Dekario (Dragons Of Kelon) (A Sci Fi Alien Weredragon Romance)

by Maia Starr

  “Wow…” I exhaled. The sentiment was almost too strange to comprehend. I knew Weredragons had a long lifespan, but I hadn’t expected to be with one quite so… old. “You must think I’m a baby,” I laughed.

  He looked pointedly at my breasts and chuckled. “Not quite.”

  “Okay…” I paused. “Tell me something else. Why do you breathe fire?”

  “I don’t know. I always could.”

  “That’s rare, from what I understand?”

  He gave a halfhearted shrug. The look on his face was an arrogant expression of dismissal. It made me feel like I should stop talking, and so I did. My silence didn’t go unnoticed, to my surprise, and eventually, he surmised, “It’s very rare, yes. All dragons used to be able to shoot fire, but over the last 500 years, something changed. It’s the only reason I was allowed to live.”

  “I see. You received a punishment instead?”

  “Right.”

  I nodded curiously and stared back up at the white ceiling above us, the blue light from the glow stone seeming to dance around the room. “Does your Koth hope the scientists we bring back will be able to solve the mystery?”

  He breathed. “I don’t know what they want.”

  “So really,” I rolled onto my side and propped by head up onto my hand to look at the shifter, “shouldn’t they be encouraging you to mate with a bunch of humans if you can still breathe fire? Then they could study our human biology to see which mate produced a fire-breather and what about their DNA made it successful.”

  “Well, it’s not really my decision.”

  I wanted to frown. I wanted to express my frustration with him and yell: ‘I never said it was your decision!’ Instead, I calmly said: “Whose is it then?”

  “Right now? Ikars.” The white dragon, I reminded myself. Caridan continued, “Soon it will be the Koth’s. Why do you care so much?”

  “Well, I guess, because maybe you care about it. And we are mates and all.”

  “Ah,” he said with a roguish grin. “And you want to bond now, is that it?”

  “Not really,” I shrugged with a put-on indifference, making sure to show him my most flirtatious eyes as I glanced his way. “Just doing my part for the mission is all. Frankly, if we humans want fire, all we have to do is light a match. Easy peasy.”

  The comment, though said with little enthusiasm, elicited a loud, hearty laugh from my betrothed. It was a sexy laugh that filled my whole body with a strange sensation. Suddenly, I wasn’t sure if I wanted him or if I just wanted him to want me. After all, he didn’t seem very upset at the idea of not mating.

  I bit my lip and suddenly decided to play a little game with him. “So… you plan on following orders on this one?”

  He raised an unsure brow. “You didn’t want to be chosen anyway, remember?” he reminded me. “This way you get to come back and study us under my protection. I’m surprised you have a problem with that.”

  “I never said I did,” I responded in my best attempt at a sultry voice.

  We laid in silence for a few moments longer, studying one another until I made my way onto all fours. He breathed audibly in a way that made my whole body flush with heat.

  “So…” I whispered, making eye contact with him. I crawled across his hard body, feeling his muscles underneath my hands as I perched on top of him, our midsections dangerously close. “You wouldn’t break the rules even if I really wanted you to?”

  “You don’t,” he said in a confident, bemused fashion. “And no, I wouldn’t.”

  “Because you follow the rules,” I teased while removing his shirt. He let me; looking up in my direction with wonder.

  “Right…” he trailed off.

  I grabbed his hands and let them search my waist and breasts, exploring me gently. The purple veins beneath his scales were now glowing against his skin as he let out a breath of excitement. I could see his eyes glazing over with passion and feared my tease was becoming something more for both of us.

  I leaned down towards his face, my breath ghosting against his cheeks as my mouth found its way to his ear. I could feel his length harden beneath me as I ground against him. “Good,” I said quickly and hopped off of him.

  “Good,” he repeated hastily, sexual frustration overwhelming his tone as he looked up at me.

  “I should–” I stumbled over my own words. “I should go to my room,” I said with a sudden blush as his erection remained the highlight of my sightline.

