by Lili Zander
I have just comforted her through her tears once today; I have no wish to see her cry again. When we find her friends, when we take her to our cliff homes, then I will tell her everything. And if she’s furious with me for hiding the truth from her, then I will accept her anger.
She is my mate, and I will protect her. Even if she hates me for it.
Viola:
I could use some good news.
Strangely, I’m not too worried about Olivia, May, and the others. They’re with people. They’ll be fed and taken care of. Olivia might be a ditz, but May’s tough. Despite her broken hand, she was ready to set off with us to explore this planet. She’ll take care of the women.
It’s Harper, Sofia, and Ryanna that I’m frantic about. The orange fungus that Harper brushed against sent a Draekon into a three-month coma. Has it killed her or did Sofia’s quick thinking with the epinephrine injection save the blonde Californian swim coach? Then there are the pee-in-my-pants-scary Dwals, with their excessively sharp teeth and their penchant for hovering by the water looking for prey. Arax and Nyx needed to transform into Draekons to take them down—what chance do my three friends have against them?
I gave Ryanna Beirax’s weapon. All I can hope is that she has enough presence of mind to use it if they’re attacked.
Arax walks in front of me; Nyx brings up the rear. The two men stop from time to time to make sure they haven’t lost the trail, but otherwise, they don’t talk. We’ve been marching for an hour and a half when Nyx shouts out. “Stop.”
He crouches by a plant, his face breaking out into a wide smile. “Look at this,” he says, pointing to the strange sky-blue bush.
At first glance, I don’t see what catches Nyx’s attention. Arax does, and he explains for my benefit. “See that weaving?”
I look more carefully, and I notice what Nyx’s sharp eyes spotted. Tucked into the foliage, there’s a long strip of grass, woven into a shape that resembles a Celtic knot. “What is it?” I ask them.
Arax looks exultant. “That’s Ferix’s mark.”
“Ferix is from your exile batch?” Dare I hope that my girls are safe?
“Yes,” he replies. “When your spaceship crashed, Nyx and I were on a hunt. Rorix and Ferix were out as well, as were Vulrux and Thrax. And it seems Ferix ran into your companions.”
Nyx sniffs at the grass weaving. “They’re only a half-day ahead of us,” he says, standing up. “They’re heading to the Na’Lung Cliffs.”
“Na’Lung? That’s where we were last night in, isn’t it? Why are they going there?”
Nyx grins widely. “Because it is our home,” he says. “In the dry season, we spend most of our time in the lowlands, but when the plains flood, we live on the cliffs.”
When Nyx says home, I grow hopeful for the comforts of home. A couch. A bathroom. Indoor plumbing. There’s no TV in this world. No Netflix, not even electricity, but I’d happily give up my first born child for a shower. Then I realize that we were on the cliffs last night. If their home is like the cave we took shelter in… My heart sinks.
Arax sees my face fall. “What’s the matter, aida?” he asks. “I thought you’d be happy that your companions are safe.”
I feel like a complete, total jerk. They’ve saved me from predators and fed me. They’ve crisscrossed the jungle so that I can find my friends. I’m pouting because I have to live in a cave? I need to get my priorities straight. Harper, Sofia, and Ryanna are safe. That’s the only thing that matters.
I straighten my shoulders. “Everything’s fine.”
Nyx looks skeptical. Arax is going to probe further—I can tell—but a flash of lightning distracts him. “The rains aren’t too far away,” he says grimly. “We need to get Viola to safety.”
“What about Beirax and Raiht’vi? We can’t let them drown.”
“You’re right,” he replies. “Nyx, take Viola home. I’ll get the two scientists.”
“Whoa,” I protest immediately. “No way. You can’t manage the two of them by yourself.”
Arax’s chin lifts up. “You’re not coming,” he says. “It’s not safe.”
Nyx nods in agreement. “Arax is right. We’re your mates. Our first priority is to protect you, aida.”
I glare at the two infuriating Draekon. “Stop coddling me,” I say crossly. “I can take care of myself.”
Arax starts to say something, and then his head tilts to a side. His hand goes to his hip, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his throwing knife. A minute later, I hear crashing through the vegetation, and four men appear.
