“What happened?” she asked.
“Your mother was young… She loved him with all her heart, but even then, this place was on shaky ground and terrible things can happen between packs.” Aunt Beau stopped and swallowed; her eyes flitted to Anson before she got the courage to continue.
“You mother’s shifter wolf love was killed in an inter-pack war,” she said with a sigh. “He was brutally murdered, and it drew a line between the two packs there and then. It was always thought that it would never be overcome, that the shifters would be at odds with each other for the rest of time. But as I grew older, as my powers developed, I began to see another side of the magic of this town.”
Krystal’s heart was thumping.
“Your mother moved on as best she could… She started dating again, and she met your father and they had you. But her heart always belonged to her shifter wolf. She had been claimed by him and was so unhappy without him. She couldn’t bear it.”
Krystal’s eyes filled with tears. Knowing what she now did about the power of the love between her and Anson, she could only imagine how distressing it must have been for her mother to lose hers.
How had she never told her about this?
“When your father absconded and left you both, she couldn’t bear to be here anymore. The memories were all too painful, everywhere she turned, she saw the bear and dragon packs that had killed the love of her life, the other part of her soul. And then, I had my vision…”
“Your vision?” Krystal asked.
Anson was still holding her, and she felt safe with him. She knew he wasn’t the reason now for her aunt being wary, and she was so relieved to hear that her mother had once loved a shifter too.
“Yes,” Aunt Beau said. “I saw the future of this place… And it had you in it.”
Krystal watched her eagerly, waiting for her to continue.
“You and a shifter bear were to be part of the salvation of Bridge Hollow. My vision told me that you were the fated mate of one of the bears that resided here… and your mother was so distressed by this that she packed your things and you both left for the city. She had had her heart broken by the war and rivalries in this town, and she loved you so much she couldn’t bear for you to go through the same. She didn’t want you to get hurt, she didn’t want the love of your life to be taken from you… but as time passed by and I told her of all the changes here, how the bears and the wolves had mended old ways and were existing side by side without violence, it was then she told me that when the time was right, it would be your turn to return here to Bridge Hollow.”
Krystal’s skin was tingling, and a shiver ran up her spine. She had been called home, and her mother hadn’t disapproved.
“Why did she never tell me herself?” Krystal asked.
“Because she was taken from us too soon,” her Aunt Beau said sadly. “Your mother was a fantastic, amazing woman… and it was a loss for the world when her light was extinguished so young.”
Krystal felt a tear roll down her cheek. She missed her mom so much and to hear all of this was breaking her heart. To know her mom had loved a shifter and had been claimed, only to have him taken from her was devastating… but now Krystal was back to carry on their family legacy. And she was determined to make her mother proud.
“Thank you,” she said as she wiped away the tear. “Thank you for telling me.”
Anson kissed the side of her head and looked down at her with adoring eyes. The emotions in the room were high and she felt beaten and bruised, but she still wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
She finally knew the truth.
Her mother had been trying to protect her from a broken heart. But in doing so, she had eventually paved the way for Krystal to follow her fate, and it had all worked out exactly how it was supposed to.
Her and Anson had both met broken, but now, they had joined together and were finally healed.
Aunt Beau smiled at them and bowed a little, holding her hands together at her chest.
“I’ll leave you two to talk,” she whispered. “But I am so happy to see you both together. You really are meant to be…”
She turned and walked toward the doorway and Krystal looked up at Anson. At her man… her shifter bear.
It certainly had been a wild ride since she had arrived in Bridge Hollow. But she had found her rightful place in the world… and now, she had found the love of her life too…
She truly was one of the lucky ones.
Now, she had it all.
16.
Bridge Hollow, Two Weeks Later
Krystal stood at the side of the road, looking out across Main Street and at the paranormal store. It was still hard to see it this way, but she knew there was no other way it could be right now. The bears, wolves and dragons had all secured it. To the unknowing eye, it just looked as if it had been boarded over and a sign read CLOSED FOR RENOVATION on the front door. But inside was another story… Inside, it was a battle ground waiting to happen.
Sheets of enforced steel had been placed in the basement to line the walls and floors. The door had been nailed shut and more steel had been placed over it. The barricades were still in place and the whole building was on lockdown, complete with all of Krystal’s and Beau’s belongings inside.
She sighed and scratched the side of her neck. It was upsetting to know that the place her aunt had set up shop was also the site of an ancient threat. Sacred land that had been tampered with and cursed forever when the mine had collapsed, and the veil had been opened.
But she was glad it had happened to them and not to anyone else. Another resident of Bridge Hollow likely wouldn’t have been strong enough to handle the responsibility. And Krystal had been part of the prophecy after all… Her aunt had seen in a vision many years before that Krystal and her shifter bear soul mate would be part of the town’s salvation… and it had been them that had discovered the ancient manuscript and the gateway to the other world.
