“Then we’d best get into our positions.” Jason steered the truck to the left and parked beside a couple of work trucks with the name ‘Winter’s Sawmill’ written on the sides. As they go out of the truck, the smell of sawn lumber mixed with pine resin assailed her senses.
“Jason.” Mac Winter, tall, broad-shouldered with a wide smile on his lips, met them as they walked around to the yard. “Hello again, Lorcan. And you must be Shannon.”
Shannon had seen Mac back at The Happy Bear Club surrounded by his men. He struck Shannon as a charismatic leader, and as his gaze traveled over her from head to foot, she suspected he was a shrewd man who was good at managing his business and his men. “Good to meet you, Mac.”
“Pleasure is all mine.” His smile widened as his assessment of her ended. “You’re a brave woman raising a child alone. Even braver since he wasn’t your own.”
“My dad helped me. It was a joint decision really, to adopt Lorcan.” She slipped her arm around Lorcan’s shoulders. “Which is why I need to make sure my dad is safe.”
“Understood. I know how important family is.” He glanced around. “This place is our home. I worked hard to get the sawmill to make a profit so that I could look after my family. My dad died when I was young, and I saw the struggle my mom went through every day to support us. As the eldest, I took it upon myself to provide for them, so my mom didn’t work herself to death.”
“A brave decision.” She returned his compliment and Mac’s mouth turned down at the corners.
“Didn’t feel brave at the time.” He nodded at Shannon. “I think we have an understanding, Shannon.”
“I think we do.” She turned her attention to the courtyard area in front of the buildings. “So this is where Lorcan and I will meet my father?”
“Yeah.” Mac chuckled, his mood lifted. “Come and see this damn dragon. Hex carved it a few years ago when we had a dragon shifter working here.”
Jason’s phone rang and he walked away as he answered it. Shannon couldn’t hear what he was saying, and she wished she had shifter senses so she could listen in on the conversation.
“Did the dragon model for it?” Lorcan asked in surprise.
“Sure did.” Mac chuckled. “His name was Rohm. You could say he was a little vain. But then we figured he had a right to be.” He shot Lorcan a sidelong glance. “At the time we didn’t know if all dragons were like that since we didn’t know any others.”
“You didn’t know Fiona was a dragon shifter?” Shannon asked as they turned a corner and came face to face with a large, not quite life-size dragon.
“Nope. We met Fiona afterward,” Mac answered.
“But she knows about Rohm?” Jason asked. If she did, she had never mentioned him.
“Never saw a reason to tell her. Rohm might have liked showing off his dragon to those he trusted, but his trust was hard to earn. We all swore to keep his secret. If I told Fiona about Rohm, she might think I’d go blabbing to every other dragon I met that she was a dragon. And I have no intention of getting on the wrong side of that lady.” Mac folded his arms and stared up at the statue. “He sure was something to behold.”
Jason hurried back toward the small group as they stood admiring the dragon. “Your father passed one of the people watching the road. He’s close and he’s alone. At least as far as they could tell.”
Shannon nodded. “I guess we’ll soon know for sure.” She stepped closer to the dragon statue. “I can’t believe dragons have lived among us for so long and most people have no clue.”
“I wish everyone knew,” Lorcan said. “I wish everyone knew and accepted us.”
Us. Shannon’s heart skipped a beat. Lorcan was different than most other people on the planet. There wasn’t ever going to be some social movement to make dragons acceptable. He would have to hide who he was for the rest of his life.
“Maybe one day,” Mac replied. “But think of yourself as a secret agent who has to hide his identity.”
“I like that idea.” Lorcan grinned. “The statue is incredible.” Lorcan stared up at the statue with some reverence before he took a step forward, his hand outstretched. “Can I touch it?”
“Sure.” A man stepped out of the shadow of a large building to their left.
“It’s amazing.” Lorcan tilted his head to one side. “I wish I’d met him.”
“Rohm was all right. For a dragon shifter,” Mac said with a mischievous grin. “Maybe you’ll let Hex here carve you out of wood one day.”
