“Hold still,” Dena grasped Taurian’s forearm to place the needle into his arm.

Last night, they’d made love until morning, then she’d passed out for five hours straight and woke up sore, but extremely satisfied. After they ate breakfast, she grabbed her medical supplies to gather his blood and compare it to the first sample she had.

He frowned. “That needle looks sharp.”

“It’s supposed to be.” She batted her eyes. “Don’t tell me the big, bad dragon is afraid of needles.”

“Of course not.” He paled. “But are you sure that one is safe for humans? Looks like it’s long and sharp enough to pierce an elephant’s hide.”

“I’ll be gentle.” She went back to his arm and pressed the needle in until bright red drops collected in the storage unit. “There, all done.”

His pout made her kiss his lips and he grasped her hips and tugged her closer. She returned his kiss, sighing inside. Her life was perfect. She loved Taurian and he loved her. But she wanted to help him and his people against the Tryns. What they had done to all the residents of Dave and Nichole’s townhouse would haunt her for the rest of her life. She had to stop that from happening to anyone ever again or the demons from wiping out Taurian and his people.

When Taurian’s hands dipped between her legs, she slipped away from him. “Ha, you weren’t scared of the needle, you just wanted me to feel sorry for you.”

“Guilty.” He reached for her again, but she danced away.

“Sorry, you’ll have to wait.” She winked at him. “But I’ll be worth the patience.”

“I’ve no doubt.”

“Let me compare this sample with your earlier one.” She placed the fresh blood on a slide and put it under her microscope. The red cells shimmered on the glass as though pulsing. She frowned. Where had she seen that before? “Kohl’s blood.”

“What?” He leaped off her exam table.

“Your blood, this one is acting nearly identical to your brother’s.” It seemed impossible, but so had falling in love with a dragon. “I think your blood is changing so that it’s similar to Kohl’s. That’s why you were able to become a human. What I don’t understand is how…and why now?”

“Back on Renjer, before I fought the Tryn who crossed over to Earth with me, I’d sucked out Kohl’s tainted blood. He’d been attacked and had too much Tryn poison in him to fight it. Then the lightning might have caused a chain-reaction.”

“Maybe.” She pushed back from the microscope and rubbed her eyes. “But I think it’s more than that. I think some of the demon venom got into your system and turned you human using Kohl’s human-side of his blood. They can shape-shift like him. I think that dual combination is what shifted you the first time…until your blood caught up enough to morph into a hybrid like you are now.”

He nodded. “Makes sense, I guess. Really, I don’t care what happened or how or why, I’m just eternally grateful that it did and I found you.”

Her cell rang and she groaned.

“Don’t answer it. Take the day off,” he murmured against her lips.

“It could be an emergency.” She disentangled from his arms and clicked answer. “Hello?”

“Have you watched the news?” Her friend Jeanie asked. “It’s about your ex. I’m so sorry, Dena.”

She swallowed hard and nodded, then choked out. “I-I heard. It’s okay, he’s in a better place now.” Guilt plagued her. If the Tryn hadn’t done what it had done to Dave and his complex, he and Nichol would still be alive. She pressed a hand to her chest as a heaviness settled there. She’d carry regrets the rest of her life.

“Do you want me to come over?”

“No,” Dena said too quickly. “I mean, I’m alright. I’ll meet you for coffee later today.”

“Okay. See you at the café at two o’clock?” her friend asked.

“Sure.” She hung up and stared at the phone. Guess she was going to have to introduce Taurian to her friends. They’d be so jealous. Best if she mentioned him to Jeanie first then offer to have them meet for lunch later. Wait, Dave had been in the news? “Hang on a sec.” Dena rushed into the living room and flipped on the TV. This wasn’t good, everyone would start asking about her ex and how she was holding up from the news. Bad enough her conscious beat her with guilt over what had happened.

“These pictures show the damage to the High Valley townhouse complex. All residents that were home at the time of the gas explosion are dead.” The newscaster shuffled papers on his desk. “Firefighters have found unidentified remnants concentrated near the blast and speculate that it might have been a small meteor that crashed through here and the impact broke the gas main and the fire.”

Dena clicked the TV off. “They found the scorpions and your Renjerian remains. But sounds like they’re chalking it off to a rock from outer space and not aliens, thankfully.” She didn’t need the authorities making alien existence know to the population yet. That would cause a worldwide panic especially if it was brought out what the Tryns could do.

“That is good news.”

A yip followed by two more sounded outside. The puppies! She dashed out the back door. The coyotes skipped off the porch.

“Hi you guys!” she squatted and held out her hand. “You all hungry?”

One puppy drifted closer. It stretched out its muzzle, barely sniffing the tips of her fingers. Then it dashed over to its brothers and nipped one of their tails.

She smiled. “You’re right. In a few more days or so, they’ll be less fearful of us.” And less afraid of other humans. “What if they wander off and someone hurts them?”

“I won’t let that happen,” Taurian lifted her up.

This time when he pulled her into his embrace, she didn’t back away, but met his kiss with her own. Her life had turned upside down and she couldn’t be happier. She was in love with an alien…a dragon. Crazy in love. That was her life now and she never wanted it to end.