His mating impulse. It would drive him mad if he didn’t claim this woman as his mate. In the haze of his own mind’s rebellion, Oro was momentarily immobilized. For a warrior of his caliber and skill, this weakness was unacceptable.
He gathered himself up and focused on the matter at hand.
“What is your name?” he asked the woman.
“Tabitha Wilson. But you can call me Tabby. Everyone does. When do we go to the ship?”
“I don’t have time for that now. I’m on a mission.”
“But I won the lottery. Our DNA matches. I’m supposed to get a luxury apartment. And Gucci.” She frowned prettily and crossed her arms under her substantial breasts, squeezing them together.
Oro stared down at the curve of her breasts. The low-cut top under her leather jacket showed off her ample cleavage. His body responded to the sight of her flesh, and he stiffened.
With his body betraying him, Oro gritted his teeth and rubbed his temples. He was known for his ability to make fluid decisions in the field. He would have to do that now if he wanted to succeed in his mission.
“Come with me,” he said, taking her by the hand.
“Aren’t we going to the ship?”
“No.”
“But I won.”
He pulled her outside to the parking lot of the consulate and opened the door of a hover sports car. It was black inside and out and could speed through the city in total silence.
Tabby gasped when she saw it and did a little dance with her hands pressed over her lips. Watching her move with all that excited energy made his cock press against his uniform. He growled. This kind of distraction would not help with the mission.
There was nothing to be done about it now. He would take the woman with him and claim her while he completed his mission. Like most Draconians, he had little experience with woman. These tactical variables were less than ideal.
He opened the door of the car for her. “Get in,” he said in a low, flat voice.
She slid into the black interior and Oro closed the door. He got in the driver’s side and checked his wrist device. Oro was after a man named Juan Norte who ran the techno-drug cartel. The illicit drugs were enslaving over a million people in North America alone. The worst part was that they had been hybridized from leaked Draconian technology. Now people like Juan Norte were using human weakness as a means of control. It had to stop. Oro was determined to fulfill his mission and bring this planet one step closer to peace.
He pulled out onto the highway and sped over the pavement. Juan Norte had a compound about an hour south of Phoenix. Oro’s assignment was to spy on him from a resort nearby. With his high powered Draconian technology, he could watch Juan’s movements and find the best time to strike.
“Where are we going?” Tabby asked. He looked over at her. She wore tight fitting jeans that hugged her hips and thighs. Her hands were grasped in her lap, resting against her luscious curves. Oro’s mouth watered. He wanted to bite into her flesh and taste her. He growled. That would have to wait, for now.
“Desert Palms Resort. South of here.”
“Holy crap. No way. I’ve heard of that place. It’s five-star all the way”
“Five-star?”
“It’s a really nice place. Is this like our honeymoon or something?”
“Honeymoon?”
“You know, when two people get married and then they go on a fancy vacation.”
“Sure. It’s our honeymoon.”
Oro knew the words married and vacation in English. But he didn’t know what either had to do with honey or the moon. He decided to go along with it. Whatever the woman needed to stay happy and content while he completed his mission was fine with him. Oro had never expected to be matched with a woman. He’d come to Earth on a mission and had been laser focused on accomplishing it. He’d had no idea he was even entered into the lottery.
Here he was on an important mission for his general, with a curvy, cute human woman by his side. He had no idea what to do with her. Well, he did have ideas about what to do with her, but those weren’t helping right now. His dragon showed him images inside his mind of taking the woman roughly from behind on the hood of the car. He saw himself sink his sharp teeth into her soft neck to claim her as his thick cock pushed inside her womb.
He squeezed his eyes closed for a brief second and looked back at the road. They would be in the Desert Palms soon. The resort was close to Juan Norte’s compound. All the more reason for them to be careful. General Shin had made it clear that this man needed to be taken out with stealth. Alerting the criminals to his presence could jeopardize the mission. Not to mention the lives of all those poor souls addicted to Juan’s drugs.
Chapter 4
They pulled up to the front of the Desert Palms Resort and the valet took their car as they stepped up the stairs and into the front door of the resort. Tabby couldn’t stop looking around in amazement. She’d been into some nice hotels with Leo, but this one took the cake. Every item, every detail of the entrance lobby to the resort, was luxurious. She watched her new so-called mate charge up to the front desk and give a fake name. A few moments later, they had the keys to their room and were taking an elevator up to the third floor.
When Oro opened the door into the hotel room, Tabby gasped and put her hand over her open mouth. The place was fantastic. The first thing she noticed were the big windows that opened out over the swimming pool with a view of red mesas and desert beyond.
The big, deep azure blue sky spread out over head, creating a contrast of vivid red and blue. The hotel room itself was decorated in shades of mocha cream and dark brown, a contrast with the vibrant colors outdoors, creating a peaceful and tranquil environment.
There were big, fluffy couches around a fireplace on one side, and on the other there was a big screen TV. The hotel suite even had a full kitchen with a bar. Through the double doors off to one side, Tabby saw a huge king size bed with a dark wood headboard and a mocha cream-colored comforter that was so fluffy and soft it looked like it was stuffed with feathers from angels’ wings.
