by Keri Kruspe
Body heavy, Sherri shook her head. “No, but I only want two this time, okay?” The last time she tried to get away, she had ten guards dogging every step.
Basimah frowned but nodded. “All right, everything will be ready within the hour.”
“Great.” Sherri closed her eyes and rested against the soft back cushion. The refrigerated air wasn’t the only thing that made her shiver. “Wake me when it’s time to go.”
In record time, Sherri was aboard her private plane heading north. She snoozed most of the trip, only waking up when someone gently shook her shoulders.
“Wh’a?” She rubbed bleary eyes as she peered at the figure in front of her. She relaxed at the smirk crossing rubbery features, a sure sign they’d reached their destination.
Striyx, the Nok alien who was one of her trusted guards, didn’t appear to be under any duress. Amusement shone out of his two solid-silver eyes nestled in deep sockets. He stepped back as his gaze swept their surroundings. A pug nose rested over wide lips, now enlarged in a sardonic smile that revealed two crooked canines bracketing a flat tongue. His small, square ears sat behind brunet horns rolled like a goat on each side of his large, narrow head. Wavy, white hair fell in a thick curtain to his shoulders.
With a natural slumped pose, he dragged two long arms at his side as his knuckles trailed on the floor. Under normal circumstances, he kept his black, pointy claws curled to avoid scraping as he walked. Today, he had a small blaster clutched in one hand. His legs were gangly and bent, each ending in a broad, flat foot. Striyx’s body had a pale, coarse skin that covered a thin layer of white fur matching the hair on his head. His shoulders were broader than his pelvis and Sherri tried not to compare him to a gorilla. But once that image stuck, it was hard to get rid of it. Striyx wore the standard Imperial Forces uniform—a one-piece loose blue garment, with the pants encased in knee-high black boots.
One thing about the Nok guard, he had a wicked sense of humor to go with his wicked way with weapons.
“Com’ on den.” He snapped his fingers to produce a popping sound. “We’s better go ‘afore Shysutá heres starts a-killing fer no reason.”
A snort from his female companion let everyone in on what she thought of his opinion. “I always kill for a reason, moron.” The deep purple orbs narrowed a glare at the Nok. “Even if it’s ‘just because’.”
Shysutá had recently learned the English word “moron” and used it instead of calling Striyx by his given name.
No one could say a member of an almost extinct, bloodthirsty species didn’t know how to have fun. Before Sherri’s friend Lora left with D’zia to go back to Zerin, she told Sherri all about the purple-skinned mercenary when Shysutá’s name came up as one of Sherri’s personal guards. Once Sherri met the Merkaba, there wasn’t a doubt in her mind the ferocious female would be a great protector.
Shysutá resembled an Anime character, complete with large, pulsating eyes, a tiny waist, and big boobs. The biggest difference was the Merkaba had two sets of arms instead of one. And, as far as Sherri could see, Shysutá was ambidextrous with all four hands.
Shysutá kept her thick lilac tresses clipped close on the back of her head, with long curls framing the side of her face and flowing down to her waist. The last two inches were a deep pool of purple. With a fanciful wisp, her bangs lay across her forehead in varying lengths. They topped her large, expressive pupils in the same mesmerizing color as the bottom of her hair. Her pale, lilac skin was as smooth as porcelain.
Covering her impressive breasts were twin triangles of barely-there blue cloth tied around her neck and back. A usual, she wore a black leather jacket with fingerless gloves on her two sets of hands. A black, tight skirt fell just below her rounded bottom; onyx thigh-high boots with heels to give any reasonable creature a nosebleed completed the badass outfit.
Sherri eyed the long Katana laser sword in its holster at Shysutá’s back that solidified the “don’t fuck with me” vibe. Huh, she couldn’t be in better hands. Those two were the best protection on this or any other planet.
The only downside was they’d be hard to ditch.
The fog of her small nap dissipated. Sherri straightened in her seat, stretched her arms above her head, and enjoyed the popping vertebrae on her back. She reached down, grabbed her briefcase, and stood. “Okay.” She led the way out of the plane. “Let’s get out of this tin can.”
