Chapter 2

Back in Draconis

Carler knew he would have to handle his mate carefully. He hated to have to let her go, but he knew she was a warrior like him. She would never forgive him if he interfered with her job, and he would get nowhere in their relationship.

That didn't mean he wouldn't worry. He was really worried at the moment. He knew Viv and the group she was with had gotten information on the mob boss's location and his actions. There was no doubt they were headed into a dangerous situation.

Carler was puzzled by how an old man who couldn't fight could cause so much trouble. They had technology that humans couldn't even imagine, yet they couldn't use it to deal with the evil little man.

Joe Senior constantly escaped when they tried to catch him. It just wouldn't do. Viv was in constant danger until he was caught. And she wouldn't be the only one affected by what Joe did. They'd caught two more people entering the casino to cause trouble. Thankfully, their security was good, and the mobsters had been quickly caught.

"What is it this time?" He asked tiredly when his assistant appeared in the doorway. There was no doubt that Joe Senior had done something again.

"Kareth is communicating with us. He wishes to talk to you," his assistant informed.

Instantly, his heart felt like it was trying to burst from his chest. Had Viv been harmed?

Hurrying to the Communication Room that was set up to share information with anyone across the world or even on other planets, his feet wouldn't move fast enough. He knew everyone needed access to communicate with their Emperor, but at that moment, he wished it was closer.

It was rare that they would have good news at this point in their hunt. Joe Senior needed to be dealt with so they could get on with their business. It was true that, somehow, they had managed to keep slightly ahead of their schedule, but they should have been miles farther.

Carler rushed to the communication room, zigzagging down the hallway full of people who jumped out of his way. He would apologize later, but there was no time. At that moment, he had to know what was happening.

Pushing the door open so hard that it slammed against the wall and bounced back, he ignored the sharp pain when it slammed into his hand. Once inside, he shoved it closed. The room was empty to keep any and all information private.

"What is happening?" Carler demanded.

"Relax, General. This is neither good nor bad news," Kareth explained. "Since the situation was so urgent when we received information last night that gave us a location, we immediately went. All we could do was observe and participate from a distance in a fight between those loyal to Joe Senior and those supporting the new guy, Johnny. None of us were injured, and we did have the opportunity to discuss our concerns with Johnny. He seemed aware that we had assisted him and appreciated our help. Had we not been there, he would have surely been killed. Joe Senior never showed up in person. Although, it is possible he was hiding somewhere and watching the whole thing."

"How does he convince these people to risk their lives for him? He's no longer part of their organization. The same group that will go after everyone who supports him." Carler's voice was filled with frustration.

"I can't understand it either. Old Joe easily sacrifices them without a second thought. He is a worthless leader who hides behind his people and uses them for fodder."

"If we could understand why they support him, maybe we could change their minds."

"Your mate says they support him because they have given him their loyalty for so long that they know no other way," Kareth explained.

"She may be right. We saw a similar thing when some of the bad Lords fell. It was a combination of past loyalty and horrible fear of what would happen to them if they crossed them."

"Viv seems to have a good understanding of most of these things. Now, we must decide whether to stay here hoping to find another clue or return home and wait."

"Do you have any idea what my mate wishes to do?" Carler asked.

"It is my belief she is having a hard time deciding. She wants to continue but realizes it could take a very long time before anything else appears. Perhaps you should call her and see what she has to say."

"It would be reasonable to call her now that you have settled in and see how things are going. I prefer she not know that you and I have spoken before I talked to her."

"Yes, General, of course, I will say nothing," Kareth agreed.

After saying goodbye, he was left to think about how to contact Viv. Could he explain it so she wouldn't feel he was checking up on her? As her boss, would he normally even worry about such a thing? Maybe she would take it more easily if he explained that they still were having issues with people Joe Senior was sending in. Yes, that's how he would present it–as an exchange of information.

Putting her number into the device, he could hear the call connecting. "Hello?"

Her voice hit him hard. He knew he had to push his claim forward, or it would drive him crazy.

"Viv." His voice sounded breathy, something that had never happened in his whole life.

"Carler, can I help you?"

He could think of many things, but none he should say. "I wanted to get an update about what was going on there and to tell you what was happening here."

"What is going on there?"

"Joe Senior's attacks have not slowed down. We've just gotten better at anticipating them. Have you had any luck in finding him?"

"We did manage to walk in on a welcome party for the new guy, Johnny. Joe wasn't invited, but he sent someone to give a hell of a welcome. We got involved, or Johnny would have died. There are no other clues to follow. I have considered heading back until we find another clue. Staying here must be expensive, and I don't see the point. If nothing else shows up, I intend for us to return in the morning. I just informed Kareth. He will take care of all the details," Viv explained.

"I know it is disappointing, but I think you are making the right choice. We have two people working undercover. Given time, I believe they will find some useful information."

