by T. J. Quinn
When our bodies touched the mattress, words became moans, and nothing else mattered but to express our feelings through our caresses, kisses, and mind-blowing orgasms.
“Who was that man?” I asked Ryoko while we lay in bed after the waves of pleasure faded.
“You’re very persistent,” he growled.
I chuckled. “I’m curious. Can you blame me? I could tell he wasn’t human.”
“He didn’t say who he was. I know I have seen his species before, but I can’t remember where,” he replied while caressing my auburn hair.
“How do you think he got here? Could he be one of the Asseptians?” I asked with a slight frown.
He shook his head. “No idea. But I know for sure he’s not infected. I can smell their scent a mile away,” he explained in contempt. “He hates the parasites as much as we do… probably even more. He claims he wants to start a war against them.”
“Do you think he was telling the truth?” I asked, trying to imagine a free world.
I barely remembered life before the attack.
“He sounded confident. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”
We didn’t have to wait that long.
Chapter Twenty Five
Ryoko
The stranger showed up again, just a few days after his first visit. This time he was waiting for me near the entrance to the house perimeter.
“What do you want?” I asked, walking up to meet him.
“Is there a more private place where we can talk?” he asked me.
“We can talk here. No one dares to come to this part of the city,” I assured him.
“If you say so…”
“Who are you? I monitored the skies, and no vessel landed on this planet. I know you’re not human… human males have a different stench, so… who are you?” I asked with a frown.
This time I would insist on having an answer.
“Are you sure you don’t know, Ryoko?” he asked me, calling me by my name, as he stood in front of me, his face lit by the pale moonlight.
I stared at him, frowning, as I took a good look at him for the first time. The image that rushed through my mind had me stepping back. “It can’t be…” I mumbled.
“Why not?”
“I haven’t seen one of you shift in all these years… I assumed the toxin prevented you from shifting… it was the only reasonable explanation…” I mumbled, still too astounded.
“You’re right about that. The toxin stops us from shifting. I still don’t know why, but it’s a matter of time for me to find out,” he confirmed my suspicions.
I took a few more steps back as I realized who he was and how lethal he was. No wonder he hadn’t looked phased by my weapon. It wouldn’t have scratched him.
“How… how did you beat the toxin?” I asked, still amazed.
“I found my mate,” he explained.
“But…” his words startled me.
“Why are you so surprised? You too mated a human female,” he pointed out.
“Yes… but my people have mated other species before… the Draccurian have never done it,” I replied, with a slight frown.
“Well, they do now,” he assured me, his tone firm and confident.
There was no doubt in his mind.
“Why are you telling me this now?” I asked.
“Because I need your help. I’m ready to get rid of the Asseptians on this city,” he told me.
“Are you going to kill them all? Even those on the humans?” I asked, not entirely happy with the idea.
I had many reasons to hate the Septians, after all these years of putting up with their shit, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the humans hosting the parasites.
“No… we’ll spare the human hosts, at least, until we figure out if there’s a way to kill the parasite without killing the host,” he explained.
I ran my fingers through my skull. “Several of my mate’s friends were infected. They are still alive, but barely. She would never forgive me if I had any part on their death.”
“You haven’t fully claimed her,” he concluded.
I shook my head. “No… my people have never claimed a human female before. Hell, I didn’t even know this planet existed until we landed here. I have no idea how she’ll react to the claiming ritual,” I explained.
“You need to have faith. There’s no way you could harm your true mate,” he told him.
“I know… things are just too complicated,” I said through gritted teeth. “I can’t risk doing anything that might kill her feelings for me,” I added in a low tone.
“That’s why I need your help. I’m the only dragon that can shift, for now. Without insiders, we’ll have to storm the city, and too many people will die, including your men,” he told me in a stern tone.
“What makes you think I won’t rush to the Asseptians to warn them about your plan?” I asked in a scornful tone.
“You’re a smart male, Ryoko, and you know I’m your best chance at getting rid of the Asseptians,” he replied, in a firm tone. “This is happening; either you help us or not. With your and your men’s help, we can attack the Asseptians, imprison those infected, and free those that aren’t.”
I stared at him in silence, considering his words, trying to decide how crazy I was for even thinking this could work. The Asseptians were ruthless, not someone you wanted to piss off. “What do you want from me?” I finally asked.
“For now, try to wake up your men. Tamper the logs, make the Asseptians think they are still getting the toxin, and keep them safe. Tell them as much as you see fit and make sure they don’t notice my absence,” he explained.
“Where are you going?”
“I have a few things I need to do before we attack. I’ll take one of the golden dragons with me,” he told me.
“That shouldn’t be a problem,” I agreed. “Does this mean the dragons are out of their trance?” I asked, not sure I liked the idea.
“Yes… though I don’t need you to if you can keep the Asseptians from giving the dragons the toxin, that will save us precious time,” he asked me.
