Releasing the Dragon Read online

  Lizabeth had already had a good foundation in Kindred law after helping the alien warriors win several cases in the World Court. She had championed the landmark decision that stated that a Kindred warrior could not be prosecuted for hurting or killing someone who threatened his mate. The Kindred protective instincts were simply too strong for them to hold back—when they went into Rage, they were forced to attack anyone who harmed the female they loved.

  The case had been brought in the first place by a would-be rapist who had tried to sexually assault a girl who was mated to a Beast Kindred. The Beast Kindred had ripped the man’s genitals off and literally shoved them down his throat. The man had survived but had sued for grievous bodily harm and assault and battery.

  Lizabeth had won that case. The World Court had ruled in favor of the Kindred and she had been representing them ever since. But in this case, she needed to know more than just Earth or Kindred law—she needed to know Yonnite law as well—which was turning out to be a tricky proposition.

  “Here you are, Counselor Paige.” Stands Alone, her legal assistant who also happened to be a Twin Kindred, placed a steaming mug of coffee in front of her. Lizabeth knew without even tasting it first that it would be perfect—two creams and two sugars—just the way she liked it. It was an indulgence, especially considering that she wasn’t as thin as she had been once. But in this case, she felt she deserved it.

  “Thank you, Lone, but you didn’t have to do that,” she objected. “Just because you’re assisting me on this case doesn’t make you my servant.”

  “I’m honored to serve you.” He had a soft, deep voice and serious, pale gray eyes like a Light Twin, though his hair was dark—as black as a raven’s wing—like a Dark Twin.

  Lizabeth supposed her assistant’s physical dichotomy had been caused by the fact that his twin brother had died at birth. Lone was one of those sad, rare cases of a Twin Kindred with no twin and, as often happened in such cases, he had taken on some characteristics of both.

  He was easy on the eyes too, Lizabeth mused, as she thanked him again and took a sip of her coffee which was—as expected—just right. But of course, that was a silly and unprofessional thought. Lone was at least twelve or thirteen years younger than her and besides, Twin Kindred who lost their twin almost never called a mate. They were almost always unable to bond a female to them alone and most professed not to have any sexual feelings at all. How could you want to join with a female when half of you was missing? That seemed to be the prevailing attitude, as far as Lizabeth could tell from her research.

  Because she had researched it. Purely out of professional interest, she assured herself. It wasn’t like she wanted anything other than their current relationship of mentor and assistant with Lone. He was much too young for her and anyway, she’d decided to swear off men after her divorce which had been a bitter affair.

  “How is your research going?” Lone asked, breaking into her musings.

  “To be honest, not as well as I’d hoped.” Lizabeth took another sip of coffee and sighed. “Yonnite law is convoluted to say the least. And these documents…” She lifted a piece of stiff parchment and let it fall to her desk. “They’re so dense with double meanings and mentions of Yonnite culture it’s ridiculous. I’m beginning to think I’d have better luck understanding if I went there and learned from one of their own law professors rather than trying to learn it second hand like this.”

  “But if you went to Yonnie Six, I couldn’t go with you,” Lone pointed out. “Unless you want me to pose as your slave?” He gave her a shy grin and suddenly dropped to his knees in front of her. “Please, Mistress,” he begged softly, “Use me however you want. Only let me serve you…coffee all day long,” he ended with a warm, rumbling laugh.

  Lizabeth laughed along with him at the ridiculous little farce but she couldn’t help noticing how broad his shoulders were or how the light from the green-shaded lamp she was using caught his gray eyes and turned them nearly silver. It made her think of a dream she’d had of him once, when they first started working together—a dream she couldn’t quite remember except that his eyes had looked like that—almost silver and so full of meaning…

  You really need to get back to those Yonnite documents and stop daydreaming about your assistant, whispered a stern little voice in her head. You’re not going to get anything done at this rate except make yourself uncomfortable for no reason.

  Lizabeth had to agree with the little voice. It was far better to keep the relationship between herself and her assistant professional. Still, she couldn’t keep herself from reaching out to ruffle his short, dark hair. Lone didn’t seem to mind such affectionate gestures and try as she might, Lizabeth couldn’t seem to help making them. Her hands wanted to touch him even when her brain told her not to.

  “Don’t be silly,” she said to him, as she slid her fingers through the silky black strands of his hair. “Get up now and stop acting the fool, Lone.”

  A shiver ran through his big frame.

  “Is it foolish to want to serve you…Mistress?” he asked and his voice had dipped down until it was almost a growl. “Is it wrong to want to give myself to you and please you, any way I can?”

  Lizabeth felt her heart thump hard against her ribs. Somehow her traitorous hand had crept down and she found she was now cupping her assistant’s cheek, scratchy with stubble. Lone was looking up at her, though even kneeling he didn’t have to look far. The pupils of his eyes had dilated to a deep, drowning black leaving only a thin ring of pure silver around their outside edges.

  “Is it wrong, Mistress?” he murmured again.

  “Lone,” she said unsteadily. “Don’t…don’t you think you’ve taken this little charade far enough? I know you’re only teasing but—”

  Suddenly she smelled something strange. Something sweet. Like chocolate or caramel. She looked up at the ceiling of the Mother Ship’s law-library and frowned at the vents. Was it coming from there? And why did it make her feel so strange?

  “Lone,” she said unsteadily as she put down her coffee cup. “Do you smell that? What is it?”

  The Twin Kindred frowned and lifted his head, sniffing the air.

  “As a matter of fact, I do. I have no idea what it could be though.”

  “It makes me feel…dizzy.” Lizabeth stood up and took a wobbling step away from the table where she had been sitting, meaning to go into another part of the ship and get some fresh air.

  But the room spun around her and she stumbled and would have fallen if Lone hadn’t caught her.

  “Lizabeth, what’s wrong?” He lifted her easily and peered anxiously into her face as he cradled her in his arms like a baby.

  Lizabeth had never been this close to her assistant before and she found it uncomfortable precisely because it felt good. This close, she noticed another scent in the room besides the cloying, sweet odor coming from the vents. The new scent was warm and spicy and deeply masculine…and it seemed to be coming from Lone.

  Surely that’s not his bonding scent, she thought, frowning up at him. How could he make a bonding scent without a twin to help him? And why would he make it for me? He can’t—

  Just then she felt a sharp pain in her breasts, followed by a sensation of fullness.

  “Oh!” she exclaimed, looking down at herself.

  Lone looked too and his pale gray eyes grew wide.

  “Councilor Paige…Lizabeth, what is happening to you?”

  “I…I don’t know!” To her horror, her breasts were growing right before her eyes. They were straining the buttons of her nice blue professional blouse as her formerly perfectly respectable C-cup breasts turned into double D-cup melons. It was like something out of a porno-fantasy, Lizabeth thought. And not a good one, either.

  “What…what’s going on?” she gasped, her eyes still glued to her chest. And then she felt the sharp pain again and wet spots appeared on her blouse, right where her nipples would be. Was she leaking? But how was that possible?

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