Burn: Dragon Shifter Romance

by Ava Frost

  She hesitated and then against her better judgment stalked off to Oron’s table.

  “Can I get you anything else?” she asked, pen in hand.

  He turned his gaze to hers and for the first time she could feel his eyes boring into her, she shifted her weight and plastered on her best waitress smile.

  “Are you all right?” he asked in a low husky tone that made her toes curl.

  “I’m fine, just a bit of a squabble with a moron,” she muttered.

  Oron leaned to the side to look past her at the couple, and then looked back up at her.

  “She’s a call girl,” he said and then picked the menu up, glancing over the content, “and he’s her pimp.”

  Alison whipped her head around to look at them, “Still no reason for him to treat her like he does.”

  “I guess.”

  Alison’s day wasn’t getting any better. She may never have been that unfortunate that she had to resort to prostitution, but a woman is a woman regardless of her circumstances. Instead of making a fuss, she tapped her pen impatiently on the ordering pad.

  “Can I get you anything else, or would you like the bill?”

  This time he looked up at her, his brow cocked slightly, “You can bring me the bill.”

  “Coming right up.”

  She pivoted on her heels and went to the register to print his bill, but when she turned around, he was gone.

  “What a jerk,” she mumbled to herself and walked over to clear his table.

  He had left money under his plate, which she took and handed to Maurice.

  “I really can’t believe that everyone thinks it’s okay for that creep to treat the girl as if she has no feelings.”

  Maurice counted the money she handed him and shrugged, “It’s her choice to be in that situation.”

  “Bullshit, it’s circumstance that drives a woman to the point of selling herself,” she said under her breath.

  Maurice handed her her tip and placed the rest of the cash in the register, “There’s always a choice. Look at you, you’re willing to work long hours, and get paid next to nothing.”

  “Everyone is not the same Mau… wait, there’s over a hundred dollars here,” she said confusedly.

  He nodded and smirked, “Looks like Oron was overly generous today.”

  “No way, I’m sure he made a mistake, I’ll give it back to him when he comes in again.”

  “Whatever floats your boat Ali.”

  Alison’s day finally came to an end, but much later than expected, she had to cover for one of the other waitresses, and ended up working a double shift. It was already dark when she finally caught a break and Maurice sent her home. The events from earlier were still playing on her mind. She couldn’t believe that no one around her was willing to stand up for the young woman. She didn’t give a hoot if the woman was a call girl. All her life, Alison had had a strong sense of empathy for people who never seemed to get a break in life. She would drive herself crazy trying to figure out how an innocent child, seemingly carefree and loving, could turn out to be what they were as adults. Life in general tended to throw a lot of curve balls that shaped their outlook on life. Just like the girl in the restaurant. Once upon a time, she too was a pretty little girl who wore flowers in her hair, and played with her favorite dolls, never expecting to become whore, but that was just the hand that life dealt her.

  Having grown up in a middle class family, with a mother who didn’t bother to stick around, Alison pretty much knew why she always ended up with loser boyfriends. It always started off well, with the guy trying to impress her by spoiling her rotten, and then would take a turn as soon as he got comfortable. She had made the same mistake one too many times, changing herself to please a man. Originally she kept telling herself that she was working on improving her brokenness, but as she grew older, she started to realize she was doing no one any favors. It was pathetic really. If her boyfriend preferred his coffee black, she would switch to impress him. If he liked to watch sports, she would suddenly adopt that same interest too. It was a vicious cycle that started as a teenager. She had always been plump as a youngster which didn’t help her self-esteem. One thing had led to another and soon she found herself dependent on others for happiness. As long as they were happy she was happy, but the moment her love interest’s glass house came tumbling down and emotions ran high, she felt depressed and overwhelmed.

  Then there was the fact that her mother ran out on them when she was only fifteen. The fear of abandonment was ever so present after that. Her mother had blamed her dad for not being there for her, although he worked long shifts to support her lifestyle, but even that had never been enough. It wasn’t until her relationship with Gareth, that she realized she had a serious problem which stemmed from her emotional childhood.

  Deep in thought she carried on towards her apartment, it was dark, and the nightlife of Big Bear wasn’t anything like Chicago. With the odd car driving by, it was as quiet as a graveyard. But she had walked this road home many times before, mostly during the day, but after her experience today, she felt nervous. She thought about Gareth, and that asshole from the diner, and out of the blue, fear crept its way into her subconscious mind. A shiver ran up her spine and she caught herself holding her breath. What if he was here now, watching her? She glanced over her shoulder, but there was no one there, she searched the shadows across the street, and there too was nothing. But still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched.

  You’re being silly Alison, she told herself, but her feet carried her faster. She needed to get to her apartment and lock her door. Her palms were sweaty and her heart was racing. There was someone out there, she knew it. And that someone might be Gareth.

  He’d come right out and confront me, she said to herself, he’s an asshole, but he’s not a stalker. No, he’d wait until you least expect it and then lay into you. The more anxious she became, the more she tried to rationalize. She argued with herself all the way as she hurried home, not knowing which voice to listen to anymore. By the time she reached her apartment, which was one unit of a small duplex at the end of the main road, she was exhausted and sweat glistened on her brow. Nervously she dug into her bag in search for her keys, and when she finally dug them out, she was shaking so much she could hardly get the key into the keyhole.