"I'm sure we will see you sometime tomorrow."

They said their goodbyes like acquaintances, even though he did not wish that. Things needed to move on, but he wasn't sure how to do it.

Even Ranger couldn't help with this situation because his mate had no former lover. It was hard to compete with the perfect lover who died before she discovered any of his bad habits. Maybe Viv could move forward and accept Carler as her mate once Doug was avenged.

Heading back to his office, he intended to immerse himself in work and forget that his mate did not want him for the moment. He tried not to take it personally. He knew, at this time, that Viv didn't want anyone. She needed closure on her old life before claiming a new one. The best thing he could do was to help her achieve that as quickly as possible.

There was a knock on his door. He wondered if it would be the next step to assisting his mate.

"Come in!" He directed.

A male entered. He looked dangerous. His eyes were cold, and a scar ran down his neck, just missing his jugular. His hair was white as snow, but he had not been born with it that way.

"Doran, my old friend, I am glad you could come. Have a seat. I'll explain the situation, and you can decide if it is something you can do," Carler explained.

"I was curious to come to this world where many find mates. I have met a few Earth females and find them interesting."

Carler examined his friend. He was huge, even for a dragon shifter. He topped out at seven feet and was broad and muscled. The scar on his neck let everyone know he was dangerous and had survived many fights. Sure, it could have been easily removed and still could be, but Doran kept it as a reminder to be careful who he trusted and watch his own back.

Doran was cold and calculating but the best friend anyone could have if he acknowledged that person as a friend. He was the Emperor's assassin, used only in the most serious conditions.

When he wasn't on assignment as an assassin, he was used as an investigator or to bring prisoners in to face justice. Usually, those from other worlds since they had always been told criminals were rare in their kind. However, recently, they found out that wasn't always true. What criminals of their kind had done was hide their deceit well.

But that didn't matter at the moment. Carler needed Doran to bring Joe Senior to justice. Viv might not appreciate the extra effort but must learn to live with it if someone else brought Joe in.

Carler trusted Doran, but he doubted that Doran trusted him. A partner, a female, had turned on him and tried to take him out. She had been the one who died, but it had affected Doran. It changed him on the inside as well as the outside. It was hard to say if he would ever learn to trust again and how his life would proceed if he could not trust whoever he decided to mate.

Whatever else there was, there was no better male to assist with catching Joe Senior than Doran. It would be more difficult in this strange world. Sadly, none knew as much as they needed, but Carler still felt Doran would be a valuable asset. After all, he had worked on other worlds around the Galaxies and always managed to bring in his man or woman.

"Give me the file and any other information you think I should have. I will examine it and decide if this job suits me. If I take the job, I want to take a two-week vacation after it concludes, regardless of whether I catch the target or someone else does," the assassin demanded.

"Have you ever taken a vacation?" Carler wondered.

"I have not planned one, but I have had time between or even on jobs, waiting for a certain outcome before proceeding. If you wonder if I can relax, the answer is yes."

Carler handed his friend the extensive files divided into two sets and wished him a good day before taking his leave. Now, he sat in his office chair, wondering if the assassin would take the job and how difficult it would be for him if he did.

Carler was sure he would see Viv in a few hours. He needed to pursue her and speed up the process. His dragon was unhappy with him, which was never good.

Another knock on the door. It was definitely not going to be a slow day. "Come in."

"General, we've had another episode. The park closest to us has been attacked. Since the ship is in orbit, they might be able to handle it," Joff, his assistant, suggested.

"Handle it."

Joff was a young Lieutenant hoping to move up in rank. Being his assistant was a stepping stone to something higher and better. Handling matters and doing well would see him get a promotion sooner rather than later.

The young male was bright and capable. They needed half a dozen of him in different positions on the planet as soon as possible. The problem was that only a few were qualified to do the work.

There was nothing wrong with humans except that they did not know dragon aliens existed.

Females who mated dragons could be used in some of these positions, but only a few would be considered warriors. Female dragons generally mated other dragons. They had many requests to come and serve, but as far as Carler knew, every request came from a male, and most were looking for their mate.

That was not why he had come, yet he had found his mate anyway. The Emperor requested that he take the position for a few years to help get the colony going.

Carler was sure he would like it but wasn't sure what kind of people humans were. He liked the Empress, the Queen, and her relatives but did not believe they were average citizens. If they were, the planet would have colonized space long ago.

Although he had only met them a few times socially, he still felt the ladies were exceptional examples of Earth females, along with Ranger's Queen.

What still puzzled him was how difficult human females were to understand. Among his own people, finding a true mate guaranteed they would mate.

On Earth, it would be a battle to earn the trust and develop the relationship needed to convince them to mate. Thinking of how Viv turned away from him and said it would never happen made his heart hurt.

