Guardian Dragons of Prospect Falls: (A Paranormal Shifter Romance)

by Serena Meadows

  Disappointed, she nodded her head. “That sounds okay,” she said.

  “Now, I think dinner should just about be ready,” he said, taking her hand and leading her out of the bedroom.

  Molly let him lead her to the kitchen and shove her into a chair at the table. “I’d be happy to help,” she offered.

  Adam shook his head. “I’ve got this,” he said, opening the oven.

  The room filled with a delicious aroma and her stomach began to growl. “That smells wonderful,” she said, watching him dish up roasted vegetables and slice the roast.

  “I make this all the time; it’s great for leftovers,” he said. “I mean, we make this all the time.”

  “If it tastes as good as it smells, I can understand why,” she said.

  They ate in comfortable silence until their hunger began to fade, Molly sure that she’d never tasted anything as good. “This is the best pot roast I’ve ever had,” she said, then realized what she’d said.

  The charm of the meal and the comfort of the cozy kitchen faded just a bit as the situation came crashing down on her again. But this time, instead of giving in to the panic, she took a deep breath and said, “Adam, I need to know about my life; there are so many questions crowding my mind, and the images still haven’t gone away, but I can’t make any sense of them.”

  Adam set down his fork and took her hand in his. “I’d love to tell you everything and I will, but I think we should take it slow,” he said.

  “How slow?” she asked, feeling frustrated. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to not even know if you’ve eaten pot roast before? I feel like I’m lost and there’s no way home, I’m flailing around in the dark trying to pretend that I’m okay, but I’m not.”

  She was so close to tears, but she held them back, tired of crying, but when Adam got to his feet, pulled her out of the chair and into his arms, they came streaming down her cheeks. “I’m tired of crying too,” she said, holding in the sobs.

  Adam held her close for a minute, the beating of his heart in her ear working its magic, and the tears dried up. “I have an idea,” he said, looking down at her. “A way you can get some of what you’re missing back and still take it slow.”

  Molly would have agreed to anything right then; the feeling of his strong arms around her chased away all the bad feelings. Taking a deep, shuddering breath as the last of the frustration drained out of her, she said, “I’m listening.”

  “How about if you’re allowed to ask me three questions a day, maybe one after each meal,” he suggested.

  She thought about that a second. “And you’ll answer me honestly, you won’t hide anything to keep me from getting upset?” she asked.

  He reached up and stroked her cheek. “I promise you that I’ll answer as honestly as I can,” he said, his blue eyes locked on hers.

  Thrill after thrill washed over her, and deep inside, a pulsing tingle of pleasure made her gasp. “I guess that’s all I can ask,” she answered, her voice throaty with pleasure.

  Adam groaned. “Molly, if this were our first date, would you let me kiss you?” he asked.

  She studied him for a minute, the throbbing inside her growing stronger, and nodded her head. Before she could take a deep breath, Adam’s mouth came down on hers, softly at first, then more demanding, and she gasped again as pleasure filled her body. A soft moan of pleasure followed when his tongue slid into her mouth and began to explore.

  When the kiss was over, her knees were shaking, and her body was throbbing. “I think that was pretty good for a first kiss,” Adam said, grinning down at her.

  “Do you think there might be a second one?” she asked, shocked at her own daring.

  “That might just be possible,” he said, the lowered his mouth to hers again.

  Chapter Six

  ***Adam***

  Adam zipped up his suitcase, then looked over at the bag he’d been packing for Molly, hoping that he’d gotten everything she needed. It had been hard enough unpacking the boxes Vincent had retrieved from her car, but choosing her clothes had proved to be almost impossible. In the end, using what he’d learned from her phone, and knowing that it would be cold in the mountains, he’d chosen warm clothes he thought she’d like.

  He zipped up the other bag and carried them both to the front door, then changed his mind and took Molly’s back down the hall with him. Her bedroom door was open, so he walked in to find her scribbling away furiously in a notebook. “I thought you might want to look through this before we leave,” he said.

  She turned to look at him, and his heart did a flip-flop in his chest when her green eyes met his. Wondering how just looking at her could cause that kind of reaction, he broke eye contact, slightly breathless, and set the bag down on the bed.

  Molly closed the notebook and walked over to the bed. “This was nice of you. I could have done it myself,” she said.

  He shrugged his shoulders. “It was no problem, but you’d better make sure I got everything you’ll need,” he said.

  Molly dug around in the bag, her face turning pink when she came to the lacey bras and panties he’d chosen, and she quickly shoved them back inside. “I, ummm, think this is fine,” she said, turning away from him.

  “I’ll show you mine if you want,” he said, loving the way her eyes sparkled when she blushed.

  “Show me what?” she asked.

  “My underwear,” he said, grinning at her.

  Her face turned even more scarlet and he had the urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her, but the sound of the front door opening stopped him. “Adam, we’re here,” he heard Gabriel call. “How’s my patient this morning.”

  “We’d better go,” Molly said, sliding away from him and out the door, but he hadn’t missed the look in her eyes, and a huge grin spread across his face.

