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

by Serena Meadows

Her face was full of indecision, but then her eyes softened, and he knew that he’d won. He wanted to shout at the top of his lungs, but instead, he just grinned at her and stood up to open the Medieval Ball with a speech. As he spoke, he felt Charlie’s eyes on him, and warmth spread through his body, followed by a thrill that almost made him forget the words.

  There was little opportunity for conversation during dinner, thanks to the boisterous chatter and wandering musicians, but that didn’t mean that the passion between them lay dormant; Vincent made sure of that. He was subtle about his seduction, feeding Charlie bits of food, brushing his arm across her breast, and leaning over to whisper little comments when the opportunity arose.

  By the time the last of the food had disappeared and the dancing began, Charlie was as flushed with desire as he was. When she slipped into his arms for the first dance, it took all of his control not to kiss her right then and there. Instead, he whirled her around the dance floor until she was laughing and out of breath. He only let her rest long enough to catch her breath, then pulled her back onto the floor and spent the rest of the evening teaching her the steps of all the old dances.

  When the band finished their last song, Vincent took Charlie’s hand and led her outside. “Let’s get some fresh air while they set up for the midnight feast,” he said.

  Charlie looked up at him. “Midnight feast? I thought it was over.”

  Vincent grinned at her. “Sweetheart, the night is far from over,” he said.

  ***Charlie***

  Charlie felt the cool night air brush across her heated skin and shivered. “Are you cold?” Vincent asked, taking off his jacket and draping it carefully over her shoulders.

  It smelled like him, and she took a few deep breaths, her body throbbing deep inside as it had been doing all night. They wandered through the lantern-strung trees, looking up at the stars, Charlie’s hand held firmly in Vincent’s, the pulsing warmth of the connection between them making alarm bells go off in her head. But she pushed them away, determined not to think about the consequences of what she was doing, and to enjoy the spectacle of the night.

  They’d wandered away from the ball and into the park, where to her surprise, there were tents scattered around the trees. “What are these for?” she asked, a strange feeling erupting in her stomach.

  “After the midnight banquet, there will be more dancing,” he said. “Or we can retire to our tent and rest before the sunrise breakfast.”

  Charlie looked up at him, her heart pounding in her chest. “Our tent?” she asked, dangerous images of the two of them together flooding her mind and making her insides clench deliciously.

  Vincent shrugged. “I reserved one just in case you got tired,” he said. “Just for resting, of course.”

  She felt her mouth come open at his implication. “Do people really...I mean...we wouldn’t...” Her words died away.

  “People weren’t quite as private as we are back then,” Vincent said, his blue eyes playful. “What’s the matter, Charlie? Are you embarrassed? I never pegged you for a prude.”

  The chiming of the clock in town square kept her from having to answer. “I guess we should get back,” she said.

  Vincent grinned at her. “Just in case you’re wondering, that tent way back is ours,” he said, then turned and led her back to the main tent.

  The midnight banquet turned out to be a buffet of any sweet thing imaginable: cookies, cakes, pies, and even ice cream competed for attention next to candy confections that made her teeth hurt even to look at them. But it wasn’t the sweets that were on her mind as Vincent filled a plate for her and led her to a table in a quiet corner. The crowd had thinned out, leaving only the younger generation and changing the atmosphere to one of barely restrained passion.

  All around her, couples fed each other morsels of food, sneaking kisses in between bites and making her blush. For a moment, she had the insane urge to flee, but then Vincent held out a piece of cake to her, and the look in his eyes froze her in her seat as desire blossomed to life. After she’d swallowed the bite, he looked down at the plate, then back up at her, and with shaking hands, she chose a chocolate and slipped it into his mouth.

  His eyes never left hers as he chewed the chocolate, then he leaned over and brushed his lips across hers, leaving them tingling and her heart pounding in her chest. Her body was throbbing with desire, and she was on the verge of desperation when he stood and held his hand out to her. She took it, and together they walked out into the cool night, Charlie so lost to the power of the connection between them that she couldn’t have stopped what was about to happen even if she’d wanted to.

  The moon was high in the sky as they walked through the park to the tent tucked into the trees. When Vincent pulled the flap back and she stepped in, the weight of what she was about to do came down on her, and she almost turned around. Vincent, sensing her hesitation, put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him.

  “What happens from here is up to you, Charlie,” he said, his eyes searching hers. “I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything, but only if you come to me willingly.”

  Charlie reached up and stroked his cheek, her heart pounding in her chest. “I can’t fight this,” she said. “I don’t have the strength.”

  She turned her back to him, then slowly removed the silvery shawl and draped it over a chair. Behind her, she heard Vincent sigh, felt his fingers slowly unhooking the buttons down her back, his lips brushing her bare flesh as it was exposed, then he turned her around and slid the dress off her shoulders. The dress puddled at her feet, and Vincent groaned deep in his throat when he saw that she was naked underneath.

  “God, if I’d known that you were naked under that dress all night, I would have brought you here sooner,” he said, his voice husky with passion as his eyes raked over her body. “I need you, Charlie. I need to lose myself in your body until nothing matters but the two of us.”

