But I could see what the advisers were saying. The people needed to get used to me again. See that nothing had changed. Though that wasn't completely true. Sometimes, I felt like a different person altogether. Like the rebirth had not only reset my body, but my mind. It had started to fade now, that feeling of not fitting quite perfectly in my own skin, so maybe it was all in my head. Or maybe the effects were only short-term. I had no idea. Maybe it was time to research this in more depth.
In the meantime, maybe I could help smooth this over for everyone.
"Perhaps we could just do the speech," I suggested, before things devolved further. "I agree with Sven about another feast—that would be a no go. Not only would it be a nightmare to guard, it would immediately make people think about the last feast." I let that sink in. "Not the best memory to bring up if you want to set an optimistic tone."
Sven looked over at me, moving his hand to cover mine on the table.
"Are you sure?" he asked, searching my face. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to."
That caused another stir among the others at the table, but I ignored it. He was asking me, not them.
"I can't hide in here forever," I said in a low voice, turning my hand to grip his. "And if we wait too long, it will seem like an even bigger deal than it will now. Might as well get it over with."
He sighed.
"Maybe," he admitted grudgingly. "All right." Raising my hand, he kissed it before turning to the others.
I resisted the urge to blush. Our relationship was no secret. Not anymore. Not that anyone was really surprised after the way Sven had apparently reacted after I...
After I died. It was still difficult to wrap my head around that fact. I died. I'd always been told I had the Original Bloodline coursing through my veins. But it was one thing to be told about something, and quite another to experience it like I had.
"We'll do the public address," Sven confirmed. "But only the public address."
"Wonderful," Arie said, relief clear on her face. "Now, we just need to discuss the details of what you're going to say, the tone you'll want to take..."
I listened with one ear as I looked down at our entwined hands, Sven's bigger one holding mine safely.
There were going to be a lot more decisions we'd have to make, ones more difficult than this one. I had no idea how they were going to be handled. The future was an indistinct blur as of yet. One that felt malleable, changeable, but I felt hopeful. I covered Sven's hand with mine and he smiled at me as he continued to listen to Arie.
Hand in hand with Sven, I was happy to take one day at a time.
We'd figure it out.
Together.
FROM THE ASHES is the first novel in the Phoenix Wars series, part of the Dragons & Phoenixes universe. Sign up below to be notified as soon as Book Two is available!
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Red Planet Dragons of Tajss Book 1
MIRANDA MARTIN
& JUNO WELLS
Blurb
Not every alien is an enemy, even if he kidnaps you...
Calista is happy with her life of scientific research. She doesn't need love, she has her books, her friends, and her work. Things are fine until her ship is attacked by space pirates and crash lands on a desert planet with heat so intense she and her friends can't survive without help.
Ladon is a Zmaj warrior resigned to a life alone, who only desires to protect his treasures. His hopes for a mate faded long ago, yet when he meets Calista something stirs. It takes only one look to know that she belongs to him. He's been alone for so long but she is the ultimate treasure and he will protect her.
Now there's only the small problem of her living long enough to understand.
A devastated planet, a mysterious history, space pirates, and threats environmental and alien beset them on all sides. The sexy Zmaj warrior will have to battle the planet's ultimate threat in an epic effort to obtain the one thing he knows Calista needs to survive.
But will the other humans accept this huge and alien looking dragon warrior? Or will they find him just as big a threat as the rest of the red planet? The future of both their races depends on it.
CALISTA
“Who are you?” I ask.
His head cocks to one side then he opens his mouth and makes a sound that contains a lot of s sounds and a bit of hissing. I shake my head, not understanding, but it’s clear he’s intelligent and has a language. He waits for me to respond then repeats the same sounds again. I shake my head, frustrated.
“I don’t understand,” I say, motioning with my hands like that will help.
On board the ship we all spoke Galactic Common. Everyone does, though some old holdouts keep their native language too. No one in the galaxy doesn’t speak Common. Where the hell have we crashed that he doesn’t know it? Vulcan, right, well if only I’d been geek enough to learn to speak Vulcan. He doesn’t look like Spock though and I sure as hell ain’t Captain Kirk.
He slides closer and as he does my stomach tightens and my pussy grows wet again. He’d been… examining me and he really is quite attractive. It’s wrong though, what the hell am I thinking, getting off on an alien? He pauses as if waiting for me to stop him then he reaches out and touches my thigh. His hand is so cool, a thrill runs along my nerves at his touch. It’s exciting and enticing and so damn wrong. I can’t do this. I pull back but the delay in my action seems to encourage him. He touches both my legs with his hands and traces a path along my thighs down from my knees to the sides of my hips. Electric chills race along to my spine then up to my core as he moves closer to my erogenous zones and moisture slides down my thighs.
