by Maia Starr
Everything that could go wrong did, and now I was running as fast as my dragon legs could take me to Amelia. How could I have been so stupid, foolish and irresponsible? Amelia had trusted me to keep her safe, and now I was questioning my ability to uphold that promise. Sounds of the battle on the shore behind me thundered through the air as I made it to the hut. I quickly shifted and ran up the stairs. There was china broken and scattered in fragments and whole pieces all across the floor. I sprinted down the staircase, my eyes frantically searching the darkness for any sign of her.
“Amelia! Amelia, where are you?” I called out. I felt an arrow of concern pierce my chest and worry filled my head, but I didn’t have time to be intimidated. I need to act. “Amelia, I’m coming!” I leaped from the last step and shifted back into my dragon. The roar echoed off of the walls, and I heard his growl echo back right before I felt his teeth land on my chest. Danny, I thought. I landed on the ground and grappled with his body. I wedged my talons inside the edge of his mouth and pried his mouth apart. He frantically clawed at my underbelly with his hind legs trying to get a stronghold on me. I flapped my wings around, trying to beat him on either side, hoping to disorient him or box his ears, but he was stronger than most, and it surprised me. I shot out a small burst of fire, hoping it would make contact with him, but I didn’t know where Amelia was, and I feared that she might get caught in the crossfire.
Finally, I was able to rip the side of his cheek enough to elicit a whine and free his grip on my chest. I wedged my feet under his body and flung him across to the opposite wall, crashing down into a pile of golden goblets. I didn’t waste any time. I leaped across and pinned him to the ground with reverberating roar. I saw the glint in his eye for just a fraction of a second before a long stick bolted through the side of his head.
I flinched back, still holding him down but pulling my head back. It took a few seconds for me to register what happened. I looked off to the side to see Amelia crouched and panting, staring at the stave that she had just used to impale the wolf. She looked up at me for a brief second, and then passed out on the floor of the cave.
“What?” Words fled my lips, and I rushed to catch her just as she went tumbling toward the ground. I caught her in my arms, cradling her closely as I peered over her beautiful features. This woman was incredibly strong, and a surge of desire slithered through my veins as I looked at her. There was a heroic nature to Amelia, and it attracted me like a strong pheromone. I lifted her to carry out of the darkness, intent on ensuring her safety above my own, but also her comfort. I wanted to soothe her pains, but for now, I knew resting was what she truly needed.
Amelia
There was a spinning feeling, and everything swirled together into a mist of nothingness, the room spinning all around me as I fell to the floor in exhaustion. Or perhaps shock. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that I could finally breathe again. It was over. It was truly over. I could finally rest and not worry about being hunted by that beast any longer. I must have blacked out because the sun had gone down, and I wasn’t in the cave any longer. I was lying on the bed in the spare room, and Kellan was sitting in the chair next to me, watching over me. So that’s why the chair was there. Did he sit here watching me this whole time?
“Are you okay?” he asked, nearly jumping to his feet upon noticing I was awake. I didn’t even have a chance to speak.
“I’m okay,” I told him. It was true; I felt a confidence I had never before experienced. It felt really good. “In fact, I’m better than okay. I feel elated, almost high. This is the best I’ve felt in a long time. And it’s all thanks to you. I know you could have killed him, but seeing you fight for me and feeling the child inside me panic at his presence brought out an instinct in me I had never felt before. I understand that protective nature you have now. It was like I was taken over by something else, something primal. He wasn’t going to get me or you or the baby. Not then and not ever. It’s all over now, right? The fighting is over?” I said it more as a statement, but Kellan understood it as a question. He began to nod and smile slightly.
“This fight, yes,” he said grinning and spreading out his hands as he gathered me into his embrace. “The world isn’t changed yet, but the pack is wiped out and we can take time to be with each other without running now.” He smoothed a piece of hair out of my face, and I leaned into his warm hand. I let out a small moan of enjoyment. Something about him drove instant desire straight to my loins, and I imagined us doing all kinds of extracurricular activities to one another.
“Be careful making noises like that. I don’t know how well I’ll be able to control myself after all the excitement today,” he said. I wasn’t sure I would be able to control myself at this point either, nor did I want to. I began to pull back the covers when I realized that I was wearing the nightgown again.
“Did you change my clothes?” I asked. I wasn’t sure if I felt excited or violated. I opted for the former.
“I had to; the others were absolutely filthy. I knew you felt comfortable in the nightgown, so I just put that back on for now. You can change to something else if you’d like. Do you want some privacy? There’s plenty of clothes I’ve been collecting over the years while I waited for you.”
“While you waited for me?” I asked. This was an unexpected revelation. How could he have been waiting for me all this time?
“Well, yeah,” he said scratching his head and looking at the closet. “You see, I knew you were out there. I could feel you. I just didn’t always know who you were. I’ve been working on this private room for you until you came along. I wasn’t sure what size you would wear, so I just bought anything that looked comfortable and flowy. It helped me pass the time until you were in my life. All the dragons on the island have been stocking a closet.” The way he described it sent a jolt of sadness to my chest. They were ancient and waiting for the possibility of a mate for so long they obsessed over her having clothes? I wondered how long he had been stockpiling.
