Cornering Carmen

by Smith, S. E.

  Taking a deep breath, he focused back on his current situation. He had to attend the meeting downstairs but he needed to make sure his mate was safe first. He glanced at the closed doors where his mate could still be heard yelling dire threats of murder and mayhem.

  A good ass whipping might be in store for his older brother while he was down there. It wouldn’t change anything but it would make him feel a little better. He rolled his shoulders again and motioned for the two guards who had been standing to the side, waiting for his instructions. Both of them were staring warily at the door as if expecting some insane beast to suddenly burst through it.

  “Guard her with your life,” Creon instructed before he grimaced. “Dragon’s balls!” He muttered as another string of unladylike curses sounded through the door followed by another crash. “Just… make sure the door stays locked and she doesn’t get out,” he grounded out in exasperation.

  The guards nodded their agreement to Creon before positioning themselves in front of it. Both winced when a small thump hit the door followed by a bellow to be released immediately or else. Creon shook his head in resignation before he turned and strode down the long corridor. It was going to be a very, very long day.

  Chapter 5Creon could hear Mandra’s voice before he ever entered the conference room. From the sound of it, his older brother was in a foul mood. Creon entered the room just as Mandra was threatening to beat Zoran’s ass.

  “You brought those females here! I should kick your ass good for that,” Mandra growled out in a low voice.

  “I second that!” Creon said walking into the room and moving on silent feet to sit down at the beautiful rosewood table with a holovid display mounted in the center. “I’ll help you, Mandra, with total enjoyment.”

  Creon couldn’t help but cast a dark look at Trelon and Kelan as he sat down in one of the plush dark leather seats. He rubbed a weary hand over his forehead before he sat back to watch his two older brothers clash. They were locked arm-in-arm, their muscles straining as each pushed against the other.

  “I can’t find that damn female anywhere,” Mandra snarled out. “I should kick your ass for bringing her back!” He said looking darkly at Trelon as well.

  Trelon raised his hand in defense. “Don’t blame me! I have enough on my hands. I can barely catch the one I have. She never sleeps, never shuts up, and has dismantled everything on Kelan’s warship and in my home at least a dozen times trying to see how it works.”

  Kelan looked at Mandra and Creon with a long suffering look on his own face. “The female called Trisha is demanding I take her home to her father. She is a stubborn little thing. She refuses to give up the idea.”

  “How are you doing, brother?” Kelan asked turning to look at Creon. “Did you ever find the short-haired she-demon? She was a pain in the ass on board the V’ager. She fought every male she could and damned if they didn’t all fall in love with her for it.”

  Creon face turned ridged with tension at the thought of other males fighting with his mate. “Yes, she is not happy with me right now. She insists on being returned to her planet immediately. I had to restrain her so I could lock her up,” he said tersely.

  Zoran looked at Mandra and Creon in confusion. “I thought you two were going to find mates for the other two? Surely there are males who will take them,” Zoran said.

  Creon was on his feet growling dangerously at Zoran before he could stop himself. His dragon fought to get loose at the idea of giving Carmen away to another male. Black scales rippled uncontrollably over his skin as he fought for control.

  Zoran glanced back and forth between Mandra and Creon watching in amazement as both of his younger brothers fought for control. He had never seen either of them lose control like this before. It took a moment before he realized what had happened.

  “You too?” Zoran asked quietly, looking between the two. “Both of you have claimed the females?”

  Creon returned to his seat and stared moodily out the window with his arms crossed over his chest. No, he had not claimed the one called Carmen yet. He had finally learned her name after he downloaded the reports from the V’ager. He had read about her exploits on board. How she antagonized the men on board to fight her. How she had barely been alive when she was brought aboard. Even with the advanced technology the Valdier had, Zoltin had written that he almost lost her more than once. She had been stabbed several times in the chest and side. The sound of Mandra talking about the long-haired sister broke through his thoughts.

  “Yes,” Mandra was saying. “The problem is every time I get near her, she attacks me! Now, I can’t even find her. She broke my nose and took off. She is hiding somewhere and I haven’t been able to locate her yet.”

  Creon’s head jerked up. “She broke your nose? When did she do that? I just thought she knocked you out,” Creon said with a frown trying to remember his brother’s condition when he found him unconscious. “Your nose didn’t look broken.”

  Creon wondered if all the creatures on the planet Zoran landed on were like this. Females weren’t supposed to know how to fight. What was the purpose of having a planet full of male warriors if the females were just as vicious as the men could be?

  Kelan grunted as he stood up and walked over to the small bar to pour a drink. “What are we going to do with them?” He asked dejectedly. “How can such a fragile, delicate species do so much damage and be so stubborn?” His voice faded away as all of them contemplated the sudden changes to their lives.

  *.*.*

  Several hours later, Creon stood outside the doors to his living quarters. He wondered vaguely if he had any more glass objects for his mate to smash. His symbiot stood at his side looking at the door as well. Both of them were a little wary of what they would find.

  “Have you heard anything recently?” He asked one of the guards standing by the door.

