Jaguin's Love: Dragon Lords of Valdier Book 8 (3 page)

Jaguin rolled the small stuffed creature he had replicated for Sara nervously between his hands. He wasn’t sure how to approach his mate. He always thought when he met her that they would instantly recognize each other and everything would be perfect. That was the way it worked for his parents. At least, that’s what his father told him.

When Jaguin was a youngling, he asked his father how he would know when he met his true mate.

His father’s reply was short and to the point. “I saw your mother, she saw me, and we knew.  You don’t have much choice. When your dragon and your symbiot want something, there’s no use fighting it. They will make your life miserable if you do.”

“But, what of mother? Did she feel the same?” Jaguin had innocently asked.

He remembered his father’s grin. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he should have noticed that it had wavered a bit before he answered.

“Eventually,” his father had replied.

Jaguin always meant to ask his mother, but there just never seemed a good time to question her about it. He listened to the other boys in the village, but their fathers had pretty much said the same thing. The few females his age had been closely guarded by their families, so it wasn’t like he could ask them.

“Jaguin,” a soft voice called from behind him.

Jaguin turned and watched as a slender, but very pregnant, Carmen waddled down the corridor toward him. He glanced over expecting to see either Cree or Calo with her. His eyebrow rose when he saw she was alone.

“Lady Carmen,” Jaguin replied politely, cupping the stuffed sloth in his hand and pressing it to his side.

Carmen’s gaze flickered to the stuffed animal and a smile curved her lips. Another wave of envy coursed through Jaguin. He couldn’t wait until his mate smiled at him.

“How are the women?” She asked, glancing at the door to the medical unit.

“Tandor wants them to stay a few extra days. He is considerate about their mental health. The youngest still has not spoken, even to my mate according to Tandor. He thought a few extra days would allow them to get acclimated to the ship and what has happened to them,” he explained.

“Has the other woman woken up?” Carmen asked with a concerned frown.

Jaguin nodded. “Yes, yesterday, but not for long,” he admitted. “I am hoping that she is awake. I would like to know what her name is.”

Carmen’s gaze softened when she saw his uneasy smile. “Would you mind if I went with you?” She asked in a slightly husky tone.

“No,” Jaguin replied, stepping to the side. “It may calm the females if they see another human of their gender.”

Carmen chuckled. “Yes, it might,” she agreed, stepping around him to the door.

Jaguin followed Carmen into the room. He was surprised to see Emma sitting on the bed. His gaze immediately went to the woman behind her. Sara was brushing Emma’s hair with slow, steady strokes. There was a soft glow to her face that was missing the day before. Her hand faltered when she saw him enter behind Carmen.

“Hello,” Carmen greeted, walking toward the bed.

Sara’s gaze jerked from his face back to Carmen. A confused frown creased her brow as she stared at Creon’s mate. It was like she was trying to figure out if she was real, an alien like him, or a figment of her imagination. Jaguin realized at that moment that his mate had very expressive eyes. He quickly stored that information.

“Hello,” Sara replied in a slower, uneasy voice. “Who are you?”

Jaguin quickly reached for one of the chairs in the corner and carried it over to set it next to the bed. He watched Sara with a heated gaze as she glanced back at him before her gaze settled on the stuffed sloth.

“This is for you,” he quickly muttered, holding it out to her. “It is slightly different from the other one. I discovered there are more than one type of this creature on your world.”

A soft giggle escaped the younger woman before she dropped her gaze to the bed. It took a moment for his mate to reach for it. He stepped back and glanced toward the office where Tandor was watching him with an amused grin on his face. Jaguin scowled at the healer.

“I’ll leave you alone for a few moments,” he said with a slight scowl. “I will speak with Tandor.”

Carmen nodded and sighed as she sank down into the chair. “I think that is an excellent idea,” she replied, slipping her shoes off and wiggling her toes before she grinned at the other two women. “My name is Carmen Walker-Reykill. As you can see, I’m pregnant. I’m having twins and all the joys that go with it, like swelling.”

