Shades of Werewolf

by T. S. Ryder

  "This had better be important," Brask said, a clear growl in his voice.

  "I wouldn't have come anywhere near this place if it wasn't," Biryl replied, expression serious.

  Libba's face flamed.

  "We've received a message from Din."

  A cold ball of fear sunk into her stomach, no matter how much she tried to push it away. Brask will protect me. He won't let that sadist near me.

  Her dragon cursed and reached for the tablet. He tapped in a few commands, and soon the voice etched into her mind and nightmares filled the room.

  "Justice Warrior Brask," the alien greeted. "It's good to see you. The Science Board has sent me to retrieve the human female you took from Earth."

  Libba's skin crawled and she quickly backed away from Brask and the tablet, so that her abductor would not see her. She felt sick and pressed a hand to her mouth. A muscle twitched in Brask's jaw, but Libba was too wrapped up in her own fear to notice. Had they really sent him to get her? Why? Brask had told her that he could legally have her with him since she was pregnant with his child. Was Din lying, hoping to get her back again? Why not just go find another woman to abduct?

  Libba felt guilty about wishing that fate on another woman, but it was true. She would rather Din looked for another subject for his experiments than continue to hunt her.

  "What is the meaning of this, Din?" Brask growled. "I informed the board that I had the female, and she sent a statement assuring them that she wished to be with me. She carries my child, and we have every legal right to be together."

  "Wrong." Din sounded delighted. "Just before you sent in your information, the Science Board put a ban on unauthorized human pregnancies."

  "And why come now?"

  "Because your situation was under debate. It's been agreed upon now, though. Your relationship with the female is not protected under the old laws, and so she is to be taken to the Board. Since you were unaware of the changes you will not be punished, but her pregnancy must be terminated and she must be placed with the other females taken from Earth."

  "Over my dead freaking body!" Libba shouted. She rushed forward, but Biryl caught her and held her back. "I'm not going anywhere with a sadist like you, you freaking asshole!"

  Brask shot her a warning look. "I will bring the human to Bronæl myself. The child was conceived before the laws were put in place, I'm sure the Justice Board will allow—"

  "If you don't hand her over, I have been authorized by both the Science Board and the Justice Board to arrest you." The Science Alpha sounded more than delighted now. He was positively gleeful. "So what's it going to be? Brask the—"

  Brask turned off the feed. He put the tablet on the counter and closed his eyes. His muscles were bunched so tightly that he trembled. Smoke curled from his mouth and nose. Libba pushed herself out of Biryl's grasp and began pacing. One thing was certain, she wasn't going to go with that sick, twisted alien. He'd kill her on the way there and make up some story about her purposefully spacing herself or something. She'd kill him first.

  She'd kill herself first.

  "Biryl, prepare the ships. This is beyond unethical. We will fight the… 'asshole'," he managed a small smile at Libba before he grew serious, "but only if we must. I have received no orders from the Boards themselves, and must assume Din is lying for his own means."

  Biryl nodded. He dashed from the house and Brask turned to Libba. His gaze softened and he held out his arms to her. Her fears welling again, she was grateful to collapse into his embrace. His strength helped her believe there was a way out of this.

  "I won't let anything happen to you." He kissed her gently. "But I'm afraid that seduction I promised you will have to wait."

  Libba forced out a laugh. "Don't wait too long. I'm not a patient woman."

  Brask kissed her again. "Understood."

  Chapter Six

  There weren't many hiding places on the moon base itself, but a series of tunnels led deep underground several klicks away. Given the scope of these tunnels, it was almost impossible to be locked in by ground forces. It was why Brask had chosen this location for a base in the first place. There was a chance, however unlikely, that once he declared his intentions of setting up a colony, not under direct supervision of the Science Board, he would be branded a traitor, and the community he had built here would have to go into hiding.

  For now, though, he sent Trafin with Libba to the tunnels. He needed to make sure she was safe in case things got out of hand. Hopefully, this could be resolved without violence, but he wasn't going to give up his human to the blasphemous dragon.

