Tempting the Dragon

by Karen Whiddon

  * * *

  Days like today, Libby felt the full weight of her many years. Her kind did not live forever, but their lifespan far exceeded that of humans or other shape-shifters. She’d constructed the Guardian necklace when she’d first arrived in Forestwood years ago, using an unusual purple-colored stone she’d found deep in the lake. Since then, each Guardian wore the talisman, passing it down to their successors. Libby had a matching one in her jewelry box somewhere, though she no longer felt the need to wear it. She’d learned long ago that a piece of metal and stone couldn’t replace an actual connection between living beings.

  Sometimes the loneliness made her bones ache. When that happened, she’d go out into the lake, change into her beast and sink to the bottom, holding her breath as long as she could. Long enough to make herself dizzy. Long enough to almost convince herself that she could make herself drown.

  Libby hadn’t always been alone. Once, a long time ago, she’d been surrounded by others of her kind. Friends and lovers, family and strangers. A vibrant community, similar to the one Jade and the Burnetts enjoyed here in Forestwood. Like those of the Pack, they’d spent most of their time in human form, taking great care never to allow regular humans to see them change.

  Unfortunately, due to their great size, sightings had abounded. Through the centuries, they’d been alternatively revered and feared, worshipped and hunted.

  Now there were so few of them they’d become mysterious. The lake creature that might be real. Or just myth.

  Libby no longer cared. After years of doing what she should, she wanted a normal life. With friends and a man.

  She wished she could discuss this with Jade. She had, at least inside her head, many times. She could picture how the conversation would go, could see Jade shoving her fingers into her thick silver hair to push it back from her face, and demanding to know why Libby didn’t have those things she claimed to want so badly.

  The sad truth was, Libby didn’t know. When she’d been younger, before the illness killed off so many of her kind, she’d fallen in love. More than once. She’d broken hearts and had her own shattered. And then...so many got sick, so many dying, and her father had spirited her away to this small town and ordered her to stay here, away from her own kind, her own people.

  “Only until the illness passes,” he said, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “I’ll come for you then.”

  Except he hadn’t. He’d fallen ill, just like a score of others, and she never saw him again.

  These days, her aloneness lay gently across her shoulders like a cashmere cloak. She’d long ago stopped wanting more. She even managed to convince herself that she was satisfied—satisfied—with her life.

  And then Amber Burnett had asked if her daughter could take over as caretaker. Libby hadn’t hesitated to agree, even though she usually was the one who chose the next Guardian. After her agreement, Jade had visited Libby for the first time alone.

  At first, a young Jade had been terrified of her. Libby had felt the pain of that like a knife stabbing in her gut. For the first time in her life, she’d hated being considered a monster. Once, her iridescent scales had been considered beautiful. Now she’d been relegated to a thing, a creature or a beast, lurking in the depths of Forestwood Lake.

  That hurt more than she would ever have believed possible.

  Over the past nine years, she and Libby had grown close. Her relationship with Jade gave her hope. Of all the Guardians over the years, only Jade treated her like a friend or a relative, rather than a creature to be feared. Originally, when Libby had first arrived in Forestwood, she’d done as her father requested and set the whole Guardian thing up. She’d chosen a Burnett simply because one happened to be hiking out near the lake. At first, the Burnetts had been tasked with protecting her from outsiders and making sure she had everything she needed to survive. She’d even used a bit of her very basic magical skills to ensure they wouldn’t leave, by making her Guardian become ill if she tried to leave Burnett house.

  Since then, Libby had become pretty self-sufficient, except for her crippling shyness that kept her from making friends. After all, if she went to town, she looked like everyone else. Half the time, people had no idea she was actually the “lake beast.”

  With all of her kind gone, Libby had felt the weight of her aloneness grow heavier. It wasn’t until Jade had taken over that Libby had realized she didn’t have to live as an outsider. She just needed Jade to help her figure out how to make that happen.

