by Lee Savino
Fourth didn’t exaggerate. The Bikana launches with incredible force. Fourth accelerates so hard that we’re slammed back in our seats, the g-forces pressing down on us.
That’s not the worst of it. As soon as we clear the atmosphere, the planetary defenses lock onto us. After a token warning, the security forces open fire. Pulses of light streak toward us. Fourth veers the ship away from the beams, but one beam connects. The explosion rocks the Bikana.
Shields at eighty percent, the computer intones.
Alice clutches my hand. “When all this is over, let’s do something really boring,” she murmurs. “Let’s spend a week at the beach. Drink beer, soak in the sun. Nice, normal stuff.”
Her tone is light, but her fingers grip me tight. I like that she’s holding my hand for comfort. It feels good. “There’s nothing to be worried about,” I reassure her. “The Bikana has excellent shields, and Fourth knows what he’s doing.”
Jets of fire erupt from our pursuers. Fourth does his best to evade the shots, but there are too many of them. We get hit again. Our shields drop to fifty percent. “Almost there,” Fourth says, his relaxed voice flooding the cockpit. “We’re a minute out from the nearest worm hole. It’s an unmapped one. They won’t follow you.”
A ship appears in front of us. Fourth veers us sharply to the left, and then we’re through. We enter the worm hole, and the pursuers wink out of existence. “All clear,” Fourth announces. “I’ve programmed a route to the rebellion. It’ll take you five days to get there.”
Five days without Alice’s warm body next to mine. I don’t think I’m going to make it.
I undo the straps and get up. The moment Tanya Sinclair realizes it’s safe to move, the white-faced human lurches to her feet and practically runs away to escape me.
I heave a sigh. I should be used to this reaction. People have been acting like this around me my entire life.
Except Alice.
The way she treats me, as if I’m a normal person… it’s so addictive. Even when I’m in my dragon form, she’s not afraid of me. My lips curl into a smile as I remember the way she’d tapped my leg, called me Dragon Guy, and breezily asked if it was time to leave. She’s so fearless. She makes me laugh. Before her, I existed. With her, I am truly alive.
Admit it, Kadir. You want her around.
But life has taught me one thing. The gap between what I want and what I’m allowed to have is vast and insurmountable. Tanya Sinclair flinches from me now. Soon, we’ll be back at the rebellion headquarters, where everyone is terrified of me, no matter how well they hide it.
Sooner or later, Alice will do the same thing.
I’m a weapon and a beast, and she deserves better.
This thing between us is precious and it’s fleeting. It can’t last. She must be safe, and I must continue the fight. As much as I want to stay by her side forever, the best thing I can do for Alice is say goodbye.
22
Alice
It takes us five days to get back to the rebellion.
Five long, painful days.
For most of my adult life, guys weren’t a priority. I was too busy with med school and then residency. And my experience with Brett Kenney didn’t exactly make me the trusting sort.
But one night with Kadir has broken some sort of dam, because I want him. My body aches for him. At night, I turn over in my sleep, expecting to find him there. I miss the strength of his arms. When I wake up, for a few infinitely long seconds, all I feel is loss, because he’s not asleep next to me.
Which is insane.
Horny, I can understand. The sex was off-the-charts good. His cock… the things he did with it… He’s the best lover I’ve ever had.
What I don’t understand is how much I miss him.
It’s startling how much I view Tanya as an intrusion.
It doesn’t help that she flinches every single time she sees Kadir. She doesn’t even try to hide it. When I’m in the shower, she locks the door to the crew’s quarters and cowers in her sheets, as if Kadir’s going to assault her.
For the first two days, I was sympathetic. But as our slow voyage to the rebel headquarters continues, my patience evaporates. “Why are you so terrified of him?” I snap at her one morning. “What do you think he’s going to do?”
The blonde woman shudders. “He turns into a beast,” she replies, her voice no louder than a whisper.
“So what?”
Tanya looks at me as if I’ve lost my mind. “His teeth were the size of my forearm. His claws looked like they could slice me to ribbons. You’re telling me that doesn’t bother you?”
