Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Trace

T race leaned back in his office chair, staring out the window as the rain, mixed with wet snow, drizzled down in a slow, steady rhythm. His mind, however, was far from the dreary weather outside. It was focused on the woman who had just walked back into his life after more than a decade away. Annika Connelly. The name alone stirred memories—some sweet, others bitter, all of them complicated.

She was different now. Hardened. Guarded in a way that made him ache for the girl she had been. The girl he had loved with every ounce of his young, foolish heart. Trace rubbed a hand over his face, trying to reconcile the woman who had stood before him today with the vibrant, open-hearted girl he had left behind all those years ago.

Back then, leaving for the military had seemed like the only path that made sense. He’d been young and hungry for something bigger than the small town of Kodiak could offer. A bigger, better life he could offer her. Enlisting right out of high school had been a no-brainer, even if it meant leaving behind the girl who had meant everything to him. He had been so certain that she would wait for him, that their love was strong enough to survive the distance, the time apart.

But life had a way of throwing curveballs. His phone calls had gone unanswered, his letters returned unopened. He’d been confused, hurt, and then angry when he heard through mutual friends that Annika had left for Seattle to become a cop. She hadn’t just moved on; she had erased him from her life, and that had stung more than he cared to admit.

In the years that followed, Trace had learned to bury that pain deep inside, focusing on his military service and the new challenges that came with it. He hadn’t been a dragon shifter when they were together, but that had changed during a mission gone wrong, a dark twist of fate that had rewritten his life in ways he still struggled to understand. Looking back, he wondered if maybe it had been a blessing in disguise that Annika had left when she did. He wasn’t sure he would have wanted to burden her with the monstrous truth of what he had become.

But now she was back, and not just for a social visit. She was here to solve a cold case that had haunted the community for decades, a case that had been her uncle’s obsession for as long as Trace could remember. He had humored the old chief for years, listening to theories and following up on leads that never panned out. But this was different. This time, Annika was the one chasing the ghosts of the past, and Trace found himself drawn into the investigation and into the orbit of the woman he had never quite gotten over.

He sighed and stood, shrugging into his jacket as he prepared to take Annika to the Grand Alaskan Hotel, the scene of the crime that had remained unsolved for so long. The place was a relic from another era, much like the case itself. But if anyone could breathe new life into it, it was Annika. He had seen the fire in her eyes when she talked about it, the determination that reminded him so much of the girl she used to be.

Annika was waiting for him in the station’s lobby when he stepped out of his office. She looked up as he approached, her expression carefully neutral, though he didn’t miss the way her gaze flicked over him, assessing, maybe even remembering. He wondered if she saw the changes in him as clearly as he saw them in her.

“Ready to go?” he asked, keeping his tone casual.

She nodded, the tightness in her posture suggesting that she was just as aware of the tension between them as he was. “Let’s get this started.”

They left the station and headed to the hotel in silence, the drive through the familiar streets of Kodiak feeling surreal with Annika beside him. The town hadn’t changed much in the years since she’d left—still small, still wrapped in the rugged beauty of Alaska’s wilderness. But everything else between them felt different, heavy with the weight of unspoken words and unresolved feelings.

The Grand Alaskan Hotel loomed ahead, its once-impressive facade now faded and weather-worn. The building had seen better days, but it still retained a certain charm, a reminder of its former glory. Trace parked the car, and they stepped out into the chilly air, the scent of the sea mixing with the dampness of the rain.

“This place hasn’t changed much,” Annika remarked, her voice tinged with nostalgia as she looked up at the old building.

“Not many places around here do,” Trace replied. “But it’s got history, even if some of it is the kind most people would rather forget.”

They entered the lobby, where the years had taken their toll. The carpet was threadbare in places, and the once-polished wood of the front desk was dulled by time. The air was thick with the smell of old wood and memories, as if the building itself was reluctant to let go of the past.

The staff they interviewed were just as worn by time as the hotel. They were older now, their memories clouded by the passage of years, but they answered Annika’s questions with a sense of duty, as if they, too, wanted to see the case finally resolved. Trace watched her work, noting the way she handled herself—calm, professional, with a sharpness that hadn’t been there before. But every now and then, he caught a glimpse of something else, something softer, as if the old Annika was peeking out from behind the tough exterior she had built.

