Alien Heart (Conquered Mates: Dragons)

by T. J. Quinn

“Jack… what’s going on? Who’s this guy? What is he telling you?” one of the other men asked.

  “You can’t hear him?” the man called Jack asked, sounding a bit distraught.

  “No… not a word,” the other guy confirmed.

  “Let go of the woman,” I warned Jack, ignoring the others.

  “You can’t give me orders, freak,” Jack shouted, clearly not happy with my presence on his mind.

  He was scared but felt safe with the numbers. Four against one sounded good to him. He still hadn’t realized who he was dealing with.

  “I’m not giving you orders… just advises you better follow if you want to get out of here alive,” I warned him once more, paying close attention to the four men.

  Judging by the odors coming from the men and the way they were dressed, I could tell they were scavengers. Probably the same Sylan whenever he wanted something done under the table, which meant the Septian might be around.

  Jack laughed thunderously, but I knew he wasn’t amused. He reeked fear, even if he pretended to be amused by my claim.

  “Go away and stop bothering us,” he said, dismissing my words and turning to the girl who hadn’t stopped squirming, desperate to free herself.

  I crossed the small clearing, and one of Jack’s men threw himself at me, holding a knife. I caught him quite quickly, and in a matter of seconds, I had my hand wrapped around his neck while he thrashed midair, struggling to breathe.

  I squeezed just enough to make him pass out while I turned to avoid the attack of the other two. Jack was still just looking at the fight, considering his options.

  Throwing the first man a few feet away, I turned to fight the other two, and soon they were both struggling to breathe a few feet from me. Jack was shuddering, but he wasn’t ready to give up.

  Quickly, he walked towards the girl and pressed his dagger against her neck.

  “One more step, and I’ll slit her throat open,” he threatened.

  “Why do you think I care about her? Dying is a better fate than suffering your attentions,” I told him in a scornful tone.

  My coldness caught him off guard, and he pressed the dagger deeper into the woman’s skin, making it bleed.

  “I’ll kill her,” he shouted, sounding desperate.

  “Go ahead,” I challenged him, taking a few steps closer to him menacingly.

  Knowing he wouldn’t win anything by killing the woman, he jumped at me instead, dagger in hand and a murderous shine on his eyes.

  He aimed at my chest, but his dagger never touched me. I grabbed his hand and easily twisted his wrist until he cried out with pain.

  Two of his men attacked me from behind, but I was prepared. Their thoughts had reached me loud and clear, and stopping their attacks was quite easy.

  In a matter of seconds, the four men lay on the ground with their throats sliced. I didn’t have more time to waste on those creatures. Maya was still in danger, and I needed to find her as soon as possible.

  Impatient, I walked towards the female and used my sharp claws to cut the ropes imprisoning her. She was crying and trembling.

  “Don’t cry; I mean no harm. Do you live nearby?” I asked her as I freed her.

  “I have no idea… they brought me here blindfolded,” she mumbled, taking a few faltering steps away from me.

  “Do you think you can find your way home?” I asked, frowning.

  I had no time for this. Saving her had already cost me precious minutes.

  “Yes, yes… I will be fine,” she assured me, and nodding, I disappeared into the woods, back to searching Maya.

  Fear gripped my heart at the silence around me. I couldn’t lose my mate. Life without her now would make no sense. Without her by my side, days and nights would feel the same, endless hours of emptiness and darkness.

  Desperate, I kept looking for her, calling out her name, again and again, but all I got back was silence. Not even the creatures hiding in the woods made any sounds.

  I was surrounded by thick silence. I roared my frustration and fear, and a few birds flew out of their hideouts, too scared to stick around. The sound cut through the woods, and it seemed to pull me out of my despair, giving me enough clarity to control my feelings and focus on what was really important – finding Maya.

  I inhaled a few times deeply, and finally, I picked up something in the air. It was her scent. Barely noticeable, but definitely hers.

  I kept calling her as I followed the trail, hoping she would hear me and regretting my decision of sending the dragon away. They were able to pick scents better than any other creature I knew, and right now, that ability would have helped me a lot.

