Chosen by the Dragon Alien (Zarux Dragon Brides #2)

Chapter 8

EIGHT

Cyprian

Cyprian’s expression shut down. His hand curled around her arm. “We’re not having this conversation here.” He propelled her toward the exit gently enough that no one would suspect anything was amiss. Firmly enough for her not to resist.

“Here’s to new beginnings,” Pimmi declared, raising his glass as they passed.

Cyprian’s grip tightened. “Excuse our new arrival. It is time for Fivra to retire,” he said to the protests of the males. “Too much wine, I’m afraid.”

Fivra gritted her teeth, not even pretending to agree with him. Her fists clenched, but thankfully she kept quiet. Cyprian drew her down the hallway. His large frame cast a shadow that seemed to envelop her as they retreated from the party. “Fivra,” he said. “Do not speak until we are alone.”

She stumbled along on her high heels, trying to match his longer stride and failing. She tripped and lost her balance. If not for his hold on her arm, she’d be sprawled on the floor. “Must you walk so fekking fast?”

In response, he scooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder, one arm locked around the back of her thighs.

She squirmed, wriggling and causing her breasts to rub against his back. “I can walk, Cyprian.”

“Not fast enough,” he growled in reply, taking her through corridors he could navigate in his sleep, and finally ending up in his office, where he shifted her off his shoulder and onto the floor.

Cyprian studied her for a moment. She looked vastly different from the terrified bundle that had huddled on the floor the first time they met. Fists on hips, and a rolling fury that turned her eyes nearly luminous, she was a powerful, beautiful, and dangerous female.

Her gaze narrowed on the flare of his nostrils. Twin ribbons of smoke curled from them. “Is smoke coming out of your nose?” she asked.

He turned and pinned her with his own gaze, which must have looked furious, but actually was not. “Yes. I am a dragon underneath this civilized creature you see,” he explained. “And when I am upset, the dragon comes to the surface. If I am pushed too far, I become it.”

Fivra bit her lip. He could see that she had more questions about this, but now was not the time. She took a steadying breath and sat in the closest chair. “Why did that male say I was a former member of a penal colony?”

Cyprian’s wings flexed at her words. “Because you are from a penal colony.”

“And you knew this?”

“Yes.”

Her voice rose in pitch. “How did Pimmi know this?”

“The symbols on your neck.” He gestured to the 591-A that glowed blue on the skin below her ear. “They are commonly used by the Axis to mark their inmates.”

She blinked rapidly, one hand curling into the delicate fabric of her dress. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

He hesitated, weighing his words carefully. “I didn’t see how that would help with your transition here. It would give you one more thing to worry over.” He flicked a hand in her direction. “As it clearly has done.”

“So you thought it wiser that I hear it from a client at a party?”

He rubbed his face. What a mess. “I did not foresee anyone bringing it up, no. And if Pimmi hadn’t overindulged in his drink, he would not have.”

“My entire settlement…” Her gaze drifted vacantly toward the window, as if searching the stars for the one that held her planet in orbit. “We are all prisoners?”

He nodded slowly. “Yes.”

“Were we going to be released at some point?”

“It doesn’t appear so,” he replied. “I am no expert on the Axis’ colony policies, but it seems yours is generational incarceration.” Just saying those words made his gut twist. He couldn’t think of anything more cruel, more sick, than punishing generations of people until they didn’t even know they were prisoners anymore. Suffering had become their life, but they never knew why.

“What did we do?” Her voice was mostly air. “What crime did we commit to deserve—” She cut off with a choking sound and shook her head. Her shoulders rounded and her face crumpled. Tears turned her eyes to sapphires and fell down her cheeks.

And that was all he could take. His control cracked into a thousand shards. He came forward, pulled her up from the chair and dragged her into his arms. She clung to him, letting the tears fall. Her hands fisted in the front of his shirt. “Nothing,” he said just as quietly, as his wings moved forward and wrapped around her. “Nothing at all.”

“Then, why? ”

He didn’t have that answer. It was somewhere deep in the Axis’ database, with thousands of other secrets. All he could do was hold her, and a twisted part of him was fekking grateful for an excuse to do so. Her warm body curled against his, waking that hunger that always scratched just beneath the surface when she was around. He breathed in the scent of her pink hair, unable to recognize himself in the male he was when he was with her.

Long ago, he’d learned that there was no use for softer emotions. No point in trying to help people. If they were damaged, they were damaged, and the kindest thing to do was leave them alone. That was why Erovik was a place for courtias who knew what they were doing. Perhaps they were damaged, too, but they knew how to thrive in a place that played by their rules. They could earn enough credits to choose their own path.

But Fivra threw everything he thought he knew about his life, his role, into disarray. He was angry for her, for her people and for what they had endured. And more troubling, he had been desperate for a reason to take her from that party the moment she’d stepped into the room. He’d wanted to rip her away from the very clients he’d told her to socialize with.

