Asher: Dragons of Riddich, #2

By Mel Teshco

The dragons will search the universe for their one true mate...

Riddich king, Asher Mannett, has more to worry about than the agony of shifting into his dragon form. Tantonics, his alien enemies, will do anything to invade and destroy him and his people, and extract their vital energy.
When the last Riddich stronghold is breached, Asher boards a craft and escapes his planet along with a handful of his people. They crash land on Earth, where a rare few human women can breed with his species, giving his people hope of continuing their genetic line.

Thanks to her now dead fiancé, Luke, Marissa Kinkaid's life has gone from one of decadent luxury to hardship. But then a huge, wounded dragon bursts into her life and opens her eyes to the dreary existence she's accepted as her own. A life she no longer wants.
Despite her fear of abandonment, leaving her drought-affected farm with Asher seems far less complicated than facing Asher's Tantonic enemies. She can't imagine a life without the big, sexy alien in it. But will she lose him too before they've even had a chance at love?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mel Teshco
• Release date: Jan 19, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386561965

Mel Teshco

As a rather quiet, introverted child, Mel Teshco would never have believed it possible she'd one day be making a living writing hot, erotic stories and meeting so many other wonderful writers. She can most often be found at her computer, giving into her children and/or cats demands and occasionally/often drinking home brew, which brings out her sociable (i.e. loud) side. Her long-suffering husband is still waiting for retirement. She loves hearing from readers and will answer all emails at [e-mail].

Book preview

Asher

by Mel Teshco

Copyright 2017 Mel Teshco

Cover Art by Kellie Dennis at Book Cover by Design

www.bookcoverbydesign.co.uk

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy.

Acknowledgements

Thank you Alissa for being an amazing critique partner, I’d be lost without you.

As always, lots of love to my supportive family x

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Epilogue

First Chapter of Baron, Dragons of Riddich

Chapter One

Asher Mannett, ruler of the Riddich people, woke coughing and blinking through the haze of toxic smoke billowing into the cabin of his crashed craft.

He and his crew had reached Earth, despite their unorthodox landing. But he wouldn’t allow joy to flood his system just yet. Not when the instrument panel before him flashed red in a distress signal that issued universal alert.

He sucked in a jagged breath, his belly turning to liquid. The forced touchdown had set off an alarm that wouldn’t attract anyone friendly.

He and his four comrades had fled their world, along with a dozen other crafts filled with the last remaining survivors of Riddich. Each craft had been preprogrammed to journey to different parts of the universe so that some might elude the Tantonics, an armor-plated enemy who had almost succeeded in making his people extinct.

Cold-blooded bastards, he growled, coughing fitfully again with the vile smoke even as he released the safety mechanism of his body yoke and dropped to the floor. He fell heavily, his ankle snapping beneath him. He bit back a curse at the sharp, searing pain. But a broken bone was the least of his concerns.

If the hated Tantonic fuckers hadn’t been far behind, the distress signal would now bring them in fast. If he didn’t get out of here with his comrades in the next few minutes they’d be blown to kingdom come, or worse, brought back to Tantonic for months, even years, of torture and degradation before being subjected to energy extraction, which would eventually shut down their organs.

Dahlia. He looked up at his sister who, along with other members of the crew, was unconscious and still yoked to the craft. He swallowed past his fear. He’d already lost his reckless younger brother, Kadin, three years earlier through banishment. He wouldn’t lose his sister too.

Wake up, he shouted hoarsely between another round of hacking coughs. Smoke didn’t normally bother him, but this shit was deadly. He called out to each of them, hoping to rouse them before the noxious smoke filled their lungs. Dahlia. Baron. Wyatt. Valor. Wake the fuck up!

Dahlia came to first, her big green eyes blinking and her helmet sitting askew on her short-cropped blonde head. She coughed and looked around, her webbed, one-piece uniform stretching with her movement and her eyes going wide. What the hell happened?

