Pib's Dragon

  A dragon is about to find out what happens when a cat discovers his cave of shiny treasures.

  After nine years, Pib is finally free from his contract with the newly wed prince. Slipping out in the middle of the night to avoid getting stuck in another contract, Pib shifts into his cat and makes his way home to the little village he foolishly left, hoping his best friend Wil still lives there.

  Dray is bored. His services as a princess-guarding dragon are no longer needed and even his gold and jewels are unable to cheer him up. His mood changes quickly when he catches someone in his treasure cave, and it starts a series of events that change his life forever.

  When the two finally meet, sparks fly, but Dray will have to move quickly if he’s to save his cat after Pib gets kidnapped.

  Pib’s Dragon

  Twisted Fairy Tales

  Copyright ©2016 Beany Sparks

  First Edition

  Smashwords Edition

  Cover design by Beany Sparks

  Editor Jason Bradley

  Published by Rainbow Ninja Press

  All Rights Reserved

  This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee. Such action is illegal and in violation of Copyright Law.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

  Pib’s Dragon

  Twisted Fairy Tales

  By

  Beany Sparks

  Dedication

  To my fellow authors who will be joining me in this series

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  About the Author

  Prologue

  Pib snuck into the darkened room, tiptoeing quietly so as not to wake the newly crowned prince Geraint and his princess. Looking around, he both thanked and cursed his shifter senses. While he was grateful he could see inside the room, the smell of sex throughout the air was something he could have done without.

  Reaching the desk on the far side of the room, he paused and glanced at the couple. Once he was satisfied they were still asleep, he eased open the cover and found what he was after—his freedom. After nine long years as the bastard’s slave, the letter freeing him from servitude almost brought tears to his eyes. Carefully folding it and placing it in his inside pocket, Pib gently shut the desk and tiptoed back toward the bedroom door, leaving the room as silently as he’d entered.

  He knew there was only a limited window of opportunity for him to make his escape. Even though the pompous bastard had made a production of signing the form and granting him his freedom, Pib knew it was all for show. If he didn’t escape now, Geraint would get him alone and force him to sign another contract and then make some sort of bogus announcement about how Pib wanted to stay.

  Pib snorted, unable to help himself. Luckily there was no one else around the castle at this time of the night, though even if there was, Pib didn’t care. He was leaving, and no one was going to stop him. Anyone who tried would have a close encounter with his knife, or his claws, he wasn’t picky.

  “Hey, Pib, where are you off to in the middle of the night?” asked the guard at the front door of the castle. Pib never bothered learning their names or getting friendly with them, especially since Geraint could force him to kill any of them at a moment’s notice. He’d learned that it didn’t pay for him to form any attachments with those surrounding Geraint.

  “Getting an early start on my retirement,” Pib replied, smirking at the man while he continued to stroll toward the exit.

  “Sorry, Pib, but I have to check. Do you have a signed letter from Prince Geraint?” The guard shifted from foot to foot, showing his unease.

  Pib stopped in front of him and forced a smile. “Of course,” he said, carefully extracting the letter and handing it over to the guard.

  He waited, watching the guard closely as he read the letter. One wrong move and Pib was going to gut him. Nothing could happen to that letter.

  “Looks good,” the guard said, handing the letter back to Pib. “It’ll sure be different without you around, but all the best. And, uh, don’t take this the wrong way, but I hope I don’t see you again.”

  Returning the letter to his pocket, Pib looked up and smiled a real smile at the man. He wanted to laugh when the guard’s face paled as he caught sight of Pib’s canines, but restrained himself. “Don’t worry, I hope never to see you again either.”

  With that, Pib walked out of the castle and made his way through the sleeping village. Pulling his hood up, he used the dark material to blend into the surroundings. He wasn’t taking any chances that Geraint wouldn’t wake up any moment and send guards running after him. After all, Pib was practically friends with all of the skeletons in Geraint’s closet.

  Pib reached the edge of the village and paused. After nine long years, he was finally free of Geraint, his orders, and most importantly, his shackle. The magical cuff that had decorated his right ankle for nine years had been removed after Geraint had signed his release. The cuff was the only thing ensuring Pib’s obedience, and finally, it was gone.

  Taking a deep breath, Pib stepped over the invisible boundary line and felt the remaining enchantments shatter and disappear, leaving him standing as his true self for the first time in years. Reaching inside, he called out his inner cat to come out and play, and in seconds, his clothes disappeared and he was standing on all fours in his serval form. Stretching, he threw one last glance back at the castle and the village before slinking away into the trees, using the natural camouflage to shield him as he made his way toward the start of his new life.

  ****

  Geraint bolted up in bed, glancing around to see what could have woken him, when he felt the last of his spells shatter. Growling under his breath, he got out of bed and stormed over to the window, scanning the edge of the village.

