Island of Dragons (15 page)

As Diesel climbed into the car, Miley quickly wrapped her arms around him pulling him close. “I owe you,” she beamed kissing his cheek. The slight gesture was overwhelming to him. The girl was overly excited and she willingly kissed him, which made him happy.

They had driven back to Miley’s apartment to celebrate with take-out. Afterward, Diesel was planning to take her somewhere where he could tell her all about himself.

“Yeah, the divorce is finalized.” Miley spoke over the phone to someone. Diesel had excused himself to the restroom and she had received the call taking it as an okay to speak out in the living room.

“You need me to come back, really? I don’t know… I have someone…” Miley paused listening to the person on the other side of the phone line. “Oh… I’m so sorry to hear that but…” Miley let out a soft sob, “I can’t…” Diesel frowned as he stood in at the far side of the room listening Miley grunted, “fine. I will be there just give me… Okay. I’ll be on the first flight out.” Miley clicked the phone shut.

“Where are we going?” Diesel questioned, his eyebrow raised curiously.

“We aren’t,” Miley whimpered. “I am going. I don’t know when I’ll be back but you’ve got to go.” Tears began to stream down Miley’s cheeks and Diesel rushed forward to comfort her.

“Miley, I’ll go anywhere with you.”

“You can’t. I have to go on my own.” Miley said firmly.

“Miley,” Diesel plead.

“I have to go. Please lock the door when you leave.” Tears streamed down Miley’s cheeks as she rushed into the bedroom. Luckily, she had a spare suitcase since the new one was in a foreign country without her. She tucked in some more comfortable lounging outfits and clothing that would work great for doing some manual labor.

Her family needed her to come home, though she really
did not want to, it wasn’t quite a request.

Miley allowed Diesel to drive her to the airport but that was it. She refused to allow Diesel to follow her inside. Diesel sighed
nodded his head and drove away. He drove the car around to the long term parking and filled out a form to keep the car parked there.

Stepping from the attendant’s office, Diesel looked around quizzically. Where could she have gone? He quickly made his way to the terminal. Stepping inside, Diesel lifted his head and took in a deep breath. He could pick up the scents of coffee brewing, food cooking, perfumes, colognes, and sweat. The scent of the woman he chose as a mate was somewhere close to the scent of coffee and Diesel began to walk toward it.

Diesel smiled when he finally spotted the familiar brunette slipping gingerly at a cup of coffee. A small amount of tears slipped down her cheeks but she remained somewhat composed. Diesel sucked in a deep breath, holding his beast back from reaching out to comforting her. He looked around and spotted a location he could hide and still see Miley. He needed to wait to find out what plane she was taking and where she was going.

After twenty minute, Miley sniffled and wiped the tears away before dumping her cup in the trash. She gripped onto her luggage then walked off. Diesel ducked behind objects, pillars, and people watching as Miley came to a set of terminal seating.

She began to sit down when someone called out, “Flight 143 now boarding for first and business class.” Miley shifted her bag and sighed. Instead of continuing toward the stewardess, she moved closer and stopped. Another few minutes passed and Miley walked forward to hand the woman a ticket and continued down the hall to flight 143.

Diesel had hurried away after he watched Miley walk onto the flight 143. He stopped at a board and checked where the plane was going and then hurried away. He
could not fly quite as fast as the plane, so he wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Outside the
airport, finding a place to shift was actually quite difficult. There was only one spot, which Diesel figured might be big enough. On the other side of the road from the airport was a wooded area. He sprinted down the drive and across the road as if he was running from a forest fire, his speed increasing as he neared it. Any human who would pay enough attention, might notice the inhuman speed, but Diesel did not care.

Launching his body over the security fencing with ease, Diesel raced faster. As he hit the tree cover, Diesel stripped his clothing off quickly tucking his jeans, shirt, underwear, socks, and shoes into a backpack, which had been specially made to attach around his calf. It was made specifically for his dragon by the crafters on the island. It would expand as his creature’s body shifted.

Fully naked and his clothing pack in place, Diesel closed his eyes and held out his arms calling for his dragon to rise to the surface. In a hurry now that Miley was getting further and further away, the dragon pushed harder rising quicker than Diesel had ever shifted before.