  I looked at it and then to him, offering a giggle as I made my way towards the door.

  “Ari.” It was the first time Caridan said my name.

  “Yes?” I smiled.

  “This is your room.”

  Chapter Six

  Caridan

  The two of us lay next to one another. As the night wore on, we could hear other dragons and their women pairing off to their rooms and mating. Loudly. Not many Weredragons were fans of waiting. Everyone was eager to experience a human female. Some would go all night. It became an obsession for most.

  I was once one of the eager ones ready to explore the hills and valleys of a woman’s body, but that was a lifetime ago.

  I turned to Ari, who lay with her eyes closed beside me. I saw her eyes flicker under the light of the blue glow that filled our bedroom. She was awake too. I could still feel the ghost of her soft breasts underneath my hands; could smell her warm breath as she came close to my face. I knew she didn’t want me. No, she wanted to toy with me.

  In the moment, that had been alright with me. Commonly it was the women who seemed to beg for private passions with a shifter. It was they who fell into a deep trance of passion. The first step towards mating.

  Yet, it seemed as though Ari was bent on having it be the other way around.

  Now she knew how badly I wanted her body. I hated that. We heard a loud moan coming from the room sharing a wall with ours and Ari flinched. I watched her try and drown out the noise from the other rooms and wondered if I should let her suffer the discomfort a while longer.

  I reached over and brushed the long, thick strands of blonde away from her face and traced the outline of her chin with the back of my knuckle. Her blue eyes opened softly and watched tiredly. Then she smiled.

  Maybe I was winning her over after all.

  I leaned into her until our bodies were touching and she giggled as the woman in the next room let out a guttural cry of ecstasy.

  “Somebody sounds like they’re having fun,” she teased me evilly.

  I smirked but said nothing.

  I extended my wing, holding myself somewhere in-between shifting between human and dragon so that my wing would grow larger. I extended it from behind my back and brought it over so that the two of us became cocooned. The thick membrane acted as a soundproof barrier.

  “It’s not perfect, but–”

  “It is perfect,” she interrupted me, biting her lips and reaching down to touch me; to test me.

  I grabbed her hand before she could make contact and shook my head with an amused smile. If I disobeyed the Koth one more time, I knew Ikar would have me killed. I had to follow his counsel… for now.

  “A thank you, then?” she asked in her high pitched, sleepy voice; a compromise. I gave a nod, and she leaned in, catching her sticky lips against mine and lingering there for just a moment as her lips danced perfectly in unison with mine.

  I felt a warm sensation wash over my body, and I cupped her face with my hands, leaning in to extend the moment. She set her hand on top of mine, and she flicked her tongue against mine with small graces. Finally, she backed away, and we both basked in each other’s breath for a moment longer.

  I swallowed hard and finally managed to whisper, “You’re welcome.”

  After some time she drifted to sleep, and I lay awake to maintain my wing. Seeing her sleep filled me with a strange sense of comfort. She breathed in unison with me unconsciously. I couldn’t help but wonder what had happened between us. When did something change? Wa
s I not the same arrogant shifter she couldn’t stand just hours ago? Had I not chosen her despite her protests? Hadn’t she preferred Targeg’s company over mine?

  Not knowing the answers to these questions made it extremely difficult to fall asleep, but after several hours, I finally closed my eyes and let the night wash over me.

  The next morning was stranger than I had imagined it would have been. To have someone in my bed seemed like something of an anomaly given what the last couple decades had been like for me.

  She rose quickly, and I wondered what her demeanor would be like. Would she be quiet, shy, disgusted? Instead, she gave me a sly grin and slipped off the sheets like water against a rooftop. Her flirtatious candor hadn’t left since the draw of sleep left us.

  I knew the drill from here on out. We were led to the dining floor and given a quick meal, which Ari chatted through relentlessly. I wasn’t sure if I was fascinated by her or if she annoyed me. It was a fine line, as it turned out. Ever since finding out that we were to be mates in name only, she seemed to have a sudden desire to share every single detail about herself that came into her mind. I now knew she liked peaches, disliked the cold, and couldn’t eat first thing in the morning. She did grab an oversized cup of coffee.

