Radoo (Scifi Alien Dragon Romance) Read online

  Livvy wished she was returning to Tampa for any reason but this. She set her teeth against her reluctance and struggled to put doubt from her mind—no matter how persistent the feeling tried to be.

  I’m not the one doing something wrong! she mentally cursed. It’s the Preor. I have every right to drive them from my city. They don’t belong here!

  “Don’t sweat it, boss,” the whisper came from close by. “You look like you think too much.”

  She grinned and threw Dade a friendly smile. He was a good soldier, determined and disciplined. Training him had been easy.

  “Thanks, Dade,” she murmured. “I just hate going back to my hometown to scare people and ruin their fun. I mean, they’re misguided, so I feel sorry for them, too. I just wished we didn’t have to frighten them like this.”

  Dade shrugged. “It’s a good plan. No one will get hurt. All we did is make smoke bombs.”

  “Yeah,” she whispered and nodded. She had given all her knowledge to Derek and Chance—from basic stealth to the construction of explosive devices and detonators. Between them, they could build a missile if they desired. She had checked and double-checked the incendiaries they brought along. They would produce a horrible smoke but wouldn’t actually explode and injure people.

  So, why do I have such a bad feeling about this? she asked herself. The excitement and anxiety building inside her could easily be passed off as nerves except… except for a sense of doom that crept up on her, slowly rising like a river that did its best to drown her.

  The others spoke a few soft words to each other that Livvy couldn’t discern. She shifted in place and leaned back against the cool metal wall of the van, taking deep breaths to calm her mind of any anxiety and unease.

  It’s like every other operation, she thought. It’s always nerve-racking on the way there. Once I get into the action, I’ll be fine.

  Yet, when she thought about the action, she imagined screaming children. She saw mothers choking on smoke as they ran to grab their babies and flee to safety.

  I can’t do this.

  I have to do this.

  Fuck.

  She knew humans would be far better off once they accepted the truth of the Preor. It seemed like a decent percentage of the human race saw the Preor as a fairytale come to life. It was as if they were so impressed by the dragons they simply didn’t see the damage they were doing to the planet in the process.

  The damage they will continue to do, she thought darkly. There would be no human territory left, the way things were going. The Preor had already proven they had no respect for Earth’s laws and destroyed property without care.

  There was the dragon who killed a bunch of people at Preor Tower, she thought. He said he was protecting his mate. I’m sure that has happened more than once. Recently, one of them almost crashed into a main street near the beach and his friends flew so low over the surrounding area that all the windows in the nearby houses were shattered. Children did get hurt then.

  She scowled as she thought of the next incident—the same dragon charring the top of a major apartment building. The top two floors were still being rehabilitated and reconstructed.

  And what did humanity do? Livvy thought, anger rising and obliterating her caution. Every single woman who saw that random reckless act of selfishness demanded her own dragon mate right then and there! Wasn’t anyone scared of the aliens as they should be?

  She—and most of the rebellion—were and rightfully so. If they could almost crash on a populated area and fire up buildings, people, whatever they felt like burning, where would it stop? What else were they truly capable of that they had not yet revealed?

  I hope I never find out, she thought. The one mission she had was to make humans understand just how dangerous the Preor were. Surely, humanity would see them as they truly were and force them from the planet if they only had the right perspective.

  “I just saw a road sign,” Dade murmured. “We might stop soon and then it will only be a few more hours.”

  “Excellent.” Livvy smiled, relieved that at least she’d be able to get out of the van soon.

  Everyone here shared her views on the Preor and she had turned them all into deadly weapons. In her mind, she only gave them the tools they needed to stay alive and she trusted them to use their new skills with caution.

  I’ve taught them all responsibility, she thought. I trust them to use lethal force only when necessary.

  She glanced toward the front and caught Derek’s gaze at the same time. He sat in the van’s passenger seat, cleaning a semi-automatic pistol and putting it back together while Chance drove. He grinned at her and she grinned back before turning her attention away.

  Derek and Chance had been very interested in the chemical interactions of explosive devices and how they worked to create bigger explosions or bombs that had a delayed reaction. She had shared this knowledge very reluctantly because it was once of war’s dirtiest tricks—sending men in to investigate the explosion only to have an even bigger bomb go off right under their feet. It wasn’t something Livvy believed in, even in a time of war.

  She trusted both Derek and Chance when they assured her no one would get hurt. They just wanted to set off some big smoke bombs, maybe burn a few displays and pull down a few tents. They could hack the local television signal and put their own footage out on top of Sasha Dane’s, providing a live feed of the damage another Preor had wreaked on the city just because he couldn’t control himself.

  Livvy picked at her nails and gritted her teeth. There would be Preor everywhere and she had to manage her fear. Where other women saw a massive dragon swooping down on them from the sky as a perfect fairytale… Livvy saw it as a nightmare come to life.

  They are aliens! she thought, in desperation. They create destruction everywhere they go. The gifts they bring are not worth the cost of their arrogance! They walk all over the humans and don’t even apologize!

