Outlaw Dragon

by Chloe Peterson

  "I'm pretty sure that's the last time you'll ever sneak up on me."

  "It's sad to say, but I think you're right." Brooke dropped down beside Rowan. "I can see that you didn't sleep here. So, did you and Eva finally work things out?"

  Rowan beamed. "We did. During our walk yesterday."

  "So, last night was the first time..."

  "Last night was the first time we spent hours and hours talking. Sorry to disappoint you, but that's all we did."

  Brooke pulled Rowan into a side hug. "I don't want to hear a word about your sex life or lack of one. I'm just happy that you're happy. You two deserve each other."

  "I don't believe I deserve her but thanks for saying it. Eva's so strong. I've never met anyone like her. She doesn't even hate her parents after what they did! Which I could never do, but that's what makes her so phenomenal. Eva also has a delightful sense of humor and a pure heart. I never thought I'd have a mate, but now with her, I'm dreaming and planning about our future. I haven't told her yet, though. I don't want to freak her out. But I really do think we could be soulmates."

  Brooke tilted her head and stared at Rowan for a good few seconds. "What?" Rowan asked, feeling heat rush to her face. Had she overshared? Was she turning into those people that couldn't talk about anything but their partner?

  "You're already falling for her. I've never heard you speak that much about anything outside of a mission."

  Rowan sat paralyzed with happiness. Things had developed pretty quickly for she and Eva, but then again, they had been put under extraordinary circumstances. Then there was the fact that Eva was indeed a pure soul. After a life surrounded by tainted souls, Eva was like a breath of fresh air. And one that she wanted to stay for the long haul.

  "I think I am falling for her. I probably have, already, but I don't want to freak her out by saying it so soon."

  Brooke leaned forward and locked eyes with her best friend. "I think Eva would like it. If you're feeling this way, then chances are she is too." Brooke leaned back. "God, who knew you and Eva Martinelli from elementary school would be soulmates?"

  Rowan cracked a smile. "Not me. But I'm glad it's her. I think we could have something incredible together."

  "Me too." Brooke frowned. "Which means you won't be my wing woman anymore. What am I supposed to do?"

  Rowan shrugged. "Maybe take Giselle?"

  "You know she never hangs around long enough. She flits from table to table, and then bam! She leaves. Jade is always quiet in the corner and Mara never even comes out unless she's feeling particularly happy. What am I going to do? Never find love and grow old alone?"

  Rowan shook her head. "Wow. What a way to make my good news all about yourself."

  Brooke giggled. "Oh my god! I totally did that. Sorry. I'll make it up to you."

  "How?"

  Before Brooke could answer, Mara burst into the house, her breath coming fast. "Bears. There are bears making camp at the foot of the mountain."

  Rowan shot to her feet and paced for a bit. "How did they find us so fast?"

  Mara shut the door to the house behind her. "I'm guessing the real estate agent told. He seemed chatty when we met with him."

  "Damn it. Now we're on the defense. Moving here so quickly was about strategizing so that we could set everything up perfectly so that when we leaked the information about our location, we'd be ready to end this once and for all."

  Brooke stood. "We can still execute our plan. It'll just be hurried, is all. I've already got some ideas."

  "Let's get the team together first," Mara said, heading to the stairs. Rowan plopped back down onto the couch.

  "I can't believe they're already here."

  Brooke shrugged. "Based on what your mom said, I'd say there were a few contracts sent out. The reward only goes to the person that gets the job done first. I'm sure one clan of bears want to make sure they're it."

  "Probably."

  Rowan was a planner. That was one of the reasons she did so well. While she wasn't OCD, getting her well-thought-out plans thrown out the window so quickly didn't sit well with her.

  "Are you going to tell Eva?" Brooke asked.

  Rowan tensed, shocked that she had forgotten about her girlfriend. Eva was fast asleep upstairs. The only reason Rowan was awake was that her body had fallen into the habit of waking up at six in the morning. It didn't matter where she was or what happened the night before.

  "I don't think I'm going to tell her."