  Brask's hands clenched and his fires smoldered, sending curls of smoke from his nose as he watched Din's transport ship land. It was worth more than all the supplies their agricultural department had received the previous year. Their farming equipment was falling apart, putting Stlozyn lives at risk, and yet Din had a shiny new vessel to continue with his unethical practices.

  This is what's wrong with our society. There is too much emphasis on research and not enough on keeping our people from starving. Are scientists the only ones of worth?

  Din descended from the ship with half a dozen huge dragons behind him. Brask had to work at not smirking, seeing the thugs Din had chosen. He could tell from the way they strutted and held themselves that they were not Justice Keepers. If Din thought they would be able to stop the Justice Warrior, he was sorely mistaken.

  He bowed slightly, reminding himself that the first rule of being a Justice Keeper was to avoid violence. With his hopes for the future especially, he could not afford to create enemies among the Boards. It would be best to try to reason with Din first.

  "Science Alpha Din," he said, coolly.

  Din nodded at him. "Justice Warrior Brask. Where is my… the human? If you hand her over now, I won't arrest you. You didn't know about the new laws when you took her from Earth, after all."

  "Are we going to play games, Din? You and I both know that you stole her from her planet illegally with the express purpose of performing unethical experiments on her."

  "I did no such thing." Din's greedy eyes swept over the other Justice Keepers who had gathered behind Brask and he shifted backward. "Well? Where is the woman?"

  The Science Alpha really didn't understand anything. Brask folded his arms. He had elected to wear trousers and go bare-chested for this confrontation, just in case Din couldn't be made to see reason. It was looking like he had made the right choice.

  "She's not here. If you think that I would hand her over to you so you can melt her down for her DNA to sell on the black market, you are sorely mistaken. But I have another solution to your obvious financial problems."

  Din scowled but nodded once to indicate he was listening.

  "I have a pint of her blood. The methods of synthesizing human DNA are public knowledge. All you need are her genetic marks and you can synthesize your own. There is no need to kill her so that you can sell human DNA to those who are too impatient to wait for the Science Board to deliver the cure to them."

  Din folded his arms and tilted his head to one side, studying the Justice Warrior. "But that would be illegal since I have not been given human DNA by the Science Board. If I accepted such an offer, you would arrest me as the Justice Keeper that you are. No, as a citizen of Bronæl, I must do what the Board asks of me, and bring the human back to the home planet and you into custody…" A wicked grin lit his face. "It would be a shame if something happened to the human while on the journey, though."

  Brask smiled, revealing the teeth that had already begun to change into their beast's form. "That's what I thought you would say."

  Din's eyes narrowed as Brask turned to the gathered Justice Keepers. "All of you know what is about to happen. I will defend my human mate and our unborn child against this dragon since I have received no word directly from the Science Board about the truth of his statements. You can use that as your justification for why you did not intervene on his behalf."

  Sever
al of the Justice Keepers glanced at each other and walked away. Others stood straighter and strode forwards, hands turning to claws, fire flickering in their mouths. Brask heard a small noise coming from Din. The Justice Warrior transformed as he turned back, his beast form taking him, his fires flaring white-hot.

  He leaped forward, roaring his challenge. The guard Din had brought with him shoved the scientist back towards his ship. Wings sprouted from their backs and they met the challenge. The largest clashed with Brask, claws tearing strips of scale from his side as a huge hand came at him. Brask clamped his teeth down on the dragon's neck, flipping him over his shoulder, and lunged towards the ship.

  Two more guards blocked his way. One bellowed a bellyful of fire at him, while the other snapped his teeth and clawed at Brask’s eyes. Brask rolled, slicing at the belly of one while knocking the other away with a wing.

  A dragon jumped onto his back, but the familiar form of Biryl knocked the attacker away. Din's transport ship was launching by this time, and Brask leaped into the air, letting loose his fires. He thought he heard Din shriek as he slammed his body into the ship. It plummeted back to the ground.

