The Dragons of Mount St. Helens

Dragons are real, and they're hungry. Marlena never expected to be a dragon slayer. She's a bleeding heart, a geek, and a lifelong animal rescuer. But when Mount St. Helens erupted for the second time in fifty years, it wasn't just ash that poured out. Dragons, legendary creatures of myth, became a terrifying reality. Now, Marlena and a ragtag band of survivors - a gamer-turned-knight, a brilliant scientist, and a former supermodel - are fighting for survival in a world where most cities have fallen.
They've found refuge in Camelot, a makeshift haven built to withstand dragon attacks. Their leader believes the only way to fight a dragon is with another dragon. Their mission is a desperate gamble: steal a dragon egg, raise it, and hope it's strong enough to protect them from the monstrous beasts that threaten their existence. But when Marlena encounters a wounded, abandoned dragon whelp, her heart breaks.
This isn't a plan to breed a weapon. This is a mission to save the world. and a single, helpless creature caught in the crossfire. Dive into a world where the line between myth and reality has blurred. Will Marlena become the Mother of Dragons, or will she be just another victim in this post-apocalyptic tale? This story was previously published in the anthology After the Fall.