Oberon Dragon

by Sage Hunter

  When I finally got my bearings again, I could hear the human on the other side of the farm as she fed the animals and talk to them, her voice low and sweet. I had never encountered a creature who was quite so caring. It was strange, to be honest, and I found myself perplexed and curious to learn more about her.

  I usually did my best not to allow my acute shifter senses to impose on the way I communicated with others when I was on a foreign planet. However, in this instance, somehow, the human seemed far too compelling for me to ignore. I walked around the back of the house, listening to her as she worked. The animals clearly loved her, and she loved them back. Even if she was running this farm for a profit, she did it with everything she had. It was truly admirable, and I wanted to be a part of something so noble.

  However, feelings were very difficult when it came to the dragon shifters of my planet. Nobody openly expressed this kind of adoration toward one another. It would be considered a weakness, and we were never allowed to show ourselves in a negative light. Not only was it a socially unacceptable thing to do, but it was dangerous. Letting somebody know what made you vulnerable was a very fast way toward exploitation and dominance.

  And yet, for some reason, I found that the way this human conducted herself made those things seem like a strength in and of themselves. It was strange, and conflicting, couldn’t help but wonder what it was that made me so drawn to her actions. Suddenly, she let out a soft, forlorn sigh, and I found myself frowning, fighting the urge to run with all my might to the human. Was she in danger? Had something happened?

  But a sigh was just a sigh. It wasn’t a scream or a cry. She was simply overwhelmed. It was a feeling I knew well, and yet I couldn’t help but resent it coming from her. Why did I resent it? I didn’t want to see the human feeling vulnerable. I didn’t want to hear it. It made me feel angry that there was anything in this horrible world that could possibly make this human feel negatively. After the way she had presented herself to me, it seemed as if she would never hurt anybody else. In fact, she went out of her way to take the best care of everybody possible. Even if she didn’t know them. Even if they were from a completely different planet.

  No, I couldn’t let the evils of this world harm her. I would do just as I said, and I would make sure that whatever coils were playing her, they would be quickly eradicated. I had given her my word, and that was my bond. I was going to keep it, no matter what the cost.

  Chapter 8

  Jenny

  “So, what is your favorite food?” I asked, gazing at Oberon from across the kitchen table. He had been studying the newspaper, his face perplexed and fascinated. If he truly did have amnesia, then his reactions made quite a bit of sense. And yet, there was something so grounded about him that I found it a little bit hard to believe he wouldn’t understand the things he found in the newspaper.

  “My favorite food?” Oberon asked, frowning suddenly. He grew pensive and thoughtful, and cast his eyes back at the newspaper briefly before looking back at me. “I suppose my favorite food would have to be meat. I like meat. All kinds. And fruits and vegetables. Seeds and grains. All kinds of things.”

  “Do you like spicy food?” I asked. “You like salty or savory? What’s your favorite meal? I would like something specific. I want to go to the store and get something that I know you are going to enjoy eating. Everything that I have made you so far, you seem to be unsure about. Am I a bad cook?”

  I let the insecure question fall out of my mouth before I had the chance to stop it. It was embarrassing, to be letting somebody else in on my own insecurities, but I was honestly starting to feel very hurt by his rejection of my food. It wasn’t that he didn’t act like he liked it, it seemed as if he were confused about what he was tasting and having a hard time enjoying himself. . It was impossible for him to hide it from his face. He was perplexed, and probably disgusted. Maybe I was just making him the wrong things. But if he had amnesia, how would either of us ever know the difference?

  “I do not know how to describe my favorite meal,” he said finally. “However, perhaps I could come with you to the market. I can cook it for you, at least as closely as I can. Where I am from, things were done quite differently. It has nothing to do with the way you cook. It is just unfamiliar and strange. Most people in my community are adverse to change of any kind. And right now, I am undergoing quite a large change. I am very sorry if I have offended you in any way because of this.”

  I took in this information and then pursed my lips. If anybody saw me with this strange man, who knew what kind of rumors might start circulating about me? I wanted to believe that I was above any of this type of insecurity, but the truth is, I wanted to be respected by my community. Even though many people look down on me now because of my husband. A lot of people even wondered if I had been partially to blame for it, and wanted to treat me differently because of it. I hated people who were presumptuous and headstrong. But they were bound to be encountered anywhere.

  It was an unfortunate fact of life, but that was the way it was. If he wanted to pick out the food he wanted to eat, then I was going to let him. Nothing that anybody could tell me or say about it would change the fact that I was letting him stay in the farmhouse with me. And besides, most people probably wouldn’t even find out. Just because I lived in a pretty small town, it didn’t mean that the neighbors were friendly with each other. Even if they wanted to spread rumors, what good would it do when they didn’t faze me either way?

  It was a funny sense of power that I got, considering this, and I smiled broadly out at Oberon, who had been patiently awaiting my answer.

  “Yeah, let’s go to town together. We can find you some new clothes too. I’m sure you’re getting tired of wearing that.”

  “I have nothing to exchange for such goods,” he said, his face serious and perturbed by the thought of shopping for himself. “I do not mind wearing these clothes. It will not harm me to do so.”

