Enslaved by the Alien Dragon Read online

  I stared at it for a long time. Why did it look so puny all of a sudden? It had felt larger than life when it had sat around my neck.

  “Oh my God,” I breathed, stepping away from Ranel so that I could look at it lying there… powerless, obsolete.

  “How do you feel?” Ranel asked.

  I turned to him, my eyes wide with wonder as I lifted my hands up to my neck. I hadn’t felt the skin there in so long. It felt soft… almost alien.

  “I’m free?” I asked.

  “You’re free,” Ranel nodded.

  I felt my head spin with joy and just like that, I lost control over my body. I saw the ground rise up to meet me, but I felt my body freeze just before I made contact with the hard surface. I was vaguely aware of Ranel saying my name. I was vaguely aware of his arms engulfing my body and lifting me up. I was also aware of the sudden deluge of sunlight that hit my face. We were outside? It certainly seemed so. It was never this bright in the hut we shared.

  The world went black for a long stretch of time. I saw stars and I wondered if I was back in space. It certainly felt like I was floating.

  “Yvette?”

  I turned my head in the direction of my name, but I couldn’t see anyone. I tried to reply, but my mouth felt heavy with fatigue. That strange feeling that had clung to my body all week was back and it was gnawing insistently in my stomach.

  “Yvette?”

  I felt something flutter over me. A strong, pungent smell burned my nostrils and made me want to turn away, but my limbs felt disconnected from my body.

  The smell only got stronger until I realized it was sitting right beneath my nose. Before I could do a thing, my mouth had been forced open and some unfamiliar thick liquid had been forced down my throat. It tasted of bitter wood and I coughed violently as my eyes tore open, bringing me back to the conscious world.

  I looked around in panic and almost immediately Ranel emerged in my line of vision. “It’s ok, Yvette,” he said gently, taking my hand. “I’m here.”

  I looked around wildly and realized that I was in the colony’s makeshift medical unit. I recognized the supplies cabinet that had been brought down from Gyygnar. I could also see long tables and a line of beds arranged in one corner of the hut.

  The Drakon standing over me had pale blue scales and dark eyes. He had a healer’s crest sitting in the middle of his chest and a large black bottle in his hands.

  “What did you give me?” I asked, finding my voice.

  “Runsing Oil,” the Drakon healer replied. “It will help your body adjust.”

  “Adjust to what?” Ranel asked.

  The Drakon healer looked between the two of us with surprise that bordered on amusement. “You are not yet aware?” he asked.

  “Aware of what?” I demanded impatiently. “What’s wrong with me?”

  “Nothing at all,” the Drakon healer replied. “You’re nesting.”

  I raised my eyebrows in confusion. “I’m what?”

  I looked to Ranel for an explanation, but he was staring at the healer with wide, shocked eyes. I reached out and touched his arm, but he made no indication that he even registered my presence.

  “Ranel?” I asked.

  The healer looked towards me. “I believe the human term for it is… pregnant.”

  I stared at the healer for a moment and then burst out laughing. “What?” I said. “That’s—”

  I was about to tell him that it was impossible. Before I could even finish my sentence, I realized that it was not. I had been feeling strange for some time now and I had always just dismissed it as stress or worry. Was it possible I had been pregnant for weeks and not known it?

  “Commander,” the Drakon healer said. “I am certain of it. The human is pregnant with twin whelps.”

  “Twins?” I gasped.

  Ranel seemed to snap out of his frozen reverie and turned to me with an unreadable expression on his face. I couldn’t decide if he was upset or excited. I could see every shade of emotion on his face and I wondered what was written on mine.

  “Dologro,” Ranel said. “Would you… give us a moment please?”

  “Of course, Commander,” the healer nodded, as he stepped away from us and exited the medical unit through the flap door to the right.

  Ranel turned his dark eyes on me. They looked to be smoldering, but I was almost sure that was just my imagination.

  “Are you ok?” I asked cautiously.