  A white splotch on the dirty ground caught my eye, and I rushed to it. It was Maya’s shirt. I remembered she had it on that morning when I left the house.

  With my heart thundering in my chest, I followed her scent, more intense now, just to find the rest of her clothes. Dreading to think on why she didn’t have her clothes on, I kept going, in and out of the creek, calling her name relentlessly.

  I couldn’t give up. I needed to find her, no matter what.

  “Ryoko!” the weak cry echoed in my soul, and my heart stopped for a moment before it jumped into a frantic rhythm.

  Finally, what I had been waiting for.

  Chapter Thirdteen

  Maya

  “Ryoko!” I kept calling, again and again, as I heard the footsteps getting closer and closer to me.

  My heart thundered in my chest so loud I was sure the intruder could hear it. I prayed it was an animal but whatever was coming my way was a two-leg creature. Knowing it was probably Sylan sent chills of sheer dread down my body, and I wanted to cry out my despair.

  I shouldn’t have disobeyed Ryoko’s rules. I should have known that he knew better than me just how dangerous the Septian was. I felt confident he had lost interest in me and felt safe to go rogue.

  Huge mistake.

  Now, I had put Ryoko and myself at risk. Knowing the price he would have to pay for disobeying the Asseptians set a tight iron band around my heart, and I had to cover my lips to muffle the heart-wrenching sobs struggling to come out.

  A bright light announced his arrival.

  “I knew I would find you here,” Sylan’s voice echoed on the cave, victorious.

  Covering my eyes from the sudden brightness, I pressed my body closer to the rocky walls, trembling.

  He put down the lantern he was carrying and stepped closer to me.

  Desperate to avoid his disgusting touch, I ran away from him, but he grabbed me quite quickly.

  My body was numb from the cold, and my feet slid on the wet rocks on the ground.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, oozing lust and exhilaration. “I have so many plans for you, my dear,” he assured me, licking the side of my neck. “Were you waiting for me? I’m so happy you ditched your clothes. Less work for me,” he mocked me, licking and nibbling my earlobe.

  Disgusted, I did my best not to throw up when I felt his tongue on my skin, but he must have sensed my reaction because he squeezed me harder against his chest.

  “What? Have you gotten used to the lizard you’ve been fucking?” he asked, with scorn and hatred on his tone. “Does his tongue feel better?” he asked, shaking me hard.

  I gasped, startled.

  “Oh, yes… I know all about you two,” he assured me while his hands slid up to cup my breasts. “I’ll take care of your lover soon enough. He’ll learn the hard way no one fools my people,” he added with cold viciousness in his tone.

  “Leave him out of this. I did it all. I seduced him and manipulated him to do my bidding,” I said, driven by an unknown force to protect Ryoko.

  No use getting Ryoko into this mess. I silenced my cries for help and accepted my destiny. I knew this day would come, and I had spent eight years waiting for it. I just had to find the best way to deal with it.

  He bellowed with laughter. “Do you really think I believe you? The general ha
s been acting way too cocky for my taste,” he pointed out with a cold tone, any hint of amusement long gone.

  He hated Ryoko; I could feel it deep in my bones. He probably felt intimidated by Ryoko’s strength and imposing presence. No human body was a match to the Slyth, and that pissed Sylan more than he cared to admit.

  “I guess the toxin isn’t doing its job on him, so I’ll suggest to the Elders he’s turned into a dragon snack,” he added, squeezing my breasts hard until a groan of pain left my lips. “Uhm… so tender and soft… I can’t wait to get you in my bed, squirming underneath me. Breeding you will be such a pleasure,” he said, kissing and nipping my neck from the back of my ear to where my shoulder met my neck.

  “You’re a bastard!” I spurted at him, struggling harder to free myself.

  He laughed again. “You humans have such amusing insults,” he mocked me while one of his hands slid up to my throat and squeezed. “I couldn’t care less about what you think of me. We are Septians, one of the most powerful species in the damn universe. Even the almighty Draccunians succumbed before us,” he sneered, oozing scorn.