Main Street was bustling and full of activity. The rest of Bridge Hollow had no idea what had happened around them only a couple of weeks before, and they were all busy celebrating Halloween. The whole town had been decorated, pumpkins lined every street, witches and ghosts hung from the trees, and fake blood dripped from the windows of the shops along with fake signs saying ZOMBIE NEST – DO NOT ENTER.
It was a good feeling to know that life was still continuing. They may have been under threat, but the town was still alive… and no one was going to take away their happiness just yet.
Krystal saw Anson and Heidi down the street walking toward her. Heidi was dressed as a witch and had insisted on a long black wig so she could look as much like Krystal as possible. She had even wanted a nose ring, but both Anson and Krystal had both decided even a fake one would be crossing the line at age five.
Krystal smiled at the memory. It felt good to have a family of her own… and they were all bonded so fast and real, she finally felt as if she had lay her demons to rest.
Anson and Heidi approached her, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Heidi bounced up and down with her trick or treating bag and shook it so Krystal could see all the candy she had managed to collect on her hunt up and down Main Street.
“Are you ready?” Anson smiled as he looked at Krystal.
She smiled and nodded.
“Let’s go…,” she said.
They walked hand in and further down the street and crossed back over once they had gotten well past the paranormal store. The shifters had told everyone to give it a wide berth, and the rumors running around town were that they had an insect infestation and needed specialist treatment to the old wood inside. The people of the town were so proud of their little part of the world that they wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize it, and they had all agreed that the store should be boarded and left alone until the problem was resolved.
Shifters Bliss had its main door thrown open and from inside Krystal heard the thumping of music, but this time, it was of a different k
ind. Disney and kids’ songs rang out onto the street and the exterior had been decorated with tons of Halloween decorations… Making the place look like a haunted house.
“Has Ryder actually gone mad?” Anson laughed. “This is so unlike him… throwing a kid’s party in our bar…”
“Maybe he has seen what we all have these past few weeks,” Krystal said warmly. “That the future is important, and we need to look after it.”
Anson squeezed her hand and smiled.
Heidi bounced through the door and ran off into the crowd to find her friends. She started dancing with a group of boys and girls from her class at school, and Anson and Krystal stood in the doorway watching them.
There were many familiar faces in the bar. The wolves, the bears… Even a dragon had made an appearance… The town was fully united to celebrate this one night before the annual festival rolled to town and they were thrown into a new sea of activity.
Krystal looked at Anson and his eyes glinted amber, and she knew hers would be doing the same.
Two hearts had become one. Two souls had connected. And one major legacy was being fulfilled.
Bridge Hollow was as lucky as they were.
For now, at least, the town was safe.
The End
Claimed by the Alpha Dragon
Bridge Hollow Shifters 5
Samantha Leal
Copyright ©2019 by Samantha Leal All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic of mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
1.
Winter had descended upon the town, bringing with it a new darkness; the likes of which Braxton and his father, Bishop, had never seen. For months, their town had been under threat, and now, at what was going to be the busiest time of year, they were being thrown into a whole new wave of uncertainty.
Braxton stood on the balcony outside his bedroom and looked out over the forest surrounding him and his family. They had lived high in the mountains of Bridge Hollow for decades, guarding the areas they believed to be in danger. The cursed land in the area had been hidden away, and they believed they were the ones who were protecting it. But as recent events had unfolded, they had found out that all was not as it seemed…
Braxton crossed his arms over his chest and flexed his muscles. He had a power inside of him, strong and severe; one that was always threatening to escape, but one he was also used to controlling. A fire raged beneath his skin, and of all the shifters that had lived in Bridge Hollow, he and his family were some of the strongest.
They were dragons. Powerful creatures that were believed to be fantasy. They stayed high in those mountains and out of sight so that no wandering tourists would spot them on those moments when their guards were slightly down, or their inner beasts were being too playful, and they had to shift. Shifting into the animal inside of him gave Braxton an energy and passion that was indescribable. But he was still wary of when and where he could use it. Their town and all the magic within it had lived so peacefully because they were good at hiding their powers. If humans were to catch them, it would be disastrous. Large bears and wolves roaming the mountains and the land below could easily be explained.
But a dragon was another story. They had to be kept out of sight and hidden away, however isolating it may be.
Braxton clenched his jaw. He felt tense and nervous, as if he could sense a storm on its way. He sniffed the air and looked to the night’s sky and at all the stars overhead. It was a dark night, and there was no moon in sight, which always made him uneasy. He looked to the moon for guidance on many occasions, and when it wasn’t present, he felt an impending sense of doom.
“Brax?” his father’s voice cut in from behind him, and Braxton turned to face him.
