Josie listened to the man on the COM link as he tried to convince her to change her mind.

"It's what's best for you. You have a home here, where it's safe, and you wouldn't have to struggle constantly for mere survival. You have a job that you love, one with a tremendous salary. You don't need a man, but of course, you could find one easily if you wanted. You're young and beautiful. Come back for both your sakes."

"I can't do that. This is my home and my life now. I'm mated to Maxxus, the king, for goodness sakes! I have an obligation, a moral compulsion to save Talonia. I'm tied to this planet in more ways than I can count," she argued.

"That mating doesn't mean zip here. There's no legal document binding you to Maxxus, and that planet is dying. You've been there for more than four months, and it's just getting worse. You said a new sickness was rising among those in the city and it's not radiation poisoning. Get out before it's too late. You have more to think about than just yourself now."

Placing her hand on her thickening waist that didn't fit into her jeans any longer, Josie replied, "You don't think I've thought about that? It's not that I'm not scared, because I am. But, I love Maxxus and these people too. They’re my friends and family. They need me. This baby isn't exclusively mine either. It has a father that it's going to need. I can't teach it to be a weredragon."

"If he's so important in the baby's life then why doesn't he know about it? Why haven't you told him? For that matter, why hasn't he noticed? You're wearing sweats for goodness sake. Your eyes are puffy. You run off to toss your cookies at the drop of a hat."

"I should have told him by now. I will tell him tonight no matter what. I didn't at first, because it was such a shock and I wanted time to absorb it. Then, every time I tried someone, or some problem, cut into our conversation. Crisis after crisis seemed to block my confession. After so long I became too scared to tell him. He's going to be furious that I kept an important secret and I've been working with all the sick, risking myself and the baby. Time has run out, though. I can't hide in the darkness anymore. He'll be able to feel the difference in my body. Besides, I owe him the truth. He loves me. He's proven it repeatedly. I can't and won't leave him," Josie adamantly replied.

"Bring him with you. Hell, bring them all. Talonia's killing them. You've done all you can to save it. You're losing, so give up."

Unaware that Maxxus had entered the room she answered, "I'll leave here if I must. I do miss Earth." She said it to shut the caller up, not because she was leaving. She had promised to save Talonia or die trying, and she would do so, but Maxxus had heard only the words.

"You are leaving?" he yelled, slamming a fist on the table and knocking over a dozen glass vials. "You are abandoning us and forsaking our vows? I trusted you and gave you all the love I had. I should have known it was a huge mistake. I was wary of humans for this very reason. I let down my guard with you, and you betrayed me!"

"No, Maxxus. You didn't hear the whole conversation. It's not what it sounded like," she cried out.

"I heard enough. No explanation is necessary. Your words were clear. You said you missed Earth and you would leave. You did not argue or consider our mating. The words slipped so easily off your tongue. You obviously lied when you claimed to love me and now that Talonia is no longer the paradise you saw on arriving, you will leave it and me behind."

"I didn't lie. I love you. Let me explain what we were discussing. Listen, and you'll understand," Josie begged.

"I understand perfectly. You never meant to stay. We were just a project for you, an experiment that you could not make work. I forced you to make promises you did not feel in the heat of the moment. I was as much at fault as you. You have been pulling away from me recently, refusing to make love unless it is dark in the room and over quickly. Now I know why. The newness has worn off, paradise is dying, and you decided to leave. Were you even going to say goodbye?"

Josie saw the pain and sadness in his face, though his tone was ice cold and unyielding. She reached out to touch him, but he backed away. "I'm not leaving you, and if I was I would say goodbye," she whispered.

"You are not leaving today, that is what you mean. You must ready the ship and crew. See, I can interpret what you are saying now that I know not to trust you. I will make it easy for you. I will command soldiers to remove your things from my quarters, thus aiding in packing. You were my mate; there will not be another for me. I will suffer due to the parting all my living days. You would have as well, if you had truly felt as you declared. You are excellent at pretense. I believed in all you said, mind, body, and soul." He walked out, not even glancing back.

Josie ran after him. She had to make him see that what he heard wasn't what she meant. She wanted to explain why she had hidden in the dark, take back the last months and tell him about the baby from the beginning. He was ripping her heart out, his too. However, she couldn't catch him. Nausea overwhelmed her, and she was cramping. She fled to the bathroom to lose breakfast. Curling up on the floor, with her arms wrapped around her midsection she sobbed and prayed that she wasn't losing the baby too.

Maxxus could not get out of the building fast enough. The pain he felt was unbearable. His soul was tearing, but it was not a clean tear. It was jagged, bloody, and incomplete. A piece remained attached to Josie's. Transforming the minute he reached open air, he left the city and flew deep into the devastation. It matched his heart, and there he could let go. The wail that erupted from him was mournful, echoing from his dying soul. His pain came out in roars, toppling dead trees and stirring cold ash into the sky.

The black dragon shed tears. They dropped to the ground and were soaked up instantly. For Josie, he had done the impossible. He had opened up his heart and allowed her to take it without reservation. He had risked mating, a ritual he had sworn would never occur. She had caused him to care for the people, instead of just himself. All his life he had stayed behind his own wall where no one could hurt him. Now, he could not rebuild it. Forever, he would feel this pain, unless he and Talonia truly died. Right this second, he wished for it to happen: better dead than living without his mate.

