Embrace the Romance

by S. E. Smith

  Pearl tilted her head back and laughed. She loved it when they teased each other. It didn’t matter what she said, he was able to think of a comeback. Of course, on the few occasions when he couldn’t, he used his lips and body instead.

  “I’ll send you a location for later tonight,” she teased, brushing a kiss across his lips with a little suggestive tongue to go along with it.

  “Pearl, I ready!” Jabir called out behind her.

  “I have to go,” she said with a sigh.

  “Later tonight,” Asim vowed. “Dirty dragon style first.”

  “You’ll have to catch me first,” Pearl replied with a wink before she turned and walked away.

  Ten

  Asim watched his symbiot rise off the ground. Mandra and Ariel were waving to Jabir who was frantically waving back at them. His gaze was fastened on Pearl. She turned and blew him a kiss before Pokey rotated in the air. A moment later, the symbiot transport was just a faint glimmer in the sky.

  He blinked when Hobbler, the Pactor he’d threatened to return to Cree and Calo but never did, nudged him. He reached out a hand to calm the beast. He shook his head, retrieved his gloves and the shovel, and finished his chores.

  “I swear that woman loves to drive me insane,” he told Hobbler as the creature followed him back to the wagon. “So, what do you think of your new friend? Have you accepted him yet?”

  Hobbler stretched out her neck and rubbed her forehead against his hand. Asim was going to take that as a yes. He dumped the last shovel-load of poop into the wagon with a sigh. The more he thought about his conversation with Pearl, the funnier it sounded to him. Before long, his shoulders shook with mirth and he had to stop and lean on the shovel.

  “Goddess, but I love that woman,” he told Hobbler and the new Pactor. “I don’t know anyone else who could make me want to laugh while shoveling shit.”

  Humming under his breath, he finished mucking the corral and lay fresh warm grass in the covered stalls. Hobbler had moved closer to George, Jabir’s name for the half-blind beast. Asim nodded in satisfaction when both Pactors stopped at the feed barrels. It would take a few months, but George would fill out like Hobbler had.

  He cleaned up the tools and walked to the outer barn. It was empty now that he and Mandra shipped off the majority of the Grombots and Marrats. Pearl had volunteered to clean it up so it would be ready for any new arrivals that would eventually find their way to the mountain refuge for lost, orphaned, and mistreated beasts.

  He pushed the small wagon over to the equipment shed and rinsed it out before doing the same with the bucket and shovel. There was a latch on one of the stalls that wasn’t working properly and he wanted to check all of them before he forgot. There was nothing worse than having a new beast loose and wreaking havoc.

  He opened the door, leaving it slightly ajar to bring in some natural light. Solar powered light panels along the ceiling turned on as he walked along each stall, testing the doors. He frowned when he reached the last one. He could have sworn it was the one that was broken.

  Opening the stall door, he tested it several times before he grunted. It looked like it was working now. Glancing around, he noticed that fresh warm grass was piled in the corner instead of spread out. Perhaps Mandra had forgotten to spread it when he fixed the door.

  He walked over to the pile and bent to pick up a handful of warm grass. A movement out of the corner of his eye startled him and he jerked back a step. A dry chuckle escaped him when he saw Ruby flap her wings at him.

  “I wondered where you moved to. You don’t like me gathering all your eggs, do you? Well, I have to say it is your fault. If they weren’t so tasty, we dragons wouldn’t want to eat them.” He yanked his hand back when Ruby pecked at him. “You are lucky you belong to Pearl’s granddaughter or you would be in a pot and then into my stomach,” he threatened.

  Ruby tilted her head and clucked at him before scratching at some loose warm grass near the small dish of feed that was set out for her. Perhaps this was why Jabir kept sneaking out at night. Mandra said he’d caught the little boy more than once trying to sneak out to the barn when he should have been in bed. The little boy had been pestering his father to replicate the chicken. Jabir really wanted to have a pet chicken like Leo. Of course, neither he nor Mandra were opposed to the idea if it meant they had fresh eggs to go along with the bird.

  “Go on with you, I have work that needs to be completed,” Asim chuckled.

