by Maia Starr
“Kellan, I would love nothing more than to stay here with you, but I am not the girl you want; trust me. I have things in my past that I am not proud of that seem to follow me, and I don’t want those things to overshadow you as well. I think it would be best if I left once I know that Danny is tired of looking for me.”
My heart dropped into my stomach as her hand dropped from mine and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I knew that her leaving might have been a possibility, but I had hoped that she would decide to stay. I thought that with what happened in the kitchen, she had leaned toward staying. I wondered what she could have done to make her think no one would want her if they knew about it. I knew I should leave her alone about it, but I couldn’t give up yet. I didn’t want my dragon to be in control of me, and I was going to fight it with everything I had. I decided I would talk to her again and give her the tree. With my sanity on the line, I knew it couldn’t hurt to try one more time.
“Amelia, there is nothing that you could have done in your past that would make me not want you here. Everyone has a past, and some are not so good. Does that mean that people should be denied love? I don’t think so. Please reconsider, Amelia. I have loved having you here, and I want you to continue to be here for as long as you want to.”
I watched as her eyes filled with tears and her lip trembled. She shook her head, rejecting everything I said. I felt my heart breaking a little more, but I continued my effort to change her mind. I knew she’d been hurt by many people in her life for her to close herself off like this. I wanted to show her she had no reason to be that way with me, but I knew I couldn’t if I kept my secret from her. I knew I had to tell her, but I didn’t know how. My fear of her rejection crippled me from telling her what she needed to know.
I grabbed her hand and led her to the back deck. I hoped that showing her the tree would make her reconsider staying with me. I covered her eyes as we neared the door and stood her directly in front of the tree. I uncovered her eyes and watched as a look of surprise crossed her face. Then the look of surprised faded and she started to cry. Horrified, I wrapped my arms around her until she pulled away from me.
“Kellan, this is beautiful, and it’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me, but I still can’t stay here with you. You deserve better than me. You really do.” I couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t give me the chance to decide what I deserved and what I didn’t. I followed her as she went back into the house. I was determined to make her see that I didn’t care about her past; I only cared about her. I just hoped that once she saw it, she would accept it and me.
Amelia
There he stood, the perfect man, practically begging me to be his, and I couldn’t do it. He deserved someone unsoiled, and that wasn’t me. I knew I would be better off staying here with him in the long run, but he didn’t deserve to be saddled with a kid that he didn’t help make. Let alone a hybrid wolf shifter kid. Kellan needed to know why I was going to leave, but I was afraid to tell him for fear of being kicked out before Danny was out of the picture. I didn’t want to use Kellan, but I needed to ensure I would be safe and the opportunity for Kellan to help get rid of Danny was one I couldn’t afford to blow. Not if I wanted the baby to be raised safe and sanely, or as remotely normal as I could possibly do. I knew that Danny getting bored was a longshot, but I could only hope. I was dreaming. Danny was never going to give up, and I needed to come to terms with that. The only way I was going to rid myself of him was for him to die, and I knew I couldn’t kill him. Kellan was my key to tying up that loose end.
I watched as Kellan wrestled the tree into the house and giggled as he feigned a back injury. I felt myself falling for him, and I knew that was stupid of me. I had quickly fallen for the guy Kellan had saved me from, and I knew I needed to take things slow, but there was something about Kellan that was different, and I was drawn to him. He looked at me with pleading eyes and I wanted to say yes, but it felt like there was a rock in my lower abdomen and I was reminded why I had to tell him no.
I avoided his gaze as we decorated the tree in silence. I wanted to ask him why he wanted me so much, but I kept my mouth shut. I noticed he was becoming frustrated and I knew I was the reason. I heard him sigh several times and I wondered if he was going to say anything about what was bothering him. I could tell he wanted to say something, but he stayed silent.
When the tree was almost finished, he dropped an empty ornament box on the floor and turned to look at me.
“Give me one good reason why you don’t think you should stay with me. If you can prove that I deserve better, I’ll let you leave once the wolf is dealt with and I won’t say another word.”
