Kelan waited impatiently for the delivery of the spaceship's contents. He didn't like being confined to his home. He was used to freedom. During his time on Earth, it had been easier to accept the strict disuse of his dragon form. His home planet stirred his blood and the restlessness within. The idea of flying as much as he wished once he was on Talonia had sustained him throughout the long flight in the spaceship. If he flew off the balcony as he wanted, he would be imprisoned in a concrete bunker. There, he wouldn't see the sky or the waterfalls. Michelle would be out of his reach. Here, he could feel her presence and smell her sweet scent. He knew she had found the computer. His communicator showed it was on. What was she looking for? Could she even figure out that there was a way to change the symbols to English? Should he offer to show her? Once upon a time, he wouldn't have wondered. He could have walked in and helped her without hesitation. He had lost that right with his secrets.

The door buzzed. Kelan opened it to find boxes stacked in the hallway. The guard told him that there were more coming. The deliverymen had gone down the elevator for the rest. He also explained that Kelan was on his own to get them into the house from here. Orders had been given to allow no one to enter the dwelling. Kelan began the tedious task of carrying them in.

The final box was stored in the kitchen when his communicator sounded. There was a message from Talonia's leader. The questioning would resume in the morning, minus Shara and her mother. Michelle was commanded to be there as well.

Kelan dug through a box and pulled out a powdered mix. It was called hot chocolate. Added to hot water, it made a soothing, delicious drink. He would bring some to Michelle along with a small meal. It would be a peace offering. He chopped up a blue vegetable and put it in a pot of water to boil. It was Talonia's potato. Meat sizzled in a pan. All birds tasted like chicken, right? He made a plate filled with the meat and vegetable and took it along with the drink to Michelle's room. He sat it on the floor in front of the door, knocked, and walked away. He was giving her the choice of staying in the room or joining him.

Kelan heard the door open and shut. He peered into the hallway. Michelle wasn't there, but the tray of food was gone. She wasn't coming out. His shoulders sagged in defeat. He ate his dinner on the balcony, alone. Watching his fellow weredragons soaring across the sky was his way of punishing himself. He desired the pain it caused. He deserved it. His lies and secrets had hurt Michelle just as much as Jackson's fists.

Kelan had cooked for her. He had made her hot chocolate. It was a thoughtful gesture, yet it fell short of making things right. Jackson had made excuses and swore never to hurt her again. He had lied. Kelan was doing the same. Making the same mistake twice wasn't an option.

Michelle rolled the odd colored food around on her dish. It smelled okay. She tasted the gooey blue mess. It wasn't bad. It had a texture and flavor similar to yams. The meat was stringy. She gagged and couldn't eat it. What poor creature was it? She settled for the blue goop and hot chocolate.

The computer was an invaluable source of information. She spent the rest of the evening reading about the Talonian hierarchy, their crops, jobs, schools, and space travel. It would seem they knew a lot about other planets but didn't share knowledge of theirs. They had gathered information about Earth by tapping into satellites, using tiny unmanned ships. Movies and television transmissions were the reasons for discrepancies in the history they had for Earth. Fiction had sometimes been written as fact, mixed up with news feeds. She could fix all that, if they were nice to her. She could fill in the blanks. History was one of her best school subjects.

She was sad to discover a story on the death of Kelan's father. He was found drifting in the ocean. There was no cause of death listed. It was unknown. He had been far too young to die. The case was a mystery. Weredragons lived for hundreds of years. Sickness was rare, but fatal. It was usually contracted from a foreign source, reason enough to keep other species off the planet. There was a picture with the story. Kelan was in it. He was a younger version of his father, except for his eyes. They matched the emerald green of his mother's. His father's were midnight blue. Kelan, in dragon form, was a mixture of the two. Emerald green was the dominant gene, accounting for his eye color. If there was a baby, what color eyes would it have? Would it be a weredragon or human? What if it was caught in between, needing to transform yet unable to? It made her nauseous to think about it.

