Chapter 10
She’s Mine
The sound of her laughter made him happy for a moment. It was only a moment before she realized he was sitting by her bed. Her whole attitude changed, and no smile was left on her face. He desperately wanted to ask her what had been so funny, but he knew she would not answer and might even be angry at him for asking. Was there any way he could heal their relationship and move on? Even though he had worked with these humans for months, he still had no idea how to deal with the females.
Looking at them, they seemed like his kind in many ways, yet there were so many differences. Their outlook was different, and maybe that came from not having a dragon side, but even when it was added, they still looked at things differently. Maybe being raised with the dragon and getting one as an adult changed things. All he knew was that he needed to handle her carefully. The look she gave him now was filled with suspicion and distrust. Carler tried to think about how he would feel if he were in her position, but it was impossible.
He couldn't imagine anyone not wanting to be a dragon. It was his best friend and constant companion. His dragon supported and advised him in all things. Many humans complained of loneliness, but he never had that problem. His dragon was always with him and helped him through any problems that he had. Carler needed his dragon to help him now.
“Glad to see that you are feeling better. You're showing signs of coming out of this change.”
“I am feeling better. Now I just need to decide how to deal with everything changing practically overnight," Viv admitted.
“Have you seen any signs of your dragon yet?”
“What are those signs? No one has said anything, so I have not been looking for them.”
“When I was young, before my first change, my dragon sometimes spoke to me. Your dragon is young and will speak to you in a young voice.”
Carler could see from the look on her face that she recognized what he said. Her dragon had spoken to her, and she thought she was going crazy.
“Another possible sign is that you might see scales under your skin. There might also be a vision of what your dragon looks like in your head or your dreams. Another much rarer sign is a taste of smoke or something similar in your mouth.”
“Are you telling me I'm going to burp up smoke?” She asked.
“That's one way to look at it. I would express it as a smoky flavor instead.”
“Does that only happen to fire breathers?”
“Yes, and only a small percentage of dragons breathe fire. It is alright not to breathe fire.”
“Do you?”
“I do, and most of those high in our military also do. It gives them an advantage in a battle. I hope you never have to battle," Carler admitted.
“If I feel better tomorrow, I want to try to change.”
“You do realize that it is very soon? You may try and not manage the change."
“Will it cause me other problems if I do not change when I try?” Viv asked.
“No, you would just have to deal with the disappointment.”
“We are not even sure that I will ever change, or if I do that, I will make a complete change.”
“That is true, but you will be my mate whether you change or not," Carler explained.
She knew that was true, but regardless of anything he said, she was sure he would be horribly disappointed. Many of the females from Earth who had previously mated a dragon had changed and breathed fire. Viv wished she knew more about the ancestry that allowed many of those on Earth to change. What kind of dragons were they, and had they chosen to stay here, or had they been forced by circumstance to stay and adapt?
If what he told her was correct, then she had already seen her dragon’s form, which would be silver and purple, and the change would be complete. There had been no smoky flavors in her mouth, so she did not know if she would be a fire breather or not. She took that to mean probably not. If the voice in her head began talking again, she would speak back and try to figure out what her dragon was like.
The thought of someone in her head always seemed odd to her. Not being alone sounded pretty good. A problem might be if she and her dragon did not get along. After all, they were two completely separate individuals.
We are separate individuals but also part of the same person. We will get along most of the time and develop a close relationship.
You are my dragon half? Will my change be complete?
I am your dragon half, and your change will be complete. Together, we will be able to do amazing things. We will fly high and even swim in the ocean down to very deep depths. You will be able to see things that will amaze you.
I've already been pretty amazed. I had a vision, and you were so beautiful. You were silver and purple. We will have to decide what to do with Carler. He wasn't honest, and it was hard for me to trust him.
We will have to forgive him because he is our mate. He didn't mean to hurt us, and it is hard to learn how to have a relationship when there are a few females around. It will be okay, and you will see that I am right.
I hope you are because from what he told me we will be together for a long time.
