by Lili Zander
Wow. If last night was the icing on a cupcake, today is the cherry on top of the icing.
Ferix shifts positions, wrapping his arms and legs around me and rolling, taking me to the ground. I lie back with a sigh of contentment, snuggling up to him, nuzzling his chest as he softens slightly inside me. Rorix slumps next to us, his fingers laced in mine.
Two giant, powerful aliens, cuddling with me. So much swoon.
We stay silent for a few minutes, and then the quiet is broken by the sound of my stomach growling. Mortifying. My cheeks heat and I bury my face in Rorix’s shoulder. Ferix chuckles and gets to his feet. He disappears for a moment, giving me a gorgeous eyeful of his muscular back and flexing buttocks as he walks away. In less than a minute, he returns, holding an apple-sized bluish fruit in his hand. “Hungry?”
“Starving,” I admit, sitting up. The fruit has soft flesh, and the insides of it are hollow, filled with a sweet juice. “Where did you find it?”
His expression clouds. “I don’t remember.”
I push away the twinge of fear that gnaws at me. Yes, they’re losing their memory, and no, that’s not good. But for the moment, I’m going to lie to myself and pretend everything is okay. Just until the end of this meal. “It’s really good.” I smack my lips, and he fetches me another, and I gobble it down.
Rorix rises to his feet as well. He leaves the cave, only to return a few minutes later with a handful of large leaves that he uses to clean me. He presses one to my sex, and the leaf leaks a little bit of goo—kind of like an aloe plant. It’s soothing, sending a welcome coolness through my overheated flesh.
“Still sore?” Rorix grins at me, and I smile back, sated. Every bone in my body has transformed into a wet noodle. I am spaghetti. Gloriously pleasured spaghetti. “Or do you want to do that again?”
Dios mio. No wonder the other women in camp look so happy all the time. From the look of things, Ferix and Rorix are ready to go again. The doctor inside me warns me that my Draekons need rest, but the woman, the one who has been a virgin for a very long time, is having none of it. “You don’t need a break?” I ask weakly.
A slow smile curls up Ferix’s face. “We have been waiting for you all our lives, sweet one,” he says, his brown eyes staring into mine. “I thought I could stay away from you, but I can’t. Though we are breaking all the laws of our people, I cannot resist you.”
Oh right. They don’t think they should be with me because of what Beirax did. We’ll need to sort that out, and there are so many other things we should do. Dariux might still be a prisoner. The Zoraken know where the others are. My friends are at risk.
But the reality is, I’m not sure if I can do anything to help them. I’m one person. Rorix and Ferix are powerful Draekons, but they’re not in control of their transformations. Not yet.
For a little while, I just want to be selfish.
Then Rorix turns his head to the opening of the cave. Ferix stiffens, and his expression turns feral. He looks like he wants the whole world to burn. I can practically see smoke rising from him. When he walks through a patch of light, his skin is dappled and textured in a scale pattern. “I hear something,” he growls. “We must go. Now.”
My legs are shaky, my pulse races. So far, the dragons have emerged only when there’s a threat.
We’re in danger.
I’m given a minute to dress, and then Rorix slings me over his shoulder and leaves the cave, racing to the top of the hill. He puts me on the ground, and he transforms. I watch, awe-struck, as his skin hardens into silver scales that shimmer in the morning sunlight. Wings erupt from his back, and his fingers lengthen into claws.
It only takes a minute. “Get on his back,” Ferix orders. “Hold on tight. We go now.”
I clamber on the dragon’s back. As I settle myself between two spikes, I hear a high-pitched whine. Turning my head in the direction of the sound, I see a dot in the distance, growing closer with each second. “Zoraken,” Ferix snarls. “Rorix, go. I will hold them off.”
My mouth is dry with fear as I watch Ferix transform and launch towards the oncoming jet. The soldiers are after me. Ferix is not himself; he’s burning up with the fever. If anything happens to him, it’ll be my fault.
