The Dragon's Charm

by Emilia Hartley

  “I’ve just seen your recent transaction,” he said tightly. “A little expensive, Jo.”

  She shrugged. “And?”

  There was short silence. “I beg your pardon?” His voice began to go into a slightly higher pitch. She was annoying him.

  “Brian, I’m staying in a nice hotel. What’s the problem?”

  “The problem is that we are on a budget,” he exclaimed.

  “And that’s not my concern,” she replied, calmly. “I’m staying somewhere reasonable, Brian, not some crummy back road motel.”

  “The cost is ridiculous!”

  “Then you should have paid for me to fly,” Jo said, firmly. Her stomach was churning, but she kept her voice calm and determined. “If you expect me to drive to meet clients, then I’ll be staying overnight in a decent hotel. That’s all there is to it.”

  Brian spluttered for a few moments, while Jo waited with bated breath for his response. Was she going to be fired? And if she was….did she really care?

  “Fine,” he muttered, eventually. “Since you’re available a little earlier, I’ll phone the client and have him meet with you tomorrow.” Back to business, he was now all professional. “I’ll text you the details.”

  “Thanks,” Jo replied, hanging up immediately. Her lips curved into a light smile as she looked down at the phone. Nick had been right, she shouldn’t let him treat her like that. And look what had happened when she’d stood up for herself – she’d kept both her job and her hotel, making it very clear that she wouldn’t be doing the motel thing again. “What would have happened if I’d stayed with Nick?” she murmured, putting down her cell phone and wandering back to the bed. Would she still be there? Would they have managed to sort things out?

  Putting on the small kettle, Jo shook her head to herself. He’d told her – through the door – that he was beginning to care about her, but at the time, she hadn’t wanted to listen. Admitting that she felt the same was terrifying, but now she had calmed down, Jo couldn’t hide the truth from herself. Yes, there had been a physical attraction to Nick, but it had been the way he’d helped her sort herself out, listened to her when she talked about Brian and held her when she’d cried, that had made her fall for him. He’d told her that she needed to stand up for herself, made her question her life and what she was doing - and then she’d run away from him.

  “But he changed into a bear,” she muttered to herself, shaking her head. She could still see him change, his skin ripping open to reveal dark fur. It had been completely terrifying to watch, but for some reason, she was beginning to accept it.

  “Maybe I should go back and talk to him on my way home,” she said aloud, making herself a cup of tea. There was a lot she wanted to ask and perhaps it was the only way she’d get him out of her mind. Physically and emotionally exhausted, Jo switched on the tv and sat back on the bed, coffee in hand. She’d think about it all again tomorrow.

  CHAPTER 17

  Jo woke when it was still dark, her phone beeping with a message. Brian had just texted her the details of where and when to meet her client but had deliberately sent it early in the morning. Too early. Glancing at the clock, Jo flopped back into bed with a groan. He wasn't happy with her, that much was obvious, but if he was going to start making her life difficult in other ways, then Jo knew she needed to get out.

  She wouldn’t get back to sleep now. Flicking on the light, Jo sat up and rubbed her eyes. This was ridiculous. Her life was ridiculous, doing whatever Brian wanted because she was afraid of what he’d do if she didn’t. Living in fear wasn’t living at all.

  Yawning, Jo flung opened the curtains, hoping she could watch the sun rise from behind the buildings. There wasn’t any sign of it yet. Shaking her head, she went to fill the small kettle again, and even though the coffee wasn’t great, it was better than nothing. Sitting down in the small overstuffed chair, Jo stretched her feet out onto the edge of the bed, her cup of coffee warming her fingers. She would need to look over the client’s information again soon, to make sure she was ready for the meeting. Tension began to swarm up her throat, her stress levels rising. If Jo didn’t get this client, there would be hell to pay. She was already feeling the pressure.

  Freezing in her seat, Jo felt a rush of heat flood her as she realized what was happening. She was turning back into her old self – and she didn't like it. Her city self. The one who stressed about Brian, who hated what she had to do but did it anyway. The one who was harassed and tense almost all the time, because she never had any time to do the things she wanted to do.

