Dragons of Preor: Taulan (3 page)

T
hey would not allow
him to see her, would not even tell him her name or her condition. He’d raced over the sands, cursing his lack of wings with every pounding step. His dragon prowled, his fiery nature snarling at his handicap. If he’d had his wings…

But he didn’t. Which meant two legs had to take him from place to place. Sand flew when he took off, and a roar escaped his mouth to be followed by a spurt of red flames. His fingers ached and throbbed, the need to shift pummeling him, yet what good would it do?

Nothing. It would simply make him too large to prowl the hallways of UST. The purple dragon lingered just beneath the surface of his tanned skin, the fiery beast searching for a chink in Taulan’s armor. It would not escape. He would not allow anything to keep him from racing to the female’s side as soon as he was able.

He glared at the two guards flanking the doorway, first flashing the expression to one Ujal—Rhal—and then the other—Erun.

They were two of Ujal’s greatest warriors and part of the principessa and prince’s personal guards. Rhal could silently kill any, his midnight scales allowing him to slip in and out of any home when he’d worked as the king’s assassin. Erun…Erun could kill just as easily, but he was anything but silent. The male pummeled and destroyed, causing as much pain as he could before ending a life. His time in Ujal’s fighting spheres taught him much.

Their returning stares were warning enough. If he dared try to breach the room, he would die quietly and quickly or loudly and painfully.

He did not look forward to either. Not when his… his
mate
occupied the room beyond that set of doors.

The Knowing pressed in on him, continuing to pummel him with his race’s genetic knowledge. All that came before him was dumped into his mind. It taught him the secrets of their kind, about events in the past that would shape his future. It gave him the memories of every other Preor in their history. He understood why the Knowing only struck when a mate was found. He would have fallen beneath the weight of this new knowledge, but with his mate to share the burden, he could endure this initial rush of information.

But he didn’t have his mate—not yet. She remained sequestered, held captive by the Ujal he called friend and ally. A dragon’s roar filled his mind, pushing aside every attempt by the Knowing to give him more. It tried to funnel facts about the Knowing and what must happen when mates found each other. He needed to be at her side or…

Well, none of it mattered if Rhal and Erun blocked his path. Dragonfire burned him from inside out, scorching his thoughts, and his skin stretched as the animal pushed forward. His shoulders broadened, and he sensed rather than saw, his scales slipping free of his humanoid flesh. He couldn’t have that, though. The walls of UST could not contain a two-hundred-ton dragon. He would destroy the station and all that worked within.

Including his mate.

Unacceptable. The Knowing would kill him without her. The knowledge would be too much for a single mind to carry.

So he must wait. Wait and worry and pray that whatever kept them separated would soon vanish.

He turned his burning gaze to Rhal and met the male’s black-eyed stare. Not a hint of color showed in his eyes, pure midnight encompassing the orbs. A warning from the Ujal. The assassin was prepared to battle Taulan.

A battle—the Knowing assured him—the Ujal would win. Already the information weighed on him, stretching his mind almost to the breaking point. If it came down to death or being at his mate’s side, Taulan would risk death. Except, would it mean death for his mate, as well? They were tied now, the Knowing striking them both, though his human mate got it to a lesser degree. At least, he believed her to be human. A Preor and Ujal could not form a bond. And had the female been Ujal, she would not have needed additional assistance in returning to the station.

Assistance from Bikk. The unattached male had touched his female.

And Bikk was within
that
room with his mate. Bikk who sought his own female.

Unacceptable.

Taulan took a step toward the doors, skin rippling with the threat of his dragon. The raging beast no longer cared about crushing those around him. Not if it meant getting to her side. It did not care if it did not have wings. It was still a fierce, fire-breathing beast. It could still battle and win.

“Taulan.” Rhal’s voice held more than a hint of warning. He growled low, and Rhal’s black scales fluttered beneath his skin in a clear threat. The male was reminding him of his status, of who Taulan would fight if he did not calm.

Taulan found he did not care.

“I will enter that room, Rhal of the Ujal.”

“No, you won’t.” To his right, Erun said the words without a hint of inflection, not a true warning but a blatant statement.

“Yes.” He flexed his hands and pushed against the dragon. “I will not be separated from her.”

