Stormfire dragon, p.1
Stormfire Dragon, page 1
part #2 of Dragons in Shadow Point Series
STORMFIRE DRAGON
By
Natalie Kristen
For more books set in Shadow Point
GRAY BEARS
Marrying the Bear (Book 1)
Loving the Bear (Book 2)
Mating the Bear (Book 3)
Tempting the Bear (Book 4)
Taming the Lion (Book 5)
Embracing the Lion (Book 6)
BRIDES fur BEARS
Bad Bear (Book 1)
Brave Bear (Book 2)
Brash Bear (Book 3)
Big Bear (Book 4)
Mail-Order Bear (Book 5)
Dating Agency Bear (Book 6)
Guardian Bear (Book 7)
DRAGONS IN SHADOW POINT
Skyfire Dragon (Book 1)
Stormfire Dragon (Book 2)
Copyright © 2018 by Natalie Kristen
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the author's written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the author's written permission.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are used fictitiously or are the products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual locales, events, establishments or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
CONTENTS
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Epilogue
Up Next from Natalie Kristen
More Books from this Author
About the Author
About this Book
Emilia Terry isn’t what she appears to be. She is a shifter in hiding, and she instinctively knows that if anyone ever finds out what she is, her life will be in danger.
Only one person knows her secret.
But can she believe this person?
Is blood really thicker than water?
Storm Fireblood realizes that his beautiful next door neighbor is hiding a secret. Emilia is a mystery, a contradiction, a puzzle that Storm is determined to figure out.
Emilia is brave and strong, yet vulnerable and guarded. She is friendly and outwardly cheerful yet the pain in her eyes tell a different story.
There is something about her that awakens his heart and his dragon. He wants to protect her, but Emilia seems to have difficulty trusting anyone.
As Storm strives to win Emilia’s heart and trust, sinister forces are already working against them.
The stakes are rising, and Storm realizes that he is up against a formidable enemy, an enemy he never saw coming…
* * * * *
CHAPTER ONE
Storm Fireblood parked his car in front of his house and killed the engine. As he unbuckled his seat belt, he noticed that his younger brother, Seath, was still sitting in the passenger seat, doing a great job pretending to be a statue.
Storm narrowed his eyes at Seath. This was highly unusual. Something was up.
Seath usually bounced out of the car the instant Storm turned into their street, sometimes even before the car had pulled to a complete stop.
Storm and Seath lived right next door to each other. Their eldest brother, Sky, used to live next door to Storm as well, but Sky had gotten married and had bought a cozy little house near the town center with his mate, Leia. Storm was sure they would soon be filling the house with adorable, fiery little dragons, and Storm couldn’t wait to be an uncle.
Storm glanced at Seath, who was still sitting in the car like a big, immovable rock. As he stared as his baby brother, Storm suddenly realized that his little brother was no longer a boy. Seath was all grown up, and he was now a fine young man.
Seath had just turned twenty-one, and he was now taller and brawnier than Storm. The kid might have a powerful physique, but it was his character that made Storm’s heart swell with pride. Seath was young, but he was brave, loyal, hardworking and even though the brothers had gone through some tough times, Seath never lost his cheerful nature and sense of humor.
Life hadn’t been easy for the three brothers after their mother died when Sky and Storm were teenagers, but they stuck together and looked out for one another.
Of the three of them, Storm knew that Seath was the one with the biggest muscles and the biggest heart. The kid never lost that sweet, childlike innocence and his sensitive, caring nature even though he’d had to grow up in a hurry.
But something seemed to be bothering Seath now. He wasn’t even making an effort to get out of the car. Seath was always the first to run indoors and jump in the shower once they got off work.
Sky, Storm and Seath had their own landscaping business, and they worked hard to build up the reputation of Fireblood Landscapers. The brothers worked well together, and they were proud of their success. They had come to the small town of Shadow Point as outcasts and misfits, but now they were all proud and happy to call Shadow Point home.
“Aren’t you making a beeline for the shower?” Storm said, raising a brow at Seath. Truth be told, he was starting to get a little worried and spooked by his brother’s odd behavior. “Are you feeling all right, buddy?”
Seath grunted and remained in the passenger seat, staring straight ahead.
Storm’s frown deepened as he eyed his brother with growing suspicion and concern. This wasn’t like Seath at all. Seath loved food. Food, glorious food, was his joy and passion.
Seath didn’t run headlong into the shower every evening because he was a cleanliness freak. Seath was a food freak! He knew that the faster they cleaned up and made themselves presentable, the sooner they could go grab dinner.
