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“Do you think Corleen can ask any of the elders to see if this has happened before?”
He blinked. “I suppose. But are you content to live here without the option of being my mate?”
“I am not in prison and I am not dead, so each day I get freedom is a good day. Your mother has extended me this courtesy and I will not shun her hospitality.”
She walked to the edge of the balcony and clutched the railing. She could see the star systems that surrounded earth and she smiled at the familiar sight.
“What are you looking at?” Garo was right behind her and he absently wrapped his arms around her waist as he looked in the same direction she was.
“I am looking for home. It is over there. At this point in time, it is primitive and sparsely populated, but it will soon begin to shift into one of the fastest-evolving planets on record.”
He nodded and she leaned back against him, taking comfort in is proximity. Whether he knew it or not, he was sowing the seeds of their inevitable joining.
“How do you know what is going on on a primitive world you couldn’t possibly be from? I have done some research and there is no way you are a Terran.”
She sighed. Honesty was best but only with him. “I am a Terran, just not one from this point in time. I came back a few years and this was the moment I was destined to live in.”
He stared at her as if trying to determine her seriousness. “And you chose here and now?”
She barked a quick laugh filled with all of her frustration, “I didn’t have a choice. I have a destiny and I need to be here to begin it.”
“I will not be party to your destiny.” He pulled away abruptly and left her standing under the alien sky.
In all of her plans and the journal, she had never imagined that Garo would reject the evidence of his own traditions, his own culture. Returning to the dining room, she informed Corleen of the discussion. “I am afraid that Garo isn’t one to give into destiny.”
Corleen nodded. “He needs a little incentive. I have just the thing. Tomorrow evening, we are going out and you are wearing an Introduction gown.”
The look in the Draikyn’s eyes was militant, but it gave Cynthia hope. Having Garo’s mother on her side might just be the luck she needed. He was going to fight her, but she would persevere. Livin was depending on her, after all.
The next day was a series of minor domestic chores helping Corleen with the cleaning and setting the table for the evening meal.
An hour before the men were due home, Corleen brought her up to the master bedroom and opened a chest, lifting a gown out of a silken cover. The gown was covered with beads, shells and gemstones.
“Oh, Corleen, it’s beautiful.”
“With every pregnancy, I worked on this gown, hoping for a little girl and putting it away when my sons arrived.” Corleen stroked the detailed work on the gown. “It would please me very much if you wore it to the event this evening.”
“Are you sure?” Cynthia wasn’t positive if wearing an Introduction gown was a good idea.
“I am. Mercuros is hauling Garo to the Introduction tonight. He will have to face men fawning over you and deal with whatever feelings that brings up.”
What Corleen was suggesting was one of the oldest ploys used by women—jealousy. The flaw in her plan was that if Garo found another woman to his liking, he could form an attachment and the new female might worm her way into his dreams. It was a risky venture, but she could always look around for a suitable substitute if Garo wandered off with another. Livin would probably be able to adapt to another great grandfather. Cynthia snorted to herself. Yeah right.
When she had removed all her clothing at Corleen’s insistence, the Introduction gown was dropped right over her head to settle in heavy waves around her body.
There were tears in the elder Drai’s eyes as she settled the gown around Cynthia’s body. “You look lovely.”
Cynthia took Corleen’s hands in her own. “Thank you again, Corleen. I know how much this gown means.”
Corleen’s eyes were shining with tears. “I know you do. I want to beat my stubborn son on the head, but if we can bring him to his senses, it will be good start. Let’s take this one phase at a time.”
“I am willing to go on the attack if you are, but one day, you will have to tell me why you have trusted me before you even met me.”
Cynthia grunted as Corleen gave her a hug.
“I will explain it one day but not until you are a member of the family.” The wink that Corleen gave her hinted at secrets that had Cynthia afire with curiosity. “Now, let’s go down for dinner. I am sure that the boys are home by now.”
Grinning and moving carefully in her new gown, Cynthia stepped into the matching slippers and followed her hostess downstairs and took her seat at the table while Vikkar and Neral put the dishes on the table.
Mercuros stared and Garo glared at her gown. Garrik simply kissed his wife and gave her a hug before joining his elder sons and their guest at the table.
When they were all seated, they had a moment of silence before engaging in the family dinner. As was the custom in most Drai houses, the unwed sons lived with their parents and helped out with the housekeeping until the day that they completed their own homes. The real estate market on Drai was strictly a venue for raw properties. Each Draikyn male built or designed his own home. It was up to him to provide for his mate and part of the ritual that a female liked the completed home. Until she gave the home he had built her seal of approval, they were not mated for life.
As they began eating, Cynthia took a great deal of care to keep the slit sleeves of the gown out of her plate.
Garo barely touched his meal. He was too busy glaring at her.
When Corleen announced, “I am taking Cynthia to the Introduction tonight,” the table went completely silent.
Mercuros looked amused. “That seems like a sudden decision.”
Garo kept glaring.