The more time a dragon spent with the
mate they chose, the faster they could shift, especially an alpha. Within a matter of second, Diesel’s skin began to wiggle and move while the bones beneath twisted, turned, and grew. His face elongated, his digits stretching into long toes and claws. His teeth grew sharp as needles and his skin began to turn into the pearly black scales of his dragon.

Now standing around fifteen foot tall and almost twice in length, Diesel knew his powers were going to be pushed to the limit as he flew for his first daylight flight. Humans would be completely ignorant to not spot the way the trees swayed and argued against the massive beast’s body as he moved out into the open but they wouldn’t be able to notice him. Diesel was more than lucky that he had the knowledge and strength to pull it off but turning such a massive creature invisible really was quite hard.

The delicate now invisible wings of the beast swooped down to the ground before flying back up; he was taking flight from the ground. Moving with the speed of a trained warrior, Diesel lifted himself up and flew toward the southwest.

Miley’s plane had lifted off nearly a half an hour ago and had quite a lead on him. Yet, he had the determination to find her again. Diesel would follow her to the end of the earth to bring his mate back to his side.

Heavy whoops of his massive wings sounded like a freight train moving through the sky. The sound was so loud that humans walking around the airport lifted their heads to the sky searching for it. Diesel held in a chuckle as he flew over their heads. It would have been fun to play with the human by blowing fire into the sky or letting out a roar but he knew better.

Pushing his dragon to move fast Diesel’s wings flapped furiously against the air. The plane would touch down in hours. Diesel on the other hand wouldn’t land for a few after that. He would then have to located her scent and track her down. Would his mate be happy to see him again, he wasn’t quite sure, but he was worried about it.

By the time Diesel landed, he was tired. He could not believe his mate flew from New York to Colorado on a what, a whim?

After he had landed near the
airport, he had tracked down her scent. The lovely smell went in one direction, straight from the plane to what must have been a waiting car or taxi then headed north.

Once Diesel had shifted himself back into his
dragon, he flew low trying desperately to keep even the slightest link on her scent. Luckily it was a nice day out and most of the cars had their windows open, the one Miley had rode in was not any different.

He landed himself near a small pond on the property of a large farm. The dragon was well hidden, he believed
, so he took slow steps toward the water to quench his thirst before shifting.

He let loose his invisibility to relax some. Miley was close and he could feel her; there was no more need to rush. Lapping up the cool refreshing water, Diesel curled his long tail around his back legs then laid his head down over his front ones. He would rest here for a while letting his beast calm and rejuvenate in his true form.

A young girl’s laughter caused Diesel to break out of his resting slumber. “Oh Willy, this is so pretty” the girl cooed. There were two of them, Diesel thought as he swiftly brushed his tail over the tracks he had left in the sand. His body was beginning to turn invisible when the girl spotted him. “Look!” she called out.

Her voice
did not hold fear but more like curiosity as she crept closer. “I can’t believe it. There’s a giant lizard.”

Diesel turned around. The girl was creeping closer and closer reaching out her hand to touch the spike along his tail. “
Did not anyone tell you, it’s impolite to touch…,” Diesel hissed gently.

The girl screeched and jumped back pulling her hand away from Diesel’s now semi open, sharp teethed mouth. “How can you talk?” The boy who must have been Willy asked.

“All of my kind can speak,” he rolled his shoulders back and stood up proudly. “Do you know a Miley Tanner?” he asked. Since the children were out here bothering him and he would have to change their memories anyway, he figured he would ask.

“Aunt Miley?” t
he girl giggled. “Of course we know her,” the girl’s voice was soft and bubbly as she slowly tried again to reach Diesel’s spiked tail.

“Would you like to feel my tail?” he chuckled.

“Yes, please,” the girl nearly whispered.

“To bad,” Diesel huffed swishing it away from her.

The girl’s face paled and tears threatened to spill, but then Diesel did something he never thought he could do. Slowly, he brought his head down to the girl’s level and allowed her to touch his silky smooth scales.

Her tiny little fingers laced around the horn on the end of his nose refusing to let go. “You have a horn like a hippo-pona-moose
,” she smiled.

“Rhinoceros?” Diesel provided tilting his head slightly.

