by T. S. Ryder
The dragon's heart stopped. His eyes widened as the holograph flickered. No. he looked around wildly–everything was exactly as he had left it. There was no evidence that Gemma had even been there.
No, no, no, no!
He turned on his heel, legs pumping as he raced back towards the command deck. So that's why the warships had never opened fire. They weren't being respectful of his position, they were a distraction so he wouldn't realize that he didn't have Gemma with him.
"Turn the ship back to Bronæl," he ordered, striding onto the command deck. The crew members that were dotted around at their stations all looked up at him in surprise. He ignored their looks, going to his command chair. "Do as I say."
The pilot worked the control panel, changing their direction. Shay swallowed hard. Wynon must have acted with permission of the Science Board to sneak aboard his ship. He had been too predictable. They would be expecting him to return now. Blunt force wouldn't work, he needed to be stronger than that.
"Alpha, are you alright?" the pilot asked, glancing at him.
"No," Shay growled back. He stood again, unable to bear sitting still. He glanced over the crew. They were friends, teammates. Would they understand what he was doing, or would they accept the Science Board's decision? "You know that I brought the human to the home world. You know she carries my child."
"Of course." The pilot made some adjustments to their course, then swiveled her chair to look at him with a frown on her face. "I thought we were taking her back to Earth."
Keeping it brief as possible, Shay told his command crew what Wynon wanted with Gemma. Cries of shock and horror answered him, and when he said that the Science Board had sanctioned experiments on the unborn child, they went silent. He sat again, flames coiling in his belly.
"That is blasphemy against ethics," the pilot eventually said. Smoke curled from her nose and mouth. "We are with you, Alpha."
Shay nodded his head in thanks. He closed his eyes and thought of Gemma, of her sweet smile and lovely eyes. He prayed to the atoms of the universe that he wasn't too late.
Chapter Six
Gemma struggled against the restraints holding her in place. They wouldn't give. Her heart pounded and her throat was dry. When would Shay realize that she had been taken? When would he rescue her? He was a Science Alpha, the dragoness who had taken her had no right to do this!
The door opened and Gemma forced herself to stay still, not wanting to let the dragoness see her fear. She might be helpless in this situation, but that didn't mean she was going to give her captor the satisfaction of seeing just how terrified she was.
The female was smaller than the other Stlozyn Gemma had seen, but she had no clue if that meant the alien was younger than the others or not. All she really knew was that those red eyes that were so warm and like two rubies on Shay looked like they were literally made from blood on this dragoness.
"What do you want from me?" Gemma demanded, clenching her hands. It helped her project anger rather than fear. "I don't know anything about Shay's research, so if you're trying to steal it—"
"His research is public record, as is all our science. It's blasphemy to hide knowledge from others," the dragoness replied. She tilted her head, dark hair sweeping her shoulders. "You carry a child that should not be possible. That child is the key to curing my people."
Gemma remembered that Shay had said something about that and shivered. “What are you going to do to me?"
"What I must." The dragoness looked her over. "I must admit, I am glad to have such a healthy specimen. From your media that I saw while orbiting Earth, I was afraid most human females were waifs. But you have a good amount of muscle, and your blubber layer will be most beneficial to keeping your body from starving during the course of this research."
If Gemma's throat had been dry before, now it was a desert. She couldn't produce enough saliva to even swallow. She didn’t care that the dragoness had just called her fat in a roundabout way–she knew she had some extra weight on her, but it had never been a major concern other than when she despaired about her arms and ass. But what could the Stlozyn possibly want to do that would starve her?
"What are you going to do?" Gemma gasped out. Her voice was so hoarse she could hardly understand herself.
"What I must to ensure the survival of my people. Know that I take no pleasure in any of this. You seem to be a genuinely good person. I will try my best not to kill or irreparably damage you or the fetus you carry, but many lives outweigh one, or even two. Be comforted by knowing that if you die, your death will allow hundreds of children to be born."