  Ranel had never expressed any interest in starting a family. In fact, we hadn’t ever spoken about our future together. Was it naïve of me to want to believe that he could actually be happy about this?

  “I’m stunned,” he said, in a gravelly voice.

  “I am too,” I nodded. “And scared.”

  “Why are you scared?” Ranel asked, his eyes darting to my face.

  “I don’t know what this means… for us.”

  Ranel reached out and cupped my face with both his hands. He bent his head down and kissed me gently on the lips.

  “It means… we’re going to have two feral hatchlings of our own,” he said. “And we’re going to raise them together.”

  I stared at his face and a tear slipped free from my right eye. “So you’re happy?” I asked, holding my breath for the answer.

  Ranel’s face broke out into a huge smile, probably the biggest I had ever seen on him. “You have made me very happy,” he nodded. “Happier than I’ve been in a very long time.”

  He dipped his head low and placed it against my chest. I held him close to me and stroked his hair as his body shook with emotion. I couldn’t believe it. After years of servitude I had been delivered into a life of freedom and happiness.

  I remembered the mark on my left cheek, the ill omen I had carried with me through my entire life as a slave. The mark would be permanently emblazoned on my face, but its hold over me had started to chip away.

  For the first time in years, the three-leafed clover on my face no longer bothered me. And most important of all – it no longer defined me.

  Epilogue

  Ranel

  I walked along the base of Gyygnar, looking up at the shiny new additions that had been made to its surface. There were large missile cannons that had been attached to the underbelly of the ship and the sides had been equipped with laser shooters that were silent beams that could blast apart tough objects.

  In mere months, Gyygnar had transformed from a sleek and impressive spaceship into an intimidating war machine. I glanced around at all the spaceships in our fleet. They had been undergoing a rigorous series of additions, repairs and services. Slowly, our broken fleet had transformed into something much more formidable. I just hoped it would be enough against the growing Pax Empire.

  I turned to see Dashel and Tarion walking towards me.

  “You think the fleet is ready to fly?” I asked.

  Tarion nodded eagerly. I saw the bloodlust in his eyes, the anger and zeal to exact revenge on our sworn enemies. “I think so.”

  “Are you—?”

  “We’re sure,” Tarion interrupted immediately. “Dashel?”

  Dashel nodded. “Our ships are strong and the improvements we’ve added have made them stronger.”

  “The Pax still outnumber us,” I pointed out.

  “We can’t take this defeat lying down, Ranel,” Tarion said with obvious annoyance. “We are not a slave species to cower against the Pax’s might. We are Drakons of the Hielsrane and if we don’t fight back then we will lose respect in the galaxy.”

  “I do not suggest we do nothing,” I replied impatiently. “I’m merely counseling caution… and sense.”

  “Sense!” Tarion growled, throwing his arms up in the air. His wings unfurled in anger, snapping back into place as he addressed me, “I’m tired of being sensible. We’ve been on the ground in this barren wasteland for over two months. It is time for action.”

  Dashel sighed at Tarion and turned to me. “What do you advise, Ranel?” he asked temperately.


  “We stock up,” I said immediately. “We travel around the galaxy. We arm ourselves with the best weapons, missiles and arsenal we can get our hands on, and once our people have healed as a nation… then we strike, with all the might of the Hielsrane.”

  I saw Tarion’s expression change. He saw the logic in my plan, but he was like a hatchling clinging to his need to fly. Dashel, on the other hand, smiled easily.

  “That does sound like the best course of action,” Dashel nodded.

  “There is no action involved,” Tarion said through gritted teeth.

  Dashel and I exchanged a look that Tarion didn’t miss. “It’s different for you two,” he complained. “You have new hatchlings at home. It’s easier for both of you to be patient.”

  “Speaking of new hatchlings,” Dashel said, turning to me. “How are your two?”

  “A revolution old and they’ve already got their mother wrapped around their little claws,” I said fondly.

  “Just their mother?” Dashel teased.

