Dragons of Mars Box Set

by Leslie Chase

  The computer beeped as the test finished, and the crystal glow of the stardrive dimmed. It was a test she'd run a hundred times before and the results were the same as every other time — frustratingly useless. But she nodded at the screen as though it told her something important before shutting it down.

  Kosar offered her his arm and Ashley hesitated, then took it. His touch sent a wave of sensation through her, a feeling of warmth and safety. A feeling that while he was by her side nothing could hurt her. She had to bite back a sob at that, letting him lead her out of the ship and through the research center towards the front doors.

  "Are you certain you don't want to stay here?" he asked as they approached the checkpoint. "There are guest rooms, and you don't have to stay there for long. Just tonight, while I make sure that your home is safe."

  The idea was tempting, particularly as the dragon guard at the door watched them approach. If she got caught now...

  It won't be any easier to leave tomorrow, she reminded herself. The checks will still be there, and maybe I won't have Kosar by my side then. If I'm going to do this at all, now is the time to do it.

  Or she could give up, confess to Kosar and hope that he'd keep her safe even though she was a spy. Looking up at him, she knew that he would protect her even then. That certainty ran bone-deep, somehow impossible to doubt. No matter what she'd done, if she told Kosar, he'd do his best to keep her from harm.

  But that wouldn't help Michael. Her brother needed her, and the medical treatment Mr. Johnson had promised to arrange. And that, Ashley knew, was that.

  "I just want to go home," she said, holding Kosar's arm tighter. It wasn't hard to sound distressed. "I'll be fine, Cooper's not coming back and even if he does you'll keep me safe from him. I know it."

  Kosar looked down at her, and the deep alien violet of his eyes filled with care and compassion. Ashley shivered, the look hitting her hard in several confusing ways. Guilt and shame mixed with the feeling of security and acceptance it gave her and again she nearly threw herself on his mercy.

  Only the thought of her brother and the medical care he needed stopped her from telling him everything. Gritting her teeth, she walked out past the security desk, simply ignoring the signs that directed her to step through the detectors.

  On any other day it wouldn't have worked. But with Kosar on her arm, the dragon shifter at the desk just gave them a look and waved them through. No one was willing to challenge him, especially not now.

  The doors closed behind them and Ashley breathed a sigh of relief. The drive full of stolen data was burning a hole in her pocket, but it was out. She'd done it. Now all that remained was to send it on to her employer and go back to Earth.

  That wasn't as appealing as it had seemed a little while ago.

  Kosar walked her along the viewing gallery, leaving the Imperial Research Center behind them. Perhaps, Ashley thought, for the last time.

  "Are you alright?" the dragon shifter asked, and she realized that she was shivering. Too many emotions, too many thoughts. She nodded, trying to control herself.

  "I'll be fine," she said carefully. "It's just — today's been a long day and most of it's been unpleasant. It'll be okay once I get home and get some sleep."

  She really was tired, and with good reason. A glance at her phone told her that it was nearly time for her to be getting up, and she hadn't made it to bed yet. Kosar saw her look and growled.

  "Don't even think about coming back to work today," he said firmly. Driven by instinct Ashley opened her mouth to argue, but it turned into a yawn instead. And Kosar's look brooked no dissent.

  The city of Olympus Colony was quiet at this hour, the streets dimly lit and the stars burning bright outside the dome above them. It was as beautiful a night as Ashley had experienced on Mars and she wasn't going to spoil it with an argument. If she and Kosar were going to part ways, she might as well leave him with one romantic memory of her.

  So she let him guide her through the quiet streets, feeling the faint tension in him as he kept an eye out for danger. A small, sad smile touched her lips when she was sure he was looking elsewhere. This was the nicest time that she'd had since she arrived on Mars, and that was a bitter-sweet thought at best.

  Kosar took her toward the tram station that would take her home, but as they approached she thought better of it and stopped him.

  "Can we walk?" she asked. Kosar looked at her dubiously so she explained. "It's not that far, and I'd like to walk with you."

  His smile was bright like the dawning sun, and he nodded. "Of course, if you feel up to it."

  "I'm fine," Ashley insisted, slightly put out by the question. "That healing bath thing did wonders. And back on Earth, I walked everywhere — the ruins didn't have much in the way of roads. This is an easy walk in comparison."

  Together, arm in arm, they turned to follow the tram tracks into the city. Buildings rose around them, still looking flimsy and spindly to Ashley's Earth-adjusted eyes. In the lower gravity of Mars, the colonists could build tall with ease, and in the limited space of the colony's glass domes that was just what they'd done. It gave the whole place a fairytale feel that Ashley wished she'd appreciated before.

  Earth instincts also taught her to beware the dark openings between the buildings, though Olympus Colony didn't have nearly as much crime as the cities she was used to. But Kosar's powerful bulk beside her made her feel safe and secure, and she knew that no one would be stupid enough to challenge them.

  It was a good feeling, that safety, and she knew that she'd miss it when she left. Even one night was spoiling her, and despite how tired she felt Ashley resolved to enjoy what was left of the night.

  All too soon they approached the spaceport and the building where she'd rented her room. Pausing at the door, she turned to face Kosar and say her goodbyes.

