“The honor is mine,” I said.
He nodded and then left. I was just happy to have survived the encounter. If he was still determined to kill me there would have been nothing I could have done to defend myself. I was too weak even to go looking for Rakesh. Instead, I closed my eyes and went back to sleep, feeling for the first time since I arrived, that I was completely safe.
When I opened my eyes again I was being lifted and cradled against a familiar chest. He smelled of antiseptic ointment and sported purple bruises on his shoulders.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
He stiffened and then stood up and walked into his private chamber.
“I need to see to your wounds,” he said.
“P’tah already did that. She said I will be fine. I just need rest.”
“I need to see for myself,” he said, sounding on edge.
I giggled and leaned back to look into his face.
“If you want to get me naked you just have to ask. You don’t have to pretend it’s a health screening,” I said.
His eyes flashed a brilliant red again and I knew it wasn’t Rakesh who needed to know, it was the red dragon. It needed to know, to see and feel and confirm that I was okay.
“I don’t even know who I am in love with,” I said. “Is it you or your dragon that I gave myself to?”
“Both,” he said softly.
“Then which one of you loves me?”
“Love?”
“Never mind.” I waved a hand to dismiss the idea. How do I explain love between a man and a woman to a warrior from a sexless race? I allowed him to strip away my clothes. He laid my body gently on his bed and ran his hand over my skin, beginning at my feet and working his way up my thighs. He growled deep in his chest every time he encountered a fading bruise and licked the places where tender, new flesh was growing. Satisfied that I was, in fact, whole, he wrapped me in a cloak and pulled me close to his body. I watched his face silently as he struggled to find words to say to me.
“I am bound to you, Diem. Every part of me is bound to you. I didn’t expect that that part of me would also be bound by our customs. But, I have found that I cannot separate the two. If I had known I would not have done so.”
“You wouldn’t have had sex with me?”
He shook his head.
“I would not have said the words that bound us together and I would not have tasted your blood.”
“The words you said when we were having sex? Those were what? Some kind of magic?”
He smiled, his elongated incisors adding to the charm.
“Not magic. They are part of an ancient binding ceremony, one that is rarely performed on my planet. Maybe that is why I didn’t know.”
I sat up and looked him in the eye, taking his face into my hands.
“Why would you do something like that?”
“You were so fearlessly ready to bind yourself to a male who was sent to help destroy your planet. Could I do anything less?”
I laughed.
“You stupid man, you went through all of this because you didn’t want to be outdone by a girl?”
The absurdity of it all made me laugh. Ours had to be the Universe’s most ridiculous shotgun weddings. I threw my head back and let the laughter rip its way through my body and out into the air. He gave me a sheepish look and reclined, staring up at me with his hands behind his head. I doubted he understood why I was laughing and I knew he probably wouldn’t bother asking. It wasn’t necessary, that was the Troitek way.
“So what do we do now?” I wiped the tears from my eyes and began to sober up.
“Now we go back to my planet and submit reports to the High Council. I must explain the deaths on my ship and present Oda’s remains to her father. You will also have to lobby on behalf of your people,” he said.
“Should I be afraid?”
“There are many dangers, but fear won’t help you avoid them,” he said.
I stretched out beside him, putting my head on his shoulder.
“I am not afraid. How can the mate of the red dragon show fear? When we get to your home planet I want to teach you another aspect of the human courtship process.”
“Oh? Is it pleasurable?”
“It can be. It’s called a date. You’ll love it,” I said wickedly.
“Diem, it has been many days since we last bonded. I think we should repeat the ritual,” he said, pressing me into the mattress beneath him.
“I don’t know if I can. I am still healing.”
He removed what little he had been wearing and stared down at me. I could see his dragon breathing with him, right beneath the surface of his skin.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be gentle,” he said.
Before I could object I felt the sharp prick of his poisoned barb against my thigh and the heat of arousal began to rush through my blood. He licked the valley between my breasts and trapped my wrists in his hands above my head. My skin tingled whenever our bodies touched.
“Not fair. I don’t have any follicles full of aphrodisiacs,” I whined.
“You don’t need one. I will never tire of you,” he said.
I shuddered as he buried his rigid cock into my waiting body. I closed my eyes as he dipped his head and took another deep breath, inhaling my scent.
“I will never tire of you, Diem, child of Kearney, from the house of Rakesh.”
Property Of The Commander - Book 2
As mate to the red dragon, I’m in more danger than I know. Not just from Rakesh’s enemies – but from the Red Dragon himself. If he loses control… there’s nothing I can do.
I am his, and he is mine. P’tah warned me about the volatile nature of dragons. They could be unpredictable and territorial. They could be savage and brutal. Knowing all that only adds to the excitement, stirring the dark desires underneath. I’m living a dangerous life, straddling the line between being the sole representative of earth, and being the dragon’s mate – and a prime target for any who want to weaken Rakesh’s power.
More than all of this, though, my presence threatens Troitek society. I bring change, and my outlandish human ways. And there are many who would seek to bring me down before it happens.
I hope I can find the strength to save my planet, protect my love, and live to tell the tale.