  “Still, I think it would do you some good. Maybe you would feel better if you had something more comfortable to wear. Let’s do that. We can make a day of it tomorrow. How does that sound? Do you feel up to the trip?”

  The truth was that he had been moving around much better in the past couple of days, and I was starting to feel as if my concern for him was unfounded. He seems to remember quite a bit about where he had come from, and yet, when I pressed him for details, he was very private about it and wouldn’t tell me anything. It was extremely frustrating, but what else could I expect. He clearly was unwell. I should have called for proper help when I had the chance.

  “I would really love to get out of this place for a little while,” he said, so enthusiastically that it almost hurt my feelings. What was so wrong with hanging around my house? It was a big place, and there is a lot to do here. If he was really that eager for a change of scenery, I could help him find something to do. It would be nice to have someone mucking the barn with me.

  “All right then, that’s what we’re going to do. Maybe we can get you a doctor’s appointment. Just to have them check you out, make sure there is no lasting damage that was done. What the hell happened to you out there?”

  It was the first time I had dared to ask the question out loud, and he froze, frowning at me with his golden eyes full of apprehension. “I do not think I would like to talk about that right now,” he said quietly. “And I certainly would not like to speak with the doctor about any of this. That is the last thing I would like to do. Please, do not make me. If so, I will have to try to find shelter elsewhere.”

  “Are you on the run or something?” I asked. “Are there people after you? You can tell me. In fact, you should. You can tell me the truth. I’m allowing you to stay here, aren’t I? If you remember anything about what happened to you, I would really like to know. Maybe I can help you.”

  Oberon scoffed. “Human, you cannot help me with this particular problem. Even if you tried.”

  I raised a brow at him. There he went, acting as if he was some k
ind of alien or something. He seemed to do that quite a lot. “Maybe I could. You never know until you try to trust somebody. I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. At least, not anything I could stop.”

  He smiled sadly at me and shook his head. “You are right. I do owe you an explanation. And I do owe you the truth. But I would really prefer it if you would allow me to tell you those things on my own time. I am not quite ready to talk about it yet. In fact, there are a lot of things I still need to think about, especially before I begin to tell my story to you or to anybody else on this planet.”

  So he wasn’t alien? Or at least, a person who believes that he was an alien? This was all very confusing, and I had to try my hardest not to go off on him. He really should allow me to get him some medical help. I was becoming very concerned about the way he considered himself to be something other than human. That was a dangerous warning sign. Of what, I couldn’t be sure, considering I wasn’t a psychologist or a neurologist. And yet, the truth is, I still genuinely felt as if he had his bearings. It was hard for me to fully believe there was anything wrong with the way his mind was working.

  Was it because he seemed so sure of himself? Was it that he was strong, solid and dependable, and had a grasp of everything that was going on all at once? As silly as it sounded, I had the feeling that he was able to simply transcend the confines of the room we were in. The faraway look in his eyes seemed to demonstrate to me that he could see and feel things that were there, but beyond my own comprehension. It was peculiar, really, and maybe he had simply influenced my interpretation of him with all of his talk that implied he was from another planet.

  Whatever the reason was, I knew I had to do everything in my power to make sure he was mentally and physically sound. Even though I really wanted to believe he was. My beliefs, and the way he carried himself, were no indication of medical soundness. I wanted to know he had a clean bill of health. And that staying on my farm wasn’t going to cause him any more trouble than he was already in. That would be more than I could handle.

  “All right, I guess, but if anything happens to you, I really will never be able to forgive myself. I’m having a hard time understanding some of the things you say. It doesn’t seem very fair, but if you promise me that, in time, you will tell me the truth, I guess there is nothing else I can do to change your mind.”

  “Nothing will happen to me,” he said, letting out a short, deep laugh. “Do you always worry this much? Is this something that is normal for you and your kind?”

  What did he mean by my kind? I had a kind?

  But he didn’t seem to notice my agitation and continued to speak as if everything were great in the world. “I do not want you to concern yourself with my affairs. It isn’t because I am ashamed of them. It is because I need to know whether or not you will be able to understand me, fully and truly. I cannot allow myself to succumb to revealing any information that could endanger me or even you. I hope you will be able to trust in my judgment when it comes to this particular case. It would do us both a world of good if we could drop this matter and pay attention to things that are far more important.”

  I nodded. There were a lot of important things we needed to do. I didn’t know how I would be able to trick him into having his mental health evaluated, but if nothing else, I could at least get something more comfortable to wear. I felt horrible because every time I look to him, my eyes seemed to involuntarily wander the sculpted contours of his body. The man was built like a statue. I had never believed I would ever see such a creature in person. And yet, there he was. It seemed far more than I had ever dreamed possible.

  “Well, we will have this all sorted out in the morning,” I said. “But you go in and get some rest. I have to tend to the animals now. Maybe next week, you can start helping me with them. It is a lot of work for me to do on my own. And I have a lot of other things to deal with too. It would be nice to have an extra hand around here.”

