Dragons of Mars Box Set

by Leslie Chase

  Tamak flew ahead, hurrying home now that the hunt was over. Rorax didn't blame him for that, he hadn't had the opportunity to breath in fresh oxygen at the humans' transport. He'd always been good at holding his breath, but even he would be at the very edge of his ability now. In warform, their species could go for hours without needing to breathe, but the hunt had taken longer than any of them had hoped. With his injured wing and a passenger, he wasn't flying back as fast as he'd like either, and he was short of breath by the time he flew down to the cave they were using as a nest.

  Once, it had belonged to a cousin of his. The valley it sheltered in had been a small hunting preserve that she'd maintained with her favorite prey animals under its own small atmospheric shield. That was a thousand years ago now, though, and she and her animals were all long dead. Now it was a place full of bitter-sweet memories for Rorax, and a convenient hiding place that few people would know about.

  The freshly-repaired shield on the cave mouth kept in the air from their stolen airmaker, letting them breathe inside the cave. Rorax landed beside Tamak, who lay on his back heaving in deep breaths. Shifting back to his humanoid form as soon as his prisoner climbed down, Rorax went to his friend and bent over him, looking on with concern.

  "You cut that a bit fine," he said, seeing the blue tinge to Tamak's face. "Should have come down and gotten some air from the humans."

  "I'm fine," Tamak said, grinning and waving him back. "Don't worry about me, worry about the hostage."

  "You're not fine, that's plain to see," Rorax grumbled, but stepped back. There wasn't much he could do for the other dragon anyway — what he needed was air, and he was getting that now. "Don't take risks like that. I know you like to push yourself, but there's a limit."

  The prisoner was standing back watching the two of them when he turned to look at her. Her hands flexed as though she was considering fighting, but he was confident that she wasn't that foolish. Even if she could take them both out, somehow, she couldn't know where she was on Mars or how far it was to the nearest human outpost. And she couldn't know that the three dragons she'd seen were the only ones in this nest.

  But he already knew she had the courage to stand up to them. He couldn't rule out the possibility that she'd take her life into her hands trying to escape as well. That would be a disaster for all of them, her included, so Rorax decided to take precautions against it.

  "Give me your helmet," he ordered her. "You will be quite safe; the air is breathable to your kind as well as mine."

  For a moment she hesitated. Then, perhaps seeing that she had no choice, she unfastened the helmet from her suit and pulled it off. Rorax controlled his reaction at his first good look at her face.

  It was nothing like what he'd expected to see. He had met several princesses when he'd visited Earth centuries ago, and they had been beautiful creatures but delicate. Only now did he realize that he'd expected Adele St. George to look like one of them. The daughter of a corporate CEO was a kind of princess, at least in his mind.

  Instead, the face he saw had the strong look of a warrior. She was beautiful, yes, but not in the soft and delicate way that the flowers of Earth's nobility had been. Dark hair framed her pale face and striking, piercing eyes looked up into his. Rorax felt his body respond to her instantly, his cock hardening and his wings spreading.

  Her cheeks reddened softly as she saw his response, and her lips tightened.

  "You can stop staring anytime," she said, throwing the helmet to him. He caught it reflexively, feeling his own cheeks heat at her words. Coughing, Rorax turned away from her with an effort and got himself under control. She's a prisoner, and I will treat her honorably, he promised himself. His plans required bringing her here, but there was no need to make her uncomfortable.

  Walking back outside bought him some time to get his emotions under control. He was pretty sure that a human wouldn't make it ten paces in the near-vacuum, so he went twenty before putting the helmet down on a rock. There, that should keep her from any ill-advised escape attempts.

  Before he could turn back, a great shadow fell over him. Grorg had circled the nest to make sure there wasn't anyone watching them. The last thing they wanted was for some passing human ship to see where they were hiding, after all. Now he was back, swooping into their hidden lair and shifting before he hit the ground. Showing off how agile he was in the air, even if there was no one to appreciate his display. Rorax snarled at his back but didn't hurry inside. He didn't want to show any weakness, not now.

