Michelle didn't know what she had said to bring the lovely Shara to this state. She had told the truth. She decided it was best to stop speaking and wait for another question.

Shara's mother tugged her back into her seat, ignoring the leader's angry glare. She apologized in her daughter's place. "Shara overstepped her bounds. She is sorry. She was simply distraught. It is none of your concern."

The leader gave Kelan a knowing smirk and turned back to Michelle. "Was there no way to deter the men who threatened your safety? Earth has law enforcement. It is also large. There should have been alternative places to reside, free from the men."

"Law enforcement was unable to identify them all. They were the type of evildoers who would follow me to the ends of the Earth. There was no place to hide. Again, I also wished to stay with Kelan,” she replied.

The leader confronted Kelan. "Why does she keep repeating that? What hold do you have on her?"

Kelan looked from face to face. This wasn't a good time to explain the situation. It would be better if Shara and her mother weren't present. He tried to convey his reluctance in answering with a quick nod toward Shara. The leader was oblivious to his gesture and demanded, "Answer me!"

Kelan cleared his throat and announced, "I asked her to come. She is to be my mate."

The room erupted into chaos. There was shouting, dragon fire, and demands for retribution. Unable to restore order, the leader called a halt to the proceedings and put Kelan and Michelle under house arrest. They were to be taken to Kelan's home and not allowed to leave. Guards would be posted. No one was to learn of Michelle's presence.

Michelle wouldn't speak to Kelan or even look his way. She kept her eyes on the commander's back. They walked through the city square where women traded odd vegetables for woven cloth or spices from distant worlds. Children sat in a circle around a man and a woman in a small green space. They appeared to be learning the history of Talonia. So, some form of schooling was required. Michelle had an urge to stop and listen. The children would be more knowledgeable about this planet than she was. If she survived the next few days, she would need to learn everything and do it quickly.

Kelan lived in a building that had several levels, all of them above the clouds. According to the markings in the elevator, each level was a separate dwelling. It was Talonia's version of apartments. Kelan, of course, claimed the top floor as his. The elevator stopped in a horseshoe-shaped hallway. The perimeter was floor-to-ceiling windows. The commander informed her the guard would be stationed here and she wasn't to show herself to him. Kelan's home was centered in the horseshoe. His private balcony was the closed end, giving him privacy. The dwelling was a duplicate of the one on Earth, just smaller. She supposed Kelan had built his home away from home to these specifications so he wouldn't feel uprooted and alone. Michelle pretended not to hear the argument going on between the commander and Kelan. Kelan's stupidity seemed to be the topic. She was beginning to side with the commander. If she had a way to go back to Earth, she would. To escape their raised voices, she made use of the balcony. As far as her eyes could see, there were similar dwellings, some larger and some very small. She guessed the size depended on rank or wealth. Some things were clearly the same in any solar system. The air was cool and damp up here. A soft mist sprayed her skin. It came from the deep blue waterfall on her left. It was almost close enough to touch.

Kelan found her with her arms and face raised to gather the mist and beauty of the waterfall. He put his hands on the railing beside her. She didn't acknowledge his presence. Why should she? From the reaction of those in the leader's chambers, he had more secrets that he should have shared. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of appearing to care. Her knuckles turned white as she clenched her hands into fists to keep from asking about Shara.

Kelan must have read her mind. He began an explanation. "Shara and her mother shouldn't have been in the chambers. It wasn't their place to hear what we were saying. I apologize again for not speaking to you sooner. You have a right to know everything. I'm ashamed of my cowardice. I've confessed to the important parts. The fact that I didn't get permission to bring you and that you might not be welcomed at first were all you really needed to know. Shara's fit came from a misunderstanding, one her mother perpetuated. I grew up with Shara. My father was a high ranking official, and thus we were tutored together. When we were old enough to transform, Shara's mother got the idea that we should be mated. I turned down the offer. Both of my parents sided with me. I worked hard and moved up in the ranks. My ranking is actually above the commander's, but in military terms, I still answer to him. I thought Shara and her mother had let go of their plot. Then, father died. They began pushing for us to unite. I grew tired of the fight. We made a deal. If neither of us found love by the time we were thirty years of age, we would become mated. I was assigned to the Earth project and believed Shara would find a mate in my absence. I turn thirty soon. Winter approaches, and that's when I was born. I fell in love with you. Shara didn't know that. I guess she and her mother still planned a mating ceremony. I don't love her. I never did. Once I found you, I considered our deal null and void. I didn't expect her violent reaction. Our leader was unaware of the bargain. His daughter could remain untouched, and he would be fine with it. She is a rare gem as far as he is concerned. He is only angry because she made a scene. That may change once he is told of her hopes."

"How many others are out there pining away for you? What other secrets are you hiding? I trusted you! I left a planet behind for you. I can't even run away or escape from you! I'm stuck here to suffer the consequences of your secrets. I'm at the mercy of your leader. I have nowhere to go. It's not fair, and you know it. I'm sure Shara feels betrayed as well. You should have informed them of my existence. If they had ordered you to leave me on Earth, I would have stayed. You wouldn't be in trouble. I wouldn't be suffering, and Shara would have her love,” Michelle admonished.