  The van gradually slowed and she struggled to straighten her legs, ready to get out for a little bit. She’d get her soldiers to do a quick workout before they ate, just to keep them awake and their bodies tuned.

  “This has to work,” she whispered at Dade, and he looked over and nodded.

  “I get what you mean,” he murmured in reply. “I can’t understand why people keep letting them get away with hurting others and destroying things.”

  His opinion and words warmed her heart and the smile that lit her face wasn’t forced this time. She was with her people, the only ones who understood her. Nothing was more important than their presence except for the mission they shared.

  Nothing.

  Chapter Five

  Radoo was determined to enjoy the quiet and solitude of the break room for as long as possible. It was very early in the Earth day, the ship silent and almost deserted. Even though there was not much activity at the moment, Radoo felt as if the very air was heavy with oppressive tension.

  Disasters and more disasters. All of them waiting for me, ready to break out the second I move from this spot!

  He dared not go to the kitchen—as they now called the food preparation area—or the dining halls for fear trouble would locate him. Here in this small breakroom, he could relax for a few moments. No one frequented the lounge except the human females, and he knew he could hide in the space for a while and hopefully break his fast in peace.

  He held a large mug of coffee right in front of his nose and took a deep breath of the liquid’s heady scent. It was funny how many of the Preor hated the brew, yet Radoo had quickly become addicted to its taste and the reaction his body had to the caffeine. He took a cup from Grace one day when he was feeling particularly tired, curious about the “pick me up” that was supposed to occur. He hadn’t noticed much initially, but as he returned to his duties, he moved faster and focused much more clearly.

  Now he downed several cups a day and understood why the females claimed it tasted so good. Once used to it, the aroma and flavor were quite luxurious. A
dding cream or chocolate could turn the simple stimulant into a culinary delight. He took a big gulp of the hot liquid and felt a soothing tingle run through his body.

  I am addicted, he thought. And I do not even care.

  During his quiet time in the lounge, he even took to watching the females’ sope op-er-ahs and found it surprising how the over-the-top drama and simple storylines captivated him. They distracted parts of his mind while the rest went into a deep slumber that idled beneath his thoughts.

  Footsteps echoed in the hall outside the lounge’s open doorway and he sighed. Sooner or later, someone would find him, and he’d be subjected to the chaos the ship had become.

  I would much rather be helping at one of Whelon’s clinics, playing with Lorrasyh or Shanas, or relaxing with my friends! He had been close to Jarek and Taulan once and he had never noticed how much he relied on those friendships until the males were occupied elsewhere and mostly beyond his reach.

  It was not their fault. They had every right to chase after their mates and dragonlets. Radoo simply wished he could make time to check in with them and do something pleasant—a nice spar or flight around the training platform perhaps—instead of constantly cleaning up the messes the mated Preor had left behind.

  I cannot even simply help out at Whelon’s clinic, he mentally grumbled with true frustration. He had been happily working at the Farthing Street clinic until it became obvious he was one of the few Preor left who knew anything about the duties related to the recently vacated positions. Radoo knew he was experienced with the ship’s operations and no one else could have stepped up the way he had, but it still made him feel horribly, unendingly trapped.

  Noises continued to build outside the lounge, and he knew warriors now prowled the ship, searching for their own breakfasts and seeing to their morning duties. After a brief meeting the previous day, they had shipped fifty Preor to the surface—all males who wished to work on Earth’s surface rather than continue their military path on the ship. They went straight into training down at Preor Tower.

  Some of the males would become tee-chers in the Preor education program—not just to run classes at Preor Tower but to also move through the city and surrounding areas in an attempt to build bridges between humans and the Preor. They had discovered that humans often feared what they did not understand, and everyone agreed this was an important step toward the new treaty being successful.

  More would proceed to the clinics and surrounding areas in the poorer parts of the city, such as where Grace’s mother used to live. They had eagerly agreed to train as healers, work with humans to construct better buildings, and bring in food and other supplies. It was becoming a mission among the Preor to eradicate human poverty.

  Others wished to explore the planet itself. They wanted to learn all about the different landscapes and climates, study the people and fly through the mountains and frozen wastelands. To show respect for the treaty, they were attending very boring rhed-t-ape meetings so they could legally move to other territories.

  He envied them all. Nothing excited him more than the idea of learning about the planet and the people. He leaned forward, bracing his forearms on the table, wings drooping, as he thought about all the fascinating things he could be doing instead of chasing beetles and fixing a massive hole in the ship.

  I might have made the breach, but I did not start the skies-damned fire! Story of my life, right now.

  When a soft knock sounded from the direction of the door, Radoo looked up, worry dragging his maroon wings down even further. Whatever the news, he was sure it couldn’t be good.

  Radoo was never interrupted for something good. Damn the skies.

  “Hey,” Choler murmured. “Are we starting now?”

  “Yes,” Radoo sighed and swallowed the last of his coffee, putting the cup on the table so he could stretch as he stood. “I was waiting for the females—girls—to enter. Don’t they usually appear around nine?”

  Choler’s face fell, just a little. “You didn’t hear?”

  “What now for stars’ sakes?” Radoo ran a hand down his face, not expecting to like what Choler had to say.