  The forcefield tingled as he crossed it and he breathed deep again. The air inside was stale, with a metallic tang that wasn't a good sign, but it was breathable air and that was what mattered. With any luck, they wouldn't be here long before they moved somewhere with a better airmaker.

  As he entered, Grorg was advancing on their prisoner, wings spread in a display of dominance. One that a human wouldn't understand, of course, but that kind of detail wasn't going stop Grorg.

  "—what we say, human," Grorg said. "And I told you to get out of that damned suit."

  "Not happening," she said, standing her ground. Rorax couldn't help being impressed by her willingness to stand up to a dragon twice her size, but Grorg didn't seem to see it as anything to admire. He growled, wings spreading wider, and reached out to grab her wrist.

  Rorax couldn't follow what happened next, exactly. It was too fast. One moment, Grorg's hand closed on her arm, and the next he stepped backward with a grunt of pain. The human female stepped back too, both hands free and raised in a defensive posture.

  "I've given your boss my helmet," she said, voice tense and low. "I can't go anywhere without it, so don't worry about me trying to escape. But if you think I'm stripping for you, you've got another think coming."

  Grorg lunged at her, grabbing for her arm again. This time, Rorax was paying attention and saw the speed and grace with which she ducked back. She twisted her arm as Grorg gripped it, forcing him to let go with a surprised yelp as his wrist locked. As soon as he let go she was moving, stepping aside to avoid being trapped against a wall.

  Grorg's wings furled back in, the posture of a warrior who was getting serious about the fight. Stepping forward, Rorax got ready to leap into his way, cursing Grorg's lack of tact and patience. He really didn't want to fight right now, things were too delicate and pushing Grorg out could ruin his plans. But one glance at their prisoner and he knew that he couldn't risk her getting hurt. She wasn't about to give up the fight.

  From off to the side, Tamak laughed, a deep booming sound that filled the room. "I don't think she's interested, Grorg," he said. "I don't blame her, either. You don't have my roguish charm and good looks."

  Grorg rounded on him, the human forgotten in an instant, and for once Rorax was glad of his quick temper. Tamak had a talent for provoking him.

  "You shut your face, Tamak, or I'll rearrange those good looks for you," Grorg hissed, stalking forward. Tamak heaved himself up to his feet, still a little unsteady, and grinned up at the bigger warrior.

  "Just a little joke, my friend," he said. "Come on, this isn't a time to fight."

  "Tamak's right," Rorax said, stepping between them as the tension calmed. "We're on the verge of a huge score, this isn't the time to spoil things. And it's not the time to risk damaging the merchandise, either, Grorg. St. George will want his daughter back unharmed."

  Grorg bristled, then shook his head. He wasn't completely out of control, at least. "You're right. I just don't like it when the humans don't do what they're told, okay? You make sure she understands that and we'll all get along."

  "Just stay away from her," Rorax told him. "I'll keep her in line until we can make our play, right? There's no need for you to have to put up with her."

  The other dragon nodded reluctantly, and Rorax knew that wasn't the end of this. He might be willing to go along for now, but as weak as his impulse control was, he wouldn't stay under control for long.

  He doesn't have to, Rorax reminded h
imself. It only has to last long enough to get her home safely, after I've made my deal.

  "Alright then," he said, focusing on moving forward. "Let's make the call."

  The communications crystal hummed and shimmered as Rorax tuned it, regretting what had been lost. Once, the communications network would have effortlessly reached anyone on the planet. Even speaking to someone in a nearby star system would merely have been inconvenient. Now, centuries after the Empire's fall, it was difficult to reach anyone at all.

  So much lost to the rebels, he thought as he adjusted the controls carefully. So much we might never get back. The forces that had brought down the old Empire and left the remnant on Mars to sleep for centuries in hibernation hadn't shown themselves yet — but if they ever did, every single dragon would want a chance to tear them limb from limb.

  Which was one of the reasons that the pirates were so dangerous. They threatened to tear what was left of the Dragon Empire apart, and that would leave them helpless if the rebels returned.

