Not Compatible (Stand Alone Tales Book 11) Read online

  “Look at that. You managed to wake me.”

  He tugged at the ties holding her dress up, and they snapped, exposing her breasts with a deliberate bit of force. Yr-el leaned down and kissed and sucked at her breasts in turn. She heard the small sounds coming from her throat and lifted her hips against him. She flinched when her body tensed, and he smiled against her skin and gripped her hands, pulling them up and pinning them above her head. He dragged his hand up her inner thigh and slid a finger inside her before inserting a second. He groaned against her breasts. “Stars, you are wet.”

  She shuddered, and he seemed to come to a decision. He pulled at his waistband, and the ornate skirt slithered away. His erection made her widen her eyes. It wasn’t the size; it was the slow and deliberate twist that it was executing.

  He snagged the top of her dress and split it down the center with the crook of his finger and a deliberate motion. It distracted her while he slid onto her and his cock writhed against her.

  His cock prodded and slowly slid into her. His gaze was silver, and he moved his hips in short and gentle jolts as he got further and further into her.

  She locked eyes with him and lifted her legs to either side of his thighs as he slowly entered her. The fact that this was a scenario removed any aches or pains she was feeling.

  Once he was in as far as she could take him, he began to move. Lights started to spin behind her lids as she tried to focus while she took up the rhythm with him. It was no use. Her analytical mind went out the window as she rocked and moved with him, gasping and moaning as her body suddenly started to shake and twitch. He thrust into her quickly and groaned, shuddering as he took his weight on his elbows.

  Yr-el remained inside her, and he slowly looked up, smiling at her. “So, how long can we stay in here before Mbrak pulls the plug?”

  “Two hours forty-six minutes.” Her projected form was catching its breath. She felt a random aftershock grip him, and he blinked.

  There was a distinct stirring inside her, and she felt the slow twisting and plunging while the rest of Yr-el remained stationary.

  She shivered and clutched his sides. “Two forty-five.”

  He grinned and kissed her. They had time to kill.

  * * * *

  Mbrak saw the strange readings from Styra’s suit. He chuckled and summoned his current feed manager.

  Abil came in. “What is it, boss?”

  He sighed. “I keep telling you it is either grandfather or Mr. Blue.”

  “Yes, boss.”

  “There is going to be a new imperial service commander coming in tomorrow. I want you to make sure that the hotel is ready and that Styra is not to cross his path.”

  “Sure, boss, but why? Styra does most of the meet and greets.”

  “She is in heat and will be occupied with her new mate. It took me long enough to find the bastard; I am not letting him leave until she has what she needs.”

  “She’s... right. Okay. That explains a bit.” Abil smiled and made a note. She liked her notes. They kept everything moving along.

  “Had you noticed?”

  “She has smelled a little floral for the last few days. I know she doesn’t use perfume, so it makes sense that she is going through a little something weird. When will she be back to normal duties?”

  Mbrak smiled. “I think she will be leaving us soon.”

  “Why?”

  Mbrak turned to his second-eldest granddaughter. “When you meet your mate, you will know it. Distance is not an option. You have to be with him for a few years, at the very least.”

  “Oh. So, why would she go with him, boss?”

  “She has no choice. If she’s in heat, her drake is waking up, and he is encouraging it.”

  “Whoa. She has a drake? Why hasn’t she shown it off?” Abil’s voice was vapid, but Mbrak knew she worked hard at it. She was keenly intelligent, but it made her life easier to pretend to be clueless.

  “It isn’t awake yet. It would be extremely dangerous if it woke up on the station, so I am trying to get the good captain to take our Styra with him when he returns home.”

  “Why would he leave her if he knows she is his mate?”

  Mbrak chuckled. “Things are complicated. They will work it out.”

  Abil asked, “Boss, what if they don’t?”

  He grinned. “Her drake wakes and kills us all.”

  “Oh. Shit. I am hoping they work it out then.”

  Mbrak laughed and turned back to his screens.

  * * * *

  Styra woke in her chair with a gasp and answered the com request. “Styra, head to your quarters. You are having erratic life signs. Get some rest.”

  She looked around. “I am fine.”

  She was fine. Her knees were weak, her pulse was rapid, and her crotch was soaked, but she was fine.

  Mr. Blue’s voice came through the speaker. “Take. The. Day. Off.”

  She sighed. “Fine. I will take the day off.”

  Styra headed for the change room and smiled at Abil.

  Her friend smiled. “Heading out?”

  “Yeah. Apparently, my stats were all over the place.”

  Abil chuckled. “I looked up drakes in heat, and I think you should relax.”

  Styra paused. “I am not in heat.”

  “Boss said you were. He’s a drake. He would know.”

  Styra blinked. “I... I don’t know. I don’t think I am.”

  Abil patted her on the shoulder. “Take a day to unwind anyway. You work too hard.”

  “Thanks.” Styra went to change and hung her sensor suit in the cleaning unit. The suit from the dispenser was hanging in her locker, but Styra had a change of clothing of the exercise vein. She thought about working out and smiled. That was just what she was up for.

