Fangs, Flames, and Allure_A Reverse Harem Romance Page 12

  I’m angry with him for luring me into a car disguised as a spaceship, but I know my emotions have no merit since I agreed to come with him even though he was casual about the location.

  The car/spaceship thing begins to expand as we soar higher in the sky, until it stretches into more of a disc shape than an oval. Gravity pulls me into the seat and I dry heave against the g-forces. This trip isn’t as smooth as when I visited my sister Eva.

  I’m afraid of passing out. My vision blurs and a dizzy state of mind floods me. It’s as if my insides are melting. I gasp for air and white-knuckle grip my safety harness. Brent’s roars of instructions whirl through my ears, but it’s muffled and turns to a buzz and dust before it reaches my mind.

  In an instant, total blackness encircles us through the panoramic windows. I’m shaking so ferociously that the buckle on my harness begins to make a rattling noise.

  “It’s okay.” Brent pats my arm to pacify the quivers. “We are now safely out of Earth’s orbit and atmosphere.”

  “Thank goodness.” I wipe the sweat off my forehead and wait for the subdued and tranquil feeling to come back to my body.

  “There is a bathroom here if you want to freshen up.” Brent nudges his chin behind us where there is a small area unfolded by the spaceship’s expansion.

  “Really?” I raise a grateful eyebrow and point to my harness. “I can unstrap now?”

  “Yes,” he nods, “just be careful not to bump your head on anything.”

  Of course, I know he’s talking about the lack of gravity I’ll feel while floating and coasting though the galaxy. “Right.” I nod and chuckle, taking a deep breath. I need a few more seconds to compose myself but it feels good to unbuckle the restrictive harness that burrows sharply into my chest.

  Feeling the anti-gravity is one of my favorite parts of leaving earth. I begin to relax as I float toward the bathroom. “I took the liberty of preparing a fresh pair of clothes for you as well,” Brent calls out. “I had my staff analyze a picture of you into our system for better guessing your measurements.”

  “Wow,” I state as I open the bathroom door. There is a combat type of outfit, all in black, folded neatly on the counter beside the sink. Ethwan’s technological advances apparently blow Earth’s out of the water in comparison.

  “Is this toothbrush for me too?” I ask through the open door as I peel off my dirty clothes and try as gracefully as possible to step into the new ones.

  “Yes,” he responds. “And a hand towel with soap if you want to wash up a little.”

  “Gladly,” I say and grab the toiletries.

  Brent takes the liberty of explaining the situation to me in more detail now that I’m safely on board his ship.

  “You are an important token in all this,” he tells me.

  “So if I understand this right, vampires can’t survive on Ethwan because of the climate?”

  “That’s right,” Brent confirms. His voice comes out muffled from the commander helmet and mask he’s wearing. “They’ll die.”

  “That’s why there is vampire trafficking?” I ask.

  “Yes,” Brent states. “And there’s more of it each day. They need so many vampires because after a few short lives, or their version of what they consider lives, they die.”

  “Roger says Carl turned him,” I mention.

  “That’s true, in a roundabout way, but the vampire leader Taylor is the one that turned both of them, technically,” Brent explains.

  “It’s so complicated.” I pull my hair behind my neck and lean over the sink to spit out the toothpaste. I rub my tongue against my top teeth and they feel cleaner and fresher now.

  “It is,” Brent agrees. “For whatever reason, Taylor sees potential and strength in Carl and Roger. That’s why he’s choosing them to save their kind. They have some sort of agreement with the way they were turned by Taylor. Carl and Roger have to pledge their lives to him now.”

  I nod and float back to sit next to Brent, strapping myself in by one of the harnesses, but not the other. I just want to make sure I don’t drift away again while we are having a conversation.

  “I’m digesting everything, but all of the information is starting to sink in,” I admit.

  “Good,” Brent says. “I’m getting ready to fuel the rocket boosters again so that the trip won’t take long.”