  "Are you sure about that?" Brooke's voice had risen, telling Rowan that she thought she should tell Eva.

  "I'm like, ninety percent sure. We haven't been together that long, but based on all our conversations, I don't think Eva needs the extra stress right now. Besides, I want us to come up with a plan to stop those bears before they even get up the mountain. Eva won't even have to know and worry."

  Brooked exhaled. "I think you should tell Eva. That's all I'm going to say."

  A grouchy looking Giselle, followed by an alert looking Jade followed Mara down the stairs.

  "Morning," Rowan greeted.

  Giselle growled, and the group cracked up. Mara patted Giselle's shoulder before coming to stand beside Rowan. As Rowan's second, it was significant that they present a united front.

  "As you know," Rowan said, keeping her voice low so as not to wake Eva, "Mara spotted a group of bears. How many were they?"

  "About a dozen," Mara said.

  "Right. They appear to have camped at the foot of the hill, but don't look like they're about to make a move yet. The first thing we need to do is find out more. So, Jade, and Mara, we need you to take turns spying on the bears in your animal forms. They won't suspect anything if you two are around. Then, once we have more pieces of information, we all need to work with Brooke to come up with new plans for possible traps."

  Brooke clapped her hands. "Are you serious? I thought you said it was too dangerous?"

  "I did, but circumstances have changed. The enemy is already here, so there's little risk for any of us getting harmed by forgetting where a trap is. What we need are traps mainly closer to the house. Eva will be staying here while we fight, and we need to keep her safe at all costs. Which brings me to my third point. From now on, we're going to institute a twenty-four hour scouting duty. No sleeping in, ladies. We need to cover all sides except for the West face of the mountain. There could be humans there, so it's highly unlikely they'll try come through that way whether in human form, or animal form."

  When Rowan finished, she turned to Mara. She had just come up with everything on the fly, as was her right as clan leader, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't let her second have a say, or maybe even disagree.

  "That sounds like a good place to start," Mara said. "I'm ready to start figuring out possible traps and their placement. Unless anyone has any questions?"

  Both Mara and Rowan looked around the room. Seeing that everyone was on board, Rowan directed them toward the kitchen table. She didn't need any of them to get comfortable in the living room. It was time to plan both their defense and their attack because one thing was for sure, no harm would come to Eva.

  Not when I've just found my mate, Rowan thought.

  10

  Later that morning, Eva woke up feeling a lot more rested and happier than she had ever since her parents' betrayal. The young woman smiled and stretched, relieving the memories of the night before.

  When Rowan first knocked on her door, Eva was worried that her new girlfriend had gone back on her promise to take things slow. What did that mean, anyway? It was such a vague term, and Eva was worried that Rowan had come to her for some heavy petting; something she wasn't ready for.

  Much to Eva's surprise, Rowan had stayed on the opposite side of the bed and kept her hands to herself. They'd spent hours filling each other in on the lost years between them. Everything from middle school, up until the previous month. Then they'd gone back and talked about their favorite memories of each other.

  By the tim
e they were done with that, both women's eyes were drooping. Rowan suggested they sleep and so they did. That was around three o' clock, and Eva felt better than ever.

  Rising to her feet, Eva grabbed a toothbrush and toothpaste before heading to the bathroom. After taking care of the necessary, she made her way downstairs, eager to see her girlfriend and her clan mates.

  It's so crazy how my life has taken a turn for the better right after the worst thing I've ever experienced, she thought.

  When Eva got to the bottom of the stairs, she found the living room oddly empty. While her friends often went out on patrols, to train, and to handle other clan business, they were never all gone at the same time. Panic attempted to settle in Eva's heart, but she pushed it aside.

  Eva knew she was safe with the Whitehearts. The way they rescued her, took her in, and accepted her as one of them, showed her she had no reason to worry. There was no way they'd leave her defenseless by herself. Especially not Rowan.

