Savage Dragon
Earth Dragons Series: Book 2
Charlene Hartnady
Copyright © April 2019, Charlene Hartnady
Cover Art by Melody Simmons
Copy Edited by KR
Proofread by [email protected]
Produced in South Africa
[email protected]
Savage Dragon is a work of fiction and characters, events and dialogue found within are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, either living or deceased, is purely coincidental.
With the exception of quotes used in reviews no part of this book may be reproduced or shared in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including but not limited to digital copying, file sharing, audio recording, email and printing without prior consent in writing from the author.
Created with Vellum
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
About the Author
Also by Charlene Hartnady
Excerpt
Chapter 1
Demi had the same dream every night. She dreamed about the day her sister died. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t been there when it happened. She still dreamed about it. Still lived it. Breathed it.
It was always the same dream. Terrifying and real. It was like she was actually sitting on the back seat of the car…like a ghost. Silent and unseen, unable to communicate, or to intervene. It didn’t matter how hard she tried. How loud she screamed. It didn’t work. The terrible events would keep unfolding. Keep playing out anyway.
Her sister’s soon-to-be mate, Cody, was behind the wheel of the vehicle. His shoulders were relaxed, his hair glinted in the sun. He turned up the radio a little, grinning at her sister who smiled back. It was so real, so incredibly vivid. She could see the love shining in her sister’s eyes. Demi couldn’t hear what was playing through the speakers. Couldn’t hear anything. She could only see. The tarred road stretched far ahead of them. She could see the mountains and how the road curved upwards.
She could see her sister. Her dark hair, long and thick. Her wide smile and bright eyes. Now Brie was laughing at something Cody was saying. So happy. So carefree. So utterly oblivious.
Demi closed her fists to keep from trying to reach out and touch her. She wanted to shake Cody. To try to let them know she was there. More than anything she wanted to warn them…but it wouldn’t work. Any attempts would be futile. She’d tried countless times. She clenched her teeth to keep herself from screaming. If only they could hear her. She’d tell Cody to pull over. She’d tell him to stop the car. Most of all, she’d tell him to keep his eyes on the road.
Brie loved going into Sweetwater. She loved going shopping and eating at the restaurants. Her older sister was the strangest wolf shifter Demi had ever met. She preferred the town to the forest, and nice dresses to her fur. She preferred fancy restaurant food to cooking on an open fire. It was how she was wired. Different. Demi loved Brie for it.
Cody liked to indulge his female and so there they were, on their way back from one of their excursions. Joking and laughing. Cody’s eyes straying from the road more and more often and for longer each time. They were headed deeper into the country. Maybe that’s why he was less observant. She didn’t like to use the word ‘careless’. Didn’t like to think negatively about the male, since he already beat himself up, doing a better job than anyone else could.
Brie put her hand on his jean-clad thigh and squeezed. Demi felt her heart beat faster. She could actually hear it pounding. Like the thing had migrated to her head. Her mouth felt dry. It tasted funny. She’d come to recognize it as fear. Intense. Extreme. Useless, like the adrenaline that coursed through her, all because there was nothing she could do.
Cody looked at Brie, his eyes softening, a smile toying with the edges of his mouth. He winked.
Demi felt tears building behind her eyes. Her throat hurt from not screaming. From holding it back. Her heart pounded even faster. Thumping like mad between her temples. So loud.
There wasn’t much road left before the bend. The one that would take them up into the mountains. Cody looked straight ahead, this time he was laughing at something Brie had just said. They made the turn and then the next, winding their way up and up.
Her nerves were on edge. Although she gulped in air, she struggled to breathe. There was more laughing. More joking. They made such a stunning couple. The perfect couple. Everyone said so. They still did. The perfect couple destined to be together forever, only fate had different ideas.
“No,” Demi whispered. “Please,” she added, as she noticed how close they were to the next bend. It was the bend.
Neither of them heard her warning. Brie leaned over to Cody, her gaze sultry. She said something that made Cody give a half-smile. A special smile. One he only ever gave to Brie.
“Don’t!” the word slipped out. She couldn’t help it.
Cody began to turn the wheel as they neared the bend, his eyes moving from the road to Brie and back again. They were nearly through the turn when Cody caught Brie’s lips with his. A quick brush which lasted all of two seconds. Two seconds too long.
On a normal day, it would have been absolutely fine. He had negotiated this road so many times. He said he knew it like the back of his hand. Said those words so many times since that day, she could actually hear them now. That and the pounding of her heart. Loud now. Thumping like a drum.
The couple in front of her were pulling back from their kiss. Demi could see the car coming at them. The pick-up was straddling the wrong side of the road. This was the part where things slowed down.
