Brynna: A Stone Society Novella

by Faith Gibson

  She and Travis got into the back seat of the SUV, leaving enough room for Odin between them. Brynna placed her hand on the seat beside her, but Travis kept his hands clasped in his lap. As Banyan drove, he and Uri chatted about the armory. The two of them had taken over the business from Uri’s father, Tabor, and his best friend, Gautum, who was more of a father than uncle to both Banyan and Brynna. They could fulfill all orders from either the location in Norway or the one in New Atlanta.

  When Banyan parked at the edge of some trees, Travis asked, “Is something wrong?”

  Banyan turned to look at Travis. “No. We have to walk from here.” The four of them got out of the SUV, and Banyan took the lead, holding Uri’s hand. The two of them pushed their way through the overgrown path, and Travis stepped in front of Brynna, doing the same. He really was a gentleman.

  When they stepped into the clearing, Banyan and Uri stopped, looking at what was to be the location of their forever home. The property was everything Brynna remembered. It was nestled in the middle of the woods away from anyone else for fifty miles. There was a path leading to a fjord where they could swim and let their Gargoyles loose without fear of someone seeing them. Banyan and Urijah, hand-in-hand, explained where they wanted the house, one that would be built with the trees they cut down to make room for the structure. Travis listened intently, asking questions Brynna never would have thought mattered. That’s why Travis was the architect, and she was, well, her.

  Being born second as well as female meant her place wasn’t set at birth the way Banyan’s had been. He had been born to the crown while she was nothing more than a female. Even if she’d been a male, she would have been nothing other than Banyan’s sibling since he was the oldest. Her parents had tried to shield them both. Banyan by sending him to live with Gautum, and her by raising her to be a genteel female who would make a good mate to a strong Gargoyle. Only after a while, Brynna had other ideas. With her being sheltered in the monstrosity of a home, she never had a real opportunity of finding a mate. Her parents rarely entertained, and the few times they had, her mate hadn’t been in attendance. So Brynna set out in search of her mate many years ago.

  It had been scary and eye-opening, traveling the world alone, but it taught Brynna a lot about herself. She had many adventures along the way, but it wasn’t until she went to New Atlanta with her brother and Uri that she finally found what she’d been looking for all along – Travis McKenzie.

  Travis was an amazing human. Standing only a couple inches taller than her, the handsome human had light brown hair and the most amazing green eyes. He wasn’t built like the other males in her life, but most humans weren’t unless they spent countless hours in a gym. Brynna was okay with that. She didn’t need him to be chiseled. She just needed him to love her. Giving him time to mourn his girlfriend was taking a toll, but when they finally became mates – because they would become mates – it would be everything she’d ever wanted.

  “Bryn?” Travis touched her arm, getting her attention.

  “Huh?” She had been lost in her thoughts and didn’t notice him calling out to her.

  “I asked if you were okay.”

  “Oh. Yeah. You know me. Just over here daydreaming.” Brynna turned so they were facing one another and placed her hands on his shoulders. Travis never shied from her touch. Either he was too nice to back away, or he didn’t mind it. Travis set his hands on her hips and smiled. It was the first time he had touched her in such a way, and her beast crowed. Feeling as though they were turning a corner in their relationship, Brynna leaned in. With less than an inch between their lips, Banyan called out to them, and Travis jerked back. Great timing, B.

  Banyan and Uri had wandered off through the woods, but now they were back and ready to leave and head to town. When Banyan caught Brynna scowling at him, he asked, “What?”

  Brynna shook her head and walked silently back to the car. Travis was subdued on the ride, and Brynna was sure she had lost the perfect opportunity to move things forward. Banyan tried to talk to her when they arrived at the house, but she waved him off. “Travis, let me give you the tour. I’d love your opinion on whether or not the manor can be transformed into something other than what it is.”

  “Uh, yeah. Okay.” Travis gestured for Brynna to lead the way, and she hooked her arm around his as she showed him every room in the house. It took a while, as large as the manor was, and Brynna was not rushing to return to the kitchen where the others were lounging and drinking coffee. She wanted as much alone time with her mate as she could get. The bedrooms were self-explanatory, so it was the larger rooms where she lingered, offering her own ideas of what they could be used for in a commercial setting. Travis listened patiently while Brynna rambled.

