If they found it.
Chapter Seven – Jason
Jason was up before the sun, too nervous to sleep and too excited to stay indoors. As he left his apartment above The Happy Bear Club, he ran down the stairs to the separate entrance which was around the back of the building. Unlocking it, he stepped out into the new morning with a spring in his step and hope in his heart.
Any minute now you’re going to break into song, his bear chuckled as Jason looked up at the inky sky. The first rays of sun hadn’t stained it yet and a cool mist hung in the air, clinging to Jason’s clothes, as he took off at a run across the parking lot.
As he reached the other side he shifted, his bear suddenly free to enjoy the morning to its fullest. Jason needed to run off some of the tension in his body, he also wanted to go over to the valley where he’d seen Shannon and Lorcan yesterday and have a good snoop around.
Bears don’t snoop, his bear told him lightly.
Sure they do. Particularly if there is honey involved. Jason chuckled as his bear shook his large broad head in denial. Have it your own way.
I will. His bear skipped a couple of steps before he lowered his head and powered forward on his stocky, well-muscled legs. His strides might be short, but they ate up the ground as he ran up the steep trail leading into the mountains.
He ran as if the devil was on his back. His lungs were fit to burst, each breath burning his throat, but still, he ran on, trying to outrun his past so that it wouldn’t taint his future. A future with his mate.
A complicated future, his bear added.
Yes, but how complicated? Jason asked. Shannon is like a closed book.
You are like a bound book complete with a lock. His bear leaped up a steep incline and paused for a moment to look out over the valley below. There was the town, its rooftops tinged by the first rays of the morning sun. If he stared hard enough, he could pick out the hotel where his mate slept.
Does she know what her son is? His bear’s concern was evident.
I don’t know. But today we’ll find out if she knows about shifters. Jason paused before he asked, Are we sure what Lorcan is?
He smells like a dragon and I can almost sense the great fire-breathing lizard under his skin. His bear chuckled. Don’t tell Fiona I called a dragon a fire-breathing lizard.
Your secret is safe with me. Jason contemplated one course of action that might give them a definitive answer. Unless Shannon actually admitted her son was a dragon-shifter.
You want to take them to meet Fiona, his bear could read his mind. Of course.
Fiona might be able to give us some answers. Even if Shannon knows what Lorcan is, there is still the question of what they are searching for. Maybe Fiona might be able to help them in their search.
Or maybe they are looking for something they should not find. We are assuming they are looking for dragon treasure that belongs to them. But what if they are just searching for any dragon treasure? Who knows what might be buried in these mountains? I’d hate to cause a war between our mate and the dragons. His bear had a point and as he turned away from the view and carried on with his journey, they both fell silent as they pondered the different ways this could play out.
However, there was little point in speculating until they had more facts.
Jason’s bear ran on across the lower slopes and climbed toward the valley where he’d first scented his mate yesterday. They’d been tucked inside a crevice behind a wall of rock. At first, Jason thought they were hiding from him, but then he’d caught a snippet of their conversation.
Hunters. That was the word she’d used. They don’t hunt alone. His mate and her son were being hunted. They were not just visiting Bear Creek as tourists, they were here because they were being forced to find dragon treasure. Which brought him back to the question as to whether it was Lorcan’s treasure they sought or another dragon’s.
As Jason climbed over the mound of dirt and stones and headed toward the gap in the rocks, he hoped he might have more luck at finding what they were looking for since he knew the mountains so well. He’d explored many of the caves in the area and learned a lot about the geology of the mountains during visits to the local museum and discussions with an old geologist who needed a drain dug in his garden. Mr. Holt had spent the whole time Jason and Gunner dug the drain telling them about the makeup of the dirt and rock beneath their feet along with the mountains towering above the town.
Once the treasure was found, they could deal with these hunters and then get on with their lives together.
Even though Shannon doesn’t really know that we have a life together, his bear reminded him.
Maybe that’s something we could talk about today. Jason’s heart skipped a beat and his stomach flipped. He’d never been so nervous. If he messed this up, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
How can we mess it up? His bear stopped outside the hidden cave. There was no way his bear would fit through the gap. Time to shift.
The air shimmered as the bear disappeared from the world. For an instant, they were gone and then Jason’s human form slowly materialized. Before his shift was complete, Jason slid between the two sheets of solid rock and entered the cave.
It was dark and he reached into his backpack for a flashlight. Flicking the switch, he looked around the cave as the beam of light cut through the darkness. Empty. A few rocks and boulders littered the cave floor. They had fallen from the roof of the cave probably when the landslide outside had occurred. The force of that amount of earth and rock moving down the mountain would have felt like an earthquake.
Stepping over the rocks, he made his way toward the back of the cave. Examining the rock wall inch by inch, Jason noticed signs there might once have been a small, narrow passage leading deeper under the mountain. Taking his pack off his back, he placed it on the stone floor and opened it up. Inside he’d packed a few tools, a small pick, a hand shovel, and a hammer.
