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

by Serena Meadows

***Gabriel***

  Gabriel, desperate to feel himself lost in Chloe’s moist heat, an animal instinct to possess her driving him, turned her around, pushed her down onto her hands and knees, then knelt behind her. He felt his power coursing through his veins, merging and melding with Chloe’s, driving the passion between them, and knew that the moment had come.

  Grabbing her hips, he drove himself into her, filling her deeply and fully, then with powerful thrusts of his hips, claimed her there in the moonlight under the watchful eye of the goddess. He felt her power as pleasure swept him away, felt the infinite possibilities of the love they shared and the tightening of the bond between them as he drove himself into her again and again.

  Her cries of pleasure echoed through the night, driving him closer to the edge, but it was Chloe’s body tightening around him that sent him over the edge. The bond between them snapped into place as he emptied himself into her, while above their heads, the goddess looked on, pleased with love so freely given in her presence.

  Chloe tumbled onto her side, her breath coming in short gasps, taking him with her, but he stayed buried deep inside her, unwilling to leave her yet. When her breathing finally returned to normal, she rolled onto her back and looked over at him, a grin on her face.

  “I think that should have pleased the goddess,” she said, reaching over to stroke his cheek.

  Gabriel could feel the bond between pulsing. “I suppose I should ask you to marry me,” he said.

  Chloe grinned at him. “What if I said no?”

  “Then I’d just have to find a way to get you to change your mind,” he said.

  “Hmm, I might just say no to find out what that might involve,” she said. “You can be pretty convincing when you want to.”

  “Well, it might involve something like this,” he said, trailing his finger down her stomach, then between her legs.

  She spread them for him, her breath catching in her throat. “What’s next?” she whispered.

  “That’s for me to know and you to find out,” he said, sliding one finger deep inside her. “But if you’re a good girl, I might show you something new.”

  Chloe gasped when he slipped between her legs and lowered his head, but all he heard after that where her whimpers and cries of pleasure as he used his tongue to drive her over the edge again, then, just to make sure the goddess was pleased, took her flying once again, only satisfying himself when she was fully sated with pleasure.

  They slept then, on the bed of moss, warm in each other’s embrace until the morning sun came up over the mountains and woke them. Chloe stretched lazily, then rubbed her body against his until he was rock hard and desperate for her again. When they’d satisfied themselves again, this time in the bright light of morning, they put on their robes and walked away from the fire pit hand in hand.

  Back in the cabin, they both took a shower, dressed in warm clothes, then sat down for breakfast. “Do you think it worked?” Gabriel asked.

  Chloe smiled at him. “If it didn’t, we can try again,” she teased, raising her eyebrows at him seductively.

  “I’m all for that,” he said, grinning at her. “I’m here for you any time you need me.”

  “How about we go look first,” she said, shaking her head. “I should have known better than to tease you.”

  He shrugged, drained his cup. “Just know that I’m hoping we don’t find them,” he said, getting up from the table.

  Chloe rolled her eyes at him, but he saw the desire in her gaze and wondered if the passion between them would ever fade. But the pulsing of the bond between them reminded him that they shared something very powerful, something that would survive forever.

  When they got outside, Chloe looked around her, then pointed into the trees. “That way,” she said. “I can feel them; they’re there.”

  They headed across the snow-encrusted meadow, but Gabriel scanned the trees as they walked, not trusting the quiet of the morning. “There haven’t been very many demons up here since the last time we killed them all off, but that doesn’t mean we might not see one. They’re going to be attracted to you.”

  “It’s not the demons I’m worried about,” she said, looking up at him. “That magic I used last night left a big signature in the magic world. If Darrell or Sebastian are looking, they’ll find us.”

  “You could have told me this last night,” he said, annoyed.

  “Would it have made a difference?” she asked. “Would you have done anything differently? We’re ready for them, Gabriel; the magic just sped things up.”

  He looked around in the trees. “This isn’t where I want to face them, Chloe,” he said.

