In the hours they had together, he finally accepted what his dragon knew at the first scent of her, Callie was his. She was his mate, his to love and protect. Viper would first get her to safety, and then take down these assholes. After that, he would court her properly and pursue her until she accepted his claim. He was determined to make that happen.
Viper followed the dragon until he disappeared miles away in the opposite direction. The other dragon used the sonar call to communicate which areas they each searched. Only when he felt both dragons were nowhere near Callie, did he turn back. The rogues risked exposure by flying during daylight hours. They would need to find a different way to travel back to Arizona.
Scents of more humans and sounds of laughter caught his attention. There was a campground near to him. He looked for a place to land and shift to his human form. Moving through the trees, keeping himself hidden, he could see about six sets of campers. Three in RVs of different sizes and three using tents. The campers were heading off down a trail for exploring. An elderly couple remained in one of the RVs. He listened as the couple entered the RV and not long after he could hear their light snores as they took a nap. That’s when he made his approach.
*****
Callie watched the skies for some sign of Viper. He had been gone for hours it seemed. She paced, cleared out the fish remains and put the fire out, knowing that it was what Viper would want her to do.
What if the rogues attacked him? He was all by himself, no backup. She should have insisted he stay with her. A sound from the trees had her jump around with a stick in her hands ready to hit whatever it was. Relief filled her when she recognized the figure approaching.
“Viper.” She dropped her stick and launched herself at him. “Are you okay? Was it the rogues? Where the hell have you been?”
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you. Yes, it was the rogues. They were using Drakonian sonar calls to search the area. I found a campsite near to here and had to stop to pick up a few things for us.”
That’s when she noticed he had on a Hawaiian button down and blue shorts torn up the thighs. “Where did you get clothes?”
“I borrowed them from the campers. Here, put these on. I will bury your old clothes to cover your scent.”
She took the clothes he gave her. It was a pair of jeans and a T-shirt with “Bieber Fever” on the front. It was a size too small. Callie barely got the jeans to the button, and the shirt molded to her breasts. “Did you get these from a teenager or something?”
“It fits,” he responded, barely glancing her way.
“Barely. If I reach up with my arms over my head, the shirt turns into a bare midriff.”
He gave her a thorough look as she showed. The shirt rose over her navel and he growled with desire in his eyes. “I see your point. Keep your arms down.”
Once dressed she waited, expecting him to shift. “Are we waiting for it to get dark before we fly out?”
“We’re not flying. The rogues are too close and they will look for us in the skies.”
“Are you planning on us to walk all the way back to Arizona?”
“No. I have other means of transportation.”
Chapter 22
“Are you shitting me?
“There is no excrement here. It’s clean.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Callie was expecting a car or a truck; even a motorcycle would be a great means to travel. This… was not the getaway vehicle she had in mind.
He led her to an early 2000s RV. A large family vehicle. “This is not a fast mode, and it sticks out like a sore thumb.”
Opening the door, he took in the size of the RV then stepped back for her to climb inside. “I agree, but the scents of the family and food will help cover our trail. We won’t be able to drive it for long before we have to change it out. It will be missed in a few hours and the police will be called. So let’s hurry to get to a new location and a different vehicle quickly.”
She couldn’t argue with his logic and as the shifter of the two of them, he would know how to cover their scents the best. “Well, maybe they have something to drink. I’m thirsty.”
“Exactly, another part of our adventure.”
On the top step, Callie turned and leaned forward to plant a kiss on his lips. “I don’t think I could have picked a better partner on this adventure than you.” The smile he gave her warmed her through and through.
She sat in the passenger’s seat while he cranked the RV. He drove down the mountain. Fear of them possibly getting discovered filled her. Thirty minutes later, they were merging onto a highway. She breathed a small sigh of relief. Once they crossed the Arizona border, she would break out in a merry dance.
“How about you get us something to drink?”
“Right, you must be thirsty too.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and walked to the kitchenette area. Opening the small refrigerator, she took in the contents. “I see a six-pack of beer, soda, and a few bottles of water.”
“Water please.”
She grabbed two bottles of water and closed the refrigerator door. Callie twisted the lid loose and handed a bottle to him. “I will take a quick look at what else is in the RV.”
“Be careful; walking while I’m driving is not the safest.”
“Just warn