“This is a lot nicer than the hotel I stayed in last night, that’s for sure. Choosing to enter the alien mating lottery was the best decision of my life!”
“I’m happy it pleases you,” Oro said, opening up his bag. He pulled out strange looking equipment that Tabby didn’t recognize and set it on the coffee table in the living room.
“What is that? Some kind of strange alien sex toys?” She giggled but she was also a little nervous that she might be right. She could see the kind of package Oro was working with through his skintight uniform. That in itself could make a girl afraid for her life. If he was going to add weird sex toys to the mix, she might have to reconsider, even with all this luxury.
“These are the tools I require for my mission.”
Oro was a man of few words. He hadn’t told her what his mission was. He’d just gone along with her assumption that they were on a honeymoon. Tabby was beginning to get the impression that this wasn’t a honeymoon it all.
“Did you know about me before you came down to the consulate?”
Oro busily checked his equipment and didn’t look up at her. The guy was devastatingly good-looking, dark hair, dark eyes, seven-foot tall and built like a linebacker. She could see the ripples of hard muscle under his tight uniform. Every curve and bulge, every dip and crevice. She bit her lip. The guy was fine. Damn. She would’ve been lucky to find a man like this who was human, let alone an alien who could provide her with the best life had to offer.
“No. I did not.”
Still with the clipped communication style.
“So, what is this mission all about?”
“I’m taking out a dangerous enemy.”
“I figured that much. Who is this guy?”
“Top-secret. I can’t discuss it.”
“So, you’re just going to assassinate some criminal while we’re on our honeymoon?”
Finally, he looked up
at her with a confused expression on his face. At least she thought it was confused. She had no idea what confusion looked like for a Draconian.
“This mission is of highest importance. Millions of human lives are at stake. I must not fail.”
“No one ever said anything about you failing. I just don’t understand why you have to do this while we’re on our honeymoon.”
Maybe she was being a little selfish. Heck, she’d already won the lottery, for better or worse. She was staying in a luxury resort. Still, she had hoped to be on the spaceship by now, not continuing to hang out in Leo and Juan’s territory.
“I’m told this is a high quality human establishment. The accommodations should be up to your standards. I have what is called a credit card, and if you would like to go purchase yourself some additional attire, I’m sure it can be arranged.”
“I don’t know if I want to go shopping by myself,” she said, sitting down on the couch to watch him as he continued to check his equipment.
“Why? Are you not capable of picking out your own attire?”
Tabby grunted and leaned back on the insanely comfortable couch.
“Of course I’m capable of picking out my own attire,” she said in a mocking tone. She didn’t know if she wanted to tell Oro about Leo or Juan. Maybe he would think badly of her and change his mind about the whole mating thing. He wasn’t exactly being upfront about why he was here. All she knew was that being in this part of Arizona was dangerous territory for her, especially after she’d stolen Leo’s bike, his money, and left him.
“I’ve been told that shopping is a favorite human female pastime. This human credit card I have in my possession has an unlimited balance. You can purchase all of the attire you could ever want. Why don’t you go do that?”
“I’m supposed to be your wife or whatever. I wanted to get to know each other.” That was mostly true. Being mated to the alien did come with the expectation that they would have sex and make babies. That was pretty much the entire intent of the lottery in the first place. If she was going to be mated to this guy for the rest of her life, if she was going to have sex with him and his massive junk, she wanted to get to know him first.
“There will be time for our mating later. My inner dragon roars at me to take you now in the most obscene ways. I must concentrate on my work. It would help us both if you would vacate the premises and go buy yourself some luxurious clothing.”
Tabby huffed and shot up from the couch. Rude much? He wasn’t exactly trying very hard for a guy who traveled millions of light-years across the galaxy to mate with a human female. What a jerk.
“Fine. I’ll go shopping. Give me the damn credit card. But I want my driver to stay with me while I’m out.”
He pulled a black credit card out of his uniform from some hidden pocket or compartment and handed it to her. “Whatever you require. You are my woman now. I will claim you. You need not worry about that.”
“Who said I was worried? I just think you’re being rude, that’s all. I would think you’d be more interested after coming all the way from your home planet to find me. Who am I to judge? I’m obviously in your way.”
He looked up at her and his lips curled back, showing his sharp teeth. Had she hit a nerve? She had no idea. And right then, she really didn’t care. She was getting what she wanted out of the equation, but she had hoped that her alien mate would actually be interested in her when he got her.
Oro seemed like he couldn’t care less. Whatever the hell mission he was on was more important to him than getting to know his woman. She’d heard stories about Draconian mating. She knew these guys had “one true mate” and it was some kind of big deal to them. She was his one true mate, and here he was, totally ignoring her like some asshole human dude.
“I apologize. Between my mission, the sound of my dragon scratching inside my brain, not to mention the distracting scent of your skin, my mind is in a confused state. I must focus. If I am rude to you, please know that it is not my intention.”