Outside, it was slightly darker. The sky was empty of dragons. It must be night. She needed to sleep. Tomorrow would bring more questions and worries. She had to be ready. Michelle might still be angry with Kelan, but she would defend him to the leader. He had saved her from Jackson, risked his world to do it, and now risked his future. She loved him. She just wasn't sure if she could be his mate. He needed to prove he wouldn't lie or keep secrets. Words were cheap and easy to come by. Michelle wanted action, evidence that he was in this relationship forever.

The sound of the waterfall had lulled Michelle to sleep. Mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion kept her in a deep slumber until she was abruptly awakened by a pounding fist on her door. Startled, she fell from the narrow bed onto the floor. The thud brought Kelan bounding through the door in a panic. Michelle waved him away, signaling that she was perfectly fine. She cautiously asked, "Why are you here?" She was afraid he had come to declare more secrets and she was in no shape to hear any more revelations. She had more than enough to absorb.

"Sorry to disturb you, but we need to get dressed and eat. The leader wants to resume where we left off yesterday. We have approximately an hour before we are scheduled to be there. Can you be ready in that short amount of time?” Kelan wondered.

"I need clean clothes,” she replied. Michelle had slept in the ones from the day before. She was rumpled and a little sweaty.

Kelan rolled in her luggage and stated, "Breakfast will be on the table in ten minutes, so hurry."

Michelle didn't take the terse order well. She threw a boot at the door as it closed. The curse she heard coming from the other side made her feel better. She jumped up, took a record-breaking shower, and put on the first clothes she could find. Cream colored slacks and a pale blue blouse would have to do. To hell with looking like everyone else. She wasn't a weredragon, and the citizens would find out soon anyway.

A granola bar and a cup of precious coffee from the stash Michelle had brought from home were sitting on the table awaiting her. At her raised brow, Kelan confided, "It was this or eggs from the bird you didn't eat last night. I figured if the bird wasn't to your liking, the eggs wouldn't be either. You need energy to get your brain going. So, I dug out some of your stuff. You need to get accustomed to Talonian cuisine. The food we brought won't last forever."

"It may not need to,” was Michelle's curt reply. For all she knew, the leader could sentence her to death, banish her to wilds of Talonia, or hopefully send her back to Earth. She would relish every bite of the familiar food. They might be the last ones she had.

The commander returned as their escort. The guard had been sent away to sleep. It was early, so fewer citizens were on the streets to stare at Michelle. She shivered in the cool morning air and from nerves as well. Kelan didn't offer any advice on how to handle the leader's questions. She gathered that he still wanted her to tell the truth, regardless of what it meant for him. She would do her best to soften the worst of it. She owed him that much.

The leader was grim-faced and alone on the throne. Michelle was relieved that Shara was missing. One weredragon at a time was more than enough. His first words were a surprise, "I've gotten the commander's version of your story. I'm sorry you went through such a bad experience. The beating of females isn't tolerated on Talonia. Punishment is harsh. I need to see if your words match the commander’s. How did you meet Kelan?"

"He advertised for a personal assistant. I wasn't really qualified, but I took a chance. I was shocked when he hired me. Others were better candidates. I learned quickly, though and it turned out the job suited me."

"Tell me your story. I wish to know the details from your point of view. They will be vastly different than the ones seen from outside your mind,” the leader astutely proclaimed.

