Must Love Dragonsl (Space Dragons Seek Mates Book 1)

by Michelle Ziegler

  Oh, right. This is what it felt like to be shoved into a car. Wait. No. This was bad.

  “Maddie? What is wrong with you? We can’t help if we don’t know.”

  Who was ‘we’? Donnie had a we?

  “Sh-murph.”

  “What? Smurf? What the hell was that.”

  Taking some borrowed energy from God knows where, she raised her arm and scratched her nose. It itched.

  “What is wrong with you?“

  “I had an Ishhh.”

  “What?“

  How did Donnie not get that she had an itch? Sighing, she let her head rest against whatever sat next to her. Probably Donnie. Probably not the vibe she needed to set.

  “Let’s go. Whatever he did to her needs to wear off. Head to the compound and we can figure it out later. He’s not going to leave without her. Let’s get her safe and then set the trap.”

  Maddie couldn’t make her lips work. She couldn’t tell him to fuck off or even to just sit further away. So she listened.

  “She better be able to help. You know that the doctor is expecting us to retrieve these guys. If we have to use your girlfriend as bait, so be it.”

  Maddie’s head shifted as the shoulder she’d leaned against moved.

  “She isn’t bait. I told you he will come for her. You should see the way he was controlling her.”

  Maddie thought of Kal. Maybe he could hear her from here. She didn’t really understand any of it, but she didn’t want him to come for her. She didn’t want him to get caught.

  “Look at her. That thing did more than just a mind game on her,” said a voice that wasn’t Donnie.

  “Those are the fucking tattoos I mentioned. Although I didn’t know they glowed like this until last night. What the fuck is he? Is she infected? Can you fix her?”

  Gravel kicked up outside of what she now knew was a car. The engine revved.

  “Fuck. I don’t know. Let’s report back. They’ll want to see this,” said the same new voice.

  Maddie sat somewhere between sleep and awake. Maybe this was all a bad dream; then again if Kal wasn’t a dream this probably wasn’t a nightmare.

  No one else said anything until the car stopped.

  Maddie let everything happen to her like she was observing, not that she had any other choice.

  “I’ll get her. Just don’t. No one’s allowed to touch her without my permission. That’s the agreement and for now that’s how it will be,” said Donnie.

  “Whatever Reyes. You better not fuck this up. You have no idea how this alien could catapult our sector within the Illuminati. You have no idea how much money is riding on this research.”

  Maddie wanted to ask Donnie who was talking. Reyes was his last name, but why was it used in a sentence with Illuminati. Wait, were they real? She’d heard of them, crazy conspiracy theorists that supposedly had their people in every government in the world. But they weren’t real. Where was she?

  Maddie tried to talk, instead she was sure it sounded like a drunken stupor. Or maybe nothing came out. Who knows? Exhaustion pulled at her eyelids. It would be so easy to give in.

  Using her mind, she called out to Kal.

  Don’t come for me.

  That should work. She hoped.

  Forcing her eyes open, Maddie winced. The heat of the sun licked at her skin, bringing her some comfort.

  Daylight. That had to mean they weren’t too far or at least too many hours hadn’t passed.

  “Get her inside, Reyes. They’ll want an update.”

  That was it. Maddie decided once she was strong again, she’d be turning that asshole into a cockroach. He sounded like one.

  Footfalls crunched against whatever covered the ground, dirt she supposed. A few seconds ticked by before she was jostled in Donnie’s arms. At least it was more graceful than her initial kidnapping. He was going to get it, just as soon as she could magic up something, anything. Maddie shivered as the temperature changed to the cool of air conditioning.

  “Take her down below. Put her in a cell for observation,” said another voice. Maddie couldn’t move her head enough to see who it was. A girl this time, maybe?

  “Oh, hey. Look at that. She’s coming to,” said the cockroach-man from earlier.

  “Where am I?”

  Donnie pulled her in protectively, and she tried to wiggle away. Donnie had never been that strong, but right now she wasn’t going anywhere.