  “Are you saying I better hold on tight again?” I groan.

  “Yep.” Brent gives me a regretful grin. “Sorry.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Brent

  When we go back into drifting mode out of turbo mode, I glance over at Katie who is looking a little green and coarse around the edges. Her blonde hair is skewed everywhere, floating around her face. She has dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep and the roughness of the flight. She’s still a pretty girl though, even through the patches of turmoil she’s going through.

  “Everything alright?” I grin playfully at her.

  I’m teasing her, because she most definitely doesn’t look like she’s enjoying defying gravity and spinning g-forces.

  “I guess.” Her face turns a shade paler than it was before.

  “The rest of the journey should be stable for you,” I reassure her.

  “Thank goodness.” Katie takes a deep breath and leans back in her seat, closing her eyes.

  “Are you tired?” I ask.

  “Not really.” She peels her eyes open again and stares out the window of the ship. “I wish you would have just told me in advance and given me fair warning to gear up for a trip like this,” she admits.

  “Sorry about that,” I tell her with a shrug. “I intend to be forthcoming with all information from here on out,” I promise.

  “So, what exactly are we riding in?” Katie asks. “It’s a different kind of shuttle from what I used to travel to see my sister Eva on Desergan.”

  “Sorry about that.” I scratch the side of my cheek and give her an apologetic grin. “This ship is top of the line, I can assure you. The only problem is the travel can get a bit bumpy.”

  “Yeah I can see that,” Katie laughs.

  “It’s only because this particular craft is built specifically to be a two-seater passageway between the worlds,” I say.

  Katie peers at me with inquisitive and bright blue eyes full of wonderment. “Did you use this spaceship today because you knew it would only be the two of us traveling?”

  “Right.” I nod with a twinkle in my eye. “You are exactly right. It cuts costs enormously, and this vessel can go faster than the bigger crafts.”

  Katie clutches her stomach. “Yeah, I am learning how fast it can go first hand.”

  I laugh with amusement because Katie is adorable. “I promise, the rest of the ride should not be as rocky.”

  “What about the landing?” Katie’s expression is unconvinced.

  “It’s not as bad as take off,” I admit. “Like I said, this vessel was built by my best scientist right before my cousin Michael decided to start structuring an army from the ground up.”

  “Good.” Katie leans back in the seat to rest her head. “We are going to Ethwan aren’t we?” she asks without looking at me.

  “Yes,” I confirm softly. “Michael will be searching for me. He’ll have his generals and captains looking high and low. Utilizing this ship will be easier to sneak in and out of Ethwan because it’s not enormous and can whip in and out of places without being immediately seen.”

  “That makes sense.” Katie nods as if she’s coming to terms with exactly what our goal is here.

  “There is one problem with this vessel though,” I confess.

  “Oh?” Katie glances at me with an expectant look cascading over her blonde features.

  “This spaceship is not big enough to transport all of my people.”

  “Yeah,” Katie agrees. “I kind of figured that much.”

  “That’s where the blood suckers come into play,” I admit.

  Katie’s lips curl into
a humorous grin. “Blood suckers?”

  “I-err—I mean vampires.” I chuckle. “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” Katie laughs. “It doesn’t take a genius to understand that the two species aren’t exactly best friends forever.”

  “No,” I laugh. “Definitely not, but we need each other so we are doing what we can, while we can.”

  “You guys are brave.” Katie is staring off into the black galaxy with a groggy expression.

  “I am the king,” I tell her. “I have no choice but to be brave.”

  “Your brother is a real piece of work though.” She grins, teasing me.

  “He is struggling to come into his own,” I offer. “He can be slightly intimidating, but I need him to be that way. If he’s not aggressive, we won’t get anything accomplished.”

  “You use him as a way to keep everyone else in line?” Katie laughs.

  “That’s one way to put it,” I retort with a chuckle. “In all honesty though, Ken and I are using this ship as a means to reach out to others for help.”

