by Lili Zander
“Because of the detsena?”
He nods. “The karvil hunt in packs,” he says. “They’re about this high.” He taps his knee. “But they won’t attack; they’re more afraid of you than you are of them. Don’t wander north of Lake Ang,” he cautions. “The great beasts run there. They won’t eat you, but they will trample you.”
The detsena, the karvil, Lake Ang, Lake Tuli,” I ask him curiously. “Your exile batch named them, right? Or do they exist on Zoraht as well?”
He shakes his head. “We named the things we encountered frequently,” he says. “That’s why your translator isn’t translating the word to the nearest human equivalent. The words aren’t Zor.”
We are indeed west of Lake Ang. I see glimpses of blue water through the tall blue trees. When we pass through a gap, I get a clear view of Zunix’s house to the south, and I catch a movement out of the corner of my eye. It’s Dariux, and he’s leaving Zunix’s house. I see him hurry in the direction of the camp, and for a second, I wonder what the two men were talking about. I haven’t had much time to form an impression, but as far as I could tell, there’s no love lost between them.
“Hey, are those the berries we ate for breakfast?” Bryce sounds enthusiastic.
I snap back to attention. While I’m sure Roman will be fascinated about the power dynamics in this camp, and what we can extrapolate about the Zorahn from it, my immediate priority is survival, and finding out which plants are edible will go a long way to ensuring that we don’t starve.
“Yes,” Liorax confirms. He leads us toward the lake and points to some pink and purple plants that are half-immersed in the water. “Don’t eat the green ones.”
“They’re poisonous?”
“For us. Humans might be different, but according to Zunix, our physiology is quite similar.”
How does Zunix know? I add it to my mental list of stuff to investigate.
Liorax is watching me. “You said you wanted to learn to hunt, Olivia. Do you want to try the bow?”
I’m not sure I can kill anything. I mean, I eat meat, but it’s one thing to order a steak in a restaurant, and it’s another thing to personally slaughter the cow. Or the small rabbit-like things that bound through the woods, or the glimpses of the orange-hued karvil through the trees.
But I’d love to try my hand at the bow. Especially if I’m aiming at a target, not a little critter.
“If you don’t mind?” I wish I knew where I stood with Liorax. This morning, he seemed hostile. Now, he’s offering to teach me how to be an archer. It’s enough to give a girl a major case of whiplash.
Bryce looks at Liorax, and then at me. “I’m going to keep walking,” she announces. “Can I walk around the entire lake before sunset?”
Liorax shakes his head. “It’s too large. But if you head due north, sticking to the bank, you’ll get to a point when the lake veers east. Turn back at that point.”
She grins cheerfully, completely undaunted at the idea of being all alone. “The water’s safe to drink? No creepy-crawly tentacle monsters to drag me into the lake if I wade in?”
Liorax chuckles as his translator explains Bryce’s question. “We swim in the lake daily, and we’ve never seen one,” he says, his voice coated with laughter. When I hear that note, I feel another pang, this time of jealousy. He obviously finds it really easy to be friendly toward Bryce. So it’s not all the human women. Just me.
Fucking brilliant.
Bryce winks at me over her shoulder as she sets off. “Enjoy your lesson,” she calls out. I watch her leave and then turn back to Liorax.
I’m very conscious that no one is in sight. We’re all alone.
Liorax:
I pull the light bow from my back and hand it to her. She examines it curiously. “You made this? Can you show me how to make one?”
“If you’re serious about learning, I’ll need to make you a bow anyway.”
“Oh, trust me. I’m very serious.”
I unwrap the protective strap from my wrist and put it on her arm. She’s small and delicate, Olivia. A pulse beats in her wrist, and I rub my thumb against it. She goes very still but doesn’t pull away, and neither do I. For a heartbeat, neither of us says anything.
My dragon purrs, satisfied for the moment by the simple act of touching my mate. I fight the sudden desire to lift her hand to my lips. This isn’t me. This heat, this need for her is coming from my dragon, and I will not be ruled by it. “Why do you want to learn?”