“You carved this?” Lorcan asked Hex.
“I sure did. It was a work of passion.” His eyes lit up with fiery excitement. “I’d never seen anything like Rohm before and I haven’t since.”
“I’ll show you my dragon.” Lorcan half-turned to look at his mom. “When this is over.”
“Soon,” she assured her son.
As she finished talking, Mac’s phone rang, and he walked away as he answered it. After a brief conversation, he ended the call and turned to Shannon and Lorcan. “Your dad just turned off the road, he’ll be here any second. They confirm he is alone.”
“Stick to the plan. You can do this.” Jason kissed her cheek and the men scattered as Shannon and Lorcan turned toward the trail and waited. Were the people watching the road right? Was her father alone?
Or were they about to be a part of a fight for Lorcan and the dragon treasure?
Chapter Twenty-Seven – Jason
How could Jason expect Lorcan to control his dragon, when he could hardly control his bear? As they ran for cover, his bear fought for his freedom. He wanted to protect Shannon and Lorcan at all costs.
We’re here for them. If they need us, Jason told his bear as he finally restrained him.
His bear roared in anguish. He wanted to be free, he wanted to be ready to take out the dragon hunters as soon as they showed their faces.
They might not be here and even if they are, you won’t help Lorcan’s cause. For all we know, none of them have even seen a shifter. If that’s true, it’s easier to tell them that shifters are something conjured up from an overactive imagination. If they see a bear shifter, it isn’t a far stretch for dragon shifters to be real, too. Jason tried to reason with his bear.
You make too much sense, his bear grumbled as he sat down on his haunches and watched the events before them unfold.
With his bear settled, Jason turned his full attention on the approaching car as he settled down to hide behind a water trough that Mac used to wash off tools. Although, in the summer, Jason had also seen a couple of the men shift and cool off in the water themselves.
He’s here. His bear was alert as the car pulled around to the front of the sawmill and stopped ten feet away from Lorcan and Shannon. Jason gripped the edge of the water trough, the whites of his knuckles showing as he fought to keep his feet still when all he wanted to do was run forward and plant himself between his mate and danger.
The car door opened, and a man got out. He was of a medium height with silver hair. He had a strong resemblance to Shannon. This was her father.
Jason pushed his senses out toward the car, trying to figure out if there was anyone else with Shannon’s dad. He couldn’t sense anyone else in the car. If he pushed out further, he could sense Mac’s men surrounding the car, but he didn’t know them well enough to distinguish them apart. Unlike when his senses brushed against his friends. The Silverback Saviors were here, hiding out among the neatly stacked piles of lumber.
His shoulders slumped forward. This had all been for nothing. The dragon hunters weren’t here. However, that didn’t mean they weren’t controlling Nigel. The hunters might have put some kind of spell on Shannon’s father, the kind of spell that would enable them to control him. Jason straightened up, alert for any danger.
Make-believe, his bear said tartly at the idea of spells. I don’t believe in witches and magic.
Fiona said these spells were a real thing. And I, for one, am not about to argue with her, Jason said as he leane
d forward and listened to the conversation between Shannon and her father.
“Dad!” Shannon rushed forward to meet her father as he walked stiffly toward her. “It’s so good to see you.”
“Shannon.” He held out his arms and she ran to him. “I was so worried about you.”
Her dad held her close and a pang of jealousy hit Jason. He should be the one holding her. With a deep breath, he pushed the jealousy away. He was happy Shannon’s father was here and safe.
“I’m okay. I thought I was being followed a couple of times, but I never saw anyone. I visited the town where I first met Letitia, but no one there really remembered her. I made some quiet inquiries about flying, winged reptiles, but the people gave me a strange look as if I was crazy, so I let it go.” He coughed as he cleared his voice. “It all brought back so many memories. Not just of Letitia, but of your mom.”
“I can imagine.” Shannon took a step away from her father and turned toward Lorcan. “Show Grandpa the dragon.”
“Lorcan shifted into a dragon?” her father asked in excitement.
