A dragon threw a blanket in his direction right before it flew away. Jack slumped to the ground beside the lake, back in his human form, partially covered with the blanket.
Jen rushed to his side as she carried a now awake Brennan. Surprisingly, though, the baby wasn’t crying.
“Oh, Jack, I’m so glad you’re okay…” she murmured, tears freely flowing down her cheeks. “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry…”
“Ssshhh…” Jack whispered, placing a finger on her lips. “You didn’t do anything wrong. That Billy should have been put in dragon jail a long time ago.”
“No, it’s my fault… I…” Jen began.
Jack shook his head, not allowing her to continue. Instead, he forced himself to sit up and give her a peck on the cheek. Then he leaned over to kiss baby Brennan too.
The sweet gesture broke Jen’s heart. She couldn’t say anything anymore, but just continued to weep.
*****
Jessie had volunteered to take care of Brennan, leaving Jen and Jack to talk. The party was over, and everyone had gone back to their homes.
Jack had a small injury on his side, but could move just fine. He’d already cleaned the wound, which surprisingly was healing very fast.
“Are you… okay…?” Jen asked him worriedly.
“I’m fine, don’t worry,” he insisted with a smile. “I actually heal faster than most dragon shifters.”
With wide eyes, Jen nodded in relief. “That’s good,” she whispered. Perhaps that was one of the special abilities of dragon kings.
He was now dressed in a casual shirt and a new pair of jeans. Despite the fact that he’d just come from a fight, he looked quite relaxed and happy.
For a short while, both of them stayed silent as they walked hand in hand across the garden. Jack tugged her around a huge wall of grass and flowers. She had never strolled toward that area before and therefore did not notice that there was actually a pathway behind the wall.
Jen was taken aback by the sight that greeted her. Behind the wall was an old, tiny cottage painted in white and surrounded by lush beds of flowers. It was dimly lit, but still looked homey and pretty.
“What a lovely cottage,” Jen breathed.
“This was my very first home, the one that my parents built…” Jack explained. “It’s got sentimental value so I kept it preserved. Sometimes when I want to just think and relax, I come here…”
In front of the house, he faced Jen and took her hands to his lips. Gazing into her hazelnut eyes, he whispered, “You are the one I want to build a new home with, Jen.”
Jen simply smiled, not knowing how to answer. She knew that he was going to lead the conversation toward the subject of their wedding again.
This time, though, he didn’t pursue it. He intertwined her fingers with his and led her into the well-kept cozy home.
Inside there was just a simple sofa and a carpet on the floor of the living room. But what made Jen’s heart ache was the framed photo that had been put up on the wall. It showed the two of them with little Brennan right after he’d been born. She never realized how beautiful a family she already had. It seemed as if love emanated from the picture. She’d been too blinded to see how blessed she actually was.
Slowly she went closer to the picture and touched it gently with her fingers. Then she faced Jack again and smiled through her tears. “Thank you, Jack,” she said in a cracked voice. “I’ve never thanked you enough… so thank you, thank you, thank you…”
He smiled back and leaned forward to kiss her, his arms circling her waist and bringing her closer. Immediately she felt her body temperature rise, warming her entire body and making her heart race.
She closed her eyes as she savored his gentle lips on hers. His soft kiss soon turned into a passionate one, and she responded eagerly. Their lips caressed one another, their tongues eventually pushing forward to meet and dance together in an erotic fashion.
Their breathing became raspy as their bodies pressed against each other. She wrapped her hands around his neck, bringing his face much closer while they kissed torridly. His hands began to stroke her back, moving downward to her buttocks.
As her fingers twisted in the strands of his hair, he undid the button of her jeans and tugged her pants down. They stopped kissing long enough for him to undress her and himself. She watched him almost breathlessly, admiring his muscular build and the hardness of his thick, long shaft which she yearned to feel again inside her.
He grabbed her in a forceful manner, which was both sexy and hot, before taking in each of her breasts in his mouth and sucking on her nipples. She moaned in pleasure as he continued. Then she felt his fingers moving onto her wetness and stroking the slit beneath the mass of hair. Eventually he reached inside with his fingers, giving her a pleasurable start.
