3013: SYNERGY: A 3013 Novella (3013: The Series) Read online

  It wasn’t easy to admit that the Alliance’s stance on infertile females had tainted her view of her own self-worth, but it had. She’d been foolish to let it. How strange that she had raged against others that had treated her differently because of the star on her face when she had been doing the same damn thing. She had been doubting her relationship with Orion because she had thought he deserved better.

  But that was going to stop right now.

  Orion was a miracle to her, but she had to remember that she was the same for him. He had been alone for years, and had traveled the universe hoping that he would find her. Now that he had, they would have a full life together. A life filled with laughter and love. She just had to stop second guessing herself and believe in their bond.

  Finishing the blanket, she cut the yarn after she tied it off. Stroking her hand over the soft material, she let go of the bitterness she’d been carrying for years, and got ready to embrace her life with her keeper.

  Morgan couldn’t wait for Orion to get out of his meeting so she could tell him she wanted to go home with him. He and his friends were scheduled to leave a few days after the grand opening ceremony tomorrow, and now that her decision was made, she couldn’t wait to get off this space station.

  “What is that you were doing?”

  Morgan jumped as a voice came out of nowhere. Suddenly, a female appeared sitting on the chair across from her that had been empty a few seconds ago. Shocked, she saw the glowing gold eyes of a Dragon Warrior staring back at her. There was curiosity in that gaze, but Morgan couldn’t sense any emotions coming off the female.

  “Ah…hello. I’m Morgan Ch—D’Sil.”

  “I am Eden Nazira.” The Dragon Warrior nodded, then frowned. “Ch—D’Sil. That is a very strange name.”

  Morgan blushed. “It’s D’Sil. My name used to be Chavez, but I recently bonded with a D’Aire. He’s my mate,” she explained, using the term the Dragon Warrior would understand. Mate, keeper, consort, bonded…the label depended on the race, but the meaning was basically the same. “It’s still difficult to remember that my name has changed. I was making baby blankets for my friend who just had twins.”

  “Strange that you would make it with your hands.”

  Laughing, Morgan said, “I don’t have magic like you, so I have to make it by hand. I thought my friend, Alexis, would appreciate the gift.”

  “I am sure she will.” Eden cocked her head to the side and studied her for a moment. “You do not seem frightened of me.”

  “Should I be?”

  The Dragon Warrior shrugged. “The others that we have met so far have been.”

  “It might be a little understandable after…ah…I saw you in Asylum earlier.”

  Eden sighed. “My older sister, Amari, does have a temper. She was a little angry when that male shoved her, however, we did not mean to cause a scene. We are very curious about humans, and did not expect for our first visit to be so…eventful.”

  Eventful was an interesting description, Morgan thought. It wasn’t everyday that someone burst into bloody dust in front of her. “It’s unusual to see something like that in a sanctuary. So, is this your first visit to an Alliance space station?”

  “Aye. We thought it was time to discover this part of the universe on our own.”

  Fascinated, Morgan asked, “Is this your first time away from your home world?”

  “I have only visited Arcadia for the first time just recently,” Eden explained. “Amari was born there, but since then, my family has made our home out among the stars. Right now, my fathers, mother, and younger brothers are helping another race acclimate to a new planet we relocated them to, but Amari and I were given leave to make our journey. We stopped at our home world for a visit before coming here.”

  Morgan’s eyes widened. “You moved an entire race?”

  “It was not difficult. The Nuraya are a benevolent race of beings that are best described as firebirds. The star that heated their small planet was dying, and the race would not have survived when the star exploded. Normally, we try not to interfere with a species, but the Nuraya are special. We had enough time to find a suitable home for them before their planet was destroyed, but some small changes need to be made in order for them to thrive.”

  “That’s amazing! You must be proud that you were able to save them.”

  “They are truly remarkable creatures. I find them to be great companions, and they love to fly with us when we are in dragon form. I bonded with one of the firebirds, and he expressed an interest to come with me. Nym can communicate mind to mind, but he is still a little wary around Rhys, so he is content to stay in his room.”

