by S. E. Smith
Mate. I feel mate. Close. Mate is close, his dragon snarled, clawing and stretching.
Carmen is not ours, he snapped. Now, down.
Mate close, his dragon rumbled as it crouched.
Goddess, help me, Cree thought as he felt the barely suppressed violence hovering inside him.
Earlier, he had tried to trick Carmen into thinking he was Calo in an effort to distract both him and his dragon. Even his symbiot was becoming more erratic in its behavior. He knew his brother was having just as much difficulty in dealing with the loneliness and need burning a hole through their carefully constructed defenses.
He wondered if this is what Barrack and Brogan had felt before they lost control. The dragon’s desire and need for a mate balanced a warrior; without one, that delicate balance shifted until the dragon eventually became so tormented, insanity overcame it. Barrack’s words haunted him as he remembered the warrior saying that there had never been a true mate for a set of Twin Dragons. No female could handle two alpha warriors in their prime at the same time, much less their dragons.
He had hoped that if he got into a sparring match with Carmen he could at least enjoy a brief reprieve, but she had known immediately that he wasn’t Calo. Both he and his brother were still trying to figure out how Carmen could tell them apart. Only their mother could do that and there were times when they were younger they could trick her, not often, but every once in a while.
Dragon’s Balls, not even Father can tell us apart! Cree thought in frustration.
He had been less than thrilled when Creon informed him that he was to escort Carmen down to the two humans that had been found on the abandon Antrox mine. He was not in the mood to deal with them and Carmen’s sarcastic wit right now. What he needed was a new war to break out. That would be better than dealing with more humans.
He had heard stories of them. The fact that Mel had attacked two warriors this morning for simply walking into the repair bay just showed how unstable he was. With his dragon on the verge of violence anyway, he would be lucky he didn’t kill the child. It wasn’t helping that Carmen was arguing about insisting she go into the repair bay first.
“You are under my protection,” he said firmly. “Creon said as much.”
“Whatever,” Carmen replied, as she slapped her hand over the control panel. “If it makes your big-boy britches feel better, be my guest. I can always drag your ass out if you get hurt.”
Cree gritted his teeth. “I would like to show you my…” he started to say, flexing his fingers as the words started to tumble out. “What I mean is…”
“Go on. I know exactly what you were going to say,” she chuckled.
Cree could feel the heat rise in his cheeks. He wasn’t sure if it was from his temper or from embarrassment. His dragon, sensing he was weakening, tried to push up against his control again. He could feel the scales ripple across his back under his shirt. Afraid to open his mouth and respond, he just shook his head at Carmen before he stepped cautiously into the small repair bay.
“Old man,” he called out in a loud voice. “Old man, I’ve brought Lady Carmen to see you and the boy.” He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the old man step out of the office area and nod to him. His eyes suspiciously swept the area when Mel didn’t follow him. “I don’t see the boy. Keep your eyes out. They say he isn’t right in the head.”
“I’ll make sure I squeal like a girl if I see him,” Carmen commented dryly as she walked by him. “I’m sure that will make him feel better too.”
“Smart ass,” Cree muttered under his breath.
Cree’s eyes darkened to a stormy gold when the old man moved toward them, grabbing the shovel as he did. Topaz scales rippled over his neck and cheeks at the threatening stance. He reached out to grab Carmen’s arm and pull her behind him, but she ducked and twisted before he could. Frustrated, he wanted to roar out in rage at her for putting herself in danger.
“He’s really a gentle pansy,” Carmen commented as she stretched her hand out in greeting. “My name is Carmen Walker. I’m originally from Wyoming.”
Cree watched through narrowed eyes as the man stopped a few feet in front of Carmen. The male kept a firm hold on the shovel, but had at least lowered it so it rested against his right side. A soft rumble of warning escaped him when the old man wiped his left hand down along his tattered pant leg before he slowly reached out and grasped Carmen’s hand.
