by Kate Rudolph
She had to be hurting after the long day of walking.
Maybe he could massage her pain away.
But he had to answer her question first. "I think the door and window should hold. Looks like they've lasted this long. And the force field could use the time to charge."
"Charge?"
"It recharges when it's not in use," he explained.
"Oh, yeah," Courtney said, nodding, "like a car battery."
He wasn't sure what that meant, but at least she didn't need further explanation.
They shared more meal bars in silence, and Crux cursed himself further. He had to tell Courtney the truth. Even if she chose to go back to Earth, she deserved to know that she wasn't some consolation prize, that he hadn't slept with her to slake cheap lust.
She deserved to know she was special.
He opened his mouth to say something when he heard footsteps and voices outside. He closed his mouth. The monsters screamed, they didn't talk.
But the slavers did.
Crux rolled to a crouch and shuffled over towards the window, waving for Courtney to stay down and out of sight. She interpreted his erratic waving correctly and kept quiet.
Night was falling fast, and the slavers moved at a frantic jog, looking around wildly as if they expected the monsters to come out of every dark corner. They didn't have any humans with them, and Crux was both thankful and disappointed. He assumed that meant the humans had been teleported away.
It also meant he wouldn't have to hold back if they got into a fight.
But the monsters would be coming soon, and he didn't want to fight when the planet's predators might do the work for him.
He also didn't want to give up his hiding space.
Unfortunately, it looked like he didn't have a choice.
The slavers stopped their frantic jog right in front of the building that Crux and Courtney were hiding in. Of course they did, it was the most secure place on the street.
Crux cursed himself for refusing to put up the force field when one of the slavers tested the door and found it locked. That door wouldn't hold up to a lot of force, and he bet the slavers had force fields of their own.
He looked back at Courtney and saw she was standing, her roller skates over one shoulder and his pack secured to her back. "They're coming," he warned.
She nodded.
Crux shifted to his warrior form and moved to intercept the slavers. They weren't laying hands on his mate.
17
For five glorious seconds, Courtney thought the door would hold. The evil aliens battered it with a frightening amount of might, and it didn't budge.
Until it did.
The material cracked and the integrity of the door failed. It fell off its hinges and one of the slavers pushed it open.
He didn't last long.
Crux had his claws out and was ready to strike, and strike he did, taking down the first slaver and waiting for the second, but the second was ready for him when he saw his first companion fall.
Courtney hated to sit back and do nothing. She felt less than useless. But all she had was a pair of roller skates and a can-do attitude. That was nothing in the face of aliens with fire power.
Could she do that thing she'd done the night before again? Could she somehow channel Crux's powers and take out the aliens?
She concentrated, reaching deep within herself to find that heat, that fire, that she'd felt the night before.
But she didn't feel it.
Maybe Crux had to be actively using his powers for it to work.
Now was not the time to experiment.
It was five on one now, and though Courtney had the utmost confidence in her man, she knew the odds weren't in his favor. She winced as he threw one of the slavers into the window and glass shattered all around them.
They were making a racket. Night was falling. Those monsters were going to come down on them like a plague.
This was beyond bad.
Courtney concentrated on fire power again.
Still nothing.
She felt the tiniest spark of it when Crux used his powers to blast one of the slavers, but it faded quickly, lending credence to her thought that he had to be using his powers for her to use them too.
She didn't have time to question why she had done it once or if she could do it again. If it came down to it, she would have to, that was her only option.
Crux took out another of the slavers, which meant three were still left. Then she heard the scream of a monster.
She clutched her roller skate. Maybe it was time to start busting heads.
She didn't have a choice when one of the slavers made it past Crux. He shouted a warning, but she didn't need it. She swung out with her skate and whacked him upside the head.
It did the trick and he went down.
A blaster shot nearly took Crux out, but he dodged and sent a bolt of fire at the two remaining slavers.
They went down.
She and Crux stared at each other over the carnage. Now would be a great time for a kiss. But they weren't safe yet.
"The monsters are coming," she said. "Do we have time to put these guys outside before we put up the force field?" She hoped they had enough battery to last the night. There was no time for it to recharge now.
The building shuddered around them, and Courtney looked toward the cracks in the wall where the blaster had hit it. A seam opened up and split, and the building shook.
Crux dove towards her, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her toward the street as the building started to fall around them.
Courtney didn't have time to curse. It was dark. The monsters were coming, and they had no place to hide. She slipped out of Crux's grip and laced their fingers together. This was one hell of a way to die, and Courtney didn't have time to number her regrets.
She wasn't going to waste the few minutes she had left.
"It's been one hell of an adventure," she told Crux. She wanted to kiss him, but she was too scared to look away from the world around them. She wanted to see the monsters coming. She wanted to meet her end face on.
"It's not over yet," Crux said. "Do you have my pack?"
"Yes, why? Do you have another trick up your sleeve?" She might fall down on her knees in thanks if he did.
