by Jan Dockter
Ryan decided he must be hallucinating, or he was unconscious and having hellacious dreams. This wasn’t, couldn’t happen.
A groan reached his ears, and he saw the woman, Stephanie Brooks, still strapped in to the car. He tilted his head and studied the scene. Alarm raced through every nerve in his body. Not just steam but smoke streamed from the ruined Jaguar, and the heat radiating off it told him the engine was on fire.
He rushed to the side the car and ripped Stephanie’s seatbelt off her with one fluid motion. He was surprised at the ease with which he could do this, but found his claws at the wrong angle to lift her from the car. With the overriding thought that he needed to pull the woman from the car he rose and pulled her from the car with his powerful jaws. The acrid smoke grew thicker and flames now licked the edges of the ruined hood. Ryan was all too aware the engine could explode, and he had to get them both away from here.
Instinctually he clutched the woman in his claws. Ryan had snatched her away just in time. Fire now streamed over the top of the windshield and back toward the seats, torching them. The conflagration grew and then the engine exploded in a hail of fire and smoke as he moved higher from danger.
The heat from the blaze licked his body, and as he looked he was surprised to see his legs were now beefy, clawed haunches and a tail waved behind him. What’s more, when as he gazed at the car he was looking down, as if from an aerial view. If could chalk this up to drinking too much, he would have. But no, he hadn’t drunk anything at all today, and very little last night. He was as the saying went, sober as a judge.
Confounded, Ryan concentrated on the thing that made sense, the woman he gripped in his talons. Okay, the talon part didn’t make sense, but he was very concerned about her. She did not rouse from this rough handling and he worried that either the crash itself or this unusual form of transportation caused her harm. He had to get her medical care.
The tops of the trees were far below him now, and Ryan looked over his shoulder to see dusty blue wings coming from his shoulder. Okay, he was having grade A delusions now, and he probably wasn’t flying at all, or hadn’t saved the beautiful woman in his claws. He was probably burning up in his car.
Only he didn’t feel pain. Ryan felt wonderful. Gone were the constraints of his body, vanished was the sense he hadn’t fulfilled his potential. He was strong and powerful and he soared on the wind, free and unfettered by the chains of a mortal life.
This reminded him very much of hang gliding, a sport he partook of often. That was it. The shock of the crash befuddled his mind and all he was doing was taking to the air strapped into a glider’s frame.
He was hang gliding. That was the only explanation. Somehow, he was in a glider and holding onto the lovely Stephanie. What a treasure. The woman kept her head and saved them from death. Even though he was obviously very, very rattled, he did know that she did that.
Ryan spotted a four-lane highway and followed it. Highways meant towns, and he had to find the large town in this area. Below him sped the fields and clumps of forest, and then the spread of suburban houses and finally a cluster of taller buildings that proclaimed the existence of a town.
He banked and circled looking for the hospital. Finally, Ryan spotted the red cross of a hospital helipad. He followed a thermal in a downward spiral. This wasn’t so much different from hang gliding, an activity he greatly enjoyed. He found a shift of his body changed direction to move to the right, left or descend.
As gently as he could, he landed on the helipad. The faint smell of smoke wafted to his nose, and he turned his head to see a man in blue scrubs smoking a cigarette and wearing a look of terror staring at him. Ryan laid Stephanie down on the landing pad.
“She needs help,” he said.
But all that come out was a roar. The cigarette the man had in his mouth fell to the ground and he ran for the roof top door.
“Come back here,” ordered Ryan in a quieter voice. He obviously frightened the man who was standing at a pad at the entrance of the door. But while Ryan tried to speak in a calmer tone, all that come out of his mouth was several snorts.
“Get security here quickly,” the man croaked. “There’s a dragon on the roof.”
Dragon? Ryan whipped his head around looking for the offending beast. It wasn’t until he looked at a groaning Stephanie and spotted his own claws on either side of her head that the realization burst on him.
“Oh, fuck!” exclaimed Ryan came out as a trumpeting sound. He was the dragon. How on earth did this happen?
Other people crowded at the entrance of the rooftop door. They wore the same terrified expressions as the first man. In the first moment of clarity since the accident, Ryan understood that they wouldn’t move toward Stephanie unless he was out of the way.
“I’ll come back,” he said in a snort and unfolded his wings, flapping them to unfurl them.
“Take care of her,” he trumpeted though he doubted they could understand him. With a great leap from his powerful haunches he took to the air. He looked below to see the hospital personnel converge on Stephanie. At least he accomplished one thing. Now he had to find out what the hell was going on. And there was only one person he could get answers from.
Ryan honed onto his boyhood home and his family’s estate. The joy and marvel of flight made the trip all too brief. And he marveled at his much-improved eyesight. He could pick out different game from his aerial vantage and spot people in the spaces outside their homes. The level of detail he could make out was incredible. As he flew over his house, he could see every tile on the roof of the mansion, and could pick out the different flowers in the gardens splayed at the back of the building. Then Ryan spotted his father on the patio cell phone pressed against his ear.
