Cynthia has known about Garo, the dragon shifter, since she joined the Alliance. Getting to him one thousand years in another world’s past is the easy part. Convincing him is a challenge. Cynthia Norman knew that she was destined for a strange future…in the past…with a dragon. The only confusing thing was how to get her there. With a lifetime of struggle within a race not her own facing her, she took a deep breath, got into a shuttle and hopped a comet. Garo had been dreaming of his yellow haired alien, but the reality of her presence is more than he was prepared for. A knee-jerk reaction on his part makes Cynthia seek out a suitable substitute and with a grim certainty, he has to claim her as his own. Will she accept his offer, or hold his initial rejection over his head?
The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Interdict Copyright © 2012 Viola Grace ISBN: 978-1-77111-076-1 Cover art by Martine Jardin All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. Published by eXtasy Books Look for us online at: www.eXtasybooks.com
Interdict A Terran Times Tale By Viola Grace
Chapter One ynthia Norman drummed her fingers on the table as she waited. She hated waiting, but it was her destiny to wait. Destiny sucks. The Sector Guard was working behind the scenes to help her find the place and time she needed, but it was difficult. There was no way for her to know when the time was right and she was terrified that she would miss her moment. Knowing that you were destined to enter a rip in time and to fall over one thousand years into the past to start a line that would continue to the current time was a heavy burden, but Cynthia was both queasy and eager to get started. She just had to wait. She sipped at the hot tea she had ordered, perking up the moment that the three uniformed Guardsmen came through the door. When she saw the nature of the Guards who were on their way, a tear formed in her eye that she carefully flicked away. She needn’t have worried, the female Drai in the
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center of the grouping was sniffling as well. Without hesitating, Cynthia got to her feet and gave Fury a hug. “It is so good to meet you, at long last.” “Grandmother. I never imagined that I would meet you.” Fury grinned as tears sparked in her eyes. “Call me Cynthia, because I think there are several greats in there and I don’t want you to get tired.” “Livin.” They all took a seat around the private dining table and Cynthia poured tea for all of them. “I can’t tell you how nice this is. I never expected to see you face to face.” The woman with green hair smiled. “I apologize for my intrusion into your family reunion, but I believe that my talent can render some assistance.” Livin’s partner, with his wings tightly held to his back, reached forward and extended a book to her. “This was given to us by Sivin, my mate’s mother. It has been passed down for generations and Livin has promised to keep it.” Livin shook her head. “Pardon me. This is my husband, Vasu, and this is Alara, known as Echo in Time. She is here to assist in seeing your window.” Cynthia smiled. “I will take all the help I can get.” A server arrived and took their orders. 2
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Conversation went from basic information to what was contained within the book. Livin smiled. “Since you are currently on Station 13, you and the book are safe. Read it and bring it back to me when you are done.” “Have you read it?” Livin smiled. “My mom read parts of it to me as I was growing up. I have a feeling that she skipped over some of the chapters.” Alara looked at it curiously. “What is it?” Cynthia smiled and stroked the worn leather. “It’s my diary. I have always kept a journal, but my current one is almost full. I am feeling hopeful that I will be moving on soon.” Livin looked a little upset. “What is it, punkin?” Cynthia took Livin’s hands and held them. The words came out in a rush. “I had hoped to have you around a bit more. I have questions and I am sure that my mother would love to meet you.” Cynthia opened the book and read the first passage. “Though I regret leaving my descendant, it was time for me to fall through time. I wish I could have spent more time with her, but she will be stronger for my going to my proper place. And I am tired of being alone knowing that there is someone for me who died generations before I was born.” Livin frowned. “Is that true?” Cynthia looked to Vasu and jerked her head. 3
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He wrapped an arm around his mate’s shoulder at her not-so-subtle direction. “Ask your mate how much fun it was waiting for you once he knew where you were but knew that the timing was wrong.” Vasu’s dark features twisted in remembrance. “It was not a good thing at all.” His arm around his wife tightened and she looked up into his face. Cynthia sat back and looked at the woman who carried the tail end of her genetics inside her. Her features were strong, bearing the marks of the Drai in every inch of her ears, nose and chin. The slightly pointed ears made Cynthia smile. “What is your talent, Livin?” Something about this woman reminded her of someone she had known back on earth. “I am an elemental. I bring the fury of nature in fire and wind.” Cynthia wiped a sudden tear from her eyes. “Cynthia, what is it?” “My grandmother had a talent for weather and I can see her in you. Separated by over a thousand years and her genes still pop up. It is nice to see the continuity, is all.” She finished her snivelling and Alara suddenly sat up straight. Cynthia fought the urge to ask the woman if Timmy was in the well and looked at the Guardsman. “What do you see?” “Tomorrow. You will leave this station 4
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tomorrow and fly toward the Keyharrin system. A rift will open, light will spike and wrap around you and you need to keep your course steady.” Alara shuddered and her gaze focussed on Cynthia. “Did you get that?” “Yes. I think I need to head to the quartermaster.” She put her teacup aside and got to her feet. Livin was at her side in an instant. “Why?” “Because you are going to inherit all of my old journals and I am going to need a new one.” She wrapped an arm around the last of her bloodline and gave her a squeeze. “Come on, I will show you everything I have. You can pass it along to your kids if you choose to have any.” Livin’s hand went to her abdomen in reflex and Cynthia got another tear in her eye. “You are already…” “We think so. The doctors haven’t had time to do the examination. Vasu is sure, but I only have my suspicions.” Vasu grumped behind them and Alara snickered. Cynthia had been consulting on the Sector Guard project since the first base had been up and running. All of the support staff had been run through her empathy scans for suitability for the base involved. Empathy was only one of the items in her 5
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psychic bag of tricks. She could mildly influence weather, hear the thoughts of folks in panic and lift objects at a distance when she was upset. According to the specialists who had examined her, she had the seeds of dozens of psychic talents within her and her genes would carry them to the next generation and, apparently, several after that. When she first found out that she was going to zip through a rip in time and end up on an interdicted world in the past, she had thought it a ridiculous supposition. When the Alliance archivist took her aside and showed her all the history that her descendants had created, going back to her arrival on the Drai home world, her daughter Coral and all the daughters in a long, straight line right up to Livin. None of her girls had it easy, but they all achieved a family with males who had dreamed of a life with their mixed blood and unusual talents. Garo was her mate’s name and he was waiting for her sometime in the past. She just had to find a way to connect her present to his past, creating a joint future. It shouldn’t be a problem. She spent a night of visiting with Livin and Vasu as well as staying up reading her own spidery handwriting, learning about her first year in the wilds of the Drai home world. Her eyes 6
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widened at some of what she had written and she winced at others. Cynthia felt wave after wave of unease. She was going to have quite a time of it before she managed to settle in. Cynthia hoped that she could pretend surprise when she entered those stressful moments. A nervous giggle would not be appropriate while being dangled off a cliff. Before she got a few hours’ sleep, she left all of her possessions in a case within her quarters. An instruction to send them to Fury at Morganti Base was her final bit of hand writing in this timeline. When she woke, it would be time to fly and if everything went the way it had the first time, she would be falling through the skies of Drai within the week.
