by J. S. Wilder
“Journey was closed down last month.” He pushed back the half-eaten pie. “This place is close behind.” His dark eyes saddened as he looked over at her. “Look, I know why you’re here. I wish I could help you and pay you more money, but I can’t. Bills are piling up around me. You’re a hard worker and deserve better. I’ll give you a letter of recommendation if you want to look around for another job.”
Her chest felt like someone looped chains around her and squeezed. She couldn’t take in a deep enough breath as spots danced before her eyes. Another job? She loved it here. And waitressing anywhere else meant that she would be starting over. “Wha—I can’t get another—I need to stay here.”
Who else would pay her for cleaning the place’s bathrooms? Or let her off for the evening so she could have time with her dad at the hospital? Or give her at least one weekend off a month so she could clean houses for extra money?
“You can stay as long as you like,” his voice caught, “but come a month or two at the most, Sal’s will be gone. Don’t tell the others. I’ll let George know tonight and the others tomorrow.”
“Please, isn’t there anything I can do?” Her fingers dug into the chair’s wooden seat. “I-I just need a loan to keep my father in the hospital for his treatment. Any day, a kidney match could be found. I-I’ll pay you back.” She could cancel her lease on her apartment and sleep here at night.
“No. I’m sorry.” He shook his head. “Believe me, I wish there was more I could do for you—for all of you.”
Numbly, she nodded. Her throat raw as she swallowed against the lump pressing along the sides. Yep, looked like she was going to have to go ahead with the surrogacy tomorrow. Unless she could find something else before tomorrow evening.
Chapter 6
Levx
Shedding his human skin, Levx revealed in the pain of transformation. All of his bones snapped, his muscles torqued nearly as worse torture he’d received briefly once when a hunting party of Tryns caught him before he charred his way out. Even his skin burned and shuddered while it ripped apart until his golden Renjerian scales shone underneath the moonlight.
He gasped for breath. Slowly, the blood pumped through his larger body, to finally, his wings. As many times as he’d changed from human to Renjerian and back, he never got used to the pain either caused. But in his true form, it felt like all the restraints were snapped off. He could be himself—and fly. That was one of the joys of being stuck here on earth. Back home, it was too dangerous with the Tryns to sail through the sky. Not unless he hid in the clouds or waited until dark. Well, he had to wait for the night here as well but he didn’t have to worry about poisoned spears shooting into his body.
No humans here believed in aliens—much less dragons—anymore. Through the ages, the humans’ history had shifted his peoples’ help against the Tryns to dragons being blood-thirsty monsters who burned down villages and ate virgins.
The wind whipped as he stretched out his wings on the rooftop. He launched himself off the building. Air currents swirling under him as he flapped his wings until he was well over the cities’ buildings.
Lights flickered below him. The smells of exhaust, concrete and steel filled his nostrils.
He soared across the land. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine that this was Renjer. That he and his people were free of the infestation of Tryns…that he didn’t have to worry about producing offspring. But his father’s punishments were severe. He often chained Levx’s brothers and him when they’d wanted to go out and fight their enemy. Losing his first-born son had caused their father to become overly protective of them. His hesitation in fighting the Tryns had cost them too many lives. And now the buggers had brought their generals—demons seven feet tall—and stronger than a horde of Tryns.
Too many lost and the Renjerians fled. Abandoned their planet to the monsters. Once he fulfilled his duty to have a babe, Levx would return home. Catch a bolt of lightning to transport him back, and he’d kill the monsters until either only he or they, remained.
Banking left, a shout rose from the alleyway. Had a human seen him? Blasted fire!
Then a woman’s scream rent the air. Someone was in trouble. He dove toward the sound.
On a dark side street, two men stood facing a woman. Her head thrown back, her arms locked at her sides, fists clenched.
She screamed again. The men slowly shuffled toward her, their hands raised.
Pride swelled in Levx. He would rescue her and she’d be grateful. Maybe even swoon. It would be like the times of old when humans and Renjerians worked together against the enemy.
