by Leela Ash
“No,” Max said, looking sternly at Andrea. “We are going.”
She gazed at him for a moment before finally nodding. They walked together to the curb and Max hailed a cab. He gave the directions to the cabin and the driver looked at Max as if he were insane. But Max knew what he was doing. He knew what it would cost. But if he didn’t do it, there may never be another opportunity to show Andrea the truth in his words. And now the time crunch they were under was weighing upon Max heavily.
Andrea was quiet; the gauze in her mouth from her dental procedure prevented her from speaking much. In a way, Max was grateful for the silence. He felt guilty for his intentions. Still, whenever he looked over at his fated mate, he distinctly missed the sound of her voice and found himself wishing he could simply reach over and tap her to cure her of any pain or discomfort she might be experiencing. They had a sacred connection; both of them had dragon blood. They could heal each other; possibly in ways beyond their wildest dreams.
It took nearly an hour, but when they finally arrived at the cabin, Max paid the hefty fee and the driver sped away happily.
“Whe’ are we?” Andrea asked, glancing furtively around at the cover of trees that surrounded the cabin.
“We are somewhere safe,” Max said. “Come. We are going inside.”
He had been holding back some of his dominant nature, not wanting to scare the human off, but it was no longer something he could contain. The longer he was close to her, the more difficult it was for him to keep from expressing his true self. They were fated. If she couldn’t accept him as he was then what was the point of even doing this?
But she ultimately didn’t fight his statement, instead choosing to nod and follow Max down a long, winding path in the trees. Twilight would soon be coming, but for now, the sky was simply clouding over and becoming grey. It seemed to fit Max’s mood. There was a dark serious tone to the atmosphere. He was about to do something that went against his very nature. He was not very pleased with himself about it, but it was as it had to be.
“Is pweddy,” Andrea said as Max led her through the doorway of the cabin.
In truth, the cabin was beautiful. A glorious example of human architecture. All the dragon shifters who had seen it had agreed that if all human dwellings were this comfortable, they would enjoy the planet far more. They had even been tempted to set up their base here.
Unfortunately, after they had arrived in the town so suddenly and mysteriously, they had needed a viable cover. And six reclusive men living together in a small cabin in the woods was not something that most humans would easily accept. The rumors had already begun from the moment they’d arrived. In fact, it was surprising that Andrea hadn’t placed him as one of the strange and mysterious strangers that had been under such a close surveillance ever since their arrival.
However, he was relieved to know that she stayed out of such matters. He found that most people who had been keeping watch over Max and the others were relatively small-minded and nosey. They thought of the men as handsome and dangerous; as if they were, for some reason, there to take advantage of the people of the town.
But that was far from the truth. The men’s placement there had been random. They had been dumped by their home planet in an area of Brookside that had been nearly deserted, and the memories of anyone who had witnessed their materialization had been wiped of the memory. It was the only small mercy that the elders had performed during their ritual of banishment. At least it gave the shifters a chance to adjust to life outside their home world.
“I’m glad you like it,” Max said. He led her to the kitchen. “Are you thirsty or hungry? I could make you soup.”
“Yeah, bof.” Andrea looked around the apartment, holding the tender area of her cheek. It was beginning to swell, and Max eyed it. He could easily take that pain away if she was receptive to his truths. Maybe it would be the key in helping her understand.
“Okay. Do you have any preferences?” Max asked, motioning Andrea toward the kitchen where he was standing. “I have a lot of things.”
He had stocked the place up earlier that morning, knowing exactly what he was going to do. Now that she was here, he was glad he had. The dragon shifters didn’t require the same sort of sustenance as humans. They received a lot of vital life energy from the sun, though not enough to get by without any food at all. Max’s personal favorite way to get what he needed to get through the day was to carry bread around.
