The Island Of Dragons: A Paranormal Shifter Romance Read online

  The day dragged. Trying to distract myself, I spent several hours teaching the village children ballet and other forms of dance on a wooden outdoor platform reserved for special events and shows. I’d been doing this for a couple of days, keeping the lessons informal and the groups small, and each day, more children had shown up with their moms to see if they could take lessons, too. I was back in my element, teaching dance, and I loved it, though on this day, I had a bit of a difficult time concentrating.

  When I knocked on the heavy wooden door of Warren’s castle at seven, dressed in a red sundress, he answered the door himself. Being that he was chief, I wondered if he might have a servant to get the door or something.

  The moment I saw him, my knees went weak, though I worked hard not to let my facial expression betray my sudden attack of jelly-legs. Dressed in dark dress pants and a white shirt open at the collar, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of his lightly tanned, muscular chest, he looked, as Melissa had described him, smoking, scorching-level hot.

  After ushering me inside, he did a not-very-well-disguised once-over of me, with his breathing seeming to suddenly accelerate just a bit, before speaking. “Hello, Miss Eleanor Christine Elizabeth O’Brien, esquire. I hope you’ve been well, though I’ve heard that you resent having a prisoner guard assigned to you.”

  I nodded, folding my arms across my chest. “You’re damned right about that.”

  “Well, I have to admit I was a little taken aback that a sharp-tongued legal eagle such as yourself was so surprised at the way the justice system works around here.”

  I snorted, blood boiling. “Oh, what justice system? You mean the one that seems to consider people guilty until proven innocent?”

  Before he could respond, a middle-aged woman with glossy black hair shot with a few streaks of gray, came bustling out to the foyer announcing that dinner was ready. We’d met very briefly before, in passing, and I recognized her as Hugh’s wife, Sadie, remembering that he’d mentioned that she and another woman did cooking and cleaning for Warren.

  Warren and I were soon seated at a long, polished wooden table in his very spacious stone-floored dining room, and after serving our dinner, Sadie wished us a good evening and left. Warren sat at the head of the table, of course, and I sat on his left. Just close enough to see his dark hair glinting with the faintest sparks of auburn. The late-day rays of sun slanting in through the windows were revealing this, as were the flames from two tall white taper candles that Sadie had placed on the table.

  While the two of us enjoyed a delicious lobster-tail dinner, our meal was pleasant at first. Warren asked me to tell him all about myself, and I gladly did, hoping to convince him I wasn’t a spy. I told him all about my love of dance, and teaching kids, and I even told him a bit about my family, including what had happened to my parents, which wasn’t easy for me to talk about. I did it anyway, wanting him to get a good feel of my sincerity and who I was as a person.

  We were even getting along so well that after I’d told him some of my hobbies and interests outside of dance. Warren even made me crack a smile when he said with a completely straight face that he was surprised that in all my telling about myself, I hadn’t once mentioned my love of law and my dreams of someday getting into law school and becoming a full-fledged attorney.

  I pointed my little lobster fork at him, actually fighting a chuckle. “You’re hilarious. Maybe you should consider taking some comedy classes and becoming a full-fledged comedian.”

  Fork perched above his lobster, he smiled back, revealing perfectly straight, white teeth. “Lieutenant General Chief Warren James Knight, comedian. I like the sound of that.“

  “That’s the spirit. If you can dream it, you can do it.”

  Things took a bit of a turn a short while later. Thinking that I finally had him convinced that I wasn’t any kind of a covert ops enemy, I casually asked if, when I left after dinner, I should inform Hugh that his services as my prisoner guard weren’t needed anymore. “Or do you want to tell him yourself?”

  Frowning, Warren took his napkin off his lap and placed it on the table. “I won’t be calling off Hugh’s services, and neither will you.”

  I stared at him, hardly daring to believe my ears. “What?”

  “You’re still my prisoner, and until I can trust you in my community fully, I’m going to have you under guard every second of every day. Same as your friend Dalton.”

