ROMANCE: Lion Protector (Paranormal Shifter BBW Military Romance) (Shapeshifter Alpha Male Short Stories Book 2) (73 page)

Chapter 7

              The next morning, the town was abuzz. Newspapers were circulating around the town like wildfire. Adam and Katherine woke up after a night of blissful sleep together to encounter all this excitement.

              Adam saw everyone moving around quickly, whispering in hushed voices. He wondered what was going on. As he looked around he saw Filip walking down the street.

              “Filip!” His friend looked up and smiled. He crossed the street and joined the couple. “What’s going on?” Adam asked once his friend was close enough.

              “Haven’t you heard?” Adam shook his head. Filip reached inside of his coat and pulled out a folded newspaper. He handed it to his friend. Adam grabbed and unfolded it. Katherine peered over his shoulder and read the front page headline:
Wise Men Stolen Last Night!
Adam’s eyes grew in surprise.

              “Do we know who stole them?” Filip shook his head at Katherine’s question. She looked around and saw countless people looking at her, suspicion in their eyes. To them, she was already guilty.

              “No. The sheriff is on the case, but he doesn’t know who’s to blame yet. He has some suspects, however.” As Filip said this the sheriff walked up to them. The sheriff was a large, well-built man who towered over both Adam and Filip. He had a mean-looking face and harsh, beady eyes. He stared at Katherine.

              “Mrs. Richards?” He asked in a gruff voice. Katherine nodded as Adam wrapped an arm around her protectively. “Can you come with me?” He held out his hand, but Adam shook his head.

              “What is the meaning of this? She has never left my side since arriving in town, how could she be the culprit?” Adam defended his wife, looking at the sheriff with serious eyes. The sheriff looked at Adam and then at Katherine. He sighed and pulled out a small notebook.

              “You swear to this testament?” the sheriff asked. Adam nodded confidently. Adam knew his wife was innocent.

              “Well then, have a nice day.” The sheriff left, but he still seemed suspicious of Katherine. She watched him leave, shuddering. She wondered why everyone seemed to distrust her. What had she done to deserve such treatment?

              Once the sheriff left, Adam kissed the top of Katherine’s head. Filip looked at them before looking away.

              “Well, I will see you around, chap,” he said before walking away.

              After Filip left, Katherine looked up at her husband. “Why do they all suspect me?” she asked with a melancholy voice. Adam frowned before gently kissing her cheek, trying to cheer her up.

              “I don’t know, love, but I’m sure it will pass once the sheriff finds the real culprit,” Adam whispered as he pinned a lock of her hair behind her ear. Katherine smiled a bit.

              “You… you don’t suspect me then?” Adam chuckled.

              “How can I suspect my own wife? You were in bed with me last night, my arms were wrapped around you like a lasso. There was no way you could have escaped.” Katherine blushed a little. It was true. Last night she had fallen asleep in the safety of her husband’s arms, tucked away against his chest. She wouldn’t have left that embrace for all the riches in the world.

              “Now come, let’s go check on the horses, shall we?” Katherine smiled and then they made their way to the fields. They rode together, with Katherine’s arms wrapped around Adam’s chest and her body pressed against his. Adam loved riding with Katherine.

              As they reached the field he helped her off the horse and they walked toward the pens. Katherine walked up to the fence and some of the horses greeted her happily. She petted their muzzles and they whinnied with glee.

              “What would you like to do today?” Katherine looked around at all the horses. Her eyes fell on Charger, still all alone. She walked over to him. He snorted at her. Adam wrapped his arms around his wife from behind and placed his head on her shoulder.

              “You really like Charger, don’t you?” he asked, kissing his wife’s head gently. Katherine looked up at Adam and nodded.

              “He is a beautiful creature. But it’s a pity that he has to be alone all the time.” Adam nodded in agreement. Katherine continued to look at the horse. Eventually, they moved away from the pen and approached the other horses. From that moment forward they worked together to teach Katherine how to ride a horse by herself. She was making tremendous progress and Adam predicted that she would be able to ride by herself once Christmas rolled around.

