“Everyone made it,” Victor smiled as he looked at his cousin.

  And Carter nodded his head approvingly.

  He always felt incredibly powerful when his whole tribe came together. It was the ultimate mark of respect, and even though he knew they would all still be recovering from the night before, he felt certain they were all about to be reinvigorated when they let their inner beasts come forth and headed toward the heavens.

  “What’s up?” a voice came from out in the darkness and Carter saw his third in command, Dom, walking toward them.

  “All good,” he laughed as he reached out and grasped his hand, shaking it hard and then hugging into him. “And you?”

  “I’ve felt better,” Dom admitted with a shake of his head as he exhaled and raised his eyebrows. “Last night was something else.”

  “It was much needed,” Eric said as he approached and climbed the steps to embrace Victor and Carter too.

  When everyone had come to the steps of the grand woodland house, they all began to head out north, higher up the forest pathways and toward the summit of the mountain. They had to be certain they were as high as they could be and that from below them, the town of Lone Reach would not be able to see what was about to happen.

  The moon was shining brightly, and the stars were out twinkling. It was the first night in a while that the heavens hadn’t been completely covered by cloud, and in a way, this made what they were about to do all the more dangerous, but that also meant it was more exciting.

  Carter stopped when they reached a familiar clearing and he waited for the others to catch up. They all stood around in a circle, facing one another, and it wasn’t long before the energy began to change around them, and a wind began to blow. The whistle of the wind brought with it the noise of temptation, the hiss of the forbidden. It had always been their nature to express themselves this way but knowing that they were still hidden from others and that barely anyone knew their secret always made it all the more exhilarating.

  “We need to do this,” Victor said. “My power has been suppressed for too many days.”

  “And mine,” Dom agreed.

  Carter also nodded.

  “I think we’ve all been waiting to come together again,” he said. “I’ve been wanting to speak to you all for some time about what is happening around Lone Reach. I am sure I’m not the only one of us to sense that something isn’t quite right?”

  His pack all began to slowly nod their heads and look at each other.

  “I feel negativity,” Eric said, “deeply, in the pit of my stomach. Like something terrible is about to happen.”

  Victor nodded.

  “I can smell something rotten and unearthly,” he added. “Something evil.”

  “As can I,” Carter said lowly. “And the missing man from the town? Has there been any news?”

  He looked around the pack, but their faces remained blank.

  “Nothing,” Dom confirmed. “We’d been keeping our ears to the ground but none of the other packs have heard a thing.”

  Carter crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. He felt certain that surely, either the bear or the wolf pack of Lone Reach would know something that they didn’t.

  “However,” Dom continued, “I did find out something of interest.”

  Carter raised his brow and turned to face him fully.

  “The bears and their new brewery…,” he said with a wry smile. “They haven’t gone into it alone…”

  Carter cocked his head to the side.

  “What do you mean? Are they in business with the wolves?”

  The thought made his stomach churn. His dragon clan had always had a good relationship with the bears, but the wolves had always been a strain and they had a long-standing feud.

  A decade earlier, there had been a terrible accident, a fire that had raced through the woodland of Lone Reach and destroyed much of the wolf’s habitat while also taking the lives of several of their pack members and unfortunately, people of the town. It had been disastrous, and the aftereffects had rumbled on through history alongside them. The wolves had been certain that a fire that powerful must have been started by the dragons, and they had long blamed them for what had happened that day. It had broken Carter’s father’s heart, and it had made him, and many other elder members of the dragon clan lose faith when it came to their place in town.

  Ever since, tension had been high, and they had never been able to shake the stigma that they had caused the deaths of some of the wolves and town’s folk. When his father had stepped down as the alpha of their pack and Carter had taken his place, he had always hoped that, one day, he would be able to be the bridge between the dragons and the wolves, but so far, nothing had been able to be arranged. The wolves were bitter and flat out refused to speak with Carter or the rest of the dragons. It had been an upsetting time, but it had also become the norm.

  If the bears and wolves were working together, then it may mean that Carter and his pack were in a more vulnerable position. They had always been on good terms with the bears, but if their priorities changed, then who knew what could happen in the aftermath.

  “Not the wolves,” Dom said as he looked around the circle, and Carter’s nerves began to slow down, and his mind stopped racing.

  “Then who?” he asked, furrowing his brow.

  “A gang of bikers.” Dom said it as if he were trying to stop himself from laughing. “Humans,” he said and shook his head. “But dangerous ones. Outlaws by all accounts.”

  “Interesting indeed,” Carter mused.

  “They invested money in the brewery and some of them have set up home in Lone Reach,” Dom continued. “I heard some of them talking about it in one of the ale houses, and then I had it confirmed when I went into the Bear Brewhouse.”

  “What kind of background do they have?” Victor chipped in. “Can they be trusted?”

  Dom grimaced and shrugged.