Thank god. Asher bit back a joyous laugh at seeing his sister alive and well. But he wouldn’t get too jubilant too soon.

We crashed somewhere on Earth. I’m guessing Australia since blips on the radar showed we were still headed that way before I blacked out. At least they hadn’t landed in the ocean. The distress signal’s been set off. We need to wake the others and get the hell out of here.

Holy shit, she groaned. She was just as aware as he that the signal would bring their enemy. And with the instrument panel damaged beyond repair there was no way to override the system. She unclipped her helmet, took aim, and threw it hard. It thudded into Baron’s gut and he woke with a harsh grunt.

What the fuck?

It took less than a minute to wake the entire crew and Asher dragged himself out of the way before the bodies overhead thudded to the floor. No more bones were broken, and Asher sat tight while his comrades grabbed anything useful.

Desiccated nourishment pouches, weapons, med kits and hydration flasks.

Baron crouched beside him, a giant of a man, his golden-brown gaze sweeping over Asher’s ankle. You know what you’ve got to do, yeah?

He sighed. I don’t suppose I have a choice.

Shifting into dragon wasn’t the smartest move. It’d be like waving a retrieval smoke device at the Tantonic fuckers and yelling, Come and get me! The enemy’s heat sensor tracking devices targeted fire-breathing beasts with an ease and accuracy that was scary to say the least. But if he didn’t shift into his secondary form, his ankle wouldn’t mend, and he’d have no hope in hell of escape.

Dahlia keyed in a code at the nearest escape hatch. A hiss filled the cabin, and fresh air poured through the door, clearing away much of the noxious smoke. Asher breathed deep and blinked at the green world outside that dazzled the eye. A bird twittered amongst tree branches, and some kind of fat insect droned past.

Seemed he hadn’t learned all there was to know about Earth’s fauna.

He sucked in another breath, taking a moment to savor the crisp scent of soil and foliage, along with the danker smell of decomposing vegetation.

It was familiar in an odd kind of way, even as it was vastly different to his world. Like comparing black to white. Not that there was any more time to take it all in. Survival was all that mattered.

He looked up at Baron. You’re going to have to carry me outside. A pity he was almost as big as the other male.

Baron nodded, his huge arms bulging beneath the webbed sleeves of his uniform as he hefted Asher from the floor, took a dozen strides, before placing him with a relieved grunt on a patch of grass.

Even under the dappled shade the sun’s heat was noticeable. Asher smiled and lifted his face to its blazing intensity while his crew retrieved the stash they’d collected. Going by the sun’s high position, it looked to be almost midday, the hottest part of an Earth day.

Not that the high temperature bothered him. For a Riddichian, heat was a blessing. For the bastard Tantonics it was nothing short of a curse.

His sister and the rest of the crew gathered around Asher, and he looked up at them with a gratified stare. He was going to miss them more than he’d ever be able to put into words. Not that there was time to string together his deep appreciation for all they’d done and had been through. We can’t stay together, we all know that.

They nodded. It would be suicide to stay in a group.

Divide the stockpile between the four of you and choose an opposing compass point. Don’t deviate from that path. In one Earth year from now, when the sun is at its zenith, those of us who survive will meet back here.

The blond-headed Valor nodded, and reached for his share of weapons, food and water. Guess I’ll be heading north. His light-blue stare glinted with emotion, but he stepped away from his king and said brusquely, Take care.

Valor knew the sooner they all departed, the sooner Asher could shift into dragon without compromising them all.

Count on it, Asher said, watching as Valor then disappeared through the trees.

Dahlia crouched beside him, and threw her arms around his neck. Don’t you dare go dying on me, she whispered hoarsely.

You won’t get rid of me that easy, sis, he said quietly. But the unease sitting like a brick on his chest was all for Dahlia. She hadn’t found a mate to bring out her inner dragon, and the beast was their last line of defense. Without it she was more vulnerable, less likely to survive.