  Heart racing, I suddenly stood, slamming my napkin on the table. “Like I told you in the hospital, Dalton is not my friend, or my boyfriend, or my anything. I only just met him the night his stupid vibration device thing made me fall over the deck of the cruise ship.

  I’ve barely even spoken to him while we’ve been here in the village together. I’m not a spy, and I’m not any kind of an enemy to you or any of your people. And if you still don’t believe that even after everything I’ve told you tonight, your name shouldn’t be Lieutenant General Chief Warren James Knight, comedian. It should be Lieutenant General Chief Warren James Knight, asshole.”

  With that, I turned heel and began stalking out of his castle, not caring if he chased after me or what his reaction to what I’d said would be. Melody had assured me that there really wasn’t even any kind of a jail facility in the village, so I didn’t have any fear about that anymore. Warren didn’t chase after me, or yell, or do anything. I didn’t even hear him get up from the table.

  Once outside, I strode past Hugh, who was sitting beneath a copse of palms just a short distance from the castle. “I guess you can escort me home now, since I’m still a prisoner, still a person not to be trusted, not even to walk from castle to castle, despite the fact that I just spilled my guts about my life in an attempt to prove I really am who I say I am.”

  Hugh had gotten up and was walking beside me now, though he didn’t respond to me right away. When he did, it was in such a quiet, serious voice that I had to strain my ears to hear him above the noise of the churning, nearby ocean.

  “I’m probably old enough to be your father, Ellie, so let me give you some fatherly advice. Just slow down. Give him time. Chief Knight has experienced some betrayals in his life, both before we all came here to the island and after, that have made him very slow to trust. But eventually, if you’re really not a spy—”

  “I’m not.”

  “Then eventually he’ll come to realize that. Eventually, he will learn to trust you if you are trustworthy. And maybe even sooner than you might think if you’ll just step back a little from trying to force him to trust you and just let it happen naturally.”

  I snorted, stomping across the village walkway. “‘Let it happen naturally’ by continuing to allow myself to be treated like a prisoner?”

  Hugh sighed, looking exasperated in a very fatherly sort of way. “Short answer, yes. But you could also let it happen naturally by not continuing to deny any romantic feelings or attraction that you may have toward Chief Knight.”

  “And what on earth makes you think I have any?”

  Hugh sighed again, looking even more exasperated. “I’m with Melissa. You do ask some dumb questions sometimes, Ellie.”

  I snorted, turning my gaze from Hugh’s face to the stretch of walkway straight ahead. “How kind of you, Hugh. Thanks.”

  “Look. I’m sorry about that. I’ll answer your question. What on earth makes me think that you might have some romantic feelings or attraction to Chief Knight? Well, I could list quite a few different things, but just for starters, Sadie told me that she took a little peek at you two when Chief Knight first let you into the castle this evening, and she said there was so much electricity between you two that she could almost actually see it.”

  “That was probably just static cling from my dress. Melody told me she forgot to use fabric softener on it when she laundered it.”

  “Smart aleck. I’ve got a smart aleck with a smart mouth for a prisoner.”

  “Oh, and by the way, if Sadie took a covert peek at Warren and me when we w
eren’t aware, that actually makes Sadie the only real spy in this village. So, maybe you should go guard her.”

  “Spend more than a couple hours a day with my wife? We love each other dearly, but we’d kill each other. Now, listen. Let me ask you something, Ellie. And I don’t mean to get too personal here, but—”

  “You’re going to anyway.”

  “I guess I am. So, let me ask you a question, and it’s this. Have you ever been betrayed in your life as Chief Knight has been? Has anyone ever let you down? And by anyone, I mean a friend, a family member, or whoever... but particularly a man you’ve been involved with. Has any man you’ve ever cared about ever let you down or betrayed you?”

  I almost laughed out loud.

  “Only all of them. Only every boyfriend I’ve ever had. I seem to be great at attracting men, but not good ones. Not quality men. Just men who cheat on me or disappoint me or let me down in various other ways. I’ve never had a boyfriend I could completely trust, and because of that, I don’t think I’ve ever really been able to love anyone fully.

