Tempting The Dragon

Ladling a little bit of everything on her plate, she tried to spot Amber and Opal’s latest concoction. Since she couldn’t, she knew she’d find out once she started to eat.

The desserts had been placed on a side table. There were the usual cakes and pies, and a beautiful peach cobbler. Jade knew which one she’d be having. That is, as long as her mother and grandmother hadn’t made it. Unfortunately, without tasting it, there was no way to tell.

Taking a seat next to her aunt Agate since it was the only one available, Jade hoped the overwhelming scent wouldn’t ruin her taste buds, and dug in. Every single morsel she put in her mouth tasted delicious. Which meant, she realized after she’d cleaned her plate, that one of the desserts would be awful. But which one?

She caught Aunt Agate’s eye, aware she—and just about everyone else in the room—was thinking the exact same thing.

A few people had already gingerly approached the dessert table, selecting two or three things to be on the safe side. Jade did the same, helping herself to a slice of chocolate cake and the peach cobbler. Praying neither of her choices would be the one, she took her seat and dug in. The chocolate cake tasted moist, with just the right amount of airy sweetness.

She polished that off and turned her attention to the cobbler. Just looking at the peach slices swimming in a syrupy glaze and the perfectly browned mixture of crumble made her mouth water. Someone should have taken a photograph of the entire thing when it had been undisturbed. Surely, this couldn’t be the dessert item Amber and Opal had managed to ruin, could it?

Jade glanced up to find Aunt Agate watching her, spoon poised over her own mound of cobbler.

“You first,” her aunt said, grinning.

Taking a deep breath, Jade plunged her spoon down, scooping up a good-size bite. It appeared juicy and moist, and the fragrant steam whet Jade’s appetite. She swallowed, then shoved her entire spoonful into her mouth.

Her taste buds exploded with flavor. Slowly chewing, she let out her breath and swallowed. “It’s good,” she began, letting her relief show in her voice. “I’m not sure who made it, but neither Mom nor Grandma was the cook.”

As she reached for another bite, her tongue began to burn. Eyeing her aunt, who was happily tucking in to her own helping of cobbler, Jade tried to blurt out a warning. Instead, she only managed a croak.

Chapter 3

Tears filling her eyes, Jade grabbed her water glass and began chugging, too late to help Aunt Agate, who had just begun to feel the burn. What the heck had they put into that thing—peppers?

One glass of water wasn’t even close to enough. Jade jumped up, sprinting for the table where plastic cups had been stacked near water pitchers and ice. She filled two glasses, drinking one down and refilling it, before carrying them back to the table. Handing one to her aunt, she watched while the older woman drained hers before giving her the second.

“Oh, my,” Aunt Agate finally gasped. “Guess we know who made that, after all.”

All around the room, people were digging into the gorgeous cobbler. “It seems we never learn,” Jade commented, her voice as dry as her still-burning throat. All around her, people gasped, reaching for their water glasses and shooting murderous looks at the oblivious pair of cooks, who continued to eat and chat happily.

Finally, Jade figured everyone had eaten—and suffered—enough. Taking a deep breath, she tapped her fork on her water glass for attention. “As I’m sure most of you know,” she began, well aware how fast gossip traveled in this town, “a photojournalist is here asking questions about Libby.”

Her mother and her aunt exchanged knowing looks. “The handsome stranger,” Amber put in. “And I could tell by the way he looked at you that he found you attractive, as well.”

Both Pearl and Sapphire glowered at her. Several of the other relatives whispered behind their hands to one another, which reminded Jade her lack of a man in her life had been a topic of conversation for quite some time.

She used to find the pointed comments hurtful. These days, she simply ignored them.

Jade managed to shrug. “I don’t know about that, but we’re not here to discuss my love life.” Or lack of, she amended silently. “I need direction as to what to do about Libby. If he finds out about her and does a story, we can say goodbye to our privacy and hello to a wave of tourists.”

Another standing argument in both town and her family. People were equally divided. Some wanted to capitalize on the monster in their midst, while others insisted on leaving things the way they’d been for centuries.

