Chapter 11

She is our mate! Ours! This beautiful woman is our mate!

The dragon’s mighty roar was still reverberating through Caleb’s head as he forced himself to let the woman he’d just caught go, despite his dragon and all the instincts he possessed screaming at him to pick her up and never let her go again.

He gazed down at her. Her hazel eyes were flecked with green, and her long dark hair, pin-straight, was pulled back into a sensible ponytail – but the plain style just emphasized her fine features. She had a strong chin, high cheekbones, and freckles dotted their way adorably over the ridge of her nose. She was utterly beautiful, and she was his mate.

He’d felt the power of the mate bond wash over him from the second he’d touched her. He genuinely had only intended to stop her from falling – his quick dragon instincts and speed had kicked in before he could think, and the next thing he knew his dragon was bellowing at him that this was his mate, that they’d found her at last, and he needed to toss her over his shoulder and fly her back to his lair immediately.

We don’t have a lair, we have a condo,Caleb told it desperately, trying to assert some normalcy into the situation. Not for one second had he ever expected this. He’d kind of assumed that his bad luck curse would prevent him from ever finding his mate – which was just one more reason he’d been desperate to break it. In his wildest dreams he hadn’t thought she’d simply come tumbling right into his arms – quite literally, as it turned out.

“Um? Hello? I said you can put me down now.”

It came to Caleb suddenly that his mate had been speaking to him, and he hadn’t been paying attention. He hadn’t been able to hear anything over the sudden rush of blood in his ears, and his dragon’s various roarings and thunderings.

“Oh – right. I’m sorry. Here you go.”

With some reluctance on his dragon’s part, Caleb forced himself to unwind his arms from around the woman’s shoulders. She blinked at him, her cheeks flushed – but whether that was because she too could sense their bond or whether it was because she was angry, Caleb couldn’t tell.

She’s not a shifter,he realized after a moment – she felt fully human to him. So she probably didn’t know anything about dragons or mate bonds or anything like that. So I guess she’s just mad then.

And, Caleb had to admit, that was probably fair enough. He had ignored the warning signs on the gate. But even if these trails were dangerous to humans, he as a dragon probably wouldn’t have had much trouble with them. But still, he’d known he was doing the wrong thing – he’d just thought he wouldn’t get caught, and the desire to get started on his hunt for whatever this golden artifact was had overridden his good sense.

Better start by apologizing, then.

He’d gotten off on the wrong foot with his mate, and they’d barely even said a word to each other!

Yes, bow down and make it clear just how remorseful you are for your transgressions!his dragon insisted – something that Caleb was determined to ignore. He wanted his mate to know he was sorry, not think he was some kind of weirdo.

“I’m sorry,” he said, hoping his voice sounded normal, as he fought off the dragon’s urge to make a grand gesture of prostrating himself. “I know these paths are –”

“You’re damn right they are!” the woman burst out. “You knew that already though, of course – just like you people are the reason they’re half-trampled in the first place!”

Caleb blinked. You people…?

Had someone else already come through here, maybe searching for the artifact? His dragon’s desire to hoard things told him that could be the only possible explanation, but Caleb wasn’t so sure.

“I’m sorry – I really don’t know what you mean,” he said truthfully. “I just… uh, I just had a hike planned, and I didn’t realize the tracks would be closed. Since I only have a small amount of time, I didn’t want to turn back.”

The lie by omission sent a searing lance of guilt through Caleb’s chest. He supposed that was part and parcel of the mate bond, though – lying to your mate was out of the question, even a little lie like this. But he couldn’t tell her the real reason he was here right now – she really would think he was a complete weirdo.

As it was, she was already eyeing him somewhat suspiciously.

“You’re just a hiker? You’re not here trying to sneakily survey the land?” she asked, eyes narrowed.

“Um. No. I can honestly say I’m not here to do anything like that.” Caleb held up his hands. “And truly, I’m sorry. I know it was irresponsible of me. It’s just such a beautiful place, I couldn’t resist.”

