by Lili Zander
“You don’t know that,” I say, trying to reason with the crazy Zorahn. “If they crash mid-flight, you’ll die.”
“They won’t crash.” He sounds confident, and a chill seeps through me. This is the same guy who crashed our spaceship on the prison planet. He’s a fanatic, intent only on his cause, indifferent to the damage caused by his actions. “They won’t crash because you’re coming with me, and your precious Draekons will never risk anything happening to you. You think I’m going to let you out of my sight before I’m safely away from this hellhole of a planet? I don’t think so, human.”
Once upon a time, not too long ago, the idea of escaping the prison planet would have made me dance with glee. Not now, and not like this.
Beirax pushes me on the rocks and positions himself behind me, the knife staying at my throat. “Now we wait,” he says. “If I’m right, your Draekons aren’t too far behind.”
“We’re not.” There’s so much vibrating anger in Vulrux’s voice that I barely recognize it. “If you want to live, Beirax, let Harper go right now.”
“You’re in no position to make threats, Thirdborn,” Beirax sneers. “If you want your mate to live, I suggest you do exactly as I say.”
18
Dennox:
“Keep him talking. Keep him distracted.”
Vulrux nods, his face a mask of tension. I feel the same panic in my heart, but I will myself not to fall to pieces. This is not the time for fear.
I’ve been a soldier since I hit puberty. My training was brutal, painful, and stunningly effective. I was a commander of the finest fighting machine in the galaxy. I was Zoraken.
Everything that’s happened in my life has brought me to this point. Every hour of training, every moment of battle, every enemy vanquished. It was all for this moment. It was so that I could save Harper.
Arax and Nyx have followed us down. Arax places his hand on my arm. “If you can,” he says in a low whisper, “take him alive.”
I understand why the Firstborn wants Beirax alive. The scientist is a valuable source of information, and I’m sure that Arax wants to question him about the scientists’ plans, but I don’t care about Zorahn politics.
I just care about Harper.
I make my way silently to the opposite bank of the lake. I’ve spent hours here, and I know the terrain intimately, which is a blessing because the underground lake is pitch dark. I move silently but swiftly, counting on the noise of the rainfall to muffle my footsteps.
Beirax has positioned himself well. His back is to the rocks, and no one can sneak up behind him without him hearing them first. If I got close to him, I could disarm him easily, but the lake is in the way, and I can’t reach them.
I keep an eye on Harper. She’s nervous, but she’s not panicking. She adds her voice to Vulrux’s. “He’s right, you know,” she says to Beirax. “This is a stupid plan. You’ll need to sleep sometime. You’ll get tired, hungry, thirsty. My mates are stronger than you. There’s no way out.”
My mates, she says, without the slightest bit of hesitation in her voice. My heart swells with love when I hear her say those words.
“I’ll improvise,” Beirax replies, but his tone is uncertain, and I see his grip on the knife waver. Good. Vulrux and Harper are doing their job perfectly. Beirax is starting to get afraid.
If I could fly, I could snatch the man away with my claws, but we’ve already discovered that the cave isn’t large enough for flight.
Which leaves only one way to save our mate. Dragon flame. A narrow burst of fire aimed at the Zorahn scientist, forcing him to drop the knife.
But he’s too close to Harper. I cannot risk hurting our mate, and I have only one shot at rescuing her.
We were unable to save one mate; we cannot fail again. Harper is my life, my heart, my future. I must save her.
I get on my knees and force the shift, barely registering the pain that sweeps through my entire body. Bones break and reform. My skin hardens into scales, and my tail sweeps the ground. My claws pierce the soft soil. Careful, the man inside me whispers. We have only one chance.
Then I hear it.
Vulrux makes a familiar chirping sound under his breath. Of course. The narmi. The crimson snake’s den is near the cluster of rocks where Beirax is holding a knife to Harper’s throat. If it hears Vulrux, if it emerges from the rocks—
My focus sharpens, and I wait. Vulrux chirps again, and this time, I see it. A flicker of movement in the bushes, then the narmi slithers out of its den and makes its way toward Harper, drawn to her familiar presence.