“Okay, fine, whatever. I’m going shopping now. Thanks for the credit card.”
She put the card in her purse and sauntered towards the door with one last look at Oro as she opened it. Dang, that man is fine. She sucked her lip and felt her nipples tighten. If he ever got around to paying any attention to her, she knew that sparks would fly. They were already starting to fly up and down her spine, exciting her lady bits in a way she hadn’t expected. Leo never made her feel that way when she looked at him, that was for sure.
She flung open the door and closed it behind her before striding down the hallway to the elevator. She took it down to the lobby and went to the main desk where she asked the attendant for a driver and a bodyguard who could take her shopping. A few moments later, she was being guided out the front doors of the resort to a town car. The back door was held open for her by a burly man in a black suit and sunglasses. Money certainly could buy you everything. She could get used to this kind of life.
Tabby slid into the backseat and the driver closed the door. He drove her up to the main shopping district in the resort community. It was an upscale place and had many designer clothing stores. Tabby squealed with excitement as they pulled up and parked in front of the shops.
The driver opened the door for her and helped her out. They went into the first store, and Tabby was blown away by the items available on display. She could definitely get used to this. She used the driver as a clothing rack as she threw things in his arms. She watched him holding all of the dresses and jackets and pants she’d thrown at him and considered simply buying it all. Oro’s credit card had unlimited funds. She couldn’t even conceive of unlimited funds.
Then she thought better of it. She didn’t want a bunch of clothes that didn’t fit right hanging around her hotel room. Plus, trying on clothes was fun. She took the outfits and went to the fitting room. Each outfit was better than the last. And after about an hour, she had chosen several ensembles, including shoes, purses, and accessories.
The driver took her things out to the car and they went to the next shop where they bought makeup and hair supplies. After that store, they went to a salon where Tabby decided to have her hair done with all the best quality equipment from the best stylists.
When she was done there, she took a look at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a new dress. It was the same color as the vivid blue Arizona sky. She had on gold earrings and gold bangle bracelets around her wrists. She’d had her hair blown out straight, and it shimmered around her shoulders in a lighter shade of brown. She looked amazing, if she said so herself. Which she did. If Oro wasn’t impressed by this look, he must be dead.
Her driver carried everything back to the car and helped her inside. Back at the resort, valets came out to help carry all of her packages up to her room. She used the key card to go inside and found the place empty.
Chapter 5
As soon as Tabby left, Oro took his bag of equipment out to the balcony of the hotel. Juan Norte’s compound was right across from the resort, and he had an unobstructed view from his balcony. Oro’s telescope had x-ray vision and could see through the walls of the compound. It also had a way of analyzing genetic signatures, so he could track Juan Norte’s movements.
For the first half an hour that he watched, Juan remained in a second floor room. He could see the furniture within the room and knew there were also additional men inside with him. With Oro’s stealth ability, he could shift and fly over to the compound, sneak through the window, and take Juan out in a single blow. Unfortunately, the man never seemed to be alone. Oro would have to devise a new strategy if he wanted to take this man out as soon as possible.
His inner dragon wouldn’t stay quiet, and Oro feared what would happen if he shifted before claiming his bride. If a Draconian’s mating impulse was not satisfied, he would slowly lose his mind. His dragon would deteriorate into madness from his need. Having his mating impulse begin while he was on this important mission was far from ideal. He
hadn’t even had the opportunity to become fully acquainted with his woman.
After she’d left, he regretted that fact immensely. Her absence tugged at his heart and his loins. His dragon roared that he was an idiot for letting her out of his sight for an instant. What if something happened to her? She had seemed concerned for her safety and he had ignored it.
He growled. He couldn’t be distracted now. The techno-drug kingpin needed to be taken out. Millions of human lives hung in the balance. General Shin had trusted him with this important mission, and he would not fail. Even if his every thought was absorbed in the cute, curvy little woman named Tabby Wilson. Just the thought of her made him hard.
He swore in Draconian and packed up his equipment. He needed to get a closer look at the compound and take calculations of the environment and behaviors of the humans within. If things went according to plan, he would take out Juan Norte before night fell and would spend the rest of the evening with his bride. Usually, when a human was matched with a Draconian, it was required that she stay on board the armada.
Since commandos like Oro had such important missions on Earth, the rules had been bent for them. Oro hadn’t even thought about it when he had taken Tabby with him. It may have been the wrong decision. He couldn’t change it now.
At least the little woman had a comfortable place to stay. When she returned from her shopping trip, she would find him gone. He regretted that, too. There was nothing he could do to change it. He had to get a closer look at the compound so he could predict the movements of the men within. If he had a reliable opening, when Juan Norte was alone, he would swoop in and take the man out.
He hurried down the stairs and out the back exit of the resort. He circled around the exterior fence of the resort and came to a place where he had an excellent view of Juan Norte’s gated compound. The sun was beginning to tip towards the horizon, filling the sky with orange and pink hues. Earth was a lovely place that had given rise to lovely people, and it was his duty to protect both the humans and their planet.