  "Not so fast," he growled. "I'm coming up with you."

  "Inviting yourself up to a lady's apartment?" she asked, grinning despite herself. "You've got a high opinion of yourself."

  "I do," Kosar replied, deadpan.

  For a moment she thought he had missed the humor, but the twinkle in his eyes gave him away and she laughed, holding up her hands in defeat. "Okay, fine. You can come and make sure no rogue scientists are lying in wait for me."

  He took her by the hand and led her into the building, sending a tingle of nervous desire through her. Sure, they'd joked about it, but it was still true. Kosar was coming up to her room.

  The room with her bed.

  It was impossible to stop her mind following up on the possibilities. What would it be like, she wondered, if she let him have what they both wanted so badly?

  The fact that the elevator was small, and built for humans, didn't help. They were pushed together as it rose, Kosar's wings folding around the pair of them, and Ashley felt her pulse speeding from his closeness. Kosar's presence filled her senses, becoming all that she could think about. The temptation to throw herself into his arms was almost impossible to resist.

  It didn't help that he clearly felt the same way. The pull between them was magnetic and by the time the elevator doors opened Ashley was short of breath. Sheepishly she stepped outside, leading him to the apartment she'd been staying in since she got to Mars.

  This was the first time she'd had a visitor. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of bringing Kosar home with her, and she bit her lip, trying not to look back as she opened the door. The space inside didn't seem much larger than the elevator.

  If he comes into my home, he's coming into my bed, Ashley thought, biting back a moan at the thought of Kosar in here. With her. God.

  The idea that she might not sleep with him seemed like a wild fancy now. But she couldn't give in. She knew that she'd never forgive herself if she did, not while she was stealing from him. How could she do that to Kosar?

  Before she could finish the thought, Kosar pushed past her into the apartment. Ashley opened her mouth to protest only to realize that his attention
wasn't on her. His eyes scanned the apartment as he moved through it, examining every space someone could be hiding in. Following him, Ashley kept thinking about that single-minded focus and what it would feel like to be at the center of that.

  Not helping, brain. Her body tingled with need and she swallowed, closing the door and leaning back against it. A moment later she realized that she'd blocked Kosar's only way out of her apartment and cursed her subconscious for it. Her mind was at war with itself.

  Kosar's search didn't take long — a place this small didn't have many places Cooper could be lying in wait.

  "He's not here. You're safe," Kosar said once he'd checked them all. His voice was deep, hungry, and Ashley shivered as it reverberated through her. Safe. Perhaps from Cooper, but not from her own feelings or desires.

  "If I'd known you were coming over, I'd have tidied up," she said with a nervous smile. That's right, hide behind humor. Real grownup move, Ashley. She had to tell him to leave. Now, before she lost her chance and her body took over.

  Kosar smiled wider, stepping close enough to tower over her. The words died on her lips and she looked up at him, feeling her lips part as he leaned closer. Hands strong enough to tear steel reached out and drew her into a powerful embrace, lifting her with a casual ease that made her melt against him.

  Unbidden, her arms came up, wrapping around him and pulling her to him. Ashley groaned as their lips came together in a hungry kiss that left her trembling and weak. For one blissful moment her mind was quiet as the intensity of their kiss drove out doubt and fear, leaving only passion in their wake.

  Her fingers dug into the steel of his muscles and she felt him respond, his muscles tensing as he squeezed her to him. A low growl shook her as he turned, and then their lips parted. Both were breathing quickly as he put her down again, looking her in the eyes.

  And stepped back, breaking their embrace.

  Ashley moaned, stepping after him, but a firm hand held her away. "What's wrong?" she asked, hating the plaintive note of disappointment in her voice.

  "Nothing is wrong," Kosar growled in that voice that made her tremble. "We both want each other. But you are not ready."

  This is so unfair! Ashley opened her mouth to object, but no words came. Kosar took a deep breath, ragged as though he was fighting to maintain self-control, and Ashley felt a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach as he continued.

  "Ashley, you know how I feel about you. I have thought of nothing but you since we met, and I could not care for someone more. You are my mate. But I know that you have been conflicted about that for all this time. Today you've been attacked and rescued, you've been injured and healed. You've been awake for more than a day, save for the time you were unconscious. I don't want to be with you just because the day has eroded your willpower. When we share a bed it will be because we both want it, with no reservations or doubts."

  The glint in his eyes told her he was certain that it would happen, and that hit her hard. She realized then that the feeling filling her was relief. As badly as she wanted, needed, Kosar's touch, none of her reasons for saying no had disappeared.

  "I don't..." Her words trailed off.

  "You do not need to explain your doubts," Kosar told her. "It is enough to know you have them. We belong together, but I will not take advantage of you now — or ever. I want you to know that you are, and will always be, safe with me."

  With that, he turned and pulled open the door with more force than necessary, as though he needed to be away from her as quickly as possible. Ashley could sense that his self-control was almost as weakened as hers was.

  I could get him to stay. It wouldn't even be difficult, she thought, not as close as his resolve was to snapping. Just tell him you're certain.