The other car held its course. There was no swerving. No braking. No reaction whatsoever. She knew from the report that those things hadn’t happened, on account of there being no tire marks. The occupant of the other vehicle had more than likely been looking away as well. What were the chances of that? Neither driver was paying attention.
They’d never know for sure because the thirty-two-year-old, father of three died in the crash. Unfortunately, Cody did see the vehicle just before impact. He tried to swerve out of the way. If he’d maintained their current course…if he hadn’t been looking away in the first place…maybe. But he had been looking away and his quick reflexes had only made things worse.
She watched as his mouth dropped open, his eyes taking on a desperate look, his hand closed tightly on the wheel as he yanked it to the right. To the sharp decline. To where the road gave way to a steep slope.
Brie screamed. Her eyes filling with terror. At this point in her dream, the sound would flare back up. She’d hear that scream. Piercing. Drowning out the screech of the tires as they locked. Then she’d hear the crunch as the side of Cody’s vehicle connected with the other car. It ricocheted off, the impact causing them to careen over the edge.
Her sister’s screams grew louder…more intense…more terrified as the vehicle plunged downward. It picked up speed, the wheels barely touching the ground because of the severity of the slope.
Demi was screaming as well. She couldn’t help it at this point. Her body jarred and jostled. Her head hit the roof as they crashed into something. A tree stump or a boulder. She wasn’t sure of exactly what it was. The car began to roll and roll. It felt like she’d been tossed in a blender. Her head hit the side of the vehicle. Her sister’s screams cut suddenly, replaced by laughter that turned her stomach. Louder and louder. Her stomach lurched just as everything went black.
Demi sat up in bed, she sucked in a deep breath as she did it. Her sheets were clutched tightly in her hands. Her eyes were wide, and she was panting. She could feel the dampness on her forehead.
Why?
Why did Brie have to die?
Why Brie?
She stopped herself there. Just as she did every time as she awoke from the nightmare. It took a few more seconds for her heart to slow down. For the terror to subside.
It was still dark outside. Demi knew that she could forget about sleep. She sighed and switched on the light next to her bed. She didn’t need it, but it brought her comfort. She picked up the novel she was reading, noticing that she was already two-thirds of the way through it. A symptom of waking up hours before the rest of the world.
She groaned when she realized what day it was. Sunday. Not just a normal Sunday either. It was one of those Sundays. Demi had pretended to be sick two weeks ago. There was no way she was getting away with an excuse again. She groaned once more and pulled the covers over her head.
Chapter 2
So far so good.
How long would it last though? How long would they skirt around the one burning topic that she knew her father would want to discuss? She knew what it was because he brought it up every second week at their family lunch like clockwork. Even though she loved her family with all her heart, she’d been avoiding them more and more lately. Demi felt like she was perching on eggshells right then. Fragile ones that would break if she breathed too deeply. “Anyone for more potato salad?” She held up the bowl. She needed to work harder at keeping the conversation light. They could talk about food, the weather, anything other than that.
“Yes, please,” her brother spoke around his food.
She passed the bowl to Cody who handed it to Serge. “Did you bring some? Please tell me you did.” Serge raised his brows, a grin on his face.
Demi made a face at him. “I can’t believe you’re thinking about food while eating. That can’t be possible.”
Cody chuckled. “He’s on his third helping as it is.”
“I’m a growing male,” Serge said, as he stuffed a forkful of food into his mouth.
Demi shook her head, looking down at her almost empty plate. She’d taken a second helping of potato salad. Her mom made the best salad this side of the mountains. She’d tried to make it herself, even followed the recipe to a ‘T’ but it didn’t taste the same. “Of course you are.” She laughed as well. Serge was twenty-three. Hardly a growing male anymore. She laughed harder as the whole table joined in. For just a second, it felt like old times, she glanced to her right. Looking for Brie.
Cody grinned down at her. Cody. Not Brie. Her breath caught as realization dawned. Cody’s smile faltered. Had he realized the same thing? Had he caught himself too? He put his hand on her back and rubbed once in a brotherly gesture. “Demi brought cookies alright, but they’re all mine,” he said.
Cody’s hand stayed where it was, making her feel awkward. He never left his hand there. Demi looked down at her plate and scooped up a mouthful of potato salad onto her fork. She moved forward but his hand stayed where it was.
“No damned way,” Serge said. “Demi has been baking for me for years. Those cranberry biscuits are mine.” Her brother looked back her way. “Are there chocolate chips in them?”
How she loved Serge. He didn’t pick up on the discomfort that had descended on the table like a dark cloud. “You know there are.” She smiled back.
“White chocolate?” His eyes widened. “Please tell me there are white chocolate chips in there. Lots of them.”
“Oh, but of course. I added extra.” She smiled, winking at him. Cody’s hand felt hot and heavy. She wanted him to move it.