  “No, my lord,” the guard replied. “There hasn’t been a sound for the past hour or so.”

  “I don’t think there is anything left for her to break,” the second guard said with a sympathetic look. “I also had no idea there were that many ways to curse someone either,” he added with a small grin of appreciation.

  Creon ran a tired hand over the back of his neck. Standing here wasn’t going to make the task ahead any easier. He might as well face his mate’s fury. He had a feeling she wasn’t going to like it when she found out it was his rooms that she occupied.

  He nodded his thanks to the two guards before he quietly opened the door. He was surprised that the floor wasn’t littered with broken shards of glass. He pushed the door open a little further and listened. All that greeted him was silence. He nodded to his symbiot to go ahead of him. He stepped inside, closed and locked the door with a swipe of his hand. The hidden panel in the wall glowed briefly to show it was locked.

  Creon glanced around. Against the wall near the door was a small basket he had picked up during one of his many journeys. It was filled to the top with bits and pieces of broken pottery and glass. Next to it was a small broom that the servants used when cleaning his living quarters. The female confused him. His mother worried that she was fragile and in pain while all he saw was the fierce hostility and defiance.

  His symbiot paused by the door to his sleeping quarters and looked in. It turned to him and shook its massive body before it bounded into the room. Creon walked slowly forward until he stood in the doorway of his sleeping quarters. Curled in a small ball in the middle of the bed was his mate. In the soft glow of the moon, he could make out her white-blonde hair. Strands fell along her cheek and curled at her neck. He could see the steady rise and fall of her chest as she slept.

  He stepped closer to the bed, carefully sitting down on the edge so he wouldn’t disturb her. Gently lifting a strand of her soft hair, he tucked it behind her ear marveling at the soft texture of it. She shifted in her sleep, tilting her head until her cheek rested against the palm of his hand. Creon clenched his other hand in an effort to control the feelings
bombarding him. It was as if his entire body was suddenly alive and tuned into this beautiful creature.

  Unable to stop himself, he ran his thumb over her jaw until it rested on her lower lip. Her lips parted in a soft sigh. A small smile pulled on her bottom lip. Creon leaned down to brush his lips against hers. Need unlike anything he had ever felt before overwhelmed his senses. He wanted her, needed her in a way that pulled at the very essence of his soul. He pulled back slightly, determined to wake her when she suddenly whispered in a soft husky voice.

  “Oh Scott, I’ve missed you,” Carmen murmured in her sleep. She turned over restlessly before sighing out. “I love you. Coming home soon.”

  Creon’s eyes darkened until they burned fiercely. The name of another man on his mate’s lips sent shafts of jealousy through him. He pulled away quickly as he felt the change sweeping through him. Unable to prevent his dragon from taking control, Creon rushed to the open doors leading out onto the balcony and launched himself over the railing. He shifted as his body fell toward the ground. Large wings unfolded and caught the air under them allowing him to glide just a few feet off the ground before he pushed off and lifted higher, soaring over the walls of the palace. He remained invisible to everyone, including the guards. The only one who could see him was his symbiot which had divided. One part laid curled up next to his mate while the other part flew up until it dissolved around him in midair, forming armor around his dragon.

  He flew for miles trying to escape the burning heat erupting inside him. He had passed the thick forest and headed upward into the mountainous regions. He often flew long distances at night. Normally, it was to escape the dark thoughts that plagued him during the long, lonely hours. Tonight he did it to cope with the burning anger that his mate wanted, loved another.

  We take her anyway. She learn to love us. She is ours, his dragon roared out in anger. We keep. Man from her world not keep her safe. He not deserve her.

  Do you think I don’t know that? Creon growled back. Zoran, Kelan, and Trelon brought the women back against their will. Our mate was mortally wounded and would have died back on her planet. But that does not mean she could not have belonged to another.

  She here now! She is ours. I no give back, his dragon said determinedly. I want my mate! She mine. You not send her away.

  No, I will not send her away, Creon said tiredly, pulling his dragon in enough so that he could guide him to a small ledge on the side of a mountain. She has been accepted by all of us. My symbiot is very protective of her, you want her, I need her.

  Creon’s dragon landed on the narrow ledge and turned with a shiver, looking out over the vast terrain. The darkness did not interfere with his vision. He saw as good in the dark as he did during the day. A light breeze blew over the tall trees, most of which were over a thousand years old. In the distance, he could make out the shimmering of moonlight reflecting off the water of a nearby river. He was above the tree line and little tufts of snow still lingered on the rock face he had landed on. The cold did not bother him either. His body ran warm and in dragon form, his scales helped to insulate his body from the outside elements.

  Creon moved in a circle on the narrow ledge before lying down and tucking his wings up tightly against his sides. He was slightly smaller than his brothers in dragon form but in some ways he was more lethal because of that. He could move in areas they couldn’t and his unique black scales reflected his surrounding environment until he was practically invisible.