Storm and Seath sometimes went over to Sky’s house for dinner. Their sister-in-law, Leia, could cook really well, and she always made Seath his favorite pies.
But tonight was date night for Sky and Leia. So Storm and Seath were on their own. They’d planned to go to Broomstick Inn for dinner. The dining room of the inn was open to the public during lunch time and dinner time, and it was almost impossible to get a table at dinner time.
Broomstick Inn was run by Gramma and Ne-ma, the two energetic, exuberant grandmotherly witches who seemed to know almost everyone in Shadow Point. Storm and his brothers had grown to love Gramma and Ne-ma dearly.
When Storm, Sky and Seath first came to Shadow Point, they didn’t know anyone in town and they were wary of the townspeople. Gramma and Ne-ma were the first two people to introduce themselves to the Fireblood brothers, and they helped Storm and his brothers get their business off the ground by recommending their landscaping services to all their friends and neighbors.
Storm knew that Seath was eager to eat at Broomstick Inn because tonight was “Pie Night” at the inn. Gramma and Ne-ma were serving all kinds of pie for dinner and dessert, and Seath loved pie.
“Seath?” Storm peered at his brother. Alarm bells were now ringing in his head. “Hey, talk to me, buddy. Whatever it is, I’ll help you.”
At his words, Seath sprang back to life. Seath’s eyes widened and a delighted smile spread across his face. He turned happily to Storm and grabbed his arm.
“Really?” Seath said eagerly. “You’ll help me?”
“Yeah. Of course. You know I’ll do anything for you.”
Storm groaned inwardly when he saw his brother’s cheeky grin. That was exactly what Seath wanted to hear.
His baby brother had played him like a fiddle.
CHAPTER TWO
“Anything?” Seath repeated. “Anything at all?”
Storm sighed. “Anything,” he said, and he meant it.
“Okay.” Seath took a deep breath and said in a rush, “Can I borrow your car tomorrow evening?”
“My car?”
Seath nodded earnestly. “Yes. Please, please, please.”
Storm rubbed his chin, pretending to mull over Seath’s request. He knew why Seath wanted to borrow his car. And he was really happy for his baby brother. The kid deserved to be happy.
Storm managed to keep a straight face as he drummed his fingers
Fireblood Landscapers was fast making a name for themselves in Shadow Point. The small town of Shadow Point was growing rapidly, and with new houses sprouting up all over town, the demand for landscaping services also increased.
The brothers were busy and happy. Their eldest brother had found his mate, and even though they were relatively newcomers to Shadow Point, they didn’t feel like outsiders. In fact, they felt a strong sense of belonging to this warm, quirky, diverse little town.
Shadow Point was home to a whole myriad of paranormal, human and hybrid beings. Shifters, vampires, witches, humans all lived and worked side by side. It was a complicated yet simple little town.
“Hmmm...I don’t know, Seath,” Storm said at last, turning to face Seath with a solemn expression. “Why would you need the car tomorrow night?”
Seath fidgeted, and Storm could see him literally quivering with excitement and anticipation.
“I finally asked Carol Ann out! And she said yes!” Seath blurted out. He punched the air and hooted. “She said yes! Can you believe it? Carol Ann said yes!”
Storm chuckled when his brother grabbed his arm. “I was so nervous when I walked up to her. I almost couldn’t get the words out. I asked her if she would like to go out for dinner and a movie. And she said yes!”
“So what time will you be picking her up?” Storm asked.
“I told her I’ll pick her up tomorrow evening at six. We’ll have dinner and then we’ll go catch that movie that she’s been talking about. I just need to borrow the car for a few hours. I promise I will...”
Storm clapped his younger brother on his broad, muscular shoulder. “Okay, calm down, buddy. Hey, I’m glad you got a date tomorrow night. Of course you can have the car.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you! You’re the best, Storm!” He grabbed Storm in a one arm hug and scrambled out of the car. “Come on, let’s get cleaned up and go for dinner!”
Seath rapped the roof of the car with his knuckles and skipped backwards towards his house. “I’m starving! I heard Gramma and Ne-ma say that chicken pie and apple pie are on the menu tonight.” He leaped into the air and hollered, “I love pie! Hurry up, Storm, let’s get movin’! Don’t just sit there now!”
CHAPTER THREE
Storm couldn’t help laughing as he got out of the car. Just one minute ago, Seath was sitting on his butt, working up the courage to ask if he could borrow the car. And now, he was bouncing everywhere.