  I smiled. Fatherhood had been an unexpected blessing. It had softened me in ways I had not expected and changed my perspective on many things. I was no longer quick to anger; I was no longer wholly impatient. I was no longer adamant to get back in the sky. I was happy to enjoy each little click as it came and savor the moment when it lasted.

  Our hatchlings were growing fast and I found myself longing to be back in our little hut rather than overseeing the colony’s comings and goings.

  “I should go back and check on them,” I said, eager to see my children.

  “I’ll walk with you,” Tarion said. “Carissa is visiting with Yvette.”

  Dashel said goodbye to us and headed into the Gyygnar to oversee the work going on inside the ship. Tarion and I headed down the flat plains in the direction of my hut. Nort had been good to us. It wasn’t the most beautiful planet anymore, the Pax had seen to that, but it was still useful.

  There were still pockets of Nortian villages and towns in the vicinity and we had been able to strike a deal with many of them for supplies, oil and other necessities to aid in our repairs.

  I missed Thirren more than I could say, but Yvette and our children had helped soften the loss. Now I finally had something that was mine and I was prepared to go to any length to protect it.

  We were just approaching the hut when I saw Carissa emerge from within. She was wearing black trousers under a figure-hugging tunic in a soft blue. She also wore a black sash belt across her shoulders, making her look every bit the warrior that Tarion was.

  “Ranel,” she said, nodding at me. “Your children are beauties.”

  The compliment made me swell with pride. “They are,” I agreed.

  “They’ll be wild… both of them,” Carissa said. “I’ve had enough children now to tell. Yorin can be tamed but Renat will be fire.”

  My smile deepened. “Oh I know… she is her mother’s daughter.”

  Carissa fell into step with Tarion and the two made their way back to their own ship. I saw them off and then walked into the hut to the mewling of my hatchlings. Yvette was sitting in the large armchair I had crafted for her during her pregnancy. She had Yorin nestled against her chest while Renat gurgled at her feet.

  Yorin had dark crimson scales that were thick and heavy. His wings were large, almost as large as his body and he was constantly trying to maneuver them. His eyes were dark, almost black and his hair had the same dark, shadowy tinge.

  Renat was almost the same size as her brother but her wings were much smaller. Her scales were close in color to my own, a thin burgundy that was fused with rose pink. However, her scales were light, barely visible and her wings were tiny. Yvette and I suspected that she would be able to fly but not shift. That would be a difficult transition when both hatchlings were older, but Yvette assured me it was all in the raising. I deferred to her in matters of parenting. She had presence of mind and confidence, both of which I lacked when it came to the rotund little wildings she had birthed.

  Both hatchlings looked to me with alert eyes. Yorin gave me a half-hearted smile, yawned wide to reveal his sharp fangs, then turned into his mother’s breast for a snuggle. My little Renat however, raised her hands to me, her big bright eyes demanding my attention.

  I lifted her up and placed a kiss on her forehead. She giggled knowingly and started touching the scales that snaked up my neck and peppered my jaw. I sat down next to Yvette and offered her my hand. She slipped her fingers into my palm and gave me a slow, contented smile.

  “Good day?” she asked.

  “It was… satisfactory,” I nodded.

  “Did you see Horick around the colony?” Yvette asked.

  The young Drakon that Yvette had helped during the evacuation of Thirren had become a permanent fixture in our lives. His parents had not been located but Yvette was still holding out hope for their return. There were still a few ships from our fleet that were unaccounted for.

  “He was with Lehar and Lara,” I replied. “He’s taken a shine to their hatchlings.”

  “Good… he needs to spend time with children his own age.”

  “He’s joining us for supper tonight,” I informed her.

  Yvette smiled. “Good. I’ve made Mulberry pie especially for him,” she said.

  I chuckled. “At this rate, he might as well move in with us.”

  “I wouldn’t mind,” Yvette said, and I sensed the sincerity in her words.