I didn’t know what to say to him. I didn’t want to tell my secret, but I knew I might need to so he would drop it and let me go. I didn’t want to hurt him, especially after he’d been so good to me, but he didn’t deserve my baggage.
“First, you cannot stop me from going. I’ll leave whenever I want to. Second, all I can tell you is that I know you deserve better, Kellan. I have way too much baggage, and you don’t deserve to be saddled with those responsibilities. They’re my problems, and they have nothing to do with you. I promise you that. You have been incredibly hospitable to me, and honestly, any woman would be lucky to call you hers but I’m not that wo—” I put my hand on his shoulder, and he shrugged it away before I could finish my statement.
“No, that’s not good enough. I don’t want any other woman, Amelia. I want you. Why is that so hard for you to grasp? And what’s so wrong with that? What thing could be so bad that you think you don’t deserve to be loved? What could you have done so ba—”
This was it; I had to tell him. I cut him off midsentence with a raise of my hand. “You want to know the thing that you don’t deserve to deal with? Okay, here it goes.” I struggled to hold back my tears. “I’m pregnant, Kellan! That wolf, Danny, he knocked me up. I found out just before the car accident. That’s why I decided to run away and why the wolves were chasing me. I didn’t want him influencing a precious life like that. I didn’t want to be a breeding whore for that wolf pack!” I stared at him as he took in what I said. From the look on his face, I knew he was going to kick me out. He clenched his jaw as he glared at me, and for a moment, I thought his eyes glowed blue. I shook my head and looked again but decided I was losing my mind. The silence continued for several minutes as I waited for him to say something. He stood in front of the decorated tree, pretending to arrange ornaments to avoid looking at me. “I told you it was bad. I told you that you wouldn’t want me. You do deserve better, and now I hope you see that.” I started to head for the hallway when he reached out and grabbed my hand pulling me to him.
“The only thing bad, Amelia, is that fact that you kept it from me so I couldn’t get you the care you need. What that wolf has done to you is not your fault, and I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that animal never hurts you again whether you stay with me or not.”
I felt my eyes well up with tears as he spoke. He spoke with such conviction, I knew he meant what he was telling me. For the first time in a long time, I felt safe. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him softly. I felt him smile as I pressed my lips to his and I used my tongue to part his lips. He eagerly parted his lips as I slid my tongue inside his mouth. The atmosphere changed around us, and I felt an electric charge that hadn’t been there moments before. I felt a hunger inside me, and I pushed him against the wall and kissed him passionately.
I started to run my hands over his body and slide under his shirt when a brick crashed through the window. I screamed as Kellan grabbed me and shielded me from the spray of broken glass. I felt Kellan trembling beneath my hands, and I felt myself filling with anger. I knew who had thrown the brick and I wasn’t going to let him get away with it. I pushed away from Kellan and ran for the door with Kellan yelling behind me. I flung the door open and stepped out on the porch.
“Danny! I know it’s you; might as well show yourself!
Don’t be a coward, Danny! You wanted me, well, here I am!” I held my breath as I waited to see if Danny would come out of the shadows. Just as I was about to turn and go back inside, Danny and two of his pack mates appeared. From behind me, I heard a low, guttural growl, and I raised my hand to stop him. Danny smiled an evil smile as he stepped toward the porch. I put my hand out and shook my head.
“That’s far enough, Danny. I am not coming with you no matter what you say. You are done controlling me. You tricked me into leaving with you that night and kidnapped me. You did things to me that no woman should ever endure, and yet, I’m still here. In a way, I am grateful that you did what you did. Your abuse had made me a stronger woman than I was before. The baby that grows inside me will never know your kind or the evil you possess. I suggest you boys get out of here and leave us alone. No matter what you do, I’ll never leave with you.”