Trust me, it will be a beautiful time, and we will have all the love we need. We will have a family, and eventually, we will return to our planet and live there.
Carler was still sitting there, and he could see her communicating with her dragon. He had done it many times, and he recognized it. It was clear to him that she wasn't going to tell him, and it would take him a while to regain her trust. He decided that he needed to start doing that now.
“Rest and heal. Then, tomorrow morning, after you eat a good breakfast, I will take you somewhere private where you can try to change into your dragon. It is important that you have a lot of energy when you are making the change, so eat a good meal. We will see if you change or not and what you change into. It is clear this is important to you, so it will be done. I'll leave you now so that you can rest.”
All they did was nod, and he knew that it was because she was still talking to her dragon. Maybe her dragon would help her understand his people. Once she decided that her dragon was her friend and learned to trust her, she wouldn't be so upset about the change he had forced on her. First, he needed to gain her trust and love because she already had his.
He headed back to his office, where he planned to meet with Doran. That mail was already waiting for him there. “You're early," Carler observed.
“I'm ready to get to work. Is there anyone that can help me get information on Old Joe?”
“There is one person we should contact, and they would be good for information, but I am not sure they will be able to assist in any other way. The lady who took Viv’s job should have a great deal of information on Joe. She wants to go after him, but her bosses slow her down. It's so bad that I suspect they are on his side. Maybe they had an agreement with him once and were afraid it would come out. Her name is Delilah. Viv has mentioned her, but only by first name. I know that she called her from the office so we could get her phone number. The other option is tomorrow afternoon. I can ask Viv to contact her and schedule a meeting between you two.”
“She might be able to help. Do you think she can help enough that it will be worth it for me to slow down and wait for her?” Doran asked.
“You don't need to. She is in the US, where you will be going. It is the most likely place for him to be. Delilah is in Los Angeles. I don't believe that's where he is because he'll be closer to Las Vegas. You can still meet with her once we get a hold of her.”
It was the next morning, and he was going to see his mate. He'd be a little early and wondered if she'd eaten breakfast yet. A little sustenance wouldn't hurt him. Maybe she would have some leftovers. The guest bedroom of his suite was where he had been sleeping while she had been ill. This morning, he had gone to do some work since the rest of the day would probably be a loss in that respect. Entering the apartment, he headed toward her room. Viv was sitting up and eating from a large tray that looked like enough food for three dragon shifters.
Amy had clearly misunderstood how much food his mate needed. That was all right because that would leave plenty for him. A large dragon shifter would have difficulty eating half of the food on that tray. Viv would have trouble eating the third of it. It still looked like she was going to try it, and so was he. There were two omelets, and both looked like meat eaters. Super omelets were made in the cafeteria.
“I see you took my advice on eating a large breakfast. Looks like you went overboard a little bit, and I'll be happy to help you," Carler offered.
He reached out and grabbed the plate with one of the omelets since she was eating the other. This was a good omelet, and it really hit the spot. There was little doubt that he would need the energy to work with his mate when she changed. He might also need to force her to change back if she ran into trouble. That would not be difficult, but it would take enormous energy. Carler grabbed a couple of the pieces of toast on the edge of the tray to go with his omelet. The food that he had acquired was already making him feel much better.
First thing in the morning, he had already had a cup of coffee and a large OJ. It was good since she didn't have much extra to drink on her tray. That made sense since she was eating for energy. Other than her regular drinks, she had a picture of water. It would help the food go down.
She wasn't dressed yet, so as soon as she was through eating, she would have to dress in casual clothing because they were going into the desert. That place was the most private area nearby. Most people avoided it because it was hot and dry, and dangerous predators were running loose. There were signs to let them know that, so they would not go past certain points. Even where the signs were, danger could lurk.
Viv finished with her food and rubbed her belly. “That was good. I'd better go get dressed now.” She got up and hurried out of the room. Where was she going?
It seemed she had the key to her room, so she went to get dressed and then came back. “Are you ready?” she asked.
