Taken By the Dragon King: A Dragon Shifter Romance (Dragon Mother Book 1) Page 2

  Sarah returned her attention to me. “But you will come with us, won’t you?”

  I winced. “I’d really like to, but I-well, I really should get home.”

  Tom stood and clapped a hand on my shoulder. “If you change your mind, you know where to find us.”

  Sarah reluctantly rose to her feet and gave me a hearty hug with a squeeze. She drew us apart to arm’s length and smiled at me. “It was nice meeting you, Diana, and thank you for being so kind to us.”

  I grinned and shrugged. “No problem, and good luck on the climb.”

  They waved goodbye to me and left. The clock ticked closer to the appointed hour and the rest of the crowd soon followed them out the door. Eleven o’clock came, and Bill went, leaving me with a few unwashed dishes which were quickly finished. I stepped out of the rear door that led into an alley and had the shadows to my back as I locked the door.

  “Care to walk with me?”

  I screamed and spun around to face the darkness on the opposite side of the alley. Luca stepped out of them with a mischievous smile on his lips, but a hint of regret in his eyes.

  I clutched my chest and felt my heart pounding hard beneath my fingers. A slight touch of pain shot through me, but I was too angry to show it on my face. “Don’t do that!”

  He studied me with a look of curiosity. It was adorable. “You don’t appear to be in any hurry to go to the hill.”

  I shrugged. “Hill-climbing isn’t really my kind of spectator sport.”

  There was a touch of disappointment at the corners of his lips. “Then you didn’t intend to join the climbers?”

  I shook my head. “No. To be honest, I haven’t actually been up there, or up many of the hills around here.”

  He arched an eyebrow. “Why not? Do you not care of the scenery?”

  I smiled. “It’s not that. I love the sexy man-I mean, scenery.” I inwardly cursed my unconscious blurting.

  A slight chuckle escaped his lips as he set one hand against the wall by my head. “It sounds like you have some interesting scenery around here.”

  I pressed my back hard against the wall and sheepishly grinned at him. “Y-yeah, I guess we do. I-I hate to ask that, but shouldn’t you get prepping for the hike? I mean, it’s not that tough a one, but it’s almost time and-”

  Luca leaned close to me, and his lips brushed against my cheek. His hot breath sent thrilling shivers down my spine. “I’m comfortable where I am.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I-I think you have the wrong girl.”

  His sultry voice tingled my neck as he moved up to my face. His seductive eyes captured mine in their heated gaze. “I don’t think so.”

  His lips brushed against mine. My heart skipped a beat, and when it ticked again a stab of pain shot through my chest. I clutched my chest over my heart and gritted my teeth against the touch of agony. Luca was kind enough to back up as I focused on each breath, willing my heart to slow to a normal pace.

  Luca’s distraught voice hung over me. “What’s wrong?”

  I managed to look up at him and smile. “It’s nothing. Just a little trouble with the old ticker.”

  His eyebrows crashed down. “You have a bad heart.”

  There it was. The question people always got around to asking. I couldn’t blame them. My stupid heart problem always flared up when I got nervous around inquisitive people.

  “Yeah,” I told him as I took a few deep breaths and dropped my hand to my side. “It’s something I was born with. That means I won’t be joining you guys for your race.”

  “Do it.”

  I blinked at his reply. It was almost a command. “Why?”

  He reached up and brushed a finger against my cheek as his eyes searched my face. “Because I want you to win.”

  I couldn’t stop the blush, but I did try to hide it behind a snort. “I think you’ve got the wrong girl if you expect that. Victoria has a better chance of being crowned.”

  There was a strangely illuminating twinkle in his eyes. “Would you do it as a favor to me? There’s always the option of stopping if this-” He set his palm against my chest over my heart, “-complains, but I don’t think it will.”

  I lifted my eyes to him and frowned. “What makes you so sure?”

  He grinned and drew back. “Let’s just call it intuition. If you will excuse me-” He bowed at the waist to me, “-I must go officiate the race.”

