Chapter 9
We followed Troy and his ‘atrocious’ driving up the mountain for almost an hour before we finally pulled into another—if smaller and muddier—parking lot.
The ranger’s leadership was apparently a disgrace—or at least, according to Damen, it was.
He did not attempt to hide his true feelings, although I wasn’t certain he knew I was reading his lips through the rearview mirror.
Regardless, despite Damen’s comments, I had enough time to review my papers.
It was a good thing, too—so many mythical creatures supposedly survived in these woods.
I’d discarded Damen’s reading material—Bigfoot, which was entirely fictional, wasn’t even rumored to exist in this part of the county. However, this other creature…
It seemed foreboding despite the colorful pictures, and Brayden pointed it out, so it must be important.
I lingered as the others exited. Damen and Julian began to pull luggage from the rooftop carrier and tossed it in a pile behind the vehicle. The sparkly strap of my pink duffle bag caught my eye, and I grabbed it.
What had I been thinking, packing this much crap? A hairbrush was hardly essential.
Titus took my bag. “I’ll take it. Carry mine,” he said, pushing a tiny gray backpack toward me with his foot. “It’s lighter.”
“But—” That wasn’t very fair.
“Don’t worry about it,” he interrupted, swinging the strap over his shoulders. His movements were smooth, his expression hardly changing as he tied my luggage into place over the ax that he wore on his back. When secured, he pulled his hair above his head.
He almost looked like an actual lumberjack, if not for the pink and black bling that clashed with his super manly persona. Yes, he owned Hello Kitty boxers, but I had no proof that he actually wore them… yet.
They could just be for decoration.
I picked up Titus’s bag with one hand and frowned—hardly anything was in there.
“Remember, stay close to me,” he said directly into my ear.
His attention moved to the outside of the dirt lot where Troy was speaking to Finn and Bryce.
“We only have to put up with him a little while longer. But I need to go over there. You saved us time by getting us here. I’m not going to let this go to waste.
I’ll make it up to you later. Just remember how brave you are. ”
Then he turned from me, stalking toward the two of them.
I frowned, hesitating. But then I pulled the scarf over my mouth and followed Titus. It wasn’t cold enough for gloves yet, but the midafternoon air already held a bite—it would be uncomfortable tonight.
“This is the highest point in the mountains,” Troy said, gesturing over the tree line. “Over there is the entrance to the most commonly used trail for backpackers and campers. Even though it’s off-season, your friend likely went in this direction. If you’d like, I can take you to the first—”
“No,” Titus interrupted, his tight jaw softened as my arm brushed against his. He twisted his fingers with mine. “We’ll be fine on our own from here.” His face was a picture of concentration as his piercing gaze surveyed the distance. “We’ve done this before.”
I squeezed his hand. I wanted to ask when they’d had to trek across the wilderness in the past—obviously, it had never been in pursuit of Miles.
“Really?” Troy said, tone thick with skepticism. “I can believe you’ve done this before, but are you willing to expose her to the wrath of the Snallygaster?”
Oh no! My attention snapped to Bryce, who had jerked at the ranger’s words.
This was precisely what Brayden had been trying to warn me about.
Bryce would ask questions—I could see the wheels turning behind his dull expression—and everything would be for naught.
Bryce would never leave if he heard about the people-eating dragon.
Stupid Troy, why couldn’t he suck at his job?
“She’ll be fine.” Titus lightly pulled at my hand, causing me to stumble into him.
He didn’t seem concerned at the threat of the terrifying beast. This meant he’d already known about it—or he didn’t care.
But then he spoke again, wrapping his arms around my upper chest. “I’m not about to let anything happen to my mate. ”
My mate …
I felt lightheaded. Suddenly, armed with the knowledge that nothing could get past Titus’s defenses, I was no longer afraid of Troy. My heart was beating wildly, and my skin burned—thankfully, I was short enough that Titus’s arms and the scarf covered my lower face.
“That explains a lot…” Troy’s posturing deflated. He glanced at Titus, almost deferring, but not entirely either. “What are you, anyway?”
“My father is a lion,” Titus answered without hesitation.
“Huh.” Troy sniffed. “My senses must be off. I can’t see that.”
Damen and Julian remained near the growing pile of supplies outside the van. From the surface, they seemed focused on their duties. However, as Damen tossed a bag onto a small mountain of supplies, his posture was tight, and his movements were shorter than usual.
And Julian, although he looked the most tranquil and involved in counting bags and issuing instructions to Brayden, could not hide the wariness across our bond.
