Tann: Delti Utopia 6 (A Sci-Fi Alien Weredragon Romance)

by Celeste Raye

  "I don't know if I can. I do know I don't want to," Mariana whispered. Her hand slowly rose, and she placed her palm flat over his heart.

  He hissed and told her, "I recognize your touch. It was you that had the courage to caress a dragon's lethal tail. A man can only tolerate holding back his needs for a short amount of time when he desires a woman this much. I don't want to be the man who takes your innocence for mere lust. I repeat: leave while you can."

  "And if I can't? What will you do?" she asked.

  "I will take what you offer and much more. Please, don't turn me into such a man."

  She could see the pain in his face and the agony of admitting his desire. There was a code of honor in this thief, and she wouldn't be the one to force him to break it. Removing her hand, she replaced it with her lips. One kiss on the tattooed dragon's head, then she turned and ran. She missed seeing the hand that reached out to grab her and the fist it became. She did hear it hit the wall and the curse that accompanied it.

  Mariana kept running through the hallways that wound downward. Three decks lower, she leaned against the wall and slid to the floor. She had tried without success to outrun her attraction to Tann. It had hit her hard and fast. She'd met many men, human and alien, as a slave. None had interested her in the least. They were handsome and rich, young and old. They would have paid a great deal for what Tann had turned down. His hesitance served to make her want him all the more. Where had such passion come from? Was it automatic when you turned eighteen? Or did it occur when you met your soul mate? Mother had never spoken of these things. Shouldn't she have explained something about men and relationships? Had her love for Mariana's father been this explosive? If so, she must miss him dearly. How hard it must have been to not only live without him, but to give her body to others whom she didn't love at all.

  She had done it to protect Mariana, and how did she pay her mother back? She had almost handed over her innocence to a man she had just met: a weredragon and pirate. Shame washed over her at the thought. Coming to her senses, she stood and looked in every door. Finally, she found another washroom. It needed cleaning, which she would gladly do. For now, she splashed her face and hair, using her fingers to untangle the knots. She would make this room sparkle. It would be all hers, where she need never run into a mostly naked Tann and be tempted again.

  She found cleaning supplies and went to work. If either Tann or Tika wondered why she didn't come to breakfast, it was their problem, not hers. She would work hard until late at night, staying far from Tann. Then, when her mind was numb, she'd sleep and do it all over again the next day. If she worked hard enough, maybe she could remove the picture of Tann emblazoned on her brain.

  "He's not for you, Mariana," she said to herself. "He's your babysitter, your nemesis, a stranger. Don't embarrass yourself, you fool. You're a duty to him, no more. He's owned by Torbin, just like you. You came for freedom, not bondage. Tylina didn't risk herself so that you could fall for a pirate. Mother didn't protect you so you could throw away your most precious possession."

  By the time she'd finished cleaning the washroom, it was so sanitized she could have eaten a meal off the floor. She was starving and thirsty, yet she ignored both problems because the picture remained. The urge to hunt him down was strong. In desperation, she moved on, cleaning cabins and storage compartments. She found a drawstring bag with a few coins, which she tied to her waist. Every time she found a gold piece or another coin, she added it to the stash. She hadn't forgotten Tann's warning. The bag would be emptied in the command center as ordered. Mariana also made three piles of clothes in the hallway: one for herself, one for Tika, and even one for Tann's large body. That pile was pitifully small. Few men could compare to him in size. Would she always see him standing there in all his glory, unable to partake of his charms? Frustrated, she scrubbed harder, all day and into the night.

  Chapter Eight

  Tann

  Tann pounded his fist into the wall repeatedly. He cursed his assignment, Torbin, and Mariana. He saved the vilest words to curse himself. It was wrong to admit his desire to Mariana. He was older, more experienced, and should have been able to control his body and mind. He blamed his raging libido and the fact that she'd caught him by surprise.

  Her hair had been a tangled mess and her cheeks creased from sleep. She was adorable. Then, her shocked eyes had begun to roam. He felt the atmosphere in the room change as her body tensed and heated. He knew she was unaware of the electrical charge she was sending out, but his body knew and reacted. Thank the lord for the drying cloth he clutched in his fist. If not for it, he would have terrified her, scarring her for life. There was fire in her gaze: a need he longed to fulfill.