“I am. We need to go down to the lobby, and a transport is waiting for us.” He escorted her to the elevator, where they went down to the lobby level and exited.
The transport was their usual type, much nicer than anything she had ever seen. Not that she hadn't seen one of these before. They'd picked her up once or twice and dropped her off at the casino. This time, they were taking it out, and what she suspected was at least a one-hour trip.
“I rarely get to ride in one of these.”
“Once we take care of Old Joe, you'll be doing more work around here, and you'll get to ride in one more often," he explained.
“How far are we going?”
“It would be a long ride in one of your cars, but we will go airborne once we get away from this populated area. The trip will be about a half hour," Carler offered.
“You guys aren't really from around here, are you?”
“No, this country wasn't doing well, and the leadership and the people wanted out. We bought it and are doing everything we can to see that the people are happy and well taken care of.”
“When my dragon said planet, I thought she meant this planet.”
“You have talked to your dragon? That's good, and it will make this easier.”
“I'm just ready to get this over with. I want to see what happens and find out what these changes in my life will bring me.” Viv admitted.
He could tell her what it was going to bring her. She was his, and they would be happy together. If her dragon could fly, they would soar the skies together. There would be no greater feeling than flying side by side as mates. Carler knew there was no way to explain how things could be to her, and she would have to see for herself. His dragon was almost giddy at the thought of meeting his mate. It would happen in just a little while, and they would see and know exactly what her dragon would be like.
They took to the air and flew high over everything. It wasn't long before they started going down, down to Earth. The transport landed in the middle of a large desert. Their section seemed to have gray dirt and small gray mountains. This landscape was harsh, and that was why it was deserted.
Carler set them down in the middle of a wide-open space. This was where she and her dragon would meet. Obviously, she was nervous, and he would try to help calm her as much as he could. He got out and moved around to her side, where he opened the door and helped her down.
“Don't worry, this will be easy. It will either work or it won't. Let's go over here so we have plenty of room. Close your eyes, imagine your dragon, and tell her she can come out to play.”
She did exactly that, and he could see the change beginning. He stepped further away to ensure he wasn't slapped by a dragon wing. He could see the change, and she would be a full dragon. A beautiful silver and purple dragon. He stepped toward her now that she was finished and rubbed his hand over her snout.
“You are the most beautiful dragon I have ever seen. I will change, and we will go for a flight," Carler directed.
He morphed and felt the electricity of the change rolling over him. Carler loved his dragon, but it was more manly and not colorful and pretty like his mate’s. That was okay because his dragon was strong and able to protect her. She hadn’t waited for him, and she had already taken off. He hurried after her to catch up because the new dragon needed support. If they made mistakes, they needed someone to help them figure things out.
In this case, that was what a mate was for. He could show her what she needed to do and take her where she needed to go. Carler took the lead, and they flew high above the ground. They flew so far that they hit the coast to fly low and hit the waves. It was exhilarating, and had they been hungry, they could have grabbed a mouthful of fish while they were at it. Their big breakfasts sustained them, so they just continued to fly. They'd been gone long enough and needed to return to their transport to go home. Business waited for him and if she felt well enough for her as well. Her dragon would help her accept him and calm her spirit just enough that she might behave.
He hoped their relationship could move forward because he had missed the intimacy that had just developed between them. They made it back to the transport and headed back to the casino. Viv was quiet, and he was sure she was trying to work things out and her dragon was helping. Doran might be waiting for him when he gets back. If he'd not jumped the gun and already left.
He would introduce himself and Viv and tell her what was happening if he was still there. He didn't want her mad at him again, and if she found out about Doran before he told her, he knew she would be mad. The drive back was quiet, and he didn't interfere with her thought process. Carler only hoped that she was thinking about continuing their relationship. He wasn't sure how he would deal with that if she wasn't, but he wouldn't let her go.