Ferix’s dragon bellows, arching its long neck, body stiffening before it opens mammoth jaws and shoots fire into the forest. Another blast, and thick smoke rises up, filling the air. Flapping his giant wings, the dragon drives the smoke into the path of the oncoming Zoraken ship. It corrects its course and Ferix flaps after it, alternately roaring and blowing fire.
Wind whips my hair into my face, obscuring my view. I dare not stop clutching tight to the ridge of Rorix’s neck as he flies away. I close my eyes and whisper a prayer. Let him be okay. Let them both be okay because I don’t think I’ll survive losing them.
14
Rorix
Sofia is pressing a damp cloth to my forehead when I open my eyes. When she sees that I’m awake, she hands me a cup filled to the brim with water. “Drink this.”
I sit up. Ferix is still out of it. “What happened this time?” I ask wearily. “What time is it? And where are we?”
She looks exhausted. “You remember nothing?”
I shake my head. Ferix groans, and slowly gets to his feet. There’s an angry red patch on his skin. It looks burnt. “What did I do?”
“Got into a fight with the Zoraken,” Sofia replies. “Don’t touch it. I’ve got some salve on the burn.”
“Where from?” I ask, then I see a backpack on the ground. And Sofia’s wearing clothes. Her own clothes. “Is that your pack? How did it get here?”
“That, I don’t know.” She frowns at Ferix. “Sit down. You need to rest.”
The wound in his side must not be bothering him too much, because his lips twitch, and his eyes twinkle. “You have a bossy side, Sofia. I think I like it.”
She chuckles. “If that’s a come-on, don’t bother. I’m wiped out, and all I want is my bed.”
“I’ll be your pillow,” I offer with a wink.
Her cheeks heat. “You remember having sex?” she asks, avoiding our eyes. “In the cave?”
“Yes.” It’s the most precious memory of my life. Especially now, when everything feels like it’s falling to pieces around me, when I need to cling tightly to what I have.
“And that’s probably the last thing you remember, right? God, this is mortifying. Well, we were just getting ready for round two when your dragons heard something. Some kind of flying ship.” She grimaces. “I think some of the Zoraken are looking for me. You guys transformed into dragons. I flew on your back, and Ferix took care of the ship.” She looks faintly sheepish. “I don’t remember what happened next clearly. They had guns, but I think the weapons were set to stun. Anyway, I must have been hit, because I don’t remember anything else. When I woke up a couple of hours ago, we were here, in this cave, and my pack was on the floor at my side.”
I only hear one part of that. “You were hit by them?” Fire starts to dance over my skin as my temper flares. The soldiers harmed Sofia? I will see them dead by my hands.
“Calm down, Sparky.” She rolls her eyes. “I wasn’t hurt. The High Emperor wants me back in one piece, remember? Let’s focus on the important stuff. All I’ve eaten today are two of those fruit things. I’m starving, and my pack has supplies. I’ll heat something, okay?”
“Let me,” Ferix says hastily.
I can’t bite back my snort of amusement. Sofia gives both of us a suspicious look. “What’s so funny?” she demands.
I wrap my arm around her. “Sweet one,” I murmur. “I love you, but you are a terrible cook. Unless you want us to eat charred meat and mush, let Ferix prepare the food.”
A strange expression flashes over her face, and then she pouts. “I’m a terrible cook?” she asks indignantly, and then she starts to giggle. “Okay, you’re right. I have no kitchen skills. My poor grandmother tried so hard to teach me, but she failed miserably.”
<
br /> I gather some wood for a fire. We sit around at the mouth of the cave while the meat cooks and talk about our lives. “You never talk about the homeworld,” Sofia says. “How come?”
“There isn’t much to say,” I reply with a shrug. “Both Ferix and I were young when we tested positive. We were fifteen. My parents were horrified that their son was a mutant.”
She looks outraged. “They didn’t try to fight the exile?”
“I think our families were relieved when we were gone,” Ferix says. “We were merchants. My father was more concerned with keeping the fact that I tested positive a secret. It wouldn’t have been good for business.”
Sofia’s the only person who’s fought for us. She came after us when everyone else was resigned to our loss. She’s not fazed by the fact that our memories have giant, gaping holes in them. She accepts us for who we are.