  He laid his head down on his front claws and stared blindly out at the surrounding darkness. It matched his soul right now. For a brief glimpse, he thought he had found the shimmer of light that would make him feel complete again. It had been a false hope. His true mate loved another. He had never heard of such a thing before. In all his life, in all the archives he had secretly read, never had he heard of the Gods and Goddesses gifting a Valdier with a true mate that loved and hoped for another.

  He would have to look at the archives again. He refused to believe it was possible. Even the Gods and Goddesses could not wish to punish him for things he had no choice in. His thoughts turned darker as he thought back to the Great Wars. He had killed many during the wars. On all three sides, Sarafin, Curizan and Valdier. He had done what he had to in order to protect his people. When he found traitors within the Valdier who were working with a small group of Curizan and Sarafin royalty in order to bring down all three governments of their respective star systems he, Ha’ven, and Vox had worked together to eradicate them. One of the traitors had been his lover, Aria. He had thought he loved her. He knew she was not his true mate. He knew it would have been a difficult life trying to balance the three parts of who he was to be with her but he had been willing to try.

  He would never forget when Vox had approached him with his suspicions. Ha’ven had been wounded, almost killed, in an assassination attempt shortly before he had been captured by an unknown group. The only ones who knew where he was going to be and when was Creon, Vox, and Ha’ven. Creon had rescued Ha’ven and dragged his ass out of the dungeons of hell, literally. Ha’ven had been taken to Hell, an abandon mining asteroid on the outer regions of the Curizan star system. There he was being tortured in the hopes of discovering information about the Curizan, Valdier and Sarafin warship movements.

  It wasn’t until Vox had mentioned that there had to be a leak somewhere within their inter groups that a sense of dread swept through him. Vox learned a short time later that one of his warriors had betrayed them. Vox tortured the man until he revealed he had given the information to a female named Aria whom he had taken as a lover. She was one of the top operatives for the group behind starting the war. Only she knew where Ha’ven had been taken.

  Creon did not confront Aria with the information at first, unwilling to believe she could betray him like that. Instead, he and Vox set up a bogus mission and set a trap. Only the two of them and Aria had the information. He told Aria of his plans to transport a Curizan royal they had captured to a new holding facility. A small group of hired mercenaries appeared at the planned transfer. Before the last one died, Creon had his proof that his lover was the one giving out the orders. He felt like he had betrayed his people. Hundreds, if not thousands, of Valdier, Curizan, and Sarafin Warriors had died because of the greed for power by a few members of the royal houses. He had fallen in love with one of them and unknowingly given them inside information. Creon felt the death of each warrior who had died during battle as a mark against his soul.

  It had been a clear night when Aria came to him that last time. It had not been much different than the night he was staring out into. The moons had risen several hours before and she lay across their bed draped in nothing but the moonlight. She had been beautiful. Her dark hair spread out around her and her full breasts were taut and inviting. But looking at her for what she was in that pale light, he was able to see the coldness in her eyes and the cruel twist to her mouth as she talked of her love for him. He had killed her slowly, extracting every bit of information from her before he gave her the peace of death. His dragon had burned her remains. He would leave nothing of her to remind him of her treachery. The next morning, he and Vox had gone after Ha’ven. They had killed everyone on the asteroid. It took a long time before Creon could even begin to forgive himself for what happened to his best friend. While Creon could never truly forgive himself, Ha’ven had never held it against him.

  Chapter 6Carmen jerked awake startled. It was the first time in over three years that she had slept through an entire night without having a nightmare. Even when she had been on pain medication and anti-depressants, she had still been plagued with them. Her hand reached out to steady herself only to find she wasn’t alone in the bed. A smaller version of Harvey lay next to her.

  “Where did you come from?” Carmen asked puzzled, looking around in confusion as she tried to remember where she was.

  She blew out a puff of air. “Oh, that fink! He better plan on taking me home today!” She said, scooting off
the bed. “I need to find my sister and make sure she and Trisha are alright, not to mention poor Cara.”

  Carmen swayed for a moment. “First I need a shower. I feel like my head is full of cotton balls. Then, caffeine. God, I hope they have coffee here,” she muttered as she opened several panels in the wall looking for anything she could wear.

  She gave a sigh of relief when she found several large shirts. They would swallow her but she didn’t care. As long as she was covered that was all that mattered. She reached in and pulled out a pair of leather pants. They were way too big, both in the hips and in length. She would have to fashion a belt and roll them up but they would work in a pinch. No underwear but it wasn’t like she hadn’t gone without them a time or two when she and …

  Carmen bit her lip to stop her thoughts. She would not go there this morning. She was feeling too vulnerable as it was without bringing up memories. She walked into the large room located on the far wall. She had found the bathroom after her failed attempt to break every dish in the place. Truthfully, she had gotten tired of throwing the dishes at an inanimate object. After she had explored for a little while she had finally decided she needed to clean up the mess she had made. It went against everything inside her and the way she was raised to leave the mess. Her mom would have taken a switch to her backside if she ever saw Carmen breaking dishes the way she had in her fit of rage at being locked in the room yesterday.