  When the tour was complete, they ended up in the kitchen anyway, and Travis took a seat. Brynna wanted something stronger than coffee, but she poured Travis a cup and fixed it the way he liked before pouring her own.

  Marcie snarled her nose and pointed. “The lot of ya know how to ruin a good cup of joe.” Brynna laughed at her friend. Marcie, like other Norwegians, drank her coffee black and strong.

  “After looking around, Travis thinks a bed and breakfast won’t work,” Brynna announced to the others. Travis had nixed that idea after seeing the first three rooms. Brynna sat down at the table next to him and stuck her bottom lip out. He grinned that shy smile he reserved for her, and she returned it. “I get what you’re saying, but what the hell are we going to do with this three-story monstrosity?”

  “A hotel?” Travis ducked his eyes. He was comfortable with her, but around others, he was still reserved.

  “Hmm. Okay. Tell me your thoughts.”

  “What?” Travis’s eyebrows almost hit his hairline. Odin, but her mate was adorable. And sexy. Waiting to claim him was getting harder by the day. In human days, that wasn’t much time, but for a Gargoyle waiting to claim the other part of their soul, it was an eternity.

  “Trav, you’re a genius when it comes to building. If you think we should turn this place into a hotel, you’ve obviously given it some thought. I want to hear what that gorgeous mind of yours has come up with.” Travis blushed whenever Brynna complimented him. Or smiled at him. His cheeks were pink often. Clutching her coffee mug, she brought it to her lips. “Well?”

  “I’m more familiar with the residential side of things, but to me, a bed and breakfast connotates somewhere smaller and more intimate. A building as large as this could be marketed as a boutique hotel. It would have the larger feel of a hotel but the intimacy of a B and B. The best of both worlds.”

  “That’s brilliant. I knew—”

  “Knock, knock,” Freyda announced as she and Gautum entered through the back door. “We’re not interrupting, are we?” The older female winked at Brynna before holding out her hand to Travis. “Hello, Travis. I’m Freyda, and this is Gautum.”

  Travis stood and shook their hands. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”

  “Likewise.”

  Brynna grabbed Freyda and hugged her. “What are you doing here?”

  “You didn’t think we were going to miss out on visiting, did ya? We wanted to meet Travis, so we came home. We’re all heading back out tomorrow. So, Travis, what do you think of this place?” Freyda asked, grabbing two mugs out of the cabinet and helping herself to coffee. Brynna had confided in the female, who had become a mother figure to her and Banyan, when she realized Travis was her mate. Freyda knew all about waiting forever to find a mate. To that day, she still hadn’t found hers, but she and Gautum were in love as well as the best of friends. It was as close as the female was going to get, or at least that’s what she told Brynna.

  Gautum took the seat next to Travis after clapping him lovingly on the shoulder. “I’m interested in your ideas as well, my boy.”

  Travis blushed again, but he turned to Gautum and explained his ideas. “I was just saying I think it has potential as a boutique hotel. The architecture is amazing. It would be simple en
ough to tear out the wall between the foyer and the sitting room to open the space and make that the lobby.” As Travis expounded excitedly, Freyda handed Gautum his coffee and took the empty chair next to him. “Brynna already has the interior changes in mind as far as décor, so it wouldn’t take long to make a few structural adjustments. The one major difference would be to the kitchen. If this were my hotel, I’d expand the kitchen to include the area where we’re sitting. Feeding that many guests three meals a day will require more equipment.”

