Dragon's Claim: A Shifter Romance

Chapter 1 Maggie Peters raced down the winding Tennessee road in her used rag-top Jeep, taking in the beauty of the mountains as she went. She hadn’t spent much time in the state, but she was very excited to get a fresh start with her best friend, doing what they loved most. She had met Jackie when they were undergraduates in New York City, working toward their degrees in history and literature, respectively. It hadn’t taken them long to bond over their shared loved of folklore and they had found themselves lucky enough to be able to turn that in to a career after graduate school, traveling around America recording the mythology and tall tales that shaped the nation. This project, though, was something entirely new. They had never spent so much time researching a tale in one specific location, but when they heard the legend of the dragons of Battleboro, they had both known instantly that they needed to be the first to really explore the origins and impacts of the tale. Jackie, she knew, was very much her opposite. Jackie was the nurturing one, the thoughtful one. She had come out a week early to find them a place to live and to start to build a relationship with the locals. With her sweet smile, clear blue eyes and long, blonde ponytail, Jackie always made a good first impression. Maggie, on the other hand, knew herself to be the reckless one. She made snap decisions, followed her gut, and always said what was on her mind. They balanced each other out nicely, really. Though Jackie often teased her about her curly red hair being the physical manifestation of her temper, she knew her friend really respected her and she felt exactly the same way about Jackie. It was rare, she knew, to find anyone in this world who really and truly loves and respects you for exactly who you are. It was for that reason that she was driving a little faster than usual, because she really needed a hug from her friend. A big part of the reason that she had stayed behind when Jackie packed up a week ago was the fact that she was in the midst of a breakup. Not just any breakup, really, but a pretty ugly one. She had been with Ray Perry for over three years. He was smart and sweet, and she had really wanted to love him, but her time on the road kept them apart quite a bit. When they had first started dating, she was excited to come home from research assignments to be with him, but after the first year, that faded. It had taken her months to notice. She had tried to convince herself that she was being too critical, that they were just reaching a comfortable place with each other. Each time she came back to the city, she tried to be excited to see him, but she was always more excited to leave for her next adventure. Still, he didn’t ask her to give up her travels or her research and he was pleasant to be around, so she was in no rush to end things. After all, she had thought that she could still grow to love him as he loved her. It wasn’t until a month earlier that everything had changed. She had been home for an extended period of time in order to secure the final piece of funding from their trip from a foundation in the city. As usual, she and Jackie had planned to move in to temporary housing in the university-owned apartments. Ray, calm and passive Ray, had thrown an absolute fit, pushing her to move in with him during the interim. It had led to their first real fight, which hadn’t really bothered her because she ended up exactly where she wanted to be, sharing a tiny little apartment with Jackie on campus. It was Ray who wouldn’t let the subject drop. Still, during her first week in the city he planned a romantic date for them on that Saturday, which happened to be their anniversary. She had taken it has a peace offering, even bought a new dress for the occasion. When he came in the taxi to pick her up, he seemed nervous, but no longer angry. She had relaxed immediately, thinking that they were going to have another of their pleasant evenings until she saw just how fancy the French restaurant that he had chosen really was. It wasn’t until he insisted that they order dessert at the end of the meal that she came to the sinking realization that he was about to propose to her. Out came a piece of cheesecake with the ring placed strategically on top, the most cliché of marriage proposals. She had blurted out no without giving it much thought. She didn’t need to. She knew that he was a fine person to spend time with, but not the person she was destined for. He had taken her quick rejection harder that she had ever even dreamed he would. It had shocked her that he had even thought there was a chance that they were ready to be married to each other. It had led to weeks of fighting, nasty accusations, and hurt feelings. It wasn’t until she finally decided that they needed to be completely done with each other that he had become sad rather than mad. Indeed, he had begged her to change her mind and stay with him, but there was no turning back, no matter how much pleading he did. She had bought the jeep, picked up the last of her stuff back from him, and hit the road. Jackie had encouraged her to fly because she was going through so much, but she decided that she needed the drive. She needed to clear her head and get to a good place again, so she hit the road. Now though, being so close, she was anxious to arrive. She wanted to see the sweet little house that Jackie had rented and she really needed a hug from her best friend. As she approached the address that Jackie had given her, she felt the last of the anxiety lift from her shoulders. The petite blonde standing in the front yard was a sight for sore eyes. She threw the car in park and ran to embrace her friend without really taking the time to look at the house that would be their home for the next year. “Maggie, you’re here,” Jackie said, her voice a little chocked from just how tight Maggie was