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Chapter Two lying out to an unoccupied area of the Saru system with an honour guard was the oddest feeling. Star Breaker was on one side with Stellar Storm on the other. Cynthia kept her small shuttle steady as they approached the site that Echo in Time had pinpointed. As she stilled her engines at the proper coordinates, the two women paced her as she glided forward. Stellar Storm sent a double click through the com system. Cynthia knew what she was asking. She responded through her com. “Yes, I want to do this. For better or worse, I have been waiting for this moment. At least I will go out in a swirl of energy and fire.” The comet that they were waiting for was right on schedule. Echo hadn’t mentioned it until they were getting into the shuttle and there was no written
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word in Cynthia’s old journal to tell her what the magical missing ingredient had been. Cynthia shrugged to herself. She wouldn’t write it in this time either. If she had known, she would have sought out the comet to speed things along and that would have put her in the right place at the wrong time. Patience might be a virtue, but it was not her strong suit. The comet approached and her glide took a path that would put her squarely in the tail. Star Breaker flew by with a thumbs-up and a wreathing of power began around the exterior of her suit. Stellar Storm did the same and the moment that the shuttle alerts started shrieking about proximity, a writhing ball of energy surrounded her. Her ship skewed sideways and directly into the tail of the comet when Star Breaker let her power fly. Energy sluiced around her and it was the final burst that ripped the hole in the universe and threw Cynthia through it. Everything went bright and then everything went dark. **** Garo Weelich was on a patrol flight when the comet passed his world. His wings scooped the air as he watched the progress of the comet with one 9
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eye and his trajectory with the other. Garo, how long are you going to be out here? Garo watched his brother Mercuros approach. I have two hours left on duty. Why? Mother is trying to get our agreement to attend next week’s Introduction. She is getting downright desperate to get one of us mated off, brother. I am aware of it, but none of the women I have met so far has matched my dreams. Garo was going to go into further detail, but a streak of light caught his eye. Debris from the comet was entering the atmosphere. Time for me to get to work, brother. I will see you later at our parents’ home. That neither of her sons had yet to choose a mate was a matter of despair for Corleen. Garrik Weelich did not care. He knew that the women in his sons’ dreams would appear in time. There was no sense rushing a Drai courtship, because no woman would agree to wed a male who had not prepared an appropriate home for her. Garo’s home was almost done, but Merc had yet to begin his preparation. They both were in the wing guard, some of the last of their race who could shift into their ancestral forms. The interdiction of Drai had kept all other races from even attempting a blending of genes, so the Draikyn were pure blooded and fading fast. Bringing his mind back to the matter at hand, he aimed for the bright speck drawing nearer with 10
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every second. He blinked his draconian eyes as it slowed and began to break into pieces as he watched. As he drew close enough for a detailed examination, he noted that the falling object was a ship. Apparently, it had run afoul of their defensive satellites and was surrendering damaged parts with every second. When the pilot jumped out, Garo was shocked. It seemed that the being was similar to Draikyn on the exterior, but the streaming cascade of rich blonde hair was not one he had ever seen on a woman of his kind. He examined her as she fell. Her eyes closed and face pale. An image of her features on a pillow next to his flashed in his mind and he shook his head. Garo realized that his daydreaming had brought them dangerously close to the ground and he surged toward her, shifting into a more manoeuvrable form as he approached. He took on his bipedal form, his wings belling out as he slowed his descent while taking the woman into his arms. Her scent hardened his cock and he stared at his unconscious burden in shock. She was alien, that was certain, but she was also the woman in his dreams and that was a huge problem. If the interdict was enforced, his little falling star would be dead before she woke. 11
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**** The hangovers incurred just after high school were nothing compared to the pain in her head when she woke after the rip through time. A voice speaking formal Drai came to her. “Who are you and where are you from?” She smiled and rehearsed her speech. “I am a Terran, a new species being considered by the Alliance. I was stuck in the comet’s tail and it dragged me to your atmosphere. The orbital defence system made quick work of my shields.” “You speak Drai?” That surprised the speaker more than any of the sentences. “Yes. It was an option to study languages and my people had so many myths and legends about dragons that it seemed the most sensible course of study.” “Your people know about dragons?” The voice was coming from a speaker in the wall. “Yes, but just enough myth to make the idea of an entire language kinda fun. Where am I?” “You are in a holding facility in the Drai capitol of Nev. One of our patrols found you and he saved your life. He requested that you at least be questioned before the sentencing begins.” She closed her eyes. This hadn’t been in her notes either. It seemed she was shifty when it came 12
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to dealing with herself. “Sentencing?” “Drai is an interdicted world. No aliens arrive or leave. You landed illegally.” “I didn’t land, I crashed. My ship dropped through a hole in space and then fell apart. I remember something huge coming at me and then nothing.” The voice laughed. “That huge thing was Wing Leader Garo Weelich. He caught you and brought you here for examination and treatment.” “And sentencing.” There was a distinct pause. “Yes, but his primary concern was for your health and safety.” “Does that change when I am sentenced?” The woman paused again. “I…I don’t know.” At least she was honest. Whoever had checked her over had dressed her in a long tunic slashed up the sides and loose trousers underneath. Her feet were bare, but the tiles on the floor were not excessively cool. Cynthia looked around her and took in the sparse cell. Her bed was a narrow but comfortable bunk and there was a small table with two chairs, the narrow back indicative of the Draikyn wing accommodation. “When will I be questioned?” She raised her hands to her hair and tried to finger comb it into a less-wild mass. The blonde strands fought her, but she kept working until she had a loose braid to keep it out of her face. 13
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“Wing Leader Garo is on his way with a councillor. They will question you in detail and then present their findings to the Council.” “When they arrive, can I get something to eat or drink? It was a long flight.” She chuckled at her lack of exaggeration. Over a thousand years in a matter of minutes. Time didn’t just fly, it ripped open and dumped her exactly where she was supposed to be. Convincing Garo might be the hardest part of her entire journey.
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Chapter Three walked down the hall with Councillor Hael. Garo His fallen alien was awake and speaking with the matron. She spoke high Drai, which was odd enough, but her knowledge of their traditions was the most puzzling part. As far as Garo was aware, no contact with the Alliance had been made in the last five hundred years, so her education was even more of a mystery. The cells were mostly unoccupied. Based on their scans, the woman did not require a guard. She didn’t seem to have any additional talents or abilities that they could detect. “What does she look like?” The Councillor’s voice was low and calm, one of the reasons that Garo was glad he had been chosen for this investigation. “She seems similar in looks to a Drai woman. A little smaller and paler than a Drai but very similar.” He didn’t add that he had been seeing her 15
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in his dreams. It would be too shocking for the councillor to know that a Drai shifter had the misfortune to see an alien as a mate. There were few-enough males with the transforming genome left. They stopped in front of the cell containing the topic of their discussion. Without a comment, Garo palmed the lock open and the door swung wide. **** Cynthia sat at the table sipping at the tea that had been provided for her. Her time acclimating herself to the Drai palate had been well spent. She was able to sip at the bitter tea without making a face, grateful for the acids and caffeine. As the door opened, she watched the two winged males enter her cell and the spacious quarters got a lot smaller. “Good afternoon, gentlemen.” She stood and inclined her upper torso before resuming her seat and her cup of tea. “Miss, we have a few questions to ask you.” The male who wasn’t Garo was polite, but there was a familiar set to his head. “Please. I would offer both of you a seat, but I only have one.” She gestured to the other chair. The male who had spoken smiled and took the chair. Garo was busy glaring at her with a mixture 16
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of emotions, but his companion was watching her every move with an analytical eye. “Miss, why are you here?” The male with the dark hair and dark eyes folded his hands on the table in front of him. “I crashed here. A comet swept me from the Saru system and it dropped me here. My ship was badly damaged and falling apart as I entered your atmosphere.” “Are you aware that this is an interdicted world? We do not allow aliens to land on our surface. The penalty for landing on our surface is death or imprisonment.” She blinked. “All right.” He looked surprised. “You don’t want to beg for your life?” She sighed deeply and rubbed the back of her neck. “What good will it do? I am on your world where no alien is supposed to be. I can speak Drai, a feat that few aliens ever bother to master. I have knowledge of your castes and the general organization of your government and there is only one thing for me to offer to keep myself alive and free.” Garo leaned forward slightly, his massive arms crossed over his impressive chest. The other male smiled and leaned back in his chair. “What could you offer in your defence?” She smiled. “Well, there is one thing that the 17
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laws of your world have not yet considered.” “What is that?” “I never landed here. When my feet first touched the ground it was after I had been placed in this cell. By my own will, I have not entered Drai space or touched on Drai soil.” The male looked at her and started to laugh. Garo’s lips twitched and a grin eventually replaced his stoic frown. “That is an excellent point. I will pass your argument on to the Council. They will rule in the morning. Wing Leader, I will meet you outside.” The man got to his feet and left them alone. Cynthia looked into the dark gold eyes of the dragon she had been dreaming about for years. He stared into hers and she wondered what he saw in her green orbs. When he spoke, she fought the quiver of awareness that ran through her. “Who are you and why are you here?” There was desperation to his words that tore at her heart. She got to her feet and approached him slowly. With one hand, she reached up and cupped his jaw. “I am Cynthia Norman of Terra and I am here because I dreamed of you.” He flinched at her touch, his arms moving to stay straight at his sides and when she spoke, his hands curled into fists. With no more words between them, he turned and left her in her cell. 18
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Closing her eyes against the ache in her soul, she returned to her chair and slowly sipped at her tea. Tomorrow was too far away to worry about and today would never end. **** Garo endured another night with his family until he could not take the enforced merriment anymore. He stalked out onto the deck and stared into the night sky. Her words echoed in his head. I dreamed of you. How could she know the Drai words that indicated a true match of souls? No one outside of their world was privy to the social customs and the psychic connection that was formed between mates. But, she did know. She had looked at him with the same recognition that he had felt when she was in his arms that first time. Garo gripped the railing of the deck and dug his claws into the stone. How can I let my mate go to sentencing tomorrow? It was ridiculous to think that she was his destiny, but he couldn’t watch her eyes when they doomed her to life in a prison. Councillor Hael was going to make the best report he could, but unless there was some kind of a psychic shift in the council, Cynthia was doomed to death or imprisonment. “What is it, Garo?” 19
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He tilted his head and watched his mother approach. For all her nagging ways, she had a sixth sense when it came to her children. Corleen Weelich was still an attractive woman, a miracle after her four children had done their best to wear her nerves while they were growing up. “An incident yesterday has caused me unease.” Corleen stood next to him and stared out at the stars, her profile clean and solemn. “The alien woman?” “Yes.” “Why are you so concerned about her? She will simply be sentenced and the council will dispose of her as they choose.” He sighed, rubbing his forehead. His mother stared at him as dawning surprise ran through her. “You dreamed of her, didn’t you?” “I did. And do you know what is worse?” “What?” “She dreamed of me.” Corleen nodded. Her surprise turned into a stubborn set of her chin that her entire family recognized. Garo could almost see the thoughts flitting through her mind and he knew the moment that she made a decision. “Well, if the only way you are going to get a mate is via a stranger to our world, I suppose it is 20
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in my best interest to make sure that she makes it out of her sentencing alive.” Garo looked to his diminutive mother and smiled. “What are you going to do, Mama?” She reached up and patted his cheek. “It is better that you don’t know, Garo. Consider it a surprise. Don’t worry. It will turn out all right, or I will take the councillors on one at a time.” Looking down into his mother’s eyes, he had a sense that she would rip out the throats of anyone who stood between her and the possibility of a grandchild. Suddenly, he felt two things, optimism for the outcome of the hearing and pity for any of the councillors who stood in her way.
