Rebel Dragon

by Anna Lowe

  Not a stranger. A friend, the voice assured her.

  She wondered what the voice was and where it came from. But she got distracted by calculating the distance to his lips, which seemed much more important just then. They weren’t far, but even that was too far. She rose to her toes, suddenly desperate for a taste of his lips because she already knew how perfect it would be.

  But something rustled on the path behind her. Something determined to rip that kiss away from them before it was too late.

  Too late for what? her muddled mind asked.

  Quick as lightning, Connor pushed her behind him. He stepped forward, sticking his chest out, doing that human barrier thing he’d done on the plane. Then he froze, alert as a dog sniffing the breeze.

  Jenna stared. Wait a second. He actually was sniffing the breeze.

  “Jenna?” a familiar voice called.

  She stepped forward and touched Connor’s arm. “That’s my sister.” In a louder voice, she called out to Jody, “Coming.”

  Her voice was light, but her heart sank. She didn’t want to go anywhere, and she didn’t want anyone butting in.

  That didn’t stop Jody from walking up, followed by her boyfriend, Cruz, who glared the second he spotted Connor. Around Jody, Cruz was a sweetheart — well, a gruff sweetheart — but sweet, indeed. Around other men, though…

  Jenna backed up to give them space and bumped into Connor, who was glaring right back at Cruz. His face stiffened, and she swore his stubble thickened as his laser gaze warned Cruz away. Cruz’s eyes were screaming all kinds of deadly warnings too, and neither man showed the slightest sign of backing down.

  Help Connor. Touch him, the little voice said. Calm him.

  She fought away the urge to place a hand on his chest, but she did hum under her breath, telling him it was okay.

  “Hey, Jenna. Did you sleep well?” her sister asked as if she was used to men growling at each other like a couple of angry Rottweilers.

  The second Jenna placed a hand over Connor’s forearm, heat rushed through her veins. His hand brushed her lower back, out of sight of the others. Was that just an innocent bump, or did he relish the contact too?

  “Great. Super. I slept really well,” she stammered, trying not to blush.

  “Hi,” Jody chirped at Connor, offering her hand. “You must be one of the new guys. I’m Jody, and this is Cruz.”

  Cruz bristled as Jody and Connor shook hands, but he didn’t say a word.

  Connor forced a polite smile. “Connor Hoving. Nice to meet you.”

  Hoving. Connor Hoving. Jenna parked that little tidbit of information away in her mind.

  “Great that you’re here,” Jody said, then waved Jenna in the direction she’d come from. “Breakfast is that way, little sis. After that, we really need to talk. Remember?”

  Of course, Jenna remembered. Jody had hinted at some big secret the night before, and she wondered what it was. Was Jody pregnant? Planning to marry Cruz? It sounded like something big, that was for sure.

  “Would you like to join us for breakfast, Connor?” Jody asked.

  Cruz’s glare said, Who said we have to invite him?

  Connor shook his head. “I have to meet Kai, but thanks.” His eyes dropped to Jenna’s and hung on. “See you later?”

  Was it just her, or were his words loaded with subtext?

  Before she could so much as smile an enthusiastic reply, Cruz’s mouth opened a tiny bit, and Jenna swore she heard a muffled growl.

  “See you later, Connor,” Jody said, quickly leading Jenna away.

  “See you later,” Jenna called, looking back.

  But Cruz had already positioned himself between her and Connor, making a wall with his body the way Connor had done on the plane.

  Jenna shook her head and whispered to her sister as they walked away. “Man, oh man. What is it with these überterritorial guys?”

  Jody glanced at her, looking uncharacteristically serious. When she whispered back, it was in a strangely scratchy voice. “I’m about to explain.”

  Chapter Six

  Jenna clutched a pillow to her stomach and sat very, very still. Only half an hour had passed, but the yearning sense of possibility she had felt around Connor was replaced by cold fear.

  She was on her sister’s couch, face-to-face with a Bengal tiger. A huge tiger with big whiskers and a ridiculously long tail that swiped left and right in an I want to eat you kind of way.