Thatat least he didn’t have to lie about. The forest here truly was beautiful – the deep green cedars and the fall leaves of the smaller trees, the bright, clear blue sky, the mountains rising in the distance. Caleb had been a city dragon all his life, but he was starting to see why so many dragons still chose to stay in their ancestral homes in the mountains, refusing to join the modern world. The natural beauty of places like this simply couldn’t be denied.

I’d love to shift and unfurl my wings in a place like this,Caleb thought. He’d been tempted to do something like that this morning, even though he knew it wasn’t really possible so close to a human town. One hiker he hadn’t noticed, and bam – he’d be all over every conspiracy theory website in the country. Which wasn’t a huge problem, as such, since most humans would just assume it was a hoax. But it was so embarrassing – having to go back home and look like the latest idiot who hadn’t been careful enough while shifting. It had happened to his cousin Roland once, and he hadn’t lived it down for years.

Interestingly enough, as he spoke of the beauty of the place, Caleb noticed the woman’s face softening. He could tell by her uniform that she was a park ranger, so he supposed it made sense that she’d love this place – and he really couldn’t fault her for yelling at him, she’d only been doing her job.

“It is beautiful,” she said, her voice softer, before she bit her lip, residual suspicion crossing her face. “And… you’re really not from Tongle Heit Developments?”

“Huh. No, I can definitely say I’m not,” Caleb said, shaking his head. Hearing those names was something he definitely hadn’t expected. Tongle Heit were one of the largest dragon-owned corporations in the world, created when two already powerful dragon clans had merged. They were known to be rapacious and ruthless – but then, that was simply their dragon natures. Getting between a dragon and something it wanted for its hoard was always a bad idea, and not all dragons had seen a reason to temper those instincts, even if they otherwise had joined the modern world of humans.

But why on earth have Tongle Heit Developments been sniffing around here, of all places?Caleb wondered.

“But you know that name,” the woman said. “So you know what they’re up to.”

Caleb shook his head. “I’m sorry, I really don’t – I’m familiar with the company name, though. Who isn’t?”

“Well, that’s true,” the woman said, a little grudgingly. “They’re a big company.”

Ask her for her name,Caleb’s dragon hissed suddenly. She is our mate, and we are standing here making small talk! This is not the dragon way!

Caleb shushed it, but, he realized, he really did want to know her name. The tag on her uniform shirt read Dearborn – and Caleb quickly had to dart his eyes away, in case he got caught looking at the full, luscious swell of her breast beneath it.

“Uh, sorry, my name’s Caleb Tanner,” he blurted out. “What’s yours?”

Well, now Ms. Dearborn was looking at him a little strangely again. But he supposed it wasn’t strictly necessary for him to know her given name – not to mention it was a kind of abrupt change of topic.

“It’s Kira Dearborn,” she said, a little slowly, still looking at him with narrowed eyes. “Or Ranger Dearborn, since I’m at work. And look, as much as I appreciate your apology, you really shouldn’t be here right now. It’s not safe, between the rains and the… the increased foot traffic recently. So I’ll have to ask you to come back with me now, and I’ll try to recommend a different track so you can still enjoy your hike.”

Kira – or Ranger Dearborn, if she preferred – began to turn away, leading him back up the trail. Caleb wondered if he should try to chat to her a bit to make up for his earlier bad impression – perhaps if he made himself agreeable now, she’d change his opinion of him as a gatecrashing boor.

Plus, I’m really not in either the Tongle or the Heit clans. Perhaps she’s had some trouble with them? Does she know about dragons and other shifters after all?

Her having heard of Tongle Heit Developments didn’t tell him much, though – it operated in the open, and its only secret was that it was dragon-owned. But the powerful Dragon Council had set down rules for dragons who wanted to run businesses in the human world, and Rule Number One was that they had to abide by human laws. Some dragons didn’t like that – but if they didn’t respect the laws that humans had set down, then the Dragon Council was always willing to make sure its own laws were enforced. Harshly, if necessary.

