Charmed by the Werewolf (15 page)

Xavier’s jaw hung open. He closed his mouth with an audible snap of his teeth as he stared at the statue that had once been the living, breathing body of Sophia. It was true. She was a Gargoyle. He darted his gaze from her immobile form to Sterling’s dark and brooding presence as he arrived.

A deep sense of anger filled him, snaked up his throat, and tried to choke him. Because of this man, Sophia feared everything in her life, hated herself, refused to acknowledge her attraction for him. No one—no matter how powerful they were—threatened his mate. Emitting a low growl of warning, Xavier managed to rein in the rampant fury. If Sterling
was as dangerous as Sophia said, he’d need to control the shift.

“Good afternoon, sir. Are you our ferry captain?
” The best defense was having a good offense. He’d pretend he didn’t know the Portal Master’s identity and wait the man out. If Sterling reacted in a favorable manner, Xavier would reveal his own nature and plead his case. At least then he could guarantee Sophia’s safety.

“I
’m most definitely
not
a ferry captain.” Sterling paused three feet from Xavier, his eyes narrowed. “I can see you’re acquainted with Miss Raines, which is surprising enough since she doesn’t go out, but what I’m particularly interested in is who
you
are.”

“I am…
” His mind whirled over possible fictional names. “…Francis Denali.” Xavier executed a small bow, then extended a hand in greeting. “Sophia is my current love interest.” He withdrew his hand when it became apparent Sterling wouldn’t shake it. “I’m afraid you came upon us at the tail end of a bit of harmless skinny dipping. We were on the way back to our hotel when you startled us—or rather Sophia.” His gaze slid to her stony visage. How long would she remain as a statue? His heart went out to her.

“Skinny dipping would be out of character for her. The Sophia I know has the confidence and bravado of a sea mollusk.
” His dark eyes flicked over her immobile form, his expression thoughtful. “I issued a Summons to Miss Raines. When she ignored it, I had no choice but to come searching for her.” His gaze focused on Xavier. “Now I know why.”

“It’s true. I cannot leave her. She feels the same, I’m sure.
” Xavier studied the man, from the tip of his black, fashion-forward styled hair to the soles of his expensive Italian leather loafers. A worthy opponent. And very deadly. Waves of checked power radiated from the man causing Xavier’s natural confidence to sag. No wonder Sophia was constantly afraid. He shored up his testosterone, allowed his anger to increase slightly. Eventually he’d meet the Portal Master and demand his attention, but now was not the time, especially with Sophia in such dire straits. “If you aren’t the ferry captain, what’s your purpose here?” He traced his goatee with a finger.

“What is your opinion on the unfortunate tendency of Miss Raines to become a stone statue?
” Sterling’s black eyes flashed. “I’d imagine it could put a damper on any amorous activities you had planned.”

Ah, a fishing expedition. Xavier stifled a chuckle. Obviously, the Portal Master had no clue to
his paranormal status. The far off blaring of a horn alerted him the ferry was on its way. What would happen if Sophia shifted into her human form while Sterling was still present? A fierce wave of protectiveness shook him. Never again would the man harm her. He’d make it his mission to release her from whatever bonds Sterling held her.

Xavier crossed his arms over his bare chest. “What Sophia is or isn’t doesn’t have any bearing on my opinion of her.
” He shrugged. “It’s not for me to judge her by the type of being she is. We all have our faults or strengths, but it’s how we choose to view our abnormalities that set us apart.”

“And you met Sophia where?
” Sterling’s eyes glittered as the ferry pulled closer to the dock. “As far as I know, she doesn’t socialize.”

“
You know only a sliver of Sophia’s life.” Xavier flexed his hands at his side. “I met Sophia on the way home from the grocery store where she works.”

Sterling adjusted the crimson tie—his only homage to color in his otherwise dark ensemble. He cleared his throat. “You should be advised that Miss Raines works for me. I
’m Sterling Abbignon, and I sit on the Immortal Court for the Mortal Realm.”

“Should your revelation have some special connotation for me?
” Xavier’s heart slammed against his chest. The need to plead his case warred with his duty to protect Sophia. “I’m not easily impressed by titles. I tend to put much more stock in the caliber of the man.”

“Impressed or not, it would behoove you to cease your association with her. She has no time on her calendar for a pointless flirtation with a human.
”

Then how fortunate I
’m a werewolf.
“Is that a threat?” He tamped the urge to lunge at the Portal Master and followed his question with a growl. His canine teeth tingled, signaling his need to shift.

“How you choose to interpret my comment is your business. If I find you in Sophia’s company again I
’ll make it
my
business to be sure your life is filled with unpleasantness.” With one, last glance at the docking ferry, Sterling vanished into the air

“As if my life is free of complications on a normal day.
” Xavier frowned. He spared another look at Sophia. Ever so slightly, she blinked. “I believe he was trying to intimidate me, dear heart.” The captain of the ferry jumped to the dock.

“Sir, if you need the ferry, it will be running in ten minutes. I gotta make a stop at the little captain’s room.
”

Xavier nodded at the burly man. The sailor disappeared into one of the wooden buildings on the dock. “Sophia, any time would be ideal to transform back. We’re the only people around.
” He had serious doubts as to his ability to haul her stony self onto the boat. He stepped close, traced her rock-hard cheek with a thumb, willing her to relax enough to shift. “If you don’t burst out of your prison, I swear I’ll take this towel off…”

With a cough, Sophia stumbled into his arms, pliant and slightly covered in cement dust. “Please don’t. What will the ferry captain think?
”

*****

“Where have you been? I called your cell phone for an hour but went straight to voice mail!” Mona’s shrill, hysterical voice shot through Sophia’s brain.