“That old debate again?” Jade’s uncle Jack, Auntie Em’s husband, huffed. “Why do you want to go and ruin a perfectly good family get-together with that nonsense?”

“Yeah,” her cousin Coral, who hated her name, seconded. “Can you just finish up whatever you have to say so we can go?”

“This is important, everyone. A photojournalist is asking about Libby. I need to know what, if anything, to tell him.”

This time, her grandmother spoke. When Opal addressed the family in her matriarchal voice, everyone paid attention. “In all my years of taking care of Libby, not once did word about her existence leak beyond this town.”

The accusation seemed clear, at least to Jade. In fact, everyone in the room swung their heads around to stare right back at her, accusation in their expressions.

As if she’d already failed.

And it didn’t matter that she’d never asked for this job. It had been expected of her from the moment she’d been born.

The last thing Jade had ever wanted was to be put in charge of taking care of Forestwood’s resident lake beast. Libby had resided in the cool, deep depths for as long as anyone could remember, and the Burnett family had always been her caretakers. Libby personally chose whom she wanted and when. Since Jade’s mother, Amber, was still young and vibrant, Jade had figured she’d had at least ten more years before being asked to take on the task.

Thus when Libby gave her approval for Amber to retire from her duty and pass the chore down, Jade had been completely unprepared. Worse, Amber had said nothing other than a terse “Good luck.” Evidently, training wasn’t one of the perks of the job.

Jade had been caretaker since she’d turned twenty, nine years now. In the beginning, she’d often resented that fact. These days, she felt more comfortable, more at ease with her role, which mostly consisted of being Libby’s friend. Maybe in the beginning, when Libby had first come to Forestwood, the role had been one of a protector, Jade wasn’t sure. Every decision, even those made by the Burnett family in a family meeting, had to be run by Libby before being implemented. In truth, Jade privately thought the family meetings were all for show. And an excuse to get together and eat.

“I’m doing the best I can,” she muttered to herself through clenched teeth, while she tried to figure out what to say. “I think I’ve done well considering my age when I assumed the role of Guardian.”

Unfortunately, Opal’s hearing was the one thing that hadn’t declined with age. “Life is not fair, honey,” Opal drawled. “And since Libby specifically requested you, there wasn’t much choice in the matter.”

Ever since the first time Jade had heard Opal make that statement, she’d grit her teeth and wondered how anyone had actually known what Libby wanted. In the prior years when Jade had accompanied Amber to take care of Libby, not once had Libby—whether in human form or not—ever said two words to her. Not once. Jade had begun to sincerely doubt she could talk. Of course the minute Jade had stepped into her mother’s role, all that had changed. She and Libby had sat down several times and shared a meal and chatted. These days, Jade felt as if she and Libby could easily become close friends.

Once, the knowledge that Libby had requested her had filled her with resentment. Now, she felt a little glow of pleasure.

Belatedly, she realized everyone was staring at her, waiting for a response.

Jade dipped her chin at Opal to show she understood. “That may be,” she continued, addressing the entire family. “But the fact is, someone did talk to an outsider. Word traveled, far enough to attract that photojournalist’s attention.”

“Then deal with it,” her mother said tiredly. “Distract him. You’re pretty enough. Pretend to be helpful. You know as well as I do that Libby stays deep when a stranger comes around. That journalist will learn nothing, unless you tell him. And I know you won’t do something that foolish.”

And there she had her answer. She wondered why part of her had hoped...what? That they’d let their secret finally out in the open, for the rest of the world to marvel at and share? Or at least the shape-shifter world. Humans could never know.

“Are we finished?” cousin Coral demanded, sidestepping closer to the food table. “Because if we are, I’d sure like to eat my dessert.”

Jade glanced at her grandmother, who dipped her head yes. Then at her mother, who did the same, except with a smile. “Then I guess we’re done.”

The instant the words left her mouth, chairs scraped on the wooden floor as they all rushed, en masse, toward the bathrooms. All except Coral and a few others who clearly hadn’t yet tried the peach cobbler. Watching as they approached the dessert tables, Jade considered warning them, then decided not to. She snagged another slice of the chocolate cake and carried it out of the room, across the yard and into the main house. There, she took a seat at the kitchen bar and ate it slowly, needing to wash the taste of the cobbler out of her mouth. She had to plan a strategy. From what she could tell of the handsome photographer, he wouldn’t be easily distracted or put off.

