Jarek (Scifi Alien Weredragon Romance) (Dragons of Preor Book 1) Read online

  “Fine,” Sece snapped and Jarek decided he would growl at the female until she vowed never to speak to his mate in such a way again. He couldn’t hurt a female, but he could frighten her. “I’ve got appointments in the clinic since Tall, Dark, and Wingy is taking up most of medical with those wings of his. I’ll be back in a couple of hours. Tave has Bikk and Khre standing guard. Tell them—”

  Melissa sighed. “I know, I know. Tell them if I need anything.” His mate was quiet for a moment and then spoke in a soft, sad voice. “I just need him to wake up.” Her delicate fingers sifted through his hair, stroking his head in a gentle caress. His inner-dragon nearly roared in triumph. It was the first voluntary touch from his mate and joy filled his heart. Even battered and nearly broken, his female accepted him. “I just need to see his eyes.”

  Jarek would show his mate his eyes just as soon as the healer left the room. He would not have his first conversation with his mate observed by another.

  “Keep talking to him. Draw him from the dark. Because you will. I don’t know when, but you will.” The door whooshed, announcing it opened. “I’ll see you this afternoon.”

  The silence stretched, the quiet pierced by Melissa’s soft breathing. The bed depressed near his head and her scent wrapped around him. She must have rested part of her on the surface. She was even closer than before and those fingers continued to stroke him as if he was a pet. He would act like a pet if it meant her continued touch. Gladly.

  “Shaa kouvi,” she whispered and his heart sang in response.

  Shaa kouva.

  “Sece said you’d wake up, but you haven’t. I thought being here would help you, but…” Melissa traced his ear with a single finger. Skin on skin. “But you haven’t said a word since Tave and Rhal brought you here.”

  She continued to caress him and he let his mind float as the sensations beckoned him to sleep. Yet he could not. He needed to see his kouva’s eyes, to meet her gaze and speak with her. He had bungled their first connection, but he would not commit the same idiocy a second time.

  “You called for me. Do you remember?” she murmured. “Of course you don’t; you were half dead.” She chuckled. “I haven’t left you. I won’t until you can talk to me.” Smooth skin caressed his shoulder—her cheek then nose as she nuzzled him. “You smell good. Even in medical, you smell like you, and not like the healing scents in the air.”

  She was drawn to his scent and he nearly growled in happiness.

  “I talked to Evuklar and Nalan. Evuklar said he’s controlling the fleet until you wake up.” She laughed. “He told me to tell you he doesn’t want to be a War Master so you need to get your scaled carcass out of bed and do your job.” Melissa traced the long line of his nose and he suppressed a shudder as pleasure skated down his spine. “I yelled at him for being so callous and Nalan glared at him. It didn’t take him long to apologize.”

  Jarek just bet. Evuklar was always a pushover for his mate and it seemed he was equally cowed by Melissa.

  “But you do need to wake up. Because after he apologized for being a jerk, he threatened to make me War Master. That way I could make a decision on how to punish the traitors. I don’t know if he was joking, but I’d rather not.” Tension filled her, fingers tightening in his hair. “I don’t want to order anyone to their death, but I would right now. If you don’t wake up, I’ll make sure they all suffer and that’s not like me. But when it comes to you… it seems I am.”

  His kind-hearted mate. His unclaimed kind-hearted mate.

  “Shaa kouva,” he rasped and opened his eyes. Melissa stiffened when she met his gaze and he cataloged her appearance with a swift stroke of his stare. Her eyes were red, eyelids swollen while dark smudges marred the skin just beneath them. His mate was exhausted and there was no missing the strain in every line of her face. “You do not need to order their deaths. I will do that myself.”

  Gladly.

  8

  Melissa trembled, Jarek’s voice rolling over her in a single, baritone wave. His words stroked her, both soothing and arousing her with those few syllables. Part of her immediately settled at the sound of his familiar timbre.

  Shaa kouva…

  The Knowing had her response leaping to her lips. “Shaa kouvi,” she whispered and he smiled.