  “Who is Rhys?”

  “He is my sister’s argos. I believe an argos is similar to what you would call a lion.”

  Morgan blinked. “You have a lion and a firebird on your ship?”

  “Aye. They are both very loyal.” She paused before saying, “I am remarkably easy in your company. I thought it was due to the fact I have not spoken out loud to anyone in quite some time, but perhaps it is because you have had a very different reaction to being around me than any of the other humans I have encountered.”

  Morgan smiled. “I guess I’m not as nervous as others would be since I’m friends with a Dragon Warrior. I sort of expect the unexpected from her and her mates.”

  Interest brightened Eden’s glowing eyes. “You know another Dragon Warrior?”

  “Remember the friend I told you I made these blankets for?” Morgan explained how she’d known Alexis when they’d both been Liaison Officers in the Capital. When Xavier and Galan Tesera, and Thorn and Brydan Volis had come for a visit, they had discovered that Alexis was their mate. After they had converted her into a Dragon Warrior, they had left Earth to travel the universe together.

  Eden nodded. “I have heard of the Teseras. They are from the Isle of Mist, while my fathers grew up near the Palace in the Clouds located high in the mountains. This is why I have been so eager to travel to this section of the universe. I have heard that many of my race have found their mates here.”

  “Are you and your sister searching for yours?”

  Eden laughed. “My sister would rather be skinned alive. She has—what you would call—control issues. Even though she is older than I, she does not want to mate yet. But I would like to find my mates. It is why I asked my sister to join me on this journey to celebrate my two hundredth year. My brothers are only fifty-seven, so that is why they stayed to help my mother and fathers.”

  Only fifty-seven…and holy nova, Eden was two hundred!

  Morgan shouldn’t have been surprised since she was aware that the Dragon Warriors could potentially live forever, but it was still jarring to hear. Eden looked like she was the same age as Morgan, not an ancient being who could shift into a dragon that breathed fire.

  “Alexis and her mates are currently visiting Xavier and Galan’s sister, Katra,” Morgan said. “She just mated to Lord Jaden Tor. I met them when—”

  “My mother was Tarin!” Eden exclaimed. “I would like to meet them.”

  “Well, they’re on Tartarus right now. I can contact my friend, and—”

  “There is no need. I will find them, and I will let them know that I have met you.” Eden stood up as if to leave. Before she did, she spoke hesitantly. “Would you like for me to bring your gift to your friend? I can assure you, I will make sure she receives it. I vow that I will see it into her hands for you.”

  Morgan froze, shocked by Eden’s offer. She knew how seriously the Dragon Warriors took their vows “I…I would appreciate that, very much. Thank you.”

  Eden bowed her head slightly as Morgan stood up and picked up both of the blue blankets. “Oh, I should probably wrap these or something before you take them.”

  She gasped as the two blankets disappeared from her hands to be replaced by a rectangular wooden box with an intricate carving of five dragons surrounding two smaller dragons on the top. “Stars, this is so beautiful!
” Morgan stared up at the tall Dragon Warrior in awe. “They are going to love this. I can’t thank you enough.”

  “It was nothing.”

  It might seem like nothing to Eden—who could wield magic with a thought—but to Morgan, it was a gift beyond compare. Going on instinct, she picked up the pink blanket she’d made and carried it along with the box as she crossed the few feet over to Eden. Holding the pink blanket out, Morgan said, “I would like for you to have this. It’s nothing compared to what you can make with your magic, but I made it myself.”

  Eden stared down at it, then looked at Morgan. “Why would you give that to me?”

  “As a thank you. And as a welcome gift to a new friend,” Morgan said with a smile.

  “You should keep it for your own youngling.”

  Morgan braced herself for the pain that usually came, but she relaxed again when she realized that she had truly found peace with her situation. “I can’t have children, since I’m infertile, but I would like for you to have it. When you find your mate, I hope you will be able to use it.”

