In the last twelve hours, Kathy’s life had gone from bad to worse. Losing Lisa had nearly killed her. She had been desperate to pick up the shattered pieces of her life by burying herself in her work.

But Ysam had changed all of her carefully laid-out plans.

He’d kidnapped her and then she woke up in a space ship––faster than any rocket on Earth. Asteroids smashed into his ship, and he was forced to land on this savage planet. She was stuck in a cave, hiding from the Gogs. She covered her face with her hands, wishing she was dreaming, but when she dropped her arms, reality hit her. She was trapped in a cheesy scifi movie––complete with bear-shifters and flesh-eating aliens.

The strangest thing was she could understand the Arians, because they had been born with a communication gene that automatically picked up other languages perfectly. They didn’t have to take second language classes or use Rosetta Stone to understand people. She wondered what would have happened on Earth if humans possessed this gene.

She sighed. She’d no way to contact Earth. Her head pounded, and she rubbed her thumping temples. Even if she could contact NASA, what could they do? She was light-years away from Earth, and even if they wanted to, NASA didn’t have a craft that could reach her.

She was on her alone.

Kathy paced back and forth from one end of the cave to the other. It was as wide and deep as a small barn. The Arians had dug out fire pits throughout the cave to keep them warm. The light flickered off the pink, purple, and blue walls. It was as if she stepped back into the tie-died sixties. The cave would have been beautiful if her gut wasn’t busting with worry.

The Arian Bears had been kind and led her to safety, but she couldn’t stop thinking about Ysam. She twirled the unicorn bracelet around her wrist to keep from going mad. She should be furious with him for kidnapping her, kissing her brutally, practically raping her, and then stranding them on this barbaric planet, but all she could think about was how it felt to dance with him––the vigorous way he looked at her, how masterful he’d been, how he’d mesmerized her. And how gently he’d removed her restraints and brushed his thumb over her flesh, sending tingles up her arm.

God, stop it. What was wrong with her?

He’d used her passion to seduce her. She needed to concentrate. She ran her trembling hand through her hair. Without him, she had no chance of returning to Earth. The Arians’ ship, the Intrepid, was disabled, and the Gogs guarded it. Even if the Arians could repair their ship, they couldn’t get near it.

But maybe a dragon could.

She leaned against a wall that was near the entrance and sighed. Tash had dragged her away from Ysam wounded and alone to face the Gogs. She knew there wasn’t anything she could do, but leaving him to fight her battles went against everything she believed in. She wasn’t a helpless woman.

The Arians huddled together discussing their next move. They’d gone from over three hundred crew down to thirty. Their auras were all shades of muddy blue. They feared the future and speaking the truth. Could she blame them? She feared the truth, not wanting to face what happened to Ysam, what would happen to her.

She stuck her trembling hands into her back pockets, wishing she knew where Ysam was, or if he was even alive. She never should have left him. He was her only link to Earth.

Vaughn, Tash’s younger brother, walked over to her. Within his blue aura, a stream of orange and yellow flickered close to his body––a man of intelligence. He handed her a cup of clear liquid. “You need to drink something.” His thick brown hair flipped out the nape of his neck, which had ugly claw marks.

She shuddered, thinking of the pain he must have endured. “I can’t stop thinking about Ysam. Do you think he’s alive?”

“I don’t know. Tash said the Gogs surrounded him. If he’d been an Arian, he wouldn’t have survived. But he’s a Zalarian and a dragon. There’s a small chance he lived.”

“Oh,” she replied, as she stared down at the cup of water. Her hope crumpled. “He’s my only hope of getting back to Earth.”

“You don’t have much faith in us?”

“I do. I don’t think humans would have lasted as long as you have. So, can we go and look for him?”

He shook his head. “The Gogs like to hunt at dusk. The jungle will be crawling with them.”

She bit her lip and wiped away a tear. Even though he had kidnapped her, she couldn’t help but admire Ysam. He attacked the Gogs, giving her and Tash time to escape.

Vaughn clasped her arm. “I’m sorry.”

She nodded, her throat closing up like a hung jury.

“Drink.” He motioned toward the cup.

She eyed the water suspiciously. “I’m not thirsty.”