“Cal Turner,” the man replied. “Me and the boy are from outside Clayton, Georgia.”
“Would you mind if we sat for a spell?” Carmen asked quietly. “Cree will be a good boy and stay by the door if it makes you more comfortable.”
“I’d like to show you—” Cree snarled, before clamping his lips tightly together.
His dragon was going nuts! It was taking everything in him not to roar out in agony as it clawed at him to get out. Something in here was driving it crazy. What surprised him the most was it was trying to pull his attention away from Carmen.
“He’s huffing and puffing, isn’t he?” Carmen asked as she started walking toward where a couple of chairs were set up outside the office. “They do that a lot, but they really are like overgrown puppy dogs.”
A rumble escaped Cree and he folded his arms across his massive chest as he glared at Carmen. He turned sharply when the door opened beside him. He was only slightly surprised when Creon’s symbiot came through the door.
This time it was in the shape of an overgrown basset hound. He had learned the name of the creature after Carmen explained it to him one day. The only difference was this time its ears were exaggerated to the point they actually dragged on the ground and it tripped over one of them.
A soft giggle broke the silence of the repair bay as the symbiot tumbled over face first. Cree felt like he had been shot through the chest with a hot spear. The sound ricocheted through him all the way to his dragon which roared out in triumph.
Mate, his dragon snarled, straining to break free. Our mate. I call to twin. We found our mate.
Chapter 6
Cree was only vaguely aware as Harvey, Carmen’s name for the symbiot, shook violently causing his big ears to fly up into the air around him before he bounded over to the slender shape of the boy half hidden behind the body of a small Pactor.
His body began to shake as he continued to stare in disbelief at the slender figure that was only partially visible. A rumble, low at first, began to grow as he responded to the figure trying to escape him. He wanted to hunt, to capture, to claim.
In the back of his mind, he knew his eyes were burning with the fire of his dragon. Topaz and black scales were rippling uncontrollably over his body. He clenched his fists by his side as he calculated how fast he could get to the half-hidden figure.
“Cree,” Carmen said sharply. “Could you please wait for me outside? I promise if I need you, I’ll call. I have Harvey with me so I feel perfectly safe.”
Cree couldn’t rip his eyes away from where Mel remained partially concealed by the Pactor. He was breathing heavily and sweat broke out on his brow as he fought for control. It was as if he was in a narrow tunnel with only one way to go.
He shook his head as he heard Carmen calling to him sharply as if from a long distance. Shock and disbelief flowed through him as he reluctantly turned to look at her. He couldn’t speak at the moment. His dragon was too close to the surface and his throat felt thick and frozen. He gave Carmen a quick, sharp nod to let her know he heard her. He had to get out of the repair bay before he totally lost control.
“Well, I guess his dragon likes Pactors,” Carmen’s voice echoed behind him as he pivoted and strode desperately out of the room.
Cree closed his eyes as he leaned back against the wall in the empty corridor and breathed deeply. He bowed his head and drew in several more deep breaths as he forced his body and dragon to come to terms with what had just happened. His eyes popped open as the realization that he had just found his true mate washed through him at the same time as a wave of dism
ay flooded him.
My true mate is a human boy? He thought in disbelief.
*.*.*
Melina watched as the huge warrior walked out the door. She didn’t realize she was holding her breath until the doors shut behind him. She had known the moment he entered. It felt just like the time she had grabbed the electric fence back home when she didn’t realize it was still turned on.
She had ducked when she saw his head turn toward her and Hobbler. The guy was huge! He had darker skin like the other males, a deep golden tan and the biggest set of muscles on his arms that she had ever seen.
His hair was long, black and pulled back from his face so that she could see his high cheekbones and the faint mark that ran around his right eye before ending at the corner. His left hand had played with the long knife at his waist as he looked around, making him even more intimidating.