  Luca turned and strode down the alley, and in a few moments, he was gone. Gone, but not forgotten. I looked down at my shaking hand before I dropped it to my side and sighed.

  “Well, here goes nothing.”

  3

  “You’re here!”

  The exclamation came from Sarah at my coming up to them. They stood at the back of the mass of people that crowded around the bottom of Dragon’s Hill. Everyone from the bar and a few tag-alongs from the homes had gathered to try their luck at the chance of a fortune. Victoria and her boyfriend stood at the front of the pack with a smirk on both their faces.

  Dragon’s Hill was a gently sloped ridge that climbed up some five hundred feet above the valley floor, though small compared to the towering mountains that lorded over its backside. The dirt path leading up to the top was surrounded on both sides by a wide patch of grass, but beyond those strips stood a wilderness of stones big and small, and the creeping encroaches of the forest that covered the steeper parts of the slope. The trees and the winding path blocked a view of the end, but I knew that near the top was a small plateau where the statue of the dragon stood among the creeping vines, waiting for visitors to admire its forlorn beauty.

  The crowd quieted as Luca stepped out from behind a large boulder that sat to one side of the bottom of the path. He held up his hands and smiled at all present. “I thank you all for coming to humor me.”

  A voice shouted from the group. “Humor nothing, we want the crown!” The crowd erupted in good humor.

  Luca smiled and inclined his head. “Still, I thank you all the same. Now I shall lay down the rules.”

  Victoria wrinkled her nose. “What rules?”

  “Merely a few customs of the Dragon Run,” he assured her as his eyes seemed to twinkle with a strange green light. “Anyone may make the attempt, but you cannot help another up the mountain.”

  Victoria’s boyfriend crossed his arms over his broad chest and snorted. “As if anybody needs any help.”

  Luca acknowledged him with a slight incline of his head before he continued. “As it is, that is a rule. All participants must also remain on the trail. You cannot take a shortcut to reach the top, otherwise you will be disqualified.”

  One of the women near me snorted and turned to their companion where she lowered her voice to a whisper. “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”

  Luca’s cool gaze settled on her among all others. “I will know if you cheat.” The woman’s eyes widened in shock before she averted them from his accusing scrutiny. “Those are the rules. Does anyone have any questions?”

  Victoria lifted her chin up. “Where do I stop to pick up my prize?”

  “The finish line will be at Dragon’s Ascending.”

  A murmur of confusion arose from the crowd. Luca only chuckled. “The statue of the dragon in the old fountain.”

  “Oh!”

  “Right!”

  “I knew that!”

  Bill leaned close to Sarah and grinned up at her. “If I drop by the wayside, you have my permission to leave me to die.”

  She poorly hid a smile as she slapped his arm. “Don’t be silly, Bill. I’ve already been given permission by the nice man to do that.”

  He started back and feigned a hurt expression. “My dear! How could you?”

  “One step at a time.”

  I couldn’t help but smile at their banter. It made me regret that I didn’t have someone by my side to do the same.

  Luca raised his arms and the conversations that had sparked up at his rules died down. “There is one last rule. You have until the hour of midnight to reach the top.”

  Victoria snorted. “Like we told you earlier, it only takes ten minutes to get up there.”

  A sly smile slipped onto Luca’s lips. “Does it? Then you won’t have any trouble reaching the Dragon Ascending.” He stepped to one side and swept his arm up the path. “Now begin!”

  The crowd turned into a stampede as they rushed up the path. Luca had to scoot a little further off to avoid being trampled by the eager hikers with golden greed in their eyes. Even the wonderful couple scampered ahead of me, though Sarah looked over her shoulder. I gave her a wave and a smile as I set off on my slow pace.

  Luca stood at the bottom with his curious eyes watching the backsides of the stampede he’d created. The last of them were nearly out of sight around the last bend, though to be fair that was only twenty yards from the start line.

  I strolled past Luca, but something in his eyes made me pause. “Aren’t you coming?”