  Mariana's touch had shaken him to the core. When her hand had touched his tail that first day, he had felt a connection all the way to his soul. He'd thought it was his imagination. What connection could he have to a human child? Now, of course, he knew she wasn't a child, and the feeling was completely different. Her hand over his heart had deepened that connection to a level he couldn't comprehend. His heart was beating so fast he believed it might fly out of his chest. When she kissed the dragon tattoo, he felt something inside reaching toward her. It was almost his undoing. She had fled. One instant longer and he wouldn't have let her go. How insane was that?

  He climbed back into the shower where icy water soothed his heated skin, but not his aching heart or whirling mind. He quickly dressed and headed for the command center to find her. He would tell her it was all a misunderstanding, though he doubted she'd believe the lie.

  She wasn't there. Only Tika was sitting on the floor, eating a can of nasty smelling mystery meat. She appeared content and happy, unaware of Tann's tenseness.

  "This is good," she proclaimed of the foul-scented meal. "You ought to try it. Did Mariana already finish her breakfast and get an assignment? Her room was empty, and I haven't seen her up here."

  Tann gave her a smile that didn't reach his eyes. There was no reason to involve her in his drama. "No thanks to the food. It smells like bad breath, excrement, and barf all rolled into one."

  His description made Tika giggle, as he'd hoped it would. He was determined to let her spend some carefree days as a child before Torbin changed her forever.

  "You didn't answer about Mariana. Where is she?"

  "I don't know." That was the truth. He hadn't seen her on the way up. "I guess she gave herself an assignment. She'll come here when she gets hungry. Would you like to practice transformation before we work on the ship?"

  "Really? But, there's not enough room. Are we going outside?"

  "Not yet. For today, I just want you to learn how to control the change. We'll just begin it, then back off. Watch, I'll show you how far we'll go." Tann let his skin shimmer, turn the color of wine, and show a few scales. Then, he was a man once more.

  "One step at a time," he told Tika. "We'll go for the shimmer first. If you can control it, we'll push for more. I can't risk you losing control and transforming completely in this space. You would get hurt, and the ship would crack."

  Tann lost track of time working with Tika. She was trying so hard to learn control, but he kept having to force her back to human form. Finally, she got it. She made it all the way to the scales and back without his help. He declared the lesson over and told her to celebrate with an orange drink they had found in the cargo hold. That's when he noticed how many hours had passed. It was late afternoon, and he hadn't done any repairs on the ship. Panic struck as he realized that Mariana had never appeared either.

  His first thought was that she had run away. Outside this dark hiding spot, there was a scary, dangerous world. It was civilization, but not the kind in the main city. It didn't even compare with the lesser casinos and bars that the pirates used in wealthier times. This area held the discredited, the damned. It was a haven for men too evil for piracy, ones who killed for joy, not plunder. Mariana didn't stand a chance alone out there.

  Fear sent him fleeing to
her cabin. It looked the same as it had the day before. If she was gone, she'd taken nothing. He searched the entire level, including the washroom, in case she had gone back to clean up. He roamed the levels going up, all the way back to the command center. There was no sign of her. He sent Tika to the cargo hold, while he went to slip outside. There were no signs that the outer doors had been opened, yet his heart told him to check anyway. His breath came easier when no footprints appeared in the dirt. She had to be aboard the ship, somewhere he hadn't looked.

  The only place to go was down. Why would she go downward? There were only cubicles and rooms that held five or six crewmembers of the lowest ranks. Was she still digging for coins and clothes? It was dank down there, until he hit the third level from their own. It smelled of disinfectants and sparkled like new. He smiled. She was here. This was her handiwork.

  "Mariana!" he called out. "Come out. You've done more than your share of work. You get first pick of the food."

  When no response came, he tried again, using Tika as bait. "Come on. Tika has a trick to show you. She wants you to see the pretty color she turns. Hurry, she's waiting."