But Carler refused to give up. He knew deep inside he would never give up. Even if he wanted to, his dragon would not allow it. Viv would accept him, and he would ensure it if it was the last thing he ever did in life.

Dragons did not need the sleep that humans did, but they still needed sleep. He'd been up since Viv left but needed to sleep to be in good shape when she arrived.

Going upstairs to his apartment on the top floor, he thought about how close he was to Ranger and his Queen. It was a nice apartment, only a little smaller than the one their King had.

Viv had one of the apartments below him. They were also nice, especially by human standards. He undressed and took a shower to prepare for bed. It was a large bed because he was a large male, but unfortunately, it was empty. His mate was not in it.

Carler was so tired that he fell asleep when his head hit the pillow. He woke hours later.

Once dressed, he headed to his office to see what had happened while he'd been asleep. On his computer, a message let him know that Viv and her team were returning. Nothing else had happened, and no clues had presented themselves. In one way, he was relieved, but in another, he wished that Joe had been dealt with permanently.

Much of his work was done on the computer. He scheduled meetings, placed orders for needed materials, and made decisions about what to do next.

Carler got busy and was getting a great deal of work done when he received a notice that the plane had landed. His mate was there. He quickly cleared everything on his computer so he could greet her. They were going to have to discuss what to do about Joe Senior.

Ranger suggested Carler do an interview with a popular American station. Maybe letting people know what Joe Senior was doing and some background information about who he really was would make it harder for him to get people to do his bidding. It would not take long and might even increase the popularity of their casino and some of their tourist activities.

The interview would be short, and they would provide the journalists with a free room and a limited amount of money to play in the casino. Once the money ran out, they played on their own dime.

Carler knew they would try to ask questions to make his people look like they were in the wrong, but he could handle a few journalists. Maybe they would even relax after spending time in their incredible resort. The food and drinks were amazing. They had a variety of shows so anyone could find something they liked, and the gambling was addictive.

Maybe after Viv settled back into her room to rest a little while, he would call and schedule an appointment with some journalists. It wasn't like they didn't intend to have a grand opening where they would invite various people that would get them some good advertising. Maybe doing this just before the event would have a ripple effect on them. He had everything closed on his computer and was headed to meet his mate. If people had moved out of his way before, they were moving out of his way faster this time. He felt a deep need to see her and assure himself that everything was all right.

Carler felt that even though she denied it, she felt something for him. If she'd had a dragon, there was no way that she could have fought against it. That made this more difficult for him, but not impossible. Since they worked together, she couldn't escape him, at least not completely. That was something he planned to use to his advantage. Carler stepped outside to the car that was waiting for him. His driver quickly took him to the airport because this would be the car that the others came back in. It was a short drive. They pulled onto the tarmac and onto a plane that had just landed a short while ago.

The stairs had just been put in place, and the door opened. Kareth stepped through first, followed by his mate and then Viv. She looked so beautiful that his heart skipped a beat in admiration. They moved down the steps and headed to the car he stood in front of. He knew that she would not be pleased if he pulled her into his arms as he wanted to and kissed her deeply. Instead, he greeted them and explained that they would ride in the car with him.

The four of them sat in the back, and his mate sat beside him. He hoped she would eventually understand this was how it should be.

Once they mated, she would be his world, and nothing would come between them. All he had to do was convince her that he was her mate.

Catching Joe so that he could be punished would be a big step in the right direction. All they needed was the right opportunity because he could be dealt with if they could get him in person. He hoped to hear from Doran sometime tomorrow, and then he would know if he would have assistance with this problem. He did not intend to share this with his mate until they had results.

Somehow, he just knew she would not be pleased by him bringing in others on what she considered her personal quest. It was too late to change now, and he would just have to hide it from her until it was too late to hide it. Joe needed to be taken out because he was causing too much trouble. He just looked at his texts and discovered that security had caught two more people coming in and trying to cause havoc. The fact that they were catching them so easily didn't make him feel any better because he wondered if it was a distraction for something worse.

Security questioned the two, and they said they would let him know if they discovered anything worthwhile. He stood closer to his mate, pleased she didn't slide away. It was such a small thing, but it showed she was getting used to him. They arrived at the building where their office was, and he got out and helped her out. The others were left to take care of themselves.

"Are you hungry? I would like to take you for a meal. We can catch you up on everything that happened while you were gone," Carler explained.

"Yes, that sounds good. The meal on the plane was early, and I really am hungry now," Viv admitted.

He gently took her arm, leading her outside to the elevator that would take them to the steakhouse a couple floors down. Carler was certain everyone loved steak.

They were escorted to a private area where a waitress took their drink orders and left menus. When she returned with the drinks, she took their orders. Finally, they were alone–at least for a little while.

"We just had two more in the casino trying to cause trouble. Security is questioning them, but I'm sure Joe sent them. He seems to have an endless supply of people. Some are even willing to die for him."

