His arms morphed into powerful wings that caught the current of air and lifted him off the ground. The rest of his body changed at the same time, and he could feel the tiny pinpricks of feathers forming, not actually painful but perceptible. The process was seamless, and it was natural for him now, although it wasn’t always so. In the beginning, he had to learn how to fly like any baby bird. Trial and error had been a bitch.

He dug his talons into the ground to gain purchase before he launched into the air. As he did so, the earth shook with a vibration he felt deep in his bones.

Aw, shit. That isn’t good.

His whole body was suddenly alert and on guard. If his guess was correct, someone had just broken through from the Riam dimension. And that someone was probably the sorceress, Theodora. Depending on her intent and mood, the experience ranged from a minor earthquake tremor to a sonic boom.

She’d taunted him in the past, trying to persuade him to give up secrets from the Divine Tree. Now she would want this woman. He was sure of it...just as she desired all humans who passed through the Dragon Vortex.

He tensed. In every instance when someone had visited the island, sorceress Theodora had taken them to her alternate universe, Riam. He didn’t actually know what the place looked like, for no person who had ever been here left again. As far as he knew, the only way in or out of Riam was through Theodora. Custos had told him it was a place of continuous fighting and the people she took there became warriors.

Aidan flew in a high circle over the woman and the pup. Neither paid any attention to him.

If Theodora was visiting his island, experience told him it was the woman who drew her here. As he banked, his gaze swept the area. The sorceress materialized from the mist shrouding the trees. Slowly, she descended to the ground. Her long black dress hung in strips around her ankles, however, the bodice fit perfectly to her body.

Fear for the woman’s safety struck him hard. Theodora was a mix breed of siren and Valkyrie who had been given the gift of magic from the Demon Prince, and she was like a dog sniffing out a bone when it came to visitors to the Dragon Vortex. The chilling sorceress hadn’t wasted any time seeking out the female, either. Maybe it was simply coincidence, or maybe with the approaching Age of Atonement, she’d been waiting for an opportunity. For what, he didn’t know. Another go at trying to get knowledge from the Divine Tree, perhaps? He had stopped her last time, but not without Custos’ help.

An odd expression crossed Theodora’s face as she paused, seeming to admire her surroundings. He wondered what went through her malicious mind. Her features relaxed and her eyes shone florescent green. Something seemed to hold her in check, as if she were testing the waters. Could that be because she knew he was watching?

Aidan flew to a branch where he could see both the female and the sorceress, although it would be like watching a tennis match if he had to turn from one to the other.

A snap of a twig alerted him someone was on the move and he jerked his gaze to the woman. She was walking through the trees, Takeshi close behind her. Suddenly she paused, talking as if to herself. But then she took the portable camera from her brow and turned it toward herself, and he realized she was documenting her actions for some reason.

“It’s day one here in the Dragon Vortex, and I’ve settled in at my overnight location. The fire is going—” she looked up at the impending storm “—but I’m not sure how long it will last. I’ll probably get rained out any second. And as you can see, I have an unexpected friend.” She reached down and stroked the pup’s head.

On the heel of her words, large drops began to fall from the sky. A few intermittent splotches at first, and then the rain started to come down faster, each plop a little smaller and more intense than the ones before. She ducked beneath the ledge, curling her limbs in under the cover of the rock. “And that’s it for now. Rhianna Mori signing off from day one of On Your Own in the Pacific Ocean.”

So that was her name. Rhianna. He tossed it around in his thoughts, liking the sound. Pretty, like her.

But the rest of what she’d said was beyond him.

Theodora strolled right into Rhianna’s camp, halting a few feet away from him. Rhianna didn’t so much as shift her gaze. She just stared straight ahead.

Aidan tensed. Theodora was invisible to humans unless she chose to reveal herself. One of her many sorcery powers. And she usually only revealed herself when she was going to do something horrible. He had to get her to leave before she did something irreversible.

It’s been awhile, Aidan said, mentally transferring the conversation to her.

Yes. Now what have we here? she asked.