She’s our mate, this is true. Part of the urge to possess her is primal. But there’s another part of me that loves her for who she is. And that’s the part that’s in control right now.
The meat’s done. Ferix hands Sofia a plate, and she takes it from him with a murmur of thanks. We start to eat. Halfway through the meal, Sofia sits up straight. “Oh shit, I almost forgot. I turned on the communicator that Dariux gave me. It’s been picking up Zoraken chatter. The soldiers can’t get into the Dsar Cliffs. There’s some kind of shield they can’t penetrate. For the moment, they’re sitting tight and hoping that everyone inside will run out of food.”
“Thank Caeron,” I say fervently. We’d been stocking up on food in preparation for the rainy season. Our friends can survive for months on what we’ve gathered.
A weight lifts from my shoulders. Ferix and I have prioritized Sofia’s safety over the others, but it’s been eating away at me that I can’t defend my friends from the Zoraken.
Sofia nods in agreement. “I can’t tell you how relieved I was to hear it,” she says. “I’ve been torn between needing to help you and wanting to make sure the others are okay. Now, I can tackle your fever symptoms without being distracted.” A determined look comes over her face. “We need a plan.”
I exchange glances with Ferix. The last day has been a gift of immeasurable value, but it’s time to end this. Time to give her up. “You’re right. We do need a plan, but it’s not the one you think. You can’t stay with us, Sofia. It’s not safe.”
Her jaw sets in a stubborn line. “I don’t feel unsafe.”
I lace my fingers in hers. “Sweet one, the dragons might not hurt you now. But I can’t be sure that’ll never happen. In the last two days, we’ve lost control twice. We’ve transformed into the beast, and worst of all, we don’t remember anything of it. I dread the thought of waking up and seeing you injured. Or worse.”
I take a deep breath. “I will always cherish the memory of today,” I say quietly. “I will always remember the taste of you. The brightness of your smile. The kindness in your heart. But Sofia, the Draekon fever has no cure. We mated with you, and still, we burn. We swallow Vulrux’s potions, and it does nothing to cool us down. Nothing thwarts the dragon inside.”
Ferix nods soberly. “We don’t have a future, Rorix and I. But you do, Sofia. Back on your own planet.”
Tears roll down her cheeks. “It’s not fair,” she whispers, her fingers clenched into fists. “I don’t want to leave you.”
All I can do is hold her. “I know,” I say, my heart heavy. My thumb glides over her face, brushing away the teardrops. My heart feels like it’s been flayed alive, and it hurts to breathe. “I know…”
Tomorrow morning, we will need to figure out how to outsmart our dragons and get Sofia back to the others. They will protect her far better than we can.
We’re out of time. Tonight is all we have.
15
Sofia
Rorix had been joking about my cooking, but he’d said the words. He told me he loved me, and I believe him. I can feel the pain radiating off them in waves. The anguish of oncoming loss.
There’d been a small part of me that had hoped that everyone was wrong. That things would change the moment the three of us slept together. I’d harbored a fantasy that the instant the mating bond was complete, Rorix and Ferix would get well.
My pussy isn’t magical. There are no miracles.
We finish our meal in silence. There’s no more conversation, not of our childhood, not of our time on the prison planet. We’re lost in our own thoughts. In our own darkness. All that lies in front of us is pain and bleakness and separation, and I think it’s finally sinking in.
Earlier this evening, I told them that I was tired and wanted to sleep. I’m changing my mind. If this is the end, then I want to feel the weight of their bodies against mine. I want to etch their memories into my soul.
I reach out to my Draekons. “Come lie with me.”
They sink down on either side of me. Their faces are grave. They are thinking the same thing I am—this is the last time we will be together. Every touch, every kiss, every sigh—it is the last. This time is all we’ll ever have.
I swallow hard. “Kiss me, please,” I whisper, almost adding, make me forget. I’ll hold onto this moment for forever.
Ferix lays his hand alongside my cheek. Drawing me forward, he kisses me softly. I run my hands down his chest, filling my senses with the touch and smell of him. He lifts his head, and Rorix’s finger brushes my chin, turning my head so he can claim my lips.
