Dragon 1 Chapter 3 (Patreon)

I woke up as the sun streamed through the window. I stretched, blinking rapidly to try to bring the world back into focus.

Did my contacts fall out?

I felt for them and ended up pulling one out to look at it, but as I did, everything out of that eye became clear.

Blinking, I pulled the other contact out and stared at my room in awe. Things were clearer, crisper than they had ever been. My eyesight was twenty-twenty, maybe even better. Insane.

Slightly freaked out but also excited, I looked at the clock and groaned. For all that this was interesting, I needed to get going; biology would be starting soon. The mystery of my eyes would have to wait. And I didn’t really want to process everything from the night before, anyway. Normalcy and biology class sounded weirdly nice.

Scooping up my clothes, I balled them up and hid my nudity as I slipped out into the quiet main room and into the bathroom.

I threw the clothes on the ground, wandering over to the shower to turn it on, but the reflection in the mirror caught my eye as I passed. Stepping back in front of it, I tried to figure out what was different. 

I reached up and touched my face. My jawline seemed almost more square than it had been before, and I was definitely a few inches taller? My brows were a bit shaggier, giving me a more rugged look. And I definitely didn’t normally have a five o’clock shadow like that in the morning. Apparently, my eyesight wasn’t the only part of me that transformed overnight.

My muscles looked like I’d just finished a month-long workout bootcamp. Doing a quick spin in the mirror, I couldn’t help but check myself out. I had always considered myself attractive, but the guy in the mirror was seriously better looking.

Something had changed the night before. I wasn’t sure what yet, but so far I was all about it.

Frank’s alarm started buzzing across the apartment, and I let out a curse. I needed to get a move on it. I started moving through my normal routine, getting ready for class. 

As I ducked into my room after my shower, I ran into a new issue. My clothes didn’t fit. I had to rifle through my closet until I came out with a formerly baggy sweatshirt and a pair of old sweatpants.

As I pulled them on, they fit very differently now that my muscles had filled out. Holding out my hand, I remembered the injury from the night before. But it was gone, no sign of the injury.

It all started flooding back. I’d fought a werewolf and outmaneuvered a woman who’s scream had physical force. There were creatures I’d had no idea about, and somehow I seemed to be different now as well. Shaking my head, I tried to push it from my mind. It was a lot to process.

No normal person could have slapped around Were-Chad like that, and it finally gave meaning to the beast besides me being crazy. Giving into the temptation, I talked into my chest, once again feeling stupid. “Beast, are you in there?”.

There was a faint sense of a grouchy grumble and the beast turning over deep within me, and then it seemed to go back to sleep.

 Stupid… thing.

Whatever it was, it felt powerful. A little smirk turned my lips up. The way I thrashed Chad the night before had been so satisfying.

Leaving my room, I rifled through the kitchen and got the coffee pot going. The smell of my morning pick me up made my stomach growl, as if reminding me I needed more than coffee to survive.

The three pizza boxes from last night were still sitting on the counter. I checked them in the hopes of finding some remaining pizza, but there wasn’t even a stray pepperoni left.

“Zack?” Maddie peeked out of Frank’s room, wearing one of his button ups.

I decided to ignore her possible nakedness. “Morning Maddie. How was your night?” I kept my tone even and casual because I knew it had been a big deal for her to finally hook up with Frank. I was hoping it wouldn’t affect our friend group very much.

“Uh… good. Is that coffee?”

“Freshly brewed. Grab a cup,” I pointed to a cupboard to her right.

“Thanks…” She trailed off. “This is weird.”

I smirked. She was so focused on what was going on with her; she didn’t even seem to notice I had changed. But I was also hiding it under a pretty baggy hoodie, and she was distracted.

“I hope it’s okay. Frank and I, that is...” she continued after I stayed quiet.

I gave her a reassuring smile and grabbed the coffeepot as it finished, pouring her cup first and then my own.