  Yes, he smiled but pain was etched into his features, carving deep lines in his face. No, it was more than pain. It was agony. Twenty-four hours after the battle on his ship and she still couldn’t banish the sight of his sliced flesh and gaping wounds from her mind. She’d seen the pale white of his bones, the injury so deep it’d nearly cut his wing fully off. Her own pain vanished at the sight, her entire focus shifting from her emotional torment to his physical well-being.

  Sece tried to kick Melissa out of medical. Tave and Rhal even attempted to herd her out of the room.

  The only person who didn’t was Erun, her sister-in-law’s mate. He’d stared down all three Ujal and stated flatly Melissa was staying and if the two males or Sece insisted on objecting, he would contact their mates. Or rather, in Sece’s case, Niax. The female had not put the male out of his misery and he still followed her around like an overgrown, scale-growing puppy.

  Erun remained at her side, glaring at everyone who came close and even looked as if they’d happily push Melissa out of the room. He’d even stayed until Sece was done patching Jarek back together again. Once Jarek rested comfortably, he made her promise to call Nessa and then he was gone home to Nessa and Tabby.

  Which left her alone with an unconscious male. Unconscious until moments ago, anyway.

  Melissa cleared her throat and pulled away, trying to forget her mouth betrayed her. Shaa kouvi? No, she wasn’t going to accept he was her beloved. At least, not yet. No. No. Not ever. They’d figure out the Knowing crap and then she’d… She’d go back to the life she’d created—caring for the young princess, getting to know her sister-in-law’s new family, and hunting for the other lost Ujal children.

  That was her life now. It wasn’t on a spaceship in Earth’s orbit or as the mate for the Preor War Master.

  No matter how much she craved him.

  She slowly lifted her head and carefully slipped her fingers from his hair. “You’re awake.”

  Just as the last few strands floated from her digits, his hand shot out and grasped her in a tight grip. A long, low hiss filled the room. More pain racked his features and she froze.

  “What are you doing?” Her voice rose with the agitation and worry.

  “Don’t…” he rumbled. “Don’t go.” His grip tightened ever so slightly, tugging her closer once more. “Please.”

  Holy crap, the War Master of the Third Preor fleet said please. To her.

  “I’m…” she licked her lips, unsure of what to say. Screw it. She knew what she wanted. At least for now, for a little while. Reality could intrude later. “Okay.”

  “Okay,” he murmured, grip slackening. “Okay.”

  Melissa remained motionless until he relaxed, head resting on the pillow, his hand simply cradling her wrist. “How do you feel?” Yeah, that was a dumb question. He’d nearly had his wing hacked off. There was no doubt his answer would be something like “shitty.” “Never mind. Do you need anything? Should I get Sece? Or Evuklar and Nalan?”

  Jarek’s eyes drifted shut and he traced her inner wrist with his thumb. Each gentle pass had a shiver tingling down her limbs and she cursed herself for getting aroused by the half-dead Preor. Wasn’t that like, borderline necrophilia or something? Ew.

  “No, I do not wish for them. Just you.”

  “Jarek, Evuklar needs…”

  He lifted his head, those pain-filled eyes locking with hers. “And I need you. I need my mate, shaa kouva. Is that who you are, Melissa?”

  She took a deep, calming breath, and released it slowly, trying to sort through her feelings. She fought to separate them from the Knowing, to segregate her emotions from the metaphysical tie stretched between them. “I…”

  T
he soft whoosh of medical’s doors snapped her attention from Jarek to the new visitors. Evuklar and Nalan strode into the room, stopping just inside the entrance. Melissa met their wide-eyed stares with a trembling smile.

  She pulled away from Jarek and rose from her chair. “He just woke.” She attempted to step aside and give the two Preor room to speak, but Jarek tightened his grip. Apparently she really wasn’t going anywhere. “I was just about to get you both.” Relief filled their expressions and she knew the couple was as exhausted by worry as her. Evuklar and Nalan both had kept the ship running, but she was sure they looked forward to Jarek returning to his duties. “I’ll leave you three to—”

  “No,” Jarek grunted. “You stay. They can leave.”