But Crux shook his head. "Hold on tight," he warned.
And then he proved just what he meant when he said he was a dragon.
He didn't just have claws. He didn't just breathe fire.
He was a freaking dragon.
Between one blink and the next, the man transformed into a being out of legend, red and gold scales embedded on a black body with huge wings that could surely carry them to safety.
Climb on, she heard his voice say in her head, and she didn't have time to be shocked.
It definitely was not the most shocking thing she'd experienced in the week. She didn't even think it made the top five.
A monster screamed, and it was getting closer. Courtney could see shadows moving at the end of the street.
She clambered on the side of Crux and climbed onto his back, holding on wherever she could. It wasn't so bad at first. And then he moved, and she flattened herself on him, afraid that if she sat up too much she'd plummet to her death.
I won't let you fall, he promised.
"I'll haunt your ass if you do," she muttered.
Monsters were getting closer, coming down the streets and a few on the tops of buildings, but they must have sensed a more dangerous predator in their midst. They didn't charge, not immediately, and Courtney hoped it meant that she and Crux would get out of there without a scratch.
She was being too optimistic.
The first monster charged, and Crux let out a stream of fire, incinerating it.
Now she felt the fire like an inferno in her chest, and it didn't dissipate when Crux stopped breathing flames.
It should be easier for you to use when I'm in this form, he said cryptically.
If they weren't
in the middle of a fight for their lives, Courtney might have asked him to elaborate. But at that moment, one of the monsters on the roof tried to jump on Crux's back.
Courtney summoned his flame by instinct and took the fucker out.
The monsters charged then, not intimidated by the fire but enraged by it. Crux did most of the damage, but he wasn't untouched. At least one of the monsters bit him, and Crux screamed.
Courtney shot fire at any monster that she could see in payback. No one got to hurt her man.
She didn't even try to fool herself into thinking he wasn't hers. He was hers for as long as she could keep him.
The monsters came and came and came. Her world narrowed to burning flesh and fire. On the bright side, she soon became confident enough to move on Crux's back and trust that she wouldn't fall. Strangely enough, it was the muscles that she'd developed from roller skating that helped the most.
There was a break in the fighting. The monsters thinned out for a moment.
Hold on, Crux instructed.
She did as she was told.
And then he pumped his wings and took off, flying into the night and leaving the monsters behind in a search for safety.
18
The reality of Crux's dragonosity really sank in as Courtney plastered herself to his back and they soared through the air of Monster Planet. The monsters didn't have wings, which was a relief, so there was some kind of safety in the dark night.
But Crux couldn't fly forever. Apparently.
Even dragons needed a break.
They landed high in the hills, ready to blast anything that came close to them. But there were no monsters. And judging by the silence of the night, no other animals either. The monsters must have eaten them all. Or they knew to hide when the sun set.
They found another cave, and Crux shifted back to his human form as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Which, Courtney supposed, to him it was. Nothing lurked in the cave, so they put up the force field generator and started a small fire.
Now would be the time to ask Crux about the fire power. Clearly he knew something about it. And something about the telepathy.
Can you read my mind? She thought the words really hard, squinting at his back.
Crux didn't respond.
Don't ignore me. Can you read my mind? She projected even harder, a vein in her forehead throbbing. But Crux still didn't respond.
Hmm.
"Can you do telepathy with everyone?" She finally used her words, since thoughts weren't working.
Now Crux turned to her. "Only in dragon form. And not everyone." He didn't elaborate.
What was with him and cryptic answers? She needed to know what was going on, why she was one of the people who could read his mind and sometimes use his powers. "Am I half dragon or something?" The thought wasn't quite fully formed when it left her mouth.
And judging by Crux's startled laugh, it was just as ridiculous as it sounded. "I have no reason to believe you're anything but human."
Why did that disappoint her? Okay, Courtney could admit it. She wanted to be special. She wanted Crux to look at her differently and tell her she wasn't just a plain woman from Earth who'd made stupid decisions, lost an amazing job and the future it held, and was left picking up the pieces while slinging burgers on roller skates.
And she'd probably been fired from that job too.
Courtney decided to give it another night. She didn't want to ask a slew of questions and go to sleep unsatisfied when Crux went all mysterious on her. Exhaustion was already weighing down on her after the hike and the fights, and her eyes felt like deserts from how dry they were.
Tomorrow was soon enough to ask for answers.
It wasn't like she was going anywhere.
She lay down next to the fire and watched as Crux pulled things from his pack. She thought she heard him saying something, but he wasn't speaking to her, and eventually sleep won out and she drifted off.
She didn't dream.
Of course she didn't rest well. She could only take so many nights on cave floors without blankets or bedding before her body started to ache all over. She wasn't built for that. But she was surprised by the light streaming through the cave entrance. It was late in the morning, judging by how bright it was.
Where was Crux?