  He turned and made his way back to bed. He had some frustration to work out of his system, and now he conveniently had a wife to fuck. He just had to make sure not to break her; he couldn’t kill her like the others if he got out of control.

  “Curse you, cat, I’m not done with you yet! You will be mine once again, and you will pay for running away,” he swore quietly to himself.

  Chapter One

  Roaming through the countryside, Pib enjoyed being on four legs. Not only because he hadn’t been able to simply wander for nine years, but because although there weren’t many serval shifters around, there were still enough that he didn’t automatically get recognized. Which was good; he didn’t relish the idea of making his way from village to village and leaving screaming people in his wake. Despite his reputation of being a cold-blooded killer, Pib wasn’t interested in killing or being an assassin, but when you’ve got a magical cuff around your ankle, you don’t really get to have opinions.

  At least I’m free. Hopefully Geraint will decide to live out his life with his new bride and forget all about me.

  Pib snorted to himself. He’d have a better chance of sprouting wings and learning to fly, but he’d do what he had to in order to protect the new
life he built. He just had to build it first.

  He paused at the sight of the trees of the great forest before him. He could practically feel the magic in the air, and he took a deep breath before exhaling. He was finally home. Giddiness filled him, and his cat took over, running full pelt into the grove and then vaulting high up into the air. A quick glance around showed that there was no one to witness his antics so Pib started leaping through the trees, something he’d mastered a long time ago. No one ever thought to look up into the branches, which gave him an advantage. Pib had managed to evade a number of pursuers by shifting and climbing.

  After what felt like minutes, but was probably at least a couple of hours, Pib reached the far edge of the tree line. He ensured the coast was clear then he jumped to the ground. Down a short hill was the village he’d grown up in. Not many folk lived in the village, perhaps a hundred when Pib had last been there, but the number of houses hadn’t grown much by the looks of it. The village was secluded, and hardly anyone ever visited. It was for those people who wanted to live a quiet life away from all of the hustle and bustle. Everyone knew everyone else, and they looked out for one another.

  It was also the one place in the whole world that did not belong to any single kingdom, and therefore there was no king for them to answer to. But that didn’t mean they were defenceless. The village sat in what the locals referred to as Dragon’s Tail, because at the end of the village, there was a bend that would take you up to Dragon’s Keep, which was a huge mountain filled with the homes of various dragons throughout the lands. They didn’t all reside there, but it was known to be their home. The mountain was said to be packed with the treasures of the dragons who visited various lands to perform duties, such as guarding princesses for various reasons.

  As he reached the edge of town, Pib raised himself onto his back legs and shifted as he walked. He went from walking as a serval on two legs to human in a second. His dark cloak covered him from head to thigh. His black pants were tucked into his expensive, and very comfortable, boots, which were a blue so dark they were almost black.

  As he made his way to the tavern, there were some looks tossed his way, but no one said or did anything to stop his progression. He needed information, and the tavern was a fount of knowledge. When he walked in, he found the place was empty.

  “We’re closed, stranger,” the keeper said, drying a cup behind the bar. He was a big man, muscular, with dark hair and a beard. There was something familiar about him, but Pib couldn’t put his finger on what it was.

  “I’m not here to drink. I’m here for information,” Pib replied, using his most innocent tone.

  “And what information would that be, youngin’?” the man asked.

  Youngin’? Really? Pib almost growled but restrained himself at the last moment.

  “I’m looking for a wolf,” he replied. At the man’s raised eyebrow, Pib clenched his teeth for a moment before elaboration. “His name is Wil, he was in the care of the three jackasses—I mean, three brothers, when he was younger. Perhaps you can tell me where I might find him?”

  The man grunted and shook his head. “You had it right the first time. They are jackasses, but they’re rich jackasses. You’ll find Wil at the bottom of Dragon’s Keep. You know where that is?”

  “Sure, it’s around the bend, just after Dragon’s Tail ends.”

  “That’s right.” The man studied him, but Pib had his information and he had no reason to stay. He turned and was about to leave when the man’s voice stopped him in his tracks.

  “Welcome home, Pib.”

  Turning back, he opened his mouth to speak, but the man was gone. Frowning, Pib looked around, but when no one else appeared, he left the tavern and made his way through the village and toward Dragon’s Keep.

  The walk took longer than it should have since Pib kept stopping and simply staring at the mountain in front of him. He hoped there was no one around to witness because they’d think he’d completely lost his mind, randomly pausing when there was no one and nothing around.

  Why did I ever leave this place? Oh yeah, I wanted an adventure.

  Pib snorted and shook his head. “I was an idiot.”

  “Has anything changed?” a deep voice said from his right.

