Draconians: Complete Series (BWW Dragon Shifter Scifi Romance)

by Grove, Scarlett

  “Wait, wait, wait. What are you talking about? I thought the Draconians used a computer program to match them with their mates,” she said.

  “We do. But only because it usually speeds up the process. If our mate is standing right in front of us, our inner dragon can identify her. Once the mate is identified, the mating impulse begins. If I do not mate with you, I will slowly lose my mind.”

  “Talk about pressure,” she said, standing up and backing away.

  “Loretta Franklin, if you enter your DNA into the computer program, I will ensure that you receive the full bride price of five hundred thousand dollars, even if we are not a match.”

  “So let me get this straight. You’ll give me five hundred thousand dollars if I let you test my DNA?”

  “Yes. Do you find this arrangement acceptable?”

  “What happens if I am your mate?”

  “Let us first test your DNA before we decide on that. My inner dragon insists that you are my mate, but I would still like a second opinion. If the computer program comes back that you are not my mate, my mating impulse should end. I will then be free to continue my mission on Earth.”

  “I guess I can help you out since you did save me from the terrorists. What do I need to do?”

  “I need a swab of your DNA.” He handed her a large Q-tip and instructed her to rub it on the inside of her cheek. He did the same with his before approaching a computer terminal. He tapped a few buttons and dropped both of the Q-tips into a dispenser. Mylash and Loretta both stood and waited while the computer calculated. A moment later, a blue light blinked with a soft buzzing sound.

  “What does that mean?” she asked.

  Mylash turned to her and put his hand on her shoulder. The smoldering look in his eyes was too intense to bear, and she had to look away.

  “That means that you are my mate.” He grasped her hands gently in his and pulled them to his mouth. He pressed a passionate kiss to the pulse points on each of her wrists. It sent a shiver of desire down her spine.

  “What now?” she asked.

  As Mylash was about to speak, an insistent beeping sounded through the room. He flicked a spot on the wrist of his suit.

  “Commander Or, what can I do for you?”

  “General Shin, you need to return to the command ship immediately. The terrorists who attacked New York have just threatened further actions against humans if we do not leave the planet immediately.”

  “I’m on my way,” he said before flicking the spot on his wrist again.

  “I have to go,” he said, still holding her hands.

  “What about the money?” she asked, somewhat breathless.

  “I will bring it to you. Where are you staying?”

  “I rented an inexpensive room in New Jersey.” She quickly wrote the address on a slip of paper she pulled from her purse and handed it to him. On one hand, he had offered her five hundred thousand dollars. On the other, he was giving her feelings that she couldn’t explain. Confused and disoriented, she didn’t know what was going on. Giving her address to a strange man was not the kind of thing she normally did. However, General Mylash Shin, leader of the Draconian commandos, wasn’t just any man.

  Chapter 6

  Regretfully, Mylash pulled himself away from the woman who was his mate. She had not entered the mating lottery and so had not agreed to abide by the rules. She was under no obligation to take his seed and bear his young. Nevertheless, Mylash was now being taken over by his mating instinct. His inner dragon roared to be mated with his bride and would continue screaming in his mind until he took her.

  Having just arrived on the planet, he had little experience dealing with the native inhabitants. He had been studying human government and society since he was given the position. Yet none of his studies had taught him how to convince a human woman to be his bride. He knew he couldn’t force her. That was the very reason the Draconians had proposed the exchange of technology for the acceptance of the mating lottery. Draconians did not force their precious few women.

  He would have to find a new solution. In the meantime, he would keep the existence of his mate a secret, even from the commander. He didn’t like the idea of keeping anything from his superior officer, but he was in a desperate situation. The woman was within her rights to leave him and never see him again. If she did, he would surely lose his mind.

  Out on the street, he helped her into a taxi, then took the transport craft back to the command ship in the Draconian armada orbiting the planet. When he arrived on the bridge, there was already a newscast playing on the screen in front of the crew.

  “A group calling themselves the Human Liberation Coalition has released video threatening the same kinds of explosions and attacks that happened today in New York on a global scale,” the newscaster said. “Eye witness reports from the Draconian intervention today claim that the Draconians are taking a new stance on their interaction with Earth. The single Draconian who took out the terrorists in New York is said to have told a police officer the Draconians were planning a more heavy-handed approach.”

  “In my opinion, Larry,” a political analyst said, “this isn’t happening soon enough. The Draconians should’ve intervened the moment they offered humans advanced technology. It’s thrown our entire economic system into turmoil.”

  “Are you saying that you are in support of Draconian involvement in our political system?”

  “The fact is, the Draconians are millions of years more advanced than we are. I’m sure they’ve learned a thing or two about how to keep a civilization running smoothly if they’ve survived that long. Humans, on the other hand, are still busy killing and oppressing each other. Isn’t it time we found a better way?”

  “Yes, but shouldn’t we do it without the dictatorship of alien overlords?”

  “Absolutely, if we could. But in my opinion, we won’t get there any time soon.”