Curling his fingers around the small pickaxe, he pulled it out of the pack and edged closer to the back wall of the cave. Carefully propping his flashlight up on a small mound of rocks, he positioned it so it shone on the rock before he ran his fingers along the wall feeling for where the hard, solid rock changed to softer material that crumbled as he probed into it. There was definitely a difference in texture and hardness. Of course, that didn’t mean there was anything to find if he dug out the dirt and stone. Digging out the rock might be a waste of time and energy, but he had to try. Shannon and Lorcan were in here for a reason.
Although, it might have been a bust and they were about to move on to the next cave. However, Jason had a feeling about the cave.
So now you think we can sense treasure? his bear scoffed. I wish.
Lifting the pick above his head, he brought it down hard. The tip sank into the soft rock and he pulled it toward him and was rewarded by a shower of small stones and dirt that fell in a pile at his feet. One blow after another rained down on the rock. As the tip of the pick pulled more stone and dirt out, Jason’s confidence grew. There was definitely a tunnel beneath the dirt, whether it led to treasure, he wouldn’t know until all of the dirt had been dug out.
It’s getting late, his bear warned.
Jason looked over his shoulder. His bear was right, the sun shone brightly through the slit in the rock face and cast a jagged thin line across the cave floor. “Damn it,” he said out loud.
Throwing the pick back into his backpack, Jason pulled it closed and hauled it behind him as he slipped out into the open air. Breathing deeply, glad to be out of the dark cave, he slung it onto his back and ran toward the boulders. Climbing them swiftly, he jumped down the other side and shifted in mid-air. His bear took over and ran at a steady pace, keeping his breathing in check as he descended back down the mountain. The sun was rising fast and he needed time to jump in the shower before he met up with his mate.
It’ll have to be the fastest shower in history, his bear told him dryly.
I can’t
show up at the hotel covered in dirt and sweat, Jason replied as the bear let go of the world and Jason landed on two feet, running across the parking lot and opening his front door so fast he nearly took the door off its hinges.
Jason probably did win the world record for the fastest shower as he shampooed his hair and lathered soap over his body before rinsing himself clean. Stepping out of the shower, he grabbed a towel and dried himself as he hurried to his bedroom and dragged a clean pair of jeans and a black T-shirt out of his closet. He dressed in a blur before running downstairs and flinging open the front door. Pulling it closed behind him, he dashed across the parking lot, truck keys in hand.
Leaping into the truck, he thrust the keys into the ignition and fired up the engine. He had ten minutes to get into town and find a place to park.
If you’re late, she might leave without you, his bear told him.
Do you think I don’t know that? Jason asked as he drove out of the parking lot.
He headed into town, being careful to stick to the speed limit even though he had to fight with himself not to push his foot down on the gas pedal. Luckily it was still early in the morning and the town hadn’t come completely to life yet. He slid into a parking space a hundred feet along the road from the hotel and got out. Taking off at a sprint, he slid into the hotel reception area with seconds to spare.
“There you are!” Isla grinned as he looked around the reception area, his disappointment palpable as he realized his mate was not here waiting for him.
“Where’s Shannon?” Fear gripped him and threatened to bring him to his knees.
“They’re still having breakfast.” Isla pointed to the small hotel dining room.
As he relaxed and let go of his pent-up breath, his senses located his mate. She was there. How could he have missed her?
Because we’re so scared of losing her. They understood each other completely.
“You can go through and join them if you want to.” Isla watched him. “Unless you’re too nervous.”
“Why would I be nervous?” Jason asked, sweeping his hand through his still-damp hair.
“If I met my mate, I’m betting I’d be too nervous to eat.” She smiled wistfully. “I can’t wait for the day when I find out if that’s true.”
“I hope you don’t wait as long as I have.” He glanced at Isla. “No one should have to wait half their life to find their mate.”
“But I suspect she is worth waiting for.” Isla nodded toward the dining room. “They’re on their way out.”
Jason turned to face the door leading to the dining room. Isla was right, his mate was coming toward him and nervous excitement bubbled up inside him. This was the best way to start the day.
You’ve already forgotten we started the day a couple of hours ago or more? his bear asked. Or does going into the mountains and taking a pickaxe to a cave wall not count?
We need to keep that to ourselves for now. At least until we have more information on what Shannon and Lorcan are searching for.
You mean we could have wasted our time knocking through that wall this morning, his bear rolled his eyes.
It was a good way to burn off some nervous energy. Jason put a smile on his face as the dining room door opened and Shannon stood framed against the background of tables and chairs.
“You’re here. Sorry, we’re late.” Shannon stepped out of the doorway and waited for Lorcan, who grabbed a couple of breakfast rolls and stuffed them into the pack he had slung over his back.
Jason stifled a chuckle, not wanting to get the young man into trouble. “I’ve only just arrived myself.”
“Shall we get going?” Shannon seemed a little nervous as she crossed the lobby area. The easiness they’d found in each other’s company last night seemed to have evaporated with the morning sun.
“Where are we heading?” Jason asked as he reached for the door and held it open for his mate.