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Chapter Four ynthia stood in front of the curious councillors. They had asked her for details on her landing, the comet and the chunks of her shuttle that had burned up on entry into the Drai atmosphere. “I really don’t know. I am not a mechanic or an engineer. I received the shuttle while on assignment and it got maintenance at space stations whenever necessary. I just got in and flew.” She shrugged apologetically. A female councillor gave her a penetrating glare. “What did you do for the Alliance?” Cynthia smiled and told the truth. “I was a student. I learned lost and forgotten cultures and languages, yours included.” “They allowed you to simply travel and to learn?” She nodded. “I was given free rein to learn what I could. There are not a lot of my kind out and around in the Alliance or anywhere else for that matter. I had a talent for learning and a lot of
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potential, so they allowed me to use my mind to store bits and pieces of a dozen worlds.” The woman tapped her nails on the table restlessly. “Including ours?” “Yes, and the Admaryn, the Avari and several other races who have faded from the known worlds.” Cynthia didn’t name them. The other races were not locked in their own worlds yet. It was not their time. “Councillor Hael has passed on your point that not only did you not intend to land on Drai but that you never did actually land.” The head of the council steepled his fingers in front of him. She hid the jump of surprise at the mention of the last name of Hael. Livin’s birth name was Hael and what were the odds that this man was related to her granddaughter? “That is correct. I fell out of my crumbling ship, into the sky and my feet didn’t touch the ground until I woke in the cell. I am a little fuzzy on the comet’s intervention in my path, as well as the damage to my ship via your satellites, but waking up occurred in the cell.” The councillors nodded and murmured amongst themselves. A woman broke free of the gallery and she wove her way gracefully to stand beside Cynthia. “Councillors, I would tender an option to imprisonment.” 23
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The head councillor nodded, “We will hear you, Corleen Weelich.” “I will take this woman into my house and my custody. She will be able to learn details of Drai life while she earns her keep. I will promise to keep the council apprised of anything that I learn regarding her origins and she will be offered the same freedoms as a Drai citizen.” That last comment caused a stir in the watchers and in the councillors. The head of the council shook his head. “She cannot be a citizen, but we will agree to a probationary period. She will be given into your charge and in three months, a full report as to her activities and learning aptitude will be required. This is serious, Corleen. We can’t have an alien woman with dubious morals running amok in our city.” She nodded. “I understand, Viktor. Thank you, brother, for this opportunity.” “Take her with you, but know that she doesn’t have shoes and none have been provided for her. You will be responsible for her from the skin outward. She comes with nothing and she has nothing.” “I will take her on as my charge and we will go from there.” Corleen reached out and took Cynthia’s hand. “Now, do we have your permission to go?” 24
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The councillor waved his hand, Councillor Hael smiled and the female councillor glared. Cynthia took in this strange set of events and knew now why she wouldn’t write about it. Even she would never believe it. Corleen was quiet as she piloted the small skimmer. “It was a quirk of nature that gifted our men with wings while the women have to rely on technology for flight.” “So I have been given to understand.” Cynthia smiled. “You aren’t very talkative. Do you know why I saved you from the council?” She looked carefully at Corleen and dredged her memory. “For Garo.” The woman nodded grimly. “Indeed. My eldest needs to find his mate and you are the one he dreams about.” “I dream about him as well.” “Do you think you can bear him a child? Are your genes compatible?” Cynthia thought of all the medical procedures she had undergone just for this. “Yes, I am and I will have at least one daughter from whom will bloom all the psychic talents lying dormant in my genes.” “How do you know this?” “A friend of mine could see the future and her 25
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words participated in leading me here. I take seers very seriously.” She sat quietly on the bench in the skimmer and let Corleen steer them to a lovely home built into the side of a mountain. “And did you mention this to the council?” “From my research, the Drai are not very accepting of psychic talents. To tell them that one led me here would not really be a great idea.” Corleen chuckled. “Probably not. Despite the science-defying presence of shapeshifters among us, our folk do not really believe in those who can use their minds for things other than disapproving.” Cynthia didn’t have to respond to that. They landed on a wide deck and Corleen immediately was at her side, waiting for her to come along. When Cynthia followed the Drai woman, she stopped for a moment to admire the huge home that Corleen’s mate had provided. “So, you promise me a granddaughter?” Cynthia blushed. “It depends on Garo. He doesn’t seem to like the idea of an alien in his bed.” Corleen looked her up and down. “I am sure that with a little stimulation, he will get over it. He is a sensible male and his thoughts have been troubled of late.” She couldn’t respond to that either. “Thank you for saving me from incarceration, Madam Weelich.” 26
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“Corleen, please. Come along now, we need to get working on dinner. The boys are all out for the afternoon and Garrik is on duty until sunset. Can you cook?” Corleen raised an eyebrow. Cynthia inclined her head, “Let’s find out.” Corleen nodded. “I think you are up to the challenge.” They entered the huge house, large enough for this woman to have raised four sons with her husband and not have killed any of them. The kitchen was well laid out and after a few false starts, they fell into a rhythm. Knives flew, dishes entered the oven and meat sizzled. By the time the sky began to suffer from the stain of sunset, everything was done and in a warming oven. Corleen poured two glasses of wine and sat at the counter, gesturing for Cynthia to join her. “Now, what do you want me to tell the men? Garo will know what is going on, but he won’t mention anything to his brothers if he can help it.” The baritone that answered her comment made them both jump. “You have that right, Mother. What do you think you are doing?” Garo’s glare could have peeled paint. Corleen calmly sipped at her wine. “I am welcoming this guest to our home.” Cynthia took in the breadth of his shoulders, the narrowing of his hips and the flex of his arms and then her gaze returned to the irritated look in his 27
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face. “Good afternoon, Wing Leader Garo.” He remembered his manners and gave her a short bow, his wings flaring out and framing his body in a dark halo. “Miss Norman. Welcome to Drai.”
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Chapter Five inner was more of an inquisition than the previous few days and Corleen’s family were masters at getting information from their guest. “So, how many languages have you studied?” Garo’s youngest brother, Vikkar, was genuinely curious. “More than six, less than twelve.” She shrugged. “Do you have a mate back home?” Neral, the second youngest, was looking at her with a speculative gaze. “No, I do not. When I left my world, it was understood that I would never be allowed to join with another of my kind and out here, it seems very unlikely to find another Terran.” Garo asked, “Would you want to?” She shook her head. “No. Sometimes you just know when you need more than your own race has to offer.” Her pointed look in his direction caused a darkening of the skin along his cheekbones.
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Corleen took her mate’s hand in hers and he lifted it to his lips in a loving reflex. “What matters is that you knew that your own kind were not for you.” “That is true. Even as an adolescent, I knew that something about the boys nearby wasn’t quite right. It was a relief to leave.” She finished her meal and waited for the men to go through their third helpings. Her touch in the kitchen hadn’t screwed anything up, so that was a mark in her favour. When Corleen and Garrik finished their meal, the others stood and started clearing the table. Garo got to his feet and pulled her chair out for her. “Cynthia, may I have a word with you?” She swallowed. That didn’t sound good. “Of course.” He offered her his arm and she walked with him to the huge outer balcony that overlooked the mountains behind the house. Away from prying eyes, he moved suddenly and lifted her, taking her mouth in an eating kiss that left her in no doubt as to his interest in her. She reached for him and he broke the contact, putting her back on her feet and releasing her abruptly. He turned his back to her and faced the night sky. She finally understood the comment that she had written to herself. “You don’t want me.” 30
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He groaned, “What I want is a normal Drai woman who will dream of me and I of her and a life of blessed normalcy. What I am getting is a raging hard-on every time I hear your voice or smell your scent. I have dreamed of you, but this can’t be right. You are an alien for pity’s sake.” Tears pricked her eyes. “I see. I understand. I will keep my distance.” He groaned again. “I have hurt your feelings.” “That is one way to think of it. I have known one thing my entire adult life and that is that I was destined for you. If you don’t want me, I am afraid that I will have to rethink everything that I know and work from there. How does one remove the dreams?” He turned back to her and rubbed his forehead. “I don’t know. I don’t know of any couples who have fought the dream state.” She smiled brightly, ignoring the tears tracking down her cheeks. “Then I suppose we will be the first, though we are hardly a couple.” Garo’s frown at her comment gave her hope. He might pretend indifference, but his face was showing irritation at her denial of their connection. “Do you think Corleen can ask any of the elders to see if this has happened before?” He blinked. “I suppose. But are you content to live here without the option of being my mate?” “I am not in prison and I am not dead, so each 31
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day I get freedom is a good day. Your mother has extended me this courtesy and I will not shun her hospitality.” She walked to the edge of the balcony and clutched the railing. She could see the star systems that surrounded earth and she smiled at the familiar sight. “What are you looking at?” Garo was right behind her and he absently wrapped his arms around her waist as he looked in the same direction she was. “I am looking for home. It is over there. At this point in time, it is primitive and sparsely populated, but it will soon begin to shift into one of the fastest-evolving planets on record.” He nodded and she leaned back against him, taking comfort in is proximity. Whether he knew it or not, he was sowing the seeds of their inevitable joining. “How do you know what is going on on a primitive world you couldn’t possibly be from? I have done some research and there is no way you are a Terran.” She sighed. Honesty was best but only with him. “I am a Terran, just not one from this point in time. I came back a few years and this was the moment I was destined to live in.” He stared at her as if trying to determine her seriousness. “And you chose here and now?” 32
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She barked a quick laugh filled with all of her frustration, “I didn’t have a choice. I have a destiny and I need to be here to begin it.” “I will not be party to your destiny.” He pulled away abruptly and left her standing under the alien sky. In all of her plans and the journal, she had never imagined that Garo would reject the evidence of his own traditions, his own culture. Returning to the dining room, she informed Corleen of the discussion. “I am afraid that Garo isn’t one to give into destiny.” Corleen nodded. “He needs a little incentive. I have just the thing. Tomorrow evening, we are going out and you are wearing an Introduction gown.” The look in the Draikyn’s eyes was militant, but it gave Cynthia hope. Having Garo’s mother on her side might just be the luck she needed. He was going to fight her, but she would persevere. Livin was depending on her, after all. The next day was a series of minor domestic chores helping Corleen with the cleaning and setting the table for the evening meal. An hour before the men were due home, Corleen brought her up to the master bedroom and opened a chest, lifting a gown out of a silken cover. The gown was covered with beads, shells and 33