“Have you had some issue with that development company?” Caleb asked, as together they made their way back up the twisting trail. Kira seemed very sure-footed as she walked – perhaps her slip had just been a little bad luck. The kind of thing he’d usually be afflicted by. Perhaps he should have been thanking his lucky stars he hadn’t slipped over in front of her, and ended up in her arms. Not that he would have been complaining about that exactly, but it probably would have only compounded her first impression that he was… well, kind of an idiot.

Kira glanced over her shoulder at him. “Yeah, you could say that – they want to buy up all this forested land and bulldoze it, and turn it into a mall complex and holiday resort. They’ve been tramping up and down the mountain for weeks, ruining the trails and stomping all over the place as if they already own it. As you can imagine, I’m not a huge fan of theirs.”

“No, I can see why you might not be,” Caleb agreed, looking around the forest again. The thought of so much beauty being lost made his heart ache.

There is nothing those villains will not seek to spoil,his dragon said, smoke rising from its nostrils. You know it’s true. We should seek them out, and challenge them on our mate’s behalf. Show her how a dragon defends what belongs to its mate.

Caleb shook his head, pushing the dragon’s thoughts down. Fighting a dragon duel was out of the question for any number of reasons – not least because with his luck, he’d end up crashing into a mountainside and losing the fight before it even began.

“But I can tell you now, I definitely don’t have anything to do with them. I didn’t even know they had plans out here,” Caleb continued, once he’d shushed his dragon into submission. “Let’s just say I’m not that surprised, though.”

“The land is protected – for now,” Kira said, as they crested a small rise, and the cabin Caleb had seen on his way in came into view. “But at the end of the month that’ll all be over. The land is supposed to be willed to the township in trust for at least ninety-nine years, but the will that places it in trust has gone missing. And without that, the land is up for grabs.”

Caleb could hear the pain throbbing in her voice, and he heard an answering pain growing in his own chest. But then, that was part and parcel of the bond – her pain was his pain.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said, meaning it. “Is there any chance anyone can do anything? The will might not be able to be found, but if someone else buys the land –”

“Who has deeper pockets than a massive property development company?” Kira asked, turning back to him with a shrug. Despite her defeated words, Caleb could see burning anger in her beautiful hazel eyes. “That’s what decides things, right? Whoever has the most money. And I don’t think anyone’s going to come along who’d be willing to try to outbid Tongle Heit, even if they could.”

Caleb grimaced. As much as he wanted to argue with Kira, he knew there was truth in what she was saying. Anything he could say would just sound like a platitude – well, it would be a platitude.

We must not give up when our mate requires our services. If we do not even attempt to help her, then we have no right to think ourselves worthy of her,his dragon snarled. There must be a way.

Swallowing, Caleb wanted to believe it was right. But while his family wasn’t exactly poor, there was no way he could ask them for that kind of money. They simply didn’t have it. And with his luck… well, he was more likely to accidentally burn the forest down than save it.

“Anyway, I’m sorry about all that – we do have a fundraiser for a legal effort to challenge the sale of the land, if you’re interested in donating,” Kira continued. “So we’re not completely powerless. We can at least tie them up for a little while longer.”

“That sounds like a great idea,” Caleb said. “Any time you can keep them at bay is useful, right? If it gives you more time to find that will.”

Kira nodded. “Yeah. But it might be just wishful thinking. The last place anyone saw that will was in a small archive building by the town hall. Which burned down a couple of years ago.”

Burned down…?

Caleb blinked. That… sounded just a little suspicious to him. And to his dragon as well, if the way it suddenly raised its head and narrowed its glowing eyes was anything to go by.

Are you thinking what I’m thinking?Caleb asked it, as he followed Kira to the cabin.

It sounds to me as if those scoundrels have had their eye on this land for some time,his dragon replied.

The more Caleb heard, the more determined he became to help Kira out. But before he did that, he knew he had to get his curse lifted. He’d just be more hindrance than help right now.

We have until the end of the month, then,he thought firmly. It’s the 26thtoday, so that’s… well, it’s a bit of time, anyway…

“In the meantime, what kind of trail were you looking to hike? Easy, medium, hard? What kind of timeframe do you have?” Kira asked, pausing as she unlocked the cabin door. “I have some maps in here I can give you of some of the trails. All of them are good, so it’s just up to you about what kind of challenge level you’re looking for.”

