The Dragon's Charm

by Emilia Hartley

  Tom threw her a glance, and Savannah caught her breath. He was already hot and sweaty, even though it was early in the day, but clearly, he'd been hard at work. He only wore a vest and she could see faint traces of grease and oil smeared across his biceps. His dark eyes were intense as they caught hers. She gave him a quick smile, but he only clenched his jaw, but that still didn't dampen the surge of attraction that ran through her.

  Turning away to focus on the pile of paperwork on her desk, Savannah's ears were still listening to every single thing Tom and Jo were saying. Her ears couldn't help but listen, and her nose sniffed just a little to catch Tom's scent. He smelled of pine from the woods and oil from the shop, but there was an underlying scent she couldn't quite place. It made her heart begin to pick up its pace, and a burst of warmth pooled from her core. Her attraction to Tom wasn’t exactly going away, no matter how hard she tried to ignore him.

  “Yes, you have to take her,” she heard Jo hiss. “Just stop being a grouch and get on with it.”

  Savannah heard Tom's footsteps and briefly closed her eyes to compose herself. She didn't want him catching even a hint of how she was feeling about him, and just hoped she wasn't going to start letting off a scent of bear pheromones or something. Tipping her head, she turned in her chair and looked up at him. He didn't smile.

  “I hear we’re going to the store,” she said, brightly.

  “Yeah. I’ve just got to finish up a repair and then we’ll head out. Can you be ready in an hour?”

  “Sure.”

  "Great." He didn't exactly sound pleased, but Savannah was going to take whatever chance she could get to grow closer to him. She'd decided that this was the only way he would eventually learn to trust her and, since that was what Lucas wanted, that was what she would do. Her eyes lingered on him as he walked away, taking in every taut muscle on display. She'd known he was strong but certainly hadn't imagined that there would be so much obvious strength in his form.

  “Good looking, isn’t he?”

  Savannah snapped her head up, catching Jo’s quick grin.

  “I – uh,”

  “You don’t have to pretend,” Jo laughed, her eyes sparkling. “I won’t tell. Tom’s a good man, once you get to know him. Just give him more time. He’ll smile soon, I promise.”

  Savannah didn’t know what to say, heat filling her face as she turned back to her desk. Forcing herself to concentrate on the numbers in front of her, she heard Jo begin to hum to herself as she got on with redecorating. If Jo had noticed her watching Tom, then she was going to have to be a lot more careful.

  CHAPTER 8

  Tom growled as he threw down the oil-covered rag, muttering darkly to himself.

  “Everything okay?”

  “No,” he bit out. “Not that it’s your business.”

  Nick said nothing but gave his brother a sly grin.

  "Don't start," Tom warned. "Let's just get this job finished, okay?" The oil change was taking longer than they'd thought since they'd found a leak as well as a badly clogged filter, but Tom was glad for the extra work. It kept his mind of Savannah.

  His bear wasn’t happy last night, walking away from Savannah like he had. It had kept trying to turn him back to the water so that he could jump in beside her and enjoy the coolness. The bear had become so aggressive that eventually, Tom had shifted back into his human skin. The bear had made the change more painful than normal, almost as though it were punishing Tom for leaving Savannah alone. He wished his bear would just leave Savannah alone, but it was hankering for her already. He didn't want to admit it, but there was something about her that was drawing him in too.

  She’d been more confident this morning, that was for sure. She was trying hard to be friendly and approachable, instead of the slightly terrified little thing he’d seen yesterday, and that had surprised him. Was it because she saw him in his bear form? Had that made her calmer? Whatever the reason, Tom wasn’t sure he liked this slightly sassy, confident Savannah. It made his bear growl happily, and that wasn’t exactly the response he’d been hoping for. In fact, he wanted to stay away from Savannah, but there was no chance of that happening now. She worked for them, didn’t she? That meant Tom was going to see her pretty much every day, and Jo, he was sure, was going to keep trying to push them together.