“It has been coming for the last few months. Honestly, I’m surprised it took so long.”

Maddie looked surprised. “Oh. I… didn’t realize you knew.”

“Hah. Yeah, you two didn’t hide it very well. Always sneaking off together. And I do live with Frank.” I’d have had to have been clueless to miss their interest in each other.

I was happy for Frank. Maddie was certainly attractive, but she’d just never been extra interesting to me. Definitely never made my beast go wild.

I paused, remembering Jadelyn last night. Did the beast go crazy because she wasn’t human? No, that can’t be it. Scarlett seemed normal after all.

“Gosh, you really have it bad. Drifting off with a smile. Frank told me you had a new girl. When do we get to meet her?” Maddie shifted the conversation away from her own awkwardness.

“It isn’t like that. We just talked yesterday. We’ll see how things go. You know Frank; he’s making it out to be like we are going to be married.”

She rolled her eyes. “Well, you should get a girlfriend. Maybe it would stop you from trying to take on Chad in a crowded bar. Talk about stupid.”

I hid a smile, wondering what she’d think if she knew that I had actually beaten him. But instead, I just shrugged. “Hey, I didn’t know. And she was the one that started grinding on me.”

“Uh huh.” Maddie sounded unconvinced. “That’s not the way Frank told the story. It was more like you went on the prowl… which was surprising because you don’t ever really go after girls.”

“Too busy.” I snorted.

Maddie didn’t follow that with anything for a moment, and we sat in silence, content to try to sip on our still steamy hot coffees.

She blew at the top of her coffee a few times before taking another tentative sip. “So, do you guys have any food here? Leftover pizza?” She eyed the pizza boxes.

“I think we are in desperate need of a grocery run. Those boxes are old.” I fibbed.

She wrinkled her nose. “That’s fine. I’ll just pick up something on my way home.”

I gave my coffee another tentative sip before deciding it wasn’t going to scorch my mouth to oblivion, because I needed to get going, and this was what was going to get me there. I downed my cup in a gulp.

It didn’t even tingle on the way down.

“Shit Zack. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, surprisingly. It wasn’t that bad.”

“This coffee is scalding hot.” She gave me the look of a concerned mother.

I held up my hands and an empty cup. “See? No problem. I gotta get running to class. I’ll catch you later Maddie.” Scooping up my backpack, I booked it out of the apartment before I had to talk more with my half-naked best friend wearing my other best friend’s clothing. I was happy for them, but it was still weird.

As I headed to class, I swung by the dinning hall for a bagel.

“Hey, I haven’t seen you around before.” A cute girl in line gave me an obvious once over.

“Uh, yeah.” I had no idea what to do with that. The beast inside of me gave a content rumble at the compliment, telling me to push forward. “See you later, I gotta run.”

Well, I definitely failed that one. I just wasn’t used to women trying to pick me up in random lines.

Along my way to the biology building, I caught more girls checking me out, and a few even made small talk as they walked alongside me. I hadn’t changed that much, had I? Is this what it felt like to be one of the Chads of the world?

The beast grumbled at the missed chances, but grew bored and slipped back into sleep.

Ever since last night, the beast had become way more real to me. And it definitely felt more real within my body. It was like there was a pressure inside of me, ready to burst out.

But I also felt the best I had ever in my entire life. My whole body rang with strength. The backpack barely even felt like it was there.

Ducking through the halls, I slipped into biology and looked up at the clock. I’d made it across campus in record time, and I even had a few minutes to kill. I’d been stressed that morning for nothing.

I double checked the time, but it stayed the same. I’d really gotten to class that quickly.

Class settled in. Professor Vandal was playing her typical reggae music, which might make sense if she didn’t dress primly in decade-old pantsuits.

The back of my neck prickled. Curious, I turned casually to try to see what might be setting off my senses. And there entering the room was none other than the princess from last night herself, only this time, Jadelyn Scalewright was wearing tight leather pants and a green top.