  And in fact, even though it was a while ago now, I’m kind of still getting over the disappointment of my last failed relationship, even though I don’t really miss my ex-boyfriend himself, if that makes any sense.”

  Hugh nodded, seeming to be deep in thought. “It does. Now, let me ask you another question. Do you think it maybe your past disappointments in relationships, more than anything else, more than Chief Knight holding you as a prisoner, that’s making you deny anything you might feel for him and view him as your enemy?

  Because maybe subconsciously, you think he might be a good man, but you’re scared that once again, he might not turn out to be that quality man you’ve been looking for?”

  With my steps on the flagstones slowing, I didn’t answer right away, thinking. “That was two questions, Hugh.”

  “Well, so it was. At any rate, I hope I’ve given you some food for thought.”

  He certainly had, though I wasn’t completely convinced that his thinking was on the right track. No matter what disappointments I’d experienced in the past, my issue with Warren was just what I’d been saying it was all along. My issue with him was that he was holding me as a prisoner, despite the fact that I was innocent of what he suspected me of, and despite the fact that everyone else in the village seemed to believe me. At least, that’s what I kept telling myself was my issue.

  As the sun sank low in a peachy-pink sky, Hugh and I walked the rest of the way back to my castle in silence. To our left, on the beach, a group of women and at least a dozen children were enjoying a clambake and a game of volleyball. Some of the kids and women waved at me, and I waved back, trying to force a smile.

  Once we arrived at my castle, Hugh broke our silence with more quiet, serious words. “I think you and Chief Knight may have the same sort of problem, Ellie. With that problem being a little difficulty with trust. Just think it over. Goodnight.”

  I mumbled goodnight and let myself into my castle, knowing that he’d be right outside, circling around the perimeter, until midnight. Which, of course, was completely pointless.

  I went to bed early, around nine, but I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking about how over dinner, I’d forgotten to thank Warren for pulling me from the ocean, saving my life, the night I’d arrived on the island. Like I’d told Melody, I was truly thankful to him for that, and I had really been intending to tell him. But at the same time, despite that, and despite my chat with Hugh, I was still very angry at Warren for still not “clearing” me as a spy, even after I’d basically told him my whole life’s story over dinner.

  After about an hour of tossing and turning, I got out of bed and sent him a text, which read: I meant to tell you tonight that I’m grateful to you for saving me from drowning. Thank you. But I’m also still angry with you, and I’m not apologizing for what I said earlier. I still think your new full name should be Lieutenant General Chief Warren James Knight, asshole.

  Very soon, I received his response. You’re welcome for saving you from drowning, and as far as your name-calling, sticks and stones, Miss Eleanor Christine Elizabeth O’Brien, esquire. Sticks and stones.

  Before I could think better of it, I sent him another text, which said: Hugh told me that you’ve experienced some betrayals in the past that make it hard for you to trust people, so I’m trying to force myself to cut you some slack on the whole you holding me prisoner thing, but you make it very, very difficult.

  Warren responded: Hugh talks too much sometimes.

  I answered: Does he?

  Within a minute, Warren texted me back. Yes. As a matter of fact, he actually told me that you threatened to “kick my scaly dragon ass” several days ago. Which now, after becoming better acquainted with your extremely ladylike mouth (sarcasm), I can hardly believe it’s true that you really said that (sarcasm).

  I responded: Don’t you have a lake to fill with rocks or something?

  A minute or two later, I received his response. Goodnight, Miss Eleanor Christine Elizabeth O’Brien, esquire. I’ll speak to you again soon.

  After a brief hesitation spent deciding what to text back, I ended up sending just a single word: Goodnight.

  I was only able to finally fall asleep a long while later, and I immediately began dreaming about verbally fighting with Warren, yelling at him that I wasn’t a spy. Presently, the dream changed. I began dreaming about Warren running his large, long-fingered hands all over my bare skin.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The following day, Warren had once again taken most of his men to the lake to try to resolve whatever problems were going on there. I told Hugh I wanted to go see the lake myself, but he said no way, that was absolutely not happening.