  His eyes turned to me and twinkled with mischief. “I know of a shortcut.” Those same gleeful eyes looked me over and their expression softened. “Might I add that I’m very glad to see you here.”

  I snorted and nodded at the top of the hill. “You’d better enjoy it because I don’t expect to be seen at very many places along this path.”

  There was something in his expression that I couldn’t quite read. A secret, maybe? Or maybe it was just foolish hope. Mine more than his. “That remains to be seen, but,” He took my fingers in his hand and pressed a light kiss to the top, “may you have wings to give you flight.”

  I blinked at him as he turned and vanished behind the rock. “Wings?” I repeated to the quiet air. I took a few steps up the path so I passed the boulder, and curiosity made me pause and look back.

  Luca had vanished. There wasn’t a sign of him behind the rock.

  I shrugged and continued on my way. I’d had all my life to pay attention to my heart. For me every step up a hill was a strain waiting to turn into something else. Sometimes I wondered if those speed bumps in the parking lots were meant as an obstacle course for me and not the cars.

  This night, however, was different. Everything felt different. My heart pattered away, but there was no stretch of the old sac, no strain of every valve. I felt so good it was like being able to fly.

  “Like having wings…” I murmured as I recalled Luca’s strange prayer to me.

  Heck, I even picked up the pace and before I knew it, I’d rounded the first corner. Rounded it and tripped over the first victim of the hill climb. I let out a yelp and tumbled to the dirt trail.

  A wheezing voice came from behind me. “I’m so sorry, Diana!”

  I turned around and found that it was Bill seated only halfway off the path. His face was as red as a beet and his chest heaved up and down. Sweat had soaked through his clothes, and the tell-tale stains covered the front of his shirt and were tucked away under his arms.

  He gave me a sheepish grin. “I know I shouldn’t be sitting here, but I thought I was the last one up here, and-well-I can’t seem to go any farther.”

  I stretched out my arms to him. “Did you want some help up?”

  He shook his head and waved his hand up the trail. “No, you go on without me. I’d look stupid in a crown, anyway. Now go on.” He gave one of my legs a light push. “You’d look good in it.”

  I patted him on the shoulder and continued on my way. There was only a short distance to the next bend in the serpentine path, and I almost tripped over another victim of exhaustion. I caught myself this time, but my stumble made me crash into a different person than the one who had tripped me.

  I grabbed their shoulders to keep from falling and looked up. My jaw hit the ground. Two dozen people sat scattered about the sides of the trail. Most looked sheepish, some angry, and a few were fuming. All of them showed the same symptoms as Bill, though many were in much better shape, and many of them were locals.

  “What the hell is up with this trail?” one of them whined as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I just did it the other day and had no problem.”

  Her friend nudged her with an elbow. “Maybe it was that donut this morning.”

  The rest of the crowd burst into laughter, though more than one had a look of confusion on their faces.

  “Hey!” one of them shouted at me as they pointed up the trail. “Get along with you! You’re actually in the running, and we don’t want Victoria to win!”

  “Yeah!”

  “Get a move on, Diana!”

  I gave them a salute and passed through their number, feeling both more confident and more confused about what was going on.

  4

  Every corner of the winding trail brought with it a new set of exhausted hikers. The greed and wind had been knocked out of them by the trail, but with every step I found myself walking faster until I was almost at a brisk jog.

  I reached another bend with a tall standing rock that I knew from maps was the three-quarter marker of the trail. A pair of angry voices stabbed my ears, and I didn’t need to see their faces to know who they were.

  Victoria and Doug sat in the middle of the path with Victoria a little farther up the hill than her boyfriend. He lay on his back sprawled on the dirt with his chest heaving and his angry eyes looking up at the starry sky.

  “I said get up and help me!” Victoria wheezed as she tried to stand, but her shaky legs dropped her back down to reality, and earth. “What’s wrong with you? We’re almost there!”

  He turned his head and glared at her. “Yeah, and I’m almost dead. This hill has me beat.”