  The newscast cut to a commercial and the Draconian crew stood on the deck blinking at each other. The human problem had escalated exponentially the very day that Mylash and his commandos arrived on the planet. No one could have foreseen that they would have chosen to go in this direction, terrorizing and threatening their own people in an attempt to rid their planet of their unwanted guests.

  “We need to get to the bottom of the terrorist attacks, fast,” the commander said.

  “I have meetings with the heads of states in several countries across the planet, including the one where the attack recently happened. I’ve been authorized to offer our resources and guidance by the president. He is dedicated to preserving the human DNA pool and wishes that the species be saved for further breeding trips.”

  “You may have more luck with political organizations on Earth after dealing with the threat of the terrorists. Their opinion is not a popular one among the leaders of the planet,” Commander Or said.

  “The human leaders are the ones who benefit most from the unbalanced social system that our technologies have accentuated. I doubt they will want to lose either our support or their dominance over the less powerful,” Mylash said.

  “That is why the president has sent us, the deadliest fighting force in the Draconian military.”

  “Indeed,” Mylash said. If reason and logic did not appeal to the humans, they could always be brought into submission by using the Draconian’s superior strength.

  Chapter 7

  Loretta found the little room that she had rented out in New Jersey. It was a dingy little hotel, but she knew that she would need time after her interview to recuperate before the long trip back to Alabama. She also wanted to wait it out in New York until she knew for sure if she was getting the job. She set her bag down on the scratchy bedspread and heaved a deep sigh.

  Today had been the strangest day of her entire life. She’d had an interview with a high-powered financial brokerage firm in New York City. It was a dream come true for her. Then she’d been taken hostage, been saved by a dragon, who shifted back into a man – a man who
was so breathtakingly beautiful he made her believe there was magic in the world. That very same man then turned out to be her mate. Whatever that meant.

  Loretta’s head buzzed with confusion and half realized desire. She’d given Mylash her address and wanted more than anything for him to contact her as soon as possible. She had to remember why she had agreed to have her DNA tested in the first place. Her grandmother was responsible for her little brother and sister. The older woman’s pension was barely enough to scrape by. Now the house was being foreclosed, and they would all be homeless by the end of the month unless Loretta figured something out fast.

  The money Mylash offered her would definitely save the house and there would be plenty left over afterwards. But to mate with an alien? Even though Mylash was the sexiest man Loretta had ever met, he was still a dragon shifting alien.

  She had never entered the lottery. Mostly because she couldn’t spend her time wishing for something that she had no control over. But also because the idea of becoming the bride of another species gave her the heebie-jeebies.

  She definitely didn’t want to go out into space and live on one of the Draconian spaceships. The idea of that was downright terrifying. She also had a life here on Earth and people that she cared about. Her grandma would be incensed if she knew that Loretta been mated with one of the aliens.

  Unlike Loretta, who didn’t care one way or the other about the Draconians and their mating game, her grandmother thought it was disgusting. Being an old-fashioned woman, she had plenty of her own prejudices. Distrust of the Draconians was one of them.

  The last thing Loretta ever wanted to do was disappoint her grandmother. The woman had raised her from the time she was twelve years old when both of her parents died in a car accident. Loretta had gone off to college before the Draconians had arrived. But in the five years since they had landed on earth, her grandmother’s ability to take care of Loretta’s younger brother and sister had disintegrated.

  Her grandma was a wonderful caregiver and still healthy for a woman her age, but her pension had been cut and the social welfare systems that had provided them with food and cash had been cut out completely in the last year. The only money that they had until recently were from Loretta’s overly expensive student loans. Now that she was done with school, she was over one hundred thousand dollars in debt and had no income for herself or her family.

  The fact was, Loretta had considered joining the lottery. But finishing school and getting a job seemed the safer bet at the end of the day. She pulled her cellphone out of her purse and considered calling her grandmother but decided against it. She sent her a quick text instead and set the cellphone down on the bed. She wouldn’t be able to have a conversation with her grandma without revealing what had happened today. It wouldn’t be long before the woman knew that it was Loretta’s building that had been bombed. Loretta wanted to let her grandmother know that she was safe. If she talked to her grandmother, she was afraid she would blurt out that she met Mylash and that he wanted her to be his mate.

  Loretta picked up the remote and flicked on the television, looking for some distraction from her racing thoughts. Unfortunately, the television was not going to offer her any relaxation. What she saw before her sent a shiver of panic into the pit of her stomach.

  Video of exploding buildings in London and Rio filled the TV screen. Newscasters explained that the terrorists had bombed two more cities that day. All she could do was sit in stunned silence as clip after clip of the video played on the screen. Her heart raced and her mind was blank. The terrorists had taken it to a whole new level.

  Newscasters argued about bombers’ intent and the wisdom of relying on the Draconians for protection. Finally, Loretta couldn’t take it anymore and clicked off the television. She sank onto the bed with a grunt, her head slapping against the pillow.