I felt Kellan as he stood behind me and put his hands on my hips. His touch calmed my shaky nerves, and I felt more confident than I had before. We stood there staring at the wolf shifters as we waited for them to make a move or leave, and the longer we stood there, the more nervous I became. I had no idea how Kellan would take them if they shifted into wolf form. I didn’t want him to get hurt or worse defending me. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to him. I hoped that Danny would tire of the staring contest and leave, but it didn’t look like that was going to happen.
Just when I thought a fight was going to start between Kellan and the wolf shifters, Daryus came around the hut from the back, followed by Shiloh and a few others I hadn’t been introduced to. I had to hide a grin as Daryus stepped between them and the porch and crossed his arms in front of him.
“Is there a problem here, gentlemen? If so, my associates and I would love to be of assistance.” I smiled at the expressions on the guys’ faces as Daryus managed to make them move back and created distance between us. I rolled my eyes as Danny stepped forward. He had always tried to make a big deal out of everything, and I knew he was going to push the issue instead of leaving like I prayed he would. I thought I saw Shiloh grin as Danny flung his arms and screeched in a high-pitched voice.
“Yeah, there’s a problem here! Your dragon buddy over there laid claim to a woman that has already been claimed and is carrying my child. I want her back, and he won’t let me have her!”
I felt Kellan tense behind me as I wondered why Danny called him a dragon. I had seen no evidence in the hut, and I had never seen him shift. I wondered what kind of drugs Danny had gotten ahold of to think such nonsense. I was about to call him out on it when Kellan pushed past me, going down the steps and past Daryus. He stood in front of Danny and touched his toes to Danny’s.
“First of all, I haven’t claimed anyone; she needed a place to hide from you, so I helped her. Second, she decided she wanted to stay, and she told you she wasn’t leaving with you. I had nothing to do with it. Third, if you and your mangy mutt pack don’t get off my property, I am going to rip every one of your throats out and throw you to the sharks!”
I stood in awe of Kellan and the strength he possessed. I had never seen anyone stand up to Danny like that and survive for more than a few seconds. Danny leaned in closer to Kellan and said something in a low tone that I couldn’t hear. Kellan grinned and said something back, and the next thing I saw was Kellan on the ground as Danny punched him in the jaw.
“Kellan!” I screamed as Danny punched him a few more times before Daryus and the others were able to get him off Kellan. Kellan stood up, and Danny chose that moment to shift. Kellan walked toward the porch as Danny jumped after him.
“Kellan, look out!” I screamed just as Danny pushed Kellan to the ground with his front paws. Kellan quickly maneuvered himself, so he faced Danny and held Danny’s snout inches from his face. The others were occupied with Danny’s pack mates, so Kellan was on his own. Frantically, I looked for something I could use to knock Danny off him. I scanned the beach and saw a large piece of driftwood to the side of the porch. I kept an eye on Kellan as he continued to keep Danny at bay. Daryus and Shiloh had won their fights and were headed for Kellan when I grabbed the driftwood and snuck up behind Danny.
Just as Kellan’s arms started to give out, I lifted the wood over my head and brought it down hard over Danny’s head. He yelped and jumped off Kellan before he collapsed in the sand. I ran to Kellan and made sure he was okay. I helped him up as Daryus and the others gathered the other wolf shifters and threw them beside Danny. A few minutes later, the wolf shifters left the beach with their tails tucked between their legs, so to speak.
I knew it wasn’t over. I knew he’d be back, and he’d keep coming back until he was dead. I pushed thoughts of him aside as I hugged Kellan, thankful he made it through that alive. I watched as Daryus and the others eyed us suspiciously, and I knew I needed to ask Kellan what their problem was. We watched as they made their way down the beach and then we retreated into the safety of the hut. After we taped plastic over the broken window, we made dinner, and Kellan asked about my past.
“Tell me about your past, Amelia. I want to know so I can help you move beyond it.”
I didn’t want to submit to that request. Not at all. There were parts about my past that I didn’t want to acknowledge. Things I didn’t want to relive, but I knew that Kellan had a point. In order to get healthy and healed from the trauma, I had to come to terms with it. The one promising thing, the one thing that gave me a glimmer of hope, was that there was something different about Kellan. A welcoming and supportive spirit that made me feel safe talking to him. I didn’t quite understand it, but I hoped that one day I might have the chance to figure it out.
