I land in the small clearing where my family is buried. I shift, falling to my knees as I stare at their graves.
I thought my people would want me to survive above anything else. But Maez’s words ring true.
“You got to live. It’s up to you what you do with that precious gift, but from the stories I’ve heard about your mother, she wouldn’t want you to waste it. She’d want you to make the most of the years you have.”
I have been so focused on my rage, so determined to stay alive, that I forgot what life is meant to be about.
Eternity spent flying over these lands, always alone, never seeing my little two-leg again?
I would rather have a short life span with Charlie than centuries more of loneliness.
I would rather have one day with her than a hundred years knowing that she has gone to the great beyond without me.
Why did it take me so long to truly understand?
As if the realization was all I needed, I can suddenly feel Charlie. I gasp, understanding.
Mated. My mate is alone and in danger. I did this.
Her terror makes my hands shake, and I shift back instantly, propelling myself into the sky with a roar.
How could I have been so stupid? How could I have been so…arrogant?
I can hear the sounds of war long before I get close to the Braxian camp. I fly low, scouting the forest, and then curse as a bright light flashes, shooting past my wing.
I dodge, glancing down as the purple two-legs fire at me from their ship.
I wouldn’t have noticed the ship if they had not fired. They’ve managed to camouflage it, layering branches and leaves on top of it until it’s almost impossible to spot from above.
I roar, and the purple invaders scatter. Some of them must be on the ship as it fires at me, but I’m too fast, evading them with a simple maneuver that allows me to get close enough to spit fire at them.
They die, screaming, and I growl in satisfaction. I set the surrounding forest on fire and land behind the ship. No bright lights are firing from the back of the ship, and I let out a pleased rumble as purple two-legs pour from the ship, long sticks in their hands. They attempt to surround me, but unlike their ship, their weapons don’t fire the same bright, burning light.
But I am too fast for them. One by one, they attempt to dart forward and touch me with their sticks. And one by one, they die.
I take a deep breath, ready to burn the ship until it is nothing but molten metal. If there are still purple two-legs inside, they are quiet, likely hiding.
“Dragix?”
I spin and find the flame-haired female staring at me. Ivy, I remember. Charlie likes her. Charlie likes all the human females. Her Braxian mate is next to her, and I ignore him, once again readying myself to destroy the ship and prevent the purple two-legs from taking the human females off this planet.
That’s when I hear it.
I angle my head, and Ivy stares at me.
Her eyes narrow at whatever she sees. “What is it?”
“I hear females. Screaming.”
“Holy shit,” she says. “You can talk in my head?”
Her warrior steps closer and wraps an arm around her waist, obviously displeased at whatever intimacy he thinks this provides.
“There may still be purple two-legs inside.”
She relays this information to the Braxian.
He draws his sword. “I will go first.”
She frowns at this but doesn’t argue. She’s holding her own sword, but obviously she knows better than to think a male on this planet would allow a female to walk into danger ahead of him.
I take a deep breath, putting out the flames surrounding us. Then I shift forms, and Ivy takes a step back.
“Hoo boy,” she murmurs. “I forgot you could do that.”
“Where is Charlie?”
She gives me a look. “Why do you care? You abandoned her, remember?”
I snarl, and the Braxian warrior narrows his eyes at us.
“Perhaps we could discuss this later,” he growls.
I growl at him but stalk past him, moving up the cool metal ramp that leads into the ship. A purple two-leg immediately lunges at me, and I bat his stick aside, hitting him in the face. He crumbles, falling to the ground.
That felt good. There was something oddly satisfying about the thud of my fist against an enemy. Perhaps this wingless form is not as useless as I had imagined it to be.
There are two more two-legs hiding in the front of the ship. The Braxian stalks past me and ends them, and then we turn toward the screams.
“Help! Please, someone help us!”
Ivy rushes forward, but the Braxian grabs her arm, thrusting her behind him. He sends her a warning look, and she rolls her eyes but allows it. The sight of her eye roll reminds me so much of Charlie that my whole body aches for her.
The Braxian stalks forward, and my eyes water at the stench.
“Oh my God,” Ivy says.
Human females. At least thirty of them, all in a cage. Many of them are crying, while others are screaming. One of them stares at me, her gaze drops below my waist, and she begins softly sobbing.
“We’re not going to hurt you,” Ivy says.
“Then get us out of here,” one of the females snaps.
I examine the cage, ignoring the screams of the females as I approach. The cage has some kind of mechanism, and I survey the latch.
Ivy steps forward. “How did they get it open?”
“That panel right there,” one of the females says, wiping tears off her cheeks. “I think they used their palm prints.”
The Braxian stalks away before returning with a purple hand, blood dripping from the wrist.
Several of the females gag, but most of them cheer as he holds the hand to the square
