by Crystal Dawn
They would find where Kenley hid soon. Some had said, why not ask the rogues that were pardoned, but it was part of the deal not to question them on their rogue activities. Niku and the leaders he worked for were honorable, besides, he suspected with the increase in patrols due to Cretia’s attack, they would be found soon enough.
Dannia took up his mind this morning. He wanted her arrested and punished appropriately, but her unbelievable influence on certain males made that tricky. There was no place to put a female criminal, usually they were just banished. That wouldn’t work with such a conniving person. Niku was certain she would return stronger than ever and try to attack them.
The female was like a plague, it was hard to discover where she was coming from and hard to limit her influence. A knock on the door interrupted his train of thought. “Come in!”
“Hey, I thought you would want to know that we narrowed down the area the rogues are camping in. We also found two more rogues living among us, one was a bus driver who kept driving past Cretia’s hut as if he was making sure she was gone. Dirk is questioning them separately as we speak.”
“Thank you, Romo. Excellent work, this will help us.”
“I’m sure we’ll have enough information to move on them soon.”
“I hope so. On a more personal note, Betty and I have bonded. She and Selia are moving in tonight.”
“That’s no surprise. Congratulations, you deserve some happiness.”
“I couldn’t be happier or more excited. Now I have a rumor to share with you. One of the general’s is considering an offer from Esco.”
“Gods that could mean so much to all of us. Do you know which one?”
“No, but if any of them accept an offer like that, it will create an opportunity for a whole line of upward movement.”
“Garulto would become a general. What would you become?”
“Currently there’s only one Colonel’s position and it’s not an attractive one because it’s set up for a single male. The emperor is considering creating several colonel positions, one for each king as a go between for him. He’s very active in running the empire, but he hopes to settle down soon. His plans include on leaving more in the hands of others. He’d start with one position to test things. The academy colonel may become a civilian job.”
“Wow. That’s a huge change. So you might be promoted whether the general takes the offer or not?”
“Yes. The experience Dirk is getting won’t be enough for this position but you have a good shot at it. He will have a good chance at promotion if the other Colonel’s positions are created.”
“That would be marvelous. Jarel would get my job and his job would still be a promotion if Dirk got it. He’s the lowest level of sergeant while Jarel is the highest.”
“It could be good for us and several of our friends. If it happens.” Niku pointed out. “How is Bree doing with her first pregnancy?”
“She’s doing well, but you will need to give Betty support. Her first pregnancy will have been different than this one. Dragonlets mature at a faster rate and are harder to carry. It’s good that you have Martz there with her. He’s a good boy.”
“He’s a young man now.”
“Are you jealous of him?” Romo asked incredulously.
“More envious of the time he is able to spend with my mate. I look forward to when she starts up here working with the healers.”
“That I can understand. I miss my Bree terribly when we aren’t together.”
“We’re a pair, but work calls and there is no choice. Let me know when the scouts find Dannia.”
“I will. Have a nice day and don’t fret too much.” Romo walked out of his office chuckling. He noticed Gazo’s desk was empty and he wasn’t pleased.
Niku commed the lady in charge of employee resources. “Hello, M’lynn. I was wondering why Gazo didn’t make it in?”
“I’m sorry you weren’t informed. He took emergency leave for two weeks. Gazo never said what came up but he had plenty of leave. Do you need a replacement?”
“No, I was just concerned about him. My field assistant will cover for him. Thank you.”
“Thank you. You are always so pleasant to deal with.”
“Is someone being unpleasant?”
She hesitated which said everything. “Only when mistakes are made.”
“Everyone makes mistakes, especially when they are overworked.”
“That’s true, but it will be alright for a while now.”
“You have a good day.”
“I will, and you too.”
Once the phone was hung up, he thought over the conversation. Had Gazo been unpleasant to her? He would be gone a while and she said everything would be fine for a while. Gazo’s timing was suspicious too. He’d been very interested in the rogue situation and tried to insert himself into the investigation whenever possible. It might be his feelings were hurt or he was angry at being dismissed from the meeting, but it might be more.
Niku commed Dirk. “I need to see you in my office.”
“Right away, Sir.” Dirk was there in less than five minutes. “Was it something I did?”
“No, you’ve been fine.” Niku continued to explain his concerns about Gazo. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but I need you to take over his duties, keep up with your own, and investigate Gazo’s behavior with M’lynn and any others he deals with and his reaction to the rogue situation. Something doesn’t sit well with me about his recent behavior. I need it done without his knowledge if possible.”
Niku ate lunch at his desk quickly so he could save Dirk from having to do all the paperwork Gazo normally did. It was after Niku had begun the chore that Dirk knocked on the door and came in. “I have information for you. Did you know your personal assistant had a secretary that did all the paper work, proofreading, and appointment making you required?”
“What the hell was he doing?”
Dirk held up his finger a second and ran a scan that went crazy. He pulled out several electronic listening devices and put them in a metal can. “Keeping an eye on you and anyone you dealt with.”