He couldn't have left her. Could he?
Voices came from outside the cave, friendly sounding. Not like the slavers. Still, Courtney grabbed her roller skates, ready to strike if something fishy was going on.
Outside the cave, Crux was standing beside a woman who was almost as tall as him, with dark hair pulled back in a ponytail and a uniform similar to the one Crux wore, though hers was a lot cleaner.
"This is her?" the woman said, words laced with doubt.
That put Courtney's hackles up, and she swung her roller skate threateningly, not that she thought this woman was really a threat.
"Can you do it?" Crux asked the woman. "And her name is Courtney. She's been through a lot."
A lot didn't even begin to cover it. "What's going on?" Courtney was really beginning to hate surprises.
Crux stepped away from the woman and towards Courtney. "I called in my friend Tracer last night. I couldn't fix the teleporter, but she was able to 'port in based on the location I gave her. She's going to take you home."
Courtney's first instinct was denial. She didn't want to leave Crux behind. Then the saner part of her brain prevailed. Did she really want to stay on Monster Planet? Nope! And Crux didn't want her with him. He had a mate out there to find.
She scrambled for something to say. "You couldn't have called her in three days ago?"
Her dragon looked a bit chagrined. "I thought I could handle it. But after last night… I can't risk you getting hurt. And I have to rescue those women before the slavers fly off. Tracer confirms that their ship is still in orbit. It's time to get serious."
"You're going in alone?" She knew how strong Crux was, but there were dozens of slavers, and she had a feeling he couldn't use his full dragon form on a space ship.
Crux put a hand on her shoulder, and Courtney wished he would touch her more. "I'll have help," he promised.
Something in Courtney's chest cracked, and her eyes were watering. What the hell? Was this relief that she was finally getting away from such a horrible place?
Since when did relief feel like heartbreak?
"I…" She couldn't think of the right thing to say. She wasn't prepared for this. What was going on?
"You'll be safe," Crux assured her. "I trust Tracer with my life and everything precious to me. She'll get you home."
"Will I ever see you again?" It felt horribly needy and revealing to ask, but the words tore out of Courtney, taking a chunk of her heart with them.
Crux cupped her cheek and pulled her close, pressing his lips against hers in a gentle kiss. It didn't stay gentle for long. He opened his mouth and Courtney swooped her tongue in, devouring him. She wrapped her arms tight around him, as if holding on for dear life would make it so he couldn't abandon her.
Tears leaked out of her eyes, and she didn't care. It felt like her life was ending, and she didn't know how else to deal with it but to put her entire soul into the kiss.
And Crux kissed back with everything he had.
But it had to stop eventually.
They did have an audience.
And this was the end.
Crux pulled back and eventually let go of her completely, stepping back far enough so that he could no longer reach her.
Courtney remained rooted in place. She wanted to beg him to find another way. But she had a life to get back to on Earth, and he had dragon things to do.
"Goodbye," she finally managed to say, and she didn't even need to choke back tears.
Crux just nodded.
Then Tracer powered up the portal and gestured for Courtney to step through.
It was time to go home and leave her dragon behind.
19
Good riddance. The woman made Crux look talkative and eager to share knowledge. Courtney was glad to be back on Earth.
For a minute.
"What the hell, Kyle, let me in!" She banged her fist against the door so loud she was sure to annoy Mr. Jareki down the hall, but she didn't care. She wanted a real shower and a real bed and maybe a real meal. She'd been thinking up a story to tell anyone who cared to know for the past few days, but now she was ready to sleep.
Kyle opened the door.
She shared the two-bedroom apartment with Kyle and his girlfriend Carly. They weren't friends, but everyone paid the bills on time and kept the place tidy enough, which was all Courtney cared about.
She wasn't great with having roommates, but she didn't exactly have the income to live alone.
"What the hell?" she asked, shouldering her way into the apartment. "I live here."
Kyle made a noise that had Courtney looking at him strangely. "About that…"
"What?" And then Courtney noticed the pile of things in the corner. Her things. "What's going on? Why did you move my stuff?"
"Did you come to get your stuff?" Carly asked, coming down the hall and flumping down onto the threadbare couch. "It was super uncool to ditch us like that. You owe us last month's rent."
"Hector did pay it," Kyle told his girlfriend quietly.
"That's beside the point." Carly glared at Courtney.
"Hector? What? I leave for a weekend and suddenly you're kicking me out?" Okay, Courtney was guessing on the timeline, but she'd only been with Crux for a handful of days. She couldn't have been gone that long.
Though maybe she should have checked a calendar.
"You've been gone a month!" Carly yelled. "No calls. The police came by and said you'd been abducted or something. I knew that wasn't true. Obviously. What are you playing at? Did you go on some type of bender? Have you been sitting in an alley for weeks? Drugs? Is that it?" Carly said it all with stunning intensity for someone slumped on couch cushions.