She had ducked back down and tried to stay hidden so he wouldn’t know she was there as she continued to watch him. She would have been fine if the door hadn’t suddenly opened and a golden creature in the shape of a huge dog trotted in. She had been totally distracted by the floppy-eared shape. When it tripped over its enormous ears, she couldn’t suppress the giggle that escaped. It had looked so darn cute!
Of course, it had given her away when it ran over to her. Her fingers stroked the smooth, silky surface of the symbiot. She had seen a few of them before, but this was the first time she had been this close to one. She sank down as her shaking legs gave way.
“You aren’t scary at all, are you?” She whispered. “Not like that warrior that was in here.”
The golden creature rubbed up against Melina, enjoying the contact as she continued to rub her hands over its surface. Melina wondered what it was made of, and then decided some questions were better left unanswered. Instead, she just gave in to the need to feel the comfort the creature was giving her.
“He’s gone,” she added as she turned her face into the smooth surface. “He’s gone, and hopefully, I’ll never see him again.”
*.*.*
Calo ran down the corridor, skirting around a warrior pushing some equipment. His symbiot just dissolved so it could flow around the man and machine before it reformed in front of Calo. The warrior turned to stare at both of them in surprise, but Calo ignored the male.
He had felt the shock ricocheting through Cree, while his dragon and symbiot, both as much a part of Cree as he was, burst into action. He had been resting when his dragon roared out that it had found its mate. He had thought he had dreamed it until he realized he had partially shifted in the middle of his living quarters.
He rounded the last corner on the first level and saw Cree leaning back against the wall, his head hung and his eyes closed. Cree’s symbiot burst around the corner coming from the opposite direction at the same time. Both symbiots ignored them, instead they surged toward the repair bay doors.
The moment the doors opened, they both disappeared inside. Calo drew in a deep breath as Cree looked up at him with burning eyes. He opened himself to his brother, something that they had refrained from doing lately in an effort to protect each other.
Is it true? Calo demanded, stopping in front of Cree. Is it our true mate or just a desperate desire for one like Brogan and Barrack had?
Their symbiots did not react like this, Cree replied. You heard what the people of the village said, only the dragons wanted the girl in the village. Barrack lost control of his dragon. Their symbiots tried to stop them, but couldn’t without destroying everyone.
Where… where is she? Calo asked hoarsely, clenching his fists at his side.
“That’s just it,” Cree said grimly, looking at his brother in wary amusement. “Our mate is the human boy that was rescued from the Antrox mine.”
“Human?” Calo exclaimed in shock.
“Yes,” Cree said, waiting for the second word to sink in.
“Boy?” Calo asked faintly, glancing at the door as shock washed through him. “How can the Goddess give us a boy for a mate? Surely, if we were meant to have… I’ve never thought of being with a… Dragon’s balls.”
Cree chuckled bitterly. “I’ve never personally been interested in them. This is going to be...”
“Awkward,” Calo muttered, looking at the door again. “I want to meet him. I need to know for sure that… well, that he is our… true mate.”
Cree shook his head. “I could barely control my dragon. It wanted to hunt him down and capture him. Besides, Carmen ordered me out. The old man and boy do not want anyone inside with them. The boy... Mel, attacked two warriors this morning with a shovel. He, our mate, isn’t quite right in the head. To top it off, he’s mute too.”
Calo turned and fell back against the wall next to his brother. His mind was swirling in a mass of confusion. Never in his life had he ever been unsure of what to do next.
“So, what do we do now?” Calo asked, looking at Cree with dark worried eyes. “My dragon is practically purring he is so happy. I haven’t felt him like this since we were younglings.”
“We stay close to our mate,” Cree said. “We’ll try to get him to respond to us, make sure he is protected, and wait for him to grow up. Perhaps… perhaps by then, we’ll know what in the universe we are supposed to do with him.”
“Perhaps, we can work on training him,” Calo suggested. “If he is as small as you say, it might be…”
“Don’t even say it,” Cree grunted. “I’m not sure if I’m ready to think about mating with him. From the little glance I got of him, he has a lot of growing to do.”
