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

Chapter 10

TEN

Cyprian

The beginning of a new cycle brought no solace to the storm brewing inside Cyprian. Anxiety licked at his nerves like fire. He had barely rested, his mind too consumed with the details of Fivra’s escape. Every contingency, every obstacle ran circles in his thoughts. At this cycle’s start, he’d planned to finalize arrangements with Kaelen and secure her passage aboard one of Kaelen’s courier ships. It was a delicate operation that required precision and silence. The rogue planet Kaelen called home was hidden well enough, but for all of Cyprian’s assurances to Fivra, this plan wasn’t foolproof.

He stood in his office, about to signal Glivar to complete the plan, when the sleek gold comm panel embedded in the far wall emitted a deep, ominous hum. Cyprian’s head whipped toward the source of the noise. Every instinct in his body went still and sharp as his wings slowly flared out behind him. The light on the panel flickered, then blinked steadily.

An incoming signal.

Not just any signal—an Axis transmission. Even before the blinking gold light turned crimson, signaling its authority level, Cyprian knew. Tension coiled deep in his stomach. The sensation was so thick, he placed a hand on his churning gut.

“Director Cyprian Dek’lak,” the synthesized voice sounded from the panel’s built-in speaker. Smooth, soulless. As clinical and cold as the faceless entity it represented. “Prepare for inspection. An Axis representative will arrive within three liks .”

“Inspection?” Cyprian played at raising his brow slightly. His demeanor stayed calm, even though his insides were a storm. “We received no prior notice. Shall I inquire with the central office to confirm this visit?”

The voice clipped into a low register, as though offended by the suggestion. “The Axis does not schedule inspections according to its employee convenience, Director. Prepare your facility for assessment or expect repercussions for noncompliance.”

The transmission cut abruptly, leaving silence ringing in its wake.

Cyprian stood frozen, his mind racing faster than it had before. His silver eyes locked on the crimson panel light as if expecting it to burst into flames. He turned swiftly toward the door. “Glivar,” he called sharply through the comm-link embedded in his desk, his voice brooking no argument.

Glivar’s gruff reply was immediate. “Boss?”

“Get to my office. Now,” Cyprian commanded before cutting the channel. He didn’t need to explain further. The urgency in his voice said it all.

His wings twitched as he strode across the room. His hands clenched into fists. An unannounced Axis visit was bad enough under normal circumstances, but now? With Fivra still on the station? It was a catastrophe in the works.

A moment later, the door slid open with a hiss and Glivar lumbered in. His green face was already set in a frown. “What happened?” he asked, his deep voice laced with concern.

“The Axis is sending an agent for a surprise inspection,” Cyprian said bluntly. “They’ll be here in three liks or less.”

Glivar’s eyes widened. “That doesn’t give us much time.”

“That is the idea,” Cyprian said, his tone sharp. “We need to assume they’re coming for Fivra. It wouldn’t have been hard to track her through the auction to you, to Erovik. At the very least, they will ask questions. At most, they’ll take her.” His silver gaze bored into Glivar. “We need to hide her. Now.”

“You want me to stash her in one of the lower levels?” Glivar suggested, though his tone was uncertain. “The sub-suites are off-record. Only essential staff can access them.”

“It’s too risky if they decide to scan the entire station,” Cyprian said, shaking his head. “The Axis aren’t likely to accept a simple tour. They’ll dig until they’re satisfied—or until they confirm what they’re looking for.”

“Then what do we do?” Glivar asked, his voice a low growl. “We can’t just hand her over.”

“I’ll die before I let that happen,” Cyprian said darkly, his wings flaring slightly in response to his rising anger.

“Boss,” Glivar said, lowering his voice. “I know you’re in lo—I mean, I know you have feelings for the Terian, but you need to be smart about this. The Axis doesn’t lose. If they find out we’re hiding her, they’ll tear Erovik apart piece by piece. They won’t just take her; they’ll make an example out of all of us.”

Cyprian’s claws extended involuntarily, the tension in his body sparking his dragon instincts. He knew what Glivar had been about to say—that he was in love with Fivra, and he wasn’t sure about that. He’d never been in love, but he’d also never felt like this before. His gaze darkened as the unflinching reality of Glivar’s words settled heavily on him. He knew what the Axis was capable of. He had seen their ruthlessness before.

“That’s why we don’t let them find her,” Cyprian said firmly, his voice razor-edged. “She needs to disappear before they arrive. We don’t have the luxury of options anymore.”

Glivar’s broad shoulders slumped slightly as he ran a hand over his scarred scalp. “You’re sure that smuggler friend of yours—Kaelen—can be trusted?”

Cyprian’s wings twitched. “Yes. He owes me, and he’s too pragmatic to get sentimental or sloppy. If anyone can keep her out of Axis hands, it’s him.”