But when he swooped lower, she spun around, her eyes not full of fear. Anger coursed through them and she looked right at him. A flash of emotions tangled across her features…shock, disbelief, and something else he couldn’t identify. The waitress from the diner!
Fool! He couldn’t allow humans to see him. What had he been thinking? Flapping his wings hard, he rose higher, still feeling her gaze on him. Once he was sure she couldn’t spot him, he flew to the apartment building his family owned. His chest heaving when he landed on the roof.
Why had he tried to play hero? Best case scenario was that no one would believe her and throw her in the special hospital for mental patients to live the rest of her life. Which wasn’t fair to her as she’d done nothing wrong. It was his moment of weakness and hoping to find praise among the humans.
He ground his teeth as he forced his Renjerian body back into his human one. Later he’d check on the woman. The one who’s soft brown eyes haunted him even now. She held an air of confidence along with sorrow. What had happened in her life to cause that? At the cafe, he’d wanted nothing more than to kick the other woman away from his table and invite the waitress to sit and talk with him.
Her voice had been kind and her smile charming. Unlike his surrogate candidate who every time she talked or touched him, it felt like barbs underneath his scales. But not the waitress. He closed his eyes, picturing her name tag. Megan. Did she know how lucky she was? The first human in hundreds of years to see him in his dragon form?
He snorted. More likely, she wanted to purge the memory from her mind. Or was she, now come to her senses, running and screaming? Did he really think that some female human would swoon at his true form and thank him for saving her? And she hadn’t even needed rescuing. She’d been yelling at the two men for some reason. Was one of them her mate…no, wait, what did humans say… husband, boyfriend?
With a snarl as jealousy spiked in his veins, he opened up the rooftop door and descended down the stairs to his apartment.
Enough of this silliness. Tomorrow I find my bride…the woman who will bare my babe so I may return to Renjer and kill as many bastard Tryns as I can.
Chapter 7
Megan
“Did you guys see that?” Megan stared at the empty sky unable to believe her eyes. A dragon? A freaking golden dragon had flown in the sky and it had looked right through her. She shivered, actually, it felt like it recognized her as if it viewed her down to her soul. No, couldn’t have been. Stress must be getting to her more than she thought or she needed to get her eyes checked. Maybe she needed glasses.
“Megan, look I know you’re upset about the cafe closing, but you’ll find other work.” Mitch held up his hands to placate her. “Is there someone I can call for you?”
“Yeah,” George added. “You need a valium or Xanax or something, Chica? I know a guy.”
“No, no, I’m fine.” Really, she wasn’t but she’d come out into the alley to vent her frustration, her life was falling apart and since she didn’t smoke or do drugs and getting drunk wasn’t an option since she had to work first thing in the morning, screaming in an empty alley made her feel a touch better. Then Mitch and George had come running, trying to soothe her once they realized no one was attacking her. Then the dragon had shown up. What would it have done if she’d been alone? Gobble her up? Is that what happens to missing people? Dragons?
Her breaths came o
ut in pants, her stomach clenching. Adrenaline pulsed through her, and she thought she was going to be sick.
“You sure, Megan, you don’t look so good.” George frowned.
Mitch pulled her into a hug. “I’m so sorry but I’ve tried to keep the place open as long as can. If there’s anything I can do for you…I feel like such an ass.”
“No, it’s okay.” She hugged him back. Mitch had been like her second father these few years she’d worked with him. “Just a stressful time for me right now. I don’t mean to burden either of you with my problems.”
Mitch let go of her and George patted her on the back. “Why don’t you take tomorrow off.”
“No, I can’t—”
“With pay,” Mitch added. “And I won’t take no for an answer. You need to rest and take time for yourself.”
“Really?” She needed to find another job pronto. “Thank you so much.”
“Wish I could do more.” Mitch tucked his hands in his pockets.
“This is more than plenty, thank you.” She didn’t have the heart to ask him for a loan. Her boss had his own debt and didn’t need hers to add to the mix.
