by Leela Ash
Andrea gaped at Max. “I don’t think I can do that. I don’t trust you anymore.”
Max looked as if he had been punched in the stomach.
“We will build that trust back in time. When you are ready to accept the truth for what it is.”
The conviction of his words was comforting at first, and then infuriating. He couldn’t dictate her future like this. What kind of tyrant was he?
“You have no right to keep me here like this!” Andrea exclaimed, running for the door. She was going to get home whether she had to walk to get there or not.
But Max was shockingly fast and intercepted the doorway.
“No,” he said, eyeing her sternly. “That isn’t going to happen. You already know I am more powerful than you are. I will not let you leave.”
He took out a padlock and locked the door. “The windows are barred. There is no way out. Not until you admit the truth. You must. There is no other way.”
And with that, he turned his back on her and let out a heavy sigh. “You are mine, and you will stay here and be mine. And that’s final.”
13.
Max had never felt guiltier in his life than he did when he saw Andrea’s crestfallen face. She was angry at him, but what was worse was that she felt betrayed. She had trusted him with her safety; with her autonomy. But now that he had made it clear that she was in no way going to maintain it, her feelings had reached a critical low, and her opinion of him had never been more negative.
It hurt him, to be truthful. He hated looking at her and seeing that anger overpowering her love for him. Even if it was too early for her to deem the feeling as love, it was there, and she couldn’t hide it or deny it to him. Not really. He knew better. And somewhere, deep down, so did she.
“It is time for lunch,” Max said, sighing heavily as he rapped on the bedroom door that Andrea was locked behind. He hadn’t thought to take the locks off the bedrooms. He couldn’t blame her for being upset. But it was a bit frustrating not to be able to speak with her.
There was silence from the room. She hadn’t been acknowledging him at all except to curse and rage at him, which he chose to take as a sign of the strong and courageous will of the woman he was meant to be with.
“Why won’t you let me go, Max?” she asked finally. “If you truly believed we were meant to be together, wouldn’t you want me to be happy? Wouldn’t you let me live my life?”
Max sighed. “It could be dangerous for you to go on living your life now that you know you are of dragon blood. Especially if you are not accepting of it.”
“What are you talking about?” Andrea asked, finally opening the door slightly to glare out at him with her bright blue eyes.
Max felt elated and stepped aside to allow her room to exit the bedroom. She did so reluctantly and followed him to the kitchen table, where he had prepared a lavish meal for the two of them.
“Once you are aware of your dragon ancestry, things begin to shift. No matter where you are in the universe, it is something that makes you feel a little bit strange at times. And it could get you into trouble.”
“I don’t understand,” Andrea said glumly. She reached across the table to take one of the bread rolls Max had placed upon it. She had been too stubborn to have dinner with him, but it was clear she was suffering for it now. At least she was eating something. It was better than nothing.
“Meeting your fated one and coming to accept what that might mean for you and your future is something that has been known to change things. Especially in a person with Loni blood running in their veins.”
“Loni?” Andrea asked, quirking her brow at him. It was clear she seemed to think he was simply telling her a fairy tale. And her patience for his fantasy was wearing thin. She wanted to leave. She hated what he was doing to her. And he knew exactly why. He hated himself for it too. But there hadn’t been any other option. Not only was it necessary for his people and world, but it was also important that he keep Andrea safe from anything that might happen outside the protection of a dragon shifter clan.
“The reason you are so special is because you are one of the lost descendants. A combination of Loni blood and Sun Dragon blood swims in your veins. And it is a very special combination indeed. The Lonis are beautiful souls; they weave the magic that helps our planet to go on thriving. It is something quiet and sacred and unspoken. It is not dissimilar to spirituality as I understand it to be on Earth. But the Loni are the center points of this. Their special gifts are what keeps the energies of life flowing smoothly on Fiora; my home world.”
“I really don’t understand any of this,” Andrea said miserably. She poked at the food Max had put on the plate in front of her. Frankly, he still hadn’t quite gotten the hang of human cuisine and it was obvious that his efforts at cooking this meal were highly unappreciated. Even if she had been on good terms with him, she probably wouldn’t have been very impressed with his efforts.
“It’s all right,” Max said quietly. “I will answer any questions you may have.”
“I don’t want to ask you any questions,” Andrea said, glaring at Max from over the table. “I don’t want an explanation for something that just seems stupid and fake and an excuse to keep a woman captive in a secluded cabin. I’m not going to have sex with you, you know. Not willingly. Especially not after this shit you’re pulling.”
“So, don’t ask me any questions,” Max said. “I’ll explain it all to you anyway, whether you want to ask me or not.”
Andrea sighed heavily but didn’t speak. She sat back in her chair and folded her arms over her chest, glaring, once again, at Max with that no-nonsense gleam in her eyes. It was clear she had no patience for him or his words right now. There was probably little he would be able to say to reach her when she was in a mood like this. But he was going to try, anyway. Because that was why she was there. The sooner she accepted her fate, the sooner she would be safe and be able to go about her life as she once had.