“Things are starting to make so much more sense now,” I said with a sigh. “I can’t believe you’ve been collecting things just for me all this time.” I looked at his face, and his eyes seemed to glow with a bit of a blue twinkle, similar to the color of his dragon. I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand up. I did okay, but it must have not been good enough because he stood up right away and held me tight. I put my hand against his bare stomach for balance and then noticed that he hadn’t dressed again since shifting back to a man. It was more than I could handle, and I knew it was time for me to take things into my own hands, literally.
I grabbed the neckline of my nightgown and stretched it out over my shoulders and allowed it to drop down to the floor. I didn’t wait for his intake of air before placing both hands against his chest and running my fingers down his stomach. The growl he let out told me that he wasn’t in the mood for talking any more than I was.
His hands reached out and grabbed the sides of my face and pulled my mouth to his. I could feel the heat of his tongue press between my lips, searching out for me and warming the air in my mouth. He tasted like smoke and sugar, and I wanted to taste more. I grabbed his hips and pulled him close to me, feeling the smooth skin of his hardness slide against my thigh. I backed up and felt the material of bed behind me and fell backward, pulling him on top of me.
I had waited long enough, and I wasn’t going to wait around for more foreplay. I wrapped my legs around his back and reached my hand down between our bodies, searching for him and finding his thickness. I squeezed him and pulled his head back and moaned, the sound of it bouncing off the walls. I pressed my hips up and guided him to me, the wetness already beginning to drip down to my backside.
He found bearing with his feet on the bed and straightened out our bodies so he had leverage, and then thrust forward into me, causing me to cry out with the feeling.
“Are you okay?” he quickly asked, stopping suddenly. I reached up and gripped his shoulder w
ith my nails and wrapped my other arm around his back, locking my eyes onto his.
“More than okay. Do it again,” I pleaded. He pulled back and thrust again, purposefully and slowly, forcing my eyes almost closed. “Again,” I begged. He moaned as he pulled out, so slow that he made the room spin, and then suddenly thrust forward again so hard that the bed hit the wall. “Again!” I cried out, and he continued that way, almost painfully slow until my words morphed into moans and our bodies slid together in a rhythm, banging the bed against the wall until I could hear wood splintering.
I woke up Christmas morning to the smell of bacon and eggs and… biscuits? I climbed out of Kellan’s bed and stretched, feeling the beautiful soreness that reminded me of the moment I rammed the stave through the head of the beast. The next few days alone with Kellan helped add to my soreness as well. The bed in the spare room had officially been destroyed, so we agreed that I would sleep in his bed from now on until we decided what to do with my private room. I looked out the window and wondered if the sun was shining stronger today or if it was just my mood.
After barely getting dressed, I walked down the stairs in one of Kellan’s shirts and a pair of panties and followed my nose to the kitchen.
“Good morning,” I greeted him. I walked up behind him and wrapped my arms around his stomach and kissed his neck.
“Merry Christmas,” he replied. “Did you see the tree I got you?”
“Tree?” I said with excitement. I ran to the living room and there it was. It wasn’t a pine, but he had found something that resembled a tree close enough and had put some lights on it that had been fashioned out of some wires and bulbs. It glowed magically, and there were boxes wrapped in decorative cloths underneath it. It felt like the perfect happy ending. I walked over to it and gently touched the branches, wondering how I could have been so lucky to have found him. I heard Kellan clear his throat behind me. “Oh, Kellan, it’s amazing. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect morning.”
“Are you sure? Maybe you should turn around.”
I spun around and gasped, covering my mouth with my hand. Tears welled up in my eyes and blurred the vision of Kellan down on one knee in front of me. He wiped his hands off on a small towel hanging from his jeans pocket, then pulled a small box out of the other one. He held it open and revealed a diamond mounted on a ring of gold strands, glittering in the light of the sun from the window.
“Yes, Kellan,” I blurted.
“I didn’t even ask yet,” he chuckled.
“To being with you for forever, I say yes.” My eyes were still glazed with emotion as I looked down at him and Kellan’s seemed to reflect the same sentiment, his lips widening into a bright and delighted grin as he looked up at me.
“Did I do well, then?” He asked, slipping the ring onto my finger as he stood up, my hand still resting gently in his own. I nodded, casting my gaze downward as I felt the apples of my cheeks singe red.
“Yes, you did perfectly. It’s absolutely stunning and beautiful,” I muttered.
“Not nearly as stunning or beautiful as you are, Amelia,” Kellen replied, pulling me into his embrace, I rested my head against his shoulder and relished the feeling of comfort and safety being with him provided. It was so nice just to breathe and spend time together. No beasts, no worries. Just the two of us to begin holiday traditions.
“It feels so cozy here, Kellan. Thank you for the tree,” I whispered looking back up to him as I stood atop my tiptoes and pressed my lips to his cheek. Kellan’s hands slid down to my backside, and he pushed me closer to him, hands lifting me by the bottom as I wrapped my legs around his waist. He lowered his lips to meet mine, and I felt my heart skip within my chest. Yes, this was the life I had yearned for, and my biggest Christmas present was the gift of Kellan’s love.