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gemstones. “Oh, Corleen, it’s beautiful.” “With every pregnancy, I worked on this gown, hoping for a little girl and putting it away when my sons arrived.” Corleen stroked the detailed work on the gown. “It would please me very much if you wore it to the event this evening.” “Are you sure?” Cynthia wasn’t positive if wearing an Introduction gown was a good idea. “I am. Mercuros is hauling Garo to the Introduction tonight. He will have to face men fawning over you and deal with whatever feelings that brings up.” What Corleen was suggesting was one of the oldest ploys used by women—jealousy. The flaw in her plan was that if Garo found another woman to his liking, he could form an attachment and the new female might worm her way into his dreams. It was a risky venture, but she could always look around for a suitable substitute if Garo wandered off with another. Livin would probably be able to adapt to another great grandfather. Cynthia snorted to herself. Yeah right. When she had removed all her clothing at Corleen’s insistence, the Introduction gown was dropped right over her head to settle in heavy waves around her body. There were tears in the elder Drai’s eyes as she settled the gown around Cynthia’s body. “You 34
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look lovely.” Cynthia took Corleen’s hands in her own. “Thank you again, Corleen. I know how much this gown means.” Corleen’s eyes were shining with tears. “I know you do. I want to beat my stubborn son on the head, but if we can bring him to his senses, it will be good start. Let’s take this one phase at a time.” “I am willing to go on the attack if you are, but one day, you will have to tell me why you have trusted me before you even met me.” Cynthia grunted as Corleen gave her a hug. “I will explain it one day but not until you are a member of the family.” The wink that Corleen gave her hinted at secrets that had Cynthia afire with curiosity. “Now, let’s go down for dinner. I am sure that the boys are home by now.” Grinning and moving carefully in her new gown, Cynthia stepped into the matching slippers and followed her hostess downstairs and took her seat at the table while Vikkar and Neral put the dishes on the table. Mercuros stared and Garo glared at her gown. Garrik simply kissed his wife and gave her a hug before joining his elder sons and their guest at the table. When they were all seated, they had a moment of silence before engaging in the family dinner. As was the custom in most Drai houses, the unwed 35
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sons lived with their parents and helped out with the housekeeping until the day that they completed their own homes. The real estate market on Drai was strictly a venue for raw properties. Each Draikyn male built or designed his own home. It was up to him to provide for his mate and part of the ritual that a female liked the completed home. Until she gave the home he had built her seal of approval, they were not mated for life. As they began eating, Cynthia took a great deal of care to keep the slit sleeves of the gown out of her plate. Garo barely touched his meal. He was too busy glaring at her. When Corleen announced, “I am taking Cynthia to the Introduction tonight,” the table went completely silent. Mercuros looked amused. “That seems like a sudden decision.” Garo kept glaring. Corleen smiled, “Well, she is not mated and there may be a male out there who will accept her for what she is. That would give her a bit more stability on Drai as well as a home of her own. I love having her here, but I am sure she would prefer to be the queen of her own domain.” Mercuros looked at her and propped his chin on his hand. “Can you cook?” She gestured to the meal, all her handiwork 36
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today. “You tell me.” Mercuros waggled his eyebrows at her. “Save me a dance.” A genuine smile formed on her face. “I will. Thank you.” Corleen looked pleased and the rest of the meal continued pleasantly. It remained pleasant, because Cynthia ignored the dark cloud of displeasure that was emanating from Garo. As long as she ignored him, she was able to have a very enjoyable meal. With the Introduction looming ahead of her, it was all she could do to act as if nothing was going to happen, but this moment was pivotal in her life and it would decide if she could live the life she had read about or would have to start from scratch. It was enough to make her skip dessert.
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Chapter Six ntroductions were monthly events held in an effort to introduce single Drai women to single Drai men. As Cynthia took a few timid steps into the hall, several of the occupants turned to stare at her. Many of the stares turned to glares, but some of the female faces wore smiles. The women arrived first and got comfortable and the men arrived half an hour later via the large hole in the roof. Their landing in the hall was a show of physical capability. Their wings could slow their descent in a confined space and they could land on a set target. As soon as the first male arrived, the women were locked in. They could leave at midnight but not before. Being trapped, it meant that the only way they could leave was to fly out and since the women did not have wings, they had to depend on someone else to carry them out through the opening in the hall ceiling. Corleen took her by the hand and stood at her
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side as she was introduced to a number of matrons. They greeted her warily, but when she saw a friendly face closer to her own age, she was relieved. Marli Naxis was a pleasant brunette with an open face and a welcoming attitude. “Cynthia, you must tell me of some of the worlds you have visited.” Marli tucked her arm around Cynthia’s and walked her over to the punch table. “Which ones?” Cynthia didn’t know where to start. She had spent three years learning the history of most of the worlds she had touched just for this kind of moment. “Where did you study?” Whew, that was easy. “I began my studies at the Alliance Archive. It is an entire world full of researchers, students and the history of all linked planets.” More questions followed and while Cynthia kept her mind on the histories of a thousand years before she had been born, Marli was fascinated. Vanya was another woman who was interested in anything to do with off world and so were several others. Cynthia found herself in the centre of a clutch of women with eager minds and no daily outlet for that curiosity. When the men began to drop out of the sky, the Terran song It’s Raining Men ran through Cynthia’s 39
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head. She stifled her amusement as the Drai males entered the room and the entire mood changed. Women preened, smiled and flirted like mad and Cynthia couldn’t blame them. Drai males had to be in top physical shape in order to fly and it made for very impressive torsos. In Drai tradition, the men were wearing trousers, boots and a sash around their waist. Their upper bodies were bare and Cynthia couldn’t really complain. The skin hues of the Drai ran between light oak and the darkest mahogany with a rare few who were coloured as solid midnight. All in all, it was a lovely view. Many of the males had their females in mind and immediately made beelines for them, but several others began to mix and mingle in the crowd, flirting outrageously with the matrons in an effort to gain proximity to the younger women. Marli and Vanya spread slightly apart, inviting the less confident of the males to make a move. Cynthia had to ask, “Is this normal?” Marli laughed. “As normal as it can be when you have to wait for the males to make the first move.” One of the males in question made his way to their trio. To Cynthia’s shock, he came directly to her. “Ah, so you are the alien who fell from the sky and only days later standing here in an 40
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Introduction gown. You work very fast.” He grinned. “I like that.” She blinked in surprise. A blush quickly worked its way onto her cheeks as he used his wings to move her companions aside. A few of the other males were doing the same as they found likely females and her new friends took this in stride. “I am not doing anything. My host is insisting that I immerse myself in Drai culture. This was simply one way to do so.” “A fascinating way to do it. May I offer my assistance in your acclimatization? There are many sights to see here in the capitol.” He raised his brow and his grin was quite engaging. He stumbled to one side as another male shoved him. Mercuros grinned at her and bowed low. “I believe that you promised me this dance, Cynthia.” She extended her hand to his, “I believe I did.” He pulled her away from the more predatory male and hauled her toward the dance area where other couples were moving slowly to the music. Mercuros pulled her against him and smiled down at her. “You should be careful. Males like Argus are dangerous if a woman tries to say no.” They swayed to the music and she ignored the light brush of his erection against her belly. “Are you sure that he was going to try something?” “You are not one of us, there is no family 41
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protecting you. I am afraid that if you allow yourself to be distracted by some clever flirtation, you will find yourself in danger.” His hand on her lower back pressed her against him and the concern in his face belied the arousal that was starting inside her. She was speechless. He was so close to the man she had been dreaming of for the last decade, but a thousand miles apart in her heart. Mercuros seemed to want her, her body had no objections and time was ticking onward to begin her family line. Cynthia mentally slapped herself. He was not for her. He was Vikki’s and she had to convince him and more than a dozen others to leave Drai and sleep for a thousand years. She was about to pull away when he was ripped from her by an irate Garo. Cynthia watched as they stared at each other and spoke in low snarls. It seemed that while Garo didn’t want her, he didn’t want Mercuros to have her either. She turned to leave the dance floor and was spun back against a masculine form. Garo scowled down at her. “Why are you here?” “Your mother brought me. If you don’t want me, there is no reason that I should live my life alone.” Her voice was quiet, but her body was singing in relief at the contact. 42
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A few couples ceased their slow movements on the dance floor as Garo and Cynthia cruised around in complete synch. “It isn’t that I don’t want you. I simply know it is not in my people’s best interest to have you.” Her words were a whisper of sound, “Then let me go.” He groaned and pressed his forehead against hers. “I can’t.” They danced together and when the music paused, they separated. She felt like crying as she returned to Vanya’s side. “It is Garo then?” Vanya’s whisper was amused. “Unfortunately. He doesn’t want me though.” Saying it out loud made it more real and a tear tracked down her cheek. Vanya put an arm around her shoulders and took her to the ladies withdrawing room. “Cynthia, you mustn’t put all your hopes and dreams into one male. Our folks have a connection to their mates, but no one is expecting you to have the same.” Vanya held her hand while she sobbed. The pleasantly appointed room had couches in the sitting area, mirrored vanity seats and a lav. Vanya waved off three women who tried to enter the room and Cynthia was grateful. “I am sorry for such an undignified display.” “You are not the first to have fixated on the wrong man, you won’t be the last. This room gets 43
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used for this purpose frequently.” As if her words were prophecy, another woman and a friend came in, one in tears and the other consoling. Cynthia sniffled and straightened. “I know you are right, but I can’t help the way I feel. My family always believed in love at first sight.” Vanya suddenly looked curious. “What happened to them?” Cynthia smiled sadly. “They stayed home and I left to see the stars. I wait for the day that I don’t regret my decision. It hasn’t happened yet.” Vanya patted her hand. “It will happen. You will meet the man for you, see your future in his eyes and nothing will matter but the two of you.” She smiled. “Is that what you are waiting for?” “Yes, and if it doesn’t happen, I will find a man I can like and it will grow into love.” A ripple of shock ran through Cynthia. “I thought you only mated if you dreamed of your partner.” Vanya laughed, “That only happens in twenty-five percent of cases. It is a lovely conceit, but our instincts are no better than any others for most of our population.” Understanding as to one of the greatest mysteries in Drai history suddenly became clear. If they rejected that their instincts drove them to mate off world, it was no wonder that their genes 44
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were slowly cutting off their ability to shift. The dreaming practice had driven them to diversify their genes and their government was taking pains to keep all Drai grounded. With no way to seek out the mates hidden in the stars, the flying dragons would soon be no more. Cynthia repaired the damage left by her crying jag and straightened her shoulders. She smiled brightly, “Let’s go and test my odds.” Vanya’s bright grin and the thumbs-up from the other woman who was recovering her composure was all the encouragement she needed. It was time to face the dragons in their den and hopefully find one who wanted to craft a future with her. If she couldn’t have the one that she wanted, she would have to pick one that wanted her.
