Farron wondered in which of the rooms his mate might be. If his nose wasn’t betraying him then she had taken the left corridor, so he turned left. A scream made him stop. All his senses cried out in alarm. That was Jenny, and she was in mortal danger! Farron growled and started to run. Fear clawed at his heart and he doubled his efforts, to get to her as fast as possible. It was quiet again. What had happened? Was Jenny … dead? Or was she only unconscious? Cursing under his breath he followed the corridor until the scent of his mate grew stronger. He could smell her fear and his dragon became agitated, wanted to get out. Farron didn’t want to frighten Jenny. He would try to fight without his dragons help – if possible.
Again, cries were to be heard and Farron growled frustrated. Where was she? Damned! He was now close enough to scent one familiar Carthian male. He balled his fists. He had always suspected that something with this male was off. That bastard would pay with his life for laying hands on his mate.
Farron halted. The cries had stopped, but he heard faint noises of a struggle and they came from the room across from him. Without second thoughts, he stormed into the room. His blood went cold, when he saw Jenny lying on the floor. Rodriff had his hand around her throat to strangle her. He was so lost in his doing that he didn’t hear Farron entering. Farron crossed the room with long strides, and grabbed the Carthian male by the neck to tear him away from Jenny.
“Bastard!” He shouted, and Rodriff answered with an angry snarl.
Both men went at each other like berserks. Punch for punch. Farron had to admit grimly, that the arrogant scumbag was stronger than he anticipated. Jenny’s rattled breath worried Farron and made it difficult to concentrate on the fight. He feared that she might die and he wanted to rush to her to help her, but first he would have to kill Rodriff, and that sonofabitch didn’t make it easy for him.
‘Let me out!’ His dragon demanded enraged. ‘I can kill that sonofabitch and save our mate!’
Farron knew that his dragon had better chances to end this, so that he could tend to his mate faster. He gave in and let the shift come over him. Only seconds later, a dragon with silver metallic and white scales stood in his place. Razor-sharp teeth showed when he opened his mouth for a snarl and Rodriff’s face went white with fright.
‘You shouldn’t have touched what is MINE,’ he thought grimly when his dragon started tearing the screaming Carthianer apart.
Farron tried to reason with his dragon, which was still in blood frenzy. They had to tend to Jenny. Rodriff was dead. It was done.
‘Let go! He’s dead! Jenny – our mate – she needs us!’
The dragon reared up – shook his massive body, but then he turned his head towards Jenny’s still form, and with a mighty leap, he was at her side. She didn’t stir, but through his dragon’s eyes Farron could see the faint rise of her chest.
‘She is dying!’ Farron tried to shift back, to get her to the medicine ward, but his dragon fought him.
‘I can save her!’
‘She isn’t our mate yet,’ Farron argued. ‘The mating isn’t complete!’
‘I can feel … it’ll work. I feel the bond!’
‘Let me bring her to the medicine ward,’ Farron begged.
‘She get’s weaker. Now or never!’ The dragon replied, and bends over Jenny.
Farron saw how pale Jenny was. Her lips were blue – seemed lifeless. He wouldn’t make it to the medicine ward before her frail human body would loose the fight.
‘Do it!’ He finally agreed, and his dragon lowered his head, and sank his fangs into Jenny’s neck. He injected his essence that was made for healing his mate.
Jenny
She was falling! – Or more precisely: she was sinking, deeper and deeper! Around her was only blackness. There was no light at the end of the tunnel. The black mass around her was like viscous tar. Cold viscous tar! She tried to fight the pull, but it seemed hopeless. She should feel panic, but instead some sort of lethargy came over her, and she stopped fighting and let herself sink deeper.
Suddenly, the mass around her felt electrified. Warms spread from her midst to her limbs. She could feel how the mass surrounding her became softer and she was pulled upwards.
‘What is happening to me?’
Suddenly her throat and her lungs pained and she felt sick. Coughing and gasping she reached the surface. Gasping for air, she opened her eyes and screamed.
A monster was crouching over her. It’s silver gray eyes starred at her. Somehow these eyes seemed familiar to her. What was that thing? A Dragon? Panic-stricken she tried to retreat from the beast. A soft, nearly tender growl came from the dragon, and it reached out for her with its claw. His talons looked sharp and she flinched.
“No!” Jenny screamed frightened. “I … I don’t taste that good. Rea-really! I make … make for a very bitter meal. Surely you … you don’t like your food bitter … – right?”
The dragon’s body started shaking and he grunted and snorted. Then he turned away and left her alone. Jenny sat up, confused. Did she imagine that or had there really been a dragon? And did he really – laugh at her?
Chapter 5
Farron
Farron reported what had happened to Kordan. The giant General nodded now and then without interrupting him.
“You did, what every honorable man would have done. Rodriff violated our law – he used violence against a female. He would have been put down anyway. Nobody would shed a tear for him!” Kordan assured.
“There is … something else,” Farron said, meeting the General’s gaze.
“What else?”
“I request Jenny as my mate. I want to take her with me when we reach Karrx7.”
“So there is something between you and the human?” Kordan asked with a nod. “As long as it is her wish as well, I have no objections.”