Andrea wandered to Max’s side and looked in the refrigerator curiously. It was fully stocked, and she gestured to some vegetables she liked. But since she couldn’t chew, she wandered to the pantry he had opened and peeked inside, then walked over to him with a can of soup in hand.
“You live here?” she asked.
“Yes,” Max lied. He felt guilty for it, and Andrea narrowed her eyes. She knew something was off. But she still trusted him. He hated himself for this. But it was the only way. “Let me get you some ice. For the swelling. You should go relax and I will make you a meal. Okay?”
Andrea nodded reluctantly. It was clear she was in pain from her dental procedure.
“’kay,” she mumbled, walking out of the kitchen. Max’s golden eyes followed her until she had settled on the couch. She clicked on the TV, frowning as she flipped through. It only got the basic channels; something that the dragon shifters had been disappointed about as well. TV was the main way they had learned how to interact in the human world. Without it, they would have been entirely lost.
He set to work cooking, and then brought the meal to the small table. “It is ready,” he said, cutting himself off just before he referred to her as human. Even if she was mostly human, she was still a descendant. And that was what he had to tell her.
“Thanks,” she said, holding her cheek tenderly as she got up from the couch and walked to the table.
Max studied Andrea as she ate, his features growing soft as he considered how to broach the subject of his true identity once again. The first time had been a terrible slip up. He hadn’t been able to help himself at all. He was ashamed of himself for it. And yet, he was glad that the subject had finally been brought up. He had to bring it up again. But, this time, if she didn’t agree, there was nothing he could do besides keep her with him until he was finally able to convince her that they were fated to be together. He saw no other option.
Max wouldn’t let his planet be hurt, even if that meant he harmed the trust the human was beginning to build toward him. It would be repaired. They were fated. But the issues that were obviously beginning to haunt his home world could not be fixed so easily. There was no telling what might happen if he didn’t take this seriously and do everything he possibly could right then and there. It was the only way.
12.
Andrea had been at Max’s house for about an hour, and still hadn’t been able to speak clearly. The dentist had been dealing with a problem tooth and now she felt pretty miserable.
Still, the meal that Max prepared smelled really good, even if it was just canned soup and more bread than she could ever eat in her life, even without any dental issues. She laughed inwardly as he sat down and helped himself to a baguette, then began sipping her soup quietly.
“Do you remember what I said before?” Max asked suddenly.
“Wha?” Andrea asked, frowning.
“About being a dragon shifter. And you being my fated mate.”
Of course, she hadn’t forgotten. In fact, it had nearly convinced her that going out with him again was a terrible idea. What if he was just some kind of whack job? And now she was in his deserted cabin far away from home and anyone who might notice she was missing. Except her mother; but her mother was in the hospital right now. Preparing to be discharged into Andrea’s care for her final days.
Andrea’s heart constricted in pain and then she turned her attention back to Max.
“Yes, I remember.”
She was speaking more clearly now that she had taken the gauze out of her mouth, though it
was still painful. She winced as she took another bite of soup, her stomach in knots. She had no idea what Max was about to confess to her, but she knew it couldn’t be good. Was he going to explain why he had said such an off the wall thing? Or was this foreboding conversation going to lead to something else entirely?
“How did it make you feel when I said that?” Max asked, carefully dancing around the subject.
Andrea shrugged. She didn’t want to tell him how it had made her feel. She had wanted to believe him. But it was such an unbelievable thing. It would show how naïve and invested she was in him to tell him that she trusted him enough to believe the impossible when it came out of his mouth. She knew better than to make herself so vulnerable.
“It was funny,” she said quietly, looking down at her soup. She didn’t want to tell him the truth. She wouldn’t.
But when she looked back up into his golden eyes, once again, she froze. It looked almost as if he could sense her lies whether she liked it or not. Something about him seemed so raw; so in tune with her. She had never experienced a connection like that with somebody else.
“It was funny?” Max asked, his eyes prying into hers. She felt uncomfortable. She felt as if he was able to see right through her and shifted uncomfortably.
