Undiscovered

by Sara Humphreys

  “Smart lady,” Zander murmured. He sidled in next to her but kept some distance between them. “When we go into hibernation, our cocoon is made of our family’s spirit stone. My clan is tied to quartz. According to legend, the first dragons were born of the earth eons ago. When the ground shook and volcanoes erupted as Mother Earth took shape, the first of our kind emerged from the flame and rock. We were expelled from the deepest recesses, the very heart and soul of the planet itself. The earth heals us, rejuvenates us, and, when necessary, protects us.”

  “The colors.” Rena moved closer to one of the walls and gently ran her fingers over the lumpy surface. “These shades of red infused with gold… They are similar colors to the spikes and horns you and Zed have. And his skin was especially mesmerizing. It reminded me of a kaleidoscope. Depending on the light or the angle, the colors shimmied and morphed. Really beautiful.”

  “Yes,” Zander said quietly.

  “A-and you too.” Rena turned to face him, and sadness edged her glowing gaze. “It was the same for you. Identical twins…and all that.”

  “Also true.”

  “Why is it glowing?” She trailed one finger on a protruding piece of quartz, and it glowed brighter in response. Rena quickly dropped her hand. “That’s wild! It’s like the wall is reacting to me…like it’s alive.”

  “In some ways, it is,” he murmured. “We believe the souls of our ancestors return to the earth once their bodies die. They come back here and join with the rest. Their energy, the knowledge they collected during their earthly existence, all of it resides here, ready to be shared with the next generation.”

  “So…this place is kind of like dragon heaven for your family?” she asked with a beaming smile. “Right?”

  He let his gaze wander over Rena’s beautiful face. Bathed in the glow of the spirit cave, she was positively luminous. It was as if all of that inner beauty, her strength and grace, was emboldened by the power of this place. All he wanted was to gather her in his arms and kiss the daylights out of her. Feel her soft, warm body enveloped with his, and sink into her comforting embrace. Throw caution to the wind and tell fate to go fuck itself.

  But he didn’t. How could he?

  “Right,” he said tightly.

  Zander immediately shifted his attention to the wall on his left. He could not and would not get sucked into her orbit when they could have no future together. He had to keep his mind sharp and his focus on the task at hand. Zander rolled his shoulder, trying to prep himself for what he knew he had to do next.

  “I need your help with this part. We have to take a piece with us, but before we remove it from the cluster, it has to be imprinted with your energy signature. Zed recognized you in the dreamrealm. I’m hoping that if we mark the stone with your distinct energy, combined with the memories of our ancestors, it will help him emerge safely from hibernation. Maybe we can minimize his confusion.”

  He waved his hand over a piece of quartz that jutted out a bit farther than the rest. The light deep within the wall pulsed and throbbed in response to Zander’s presence, and a sense of calm came over him. It was as if his mother, who was long gone from this world, had stepped behind him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

  “I’ve been away too long,” he said quietly.

  “Why did you stay away if this place is so important to you?”

  When he looked to the right, the expression of awe on Rena’s face evoked a fresh pang of warmth within his chest. Sharing this with her, showing her this sacred place, made him happier than he had expected.

  “Coming back here had become bittersweet. Soon, the bitter outweighed the sweet, and it sucked to be here alone. It felt hopeless. But now, sharing it with you…” His voice trailed off, and he quickly looked away from her before clearing his throat. “I mean for you and Zed. That’s why we’re here.”

  “Right,” Rena said warily. “Let me ask you something. If you guys do the dream walking stuff all the time and hibernation is part of what dragons usually do, then why are you so worried about when he’ll wake up? Won’t he just be psyched that you got him out of there?”

  “We don’t usually dream when we’re in hibernation in our dragon form. The beast dominates, not the man. And Zed has been slumbering far longer than anyone I’ve heard of. I have a hunch it’s going to take him a while to regain his human side. To be honest, the curse throws a monkey wrench into everything.”