No, not men. Draekon.
The newcomers are as tall as Arax and Nyx. Their skins are bronze, and their nipples are pierced too. But the resemblance ends there. Two of the Draekon are blond, one has sandy brown hair, and the other is as bald as Beirax.
And interestingly, I’m not in the slightest bit attracted to any of them. The intense desire that swept through my body when I saw Nyx and Arax for the first time doesn’t appear. Not that I really expected it to.
The tension in Arax and Nyx’s bodies drains away, and Arax strides forward to greet the arriving men. “I never thought I’d be happy to see Haldax,” Nyx mutters, lingering behind with me.
“Which one is Haldax, and why don’t you like him?” I whisper back to Nyx.
“He’s like Raiht’vi. Won’t address a lowborn directly.”
I roll my eyes. “That was ridiculous. Seriously. She’s stuck on a prison planet, and she’s insulting the people that are going to help her? Not too bright, Raiht’vi.”
Nyx gives me a sidelong grin. “Is that why you mated with us, Viola? Because we helped you?”
I blush. “I slept with you because you’re hot.”
Nyx chuckles. “Come on,” he says, taking me by my hand. “Let’s go meet the others. They’re staring at you, wondering who you are. Let’s sate their curiosity.”
I’m a little nervous as Nyx tugs me to the other Draekons. He’s right; they’re discreetly surveying me and as I near them, my footsteps slow.
Arax turns around when I approach, and a smile breaks out on his face. “This is Viola Lewis,” he says to the others. “She is our mate, Nyx and mine. Viola, this is Strax, Vaarix, Dennox, and Haldax.”
Strax and Vaarix are the blonds. Dennox the brown-haired one, and Haldax is the bald one. I’m going to have one hell of a time remembering their names. “Hello,” I mutter. “Good to meet you.”
Haldax’s eyes widen with shock. “What do you mean, Firstborn?”
“He means,” Nyx drawls, a truly wicked gleam in his eye, “that she is Arax’s mate, and she is mine. When we saw her for the first time, we both transformed into dragons.”
Arax gives Nyx an exasperated look. “Thank you, Nyx,” he says pointedly. “It appears that the ThoughtVaults are correct. Draekon bondings are between two Draekons and one mate. But we will discuss that later. What brought you here?”
“We saw the object fall from the sky,” Haldax says. “We were going to investigate when we ran into Ferix and Rorix. They had already found the alien women.”
“They did?” I jump in. “Which ones? Are they okay? Do you know their names?”
The newly-arrived Draekons give me blank looks, and I realize belatedly that of course they wouldn’t be able to understand me. No translator. I really hope the ship has spares.
Arax repeats my question to them in Zor. “The golden-haired one, Harper Boyd, is unconscious,” Dennox says. Well, I think it’s Dennox. I wouldn’t bet money on my ability to name the Draekon. “The other two, Sofia Menendez and Ryanna Dickson, are shaken, but unhurt. Ferix, Rorix, and Thrax guard them. They sent us back to fetch the two Zorahn on the ship.
“Two injured Zorahn,” Nyx says. “You’ll need to be careful when you move them.”
Haldax gives Nyx a barely-concealed look of contempt. Arax begins questioning the Draekon about food supplies, and I turn to Nyx. “Doesn’t it bother you?”
He shrugs. “It
is the Zorahn way,” he says. “I’m lowborn. My father was a thief. In the homeworld, I wouldn’t be permitted to approach the Firstborn.”
I snort. “That’s garbage,” I say firmly. “A person’s worth is measured by what they do and nothing else. And based on that, you’re doing pretty damn well.”
“You sound like Arax,” Nyx says. “When we landed on this world, he forbade us to care about our blood status. Of course, he’s the Firstborn, and everyone listened. Still, old habits die hard.”
“You keep calling him the Firstborn. What does it mean?”
Nyx raises an eyebrow. “You don’t know? Arax’s father was High Emperor Dravex. Lenox is his brother. His younger brother.”
“Oh.” I digest that. “I’m surprised he isn’t more bitter about being exiled.”
