Chapter 1 #2
She stealthily retreated. With his attention divided, perhaps she could dart into the trees where his size would become a hindrance. He threw back his head and roared, flames shooting from him. He turned to her, his green-brown eyes full of intelligence, his wings extending from his body.
Before she took another step or sprinted for freedom, he seized her in his talons.
Frying fungus. If the dragon took to the air, she was toast.
Surprisingly, he bounded away, his feet striking the ground, instead of flying into the sky. The dragon grasped her in his claws, and his bouncy strides had her stomach writhing in distress.
He cleared the fence without breaking stride and headed for the open countryside.
They passed the Scothage cattle chewing their cud and rows of grapes.
The vegetable plots blurred as the dragon raced from the resort.
Scarlett struggled, and a growl burst from him.
She ceased her squirming to save energy.
He wasn’t flying, which meant a nearby destination.
She’d met him on Narenda and was at a loss as to how he’d discovered her whereabouts.
When she lifted her head, she spotted trees.
A furious caw blasted from overhead, and she raised her gaze skyward.
Holy frying fungus! Fear rippled through her on seeing the gigantic bird that had them in its beady sights.
“Watch out for the eagle,” she shrieked.
The dragon never slowed. If anything, he increased his pace.
Horrified, she trained her gaze on the eagle approaching with talons extended.
She’d heard Saber and Eva speak about the massive bird that’d carried them across Ione Island.
The tale grew with each telling, or so she’d thought.
This bird was as big as they’d claimed. Larger, in fact.
Why wasn’t the dragon heading for the trees?
The eagle couldn’t snatch them there.
She wrenched her gaze from impending doom to study their surroundings. Where was this dragon going? Where was he taking her?
They sprinted around a huge rock, and she gasped.
A spaceship.
Ah, that made sense. But they’d be no match for the eagle. The ship was of a size suitable for travel to Dalcon or a neighboring planet, but not for distance space travel.
They reached the spaceship with the eagle shrieking its anger from above. Lord, the bird was huge. Although he might quail at a dragon, he’d scoop her up in a comfortable beak full.
The dragon deposited her right next to the door and shunted her in encouragement when she hesitated. A tremble seized her hand as she reached for the door control.
The eagle screamed in frustration as a blast of heat prickled against her back. Finally, she coordinated her actions and struck the release. The door whizzed upward.
“Hurry, before the eagle attacks the ship.”
Impatient hands seized her by the waist and thrust her inside. The dragon-man entered and shut the door in one swift action. He deposited her in a seat on the bridge of what amounted to a cargo ship. He took possession of the other seat and pushed buttons and controls with quick efficiency.
The ship roared and lifted off. The eagle rushed them, talons extended. A visible jolt struck the bird as if it was under fire.
Her brothers.
She spied them near the trees, focusing their attack on the bird. They shrank as did the trees and the hungry eagle. Their ship blasted through the atmosphere, a bump and jolt before the view turned black and the planet of Tiraq, a pale pink from this distance, grew smaller.
Scarlett wilted in her seat, adrenaline seeping from her to leave anger and a flood of concern. Her feline liked this stupid dragon-man, although Scarlett couldn’t fathom why. He might have a hard, muscular body, but his manners were lacking. She straightened and let her temper soar free.
“What the hell? You can’t abduct me from my home. If you think I’ll fall into your arms and accept this capture, you’re deluded,” she spat.
“Capture?”
Scarlett skewered him with her glare. “Isn’t that what you’re doing right now? Kidnapping me? You researched the family business and decided to punish me for stealing precious stones from your land. Do I have it right?”
He slid her a sideways glance, and that one trifling move grabbed her attention, made her recall he wore not a stitch of clothing. With a snarl, she averted her gaze from his sexy hide.
“It’s not right, that’s all.” Instead of him, she focused on the pink planet as it diminished, and with it, her chance of rescue.
“What’s your name?”
“Can’t you cover up?” She gestured at his groin with a sniff. Unwillingly, a part of her noted the tiny scales on his cock. Her intrigued feline purred. “You go first. Your name?”
“Ransom Drake. I’m not kidnapping you.”
“Let me see.” She counted on her fingers. “You dragged me from hotel reception against my will. At our last meeting, you accused me of theft. How was I to know the stones belonged to you? You should have a sign informing visitors they’re trespassing.”
