by Jenna Payne
Both covered in sweat, they dropped to the floor still in a tight embrace.
*****
The sound of baby Brennan’s cry woke Jen up. Her eyes shot open, focusing on a familiar white ceiling. Quickly she sat up and that was when she saw that her baby was crying on the bed beside her.
As she took him in her arms, she noticed the familiar bed covers. Brennan was still crying loudly. Maybe he was hungry. She lifted her shirt to let him breastfeed, which he happily did. He latched on, and sucked her milk hungrily.
At that instant, she had the chance to recognize the room that she’d been living in before Jack had brought her to his home. She couldn’t believe it. She was actually back in her own house.
She tried to remember what had happened but could not recall anything about being transferred back to her house. The last thing she remembered was the beautiful lovemaking she’d shared with her beloved dragon shifter in that wonderful cottage.
“Oh, Jack…” she whispered in agony. “Did you return me here?”
When the baby was done, his eyes closed again. She lay him back on the bed. That was when she noticed the white envelope on top of the pillow. It had her name on it--- in Jack’s handwriting.
She quickly opened the envelope and took out the note he’d left for her.
My dearest Jen,
You will forever be dear to me. But I now know that you may never be fully happy living with someone like me. I can’t force you to marry me even though we have a baby now. I just want you to live your life joyfully and peacefully.
Do whatever you need to do to fulfill your dreams and build a good life for yourself and our son. I will have the bank contact you soon for my contribution for Brennan’s future. One of these days, I hope to be with my son again. But please don’t force yourself to allow this out of obligation. When you’re truly ready, I will know. I’ll be around.
I have finally accepted our fate. Thank you for being the best part of my life. I’ll forever be grateful.
I love you with all my heart, Jen. Be happy.
Jack
Jen’s hands trembled as she finished reading the letter. “Jack… Oh, Jack…” was all she could murmur while tears flowed from her eyes. “I love you too…”
That morning, when she’d finally calmed down, she called Melissa and asked her to come over. Her best friend, who had thought she’d moved to a faraway city for a sudden job offer about a year ago, was totally flabbergasted at her story. She did not leave anything out because she trusted her fully to keep it all a secret.
When her story was done, she cried again while Melissa comforted her. “Sshhh… It’s all going to be okay, Jen…” Melissa whispered.
“Oh, Mel! I was so, so stupid…” Jen wept. “And now he’s gone.”
“He did say he’ll be around, right? Maybe when he sees that you want him back, he’ll appear again.”
“When?” Jen asked as she lifted her head to face her friend. “When will I be able to see him again?! I tried contacting his phone but it can’t be reached anymore. I don’t even know where that place is located!”
She was becoming hysterical again so Mel did her best to calm her down. But when Brennan woke up, Jen automatically pushed away her own woes to attend to her child. She was, after all, a mother now. She needed to stay brave and strong for her baby boy.
And that was exactly what she did for the month that followed.
Little by little, she tried to pick up the pieces of her old life. With Mel’s help, she was able to start a home-based job as a lab consultant. She’d completely dropped her dreams of becoming a big name in the field of science. She had even erased all digital evidence of the dragon shifters’ existence and had also burned every piece of hard proof she’d collected over her year with the dragons.
One day, she’d just changed her baby’s diaper when her cellphone rang. The speaker mode automatically came on as she’d programmed it.
“Jen!!!” came her best friend’s shriek. “You won’t believe it!!!”
“What is it? Will you please calm down, Mel.”
“I can’t!” Mel screamed over the phone. “You’re now officially the ‘It’ girl of the industry!”
“What are you talking about?” Jen asked as she gently put on Brennan’s onesie.
“Check the Science Channel online now,” Mel demanded. She put the phone down and sent a link.
Jen tapped on the link through her smartphone. She waited impatiently for the website to load. When the page appeared with her picture and the headline Female Scientist Uncovers Evidence of Dragon Shifters in the 20th Century, she literally dropped her phone on the bed. Her hands flew to cover her mouth. “Oh, my God!” she whispered in shock and disbelief.
As her eyes scanned the article, she realized that someone had sent the documents to one of the biggest media networks in the city, pretending to be her. The detailed records showed photos and actual locations of some dragon shifter remains, which had already been checked and confirmed by top archaeologists and scientists. The report ended on a hanging note, stating that there was a huge possibility that dragon shifters are living within ordinary humans today.
All of a sudden, Jen’s email and social media notifications began blinking with endless messages from different people. The phone in the living room began ringing too. She checked out some of the online messages, which turned out to be reporters wanting to interview her. Holy shit.
She was still trying to process what was happening when the doorbell rang. Scooping little Brennan in her arms, she went to open the door and almost released the baby when she saw who it was.
“Hi,” he said calmly. “I’m looking for a famous scientist who recently uncovered the biggest discovery of the century.”
Jen’s mouth hung open. She couldn’t believe her eyes and found it even harder to believe that he was joking about what he’d just done.
“If you don’t let me in now,” he continued. “Soon the reporters will be here stepping on each other just to get to you…”
“Get in,” Jen said quickly, locking the door behind him.
