Dragon Savior (Guardian Dragons 0f Prospect Falls Book 1) Read online

  Dragon Savior

  (Guardian Dragons of Prospect Falls)

  Serena Meadows

  Copyright ©2020 by Serena Meadows - All rights reserved.

  In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

  Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Epilogue

  Also By Serena Meadows

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  Chapter One

  ***Adam***

  Adam paused in the darkness, the sound of his breathing loud in the quiet around him, cursing the lack of a moon, then crouched down and watched the dense growth around the river. This time of year, it was nothing more than a trickle of water, but during the runoff, it surged to its banks, feeding the trees and brush. On hot summer afternoons, there was no better place to be, but on a dark night following a demon, it wasn’t quite as inviting.

  Tipping his head up, he took a deep breath of the air, immediately finding the sulfuric smell of the demon, and wanted to curse again. Not only was he going to have to follow the thing into the shadowed woods, but it was also heading straight for the road. They were still miles away from town, but it wouldn’t take the demon long to pick up the smell of humans, and he hated to think of what would happen if the thing made it that far.

  Knowing that he was the only thing between the demon and another innocent victim of its thirst, he stood up, took a deep breath, and headed for the trees. He’d followed the demon out of the mountains and down to the valley floor, its scent leaving a trail he could follow even if he couldn’t see the thing. But years of hunting the creatures had taught him that they were unpredictable, and he wasn’t about to go thundering into the trees.

  Letting just a bit of his powers begin to flow, he sniffed the air again, then let his eyes roam over the trees as he stepped into the dense undergrowth. The world lit up like it was daylight, and he slowly checked around him, looking for the tell-tale shimmer of the air around the demon, the only way he would be able to tell it was there besides the smell.

  Satisfied that he was alone in the narrow woods, he crossed the river and emerged on the other side, his eyes already scanning the landscape for the road. He could just make out its silvery glow in the darkness, deserted as it should be that time of night, and he sighed with relief. There was still time to stop the thing, and he knew that it would be easy now that they’d found the road; all he’d have to do was follow it until he caught up with the demon.

  Fighting the urge to shift, he shut down his gift, knowing that he’d need it when he caught up to the demon. The closer he got to the road, the stronger the stench began to get, and he knew that he wasn’t far behind the creature, but then to his horror, a pair of headlights appeared on the road, headed straight for them. Fighting the panic that sprang to life, he started to run, hoping to get to the demon before the car reached it.

  He was almost to the road when the car’s headlights illuminated the swirling air around the demon. It was standing directly in the path of the car, a ten-foot solid barrier that the driver wouldn’t be able to see, and he knew that he had to act fast. But before he could shift, the car was upon them, slamming into the demon, the sound of crumpling metal loud in the quiet night.

  ***Molly***

  Molly slowly brought the car to a halt, the darkness around her feeling heavier now that the car was stopped. She picked up the map from the seat next to her and squinted at it in the light from the dashboard. Feeling more lost than she had when she stopped for directions an hour ago, she threw the map down on the seat and looked around her at the dark outline of the mountains that loomed on either side of the car.

  She’d been sure that when she topped the rise, the lights of Prospect Falls would have been blinking their warm greeting at her, but all she could see for miles was more darkness. Taking a quick glance in the rearview mirror, she thought about turning back but discarded it, put the car back into gear, and started back down the road. It couldn’t be that much farther to town, she reasoned as she drove; the lights were probably just over the next rise.

  After only a mile or two, her eyelids began to get heavy as the exhaustion of the trip bore down on her, the darkness outside her window only making it worse. But she forced them open and turned on the radio, hoping some music would help her stay awake. When only static came crackling through the speakers, she reached down to adjust the tuner, taking her eyes off the road, and the next thing she knew, the car came to a spine-jarring halt as the front bumper crumpled, the radiator hissing steam into the air.

  Then with a loud pop, the airbag inflated, blocking her face for long enough that she began to fight for breath. Beating it back with one hand, she unfasted her seatbelt with the other, then tumbled out of the car onto the road, gasping. After a few seconds, she climbed to her feet, staring at the car, wanting to cry.

  But then she heard a strange sound coming from in front of the car, and she took a couple of steps toward it, thinking she’d hit an animal. Cringing, she looked at the pavement in front of the car but saw nothing at first, then the air began to shimmer and a huge form appeared. From a vague swirling shadow, scales and claws emerged, and although her brain told her to flee, she couldn’t make her feet move. Her mouth opened to scream; she watched as the dark scaly monster get to its feet, the sound she’d heard getting louder, a pair of glowing eyes piercing the darkness of the night.