“They’re mine, right?” Serge asked. “Not his.” He pointed a thumb at Cody. “It won’t be long, and he’ll have all the cookies he wants since you guys will…” He finally realized how uncomfortable things had become. Serge took in her tight smile. A smile she knew didn’t reach her eyes. She could feel how Cody’s hand had tightened against her back. She could just imagine how tense his shoulders would look. How tight his jaw must be.
“They’re yours, Serge.” Her voice had an edge she couldn’t help. “Cranberries with extra chocolate. Just the way you like them. I left the tin in the kitchen.”
“You’re the best, sis.” His smile wasn’t quite as wide this time.
“Have you finally set a date?” her father asked.
Oh god!
Here we go!
“Not now, Sampson,” her mother chided. “We’re still at the table.” She dished up another slice of steak. Bless her mom. Always trying to keep the peace. She gave Demi a knowing smile. A kind smile. There was a world of sorrow in her mom’s eyes as well.
“We’re going for a walk after lunch.” Cody sounded upbeat. “We’re going to talk about it some more then.”
“How much longer do you need to talk about it?” her dad asked, frustration etched in his voice. “Laird and I were discussing it a few days ago. This can’t drag on for too much longer.” Laird was Cody’s father.
“I need more time,” she said, scooping up more potato salad.
“You’ve had months,” he snapped back.
“It’s not long enough,” she countered. They’d had this conversation several times in the last few weeks. Too many times.
“I think we should at least look at setting a date,” Cody said.
Demi felt panicky. He wasn’t serious? The food suddenly felt like a rock inside her stomach. “Not yet,” she managed to push out, hardly believing what she was hearing.
“It’s been long enough.” Her father’s eyes narrowed.
Demi swallowed the lump in her throat. “Her body is barely cold in the ground and you want me—”
Her mother made a sobbing noise, her fork clanging as it hit the plate.
“I’m sorry,” Demi choked on the words. “I shouldn’t have said that.” She rubbed a hand over her face. Her eyes stung.
Her father’s eyes flashed with pain, but he quickly recovered. “Brie has been gone for over a year now. I understand how difficult this—”
“No, you don’t. You have no idea. At least the two of you…” She stopped right there. Not wanting to hurt Cody.
Her father snorted. “I was the Alpha of the Vale Creek pack up until recently. I know full well. As does your mother. It isn’t easy but it must be done.” His eyes blazed. “The Alphas before us followed tradition, as did those before them. It is your turn now.” His tone was hard and unyielding.
“Tradition,” she said the word like it tasted bad. “It’s outdated. It’s unnecessary. We have a good standing with the bear pack. We—”
Cody pulled his hand away, shifting in his chair. Serge looked down at his plate, concentrating on eating. His whole frame radiated tension. Her mother folded her arms across her chest, her eyes misty.
“Only because of our age-old traditions. They are in place for a reason. There can only be one Alpha. Cody is the strongest bear male, hence him being the new Alpha. A continued amalgamation of the packs is required. That means—”
“I know what that means,” she said under her breath. “I just wish there was another way.”
“There is no other way. I know this is hard on you. None of us were to know that Brie…that…” His voice became strained. “We never prepared for this. You never prepared for this. It makes it harder on you. I understand that, but there is no other way. You have until the end of today to announce a date,” her father sai
d, pushing away his plate even though he wasn’t quite done.
“But we—” she tried.
“That’s final!” he all but growled. “Today! And the date needs to be this summer.”
“The fall is only a few weeks from now.” Her eyes pricked. Her throat felt like it was closing. “It’s too soon. I’m not ready. I can’t…we aren’t—”
“Choose a day!” He slammed his hand on the table. Dishes shook and the salt shaker fell over. She could see he regretted it immediately. “Demi, you…” he spoke softly, carefully. His sudden change in tone cut her even more.
“Please excuse me from the table,” she managed to get out. It felt like the walls were closing in.
“You can finish your lunch. We only…” her father began.
“Yes,” her mother’s voice was hitched, “you can go, sweetheart.”
Demi nodded in her mother’s direction, grateful for the reprieve. She couldn’t trust herself to speak. She pushed her chair back and forced herself to walk calmly from the room, her eyes blurry with tears.
The door slammed shut behind her as she began to jog away. Her fur bristled beneath her skin. The need to shift hitting her…hard. It was easier in her animal form. Although she was still herself, her thoughts were less complicated. Things always seemed better…easier. Instincts took over. Different needs became more important. Things like running, jumping. Feeling the earth under her paws. The wind in her fur. The need to kill and to devour. Lately, there had been other needs too. Urges she refused to acknowledge. It wasn’t like she could do anything about them.
Savage Dragon: Earth Dragons Series: Book 2 Page 1
