One month before:

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No, you’ve already eaten,” Asim rebuked the juvenile emu with a shake of his head. “I’ll need to build a higher fence if they keep growing.”

Pearl chuckled. “Paul said they grow fast and he wasn’t lying,” she chuckled. “Oh, my, they’re in the water again.”

“Three and a half months old and they are already a pain in my backside,” Asim growled.

“You know you love them,” Pearl teased, rubbing the head of one of the emus.

“They love you. They follow you around like that damn chicken of Tina’s follows her. I swear there is something wrong with the creatures on your world,” Asim grumbled.

“Well, I’m not the only one they bonded with,” Pearl chuckled, watching another emu tilt its head to look up at Asim.

“Can we play ball with them?” Roam called out.

“Yes, but make sure Pokey is with you,” Pearl replied.

“When will their parents return?” Asim asked.

Pearl turned back and gave her mate a knowing look. “We’ve still found time,” she teased.

“For our dragons, but what about for us?” Asim asked.

“There’s nothing to say we can’t enjoy a little starlight romance as well,” Pearl chuckled.

The sound of giggles told Asim that Roam and Jabir were listening to them – and understanding the innuendoes lacing their grownup conversation. A pained expression crossed his face, pulling more giggles from the boys. He looked at Pearl and raised an eyebrow that spoke volumes.

“My mommy and daddy is always talkings like that,” Roam whispered to Jabir.

Jabir glanced back and forth between Asim and Pearl with a frown. “My daddy makes the same faces. He looks like he has gas.”

“This is what happens when you volunteer us as babysitters,” Asim pointed out.

“Alright, boys, let’s go play catch,” Pearl laughed, turning away from her mate.

Asim shook his head and watched Pearl round up the boys and the birds. The six emus followed Pearl with almost the same devotion as the two boys. Pokey split in two so that each boy would have protection in case the birds became too rough. He turned and frowned when he felt his dragon stir and stiffen.

What is it? Asim asked, carefully surveying the landscape.

Not sure. I feel something, his dragon warily stated.

A storm, perhaps? Asim asked.

Maybe, his dragon replied.

I’d better make sure everything is secure just in case, he said.

“Hans, what do you see?”

“Credits… and a lot of them,” Hans replied. “I’m glad we heard about this place. I’ve never seen animals like this. We should be able to get a lot for them on the black market.”

“When are we going in, Zeb?” a third man asked, kneeling on one knee and staring at the structures below.

“Tonight,” Zeb responded, spitting on the ground.

“That’s an old warrior. He’ll put up a nasty fight,” Hans said, lowering the vision magnifier in his hand.

“Crag can handle him,” Zeb stated with a shrug.

“It won’t be easy. These dragon-shifters are a mean species. They’ve got that golden thing, too,” Hans cautioned.

Zeb turned to look at Crag. A large man called a Drugunulite, he could turn his body to almost solid rock. The dragon might scorch him, but he couldn’t turn him to ash. One strike of Crag’s fist and the dragon would feel it.

“He’s old. I can take him. You kill him; you kill the golden beast. I’ve seen it happen before,” Crag said.

“What about the woman?” Hans asked, lifting the vision magnifier to his eyes again.

“We take her. She seems to know how to handle the feathered creatures and she’s different. I heard she don’t come from this world. We find out where she comes from and we have a whole new world to collect from,” Zeb said, spitting again.

“I heard on Madaris that these warriors would pay huge credits to find a woman who could be their true mate. Even that old dragon found one! We locate the planet, take a bunch of the women, and sell them off to the highest bidder,” Crag added, rising to his feet.

“They look weak,” Hans commented, focusing on the white-haired female watching the two little boys play. “What about the kids?”

“Leave them. They are worthless. If they survive on their own, more power to them,” Zeb replied. “I’ve been watching them while I was waiting for both of you to arrive. The old dragon has been coming out alone after dark to check on things. Crag, you take him out while Hans grabs the woman. I’ll round up the beasts. We’ll be in and out in less than an hour. No one will know we were even on the planet,” Zeb instructed.

“Stupid beasts can’t even figure out how to pick up a ball. This should be easy,” Hans reflected, watching the feathered creatures jump and dance around the ball after one of the boys threw it.

Pearl looked up when Asim walked into the kitchen. His hair was damp from his shower and his vest was open. She glanced over at the boys playing on the floor with Pokey.

“You know you drive me crazy when you wear your vest like this,” she said, walking over to run her hand over his stomach.

Asim wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against him. The smile on her lips grew when she felt his body react to her touch. Even after three years, she loved that she could still turn him on with only a touch.

“I’m not the only one who can get excited,” Asim said with a sniff.

“Stop or the boys will know what is going on,” Pearl warned, glancing over her shoulder.

Asim shook his head. “They are wrestling now,” he chuckled.