"I saw that when I watched what could only be described as total bloody chaos. Those who didn't run either died or were taken prisoner and wished they were dead. I feel bad that we are working with the lesser of two evils. I know Johnny hasn't been in charge long, but he wouldn't have been selected if he wasn't good at killing people and stealing stuff," Viv admitted.

"Joe Senior is definitely the worst of the two evils. He wasn't as bad before his son went rogue, but the betrayal affected his mind. He is not only obsessed but insane."

"I can't deny it. That makes Old Joe more dangerous than ever. At least his son is tied up in prison for a while and won't be assisting his father create problems for us."

"I don't think Daddy needs help. He's been doing a good job on his own, and we have a constant flow of people coming in trying to create various problems. Last week, two of his people came in trying to set up a bomb. They had no idea what to do and could have just as easily blown themselves up or planted an explosive that wouldn't work," Carler observed.

"You didn't tell me about that."

"You were busy. I thought you might be taking a trip soon. It didn't matter because none of the gunmen knew anything or who sent them. They were promised they would be famous if they did a good job. Joe Senior is obviously finding some crazy people."

"I can't disagree with that. We just have to catch him and remove him from our lives. I can't believe how slippery he's been. He even managed to avoid his former bosses catching him. They'll try harder now that he's taking out some of their people. It looked to me like a dozen or more died. Several of those were Joe's," Viv observed.

"Such a disregard for life. Anyone like that needs to be taken out. It's not been long since some evil people tried to take over things. They didn't care about the lives of the people they sent, either. They considered them cannon fodder. Taking them out kept us busy while they were doing other things. I wonder what Joe Senior is up to."

Their conversation ended at that point because the waitress appeared with their food. The aroma of the steak and the other foods made his mouth water. His dragon was ready to eat, and if the look on Viv's face was anything to go by, she was ready, too.

The waitress left, and they began to eat. Any dragon loved a good piece of meat, and the other part of him enjoyed the rest of the food. Viv seemed to be a meat eater, too, which would be a good thing when he changed her, and he would change her.

Mating with Viv was the one thought that was always on his mind. If only it was on her mind as well. At least she had agreed to have a meal with him even though he feared it was because she thought it was a business dinner. Carler did not consider it one. They would share more time, so she might as well get used to it.

"Carler, look!" Viv demanded.

He had not been paying attention, lost in his mate's daydreams. Something was happening that he wasn't aware of.

Two human males had entered the dining room. Did they know he and Viv were there? If they did, how? They were holding machine guns, which should never have passed security. It was an inside job. Carler saw that these males were not used to handling guns, and that made them more dangerous than anything.

Viv got up and approached them. "What are you two doing in here with machine guns? Do you intend to take on the world?" She asked.

"No, we came to kill some dragons," the older looking one replied.

"So, you don't know the dragons are bulletproof? All you'll do here is get security shooting you down," she explained.

"Are you sure? The guy told us that a machine gun would take them out," the other guy challenged.

"Old legends explain that a special sword can pierce their hearts and kill them. They also say most breathe fire. You'll never get close enough without being burned to ash." Pausing for a second, she asked, "Why do you even care about dragons?"

"These are special dragons that shift into people and are trying to take over our world," the youngest guy spat.

"Do you believe this? What do you know about the man that told you this?"

"He seemed like a nice guy, but he was very concerned about what would happen to people if this new race took over," the oldest boy said.

"Jason, are you sure we should be telling her this?" The younger boy asked.

"What do we have to lose? Maybe she can help us find them, Andy," Jason suggested.

"Was the guy who approached you named Joe?" She asked.

"That was it. Do you know him?" Andy asked.

"I do. He is a mob boss that is trying to take over this casino. He is wanted by every type of law enforcement in the US and other countries. I don't know how he convinces people the stories he tells are true, but the casino has gotten dozens of people attacking their business and trying to run it into the ground," Viv explained.

"But what if he's right, and they're trying to get a foothold on our world?" Jason asked.

"The people running this country are trying to get businesses going. They are not attacking any nearby countries. They just want to be left alone. Does any of that sound like a bad thing?"

"What will happen to us?" Jason asked.

"They will treat you fairly, but first, you must give up those machine guns," she replied.

"These aren't real. We were told there are some kind of high-priced toys," Andy pointed his gun at the ceiling and pulled the trigger.

People panicked and rushed out of the restaurant as bullet holes appeared in the ceiling. It was a good thing the floor above was steel, and the bullets would not go through. People could have died.

Andy moved his finger off the trigger and dropped the machine gun. His face was pale, and he was shaking. It was obvious to everyone they had been lied to about everything. They were sacrificial lambs being led to the slaughter. Most people would have shot someone carrying guns like that without asking questions first. Viv was the only one she knew who was crazy enough to try to talk someone out of a machine gun.