  Her body throbbing, passion making her breath come in short gasps, she tried to undress him while his hands roamed over her body, teasing and caressing her heated skin. When he finally stepped out of his pants, she let her eyes roam over his body, drinking in the sight with a boldness she’d never felt before, a rising sense of possession taking over. The realization that this man belonged to her and only her washed over her, and her body began to ache for him.

  He stepped closer to her, his eyes full of passion, and her heart felt like it was going to leap out of her chest with anticipation. When he reached for her, she went into his arms willingly, pressed her body up against his, and rubbed her hard nipples against his chest, making them both moan with pleasure.

  His erection was pressed up against her stomach, but when she reached for him, he took her hands gently in his and turned her around, then placed them on the footboard of the old iron bed that filled most of the tent. She could see them in the full-length mirror that sat against one side of the tent, and she was both embarrassed and tantalized as she watched Vincent spread her legs with his knee.

  His hands found her hips, the tip of his throbbing member rubbed against her swollen nib, and deep inside, a hard knot of pleasure began to form. Unable to look away, she watched as he pulled back his hips, then buried himself deep inside her in one hard thrust. Her body stretched deliciously when he filled her, and her eyes finally closed as Vincent buried himself in her over and over, his fingers biting into her flesh, his moans of pleasure driving her closer to the edge.

  Chapter Eighteen

  ***Vincent***

  Vincent’s body was humming with pleasure, the feeling of being sheathed in Charlie’s moist heat filling his body with shooting bolts of sensation that drove him to the edge much too quickly. He was far from done with Charlie, knew it was his chance to bond her to him. The connection between them was flowing stronger than ever before; all it needed was one more gentle push.

  When he felt her body begin to tremble and she was panting his name, he pulled out of her, ignoring her cries o
f disappointment, then threw her down on the bed. Crawling between her legs, he gently spread them wider and ran his hands down her legs to her feet, then slid them up until she was completely exposed to his greedy eyes. Charlie lay back against the pillow, her shimmering red hair spread across the pillow, her arms thrown over her head, eyes full of passion.

  She gasped, then sighed deeply when he reached out and slid one finger over her throbbing nib, and her hips came up off the bed. But in only seconds, he had her thrashing as his finger, slathered in her juices, worked its magic on her body. Charlie had fistfuls of the blanket gripped tightly in her hands, her breath coming in short gasps, when he drove his finger deep inside her.

  He was rewarded by her body bucking, and she began to tremble, but he pulled his finger out, making her whimper with disappointment again, and he knew that he’d reached his limit. Grabbing her by the hips, he yanked her down on the bed, slid his arms under her legs, and lifted them onto his shoulders, then drove himself into her. Charlie cried out his name and dug her nails into his shoulders as he filled her deeper and deeper with each stroke of his powerful hips.

  As her body began to tighten around his, Vincent felt the blossoming heat of their bond coming to life. The world faded away, and for the first time in his life, he felt utterly whole. He was aware of only the feeling of being buried deep inside Charlie, the way his body fit hers so perfectly, and her cries of pleasure beneath him. When he finally brought them both tumbling into paradise, Charlie clung to him as her body bucked and thrashed.

  When he finally came floating back to Earth, he bundled her under the covers against the cold night air, then pulled her into his arms. “We still have a few hours before breakfast,” he said, his voice husky with contentment. “Maybe we should try to get some sleep.”

  Charlie looked up at him. “Just so you know, this doesn’t change anything,” she said, then laid her head down and closed her eyes.

  Vincent smiled. “If you say so, princess,” he said, then let himself drift off to sleep.

  They made it to breakfast, both slightly rumpled, and Charlie blushed when anyone looked at them, but he’d never been happier in his life. He’d found the woman he’d love for the rest of his life, and even though she might not know it yet, she loved him just as much. There was more than just the passion they shared, and he thanked that little nagging voice that had been driving him to cement the bond between them.

  It might not be easy to navigate what was to come, but he was convinced that together, they’d figure it out. Charlie was just as stubborn as he was, and he understood now that he couldn’t expect her to give up her dreams that easily, that deep inside, she was just as much a demon hunter as she was a passionate woman. To separate the two was impossible, and he’d just have to figure out how to live with a mate who could kill demons just as well as he could.

  Feeling more confident, he heaped two plates with food and put one in front of Charlie. “I thought you might be hungry,” he said, grinning at her.

  “This is enough food for two people,” she said, but picked up her fork and dug in.

  They were halfway done with breakfast when Gabriel came hurrying up to them. “What are you doing you here?” he asked, not liking the look on Gabriel’s face.

  “Michael got a report that there’s a demon snooping around out by the campground,” Gabriel said. “He sent me to find you.”

  Vincent jumped to his feet. “Charlie, I need you to stay here and make sure no one knows what’s going on,” he said. When she only glared at him, he added, “I’m not keeping you here to keep you safe; I am keeping you here because I need you here. I need to know that someone is in town keeping people safe.”

  ***Charlie***

  Charlie studied him for a second. “I should go home and change,” she said, getting to her feet.

  “Stay here for a little while, finish your breakfast, act like nothing is happening,” Vincent said. “I’ll get a message to you with instructions as soon as I know what’s going on.”

