When a Gargoyle Lives (Gargoyles Book 2) (12 page)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chloe entered the room with all the grace of a tornado.

“Something wrong, Lieutenant?” asked Bell, mildly.

“No, of course, not.  But you were right about that ugly little bitch, Brenda; we can definitely use her.”

“Oh?”

“I saw her kissing Amalric in the woods right after I left him.”

Pike, even with his swollen nose and split lip, managed to sneer.  “Whoa, you got dumped by a fucking gargoyle for a younger woman.”

“Shut.  Up,” she said in a dangerously low voice.

Pike was clearly a glutton for punishment.  “A gargoyle?  A fucking ugly statue monster dumped you?”

“I said shut the fuck up!” she howled.

Monroe pretended he wasn’t laughing, but Chloe noticed his shoulders shaking.

“All of you, shut the hell up!”

“This is good news,” said Bell, soothingly, trying to calm Chloe.  He was amused by her bruised ego, but he didn’t want her breaking someone else’s nose.  “I have a plan.”

*

“What are we doing?” breathed Brenda.

“I believe you humans call it kissing.”

Ric demonstrated by flourishing them across her cheek.

“That’s what everyone calls it, but is it a good idea?”

Brenda stroked his hair, tangling her fingers in his long, silky locks.  She was jealous; his hair was much healthier than hers.  She made a memo to find out his secret.

“It seems like a wonderful idea to me.”

She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder.  She was still wrapped around him like a boa constrictor, and enjoying their embrace, but she knew she had to get moving.  “I should be getting home.”

“You regret your actions,” he growled.  His chest vibrated against her as his tail flicked impatiently.

“No, and don’t get pissy with me.  This is just sudden and complicated and…  and… sudden.”

Ric tightened his grip.  “Gargoyles are not romantic creatures, but I have not been able to stop thinking of you since I met you.”

“I thought you hated me.”

“I hated the way we met.  I was less than heroic.  I thought you were laughing at me.”

Brenda giggled.  “I was.”

He grunted in annoyance.

“But,” she added, “I’ve… been thinking of you, too.”

They remained clasped together for a few moments.

“I really need to get home,” she said.

“Mmmm.”

A few more moments passed.

“My uncle didn’t want me to go out tonight.”

“Mmmm.”

They kissed again, and Brenda almost forgot about everything in the world except for the male holding her, and making her toes curl.  Almost.  A furious image of her uncle sprang to mind, and she pulled away.

“I’m serious.  Uncle Chris is already on the warpath about Kevin.  He doesn’t want me going out on my own.”

“You came here on your own.”

“I brought Bob.”

The dog barked and panted on cue.  He had been completely forgotten during the past few minutes.  Brenda was mightily relieved that he hadn’t run off.

“He is hardly a sufficient protector,” said Ric disapprovingly.

Bob barked in disgruntlement.

“I will not allow you to go anywhere on your own from now on,” declared Ric.

“Now, hold on…”

“Now that you are mine…”

“Since when am I…”

“I will, of course, escort you everywhere.”

“Hold your horses!”  Brenda wriggled against him until he reluctantly put her down, giving her a look of confusion.

“First of all, we just kissed - I am not ‘yours’.”  She put that word in air quotation marks, which just made him look more confused, so she soldiered on.  “We need to have a long serious talk about things before anything else.”

“Talking,” he grumbled.  “How very human.”

“Well, I am human.  And humans like to talk.”  Or at least, the women did, she wasn’t sure about men.  Her experience was really limited to dealing with Uncle Chris, who repressed his deepest feelings until they pooled in his toes, and Kevin, who interrupted all their conversations by trying to grope her boobs.

“The gargoyle way would be for me simply to claim you.”

“Well, things are different in this century.”

He huffed but did not seem overly cranky about it.  His grouchiness seemed to be more of a reflex than anything else.  Brenda patted his chest, her breath hitching as she felt the tightness of his muscles under her fingers.

“You are sure you cannot stay?” he asked hoarsely.

“No, I really need to get home.”

His face tightened in displeasure, but he nodded, and took her hand, walking her back to the house.

Brenda giggled as she wiggled her hand in his.

“What?” he frowned.

“Your skin, it’s just not what I was expecting, it’s so soft.”  Like beautiful, buttery leather.

“Is that a compliment?”

“Well, yes, it is.”

“Hmmm.”  He thought about it for a few seconds.  “I find that your lips are as soft and pillowy as I was expecting.”

“Oh… thank you.”

