The Dragon Defender's Destiny: A Wishing Moon Bay Shifter Romance (Dragon Protectors of Wishing Moon Bay Book 1) Read online

  “Can I look?”

  “I have it on my phone.” She dug her hand in the pocket of her robe, which was covered in pretty flowers. It looked too summery, too bright and light to conceal bruises from an attack. Natalie placed the phone down on the counter and pressed play on a video.

  The screen showed the hotel office, the camera angle took in the doorway, a desk, and a safe. Luna stared at the image for a few moments, nothing moved. She didn’t shift her gaze as she waited.

  Natalie looked away as the door opened and a man stepped inside, immediately closing the door behind him. He stood still, scanning the office before he went around the desk to the safe. Hunkering down, he carefully turned the dial, right and then left. With his ear pressed against the safe door, he seemed to be listening for the clicks as the tumblers fell into place.

  He looked up suddenly as the safe door opened. Luna tapped the screen and leaned closer. “His eyes.”

  “They’re orange,” Natalie whispered. “Like flames. Like the devil.”

  “I don’t think the devil hurt you, Natalie.” She tapped the screen and let the rest of the video play.

  “Then who was it?”

  “I think you were attacked by a dragon shifter.” Luna’s temper flared as the man attacked Natalie. She was going to find this jerk and nail his balls to the wall.

  Chapter Two – Egan

  Egan stood outside the farmhouse he shared with his mom and looked up at the clear blue sky. After days of meetings with the council, he planned to take a well-earned break.

  Politics were really not his thing. The shadow of disappointment followed him as he walked down the trail to the road. When Argothorn, Dragon Lord of Cairnnor, was deposed, Egan had hoped to follow in his father’s footsteps and become part of a new beginning for the dragons who had been ruled by a tyrant for too long.

  A rule that had cost his father his life.

  But sitting in the council chambers, as ornate and historical as they were, was not for him. Talking for endless hours about the laws and rules was not for him. It stifled him, even though he saw the necessity.

  Egan reached the road, his dragon shifter senses telling him he was not about to get run over by a truck.

  He closed his eyes and let go of the world around him. In an instant, his dragon appeared in his place and crouched down before leaping into the air.

  With no thought besides the air beneath his wings and the sun on his back, he banked left and headed toward the coast of Cairnnor. His wings strained as he flew hard, his dragon’s breath labored as they powered through the air.

  Below, the familiar dragon isle passed by in a blur. Only when Egan reached the beach that encircled the island did he slow. All his life, this had been the edge of his world. Argothorn, Egan’s uncle, had forbidden any dragon from leaving Cairnnor and they had all been bound by this law.

  But now the laws had changed.

  Swooping down, he skimmed across the ocean, his wingtips dipping in the water and flicking up droplets that glittered in the sun like rare jewels.

  On he flew across the endless blue. He wasn’t going to Wishing Moon Bay, he didn’t want company today, even though he liked being around Ivan and his family. Today he wanted peace, time to think, time to plan his life. He wanted to be a part of the change coming to his people, but he didn’t want to be part of the council.

  His dragon chuckled. We might never have been voted onto the council anyway.

  True. But since many people still remember our father with fondness, there’s a chance they might have voted for us.

  And we would have accepted the job. And been miserable. His dragon spoke the truth, which they had learned over the last few days.

  Let’s forget about it all and enjoy our freedom. If only for one day. The world will still be the same when we return. Egan let go of the tension building in his head and focused on his dragon’s flight. Soaring above the ocean, they headed toward a distant mountain range that bordered one side of Wishing Moon Bay.

  They planned to skirt the town and keep out of sight by flying close to the ocean. The shimmer of the sun on the water should obscure them. Not that he was hiding. Not really. But dragon shifters were not a common sight outside of Cairnnor and he didn’t want to draw unwanted attention.

  Soon more people will want to come and go from Cairnnor just as other people come and go from their towns and cities. Even the fae are free to leave their realms when they want. His dragon flew on, the mountains bigger now as they neared the cliffs that fell away to the beach below.

  He’d chosen this as the place to reach land since the cliffs were mostly inaccessible. Only the fittest of shifters with a strong desire to reach the pinnacle would travel here. The chances of that happening just as a dragon passed over were slim.

  Even so, Egan pushed his senses to their limit while he checked for any other shifters.

  There were none. The nearest shifter was a mile or so away. Then there were a few shifters clustered together close to a high peak another half-mile away.

  And there was something else.

  His dragon left the ocean behind and angled his body upwards as he climbed the steep side of the cliff and crested the top. Something was drawing them toward it like a beacon.

  We should take care, Egan warned his dragon. We don’t know enough about this world yet. It could be a trap.

  There were plenty of stories about how the people outside of Cairnnor could not be trusted. It had helped feed Argothorn’s paranoia, which he’d passed on to his people as he attempted to control them.

  Do you think it might be a witch? Perhaps even a fae casting a spell to lure in dragons? His dragon bristled at the thought of being caught and captured. But still, he flew toward it. Then let’s go deal with the threat.

