Unintended Guardian

By Jami Gold

Cursed to darkness, he makes a wish for freedom. She shows up instead...

A shapeshifting gryphon cursed to eternal darkness...

Sunlight shouldn't be deadly to Griff Cyrus. Determined to break his curse, he follows an oracle's bizarre instructions to have a magical package shipped to his apartment. Since when do brown trucks deliver mystical cures?

A lonely woman craving the spice of life...

Kala Kaneko’s social life couldn't be more bland. When a strange parcel arrives at her door by mistake, she seizes the excuse to introduce herself to the intended recipient, her mysterious neighbor.

Fate has a twisted sense of humor...

Griff expects the package to free him from the curse, but opening the box unleashes a mythical creature bent on Kala's death. Yet if Griff follows his instincts to protect her, he could sacrifice his last chance at freedom.

*****

Welcome to the Mythos Legacy!

Unintended Guardian is the short story introduction to the Mythos Legacy series, where real myths find real love. An excerpt of Treasured Claim, the first full-length novel in the series, is included at the back of this book!

Each standalone story in the series can be read in any order (and ends happily!). I hope you enjoy these contemporary fantasy/paranormal romances, where mythological beings like shapeshifting gryphons find their perfect match (who are more than up to the job) among humans.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Blue Phoenix Press
• Release date: Feb 22, 2015
• ISBN: 9781942928003

Jami Gold

Don't miss Jami's next release! Sign up for her newsletter (jamigold.com/mail) to be notified when her next book goes on pre-order and sale!After failing to convince J.K. Rowling that they were long lost sisters, Jami Gold moved to Arizona and decided to become a writer, where she could put her talent for making up stuff to good use. Fortunately, her muse, an arrogant male who delights in causing her to sound as insane as possible, rewards her with unique and rich story ideas.Fueled by chocolate, she writes paranormal romance and urban fantasy tales that range from dark to humorous, but one thing remains the same: Normal need not apply. Just ask her family—and zombie cat.Visit Jami at jamigold.com for more information and to connect with her on social media!

Book preview

Cover of Unintended GuardianTitle Page for Unintended Guardian

Cursed to darkness,

he makes a wish for freedom.

She shows up instead...

A shapeshifting gryphon cursed to eternal darkness...

Sunlight shouldn’t be deadly to Griff Cyrus. Determined to break his curse, he follows an oracle’s bizarre instructions to have a magical package shipped to his apartment. Since when do brown trucks deliver mystical cures?

A lonely woman craving the spice of life...

Kala Kaneko’s social life couldn’t be more bland. When a strange parcel arrives at her door by mistake, she seizes the excuse to introduce herself to the intended recipient, her mysterious neighbor.

Fate has a twisted sense of humor...

Griff expects the package to free him from the curse, but opening the box unleashes a mythical creature bent on Kala’s death. Yet if Griff follows his instincts to protect her, he could sacrifice his last chance at freedom.

Diamond Divider

To join the author’s mailing list and take advantage of pre-order-only sale prices for new releases, visit

jamigold.com/mailing-list

Diamond Divider

For my readers

and everyone who’s supported me over the years—

This is my gift to you.

Chapter One

Chapter Divider

Kala knelt next to the sofa and raised her voice to a loud, perky pitch. Come on, Buster. Let’s do something fun. Want to go for a walk?

Not even the W word was enough to stir the half-deaf old mutt from his nap. Drool bubbled along his mouth and threatened to join the wet spot already on the cushion.

So much for relieving her boredom with his help.

Maybe she could coax him awake by force. She scratched behind his ears, ruffling the bristly fur. Please, Buster? I need an excuse to get out and meet people.

In the few hours since she’d dropped off her parents at the Los Angeles airport for their who-knew-how-long trip to Japan to care for her ailing grandmother, emptiness had settled into her gut and begun putting up knickknacks. No more using them or her just moved in status as an excuse for her lack of local friends. Yet her so-called faithful companion remained unmoved.

Sheesh. I rescued you from Death Row, and according to that shiny new lease agreement, I might be risking eviction for you too. The least you could do is show some appreciation. Kala stroked his head a final time and pushed to her feet, a hint of a smile still stretching her face.

The doorbell buzzed. She lunged for the door before Buster chose that moment as the perfect time to wake up and bark. The last thing she needed was a neighbor complaining to the apartment manager about her on probation dog before she’d even finished unpacking.

She whipped open the door. Yes?

A package delivery guy stood in the hallway, his cap pulled low. He shoved a clipboard at her. Sign here.

Good morning. Or was it past noon already? With her screwed-up work schedule, she could never keep track of the time. How are you today?

The guy didn’t respond. Granted, that attempt at conversation had been pretty lame.

She tried again. So... She scrawled her name on the indicated line and pointed her toe toward the cubic-foot-sized package at his feet. What is it?

The guy gave her a how-would-I-know look and snatched the clipboard from her as soon as she finished signing. The metal board’s edge sliced the tender skin between her left thumb and index finger.

Ow! Damn.

The guy picked up the box and thrust it in her direction. Sorry.