She released him and stood, the dark brown of her eyes glimmering with unshed tears. His heart ached. She too had lost a sibling and parents. Only in those rare moments when he succumbed to grief, did he acknowledge he wasn’t alone in his pain.

Everyone on Riddich had lost loved ones.

See you in a year, she whispered, before turning to jog east without looking back.

Wyatt thrust an outspread hand through the prickles of his dark hair, clipped shorter than his beard. Take care, my King.

Asher smiled at his comrade. Just don’t turn up late.

Wyatt’s white teeth gleamed behind his beard. Everyone knew his skill at fighting was equaled only by his skill with the ladies. Too many hours between soft, hespian sheets didn’t balance well with grueling, early morning training sessions. I’ll be the first one back.

He grinned. I’ll hold you to that. Now get out of here now while you still can.

Wyatt didn’t need to be told twice. Giving a short wave, he jogged west.

Baron was the last to leave. He squatted beside Asher. I never did get a chance to thank you.

Asher stared at his friend, feeling his heavy burden of guilt. Believe me, I was two seconds away from passing Rhyhana off to one of my soldiers. You saved me the trouble.

Rhyhana always had been too shallow for Asher’s taste. But then, he’d heard Baron had uncovered her cold, manipulative ways in the worst way possible. Poor bastard. If they both survived, maybe one day Baron would want to talk about it and get it off his chest.

Baron nodded and stood. You had best shift into dragon, my King. Goddess willing, we’ll meet again.

You know we will.

Baron blinked, and then pivoted on his booted heels, striding south in his long-legged gait that was oddly graceful from someone so huge.

It wasn’t until Baron had been gone for a few minutes that Asher exhaled slowly and willed his change. His vision went cloudy before blinking into a clarity that was startling compared to his primary sight. Colors and tones in every imaginable variation shifted and unfolded before him. He clenched his teeth. His changed eyesight was the first and least distressing part of his shape change.

All Riddich people went through an involuntary change when their planet’s two moons rose simultaneously in the sky. Whether they liked it or not they were well versed in pain. Except none would willingly endure the grinding of joints, the breaking and snapping of bones. Not unless it was life and death.

His jaw broke next, twisting and elongating, gums itching and moving as teeth widened and lengthened, sharper than hunting knives. Blood pounded hotter through his veins, his nostrils flaring and inhaling the vague taint of smoke and ash that was all dragon.

His skin stretched and crawled, and his body tensed, readying for the worst of pain. If the enemy arrived now he’d be at his weakest and most vulnerable. He had to push through the change faster.

He writhed in agony, his whole body splintering, bones shattering and then reforming, growing to take on his bigger shape. He couldn’t stop the convulsions, but a distant part of him was glad of their arrival. It meant he wouldn’t feel anything soon.

His screams of agony were all on the inside when he finally fell into blessed darkness.

He woke maybe a minute later. It was never longer. Not unless every single molecule of energy had been exhausted and the body needed longer to recuperate. Because to lay unconscious was infinitely dangerous and a dragon’s self-protective mechanism was as instinctive as breathing.

He pushed to his powerful legs, ignoring his uniform that lay scattered in torn and fragmented pieces around him. He flexed his once broken ankle that was now attached to a webbed foot with retracted claws. Sucking in a smoky breath, he stretched his wings, three-hundred-and-sixty degree vision catching the iridescent blue-pearl gleam.

Not that he needed phenomenal eyesight when his race had a wingspan almost twice the length of their body.  His scaly body altering to the olive green hue of his surrounds, he folded his wings against his broad sides and slunk away from the craft that would have his brutal enemies arrive here sooner rather than later.

It would be too dangerous to fly with the Tantonics closing in. Better to blend in with the landscape, and try to keep his high body temperature obscured as much as possible.

He was only five hundred yards away from his craft when the high-pitched whine of the enemy flyer closed in. He didn’t stop. His webbed feet enabled him to steal through the trees noiselessly and with minimal impression on the ground,