  “At least, I won’t let you see the lake up close, or get anywhere near it. But if you still want to see it, I’ll take you up the Great Hill, and maybe you can catch a glimpse from afar.”

  The Great Hill was just what it sounded like. It was a tall earthen mound in the jungle, just to the north of the village. I’d seen it, of course, because it could be seen from almost everywhere in the village, but I hadn’t actually visited it in person yet, and I was excited to take a hike to the top.

  It turned out to be a bit more of an arduous hike than I’d imagined it would be. I’d imagined myself admiring all the different tropical flowers and shrubs dotting the hill on my way up, but after maybe five minutes of hiking up the incredibly steep hill, I was so winded I could barely catch my breath, let alone sniff a flower.

  Hugh, who had a bad knee, and I took frequent breaks, and eventually, we made it to the top of the high hill. And immediately, what I saw took my breath away. Or, took it away more than it was already gone.

  From the hill, I could see what appeared to be an endless stretch of jungle, with a single clearing maybe a couple of miles away. In this clearing, I could see some sort of crater that resembled an empty lakebed, and around this empty lakebed were dozens of tiny shapes I recognized as dragons. Despite the fact that this wasn’t my first time seeing dragon shifters, the sight still struck me as unbelievably shocking.

  Hugh extended a hand, pointing at one of the dragons in the distance. “See that dark gray one? That one’s Chief Knight. He’s the biggest and the strongest of us dragons, without a doubt.”

  I let that sink in briefly before changing the subject, asking Hugh various questions about shifters.

  After a while of watching Warren and his men working at the lake, rolling massive boulders into it from what it looked like, I told Hugh I was ready to go.

  He said okay, nodding. “Want a ride down on my back? I can shift into dragon form if you want.”

  I stared at him, incredulous, wondering why he hadn’t given me a ride up.

  He cracked a slight grin, a very rare expression for him. “I’m a shifter, too, you know. Remember? All men in our village are.”

  “Well, then, why didn’t you fly us both up here?”

  He shrugged. “Even
shifters need exercise in human form. But I think the hike up here was plenty for me for today.”

  Soon, after I’d given him enough room, Hugh shifted into dragon form, and I climbed on his scaly green back.

  That afternoon, after I’d located some piano music and a portable CD player, I spent several hours teaching dance classes outdoors on the wide, wooden platform. Halfway through the last lesson, while I taught the kids how to do plies using the platform railing as a barre. I caught a glimpse of an enormous dark gray dragon flying high overhead.

  Some of the littlest kids clapped and pointed, saying “Chief Knight!” but I tried to just ignore him. I didn’t want him to think I was as impressed with him as many of the kids seemed to be. After a minute or so of slow circling, seeming to be checking that everything in the village was okay, he began flying north, breathing a thin stream of fire, and faded from view.

  ***

  The following day, after the last lesson of the afternoon, a few little girls asked me if I would dance on pointe shoes for them, or as they called them, “toe shoes.” I hated to disappoint them, but I already knew there wasn’t a single pair of pointe shoes anywhere in the village. There weren’t even any ballet slippers for the kids to wear.

  I put on a little dance show for the girls anyway, catching sight of a dark dragon overhead as they cheered and clapped for me. This time, they didn’t even notice Warren, and I smiled, thinking that my dance skills couldn’t be too rusty if I’d managed to steal the limelight from a dragon chief.

  Once all the kids had been picked up by their moms, I sat on the platform drinking a bottle of water while Hugh sat beneath a tall palm a short distance away, thumbing through a paperback. It had become crystal clear that least he didn’t have even the slightest of suspicions that I was a spy anymore.

  While I continued sipping my water, enjoying a warm, salt-scented tropical breeze, Melissa joined me up on the platform. We’d made plans to meet up after my last class to take a run along the beach together.