I taste salt and pull away, bowing my head. Dipping closer to Rorix’s bare chest, I breathe in lungfuls of his smoky-sweet scent. With gentle hands, my mate guides me to straddle his lap. He lifts me and sets me on his cock, holding me aloft and controlling my descent so I slide down bit by bit. I sigh as he fills me, and I lean into him. Behind me, Ferix lifts my hair and presses kisses along the line of my shoulders. Rorix leans back, tipping me forward, offering Ferix access to my bottom. Carefully, Ferix probes my back entrance with his fingers, then with the head of his cock. He presses into me slowly. I tremble between them, my arms around Rorix, my face tucked into the curve of his shoulder. The heat of their skin scorches me, and if I listen closely, I can hear their dragons’ purring rumble.
I hang on as the guys move, rocking me gently between them. The slow and gentle movements of their powerful bodies take my breath away. I close my eyes and let go, filling my senses with the feel of them, their huge bodies cocooning me, protecting and claiming at the same time.
A low moan fills my ears. “Shhh, sweetness,” they murmur, and I realize the anguished sound is coming from my throat. I hold Rorix tighter, pressing my face against his neck as they speed their movements. Their cocks rub my sensitive inner walls, pleasure building until my orgasm snaps and whips through me. I cry out, the sound muffled against Rorix’s shoulder. My mates hold me tight, still rocking in rhythm, until one by one their orgasm takes them, and they shudder against me. I remain still, unwilling to shatter the moment, fighting the sob caught in my throat.
For a moment, we are one. For a moment we are complete.
Then it’s over. The men pull away, only to draw me down to the ground between them, where I cry in silence before I fall asleep.
The crackling of the communicator wakes us up. I blink the sleep out of my eyes and wonder why the Zoraken are talking to each other in the middle of the night. They’re in the Lowlands, and the hairus swarms should keep them inside their shelters.
But the voice that speaks is one we recognize. Dariux.
I’m sending this message to the Lost City of the Draekons. For sixty-five years, I’ve known that you exist. You thought you could hide your existence from us, but I can see everything that you’ve tried to conceal.
We never found any sign of the exiles that came before us. For years, I wondered about that. The High Empire is unimaginative. Year after year, they sent Draekons to the same set of landing sites on the same continent. Ten Draekons were sent away the year before I was exiled. Fifteen the previous year. Yet we never
found them. Because of you. Because you intervened. You spared them from the harsh hostility of this planet. You gave them shelter.
For sixty-five years, I’ve waited for you to approach us, but you’ve stayed away. I don’t know why you decided to leave us to our fate. Was it because we had some tech, Zunix and I? Was it because we took steps to ensure our survival?
All I know is that you have chosen to remain hidden. To remain outside what is happening. To watch in silence as Adrashian ships land on the prison planet and forcibly abduct the human women, all of whom want to stay where they are. To remain passive as the scientist Raiht’vi is hunted as if she were an animal.
It’s not just you. We too have chosen not to fight. We too have used Brunox’s daughter as a pawn when we should have offered her shelter. We will all answer for our decisions in the Gardens of Caeron.
You’ve remained hidden for a thousand years. But no more. I’m stripping away your anonymity with this broadcast. All communications are monitored by the Zorahn Navy. Now that they know what I suspect, they’re going to search for you. They’re going to hunt you, the way they’re hunting Raiht’vi. The way they’re hunting us.
It is time to take a stance and to defend what we believe in.
It is time to come out of hiding so we can stand together. So we can show the High Empire that the Draekons are not their tools anymore. We are not their slaves.
We are a force to be reckoned with.
It’s time to pick a side.
I’ve made my move. It’s time for yours.
My mouth falls open. With each word, shock grows within me. I know about Dariux’s quest for the lost city—it remains one of the most hotly debated topics of discussion in the camp—but the rest of what he’s saying is new to me. Dariux really believes that there’s a lost city and that the Draekons in it are still alive. Still out there. Even better, that they’ve been rescuing other exiles all along.