  “You’ll pay for all you’ve done,” I warned him, through gritted teeth, struggling to breathe but too furious with the slimy scoundrel to stay quiet. I just wished I would live long enough to see the Asseptians and Septians pay for the devastation they brought upon the whole universe.

  He laughed again. “Not on your lifetime,” he assured me, finally dropping his grip on my throat and pushing me against the rocky wall.

  One of his hands imprisoned mine over my head, and the other got busy exploring my battered body.

  Sylan took great pleasure pressing and pocking every wound he found on my body, my pain clearly a turn on for the sick bastard. I had heard rumors about him killing some of the women on the breeding program, and now I knew they were all true. He was a damn sadist.

  “You shouldn’t have run so fast. You knew I was going to find you,” he mocked me, pushing one of his knees between my legs and hitting me hard.

  I gasped but struggled to keep any tear at bay. He was not going to see me cry.

  “You’re mine,” he whispered in my ear before he bit my earlobe hard. “That scoundrel took you away from me, but now that I got you back, no one will stand in my way,” he added, sliding his hand to grab one of my breasts and pinch the sensitive nipple so hard a groan escaped from my lips. “Don’t hold back,” he asked, with a sleazy tone. “The more you hold back, the harsher I’ll be. I want to hear you cry. I crave your screams.”

  “You’re nothing but a sick bastard,” I mumbled, shuddering, as pain coursed through me as he squeezed harder.

  “You’ll cave. You all do,” he said, oozing contempt.

  Sylan leaned forward and took my nipple between his teeth and bit hard. I bit hard my lower lip to muffle the cry struggling to come out, and my whole body recoiled from his touch.

  I was so disgusted my stomach was churning violently with the urge to throw.

  “Let go of me,” I managed to demand, breathing hard.

  He pressed his knee harder against my pussy. “Go on… fight me back. Nothing gives me more pleasure than taming you little sluts,” he said, gloating. “I take pride in every single mark I leave,” he added, twisting my breast so hard I knew I would have a massive bruise on it. I groan, and he laughed. “We’re just starting,” he warned me, with an evil grin pasted on his face.

  I squirmed and struggled, but he was too strong for me, and in just a few moments, he had me lying on the hard, rocky ground, pressing my body against it.

  My body was almost numb due to the cold, but I could still feel every single pointy rock underneath me and the painful way they buried themselves in my skin. Especially when he laid his heavy body over mine, pressing me harder against the ground.

  I whimpered and squirmed, but he had my hands in a tight grip, and his body did the rest.

  He tried to spread my legs wider, but the rough ground made it harder for him, and after a few tries, from which I ended up with bleeding scratches, he finally gave up.

  “Damn!” he cursed, jumping to his feet and dragging me up with him. “Pity this place is so harsh. I would love to take you here and now, but I’m sure my men have already set camp. I guess I’ll have to wait a little longer,” he said, looking around.

  Before I could do a damn thing, he pushed my hands behind my back and secured them with what felt like hot iron bands, wrapped around my wrists and elbows, in a very uncomfortable position. Another cold band was placed around my neck, tight, making my breathing hard, and I gasped. A leash was attached to the band around my neck, and he pulled me closer to him.

  “Perfect. If I was in charge, you animals would all be on a leash,” Sylan said, giving another hard pull to the leash, making me trip with the loose rocks underneath my feet.

  With a cruel smugness, he pulled me up, each pull to the leash, strangling me a bit more.

  “You’re the disgusting animals here, not us,” I replied, enraged, despite the pain and soreness coursing through me.

  He laughed and turned around to leave the cave, dragging me after him. I fell to my knees a few times, scratching my knees, but he clearly couldn’t care less.

  Outside the cave, the sun was almost gone, and the cold breeze was harsher than it had been before. Desperate, I allowed myself to utter Ryoko’s name, wishing I had paid attention to his warnings.

  “Maya! Where are you? I have been looking for you,” his voice came through to me, loud and clear.

  I sobbed, and a lonely tear rolled down my cheek. “Stay away. Sylan wants you dead, and he will stop at nothing to get you,” I warned him.

  “Tell me where you are. I’ll go to you,” Ryoko insisted, ignoring my warnings.