I consider her words. “That’s just a detail.”
“A detail,” she repeats disbelievingly.
If I weren’t so irritated, I’d be cheering at the fact that she’s actually engaging in conversation. In the scientists’ lab, had someone told me that one day, Tanya would be arguing with me, I wouldn’t have believed it. It would have been a best-case scenario and an unlikely one at that. I wouldn’t have dared to hope for her recovery.
“Yes, a detail, and an irrelevant one.” I’m lying to Tanya; it’s not an irrelevant detail at all. The fact that Kadir turns into a dragon is a huge turn-on. All that raw power, all that strength, and he’d come undone in my arms. “Here’s what matters. I would have died if Kadir hadn’t found me. You would have been given to an alien warlord as a gift if he hadn’t come to rescue you. He’s been nothing but kind to us.”
She makes a scoffing noise in her throat. “Kind.”
Okay, Kadir’s particular brand of kindness isn’t warm and fuzzy. He gets a positive kick from needling me. He’s bossy as hell, and he’s uncompromising when it comes to my safety.
He can be acerbic. Grumpy. But he’s also thoughtful. And he’s always treated me as if I were capable. He’s always believed in my strength.
“Of course he’s been kind.”
Tanya looks unconvinced. I give up. Her opinion about Kadir makes no difference in the way I feel about him.
As for Kadir, he avoids both of us. He spends most of the time in the cockpit. Even when Tanya’s in the shower, he doesn’t approach me. I wait for him to flirt with me, to offer a teasing suggestion about the things I could do with my mouth, but he stays away.
It’s as if he’s building a wall between us, but I don’t know why.
I can’t sleep with the Draekon without Tanya knowing, not in the close quarters of the Bikana. I don’t particularly care if she finds out—who I sleep with is none of her business. But it stings that Kadir doesn’t appear interested in me anymore. And it brings every latent insecurity to the surface.
Back on Earth, I could tell myself that even though I was scarred, I was still capable. I might not have been pretty, but I was an ER doctor, competent and respected.
Out here, in space? I have no such certainty to fall back upon. Zorahn technology is far superior to ours. The med-kit, which Kadir treats with the same nonchalance as I would treat a Band-Aid, heals broken bones in minutes and closes wounds in the blink of an eye. No need for stitches, no need for emergency surgery.
Out here, all my years of training and experience count for nothing. And though I tell myself I’m being ridiculous, as each day passes and Kadir doesn’t make a move, my self-esteem takes a battering.
And then there’s Tanya, blonde and beautiful and unscarred. What had the Cotari trader said? Tanya would make a fine gift, but I was damaged.
I’m being stupid; I know I am. I’m horribly ashamed that I’m jealous of the other woman. But it’s a very long trip to the rebel headquarters, and I have nothing to do but swim in my pool of insecurities. I’m horny and sad at the same time. It’s a strange, strange mixture of emotions.
We’re almost at our destination when I finally get a moment alone with Kadir. Tanya’s asleep, and for a change, the cockpit door is open.
For a second, I debate staying where I am, and then I straighten my shoulders. I loathe playing games. Even thou
gh I might not like the answer, I want to know where I stand with the big alien. If he’s done with me, if he’s not interested in sleeping with me again, then he needs to man up and tell me. Alien up. Whatever.
I wander into the cockpit and take a seat. Kadir gives me a sideways glance. “You should strap in.”
“Are you expecting a bumpy ride? Should I wake Tanya?”
He shakes his head. “Your friend is fine.” There’s a moment of silence, but before it grows uncomfortable, he breaks it. “You cried out last night. How are you sleeping?”
Warmth spreads over me. “You heard me? I thought you didn’t care.”
Surprise flashes across his face. “What?”
Okay, now I feel really stupid. “You’ve been kind of distant the last few days. I thought you were avoiding me. I know I’m not pretty, but I thought…” My voice trails off. I thought you cared. “It could have been my imagination.”