She was staring dead at me and my turning only seemed to encourage her as she walked down the aisle, turning more than a few heads, only to stop at the seat next to me.

“Mind if I sit here?” She asked it in a voice that was both natural, yet melodic.

I snorted. “Of course, your majesty. How could I bar one such as you?” My voice dripped with snark.

“At least you know your place today.”

I choked on my own tongue at that. “Excuse me?”

She looked genuinely surprised. “Oh. That was a joke.” Her brow furrowed in confusion.

“It’s not quite as funny when you have to say it’s a joke. Sit down, don’t make a scene.” People were starting to turn and look at us.

“You don’t command me.” She said, clearly taken aback. But she sat down anyway. “I must apologize again. I’m having Chad reprimanded. It was not how I hoped my first night with him would go.”

“You two just started going out?” My beast perked up, but I pushed the nosey bugger down. Scarlett was several times the woman the uppity princess was turning out to be.

She scowled at the question. “More like our families just engaged us. My father wants to further consolidate his power, and I’m a means to that end. And Chad is the alpha of the young pack, one of the largest ones for his generation. It makes sense.” A heavy sigh punctuated the end of her statement.

Consolidation of power? Clans? I wanted to look around and see if anyone else was looking at her like she was crazy. But as I looked at her, I realized she was serious. There was some alternative culture she was a part of, and she seemed to think I should know all about it.

“Um, well. Sorry you’re stuck with him; he has a bad rap around here.” I realized after I said it that insulting her soon to be husband may not be the best move, but I figured she had a right to know.

“Oh? I hadn’t heard much before I came yesterday. Besides, after his altercation with you, he seemed alright. Cocky, but that’s par for the course with a brand new alpha wolf.”

That seemed like an understatement. The dude had clear problems with aggression, and the night before seemed to only make that clearer. But at least now it made more sense why she was with him, if it was an arranged marriage.

I decided to try to fill her in a bit more. Jadelyn deserved to know what she was marrying into. “Supposedly he’s hurt a few guys.”

But she just waved that away. “As an alpha yourself, you must have broken a few bones, no?”

“I’m not quite sure what you think I am, but I’m not a wolf.” I didn’t know that for sure, but everything in me told me that wolf didn’t fit. It didn’t howl, it roared.

“Of course not. The way you trounced Chad, I’d guess something bigger.” Jadelyn gave me a small smile. “Chad is going to have to adjust to not being the alpha on campus.”

I tried to poke my beast and ask what kind of shifter I was, more curious than ever. What was bigger than a wolf? Maybe a lion or bear? But all I got in return was a derisive snort, and then it went back to sleep. But somehow shifter didn’t feel quite right.

“Not a shifter.” I waited, curious what she’d offer up in terms of other supernatural creatures as she guessed.

She squinted at me, as if it would help her figure out what I was. “Troll? No, you 're in college. I haven’t heard of one of those making it past high school.”

Jadelyn drummed her fingers on her pink lips in thought. “Not a vamp either. You don’t have that geeky, broody vibe.” She hummed again before shrugging. “I give up, tell me.”

I paused, not sure what to say. I hadn’t thought she’d ask point blank.

As I hesitated, her eyes scanned mine. Whatever she saw must have made it clear I wasn’t holding back, because she gasped. “You don’t even know.”

Sighing, I ran my hand through my hair, hoping class would start soon and I’d avoid having to have this conversation.

Her eyes darted around before she leaned in and hissed. “Did you even know about the supernatural before last night?”

My dumbfounded look must have been answer enough, because she leaned back and pressed a hand to her forehead. But what came next surprised me most.

“I’m terribly, terribly sorry. Last night was not the introduction you deserved. Had I known you were a lost one…” She sighed. “Please accept my most sincere condolences. It has been over fifty years, but we are still finding lost ones so often.”

“Uh. Okay.” I said. She seemed truly distraught and more than a little angry at herself.

