by Leslie Chase
Josie could see Dr. Cain looking for a flaw in the plan, and then try to come up with something better. She gave a little whimper. "I can't do that. Mordrak terrifies me."
Josie could see the fear in the other woman's eyes and bit down on her frustration. It wasn't unreasonable to be scared of the dragon warrior, but one of them had to do it. There wasn't time to argue.
"Okay, fine, I'll set the fire. You just hide here and rush Woods as soon as Mordrak is out of the way. You can do that."
Cain managed a shaky smile at that. "I suppose I can. I've wanted to hit him for a while now."
The two women nodded at each other and separated, Josie clambering back up to the crew deck and Cain's cabin. The still took up much of the cramped space, and sure enough, there was a finished batch of booze in the bucket she used to collect the end result. Shoving sheets and clothes into the mix, anything that might catch and act as a wick for the fire she was trying to build, Josie looked around for anything to light it.
That wasn't easy on a spaceship, but there was always a way around safety procedures.
Taking the wirestrippers from her tool belt, she pulled the viewscreen from the wall and exposed the power cord. That would have to do, she thought, holding the exposed copper wires over the alcohol soaked cloth and praying this would work. Shorting the cable would blow the fuse and shut off the power — there was only one chance to get a spark.
The ship lurched under her, angling up away from the planet, and Josie knew she had no more time. Closing her eyes, she brought the wires together.
Sparks crackled and the fire caught with a woof. The alarms were almost deafening as the fire spread quickly, and Josie flung herself out of the room, into her own cabin across the narrow hallway. From forward she heard a roar of challenge, Mordrak howling in anger and forcing himself through the ship.
This had better work, she thought as she heard him pull his way towards her. She was trapped in her cabin, and it was too small to hide in. If he didn't go into Cain's cabin, she'd have no way past him, and if he looked into hers, she was doomed. Her heart hammered so loudly she was surprised he didn't hear it and come straight for her.
But his attention was on the fire. She saw his winged back as he swung himself around into the doorway of the cabin opposite and stared at the destruction.
Mordrak stopped at the threshold, braced against the door. Not going inside. Not clearing the passageway. Josie swallowed. There was no way past him, and if he turned he couldn't help seeing her. She realized that she hadn't really thought this far ahead.
He's not going to go inside, is he? Shit shit shit. Josie's mind froze as he started to turn back. But from somewhere she summoned the strength to act.
Grabbing the top of the doorframe, she swung herself out and kicked with both her feet as hard as she could. Her boots caught him square in the back between his wings and he stumbled forward into the burning cabin as she fell to the deck behind him.
Josie scrambled to her feet and ran, not turning back at the roar of rage that followed her. She knew he was close behind her, and looking to see just how close would do her no good. Her only hope was to put her head down and run.
In the open, she'd have had no chance. But here, in this cramped space designed for humans, he couldn't catch up. She sprinted as fast as she could for the bridge, flinging herself through the doorway and twisting to slam a fist into the emergency seal button.
Mordrak was at her heels, his wings scraping along the ceiling as he pulled himself through the too-narrow corridor. Josie squeaked in fear as he lunged, only for the door to slam shut in his face. The sound of him hitting the heavy metal door shook the room, and Josie remembered to breathe.
Looking back, she saw two spacesuited figures struggling for the controls. Woods and Cain thrashed wildly, each trying to push the other off. Beyond them she could see the red horizon of Mars rising in the viewport as the ship spiraled back towards the ground.
Gathering herself, Josie leaped into the fray, slamming into Woods' back and knocking the three of them to the floor. The ship lurched, spinning out of control as the two women tried to restrain their commander. But Woods was strong enough to fight back, throwing his weight into Cain’s shoulder first and driving her into the floor.
Behind them, Josie heard metal grinding against metal. Glancing back, she saw the door buckling, pulling apart under Mordrak's furious assault. She froze for a second in shock at the sight, and that was all the opportunity Woods needed to shove her off him and lunge back into the pilot's seat.