  Marcie turned from where she was cooking supper. “I think that’s brilliant, Travis.” She looked around the space, and Brynna knew the woman was envisioning where everything would go. Brynna had offered her friend the job as kitchen manager once Marcie insisted she wasn’t going anywhere. Brynna’s parents had treated Marcie as well as two royals treated any of the hired help, but Brynna and the human had become fast friends. Both Marcie and her brother, Lawrence, were now part of the family. Larry was a fantastic artist Brynna spent hours with touring the house and talking about the design changes needed to make the rooms more inviting. Brynna had commissioned Larry to paint the artwork that would be showcased in each room, replacing the staid paintings that had hung on the walls for centuries. His vision to incorporate some of the older paintings was no less brilliant than the ideas her mate had come up with to keep the history of the architecture while bringing the structure into modern times.

  Marcie announced supper was ready, and everyone lined up to take a turn at the stove. Unlike their father, Banyan didn’t stand on ceremony. All the males waited for the females to fix their plates before helping themselves. They didn’t bother going into the dining hall. Instead, everyone squeezed around the kitchen table. They talked about Travis’s ideas between bites, and Brynna’s heart was full. It had taken nearly eight centuries to find her place, and the only thing that would make her life complete was claiming the handsome male sitting across from her.

  Chapter Two

  Travis should be used to Brynna’s compliments by now, but he couldn’t help but blush whenever she said something good about him. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. She was also a bit wild and uninhibited, but he chalked that up to her being a Gargoyle. He didn’t understand why she spent all her time with him, and the longer he was with her, the more he wanted. At first, he felt guilty, like he was betraying Rachel’s memory, but his girlfriend was gone. The thing he felt most guilty about was how being around Brynna lit him up in ways Rachel never had. His girlfriend had been sweet and pretty, but it was more like dating a good friend. Their relationship had been comfortable. Stable. The spark he felt with Brynna was like fireworks going off in his chest. And the almost-kiss in the clearing? Thank goodness Banyan interrupted them, or Travis would have made a fool of himself.

  The only reason Travis could come up with for Brynna spending so much time with him was she was lonely. Travis knew she would eventually find a mate, and then he’d go back to his own lonely existence. He had Molly and Trevor, but Trevor had his own full life with Jasper and school. Having Brynna as a friend was both exhilarating and stressful. His dick was eventually going to fall off from all the hand jobs he gave himself when they parted ways at the end of the day. That was another difference. Travis and Rachel’s sex life had been good, but when they were apart, he didn’t jerk off to thoughts of her later. He chalked it up to Brynna being so stunningly beautiful, even though there was so much more to the female than her looks. It reminded him of high school – the nerd pining for the prom queen. Add in the way she constantly touched him – holding his hand, snuggling on the sofa while they watched a movie, little things she probably didn’t realize she was doing – they all wore on his resolve to keep his hands to himself. Brynna acted as though touching him was the most natural behavior in the world. But he couldn’t find the courage to stop letting her. No. Travis craved Brynna like she was his next breath.

  Travis expected Banyan to have a talk with him about how much time they spent together, but the Norse King was so kind and accepting. It didn’t make sense. Maybe he was happy his sister had such a good friend in Travis. Because he had to face it – someone like Brynna would never be interested in someone like Travis. Except… Travis thought about Trevor and Jasper. His brother and his mate were another unlikely pair. Not because there was anything wrong with Trevor. On the contrary. Out of the two of them, Trevor was the better brother. It didn’t matter that he was a clone. He was outgoing, witty, charming, and brilliant. Travis wouldn’t say anything about Trevor’s looks because they could almost pass for twins. That would be like saying he himself wasn’t handsome.

  Travis remembered how Trevor felt when he found out he and Jasper were fated to be together – unworthy. His brother still felt that way, and Travis understood where he was coming from. Somewhat. Trevor hadn’t been born into their family because their parents wanted another child. He’d been cloned from Travis’s DNA because Travis had a defective heart. Trevor was created for spare parts, as he put it. It was no wonder his brother felt less than. But Jasper truly loved Trevor. That was obvious from seeing the two of them together. If Travis were Brynna’s mate, she would have said something to him. Right? Unless she didn’t want him as a mate. That would make sense because he was nothing special. Now I sound like Trevor. Insecurity was alive and well in both McKenzie brothers.

  There was nothing Travis could do to make himself more desirable to Brynna. She’d been around him enough to know who and how he was – a fairly successful, decent-looking architect. If the fates had chosen him for Brynna, they’d not chosen well.