One of the older staff members, a woman in her seventies with a stern expression, mentioned a guest who had checked in under a false name around the time of the murder. The details had been overlooked in the original investigation, dismissed as irrelevant. But Annika latched onto it, her mind working through the possibilities with a determination that reminded Trace of the girl who used to stay up late with him, debating the merits of detective novels.

“It’s not much,” the woman said, her hands twisting the edge of her apron nervously. “But I remember thinking it was odd at the time. The man didn’t seem to want to be noticed, kept to himself, and left without a word. It’s strange that it never came up before.”

“It’s more than we’ve had in years,” Annika said, her voice thoughtful. “Thank you for your help.”

The woman nodded, her expression softening as she looked at Annika. “Your uncle is a good man, and he was a good cop. I hope you can finally put this to rest.”

“We’re going to do our best,” Annika replied in a firm tone.

As they left the hotel, Trace couldn’t help but feel a sense of something shifting between them. It was subtle, barely noticeable, but it was there—a crack in the walls that Annika had built around herself, a hint of the girl she used to be. He wasn’t sure if it was just wishful thinking on his part, but he couldn’t deny the feeling.

They were halfway back to the station when Trace’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and frowned when he saw the name on the screen. The mayor. He glanced at Annika before answering, his voice gruff. “Gallagher here.”

“Chief,” the mayor’s voice crackled over the line, strained and wary. “I’ve been hearing some things about that old murder case you’re looking into. I thought we agreed when you became chief that it was best to leave that in the past.”

Trace’s jaw tightened. He had expected this call, though he had hoped it would come later rather than sooner. “The case was never officially closed,” he replied, keeping his tone level. “Annika Connelly’s in town, and she’s taken an interest in it. We’re just following up on some leads.”

The mayor’s sigh was heavy with frustration. “You know this town, Gallagher. People have long memories, and not all of them are fond of digging up old wounds. The last thing we need is to stir up trouble.”

“With all due respect, Mayor, we’re just doing our job,” Trace said, his patience wearing thin. “If there’s a chance we can solve this and bring some closure to the family, don’t you think it’s worth pursuing?”

There was a long pause on the other end of the line, and Trace could almost hear the mayor weighing her options. Finally, the older woman spoke, her tone resigned. “Just be careful, Chief. This town can be a powder keg when it comes to the past. Don’t let it blow up in our faces.”

“We’ll proceed with caution,” Trace assured her before ending the call.

When he returned his attention to Annika, he saw the question in her eyes. “The mayor?” she asked, her tone suggesting she already knew the answer.

“Yeah,” Trace confirmed. “She’s worried about reopening old wounds, making waves in the community. But I think we’re on the right track, and I’m not going to back off just because some people are uncomfortable.”

Annika nodded; her expression determined. “The truth doesn’t disappear just because it’s inconvenient. If we have a lead, we have to follow it.”

Trace felt a surge of admiration for her, a reminder of why he had fallen for her in the first place. She had always been strong, stubborn, and unafraid to stand up for what she believed in. It was one of the things he had loved most about her, and it was good to see that part of her was still very much alive.

As they drove back to the station, Trace couldn’t shake the feeling that this investigation was going to change things—not just for the town, but for him and Annika as well. The past was a living thing between them, pulsing with unresolved tension, and the more time they spent together, the more those old feelings would threaten to resurface.

Back at the station, they debriefed the team about what they had learned, sharing the new lead about the mysterious guest at the hotel. It wasn’t much, but it was a starting point, and the team seemed energized by the possibility of finally making progress on the case that had eluded all of them for so long.

As the day wore on and the station began to quiet down, Trace found himself lingering in his office, going over the notes they had compiled. He could hear Annika in the room next door, her voice low as she spoke on the phone, likely following up on another lead. He wondered if she was thinking about the past as much as he was, or if she had managed to put it all behind her.

