Alien Beast's Warrior Bride - Juno Wells Page 0,29

a little flirting and reassure him that I’m going to bat with his chain of command on his behalf. The more I think about it, the better idea that sounds in my head.

Three Queens

Borak

My dreams are troubled with images of our base being attacked by thousands of the Sonadraid warriors. Instead of being the poor specimens that attacked our caravan yesterday, they are well nourished, quick and vicious. They rip through every line of defense we lay down, seeking out the human females. We are overwhelmed by their numbers and cannot stop them from devouring our beloved queens.

Strong hands shake me from this nightmare. Korak stares down at me. “Having bad dreams about our former queens?”

Forcing myself to rise, I shrug off his concern. “No. I dreamt of other beasts best left unnamed. Am I late for the daily briefing?”

“That happened ten microns ago. I came to wake you before I left for today’s mission.”

“Wait, I will come as well.” Reaching for my uniform, I wince at the pain emanating from my chest.

Tilting his head slightly, he gestures to my chest. “You are excused from fighting this day. Remember? The healer explained this last night.”

Shaking my wings out behind me, I cram one leg into my uniform and reply stubbornly, “He said I could work when I am well enough. That is now. I refuse to sit around doing nothing all day while the other warriors fight in defense of our queens. I have honor to earn back and mean to begin today.”

“I think not. You are seeping.”

I look down for the first time and see that the massive bandage covering my chest is indeed soaked with blood. There is much more blood than I would have imagined. Even though I wish to war, I am not foolish enough to go with my scion this day. It would be shameful to force him into a position where he had to do battle and worry about me at the same time. Those are the kinds of distractions that can get a warrior killed.

“Fine, I will stay. Where is your hatch mate?”

Korak’s tail stills and his wings close up. His response is alarming.

“Does Eltran yet live?”

“Yes. He’s fine.”

“Out with it. You know I have no stomach for deception.”

“Eltran is consoling his queen, for when she went to fetch you fresh bandages, she stopped by to deliver some of the sweets she made yesterday to my intended.”

Human queens do love their sweets. Even I know this about them. “Do not tell me she is at odds with Queen Chantel before the female has even joined our clade.” I had hoped our queens would get along. It’s disappointing to discover that might not be possible.

“Queen Molly overheard the general cautioning Queen Chantel against selecting me for mating. It seems she prefers breeders over old blood warriors.”

Shock rolls through my body, for the general has always seemed accepting of our kind. I well knew high status Draconian queens are selective of their breeding partners. It seems this holds true for human queens as well. Rubbing my hand over the wet bandage, I realize Kryos was right. I was reaching too high in my desire to be selected by General Watson.

Since I am a male well acquainted with disappointment in this area, I seek out the good in our life and refocus our conversation upon that. “At least we still have Queen Molly. Perhaps you will find another queen who is more accepting.”

No sooner do I get the words out of my mouth than Korak’s expression turns positively devious. “We have three of the loveliest queens to be had on this planet.”

My eyes narrow upon my oldest scion. “How long have I been sleeping to have missed so much?”

Korak laughs, pure happiness shining from his eyes. Even his tail is twitching back and forth excitedly. “As if to prove her dame’s thoughts are not her own, my queen selected me on the spot this morning.”

Though he seems sincere, I am unsure if this can possibly be true. “She went against the wishes of her dame?”

He nods, his expression turning smug.

Something in my chest loosens, and I find myself smiling back at him. “Do you dare to jest with a wounded warrior this day?”

A smile grows until it practically splits his face. He spreads his wings, proudly folding his arms over his chest. “My queen says she has had her eyes upon me for a long time, just as I did her. She vows to take only