Kelan was ordered to be at the leader's side when the announcement of Michelle's presence was made. He would take the brunt of the citizens' anger. Michelle had been relegated as an unnecessary entity. She was confined to Kelan's home for her safety. The commander reluctantly guarded her door. Three soldiers, in dragon form, surrounded the building's entrance. The planet's leader feared the citizens would attack before his speech was over.

The streets were quiet as the leader began to speak. His words were broadcast on screens throughout the city for those unable to get close. "I have good news to report. As you may have noticed, the ship we sent to Earth has come home. Kelan was successful in his venture. We have all that we need to protect our world." Cheers came from the crowd. They shouted words of praise for Kelan. The leader gestured for calm and continued, "Tomorrow we begin gathering the elements needed to duplicate the weapon Kelan designed. We must replicate an extremely light metal that came from an alien spaceship. It will be time consuming and hard work, but we will be safe from those who threaten our home. Now, I fear I must give you some unsettling news. I ask that you keep calm, listen to my words, and obey my commands. Let me assure you: there is no danger. I would not jeopardize my people. We have a visitor. Kelan brought back a female from Earth."

Rumbles of anger and fear quickly spread through the crowd. The air heated as many fought against transforming. The crowd was on the verge of becoming a dangerous mob. Kelan shouted, "Stop! Calm yourselves! There is nothing to fear. Michelle is gentle and kind. I take full responsibility for her. She is to be my mate."

A deep voice taunted, "Have you become soft? You endanger our home for a human female? Traitor!"

The leader proclaimed, "Kelan has been punished for his misdeeds. His rank has been taken from him. He will work with those digging in the mines. I have seen and spoken to the human. Everything that came with her has been searched. She was scanned without realizing it. No communication devices, trackers, or weapons were found. Nothing was implanted in her body. She has no way to relay our existence or location. Transmissions to Earth can only be made from the main terminal. Her fate has not been decided."

More shouts came from the restless crowd, "Execute her! The traitor must share her fate!"

"She has the protection of the throne! She has done nothing to cause me to be anxious. Her presence will be tolerated as long as she presents no danger to us. Her eventual fate will be up to all of you, but I command you to do her no harm. Her testimony will be broadcast for all to hear. Listen carefully. She has a story that may reach your heart. Kelan made a mistake, yet we owe him for the weapon and the sacrifice he made by living among the humans for so long. I'm giving Kelan and the human a chance. I demand that you do as well,” the leader stated. "They have one month to convince us the woman is part of our world now and loyal to Talonia."

Kelan's first day in the mines was at hand. It was a lowly task, usually given to those who had no military or technological skills. He would be working with men who resented him and were angered by his treason. Yet, he was free. He could transform at will, and it would be necessary when lifting boulders from the mines to discover the veins of elements. Michelle remained closed in her room. She had been there when he returned from making the announcement and hadn't come out since. He continued to place food at her door and retrieve partially eaten plates. His mistakes had left him alone in a hostile environment.

Kelan took his place among the miners and worked tirelessly. For every foot the others dug, he dug two. Determined to gain their approval, he worked through rest times. He cleared spaces assigned to others as they ate their lunch. He transformed over and over, wearing away at his strength. The tension from his coworkers never eased, despite his efforts.

Tired and weak at the end of the day, Kelan was an easy target. A miner transformed into a black dragon and attacked. Weariness slowed Kelan's response. He was hurt before his transformation was complete. A claw across his back meant that one wing hung useless and bloody. He couldn't fly. The black weredragon took advantage of Kelan's disability, rising over him to do further damage. Flames shot from Kelan's snout in defense. The black dragon evaded them. He growled, "If the leader will not destroy you, I will. The woman will not survive the day once you are gone."

Kelan desperately fought with what little energy remained. His teeth sank into the dragon's leg where it dangled over his head. Enraged, the black dragon kicked Kelan in the head, knocking him senseless. He readied for the death blow. Two dragons swooped from the sky. Each dug their claws into a wing and tore at the black dragon. Flames burned his face, and he was subdued.

The dragons landed and became men once more. They were soldiers who had once been under Kelan's command. "For his disobedience, this man will be taken to be sentenced by the leader. If you value your place on Talonia, this will never happen again. By the orders of the commander, you will transport Kelan to his home. A healer will meet you there. Handle him carefully. If more injuries occur during transport, punishment will be meted out accordingly."

Begrudgingly, miners stepped forward and lifted Kelan onto their shoulders. He was limp, nude, and bleeding. His breathing was shallow. The kick to his head could prove fatal. The trip to his home was long and dusty. Curiosity caused many citizens to follow in their wake.

The healer and commander arrived simultaneously. They entered the elevator along with the miners who carried Kelan. The commander came to keep the peace. The Talonians would be coming face to face with Michelle, and he didn't trust either side to remain calm.

With the residence all to herself, Michelle had come out of her room to explore. She searched the kitchen, familiarizing herself with Talonia's idea of food. She wasn't impressed. The smell of raw meat in the cooler made her stomach roil. She rushed to the restroom and lost her breakfast. She was sitting on the floor with her head on her drawn-up knees when the door to the house opened. She didn't want Kelan to find her this way. It would give away her secret. The upset stomach was solid proof that there was a baby.

She hopped up and plastered a fake smile on her face. She wasn't going to hide in her room anymore. Since she was going to be a mother, she needed to act like a grown-up. Coming to terms with her situation was the first step.

Her steps faltered, and fear sang through her body. Four Talonians were standing in the living area. What were they doing here? Had they come to get rid of her while Kelan was gone? Her face went white, the blood quickly leaving it.