“That is the problem,” Farron explained, gritting his teeth. “She’ll not come with me willingly. She …”
“I’m sorry. If she doesn’t want to go with you, then I can’t permit it.”
“That – um – could cause a problem!” Farron replied uneasy.
The General’s face showed no emotion as he asked sharply: “Why?!”
“Um, as I said before, Jenny was as good as dead, when I finally killed Rodriff. She wouldn’t have made it long enough to get her to the medicine ward. There was only one chance to save her …”
“No!” Kordan interrupted. “You haven’t …”
“It was the only chance,” Farron said defensively.
“Do you wish to tell me that we have a young clueless woman who – even if she don’t want – is irrevocably bond to you and who will soon … turn into a dragon herself?”
“That is pretty much … true, General,” Farron confirmed.
“Damn!” Kordan growled and scratched his spiky short blond hair. An expression of helplessness showed on the normally expressionless face of the General.
“You see … it’s inevitable that I take her with me,” Farron put in. “She needs me, to survive the first shifting.”
The General nodded grimly.
“I’ll talk to my mate, what we have to do. Don’t tell Jenny yet. – How long … until the first …?”
“Six, maybe seven days.”
“Then we still have some time. Get back to work and I will speak to my mate.”
Kordan
Quietly cussing under his breath, Kordan hurried through the corridors back to Lory’s quarters. That was really screwed up. Lory would be mad as hell, that a woman would be forced into a bond without her consent. He knew how earth women felt about that. Sighing he entered his room.
Lory sat with three women in the living area and turned to look at him. A smile crossed her face.
“Did you forget something? Or why else are you back already?”
Kordan had just started his shift when Farron came to him. He shook his head grimly.
“We need to talk. – in private!”
“Sorry girls,”
Lory said to her friends. “I have to talk to my mate. See you later?”
The women rose and said goodbye. Kordan waited impatiently until all had left the room.
“What is so urgent?” Lory asked, looking at him with concern. “Judging by your face – nothing good.”
Kordan shook his head and sighed.
“We have a serious problem and you will not like the only solution to it,” he began and sat down across from Lory.
His mate frowned and gave him a suspicious glance.
“What is it? Spill!”
Kordan took a deep breath and clutched the armrests of his chair with his fingers.
“You know …,” he began warily. “… that we would usually never force a woman to mate with any of our men …”
Lory’s eyes hardened as she crossed her arms over her chest.
“Continue!”
Kordan cleared his throat.
“There has been an unpleasant incident. Rodriff tried to harm Jenny and – thank goddess – Farron came onto the scene and managed to take Rodriff out. He had …”
“What?” Lory interrupted and starred at him horrified. “You mean, Rodriff tried to – rape her?”
Kordan explained the whole situation to his mate and ended: “Now you see, Jenny was close to death and the only chance for Farron to save her was …”
“Was what?” Lory put in sharply.
“He … I mean, his dragon … He healed her with his essence.”
“And what is that supposed to mean? What are you getting at? He saved her and healed her – when will you get to the part that I won’t like?”
“Well, you don’t know much about the Moliwe – the dragon shifters. A Moliwe can heal his mate by injecting his essence. I don’t know how …”
“But Jenny isn’t Farron’s mate, is she? How then …?”
“I don’t know why – normally the healing only works between mates – but fact is that it DID work! Jenny was as good as dead and after the bite – perfectly healed!”
“Where is the catch? You said, I would not like it, what you had to tell me. SO? Where is the problem? Does Farron refuse to let her go? Do we have to protect her from him?”
“It’s terribly complicated,” Kordan sighed. “Usually a Moliwe only bites his mate to heal her or during mating sex. The same serum that can heal also seals the bond. Jenny and Farron are practically mated. I can’t deny him his mate. That is …”
“We will not hand her over to a guy she don’t want to be with!” Lory interrupted furiously. “She was unconscious and could neither agree or disagree. Farron will have to let her go, if she doesn’t want him. She …”
“She will turn into a dragon!” Kordan said equally furious. “She nee…”
“WHAT?!” Lory shouted and jumped out of her chair. She looked at him with anger and disbelief. “She will … what?”
She is mated to a Moliwe – a dragon shifter! She will become a dragon shifter as well! We must allow Farron to stand by her side when … when it happens.”
“We will not let her down,” Lory said. “We can be there for her. We …”
“Are you an expert in this field?” Kordan interrupted sharply. “Do you have ANY experience with shifting? Can you really help her when you haven’t the slightest idea about these things?”
“Why, no … but …”
“No buts! In this case you’ll not have it your way, Lory! I was hoping that you could help me find the best way in dealing with … this. We must convince Jenny to go with Farron. She’ll have to – there is no question about it!”
Lory pressed her lips together, looking at him disapprovingly. It was obvious that she didn’t like the whole thing, just as Kordan had feared. Sighing, he stroke over his blond hair.
“Okay! On one condition!” Lory said after a while.
“And that would be?”
“Jenny isn’t going alone! I’ll go with her!”
“You’ll not! Somebody …”
“I GO!”