“Don’t worry. It’s safe for humans and Arians to drink. I boiled the water and ran the enegerizer over it to kill any dangerous bacteria.”

“What’s an enegerizer?”

“A device that rearranges matter. In this case, the energerizer changed any dangerous molecules into electrolytes, which on this hot planet we need.”

She sniffed the cup and couldn’t detect anything foul. Her mouth drooled at the freshness and her parched throat begged to be refreshed. “Here goes nothing,” she murmured and drained the cup. The liquid was tasteless, but immediately doused the drought in her throat. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. That’s pretty.” He gestured toward her wrist. “Is that a bracelet?”

She nodded. “It was my sister’s. She loved unicorns, ever since she was a little girl.” Her voice turned flat.

“Where is she?” he asked curiously.

“She was murdered.” Kathy’s voice choked, and she put her hand over her tightening chest.

“I’m sorry.” He squeezed her shoulder. “Death, especially murder, is never easy.” He dropped his hand and sighed heavily.

“Thank you.” She followed his gaze.

“The jungle’s unique and beautiful, and normally I would have loved to study the trees and animals here.” His eyes darkened. “If it weren’t for the damn Gogs.”

“I’m really sorry about your crew.” She shivered. “That must have been horrible.”

A vein trembled in his cheek. He turned his head. “We drained our eruptors trying to take them out, but there were too many of them. For every five we killed, ten more would appear. We tried to protect the women, but the Gogs seemed to prefer them.”

Bitterness and sadness echoed in his voice.

“Tash tried to save a nurse, but she was ripped right out of his arms. He fought back viciously, but two of them jumped him. He barely escaped alive.”

“Is that how he got the slash on his face?” Images of Ysam’s handsome face being sliced turned her worry into a gnawing fear.

He nodded.

She fell against the wall. “There’s no way to get off this planet.”

He shook his head. “For such a primitive species, they have a shield generator that prevents any form of communication outside the planet. The shield doesn’t impact our telicators, so we can communicate with each other when we’re on patrols.”

“But Ysam said they were no cities built here. How did they build the energy shield?”

“I suspect the Kamtrinians provided the shield.”

Fear drained any warmth she had in her body. She wrapped her arms tight around her waist. “Why wouldn’t the Gogs eat the Kamtrinians?”

“Because the Kamtrinians’ biology is based on calcite, which is marble. The Gogs would break off every single tooth.”

“So, there’s an alliance between the two of them?”

“I believe so. As long as the Kamtrinians provided them with fresh meat, the Gogs have no objection of them cultivating this planet.”

The sun sunk behind the jungle and the air in the cave turned chilly. Tingles broke out all over Kathy, leaving goosebumps on her arms. She couldn’t stop trembling. Not just from the cold air, but the thought of the Gog’s ripping out her flesh.

She rubbed her arms. “God, I feel like I’m on board the Indianapolis.”

He frowned. “What’s that?”

“In World War II, the U.S.S. Indianapolis was a heavy cruiser that sank in the ocean. It happened so fast no communication signal was sent. Over a thousand men went into shark-infested waters.”

“What’s a shark?”

“Sharks are huge, powerful fish with razor-sharp teeth, but unlike the Gogs, they swim in the ocean. The men of the Indianapolis were stranded in the ocean for days before help arrived.”

“How many survived?”

“Three hundred out of eleven-hundred men lived.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

He gently put his hand on her shoulder. “I fear if we don’t find a way to either get off this planet or shut down their communication interference, we will suffer the same fate of your Indianapolis. But at least some of them survived––we won’t.”

She stared out at the purple dusk that would have been pretty if they weren’t in moral danger. “But we have something the men of the Indianapolis didn’t have.”

He frowned. “What?”

She stared into his troubled eyes. “A dragon.”

“Kathy,” he said softly. “We don’t even know if Ysam survived.”

Her mouth went dry. “I can’t believe that. He can’t be dead.” She pulled away from him, tired of doing nothing, of worrying, of trembling. “Where’s Tash?”

“He won’t agree to go looking for Ysam.”

“Then, he’s a fool. Ysam just might be the key to your survival. Have you ever thought having a flying dragon might be an advantage over a walking beast?”