The ship leveled out, nose pulling up. Josie grabbed for his arms, not sure what she was trying to do, and the sound of tearing metal from the door told her that she didn't have long to make up her mind.
I'm sorry, Verikan, she thought. I wish I'd had more chance to know you. She didn't even know whether the dragon prince was alive or dead, and she never would. There was only one thing that she could do, only one way to stop Mordrak from reaching Earth. Reaching past Woods, she took hold of the control stick and threw her weight against it. The Red Horizon lurched, nose pointing down towards the surface as she pushed the ship into a dive.
Through the viewscreen she saw the mountains of Mars loom large and a strange kind of peace fell over her.
"Let go," Woods shrieked in her ear, pulling back with all his strength. "You'll kill us all!"
She didn't bother to reply, concentrating everything on keeping the ship's nose down. The red rocks rose at a terrifying rate, and she knew he was right. But at least this way her death would mean something. Once Mordrak made it onto the bridge, she knew he'd have no mercy for her or Dr. Cain.
Mordrak roared behind her, a feral angry sound as he wrenched the door open with awful strength. Just a few more seconds, Josie thought, resigning herself to death.
Then a great shadow fell over the viewport, and the Red Horizon shook with an unexpected impact. Josie's heart skipped a beat as great claws ripped through the hull, peeling back the ceiling of the bridge as though it were nothing.
Air rushed out of the hole as Verikan tore his way inside. Woods stared up in horror at the great dragon, and Mordrak's howl of fury was lost in the escaping air.
Grabbing Cain, Josie looked up at the face of her prince, and together the two human women leaped through the hole into Verikan's waiting grasp. Opening his wings wide, the dragon pushed off from the ship at the last moment, breathing a white hot blast of flame into the exposed bridge as he pulled away. Beneath them, the ship hit the mountain and came apart in an explosion that caught Verikan and his passengers and sent them tumbling. Josie closed her eyes and clung to her prince, bracing herself for impact.
At least we're meeting it together, she thought as Mars struck them. Then everything went black.
22
Josie
The darkness was warm, welcoming, and Josie didn't want to leave it. She felt at peace, relaxed, almost at home. But gradually she became aware that something was wrong. Someone needed her for something. She couldn't remember what, or why, but it slowly dawned on her that she had to wake up.
It was a struggle to open her eyes. Someone was saying something, and she wished they'd shut up and let her sleep. But no such luck. She managed to open one eye and saw Dr. Cain bent over her, a look of relief spreading on her face.
"She's awake," Cain said. "I told you she'd be okay."
The tone of her voice wasn't nearly as confident as her words, and Josie couldn't help smiling. Starting to pay attention to her surroundings, she realized that she was in Verikan's chambers again, resting under the sheets of his vast bed. Struggling to sit up, Josie saw the parts of her spacesuit neatly stacked against the wall. Pulling the sheet around herself she looked up at Dr. Cain.
"Your bedside manner could do with some work," she said, before coughing.
"Shut up and drink some water," Cain said with a smile, handing her a bottle. "You're lucky you're getting any bedside manner at all. We could both have died out there."
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Behind Cain, Verikan loomed closer, and Josie forgot all about arguing with the doctor. She blushed, smiling up at her dragon prince, trying to look reassuringly well. He took her hand, delicately, as though she was made of porcelain and he could break her with a single rough touch.
Remembering how he'd torn his way into a spaceship, Josie wasn't sure he was wrong. She was sure that he wouldn't hurt her, though. That certainty went deeper than reason.
"I take it we won?" she asked, squeezing his hand. "How long have I been out?"
"We did it," Verikan confirmed, smiling. "Thanks to your bravery. I couldn't have caught the ship if you hadn't brought it back down."
"And you've been out most of a day," Cain said. "Again. You have to stop doing that. Oh, you'll be fine — it was mostly shock and exhaustion, no serious damage. The aliens' healing technology took care of the actual injuries for both of us."