“Go get some rest, girl,” George clicked his tongue. “I expect you bright and early after your whole day off.”
“Will do.” She nodded. Now all she had to do was job hunt the entire day tomorrow. Who knows, maybe she’ll find something early and can go spend more time with dad.
Megan sat down heavily on the wooden bench. Her feet and legs ached from going from interview to interview. Not to mention the tons of resumes she’d sent online or applications she applied for. So far, no luck.
Despair sat like an elephant on her chest. What if she didn’t find work in time? Tonight was the deadline—how the hell was she going to find work that fast—much less the money to pay what she already owed?
She’d tried everything. Cleaning houses and the cafe’s bathrooms. Working double shifts. She’d applied for every open job she could find from dog walking to babysitting to window washing even though she was petrified of heights.
What else was there? She wrapped her arms around her middle. Tears stung the back of her eyes as she blinked rapidly. Would the damn bus hurry up and get here?
This was ridiculous. She stood and strolled up the street where she could hail a cab to the hospital. Time with dad would help her and give her something to do besides wallow in her misery.
Her legs protested as she hiked up Main to the business district and a better chance of getting a cab. Her cell phone was out of battery anyway so she couldn’t even call up a ride.
An apartment building blocked out the sun for a moment as she walked. She placed her hand up to shield her eyes. Renjer Associates. Where had she heard that name before? They must own the apartments, which were high-dollar when she’d checked housing before finding her one-bedroom hovel.
Wait. That the name of the surrogate company. The receptionist at their office said someone would call her today but her phone hadn’t rung. Had the company researched her online and decided that a waitress wasn’t a good candidate?
But she had to try…again. It was already three o’clock and in a few hours, the hospital would transport her dad to the other, low-end hospital in town. Her throat closed. No. She would try this or she’d go insane with wondering what if. Hell, maybe she already was crazy since she saw a freaking dragon! And neither Mitch nor George had blinked.
“Okay,” she said with a sigh. “Here goes nothing.”
She switched direction to downtown stretch of the city. Half an hour later, she swallowed her fear that pricked her stomach as if she’d eaten a porcupine.
The receptionist was a young woman and Megan’s steps faltered at seeing her. She’d hoped it was going to be the elderly lady who helped her last night.
“May I help you?” the receptionist asked.
“Yes. I don’t have an appointment, but I was wondering if I could speak to someone at Renjer Associates about a job.”
“Renjer isn’t hiring but if you’d like to leave your resume, I’ll send it up.” The woman shuffled papers. Were those job applications and resumes for the surrogacy?
“I spoke with the receptionist late yesterday.” Megan leaned her forearm across the counter. “She took my number and said someone would get back with me.”
The receptionist cocked her head. “Oh? And did anyone contact you?”
“Well, no, but—”
“Sorry, but if they have your information, there’s nothing more I can do.”
Megan gritted her teeth, her fingernails digging into her palm. “Please…if you could just tell them…” Tell them what? That she was at the end of her rope and she’d do anything to save her father from having to be moved to another hospital? That she’d give him her kidney, part of her liver and bone marrow if it would heal him? Or that she needed thousands of dollars now?
Tears filled her eyes. She spun away from the counter, determined to at least speak to someone at Renjer, and marched to the private elevator bank behind the receptionist’s desk and pressed the button.
“Miss, you can’t go up there,” the receptionist screeched.
“If they don’t want my services, then they can tell me to my face.” Megan mashed the button again for good measure. Once she got in front of one of the bosses, she’d explain her situation. Maybe even off to be a surrogate for two years to get part of the money up front. Though, she still didn’t know how much Renjer paid. Cynthia said it was enough for her to quit her job at the factory but was that only while she was pregnant? Was it enough to cover someone’s income for a year or so?
“Security!”