“You were already separated when you failed in your duty,” Rhal countered softly.

“Yes.” He could not deny he’d failed both Theresa and his mate. That did not mean he would relent. “But nothing you do will stop me from passing through those doors.”

“I do not wish to do you harm.” Erun crossed his arms over his chest.

He did not wish to, but he would. This, Taulan knew. Would Taulan not do the same to a Preor warrior who’d failed?

“I—“

“Primary Warrior!” The harsh bark preceded the sure stomp of his War Master, Jarek. The rustle of wings sent a pang through him—envy rearing its head—but he pushed it aside in favor of his need to get to his mate.

He turned and clicked his heels as he pressed his fist over his heart in a salute. “War Master.”

“Explain,” Jarek snapped, and Taulan did as demanded, recounting the events until… He glanced over his shoulder, his gaze meeting Rhal’s and then Erun’s before returning to Jarek. He’d hoped to announce his status privately since he wasn’t sure how his new mate would take—was taking—the Knowing. Rushing her would not help his situation.

Instead of berating him, the War Master gave him a hard stare, his expression unreadable. If his superior demanded he leave, then Taulan would… disobey Jarek without hesitation. He
would not
put any additional space between him and his mate. Already he felt the heavy effects of the Knowing dragging him down, and he worried over how his small mate handled the influx. She was so small compared to his height and bulk. Her head would hardly come to his shoulder, and her body was curved in a way that reminded him of the War Master’s mate. Soft and alluring. Gentle.

And she was protective. Good of heart. Diving into the sea—a place he could never go—showed courage and strength. She’d swum far from shore to save a youngling. True, Theresa hadn’t needed saving—even if she cried over her small stings—but his mate had not known. She saw a child in need and risked her life for that young one.

Jarek raised his hand, and Taulan tensed, awaiting the punishing strike that was to come. He would not object to a blow to the face for shaming their people and failing in his duties. He imagined he would spend much time incarcerated on the ship as well. He would be taken from the Earth’s surface. He would not feel a hint of wind on his scales.

Instead…

Instead, the War Master brought his hand down on Taulan’s shoulder with a hard thump and then squeezed. “Congratulations, Primary Warrior.” And he knew Jarek meant those words. Happiness from his superior was visible in every inch of his expression. “Congratulations.” Another squeeze that nearly sent him to his knees. Nearly. Taulan had not become Primary Warrior because he was weak. He could stand against his leader. It was merely his age that kept him from attaining such a position. Jarek’s next movement forced him to turn with the warrior until they both faced the two Ujal. “Grant us entrance.” Rhal quirked a single brow, and Jarek gave him another punishing tightening. “He will be well and will remain calm.”

Rhal merely grunted and nodded to Erun. Soon the panels parted for them and Taulan allowed himself to be pulled forward. It took every ounce of control to remain at the War Master’s side. Especially once his gaze scanned the room and landed on his mate.

Principessa Rina cuddled a subdued Theresa on a nearby chair while Prince Tave stood at her side. But it was his mate who kept him enraptured. Not because of her beauty or the pull of the Knowing.

It was because the remainder of Tave’s guards surrounded her as she sat in a chair in the center of the room, more than one trident aimed at her.

A fury he’d never experienced bombarded him, the dragon mentally tackling him with a surprising strength. This was not the frustration that came with being separated, but a rage at her captivity—at the threat of violence. Taulan breathed deeply, chest expanding and then contracting. Except with every inhale, the breadth of his shoulders increased, stretching the fabric of his shirt. The beast was not going to relent. Not until his mate was free and held tightly in his arms. Then he would spirit her away, hunt an aerie and keep her safe from those in the room.

No one would threaten her in such a way ever again.

But not only the captivity destroyed his control. It was the fear. Her fear. The stinging scent stirred his dragon into a frenzy and adrenaline pumped through his blood. A dragon’s battle readiness overtook him with that single fearful glance. A glance that became a stare. Her bright eyes bored into his, tears swimming in their depths, and then she blinked them away as quickly as they’d appeared. She closed her lids and took a deep breath as well. As if she sampled the air and sought his scent. Yet humans could not find aromas like the Preor.

It still aroused him to see her try.

