Jason - Silverback Redemption

by Raines, Harmony

  Yes, since we wouldn’t want this to cost the life of any Silverback Saviors, his bear said dryly, to which Jason had no answer.

  After trekking into the valley and climbing over the landslide, accompanied by complaints from Fiona about how much easier it would be if she simply shifted into a dragon and flew them all there, they reached the cave entrance.

  “I miss the days when dragons ruled the skies,” Fiona told them all as she reached into her pack and yanked out a flashlight.

  “That must be so cool,” Lorcan gushed. “To be able to fly wherever you want and not worry about planes or helicopters.”

  “Those days are long gone. But the thrill of flying is still the same,” Harlan said as he nodded toward the narrow gap in the rocks. “So this is it?”

  “It is.” Lorcan’s eyes went out of focus as he stared into the tunnel. “I can sense the treasure. But not as strongly as I did on the other side.”

  “Perhaps that’s how it’s meant to be.” Fiona ducked her head and went into the cave, the others following close behind her, each with a flashlight in their hands which illuminated the cave, leaving no hiding place for shadows.

  “What do you mean, that’s how it’s meant to be?” Lorcan followed Fiona like a little lost lamb.

  “If I wanted to hide my treasure, I’d put it deep inside a cave.” Fiona walked to the back of the cave and studied the place where Jason had excavated the tunnel. “So it’s through this tunnel and in a cave beyond?”

  “That’s what I figured.” Jason ran his hand over the loose rubble filling the tunnel. “I didn’t make much of a dent in this, did I?”

  “Not really. You’re right, this is going to take some effort to dig out.” She glanced around the cave. “There might be room for one of us to shift and dig this out with our dragon claws, but we won’t be able to reach too much further.” She looked Jason up and down. “I’m surprised you didn’t use your bear to dig out the tunnel. His short stubby legs and big paws would have made short work of this rock.”

  Jason raised an eyebrow. “I never thought of using my bear. I was worried I’d bring the rock down on my head.”

  Fiona turned her attention back to the rock. “I don’t think that will happen.”

  “Are you sure? I thought the tunnel was filled in by a landslide and goodness knows how much rock is above our heads just waiting to smother us.” Shannon looked up and shuddered.

  “No, this wasn’t caused by a landslide.” Fiona brushed the dirt off her hands. “This tunnel was filled in deliberately.” Her eyes rested on Lorcan. “I believe your father hid his treasure deep in the cave and then filled in the tunnel to stop anyone from finding it.”

  “My father?” Lorcan asked in surprise. “He did this. He was here in this cave.” His eyes widened in wonder.

  “That’s what I would do if I wanted to keep my treasure safe,” Harlan agreed. “And the damage to the cave is too concentrated. If the tunnel was filled in by a landslide then the rest of the cave would be littered with debris, too.”

  “Cunning,” Jason said. “Just like all dragons.”

  “You and your flattery,” Fiona said blithely.

  “Ah, I know I don’t stand a chance since you are fated to be with Harlan forever,” Jason teased.

  “And you have a mate of your own,” Harlan reminded him in a growly voice that told Jason he should not be flirting with the mate of a dragon shifter.

  “I’d tell you I was the luckiest man alive,” Jason told Harlan quietly. “But I’m sure we’d argue about that.”

  “Every shifter thinks their mate is the most perfect person in the world,” Harlan looked sideways at Fiona. “But true love is loving a person even when you have discovered all their imperfections.”

  “And some of us have more imperfections than others,” Fiona added with a knowing smile to her mate that left Jason unsure as to whether she was talking about herself or Harlan.

  “So what is the plan?” Lorcan looked pale as the artificial beams of light illuminated his face.

  “The plan is you all go outside and leave me to claw my way through this dirt.” Harlan nodded toward the tunnel.

  “Who said you get to have all the fun?” Fiona asked.

  “I did.” Harlan pressed his lips together. “And you are not going to argue any different.”

  “It was my idea,” Fiona insisted.

  “And it might be dangerous.” Harlan put his hands on his hips. “I want to do this.”