They walked in silence.  She couldn’t begin to guess at what he was thinking.  She was contemplating the logistics of having a gargoyle boyfriend.  How would Uncle Chris react to Ric turning up on his doorstep to take her out on a date?

“Are you going to tell the others about Chloe?”

Ric grimaced.  “I would rather not.”

“But don’t you think they should know?”

He arched an eyebrow.  “Do you not think your uncle should know that you came here tonight?”

“No, definitely not and don’t change the subject.  Are you going to tell them?”

“I believe I must, but I worry about what Luc will do to her.  I would not like to see her hurt simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

A thought struck her.  “Hey, weren’t you worried about what Luc would do to me?”

“You are a friend of Kylie’s; I do not believe she would have let you be injured.  Nor would I.  At that time, I was planning my vengeance for the bite you gave me, and would not have let Luc interfere.”

Brenda snickered.  “Yes, that was a doozy.”

He huffed at her, and she traced a finger down his arm, over the healed bite.  His skin was perfect once again.  She didn’t know what he was so bent out of shape about.  It wasn’t like she even drew blood.

“But you should tell them about Chloe, just in case.”

“If you wish it, I will reluctantly do it.”

“Good.”

They reached the Hardcastle gardens and Brenda bit her lip.  “I really need to go.”  She just didn’t seem to be able to make her legs move, or retrieve her hand from his.

“You will come back tomorrow night.”  It was more of an order than a question, but one that she was happy to comply with.

“Yes, I will.  We need to talk.”

“Ah yes, for our talk.”  His tone was somewhat distasteful.

“You don’t have to look so excited,” she teased.

“I have only been awake in your time for a little over five weeks, and even I know that when a female says ‘we need to talk’ it is not a good thing.”

“That’s not true.”

“Then television has severely lied to me.”

Brenda grinned at him.  “I really like you.”

“You do?”

“Yes!”  She slapped his chest, only slightly copping a feel.  She’d always thought that muscles were not important, but she was so wrong.  “Why else would I let you kiss me?”

“I believe I like you, too.”

“You believe?” she scoffed.

He shrugged, almost as surprised as she was.  “I have never considered whether I liked a female before.”

“What?  But you’re not… ah…”  She searched for a good euphemism.  “Innocent to females, are you?”

“No, not at all,” he rumbled, gruffly.  “But that was instinctual.  I was following my natural urges.”

“And when you kissed me?”

“Also instinctual,” he admitted.  “But I also enjoy it when you talk to me… even when you taunt me.”

“I don’t taunt!”

“No,” he chuckled before pulling her in for another searing kiss.  Arousal like she had never felt before washed over her, and a warm tingling invaded her sex.

She was pliable and curled up in his arms before she remembered that she was actually about to leave.

“Damnit, stop making this so hard.  I need to go before my uncle freaks and goes completely into lockdown.”

He let out a long, theatrical groan.  “If you insist, I will ensure you get home safely.”

“No, you should stay here.”

“You might be in danger.”

“Kevin’s in a different state, and I have Bob, and I don’t want you risking being seen, again.”

A cross growl rattled in his throat.  “Your safety is something that I would like to mention in our talk.”

“Great, now I’m dreading the talk.”

“You will be careful,” he insisted.

“Of course.”

Ric looked down at Bob.  “Hairy mutt, I am relying on you to keep her safe.”

She rolled her eyes and Bob dutifully panted.

“For the last time, I have to go, and you have to talk to your friends.”

“I have a cell phone if you need to call me.”

“You do?  Where did you…”  He looked uncertain.  “Are you saying Chloe gave it to you?”

“Yes.”

She sniffed.  “Aha.”

“Would you like to take the number in case you wish to text me?”

“You text?”

“I am familiar with modern technology.”

“Thanks to Chloe,” she muttered as she programmed his number into her phone.

“Are you jealous?” he asked in obvious delight.

“Not at all.”

“If you say so.”  He kissed her hand and gave her a rakish look.  “I will see you tomorrow.”

Mental swoon.  “Yes, tomorrow.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Luc was furious at Ric, and he couldn’t really blame him.

He ranted for over an hour on how Ric had endangered the whole clan.  Kylie let him, too.  She usually tried to temper him, but as he roared and howled, she sat quietly and didn’t even attempt to interfere.  Only Annis had escaped the tirade, running down to the basement to check on Dragoslava, not being able to withstand Luc’s anger.

It was only when the subject of physical punishment reared its disturbing head that Kylie stepped in.

She approached the pacing Luc and took his hands.  “Babe, I don’t think that will be necessary.”