Corleen smiled, “Well, she is not mated and there may be a male out there who will accept her for what she is. That would give her a bit more stability on Drai as well as a home of her own. I love having her here, but I am sure she would prefer to be the queen of her own domain.”
Mercuros looked at her and propped his chin on his hand. “Can you cook?”
She gestured to the meal, all her handiwork today. “You tell me.”
Mercuros waggled his eyebrows at her. “Save me a dance.”
A genuine smile formed on her face. “I will. Thank you.”
Corleen looked pleased and the rest of the meal continued pleasantly. It remained pleasant, because Cynthia ignored the dark cloud of displeasure that was emanating from Garo. As long as she ignored him, she was able to have a very enjoyable meal.
With the Introduction looming ahead of her, it was all she could do to act as if nothing was going to happen, but this moment was pivotal in her life and it would decide if she could live the life she had read about or would have to start from scratch.
It was enough to make her skip dessert.
Chapter Six
Introductions were monthly events held in an effort to introduce single Drai women to single Drai men. As Cynthia took a few timid steps into the hall, several of the occupants turned to stare at her. Many of the stares turned to glares, but some of the female faces wore smiles.
The women arrived first and got comfortable and the men arrived half an hour later via the large hole in the roof. Their landing in the hall was a show of physical capability. Their wings could slow their descent in a confined space and they could land on a set target.
As soon as the first male arrived, the women were locked in. They could leave at midnight but not before. Being trapped, it meant that the only way they could leave was to fly out and since the women did not have wings, they had to depend on someone else to carry them out through the opening in the hall ceiling.
Corleen took her by the hand and stood at her side as she was introduced to a numbe
r of matrons. They greeted her warily, but when she saw a friendly face closer to her own age, she was relieved. Marli Naxis was a pleasant brunette with an open face and a welcoming attitude.
“Cynthia, you must tell me of some of the worlds you have visited.” Marli tucked her arm around Cynthia’s and walked her over to the punch table.
“Which ones?” Cynthia didn’t know where to start. She had spent three years learning the history of most of the worlds she had touched just for this kind of moment.
“Where did you study?”
Whew, that was easy. “I began my studies at the Alliance Archive. It is an entire world full of researchers, students and the history of all linked planets.”
More questions followed and while Cynthia kept her mind on the histories of a thousand years before she had been born, Marli was fascinated.
Vanya was another woman who was interested in anything to do with off world and so were several others.
Cynthia found herself in the centre of a clutch of women with eager minds and no daily outlet for that curiosity.
When the men began to drop out of the sky, the Terran song It’s Raining Men ran through Cynthia’s head. She stifled her amusement as the Drai males entered the room and the entire mood changed.
Women preened, smiled and flirted like mad and Cynthia couldn’t blame them. Drai males had to be in top physical shape in order to fly and it made for very impressive torsos.
In Drai tradition, the men were wearing trousers, boots and a sash around their waist. Their upper bodies were bare and Cynthia couldn’t really complain. The skin hues of the Drai ran between light oak and the darkest mahogany with a rare few who were coloured as solid midnight. All in all, it was a lovely view.
Many of the males had their females in mind and immediately made beelines for them, but several others began to mix and mingle in the crowd, flirting outrageously with the matrons in an effort to gain proximity to the younger women.
Marli and Vanya spread slightly apart, inviting the less confident of the males to make a move.
Cynthia had to ask, “Is this normal?”
Marli laughed. “As normal as it can be when you have to wait for the males to make the first move.”
One of the males in question made his way to their trio. To Cynthia’s shock, he came directly to her.
“Ah, so you are the alien who fell from the sky and only days later standing here in an Introduction gown. You work very fast.” He grinned. “I like that.”
She blinked in surprise. A blush quickly worked its way onto her cheeks as he used his wings to move her companions aside. A few of the other males were doing the same as they found likely females and her new friends took this in stride.
“I am not doing anything. My host is insisting that I immerse myself in Drai culture. This was simply one way to do so.”
“A fascinating way to do it. May I offer my assistance in your acclimatization? There are many sights to see here in the capitol.” He raised his brow and his grin was quite engaging.
He stumbled to one side as another male shoved him. Mercuros grinned at her and bowed low. “I believe that you promised me this dance, Cynthia.”
She extended her hand to his, “I believe I did.”
He pulled her away from the more predatory male and hauled her toward the dance area where other couples were moving slowly to the music.
Mercuros pulled her against him and smiled down at her. “You should be careful. Males like Argus are dangerous if a woman tries to say no.”
They swayed to the music and she ignored the light brush of his erection against her belly. “Are you sure that he was going to try something?”
“You are not one of us, there is no family protecting you. I am afraid that if you allow yourself to be distracted by some clever flirtation, you will find yourself in danger.” His hand on her lower back pressed her against him and the concern in his face belied the arousal that was starting inside her.
She was speechless. He was so close to the man she had been dreaming of for the last decade, but a thousand miles apart in her heart. Mercuros seemed to want her, her body had no objections and time was ticking onward to begin her family line.