  After he’d kissed her the night before, she’d pleaded exhaustion and gone back to her room, and a little part of him had been afraid that she hadn’t liked the kiss. But just now, he’d seen the desire in her eyes and knew that the first step to making her fall in love with him was well underway. He was already halfway in love with her, amazed at the strength he felt in her, and tantalized by the passion buried deep inside her just waiting to be awoken.

  Taking a deep breath to calm the pounding of his heart, he followed her down the hallway, catching up just as she walked into the living room and got her first look at the other guardians. She stopped in the doorway, her eyes huge as she looked from one to the next, and he could understand why she was a bit overwhelmed by the sight of the huge men who filled the space.

  Gabriel stepped forward, a smile on his face. “You look like you’re feeling fine today,” he said. “It’s good to see you up and around.”

  He saw some of the tension in Molly’s shoulders melt and jumped in. “Molly, you remember Gabriel,” he said. “But you haven’t met Michael or Vincent.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Vincent said, stepping up, a welcoming smile on his face. “I own the town paper and am proud to serve as Prospect Falls newest mayor.”

  Adam nodded. “Vincent was elected last year,” he said.

  “As you can see, I’m the law around here, although in a town like this, there isn’t much for me to do most of the time,” Michael said, stepping up and holding out his hand.

  Molly shook their hands. “It’s nice to meet you both,” she said, a genuine smile on her face.

  He breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, I guess we should get going,” he said.

  “First, I want to have a quick look at our patient; it’s a long way to the lake,” Gabriel said.

  “I left my bag in the bedroom,” Molly said. “I guess we could go in there.”

  “I’ll just pack up the truck,” Adam said, relieved to have a few minutes alone with Michael and Vincent.

  “We’ll help,” both men said.

  When they got outside, Vincent said, “We got everything you asked for, but are you sure about this, Adam? This i
s crazy, and I can’t see how it’s going to end well.”

  He held up his hand. “I’ve heard this all before, and I’m not going to change my mind,” he said. “Did you do a sweep like I asked you to?”

  “Yes, and there’s nothing at the lake, and the portal hasn’t moved either,” Michael said, but Adam could tell he still had something to say.

  “Fine, say it,” he said, continuing to load the supplies in the back of the truck. “I know you won’t be happy until you do.”

  “I just think you should tell her the truth now, before you drag her up there alone and who knows what happens,” he said, then held up his hand when Adam tried to interrupt. “I get to have my say and then I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

  Adam nodded, not wanting to hear it. “When she gets her memory back and finds out you’ve been lying to her, she’s going to freak out; don’t you see that? The longer you go on with this, the harder it’s going to be to when that happens, and I’m afraid that one or both of you is going to end up heartbroken.”

  He studied his friend for a long time, then said, “I know what I’m risking, but this is the only way. I’ve already taken it too far to back out now. But I know deep down that Molly is the one I’ve been waiting for all this time. I can’t risk losing her.”

  ***Molly***

  Molly sat nervously waiting as Gabriel examined her, sure that he was going to say that there was something terribly wrong with her, but when he was finished, a smile spread across his face. “Everything looks fine to me,” he said. “Any dizziness, headaches, anything like that?”

  She shook her head. “I feel fine,” she said.

  “Well, then I don’t see any reason why you can’t go to the lake,” he said. Then when he saw the look on her face, he quickly added, “But you don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”

  “No, I want to go,” she said, not adding that she was suddenly afraid to leave the cabin, knowing how strange it would sound. “I think a change of scenery might do me good.”

  “All right then,” Gabriel said. “I’ll let you finish packing.”

  When she was sure he was out of the room, she quickly sorted through the bag once more, then satisfied that Adam had everything she’d need, zipped it up. Gabriel was waiting for her out in the hallway; he silently took the bag from her hand, and together they headed to the front door. Just as they got to the entryway, the door opened, letting in the bright sunlight, making her stomach clench, but then Adam stepped inside and the feeling eased.

  “Are we ready?” he asked

  “She’s as healthy as she can be,” Gabriel said, winking at her and smiling. “Are you all set out there?”

  “We’ve got everything we need, and probably a little more,” Adam said. “Thanks for the help. Now, we’d better get on the road.”

  “I’ll see you both when you get back,” Gabriel said, sending Adam a look she couldn’t quite understand.

  “We’ll call as soon as we get home,” Adam said, shoving him out the door.

  Molly waited nervously by the front door as Adam made one last sweep of the cabin, her stomach twisting nervously. When he finally joined her and opened the front door, she took a few steps toward it, then couldn’t make her feet move as a wave of dread spread through her. Her heart began to pound and fear crept to life, slowly turning to a feeling of terror at what was outside the door.

  Adam dropped her bag and rushed over to her side. “Molly, what’s wrong?” he asked, shaking her just a little.

  She managed to pull her eyes away from the door and look up at him, which immediately calmed her some. “I’m sorry, Adam, but I’m scared,” she admitted, feeling stupid. “I can’t explain it, but I have the strongest feeling that there’s something out there, something that wants to hurt me.”

  He pulled her into his arms. “It’s okay, sweetheart, I understand how scary this must be,” he said. “But I can promise you there’s nothing out there but a beautiful summer day.”