He’s quiet for a long time, his eyes on the screen in front of him, his hands—those talented fingers—on the instrumentation panel. I wait, my heart in my mouth, for him to tell me that our time together has run its course.
“It wasn’t your imagination,” he says finally.
“Oh.” I wrap my arms around my waist, fighting the sudden chill that sweeps through me.
“Alice.” He sounds almost tentative. “You’ve seen the way your friend looks at me. Every time she sees me, she shies away as if I’m either going to hit her or rape her. Or both.” He exhales in a sigh. “She’s not the only one. The other human, Olivia Bucknell, put aside her fear because she needed us, but she is afraid of me as well. Once we land, you will be surrounded by people who treat me as if I’m an incendiary device waiting to explode.” His eyes are fixed on the screen. “I couldn’t bear it if you looked at me the same way.”
Hang on. He’s not blowing me off at all. He’s telling me he’s vulnerable.
To the Zorahn scientists who created him, Kadir was a tool. To the rebellion, he was a threat.
I can’t imagine how hard it must be to go through life with everyone looking at you with terror in their eyes. I can’t imagine what a toll it must take.
Coming from the big, powerful dragon, the words are a precious gift. He’s telling me he’s afraid of losing me. He’s telling me that I matter.
I swallow the lump in my throat. A powerful gladness spreads through me. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” I tell him bracingly. “If you think that Olivia or Tanya are going to change the way I feel about you, you don’t know me at all. I’m far too stubborn to listen to other people.”
A spark flares to life in his eyes. “You are very stubborn, this is true.” He tilts his head to one side and fixes me with a stare. “You know you’re not pretty? What do you mean by that?”
My cheeks heat. “Tanya is beautiful,” I mutter. This time, it’s my turn to avoid his gaze. “And you’re gorgeous.”
For a second, he looks astonished, and then, the jackass laughs out loud. “You think I’m attracted to your human friend?”
I give him a death glare. His eyes dance with amusement, and then his expression softens. “Everyone sees the dragon,” he says quietly, uncoiling himself from his seat and looming over me. “Everyone sees the soldier that has fought a thousand battles. The monster. The beast. The warrior.” He bends until his face is inches from mine. “You’re the only person in the universe to see me.”
You’re the only person in the universe to see me.
The words fall like a salve and heal scars I didn’t know I had. I tilt my head up. “You know something?” I whisper against his lips. “For a line like that, you definitely deserve a blowjob.”
“I do, don’t I?” His mouth finds mine. His tongue swipes the seam of my lips, and I part them. He teases me, his touch light and sure. I can’t decide if I want to smack him or kiss him back.
“You are a jackass,” I tell him, wrapping my arms around his neck.
“Mmm.” He sucks my lower lip between his teeth. My core tightens, and my pulse begins to race. “I want you,” he rasps into my ear. “As soon as we land, I’m going to drag you to a bedroom. And then, little human, I’m going to put my mouth on your sex. I’m going to slide my fingers inside your wet heat, and I’m going to watch as you fall apart.”
Do we have to wait? The words are on the tip of my tongue when the entire ship lurches.
“We’ve exited the last wormhole,” Kadir says. “We’re almost there.”
I put my lust on hold and wake Tanya for the landing. She reluctantly accompanies me to the cockpit and takes the seat furthest from the Draekon. I roll my eyes in Kadir’s direction, and his lips twitch, though he doesn’t say anything.
A beautiful blue and teal planet comes into view, growing larger as we near. We enter the atmosphere. The ship slows down, and Kadir tilts the Bikana’s nose up, so we’re flying parallel to the ground.
This isn’t my first planet. We crisscrossed the Coter star system in our search for Tanya. But the sight never gets old. I lean forward eagerly, and Kadir smiles at my enthusiasm. “Almost there. You’ll be able to see it in a few seconds.” He taps a spot on the screen, zooming in on the image.
For a second, the screen seems hazy. Then I catch a glimpse of a bright orange glow.
The rebel headquarters is on fire.
23
Kadir
My gut jolts with recognition even before I see the massive crimson-scaled dragon.