  Brynna had told Travis all about when Banyan became King. It was hard picturing either Brynna or her brother in their regal attire, even though he’d seen photos from the coronation. They were both so down-to-earth. Then again, so was Tamian St. Claire, and he was in line to be the Italian Gargoyle King. The house Banyan and Urijah wanted Travis to design was nothing like the current house they were in. The new home would be large enough for a family but nowhere near the monstrosity Brynna wanted to transform into a hotel. Travis was excited about designing their new home. Having already been in charge of their home in New Atlanta, he knew their styles, although their Norse home would be larger and built with the timber from the trees there on the property. In his mind’s eye, Travis could see it. It was going to be glorious.

  “Let’s dance,” Brynna blurted, bringing Travis out of his musings. “Come on. The ballroom is wired for sound, and I need to work off that delicious meal. You, too, Marcie. You can clean up later.”

  Urijah clapped his hands. “Great idea. I’m going to call my parents so they can join us.”

  “Where’s Lawrence?” Brynna asked Marcie. “He needs to be here too.” Jealousy hit Travis. Brynna had bragged on Marcie’s brother several times regarding his artwork. She had also said the siblings were like family, so he tried not to be too jealous.

  “He drove up to Bergen to drop off a painting. He should be back any time now.” Marcie began gathering dishes even though Brynna told her to wait, so Travis stood to help. He wasn’t a good dancer, but he would happily watch Brynna.

  Brynna pulled out her phone. “I’ll call him and have him stop off at the liquor store. I’m in the mood for some of those rum drinks he made after the coronation.” Travis swore to himself he would learn to make Brynna’s favorite drinks. She had learned to make his favorite dishes, so it was the right thing to do. It had nothing to do with Lawrence.

  Yeah, right.

  Freyda helped Marcie put away the few leftovers. “I hope ya save me a dance, Travis.” Freyda winked at him, and he grinned at the female. He didn’t know how old Freyda was. Since she was a Goyle, she didn’t appear much older than Brynna, but he knew from hearing stories of her and Gautum she had to be close to nine hundred, if not older. That was still taking some getting used to. Brynna was closing in on eight hundred herself. Talk about a cougar. Travis laughed to himself at his joke, and Freyda poked him in the
ribs. “Are ya laughing at me, gutt?” Her eyes were smiling, so whatever “get” meant, he doubted it was an insult.

  Brynna strolled up to Freyda and hip-checked her older friend. “I can assure you he’s not a boy.”

  “Oh? Do tell!” The females giggled, and Travis turned his back on them, looking for help from one of the males.

  “Come on, sønn. Let’s go have a drink,” Gautum said, grinning as he clapped Travis on the shoulder and directed him to the ballroom. Travis gladly went with the male. He was out of his element, but the older Goyle took pity on him and poured him a glass of Scotch. Travis wasn’t a big drinker considering his health, but if he was going to get through the next few months in close proximity to Brynna, he might take the chance.

  Banyan started the music, and soon, the ballroom was alive with all of them dancing. Travis tried to remain on the sidelines, but Brynna pulled him into the fray, so he went with it. Travis wasn’t a good dancer to say the least, but neither were the others. Not the way they were all just wiggling their hips and pumping their arms overhead, having a good time. After a few songs, Urijah’s parents showed up with Lawrence, all of them carrying bags of liquor and mixers.

  They stopped dancing long enough to make introductions. Lawrence shook Travis’s hand before he got behind the bar and mixed several concoctions that Travis had to admit were delicious and much more to his liking than straight Scotch. Travis knew better than to drink more than a few since he was a lightweight, but for once, he let himself indulge.

  When a slow song came on, it was as though a switch had been flipped. All the couples set their drinks down and paired up, holding each other close as they moved to the music. Lawrence danced with his sister, and Brynna grabbed Travis and led him onto the dance floor. She took Travis’s hands and placed them on her hips, then wrapped her arms around his neck. God, she smelled so good, and swaying together was going to be problematic if she decided to close the distance.