Chapter 8

              A few weeks later Christmas finally arrived. There was Christmas cheer filling the town and everyone seemed happy. There were people singing in the streets and children frolicking about.

              Katherine woke up to the sound of this singing. She smiled and looked over at Adam who was snoring lightly, still asleep. She leaned over and gently kissed his cheek. He started to stir as she kissed him and she smiled, watching him. Soon his eyes opened up and he looked at his beautiful wife’s face. His lips curled into a smile as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a kiss.

              “Merry Christmas,” he whispered, his voice still ragged from sleep. Katherine smiled warmly at him, laying her head on his chest as he kissed the top of her head, smiling as he smelled her hair.

              “Merry Christmas.” Katherine paused, looking at the window. “It is so strange to not see snow on Christmas day,” she mused. Adam chuckled.

              “I agree, but it will be a cold day in hell when it snows down here.” Katherine nodded and closed her eyes, imagining herself back in the frigid northern climate. Eventually, Adam broke her trance when he got up and pulled her out of bed.

              “C’mon, let’s go to church, shall we?” Katherine nodded. The two of them put on their Sunday best and joined the rest of the town in their festivities. Everyone was smiling. They were even treating Katherine kindly today. There were no harsh rumors being whispered, no cruel criticisms emerging from their lips. Instead, there was only holiday cheer floating through the air. Katherine smiled, thankful.

              Adam held Katherine’s hand as they made their way to church. There was a crowd of people filing into the building. They joined this crowd, entering the parish. One inside, they looked around. Adam tried to find Filip, but he was nowhere to be seen. Adam assumed he was late.

              After a moment, Adam pulled Katherine to a vacant pew in the middle of the church. They sat together, enjoying the mass. It was a beautiful sermon and Katherine listened carefully to the priest’s every word.

              “Every year, Christmas comes and with it comes sins we didn’t know we were committing. At times, we can get so wrapped up in our own sentiments, in our thoughts and prejudices, that we forget the word of the Lord. The Lord loved all, from the lepers to the tax collectors. Remember that, as disciples of Christ, we too must go out and love our neighbors. We must care for them and treat them as we wish to be treated. We should not crucify our neighbors if they hold different opinions or act differently. We must instead remember that the gospel is a gospel of love.” The priest’s sermon continued, but as he said these words Katherine felt like he was looking at her.

              The priest was a sweet old man. He was one of the few people who treated her kindly while everyone else gossiped about her. Katherine liked the old priest. As she looked around, however, she noticed that most of the townsfolk were not paying attention. Some people were even asleep. She wondered how people could ignore such a powerful message. Nonetheless, she stayed attentive throughout the rest of the mass.

              Soon, however, the mass was over and everyone left the church. Katherine was about to join the group of people leaving the building when Adam stopped her.

              “Wait. I want to show you something.” Katherine gave him a confused look. Adam chuckled and pulled her toward the altar. The church was practically empty at this point. As they reached the altar, Adam pointed to the manger.

              Katherine gasped when she saw Jesus laying in his hay bale. The figurine shone brightly in the light. It had been freshly polished. There was no denying the value of such a figurine.

              “Beautiful, isn’t he?” The old priest walked up to the couple. He gave them a toothless smile. Katherine curtsied politely and Adam bowed at the man. The priest blessed them before continuing. “Today, the Three Wise Men get to bring Jesus his gifts.” Adam frowned. The Three Wise Men were still missing from the nativity.

              “The sheriff never caught the culprit?” The priest shook his head.

              “No,” he replied, “and this person has stolen various other times.” Katherine frowned.

              “Who would do such a thing?” she asked, looking at the priest. Adam placed an arm around her comfortingly.

              “I am not sure, my dear, but whoever they are, God will forgive them as he forgives all of his children.” Katherine smiled. The priest then shuffled away, making his way to the tabernacle. Katherine watched him before Adam squeezed her hand.