Michelle began hesitantly. She told of her nervousness during her interview and her astonishment at Kelan's kindness. The words came easier as the story unfolded. She spoke of the love for her job, the friendships she discovered there, and the confidence she gained when Kelan gave her more responsibility. The tough part was describing Jackson's escalating abuse. Kelan was hearing the details for the first time. Michelle was ashamed to admit it had been going on even before she started as his assistant. She looked only at the leader as she talked about the pain and embarrassment. "I didn't want Kelan to know. He was a philanthropist and often spoke to audiences about getting out of abusive relationships." She gave minute by minute details of her final days with Jackson, describing the abuse and her absolute belief she would be killed. The words of her escape attempt echoed through the room. Her terror was felt by all. Kelan's sudden appearance and her heartfelt relief were tempered by the shock of his transformation. Her memories stopped there and resumed only after she awakened in the hospital. "Kelan told me what he was to relieve my fears and keep me from thinking I was crazy. He said I had been through enough and he wouldn't add to it. He saved me."

"What do you say, Kelan? Is this the truth or a fabrication to gain our sympathy?” the leader inquired.

"The one thing Michelle never asked for was sympathy,” Kelan retorted. "She has shown courage beyond expectation. She speaks the truth. It is one of the reasons I hired her."

"Explain yourself,” the commander demanded.

"Of all the applicants for the job, Michelle was the only one who didn't embellish her accomplishments. The others added abilities or references that were proven false. I guess they thought I was too busy to check them out. Michelle was truthful to a fault. She told me outright that she wasn't qualified. I found it refreshing. There was an intelligence and determination behind her eyes that I couldn't resist. I gave her a chance, and she exceeded my expectations. She became my right hand. We wouldn't have the plans we needed without her help,” Kelan swore.

"Were you not warned to stay uninvolved with the personal life of humans? Once you had ignored that warning, didn't the commander tell you to stay away from this woman?” the leader sternly inquired.

"Yes, to both questions,” Kelan replied. "I found the humans to be kind, hard-working, and in need of friendship. They are difficult to resist. I kept as much distance as possible, until I realized Michelle was in trouble. My heart and integrity wouldn't allow me to remain uninvolved. The transformation wasn't meant to happen. My anger unleashed the dragon. It wasn't Michelle's fault."

"You say you kept your distance and yet you've announced that Michelle is to be your mate. Those are contradictory statements. There is also the matter of Shara. She expressed the notion that she was to be your mate. Make me understand,” the leader commanded.

"Shara was never my chosen mate. Her mother, your mate, refused to take no for an answer. To have some relief from her constant harassment, I struck a deal. If neither of us found true love by the age of thirty, we would be mated. I am not yet thirty, and I have discovered my true mate. The deal is null and void. Shara must find another. Michelle drew me to her from the beginning. Her kind heart, intelligence, and honesty were my desired traits for a mate. She was human, so I fought against my feelings. When her life was in danger, I found that my heart was already involved and my soul soon followed. To stay loyal to my world, I was going to render my soul and leave her behind, knowing there would never be another to replace her. More danger threatened her, one that could not be solved in the time I had left. I defied my orders, claimed her as a mate, and convinced her to come with me. She didn't know I hadn't gotten permission. I led her to believe she would be welcomed. The punishment is mine to bear,” Kelan calmly declared.

"That's quite a story. Does Michelle have the same feelings for you?"

Michelle answered in Kelan's stead, "Yes, I love him. I desired to be his mate. Although, his betrayal by omission has caused me to rethink my choice. A mate who hides secrets and tells outright lies so boldly isn't what I was looking for. I had that with Jackson. I realize Kelan would never harm me physically. However, words hurt too. If he can prove there will be no more secrets or lies, I will still become his mate. My love is forever even if we are parted."

"Well said, human,” the leader declared. "Shara's fantasies will be discarded. I know my daughter and wife are at times delusional. It is a symptom of the rare gene they carry. It will take a very special weredragon to mate with Shara. You, Kelan, can't remain unscathed for your crimes against Talonia. I could claim treason. The penalty for that is death. I won't go that far. You were defending a life. Your rank will be lowered two steps. That makes the commander your superior. You will be assigned to the manufacturing of the weapon, including digging in the mines for the necessary elements to form the metal. It is backbreaking work. As to Michelle, our citizens will decide her fate. It is their lives she endangers. Her presence will be announced immediately."