Craved By the Dragon Warlord (Fated Mates of the Sarkarnii Warlords #6)

Lydia

I stare down at my comm, the mobile phone-like device all the humans in the Sarkarnii settlement on their planet, Vorostor, have.

Maggie has just sent something super crude to the group chat. I’d have thought finally settling down with her mate, the big, dark, and dangerous Sarkarnii warlord Driok and, with a baby on the way, she might have also decided to tone it down.

Some hope.

Maggie even threatened to send me all the photos she’s taken with her comm of Sarkarnii bottoms. In the end, I think she might have deleted them and replaced them with photos of Driok’s bottom. Or at least, I have my fingers crossed this happened and I no longer need to fear them.

I try not to look at all the bare bottoms on display everywhere I go on this alien planet. Depending on where I’m living, many of these alien warriors, who can turn into dragons, eschew pants. Especially in Dante’s sector. I feel like I need to go around blindfolded half the time.

Fortunately, for the time being, I’m staying with my friend Kerra and her Sarkarnii mate Darax, and his warriors tend to wear pants.

I still get exposed to a lot of scaly skin and washboard abs (these alien males are acres of perfectly sculpted muscle which would make the Ancient Greeks weep), but I can avoid the buttocks if I wish.

Darax’s sector is probably a little too fancy for me.

But I find the other warlords scary, or rather scarier, given they are large and can turn into dragons whenever they like, and as much as I love my friends who have matched with each terrifying warlord, I can’t quite bring myself to live with them.

And as the only human female who hasn’t found a Sarkarnii, I have to live somewhere, so my choice is Darax, who doesn’t make my bowels do the fandango whenever he’s nearby.

Another glance at my comm sees Scarlett telling Maggie off. Rosalie is laughing at them all, and Gillian, our most recent addition, is attempting to make peace. All within the confines of the chat. A normal day for us.

Kerra opens a private chat with me.

Kerra

Hey hun, what are you planning today?

Nothing much. If I can find a pool without Sarkarnii in it, I might have a dip.

Kerra

Sounds great.

You could join me?

Kerra

I absolutely would love to, but the little one is being difficult and Darax needs to attend to warlord stuff so I can’t leave him with the baby.

Kerra has the cutest little Sarkarnii baby. They call them sarkarnlings, and she’s pregnant again. It would seem Sarkarnii and humans are infinitely compatible, especially as all my fellow humans are in a similar position to Kerra.

The thought makes me shudder. I can’t imagine ever being a mum. I know I’d be useless at it.

Kerra

But how about you join us for dinner rather than hiding away in your quarters?

I bristle a little at the suggestion I hide anywhere. I mean, I do, but I don’t want it pointed out.

That sounds nice. I’d like that.

Kerra

It’s a date! Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!

She closes the chat window.

Like I’d ever do anything Kerra wouldn’t do. She’s adventure personified, whereas I identify as a mouse. A really, really small mouse.

I wish it was different, especially as being small and unnoticed hasn’t exactly helped me in life.

I’d love to be as strong as Kerra or Rosalie or Maggie.

I’m not even going to mention Gillian. She showed me a few of her mixed martial arts moves, and I was so scared I burst into tears. She’s so strong and I am…not.

With a sigh, I look around my quarters. There’s the depression in the center where I sleep and, according to my friends, the Sarkarnii like sleep in their dragon form, which is why the thing is rounded, to accommodate their great bulk.

There’s a bathroom to the rear, and above me there are sky lights which have shields over the top I can open or close.

I’m always worried something might look in, so mostly I have them closed.

It is quite lonely, but I don’t mind lonely so much.

Nothing to give me a scare or to send my heart racing and adrenaline rushing through my veins.

No loud noises or voices. It’s generally pleasant.

But, on occasions, I miss living with my friends.

Maybe today is the day I go out and don’t actively run away from the Sarkarnii warriors I share my air with.

Having made a decision and before I change my mind, I put my things in a bag and march out of my quarters. Once in the passage outside, there is the sound of Sarkarnii voices, and I very, very nearly retreat. But today I am not going to let my mouse win.

Today I am going to let her roar instead. Probably.

I set off to the pools with a renewed determination, one which comes screeching to a sudden halt when I’m faced with two great big Sarkarnii warriors who regard me with interest.

“Are you here to use the aquiums?” one of them says. He has purple and blue scales which have an iridescent pink hue to them.

His friend, who has red scales with a gold sheen, bares his fangs. I think he might be trying to smile, but I’m not sure and I shrink against the wall.

“Y…yes.” I stumble over the tiny word.

“They’re busy, little one,” the red Sarkarnii says. “Too busy for you. You’ll likely end up squashed.”

“Oh.”

“There’s another one, one most of us don’t use because it is small,” the purple Sarkarnii says. “But it would be the perfect size for your little form.”

The thing about the Sarkarnii is, if they’re not attracted to you, then they literally don’t have any interest at all.

A human man might have his gaze rake over me, but the warrior simply gazes at my face, his head cocked a little on one side, like an inquisitive puppy.

He has no interest in me or my body or anything other than being helpful.

“It is. The aquium will be empty for you, female.” The red one bares his fangs again.

He is definitely trying to smile and not being great at it.

“Which way?” I force out the words.

“That way,” Purple Sarkarnii says, pointing vaguely with his finger at the other side of the large atrium filled with vegetation. “It’s not far. You can’t miss it.”

I don’t ask any further questions, instead thankfully my legs are moving swiftly, carrying me away from this interaction and away from any more Sarkarnii fang-filled smiles.

My desire to visit the pool, or the aquium as they call them, has diminished, but I don’t want to go back, I can’t bear having to pass the warriors again. It looks like I’m going to have to see my trip through to the end.