At least Kira’s voice sounded a little warmer now, Caleb thought with relief. Her eyes weren’t quite so unfriendly either. But he couldn’t exactly tell her Well, whatever trail you might have seen a mysterious golden artifact lying around on would be great, thanks!

Tell her that we cannot hike now that we have met her, his dragon crashed into his thoughts. Tell her that we must stay by her side, until her trials are at an end!

Caleb resolutely ignored it. “Something around easy-to-medium-level difficulty would be great,” he said firmly.

“You sure about that?” Kira asked, turning to look over her shoulder at him as they entered the cabin. “I mean, you look pretty fit so – I mean, no, I meant you look like you could handle something a lot harder than – no, that’s… ugh!” She raised a hand to her forehead, and Caleb was very interested to see a pretty pink blush spreading over her freckled cheeks. “I just meant I want to make sure you get the most out of your time here, and some of the harder trails come with the best rewards,” Kira finally managed to get out, after taking a deep breath. “And since you look like a guy who can handle a bit of walking, I didn’t want you to miss out on a great view or something just because it had a few sections that’re a bit steep, or need a bit of extra balance.”

Caleb found himself smiling a little at how obviously flustered Kira was. He couldn’t help it – it was adorable. And it gave him a slight amount of hope that despite her being human, she might be able to sense the attraction between them.

Surely she can? Even if she doesn’t know about dragons and mate bonds, surely she must have been able to feel it when we touched?

“Yeah, I probably could handle something like that,” Caleb agreed, nodding. He’d just wanted to make sure he was able to focus his attention on finding the gold, rather than on not falling over. “But I also thought a relaxing walk would suit me better for now. Maybe I can try something harder another day.”

“So how long are you actually here for, then?” Kira asked, as she rummaged in a drawer for a map. “Just a few days?”

“Well, for now,” Caleb said. “I can extend things a bit, if I really need to. Or if I really want to.”

“That must be nice.” Kira leaned over her desk, marking a few of the trails with a pen. “If I were you, I’d take all the time I could to look around while this place is still here.”

She looked up, grimacing.

“Sorry, I keep coming back to that. I don’t mean to be such a downer – it’s just weighing on my mind, I guess. But you should definitely just enjoy your walk – I’ve marked the trails that are my special favorites on the map. And come back if you want any more recommendations. I’ve lived here in Girdwood Springs all my life, so I can make sure you know what’s what.”

“Thanks,” Caleb said sincerely as he took the map from her hands. Wistfully, he wished he could have brushed her fingers with his own – but it would definitely have looked deliberate. “Uh, actually, now that you mention it…”

He trailed off. He knew he had to get going on his search, but just at this second, he was desperate for just a few more moments with Kira.

“To be honest, I could really use a recommendation for where to get some food. My cabin is up the mountain a bit, so I’ll have to come into town if I want to eat. I’m not much of a chef, I gotta admit.”

Not since the kitchen fire,he added silently.

“Oh, for sure! I know just the places for you.” Kira’s smile was wide and brilliant, and it revealed two utterly gorgeous dimples in her cheeks. Caleb felt his heart kick it up a notch as he stared at her, enchanted.

I’d give up all the gold in the world if it meant I got to see that smile on a daily basis…

“If you’re looking for guilty pleasures, you’ll want Eula’s Diner on the main street,” Kira said, lifting one finger. “The best chili dogs and fries you’ll ever have – guaranteed. Oh, if you’re after something sweet, I can recommend Sylvie’s Sweets and Bakery, just up the road from there. I swear it’s like she sprinkles fairy dust in everything she makes. You’ll never taste anything better than her pies or cakes.”

“Thank you,” Caleb said. Now, I wonder if I could just… somehow… manage to actually ask her to get a meal with me? “I’m not much of a sweet tooth, but I’ll definitely take a look.”

