Chapter 9
Michelle
Michelle awoke slightly confused. This wasn't her bed or her tiny bedroom. She was sore in the most private of places. Her memory came flooding back. Of course, she was sore. She had wantonly offered herself to Kelan and he had accepted. They had spent hours having magnificent, mind-blowing sex. Was she ashamed of her lustful behavior? Yes. Did she regret it? Absolutely not! For once in her life, she had given in to her urges and found herself in a dream come true. She felt the warmth of Kelan's affection right down to her soul. It was intoxicating. She stretched her muscles and looked around the room. This was Kelan's sanctuary. The bed was large, befitting Kelan's size. The color scheme was masculine: reds and grays. The gigantic television monitor on the wall had the capability of functioning as a communication device. He spoke to her from it sometimes during busy working hours. She wandered into the bathroom, washed her face, and combed her hair into a shining mass. Having no other choice, since she had no idea where the robe or t-shirt he had loaned her were, she borrowed one of his dress shirts from the closet. It hung to her knees, covering most of her.
Where was Kelan? Maybe he had gone to the office. Heaven knew it was probably in chaos. He had been absent for too long. She hoped he wasn't running from her. It was a possibility that he regretted their passionate night. A lot had changed during the last forty-eight hours. They needed to discuss it. What would happen now?
Searching for Kelan and the answers he could give her, Michelle meandered into the living area. The panoramic windows were open, and the city lay at their feet. It was an impressive sight. They were on top of the world, above the noise and confusion of the masses. She felt empowered.
Kelan came from the kitchen, coffee in one hand and his phone in the other. He was speaking harshly to Doug, his company manager. "Make the arrangements. I don't care how inadequate you feel. You can do this. It's good practice for later. No, they won't demand to meet face to face. Get it done." His eyes found Michelle standing in the sunlight, and darkened with lust. The dress shirt covered her from the neck to the knees, but the sunlight made the nude body underneath clearly visible. His mouth watered.
"Good morning,” Michelle greeted him. "How bad are things at the office?"
Kelan grinned. "It's noon, not morning. I guess you needed some extra sleep. The office is fine. I'm giving Doug more control. As manager, he should be taking responsibility for a lot of the meetings. I've controlled too much."
Michelle had blushed with his words. They brought back memories of why she required so much sleep. But she was concerned about his lack of interest in the company. He wasn't dressed for the office and seemed in no hurry to get dressed correctly. He wore black jeans and a white button-down shirt. His feet were clad in running shoes. Though he looked delicious, it wasn't his usual attire. "Aren't you going in to work? Doug should be more active; however, the clients prefer to speak to you. Route some of the calls here and I can do some work."
"Neither of us are working today. The company will survive. It could run on its own for weeks at a time. I built it that way. Doug has to learn to handle it. You know I have to leave. It's just a matter of time before people start seeking the dragon Jackson spoke of. Some may think he's crazy, but others will hunt me like the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot. I left claw marks in your yard. They'll use them as valid proof of my existence. I can't be found. My planet must remain a secret."
His announcement hit Michelle like a fist to her gut. He was leaving. Last night meant nothing to him. He could walk away without hesitation. The instant pain from his words was worse than anything Jackson had ever dealt out. It was a betrayal of a different kind. She had trusted him in every way, giving herself in a manner she hadn't thought possible. Why was he doing this? Michelle collapsed to the floor.
The agony he saw in Michelle's face tore at his soul. He picked her limp body off of the floor and sat down on the sofa with her in his lap. He confessed, "I know what you're thinking. You're wrong. Last night meant everything wonderful to me. I'll never forget it or find something that comes close to it again. I don't want to go. I would prefer to stay here with you forever. It's killing me to hurt you this way. I have no choice. Our happiness has to come a distant second to the lives of an entire species. I shouldn't have allowed our relationship to go past the friendship stage. I was warned not to get involved with humans. This is all my fault. I'm so sorry. Just know that I'm leaving most of my soul here with you."
"What about the company? Why did you build it if you knew you would eventually be leaving? You said you were here to benefit both planets. I don't understand. Help me,” Michelle begged.
"I needed Earth's remedy for nuclear destruction of the atmosphere and to make a weapon that would protect my planet in a war without harming its atmosphere. The quickest way to gain access to both was building Rankin World Defense. I have the remedy, and the weapon is in production. I'm giving it to Earth as well as my planet. You'll be protected during future wars and rich beyond imagination. You can do anything you wish. I'm leaving ownership of the company to you,” Kelan declared.
"I don't want it,” Michelle replied. "Without you, it's meaningless. Give it to Doug. I'll help him until I can't stand to be here anymore, then I'll go far away to hide from the pain of losing you. What I want is to be with you, not run your company. All the money in the world won't compensate for the lack of your arms around me. There has to be a solution."
"If there is, we'll find it together. Let's enjoy the time we do have, making more memories. We can start with getting you some clothes. Want to go shopping?"
"Not really, but I guess it's necessary." She wiped her tear stained face and dressed in the scrubs one more time. This couldn't be real. Her heart was breaking, and she had to find a way to be strong enough to let Kelan go.
Their shopping spree was tainted by the sorrow they tried to hide beneath sad smiles. Neither mentioned the discussion of leaving or the passion of the previous night. They pretended it was business as usual. At the first store, Michelle bought jeans, a sweater, and under things to wear as they wandered the city. She tossed the repulsive scrubs in the trash bin. From there, they visited every store within walking distance. Michelle bought an entire wardrobe and baggage to carry it in. She purchased cosmetics, lotions, and perfumes at a boutique, then locked herself in their bathroom to cover her bruises with it.