  Her appetite was gone, but she pushed the food around on her plate, counting the minutes until she could get up and leave. It was beginning to look strange for her to be sitting at the table by herself for so long, so it was a relief when a woman approached the table, a plate of food in one hand, a cup of coffee in the other.

  “Could I join you?” she asked, nodding to the empty seat at the table. “You look like you could use some company.”

  “Please, sit down,” she said, relieved to have a distraction. “I’m Charlie.”

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Chloe,” the woman said, then took a sip of her coffee. “I just got into town yesterday; it was cool to find all of this.”

  “Isn’t it amazing?” Charlie said. “I haven’t been in town long either. Are you staying for a while? There’s a big festival coming up. I’ve been helping plan it, and I think it’s going to be amazing if you’re into medieval times.”

  Chloe looked around. “Honestly, I’m not sure, I haven’t been here long enough to decide, but I can tell you this: something drew me here, an energy that wouldn’t let me be.”

  Charlie was intrigued, had felt something different about the woman—then it hit her: she was a witch. Once she knew the truth, it was easy to feel the power radiating off Chloe, and she began to get excited. Only a natural witch had that kind of energy, and that was the one thing they were still missing for the festival. But before she could find a way to broach the subject, a young man approached the table, a folded piece of paper in his hand.

  “Are you Charlie?” he asked, then handed her the note when she nodded her head. “This is from Vincent.”

  When she opened it, there were only four words printed on the page: Meet me at the tent, which seemed like a strange request to her, but she got to her feet and excused herself. “It was nice to meet you, Chloe, but I really have to go; maybe we’ll see each other around town. I’d love to talk to you some more.”

  Chloe studied her for a second, then nodded her head. “We’ll meet again, Charlie, but between now and then, be careful; things aren’t always what they appear to be.”

  “What does that mean?” she asked, a strange feeling creeping over her.

  “I’m sorry; sometimes things just pop out of my mouth,” Chloe said, shrugging her shoulders. “Be careful, Charlie.”

  She walked away thinking about Chloe’s cryptic warning, trying to make sense of her words, but it wasn’t until she walked into the tent and found Sebastian, not Vincent waiting for her, that she understood. Her first thought was to flee, which didn’t make sense, but she gave in to the impulse, trusting her instincts, but one of the men with Sebastian slid behind her, blocking her escape with his body.

  “Were you expecting someone else?” Sebastian asked, a knowing smile on his face. “Maybe you were hoping for a little more of what you got last night.”

  “That’s none of your business,” she said, a bravado in her voice she didn’t feel.

  Sebastian crossed the tent, stood staring down at her, making her want to cringe, but she held her ground. “But you see that’s where you’re wrong,” he said, tipping her chin up. “What happens in Prospect is very much my business, and I’ve decided to take a very personal interest in your little romance with Vincent.”

  Before she could reply, his hand closed over her jaw, then he tipped her head from side to side, squeezing until tears came to her eyes. When he released her, he was grinning. “I would ask you if you bonded with him, but I can see it in your eyes,” he said, then nodded at the men behind her.

  They grabbed her, and her first thought was to shift, but she couldn’t risk it. She fought them instead, thrashing around until one of the men backhanded her across the face, making stars explode in her head. Spinning, she felt a band of cold metal clamped onto her arm, a burst of heat, and then her strength seemed to drain out of her.

  She crumpled to the ground, the band hot on the flesh of her arm, her body shaking, then the heat faded, h
er strength returned, and she was able to get slowly to her feet. When her head finally stopped spinning, she looked down at the shiny ring on her arm, then over at Sebastian, who had a huge grin on his face.

  “I doubt that you’d be any match for my boys,” he said, walking over to her again. “But just in case, that’s a little insurance to make sure you don’t decide to shift.”

  Charlie looked down at her arm again, then tried to summon her power; instead of the warmth she usually felt, there was nothing. Trying again, she pushed away the panic that was slowly growing inside her, but this time, the band on her arm started to get hot, and soon, her skin began to burn.

  Sebastian shook his head. “I wouldn’t push it too far,” he said. “You could end up with a nasty burn.”

  Still fighting the panic, but feeling anger replacing it, she asked, “What are you planning to do?”

  Sebastian reached into his pocket and pulled out a syringe. “Well, I’m going to use you for bait, of course,” he said. “And just to be sure you don’t attract a lot of attention; you’re going to take a little nap.

  Chapter Nineteen

  ***Vincent***

  Vincent followed Michael and Adam out of the trees, Gabriel walking next to him grumbling under his breath, and he couldn’t blame him. There was no sign of any demons around the campground, so just like they’d suspected, it had been a false report, but it hadn’t been fun tromping around in the woods since they couldn’t shift in daylight.

  When they got back to the parking area, there was a crowd milling around one of the patrol vehicles, and a deputy standing, arms crossed, leaning against it. “What’s going on?” Michael asked, his booming voice parting the crowd.

  “Turns out it was a false alarm; these kids thought it would be funny to call it in,” the deputy said, opening the back door. “Out with you; the sheriff is back.”