  The closer they got, the stronger the pull. It was as if they were being lured by the sirens who lived across the ocean in the other direction to Wishing Moon Bay. Egan had heard stories of dragons lured to their doom after diving deep under the water as they chased the siren’s song.

  But those stories might also be untrue, made up by a dragon lord who did not deserve the power he held over his people.

  It would take years to unpack all the lies the dragon shifters had been told and reveal the truth.

  However, whatever called to Egan, it was not a song. This was something else. Something that called to his very soul and refused to let go.

  They were close now. Too much closer and they might be seen. However, Egan didn’t want to stop. His dragon didn’t want to land on the ground and waste time completing their trip on two feet.

  A building came into view, huddled in a valley, sheltered from the worst of the weather that would rain down on the peak.

  This was it. This was where the shifters were, along with a couple of dozen other people. Were they grouped together, chanting a spell to ensnare a dragon?

  No, his dragon said. It’s just one person.

  One person casting a spell? Egan asked.

  One person who calls to our soul, his dragon replied.

  Our mate. As Egan thought the word, his dragon dropped heavily to the ground.

  The dragon stood with his head between his legs for a moment as he tried to comprehend what was happening. After so long without a mate, Egan had come to terms with the fact that the dream might never come true.

  But now she was here. So close they could sense her.

  We need to go to her. His dragon let go of the world and Egan set off at a run as soon as his human feet touched the ground. Pace yourself.

  Egan inhaled deeply and steadied his breath as he slowed down to a jog. He didn’t want to meet his mate for the first time looking like a sweaty mess.

  He swallowed the lump of emotion that formed in his throat as he savored the word. Mate.

  How was this happening? Had she been in Wishing Moon Bay this whole time while he was across the ocean, bound to Cairnnor by a crazed dragon lord?

  If he’d come here s
ooner, he would have met her sooner and by now they’d have raised a brood of kids. Maybe even grandkids.

  Hey, you’re not that old, his dragon told him. And anyway, fate decides when the time’s right.

  I’m not so sure I’m ready to let Argothorn off the hook just yet, Egan replied.

  He half-skidded, half-jumped down a steep trail that led to another trail that seemed to lead to the building. As he drew closer, he slowed to a walk and dusted off his clothes.

  Egan groaned. If he’d known he was going to meet his mate, he’d have dressed in nicer clothes. Instead, he was going to introduce himself clothed in work-worn jeans and a leather jacket that fit him like a second skin.

  It’s a hotel, Egan said as they reached the parking lot and read the sign. That explains all the people.

  He stopped and pushed his senses out, trying to pinpoint his mate’s location. She was around the back of the building. Egan scanned the hotel, a low wood-clad building with big windows that looked out over the valley below.

  Not wanting to go in through the main reception door and draw too much attention to himself, he strode across the parking lot toward the rear of the hotel. Surely there was a different entrance used by the hotel staff and tradespeople. A hotel of this size must get frequent deliveries and that would give him a way in.

  Smoothing down his hair, he wiped his forehead. Was he sweating from the exertion of running or was this a cold sweat of fear? Egan could no longer tell. He was both numb and fighting a sensory overload. Was this normal?

  Rounding the corner of the building, he walked past a couple of large trash dumpsters and followed a paved pathway that led to a double doorway. He kept walking, drawn to his mate who was so close he could reach out and touch her.

  If she were here.

  Egan stopped and looked around. There was a window to his right. That’s where she was. If he kept going, he’d go too far.

  But he had to get inside the building. He wasn’t climbing through the window.

  Yet moving past the spot where he stood was almost impossible, as if his feet had been buried in concrete.

  Damn. He forced himself to lift one foot and then the other. To stop himself from overbalancing, he reached out and placed his hand on the hotel wall.

  Movement caught his eye. He glanced up at the window and locked eyes with a woman. His woman. His mate was staring right at him.

  Heat crept across his skin and his eyes filled with hunger and need. In return, her eyes widened.

  In recognition?

  He reeled backward as she darted back, running away from him.

  Egan blinked as he fought to control his desire to dive headfirst through the window and pursue her.

  We’ve frightened her off, his dragon said. How?

  Before he had a chance to react, the door in front of him was flung open and a woman dressed in a uniform ran at him, her head down as she powered toward him.

  “Freeze,” she called out.

  As if he was going anywhere.

  Egan opened his mouth to speak but the sudden realization that his mate was not slowing down made him clamp his mouth shut. He raised his hands to stop her from plowing into him. She might be tough, but he was strong, and his muscles and bone would hurt her if she ran into him.

  He stepped back but didn’t take his eyes off her.

  “I said, freeze.” She grabbed his hand and wound his arm behind his back.

  The world tipped sideways as he tripped over her feet. As they twisted around each other, he wrapped his arm around her waist and angled his body to break her fall.

  They crashed to the ground, his mate landing heavily on his chest. Instantly, she placed her hands on his upper body and levered herself off him. At least she attempted to, but his arm was coiled around her waist.

  “Let go of me,” she ground out.

  But as he looked into her eyes, he knew that would never happen. Not now. Not ever.