              “Come, I have a surprise for you.” Adam sounded excited as he pulled his wife along. She giggled but followed him. Outside they climbed onto Adam’s horse and made their way to the fields. Once they approached the pens, Katherine gasped.

              She looked at Charger, who was still all alone, but this time he had a saddle on his back. She looked at her husband with a questioning look on her face. Adam nodded. Katherine was eager as Adam helped her off his horse and they walked toward the bronco.

              As they did, he approached them for the first time. He nuzzled the woman and snorted happily. Katherine was surprised. It was like his whole demeanor had changed. She gently petted his muzzle and looked at Adam, amazed.

              “How did you…?” she asked as the horse calmly ate a sugar cube out of Adam’s hand.

              “A lot of hard work.” He chuckled before opening the gate to the pen. The two of them entered the enclosure. Charger walked up to them, trust in his eyes.

              Adam rubbed Charger’s neck before helping his wife onto the horse’s back. She smiled and grabbed the reins. She then rode the horse around the pen. Adam watched as his wife rode the bronco with ease. He could see the joy on her face, and smiled.

              Soon, she dismounted and wrapped her arms around him. He smiled down at her before whispering, “Merry Christmas.” Katherine’s eyes grew in surprise.

              “Wait, do you mean…?” Adam smiled before nodding.

              “He is all yours.”

Chapter 9

              After a passionate kiss, the two of them rode back into town with Charger. As they entered the town they were approached by the sheriff who asked them to dismount. Adam looked at the sheriff curiously.

              “Is something wrong?” Adam asked.

              “Jesus has been stolen from the nativity. I have reason to suspect your wife,” he said plainly.

              “Now, you listen here. She has been with me all day. There is no way she could have stolen anything!” Adam was angry that the town would accuse his wife of stealing something on Christmas Day.

              “Well if she is innocent, then you won’t mind me looking through the house?” The sheriff asked. Adam nodded.

              “We have nothing to hide,” he said confidently. The sheriff nodded and together the three of them made it to the Richards household. Adam unlocked the door and led the sheriff inside. The couple watched the man as he looked around their home.

              “Where is the bedroom?” He asked. Adam quickly led the man into the bedroom. The sheriff looked around the room before walking up to their storage chest at the foot of the bed. He opened it to find it stuffed with blankets. He removed these blankets now and at the bottom of the chest he found some of the missing figurines!

              “Care to explain this, Mrs. Richards?” He asked holding up one of the Three Wise Men. Katherine’s eyes grew in surprise as she looked up at the missing figurine. Adam looked dumbfounded as doubt crept into his mind. Had his wife stolen the figurines after all?

              As Adam doubted his wife, the sheriff took her into custody, all the while yelling at Katherine to turn over the rest of the figurines, wherever she had hidden them. Adam was too shocked to stop the sheriff, and soon Katherine was dragged out of the room. She tried to look back and plead with her husband, but her pleas fell on deaf ears.

              Adam sat down on his bed in shock. Had his wife had been a thief this whole time? Adam tried to figure out how she could have stolen them. She had barely left his side. It seemed impossible.

              Adam kept thinking. Deep down, he knew she was innocent. There was no way the sweet woman he called his wife was capable of such a crime. It had to be someone else. But who? Adam knew he had to catch the culprit in order to clear his wife’s name.

              Pacing around the room, he thought about who would have framed Katherine. It had to be someone who disliked her, but that was the majority of the town. Adam continued to pace as he tried to find some way to narrow down his suspects. As he walked around he looked at the chest. His eyes opened wide as he suddenly realized who the real thief was, and he knew that the key to proving Katherine’s innocence was finding the remaining figurines.

              Adam rushed outside and jumped onto Charger’s back. The horse snorted, startled. Adam ignored the beast’s protest and pressed his heels into Charger’s sides. The horse shot off through the streets. Adam could feel anger boil in his veins.

              Meanwhile, the sheriff dragged Katherine to the middle of the town. He held onto her arm harshly as he looked at the crowd that had gathered around them.

              “People of Kingsville… let me present you with the nativity thief.” Whispers resounded around Katherine as everyone looked at her with harsh eyes.