She’d bought the remote compound soon after she had her name cleared and her fortune returned. With a rustic appearance on the outside, the gambriel roof, two-story log cabin was state-of-the-art inside, with every luxurious amenity known to mankind. Several yards away from the main house, there was an enormous pole-barn to hold various snow transportation machines on one side and a place for horses on the other. Since Sherri hadn’t spent a lot of free time at her new home, horses were the last things she’d purchase.
Besides, if she wanted to go anywhere in the rugged mountain range, all she had to do was ask Cheithe to come out and fly.
After Shysutá and Striyx prowled the premises and the interior of the house and proclaimed everything was “all clear,” Sherri went up to her large master bedroom. With a heavy toss, the briefcase landed on her bed. She’d better let Basimah know she’d arrived or her assistant would be likely to call out the National Guard to check up on her.
Less than an hour later, Sherri changed into sweats and Zerin slip-on shoes. Basimah had contacted her (again). After reassurances and further directives, Sherri headed off another emergency and called off the military her assistant had on standby. She was proud she didn’t snap at poor Basimah before hanging up. It wasn’t the other woman’s fault Sherri was on edge.
Now came the hard part, convincing Shysutá and Striyx to let her go alone into the forest.
The three of them stood in a standoff in the middle of the living room. A large picture window framed the thick woods in the late summer afternoon sun. It was a chilly day outside, so a cheery fire blazed in a fireplace big enough to stand in. A plush tan couch with contrasting plump pillows faced the flames, with a colorful Native American blanket thrown across the back. It was hard to ignore the invitation to sit and relax in the soft cushions. Matching sofa chairs paired with a full bookcase along the opposite wall added to the warm atmosphere.
The last thing Sherri wanted to do was relax. The only thing on her mind was to let Cheithe out. Maybe then she could breathe. Sherri was drowning in the thick emotion she and the dragon created. She couldn’t handle it anymore.
“I’m sorry you feel that way.” Sherri tried for a reasonable tone with uncrossed arms and a hip jutted. “But I’m not changing my mind. I am going alone and neither of you can go with me.” She rested her fists on her hips. “Believe me, I don’t need your protection. I’ll be perfectly fine.”
Striyx scanned her with an upper lip curled. “You gots ta be kiddin’. Lil’ biddy thing as you ain’t goin’ nowhere without one of us.”
Sherri’s face heated at the Nok’s derisive tone.
“What the moron is trying to say,” Shysutá interjected, “is that we’re here to protect you.” Her stance mirrored Sherri’s, except with top arms crossed and bottom limbs fisted on slim hips. “Even if it’s from yourself.”
Sherri contemplated the two and came to the inevitable conclusion. If she somehow escaped them, they’d eventually find her. No matter what form she was in. Plus, what if one of them got hurt when Cheithe appeared? Or, worst case, what if Cheithe got hurt?
“Fine.” Sherri threw her hands in the air. “Follow me.” With a dry throat, she stomped out the door and headed for the clearing in front of the house. The area had enough room away from the trees to change into dragon form.
Shysutá and Striyx shadowed her and stopped when she did.
“I’ll show you why you don’t need to come with me, but please understand this is highly classified and cannot be shared with anyone.” She glared at them. “Ever.” She crossed her arms again. “Only a hand
ful of other people in the galaxy know my secret, and I doubt they’ll say anything.” An image of Ki gave her an unexpected block in her throat. With a hard swallow she kept going. “So if this gets out, I’ll know where it came from.”
The two aliens gave her their full attention. Shysutá’s purple eyes narrowed while Striyx’s wide silver ones expanded.
“I demand complete loyalty on this.” Sherri glared at them. “Agreed?”
A few heartbeats passed before dual nods of consent were given.
She scrutinized their expressions before her shoulders relaxed. “Okay, then.” She stepped back. “Give me some room.”
The two guards slid a glance at each other before they stepped back several feet. With identical thin frowns they kept half an eye on her while scanning the area.