  “What am I doing?”

  The question echoed around the room. Jo stared blankly at the wall, realizing that she hated her life. She hated her job, hated the way Brian treated her, hated everything about her life. When she'd been with Nick at the cabin, she'd turned into a completely different person. She had been relaxed, more positive. Was that because of Nick? Or because he'd shown her that she could have a different kind of life?

  Pulling herself to her feet, Jo snatched up her cell phone from beside the bed, slamming down her cup of coffee with the other. Dialing Brian's number, she held the phone to her ear, her pulse racing.

  “Why are you calling me this time of the morning?” Brian whined, even though he’d sent her a text message only half an hour ago.

  "Brian, I quit," Jo declared, feeling as though she would burst with excitement. "I'll get this client for you as discussed, but after that, I'll be handing in my notice."

  “What?” Brian stammered, taken by surprise. “You can’t quit, Jo, you – ”

  “I quit, Brian,” Jo repeated, louder this time. “I’ll email you my resignation letter this morning.” And with that, she hung up.

  Staring around the room, Jo felt like jumping up and down with happiness. She’d done it. She’d quit her job, quit Brian – and now she felt free. “Nick would be so proud of me,” she whispered, a sad smile crossing her face. That did it. Deciding that she would go and see Nick on her way back home, Jo wondered what he would say when he found out what she’d done. Most likely, he’d be really pleased that she’d started to take control of her own life. He’d been the one who’d forced her to question what she’d been doing with her life and the least Jo could do was thank him.

  “How are you feeling?”

  Nick rolled his eyes at his brother. “Since when have we started asking each other that?”

  Tom shrugged. “Maybe not often enough. Nothing like this has ever happened before.”

  “I guess.” Walking over to the counter, Nick checked what jobs they had to do today. There weren’t too many.

  “So, you’re okay?”

  "I'm okay," Nick confirmed, walking away from his brother. "I'm going to go back to the cabin, tidy it up a bit." He hadn’t gone back there last night after Jo had left. Everything had been too raw. This morning, though, Nick knew he had to just get on with it. He just wished he'd thought to get her number before she'd left, but he didn’t expected things to turn out this way.

  Tom glanced down at the list. “I can get on with things here,” he said, quietly. “You do what you have to.”

  “Thanks.” Nick left immediately, not in the mood to stay and chat. Deciding he’d walk to the cabin, he strode into the wind, letting it bite at his skin. He hated what had happened with Jo, wishing that he could sort it out but there was nothing he could do. Maybe she’ll come back, he thought to himself, hoping that something, anything, might draw her back to him. She was part of him now, a part that he could never get rid of.

  Tom sighed heavily as he watched Nick walk away. He had been mostly silent, saying very little and only when he had to. "This is all my fault," he mumbled, thumping the desk with his fist. Jo had meant more to Nick than Tom had realized, and now Tom didn't think that things could ever really be the same again. Nick had found his mate and needed her to be by his side. But because of him, Jo was gone.

  Stopping suddenly, Nick stared ahead, his nose catching the scent of the N
orthern Wind pack. They’d been back here again, looking for them, wanting another fight. Sighing heavily, he walked closer to the cabin, his eyes narrowing and fists clenching. There was no sign of them anywhere, but he could tell that they’d been here. They’d been looking for him.

  “This has got to stop,” he said to himself, his temper flaring. No matter how many times he said that he didn’t want to join them, they refused to accept his answer. They were constantly pushing, hoping that they could wear him down – or beat him down, whichever was easiest.

  The cabin door sat crazily on its hinges, having been beaten down by large paws. Windows were smashed, but there was no damage inside. Nick growled as he took in the damage. Windows and doors were going to be expensive to fix, but the fact that they hadn’t touched the inside said enough. They would destroy his cabin if they had to. This was only a warning.

