Dragon's Oath (Northbane Shifters Book 5) Read online

  DRAGON'S OATH

  Northbane Shifters 5

  i s a b e l l a h u n t

  Copyright © 2018

  All Rights Reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. All characters appearing in this work are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to events, businesses, companies, institutions, and real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Prologue

  Xander

  Twenty-three years ago

  Everything buzzed with life in this corner of the forest. Beetles skittered underfoot, and dragonflies and moths fluttered overhead. Even the trees were alive, creaking and rustling in the soft breeze.

  Meanwhile, I hadn’t moved at all, except to swat away some nosy flies and thirsty mosquitoes. In fact, if I could, I wouldn’t leave this corner of the forest until the month was over.

  Better the mosquitoes than the bloodsuckers that called themselves camp counselors.

  Trying to sucker me into Micousha camp activities and force friendships. How pointless. When I’d pointed that out, however, I’d gotten in trouble. Scowling at the ground, I settled in and considered the logistics of escaping this place. I might be nine, but I had a decent handle on survival skills. Besides, I’d gotten in trouble again for trying to make a second phone call a little while ago. Guess it didn’t matter that it was my grandmother’s birthday.

  Hunching up my bony shoulders, I wondered if I could convince my twin sister Lorel to make the call later today. But I also didn’t want to get her into trouble. If Lorel found out what happened, whether I was in the wrong or not, she’d march off and give the camp counselors a piece of her mind. She always had my back. Plus, as Dad said, she had Mom’s fire and then some. Lorel would also relish the opportunity to kick up a fuss at Micousha. She liked it more than I did, but she still wasn’t happy at being packed off to Northern California for five weeks.

  "Why camp?" I grumbled out loud and tipped my head back against the pine tree.

  Sure, the Six Rivers National Forest was cool, but it was too far from San Jose. Practically a different state. I missed the beach, my dog, my parents, and my room. And if I wanted wilderness, my family owned property in British Columbia.

  Although this reminded me of it a little, I guess.

  Reaching around for my backpack, I pulled out a book and splayed it on my knees. I’d managed to snag it after the counselors did Roll Call. They’d never miss me in the hubbub of other kids fighting over spots for canoeing and hiking and pretending to shove each other into the lake.

  Dad might not be pleased, though. He’d loved Micousha when he was a kid, eager for me and Lor to have the same experiences and make the same lifelong friendships.

  Unfortunately for Dad, “magical” camp or not, I’d still be better off at a senior citizens’ book club than a camp for kids my age.

  “Xander has an old soul,” Mom often liked to say, usually with a great deal of affection. Secretly, it was something I was proud of. But get around prepubescents, and they thought it was weird you knew big words like prepubescent, never mind liked books. Suddenly it didn’t matter if I was decently athletic and friendly—good grades and glasses automatically meant you got picked last.

  It also didn’t help that Lor and I were several shades darker than most of the kids here.

  “Oh, hey, that’s an awesome book.”

  I jumped out of my skin as shrubs were shoved aside by a big, tall, grinning shape. For a second, I thought it was a counselor being “wise,” as my dad would say. With a death grip on my book in case he tried to take it away, I stared up at the intruder until I placed him as a fellow camper.

  In fact, he belonged to Cabin 10, too. He was also a veteran of three years, popular, and the universal apple of the counselors’ eyes. It was hard not to like him, from his husky laugh to his gangly limbs and his penchant for always extending a helping hand. He’d been friendly enough, but we hadn’t made any friendship inroads as the guy was a busy eleven-year-old, running errands and trying to keep tabs on the other guys of C10 as “Cabin Leader.”

  Belatedly, I realized that might include me.

  “Uh, yeah,” I finally said into the prolonged silence. Suspicion filled me as he sat down and offered an outstretched hand. I frowned without meaning to. “What are you doing?”

  “Shaking your hand,” he replied cheerfully. “We haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Brody. Brody Sampson. You’re Alexander Bane, right?”

  Brody had a buzz cut, light brown eyes, and skin several shades darker than mine. His eyes danced, and he grinned when I finally shook his hand.

  “Yeah,” I said. “What are you doing here?”

  “Saw you sneak off and thought I’d join you,” Brody said, and my eyebrows rose. “I get it.” A sage nod from him got me irritated in a second flat. “Being homesick sucks.”

  Throat clogged for a second, I looked away and rifled the book’s pages without seeing. It wasn’t cool for nine-year-old guys to be homesick. What was this kid’s problem? Why was he calling me out on it? Did the counselors put him up to this?

  “I’m the oldest, but my sisters are too little for camp,” Brody offered. “I have what my mom calls ‘separation anxiety.’ First year was awful, second year was worse, and we’ll see how this year goes.” He had a cheery bravado, but I heard a note in his voice that rang true.

  I chanced a glance up, curious. “You got homesick?”