  As soon as her back was on the bed, there was a knock at her door. Startled, she sprang to her feet and went to the door, looking out the peep hole. On the other side, she could see the outline of a well-defined chest. It was Mylash.

  She flung open the door, her instinct compelling her to fall into his arms. She held herself back, confused. Why would she feel as if this man could give her comfort when she had just met him? They were from two different worlds. How could they ever understand each other, let alone depend on each other for support?

  “I have come to speak with you, my little mate,” he said in a husky voice. She stepped aside and allowed him to enter her room. He took a seat in a chair that seemed too small for the scale of his body, and she closed the door.

  “Yes?” she asked, still dumbfounded by the events of her day.

  “Please sit,” he said, gesturing to the chair beside him. She went to sit down and waited for him to explain what he wanted. Her mind was dazed, and she wasn’t sure she could handle anything that came out of his mouth right now. It was all too confusing and too strange. “Since you are my mate, and there’s no other mate for me in the entire universe, I have come to ask you to be mine.”

  “Well, I just met you,” she said, her voice hoarse and shaking.

  “Understandable. You did not join the mating lottery so you are under no obligation to mate with me.”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  “Under what conditions would you agree to be my mate?” he asked.

  Loretta shook her head, trying to shake out of the daze. It didn’t help. “Under what conditions?” she repeated.

  “How can I convince you to mate with me?”

  “What do you mean by mate with you?”

  Mylash made a rumbling sound in the back of his throat and paused for a moment. “Your equivalent in human society is called marriage. So in effect, I am asking you to marry me.”

  “I don’t even know you.”

  “Yes. I understand why that would be a roadblock for you.”

  “I don’t want to live on a spaceship.”

  “I see our accommodations are well below what is acceptable for my mate. This is my proposition. I provide a luxury apartment in New York City. You will stay with me there, we will have relations. After a week together, if you do not feel attached to me, you can have double the bride price, and you will be free to leave.”

  “But you already offered me five hundred thousand dollars,” she said, trying to make sense of what was going on.

  “That was not a ruse. If you choose not to stay with me for the week, I will still give you the five hundred thousand dollars. However, if I am not given the chance to mate with my bride, I will slowly go insane. If you do find that you become attached to me, you will have a mate of your own. I’m told that this proposition is generally attractive to females of your species.”

  “Generally, it is. So you’re saying I can have one million dollars, stay in a luxury apartment for a week, and not have any obligation to you after, if I have sex with you a few times?”

  “That is my proposition,” he said. “Is this acceptable to you?”

  “I don’t know. Are you paying me to sleep with you?” She didn’t like the idea of prostituting herself to an alien. Her mind was so muddled that she didn’t know if she was being melodramatic or not.

  “I’m paying you to test whether or not you want to be my bride. I am confident that after we make love, you will want to stay with me. The money is nothing to me or the armada. But I know that it is quite important to humans. I’m offering you your most valuable resource in exchange for what is my most valuable resource, my bride.”

  “Well, I guess I could do that.” She thought about the prospect of making love to the seven foot tall, brawny alien with the bulge between his legs that made her skin prick with goosebumps every time her eyes grazed over it.

  “Fantastic. I already have an apartment secured for you, my little mate.”

  “Don’t get ahead of yourself. I haven’t agreed to be your mate yet.”

  Chapter 8

  Mylash open the door to the most luxurious apartment Loretta had ever be
en inside. It had a view of Central Park outside the expansive penthouse windows. It was furnished in tasteful modern decor in neutral shades with pops of color. She couldn’t even imagine how much a place like this had cost, certainly more than Mylash was promising to pay her for her time.

  “This place is so gorgeous,” she said, turning around in a circle and clapping her hands together like a giddy schoolgirl. Being in such a beautiful environment was soothing after the day she’d had.

  “I’m glad you like it. I am told this place is the best humanity has to offer.”

  “It certainly is,” she said, just as she felt arms encircle her waist from behind her. Mylash pressed himself hard against her back, and she could feel the bulge in his pants stiff with desire. She gasped and pulled away, turning around. “What are you doing?” she asked indignantly.

  “I want to mate with you. Now. My dragon cannot be contained, it scrapes at my mind incessantly. I must claim you.”

  “But… I just got here.” Loretta thought that she could handle this arrangement, but being confronted with Mylash’s substantial equipment so quickly after arriving gave her second thoughts.

  “You did,” he said with a sigh. “I’ve called for food delivery to be sent over. I hope you like sushi. I have no idea what that is, but I was told that it is a delicacy.”

  “I’m from Alabama. I’ve had sushi like three times in my life.”

  “Do you like it?”

  “It’s okay. But like I said, I’m from Alabama. I’m sure New York sushi is better than Alabama sushi.”

  There was a knock at the door and Mylash opened it. Several people walked in and began preparing a feast at the gleaming dining room table under the crystal chandelier. Every imaginable kind of sushi was laid out for them and a few moments later the caterers were gone. Loretta’s eyes grew wide as she took in the display. There was sake and green tea along with some kind of green tea ice cream for dessert. It looked like artwork and made her mouth water.