“Well, yeah. But…”

“No, buts. I’m finding Tash.” She stormed away from him determined to save Ysam. She had no intention of hiding in a cave and wait her turn to be dinner.

Vaughn slid in front of her. “Tash is busy.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “Doing what?”

He glared. “What do you think? Fortifying the cave.”

She pointed toward the jungle. “Your best fortification is a dragon.”

“Captain!” A man rushed past them. “There’s movement in the jungle. Something’s coming. The Gogs are preparing to attack.”

Kathy stared at the shuffling trees. Her pounding heart chased away her steel nerves as she took a couple of steps back. God, those things were coming.

“Do you have a weapon I can have?” she whispered, afraid the Gogs had super hearing.

“Our weapons have proven to be useless,” he said. “They only seem to irritate them.”

“What are you using?”

He didn’t answer but stepped in front of her.

His silence terrified her. They were defenseless. Someone was about to die. If it was her time to go, she hoped she died quickly. Having those things rip her apart piece-by-piece scared the living daylights out of her. Lisa’s face flashed in her mind, and she cursed herself for her yellow streak. Maybe she deserved this. Her sister had died a long and painful death. Paybacks were hell.

She looked around the cave for something to defend herself and snagged a thick branch. As if the branch were a baseball bat, she practiced swinging it across her shoulder.

Men rushed past her. Vaughn joined their ranks, and they formed an indefensible line in front of the cave. Several of the women fanned out around Kathy. They were taller and more muscular, but like her, they had weapons. Some had thick branches, others had sharpened sticks into spears, some had bags of rocks. Like her, they were ready to fight.

“Shades!” Tash ran down the stony bluff, sending dust and stones flying into the air. “It’s Ysam.”

Adrenaline surged through Kathy, and the heaviness in her chest lightened. She bolted and burst through the line of testosterone. She skidded to a stop and covered her hand over her mouth. Her lungs squeezed tight. A red and orange dragon covered in mud and leaves had left a trail of smushed brushes and trampled flowers, and laid at the bottom of the steep, rocky ridge.

Tash swerved next to Ysam’s still form. He put his hand over his nostrils. “He’s alive.”

She exhaled in relief, but when the trees rustled behind them, another stream of adrenaline blazed through her like a forest fire. “Tash, look out! They’re coming!”

He whirled around, snarling and growling.

She raced down the hill, pumping her legs and hanging on to her branch, ready to bash one of those things if they tried to hurt them.

Someone grabbed her arm that held her weapon and dragged her back up the craggy slope.

“Let go of me.” She formed a fist in her other hand and swung hard, determined to get to Ysam.

“Hey!” Vaughn ducked, but managed to hold on to her. “You’re not going anywhere.” He ripped the branch out of her hand and put her in an unbreakable bearhug. It was as if two bolts of steel had wrapped around her.

“No!” Her chest heaving, she stomped on his feet and slammed her head backward as hard as she could, hoping to knock him out, but she hit his chest rather than his stubborn head.

Tash motioned with his arm. “I need help down here.”

Regardless of the approaching danger, five men ran down the hill then surrounded Ysam. They bent down and put their hands underneath the dragon’s belly.

Ysam released a low moan as if he were in pain.

“Vaughn, let go of me!” Kathy twisted again.

“Stay calm,” Vaughn growled softly. “This could be a trap.”

Kathy immediately stopped struggling. A sleek slate of sweat gripped her as she gasped to breathe. She couldn’t take her gaze off the thick jungle. Dusk had grown darker, but she could make out the Gogs’ gorilla-sized forms. Their orange eyes peered through the murky forest watching, waiting for the first sign of weakness.

Tash nodded. “Lift.”

She blinked in surprise. Straining and snorting, the Arians lifted Ysam, who was unconscious, and inched their way to the cave. Their deep red auras glimmered with their strength. Sweat dribbled down their grim faces, and their muscles bulged and beefed up against their shirts. Their feet shuffled across the dirt. Not even a hundred men would have been able to lift the dragon––forget moving him.

But these weren’t men. They were aliens––Arians.

The ten men grunted and groaned louder than a herd of rutting elk.

“They need help,” Vaughn whispered in her ear. “Will you promise to stay here?”

“Yes.” She nodded, never taking her gaze off those glowing orange eyes.