However, nothing would ever be the same. Not for either of them. And that was a terrifying concept. He couldn’t blame her for being reluctant to accept it. Even if she believed it, humans were taught, from an early age, to fear and condemn anything they couldn’t explain based upon their primitive understanding of mathematics and logic. Physics seemed to be more of a trap than it was a beautiful system to help them explain the world around them.
“I guess I should tell you what you might come to expect if you aren’t able to embrace your true nature. Things are going to be a little bit confusing. You may find yourself feeling things unlike anything you have ever experienced before, and it could lead you to become suspicious or paranoid about the people in your life. They may begin to seem like they are going to harm you or try to take something special away. And you may react irrationally in kind.”
Andrea quirked her brow. “Are you projecting or something?”
“Excuse me?” Max asked, confused. What did she mean by that?
“I mean, are you the one who is suspicious and paranoid, and you are trying to make yourself feel better about it by attributing those characteristics to me?”
The human was starting to get angry now and Max shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
“No. I just want you to be safe. This is a terrible burden you have now. It is for your own safety that I brought you here. If your powers begin to come out, they could hurt those you care about the most, or even harm you as well. It does not seem like something you need right now.”
“You have no concept whatsoever of what it might be that I need right now,” Andrea said, standing up from her chair and glaring boldly at Max. Her brilliant blue eyes flashed as she spoke. “I need you to be able to understand that what you are doing is not in my best interest and if you knew what was in my best interest, you would be letting me leave. I would be at home. I would be preparing to get my mother out of the hospital so that we can live out the rest of her days in peace. Don’t you think that is more important than buying into whatever de
lusion it is that you’re having about dragons and fairies and magic dust that keeps a planet, I have never even heard of, alive?”
Max was taken aback by Andrea’s words, and he gazed at her quietly in contemplation before speaking. He was proud of her for being so strong-willed, but that was part of the biggest problem now. She believed her own story far too much. She thought she knew everything that happened intimately without looking below the surface. She was so invested in what she thought she understood that her mind was completely closed off to all other possibilities. They seemed crazy to her. And the more he tried to convince her, the more insane she seemed to interpret it as. He had to show her somehow.
The only issue with that was that the magic of his dragon abilities rarely showed up on Earth. There was so little Loni magic in this place that it could be difficult for his kind to shapeshift into their dragon forms, let alone perform some of the most impressive dragonly tasks that set the Sun Dragons apart from the other dragon shifters. He could sense them on Earth somewhere; they were probably Ice Dragons. They were natural rivals, though not quite enemies. Dragons were very respectful of their own kind, even when their factions were changed.
Gavin had said there was a way, but to unlock it, Max didn’t know what he should do. It would be different, yes, but how different? The magic here wasn’t as easy. He would have to access his powers from somewhere deep within himself. That would take practice. And a wide-open space.
The Ice Dragons would have it easier than the Sun Dragons. There was plenty of ice on Earth to draw power from. But it was different with the sun. Sure, Earth had a sun, but it wasn’t the one on his own world; and it certainly wasn’t tied into the powerful magics that made the Loni people so powerful in his world.
“If you don’t believe me then I will show you,” Max said decidedly. He wasn’t quite sure how yet, but if that was the only way he would ever get Andrea to believe him, he would find a way. He already knew there was one. He just had to figure out how to tap into it. Maybe there was a totem that would help; the elders had bestowed each of them with one. He would have to try to harness its power the next time he was free to try without rousing suspicion from the other humans.
“Sure, you will,” she muttered, grabbing another bread roll from the table, and stalking to her bedroom.
Max winced when he heard the door slam shut and let out a deep breath. This human was not happy, and he couldn’t blame her for it at all. But everything was going to get better. He was going to find a way to demonstrate his powers to her, no matter what the cost. Then she would be able to walk safely on her own planet and finally embrace her destiny.
14.
It was four days before Andrea finally decided to spend the day outside of her bedroom. She was furious about the whole situation. And probably more angry and irritated that she still couldn’t fully allow herself to disbelieve Max’s words. There was something about him that was so damn genuine and sincere. She felt like she was the one doing something wrong when it came to denying his words. Some part of her responded deeply to him, and it was a part of herself she resented and would not be likely to forgive.
“What are you doing?” she asked when she went out to the open concept living room area and saw Max on the floor messing with the tv. He looked perplexed, his handsome face drawn into a serious frown. She hated how sexy he was, even when he was a ruthless, bull-headed abductor.
“I’m trying to fix this,” Max said, staring at the tv screen, his golden eyes flickering across the images on it.
“What’s wrong with it?” Andrea asked, stepping forward. There were two people on the screen, one older man and one middle aged, and they were having a serious conversation about law. “It’s working just fine.”
“Yeah, but I can’t figure out how to watch my movie,” Max said with an exasperated sigh.
“Movie?” Andrea asked, quirking her brow, and stepping forward.