  Tom had hoped that Jo might have forgotten about him taking Savanah to the store, but that idea had died the moment he saw her face. On top of that, he’d noticed the way Savannah had shifted uncomfortably in that old rickety chair, and he’d been embarrassed. He didn’t want her to have to use that old thing. He would order a new one right away. He remembered the way her bottom had wriggled against the seat, and, for just a moment, Tom was filled with a sudden rush of heat. It passed quickly, but Tom couldn't let go of the image immediately. She was attractive, he could admit that, with curves in all the right places. But he wasn't going to trust her, just because he found her beautiful.

  “Hello?” Nick called, a hearty grin on his face. “Are you even listening to me?”

  “Sorry,” Tom mumbled, giving himself a talking to. “I was just getting distracted.”

  “With?”

  “None of your business,” Tom growled, his bear growing restless over his brother’s ribbing. “Quit bugging me about her, Nick.”

  Nick didn’t say anything, but Tom could hear the slight rumble of his chest as he laughed. He hated that Nick could see through him so easily but, then again, he was just as worried about Nick’s attraction to Jo when it had first started. It was like he’d known it before Nick had. Was this the same thing?

  Pushing his thoughts away, Tom focused on getting the job done. He’d have time to worry about Savannah later.

  Walking back from the store, Tom shot Savannah a glance. She looked happy and he’d been surprised at just how well things had gone between them. He ordered a new chair for her the minute they’d got in, before showing here where they got their supplies, what brands they used and where to get the order forms from, if they were going to buy in bulk. She’d done nothing but listen and nod, watching his every move with careful eyes. She was certainly keen to learn, that was for sure.

  “So, that chair will be here by the end of the week,” he said, interrupting the silence. “I’m sorry you have to sit on that old thing until then.”

  “That’s okay,” she replied, glancing up at him with a light smile. “I don’t much mind.” Turning her face back to the path, she carried on walking slowly, as though taking everything in.

  “Oh,” she exclaimed, after a moment. “Thank you for showing me all that. I appreciate it. It’ll help me to actually do my job, and I know how much you didn’t want to do it.”

  He frowned. “I didn’t mind, Savannah.”

  She looked at him again, with a slight frown on her face and Tom found himself wanting to smooth away the crease in her forehead with his fingers.

  “I know you don’t trust me, Tom. I know you didn’t want to come out here with me today. So I really appreciate that you did.”

  He swallowed hard, wishing he could honestly tell her that what she’d obviously heard wasn’t true, but knowing he couldn’t. Scuffing his foot in the dirt, he shook his head to himself. “I don’t trust easy, Savannah, not after what’s happened.”

  “What happened?” she asked, quickly, remembering that she wasn’t meant to know anything about the feud between his pack and the Northern Wind pack.

  Quickly, he gave her the details, surprised that she didn’t seem as horrified as he’d expected her to be. He left the part about Dan out, thinking that she’d find out about him soon enough. Dan’s leg was doing so well that Tom expected him to be up walking really soon. He’d introduce him to Savannah then. One thing at a time.

  "That sounds awful," Savannah said, once he finished speaking. "I'm not surprised that you don't trust me, then. I would be the same if I were you."

  “Glad you understand,” he replied, gruffly.

  The heady scent of
pine and water caught his nose, and his bear roared immediately. Being with Savannah made the bear want to be with her bear, despite the circumstances.

  “You feel it too,” Savannah whispered, taking a few steps to the edge of the forest. Her human skin was almost beginning to itch, since she’d been in it for so long, and her bear wanted out to run.

  Tom paused for a moment, wondering if he should take the first step into developing his relationship with Savannah. He couldn’t exactly trust her yet, but the only way to do that was to spend more time with her, wasn’t it? “Want to go for a run?” he asked, with a quick grin.

  Savannah’s eyes widened, surprised at both his question and the smile on his face. He looked so different when he smiled, more open and certainly more handsome. Battling down her attraction, she tilted her head. “Won’t Jo and Nick worry? I don’t want to give a bad impression, especially not on my first day.”

