Rendan (Scifi Alien Dragon Romance) (Dragons of Preor Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page A

knees.
    “She does not wish…” But they were mates.
    “You scared her, Rendan. Badly.” The war master’s tone was soft and pitying.
    Rendan had endured enough pity over the years. He did not need more. “But the Knowing…”
    “She admits to experiencing the Knowing,” the primary warrior interjected, “but she is wary of you.”
    Wary of him . “I would never harm her.”
    He would rather take his final flight than harm his mate.
    “We know this.” Taulan tipped his head in acknowledgment, and some of the tightness in his gut eased. They did not believe him a threat to her. Good.
    “Then why am I detained?”
    They both gave him shocked expressions, but Kozav answered. “You nearly took out nine Preor over a misunderstanding, Rendan. You may not be a danger to Carla, but you are to the rest of the crew.”
    Car-lah . That was his mate’s name. Car-lah .
    Rendan joi Carla. Once Rendan sen Tarkan—son of Tarkan—and now joined to a female. Rendan joi Carla . He could not help but repeat his new name. He liked the sound of them linked, the change signifying that they belonged to each other.
    Rendan shrugged. “As long as they do not stand between us, they are not in danger.”
    “That is not enough and we will not risk others because you cannot control yourself.” Taulan’s tone was flat.
    “You cannot keep us apart. It is as good as murder, Taulan.” He dropped the war master’s title. This was an argument Preor to Preor.
    “Agreed. But as I said, she is wary. We will be coming to a compromise that will allow you access to your mate but give her a sense of safety and protection.” Rendan opened his mouth to reject the idea, but Taulan continued. “No objections. You do not have a choice. Whatever is decided— by Carla —will be abided by. She is human.”
    “I know this,” he snarled.
    The Preor had come to Earth in search of human mates, females capable of mating and reproducing with their race. After the Great Conflict and loss of so many females and children, their population diminished year by year. The virus that had decimated so many now hobbled their growth until Earth became their only hope.
    Now several males had mated and Taulan’s mate, Lana, was bearing.
    “And because she is human, and a female Preor mate, her wishes will be granted by the Preor.” Taulan’s tone left no room for argument.
    Rendan’s only hope was that her need to be near him overrode her desire to run in fear because that would… damn them both. “Her choice?”
    “Yet to be determined.” Kozav’s grim voice deflated some of his hope.
    Instead of objecting, ranting, or raving at the males, he simply nodded. He could do nothing but wait. Wait to hear of his Carla’s decision. “Understood.” Both stared at him, their doubt plain. “I will abide by the choices made.”
    Their reservations remained visible on their features, but both turned and headed for the door, prepared to leave him alone with his growing madness.
    “Wait!” He strode to the very edge of the hazy field. Taulan turned to him, the war master’s eyebrow raised. “Her name.” He swallowed hard, the ache for her name growing by the heartbeat. “What is my mate’s full name?”
    He received another piteous glance. “Carla Butler.”
    Rendan joi Carla Butler . The name filled him with a sense of warmth.
    Carla Butler was his mate and he would not rest until he claimed her.

4
    O n the outside , Preor Tower looked like any other high-rise that lined Tampa’s coast. The tall building with its reflective windows and polished glass didn’t appear to be different. But a closer look revealed removable balcony railings and the occasional gouge in concrete—a random missing corner or a scorched window.
    Those were all things Carla noticed during her passage on a short-flight—a small Preor shuttle—from the battleship orbiting high above Earth’s atmosphere. The tiny ship transported her, along with a Preor warrior quad, to the