  Jenna’s heart raced, and she wished Connor were there. He seemed capable of wrestling a tiger with his bare hands, didn’t he?

  “Jody?” she whispered, hoping that really was her sister.

  The giant cat’s whiskers twitched, and the beast showed its fangs.

  Jenna pulled her feet up and backed as far into the couch as she could. “Holy shit, Jody. Is that really you?”

  The tiger nodded and butted Jenna’s knee with her head until she had no choice but to pet it.

  Right, sure. Okay. The last time they had met, Jody had told her about shifters, but she hadn’t admitted to being one. Her sister, whom she’d known her whole life, could turn into a wild animal?

  Jenna stared, and the evidence stared back — evidence in the form of an orange-and-black-striped cat that extended at least eight feet from nose to tail, not to mention a set of startlingly long teeth.

  “A tail, Jody? Seriously?” Not that the tail was the biggest surprise, but she had to focus somewhere.

  The tiger winked while it paced, followed by a calico kitten that mimicked its every move. Then the tiger backed away and stretched. The light filtering through the trees shimmered, and a second later, the animal was her sister again, curled up in what looked like a graceful yoga position before she stood with a wry grin.

  “See?” Jody said, all matter-of-fact.

  Jenna yanked the pillow from her belly and threw it at her sister. “Yes, I did see. Did you have to come so close?”

  Jody just laughed and threw the pillow back. “I had to make sure you knew it was me.”

  The kitten pounced on the pillow, not the least surprised at what had just happened.

  “Yeah, I saw, all right. But — wow, Jody. How? No, wait. Put some clothes on first. Please. It’s like looking at your modeling pictures, but worse.”

  Jody made a face and pulled her shirt back on. “Don’t remind me. Thank goodness my one and only modeling gig is over.”

  “I still don’t get how modeling made you a tiger.”

  Jody laughed. “Modeling didn’t. Cruz did.” She pointed overhead.

  Jenna followed Jody’s finger up into the shadows of the luxury treehouse her sister lived in with Cruz. Platforms had been built into the branches of an ancient monkeypod tree, some covered, others open to the sky. A series of rope bridges curved here and there, connecting them. The shadows stirred, and an even bigger tiger peered down at her, looking bored. Was that Cruz? Jenna had gotten to know her sister’s new flame on her last visit to Maui, and yes, tiger fit him to a T. But still — a real tiger? Holy crap.

  “Right. A mating bite,” Jenna said, staring into her mug. Maybe her drink had been spiked.

  “Yep. See right here?” Jody tipped her head back and pointed to the pair of tiny scars on her neck. “It’s called a mating bite. You do it in the middle of sex and—”

  Jenna slammed her hands over her ears. “Too much information.”

  Normally, she didn’t mind giggling over the particulars of a steamy encounter. But right now, she could be spared the details supplied by the satisfied look on her sister’s face. Jody had let Cruz bite her in the middle of wild, raging sex? And that had made her into a tiger shifter?

  Not that Jenna wasn’t a fan of wild, raging sex. It was just a little too much to process right now.

  “And you’re saying everyone here is a shifter? Everyone?” Jenna demanded. She stared at the kitten. “Wait — what does he change into?”

  “She,” Jody said. “Nothing — Keiki is just a kitten. A really
sweet one,” Jody hastened to add, petting it. “But, yes — everyone on the estate and next door at Koakea is a shifter. Cruz and I are the only tigers here. The others are wolves, bears, and…well, other things.”

  Other things? Jenna wasn’t sure she wanted those details either.

  Then it hit her. “Whoa. What about Connor?” God, could he turn into an animal too?

  “Who? Oh, the new guy?” Jody looked at her closely. Too closely.

  Jenna waved her hands, changing the subject. “Hang on. Do you all end up naked after you change?” She cast a wary glance at Cruz. “By the way, I believe it now. No need for you to demonstrate too.”

  Cruz grinned and flicked his tail.

  “We don’t change bodies,” Jody said. “We shift. The animal side is always there, inside.”

  A voice echoed through Jenna’s mind, and she thought about the whispers that had urged her to kiss Connor. But that was different, right?

  “So… Tigers. Wolves. Bears. And you’re one of them. Does Dad know?”