“Are you about ready?” Amber asked as she entered the kitchen. “We’ve got a full moon. It should be a perfect night for hunting.”

The shape-shifting wolves were called Pack for a reason. There was nothing they loved more than changing into their lupine selves and hunting together. When a younger Jade had shown signs of reticence, preferring privacy over too much family togetherness, her mother had told her, “A solitary wolf is a lonely wolf.” As far as Jade had been concerned, a little loneliness could be a good thing.

These days, Jade relished her family hunting times. Sometimes, family meetings were called just so everyone could change and hunt together after.

“Of course.” Blotting her mouth with a paper napkin, Jade carried her paper plate over to the trash bin. “It’s been a while since I’ve changed.”

“Then this hunt will do you good.” Patting her arm, Amber wandered out toward the dining room to gather up any stragglers. Though technically, Grandpa Sam had been designated Pack leader years ago, his worsening dementia had made him unable to even attend the family hunts. Now, Jade’s grandmother, Opal, led.

The woods in back of Burnett House stretched back several acres and the boundaries had been clearly marked on certain trees. Behind that, lay forest preserve, protected from hunters. A bounty of wildlife thrived there, and the Burnett Pack did their part to keep rabbits, squirrels, foxes and other smaller mammals from overpopulating.

Already the family had begun gathering on the back lawn, talking excitedly. With their full bellies, not too much hunting would likely take place tonight, but there were always a few who so loved the thrill of the hunt they attempted to do a sort of catch and release. Of course, once most shifters gave over to their animal side, the term catch and release lost all meaning.

Jade joined her aunt Agate and Coral. A second later, Sapphire and Pearl joined them. The twins seemed especially keyed up tonight, judging from their flushed faces.

“How long has it been since you changed?” Jade asked them, concerned.

Both girls giggled, but neither answered. Jade let it drop, since they were about to rectify the problem any moment now. Still, she resolved to have a chat with the teens later and reiterate the dangers of remaining human too long. Shifters who neglected their need to shape-shift often went insane or became ill. She didn’t want anything like that to happen to her baby sisters.

The hum of voices quieted as Opal appeared on the back patio, followed closely by Amber. She led the way through the crowd, and they all followed her, their eagerness palpable.

An unpaved winding path led into the forest. Autumn’s fallen leaves provided a colorful carpet beneath their feet. The evening breeze fell off here, muted by the shield of the ancient trees. This was as sacred and holy a place as Jade had ever been.

In the deepest part of their land, they passed the large maple tree that marked the edge of the preserve. Here, the family fanned out. Each, whether individually or as a small group, had their favorite spot they liked to go to shed and store their human clothing before initiating the change into wolf.

Ever since she’d first shifted, Jade had claimed a little glade rimmed by sumac and pine trees that had been mere saplings all those years ago.

Slipping into her own private leafy enclosure, Jade quickly undressed, placing everything into a weatherproof plastic box she kept chained to a rock. And then, with the scent of the damp earth surrounding her, she dropped to the ground and began the change.

Some shifters rushed this, anxious for the change to wolf to be over. There were a few who claimed they found it excruciatingly painful, but the vast majority took pleasure in the act. Jade liked to take her time, enjoying the feeling of her bones lengthening and changing, her body going from human woman to female wolf. Each time, she treated this act with reverence, like the miracle she considered it to be.

Finally, she blinked to clear away the sparkling pricks of light that always accompanied the shape-shifting. Wolf now, she used her nose before her eyes, sniffing the air and recognizing the individual scents of her family.

Bounding from her clearing, she greeted them with play bows. And they were off. Running, tumbling, stretching out their lupine forms until they were more used to being in this shape.

This—wild and free—was when Jade felt happiest. The damp leaves under her paws, catching the tantalizing scents of rabbit and fox, the feel of her powerful muscles under her fur as she ran.

Often, the Burnett clan would stay out all night, only changing back to human as dawn neared. Sometimes the elders, tiring easy, would leave early, but often they, too, reveled in the freedom from human aches and pains.