  “You’re at our headquarters. Just stay quiet and I’ll get you out of here alive,” Donnie whispered.

  Well, shit. That didn’t sound good.

  “I’m not taking her to a cell. She’ll do fine in a guest room. I’ll stay with her and see what I can find out. In the meantime, post some guys outside. If that alien comes, you don’t know what he’s capable of.”

  Maddie tried to call out again to Kal, trying to tell him to stay away. Everything in her was muted. What if he couldn’t hear her? Maybe he wouldn’t come if he couldn’t track her. If only they could have waited to kidnap her for a few more days. Super inconvenient to not understand her new powers.

  She giggled to herself.

  Yeah, she sounded drunk. Maybe the panic would set in soon enough.

  “Shit, she glows?” someone asked.

  Donnie’s voice spoke up. “No she doesn’t fucking glow. It’s something he did.”

  “Maybe she should go straight to the lab,” said the girl.

  Maddie decided that woman would be a cockroach too or maybe a praying mantis. She seemed like a huge man-eater.

  “No. I’m not taking her to the lab. The agreement was that I would get him if she was protected. I said I knew how to get the alien, but she was supposed to be protected.”

  The woman’s voice said again, “yeah, that was before we knew she was one of them.”

  Maddie could almost feel the anger rolling off of Donnie. “She isn’t. I told you she’s human. Her mother was one of those clairvoyants in town. She’s just human. A telekinetic, but that’s about it. She’s not rare to this organization and you only need her to get that fucking alien.”

  Silence fell for a minute. Maddie might consider thanking Donnie later for saving her, but then again it sounded like he’d just sold her and Kal out.

  “Fine. Take her down. Find out what she knows.”

  11

  Kal clutched his chest as a string of pain ripped through him.

  “Kal? You okay?” Eadric asked.

  It took him a second to catch his breath.

  “Yeah. No.” Flexing his back, he rolled his shoulders, trying to release the tension.

  The chair fell to the ground with a crack as he abruptly stood. “It’s Maddie. Something's happened.”

  Five sets of eyes, all glowing and on alert settled on him.

  “Can you reach her?” asked Barak.

  Kal tried to sense her. Their connection was weak, and that only meant that she was alive, but surely not okay.

  He closed his eyes, pushing away everything but her. He tried to follow the threads only he could see. So weak.

  “No. I can’t. She’s not far, but she’s weak. Something’s happened.”

  His dragon woke, spreading his wings. Kal allowed him to take some control, see if he could sense anything new. Stretching his hands as their claws sat just below the surface. Nothing.

  “I can’t sense her. I felt a shot of panic and pain. I don’t understand what’s happened. I need to go.”

  Kal stepped off the ship and out into the same familiar surrounding of the desert. They’d moved the ship a few miles away, enough to throw off some sniffing lab coats. No one had found them, but it was too close for comfort.

  It had been a good call to allow Cy to remain with the ship. He’d get his turn soon enough, but he was the most trained in emergency proceedings. Too bad right now that was of no comfort to Kal.

  “I thought this planet knew nothing of us?” he screamed back.

  Sucking in the air, fighting back the rage, the
shift, he waited for a plan to come to him.

  “How is it that within a matter of a day they’re sniffing up our asses? Is it coincidence that some strange people were out here and now my mate is in danger?” Kal growled.

  He started pacing in the sand. “I can’t get a read on her.”

  Eadric came up beside him. “That mate of yours is strong. I’m sure she can handle herself. But, as soon as you have a read, I’ll fly with you. Just keep her from turning me into some kind of bird.”

  Everyone laughed, except Kal. He couldn’t. Her life was in danger. There was no doubt.

  “I’m shifting. My dragon might have a better chance of hearing her.”

  They all backed away as Kal’s skin burned away into scales.

  The air parted as his wings tore free. Rearing up on his hind legs, he prepared for battle. His dragon landed back on all fours, sniffing the air, listening for her. His brothers all stared intently at him.

  Just as he was about to say there was nothing new, a weak sound of her voice came to him.