Beirax flinches when he sees the snake. “What is that thing?” he says, backing away in fear.
Now. I open my jaw and exhale fire. My strike finds its target. Beirax shrieks with agony as the hand holding the knife blisters and burns. Screaming, he dives into the lake, dousing the flames that engulf his arm.
“Dragons are so cool.” Harper’s voice vibrates with excitement as we fold her into our arms. “Calling the narmi was genius. Burning Beirax’s hand? Call me bloodthirsty, but that was fantastic. You guys are my heroes.”
My lips curve into an amused smile. I want to be mad at Harper for putting her life in danger, but my anger drains away in the face of her obvious enthusiasm.
Vulrux and I wrap our arms around her. “You know,” Vulrux says mildly, “you really shouldn’t be swimming by yourself in the middle of the night.”
“I know,” Harper replies. “I just needed to be alone for a bit, that’s all.”
There’s a sudden bleakness in her tone. “Diya, what’s wrong?” I ask her gently.
She avoids our gaze. “The two of you treat me so well,” she whispers. “You’re kind to me, you take good care of me. You make me laugh. You protect me.”
“Harper.” Vulrux puts a finger on her chin and tips her face up. “Why do you sound so sad?”
She swallows. “Because I’ll always be second best,” she says. “I know it’s stupid of me to be jealous of a dead woman. I should be grateful for what I have, not be sick at the thought that you’re both still in love with her.”
“In love with her?” Vulrux sounds astonished. “What are you talking about, sweet one? There’s only one person I’m in love with, and that’s you.”
“But you interrogated Beirax because you wanted to know who killed your mate.”
“I did,” he agrees. “I feel responsible for her death. Had we not shifted that day in the Crimson Citadel, she would still be alive. I’ve burned to identify the person responsible.” He draws in a deep breath. “I interrogated Beirax,” he says quietly, “Because I wanted to let go of the past. Because I wanted to fully embrace my present and my future.” He kisses the palm of her hand softly, careful not to reopen the cut. “My future with you.”
I press a kiss on her lips and pick up where Vulrux left off. “I love you, Harper Boyd. I’ve never felt this way about anyone. You are everything to me.”
“Really?”
“I promise.”
Her face breaks out into a bright smile, and she hugs us tight. “I love you too,” she says, burying her face in our shoulders. Her voice lowers. “And when we go back up to Vulrux’s house, I’ll show you exactly how much I care about you.”
I run my hand over her gentle curves, feeling the warmth of her skin, luxuriating in her sweet softness. My heart swells with happiness. She’s ours.
“I heard that,” Nyx grumbles. “Fine, the three of you go do your thing. Arax and I will manage Beirax.”
“Let them be,” Arax advises, his voice amused. “Beirax is in no condition to cause trouble. We’ll put a guard on him and a guard on Raiht’vi, and deal with this in the morning. We have problems of our own. Viola’s not going to be happy that we forbid her from following us.”
Harper snorts with amusement. “Yeah, I can imagine you have some groveling to do,” she says. “Hey Arax?” He looks up at our mate, and she flushes. “I was kinda mad at you when you insisted I had to hang out
with Vulrux and Dennox.”
His expression softens. “And now?”
She smiles at him. “I’m pretty damn happy,” she says. “Thanks for that. Maybe you did know what you were doing, after all.”
Harper:
“Confession,” I whisper as Dennox sets me down on the bed. Halfway to the house, he asked if he could carry me, and I couldn’t bring myself to say no. Besides, after today, I want to wrap my arms around my mates and never let go. “I love your dragons.”
“We know, Harper. And we have decided…”
“Yes?”
Dennox grins at my eagerness. “As soon as the rains stop, we will carry you on our backs as we fly.”
Squee!
“As long as it is safe,” Vulrux adds.
I roll my eyes at his caution, but Dennox nods agreement. “Vulrux is right, reckless one,” he says. “By then you might be pregnant with our child.”
