Page 26 of Chosen By the Dragon Alien

Xryvos ignored the jab, stepping closer. His two subordinates remained at the edges of the hall. Their sharp gazes scanned the space like hovering predatory drones. “I have reason to believe your facility is harboring a fugitive,” he said bluntly. “A Terian female acquired from the Falmic-5 auction.”

“Ah, yes. Fivra. She is not acourtiahere.” Cyprian’s voice was calm, but bladed. “She was not a good candidate for the occupation. Despite that, since she was acquired through proper channels and entered into Erovik’s records, I do not see a problem. We are a legal, Axis-sanctioned establishment.” His words were carefully chosen, even as defiance boiled beneath his surface.

“The Terian female is not an ordinary acquisition, Director,” Xryvos snapped. He took another step forward, his metallic boots resounding with deliberate intent. “She, and those like her, are part of a…delicate matter within the Axis’ jurisdiction. Their current status is classified, but she should not be here. Yourcourtiasclaim she is no longer here, but I find that unlikely. Produce her now, and this process will be considerably less…disruptive.”

Cyprian’s wings flexed as dragon fire burned in his throat. His expression remained neutral, but his silver eyes gleamed like molten metal. “You have done your search, Inspector. If you could not find the female you seek, then she is not here. But to barge into my halls, fracture my clients’ trust, and issue baseless accusations—not to mention vague threats. Your actions have been more ‘disruptive’ than anything you claim I’ve done.”

“You seem to misunderstand your position here,” Xryvos growled. His hand grazed the hilt of a weapon strapped to his side in a simple, calculated gesture. “This is not a negotiation,Director. If the Terian female is not presented to me within the next fiveliks, I will consider this an act of noncompliance. You may think your reputation or business will shield you, but let me assure you, neither carries weight against Axis authority.”

Cyprian’s lips twitched upward in the barest hint of a mocking smile. He took a step forward, closing the distance between them until their faces were mere inches apart. “It’s you who misunderstands, Inspector.” Cyprian’s voice dropped to an icy calm that coiled like a serpent ready to strike. “You may claim authority here, but Erovik is undermyprotection, and so are the beings within it. If you wish to make seizures, tread carefully, because the Axis is not the only power in this quadrant.”

It was the first time in his life that Cyprian had directly challenged an Axis ruling, and it felt as if he were stepping out of an air lock and into open space. Smoke curled from his nostrils as the fire churned and his dragon itched to emerge and tear this fool apart. The air crackled with unspoken tension.

Xryvos’ subordinates shifted slightly, the barest flicker of unease passing through them, but it was Xryvos who stood his ground. His sharp features twisted into a sneer. “A dragon’s roar may sound impressive, Director, but without teeth, it is merely noise. If you continue to obstruct—”

“You want Fivra?” Cyprian cut through the inspector’s sentence. “Then you will deal with me directly.”

Glivar, who until now had remained a looming shadow at Cyprian’s side, stiffened in place, his usually stoic expression dipping briefly into shock.

Xryvos’ expression darkened as he squared his metallic shoulders. His presence, though formidable, paled against the sheer command Cyprian radiated. “So, youdohave her,” he said with smug satisfaction.

Cyprian took another step forward, forcing Xryvos to crane his neck slightly just to maintain eye contact. He was well awarethat his crimson wings gave him the aura of a predator ready to strike, because he was actually holding back from striking this miserable being. Cyprian’s wings flared wide, casting a long shadow that stretched across the floor. “The Terian female you seek is under my protection. She is not acourtiato be bought and sold. She is my chosen mate.”

The words echoed through the hall like thunder. The weight of the pronouncement rippled through the room, eliciting a collective intake of breath from a collection of people Cyprian hadn’t realized had congregated around the edges. He glanced up to seecourtiaspoised in the doorway, listening. The faces around him showed shock. Even Viparia leaned against a nearby column, head tilted in visible surprise that he would admit this to an Axis agent.

