Rejected Dragon Queen

What do you want?

Kaitlyn woke up in the dark room, shaking from the cold. She looked around, letting her sight adjust to the poor light coming through the small window. Cold sweat rolled down her back when she noticed it was equipped with bars. A few more seconds confirmed she was indeed in the cell. The walls were made of stone, and there was nothing more than her bed and a small iron table with a bawl on top, probably used to wash—a glimpse of luxury in this unfriendly place. The girl sat on the bed, stretching her stiff muscles.

Her bed was made from a few wooden planks, clearly created by someone lacking skills. There was no sign of a pillow or blanket Kaitlyn could use to keep her warm.

It was a cell at its finest.

She tried to focus on her last memories, which were like puzzles thrown off the table.

The girl remembered the wolves in the woods chasing her. Then someone called her name before everything went dark.

Now, she had to be at the house of whoever saved or captured her. Judging from the place she woke up, the capture was a more possible option.

- Elena? - She called her dragon.

~ I am here.~ Her beast replied immediately.

Kaitlyn sighed with relief.

- Where are we? - The girl asked, hoping Elena could be more aware of what happened.

~We were taken here after you passed out. ~ The dragon pointed the obvious, which only irritated Kaitlyn. She was aware of the current situation.

- Couldn't you do something? Like in the barn? - Kaitlyn said harshly.

~ Unfortunately, not. Then, the situation was different. Here, I had no time to react. There is not much I can do with someone unconscious. ~ Elena mimicked her tone.

- I am sorry. - Kaitlyn was not willing to fight with her dragon. Elena was the only one she had. - What happened next?

~ Nothing. ~ The dragon replied in an offended tone.

- I am really sorry. I should not get my frustration on you. - Kaitlyn apologized, and she felt her dragon's mood changing.

~ It is OK, little one. But I was telling the truth. You were taken here, that is all. I am as confused as you are.

- It looks like we ran from one trouble to another. - Kaitlyn declared, taking another look at their "room."

~ We shouldn't assume the worst. ~ Elena advised, but Kaitlyn just smirked.

- Let me disagree with you. Positive thinking and trust bring me only problems. I will stay negative if you do not mind.

~ Stay cautious. If this man would like to hurt us, he had enough time while we were helpless. ~ Elena replied, and the girl had to agree with her partially.

- Unless he works for my father. - She pointed out, and her dragon remained silent. That was enough to confirm that Elena had her doubts as well.

~ We are going to find out soon. Someone is coming. Get ready. ~ Elena warned her.

Kaitlyn jumped to her feet. Now, she could hear steps outside of her cell. If this man were working for her father, she would make him kill her. Kaitlyn's mother did all she could to keep her safe, which meant death was a better option.

The steps stopped before her door. Then she heard a metallic sound of the keys. It was not surprising since she was in a cell. Whoever put her here made sure Kaitlyn would not be able to run away.

It felt like ages before the door finally opened, and the man whom she saw for a brief moment came inside.

He wore the same cloak, keeping his face in the hood's shadow. His body seemed huge, but that could be the effect of his clothes.

Kaitlyn was watching him carefully, not sure how to react.

- I see you woke up already. - The girl twitched at the sound of his voice. It was the opposite of what she expected since it sounded friendly and warm.

Kaitlyn reminded quietly.

-I apologize for placing you here. I had to take the necessary precautions. - The man continued, unfazed by her silence.

- Precautions? - Kaitlyn finally spoke.

- After what I saw in the forest, there were many things I could expect from you. Here, you would not be able to do much damage. - The man replied, shrugging his arms. He was, in fact, huge.

- I was trying to save my life. - She replied dryly. - It was like an instinct.

- Hmmm... - That was the only reply to her statement.

- Is there something wrong with that? - Kaitlyn said, annoyed. She had enough of this strange conversation. This man locked her here and now tried to play innocent. She fell for that with her good-for-nothing brother. It was not going to work again.

- Releasing an untrained dragon in the middle of the woods is a simple recipe for disaster.

Kaitlyn's jaw nearly hit the floor. She could feel Elena was sharing her surprise, but she was also getting nervous.

This man clearly knew who she was, which could mean he was one of her father's people. It could only mean they were in real trouble.

Kaitlyn prepared herself, not precisely sure for what. This man spoke calmly about dragons, which meant he knew a lot about them. He looked relaxed; as much as she could say, that meant he did not see her as a threat.

- What are we going to do? - Kaitlyn asked her dragon.

~ In the worst-case scenario, we will improvise. ~ Elena replied, but there was not much confidence in her voice. She probably felt the same. Here, this man was in charge. They could only wait for his other move.

- Don't be afraid. - He said calmly, but Kaitlyn only chuckled.

- You locked me here, and now you are telling me to do not to be afraid?- That sounds like a bad joke.

- Like I said before, it was precautions. I can see you have no idea what you are doing. Don't get me wrong, it is entirely normal. It takes some time to unite with your dragon fully. It is not as easy as with the werewolves or other shifters. - The man chuckled, but Kaitlyn could not find the reason to share this feeling.

- You sound like an expert. - The girl said sarcastically.

- You could say that.

- I really enjoy this conversation, but it is not entirely fair that you know so much about me while I have no idea who you are. - Kaitlyn replied, and she could feel the man becoming embarrassed.

- I have to admit, you are straightforward, just like your mother. She always said what she thought, even if that meant trouble.

Kaitlyn watched him with an unchanged expression while there was a storm inside of her. This man knew her mother.

~ Do not get excited. It may be a trap. It looks like he was watching you. ~ Elena warned her, but that was unnecessary since Kaitlyn was not going to fall for such a low blow.

- My mother is always gentle. Harming others or causing trouble is not her thing. - The girl replied calmly.

The man before her burst into laughter.

- I am sure she is. I did not mean your werewolf mother. I meant Kaitlyn, your birth mother. In the woods, I thought it was her. It took me a while to understand my mistake.

The girl was taken aback by his words. She saw the picture of her parents; there was no doubt that she was a split image of her mother. How come this man could know that if he was not familiar with her mother? She had to find out the truth.

- I have heard we were similar. - She replied calmly. It was not a time to lose cold blood. - But those are only stories since I had no chance to meet her.

The man shook his head.

- Yes, that is very unfortunate. She loved you from the moment you were born.

Kaitlyn's heart clenched at those words, yet she would not let him play on her emotions.

- Truly unfortunate. May I ask who you are? We can talk like this all day. I want to know what you want from me. If you are going to keep me here to enjoy the small talk, I am sorry to disappoint you, but I have places to be. - Kaitlyn could not understand where her courage came from, but she was fed up with everything.

- Such as?- The man giggled again, and she only rolled her eyes.

- You seem well-informed, so you probably know why my mother left me in the pack.

- I know that very well. - The man replied quietly. He did not sound amused anymore. He slowly reached for his hood and pulled it back.

Kaitlyn was looking at him with an interest.

He had blue eyes, with sparks, and full lips. His hair was tied in a low ponytail. He could be around forty.

- I have lived here alone for so long that I sometimes forget my manners. My name is Cassius, and I am your uncle.

Kaitlyn felt like her legs could give up under her any time now. She sat back on the bed.

- Are you related to my mother?

Cassius gave her a look she could not understand. He stayed silent for a while.

- I am your father's brother.