  “But there’s power here, Gabriel,” she said. “Close your eyes and you can feel it; it’s flowing through the air; it surrounds us.”

  Eyes closed, he stood listening to the sounds of the forest, but he realized that there was something else under those sounds, a humming that once heard, he couldn’t unhear. He opened his eyes and looked at Chloe, who was grinning at him. Shocked, he stumbled backward a couple of steps.

  ***Chloe***

  Chloe wanted to throw herself into Gabriel’s arms, wanted to forget about the moonflower, wanted to forget about all of it. But she turned and trudged on through the trees, the pull of the precious plant leading the way, Gabriel’s steady presence reassuring her that they were on the right path.

  They reached a clearing in the trees, and the pull changed; pulsing more quickly it beckoned to her until she found herself crawling on her hands and knees under a huge pine tree. Heart pounding in her chest, she carefully pulled the leaves and debris away from the base of the tree and was rewarded by a glimpse of green. A little more digging revealed the green shoot, topped with a delicate white blossom.

  After only a few minutes of careful digging, she’d uncovered a little garden of moonflowers. “Oh, Gabriel, look at them; there must be hundreds of them under here,” she said, leaning back so he could see.

  “Then we did a good job,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her. “But, darn it, that means we don’t have to do the ritual again.”

  “I shouldn’t encourage you, but there’s still next year,” she said, feeling her cheeks turn pink.

  “You mean we get to do that every year?” he asked, grinning like a fool.

  Chloe laughed. “Yes, now stop messing around and help me.”

  “But messing around is what I do best,” he said. “Look, there’s the evidence.”

  She groaned. “And to think I’m stuck with you for the rest of my life,” she said, her heart soaring with happiness.

  They worked in silence, collecting the fragile blossoms, then carefully covering the green shoots up again until there was no evidence that they’d been there. She gathered the cloth holding the blossoms, tied it up, and carefully put it in her pocket, then they started out of the trees.

  “I’ll have to dry these and grind them up for the protection spell,” she said. “I’d feel better if we had a few more, but I have a feeling that we’re about to have some company, and I’d rather not be caught digging around under a tree.”

  She felt Gabriel stiffen beside her. “Where are they?” he asked, scanning the trees.

  “Standing just on the edge of the meadow waiting for us,” she said, letting her magic flow to Gabriel.

  “I see them now,” he said, then stopped and took her hand. “Chloe, I know we talked about this, but I’m stronger in my dragon form, especially if we’re fighting magic. I just hope...” his words trailed off.

  She stepped up to him, wrapped her arms around his ribs, and rested her head on his chest for a few minutes, listening to the beating of his heart. “Man, or beast,” she said, looking up at him, “I love you either way.”

  “I love you too, Chloe,” he said, the smile back on his face.

  He took her hand, and they started down the path again. “Just so you know, you were more beast than man last night, and I liked it,” she said, giggling when she saw the lo
ok on his face.

  Still grinning at her, he whispered, “I don’t see Sebastian anywhere; he’s probably going to ambush me.”

  She nodded her head, and let out a peal of laughter, then whispered, “I see Darrell hiding behind one of the trees,” she said.

  “Are you ready?” Gabriel asked. “I’d like to get this over with so we can talk some more about how much you love me.”

  She slapped him on the arm. “You need to be serious now,” she said.

  Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows at her, then faded into the trees, the gray clothes he wore blending perfectly with their stark winter surroundings. She’d only gone another twenty steps when a small balding man stepped out into the path. Up close, he looked even smaller than he had from a distance, but evil bubbled around him, making her shiver and wish that she hadn’t sent Gabriel away. It was a risk she’d been willing to take before she came face to face with her uncle, but now she wasn’t so sure.

  The stench of hatred poured off of him in waves, polluting the air around her, and making her want to wretch. When he opened his mouth to speak, he had a mouth full of rotten teeth, and gagging, she had to look away.