“I don’t like the idea of being dependent on anyone for survival,” she whispers. Her green eyes are luminous and bright. Her lips are soft and full, and she nibbles at them as I caress her palm with my thumb. “What are you doing? I thought you didn’t like me.”
At those words, I return to my senses and drop her hand. She’s right. I cannot allow myself to be entranced by this human woman. “Wrap it around your wrist,” I say shortly, gesturing to the strap. “And put this protective sheath over your fingers.”
Her eyes linger on my face for another second, then she drops her gaze and wordlessly complies with my instructions. Guilt trickles through me at the flash of hurt I saw in her eyes. To distract myself, I quickly show her how to place her arrow on the rest and line it up with the nocking point. “Draw it back,” I instruct. “Don’t tense up.”
“What am I aiming at?”
“See the tree with the forked trunk straight ahead? Hit it.”
She nods. I watch her stance as she takes a deep breath and draws the arrow back. I brush my fingers against her left hand. “Relax your grip,” I repeat.
“I’m trying.”
I bite back my smile at her disgruntled tone. “Try harder.”
She doesn’t reply, but she does ease her death-grip on my bow. Smoothly, she lets the arrow fly, just missing the trunk. “Damn it,” she mutters. “Can I try again?”
“Of course.”
Her second arrow grazes the bark, and the third arrow hits the center of the trunk. “You’ve shot before,” I guess.
“Yeah, I’ve spent many hours in the range,” she replies as she lines up her arrow again, and then her shoulders stiffen. Her next shot goes wide off the mark, as do the rest of my arrows. “Oops,” she giggles as the last one lands three trees to the right of her target. “I missed. And look, I’m all sweaty. I’m going to jump into the lake to cool off.” She winks at me. “Want to join me?”
Without waiting for my answer, she strips off her clothing and wades into the water. My cock hardens at the sight of her nearly naked body. Take her, my dragon growls. Claim her.
I won’t deny that I’m tempted. I want to wrap my arms around her waist and tug her closer. I want to kiss her, to envelop myself in her softness, to hear her moans of need, to hear them change into satisfied cries as I pleasure her.
Except that she hit one arrow cleanly with a skill that can’t be hidden. A skill that is the result of long hours of practice.
Olivia’s hiding something, and I’ve learned, through bitter experience, that I’d be a fool to trust her.
10
Zunix:
Once Dariux leaves, my first instinct is to set out right away to find Olivia. Unfortunately, a steady stream of visitors prevents me from doing just that.
First up are Rezzix and Magnux. “The human women have nothing,” Rezzix says, getting right to the point. “They’ll need clothes, bedding and more. We need your syn.”
For Caeron’s sake. Liorax was right. Rezzix and Magnux are looking at me as if there’s a possibility that I’m going to deny the human women the basic necessities of life. Have I really fallen this low that they believe I’m capable of such an action?
“Make a list.” My voice comes out harsher than I intended. “Not just what Paige Watkins needs, but all of them.”
“What is your price?” Magnux asks warily.
“Consider it a gift,” I reply. “Today is a happy day for us all.”
And it truly is. A Draekon hasn’t shifted int
o the dragon since the time of the Great Rebellion. The scientists once possessed the ability to force the transformation, but that knowledge has been lost, destroyed on Kannix’s commands. For a thousand years, every male that has tested positive for the Draekon mutation has been exiled to the prison planet, forced to spend the rest of their life alone and mateless.
I’ve been so busy wondering why the Fehrat 1 crash-landed on the prison planet that I’ve missed the most important thing. The five women in our camp represent something that’s been absent from our lives for the last sixty-five years. Hope.
“You’re serious.” Rezzix smiles widely and claps me on my shoulder. “Thank you, Zunix. Your generosity will not be forgotten.”
I remember my promise to Liorax. “I want us to cooperate to make the women feel welcome.”
Both men nod. “A mate,” Magnux breathes, his eyes filled with wonder. “It is a miracle, Zunix. After all these years alone, she falls from the skies.” There’s a hitch in his voice. “Whatever Paige wants, if it is in my power to make it happen, I will.”
“Me too,” Rezzix says solemnly. “Things are difficult with your mate, I know…” His voice trails off, and he comes to an awkward stop.