A fleeting smile curved his lips before he turned solemn and aggravating again. “I saved you from the big bird.”
Scarlett snorted. “If you hadn’t dragged me from the resort, I wouldn’t have been in danger.”
“Name?”
“Please.” Scarlett folded her arms over her chest.
He sighed. “Please tell me your name.”
“Scarlett Mitchell. If you’re not abducting me, then why the frying fungus am I on this spaceship? My brothers will come for me. They’ll hold you down while I kick your dragon butt.”
“I need your help.”
“Say what?” She gaped at him. “Ever consider advertising the position and picking from amenable candidates?”
He slapped the controls onto automatic pilot and stood. Once again, her gaze roamed his naked shoulders and tattoo. A dragon. Go figure. Given her shapeshifter status, unclothed males never fazed her, but this one pushed her discomfort button, and she wasn’t sure where to aim her eyes.
Shoulders. No.
Face. Definitely not.
Lower. Hell to the no!
Scarlett jumped out of her seat and planted her hands on her hips. “Explain.”
“If I blab to you, it will place people I care about in danger. I must find something, and once I do, my family and friends are assured of safety.”
“A quest? You’re on a quest? And you’re dragging me along? Oh, good gravy,” she muttered, aghast at his impudence. “What is wrong with the men in this sector? My brothers captured and wooed their mates. All I get is a stupid quest.”
Ransom trembled with fatigue, and he fought to conceal this weakness.
Scarlett Mitchell. Finally, he had a name for the infuriating woman who’d dared to steal precious stones from one of their collection fields.
The woman who’d filled his mind way more than she should.
Unfortunately, he had seen her in Ransom’s dreams.
That was when his life had taken a different direction. Instead of the mental torture, so painful he’d slid into a coma, the prince of the Maphra race had upped the stakes. Ransom must find and capture Scarlett Mitchell and bring her to the prince’s place of sleep.
Prince Kalim had declared it was time for the Maphra to rise and display their might. Centuries ago, they’d ruled. The prince intended to regather their splintered power and reclaim the position his forebears had vacated.
The Maphra ruler bore a bucketful of crazy, and Ransom feared he’d follow through on his threats to annihilate the dragons and the Incorporeal race who lived a peaceful existence alongside them.
He sighed. The one woman who’d impressed with her sassy attitude, her cheek, and effrontery at stealing from him. A woman who designed beautiful and distinctive jewelry to rival his own pieces. The woman his dragon claimed was their mate.
“Hey!”
While he’d been railing at his impossible situation, Scarlett had stood. She clicked her fingers, her green eyes flashing with impatience.
Ransom fought a smile. It was hard not to appreciate this mouthy woman who flaunted her capable ways. The dragon females of his acquaintance were so different. This woman reminded him of those who worked with Ry Coppersmith on the Indefatigable.
“Are you there?” Scarlett knocked her fist against his head. Not hard, but a request for his attention.
“I’ve put the ship on automatic pilot,” he said. “I’ll grab clothes before we land on Dalcon.”
“Why are we going there?”
“To get supplies before we journey to Narenda.”
She frowned. “Will you let me collect precious stones?”
“Yes.” He forced the reply past the lump in his throat. A reward that meant nothing, considering he intended to hand her over to a despot.
“Yay! Narenda has gorgeous precious stones.”
When he didn’t reply—he couldn’t, not with guilt beating him up—her frown deepened.
Not that the scowl distracted from her beauty.
With her golden skin and bright green eyes, her long black hair, and her height, she stole his breath.
This day, she wore her long hair piled on top of her head in an odd round shape.
Curiosity nudged him. “What do you call that hairstyle? I’ve never seen it before.”
“And he wants to discuss hair,” she murmured, humor flickering in her eyes. “It’s a variation of a donut-bun. Princess Layla set the fashion on Earth.”
He must’ve appeared as blank as his mind.
“Princess Layla comes from a fictional world—a movie. Entertainment on Earth, my planet of origin. My family and friends left after a virus decimated our population. I don’t suppose you’ll return me to Tiraq?”
Regret filled him, but years of practice with his father kept his expression impassive. “I require your help.”
“Why me?”
“You’re brave. Courageous. You don’t panic but use your brain instead. You have an adventurous streak, and you’re independent. Those are skills I require to help me find the lost village of the Maphra race.”