  Jody shook her head. “I haven’t told him yet. But here’s the thing.” She tugged on Jenna’s hands until they were sitting face-to-face. “It isn’t just shifters most people don’t know about. There are other beings as well.”

  Jenna’s jaw dropped, and in the ominous silence that followed, a raven cawed in the distance. Cruz, she saw, was glowering into the shadows, and even Keiki looked somber.

  “Others? What others?” she demanded, even though she already knew.

  Her sister took a deep breath and held her hands tighter. “Like I told you. A vampire came after me here on Maui.”

  Jenna nodded slowly, trying to digest it all. Yes, Jody had already warned her of that. But still — seeing her sister transform made the notion of other supernatural creatures that much more real.

  She shivered. “You said he wanted your blood.”

  Jody looked down, avoiding her eyes. “He wanted your blood.”

  “What?”

  Jody glanced up, her eyes filled with dark memories. “The vampire wanted me because he thought Dad was my biological father. But you’re the only one with Dad’s genes.”

  Jenna shrugged. Technically, Jody was her half sister. Same mother, different fathers. So Jenna was the only one with Monroe genes.

  “When did that ever matter?” she protested.

  “It doesn’t matter to us. Sisters are sisters, and Dad is the best dad ever to all of us. But the vampire was after what’s in dad’s blood, and you’re the only person that was passed on to.”

  Jenna blinked. “The only person what passed on to?”

  “Mermaid blood, Jenna. Dad’s family has some mermaid ancestry. That means you have it too.”

  Jenna blinked, about to protest. Tigers, vampires, and now mermaids?

  But before she could open her mouth, a slew of watery images filled her mind. Visions of light filtering through the ocean, seen from deep below. The streamlined keels of boats zipping by overhead, the peaceful sway of kelp below. Jenna held her breath. When her sister spoke, her voice seemed far away.

  “Jenna? What is it? What do you see?”

  The same thing she’d seen in her childhood dreams — and on quiet nights when the sound of the surf reached all the way to her bedroom back at home. Schools of tiny fish glittering like thousands of diamonds, turning in uncanny harmony. Frolicking dolphins, squeaking with glee, surrounded by the beautiful green froth of a wave as seen from underneath.

  Mermaid, a voice whispered in her mind, all hushed and mumbly as if awakening from a deep sleep.

  Sometimes, when a big wave kicked her off her surfboard, she would stay under an extra minute or two just to watch the waves roll and foam. As a child, she’d terrified her parents when she’d remained underwater longer than any child ought to be able to.

  Jody gripped her shoulders. “There’s no mermaid in my blood, Jenna, but there is in yours.”

  “Mermaid?” she asked, still trying to digest it all.

  “Apparently, the last full-blooded mermaids died out generations ago, but there’s a little left in Dad’s family.”

  Jenna looked toward the ocean. It was out of sight, behind the trees, but she could hear the surf roll in. She could practically feel it, in fact. As a kid, she’d dreamed of living under the sea — Yellow Submarine and all that — but she’d never related it to having mermaid blood.

  She shook her head as if coming out of a spell. “Why didn’t Dad ever say anything if there are vampires around?”

  “I don’t think he knows, and when I asked Aunt Frida, she didn’t know what parts of the old family stories were myths and what parts might be true.”

  “Wait.” Jenna grabbed her sister’s arm. “Does that mean a vampire could be after Dad?”

  Jody shook her head. “Apparently, it’s mermaid blood that has a special taste, not merman.”

  Keiki, the kitten, shoved herself between them, demanding to be petted. Jenna reached out absently, but even the soft feel of the cat’s fur didn’t help as Jody went on.

  “It’s you I’m worried about. And when you mentioned a stalker… That started after your picture made the newspaper, right?”

  Jenna gulped, and the peace brought on by the watery images vanished. A few weeks earlier, a freelance photographer had snapped a picture of her coming out of the water at Seal Beach as a couple of young girls looked on in open wonder. One of the kids had a Little Mermaid bucket in her hand, and the shot had made the LA Times weekend edition with a huge caption. Modern-day mermaid? Jenna’s blond hair was slicked back, and water trickled over the aquamarine sun shirt she’d worn that day. Aside from the goofy caption, she’d been amused to make the paper, and her dad had framed a copy in the window of his shop with his own caption.