Need and rage battled, one trying to overcome the other until they both pulsed inside him. Take her. Mate her. Take her. Mate her. Over and over the words repeated, urging him to go to her side and do as he desired.

“Jarek, what is the meaning of this?” Tave’s voice sliced through his mental battle and drew him back to the present. The Ujal leader looked past them to stare at the two males who’d granted them entrance. “Rhal? Erun?”

Jarek must have recognized Taulan’s internal fight because he tightened his hold even more until Taulan nearly buckled beneath the War Master’s strength. He cursed the lingering exhaustion from his wounds all that time ago and the dragon snarled at its continued captivity.

It would be free soon enough. He tried to reassure the beast.
Soon
.

“You are holding the mate of a Preor and unless you would like to battle with one of my males, you will release her.”

Taulan may still battle them for daring to touch her. When his mate opened her eyes once more, she settled her unnerving gaze on him. There was so much in her expression. Hope. Heartache. Devastation. Need.

“No.” Tave’s response was immediate, and he stepped forward to stand before Rina and his youngling as though he feared Taulan or Jarek would cause a female or young harm. Never. “I am holding Lana Coburn. She attempted to gain access to the Ujal with a false identity and sought to secure a position assisting younglings. She is hiding the truth, and I
will
know of her true purpose here.” Tave glared at his mate. “I will know why she attempted to kidnap Ujal royalty before she is tried.”

“Tried?” Jarek spoke since Taulan could not. He conserved his energy, bottled his rage, and waited for the moment to strike. He could shift quickly—even faster than Jarek—grab Lana and leave. The Ujal would pursue but as long as Jarek did not join, he could escape with his mate.

“For the attempted kidnapping of a royal youngling and subterfuge.”

The rage broke free, his dragon rushing to the fore and wrenching control of his mind. The beast had one craving, one thought that repeated over and over in his mind—Lana, mate. The snap of threads and raised voices were the last sounds he heard as the dragon took power, as it transformed him.

He would keep Lana safe. Or die trying.

L
ana hadn’t taken
her eyes off him from the moment they placed him in the cell beside hers. His massive body overflowed the small bed, shoulders extending past the side edge and feet hanging off the bottom. His clothes had shredded when he’d begun his shift, but someone dressed him in oversized sweats and shirt, the fabric clinging to his muscled body despite their large size.

The only indication he still lived was the gradual rise and fall of his chest, but otherwise, he remained motionless.

But that hadn’t been the case in that room. That room where she’d been forced into a chair and interrogated.

Because they’d discovered who she was—that she’d lied. And after everything that’d happened to the Ujal and Preor in recent months…
Stupid, stupid, stupid.

No one ever said Lana was the brightest crayon in the box. That was the saying, right? She couldn’t remember everything from her historical studies. At one point, Earth children
colored
with sticks of wax and… She shook her head. Now wasn’t the time to get lost in memories.

She’d been researched further—“kidnapping” the prince’s daughter apparently caused that—and within moments of stepping out of the water, she was dragged to the couple who ruled the Earth Ujal.

Theresa cried when she wasn’t allowed to come to Lana, but tears didn’t sway Tave. Lana remained in place, questioned, prodded, and poked.

The only problem was that she didn’t have anything to give them, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to admit the truth unless she absolutely had to. Being beaten and abused by her ex had been bad enough. She didn’t need anyone else to know of her stupidity. She didn't want to risk him finding her. The fewer who knew about her past the better. 

Plus, there’d been that
thing
, that
person
, continually in her head. It pushed and pushed and pushed until she thought she’d scream with the effort to keep it at bay. But it—they—refused to be brushed aside and forgotten. It screamed a single word over and over: Knowing, knowing,
knowing
.

Lana squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her temples as she kicked it to the back of her mind. She didn’t know who—or what—it was, but she needed to stay clearheaded so she could figure a way out of her current situation. Between her and… Taulan? They were in a big pot of hot water.

She’d “allegedly” kidnapped the royal couple’s daughter while also entering the station under a false name, and he’d attacked just about every guard in the room. Jarek—the Preor War Master—told her that Taulan had been trying to get to her—to protect her. Then he’d argued with Tave over her treatment as well as the other Preor’s until they were brought here, to the station’s version of a brig—onsite prison.