First is here, and he’s not alone. He’s brought his Blood Heart friends. A dozen fighter jets strafe the small settlement, dropping incendiaries. First circles around them, breathing fire at the buildings below him.
A hundred questions clamor through my mind. Chief among them are two: How did First find the rebel base, and what happened to the shields that should have protected the dwellings from the air assault?
Both questions lead to one unpleasant answer. The rebels have a traitor in their midst.
Will Alice be safe here?
A few Draekons shift and launch themselves into the sky. I grimace when I see them. Tarish’s people aren’t fighters, just ordinary citizens who happened to test positive for the Draekon mutation.
First is a trained killer.
It’s going to be a bloodbath.
Not today. Not when I still breathe. I won’t stand by and watch First slaughter more people. Too many Draekons have died already.
My fingers fly over the Bikana’s controls. I need to get to the surface in a hurry. “Hang on,” I warn Alice. “I’m going to dive.”
She gives me a worried glance. “Can you help them?”
“I have to try.” My jaw tightens. “The dragon that’s attacking the base? That’s First.”
She sucks in a breath. “Well, damn.” Her fingers lace in mine. “Save them,” she whispers, her voice low and fierce. “But remember your promise to me. Tonight. You and me. In a real bed.”
I give her a quizzical look. There’s something in her tone I don’t understand. Her emotions are a tangled mess, but her worry for me dominates her feelings.
The rathr, the endless wars… she believes I’m ready to die.
Maybe once. Not since I met her. “You know I keep my promises, Alice,” I murmur, lacing as much reassurance into my tone as I can. We’ll need to talk about this later, but now is not the time. Lives are at stake.
I’m about to launch into a steep descent when my comm comes to life. “Bikana, can you hear us?” a woman asks, her voice cracking with desperation.
My teeth bare into a cold smile. I recognize the woman. It’s the scientist, Raiht’vi, who injected the poison into my veins to persuade me to find the human women. This ought to be interesting.
“Yes, this is the Bikana.”
“Second, we need your help. Please. Blood Heart has soldiers on the ground. They have a school surrounded, and the crimson dragon won’t let us get through.”
My stomach lurches. First is targeting youngl
ings? Has he truly sunk that low?
I adjust the controls, plotting a faster course that takes the Bikana to the edge of its tolerances. I need more speed. I’m still a few knurs from landing, and in a battle like this, each knur matters. “I fail to see how that’s my problem.”
Alice gives me a sidelong look. “Really?” she murmurs.
I wink at her. “The humans are my priority, not the younglings.”
“Second, there is no time. I will defend the humans. I will place them under my personal protection. I offer you a life-forfeit if anything happens to them. Please. I beg you. You have no cause to trust me, but the younglings haven’t done anything to deserve what’s about to happen to them.”
Alice puts her hand on mine. “Kadir, stop fucking with her.”
“Whatever you say, little human.” I drop the Bikana in a steep dive. For an instant, all is still, and then the world tilts, and the sky tears past us as the ship plunges to the ground. Alice’s fingers grip mine, her nails digging into my flesh. Behind me, Tanya Sinclair gasps out loud.
At the last instant, just before I collide with the ground, I pull the nose up and maximize the thrusters. It’s not the smoothest landing, but we make it to the bay. “Are you okay?” I ask Alice, already tearing off my safety harness.
“I will be fine. Go help the others.” She gives me a shaky smile. “Come back to me.”
I turn back at the door, fixing her image in my mind. Her dark hair, her expressive eyes, her ready smile. If something were to happen to her, it would kill me. Mate, the dragon had said.
The dragon is right. Alice Hernandez is my mate, and I will do anything to keep her. “Always,” I vow.
I always keep my promises.
The Bikana’s door opens, and the ramp extends out. Raiht’vi is in the landing bay, waiting for us. “I’ll protect the humans.”
I fix her with a cold stare. “I’m holding you to your word, scientist. If something happens to the humans, I will collect your life as a forfeit. Don’t think I won’t.”