Max nodded and held up a VHS recording of a movie Andrea hadn’t thought of in years. It was a dated romantic comedy, and she looked at Max in surprise, overwhelmed by a sudden warmth toward him. She pushed it away quickly, along with the small bubble of bemused laughter.
“You want to watch that?” Andrea asked incredulously, looking around the room and finally setting her eyes on the tv. She didn’t want Max to think she was laughing at him. For some reason, she still felt protective of him. It was probably just because it was more intelligent to stay on the good side of your captor. Who knew what might happen if she crossed him?
“Yes,” Max said, sighing, and setting the VHS tape down on the floor beside him. “There must be the mechanism somewhere…”
He reached into a tool box that was sitting on the floor beside him and grabbed a hammer. He rose it to strike and Andrea panicked.
“No!” she exclaimed, stepping in front of the tv. “That won’t help. What you need – your “mechanism” – is a VCR. And most places don’t have those anymore.”
“There was one here before,” Max said, sulking. “I guess Gavin must have taken it.”
“Who is Gavin?” Andrea asked. But Max had already moved on to a different subject.
“Do you like this movie?” he asked, getting to his feet, and depositing the hammer back in the tool box. Andrea felt relieved to know he wasn’t going to be smashing anything open today. If she was going to be stuck here with Max for an indefinite amount of time, then she would probably start to go a little bit insane if she couldn’t at least watch tv and get a little taste of the outside world.
And why didn’t the thought of staying here indefinitely bother her as much as it should? Why did she still kind of like him? He was keeping her from taking care of her mother. The time they had left was limited. She could have already died for all Drea knew. Why was this happening to her? It was so unfair.
Andrea turned her attention back to Max’s question; her softness now wavering with the memory of her mother and the gravity of the fact that Max was interfering greatly with her ability to take care of the one person she loved the most. No matter how handsome he was, it didn’t change the fact that all this was completely insane, and he was robbing her from precious moments she could be spending with her mortally ill mother.
“It’s okay,” she said, staring coolly at the case. It had an overly cheerful couple laughing on it; a handsome man and a pretty woman. The plot was pretty run of the mill as far as romantic comedies went, but the truth was that when she was younger she had been minorly obsessed with it for a little while.
“It’s my favorite,” Max said. “I wish I could watch it.”
“Maybe if we got the hell out of this cabin we could,” Andrea snapped, grateful that her tender feelings toward Max were hardening once again. Just because he was sweet and clueless didn’t excuse the way he was treating her. There was a huge fundamental lack of respect that was happening here. And Andrea couldn’t abide by it.
“You know I can’t do that. It isn’t safe for you.”
“I don’t know what you mean by safe,” Andrea snapped, glaring at him. When his smoldering golden eyes met hers, her heart began to hammer hard in her chest. Why was this man so damn magnetic? There was something about him that she responded to, even when she hated him. “I’m not safe right now! I’m stuck in a house with a man who isn’t going to let me go home. You’re a kidnapper, Max. That isn’t safe for me at all! I have no idea what you’re going to do to me!”
Max’s serious gaze held Andrea’s eyes.
“Yes, you do,” he said darkly. “You know I would never hurt you. And some part of you knows I am only doing this for your own good, and for the good of the people of my world. And if you aren’t going to cooperate, it will be a lot harder for us both.”
“My mother is dying, Max,” Andrea said, her voice cracking suddenly. Yes, she did know he wouldn’t hurt her. She felt safe around him from the moment they had met, and he had never done anything to harm her. If she could really trust her own feelings about him
then maybe none of this would be so difficult. But it was all so insane. How could she allow herself to buy into that load of rubbish?
“Andrea,” he said, his tone low and gentle. He moved toward her quickly, his strong hand touching her shoulder and guiding her to the couch. Her tears had already started to spill over and she curled into herself, her shoulders quaking.
“I need to be with my mother. I might have already missed my chance. She’s dying. I’m losing time with her.”
Max furrowed his brow thoughtfully.
“There is a dragon born connection,” he said quietly. “Physical pain can be healed when we are of the same blood. Maybe…”
“Max, stop!” Andrea said, suddenly furious. “You don’t get to feed me false hopes and weird stories. Not about this. I have to be able to accept my reality for what it is. And that’s hard enough already without thinking that maybe all this pain has been for nothing. Okay?”
Max’s face looked as if it had been stricken. But he nodded.
“I think I understand. But wouldn’t you like to know for yourself what is the reality here? Isn’t it better to have some hope than no hope at all?”
Andrea’s chest was tight, and she turned her eyes onto the man beside her. Or was he a man at all? Dragon shifter? That seemed ridiculous.
“No. Not when there is no hope and I will only be hurt in the end. My mother is all I have. All I have ever had. Do you understand how huge of an injustice it is for me to be missing these crucial last days of her life?”
Max sighed. “I could help. There is a 50% chance it will work.”
“I can’t believe that,” Andrea said, her eyes glittering with tears.