Chapter One
I find it hard to watch the fight below. “Why am I here?” I asked Rakesh.
“Because you are an important part of the crew,” Rakesh whispered.
His breath tickled my earlobe, and I struggled not to smile at his covert intimacy. This was not a moment of levity.
I tried not to flinch as two shirtless Troitek warriors battled for supremacy. The fight was bloody and vicious and should have been over several times already. Unfortunately, neither contestant seemed willing to admit defeat. Now, bludgeoned almost beyond recognition, they staggered like old drunks, circling each other, each waiting for the other to admit defeat.
“What do we do? We can’t let it go on like this. If this doesn’t end soon they may kill each other,” I said softly.
“We wait until the winner is clear, and then we stop the fight.”
“You can do that?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you stop it ten minutes ago, when they both had two eyes?”
“Because they need to maintain their honor and dignity, especially in front of the Alien Attachment and the Red Dragon.”
My heart sank as I understood his meaning. The idea that my presence was the reason why this simple challenge turned into a bloodbath made my stomach turn. I felt trapped by the eyes and expectations of all of the crew members assembled. They all stood silently watching, nobody daring to cheer for either opponent. This wasn’t a friendly contest of skill. This was life or death.
As I swallowed, trying to think of what to do next, the smaller of the two opponents lost his footing, slipping on blood on the ground. His opponent moved in for the kill, and I closed my eyes.
&nbs
p; “Victory,” Rakesh bellowed, causing the other male’s fist to freeze in mid-air.
The smaller male looked over at the platform where Rakesh and I stood, observing the fight. His face contorted in pain; it was as if the one word uttered by Rakesh was worse than the beating that he’d endured. In truth, he’s been the most vicious of the two, using his smaller size and incredible speed to weaken his opponent early. Unfortunately, the longer any battle raged, the worse it was for both parties.
This battle had lasted too long even for him.
Rakesh went over to congratulate the victor, formally recognizing his triumph and announcing a promotion for the low-born male. His opponent was also low-born and had come this far through victory in battle. Though Rakesh failed to demote the defeated warrior, his reputation would be forever marred by this defeat.
I followed the medical crew who scooped up the smaller male. His hair was a riot of burnt orange curls. Unlike most Troitek, his eyes were a liquid brown.
“What about his eye?” I asked the lead Healer.
“It will be replaced,” he said gruffly.
“When will he be fit for duty?”
“Seven cycles; no sooner,” he said, casting a sympathetic glance at the male’s mangled body.
“What is your name?” I asked, not wanting to make him say too much with his obviously broken jaw.
“Nedan.”
I couldn’t bring myself to say anything else or to follow him any further. Instead, I nodded and turned around. There was nothing more I could do at this moment.
Several risings later there was a raucous celebration in the ship’s dining hall. The males present sang loud and racy songs, praising the victor. I’d heard most of them before. They reminded me of old Irish drinking songs that my dad and his buddies would shout from the basement after a football game. The words were fairly simple, turning the subject of the song into a legend and ascribing superpowers to the victor. Only this time there was a change in the lyrics.
Having battled in the presence of the Red Dragon and his mate was a thing worth mentioning. Having the Red Dragon declare him the victor in front of all those assembled was worth more than displaying his opponent’s severed head. And so, the Red Dragon and his Diem made their way into the victory songs on a young warrior, fresh from battle.
I slowly made my way back to the Commander’s quarters. I usually enjoyed the Troitek celebrations but couldn’t bring myself to participate this time. It had been six cycles since we left Earth’s solar system. In that time, the Troitek spent three of them singing and feasting in honor of the Red Dragon. Once Rakesh exposed his ability to shape-shift at will, he became a living legend. The other ships in the fleet all hailed him to express their congratulations and support.
I was learning that, despite the level of violence and bloodsport amongst the Troitek, they never passed on an opportunity to celebrate. After all, you could very well be dead the next day. Slay hard, play hard. That’s the Troitek way.
I was becoming more integrated into their way of life every day. Days became cycles and hours became risings. I stopped thinking of others as men and women, masculine and feminine. We were all either male or female according to our biology. I was discarding ideas and notions that didn’t suit my new life, like my old name. Eliza Kearney.
I disrobed and bathed. P’tah, ever the xenobiologist, recently provided me with an array of bath bombs, each with a different series of scents and medicines. Some put me to sleep, others relieved anxiety, others were upgrades for my nanites. I accidentally dropped one in my tub two days ago that was designed to keep me alert and couldn’t sleep for eighteen risings. It was like the longest Adderall binge ever.
This one was mostly micronutrition with a mild calming effect. I needed it after watching that gruesome display. Nedan. I would remember his name. I wanted to do something for him. Even though he was defeated, he fought with honor and never gave up. His opponent was too vicious and too strong, but that didn’t keep him from striking out as hard as he could. I could understand that feeling. The look in his liquid brown eye as the fight came to an end haunted me. He’d lost more than a fight, more than an eye, and I wanted to make sure that he could still hold his head up by the time we arrived back on the Troitek homeworld.
