the door when it opened. She turned as well, watching as Tandor entered the room. A small, nervous smile curved her lips at his assessing gaze.
Sara sighed; she swore that Tandor must be a closet psychic. If he wasn’t, he gave a pretty damn good impression of it. Personally, she was more worried about Emma than herself. She knew the struggle she was having with coming to terms with everything, but she liked to think she was stronger than most due to the way she grew up. From the little Emma had shared, her upbringing had been completely different. The surprised child of two parents later in life, Emma had been sheltered and loved.
“Are you two ready to go down to the planet?” Tandor asked with a soothing smile.
“Yes, I’m excited about getting off the ship, but nervous as well,” Sara replied with an anxious smile, tucking her hair back behind her ear. “The ship is really cool and all, but I’m not used to being cooped up in one spot for so long. I’m curious to see if some of the things Jaguin showed me are real. I’ve spent most of my life running wild. This has been the equivalent of caging a fox in a hen house. I’m ready to start chasing a few chickens if I don’t get off this thing.”
Emma giggled and turned when a reflection appeared in the window. Sara’s laughter mixed with Emma’s when she saw what had captured her friend’s attention. The symbiot had divided into smaller sections and now a dozen or more golden hens were strutting around the room.
They were both laughing at the antics of the chickens when the door to their room chimed. Sara called out for whoever was on the other side to enter. She crumbled into another fit of giggles when Jaguin stepped inside. He came to a sudden stop when the miniature golden chickens suddenly surrounded him.
“What the….?” Jaguin muttered in shock, gazing down when one of the creatures pecked at his boot. “My symbiot has gone mad,” Jaguin exclaimed in dismay.
“No, it hasn’t,” Sara laughed with a shake of her head. “I was telling Emma and Tandor that I was feeling like a fox in a hen house.” Jaguin looked at her in confusion. Sara shook her head again and waved her hand. “Never mind. Tandor was asking if we were ready to go down to the planet.”
Tandor nodded, looking warily as several hens walked toward him. “Lady Carmen thought it wise to check on you before we departed. She has refused to use the transporter and wished to return via a shuttle. She thought you both might like to join her and Lord Creon.”
Sara didn’t miss the way Tandor’s gaze swept over Emma. They were all worried about the delicate figure. Sara smiled and nodded, turning to Emma, who was watching with silent hesitation.
“I don’t remember much about how we got on board the ship, but the idea of being reduced to the smallest particle and put back together is not something I would particularly like to try while I’m coherent. Do you know where we’ll be staying when we get down to the planet?” Sara asked in curiosity as Tandor stepped forward with the familiar scanner that he carried.
“You’ll be a guest at the palace,” Jaguin said with a glance at his symbiot which reformed into the familiar jaguar that Sara liked.
“At the… Wow! That will be a first,” Sara muttered, glancing at Emma with a raised eyebrow. “I wonder if they will have singing teapots and dancing silverware to go along with the dragons?”
Emma’s lips twitched and for a moment her eyes lost the sad, confused look in them as if she was remembering happier times. Sara turned back to Tandor when he stepped back and glanced down at the scanner. His gaze flickered to Emma with a worried expression in them before he nodded to Jaguin.
“Everything appears to be fine,” Tandor informed them. “I have several things to do before I depart. Jaguin will escort you both to the transport.”
Sara watched as Tandor turned and exited the room. She drew in a deep breath. This was it, another adventure. The breath she was holding squeezed out when she looked up at Jaguin. He was watching her with an intense gaze that drew an immediate reaction from her.
“Are you ready?” He asked in a deep voice that sent a shiver through her.
Sara knew immediately there was more to that question; he also wanted to know if she was ready to accept the growing feelings between them. Her heart pounded as she thought about the last few months. He had been her constant companion, someone that she could lean on when the dark fears threatened to drown her.
“Yes, I… I think I’m ready,” she whispered, unable to look away.
She started when she heard a sound to the left. Blinking, she pulled her gaze away to see Emma standing in the doorway holding two small bags. An appreciative smile curved her lips and she took a step and lifted her hand to take the bags containing her clothes and personal belongings. A frown creased her brow when she saw the enormous collection of stuffed animals piled on her bed.
“What about my sloths?” Sara asked, looking up at Jaguin with a worried frown.
“I’ll see that they are delivered to your room at the palace,” he assured her, glancing at his symbiot who sneezed and stood up.
“Oh, good,” Sara replied with a relieved smile. “I’ve never had so many stuffed animals before. It is kind of fun collecting them.”
“I am sure there will be many more,” he promised with a chuckle.
He stood to the side so that Emma and Sara could step out of the room ahead of him. Sara felt another wave of warmth when he reached out a hand and ran it along her hip as she passed by him. She shot him a heated look, but he just looked at her with an innocent expression.
Innocent, my ass, she thought.
If he wasn’t doing the little touches and hot looks, his dragon was! If she didn’t know any better, she would think Jaguin and his dragon were working on a deliberate plan of attack on her senses. She had noticed an increase in their attention over the last week. A touch here, a look there, hot vivid images flashing through her mind, and that damn dragon purring every chance he got. It was slowly driving her and her body crazy – in a good way.
“Don’t think I don’t know what you and your dragon are doing! You even have Honey in on it. I want you to know you are not fighting fair,” she muttered under her breath to him when he fell into step next to her.
“If it is working, why should I?” He retorted in a smooth voice that reminded her of rich, melted chocolate.
Sara’s face heated when she saw him sniff the air and release a soft, almost inaudible growl. Another thing she had learned over the last couple of weeks, the Valdier had an extremely good sense of smell. Drawing in a deep breath, Sara cursed her body's reaction to him for the thousandth time. She was going to have to overcome her fears and self-doubt and just jump Jaguin’s bones.
Then, maybe I’ll get all of this craziness out of my system, she thought
as they stepped out of the lift and into the deck lined with the various transports.
Chapter 13
Sara stared out the window of the rooms she and Emma were given later that day. Her hand moved to her stomach and she absently rubbed it. This world was so different from the Earth in so many ways, yet there were also similarities.
“If there is anything else you might need, just let me or one of the servants know,” the woman with the long, dark hair said in a calm, soothing voice. “Morian has asked the seamstress to come by.”
Sara turned and looked at Abby Tanner-Reykill. The tall, slender woman came to visit shortly after their arrival. Her worried gaze missed nothing and she quickly took both Sara and Emma under her wing.
“Morian has prepared a dinner to welcome you tomorrow night,” Abby was saying.
“Morian?” Sara asked in a husky tone.
Abby released a soft laugh. “It’s a bit much remembering all the names. You won’t have any trouble remembering Morian when you meet her. She is absolutely wonderful.”
Sara nodded, turning back to look out over the gardens. She itched to get outside and explore all the plants that she saw as Jaguin led her and Emma through the gardens. Even Emma wasn’t completely immune to the beauty of the lush flowerbeds and unique designs combining water features with the unusual colors and textures of the flora.
Sara absently listened as Abby explained that Morian Reykill was the mother of the five Valdier Princes and Priestess to the Hive. The oldest, Zoran, was King of the Valdier and Abby’s mate. She listened as Abby quietly told Sara about how she found Zoran unconscious on her mountain outside Shelby, California. A deadly encounter with the sadistic sheriff almost ended Abby’s life.
“I know he would have killed me,” Abby was saying in a voice that held a wealth of sadness. “He almost killed Carmen. If it weren’t for Zoran and the others, she would have died. Clay had stabbed her. The technology and medical skills back on Earth are not as advanced as the Valdier.”