Go back to your world, Theodora.

She turned her head to look at him and smiled wickedly. With a raised eyebrow, she asked, Now why would I want to do that?

It was verbal play, he knew; she didn’t truly want an answer.

She doesn’t know anything about our worlds, he said roughly. Let her be in hers.

Perhaps.

She was taunting him. Theodora loved to play games . . . and change rules. The encounters he’d had with her over the centuries left him with a lot of uncertainties. To his understanding, according to Custos, the people who she’d taken by force into her alternate universe were not dead, nor completely alive, but somehow they simply existed. She kept them as her pets. Or more like entertainment. But the truth was, he’d never been to Riam, so he wasn’t certain.

He only sensed he didn’t want Theodora to capture this woman.

Rhianna placed the recording equipment inside a bag—he hoped it was waterproof—and then unwrapped some sort of snack bar and ate. Eyeing Takeshi, she broke off a piece and fed it to him. “What do you eat out here? How do you survive?” she asked softly. There was a fresh innocence about her that made his chest flutter. He tried to shake off the feeling. He couldn’t be drawn in, couldn’t care. He just needed to send her on her way.

But something within him resisted. As ridiculous as it seemed, he felt something for this woman. Maybe it was her beauty, or the fact that all the other humans who had come to the island had been men. Maybe it was protectiveness that stirred inside him at knowing if Theodora took this woman, he couldn’t leave his tree and venture after them.

An unfamiliar restlessness tugged at him. He stared at Rhianna as she made a bed of palm branches. She looked up at the limb where he was perching and spotted his eagle. Their gazes held.

Oh, how sweet, Theodora commented. I think you like her.

Irritation flared that she’d read his feelings so easily. He did like this woman, this Rhianna. He would not admit it to Theodora, though.

Now that Rhianna had noticed him, he decided to move a little closer. He flew to a lower branch across the clearing, putting himself between her and the sorceress.

He didn’t think Theodora would try anything yet. Straight and to the point was not her style. She liked to drag it out, to get the most entertainment value from it as she could.

That was a good thing this time. It would give him more opportunity to come up with a plan and outsmart her.

From past encounters, he’d gleaned that she trolled the Pacific, its islands and waters, and collected her victims. She was the reason the Dragon Vortex had gotten its reputation. Because the people who entered this area were not only lost but usually not in this dimension any longer.

Rhianna patted a spot on her makeshift bed. “Come on,” she said to the dog. “It’s dry in here.”

Takeshi trotted beneath the shelter and curled up next to her.

Hmph. Theodora snorted. Abruptly, she cocked her chin and looked off to the side, as if tuning in to something else, something far beyond even his enhanced hearing. She snapped her head back to glare at him. I’ll be back—she pointed a finger at him—and then you’re going to give me this sweet girl on a silver platter.

With that, Theodora disappeared.

Aidan took a deep breath and returned his attention to Rhianna, only to find her watching him with apprehension. Then she flicked both hands at him. “Go away. Shoo,” she said. “You’re making me nervous.”

He angled his head at her. Nervousness was the least of her problems.

“I’m sure those claws are sharp,” she mumbled. “I wish I recalled if eagles attack humans . . .”

He could if he wanted to. But if the eagle bothered her, he wondered what she’d think of his tiger. Perhaps if he showed her that form, she’d be scared enough to call someone to come get her.

Given the mountainous terrain behind them, the sun disappeared quickly, leaving behind a sudden drop in temperature along with the darkness. She still had that fire going, but it wouldn’t last through the night, even with the firewood she’d gathered. And it got very cold out here in the elements.

He could change into a human and take her to his home. But she’d probably have a heart attack at that. Instead, he decided to run to the Divine Tree where he had a sleeping bag stored. He’d set it where she’d discover it.

The plan appealed to him. He liked the idea of helping her, but he knew he couldn’t leave her for long in case Theodora returned. So he would have to be quick.

After that, he would hunker down for the night and watch over her.

* * *

Rhianna’s back muscles loosened, and she let out a sigh of relief as the eagle flew off.