  “Ah.” She pressed her lips together and nodded. “That explains the way he was acting. Kind of crazy and, well, like a monster.”

  “We aren’t monsters, Rena. We never were.”

  Rena tilted her head and studied him closely.

  “What?” He ran one hand through his hair and tried to mask his discomfort with frustration. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “I was just wondering what it would be like to see you change into the dragon. In real life, I mean, not just in the dream.” Her voice, low and husky, rasped over him like a caress. “I bet it’s one hell of a sight. Powerful. Dangerous. Seductive.”

  Zander’s body tensed, and his throat worked as he swallowed the groan of desire. The woman uttered the secret wish he barely dared to think about, let alone say out loud. Shifting into his dragon again would be a relief, but being able to do it with Rena by his side—what would that feel like? To be able to embrace the beast but with a woman like Rena to help him tame it? Now that would be heaven.

  Snap out of it! This is foolishness, he thought. Pure foolishness to entertain the notion. Why waste time with a future that isn’t meant to be?

  “You can block your visions if you want to?” he asked, abruptly shifting his focus.

  “Yes. Why?”

  “Here,” he said gruffly as he grasped her hand. “Unless you want to be inundated with generations of memories, I suggest you keep it locked up.”

  “Thanks for the tip. I think you and your brother are all the dragon I can handle for the moment.”

  Zander gently placed her hand over the section he had selected. Rena’s silky smooth skin was like heated velvet beneath his palm as he pressed it gently against the stone. He moved in behind her, holding her hand in place while trying not to be distracted by the feminine, flowery smell of her shampoo. Her round backside pressed against him, and Zander shifted his stance in an attempt to minimize their contact. He grit his teeth and fought the rising tide of lust. Rena did little to help the situation when she relaxed her body and let her weight fall into him.

  “Now what?” she whispered.

  “Close your eyes.” He dipped his head so it was next to hers and kept his voice low. “Focus all of your attention on the stone beneath your palm.” He brushed his thumb over the dip of her wrist. “Picture your energy signature. Imagine it’s like a river, flowing around the stone, consuming it, covering it with the essence of all that you are. Send your indomitable strength and beauty, all of which stems from your soul. Give him your goodness, Rena. The purity of it will help guide him home.”

  Rena’s breathing picked up in pace, and her body shivered against him. At the same moment, Zander sent his spirit stream to the stone. He pictured it traveling down his arm and out through his fingers before curling around the quartz like a spiritual blanket. The light behind the stone flared brightly as the connection was completed.

  The images flared into his mind with shocking speed as one more of his clan gifts returned with a vengeance.

  A moonlit, starry sky filled with numerous dragon silhouettes as they flew through the night, dominating the air. Streams of fire and the shrieks of their battle cries permeated his mind. His father’s fallen form, bloodied and battered, with his mother weeping over him, consumed by grief. The witch. Hands raised to the sky. Winds whipping her hair around her, eyes wild as she cast the spell that doomed them all.

  Zander sucked in a shuddering breath, and his eyes snap
ped open as the memories evaporated.

  A muffled cracking sound of the stone being released from the wall bounced around the cave. Zander tightened his grip over Rena’s hand as he pulled loose the sacred piece of quartz with an unsteady hand.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, her voice gentle and soothing. “You’re shaking.”

  It took a moment for Zander to find his voice. “Did you see that?” he asked on a gruff whisper. “The memories?”

  “No. I protected myself, like you asked me to.” She turned her face toward his, and her body melted against his perfectly. “Why? What did you see?”

  Part of him—hell, most of him—wanted to share it with her, to tell her that his powers were slowly but surely coming back, but that would be selfish. He had to keep her focused on Zed. When his brother woke up, Rena would be confused enough as her body responded to Zed. It was up to Zander to minimize that confusion as much as he could.

  With Rena still sheltered against him and with her arm cradled in his, Zander gently turned their hands over. The glittering spirit stone was nestled in Rena’s palm, and a soft red light emanated from the center. Rena’s fingers closed over the precious piece of quartz, and she turned her face toward his. Her mouth, those full lips, scant inches from his.

