Now ensconced in a private room, she could relax. The police had come and gone again. Michelle didn't think she could say another word. Her throat ached from talking to the cops. Between Kelan and herself, they had pieced together the events of the last twelve hours. Jackson was in jail, and she would never have to worry about him again. She wished she had the energy to laugh at the way he had gotten arrested. The fool had not only gotten drunk after he ran from the yard, but he'd gone to the police station ranting about a dragon. They said he had drugs in his system too. It was karma, or maybe poetic justice, and it was definitely funny. She wasn't even angry anymore, or sad about losing him. Michelle had stopped having feelings of any kind for him when he yanked her into the house last night. Everything after that had been about survival. Thank goodness for Kelan.

The door eased open and in walked the savior himself. As Kelan neared the bed, Michelle couldn't control her reaction. She curled into a ball as far in the corner of the bed as possible. This man wasn't normal. He wasn't the boss she trusted or the friend she confided in. This was entirely something else. Humans didn't transform into dragons. Who or what was this creature? If he hadn't saved her, she would be screaming for help. Instead, she shivered under the covers and waited for him to speak.

Kelan held his hand up, with his palms facing outward. "Don't be scared. I promise I'm not going to hurt you. I would never harm you. Relax; tensing up that way has to make all the bruises ache. The doctor says you'll be fine. It looks worse than it is. I know that was a stupid thing to say. You're in pain, and it feels like it will never stop." Michelle just continued to stare at him, her distorted face unreadable. "I can't tell what you're thinking. Your face and eyes are too swollen. Please, say something. Do you want me to go?"

Michelle carefully shook her head no. A pain shot through it and she squeezed the blanket until her knuckles became white. "Stay,” she whispered. "Explain what you are."

"That's asking a lot. Now probably isn't a good time for it. The nurses will be in and out. They can't be allowed to hear what I need to tell you. Can't it wait until you're out of the hospital?"

"Nnnno,” she stuttered. "Now or never."

"Fine,” Kelan answered. "I'll give you a brief overview, then get into the details later. You saw what happened in your backyard. You're not delusional or hallucinating. I transformed into a dragon. The exact term is weredragon. I know you've seen movies about werewolves and believed that they were just a fantasy. I have the same kind of ability, but I'm real and change into a dragon. The moon has nothing to do with it. I can transform whenever I wish to. However, anger can cause it to happen when I would prefer it didn't. That's why it happened today. I was very angry at Jackson and lost control."

Michelle shrugged her shoulders and held her hands in a way that meant, I don't understand.

Kelan rubbed his face, sighed as if in distress, and continued, "I wasn't born on Earth. Humans, you included, are aware of other inhabited planets. Space travel has brought those discoveries. They haven't found mine yet, and I pray they never do. We don't wish to be disturbed. We are exactly like you, except for the power to transform. Even in dragon form, we are aware of our thoughts and actions. I wouldn't have harmed you. My anger was directed at only Jackson. I just used dragon fire rather than a fist. He was going to kill you. I had to stop him. I could have destroyed him, but I didn't. I'm not evil."

"Can't think,” Michelle replied. "Too much for me."

"I get it. It's a lot to process on a good day. When you've been through trauma like this, it's impossible. I'll go and let you rest. I'll be back tomorrow. I care about you. So does everyone at work. They wanted to be here. I told them you weren't up to it. I hate to ask, but I need two favors. Don't write me off. I'm still the same man I always was. Please, don't tell anyone about me or my planet. It's my duty to keep my people safe,” Kelan implored.

"Why are you here?” Michelle asked.

"At the hospital?” Kelan inquired. When Michelle shook her head again, he understood her meaning. "I'm on Earth to help my planet. Yours will benefit as well. I'll get into the details when you're better. It's complicated."

Michelle put her hand over her heart and said, "I'll keep the secret."

"I trust you,” Kelan declared. It hurt his heart to see her covered in bruises and still cowering in the corner of the bed. Her fear was plain to see, and though most of it was Jackson's fault, some of the blame had to go to Kelan.

Alone once more, Michelle pulled the covers over her head. She wanted the world to disappear. It was all too much to handle. Jackson had become a raving, violent, lunatic. Then, Kelan had admitted to being an alien. Her little corner of the universe had been turned upside down. Was this a nightmare she would laugh about in the morning? She wished she could believe that. But, she knew it was real. She was wide awake. Her pain wouldn't let her sleep.

She longed to forget the past twenty-four hours and sink into sweet oblivion. It wasn't to be. The nurse came to take her vitals and adjust the IV. Then, they brought in a liquid lunch, which she tried to sip through a straw. That was an agonizing experience. On the upside, she would lose those extra five pounds. Next, the doctor was there to check her progress. After that, the shift changed and the afternoon nurse repeated the vital and IV checks. Yet, everyone kept saying to get some rest. The worst thing was that they actually meant it.

Kelan drove past Michelle's house. There was crime scene tape across her front door and surrounding the backyard. Two police cruisers were parked in front. He was glad he had taken the time to gather the remnants of his suit. He could imagine how confused the officers would be to see it shredded all over the ground. The grass had hopefully sprung back into position. If not, it could be explained away as happening during his scuffle with Jackson. Then, Kelan felt a jolt as he remembered his claws. They would have left big holes, too evenly spread out to be accidental. How could he explain that? His heart slowed as he realized there was no need for him to explain. If they asked about the holes, he could act as confused as everyone else. Why should he know what they were? He had just been there to save Michelle. Whatever else went on in her yard was none of his business.