  She was setting up one of the lift machines when she noticed that Yr-el’s men were nearby. They hadn’t seen her, or she certainly wouldn’t have overheard one of them saying, “As soon as we finish delivering the captain to the woman his parents have picked out, we can relax.”

  Styra froze in place for a moment, and then, she settled herself in the machine to begin doing a press. His family had chosen a bride for him. Of course, they had. She was a stupid, damaged nobody from the middle of the star system. Why would she end up with him? Another two days and he would be gone.

  She used both arms on the press for the first time in her adult life, and when she had done a set of five, it increased the weight. She kept going.

  * * * *

  Yr-el looked at Mbrak. “What do you want? I was going to try and find Styra.”

  Mbrak looked him over. “Is she yours?”

  “Of course, she is. My parents are going to show off another fine lady, but it is Styra who is my mate. He won’t accept anything else.”

  “Good. She kicked into heat with a vengeance this morning, and she will need to be removed from the station sooner rather than later.”

  Yr-el felt his skin heat. “She’s in heat?”

  “Yeah, it fired into full bloom while she was on shift. You wouldn’t know anything about that, now, would you?”

  Yr-el shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

  A beep got their attention, and Mbrak answered. “What?”

  “Um, sir? There is an incident occurring in the gym. Weight section.”

  Mbrak brought the displays up, and there was Styra, glowing white-hot with a grimace on her face. The unit she was working in displayed her pressing over one thousand kilos.

  “She’s waking.” Mbrak’s voice was flat.

  Yr-el spoke quickly. “Where is the nearest emergency hatch?”

  Mbrak brought the map up and showed him.

  “Tell them I am on my way.”

  “Watch out, Yr-el, she looks mad. I will evacuate your path.”

  Yr-el was on his way to the gym, wondering what the hell had set her off.

  * * * *


  She stepped out of the machine when Yr-el came toward her. “You have a fiancé. Your parents have chosen your mate.”

  He slowed down, and he looked worried. “They have chosen a dozen so far. I reject them all.”

  She could see her skin glowing brightly, and she shivered. “They said that your parents had your woman.”

  He winced. “A woman. Not mine. You are mine. You are coming home with me.”

  She felt the white-hot rage subside, but something else was taking its place. “I don’t know what is going on.”

  He nodded. “I know. Let me carry you. We need to get out of here.”

  She nodded and held out her arms like a child. He grabbed her, swung her into his arms, and he sprouted wings that scooped the air and propelled them through the station. He pulled her to the emergency airlock and stepped into the space between the chambers.

  “Do you trust me, Styra?” He looked at her earnestly.

  “I do. I am getting hotter.”

  He nodded. “I know. Just remember that the stars are where you get what you need. Turn toward them and take it in.”

  She didn’t know what he meant, but he hit the outer door lock, and it slowly cycled open. The heat in her body ratcheted up a notch, and she saw her skin blurring.

  When the door opened, they were sucked out, and he shifted into the drake that she knew from the scenario. Space should have begun killing her. She should have frozen or boiled, or whatever space farers whispered about late at night. Instead, she was caught in a claw and flown away from the station.

  She relaxed and watched ships and chunks of rock go past as Yr-el took her toward the nearest star. The heat in her body increased, and he threw her away from him. She saw him as she tumbled away, but then, her body was busy becoming a drake.

  She curled up in a ball, and then, she extended outward, flexing her wings and flicking her tail. She was still tumbling. A tail wrapped around hers, controlling her spiral. She locked claws with him, and her wings began to help her control the radiation that she was putting out.

  Once her rotation was under control, she looked to Yr-el, and she pushed off, flapping her wings and flying through the depths of space.

  * * * *

  Yr-el watched the bright burn of power that she exuded in a heavy blast at the moment of transformation. The blast of radiation would have killed any humans or similar species nearby. He had gotten her as far away from the station as he could before she began to burn his claw.

  He was stunned when she transformed. She was graceful and elegant, moonlight come alive. He moved to stop her rotation by grabbing her tail and following it up with his rear claws. He was so very careful until she shoved him away, and then, the chase was on.

  Her drake moved easily for a new transformation, and she caught on to charging herself with the light of the nearest star. The wide panels of her wings were nearly translucent, but power coursed below the skin. She was fantastic—light, power, and grace with glowing blue eyes.

  He watched her play and then was amused when she began a game of tag with him. She nudged him and flew away, looking over her shoulder at him. She was flirting.

  His dragon rose to the occasion and chased his mate. They flew around the safe zone where she had shifted, but gradually, she began to slow. It was time for her to return to the station, but he wasn’t sure how to get her there.

  She suddenly looked at him and then turned herself toward Blue Station. She got a good bit of speed under her wings, and then, she glided back toward the shuttle dock. He knew where she was aiming but wasn’t sure as to her ability to shift on command.

  He kept at her side, protecting her from incoming aircraft. The exterior door opened, and the magnetic door was all that was left between them and their landing. Unfortunately, neither of them would fit.