Was she crazy? Gemma's eyes were wide as she tracked the dragoness' movements, as she walked around the bed the human was strapped to. "Shay is going to find me. He's going to find me, and you'll be sorry."
The dragoness laughed softly. "As emotionally as he has been acting, the Science Alpha did not get his position by putting his emotions before his research."
"Listen, you—"
"Don't get me wrong, I'm sure he will mourn you and he may even need to be hospitalized for a time while he works through some anger," she said the word like it was a curse, "but he will come to realize the necessity of these actions."
Could it be true? No. No, Shay would never just forget about her. He loved her. He had told her that more than once. She knew it was true, she had seen the truth of his words when he said it, had seen how difficult it was for him to say it, but how much he wanted to.
"You're wrong. Shay isn't going to give up on me. He's going to find me."
"If that is a comfort to you." The dragoness pressed a button on the restraints holding Gemma in place. Instantly her head began to swim. She struggled to keep her mind clear, but it was impossible.
"Shay," she blurted.
"Try not to fight the sleep." The dragoness touched her shoulder. "I'm afraid this is going to be a very painful procedure."
***
Everything hurt. Gemma floated in a haze, unable to tell one second from the next. A drip was attached to her arm, filling her blood with poison. Her body shook, her stomach cramped and churned. More than once she heaved, but it had been a long time since she had given up everything her stomach had to offer. She slipped in and out of consciousness, unable to tell one scaly, red-eyed face from the next one. She didn’t know where she was or how much time had passed.
All she knew was she felt like she was being turned inside out, and her belly felt like it was expanding, growing. Some part of her mind knew it couldn't be growing, that it was going too fast, but another thought it meant that she had been in this hell for months.
"Why are you doing this?" she gasped out, but nobody would answer her.
Her head spun and everything went black. She dreamt of Shay, of the moment they had met. He had come to her law office to ask about a parking ticket he didn't think he deserved. She'd thought he was very attractive and found his accent nearly irresistible. They'd seen each other every day since then.
She’d thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with him.
"Shay," she gasped when she woke again.
Gemma took in a deep breath. She still hurt and her head was clouded, but she could think clearly for the first time in she didn’t know how long. The lights in her room were dimmed, and when she tried to sit up, she found herself still strapped down.
"Good, you're awake."
The voice made her head jerk, which sent blinding pain shooting down her neck. Gemma groaned in pain, almost collapsing back into unconsciousness.
Something cool pressed to her lips and drops of moisture trickled down her throat. Gemma lapped them down and her head focused again. She swallowed painfully and focused on the alien who was bent over her.
"Where's Shay?" He wouldn't let this happen to her. He'd stop them.
"So you remember him." The alien was female, at least Gemma thought it was. The same female as before? She had the same aqua scales. "Do you remember your name?"
; "Gemma Watson."
"And where are you from?"
"Calgary, Alberta. Earth."
The alien hummed, shining a light into her eyes. "Good. Some memory loss is to be expected, but you seem to still have your faculties about you."
Gemma twisted her head, glaring at the alien. She caught sight of her stomach and her eyes widened. Her heart stopped. She couldn't breathe. "How–How long have I been here?"
The alien followed her gaze. Gemma's stomach was distended to twice the size as it was before, with bruises covering her skin. The dragoness clucked her tongue.
"The fetus is alive. I was not authorized to remove it and use its tender DNA, but the samples collected as it grows will be most useful."
"How long have I been here?" Gemma thrashed against her restraints. "Where's Shay?"
Why hadn't he come for her already?
The dragoness shook her head. "Look at you, so afraid. You are serving a glorious purpose. Shay didn't understand that. He's too emotional. Too in love." She spat the word like it was poison. "Don't be so afraid. It's highly likely that both you and the fetus will survive the accelerated growth."
Gemma snarled under her breath. "Shay is going to find me. He will not let you do this!"