  Nick shoved the door aside and walked into the cabin. He wouldn’t involve Tom in this, even though he knew his brother would want to join him. He would protect him, in the same way that Tom had tried to protect him from Jo. Nick accepted that Tom had never meant to hurt him, he’d been trying to protect him in his own way. Jo had already been mixed up in their fight, and it had chased her away, and Nick wasn’t about to pull Tom into this mess. Nick could feel strength rippling through his body, fuelled by fury, and decided that he would be able to take on the Northern Wind pack by himself. He had enough anger for the both of them. Tom didn’t need to be involved in this.

  Walking to the kitchen, Nick felt the bear's strength ripple through his body. It wanted to be let free, wanted to find the Northern Wind pack and tear into them for what they'd done. A final battle, almost. "Not now," Nick growled, stopping the rattle in his throat from growing any bigger. He had to tidy up this place first before it got dark. Glass would need to be swept up, windows boarded and door fixed. Then, he promised the bear, he would go hunting. He would hunt the Northern Wind pack and get them off his back once and for all.

  CHAPTER 18

  Jo tried to smile as the client’s manager talked on and on about how wonderful a painter his client was.

  "Yes," she murmured. "And, of course, that's why we want his work displayed in Liberty Art." To her frustration, the man didn't even stop for breath, praising his client over and over. Jo sat back in her chair with an inward sigh, keeping a professional outward manner at all times. Her mind began to wander, her eyes drifting away from the manager. She wondered how Nick was doing, if he was missing her the way she was missing him. There was a desperation growing as the man continued to talk. She wanted to get away from him and be on her way back to Nick, a sense of urgency almost forcing her to her feet. "Of course, of course," she murmured, wishing the man would simply stop talking and make his decision.

  Tom was another issue, of course. He’d obviously wanted her far away from Nick, and now that she’d seen him change, she could understand why. Fixing her car faster than she’d expected had been a clear sign to leave, but in a way, Jo was glad that he had done it. It had given her the time she needed to clear her head, get over the shock and decide what it was she really wanted. And what she really wanted was to go back and see Nick.

  “Excuse me,” she said, interrupting the manager. “I must press you for a decision. I have other places to go and other people to see and I’m on something of a tight schedule.” She gave him a bright smile, hoping that she hadn’t come across as rude.

  The man sighed. “I must be honest with you, I was hoping you would push harder for the job.”

  “Listen,” Jo replied, sitting forward and folding her hands in her lap. “Liberty Art is an excellent gallery. You know that. What’s the point in me trying to convince you when you’re already aware of our reputation?”

  He pressed his lips together. “You do have a point,” he mumbled, not meeting her gaze.

  “We want your client’s work, as you know, and I’m sure it would be great exposure for him, but at the same time, we can’t sit about and wait until a decision is made. We are a business at the end of the day, which I’m sure you understand.”

  The man nodded, getting to his feet and holding out his hand. “Thank you for being so frank with me. I’ll send the contract over to Liberty Art this afternoon.”

  Jo smiled widely, shaking his hand firmly. “Thank you very much. I look forward to seeing his work in our gallery.” She watched him leave, a sense of satisfaction in her chest knowing that she’d done what she’d set out to do. Brian could have no issue with her resignation now, not when she’d managed to get the client. That part of her life was over now. Grinning to herself, Jo flipped open her laptop and emailed Brian, letting him know that he should expect to get the client’s details this afternoon and also attaching her resignation letter. Closing it carefully, she sat back in her chair and looked around. Everything was exactly as it had been a minute ago, but it all felt completely different. She was free. She could do anything she wanted, go anywhere she wanted and be with anyone she wanted. And she wanted to be with Nick. Picking up her laptop, she got to her feet and practically ran back to her car.

  Tom's phone beeped, and he picked up with a frown, realizing that he'd missed a call from Nick. He'd been beginning to wonder where he was since it was already getting dark and Nick had been away pretty much all day. Holding the phone to his ear, he listened to the voicemail Nick had left him.

  “Tom,” Nick had said. “I’m going to speak to the Northern Wind pack. I’ve had enough of this. They’ve damaged the cabin and I’ve spent hours cleaning and fixing it up. I’ll deal with this on my own, don’t worry.”