I dressed and bedded down in the sleeping pod P’tah had specially designed for me. Troitek beds were nice, but I couldn’t sleep on those overstuffed bean bag chairs for more than a night without waking up with stiff muscles. I knew it would be several more risings until Rakesh returned. He was duty bound to celebrate with the victor and finish several canisters of what passed for wine among the Troitek. The brew looked like turpentine and smelled like baby piss.
Thanks to the nanites P’tah gave me, I needed very little sleep. A few hours of REM sleep every cycle or so were all I required to be fully functional. Sleeping for eight hours was more of a habit than a necessity. Consequently, I became a light sleeper. So, when Rakesh finally arrived, I woke up immediately, feeling refreshed.
As soon as the door closed behind him, he began to transform, giving up his humanoid form for that of a long red dragon. His body and skin were lizard-like with tufts of fur on the tips of his tail, around his head, and along the joints of his legs. I’d seen the transformation many times, and I was still impressed by how much he looked like the dragon from Chinese mythology.
It wasn’t until after I discovered his secret that I began to understand the function of the strangely configured furniture in his quarters. He wound his body along the cushioned posts and settled heavily on the upper perch. The posts believed the pressure on his body and allowed him to rest with his body stretched out. I’d once asked him how it felt to shift from one for to the other.
“Staying like this all day feels like being stuffed in a small cage,” he said. “It wasn’t always that way, but as it got easier to change, I started to feel more comfortable in my dragon form than like this.”
“Is that why you made me sleep in the next room?”
He nodded.
He didn’t take such precautions any longer. It turned out; I was the dragon’s bonded mate. He couldn’t harm me even if he wanted to. It would be like harming himself. The part of him that was the dragon needed me. And I had to admit; I loved that part of him as well.
I climbed out of my bed and scampered up his back, my bare feet landing softly on the shiny red scales along his spine. As I reached his head, I stretched out in the valley between his neck and shoulders, laying my head on the soft fur on the back of his head.
I took a deep breath and his musk filled my lungs. A low purr rumbled through his body in response.
“The loser’s name is Nedan. Though he lost, he fought well. Isn’t there something we can do to honor his bravery?”
Though he wouldn’t answer me, I knew he understood me perfectly. My Troitek was improving by leaps and bounds. P’tah’s experiments had turned my sleeping hours into crash courses in Troitek language.
Rakesh snorted softly, careful not to shake me as he adjusted his body. That was all the answer I would receive for now. And that was all I needed. I fell asleep again, lulled by the steady rhythm of his breathing and the soothing smell of his body beneath mine.
When I woke again, his body was still beneath mine, but this time I was wrapped in his arms.
“You need a personal guard,” he said.
“A what?” The idea sounded silly.
“You need a personal guard. Oda’s rebellion has been put down, but there will be others who will try to challenge me. They will use you to defeat me. I cannot be by your side at all times. And once we arrive back on Troiken, the dangers will be greater,” he said.
I sat up and looked him in the eyes. The gravity of his tone made me anxious.
“What about honor?”
“Honor demands that you protect what is yours. You are mine. I intend to protect you.”
“Who would dare –”
“None upon the Chronos, but we
will not always be on the Chronos, Diem. And you must be prepared.”
I took a deep breath and tried to absorb what he was telling me. I was a target. The fact that I was human made me a soft target. Humans, after all, died so much easier than the Troitek. And the fact that I was the Red Dragon’s mate made me a weakness, a liability to an otherwise unbeatable force.
“I will assign Nedan to accompany you as soon as he can return to service. He will be your guard. He will guard your life with his own,” Rakesh said.
“What does that mean?”
“It means, Little Flame, that if you die while in his care, he will die as well,” Rakesh said, dipping his head and rubbing his face against my hair.
That was supposed to be comforting. That was what passed for comfort among the Troitek. I still wasn’t okay with the idea of blood oaths and honor bonds, but I was learning. I wasn’t sure I would ever get over it.
I forgot all of my distress as the low purring began again in Rakesh’s chest. It was deep and insistent, the sign of a need that neither of us would ever completely get over. I squirmed in his grip, and he released me.
“If we stay like this we will be late,” I said.
He looked at me from under heavy lids, his eyes glassy and intense, like a wild animal. When he was like that, I knew I was seeing all of him. Both the warrior and the dragon peering out of the same set of eyes at the same time. Despite wanting nothing more than to run to him and allow myself to be devoured, I forced myself to get dressed and eat one of the latest developments in P’tah’s never-ending quest for the perfect human food. It looked like mashed potatoes and tasted like peanut butter. Not what I was expecting, but it could’ve been much, much worse.
Before leaving for the lab, I stopped and waited for Rakesh to dismiss me. The fact of the matter was that I lived and died by his will. If he decided to rip me to shreds, there was nobody who would question him about it. That was the nature of things on this ship. The Commander’s word and whim were the law.
I only waited a second before he did what P’tah said was only done between close kin, lovers, and those who owed each other a blood debt. He grasped my arm at the elbow and pressed his forehead to mine, inhaling as I exhaled, exhaling as I inhaled.
A Pet For The Commander: The Complete Series Page 10