“I’m not adventurous.” She straightened her shoulders. “I weigh the pros and cons before I act.”
“From what I’ve seen, I beg to differ.” A little part of him died. Lying to her hurt. This was betrayal. This quest, as she called it, would not end well for her. Him neither, since the guilt and fear would remain for life.
They stared at each other.
Scarlett broke first. “Do you have a map? X marks the spot.”
“Your talk is peculiar.”
She flapped her hand in dismissal. “Yeah. Yeah. I’ve heard that before. You’re the one who’s talking weird. I’m speaking the King’s New Zealand English. Never mind. A map. Do you have one?”
“You can study it while I dress.” Ransom struggled with a yawn and failed.
“Why do you get so fatigued?”
“I’ve been sick,” he said, striving for honesty in at least part of this partnership. Admiration for her intelligence filled him, propelling him to give her more. “A coma.”
Perhaps if he confessed the truth, she might help him win against Prince Kalim. No, that’d place her in greater danger. His people too. It was best to keep the facts to himself.
“What happened to you?”
“A crash in the mountains. My pilot broke his leg. I injured my head and fell unconscious.”
“And you’re healthy now? Apart from your fatigue?”
“My mind functions as it used to,” he stated. “I’ll get the map. We can discuss our journey once I’m clothed.”
“Your body is fine,” she stated and accepted the map he’d drawn from the details relayed to him by Prince Kalim. “You look better since you’ve gained weight, but you’re still too thin.”
A spurt of pleasure shot through him. He turned away and found himself swaggering.
By the gods! He schooled his thoughts to obedience since he never knew when Prince Kalim might make contact.
The man loved to screw with him, keeping him off balance by pouncing into his mind.
Lately, though, contact had occurred during the blacklight.
Ransom grabbed a pair of black trews and a tunic from his bag. He dressed rapidly, pulled on foot linings, and slid his feet into his boots.
“This map looks new. Where did you get it?” Scarlett asked.
“I drew it from memory.”
“Memory?”
This was where his story turned sticky. “I was given an account of the old civilization. They were wealthy, but disease struck, and those remaining left the city.”
“How do you know this information is correct?”
“I don’t,” he said, “but my sources are reliable.”
“Will you share your sources?”
“No.”
“I don’t understand why you need me.” Scarlett’s penetrating gaze skewered him and swamped him with another wave of guilt.
“From my observations, you’re resourceful and interested in jewelry design. I learned this when I asked about you on Dalcon. When I was in the market, I spotted your jewelry, and the stall owner told me where to find you.”
“Which still doesn’t tell me why you’ve dragged me from my family to help you.”
Perhaps a partial truth would ease her, lull her into a false sense of security. An invalid path to garner her cooperation.
“I wanted to speak to you again.”
“Most men would ask for a date,” she said, her tone dry. “Or buzz my com-circle.”
“A date?” Some of her expressions confused him.
“They would court me,” she stated, her big green eyes full of shrewdness.
He broke their visual connection, unable to lie to her face. In lieu, he scanned the controls and checked their course. He made a slight alteration—one they didn’t require.
“Ransom?”
“I don’t have time for courtship. I intend to join the warrior monks and must arrive before the sign-up window closes.”
She frowned. “I’ve never heard of warrior monks.”
Not surprising since he’d conjured them from his imagination.
If he survived this quest, he’d hunt for a warrior faction.
He’d heard of monks who gave their lives in service to right wrongs.
It was a better life than he deserved, and with his brother Gryffnn at the helm, his clan would continue to prosper.
“I’ll tell you about them later,” he lied. “We’ll make a list of the supplies and go from there.”
“You’re under the assumption I will follow your plan for me,” she said in a sweet voice.
“Ah, didn’t I tell you? Their kingdom was known for its wealth, and in particular, a unique, precious jewel that glowed with many colors. I’m hoping to locate these jewels because rumor says they possess stunning clarity. Not many jewelers have worked with these rare stones.”
One quick scan of her visage told Ransom he’d hooked her with his promise of rare jewels.
Her nod of acceptance was a brutal kick to the gut, and remorse almost took him out at the knees.
He was leading her toward a life of imprisonment, a life of fear, a life where her beautiful spirit would get crushed.
He was driving her to a living death.