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Chapter Seven ylos was an attractive Drai male with lovely dark gold skin, eyes and a dark shock of hair. He smiled as they discussed local weather, moving closer to her with every sentence. She could feel his sexual interest coming off him in waves, but she ignored it as she concentrated on having a pleasant evening. Flirting with an interested partner did wonders for her ego, especially with Garo scowling and watching from the corner. “So, what are the moons called, Bylos?” She didn’t touch him. Vanya had warned her that a small gesture would be interpreted as permission to let their hands roam free. “Ekan and Ilosa are already up, the lover moons. Heki will rise just before dawn.” Bylos was so close she could feel his body heat. “There is a much better view of the moons from the sky above the city. Do you wish to take a short flight?” There was no chance to answer him, Garo grabbed him by the shoulder, swung Bylos around
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and ploughed his fist into the other Draikyn’s face. Bylos fell to his back and the crunching of his nose was highly audible in the silence that fell as Garo snarled and kept pounding at him until Mercuros and another male pulled him off. He shook himself free and turned to Cynthia. Without a word, he wrapped her in his arms and leapt straight up. His wings scooped air frantically until they were free of the Introduction hall. Once out under the moonlight, he flew eastward without another word. She could feel the tension in his body as well as the eager acceptance of her own. Whatever she was in for, it would be the start to something new and any progress was a good thing…she hoped. Just having his arms around her sent her heart pounding in a heady beat. His limbs held her tightly against his body and she could feel the shift in muscle as his wings pulsed and scooped the night air. She whispered against his neck, “Where are we going?” “To get you out of my system. It doesn’t seem like there is anything else to do.” His words were far from the whispers of a lover. Cynthia’s mind clung to the hope that he would come around tonight. She knew that her acquiescence to his touch was all the encouragement that he needed to consummate 47
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their attraction. He hoped to get her out of his system, but she hoped that she started a craving that only she could satisfy. The house looming out of the darkness was built against a cliff as was customary. He dropped them onto a wide balcony and walked through an arched doorway that led into a bedroom. Doors opened and closed silently as he held her with one arm, moving toward the bed. He placed her on her feet and lifted the Introduction gown off her, over her head. Her body was naked under it and glowed in the dimness of the moons’ light spilling through the glass doors. She was shaking with nerves and the heartbeat that seemed to have settled low in her belly. Staring into his face was too much, so she looked at his chest while she raised her hands to stroke the heat of his skin. He growled as her fingers trailed over the hard contours of his chest, over his shoulders and back again, moving against the edge of his sash before skating lower. Keeping her gaze focussed forward, she traced the outline of his erection and felt it kick against her palm, swelling as she stroked him slowly. Her hand couldn’t cover him all, so she settled for a slow stroke through the fabric. He snarled and grazed his teeth against her shoulder. 48
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Cynthia shivered at the pleasure-pain and continued her slow stroking of his cock through his trousers until he pushed her hand aside and stripped his clothing away. She waited nervously for his return to her, her skin cooling rapidly without his heat. Any noise on her part was going to break resolve, either his or hers, she wasn’t sure. He lifted her and the hard peaks of her nipples pressed against his hot skin. His mouth came down on hers, his pointed mating teeth sharp enough to draw blood. Their tongues duelled, sliding in a wet and aching representation of what her body really wanted to be doing. He was careful with his teeth and she reciprocated by digging into his chest with only the flats of her fingers instead of her nails. Cynthia rocked her hips against him, grinding his erection between them, smiling faintly at the copious precum that was emerging and slicking their bellies. She bit at his lip and with knowledge that her research had provided, she reached behind him and stroked the smooth base of his wings. Her touch was a catalyst for him. He spun from the kiss to a peculiar frenzy, pushing her to her back and covering her. His lips trailed in heated paths down her breasts, his teeth grazing her in places she had never imagined would be sensitive to his caress. He never bit her. 49
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The enzyme in a Draikyn male’s teeth could cause a Drai female to ovulate and he was obviously not taking that chance. Garo pressed the flats of two fingers between her thighs and parted the lips of her sex with one stroke. Cynthia closed her eyes as the surge of heated moisture slicked his fingers. He growled again until she met his gaze and she watched as he licked her honey from his fingers. She swallowed nervously as he covered her with his body entirely and fitted his cock to her opening. He surged forward and she winced. The position was not conducive to an easy entry. He snarled, backed away, wrapped an arm around her waist and flipped her to her belly before drawing her up on her hands and knees. He widened her stance and cupped her hips, his claws digging in lightly. He pressed into her and the shift in position coupled with the additional honey she was producing at the change in his focus as well as the prickle of his claws stroking her hips and spine made this entry angle far easier than the other. The tip of his cock slowly widened her as he eased in with a flurry of short but powerful thrusts. She rocked forward with each pulse but pressed back toward him of her own accord. There was a discomfort that came with his entry, but it was accompanied with a surge of pleasure that 50
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made her push against him until he was fully within her. Gasps, moans and sharp cries came from her throat as he began to thrust all the way inside and then retreated, leaving an aching emptiness within. He moved faster and the added sensation of heat and friction caused her voice to climb higher. Her breasts swung and her clit pulsed in an insistent beat. She was just about to stroke herself when his hand stroked down her belly to rub against the small bundle of nerves. Her breath left her on an exhaled whoosh and she bucked with every light touch of his fingertips. The heated rod of his cock moving inside her, the pleasure-pain of their first coupling stretching her until she ached and he rocked against her with a deliberate pounding that turned her gasps into a high-pitched keen. She bucked hard against him as his hands and hips worked against her, driving her into a frenzy of sensation that culminated in a sparking behind her eyes that sent electrical waves through her entire form. She screamed, froze and clenched around him as her orgasm took her and shook her in its grip. His roar and the clenching of his hands around her hips held her still as she felt the deep jetting within her. As her senses finished overwhelming her, she was able to feel the slow stroking of his hands 51
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down her spine, over her ribs and caressing her hips. A few tears pricked her eyes at the tenderness he was showing her and as he slowly withdrew and cuddled her against him, she knew it wouldn’t last. They had had this one moment for him to get her out of his system. The tears came faster as he curled around her and held her while she drifted off. Only one time and he was forever imbedded in her system. She would just have to get used to it.
