by Crystal Dawn
Niku pushed a pail toward the young male in case he vomited. “No, it’s not such a simple thing as that, but the two that actually carried out the beating are in custody. This is confidential. You understand? I’m trusting you with this because I hoped you might know something about Dannia and why she would have her sister Raped and beaten to death.”
“She’s dead? I guess no one can be saved after being brutally attacked like this. I liked Cretia. She was like me, quiet and reserved, but she had a soft heart and never deserved a sister like Dannia. I was never allowed in Dannia’s inner circle. They pant after her and are willing to do anything she asks. Kenley isn’t in the inner circle either. He disagrees with her too much.”
“If he’s in charge, why is she ordering males around?”
“They are obsessed with her. I heard she promised several of them that her sister would service them any way they wanted her to. I was disappointed that Cretia would be that way, but it looks like she wasn’t. They wouldn’t be raping her if she was willing. It’s a shame she broke away from that she-devil Dannia, just to die that way.”
“Thank you for telling me what you know. If you remember anything about Dannia, let me know. This crime is horrendous and needs to be dealt with.”
“You guys ready to eat now?” Betty asked. “Everything is on the table.”
Everyone dug in and ate the food Betty had fixed. Some of the foods were similar to those on Earth and she tended to name them that way. When Niku had discovered her love for ham and bacon, he began bringing smoked meats home until she found a satisfactory substitute. This was a meal she’d made once before. Garden salad, fried potatoes, ham, and he’d seen a strawberry shortcake sitting on the counter. Limeade was on the table in a pitcher.
“This is wonderful.” Martz said. “I’m unfamiliar with some of these dishes. Are they Earth based?”
“Yes, I have found substitutes for many of my recipes.” Betty admitted.
“I would love to visit Earth sometime. I’ve never been off Draconis.”
“Maybe you will have a chance someday.” Betty encouraged.
“I doubt it. Farmers aren’t valued in a race that cherishes warriors.”
“Times they are a changing.” Betty murmured.
Niku had to agree that change was in the air. More power would eventually get into the hands of ordinary people but it would take time. It would not be fought in the form of rebellion, but with reason and logical thinking on the part of males like him and even the gentry which were beginning to see that it was only right to give everyone basic right.
Preference to those of noble blood and soldiers of high rank in all things couldn’t continue. The emperor and most of the kings realized some things had to change. They were working on those changes slowly but surely as they developed a basic rights law.
There was a ruling body of lords, now Niku had suggested having a ruling body of average folks. It would be created in a year. They would not have much power to begin with, but it would grow in time as the group learned more about the laws of the land and earned the trust of the emperor and the kings.
As they finished eating, Niku prepared to show Martz where he would reside. “If you’re through eating, I’ll show you where you’ll stay.”
Martz followed him down the beaten path to the hut. Opening the door, he waved him in so he could make a decision. “It has all basic utilities and is furnished with the needed appliances and furniture. This is supplied as part of the earnings for working my land. You may have noticed the yard and some work started in the fields. My mate will have the final say in what is planted. She is a healer and a herbalist. On her planet, not every healer works with herbs. You would get basic beginning pay and one percent of the profit after taxes.” Martz gasped. “The last part is Betty’s idea and she insisted. She wanted you to have a stake in the success of the place. Do you want the job?”
“Yes, it sounds almost too good to be true.” Martz admitted.
“You will learn a lot from Betty and she will feed you when she is home to cook. She will be starting a job at the castle soon and we will try to find a full time cook and housekeeper.”
Martz chuckled. “Best you find one before she is very far into her pregnancy. I’ve heard females can get cravings and be irritable when they aren’t met.”
Niku froze for a moment. He knew some dragons could scent the change in a female almost at conception. Could it be that his Betty was carrying their baby so soon? It might not be the best thing since he hadn’t given her the bite that would claim and change her. Carrying a dragonlet was hard on a changed female, it would be terrible for an unchanged one.
“You didn’t know? Are congratulations in order?”
“Babies are always a cause to celebrate.”
“When do you want me to start?” Martz said switching subjects abruptly. Maybe he was nervous.
“You can take the time you need to settle in and start whenever you’re ready. I need to get back to work. This will be good for everyone.” Niku said.
He left the hut, changed, and hurtled into the air. Back at the castle, he landed then headed to Romo’s office. Dirk sat behind the desk, but no one else was in there. “Don’t you take time off to eat?” Niku teased.
“I will after I bring you up to date on the information we got and what we make of it.” Dirk suggested.
“Alright, first let me tell you that Martz was shocked and almost threw up when he looked at Cretia’s picture. He wasn’t surprised Dannia had ordered it and said she had an inner circle of followers that he wasn’t a part of. The young male didn’t like where things were going with Kenley and he asked his brother to dump the evil creature, but he won’t. Looks like he got his brother to safety and he’s going down with his group.”
“That’s the same information we got, except Stankly, one of the two added to our list, was in her inner circle. The guy says she has some kind of mojo that hypnotizes the males. He told Kenley he wanted out this morning so she couldn’t change his mind. It looks like he’s more afraid of her than smitten. Stankly said her beauty hides a great ugliness.”