Viv knew little about dragons, but maybe her dragon had been telling her. If she had, she knew he wouldn't let her go, but she couldn't. She wouldn't do well without him either. That was the thing about mates. They always belonged together. That was why sometimes if one died, the other would follow. Fated mates needed each other, and the only time they could go on without each other was when children or other people needed to be considered. They would overcome the desire to leave this world and cling to life if the need was great enough.
Another reason might be a position that they needed to continue with. That would be like an Emperor or King. He had even heard of an assassin who continued after losing their fated mate because the King asked him to. He couldn't imagine how hard that had been for that male. His reason for living was no longer with him, but he had to go on because of his loyalty to his King.
Their destination was right in front of them now, so they pulled up and left the transport out front. He wasn't concerned because someone would move it where it needed to go. He went around to the other side and helped Viv out. They went straight to their office, but Doran was not there, and he wasn't sure why. That was all right because they needed to talk anyway.
“I wanted to catch you up on anything that might be happening that you were unaware of.”
“What exactly is that?” Viv asked.
“Doran is going to the US and hopes to meet with Delilah.”
“Has he contacted her yet?”
“No, we hoped you would help with that," Carler suggested.
“He's not some crazy serial killer, is he?”
“No, he does what he does as part of his job.”
“He's good at his job?”
“He's the best.”
“Delilah doesn't have a partner yet. I don't understand it because she should. The job is dangerous, and you need somebody to cover your back. If she helps him, he'll need to be the one to do it.” Viv explained.
“Doran is trustworthy, but he finds it hard to trust others. He will protect her with his life while expecting nothing in return. We want him to take Joe out, and we don't care what happens to him as long as he doesn't bother us anymore. The issue is that your people don't want Old Joe caught, and we don't know why. Will she get in trouble for this?”
“Maybe. It depends on who the one is that does not want Joe brought in. I can't imagine any good excuse for not going after him, yet they haven't been. She may want to be an informer and not go after him physically. She can give him information without anyone knowing it.”
“I understand what you mean, and I am sure he will be happy with whatever assistance he can get. He's the best our world offers for hunting and catching criminals. While representing our country, he will be considered part of the criminal task force. We have not yet had time to develop something like your crime organizations.”
“I'm not sure that the agency will acknowledge anything you have anyway," Viv observed.
“Is our country so new that we don't have a treaty with the US yet?”
“Yes, and they probably have other reasons too. One would be your importance as far as the world is concerned.”
“They do not consider as important?” Carler asked.
“No, this country is not yet developed and has not taken part on the political front.”
“That will soon change.”
“Maybe, but until it does, you will not count as a major player," Viv explained.
“I see Doran headed our way.”
A large window was looking out into the hall, of all places. She wasn't sure why it was there but suspected that it was there so the supervisors could watch the employees and see what they were doing. Doran knocked on the door, and Carler yelled for him to enter.
“I am glad to see you made it back. Did everything go well?” Doran asked.
“It did. How has your day gone so far?”
“Neither good nor bad because I haven't yet gotten any information on this Joe we hunt. I am hoping to get some soon.”
“I can call Delilah and see if she is willing to pass on either information or work with you in person," Viv offered.
“That would be a good start. Where is she located?”
“She is in Los Angeles and working out of that office. If a large case comes along, she might be sent elsewhere. I'll go ahead and call her now.” Viv dialed the number and hoped for an answer.
“Hello, this is Delilah Morgan. Can I help you?”
“I'm not really sure. This is Viv, and I'm hoping that you can. We are sending a bounty hunter after Joe. He has a very good reputation and always brings home his man. Doran hopes you can give him some information to get him started or even go along with him on the hunt.”
“I'm assuming that he's there with you?” Delilah observed. “At the very least, I can get him some information to get him started. There's a rumor that Joe is hanging out with a cousin in San Francisco. There have been sightings, but it's not his usual place. We've not checked it out yet, and I've not gotten clearance. The fact that my bosses are insisting that the sightings don't mean anything tells me something's up. I don't know how you did this job for so long. I'm feeling torn in two different directions all the time. The direction I know I need to go to get a criminal and the direction they're sending me in makes it look like they don't want to get a criminal.”