  Brask punched a clawed hand through the view shield. He ripped Din out and threw him to the ground. The dragon cowered before him, fumbling with the weapons on his belt. Brask snorted. He was not going to kill Din, but he could make him fear Justice—

  One of the thugs roared, lashing out. His tail whipped through the air as Biryl's jaws clamped over his throat. The spikes flew towards Din. Brask raced forward. He reached the scientist just as the spikes impaled his chest. A bloodcurdling scream filled the air.

  There was a snap as Biryl broke the thug's neck.

  Din's eyes were open, his mouth hanging loose. His eyes roved. His body jerked and lay still.

  Brask released his beast's form, heart hammering in his chest. Whatever happened, his most important goal, other than protecting Libba, had been to ensure Din did not die. He was a scientist, helpless against the Justice Keeper's superior strength. Worse than that, Nylæq would blame Brask for his death.

  Creator help us! What will happen now?

  Biryl stumbled over to stand beside him, his expression grim.

  Brask glanced around. The thugs Din had brought with him were all dead. Several of the Justice Keepers were nursing wounds, but a quick glance over them showed that none were badly injured. He had been right. While intimidating, Din's guards had had no idea how to fight trained Justice Warriors.

  How much time did they have before Nylæq's wrath over the death of her son rained down on them?

  "Prep the ships. Everybody who was involved in his attack must get to Bronæl to justify their actions. I'll get Libba. If I take her to the planet myself, then I can call for a public trial to prevent her pregnancy from being terminated."

  His friend nodded, and Brask quickly took his beast's form again, taking to the air. Grimly, he realized that even if the public found his actions to be justifiable, he would be relieved of his rank for what had happened here. He had led his Justice Keepers to kill. Such a thing was inexcusable for a Justice Warrior. His dreams of being permitted to start a colony where religion and science mingled in peace were shattered.

  But Libba is alive. Din didn't get his slimy hands on her. The tightness in his chest eased. In the end, she was all worth it.

  ***

  When he found Libba and Trafin in the tunnels, his human demanded to know why he hadn't let her know he was safe. But he didn't have time to soothe her. Instead, he grabbed her and headed back to where the ships were ready to go.

  Once they were underway, he explained what had happened. Libba's face went white as he spoke. Brask wanted to comfort her, but he didn't even have the chance. As soon as he had told her Din's fate, Biryl interrupted them.

  "You need to see this," he said grimly, handing the Justice Warrior a tablet.

  Dread had his fires smoldering, but Brask took the tablet and activated the holograph that was waiting. An image of Din's dead body appeared and Brask bit back a snarl.

  "What is this?" Libba asked, moving closer to Brask. He could feel her shivering and put an arm around her, pulling her close to him.

  "It's a news broadcast."

  That wasn't the worst of it. Brask was being blamed for the events on the moon and accused of killing Din himself. His defiance of the Science Board in refusing to hand Libba over had already been in the news. The death toll had been tallied, and every death was laid at Brask's feet now.

  "There is a warrant out for your arrest," Biryl told him, taking the tablet back.

  Brask snorted. "Alive or dead?"

  "Alive. Thank the atoms of the universe for that."

  "Thank the Creator," Brask muttered. He frowned. Was the Creator the same as the atoms of the universe? Was Libba right when she said that science was their god?

  Libba jumped to her feet. "This is bullshit! Din would have killed me. Why are you being arrested for something you didn't do? Who betrayed you? I'll kill them!"

  "It doesn't matter." Brask rubbed his temples. "Tell the crew that whoever wants to leave is free to do so. I will take Libba away from here on my own."

  "Unlikely," Biryl snorted. "You're not going anywhere without me."

  "Can't you just explain what really happened?" Libba grabbed Brask's arm. "It's not fair!"