“Before I do this, you must agree not to follow me,” she insisted. “I’ll only be gone for the night. I promise to return in the morning.” A sudden wave of grief choked as her sinuses and eyes filled. Damn it! Her emotions were out of control. Time to get a handle on things. Yes, that’s what she had to do. Make a plan, come to terms with Ki leaving, and find a better way to deal with her violent reaction to his desertion.
Maybe it was past time to really trust Cheithe on how to solve their little problem.
Ignoring the heat filling her face and neck, Sherri took off her running suit and folded the clothes on the ground. She stood naked in the cool woodland morning with a stiffened back and spread her arms wide.
Let’s go, Cheithe.
No one had to tell her dragon twice. The morphing sensation engulfed Sherri’s body with a pinch that left her breathless. Once again, she was a passenger in an immense, silver dragon. With a cocked eye almost the same size as her companions, Sherri smiled at their dumbfounded expressions.
Shysutá was the first to recover. “You are a Solaherra dragon?” Awe made her mouth and eyes wide on her lilac features. She took small steps to Cheithe who sat on her haunches. The Merkaba raised one of her top hands as if to touch a silver scale. She checked for permission before a nod came from the dragon.
“But your kind is extinct.” She spoke in a soft whisper. With a light touch, she petted the scales until she reached lower to a deep-silver one.
Cheithe lifted her snout in a rumbling pleasure-purr.
Shysutá’s head jerked. “You were there the day the Chancellor was arrested! But…you are human! How can this be?”
“We’s gonna have a lon’ talk when she gets back tomorra.” Striyx stopped behind the Merkaba and crossed his arms. It didn’t look like he wanted to touch the dragon.
“Yes.” Shysutá’s mauve lips widened in a grin. “You obviously can take care of yourself. We will discuss this when you return.” With a tilt of her head to examine Cheithe, her eyes pulsated with a twinkle. “Until then, little human.” With one last glance, she turned toward the house.
Striyx gave his own narrow-eyed glare before he followed the swaying hips of his lilac companion.
Freedom! Blessed freedom! The joy of flight was theirs! Cheithe lifted her imposing, angel-like wings with their translucent white feathers to lift her heavy body into the multi-colored sky beginning its twilight.
With each flap of the dragon’s wings, more of Sherri’s tension released. She’d already gone over how dangerous humans could be and directed Cheithe to the sparsely populated areas of the mountain range.
Sherri floated in a hazy sea of subconsciousness until Cheithe set down on a ledge above the tree line on a cold mountaintop. The blistering wind blew and whipped around the dragon’s steady body. Encased in the solid scales of her dragon, the frigid temperature wasn’t a problem as Cheithe surveyed the alien landscape of Earth. She shared pictures of her previous homeland with Sherri—light-purple sky dotted with yellow, white, and pink puffy clouds. Blue-and-violet grasses were dotted sparingly with massive trees with metallic trunks in silver, gold, and copper and matching blue-and-purple leaves. The timbers were so big and thick, a dragon could land on a limb and rest after a long flight.
The extinct horizon shone with the brilliance of the twin colors of the sun—yellow interior with a bright orange ring. Cheithe basked in its warmth as the fragrance from a myriad of intergalactic plants perfumed the air. The memory of her homeland soothed Cheithe’s weary soul.
Sherri shared the dragon’s pang of homesickness for a world long dead and mourned its loss.
The dragon’s contemplation turned to her absent mate. Visions of Grirryrth and his masculine navy-blue dragon evoked a chuffing sound from her lengthy dragon throat. While dragons might not have tear ducts, they sure had powerful vocal cords.
In the tradition of her people, Cheithe bellowed her anguish at losing her mate. With an open mouth shooting flames of grief, she cried, intense and deep, a primal scream that echoed her agony along the unforgiving mountain ravine. The night became bitter and lonely. The repeated dragon cries sounded until dawn before Cheithe collapsed in weary despair.
Sherri admitted her own emotions had evened out throughout the vigil. And one thing became more than clear. Putting up with Ki’s bullshit was over. Time to wrap up things on Earth and go after him. Even if he didn’t want her, Grirryrth and Cheithe deserved to be together. She’d be damned if her dragon suffered any longer. Nope…not if she could help it.