“Could you send me the information in an email here at the casino? I'll give it a look while I'm on the flight over," Doran requested.
“I can do that right now. Once you get over here, we'll meet and see if there's anything else I can help you with.”
Doran went to sit down at a desk that was reserved for guests. Viv continued to talk to Delilah for a few minutes, but clearly, Delilah could do more than one thing at a time because Doran began to print out the information he'd been sent. As soon as it was all printed out, he took off. It was unlikely any of them would see him before he left.
All he wanted to do now was take his mate to their room and begin to get to know each other again. He wasn't sure where she was when it came to agreeing to go with him. Instead, he asked her to go to lunch when she got off the phone.
She gave him a long, searching look before she agreed. Carler escorted her to the Asian restaurant because she had liked it so much when he had taken her. As soon as they entered, he noticed that she looked hungry. He ordered their drinks and appetizers based on what he knew she liked, and she said nothing.
When the food arrived, she seemed to like it as much as before. The appetizers and drinks were gone by the time the food arrived. Carler needed to explain a lot to her so that she would understand how she reacted when she was changing and flying in her dragon form. The waitress quickly came back with refills for their drinks.
“I guess I'm so hungry because I've been ill and not eating as much as usual," Viv observed.
“That might be true in part, but morphing into your dragon takes enormous energy, and flying as your dragon takes even more. Dragons rarely gain weight, and those that had changes later in life found that if they carried a few extra pounds, those left after they started shifting. You can eat large amounts of food of any kind without gaining weight. Many Dragons have a sweet tooth.”
“That's a really good thing because I like to eat and rarely eat as much as I want to because I'm afraid I'll get fat. I try my best to stay in good shape. It was important when I was an agent because sometimes, I needed to run someone down.”
“That shouldn't be a problem anymore. If you change into your dragon regularly, you'll also stay in good shape. Dragons are very muscular," Carler explained.
“Won't it be a problem changing regularly when we have to worry about being seen?”
“That depends on how attached you are to your location. I'm not saying we'd be leaving immediately, but I never intended to be here longer than it took to get this place up and running.”
“I thought you would be a permanent fixture here or possibly in Las Vegas.”
“To be honest, the Emperor has been expanding the Empire. There's a good chance that the next time he adds a planet, he might offer me the chance to be a King. How would you feel about that?”
“I think I would miss you if you were gone.” She hesitated a moment before she laughed. “I know that was mean. You expect me to go with you, and you want to know how I feel about it. Having never been off Earth, I can't imagine what that would be like. I'm also sure if you were offered a planet, it would be a rough and primitive one. Can you tell me how bad you think it would be?” Viv asked.
“Rough and primitive, but no more than we can handle.”
“There's no choice, is there? People will be rotated out so that others can get a chance to meet their mate.”
“You're right. Only a handful of people will stay, like Ranger and Toni. It will make things harder on Ranger, but he can handle it. His mate is more capable than I originally expected.”
“Kareth and Landra will stay, won't they?” Viv asked.
“Kareth will take my place, and Landra will be his second. They've learned a lot from working with you. Anyone sent here will be single. It is a good way for our kind to find mates.”
“I can see that. I believe several of you will be going back at that time.”
“Yes, half a dozen of us have mated in the last six months and will be headed back to one of the planets in our Empire," Carler admitted.
“Tell me more about this new world," she demanded.
“Most of the population will be from Earth–colonists who have chosen to go there because the overpopulation in the cities caused many to do poorly. Some are ill and are hoping that our medicine will be able to cure them. Some are just poor and can barely feed their families. Many of those going will be families, but there will also be a certain number of single males and females of various ages.”
“Will enough be leaving over time that it will help the planet here heal?”
“I don't know. We have experts on both sides of that fence. Your population has definitely gotten out of control. There was no doubt that the numbers leaving should help at least a little bit. Your government has so many programs that are supposed to help with the energy, the pollution, medicine, and better housing that it's hard to say with all those programs why things aren't getting better.” Carler admitted.