“That’s not who Arax is,” Nyx replies, shaking his head. “Listen to him now. He’s making sure that there’s enough food to last us through the rainy season. He’s checking to see if Vulrux, who is the healer, knows about your unconscious friend and the injured scientists. Arax was taught to protect and care for his subjects.”
“Is that what we are? Subjects?”
Nyx laughs. “You’re our mate, aida. You’re the furthest thing from a subject.”
“Am I really?” I voice something that’s been bothering me all day. “You haven’t transformed to Draekon. What if you’ve got it wrong? What if I’m not your mate after all?”
Nyx wraps an arm around my shoulder. “Enough of this conversation, Viola,” he says firmly. “I transformed into a dragon when I laid eyes on you. Of course you are our mate. The records of the ThoughtVaults are old, and I’ve always believed that the scientists didn’t reveal everything they knew. There’s nothing to worry about.” He takes my hand and places it on his chest. A faint pulse under my palm tells me this is his heart. Not quite in the same spot as the human organ, but close enough. “I know you are our mate,” he says. “I feel it here.”
Arax is done with his conversation. The Draekons bob their heads in my direction, then jog off toward the spaceship. “They’ll get Beirax and Raiht’vi,” he says. “As well as anything they can salvage from the ship. As for us, we head to the cliffs.” He takes my hand in his. “You must be anxious to see your friends, aida. If you’d like, I can carry you, and we can make better time.”
I accept his offer. I tell myself it’s because I’m anxious to see Harper, Sofia, and Ryanna, but I know that’s not the truth. I just want to feel my mate’s arms around me.
16
Nyx:
Through an unhappy turn of chance, I’m the only Lowborn in our exile batch. I’ve told myself many times that this doesn’t bother me. I’ve told myself that it’s a blessing that I’m not like Arax, weighed down by duty.
I didn’t realize I’ve been lying to myself until the moment when Arax introduced Viola Lewis to the other Draekons as our mate. Without hesitation, without chagrin or unhappiness.
To Arax, it’s a simple statement of fact. To me, it feels like acceptance.
Then there’s Viola’s staunch defense. A person’s worth is measured by what they do and nothing else, she’d said, her eyes flashing with irritation. And based on that, you’re doing pretty damn well.
For the first time, I don’t feel like an outsider, wanting to escape this world. For the first time, a deep contentment fills me. I have a mate. I’m happy, and so is the beast inside me.
We get to the same lower cave we were in last night. It’s empty, as I expected it to be. The others must have taken advantage of the daylight to climb higher. “We can spend the night here,” I suggest. “And go up tomorrow.”
Viola looks relieved. “I’m nervous about meeting everyone,” she confesses. “It felt like the Draekon we met were staring at me.”
“They were,” Arax replies. “Does that surprise you? You are our mate. Because of you, we shifted to Draekon, something that hasn’t been done for a thousand years. Of course you’re going to be the object of attention.”
She grimaces. “Thanks. That makes it a lot easier.” She settles down on the floor with a sigh. “I would kill for a shower,” she mutters.
The translator explains the word shower. I’ve never heard of anything like it, but I know of something that might be almost as good. “Can you climb for a little while longer?”
She nods. “I’m not tired at all. It’s really strange. Yesterday, I walked from the ship to the river, and I was wiped.”
“Maybe you’re getting used to the air in this world.”
She looks doubtful. “Maybe. Where are we climbing?”
“To the eastern face,” I reply. “There’s a stream there.”
“Don’t the jackal things hang out by the water?” she asks dubiously. “I don’t want to be a dwal snack.”
Arax’s lips twitch. “Relax, sweet one. The Dwals can’t climb. You are safe here.”
She grins cheerfully. “In that case, lead on.”
Viola:
We climb until the rocks grow wet under our feet. Arax and Nyx hover close, hands out to help me in case I slip. I keep my balance and impress myself. My muscles feel loose and strong, and when the path ends, I feel like I could keep climbing.
We break through the foliage and come upon a beautiful mountain pool, deep and still. The water is clear to the bottom.