  And then betray him. No. She couldn't do that to him. She'd hate herself forever if she did, and no matter how good the night with him was, it wouldn't be worth that.

  While she wrestled with her conscience Kosar took the choice out of her hands, striding out of the apartment and to the balcony at the end of the corridor. Before she could say a word, he spread his wings and leaped from it, soaring away.

  Ashley stared after him, heart pounding, a small moan escaping her lips. Watching him leave was the hardest thing she'd ever done, but she stayed there until he vanished from sight.

  12

  Kosar

  Stupid, stupid, stupid! Kosar raged at himself as he flew, his aching wings carrying him away from his mate as fast as he could travel. Another moment in her presence and what was left of his self-control would have snapped.

  And would that have been a bad thing? He snarled at himself for thinking the thought. Ashley had a reason for not choosing him, that much was clear, and nothing had changed. Kosar was not the kind of dragon who expected sex as a reward for saving a woman from an attack.

  Especially not from his mate. I will have her when she is ready to accept the truth about us. Not before. That would only hurt her, and that's the last thing I want to do.

  Repeating that to himself didn't make it any easier. Trying to turn his mind away from Ashley and how much he desired her, he turned in an arc through the streets of Olympus Colony, watching in case he could spot Cooper walking below. It was a vain hope, he knew — the man would be staying off the streets and even if he wasn't, the odds of randomly running into him were far too low. But it gave him something to think about instead of his mate.

  An excuse to blow off steam with some justified violence would be welcome right now.

  If it wasn't for the glass dome above him, he'd have shifted and flown for the horizon, wearing himself out in his full dragon form. But that would mean finding an airlock to let himself out of the city. Inside there was no space for a dragon to fly safely, and he was already attracting looks from the few humans on the streets below. Kosar had no desire to be stared at, and his wings were beginning to burn from exertion.

  Frowning, he dropped down to land. Flying shouldn't hurt. The toxin he'd been exposed to in the attack on the Center had left lingering damage that the healing pool couldn't fix. Frustrated, he shook off his wings and winced at the pain. Walking the rest of the way then, he thought. Wonderful.

  A growl at the nearby humans made them turn away and hurry about their business, and he started on his way back. Clicking on his communicator, he called Davenport for an update as he went.

  "I didn't expect to hear from you ‘til a lot later," his deputy said as soon as she picked up. He could hear the grin in her voice and snarled back wordlessly. He was in no mood for her banter.

  Picking up on his tone, Davenport switched to all business. "Okay then. We've run a sweep of Cooper's offices, and there's nothing obvious missing. The computer guys are still elbow-deep in his system, the man had access to a lot of data, but it doesn't look like he ran off with anything. That's the good news."

  "There's bad too, I take it?"

  "No sign of him at his place, or the spaceport. I assume you've not run into him, or you'd have led with that. So he's just vanished and, well, there's all the knowledge in his head to worry about. He might not be a nice man, but he's smart — the stuff he remembers will be worth a fortune to any Earth corporation."

  Kosar growled again. That left them precious little to work with, and Cooper had all too much leverage. In theory, the human corporations that funded the Colony worked under Imperial law on Mars. In practice, though, they were all hungry for the secrets of dragon technology. If he was willing to run to one of them, they were likely willing to hide him.

  "I guess it's time we brought in the Olympus police," he admitted reluctantly.

  "Sorry, Boss," Davenport said sympathetically. "If it's any consolation, I don't think that they're that likely to find him either."

  "It's not," Kosar growled. "I want to be the one to get him, but the important thing is that he's caught."

  They shared a gloomy silence before Davenport spoke up again. "He might just be hiding from you, you know. Not runn
ing away with our secrets, no big plan. Just... keeping out of your way because you tried to kill him."

  "He attacked my mate," Kosar growled. It was all the explanation needed.

  "Yes, and you defended her. I'm not saying you were wrong, Boss, or that it gets him off the hook. Just — let's not assume some grand plan on his part, okay? He might just be an asshole who attacked Ashley and ran when he was caught. If he was stealing from the Center, why endanger that by attacking a colleague?"

  Kosar shrugged. It made little difference to him why the human had acted like he had. Nothing could excuse Cooper's attack on Ashley, and just the thought of the look of fear on her face brought back the full fury Kosar had felt. Still, it didn't seem like this was part of a plan on Cooper's part, Davenport was right about that.

  In a way it didn't matter now, though. They could investigate when they caught up with him, but until then there was no way to guess the human's motives.

  "Is there anything I can do to help the search?" he asked. "Usefully, I mean, not just wandering around on the off chance I bump into him."

  "I don't think so. Colony Police will either track him down or not, at this point," Davenport said. "And you need your rest, Boss. You're not going to be any use to us sleep deprived and grumpy."

  Kosar snarled at that, but she had a point. That was the really annoying thing.

  "There's no way I'm getting to sleep like this," he said, shaking his head. Davenport didn't answer and eventually he sighed. "Fine. I'll see if I can tire myself out and get some rest. You're in charge until noon tomorrow."

  "You know you could take the whole day off, right? You need to recover, and we can keep things running without you."

  "Noon," he snapped. "Now I'm going to go get some exercise."