  * * *

  It had been a long day. Rance had seen the panic and condemnation on that kid Lucas’s face. The sickly sort of disbelief on Jade’s. Though he’d itched to photograph everything, document it for posterity, in that particular instance, he knew better. For the first time since starting out on this quest, he’d felt a faint prickle of conscience, as if the teen might be right and he should focus on other things.

  Except he couldn’t. Not if he wanted to bring Eve what she’d asked for.

  Deliberately forcing his thoughts to other things, Rance remembered the pub he’d seen on the way to Jade’s house. The thought of pub food—greasy hamburgers and seasoned fries—made his mouth water. Though as a recovered alcoholic he no longer drank, he’d refused to avoid places that served alcohol entirely, viewing it as a way of testing his fortitude. Tonight, this would be exactly what he needed to get his mind off both his predicament and the sexy silver-haired Jade Burnett.

  Since the evening air felt perfect, he left the rental car parked outside his motel and walked the few blocks to the bar. The road climbed and dipped, but the Brew and Chew Pub sat halfway up the first hill, making his walk more of a workout than he’d anticipated. Which was all good. Hiking around the lake had made him realize he needed to get out more. He’d even purchased a nice pair of hiking boots so he could do this.

  He also needed to change. But in what he assumed must be a community of shape-shifting wolves, his kind of beast would definitely be noticed, so he had to be careful.

  The unhurried pace of the locals as he strode past them made Rance smile. In larger cities, these people would get mowed down by the fast-walking crowds. Even compared to Houston, Forestwood seemed positively bucolic. Here, even though he would have thought they’d take the scenery for granted since they lived here, every person he passed appeared to be engrossed in the picturesque storefronts with blooming flower boxes and towering trees, enjoying one another’s company. Inhaling deeply, Rance could smell the scent of hamburgers and fries cooking somewhere drifting on the breeze.

  Unable to resist, he got out his camera and snapped a few shots. Then, because he never knew if he might want to take another, he kept his Nikon in his hand, secured by a neck strap.

  His spirits lifted. All in all, this began to look like it would be a perfectly great night. The possibility of achieving his goal put a spring in his step and hope in his heart.

  Even better, he felt like he might fit in while here, despite having only been in town a couple of days. No one stared at him or gave him sideways glances. No, sir, generally the locals didn’t even appear to act like he might be out of place. Which was in stark contrast to the way they’d acted when he’d first arrived in town.

  In fact, one might consider them a bit overly friendly. Especially the other men. Rance noticed every single guy—old or young—gave him a broad beaming smile. Sometimes a wink, or a dip of the chin, and even once a thumbs-up. All very convivial and jovial, almost like they were congratulating him for something, though he had no idea what. Maybe word had leaked out that he’d seen their lake creature? Judging from the teenager they’d run into at the lake, he wouldn’t have thought that’d be a good thing.

  In fact, it was beginning to creep him out.

  Ahead, he saw the sign for the Brew and Chew Pub.

  Finally reaching the bar, he yanked open the surprisingl
y heavy red painted wooden door and went inside. As the door swung closed behind him, he blinked, letting his eyes adjust to the dimness.

  The inside smelled like heaven. Grilled burgers with onions and fries. No cigarette smoke, for which he felt grateful. In fact, several no-smoking signs were prominently displayed.

  One empty bar stool in the middle of the bar beckoned him. Red pleather, he thought as he took a seat. While he waited for the bartender to notice him, he thought about grabbing a menu, but decided he didn’t need it. He already knew what he wanted.

  When the bartender—a tall, thin guy with a close-cropped head of gray hair—appeared, he slid a tall glass of draft beer to Rance. “Guys at the pool table bought it for you,” he said, grinning.

  “Why?” Perplexed, Rance eyed the drink, his mouth suddenly dry with longing. He even reached for the glass, feeling the cold sweat on his palm before turning and raising it in a salute of thanks in the general direction of the pool area.