  “From what I gather, they’re from a town further out West,” he said. “I think they know their fair share of trouble, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they were bringing some of it with them here.”

  Carter exhaled and felt a pang of anger. This was the last thing he needed, but he also couldn’t blame the bears for making alliances elsewhere. The atmosphere around Lone Reach and amongst their packs hadn’t exactly been harmonious, and the past was always there to remind them that they had bad feelings.

  “I think we need to keep an eye on them,” Carter said sternly. “I trust the bears, without question, but this gang of bikers, The Forsaken Riders… Well, we know nothing about them.”

  “I’ve seen them around town,” Eric said, “and I don’t like the looks of them, not one bit.”

  Carter clenched his teeth. The thought of a rogue gang running around his town made his blood boil. He wondered if they knew their secret… If the bears had told them all about the magic that was running through Lone Reach.

  “We should set up a meeting with Mason,” Victor suggested. “See what his take on it is?”

  Carter considered this for a moment and then shook his head.

  “Not yet,” he said quietly. “Let’s see if anything else happens around town in the meantime, and we can also find out as much as we can about these bikers.”

  “I know their kind,” Victor added. “I’ve seen men like that before, they all have more money than sense and they use violence to get what they want.”

  “Do you think they could have something to do with Martin Hall disappearing?” Carter asked. “And could the bears have helped them cover it up?”

  The dragons all looked at each other and the circle fell silent with dread.

  “I don’t think the bears would do that,” Dom said. “But nothing surprises me anymore…”

  “Me neither,” Carter agreed.

  He held his hand up to rub his mouth and breathed out deeply before he ran a hand through his hair and looked up to the sky. He was feeling more powerful than ever, and the adrenaline hurtling through him was making his dragon want to roar.

  He stepped back a little out of the circle, glancing at his pack with a knowing look. When he began to tear off his shirt and then the rest of his clothes, his brothers followed suit, and within an instant, they were all standing there naked, touched by moonlight, and a fire raging within them all that was ready to spring free.

  When Carter roared at the moon and his body began to radiated heat and start to change, he felt the short, sharp pain that came with his limbs and spine elongating, and then his skin began to tear and scales took its place. Feeling himself become the dragon was always the most intense and exhilarating experience, and as he pushed off the ground and powered up into the sky, his energy and inner power grew by the second, sending him faster and higher toward the stars.

  As his pack joined him in the night sky over Lone Reach and they flew and circled, looking down at the place they called home, he felt the intense need to protect it all once again. He was the most powerful entity in this town, and whether the bears were forming other alliances or not, he had to let them know that, on some level, they must always clear things with him.

  He roared again, a plume of fire shot from his mouth and nostrils, lighting up the way ahead.

  As he and his clan flew off into the night, he knew that whatever happened, he was going to be prepared. It was time to settle old scores and move forward… because things were beginning to change here and there, and they were all going to have to adapt… Whether they liked it, or not.

  10.

  For Aubrey, Monday’s usually went weirdly fast, but knowing she was going to see Carter that evening meant this particular day was moving painfully slow.

  She had sat at her desk for most of the day staring into space and clockwatching. She had barely checked her emails or gotten any work done, and she didn’t even feel guilty, which was very unlike her. For the first time since she had begun her career, she was feeling as if she were putting herself first.

  She had sipped smoothies and watched the minutes count down, one by one, and when it had finally got close to five pm, she had slapped her computer off at the power button, jumped up from her chair, grabbed her jacket and handbag, and headed straight for the door.

  She could hear some of the assistants calling after her as if they were worried at how out of character she was being, but she just turned, smiled and waved, and then went on her way.

  As she sauntered home, she felt as if she could sense Carter’s energy. She wondered if he was down from the mountain and already around Main Street. Maybe he was at the club, working, until they headed out later. The thought was so exciting that it was almost frustrating, and she couldn’t help but smile as she walked home, she said hi and how are you to pretty much every single person she passed on the street.

  At home, she turned on the shower and got out of her work clothes before she jumped in and revived herself after another long day. When she was wrapped up in a soft, plush towel, she sat on the end of her bed and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

  She looked different.

  Lighter.

  More awake.

  As if something had changed deep within her.

  Her eyes were bright and sparkling, and she had a certain glow to her cheeks that made her look refreshed and youthful, as if she had just run a mile and then had a hot spa afterward. She was radiating health and vitality, and it was making her giddy.

  She opened her closet and chose a pair of black skinny jeans, some electric blue court heels, and a matching silk camisole. She would pop with color in dress and keep it tame in makeup, and as she started to put the look together, she realized that the blue was the perfect complement and enhancement to her eyes. They seemed to sparkle and shine even more and as she ran her fingers through the loose curls of her hair, she had to admit that she thought she had never looked better.

  As it got closer to 7pm, Mia texted her several times. Aubrey laughed as she read the messages and responded to her, and she wondered who was more excited for this date… Mia or Aubrey!