Even though his father, Bishop, was almost one-hundred years old, he wasn’t an old man in any sense of the word. In fact, he looked more like he was in his fifties by human standards, with salt and pepper hair and a dashingly perfect smile. Braxton looked up to him with awe, and knew that if his father’s genes were anything to go by, he too would age exceptionally well and continue to live life to the fullest, even when he had been on the planet for almost a century.
“Hi, Dad,” Braxton smiled.
Bishop sidled up next to him and sighed. They had both had a week filled with sleepless nights, but now, the final evening before the town sprang into action had finally arrived. Braxton would have been exhausted had it not been for his dragon blood, but with the fire running through him, he was nothing but alert and sharp as a knife.
“Dawn isn’t far away,” Bishop said. “The bears and wolves have been in touch, and they want us to check the mountains one last time.”
Braxton nodded.
He was always ready to go out and hunt. To try and track down any danger that may be lurking in the shadows, threatening their world.
“And the tourists?” Braxton asked. “Have they started to arrive?”
His father shook his head.
“A few, here and there, but not too many, so far.”
Braxton felt a little swell of relief fill him. But it still wasn’t going to change the outcome… Come tomorrow, the town would be full of strangers. Innocent people looking for a good time, completely unaware that they were walking into the middle of a multidimensional war.
Bishop patted his son on the shoulder and turned to walk back into their mountaintop mansion. Braxton watched him leave and gave a weak smile as the door closed behind him and he was once again alone with the night. He looked back to the stars and breathed in deeply.
After he had ended his last relationship, many years ago, he had lived a life alone up on the mountain, with only his dragon clan for company, and now, he was about to make a huge transition. After spending so much time by himself, he was about to head into the main part of Bridge Hollow, and help the bears and wolves guard the town while the supernatural convention was taking place. A yearly festival was arriving, within hours, that brought people from far and wide to their little mountain town, to explore all things paranormal, supernatural and mystical. But unlike in the past, now, it was cause for concern to everyone in the know.
Bridge Hollow was no longer safe. And Brax and the others were going to have to do their best to protect it.
He reached up and ran a big, rough hand through his black hair and sighed. After years of solitude, he dreaded the thought of being surrounded by so many people. Sure, he had gone into town on many occasions, but it would be completely different actually living there. To have to live and breathe the everyday happenings of a small town, and be recognized by all who saw him.
He turned and began to walk back toward the house. As he stepped inside and said goodbye to the view he knew and loved so well, he promised himself that the next time he stood there, his life would be different. He was going to head into Bridge Hollow with an open mind and heart, to see what was out there. He had spent too long on the mountain, and he had an aching inside him that wouldn’t go away. He had never thought much about relationships, not since his last one had ended and the woman he had given his heart to had torn it to shreds. And being a protector of the town hadn’t allowed him the luxury of exploring anything but his duty to his clan for many years. Now that he was approaching his thirtieth year, there was something beginning to happen to him.
His mind was wandering to the thoughts of starting a family of his own, to continuing a magical legacy that could not and would not die. But he was a loner. A man of privacy and little words. And to open his heart to someone else was going to be incredibly difficult and not something he thought would have ever happened to him. He had resigned himself to being a bachelor, to living on the mountain with his dragon fire and all his power. He knew there were no females like him… And for that reason, he had pushed it all down inside and buried it away.
He kne
w he could never be with a human woman. How would one ever understand what he was and what he could turn into? It would blow their mind and scare them half to death. He was glad he had the major distraction of protecting the town and doing his duty while down from the mountain. He would be dedicated to that and nothing more… However much his heart may desire to beat alongside another’s.
He wandered to his bedroom and opened the closet. Inside, he saw his heavy black leather jacket and gloves, his gun and his hunting hat. He grabbed them all and got ready, slinging the shotgun over his shoulder and marching down the hallway, with heavy footsteps, toward the main door of the house, and to his father.
“Last time, son,” Bishop smiled. “Tomorrow, you’ll be down there and it’ll be your time to shine.”
Braxton nodded slowly and then winked.
“That town won’t know what’s hit them,” he teased. “A dragon roaming around and living in Bridge Hollow,” he laughed. “Those bears and wolves will be shitting bricks.”
Bishop’s eyes twinkled and he smirked.
“There’s a reason they’ve wanted us up here for so long,” he said knowingly. “Not just because of the danger we pose to humans… But because of the danger we pose to them also. They know they would never stand a chance in a fight with our kind.”
Braxton nodded.
“Ancient conflicts,” Braxton said. “It’ll be fine. I have no intention of causing trouble. We’ve got enough of that going on, haven’t we?”
Bishop smiled.
“I know you’ll do good,” he said. “And I’ll hold the fort down, up here.”
It would be the first time since Braxton was born that he would be leaving his father, and his clan, for a significant amount of time. But it felt like a rite of passage. He was a man, and he wanted to be out in the world alone for a while, even if he knew that, eventually, he would be returning to the mountain to once again live a life of solitude.
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