Once the door was closed, he grinned at her and Brennan. “Actually, I’m not looking for a famous scientist. I’m just looking for my handsome son and his beautiful mother, the woman of my dreams… You see, I promised them I’d just be around when they’re ready to have me in their lives again. I just don’t know if they’re now willing to accept me, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed…”
“Oh, shut up, Jack!” Jen interrupted, laughing and crying at the same time. She felt both relieved and excited. “Oh, Jack, thank you so much for everything! You didn’t have to do what you did. I just wanted you back in my life and in Brennan’s life too.”
Jack embraced her then, careful not to squeeze the baby between them. They smiled at each other lovingly.
“I can’t take the credit for that documentation, Jack…” Jen started.
Jack held up his hand to stop her from saying anything else. “You deserve it, Jen. Besides, you did sort of discover us, you know… although I didn’t reveal our present existence. But in any case, everybody left there. They all moved to another country.”
“Without you? But… who would be their king?” Jen wondered.
Jack chuckled. “With Jessie as their queen, they won’t need me as their king anymore.”
Jen laughed in surprise and joy. “Wow, Jessie must have been happy and excited!”
Jack laughed too. “You bet. But she’s more excited about how our love story ends…”
“Oh, I think it’s just beginning!” Jen said without thinking.
Jack beamed at her. “I think so too…” He then planted a sweet kiss on her forehead and suddenly dropped to one knee. He took a tiny black velvet box from his pocket and opened it to reveal a sparkling diamond ring. “Miss Famous Scientist, my one and only Jen, will you do the honor of marrying me and spending the rest of our lives together with Brennan as one happy family?”
; Jen smiled widely through her tears. “Yes,” she whispered. “I’d love that.”
He placed the beautiful engagement ring on her finger, stood up, and held her and Brennan in a loving embrace. “I love you forever, my Famous Scientist.”
“And I love you too…” Jen answered softly, “… my Dragon Hero.”
THE END
Bonus Story 36 of 40
Untouchable
Talia
As I stared out of the train window, watching the world pass me by, I couldn’t help but wish that I was anywhere else in the world. The last thing I wanted to do was head home for the summer, but it seemed like I didn’t have any choice. After two years of avoiding my home town, of spending the school holidays anywhere but at home, I was having to go back there.
When my mom died after a long battle with cancer, I escaped. I couldn’t face anyone at home anymore, so I headed off to boarding school where I wouldn’t have to see anyone that knew me. Or mom. Ever since then, my dad had been begging me to come back, but up until now I’d managed to refuse. But now he was getting remarried, and I was going back to meet the woman that would go on to become my stepmom.
Marie.
I knew nothing about this woman, only that she’d moved to town a year or so after I left, and that she had a teenage son who was some kind of motorcycle rebel – another idiot to add to the cast of characters that was my new family. I’d have kept well away if I could have, but my dad had literally begged me to meet them, and I felt too guilty not to. I was growing a little disillusioned with my extremely rich, snobby boarding school friends anyway, so the only thing I was looking forward to was the chance to reconnect with some of my old friends. Hopefully they would still want me after I’d left in such a hurry. I hadn’t spoken to any of them in a very long time, but I hoped they would understand. We’d been friends since kindergarten. I prayed everything would be fine.
I sighed deeply as I stepped off the train, drinking in the familiar, but also strange, surroundings. It was weird being back in my home town, knowing that my whole life was about to change. I wasn’t quite ready for it, and I had no idea how I was going to handle what was to come. I could have used a much needed moment to catch my breath, but my father was already waving excitedly at me, with tears shining in his eyes.
“I know you told me to stay away,” he said, pulling me into a deep hug, “but I wanted to be here to pick you up.”
“Thanks dad,” I replied lamely, desperately wishing that he had listened to me.
“Come on,” he said. He took my bags from me, smiling a little too brightly for my liking. “Marie is in the car waiting to meet you.”
I tried to grin back, but my sinking heart was plastered all over my face.
The car drive home was painful. Marie was trying her best, but I had absolutely no intention of making it easy for her. Dad might need me to get along with this woman, but that didn’t matter to me. I hadn’t asked for this new family, I didn’t want it, and from what I’d observed there was no way it was going to last anyway. Marie was far too young for my dad, and my first impression was that they had nothing in common. I figured there was little point in me making an effort with someone who wasn’t going to be around for much longer anyway.
*****
Ricky
“For fuck’s sake,” I growled, looking down at my phone. “Assholes.”
“What’s going on, bro?” my friend Slick called out, as I angrily stubbed my cigarette out on the ground. “You look pissed.”
“Just my mom and her bullshit boyfriend,” I said, shaking my head sharply as a reply. “I have to go eat with them. His kid is coming home from boarding school or some shit.” I knew Norm’s child was a teenager – only a year younger than me – but I didn’t want the guys to know that. I had a reputation to uphold – playboy, bad boy, and general badass. If they knew I was spending so much time with some chick, they’d want to know why I wasn’t fucking her already.