  Fiona studied her mate for a moment, her lips pursed as if she were about to argue with him but then she clapped her hands together and ushered them all back out into the daylight. Jason wasn’t about to complain. The air inside the cave was stale and dust hung in the air from where he’d made an attempt to open up the tunnel this morning. As soon as he got outside, he inhaled deeply as he reached into his pack for his water bottle. Taking a long drink, he washed the taste of dirt off his tongue before handing the bottle around.

  “Are you sure the cave is safe?” Shannon asked. “I don’t want you to lose Harlan.”

  “He’s as tough as old leather. Tougher with his dragon scales. And big.” She nodded curtly as if trying to convince herself.

  “I wish I could watch him shift,” Lorcan said wistfully as he turned to look longingly toward the entrance to the cave.

  “Why don’t you come for dinner tonight and after it’s dark we can show you our dragons?” Fiona moved to stand next to Lorcan. “We can begin to teach you what to expect and how to control your first shift.”

  “Really?” Lorcan asked excitedly.

  “Sure, if it’s okay with your mom.” Fiona looked over her shoulder at Shannon.

  “Thank you. Lorcan needs all the help he can get. It’s the one part of his education I’ve failed at.” Her eyes misted with tears and she turned away from her son so he couldn’t see her face.

  “I think you’ve done a magnificent job raising Lorcan.” Fiona rarely gave such glowing praise. “Raising a child is hard work, emotionally and physically. Raising someone else’s child alone is an incredible achievement.”

  “I wasn’t completely alone,” Shannon replied. “My father was there to help. He felt responsible since he was the one who brought Letitia into our lives.”

  “Which is why I will give up my treasure to keep my mom and my grandpa safe,” Lorcan told Fiona. “It’s the least I can do for the sacrifice they made for me.”

  “I’ve never seen it as a sacrifice,” Shannon told Lorcan sharply. “I hope you never felt that way.”

  “No, you always made me feel loved and wanted.” He turned away from the promise of a glimpse of a dragon and went to his mom. He flung his arms around her shoulder and Shannon pulled him into a tight embrace. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too, honey. I promise we’ll do whatever we can to keep you and your treasure together.” She dropped a kiss on the top of his head.

  “A long as you, me and Grandpa are together and safe, that’s what really matters,” Lorcan assured her.

  “Your son is right,” Fiona replied. “Dragons are attached to their treasure, that’s true. But I would give up every ounce of my treasure for the sake of my family. And I would live with it.”

  “Although she would likely complain. A lot.” Jason grinned as Fiona shot daggers at him with her eyes. “And go a little crazy.”

  “I’m old enough to deal with crazy.” Fiona shot a concerned glance toward Lorcan. “It’s not so easy when you are young.”

  “What’s that?” Shannon asked, holding Lorcan in her arms as the ground trembled beneath their feet.

  “That is a dragon at work trying to clear the debris from the back of the cave.” Fiona turned around on the spot and surveyed the area around them. “I hope he doesn’t trigger a landslide.”

  “Great!” Lorcan sounded worried as the ground beneath their feet moved.

  “Maybe we should move further away,” Shannon suggested.

  “Good thinking.
” Jason looked around. There was a section of solid rock that stuck up from the ground at an odd angle. It seemed the safest place since the rock wouldn’t move, unlike the dirt under their feet.

  “Yes, let’s get on there.” Fiona led them to the rock, and they climbed on top like sailors marooned on the ocean.

  “Do you think some of these landslides were caused by Lorcan’s father filling in the tunnel?” Shannon asked as the ground stopped shaking.

  “Perhaps, or at least he might have loosened the dirt.” Fiona looked around the immediate area. “This was clear about a century ago. I remember swooping down from the highest peaks.” She pointed into the distance and then swept her arm down along the length of the valley. “My wings used to skim the tips of the rocks either side.”

  “So there was either a storm that caused the landslide, or my father did,” Lorcan said.

  “There might have been a storm either way,” Fiona told him. “Not all storms are caused by the weather. Dragons are a force of nature all their own.”

  “Do you think the dragon hunters were searching for him even back then?” Lorcan asked.