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Chapter Eight he hand on her shoulder was feminine and persistent. “Come on, Cynthia. You need to get up.” Corleen’s normally cheerful face had a pensive tension that set Cynthia’s nerves on alert. The woman was holding the Introduction gown tightly to her chest. “What is it?” “You are going to take Mercuros away from us. Garo has foreseen it. Why are you doing it?” Holding the sheets tightly to her breasts, she sat up and blinked through the tumble of hair in her eyes. She tried to catch onto the conversation. “Let me splash some water on my face and I will be able to keep up with this thread.” Corleen followed her into the bathroom and watched her sheet-covered movements. Cynthia looked into the mirror and winced at the marks of Garo’s teeth on her shoulders and working their way down her breasts. Her skin was
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delicate and it marked easily. The lightest scrape of his teeth had brought redness to her flesh. More alert and wearing the sheet as her only means of clothing herself, she nodded at Corleen. “I think we need to talk.” Corleen walked out through the bedroom and to the wide balcony. Cynthia followed. Corleen rounded on her. “Who are you and where are you from? I need the truth. Garo’s intuition has been haunting him since you arrived and I will not lose any of my sons to fate.” Cynthia ran her hands through the tangle of her hair. “My name is Cynthia Norman, born on the Alliance Protectorate of Terra, one thousand years from this date.” Corleen’s shock was obvious, but she didn’t interrupt. “When I applied as a Volunteer on my world, I was informed that my destiny was set. My descendants were depending on me to go back in time and begin my line and so, until the day came that I was to fall through space and time, I would be allowed to travel and educate myself on every world that would have me. “I have spent years learning languages, customs and methods of cooking. Communications, dance, anything and everything that I could be taught, I learned.” 54
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She stared out into the valley below and thought about what Corleen needed to know. She decided to hold nothing back. “The Drai are a dying race. Six hundred years from now, they will remove the interdict, but it will be too late. The winged dragons will no longer appear in the population. One thousand years from now, those winged shifters will return. “In the next two years, over a dozen Draikyn will agree to run from Drai and sleep on worlds throughout the stars. They will all have to find their own ways with what they can bring with them, but I have met several of them and they are all settling down to begin families.” Corleen couldn’t keep it in. “Why did they have to wait?” Cynthia smile. “They had to wait for Terrans. With only minor adjustments, we can be remade into physically compatible brides for the Drai. We link with them, dream of them and when we find them, we know that we are home at last. “I am here not only to begin my line, but to start the sleepers on their way to the stars.” Her companion asked, “Are you certain that this is your destiny?” She chuckled. “Yes. I have even met our granddaughter, a talent of immense power who has a sleeper as a spouse. I have seen him but not been introduced yet.” 55
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“How do you know the chain of events?” “I wrote in my journal and went through the first year of my landing here. Oddly enough, I skimmed over a lot of the details and I have no idea why I would do that. I am usually a fairly detailed person.” “How did you get here?” “After years of travelling and hoping for the moment that would send me here, to Garo, I waited on a space station until Livin and her husband arrived. She brought the journal and I read it in one night. The next day, I was in a shuttle designed to be destroyed on entry into the Drai atmosphere and falling into Garo’s arms. “It was thought that the Drai would not be happy to see an alien with higher tech than currently available and I was not to let any of the councils know what I was.” Cynthia smiled as Corleen absorbed the information. “Why was it you?” Corleen’s whisper was almost a simple breath of wind. Cynthia gestured to her sheet-covered body. “I know it doesn’t look like much, but every psychic talent in the Alliance is locked dormant within my genes. My first child will be a girl and she will carry the power of the elements within her.” “If you can get Garo to cooperate.” A blush ran under her skin. “His continued cooperation no longer matters. I have what I need 56
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to start my line. Next summer, your granddaughter will appear on Drai.” Corleen looked delighted and appalled. “He said he hadn’t bit you.” She ran her fingers along the red marks on her shoulders. “I have very thin skin. It is one of the reasons that I was chosen for this, I suppose. Enough of the triggering agent entered my bloodstream for my body to release an egg. If I am not pregnant now, I will be within the next twenty-four hours or so.” A bright flare of hope ran through Corleen’s features. “In that case, welcome, daughter.” “Thank you, Mother. Now, why is Garo so set against me?” “When he sees you, he sees the loss of Mercuros. He doesn’t know what you are or where his brother goes. He simply knows that he is gone.” “He is living with his wife and they are working on a family, one thousand years from now. He slept until she arrived and he still didn’t believe that she was actually there.” She chuckled. The Terran Times report had given her the details that she needed to give to the mother of one of the great Sleepers. “The Drai government was begging them to return, but as they woke, several joined the Sector Guard, others kept themselves busy with businesses and planetary defence. They enjoy the 57
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ability to use their skills and bodies to defend and protect those that they love.” “What is the Sector Guard?” “It is a new branch of defence for worlds who cannot get help from their own people or local governments. Several of my species and at least three Drai sleepers at last count.” “Who are the sleepers?” “You will know them when you see them. If Garo ever calms down, I will invite them over for an information session.” “Why Mercuros?” Cynthia sighed. “You know why. Despite the fact that the Drai claim to despise all talents, until this point in time, they are quite common. Mercuros can use his dragon form to blast all manner of energy forms out to do his bidding. Others can control shadows, ice and I have no ideas what else is lying in wait for the Terran women who have a destiny with them.” “That brings me to the moment I was dreading. Garo is a seer and he knows that your presence here means that Mercuros will leave. He thought that if he could keep away from you, it wouldn’t happen, but he couldn’t stay away.” Corleen wrapped an arm around Cynthia’s shoulders. The older woman smiled, “As mother of my granddaughter, you will always have a place in my house. Now, put on the Introduction gown so that 58
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we can return to my home. If Garo won’t come to his senses, I will make sure that you are well taken care of.” Garo glided down from above them, making both women jump. “I can take care of my own child, Mother.” Corleen stepped back and let her son approach Cynthia. Cynthia looked up at him and met his gaze calmly. “How much did you hear?” “All of it. If Mercuros goes, he will do it under his own will. I can see that now. His life, his future, he has to choose it.” Tears were in Garo’s eyes, but he stepped close to Cynthia and took her in his arms. “I am not here to force, I am here to suggest. There is a future for the Drai, but volunteers will have to will it into reality.” She pressed her hands to his chest and he wrapped her tightly in his embrace. “If you can cross an ocean of time to be with me, to face the possibility that I would leave you and our child to live out your lives in my parents’ home, to deal with my attempts to push you away, then I can accept that you will give my brother information that will send him to hibernate on an alien world.” She smiled. “I won’t ask you to accept it, but I will ask that you give him a chance to make up his 59
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own mind. I am your mate and we know it. He needs to find his and she is very, very far away.” He leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers. “Then we had better set him on his path.” Her smile was lost as he pressed his lips to hers and memories of the night before tumbled through her thoughts. She heard Corleen leave and pressed herself tightly to Garo. “Are you sure?” He sighed. “I can finally say yes.” She backed away and held his hands as she shuffled the sheet away from her feet, leading him into the bedroom once again. As they stood next to the bed, she wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled. It was time for a fresh start. “I dreamed of you.” “And I dreamed of you, but the reality is ever so much better.” With a laugh, he lifted her and tossed her onto the bed before following her down. A joyous laugh was surprised out of her and she wrapped her limbs around him. “Let’s try this again.”
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Chapter Nine fear that she had come to Drai to take his Garo’s brother from him had been a genuine one. Cynthia could understand how he would think that keeping himself from her would avert it. She smiled as his caresses moved over her from head to toe. A pressure on her mind that had been absent the first time was now insidious. Cynthia twisted under his hands. His claws occasionally scraped her skin, but the pleasure and threat of pain ratcheted her arousal higher. “Your skin is so delicate.” She smiled and draped her arms around his neck. “It will thicken with the birth of our first. The pregnancy will complete my transformation.” Her words sent a jolt through him. “You are really pregnant?” She chuckled. “I have met our descendant. If we were to have only one time together, it had to have happened last night. Time is a set thing once it has written its way in flesh and genetics.” 61
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He laughed and kissed his way down the side of her neck, between her breasts and he paused over her belly. She felt something peculiar, like a mild shock. He looked up at her in surprise and smiled, “Did you feel that?” She laughed. “Did you?” “I believe that our child just got underway.” “Do Drai children always start with a jolt?” He laughed and pressed soft kisses against her abdomen. “I am getting the feeling that nothing that applies to normal folk will apply to you, Cyn.” She was going to reply, but he kept his downward travels and spread her thighs with careful hands. Cynthia bit her lip as he nuzzled at her, covering his lips and chin with her honey before he settled in and used his tongue. The first laps were explorative. He parted her sex and delved into it with one hot, wet stroke. She closed her eyes and clutched at the bedding next to her hips, parting thighs until they ached and tilting her hips to invite him deeper. He licked, sucked and slurped at her before diving into her with his tongue. As it writhed within her, she twisted and whimpered. Each inch of her inner walls was stroked, caressed and laved with attention and energy. When she screamed, shivered and shuddered, he withdrew and filled her with the stroke of his erection before her 62
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orgasm had time to subside. This time was no surge to release, he met her gaze and slowly thrust and withdrew, keeping their gazes locked. She released the bedding and gripped his shoulders, yelping when he wrapped his arms around her and sat back on his heels, taking her with him. He shifted his grip to lift and drop her in a slow beat. Cynthia lifted her face to his and they kissed as their bodies slowly climbed to release. She felt his mind skate along hers and in the moment that her orgasm swamped her, she leaned forward and bit his shoulder just as a searing pain transmuted into pleasure on her own shoulder. His mind opened to hers and he saw her past in all its peculiarity. She saw his fear of the emotions she stirred in him, the image of Mercuros gone from Drai and his grief at not knowing how or why. His gift showed him images, but it took a while to get the context and sometimes it was too late. They remained tied together mentally as their connection was confirmed and by the time Cynthia was able to take in the world around her again, the sun was setting and her stomach growled. Garo’s chuckle made her smile. He informed her, “I believe that my mother is expecting us for dinner.” She frowned. “I don’t have anything to wear but 63
