Shades Of Dragon (A BBW Dragon-Shifter Paranormal Romance) Read online

  Catherine Vale

  Shades Of Dragon

  A BBW Dragon Paranormal Shifter Romance

  Copyright © 2015, Catherine Vale

  Published by Wild Hearts Press

  Website: http://www.CatherineVale.com

  Facebook: http://facebook.com/CatherineValeBooks

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, brands, incidents, and places are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction. The publication/use of these trademarks is not associated with or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite book retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Twelve

  About The Author

  Other Books By Catherine Vale

  Chapter One

  Tegan’s breath sang sharply from his lungs as he raced through the forest. His heart was beating so hard in his chest, he could hardly hear the roar of the terrifying Rhino-beast, over the sound of the blood rushing in his ears, or hear the thicket rustling, as the huge beast crashed through the brush of the Meadowlands Forest behind him, howling in outrage as he chased after him.

  Fear clawed at his chest like a living, breathing thing trapped inside his lungs, and Tegan’s bright blue eyes, now wide with terror, darted this way and that, looking for some kind of shelter, perhaps a cave opening that the Rhino-beast wouldn’t be able to squeeze its monstrous body through. The creature was the size of two wagon carts, laid side by side, with thick, grey hide, and several horns protruding out of its spade-shaped head. It wouldn’t possibly be able to follow if Tegan could find a space to squeeze into that was smaller than its size. But there was nothing around him except miles of trees and brush – beautiful, perhaps, as was all of the Meadowlands Forest, but so very useless.

  A root suddenly shot up from the ground out of nowhere, and Tegan tripped, a harsh cry springing from his lips moments before his face impacted against the harsh dirt. Rolling onto his side, he barely managed to evade the Rhino-beast’s huge forelegs as they came crashing into the small clearing, trying to crush him.

  Tears of fear sprang to Tegan’s eyes as he gathered himself up, trying to find some kind of escape, anything that would protect him from the impending attack. But the Rhino-beast turned to face him, its huge body blocking off the path, and Tegan’s chest began to squeeze in panic as he realized he was closed off.

  I have to shift.

  Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried with all his might to call up his dragon form. Please…please shift. But though he could feel that warm pulse of light at the center of his being, that torrent of energy that called the beast out of him was just out of reach. He just couldn’t connect with it; not with all the panic and fear in the way. Frustration welled up inside of him, alongside with a healthy dose of anger – just what good was being a damn dragon shifter if he couldn’t call upon his beast in times of danger?

  You’ll be fine, his mother had said coldly as she’d deposited him in the heart of the meadowlands, looking down upon him with her frozen features, and empty eyes. There is nothing here in the Meadowlands that can outrun or outfight a dragon. Get hold of yourself and you should be fine.

  Get hold of yourself, Tegan thought bitterly as the Rhino-beast began pawing the ground, preparing to charge. Much easier said than done. He was only ten years old when left in the forest – a babe by dragon shifter standards – and shifting was not easy for him, it never had been, especially since his mother had hardly deigned to teach him the ways of the beast.

  The Rhino-beast’s eyes glowed a dark red, it’s wide maw opening in another roar, to expose long, jagged teeth, sending another blazing rush of fear through Tegan. Thinking on his feet, he sprang up into the branches of the tree above him, catching hold of the lowest branch, and swinging himself up to the top, or at least as high as he could go.

  He’d just managed to wrap his arms around the trunk when the Rhino-beast hit it, bucking its enormous head against the base, and the entire length of the tree reverberated sharply beneath him.

  Tegan sucked in a sharp breath. He knew that it would only take a few more of those blows from the Rhino-beast to topple the tree, causing him to crash to the ground, helpless against such a monster. But he really didn’t have much of a choice but to hang up here, out of reach, until he found a better solution. Heart pumping wildly, he scanned his surroundings as best he could, trying to figure out which direction to go when he dropped. Maybe he could just jump from tree to tree, like a wild man, swinging from the vines, until he outran the Rhino-beast.

  A hissing sound interrupted him, and Tegan turned to see a huge, fanged snake wrapped around the limb that he was on, it’s own jaws spread wide, and its eyes flashing green in warning. Yelping, Tegan jumped from the branch, but he wasn’t looking where he was going and instead of grabbing onto another one, he crashed down to the ground, landing hard on his back. Something snapped, and he groaned as pain shot through him – likely a broken rib, which was just the thing he needed right now when he couldn’t even shift to heal it.

  The Rhino-beast growled, and it rose up on its hind legs to trample him. But just as it was about to crash down on Tegan, another roar shook the forest – one that sounded achingly familiar.

  A dragon’s roar.

  For a moment, he thought perhaps it was his mother, come back to rescue him after all these years, feeling bad for abandoning him, and a painful sense of hope rose in his chest. But as the dragon came into view, crashing into the Rhino-beast, and toppling it to its back, Tegan saw the silver-grey scales shimmering on its hide, so different from his mother’s purple-gold scales, and knew it was a stranger. A combination of fear and excitement lit his chest as he watched the two battle it out – could it be that there was a dragon clan here, near the Meadowlands Forest? And if so, maybe they would take pity on him and accept him as one of their own?