  “Oh, for god sake,” she cursed and stopped, resting her head against the door. She counted to ten and then calmly unlocked the door. Once inside she latched and locked the door before turning on the lights. She could finally breathe.

  Alison dropped her bag on the kitchen counter and headed straight for the bottle of wine she had kept for a special occasion. It was a vintage Merlot that Maurice gave her. She uncorked the bottle and poured the wine into a tumbler, since she didn’t own any wine glasses, and took a big gulp. The wine was bitter and made her mouth feel dry, the liquid burned its way down into her empty stomach, and instead of it making her feel better, it made her feel worse, but she took another sip, anyway.

  She toed off her shoes and walked over to the window overlooking the street. Carefully she pulled the curtain aside and peeked out into the darkness. She had no idea what had gotten into her, she had been fine all this time. She had her own identity, and she was sure that she would never run into any familiar faces from her past ever again. For the first time since she moved there, she was shackled by her own fears. Her heart throbbed in her ears and she quickly closed the curtain. The silence was deafening, and she sat down on the wingback chair in the corner of her small living room tucking her legs under her. Her eyes misted over and she felt a tear trickle down her cheek. She was alone. And she was scared.

  Chapter 2

  Oron had never felt such a magnetic pull to anyone before. It had started before he even saw Alison for the first time. It happened one morning when he was passing through town. It was her scent that attracted him almost instantly when he passed Teddy Bear on his way to the hardware store.

  He knew
every person’s scent in Big Bear so when tourists passed through he was well aware, but her scent lingered, drawing him in. She had been talking to Maurice and he couldn’t help but eavesdrop. She was looking for work and a place to stay, which unsettled him at first. Having her in town would be a temptation for him. His beast wanted her, and he had to do everything in his power to tame the animal that wanted to break free and claim her. For months after that first time, he avoided town as best he could, but eventually his need to see her got the better of him. Only once he was certain that he had his beast under control did he dare to go to town, it was touch and go.

  She was working at Teddy Bear by then, he didn’t mean to enter the restaurant, but it was as if his feet were carrying him at their own accord. She had the most beautiful smile that tugged up at the corners of her full lips and dimpled her cheeks like two wells on either side. Her dark hair was the color of chocolate and in total contrast to her pale skin. Although she was short, and far too skinny, her breasts were large, causing her button-up uniform to stretch across them. Oron’s bear was raging to get a piece of her, but he was fully in control. He knew the dangers of becoming involved with a human far too well. His brother, who was also a shifter, had made the mistake of falling in love with a girl, shortly after he underwent his first transformation. It lasted a few weeks, but when Janet found out what he really was, she got scared. Her fear of him drove them apart, and in the end cost his brother his life. You only mate with your own kind, his father warned them both, but Jackson didn’t have the ability to stop his beast from falling for Janet, and after his death, Oron swore to never allow the same thing to happen to him. Little did he expect to be in the predicament he was in when he laid eyes on Alison. Since he couldn’t get involved with her, or stay away from her, he devised the only reasonable plan that would set his mind at ease and calm his inner beast. He would be her protector, and ensure that no harm ever came to her. From that day on, he watched over her. He had to admit to himself, that he wasn’t any different than a stalker, the only difference was that he respected her privacy. He would have breakfast at the diner every other day, and sometimes lunch. Changing his routine would make him look less conspicuous. But every day when she made her way to the library and then home, he would follow her to ensure she got home safely. So far she hadn’t noticed him, but then again, she had no reason to fear him or anyone for that matter. She was a girl with a happy disposition, there couldn’t possibly be any man or woman who would want her harm. Everyone in town liked her, and everyone knew her. So when he did follow her home, she wouldn’t have to look over her shoulder.

  Whenever he came to the diner, he always averted his attention to reading or rather staring at the newspaper, not that he was paying any attention to it. His aim was for her to trust him as being just another regular. When she wasn’t looking, he would watch her intently, and in his own mind, he would allow his bear to conjure up images of her in his arms, making sweet love. That always made things very awkward and unless he calmed himself down, he was stuck sitting at the table to hide his obvious arousal. The more he visited the diner, the more comfortable Alison had gotten with him. Often trying to coax him into talking to her, if only she knew just how hard it was for him to breathe in her presence. The slightest whiff of her scent could potentially break the control he had over his beast, and then all hell would break loose. He would much rather be the protector who watches over the damsel, than lose the woman all together. He had resolved himself to that fact, but what he hadn’t prepared himself for was the possibility of her meeting a man who could potentially sweep her off her feet. Men would sometimes try to approach her, but for some reason she never showed much interest. She was civil and even friendly, but the moment a guy became too flirtatious she would withdraw completely. And every time that happened he was relieved, but he knew for a fact that the time would come for him to let her go one day. Until then he would take the few stolen moments at the diner.