Who did he think he was fooling? He wanted Fivra for himself—had wanted her the instant he’d laid eyes on her. Now that the time was coming when he’d be expected to share her with clients, panic was setting in. He couldn’t— absolutely could not —do it.

Cyprian held Fivra close, his mind racing as he grappled with the turmoil of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. He was supposed to be the unflappable director of Erovik, yet here he was, holding a sobbing Terian female who had just turned his entire existence on its head.

“Fivra,” he said gently, hand stroking her back in smooth, soothing circles. “I can’t change what has happened to you or your people, but I promise you this—I am doing everything in my power to find out why your people are imprisoned by the Axis. Why you were taken from your settlement and sold at that auction. There is no logical reason for someone like you to be there.”

She clung to him, her body shaking. “It makes no sense. We were just farmers. We never hurt anyone.”

He had no answers for her, and the injustice of it all made his dragon fire rise in his throat. The Axis was a formidable entity, but they were not infallible. If there was a reason for the suffering of Fivra and her people, he would find it. “I don’t know why,” he admitted, his voice a low rumble. “But I have someone looking into your settlement. I want to know who made the decision to place you in that situation and, personally, I want to know about the overseer. My past is a mystery to me, too.”

“I don’t know the overseer, but he always struck me as…lonely,” she said. “I think he would like to meet you, too.” Fivra pulled back slightly, her blue eyes filled with a mix of gratitude and desperation. “And then there are my friends who were also taken. I’m so worried about them, Cyprian.”

Cyprian’s jaw clenched. He had not forgotten about the other Terian females and fek if he could deny Fivra anything. “I will do my best to locate them. If they have been sold to clients within the station or elsewhere, I will find them. That’s all I can promise.”

A small flicker of hope ignited in her eyes. “Do you really think you can find them?”

“I have resources and contacts that stretch far beyond Hevatica Station,” he assured her. “I will use them to…inquire about your friends.”

Fivra’s fingers curled into his shirt, her gaze searching his. “Why would you do this for me?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Cyprian’s gaze held hers. The weight of his next words pressed heavily on his chest. It was a line he’d sworn never to cross, a boundary he’d carefully erected and maintained over the countless cycles he’d managed Erovik. But looking into Fivra’s tear-streaked face, he knew that line was gone. Obliterated, along with his good sense and the healthy distance he put between himself and the courtias . Fivra was not a courtia and would never be, if he had his way. This was about a connection he’d felt from the moment he’d set eyes on her face—a connection that defied logic, reason, and the very rules he’d lived by for so long.

“Fivra,” he began, evenly. “The truth is… I am drawn to you. I cannot explain it. I can’t push it away.” His eyes bore into hers with an intensity that left no room for doubt. “From the moment you entered this station, you have consumed my thoughts. I cannot tolerate the thought of you with another male. The mere thought of it—” He broke off, clenching his jaw.

Her breath hitched, the color draining from her face. “Cyprian, what are you saying?”

He took a deep breath. The walls of his office felt like they were closing in around him. “I am saying that I have feelings for you that go against every rule that governs my life and this establishment. Feelings that are forbidden for a director to have for a courtia .” His hand came up and brushed the wetness from her cheeks. His touch lingered on the softness of her skin.

Fivra stared at him, her lips parting in silent surprise. “When you kissed me…it wasn’t a test?”

A wry smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “A test? No. I couldn’t help myself from kissing you. I’d been wanting to do that since I met you, and now that I know your taste, I don’t know that I can hold back from doing it again.”

Her body trembled in his arms. What little tension remained in her melted away, leaving her soft and pliant. She licked her lips. “I don’t want you to hold back.” Her voice trembled. “I liked it.”

He groaned. “Don’t say those things.” Cyprian’s expression softened, his thumb gently tracing the curve of her cheek. “My restraint is very thin as it is.” He let out a shaky sigh. “I will keep you from the life of a courtia . I—I cannot share you.”

Fivra’s eyes searched his. “But how? The Axis—your bosses—they expect a return on their investment. They won’t just let me go.”

“I am still the director of Erovik,” he reminded her, a steely determination creeping into his tone. “I have influence and leverage. I will find a way to renegotiate your contract, to buy your freedom if necessary. There are many who owe me favors, and I am not without resources.”

She swallowed hard. “Cyprian, I’m not worth upending your life over. I’m just a—”

“You are mine .” Cyprian’s gaze was unwavering and his words more forceful than intended. In fact, he’d had no plans whatsoever to declare this to her without an inkling of her feelings for him. He cleared his throat as her eyes widened. “I will do whatever it takes to ensure your safety, even if you don’t choose to be with me in the end. The Axis has had enough influence over your life.”

Fivra’s hand came up to cover his, her touch sending a jolt of electricity through him. “I don’t know what to say. I never expected this.”

“You don’t have to say anything,” he assured her, his voice barely above a whisper. “Just know that I will fight for you, Fivra, whether you return my feelings or not.”

