Daggerthorn; a Christmas Gift Read online

  DAGGERTHORN

  A CHRISTMAS GIFT

  DRAGON HUNTER BROTHERHOOD

  SHERI-LYNN MAREAN

  Copyright © 2022 by Sheri-Lynn Marean

  All rights reserved.

  This book is for your enjoyment only. You may not sell, give away, copy, reproduce, distribute or transmit, in any form, (whole or part) by any means, electronic, digital, optical, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, printing, or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  ALSO BY SHERI-LYNN MAREAN

  DRACONES; CURSED & HUNTED

  0~Primalthorn ~ Prequel Novella

  0.5~ Dragonsworn Guardian

  1~Dracones Awakening

  2~Dracones Revelation

  3~Dracones Betrayed

  4~Dracones Thaniel

  5~Dracones Rogue

  6~Dracones Guardian

  7~Dance with Darkness

  8~Defiant Wolf; Curse Breaker

  Sanctuary; Dragon Heart Awakened

  Return to Sanctuary; We All Gots Beasts

  9~Beat of my Heart

  LEAGUE OF SUPERNATURAL ASSASSINS

  1~ The Dragon Assassin

  League of Supernatural Assassins Shared World

  DRAGON HUNTER BROTHERHOOD

  1~ Saberthorn

  2~ Casstiel; Born of Lightning

  3~ Daggerthorn; A Christmas Gift

  Alien Vampire Hunter

  1 ~ Dance with Darkness

  2 ~ Hunting Darkness

  Mates of Carmeloh

  1 ~ Fantasy Lovers

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Thank you to my awesome Editor Laura LaTulipe, my Beta Readers, my Review Team, my PA Barbara Shuler, my VA Mindy Seal, and my TikTok PA Jennifer Malone Wright.

  This one is for my dad; Carman Hodges, the best dad I could have ever wanted. You taught me to always work for what I want, and never once told me I couldn’t do something I set my mind on! Love you always best dad ever!

  FREE BOOK

  Get Primalthorn FREE & Discover how the Dracones were Born.

  1

  AWAKE

  A ripple of magic, like a faint honey-spiced breeze, tickled the edges of Daggerthorn’s mind and slowly drew him from his stasis sleep. As he regained consciousness, he opened one scaled eye and then the other. The rock cavern around him was almost completely sealed, except for a slight fissure that allowed in air. It rose straight to the top of the mountain. Otherwise, there was no other opening—nothing to let in any light whatsoever. But with his dragon eyesight, Dagger could see every nook and cranny. He reached out with his senses, beyond the rock of the mountain he’d buried himself under, but found nothing other than the local wildlife foraging about.

  For a moment, he wondered if the Ilyium had managed to find him, but no, it wasn’t them. So, what had awakened him?

  Perplexed, he waited, but as an hour passed with nothing, he started to relax until he felt it again.

  It was someone in distress, and as he delved deeper, he realized it was a wolf. Only, it wasn’t really a wolf. No, it was a shifter—a female—and none he’d ever come across before.

  Why would he be feeling such a thing?

  He waited, seeking more information, but all that came to him was that she was scared of something.

  As Dagger considered what this might mean, he did an internal inspection and realized that the wounds he’d gone into sleep with had finally healed. As dragonkind he instinctively knew how much time had passed, and this sleep cycle had lasted two hundred years. He’d been so close to going rogue, and hadn’t cared whether he survived or not.

  But despite his desire to return to sleep and stay there forever, he was awake and apparently, whole again. Not that it mattered. When his beautiful, soft-spoken mate died, she’d taken his will to live with her.

  Dagger once again closed his eyes—the world held nothing for him but an agonizing reminder of what he no longer had—except, sleep eluded him as his mind continued to wonder why he’d been awakened. Why he’d felt the fear of some strange female.

  He didn’t want to know, for that could lead to him caring, but he sighed when his stomach let out a demanding grumble. It was time to find food, but he would not seek out this female.

  Dagger drew on his power, and though it had been a long time since he’d used it, his magic awoke with a flood of energy. He directed it at the stone and earth around him, imagining how he wanted to manipulate the mountain above until a winding path that led to the outside appeared.

  Since he’d made the space wide enough only for his human form, he shifted shape, picked up the pack that held all his belongings, and began the hike to the surface.

  Half an hour later, he lifted his face to the sky and savored the light and heat on his face. From the position of the sun, he judged it to be about midafternoon. But being this far north, it wouldn’t be long before the dark of night descended.

  Dagger inhaled the crisp winter—the powder of white snow covered the ground and forest as he gazed all around. Despite the ache in his heart, breathing in the fresh air felt good. After he closed his current lair back up, Dagger freed his dragon and took to the sky, making sure to cloak himself. Here on Earth, the humans weren’t aware that the supernatural existed, or at least they hadn’t known when he went to sleep, and he doubted it had changed much. But even if he were in his home realm of Tartaria, it wouldn’t have been wise to show himself. Not while the enemy of all supes—the Ilyium, a group of druid witches who wanted to see them all wiped from existence—still roamed the lands.

