Saved by a Dragon (Paranormal Shifter Romance) (Exiled Dragons Book 1) Read online

  “And there’s a jacuzzi out here!” Amy told her excitedly as she stepped out of the French doors that led outside to the veranda.

  “Oh, I can only see that as a good time. We did bring wine, right?”

  “Of course. What sort of romantic getaway would this be without proper vino?” Amy teased.

  “You’re a woman after my own heart. If you were a man, you’d be perfect for me.”

  “Ah, that is a problem now, isn’t it?”

  “Just slightly. Which room is mine?”

  “Pick one. It’s actually designed for four couples, so there is plenty of space.”

  “Spectacular. I’m going to go get unpacked somewhere.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll put the food away and then settle into a room.”

  The two women parted to get situated in the cabin. By the time Amy had finished with her own unpacking, she returned to find Barb busy chopping vegetables at the large island that ran between the sunken den and the kitchen.

  “I thought I’d make us a little nibble platter to have with some wine rather than making a full dinner. We can sit back and relax for a while.”

  “That sounds perfect,” Amy replied, accepting the glass of wine Barb was holding out toward her. She sat down on one of the stools at the bar to chat, the platter of finger food between them.

  “What time are we going out in the morning?” Barb asked.

  “Early. I’d like to be on the trail by six. I’ve plotted out our trail, and we can make it to the peak on the smaller mountain to the west. We can pitch camp there and then head back down the following morning.”

  “I can live with that. I’m actually looking forward to it. It’s been ages since I did any real climbing.”

  “Same here, but I’m ready for it.”

  “If you’re done nibbling on the food, how about we take this party out to that glorious jacuzzi on the deck?” Barb said.

  “Absolutely. We can’t have it go to waste.”

  Of course, Amy was also hoping that it might afford her a glimpse of a certain airborne creature as well. It hadn’t been out of necessity that she had selected a cabin that was far too big for just the two of them. This particular cabin just happened to be right in the path of the flight pattern she had mapped out based on previous sightings. It was getting dark outside, and that is when most people claimed to have seen the dragon. Hopefully, she would see it again and, more importantly, so would Barb. Her help would be invaluable in collecting a story here, but first, she had to believe they existed.

  “Are you okay?” Barb asked after they had been soaking for a while.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”

  “You just seem a bit on edge about something,” Barb replied, scrutinizing her closely.

  “I guess I just have some things on my mind,” Amy replied.

  The truth was that it was getting later and there were still no signs of the dragon. Perhaps she had just made something out of nothing. Plenty of other people had seen it, so there was definitely something there, but people were easily duped. All it took was one clever mind to come up with a clever enough hoax to fool them. Still, she wanted to know what these things were and who was behind them. If that was the only story, then so be it, but how great would it be to break open a tale of real dragons?

  “You know you can talk to me about anything,” Barb told her, pouring them another glass of wine.

  “I know I can, Barb. You’ve always been a good friend. I’m fine. I just need to relax.”

  “Well, it doesn’t get more relaxing than a jacuzzi with a glass of good wine, does it?” Barb laughed.

  “No, it doesn’t. Hey, tell me about Garth. You said things are getting better there. Getting serious?”

  “Maybe. I don’t know. He can be the most loving man in the world, but I get the feeling it is for show. I’m not sure if there is something I’m missing or if I’m just paranoid, but I’m afraid to get too close to him, if that makes sense.”

  “I know what you mean. It seems like men all have their own agenda these days. I wonder if there are even any men left out there capable of true love. You know, I want someone who adores me completely and can’t get through a day without talking to me – someone who wants a future together. Perhaps I’m just looking for too much, and no one is willing to give one-hundred percent anymore.”

  “You might be right. That’s a bit how I feel about Garth. I mean, some days, he’s the best man on the planet. He’s polite, thoughtful, affectionate. Then, he goes on a trip, and it’s as if I’m out of sight, out of mind. It makes me wonder what he does when he’s away from me.”

  “But you said he Skypes with you every night.”

  “Yes. Now. That’s why I think things might be changing a bit between us. He messages me here and there between meetings and lets me know he’s thinking about me. That wasn’t something he did before recently.”

  “Do you think maybe he was seeing other people and has just made the decision to stop and see only you? Maybe that’s what changed?”

  “I don’t know. I considered it, but I couldn’t see any signs of that either. I do know that we had an argument about him continuing to talk to his ex long after we were together.”

  “You think he still has something going on with her?”

  “Honestly? Yes and no. I don’t think there’s any sort of active relationship between them, and I don’t think he wants one. He said she was intolerable and it drove him away, but I think that he still harbors feelings for her. I think he wishes it were different, but knows it won’t be. I believe that if she’d accepted him leaving her and left him alone, he would’ve forgotten how jealous and petty she could be. He would’ve gone back to her. Instead, she continued the behavior even after they were apart, and it helped him move on. But still, he keeps her on the backburner.”

  “Yeah, I think a lot of men do that. Even if they don’t want the woman, they hold on to them in case someone better doesn’t come along. Eventually, they either do find someone to take their place, either for a while or forever. Then again, some realize that person wasn’t so bad and go back. The bottom line is that you can’t fight a ghost. Only they can let it go and move on when they are ready.”