The truth was, Trace wasn’t sure if he wanted her to have moved on completely. A part of him still clung to the hope that there was something left between them, something worth rekindling. But he also knew that things were different now. He was different. The man he had become, the dragon he had become, wasn’t the same boy she had fallen in love with all those years ago.

The door to his office creaked open, and Annika stepped inside, her expression unreadable. “We’re making progress,” she said, leaning against the doorframe. “I didn’t expect to find anything, but I think we might actually be onto something.”

Trace nodded, setting his notes aside. “It’s more than we’ve had in years. But this case... it’s complicated. It’s not just about solving a crime. It’s about this town, and the people in it. There are a lot of layers to peel back.”

Annika’s gaze softened for a moment, and he saw a flicker of the girl he used to know, the one who had believed in him, in them. “I know,” she said quietly. “And I’m ready to face whatever we find, no matter how messy it gets.”

There was a long pause as they stood there, the weight of their shared history hanging heavy in the air. Trace wanted to reach out, to say something that would bridge the gap between them, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, he watched as Annika straightened, her walls coming back up as quickly as they had started to fall.

“I’m going to head out for the night,” she said, her tone brisk and professional once more. “We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Trace agreed, though his heart wasn’t in it. “Get some rest. We’ll pick up where we left off in the morning.”

She nodded and turned to leave, but just as she reached the door, she hesitated, glancing back at him. For a brief moment, their eyes met, and Trace felt a spark of the old connection that had once burned so brightly between them.

“Good night, Trace,” she said softly before slipping out of the room.

“Good night, Annika,” he replied, though she was already gone.

Trace sat back down at his desk, running a hand through his hair as he tried to make sense of the emotions swirling inside him. Seeing her again, working with her, was bringing up feelings he had thought were long buried. He didn’t know if they had a future together, but he did know that the past wasn’t done with them yet.

That night, after Annika left the station, Trace headed for his own home, outside the city. He had chosen it as it was somewhat isolated and yet still close enough to be able to get into Kodiak in bad weather or an emergency. Standing on the porch with a glass of bourbon in his hand, his mind too full of thoughts of her and the case to allow him to sleep, he realized how much everything had changed since they had last been together.

Eventually, he gave up on the idea of sleep altogether and decided to go for a walk. The air outside was frigid but invigorating, and the rain and snow mix had tapered off into a light mist that hung in the air like a veil. Trace found himself heading toward the beach, the one place in Kodiak where he could usually find some peace.

As he walked along the shore, the waves lapping at the sand, he couldn’t help but think about how different his life had turned out from what he had imagined. Back when he was a teenager, he had thought he had it all figured out. He would go into the military, serve his country, and come back to marry Annika. They would build a life together, maybe even start a family.

But fate had other plans.

The sound of the ocean was soothing, the rhythmic crash of the waves helping to calm the turmoil inside him. He stopped at a spot where the sand was still damp from the tide and looked out at the horizon, where the moonlight reflected off the water in silvery ripples.

And then he heard it—the distant, familiar roar that sent a chill down his spine.

Trace stiffened, his senses going on high alert. He knew that sound, knew it deep in his bones. It was the sound of a dragon, a sound he had become all too familiar with in the years since his transformation. There were a few dragons here on the island, but none of them would have been flying at this time of night in this area. There was too big a chance of being seen.

He scanned the sky, but there was nothing to see, just the faint outline of clouds drifting across the moon. The roar echoed again, fainter this time as if the creature was moving away. He was certain it wasn’t anyone he knew, but he thought he’d reach out tomorrow just to be sure. If there was an unknown dragon in their midst, he wanted to know who it was and what they were doing here.

Trace stood there for a long time, listening to the silence that followed, his heart pounding in his chest. There was something out there, something he couldn’t explain, and it wasn’t just the dragon. The past was catching up with him, and he wasn’t sure if he was ready to face what it would bring.

But one thing was certain: whatever was happening now, whatever was out there, was connected to the case they were working on. He was certain of it. And it was connected to Annika, too. He could feel it, a sense of foreboding settling over him like a heavy cloak.

As he made his way back to his place, Trace couldn’t shake the feeling that the past was about to collide with the present in a way that would change everything. And he wasn’t sure if they would survive the impact.