“Pregnant?” I test the idea in my head. To my surprise, I don’t hate the thought. Huh. I always liked the idea of kids, but after my last horrible relationship with Tom the Terrible, I’d lost faith that I’d ever meet a man who’d I want kids with. Much less two. “Will they be Draekons?”
“Most likely,” Vulrux replies. “Though it is impossible to be certain of anything. There is much for us to learn.”
I inch to the edge of the bed and clasp my arms around Dennox’s neck, kissing him deeply. “What should we do until the rainy season ends?” I ask, my voice innocent.
Dennox’s eyes go hooded. “I’m sure we’ll think of something.” He groans as I slip my hand into his pants and squeeze his cock. Giant, sexy dragon dick. All mine.
Vulrux climbs on the bed behind me. I push back and grind my ass against him while undoing Dennox’s pants. His cock jumps out, thick and hard, and I can’t resist. Licking my lips, I get on all fours, lowering my mouth on his hard shaft.
Vulrux’s fingers tease my clit before he thrusts two fingers into my pussy. I arch my back, trying to press his fingers deeper. His other hand plays with my ass, and I shiver in pleasure. So good. “You’re in such a hurry for the rains to end, Harper,” he says, his voice rough with lust. “You want to fly, diya?” His fingers slide in and out of my pussy, and I whimper into Dennox’s cock.
I’m already flying.
Dennox pulls me away from his cock. “I want to be inside you, sweet one,” he says. I kiss my way up his chest. Time to play with his nipple rings. The big guy strokes my back, sucking in a breath as I take the metal in my teeth and tug lightly.
Vulrux’s thumb brushes over my clitoris before pulling away. “Before we claim her,” he says to Dennox, “I want her screaming with pleasure.” His strong hands pull me backward. I lose my balance and end up sitting on his chest. Smiling, he lifts me up and positions me so that my pussy hovers over his face. “What do you think, Harper?”
“Sounds good to me,” I say with a grin, and lower myself down.
Several hours—or is it days?—later, I rouse myself from my second coma on this planet.
“I love dragon dick,” I rasp. This wasn’t how I expected my life to turn out, but I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m glad I gave these guys a chance. “And I love you.”
Vulrux smiles. He lies on one side of me, his hand threaded in mine. “And we love you, Harper. Mate.”
“Mate,” Dennox echoes, taking my other hand. Then his expression turns wicked. “I want to taste you now,” he says.
Yep. Dream guys. Dream life. Even if it’s not quite what I wanted when I came out of my coma—I’m glad I woke up.
“Harper? You ready?”
“Always,” I reply, and spread my legs.
Epilogue
Harper:
Three months later…
The rainy season is finally over. For the last three months, we’ve waited impatiently for the weather to clear, and now, it’s time to move out of our camp in the Na’Lung Cliffs, and back to the lowlands. It’s time to go in search of the Cloakship, if it indeed exists, and it’s time to rescue the other women.
Olivia, May, Paige, Felicity, and Bryce, we’re coming for you. Hang tight.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
The day after Beirax tried to take me hostage, Arax consulted with Viola, Ryanna, Sofia, and I. “Beirax caused injury to the four of you when he crashed your spaceship on the prison planet,” he said. “His actions led to the death of one of your companions. He tried to hurt Harper. Zorahn law dictates that the victims of Beirax’s crimes may determine his punishment.”
“That’s us?” I’d asked, stunned.
He’d nodded grimly.
“How the hell are we supposed to decide what to do with him?” Viola had demanded. “I mean, I don’t like Beirax, but I don’t want him to die.” She’d turned to me. “Do you?”
I’m not going to lie. Part of me wanted to pass a death-sentence on the Zorahn. Not because of what he did to me, but because of what he was planning to do with my mates. He knew that their wings would be seriously damaged if they flew in the rain, and he hadn’t cared. He’d demonstrated that he didn’t think of any of us as people, just pawns on his chessboard.