  “You have two little monsters to contend with,” I pointed out. “You really want to add another?”

  Yvette smiled. “I would add a dozen more like them,” she said, nuzzling her face into Yorin’s soft cheek.

  “Patience, my beauty,” I said. “There’s time for that yet.”

  Yvette laughed, before seriousness travelled back into her eyes. “Any new developments?”

  “The repairs on Gyygnar finished today,” I told her. “Moddoc was part of the crew.”

  “How is he taking his new position?” Yvette asked.

  Moddoc’s trial had been undertaken a few weeks ago. He had been severely demoted and put at the rank of a common crewmember. It was a blow to his ego and I had seen that on his face, but he had taken his punishment silently and with a dignity that I begrudgingly respected. He worked aboard Gyygnar now under Dashel’s command.

  “He’s a proud Drakon,” I observed. “But he has been surprisingly accepting of his fate.”

  “That’s a good thing,” Yvette pointed out.

  “Or a suspicious thing,” I said, thinking out loud.

  Yvette smiled. “You are always so suspicious,” she said, rubbing my hand. “Maybe it’s time you relaxed a little.”

  “Relaxed?” I repeated. “I don’t think I know how.”

  “I’ll teach you,” Yvette said. “You just sit here with me and our children. Enjoy this moment and forget about everything else.”

  “We’ll need a new ship,” I said. “We can’t stay aboard Gyygnar forever.”

  “A problem for another day,” Yvette countered.

  “The Pax are still out there amassing their empire.”

  “A battle for another day,” Yvette said.

  Motherhood looked beautiful on her. Her features had a gentle edge that was absent of fear or worry. She smiled more and laughed often. She gloried in the beautiful purpose she had found with the twins.

  “Look at your children, my love,” Yvette said. “This is the only thing that matters.”

  I looked at Yorin and then Renat. Lastly, my eyes fell on Yvette, the human slave who had become the most important being in my galaxy. She had given me hope again. She had given me children. But most of all, she had given me a reason to keep fighting.

  I had something to lose now. And I wouldn’t rest until the Pax Empire was burning. It would take time. It would take skill and cunning. But I was a Drakon of the Hielsrane and I had a family to protect.

  I would not fail. Not this time.

  Get ready for book 5 i
n the Galactic Alpha’s Conquest Series, Taken By The Alien Dragon.

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  Chapter 1 Preview – Taken By The Alien Dragon

  Esmerelda

  “Stellar haul, Captain Esmerelda Black.” Wrigo nodded and his lips tilted up on one side. My right-hand lieutenant only said my whole name when he was ecstatic. He tapped the cargo bins on his digitablet. “Every containment cell has a body and the cargo bins are three-quarters full.” Then he tapped the stack of crates at the front of the last bin. “Full of credit chips,” he said.

  “All five of them?” I grinned at Wrigo. Enough to keep our three main ships and at least two of the secondary ships in a few luxuries for a year. “We should inspect them personally.”

  On our way to the cargo bay, I reached behind my back and pulled out two packets of moolai floss from my emergency pouch. He took the blue foiled one, and I ripped open the pink. We munched on our paltry breakfast, dehydrated grains from twenty planets, calorie- and nutrient-rich but flavorless. As we walked by the containment cells, he rapped his taser wand across the bars catching a few claws and talons.

  A Sientcae stumbled back but grasped the bars again immediately. None of our temporary guests liked the back of the cell’s transparent walls, which overlooked the flight-cargo bay, a twenty-foot drop. No one could survive the fall without injury if they managed to break the silicate glass. Doubtful even though none of their feet, hands or anything else was as weak as mine.

  In the next cell, a Luhap stuck its claw and trunk through the bars. “Let us go and we’ll help procure more than what you have.”

  “Please. I have heard of your conquests and hoped to meet the little human captain who appears from nowhere and is gone as quick as a dream.” The Sientcae fell to his knees and looked up with his greedy holes for eyes. “Captain, we can join your crew and—”