Cyprian’s confession hung in the air between them—a bold declaration that defied the very principles upon which Erovik was built. The silence that followed was heavy with the gravity of his words, and he watched Fivra closely, her reaction a delicate dance of shock, disbelief, and the faintest glimmer of something that looked a lot like hope.

“Fivra,” he said, his voice a low rumble that seemed to reverberate through the very core of him. “I have spent my entire existence following the rules, maintaining order, and upholding the reputation of Erovik. But from the moment I met you, something shifted within me. I cannot—and will not—stand idly by while you are subjected to a life that you neither want nor deserve.”

Her lips parted, the color slowly returning to her cheeks. “Cyprian, I… I do return your feelings.”

Cyprian’s heart thundered at Fivra’s confession. Her words ignited a fierce, possessive fire within him, a blaze that had been smoldering since the day she’d arrived at Erovik. The space between them seemed to crackle with an electric charge, drawing them together with an irresistible force.

He felt the world around them fade into insignificance as his gaze locked with hers. The vulnerability in her aqua eyes mirrored his own. A bond had formed between them. He wasn’t sure how, but he knew it was real. He lowered his head. Anticipation sent a shiver down his spine. His wings expanded, enveloping them as their breath mingled, warm and uneven.

This kiss wasn’t the gentle brush of lips like the last time. He kissed her hungrily, needy. She let out a small moan that rocked him to his toes. Silken arms slid around his neck. Fingers caressed the back of his neck and slid into his hair. Her mouth wasn’t hesitant. It was as if she’d been waiting for him to do exactly this—to break the rules and claim her.

A fusion of hunger and tenderness shattered the last remnants of his control. His mouth moved over hers with unrestrained passion, tasting the sweetness of her, learning the feel and texture of her. It had been so long—so impossibly long—since he’d touched a female, and Fivra made him ache so badly he shook with the power of his need.

Her hands found their way to his chest, gripping the fabric of his shirt as she responded with an ardor that matched his own. “Cyprian,” she breathed, and tipped her head back, offering her neck for him to kiss.

Which he did. His mouth moved over the smooth column of her throat. Her pulse throbbed there, fast and hard. The intensity of the moment threatened to consume him. His senses were awash with the intoxicating scent of her desire, the softness of her skin, and the delicate moans that escaped her throat. It was as if every touch, every caress, was a step toward either a future they were destined to share, or the edge of a cliff neither of them would come back from.

A sharp rapping on the doorframe shattered the moment, sending a jolt of alarm through Cyprian’s veins. He broke the kiss, his chest heaving as he turned his gaze toward the intrusion. Fek , he’d forgotten to close the door behind them. Glivar stood there, his meaty green hand still raised from knocking. The assistant’s gaze looked everywhere except at the sight of Fivra in Cyprian’s arms. He’d gotten an eyeful. The evidence of their intimate moment was clear.

“What is it?” Cyprian growled, his voice a low, dangerous rumble that betrayed his irritation. He couldn’t let Fivra go. There was no point in it now, anyway. Glivar had seen enough.

“Ah, boss,” Glivar stammered. “I have that information you were looking for.”

His mind spun as he carefully unwound himself from Fivra and tucked his wings back. He briefly considered sending Fivra back to her suite, but this concerned her directly. She needed to stay. Whatever Glivar had learned, she deserved to know.

“What have you found out?” Cyprian asked, cutting straight to the chase.

Glivar’s expression was serious as he passed Cyprian a slim datapad. “I’ve got a lead, but it’s vague. I accessed a network, and it seems someone has been monitoring the movements of prisoners being removed from one of the penal colonies. It doesn’t give the location of the colony, but I think you’ll find the information in the report interesting.”

Cyprian took the datapad and began reading the case on file. There it was—the mention of a “Claim of Breach” and four settlement numbers. One of them matched the settlement Fivra claimed to be from, but it was far more than he anticipated. The entry indicated insurrections in the remote penal colony. Uprisings that had led the Axis to withdraw from the region and close their contract with the client who funded the penal colony.

Cyprian leaned closer to the datapad, narrowing his focus as he read. The report was concise. It listed ships deployed, how many were lost, and the cost analysis of retaking the colony versus the time left on the contract. It was decided to abandon the colony. An addendum indicated it was believed the neighboring species on the planet would overtake and slaughter the rest of the inmates. File closed. But one line stood out to him as brightly as the glowing marks on Fivra’s neck. Apprehension and rehabilitation of Zaruxian male unsuccessful. Deleted from the system.

“ Fek ,” he breathed, letting the weight of the revelation settle over him.

“What does it say?” Fivra asked anxiously.

“Here.” He handed her the datapad absently as his thoughts raced.

She pressed it back to him, shaking her head. “I can’t read. We weren’t allowed.” Her voice held an edge of anxiety. “Please tell me what it says, Cyprian.”

“Very well.” His gaze turned to hers. “But you won’t like it.”