  Chapter Three – Luna

  “Take your hands off me unless you want me to arrest you for assault.” As she looked into the dark brooding features of the man pinning her against his body, she was immediately aware that this was not the man on Natalie’s camera.

  She was also immediately aware of her attraction to him. His arms were strong as they held her against him, in a lover’s firm embrace.

  She closed her eyes and chastised herself. This was not her lover. She had not consented to be manhandled by him.

  “I’m sorry.” He slowly eased his hold, and she placed her hand on his chest as she wriggled free. His heart beat so hard she could feel it reverberating across her palm and up her arm. Her heart matched the same rhythm, as if they were uniquely in tune with each other.

  Luna’s legs wobbled as she straightened up, but she blamed that on the shock of the fall, refusing to admit that a man could have this kind of effect on her.

  Even a man with broad shoulders and a well-toned body, with an expression that made her feel as if she were the most important person in the world.

  “Okay.” She pulled her notebook out of the breast pocket of her jacket. “Name?”

  “Why do you need my name?” His brows furrowed as he studied her.

  “Because there’s been a crime and I am taking witness statements,” she replied bluntly.

  “I wasn’t a witness to any crime,” he insisted.

  Except stealing her heart. She winced inwardly. The day was not going as planned.

  “You’re in the vicinity,” Luna carried on. And you have glowing amber eyes. She kept the last sentence to herself.

  “It’s a crime to be in the same place as a crime was committed?” he asked.

  “You’re not from around here.” She flipped open her notebook.

  “No.” He glanced behind him as if looking far into the distance.

  “You’re from the dragon isle.” She’d heard that things were changing over the ocean, and they could expect more dragon shifters to visit from there in the coming months. Luna just never expected to run into one today.

  Or was that two? Perhaps the suspect on the video was from the dragon isle, too.

  If this was how they behaved, Chief Armstrong was going to need more recruits.

  “I am. I was flying over the mountains...” His voice trailed off as he looked directly at her.

  Her stomach flipped and heat flared across her skin. Why did he look at her like that? It was as if he wanted to devour her.

  “And...” She wasn’t going to let his effect on her prevent her from doing her job.

  “And I got hungry.” He shifted his gaze. He was lying.

  “And you didn’t think to use the main entrance into the hotel?” She pointed back the way he’d come.

  “No,” he answered lamely.

  “Right.” She beckoned him to follow her as she turned her back on him. “Well, let’s go grab a cup of coffee and something to eat. Then you can help me with my inquiries.”

  She thought he might argue or try to leave, but he followed meekly behind her. If a man this size could ever be called meek.

  Luna reached for the door leading into the back of the hotel, but the guy leaped in front of her. For a moment, she froze but all he did was pull the door open and stand back so she could enter first.

  The guy had manners. Old-fashioned manners, but manners all the same.

  In a world where Luna fought for equality, she didn’t know whether to tell him it wasn’t necessary or thank him. “Thank you.” She smiled and nodded her head. Her mom always told her it cost nothing to be polite.

  “You’re welcome.” His mouth twitched up at the corners and he looked satisfied with himself. It was kind of endearing.

  “The kitchen is this way.” She inclined her head and he followed her along the corridor. She needn’t have told him where the kitchen was, the smell of fresh coffee and bacon wafted along the corridor. It was a trail even the worst hunter could follow.

  She pushed open the kitchen door and caught th
e eye of one of the servers. “Hi, could we grab a couple of plates of bacon and eggs and some coffee?”

  “Sure.” The server eyed her uniform.

  “Actually, make that three plates.” She nodded at the guy. “We’ll eat with Natalie.”

  The server looked relieved as he went off to get their food. Natalie’s desire for privacy for their guests was ingrained in her staff. This might make questioning them difficult. Which was why she was so interested in the dragon shifter by her side.

  He had no connection to the hotel and yet here he was. He might not have witnessed the crime, but he was a dragon shifter from the dragon isle, and he might be able to recognize the guy on the video.

  “Here. Two trays.” The server placed the trays down on the counter. “How is Natalie?”

  “She’s okay.” Luna was unsure how much the rest of the staff knew. Had Wendy been discreet about the attack? If this was to stay a secret, the fewer people knew the better.

  And here she was about to reveal the details to a complete stranger.

  “I’ll carry them.” The guy grabbed a tray in each hand, but she reached out to stop him. Her hand brushed against his and she jerked backward as if he’d shocked her.

  Was that a dragon shifter thing? Would Natalie have received the same shock?

  Luna opened her mouth to ask him as the trays rattled back onto the counter. He’d felt it, too.

  “Ah, really?” She ran her hand through her hair and rounded on him, her hands on her hips.

  “You felt it, too?” He looked happy, relieved even.

  She’d seen and heard enough about shifters and the effect they had on their mates and vice versa to know what just happened.

  It also explained the reason he was here at the hotel. He hadn’t come here because he was hungry. At least not hungry for food.

  But hungry for love.

  “This is really not a good time,” she hissed. “I am in the middle of an investigation.”

  “I can help you.” He reached for the trays, and she let him take them both since she was unsure if she could carry one of them without dropping it. Her hands shook as she stuffed her notebook back in her pocket.