  He bent to spread the warm grass, but stiffened in surprise when his fingers touched something hard under the straw. Pulling his hand back, he studied the pile of warm grass for a moment before he gently brushed it aside. Perhaps Ruby left some of her delicious eggs for him and Pearl. His eyes widened and a loud curse exploded from his lips when he saw the shape of a very large, dark green egg. This was not one of Ruby’s eggs.

  He straightened, staring down at the egg with a frown. He had never seen one like it before. Muttering under his breath, he carefully went through the pile of warm grass, counting the eggs he found.

  “Six,” he said with a shake of his head. “Where in the galaxy did Jabir find these?”

  The little boy must have found them somewhere and snuck them into the barn. His eyes widened again as another thought dawned on him – Pearl. She must know about Jabir’s stash! She had been adamant about cleaning the barn on her own shortly after the Dragon Lords and the younglings returned from their adventure on Earth. She even insisted that Pokey could help her with the heavy items if she needed it. There was no way she could have cleaned the barn without knowing about the eggs.

  Asim quickly covered the eggs again. He would need to research them to see if he could determine what they were. He turned to leave, but paused when he saw the corner of a sack partially hidden behind the handle of a rake. Pulling the rake aside, he saw now the familiar language of Earth’s people. He also recognized the symbol of Paul’s ranch on the bag. Lady Ariel had shown him the design once.

  “Earth…,” Asim murmured before his eyes widened. “Jabir! That boy is going to get himself in trouble one of these days.”

  Asim wrapped his fingers around the top of the bag and stared out of the barn door. Jabir must have recruited Pearl. That would explain why they had been so secretive lately and kept chasing him out of the barn when he asked if they wanted any help.

  His gaze moved back to the pile of eggs. They were larger than any he had ever seen – including the Grombot eggs. He would scan one of the eggs and run it through the database, but he would be surprised if they were even listed.

  Perhaps Paul would know what they were; after all, they must have come from his ranch. Satisfied that he would get to the bottom of the mysterious eggs, he started to replace the bag on the hook when he realized there was something still in it. Curious, he glanced inside. A frown creased his brow when he saw it was one of Jabir’s books.

  Asim was surprised the little boy had left the book in the barn. He loved the storybooks his father purchased for him on Earth. Reaching in, he pulled it out and paled.

  On the front cover were creatures Ariel called dinosaurs. Several of the beasts were standing by large nests filled with eggs. Asim’s gaze moved back to the pile of fresh warm grass. He remembered that Jabir had a fascination with the beasts and wanted something called a Tyrannosaurus Rex for a pet.

  “Dragon’s balls!” he whispered, his eyes growing wide. He quickly thumbed through the book until he reached the page with the T-Rex, as Ariel and Pearl called the beast. The massive dinosaur was standing over a nest filled with broken shells from at least a half dozen eggs. Under the creature, small miniature versions of herself were snapping at the dead beast hanging from her jaws. “Jabir has found Earth dinosaurs! These T-Rex dinosaurs will eat him!”

  Asim looked down at the bag in his hand. He needed to get rid of them, but how? Jabir would be heartbroken and Pearl would kill him for breaking the little boy’s heart – not to mention he would also end up upsetting Lady Ariel.<
br />
  He needed someone who could help him dispose of the eggs quickly and quietly. He could deny any knowledge – no, no, Pearl would know he was lying. He would just say he found them and gave them to one of the princes – but not Mandra.

  Who else could he ask? He needed someone who could handle the mission. Someone no one would suspect. Asim glanced down when Ruby strutted over to him and pecked at his boot. A slow smile curved his lips. He knew the perfect accomplice to recruit.

  Eleven

  “You want me to do what?” Vox asked, gaping at Asim on the view screen with a confused frown.

  “I need you to dispose of something for me,” Asim quietly explained.

  “You’ve done it, haven’t you? You’ve finally killed Riley’s grandmother? I don’t blame you, but I’m not touching her dead body. The woman would probably come back to life just to haunt me,” Vox warned.