He released her, then hurried to help the other men. They edged up the rocky terrain, their backs to the jungle, their concentration only on taking one step at a time.

The Gogs’ heavy footsteps stomped on the ground. Pebbles and rocks rolled down the embankment. Trees and branches rustled. The hanging vines draped over the heads of the massive creatures with only one single orange eye.

A woman raised a fiery torch. Her nervous red aura beamed around her athletic body. “They’re coming!”

The light flickered off the Gogs’ sharp-pointed teeth and red-stained claws. They howled like a pack of hungry wolves. Kathy froze.

Some of the men glanced over their shoulders, snarling and gnashing their teeth.

“Keep going!” Tash ordered.

Fear flickered in some of their eyes, but they obeyed and lumbered up the ridge, their feet skidding on the rocks and dirt.

Tash motioned with his arm. “The rest of you try and draw them out.”

Without hesitation, the rest of the men ran down the hill and some of the creatures pursued them.

But the remaining Gogs approached, weapons drawn. Their eyes glowed with victory. Drool dripped from their lips.

Legs trembling, Kathy followed the woman’s lead and grabbed the branch that Vaughn had taken away from her. She glared. The bastards had absolutely no mercy. The Arians would be defenseless. They were all heroes, risking their lives to save an alien.

She forced her shaking legs to move and let loose a war cry.

The creatures didn’t even flinch.

Ysam stirred. He shook his head and moved one wing slightly, stirring dust into the air. Men sneezed and lost their grip. Ysam fell on the ground and groaned, but he turned his head and released a loud shriek.

This time, the howling Gogs hesitated. Doubt and fear flashed in their eyes.

Kathy put her hand over her mouth. Dried blood and mud were splattered across his chest.

Ysam puffed black smoke out of his nostrils, as if a stern warning.

Their eyes wide, the Gogs retreated back into the jungle. She was right. Ysam was their advantage.

He laid his head on the side of his large body, breathing hard.

Tash studied the forest. “We have to get him to the cave before the bastards bring in reinforcements.”

The Arians nodded, catching their breath. Some of them had their hands on their hips. Others were looking up at the steep slope with dread while some stared warily at the jungle.

Kathy walked along side the men, carrying her branch. The Arian women followed her lead. Men didn’t pay attention to the women as they edged up the embankment.

Dusk had turned to darkness. The glows of the fires flickered out of the cave. When the men reached the entrance, they slowly lowered Ysam to the ground. Even with the wide entrance, he was too big to fit inside the cave. Kathy never realized how small the entrance was until seeing an over grown dragon at the opening.

Tash glanced at his men, puffing hard. He looked up and down the line as if counting. “How many drew them off?”

One of the men who had carried Ysam ran his hand through his black hair. “I don’t…know… I believe ten Arians went into the…jungle while we were carrying…the dragon.”

Screams emitted from the jungle. Kathy jumped, her heart leaped up high. This was bad. Real bad.

Horrible shrieks made her wince. It sounded as if someone had been ripped apart. The Arians glanced at each other.

“Some of them didn’t make it, Captain.” The dark-haired man dropped his arm. Sorrow filled his voice.

“Damn it!” Tash growled. His eyes blazed with fury.

Refusing to give in to panic, Kathy examined Ysam’s chest. The dragon was truly their only hope. “Do you have something to patch him up? His chest has been ripped open.”

“Yes.” Tash panted. “Ryruc, get the…medical…supplies.”

The dark-haired man frowned. He took deep breaths before he answered. “The supplies are for Arians. I’m not sure….they’ll work on…Zalarians.”

Kathy looked up at Ryruc. His long hair stuck to his glistening body. He was magnificent, but all she cared about was her dragon. She stroked Ysam’s head, surprised on how smooth his scales were. “If he dies, you die.”

He stared at her with his deep green eyes. “Agreed.” He vanished into the cave.

Ysam laid his head in her lap, breathing hard.

She slid her hand down his long neck. “You saved us. Thank you. Now, we’re going to save you. Why don’t you change back?”

He groaned.

Vaughn knelt next to her. “He can’t, Kathy.”

She frowned. “Why? Those things could come back.”