  The strange dragon shifter swatted its writhing tail at the Rhino-beast, knocking it to the ground, and pinning it down. It was clear that it was at a disadvantage by the bigger, stronger dragon, and lacking the flexibility and grace of the dragon, it struggled to be freed. Within minutes, the dragon got its giant teeth into the beast’s jugular, and blood spurted out of its huge neck, coating the forest floor. The Rhino-beast’s struggles gradually began to cease, and then stopped all together, its horned head listing to the side, as the life finally left its body.

  Tegan remained still, his back propped up against the
tree, watching open mouthed as the dragon rolled off the Rhino-beast, and roared again, its pupils enlarged, its primal energy surging in a powerful wave of heat.

  He’d never seen such a battle before, much less one that ended so quickly, and not for the first time he felt another pang of resentment at the fact that he couldn’t shift like that. If not for this stranger, he’d be dead right now, even though he too was a dragon shifter and should have been able to fell the Rhino-beast. What the hell was wrong with him? Why was he so weak?

  Maybe that’s why mother got rid of you, a voice in his head whispered. She knew you were hardly better than a human.

  Tears threatened to spill from his eyes, but he held them back, not wanting to show any sign of weakness, as the creature before him, shifted into a man. The dragon’s body receded, folding back in on itself in the beautiful way of the shifters, revealing a tall man with salt and pepper hair, and an angular, slightly weather beaten face. He was tall and lean, with kind, silvery eyes that sparkled.

  Those kind eyes eased some of the fear and hatred in Tegan’s heart as the man crouched down in front of him. “Boy, what are you doing out here by yourself in the Meadowlands?” he asked, brushing a stray hair away from Tegan’s forehead. “Are you lost?”

  Tegan shook his head, tears suddenly choking his throat as the compassion of the man drew forth the feelings of betrayal and grief that festered in his heart. He suddenly wanted someone to hold him, someone to let him cry on their shoulder, and tell him that he was wanted, that he was loved, that he hadn’t done anything wrong, and didn’t deserve this dreadful exile. But he was afraid of letting all of those emotions out, so he simply clamped down on his jaw and remained quiet.

  “Boy? You’re not lost?” the man arched an eyebrow, as if reading Tegan’s thoughts. “Then are you heading to a particular destination in the forest? From what I know, very few people live here – the terrain is treacherous and not hospitable to civilized people, much less a young boy.”

  Tegan shook his head again. He did have a shelter of sorts here in the Meadowland Forest – made of stone and twig and leaves, mostly – but he hadn’t been headed for it at all. He’d really just been trying to find some food for his stomach, which was growling from the fact that in the last three days, he’d only had berries and a few mushrooms to eat. He might carry a human form most of the time, but he was a dragon shifter, and he needed meat to truly sustain himself. He’d been laying a trap for rabbits when he’d accidentally come upon the Rhino-beast’s lair, and the beast had charged him, apparently unhappy about the territory intrusion.

  It also didn’t help that the Rhino-beast was carnivorous as well as herbivorous, and so he likely viewed Tegan as a nice snack, on top of a territorial invasion.

  The man frowned. “Are you mute?”

  Tegan shook his head.

  “Then why do you not speak?”

  Tegan drew in a long breath, trying to ease the pain in his throat. “It… it hurts.”

  The man surprised Tegan by nodding in understanding. “Words can certainly hurt,” he agreed. “But right now I want to help you, so you’re going to have to use your words if you want me to do that. Why don’t you start by telling me your name?”

  That, he could do. “It’s… it’s Tegan Maxwell.”

  “Tegan.” The man smiled. I’m Grey Stoneclaw, of the Redwater Clan. Maxwell? Is that the name of the clan you hail from?”

  “I… I d-don’t have a clan.” Tegan snapped his jaw shut as his voice started to wobble, not wanting to betray the weakness that threatened to spill out of him with every word.

  “I see.” Grey was silent for a long while. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”

  Tegan swallowed hard, his body starting to tremble. “I… I think I broke something,” he said hoarsely, the pain in his ribs zinging through his body as he shifted.

  Something flashed in the man’s eyes. “Why don’t you shift?” he asked, his eyes going down to Tegan’s chest. “Surely you could heal whatever ails you.”

  “I can’t shift easily.” A kind of sorrow flared in Tegan’s eyes as he glared at the man. “It doesn’t always work. If I could have done it before, I would have defeated that Rhino-beast without your help.”

  “Of course,” the man murmured. He studied Tegan for a few seconds, then took Tegan’s hands in his own. “Look into my eyes,” he ordered.

  Bewildered, Tegan obeyed. He abruptly felt himself falling into some kind of trance, the sounds and smells of the world around him fading, and then there was a presence inside him, something warm and solid moving around through his consciousness. Initially he tried to fight it, but the presence was soothing, and he relaxed, letting Grey do whatever it was he was doing.