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the Introduction gown.” He sighed and looked embarrassed. “Check the wardrobe. There should be something in there that is suitable.” Cynthia wanted to disentangle herself, but her muscles were locked. “I need a little help here and definitely a shower.” He snickered and used his wings to propel them upward. He landed squarely on his feet. “Nice move, Garo.” She unclenched her legs and let them slide down. His cock slipped from her and the trail of semen down her inner thigh made her blush. “Oh, Cyn, I have moves you have not even seen. I look forward to showing you over the oncoming years.” He wrapped one arm around her waist and escorted her to the bathing chamber. Showering with a Drai was a skill that she did not yet have. Ducking away from the wings caused slips and slides. His reflexes were the only things that kept her from making intimate contact with the tiles. When she was reasonably clean and far-less sticky, she exited the shower to let him have all the space to himself. Wrapped in a towel, she pattered into the bedroom and got the shock of her life. Opening the wardrobe, she saw the standard Drai clothing. Gowns, long tunics and trousers. Beside them proudly were three pairs of jeans and 64
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three t-shirts. A set of handcrafted running shoes were at the bottom of the wardrobe next to sandals and boots. Despite his doubts, despite his anger, he had had facsimiles of human clothing created just in case. She laughed and put on a set of Drai underwear before slipping into a pair of jeans. The breast band gave her the support she needed and the t-shirt went on next. The jeans were a little baggy in the seat, but a few solid meals would soon set that right. The t-shirt was a bright blue that made her smile as she brushed the soft and stretchy fabric. “It was something that kept coming to me in my dreams. The clothing has specific textures that I thought you would enjoy. Memories of your home.” Garo was towelling his hair dry behind her, watching her. “Even when you thought I was coming to destroy your family, you still did this?” He smiled sadly. “The image of you with a child in your arms was so strong that I wanted to be prepared for anything.” Cynthia had never been able to find an image of the rest of her children in any archive. Coral would be the first of seven but the only one to stay on Drai. Cynthia knew that her heart would break when six of her offspring left her and escaped into 65
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the Alliance, but that was not something she would share with Garo until he needed to know. Livin had dropped the bombshell that had caused her to ask dozens of questions on the night before she left. None of the Alliance records had any trace of additional children, but while Coral’s line was a straight and unbroken link of daughter-to-daughter, there were six others born to the time jumper and they had scattered amongst the stars. Livin had opened a worn picture in a folder and turned it so that Cynthia could see it. It was a family photograph never copied into the Alliance archive. Cynthia, Garo and seven children all smiling and laughing into the camera. The boys had wings, the girls had bright green eyes and their hair varied. Seven children were at risk with his decision and thankfully, he had come around. Coral was the only one that had a recorded lineage and so she was the one Cynthia had focussed on. Livin had handled the image with the greatest of reverence and when she had closed it, tears pricked her eyes. “The records of your life are the greatest secret we have. Make sure that everything turns out all right or Vasu will be pissed.” Vasu had crossed his arms and nodded. “Be sure to tell me that my suit makes me look fat. It 66
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was a joke that I went through in training. No one knows about it but me. The only other flight member that knew that phrase died in training. I won’t like it, but I will listen.” “Good to know.” She had wiped at her cheeks, removing the tears that had started the moment she saw the image of her future family so far in the past. Blinking rapidly, she finished dressing and waited for Garo to get his own clothing on. He faced her with a smile and said, “We need to travel fast. I am afraid our bonding took a little longer than I anticipated. Will you ride me?” She snickered. “I believe that was what I was doing for most of the day, so why stop now?” As he walked to the huge balcony, she trailed after him with a slight wobble in her gait. Her legs were bowed slightly, but she made it into the dimming light. He shifted into his dragon form next to her and she followed the instructions that Livin Hael had given her for dragon riding. With a surge and a plummeting fall followed by an upward swing, they flew across a mountain range before settling in for a landing at Corleen and Garrik’s home. It was time for her to greet her in-laws and no more secrets would be crafted from this point on. It was both freeing and terrifying. 67
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Chapter Ten he family was welcoming as Cynthia Norman took Garo Weelich to be her husband and all the paperwork was filed with the Council representative who joined them for dinner. Councillor Echkin Hael was amused by the proceedings. He gladly gave his authorization as well as his blessing when the meal was completed. Cynthia knew that all but one of the technicalities had been completed, but as Corleen wanted no doubt as to paternity, the formal wedding had to be registered as quickly as possible. “That is an interesting outfit.” Mercuros was drinking a glass of wine and smiling down at her. “Yes, a little bit of home. Garo was thoughtful to have provided this for me.” “He had to interview seventeen weavers and nine seamstresses to get that right. Now, dear sister, can you tell me why he has treated me so oddly since you arrived?” Mercuros took her by
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the arm and led her away from the impromptu party. She sighed. This was much too quick for her liking. “He saw something. He saw that my arrival would mean you would leave. It hurt him.” Mercuros blinked and leaned against the balcony railing, grinning at her. “Why would I leave?” She rubbed her forehead. “Do you want the honest answer?” “Please.” She took a deep breath and tried to make it not sound crazy. “Because your true mate is one thousand years in the future and the only way to get to her is to leave Drai, find a world and become a sleeper.” His astonishment was palpable. “How could you know that?” “Because she was in the same class of Volunteers that I was when we left Earth. She was altered to be a suitable mate for a Draikyn, just as I was. I was thrown one thousand years into the past to save the seeds of the Drai shifters and they are beginning to wake up in the future that I just left behind.” “You must be joking.” “I am not. You recently came awake on a planet with short blue folk. At least three of the others have joined the Sector Guard and are living active 69
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lives with their mates, only one of which is a Drai female.” “What are the others?” “Terrans who have been altered like I was. Of course, the tech for that doesn’t exist yet, so I had to get it done before I left.” She smiled and shrugged like it had been nothing. It had been two weeks of pain and time in a tank. Cynthia had been left incompatible with her own kind but with the hope for a future in the past. “So, you are trying to tell me that you are from the future.” She grinned at the part he got stuck on. “Yes. I am stating it outright.” “Why come back here?” She thought of all the reasons for her to have come so far and to be here on a planet whose population didn’t welcome newbies and finally settled on the one that mattered. “I met my granddaughter and she convinced me that it would be best.” “Your granddaughter?” Cynthia stood tall with pride. “Yes. She is a member of the Sector Guard. Her call name is Fury and her partner is Beast.” Mercuros was astonished. “You are serious.” “I am. She bears my genes in her system and the talent that she has can shake a world or drown it in fire. I am so proud.” The tears in her eyes were 70
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genuine. “So, you want me to break the interdict, leave my world and sleep under the surface of a strange world for a thousand years?” “It isn’t what I want, but it has to happen for things to move smoothly in the future. You can choose your path, but dream on it tonight and just see if the woman you find doesn’t bear a striking resemblance to someone of my species.” Mercuros nodded. “I will.” He paused for a moment. “How many of us will be going?” “Over a dozen. Not all at the same time.” She reached out a hand to touch Mercuros’s arm. Garo loomed behind her. She could feel him. “You don’t have to leave now, Merc, not ever if you don’t want to.” Mercuros smiled. “I will cross an ocean of time to find the woman who will be mine and I know that you would have done the same if your female hadn’t beat you to it.” Garo wrapped an arm around her waist and squeezed her. “You told him?” “Everything he asked. No more secrets.” He pressed a kiss to her hair. “No more secrets.” She sighed and relaxed against him. Mercuros asked another question. “Do you know the names of the others?” “A few of them. Just the first name though. Vasu, Hyfor, Orell, Tridell, Esur and Harusk. As 71
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far as I know, the others have not yet woken.” She shrugged. “I know most of those names.” Mercuros was shocked. “They are all shifters and with your planet sealed to new blood, their talents will die with them if they don’t seek out mates off world.” He crossed his arms and frowned. “How will we find our women in the depths of space?” Wrapped in Garo’s arms, she couldn’t help but smile. “Terran women will come to you. It is one of our most annoying traits.” Garo exhaled and she could tell he was grinning at his brother. “A week ago, I thought my dreams were a sign of madness and now here is my female, in my arms with the paperwork ratified. What more could I ask for?” She snickered as she remembered the one item that they had not yet covered. “I believe I need to approve of your home.” Mercuros barked a laugh. “You forgot to get her approval before you bedded her?” “He originally intended to bed me to get me out of his system. There wasn’t time for approval and certainly no time for a tour.” Garo was squeezing her so tightly that she couldn’t breathe. She slapped at his arms and he eased up. Corleen joined them on the balcony and beamed 72
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at them both. “That was wonderful. One son wedded and the next in line. When do you think it will be for you, Merc?” He looked at Garo and his eyes focussed on Cynthia. “I think, Mother, that you will have to wait for a long, long time for me. It would be best to concentrate on the other two.” And with that, he returned to the rest of the party. Friends, neighbours and acquaintances had all been gathered as witnesses. They were all enjoying the novelty of being at a wedding that was supposed to be impossible. No alien had married a Drai in over four centuries. This was quite a day for the history books. Corleen smiled at the happy couple. “So, you got it all sorted out?” Garo nodded. “Yes, we did. I still saw what I saw, but now, I have context. It made a helluva difference.” Corleen beamed. “Talking things out has that effect. So, how long is gestation in your species?” Cynthia looked up at Garo’s curious face. “Well, in my species it is usually averaging two hundred and eighty days, but with my Drai compatibility alterations, it will be more like four hundred Drai days.” Corleen had an expression between horror and delight. “That soon? You had better begin her 73
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Introduction gown then. You will need time to learn the embroidery techniques.” She smiled. “Well, since my employment options are nonexistent, I may as well begin my practicing. Can you teach me?” Corleen looked the woman who had fallen through space and time just to become wife to her son and mother to her grandchildren. “It will be my honour.”
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Chapter Eleven he flight to their new home was accomplished by starlight and moonlight. As they approached the house he had built for them, floodlights came on. A massive and Terran-style house was set in the side of a mountain in Drai fashion. A huge balcony of stone was mounted on all sides to allow for easy landings and entertaining. Part fortress, part castle, part bungalow, it was a work of styles that should never have connected and yet worked very well together. Cynthia stifled her surge of emotion and simply hung on as Garo came in for a landing. The balcony barely held his dragon form, but he quickly shifted back into his normal shape with arms and legs. “So, do you approve?” There was nervousness beneath his tone. “I haven’t had the tour yet. Come on, show off.” Cynthia grinned and looped her arm through his.