Jaguin paused when he heard his mate’s swiftly inhaled breath after she heard Carmen’s name. He was about to turn away, but the need to at least know her name ate at him. Drawing in a deep breath, he stared at her.

“What are you called?” He asked suddenly, causing both women to jump. The woman frowned for a moment at him. Her lips tightened and she stared back at him with a wary expression. He knew she was debating whether to answer his question or not. “Please, I wish to know what you are called,” he said in a softer tone.

“Sara. My name is Sara Wilson. This is Emma,” she finally replied in a slightly uneven voice. Her hands trembled before she dropped them to the bed behind Emma so that he couldn’t see them. “What is your name?”

A wave of pleasure coursed through him at her softly spoken question. “I am Jaguin,” he replied with a slight bow. “I will leave you with Lady Carmen, Sara.”

He saw her swallow and nod before he turned on his heel and left them alone. Something told him that he needed to be careful how he approached Sara. She was like a wounded beast in the forest. If he was not careful, he could easily lose her by fright or flight.

He turned the corner and stepped into Tandor’s office. Tandor had activated the screen to give the women some privacy. Jaguin’s gaze moved to the amber liquor that Tandor was pouring into a glass before the healer lifted it and held it out to him.

Stepping over to the chair opposite the desk, Jaguin sank down into it with a sigh. Sara, Sara Wilson. He now had a name to go with the face of his mate.

“Patience, Jaguin,” Tandor quietly reminded him.

Jaguin lifted the drink in his hand and took a deep swig before he lowered the glass and gave the healer a sharp nod. Leaning his head back, he stared up at the ceiling for a moment before he returned his gaze to the healer. He stared at Tandor for a moment before he finally asked the question that was burning through him.

“What did the human male do to her, Tandor? I need to know what I am facing,” he asked in a quiet voice.

*.*.*

Sara stared at the woman sitting in the chair with her feet propped up as if she was used to sitting in the medical unit on an alien ship. She watched as Carmen Walker-Reykill stared around the room with an appraising look. When the woman turned back to her and Emma, there was a gleam of amusement in her eyes.

“You know, my sisters, Ariel, Trisha, and I tore the hell out of the medical unit on the
V’ager
,” Carmen said with a grin before she grimaced and held up a swollen ankle. “I could still do it, but it wouldn’t be as much fun now. The guys would scatter like mice before they’d take me on.”

Sara frowned. “What do you mean – take you on? Did they beat you?” She asked in a hard tone.

Carmen threw her head back and laughed. The sound ended in a long sigh and she shook her head, sending her blonde hair dancing around it. Her brown eyes were lit with delight.

“No, they didn’t beat me, more like I was the one doing the ass kicking,” she replied with another soft chuckle that finally sobered as she stared back at Emma and Sara. “I’m sorry,” she finally said with a sad look.

Sara felt Emma tremble. At least, she thought it was Emma. It could have been her. The sorrow darkening the other woman’s eyes was genuine. There was no longer any laughter or teasing.

“He wanted you,” Sara finally murmured. “Why? What did you do that made him hate you so much?”

Carmen drew in a deep breath. Her eyes glittered for a moment with tears before she blinked and shook her head as if to regain control of her emotions. When she looked back at Sara, they held regret and a look of such deep sadness that it took Sara’s breath away.

“You both deserve to know the truth,” Carmen said in a quiet, somber tone. “Several years ago…”

Sara listened as Carmen explained that she and her human husband, Scott, were hired to provide security to a political family in Colombia. Her heart ached for Carmen as she told how Cuello had gunned them down while they were trying to protect the two children. Cuello murdered Scott Walker in front of Carmen. Carmen retaliated, stabbing Cuello in the upper thigh. One of Cuello’s men shot her, but she lived. Unfortunately, the child she was carrying didn’t. Carmen’s attack had cost Cuello his leg.