“I can do that.”
“Do you have a safe place for your mate while we fight this battle?” he asked me. “I know your people always build safe nests.”
“Yes… I have a place. Your mate can stay with her,” I told him, scowling, knowing what he wanted before he even uttered the words.
“Thank you. I’ll let you know when I’m back in town.”
“Just don’t be too long.”
“I won’t.”
Suddenly, the man in front of me shifted into the ruthless black dragon and jumped towards the skies. I stumbled back, startled. “Damn! Next time, a little heads up would be nice,” I ranted as I watched him fly away.
I should have known he was the black dragon. All black dragons belonged to the elite ruling Draccura.
The black dragons were imposing creatures. Their size, strength, and power were legendary, not only here on this planet but also all over the universe.
He swirled in midair, chuckling. “Sure thing,” he mocked me, and I scowled.
They were also cocky and wiseasses.
Shaking my head, I walked towards the house and to the loving arms of Maya.
“Was that the other night’s stranger?” she asked after she kissed me.
“You saw him?” I asked, frowning.
She smiled at my reaction. “He made sure I knew he was there. He triggered the alarms and waved at the cameras,” she explained. “I considered inviting him in, but I thought you might not like that,” she teased me.
“Really? What made you think that?” I asked her, pulling her into my arms and hugging her tight against my body.
“Your unnecessary jealousy,” she answered, chuckling.
“You wouldn’t be laughing if you knew who he is,” I told her in a scolding tone.
She tilted her head back to look at me. “Who is he?” she asked, frowning, sounding worried.
Her face turned into a cold mask, and she freed herself from my embrace and stepped back. “What?! You have to be kidding me,” she said, with so much fury in her tone I worried.
“No… I’m not kidding. I told you I didn’t think the dragons were on this voluntarily, and today he confirmed it,” I told her in a calm tone. “They were infected, as we were.”
“He killed my best friend,” she spurted out, with so much hate and pain in her tone that my heart cringed.
“How do you know that?” I asked cautiously.
I knew for a fact the dragons hadn’t killed as many people as the world believed. Their mission was to capture humans alive and only to kill those that opposed them violently.
“I saw him. The night of the attack… he ripped her house apart just to get to her,” she explained, sobbing.
“Perhaps he didn’t kill her… perhaps he just wanted to capture her,” I pointed out.
“If that was true, I would have found her on the children’s quarters, don’t you think? She was my age,” she refuted my words.
“Not all the children were sent to the children’s quarters. Some were infected immediately,” I told her, with a sad tone, as I remembered those days. My stomach still churned at the memory. “At first, the Asseptians hoped they could use the children’s bodies as hosts too, but they didn’t last more than a couple of weeks. Their bodies were not strong enough to support the parasite,” I added.
“Either way… she’s dead, and it’s the black dragon’s fault,” she said, refusing to give the dragon some slack.
“Then you must blame me as well,” I pointed out, and her face changed immediately.
“No!” her rejection was fast and confident.
“Salavíf, they were forced to do unspeakable things, as was I and all of my men. We had no choice. The Asseptians controlled our minds, and we simply did what we were told,” I reminded her.
“I hate them so much… they have ruined all of our lives,” she ranted, closing the distance between us and hiding her face on my chest as she cried.
I kissed the top of her head. “I know the feeling. We all know,” I assured her, “and that’s why the black dragon wants to fight the Asseptians.”
That got her attention. “You mean… start a war? But how? With whom?” she asked, startled. “My people won’t go to war against them, again.”
“They might, when they realize the dragons and the generals are on their side,” I told her.
“You’re going to help him…” it wasn’t a question, but I still answered it.
“Yes… I would have done it sooner if I had known the dragons would back me up. This is our chance to get rid of the Asseptians,” I explained.
“I know that… but it still doesn’t make me happy,” she murmured, hugging me tighter.
“We’ll be fine… I promise you,”
We stayed like that for a few moments until she stepped back. “When and how will this happen?” she asked in a grave tone.
“I still don’t know. He had to leave town for a few days, and that will give me the time to wake up my men and prepare them for what’s coming.”
“How do you plan on waking them up?” she asked me, intrigued.
“I’ll prevent them from taking the neurotoxin that keeps them under the Asseptians’ control. That should be enough,” I explained with a hopeful tone.
“You don’t sound confident,” she pointed out.
“Meeting you diminished the effect of the toxin over my brain. Your scent triggered some sort of response on my immune system that started fighting the toxin,” I started explaining. “When my mind was clear enough to understand what was going on, I stopped taking the toxin, but it still took me a while to be completely immune to it.”
“What caused your immunity?” she asked, curious. “Perhaps, we could replicate it for your men.”
“You,” I said, smiling.
“What do you mean ‘me’?”
“Exactly that… when you became eighteen, you were ripe and ready for me. Your scent was so powerful, so strong, it killed the effect of the toxin permanently,” I explained, as she snorted at my choice of words. “Your blood cleansed my body of any possible remains.”