  “Like me.” Katie points to herself as if she is the chosen one but she’s not sure she’s entirely on board with the plan.

  “Yes,” I smile, “like you.”

  “What about the vampires?” Katie asks and shifts her weight in her seat.

  “They are being transported to Ethwan from Earth by Michael’s orders. There is a sort of underground mission to get them there. He has teams working around the clock to traffic them.”

  “Seems like a slimy way of doing things,” Katie admits.

  “Yes, well…war is a messy subject.” I hit the throttle to a higher speed, but not one that Katie will inadvertently notice.

  “You found Carl and Roger and the rest is history?” Katie asks.

  “More or less.” I frown. “We may treat them like annoying, obnoxious little blood draining rats, but the truth is we need them.”

  “They are strong,” Katie declares.

  “And that’s why we need them,” I tell her. “They are agile and fresh, young vampires. Those are the best kinds you want on your team because their senses are acute. Their bodies can withstand more than an older vampire.

  “Even though technically they don’t really die,” Katie says.

  “They die at the end of their life cycle,” I explain. “But they die quicker in Ethwan because of the climate. Michael knows that he can use them and abuse them before he disposes of them completely.”

  “It sounds so harsh.” Katie scrunches up her nose.

  “Exactly.” I nod.

  “When do we land?” Katie stares at me with confidence.

  “Just a few minutes.” I smile. “See? The trip wasn’t so bad after all, was it?”

  “No.” Katie has a determined expression that darkens her features. “I’m ready to learn whatever it is you want to teach me.”

  “Let’s get going then,” I say, and I activate the throttle once more. If anyone is trainable, it’s Katie. I respect the idea of her accepting the role of being a part of something bigger than all of us.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Katie

  We begin the decent toward the atmosphere of Ethwan, I gasp. Violent shakes ripple through my muscles. A scream clusters in my throat, but comes out as a muffled croak. The health monitor that’s strapped to my body for the arrival process begins to ring and chime with alarm bells that screech through my ears.

  “What’s wrong?” The panic soaked face of Brent peers at me as if I’ll turn to ashes in an instant no matter what he tries to do to pacify me.

  “I—can’t—breathe—” I stammer.

  Brent swiftly turns around and grabs an oxygen mask from a tank in a closet behind me. He throws it over my face. “Here,” he instructs. “Take deep breaths. This oxygen will help you.”

  He stands over me as I do as he says. In and out, the air fills my lungs and expels into the spaceship. I close my eyes so that the vivid nightmares electrocuting my life won’t blend into a reality I’m not ready to face.

  “Just keep drawing in large breaths.” Brent rubs my back to satiate me.

  Little by little, I climb down from the event horizon of terror. With each gulp of air, a tranquil peace floods me.

  “I’m okay now,” I tell Brent with a meek smile.

  Brent sighs with relief. “Good. What was that all about?” His brow furrows with concern.

  “I’m safe and healthy for travel, I promise.” I glance at him sheepishly as I feel my cheeks flush a shade of crimson.

  “What happened then?” he asks again.

  I take a deep breath and glance out the window. The trembling submerges itself within my psyche, but only slightly.

  “I’ve dreamed about this place,” I whisper faintly.

  “You have?” Brent squeaks with surprise.

  I turn my head and meet his gaze. “Yeah. In my nightmares. I’ve dreamed of a red and yellow planet and here we are.”

  Brent places the ship into auto-drive as we spin toward the atmosphere of Ethwan. “What kind of things happen to you in these nightmares?” Brent gently moves my hair away from my face.

  “It’s nothing. Really.” I twirl my hand dismissively in the air.

  Brent stares out the window, working the buttons as he needs. “I understand if you don’t want to talk about it.”

  “There’s nothing to discuss,” I say firmly. “The thing is…I can’t really explain what happens in my dreams. I just know how paralyzing the fear is when I’m in the moment. The red and yellow planet has always been in the forefront.”