Shannon glanced at Isla who was busy typing on her computer keyboard. His mate obviously didn’t want the receptionist to know what she was doing here in Bear Creek. Jason could hardly blame her since Isla was the reason so many people had come to The Happy Bear Club last night. If Isla had spread the word about Jason finding his mate, then she might spread more rumors if she knew Shannon was here searching for some kind of treasure.
Only when they’d reached the sidewalk and the hotel door had firmly slid shut did Shannon tell Jason her plan.
“We’re going back to the same valley that we were in yesterday. Lorcan is certain that’s where we need to be looking.” She hesitated. “You are willing to come along with us even though you don’t have any of the facts?”
“This is important to you and you are important to me. That’s all that matters right now.” He glanced at Lorcan who was looking in the local stores as they walked along the street. “And I want to help you keep your son safe.”
“We can look after ourselves,” Shannon insisted.
“I’m sure you can. But from my experience, it never hurts to have backup.” He pulled the keys out of his pocket as they reached his truck. “I thought I’d drive.”
“Did you?” Shannon folded her arms across her body. “Is that because you don’t trust women drivers?”
He gave a lopsided smile. “I am not getting into that kind of an argument.” He opened the passenger door for her. “I just figured that you could focus on Lorcan and what he senses rather than the road. I also know the area pretty well, so if we have to move on, then I can get us to where we need to go fast.”
“Okay, you win. This time.” Shannon climbed into the passenger seat and Lorcan jumped in after her. As Jason shut the door, he hoped the day would end in success.
And with him learning more about the two people he was meant to share his life with.
Chapter Eight – Shannon
Jason drove with the confidence of a man who knew the roads intimately. As he guided his truck along the back roads, they began to climb higher until the town was way below. The mountains always gave her a sense of freedom, as if she could rise above her life and conquer anything. The problem was the hunters were not there to be conquered, they were there to be defeated, if that was possible. With no idea how many there were or whether they would settle for the treasure they wanted Lorcan to find, Shannon had no clue if there would ever be an end to their threat.
She glanced sideways at Jason. She’d taken a risk allowing him into their lives. For all she knew, he was one of these hunters who had decided that the easiest way to spy on Lorcan was to befriend them. But that judgment didn’t sit right with Shannon. In her heart, she knew he was true. She didn’t know how, but she knew it all the same.
Which gave her a new predicament. By allowing Jason to help in the search, she was putting him in danger. She was putting him in the path of the hunters.
“We’re close.” Jason’s words cut through her thoughts and she sat up straighter, her eyes on the mountains above them. She had to keep looking forward. If they could find the treasure then they might all be safe, including her father. Her father who had chosen to make himself bait for the dragon hunters by leading them away from Shannon and Lorcan on the pretense of knowing where the treasure was. Her father, who had never been there for Shannon growing up, but who had committed to helping her raise Lorcan when she was faced with doing so as a single parent.
Shannon chewed the inside of her cheek. She’d never really questioned why her father hadn’t been there for his wife as she raised their daughter, but he’d stepped in to help his daughter raise Lorcan.
Why the sudden change?
During her childhood her dad had spent months on end exploring the world, backpacking through the Alps, walking the Camino de Santiago and trekking through the rainforests of South America. He seemed to forget his own responsibilities. He left behind a wife and daughter every time he hauled his pack on his back and set out for his new adventure. Only when her mom became sick and passed away did he return home to Shannon and
finish the job her mother had started.
Shannon sighed. He’d tried, but her dad could never fill the hole left by her mom. Her mom who was the center of Shannon’s world.
“Mom.” Lorcan placed his hand on his mom’s shoulder and she jumped in surprise. “Are you okay?”
Shannon unclenched her teeth. She’d been grinding them together, an old habit she’d given up in her twenties. At about the time her father disappeared on a new adventure and came back with... She glanced at Lorcan. “Sorry, I’m nervous.”
“It’ll all be okay,” Lorcan assured her.
“I know.” Shannon breathed deeply and let go of the tension in her shoulders. “Thanks for doing this.”
Jason nodded. “My pleasure. I like a puzzle.”
“I don’t,” Shannon admitted. “Especially when I have none of the pieces. I don’t know what we’re looking for and I have no idea where it is.”
“I do.” Lorcan looked wistfully at the mountains. “I can sense it.”
“But you don’t know what it is?” Jason asked curiously.
“No, but it’s as if a part of me is connected to it.” Lorcan turned an intense stare on Jason. “I need to find out what is up there.” He pointed at the mountains.
“I would, too.” Jason’s mouth pressed into a thin line. “I just hope what you are looking for is not impossibly lost forever deep in one of the caves.”
“It’s not. I know it’s not,” Lorcan said with conviction.
“Then let’s go and find it.” Shannon grabbed her pack as Jason pulled the truck over to the side of the road and switched off the engine. She had a sneaking feeling Jason knew more than he was letting on. Of course, if he was a bear shifter, he would have super senses of his own. But what were they? Could he also sense the treasure the hunters were after? She hid her shocked expression by dropping to her knees and retying the lace of her hiking boot. What if that was the reason he was here?
Jason - Silverback Redemption Page 6