  At last, the crystal's hum stabilized and an image flickered in the air above it. Another dragon's face, hard and scarred and familiar, stared at him coldly before speaking. Korgan looked just as Rorax remembered him.

  "Brother. I'd wondered who would know to reach me like this. Here to tell me to come home, are you?"

  Rorax smiled a cold hard smile, fighting to keep it from turning into a snarl. His older brother had always rubbed him the wrong way, and it seemed that centuries asleep hadn't changed either of them.

  "Hardly," he said as calmly as he could. "I'm out here to join you."

  That got a surprised bark of a laugh from Korgan. "You, join up with me? But what about your vaunted loyalty to the Empire? I hardly think that you'd turn your back on your place so quickly, little brother. I remember every lecture you gave me on 'honor' and 'duty' while we were growing up."

  Rorax ground his teeth, trying to keep his anger off his face and knowing he was failing. His brother had never had much respect for the Dragon Empire, even when the two of them had been in the empire's Dragon Guard together. It had been a sticking point between them for as long as either of them could remember.

  "The Empire is dust," he said. "What's left is a petty shadow of its glory. Why should I serve it, or the so-called Emperor Verikan? You have a much better offer to make, and my family loyalty comes first. I'm here to join up, along with Grorg and Tamak."

  Korgan looked at him dubiously. Rorax couldn't blame him — no one would have expected him to turn to piracy. But the other names helped, he could see that in his brother's eyes.

  Grorg was a brute who had always been more interested in the joy of combat than anything else. And Tamak was exactly the kind of young enthusiast for whom a pirate's life would sound romantic and appealing. That they would abandon their oaths was entirely believable, and that was what Rorax was counting on. Turning up alongside them was a lot more believable than if he'd arrived on his own.

  Still, the doubt in Korgan's eyes didn't fade. Frowning, he leaned forward and stared at Rorax.

  "You know that Verikan has ordered all attacks on humans to stop," Korgan said. "Are you really willing to go against the will of the so-called Emperor?"

  "See for yourself, brother," Rorax said with a sharp smile, stepping aside. Behind him, Grorg and Tamak held the human prisoner by the arms. Her defiant glare made it quite clear that she wasn't there willingly.

  "This is Adele St. George, the daughter of one of the leaders of the LakeTech corporation," he continued. "One of the humans who have set up a colony on our planet. She is my prisoner, and her ransom is my buy in. I don't have the contacts to arrange it, you do. Set it up and you can make us both rich."

  Korgan's eyes widened and he sat back. "You surprise me, little brother. Well, well. I shall make some calls and we'll see if that checks out — if it does, I'll bring you in. You understand that I can't be too careful these days."

  Hiding his feeling of triumph, Rorax nodded. That's true, brother. You really can't.

  It hadn't been easy to find a way into the pirate organization his brother was building. But now, finally, he could do his duty to the Empire and bring it down from within.

  5

  Laura

  The hologram shimmered in front of Laura's eyes as she tried to pull away from the two aliens holding her arms. She didn't understand what they were saying, aside from a few words — but she had heard Adele's name and LakeTech mentioned, which meant that her ruse was working.

  So far so good, but she needed to come up with part B of this plan soon or it would spiral out of control. The aliens didn't seem well disposed towards her, and she was under no illusions about her ability to fight off the three pirates. Worse, even if she could defeat them, she had no clue how to get to safety afterward.

  Whatever her captors were discussing with the alien through the hologram finished up, and the image faded away. Her captors looked happy, at least, which was probably a good thing. As long as they thought they'd be paid well for her return, they had no reason to hurt her.

  She hoped that was enough to keep them from doing it anyway. The big one, Grorg, had seemed all too keen to do her harm earlier.

  Rorax turned back to her, and she thought she could see a weight lifting from him as he did so. That call had clearly been important to him. He smiled a rakish smile, and she had to admit to herself that it made him look even more handsome. Those flashing alien eyes, the way he looked at her, his gorgeous body. Yum. If I'd met him anywhere else, I'd be smiling back, she thought. Shame he had to kidnap me to get to know me.