Well, Storm guessed he would be really bouncy and peppy too if he’d scored himself a date.
Storm let out a small sigh as he walked towards his house. It had been quite a while since he had gone on a date. Storm was happy for his brothers though. Sky was happily mated, and Seath was enjoying himself, living life and having fun.
And what was he doing? Working...and waiting for his dragon to emerge.
Storm knew that he should just stop waiting and start living. His dragon would show itself in good time. There was nothing he could do about it. In the meantime, he should just keep calm and carry on.
Storm, Sky and Seath were dragon shifters, but so far, only Sky’s dragon had emerged. Their ancestors had been dragons, but for seven generations, the Fireblood dragons had been dormant.
But now their dragons were rising. Sky’s dragon had risen to protect and save his mate, Leia. Sky had tried to help his brothers connect with their dragons, but so far, neither Storm nor Seath had succeeded in rousing their dragons.
Storm could feel his dragon rumbling deep inside him. And he could feel the rising power of his beast. But his dragon wasn’t ready to push itself up to the surface. It was just there, waiting and watching.
But Storm was becoming increasing frustrated and angry. What was his dragon waiting for?
He wanted to get his dragon out, but he didn’t have enough control and power over his beast to force it out.
He should just follow Seath’s example. Quit waiting and start living. Storm glanced towards Seath’s house. His baby brother was probably singing in the shower right now and planning how many slices of pie he would have for dinner.
The simple things in life. Good food, an honest day’s work, a good time.
Storm trudged up to his house and blew out a rough breath. Just before he unlocked his front door, something made Storm pause and turn towards the house on his left.
Sky used to live in that house, but after he moved out, the house had been unoccupied for the last few months. The house was fully furnished, just waiting for the next tenant.
A few potential tenants had been around to view the house, but as far as Storm knew, no one had moved in yet.
He blinked at a movement in the window.
The curtains fluttered as someone pulled the curtains tightly together.
A shadow flitted across the window and a light came on at the back of the house.
Storm took a closer look at the house and saw that the bedroom windows were wide open. A slender hand stretched out and pulled the window shut. He caught a glimpse of red hair and a pink sleeve but he couldn’t see the face of his new neighbor.
Storm smirked. “Someone has finally moved in,” he muttered.
CHAPTER FOUR
Emilia Terry closed the curtains and backed away from the window. She took a deep breath and gulped.
So that was what her next door neighbor looked like.
Tall, broad, blond with deep, intelligent green eyes. Even in his muddy jeans and t-shirt, the guy looked like he had just strutted off the runway.
She wondered if he had seen her in the window. So what if he had? He wasn’t out to get her. Right?
Emilia shook her head and forced herself to take another steadying breath. She had to try and calm down, and not be so jumpy and tense all the time. She had to stop seeing everyone as a bad guy.
Being in a state of hypervigilance all the time would just drive her to exhaustion. She had to stop being so paranoid. But at the same time, she had to stay alert, and stay safe.
But who could blame her for being nervous and suspicious? She was just being prudent. She had to protect herself.
There really were people out to get her. She had escaped two kidnapping attempts. But she might not be so lucky the third time.
Emilia looked around the house, at the boxes on the floor and her luggage in the corner. She had just moved in this afternoon, and she hadn’t unpacked anything. The house was already furnished with everything she needed when she moved in and it was in a nice neighborhood.
She was really glad she found this house online. The rent was surprisingly affordable, but maybe it was because the house was located in a remote, faraway small town. Shadow Point was a long way from the city, and that suited her just fine.
Emilia had been surprised to find that Shadow Point wasn’t at all a sleepy, backward tiny town when she arrived with her boxes and luggage this afternoon. Shadow Point was bustling and teeming with life and activity. Businesses were thriving and new houses and buildings were sprouting up all over the town. And she was pleasantly surprised to find that Shadow Point was a veritable melting pot of different cultures and species. There were humans, hybrids and all sorts of paranormals living in Shadow Point. It was a diverse, quirky town, but there was a sense of unity among the townspeople.
Emilia liked the town immediately, but—was she safe here?
She had moved away from the city in a hurry after the second kidnapping attempt. It wasn’t safe for her to continue living in that crazy, greedy city. She wasn’t staying around to see if someone would try and kidnap her a third time.
She wasn’t rich or famous, so why would anyone want to kidnap her?
“Because they know what I am,” Emilia whispered.
The question was, how could they know? She had never told anyone what she was. Only one person knew.
“No, no, no,” Emilia said, shaking her head rapidly. “She wouldn’t!”
