Somehow, Bryce manages to sweet-talk Dariux into taking her on expeditions on his skimmer, Fluffy wedged between them. She returns after one of her day-long trips with two sheafs of grain. “What’s this for?” I ask curiously. “Are you trying to make bread?” Not going to lie, I’d kill for a good sourdough.
Her eyes shine with excitement. “No, beer. It should be doable. We just need grain, water, and hops.”
“Barley,” I point out. “Not some strange alien grain.”
She grins. “Well, it’ll be prison planet beer. I don’t really have hops either, but there’s a vine that grows in the woods that smells hoppy, so I’m giving it a go. It can’t be that hard. Women brewed beer in ancient Egypt.”
I chuckle. “Well, at least you have your priorities.”
“Hey, when life gives you lemons... make alien beer.”
I can’t argue with that.
When we’re alone, I corner Bryce. “So what’s the deal with you and Dariux?” I ask her. I’ve been at the camp for nearly three months, but while I know how the other Draekons will react in any given situation, Dariux remains an enigma to me. He seems to have a rivalry going with Zunix, yet I don’t get the sense there’s any malice behind it. He never does anyone a favor, and he’s bitter and grouchy, but he doesn’t really bother me. I’m not sure why. “Are you guys doing it?”
She laughs out loud. “Dariux thinks of me as an annoying little sister. In any case, he’s not my type.”
“You’re okay with the way things are?” I hesitate before I continue. “Everyone’s coupled up. Well, tripled up. Does it bother you?”
She shakes her head. “Maybe the other batch will have a hottie or two I’m interested in,” she says with a shrug. “But there isn’t anyone here I’m attracted to. It’s not really a priority.”
The days go by. I continue to alternate dates between the two pairs of Draekons. Heeding Liorax’s warning, I ensure I’m never too far away from the camp on my dates with Herrix and Belfox. The more time I spend with the two of them, the more Herrix creeps me out. He’s absolutely obsessed with Liorax, with being Highborn, with the status and wealth he had back home. He seethes with rage about his exile on the prison planet. Belfox is less vocal about it, but it’s clear that he feels the same way.
Zunix and Liorax, on the other hand? Gotta be honest, I’m insanely attracted to them. We’ve fooled around on our dates, but we’ve also talked.
I’m still keeping secrets from them. I still haven’t told them the real reason I was on that spaceship. I’m not the only one though. Liorax never talks about his former bondmate, not that I really expect him to.
Zunix is hiding something as well. He knows far more about the Draekons than he lets on, and he’s never told me why he’s so well-informed.
But despite all our secrets, a connection grows between the three of us.
Why the hell haven’t I jumped these guys yet? What’s holding me back?
I’m not really sure.
Bryce is thriving. She’s making beer, experimenting with baking, and is generally having a fantastic time. Paige, Felicity, and May are happy with their Draekons.
It’s different for me. My identity was entirely tied up in my job. Back on Earth, my only focus was on my career. I’m Olivia Buckner, CIA operative. That’s all I know how to be.
Now, I’m stuck on the prison planet. The Draekons mate for life. My life is being decided for me in a way I’d never anticipated, and I’m not sure I’m ready.
14
Liorax:
The more time I spend with Olivia, the more the dragon inside me wants her. Not just the dragon. If I’m being honest, the man in me wants her too.
So what are you waiting for? Tell her how you feel. Ask her to be yours.
But, though, Olivia is nothing like Kat’vi, fear of repeating the past holds me back. So I play along with Dariux’s contest, even though a very large part of me wants to force the issue and claim Olivia for my mate.
I spend a sleepless night, tossing and turning, my dreams filled with images of the red-haired human woman. Finally, at dawn, I give up on rest and get out of bed. Zunix and I spent yesterday with Olivia, which means, unfortunately, it’s Belfox and Herrix’s turn to spend time with her today.
Stupid contest.
I’m making my way to the clearing when Zunix falls into step with me. “It’s almost three months to the day since we found the human women,” he says.