“Indeed,” I reply, thinking of the mess I made of my encounter with Olivia this morning. Then I realize he’s talking about Belfox and Herrix.
What would it be like to trust the mating bond? To believe with such unshakable faith that your chosen mate is the right woman for you? There’s a part of me that wants to think that Rezzix and Magnux are fools, and there’s another part of me, one that I’ve suppressed ruthlessly for most of my life, that wonders what would happen if I just gave in to my deepest desires.
Trust does not come easily to me. Sometimes, I wish it did.
Olivia:
I watch Liorax covertly from the lake. While he’s near enough that he’ll hear me if I cry out, he has his back to me, and he’s methodically shooting arrow after arrow into the same tree he told me to aim at. Every arrow lands within an inch of the previous one until they’re tightly clumped together.
Your cover slipped back there, Liv.
I sigh as I splash around. The water is cool and refreshing, but I feel more tired than ever. The truth is, I’m doing a terrible job keeping my cover in place because subconsciously, I don’t want to lie to Liorax and Zunix. I feel connected to them.
Seriously? After one morning? Don’t be ridiculous. You’re just adjusting to the prospect of being stuck on this planet forever.
Right. There you go. That’s a perfectly valid explanation for the way I’m feeling. It has nothing to do with Liorax and Zunix.
It’s late afternoon when I get back to Dariux’s treehouse. I wrung out the bottom of my pants to remove some of the caked blood. Thankfully, the navy fabric doesn’t stain easily, otherwise, I’d be looking like an extra in some kind of low-budget horror movie. My clothes are still kinda grimy, but since I didn’t really relish the idea of walking back to the camp wearing dripping wet clothes, I couldn’t wash them in the lake.
Everyone’s already there. Bryce has a big pile of vegetation next to her. “I quizzed the Draekons about which ones are edible and which ones aren’t,” she reports happily. “Look. Salad.”
Hang on. Bryce isn’t wearing her NASA gear. None of the women are. May is wearing a flowy orange top that shimmers with every move, and the same kind of black pants that the Draekons wear. Felicity is wearing a sheer blue shirt with voluminous sleeves. Bryce and Paige aren’t as fancy, but they have new clothes too. “Your pile is here,” May says, looking up at me.
What am I missing? Is there some kind of alien mall that everyone has failed to mention? “Where did the clothes come from?” I ask, sorting through the large pile sitting atop a brand-new bed-roll. Holy shit, is that a pillow? It really is.
“From Zunix’s synthesizer, of course,” May replies, giving me a ‘well duh’ expression. Seeing that I have no idea what she’s talking about, she smiles smugly. “You spent all day with Zunix and Liorax, and neither of them told you that Zunix has a synthesizer? It’s like a 3D printer, you know. It makes things.”
“Probably too busy looking at her boobs to talk much,” Felicity says cattily. “I’m so glad that Luddux and Xanthox value me for something more than my body.”
I don’t give a damn about Felicity right now. I’m barely paying attention to her bitchiness because I’m fighting back a hot surge of anger. It’s becoming obvious that Zunix deliberately didn’t mention his synthesizer to me.
Bryce frowns at Felicity. “There’s just five of us here,” she says. “Can we try to get along?”
“She’s right,” Paige says. “Let’s not channel ‘Mean Girls,’ please. I had enough of that growing up; I don’t want to repeat that here.” She looks up at me. “Olivia, Dariux came by earlier. He has a vehicle of some sort.”
“A skimmer,” May says. “That’s what he called it.”
“Right. Well, he’s heading out tomorrow morning to look for the others. He said that it would take him most of the day to get to the spaceship, but that’s still a lot faster than walking, isn’t it?”
My hot surge of anger bursts into incandescent flames. Liorax told me the Fehrat 1 was a month away, deliberately failing to tell me that Dariux had a way of getting there faster.
It’s obvious that neither man trusts me.
My spine stiffens, and my earlier warmth fades. If that’s the way the two men want to play it, then fine. Zunix wants to become a dragon? That’ll happen when hell freezes over.
And tomorrow’s date with Herrix and Belfox? Well, let’s just say that despite my instinctive dislike for the two men, I’m going to be very friendly.