“I think Sylvie’s cakes could convert you, but in any case, she’s just branched out into doing savory rolls and things like that, just in case chili dogs and fries aren’t what you want to eat every day.” Kira seemed to hesitate a moment, and then grinned. “In fact, I could give you a sampler right now. I get my lunch from Sylvie, and she packed me a cupcake today. Just so you can tell I’m not just shilling for my friends.”

“No, I completely believe you,” Caleb said, even as Kira walked over to her desk, grabbing the brown paper bag that sat on it. “I couldn’t possibly eat any of your –”

“I’m happy to share,” Kira said, as she pulled out a chocolate cupcake from the bag, a swirl of dark icing on top. “Cake this good was meant to be shared.”

“Well, if you’re sure.” Caleb followed her over to where she was slicing the cupcake in halves on a plate in the small kitchen area in the corner of the cabin.

“Definitely – and hey, if it gets Sylvie another satisfied customer, then I’m doing my bit for local business too,” Kira laughed. “Here you go.”

Caleb accepted the plate she offered him, picking up the cupcake with his fingers. He could already tell it was going to be delicious – aside from chocolate, he could smell things like cinnamon and nutmeg in the mix, giving it a rich, spicy smell.

But it wasn’t until he put it in his mouth that the full experience really hit him.

Oh. Wow. Okay, this is –

This is unicorn food!his dragon bellowed suddenly, eyes snapping open. We can taste it!

Caleb chewed thoughtfully, but he had to admit, his dragon was right. He could taste the unicorn magic in every bite. Unicorns had a natural flair for tending plants – and whatever fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices they grew were lusher and more flavorful than any others. If this cupcake was made with home-grown ingredients, then that definitely explained why it tasted like… well, like this, so rich, so delicious, so warm. Like every other cupcake he’d ever eaten in his life was just a pale imitation of the real thing.

So… I guess this Sylvie must be a unicorn, then,Caleb thought, as he watched Kira eating her half of the cupcake, her eyes closed in rapture. Is it possible that Kira does know about shifters then? That Girdwood Springs has a shifter population who live openly in the community?

Caleb couldn’t be sure. He’d heard of towns where shifters and humans lived openly side-by-side, but it was possible Sylvie the unicorn had come here to try to live low-key, and he couldn’t risk telling everyone what she was if she wasn’t ready for people to know. He’d just have to be discreet and try to find out more.

“See what I mean?” Kira asked, as she opened her eyes. “Amazing, right?”

“Right,” Caleb agreed. “I definitely haven’t tasted anything like that befo—”

Before he could finish his sentence, however, there was a sudden crack! and the plate holding the cupcake split apart in his hand, ceramic shards cascading to the ground – and of course the cupcake fell with them, and of course it landed at his feet, icing-side down.

Oh, the curse. Of course it can’t even let me enjoy a delicious cake,Caleb thought glumly, staring down at the ruined cupcake.

He was used to this kind of thing happening – but he’d forgotten that Kira wasn’t.

“Oh my goodness!” She jumped up from where she’d been leaning slightly against the counter. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry! I had no idea that plate was cracked! You didn’t get cut, did you?”

“Oh – no, no, I’m completely fine,” Caleb hastily reassured her. “It’s fine – the plate was fine, I’m just – uh, I’m just a little clumsy, that’s all.”

“No, you didn’t drop it,” Kira said, her hands darting out. “I saw – it just split apart in your hand! Let me check you didn’t get hurt. I have a first aid kit –”

Whatever else Kira said next was lost to the roar of blood in Caleb’s ears as she grabbed his hand in hers, turning his palm up for her inspection. Caleb hauled in a gasping breath as all the blood in his body sang at her touch, his dragon rising within him, spreading its wings, eyes blazing.

Our mate! Our mate! Our mate!

I know she’s our mate! Stop bellowing! I need to be able to think!Caleb told it, as it capered frantically around, tail lashing. It was clear that whenever Kira touched him, the dragon simply couldn’t control itself. But he needed to be able to hold a conversation like a nominally sane person if he ever wanted to get the chance to tell Kira that she was his mate.

“Well… at least it looks like you didn’t cut yourself,” Kira said, her gentle fingers cradling his hand as Caleb did his best to get his racing heartbeat under control. “So that’s something.”

