Page 61 of Captured By the Dragon Warlord (Fated Mates of the Sarkarnii Warlords #2)

I remember Kerra’s dance. It didn’t go exactly to plan. And I’m not entirely sure about mine either. Especially set amid the whirlwind which is the aftermath of the strangest battle I think the Sarkarnii have ever had.

Probably.

Around half a dozen Sarkarnii robot clones were discovered in the various sectors after the shadow entity was destroyed, each one coming to a complete standstill.

Efforts are ongoing to find the real versions of the clones as none of the warlords want to accept the entity might have killed those it cloned.

Drex recalls nothing of the time he was under the control of the thing which called itself “master.” It’s possible he was infected, as this is the only word we can think of using. At the time, we thought he was poisoned and ended up in the pod. Presently he is under guard within Dexx’s sector.

I spotted him being marched through one of the atriums yesterday and he looked utterly miserable. It makes my heart ache for the young Sarkarnii.

Although so much of what I’m feeling could be due to pregnancy hormones. Kerra found out nearly the same time as me, but she’s obviously been pregnant longer. Even so, if the father was human, she wouldn’t be showing yet, but she is.

It can’t be long before I pop either. Especially as I’m crying at absolutely nothing and hate it with a passion whenever Dexx is out of my sight.

I pull out my comm and message the group.

This is killing me.

Maggie

You should have thought of that when you let him stick it in you.

Not helpful.

Rosalie

I’m sure it will get better in time.

What, in nine months?

Kerra

Sarkarnii gestation isn’t nine months.

I stare at my screen for a long time before typing three letters.

WTF?

How long?

Kerra

From what Darax says, it’s more like 11 months.

I am going to kill him.

Maggie

Takes two to tango, Scarlett

I hate you all.

Lydia

What if we have ice cream?

I might hate you a bit less.

Do you actually have ice cream?

Rosalie

It’s not strictly ice cream but a pretty good substitute.

What are you waiting for? An invite?

I don’t care Dexx is presently haunting the halls of his sector growling at everyone and having no time for me to berate him about Drex’s treatment. I want to see my friends, and if they have something like ice cream, all the better.

Not that I have cravings or anything. It’s far too soon for anything like that.

Doesn’t stop me drumming my fingers on every available surface until all my friends are escorted into my quarters by two stunned looking Sarkarnii warriors.

I’m instantly smothered in hugs from my friends.

“Cut the crap. Get out the goods,” I growl.

“Oh, she’s growing Dexx’s spawn and has taken on his attitude.” Rosalie chuckles.

“Promises were made,” I retort.

Lydia delves into a bag she’s carrying, one which looks like tin foil, and pulls out a canister and a spoon.

“It’s vanilla…sort of. The only flavor we could make,” she says apologetically.

“I’ll take any flavor and wait? You made this?” I ping off the lid with the spoon and dig into the white gloop underneath.

It’s certainly cold and has a hint of cream and vanilla. I’m not going to argue against it in case Lydia takes it away.

“So,” Rosalie says after I’ve eaten the ice cream in silence for a while. “Do you have any explanation for what’s been going on?”

“Like what?”

“Like the fact the Sarkarnii have been blowing things up left, right, and center?” Maggie says. “Kerra says Darax hasn’t told her anything…”

“Oh, so this wasn’t a social visit or a mission of mercy.” I jab the spoon at her. “It was fact finding.”

Lydia tosses more canisters out to everyone and sets some spoons on the table next to her.

“One minute we were in Dante’s sector, surrounded by mayhem, then Darax’s warriors came, insisted we return to his sector, which meant we had to carry this one...” Maggie pokes Rosalie.

“Why?”

“Because she has a thing for Dante,” Lydia says in a singsong voice with a wicked smile.

“I do not,” Rosalie says emphatically. “He’s like an overgrown, and I mean overgrown, puppy with explosives.”

“ She loves him. She’s going to marry him, ” Maggie sings.

Rosalie looks like she’s going to throw her Sarkarnii ice cream at the pair of them.

“I am not. I have standards,” she grumbles. “One of which is my males wear pants.”

“Good luck with that,” I respond.

Dexx, now he’s back to being able to shift when he wants, has decided pants are more than optional. And it seems to be spreading among his clan.

“So, exactly what did happen?” Maggie sits down heavily next to me. “Apart from you getting in the family way by a big lizard.”

“The thing which was trying to experiment on Kerra was responsible for the explosions in all the sectors. It had replaced some of the Sarkarnii with robot clones and used some sort of mind control on at least one other. It wanted to kill us, claiming we were standing in the way of it taking control of the Sarkarnii.” I lick the last of my ice cream off my spoon and eye Lydia.

She digs in her bag again and tosses me another canister. I am totally going to sicken myself with this stuff, but I don’t care.

“I’d like to see anything take control of a single Sarkarnii, let alone all of them,” Rosalie says. “Herding cats doesn’t even come close.”

“Well, it failed. It was some sort of shadow creature, and all the warlords cooked it,” I say.

“Ew.” Lydia wrinkles her nose.

I shrug.

“So, that’s it?” Maggie looks at me.

“I guess so. It’s gone, and the Sarkarnii can go back to doing what they do best,” I reply. “Dexx wants to do a dance for me, like Darax did with Kerra. I’d love it if you could come.”

“So, you’re getting married.” Rosalie snorts.

“Yes,” I say as the concept hits me. “Yes, I guess I am.”

Warmth blooms in my stomach despite the chill from the ice cream.

I am getting to marry my gorgeous Sarkarnii warlord, and I simply cannot wait.