"But you wouldn't wake up," Verikan said. He sounded almost hesitant, less confident than he had before. "I worried that something was wrong, something beyond what the nanotech could fix."
"And I told him that he didn't need to worry," Cain said with a shake of her head. "Humans aren't built for the kind of week you've been having, that's all. You'll be fine, assuming that you get some rest."
She stood, looking at the two of them with a lopsided smile. "Now I'm going to get back to my rooms and see about teaching the foodmaker to give me some decent booze. I deserve it, especially if I'm going to be stuck here with you two lovebirds."
Cain didn't wait for a reply, turning on her heel and striding out of the door. Josie watched until it slid shut behind her, then looked up at Verikan again.
He was as gorgeous as ever, and being alone in a room with him would have been enough to make her blush. Being in his bed was a hundred times worse, and she felt her cheeks heat as he sat down beside her, squeezing her hand gently. Josie was suddenly very aware that she was naked under the sheets.
"What did she mean, stuck here?" Josie asked, trying to distract herself from his heat, the magnetic pull of his body. She wanted nothing more than to pull him down to join her, but something still held her back. The way he was looking at her told her that there was something he had to tell her.
"I may be back in charge of my people, but there's a lot left to sort out before everything is settled," Verikan said, reaching out to brush her hair from her face. "I need to establish contact with your governments and make my claim to Mars known. Then there's the issue of the other colonies here to settle. It will be a while before someone can simply get on a spaceship from here to Earth, especially since Earth will be worried about invaders."
"Oh." That made sense, she supposed, though she had no idea how this kind of thing worked. Did anyone know? This was the first time humans had made contact with aliens, and it was going to be a learning experience for everyone involved.
"I'm sorry, Josie," Verikan said, and she heard the strain in his voice. "It's not great news to wake up to, I know, but it will likely be months before you can go home."
Josie blinked. Looked him in the eyes. Blinked again. Then she laughed.
She couldn't help it, despite the hurt and confused look on his face. Her frustrations overwhelmed her and she giggled helplessly into her hand as he watched and she tried to get control of herself.
"Did I say something amusing?" he asked, drawing himself up and trying to look stern. It didn't quite work.
"I'm sorry," she said, steadying herself. "But... yes. Yes, you did."
She took a deep breath, and his frown threatened to set her laughter off again. She felt lightheaded and a little guilty as she sat up and took his hand in both of hers, pulling it to her chest. "Verikan, why would I want to go back to Earth if I can stay here with you?"
His eyes lit up, and his hand tightened on hers. "You are serious? You would stay here, exiled from your homeworld, for me?"
She laughed again, but this time it was purely with joy. "Yes. Oh God yes, Verikan, of course I would."
Verikan looked as though a huge weight had been lifted from him. A huge smile spread across his face, and his eyes sparkled. "I didn't dare let myself hope that you'd stay, beloved. The pain of being wrong would have killed me."
Lifting his hand to her lips, Josie kissed his fingers one by one. "Verikan, I love you. If Mars is your home, then it's mine too."
His rumbling roar of joy made her tingle with delight, and he pulled her up from the bed to him. Flinging her arms around him, Josie held on tight as he kissed her. There was no fear, no doubt, not anymore. The two of them were together and belonged there, and that was that.
Verikan stood, lifting her in his arms and squeezing her to him as though he never intended to let go. Chuckling, Josie pulled back far enough to focus on his eyes.
"You can put me down, you know. I won't run off."
"Never," Verikan said, his eyes twinkling. "I will never let you out of my arms, my darling. I couldn't bear to be parted from you now, not even for a second."
"That's going to get awkward," she pointed out with a laugh. He grinned wider.
"I don't care."
"Maybe if I do... this?" Josie asked as she stroked her fingers along the joint of his wings. He shuddered and his breath quickened.
"That's cheating," he said, his voice husky and hungry. Josie laughed again and ran her fingertips along the line of sensitive skin.