  “These dragon hunters or their father’s fathers. Some of us have spent years inserting ourselves into the human world so that no one knows who we are and what we are just to avoid being hunted.” Fiona’s voice cracked with emotion. “I saw many of my kind hunted and killed.”

  “Which is why so many of you think you are the last of your kind.” Shannon looked sadly at Fiona. “I’m so happy we found you and that Lorcan will never have to live as an outcast.”

  “A dragon is always an outcast amongst other shifters,” Fiona warned. “No, that isn’t quite true. There are people like Jason who are loyal and trustworthy and share our secret.” Her voice cracked as she added, “Such people are rare gems and more precious than any piece of treasure. You are a lucky woman, Shannon.”

  “I’m beginning to realize that,” Shannon replied, her gaze resting on Jason.

  You might have to rethink your plan, his bear told him. Unless you want to break our mate’s heart.

  It may be her heart will be broken no matter what the outcome, Jason said sadly.

  Then we must find a way to make sure that does not happen, his bear said savagely. There has to be a way for us all to come out of this unscathed. And alive.

  Chapter Sixteen – Shannon

  Outcasts. Was that her son’s destiny? Shannon mulled this over as they waited for Harlan to scrape away the dirt in the tunnel with his long dragon claws.

  “He’s coming out.” Fiona darted forward on nimble feet as Harlan emerged from the cave entrance.

  “We might want to leave the dust to settle before we go back in there,” he warned.

  “How much of the rubble did you manage to clear?” Jason asked as they joined Harlan.

  “Not as much as I’d have liked but probably more than I expected.” Harlan hugged his wife. “Now the real work begins.”

  “So there’s no sign of the cave beyond the tunnel?” Lorcan couldn’t hide his disappointment.

  “Not yet.” Harlan shook his head. “But when you go back into the cave, you might get a stronger sense of your treasure.”

  Lorcan stepped forward but Jason grabbed hold of his arm. “Give it a few more minutes for the dust to settle.”

  “I’ll be okay.” Lorcan pulled his T-shirt up over his lower face. “See.”

  “Lorcan, just wait,” Shannon told her son, but she knew the look on his face.

  Lorcan shrugged off her arm as she attempted to grab him by the shoulder. “I’m going in.”

  “I’ll come with you.” Jason did the same since there appeared to be no stopping the young dragon shifter.

  “And I’m coming, too.” Shannon opened her pack and pulled out a thin towel that she wrapped around her nose and mouth.

  “Why don’t we all go?” Fiona and Harlan followed behind, each covering their faces as they approached the cave entrance.

  As she squeezed inside the narrow entrance, Shannon switched on her flashlight. “It sure is a little dustier.”

  The cave floor was covered in a thin layer of dust that rose up as they shuffled toward the back of the cave.

  “I feel it!” Lorcan rushed forward, his flashlight aimed at the tunnel at the back of the cave which was now another four feet longer. “It’s closer.”

  “That gives us some encouragement,” Fiona didn’t sound encouraged. Maybe because none of them knew how much debris lay between them and Lorcan’s treasure. Even if they worked constant shifts, the tunnel might take days to clear.

  Lorcan turned around and faced the four adults before him. “So do we carry on digging now?”

  Jason stepped forward to assess the tunnel. “We need to make sure it’s safe.” He ducked his head and took a good look at the outside of the tunnel before he stepped inside. “Was there much fresh debris falling down as you raked the dirt out?”

  “No, not really. If I thought it was possible, I’d guess none of the stone and rock used to fill in the tunnel came from up there.” Harlan pointed at the roof of the tunnel.

  “You think it was all hauled in here?” Jason asked, coming back into the main part of the cave.

  “I can’t say for sure and it doesn’t really matter either way. We still have to clear it out.” Harlan stepped over a mound of dirt and stood beside Lorcan. “Tell me, does it feel closer than when you were on the other side of the valley?”

  Lorcan closed his eyes and he barely breathed as he concentrated on his treasure. “I can’t tell. Not for sure.”