  * * * *

  She was giggling as she sped up and powered toward the shuttle bay. Styra focused on the shape she wanted and when she wanted to change, and as she hit the magnetic shield, she changed into her human shape again and slid to a skidding stop on the floor of the hangar.

  Yr-el landed behind her, fully dressed and with his wings. She flipped to her side with her knee drawn up. He was panting and glaring down at her.

  She looked up at him and asked calmly, “So, no fiancé?”

  He growled and picked her up, tossing her naked butt skyward and over his shoulder as he walked out of the shuttle bay and through the station. She was too tired to put up much of a fight... for now.

  Chapter Eight

  Styra blinked as she was flipped from his shoulder and onto the bed in his hotel room. The entire station between the shuttle bay and the hotel had been treated to the view of her backside.

  He pinned her between his hands and loomed over her.

  She looked him up and down. “Why do you get to shift with clothing, and mine exploded?”

  He paused and sighed, shuddering, and his clothing simply vanished. “Practice.”

  He kissed her, and she pressed her hands to his shoulders; he pinned her arms above her head and began to work his way down her body with lips and tongue.

  She was shocked for a few seconds, and then, she held her breath as she anticipated where he would touch next. She jumped when he parted her thighs and lifted his head. His left hand was holding her wrists together, and his right hand worked between her thighs.

  When he slid his fingers into her, he shuddered. He withdrew his hand and released her wrists, kneeling on the bed and pulling her hips up along his thighs. He fitted his cock to her and pulled her hips against him with a hard pull.

  She gasped and hissed at the sudden burn of him inside her. It didn’t hurt, but it wasn’t comfortable.

  He slid a hand under her back and pulled her into his lap, still embedded inside her. She shuddered and held onto him as his cock started moving inside her. She slid her hands around his neck and pulled his head to hers, kissing him as he began the first of several couplings that took them hours to complete.

  Styra faded in and out after the fourth or fifth round, and she had lost count of how many times her body had shaken and clutched at him. She was lying face down with him still inside her, covered in sweat and shivering as her body randomly twitched.

  He was pressed against her back, still inside her, his arm next to hers.

  She tried to focus and asked him blearily, “Did you just lick me pretty much everywhere?”

  He chuckled. “It is a drake grooming behaviour.”

  She grumbled. “I am pretty sure that the drakes don’t pin their partner's arms behind their back to complete the grooming.”

  “I improvised.” He pressed a kiss to one of half a dozen marks he had left on her shoulders.

  “So. I have another form.”

  “That is the conclusion that has been drawn. You are beautiful, by the way. Living moonlight.”

  “Um, thank you. You are rather striking in that form yourself.” She sighed, “What happens next?”

  “I head back to my family’s domain. You come with me. We settle into the new normal from there. Mbrak has already given his full authorization for you to leave the station.”

  “Of course, he did. I am sure that he lured you here the moment he thought something was going on with me.”

  “He did not lure me, he invited me. As he is the elder in charge of this region, I was obligated to visit when he requested that we swing through. I am very glad that the imperial house was amenable to the request.”

  He was warm, so warm while they had this conversation, his mouth idly nibbling at her shoulder. He murmured, “So, your drake was waiting for healing.”

  The words out of his mouth caused her appetite to roar to life. Her stomach growled angrily.

  She groaned. “I am sweaty, sticky, stuck, and now hungry. This is not what I had planned for today.”

  “Physical sex is a lot messier than it is in a scenario, well, at least if yo
u do it right.” He chuckled. “I will order food, help you bathe, and hopefully, the bots will have managed to find all the sheets and tidy up the bed.”

  She moved sluggishly and winced. Her body was limp, and the smallest movement took tremendous effort. Yr-el pulled out of her and moved around the room while she tried to unsuccessfully push herself upright. She got halfway up, saw the wreck of bed, fixtures, and sweaty body prints on the walls. She flexed her shoulders. Oh. Right.

  Yr-el was going to have a helluva cleaning bill. Maybe she could extend him her discount.

  He sent the catering request and walked over to her, looking obnoxiously spry and alert.

  “Come on. The first shift hurts the worst. Your body has been compressed, and it isn’t fond of the feeling.”

  He lifted her and carried her to the bathroom, sitting her on the small chair near the shower wand before rinsing her skin of obvious traces of their mating.

  She looked at him with squinted eyes. “Oh. Yes. I am sure it is just the transformation that is causing aches and pains. Nothing else of note has occurred.”

  He grinned but kept working on her until she was shivering but ready for a bath. The bath was full, and he helped her into it before quickly rinsing himself off and then joining her. He pulled her toward him and settled her with her back to his chest.

  “Is this so that I don’t bite you?” She grumbled.

  He chuckled. “That might be a concern. It certainly helps when I am inside you. Your little jaws pack a powerful amount of compression.”

  Styra snorted and turned slightly, seeing the bite mark on his neck. “Yeah, that was fun.”

  He snorted and slowly moved his hands over her. Caressing rather than arousing. It was like he was petting her.

  “So, tomorrow, we will leave for my home. Do you have any objections?”

  She sighed. “Can my cousins visit?”