The commander stepped forward, hands outstretched. "We're not here to hurt you. We brought Kelan. He's been injured. There was a fight. These are our healer and some of the miners who carried him home."

Michelle instantly forgot her fear of the intruders. Her eyes searched out Kelan, limp on the sofa. She gasped and sprinted to his side. She fell to her knees and examined his blood covered body. "Help him!” she cried. "Stop staring and do something."

Her obvious distress over Kelan made an impression on the miners. They had expected indifference on the part of the human. According to their knowledge of humans, they were self-absorbed and found aliens to be inferior. This female cared. They had watched Michelle's testimony as the leader had commanded and yet it hadn't touched them the way her concern for one of their own did. There would be much to tell once they were permitted to leave.

The healer pushed Michelle aside and assessed the injuries. The gash on Kelan's shoulder was cleaned and held closed with a substance similar to glue. For Michelle's sake, the healer explained, "We cannot sew it. The flesh must heal naturally, or his wing will not work normally. He should not transform until he is healed properly or the damage will be permanent. His head is my biggest concern. He hasn't awakened since he was kicked. His pupils are fine, and his breathing is returning to normal. I don't know if there is swelling inside his head or bleeding either. With your permission, I will stay and watch for signs of damage. If he doesn't awaken soon, I fear he might never do so."

"Of course, I want you to stay. Kelan means everything to me. He has to get well. I don't wish to live without him. Why ask my permission? This is Kelan's home. I'm just a prisoner here. My fate hasn't been decided,” Michelle stated.

"Kelan expressed the desire to have you as his mate. I honor that, though others do not. His home is yours,” the healer replied. "May these men carry him to a more comfortable place: his room perhaps?"

Michelle nodded and led the way. Kelan was placed gently on his bed and the miners left, as did the commander. They carried with them a deeper respect for the human female. She had a humble attitude and treated all of the Talonians with the same regard, despite the differences in their ranks. More than that, her love for Kelan was transparent.

Michelle sat with the healer by Kelan's bedside. She wiped his brow with a cool damp cloth. It wouldn't really help him, but she couldn't sit still and do nothing. She longed to take back the last few days and her animosity toward Kelan. Her secret weighed heavily on her mind. She should have told him about her suspicions. It would have given him a greater understanding of her feelings. She considered speaking to the healer about her pregnancy but decided against it. There would be time for that later. Kelan must be the first to know.

The silence weighed heavily on her, so she asked the healer, "Did they tell you what happened? Why did Kelan fight?"

"I was told it wasn't much of a fight. It was more of an ambush. Kelan worked harder than all the others, transforming repeatedly in order to move boulders no man could lift. He didn't take breaks or eat. He was weak and exhausted. A miner took advantage. In dragon form, he attacked. Kelan only partially transformed. The tear on his back was from a claw, and he was kicked in the head. He managed to sink his teeth into the attacker, but little else was done to defend himself. There would have been a death blow if the commander hadn't sent dragons to intervene. The attacker claimed that with Kelan out of the way, you would be fair game."

"So, this is my fault. I've brought him nothing but trouble. I'm ashamed to say that I was mad at him for not telling me he hadn't gotten permission to bring me here when it's him that's getting punished and beaten. For his sake, I should have stayed on Earth. My love isn't worth his death,” Michelle declared.

Kelan's barely discernable voice protested, "It is to me."

Both Michelle and the healer jumped at the soft sound. Kelan's eyes were open. Pain and weariness showed in their emerald green depths, but he was awake, and his brain was clear. The healer was pleased. "Are you seeing clearly or is everything fuzzy?” he asked.

Kelan whispered, "You're both clear, and there is only one of each. That's good, right?"

"It is better than I expected,” the healer admitted. "You must be in excellent health to take such a blow to the head and not suffer more damage."

"I'm just hard-headed. Ask Michelle if you don't believe me,” Kelan tried to joke.

"My work here is done,” the healer stated. "If you can make jokes, there is no bleeding or swelling inside. I will leave Michelle to care for you. For your information, she has won me over. My vote is for her to stay. I believe her to be trustworthy."

Michelle offered to see him to the door. He declined. Kelan needed her more. She was ordered to get him hydrated and keep him in bed. No transforming was allowed.

Michelle held a cup for Kelan to drink from. She kissed the top of his battered head and eased it back down on the bed. "I'm sorry your own people have turned on you. It's not fair that you're suffering due to my presence. I would offer to leave, but I think it's too late. They won't trust me not to divulge this planet's existence, and they won't forget who brought me here."

"Does this mean you're not angry with me anymore or is this a temporary reprieve due to my injuries?” Kelan inquired.

"I'm not angry. I was so afraid you wouldn't wake up and let me tell you that I love you and that I'm sorry for the childish way I've acted. We've both made mistakes. Who wouldn't in this situation? There's no precedence for falling in love with an alien and moving to their planet. We didn't have a guidebook to help us. It's a trial and error sort of thing,” Michelle teased. "Mostly errors,” she added.

"I see you can make a joke too,” Kelan answered. "It's nice to see you smile again. I've missed it. The healer's on our side. Maybe he can convince others, and things will be easier."

"I hope so, although I have news that could make everything worse or fix it all. I don't know how the citizens will look at it. I don't even know if you'll be happy or upset. In fact, I'm a little confused about my own feelings,” Michelle sighed.

"How bad can it be? I've been demoted and beaten. You're locked up on an alien world. Your fate is to be decided by strangers of a different species. So, give it to me straight. I'm in no position to do anything about it, even if I don't like it,” Kelan replied.

Michelle took a deep breath, blushed from head to toe, and said, "We're going to have a baby." Then, she rushed from the room to throw up again. Kelan stared at the empty room in disbelief.