  A sense of dread overcame Tann. He began to sweat and feel nauseous. His heart was beating too fast. His throat was dry, parched, and he couldn't swallow. He felt faint and unfocused. He recognized those symptoms. They were signs of dehydration. That wasn't possible. He'd been careful to drink all day long. Then he knew. He was feeling Mariana's illness. The connection they shared was so deep, he could transfer her needs to himself if she was near enough. She required aid. The stubborn girl had worked herself practically to death, and she'd forgotten to drink.

  Tann ran from room to room, seeing and cataloging her efforts into his brain for another time. He jumped over the piles of clothes, his mind understanding instantly how she had categorized the piles. He found her laying on the floor of a storage room. Her clothes were drenched, yet her skin was dry. That was a very bad sign, as was the panting and eyes rolled back in her head.

  "I don't know what to do!" he shouted to no one. "I'm not good with injuries or sickness. Help me!"

  "Mother," she moaned deliriously past her thickened tongue.

  Her skin was so hot! "I have to calm down," he said to himself. "One symptom at a time. Cool her off, Tann. Hurry." He picked up her limp, light body. He'd passed a washroom a few doors down. He took her there and carried her into the shower. He turned on the cold water, soaking them both.

  Mariana groaned, "Hurts, mother. Please, stop."

  "Shh," he soothed. "I'm trying to help you. It's alright. I'm here, and you'll be fine."

  "Now what?" he asked himself. "She needs fluids, but not too much. It will make her sick. How do I do it?" With no cups or glasses in sight, he improvised. He pried open her mouth and let a trickled of the shower water run in.

  She choked and coughed it back up. Tears ran from the corners of her eyes.

  "I know, baby. It hurts and makes you sick, but you have to drink. There's no doctor here. I don't have a way to put fluid in your veins. Please, baby, drink." He turned the water down to a slower setting and tried again.

  She swallowed once. "Good girl. Keep it down, and I'll get you more in a minute." He slid to the floor, holding her near. "I'm so sorry I upset you this much. It's all my fault you did this. Why didn't I come down here sooner? I should have known you wouldn't leave Tika behind."

  Tann cupped his big hand and caught some water, letting it drizzle into her mouth. After she'd swallowed and kept down five handfuls, he rose and turned off the shower. "Let's get you to your quarters. I can feel your heart, and it's slowed down. The swelling in your tongue is receding. You'll be fine soon." He continued talking all the way to her cabin.

  Once there, he bellowed out for Tika, "Tika, I found Mariana. Help me!" She must have been near, for she was there in a split second.

  "What happened? What did you do to her?" the child asked when she saw that both of them were soaked and Mariana was limp.

  "She was dehydrated, and I helped her, that's all. Get her out of these wet clothes while I change into dry ones. I'll be right back." He didn't stop to see if Tika obeyed. He knew she would. Mariana meant too much to her.

  When he returned, Mariana was undressed and covered with a thin blanket to hide her nudity. She was breathing normally, but not awake.

  "What happened? Did she get locked in somewhere?" Tika asked.

  "She was cleaning on the lower levels. She forgot to drink. After a while you don't crave water anymore. I'm going to force some more water down her. Can you find a can that has something she can get down in it?"

  "There's broth: beef and chicken. I think it's meant to use in cooking, but we don't cook."

  "That's perfect. It's probably all she can handle for now."

  Alone with Mariana, he raised her head gently and held a cup to her lips. She roused enough to sip. Relief overwhelmed him.

  "Don't ever do this again. You scared me to death, little one. I need you around. Can't you feel it? I know each time your heart beats, every breath your lungs take, and when you want more to drink. It doesn't make sense. Wake up and explain it if you can. What is this?"

  "Tann," she moaned. "Scared. So thirsty."

  "I know. It will get better. Just rest, baby." Thank goodness, the delirium was gone. "We've got to have a talk once you're well. I'm going to give you a tongue lashing you'll never forget. You're old enough to know better than to skip drinking in this junk heap." As his fright subsided, his anger grew.

