by J. S. Wilder
Without a word, he snatched her hand and led her out of the chamber down the corridor of caves.
“Too tight, you're hurting me.” Why was he reacting this way? This was the worst scenario she’d thought of…he wanted her out of his life…sorrow crushed her chest and she couldn’t breathe.
He loosened his hold, but didn't let go. They turned down tunnels so many times she lost count.
“Where are you taking me?” Her voice shook.
“I told you, to Desmonda.” He didn’t even look back at her and there was no love or desire in his gaze, just determination. “This is for your own good. You’ve got to get back to Earth…you can’t have the baby.”
Her heart turned to ice and she wrenched her arm free. “Wait—What?”
“You can’t have this baby, Isabelle.” His brow pinched and he turned ashen again. “Get rid of it. Then live your life and never think about me or this place again.”
“So you’re saying our night together meant nothing to you?” He had to be lying. Her gut opened up into a void that nothing would fill. She wrapped her arms around herself, but the gesture gave her no comfort as she stared at the pain in his eyes that hardened to granite.
“It was a one night stand, that’s all.” He shrugged, but wouldn’t meet her stare. “I’ve had lots of females before and never had any follow me here. If it was more than sex, I’d have returned, wouldn’t I have?”
A cry escaped her lips, and she pushed past him even though she didn’t know where in the hell she was going. Kohl called out her name behind her, but she refused to stop or look at him. Everything seemed grey and hard around her. The rocks of the cave closing in.
Backing up, she bumped into something and yelped. A silver backside of scales blocked her path.
“W-What’s this? A human in my lair?” the dragon grumbled. It turned its head which scraped along the sides of the cave wall to face her.
Isabelle scooted back, her body hitting someone behind her. Shit!
“What is the meaning of this?” the dragon in front of her roared and its hot breath scalded her skin as if she’d jumped into a hot steam shower.
“No one, Father.” Kohl shoved her to the side, away from the other dragon. “A human who stowed away and came here by mistake.”
“Oh? Then why is she here in our secret lair and why does she smell of Tryns…and you?”
Kohl scratched his cheek and rolled his eyes. “She saved me…brought me here. Or at least part of the way. Talk to Taurian if you have a problem since he’s the one who brought her here from the lake.”
The casualness that Kohl discussed her with his father numbed her. He really didn’t care for her. And she’d thought they might try having a future together.
“I sense,” the dragon sniffed, “embryos.”
What would Kohl’s father think about her children? Her body trembled in fear at the thought he’d share the same feelings as Kohl and want to terminate them. But why? Had Kohl’s mom spurned her child and he didn’t want that repeated? Or was it more than that?
“You scent my babies,” Desmonda said from behind them. “I’ve not yet told Araknon, so I’d appreciate you keeping my secret a bit longer.”
“That is the best news.” The old dragon smiled or at least Isabelle thought that’s what it did since it looked more like a tooth-filled sneer. “Now get this human out of here and back to her planet. I’ll not have another life on my hands when the Tryns return.”
Desmonda inclined her head. “I will see she is returned immediately.”
“Yeah, I’d like to get the hell out of here too.” Isabelle frowned as the hollowness she felt made her raw inside and she wanted to cry without any witnesses. How could she have thought Kohl even remembered her other than a one-night fuck-fest. Nausea churned inside her. Kohl was right, if he’d wanted to get to know her or even date her, he’d have come back. The fact that he didn’t spoke volumes.
“Isabelle—” Kohl said with such sorrow that she almost turned back.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of your one-night mistake.” Anger and sorrow drowned her, and she dashed away before he could see her tears.
* * *
Six hours later, Isabelle dragged herself into her elementary school classroom. She’d had zero sleep and it was Monday morning when Desmonda brought her back to Earth via a lightning bolt. The dragon had insisted on Isabelle taking a sedative for the journey. Since the memory of the demon throwing her out of his airlock was still in her mind, she agreed. When she came to, Desmonda was gone, and Isabelle was on her couch and her alarm to go to school was buzzing.
