Tracking Trisha by S. E. Smith Page A

understanding smile. It was like he knew she was scared but didn't want to show it. Her own lips curved in an answering smile. When he reached out his hand in support, Trisha couldn't deny him. She placed her much smaller palm against his and let him draw her up onto the platform.

     

    It took a while but Kelan thought he finally understood what he needed to do with Trisha. Zoran explained about some of the issues he was having with his own mate's fear of being abandoned in a new world where everything was so different. Kelan also listened to what Abby said about the differences between human mating and Valdier mating. Kelan went back over the information they archived about the human females' planet, as well. He spent hour upon lonely hour reviewing, studying, and absorbing everything he could about Earth and its cultures. Kelan discovered the females liked to be courted. It was a foreign concept to him as Valdier warriors saw their mate and claimed her. That was it. If the female fought it just meant a more exciting mating. Valdier warriors never took a female against her will , i f a female was not interested than the warrior and his dragon would know through the scent of her. True mates gave out a scent that aroused the male and the female, as well as, the dragon counterparts of themselves. Kelan could smell Trisha's arousal everytime he was near her. That was one of the reasons he stayed away from her. He knew she wanted him physically but mentally she still fought against their mating. Take her! Kelan's dragon roared out furiously. Claim my mate.

    Soon, my friend. You remember our agreement. We must court our mate according to the customs she is used too. We must convince her that this is where she belongs. Kelan replied calmly. He refused to be distracted from his plans. This was a war he was determined to win. He couldn't afford to lose it. To lose would mean to die and he did not plan for that to happen for a long, long time.

     

    Trisha held on tight to Kelan's hand as he guided her through huge gleaming corridors of polished stone. Huge plants in large planters dotted the corridors giving it a lush feeling. The floors and walls were an off-white with threads of what looked like gold and black weaving throughout. Trisha tilted her head back and looked at the high arched ceilings. Carvings of warriors, dragons, and a wide variety of plants and animals adorned them. She gasped when it looked like some of them were actually moving. She tried to focus on mapping the way they were going in case she needed to reverse it but she was having a hard time focusing when all she wanted to do was absorb all the wonders around her. It was only when she felt the warmth of Kelan's arm around her back and waist that she realized he had drawn her closer as they walked. It didn't help that Bio was pressing against her other side pushing her against Kelan's tall, muscular length.

    Trisha blushed as she realized Kelan was watching her more than he was watching where they were going. “It's very beautiful.” Trisha said shyly. God, she felt like a school girl again. Who wanted to go through that twice?! She thought in disgust.

    “Yes.” Kelan replied with a smile.

    That was all he said but Trisha knew he wasn't talking about the palace they were in, he was looking at her with those little flames in his eyes again. Oh, boy, Trisha thought as she started heating up again, I'm in trouble. Trisha smiled hestiantly at one of the warriors they passed. She started when she heard a low growl.

    “Did you just growl at that man?” Trisha asked looking up in surprise. She started to turn to look at the man they passed but Kelan tightened his hold on her.

    “I'm afraid my dragon and I do not like you smiling at other men at the moment.” Kelan smiled tightly down at Trisha.

    He was having a hard enough time holding his dragon back. If she smiled at another male, he wouldn't be responsible for the consequences. He had been harder