by S. E. Smith
Brogan didn’t reply at first. A sardonic smile curved his lips and he dragged the nails of his left hand along the elaborate display board. Ray paled when his eyes followed the movement of Brogan’s claw-tipped hand. Brogan had partially shifted to his dragon.
“Is this… Is this some kind of joke? Are you a friend of Edison’s?” Ray demanded, placing his full glass on the end table.
“No,” Brogan softly replied.
He held up the bundle of papers that the man – ‘Earl' – had ordered Delilah to sign. Ray looked at the papers, bewildered, and started to reach for them. He appeared to have second thoughts when he looked at Brogan’s hard expression.
“You sent someone to my mate’s home,” Brogan said.
Ray’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what you are talking about,” he retorted.
Brogan didn’t miss how Ray’s eyes swept over the blood splattered on the outermost sheet of the papers. He could hear the man’s heartbeat beginning to speed up. Fear had a distinct scent and Ray was very afraid.
“Delilah Rosewater,” Brogan prompted.
Ray’s lips pursed. “You sound foreign. Are you here illegally? If you can get the Rosewater woman to sign those papers, I can help you with that,” he said.
“The man you sent shot my brother and another man. He would have killed Delilah,” Brogan stated calmly.
Indecision flashed across the other man’s face before he turned to study the display board once again. A look of desperation came into Ray’s eyes. His gaze returned to Brogan and the papers he was holding.
“I didn’t tell Earl to kill anyone. He was supposed to get Ms. Rosewater’s signature on that piece of paper. Obviously, he failed. I’ll offer you the same deal I offered Earl – two thousand dollars to get her signature. That’s a lot of money where you come from,” Ray said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
“I don’t use money where I come from,” Brogan replied.
Impatience crossed Ray’s face. “I need those papers signed. I don’t care how you get the signature, but I’ll make it worth your while. If you are already fucking the bitch, that should make it easier. This is a business deal. Either you take it, or I can find someone else who will,” he stated.
A soft snarl echoed in the room. Ray’s eyes widened as Brogan began to slowly shift. He wanted to see the terror blossoming in the other man’s eyes.
“I am voiding your business deal,” Brogan replied in a guttural tone.
He reached out and grabbed Ray by the throat with one claw and lifted the man off the floor. Turning his head, he shifted completely into his dragon. The claw around Ray’s throat tightened, cutting off the man’s terrified scream.
Holding up the papers, he exhaled a thin burst of dragon fire. The papers ignited before they disintegrated into a pile of ash on the polished floor. He returned his attention to Ray who was staring at Brogan’s empty hand. The man’s fingers froze on his claw.
“Ple… Please…,” Ray gasped.
Brogan shifted back into his two-legged form. He continued to hold Ray up by the throat. His nose wrinkled at the smell of urine when Ray pissed himself.
“The only thing keeping you alive is the boy upstairs and your mate. If you come anywhere near Delilah’s property again, I will be back, and nothing will save you,” Brogan warned.
“Yes…,” Ray replied, his voice weak and trembling.
Brogan lowered Ray to the carpeted floor and shoved him backwards. Shifting once more, he turned and released a long stream of fire at the display board. The superheated flame turned the display board and the table to ash without leaving a mark anywhere else. With a final menacing look at Ray, Brogan surged forward, shattering the large plate-glass window.
His large wings lifted him higher. His symbiot, in the shape of a fighter, shimmered into view for a brief moment before closing around him and disappearing again. It had all happened in the blink of an eye.
Brogan rolled his shoulders as he settled onto the seat that his symbiot formed around him. With grim satisfaction, he fingered the recording device Jaguin had given him earlier. DeWayne could use the recording against Ray if the man tried anything else.
“Let us return to our mate, my friend. I’m ready to leave this cold world and return to where we can all fly free,” he said.
Valdier home world:
Delilah stared in fascination down at the world below her. After being on board a space ship for months, she had a new appreciation for natural sunshine and wide open spaces. Thank goodness there were places on the ship that could replicate areas to make her feel like she was still on Earth. She would have to remember to thank Jaguin for the thousandth time for programming places that she was familiar with into the computer’s simulation program.
The journey had been fascinating overall. The technology alone had made her head hurt trying to figure out how half of the stuff worked. Brogan and Barrack had been extremely patient, and Sara – well, there was a reason Sara was her best friend.
She turned when the door opened behind her. A smile curved her lips when she saw Sara’s excited, smiling face and Brogan and Barrack’s tender expressions. She smoothed her hands down over the new blouse and skirt she was wearing.
“Are you ready?” Brogan asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she said with a weak smile. “How long will it take to get to your village?”
“An hour,” Barrack replied. “We would like to stop at our old home first.”
“Asim and Pearl have been overseeing the rebuilding of our home for us,” Brogan said.
“We’ll have a home?” Delilah asked, her eyes widening in pleasure and relief. “I was afraid…. I mean, I thought we would have to stay with your parents or somewhere else for a while.”
Barrack laughed and shook his head. “No, we are selfish enough to want you for ourselves,” he teased with a wicked grin.
“If you do not like it, we can build you a new home,” Brogan promised.