Sure enough, the boys had shifted, Roam into his tiger cub and Jabir into his dragon form. They were wrestling with each other and with Pokey. Their parents were supposed to be back late tomorrow morning. He loved being with the boys, but he also enjoyed giving them back – for lascivious reasons, of course.

“I’m going to check on the animals. The Grombots were trying to release the emus earlier. I need to make sure they haven’t discovered how to undo the new locks I installed,” Asim said, grabbing her hand that was sliding up his chest and pressing her fingers to his lips. “Tonight, after they are in bed?”

“If Pokey doesn’t mind babysitting duty,” Pearl murmured.

“I’m hungry,” Jabir suddenly said from behind them.

“Me, too!” Roam agreed, rubbing a hand across his nose. “I think I got some symbiot up my nose. Wanna see me snort it out?”

“Yew! That’s gross. Can I try?” Jabir exclaimed.

“Lovely. I don’t remember the girls being like this,” Pearl dryly commented.

“It is a boy thing,” Asim chuckled. “I will be back shortly.”

“That’s right, abandon me to the symbiot snorters,” Pearl teased.

Asim’s eyes darkened and the tiny flames she loved burned in his eyes. He still held her right hand, but she had her left one free. Leaning into him, Pearl slowly met him halfway when he bent to kiss her. She slid her free hand down between them, sliding it across his groin.

Asim pulled back to gaze down at her. Yep, the flames were much brighter now. A small, secretive smile curved her lips and she stroked him again.

“You are playing with fire, Pearl,” Asim warned.

“I’ll be playing with something else later,” she retorted before pulling away when Jabir grumbled that he was hungry again. “I’ll have dinner done by the time you get back.”

“Let them play. I’m hoping it tires them out so they go to bed early tonight,” Asim chuckled.

Pearl released a sigh when he pressed another hot kiss to her lips before smacking her on the ass. She glanced at the boys, but they decided they were more interested in playing with the dozens of toy trucks the symbiot created for them. She would owe Pokey something special for distracting the boys.

Warmth filled her and she could feel the symbiot’s amusement. She snorted and shook her head. Just what she needed, help from a living metal sex coach – not!

“I think I can handle that part of my life on my own,” she murmured under her breath.

Honestly, she felt younger than she did when she was young. She didn’t know if it was because she no longer worried about Riley and Tina, the fact that dragons lived a lot longer, or just being happy, but she wasn’t about to ignore the gift she had been given. Hell, if she wanted to think of herself as being sexy, and Asim thought she was too, who was she to argue? She had a few words for anyone who tried to tell her differently.

Humming under her breath, she walked into the kitchen and began preparing their evening meal. She opened the drawer, and pulled out two knives – one for cutting the vegetables and one for cutting the fresh bread. After placing them on the counter, she walked over to the refrigerator. She loved the replicator, but tonight, she wanted to prepare dinner the old-fashioned way. It helped keep her hands busy while her mind enjoyed other things – like removing Asim’s clothing.

Asim shifted into his dragon, flew over the ranch, and nimbly touched down outside the barn where the emus were – or should have been. A growl of frustration escaped him when he saw the opened door of the barn. In the doorway, he could see one of the Grombots hanging by two of its arms, grinning at him.

“Curizan spit! Not again,” he sighed. “I swear if it is the last thing I do, I’m going to design a lock that you can’t undo!”

The Grombot blinked and tilted its head. Before he reached the opening, it disappeared. While the creatures normally moved so slowly that it was almost agonizing to watch, they were actually capable of moving extremely fast. As much as he hated it, he was going to need Pokey’s help to round up all the beasts. Shaking his head, he pulled free the communicator that he wore at his waist.

“Let me guess, they got loose again,” Pearl answered.

“Yes. I need Pokey. Both of the Grombots are loose and it looks like they released the emus as well,” he said, staring into the empty barn.

“He’s on his way,” Pearl chuckled. “I’ll postpone dinner for a little while.”

“No, go ahead and feed the boys. It shouldn’t take long. I can warm up something,” he said.

“If you need help, let me know. The boys would love to play tag with the emus,” she offered.

“If I can’t get them, I will call you,” he promised.

“We’re here if you need us. You know I love you. Good luck,” Pearl replied with a sigh.

“I love you, too. I will contact you once I am finished,” he replied, hanging up.

Asim decided he’d better try to repair the locking mechanism on the Grombots’ cage first. Otherwise, it would be senseless trying to catch any of them now because they would just escape again. Grumbling under his breath, he wondered what else could go wrong tonight.

Danger!

Lost in thought, he didn’t hear his dragon’s warning until it was too late. When he walked into the barn, someone punched him in the jaw. The blow knocked him several meters backwards. His head snapped back and darkness descended around him. He didn’t even feel it when his body hit the ground.