Page 31 of Hunted By the Dragon Alien

Little. What a funny way to describe the towering Dokkol. But Ulo had surprised them all. “He saved my life. Sevas adores him.”

“And you adore her.”

Takkian shrugged, seeing no reason to deny it. “She’s mine, Bruil.”

Bruil leaned back in his chair, eyeing Takkian thoughtfully. “You know, it’s not uncommon for Zaruxians to take Terian mates.” He said it with deceiving casualness. “Zaruxians and Terians are compatible. Our home planets were located close to one another and we share a common ancestor, or so the stories say.”

Takkian frowned, unsure where Bruil was going with this. “Compatible? This isn’t about some ancient lore. She’s not just my mate because of biology.”

Bruil waved a hand dismissively. “Of course, but think on it. You felt something when you first met her, didn’t you? Something powerful. It was more than mere attraction. Any conscious being with vision could see it. I could see it, although I saw no point in mentioning it. I expected we’d die soon enough. But you should know, the bond you have with Sevas is likely part of that deep connection.”

Takkian crossed his arms. An uneasy growl rumbled in his throat. “You’ve talked about the fight for Zarux. How we lost against forces organized by the Axis so some nameless enemy could take our planet for its rich resources. You never mentioned a Terian connection.”

“It wasn’t relevant,” Bruil said. “They had no defenses to speak of. Teria was taken quickly by the Axis and most of their people were slaughtered, except for those rounded up and sent to penal colonies. Sevas would be the ancestor to one of them.” He shook his head. “Sad about that. Without regular exposure to thepsiakradiation their planet generated, their lives would be a fraction of the length of what they should be.”

Takkian didn’t know whether to be curious for more information or furious that Bruil didn’t speak of the Terians more. He opted for a third option—dealing with ancestry and biology later, when they were safe. “I know nothing about a Zaruxian-Terian shared heritage. I just know that I love Sevas.She’s mine as much as I’m hers.” Even as he said it, he felt the truth of it—felt the undeniable connection he had with Sevas vibrate in the back of his mind. She felt like home, something familiar amidst all the chaos.

Bruil leaned forward, his sharp gaze fixed on Takkian. “You need to understand what’s happened here. Taking a Terian mate is more than ancestry or biology. It’s something that threatens the Axis.” He shook his head. “I should have told you everything. If I’d known it would be this important…”

“Then speak up now,” Takkian said, pushing down impatience. “Tell me how my bond with Sevas is a threat to the Axis.” It sounded ridiculous just saying the words. He wondered if Bruil’s mind was becoming unraveled. If too many cycles in that cell had broken him.

“I was young when we lost our planet, but there were a few facts that every Zaruxian knew,” Bruil said. “One, when a Zaruxian and a Terian formed a life bond, the Zaruxian’s fire burned hotter. Literally.” He held up a finger. “It was measured and verified. When the two life forces mingled, the Zaruxian’s dragon fire burned hotter and more powerfully than that of those without a Terian mate. And second, the offspring of such a match cannot transform into a dragon.”

Takkian blinked at him. “We were in that cell for many,manycycles, and you never thought to tell me about this?”

Bruil threw up his hands. “Why would I? Like I said, the arena was a death trap. A dead end. Why would I start talking about future mates with a species you’d never come in contact with?”

Takkian rubbed his hands over his face. “Is there anything else I should know?”

“Plenty,” he snapped back. “I know you weren’t actually listening to my talks about Zarux and the war. There’s a lot of history you don’t know.”

“I listened,” Takkian growled. “Made me homesick for a place I’d never been.”

Bruil grunted. “Plus, I kept some back because I wasn’t sure that you weren’t an Axis agent.”

“What?” Takkian stared in shock. “How could you think that?”

“You couldn’t remember anything before arriving at the arena, for one thing.” Bruil crossed his arms, looking stubborn. “You almost always won matches. You’re very young, which means you were a mere infant when we lost Zarux. You could have been indoctrinated by the Axis. The memory thing was—still is—very strange.”

Takkian couldn’t argue with that. There was no logical reason for his inability to remember his childhood, or much before the arena. “All I have is a vague memory of a dark planet with black soil, endless rows of crops, and…chains. Maybe it was so bad I’ve blocked it out.”

“Can’t have been worse than the arena,” Bruil said. “Have you blocked that out?”

“So why do you think I can’t remember my life?” he asked, his jaw tight. “Or do you still believe I’m an Axis agent?”

Bruil held up a finger. “I never said Ibelievedthat, just that it was a possibility. And I do think the Axis have something to do with your memory loss.”

“I’m not an Axis agent,” Takkian said, feeling tired again. “Just to be clear.”

“I know.” Bruil picked up a piece of food. “You burned down and destroyed an Axis arena to protect your mate. No Axis agent would have done that.”

Takkian unclenched his jaw as he took in Bruil’s words. “They put us in a final match. I’d never hurt her, but I knew if Ididn’tfight her, it would have been worse. My instincts took over.”

“There was no winning that.” Bruil’s tone took on a somber note. “When you step up to protect someone, you’re choosing to live for them, fight for them. You get that in your bones, and you’d do anything for them.”

Takkian felt a flicker of warmth spread through him. Bruil had it right. He wanted to protect her, to ensure she had the chance to see beyond this, to thrive, even if he didn’t survive it. “I wouldn’t change it,” Takkian muttered. “I won’t let Sevas go. I don’t care if our offspring can’t be dragons.” It blew his mind that he and Sevas could have offspring at all. They were different species, but perhaps notthatdifferent, if Bruil was correct.

Bruil nodded, his expression serious and thoughtful. “Shifting isn’t a pleasant experience, anyway, from what I recall of it. It’s been many mig-cycles since I’ve known that form.”

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