  Deciding to operate on a little faith, Eva walked into the kitchen and poured herself a bowl of cereal. She missed Mara's cooking, but they'd all had to make do now that they were on patrol. Eva still felt a little guilty about not doing more, but she held on to Rowan's words that she was just as valuable as any other clan member. That still left her with entire days to fill as everyone carried out their duties diligently.

  Eva felt herself slouch. While things were looking up, she still had a lot to figure out.

  "Hey," Brooke called, as she walked into the house dressed in a white tank top and a pair of jeans.

  "Hey yourself. Where is everyone?"

  Eva saw Brooke's smile flinch before she rearranged it back into place. That was odd. Brooke was a straight shooter. Why would she be lying to Eva?

  "Uh, we're all just doing an extensive patrol. We didn't get a chance to canvas the entire mountain, so it's all hands on deck."

  "Hmm." Eva bit her lip, then turned to grab a spoon for her cereal. There was no point in her reading into things. If anything, Brooke had probably frozen because she wasn't used to answering questions about she and her friends' whereabouts.

  "So, what are you up to?" Brooke asked, pulling up a chair at the kitchen table.

  Eva sat opposite her and swallowed her mouthful before answering. "Not much. All of you being out made me remember I don't have a job or anything to fill my days."

  "That's a positive!" Brooke beamed. "I'm not just saying that to be annoying. I'm actually in the same boat as you. We all are."

  "But you're all on duty and doing important security stuff."

  Brooke giggled. "That's just because we have some heat on us. Once things calm down, we'll all have to find a way to earn a living. We don't want to do anything shady or run our own territory. I've got an online business in mind. It'll keep me from having to leave the house. What about you? Is there something you've always wanted to do? It sounds like working at your family shop wasn't that much fun."

  The way in which Brooke's blue eyes lit up as she talked about the future sent a cold shiver up Eva's spine. She realized, for the first time, that she had no dreams. That she'd never had any, to begin with.

  "I don't know what I want to do," Eva said, after a minute of silence, her voice small. "I always thought..."

  Brooke covered Eva's hand with her larger one. "It's okay. I shouldn't have asked like that. I've always had lots of ideas bouncing around in my head, and I assumed everyone did too. You'll find what you're passionate about."

  "But I'm not good at anything." Eva pulled away from Brooke and folded her arms as she felt her insecurities beginning to rise. Here was yet another thing she was lacking: real skills.

  Brooke smiled. "You must be good at something. Everyone is; even if it's being a nice person. Anyway, you don't even have to waste time on figuring that out! The best part about starting from scratch is finding new interests and developing skills out of that interest. I know nothing about running an online business, but I'm sure as heck going to learn everything I can about it. If I end up hating it, then I'll move on. If I fail, I'll move on. But I'll always have the clan's support, and so will you. So don't worry about filling your days yet. This is the perfect time to explore."

  Brooke's excitement and positive outlook rubbed off on Eva. She realized she was well and truly out of the box that her parents and clan had placed her into. She could do or become anything, without worrying that she was letting the clan down. After all, that was what Brooke planned to do.

  "I've always been interested in interior design. I love home makeover shows."

  "There you go!" Brooke raised a hand, and Eva high fived her. "We're both Whiteheart now, and we have quite a bit of money to keep us going. Besides, Rowan's pretty good at tracking down misbehaving shifters. If she takes her job with the police back up, she'll be rolling in it. I bet she'd want nothing more than to take care of her girlfriend."

  Brooke slapped a hand over her mouth after that last sentence. "Oh my god! I can't believe I said that."

  Eva laughed a full-hearted laugh for the first time. She wrapped an arm around her belly as a stitch settled into her side. "It's okay. We agreed we could tell people. I just haven't gotten a chance to."

  Brooke exhaled, and her shoulder relaxed. "Oh thank god! I thought I'd messed everything up. It's just that Rowan and I are so close, and I knew she liked you. I caught her leaving your room this morning. That's the only reason I know."

  "It's alright, really. It would have been nice to tell everyone together, but I was fast asleep, and you're all busy."

  Brooke nodded in understanding. "I still want you to get that opportunity. I won't tell anyone else."