And no matter how much Jarek argued, or Lana’s body screamed, she and Taulan weren’t allowed to be in the same cell. So here she sat, staring at him, watching him breathe even though he looked lifeless.

Jarek explained a few things before he’d been escorted from the brig, but not enough. Taulan lost his wings in that accident on the Preor ship mere months ago. He’d been charged with watching after Theresa, but Preors couldn't swim. He was protective of females which is why he'd attacked.

Protective of females. Lana thought there was more to it than that. The Preor tried to lie to her, but after her time with Steven, she could spot an untruth with ease. Human or not, she could tell.

Now she waited for Jarek to return. Or for Taulan to wake. She didn’t care as long as the quiet was banished and another person’s conversations got rid of the oppressive feelings weighing down on her.

Was it one of the other Preors pounding into her head?

A low hiss preceded the scrape of metal on metal, and the door to the brig parted. Instead of an Ujal guard or Jarek, a small woman entered. A female? She wasn’t sure if the newcomer was Ujal or Preor—maybe human?—but at least it wasn’t a guard coming in to terrify her some more. Then again, all of the guards frightened her. Especially when she was in a cage, and they were free to do whatever they desired.

“Hello.” The woman paused outside the cell and softly gripped the bars. “I’m Nalan and you’re Lana, right?”

She nodded and took a slow step forward.

“By the stars, Nalan!” The resounding, rapid thud of boots on metal told her another approached, and a moment later a winged Preor came into sight. “I stated—“

Nalan waved a hand at the male and stepped to his side, leaning against the large Preor. Were they
together
? She’d only heard of a handful of human-Ujal couples and only one human-Preor.

“What could she do, Evuklar? She is locked up behind bars as if she was a common criminal. We treat females better than this.” The woman turned a glare on the larger male and he winced.

“Nalan, she—“

“I want her freed.” She even went so far as to stomp her small foot.

“You know Tave has claimed sovereignty. She—“

“Is right here,” Lana drawled. She was afraid—terrified—but she wouldn’t be left out of a conversation about her if she could help it. “And you are?”

Nalan blushed, pink staining her cheeks, while Evuklar glared at her. “Apologies,” the female rushed out. “I am Nalan and this is my mate, Evuklar, Defense Master of the Third Preor Fleet.” Nalan stuck her hand between the bars. “Humans shake hands in greeting, yes?”

Lana stared at the outstretched arm and then refocused on the woman’s face.
Then
noted her decided lack of wings. “But you’re human.”

Another blush. “No, I am Preor. Like my Evuklar and your Taulan.”

Her who?

“Preor females do not have wings. We are not gifted with the dragons. We bring harmony to a home and care for dragonlets. It is up to our males to defend and protect us.”

“Uh-huh.” She eased forward and grasped Nalan’s hand. She seemed nice enough and the female wanted her freed. She couldn’t be all bad. Since she’d been outed by the Ujal and currently resided behind bars—and out of Steven’s reach—she fell back to her given name. “Lana Coo-Coburn.”

Nalan shook her head. “No, you are Lana joi Taulan Coburn.”

Lana raised her eyebrows. “What?”

That brought out a sigh. “I am getting ahead of myself. You experienced the Knowing, yes?”

“The Know—“ Her question was drowned out by a low groan from the other cell, and Lana’s heart rate picked up. It nearly burst from her chest as hope warred with worry. She peeked around the couple, fighting for sight of her Taulan.

Her Taulan? Lana shook her head. He wasn’t her anything.

And yet he was. Wasn’t he?

The
Knowing…

God, she felt like she was going crazy with the back and forth, the push and pull that cycled through her head.

Taulan opened his eyes, lifted his head, and gave it a small shake. A handful of rapid blinks was followed by him focusing on the couple. For some reason, that… hurt. A part of her whimpered at not being the first person he sought and fuck if she could figure out why. She just wanted to be the most important thing in his life—world.

There was no reason to feel that way, though.

The
Knowing
.

Something whispered in her ear and a certainty filled her blood. What the hell was a Knowing?