“Don’t start.
” Sophia sighed and navigated around her roommate. “It’s been a bad afternoon.” She marched into her bedroom and slammed the door.

“Sterling dropped by looking for you.
”

“Like I care.
”
Especially, since he showed up at the golf course.
She ignored the muffled voice on the other side of the door and pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweater. An over-bearing friend was the last thing she wanted to deal with after the homicidal mermaid.

“Sterling
wasn’t amused to find you gone, and where did your clothes go?”

Mona continued to knock on the door until Sophia wrenched it open in frustration. “Geez Mona, annoy much? I thought Xavier told you to make yourself scarce? Do you want me to have him reiterate his request?
”

“No. I was worried about you.
”

“I’m fine.
” Sophia moved down the hall, into the living room, and then slumped into a sofa. “My phone doesn’t work because it was under water.” She pulled her soggy purse toward her then dumped out the damp contents.

“Why did you go swimming in October? It’s pretty cold out there with the breeze. And where is Xavier?
” Mona toyed with the fringe on a pillow. A frown turned down her petal pink mouth. “You didn’t argue again, did you? Why can’t you cut the guy a break? I think he really likes you.”

I like him too, but I have to keep him safe.
“We’ve been arguing off and on all day.” She glared at Mona over the tops of her glasses. “I assume Xavier went home to grab some clothes. He lost his when we went into a lake to meet with a mermaid.”

“You ditched him, didn’t you?
”

A tiny twinge of guilt moved through Sophia’s stomach. Her cheeks heated. “Yes. Once we returned to the country club from Renn’s place, I told Xavier I needed something to drink. He left to get it so I grabbed a terry cloth robe from the spa and ran.
”

It was why she ran that was important.

Seeing Sterling then turning into a statue while her boss interrogated Xavier had jogged another memory. The last time she’d transformed into stone was in Sterling’s office a couple months ago. She’d brought a fresh victim in, ready to have the person processed, when Sterling launched into a tirade about her lagging quota. The poor man she’d dragged in shook in her grasp, swearing he wasn’t a freak.

When Sophia had attempted to soothe the man’s fears and whispered that he’d be in a better place in a few days, Sterling went ballistic. Sophia lost her nerve and her calm and had no choice but to let the shift take her.

The human threw himself at Sterling’s feet and babbled about not understanding what was going on. Apparently, by that time the Portal Master’s patience with the whole thing had worn away because he fried the man to a crisp with his red lightning.

Then, stepping calmly over the burnt patch of carpet, he buzzed his receptionist to come in. When the woman did so, he threw a satisfied smirk at Sophia and toasted the woman into dust as well.

Hours later, Sophia had relaxed enough to return to her human form. Sterling had waited on her the whole time. “You saw what I did to people you aren’t intimately familiar with. Just imagine what I can do to those you love. Now, don’t disappoint me again. The next one you bring in here had better be a legitimate paranormal; otherwise, there will be another death.”

More than anything, she couldn’t let Sterling know about Xavier. That’s why she
’d run.

Mona’s stifled a squeak of alarm recalled her back to the present. “Why? Xavier will protect you.
”

“Maybe but who will protect him?
” She shrugged. “What else was I supposed to do? Sticking with me is a bad idea for both of us.” An image of the werewolf’s naked body surfaced. Sophia’s core throbbed in response. She
would
not
succumb to his charm. It was too dangerous—for personal safety and peace of mind. But damn, there were a few things she wanted to do with certain pieces of his anatomy…

“What’s that?
” Mona leaned forward when Sophia captured the red scale between her fingers. “Did the mermaid give it to you?”

“She did, grudgingly. She wanted to kill me
. Xavier persuaded her not to.” She held the scale up to the light, fascinated by the glowing, swirling pattern of the scale. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

Mona nodded. “Is it part of the recipe to break the gypsy curse?
”

“Yes. I forgot to give it back to Xavier.
” Sophia tucked the scale into the pocket of her jeans then stood. “I’m going to bed. It’s been a long day.”

“It’s not even seven o’clock yet.
” Mona shrugged. “Suit yourself. The imps are in lock down, Frieda is stowed in the vegetable crisper, and Calvin is sulking upstairs. I’ll see you in the morning.”

*****

The damn woman had gone too far this time. He’d spent an hour searching the grounds of the country club only to be told by a passing golf-pro that a woman matching Sophia’s description had left forty minutes before. She’d given him the slip and took the mermaid scale with her.

He’d waited several hours until he could calm down enough to think coherently. There was no use showing up in a white-hot rage when she’d simply toss him out in the yard. Of course, getting roughed up by Sterling’s posse had delayed him as well.

Now, Xavier pounded on her front door, using both fists as an angry growl escaped him. She needed to understand their future together wasn’t a joke.

After a few minutes under his barrage, the door wrenched open and Sophia’s customary glare greeted him. “This had better be an emergency,
” she hissed.

“It’s going to be an emergency if you ever attempt to waylay me again.
”

“I did it for your own good.
”

He waited only as long as it took for her to lock the front door then
he grabbed her arm, frog-marched her into her bedroom, and shut the door behind him. “I’m drawing a line, Sophia. Do not cross it. From here on out, you’re under my protection. You’re mine. Period. You won’t separate yourself from me again.”

“What
’s your problem?” She struggled but his strength was more than enough to keep her in line. “It’s the middle of the night.”

“It’s hardly the middle. Nearly midnight. My problem,
” Xavier lowered his voice as he shook her arm, “is that your pal Sterling paid me an unannounced visit with a few of his goons this evening after I went home.”

Her quick intake of breath echoed in the silence. “Are you hurt?
” Sophia lightly brushed his cheek with her free hand. Her fingers tickled his stubble-covered skin and sent jagged needles of molten need through him. “Did he suspect anything?”