“I hope so. I just want you to be happy, Amelia,” Kellan remarked as he broke the kiss. The smile on my face grew larger, and just when I thought my cheeks might burst from the reaction, Kellan kissed me once more, solidifying our engagement and the hopeful future we had in store.
The End
Weredragons Of Tuviso (Sneak Peak)
(A Sci Fi Alien Weredragon Romance Collection)
By Maia Starr
Chapter One
King Karik Korinth
“Where is Moxor?” I whispered to Azlo over radio communications on my armband.
“Moxor is not in sight. I have lost sight of Moxor. Jex, do you have eyes on Moxor?” Azlo asked.
“No. No eyes on Moxor,” Jex responded.
“Shit, Moxor… Moxor, come in,” I said into the radio. There was no response.
“I see him. I see him. He's going in through the back. He's going in alone,” Azlo said.
“Dammit, Moxor. Stand down. We are going in as a team,” I said into the radio. But there was no response.
Moxor did things like this. Even though I was the king and leader of the Veruka weredragons, Moxor always wanted to disobey me. He was a hardcore weredragon soldier. But his ruthless and careless ways often put us in trouble. There were times when we had very close calls because Moxor would run blazing into fights and not wait for a signal. Like the time we went up against the Jitron monster on the planet Guidia. That was a close one. Now, he was doing it again. It was not that he didn’t respect my authority as his king; it was that he was reckless and insane.
“Azlo, follow Moxor in through the back. Jex and I are going in through the front,” I said.
“Yes, my king,” Azlo responded.
Everything had gone according to plan up until this point. Everything had been laid out carefully, but I should have known that Moxor would jump the gun on the situation. I knew I should expect it and work it into the plans from then on. But how was I to know that there would not be a next time?
We were launching an attack on a large building on Earth. It was a very important building. It was a building that was key in helping to turn the battle in the favor of the humans. The humans didn’t even know that we were doing this. In fact, they didn’t even know that we existed. Why would they? They weren’t an interplanetary species. They were not as advanced in space travel as we were. But they did build great machines. They built them so great that eventually the machines took over the entire planet and the humans were nearly extinct. This building was part of the machines. It was home to a cyborg repair facility on the continent that used to be known as North America, before the machines took over and all hell broke loose. This facility was where broken machines were brought to be repaired, or inactive ones were housed.
The building was guarded by the ruthless and machine-driven cyborgs known as the Clenok. I didn’t know if they gave this name to themselves, or if the humans had given it to them. I only knew that now, there were billions of them spread out on the Earth and they had one mission: kill humans.
Cyborgs were the hardest enemy to fight. Anything with a real conscious could be manipulated or maybe even reasoned with. That was not the case with a machine.
The machines did not feel. They did not have humanity or any empathy-driven conscious. They were pure machine. You could not reason with them. You could not negotiate with them. They were set to do their mission: take over the Earth and drive humans to extinction.
This was where we came into the picture. We needed something from the humans, and we knew that by helping them we could show them that we meant them no harm. So we decided to take out this facility.
We knew this facility was guarded by Clenok cyborgs, but there were more Clenok cyborgs that were out of operation than in operation because most of them were undergoing repair and were turned off. Therefore we only had to go up against the ones that were turned on to guard the facility, and if our previous scouting information was correct, it was very few Clenok cyborgs to deal with.
Our plan was to infiltrate and double assault, a team going in the front and a team going in the back. We had one important goal: set explosives and get the hell out of there. It was going to be a
team effort, until Moxor decided to go in on his own terms, like he always did. I was impressed with his bravery but pissed off at his stupidity.
"Moxor, we are coming in!” I said over the radio.
“He must have turned off his communications or he is not responding on purpose,” Azlo said.
“Wouldn't be the first time,” Jex said.
“Alright, move in. Maybe we can still catch them off guard if we stay quiet and…”
Boom! Boom! “Shit! Shots fired! Repeat, shots have been fired from inside the Clenok facility!” Azlo shouted.
“Dammit! Move in! Move in now!” I shouted, and Jex followed me as we kicked open the door to the facility. Immediately, shots were fired in our direction, and we took cover behind the massive concrete poles of the warehouse-like facility.
“I'm in! I'm in through the back! I cannot find Moxor,” Azlo shouted over the radio as we fought a full-on gun battle between the silver, metal Clenok cyborgs and us, the Veruka weredragons from Tivosa.
“Dammit!” I shouted.
“We have to set the charges now. We won't be able to hold them as soon as more Clenok move in,” Jex said.
“Azlo, find Moxor! Set the charges along the way even if you have to throw them like grenades. Just find him!” I shouted.
“Yes, my king,” he responded.
“Jex, you go around the right, and I will go around the left. Ready?” I said.
“Ready,” he said.
We began firing at the Clenok cyborgs as we went around in different directions. I was laying down explosive charges, dropping them and rolling them underneath factory tables and machinery as I went. The Clenok cyborgs were hard to fight. You hit them once, and they did not go down because they were made of metal. You had to hit them several times, hoping to burn out their circuitry. It took a lot of firepower and accuracy to make that happen.