  He grinned even wider. “No, they won’t notice. We won’t be long.”

  Savannah watched as he shifted, knowing that no-one else was around. He was majestic in his alpha skin and her bear practically tore from her skin in an instant. Together, they ran into the woods, just enjoying the feeling of being free.

  CHAPTER 9

  Over the next couple of weeks, Tom began to find himself beginning to enjoy Savannah’s company. Not that he would admit that to either Jo or nick, who still were trying to push him and Savannah together. Jo seemed to be getting along with her too, and Tom could see their friendship already beginning to blossom. Whenever he came into the office, he would always catch Savannah’s eye and give her a smile, or sometimes a wink which always made her blush. He liked that he could have that effect on her and her response always brightened his day.

  Savannah sighed to herself, as she tried to focus on the numbers on the page. Jo had pushed the front door open this morning since it was a hot day, but the things she could smell were driving Savannah up the wall. She couldn't concentrate. There was the smell of oil and grease from the mechanics, mixed with the scent of Tom and the pine from the woods.

  The woods had become something of a refuge for her. It was a time when she could just roam free, enjoying the sunshine or the rain, swimming in the lake or going hunting.

  Ever since the day they’d come back from town, Savannah and Tom had been out in the woods almost every day. It was the best part of her day. She loved being in her bear form with him. Her bear was always happy and content, safe that he could protect her from anything. Even Tom had seemed to mellow, slowly beginning to become a little more playful in his bear. He’d not gone swimming with her yet, though. Maybe they’d do that today.

  Sighing again, Savannah shook her head to herself. She always felt this way, when she shifted back into her human skin - racked with guilt over what she felt for Tom. Lucas would kill her if he knew how attracted she was to him. Whenever she was in her human skin, she would remind herself over and over that she was here to do one job and that was to gain his trust – and Nick and Jo’s too. She’d try and focus on the fact that he was probably responsible for Dan’s death, but that just didn’t seem to work. Despite the fact that Tom was an alpha, it didn’t seem true that he would have deliberately and maliciously helped Jo to kill Dan. There had to be more to the story.

  Doubts were beginning to creep in over what Lucas had told her. She’d wanted to hate Jo but had ended up becoming friends with her. Working in the mechanics had meant that they’d spend most of the working day together, chatting when they could. Sometimes, Jo would bring her a fresh cup of coffee, just the way she liked it. Savannah couldn’t help but like her, even though that was the exact opposite of what she was meant to be feeling.

  Her thoughts were completely interrupted by Tom, who walked in whistling before leaning his arms on the counter, grinning down at her.

  “Going out tonight?” he asked, innocently.

  Savannah looked up at him, her eyes flashing to Jo and back. She knew that Jo was aware that Nick and Tom were shifters, but she didn’t want Jo to know about her. They might be comfortable with it, but she wasn’t.

  Tom shrugged. “She can’t hear us.”

  As if to make his point for him, Jo wandered out of the office, calling back to say she was going to see Nick for a minute, leaving them both alone. Savannah could swear Jo was leaving her and Nick together on purpose. It wasn’t the first time she’d done something like this over the last few days.

  "So," Tom grinned, his dark eyes sparkling with light. "Are you going to go out tonight?"

  Savannah wanted to say no, but her bear wouldn’t let her. If she admitted the truth to herself, she wanted to go and spend time with Tom in the woods. Her bear wanted it too. “Maybe after dinner?” she asked.

  Tom nodded. “Sounds good.”

  “You’ll have to find me,” she murmured, a little coyly.

  He leaned over the counter towards her. “What do you mean?” he asked, quietly.

  She shrugged. “I might be hiding.”

  Heat rushed through Tom as she spoke, catching the mischief in her eyes. She wanted to play? Then that’s exactly what he would do. “You’re not that hard to find, Savannah,” he chuckled. “My nose can find you anywhere.”

  “Is that so?”

  He leaned fractionally closer. “Yes, it is. You have a distinct smell.”

  She looked up at him, with one eyebrow raised. “I hope that isn’t as bad as it sounds.”