  Don’t come for me. They want you.

  He stopped thrashing about, waiting. Nothing. The dragon growled.

  Eadric crawled up alongside him, ready to take flight in his own dragon form.

  Someone has her. They want us.

  Sniffing the air, he tried to make out her magic. The air too thick with other magic that he could pick out her, but that didn’t seem right. This town would be a curse just as much as it was his blessing. He wouldn’t be able to make her out, not clearly, not from here. Not if she was weak.

  I’m going to her house. We need to start there.

  Eadric’s massive head nodded, the red-hued skin and wings unique just as Kal’s orange was to him. They all had a unique color on their underbellies, yet all were similar in so many ways.

  I will follow. Eadric said within their minds.

  The other four stood and nodded.

  We will wait for your call. Responded Cy.

  Kal watched as Deo stood in the way.

  You do not take on the enemy without reporting back first. We weren’t aware of any threats.

  Kal nodded his massive head and pushed up into the sky, shimmering as he camouflaged to the Earth's darkening sky.

  The ground passed quickly, but to Kal the clock had stopped. The Earth stood still.

  They covered the miles between their ship and her home in a matter of minutes, and his heart stopped as he caught the familiar sight. He opened his senses further, trying to feel for her. Something. Anything. Yet nothing. They circled as Kal tried to figure out what else to do.

  A moment later her weak voice came through to him again. Fading in and out.

  Run, Kal. Donnie is part of it. He told them about you. Run. I’ll be fine.

  Like fucking hell he’d leave her. Eadric nodded as Kal relayed the same information. He could sense her now. Still weak, but he felt her.

  The dragon flicked its head toward the mountains. Not far at all. He would find her and then, Donnie would regret his choice.

  Both dragons turned and took off into the distance. He was coming for her. He would find her. And he would kill whoever had threatened her. This was what he was bred for. This was the monster he knew.

  Kal and Eadric touched down near what appeared to be a house. Nothing but a damn house. The mountain air chilled his dragon's soul, or maybe that was the loss of his mate. The two dragons tucked in between trees, trying to hide their size among green and brown foliage. Fuck, they stuck out like two dragons in a damn forest.

  His dragon sniffed the air and snorted. Her scent lingered. Eadric whipped his head around, back and forth, as they tried to hide while still seeking Maddie.

  There was nothing happening. Kal’s dragon dug his claws into the ground, digging up a chunk of earth and letting each grain drain through his massive claws.

  He needed to remain calm, come at this as a highly skilled warrior rather than a lovesick pup.

  His dragon gave a chest-deep rumble in response. They both needed her and emotion would save no one.

  The unassuming white and black exterior was out of place, but how? Narrowing his eyes, his dragon listened. Heartbeats. The hunter within him could feel them.

  Maddie?

  He tried again through the weak connection.

  Nothing. They, Kal and Eadric, used their power to feel, looking for magic.

  Moments passed, sitting and waiting. Studying, waiting for what they knew was there to show itself.

  Floods of colors danced along the air. So many types of magic. Their dragons snorted and crouched lower, waiting for a target.

  Kal snarled at the lack of Maddie’s signature. His dragon scanned the area once more, and he had to do a double take as something faint faded with every passing second. There. That was her.

  Tucking his wings close to his body, they prowled low and paused. There was no way to go unnoticed once they left the cover of the trees.

  Kal gave Eadric a quick nod, and they shifted into human form.

  Just as quick as they shifted, they both ducked and ran for the cover of a vehicle.

  “What kind of place is this?” Kal said.

  Eadric sniffed the air. “I don’t know. Can’t be anything good though. There are a lot of scents I don’t recognize. Human, but not.”

  Kal studied the building.

  There’s more to this place than what we can see. I hear an elevator. Do you see any type of monitoring system?

  Eadric pointed.

  There and there. The words strong in Kal’s head.

  Nodding, Kal held out his hand. A lick of fire flared up. He blew on it and it took off towards camera one. Eadric did the same to the next. Both cameras out of commission, they stood and moved.