He descended and landed with a loud thud on the grass just beyond the patio. The elder Kaur stared wide-eyed at Ryan, who for dramatic effect drew up on his haunches and spread out his wings. His father turned and scrambled for the patio door.
Ryan didn’t want his father to run, especially not when he was in this form and couldn’t follow him into the house.
“Stop!”
But instead of a roar his human voice filled the air.
“What the hell,” said his father. “Ryan, what is going on?”
Ryan looked down to see his human body perfectly naked. Relief coursed through him as he saw that he returned to human form though he had no idea how he did it. But he looked up again and fixed his gaze on his father.
“That’s what I came to ask you, father. When did you plan to tell me that I’m a dragon?”
CHAPTER FIVE
Steph
Steph woke to a pounding head, every muscle in her body aching and annoying electronic beeps around her, and plastic tubing in her arms. She struggled to grab hold of where she was and the reason why she would be here. Her mind worked the problem over and over until she remembered the hell ride with Ryan and the crash into a deer. Steph didn’t remember much after the sickening slam into the animal except that the air bags slammed into her chest and stole her breath. She must have blacked out at that point.
Ryan? What happened to him? She could only hope he came through the accident okay. She worried about him now. She fumbled for the call button for the nurse and finally found it.
“Good. You are awake. How do you feel?”
“Like I slammed into a wall. Which is pretty much what happened. How is Mr. Kaur?
“Sorry?”
“The man I was with. Ryan Kaur. Is he okay?
“You came in alone, Ms. Brooks.”
“Alone?
“Well, not exactly alone. A dragon dropped you off.”
“I know I had a blow to the head. You couldn’t have said dragon.”
“Yes, I did. He brought you to the helipad and then flew off. We don’t know who he is or where he went.”
“I think the medication you gave me is too strong.”
“We didn’t give you any medication. Except for some black and blues
and a couple of bruised ribs you are fine. We are just keeping you for observation.
“I need a phone to call my employer.”
“There is one at the side of the bed.”
“Can you help me? I can’t seem to reach it.”
Steph called the office, but it was after hours and the answering service picked up.
“This is Steph Brooks, one of the associates. I need to speak to Mr. Watins or if I can’t, his assistant Jared.”
“I’ll pass along the message,” said the operator.
Steph laid her head on the pillow after the call totally frustrated. The nurse couldn’t give her an answer as to when she would be released. Now she worried that Ryan was hurt, and no one was checking on him. She could only imagine what Mr. Watins would think about the whole thing. A good possibility existed that she lost her job because she couldn’t persuade Ryan to drive like a sensible person instead of a maniac.
A knock on the door snapped her out of her depressing reverie. Two men in suits stood in the doorway. At first she thought they were from her firm, but their suits weren’t tailored well enough to make them one of the elite lawyers of Peters, Watins and Roe.
“Ms. Brooks,” said one holding up a badge. “I’m special agent Darrell Rogers, and this is my partner Russell Pike. We are investigating your claim that a dragon brought you here.”
“It wasn’t my claim. I don’t know who brought me in. All I know is that I woke here after an upsetting day.”
“We’ve gone over the road you said you drove.”
Now Stephanie grew very alarmed. While she told her story to the doctors she hadn’t told anyone else.
“Doctor’s reports are confidential,” Steph said.
“Not when it comes to a matter of national security. Now tell me who this dragon is that brought you in.”
Steph’s jaw clenched as her lawyer instincts kicked in. “I told you. I don’t know. You can ask me a hundred more times, but I will give the same answer.”
“If you persist in obstructing justice, we’ll haul you in.”
“First,” said Stephanie, “you would need to prove I’m obstructing justice along with the crime I’m supposed to be covering up. I don’t see a crime here, agent, so just what the hell is going on?”
“I’m asking the questions here,” said Rogers.
“Well, I don’t have answers for you. If you think I’ve committed a crime, go ahead and arrest me. I’m sure my firm would be very interested as to why you interrogated and arrested a person receiving medical care.”
Rogers’ mouth twisted into a sour frown but before he could say anything else a voice boomed behind him.
“Leave her alone.”
Ryan Kaur stood in the doorway with a dark look on his face that promised death.
“Who are you?”
“I’m her employer. If you have any questions, you can call Alan Watins at Peters, Watins and Roe. They are in the book.”
“Then perhaps you can answer—”
“Call my lawyers, Peters, Watins and Roe. Now, Ms. Brooks needs her rest. I suggest you leave.”
Every muscle in Rogers’ body tensed as he stared at Ryan. But Ryan was six feet two of athlete’s body and one hundred percent no nonsense attitude. Plus, he wore a dark cashmere Italian power suit which oozed command. Never mind dick measuring. The real measurement was cut, thread count and wool quality. Here Rogers, in his off the rack suit, lost miserably. But his body language screamed protest with each inch he walked.
“Mr. Kaur, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. How are you?”
“Okay. Just some bruises. No big deal.”
Ryan frowned. “No big deal?”
“I got worse in basic training.”
“Then do you feel like you can travel, because we have to get out of here.”