  She picked up a clod of dirt and threw it at him. He ducked and the dirt flew harmlessly past him. “Don’t be such a quitter!”

  He armed himself with the same ammo and tossed it up and down in the air. “You want to see a quitter?” He threw the clod. Victoria wasn’t as good a dodger with his better throw, and the clod hit her squarely in the chest. “Now we’ll see you run down the hill to your washing machine because you can’t take a little dirt.”

  Victoria’s mouth fell open and her face turned beet-red. “Y-you-you monster!” She slammed her fists against the ground and kicked up her legs. “You filthy son-of-a-bitch! How could you do this to your own girlfriend?”

  He snorted. “Why don’t you ask that Luca guy you were flirting with to come help you up?”

  Victoria was just building herself up for another tantrum when she noticed me standing on the sidelines. Her eyes narrowed at me, and she armed herself with a couple of clods. “What are you doing here?”

  Doug twisted around and his eyes widened as they fell on me. “How’d you make it this far?”

  I shrugged. “One foot in front of the other?”

  Victoria glared at me. “You know that’s not what he’s asking. There’s a bunch of other people behind us that are in better shape than your sorry ass, so how’d you make it up here?” She paused and narrowed her eyes. “Did you take a shortcut? That’s against the rules.”

  “I didn’t cheat, and I still don’t expect to win,” I admitted as I strolled past them.

  I came a little too close to Victoria. She lunged at my leg and managed to grab hold of my ankle. I lost my balance and fell onto my side with a hard crunch. My heart skipped a beat and the familiar pain returned.

  Victoria’s wild, fiery eyes glowed as they stared at me in horror mixed with rage. “I’m going to make sure you don’t win!”

  “Let go!” I insisted as I tried to wiggle out of her grip. The longer she held on to me the worse my heart felt. The whole world around me seemed to pulse with a single heartbeat and I became light-headed. “Let go…”

  Her face contorted with such fury that it appeared to shift into some gruesome mask of a monster. Her nose lengthened to a point, as did her ears, and her eyes became mere slits in a mess of wrinkles.

  A dirt clod struck her face and the horrifying transformation vanished. She was Victoria once again, and still angry. Victoria whipped her head to Doug who now had only one clod in his possession. “What was that for?”

  “Let her go, Victoria,” he demanded as he tossed the clod up and down in his hand. “If she deserves the crown then she deserves it.”

  Victoria sneered at him. “Like hell I’m-” Doug threw his other clod and her unfinished sentence brought the opportunity for the dirt to land in her open mouth.

  Victoria choked on God’s green earth and dropped my ankle. The pain in my heart and the throbbing in my head stopped immediately. I scampered to my feet and stumbled backward a few feet up the hill facing the pair who faced off against each other.

  Victoria failed in her efforts to get the dirt off her tongue. She slammed her fists in the dirt on either side of her and loosed a terrible, high-pitched scream. “You’ll pay for that, Doug! You fucking monster!”

  Doug was all smiles as he looked up at me. “Go on or you won’t have a chance of winning!”

  I smiled and nodded. “Thank you.”

  He gave me a lazy two-finger salute. “No problem.”

  I turned and raced up the hill with my ears full of Victoria’s screeches, but they were soon deafened by the many bends and trees. Only a few more corners were between me and victory. My pulse quickened when I heard voices ahead of me.

  “It’s a nice view, isn’t it?”

  “Definitely.”

  A crystalline laughter rang out through the forest as I rounded the corner and stopped. The path leveled off and widened into the plateau that held the Dragon Ascending statue. A wall of impenetrable stone rose up before me, but to my right the trees cleared enough to make one final trail that led to the small clearing. The branches of the trees and bushes had been worn away by animals and people, and through their unconscious efforts they had created a tunnel of greenery with a light at the far end.

  A fallen log sat in front of the stone wall, and on it sat Sarah and Bill. They were held one another’s hand and were smiling at each other. Bill only had eyes for his pretty wife.