“He was insane,” Carmen murmured with a shake of her head. “I had no idea he was kidnapping women who looked like me so that he could take out his sick revenge. I searched for him for years. I had a lead on him when…”

“When… What?” Sara asked when Carmen paused and looked up at the ceiling.

Carmen looked back at Sara and gave her a crooked smile. “I woke up in a medical unit on an alien spaceship.”

For the next two hours, Carmen told them about Abby Tanner and the attack on her that almost took Carmen’s life. She would have died if Abby hadn’t discovered an alien spaceship and a wounded warrior on her mountain. The fight with Abby’s kidnapper left Carmen barely clinging to life until she was saved and given a new one.

“And now, Creon and I are expecting twins!” Carmen said, rubbing her rounded abdomen. Her grin widened when the door opened behind her.

Emma’s soft gasp and quick push almost sent Sara tumbling backwards. Sara watched as Carmen’s eyes once again glittered with amusement. Her entire face lit up with a flush and she winked at them.

“And so enters my mate,” she chuckled, tilting her head back. “Hi Creon.”

“Don’t you ‘Hi, Creon” me,” the man growled. “I wake from my rest to discover you missing and in medical. I was worried until Cree told me that you were here just to visit with the women.”

Carmen’s lips drooped. “I thought I had given him the slip,” she muttered with a sigh, rising stiffly out of the chair and giving a soft moan. A moment later, the moan turned to a gasp when she was swept off her feet. “Damn it, Creon, I’m pregnant, not sick!”

“She is fine, Lord Creon,” Tandor said from behind them. “I have been monitoring her vitals. The girls are healthy as well.”

Carmen’s nose wrinkled and she shook her head. “I swear, I can barely go to the bathroom without you or Creon checking to make sure I’m okay,” she grumbled.

Sara watched the display in amusement. Emma’s soft giggle pulled a chuckle from her. A quick glance assured Sara that Emma was more relaxed than she was this morning. They watched as Creon carried Carmen out of the medical unit, closely followed by Tandor. Before the doors closed, the large golden creature that Sara saw yesterday trotted into the room.

Three go out, one comes in.
Make that two comes in
, she thought when she saw the man – Jaguin standing in the doorway.

Sara felt an unfamiliar rush of heat course through her. Her eyes narrowed when she saw Jaguin’s lips briefly twitch, as if he knew she was aware of him, before they straightened. Returning her gaze to the golden creature, she started when she realized it had changed shape again. This time, it looked like a – oversized puppy. She shook her head when it dropped another sloth on the bed.

“You know if you two keep bringing me these things, there won’t be room for anything else in here,” she replied dryly, arching one delicate brow.

The golden puppy looked at her for a moment before it turned to Emma and nudged the stuffed sloth onto her lap. It sat down, sneezed, and looked at Sara in triumph. Sara’s gaze softened when Emma tenderly picked up the sloth and hugged it to her body.

“Thank you,” Sara murmured, watching as Emma buried her face against the stuffed animal.

The puppy sneezed again and rested its head on the edge of the bed. Sara frowned in confusion. She wasn’t sure what it wanted until a wave of warmth and an image of her stroking it flashed through her mind.

Shaking her head, she reached over and stroked the smooth, silky surface. She almost pulled away when several thin golden tentacles reached out. Her natural sense of curiosity developed over years of studying plants in the wild and doing research kept her hand still as it moved up her arm. She swallowed when the thin threads wrapped around her arm and formed an intricate bracelet.

“Dragons,” she murmured, lifting her arm when it was finished.

“Yes,” Jaguin replied quietly.

*.*.*

Jaguin stood still at the door. He had realized that both women tensed up whenever he got too close to them. Emma glanced nervously at him as she slid off the bed. He saw her cover her mouth with one hand to hide a yawn. A frown creased his brow when he saw how pale and tired she looked. Almost immediately, his gaze returned to Sara’s face so he could search it for the same exhaustion.