She felt her wetness growing and the erotic sensations increasing. She was sweltering with amazing pleasure that was fast building up. She moaned louder, repeatedly, as he kept on alternating between stroking her inside and caressing the outer lips.
Quickly the sensations overtook her body, making her tremble all over. She groaned, breathing heavily, and embracing the sexual bliss that enveloped her.
Tugging at her hands, he sat on the couch and positioned her on top of him. She willingly straddled him and pushed herself downward, feeling his cock sliding into her and rubbing against her inner walls in a sensual manner.
Enfolded in intense desire, she moved herself up and down as he continued to kiss her neck and breasts. She screamed in delight as he even lifted his hips to thrust into her deeper every time she went downward.
She felt herself almost peaking again. But then, he paused for a while. With a burst of energy, he stood up carrying both of her legs around his hips and pushing her against the nearest wall. She let out a groan as he thrust into her deeply, pushing harder every time.
She held on tightly around his shoulders, her nails digging onto his skin as the intensified sensations filled her. He kept on going and going, breathing faster and moaning harder. Finally, he reached his climax, his mouth opening in an expression of immeasurable pleasure.
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 kno
w. 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 49 of 50
Heart of the Dragons
“Doctor Reinhart you’re just in time. We just got a hit and run and the other two vets are busy in surgeries at the moment. We won’t get Doctors Neil or Ryan in for another two hours since they drove out to Blue Farm to check on their goats.” I was barely through the door and already having to go into a surgery. Who would have thought working at a pet hospital would be just as busy as working in a regular emergency room?
“Okay, take me to our patient,” I told Suzan. She was one of our longest standing vet techs and great at her job, no matter how busy it got, she was never frazzled. Sometimes we poked fun at her, asking why she didn’t go into regular human medicine, goodness knows she was smart enough. But she loved animals and that was ultimately what kept us all here at the busiest pet hospital in Seattle. I made my way through the relatively tame waiting room, there was only about ten people waiting with their animals. I quickly hung up my things in the locker room and went back to see the poor Boston Terrier sedated on a table and being monitored by one of the other techs, Jackson.
“How’s she doing?” I asked and did a cursory glance, noting she most likely had a broken pelvis and displaced left hind leg.
“In pain, though we can’t give her much more sedative. We went ahead and took some x rays of her if you want to take a look,” Jackson walked over to the view box where the dog’s films were already set up. He flipped the light on and I nearly winced as I studied her scans.
“This doesn
’t look good…” I sighed. “Not only is her leg dislocated—her thigh bone is broken, and it looks like she has a sacroiliac fracture.” I took a deep breath and studied the next film. “It’ll be a long road for this girl that’s for sure. First, we have to get her realigned and set to heal, then stabilize the leg…”
“We can’t put it back in place until her hip heals right?” Jackson glanced at me curiously and I studied the fractures in her hip more closely.
“Well the socket is fine as well as her femoral head. We can put her leg back in place and insert a simple screw to get the bone healing. My concern is that we have to make sure her nerves haven’t been compromised before I go in with a lag screw to realign her pelvis and she’s heavily sedated right now,” my mind was working at a hundred miles per hour and I hadn’t even gotten my coffee yet for the morning.
“Put her in a crate for now, make sure she’s comfortable and run some fluids so we can get her alert. Do you know if she has an owner waiting out there?” I asked him.
“Uh yeah, she was chipped so we contacted the owner, he’s on the way. Dog’s name is Lacey by the way.” Jack turned off the light behind the viewer and went to go get Lacey set up in a bed.
Before retreating to the break room for a cup of coffee I checked on my overnight patients. I had an eleven-year-old cat with appendicitis and was scheduled for surgery, and four rescue puppies of the same litter with parvo that were being treated and monitored. After making sure they were alright I got my coffee and saw a couple of my patients from the waiting room, thankfully it was just routine checkups and a small eye infection.
“Doctor C, Lacey’s owner just arrived, and her sedatives have worn off if you’d like to get started now?” Jackson found me by the computers updating charts. I usually hid there to take breaks from the craziness as charts were usually a tech’s duty to update.
Pregnant to an Alien King Box Set Page 185