Drelix

My rut is momentarily assuaged by her taking the food from me. But it is remarkably unhappy I'm not going to let it have full control of my mind.

Regardless of the mating mix circulating in my system which is giving me an almost permanent hard cock and an inability to think straight for the first seccari I set eyes on her, or scent her, or am in any proximity to her at all.

Taking her to Station X42 is a bad idea. Going back to Station X42 is a bad idea. I can feel it in my bones. But I need the quantum booster, and I need the information the seller has to pursue my own version of revenge.

You also need to take the little female currently licking her fingers clean in such a delicious way.

I shove far too much meat in my mouth in order to quiet the rut and distract myself from Crystal as she finishes off the meat, her blunt white teeth making quick work in a way I wouldn't have expected.

Seeing her teeth and thinking of bites makes my cock push out of my pouch again. Somehow I have to get my body under control so I can concentrate on the next steps.

I slice off another piece for my mate and one for myself.

"Thank you," Crystal says as I hand her the food. "How come you don't get burned?"

"Sarkarnii make fire, and we're resistant to fire."

"Because you're dragons?"

I spit out a flame on the end of my finger where it wavers, soaking up the fat from the meat I've been eating. Crystal's lips hitch at the corner.

"Nice party trick," she says. "What do you do for an encore?"

"I eat troublesome females whole," I respond with a mouth filled with fangs.

Crystal chokes, coughs, slams her fist against her chest as her cheeks flame. And I detect the hint of her arousal as it crosses over to me.

For all she said mating was off the menu, it seems there is still hope for my rut yet.

"There will be no eating of humans, whole or otherwise," she says, popping the final sliver of meat into her mouth. "Thank you very much."

And just like that, my rut is roaring again.

I grapple the remaining cooked haunch in my claws and get up from my seated position.

"If you say so," I rasp. "The internal repair system should be complete, so it's time for you to earn your ride back to the station."

Crystal's eyes darken, the glitter of mirth which hovered there only a few seccari ago dissipating.

"Fine," she says. "Whatever you want." She walks into the jungle, but I'm not prepared to let her out of my sight for an instant.

"Do you not wish to return to your home?" I ask.

She barks out a harsh laugh. "What makes you think Station X42 is my home?"

"Other than the fact you were running from a pair of Habosu, the fact you haven't left since you were taken from your planet?" I suggest.

Crystal spins to face me, and I very nearly walk straight into her, only coming to a halt with some difficulty.

"Look, Drelix. It's all very well to be a clawed, fanged, fire-breathing seven feet of muscle and terror wrapped up in scales and anger. You can do what you want and no one's going to stop you. But if you're me"—her words stutter out—"if you're a human without any of those things, you do what you can to survive and, believe me, if I could have gotten off Station X42 by now, I would have done so, but nothing's that easy."

She turns her back on me and stomps off into the flyer. I see her rub at her face before she drops her hands to her sides to clench and unclench her fists.

Someone hurt my mate. The rut hits a new height. Someone on the station hurt my mate.

No one hurts my mate and gets to live.

I march after her, entering the cockpit and activating the canopy to close over us as I kick the remnants of the carcass out. I can't even look at Crystal as I carry the cooked portion through to my tiny galley and store it for later.

If I look at her, I will do something stupid. I can't afford to be stupid. There's too much at stake.

I look at her. Crystal glares back at me, water twinkling in her eyes.

"How do we get back on the station?" I growl at her.

She takes in a breath, and it looks like she wants to kill me. "I need to contact my friend. Do you have comms?"

I indicate the comms console, and she sits in the vacant pilot chair, her long, slim, clawless fingers flickering over the controls as if she was born to it.

"Stand to one side," she says without looking at me.

When I don't move, she tosses a glance over her shoulder. "Stand aside. I need to do a vid with this friend and if he sees…you…he's not going to help."

With a growl, I move out of range of the vid-camera, lean against the bulkhead, and fold my arms.

"Hi, Kaleb!" Crystal says with artificial brightness as a holo of a Bosszanto appears.

"Hello, Crystal," he replies in a low purr. "I'm guessing you're in trouble, or you wouldn't be calling?"

She laughs, but it's not one I like, too forced. "You know me, Kaleb. I'm trouble personified. But you're right, I do need a favor." She tosses her long hair back over her shoulders and shakes it out so it sparkles like flame. "I, er, borrowed a ship for the afternoon, to visit the orbital moon, for a change of scenery, you know." She laughs again. "Only my departure wasn't exactly authorized, and I need to get back on the station without the administrator knowing."

Kaleb, who I'm liking less and less, the way he leers at her through the holo, releases a dirty chuckle. "You're right, Crystal, you do need a favor. What's it worth to you?"

Unable to help myself, I growl.