  Don’t come here, Kal. Please stay. I’m safe.

  Her voice stopped him. He could feel her fear, how was she safe. This time, he was close enough that even with the weak connection her fear spilled through.

  She was not safe; she was not even close to safe. He could feel what she wouldn’t say, there was no hiding it.

  Eadric went to take a step forward and Kal held him back.

  She’s telling me to stay away. What the hell am I supposed to do?

  The sun was nearly gone now, time was passing. Time. Fuck, he hated time.

  Call out to her again. See if she answers? Ask her why?

  Nodding, Kal calmed his mind. Right.

  Maddie?

  The echoing of her voice came through weak.

  Kal? Please go. They want you. They’ll want your brothers if they find you.

  Kal looked at Eadric.

  Who’s they?

  She was quiet again for a few heart beats.

  What’s she saying? Eadric asked.

  Kal shook his head. “Hold on. She’s quiet again.”

  Kal? Don’t come for me. Go home.

  What the-?

  “She’s telling us to go. But she won’t tell me who has her.”

  Eadric took a step forward. “Ask again. And next, we don’t ask, we just go in.”

  Maddie? Who are they?

  His brother started to move.

  Kal followed Eadric. “Where are you going?”

  Eadric looked back at him and then at the house. “We need to save your mate. I don’t think I could leave if I wanted, anyway. Something - there’s something here.”

  Kal nodded. “Yeah. Some assholes are here. Come on. She hasn’t answered. I’m no longer waiting for her permission.”

  Eadric smiled. There’s my brother.

  They walked in silence, slowly approaching the house, taking in any shift in the air.

  Fire licked along their skin, ready for the attack.

  Things were too quiet. Whatever they were up against couldn’t be too bad. Nothing on this planet was known to be a galactic threat, but still her fear drove him, fueling his fire within. No one threatened him or his mate.

  Kal? Go. I feel you.

 
Maddie’s voice again.

  Go. They will hurt you if you come for me.

  He ground his molars at her last response.

  What are they, Maddie?

  Eadric and Kal stood in front of the door, staring at it.

  “Do we burn it down?” Eadric asked.

  “No. We don’t. My mate is in there.” Kal reached out. “Maybe we should try the door knob?”

  Eadric leaned against the side of the house.

  The knob turned.

  “This is really anticlimactic, isn’t it?” he said as Kal gave the door a push.

  Kal’s dragon sat below the surface, ready. “It’s odd. Perhaps they don’t really understand what they are up against? I know she’s afraid, but I can’t tell from what.”

  As Kal took a step forward, he lifted a forearm against a blast of light blinding him.

  Fine, they could play dirty. Kal knew within a second Maddie was here, not exactly where. She was down. Fuck.

  Eadric - it’s clear. Burn them.

  Kal flexed his arms and called on his dragon's powers. His skin turned to scales, his dragon remaining within as they worked together. Turning his head one way and then the other, looking for the access to a basement, and he caught Eadric as he let out a battle cry, his body engulfed in dragon fire.

  Go, Kal. I’ll get whoever is up here causing this strange fiery light.

  Eadric charged into the white of the room with Kal on his heels.

  Maddie?

  Her scent fresh and stronger, he followed where she’d been stopping dead at a bookshelf. She did not just disappear. He turned in a quick circle, but there was nothing. Where had they gone? There was no more house. This was it.

  Anger seethed through him. He would not give up now. No, he’d come too far for her. There was something he missed.

  Kal gripped the edges of the taunting bookcase and ripped it away. Surprise hit him as an odd door surfaced. Maddie was behind here, and this door was the only thing between him and his mate.

  Fueled by his need to protect her, Kal pushed at it. Metal.

  Claws extended from his hands and he began to rip at the cold and unforgiving material. It would not stop him. Kal stopped and scowled at the marred surface. Too slow. Something else. There had to be another way in. Some other way to force this door to open. It was then that a small green light on the right side caught his eye.