And yet, I didn’t want his death on my conscience.
“You can ask for advice, you know,” Vulrux had said at my side, his lips curling up into a smile.
“We can?”
“Of course.”
We’d talked for hours, trying to figure out what to do with the man. Finally, it was Nyx that had come up with the solution. “Exile him,” he’d said. “You know the Dsar Cliffs, the ones we’ve never been able to climb because the ascent is too steep? We could fly him to the top of it and leave him there.”
“We can’t starve him,” Sofia had protested immediately, her expression horrified.
“We won’t,” Dennox had replied. “We’ll take him food and water.” He’d looked thoughtful. “The only way to reach the peak of the Dsar Cliffs is to fly,” he’d said. “It’s a very effective, very isolated prison.”
“In that case, that’s my vote,” I’d said promptly.
After that, it was Raiht’vi’s turn. I’d braced myself for a death sentence, convinced that Vulrux and Dennox would want to avenge their first mate, but I was wrong.
Dennox spoke first. “I remember you,” he’d said to Raiht’vi. “You were just a child when they brought you underground. You were frightened the first day. Terrified about what was happening.”
“I was fifteen,” she’d replied, her voice steady, her gaze never wavering from his face. “I don’t need your pity, soldier. I was old enough to know what I did.”
“I killed my first man when I was fifteen,” Dennox had replied quietly. “He was a slaver, and deserved to die, but my heart ached for days after, remembering the look of surprise on his face as he clutched the wound in his abdomen. I forgot many things, but that image never left me. This isn’t pity, scientist. This is understanding.” He’d turned to Arax. “We all had fresh starts on the prison planet,” he’d said. “Raiht’vi deserves one too.”
“You saved Harper’s life,” Vulrux had added. “And for that, Raiht’vi, you will always have my gratitude. I agree with Dennox.”
Arax had frowned. “You are welcome to live with us, Raiht’vi,” he’d said, and then his voice had hardened. “My cousin and his pair-bond forgive you. I’m more cautious. If you harm us in any way, there will be consequences.”
Which brings us to the present day. Arax and Nyx are going to fly Beirax to his mountaintop prison, and then we’re dividing into two groups.
Arax, Nyx, Viola, Rorix, Ferix, and Sofia are going to look for the Draekons that took the other women.
Thrax, Zorux, and Ryanna are accompanying Vulrux, Dennox, and me in the search for the cloakship.
And if we find a way out of the prison planet, what happens next?
I don’t know.
The three of us have talked about it. We can’t go back to Zoraht—their fear and prejudic
e against Draekons are too great. We can’t go back to Earth—can you imagine a shape-shifting dragon in the middle of LA? That’ll create one hell of a traffic jam, and the highways are clogged enough, thank you very much.
Confession: I don’t even know if I want to leave. The prison planet might not have Starbucks, but I’m starting to get very fond of it. It is the place where I fell in love with my mates, after all.
But if we do want to go, there’s a whole galaxy out there. As long as Dennox and Vulrux are with me, I can be happy anywhere.
Whatever the future holds, I’m ready. Bring it on.
Draekon Heart, the third book in the Dragons in Exile series, will release in Fall 2017. Sign up to Lili Zander’s email list to receive a notification when the book goes live, as well as to receive a special Draekon Mate bonus scene.
About the Authors
Lili Zander is the sci-fi romance loving alter-ego of Tara Crescent. She lives in Toronto. She enjoys reading sci-fi and fantasy, and thinks a great romance makes every book better.
Find Lili/Tara at:
www.taracrescent.com | www.lilizander.com
www.facebook.com/tara.crescent
Email her at [email protected].
Lee Savino is a USA today bestselling author. She’s also a mom and a choco-holic. She’s written a bunch of books—all of them are “smexy” romance. Smexy, as in “smart and sexy.”
Download a free book from www.leesavino.com.
Find Lee at:
www.leesavino.com
www.facebook.com/leesavinoauthor
A Preview of Draekon Mate by Lee Savino and Lili Zander