This night, Jade took the opportunity to make sure when she returned home as human she’d be exhausted. She hunted, but killed nothing, enjoying the sport. She played and rolled, teased and ran. And finally, as the sky began to lighten, she returned to her little grotto and began the change back to human.

Then, aroused as she always was, the way all shifters were when they changed back to human she found herself longing for a certain man. Rance. Glad her fatigue kept her from thinking too much, she dressed and began the long trek home. Ahead, she saw a few others doing the same thing.

Once she reached the house, she headed upstairs to her room and slid into bed. Closing her eyes, she fell into what she hoped would be a deep, dreamless sleep.

Of course, the next morning she slept in. Bright yellow sunlight streamed in through her bedroom window. Immediately, she knew she’d dreamed of him again. Rance. Sensual dreams, the kind she’d never had until recently. Rance. The man she’d craved when she’d returned to her human form. From the instant she first opened her eyes, she could see his face. They wanted her to distract him, but she needed to be careful. Nervous with anticipation, she put extra care into her appearance, styling her long silver hair into a mass of curls and applying eyeliner and mascara as well as powder and blush. And gloss. As she smoothed that over her mouth, she couldn’t help but imagine Rance tasting her lips, lingering over the slightly sweet flavor.

The instant the thought occurred to her, she blushed. All over. Glad no one else was around to notice, she reminded herself she needed to distract him, nothing more.

Pearl and Sapph came running into her room, both talking excitedly at the same time. “He’s here. Or not here yet, but walking up the street toward the house. He’s got a camera with a huge lens and he’s taking pictures of everything. I saw him...”

“No,” Sapph interrupted, grinning. “I saw him first. So I get dibs.”

Dibs?

“No one gets anything,” Jade reminded them, keeping her voice stern while she hid a smile. “He’s too old for you both, anyway.”

“Staking a claim?” Amber lounged in the doorway, her gaze sharp, her expression interested.

“I’m the distraction, remember?” Jade summoned up a sweet smile. “Unless you want to do it?”

Amber laughed, the sound deep and throaty. “Don’t tempt me. That man is easy on the eyes.”

This made Jade snort.

“Ewww.” Pearl said, grimacing. “Mommmm. Don’t be a cougar. That’s disgusting.”

Inspecting herself in the mirror, Jade decided she looked presentable enough in her faded jeans and light green T-shirt.”

“You’re wearing that?” Amber asked, perfectly shaped brows raised. “How are you going to be a distraction dressed like that?”

Jade eyed her mother patiently. “Don’t you think he’d find it a little strange if I met him on the front porch wearing a miniskirt and six-inch heels?”

Both Pearl and Sapph snickered.

“You could put a little effort into it,” her mother began. “At least wear a dress. Even a nice blouse.”

Jade stared at her. A blouse. She wasn’t even sure she owned such a thing. “No,” she finally answered. “Now if you ladies will excuse me, I’ve got some distracting to do.”

With that, she swept out of the room, her head high.

In the hallway, her steps slowed. Unlike her heartbeat. So much for bravado. She’d been racking her brain trying to figure out exactly how to distract Rance.

She wasn’t sure how far her family expected her to go, but she had no intention of getting even the slightest bit intimate with the man.

Her body’s reaction to the idea of seeing him again called her a liar.

“Good morning.” Pasting a bright smile on her face, she strode forward, hand outstretched. Tall and broad shouldered, his gray eyes blazed as he looked at her. He took her hand, but instead of shaking it as she expected, he lifted it to his lips and kissed the back, his mouth lingering.

Damn. She thought she might melt into a puddle right then and there. Somehow, she remembered to breathe.

Then, while her knees still shook and she couldn’t find her voice to save her life, he released her and flashed that same charming smile. “Hold on, darlin’,” he said, lifting the camera that hung around his neck and snapping a few shots of the house, the front porch and her.

When he’d finished, he was still smiling. “How about you and I go visit Forestwood Lake?”

Together? And then she remembered she needed to distract him.