Good. It was gone.

The rain had eased to a misty drizzle. She zipped her jacket up beneath her chin and then rubbed her hands up and down her arms. She was pretty sure the show’s producers hadn’t been so nice as to include chemical hand warmers or any such thing in her emergency kit, but she’d check anyway.

She clicked on her flashlight and dug to the bottom of the sack. The light reflected off something, and she reached in and removed the item. It was a Mylar thermal blanket. She hadn’t noticed it when she’d looked earlier. She grinned from ear to ear at the find. She wouldn’t have to worry so much about the fire now. This would at least keep her fairly warm and dry.

The Mylar made a crinkling sound as she opened the package and unfolded the blanket. She wrapped it around her shoulders and snuggled back into her sheltered spot. This would do for tonight. Tomorrow she’d have to find the perfect place to call home for the next twenty-one days. Someplace dry, out of the wind, and with access to fresh water.

Closing her eyes, she sighed. A warmth formed in her core and spread outward into her limbs.

Mmm. Much better.

She couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched, though, as she stared out into the darkness beyond the firelight. Her vision darted around from one black spot to another. The puppy snuggled up to her hip, comforting her.

After being awake for what seemed like hours, she finally fell into a restless sleep. At one point, she thought the night would never end, she’d awoken so many times. But eventually, the sky grew lighter, the first hint of dawn bathing the sky in a soft lavender and then pink. The hues were quite muted and hazy given the mist that shrouded the island, but as the sun rose, a brightness filled on the horizon.

Rhianna sat up, pressing her back against the dirt wall behind her. She wasn’t in any hurry to get up and leave her warm cocoon. She had all day to accomplish the next step and explore the area. If she found some artifacts, they may give a clue about other people who had stumbled onto the island.

She glanced to where the eagle had been yesterday. The spot was empty. Then her gaze swept the trees and surrounding area to see if it had moved, but she couldn’t find it.

She stood slowly, keeping the crinkling blanket wrapped around her as best she could, and moved to the nearly extinguished fire. Goodness that Mylar was loud! At least any nearby wild creature would hear her and stay away. But not the pup; he followed at her heels.

She decided the best way to warm up was to do some morning exercises , just like she did at home. She set the Mylar blanket aside and strolled to the beach, the dog walking right along with her. The cove of the island faced southeast, and in the fog-kissed sunrise, she went through her Tai Chi sequence. The stretches felt so good after the long hours of traveling she’d done the past few days. As she bent over to touch the ground again, the dog ran up to her and licked her face and neck, making her laugh and nearly fall over.

When she finished, she headed back to the fire. She’d need to stoke it and get it roaring again. She stirred the ashes with a stick. In the middle, the coals flared red.

The pup stuck his nose close to the embers. “No,” she commanded. “It’s hot.”

The dog quickly stepped back. “Oh, you’re a smart one, aren’t you?” she asked with a laugh. “You stay back while I work, okay?”

The pup barked as if in answer.

She went over to the stockpile of kindling and branches she’d stored beneath the ledge and grabbed some leaves and sticks. She layered them over the glowing embers and then leaned closer to lightly blow on them until a fire sparked. When it flamed, she carefully placed larger sticks and branches one on top of the other. The fire climbed along the dry wood.

Satisfied, she warmed her hands near the heat. God, it felt good. According to her research, this area maintained a temperature between forty and seventy degrees in October. This morning definitely felt like the lower end of that spectrum. And according to Google, it rained seventeen out of thirty days. Traveling inland to find a permanent dry shelter was definitely at the top of her to-do list today.

Reluctantly leaving the fire, she headed for the firewood she’d stored beneath the ridge. Taking a few steps in that direction she froze in mid-stride. What? There was a sleeping bag resting next to the pile of broken branches she’d gathered last night.

How did it get there?

She searched the surrounding area. Had someone from the reality show crew delivered it during the night? That seemed a bit farfetched given the premise of the show, yet she didn’t have another explanation.