We’ll find my mate? The hopeful tone in Cheithe’s voice solidified Sherri’s determination.
Damn right, we will. Sherri reassured her as they once again took to the skies. During the flight back, she plotted how to get everything arranged before leaving Earth.
The mood turned buoyant and playful as they reached their destination. By the time Cheithe touched on the grassy lawn at midmorning, Sherri was at peace. What surprised her was neither Shysutá nor Striyx had come out to greet her. You’d think they’d be bugging her with endless questions. The cool breeze shifted the delicate feathers on her wings and brought the scents of the local birds and animals.
Strange. Normally the dragon either heard or was able to smell the bodyguards mixed in with the earthly aromas around her.
After she nudged Cheithe to let go, the dragon relinquished her hold and Sherri stood naked in her front lawn. Walking over to where she’d left her running clothes and shoes, she put them on and glanced around. The morning air was cool and clean. It didn’t take long to dress before going into the house.
It was eerily quiet in the building.
While neither the Nok nor the Merkaba was clumsy individuals, Sherri should have been able to hear or sense them moving. “Hello!” She called, walking toward the kitchen. She was starving and was dying for some bacon and eggs. The need for protein was gnawing her empty stomach.
“Hey, guys! See, I told you I’d be back!” No one was in the kitchen, but plates with food were piled on the table and pans were burning on the stove.
Holy crap. Something was turning to ash inside the pan. “Hey, you gotta be careful and turn the stove off when you’re done.” Switching off the flame, she grabbed a potholder to move the smoldering pot off the stove.
Irritated, she swung around to search for her wayward guards. “Shysutá! Striyx! Where are you?” She went to the front room, where one of the end chairs was upside down with a black lump underneath.
Running, Sherri pushed the chair away to find Shysutá facedown with a pool of light-pink blood oozing underneath her.
Next to her lay Striyx on his back with his throat cut, white blood mixed with the pink of Shysutá’s on the floor between them. His silver eyes were open, and he wasn’t breathing.
“Shysutá! Oh my God!” Sherri screamed, terrified the Merkaba wasn’t alive. Before she reached for her lilac friend, something jerked her in a painful chokehold. A massive, muscular arm caged her in an unbreakable grip.
“Ah, I’ve finally got you, you fruking disgusting hysta. You’ve disrupted decades of careful planning and you will pay with your life.”
Thick, bruising hands spun Sherri arou
nd and enclosed her neck in a punishing grip. She couldn’t breathe. Her eyes bugged as the pressure of those steel fingers tightened. In a desperate attempt to get free, she grabbed and clawed.
Oh, my god! How…what? Consciousness faded, but not before the image of her tormenter became crystal clear.
Chancellor U’unk.
Chapter Eleven
KI
Goddess damn it! He was lost.
Not physically lost, but “where am I going in my life” lost.
Ever since he’d left Sherri…
Idiot… his unhelpful dragon grumbled.…
… on Earth, Ki drifted with no clear plan what he should do next. For the past solar cycle, he’d been busy helping Qay and D’zia in their new roles within the Federation Consortium.
It was unfortunate he couldn’t keep busy enough to ignore the nagging internal conflict coupled with a choking need that bombarded him day and night. Especially at night when Sherri’s striking features appeared in his dreams. Sometimes she floated in an erotic dance just out of reach, and other times her exquisite features created a hollow ache that yanked him awake.
When he’d coolly told her he was returning to Zerin, the pain crossing her lovely face made him grimace in shame. She’d lifted her chin in defiance when he ended their conversation by declaring he had no intension of ever returning to Earth. The last he saw of her was her stony mask and folded arms. Anger bracketed her full mouth as pinched confusion clouded her big, exquisite brown eyes. Ki remained haunted by the image.
During waking hours, it was easy to ignore personal turmoil. He spent his days dealing with demands and follow-up duties needed for the continuation of the galactic government. With the vacuum of Chancellor U’unk’s sensational arrest, the Special Triad Council had appointed D’zia the interim Chancellor until the nine systems conducted a normal voting process within a solar year’s time.