Tiredness clawed at her eyelids as she wrote out math problems on the board. The scent of the dry-erase markers made her choke. When the bell rang for recess, Isabelle fell into her chair and placed her head on her desk. Twenty minutes of free time. A nap would be awesome right now.
“Isabelle!” Julia bound into her classroom. “Where have you been? I’ve called and texted you since Friday and you never answered me back.”
She jerked upright. Damn, where was her cell phone? She had no idea. Hopefully, it was just at her house and not on a psycho alien spaceship or on Kohl’s planet. Would her insurance cover either of those scenarios? God, she was going crazy. It didn’t matter as long as she was away from him. “Sorry, I kind of lost it.”
Julia sat on the edge of her desk. “Are you okay? You look like crap.”
“Yeah. Feel like it too.” She ran a hand through her hair.
“What happened?”
Julia would never believe her if she told her. Hell, Isabelle couldn’t believe it herself, yet she’d lived it. But she had to tell her friend something and the sorrow weighing on her heart made it hard to breathe…or even eat.
“I found him…Kohl…the father.”
“That’s great, right?” Julia cocked her head. “Isn’t it? If he was a jerk I’m going to have a talk with him.” She crossed her arms.
“No.” Yes, but what did Isabelle expect? That they’d live as one happy family and do outings on his planet? “He, ah, he wants me to get rid—”
“Hold up,” Julia raised her hand, “he asked you to get an abortion? The lowdown scum! Well, it’s your body, so it’s your choice. I’ll help you, however I can and support whatever decision you take.”
That was just it. She’d no idea anymore. Before, she was shocked and terrified. Then she wanted the baby even though she knew her life would never be the same. Now though…now she felt raw and numb inside like someone had scooped her out.
Here she was single, no boyfriend, and carrying an alien’s child. Plus, there was more than one baby according to Desmonda.
What the hell was she going to do?
Chapter Twenty-Four
Kohl's heart hurt as if it had been raked with burning tongs until nothing remained. As protest, his body refused to shift into his dragon-form and he remained human. Probably because his wing had been torn and was healing. He tossed aside the larva delicacy with blood-wine sauce. The bowl rattled against the cave floor. Inside his chamber, he paced. Was Isabelle all right? Had she had the abortion yet? His human mother had died while giving birth to him and he wouldn't sentence Isabelle to that fate. As a human, she wouldn’t survive the ordeal. He couldn’t live with himself if that happened. Guilty paraded in his mind. This was all his fault. He had been stupid by having unprotected sex with her. And he’d not have his child grow up without a mother.
His chest tightened at the memory of Isabelle’s hurt and angry gaze when he insisted she leave and terminate the pregnancy. But was that the best thing for her? Let her hate him if it kept her alive. She'd move on...fall in love with a human...and not have to worry about an alien baby killing her. He clenched his fists until his nails bit into his palms. Fuck! Why couldn't he stop thinking about her? He wanted to rip any man who touched her to pieces.
Kurl strolled past the chamber and paused at the entrance at seeing Kohl pacing. “Heard you found your firep
ower.”
“Wha—yes. I guess I'm a late-bloomer.” His brothers had their ability as hatchlings. It had taken Isabelle in danger to bring that out of him.
“Symon and I didn't produce more than a smoke circle until puberty.” Kurl sat back on his haunches. “You were a baby then, so you don't remember.”
“Really? I never knew that.” Even after all the times his siblings teased him about not being able to make fire like them.
“But I sense something troubles you. Otherwise, you'd be celebrating and rubbing your fire in our faces, no?”
Kohl leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. Yeah, he'd have done all that in the past. And he was surprised his siblings didn't mock him about his human form. Maybe they sensed the melancholy rage boiling beneath the surface.
“Is it about the human female?” Kurl smiled.