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They went on a slow tour of the house. The kitchen bore a remarkable resemblance to Corleen’s, which would give it a comfortable familiarity. “Where does the money come from for something like this?” She had never let it enter her thoughts before, but she was unfamiliar with trade on Drai. “Money?” “Currency, credits, gold, gilder. The goods for labour representation.” “Ah. My status as Wing Leader gives me the right to request anything I wish from any other citizen. We do a labour-for-labour transfer.” She bit her lip as they toured the inner garden. “Will anything happen because you chose me as mate?” He gave her a tight smile. “I don’t know. We will have to cross that difficulty if it comes.” She sighed. “What will I do all day?” He grinned and led her through the house to stand before two huge doors. “I thought that what I saw in your mind might make for a fascinating hobby.” Garo reached out with a flourish and opened the doors to a library that took up half the house. Books, scrolls, reams of paper, walls lined with shelves twenty-feet high. Cynthia walked into the library and turned 76
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around in circles, trying to take it all in. He smiled and handed her a leather-bound book. “I recall that you write in something every night and given that you arrived here with nothing. This would be a good start.” Silent tears tracked down her cheeks as she recognized the exact pattern of leather that she had taken from Livin, but these pages were pristine and none of her adventures had touched them yet. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” She smiled brilliantly and lunged up to hug him. With this journal, her future had finally clicked into place. Whatever the future held, it started today.
**** Ten months later… “You are starting your journal now?” Garo’s amusement was fighting with his tension. She chuckled and exhaled slowly. “Of course. It makes perfect sense. I could never figure out why I skipped all of the gory details of my first few months here. Why it all seemed so pleasant. There was only one possibility. I had to be really, really distracted when I wrote it and there is only one time that I would be that unfocussed while writing.” 77
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He pressed his hand lightly to her abdomen and felt the contraction. “This would qualify as distracting.” She scribbled a few more lines between contractions regarding her first day on Drai, then paused to breathe. “Is the physician coming?” Garo took on another expression, this one filled with tension. “He won’t attend an alien birth. It is beneath him.” She grunted. “Then call Echkin Hael. He’s a healer though he doesn’t like it to be common knowledge.” He scowled at her. “How do you know that?” “When we were doing our subterfuge call for sleepers, he tried to enlist quietly. I told him that he couldn’t.” She panted as another band of fire wrapped around her belly. “Why not? Was it his age?” Garo was keeping her talking while keying information into the com. “No, it wasn’t that.” She grimaced and relaxed before resuming her frantic notations. Garo seemed upset with her sudden lack of conversation. “What was it then?” “You have never asked me our granddaughter’s last name.” The light of understanding came into his eyes. “What is our granddaughter’s last name?” She grinned. “Livin Hael. Now, ask me who her mate is.” 78
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He groaned, “Do I want to know?” She laughed. “Probably not.” She let her mind drift to Vasu and his recalcitrance to join the sleepers until she took him aside to give him the phrase he had given to her a thousand years from now. The pain brought her back to the present. “Echkin is on his way. So is Mother, Father, as well as Mercuros, Vikkar and Neral.” Vanya and Marli were already in the kitchen preparing a feast for those waiting through labour. “It will be a fairly full house,” she muttered as she kept writing. She was still in the library. It was her favourite place on the entire planet. When she and Garo fought, she retreated here and simply looked at all of the books, the tales of other worlds and histories she had never dreamed of. It cooled her ire and enabled her to return to his arms to work it out. The last ten months had not been smooth sailing and more than once, she had bawled into her pillow until she was able get herself together. The moment that she was refused service in the café, the day that the doctor refused treatment for a gash on her arm. Those were the moments that had driven her to the edge of her self-control. They were also the moments that enabled her to tell who her friends were. Echkin helped her with her arm and swore her to secrecy. 79
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She had just broken that bond of confidence, but she didn’t really care. Cynthia fought her way through the pain and resumed scribbling in her journal the moment the contraction eased. Garo stayed at her side while she worked her way frantically through the book. At the three-quarter mark, the contractions were too close together for her to continue. “That’s enough of that.” Garo lifted her and brought her into their bedroom. Echkin was waiting and he looked very uncomfortable at being in another male’s bedchamber. “I have never done anything like this before.” The councillor looked a little queasy. Cynthia grinned, sweat matting her eyes. “Neither have I. Just stand by to help Garo if his child is a little too big for me to handle.” Echkin nodded nervously and stood next to her shoulder. Garo grimaced. He had prepared for this, but Cynthia knew that he wasn’t keen on it. Corleen had been willing to help, but she had been in the medical centre in the city for her four births. She wasn’t too sure of the natural process. Garo had done what research he could from the books of similar species and now, he was lifting the edge of her gown to check on her progress. The head was crowning. She had waited until the last minute before letting him see her pain. 80
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The next hour and a half passed in a blur, but when it was over, she was holding her baby in her arms, her beautiful baby girl. Coral Weelich, the first Drai-Terran hybrid. Garo had tears tracking down his cheeks. With a soft sob, he sat next to her and took them both into his arms. Echkin Hael stood proudly at the bedside. He had saved her from bleeding out and was now firmly part of the family. They posed for a photograph, their first as a family. All of the Weelichs as well as Echkin stood together and were immortalized in a printed copy. Corleen smiled at the image of her expanding family. “I think I will keep this in a private album. Something tells me I will need it later.” Mercuros grinned. “Give me a copy.” Smiling at the image of her new baby in her arms and the family around them, Cynthia grinned. While the Alliance had no images on record of her family, it looked like the Weelichs were going to take matters into their own hands. History was never going to be the same.
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Epilogue ivin and Vasu arrived on the unnamed world in the middle of the night with no fanfare. It was time for a family gathering and it had to be done under the cover of absolute secrecy. It was a hidden planet so secret that it wasn’t on any of the Alliance’s star charts. Livin carried a gift in keeping with the traditions of her family. Leaving the ship behind, she walked with her husband toward one of a hundred homes on this quiet world. They walked in and asked, “Are we too late?” Livin adjusted to the view of Cynthia Norman Weelich, now a thousand years older but having aged only decades in the weeks since they had first met. Cynthia smiled. “Of course not. Come on in. The new year is still an hour away.” Garo smiled and stood behind his wife, his arm around her waist. “We are glad you could finally join us.”
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“It took some doing. Those clues that you left were a little tricky.” He laughed. “That wasn’t me. It was your grandmother. Now, join the party. We have eight generations as of today. Good to see you again, Vasu. Now get your hands off my granddaughter.” Cynthia started to laugh and a wave of cheer swept through the room. Drai men and women, others of varying species, they were all there. All and any of their descendants who could make their way through the maze of hints that would lead them to this tiny retirement world. Livin hadn’t understood until she deciphered the hints. What could a woman who contained all talents possibly have as a talent that would go undetected? Immortality. When she bonded to Garo and Garo to her, they shared one life force, a life that didn’t run out. As the Drai councils began to investigate them, they made the decision to leave and find a place in the stars. They left clues for their children and their children, leading them to this place. The perversely long lives were inherited. Only the death of their mate would end them. Immortality went beyond what most species were willing to accept as normal, so when the descendants were tired of running, they came to Cynthia and Garo, or as in Livin’s case, they came 83
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for New Year’s Eve. Vasu and Garo stood aside and compared lives as well as the marks of aging. Livin stood and sipped at a drink while the children and grandchildren and great plus grandchildren had a lovely visit. “It has been a while, Livin. How are you doing?” “You left six weeks ago. Mother gave me the clues the moment you were gone. How did you know?” Cynthia laughed. “That I wouldn’t just live a normal life span? I got the idea about a hundred and fifty years after landing on Drai. Unless I died of physical damage, my body wouldn’t age much and with Garo hovering over me, there was not much chance of death after I stopped having kids.” Livin blinked. Cynthia chuckled again. “Would you care to see the gallery?” “Of course. Do we have time?” Cynthia’s laughter followed them into the long hallway covered with images of Cynthia and Garo’s descendants. They walked for most of an hour, Cynthia pointing out the males of her line that kept the shifter ability right until this very day, the females who had snuck off the interdicted world to find the men of their dreams and the children who stayed and flourished. 84
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“This is your grandfather, Echkin. Without him, I would have died birthing Coral. He wed Vanya. They started courting the day that Coral was born.” They walked the hall, Livin asking and Cynthia informing her of all the things her relatives had been up to. They returned to the common room just as the family was counting down. The roof retracted and males wrapped their arms around their wives, launching into the air as the year turned over on Terra, millions of miles away. It was time for the night flight and they all danced in the starlight, laughing and swirling through the skies. Livin held Vasu’s arms and she brought more wind to the party, lifting them higher while one of her grandmothers painted with light and another sang a song that could make stones weep. Tomorrow, Livin and Vasu would return to the Sector Guard, but tonight, they were part of a family written through time. Their own chapter was only beginning.
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Author’s Note Livin Hael and Vasu were first seen in Hael’s Fury, a Devine Destinies story. The sleepers are sprinkled throughout the Sector Guard and Terran Times series and I enjoy my dragons. Cynthia has been swirling in my thoughts for over two years, but having never written a time-travel book before, I was leery. Now that it is over, I am relieved. Unfortunately, I have now opened a can of worms with an immortal family who controls a variety of powerful talents. Bear with me, but let me know if you want to know more about them. Thanks again, Viola Grace
[email protected] http://www.violagrace.com http://www.extasybooks.com http://www.devinedestinies.com
About the Author Viola Grace was born in Manitoba, Canada where she still resides today. She really likes it there. She has no pets and can barely keep sea monkeys alive for a reasonable amount of time. Her line of day job tends to be analytical which leaves her mind hopping to weave stories. No co-worker is safe from her character analysis. In keeping with busy hands are happy hands, her hobbies have included cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, costuming, cake decorating, baking, cooking, metal work, beading, sculpting, painting, doll making, henna tattoos, chain mail, and a few others that have been forgotten. It is quite often that these hobbies make their way into her tales. Viola’s fetishes include boots and corsetry, and her greatest weakness is her uncontrollable blush. Her writing actively pursues the Happily Ever After that so rarely occurs in nature. It is an admirable thing and something that we should all strive for. To find one that we truly like, as well as love.