  “Get homesick,” Brody corrected. “Everyone does. One thing that helps is pals.” He suddenly looked awkward and scratched at a band-aid on his elbow. “So, I’ll be your pal. Me and the guys.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Why not?” Brody asked, back to his grinning self. “And I don’t know you yet, sure. But you like books, and you’re in our cabin. Cabin Ten sticks together. Sorry, it's been so busy, and no one's been properly introduced. The Deacon cousins got here late, and then Tristan ran off and nearly broke his stinkin’ arm, and then Luke's luggage was missing. Plus, Miss Beth likes me to help her out."

  I nodded, then something occurred to me. “Our cabin?”

  Brody gave me a sheepish grin, and suddenly a blur of white, freckled limbs and red hair dove at him, then grinned upside-down at me. It was
Tristan Llary, the kid who was half-squirrel and had an insane amount of energy, with a penchant for pranks. I noticed several teeth were missing, and I wondered if it was all dental-related, or if he’d knocked them out during his various feats. I’d also noticed that Brody had chased him down more than once with a practiced patience.

  “Dude, I told you guys to wait,” Brody said.

  Tristan ignored him and pointed at my book. “Can I borrow that when you’re done? Camp has a crap library.” His eyes were a bright amber color and burned with intelligence. “Mom wouldn’t let me pack my encyclopedias or more than ten books, but I’ll be done within a week.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Encyclopedias?”

  “Tristan is a nutjob, but he’s a genius, too,” Brody said proudly and ruffled his hair like he was his little brother. “You should see the letters he writes me during the year.”

  “I always wanted a pen pal,” Tristan explained. “Brody was nice enough to offer.”

  Brody ducked his head, looking pleased, and I found myself suddenly warming up to these guys. I'd kind of assumed the worst, that they were camping jocks with nothing in common with me, and ignored them. A pinch of shame went through me, and I resolved to make up for my crap first impression, starting with letting Tristan borrow my book when I was done.

  “I snuck some Air & Space magazines, too,” Tristan said with a grin. “I saw you brought one of Sagan’s books. You’re welcome to ’em.”

  “Thanks, dude,” I said, and Tristan’s grin widened. “But, uh…aren’t they gonna notice the three of us are missing?” I asked.

  “You mean six,” said another voice with a twang to it. Another kid, Luke Swiftlore, with long runner’s legs, a bright pink sunburn, and floppy gold hair stuck his head around a tree, followed by two others. “And eventually. I’d give it three hours. How’s it goin’, Bane?”

  I nodded at him and the Deacon cousins as they came to sit down. A strange feeling went over me as I realized my whole cabin had come out here to find me. The Deacons looked similar, although their coloring was different. Kallen was the older cousin, who already had a stocky Viking look at ten, from his light hair and gray eyes, to his serious air and don’t-mess-with-me vibe.

  However, Kal also gave me a peanut-butter sandwich and a gruff hello, which made me think he was also a bit shy. On the other hand, Rett was Tristan’s age, dark-haired and blue-eyed, a bit on the chubby side. He was also talkative and friendly, the one guy of C10 I’d liked so far. Sitting there with them, I realized Cabin 10 hadn’t been ignoring me, they’d been politely giving me some space to adjust.

  Here I was thinking I was the most mature and intelligent of these guys. My cheeks burned a bit with embarrassment and a kind of happiness, too. Now I could see why my dad had sent me here.

  Sitting there, sharing the sandwiches and chips, we started talking about movies, comics, and books. Kal had also swiped brownies, and we munched on those after, ignoring the lunch bell. I’d never had better brownies in my entire life.

  Soon, I forgot about the thousands of miles separating me from San Jose as the afternoon deepened, and we swapped stories about the school year, laughing and rolling around in the sweet-smelling pine needles.

  We might have stayed there all day and night if we didn’t get busted by my sister.

  “Alexander Bane!”

  I jumped like a shot, and Brody won the thumb-wrestling match we’d been having. Two seconds later, my twin Lorel was standing there, black curls crackling and greenish-hazel eyes snapping with anger.

  All of us got to our feet, and I gave her a small, nervous smile. She’d probably missed me at our activity this afternoon. Her eyes flashed over the group and back to me. “What is this, the Babysitters’ Club? You’re gonna get in so much trouble! What were you thinking?”

  “We were hanging out,” I said with a shrug.

  “Oh, please!” Lor suddenly pointed an accusing finger at the guys, who jumped back, except for Brody. “Aren’t you in Cabin Lead, Sampson? You should’ve brought him back instead of sneaking off, too.” She tossed her hair. “Fallon would never do something like this.”

  Kal snorted, and Rett winced, giving Lor a small smile. “Please don’t tell my sister.”

  Brody hadn’t answered, and I glanced over at him, then did a double take. He had a strange expression on his face, kind of like he’d been socked in the gut and his birthday had come early. I glanced from him to Lor and back again. Her eyes were slits. As for Brody, a dazed smile was slowly spreading over his face.

