Never Underestimate a Dragonling (Dragonlings of Valdier #11)

Chapter 1

Exhausted but satisfied with the work he had just finished, Trelon Reykill leaned his head back, his blurry eyes fixated on the glowing conduit.

The newly installed wiring emitted a faint hum of electricity.

The V'ager's new weapons system was nearing completion, with just a few final touches remaining.

The retrofit to his brother Kelan's warship had consumed his every waking moment for months.

With a tired groan, he twisted his body and emerged from his position in the access tube.

The lack of space in the cramped area made even simple tasks incredibly difficult.

"I should have had Cara or the kids do it," he mused before he chuckled.

There was absolutely no way he would allow that to happen, not in this galaxy or any other.

The memory of all the mischief Cara had caused when she reprogrammed things shortly after she had arrived still lingered in everyone's minds.

The thought of letting any of them near his new system sent a shiver down his spine, knowing that the fate of the entire universe hung in the balance.

Even after years had passed, his inbox continued to be flooded with comments about his Personal Virtual Companion, a constant reminder of the past. Despite all efforts, the signal, damn it, was still hanging in limbo out in the vastness of space.

His snort of laughter caught the attention of several crewmembers who turned towards him.

He shook his head at their inquiring looks, his expression a mix of amusement and resignation, before striding for the door of the engineering deck.

Thankfully, the majority of the crew were newbies and oblivious to that embarrassing incident.

As he neared the end of the corridor, a figure he recognized stepped out of the lift, causing his heart to skip a beat.

As he studied the animated face of his mate, warmth and love washed through him.

His dragon emitted a deep, resonating rumble.

His weariness dissolved when Cara caught sight of him and grinned.

She grow more beautiful every day, his dragon purred.

Yes, she does, my friend.

"Trelon! Jarak was just telling me about the new crew," she said.

"Lady Cara has graciously offered to help create a new training program for them," Jarak Draken, the V'ager's Chief Security Officer, replied.

He shot a quick, slightly alarmed glance at Jarak.

The Chief Security Officer's returning grin held a hint of apology.

As one of the few senior officers aboard, Jarak would have vivid memories of the pandemonium unleashed by Cara's decision to convert the training deck into a pulsating dance floor, leading to the Electric Slide echoing through the ship and Trelon's PVC still reverberating through the cosmos.

In the years that followed, her creative genius and groundbreaking innovations had become the stuff of legends on Valdier.

The most impressive testament to her brilliance was the amusement park she built in the caverns beneath the palace, providing endless fun for everyone in the kingdom.

"I believe our current program is functioning properly, don't you, Jarak?" Trelon inquired, looking at the man who stood next to his partner with a resolute stance and a meaningful gaze.

"It was the last time I checked it," Jarak replied, his gaze flickering to Cara.

As soon as she let out a snort of amusement, Trelon knew that Cara had picked up on the subtle communication happening between him and Jarak.

The deep, rumbling chuckle of his dragon echoed through his mind.

The creature inside him seemed to revel in his torment, thoroughly enjoying itself.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips, and a deep frown etched across his face as a sudden realization struck him.

"Where are the kids? Please tell me that they are back at the palace… safe from harming anything," he asked.

Cara laughed and shook her head. "No, they came with me. They are exploring. It's been a while since Amber and Jade have been on board and this is James first visit. They are showing him around. Don't worry, Symba and their symbiots are with them," she said.

Despite Trelon's best efforts to hide his horror, the slight twitch of Jarak's lips betrayed his amusement. The man clearly didn't fully appreciate his children's capabilities and talents. It was uncanny how all three siblings seemed to possess their mother's ability to attract trouble.

"I've also assigned two of my security personnel to keep them company," Jarak reassured him.

Trelon ran his hands down his face and bit back a tired curse. "Two? And you think that will be enough for my three? I guarantee, they have already escaped," he said.

Just as Jarak was about to respond, his communicator pinged, cutting off his words, and the man scowled, his brows furrowing, as he tapped the device near his collar. Trelon folded his arms across his chest, feeling the weight of his impatience as he waited for what he knew would come next.

"Sir, we've lost the children," a man said.

Jarak's gaze shifted to Trelon's face and his frown deepened, lines etching themselves more prominently on his forehead. "What do you mean you 'lost' them? Didn't you put the trackers on them like I suggested?"

"You put trackers on the kids? That was brilliant… but, it won't work," Cara said.

"Yes, but… well, they must have found them," the man replied.

"Find them," Jarak ordered.

"We will," the man replied.

Jarak sighed and shook his head. "How much damage control are we looking at?"

"A lot," Trelon and Cara answered at the same time with amused grins.