David cracked his right eye open. When did he get into the bed? He shifted and his muscles tensed. He winced.  He blinked once and opened both his eyes.

Ms. Derek was leaning over him, with a damp cloth. David felt his heart fill with dread but he couldn't pinpoint why.

Noticing he was awake, Ms. Derek spoke. "I'm going to put this on your lip. You bit yourself pretty bad." She gently put the cloth on his lip. 

A shiver went down David's spine when the damp cloth touched his lip.

"Now, I'm not going to ask a great deal." She picked up his left hand and had him rest it on the cloth, to hold it there. "But, would you like to tell me what happened?" There it was again, that soft voice instead of anger. Did that mean Ms. Derek was angry?

David shifted on the bed. The straw poking his back felt more like sharp needles. "Growing pains?"

"If you're going to come up with a story, don't tell it like a question." She straightened herself. "I'm sure you understand why it would be notable that your blood isn't red." 

David glanced at her face. Ms. Derek normally showed so much emotion but it was gone now. David stared at the ceiling. "Yes." 

This was it, wasn't it? This was going to be the end of hiding with the humans. They knew he was a dragon now.

Ms. Derek winced at his response. "I'm... I don't know much, but your accent before... it wasn't from around here. Where are you from?" She met David's eyes. This was a question she had asked numerous times before. But now it was straight to the point instead of gently leading. She wouldn't let him ignore her this time. 

David swallowed. The cloth scratched the bite on his lip, and he winced. "I'm... You won't hurt me?" Humans are dangerous. David cringed hearing a piercing scream right in his ear.

Her eyes widened. Then her expression relaxed. "Of course not, my little child."

But she knew already. David continued staring at the ceiling. Ms. Derek knew he was a dragon already. He had golden blood after all. Did she really just want to hear him say it?

Aiden's voice reverberated in David's head like a headache. Stay away from the humans. All they've ever caused is pain. 

The humans are monsters.

David closed his eyes. "A dragon." The words barely formed outside of his mouth. The cloth weighed down his lips. 

Ms. Derek pulled the chair closer. "I didn't hear that." 

"A dragon." David forced the words out, squeezing his eyes tighter. "I'm a dragon." There. That was it. Maybe they'd kill him now. Was she happy now? Hearing him say it is what she wanted right? 

David winced hearing two screams consecutively. Why did they sound so close?

Ms. Derek studied him. "A dragon?" After a moment, she simply said, "Let me get the cloth." 

David opened his eyes. He looked to his adopted mother. Of all the answers he was expecting that wasn't one of them. Ms. Derek held her hand out. David lifted his hand, and let her pull the wet cloth away. David stared at the stain of golden blood on it.

"Mr. Derek is cooking the rest of supper. Do you think you'll be fit to eat something in an hour?" She wrapped the wet cloth in a dry towel.

David nodded, watching the movement of her hands.

She stopped at the doorway. Turning to look at David, she asked, "How old are you?" There it was again. A question he had heard before, but this time there was a hint that if he did not answer, he would be punished.

"629." The number felt wrong in his mouth.

She frowned but didn't say anything else. She just turned around and left the room, closing the door behind her. 

David tore his eyes away from the empty doorway and stared at the ceiling.

The Shape Shifters will always protect us. The Shape Shifters will always protect us. The Shape Shifters will...

David sat up, bringing his knees to his chest. He buried his face in the blanket. 

It was their fault he was here. This was all the Shape Shifters' fault. 

David realized he didn't know if Aiden had ever said why the humans were monsters... The Dereks wouldn't hurt David. He felt that in his bones. If they were going to, they would have done it while he was unconscious. 

David tried to imagine himself human. He tried to imagine being normal. He tried to imagine what his life should be like with the humans. David felt his skin start to crawl as it changed around him. 

His muscles tensed, but it didn't burn. It didn't feel like the world was ripping him in half.

When he opened his eyes, he reached a hand up to feel his lips. The slight pain that had been there before was gone. The bite was gone. 

There was a knot in his stomach. David's head spun for a moment. When it passed he pushed the blanket off and swung his legs over the bed. He slipped off the bed to stand.

When he tried to take a step his head reeled, and he fell backward. When he caught himself on the edge of the mattress, pins and needles shot up his arms. Managing to lower himself to the ground, he stretched his legs out.

His knees felt like they had been reattached wrong, and the pants hadn't changed with him. The hem barely went to his ankles anymore. He was so used to his scales changing with him...

David leaned his head back. He raised his hands to his face. A short laugh escaped his throat. He had changed. 

He took a couple of deep breaths. He was going to blend in. No one else would ever know who he was, what he was. That meant he was safe right?

He could change his age. 

Maybe all he had to do was break something first.