“I know,” he said softly. “But Ysam was hit with their ray. It kills us, even in bear form. Luckily, in dragon form, the ray only wounded him. If he changes back in to a humanoid, the wound could kill him. We have to heal him as a dragon. We don’t have any medical supplies that could heal such a massive wound on a humanoid.”

His gaze was solemn and his voice was less than hopeful.

“But you can heal him?”

Vaughn avoided looking at her or answering her question. Instead, he focused on Ysam. “Can you roll onto your back? I know the movement will hurt, but the only way I can tend your wound is if you’re on your back.”

The dragon looked at him warily, but slowly rolled on to his back, hissing loudly.

“I’m sorry, Ysam.” She cradled his head in her lap. She clasped Vaughn’s wrist. “You didn’t answer my question. Can you heal him or not?”

Vaughn broke her hold, then examined Ysam’s wound closer. “I don’t know. Our last doctor was killed in a raid. I’m the only one with the medical knowledge that might be able to heal him.”

“Might?”

He glanced up at her. “I’m not a doctor, Kathy. I’m a science officer, but I will do what I can. I’ve studied Zalarian biology enough that I might know what I’m doing.”

“Look!” A woman pointed. “Nulc’s returning.”

A large brown bear, bigger than a grizzly, burst out of the forest snarling, and raced up the embankment, creating a whirlwind of dust. Blood streaked down one leg.

Tash stood in front of Ysam his hands on his hips. “Where are the rest of the men who went with you?”

The bear transformed back into a man with short red hair who was slightly smaller in built than Tash. He held his arm, blood seeping through his fingers. “We were ambushed, Captain. We fought but Dech and Walfea were both taken.” He hung his head. “There was nothing I could do.”

Tash clutched his shoulder. “At least you made it out alive.” He dropped his arm. “Did you see any others?”

He shook his head. “No. They went in the opposite direction.”

Four other bears bolted out of the jungle as if the angel of death himself were after them. When they reached the top of the cave, they transformed back into men.

“Captain,” a tall blond man said. “We saw Dech and Walfea being dragged deeper into the forest. We threw rocks and spears at them, but the Gogs ignored us. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, Grirr. The important thing is that you and your party made it out alive. All of you go rest. I don’t believe the Gogs will attack––at least not now.”

Kathy’s stomach clenched. He didn’t have to say why, but the horror of what was happening to Dech and Walfea hung in the air like a death penalty sentence.

“If you’ll excuse me, Captain.” Nucl looked down at his arm. “I better get this attended.”

Tash nodded.

As Nucl and the other men entered the cave, the light flickered over their grim faces. Kathy sucked in her breath. A dirty brown aura formed around them, indicating negative energy. It hovered over them like a dark cloud. She hadn’t noticed the brown aura before due to the darkness, but it was definitely there. Unfortunately, since they all moved together, she couldn’t tell whose aura was brown.

Uneasiness squeezed her lungs tighter. Suddenly, the aura shifted to a dirty gray, meaning someone was blocking their energy. She’d no idea the powers the Arians possessed, but she felt like someone was purposely hindering her psychic abilities. The scarier question was why?

Nucl glanced over his shoulder at her with hate in his eyes. She shivered and actually took a step backward. The air suddenly grew colder or her fear grew bolder. Nucl reminded her of a gang member who threatened to kill her when she failed to get his brother off. His brother had been innocent, but she just couldn’t prove it.

Was Nucl lying about what happened to Dech and Walfea in the jungle? What would he gain? Whatever his reasons were, it wouldn’t bode well. What if this betrayal had something to do with Tash’s crew? She couldn’t conceive of such a terrible deed, but they were aliens, and an alien had brutally murdered her sister.

The memory of Lisa’s horrible death jetted her heart into panic mode. She had to get out of here before the traitor had her head on a platter. Ysam had to return her to Earth. He just had to.

“Guards!” Tash motioned.

She startled.

Two burly men came out of the cave and then immediately transformed into the hugest bears she’d ever seen. They could easily rip apart a grizzly.

“Secure the cave.”

The bears sat on either side of the cave, turning perfectly still. Tash sat between them but didn’t transform.

“Those bears are so big,” she whispered to Vaughn.

“They’re security bears. That’s what they’re bred for. They guard us. My brother, Ryruc, is a security bear.”