“How did you know?” Silly question, his brother was always picking up on nuances.
“You've not eaten much since she left and your sleep is plagued with nightmares where you call out her name in your sleep.”
Kohl pushed off the wall and resumed pacing again. “Yeah well, it's not every day that I know my actions can cause an innocent to suffer and die.” Damn, why had he said anything?
“You are referring to your mother and birth?”
Tears pricked Kohl's eyes, but he tightened his jaw rather than let any fall and gave a curt nod.
“Speak with Father about what happened when you were born.”
“I know what happened,” He snapped. “I was born and she died. What more is there?”
“More than you’ve ever known.”
Kohl spun and faced his brother. “Then tell me!”
“It is not my place. Speak to Father about your woman. Your feelings and fear. Everything. Maybe when he sees that you care so deeply for this woman, he’ll finally tell you the whole story about your mother.”
What? Kohl pushed past his brother and stormed to his father's chamber. Since Isabelle’s visit, his father had him under guard so he couldn't return to Earth but at least he wasn't chained this time. Kohl had to know that Isabelle was okay and had gotten the abortion. Have one of his brother’s spy for him. Then perhaps, the unease in his gut would cease.
“Father,” he entered the king dragon's chambers, “I must know the truth about what happened with my mother. It’s important as the human woman who was here with me…her life depends on the truth.”
His father turned and faced him, glaring. “You come shouting at me in my chamber and make demands? Who is this human to you that you risk your honor and our people? You know the Tryns tracked her here and your brother Taurian still has not returned.”
“I do.” He straightened. “But I must go to Isabelle. Her life is in danger from—”
“Bah,” his father said. “All humans are mortal and in danger in one form or another. If they knew of us, they’d kill us on sight.”
“Isabelle is different.” Kohl tried to imagine his life without her and all he could see was loneliness and pain that rocked him so hard he nearly stumbled. “I love her. I have to know she’s okay.”
“No, it’s too risky to travel to other planets, especially Earth right now.” His father shook his head. “The enemy is at our doorstep and you want to abandon your family?”
“It would only be for a few days…and I could bring back more crystals.”
His father turned, a spray of fire shooting out his mouth that Kohl dodged by stepping aside. Even though he was a dragon, he wasn’t completely fire-proof in his human form. “I said no! Defy me again and I’ll have you locked up until this war is over.”
“I love her.” Kohl’s heart pounded at his words. He’d never believed it could happen as fast as it had with Isabelle, but it was nonetheless true.
“Find some other female to sate you.”
“No, Father. I love Isabelle. No one else will ever compare to her.” He marched forward. “And I will go to Earth to take care of her and what needs to be done. So you’ll have to kill me to keep me here.”
“I forbid you to leave.” His dragon eyes narrowed. “Walk away and you leave everything. Your heritage…your home…your family. Nothing will be yours except the clothes you now wear.”
What good was material things and even family if his love was hurt or dead? How he could’ve helped her yet stayed behind like a coward rather than tell her the truth about his feelings and why she had to terminate the pregnancy.
“Sorry, Father, but I have to do what’s right.” He turned toward the chamber’s exit and glanced over his shoulder. “Do what you must, but I’ll not bring another half-breed child into this world knowing that his or her birth killed their mother. Not when I can stop it. I love you, Father, but I cannot stay here among secrets. I’ll visit from Earth when I can, but wherever Isabelle is, if she’ll have me…then that’s where I belong.”
He left and strolled down the hall half-expecting his father to burst out of the chamber and shout for his brother’s to chain him.
“Wait, Kohl, wait,” his father whispered down the corridor. “Please.”
He halted. His father had never called him that before. It was always his full name of Kohlxchijr and never his nickname. His shoulders eased some, but he kept his guard up. Kohl had made a grave mistake with Isabelle and he prayed it wasn’t too late and that she’d forgive him. He had to see for himself that she was okay.