  “Very true. Very true. That’s where I think he is. I think he wants to let the ghost go, but has struggled to do it.”

  “Are you okay with that?”

  “Not really, but what can I do? It’s either wait it out and see where it goes, or just call it a day and let him try to move on yet again. I care about him, so I wait.”

  “I understand. It’s a tough situation. I don’t know that I could do it. We all want to believe that the day we came along in a man’s life, he forgot anyone before us existed, but it’s not true. It’s no different than the men in our past who we remember in good or bad ways. I’m not sure if I could really let myself become too involved with a man that I knew was still having trouble letting someone go. There’s nothing worse than trying to fight a ghost.”

  “No, there isn’t,” Barb said pensively.

  Amy could tell that the conversation was only leading both of them to a dark place. It was time to lighten the mood. Setting her glass of wine on the edge of the tub, she stood up and began climbing out of the water.

  “I think I’m turning into a prune, and it’s getting pretty cool out here. You want to get into some dry clothes and watch a movie? There’s bound to be a chick flick on the tube somewhere.”

  “We have cable here?”

  “No, but we have Wi-Fi, so the world of streaming is our oyster.”

  “Perfect. I’ll jump in the shower and get in my pajamas.”

  “Yeah, me too,” Amy replied, gathering their wine glasses and setting them on the kitchen counter while they retreated to their rooms for a nice, hot shower. Thirty minutes later, they were curled up on either end of the sofa, watching a movie and laughing themselves silly. Once the movie was over, they headed off
to bed to get some rest before their early morning start.

  Amy wanted to sleep, but her mind raced with possibilities. What were the chances she would see a dragon this week? The mountains were still covered with snow not yet thawed by the early spring sunshine. What secrets would be found amid the white-capped peaks? There was a dragon here. She was certain of it. Despite her earlier doubts, she was never more sure of anything in her life, and she was going to find it.

  Chapter 5

  “Whew, I’m exhausted already,” Barb gasped about halfway up the mountain.

  “Yeah, me too. You don’t realize how out of practice you are until you get out and do it again,” Amy replied, pausing to catch her breath alongside her.

  “I can’t believe how much snow is still up here. It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?”

  “Yes. It’s always so odd to see it when it’s warm and sunny outside. I haven’t been up here for quite a while. Everything will be melted and all greened up soon, assuming the drought doesn’t kill it.”

  “Or some idiot doesn’t set fire to it.”

  “Let’s just hope that if they do, we aren’t on top of it at the time.”

  “You aren’t really encouraging me to continue on this journey with you,” Barb laughed.

  “Right. Forget I said that.”

  “Yeah, okay,” Barb said lightly. “Shall we continue, or do you want to stop here and have a bite of lunch?”

  “Let’s go up just a bit further. If I remember correctly, there’s a little clearing up ahead. It’ll be easier to set down there and eat.”

  “Sounds good. Lead the way.”

  Amy passed by Barb and continued up the mountain a few steps ahead of her. She had only walked a short ways when she stopped in her tracks and motioned back toward Barb that she should stop and be still.

  “What is it?” Barb whispered.

  “Deer, a ton of them!” Amy whispered back, motioning for her to move slowly so she wouldn’t frighten them away if she wanted to see them.

  Barb began slowly making her way up the path again, but stopped. Amy looked at her quizzically before realizing she was looking down at the ground. Both held their breath as they watched another member of the mountain wildlife slither quietly up the path, heading almost directly toward Amy who was frozen in place. Her heart nearly beat out of her chest as it slithered directly between her feet and up the path ahead of them as if to lead the way.

  “I think I may need new pants,” Barb finally said.

  “You aren’t the only one. Was that a rattlesnake?” Amy said breathlessly.

  “Certainly was. I hope those things don’t travel in packs.”

  “I just hope it veers off the path before it gets to where we were planning to eat and makes its way somewhere other than the peak before we get to either place.”

  “Amen!”

  Amy turned to make her way further up the path, checking to be sure the snake was clearly gone. She caught sight of the tip of its tail as it slithered off to the right, headed toward the deer that were now looking upward, seeming to notice the women for the first time. As the snake approached, they bolted, heading right for where the two of them stood.

  “Oh, shit. I think the snake spooked them. Run, Barb!” Amy screamed as the deer charged toward them, scattering wildly about as they ran around them. She bolted further up the path as they ran between the two women. Barb had made her way further down the path, leaving a wide berth between the two of them. The deer funneled into the opening and made a hasty exit as the two women stared at each other in disbelief. Barb started back up the path toward Amy before stopping and cocking her head toward the direction from which the deer had come.

  “Do you hear that?” she asked.

  “Hear what?” Amy asked, but her voice trailed off as she heard the not too distant rumbling of something. She wasn’t sure what it was until she saw the white wall approaching them. Panic sunk in as she screamed at Barb to get back. “Avalanche!”