  Brask embraced her. "I know. But until I am assured of a public trial, I can't risk returning. I certainly can't risk taking you there. Your pregnancy will be terminated…" An awful thought hit him and he swallowed hard. "Unless you want to be free of me. If you want to go directly to the planet and not be in the crosshairs—"

  "Like hell I'm leaving you," she muttered, burying her face into his shoulder. "Libba Ross doesn't quit. I'm not letting anything happen to you or this baby. Got it? You can't get rid of me that easily."

  Brask was filled with overwhelming gratitude. Cupping her face in his hands, he pressed his mouth to hers. She responded eagerly, passionately, tangling her fingers in his hair and her tongue with his.

  Neither of them noticed when Biryl slipped out of the room, giving them their privacy.

  Chapter Seven

  Libba fought down waves of nausea, nibbling at a root of some sort that Brask assured her would help with the morning sickness. It had gone away for a little while, only to return full force once she was in her final trimester. She was bigger than she had expected, but there wasn't the proper medical equipment on board to check how her pregnancy was progressing.

  Just one more thing to worry about.

  She sat on her bed, head against the wall as she watched the latest news broadcasts from Bronæl. The image of a large dragoness was on nearly every broadcast frequency now. It was Nylæq, Din's mother, the reason he had been able to get away with breaking so many laws. She was apparently a former member of the Science Board and still held a lot of sway in the goings-in on Bronæl. And she was frustrated that, after five months, they still hadn't been able to catch Brask.

  "My son's death is a shocking display of traitorous intent from Justice Warrior Brask," she said, looking directly into the camera.

  Libba had seen this particular clip often enough that she could almost quote it.

  "I invoke my right as a mother whose son was slain to place my own bounty on Brask's head," Nylæq continued. "Grants for a year of research and a new research vessel to every person who helps bring him in. In the meantime, I cannot rest while that traitor is free, and I will search for him myself. The dragon must be brought to justice."

  "Off," Libba ordered, and the broadcast blinked out. She bit off a larger part of the root, hoping to quell the queasiness that still churned her stomach as the baby kicked her in the ribs.

  If he hadn't rescued me from Din, he wouldn't be in this position. He wouldn't be an outlaw, watching all his dreams go up in smoke.

  Her nausea got worse with the thought, and Libba closed her eyes, fighting against it. So what if she was pregnant,
she wasn't going to turn into a puke machine. She'd give herself a couple of minutes to feel better, and then she was going to go and find Brask and find out what they were doing now. Last time she had asked, they were headed for an uninhabited planet that could still sustain life to restock their water stores.

  Getting out of this stupid ship and being able to breathe some fresh air would probably help her feel a little better. Living in space was difficult, but given the alternative… Well, space was the better choice.

  The door opened and Libba sat up straighter, swallowing her mouthful of root, as Brask came in. He was wearing the same pants and shirt that he had donned after leaving the moon base. His shoulders were slumped, his mouth drawn into a tight line. Though he tried to hide it, she knew that he was worried about Nylæq coming after him.

  When he laid down on the bed beside her, Libba could feel that his skin was cooler than normal. And no wonder. He was stressed and tired. They only had half a dozen crew members with them, and a ship this size needed twice that many to run smoothly.

  At least he had been sleeping with her whenever he had an off shift. It felt better to have him with her.

  "How close are we to the planet?" she asked, trying to keep her voice as even and no-nonsense as possible.

  "We'll get there tomorrow." He gave her a small smile as he put a hand on her swollen belly. "How are you feeling?"

  The nausea was fading, so Libba shrugged. "Pretty good right now."

  "Good." His hand rested on her thigh. "I'd like to take off your clothes and expend some energy I don't have, and I'd hate to do that while you were feeling sick."

  It must have been pregnancy hormones because that sounded so good that Libba was hardly able to stop herself from ripping off her pants just at his words. But she knew how much Brask enjoyed the sensation of undressing her himself.

  "Are you sure you feel up to it?" she asked, worried that he was exhausting himself.

  "I need you right now," he whispered. "I might be tired, but being inside you will help me feel better."