  ***Adam***

  Adam stared at the scene in front of him, unable to move as the driver, a woman he saw now, stumbled out of the car and fell to the pavement. For a moment, he thought that the impact had killed the demon, but then he heard it snuffling and snorting, a sure sign that it had caught the woman’s scent. Before he could gather the energy to shift, the demon was on its feet, the woman dangling from its arms, a cloud of her life energy escaping from her mouth.

  The groan of anticipation that escaped the monster’s throat filled him with horror as he shifted, his body growing and changing into the sleek beast capable of killing the demon. With a scream of pure anger, he flew at the creature holding the woman, hitting it just as the mist reached its mouth, sending it flying across the pavement. The woman crumpled to the ground, her gasping whimpers of fear reassuring him that she was still alive.

  Turning his attention back to the demon, he felt the driving need for the kill take over, and the woman faded to the background, her screams of terror blocked by the need for blood. The demon was so focused on his next kill that he didn’t see the dragon closing in on him, giving Adam the advantage, and it wasn’t long before he felt his teeth sinking into the scaly flesh of the demon’s neck.

  The air filled with the stench of rotten eggs as the demon tried to throw him off, but he was far more powerful, and as the poison in his teeth slowly began to seep into its bloodstream
, the fight went out of it. Adam released his jaws and let the monster sink to the ground, the wound in its neck beginning to smoke and bubble as the flesh was eaten away. Feeling his shift beginning to fade, he stood, taking deep breaths until he felt his human form return, then rushed to the woman’s side.

  She was lying on the ground, her breath coming in short gasps, her eyes focused on the steaming pile of goo that used to be the demon. “Are you all right?” he asked softly, trying not to startle her.

  But the sound of his voice made her jump and scream. “Where did you come from?” she asked, scooting away from him.

  Then her eyes got big, and as she looked over at what was left of the demon again, they rolled up in her head, then closed as she slumped to the ground. Cursing himself, and the demon, he gathered her up in his arms, hoping that she wasn’t dead. But the steady rise and fall of her chest told him that she’d just passed out. Sighing with relief, he looked around, trying to decide what to do.

  That was when he felt the warm trickle of blood across his hand and realized that the woman was hurt. Shifting her back onto the ground, he began looking for the wound, swearing when he saw the festering gashes on her arms. Knowing that he didn’t have much time before the wounds killed her, he gathered her up and summoned his gift. It was risky flying with her in his arms, but if he didn’t get her home soon, she would be another victim of the demons that haunted Prospect Falls.

  ***Molly***

  Molly emerged from the darkness she’d fallen into, terror still pumping through her veins, and closed her eyes a little tighter, afraid to open them but unsure what she was fearful of. A soft, soothing voice was whispering in her ear, and before the memory could surface, she felt herself relaxing, becoming sleepy. When she felt strong arms scoop her up off the ground, she knew that she should fight, but the urge to sleep was so overpowering, she couldn’t make her body move.

  Soon, she had the feeling of being lifted into the sky, the wind blowing in her hair, and knew that she must be dreaming. Relieved that it was all just a dream, she opened her eyes only to find herself looking up into the face of what she could only describe as a dragon. Past the point of being able to absorb any more, she felt laughter building up inside her, but when she started to laugh, all that came out was a huge sob.

  “Please, let me wake up soon,” she mumbled, slamming her eyes closed. “I don’t like this dream.”

  “Just keep your eyes closed and we’ll be there in a few minutes,” a voice in her head instructed, then she heard the soothing words again.

  Feeling the pull of slumber once again, she wondered what it meant that she was dreaming about sleeping, but the thought fell away as she lost consciousness, unaware that her life was slipping away with each passing minute. But it wasn’t a dreamless sleep; her brain filled with monsters, her body filled with toxins, and she thrashed in the shifter’s arms as he flew thought the sky.

  When they got to the outskirts of town, and a farm nestled in the woods, the dragon dropped to the ground with his precious bundle and melted away to reveal a man, his face full of concern. Hardly conscious of the weight of the woman in his arms, he headed for the house and the only remedy he knew to counter the poison the demon had left behind.

  As the man worked on her arms, Molly slept on, the angry red wounds on her arms bubbling and smoking as the shifter applied the special salve. When he’d done all that he could, he collapsed into a chair next to the bed and closed his eyes, exhaustion finally taking over. Repeating once more the soothing words, as much for the woman as for himself.

  Chapter Two

  ***Adam***

  Adam stood in the doorway of the bedroom, watching the woman sleep, a cup of coffee in his hand. He’d only slept for a few hours, just enough to bring him back from the edge of exhaustion, and he could still feel it pushing against him. Taking another long swallow of the strong brew, he noticed it work its magic and finished off the cup, planning to get another before the other demon hunters arrived.

  But the woman stirred in the bed, mumbling in her sleep, her face filled with fear. Stepping up to the bed, he recited the soothing words again, knowing that the longer she slept, the easier it would be when she woke to the reality of what she’d seen. He had no idea how he was going to explain it to her, or if she’d even remember, but he was deeply concerned about her mental state when she did wake.

