General of Draconis (Winged Beast Book 3) Read online

  He would be surprised if any of the males in this program returned to their subversive ways. They would be worthwhile members of their society once their sentence was concluded. Both males seemed to like and respect Dori. It was clear they owed her their loyalty and would never harm her. All these new ideas seemed to be coming from Earth. They were in a position to take the good ideas and leave the bad ones behind.

  What amazed him was that one world could be an example of the best and worst things a world could do. The violence on earth was horrific, but the good and the love some humans showed was amazing. Side by side in one place resided people of good heart and those with dark souls.

  Dori came before he left and honked the horn. She was clearly unwilling to risk coming face to face with him. He’d let her get away with it for now. It wouldn’t be long before he began his new pursuit of her. Right now he wanted to get everything settled and in order. Once that was done, he would chase her to the ends of this world and further if necessary until she realized she was his.

  He’d lost his heart to her and he would make sure she lost hers to him. After all the soul searching a male could do, he’d come to the only possible conclusion. Dori was his fated mate and the only female for him, ever.

  Chapter 3

  New Life

  Dori was tired. She thought the baby was draining her and she’d been to see Demos where he’d assured her he wouldn’t tell a soul. The male was unbelievably excited that she and two of her daughters were expecting around the same time.

  “What a fertile family you have. Don’t you have another daughter?”

  “I have two, but one stayed behind. Tomi, the other one that came with us is giving her future mate a hard time. They’ve not been together yet.”

  “Yes, that makes it hard to conceive.” He acknowledged with a chuckle. “Maybe soon though.”

  “Why are you so happy about it?”

  “I love babies and this gives me hope.”

  “Are you mated?” Dori asked.

  “No, but I plan to go to Earth soon.”

  “Good luck.”

  “Will I need luck?”

  “It’s just a way of wishing someone well.”

  “Thank you.” Demos replied.

  “So, why am I tired all the time?”

  “This pregnancy will not be like your other ones. Why did your male not mate you? That would have helped strengthen you for this. Both your daughters are having an easier time. Even Betty who carries twins.”

  “There were issues so I broke it off. He doesn’t know yet.”

  Demos shot her a disapproving look. “You should tell him. A father has the right to know.”

  “I agree. It’s just that I don’t want to deal with him yet. You dragons are very demanding.”

  “We are protective, that is not a bad thing.”

  “Too much of it can be.” Dori observed. These dragons were terrible when their sense of protectiveness hit overdrive.

  “I have heard other females say this, but I still do not understand it. How can you safeguard a female or offspring too much?”

  “Did you know we have warrior females on Earth?”

  “I had heard a rumor.” He looked confused at the change of subject.

  “Let’s pretend you go to Earth and the mate you find is a warrior female. She will have protective instincts much like your warriors. Your mate will fuss over you and she may not want you to go out in the woods alone to gather herbs.”

  “But I am a dragon! I can protect myself.”

  “But she is a warrior. She lives to protect those she loves. It is part of who she is and the more you resist her suggestions, the more she will try to protect you.”

  “I don’t think it is the same, but I see you’re point anyway. You are not used to having your activity monitored and you don’t want it to be. Still, we live in dangerous times.” Demos pointed out.

  “Not as dangerous as things are on Earth. We live surrounded by violent crime.”

  “That makes me sad for your kind. I will be happy when I find my mate and save her from such a dangerous and uncertain existence.”

  “I’m not sure you understand about the females of my world at all.” Dori said before she said goodbye. Their worlds were too different to understand each other easily. Perhaps after several conversations they would both have better understanding. Okay, maybe not.

  She paused for a moment as she walked by a window and watched dragons coming in for a landing on the rooftop or circling as they waited for their turn to land. They were magnificent winged beasts with the most beautiful jewel tone colors and a few extra shades like white and gray. Their wings stretched out making them look huge. The scales on their bodies sparkled and shone in the sunlight. Her child would be one of them.

  Her baby would have the gift of flight and whatever other gifts he or she was given. This was something she could not help the child with. Everything dragon her baby would need Garulto to help with. She wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer before she would have to tell him. For better or worse, it would not be long before he knew the secret she kept from him. Once he knew, the others would have to be told as well. All hell would break loose and all the males would be angry with her.

  Regardless of how safe her current duties were, they wouldn’t want her to continue them in her delicate condition. There was no doubt in her mind that was true. Her daughters would try to help her, but it wouldn’t do much good. She needed a proactive plan to cut them off at the pass, so to speak.

  Romo, Niku, and Erak had loaned her the money to buy her own place. It wasn’t far from theirs and had a large amount of land and a good bit of wooded land. She used the workers in the program there whenever they were not needed elsewhere and she paid them the going rate. Her manager’s cottage was ready for an occupant. Dori had someone in mind and he would be the supervisor for her program.