“You were making a joke and I think it was a good joke. I like a man with a sense of humor.”
Maybe stroking his ego would stop him from looking at her like that. She could only hope.
“What if I told you that I wasn’t just joking. That I was entirely serious and everything that you are experiencing could be eased. Your pain.”
“What?” Andrea asked, letting her spoon fall into her bowl of soup. She eyed Max seriously, her heart drumming hard in her chest. She had believed him to a point. But what kind of a fool did that make her? It was all so impossible.
“I told you that I am a dragon shifter. And you are my fated mate. You are a descendent of my people. And the Lonis. Beautiful, creative souls whose calling is in teaching and in creating a more beautiful world for those who dwell in it. You are a sacred, incredible soul, and our union can create a great change in the universe. Provide magic to a world that is slowly beginning to crumble.”
Andrea scooted her chair backward, her heart thudding heavily in her chest. She got up and stumbled away from the table, unable to take her eyes off Max.
“That makes no sense,” she said, her voice hoarse and quiet. She didn’t want to hear anymore. None of it was logical. She didn’t want to believe that Max was actually insane. That he was so charming and charismatic that she had allowed herself to be lured into his web without a second thought.
“I assure you, it does,” Max said softly. “Don’t you feel it? I know you feel it.”
Andrea stared at Max. Sure, she felt something, but did she know for sure what that was? No. She had no idea what that could mean. In fact, it probably meant she was under a hell of a lot of stress and couldn’t think clearly enough to differentiate whether or not the man in front of her was insane and simply trying to get in her pants or if she truly trusted and believed what it was he was saying to her.
“I don’t know what I feel,” Andrea said. “But I do know reality from fiction. Max, what you’re telling me isn’t possible. We are humans. There isn’t even such a thing as a dragon shifter.”
“Why not?” Max asked, raising his brow at her. “You’ve heard of wolf shifters, haven’t you?”
Andrea was quiet for a moment. Yes, she had read several tabloids that spoke of the wolf shifters beginning to emerge in cities out west, but none of them had seemed genuine. They looked more like yellow journalism to her. Just another way to sell papers and ideas to people who wanted something strange to occupy their minds with. They couldn’t be real, could they?
“I’ve heard of them, but nobody knows whether they are real or not.”
“They know whether they are real or not,” Max said pointedly. “And they are. Just as I am a dragon shifter. Just as you have the same ancient ancestry in your genes. You may be a lost descendant of my world, but you have the most coveted bloodline imaginable. And you are meant to be my lover. Now and for all time.”
Andrea’s heart surged despite herself. She loved the way he said lover. She had never been with a man like Max. Her stomach dropped as she attempted to sort out the words he was saying. They made absolutely no sense. She rejected them with every fiber of her being. Her mind simply couldn’t wrap itself around the nonsense; there was no iota of logic present and she wished more than anything that she would be able to let the conversation go and return to the comfort of believing that Max was a bit of an oddball but otherwise normal. Otherwise mentally sound.
It was just her luck to fall for a man who had such an impossible to overlook quirk. In fact, he seemed like he was outright insane. It wasn’t fair.
“Max…” Andrea began backing slowly away from the table, her eyes darting around the cabin. “I know you believe what you are saying, and I am flattered that you think highly enough of me to include me in this idea, but there’s no way…” she trailed off, remembering her training. It was better not to deny someone’s true belief. Instead, she should try to validate him and get herself to safety. Still, she couldn’t help but be completely honest with this man. It was like a painful compulsion. He demanded her truth. He could tell when she was lying. She could feel it.
“What?” Max asked, frowning as she made her way further away from him.
“I really don’t feel comfortable with this concept,” she said, trying to be as careful with her words as possible. “I want you to understand that I really like you but maybe your truth and mine are a little bit different. Do you understand what I mean?”
