Page 6 of A Secret Crush Valentine's

A huge, dark shadow swept over her, and Julia dared to glance up and then froze in her tracks, her eyes widening at the sight of the creature overhead.

Ofcourse,a weird, magical place like this would have dragons in it.

The dragon had to be at least 200 feet above, but she could make it out just fine. And goodness gracious, it was massive. Julia had never seen a dragon before, at least not this close up. The sight was as impressive as it was terrifying. A long tail snaked behind the body that was as large as three buses. Wings like tarpaulins spread from its sides, and a long neck supported a horned head.

Is it just me, or… is it watching me?

The dragon circled overhead for a few seconds. And then it lunged.

Chapter Two

Weirdest High School Reunion Ever

Jackpot!

He swooped out of the sky toward the creature, wings tucked at his sides. The creature turned and tried to get away. It was a snow leopard, alright.Thesnow leopard shifter he’d been after for weeks.

At long last, he’d found it.

He hit the ground in a flash, the earth trembling with the impact. Flecks of snow sprayed in all directions. The bag hanging from his neck shook and slammed against his scales. He unfurled his wings and let out a roar that echoed across the mountain. His prize lay in the snow before him, having been knocked out from the impact of his landing. Tough day for him.

Or was it a her? Hadn’t Grim Jim mentioned earlier that it was a female shifter?

Tough day for her, he corrected himself.Good for me.

The leopard staggered to her feet, not taking those bluish eyes off him for a second. He could see the fear in those eyes.

Good.

His live catches tended to show fear. Fear meant there was less likely to be resistance. This should be easy.

He’d almost given up a week ago after searching this side of the mountain and finding nothing. Heck, he’d considered taking the risk and fleeing to Caprichor. The Ice Melter would never find him there. He’d learned about the place a few months ago and visited it once. That village was too well hidden, both from the eyes and the minds of other inhabitants of Frost Mountain.

After this, he wouldn’t have to flee. After this, he would be free to live as he pleased. At least now he didn’t have to worry about facing Jim’s wrath.

You do not mess with Jim, and that was that.

It was Jim who’d sent him on this mission after receiving word from other Collectors about the snow leopard’s presence on the mountain weeks ago.Find her and bring her to me alive.Those were his orders.

He took a step toward the snow leopard, and she backed away with a whimper. Despite his relief, guilt clutched at his heart. This wasn’t right. This was an innocent shifter, someone who probably had no idea what kind of things happened around these parts. Whatever Jim had in store for her was no more pleasant than being attacked and captured by a dragon.

This was why he’d decided to part ways with the Collectors.

He’d been with them since he’d arrived on Frost Mountain. They’d found him and given him a new life, a new purpose after what had happened to him: Falling into that lake and losing everything—his old life, his family, his dream of a college scholarship…

And her.

Grim Jim wouldn’t let him go unless he paid back the favor he owed him. But it was this sort of thing that made him want to leave the Collectors in the first place.

He stepped closer, and the leopard’s eyes grew even wider. Then she began to shift. The sound of bones expanding and reshaping themselves filled his ears. The spotted white coat slowly receded into pale flesh. In seconds, a woman stood staring, wide-eyed, back at him.

His heart nearly stopped. A single thought floated to the front of his mind.

Red?

***

The way Damon McLaurent saw it, luck was only a matter of perspective. Sometimes, stuff happened that made you the happiest guy in the world. And sometimes, the same stuff meant you were knee-deep in a pile of crap.

---