“I – uh – I should clean up the mess I made,” Caleb finally managed to get out, pulling his hand out of Kira’s grip as gracefully as he could, even though it made his dragon howl and stomp its clawed feet. But he just couldn’t think straight when Kira was touching him! “Do you have a cloth or some paper towel?”

“Oh, no, don’t worry about it,” Kira said. “It was my plate – I’ll deal with it.”

It wasn’t your plate, it was my curse, Caleb wanted to tell her, but didn’t. “I’ll help at least,” was what he said instead, reaching for the roll of paper towel he’d finally spotted on the counter. “It’s the least I can do after causing you so much trouble and walking all over those paths I shouldn’t have been on.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Together, they leaned down, carefully picking up pieces of broken crockery. “It happens all the time – just don’t do it again!”

Caleb laughed softly, wrapping up the broken plate – and, regretfully, the remains of the amazing cupcake – in the towel. “Don’t worry, I’ll stick to the trails you marked off. I’ll behave.”

“Thanks.” Kira shot him a grin as she opened the cupboard under the sink, revealing a trash can. “Just pop it in there. And then… well, I guess I should let you get back to your hike.”

Was it just him, Caleb wondered, or did she sound just a little regretful? He wasn’t sure if it was just his wishful thinking, but when he glanced at her, she looked pensive, chewing her lower lip thoughtfully as she looked at him.

But be that as it may, I can’t lose any more time looking for this aurum la-whatever it is, Caleb thought. He didn’t want to leave Kira’s side, but if he was going to help her, first he had to break the curse.

“Yeah, I guess I should be moving,” he said, swallowing. “Thanks again for the trail recommendations, and the cupcake. I really appreciate your help.”

Caleb forced himself to walk toward the door, resting his fingers on the handle. He started to push it open. I can’t just leave things like this, though. At least I have to try to make a time to see her again! “But how about I –”

Just as he started speaking, however, he was interrupted by a sudden clap of thunder – and then, rain began pouring down out of the sky, despite the fact it’d been clear and sunny just a few minutes before.

Oh, typical,Caleb thought, looking gloomily out at the sudden drench. Of course. Why stop at cupcakes? I’m just surprised the curse didn’t wait until I was deep in the forest with no hope of shelter.

“Is that rain?” Kira sounded absolutely baffled as she made her way across the room to peer out of the doorway. “But – it was forecast for cool and sunny today! That’s bizarre!”

“Yeah, I bet,” Caleb muttered. “Bizarre isn’t the word.”

“Oh man, I’m sorry, that’s really not hiking weather,” Kira said, turning to him. “I couldn’t let you go out in that. I’m sure things’ll clear up tomorrow, though, and you’ll still get some good hiking in.”

Actually, Caleb’s dragon could have handled this weather just fine, but Caleb knew he couldn’t risk shifting so close to humans. And what if Kira saw him, before he’d had a chance to explain?! She’d think he was a monster!

“Did you drive here?” Kira asked. “I didn’t see a car on my way in.”

“Uh, no, my car’s at the mechanic.” Caleb shrugged, thinking of the way his car had sputtered and given up the ghost yesterday on the mountainside. “I guess the winding roads were just too much for it.”

“Oh… well, I could lend you a raincoat if you need one to walk back to town,” she said. “We have spares. I’d drive you, but I need to stay here while I’m working.” She paused, chewing her lip again, the same thoughtful expression crossing her face. “But… well… tomorrow’s my day off. I could, um… well… I mean, if you wanted a guided tour of some of those trails… I mean, I wouldn’t want to impose on you if you came up here for some time alone, but I –”

“I would absolutely love that,” Caleb blurted before he could think, knowing he was interrupting her but unable to stop himself. “I mean – sorry. But yeah. I would really love a guided tour, provided it wasn’t any trouble. If that’s how you wanted to spend your day off.”

Kira blinked at him, a smile twitching at her lips, her gorgeous dimples creasing her cheeks.

“Okay then,” she said, as her smile grew wider. “It’s a date.”