Markus stood in the dark shadows of the abandoned building across the street, watching the bar. His people had planned for just about every contingency, using translator implants to aid him with the Earth languages, trading the mineral composites Earthlings called precious jewels for the money used in that area. What none of them could have planned on was him—and his dragon—instantly being attracted to a tiny Earthling female.

He had entered the bar with his fellow warriors, intending only to ask a few questions about the history of the small town suspiciously named Dragoon. Walking through the door, he was bombarded with the mixed scents of males and females, dust, and alcohol that Earthlings—humans—liked to drink. His friend Sonar wanted to look for somewhere else to search for answers. He was about to agree, but caught sight of something to the left where a big wooden counter sat with stools in front—a bar. It wasn’t the bar that caught his attention, it was the person behind the bar.

A blonde-haired female was working, handing out drinks. The data collected stated that on Earth the females worked alongside the males; they did not need a protector. This was different from his culture and it seemed wrong to see someone so fragile working hard. He couldn’t help himself, he approached the bar and placed his order.

When she looked up into his eyes, his entire body felt a spark. She had the most amazing pair of blue eyes. The color was rare on his homeworld. He must have caught her off guard because she seemed to stare at him in shock. He attempted to smile to put her at ease, and the reaction he got from her was interest. His inner dragon stirred with interest as well. No female had interested both him and his dragon—ever.

On Drakonia, their dragon and humanoid form would choose a female that they both wanted, then mate with her. Markus had been too young to choose a female before the enemy attacked. On the long journey to find one of the planets their people had been sent to, he had shared sex with the few females on board, but none of them had excited his dragon.

He sat on the stool, despite the uncomfortableness of the Earth pants, and now his cock was stiffening, making it even more awkward. He ignored the looks his companions were giving him and concentrated on the female before him.

Her voice was a mix of soft and husky—it sent shivers down his body. Her hair was held up with some kind of band and the part hanging down would sway or brush against her shoulders whenever she moved. He longed to take down her hair and spread it out on a bed while he covered her body with his own. His sexual thoughts were interrupted by the other female that sashayed their way.

“Hey, Val! JJ is waving for you to come over. I’ll help these guys out.”

What kind of name was Val? He glanced at the second woman, who didn’t hesitate to flirt and lean across the bar to show off her large breasts. She was a tall black-haired female, attractive and curvy, the way he usually liked females, but she didn’t excite him or his dragon.

Turning his back on her, he watched the blonde female walk over to a table near the back of the room. She wore short pants that were tight and showed off her curvy ass, which he and his dragon were drooling over.

When the male grabbed her arm, nothing could have kept Markus in his seat. He stormed toward the table, people tripping to get out of his way. He could sense the female was hurting from how tight the male was holding her. It was unacceptable to hurt any female.

“I believe the female asked to be released,” he said, surprising the struggling pair.

The male sitting down didn’t even bother to stand in the face of danger. What kind of warrior was this?

“Damn it, JJ! You’re hurting me!”

Markus acted quickly, removing the male’s grip and placing his body in front of hers in case the male struck out. He had some kind of weapon on his waist but Markus knew he could disarm him quickly if needed. He was frustrated when the female moved around to place herself in danger.

“JJ, calm down.”

“Get out of the way, Val.” The male got to his feet, and Markus almost smirked at how small the male was. He would be no match for him even in humanoid form. His dragon wanted to use his fire to burn him to nothing, but Markus used restraint.

Another male appeared, wearing a badge similar to the one the male named JJ wore. This male was small too, but he was older and had wisdom in his eyes.

The female explained the situation but Markus never stopped watching this JJ person. He could attack. The female looked at him and he told her his name.

“Markus.”

“Markus here stepped between us to help me.”

“He wasn’t always like this. He’s gotten worse since his mother died. She usually kept him in line.” Sheriff Jenkins turned to look Markus up and down. “You passing through?”

Markus didn’t care what excuses the male had, it was no reason to treat a female the way he had. “I’ll be here a few days.”

“Well, thank you for helping Val. She’s family to us here in Dragoon.” The older male named Sheriff Jenkins left.

“Thanks for coming to my aid.”

“No female should ever be manhandled.”

She smiled at him. “I’m Valorie Castle, Val for short.” She offered her hand to him.

He took her hand and held it in his, smiling at her warmly. “I’m Markus.”

“No last name?”

Last name? He paused imperceptibly before responding, “No, just Markus.”

“Well, thank you. Let me get you a drink, on the house.”

“Actually, I need to be going. My friends and I plan to camp out. Do you have any recommendations?”

“Triangle T Guest Ranch. Some of the campsites aren’t level, so check the area out first before setting up your tents.”

“I appreciate the information. Should you get your wound checked out?”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Should you call your male or family?”

“I’m alone and can take care of myself.”

If she belonged to Markus, he would never allow her to be placed in such danger. Unfortunately, she wasn’t his. He glanced over at the bar. His companions were standing and walking toward the door. “I have to leave. I will see you again, Valorie.”

He sat outside the bar, guarding her to make sure that male JJ didn’t come back. When she came out of the bar by herself, he followed her down the street to a building he assumed she lived in. Once she was safely inside, he felt he could return to his waiting companions.