“Don’t always cut me off,” Kordan said quietly, but with a warning undertone. “What I wanted to say is, that somebody else can go with her. Mia is her friend. She was interested in Rodriff and is probably as chocked about all this. She and Jenny can help each other.”
Jenny
Jenny was still troubled by the events. First she was nearly raped and close to death and then the strange encounter with the dragon …
It knocked.
“Yes?” She put on – what she hoped to be a collected look on her face. She didn’t want anybody to see, how shaken she was.
“Open!” A familiar voice said and the door opened.
What did Lory want from her? Did she hear what happened to her? She didn’t tell anybody and had gone straight to her room. Mia, the poor thing, also was clueless about the death of her admirer. She hadn’t been here when Jenny came back.
“Hi Jenny,” Lory greeted, carefully studying her. “How are you?”
“Go-od!” Jenny folded her hands in her lap, to hide her trembling fingers.
“May I sit down?” Lory asked and Jenny nodded.
“Where is Mia?” Lory wanted to know.
“I’ve no idea. Haven’t seen her since I got up today.
“Good. Maybe it’s better, to talk to you first,” Lory replied and sat down. “I’ve heard what happened. I’m so sorry that you had to go through that. Such behavior is totally foreign for a Carthian. “It …”
“How do you know about that? I have told nobody.”
“From your rescuer of course. Far…”
“Who … who is it? I don’t even know, who … rescued me.”
“Farron! – I thought, you would know,” Lory answered and looked at her with a strange expression. “What exactly can you remember?”
Jenny took a deep breath, nervously kneading her fingers.
“I found the room when I was exploring. Then, suddenly, Rodriff was there and attacked me. I tried to defend myself, but he knocked me out. When I came ‘round, he was trying to undress me. I screamed and fought him …”
Jenny was shaking by the memory. Lory bends towards her and put a hand on her arm, comfortingly.
“He … he put his hand around … around my neck and … and strangled me. It was horrible. I thought I would die. I was barely conscious, when somebody took Rodriff off me. My vision was blurred. I couldn’t really see anything. Everything was only shadowy. The rescuer – Farron – and Rodriff fought, then I was out. I don’t know how long, but when … when I came ‘round …” She shook her head disbelievingly when the memory of the dragon came back to mind. “I saw something … Probably the lack of oxygen was the cause.”
“What did you see?” Lory wanted to know.
“A … a dragon!”
Jenny looked at Lory. Would the former FBI agent now think her crazy?
“Like I said, the lack of oxygen probably gave me hallo…”
“No, you saw right!” Lory interrupted her. “Farron is a dragon shifter. He, or better his dragon, was it who rescued you.”
“You’re kidding me, right?” Jenny put in disbelievingly.
Lory shook her head.
“No. It’s the truth. And that’s why I’m here. I must … Well – I have to tell you something that could sound – shocking.”
“More shocking than a dragon shifter?”
Lory nodded dead serious and licked her lip, before she continued: “When Farron took out Rodriff, you were as good as dead. If he had tried to get you to the medicine ward, you wouldn’t have made it. He had only one chance to save you. He …”
Jenny waited impatiently for Lory to continue.
“What? – What did he do to save me and what is so shocking about it?”
“He, or better: his dragon, injected you with his essence. This saved you, but – it also triggered something in you.”
“What? Am I … allergic to that stuff? Will I die?”
Lory shook her head.
“
No. Nothing like that. But the act made you … Well, you’re now … Farron’s mate!”
“WHAT?” Jenny yelled bewildered. Her heart pounded hard in her suddenly to small chest. “What’s that supposed to mean? I can’t be his mate. I can’t be anybody’s mate! You promised me that nobody would ever force me into a relationship! You … you …”
“Please calm down! It’s true! We said that and under normal circumstances it would be so. Nobody could foresee this. Farron didn’t make you his mate on purpose. He … he did it to save you. Otherwise you would be dead by now!”
“What … what are you planning now? First, Rodriff tried to rape me, then Farron saved me that HE can rape me?”
‘Honestly, girl? Would rape be necessary? The way, you reacted to his kiss …’, a voice in her head taunted.
“Farron would never harm you,” Lory assured her. “You will have to go with him, but he won’t touch you, if you don’t permit it. And we want Mia to go with you. That way you’re not alone. – And there is … something else …”
“Something ELSE? – What the fuck now? How much worse can this become?” Jenny yelled beside herself. She jumped off her chair and paced the room. Finally she stopped in front of Lory, starring at her.
“The essence, Farron’s dragon injected, will change you – not permanently – You … you can learn to control the change.”
Jenny believed herself stuck in a nightmare. Fear and disbelief filled her heart.
“What changes?” She asked high-pitched.
“You will turn … turn into a dragon. A dragon shifter!”
Jenny felt sick and dizzy. She dropped into her chair.
“… with you? – Jenny! Hey! – JENNY!” Lory’s voice reached her through the fog of her mind. Then she heard her speak to somebody else. Perhaps she talked to her mate by her communicator.
Farron'S Rebellious Mate (English Edition) (Lords of Arr'Carthian 2.5) Page 3