“That sounds frightening. You think she can control minds?” Niku asked.
Dirk chuckled. “Oh, you’re serious?”
“On Earth they don’t believe dragons exist because they’ve never seen one and would destroy one if they ever did. They also find it preposterous that a man could turn into a dragon or any other creature. Earth has people that can read minds, move things without touching them, and forecast the future. Those people have to hide from society because they would fear and destroy them. What do we really know about Larelia Proper?”
“Not a damn thing. My mother never speaks of it.” Dirk said.
“Isn’t that odd in itself? Niku asked.
“Would Cretia know?”
“I don’t know but she can’t talk in a way that is understandable yet. On Earth there are stories about those who influence others. There have been leaders who rose to power because they were influential and then turned into monsters when it was too late for their own people to stop them. They say they were charismatic.”
“Maybe I need to get off the planet once in a while. It seems to have opened your mind.” Dirk observed.
“I’m not saying it’s what’s happening here, I’m just saying her influence on males makes no sense. She’s a cold blooded bitch, they know it and follow her directions anyway. Kenley has always been a leader. I don’t agree with his choices, but I’ve never known him to follow blindly before.” Niku explained. “I think she needs to be kept away from the unmated. I’m not sure mating will help, but I think it might. I felt nothing but revulsion for her.”
“I didn’t like her either.” Dirk mentioned.
“Maybe she has to focus on someone to affect them?”
“This sounds crazy, but how will we know for sure?”
“We may not ever know for sure, but there is something unusual about that female. We just need to
be on guard.”
“Okay. That’s something we need to be anyway. Stankly and three of the males will be staying in the barracks. Oliv is one of the original guys, he wants to give farming a try and he’s going to work for Romo for a while. He’s setting him up in a hut, but he’s going to have some surveillance around his mate, Bree. He says trust only goes so far and I agree. You might want to do that too seeing as Martz was worried about that females influence on him.”
“You have a point. I’ll speak to Romo about it. Any hope of setting the other four guys up with a job in the near future?”
“One of them wants back in the military. I’m not sure that will work out for him.”
“I bet Esco would take him. If he proves himself there, maybe he could get back to Draconis eventually.”
“I’d feel better is I saw more signs that they realize they did wrong.”
“Dragons are a proud group. Maybe the realization will come with time back among their family and friends.”
“Sometimes, I think you are too nice and good to be true.” Dirk noted.
“Believe me, I can exact vengeance with the best of them. It’s the fire breather in me.”
“Can you really breathe fire? You never showed anyone but Romo as far as I know.”
“It’s not a parlor trick, Dirk. It’s a life threatening weapon and it’s hard to control when my dragon is pissed off. I hope you’ll never see it.”
“You used it on Romo’s fields and yours.”
“It doesn’t hurt to let the pressure off once in a while but only for a good reason.” It seemed Dirk felt slighted but he needed to get over it. That was the down side of working with friends, especially younger ones. “I’m going to head home since you have everything under control and I’m current on everything.”
“That’s okay. I know how you old mated males are.”
Niku just smiled. There was nothing wrong with being an old mated male. Waving a goodbye at the young male, he headed out and up to the roof to head home. He hadn’t even been away from his female long and he already missed her. Maybe once she agreed to complete the mating bind, it wouldn’t be so hard. The flight was over in a few minutes and I landed by the house and changed.
Someone was talking in the kitchen and I entered to see that Martz was sitting at the table with Betty and they were talking about the place and how they were going to plant it. Niku hoped it meant she was ready to join him. He wondered if she suspected she was carrying his young. It would be better if she chose him without feeling forced.
Betty saw him and jumped up giving him a kiss. “I didn’t think you’d be back so soon.”
“It pays to be the boss. Dirk is handling the office.”
“You are so bad.” But she said it like she enjoyed that.
“What are you two up to?” Niku asked.
“We’re planning out what to grow in which fields. Martz had a few suggestions I want to know more about.”
Niku went to get himself a drink and sat down to listen to the discussion. He knew little about plants, but listening to the excitement Martz and Betty had as they spoke about them made him interested. It had already impressed him when he’d watched Betty treat Cretia’s life threatening injuries.
After they had figured things out, it was supper time and Martz and I talked while I set the table and put a pitcher of Betty’s favorite limeade on the table and Betty fixed our plates from the food she’d already had cooking. Selia came down to eat and so did Toreen. Once everyone ate, Toreen grabbed a bowl of soup and a glass of limeade carrying it back to Cretia.
Niku cleaned up after Martz left while Betty got Selia ready for bed. Everything was cleaned up when Betty came back. “Are you ready for bed?” He asked hoping the answer was yes. She nodded and he led her back to their room. “More than anything in the world, I’d like to claim you as my mate.”
“I needed time, and you gave me that but I’m ready now.” Betty admitted.
“Take your clothes off female because you are about to be claimed.” Niku directed. He began to strip and hoped she did too.