  “I am honored,” Eden said softly as she accepted the blanket. “You are a good human, Morgan D’Sil. I will treasure this gift of yours.”

  Morgan blinked when both items suddenly disappeared. “What—?”

  “Do not worry, they are safely stashed away on my vessel.”

  “Ah…okay.” Morgan noticed a curious shift in Eden’s glowing gold eyes, then she sucked in a harsh breath as Eden reached out and gripped her shoulder hard. A strange sensation washed through Morgan, almost like a warm tingling inside of her. Panic set in, but as quickly as it began, Eden released her and took a step back.

  “What was that? What did you do to me?”

  Eden smiled and took another step back. “Nothing to harm you. I just wished to thank you. We will be leaving here shortly. Now that we have visited this station and Xenthian, we will be heading to the New Vega we have heard so much about.”

  Morgan opened her mouth, then closed it again. After a few seconds, she was finally able to form words. “I’m sorry, did you say you were on Xenthian?”

  “Aye, we were curious. There has not been any new information about them in thousands of years, and when we were back on our home world, many of the elders of my race expressed an interest in them. Everyone had assumed the Xenon had perished long ago, so it was intriguing when we heard they were back.”

  “Were the Dragon Warriors allies with the Xenon before they disappeared?”

  Eden shrugged. “It was a long time ago, so I am not sure. At the moment we are indifferent, although I do find their magic fascinating. It works differently than ours, but is still powerful. We cloaked ourselves to observe them, but I believe they were able to sense us, so we cut our trip short. Thank you for the conversation, Morgan, but I must leave. I hope I will see you again someday.”

  “I would like that.” After a brief pause, she added, “I’ll be living on the D’Aire home world, so if you ever stop there, please come visit me.”

  “I will. Now, I need to collect my sister from Asylum so we can be on our way.”

  Morgan’s eyes widened. “She went back to Asylum after what happened earlier?”

  Eden sent her a wicked grin. “My sister never left.”

  Then, she disappeared.

  “Holy fuck,” Morgan whispered.

  “Morgan?” Orion walked into the observation deck and looked around. “I thought I heard you speaking to someone.”

  “I was. I just had the most fascinating visit with Eden Nazira…one of the Dragon Warriors we saw earlier.”

  Orion’s eyebrows rose. “Really?”

  Morgan nodded, then told him about the conversation she’d just had with Eden. When she was done, she said, “I’ve been around Dragon Warriors before. They have excellent control over their emotions, but I can still sense something from them. With Eden…it was as if she wasn’t even here.”

  “That is unusual. Perhaps she has better control of her energy and emotions because her mother was Tarin,” Orion speculated.

  “Maybe. It was still sort of unnerving not to feel anything. Kind of cool, but also strange.” Remembering Eden grabbing her shoulder made Morgan shiver. Even when she’d been touching her, Morgan hadn’t felt anything from Eden, and that had never happened before.

  Orion rubbed his hands up and down her arms in comfort. “We should probably contact the Adaro brothers who own New Vega, and warn them that they might have two Dragon Warriors visiting soon.” He paused as he considered it. “Actually, I might contact my niece, Mya Spartan, instead. She is currently on that floating pleasure palace with them, and if I am correct, she’ll soon be mated to the Krytos brothers.”

  “Wait…what? Mya Spartan is your niece?” Morgan asked, surprised. “Are you talking about Regent Ian Spartan’s daughter? High Commander Jax Spartan’s sister?”

  At Morgan’s look of shock, Orion explained that it was simply an honorary title. He had been visiting Earth when Donna Spartan-Rollins had gone into labor one evening at an event he’d been attending. It had happened so fast, that the only way to get her to the med-center in time had been for him to fly her there. He had been declared Mya’s godfather after she’d been born, and as she got older, she had always called him uncle.