“But—”
“No buts. I’ll get you whatever medical care you need later, but it can’t be here. The news of the dragon landing here stirred up a lot of attention and I’m afraid they’ll try to detain you without a warrant.”
“But that’s illegal.”
“Newsflash. These aren’t the type of guys who worry about such things.”
He helped her sit up and pulled the IV carefully from her arm.
“So what about the dragon?” said Steph. “Why did it drop me off here?”
“We don’t have time for this conversation,” said Ryan.
Steph did not like the way he answered. It seemed as if he was hiding something. But right now, with no charges pending, she had every legal right to walk out of the hospital.
Ryan handed her clothes from the closet.
“Do you need help?”
She shook her head but didn’t move as he stood there.
“Do you mind?” she said pointedly.
“Sorry.” Ryan pulled the curtain by her bed between them. Every muscle screamed hurt, but she pulled on her clothes. She sucked in a breath as she bent to put her shoes on. Steph wished she had something more casual to wear than her work clothes and she could tell that the spiked heels of her pumps were going to give her battered body problems.
She hissed as pain shuddered through her body as she eased out of the bed.
Ryan pulled the curtain back
“Ready?”
“My purse?”
“Sorry. Lost in the crash.”
“That’s okay,” she said as sarcasm curled around her words. “It had nothing important in it. Just my license, credit cards, passport and anything else that identifies me.”
“Sorry,” said Ryan again. His eyebrows came together in worry. He seemed penitent but also exasperated as if he didn’t know how to handle feeling responsible for the events of the day. Perhaps he didn’t. Ryan Kaur, from all accounts, sailed through life without having to worry about the consequences of his actions.
“Can you walk or do I have to carry you?”
“I can walk.” His solicitous attitude grated her nerves. This jerk got them into an accident that could have killed her. He walked away unhurt, but she was going to feel the pain for days if not weeks. No wonder Kaur’s father thought he needed a babysitter. And she had no idea whether she was still employed or not.
“Hurry then,” he said with urgency. He walked forward to the door and peered out cautiously. Ryan held out his hand. “They aren’t here yet, but they are coming.”
Steph wondered if Ryan suffered a head injury. His paranoia was off the charts.
But when she reached the door and saw the line of dark suited men walking through the hallways, she realized he wasn’t.
“Agent Rogers has brought friends,” hissed Ryan. “Just walk with me calmly as if we belong here.”
They stepped into the corridor and Ryan took a quick right toward a door with a red exit sign hanging over it.
“Stop!”
“Hang on,” said Ryan. He lifted Steph into his arms and ran to the door. With a kick, he smashed the door open so that it hung at an odd angle.
No way, thought Steph, any man was that strong.
Ryan sprinted up the stairs so fast that all Steph saw was one long blur. Each one of his bounds sent waves of pain through her.
“What the hell?” said Steph. Things were happening too fast. And too strangely. Ryan seemed to travel floors in a blink of an eye. Maybe she was hallucinating the damage to the door and what she saw. They were at one last door that said “roof” and she wondered what the hell they were going to do now.
He kicked this door open too, but slammed it shut again. He stood with his back to it as he started pulling at his tie.
“Hold my clothes for me, will you? I’m not sure when I’ll get a suit this nice again.”
Steph watched dumbfounded as Ryan stripped the clothes from his body. She had no idea what he intended though at any time she might have enjoyed watching a handsome man take off his clothes. But so many things were wrong here, not the least of which was that this man was her client, and what he
was doing was highly inappropriate.
“What—” she said finally finding her voice.
But then there was pounding at the door, and Steph realized they had been found. Ryan handed his silk boxers to her, and she gulped to see him totally naked in front of her.
“Stand back,” he said, “while I try this.”
Steph had no idea what he meant to try, and from the noise behind the door great effort was being made to open it. Ryan stepped away, and she saw the door was crumpled and fit badly inside its frame like a round peg jammed into a square hole.
How could Ryan do that? No one was—
But the air shimmered around Ryan and he seemed to be elongating and growing larger, taking up more space as he did. She gasped when the shimmering stopped and what stood before her was flapping his wings.
Steph’s heart nearly stopped. She had never seen anything like it, but she was entranced and terrified at the same time.
Come said the magnificent blue dragon extending a foreleg. We must leave now.
CHAPTER SIX
Ryan
Ryan snorted as he extended his foreleg hoping the woman would understand that she needed to climb on his back. If she didn’t, he’d have to pick her up with his claws. With hearing more sensitive than he ever had he followed the movements of the men behind the door trying to gain entrance. He heard the hiss of flame and knew they were trying to torch the door open. If he could, he’d shoot flame at the door himself and melt it permanently to its metal frame.
But this whole being-a-dragon thing was still very new and there was much he did not know. Spewing fire would be helpful but beyond his skill set at this moment. His conversation with his father was disappointing and unrevealing. As Ryan surmised after he transformed to his dragon self he was adopted by his parents as a baby. They had no idea who his parents were or are. When Ryan displayed unusual abilities when he was young his father employed a hypnotist to suppress Ryan’s natural expressions of super strength, hearing and shifting.