A chill ran through her, one that had nothing to do with the biting wind. Someone had entered her camp and she hadn’t even realized it.

* * *

From the deep shadows of the trees, Aidan watched in his tiger form. She’d found the sleeping bag he’d left. At least she’d have something more than that noisy Mylar to keep her warm tonight. That is, if he hadn’t convinced her to go home by then.

She grabbed the GoPro from her satchel and put it on, this time using a chest harness. She spoke to her presumed audience. “Good morning, everyone. Welcome to day two of If You Dare. I’m here in what the locals call the Dragon Vortex, which covers about 600,000 square miles off the coast of northern Japan, with this deserted island situated smack-dab in the middle. This is the island of Tsuriairando, which means ‘tree island.’”—she swept her arms left and right—“for obvious reasons.”

Aidan stretched his spine. Yes, she seemed to be documenting her journey for some reason, walking around and capturing the island on camera.

“The legend goes that a dragon resides in this area and eats anyone who ventures here. Which is the local’s explanation as to why hundreds of people have vanished in this area, never to be heard from again. Planes have crashed; ships have been found abandoned.”

She crouched nearer to the fire, warming her hands. She pursed her lips and paused in thought. The adorable expression touched something in him, called to him, and made him want to help her even more.

“So, here I am,” she continued, “daring to defy the odds of surviving the unknown. I’ll let you know if I see any such mythical creatures.” She peered at Takeshi. “And this little guy doesn’t count, even though there supposedly aren’t any domestic animals on this island. That obviously isn’t the case,” she said, twisting her lips into a smile.

He liked listening to her. It was like the sun rising on the water, vibrant yet quiet and smooth, with a hint of an accent. And since he was the only one here, it felt like she was speaking directly to him.

“Okay,” she said, grabbing the pan from the pack and glancing at Takeshi. “Let’s head down to the ocean and see if I can rustle up some clams for breakfast.”

She walked toward the water carrying a knife, a tall walking stick, and the pan. After she’d passed by him, still in tiger form, he slowly moved from his hiding place and lumbered after her, keeping his distance.

Show yourself. Frighten her so she will flee the island and not return.

He knew that was his best chance to get her to leave. But it wasn’t as simple as it sounded. What if she caught him on her camera?

At the water’s edge, she squatted and dug the knife in the sand. It didn’t take long for her to unearth a couple of fist-sized clams. The island was rich with them, so he wasn’t surprised how quickly she found some, but she obviously didn’t know that and started jumping up and down, holding the clams in front of the camera.

“Look! Look. I did it!” She laughed, then set them in the pan.

Aidan stepped back into the shadows, to make sure she wouldn’t see him. He gave a feline smile. He enjoyed watching her; she was so sweet and seemingly naive in a good way. Rhianna skipped right past him again, this time with her prize.

After a moment, he followed her once more, staying hidden. Just a little longer, and then he’d frighten her and send her on her way.

Back at her makeshift camp, she took the camera and placed it on a stand to the side of the fire, facing toward her. Then she found a medium-sized rock and, using some sticks, repositioned the firewood. She set the rock in the middle of the fire, placing the clams on it, and positioned the burning wood and embers around it. She stood, resting a hand on her hip and looking into the camera.

“I’m not sure if this will work, but here’s hoping.” She crossed her fingers, held them up, and smiled. “Dillion? What do ya think? I get an A, huh?” she asked into the camera as her hair did a bouncy swish.

Aidan groaned in appreciation as he sat back on his haunches and waited. He really didn’t have enough human contact, he thought. That must be the reason for the anxious flutter against his ribs.

While the clams cooked, she hummed to herself as she tried to fold the Mylar blanket without much success. Myriad emotions from frustration to acceptance crossed her face as she struggled with the noisy material. Finally, she thrust the disheveled bundle aside.

She turned to the camera and pointed at the blanket. “Just a side note, those are not meant to be folded back up.” She shrugged, walking back to the fire. “I’ll just be using it again tonight anyway.”