  No mermaids. Just the best boards in town. Come on in.

  But, shit. Jody was right — the stalker had started texting her not long after that.

  “Are you still getting those creepy messages?” Jody asked, looking more concerned than ever.

  Jenna’s mouth went dry and took on a bitter taste.

  Dear Jenna, I know we are meant for each other. Can we meet on the pier at one?

  That had been the first one, and she’d hit delete without a second thought — until the next one came in.

  Dear Jenna, So sorry you didn’t make it. I know you’ll make our next meeting, however. Let’s meet at…

  The sender tried at least three more of those, and at one point, she’d been foolish enough to text back.

  Who the hell are you?

  I am yours, and you are mine, my pet.

  Pet? She wasn’t anyone’s pet. Who was that creep?

  She’d punched Leave me alone into the keyboard and blocked the number. But soon after, more messages from a new number came through and continued even after she changed her number.

  You cannot avoid me forever. I am your destiny, and you are mine.

  “Destiny,” she whispered. “Who the hell talks like that?”

  Jody’s eyes filled with fear, and the tiger overhead started pacing in unease.

  “Shifters do,” Jody said. “Shifters and other monsters you never want to see.”

  Jenna watched Cruz striding back and forth. God, it would be handy to have a guy like him around. Then her brain sidestepped to the image of Connor. He would do nicely, too. But — whoa. Was he a shifter? If so, what kind?

  Her mind ran away with a thousand crazy ideas. He was as big as a bear, but quick too. A mountain lion, maybe?

  Then she caught herself. What exactly did she expect Connor — or anyone — to do against a vampire?

  Do not be afraid. I will bestow countless riches upon you, and you shall be my queen.

  The outdated language, the sense of entitlement, the veiled threats… Were they the hallmarks of a vampire or just the words of a crazy human?

  She’d started finding little trinkets too — things she wouldn’t have thought much of if they hadn’t been followed
up by more texts.

  Did you get my gift, my sweet thing?

  Once, it was a dried-up starfish. Another time, a sand dollar. Then a conch shell. All bleached and bone-dry, void of all life.

  Those are nothing compared to the treasures I will gather for you, my queen.

  It was creepy as hell. Had the guy actually bought into the mermaid thing?

  And then came the message that finally pushed her over the edge.

  Dear Jenna, I’ve waited a long time for you. A lifetime, you might say. But my patience wears thin. Don’t disappoint me, my pet. It would pain me to have to take matters into my own hands.

  That had freaked her out, and she’d come close to asking her dad what to do. But just when she’d run to see him, he’d told her about Jody’s latest news.

  “Listen to this, Jenna. Jody has an amazing offer for you.” Her dad’s eyes had been shining with excitement.

  Teddy Akoa, who ran the surf shop where Jody apprenticed, was a living legend, and he’d invited Jenna to help out during an especially busy month.

  “It’s a great opportunity,” her dad had said, as excited as if he’d been the one offered the job.

  “What about you?” she’d protested at first. “What about the shop?”

  Her dad smiled that bittersweet my girls are all grown-up smile of his. “Aw, don’t worry about me, sweetheart. Your uncle Barry is coming out next week, so I’ll be fine.”

  She’d nearly exhaled in sweet relief. Her dad and his brother had talked about working together for years, but now that it was finally happening — well, she really could leave with a clear conscience.

  “And seriously, honey,” her father had added. “It’s time you spread your wings.”

  That was pretty much the clincher. She’d been yearning to do that for a while, but she hadn’t had the heart to leave her dad alone. But now, with a baby granddaughter to dote on and his brother for company, her dad would be okay.

  Teddy Akoa’s surf “factory” on Maui was a shed right on the water, run by one of the legends of the sport. Even if she’d only be helping out with small tasks, it was too good an offer to resist — especially since she had a stalker on her hands. So she hadn’t said anything to her dad other than, Great! and booked her ticket on the spot.