  Dropping his hand, Tom stared at his phone in horror. Nick was walking into a death trap. He’d known that his brother was getting tired of the Northern Wind pack pushing them both to join, but talking to them wasn’t going to change their minds. They’d tried that already and it had only made things worse. Slamming his hand on to the table, Tom set his jaw. Why was Nick going by himself? He was going to get himself killed! Deep down, Tom knew that it was because he didn’t want Tom to get hurt, in the same way that Tom had tried to protect Nick from Jo, but that had been a completely different situation. He had to try and help Nick, even if he didn’t want it. All he had to do was change and then follow Nick’s scent.

  Tom was just about to walk out of the door when the sound of a car pulling up caught his ears. Frowning, he sniffed once, catching the smell of Jo's perfume. She was back. He didn't know whether to be happy or annoyed.

  Jo climbed out of the car, rushing straight into the office. “Nick?” she called, as she pushed open the door. “Nick?”

  "He's not here," Tom growled, his anger and frustration over his brother pushing the bear to climb out of his skin. "He's gone, Jo."

  “Gone?” Jo could sense his anger, taking a couple of steps back. “I’m sorry, Tom. I know you’re trying to push me out of Nick’s life, and I can understand why but I have to see him. I need to speak to him at least!”

  “You really care about him, huh?” Tom asked, after a moment of silence.

  “Yes, I do.”

  He nodded, tightly. “It’s not that I don’t like you, Jo, it’s that a shifter’s life is dangerous, too dangerous for humans.”

  She smiled, her voice soft. “You were trying to protect me and him, then.”

  He shrugged. “I suppose, in a way, I was.”

  “I’m sorry if I’ve made you angry.”

  Tom shook his head, his hands clenching. “It’s not you, Jo. Nick’s gone after the Northern Wind pack.”

  “What?”

  Quickly, Tom explained about the voicemail he’d got from Nick. “He thinks he can sort it out just by talking to them, but the last time he tried that, we were both badly beaten – although we won the fight and thought we’d made our point.”

  “But they’ve kept coming back,” Jo said, heavily.

  “Yeah. So I can’t let Nick fight them by himself,” Tom said, elbowing his way past her. “Just stay her
e, Jo. We’ll be back later.”

  “I’m not staying here alone,” she exclaimed, following after him. “If Nick’s in trouble, I want to help.”

  “Didn’t you just hear what I said?” he exclaimed, rounding on her. “This is too dangerous for delicate humans like you.”

  Jo set her jaw, looking up at him. “I’m coming. I might not be able to help but I want Nick to know I’m here for him. That I’m back.” She wasn’t going to stand around the office, just waiting for him to come back, probably dripping with blood. No, she wanted to go to him. The urge to see him – even in his bear form – was too much to resist.

  Tom clearly had other ideas. He growled loudly, baring his teeth.

  “And you can do that as much as you like,” she commented, completely unafraid. “I’m still coming with you.”

  Tom growled louder, but Jo ignored him, walking over to her car. “I’ll just follow you, will I?”

  There was no time to argue, but Tom knew that Nick would never forgive him if something happened to Jo. “Promise me you’ll stay in the car,” he bit out, his body tensing as the change surged through his body.

  “I promise.” Getting in the car, Jo put on her headlights and watched, in grim fascination, as Tom changed from man to bear. He wasn’t quite as big as Nick, but he was still completely terrifying. Knowing that he wasn’t going to touch her helped Jo to keep calm, revving the engine and following Tom as he began to run into the woods.

  CHAPTER 19

  Nick knew they were here. He could smell them. The fine hairs on the back of his neck were standing up. He kept his body low, making sure that they could tell he wasn’t coming for a fight. All he wanted was to talk, to make them understand that he and Tom wouldn’t be joining the pack. Not now, not ever.

  You got the message, then.

  Nick looked over, his ears pointing forward as he caught the scent of the leader of the Northern Wind pack, Lucas. They’d not seen him for a long time, which meant that this was serious. Yes, I did.