"Shay has no say in the matter."
The dragoness fiddled with some IVs that were dripping into Gemma's arm. Instantly the world began to swirl again. Gemma fought against the drugs but her mind slipped away from her. Her last thought was of Shay–he was coming for her. He had to be. He would save her.
A tear leaked from her eye… she had never told him she loved him…
Chapter Seven
Shay dropped into a crouch as he leaped from the small ship-to-planet transport vessel. As soon as he had arrived back in Bronæl space, he had broadcast what the Science Board had done to him and Gemma; he knew it would buy him time, that the people would demand that this blasphemy end. It had at least prevented his ship from being blown to bits as he neared the planet.
He wasn't going to sit back and wait for the Board to decide what to do next, although he was hoping that public opinion would stay with him. No, Gemma was still in danger. Who knew what Wynon was doing to her and the baby? So he had selected a half-dozen of his most intelligent fighters and they had made a plan to get his human back.
This whole thing hinged on whether he had correctly estimated where Gemma was being held, but it was a risk he had to take.
The dragoness who had ordered him to hand Gemma over to Wynon in the first place, Niqæsh, had an impressive research facility. It was one of the most iconic buildings in the city, shaped like a crashing ocean wave, and also the most controversial, since the windows were an opaque green, rather than the transparent yellow that typically was indicative of science buildings.
Transparency in research was key, yet Niqæsh prevented those outside the building from looking in on what she was doing. It would be the perfect place to perform unethical experiments on a pregnant woman.
The rest of Shay's team leaped from the transport ship, wings stretched from their backs to slow their descent just enough to avoid going through the glass. The sun had set hours ago, leaving the city utterly dark except for the Eternal Flame that was tended at its heart. Not that Stlozyn needed much light to see. Shay could feel his pupils dilating to let in more light as they crouched there.
"Alpha, I'm reading only one non-Stlozyn lifeform," the dragon to his left said, narrowing his eyes as he studied a thermal scanner.
"That is Gemma," Shay said, his muscles bunching, fighting the urge to smash his fist into the glass. There was a plan. He had to stick to it if they were going to have a chance to save Gemma. "Where is she?"
The dragon punched a few commands onto the infolink at his wrist and passed it to Shay. He plunged it into the base of his skull without taking the time to prepare himself, gritting his teeth against the pain. An image of the internal schematics ran through his brain, showing him the route to take to get to his human. He nodded once, withdrawing the link again.
"Fight well," he murmured to his crew. "And should you die, may your intelligence become one with the atoms of the universe."
It was time. Around him, his fellows dropped their chins. Smoke billowed from their forms. Wings expanded, blood-red eyes turned golden, teeth sharpened. Hands became claws, and they began to glow softly in the darkness.
Shay slapped a sonic charge against the window he was on and activated it. There was a high-pitched blast and the glass beneath him shattered into a million pieces. The dragon nearest him caught his arm, slowing his descent, then released him as the rest of the crew dove towards the scientists, fire billowing from their mouths.
Nobody noticed Shay as he rolled on the ground to absorb the impact, nor as he joined the other scientists running from the room. A few turned to fight, their own forms shifting, but Shay ignored them. His crew was the distraction. They knew the risks involved in this.
He fell back behind the scientists as he got near to his first turn. Nobody noticed when he left them. The lights flickered and dimmed, turning a pinkish-purple color. It was a warning that they were under attack. He picked up his pace, nostrils flared to pick up the scent of approaching Stlozyn. Twice he had to duck into rooms to avoid a patrol, but other than that there was nobody.
His heart was in his throat by the time he got to the room where Gemma was being held. What if he was wrong? What if all this had been in vain and Gemma wasn't here? Or worse, what if she was—
No. He couldn’t even consider that.
Wynon was in the room when he kicked the door open. Gemma lay on a bed beside her, her arms cuffed down. She was awake, though, and alive. Her beautiful eyes were wide with fear, and even from where he was Shay could hear just how fast her heart was going. He snarled, striding forward.