  She would continue to do the paperwork, but someone else would take the workers to their jobs and deal with any problems on the job site. It was a solution she’d thought a lot about. Niku had given her full authority over the program because he didn’t have time to worry over it and he trusted her to handle things. That was exactly what she would do. It was time to pick the guys up so she began to make the rounds picking up the workers at Garulto’s place last. He intended to keep them for a while even once the cottage was done.

  It made her wonder if he was planning to claim a mate and she rubbed her chest. The thought had made her heart hurt. That made her realize she still wasn’t over him. Her feelings for him would probably never go away. They would only get worse once their child made his/her entrance into the world. She made several trips because there were so many males she had to pick them up and drop them off in groups. Most of them stayed at the castle, but a few had other arrangements like staying with their families.

  Finally she picked up the last group which included Frex and Havos. Once she dropped everyone else off, she asked Havos to stay a minute. The male looked scared to death.

  “How have you liked working with the group?” Dori asked.

  “It’s been wonderful. Have I done something wrong?”

  “No, you’ve done something right. You are doing a good job and you are often the spokesman for the concerns of others. I wondered if you would be interested in taking the job of field supervisor.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “You would be the one driving the others to their jobs. The minibus would be in your care for the day and you would pick everyone up. If there are concerns on the job site, you would deal with them only bringing them to me if they were too serious for you to feel comfortable dealing with them. In exchange for the extra work and responsibility, you would get to live in the cottage on my property. Your wages would stay the same, but you’d have rent and utilities paid at a much nicer and more private residence than the barracks.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “I only need a yes or no.”r />
  “Could Frex live with me?”

  “The house is big enough for a family so I see no problem if that’s what you wish.”

  “Yes. Thank you, Dori. This is wonderful. When do I start?”

  “The cottage is ready. You can drop me off at Niku’s and take the minibus to get Frex and your possessions. Tell the barrack’s commander you’re moving out so he won’t continue to charge you.”

  “Okay. Thank you again.”

  It was clear he was excited and since he just sat there, she drove to Niku’s with him in the back seat. When she got out, she turned to him. “I should have asked, you can drive, right?”

  “Yes, I’m a good driver.”

  “Come by my house in the morning before you pick up the guys. I’ll give you the schedule so you know where to take them and if anyone needs picked up early.”

  “I’ll be there. Goodbye.” Havos moved into the front seat and drove away carefully. This could work out so well.

  Dori continued to the door and knocked. Her daughters, Betty and Bree, had told her to just come in, but they were both newly mated and she didn’t want to have to wash her eyes out. There were just things a mother should never see. She didn’t have to wait long before Niku opened the door.

  “Betty laid down to take a nap.” Niku said. He looked disheveled and like he’d laid down with her.

  “That’s good. She needs the rest.”

  “You look tired too. Is the program getting to be too much for you?”

  “No, it’s fine. I’ve promoted Havos to supervisor and he’ll help me keep things straight.”

  ‘That’s a smart decision. It’s a lot to do.”

  “I’ll only be doing the scheduling and the billing now.”

  “We will all feel better about that. I thought you might be taking on too much.” Niku admitted.

  “I know when to lighten my load.” Dori said with a smile relieved she’d made this decision before Niku had interfered. He didn’t even know about the baby yet and he was trying to interfere. “I’ll start supper.”

  “Are you sure you shouldn’t be taking a nap too?”

  Dori shot him one of her mother looks and his gaze went to the floor. Making her way to the kitchen, she began to plan the meal. Betty had done a wonderful job of helping find substitutes for many of the Earth seasonings. Dori put on a bog kettle of chili, but that was for later in the week. Once that was on, she started to mix up some meatloaf using whatever leftovers would work in it.

  That ended up making two large pans of meatloaf, with slight differences. Her next task was making herb roasted potatoes. She roasted a big batch of green beans too. For dessert, she made a several pans of what she hoped would turn out like brownies. The chocolate was from Earth, the other ingredients were local. The less she relied on Earth items, the better off they’d be but she’d not found anything like coffee or chocolate here or on the nearby planets.

  They had found a sweet white bean that reminded her of vanilla and while the other stuff cooked, she would play with it. She hoped to start with pudding and eventually make an ice cream of some sort. The reason she cooked so much, was so it would last a few days for Betty. Tomorrow she would go to Bree’s and cook enough for a few days there. That would give her a day off to spend at home where she would probably rest much of the day and try to get some work done on her nursery.

  She’d gone shopping with the girl’s several times and bought a few items for gifts and a couple for her own baby. Dori had also bought some furniture which she’d had delivered. Since she always went to their homes and they didn’t come to hers, no one knew. Both her girls were showing and it was obvious. Her clothes had always been looser so no one seemed to have realized anything yet.

  One more week to get some things done and she would tell Garulto. Everything would be in place with her business and her home. There would be nothing he could complain about. The baby would be seen to and they would share the child’s time. It was true she felt lonely sometimes and at those times, she always thought about him. Her decision had been the right one, because she wanted more and she would have it. A silent tear fell, but she ignored it.

