Page 39 of Possessed by the Dragon Alien (Zarux Dragon Brides #6)

It was the physical transformation that he could have skipped.

His smaller, two-legged body reasserted itself with as much pain as the dragon had.

Wings and scales shrank back to their normal size.

His elongated snout contracted back into the face he was used to.

He didn’t know how long it took, but the dragon was gone.

For a fraction of a pik , he stood naked among the ruins of the Axis capital, completely himself and utterly exposed.

Then, he collapsed. Exhausted. Drained. Finished, for now.

The last thing he remembered was the feeling of soft hands on his face and his head resting on a warm lap.

And words whispering messages of love and courage and dreams.

I t was sometime later that they stood in what used to be the council chambers.

The place where horrible choices had been made.

Where Madrian had sat and cast votes that destroyed worlds and enslaved entire species.

He felt alien and uncomfortable in the space.

The walls were scarred and the table the Twelve had sat around lay in pieces.

Rebels had ransacked it and destroyed everything destroyable.

He wished he could have been there to help.

Apparently recovering from being a dragon required time and rest. An annoying thing to require in the aftermath of battle.

“Well,” Cyprian said, stretching his red-scaled form as he grinned at them all. “That was remarkably satisfying.”

“It was,” Ellion said. “First, we secure the planet. Process the surrenders. Begin establishing order.”

Madrian nodded. Since waking up in the plaza, woozy and tired, and covered in a blanket with Nena by his side, he’d been thinking about the logistics of occupying the planet.

But underneath the planning and analysis, a deep satisfaction settled in his chest. “Zarux is ours,” he said, then winced.

“But Teria will need to be rejuvenated to be habitable. The Axis was not kind to that planet’s resources. ”

Turi was the one who spoke up first. “We will bring it back to life.” She raised her chin. “If anyone can grow things in harsh conditions, it’s Terians.”

Ellion ran a hand down his mate’s blue hair.

“This is true. I saw it season after season at the settlements.” He turned to all of them.

“The Axis is finished. A few scattered loyalist forces might continue fighting for a while, but without Central and without the mystique of invincibility, they will crumble. All but two members of the Twelve have been secured, and those will be apprehended soon. Rien and Vedd are pursuing them.”

Stavian sniffed, tugging Cerani close. “It will be chaos for a while. There will be conflicts and territorial disputes and all the messy complications that come with… this .” He shrugged.

“But at least it’s not imposed order. Some of the outer Axis territories might need some help.

The DeLink Mine authorities will want to keep control of the basian crystals and their prisoner workers. I’ll deal with that.”

“Hmm.” Sevas ran a hand over Takkian’s thick forearm. “Same with the arenas, auctions, and entertainment sectors.” She looked at Cyprian. “The brothels will need new management or to be shut down.”

“Already ahead of you,” Cyprian replied. “Siku and Viparia will be informing all Axis brothels that courtias no longer work for them.”

Fivra looked up at him. “Are you saying that those two are going to take over the brothels?”

“They’re going to close some, probably, and make sure that all courtias are free to do what, and, eh who , they please, at others.” He smirked at his own joke. “Not all directors were as benevolent as I was.”

Lilas rolled her eyes. “And what about Settlement 112-1? Are we going to round up all those fekkers and bring them to Teria?” She crossed her arms. “I’m sorry, but I don’t want to see those people again. They’re cruel and brutal, and the riests can rot for all I care.”

Finally Nena spoke, and everyone listened.

“We can’t abandon those at the settlements.

We must bring our people back to their homeworld, just as the Zaruxians will return to theirs.

Terians had cruelty pushed into them over many, many mig -cycles.

Our culture, society, and customs were torn away and replaced with scarcity, desperation, and hopelessness.

It will take time, but future generations will build a new Terian society. ”

Lilas cocked her head. “What about Niratt? Or the bondmates we were supposed to be bonded to? You think they will relinquish the power they have over the females in the settlements?”

“Yes.” Nena smiled at her with a twinkle in her eyes. “They will have to.”

“They will learn a new way of living,” Madrian said. “If I can, they can.” He cleared his throat. “However, I hope I never encounter that fekker , Niratt. My patience is nonexistent with males who harmed my mate.”

“You’re not alone,” Sevas added. “I’d like to give him a—”

Nena cut them off with a laugh. “ Stop . This is a new beginning. Terian females will choose their mates. Everyone learns to read, is free to leave, and can choose their own destiny.” She leaned against Madrian’s arm, sending a tremble through his form.

“I’ve chosen mine. From here on, I’m only looking forward. ”

“As am I.” From the doorway came a figure that made them all fall silent.

Bruil’s bronze scales caught the light filtering through the damaged ceiling, making him seem to glow as he entered the chamber.

His limping steps were measured, deliberate, as if he was afraid the ground beneath his feet might disappear.

This was, after all, the first time he had walked on the surface of Zarux since the Axis had driven their people from power.

Madrian watched the elder’s face. He’d only known Bruil for a short time.

He hadn’t gotten to know him well enough to form an opinion about the old fighter, but seeing the emotions on his weathered face made his throat tight and raw.

Bruil’s gaze moved over the wrecked council room.

When he reached the center, where they stood gathered, his eyes were bright with unshed tears.

“I never thought…” Bruil’s voice cracked, and Takkian laid a hand on his shoulder. It was the most outward show of comfort or affection Madrian had ever seen from the arena warrior. “I never thought I would see this. To stand here again, on land once ruled by your mother.”

He turned to face Madrian, who froze, unsure what to expect.

“And you, my boy. None of this would have been possible without you. I was unsure what you’d chose.

Skeptical that in the end, you’d be able to give up the power and comforts you’d been groomed from infancy to embrace.

” Bruil crossed his arms, gaze intense. “Your mother and father would have been so proud of you, Madrian. So proud.” He turned to the other five brothers. “Of all of you. Your majesties.”

He made to begin to knee, but Takkian pulled him right back up. “Oh, no. None of that nonsense. You stand beside us.”

Cyprian rubbed his chin. “Can we give him a royal title or something? Would that stop this ‘your majesties,’ business?”

“Now is not the time,” Ellion said. “But…perhaps, if it helps.”

But Bruil’s words made Madrian’s eyes burn.

Praise from a male who had known his mother nearly undid him.

He felt Nena’s hand slip into his as his own emotions threatened to overwhelm him.

He had done it. No, they had really done it.

With the help of the people in this room, he’d brought down the Axis, reclaimed his home world, and found his true self.

And, impossibly, he had found love, too.

He squeezed Nena’s hand, drawing strength from her presence as he faced the future they would build together.

Madrian looked to the wide-open entryway where he could glimpse the sky. The unobstructed view revealed only stars and the purple clouds that moved over the sky. The future stretched ahead of him, unlimited and unplanned. And terrifying and wonderful and free .

“My family.” Emotion roughened his voice. “We are home.”