“It is the gargoyle way,” he said, rather pompously in Ric’s opinion.  Or perhaps Luc was annoyed because he knew this was an argument Kylie would not back down from.

“But not mine,” she cooed.  He growled, and Ric was surprised when she pulled his hand to her mouth and kissed his knuckles.  “Please.”

Luc made some grumbling noises, his tail beat against the floor and his wings twitched, but he caved.  “It is nearing dawn; there is little I can do now.  I will sleep on this.”

“I will look into Chloe while you’re…”

“No!”

“But…”

“No, I do not like that you are here alone during the day, especially after we were followed the other night.  I am ordering you not to do anything.”

Kylie’s eyes flared at the word ordering, and it was Luc’s turn to cajole her into doing what he wanted.  He just wasn’t as subtle as she was; he lifted her against his body, his hands roaming over every inch of her and kissed her to within an inch of her life.  Gracchus seemed unconcerned, but Cai and Ingrede’s mouths dropped in surprise.  No wonder thought Ric.  Gargoyles were not shy about most things.  Things like sex and nudity were not taboo subjects.  A gargoyle would happily speak of their conquests as easily as if they were talking about what they had eaten for dinner.  And they had only ever covered themselves in clothing to appease humans who had been embarrassed by their nudity.  Gargoyles could happily walk around naked – as did their dragon ancestors.  Being immodest about their bodies was one thing.  Showing tender affection was another.  In the old days, a chief would never behave in such a way in front of his or her clan mates.  Ric’s parents had loved one another, but Ric could never even recall seeing them touch one another.

Ingrede looked away from the pair of them.  For his part, Ric couldn’t stop himself from watching the passionate display.  It gave him an urge to seek out Brenda.  He had been painfully aroused since the moment he kissed her, and frustrated because he knew that he had to take things slow with her.  Yes, humans required more than a grunt and a dropping of the loincloth.  Although, he never knew if that would work until he tried it…

“Little one,” groaned Luc, finally freeing her from his embrace.

Kylie panted.  She looked wiped out.  Ric doubted she had any energy to say no to anything at that moment.  If anyone wished for a favor from her, now would be the time to ask.

“Okay,” she murmured.  “I guess I need to sleep anyway.  I won’t do anything until tonight.”

Luc grinned, triumphant in his victory – even if it was a small one.  He gazed around at the other gargoyles.  “You should take your places outside; the dawn is nearly upon us.  Amalric,” rumbled Luc.  The use of his full name meant he was in trouble.  Ric understood the reason humans had middle names was so that parents could use them at times to indicate that they were really annoyed.  The longer the name used, the more bothered they were.  “Think about what you have done,” he boomed.  “Clan is all, and you put yours at risk.”

He looked at Ric before carrying Kylie out of the room, up to her own bed. 

Ric puffed out his chest and nodded, following the other gargoyles out into the garden to take their places.  He watched as Ingrede fussed around baby Wolfe, readying him for the enforced sleep, smiling as she used the endearment ‘cutie pie’.  Clearly Kylie was influencing her.

Remorse washed through him.  Chloe had discovered him by accident, but only because he was where he was not supposed to be.  And yes, he regretted that.  Regretted anything that would put his clan mates at risk.  He should have told them, rather than put his own concerns over gaining a mate first.

He would start thinking of others.

He would become a better gargoyle.

Then Brenda would have no choice but to be his.  She was reticent, but she would be his.  Of that he had no doubt.

Luc glared at him as he took his place.  He was going to be angry for a while, but Ric would, as the humans would say, take his medicine.  Now he really was hopeful for the future.  Now, he really felt like he could put the horrors of the past behind him, never forgotten, but not constantly on his mind.  Because he believed, he may have truly met the female who was supposed to be his mate.

*

Brenda couldn’t wait to get out of school, and not in the normal everyday school sucks kind of way.  Her face was still bruised, so she was attracting attention.  Everyone knew what happened to her anyway – stupid small town - but the stares were something else.

Plus, she was acting like a total space cadet.  She could put that down to being beaten up by her ex-boyfriend.  Truthfully, all she could think about was that her new boyfriend was a gargoyle.  Was he her boyfriend?  Would he mind her calling him her boyfriend?  Well, he did say she was his…  She had pretended outrage when he said that, but she didn’t really mind.  No, his possessive words had sent a shiver through her body and against all logic she liked it.

But it was going fast, wasn’t it?  Too fast?

In her tween years, she had devoured books about girls abruptly falling in love with vampires, werewolves, ghosts and even zombies.  But a gargoyle?  It was madness.  She was eighteen.  She was in school.  He was a mythical monster who turned to stone every day.  Yet, her heart constricted at the thought of never seeing him again.