Why had he not seen it coming? He knew she did not sleep well. He saw the dark circles under her beautiful eyes, and the smile had gone from her sweet face. She had stopped caring how she looked, pulling her hair into a crooked ponytail and dressing in sweats. He had told himself it was because she was so worried about the weredragons and was working so hard to save the planet. Was this his fault? He had not given her enough time and attention. Every time she wanted to talk, he was called away to a crisis. Had he lost her because of that? No, if that was the case, it would have meant she loved him at some point. She did not. Love like his would not allow her to leave, so it was clear that she had never loved him. Why, then, had he felt so connected to her? Their souls were one. You could not fake that bond. Their lovemaking had been intense as expected of soul mates. Yet, everything was revealed as a lie. It did not make sense.

The black dragon curled on its side and wept for Maxxus, Josie, and all of Talonia. It was broken, yet it lived on. He could not risk changing back into a man. The dragon could withstand this pain. The man would die.

The first snowflake fell on to the ground in front of the dragon's snout. It was unnoticed. The second landed on its snout with a sizzle as it melted. This drew his attention. More followed, soon covering the ash and coating the fallen dead trees. It was gorgeous, but so frightening. It did not snow on Talonia. Freezing temperatures were impossible.

Maxxus buried his pain deep and locked it away. In doing so, he lost a piece of himself. For his home and people, it was necessary, and he was glad to give it. Josie was locked away with it. He could look right at her and feel nothing. She was simply another human to be dealt with, another mouth for the king to feed when food was getting scarce.

Up in the air he went, to survey what new damage was being done by this anomaly. The devastation had crept so close to the capital. It was almost touching the encampments made by the refugees. The city had remained green with vegetation under the guarding hands of the gardeners. The waterfalls surrounding it flowed, just as blue. The nearest volcano spit fire as usual. Yet, all was not well. He did not need Tae or Eveline to tell him what was happening. Even he could feel the pain emanating from the planet. It was struggling to live. The snow was making the capital blend in with the rest. It hit the log fires and melted but could not be kept off of the plants. As he watched, green turned to white and workers ran to the gardens, reaping what they could. Josie and the humans could be credited with one salvation. They had built a contraption called a greenhouse, and there they had planted seeds to grow in its warmth. He had laughed at the time, reminding them that Talonia would not freeze. He was wrong, again. The plants were not large, and they had not been intended for food. They were being grown to replace the devastation once Josie found a way to stop it.

Kelan, Hesher, and Tae were coming from the mines. Between the three of them, they were balancing a clear dome, its heaviness straining their muscular arms. Maxxus landed, transformed, and tried to help. "What is this thing?" he asked.

"It is supposed to cover what plants are too small to reap, much the same as the greenhouse. There are several more. We must get them in place before the roots of the plants freeze," Kelan replied.

"Where did they come from? Who ordered them built?"

"We made them in the mine. The queen ordered them, and she gave us the instructions to place them if the snows came," Tae answered

The reference to Josie as their queen came close to digging out what Maxxus had buried, but he covered it with anger, "Why was I not informed of this idea? This is my realm."

"We assumed you knew and approved. Josie told you the snows could come. You let them build the greenhouse. This was part of the same operation. She promised to save us, and she is doing all she can," Hesher growled. "You should be glad, not grumbling."

"I do not care to have anything done behind my back," Maxxus stated.

"It was not a secret. I guess you were too busy laughing at her to hear the whole plan when she mentioned the greenhouses. Whatever your problem is, let it go and help us with the rest. You are acting like the Maxxus of old, and it does not suit us," Hesher demanded.

"Do not disrespect me, Commander. I am the king, and I can take away the power I have given you or anyone else." Despite his attitude and sudden harsh words, Maxxus took some of the weight of the dome. He wordlessly helped place each and every one over the tender plants.

Talonians scurried in all directions, never running into one another or blocking a path. They were working as teams, choreographed by an invisible hand. Larger fires were made from wood stacked in the caves. The school children carried packages off the spaceship. Maxxus discovered the packages contained heavy coats and fur-lined blankets.

Women brewed hot drinks and passed them out to those in the tents. Dragons were in the air using their fire to melt as much of the snow as they could or keeping the pools from icing over. Josie had done all this. He knew it in his brain. She wanted Talonia to survive; she cared, but his heart remained hardened.

Out of habit, at least that is what he told himself, his eyes searched for her among the people. She was not there. Why? Had she given all the instructions so that she could pack up and leave without her conscience hurting? Or was she hiding from him, not wanting to face up to her deception?

Night was falling, and so was the temperature. The capital would stay warm due to Josie's preparations and dragon fire. It was time to see to the sick. So many of the oldest and youngest of their species were getting weak. Tests proved it was not radiation or any human illness. They simply would not eat, barely drank, and not even the energy from the waterfalls stayed with them for long. The older ones stopped transforming, and the fire behind the children's' eyes was growing dim.

Daer worked day and night, often with Josie by his side, to find what ailed them. She had stopped sending new formulas up to repair the atmosphere, thinking she was actually causing the problem to grow faster. The next one would be the cure, or she would not send one at all. Maxxus now believed she had surrendered.