For a moment, I thought the conversation had dropped, and we were on safer topics.
But then Troy had to open his big mouth again. “In that case, you really need to watch out,” he began, pulling at his shirt as professional ranger mode took over. “Not even your mate is safe. The Snallygaster will non-discriminately kill everything in its path.”
No!
My throat closed in despair as Bryce, who had become disinterested, perked up again.
“But she is cute,” Troy said. “And dragons like pretty things. Maybe it won’t kill her.”
“A dragon ?” Titus’s voice was thick with scorn. “There’s no dragon here.”
His ironic statement pulled me from my spiraling emotions, and I turned my head to look up at him with narrowed eyes.
But there was no sarcasm in his expression—his features were perfectly calm.
“Of course there is!” Brayden—to my utmost horror—appeared at my side and swung his arm over my shoulders as he pulled me from Titus. I stiffened as he touched me, and he seemed to notice, but he didn’t let me go. “Forget it,” he mouthed, “It’s time to move on to Plan B.”
Plan B? What was Plan B? I hadn’t even realized this was an issue until three minutes ago!
“Didn’t you do any research?” he asked Titus, his tone accusing. “How can you protect your mate like this? The Snallygaster is the vilest dragon of them all. It targets hikers, campers, and children alike.”
I stepped back and touched my lips as I blinked at Brayden. Why were children in a completely different category than hikers and campers? That grouping was all wrong.
“The creature doesn’t discriminate. It has downed thousands of cheeseburgers, laying waste to every campground throughout the region,” Brayden continued, waving his hand. “Countless clotheslines and tents have been ruined in its reign of terror. These are, of course, all things dragons do.”
“Dragons don’t do any of those things!” Titus snapped.
I gaped at Brayden. Why was he trying to make Titus angry?
“I bet he even has a secret hoard somewhere deep in the mountains.” Brayden sighed, his gaze trailing across the distance. “Aren’t you just itching to find the treasure?”
“Shove off, Brayden.” Titus glowered, eyes flashing an eerie red. This dragon talk seemed somewhat of a sensitive subject for him. “I hear enough of this from Miles. Go wait for us at the hotel.”
Miles…
I twisted my hands together as my breath caught.
Did he know what lived out here before he started his journey? According to the articles, the Snallygaster was deadly, and some recent sightings had been reported.
No, I believed he had to know. It was the only thing that made sense. In his letter, Miles said he left to become a better man. Plus, he seemed to enjoy tormenting Titus.
Was he trying to prove himself by battling a dragon? The fool. What if he’d been eaten?
No… I shook my head. He couldn’t have been eaten; we would know it.
Maybe?
I didn’t understand how any of this worked, but Damen seemed confident in the effectiveness of the Quintet Bond alert system despite the contrary evidence. That’d been the point of our calm and rational discussion during our trip here.
In any case, even if he wasn’t dead, Miles might still be in peril.
What if he was bleeding into a river as the water turned crimson with his life’s essence?
The forest was vast, and swift and virulent waters cut through these lands.
Or perhaps he’d fallen off a cliff, broken his leg, and was now pitifully waiting for rescue?
We had to find him.
“What’s the Snallygaster?” Bryce asked, apparently reaching a breaking point.
I glanced at Brayden, but he only smirked.
“How do you not know about the Snallygaster?” he asked. “Just look, Bianca. What kind of idiot doesn’t do their research?”
“What are you talking about? This was supposed to be a safe trip.” Bryce’s brows furrowed as he glanced between us. “And don’t call me an idiot.”
Brayden sighed, shoulders slumping. “See what I have to put up with?”
“It’s a local legend,” Finn said, coming to Bryce’s rescue. “But it’s not important. You’re all being ridiculous.”
“It’s just a superstition.” Damen strode over, a bag tied to his back. Julian followed, brushing his clothes. They’d split most of the gear, and Damen dropped the remaining bags at Titus’s feet. “It’s probably just a bobcat—or something equally harmless. Don’t get all dramatic, Bryce. It’s fine.”
A harmless bobcat … How lovely! There was no reason to be concerned.
Not.
“It’s not a bobcat, it’s a dragon !” Troy—who’d had all but been forgotten—interrupted. His face flushed, and he pointed a shaking finger at Damen. “Don’t you think I know a dragon when I smell one?”
“No,” Damen answered instantly. “Besides, I think we’ll be alright. Titus, are you scared?”
Titus scoffed, his attention returning to the horizon.