  Tom shook his head, his smart response dying in his throat. He was making a mess of this. "No, that's not what I meant." Wishing he could hit his head on the counter, he began to turn away, only for Savannah to grab his hand.

  “Tell me what you meant, then,” she said, laughing. “You’re too easy to wind up, Tom.”

  He flushed, catching her hand before she lifted it away. “And you’re too much of a tease. I get enough of that from my brother!”

  “Don’t change the subject,” Savannah retorted, something exploding in her chest as he grasped her hand. “What’s my ‘distinct smell’?”

  He tilted his head, his eyes running down her hair, over her lips and back up to her eyes. “Jasmine,” he said, eventually. “And honey.” His voice dipped lower and heat burst in Savannah’s belly.

  “I see,” she replied, trying to stay calm and not let him see even a hint of the desire she felt.

  Tom sniffed again, his eyes widening as he caught a slight rise of pheromones. What he was seeing wasn’t a lie, then. Savannah was just as attracted to him as he was to her.

  Stepping away, he let go of her hand and gave her a quick smile. He had to think about this. “Tonight, then,” he promised. “I’ll come find you.”

  “Looking forward to it,” Savannah whispered, as he walked out of the office. Closing her eyes, she slumped over her desk and threw her head in her hands. She’d couldn’t hide her attraction to him. He’d obviously smelled it from her and had reacted immediately. Running away didn’t exactly tell her that he wanted to see where this attraction might lead.

  Tom threw himself back into his work, ignoring the quick thud of his heart. Savannah had shown him more than she'd wanted, that was for sure, but Tom didn't know what to do with that now. He wasn't the kind of man to have a quick fling, but he'd never really considered a future with a long-term mate.

  “A mate?” he said, out loud. “You think Savannah could be your mate?”

  The idea had him sitting back on his haunches, completely confused. The bear seemed utterly delighted that he'd finally realized just how important Savannah was, but Tom just felt confused. He'd never wanted anything more than just a basic friendship with Savannah, but now he was thinking about going to more than that? What was the matter with him?

  “You look confused,” Jo murmured, walking through. “Everything okay, Tom?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t need yours or Nick’s teasing right now, Jo.”

  “That’s exactly the opposite of what I’m going to do,” she replied, terse
ly. “I just wanted to say that if you wanted to talk, then I’m here to listen. Believe me, I know a lot about being confused when it comes to falling for someone.”

  “I’m not falling for her.”

  Jo raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?” she said, softly. “Doesn’t look like that to me.”

  CHAPTER 10

  As much as she told herself she didn’t want to see Tom again, Savannah found herself back in the woods the moment she got out of work. Keeping to her human form, she walked in a little further, sniffing the air. Tom wasn’t here yet, she could catch his scent a mile away, whether she was in her bear or not. There was something about him that was drawing him to her, no matter what form he was in. Her body stretched and groaned as the bear began to grow restless, wanting out of her body, but Savannah refused to change.

  Now that she wasn’t in Lucas’s pack, she was slowly becoming used to being in her human skin more often. Savannah had always thought that only being allowed to change when the pack leader said was just part of being a pack, but now she wasn’t so sure. Was Lucas a good pack leader? Or was there a different way?

  Walking a little further into the woods, Savannah let her fingers trail across the trunk of the trees. To her surprise, she was quite enjoying being in her human form. There was a sensuality about her human form that the bear didn't have. While her bear senses were definitely heightened, there was an awareness of Tom that grew whenever she was in her human skin. It was like she knew he was there, even without seeing him or hearing him. Her skin would prickle, and she'd glance around to see him just walking into the office. It was a little unnerving if she was honest, but she was getting used to it.

  The only problem was that, no matter how hard she tried to get rid of her attraction to Tom, the more it grew. She knew why she was here, and that, in whatever way he chose, Lucas was going to get his revenge. The thought was starting to make her stomach churn. Shaking her head, Savannah walked a little deeper into the trees before finally letting her bear come out.