“Welcome to Ember Brooke.” Bex read the sign on the way into town and slowed down to the strictly enforced speed limit, twenty-five miles-per-hour. It was late and she was tired, but the picturesque mountain village was everything she needed to relax. For the last hour, she could barely keep her eyes open, and she’d already pulled over for one pit stop and a coffee break. She needed to find a place to stay overnight.

As Bex kept her eyes peeled for a hotel, a blue, two-story Victorian home turned into a bed and breakfast grabbed her attention. A vacancy sign flashed over the door. She dimmed her headlights as she pulled into the driveway. She stepped out of the car and stretched.

Bex took in her surroundings, and from what she could make of it, the place was quite charming. She looked down the sidewalk. Fog haloed the street lights that lined the sidewalk in front of matching, white-picket fences. All of the homes were in the same style as the bed and breakfast. She could barely make out the mountains in the distance as they were perfectly camouflaged by the night sky. The scent of roses and lavender lingered in the air as the wind blew softly across Bex’s skin. She shivered, pulling her sweater tight against her body. There was a stillness here that calmed her soul.

Deciding the B&B was a safe place to stay, she grabbed her bags and walked up the lighted walkway. Before Bex could knock on the door, an older, gray-haired woman greeted her with a bright smile and held the screen door open. “Welcome to Miss Dorothea’s Bed and Breakfast. I’m Dorothea.”

“Hi, I’m Bex.” She shook the woman’s hand. “I need a room for the night.”

Dorothea walked behind a desk and pulled out a thick, black book from the drawer. “Just for the night, darling?”

“Yes.” Bex stepped inside and was taken back a few centuries. The interior was exquisite and true to the Victorian era. From the pictures on the walls, to the floral-patterned rugs framed by rich mahogany wood flooring. Bex felt like she should be sitting and sipping tea. As she admired one of the paintings on the wall, the wallpaper shimmered behind it. In awe, Bex ran her hand across the soft, subdued gold dragon pattern. The warm glow from the lamps made the dragons come to life.

“Usually, I only take reservations for week-long stays.” Dorothea slipped on her glasses that were hanging around her neck. “Since it’s late, I’ll make an exception.”

The woman’s voice tore Bex away from the dragons, and she walked back to the desk. “Actually, I’d like to stay the week.”

Dorothea looked over her purple bifocals and gave her a warm smile. “You’re in luck, I have a room available until Saturday morning. The rose room is eighty-five dollars a night and checkout is at eleven o’clock. It has a private balcony overlooking my rose garden.”

“I’ll take it.”

Bex followed Dorothea up the stairs and into the room. She wasn’t kidding when she named it. A trace of fresh roses lingered in the air and pink roses dotted the wallpaper and matching bed covers. A statue of a dragon with a rose in its mouth sat on the dressing table.

“I own the diner next door and give all of my guests a complimentary breakfast.” The woman pulled back the covers on the bed. “Towels and toiletries are in the bathroom. There’s a directory of Ember Brooke and a map on the nightstand.”

“Thank you,” Bex said as she placed her bags on the bed.

“If you need anything, you let me know.” Dorothea left, shutting the door behind her.

Bex plopped down on the mattress and sighed, cradled in softness and the smell of freshly laundered sheets. It wasn’t long before she rolled over and fell asleep.

Somewhere between passing out and the hot flashes, Bex had stripped down to her bra and panties. She flung the covers off her heated body, cursing her damn dragon. In an irritated huff, she got out of bed and went into the bathroom and poured herself a glass of water from the sink. God, she felt like she was going to spontaneously combust. She pressed the glass against her cheek in an attempt to cool off. What she needed was fresh air.

She put the glass down, then looked in the mirror and pulled her hair into a messy bun before returning to the bedroom. She looked at the clock hanging on the wall. “Three o’clock in the morning.” She sighed as she padded across the room to the French doors leading out to the balcony.

A blast of cool air rushed in as she opened the doors. It provided some relief but wasn’t enough. She walked out to the white, rod iron balustrade that overlooked Miss Dorothea’s rose garden. Pink, red, and white petals dance under the glow of the moon. She bet in the daylight the garden was breathtaking. In the distance, a mountain reaching for the sky beckoned her. She’d never been the adventurous type, never thought about hiking, but for some reason she had the urge to climb that peak. She decided to check the brochures for a guided tour.

Gripping the railing, she leaned her head back, taking in the calm night. There was something about this place that settled her soul.

The bushes rustled below tearing her away from the tranquility. She scrutinized the shrubs, expecting an animal to appear. Then a deep, heart-stopping growl made her freeze. The intensity of the noise rippled through her body like electricity. Her core temperature rose unlike it ever had before. She moaned. What’s happening to me?

There were no little animals below. She looked closer, not sure she wanted to find out what was behind that growl. Her throat went dry and the hairs on the back of her neck sprang to attention. She gasped, then blinked in surprise. A set of green eyes stared back at her.

More curious than afraid, Bex quickly ran inside and grabbed her glasses from the nightstand, then stepped back onto the balcony. Something was out there, but she couldn’t see it. Quietness settled in and her body relaxed as if nothing had happed—the surge of electricity gone. What’s going on? No human could growl like that, nor cause her body to react like fireworks exploding inside her.

Or was it all in her head? Was the she-dragon making an appearance? Was it already time for another dose?