  “Enough caffeine for you?”

  She batted the air in dismissal and smirked as she sipped at the green liquid. “It’s just a cup,” she said; her eyes were watching me from behind her glass as she slurped the boiling liquid down.

  I eyed the cup and raised my brows. “I’d say it’s more of a tub.”

  She snorted and continued to sip at the black coffee, gingerly gesturing it my way to ask if I wanted to share. I raised my hand in polite decline. “I don’t drink coffee.”

  “Blasphemy!” she whispered sarcastically. “How do you wake up in the morning?”

  “I open my eyes,” I teased.

  “So, do you like Earth food? Is food on Udora very different? Am I going to be requesting care packages constantly?”

  “Well, considering Earth is a nine-week journey, I’d say your care packages wouldn’t do you much good. Unless you enjoy mold.”

  “Who doesn’t?” she quipped with a wink. Her mood seemed to shift slightly as her eyes traced the room. I wasn’t sure if I should inquire as to why, so said nothing. “I’m just looking for my sister,” she finally offered.

  “The attractive one, right?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Wow. I guess I’m going to have that thrown in my face from here to eternity, huh? No, it’s just… I know they’re knocking us out today,” she said with an exaggerated mime. “You know, with the cryo and all.”

  “Yeah, I got the reference.”

  Ari took a breath as though she were about to say something snarky, but paused and leaned toward me with narrowed brows. “Do you enjoy being ridiculously serious all the time or is this just a special attitude for me?”

  As she spoke to me in familiar and charming tones, my eyes were suddenly lost as I spotted her sister across the restaurant, talking to Brenem. I shut my eyes tightly and rolled them as they opened. He would do that, wouldn’t he?

  Brenem wasn’t loyal to anyone but Ikar. Not even his mate. I watched as he brushed his fingers through Ari’s sister’s hair and she laughed at whatever inane thing he’d said.

  “Trouble in paradise?” Targeg said jovially as he took a seat at our table. He set down a bowl of fruit and several cooked meats before stealing a sip of coffee from Ari.

  Speaking of which, I wanted to say, but remained silent. I couldn’t tell if Targeg was trying to bond with Ari out of friendship or just to bother me. He always claimed to be more likeable than me – turned out he was probably right. She’d definitely taken a shine to him quicker than she had with me. She laughed and pulled the cup away from him, splashes of coffee pooling on the stark-white table below us as the two of them wrestled over it.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Ari giggled out, finally landing the prized beverage, now clasped tightly between both her hands.

  Targeg sighed lightly and rested his chin on his hand as he gestured toward Brenem. I gritted my teeth as Ari looked over and let out an audible gasp. She turned back to the two of us with annoyance and whispered, “That’s that jerk from yesterday. What’s she doing talking to him?”

  My friend shrugged and tossed a slice of orange into his mouth with the skin still on. “That’s Brenem,” he said while chewing. “It’s what he does.”

  “What?” she spat back. “Sleep with everyone in sight?”

  Targeg let out a hearty laugh and looked to me as he exclaimed, “Basically, yeah!”

  “But he has a mate already,” she whined. “What about her?”

  “What about her?” my response elicited a cocked head from my mate.

  “Can’t we get him in trouble or something?”

  Targeg gave a muffled laugh, and I looked over at Ikar. Ariella’s eyes followed mine; she huffed loudly as she began to understand my point. Ikar would never punish his friend, nor would the Koth see it as a point of contention so long as he was mating with his chosen one.

  Catching our stares, Brenem approached our table with conceit oozing from his every step.

  “Good morning, all,” he welcomed as he leaned down to Ari and breathed heat on her.

  I breathed hard through my nose and felt my blood pressure rise as he laid a hand on her. I never moved, but my eyes shot to his hand, and I seethed, “Didn’t have enough yesterday, I see?”