Of course, I wouldn’t do that. I wanted to pry my mom away from that boring dick, not create a deeper bond with that family.
“So don’t go,” he replied as if it was obvious. “Ignore them.”
I’d love to have done what he said, but I wouldn’t. The truth was that despite everything I loved my mom and I would do anything for her.
“What and hang out with you sad sacks all evening?” I laughed, passing it off as a joke. “No thanks.”
“But we’re all going to the track later. Don’t you want to race?” This tugged at my heartstrings a little. I loved motorbike racing, especially at the local track. That was where I’d managed to build up my reputation – which was important since I’d moved here so late in my schooling career. It was where I’d become cool, and eventually something of a local celebrity. I was good on my bike – it was the one thing I did well, and I loved it.
“Maybe,” I shrugged, wanting to seem like I didn’t care one way or the other. “Might see you bastards later then.” And I swung around on my bike, heading towards home, my mind solely on how I was going to play my next move.
I’d been trying to split mom and Norm up for a while now, and was slowly chipping away at them. If I could get this girl to hate me too, then that would surely be a step in the right direction.
By the time I screeched my bike up into the driveway, I was all ready for her. I put on my worst attitude and stepped through the door.
However, what I was faced with wasn’t what I was expecting at all. Instead, the girl that spun around to face me as I stomped into the kitchen was the most beautiful girl that I’d ever laid my eyes on. She actually caused my heart to skip a beat – a sensation that I’d never had before. Not even with Cassie – the one girl I’d been with for any length of time. The only one I’d really consider an ex.
The first thing I noticed about her was her sparkling green eyes. Then I started to see her cute face, her dimples, her smile, and her full lips. As my eyes slowly scanned her, with my heart in disbelief, I drank in her long wavy red hair, her pale skin, her curves… she had the most rocking body I’d ever laid my eyes upon. I was turned on at the mere sight of her.
But then I forced myself to shake all of that away. I needed this girl to be a part of my game. I needed her to hate me. I couldn’t start liking her; that would only spell trouble.
No, I needed to remember my plan. I had to be horrible, that was the only way I was going to get what I wanted…
*****
Talia
Oh. My. God.
The second I laid my eyes upon him I felt my entire body turn to jelly. He sparked a reaction inside of me that I’d never experienced before. He was literally the hottest guy that I’d ever seen and I didn’t know what to do about it.
I stared like an idiot at him for far too long – drinking in his tall, muscular body, his deep brown eyes and his dark hair that was practically cut to his head. He was wearing leathers that screamed ‘bad boy’ and that I was also sure was hiding some pretty rocking abs.
“Ricky,” Marie finally appeared behind me, with her arms stretched to embrace her son. As my eyes flicked between them both, I couldn’t quite work out how she had a child that old – she must have had him when she was only a teenager. “This is Talia,” she finally announced, stepping backwards to reveal me once more. She was acting like we were friends, like I hadn’t just ignored her for the last hour or so, which put me on edge even more.
“H… Hi,” I stuttered, stretching out my hand to shake his, like the biggest dork ever. I cringed internally, but it was too late. The gesture was already made.
“Hi Talia,” he practically drooled, taking my hand in his. As soon as he touched me, I felt electricity coursing through my body, so I snatched my hand away quickly. Unfortunately he seemed to know exactly what was happening with me, because he gave me a knowing, satisfied smirk. “Well, you don’t look much like your father,” he laughed, shooting me a wink.
Marie tried to brush over the tension, as my heart thu
mped painfully against my chest. ““Come on. Dinner’s ready.”
I attempted to keep my eyes fixed firmly on my plate as I ate, not wanting to look at anyone, but my dad kept trying to drag me into conversation. On top of that, everything that Ricky said seemed to have a sexual undertone that no one else could pick up on. It was driving me crazy.
This guy might be seriously hot, but he was far too arrogant for my liking. My body might have been reacting to him, but my mind despised him already.
I escaped the table at the very first opportunity that I could. I shut the door behind me and took a deep breath. Ricky had sent me on a rollercoaster that I really didn’t like. There were tears that threatened to come at the prospect of having to spend a lot of time with these awful people, but I refused to let them fall. I couldn’t.
To distract myself, I grabbed hold of my phone and I dialed the number that I hadn’t called in a very long time. I needed to speak to a friendly voice, and I hoped that she would still have time for me. My best friend – Kira.
“Hello?” she answered quickly, as if she didn’t recognize the number.
“H… hi Kira,” I stammered. “It’s me, Talia.”
“Oh my god,” she squealed excitedly, much to my relief. “Talia, how are you? Are you okay? It’s been so long!”
“I know, I’m sorry.” I hung my head in shame as I realized just how much I’d neglected my friends. I’d been through a terrible time, but nevertheless my behavior was inexcusable. “I shouldn’t have gone off the radar like that.”
“Oh that doesn’t matter,” she said. “You have missed out on a lot, though. What are you up to tonight?”
“Oh, erm…” I hadn’t expected her to want to see me so soon. “I’m not sure…” In reality, I was exhausted, not necessarily in the mood for going out.