"Stop unless you want her to die."
Wynon's words made him freeze. The dragoness' eyes were narrowed, her breathing shallow. It was only then that he saw the needle in her hand. It was inserted directly into an IV drip that was connected to Gemma's arm. Shay snarled again.
An IV? What base techniques was Wynon using that would require a medical practice that hadn't been used since the dark ages of science?
"I underestimated you," Wynon said, inclining her head at him. "I didn't think that a dragon with so much emotion would be able to outthink both me and a member of the Science Board. We were foolish in our arrogance."
"And you are foolish to still hold that needle," Shay replied. Flames burned his tongue. "I will allow you to walk away right now if you put it down. Otherwise, I will take your head off your shoulders."
Wynon's eyes widened. Smoke curled from her nostrils, smelling of pungent fear. "Such violence. And you think that you deserve a place on the Science Board?"
"I have done more to expand our knowledge than your benefactress. Perhaps, if logic dictates we betray our ethics and perform experiments on unborn young, it is time for more emotion on the Board!" He didn't look at Gemma, knowing he would lose his mind and attack if he saw so much as a bruise on her. Her small gasps of fear were enough to nearly drive him over the edge as it was. "You know me, Wynon. When do I bluff? Get out now, while you still have the chance."
The dragoness hesitated. Her eyes narrowed. "Swear that you will not attempt to harm me."
"I swear by the atoms of the universe, you will come to no harm by my hand or orders if you leave this room this instant."
Wynon nodded, disconnecting the needle. She headed past Shay, pausing when she was right beside him. "It's only saline solution. The human contains the cure for our species, I know that now more than ever. I would not sacrifice our people for my own life."
"Leave," Shay snarled, and the dragoness slipped from the room.
"Shay."
He finally allowed himself more than a brief glance at Gemma. She was struggling against her bonds, but the air in Shay's lungs seemed to have all dissipated. The flames in his belly burned low and cold.
He was unable to believe what he was seeing. It had only been a day since he had last seen Gemma. And yet in that time, her belly had swollen with at least four months' worth of growth.
What sort of internal damage would this accelerated growth to do her? To their baby? His knees felt weak and, for a moment, he was tempted to go after Wynon and tear her apart, despite his vow. How could anybody do such a terrible thing?
"Shay," Gemma repeated, her voice pained and terrified.
The dragon shook his head, shoving Wynon violently from his thoughts, and hurried to his human's side. He quickly unstrapped her and she threw her arms around him. She began sobbing, and Shay stroked her hair, whispering gently.
"It's okay. You're okay."
"I thought I was going to die," she whispered. "I thought—"
"You're safe," Shay promised.
From here it would only take five minutes to get outside to where his transport was waiting for him. If Wynon hadn't alerted security. If his crew was still keeping the scientists occupied. He needed to move quickly; there was no time for stealth.
Shay released Gemma, stepping back. Gemma cried out, reaching for him, but he closed his eyes and dropped his chin to his chest. He had never been particularly good at partial shifting, but he focused on his lower body, bringing the beast within to his legs. His robes parted as his lower limbs grew, becoming longer, stronger. He scooped Gemma up then, gritting his teeth to keep the shifting isolated to his legs, and charged from the room.
They passed Wynon, making her shriek. Shay rounded a corner to see a dozen security officers waiting for him. His wings sprouted from his back, wrapping around Gemma's body as he charged at them. He ignored the calls for him to stop.
"Don't shoot him!" Wynon screamed from somewhere behind. "He has the human! She can't be harmed!"
Shay burst through the guards, snapping his wings back to knock them away. He kept running, clutching Gemma tightly in his arms.
An energy field dropped in front of him. He was only just able to stop himself from running straight into it. Shay whirled around. A second field dropped. He panted, looking around wildly.