  She frowned at him. “They’ve been waiting to speak to you about what’s been going on. They’re more important—”

  “Nothing is more important than you.” His voice was hard, words unbendable. When Evuklar walked around the platform to enter Jarek’s field of vision, Jarek spoke again. “Leave.”

  “Jarek,” she hissed. “They’ve—”

  “Nothing is more important than you and our mating, Melissa. Not Preor and surely not the disloyal warriors I have on the ship. They would be happy for me to remain here so they can forgo punishment a little longer.”

  She looked to the Defense Master, pleading with him with her gaze, and he merely chuckled. “If he can still issue orders, he will live. But that does not mean I will obey when he can do nothing about it.”

  Jarek just grunted and squeezed her wrist gently. “Give me your report if you insist on bothering me.”

  “If you two are gonna talk,” she tugged against his hold, “I’ll just…”

  “No. Stay.”

  She glared at him. “I’m not a dog.”

  He snorted. “Of course not. You are my mate. You will stay.”

  “Jarek…”

  “Melissa.” She wasn’t sure what was in his voice, but something had her giving him her full attention. He stared at her with a serious expression, and she felt her smile slipping. “I have been in your presence less than an hour and I find I cannot be without you. Over four hundred Earth years and now I do not think I could breathe without you. Do not leave me.”

  Vulnerability lingered in each word and she swallowed hard. She didn’t attempt to withdraw and instead, grabbed the chair and tugged it closer to the bed. She slowly lowered to the seat before answering. “I won’t go anywhere.”

  How could she? Listening to his plea, seeing the emotions in his features, she couldn’t help but be touched by him. He’d lived over four hundred years and now she was necessary to him. And it was true, they’d been in each other’s presence for such a short time, yet she felt the same.

  Melissa couldn’t breathe without him.

  Jarek grunted.

  Okay, that wasn’t exactly the thank you she expected, but he at least acknowledged her.

  “Good.” Jarek’s gaze went to Evuklar. “Report.”

  Melissa half listened as Evuklar filled Jarek in. None was new information, the events outlined quickly and efficiently. Two groups of radicals initiated an overload of the port and starboard weapons systems on the ship, creating panic. Other sympathizers instigated a battle within the halls with the primary intention of getting to the Ujal delegation.

  While warriors fought, the ship’s orbit degenerated and it took the Engineering Master so long to repair the damage the craft nearly broke apart in Earth’s atmosphere. They believed even more radicals remained on the ship. Thousands of males were onboard and Evuklar had no doubt more were hidden. Melissa didn’t doubt it either.

  “I recall receiving a blow to my wing base, but why was I brought to Earth? Why have I not been treated by our healers? A damaged wing is of no consequence to our healers.”

  They all froze. Yes, it had been a blow to his wing base. That and so much more.

  Melissa shot Evuklar and Nalan a look, begging them to speak up, but neither said a word to Jarek. Great. It looked like she’d have to be the one to tell him. Steeling herself for the talk to come, she flashed the two Preors a fake smile. “Can you two come back later?”

  Neither of them could agree fast enough and were gone as quickly as they’d arrived. Melissa’s faux smile fled the moment the door whooshed shut. Her stomach churned with unease and worry. She knew how important wings were to the Preor people—the Knowing had ensured that—and she wasn’t sure how Jarek would deal without—

  “Melissa?” She turned her head and met his stare. “Why am I on Earth and not the ship?”

  “Your injuries were too severe for your healers.”

  He frowned. “Our machines and my men can heal anything.”

  She whispered, still unwilling to say the words that could ruin him. “Your injuries were too…”

  “How badly was I hurt?”

  She tried again. “Your injuries…”

  “Short of the loss of a wing, our healers can repair any damage. Our technology is superior and the staff on the ship—”

  “Your medical bays were nearly destroyed in the battle and most of the delicate machinery needed to repair you was damaged during the explosions.” Melissa closed her eyes and rushed the words past dry lips. “And even if they hadn’t been, you nearly lost your wings. They were held onto your body by the thinnest pieces of flesh. Your wing base for both was shattered, and they aren’t sure you’ll ever fly again. They don’t even think you can complete a shift.” A tear snaked down her cheek. “You’ve lost your wings and your dragon.”

