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The first week was the most difficult, as Jen tried to adjust to life in a faraway place, with dragon shapeshifters all around her. She was okay most of the time as Jack was making an extra effort to make her feel at home and to show her how much he cared about her. His sister Jessie was also a huge help, her bubbly personality always cheering her up and making her forget about the reality of the situation.
Nevertheless, she was still quite determined to find a way to escape. Throughout the weeks that followed, she tried to blend in and get to know more of the others. As she did, her fear began to subside especially since they usually transformed into their dragon selves in the evening, during which she locked herself in her room.
She’d submitted her resignation letter at work through email, making up an excuse about a sudden health condition. She’d also kept in touch with her best friend Melissa, though, without letting her in on the actual truth. It was hard being vague but she’d simply asked her friend to trust her until it was the right time to reveal the truth.
One late afternoon, she was having tea with Jessie and a couple of other women on the patio by the garden.
“Billy is really, really hot...” the blondie said, pointing out the muscular man who just came from a swim at the lake.
“You mean really, really wet!” the brunette beside her said, giggling.
Everyone in the group laughed. Jessie whispered to Jen, “These young girls are totally boy-crazy so don’t mind them, okay...”
“No problem at all,” Jen whispered back. She was actually pleasantly shocked that she was getting along with most of them and even starting to have fun. Perhaps she was getting the hang of it already, living life in secret and being amid these dragon shapeshifters.
The man called Billy was crossing the field, dripping wet in just a pair of swimming shorts, when a taller man suddenly came forward and punched him on the face.
The women gasped as they watched the brawl between the two. In just a few seconds, the men let out bloodcurdling roars mixed with sounds of anguish and pain as they transformed into their dragon forms. They lashed out at one another with their clawed hands and sharp fangs while their enormous reptile-textured wings scratched and pounded against each other.
An alarm rang out somewhere. Jessie bared her sharp teeth and vicious tongue, her eyes now ablaze with seeming fire. She jumped from her seat without warning and charged onto the garden after the fighting dragons.
“Jessie, don’t!” one of the women cried out.
Jen clutched her chair tightly as she watched in alarm. She saw Jessie transform and join the skirmish.
Before Jessie could get seriously hurt, though, a familiar dragon arrived. He was bigger and more majestic, with his greenish brown skin reflecting the sunlight in daytime. Without any trouble, he separated the three and angrily threw them in various directions. The three dragons scrambled away and hid behind some thick trees and shrubs.
The huge dragon who’d come last stood in the center of the garden, his chest heaving. He walked slowly toward the group of women, his intense red eyes fixing on Jen whose face had paled. All of a sudden, the dragon’s eyes mellowed and turned back to their original gray color.
Jen knew it was Jack. She waited for his next move.
He seemed to calm down as he stared at her for a minute. Then after a while, he turned around and ran to the dense cluster of trees toward the back.
Jen’s heart was hammering wildly. She couldn’t believe she’d just witnessed an actual fight among dragons who were supposed to be family. She couldn’t believe that she’d seen Jack in his dragon form again, which she’d initially thought was a dream a few weeks back.
Something inside her stirred. She was even more confused than ever. Even though it should be clear to her now that she had to get out of there as soon as possible, greater confusion gripped her heart and mind. Her emotions were in turmoil.
That evening, the resident doctor checked on her again. He happily told her that the baby was well and healthy. The ultrasound showed that it was also a normal fetus, a little bigger than usual, but looked perfectly like a human being. Jen sighed in relief. Thank God it didn’t have wings yet.
“Jen...” a low male voice called to her from outside her bedroom door after the doctor had left.
She knew it was Jack. “Come in.”
Jack went in, looking quite regal even in just a pair of chinos and a white polo. He was truly handsome, although there was a worried look on his face.
“I’m sorry you had to witness that,” he gently said. He sat on the bed beside Jen who was lying down. She felt like a servant next to him, since she wasn’t made up at all and was ready to go to bed.
“It’s okay,” Jen lied. “You don’t have to apologize.”
“You want to go, don’t you?” Jack suddenly blurted out. “You want to leave me.”
“Sorry?” Jen said in surprise, her heart beating faster.
“I can tell, Jen. Despite all our efforts, you still don’t feel like you belong, like this could be your home too.” Slight anger flashed through his face, but he was apparently controlling his emotions.
Jen felt a bit scared. She didn’t want to trigger him to change into a dragon right then and there. She quickly reached out to touch his cheek. And to her astonishment, the simple gesture actually relaxed both of them.
“You have to understand that this is all still a lot for me to process,” Jen answered slowly and softly. “I do care about you, Jack, but I need more time.”
“I understand,” he replied, nodding. “I will wait no matter how long it takes. Just say you’ll stay and marry me after our baby is born.”
Jen hesitated. “Aren’t you just after the baby?” she asked. She couldn’t help asking. The past days she’d been thinking about it a lot.
“Of course not,” Jack quickly answered. He took her hands in his and kissed her on the lips. “I love you, Jen. Is that so difficult to believe? Whether there’s a baby or not, my feelings would remain the same.”
Jen simply nodded. “I need to rest now,” she whispered, closing her eyes.
“Rest well, my love,” Jack said. He gave her a peck on the cheek, stood up, and left the room. She felt his absence acutely.