“Is it safe?” I ask. Small streams flow around the rocks, but I don’t see the purple stain that marks the presence of the kilpei flower. There’s no sign of Dwals either.
“It’s safe.”
I strip eagerly, peeling off my suit before I think to wear it into the water. The damn thing needs a wash.
Later. Arax and Nyx already have their loincloths off, and I feast my eyes on their ripped abs, their lean thighs, the deep and sexy V of muscle leading to their groins. Their cocks are out and, yes, they are hard.
It’s fitting that their skin is bronze, as if an artist decided to sculpt the most perfect dick ever—times two. Their sheer masculine beauty belongs in a museum.
To hide my ridiculous fixation on their manly bits, I race past them and bound into the water. It’s cooler than I expected and perfectly refreshing in the tropical heat.
I scrub at my body, wishing I had a washcloth or a loofah. I dunk several times, pulling at my wet tangles with my fingers.
“Why the hurry?” Nyx asks, laughter dancing in his eyes.
“It’s cold,” I say shortly.
“Mmm.” He nips at my shoulder, and my spine goes liquid. “Let us find a way warm you.”
“Do you guys always think about sex?” I ask, as arousal coils in my belly in response to the rigid dick prodding my bottom. The fact that Nyx’s cock is hard as granite in cold water is a testament to his desire—or maybe it’s a dragon thing.
I have a thought. “You know, when you guys morphed the first time, the air got cold.”
“Still wondering when we will morph again?” Arax wades closer.
“I thought it’d happen by now.” I wind my arms around Nyx’s shoulders to soften my words. He’s a source of warmth in the chilly pool, so I wrap my legs around him too.
“So eager to see us in Draekon form.” Nyx bumps his hips against mine. “But right now, I prefer this one.” His cock prods me.
I roll my eyes. “I’m sure.”
He pulls me close, twirls and dips me until I laugh. When he straightens us both, his eyes sparkle. “Shall I convince you of this form’s advantage?”
He starts to dip me backward again, and I shriek, grabbing his shoulders. “No, no, I’m convinced, I’m convinced.” I’m helpless against his sheer brawny strength, so I cheat and slip my hand between us to find his cock. “Right now, I’m very interested in this form.” I bite my lip, amazed that I’m so brazen.
“It’s very interested in you too, aida.” Nyx tilts his head and kisses me with clever lips and teasing tongue, an irresistible seduction that makes me melt into his arms. “
Arax still wa
its nearby. I want to erase the lines of worry on his otherwise young face. He’s so serious all the time, as if the weight of the entire planet rests on him. I appreciate his concern, but I’m grateful for Nyx’s ‘take it as it comes’ attitude. The two of them balance each other out.
“We’re safe, right?” I ask him.
He nods.
“Good.” I cup water in my hands and splash it in his direction. Hey, what can I say? I like to live dangerously.
Nyx laughs as Arax splutters under the full force of my assault. “Did you just splash me?” he asks, incredulous.
“I’ll do it again if you don’t join us,” I threaten him.
“Is that so?” He strides through the water, his powerful body polished perfection, glistening in the sun. He pulls me from Nyx’s arms and claims my mouth with all the pent up intensity of a man returning from war to the sweetheart he left behind.
I rock back, hands on his shoulders to steady myself. His hands cup my bottom, preventing me from slipping under the water.
“Oh my God,” I say faintly, when his lips finally leave mine. My Draekons know how to kiss.
“Praying again, sweet one?” He transfers his attention to my nipples, licking, sucking, and pinching until I’m faint with desire. I wrap my legs around his waist and tug him as close as I can.
“I need you inside me, right now—”
That’s all I have to say. Arax changes direction, cleaving the water towards the edge of the pool. He sits on a large, flat rock with me straddling him. At first, I think he’s going to push inside me, but he turns me around so my back is to his front.
“My turn to claim your ass.” His finger snakes between my buttocks to rim my back hole.
“And my turn to savor your sweetness,” Nyx settles in front of us. “But first, a taste.”
I lean back against Arax with my legs on Nyx’s shoulders and Nyx’s mouth on my pussy. He does a great job warming me up—in more ways than one.