  Dagger resisted the urge to head in the direction of where he’d felt the female—whoever she may be, she was better off without him around—and instead enjoyed flying, stretching his wings, and savoring the wind on his scales. He drew upon all his senses, letting them out for the first time in what seemed like forever, and yet seemed like just yesterday. There was no sense of his enemy or of his family—except wait—there was something. Dagger started south, seeking the thin thread of familiarity. It was still a distance away, and he didn’t recognize the bloodline as any that he knew, but it resonated within as family, yet not. Could there be some familial descendants here in this realm?

  It wasn’t beyond the scope of possibility; he had been gone a long time. Who were they, and which of his brothers or sisters’ line were they born of? Dagger ached to go find out, but with a curse, he turned away instead.

  Despite how curious he was and how much he might long for the company of other dragonkind, they didn’t need one on the verge of turning rogue anywhere close to them.

  As the weight of his existence—the loneliness—settled once more upon him, Dagger started back toward his lair. It’d be best if he went back to stasis sleep. Except, his stomach had other ideas. As it let out another loud grumble, he reluctantly started for a small settlement that hadn’t been too far away when he’d gone to sleep. Dagger tried to ignore the fact that he was headed in the same direction as the female he’d like to avoid, but as he grew closer, his awareness of whoever this being was grew as well. He had no idea what he’d find. Would the settlement even be around after all this time?

  Before he went to sleep, the place had been a small handful of shacks, transportation being sled dogs and horses. Now, as it came into sight, he wasn’t surprised to see it had morphed into a large town with scattered dwellings. And as he glided over the area, he scanned the people to see what clothing they wore and what other differences there might be.

  A lot had changed, but that was to be expected.

  There were no sled dogs or horses, but rather shiny, metal transport machines in various colors that looked similar to the ones he’d seen long ago in the realm of Yara. Though he doubted they still looked the same there. Yara was a couple of hundred years more advanced than Earth.

  2

  THE NOSE KNOWS

  Fear swamped her as Brynna lifted her wolf nose. Even knowing it was useless didn’t stop her from attempting to catch the earlier scent she’d been chasing. Except, whatever she thought she’d smelled seemed to be long gone now. Still, she shouldn’t take any chances. They needed to move on—leave this place and never look back.

  No, not yet …

  The fainty directive, like a whisper in the mind, shivered through her. Brynna spun around, but there was no one there. Of course there wasn’t. It hadn’t been a real voice but more like an idea coaxing her to give things here a little more time. Which was not a good idea.

  She checked her mental shields just to be safe, and yup, they were still in place and as strong as ever. Unsure what was happening and pulse racing even faster than before, Brynna shifted fully clothed into her human form. Then with a last glance around the ever-darkening wilderness, she climbed into her SUV. Twilight—civil twilight—had started around three p.m. while she’d been on the trail, and nautical twilight had taken over just a little while ago.

  With a shaking hand, Brynna turned the key, waiting for the vehicle to come to life. Then put it into drive and stomped on the gas, sending snow and muck flying behind her. Then, although she didn’t need the heat, she flipped it on anyway, as if it could thaw the chill from her bones. It might have worked if it hadn’t been a cold born of fear.

  To take her mind off the scent she’d been following most of the day, Brynna focused on the different levels of twilight as she drove. The amount of daylight they ha
d up here at this time of year was very short, and she often missed the bright sunny skies of South Carolina where she’d spent most of her life. Lack of sunlight sure hadn’t been something she’d ever considered before she’d came here two years ago.

  By the time she arrived in town, it would be astronomical twilight, and full dark once finally home. Except, on cold, crips nights like this, with the moon out it wasn’t really dark. And if the northern lights put in an appearance, that changed things even more.

  Evil often lurked in the shadows. Brynna shuddered and checked on her mental shields again, looking for any cracks. There was nothing.

  Still, could Greaves have found another way to mess with her mind?

  He couldn’t communicate telepathically with her, she’d long ago blocked him, but could he have somehow developed the ability to compel her?

  Dang, she sure hoped not. The hold Greaves had on her was bad enough. She didn’t need more.

  As she continued to analyze everything, Brynna realized that what she’d felt, or imagined she’d heard, wasn’t Greaves, and a small measure of relief filled her. She eased up on the gas, falling back to the speed limit. While getting in an accident wouldn’t kill her, it could hurt her and slow her down, or leave her stranded on the side of the road, either scenario none she needed.

  Though worry continued to ride her, she didn’t think she was being compelled, at least not by Greaves. But if not him, then who? The more Brynna considered it, the more she wondered if it was a compulsion or a suggestion, albeit an urgent one. Maybe a better word would be, an important one.

  The drive helped to calm her, and by the time she finally made it to town, her heartbeat had regained its normal rhythm. Grateful when she found an empty parking space right in front of Jen’s Dinner, rather than having to park a few blocks over, Brynna cut the engine.

  She sat and stared through the window into the eatery. What was she even doing stopping here? She should be heading home and packing to leave.

  Yet each time Brynna thought of running again, that same niggling urged her to stay. She no longer believed it was Greaves, but it still left the question of who or what it was. Why did it want her to stay?