Glivar groaned softly, but he didn’t speak. His jaw tightened, his sharp eyes flickering between Cyprian and the Axis inspector.

Xryvos tilted his head slightly. His sharp, angular features twisted into a sneer. “Mate?” Disbelief and more than a little condescension infused his tone. “Do you expect me to accept this? The Axis does not recognize petty romantic entanglements as a shield against their authority.”

Cyprian’s eyes narrowed. He had run out of patience with the inspector. Tension radiated from his body. He loomed over Xryvos. When he spoke, his voice was low and thrumming with power. “I don’t care what the Axis recognizes. Fivra is mine. That is the end of it.”

The inspector faltered for the first time. His sneer was replaced by a flicker of doubt. His subordinates exchanged uneasy glances.

“You expect us to believe this?” Xryvos hissed. “A director of a brothel acquiring a mate from among his staff? The Axis will see this for the desperate ploy it is.”

Cyprian pulled in a deep breath. There was no walking back this conversation. Every word he uttered would be in the inspector’s report. Every word sealing a fate he’d never imagined would be his. “You’re welcome to inform the Axis, Inspector.” He extended his hand toward Xryvos, palm upturned in a mocking invitation. “Tell them that a Zaruxian has chosen his mate, and that they now seek to lay claim to her. Let them weigh the profits of this inspection against the wrath of a bonded Zaruxian stripped of his mate.”

Xryvos’ gaze darted to Cyprian’s wings and then the crowd behind him. Only a fool would miss the shift in the room—courtias, guards, and even the staff bots now hung on Cyprian’s every word. In this moment, he wasn’t just the director of Erovik. He was the embodiment of power and defiance.

“You may posture all you like, Director.” Venom dripped from Xryvos’ words. “But this changes nothing. I will inform my superiors of your transgressions, and when I return, I will bring an elite legion. The Terian female will be found, and there will be nowhere for her—or you—to hide.”

The corner of Cyprian’s mouth twitched in a wry, humorless smile. Slowly, like a predator savoring the moments before a kill, he cocked his head. “Let me make something clear to you. You could bring a legion, a fleet—fek, the full might of the Axis—and it still wouldn’t be enough.”

Xryvos took a small step back, but his expression remained dark. “Big words. But words are just that. When the Axis sends that fleet, your bravado will turn to ash, and so will she.”

Cyprian trembled with the urge to change to his dragon form. It licked beneath his skin and the desire to tear this insolent creature to shreds was so strong, he salivated from it. More smoke curled from his nostrils. The wisps hinted at the fire waiting just below the surface. The room held its collective breath, and even the two agents flanking Xryvos tooka step back, their metallic grips tightening on their weapons instinctively.

Cyprian’s voice dropped to a low, dangerous rumble. “If Axis agents try to harm her—or anyone under my protection—they will face my fire.”

“You underestimate the Axis,” Xryvos said, but his voice quaked faintly.

Cyprian’s claws flexed. “I know the Axis better than you imagine, Inspector. You are not invulnerable. Not here, not anywhere. If you think your superiors will risk the wrath of one of my kind, let alone the scrutiny of clients within Erovik, you are even more foolish than I thought.”

“The Axis will not back down, Director. Not for you. Not for your primitive ‘mate.’ They will erase her from existence, and when they do, you will see the futility of your arrogance.” The inspector straightened abruptly. His metallic armor clicked faintly. “Mark my words, Director,” Xryvos said, his voice mechanical but laced with brittle fury. “The Axis will not ignore this insult. You’ve made an enemy.”

Cyprian’s lips curled slightly. “No,” he said simply. “They have.”

Xryvos’ gaze lingered on Cyprian’s imposing form before he spun on his heel. His boots tapped against the floor as he made his way to the exit, his agents following close behind. The hiss of the entrance doors closing behind them was a signal that the storm—at least for the moment—had passed.

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