“Not exactly,” Lorcan said as he pointed to the dragon statue. “This is the dragon my mom…Letitia, talked about. Not me.”
Shannon’s dad took a step back. “I thought... I thought you could change into a real live dragon. Letitia was so convinced that you would… That your father could…”
“Nope.” Lorcan was putting on a good act of denying his shifter nature.
“I think Letitia was more confused than we thought.” Shannon’s face filled with sympathy. “We wondered if the man who came to our house perhaps knew her. From a mental institution. Letitia might have told him stories of Lorcan’s dad and embellished them.”
“That does make sense.” Nigel turned to Lorcan. “Are you okay with that?”
“Sure.” Lorcan nodded. “I mean how weird would it be to turn into this.” He jabbed his finger at the wooden statue.
“Jason.” Mac ran around the side of the building where he’d been hiding and slid to a stop next to Jason. Brad followed behind and ducked down behind the water trough. Things were getting a little crowded, but Nigel hadn’t noticed the movement. “I’ve been trying to call you,” Mac hissed.
“My phone is on mute,” Jason whispered sharply as he took his phone from his jacket pocket and looked at the message. “There’s someone here you don’t know?” He looked up at Mac for confirmation.
“Yes.” Mac nodded and Jason swung around to face Shannon and her family. Mac bristled with anger as he backed away. “I could take him out for you.”
“No.” Brad placed his hand on Mac’s shoulder. “Not yet.”
“Agreed.” Jason didn’t like leaving Shannon and her family exposed. It was risky, but they needed to let things play out. “Is he alone?”
Mac’s eyes went out of focus as he scanned the area with his shifter senses. “Yes. All the other people close by are my men.”
“Where is he?” Jason asked, searching the area with his senses.
“He’s over there. Near the machine room.” Mac pointed across the courtyard. “He wasn’t here when we came back. I only sensed him after Shannon’s dad arrived.”
“So he followed Nigel here. Or knew he was coming to the sawmill.” Jason stood up, just as the guy walked out from the machine room as cool as could be. “Do you recognize him at all? Not from town? He wasn’t at the bar?” The stranger could be one of the people they sent out to watch the entrance points into town. Jason did not want anyone taken down if they were friendly.
“Nope, not anyone I’ve ever met.” Mac tilted his head back and inhaled deeply. “The scent of dragon seems to overpower everything.”
“Keep down,” Brad ordered as the stranger made his move.
“Hello.” The stranger held up his hand as he approached Shannon and her family.
“Who are you?” Shannon’s dad asked.
“He’s the dragon hunter.” Shannon stepped forward and placed herself between the stranger and Lorcan. “He’s the crazy fool who thinks Lorcan can change into a dragon.”
“We both know I’m not crazy,” the guy answered.
“Do we?” Shannon asked. “You came to my house telling me that dragons were real. But the only dragon we found was this statue.”
The guy chuckled and wagged a finger at the dragon statue. “It’s a good likeness. Most people who paint or carve dragons get it so wrong.” He wagged his finger at the statue. “But this one is good. Carved by a man who has seen the real thing. A little on the small side, though.”
Shannon swallowed hard and her eyes darted to where Jason was hidden. “What kind of crazy are you?”
The guy turned around and looked toward the mountains, a gleam in his eyes. “I’m not the crazy one.” His voice drifted off as he gazed at the high peaks.
“But you really do think dragons are real?” Shannon pushed for information.
“Did you find the treasure?” the guy asked as he dragged his attention back to Shannon. “Will you pay the debt?”
“There is no treasure.” Shannon shook her head and stepped closer. “I don’t know what this is all about or why you picked on my son, but if you don’t let this go, I’ll have you arrested.”
A small smile spread across the guy’s face as he looked past Shannon and his eyes rested on Lorcan. “You did find it, didn’t you?”
Lorcan’s fists balled and he stepped closer, his expression menacing but his dragon under control. “Leave us alone. Leave my family alone.”
The stranger inhaled deeply and then let it out slowly. “Family.” His expression changed. “Perhaps you have found the greatest treasure of all.”