“Okay,” she managed. Because she knew he wouldn’t see anything unusual there at all. Not once in all the time her family had been taking care of Libby had Libby let an out-of-towner see her.

* * *

How Jade Burnett could manage to look so damn good in blue jeans and a T-shirt, Rance didn’t know. But when he turned and saw her sauntering toward him, her long silver hair tumbling in a luxurious fall over her shoulders, his breath caught in his throat. And his entire body went on red alert. At least he’d gotten a few shots with his camera.

Giving himself a mental shake, he focused on what she’d just agreed to do. Go to the lake. With him.

“Do you want to walk or drive?” she asked.

He pointed to the shiny red Mustang convertible he’d rented in Albany. “Let’s take that. I’ll put the top down so we can enjoy the day.”

Most of the women he knew would have immediately protested, claiming the wind would mess up their hairdo or something. Jade appeared supremely unconcerned. In fact, she seemed delighted. “I love convertibles,” she said.

“Did they tell you to be extra nice to me?” he asked, suddenly suspicious.

“They? Who is they?”

The perplexed frown didn’t fool him. Especially not when she combined it with a mischievous grin. “If by they, you mean my family, then no. They did not ask me to be nice to you.”

Interesting. “Well, then, what exactly did they decide?”

This time, the blank look she gave him was decidedly fake. “What do you mean?”

He waited until they were both inside the car, seat belts fastened, before answering. “About the lake monster. You were going to call a meeting to find out what you could and couldn’t tell me.”

“Put that way, you make it sound as if you truly believe there is a lake beast,” she quipped, well aware of how much Libby hated the word monster.

He shook his head and pressed the ignition. The engine came to life with a powerful rumble. When he glanced at her, she grinned. She dug a hair-thingy from her pocket and expertly put her hair up in a ponytail.

“Nice ride,” she said. “Too bad it’s a rental.”

Amused, he chuckled. “If that’s your attempt at a dig at me, it’s pretty weak.”

She widened her eyes, the picture of innocence. “A dig? Why on earth would you think that? It’s just that this is such an awesome car, probably nothing like what you drive at home.”

Instead of responding, he had the strongest urge to kiss her. This didn’t surprise him, not in the least. Jade Burnett was gorgeous, with her long sexy hair and those amazing green eyes. Not to mention the lush curves of her body. Rance liked women, all women, but until today he’d never really figured he had a type. But now he knew. That type would be Jade. Slender and perfectly shaped, gorgeous creamy skin, with a tiny dusting of freckles across her nose. Lips that were made for kissing and a body that begged for his touch.

Yep. Jade was his type. He had the awful feeling that, forever after this, he’d be comparing other women to her.

Astounded at this thought—after he’d lost his wife Violet and started drinking, he hadn’t ever thought of getting close to any other woman—he concentrated on the drive. He’d already taken a solo trip to Forestwood Lake, walked the trails, stood on top of the marbled stone cliffs. With the wealth of leafy trees and undergrowth all over the rolling hills, the area was pretty, but then so was every other lake or hiking trail in the Catskill Mountains. This part of the earth called to something primal, deep inside him.

In fact, in his previous life, Rance had thought if he ever wanted to become a country guy, he’d buy some land and build a house here. Now, he knew he never would. He needed the fast pace of the city to distract him from everything he’d lost.

“Take the next right,” she said, startling him out of his reverie.

He did as she asked, turning onto the unmarked dirt road. Though there were occasional ruts and bumps, for the most part it seemed to be well maintained. As he drove, he noticed with a sense of amusement the way it wound through the forest in an apparently nonsensical pattern. Then they made one more turn and he slowed, awed despite himself.

The lake spread out below them. From this vantage point, higher than any of the others he’d been to, the sparkling expanse of water was a dark, vibrant blue. He let the car coast to a stop, even though the road continued, and got out, grabbing his Nikon D4S out of the bag on the backseat. While he had several cameras and lenses, he liked this one the best for everyday use.

He walked to the edge of an area that had apparently been set up for viewing purposes and stood still, marveling. A sense of rightness settled low in his chest. He’d only had this feeling a few times in his life—once in a remote area of Alaska, another on Vancouver Island and now here, on the opposite coast.