As if on cue, Ryruc rushed over with a couple of medical bags. “Here, Vaughn.” He tilted his head toward the cave. “Where has Nucl been?”

“Tracking the Gogs.”

“Nucl? Tracking? And we believed him?” He laughed, looking back into the cave. But his laugh wasn’t a merry one, more of suspicion.

“I keep telling you, Ryruc.” Vaughn released a sigh. “Nucl, wouldn’t betray us.”

“Huh, uh. Well, first, he has to satisfy me.”

Vaughn grabbed his arm. “Ryruc, leave him alone.”

Ryruc’s aura turned dark red. He broke his brother’s grip and growled. “You may trust him, but I don’t.” He leaped on to his feet and disappeared into the cave.

Note to self: keep an eye on the navigator. Ryruc might prove to be an ally, but his aura revealed he had an anger problem that could backfire. “What was that all about?”

“Ryruc has never forgiven Nucl for pushing the engines too far on the Intrepid and overheating them.” Vaughn pulled out a small gold tube the size of a lipstick. The top of the tube turned white as he moved it along Ysam’s body.

“Did Tash order him to push the engines?”

“At first, but when Ryruc said the ship was shaking apart, Tash ordered reduce speed. Nucl argued with Tash, and in those moments, the engines overheated.”

“Idiot.” She shook her head.

“Don’t judge Nucl harshly. The Kamtrinians had just wiped out a group of scientists on Sutois’s farthest moon––Taurous.”

She touched his arm. “I’m sorry about Dech and Walfea. Is there nothing we can do to save them?”

“No. We’ve tried before to rescue other prisoners, but only lost more men.”

“Will the Gogs kill them right away?”

He filled what looked like a syringe that was big enough for an elephant. “Not always. Why?”

“Maybe a dragon could rescue them.”

Ysam looked up at her with wearied eyes. Maybe she was expecting too much for him, but she couldn’t stand the thought of those brave men being eaten.

“Ysam,” Vaughn said. “This is going to sting. Don’t move.”

Ysam sighed heavily and tensed.

Vaughn stuck the needle into his side and slowly injected it deeper. “Ysam, relax.”

Kathy stroked his neck softly. “I’m here. Do you remember our dance? When it seemed like we were the only ones on the floor? How you twirled me around?”

The dragon looked at her with half-hooded eyes, but then fluttered them shut. She was surprised that a dragon could have such long lashes. Vaughn dipped a cloth into some liquid and gently patted the gash. Ysam hissed loudly.

“I know this hurts,” Vaughn said. “But there’s dirt and mud in this laceration. You don’t want it to get infected.”

Tears blurred Kathy’s eyes. “Think of the pounding music, Ysam. You were a magnificent dancer.”

Each time Vaughn dabbed the wound, the rag turned bright red and when he dipped it into the bowl, the water bright pink. Ysam’s chest rose up and down repeatedly and his jaw was clamped tight. Kathy wished she could do something to ease his pain, but all she could do was cradle his head and pray this procedure would work.

“There.” Vaughn put the bloody rag into the bowl. “Much better.” He threaded another longer needle that looked like some kind of torture device. He stuck his hands into Ysam’s chest and stitched torn flesh. Blood gushed out of the wound, and Kathy turned her head, her uneasy stomach flipping over.

Vaughn moved slowly stitching and tying off strings. “I’ll have to make a paste to cover his wound to stop the bleeding and allow his internal organs to heal. Like with us, the stitches will stretch and expand or shrink and contract based on whatever form he takes. I’ll be back.”

The yellow moon peered over the majestic mountains that reminded Kathy of the Rocky Mountains. She loved hiking, but she had never worried about a man-eating monster chasing her.

Creek-Creek-Creek.

She tensed and reached for her branch to defend her sleeping dragon. “Tash,” she whispered. “What is that?”

“Night bugs.” He didn’t turn around.

Anguish cries and terrified howls thundered over the jungle.

Chills slid down to Kathy’s back. She jerked to attention.

Tash hung his head. “One of them was just killed.”

Tears slipped down Kathy’s eyes for the poor men, her sister, and her dragon. Time was closing in on them and if the slaughter continued, in only days, they could all be dead.