She grabbed a pair of sticks and used them to lift the clams from the fire. Next she reached inside her backpack and pulled out a canteen of water. “This is the last of the water I was provided. I’ll have to find a fresh water source today and replenish it.”

Aidan liked the way she talked to the camera. He was getting to know her, just as her audience was. Too bad it had to all end soon.

Taking a couple of other rocks with her, Rhianna sat near the fire. She tried to lift one of the clams, only to shake her fingers and hiss in a breath of air. “Whoa. Hot.”

Aidan stood, stretching out his front paws and back, as she picked up her knife and stared at it. He wondered if she really knew how to use it without cutting off her fingers. He paced. Dammit, he had no confidence in a woman wielding a knife with such uncertainty.

With an abrupt glint of light off the blade, the sudden image of his mother surfaced in his memory. His mum had been an expert in the kitchen. It had been so so long since she’d been alive. She had been a solid Scottish woman with long curly hair, which she usually braided into a plait and wound on top of her head.

He sighed. No, perhaps his appraisal of this woman was wrong.

Assessing the problem, she searched the area, coming back with a rock to use as a cutting board. She knelt and pressed the edge of the blade on one of the clams, trying to pry it open. The clam rolled to the side, and the knife nicked the rock with a chink. She tried again. And again. And again.

On the fifth attempt, the tip of the blade held and split the clam. “Finally,” she said with a relieved exhale. She grinned down at Takeshi. “I did it.”

Her look of satisfaction was contagious, and he was happy for her. Unfortunately, her delight would dissolve in a minute when he showed himself. What would it hurt to allow her to savor her victory for a moment, though?

As he watched, he tamped down the mushy feeling inside that threatened to weaken him. Ignoring the sensation, he drew himself taller and assumed his full tiger stance, which proved to be at least twice the size of an average tiger given his Guardian influences. Navigating from within the brush, he advanced toward her in slow, controlled steps.

Her head snapped up as he came into view, and she screamed. She scrambled to her feet. The look of fear in her eyes as her jaw fell open made his chest hurt—precisely where he’d experienced that warm flurry of sensation moments earlier. However, his feelings didn’t matter. He had to get her to leave in order to save her life. To that end, he roared at her, flashing his teeth in a long, forceful exhale.

She jumped. And he could hear her heart pounding faster, wildly out of control. Her eyes widened as she stared at him, frozen in place. Takeshi darted between them and snarled, baring his teeth.

Oh great. The pup was standing up to his owner to protect Rhianna.

She slowly backed up to the backpack and dug inside. She pulled out a gun, pointed it at him, and disengaged the safety. Her hands trembled as she aimed, her jaw set in clear determination. Then she walked sideways, watching him the entire time.

Aidan continued to progress, narrowing the distance between them. Her gaze shot to the camera, which he belatedly realized was still filming. He couldn’t decide if that was good or bad. He hoped when her friends saw the footage, they’d come to her rescue. He only hoped they would leave it at that and let him be.

“Go away,” she said to him as he neared.

Her weight shifted. She was going to shoot!

As the bullet flew from the gun, he jumped high and to the side. Even with his evasive action, the shot hit his thigh, eliciting a fiery pain just above his knee.

He heard her quick steps, muffled by the thud of his paws against the earth as he landed. She dashed over to the camera and unhooked it from the stand. With a flick of her wrist, she aimed the camera at him.

She mumbled, her words rapid-fire, “You’re going to ruin everything. Go back to your den. Just go.”

He had no idea what she meant or why she was reacting so oddly, but the only thing he was going to ruin was her chance at being kidnapped—and possibly killed— by Theodora.

Rhianna brushed the back of her hand at him and then froze, as if waiting for him to comply. He didn’t, of course.

He stalked forward, ignoring the pain in his leg. She went on alert and eased backward. The rhythm they set was like a sophisticated dance, testing each other’s resolve. She pulled her shoulders back and took a formidable stance. He had the feeling she wouldn’t back down easily, and when they reached a large tree, she slid behind it.