“How do we get her to him without getting flagged?” Glivar challenged, his skepticism tempered by the urgency of the situation. “The Axis will have eyes on any ship leaving the station before the inspection. That means the space docks and hangars, too.”

Cyprian’s mind raced. Each thought scrambled to invent a workable plan. “The maintenance sector,” Cyprian mused, his voice cold and calculating. His wings were folded tightly against his back as he paced. “The emergency breach tunnels aren’t on any official Axis schematics and they run well below the lower levels, where the scanners would not reach. We could keep her there, hidden, until the inspection is over.”

Glivar’s brows knit together in a dubious scowl. “The breach tunnels? They’re part of the waste systems, boss. It’s a forsaken pit. Smells worse than a Gurvok’s armpit.”

“I don’t care about the ambiance, Glivar,” Cyprian snapped, his patience thinning. “It’s isolated, secure, and impossible for anyone to wander into by accident.”

Glivar sighed, his thick fingers rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Boss, the maintenance sector might be secure, but you’re asking to stash a delicate Terian female in the fekking waste tunnels. They’re completely dark, and I may add, not lacking in life forms. The Axis may not get her, but there are creatures down there that will.”

Cyprian winced. He wasn’t aware of the state of the breach tunnels, but then again, it wasn’t his role to be. Glivar handled much of the management of the facility and if he thought the tunnels were a threat to Fivra, she wouldn’t go there. Cyprian exhaled sharply through his nose, irritation and guilt simmering beneath the surface. “Do you have a better suggestion?”

Glivar raised a hand to stall Cyprian’s growing tension. “Actually, yes. The courtias .”

Cyprian froze mid-step, turning his silver eyes on his assistant. “The courtias ?” His voice was skeptical, but a flicker of curiosity crept in. “Explain.”

Glivar straightened. “Look, they’re good at keeping secrets. Most of them would rather let their tongues get severed than betray one of us. And they already know how to work with clients who have too much power for their own good. We talk to Siku and Viparia. Siku’s sharp as a blade, and she can keep the rest of the courtias in line if they get curious. I know for a fact that Viparia’s wardrobe has a scan suppressor inside it to hide her true wealth. Between the two of them, they can make sure Fivra stays hidden right under the Axis’ noses.”

Cyprian’s wings flexed slightly, tension coiling in him as he considered the suggestion. “You want me to involve courtias in this? They already have enough to deal with.”

“Yeah, and so do we,” Glivar countered. “Hiding her in the tunnels risks her losing her fekking mind and getting hurt, and the Axis might still scrutinize high-level maintenance zones. But the courtias ’ private quarters? No one from the Axis would dare compromise client confidentiality. They might audit the station as a whole, but they won’t do anything to lose our high-paying patrons.”

It was a compelling argument, and Cyprian already felt the plan clicking into place in his mind. The private suites of the courtias were sacred ground. They operated under an unspoken rule of secrecy in Erovik. No one intruded there without explicit permission, not even Cyprian. It was part of why courtias chose to stay at Erovik even after completing their contracts. It was their sanctuary, their domain. And if the Axis representatives were as arrogant as he suspected, they would avoid violating those boundaries unless absolutely necessary.

Cyprian’s jaw tightened. “Viparia hates the Axis. I think she would help.”

Glivar tilted his head slightly, his arms crossing over his thick chest. “I think Viparia has a soft spot for the little Terian. The courtias have had your back before. Siku’s like ice—nothing shakes her—and she’s clever enough to keep her mouth shut if pressed. And Viparia would bite an Axis agent for fun, then demand payment from him for it.”

Cyprian let out a low growl, pacing again as he considered the plan. It wasn’t ideal. There was too much at stake, too many variables. But Glivar was right: the courtias knew the game they were playing, and they excelled at it. Viparia’s quarters were the most untouchable place in Erovik. If pushed, she could be a formidable ally.

“Fine,” Cyprian said finally, his tone clipped but resolute. “I’ll speak to Siku and Viparia first. They will need to understand exactly what’s at stake. If even one of them breathes a word of this to the wrong person—”

“They won’t,” Glivar cut him off, his voice firm. “They’re loyal to you, boss. You treat them better than most would, and they know it. They won’t jeopardize the sanctuary you’ve built here.”

Cyprian nodded slowly, though the weight of the situation still pressed heavily on his chest. “Bring Viparia and Siku to my office now. The inspection starts in less than three liks , and I want Fivra hidden before the Axis so much as sets one foot aboard this station.”

Glivar gave a curt nod and turned to leave, but hesitated at the door. “Boss…you sure about this female? It’s not just your reputation on the line. If this goes wrong, the Axis could burn Erovik to the ground.”