  No one had ever survived a demon attack as far as he knew, and there was no telling what might happen when he finally let her wake. The wounds on her arms were healing thanks to the salve, but there might be far deeper injuries that he couldn’t see. Studying the woman, her dark hair spread across the pillow, he felt something inside him begin to stir and he jumped back up, shocked by the feeling.

  Chalking it up to the instinct to protect her, he headed for the kitchen, a bit off-balance from the sharp spark of attraction. After refilling his cup, he walked over to the kitchen window and watched the dark road, afraid to go back into the room with the woman. To his relief, it wasn’t long before he saw the headlights of a car coming down the lane that led to the main road, then the lights of a truck right behind it.

  Turning from the window, he headed for the front door and the help he so dearly needed. Gabriel was the first one out of his car, his black bag in hand. “What’s the big emergency?” he asked, looking Adam up and down. “You don’t look hurt.”

  Michael and Vincent were right behind him, concern all over their faces. “What’s wrong?” Michael demanded. “You said there was a problem on the hunt tonight. I told you not to go alone.”

  Adam raised his hand. “I got the demon, but there was some collateral damage,” he said. “Come inside and I’ll explain everything, but be quiet.”

  “You said there was a medical emergency,” Gabriel said.

  “Well, it’s not really an emergency,” he said, “at least not yet. But I don’t know what’s going to happen when she wakes up.”

  “She?” all three demanded at once.

  “Come inside and I’ll explain,” he said, turning and opening the screen door.

  Half an hour later, they watched from the doorway as Gabriel examined the woman, then stepped back into the hallway. “As far as I can tell, she’s fine. I’m not sure if there’s any lasting damage from the demon, but her wounds look like they’re healing,” he whispered. “Keep her asleep as long as you can and apply that salve four times a day.”

  “You’re leaving?” Adam asked, his eyes darting back to the woman in the bed.

  “There’s not much more I can do until she wakes up,” Gabriel said. “I’ll stop by in the morning before I go into the office.”

  He turned to Michael and Vincent. “We need to take care of her car and what’s left of the demon,” Michael said.

  Adam had completely forgotten about the mess out on the road. “Okay, well, call me when you’re done, I guess,” he said.

  “What’s the matter, Adam?” Vincent asked, his voice full of laughter. “Are you afraid to be alone with her?”

  He gave his friend a dirty look. “No, I’m just not sure what I’m going to tell her when she wakes up,” he said. “I don’t think the truth is a good idea, but I know she saw me and the demon.”

  “I’m sure you’ll think of something,” Michael said, slapping him on his back. “Don’t you wish you’d listened to me?”

  “Don’t remind me that you were right again,” he said, looking over at the woman and once more feeling the spark of attraction.

  After they left, Adam wandered back to the kitchen and sat down at the table. He was too exhausted to think clearly, but one thing was certain: he’d have to come up with a good story, and soon. The woman would wake eventually, even with the sleeping spell, and she’d have lots of questions, questions he wouldn’t be able to answer truthfully. It was something he was very accustomed to; lies had become a part of his life. But for some reason, he didn’t want to lie this time.

  It made seemed ridiculous, but the thought
of lying to her left him with a hard lump in his stomach and a vague feeling of guilt that made no sense. Wishing that he’d never left the house that night, he went back to the bedroom and made himself as comfortable as he could in the chair next to the bed. He couldn’t leave the woman alone, so it was the chair or the floor, and the chair looked more comfortable.

  He’d barely gotten settled when she started to whimper and thrash around the bed in her sleep. Reciting the sleeping spell, he waited for her to calm, but the whimpers turned to sobs, and tears started streaming down her cheeks as she pounded her head on the pillow. Reaching out, he took her hand in his, alarmed when he felt how cold it was, but the contact seemed to calm her, and the tears dried up after only a minute.

  Very aware of the electricity flowing up his arm from her hand, he smoothed the hair off her face and wiped her tears away with his thumb. Her eyes fluttered open for only a second, but it was just long enough for her green eyes to meet his blue ones, and a bolt of desire erupted inside him. Shocked, he pulled his hand away and stared at her for a long time, but she was sleeping peacefully again. He shook his head to clear away the feeling and sat back in the chair again, sure that his reaction was only a product of his exhaustion.

  ***Molly***

  Molly knew that she was asleep and fought against the urge to succumb to the numbness it provided, finally managing to surface with a gasp as pain shot through her arms. She didn’t open her eyes, a vague awareness that she might be in danger keeping her still as another wave of pain rippled through her. But the feel of gentle hands on her arm and a deep soothing voice she didn’t recognize calmed her enough that she finally cracked them open.