Zunix and Liorax have made me feel like a fool. That’s the one thing I won’t tolerate.
11
Olivia:
Belfox and Herrix show up bright and early at Dariux’s door the next morning. Once they introduce themselves, Herrix clears his throat. “I was planning to go to the lake today,” he says. “The fish are plentiful this time of year. You will come along with me.”
“With us,” Belfox corrects with a smile, smoother than his friend.
Thanks for asking me what I want to do with my day, buddy.
I’m wearing one of Zunix’s gifts today, a pale green top with pretty, fluttery sleeves and a pair of black pants. All the men in the camp wear the same kind of pants, and come to think of it, Beirax and Mannix were dressed in them too. Maybe they’re like the Zorahn version of jeans?
I covertly study the two men as we get going. Both men are blond, but Herrix is broader than Belfox, who is tall, lean, and built like a runner. “I went hunting this morning for your breakfast, Olivia.” He moves closer to me, invading my personal space, so close that I can smell the meat on his breath. I fight the urge to take a half-step back. “Did you enjoy the fresh meat? I gave you the juiciest portion.”
“Yes, thank you.” I’m lying; the meat had been tough and flavorless, but beggars can’t be choosers, and I’m sure Herrix meant well. I give him a wide smile, wondering if that’ll be sufficient to get him out of my face.
Nope. No such luck. “I am the best hunter in the camp,” he boasts. “None of the others can run fast enough to bring down one of the great beasts except me.”
Belfox smirks. “If you become our mate, we will keep you satisfied in more ways that one. Unlike your other suitors, I’ve always been able to please a woman.”
Oh, some juicy gossip. “Unlike my other suitors?” I ask, my voice innocent. We don’t appear to be going to Lake Ang today. We’re headed in the direction of the southern lake, Lake Tuli.
“The precious Firstborn of Laris,” Herrix spits out. “The Highborn of Laris were treated like commoners. Except for Liorax, of course.” He smiles spitefully. “Became a laughing stock, didn’t he? When Kat’vi left him for his father.”
“Kat’vi was his mate?”
“Bondmate,” Belfox corrects.
<
br /> Ouch. Liorax’s wife left him for his father? No wonder he seems to hate women. If that’s the case though, why is he even bothering to compete for me?
Because they’ll become dragons, Liv.
That stings, but I refuse to dwell on that prickle of emotion. “Had she been mine, I’d have killed her for shaming me in front of everyone,” Herrix continues, his face dark. “In Pleno, we would have made her disappear. No matter what the laws of the Empire are.”
I shiver. Herrix is not a nice guy.
Belfox laughs sharply. “He probably has a small penis,” he says. “Why else would his bondmate leave him for the doddering Lord of Laris? Derix is in his third year of decline. I doubt the old fool can get an erection without the help of his healers.” He gives me a sidelong look. “You needn’t worry about us, Olivia Buckner. Both Herrix and I have very big penises. We will show you.”
Ladies and gentlemen, I can travel to the other side of the galaxy, but I can’t escape the dick shots.
“That’s okay,” I say faintly, stopping them before they strip off their pants. “That’s not how we court on Earth.”
Herrix and Belfox seem disappointed that I’m not jumping up and down and clapping my hands in excitement at the prospect of seeing their junk. Herrix grabs my arm. “Mate with us, and you’ll lack for nothing,” he says. His fingers dig in painfully into my flesh.
I’ve taken down larger men in the training ring, but if I employ my self-defense moves on Herrix, it’ll blow my cover to smithereens. “Oh, but I can’t,” I giggle, batting my eyelashes at the Draekon. “Dariux said I have to wait six months.”
“No, you don’t,” Belfox replies. “Once we become dragons, there’s nothing that Dariux can do to stop us.”
Great.
I’m starting to get a bit of a complex here. “Why do you want to be dragons? Is it because you can fly?”
Herrix stares at me, still holding onto my arm. “Liorax is disgraced, and Zunix is Midborn,” he says, his eyes gleaming coldly. “I am Highborn, as is Belfox. You will do well to ally with us.”