Cyprian’s silver eyes glinted with determination, his expression carved from stone. He knew what Glivar was asking of him. He heard the question threaded through his second-in-command’s words. What did Fivra mean to him? He didn’t even have the words to describe that, yet. Still, too much was at stake to not give an answer. He closed his eyes and spoke, letting the words flow, uninhibited by doubts, or fears, or the very real possibility that Fivra would reject him. “She is mine. My dragon fire burns for her. I—I was planning on paying off her contract and asking her if she would stay here. With me. As my mate.” He pulled in a shaky breath, reeling from the relief he felt at acknowledging the truth. “If the Axis wish to play with fire, I’ll make sure they get burned first.”

Glivar nodded once and left without another word, the door hissing shut behind him. Cyprian turned back to his desk, his claws tapping on its surface as he tried to focus on the plan.

The courtias were his best option, and for now, his only option, but he couldn’t shake the unease brewing inside him. He had spent cycles building this place, ensuring it ran smoothly, thriving even under the shadow of the Axis. Now, in the span of a few cycles, all of it had been thrown into chaos because of one terrified, breathtakingly defiant female.

And yet, as he thought of Fivra—her determination to protect her friends, her despair at learning the truth about her home, and the passion in her kiss—he knew there was no alternative. He’d burn the stars themselves if it meant keeping her safe.

A sharp knock interrupted his thoughts, and the door opened to reveal Siku and Viparia, their contrasting presences filling the room. Siku’s icy elegance and Viparia’s raw sensual energy couldn’t have been more different, yet they both carried an air of confidence and composure that Cyprian deeply respected. They stepped inside, their gazes sharp and inquisitive, though markedly different in their approach.

“An unannounced summons? I thought VIPs only got that treatment,” Viparia said with a feline smirk, crossing her arms beneath her lower pair of breasts. “Are we being accused of something scandalous?”

Siku tilted her head, her gaze narrowing as she studied Cyprian’s face. “You look troubled,” she stated, her tone cool but probing. “This isn’t about client behavior, is it?”

Cyprian got straight to the point. Time was of the essence. “Axis agents are coming for an inspection.”

Siku’s pupils shifted subtly, the slits narrowing in what could only be described as controlled alarm. “Inspection? That’s unlike them. We usually get advance notice when they come to nitpick their gilded operations.”

“Exactly,” Cyprian replied. “Which means this has nothing to do with routine assessments. They’re looking for something—or someone.”

Viparia’s smirk evaporated, replaced by a serious expression. “Fivra,” she said, her voice uncharacteristically low. Her arms dropped, and her hands settled on her generous hips. “They’re coming for the Terian. That poor little creature. What do they want with her?”

Cyprian inclined his head. His wings gave a slight twitch as his frustration spilled out. “It’s a very long, complicated story, which I don’t have time to tell right now. I need your help to keep her hidden. At least until the inspection is over and I can get her off the station.”

Siku exchanged a glance with Viparia. Her cool demeanor was unchanged, but her focus was razor-sharp. “Why would we take that risk?”

Cyprian’s silver gaze swept between the two courtias , his jaw tightening. “She isn’t just some fragile newcomer. She’s part of something bigger, something the Axis doesn’t want us—or anyone else—learning about.” He waved a hand. Fek it . “Also, I love her. So there’s that.”

Viparia’s lips swung upward. “At last. The director has fallen. I knew it would happen one day.” Then, remembering something baffling, her brows snapped together. “But, Cyprian, she has no breasts .”

“Yes, she does,” he replied testily. “But that isn’t the point here, is it? Will you hide her or not?”

Viparia’s lips pressed into a coy line. Her usual playfulness was nowhere to be found. “We’d be deceiving the Axis,” she said, tapping her lower lip. “It’s risky, but then again, I do enjoy a bit of excitement. And if it means denying the fekking Axis something they want, I’m intrigued.”

Siku’s thin brows furrowed, and her cool gaze settled on Cyprian. “Hiding her in Viparia’s private suite would be the safest place, but the other courtias will need to be brought in line—subtly—and quickly.”

Cyprian nodded. He’d expected this reaction from Siku. Her pragmatic approach was one of her greatest strengths. “Tell the courtias to inform the inspectors that Fivra didn’t work out. That she was sent away somewhere. Keep it vague. Can you ensure their cooperation without raising suspicion?”

Siku tilted her head thoughtfully. “The other courtias trust Vipa and me, and more importantly, they respect the sanctuary we have here. As long as they don’t have to spin any elaborate lies, they’ll say they don’t know where she is.”

“Good,” Cyprian said firmly. His gaze shifted to Viparia. “And you?”

Viparia’s mouth curled back into its mischievous smirk as she leaned casually against the edge of Cyprian’s desk. “Oh, you don’t even need to ask, darling,” she purred. Viparia’s expression shifted from playful to predatory. Her golden eyes gleamed with dark delight. “Let the Axis send their inspectors. I’ll hide her in my wardrobe, which can’t be scanned. I’ll give them such a show, they’ll be too flustered to find their own tails, let alone a hidden Terian.”