“Perhaps you should leave,” Shannon’s father said. “And never come back.”
The stranger’s expression faltered. “I only ever wanted what was mine.” With that, he turned around and walked away.
Jason relaxed as he watched from behind the water trough. Was that it? Was it over?
Too easy, his bear answered.
Much too easy, Jason agreed. So what’s his plan?
Jason stood up, ready to challenge the man who had caused his mate such trouble, but before he had a chance to speak, he melted into the shadows.
Forcing his senses outward to their limits, Jason tried to track the guy. “He’s fast.”
“Too fast for a human,” Mac agreed. “I’ll send my men out to track him.”
As Mac pulled out his phone and made a call, Jason could sense the other Silverback Saviors were already in pursuit. Satisfied they had things under control, Jason ran to Shannon and her family, who were looking equally confused. “Are you okay?”
Shannon nodded. “Jason, this is my father, Nigel. Dad, this is Jason.”
“Jason.” Nigel thrust his hand out toward Jason, who took it and shook hands warmly.
“Good to meet you, Nigel.” Jason glanced sideways at Shannon. “Did I miss something?”
“You mean with the dragon hunter guy?” Shannon shrugged. “I don’t know what happened. He just left.”
“Is that it?” Lorcan asked hopefully. “He’s gone?”
“No.” Nigel shook his head as he stared at the distant peaks. “I think he got what he came for.”
“He didn’t get anything,” Lorcan insisted. “He didn’t get a dragon and he didn’t get any treasure.”
Jason turned and looked in the direction the dragon hunter had looked. “He was looking right at the valley.”
“How could he know…” Lorcan clamped his mouth shut.
“You found something,” Nigel said in excitement. “You found something in the mountains.”
“He’s gone,” Mac announced as he ran over to join them. “My men tracked him and then he disappeared. Like magic.”
“Dragon hunters are supposed to have magic,” Lorcan told him. “Do you think he used a vanishing spell?”
“No, I think he’s a shifter with super senses.” Mac sniffed Lorcan and then walked a little further
away and sniffed the air. “Perhaps honed over a long, long time.”
“What is it?” Jason inhaled deeply. Had he missed something?
“I think our dragon hunter is a dragon himself,” Mac announced.
“A dragon.” Lorcan spun around and looked at the mountains. “Do you think he sensed my treasure?”
“I knew it,” Nigel hopped from foot to foot in excitement. “Letitia wasn’t crazy, was she?”
“Dad, we need to be sure you aren’t compromised,” Shannon told her dad gently.
“Compromised?” His forehead furrowed as he looked at his daughter. “Why would I be compromised?”
“We didn’t know if the dragon hunters had cast a spell on you,” she explained.
“No, I told you I thought I’d been followed but I lost them.” Nigel’s expression cleared. “Of course, that’s what I would say if I was under their spell.”
“We still don’t know that you’re not,” Jason said bluntly. “No offense.”
“None taken.” Nigel took a step back. “What can I do to persuade you I’m not under any spell?”
“There’s nothing you can do. Not really,” Jason said.
“We’ll just keep a close watch on you.” Shannon took hold of Jason’s hand. “If my dad does have a spell on him, he might need the dragon hunter to remove it.”
Jason nodded. “You’re right.”
“So what are we doing?” Lorcan asked.
“If the dragon hunter is really a dragon, I suspect he sensed your treasure.” Jason held out his hand and placed it forcefully on Lorcan’s shoulder as he barged forward. “Slow down, Fiona and her family are up there. We’ll warn them what’s happened and that we suspect trouble is heading their way. Then we hike up the mountain to the cave.”
“I can fly there,” Lorcan hissed.
“No, think, Lorcan,” Shannon told her son. “It’s daylight and you cannot risk being seen.”
“What if he gets there first and takes it?” Lorcan kept his voice low.
“That’s not going to happen,” Shannon assured him. “It’ll be all right. I promise.”
Jason - Silverback Redemption Page 21