  Asim heard Riley’s voice calling out to Vox in the background. He needed to keep this as quiet as possible. It wasn’t easy when he practically had Vox howling with delight at the thought of Pearl meeting a grievous end.

  “Vox, Roam wants you to help with the egg coloring. I need to feed Sacha and change Pearl,” Riley called in the background.

  “I’ll be there in a minute,” Vox replied before he leaned closer to the vidcom. “I have to say, I expected you to kill Pearl a lot sooner. You two have been mated for what – almost three years now? I was ready to do the job myself on the first day I met her,” he said in a hushed tone so Riley couldn’t hear him.

  “No, I have not killed my mate. I love her. This has nothing to do with killing anyone or hiding dead bodies,” Asim growled in frustration.

  Vox’s expression drooped a little before he looked hopeful again. “Please tell me that you at least ate the damn chicken, then! That crazy feathered beast loves to get in the house and lay eggs when Tina and Viper visit. Roam’s been hiding them under my pillow for me. I didn’t find the last one until it was too late,” he said.

  “I have not killed Pearl or eaten Ruby! They are both still alive and healthy. In fact, Pearl should be there any minute. I just want you to take something out and leave it in the woods,” Asim snapped before he remembered to lower his voice. “Jabir brought back some eggs from Earth. I want you to take them away and leave them in the forest. I’m hoping that they don’t hatch; but if they do, I’m hoping a predator will get them before they grow too large.”

  “Eggs? Just boil them and eat them,” Vox replied with a disappointed expression.

  “I can’t! I told you, they are Jabir’s eggs,” Asim growled.

  Vox shrugged. “We eat Ruby’s eggs all the time, so what is the big deal?” he asked.

  “This is the big deal!” Asim growled and held up Jabir’s picture book of dinosaurs. “If they hatch, all the dragonlings will want one. Do you want this running around your house?” he demanded.

  Vox leaned forward and whistled under his breath. “I know Amber and Jade would love one, but I have enough teeth and poop in my house between Roam and the twins, I don’t need any more at the moment,” he said, shaking his head. “Are you sure they are these creatures?”

  “I am pretty sure they are. Each of the eggs are big, green, and heavy just like the ones in this picture,” Asim replied, cupping his hands to demonstrate. “I can’t take the chance that they will hatch and eat Jabir or harm my mate.”

  “I can understand that, but why don’t you get rid of them? Why do you want me to do it?” Vox asked with a frown.

  “Daddy! I’s coloring the eggs on my own!” Roam yelled.

  “That’s nice. I’ll be right there. Make sure you save a few for me,” Vox called over his shoulder.

  “Lady Ariel made me promise years ago that I would not harm any creature that was brought to the retreat. I can’t break my word. I also can’t ask Mandra because Ariel and Jabir would be upset. If I upset them, then Pearl will get mad. I don’t want to make my mate unhappy with me,” Asim explained.

  “I’m always making Pearl mad. It isn’t all that bad,” Vox grinned. “Pearl says I have a natural talent for irritating people.”

  Asim bit back the groan threatening to escape. Pearl was right – Vox did have a natural talent for irritating others. He had three days to set his plan in action. He just hoped none of the eggs hatched before he, Mandra and Ariel arrived at the palace.

  “Pearl and I will babysit the younglings for you and Riley for a week if you’ll do this,” Asim finally broke down, resorting to bribery.

  “A whole week? All three of them?” Vox asked, a grin slowly growing on his face at the thought of having his mate alone for a week. “What do you want me to do?”

  Present Day:

  “Hiding eggs? What does this have to do with the wooden creature and your mate fighting with you in battle?” Brogan asked in disgust, interrupting Asim.

  “Perhaps the creatures hatched and attacked the Sarafin king and ate him. The Sarafin waged war and the creatures ate them as well,” Barrack suggested.

  Brogan nodded. “Possible… but what about Pearl? Where does she fit into the battle?” he asked.

  “The creatures did not eat Vox. They did hatch though,” Asim interjected with an exasperated sigh.

  “You aren’t going to go into more dirty dragon sex, are you? I have to tell you that the image of you and Pearl having hot sex together is not one I am enjoying,” Barrack admitted.