Kelan had no desire to speak with his staff. He parked his car in an open spot on the street. If he took it to the parking garage, word would spread that he was back. He used the back entrance to the building that connected straight to the penthouse. He required a shower and food before he was forced to call the commander.

He turned on the news as he passed by the television. It would be best to be forewarned if the incident was brought to the attention of the reporters. Nothing about Jackson, Michelle, or himself was mentioned. Domestic disputes were too trivial to make an impression. Thank goodness for small favors.

Kelan allowed the water to rush over his sore body and soothe it. Between the transformation and the tension of worrying over Michelle, he ached all over. If he was able to make the change on a regular basis, it wouldn't hurt. But, he was no longer used to it, so each time was like the first. That wouldn't be a problem for much longer. There was no way the commander or the ruler would let him stay on Earth for another year. His identity wasn't a secret anymore. Even if Michelle kept it to herself, there was too much danger involved in someone knowing that dragons existed. Jackson was a wild card. He sounded crazy, was drunk and high, and in jail for domestic abuse. Yet, he would continue spouting off about seeing a dragon. Eventually, someone would look into the accusation or Jackson would find a way to prove it himself. It was a risk that Kelan couldn't take. Talonia's anonymity hung by a thread. He had to set things in order and go home as soon as possible.

With a towel around his waist and a slice of cold pizza in his hand, Kelan reluctantly turned on his communication device. At first, no one on Talonia answered. He had almost decided to give up when the commander came on the line. "How long have you been trying to reach us?"

Kelan replied, "About fifteen minutes or so. I was about to shut my communicator down. I don't want the transmission picked up. Why didn't anyone answer?"

"We've been a little busy today. The alien vessel sent out smaller ships that entered our atmosphere. They came too close for comfort. We've had to raise the shield over Talonia. There was a meeting to discuss the issue. I left one of the younger weredragons to answer the communicator, but it was a mistake. He got overly excited and transformed inside the room. I just got the mess cleaned up and the communicator back online. Sorry for the inconvenience. Is there a problem?” the commander inquired.

"It seems this is a bad day for weredragons. I had a small issue too. I think it's under control. However, I figured you should be informed. I got angry and transformed in my personal assistant's yard. She saw me, and so did her boyfriend,” Kelan answered.

"What have you done? This planet's inhabitants were counting on you to protect them. Now, their secret is out, and Talonia will be invaded. All will be lost. How could you lose control? Tell me you found a way to keep them from spreading the information! Did you destroy them?"

"You know I couldn't do that. It's forbidden. This is their world. I'm the intruder. Technically, I'm spying on them as well as stealing their technology. We aren't at war with Earth. But, all isn't lost. Michelle will keep my secret. I trust her implicitly. As for her boyfriend, he's a drunken, violent addict. No one believes him. They think he hallucinated or is crazy. He's in jail. It's his fault I transformed. He had beaten and tortured Michelle. When I found them, he was strangling her. You would have changed too if you had seen the condition she was in and heard his threats,” Kelan stated.

"No, I wouldn't have. What goes on between a human female and her lover isn't our business. If the woman had died, then it was meant to be. You interfered in something you shouldn't have and jeopardized your species. You've become too close to these humans. This woman is special to you or you could have maintained your human form. Stay away from her,” the commander demanded.

"I can't. She works for me, and I need to see that she's okay. My employees are my responsibility, the same way those under your command are to you. I made a mistake. It won't happen again. Talonia is safe,” Kelan vehemently declared.

"You can't swear to that. I know you say this Michelle will keep your secret, but you can't be sure. How much does she know? What if she's questioned by the authorities about her boyfriend's rantings? What if a reporter offers her a lot of money to tell her story? You have to convince her that what she saw isn't real and you must return to Talonia,” the commander replied.

"I already told her it was real. I explained exactly what I am and where I'm from. I had to. She was terrified of me after she saw me transform. She was on a lot of painkillers. It's possible she won't remember, but I'll tell her again if I need to. She won't give up the information no matter how much money she's offered and she certainly won't help Jackson. I trust her with my life. Michelle is not the kind to betray a friend, despite their origin. I'm going to get things settled with my company and have the weapon manufactured, then turn everything over to my manager. I'll return to Talonia very soon,” Kelan explained.

"You're not just trusting her with your life; you're trusting her with the lives of all our species. You better be correct in your assessment of the situation. The feelings you obviously have for her should not be allowed to taint your perception. Distance yourself from her and do it quickly. She'll be left behind anyway. You should not have told her about Talonia. There will be consequences for it when you get home. The court could consider it treason. I will do my best to keep that from occurring. Stay safe. Good travels."

The commander was right. Talonia's court could count his actions as treason. He had betrayed them not only by transforming but telling Michelle about the planet's existence. Was he too close to the humans? Had he allowed them to usurp the loyalty he owed his people? He did care about them, especially the ones who worked for him. He had let himself get closely involved with some of their problems. He gave money to their charities and spoke at schools about abuse. He sent flowers when an employee was ill or had a child. Before leaving on this quest, he had been told to keep the humans out of his heart. They had somehow found their way past the wall he had built around his heart and become his friends. Michelle was indeed special, and he did have feelings for her. Exactly what those feelings were, he wasn't sure. Distancing himself from her wouldn't be easy, maybe even impossible.