Emerging from the bathroom, she was close to being her old self. Kelan could barely tell she was still blue and yellow underneath the magical makeup.
They paused for a glass of wine at a sidewalk cafe. Kelan had stepped away to buy some flowers from a vendor when Michelle's shrill scream had him rushing back. A man with tattoos and piercings all over his body had her crushed against the side of the building. He was nose to nose with her and growling, "Give us the money he owes or we'll take it out in flesh. He promised us you would pay. You can't hide. We're everywhere."
Kelan grabbed the man by the neck of his shirt and threw him to the ground. Anger and heat emanated from him. He desperately tried to hang on to his human form. Far too many people would be witness to a transformation if he wasn't successful. Michelle's small hand landed on his shoulder, giving him the peace he required to hold back. The man scrambled to his feet and yelled, "You can't protect her every second. We'll find a way to reach her when you’re not paying attention. She'll pay Jackson's debts."
Kelan had a revelation. Michelle couldn't stay here unguarded. There was no one to protect her. She could live in his penthouse, but she couldn't remain a recluse. These men wouldn't give up, especially if she became owner of a multibillion-dollar company. Payback for Jackson's debts would turn into a constant threat against her for more money. She would never be safe on Earth. Michelle had to go with him to Talonia. She could be his mate. They would have their happily ever after. He just had to convince her to go, get her aboard the spaceship without arousing suspicion as to where she had disappeared, and face the fury of those on Talonia for exposing their planet to a human. All of it seemed impossible. He vowed to find a way.
In the safe haven of the penthouse, Kelan asked Michelle to sit down and listen to his idea. He made her promise to have an open mind. His suggestion was guaranteed to shock her. "The incident at the cafe made me aware of a complication. We have no way to know how many of Jackson's associates are out there. They will keep coming after you. If you pay them off, they will push you for more. It will be a never-ending cycle of terror. I would hunt them down one by one if I had more time, but even I might miss one or two. So, I've made a decision. I want you to come to Talonia with me. Be my mate. We can be happy together."
Michelle was stunned. She wanted nothing more than to be with Kelan forever. She loved him, of that she was sure. She was slowly coming to accept that he was a weredragon, though at times it still scared her. Like today, at the cafe, she had known he was close to losing control. Living on a planet full of weredragons was a freakishly terrifying idea. She would be the only human with no one who could share her feelings of loneliness. Leaving Earth would mean losing friends, the city she loved, oceans, mountains, the blue sky, and all the other things that she held dear in this world. Would her love for Kelan be enough to take the place of Earth? Could she even breathe on Talonia?
"I don't know if I can do that,” she answered. "It's incomprehensible to me. Earth is my home. I didn't know Talonia existed. I didn't know weredragons existed. This is crazy. Would it be allowed? Is this a dream or a nightmare? I'm confused and scared, Kelan. I don't know what to say."
"Don't answer tonight. Let it sink in first. When I was sent to Earth, I was nervous too. It helped that we knew a little about it. Earth hasn't been hiding from the rest of us. We've seen it change over many hundreds of years. Let me tell you about Talonia. It's larger than Earth. We are the second planet from a red sun. Our atmosphere is very similar to yours. That's why we knew your remedy for nuclear destruction could work for us. We have gravity, water, and oxygen. We've built cities. My home is much like this one, high in the sky. We like to dwell in the clouds. It's the dragon side of us. We have mountains, some volcanoes, and an ocean or two. There is fresh water in the thousands of waterfalls on our world. There's one right outside my windows. Its water is such a deep blue that at times it appears purple. Our soil is rich in nutrients and red in color. We have two seasons: spring and winter. You'll like our food, though you'll miss some of what you have here. I'll miss coffee, donuts, and pizza. I'll bring as much of your favorites as I can. Talonia is beautiful, just different,” Kelan explained.
"There aren't any other humans, are there? I'd be all alone among dragons. They would hate me for disturbing their world. They would fear I would find a way to expose them. Would I be safe?” she asked.
"We're not always in dragon form. Eighty percent of the time, I'll look exactly like I do now. They can't blame you for disturbing the planet. If anyone is to be blamed, it's me. I choose to bring the one I love to Talonia. I choose not to rip my soul apart by leaving you behind. I'll make them understand that you won't expose us. They will grow to care for you the same way I do. You're kind, intelligent, honest, and caring. How could they resist?” he replied.
Michelle went warm all over as he declared his love. This morning she had thought she was just a one-night stand. Now, Kelan was professing his love and risking his species by asking her to come to his world. Michelle didn't have a clue how to react. She couldn't imagine watching Earth disappear from view or living on a planet that had a red sun. No matter how beautiful Talonia was, it wouldn't be home. There wasn't a Starbucks on every corner, a shopping center down the street, or a personal assistant's job waiting for her to apply. She would need to dig deep for the courage to make a decision. If she stayed, she would have to live with the loss of Kelan, but she would have the company to keep her busy. If she left, she would have Kelan's love, but leave behind her job, her friends, and the only world she had ever known.
"Will you be patient with me?” she asked. "I can't make a decision yet. Please understand. I love you. I want you to remember that, no matter what I decide."
Kelan argued, "You're not safe here. I won't be here to protect you. Don't forget what it felt like when that man held you against the wall." He sighed and continued, "I'm sorry. That was an awful thing to say. Come with me. I'll show you this building's best-kept secret. My spaceship is here." He held out his hand, and she trustingly put hers in it.