  “It’s no use. He’s not alone, and if he captures you too, you’ll be fed to the dragons,” I told him, trying not to let out all the pain and regret consuming me. “Go away. Escape!” I begged him.

  “That will never happen!” he assured me. “I’ll find you.”

  “They’ll kill you,” I sobbed.

  “I’d like to see them try,” he sneered. “Have a little faith in me, Maya, and tell me where you are,” he insisted once more.

  I sobbed and closed my eyes for a moment, not sure of what to do. Of course, I wanted him to rescue me, but I also feared he would be captured and killed. I wouldn’t be able to live with that.

  “I don’t know where I am,” I admitted. “Please, stay away. I don’t want you getting killed,” I begged.

  “They won’t kill me. Just keep talking to me and I’ll find you,” Ryko assured me.

  “Sylan is armed, and his men are waiting for him. It’s too dangerous,” I pleaded while Sylan dragged me through the woods, tripping every two steps, my feet too cold and insensible to stand firm on the ground.

  Ryoko went silent for a moment. “I’ve taken care of Sylan’s men.”

  I sobbed and tripped with a hidden root, falling on my knees.

  “Get up!” Sylan snorted at me, pulling the leash and choking me in the process.

  “I’m too cold. My feet…” I protested, but before I could end my sentence, he slapped my face so hard that I fell flat on the ground.

  “I don’t care. Get up and stay up, or I’ll take you right here, in the middle of nowhere,” he threatened in a harsh tone.

  “Touch her again, and I’ll slice you open like the pig you are,” Ryoko’s bellow came through to me, and I sobbed harder.

  Startled, Sylan turned around to look at the enraged warrior, dropping the leash in the process.

  “What are you doing here?” Sylan asked, trying to sound furious, but even I could tell he was scared.

  “Did you really think I wouldn’t find out what you were up to?” Ryoko asked, scornful.

  Sylan pulled his weapon from its sheath. “You’ve kept me away from her long enough. She’s mine, and you’re not getting in my way this time,” he said with a frantic tone that was almost man
iac.

  “She’s not yours,” Ryoko stated in a stern tone that seemed to echo in our minds.

  Happy that Ryoko was here and worried simultaneously, I tried to get out of the way, determined not to get in the middle of whatever happened between them.

  “Not yet! But she will… as soon as I get rid of you,” Sylan said, with smugness, as he pointed his weapon at Ryoko.

  “Are you sure you want to go down that path? If you do, there’s no going back,” Ryoko warned him, his claws tripling in size, turning into the lethal weapons they really were.

  Ryoko’s body covered itself with darker blue scales as if he had put on a living armor. Spikes came out of his shoulders, forearms, and legs, the same color as the scales. He didn’t need weapons. His whole body was one.

  I gasped at the sight of him, startled. I had never seen him on his warrior mode, and even I was scared. He looked powerful, invulnerable, and invincible.

  Sylan took a step back, as surprised as I was. He probably didn’t know Ryoko could shift this way.

  “How long have you been off the effect of the toxin?” Sylan asked, furious.

  “Why do you care?” Ryoko asked in a mocking tone. “Were you counting on me being a puppet? Someone you could cow with a few words and the wave of your little weapon?” he added, taking a couple of steps towards the Septian.

  The weapon on Sylan’s hand shook, and he gasped. “Stay where you are, or I’ll shoot,” he threatened.

  Ryoko smiled, dismissing his words, and took another step. He wasn’t afraid of the Septian.

  I, on the other hand, was shaking like a leaf out of cold and fear. This was not going to end well, and I feared for Ryoko’s life.

  Desperate for some leverage over Ryoko, Sylan stepped back and picked me from the ground, pressing his gun against my head.

  “Stay away, or I’ll kill her,” he threatened, sounding a bit more confident. “I’m sure you have seen what these weapons do to a frail human body.”

  “Killing her won’t save you,” Ryoko pointed out with a dark tone, so cold it sent chills down my spine.

  “You won’t let me kill her,” Sylan replied, the hint of confidence gone from his tone, en face of Ryoko’s blatant indifference.