  Cheers erupted.

  When Rance turned back, he carefully relinquished his hold on the glass and slid it away from him. “I don’t actually drink,” he said. “Could I get a ginger ale instead?”

  “No problem.” Dumping out the beer, the bartender, whose nametag read Earl, refilled the glass with a can of Canada Dry. “You’re kind of a local hero today. Do you want to see a menu?”

  A local hero. Deciding food trumped hearing gossip, Rance shook his head. He’d ask why later. “No need. One burger and fries is what I need.”

  “Double or triple?”

  Since he needed meat, Rance opted for the triple.

  “Coming right up.” Earl left to go put in the order.

  The guy on the bar stool to the right of Rance swiveled around. “Lucky bastard,” he said, grinning. “Not sure how you managed it, but every single guy in town wishes they were you.”

  Now Rance knew he had absolutely no idea what this man meant. He took another pull on his ginger ale and shrugged. “Thanks, I guess. Though to be honest, I have no idea what all of this is about.”

  The other guy’s eyes widened. He opened his mouth to say something, but just then Earl appeared with Rance’s dinner.

  “Here you go,” Earl said, sliding the plate in front of him. “The cook had started making one for my meal, but I’m letting you have mine. Hope you enjoy. And, Ted—” he shot Rance’s neighbor a warning look “—let this guy eat in peace, will you?”

  Mumbling what sounded like a disgruntled affirmative, Ted turned back to his beer.

  Mouth watering, Rance grabbed the burger and dug in. He tried to make himself eat slower, but the food tasted so good and he was so hungry he practically inhaled it. Luckily, he had the soft drink to help wash everything down.

  When he’d cleaned his plate and drank all his ginger ale, Earl brought another. “This one’s on the two guys at the end of the bar.” He jerked his head toward them and they waved.

  “Okay.” Rance began to wonder if he’d inadvertently wandered into a gay bar. “Listen, Earl. Why is everyone buying me drinks?”

  Earl scratched his head. “You really don’t know?”

  “I have no idea.”

  Ted snickered.

  Ignoring him, Earl leaned on the counter. “Two words. Jade Burnett.”

  Chapter 5

  Since he still didn’t understand, Rance took another sip and waited.

  “Every guy in this town has been wanting to date her. You’ve been seen hanging out with her on more than one occasion. Most of the guys are taking bets that you’ll be the one who finally breaks through.”

  Though he knew he shouldn’t, Rance had to ask. “Breaks through?”

  Earl’s grin widened. “You do know she’s a witch, right?”

  “I’ve heard that, yes,” Rance answered cautiously.

  “She has...powers. If you get my drift.” And Earl actually winked.

  Though Rance now had a good idea where this was headed, he figured he might as well make the bartender spell it out.

  “What kind of powers?”

  Next to him, Ted tried to stifle a laugh and ended up spewing a mouthful of beer all over the bar.

  Earl tossed him a rag. “Clean it up,” he ordered, before turning his attention back to Rance.

  “Listen,” Earl said, lowering his voice. “There isn’t a single guy in town who hasn’t tried to tap that. And her rumored powers are the main reason why. Sure, she’s gorgeous and sexy as hell, but if the stories are true...”

  “Stories?” Despite the anger beginning to simmer inside him, Rance deliberately kept his face expressionless and cocked his head. “What kind of stories?”

  Grinning, Earl shook his head.

  Apparently, Ted couldn’t take it anymore. “Sexual powers, you idiot,” he said, unable to contain his glee. “And we’re counting on you to let us know if it’s true.”

  Rance had to suppress the sudden, strong urge to punch the guy in his face. All of them, in fact. Poor Jade. He couldn’t help but wonder where all this had come from if no one had gotten near to her.

  “Does Jade, er, know about this legendary power of hers?” he asked, jaw tight. “Is she aware what y’all are saying about her?”