“I guess so,” Max said. “But you must admit to me the truth. Your whole truth. Tell me you don’t feel anything, and I will let you go and never bring this up again. But you can’t. You know it is true. Some part of you does. I know it.”
Andrea shifted nervously under Max’s scrutinizing gaze. It was true. She couldn’t honestly say she disbelieved his words. No matter how insane they might sound, there was a tiny granule of hope within her that he was speaking the truth. No…more like a small part of her that believed him without a doubt. It was a dangerous part of her. Something she considered ill-advised and childish and naive. She had no intention of honoring it. It would only get her into trouble.
“Max, I think I would like to go home now,” Andrea said.
Max’s facial expression shifted from intent to something that was almost sad then to what appeared to be anger. Or maybe disappointment.
“I’m afraid you can’t do that,” he said with a heavy sigh. “Not until you know the truth. I can’t let this go. You know it’s true. Please, just tell me the truth. Tell me what you know.”
“I know that this is crazy,” Andrea said, panic welling in her chest. Her voice was rising as she continued the conversation with Max. What did he mean, she couldn’t go home? Of course, she could; all he had to do was call a cab. But if he wasn’t going to do that, then what was he thinking of doing?
A cold chill of fear consumed her, and her eyes darted to the end table of the couch, where she had left her phone. But before she could lunge for it, Max was already there, holding it in the air. He crushed it easily in his hand with a heavy sigh.
“I’m sorry, but that isn’t an option,” Max said, his voice low. Almost remorseful. “You have to stay here until you know the truth.”
“Max, seriously. Let me go. You’re committing a crime! This isn’t legal. If I want to leave, you should let me leave. If you respect me at all, you will let me have my freedom.”
“I wish it was that simple,” Max said softly, his golden eyes tender. It almost made Andrea feel bad for him until she remembered she was the one being more or less abducted.
“It is that simple,” she countered, helplessly looking at her broken phone. How was she going to get in touch with her mother now? Her mother was sick. She neede
d Andrea more than anyone else ever would. How could Max be so damn selfish right now?
“No,” Max said.
“Well, fine, then,” Andrea said, her voice reaching a fevered pitch. “Then I believe you. But that doesn’t change anything. I have to go home. My mother is very sick. She needs me.”
“You’re just saying that because you are afraid now,” Max said quietly. “I can’t leave until this is resolved. Until I know for sure that, this time, you will hear my words and accept them fully. You will reciprocate them.”
“Max, what you’re talking about is the fucking Stockholm syndrome. You can’t force someone to feel love for you that they don’t feel by keeping them captive. That isn’t real love. It’s fake.”
“What makes you think it’s fake? You already know that I am being genuine. You know it’s true. I don’t understand the issue here.”
Max stared at Andrea and she felt a surge of anger rise in her chest. Who was this man to try to tell her what she thought or felt? What she wanted more than anything else was to leave and go back to her apartment. She already wasn’t feeling well from her dentist’s appointment, and now this. That was just great. Not only that but her mother was expecting her for a visit soon. Who knew what might happen if she wasn’t there to help raise her mother’s morale? At this point, it was a waiting game, and if she gave up hope, it could be sooner rather than later that she lost the most important person in her life. Why couldn’t Max just understand that and let her go?
“The issue is that you are trying to keep me here against my will and that is all kinds of wrong!” Andrea retorted, anger hot in her voice. Max looked as if he had been wounded; he could tell she was pissed off. And for some reason, it affected him. But he had a stubborn frown on his face. He wasn’t going to budge from his stance. He wanted her to sincerely believe that his words were true and not just some fanciful delusion. How was she ever going to be able to do that?
“It is more wrong to deny the truth and put the lives of countless others in danger. I am sorry, I understand that this is going to be very difficult for you, but I must stand by my stance on this. I need to make sure I am doing everything in my power to create a better world. And you and I can contribute. But not until you understand. And unfortunately, I have to do everything I can to make sure that happens.”