  "There, your return to your people is being arranged," he said to her in English, his rough voice carrying only a faint accent. He nodded to the other two aliens and they released her arms, letting her step back.

  "Good, I guess," she said, folding her arms. "The sooner you're paid the quicker I can get home."

  He nodded. "Keep that in mind and we'll get along fine. Nothing bad has to happen here."

  "You've kidnapped me, hurt my — my employees, and dragged me God knows how far across Mars," she said, unwilling to let that pass unchallenged. "I'd say bad things have already happened here."

  A look of annoyance flashed across his face and she wondered if that was a push too far. He clearly wasn't expecting her to talk back to him. But he didn't let his anger control him, and there was that flash of emotion in his eyes again. It was hard to tell what it was, his eyes were so alien. The lizard-like slits of his pupils widened slightly, and he smiled again.

  "Then let's try to stop things getting worse, shall we?" he said. "Come with me, I'll find you somewhere safe to stay for now."

  He turned and walked away, not looking back. For a moment, she considered defying him, but then she thought about what she'd have told Adele to do in this situation. Cooperate, don't give your captors any excuse to treat you worse, and get it over with as quickly and quietly as possible.

  I guess I ought to follow my own advice, she thought, following Rorax deeper into the cave. The place was strangely designed, carved from the red rock of Mars into a twisting network of caverns. The remains of crystal technology lay all around, its function a mystery. Adele would have loved the chance to look at that, Laura thought — her client was fascinated with the alien technology. Laura, on the other hand, had no idea what she was looking at.

  Climbing a slope up to one of the large doors, she couldn't help admiring the view. Not the view of the cave, but walking behind Rorax gave her a clear view of his ass and it was a gorgeous sight. The tight trousers that were his only clothes clung to his body tightly enough that she could enjoy the sight of the muscles moving underneath as he walked.

  Careful, girl, she chided herself. No getting attached to your captors. That can't lead anywhere good. Blushing, she forced herself to look away.

  At the top of the slope, Rorax stopped to grasp the door in his hands and heaved. Heavy corded muscles flexed and with a grinding sound, he pulled the door open. I
t was impressive as well as disheartening. Laura knew that she had no chance of moving that heavy door on her own, and even if she could manage it, the noise was loud enough to wake the dead. That made this an excellent cell to keep her prisoner in.

  Not that she was planning on trying to escape, or had any idea how she'd get her helmet back if she did. Without it, she was trapped inside the aliens' atmosphere shield even if she could get out of the room.

  Stepping past Rorax, Laura looked around the room. The lighting inside was dim, a few glowing crystals in the roof all that illuminated the large space. She supposed it wasn't that large by the standards of the dragons — Rorax's wings nearly reached the roof, but for her it was big.

  It hadn't weathered the time since it had been abandoned well, that was clear. The furniture was broken, but at least there was a bed to rest on. Seeing that, and feeling Rorax's presence close behind her, she felt her cheeks heat as thoughts bubbled up unbidden from her subconscious. She looked back at Rorax as he followed her into the room.

  "Better not get any ideas, buster," she said, putting her hands on her hips. "Lay a hand on me and I'll put you on the ground."

  He glared, but she thought that she could see a part of him responding to the challenge. Oops. That wasn't what she'd intended... though now that she saw it she couldn't help wondering whether she could take him in a fair fight. The challenge would be interesting — in humanoid form, the aliens were strong but she had speed on her side.

  And there's something very tempting about getting that close to this man, isn't there? Laura tried to keep the thoughts of grappling with Rorax out of her mind, but it wasn't easy. If he got his hands on her, he could pin her to the ground or that bed and... nope. Not thinking about that. Bad girl.

  "I told you that you're safe here. You don't need to worry about me," he said, sounding angry at the accusation. The tension between them was palpable, and she knew somehow that despite his answer, his thoughts weren't far from hers. She could feel his desire like a physical force.