“Would any human blood do the same?” she asked.
“No… only that of the male’s mate,” I told her.
“But don’t you think once they're off the toxin, their bodies will be able to resist its effects?” she asked, with a hopeful tone.
“Only time can tell,” I replied.
“What about the black dragon? How come he’s awake?” she asked.
“He found his mate,” I explained, grimacing.
“His mate? I didn’t know there were female dragons on the planet,” she pointed out, frowning.
“His mate is human.”
“Human? A woman, you mean?” she was clearly shocked.
“Yes… a woman, just like you…”
“How come this has never happened before? I mean, none of your men have found their mates here, right? So, why now? What changed?” she asked, puzzled.
“You’re asking questions impossible to answer. My people have mated other species before, so I can’t say it surprised me to find my mate here, on this planet,” I explained. “But it’s the first time for the dragons. The Draccurian have never mated with other species.”
“How can he be so sure? How can you be so sure?” she asked, trying to understand.
“We just know. Our entire self recognizes our other half. We know instinctively that person is the one we’ve been looking for our whole lives,” I tried to explain.
“It’s not the same for us,” she said in a regretful tone.
“You still can’t feel the bond between us?” I asked, trying to hide the hint of sadness I felt each time we brought this up.
My soul was begging me to claim my mate. I had to make a conscious effort not to claim her every time we made love. I almost lost control a few times, but knowing she still didn’t feel the same way I did, always pulled me back.
I wanted her to come to me freely.
“I do…” she assured me, but I could sense her doubt.
“Anyway, the dragon’s mate will keep you company. The shelter room is probably the safest place around these parts, so you should be alright there,” he continued.
“We’ll be fine,” she assured me.
“It won’t be easy, and it will also be very dangerous,” I warned her. “You must promise me you will remain in the shelter room for as long as it’s necessary. We’ll start storing food and water there, just in case it takes longer than expected.”
“I promise. I’ll be on my best behavior.”
I chuckled and kissed her forehead. “Now, more than ever, it’s important you keep your word,” I insisted, still not comfortable with the idea of putting her at risk, even though there wasn’t much I could do to avoid this. “How was your day?” I asked, changing the subject.
“Oh… yes, I was about to tell you. Julia came by. She’s restless, and the confines of her settlement seemed to strangle her more and more each day,” Maya told me.
It wasn’t the first time the human female had visited Maya. The first time she showed up, I wasn’t too keen on the idea. I didn’t trust her people, and they sure as hell didn’t trust me, but the woman had become a very good friend of Maya and visited her regularly.
She always came alone. I had no idea how she had found us, but she was a resourceful woman, and she wandered the woods at ease. The dreadful experience she had with the scavengers had only made her more determined to learn how to stay safe at all times.
“Did you have a good time?” I asked Maya.
“Wonderful. She brought me some new herbs and vegetables, and we spent the afternoon cooking. She left like an hour before sunset,” she explained before she frowned. “Don’t you think we should warn her to stay away from the woo
ds?”
I shook my head. “We can’t risk the word getting out. The Asseptians are ruthless. If they had the slightest suspicion, the dragons would rise against them, would strike first, and though they might not be able to kill the dragons, they would destroy everything around them,” I told her in an ominous tone.
“It’s not worth the risk, I know,” she said, but I could tell she wasn’t happy.
She had already lost too many people.
“Let’s do something. If she comes by before the attack, convince her to stay here with you for a few days. That way, she would be safe, and so would everyone else,” I suggested.
She hugged me and kissed me. “Thank you, that’s perfect.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Taking my men off the toxin was easy, but the whole experience was terrible. Their rage and frustration for all that had happened were hard to disguise, and they were more than ready to jump on the Asseptians’ throats to make them pay.
After long talks, I convinced them to wait, that we stood a better chance if we waited for the dragons. Once I convinced them, we started planning the attack, and by the time the dragons showed up, we were ready to go to war.
Adruz, the black dragon, came to visit me as soon as he returned from his trip and suggested taking Maya to meet his mate. He claimed the place was safer than my house and a lot further away from the city.
I wasn’t thrilled with the idea, but I did understand his point of view. Convincing Maya wasn’t easy, though. She didn’t want to be away from me; after all we’d been through, I didn’t either. But it was definitely the best solution.
Adruz arranged for one of the golden dragons to take us to where his mate was living, and we left that same day.
Zayn, the golden dragon, drop us off in the outskirts of the small town where Adruz’s mate lived, and we walked the rest of the way, heading to the town hall where we were told we would find her.
But when we got there, she was nowhere around.
“Are you sure this is the right place?” Maya asked, looking around.
“Yes… Zayn has been here before,” I assured her.
“Who’s there? I know you’re out there. Show yourself,” a woman’s voice echoed in my mind.