Delilah laughed, rushing forward and throwing herself in Brogan’s arms. She rose up on her toes to kiss him before pulling free to do the same to Barrack. She sighed when Barrack deepened the kiss. He didn’t break the kiss until Jaguin pointedly cleared his throat.
“I thought you were in a hurry to get off this damn ship?” he reminded Barrack.
Barrack chuckled. “Let’s take our mate home, brother,” he said, reluctantly releasing Delilah enough so that she could fall into step between them.
“With pleasure,” Brogan said, grasping Delilah’s hand in his.
Several hours later, Barrack stood on the other side of the bridge, looking across at the village where he and Brogan had grown up. It was larger than he remembered. He could hear people talking and laughing as they went about their daily lives.
“Do you think they will remember us?” Brogan asked, standing beside him.
“Of course they will remember you. You guys are too awesome to forget,” Delilah retorted, her eyes gleaming with determination while her hands nervously played with the hem of her shirt. “What if your parents don’t like me?”
“Of course they will like you,” a woman’s serene voice said behind them.
Barrack stiffened and slowly turned. Aikaterina walked toward them. Her eyes glimmered with power. He swore he could see the very center of the universe in their depths. He blinked when she paused in front of Delilah.
“Thank you,” Aikaterina said, lifting her hand and tracing it down along Delilah’s cheek. “You are indeed strong enough to handle these twin dragons.”
Delilah shrugged and gave Aikaterina a shy smile. “It wasn’t that hard. A snow shovel and a kick in the…. Well, you know what I mean. They are pretty easy to love, too,” she joked.
“I believe your words were ‘two very hot, sexy and extremely horny guys’,” Aikaterina replied.
Delilah flushed and shot the snickering twins a reproving glare. Barrack grinned. He planned on proving to Delilah that every word was
true. His gaze returned to Aikaterina and he frowned. A moment ago she’d looked incredibly powerful, but now she looked almost fragile.
“All life must come to an end eventually, warrior,” she said.
“Will we…?” Brogan asked, his gaze turning to the village.
“No, you have changed your past. The present will remain locked, but the future is for you to unveil,” Aikaterina replied. “I must say goodbye. Do not fear, warriors, your village will accept you.’
Barrack watched as Aikaterina rose and faded. He turned in a circle, searching the sky, but there was nothing. The sound of a shout drew his attention. Turning back to face the village again, he saw that an older man had noticed them and stopped in mid-stride to stare at the three of them.
“Barrack…?” the man’s strangled voice called out uncertainly.
Barrack wrapped his arm around Delilah’s waist. She clung to Brogan with her other hand. Together the three of them started across the bridge. The man met them as they reached the end of it.
“Brogan,” the man’s voice trembled and he reached out. His gaze moved to Delilah. “Who…?”
“Hello, Father,” Barrack greeted.
“Father, this is Delilah. She is our true mate,” Brogan replied, his eyes searching the growing crowd of people. “Mother….”
“Brogan,” Lesann called, pushing forward. “My sons.”
Delilah watched as Barrack and Brogan were embraced by their parents. She smiled back at Lesann as the woman wiped at the tears on her face. A startled laugh escaped her when she was lifted up off her feet by a tall young man. She shook her head at Brogan and Barrack when they turned and growled at him.
“You can’t kill me; Father and Mother would be mad at you,” the young warrior said with a grin.
“…You must be Merck…our brother,” Barrack said, his eyes running over the younger warrior.
“I heard you got your ass kicked,” Brogan added.
Merck flushed and shrugged. “Yes, and I deserved it,” he admitted, looking at Delilah. “I’m glad they found you.”
“Me, too,” she said, curious about the sadness she could see in Merck’s eyes.
“Come, there is so much you must tell us,” Bane said. “My sons have returned with their true mate!” he shouted to the onlookers.
A loud cheer rang through the village. Delilah gazed around at everything in wonder. Their original plan had been to travel to the village after a brief stop. Instead, they had stayed the night in the new home Asim and Pearl had partially constructed. She knew the men had delayed their return to give her more time to adjust to being on their planet. She could also feel the tension in both men at the thought of returning to the place of their birth.
“I dreamed that they would return one day. It broke my heart the day they left, but I understood why. They have never truly had a welcoming home – until now. Thank you,” Lesann said with a tearful smile. “Thank you for changing their destiny and giving them a chance at life.”
“I think you have a very compassionate Goddess to thank for that,” Delilah murmured.
She smiled and looked over her shoulder at where Aikaterina stood on the bridge watching them. The Goddess returned her smile before fading again. The sadness she’d felt about the twins’ necessary seclusion turned to laughter when several small dragons bounded up to her with flowers in their mouths.
“Well, so this is what a dragonling is,” she laughed. “I can’t wait to have a few of my own.”
Twin rumbling growls drew silence, then laughter as everyone realized that the twin dragons had their eyes on their mate and very devilish grins on their faces. Delilah laughed and shook her head.
Yep, she thought with satisfaction as Brogan wrapped his arms around her and Barrack brushed a kiss across her lips. I’ve found me two very hot, sexy, and extremely horny guys from Planet Hornywood. This life is definitely better than my first one!