But Megan ignored the receptionist’s cries. The elevator doors swung open and she marched inside. Just before the doors closed, a hand moved between the shutting elevator, stopping them. A man’s hand and Megan stiffened. Was it a security guard who would throw her out before she even had a chance to speak to anyone at Renjer?
The man stepped inside the elevator with her and her breath caught. She’d recognize his golden hair and eyes anywhere. It was the guy from the restaurant who had given her and Alice a huge tip. Her insides quivered. What was he doing here? Did he work for Renjer? Or was he a security guard?
He quirked an eyebrow at her. “We need to talk.”
Chapter 8
Levx
The waitress stared at him as if he had two dragon heads. Did she discern that it was him who had flown overhead? No, she couldn’t possibly know. Even if she had believed what she was seeing, no one else would. But what was she doing here at Renjer’s business?
“Seems like we keep bumping into each other,” he said, then cringed. As far as she knew, they’d only met at the diner—why did he think she’d remember him out of the dozens of people she waited on every day. Not like she knew he was a dragon who had come to rescue her.
Her eyes widened like she recognized him. “Oh hey, yeah, I guess.” She rubbed her arms and smiled. “What are you doing here?”
“Sir, I tried to stop her,” Sarah, the receptionist, wrung her hands.
He waved her off and punched in the access code that would take him and Megan up to the top floor where his office sat along with a handful of his brothers. “I work here.”
“At one of the firms?” Her brow furrowed and she bit her lip as though she were nervous.
The elevator dinged closed. Her scent of soap, hint of daisies, and her own personal aroma lingered in the confined space.
“Yes, my family owns Renjer Associates. Who are you here to see? Are you having legal issues?” Crishlk, he silently cursed, was he being too nosy? Or was she here for the baby contract?
His gaze shifted to her hand. No ring but surely she had a boyfriend. From what he understood about humans, few men would be okay with their woman carrying another man’s child. Especially if they knew the babe would be half-human and the woman’s biological child as well. So she couldn’t be here for the baby contract.
&n
bsp; Her cheeks colored a delightful shade of pink that highlighted a cluster of small freckles that his breath caught. “Y-you’re part of Renjer?”
He kept his voice neutral not knowing how she’d react. “Yes. I was on my way into the office to grab some files.” In reality, he was going to confront his father and tell him to…how did humans say it…fuck off. He didn’t care if his father banished him to an ice planet or ripped out his scales one-by-one but he was going to find a human incubator for his babe that wouldn’t mind raising a half-alien child when Levx disappeared to Renjer and fight his enemy.
“Oh.” Her cheeks reddened even more. “I-I had wanted to talk to someone from your company. About work, about a job here.”
“As far as I know, we’re not hiring.” Aside from the daytime receptionist they shared with other businesses in the building, everyone at his company was Renjerian. They wouldn’t like having a human who might overhear them discussing things.
Her face fell and she wrapped her arms around her middle. She appeared so distraught that he couldn’t stop himself from wanting to help her.
“Hey, why don’t you come up to my office? I’ll check the company’s inner website and see if maybe I was mistaken.”
She blinked hard but nodded. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”
The elevator door opened. “Follow me.” He led her down the hallway, passed his brothers’ offices. The idea of one of them trying to solicit her to have their baby made his skin heat like his dragon wanted to erupt from his skin and tear into them for even thinking about her at all. What was wrong with him?
He pulled the door to his office and she stepped inside. Under her breath, she let out a low whistle.
His sister, Desmonda, had decorated all their offices. Something he guessed by human standards she was really good at since they’d spent so many years hiding in caves instead of their castles once the Tryns outnumbered them. He suspected Desmonda did it as a way of relaxing after caring for three rambunctious Renjerians. Who, after their human transformations, weren’t any calmer or less adventurous. The other day, he caught them on the roof, hanging upside down on the ledge daring to see who could shift into their dragon form the fastest while falling. His sister had fallen asleep and not know they were even out of the apartment. Last he heard, she’d spoken with father about borrowing some of his chains to lock the boys up whenever she needed to sleep.