  Everything after that was a blur. It sounded like a freight train rolling down the mountain, and the next thing she knew, Amy was knocked off her feet as a bank of snow hit her. Fortunately, it was just the edge of the slide and only upset her balance rather than burying her in it. She was relieved to see that most of it had fallen south of where she was standing as she stood up and surveyed the damage. Then, she realized that Barb had been further down.

  “Barb? Barb? Are you okay?” she yelled, unable to see past the giant white wall that had fallen between them. There was no reply. Looking around, she realized she was boxed in on three sides. The snow had blocked the path below her just as she had been approaching a rock facing on either side of the corridor they needed to pass through to get to the opening. There was nowhere for her to go but up.

  Panic set in as she continued to call to Barb with no reply. Had the avalanche hit her full on? The horrible thought of her friend being buried beneath the heavy weight of the snow filled her mind as she continued to call out to her. Finally, she heard her cough and reply.

  “I’m here. I’m okay,” she said from the other side of the huge snow bank. Though Amy knew she wasn’t that far away, the mass of ice between them made her sound much further away.

  “You weren’t hit?” Amy called out.

  “I was. It knocked me sideways. My ankle. I think it might be sprained, but I don’t think it’s broken.”

  “Jesus. I’m stuck up here. I can’t get through the snow and trees it took down with it. The rock facings have me stranded.”

  “Unbelievable. Who else could get stuck in an avalanche just as spring is here but us? Alright, listen. Just don’t panic. You have supplies. I’ll hike back down and get some help to get you out of there. I don’t know how long it will take me, but I’ll get back up here to you as soon as I can.”

  “Okay,” Amy said, trying to sound calm. She had already fished her cell phone out of her pocket and found that she had no signal here. It was her guess that Barb had done the same or she wouldn’t be suggesting a long, painful limp down the mountain for help.

  “Okay. You’re okay. It’s going to be fine,” Barb said encouragingly, and then she was gone, leaving Amy on the mountainside alone.

  Rather than letting herself become paralyzed with the fear she felt of being stranded on the mountain, she turned and made her way further up the clearing they had been headed prior to the avalanche. Sitting on a large, flat rock, she opened her pack and pulled out some string cheese and hunter’s sausage. Contemplating how long it had taken them to get up the mountain and the slowed pace Barb would be at before she could get back down for help, she knew there was no way help would arrive prior to morning.

  The terrain here was flat – good enough to bed down for the night, but it wasn’t a good place for a helicopter to land. She knew that the park service wouldn’t send someone out on foot to try to get through the avalanche. They would land near the top and hike down to find her, so there was no reason not to just continue her trek upward. It would make getting out of there that much quicker when they did arrive. Plus, she might see a dragon, she couldn’t help but think.

  “You’re a psycho,” she said aloud to herself. Who else would still be on the lookout for a dragon when stranded on a mountain?

  Finishing up her makeshift meal, she broke off a bit of chocolate and savored it as she made her way further up the mountain. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but as she got closer to the top, she realized that both fatigue and darkness were taking over. It would be nightfall soon, and she still had quite a way to go. She shouldn’t have sat for so long while eating, she chastised herself.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said to the open sky, as the first drops of rain began to fall on her. The terrain quickly became black and slippery beneath her feet. Making her way to another clearing, she pitched her tent as quickly as she could, the rain now pouring down. She cursed WDRQ’s weatherman under her breath. She should have kno
wn his prediction for sunshine all week was wrong.

  Soaked to the bone, she climbed into the tent and hunkered down in her sleeping bag, shivering as the temperatures began to drop from the warm mid-seventies it had been earlier to just under forty degrees. It wasn’t exactly freezing out, but coupled with the rain and her lack of anything more than a lightweight bag, she knew she was in danger of hypothermia. Why hadn’t she been better prepared?

  She lay shivering in the darkness, curled up in the fetal position to keep warm. The rain was pouring down now, weighing heavily on the small tent she had brought with her. It was on the verge of collapse, and she was on the verge of an emotional breakdown. She didn’t even have the tools to start a fire. They were in Barb’s bag. Of course, it was doubtful she could start a fire in this wet weather anyway.

  This might just be the most frightened she had ever been in her adult life. Her thoughts were all over the place as her body shivered out of control. Then, her attention was drawn away from her discomfort by the sound of someone or something walking around outside.

  “Who’s there?” she called out, hoping for an industrious park ranger that decided not to wait until morning to try to find her rather than any sort of animal noise in return.

  “My name is Owen,” came a man’s voice.

  “Are you with the park emergency services?” she asked, already wary of being at the mercy of a stranger who might not have the best intentions.

  “No. I was camping just north of here and wandered down in search of dry firewood. Are you okay?”

  “Yes, I’m fine,” Amy replied, more afraid of what else might go wrong than her dying of hypothermia.

  “Are you certain? I’m harmless. I promise.”

  Amy was silent for a moment, contemplating her predicament. If she declined his help, she might die here. People weathered worse, but they were probably better prepared. If she accepted his help, he might be a serial killer. Surely the odds of that were low, right? She needed help. She knew it was a bad idea to send him away if he had provisions that might get her through the night safely.