Was she trying to hide, just hoping he would go away? If he were an average tiger, he would have sunk his teeth into her by now. He roared, then paused, thinking she was holding her breath, that she was standing perfectly still and listening for his movements the same way he was listening for hers. Expelling tension along with the air in his lungs, he decided to give her a chance—one chance—to call her team to get her the hell out of here. And if she didn’t...well, the consequences would be entirely her fault.

With that thought, a stabbing pain shot up his leg into his back. The bullet must have struck a nerve. The agony was so intense, he dropped to the ground and immediately returned to his human form.

* * *

A loud thumping drummed in her head. Her own heartbeat, she realized, as she plastered her spine against the tree trunk. Her stomach churned. The tiger hadn’t followed her. Good. She concentrated on slowing her breathing and controlling her anxiety.

Darn it, she didn’t know what she’d expected to discover in the Dragon Vortex. Her great-grandfather had disappeared here over a hundred years ago. There wouldn’t be any clues or records as to how or why he had never returned, but she’d spoken with the locals prior to coming here. Plus, if he had been on the island his essence may remain. It wasn’t unheard of for a person’s imprint to remain on objects they’d touched.

Her palms grew moist. She was in over her head, and she knew it. She’d never before attempted a spiritual connection this advanced.

So why was she really here? She’d felt a calling like she’d never experienced, a need to give her grandfather some sort of answer before he died. That’s why.

With another deep breath, she peered around the tree. The tiger was gone. For several seconds, she collapsed against the tree in relief. When her stomach had calmed, she turned the camera toward her. “Did you see that? There’s a tiger on this island. A friggin’ tiger. If I go dark, then you better start looking for my bones.”

Cautiously, she stepped away from the tree and moved closer to her camp. She gasped. Precisely where the gigantic tiger had been, a man was lying on his back. Blood oozed from a leg wound, soaking his jeans.

OMG. How on earth did he get there? And where did the tiger go?

She hesitated. The man had to have come from somewhere. But where? And how had he gotten injured?

Her stomach dropped. She hadn’t accidentally shot him somehow, had she?

The puppy ran straight to the man and licked his face. Her stomach tightened as she watched the interaction. Something didn’t seem right. Had this man been living on the island? It was supposed to be deserted.

The man stirred, then got to his feet with a wince. She took a step back as he stretched to his full height. Geez, he was tall, with wide shoulders and muscular arms. His hair was long and tied at the nape.

“Dammit, that bloody hurts,” he said.

She tilted her head at his accent. Was it Scottish? Here in Japan?

“Are you all right?” she asked warily. “Can I—“

“You need to leave the island,” he interrupted.

“Hey, just wait a second.” She crossed her arms. He might be ridiculously attractive, but he sure wasn’t polite. “Who exactly are you?”

He took a step toward her, staggering on his injured leg. “My name is Aidan Hearst.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “How did you get here?”

“I live here.”

“Yeah, right,” she said. “In the middle of the Dragon Vortex?”

“Well, I’m here, aren’t I? And this”—he pointed to Takeshi, who was sitting by his feet—“is my dog.”

As the implications of that sunk in, she ran her tongue along her upper lip and jerked her head to move her hair out of her eyes.

“And you are?” he asked.

She cleared her throat, trying to ignore the heat that was rising in her cheeks. “I’m Rhianna Mori. And . . . well, I’m sorry. I guess I was given bad information. I was told the island was uninhabited.”

He shrugged. “I don’t advertise my presence.”

“I guess not.” With effort, she tore her gaze from him and looked around. “Did you see where that tiger went?”

He paused a beat before responding. “Not exactly.”

She ran her hand through her tangled hair. She really wished she’d seen the direction the tiger had gone. It would have helped her figure out which way to go to make her more permanent camp. The opposite direction.

Could the missing people have been eaten by the tiger? Perhaps there were more of them and they’d been here for years. Her thoughts whirled with scenarios, of the big cats attacking men as they slept. Eww.

She glanced at Aidan Hearst. What did he know of the disappearances? She would have to quiz him later. Right now, the only thing that concerned her was not running into that tiger again.