Cameron
There’s nothing more wonderful than seeing two people fall in love. When I met Peggy, my entire world changed, and it was all for the better. I couldn’t have imagined just how wonderful finding a mate would be until I actually tried it. Now? Now I can’t imagine my life without her, and I know that Donald and Natalie feel the same way.
It took a lot of guts and a ton of bravery for Natalie to do what she did. For her to go, marching across the mountains, talking to people she didn’t even know, trekking down a wintery path, and then braving the dragon himself, well, all I can say is that she’s stronger than most of the people I’ll ever meet.
She’s incredible.
And now she’s mated to one of the best men in the clan, to one of the most wonderful people I’ve ever known.
Donald.
The clan has their Donald back.
Lawrence
It’s not that I don’t like being a part of this clan.
I do.
I like it more than anything else in the world, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need a break sometimes. When you do the same thing every single day for your adult life, sometimes you need a change, a shift. I might be a dragon, but I’m a bored dragon.
I’m a lonely dragon.
I’m a dragon who wants desperately to find a mate to share my life with, to grow old with, and to love. Sometimes it seems like I’m never going to find that. Sometimes it seems like the entire clan is getting married and falling love and me?
I’m just sitting around the school, teaching other shifters’ children. Maybe I’m destined not to have any of my own.
“Hey,” Cameron sits beside me. “How’s it going, buddy?”
“Same old stuff,” I say, lifting my beer to my lips. Cameron’s happy. Content. He’s a good guy, and he’s lucky to have found Peggy when he did. For a grumpy bastard, he’s sure been a nice guy since he got his mate. Can’t say I miss the old Cameron very much these days. I could get used to the nice guy.
“I have a favor,” he starts slowly. “It’s okay to turn me down, though. I know you’re busy with teacher stuff.”
“Ha,” I laugh, setting the beer down. “Buddy, I haven’t been busy since I went off to college.”
The idea of a shifter going to college might be silly, but I left the clan for awhile. I got a couple of degrees, worked a bunch of random jobs, lived in some unfortunate towns, and finally returned to teach in the school here. Most days, I’m happy to be able to educate the dragons of tomorrow. Today, though…today is one of those days where any change will be a good change.
I’m not just saying that because we lost Brendan or Esther. I’m saying it because right now, I’m living the same day over and over again and I have no idea how to get out of this rut I’m in.
“Sometimes being busy is overrated,” Cameron says slowly.
“Lay it on me.”
“It’s almost the full moon night.”
“Okay?”
“Usually, I go to the stone tower to see if anyone is seeking refuge at Fablestone.”
“Please,” I roll my eyes. “Stop with the stone tower crap. When was the last time anyone even came?”
He raises an eyebrow.
“Okay, anyone since Peggy?”
“That was last month!!”
I shrug. “Still.”
The deal with the stone tower is this: Fablestone is hidden away. There are stone towers throughout the forest and some of them are used as meeting spots. You have to know where the stone towers are and you have to know when to be there, but if you go to the right one on the right night, you can seek safety and refuge. You can find hope. You can find safe passage to Fablestone.
“The stone tower is a good idea,” Cameron insists.
“What about the stone tower?” I ask him. “Why are you bringing it up?”
“I can’t make it.”
“I’m sure there won’t be anyone missing out.”
“I want you to go in my place,” he says.
That gets my attention.
“You want me to go to the stone tower and sit around all night in case someone comes seeking safe passage to Fablestone?”
“There could be shifters in trouble,” Cameron says, and he says it like he truly believes in this stuff. He says it like he’s really serious about people being able to find a refuge here.
“Why can’t you go?” I ask him.
He blushes. “Peggy and I…well…we’re trying for a baby, and she’s ovulating, so…”
“Say no more,” I hold up a hand. “I’ll go.”
“Really?”
“Anything for a friend,” I tell him, and I mean it, but it doesn’t change the way I feel. There is nothing I want to be doing less tomorrow night than going to the stone tower, but apparently, that’s where I’ll be.
What could possibly go wrong?
It’s not like I’m meeting any girls around Fablestone, and who knows?
Maybe I’ll find a fairy nymph to fall in love with or something.
Lee
I’ve been staring at the phone number in front of me for hours now, trying to work things out. Is there a coded message hiding in the numbers? Is it an actual phone number? Who is it registered to? While my technical skills are better than most, they’re still not enough to figure out who owns this number. I can’t even fucking determine if it’s a landline or a cell phone. Of course, it’s not 1983, so it’s probably a burner phone of some sort, but still. It bothers me that I can’t figure anything out regarding the number.
I don’t want to just call it blindly.
That sort of behavior is the type of thing that gets you killed.
Even if I can’t trace the fucking cell number, it doesn’t mean the people at the other end can’t trace me. If this is, indeed, a phone number from one of the Lucky scientists, I don’t want them raining down on Fablestone and destroying us.
I really wouldn’t be able to live with that.
So, I do what any self-respecting dragon shifter who needs answers would do.
I pack a bag and I prepare to leave.
I’ll only be gone for a day, at best, and a few days, at worst, so I bring a change of clothes, a toothbrush, some food, and my best laptop. I shove it all in a duffel bag, head outside, shift, and grab the bag with my talons before flying off.
My flight is smooth and easy, and when I arrive at the hidden cabin just outside of Storm Dawn, I find myself relaxing. No one knows I have this property out here. I bought it last year under a false identity, of course, and I use it sometimes when I need a break from clan life and dragon drama.
Today, I’m going to use it to fucking call this number and try to trace it as best I can.
Fablestone is a four day walk from Storm Dawn. Even if the scientists manage to track my number to this general area, they’ll never locate our clan. We’re safe, as long as I play my cards right, but you never can be too careful.
Storm Dawn has a lot of amenities, but best of all, they’ve got somewhat reliable cell service, and I pull out one of the burner phones I keep here at the cabin. It’s time. I’ll record the call and try my best to trace it. Hopefully, I’ll at least walk away with some clues.
With one last deep breath, I punch in the phone number and hit “call.”
Then I wait.
The phone rings only once, and an even voice answers.
“I’ve been waiting for your call.”
THE END
The Fablestone Clan stories continue in available on Amazon.