Rancher Dragon by Terry Bolryder (best ereader for manga .TXT) 📕

but she heard footsteps behind her. “I gotta go. Stay safe! Bye.”

She managed to end the call and stuff her phone back into her pocket by the time TJ walked into the kitchen, eying her curiously.

“Taking a long time to fill a glass of water,” he joked, moving closer to her. His easy smile turned to a frown. “You look pale. Is something wrong?”

Sierra stepped back nervously and feigned a smile. “No, nothing wrong. Just a lot happened today.”

“Ah, so Beck told you about the mudslide, then,” TJ said, nodding. “Did he also tell you about him being a dragon?”

“Yes, he did,” she replied, taking another step back. “But it didn’t matter to me. I love him either way.”

Was she just imagining it, or had TJ’s eyes almost looked gleeful when he had mentioned the mudslide?

“So you’re both dragons,” she said. “And you were there when it happened, right?” She hadn’t imagined it. As soon as the word “mudslide” left her mouth, a gleeful expression crossed his face, but it was gone a second later.

“I was,” he said, covering it with a solemn shake of his head. “It was a truly unfortunate day. I can still hear the screams of the townspeople.”

But the tone of his voice didn’t make it sound like it was unfortunate. No, he almost sounded like he was… wistful.

Sierra couldn’t take it anymore, and the words spewed from her mouth. “Then why weren’t you able to help him stop? Why didn’t you watch out the night of the mudslide? You saw it happen, or at least you say you saw Beck do it. But if that were the case, why didn’t you stop him? You’re the only one who knows, so how did it happen?”

He stared at her, his dark-blue eyes black and dead in that moment, but he didn’t say anything.

“Beck blames himself for everything.” She continued. “But if there’s one thing I can’t picture that man doing, it’s killing innocent people. Not even as a dragon, if he actually is one of those things.”

Suddenly, TJ’s eyes bulged with anger. “You know nothing! I couldn’t have stopped him even if I wanted to.”

Sierra took another step back, slowly growing more and more nervous by the minute. “But what did he do?”

TJ took another step closer, backing her up farther.

“Beck said you were also a dragon, but what kind are you?” she asked.

He laughed bitterly. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not the type that could’ve stopped Beck. His dragon is monstrously powerful. Giant, even compared to other dragons. I would never stand a chance going up against him.”

When she’d met TJ just a few days ago, she’d felt like there was something off about him, and the slipping of his façade only emboldened her.

“I know you tortured Ross and his father and put them in the hospital,” she said. “And I know why you did it. So you could get Beck away from me and keep brainwashing him into believing he’s a monster.”

TJ just stared at her, his gaze cold as a frozen lake.

“I don’t think you like Beck.” She continued. “I think you made him hate himself. I’m going to tell on you. I won’t let you just run off with him and use him and let him feel like garbage and take away his chance at happiness.”

Suddenly, TJ snapped, grabbing the cup of water out of her hands and throwing it across the kitchen. Water splattered everywhere, and the plastic cup bounced on the ground a few times before coming to a stop.

“You’re right,” he spat angrily. “I’ve always hated him. You know what kind of dragon I am? A rain dragon.”

“So?”

His eyes were fully black now, and gone was the charming character from the day before. Now all she saw was a jealous, obsessed man. “So I could never take on a mountain dragon. But a mudslide to make him hate himself forever? Now that would do just fine to punish him for ever being born stronger than me.” He grinned malevolently.

“No,” Sierra said as she tried to take another step back before realizing she was trapped against the counter.

“Yes,” he said as he took another step forward, that crazy grin still on his face. “The mudslide was my doing. I’ve never liked him. I’ve always hated him. So much power that he didn’t even appreciate. If only I could have been born like him instead. So strong. And then all his fake, humble niceness… I hated him from the moment we met. But you’re right. I can’t just keep playing games and pretending. Not when I have the best game ever. His mate and something that can fight him if I just bring on a little… rain.” His gleeful, evil expression sent shivers down her back.

Outside the window, storm clouds gathered ominously, heralding an impending doom as he leaned forward and grabbed her by the shoulders, yanking her out of the kitchen and pushing her toward the living room.

20

The night air stung Beck’s blearily drunk dragon eyes as he flew low over the hills and mountains behind Dragonclaw Ranch.

His dragon was restless. Asking him for something.

Beck didn’t know what.

Beck didn’t want to think about it.

This was his time to be free. Still, his head hurt and his eyes hurt, so it was hard to enjoy the pure freedom of the wind under his wings.

With a heavy sigh, he slowly uncloaked and flew lower along the property line toward the place he loved the most, at least in dragon form.

As he landed with a heavy thud and settled himself into the well-worn dent in the land where his dragon liked to lie, he let out a sigh of pure contentment.

Right before he felt another stab of pain in his heart.

He slumped, putting his dragon head on the ground and looking at the blur that was the land in front of him.

He’d always thought he merely chose this spot because it was as far from Dragonclaw’s main buildings as possible while still staying legally