  How easy it would be to dip his head lower and…

  “Nothing.” He cleared his throat. “It’s not important.”

  “Is that it?” Her husky whisper curled around him seductively. “Are we done?”

  An ache bloomed in Zander’s chest as her question hung in the hauntingly quiet space of the spirit cave. Standing there, surrounded by the sacred, ancient ground, all Zander could think about was the mark on his thigh and how badly he wanted it to be completed. But once Zed woke up and saw Rena, Zander knew the mark would begin to fade.

  He would step aside, but how desperately he wanted her. All of her.

  “Yes,” Zander murmured, his lips brushing the edge of her ear. “We’re done.”

  Without another word, he released her and strode to the staircase. He didn’t look back. He couldn’t. He knew if he did, the expression on her face would be as heartbroken as the pain he sensed in her energy signature.

  Making his way to the surface, he expected Rena to say something or to challenge him, as she had a habit of doing. She seemed to delight in it, in fact, but none came. They climbed onto the bike and took off down the driveway without either one saying a word, and her silence nagged at him.

  Bullshit. It tore at his soul to know he was hurting her.

  Arianna’s father was right.

  Zander was a selfish son of a bitch. He wanted Rena all to himself. He wanted nothing more than to turn the bike around, go back inside his cabin, and spend the entire winter showing her just how much he desired her.

  But he didn’t.

  With miles of highway ahead of them, Zander prayed he would be able to walk away from her once his brother was safe. His one consolation in this whole damn mess was Zed. Zander knew that even if he didn’t have the strength to let Rena go, he could count on his brother to do the one act Zander hadn’t been able to complete in five centuries.

  Zed would kill him.

  Chapter 14

  “I need to fill the tank. Go on and grab yourself something to drink or eat, if you want.” Zander handed her a twenty-dollar bill and glanced at his watch. “We have about two hours to go, so hit the restroom if you need it. I want to get to the ranch well before sundown, and I don’t plan on stopping again.”

  “Okay. Do you want anything?”

  Rena took the money, and her heart skipped a beat when Zander’s bare fingertips grazed hers. He hadn’t spoken much since they left the cabin, and he was avoiding looking her in the eyes again.

  “No.”

  He turned his back on her to deal with the gas pump, continuing the cold-shoulder routine he’d started that morning after they left the cave. He had been curt and distant ever since they got the spirit stone for Zed. Each averted gaze and monosyllabic answer to her attempts at conversation was like a stab in the heart. He was doing his best to distance himself from her and doing a damn fine job of it.

  “Suit yourself,” she said wearily.

  Without looking back, she made her way inside the small convenience store and was immediately hit with a cloud of cigarette smoke. An older woman with warm, hazel eyes smiled at her after taking a big drag off her Marlboro Light. Bleach-blond curls quivered around her lined face, a face that had probably once been beautiful but was now weathered from years of smoking.

  “Afternoon.” Her voice was raspy. “You two look like you been on the road awhile.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Rena slid the twenty over. “He’s going to fill the tank, and this should cover it.”

  “Sure, sure.”

  “Do you have any cell phone chargers?” Rena looked around, and hope dwindled. “It’s for an iPhone.”

  “Nope. Sorry, darlin’. I ain’t got nothin’ like that here.” The woman blew out a cloud of smoke and held out her hand. “My name’s Viola. What’s yours?”

  “Oh.” Rena blinked in surprise but accepted the woman’s greeting over the dingy countertop. “Hi. I’m Rena. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “You too.” She adjusted her round, soft-looking form on the gray metal stool and peered out the window at Zander. “That’s a fine-lookin’ man out there.”

  “Yeah.” Rena’s cheeks heated, and she turned toward the shelves behind her. “He’s something, all right.”

  “Where you two headed?”

  “A friend’s ranch a little farther upstate.” Rena’s gaze lingered on the snacks without really seeing them. “Another two hours or so and we should be there.”