“It’ll stop raining in the Lowlands soon. Is that what you’re thinking about?” The expedition to find the other women is problematic. Dariux’s skimmer will only hold two people, three in a pinch. Dariux will almost certainly want to be one of them. Who will be the other? I’m not sure. The mated dragons could fly to the other camp, but convincing them to leave their new human mates will be difficult.
His expression is pensive. “Among other things.”
“What’s bothering you?”
“Herrix and Belfox,” he replies. “They’re up to something. Do you know that every time we’re with Olivia, the two of them borrow Dariux’s skimmer and head east?”
“East? To the desert?” I give him a surprised look. “Why? They’ve never been interested in exploring this planet.”
“I don’t know why,” he replies. “But my instincts tell me that they’re up to no good. The timing is suspicious.”
“You could ask Olivia to look into it.” My lips twist into a reluctant grin. “She’s good at getting information out of people.”
Zunix laughs. “She is indeed,” he says, his expression admiring. “But I don’t want to. Whatever Herrix and Belfox are doing, they’re taking efforts to keep it concealed. I don’t want to put her in danger.”
That’s sentiment I can appreciate. Olivia is stubbornly self-reliant, but I still feel the urge to protect her, and my dragon cannot bear the idea of her in any kind of trouble.
“However,” he adds, “I’ve got Dariux’s skimmer today. I’m going to try to figure out what the two of them are up to. Can you ask Olivia to keep them away from the eastern edge of Lake Tuli?”
“She’s going to want to know why.”
Zunix’s eyes twinkle. “And I’ll be happy to tell her.”
Three months ago, I’d been concerned for my friend. His games were starting to take on a hard edge, and I’d been afraid that he’d end up like Dariux, bitter and hostile.
But he’s changed in the last three months, and that’s entirely because of Olivia. Zunix can never leave his spymaster training behind, but he’s lost his unfeeling edge.
“Be careful,” I warn him. “You know I don’t trust Herrix.”
He nods, and we part ways. I continue to the clearing, but when I get there, I’m not alone. Olivia’s there, shooting arrows at her target, her expression focused. She doesn’t hear me come up, and I watch with pleasure as she hits the bullseye three times in a row.
She’s been practicing. She always had some level of skill, but she’s improved by leaps and bounds. I start to clap, and she looks up, startled. When she sees me, her expression softens into a smile. “I didn’t see you,” she accuses me.
My lips twitch. “You always do better when no one is watching, Olivia. You do know I’m onto you, right?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she tells me, biting back her smile. We’ve been playing this game for weeks now, trading truth for truth, and I know it’s only a matter of time before all our secrets are out in the open. “Where’s Zunix?”
She lines up her next shot, and I correct her aim slightly. She smells like the green flowers that grow around the lake, and my cock leaps in my trousers. Her skin is warm and soft, and I ache for her. Constantly.
Claim her, my dragon growls, not for the first time. “He’s wandering around the eastern edge of Lake Tuli,” I reply.
She gives me a sidelong look. “Because Belfox and Herrix keep heading there? Let me guess, Zunix is snooping around today because he knows they’ll be otherwise occupied?”
She smiles at me, her eyes crinkling at the corners, and I find myself returning her smile. “Exactly. That’s what I appreciate about you, Olivia. I never have explain things to you. Zunix told me to tell you that he’ll be very grateful if you keep them away from Lake Tuli today.”
“Will he?” she asks cheerfully. “I’ll have to think of some way to make him repay the favor.”
I laugh. “I’m sure you will.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Herrix and Belfox walking toward us, matching scowls on their faces. “Liorax,” Herrix says coldly as he nears. “What are you doing here?”
If my kinsman is expecting me to be intimidated at his tone, he doesn’t know me at all. “Talking to Olivia,” I reply calmly. “Was that not obvious?”
Olivia bites back a grin at Herrix’s annoyed glance, and then, to my irritation, she gives him a sweet smile. “Shall we go?” she coos. “We’re going on a hike today, aren’t we?”