  During that time in his life, Orion had all but given up at ever finding his keeper. Witnessing the love between Ian Spartan, Donna Spartan-Rollins and Jack Rollins, and the tiny miracle that they had created had given him a glimmer of hope for the future. And that hope had brought him to Morgan…the female who now owned his heart.

  When he was done explaining how he knew the Spartan-Rollins family, he said, “Tavius, Daimon and Maddox Adaro won’t be happy if the Nazira sisters end up killing anyone on New Vega.”

  Morgan sighed as she left him to retrieve her bag. “Maybe Mya can tell her brother, as well. I thought about contacting Jax to let him know that we have two new Dragon Warriors running around, but I don’t want to end up on his shit list again. I got yelled at enough when he was the commander of the Capital.”

  “We’ll let Mya take care of that for us,” he agreed as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. He leaned down and brushed his lips lightly over hers.

  She hummed in pleasure, then asked, “How was your meeting?”

  “Everything has been settled with Adric and Iyana. They contacted the Conclave, and Blaiz is to be appointed in my place. I will tell him tomorrow before the grand opening ceremony, but right now, I want to be alone with you, keeper.”

  “Speaking of,” she said breathlessly. “You know how you said you were scheduled to leave in a few days? Well, I’m ready to go with you, my love.”

  A wave of happiness swept through him as he stared down at her. He loved her so much that he almost forgot how to breathe. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. I love you, Orion. Let’s go start our life together on your home world.”

  “I love you, too, Morgan. More than words can say.”

  “I feel it,” she whispered, then she let out a gasp as he swept her into his arm.

  “Then I shall take you home.” His voice lowered. “But right now, I have great need of you, my love. It has been too long since I have been inside you.”

  “I guess I have to do something about that as soon as we get back to our suite,” she murmured as she leaned in to nibble on his neck.

  His laughter echoed as he carried her down the hallway.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  The official grand opening of Alpha Station: X21 began at noon.

  Since most of the crew and the guests that had come for the celebration had partied all night, the ceremony had been scheduled later to accommodate the masses.

  Orion and Morgan had woken up early, but they’d spent the morning hours making slow, lazy love together. Even though they had spent most of the night making love, they were both insatiable when it came to touching one another. They would have fallen back to sleep, but
their rest was interrupted when Daven pounded his fist on their door in order to get them up and moving.

  After they agreed to meet at one of the few restaurants on the station in an hour, Daven left to go wake Blaiz. Morgan and Orion showered together, both of them disappointed that they didn’t have time to engage in any love play if they wanted to be on time. While Morgan got dressed, Orion tried to contact Mya Spartan. When she didn’t answer, he told himself he would try to contact her on New Vega again later.

  Morgan had chosen not to wear her uniform, although most of the crew would be wearing their dress uniforms for the grand opening ceremony. Instead, she chose one of the few dresses she had. The shade of green matched her eyes, and she chose to leave her hair down since Orion seemed to love running his hands through her long curls. She thought the way she was dressed made it clear that she was stepping away from her position as an Alliance officer, and moving forward as the keeper of a D’Aire.

  The restaurant was packed with people when Orion and Morgan arrived, but Blaiz and Daven had already gotten them a table in the back corner. As soon as they all sat down, the server came over to their table. They ordered their food and drinks, and while they waited, Morgan entertained them with the story of how she met Eden Nazira last night.

  The two males were shocked, and fascinated that the two Dragon Warriors had gone down to the surface of Xenthian. “If they were able to detect the Dragon Warriors while they were invisible, the Xenon must have very powerful magic,” Blaiz said. “That is a scary thought if they aren’t at as friendly as we hope.”

  “They have to at least tolerate the Alliance. If their soulmates end up being humans, they can’t war against them,” Orion argued. “Besides, they didn’t close themselves off for so long just to start fighting now.”

  “That’s true, and who knows if their soulmates are D’Aire, Krytos, or even Dragon Warriors, too,” Morgan said. Their food was delivered, and as they began to eat, she held up a french fry and wagged it in the air at Blaiz and Daven. “I wonder if your keepers are Xenon.”