  M: I’m there now, just quickly checking my phone while Victor and Carter are upstairs. I hope you’ve got some sexy underwear on because he is looking HOT AS HELL…!!

  Aubrey laughed and shook her head. Mia was completely hilarious at times and she was so glad that she had her as a friend.

  She made one final check in the mirror and flicked her hair over her shoulder before she grabbed her keys and headed for the door. Her nerves should have been eating her alive, but she felt strangely calm; she was looking forward to being with him again.

  It made her wonder if this could be real… And it was a wonderful feeling.

  The Dragon Pit may have been located in the smallest town ever, but it was certainly doing something right when it came to pulling a crowd. As she approached, Mia could see that there were groups of college kids heading to some of the bars and alehouses along Main Street and she heard them mention that was where they were ending their night.

  “Student night in The Dragon Pit,” a boy called to his friend on the other side of the street. “It’s going to be a wild one, see you there?”

  The group on the other side started cheering, and Aubrey pulled her jacket closed a little and kept walking. To think she was on her way for a date with the owner of a club that people from colleges all around were flocking to was a pretty crazy notion.

  She saw the club and the way it seemed to loom out of the darkness. It may have been early, and the doors weren’t open yet, but she could see that the lights had been turned on outside, illuminating it with red and yellow, making it appear as if on fire.

  As she moved closer to it, she reached for her cell and debated calling Carter. The main doors looked very closed and secure, and she didn’t know whether she should try and open them, in case they were locked and had an alarm.

  She paused for a moment and then rolled her eyes at herself. When had she ever doubted something in this way before?

  She pulled her shoulders back and strode forward with confidence, and as she climbed the steps and approached the doorway, they began to open slowly, as if by magic.

  She smiled, and when they opened fully, one of the exterior lights shone in and cast a glow across Carter’s face.

  “Hey,” he smiled as he reached out his hand, took hold of hers, and pulled her forward. “I’ve been waiting.”

  She moved inside and up against him, feeling tiny in the opening space because all the lights were off, and the place was pitch black. His strong hands were gripping hers and she pushed her body against his, feeling his muscles beneath his shirt against her chest and teasing herself, wanting to let her hands wander and touch him properly. The tension between them was hot and growing heavy, it had been growing since they first lay eyes on each other, but there in the dark it was almost impossible to walk away from. She had been so good at controlling herself until now, but her whole body ached for him, she yearned to feel his touch. To have his hands all over her, to feel his lips pressed against her.

  His breathing was becoming heavier and she was sure the world began to spin. She reached up on her tip toes slightly and they were even closer together, Carter was staring down at her as he reached up and touched her face softly with his hand before he leaned in and their lips met. She moaned into him, his kiss taking her breath away, her knees trembling and her entire body switching on and wanting to give in to her deepest desires. She was putty in his hands, and with each split-second part of their lips and as they came back together, she craved all of him even more. When they broke apart and she looked into his eyes she saw his wicked smile and the intensity of her passion reflecting back from inside of him. He stroked the side of her face and then they both looked around at where they were and laughed.

  She had barely even made it through the front door of The Dragon Pit and already she was kissing him. She bit her bottom lip and grinned.

  “Have you been peering through the peephole all night?” she laughed to break the tension.

  “My sixth sense kicked in,” he winked. “I knew you were near.”

  She swallowed and was glad it was dark because she was sure she was blushing. She squeezed his hand, the one that was still holding onto hers, and he smiled back. She thought of how she had felt when she had been on her way there, it was like they could read each other’s minds. He had known she was there right outside. And also, as if he had heard her thoughts from earlier when she was walking home from work, because she had felt that she could sense him too.

  “Come on in,” he said pulling her with him.

  It may have been dark but his eyes were bright and alive, and he led her though the deserted entrance of the club and toward the huge doors and floor to ceiling curtains that shielded the main room from view. She couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was.

  He was tall, his shoulders broad, his jaw had a smattering of sexy stubble and his jeans and shirt were so effortlessly classy and smart but without looking overdone. It was clear he had money, from the watch on his wrist to the way he was totally pristine, but he still had a rugged edge that she couldn’t quite place.

  “Has Mia caused total chaos yet?” she asked, almost shyly, and trying not to laugh.

  “Oh, she’s well on her way,” he said as he looked down at her and smiled.

  They stepped through a parting in the curtains and the main room of the club opened out before them. It looked so strange being completely empty and silent, and nowhere near as plush as it looked when it was full of people.

  “Weird, isn’t it?” he asked as he saw the look on Aubrey’s face.

  “Yes,” she said. “So strange compared to how packed and full of life it was in here the other night. It’s strange without the same mix of energy.”

  “It’s funny what some flashing lights, music, and a bunch of people will do to a place,” he said. “But we try to give that sense of escapism so that everyone who walks through these doors has the best time.”