  She stood in his arms for a few minutes, letting Adam’s warmth and strength seep into her, then looked up at him and said, “Okay, I’m ready.”

  He took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze, then picked up her bag and pulled her through the door. Once outside, she let out the breath she’d been holding, smiled up at him, and looked around her. Adam had been right; it was a warm day. The smell of the forest around them filled the air with the scent of pine and she felt herself relaxing.

  Adam led her down the porch steps and over to a truck parked in the yard; when she saw the writing on the door, she stopped and stared, then looked over at him. “Landscaping, I thought...” she trailed over, looking around at the farm.

  Adam laughed. “My family stopped farming this land when my grandfather started the landscaping business,” he said. “Most of the barns and outbuildings are empty, and the fields are rented out.”

  Molly looked around, feeling a bit disappointed. “Oh, well, I guess that’s good too,” she said.

  He studied her for a second. “You seem a little disappointed,” he pointed out.

  “I guess I am,” she admitted. “But don’t ask me why.”

  “Well, would it help if I told you that we’re the biggest landscapers in the area, and I spend plenty of time with my hands in the dirt?” he teased, opening the truck door for her.

  She got in, feeling a smile break out across her face. “I suppose that’s almost as good,” she said.

  But the pleasant feeling didn’t last long when she realized that she had no idea how she spent her time, so as they drove away from the farm, she asked, “What do I do? I mean, I must work too right?”

  When he didn’t answer right away, a terrible idea popped into her mind. “Please tell me I’m not one of the women who sit around the house all day, or worse yet, the beauty shop or gym or something.”

  Adam smiled over at her and shook his head. “Relax, Molly, you aren’t one of those women,” he said, but there was something strange in his eyes, as if he were hiding something from her.

  She studied him for a minute, then voicing her worst fear, asked, “Was I a terrible person?

  Chapter Seven

  ***Adam***

  Adam didn’t answer right away. Instead, he pulled the truck over to the side of the road, put it in park, and turned to look at her. “I think that counts as two questions, but I’ll answer them both,” he said, trying to lighten things up a bit.

  But he knew he was on shaky ground, knew that he had to be careful about the lies he told, so he started with the truth. “You are anything but a terrible person, Molly,” he said, reaching out to stroke her cheek.

  She let out the breath she’d been holding and turned her cheek slightly into his palm. “I know it sounds stupid, but I was afraid that I was some kind of monster,” she said.

  Adam drew on what he’d learned about her. “No, Molly, you are a kind and caring woman; you volunteer at homeless shelters, and visit retirement homes, and once you even worked at a soup kitchen. You bring a little joy to anyone who knows you and I’m lucky that you’re a part of my life,” he said.

  She sighed with relief again. “Do I do all that now?” she asked.

  Knowing that this was the tricky part, he said, “No, that was before we met; you still do volunteer stuff, but it’s different.”

  “Do I work?” she asked. “I can’t believe I don’t.”

  He nodded. “You used to work at an accounting firm but after we got married, you took over for my accountant,” he said, spitting out the lie as quickly as he could.

  Molly thought about that for a second, then shrugged, “It doesn’t feel wrong, but it doesn’t feel quite right either,” she said.

  It was his turn to sigh with relief; even though his friends all thought he wasn’t listening to them, he had been. Between their warnings and Molly’s reaction to the pictures in the bedroom, he’d thought about what he was going to tell her a lot, and decided that the fewer lies he told, the better.

&
nbsp; He wanted her to fall in love with him, not the fake memories he’d created that first afternoon, and to make that happen, the past needed to remain as misty as possible. He also knew that if she regained her memory, it would soften the blow if he were as honest with her now as possible. Ignoring the little voice in his head that was starting to tell him that he was making a mistake, he pulled the truck back onto the road and headed for the cabin.

  After a steep climb into the mountains, they came over a ridge and into a clearing with a sparkling blue lake right in the center. The sight of the mountain tops reflected in the blue water never ceased to take his breath away, and from Molly’s quick intake of breath, he knew it was affecting her the same way. Letting the truck roll to a stop, he looked around the meadow, pleased to see the little cabin tucked into the trees, then turned to Molly, who was still staring at the lake.

  “Sometimes, when I’ve been away for too long, I forget how beautiful it is up here,” he said.

  Molly looked over at him. “It’s like a picture, too beautiful to be real,” she said, a huge grin on her face.

  Adam hadn’t realized until that moment how important it was to him that she like the lake. “I feel that same way every time I see it,” he said, grinning back at her. “And it’s going to be your home for the next few days.”

  “I think I like that idea,” she said. “Where’s the cabin?”

  “Right over there,” he said, pointing into the trees. “It’s been there for hundreds of years, one of the first built in the area.”

  “Oh, it’s wonderful,” she said. “I can’t wait to see inside.”

  “Then let’s be on our way,” he said, as both of them beamed.

  As they got closer to the cabin, he saw Molly’s bright mood begin to shift, but he was ready. “I was thinking that instead of worrying about what you don’t remember, maybe you should look at things like you’re experiencing them for the first time,” he suggested.