  "Tann, thank you," she whispered. His anger dissipated instantly as she raised a feeble hand toward him. He grasped it in his own, pushing energy toward her.

  "Tika will bring you something that tastes a bit better soon. I'll leave her with you for the night. I dare not stay. I've said too much already. Hopefully, you won't remember any of it." He bent over and brushed her lips with his. His lips burned as if they had been branded.

  Chapter Nine

  Mariana

  Mariana was hot and cold at the same time. When she tried to swallow, there was nothing there except her tongue, which for some reason was choking her and cutting off her air supply. She hurt all over and couldn't seem to move. So, she lay on the floor in a puddle of sweat until there was no longer any pain or caring. That's when her mother appeared. Oh, how she had missed her. A cool hand on her hot brow and the words, "I know, baby. It hurts and makes you sick," made her wish she could weep.

  She tried to tell her mother how much she loved her and how glad she was to see her again, but the only word that came out was, 'mother.'

  Icy shards hit her ravaged skin. How could they hurt so bad and yet feel so wonderful? The cold wetness caressed her tongue, and she wanted it to continue for hours, but she choked, and it was taken from her.

  Mother went away, and it broke Mariana's heart. She felt so alone and scared without her. Strong arms held her close, and a gruff pain-filled voice kept encouraging her to drink. She was safe. These arms were where she belonged. Even barely conscious she knew it. The heartbeat by her ear, the musky scent, and the deep rumble of his voice reached inside her body to ease the distress. Tann had her and all would be well.

  A slight dizziness remained when Mariana reached full consciousness. Her muscles were sore, and it took a moment to recognize her surroundings. She was in her cabin on the rust bucket. Thirst and hunger were demanding to be satisfied. She also needed a trip to the bathroom. She sat up, grabbing the narrow bed to stop the room from spinning. As she went to stand, her foot landed on a soft, lumpy thing that grunted.

  "Watch what you're doing," the lump commented.

  "Tika? Why are you on my floor? Did you get scared in the middle of the night?"

  "I don't scare that easy. I was watching over you. Why did you pull such a stupid stunt?" Tika asked.

  "I don't know what…" Mariana began. Then she looked down at herself and realized she was nude. She jerked the thin cover up to her chin and asked, "It wasn't a dream?"


  "No shit! You almost died and left me with Tann. Don't bother covering up. I've seen it all since I was the one to undress you. My new goal in life is to get a body like that. Tell me the truth: will it ever happen? I'm fourteen and straight as a stick."

  "Of course, it'll happen. You're a late bloomer." Mariana shook her confused head. "Why are we discussing this? What exactly was the stunt I pulled? In the dream that wasn't a dream, I was so hot and thirsty. My mother came, then Tann. Now you're here."

  "You worked yourself practically to death. It had to be deliberate because I know you're too smart to skip drinking by accident. Tann found you. If you saw your mother, you were hallucinating. She sure wasn't here. Otherwise it wouldn't be me on this hard floor. Here, have a drink. I'm going to let him know you're awake." She handed a cup of water over and stomped out.

  Memories flooded back. The icy shower in Tann's arms had really happened. It was him that had begged her to drink, not mother. She remembered him calling her baby. Maybe, that part was wishful thinking. He'd mentioned something about heartbeats and lungs, but that didn't make any sense unless he'd been lecturing her about what she'd done. That seemed likely. But, wait. Her lips were throbbing. She touched them with her fingers and sucked in a gasping breath. Tann had kissed her, and the invisible mark was still there.

  His heavy footsteps were right outside the door. She cowered in the corner of the narrow bed, tucked her knees up to her chin, and made certain every inch of skin was covered. When he stepped in, all she could think about was the kiss and how she wanted another, but fully conscious this time.

  He didn't mention it or gaze at her longingly as she'd hoped. He was all business. "Well, I suppose I don't have to tell you not to do that again. Surely, you've learned the lesson. You look frightful, by the way. Take a shower and comb your hair. Tika will have some fresh broth ready by the time you're finished. I promised her a reward for taking care of you. She deserves it, and it will get us all some fresh air. Dress decent; we're going outside." He left without a backward glance.