  “Y’all?” Earl shook his head. “You ain’t from around here, are you?

  “No, obviously I’m not. You didn’t answer the question. Does Ms. Jade know?”

  Earl shrugged. “I don’t know. This is a small town, so I imagine she might.”

  Damn. Rance had to look down at his hands to hide his fury. “I’d like the check, please,” he said. Getting into a bar brawl wouldn’t do anything to help his position in this town. “And don’t ever let me hear you talk about Jade like that again.”

  The walk back to his motel wasn’t enough to dispel the turmoil inside him. Despite knowing the rumor had to be complete and utter nonsense, even the thought of it fueled his already deep desire for Jade.

  Frustration coiled inside him. He wanted to claim her as his. Part of him already had. And truth be told, a lot of it was sexual. Jade Burnett’s beauty attracted him. His inner beast roared, reminding him of his earlier resolution to change and let his other self run free.

  Perfect. Exactly what he needed to do. As long as he took precautions not to be seen. His kind was not only rare, but largely misunderstood among other shifters.

  Increasing his stride, he continued on past the intersection where the business part of town gave way to residential. The well-kept houses were fully restored and beautifully landscaped. As he passed one house with colorful flower gardens, he could smell the heady scent of lilac.

  For some reason, this made him think of Jade, with her clear green eyes and uncertain smile. No wonder she seemed a little standoffish. People spreading wild rumors about her would have a way of messing with her self-confidence.

  Yet despite all that, or because of it, he couldn’t keep himself from picturing her naked underneath him, her perfect skin gleaming in the moonlight.

  Aroused and furious, he picked up his pace, heading toward a wooded tract of undeveloped land he’d seen when driving around. As soon as his feet left the pavement, the sound of the fallen leaves crackling underfoot began to soothe his restlessness. He inhaled sharply, pine and earth and wood, continuing on, in search of a meadow or a large enough clearing to accommodate him once he assumed his other form.

  Finally, deep within the forest, he found a meadow. The overgrown wild grass rustled in the light breeze, and above, the black night sky twinkled with a thousand stars. Rance made a slow turn, listening, scenting, just to make sure no creatures other than wild ones roamed near. The last thing he needed was for an errant pack of wolf shifters to see him.

  Even though the wolves and the dragons were allies, until their Pack council found a way
to announce the existence of his kind, he and all the few others like him had been asked to keep everything low-key.

  Sensing nothing other than an owl in one of the nearby trees and a rabbit cowering under a bush, he stripped off his clothing. He dropped to all fours and initiated the change. He couldn’t wait to soar into the air, rushing toward the stars. Flying felt so weightless, and the distances he could travel in a few hours, brought its own kind of freedom.

  Except flying could be dangerous. His heart sank as he considered his choices. Then, with a rush of excitement, he realized what he’d do instead. The cliffs overlooking the water weren’t too far away. The vastness of Forestwood Lake beckoned. There, he could dive deep into the water, unseen by anyone who walked the land. For his kind, swimming felt akin to flying, except for the necessity of holding one’s breath.

  And if he happened to run into the local lake monster, even better.

  * * *

  The unsettled feeling had come over Jade during the night, startling her wide awake at 3:00 a.m. Lying awake in her bed, desperately wishing for sleep, she’d seen shadowed images. A beast of some kind, flying. At first, she thought Libby was making contact—her charge had done that before—but this felt different. As if someone or something was watching her, hearing every breath, feeling every stuttering pulse of her heart. Her necklace even felt warm, but that could have been because of her rising bodily heat. Now every nerve ending along her skin came alive as she waited, wondering what she was supposed to do.

  When she finally fell asleep, she saw his face again. Rance. In her dream, she reached for him as he came in for a kiss. The instant their lips touched, she knew...

  Because she shied away from the knowledge, she’d startled awake again. This time, her clock read five-thirty, which meant she could get up and shower.