  “They have been removed from duty. They both had some stress issues after the flood and Rendan and Kozav refuse to allow them to return to work. They are both due to give birth in three to four months and are heavy enough to need to be off their feet for a while.”

  “And Dawn?”

  “She is in the garden. I have assigned a few warriors to her to help clean up and Vende is in his element.”

  “I don’t suppose the engineering master is actually coming to engineering?” Radoo drawled.

  Choler winced. “I very much doubt it. He simply follows Dawn everywhere.”

  Radoo sighed and nodded. As he expected. “So, you’re going to the training room first and then up to the platform?”

  “Yes, I have about a hundred warriors waiting for me who only care about their military careers and the long-standing traditions of our people. They’re happy to let their mate come along at the right time and learn about Earth through Penelope’s access to the in-ter-neht.”

  Radoo pinched his lip, thinking hard. “Are any of them up to becoming a master?”

  Choler shrugged. “I’m about to discover the answer. It will be more likely that I assign three of them to each task as you suggested. We don’t have to elevate them in rank just yet. We only need to ensure the positions are manned and that duties won’t be neglected.”

  Radoo nodded. He knew he should ask about the skies-damned beetles. He simply didn’t want to. The damn things seemed to be multiplying exponentially and the only reason Penelope wasn’t screaming was because Lily had sent her to sleep. Essential operations like life support and comms still functioned, but everything else was dead.

  Radoo stretched again, fluttering his maroon wings and working out a few kinks before he headed for the door.

  “Are you heading to engineering?” Choler asked.

  Radoo nodded. “I have to try and find an engineering master and some recruits for Yazen. Now that Whelon is gone, he’s in desperate need of assistance.”

  “Aren’t we all,” Choler drawled.

  Radoo nodded at his friend and clapped him on the shoulder as he passed. Even though Choler wore his usual smile, Radoo could see the exhaustion pulling at the male. Since there was nothing Radoo could do at the moment to help, he simply smiled back and they both turned to go their separate ways.

  Even though he was tired, Radoo broke into a jog. His body was still a powerful machine and movement brought him comfort. His mind was exhausted and his body could do with a full twelve hours sleep, but the exercise got his blood pumping and pushed all thoughts from his mind.

  Well, all thoughts save one—one he refused to face. He had gone on for so long now, helping and supporting the others, watching them pair and seeing their dragonlets arrive… He had happily taken on more duties, having complete confidence he would find what he had come to Earth for… eventually.

  As the harsh realities of his day faded into the background with each pounding step he took, the four words in the back of his mind chased him until he could no longer hide from the syllables.

  Where is my mate?

  Chapter Six

  Even Livvy was exhausted and sore from being trapped in the van with everyone and the equipment by the time they finally pulled up to the outskirts of the city. When she stepped out into the warm, heavily humid air, tingles ran through her from her skin right down to her bones.

  I’m home, she thought. Her military career hadn’t taken her far away, not with MacDill Air Force Base so close. As she turned in a slow circle, taking in the soft glow of the lights and tangy scent of the nearby sea, she thought guiltily of her parents. They lived close to the bay and were probably distraught over her going AWOL or MIA—Absent Without Leave or Missing in Action.

  I wonder which it is? It might not be important right this second, but it could be if I run into any of my old
friends…

  A light tap on her shoulder made her jolt and she spun to find Derek behind her. She was too surprised to smile and instead, slapped at his hand, annoyed that he’d touched her without permission.

  “I’m sorry.” The apology didn’t show in his gaze at all. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  Livvy narrowed her eyes. She had excellent instincts and he lied out of his pie hole. He wasn’t sorry and it appeared he really had intended to startle her. There was a hint of satisfaction in his eyes that told her he was happy he’d gotten such a strong reaction from her.

  “Sorry,” she soothed. “Honed reflexes and all that. I barely stopped myself from taking your head off.”

  Chew on that, asshole. Don’t forget who taught you to strip a rifle.

  His smile changed from creepy-cold to condescending. “I don’t think you want my head.” He grinned. “Or do you?”

  He winked and she took a step back, thoroughly mortified. Sure, it was fairly harmless innuendo, but if he tried to pass this off as a joke and make her believe there was no sexual intent… nu-uh, she wasn’t going to let that fly.

  She crossed her arms and raised her chin, glaring at him. “What’s next for the mission?”

  He grinned so darkly that Livvy’s stomach twisted, her nerves wringing her to pieces, and she admitted she’d never felt this unsettled on a mission in the past.

  Yeah, because you’re a criminal now.

  “I got us a room,” Derek informed her eagerly. He pointed to the left and she spied a rough semi-circle of rooms scattered around a shabby looking office. It had to be the cheapest motel in the entire city.

  “Rooms are limited, even in this dive, because everyone wants to be at the gala,” his expression turned more triumphant by the second. “I thought you could room with me. Let the others pack themselves in like sardines.” He reached out, obviously waiting for her to take his hand.

  As if. I’d rather sleep in the van on top of the fucking explosives! She backed away, no idea how to diffuse the situation without resorting to violence or hysterics.