Cynthia mentally slapped herself. He was not for her. He was Vikki’s and she had to convince him and more than a dozen others to leave Drai and sleep for a thousand years.
She was about to pull away when he was ripped from her by an irate Garo.
Cynthia watched as they stared at each other and spoke in low snarls. It seemed that while Garo didn’t want her, he didn’t want Mercuros to have her either. She turned to leave the dance floor and was spun back against a masculine form.
Garo scowled down at her. “Why are you here?”
“Your mother brought me. If you don’t want me, there is no reason that I should live my life alone.” Her voice was quiet, but her body was singing in relief at the contact.
A few couples ceased their slow movements on the dance floor as Garo and Cynthia cruised around in complete synch.
“It isn’t that I don’t want you. I simply know it is not in my people’s best interest to have you.”
Her words were a whisper of sound, “Then let me go.”
He groaned and pressed his forehead against hers. “I can’t.”
They danced together and when the music paused, they separated. She felt like crying as she returned to Vanya’s side.
“It is Garo then?” Vanya’s whisper was amused.
“Unfortunately. He doesn’t want me though.” Saying it out loud made it more real and a tear tracked down her cheek.
Vanya put an arm around her shoulders and took her to the ladies withdrawing room.
“Cynthia, you mustn’t put all your hopes and dreams into one male. Our folks have a connection to their mates, but no one is expecting you to have the same.” Vanya held her hand while she sobbed.
The pleasantly appointed room had couches in the sitting area, mirrored vanity seats and a lav.
Vanya waved off three women who tried to enter the room and Cynthia was grateful. “I am sorry for such an undignified display.”
“You are not the first to have fixated on the wrong man, you won’t be the last. This room gets used for this purpose frequently.”
As if her words were prophecy, another woman and a friend came in, one in tears and the other consoling.
Cynthia sniffled and straightened. “I know you are right, but I can’t help the way I feel. My family always believed in love at first sight.”
Vanya suddenly looked curious. “What happened to them?”
Cynthia smiled sadly. “They stayed home and I left to see the stars. I wait for the day that I don’t regret my decision. It hasn’t happened yet.”
Vanya patted her hand. “It will happen. You will meet the man for you, see your future in his eyes and nothing will matter but the two of you.”
She smiled. “Is that what you are waiting for?”
“Yes, and if it doesn’t happen, I will find a man I can like and it will grow into love.”
A ripple of shock ran through Cynthia. “I thought you only mated if you dreamed of your partner.”
Vanya laughed, “That only happens in twenty-five percent of cases. It is a lovely conceit, but our instincts are no better than any others for most of our population.”
Understanding as to one of the greatest mysteries in Drai history suddenly became clear. If they rejected that their instincts drove them to mate off world, it was no wonder that their genes were slowly cutting off their ability to shift.
The dreaming practice had driven them to diversify their genes and their government was taking pains to keep all Drai grounded. With no way to seek out the mates hidden in the stars, the flying dragons would soon be no more.
Cynthia repaired the damage left by her crying jag and straightened her shoulders. She smiled brightly, “Let’s go and test my odds.”
Vanya’s bright grin and the thumbs-up from the other
woman who was recovering her composure was all the encouragement she needed. It was time to face the dragons in their den and hopefully find one who wanted to craft a future with her.
If she couldn’t have the one that she wanted, she would have to pick one that wanted her.
Chapter Seven
Bylos was an attractive Drai male with lovely dark gold skin, eyes and a dark shock of hair. He smiled as they discussed local weather, moving closer to her with every sentence. She could feel his sexual interest coming off him in waves, but she ignored it as she concentrated on having a pleasant evening. Flirting with an interested partner did wonders for her ego, especially with Garo scowling and watching from the corner.
“So, what are the moons called, Bylos?” She didn’t touch him. Vanya had warned her that a small gesture would be interpreted as permission to let their hands roam free.
“Ekan and Ilosa are already up, the lover moons. Heki will rise just before dawn.” Bylos was so close she could feel his body heat. “There is a much better view of the moons from the sky above the city. Do you wish to take a short flight?”
There was no chance to answer him, Garo grabbed him by the shoulder, swung Bylos around and ploughed his fist into the other Draikyn’s face.
Bylos fell to his back and the crunching of his nose was highly audible in the silence that fell as Garo snarled and kept pounding at him until Mercuros and another male pulled him off.
He shook himself free and turned to Cynthia. Without a word, he wrapped her in his arms and leapt straight up. His wings scooped air frantically until they were free of the Introduction hall. Once out under the moonlight, he flew eastward without another word.
She could feel the tension in his body as well as the eager acceptance of her own. Whatever she was in for, it would be the start to something new and any progress was a good thing…she hoped.
Just having his arms around her sent her heart pounding in a heady beat. His limbs held her tightly against his body and she could feel the shift in muscle as his wings pulsed and scooped the night air.