  “No, no, Caridan. You’ve got it all backward. It’s you who clearly hasn’t had enough. See, I was the one to drill holes into your shoulder, remember?”

  His tone was so cocky on an almost constant basis. The way his voice raised to condescend me sent waves of anger through my system.

  “What’s with the girl, Bren?” Targeg asked casually, slapping Brenem’s hand hard off of Ariella’s shoulder before leaning back in his seat.

  “Ah, she’s a beaut, isn’t she?” He narrowed his eyes to Ari and exhaled before clapping his hands once together. “Just a sad little thing feeling betrayed by her sister. Thought I’d cheer her up, is all.”

  “Betrayed?” Ari repeated softly.

  I wanted to tell her not to listen to him or buy into his mind games, but again, I chose to stay silent. My decision made me cringe as Targeg gave her sincere eyes and shook his head. “Don’t believe him. There are only two things Brenem’s good for: lies and a good laugh. Possibly a great lay,” he said and shrugged in a cheerful manner. “But I’ve never heard anyone make a rumor of the last bit, besides Brenem.”

  The red dragon was surprisingly calm in response, which took both Targeg and me aback.

  “That’s cute,” he said with malice lacing his tone. “Well… I just thought I’d come and say hello before we’re all put into deep freeze.” Then he eyed Ariella before shooting me a meaningful look. “Hope it all goes well.”

  There went our breakfast, I thought.

  The day wore on, and I kept a close eye on Ariella, who searched endlessly for her sister. When they finally reunited, I kept my distance to offer her some privacy. I couldn’t make out what they were saying to one another, but from the tone of the conversation, I could tell it wasn’t going well.

  The pair had made themselves comfortable in the far corner of the common lounge. What started out as hushed whispers had slowly turned into a much more public conversation.

  In my peripheral, I could see Targeg hovering around. I stood and leaned against the taupe walls with my arms crossed. When he spotted me, he approached with a usual smile on his face.

  “Ready for your girl’s deep sleep?” he asked. “At least there won’t be so much talking. These Earth girls love to talk. Good thing they also love mating; am I right?”

  I gave him a deadpan stare, and he began to laugh, nudging me incessantly as he leaned against the wall next to me.

  “So?” he goaded.

  “So, what?” I asked.

&nb
sp; “So,” he repeated as though the question should have been obvious. “Did you do the deed?”

  “Ah,” I nodded. “No. We didn’t.”

  Targeg looked surprised. He searched my face for any sign of deceit, and then a smile slid across his lips and seemed to settle there. “Well, I’ll be: Caridan is actually listening to orders.”

  “She tried to seduce me,” I replied lowly.

  My friend didn’t look at me, but let out a small humph and his eyes found Ariella from across the lounge. “I see,” he said slowly. “’Thought she wasn’t up for the royal mating service? Doesn’t she want to be a scientist or something?”

  “Your ability to listen when someone is talking absolutely astounds me most days.”

  “A nurse?” he jeered. “Whatever! I thought she wanted to be a professional, not a breeder.”

  I shrugged. He had a good point. I wondered if I should ask him his opinion on our sudden change in status with one another, but something told me to keep it to myself. He seemed to notice my impassive nature and looked at me quizzically before his shoulders slumped. I wasn’t usually one to share, but if the mood ever struck me, it would be with Targeg, especially when it came to humans.

  He’d been with me through my ordeal with my mate years ago and encouraged me to take my punishment with my head held high. To figuratively spit in the faces of my enemies by taking my position as a soldier and work my way to the top of the ranks.

  Soldiers were important to the Koth. We battled humans, took gunfire, and put any shifter in line who opposed our council. We escorted our people through missions in space and were integral to mining our planet and bartering other communities for food and materials. Yet, breeders were still among the top tier of the shifter hierarchy.

  Targeg was a soldier and had been training me for decades. He knew exactly how to move to disable his enemies. He always said while he enjoyed getting to know humans, he had no desire to be with one. This made my frustration even greater as he seemed to be at Ariella’s heel whenever I turned around.