  Staying at Niku’s until all the food was done, she stayed for supper since Betty seemed to want her there. The food had turned out great and the brownies and the pudding were both hits. The meatloaf also turned out good and moist. Niku said he’d never tasted anything quite like it. Maybe she would make burgers next. Grinding the meat was a pain, but only because her grinder from home was too small for the large amounts she needed here. Maybe she could find an inventor and have them make a commercial size meat grinder.

  Once supper was done, Niku helped with the dishes. “You constantly surprise me with the dishes you cook.”

  “We are from an alien world. Things are different there.”

  “True, but you are using mostly our local ingredients.”

  “In some things. The brownies require chocolate.” Dori admitted.

  “Those made Betty happy. It’s the best she’s been in a week.”

  “Pregnant women sometimes get cravings. It gets worse the farther along they are.”

  “Cravings? They want certain things?”

  “Yes, some foods or drinks will be needed to keep her calm.”

  “What will I do if she wants something from Earth?”

  “Chocolate will be your biggest challenge. I’d order some every trip. My girls and I have found many substitutes for other things. The meatloaf was always one of Betty’s favorites.”

  “Thank you for making that meal and the others. You’ll be at Romo’s tomorrow?”

  “Yes, why? Did you need something?”

  “No, I just want to know in case Betty has a craving.”

  “You have brownies. Enough for several days even if you share some.”

  “Do you need me to drive you home?”

  “That would be helpful of you don’t mind? I don’t have the minibus on demand anymore.”

  “I’d forgotten that Havos had taken over worker delivery.”

  Niku went to tell Betty he was taking her home and he returned quickly. He drove faster than usual and didn’t wait after he dropped her off. Dori figured he was worried about leaving Betty alone. Some first time fathers were nervous about everything. Not like her husband who’d not seemed to worry at all. He’d been gone through most of her pregnancies and deliveries. Those weren’t the best memories especially the first time when she’d been scared herself. She’d gotten tougher each time and now it was old hat to be alone while she was pregnant.

  That took her mind to Garulto and she wondered how he would take her pregnancy. Mating was every Draconis male’s deepest wish, but babies were right behind it. At least she would fulfill one of his wishes. She felt guilty, although she knew she was right. Had he wanted a real relationship, he would have found a way to make more time. It wasn’t something she should have to ask for.

  She made her way to the door and put her hand on the lock. Dori had one of the latest security features available on her front door. Romo said he needed her to test it out for him, but she suspected her girls worried about her living by herself and he’d given it to her to calm them. Both her son-in-laws were great guys. So was Erak, if only Tomi would see it before the male gave up.

  Once she made it inside, she locked the door and went to her computer to work up the schedule. It was the same schedule it had been the last two weeks. Once she printed it out for Havos, she checked her account and saw the two young males that harvested from the woods for her had done well again today. They harvested and often carried the harvest to town. Everyone knew they worked for her and she had an account set up for the stores to pay into.

  If they did really well, she gave them a bonus. It looked like they would get one this week. Dori felt bad for these young males being punished because they had been misled. One had been drawn in by his father, the other by an older brother. Still, from what she had heard, they were both doing be
tter than they had done before. She kept them working every day and both enjoyed being out in the woods.

  As soon as she was done with the schedule, she took a bath and turned in for the night. Dori was just so damned tired. Even with her turning in hours early, she slept all night and she decided she must have needed it. There was a knock on the door and she threw her clothes on quickly and checked the keyhole seeing Havos.

  “Good morning.” She greeted as she opened the door. “Let me grab the schedule.” He waited patiently as she grabbed it. “Could you drop me at Romo’s? They are expecting me and I hate to make them come out of their way.”

  Havos smiled like a young boy and flushed. “I’d be happy to. We’ll go right by there.”

  She followed him out and locked up quickly. Frex was riding shot gun so she sat in back even though he offered to trade. “You’re fine. I won’t be in here long. I’m just going to Romo’s.”

  They dropped her off a few minutes later. Dori needed another minibus, but she didn’t know where the money was going to come from. Maybe she was too independent? It was just that she wasn’t used to depending on anyone. Even though all her bills were getting paid and a small amount put back in her rainy day fund, she didn’t feel like she could just use up the cost of another minibus. There would be nothing left for emergencies and those were things you rarely saw coming.

  She knocked on the door, but no one answered so she opened the door and peeked in, No one was around downstairs so she let herself in. There were some sounds from upstairs so she began to fix breakfast. It needed to be quick so she heated up some French toast she’d frozen and had it ready along with scrambled eggs in a few minutes. The table was set with food on the plates and juice or tea available to drink.

  Romo and Bree made their way into the kitchen. “You’re a blessing, Dori. Bree didn’t feel good last night and we over slept. Now we’re rushing to catch up.” Romo shared.

  Dori sat down with them and they ate quickly so they could be on their way. “Will you be here all day, Mom? Romo is bringing me back at noon.”