  Brent’s eyes flash through me with something powerful. “I promise you, you won’t be harmed here.”

  I bite my lip, but I don’t respond. I have a gut feeling that I’m destined for the same life as my sister, a mate to a dragon shifter or a vampire. I know that’s probably the reason why Brent is bringing me to his home planet, but I don’t have the strength to get into that argument with him right now.

  “You’ll like Ethwan,” Brent tells me as we dock into the space station and unstrap ourselves. “It’s hot, like the desert that you are used to on Earth, but the people are generally kind.”

  “Except for Michael,” I joke.

  Brent’s lips curl into chagrin. “Right, except for him.”

  A fleet of servants and engineers come rushing to our side, helping me climb onto the intergalactic pathway which will lead us to the outside world of Ethwan.

  “Don’t be frightened,” Brent reminds me as enormous dragon tails whip around me. I duck in order to escape being side swiped by the engineers as they aggressively scatter around us to work on the ship we just flew in on.

  Dragon nostrils snort behind me and causes me to jump a mile in the air. I shriek but Brent takes my hand. “It’s okay, remember? You are with me. I am their king and they will not harm you as long as you are here as my honored guest.”

  “I’m your honored guest?” I exclaim as a phoenix soars overhead. I gape in awe of its remarkable beauty and feathered wings flapping mightily as it hovers overhead.

  “Wow,” I proclaim. “Amazing.”

  “Thanks.” Brent grins proudly.

  He’s still adorning his male, human and muscular physique although he towers over me by at least a foot or more. The only difference that makes him unlike me is the fact that his complexion is olive green.

  A centaur struts past us with a determined expression as if they are on a mission. Its silver mane dazzles under the probing lights of the intergalactic space station pathway.

  “Does everyone on Ethwan stay in animal shift mode?” I ask curiously of Brent.

  “Most of the time,” he shrugs.

  “You are a dragon, right?” My heart races with wonderment.

  “That’s right.” He grins, and a tiny dimple emerges adorably from his cheek. “Most of the planet consists of dragon shifters, however there are a few that are different as you can see.” He gestures around, pointing to the phoenix and cen
taur.

  “Incredible,” I whisper as I continue to scope out my surroundings.

  “Follow me,” he says and takes my hand. “We will take a jet to my palace on the other side of the space station.”

  “A jet?” I cry.

  “Well, not a jet like you are used to. Think of it as a fast race car that can hover in the air and fly about.”

  “It sounds like a way to beat the traffic,” I quip.

  “You’re funny.” Brent cups my shoulder over his giant olive hand.

  “Um…thanks.” I blush again, not used to receiving compliments from types like Brent. He’s so dashing and handsome, powerful. I don’t know why he is choosing an ordinary and simple girl like me for his mission. His faith in me gives me a boost of self-confidence in knowing that he sees a shining and important quality in me somewhere.

  We walk side by side as dragons and phoenixes continue to brush past us. Some are larger than others. I do my best not to recoil in the sight of a dragon, but it makes for a difficult experience of a walk to the other side.

  “We’re here,” Brent finally says to my relief.

  Orange and pink dragons fluster around us, gearing up the ride we’ll take to the palace. I stare at them, completely entranced by their grand beauty.

  “Have you ever been around creatures such as us?” Brent laughs.

  “No, not really,” I murmur as I continue to stare at the dragons. “They seem to really respect you.”

  “Yes indeed.” Brent casts me a broadly proud smile.

  A slightly smaller dragon approaches us. The beast is still enormous in comparison to Brent and me. It stands beside us and puffs out its elegant chest. I notice that it is glistening with golden flecks and scales.

  “Your shuttle is ready, King,” the dragon smoothly states.

  “Thank you.” Brent bows and the golden dragon returns the gesture. He turns to me with a mischievous grin full of adventure. “Are you ready?”

  “I…guess so.” I take a wary step closer to Brent. The dragon may seem docile in my presence, but I don’t want to take any chances to anger it.