  “You two been datin’ long?”

  “Um…we aren’t dating.” Rena gave her a tight smile. “Just traveling companions.”

  Yeah right, she thought. You are so full of it, Rena. Lie to yourself and the nice lady.

  “Sorry,” Viola said with a hacking cough. “Don’t mean to be nosy, but it’s been so damn slow today, I feel like I’m goin’ crazy. My dang television is busted, so I can’t even watch my programs.”

  “It’s okay.”

  “It can get kinda lonely in here sometimes.” She crushed her cigarette out in the overflowing ashtray and kept talking while Rena looked around. “I live in the little apartment in the back there. The only thing my no-good late husband ever did was leave me this place. I ain’t got no family or nothin’ and, well, I guess I count on my customers to keep me company. Never was good at what you’d call long-term relationships. But I like it most of the time, bein’ by m’self, I mean.”

  An awkward silence fell between them when the woman stopped rambling, and Rena instantly felt the urge to continue the conversation.

  “So, I guess you don’t have any kids?”

  “I did but not no more.”

  Rena’s heart sank, and she spun around, horrified at having brought up a subject that was probably painful.

  “Oh no! I feel like a jackass,” she sputtered. “I’m so sorry.”

  To her surprise, Viola didn’t look upset. A faint smile played at her lips, and she held up one hand, stopping the rest of her fumbling attempt at an apology.

  “Don’t go feelin’ bad. She ain’t dead or nothin’.” She reached under the counter and pulled out a single scuffed, white baby shoe. The older woman held it up between her thumb and forefinger, a broader smile covering her wrinkled face. “At least, I don’t think she is. I gave her up for adoption a few months after she was born. I tried to keep her, but I couldn’t manage. I was only sixteen and dead broke. I wanted her to have a better life than what I could give her. I’m better by m’self anyhow. But a pretty, young girl like you probably don’t understand that.”

  “Viola,” Rena murmured. “You’d be surpr
ised.”

  “Guess I would.” She coughed loudly. “Life is full of surprises, ain’t it? Never can tell what’s gonna happen.”

  “Girl,” Rena said with a laugh, “amen to that.”

  Silence followed again as Viola turned the small shoe over in her hand, a whisper of sadness covering her face.

  “Um, do you mind if I ask how old she would be now?” Rena swallowed hard. She knew it was ridiculous to think for one second that this woman could be her birth mother, but crazier shit had been happening, so why not that?

  “Bethany, that’s what I called her, she’ll be forty-two next week.”

  “Oh.” The ball of nerves in Rena’s stomach loosened a little. Nope. Not her. “You really were a baby yourself, then. Weren’t you?”

  “Yup. Sorry.” Viola sniffed and swiped at her eyes before shoving the baby shoe back under the counter. “Not sure why I told ya all that stuff.”

  “It’s okay.” Rena gave her a reassuring smile. “I have one of those faces. People feel compelled to tell me stuff. Do you ever think about finding her? I never knew my birth parents either, and, well, lately…I’ve been curious.”

  Understatement of the century.

  “Records were lost years ago, and I figure it’s probably for the best.” She waved one hand around. “Ain’t like I got anythin’ to offer her other than this old place.”

  “You love her,” Rena said quietly. “I’d say that’s something.”

  “Well, ain’t neither here nor there.” Viola grabbed another cigarette. “I won’t bother you anymore. Let me know if you need help findin’ stuff. Sorry for all my blabberin’ on.”

  With the older woman’s phlegmy cough ricocheting behind her, Rena perused the sparsely populated refrigerated case in the dusty gas station, but nothing jumped out at her. She wasn’t really hungry or thirsty. Hell, her stomach had been in nervous knots since they’d left West Yellowstone, and eating was the last item on her to-do list. Her gaze landed on a bottle of red cherry cola, and her lips lifted at the corners. The bright color reminded her of the quartz cave, but her smile faltered when she recalled the way Zander had gone from hot to cold in a nanosecond.