“By the gods, I’d like to burn him to a crisp.”
“Only if we find him. He’s moved out of his house and he’s in the wind. I doubt he’ll rejoin the rogues since he knows we are capturing them as we speak. Dannia is in the wind too.”
“This is all my fault. I should have had that weasel investigated.”
“Weasel?”
“A sneaky Earth animal. It’s considered an insult.”
“Whoever vetted him to work in the castle did a poor job. M’lynn is checking on his credentials and who approved him.”
“I’m sure she’s happy he’s gone. Have her send the secretary that’s been doing all my work up to take Gazo’s place at the higher pay. I want anything he left behind seized and a warrant out for his arrest.”
“The charge?”
“Treason to start with.”
“Sounds good to me, he was a hateful weasel.” Dirk admitted.
Niku couldn’t understand how this had gone on right under his nose but there was no point in dwelling on it. He would repair the damage he could and move on. When he left at the end of the day, a lady sat behind Gazo’s desk.
“Thank you for the promotion, Sir.” She said.
“It seems you’ve been doing the work all this time, you deserve the pay.”
“We’re all glad Gazo is gone. He won’t be back will he?”
“Only in chains, and you probably won’t have to see him if he is.”
“That was the most obnoxious male I ever met.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through that. It’s not our way and if he’s caught, he’ll pay for his transgressions.”
“Thank you. Good night, Sir.”
“Just Niku will do just fine. What is your name?”
“Rozlee. It will be a privilege to work for you.”
“I hope it is also a pleasure for you. Good night.”
&
nbsp; That poor female had been through the wringer with Gazo. He had distanced himself but not liking someone didn’t usually make them a traitor. Niku would admit to himself anyway, he was glad Gazo was gone.
Once Niku made it home, he was hit by the scents of cooking pies. He loved pie, almost every kind, but his favorite was a berry that grew in the woods. That made him frown because he didn’t want Betty in the woods until they captured all the rogues. Entering the house only made the sweet aroma stronger.
“Betty?” He called out.
“We’re in the kitchen.” She replied.
“I should have known. Please tell me you weren’t in the woods picking berries?”
“I wasn’t in the woods picking berries.”
“Really or are you just placating me?”
“Really, Martz picked the berried and I gave him a pie. I think we got the better end of the deal but he seemed very happy. You had warned me about the safety of the woods, but Martz had mentioned seeing the berries ripe and ready to pick. He asked me if I wanted him to get them for me so I told him I’d give him a pie in return since an attack on a female had made the woods unsafe for any but males.”
“You did good, Mate. I wonder if you might save me a large piece of my favorite pie for work tomorrow.”
“I certainly will. If you want, I can pack you a whole lunch?”
“That would be excellent.”
“How has work been going?”
“There’s no need not to tell you my personal assistant quit. He’s disappeared because he was a spy. He was putting off his work on someone else and we were basically paying him to spy on us.”
“Oh my goodness, Niku. I’m sorry that happened but you never seemed to like him anyway. Now you can get someone better.”
“I already gave the job to the poor female who has been doing it for two years now.”
“Good, that only seems fair.”
“He did her a favor. She would have probably never been selected otherwise and it pays triple what she was making and has benefits. Rozlee seemed happy about it. Dirk is checking into his financials and any money or anything of value will be seized. Any income left from his job will be given to Rozlee as a bonus. It’s a shame there’ll be little to nothing.”
“At least you are trying to do the right thing.” Betty said as she set the table. Selia appeared out of the air and sat beside him.
“How has your day been?”
“Good, but I’m lonely.”
“Betty, have you thought about Selia going to school at the castle? She could go to work with me in the morning and sign up. It’s a benefit of working there that will give her the best education available.”
“We shouldn’t discuss this in front of Selia.” Betty informed.
“Mom thinks I get too excited and then she has to say no.” Selia declared.
“I’m sorry I didn’t know.”
“Selia, Niku and I have something to discuss with you.”
“You finally mated?”
“Well yes, we did.” Betty admitted.
“Is a baby on the way yet? I’m ready.”
“Yes, but it will be a while.” Betty agreed.
“Okay, let me know when my brother is about to come.” Selia said. “Is supper ready? I’m hungry.”
“Yes, I’m setting it out now. What makes you think it will be a brother?” Betty asked.
“I just do. Is that chicken and dumplings?”
“Sort of.”
“I love that, Mama. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Angel.”
Niku sat back and watched the two most important females in his life talk and he felt a warmth that only a male with a family can feel. No matter what else he achieved in his life, this would be what was always the most important to him. Young dragons often had a spiritual advisor growing up and they explained priorities. His advisor told him the dragon would never be happy if his family was left wanting. He said they were always the top priority in life.
When it came to providing for others, family first, then those that depended directly on him, his community, his village, his kingdom, and his empire in that order. When it came to military service, the empire always came first. It was easy to make the right decisions when you knew what you were responsible for and his family was everything.