  After a moment, Grey sat back, breaking the trance. “I see. So you’ve never really been properly trained on how to shift. The bond between human and beast within you is… significantly lacking”

  Tegan shook his head. “No, I haven’t.”

  “Why not? Have you no mother, no father"

  “My mother left me here a few years ago,” Tegan said softly. “I’ve been by myself trying to survive ever since.”

  “And your father?”

  “He never called for me. I am nothing more than an unwanted bastard.”

  A combination of anger and compassion flared in the man’s dark eyes. “I see,” he said softly. “You’ve been surviving out here for years without being able to shift?”

  Tegan nodded, and pride swelled in his chest despite himself at the fact that yes, he had managed to survive out here alone in mainly human form. “I shifted every so often in the beginning,” he admitted. “When I could manage to call on my beast, and that’s how I was able to catch some meat, enough meat, to survive. But most of the time it was just the berries and mushrooms.”

  The other man shook his head. “That’s truly amazing,” he replied, his tone full of wonder. And then his expression darkened. “But you shouldn’t have to live like this. No shifter should be left alone in the wilds at such a young age to fend for themselves.”

  Tegan shrugged, not sure what to say – every time he thought about his mother abandoning him, he only wanted to cry. And for some reason, this man made him feel better, stronger, like he actually mattered in the world, and he didn’t want to wallow in his thoughts of self-pity. “I managed… and I will continue to manage.”

  “No.” The man shook his head. “I can’t leave you here, Tegan. You’re coming home with me. Right now.”

  “With you?” Hope flared in Tegan’s chest at the thought of actually sleeping in a bed after all these years, of warming his hands in front of a fire place, of eating food out of real bowls. “Where is this…home?”

  “About a hundred miles north of the forest,” Grey admitted.

  Tegan’s heart sank. “I don’t know how I’m going to be able to get there,” he said quietly. “And I will not have you carry me when my legs give out.”

  Grey smiled. “I’m not going to carry you,” he said. “You’re going to call on your beast, and shift.”

  Before Tegan could ask how the hell he was supposed to manage that, Grey stepped closer, and locked eyes with him. Tegan went spiraling back into the deep trance, but this time it was much different, as he felt Grey’s consciousness move within him. There was a fluttering feeling deep within his belly, and suddenly he was touching the ball of energy inside his chest, the ball that represented the beast.

  A roar reverberated through his chest, and Grey stood back as the dragon exploded out of Tegan, layers and layers of matter folding outward as he transformed from a small thirteen-year-old boy, to a dragon that was nearly the size of the Rhino-beast. Pain reverberated through him, as it always did with every change, but this time there was a sense of power too, and he could feel his rib knitting back together, making him whole once more.

  “There you are!” Grey exclaimed admiringly, a grin on his face. “Just as you’re supposed to be.” He looked at Tegan
’s red scales, dusted with gold, and placed his hand on his heart. “And you’re going to be magnificent too, when you grow up.”

  Within seconds, Grey shifted back into his own dragon form, rippling silver-grey and metallic hues, a glorious sight to behold. His outstretched wings took up most of the space left in the clearing. Let’s go, he said, speaking into Tegan’s consciousness. We must be on our way.

  Are we going to be able to get there before sunset? Tegan asked, spreading his wings and enjoying the way the bones and muscles felt as they stretched, the tips of his wings brushing the trees.

  Yes, if we hurry. Now let’s fly!

  Chapter Two

  Tegan could barely describe the joy racing through his veins and filling his heart, as he soared over the open fields with Grey. His wings, stretched out as wide as they could go, were warmed by the sun and aerated by the wind rushing through them, howling in his ears with the same exhilaration he felt in his heart. He was so happy to be flying in the sky again that he almost did somersaults in the air – but decided not to risk it because of his newly healed injury, and because he didn’t know what Grey would think. Though the dragon shifter was kind to him, he didn’t really know anything about him, and didn’t want to look like a foolish child when in his presence.

  And the last thing he needed to do was upset someone who’d taken him in and risk having Grey drop him off at the nearest forest like his mother had.

  Shaking off the sadness that threatened to engulf him, he allowed his eyes to sweep over the landscape – the rolling hills dotted with green trees, the small groupings of houses and streets that marked human villages. Ahead, where Grey was taking him, loomed a range of purple-grey mountains – The Sonaras – where the Redwater Clan made their home.

  The Redwater Clan. He’d never heard of them, being from so far away, but he hoped they were kinder than his own clan had been. Since he was born out of wedlock, he’d been scorned and looked down upon since the moment of his birth, as had his mother. They’d hated her too, barely tolerating her existence, and it had driven his mother mad to the point where she’d been unable to stand the isolation of being an outcast. That was why she’d gotten rid of him, so that she could marry into a good family and finally garner the respect she’d always wanted.