Page 44 of Captured By the Dragon Warlord (Fated Mates of the Sarkarnii Warlords #2)

I t has been more than twelve nova-hours, and I cannot change my form. I’ve tried everything. Thinking about it, not thinking about it, attempting to surprise myself, forcing the shift…everything.

Nothing has worked. I remain in my Sarkarnii form regardless.

Perhaps it is the shame of allowing a member of my crew, my clan, to betray me and put her in danger. My mate, my heartsfire, my reason for being.

My unclaimed heart. I should have heeded what Dalox told me about the claiming bite, but instead I am stuck as a Sarkarnii and to bite her would be to kill her with the amount of venom I would produce.

Scarlett stirs where she slumbers against my flank.

“Dexx?” Her sleepy voice makes my cock want to poke out of its pouch. “Why are you still a dragon?”

“It’s not yet time, my mate,” I say, knowing my lie is in direct contravention of the rules, but I don’t want to upset my sweet Scarlett.

A little lie will not hurt her, but the truth might.

“I like you big,” she says, snuggling up against me and making my heart flip in my chest in such a way I can’t believe it doesn’t cause me pain. “You’re very warm.”

“I aim to please.” I purr out the words, hoping she might sleep again and I can determine if there is any way out of the cell we appear to be in.

Which is when the gravity ceases to function, and I find myself rowing my wings in zero-g and attempting to catch hold of Scarlett who is flailing all her limbs and whimpering in terror.

“I have you, little mate.” I pull her against me, tucking her between my shoulder and leg.

“What’s happening?” she pants, her breath far too quick for my liking.

“The artificial gravity has been turned off, which means we are no longer on Vorostor,” I murmur.

“Have they done it on purpose?” Scarlett’s voice is stronger, even if I can still feel her heart beating so very fast.

“It’s difficult to say. Free fall can be disorienting for some species, and it is usually possible to turn off the gravity in different parts of most ships to save energy.

” I scan the square cell we’re in. My eye is better in the dark than in the light in any event, but so far I’ve not been able to determine any door leading into the cell.

Which concerns me. If we’re in a transfer cube, there will be no exit or entrance and the last thing we want is to be floating around in space.

There is the sound of tapping and scraping outside. I fill my accelerant sacs, readying myself to protect Scarlett and do whatever I can to destroy those who think they can take a Sarkarnii warlord and get away with it.

One wall comes up fast and I bump into it, causing Scarlett to cry out in alarm.

“I believe we may have docked,” I say as calmly as I can.

Scarlett says nothing. In the dark, I can see her eyes, wide and frightened. Rage rises within me at her fear.

My mate should never fear. For the first time since I found we were in this situation, I am pleased to be in my Sarkarnii form. I can protect her with everything I have.

A long low hiss alerts me to what is going to happen next.

“Hold on to me, Scarlett.” I beat my wings as far as I can in the confined space to get as close to the floor as I can.

It means when the gravity comes back on, I’m ready to land with a purposeful growl. And I’m ready for anything which comes at us.

A crack appears in the wall. The bright plasma cutter runs around in a circular shape. I spit a few flames as the wall itself falls away and light spills in.

“They’re in here,” a voice calls out.

Before I can stop myself, I release the sheet of flame I’ve been holding for our captors.

“Nev it to the ancestors, Dexx,” a familiar voice says. “This is a rescue, not a party.”

“Dante?”

The nevver steps into the light, his wings shifted and his tail lashing as he wipes soot from his face.

“Is Scarlett with him?” One of the humans comes up behind Dante.

“I’m here.” My mate pulls herself free from my grasp and runs into the arms of the female.

I shove my head out to find we are on board one of Dante’s planet hoppers.

“What the nev happened?” I growl.

He makes no attempt to shift, which is the usual reaction to my Sarkarnii form. Instead his gaze rises and rises as I make my way out of the transport cube.

“Nev, you’ve got bigger,” he says.

I drop my head until I’m closer to him. “That’s how shifting works, Dante,” I growl.

He huffs out a load of smoke and grins at me in his usual unhinged way. “I know how shifting works, and you don’t normally get larger with each shift.”

“Perhaps my clan does.”

“No clan does.” Dante shakes his head. “And any chance you can shift back? I don’t think you’ll fit in the rest of my ship.”

“I can’t,” I rumble.

“You can’t?”

“I won’t.” I glare at him. “Not while my mate is in danger.”

“She’s hardly in danger surrounded by Sarkarnii on a Sarkarnii ship,” Darax says, striding towards me.

He looks over to where his mate is comforting mine. They are deep in conversation.

“Then explain to me how we were taken from a Sarkarnii ship surrounded by Sarkarnii, and why we are out in space,” I growl at the nevver.

“Your entire clan was rendered incapable by a significantly larger version of the devices we’ve been finding everywhere. Someone let the Veseli into your ship.”

“Dalsor,” I rasp.

“Fortunately, Dante saw the ship carrying you take off. We were in the process of diffusing a device in my sector and we were able to give chase. As expected, the Veseli jettisoned you as soon as they realized we were following,” Darax says.

“Or they were attempting to send us elsewhere,” I growl. “Are there any other ships in this vicinity?”

As Dante looks at Darax, the bulkhead next to us buckles inwards.

“Nev,” Darax growls. “Get the crew to battle stations, Dante.”