To be continued: Waking a Golden Goddess
Read on for samples!
Magic, new worlds, and epic love in the many series of S.E. Smith…
Sample of Destin’s Hold
Synopsis
Destin Parks will do whatever it takes to rebuild the city he calls home, even if it means working with another alien ambassador. The Councils hope Jersula 'Sula' Ikera’s logical mind and calm demeanor will resolve the upheaval caused by the previous ambassador, but no one could have anticipated Sula’s reaction to the hardheaded human male she has been assigned to work with. His ability to get under her skin and ignite a flame inside her is quite alarming, mystifying, and leaves her questioning her own sanity.
Together, Destin and Sula must race to stop an alien cartel before anyone is taken off-planet, but the traffickers are not the only ones they will be fighting against – a battle is coming, bigger than anything they’ve yet seen...
Read on for the first two chapters of Destin’s Hold!
Chapter 1
“No!” a low, tortured hiss escaped Destin as he fought against the paralyzing memories holding him prisoner.
He struggled to free his mind, caught between the realm of nightmares and consciousness, but couldn’t break free. After several long seconds that felt like an eternity, he jolted awake with a shudder and drew a deep breath into his starving lungs before slowly releasing it. Pushing up into a sitting position, he noticed he was tangled in the bed sheets.
Destin ran a hand over his sweat-dampened face before reaching to turn on the lamp next to the bed. It was missing. It took him a second to remember where he was and that the lighting system was still alien to him.
With a groan, he fell back against the pillows and drew in a series of deep, calming breaths, holding each one for several seconds before releasing the air in a slow, controlled rhythm. It was a meditation technique he read about years ago. He continued until he felt his pulse settle down to a normal rate.
A glance out the door told him it was still dark. He groaned and laid his arm across his eyes. He was up way too late last night or should he say this morning. Unfortunately, it didn’t matter the amount of sleep he got, his body was programmed to wake early.
Destin dropped his arm back to his side and stared up at the ceiling. It was smooth and undamaged. There were no patched places, no cracks, and no bare metal beams. The architects and engineers back home were slowly making progress, but home was nowhere near as nice as Rathon, the Trivator home world.
Throwing aside the twisted sheets, he rolled out of bed. The jogging pants he slept in hung low on his slender hips. He ran a hand over his flat stomach and curled his toes into the soft, plush mat under his feet before he began his daily stretching exercises.
The taut muscles in his neck, back, and shoulders bulged as he tried to work the tension out of them. He might not be as tall as his Trivator brother-in-law, but years of hard work and targeted training had made his body the perfect fighting machine. Scars crisscrossed his flesh, each one a testament to the challenges he had faced over the past seven years.
His arms rose and he stretched, enjoying the cool breeze blowing in from the open doors and caressing his bare back. He could smell the fragrant aroma from the flowers blooming in the garden just outside and the tangy scent of salt from the nearby ocean. The weather here was a balmy seventy degrees if he had to guess.
He turned toward the doors and closed his eyes, blocking out the view of the garden and its high protective walls designed to keep out the wildlife. He tilted his head and listened to the sound of waves crashing against the shore. It was soothing last night, luring him to sleep, but now it felt relentless and violent, an echo of the adrenaline he woke up with.
Destin ran a hand down over his hard, flat abdomen again. His fingers traced a barely visible three-inch scar. It was a new one. He got it when a skittish street urchin fought to return to a building that was slowly collapsing.
Two years ago, he would have died from such a wound. He owed a huge thanks to Patch, the Trivator healer back on Ea
rth. Patch had doctored him up, and after a few weeks of rest, Destin had been ready to travel off the planet.
He shook his head and opened his eyes. His travel through space to a distant world was unimaginable seven years before. It was hard to believe that Earth had received their first contact with aliens almost a decade ago. It was even harder for him to believe he was on an alien planet at the moment – at least until he looked around at the buildings and landscape. Twin moons, thick forests, flying transports, and bizarre creatures made him feel like he woke up in some alternate reality.
Destin turned and quietly made the bed. He grabbed a black T-shirt out of the drawer and pulled it over his head. He didn’t bother with shoes; he wouldn’t need them where he was going. Within minutes, he silently exited the house that belonged to his sister, Kali, and her Amate, Razor.
He crossed through the garden to the far gate. Punching the security code into the panel, Destin waited while the lock disengaged before he quietly slipped through. He made sure the gate was closed and the security system engaged before he turned along the path that led down to the beach. Both Razor and Kali had warned him to stay on the marked paths. He understood why after his arrival. From the air he got a brief glimpse of one of the wild animals that inhabited the planet. Destin was very glad the paths were secured against creatures like that.
The Trivators believed in living in harmony with the other creatures on the planet. They used only the areas they needed to live and kept large sections of green space. Most of the creatures were fairly harmless, but there were a few that were extremely dangerous – to both the Trivators and their enemies. Invaders would first face the dangers of the forests if they landed outside the protected cities.
The roads and walkways were kept safe by specially placed security markers embedded into the paths. The markers were programmed with the animals’ DNA. The embedded sensors detected when an animal approached the marked areas and a shield formed to stop the creatures from entering the path.