  "Thanks for that. It's a little silly, but it just got into my head that I'd love to share that news with the closest people to me with Rowan by my side."

  "Aww." Brooke pouted her bottom lip. "I'm so happy for you two. I swear you’re perfect for each other. It's also time one of us had a proper relationship. We've all been painfully single this past year, except for Giselle. But then again, I don't count a three-week fling as a relationship."

  "Brooke," Giselle yelled, running into the house, her face painfully red. "Aah, there you are. I need your help."

  "What the hell happened to you?" Brooke rose to follow Giselle into the living room.

  Eva trailed behind them, her stomach in knots. Giselle looked horrible. Whatever happened to her must have been bad.

  "I got stung by bees. I tried to heal myself and got most of the sting out, but it still burns. How does it look?"

  Brooke turned to Eva, her eyes wide. Giselle then whirled around and locked gazes with Eva. "Is it that bad?"

  Eva cringed. The bumps on Giselle’s face were one thing, but the angry red scars took things to a whole other level.

  "Oh my god!" Giselle covered her face with an arm and whined. "I can't have an ugly face. It's my best asset!"

  Brooke rolled her eyes, seeming to recover from her shock. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but that would be your heart. Now, lift up your arm and let me see what I can do."

  Giselle slowly did so and hissed when Brooke touched her face. "Ouch! Why don't you take a scalpel and cut me open then?"

  "Someone's a baby," Brooke said. She shut her eyes and was quiet for a few seconds. Then she opened her eyes and lifted her palm over Giselle's face. A pale blue light streamed from Brooke's palm and somehow flowed into Giselle's skin.

  "So much better." Giselle leaned back against the couch and let Brooke use her magic on her.

  Eva had never seen a dragon work their magic. She'd been passed out when Rowan did that to her. It was a sight to behold, and she found herself oddly grateful for the turn her life had taken. Eva was experiencing new things and meeting new people. One of them, someone she hoped would be her mate.

  "There, all done."

  Giselle quickly hopped up and turned to Eva. "How do I look?"

  "Like your usual gorgeous self."

  Giselle ran a hand through her
stylish short hair, and struck a pose, pouting her full lips. "I'm back, baby."

  Eva burst out laughing, and Brooke shoved her friend. "You're so full of it."

  "Only when needed." Giselle winked. "I need you to cover for me with Rowan and Mara. I'm not going back out there to lay any more traps. The hole I dug and covered was wide enough for two bears. If they manage to avoid that, and the beehive, then they deserve to get here for a real fight."

  Giselle spun on her heels and left the room, skipping. Eva turned to Brooke, her fingers trembling with betrayal. She parted her lips to speak but quickly shut her mouth when she saw Brooke flinch.

  "I'm sorry. Rowan didn't want you to worry. I would have said something, but she told me not to."

  Eva shut her eyes, and tamped down the hurricane of anger and hurt that was building inside her. She thought she was a part of the clan. Everyone had made her believe that. And now Rowan, her girlfriend, had purposely excluded her.

  "Where is she?" Eva asked, her voice flat.

  "She's working on the Eastern face, right on the path we used to get here. But you shouldn't go outside. You might trigger one of the—"

  Eva stormed out of the house before Brooke could finish. She wasn't stupid or useless. She was a wolf shifter, and she still had good instincts, despite her lack of training. Right then and there, all Eva wanted was to give Rowan a piece of her mind.

  The last thing I need is a controlling girlfriend, she thought.

  Eva didn't even get two feet away from the house, because Rowan emerged from a nearby bush massive grin on her face.

  "Hey."

  Eva stood, her legs frozen in place. All the wind was taken out of her sails as she saw her girlfriend. Rowan was a good person. She clearly didn't mean any harm by keeping the truth from Eva.

  "What's wrong?" Rowan asked, frowning. She walked up to Eva and took her hand in hers.

  "You didn't tell me something was wrong, and you told Brooke not to tell me either."

  Rowan winced, but she didn't drop Eva's hand. "Who spilled the beans?"