  “I second that,” Brogan murmured.

  They started to snicker but bit it back when Asim stood up and glared at them. They glanced at each other, trying to hide their amused expressions. Asim shook his head in warning.

  “I’m ready to Taser your asses myself,” Asim growled.

  Barrack raised his hands in surrender. “We apologize, old warrior. Continue on with your grand tale of…”

  “Dirty dragon sex,” Brogan interjected under his breath.

  “Of the great battle your mate won,” Barrack continued, trying not to laugh.

  Asim groaned and ran his hands down his face. He never should have shared that. Pearl would kill him and the Twin Dragons if she knew.

  “She did more than win the battle, she saved my life,” Asim grudgingly continued. “I will skip the details of what happened while trying to hide the eggs and continue with what happened after they hatched… and the trouble they brought with them.”

  Twelve

  One month before:

  No, you’ve already eaten,” Asim rebuked the juvenile emu with a shake of his head. “I’ll need to build a higher fence if they keep growing.”

  Pearl chuckled. “Paul said they grow fast and he wasn’t lying,” she chuckled. “Oh, my, they’re in the water again.”

  “Three and a half months old and they are already a pain in my backside,” Asim growled.

  “You know you love them,” Pearl teased, rubbing the head of one of the emus.

  “They love you. They follow you around like that damn chicken of Tina’s follows her. I swear there is something wrong with the creatures on your world,” Asim grumbled.

  “Well, I’m not the only one they bonded with,” Pearl chuckled, watching another emu tilt its head to look up at Asim.

  “Can we play ball with them?” Roam called out.

  “Yes, but make sure Pokey is with you,” Pearl replied.

  “When will their parents return?” Asim asked.

  Pearl turned back and gave her mate a knowing look. “We’ve still found time,” she teased.

  “For our dragons, but what about for us?” Asim asked.

  “There’s nothing to say we can’t enjoy a little starlight romance as well,” Pearl chuckled.

  The sound of giggles told Asim that Roam and Jabir were listening to them – and understanding the innuendoes lacing their grownup conversation. A pained expression crossed his face, pulling more giggles from the boys. He looked at Pearl and raised an eyebrow that spoke volumes.

  “My mommy and daddy is always talkings li
ke that,” Roam whispered to Jabir.

  Jabir glanced back and forth between Asim and Pearl with a frown. “My daddy makes the same faces. He looks like he has gas.”

  “This is what happens when you volunteer us as babysitters,” Asim pointed out.

  “Alright, boys, let’s go play catch,” Pearl laughed, turning away from her mate.

  Asim shook his head and watched Pearl round up the boys and the birds. The six emus followed Pearl with almost the same devotion as the two boys. Pokey split in two so that each boy would have protection in case the birds became too rough. He turned and frowned when he felt his dragon stir and stiffen.

  What is it? Asim asked, carefully surveying the landscape.

  Not sure. I feel something, his dragon warily stated.

  A storm, perhaps? Asim asked.

  Maybe, his dragon replied.

  I’d better make sure everything is secure just in case, he said.

  “Hans, what do you see?”

  “Credits… and a lot of them,” Hans replied. “I’m glad we heard about this place. I’ve never seen animals like this. We should be able to get a lot for them on the black market.”

  “When are we going in, Zeb?” a third man asked, kneeling on one knee and staring at the structures below.

  “Tonight,” Zeb responded, spitting on the ground.

  “That’s an old warrior. He’ll put up a nasty fight,” Hans said, lowering the vision magnifier in his hand.

  “Crag can handle him,” Zeb stated with a shrug.

  “It won’t be easy. These dragon-shifters are a mean species. They’ve got that golden thing, too,” Hans cautioned.

  Zeb turned to look at Crag. A large man called a Drugunulite, he could turn his body to almost solid rock. The dragon might scorch him, but he couldn’t turn him to ash. One strike of Crag’s fist and the dragon would feel it.

  “He’s old. I can take him. You kill him; you kill the golden beast. I’ve seen it happen before,” Crag said.