  As the heat quickly dissipated, Brynna went over her day. She hadn’t meant for her run to last so long, nor planned for it to take her as far as it had. But the scent she’d stumbled across had latched on, and like a pup with its first bone, it wouldn’t let go. But sadly, that scent triggered other blood-freezing emotions Brynna would rather have left buried. That itself should have sent her hightailing it the other way, but no, instead she’d just had to go after the elusive odor. Brynna justified it as needing to know if she were imagining things, or if her worst nightmare had caught back up to her.

  But did it matter? Why take the risk? Sure, she’d always been stubborn, but this was stupid even for her. She should have left things alone.

  Yeah, that would never have worked. She’d have driven herself nuts worrying and likely ended back up where she first picked up the elusive scent.

  Though the real question was, if they were to pack up and run again, where would they go this time? Brynna was so tired of being afraid. Besides, she liked it here. She had friends for the first time. Well, a friend, and a job she didn’t mind.

  No, what she thought she smelled had to be nothing. She’d been so stressed over Greaves finding them that her mind was playing tricks on her. That was it. Right?

  Brynna clenched her jaw as guilt rocked her. When they escaped him, they’d had more help. Now her mother and father were dead, and all she had was her sister to help fight the bastard off. And Lyra was no fighter.

  It was an impossible situation that would likely end up with one of them dying. To counter that, Brynna made sure they didn’t settle anywhere for too long. Even so, Greaves had almost caught up to them a few times. They’d been lucky, but how long would that last?

  So no, it was a risk she couldn’t take—they had to go.

  Gut churning over the idea that her ex may have found her, Brynna got out and went inside the diner. She wasn’t on the schedule to work today, but she needed the comfort of her first love—chocolate.

  The human woman behind the counter looked up as she entered. “Brynna, you’re out late.”

  Brynna flashed her boss a smile. “Hey, Jen. I just wanted to stop in and grab a hot chocolate for my drive home.” Though Jen was fifteen years older than Brynna, the two had taken an immediate liking to each other.

  With strands of brown hair escaping her hairnet, Jen, who’d started off as her boss and instead became a food friend, nodded. “You got it, girl.”

  The back of Brynna’s neck prickled as she waited at the counter. Senses on high alert, she turned and scanned the customers, most were regulars or townsfolk that she’d met at some time or other. Then her gaze landed on someone she’d never seen before. It was a guy. He didn’t give off the otherworldly signature—the magical vibe that all supes did. In fact, there didn’t seem to be anything special about him at all. And yet there was something.

  He sat at a table beside the front window and was devouring his soup and sandwich as if he hadn’t eaten in a very long time.

  Brynna frowned. Though she didn’t detect him as a supe, there was something about him.

  She figured he’d be tall—at least six feet or more, judging by the length of his legs and body. A body that appeared lean yet muscular, if the way he filled out his gray hoodie was any indication. Brynna had no idea what his eyes or face looked like as his hood was pulled up over his head.

  “Here you go, hon.”

  “Thanks, Jen.” Brynna set some cash on the counter as she accepted the disposable cup.

  Jen shook her head and pushed the money back at her. “You know I’m not taking your money for a cuppa cocoa, girl. Now put that away.”

  “You can’t keep doing this. When I’m not working, I’m a paying customer.”

  Jen shook her head and tsked at her. “When you order a full meal off shift, then I’ll let you pay, but for this, no.”

  “You spoil me, but I love ya for it.” Brynna sipped her drink, savoring the rich chocolate as it slid down her throat. “And I love this. You do know how to make the best hot chocolate.”

  “Of course I do, hon, and I love you too. And no need for thanks. You work harder than anyone I’ve ever hired. Too bad we can’t clone you.” Jen grinned and then looked over at one of their regular customers. “More coffee, Fred?”

  When he nodded, she grabbed the carafe and topped off his mug.

  Brynna looked back at the male who’d caught her attention in a way no one ever had, and as Jen came close again, Brynna lowered her voice. “Who’s the guy up front?”

  Jen glanced over at the stranger. “Don’t know, never seen him before.”

  “Wonder why he’s here,” Brynna muttered. People either grew up here and stayed, or came for work. Or they were like her, hiding from someone or something. It was too cold for anyone to just wander here and stay if they didn’t have a job or reason for being here.

  “No idea, but”—Jen’s hazel eyes twinkled—“he’s kinda cute, isn’t he?”

  “Really can’t tell with his head covered like that …” Brynna sucked in a breath as the hood suddenly fell back just enough to reveal gorgeous long black hair and a finely sculpted yet rugged face. She still couldn’t see his eyes, but he had black brows and a faint shadow of whiskers dusting his jawline. Yeah, he was good looking all right.

  But it was the way he tensed and paused in his eating that made her wonder if he was in fact a supe. Her ability to pick out others in the preternatural community by their magical signature had saved her hide more than a few times.

  She’d only ever met two shifters with the ability to hide that aspect of their beings, and that was so they could sneak up on someone. And even then, they could only hold the trick for a few minutes.