  “Rest, rest, rest,” the man said, his handsome, chiseled face pulling into a childish pout. “All you ever want me to do is rest! Why can’t we ever have any fun?”

  I laughed, shaking my head despite myself. “There will be plenty of fun we can have when you are starting to feel like you have your strength back,” I said, raising my brow at him.

  A hot thrill electrified me as a dark flash came to Oberon’s golden eyes. It was almost as if he sensed the same deep longing within me that I had been trying to hide for so long. It was a ridiculous thing for me to have to deal with. And it was ridiculous that I was even questioning what it meant, and whether or not the feeling was mutual. Why would he ever be interested in me? Not only was I a widow, but I had nothing to my name.

  In fact, I was probably going to be killed before the year was out. That was hardly a good relationship prospect. Even if he had been interested in something purely physical, I wasn’t that much to look at. I was as plain as they come. All of my features were bland and typical, and there was no way anybody would ever find anything about me remarkable. The only man who had ever claimed to had turned out to be a total slime ball. I was never going to trust feelings like this again. They were completely irrational and only got me into trouble. Why would I invite that kind of madness upon myself? It was irresponsible and stupid.

  And yet, I couldn’t fight the strange jolt of intensity that was exchanged between us, and I found myself turning away, as my face flushed red. What was I doing? This was completely absurd. I had to get out of the house before anything became too complicated. I didn’t want to make any assumptions about what Oberon was feeling or thinking, and I certainly couldn’t trust whatever it was that my mind was trying to conjure up. Some fresh air would do me good.

  I ended up heading out to the barn, where I found comfort in the cows and chickens. There was plenty for me to do to keep myself busy, and I set to work on doing it. I had no other choice. Everything I was trying to deal with when it came to Oberon was completely insane. It would be wrong of me.

  I would be taking advantage of somebody who was in a vulnerable position. He was sick. He was injured. And he was clearly having some sort of mental breakdown or something like that. It wasn’t really for me to diagnose, I did have to admit that I found it very disconcerting. His words made me uncomfortable. And whether I believe them or not, some part of me truly wanted to validate his inventive imagination and unique way of speaking and experiencing the world around him. I couldn’t, in good faith, let myself explore these ridiculous temptations.

  What kind of an evil, selfish person would I be to take advantage of a poor man like this? It was wrong in every sense of the phrasing. I would just have to keep my mind focused and my thoughts pure. Then again, was there really any harm if I was just looking? He was so ridiculously handsome, it was impossible not to.

  Instead of letting my thoughts linger, I decided to throw myself into my work, and did everything within my power to distract myself from the inappropriate feelings that I was having for Oberon. It was extremely difficult for me to keep my focus at first, but soon, I fell into the steady rhythm of my usual routine, and became consumed with all the work I had to do in order to keep my farm running. It was my main source of income, and even if everybody and their mother was trying to steal it from me, to cover my stupid late husband, I was still going to do everything I could to make sure things were running smoothly.

  This was my home, and I had pride in that home. Whether anybody else respected and appreciated this place as much as I did, this was the land that meant everything to me. I would never leave. No matter what happened. And I would do whatever I could to protect it, at all costs. Even if that meant trying to find a way to face the terrifying men who were threatening my very existence.

  Chapter 9

  Oberon

  I woke up early, excited to face the new day. It promised to be an adventure. I was finally going to get myself out of this tiny, confining home, and out into the world. Even if that wasn’t very far away from the farm, at least it
would be something new. Something I had never experienced before.

  I doubted that I would be discovered as a dragon shifter, that maybe I would be able to find some clues as to what happened to my crew and our ship. I was extremely concerned about the well-being of my crewmembers, and found that it was a very pressing matter on my mind.

  And yet, I knew it would be very difficult for me to have any closure at all. Still, the promise of exploration brought new folks back to my mind. My goals became clear once again as I considered just what I would have to do to escape from the planet Earth and return home to my own kind.

  But thinking about this in such an enthusiastic and excited way gave me pause. For some reason, I felt a small, reluctant twinge in the pit of my stomach. Was this guilt? I couldn’t tell. Maybe I just didn’t want to leave the human. After all, I had already given her my word that I would stay and help her to defend herself against whatever dangers might be lurking around and waiting for her.

  I had never encountered such a being as Jenny before. Everything about her was so pure and genuine. I wanted to do whatever I could to protect that, and to allow it to thrive. No matter where we were in the universe, that kind of beauty was something rare, and to be held with the utmost reverence. I had to protect her. Even if that meant sacrificing the knowledge that had been so elusive to me since I had woken up in the desert.

  I could put my search for my crew on hold. Jenny’s safety, however, was an entirely different matter. I couldn’t live with myself knowing there was anything that may be lurking around to harm her. I was protected by nature. That was why I had been on the ship in the first place. It was my job to find my sacred purpose and to fulfill it. Every dragon had a sacred purpose. Each shifter was born with the knowledge that, one day, our sacred purpose would be revealed to us. Many of us believed that when we had been elected as the protectors of our planet, that this was our sacred purpose. And that was good enough.