Mate.
That same voice, that same certainty. The Knowing signaled the discovery of Preor mates and only manifested when they were in—

“Evuklar? Nalan?” His attention flicked to the bars surrounding him. “Where is La—“ Their gazes collided and he vaulted from the bed, arm outstretched and claw-tipped fingers reaching for her. “Lana.”

She found herself doing the same, the urge to touch him, skin on skin or skin on scales. She didn’t care. The feel of him beneath her hands overwhelmed her until she was driven by that desire.

His eyes flashed deep purple for a moment when he couldn’t reach her and then he gripped the bars.

“Let me out,” Taulan snarled at Evuklar and the larger Preor did not look the least bit scared.

“Taulan—“

“Now.” His growl made the hairs on her arms stand up, a hint of fear slinking in to tangle with her craving for him. His hold on the bars strengthened until his knuckles turned white and then the bars… turned red. “
Now
.”

“Taulan.” The harsh voice was familiar, the tone and grating roughness reminding her of another Preor she’d met recently. As in, right before Taulan began his furious change from two legs to claws. It’d been this newcomer who’d subdued Taulan.

Then they’d both been brought here. Her in cuffs and him dragged along.

Taulan was distracted by the green-winged male, giving him unwavering attention.

“Mine.” The hiss sounded more reptilian than man, and it resonated with something inside Lana’s heart. Tears sprang to her eyes and she reached for Taulan once more even though she knew the move was pointless.

His. She was his and he was hers. She drew her hand back as she shook her head. No, that was wrong. That was…

The
Knowing
. Information trickled forward with her inattention and she rested her forehead against the bars. The cool metal soothed some of the hotness coursing through her head and she panted with the massive wave of… of
Knowing
.

“Jarek.” Another hiss, the red of the bars spreading and she realized he was heating them. “Mine.”

The clipped tones that followed were the embodiment of strength and solid steel. “Enough. Stand down.” But Taulan’s actions never wavered. “Stand. Down. Primary Warrior.”

Primary Warrior. An important position within the Preor military. He was the commander of the ship when the War Master was not onboard. He answered only to his War Master and no other. It was a position gained after—

The Knowing had interfered again.

Taulan snarled. “Jarek—“

“If you will cease, I will inform you of the decisions that have been made.”

“I will not lose her.”

“No.” Jarek shook his head. “You will not lose her. But because of her, you might lose Earth.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Lana, their various coloring weighing heavily on her shoulders.

“Explain.” Now it was Taulan’s turn to sound both fierce and deadly.

“Tave is very protective of Theresa and while he is willing to concede that Lana’s actions were not an attempt to kidnap the princess, she still attempted to join the Ujal using false identification. He will not permit her to remain near the station and since Preor Tower is your current home and you cannot live outside the compound…”

Then they’d have to go to space—to live on the ship. A ship that contained approximately two thousand males, all warriors ranging in ranking from—

She accepted the reason behind the Knowing, that perhaps she was Taulan’s mate, but could it stop feeding her information already?

The door whooshed open once more and then closed, more visitors coming toward them.

What now?

Familiar Ujals stepped into sight—Erun and Rhal—two of the scariest Ujals she’d ever seen. Lana flinched, putting space between her and the males. Bars weren’t enough protection from those two. Taulan snarled, the sound more beast than man, and everyone froze—Lana included. As one, attention shifted to the Preor still captured, to the golden red of the cell walls. The brightness stretched outward and she whimpered as a tendril of fear snaked into her blood.

“Lana, you must calm.” Nalan’s voice was soft and soothing.

“Wha—“

“Calm.” The woman spoke out of the side of her mouth. “He’s your mate and he’s reacting to your distress—your fear.”

“Mate?” she whispered. There was knowing, the
Knowing
, and then there was hearing the words aloud.

Taulan’s midnight gaze captured hers. “
Shaa kouva
.”

Shaa kouva
. Two Preor words. My beloved.

She might not want all that the Knowing had to offer, but she wanted the dark-haired stranger. “
Shaa kouvi.
”

Taulan’s voice rang deeply within the brig. “By Earth treaty I lay claim to Lana Coburn as Kouva to Taulan sen Pavon, now Taulan joi Lana, Primary Warrior to the Preor Third Fleet.”