  Pib startled and spun toward the voice. In front of him was a man holding the reins of a horse, a cart filled with rocks behind them. The man was tall—six feet was Pib’s guess and he was used to sizing people up. He wore pants that were cut off at the knees and a sleeveless white shirt. His black shoulder-length hair was shaggy, and he had dark stubble on his face, but it was the mischievous look in his amber eyes that gave him away.

  “Of course. I’m not an idiot anymore,” Pib said, his voice sounding as pompous as he could make it. With his hood still up, he could smile at the man without him knowing Pib was doing so.

  “I’m not so sure about that, Puss. You were just standing in the middle of the trail for five minutes, not moving.”

  Frowning, Pib opened his mouth to speak. “How…”

  The man laughed. “Your boots. You always were a sucker for fine boots.”

  Pib looked down and realized he was right. The boots were the finest money could buy, with magic woven into them to make them damn near indestructible.

  Returning his gaze to the man, he laughed. “You always were too damn observant, Pup.”

  Pib lowered the hood and looked at his best friend. Wil had definitely grown into his body and developed some very nice muscles to go with it. Seconds later, Pib got to feel those muscles when Wil stalked over and grabbed him in a hug, squeezing tightly and lifting him off the ground.

  “Oi, put me down, you big oaf!” Pib exclaimed, although he didn’t try to escape from the embrace. Instead he wrapped his arms around Wil’s waist and hugged him back, letting Wil’s scent surround him and give him and his cat what they’d been missing for nine years—family.

  After a while, the horse stamped its foot and neighed, causing Wil to sigh before putting Pib down and releasing him.

  “Come on, I need to drop off the materials and horse and then we can go home for the night. You’re staying with me,” he said, moving toward the horse.

  Pib chuckled. “Am I now?”

  “Yup. We have nine years to catch up on, and besides, you know you want to stay with me. We’re pack,” Wil replied, sounding very smug.

  “We’re not a pack, we’re a pride.”

  “Nope, we’re a pack. I’m a wolf, and I say we’re a pack.”

  Pib snorted at Wil’s reasoning. “Well, I’m a serval, and I say we’re a pride.”

  “Nope. I say we’re a pack, and since I’ve been here this entire time, I get an extra vote. Therefore I outnumber you and so I win. We’re a pack,” Wil said, turning to give him a wink before taking hold of the reins again to pull the horse and cart along.

  Laughing, Pib fell into step with the man as they walked back to the village. “So what are all the rocks for?” he asked, his curious nature coming to the fore. When Wil lost his smile and sighed, Pib got worried about what his friend would say.

  “They’re for the mansion I’m building.”

  Huh?

  Pib tried to make sense of that comment, but no matter how he tried, he couldn’t come up with a logical explanation.

  “Huh?” As soon as the word was out of his mouth, Pib rolled his eyes at himself. Very intelligent there, Pib.

  But it did make Wil laugh and bring a smile back to his face, even if it didn’t reach his eyes. “After you left, I thought I’d only have to deal with the three idiots for another year, two at the most, but unlike you, I didn’t want to leave Dragon’s Tail.” Wil sighed, and Pib got the impression that he wasn’t going to like what else Wil had to say.

  “What did they do?” he growled out.

  “I started learning from the mason, and eventually I was able to build stuff on my own. After I turned eighteen, they commissioned me to create a mansion for them to live in. The first one w
as made of straw.”

  “First one?” Pib asked in shock.

  “Yup. The rocks here are for mansion number three. Because the other two never made it to completion, the contract wasn’t fulfilled, and therefore I couldn’t move on to other projects. It’s almost the same as it was when they were my guardians, only now I have to pay them rent because my cottage happens to be on the land they purchased a few months after I got the place.”

  Pib’s jaw dropped, and he froze on the spot, staring when Wil stopped a few paces in front of him and turned back. The very thought of those three jackasses taking advantage of his best friend was enough to make him itch to grab his blades and pay them a visit, but instead a better idea came to mind.

  “Hey, Wil, what happened to my family’s cottage?” Pib asked, hoping for some good news. Pib could see the obvious confusion on Wil’s face, but he waited for his response.

  “It should still be there. The enchantment you got for it has meant that no one has gone anywhere near it. They can’t even see it. Hell, I’d forgotten about it until now. I still can’t remember where it is, and I used to be able to walk there with my eyes closed and my nose blocked.”

  Pib smiled at his disgruntled friend. “Perfect! Then it should be ready and waiting for us to move in to it.”

  “Huh?”

  “Mum and Dad made the cottage big enough for the both of us. They might not have been able to get custody of you, but they considered you theirs. The cottage is ours, and no one, not even the jackasses, can take it from us. They can’t even buy the land because they’d need my signature, and the signature of a dragon. Plus they’d have to fork out more money than even they have.”