“Actually, you are very special. You come from the same land that that my clan is from. We have been stuck on this planet for many generations. It was a mistake that we ever came to Earth. Only the people who are from our world can see Kaldernon. Many people can’t even see us, just because they are so convinced that nothing of the sort could exist.”
“So who are you, anyway?” Krista asked, desperate for answers.
“We are dragon shifters,” Clayton said. “I think that you saw me turn into a dragon more than once by now. So this shouldn’t come as a huge surprise.”
“I saw a little more than that,” Krista said, raising her eyebrows comically at the memory of his perfect, naked body approaching her in all its glory at her apartment. He was ridiculously handsome, and the memory was one she had a feeling she would treasure.
“I’m sorry about that,” he said, pursing his lips with an amused smile.
“I’m not,” Krista said with a grin. Clayton’s face reddened and he looked down at the floor. She laughed, finding it funny and adorable that she could make this fierce and handsome man blush.
“Anyway, your bloodline is special. My clan is waning and only people from our own world can help us to repopulate. After this generation of shifters is gone, we will be gone forever, never having found a way back to our own world.
“The Guardians who are after you know that you are able to carry dragon shifter children, and they think that your blood will help them to open and close the portals between dimensions. They are obsessed with eradicating anything remotely mystical and interplanetary. They want to keep Earth pure, they say, and will resort to ceaseless and heartless bloodshed whenever possible to get the job done.”
“Wait a minute,” Krista said as she held her hand up and looked him in the eye. “Are you trying to tell me that because of some kind of special blood I have, from some other dimension, I can make dragon babies?”
“Something like that,” Clayton said, letting a smile crease his face. He had a dimple on his left cheek and Krista gazed at the way his gorgeous face lit up when he smiled. His deep voice was calm and soothing, but Krista still found the entire situation a little bit too ludicrous for her taste.
“I think you guys are insane, and whatever holy war you think I’m in the middle of, I think it’s ridiculous. I’d like to go home,” Krista said. Whether he was handsome or not, she wanted to get the hell out of there.
“It’s not safe for you out there. You saw for yourself what they were trying to do. They aren’t going to stop until they get you.”
“Maybe they think that I died in the fire. I know I thought I was going to,” Krista said, her face an ashy color.
“They’re going to know that you’re safe, but they don’t know where you are. They will assume that you are here, I’m sure, but they know better than to sneak up on a dragon’s den.”
“Wait, back up. Are you trying to tell me that everybody here is a dragon?” Krista said, raising her eyebrows in disbelief. “Even that doctor who helped me to breathe better?”
“Well, we are born dragons, and are able to shift into a more practical form. Can you imagine what kind of famine we would experience if we were dragons all the time? We would eat so much that nothing would be left of the planet,” Clayton said with a laugh. “I already have quite a healthy appetite.”
“So you chose to look this devastatingly handsome?” she ventured boldly.
“I – no. I favor my mother, actually.”
What a question, he thought, trying to think about anything other than his arousal. The woman was certainly brazen.
“I see. So you’re a pretty boy.”
There was an awkward silence before she allowed herself to fall into a fit of musical laughter. Clayton laughed with her, his eyes brightening. They gazed at each other for a moment and when they were quiet again, the silence between them seemed full of life. He never would have guessed how much he would love talking with Krista. She was enigmatic and intriguing. Not only that, but she was extremely beautiful. He could look at her all day long, and in fact, he had been doing just that for quite a while.
“I’m afraid you have to stay here for a while, at least until the coast is clear. We will help you find somewhere comfortable to stay once it seems safe enough. But I really hope that you will choose to stay with us. Maybe you could find happiness within our clan.”
“Yeah, right,” Krista said with a grin. “You guys just want me to make babies for you.”
“Well, that would be convenient,” Clayton said with a laugh. “But really, we realized that we can’t force you to have a child with one of us. We know how primitive that would be. You have a choice here, but I really hope that you choose to get to know us a little bit before you make up your mind.”
“All right,” Krista said, “I guess we can see how things go. I’m pretty sure I’m having some kind of nightmare anyway, so it doesn’t really matter either way.”
Clayton chuckled and stood up, curving his lips into a sexy smile. He nodded at her and headed toward the entrance of the room.
“Well, you cope with this however you need to. We’ll keep you safe until there’s another option. Maybe I can show you Kaldernon once you’re feeling better. As for now, I’m going to get some sleep. I’m long overdue.”
Krista nodded at him, watching him with curious eyes as he moved gracefully out of the room. Her eyes lingered on his taught, muscular body, and suddenly she knew what men meant when they said: I love that ass. She laughed softly to herself, shaking her head in bemusement. What in the world had she gotten herself into?
Everything that he was telling her sounded so outlandish and ridiculous. But, for some reason, she felt like he was telling her the truth. Something deep down inside resonated with him, and she decided that, at least for now, she was going to trust him. And not just because he was pretty.