Looking, he saw she was as naked as he was so he pulled her into his arms. His head moved to her neck as he drank in her delightful scent. A rumble came from his stomach as his dragon relaxed. This female was it for them forever. Moving her to the bed, he nudged her so she got on the bed on her back. He rolled on top of her and slid down until his head was between her thighs.
Unable to resist, he drank in her scent again in this position. Her aroma was delicious and when he blew out his breath, the hot air made her writhe. His tongue, wasn’t split like a serpents, but it was rougher, thicker, and longer than a humans even in male form. It also vibrated when he chose to make it do so. It licked her from gate to clit and she moaned. When he pressed it inside her channel, she arched toward him. Niku tongue fucked her fiercely even vibrating for her until she came. Lapping up every bit of her honey, he slid up her body and positioned himself at her entrance.
Niku eased inside her assisted by her slippery juices. When he was all the way inside her, he gave her a minute to catch her breath and prepare for his possession. Once he knew she was ready, he moved. The more he moved, the faster he went until he was drilling into her hard and deep. Tension built and the friction felt fantastic as his hips rolled from side to side to hit all her sensitive spots.
The sounds she made were music to his ears and he continued to bump and grind into his mate. Her channel massaged his cock as they danced to a familiar beat. Her legs wound around him and held him tight in her lovers embrace. “So close. So fucking close.” Betty screamed.
Niku was close too and his gums burned as his fangs broke through ready to mark the one that belonged only to them. His mating venom was ready to bring out her inner dragon and free that part of her like magic. Betty clamped down on him locking his body in place. Her orgasm erupted surging through her as his fangs sank in. All the venom was delivered and she would change soon. The deed was done and they were irrevocably tied forever. Before he pulled back, he felt Betty bite him too with her flat human teeth, but she must have drawn a little blood because he felt a slight burn on his neck.
“You’re mine now!” Niku proclaimed.
“And you are mine.”
“I worried that you might not want me.” Niku admitted.
“That was never the problem. It was the past I had to deal with.”
“Now we can look toward the future.”
“Everything will work out alright, Niku.” Betty was perfect. She was trying to reassure him just after they had mated and she was starting her change. It was usually tiring and she was expecting whether she knew it or not. That would tire her out faster. “You’re keeping something from me, I can sense it.”
“Maybe we should discuss it in the morning?” Niku asked.
“Spit it out. I need to know.”
“I can’t disagree with that, but it’s something you’ll figure out soon anyway.”
“Then tell me, Mate.”
“We are going to be parents.”
“Wait! What? Doesn’t the female usually know first?”
“On Earth I would guess that’s true. Dragons can smell these things, some better than others.”
“So you have a super schnoz?”
“If that means a good nose, yes, but mine isn’t that good. I didn’t notice until I was told and scented for it.”
“Oh, my God! Someone else sniffed me?”
“It’s not like that. Smells just jump out at a sensitive nose.”
“So my pregnancy hit this dragon over the head?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes.”
“Who was it?”
“Martz. He has a sensitive nose that will help him in anything he does.”
“I can see I have a lot to get used to. Are you sure he’s right?”
“Yes, once he mentioned it, I realized he was right.”
“I can’t be far along.”
“Well I’ve
heard there is no such thing as a little bit pregnant, but if there was, that’s what you’d be.”
“Are you teasing me, Mate?”
“Yes, I am. Are you happy about the baby?” Niku asked and prayed to the gods that she was.
“Yes and Selia has wanted a sibling since she could talk and ask for one.”
“She’ll be one happy little girl then.”
“I don’t know how to tell her everything.”
“I have a feeling she knows more than you think already. Just tell her straight out, she’ll understand. I’ll be right there with you when you do.” Betty nodded and then she yawned making a loud noise. “You are tired, aren’t you?” She nodded again.
He pulled her to him so he could cuddle with his female and help relax her. She needed to sleep and it was obvious she was thinking too much to sleep. “Roll over.” He instructed and she did so her back was to his chest. Moving his fingers to her neck, he rubbed the tight muscles so they would relax.
It wasn’t long before they did, one muscle at a time. Once she was relaxed, her deep even breathing informed him that she was asleep. Niku knew she would need relaxing in the future whether he massaged her neck or rubbed her feet when she was far enough along that they swelled. In his mind he could picture her swelled with his child. All he had to do now was get Cretia’s situation dealt with. She was better every day and soon she would tell them where Dannia hid.
Once Dannia was brought to justice, he would have to deal with the rogues. Those who helped her plan the attack against Cretia would get harsher punishments when they were caught. It had to be done to make their world safer for the children that were growing up now and the children, like his and Betty’s that would be born soon.
Chapter 9
Rogue Hunting
Niku felt good, the best he’d felt in maybe ever. His mate had accepted him and they were fully bonded. Her future was secure, since she would work at the castle part time and work at home however much she wanted to. Betty and Selia were officially moving in as soon as he got home. Life would be perfect if he didn’t have the rogue problem and Dannia to deal with.