  “It doesn’t really matter.” Harlan took out his phone and glanced down at the screen. “I think there is twenty feet of rock between us and the other side of the valley. I just hope we don’t have twenty feet of dirt and rock to move.”

  “Okay, I’m ready to dig for a while longer,” Jason said. “Why don’t the rest of you go back to town?”

  “Are you joking?” Lorcan asked.

  “No, I only have one pickaxe.” Jason took his pack off his shoulders and dumped it on the ground. Opening it up, he pulled out his small pickaxe and held it up to Lorcan. “See.”

  “I’ll dig with my bare hands.” Lorcan looked feverish as he lunged forward into the tunnel.

  “Hey, come on.” Shannon placed her hands on her son’s shoulders and tried to comfort him.

  “I’m okay,” Lorcan insisted, his voice hoarse as he began pulling at the rocks with his hands.

  “No, you’re not.” Shannon pulled her son into her arms. He was hot, almost feverish, and the dirt in the air clung to his damp skin leaving streaks down his face.

  “No, he’s not,” Fiona confirmed. “Lorcan is close to his first shift. I think the nearness of his treasure is pushing him closer by the minute.”

  “Good.” Lorcan nodded but his expression was full of fear. No matter how excited Lorcan was for his first shift, he was also scared. Scared of the unknown, scared of getting stuck as a dragon. Scared of being slain by the dragon hunters. “I’m ready.”

  “Lor, let’s go outside and get some air.” Shannon guided her son away from the tunnel. He trembled as if he had a fever as he allowed her to take charge.

  “I don’t feel so good.” He wiped a hand across his forehead.

  “It’s all okay.” Once outside she glanced around, searching for a place for him to rest.

  “It’s not okay.” Lorcan shook his head and flung his arms around her shoulders, clinging to her like he used to do when he was a small child. “I can feel it inside me.”

  “It’s okay to be scared.” Shannon held him against her and stroked his hair, wishing she could take this from him and bear the burden herself.

  “What if I lose control?” he asked in a whisper. “What if I don’t come back?”

  “You will. Jason is here for you, and Fiona and Harlan know exactly what it’s like.” Shannon looked up as Jason and the dragon shifters came out of the cave and headed toward them. “I
believe in you.”

  “I love you, Mom.” He held her so tight she thought he would squeeze the breath from her body, but she didn’t push him away or break their embrace.

  “I love you, too, Lorcan, so very much.” She couldn’t have loved him more even if she had carried him in her womb for nine months and given birth to him herself.

  “I don’t want you there when I shift.” He sniffed loudly and then sat up straight. Lorcan was back in charge of his emotions and his set expression told her there was no point in arguing. But she did anyway.

  “I want to be there for you, Lorcan. I want to help you,” she insisted.

  “I won’t be able to focus if I think I might hurt you.” His eyes filled with tears as his control slipped.

  “Okay.” She nodded. As his mother, she was his weakness, just as he was her weakness. When the dragon hunters came, she would do whatever it took to keep her son safe. Just as her father had done whatever it took to keep his daughter and grandson safe.

  Shannon stood up, her legs shaking as she held out her hand for her son. He slipped his hand into hers and she pulled him to his feet. He was so tall, so strong, a young man rather than a boy. Yet there was a childish vulnerability to his face that broke her heart into a million pieces. He was too young to take on the responsibility of shifting into a fire-breathing dragon.

  And much too young to make a decision to give away his treasure, which from what Fiona and Harlan said, was like an extension of him.

  “We’ll take care of Lorcan,” Fiona said gently.

  Shannon nodded as she met Fiona’s eyes. At that moment, Fiona wasn’t a dragon shifter capable of burning down villages in one fiery breath, she was purely and simply a mother, offering to help another mother in any way she could. Just as Shannon had helped Letitia in the only way she could.

  “I know you will.” Shannon hugged Fiona quickly, then let her go. “Thank you. Both of you.”

  Harlan nodded. “Jason will take you to The Happy Bear Club. He’s going to gather a team to come and dig out the rest of the tunnel. Because one man and a pickaxe are not going to be enough.” He glanced at Jason, who nodded in agreement.