“That’s what she meant,” the boy laughed. The little girl just scowled. “My name’s Will. What do you want with my sister?” he asked. The boy was only young but he acted as if he was the stern older brother protecting his sister.

“I am a friend. Can you tell me how to find her?” the dragon asked tipping his head down and relaxing his wings to his sides as he swished his tail back and forth.

“She’s up at the house with momma,” the girl offered softly.

“Thank you,” Diesel answered, still in dragon form. Then he nuzzled the little girl’s side before speaking again, “Sleep
, it’s all a dream.”

It
would not make the children sick, nor would it make them get hurt. The two children slowly slipped to the ground falling asleep. Rapidly shifting into his human form, Diesel pulled on his clothing before checking in on the children once again. They would only be asleep for a few minutes and he made his way toward the house in the distance before they woke.

Diesel’s sensitive hearing noticed the children beginning to wake. They then began to ask each other questions curiously. He smiled. Children’s minds are so easily manipulated.

The house was a farm house, yet it was so much bigger. It was large, beautiful, and white. The house sported a wraparound porch. Behind it, Diesel could recognize a barn and field. Fencing stretched out behind the house and barn where animals must have been pastured at.

He contemplated just walking up to the door and knocking or sneaking into the room, which Miley slept in at night… the sun was beginning to fade and so Diesel took the easier route. He strode straight up to the door and knocked.

After a few minutes there was shuffling on the other side of the door. He smiled politely as a woman with graying brown hair answered the door. Her eyes were brown and her skin tanned from the sun.

“Well hello,” the woman smiled softly. She was young, if you took away the age lines and blond hair color she had she would look as if she was Miley’s twin.

“Hello,” Diesel said back. “Is Miley Tanner here?”

“Oh! Of cours
e, who are you her boyfriend?” the woman gleamed. Her features seemed to light up some, as she looked Diesel up and down.

“Um yeah, something like that,
” Diesel grinned. “May I see her?”

“Sure. Let me get her. Take a seat,” the woman said holding her arm out toward the chairs along the deck.

“Thanks,” Diesel smiled sitting down.

He smirked to himself when he could hear the woman’s voice talking adamantly to whom he figured must have been Miley on the other side of the wall. “What do you mean there’s a man outside for me?” Miley asked.

“Oh come on Miley, how could you not tell me you had such a hottie boyfriend. He came all the way here to see you and you’re not going to go outside and get him?” the girl complained.

“I don’t have a boyfriend,
” Miley complained. “I just finished my divorce. Why would I want a boyfriend? After what Toby did… no way. I’ll go tell him to go away,” Miley snorted and stomped toward the door.

“Miley,
” the girl complained again. “It’s late. Let him stay, if you don’t want him…” the woman’s voice paused “I’ll be more than happy to let him sleep in my bed.”

Diesel shook his
head; he heard a grunt of disapproval before the door yanked open. Miley’s head popped out and she looked around, her eyes settling on Diesel with a glare.

“I’ll be outside Becca, you stay away from him.” Miley pulled the door tightly behind her and stomped toward Diesel. His body shot up from the chair and caught her within his arms. For the moment
, he forgot that Miley did not want him here.

“What are you doing here?” she growled.

“Miley, I can’t be without you. Come back with me,” Diesel begged.

“I don’t want to talk about this right now. You need to leave,” she hissed.

“Oh no he doesn’t Miley; come on in handsome,” Becca smiled holding the door open for him.

Diesel’s saddened expression faded and he smiled down at Becca as he passed. “Thanks,” he whispered softly.

“He’s not going to be your new play toy,” Miley groaned, “get over it.”

“It’s dinner time. Are you hungry, Mister?” Becca paused.

“Rebecca, this is Diesel. Now will you please leave him alone,” Miley begged.

“Miley, why don’t you ring the bell? It’s nice to meet you Diesel,” Becca beamed. “Why don’t you come sit by me?”

Miley grunted in complaint but did as her sister asked. If not, she was sure to hear a mouthful from her mother. How could Becca be trying to hit on Diesel right in front of her? Though it seemed like Diesel was ignorant, she knew he could tell what Becca was up to, but he did not let it faze him.

“I think I’ll sit with Miley, but thank you.”