  "Sure thing,” he said breathlessly. "And uh, yeah, I am CL. I didn’t know you knew who I was.” He was talking too fast, and color flooded his cheeks. All of us were staring at him curiously. “I mean, who I am. You know Fallon? We’re pals. These are her cousins. And you don’t have to call me Sampson—I’m Brody.” Now his smile was huge, and Luke let out a small laugh. “Brody Sampson.”

  “Oh, don’t give me your famous smile, moron!” Lorel stormed. “I’m not Miss Beth. So, what, did you trick my brother into coming out here?” She drew herself up and stared Brody down. “Are you gonna bully him? Because I’ll kick your butt!”

  “No way!” Brody burst out and slung an arm around my shoulders. “We’re pals. All of us. Cabin Ten. Xander here needed some time away from the camp, and who can blame him?”

  “Okay.” Some of the fierce suspicion went out of Lorel’s eyes. “You got his back?”

  “And he has mine,” Brody promised, meeting her stare for stare.

  “All right, then—come on, dopes,” Lorel said. “It’s almost dinner time. Better hope no one noticed.” Her anger had vanished, and a dazzling smile lit up her face. Brody made a funny wheezing sound, and Luke laughed again, echoed by Kal. Tristan, Rett, and I exchanged covert, confused looks.

  “Are you okay?” I asked Brody in an undertone as we began to walk back to camp.

  “Yeah, sure thing,” Brody answered vaguely.

  “Huh,” I said, but Brody was staring off into the distance, so I shrugged it off.

  As we approached the buildings, Lorel skipped ahead, running off to join a group of girls chatting by the dining hall. I saw Rett wave at one of them and realized it was his older sister, Fallon. Glancing back, I noticed Kal and Luke elbowing Brody, teasing him. He took it in stride, laughing with them. Suddenly I followed his line of sight and realized he was still staring at Lorel.

  A grin cracked over my face. Oh.

  Brody volunteered to walk back with me to the cabin to drop off my backpack while the other guys went to the dining hall to save us a table. He was quiet and kept rubbing the back of his head, his eyes far away.

  “You feeling okay?” I asked and tried not to grin.

  “Uh,” he said and rubbed his hands over his eyes. “Actually, I’m not sure. So, Lorel—”

  “Oh, look, there she is!” I said.

  Brody jumped as my sister ran by, smiling at me and sticking her tongue out at him. Then she was gone, her long legs eating up the steps as she flew into her cabin. When I looked over at Brody, he was smiling in that weird way again.

  “Oh, hey, Brody, watch”—I winced as he missed the giant rock sticking out from the side of the path and fell face-first onto the ground—“out.”

  Next thing I knew, we were at the infirmary, his shirt soaked with blood, and Brody was holding back tears. Until the nurse told him that the gash on his chin needed stitches.

  The start of a friendship forged in stolen brownies, summer heat, mosquito bites, and blood.

  Chapter One

  Xander

  Six years ago

  Tapping the shiny scar on his chin, Brody said in a grave, drawling voice, like he was answering a question, “Love hurts, but in the best way possible.”

  Only no one had asked, and I began to laugh, joined in by Luke, Rett, and Tristan.

  “Someone get him more whiskey, please,” Kal growled.

  “That won’t shut him up unless he drinks the whole bo
ttle,” I joked, and everyone laughed.

  “I won’t say no,” Brody said and accepted a glass from Luke. “And you should all be so lucky.” He lifted a glass. “To Lorel, who is probably hunched over a computer, drinking wine and typing so fast her fingers are about to fall off.”

  “Please, please, stop,” I said. Even when you knew some things for almost two decades, it was still awkward. Almost as awkward as watching Brody’s stupid smiles when we were kids anytime Lorel was around. “I’m happy for you, man, but you get mad maudlin when you’re drunk.”

  That word choice raised catcalls and comments from the guys of Cabin 10, who afterward raised their glasses to the new professor. Me. I’d finally finished up a grueling master’s program and was taking a month to cool off in British Columbia. Part of me couldn’t believe it was done since I was still waking in the middle of the night, sweating bullets over fact-checking my thesis.

  Here, though, I could look out the window and forget about the finer, if arcane, points of Abraham Maslow’s humanism. Nothing outside the window except the heaving Pacific, endless stars, and wilderness. I was staying up in the family cabin in BC for a whole damn month to recuperate. And last night, the guys of Cabin 10 had joined me for the last two weeks.

  Right now, we were hanging down at the beach, enjoying our first night here at the Bane family bungalow. Nothing and no one around but stars, sea, and wild woods. In the distance, there was a faint glow from small towns, along with red and green lights blinking from a few boats far out on the ocean. But if you kept your eyes on the horizon, civilization felt a million miles away.

  I loved that about this place. Nowhere on earth did I feel as free and wild. More like myself.

  “I’m surprised you could tear yourself away from Lorel,” Rett was teasing Brody.

  “I know. Been married for three years, and you’d think they were newlyweds,” I grumbled affectionately, jolted out of my reflections and back into the circle of my friends.

  Brody grinned. “I’m good at keepin’ the magic alive.”