  “What’s the matter, Chloe, don’t want to see the result of your magic?” he asked, his voice raspy in the quiet of the forest. “You see, this is what happens when a spell is reversed and backfires on you.”

  “You tried to kill Emma Jean. I did what I had to,” she spat at him. “And I’d do it again.”

  “Oh, I don’t think you’ll have the opportunity,” her uncle said. “It’s a shame to put mother through that twice, but once you’re gone, she won’t fight so hard. You know that’s the only reason it didn’t work the first time: she fought it. That won’t happen again. I’ll break her the next time, and then the book of shadows will be mine.”

  “The book of shadows will never belong to you,” she said, shaking her head. “It belongs to me now; you’ve been skipped, Uncle Darrell.”

  “Shut up,” he said, pointing the ridiculous wand at her again. “Let’s go, or I’ll have to use this on you. I want the book and those moonflowers you found.”

  “The book is back at Baxter House. I’m afraid, and the moonflowers won’t do you any good without it,” she said.

  “Do you think I’m a fool?” he said. “Call it to you; I know it will come. Your mother used to do that trick all the time when we were kids.”

  Chloe snapped her fingers, and the book appeared in them. “That, Uncle Darrell, was your first mistake,” she said, then opened the book and held it up in the air.

  Chapter Twenty

  ***Gabriel***

  Gabriel felt Sebastian watching him, felt the heat of his gaze, but continued on through the trees, heightening his senses until he spotted him perched high in a tree. Not moving his head, he watched out of the corner of his eye as the blue stone around Sebastian’s scaly neck began to glow, and the unmistakable sound of demons filled the forest. Forcing himself not to call out a warning to Chloe, he ran for the meadow, calling on his powers and shifting just as he cleared the trees.

  He flew straight up in the air, the bright sunlight blinding him for a second, then shot into the trees, his only goal to reach Sebastian before he released any more demons. Below him, he could hear the snuffling and shuffling of them on the hunt and quickly counted more than twenty, the shimmering air around them his only clue to where they all were.

  Sebastian saw him only seconds before he would have knocked him off the branch, and letting out a screech of rage, he flew into the air. The light in the blue stone dimmed, then went out, and he became even more enraged, his cries turning to those of frustration. Gabriel knew that he only had to distract Sebastian, that he only needed to buy a little time until Chloe released the other shifters, and then together, they would finish him off.

  Climbing higher in the air, he saw Chloe standing with her uncle, the book held high in the air, her mouth moving as the man stood shaking a wand at her. The tip was glowing, but he didn’t have time to worry about what might come shooting out of it. Just at that moment, Sebastian came shooting through the air, his talons extended, screeching loudly.

  Gabriel tore his eyes away from Chloe and dove for the ground, Sebastian right behind him, then he pulled up at the last second. The older dragon couldn’t correct fast enough, and he hit the ground and landed in a heap, his chest heaving. The impact made the trees shake, but Gabriel didn’t notice as he rose above the trees, his only thought of Chloe and frightened of what he might find.

  She was still on her feet, the book held above her head as the other guardians poured out in a colorful stream of thick smoke, then one by one materialized about the trees. They were followed by Charlie and several more shifters, and soon the air was full of dragons. Below him, Sebastian climbed to his feet, swayed, then took to the air. Gabriel started to turn away from Chloe, but at that moment, she lost her concentration, and Darrell shot a bolt of fire out of his wand.

  The ball of flames hit Chloe in the chest with so much force, she was lifted off her feet and thrown to the ground. The book went flying through the air and landed in a pile of snow with a thud. Gabriel could hear Sebastian’s shriek of victory behind him and forced himself to look away, managing to swoop away before his razor-sharp talons dug into his flesh.

  ***Chloe***

  Chloe felt the cold ground beneath her and wondered for a second why she was there, then she heard her uncle cackling with joy, a sound so full of evil, it made her blood run cold for a second. He walked over and looked down at her. “Too bad your shifter isn’t here to save you,” he said. “By the time he gets here, these demons will have sucked the soul right out of you.”