  Oron stood in the shadows outside her apartment. All the way here, he felt her angst, something was troubling her. He knew that the incident with the man at the diner earlier in the day had upset her, and perhaps he was a little too indifferent to the situation, but surely that would not have upset her as much as it apparently did. Unlike other times when he was able to casually follow her, undetected, tonight was different. Every now and again she looked back over her shoulder as if she could sense someone behind her. He had to stay hidden as best he could, which wasn’t the easiest, considering his size. By the time she made it to her apartment and struggled to unlock the door, he wanted so much to walk up to her and wrap his arms around her to calm her down.

  He glanced up at her apartment again. It was already past nine, and her light was still on. It wasn’t like her. He had seen her glancing out from behind the curtain much earlier, and she looked scared. If only he had a way to figure out what it was that troubled her. He pondered on the incident from earlier and the way she had defended the prostitute. And the only conclusion he could come to was that she either had personal experience as one, or she knew a prostitute. The thought of her selling herself caused his bear to rage. Oron fought his beast and as he leaned against the tree, he clawed at the bark, tearing into the rough surface. He only just managed to hold back a growl.

  She’s not like that, he argued with his beast, but it kept taunting him, his beast wanted revenge on any man that had used his woman for his own perverted gratification. Oron struggled to focus and eventually left, rushing into the dark. He needed to get into the forest and away from civilization before his bear got the better of him. As he reached the dense forest, he leaped into the brush, just in time. His features contorted and his human form distorted into an obscure creature. His skull widened and claws extended in place of his fingers. His skin stretched and thick hair sprouted across his skin as his clothes tore from his body. Oron clung to his humanity for a few seconds longer before he succumbed to his beast and a loud cracking sound echoed through the night as his bones morphed and popped out of place to adapt to his bear form.

  Oron’s mind was still intact, but being in his animal form, he had no control over the beast’s baser instincts, but he was far enough from the town to prevent his bear from venturing back. His heavy paws fell methodically as he started to move south, away from the town. The last thing he wanted was for humans to fear him and send out a hunting party. Although bears were protected in these parts, he didn’t want to take any chances.

  While he wandered through the forest aimlessly, he kept wondering about Alison, trying to reason as to why she was so affected by the event. Was she genuinely trying to protect the woman, or was it the man who she wanted to prove a point to? He had been relieved when Maurice intervened because he was dangerously close to picking the man up by the scruff and depositing him through the window. Lucky for everyone the couple left shortly after, and although he upset Alison with his indifferent outlook on the situation, he had managed to stay calm. But he was determined to find out exactly what it was that upset her so much.

  Chapter 3

  The persistent hooting outside, woke Alison with a start. She looked around, dazed and confused, only to realize that she had slept curled up in the armchair all night. Her neck was sore and her head felt as if she had constant brain freeze. There was no way she could go to work feeling the way she did. She got up slowly, rubbing her back and then made her way through to the kitchen. She was desperate for some aspirin, and although she knew she didn’t have any, she looked anyway. Sighing she closed the cupboard and opted for a strong cup of coffee, hoping that it would make her feel a little better. Her mouth tasted like chalk, thanks to her brilliant idea to finish the bottle of Merlot all by herself. She made a mental note never to drink again. While waiting for the kettle to boil, she picked up her phone and sent a text to Maurice to tell him that she wouldn’t be able to make it to work. She knew he needed all hands on deck, but she would be more of a problem than anything else. Besides, in the p
ast year, she had never taken a day off.

  She walked over to the window and opened the curtain to look outside. The village had come to life, filled with people walking and cars driving by. It was in total contrast to the ominous stillness from the night before. She let out a soft sigh and closed the curtains again. The light was far too bright for her at this point. A shower was the only solution, and after that, she would have that much needed cup of coffee.

  She turned on the tap and the pipes groaned before spitting out some water. The plumbing in her apartment wasn’t the best, but once the water started flowing, it was fine. She stripped out of her clothes and stepped under the warm water and as the spray beat down on her aching muscles, she rested her head against the cold ceramic tiles. She tried her best to blank out her thoughts and just focus on the moment, but that was easier said than done. Gareth was here with her, in her mind. She remembered the moments she once thought were special, the times they laughed and had fun. But like black ink running over wet paper, her memories were dashed as images of his vile, abusive nature flooded her mind. It had been a year, and still he haunted her. Frustrated she banged the side of her fist against the shower wall and cursed under her breath. ‘Think happy thoughts’, she told herself and shook her head as if she could simply erase him.

  After her shower, she got dressed in track pants and a T-shirt, made herself a cup of coffee, and contemplated her situation. She was being silly, what were the odds of Gareth coming to Big Bear? It’s been a year since she left, if he really did want to find her, he would have done so by now. Fair enough, it wouldn’t be easy, but she hesitated to put anything past Gareth.

  Later that morning she finally decided to venture outside. She needed to get to the library, so that she could use a computer. She knew that Gareth had a Facebook profile. He was a social media junky, so to set her mind at ease, she figured that it would be much better for her to be one step ahead at all times, instead of assuming she was safe. With her hoody pulled over her head, and her hands tucked safely into her pockets she walked a block down to the library, avoiding eye contact with every person who passed her by. Only once she was inside the library did she feel safe again.