I shudder and he stops, looking into my eyes. He says something but who the hell knows what. This is nuts, insane even, I can’t let this man, this alien do this to me. I can’t but I don’t want him to stop. Desire is a pulsing need in the tight ball of my lower stomach and I want nothing more than to be pleasured. No matter how wrong it is.
He runs his hands up and down my legs then up across my arms. I’m breathing in short gasps, my heart is racing, I shake my head side to side.
“No,” I whisper. “No.”
He doesn’t stop. His strong hands grip my knees and push down. I want to resist, I try, but I can’t. My legs straighten out leaving me exposed. I cross my arms over my breasts holding on to some level of modesty. His intense eyes bore into mine then he shifts his attention to between my legs as his fingers trail along my skin. He speaks again, and it ends with a soft hiss. Strong fingers knead the muscles of my calves then up past my knees onto my thighs. My legs part as he moves, almost like they have a will of their own. He’s in control and I can’t stop him. I should, I should want to, but it feels so good as he works up closer and closer to my sex.
“I can’t,” I protest. “This is wrong.”
He looks up, pausing and cocking his head to the side. It’s a moment, I can stop this. We may not be able to communicate with words but he seems to get that I’m protesting, and he waits.
I shake my head side to side but my clit is pulsing with a desperate need I can’t ignore. I don’t say anything else and he moves again. With one hand he uses thumb and forefinger to form an upside down V that pulls my silky folds apart. Slowly, so slowly it drives me mad I watch the index finger of his other massive hand approach. When it reaches my wet silk a shudder rips through me as he drags that finger up through the layers of my sex and then lightly grazes across my clitoris.
I hear myself moaning and my hips buck forward wanting, needing more. I need to be penetrated. He presses against my clitoris and rubs in a circular motion that is perfect, like an expert playing my body to a symphony of his own creation.
His hands stop and pull back then he’s stroking my hair, my face, my a
rms. His touch sends thrills through me as he continues exploring my body. I drop all my defenses giving myself over to his gentle ministrations. I reach out and touch his face which makes him smile. His eyes light up as he runs his hands down my sides to my ass. He grips my waist and lifts me up easily as if I weigh nothing. He moves me to rest on his lap. One of his large hands cups the back of my head while the other roams down across my breasts. He touches my nipples and they both stand erect like small diamonds ready to cut glass.
His fingers glide across my stomach and down between my legs. I’m wet and ready as he plows through my folds. When he slides across my clitoris, I cry out in surprise and joy unable to contain the thrill that pushes me over the edge then he buries the tip of his finger inside me while keeping pressure on my clit.
He moves his finger back and forth creating a rubbing pressure on my sensitive nub while giving me the full sensation inside. It’s amazing and I move my hips in time letting him have his way with me. I need this, I need to get off, clear my head and then I’ll be able to think.
“Yes!” I cry out rocking.
He says something back. I bury my face into the glorious coolness of his neck and only then do I see the backside of him. The first thing I notice is he has wings. They’re folded against his back and don’t look like they’re big enough to let him fly but probably would allow him to glide. The second thing I see is his tail. Its standing stiffly out from his back shifting side to side almost like a rattlesnake. It vibrates in time with the motion of his hand inside me and for some reason seeing that drives me right over the edge. My body stiffens, stars explode in my vision, and I buck up against him hard, my hands gripping his shoulders tight.
“AH!” I cry out as the orgasm rips through me.
He holds me tight against him as it passes and I’m left panting and sweating in his arms. I hold him until my breath and heartbeat slow to something resembling normal then I sit up, feeling awkward that I just got off with an alien that I can’t even speak to. He lifts me up and sets me back down on the ground then rises on to his knees. He’s wearing something that mostly resembles a kilt which makes me giggle.
“You’re like an alien dragon Highlander,” I say in my best Sean Connery accent. Not that he’s going to appreciate the humor.
He cocks his head to the side then shakes it, clearly indicating he doesn’t get it. I smile and shrug then he pulls the kilt aside and from between his legs protrudes the biggest, strangest cock I’ve ever seen. My eyes go wide and I scoot back as I realize he wants to put that thing inside of me. I shake my head side to side.
“Oh no,” I say. “No, not yet, I’m not ready for that.”
I point at his cock as I talk and shake my head. It’s not only enormous but there’s a bony ridge along the top like it’s a weird condom ribbed for her pleasure. I totally don’t even think that I can accommodate such a thing inside of myself without severe damage. I’m certainly not ready to find out!
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