“At least my dragon is finally happy,” Calo said glumly. “He is rubbing on me, wanting me to let him out.”
“Mine wants to chase,” Cree grumbled. “Goddess, this is not how I expected things to work out. Why? Why couldn’t we have just died in the Great War like a true warrior?”
“Because Creon would have been pissed,” Calo reminded him. “The few times one of us came close to dying, Creon said he’d hunt down our parents and tell them that we were cowards, not warriors.”
Cree frowned. “Why didn’t we just kill Creon when we had the chance?” He asked, disgruntledly.
Calo chuckled. “Because you insisted we swear our loyalty to him and the royal family for eternity, so that wasn’t an option,” he reminded his brother.
Cree glanced at Calo and scowled. “I was drunk when I made that declaration,” he snorted. “It shouldn’t have counted.”
“Well, Creon accepted and had it recorded,” Calo said, pushing off the wall and yawning. “He made sure to remind us both before every mission.”
Cree stood up and stretched next to his brother. “It still shouldn’t have counted,” he insisted. “I need to release some energy. You feel up to a little session in the training room?”
Calo glanced at the closed doors to the repair bay. “What of our mate?” He asked.
“Both Creon’s and our symbiots are in there. I think Carmen will be safe. I did not get the feeling the old man would harm her,” Cree said.
“What about our mate?” Calo asked.
Cree paused, glancing at the closed door. He closed his eyes and touched the symbiot wrapped around his wrist. Warmth, happiness, and something else flowed through it to him. He opened his eyes and looked at his brother. A slightly confused smile quirked his lips upward.
“They are with the boy,” Cree responded. “They are not leaving any time soon from the feel of it.”
“Then, I accept your challenge,” Calo laughed, lunging and slapping the back of Cree’s head. “First point to me!”
“That wasn’t fair,” Cree growled, taking off after his brother who was already jogging back down the corridor. “You’re mine, brother! Prepare to taste defeat.”
Chapter 7
Melina silently laughed as the two massive gold symbiots rolled over each other as they tried to get closer to her. The golden creatures had burst through the door shortly after the warrior had left. She had been stunned when they
ran straight for her. As soon as they did, the one that belonged to Carmen brushed up against her one last time before walking over to lay at Carmen’s feet.
Melina listened as her grandfather talked with the other woman. She was fascinated to see another human. Carmen was the first one Melina had seen in four years. The fact that Carmen was a woman made her all the more interesting, as far as Melina was concerned.
Reaching up to finger her hair, Melina noticed that it was growing longer. She liked that she wouldn’t have to cut it again. She hated having it so short, but it had been too dangerous to let it grow longer. She had been having a hard enough time concealing that she was a woman since her body suddenly decided to start blossoming. Since the Antrox abandoned the mine, though, her grandfather had not mentioned cutting it and she hadn’t said anything to remind him.
Today was also the first day she had not bound her breasts in the last two years. She blushed as she remembered how her nipples had hardened when the huge warrior came into the room. She decided it must have been a combination of the coarse material of her shirt and the cooler air of the warship. The material had rubbed against the tips, making them extremely sensitive.
She glanced over to where her Gramps and Carmen were sitting. She wished she could go over and sit with them. It had been so long since she had talked to another living creature besides her grandfather and the Pactors.
A sigh escaped her as she slid down to the floor next to a tall stack of crates. Gramps and she had talked last night about whether she should continue to act like a deranged boy. He thought it would be safer. While this species seemed to be nicer than the Antrox, they were still aliens.
“Just for a little while longer, Melina,” Gramps had said. “Once we’re back on the farm, you’ll never have to pretend you’re a boy again.”
Deep down, she knew her grandfather was right. What was a few more months compared to the last four years? Besides, she had new creatures to talk to and she could listen. It wasn’t like she had a lot of things she wanted to talk about anyway.