A tear came to his eyes, a sign of total love and commitment and he wiped it away. They sat and ate supper and the meal was good. “I knew you’d like it.” Selia said.
“Why is that?” Niku asked.
“Cause you got good taste, just like me.” She giggled.
“You do have good taste and your mother is an excellent cook. My mother was a good cook too, but not as good as Betty. In the army when I first signed up, that was the worst food I ever ate.”
“Did you ask for something better? Maybe you threw it away?” Selia advised.
“No, you would have to work on an empty stomach if you complained or didn’t eat it.”
“That’s mean.” Selia observed.
“It’s tough but they have to make you tough and strong because you fight to protect those you love.” Niku explained. They’d eaten early, but they would go to bed early. In the morning Betty started her new job. Cretia wasn’t fully healed, but she could get around with little help and Toreen was taking her home.
Niku worried about how that might work out. It was good to get Cretia where others wouldn’t see her until the rogue and especially Dannis were caught, but Toreen didn’t seem happy that she was his fated mate. It was an odd situation and would resolve itself one way or the other eventually. He vowed to be sure Cretia had money to fall back on so she would never have to live in a hut with a dirt floor again.
Meanwhile, he was cleaning up the kitchen while Betty got Selia ready and put in bed. They were developing a nightly routine that allowed Betty time to get ready and allowed them a little time to be intimate before it was lights out. Betty comes back into the kitchen just as he finishes up.
“I suppose we should talk about the school. She was going to school on Earth.”
“It would be good for her. She’d make friends and learn about her new world. It is self-paced and each student is tested and placed where they are needed to in order to learn. Teachers only help when needed and test are taken on a screen whenever the student is ready.”
“That sounds good, but will she be way behind everyone else?”
“If she is, delaying will only make it worse. I have no idea how our education compares to Earth’s.”
“Okay, I know you’re right. We’ll take her with us in the morning.”
“Do you feel ready to change in the morning?”
“Will it hurt the baby? Bree hasn’t changed since she found out she was pregnant.”
“The healers told her it wouldn’t hurt anything. I don’t know why she chooses not to change.”
“Okay, if you’re sure. Let’s go to bed. It will be an early morning for me.”
“I’ll be there to help you.” He leaned in and kissed her.
“That’ll be the best thing about the day.
They headed back to their bed ready to make love and fall asleep in each other’s arms. Niku stripped and took a shower sure that Betty had already taken one. Whether she had or not, she joined him in the shower. He loved having her in here as much as he enjoyed their time in bed. Taking his time, he shampooed her hair and washed her body thoroughly without getting too sexual. Tonight this was just foreplay.
Betty did the same to him and when she was done, he picked her up and pressed her against the tiles in the shower stall. His cock slid into her hot channel and she hung on tight. He hammered into her enthusiastically feeling the buzz running all over his body as his climax built. She felt the same and he could tell by her sweet moans and the tightening of her muscles. The only question was who would explode first?
Holding back by a thread, when Betty hit her orgasm, he followed right along. His dragon roared and hers roared bac
k. It was a beautiful sound but it probably disturbed Selia if she was still awake. It didn’t matter because he couldn’t hold back. His fangs scraped the spot he’d bonded with her and it heightened both their climaxes.
“Gods, Betty! It gets better every time. You are a goddess.”
“You’re not so bad yourself, Mate. I can hardly catch my breath.”
They fell into their bed ready to sleep. Niku pulled his female up against his body and playfully nibbled on her ear. She giggled but it wasn’t long before she pressed back against him and her breathing began to even out. He wondered why she fell asleep before him every night. It must be that he wanted to be sure she could rest before he was willing to rest as well. Once she was asleep, he had no trouble curling around her, breathing in her sweet scent, and drifting off to sleep.
The alarm he’d set on his com went off. It was unusual for him to still be sleeping when it went off. Now he and Betty were both awake. “Did you do that on purpose?” Betty asked.
“What?”
“Let the alarm go off. I’ve never heard it before. It’s abrasive.” Bety admitted.
“No, I usually wake before it goes off, but today I just overslept.” Niku declared. “Do you want me to wake Selia?”
“You can and I’ll start the coffee and fix breakfast.”
“Are you okay?”
“It just seems weird getting up this early. I’ll adjust and so will Selia.”
They both got up and dressed. Niku went to Selia’s room and she was already sitting up rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. “Are you excited?” He asked.
“Yes, I haven’t been to school or around other kids in a while now.” Selia admitted.
“I’m sure you will be fine. Can you get dressed by yourself?”
“Of course, Silly. I do it all the time.”
“Okay, come downstairs when you’re done and we’ll eat breakfast.”
“Okay.”
Niku went back downstairs and set the table. He got himself a cup of Betty’s coffee and sipped at it. His dragon seemed to like it. Maybe because it was special to their mate. “Need any more help?”
“Can you turn the bacon?”
“Sure.” He’d gotten used to the Earth terms for their local food. He didn’t care what Betty called it, he just liked it when she cooked it.