  She tried to get up but found that she was pinned to the ground. “The book will never belong to you,” she said, struggling against her unseen bonds, the sound of something slithering up behind her.

  “Can you smell them yet?” Darrell asked. “I heard the only time you can actually see them is when they’re feeding, but the smell, well, I heard it travels for miles. I’d like to stay and enjoy that little spectacle, but I’m afraid I have some business to attend to.”

  He walked over and picked up the book of shadows, wiped it off on his pants, then came over to where she lay pinned to the ground. “I’ll just take that moonflower; can’t risk you remembering how to use it without the book. Sebastian would be very unhappy with me.”

  Chloe tried not to move as his hands groped her, stifled the scream that threatened to come pouring out of her when he pinched her breast. “It’s too bad we’re related; we could have had some fun,” he said, leering at her and holding up the cloth bundle. “But I’m afraid that’s not to be. I’ll be off now. I recommend closing your eyes when it happens.”

  He turned and walked away, and for the first time, the smell hit her: a rotten egg smell that made her skin crawl and her magic flare to life. A spell came pouring out of her mouth, and she felt the bonds weakening, felt the ability to move slowly come back into her limbs. Darrell looked over his shoulder at her, then began to run, mumbling a spell as fast as he could.

  Chloe felt the energy of the spell hit her, but she batted it away as easy as she’d broken the bonds, and climbing to her feet, she ran after him. It would have been simple to call the book back to her, but the magic flowing through her wouldn’t be satisfied with anything but erasing the evil that had invaded her family, the evil that had tipped the scales and let Sebastian into the valley.

  ***Gabriel***

  Gabriel knew that he’d let Sebastian get too close the last time and decided he was done toying with him. In only the short time they’d been in the air together, it had become clear to him Sebastian was past his prime, that it would be easy to defeat him. But killing a member of the council was a crime punishable by death, and he wasn’t willing to risk his life for the vengeance that pumped through him.

  Instead, he knew that he’d have to disable him, hurt him badly enough that he could no longer fight or
flee and hope that Arthur showed up with the rest of the council in time. Around him, the other shifters dove at the demons, and their death cries filled the air, the stench of their black smoking bodies choking him as Sebastian hovered in front of him. He waited for him to make the first move, focusing all his attention on the fiery red dragon flexing his talons intimidatingly at him.

  Gabriel let out a cry of delight, enjoying Sebastian’s display, wondering if in his prime, it had worked, and how sad it was that he didn’t realize he was making a fool of himself. When Sebastian realized that Gabriel was laughing at him, he shrieked and dove at him, but he was too slow, and it was easy to avoid the deadly talons. He led Sebastian into the trees, darting from one to another until he heard a huge thud behind him and turned to see Sebastian tumble to the ground.

  Charlie, who had been hovering close by, swooped down and stood next to Sebastian, raised her wings menacingly when he lifted his head, and screeched in his face, then nodded her head at him. With only a subtle movement of his wings, he was soaring over the trees, searching deep inside himself for Chloe’s magic, afraid that he’d feel nothing.

  But like a lightning bolt, he felt her, felt all the fury building inside her, and knew that she was close to doing something she’d be sorry for later. When he saw her, she was standing over Darrell, sparks flying from her fingertips, her hair blowing in the wind that thrashed the trees around them.

  He landed where she could see him, folded his wings close to his body, and walked toward her. She froze, staring at him as he approached. Darrell crawled away from her, then jumped to his feet and began to run. She lifted her arm into the air, sent one final spay of crackling light shooting through the night, hitting Darrell squarely in the back and sending him flying. He lay completely still for a second, then sucked in a huge breath but air, but didn’t try to get up.

  When he was only a few feet away from her, he bowed his head to her, and she reached out, ran her hand over his feather-covered head, then leaned forward and kissed him. He shifted back to his human form and pulled her into his arms. “I was so afraid I’d scare you,” he said. “I was afraid you were going to kill Darrell.”