holding her. “I told you I would get here today,” she said with a sly smile. “But you never answered me about your flight info. I would have come to pick you up,” her best friend scolded. “I know, that’s why I didn’t tell you,” she teased. “I needed to get a car for our time here anyway, so I just decided to drive in.” “So you just bought this old jeep and drove the entire way from New York?” Jackie said, gesturing towards the ancient jeep in question. “Yes,” she said plainly. “I needed to clear my head.” “You couldn’t have waited a day and let me pick you up at the airport?” Jackie said, unwilling to give up her position that she should have flown. “Nope,” Maggie teased. “Ever the independent one,” Jackie said with a sigh. “Don’t pout. It’ll give you wrinkles,” she said with a smirk. “You’re not funny,” Jackie said with a stern look on her face. “I missed you too.” Maggie smiled, knowing that all Jackie’s scolding came from her love and concern for her. “I’ve got the research room all set up,” she said, pacified for the moment. “I knew you would.” She chuckled as she threw her arms around Jackie one more time, glad to be reunited with her friend. “Don’t you want to see it?” She laughed, squeezing her friend a bit tighter. “Not right now. I’m exhausted.” She sighed. “You wouldn’t be nearly so worn out if you had flown in like a normal person and let me pick you up at the airport,” she said, unable to resist one last jab. “You needed to be here, working,” Maggie said seriously. “I wish we had been able to travel together,” Jackie admitted. “I know, but I needed to get my stuff out of Ray’s garage.” In a perfect world, they would have made the entire thing into a road trip adventure. “How did that go?” she asked, her eyes full of sympathy. “It was the worst day,” she admitted with a shudder. “He was just so sad.” “Well, you did break his heart,” Jackie said without a bit of teasing in her voice. “It’s not like I set out to. I wanted it to work, but I couldn’t pretend anymore,” she said, sitting on the steps to their porch and burying her head in her hands. “You’d been together three years,” Jackie pointed out. “I know, but you and I have spent most of that time traveling for research. We’d barely spent six months of time actually together,” she said as she looked up. In truth, she wasn’t upset at all that it was over, but she was upset that he was hurt. “He’s a decent guy, I’m sorry for both of you that it didn’t work out,” she said as she sat down and put her arm around her friend’s shoulders. “Me too, but he will be better off,” Maggie said, shaking her head as though to agree with herself. “He deserves someone who can be all in. I’ll never be all in.” “There is no way that he is ever going to do better than you. Nobody would be able to,” Jackie said as only a best friend could. “One day, my friend, I’m going to remind you that you said that,” her friend said with a knowing smile. “Well, if you ever get to, I’ll buy you a drink,” she said, extending her hand to shake on their bet. “Deal; now give me the grand tour of the house,” Maggie said, sensing that she needed a distraction. “I think you’re really going to like it,” Jackie encouraged. As she spoke, Maggie stood and really looked at their little home. It had two stories, but was small and cozy. It looked like it was at least a hundred years old. The wood of the exterior was painted white and the shutters were a pleasant shade of mint green. It was an inviting place. A large porch wrapped around the entire front of the home. The rocking chairs and porch swing were already calling to her. Yes, she thought, this will be a good home for us. “How have the locals been?” she asked, looking around and realizing they had no immediate neighbors. “Icy,” Jackie said with a shrug. “Really?” she gasped. She couldn’t imagine anyone being icy with Jackie. “I think that they just don’t want us painting them as a bunch of mountain folk who believe in dragons,” she said with a little tilt of her head. “Fair point,” Maggie had to admit,” but soon enough they’ll realize that we’re just here to record their legends and their culture for posterity.” They had faced hesitant communities before, but always found a way to warm them up. Very often, those in their studies were sad to see them go. Knowing that outsiders really cared about the history of their communities usually gave them a renewed sense of pride in their own heritage. “The old lady who rented us the cabin is really great,” Jackie said, gesturing to the door to their cabin. “She’s the only one who hasn’t run away from me when I mention the dragons.” “Well, that could make things pretty tricky for us,” Maggie replied as she made her way through the door and in to their home. “It’ll be all right. We’ll woo them with our Yankee charm,” Jackie laughed. “I think that southerners assume that we New Yorkers have no charm.” She smirked. “We’ll just have to prove them wrong,” Maggie said, feeling optimistic for the first time since she had broken things off with Ray. Yes, she thought, the drive had been the right thing to do. All of that stress was behind her and they were ready to undertake the biggest project of their careers. “Oh this place is great,” Maggie gasped as she walked through the front door. The room looked like something out of the 1950s, with sweet floral prints and pastel colors that instantly made her feel happier and right at home. The furniture looked wonderfully vintage, but it was barely worn at all, as though it had been placed there and never touched. The space was so light and airy that she felt as though she was in a vacation rental rather than their home. “Right?” Jackie said. “She said the house was her mother’s. She didn’t want to part with it, but she already had a home of her own when she inherited it so she decided that renting it out would be the best thing. She said that she had a hard time finding tenants though, since most folks