              “Please… I didn’t do this…” she pleaded with the crowd. She heard some people yell at her, cursing her.

              The sheriff gave her a strict look and tightened his grip on her arm, making her wince. “Quiet.” He looked out at the crowd.

              “Crucify her!” A voice suddenly yelled out from the crowd. No one knew who said it, but everyone seemed to be in agreement. The priest, seeing this mob mentality shook his head and tried to preach to his people, but they would not listen. Soon, they pushed him out of the way. The priest looked on, helpless, as they tied Katherine to a cross. The cross was erected in the middle of the town center, displaying the poor woman, dangling by her slender wrists.

              Everyone cheered when they saw the supposed criminal hanging there. They seemed pleased with their accomplishment.

              Katherine looked out into the crowd. She saw angry faces looking at her, staring at her with spiteful eyes. In that moment, she felt so alone. She felt like she had been abandoned, and soon she hung her head, closing her eyes and resigning herself to her fate.

              While Katherine felt herself give up, Adam slammed against the door of the post. In a fury of frustration, he had found the post closed. Soon, however, he managed to break down the door. It splintered under his weight as he collapsed into the post. The building was empty.

              Adam looked around for a moment before jumping over the counter. In a flourish, he knocked over bins, looking through them quickly. Suddenly, while throwing countless envelopes over his shoulder, he looked down and saw the rest of the missing figurines.

              Adam cursed his friend in his mind. He needed to set this right. Adam quickly left the post and rushed to the town center, hearing all the commotion. He dismounted and his eyes grew large when he saw his wife hanging on the cross, looking like Christ. Adam’s eyes blurred with rage.

              He felt so betrayed. He never imagined that his friend would do this to him. He couldn’t believe that the town had done this to her. Finally, Adam broke his gaze away from his defeated wife and looked around at the crowd. As he did, he spotted the villain on the other side of the crowd.

              He pushed his way through the mass of people. Abruptly, he grabbed his friend by the collar and turned him around. Upon seeing his friend’s face, Adam couldn’t hold back his anger. Suddenly, he punched Filip in the face, knocking him to the ground.

              Filip hit the ground hard, before getting up, blood slipping from the corner of his mouth.

              “What is the meaning of this, Adam?” Filip asked, enraged. His voice rose above the crowd, grabbing their attention.

              Everyone turned around looking at the two men, shocked. It was well known that the horse tamer and the postman were best friends. Why then were they fighting?

              The crowd looked on, watching as the men threw punches at one another.

              “How could you do this to me?” Adam yelled at his friend, trying to punch him in the face again. As he did, Filip got him in the gut, making him double over in pain. “How could you frame my innocent wife?” he wheezed out. The crowd gasped. Was it true?

              At this point, Katherine looked up to see her husband fighting Filip. She didn’t know what was going on.

              “You were the one stealing from the nativity all along!” The crowd gasped again. There were whispers circling around the men. They wondered if it was true. The sheriff quickly sent someone to check the post while he separated the two men who were huffing at each other.

              The air was tense as everyone waited for the news. Soon enough the man the sheriff had sent to check the post came back with figurines in his arms. “It’s true! Filip is the true culprit!” Everyone’s eyes grew in surprise.

              Quickly, the town worked to get Katherine off the cross, throwing hasty apologies in her direction. They felt awful for their mistaken accusation. They hoped one day she would find it in her heart to forgive them. She smiled at them and assured them that they were already forgiven. It was Christmas, and she couldn’t hold a grudge.

              Finally, the sheriff let go of Adam when he had Filip in custody. Adam ran to his wife’s side and wrapped her in his arms, holding her tight to his chest. He kissed the top of her head as she laid her head on his chest.

              “I told you I would always be by your side, didn’t I?” Adam whispered softly.

              “I’m sorry I ever doubted you.” Katherine looked up at her husband. As she did, the little old priest walked up to them holding a mistletoe. He held it over their heads. The couple grinned before pressing their lips together and enjoying a passionate, loving kiss on Christmas Day.