“See, I knew you’d understand. Anyway,” Caleb said, sticking out his hand. Henry reached out and shook it, clasping it firmly. “It’s been great meeting you. I can’t say I’ve gone out of my way to meet too many hellhounds over the years, but I might have to re-evaluate that policy. You’re a good guy.”
Henry blinked. It wasn’t often he just had a casual, friendly conversation with anyone, let alone a stranger who also happened to be a dragon shifter. He was so used to people avoiding him that it was downright weird to just stand around and chat, let alone shake hands.
“You, too. I’ll definitely head into town and get something else to eat.” If he could keep from luring any more animals there, anyway. But hewashungry!
“Oh, and if you need anything, just drop by the ranger’s hut – all of the trails meet up there if you go downhill, you can’t miss it,” Caleb said. “My mate, Kira, is based there, and I’m often there as well. If you need a hand with anything, just let us know.”
This day just got stranger and stranger. All his adult life in the city and he hadn’t made a real friend, but now he was getting offers of help from some random dragon shifter he just met? Maybe therewassomething magical about Girdwood Springs.
“For sure,” he said. “Thanks. I mean it.”
Caleb nodded. “Well, I’d better be off – Kira will be wondering where I am. See you around!”
Henry nodded back and took a step backward, giving Caleb room. Caleb’s form shimmered for a moment, and then the dragon was looming there magnificently before him. It lingered for half a second before launching itself upward, its enormous wings creating a massive downdraft that left Henry’s hair fluttering. It was gone in a matter of seconds, vanishing over the ridge.
Well. That was… unexpected.
He quickly shifted back into hellhound form – the last thing he needed was to get caught naked in the woods, or, for that matter, to be attacked by a large and overzealous woodland creature while his more sensitive parts were on full, vulnerable display.
His hellhound snarled a little, but it seemed to be more bark than bite. Hellhounds and dragons generally did not get along in the slightest – not that there were many creatures out there whodidget along with hellhounds – but Caleb had seemed like a genuinely good guy, and he knew that his hellhound had also been able to sense that. Not that that kept the hellhound from being a little miffed. It had appearances to keep up, after all.
Okay,he thought as he loped back toward the B&B.I’ll get my clothes, and then head back to the festival for a bite to eat and to get swarmed by the local bird population. After that, well… I guess I’ll wait and see.
He had no intention of hanging around and making Luna uncomfortable with actual creepy stalker vibes, but he was hoping he could at least apologize to her. If she was annoyed with him – and honestly, he wouldn’t blame her – he would step back a bit.
He trotted through a stand of spruce trees, their tops still dusted with the last of the winter snow, and splashed through a bracingly cold stream. Brilliant yellow sun filtered through the branches even as wisps of mist coiled up from somewhere, and he stopped for a moment to breathe the crisp, clean mountain air, its scent even more pure in his hellhound form.
Once again, the word sprang to mind:magical.
He had never in his life had any particular attachment to anywhere he had lived, besides a sentimental feeling for the house he had grown up in, but there was something about Girdwood Springs that felt likehome. The thought of living in a place like this with Luna at his side stirred a feeling inside him that he had never felt before.
He shook his head, and hurried on. No point in getting ahead of himself.
A few minutes later the B&B rose up from behind the trees, and he slowed his pace, approaching cautiously from amongst the bushes. He couldn’t see, hear, or smell anyone nearby, but still, the last thing he needed to do was ruin this business’s good name by lurking around it as a giant slavering beast.
I do not slaver. Why would you say such things?
I don’t know. Would you prefer ‘drool’?
The hellhound huffed.You drool in your sleep. I’ve seen it. I don’t know what I did to deserve any of this. Why must I be tied to a human form? And why must I be tied toyourhuman form specifically? You’ve made me a laughingstock.
I don’t know, I think you got a pretty good deal with me. Who else would buy you cheese? I can’t see anyone else buying it for you.
The hellhound drew its head up haughtily.I would steal it. It is mine by right. Nobody would dare stop me.
Henry laughed out loud, the sound coming out of his hellhound form as a gentle whuff.You would do no such thing.I know you. You pretend to be above it all, but you’re actually pretty law-abiding. You don’t actually like doing anything to upset regular people.
The hellhound hissed.You take that back.
I will not.
The hellhound continued to insult him, but he tuned it out, creeping up to the window that he knew led to Luna’s room. He could hear nothing from inside the room, not even the sound of breathing, so he was sure she wasn’t there; nevertheless, it was with some trepidation that he peered through the window, not wanting to invade her privacy.
To his mixed relief and disappointment, the room was empty.
He’d have some explaining to do, provided he ever even saw her again, and he didn’t have the first clue of how to go about it.
Henry ducked into the bathroom, alarm flaring through him at first as he couldn’t see his clothes anywhere – until he looked behind the door, and realized they must have been pushed aside and squashed into the corner when Luna opened it, making them all but invisible to her. Which, Henry supposed, was probably agoodthing – she probably thought it was odd enough that he’d run off without a shirt, but running off without a shirtandwithout pants? That waswayworse.