around here have lived here their whole lives. She was so glad when I responded to her ad after I found it in the paper. This was really the only place that I looked at. There really wasn’t a reason to keep looking. I knew there couldn’t be a better place for us.” “I love the place! Plus, it is great to have a local on our side,” Maggie said as she slowly turned, taking in the entire room. It was easy for her to picture their life there and it made her feel even better about their choice to come there. “I’m hoping she will help convince people to talk to us,” Jackie continued. “And if not, then at least we’ll have one person besides each other to talk to,” she teased. “Very funny,” Jackie sighed, clearly having considered the possibility that the local community wouldn’t embrace them. “I thought it was. Which room is mine?” Suddenly, she was very anxious to see the space that would be hers. She wanted to settle in, to really begin her adventure in Tennessee. “The one at the top of the steps to the right seemed more your style, but if you hate it, there is a spare room at the end of the hall you can take,” Jackie said, gesturing towards the surprisingly wide wooden staircase that had been freshly painted a lovely shade of cream. “You’re not going to offer to trade rooms with me if I don’t like mine?” she said with as serious an expression as she could muster. The hardest part about teasing Jackie was always trying to keep her laughter in check. “Not a chance. My room is perfect for me,” she answered, her expression as serious as could be. “Fair enough. I’m going to get settled in,” Maggie said as she began to climb the stairs. “Great, I’ll go grab some of your stuff from the jeep,” Jackie said with a smile. “I really have missed you,” Maggie called after her. “Right back at ya buddy,” she yelled as she ran out the front door. As she walked in to the room, she was shocked at just how much she loved it. The walls were a pale shade of blue and the furniture was whitewashed, making the room feel large and airy. There was a screen covered in lace that separated the rest of the room from a corner that featured a lovely writing desk, positioned to look out the window to the surrounding mountains. She wandered in to the connected bathroom and fell even more in love the moment she saw the claw-foot bathtub. “This is going to be a really good place for us,” she said as she heard Jackie enter the room. “I think so. We are going to do good work here,” she said as she placed the first of Maggie’s bags on the queen sized bed. “Legends of dragons in America, unprecedented folk lore work,” Maggie said with a smile. “Let’s just hope they don’t laugh us out of the field,” Jackie said, clearly a bit concerned that her words were the truth. “The only thing our colleagues will do is turn green with envy,” she laughed. They spent the rest of the evening unpacking and catching up, drinking wine and talking as they got everything in the home exactly as they wanted it to be. They started in the living room, then moved to the kitchen and the library. Though they had planned to finish it all that night, they were both just too tired. Agreeing to work on the upstairs rooms the following day, both women went to their respective rooms to crash. They went to bed so exhausted that Jackie was shocked when she came down the stairs in the morning to find Maggie, fully dressed and ready for the day. “You’re up early,” she said in disbelief. “I’m excited to explore the town, especially after the last two weeks I’ve had. I just want to head out and clear my mind,” Maggie said as she bent down to tie her shoes. “Are you walking up to the caves?” Jackie asked, suddenly realizing what Maggie’s plan really was. “I think so,” she said innocently. “I could get dressed and go with you,” Jackie said, the concern on her face clear. She always worried about Maggie’s tendency to go off wandering about on her own. “No, you got the chance to form an impression of them all your own, I should do the same. If you describe them to me, it may alter my perception,” she replied as analytically as possible. Though it was the truth, she also loved the idea of having a little adventure on her own to begin her first full day in their Tennessee home. “Ever the purist,” Jackie said warily. “I try,” she said with a knowing grin. “Be careful up there,” Jackie warned. “The locals won’t go there, so nobody will find you if you fall doing something stupid. “Me? Something stupid?!” she exclaimed with mock hurt on her face. “Yes, you,” Jackie accused, unmoved by her attempt to appear wounded. “We both know there isn’t a tree or cliff you won’t climb.” “I don’t fall, though,” she said indigently. “You’ve broken both arms, your collar bone, and sprained your ankle more times than I can count,” Jackie said, shaking her head as she spoke. “I’ll have you know that I have only sprained my ankle eleven times. If you can’t count to eleven, I picked the wrong research partner,” she said with a laugh. “Be careful up there,” Jackie pleaded. “You’re silly,” she said, giving her friend a quick hug. “Promise me,” Jackie pushed, clearly uncomfortable. “I promise, Mom,” she said, doing her best impression of a teenager. “You know full well that I’m younger than you,” Jackie said as her temper began to rise. “I’m only teasing,” she said, knowing that Jackie hated nothing more than to be treated like the parent of their little group of friends. Because of her kind nature, nearly all of their friends had come to her at one time or another to solve their problems and hug away their troubles. While Jackie loved to help her friends, she didn’t like the parental comparison. “You aren’t funny,” she said, doing her best to keep a pouty expression on her face. “I’ll see you later. Maybe we can plan to go in to town for lunch and meet some locals, build up some good will.” “Sounds like a plan,” Jackie said, clearly excited to begin their true work. *