Chapter Five
Kellan
My mind and body were exhausted from the events of the evening, but I couldn’t make myself go to bed. I wanted to hear all about her, and she had started to open up to me. I cringed inwardly as I knew I should be honest with her, but I had finally convinced her to trust me, and I didn’t want to ruin that. I knew that not being honest wasn’t a good thing and I hated that I was being that way, but I was terrified for her to know about me. She had gone silent while she sipped her tea and I wondered what she was thinking. What happened couldn’t have been easy on her either, and I hoped the baby was okay.
Her voice roused me from my thoughts as she started talking about her childhood. She had suffered so much heartbreak as a child, and I felt compelled to embrace her and hold her until she stopped hurting, but I knew that was impossible. I knew I could be there for her, but she would have to heal on her own, and it seemed that talking to me about it was helping her. We talked until we couldn’t hold our eyes open any longer and we turned off the lights. As we made our way down the hall, she stopped me at my door and turned me to face her.
“What did Danny mean when he called you a dragon? Are you a dragon, Kellan? Is that why you have so many dragon books and paintings around the hut?”
There it was: the opportunity that I waited for. The window to let her know the truth. And I knew I needed to tell her but getting it out wasn’t as easy as I first thought it would be. I now understood why she felt so intimidated by the idea of telling me about her pregnancy. It was the fear of rejection and possible loss. I scrambled for something to say and came up with nothing. Then it hit me; I knew just what to say. I just hoped she believed me. She stood in front of me waiting for an answer, and I knew if I didn’t answer her soon, she wouldn’t believe what I said anyway.
“Oh, because we like to dragon hunt. One of the guys found what we believe to be a dragon skeleton, so we’ve tried to find more, and those guys have a history of trying to steal what we find, which hasn’t been much. Just a few fossils.” I felt horrible as I lied to her and I knew that now, when she did find out what I was, it was going to be much worse.
My fear of losing her kept me paralyzed, and I couldn’t make myself tell her the truth. She seemed to believe what I said, and we went to our rooms for the night. As exhausted a
s I was, I felt so guilty over what I had said that I couldn’t make myself go to sleep. I laid awake and stared at the ceiling as I thought about the consequences that would await me once the truth came out. I knew I couldn’t keep it a secret forever and I knew she’d hate me for lying to her. I laid awake for a few hours before I finally drifted into a fitful sleep.
I woke the next day and found Amelia out on the deck drinking a cup of coffee. I grabbed a cup and headed out to sit with her. As I sat beside her, I could see the sadness in her eyes, and I felt a yearning to be able to take her pain away. I knew that wasn’t possible, but I knew that I would if I could. We sat in silence and sipped our coffee for a while, and my mind ran wild with thoughts and fears of what might happen when she found out what I was. My thoughts were interrupted by a blood-curdling scream from one of the girls in the shop across the way from my hut. I set my cup on the table between our chairs and took off running. I heard Amelia yell after me, but I didn’t have time to stop. I needed to see what was happening. As leader of the clan, I had a responsibility to keep the people safe.
I reached the shop to find a crowd forming, and there were shouts and whispers all around me. I looked around and spotted Claire, one of the shop owners, as she came running over to me. She was crying hysterically, and I couldn’t understand what she wanted to tell me. She grabbed my arm and led me around the side of the shop past the crowd. Claire’s sister, Iris, had been mutilated and her throat slit from ear to ear. She had been relieved of her clothes and tied between two posts that were near the shop. A message had been written on the side of the shop in what I assumed was her blood. Once I read the message, I knew exactly who had done this. It read: You took mine; I take one of yours.
I stood staring at the wall of the shop when I was brought from my thoughts by a shrill scream. I turned to see Amelia standing in front of Iris’ body. I rushed to her and tried to pull her away, but she wouldn’t budge.