But then she let out a heavy breath. “Then let me be the first to welcome you back into the fold. Everything that goes bump in the night in the stories is real. We…” She paused for a moment to point between me and her for emphasis. “…are real.”

“Alright! Today we are going over mitochondria.” Professor Vandal said, overly enthusiastically interrupting our conversation.

“And I’m actually a student and need a degree, so we can talk after class.” Jadelyn said, turning back to give the professor her attention.

Shrugging, my opinion of her shifted slightly higher after that brief conversation. I wasn’t sure what ‘lost one’ meant, but it seemed to have made her a bit kinder and more inviting.

Paying attention to the professor after that bomb was nearly impossible. My thoughts kept swirling to all the questions I had for Jadelyn. I started jotting down notes in my notebook, completely ignoring class.

I started with what I knew. Werewolves were real, and so were sirens. I was neither of those, and likely not a troll. And there was some sort of organization or separate culture that the supernaturals were within.

My pen shivered, making the last letter unintelligible as I noted the ‘lost ones’. Could I have a family out there? Just like many adopted kids, I’d always had questions about where I came from and who my family was. This might lead me there.

It hit me harder than anything else, even the concept that they were likely supernatural. I’d spent my whole life wondering.

For now, Jadelyn was my only real connection to that world. I hoped she’d be willing to help me. She was my best hope.

I doodled idly, feeling for the beast in my chest, trying to draw it out to see what it looked like. But all I came up with was a vague creature with a big head and a long tail. Maybe next time.

“Did you even pay attention to today’s class?” Jadelyn asked, and I was pulled from my thoughts. I heard the familiar sound of paper being shuffled and backpack zippers being closed, realizing class had come to an end.

“Kind of hard to focus when I just learned…” I looked around. “That werewolves are real.”

She let out a small tinkling chuckle that reminded me of wind chimes. “Okay, I’ll give you a pass for this one. Do you have any more classes today?”

I had two more, but I knew going to them was going to be a waste of time if she was going to offer me answers. “Not that I need to go to. I’m all ears if you could spare the time to tell me more.”

“Sure. What do you want to know?” She closed up her own bag and slung it over her shoulder.

“I honestly don’t know where to start. I really want to know what I am, but it’s probably important for me to understand any rules? I just don’t know… anything.” It felt like I was stumbling through this.

Jadelyn smiled sympathetically. “You aren’t the first lost one I’ve met, but I’ve never introduced one to the para world. That’s what we call it… I might not know all of what to tell you, but I know someone who does.”

“When can I meet them?”

“She’s not on campus; we’ll have to head into the city, but she’s not far.” Jadelyn reassured me.

“Cool, let’s go. We could meet her for an early lunch?” I knew it was probably a lot to ask, but I was excited to learn more.

“Sure. She runs a bar, so we can eat there if you want.”

My stomach growled, as if to agree with her. “I’ve been starving since last night. I think I grew after yesterday.” I offered the information, not sure if it would help her with what I was.

“Interesting. It sounds like something dormant is waking up. There are so many para out there, it’s hard to say just what you might be.” She drummed her fingers on her pink lips. It was a movement she seemed to make when she was thinking. It also had the effect of keeping my attention.

“Maybe we start by ruling some things out?” I asked as we left the classroom and started walking across campus.

“Sure. I feel pretty safe saying you’re not an elf. No craving for blood?”

“Nope.”

“Not a vamp. I assume you have no strange eating disorder? That’s one of the clear ways to tell.”

I shook my head. “Unless you count eating three pizzas last night and still feeling hungry.”

She gave me an appraising look. “And you look like this after eating three pizzas? Damn, I wish I could eat anything I wanted like that. Startlingly good looking and super strong, not a lot to go off of, but we’ll see what Morg thinks.”

I tried not to blush at her assessment of me and play it cool. Whatever was waking up, I was all for it.