"That's not true. My soul is attached to yours. It would have split if we parted. I told you that no one could take your place and that I would never find anything close to our love again. We would both be suffering. I would still be in trouble for telling you about Talonia, and I would not mate with Shara, despite our agreement. Once I found my true mate, there was no way I could stand to touch anyone else. Whether she wants to admit it or not, Shara wouldn't want a mate who loved another,” Kelan argued.

"I don't know what to believe. I don't trust anyone. I feel all alone and confused. I want to curl up in a corner and sulk like a child. Then, I'll gather my strength and decide what to do. Can you please leave me alone?"

Kelan nodded and said, "I'll show you where you can rest. Your things will be delivered soon, including the food and things from Earth. It's a good idea to be out of sight when it comes anyway. We don't want more problems added to the ones we already have."

Kelan took her to a small room that appeared empty. He showed her how to work the control panel by the door. The red button brought a desk from the wall. The blue one sent it back and a bed folded down. The yellow switched the room to a sitting area. It was a multipurpose room, built into a very small space. The black button opened a sliding door into an equally tiny bathroom. "It works the same as the ones you're used to. The water is supplied by all of the waterfalls. The real bedroom is on the other side of the hallway. You're welcome to join me there if you decide you still love me." He left her with those words hanging in the air.

Michelle kept the sitting area open. She curled up in a soft yellow chair and allowed her emotions to spill forth. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She had gone from having her life threatened by gangsters to being imprisoned by aliens. If it was happening in a book or a movie, she would be laughing at the heroine and calling her an idiot for trusting in a man. One mistake had become two. Where would it end? She closed her eyes and blocked out the view from the window. The sky and waterfall were too lovely to be a part of her pity party. She really did plan on sulking, getting all of her sadness out and then putting it away for good. After this, she wouldn't look back, only ahead to the future. She would work hard at proving herself worthy of being a part of the weredragons’ society. She would ask for a job and do it to the best of her abilities. Kelan had claimed she carried an untapped strength inside her. She would dig it out and use it to make a life among strangers, with or without Kelan as her mate.

She ached for the comfort of Kelan's arms. She wanted to turn back the clock to that first night of passion. Their lovemaking had fulfilled all her dreams and longings. With him, she had felt loved and cherished. Now, doubts about his love were wiping away those memories. In a month's time her entire life had changed, not just once, but four times. She had been beaten by Jackson and escaped his clutches. She had become Kelan's lover and suffered through the fact that he was leaving. Kelan had invited her to come to Talonia, and she had left Earth behind. Now, she had discovered she was unwelcome, and Kelan was supposed to be someone else's mate. How much more could happen in one month?

Oh no! A month was gone. Her cycle hadn't come. Maybe it was stress or the difference in atmosphere. Traveling through space and into another solar system was traumatic on a body. She couldn't be pregnant! Not with everything such a mess. Was it possible for a weredragon to impregnate a human? The notion hadn't entered her head, and most likely not Kelan's either.

Enough was enough. How many problems could one person stand? This wasn't happening. She wouldn't allow it to be true. Her tears dried up and determination set in. There had to be a way to get information. Kelan's home must contain books about Talonia, or perhaps they had computers. Kelan had been quite efficient with Earth's technology. There had to be similar things here. He had said they could replicate the weapons and use the plans. That gave her the impression that there was technology. She required some answers.

Which button brought out the desk? It was the first one Kelan had pushed: the red one. A desk meant a workstation. Michelle quickly pushed the button and out popped the desk. A stool of sorts pulled out from beneath it. There weren't any drawers. No computer, phone, or communication device of any kind littered the desktop. Frustration made her pound on the smooth surface. The desktop lit up. Its surface was the computer. It was a touchscreen. Foreign symbols covered the screen. Of course, their written words would not be the same as hers. The fact that they spoke her language was a miracle, one she hadn't considered. Not only did they speak as humans, but they spoke English. Earth had many languages; why English?

There was no other way to discover the information she required. Michelle began touching each symbol in hopes that one would turn the symbols into familiar words. Several minutes later, she sat back in a huff. There were too many symbols to choose from. She was wasting precious time. Kelan could come in at any moment and declare the computer off limits. Calming down and looking closer at the markings, she could see that she recognized a few. One resembled a spaceship. She touched it, and the blueprints for building one came on screen. Okay, she would look for one that had something to do with Earth or languages. In the right top corner, there were several circles. Inside each were different shapes. She recognized the shape of the United States in one. These symbols were planets! Her finger trembled as it hovered over Earth. This had to work. She touched it. The symbols disappeared. Words she could understand appeared. Now, she could search for information.

She found the histories of several planets, including Earth. A few of the facts were wrong, however, the gist of it was there. There were facts about the atmosphere and inner workings of the human body. Michelle searched the computer for the same information on Talonians. There were some differences. There had to be in order for them to transform. The reproductive organs looked the same. She had seen Kelan's up close and personal, so that wasn't a surprise. Could they mate and produce a child? That information was missing. It was possible that they didn't know. Kelan had repeatedly told her no human had been on Talonia or knew of its existence. Was he the first one on Earth? Had others been there and possibly impregnated humans without telling them they were aliens? Were there children on Earth who had weredragon blood running through their veins? Kelan owed her the answers. How could she ask them without making him suspicious? If she was carrying a child—which she wasn't sure of—she didn't want him to know. Michelle hadn't forgiven him. If she couldn't, she would beg to go back to Earth and take the secret of the baby with her.