She cared for him.  She barely knew him.  But since meeting him, she’d realized how little she cared for Kevin, and how attractive blue skin could really be.  She could make some jokes about Smurfs, but really she was attracted to him.

After school, she had her usual phone call with her grandma.  Since the Kevin incident, Chris had added some more credit and data to her phone – fearing what would happen if she ever were stranded.  She was free to call whoever she wanted.  Honestly, she only wanted to call Grams.  Although she took great pleasure at yelling at telemarketers who called her – they were seriously aggressive and pushy and asked her some really random questions.  It was odd; she’d never gotten calls like that before, and then three all in one day.

Grams was pleased and surprised that Brenda was so chirpy after what happened with Kevin.  But how could she admit that her good mood was because of a gargoyle?

Brenda couldn’t wait to see him again.  She wanted to know what they were going to do about that bitch, Chloe.  Okay, maybe she wasn’t a bitch – Brenda had no idea - but she had no business being around Ric.  Chloe didn’t really know anything about the gargoyles – she wasn’t part of it.

Maybe Brenda was being a bit precious about them, but she didn’t like the thought of anyone out there knowing about them, and potentially putting them in danger.  Potentially taking Ric away from her.

“Hey, I’m home.”

“In the kitchen,” she called as Bob barreled into the room, swiftly followed by Chris.

“Holy hell!” exclaimed Chris.

“What?”

“Is that a smile on your face?”

He chuckled as she scowled.

“You’re hilarious,” she said.

“Peanut, it’s just nice to see you looking even a little bit happy.”

Brenda shrugged.  “I guess I am happy.”

“Well, whatever it is, keep it up.”

Her thoughts turned to Ric, and his hard body and soft kisses.  She blushed and pretended to be incredibly interested in her Spanish homework.

Chris rubbed his hands together.  “What do you say we go out to dinner?”

Brenda wavered.  She had planned to go over to the Hardcastle house early, before sunset, so she could be there when Ric woke up.  In part, due to her curiosity to see it happen, but also because she didn’t want to waste a moment.  Yet, Chris looked so upbeat.  She didn’t want to ruin that.  The happier he was, the less likely he was to keep her locked up in the house.  Besides, if they left now, they could have an early dinner, and she could go straight round to see Ric after.  She’d still have plenty of time.

“Sure, that sounds nice.  I’m really hungry, let’s go now.”

It was worth it for the delighted look on his face.  “Great, I’ll go change, and we’ll head out to the diner.”

*

Dr. Foreman scurried down the hallway towards his employer.  “Dr. Adler,” he puffed, trying to catch his breath.  “We had no idea you would be coming by today.  Twenty-Six is sleeping right now.”  He tried not to look too guilty over that.

Adler gave him a chilly smile as he lumbered down the hallway, his cane clicking as he went.  He didn’t bother with formalities.  Foreman worked for him; he was being paid for his time.  Adler shouldn’t have to waste his own time in listening to the man’s fawning descriptions over his idiot wife and loathsome Chihuahua dogs.

“I take it the drugs I ordered you to give her didn’t work.”

Foreman dutifully shook his head.  “We did just as you said but she still sleeps during the day.”

“Have you tried asking her not to sleep in the day?”

“Yes, repeatedly.”

“Still difficult,” muttered Adler.  “No matter.  I have good news; we have a new male specimen arriving tonight.”

Foreman almost swooned in shock.  “Another one?” he whispered.  “But how?”

“It is a long story.  Ensure a room is prepared for him.”

Adler left Foreman gawping in the hallway.  The man was only a passable doctor and Adler had little time for him.  But, it wasn’t always easy to find doctors in his field who possessed discretion, greed, a lack of feeling about performing tests on sentient beings and also had a nice juicy secret Adler could hold over them.  Foreman was involved in a hit and run where he ploughed into a teenage girl and just kept driving.  For now, Foreman didn’t know that Adler knew, but he was prepared to hold it over his head if it ever came to it.

Adler leaned back in his chair as he listened to Foreman spluttering out ineffectual orders.  Even his incompetence couldn’t ruin Adler’s good mood. 

Their last male died ten years ago, and every subject other than Twenty-Six had died.  Their one success, Twenty-Six was a complete pain in the ass.  They couldn’t even work out why she was a success.  But, potentially, she could make a good breeder.  And Amalric sounded like a much more promising specimen than their last male.

Yes, he couldn’t wait to get his hands on Amalric.