  9

  The ocean air hurt Jarek’s skin, the wind carrying hints of salt that stuck to his body as it blew across his flesh. It stole moisture from his scales and left dry patches in its wake.

  Yet he did not desire to be anywhere but within Melissa’s beachfront home. The healers at UST had done their best to repair him, and his own Healing Master oversaw Jarek’s treatment once the needed medical devices were repaired. Now he simply needed time to heal, for his body to repair the damage as much as possible. That could be done within Melissa’s walls. He was not required to remain at the station and thus stayed at her side in the small cottage.

  Truly, it was not hers, but owned by the Ujal principessa, Rina. It’d long been in the female’s family and had housed several individuals she called friends. His mate was one such female. Yet he felt it was so much more than kindness. He ached for more information about her relationship with the prince and principessa as well as other Ujal. Some treated her with warmth while others looked at her with coldness in their eyes. He understood the hot and cold too well.

  He knew Melissa now and he did not believe the coldness was due to her own actions. There must be a deeper reasoning for their behavior. He just did not know what. It couldn’t be as bad as his own betrayal.

  His mate moved within the cottage’s depths, scurrying down the hallway with a softly murmured, “I’ll be right back,” leaving Jarek alone. He looked about the small space, the living room was crowded with furniture—a couch, loveseat, cushioned chair and coffee table filling the area. He would have to change some items around so he could move about without striking anything.

  With the bindings, his wings stuck out from his body, making them an obstruction instead of merely an extension of himself. The nearby kitchen area was small, holding a stove, oven, and microwave. It seemed the Knowing didn’t only gift him with knowledge of the Preors but also some information about Earth. No details of his mate in particular, but general data of this new world.

  The counters were made of stone—granite—while the floors throughout the home were ceramic tile. The walls were pale peach though he thought they appeared orange. The opinion would remain his own, though. He had learned from Evuklar’s interactions with Nalan. Females did not like to be gainsaid when it came to decorations or things they held dear.

  A home would be such a thing.

  The back wall of the cottage contained many large panes
of glass, exposing the rolling waves to his gaze. It was through those—one slightly parted—that the salted air crept into the space.

  A length of sand separated the home from the waters, a place humans called a “beach.” His whole purpose in life was to ensure his mate’s happiness and his mate loved this beach, loved the closeness of the sea. He would not take it from her. He would simply have Evuklar bring oil for his scales.

  The soft patter of Melissa’s approach reached him a bare moment before she came to his side. He should have heard her before she got close. It was obvious his injuries did more than hinder his ability to spread his wings and fly. They not only made him useless as a War Master, but as a guard as well. If he could not fly, could not shift, nor even hear the enemy…

  “Do you want something to eat?” Her voice was soft, a mere whisper. She’d been so quiet and careful around him. A stark contrast against the female who’d leapt from his arms and fled the ship. “Erun and Nessa put some seafood in the freezer—iggles and fish. She also said she stocked steaks and a few roasts. She wasn’t sure what you’d like. The government hasn’t shared a Preor’s preferred diet.”

  “Iggles?” He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and quirked a brow. The name was unfamiliar to him and he’d examined the most popular English terms prior to the fleet’s arrival.

  She gave him a rueful grin. “Sorry. Shrimp. Tabby—my niece—likes shrimp but calls them iggles because they wiggle.”

  “Ah.” He was familiar with the desire to humor dragonlets. A young one’s happiness was paramount in a household. For if they were distressed, the entire cave was told through their unending cries. “Meat from an Earth cow is sufficient. It is similar to our katoth and will keep my dragon nature satisfied.”

  “Okay, then. I’ll…” She cleared her throat and opened her mouth as to speak but then snapped her teeth together before turning from him. “I’ll just take care of that.”