Verikan gasped and grinned at her, turning back towards the bed and lowering her gently onto it. Still he didn't let her go, his strong hands holding her tight against his hard, hot body. Josie felt safe in his grip, safe and protected in a way she wasn't used to. She knew he would never ever do her harm.
He reached up to grab her arms and with irresistible strength pinned her to the bed.
"What did I tell you about touching me there?" he asked, his voice a warning growl that made Josie shiver with delightful anticipation.
"Never unless I meant it," Josie said, her voice husky and her cheeks heating. She squirmed in his grip, testing it, but there was no give in his arms. She was helpless and loved it. So did he, she could feel his cock hardening against her, and that just made her blush deepen.
Shifting his grip to hold both her wrists in one hand, he stroked downward, slowly peeling back the sheets and baring her body. His eyes followed, drinking her in, lingering on her breasts. Leaning in, he planted kisses on them, each touch of his lips a touch of fire that made her gasp and squirm.
At last she was naked, and Verikan tore off his clothes and threw them aside. Neither of them needed words, not now — their bodies spoke all that needed to be said as Verikan moved between her legs, pressing himself to her. Josie ached for him, her body melting at the thought of him inside her, but he paused, leaning in to kiss her as his cock teased her with its closeness.
Groaning, she tried to pull him into her. Pushed her hips up against him. His chuckle told her this was his revenge for her teasing, and she whimpered.
Perhaps that was what he'd been waiting for, or perhaps he simply couldn't deny his own need any longer. He thrust, filling her and driving home inside her, and her whimpers turned to a moan into his shoulder.
Verikan's sharp teeth teased at her ear and Josie gasped, arching under him. Their bodies moved in unison, hips bouncing as they found their rhythm. His ridged cock swelled inside her, and his grip on her wrists loosened, letting her hands slip free. Cupping his face in her hands, she brought his lips to hers, kissing him as he drove deeper and deeper into her. Each time he pulled back, she moaned at the aching emptiness he left — and each time he thrust back in, she felt the waves of pleasure threaten to overwhelm her.
Pulling back from the kiss she looked up at him. Her dragon, her prince. Verikan shivered on the edge himself, and she met his eyes, willing him on. His thrusts came faster, more powerful, and Josie wrapped her legs around his waist pulling him deep inside her. Feeling the orgasm building inside her, she reached around him to stroke his wings, and the roar
she woke from him rocked the room.
Together they crashed into an orgasm, more powerful than anything she'd ever experienced. Josie held on for dear life as it rocked them, Verikan filling her with his thick seed as they cried out together. His hands gripped her tight, holding her against him, his fingers digging into her skin as she clutched at him.
Verikan rolled over, bringing Josie with him until she lay against his chest, her body shaking as she panted for air. His chest rose and fell under her, and she could hear his heart pounding in his chest. It was a while before either of them had the breath to speak.
"Welcome home," Verikan managed eventually, running a hand down Josie's back. She felt tears prick at her eyes.
Home, she thought as she planted kisses on his chest. I like the sound of that.
Epilogue
On the surface of Mars, the Dragon Palace gleamed brightly in the evening sun. The crystal technology of the dragons had let the tower grow far faster than Josie would have believed possible. Now she stood on a balcony, looking out at the red sands that stretched into the distance, and sighed happily.
Just above the horizon, she could see the bright point of light that was Earth. The light that had been her home until she met Verikan and made a place for herself at his side. Every evening she came up to look for it in the sky, and think about how much had changed in the months since the Awakening. That's what Owens and Radcliff had started calling the events on Mars, and since they were back on Earth telling the story, their name for it had stuck.
In her arms, the biggest change of all moved. Princess Akade squirmed against her, looking for her breast, and Josie smiled down at her daughter. "Hungry, are you?"
The dragonling gurgled and she laughed. Aside from her wings, Akade was much like any human baby, but her hunger was more of a match for the dragon side of her heritage.