“I-I want to tell you the truth before you go.” His dad hung his head. “It wasn’t you who killed your mom. Not entirely. It was me.”
Kohl slumped against the wall, his butt hitting the floor as his legs gave way. “W-What?” All his life he’d been told about how his birth had killed his mother. Now after all this time his father was saying that wasn’t true. He’d lied? What else had he lied about?
“Me and your mother were very much in love.” He stared at the ground. “Mating was…difficult since I couldn’t transform. Each time we were together, I had to be so careful that I didn’t injure her. We thought that since she finally got pregnant with you that we could do a blood transfer and make her a dragon…shifter.”
Kohl swallowed. That was one of the forbidden laws. Put in place by their ancestors and punishable by death. His heart clenched and he couldn’t breathe.
“She wanted so much to be able to fly with me. Begged me to try the ritual. For months I refused.” He looked up at Kohl with tears streaming down his silver scales. “We thought it worked for a while. Her body started to morph. But then she started hemorrhaging, the bleeding wouldn’t stop. All the physicians couldn’t heal her. She died before you were born, and we had to cut you out. You were so small. So frail. I thought you’d die before the year.
“The doctors said carrying you was too hard on her. That it wasn’t just that I’d done the ritual. I’m sorry, my son. I thought the truth would hurt you more. And I worried that the same fate would befall you. That you’d fall in love with a human and perhaps the doctors were right and a human cannot carry a Renjerian baby. I’ll never know if it was the ritual or not that killed your mother. But I couldn’t risk you taking that chance as well. Couldn’t bear the thought of the only connection I have with my Liana would hate me for even taking the chance of turning her into a shifter.”
Kohl raked a hand through his hair as his mind wrapped around his father’s words. His emotions shifting from anger to pity. His father had lived with this secret and guilt for years. Kohl didn’t want to have mistakes weighing on his mind.
There was a possibility that Isabelle might not die from birth. That they could raise their child together. A father and a mother…a family like Kohl had always longed for.
“Please forgive me?” his father asked.
He didn’t agree with what his father had done, but understood why his father had hidden the truth from him and told him half-lies. “I’ll be back in a few days. Get as many weapons ready as you can and I’ll return with more crystals to power them. It’s not just
our world in danger anymore, the giant Tryns said they plan on concurring Earth next.”
His dad nodded. “Yes, I will do my best to have us ready. Go and save your Isabelle. I hope I will be able to get to know her in the future.”
Kohl gave his dad a hug, warmth slicing through his heart.
“Now go and save my daughter-in-law and your child.”
For the first time, Kohl and his father were working together against the enemy rather than running away. Kohl dashed through the cave’s labyrinth of tunnels, waving away his family who tried to ask him questions. He had to get to Isabelle before she had the abortion. Give her all the facts and together they could decide the fate of their child. Please don’t let me be too late.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Isabelle leaned back in her desk chair and laid aside the last graded paper. Even though it was early release day and nearly dinner time, she was still at the school. Julia had called in sick and Isabelle told the substitute teacher she'd grade both classes’ papers.
Everyone thought she was being nice and considerate, which she was, and normally would've offered to help in any way she could. But this week she had an ulterior motive...to keep as busy as possible so she wouldn't dwell on Kohl and what a jerk he’d been when she was on his planet nearly a week ago.
She pushed back from her desk with a grunt. Time to clean the whiteboards and erasers. The dust tickled her nose. Her plan was to work until she was exhausted, then devour a plate of chili cheese fries and collapse into bed. This weekend, she was going to organize her home from top to bottom. Dig out the curtains that needed hemming and get those put up too.
“Sorry, miss,” the janitor called from the doorway.
She jumped. “Oh, am I in your way?”
“We can do that bit there.” He nodded to the board. “Usually we do it on Fridays though.”
“No, it’s okay. Just needed to get some excess energy out.” She gave him a smile. “Can I finish up or do you need to clean in here now?”
